Thursday, March 18, 2010

Days 75 to 77: Mostly Mud...


Jesus said you can't serve two masters. The same with blogs. It is hard to fit everything in while making mud and taking walks. You either write about one and not the other.

But these past few days have been perfect! Part of the perfect life: up early, make mud, plaster house, walk the short loop, barbecue dinner--finish the day off with a beer and a book. Is there anything better than that?

And my arms, legs, neck, back, fingers, hands, feet, toes and most every other body part are sore from digging, scraping, sifting, hoeing, splattering and climbing.

I've been re-reading the Nearing's books on "The Good Life". I'm no Scott Nearing. He was much too disciplined for me. But what I do like about their good life is the art of balance. You balance time for self and time for "bread work". You balance off the chores by spending some time improving yourself. All of it is about movement; directing your life forward in a balanced sort of way.

But now my eight days on the Homestead are done. Time to balance things off by doing some "bread work". Time to go to Napa to earn some money...

4 comments:

greentangle said...

Sounds like a good life to me. I'm wrapped up in accumulating things (camera arrived--now awaiting memory card and the time to do more than glance at the manual) and ripping cds so I'll at least have some low quality music as the fool on the hill.

I met Helen Nearing once late in her life--she signed her cookbook for me, which consisted mostly of recipes such as: put oats in bowl, add raisins. :)

Allan Stellar said...

:) Green..

Yes, the Nearing diet isn't something that appeals to me. So when does the adventure begin for you?

allan

Jacqueline Donnelly said...

Your routine sounds very satisfying. What an accomplishment, to build your house with your own hands!

greentangle said...

Still a long time, Allan. I don't start work til late May, but will probably leave here early enough to spend a few days each in Duluth and Bozeman.