Mar
27

Positive Progress

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I’ve been off and running…networking myself into a new business – at least that’s the idea. I’ve been noticed and now I am talking to some very interesting and plugged in people. The energy, enthusiasm, and joy evident in the Urban Sustainability movement is stunning! In fact every single place we need reform, or just flat out a new system, is in a marvelous state of ferment. It’s quite pro-biotic,organically growing in communities of ideas, and dreams, and deeply grounded intent. The will is there to create something new. The pieces we need are all here as well. Creativity is fountaining up in people; they are all meeting each other and immediately connecting. The air in these meetings is so delicious – full of  local, organic, flexitarian home cooking, an old fashioned pot luck with people who are ecologically conscious! We’re also bringing our own plates, cups, silverware, and napkins again! Ah! Shades of the Hippy sixties and the ‘back to the land’ 70’s! Only now it’s going mainstream.

We are all practicing the best practices for the Earth as far as we can – and ready to stretch for tomorrow. It’s so excellent to be in a room full of people who (in one way or the other) sound like you do. Or more accurately, have the same underlying vision about this next step. We all want to know what the other is doing, and enjoy seeing how it all fits into the whole. What a delicious time. This type of community is so very important right now, with the world loosening at the seams to allow for the newest configuration to emerge. And it’s full of optimism!

The “greenies” are gathering around food and becoming more eco-conscious in the process. There is a wonderful sense of comradery when you find others that don’t use paper towels, or put their tissues in the compost instead of the trash. A woman  in the same master composting class as I came up to me today, beaming, because she was so pleased to know someone else that uses handkerchiefs and turns off water!

What’s interesting is this is the way I grew up! We had a well on the farm, and particularly in summer you just didn’t take your hand off the faucet. The water went on and off fast, or you filled a basin to wash, because you didn’t want the well to run dry and burn out the pump! Then the water was dumped on Mother’s roses. Cloth napkins were normal, not fancy; and just about everything got turned into something else. What happened in the mean time? Check out www.TheStoryofStuff.com for an interesting answer!

Like the first line in the Tale of Two Cities, “It was the worst of times; and it was the best of times…” Whenever you can, wherever you can, focus on what is the best about these times.

Mar
18

Letter From Sendai, Japan

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I just wanted to share this letter with you since it touched my heart. . . .Love, Kate

A letter from Sendai by ANNE THOMAS 3/14/2011

Published online @ Ode magazine


Things here in Sendai have been rather surreal. But I am very blessed to have wonderful friends who are helping me a lot. Since my shack is even more worthy of that name, I am now staying at a friend’s home. We share supplies like water, food and a kerosene heater. We sleep lined up in one room, eat by candlelight, share stories. It is warm, friendly, and beautiful.

During the day we help each other clean up the mess in our homes. People sit in their cars, looking at news on their navigation screens, or line up to get drinking water when a source is open. If someone has water running in their home, they put out a sign so people can come to fill up their jugs and buckets.

It’s utterly amazingly that where I am there has been no looting, no pushing in lines. People leave their front door open, as it is safer when an earthquake strikes. People keep saying, “Oh, this is how it used to be in the old days when everyone helped one another.”

Quakes keep coming. Last night they struck about every 15 minutes. Sirens are constant and helicopters pass overhead often.

We got water for a few hours in our homes last night, and now it is for half a day. Electricity came on this afternoon. Gas has not yet come on. But all of this is by area. Some people have these things, others do not. No one has washed for several days. We feel grubby, but there are so much more important concerns than that for us now. I love this peeling away of non-essentials. Living fully on the level of instinct, of intuition, of caring, of what is needed for survival, not just of me, but of the entire group.

There are strange parallel universes happening. Houses a mess in some places, yet then a house with futons or laundry out drying in the sun. People lining up for water and food, and yet a few people out walking their dogs. All happening at the same time.

Other unexpected touches of beauty are first, the silence at night. No cars. No one out on the streets. And the heavens at night are scattered with stars. I usually can see about two, but now the whole sky is filled. The mountains are Sendai are solid and with the crisp air we can see them silhouetted against the sky magnificently.

And the Japanese themselves are so wonderful. I come back to my shack to check on it each day, now to send this e-mail since the electricity is on, and I find food and water left in my entranceway. I have no idea from whom, but it is there. Old men in green hats go from door to door checking to see if everyone is OK. People talk to complete strangers asking if they need help. I see no signs of fear. Resignation, yes, but fear or panic, no.

They tell us we can expect aftershocks, and even other major quakes, for another month or more. And we are getting constant tremors, rolls, shaking, rumbling. I am blessed in that I live in a part of Sendai that is a bit elevated, a bit more solid than other parts. So, so far this area is better off than others. Last night my friend’s husband came in from the country, bringing food and water. Blessed again.

Somehow at this time I realize from direct experience that there is indeed an enormous Cosmic evolutionary step that is occurring all over the world right at this moment. And somehow as I experience the events happening now in Japan, I can feel my heart opening very wide. My brother asked me if I felt so small because of all that is happening. I don’t. Rather, I feel as part of something happening that much larger than myself. This wave of birthing (worldwide) is hard, and yet magnificent.

Thank you again for your care and Love of me,

With Love in return, to you all,

Anne

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Feb
05

Seasonal Body Changes

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I am one of those fortunate people that never lost touch with being able to find out what foods my body wants. I feel part of this is great genetics; part of this was being raised by a Mom who used portion size and dish size to indicate what a normal amount of something was; and part of this was having a Dad who changed what he ate and the amount he ate when the activity changed. The last part was trusting my inner knowing to decide on foods and amounts that suited me in the moment.

This is evident in some patterns and habits I have that seem to be quite different from most of my friends and acquaintances. If I am hungry and can’t find anything in the refrigerator or cupboards that interests me, I drink a glass of water or have a cup of herb tea. I take this as a sign to fast for the moment. When all I want is one item for a meal, I go with that, even if it seems a bit odd – like a whole bunch of kale or a grapefruit or two. Since I sometimes only want a bite or two of something and at other times I want a lot, I figure it all balances out.

Seasons also bring changes in what foods I want and how much! In fact I will gain roughly 10 pounds by January. In cold climates in winter, I want root crops, stews, meat, and hearty soups. I love the tougher greens (collards, kale, and turnip greens) as well, fermented foods (sour kraut), and have more good fats as the weather gets colder and the ground freezes. My warmer clothes reflect these body changes and also allow for an extra layer under them when needed.

Ah, spring! As the weather warms, I start craving fresh greens, lighter fare, and also start shedding the winter weight. Summer brings mostly raw veggies and fruits, salads, more salt and much less fat. Off comes the weight, and my summer clothes are a size smaller than the winter ones. This has  been my pattern for as long as I can remember – except when I lived in Tucson, AZ. There is no deep chill building to a freezing winter in Tucson, and lo and behold, no weight gain either! After realizing that, I haven’t worried about ‘winter weight’ again.

Another trigger for changes in diet for me is the amount of physical activity I am doing that day. When I am getting up early to work as a landscaper/garden maintenance laborer for 8 hours outside, I have 2 eggs, 2 pieces of sausage or bacon, fruit, yogurt, coffee and even a piece of toast. Without the protein I am starving by 10am! Lunch is big as well however supper is quite small. When I am not doing hard physical labor, my breakfast is yogurt and fruit, and I usually only have two meals a day.

I believe we were all born knowing what we need, how much, and when; I also believe that many of us can re-invigorate this inner sense by being very conscious of what we put in our mouths and what our unique physique requires. We may have gotten the idea that we had to learn what was good for us, and why, so that we would eat the right things at the right time. I believe instead this ‘education’ has confused a normal, organic knowing each of us is born with. Inner dialogue with your body is a helpful tool to cultivate and it will give you a better personal idea of your own requirements for food, rest, and relaxation.