Randomness and accident in pattern

What we call "accident" is as crucial to the development of everything that exists in Nature as the structure of the most incontrovertible law. 

The image is a screenshot of a frequency vs time graph of a humpback whale song recording. It is beautiful, soothing and otherworldly, and you can hear it here:

https://dosits.org/galleries/audio-gallery/marine-mammals/baleen-whales/humpback-whale/?vimeography_gallery=12&vimeography_video=226918797

Peace 

As we enter the 3rd week of quarantine...

...working from home, homeschooling, and all the other changes that have taken place in the past few weeks with the Corona pandemic, I hope we find some time to ponder these wise and beautiful words from my teacher and friend Bert Gunn. Basically, before we return to any kind of normal, Bert is asking us to think about the kind of "normal" we really want to return to:

"It is a good time to go inside and reassess our lives - where are we going, and where do we want to go? What is important to us now? What lessons can we learn from this challenge? How do we want to change our lives? What is our real core, and our true mission at this time?
I send these questions as an opportunity to look within. It is also very important to be really easy with ourselves in this stressful time. Find ways to rejuvenate and heal and love ourselves. Also a time to share the healing and love. When we give, it feeds us also."

Bert is an amazing human being, a wise teacher, social worker, plumber and true man of all trades. I met him at the sweat lodge about 8 years ago, and his calm voice and deep insight have brought me peace, clarity and comfort  ever since. 

Here is his FB https://www.facebook.com/bert.gunn.92 

Peace

Physics gets me high

How have you been passing your time this past week? One thing I've been doing and loving is listening to Richard Feynman's physics lectures online (some of my favorites are this one on gravitation, and this one on probability and uncertainty).

Physics gets me high for sure, especially when presented the way he does.

I put a little bit of my own spin on it this morning:

Peace

Learn to read

With all the fear and distress going on right now, being stuck at home with our routines turned upside down, some of us unable to go out much or at all, worried about the well being of those we care about, you can see how it's easy for our minds to spin in a negative direction.

So we have to help each other in any way we can, and reassure each other that we will be there to support each other, that this will come to an end, and hopefully the lessons we will have learned will allow us to move forward in a better way.

I hope to bring a little brightness to your day by sharing little things which bring me peace and comfort:  Here's a little video of the girls giving Pride a bath yesterday.

And a quote from Shakespeare:

"O, learn to read what silent love has writ". (Sonnet 23, line 13)

I think that especially right now, this quote can bring much comfort. Yes, silent love has written and is continually writing all around us. Our task is to learn to read that which is written.

Love's writings can be discerned in easy times and in difficult times. In times such as these, look for love's writing in the hospitals, where medical personnel are working tirelessly to help; look in the fields, where migrant workers are producing food for this country, despite having no social security themselves; look in the way friends reach out to each other; in the way people worry about each other, miss each other, try to help each other, try to lift each other's hearts.
Look in the patterns and fabric of nature. Love's writings are in those places and everywhere, if we learn how to see.

Peace

Quietly. Outrageously.

Some hoard and try to make a profit off the suffering,

While others sing, in hope of bringing soothing to the world;

Meanwhile, the maples,

Are quietly,

Outrageously,

In bloom

Also, if you're feeling stressed and cooped up indoors, maybe you'll enjoy this little farm tour video I made this morning.

https://youtu.be/ysFjSmhatOc

Peace

Our greatest hope and privilege

There's a certain quality of being that we can share in a relationship, that makes the actual circumstances of the relationship trivial, and almost inconsequential. Whether the relationship "works out" the way we wanted, or not, is of little matter. When there is a certain kind of sincerity, openness, nakedness, brokenness shared in the relationship; a certain kind of presence with each other, we realize that this is the only truth and the greatest privilege we have, in giving and receiving.

Shakespeare, of course, recognized this and put it beautifully, in one of my favorite sonnets, Sonnet 30 (here is the full original and with interpretation if you are interested):

I believe that our greatest hope and privilege is to be able to share this kind of presence with someone.

Peace

This is the magazine

In which Sena is featured in case you're interested:

Peace 

Sena currently featured in the April issue of Marie Claire magazine

Sena was invited to NYC a month or so ago, to be part of a photo shoot for the fashion magazine Marie Claire. They did an issue featuring girls involved in environmental activism, and Sena was proposed by NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) as a candidate. Anyway, the photo shoot and interview went well (I wrote about it here and here also, right after going to NYC), and the article about Sena and the other girls is now out in paper copy. It will also be released online in a couple of weeks, at which time I will share more pictures and hopefully the whole article. Unfortunately, we don't have the hard copy right now, and we don't know where to go and buy it, given the current quarantine situation.
Here's a picture of Sena, courtesy of Marie Claire:

Sena was also invited down to NYC in late April, for a special gala event that was going to be hosted by Gisele Bundchen, in honor of the environmental issue and the girls' work. But unfortunately, that is now cancelled because of the pandemic. Hopefully they will reschedule after things come back to normal, since Sena was really looking forward to that.

Peace

Change itself

There is no refuge from change

Change itself is the only refuge.

~

From the level of the subatomic to the galactic, and everything in between, the unifying truth is change. To resist change is to amplify our sufferings. But to learn how to move openly, kindly, with awareness and compassion through change can be the key to peace of mind, and a great accomplishment. Right now, we have a great opportunity to practice this. (Image: Pixabay)

Peace 

Strange parallels: a lovely excerpt from Jane Eyre

Here's Jane in a strangely similar situation to where we find ourselves these days: her boarding school is afflicted with Typhus and Consumption, both deadly diseases, and everything is changed. Sick students are quarantined, and healthy ones are told to stay away, and isolate themselves. Normal routine is abandoned and things seem turned upside down.

But Jane takes this opportunity to roam the woods and find peace and loveliness there. She enjoys this freedom from the confines of her otherwise strict school schedule and describes this time to herself in a way that brings comfort to the reader:

"April advanced to May: a bright, serene May it was; days of blue sky, placid sunshine, and soft western or southern gales filled up its duration. And now vegetation matured with vigour; Lowood (the name of her boarding school) shook loose its tresses; it became all green, all flowery; its great elm, ash, and oak skeletons were restored to majestic life; woodland plants sprang up profusely in its recesses; unnumbered varieties of moss filled its hollows, and it made a strange ground-sunshine out of the wealth of its wild primrose plants: I have seen their pale gold gleam in over-shadowed spots like scatterings of the sweetest luster. All this I enjoyed often and fully, free, unwatched..."

This passage brought me peace and I hope it does to you too.
Here are some pictures of flowers that are coming up all around our house:

Peace

Heartbreak and open roads

What is happening right now around the world is heartbreaking. But it also provides us with an open road for moving forward once the pandemic subsides.

The burning Amazon; the Australian fires; the Corona pandemic: I believe that these are all, in great part, manifestations of humanity living out of balance with the natural world.

This pandemic can be our turning point as humanity, where we take seriously the fact that we must change our ways, and we start living more sustainably and in harmony with the earth.

We must stop our extractive mentality, and we must stop supporting systems that rely on and propagate the extractive mentality; systems such as industrial agriculture, that rely on getting as much as possible, as cheaply as possible, out of the land, without regard for long term impacts on land, water, ecosystems, or human lives. Or the mining industry, or the fossil fuel industry, or any industry based on generating quick economic returns as their top and only priority.

This is a turning point. We have a chance to wake up and move forward in a different, more sustainable way, curbing our consumerism and holding accountable those who have destroyed and continue to destroy our planet's natural balance. Or, we can continue with the "same old", and see what happens. The choice is ours.

Peace 

Power and vulnerability

Power and vulnerability come to the forefront in times of crisis. 

I made a video speaking about an issue that has been on my mind recently, and one that I know something about from my past 10 years of farming.

https://youtu.be/oeCa8ohk_ww

Undocumented workers, are the bedrock of our economy, in many important areas, such as agriculture, restaurant/hospitality business and construction. YET, for them, in times like these, there are no social safety nets: they are afraid to go to the doctor if they need to, and if they lose their job they are completely unsupported - there is no welfare or unemployment assistance for them.

If you feel that this is unfair and unacceptable, as I do, you can actually do something about it, by supporting organizations such as the ACLU, who have made it their work to protect vulnerable groups of people:

https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/aclu-statement-ice-enforcement-during-covid-19-pandemic

Peace and stay well, everyone!

Give yourself permission

Even when we have down time, for some of us it's hard to relax. It's as if something internal, a certain mindset or conditioning, keeps driving us relentlessly.

We need to find a way to give ourselves permission to step out of the stressful patterns and expectations that have become our norm and make us anxious, depressed, unwell.

But how exactly to give ourselves permission to do that is not obvious. It's not something you just say or think and, poof, it happens! No, it's actually more of a practice.

I suggest we start with awareness. And with compassion towards ourselves and the situation we're in rather than harsh judgements. I suggest we pay attention to our body, and above all try to maintain a gentle attitude and trust that with time, change is possible, and with sustained attention, what we need to do will be revealed to us organically, from within. 

It also helps to realize that as we learn to be gentle and genuine with ourselves, those lessons will be surely translated into our interactions with others as well, thus benefiting more than just ourselves. 

Finally, I think it helps to know that we're not alone. Despite the isolation fostered by our society with its crazy lifestyle, and its never ending cycle of making us feel inadequate and offering the next purchase as the key to fulfillment, in truth we're never alone in experiencing those things that we're the most embarrassed of and the most afraid to share. And what's more, these things that we so desperately want to rid ourselves of, to find a quick fix for, they are the only possible key to genuine fulfillment.

Wishing everyone health and peace and lightness.

Sharing skills

These times can bring out the worst or the best in us. What will you choose to share with others? 

For me, I plan to use my online platforms to share skills I've learned from farming, homesteading and homeschooling. Even something as simple as cooking a healthy meal could be of use to someone.

Please think of what skills you have that can be of use to someone else and share them.

We have a great opportunity to rise above our fears and uncertainties and show that even in difficult times we can walk in beauty. 

Home cooked lunch: beans, eggs and pepperoncini.

Peace

A little brightness

In these times of uncertainty and anxiety, I hope this brings a little brightness to your day. Enjoy the beauty of Mother Earth as she wakes from her winter slumber.
https://youtu.be/gFINQ1NlMvQ

Peace

RIP Cookie

Rest In Peace to our cat Cookie, who was hit by a car last night. We buried him this morning.

He was a loving, funny cat, and super cute and chubby. When we spoke to him, he'd make these little noises, like he was answering back.

We'll always remember him and his light, loving, playful spirit. He loved to eat, and it's a little bit of a consolation that we put out a whole chicken carcass for him and the other cats last night. He died with a happy belly.

Aiyana summed him up the best when she said that Cookie brought everlasting goodness to this world. He certainly did that.

This is a picture of him being held by Aiyana last week.

Peace 

Rolling with the changes

It looks like the girls and I will be home for a while. UConn closed in response to the Corona virus, and they told students not to come back after spring break (which is next week). They will be holding online classes instead.

The high school where I work and Aiyana studies will also be closed starting this coming Monday through at least 3/26. We're not sure if there will be online classes or no classes at all.

We're also not sure what's happening with Ed's job. His company is actually shutting down permanently in May (which he's known for a while now, and is not related to Corona), so he's up in the air anyway. We don't know if UConn will take over and Ed will be employed with them, or if he should start looking for something else, or if he'll be back farming.

We'll see how things shake out.

Peace

I am the understanding. I am the ever shifting reference frame.

Peace 

Happy International Women's Day!

"For those of us

who were imprinted with fear

like a faint line in the center of our foreheads

learning to be afraid with our mother’s milk

for by this weapon

this illusion of some safety to be found

the heavy-footed hoped to silence us

For all of us

this instant and this triumph

We were never meant to survive.

And when the sun rises we are afraid

it might not remain

when the sun sets we are afraid

it might not rise in the morning

when our stomachs are full we are afraid

of indigestion

when our stomachs are empty we are afraid

we may never eat again

when we are loved we are afraid

love will vanish

when we are alone we are afraid

love will never return

and when we speak we are afraid

our words will not be heard

nor welcomed

but when we are silent

we are still afraid

So it is better to speak

remembering

we were never meant to survive."

(excerpt from A Woman Speaks, by Audre Lorde).

So speak! Speak for the parts of you that have not spoken yet. Speak for those who cannot speak for themselves. Use your wisdom and experience to speak truthfully and with compassion, knowing that we are all misguided to some degree, we are all hurting, and we all want to be seen.

What does it mean when Lorde says that "We were never meant to survive"? For me, it means freedom. What exactly are we guarding? What are we afraid of?

Personally, I can say that physics, farming - and the resulting intimacy with the natural world -  and meditation, have taught me not to be afraid of death. The only thing I can see being afraid of is not using my time here wisely, not contributing that which I have to contribute.

Happy International Women's Day!

Peace

7 hours...

Yesterday was an eventful day! I went to the CT Legislative Building right after work to give testimony for Bill 301 to ban the toxic pesticide Chlorpyrifos. Meanwhile, Sena and her Sunrise Co-director, Mitch, were already there, in in a different part of the building testifying in support of another bill, Bill 5215, asking for climate education in schools. They got to testify fairly quickly and went back home with Ed at a decent time.

Here's a picture of Sena and Mitch after they finished testifying on their bill.

I stayed at the Capitol, and unfortunately, though I waited 7 hours, I still was not able to testify. By the time I left, there were so many people waiting to testify before me, and it looked like it might have been another 2 hours before I'd get my turn, so at 9:30pm, I decided to go home. I am submitting my testimony in written format, but I do wish I could've spoken...

Here's my final testimony:

Dear members of the Environment Committee,

I am here to ask you support bill SB 301: An act concerning the use of Chlorpyrifos.
I am very concerned about the many documented toxic effects that this pesticide has on the health of humans and children in particular, effects such as:

• brain damage, learning disabilities, developmental delays, behavioral problems;
• The EPA’s own scientific analysis showed that the amount of Chlorpyrifos ingested by young children through sprayed fruits and vegetables could exceed safety levels by 140 times.

I am also concerned about the effects of Chlorpyrifos on the health of animals, our environment in general, and pollinators in particular.

• As a farmer, I know that pollinators are critical to our food supply;
• Without pollinators we cannot produce many fruit and vegetable crops;
• Yet pollinators are experiencing a massive decline around the world;
• For example, in 2018, CT farmers lost 73% of their bee hives; 
• Pesticides such as Chlorpyrifos and Neonicotinoids are largely responsible for this alarming decline;
• This is unacceptable and unsustainable.

Here in CT, Chlorpyrifos seems to be mostly used on golf courses. Yet we hear arguments that banning it will negatively impact farmers.
I am here to tell you that, as a farmer growing some of the very crops that this pesticide is applied to, I know that there are healthier alternatives to this pesticide, alternatives such as:

• Integrated Pest Management;
• Habitat management;
• Mechanical, cultural, biological controls.

As a farmer, I can also tell you that the people who come to our farm care about the health and safety of their food. They do not want pesticides and other toxic chemicals like Chlorpyrifos in their food supply, and expect you, their elected leader, to stand up and implement regulations that protect their health and wellbeing, and the health and wellbeing of their children, before any other interests.
Please support this bill and ban Chlorpyrifos in CT, as other legislators have done or are in the process of doing in California, Hawaii, Maryland, New York, and many European Union countries.
Thank you very much!