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My vision is to create a business from my garden, so that I can afford to leave my job, have the garden as income, and paint and write. I also want my customers to read the story of my garden, look at pictures, and get an idea of the process of the work of the garden.

Friday, January 21, 2005

This is the second try on this post. I tried to post one yesterday, and got an error message when posting, and lost all the writing.

Started looking for another job a couple of weeks ago, sent out resumes to about four companies, heard back from one, but that seems to have evaporated for the time being.

However, yesterday, got called into vp's office, and was given a raise. Apparently they are giving raises to some people to keep them from bailing. I certainly appreciate the raise, but it doesn't hurt to look. I do like this company, but the last year has been a real roller-coaster ride, and most of my favorite coworkers have left or are leaving.

I like my commute--it's around one hour, but I am not fighting any traffic, and get to listen to books on tape while I drive along beautiful river scenery. They are good to us in terms of paid time off, as well, and this year I get an increase in days off, so with the longer days coming, I plan to take more time off to paint.

Had a horrible experience with the dog on Wednesday. I took the day off, and decided to take her for a walk through the big fields to go over to visit a friend in the village who works at home. Long story short--the dog got her foot caught in a trap. It was a terrible experience. I felt helpless when I tried to get her out of the trap, and in my rush, couldn't see how to do it. Tried to call my husband on the cell phone, but he was online, and the phone just rang. Finally, I managed to calm myself down, and was able to see the flat handles on either side of the trap so that I could put my weight on them and it released the trap enough for her to squeeze her foot out. She was all bloody, but able to put her weight on her foot, and I took her back along the grassy road to the tarmac road to our house, wailing and sobbing all the way. She didn't seem to be in pain anymore, but when we got her home, we called in an emergency visit to the vet and took her over there. They were amazed to see her in such good condition, and determined that she didn't have any broken bones, nor aterial damage, just two small puncture wounds. I told her (any myself) that it was our lucky day, although for the rest of the day I felt like throwing up.

I now need to go and visit the farmer. I was trespassing, and have no rights to be walking along the grassy road through the field, but he may not know that there are traps, or at least one trap on the property he leases from the Catholic church. And if he set the trap, which is now sprung, and under the snow cover, harmless for the moment to any passing animal, I need to remind him that there may be many household pets in the neighborhood, never mind children, along with the wildlife, and it was a terribly cruel thing to do to any animal. I had met the farmer recently at a dinner party, and sitting next to him, asked him if he farmed those fields, and told him I had recently skiied through the fields after the holiday snowstorm, and he kind of gave me permission to do so.

Did I, in mentioning the many animal tracks, and the fox I had seen, give him an idea to set a trap? I hope not.

We're expecting lots of snow this weekend, and I may go skiing again. But the dog will never be allowed into those fields again. And that is a loss.

Friday, January 07, 2005

I still have my job, and we actually have work for me to do in the next few months. One person was let go, and the president of the company is taking over the business development. All of this allows for a bit more financial security for the next few months.

The light is changing and I am working on my seed order. This weekend, I am planning to set up the light table where I place the trays of seeds after they germinate, and I want to set up some trays of seeds for germinating. I will start with parsley and as the weeks go on, add more cold weather seeds for germinating, so when March comes, and if it is a warm March, will get some cold weather crops into the garden. Newest plant I am ordering and will work with, is Stevia--an herb for sweetening things. I want to grow it, and learn how to use it.

Also I will do more flowers. My husband is cutting wood, since we now have the road up into the woods that gives us a lot more access to the six acres up there in the hills, and he is cutting the fallen trees. We will plan on planting more trees up there, I would like to plant more dogwood, for a prettier Spring, and he has a mailing from Arborday, or something like that with hazelnut trees as a bonus for joining.

We are going to look into evergreens for the road frontage border to block out the new, ugly mcmansion built on the field, and to plan in case our neighbor is looking to sell the rest of the field for housing.

I am painting. That's all for that. I am happy doing so, and will continue.

Life is good today. I have enough money for my painting and my gardening, enough time for those things, and enough love, which is ever expanding.


Sunday, January 02, 2005

Happy New Year to all!!!!

We got through the holidays, sober, and now, a little fatter. Sugar is too irresistible during the holidays, and yesterday, New Year's Day, it was all over the place at the two gatherings we went to. But it is back to Weight Watchers next week, I think I might skip tomorrow night, no, as I write this, I want to skip because I don't want to know how much I gained these past two weeks, but my new year's resolution is to be more honest in my life in all things, and not to be afraid of that honesty--the truth will set you free--and all that, but here is an instance where my dis-honesty, or reluctance to face my addictions is right with me all the time. And the way to leave that behind is to go through it.

I am very happy the holidays are over. We both had a lovely time at times, but I think it is the tunnel of darkness experience that gets me more than ever. I need the light, crave the light, and now the earth is turning. Also, now I am getting ready to order my seeds, and they will come in the next few weeks, and I will start my seedlings. That gets me through February, and causes me to look forward to the Spring, when I can be outside planting, and shaping my garden.

The best thing that I did this year is to start painting again. My studio is unheated, and the milder weather allowed me at times to keep up a kind of consistency in the studio, with the result that I have a number of paintings I am working on. This has opened me up in such a positive way. Why did I forget this? That the creative act leads to more creativity. Just start! Each painting opens the way up for another, and it pulls me along. Each new work adds to my vocabulary, and triggers ideas!

Things are uncertain at work--upper management is having a meeting tomorrow, and while the rest of us have another day off for the holidays, perhaps they are going to hit us with another day of lay-offs when we come back. I don't know this for sure, and I am not even going to spend any more time on thinking about it, but I wouldn't be surprised.

Nor am I afraid. I feel so positive right now, that whatever happens, I will be able to forge ahead with new opportunities. Perhaps it is the right time to start the farm stand. Perhaps I will decide to become a personal chef, a new career move I am researching. Perhaps I will just paint for the duration of unemployment, plus do the other two ideas. Perhaps another opportunity will present itself.

Just one thing I have been thinking of on the tsunami. A wake-up call from the universe of how one's life can end in a few seconds, or at the very least, change dramatically. A whole society can change in an instant. The earthquake apparently shifted the earth's rotation. Perhaps it has also shifted the consciousness of the human species on the earth as well, or at least enough of us to make an internal change that can also alter the rotation of the human heart. I hope so. We certainly do not seem to be going in the right direction.

Love to all,
Basha

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