Sprouting Seeds

We try to live as mindfully, simply, and sustainably as possible. This has been a slow and ongoing process. One, which, in some ways, is an excise in formidable patience.

Long, long ago, I decided that when I owned my own piece of property, I would have a garden. Maybe a even few chickens, because, and I know this from experience, there are few things better than farm-fresh eggs. There was also the idea of reusing gray water, as well as capturing rainwater and snowmelt, getting solar and perhaps even wind power.

These schemes didn't have so much to do with the whole thing-some might call a fad-of being green, but of just being self-sufficient. A few less things to buy when stocking up on market day. A little less-if any-money being paid to the local energy consortium. I like my Independence, my anonymity, and anything that can help strengthen that position, I'm all for it.

Thankfully, someone came into my life, and was wanting to share theirs with me, who held a similar viewpoint. From moving to the mountains, to the idea of gardening in some form or fashion, to solar and wind power, and perhaps sinking a well to get off township water, Sabina has been all for it. Sometimes, she's almost been more relentless about the idea than I have. I find this wonderful just on principal and also rather encouraging, to what some might think of as lunacy.

As spring slowly approaches, a yet barely perceptible feature on the event horizon, we begin researching gardening. I would like to someday have a greenhouse to grow things year 'round, but we compromised to start out with a garden, as to see just how green our thumbs are. The big challenge, of course, is finding what will not only grow, but thrive, at an elevation of nine-thousand one-hundred eighteen feet.

So, there has been the hops to gardening and hydroponic shoppes up and over. Sabina found several links and purchased an ample amount of back copies of Mother Earth News. We've talked with some of our neighbors. The research has been intriguing and entertaining.

It has started. Another baby step in slow process living mindfully, simply, and sustainably. Seeds of ideas grow within the walls of our skulls, germinating into full grown schemes. I find myself possessed of a certain excitement for spring; the retreating snows and budding aspens, but also for the seeds we might place in dirt, and just what our tentative garden might grow.