A friend pointed out to me that it's been a long time since I posted a blog, so here I am.

I suffer from the bad habit sometimes of getting too into whatever reasearch I'm doing for my latest book/story. For the past number of years, I've been captivated with the idea of homesteading. My family and I did try some sort of self sufficency many years ago, in Northern Ontario. I was teaching myself how to trap and track, grow vegetables and herbs, we started to raise chickens for eggs (although, truth be told, they made me nervous). I learned how to make a stone wall, how to make my own bread, how to preserve and scads more. But my one regret was that life dealt me a deck of cards that took me away from all that. True, I am happier these days; in a new relationship with two great kids and a pretty good job...but it seems that my heart really wants to just get back to the land.

Last year I joined a urban homesteading mailing list, pleased as all punch that there were others out there who felt as I did. I am now a co-owner and still thrilled that so many of us share the same enthusiasm for being a little more self sufficent. I have found so many sources for information that it can be mind boggling, it's hard not to dive head first into it all.
You might be wondering why this fascinates me so, well, let me explain.

When Hurricane Katrina made such a mess of things in New Orleans, it became clear to me how dependent we, as a society, have become. So my housemate and I started talking what if's. Not to far from here there is an old, mostly abandonded farmhouse, and it was my idea that if something were to happen, we would go there. The property has an older, but neglected garden, nearby running water and is on a main road. I thought (and still do think) that if a disaster strikes, I'm going to think of my family first and deal with the trespassing and squatting laws later. I have enough foraging skills that I could keep us from starving; but then I got to thinking...it wouldn't be enough. We would need to know how to provide for ourselves. The government would be too slow, it would up to us to keep us alive. Now, you might be thinking that this is an alarmist atittude, and maybe it is; but I am sometimes jolted awake at night by the knowledge that if disaster happened; I'm not ready.

I'm not going to run out and build a bomb shelter or stock my spare room with "in-case" food (although I do know folks who have done this), but what I am doing is learning the skills necessary to not only survive, but live in eventual comfort. I can sew quite well by hand, I'm learning all about eco-friendly building techniques (more on that later), re-learning how to make a fire the old way, and doing my part in trying to get a community garden running. There's more too, but my point is that I'm doing and not just worrying any more. I still want to get a piece of land and do things our way; but I recognize that I will probably have to keep working at my job to put enough money by. I'm a realist.
An impatient one, but a realist.

Next time, I'll tell you all about those eco-friendly building methods I mentioned earlier.
Taleweaver

Of Jobs, Markets and 5 yr Old Cheese

I’ve got a relatively new job and I can honestly say that I’m really enjoying it, much to my surprise. I work in a convenience store. Now, I can hear some of you scoffing, but think about it, when you run out of milk, or cigarettes or need chips in a hurry, who do you think sells it? People like me. Who do you think give the best customer service? People like me. Now that I have that off my chest, let me tell you what I USED to do. Once upon a time I worked as a member of the recruiting & dispatching team at a temp agency. Well, someone’s (NOT MINE!) sex drive and adulterous ways literally screwed me out of that job, and I found myself laid off and with a family of four other mouths to feed. So I took a job I never really wanted in order to make ends meet; working in a food processing factory. Suffice it to say it was nasty, cold and an hour and a half (on public transportation) commute…one way! So then, a family friend suggested the present job to me. After much pros & cons list making, I applied, interviewed and landed the job. I’ve already expressed an interest in the empty assistant manager position, and if things continue in the current vein, it looks possible.

So I’ve been working my tail off to prove myself, to the point of working nearly 82 hours in 13 days. Today (Aug 27^th) was a much-enjoyed day off. This morning my Sweetie and I went to the Farmer’s Market here in Cambridge. We were lucky enough to great some great deals, as well as try something new…5 year old Canadian cheddar. Even my kids like it, and one of them is VERY picky! We got crookneck squash, which is almost impossible to find in our neck of the woods, fat corn on the cob that wouldn’t fit on our dinner plates it was so huge, gorgeous amber honey, and organic potatoes. We also bought crunchy apples for the kids that I cannot eat due to a pesticide allergy, blueberries, raspberries, the aforementioned cheese, a plump chicken, sausage and the nicest, tastiest tomatoes that tasted better than my own.

We had a feast for dinner tonight. I barbequed chicken, she made homemade biscuits with the new honey, melon, berries, tomato slices, cucumber slices, corn on the cob and man…are we STUFFED!

I can’t recommend farmer’s markets enough to you folks. Track down your local market and let’s support the farmers. Not only is local honey good for your allergies, but the only way to keep our farms is to support the folks who work in the fields. So while the summer is still here, deny your grocery store some of your hard earned cash, and save our farms by buying local.

Ok, I’ll get off my soapbox now, but if you want to share your thoughts with me, I can always be reached at

roseanddragon@hotmail.com

Enjoy the update and support a farmer today!

Carolyn aka Taleweaver

Books and What Makes A Difference

I was having a conversation with a friend just this afternoon about books and fiction, and what stands out. We also discussed formulaic fiction, and how it leaves the reader wanting. I can remember one book I've read in which the opening line was something like "It was raining the day I died." It was Roseflower Creek, and I've never forgotten how that book broke my heart. It had an opening that made me sit up and take notice, and I haven't read anything like it since. I've also recently read "Divine Secrets Of The Ya-Ya Sisterhood", and it too stands out among the crowd, if for no other reason than it's style and voice. Too often, we can watch a movie made from a book, and yawn because the movie is not unique. This one is. Reading the book is like watching the excerpts that ended up on the editing room floor. It's follower, "Ya-Ya's in Bloom" has the same sassy style. It's also addicting!
As an author, I have learned quite a bit in recent years about both good and bad writing. What will make a story or article melt into the pool of obscurity, and what will make a piece stand alone. I admit that my own novel was quite the learning curve. Nowadays, I want a book that will stick with me as much as yesterday's oatmeal. I want fresh characters, dialogue that makes sense. I want purpose and morals, lessons hidden like pearls in muddy oysters. I want to remember a book long after I've returned it to the library, or it's owner, or tucked it away with my other books.

What about you? What makes you remember a book? What will make you fork over your hard-earned dollars for the printed word?