this is my home

it seems that it is more difficult that i initially anticipated to write in my own blog as well as the farmhouse blog every week. things have been ohsobusy around here the past couple of weeks. 

however, 

before i write anything about what has been happening,

i would like to introduce any and of all you

to my new home 

(with better photos)!

meet my family (my sisterfriends)

in order: sarah, erynn, katerina, cristyrose, me

(and i promise that the next family portrait will be less 'in motion')

this is the house where the interns live. it is so very homey.

and this is my corner of the room that sarah, katerina and i share.

(and that is blue dinosaur on my bolivia blanket)

this is the communal family room. it has a fireplace,

and we have worship services here on sundays evenings.

and this is where the "magic" happens. (oh kitchen!)

this is the backporch area. and yes, that is a huge wood-fire grill.

this is the front porch, 

and if you look really closely

you can see the scarecrow that i'm building.

along with the scarecrow, this is photographic documentation of 

operation "no mo' crow!"

it has been quite successful.

these are some of the in-transition organic avocado trees.

you have to drive through them on your way in.

it's really nice.

and this is the farm! 

you can see romaine, radishes, and some squash from this angle.

here's another view of corn, squash, butter lettuce, arugula, and 

red leaf lettuce.

so those are just a few glimpses of

this hugehuge home that i'm a part of now.

things have just been insane at the house.

we had our housewarming on the 6th of september

and around 150 people showed up.

it was miraculous!

it was hopeful!

it was entirely overwhelming!

but we made it through

and the clean-up wasn't even that bad

with biodegradeable cups and plates.

and so many of my friends showed up,

which made my heart grow.

and then, um, we have just a ton of crops that are ready

like radishes radishes radishes.

and arugula (my new favorite green).

and spaghetti squash that is so good for you and so tasty.

and patty pan squash and eggplant and zuchinni and bok choy

watermelon, long of naples squash (which is literally the size of a 3 yr. old child),

pumpkins, butternut squash...

the harvest is truly abundant

and it's also early!

we won't be ready to start selling in markets for about a month,

and we still have a few weeks before our csa starts up.

so we're feasting, 

but just cannot eat enough!

i'm just so joyful every time a new crop is ready, though.

i think i might have found what i want to do.

i may just tend the land the rest of my days

and throw parties every time butternut squash is in season

rather than throwing a birthday party.

so much for 24 on friday...

i'm having butternut squash soup!

now that merits a celebration!

(and see abundanttableorganicfarming.blogspot.com/ 

for more of my thoughts on this particular topic)

can it already be another week-end?

i always thought that if i lived in a rural, quiet, removed place that time would somehow slow down.
let it be known
this is not the case.
i do not know where this last week has gone.
perhaps it got lost in thinking about
all of the many things that we have to do.
we're all learning here about how on earth to set-up a csa,
where the local farmers markets are (and the requirements for each individual market),
the steps involved in certifying our planting practices as organic,
working on campaigns for farm workers' rights and the new sanctuary movement..
and then we're also making all these choices about our home
and the ways that we want to live as a house/collective/group of compassionate friends.

the feeling of being overwhelmed hasn't really dissipated,
it's just spread or migrated into new places.
like this afternoon we came home
and our house was full of 8 people
all trying to help and prepare things for this weekend,
but it felt like chaos and insanity and headaches and reallyreally claustrophobic.
and i'm realizing that
i have so much to learn about communal living and hospitality.

but i have teachers!
oh my sisterfriends.
who are really starting to feel a lot more like friends.
already it feels strange when i haven't seen one of them in a few hours.
and we're getting to know each other on a one-on-one level
(which is really the only way that i know how to make friends).
like traveling to pasadena and learning about farm workers' rights with sarah.
like taking walks and planning farmers market trips with katerina.
like doing weight training and working on the website with erynn.
i like them all. (and our mutual love is very obvious in all that we do for one another).

not much solitude this week.
hoping to making more time for that
and for reflection.
i ran away to town on wednesday night
because i wanted to pop a bag of popcorn at home,
sneak it (and some carbonated water) into a movie theater,
and see district 9 on the big screen.
spec-tac-u-lar.
though this place truly is becoming "home,"
i am so looking forward to seeing old friends again this weekend
and to meghan janssen's visit! my first friend to see my new home! :)
oh, but you can see it here:















and if you want to stop by the farmers market tomorrow morning,
in either watts or lamert,
you'll see us there with south central farms!

continue to be well, friends.
and read everything is illuminated
and a heartbreaking work of staggering genius
because they are honest and hard and magical and ohwillyoulaugh.

lovelove.

week one

(new post first post!)

and this is it and we're here!

by we, i mean katerina, sarah b., cristy rose, erynn, and i. 

we're all moved into our farmhouse

which is quite a lot more like a 60's dreamhouse

with sparkles in the ceiling

and pull-out cutting boards

and big-bulbed vanities

and blue, velour armchairs.

i know that it is good to be here.

i am reminded daily in good, growing conversations

and meeting such friendly faces

and feeling the sun

(but not the heat)

and smelling the ocean

and picking oranges from the tree in the backyard.

this morning was spent dreaming really big

about all the hopes we have

for the house

for our little farm-to-be

for what a "simple little life" mightcouldmaybe look like.

i can already see a lot of change within myself.

this is a place where we are not only caring for the earth,

but also for each other

and our neighbors

and ohsomuch for ourselves.

like centering prayer on tuesday nights!

and having spanish and salsa saturdays 

(salsa for the eating and salsa for the dancing)

and liturgical worship sunday evenings

and running/walking together

and yoga(!)

and cooking healthyhealthy local

and sharing really honestly about ourselves

(which is a lot scarier than i had imagined

because we're still kind of strange and new to one another

and even to ourselves)

and advocating for our friends the farm workers.

it's a whole lot.

and i can't deny the fact that i've been really overwhelmed

and felt lost

and lonely.

but we keep talking about reflection

and moving from loneliness to solitude

(and i'm thinking about how that is a choice)

and that feels so incredibly hopeful.

so here i/we are

in oxnard, right on the border of camarillo

a mile from the navy base

on the coast

on the farm

with the avocado trees in the front.

come! or don't!

i love you (and me?) no matter what!

there are reasons for you to be where you are

and for me to be here.

we'll share prayers and/or thoughts often.

oh and i'll be seeing you

and writing again real soon.

all five of us can be read additionally at:

http://abundanttableorganicfarming.blogspot.com/

lovelove.