I am in process of creating some uber sustainable house modifications for the winter time. The project is making window insulators for the purpose of keeping cold air out and warm air in. I will be using all free, recycled materials, creating a few different variations based on what materials I get. I will be making a video of this process to share the possibility.
There are some materials that are of common trash for many that i am requesting be saved for me for this project. If enough are collected I could come pick them up or if you are in my area a drop of would be awesome!
Material requests.
1.Packing Peanuts, I can use as many as you get and save over the holidays. I will be using them for insulation in my project.
2.Plastic bags.
any plastic bag that is not dirty or stinky would be appreciated, grocery bags etc. I can use thousands of these so bring em on!
If anyone feels called to contribute and save these for me it would be appreciated and a fantastic way to put trash to a sustainable abundant use. Anyone who wants to ask friends to do this or direct them to this blog to spread the abundance would also be appreciated. Anyone who wants to start a donations bank for sustainable materials would also be appreciated!
hahahahahahah
Blessings Allways
<3
P.S there are also many other materials that I have great use of that many may not. Any sort of cloth, sheets, cloths, towels etc.
Newspaper. I wouldn't be willing to drive far for this but for a truck load or if im in the area YES!
Carpet. I can use hundreds of square feet of this possibly thousands. Anyone have access or an idea for mass amounts of old free carpet?
Cardboard. I can also use huge amounts of this, wouldn't be willing to drive far for it but if anyone close to me knows where a great spot to get it is I would love to know.
Old Doors especially glass ones. I would so love some more of these.
Showing posts with label free. Show all posts
Showing posts with label free. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Green Building
Green Building~
This is such a large spectrum topic and a very important one. It also can be very complicated though it does not need to be.
One can go the route of a 1,000 sqf self built cob home or a contracted mansion. Either way it is possible to build it so that it requires no non renewable energy sources to operate. Such as water and electricity. With a well insulated home of any size it is quite possible to keep it plenty warm in almost all climates with solar alone. A wood burning stove or a solar air heater would be plenty to subsidize on an extraordinary cold stretch.
When so much of the house is efficient renewable electricity could easily be supplied to operate the other things such as computers, lights, & maybe a refrigerator. Its really impossible to compare the electrical use of a standard suburb home or business to that of an efficient sustainable home or business. SO many of the energy uses are just non existent.
All day time lighting can be provided by windows and solar tubes. Almost all heat can be provided by solar and insulation. All water can be provided via rain and efficient water use. Such as in these amazing efficient sustainable Earth Ships here. These are some of the best examples of widely made and used sustainable homes.
Hot water can mostly all be heated via the sun. This leaves a very small amount of electricity needed and that is easily applied by renewable sources.
What I really love about efficient sustainable buildings is the many levels of efficiency in play & how they all effect and enhance each other!
Take cob for example. It is all earthen materials so its possibly free or very cheap. Its totally green meaning there is no environmental impact expect for how they may be harvested but the materials them selfs are totally green. Cobb just also happens to be incredibly temperature efficient for cold or warm weather making it a desirable insulating material. While also being so strong & solid that it is one of the most earthquake resistant types of buildings there is. Cob is also sufficient load bearing! This makes things so simple. You take 4 ingredients Water, Clay, Sand, Straw, mix & build. So simple, so abundant & so efficient! Because there is no need for weight structure support one needs no frame or load bearing implementations besides the cob it self. This basically means if you can build a sand castle you can build a house. What is also really nice is that these buildings are so unique & so so beautiful. I have seen so many beautiful cob homes & so many of them are very different yet still beautiful. There are so many people with very little to no building experience that have built their own homes.
So this gives us a cheap, easy to build complete building package that is totally sustainable & BEAUTIFUL!
There are hundreds of books on cob building & lots of videos free to watch online.
Straw bale is another very simple cheap & natural building source. There are applications where it could be more ideal than cob.
To me the properties of straw bale building are not ad ideal as cob in most cases so it would come down to material availability & ease.
Straw bale is much faster than cob as you can stack straw bales on top of each other until the walls are as high as you want & this is a very fast task. Where as with cob all the cob has to be mixed. added & then dried out a bit then mixed. added etc.
The aspects of straw bale that I really love are that is is very cheap, lots of natural materials, great insulation value, fast construction process.
It is really cheap because straw bales are very cheap & in many locations totally free. There are of course other expenses as you cant just build a house with stacked straw bales. The bales mack up most of the mass though so thus are a large part of the material needed.
Straw is a very sustainable & natural building material. It grows most parts of the world, it grows with little or no maintenance, it keeps growing & its totally biodegradable. Its so cool to think that you could be growing your house if a field, that if your house were to no longer be wanted it could be composted & you could grow your garden in it! This is an awesome and exciting dynamic to me. I love sustainability.
Straw bales are great insulation. They are thick & also create really good dead space. These are two major factors in good insulation. So by building all the walls out of straw bales the house is off to a good start in being well insulated. There are other important factors of course.
When the foundation & frame are built the process of building the straw bale walls is very fast. Much faster than that of cob walls. This is nice as cob as wonderful as it is, it is very labor intensive & very time consuming.
What I don't prefer about straw bale is that one has to build a frame as straw bale walls are not load barring. I don't like the idea of building frames out of lumber as it is cut un-sustainably, processed unsustainably & transported unsustainably. This of course is not always the case as one could make ones own lumber or buy it from someone who does this sustainably. Even if it were done in a more sustainable fashion I still feel that lumber is not a sustainable building material. I don't feel that trees are worth cutting down for all the buildings that we build.
A cool alternative may be building cob load barring pillars, or stone pillars, or something salvaged. Then creating the rest of the wall out of straw bales. As with everything there are so many ways to do & it is silly to say something is not doable or not right nor worth attempting. I fully support experimentation & exploration of new possibility in all areas of life.
The other aspect of straw bale that I don't prefer is that it is susceptible to mold & such. However when done right it is not much of an issue. There are many many beautiful sustainable & long lasting straw bale homes.
To me its just not as simple as other earthen building techniques & requires more expertise. Cob on the other hand anyone can do & do it beautifully of high quality.
What it comes down to me is what resources do we have available. If we do not have clay but have lots of straw & trees for lumber. Maybe its a good idea to do a straw bale. Or if I were going to be making a large house or many houses maybe straw bale would be better as it is much faster to build.
Its all relative & what is important is weighing the factors. Finding the most efficient & sustainable path. There are many factors, depending on the location & purpose of the building.
Rammed earth homes are pretty cool. Very similar to cob though instead of wetting and building it like clay it is rammed compressed into molds the shape of the walls one wants to build.
What like about rammed earth homes is that they are made from earth. By far one of the most full spectrum sustainable materials on earth.
Great insulation & heat retention. Because the walls are solid & thick the insulation value is quite good. Also when exposed to sun it absorbs the heat of the sun and because its so thick radiates that sun throughout the whole night and recharging the next day. This factor does require some building planning as in the summer the walls need to be shaded so that it is NOT absorbing that sun during the hot summer days. In the winter the wall needs to be exposed to the winter sun so that it utilizes this benefit.
Rammed earth walls are also load bearing. This makes construction design much simpler and the materials needed less.
These type of homes can also be built very fast. There are companies that build rammed earth homes in some parts of the country that have a bunch of pre made forms, power packing machines and dirt loading machines. This makes for about the fastest possible earthen building experience. Its really cool to think that one could pay someone to build a green, efficient, sustainable home of about the highest quality, really quickly for no more than a traditional built home.
The drawbacks that I see in rammed earth homes are that unless one has the forms & machines it is very very labor intensive.
Also it is not as adaptable as cob is as far as design elements. Because it requires forms this means you have to have lots of different forms for different angels and such or the house needs to be of uniform shape. Squares & such would work very well with rammed earth homes. Where as with cob you can do curves or any angle & dimension you wish with ease.
Salvaged material homes.
Sustainability to me incorporates any trash that is used for a purpose. Anything going to the trash is waste & when that waste is utilized sustainability is at work. I do not like the idea of building a timber frame house or a steel building. However if that timber were salvaged or the steel were salvaged then YES. When I say salvaged I mean from a source that would otherwise not get used.
To be sustainable the house would also need to be well insulated, utilize passive & active solar plus other various green/efficient/renewable/sustainable aspects.
I build lots of sheds & small buildings of salvaged materials. Tin & used lumber are easy to come by. Since insulation is not an issue in most sheds it is OK.
Whenever waste can be utilized I love and support this. Its important to utilize it an efficient way whatever that may be. A free building that is not sustainable is of little use. There are however many materials that can be salvaged & integrated into buildings or other projects in an efficient abundant fashion.
Hybrids.
I love cob/strawbale homes. I love cob for its dynamic sculptur and beauty possibilities. I love it for its load bearing preformance, green material, and simple method. I love that it retains heat from the sun and has great insulation value.
Straw bale is awesome because its fast and is really good insulation on say a north wall where there is no sun to warm the exterior. So a north wall of straw bale and the rest cob would be a nice choice. Or cob building and straw bale roofing insulation. Straw bale is an awesome roof insulation because it is very light easy to get in place and great insulation value.
A partial salvaged material house with the rest of an earthen building material is also great. Maybe a salvaged roof or frame. Salvaged doors and windows. Or whatever material that is abundant and can be utilized in a building.
There are lots of options here with many factors to work with.
These are my favorite Green Building realities though there are more. As I become framilier with other possibilities I will be sure to document them here. As we at Freedom Living are exposed to more possibilities and experience we evolve as well as all those who we facilitate.
Imagine living in a house of complete sustainability built of all green materials. Imagine how great it will feel to live in and to create in this way while supporting sustainability. Imagine the unique beauty that this house would have and all the special charicturistincs it would have. Imagine all the abundance that would be integrated derived from such efficient sustainability. All the bills, maitenence and stress of a conventional home disapear.
Oh what a wonderful dream!
Imagine
This is such a large spectrum topic and a very important one. It also can be very complicated though it does not need to be.
One can go the route of a 1,000 sqf self built cob home or a contracted mansion. Either way it is possible to build it so that it requires no non renewable energy sources to operate. Such as water and electricity. With a well insulated home of any size it is quite possible to keep it plenty warm in almost all climates with solar alone. A wood burning stove or a solar air heater would be plenty to subsidize on an extraordinary cold stretch.
When so much of the house is efficient renewable electricity could easily be supplied to operate the other things such as computers, lights, & maybe a refrigerator. Its really impossible to compare the electrical use of a standard suburb home or business to that of an efficient sustainable home or business. SO many of the energy uses are just non existent.
All day time lighting can be provided by windows and solar tubes. Almost all heat can be provided by solar and insulation. All water can be provided via rain and efficient water use. Such as in these amazing efficient sustainable Earth Ships here. These are some of the best examples of widely made and used sustainable homes.
Hot water can mostly all be heated via the sun. This leaves a very small amount of electricity needed and that is easily applied by renewable sources.
What I really love about efficient sustainable buildings is the many levels of efficiency in play & how they all effect and enhance each other!
Take cob for example. It is all earthen materials so its possibly free or very cheap. Its totally green meaning there is no environmental impact expect for how they may be harvested but the materials them selfs are totally green. Cobb just also happens to be incredibly temperature efficient for cold or warm weather making it a desirable insulating material. While also being so strong & solid that it is one of the most earthquake resistant types of buildings there is. Cob is also sufficient load bearing! This makes things so simple. You take 4 ingredients Water, Clay, Sand, Straw, mix & build. So simple, so abundant & so efficient! Because there is no need for weight structure support one needs no frame or load bearing implementations besides the cob it self. This basically means if you can build a sand castle you can build a house. What is also really nice is that these buildings are so unique & so so beautiful. I have seen so many beautiful cob homes & so many of them are very different yet still beautiful. There are so many people with very little to no building experience that have built their own homes.
So this gives us a cheap, easy to build complete building package that is totally sustainable & BEAUTIFUL!
There are hundreds of books on cob building & lots of videos free to watch online.
Straw bale is another very simple cheap & natural building source. There are applications where it could be more ideal than cob.
To me the properties of straw bale building are not ad ideal as cob in most cases so it would come down to material availability & ease.
Straw bale is much faster than cob as you can stack straw bales on top of each other until the walls are as high as you want & this is a very fast task. Where as with cob all the cob has to be mixed. added & then dried out a bit then mixed. added etc.
The aspects of straw bale that I really love are that is is very cheap, lots of natural materials, great insulation value, fast construction process.
It is really cheap because straw bales are very cheap & in many locations totally free. There are of course other expenses as you cant just build a house with stacked straw bales. The bales mack up most of the mass though so thus are a large part of the material needed.
Straw is a very sustainable & natural building material. It grows most parts of the world, it grows with little or no maintenance, it keeps growing & its totally biodegradable. Its so cool to think that you could be growing your house if a field, that if your house were to no longer be wanted it could be composted & you could grow your garden in it! This is an awesome and exciting dynamic to me. I love sustainability.
Straw bales are great insulation. They are thick & also create really good dead space. These are two major factors in good insulation. So by building all the walls out of straw bales the house is off to a good start in being well insulated. There are other important factors of course.
When the foundation & frame are built the process of building the straw bale walls is very fast. Much faster than that of cob walls. This is nice as cob as wonderful as it is, it is very labor intensive & very time consuming.
What I don't prefer about straw bale is that one has to build a frame as straw bale walls are not load barring. I don't like the idea of building frames out of lumber as it is cut un-sustainably, processed unsustainably & transported unsustainably. This of course is not always the case as one could make ones own lumber or buy it from someone who does this sustainably. Even if it were done in a more sustainable fashion I still feel that lumber is not a sustainable building material. I don't feel that trees are worth cutting down for all the buildings that we build.
A cool alternative may be building cob load barring pillars, or stone pillars, or something salvaged. Then creating the rest of the wall out of straw bales. As with everything there are so many ways to do & it is silly to say something is not doable or not right nor worth attempting. I fully support experimentation & exploration of new possibility in all areas of life.
The other aspect of straw bale that I don't prefer is that it is susceptible to mold & such. However when done right it is not much of an issue. There are many many beautiful sustainable & long lasting straw bale homes.
To me its just not as simple as other earthen building techniques & requires more expertise. Cob on the other hand anyone can do & do it beautifully of high quality.
What it comes down to me is what resources do we have available. If we do not have clay but have lots of straw & trees for lumber. Maybe its a good idea to do a straw bale. Or if I were going to be making a large house or many houses maybe straw bale would be better as it is much faster to build.
Its all relative & what is important is weighing the factors. Finding the most efficient & sustainable path. There are many factors, depending on the location & purpose of the building.
Rammed earth homes are pretty cool. Very similar to cob though instead of wetting and building it like clay it is rammed compressed into molds the shape of the walls one wants to build.
What like about rammed earth homes is that they are made from earth. By far one of the most full spectrum sustainable materials on earth.
Great insulation & heat retention. Because the walls are solid & thick the insulation value is quite good. Also when exposed to sun it absorbs the heat of the sun and because its so thick radiates that sun throughout the whole night and recharging the next day. This factor does require some building planning as in the summer the walls need to be shaded so that it is NOT absorbing that sun during the hot summer days. In the winter the wall needs to be exposed to the winter sun so that it utilizes this benefit.
Rammed earth walls are also load bearing. This makes construction design much simpler and the materials needed less.
These type of homes can also be built very fast. There are companies that build rammed earth homes in some parts of the country that have a bunch of pre made forms, power packing machines and dirt loading machines. This makes for about the fastest possible earthen building experience. Its really cool to think that one could pay someone to build a green, efficient, sustainable home of about the highest quality, really quickly for no more than a traditional built home.
The drawbacks that I see in rammed earth homes are that unless one has the forms & machines it is very very labor intensive.
Also it is not as adaptable as cob is as far as design elements. Because it requires forms this means you have to have lots of different forms for different angels and such or the house needs to be of uniform shape. Squares & such would work very well with rammed earth homes. Where as with cob you can do curves or any angle & dimension you wish with ease.
Salvaged material homes.
Sustainability to me incorporates any trash that is used for a purpose. Anything going to the trash is waste & when that waste is utilized sustainability is at work. I do not like the idea of building a timber frame house or a steel building. However if that timber were salvaged or the steel were salvaged then YES. When I say salvaged I mean from a source that would otherwise not get used.
To be sustainable the house would also need to be well insulated, utilize passive & active solar plus other various green/efficient/renewable/sustainable aspects.
I build lots of sheds & small buildings of salvaged materials. Tin & used lumber are easy to come by. Since insulation is not an issue in most sheds it is OK.
Whenever waste can be utilized I love and support this. Its important to utilize it an efficient way whatever that may be. A free building that is not sustainable is of little use. There are however many materials that can be salvaged & integrated into buildings or other projects in an efficient abundant fashion.
Hybrids.
I love cob/strawbale homes. I love cob for its dynamic sculptur and beauty possibilities. I love it for its load bearing preformance, green material, and simple method. I love that it retains heat from the sun and has great insulation value.
Straw bale is awesome because its fast and is really good insulation on say a north wall where there is no sun to warm the exterior. So a north wall of straw bale and the rest cob would be a nice choice. Or cob building and straw bale roofing insulation. Straw bale is an awesome roof insulation because it is very light easy to get in place and great insulation value.
A partial salvaged material house with the rest of an earthen building material is also great. Maybe a salvaged roof or frame. Salvaged doors and windows. Or whatever material that is abundant and can be utilized in a building.
There are lots of options here with many factors to work with.
These are my favorite Green Building realities though there are more. As I become framilier with other possibilities I will be sure to document them here. As we at Freedom Living are exposed to more possibilities and experience we evolve as well as all those who we facilitate.
Imagine living in a house of complete sustainability built of all green materials. Imagine how great it will feel to live in and to create in this way while supporting sustainability. Imagine the unique beauty that this house would have and all the special charicturistincs it would have. Imagine all the abundance that would be integrated derived from such efficient sustainability. All the bills, maitenence and stress of a conventional home disapear.
Oh what a wonderful dream!
Imagine
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Gardening
Gardening is the bread and butter of sustainability to me. Because we are actually planting & nurturing our food source which is really the most important physical need.
Organic Gardening is so important for so many reasons.
1. Most food that we eat is not local. This means that it is being transported via trucks that run on mass amounts of oil/fuel. It means that it is transported on roads which are made from machines using mass amounts of oil. It is most likely grown on huge plots of land worked with huge machines that run on mass amounts of oil.
By localizing our food ALL of that oil/fuel is negated. That is a HUGE environmental impact. Also by localizing our food we stop taking advantage of many countries who grow food for us at very small profit and death of surrounding land.
2. ~Health~ This is a huge factor. There is very little comparison to wild crafted produce grown on ones own property & produce bought in a store organic or otherwise. We grow the best tomatoes I have ever had, I & others often say if what I buy in the store is a tomato then this is NOT a tomato. It is like that with lots of what we grow. The quality is of such a higher degree for many reasons.
Even organic produce is allowed to have up to a certain amount of different chemicals present in the food. Even a lot of organic produce is picked early & selected for reasons beside optimal health/taste.
By growing ones own produce it is possible to grow completely chemical/pesticide/herbicide & even fertilizer free! This produces produce of such great quality that when paired with fresh daily picked ripe on the plant, we get OPTIMAL food. Also a factor overlooked by many is that when we grow our OWN food the food actually grows for US based on our particular make up & needs. Meaning a plant can specifically grow to benefit us individually based on who we are! This is powerful for full spectrum health.
3. Natural~ By growing food without any pesticides, herbicide, fertilizers etc there is much less impact on the environment. There is less run off into our surrounding environment & also the factor of BUYING these products saves all the shipping distance & all the factory space that is used to produce such products.
Its really important to take into account factors besides the present obvious ones. It is obvious that a pesticide run off will effect water supply close by but it is also true that this fertilizer was made in a factory put in a bag made in another factory & shipped across the country or state to get to you. There are many levels of UN-SUSTAINABILITY in play here. By growing our own food in this way ALL of these are negated. This is HUGE!
4. ~Cost~ This is a nice benefit of growing food. It is quite easy to grow enough food for ones self/family/community. We have many systems & awarenesses that make gardening easy, abundant, & self sustaining. It really comes down to planting, harvesting, & utilizing which are all fun aspects of the process!
By growing our own food we save money on costs of food but also we have a great way to make extra income without leaving the home, doing something we are doing any ways! It is almost as easy to grow 1 acre of food as it is 1/2 acre in our situations, but the profit is twice as much. Quality produce & products are in high demand while also fetching a premium price with individuals & businesses alike. There are so many ways to utilize a garden for sustainability and profit that it is my number 1 aspect to sustainability.
So down to the details. An efficient abundant healthy garden is very much about the soil. It has been found that with really healthy soil most diseases are of no issue & the plants produce prolifically , beautiful, rich produce.
So for that, composting is a huge factor of a true sustainable garden. Read the article on *composting* here.
Most land before it gets planted is not ideal for an abundant garden. The first belief that I want to dispose of is the idea that tilling or anything like that is necessary or even beneficial. This is actually quite harmful to the harmony & balance of the earth & is detrimental to a magical healthy prolific garden. Any time the soil dries out or is exposed to the sun many beneficial nutrients are lost. There are many aspects to soil that die when dried out or exposed to the heat of sun. Tilling stimulates both of these processes. Tilling is only actually needed because of hard soil and the inhabitation of unwanted plants in the growing area. There are much more harmonized, efficient & abundant ways to achieve this.
So lets start here. You have a plot of land & you want to start a garden. What now? Most likely this land will have grass, weeds or some plant life growing that you will want to replace with produce. You want to cover the entire area to be planted with cardboard, black plastic, carpet or some other water trapping , heat trapping and dark creating substance. What this does is, kills all the grass from lack of sun & exposure to hot moist climates. This grass then decomposes into perfect nutrients for the plants to come while also getting rid of all the plants that you don't want & also keeping the soil moist and soft! I prefer cardboard for this purpose because you can just leave the cardboard & it will decompose into the soil also! This is the single most magical awareness I have come to in gardening. By negating tilling completely one saves much energy in the tilling process itself, while much energy in the process of nutrients that are SAVED & also CREATED. After this is done in the case of plastic it is wise to remove before planting, in the case of cardboard just cover it with some rich compost & then plant.
Each kind of plant will want to be planted in a different time of year & want different conditions to grow. This is a bit to detailed to get into here however almost all seeds will have planting info on them as for when to plant, what kind of area to plant, how much water & what kind of soil they prefer. These general instructions are normally quite dependable. It is also quite different for someone in Wisconsin vs someone in Texas. In places like Wisconsin that has a very short growing season it is wise to have a green house to pre start plants & although it is a great head start in a place like Texas because of the long growing season it is not necessary.
As you start to plant, space the seeds so that they have the proper space for their type of existence. Radishes can grow very close together while watermelons need quite a bit of space to grow. The packages of seeds usually say how far apart to plant etc.
Also companion planting is a very useful and highly advised practice. The way it works is that there are certain plants that help each other grow or keep away pests that bother other plants. THAT IS PERFECTION! For instance a problem for squash or melons is the squash beetle. However squash beetles dont like marigolds so planting marigolds around the squash keeps many of the beetles away. There are many plants that serve this purpose. Check out the many gardening books & even web sites have lists of companion planting combination's. Check this out before you buy seeds for the season so as you know what it is you are wanting based on what you are wanting ;-)> Then plan out the garden so that the companion plants are next to each other & the ones that don't benefit each other are away from each other.
I also recommend making a chart of plantings so as you have documentation of what grew where with what and how it did so that on next planting the chart can be consulted & enhancements made. Every year that I garden I become more efficient & proficient at utilizing the space for what is planted.
After these seeds are planted the soil needs to be moist as the roots are very small to non existent. This is why the spring is the rainy season so that the new seeds can grow with their very small ability to absorb & retain water! THAT IS PERFECTION!
Most of the time we don't want soggy or soaking soil but damp moist soil. As soon as the sprouts are above ground it is wise to ad mulch around the plants. Add at least a couple inches or mulch to the entire garden where a sprout is not coming up. This serves many purposes!
1. It keeps moisture in the soil which is important to reduce water use and time spent watering. 2. Protects the soil from the sun! This is huge as the sun is one of the leading causes for soil depletion. 3. As the wood chips sit there all year they decompose creating their own small amount of compost, there by enriching the soil!
As you integrate these aspects you can see how the need for tilling disappears. With the cardboard composting all the plant matter not wanted is gotten ride of while being utilized in a sustainable fashion and also providing a clean slate. Then the wood chips protecting the soil while also adding to it, there is very little depletion which is easily substituted in the form of compost made on site.
During the winter months one can either just cover all the land with mulch or plant an over crop. Both are good options. A couple months before planting season cardboard, carpet, plastic or some such material may be needed again to prep the ground for the fresh little seeds to have no competition or interference from unwanted plants. It is also possible to cover the land with cardboard in the winter then wood chips & the next coming spring the cardboard will be decomposed enough to grow through & there will be no plants growing in the garden space.
This is the cycle for maintaining healthy soil and plants. It is so beautiful because it is quite clear how the techniques utilized save time and energy in one way while also contributing energy in another. This is the cycle of life and the abundance of nature being utilized. As one uses cardboard to prep the ground one is saving time on tilling and also CONTRIBUTING to the soil. This process is also utilizing cardboard that is being thrown away and not utilized at all. Its also free! That is 4 levels of sustainability and abundance being utilized in 1 step. That is the efficiency of Freedom Living at work. That is how our projects play out and the kind of techniques we implement.
Watering is a big factor in many areas. I feel its important in sustainability to provide the water from an off the grid source. We have wells, which are easy & abundant forms of on demand water. I highly recommend one for any moderate to large size garden or farm.
With on demand water like a well, setting up irrigation on specialty drip hoses with a timer is the ultimate in efficiency & ease. We use an amazing drip hose material called T-Tape. There are many variations of it for different purposes, it is very cheap & although made in a factory is such a time saver, I choose it. By setting up this drip hose system to a well with a timer one can actually leave as I have done for a month & come back to a perfectly healthy garden full of produce to harvest.
An ideal garden set up is one that sustains it self. If its not easy its not being done right.
Rain water collecting is a very possible watering method especially for the smaller sized family gardens. Most places get way more then enough rain when collected to water a garden. The main factor ( in some places much more than others) is the storage space. In a place like Texas it is common to get inches of rain in 1 day & not get rain for a month after. This means that to completely rely on rain water one must have enough storage to supply water for at least a month without rain. The question then really is not about rain but how much storage is needed for the garden size for the time there might be with no rain.
For a smaller garden it would be quite easy to fill 55 gallon tanks with water & just have hoses on them that when opened drained into the garden. For a large garden this would not be the most efficient set up.
For a larger garden an underground tank storage with a pump or an above ground tower is better. The nice thing about a tower is that it can use gravity. The nice thing about underground tanks is that they are much cheaper & because they are underground don't take up land space. Also if building cob dwellings it could be possible to use the dirt dug up for earthen building. One would defiantly need a pump for underground tanks however the money saved on underground tanks would easily pay for a pump. The worst part of an underground tank is that its underground so getting to it is a pain. This in most cases if planned right is not much of an issue.
I have quite a few other rain water collecting and distributing ideas that are not tested. Will share as experienced and worthwhile.
Another option is a pond or a river. Ponds or rivers could be pumped, channeled, or harvested to substitute water to a garden that isn't getting enough rain. Springs are also present in many mountainous areas of the country which make great garden as well as house water.
In low rain areas utilizing raised beds is a wise option. By making raised beds one gets a more optimal water usage. Combine this with lots of mulch & you can get by with far far less water.
With that lets get to raised bed construction!
I love raised beds & have utilized them many times from many different sources in many different forms. The factor that I use for all my beds is that the material is a free source being reused. This makes for a wide variety, keeps it creative & above all keeps from supporting the creation of more materials instead of using the over abundance of material we already have & throw away.
The beds can be long or wide as long as every area of the bed can be reached to harvest. So long skinny ones work well.
I have made raised beds out of doors nailed, screwed or fastened together to make large rectangles. They work great & if the doors are free then yippee =D
I have made raised beds out of cabinet doors tied together with strings that are made from that industrial shrink wrap they use on pallets of boxes & such. This was a cool model because I could make them any shape, triangles, squares, rectangles or even octagons. In this particular model I needed nothing that cost anything or that did not come from a trash source. WIN.
I have made lots of raised beds out of tires large and small. A car sized tire is only good for about 1 melon plant. I have also used huge 4 hundred lb tires that are 4 feet in diameter, as large raised beds that work very very well.
I have made raised beds out of bundled stick piles and my favorite ones are out of cardboard and bamboo! They are super beautiful, very easy, very abundant, free & sustainable resource. Can make any shape or size and they decompose quite quickly adding to the richness of the soil!
Organic Gardening is so important for so many reasons.
1. Most food that we eat is not local. This means that it is being transported via trucks that run on mass amounts of oil/fuel. It means that it is transported on roads which are made from machines using mass amounts of oil. It is most likely grown on huge plots of land worked with huge machines that run on mass amounts of oil.
By localizing our food ALL of that oil/fuel is negated. That is a HUGE environmental impact. Also by localizing our food we stop taking advantage of many countries who grow food for us at very small profit and death of surrounding land.
2. ~Health~ This is a huge factor. There is very little comparison to wild crafted produce grown on ones own property & produce bought in a store organic or otherwise. We grow the best tomatoes I have ever had, I & others often say if what I buy in the store is a tomato then this is NOT a tomato. It is like that with lots of what we grow. The quality is of such a higher degree for many reasons.
Even organic produce is allowed to have up to a certain amount of different chemicals present in the food. Even a lot of organic produce is picked early & selected for reasons beside optimal health/taste.
By growing ones own produce it is possible to grow completely chemical/pesticide/herbicide & even fertilizer free! This produces produce of such great quality that when paired with fresh daily picked ripe on the plant, we get OPTIMAL food. Also a factor overlooked by many is that when we grow our OWN food the food actually grows for US based on our particular make up & needs. Meaning a plant can specifically grow to benefit us individually based on who we are! This is powerful for full spectrum health.
3. Natural~ By growing food without any pesticides, herbicide, fertilizers etc there is much less impact on the environment. There is less run off into our surrounding environment & also the factor of BUYING these products saves all the shipping distance & all the factory space that is used to produce such products.
Its really important to take into account factors besides the present obvious ones. It is obvious that a pesticide run off will effect water supply close by but it is also true that this fertilizer was made in a factory put in a bag made in another factory & shipped across the country or state to get to you. There are many levels of UN-SUSTAINABILITY in play here. By growing our own food in this way ALL of these are negated. This is HUGE!
4. ~Cost~ This is a nice benefit of growing food. It is quite easy to grow enough food for ones self/family/community. We have many systems & awarenesses that make gardening easy, abundant, & self sustaining. It really comes down to planting, harvesting, & utilizing which are all fun aspects of the process!
By growing our own food we save money on costs of food but also we have a great way to make extra income without leaving the home, doing something we are doing any ways! It is almost as easy to grow 1 acre of food as it is 1/2 acre in our situations, but the profit is twice as much. Quality produce & products are in high demand while also fetching a premium price with individuals & businesses alike. There are so many ways to utilize a garden for sustainability and profit that it is my number 1 aspect to sustainability.
So down to the details. An efficient abundant healthy garden is very much about the soil. It has been found that with really healthy soil most diseases are of no issue & the plants produce prolifically , beautiful, rich produce.
So for that, composting is a huge factor of a true sustainable garden. Read the article on *composting* here.
Most land before it gets planted is not ideal for an abundant garden. The first belief that I want to dispose of is the idea that tilling or anything like that is necessary or even beneficial. This is actually quite harmful to the harmony & balance of the earth & is detrimental to a magical healthy prolific garden. Any time the soil dries out or is exposed to the sun many beneficial nutrients are lost. There are many aspects to soil that die when dried out or exposed to the heat of sun. Tilling stimulates both of these processes. Tilling is only actually needed because of hard soil and the inhabitation of unwanted plants in the growing area. There are much more harmonized, efficient & abundant ways to achieve this.
So lets start here. You have a plot of land & you want to start a garden. What now? Most likely this land will have grass, weeds or some plant life growing that you will want to replace with produce. You want to cover the entire area to be planted with cardboard, black plastic, carpet or some other water trapping , heat trapping and dark creating substance. What this does is, kills all the grass from lack of sun & exposure to hot moist climates. This grass then decomposes into perfect nutrients for the plants to come while also getting rid of all the plants that you don't want & also keeping the soil moist and soft! I prefer cardboard for this purpose because you can just leave the cardboard & it will decompose into the soil also! This is the single most magical awareness I have come to in gardening. By negating tilling completely one saves much energy in the tilling process itself, while much energy in the process of nutrients that are SAVED & also CREATED. After this is done in the case of plastic it is wise to remove before planting, in the case of cardboard just cover it with some rich compost & then plant.
Each kind of plant will want to be planted in a different time of year & want different conditions to grow. This is a bit to detailed to get into here however almost all seeds will have planting info on them as for when to plant, what kind of area to plant, how much water & what kind of soil they prefer. These general instructions are normally quite dependable. It is also quite different for someone in Wisconsin vs someone in Texas. In places like Wisconsin that has a very short growing season it is wise to have a green house to pre start plants & although it is a great head start in a place like Texas because of the long growing season it is not necessary.
As you start to plant, space the seeds so that they have the proper space for their type of existence. Radishes can grow very close together while watermelons need quite a bit of space to grow. The packages of seeds usually say how far apart to plant etc.
Also companion planting is a very useful and highly advised practice. The way it works is that there are certain plants that help each other grow or keep away pests that bother other plants. THAT IS PERFECTION! For instance a problem for squash or melons is the squash beetle. However squash beetles dont like marigolds so planting marigolds around the squash keeps many of the beetles away. There are many plants that serve this purpose. Check out the many gardening books & even web sites have lists of companion planting combination's. Check this out before you buy seeds for the season so as you know what it is you are wanting based on what you are wanting ;-)> Then plan out the garden so that the companion plants are next to each other & the ones that don't benefit each other are away from each other.
I also recommend making a chart of plantings so as you have documentation of what grew where with what and how it did so that on next planting the chart can be consulted & enhancements made. Every year that I garden I become more efficient & proficient at utilizing the space for what is planted.
After these seeds are planted the soil needs to be moist as the roots are very small to non existent. This is why the spring is the rainy season so that the new seeds can grow with their very small ability to absorb & retain water! THAT IS PERFECTION!
Most of the time we don't want soggy or soaking soil but damp moist soil. As soon as the sprouts are above ground it is wise to ad mulch around the plants. Add at least a couple inches or mulch to the entire garden where a sprout is not coming up. This serves many purposes!
1. It keeps moisture in the soil which is important to reduce water use and time spent watering. 2. Protects the soil from the sun! This is huge as the sun is one of the leading causes for soil depletion. 3. As the wood chips sit there all year they decompose creating their own small amount of compost, there by enriching the soil!
As you integrate these aspects you can see how the need for tilling disappears. With the cardboard composting all the plant matter not wanted is gotten ride of while being utilized in a sustainable fashion and also providing a clean slate. Then the wood chips protecting the soil while also adding to it, there is very little depletion which is easily substituted in the form of compost made on site.
During the winter months one can either just cover all the land with mulch or plant an over crop. Both are good options. A couple months before planting season cardboard, carpet, plastic or some such material may be needed again to prep the ground for the fresh little seeds to have no competition or interference from unwanted plants. It is also possible to cover the land with cardboard in the winter then wood chips & the next coming spring the cardboard will be decomposed enough to grow through & there will be no plants growing in the garden space.
This is the cycle for maintaining healthy soil and plants. It is so beautiful because it is quite clear how the techniques utilized save time and energy in one way while also contributing energy in another. This is the cycle of life and the abundance of nature being utilized. As one uses cardboard to prep the ground one is saving time on tilling and also CONTRIBUTING to the soil. This process is also utilizing cardboard that is being thrown away and not utilized at all. Its also free! That is 4 levels of sustainability and abundance being utilized in 1 step. That is the efficiency of Freedom Living at work. That is how our projects play out and the kind of techniques we implement.
Watering is a big factor in many areas. I feel its important in sustainability to provide the water from an off the grid source. We have wells, which are easy & abundant forms of on demand water. I highly recommend one for any moderate to large size garden or farm.
With on demand water like a well, setting up irrigation on specialty drip hoses with a timer is the ultimate in efficiency & ease. We use an amazing drip hose material called T-Tape. There are many variations of it for different purposes, it is very cheap & although made in a factory is such a time saver, I choose it. By setting up this drip hose system to a well with a timer one can actually leave as I have done for a month & come back to a perfectly healthy garden full of produce to harvest.
An ideal garden set up is one that sustains it self. If its not easy its not being done right.
Rain water collecting is a very possible watering method especially for the smaller sized family gardens. Most places get way more then enough rain when collected to water a garden. The main factor ( in some places much more than others) is the storage space. In a place like Texas it is common to get inches of rain in 1 day & not get rain for a month after. This means that to completely rely on rain water one must have enough storage to supply water for at least a month without rain. The question then really is not about rain but how much storage is needed for the garden size for the time there might be with no rain.
For a smaller garden it would be quite easy to fill 55 gallon tanks with water & just have hoses on them that when opened drained into the garden. For a large garden this would not be the most efficient set up.
For a larger garden an underground tank storage with a pump or an above ground tower is better. The nice thing about a tower is that it can use gravity. The nice thing about underground tanks is that they are much cheaper & because they are underground don't take up land space. Also if building cob dwellings it could be possible to use the dirt dug up for earthen building. One would defiantly need a pump for underground tanks however the money saved on underground tanks would easily pay for a pump. The worst part of an underground tank is that its underground so getting to it is a pain. This in most cases if planned right is not much of an issue.
I have quite a few other rain water collecting and distributing ideas that are not tested. Will share as experienced and worthwhile.
Another option is a pond or a river. Ponds or rivers could be pumped, channeled, or harvested to substitute water to a garden that isn't getting enough rain. Springs are also present in many mountainous areas of the country which make great garden as well as house water.
In low rain areas utilizing raised beds is a wise option. By making raised beds one gets a more optimal water usage. Combine this with lots of mulch & you can get by with far far less water.
With that lets get to raised bed construction!
I love raised beds & have utilized them many times from many different sources in many different forms. The factor that I use for all my beds is that the material is a free source being reused. This makes for a wide variety, keeps it creative & above all keeps from supporting the creation of more materials instead of using the over abundance of material we already have & throw away.
The beds can be long or wide as long as every area of the bed can be reached to harvest. So long skinny ones work well.
I have made raised beds out of doors nailed, screwed or fastened together to make large rectangles. They work great & if the doors are free then yippee =D
I have made raised beds out of cabinet doors tied together with strings that are made from that industrial shrink wrap they use on pallets of boxes & such. This was a cool model because I could make them any shape, triangles, squares, rectangles or even octagons. In this particular model I needed nothing that cost anything or that did not come from a trash source. WIN.
I have made lots of raised beds out of tires large and small. A car sized tire is only good for about 1 melon plant. I have also used huge 4 hundred lb tires that are 4 feet in diameter, as large raised beds that work very very well.
I have made raised beds out of bundled stick piles and my favorite ones are out of cardboard and bamboo! They are super beautiful, very easy, very abundant, free & sustainable resource. Can make any shape or size and they decompose quite quickly adding to the richness of the soil!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Worm Farming
Worm Farming is a fantastic way to cultivate the a super beneficial lil creature for gardens.
It is very easy, cheap and abundant. According to what I have read, as I have not actually tested this my self. Is that temperature, moisture and food affect the reproduction rate of worms. Under the best conditions, one pair of worms will produce one egg capsule each week. Each capsule contains up to 20 worms that will hatch in 2-3 weeks. These new worms will be capable of reproducing in 2-3 months. That's a lot of worms!
It is very easy to buy or find a hand full of worms to start the process.
Worm farming is a very easy way of turning vegetable and fruit scraps into a great potting soil or soil supplement for your garden or house plants. It can be done year round, by apartment dweller, home owners AND businesses. Worm farming is particularly useful for people who would like to compost their food scraps but do not have space for a backyard compost bin.
Or for me because I do do lots of composting I actually have worm farms so that I can add the quickly multiplying worms to my garden where they will naturally fertilize the soil as they live!!!
Here is what you need to get started:
Take not this is only 1 way and there are many ways. I will list alternate ways and pics.
Container of wood or plastic. I use a sturdy plastic container that is about 9 inches deep, 9 inches wide and 14 inches long. The measurements are not real critical. This an easy size for many situations. If you are going to keep your worm farm inside, you will want it to be water tight. The worms are going to be happier when kept in the dark where it is moist. If your container is clear, wrap it to keep light out or place it in a cabinet or a opaque container to seal out the light. Have a lit that has very small holes in it like a 1/32 inch drill bit hole. That way they can breath but not crawl all over the place.
Make sure that the place you find to store the bin is away from vibrations. Worms will try to move to a better location if they are too near a source of vibration.
Worms. I really suggest that you use red worms. They are also called red wrigglers or manure worms.
I do have some night crawlers farms but they do require much more space and are not as easy to maintain.
Bedding material. Start with some shredded newspaper, moistened, not wet. Use the black and white pages or really any paper without much gloss or color. Add a couple of handfuls of garden soil, not potting soil, and a couple of crushed egg shells. Keep the bedding damp but not sopping. The moisture helps them to breathe, but too much water will drown them.
Food. You can feed your worms fruit and vegetable scraps and starchy scraps, like bread, oatmeal, and pasta. Do not feed them too much acidic foods, like citric fruits, coffee ground and tea bags. Also fatty or high protein foods are also not a great idea. I really don't use any citrus, fats or proteins at all. They do best with a pH between 7 & 8. You can use egg shells to balance the effects of coffee grounds, orange and lemon peels. Never feed your worms meat, poultry, dairy products, or salty food , like potato chips. These will create odors and attract insects. Your worms will eat about half their body weight each day. Take this into consideration when you are deciding how much food to add to the bin.
Worms require oxygen so keep the lid partially open to allow air to circulate. on in the farm.
Worms will function very well at room temperature. Keep the farm temperature between +40 degrees F and +85 degrees F. Remember that heat will build up quickly in the farm if it is left in the sunlight.
Red worms reproduce often. Small, oval shaped cocoons in the bedding indicate that nature is taking its course. Cocoons may contain several baby worms and will take several weeks to hatch. Watch for tiny white worms. Poultry egg shells added to the bedding will provide calcium the worms need to reproduce. Don't worry about red worms taking over the estate, their population is limited by the size of their environment.
Its very cool how worms just naturally know when there is enough worms existing in there area. When there is a certain amount they just stop breading!
Farming worms:
Place the damp shredded newspaper with the garden soil and crushed egg shell in the container. Don't pack it down. Add the worms to their new home. If you leave the lid off and the light on, it will encourage the worms to investigate the new digs. Don't forget to add some worm food before you move the bin into the dark.
As your worm population increases, you can add more food per day. Burying the food in the damp newspaper will keep mold from growing in the worm farm. Worms can live on just the paper so its not critical that they get food every day. If there is no food or paper in there its time to get them more but there is no need to get a huge pile going on in there or it will rot/mold or create other realities we don't really want.
If your bedding is too wet, carefully drain the water and add dry ingredients.
Soon you will notice an increase in the worm castings in your worm farm. This makes a great natural fertilizer. And all it cost you was a little time and some stuff that you were going to toss in the garbage.
You can use these castings in potted house plants or mix it with water to create worm tea to feed to garden or other plants. Super rich stuff! Your plants will appreciate it!
When you see that bedding is no longer identifiable, you will want to harvest. Worms cannot survive in their own waste. The dirt will be very fine, very moist and very homogenized. Use it in some way, make another farm out of the multiplied worms, add them to a garden or give them to a friend.
I started with 1000 worms and have many worms farms of hundreds of thousands now. I use the castings for plants and add the worms to the garden when there is more than I want to house ;-)
There is lots of info on the web about worm farming. Google it or check on youtube for videos of the process. You will find it very easy and very rewarding.
Farm On!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coj7oumY3TY
It is very easy, cheap and abundant. According to what I have read, as I have not actually tested this my self. Is that temperature, moisture and food affect the reproduction rate of worms. Under the best conditions, one pair of worms will produce one egg capsule each week. Each capsule contains up to 20 worms that will hatch in 2-3 weeks. These new worms will be capable of reproducing in 2-3 months. That's a lot of worms!
It is very easy to buy or find a hand full of worms to start the process.
Worm farming is a very easy way of turning vegetable and fruit scraps into a great potting soil or soil supplement for your garden or house plants. It can be done year round, by apartment dweller, home owners AND businesses. Worm farming is particularly useful for people who would like to compost their food scraps but do not have space for a backyard compost bin.
Or for me because I do do lots of composting I actually have worm farms so that I can add the quickly multiplying worms to my garden where they will naturally fertilize the soil as they live!!!
Here is what you need to get started:
Take not this is only 1 way and there are many ways. I will list alternate ways and pics.
Container of wood or plastic. I use a sturdy plastic container that is about 9 inches deep, 9 inches wide and 14 inches long. The measurements are not real critical. This an easy size for many situations. If you are going to keep your worm farm inside, you will want it to be water tight. The worms are going to be happier when kept in the dark where it is moist. If your container is clear, wrap it to keep light out or place it in a cabinet or a opaque container to seal out the light. Have a lit that has very small holes in it like a 1/32 inch drill bit hole. That way they can breath but not crawl all over the place.
Make sure that the place you find to store the bin is away from vibrations. Worms will try to move to a better location if they are too near a source of vibration.
Worms. I really suggest that you use red worms. They are also called red wrigglers or manure worms.
I do have some night crawlers farms but they do require much more space and are not as easy to maintain.
Bedding material. Start with some shredded newspaper, moistened, not wet. Use the black and white pages or really any paper without much gloss or color. Add a couple of handfuls of garden soil, not potting soil, and a couple of crushed egg shells. Keep the bedding damp but not sopping. The moisture helps them to breathe, but too much water will drown them.
Food. You can feed your worms fruit and vegetable scraps and starchy scraps, like bread, oatmeal, and pasta. Do not feed them too much acidic foods, like citric fruits, coffee ground and tea bags. Also fatty or high protein foods are also not a great idea. I really don't use any citrus, fats or proteins at all. They do best with a pH between 7 & 8. You can use egg shells to balance the effects of coffee grounds, orange and lemon peels. Never feed your worms meat, poultry, dairy products, or salty food , like potato chips. These will create odors and attract insects. Your worms will eat about half their body weight each day. Take this into consideration when you are deciding how much food to add to the bin.
Worms require oxygen so keep the lid partially open to allow air to circulate. on in the farm.
Worms will function very well at room temperature. Keep the farm temperature between +40 degrees F and +85 degrees F. Remember that heat will build up quickly in the farm if it is left in the sunlight.
Red worms reproduce often. Small, oval shaped cocoons in the bedding indicate that nature is taking its course. Cocoons may contain several baby worms and will take several weeks to hatch. Watch for tiny white worms. Poultry egg shells added to the bedding will provide calcium the worms need to reproduce. Don't worry about red worms taking over the estate, their population is limited by the size of their environment.
Its very cool how worms just naturally know when there is enough worms existing in there area. When there is a certain amount they just stop breading!
Farming worms:
Place the damp shredded newspaper with the garden soil and crushed egg shell in the container. Don't pack it down. Add the worms to their new home. If you leave the lid off and the light on, it will encourage the worms to investigate the new digs. Don't forget to add some worm food before you move the bin into the dark.
As your worm population increases, you can add more food per day. Burying the food in the damp newspaper will keep mold from growing in the worm farm. Worms can live on just the paper so its not critical that they get food every day. If there is no food or paper in there its time to get them more but there is no need to get a huge pile going on in there or it will rot/mold or create other realities we don't really want.
If your bedding is too wet, carefully drain the water and add dry ingredients.
Soon you will notice an increase in the worm castings in your worm farm. This makes a great natural fertilizer. And all it cost you was a little time and some stuff that you were going to toss in the garbage.
You can use these castings in potted house plants or mix it with water to create worm tea to feed to garden or other plants. Super rich stuff! Your plants will appreciate it!
When you see that bedding is no longer identifiable, you will want to harvest. Worms cannot survive in their own waste. The dirt will be very fine, very moist and very homogenized. Use it in some way, make another farm out of the multiplied worms, add them to a garden or give them to a friend.
I started with 1000 worms and have many worms farms of hundreds of thousands now. I use the castings for plants and add the worms to the garden when there is more than I want to house ;-)
There is lots of info on the web about worm farming. Google it or check on youtube for videos of the process. You will find it very easy and very rewarding.
Farm On!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coj7oumY3TY
Composting Article
Composting is a great pleasure for me. When I compost I am very in tune with the natural abundance of the circle of life.
When I first got into composting I realized how much matter there was being under utilized and or thrown away. By utilizing many of these for composting I was able to generate 1,000's of lbs of compost per week with very little cost and effort.
Compost is essential for any truly organic garden to produce in an abundant fashion. With really good compost plants don't need fertilizers. Because they are so strong and healthy not only do the produce abundantly but they are not subject to many diseases and other ailments.
I love organic sustainable abundance!
The main understandings important to efficient composting are 3 fold:
1 moisture. Compost wants to be moist not wet.
2. Air Flow. Compost wants to be able to breath but not be super exposed to the elements. So usually the smallest size compost we want to have is 3x3x3ft. A container is good but only if it has some breathing space. I love to use pallets, chicken wire or old pieces of fence to make my bins. Bins are not necessary though.
3. Nitrogen. Nitrogen is what speeds up the decomposition process. Nitrogen is availabe in most green mater such as grass, vegetable scraps or manure. This needs to be added whenever the compost is no longer hot (135 df or hotter) to continue the fast decomposition process. This is not necessary as compost will decompose anyways however it is quite possible to fully compost leaves or straw in 1.5 months turning it twice a week and adding a nitrogen source.
What is awesome about all this is that water, air and compost able matter are all over the place and very free. I collect thousands of bags of leaves from suburbs that are all free and going to the trash. Not only do I get free compost matter but I also save the land fill and lots of gas getting it there.
I also get lots of free wood chips DELIVERED to my property from tree trimming companies. One needs to be wiling to get at least a truck load but other than that its a sweet deal.
These are the to largest sources of carbon in my compost. There are many other carbons available.
Matter is decomposing commonly. Composting is just a way to spead it up and utilize it for a purpose. Even metal or plastic left in the elements is going to decompose. Now we may not want to use this for the garden and it may take years but it is decomposing also.
So in composting we want to speed up this process in an efficient abundant manner for us.
By creating an environment where it is moist and active microscopic life forms start to flourish eating and composting the matter. Producing us with compost!
Its all about creating and nurturing a specific environment for this purpose.
So to start composting find a site.
I like to choose a site close to where I will use it as it cuts down on my transporting of the compost. I build a bin out of whatever I have available. If I use chicken wire I will cut a length of chicken wire at least long enough to make a 3 foot diameter circle. I will then connect each end together to form a cylinder. I can then fill this with layers of compost. If I made a bin out of pallets I would take 3 pallets and stand them up on their sides. I would then tie each one together so that 1 pallet is tied together on two corners and the other two are tied on one corner to that base pallet. This forms a 3 sided square.
To begin the compost I start with a layer of carbon (dried dead organic matter) for me leaves or wood chips. I then do a much smaller layer of nitrogen (living active matter) for me it is green grass clippings, manure or vegetable matter. The ratio for carbon to nitrogen is about 30-1 in volume not weight, 1 being the nitrogen.
As I layer the carbon and nitrogen I want to wet the layers with water. Depending on how dry the materials are will dictate how much water I use. Just remember that the compost wants to be wet not dry. The life thrives in moisture but is very much inhibited by flooding.
I just then repeat this process of layering carbon, nitrogen and water. It is a very simple and natural process that when nurtured profits great results.
An active compost will get up to 150-170 degrees F. You will know it is active because if you stick your hand in the center of the pile it will be to hot to keep near. If it does not get hot at all then there a few elements that can be out of whack. 1. To much or not enough water. 2. Not enough nitrogen (cant have to much if its a natural source) 3. No circulation, meaning it cant breath. This is not normally an issue.
If the compost does get hot then its working. Some people have compost thermometers that are a couple feet long that they stick into the centers. When the temp starts to drop its time to turn it and and nitrogen and water.
The main question is how much and how fast are you wanting compost. With the right ingredients and the proper nurturing it is quite possible to have a pile composted in 1.5 months. This will require turning about 2 times a week while adding a nitrogen source and the proper moisture. Do not add carbon during this phase. Carbon is only added in the begging. This is of course if you are wanting fast compost. Basically the nitrogen composts fast and the carbon is what takes "time" so by adding more carbon every time the compost will not really fully compost until months after the last addition of carbon.
The pile will get smaller and smaller every time it is turned as the matter becomes more compact and of smaller particle size.
Healthy compost does not stink. It is a common mis conception that compost stinks.
If it does stink it is because there are ingredients that are not ideal such as flesh, fatty foods, litter box, etc or its not getting turned so the matter is just rotting on top instead of composting.
After a very short time of experimenting with composting it will feel very natural and one can evolve techniques based on this.
I myself do not even turn compost any more. I have so much compost going at 1 time that I can just use my huge loads from a season before instead of needing it every month.
So what I do is create many large long term compost piles. I build large piles 4 or more feet tall and 10 or more feet wide/long. I then mix in nitrogen and moisture to get it started and leave it. The only thing I do is keep it moist by running a sprinkler on it every now and again depending on when its feeling dry. This takes longer but in the long run it saves me a lot of "time" and I still have just as much compost when I need it.
If there were 1 factor that is most important in composting I would say its moisture. A dry heap will not compost at all. Actually even good compost if it gets to dry will be much less nutrient. I feel that a lot of the benefit to fresh healthy compost is the living microbes in the soil that play many over looked rolls. So I always keep my compost covered/protected from the sun.
This is compost at its finest. Here is a list of many common abundant materials for composting:
Carbons Sources
1. Leaves
2. Wood Chips.
3. Straw/hay or brown grass clippings.
4. Cardboard, junk mail & Newspaper.
5. Yard Scraps.
Nitrogen Sources.
1. Green Grass.
2. Manure
3. Coffee grounds. All Starbucks save their grounds for composters. Stop in and ask.
4. Vegetable Scraps.
5. Pretty much any living green matter.
When I first got into composting I realized how much matter there was being under utilized and or thrown away. By utilizing many of these for composting I was able to generate 1,000's of lbs of compost per week with very little cost and effort.
Compost is essential for any truly organic garden to produce in an abundant fashion. With really good compost plants don't need fertilizers. Because they are so strong and healthy not only do the produce abundantly but they are not subject to many diseases and other ailments.
I love organic sustainable abundance!
The main understandings important to efficient composting are 3 fold:
1 moisture. Compost wants to be moist not wet.
2. Air Flow. Compost wants to be able to breath but not be super exposed to the elements. So usually the smallest size compost we want to have is 3x3x3ft. A container is good but only if it has some breathing space. I love to use pallets, chicken wire or old pieces of fence to make my bins. Bins are not necessary though.
3. Nitrogen. Nitrogen is what speeds up the decomposition process. Nitrogen is availabe in most green mater such as grass, vegetable scraps or manure. This needs to be added whenever the compost is no longer hot (135 df or hotter) to continue the fast decomposition process. This is not necessary as compost will decompose anyways however it is quite possible to fully compost leaves or straw in 1.5 months turning it twice a week and adding a nitrogen source.
What is awesome about all this is that water, air and compost able matter are all over the place and very free. I collect thousands of bags of leaves from suburbs that are all free and going to the trash. Not only do I get free compost matter but I also save the land fill and lots of gas getting it there.
I also get lots of free wood chips DELIVERED to my property from tree trimming companies. One needs to be wiling to get at least a truck load but other than that its a sweet deal.
These are the to largest sources of carbon in my compost. There are many other carbons available.
Matter is decomposing commonly. Composting is just a way to spead it up and utilize it for a purpose. Even metal or plastic left in the elements is going to decompose. Now we may not want to use this for the garden and it may take years but it is decomposing also.
So in composting we want to speed up this process in an efficient abundant manner for us.
By creating an environment where it is moist and active microscopic life forms start to flourish eating and composting the matter. Producing us with compost!
Its all about creating and nurturing a specific environment for this purpose.
So to start composting find a site.
I like to choose a site close to where I will use it as it cuts down on my transporting of the compost. I build a bin out of whatever I have available. If I use chicken wire I will cut a length of chicken wire at least long enough to make a 3 foot diameter circle. I will then connect each end together to form a cylinder. I can then fill this with layers of compost. If I made a bin out of pallets I would take 3 pallets and stand them up on their sides. I would then tie each one together so that 1 pallet is tied together on two corners and the other two are tied on one corner to that base pallet. This forms a 3 sided square.
To begin the compost I start with a layer of carbon (dried dead organic matter) for me leaves or wood chips. I then do a much smaller layer of nitrogen (living active matter) for me it is green grass clippings, manure or vegetable matter. The ratio for carbon to nitrogen is about 30-1 in volume not weight, 1 being the nitrogen.
As I layer the carbon and nitrogen I want to wet the layers with water. Depending on how dry the materials are will dictate how much water I use. Just remember that the compost wants to be wet not dry. The life thrives in moisture but is very much inhibited by flooding.
I just then repeat this process of layering carbon, nitrogen and water. It is a very simple and natural process that when nurtured profits great results.
An active compost will get up to 150-170 degrees F. You will know it is active because if you stick your hand in the center of the pile it will be to hot to keep near. If it does not get hot at all then there a few elements that can be out of whack. 1. To much or not enough water. 2. Not enough nitrogen (cant have to much if its a natural source) 3. No circulation, meaning it cant breath. This is not normally an issue.
If the compost does get hot then its working. Some people have compost thermometers that are a couple feet long that they stick into the centers. When the temp starts to drop its time to turn it and and nitrogen and water.
The main question is how much and how fast are you wanting compost. With the right ingredients and the proper nurturing it is quite possible to have a pile composted in 1.5 months. This will require turning about 2 times a week while adding a nitrogen source and the proper moisture. Do not add carbon during this phase. Carbon is only added in the begging. This is of course if you are wanting fast compost. Basically the nitrogen composts fast and the carbon is what takes "time" so by adding more carbon every time the compost will not really fully compost until months after the last addition of carbon.
The pile will get smaller and smaller every time it is turned as the matter becomes more compact and of smaller particle size.
Healthy compost does not stink. It is a common mis conception that compost stinks.
If it does stink it is because there are ingredients that are not ideal such as flesh, fatty foods, litter box, etc or its not getting turned so the matter is just rotting on top instead of composting.
After a very short time of experimenting with composting it will feel very natural and one can evolve techniques based on this.
I myself do not even turn compost any more. I have so much compost going at 1 time that I can just use my huge loads from a season before instead of needing it every month.
So what I do is create many large long term compost piles. I build large piles 4 or more feet tall and 10 or more feet wide/long. I then mix in nitrogen and moisture to get it started and leave it. The only thing I do is keep it moist by running a sprinkler on it every now and again depending on when its feeling dry. This takes longer but in the long run it saves me a lot of "time" and I still have just as much compost when I need it.
If there were 1 factor that is most important in composting I would say its moisture. A dry heap will not compost at all. Actually even good compost if it gets to dry will be much less nutrient. I feel that a lot of the benefit to fresh healthy compost is the living microbes in the soil that play many over looked rolls. So I always keep my compost covered/protected from the sun.
This is compost at its finest. Here is a list of many common abundant materials for composting:
Carbons Sources
1. Leaves
2. Wood Chips.
3. Straw/hay or brown grass clippings.
4. Cardboard, junk mail & Newspaper.
5. Yard Scraps.
Nitrogen Sources.
1. Green Grass.
2. Manure
3. Coffee grounds. All Starbucks save their grounds for composters. Stop in and ask.
4. Vegetable Scraps.
5. Pretty much any living green matter.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Curing Cancer and other deadly diseases
The idea of cancer has seemed quite strange to me for a long time. I have not feared it for I have intuitively known that by loving and taking care of my body I would be fine. That by listening and providing what it needs wellness would be. The amazing amount of money spent by people to cure cancer with dangerous expensive methods that don't even have good percentage improvement rates. It boggles my mind. The amount of funds gone into "the cure for cancer" is also boggling for the answers have been out there for many many years many generations in fact and yet billions of dollars hasn't found it. I have just recently found to sources that have much info on curing cancer and almost all diseases. Even though intuitively I know them to be great sources of info I have researched them on my own to find many many resources to back the info provided. It seems weird for I no anyone else shouldn't need to convince someone of wellness being natural and easy. Why would one choose to resist such bounty full info in exchange for such corrupt dysfunctional info?
Yes think, yes take everything at face value, yes ask questions, but please consider these resources for even if there is a sight chance anything in there is true the rewards are priceless.
This is the first book I read in the last month that had simple cheap sensible solutions to not only cancer and aids but most all disease. I bought it and loved it. Its an ebook with 100% money back guarantee. Please just buy it.
One Minute Cure
When I first read about this I intuitively knew it to be however I was blown away by how this was not common knowledge. There are thousands of people dying every day from cancer in this country alone not to mention all the other diseases this can cure as well. Its so cheap and easy its at least worth a try. So i started doing online research on the subject and found thousands of articles, papers, studies, web sites and other bits of info to uphold what info was in this book.
I have been doing this for a few months now and still love it. Its uber cheap and easy therapy with awesome benefits. To good to pass up... unless its not. We have to want wellness and abundance for it to be a part of our life.
This is the second resource I have found in the last month with simple, sensible solutions to sickness, disease, cancer included. The movie is called "The Beautiful Truth" There is also a book by Dr. Max Gerson who this movie is made about. It is solution to disease and sickness through simple diet. Almost a 100% cure rate on all patients, and thats after hundreds and hundreds of cases.
Dr.Gersons family member who is highly involved in Gerson Institute and Gerson related subject will also be at the Rethinking Education Conference this september. Its an awesome conference on its own but this is an exciting adition. I will also be there facilitating awesomeness. Check out the web site Rethinkind Education Conference
A new resource I have found is http://www.zerodisease.com really cool info though no techniques unless you pay for the program or materials. Very powerful though, simple and anyone can do it.
This is all such a blessing to anyone who is not aware of this. There are of course many other methods of health that do not require surgery, expensive treatments and dangerous painful/harmful treatments. I personally have experienced these as have hundreds of others. Its one thing to believe a book its another to believe a friend. Wellness is out there and its actually easy and natural. Wellness is abundant and ready to be at all times.
Yes think, yes take everything at face value, yes ask questions, but please consider these resources for even if there is a sight chance anything in there is true the rewards are priceless.
This is the first book I read in the last month that had simple cheap sensible solutions to not only cancer and aids but most all disease. I bought it and loved it. Its an ebook with 100% money back guarantee. Please just buy it.
One Minute Cure
When I first read about this I intuitively knew it to be however I was blown away by how this was not common knowledge. There are thousands of people dying every day from cancer in this country alone not to mention all the other diseases this can cure as well. Its so cheap and easy its at least worth a try. So i started doing online research on the subject and found thousands of articles, papers, studies, web sites and other bits of info to uphold what info was in this book.
I have been doing this for a few months now and still love it. Its uber cheap and easy therapy with awesome benefits. To good to pass up... unless its not. We have to want wellness and abundance for it to be a part of our life.
This is the second resource I have found in the last month with simple, sensible solutions to sickness, disease, cancer included. The movie is called "The Beautiful Truth" There is also a book by Dr. Max Gerson who this movie is made about. It is solution to disease and sickness through simple diet. Almost a 100% cure rate on all patients, and thats after hundreds and hundreds of cases.
Dr.Gersons family member who is highly involved in Gerson Institute and Gerson related subject will also be at the Rethinking Education Conference this september. Its an awesome conference on its own but this is an exciting adition. I will also be there facilitating awesomeness. Check out the web site Rethinkind Education Conference
A new resource I have found is http://www.zerodisease.com really cool info though no techniques unless you pay for the program or materials. Very powerful though, simple and anyone can do it.
This is all such a blessing to anyone who is not aware of this. There are of course many other methods of health that do not require surgery, expensive treatments and dangerous painful/harmful treatments. I personally have experienced these as have hundreds of others. Its one thing to believe a book its another to believe a friend. Wellness is out there and its actually easy and natural. Wellness is abundant and ready to be at all times.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Abundant Resource Share
I have been loving my acquiring and alignment with so much abundance in the form of free used, materials. So much received and so so so much more still out there just not being utilized. I am inspired to create a web site for the purpose of finding a use for trash. Stuff that is going to the trash for sure or even stuff that may go to goodwill or some other donation. Although I feel I could utilize materials much more efficiently and abundantly than a donation service atlest it is being given someplace and not just going to trash. So my focus will be on trash. Having a space for people to share bags of leaves, grass clippings, old carpet, cloths, wood, sticks, yard trash, even stuff like plastic bottles and glass bottles could be used for really usable projects. Its pretty rare that I find something that is really trash worthy. Re use is even more efficient than recycling because we can skip all the steps of transportation, factory processing and company waste. Today I earned $0 but I got 33 doors and ate all free food. By utilizing free stuff, re usable stuff, abundant stuff life costs are so low! I will be able to build the whole green house out of free materials! I love trade and utilization of materials rather than relying on money for everything. Its funny I saw a guy but $50 in mulch at home depot the other day and I get 100 times that a month for free!
Friday, May 22, 2009
Day in the body of Quinn
May 22 11:11pm
Today I woke up (whenever it was) got some loving massage. Drank some activated enhancing crystal water. Laid in the sun. Went out to collect materials for sustainable projects (55gallon barrels of rotting vegetables from produce markets, cardboard, coffee grounds, and other free usable substances. Went to a thrift store to find a few treasures. It is quite amazing how much great stuff there is out there for free or uber cheap. I have quite enjoyed estate sales of late also.
Came back and made some compost piles with all the harvested composting matter. Harvested some veggies from the garden <3 Built a compost tee system. Watered fig trees, herbs and some other plants that are not on automatic drip system. Made a super delicious salad with many ingredients from the garden =D> sat down at the computer to share with friends via facebook and other awesome outlets. Now posting a blog!
Will continue to post daily activity on this blog from time to time.
May 26th.
Writing a day recap is not quite in my flow ;-) I shall do a few day recap instead hehe. In the past 4 days I have built raised beds for sprout propagation, I have potted a bunch of peach trees for growth and sale as they mature. I have started another round of seeds to be planted in the ever expanding garden. I have made 2 new compost piles! I went to a massive sale at a thrift store and found some amazing materials at super cheap prices. I dumpster dived the best doughnut harvest yet finding raspberry filled donut, blueberry and chocolate cake doughnuts for the first time ever! Watching the garden grow and lovin the nourishing life giving rain. I went to enjoy a middle eastern feast with my family prepared by my mom mmmmmmmmmmmm mmm yumm =D> Made a bunch of how to videos for various sustainable resource info, including raised bed how to, sprouting how to, fixing irrigation how to, hair cutting how to, trailer fixing how to and compost tea how to. Posted some new items on my web site for sale and the BIG ONE got papers in process for my non profit organization!!!!!! Freeedom Living.
Fun sharing. Blessed be. Until next post =D> <3 <3 <3
May 28th
Got up early this morning to take a friend to the airport. Taking a blog break from laying in the sun and loving my body. Going to CSL today for a winter solstice brain storming session then to SMU for rehearsals on the concert I am a part of this weekend! I'm excited as it is a beautiful production.
Yesterday I made another raised bed and started cultivating herb cuttings for abundant herb garden. I really like herbs as a product as they have so many uses and have great long term use as well as fresh now use. Starting some really nice batches of rosemary, oregano and hot pepper olive oils with the produce from the garden! I am really excited about the fresh full flavor of the oil to come! I will post bottles of it for sale on my web site in a few months when it is just right!
Blessings <3 =D>
AHHHHH long fulfilling day! Went to a brainstorming meeting for the Winter Solstice Event that is the second biggest winter solstice event in the nation. Feeling super high vibes about it this year. Lots of energy moving and feeling the abundance! Then went to rehearsal for the concert this weekend. Really impressed with the 140 person choir! I have 2 didj solos and a sweet print add in the program!
Feeling really really ready for some relaxing rest in the dark!
LOVE!
June 1st
Went to an ecstatic dance workshop on Friday night and really really enjoyed it!. Its fun to be in a place where everyone is just dancing to dance and sharing in the experience. It was a powerful program put on by http://www.thegreatdance.net/ based in Cali. I danced, enjoyed, played and shared the power of the didj sound vibration!
This went on all day Saturday and Sunday as well! Ate raw food all weekend and shared with in lots of enhancing energies!
I also did two concerts at the Caruth Auditorium at SMU on Sat and Sun. Really fun to be part of such a large, structured, professional, orchestrated, conducted, production and be able to play in and with it in my organic, inspired, now way. I am so thankful to be so appreciated for what I contributed. The org that put it on is Resounding Harmony http://www.resoundingharmony.org/ dedicated to doing concerts to raise funds for various projects. Really really quality sound! I loved having a 140 person choir behind me not to mention the other skilled musicians. I also got to meet the composer of the piece played on this night and have dinner with him after the concert. I enjoyed sharing with him and his family very much.
Came back home to the garden after a couple days of being away and it is thriving! A large pepper harvest for some really dank pepper infused olive oil in process today. Spent most of the day today harvesting free abundant resources. Compost materials and food mostly today. I love eating free food that would otherwise go to land fills. It feels SOOOO good.
Spent most of the night on the computer catching up with all the online energy that has been building up for a couple days! Its amazing how much energy is moved online when one is quite involved there, as I am these days.
Made some fantastic connections this weekend and feel it is accelerating didj process.
Had such a wonderful night last night. The huge storm was very present here. I laid on the hammock next to the window feeling the power and life of the strom. The cool breeze on my skin, the smell of fresh air and rain, the sound of thunder and rain drops. SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO nice =D> put me into a super deep sleep after hours of being present with the storm.
Today Im tending to the garden, enjoying the cool day and getting ready to go out on a an industrial harvest session! Have some nice stuff awaiting =D>
Thankful to share, to experience to be. Blessed Be <3
June 4th
Woke up rested and soaked up some sun while talking and idea sharing. Sorted my super abundant door harvest from last night! I got 33 doors, 14 of them are solid glass sliding doors, 10 are wood picture frame doors with glass and the rest wood. I can feel the green house! I would like to have a 80 square foot green house by the end of the summer! =D>
Started adding trellis to my bamboo trellis system as the vines are getting big! Have watermelons starting and looking YUMMY! DOing lots of documentation of the sustainable process here and preparing for my new web site for Freeedom Living Non Profit organization!
Probably watch a movie tonight while relaxing and enjoying beingness.
June 6th
Designed and completed a sweet compost tea system today! Ate the first blueberries and blackberries! YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMM more to COMEEEEEEEE =D>
Listening to "Sounds Of Isness" my new EP and doing art! OMG SO SO SO SO AWESOME! I am so thankful for the didgeridoo. The power of the sound and the dance as we play together! WOW
Collected a good load of free firewood today and 20 pallets! Almost have a full winters worth of firewood already hehe =D>
Preping for Austin trip tomorrow! Feeling the life force of the event! Still time to join us. Contact me if you want to starts sat 10pm goes until 6am =D>
Off for the night. Blessings <3
June 8th
HOLY WOW, what a weekend! I love playing in vortex's! Sat early evening I went to the Hills of Austin for a sacred sound session with Cornell (flute) and Jodi Roberts (Tibetan Bowls) where I would have completely melted if it were not for being aware of my didj parts =D> I highly recommend going to either one or there collaborated events that they do quite often. They also have web sites and facebooks so find them there!
The Synergy event was so fun. Its a fantastic example of how community comes together in abundance when focused, conscious space is held and provided. So many really inspired alive beings involved in the experience. Austin, what a wonderful place! I enjoy the space so much and the people there LOVE! Went to a really beautiful gathering at the Amala Foundation off Lamar on 8th I think. Meditation, sound, sharing, dancing, playing, being. Such a beautiful space, huge wise trees, AMAZING wind chimes beautiful buildings. Definitely check the space out or talk to Joshua Adair (he has facebook) about the place.
Back home. The garden is still flourishing, starting to REALLY feel the heat. Catching up on internet world ;-) found a cool web site today http://www.justfortheloveofit.org/ . Enjoying quite peaceful being.
<3
June 12th
Went to Denton to pick up a trailer load of free 55 gallon barrels for various projects going on here. They are so useful and am so glad to have found a supply of free ones! While driving back the tornado hit and the storm was crazy! I was flooring the truck and could only get up to 30mph because the wind was so strong. Those orange construction barrier barrels on the side of the road were flying through the air as well as road signs all over the road. Saw some flipped over cars and 40 ambulances and 3 fire trucks. The garden didn't seem to get hit with to much wind or its just uber strong ;-)It sure did love the nice rain though and everything is flourishing! I ate the first cucumber from the garden the other day with lime and salt, Mexican Style! MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM GOOD! We had a long power outage here during the strong so haven't had much computer access but I'm here now! I am uploading some new sound medicine that came together during the huge storm! With the added magic of Tibetan Bowls! YES!!!!! I just acquired 8 new (for me) old (for the world) bowls of really high quality! I am loving them! Been playing hours a day just sitting with them as the vibrations just move through me activating, enhancing and releasing. I have them on http://www.reverbnation.com/quinneaker/ I am also uploading some Flow Sessions that I recorded with Oren Harris on all realities AWESOME =D> Also an Unschooling specific one for those of you interested in that.
Enjoying my self online and the sun today. May go collect some manure by the trailer load and some other cool free usable materials.
Love
Recorded another really fun and alive sound magic compilation "Fairy Magic" which I uploaded to my www.reverbnation.com/quinneaker site. Loving the Tibetan bowls. I am making bamboo, Tibetan Bowl cases for travel ;-) NICE!
Lots of composting and ground prep today. Garden potential growing and growing. Utilizing trailer loads of compost and truck loads of wood chips. Also barrels full of rotting veritable matter. Good soil is the key to healthy easy gardening.
Have two people moving in here that want to be a part of sustainable realities. Its fun to have contributions. I would be interested in a few more. Maybe its you?!?!?!
Enjoying sweating and getting dirty, then taking nice cool cleansing showers. Loving the sun and heat of the day and the fresh night breeze that is OHHHHHHH so refreshing! Appreciating being and experiencing.
So much experience so few words ;-) it is what it is. Blessings <3
Enjoying using no air conditioning and such a small amount of money to live fulfiled and abundantly. Had a wonderful lil gathering at the house eating alive awesome food including a raw chocolate chai cheese cake! Played with inspired enhancing sound, talked shared abundance and joy.
Been eating fresh foods from the garden quite a lot now. Really full ripe tomatoes, rich green basil, huge tasty cucumbers, spicy cleansing peppers, the melons are all over the place but not yet ready to eat.
Did a sound enhancement journey at a dear friends. Letting go and journying through the power and transfer of sacred sound. Such deep connected meditation. From a place of clarity and focus life just flows!
This friday 26th I will be sharing the sound enhancement of the didj at a health gathering by malissa cantrelle and David Coppersmith. http://www.meetup.com/quantumhealth/calendar/10043120/ and about Matrix Energetics here:
http://www.matrixenergetics.com for info if you like or find there stuff on fb about it.
Saturday I will be at the summer solstice gathering from 12-10 sharing the didj various times throughout the day and other enjoyable stuff.
Sunday I will be doing a sound enhancement session at a friends in dallas, more details later.
Its raining really hard here. SOOO nice and life giving in this intense heat. I have been sweating pretty much 24 hours a day for a couple days now with the heat and no air conditioning or earthen home. Still loving it ;-)
At my parents house right now sharing and enjoying.
Woke up to another hot day today. I do quite enjoy it. Sweating all day is a special kind of meditation. Still loving using no air conditioning. My relationship with quality alive water is even more present in this heat where water is so important to keeping cool and hydrated. Did basic garden nurturing today in the sun and loaded a trailer full of harvested rock for cob building foundations. Also picked up a free travel scanner. Its nice and portable. Its now night time where my creativity awakens =D>
Wow so much since last entry! I was so into the internet world there for a few weeks and now its very little. I love to be free to engage when I feel inspired to engage and disengage and engage something else whenever I wish. The garden is really prolific right now. We did a huge harvest of about 40lbs+ of produce in 1 day! Spent the whole day processing the food into various recipes and preserved dishes. I really really love sweet jalapeno relish. I highly recommend it to anyone even if you don't grow all the ingredients. Lots of pics on my FB page check em out if you want to see beautiful produce =D> Making lots of pickles salsa's, soups, etc etc.
Having a really epic flow gathering at the property today. Fun bunch of beings here to share and expand consciously and in joy. Sharing magic and abundance, appreciating experience.
THe event started here at 1pm today. I went to bed this morning at 10am. As I was going to bed I figured well ill wake up just in time. I woke up at 12:45 threw on some shorts and there were people in the living room! hehe feel alive and awake, the abundance of energy is flowing.
Doing a bit of online stuff now, feeling moving to rainbow tonight. Dont know how long will be there as its such a timeless magical experience I am just playing moment by moment.
Its all OK. There is nothing to be or do, there is no point...unless there is ;-) the question I find relevant for finding purpose and experience is. Does this serve me or not? if yes then its truth if not then its false. If it does its worth it if doesn't then its not. Everything is possible and its all possible right now. There is eternity to do it so time is of no factor...unless it is. I enjoy remembering that if and when its important it will be. Faith in the unknown, embrace of now.
Blessings
Wow been so long since I wrote a blog! Rainbow was beyond words. I shall share a few words with prayer of sharing the essence of the experience. 30,000 plus people gathered together in the woods....no electricity, plumbing, cement, money, or other such common things. Everyone accepted and embraced for where they are in experience. Hundreds of camps so as everyone finds the perfect place for them. Such abundance of food, medicine, music, laughter, hugs, love, nature, sun, rain, green, peace, and freedom. A common game played at rainbow is a group shouts LOVING YOU or LOVING YOU FAMILY or something of that nature then as groups hear it they also yell it until it has spread accross the many square miles of the gathering! Huge fires with drum circles playing until dawn with out stopping. Such intense, zen drumming as is experienced in Epic Stories in existence.
People bare foot and dirty, while loving it. Naked people, beautiful people, people with no more possessions than fit in there bag. So much sharing.
Camps making and serving various foods at all hours of the day. Had popcorn one night under a tarp in the rain. People would get served in anything from a tin can, to a cub or bowl, to there dirty shirts or pockets or some piece of trash harvested for a eating container.
Trade circle with hundreds of people trading what they have for something they want more. No money involved all based on what is important to each individual. So many great trades exchanged and enjoyed.
Stayed for part of clean up "Naturalizing" the land as after 30,000 plus people even with the gentle nature of these people there are marks. Covering trails, camp fires, poo trenches, and other various high travel areas. Quite amazing how it all comes together so wonderfully with no leader or organizer but so many individual contributors. So much food is provided and shared.
Collected some wonderful nature treasures, rocks, bark, moss, sticks. Loved being in nature, the deep silence and peace there.
Went to Chaco Canyon in NM which I fully enjoyed. Its an old civilization from the 800-1200AD. In the middle of the desert where its really hot and really cold. Very little water and very very hard sandy soil. They were not only surviving but flourishing. There buildings we made from stone and clay and a few wood posts for support. I loved to see the skill and strength of these buildings. Still standing in part even after all these years. Its obvious that these buildings were warm in the winter and cool in the summer. All built from local materials and so strong they still stand in part today. Its just another sign as to the importance of earthen building for us as well. I could feel the ancient wisdom and connection this civilization had with life and appreciated sharing it there. I defiantly recommend it to anyone who is in or will be in that area.
Been back in Texas for almost a week now. Garden is still flourishing and we are now having Uber Dank, Fine Cuisine meals offered here on the property. We schedule certain meals on certain times and days and also offer private group reservations for whatever time/day is perfect for that special day. We require a group of 5 or more and offer menu requests, also live music options. I have a blog on this more specifically.
Freeedom Living is now an official non profit with 501(c)3 Status! Really excited about the possibilities! Grant writing time ;-)>
Ive been relaxing a lot. An interesting paradox that continues to play out for me is the balance of getting things done and allowing life to unfold in synchronicity. In getting things done I focus on projects and what is most beneficial in progress in relation to various goals and projects. I am really good at holding focus, work really fast and do things very efficiently. It is however really important for me to only do what I want to do and to enjoy what I am doing. So if a project just does not seem inspiring or motivating then even if I love the results I just sit until the inspiration/motivation comes or I do what is inspiring now.
The realization that allows me to live in this manner is knowing that life is eternal and that as long as there is life there is more to get done, to experience, to invent, to evolve.
Another aspect of reality that is very important to me is how much can actually come to be without really doing anything or much at all. I like to say meditation is the most productive space for me, because it is when I am really clear and connected that reality and process play out abundantly and synchronicticly in benefit to what is important to me. It is in the embrace of the unknown and clarity within that the unforeseen and unfathomed possibility may present it self.
Sometimes it seems to my mind as if I am wasting time and energy by doing "nothing" however I have come to realize that as long as I am feeling good and connected life is playing out in my favor. So even if I am "getting things done" if I dont enjoy the process, in an inspired, connected way I am actually doing my self a harm as far as energy is concerned. For in a metaphysical perception of life everything is energy and energy attracts like energy, energy that is in alignment with other energies. So if I am in a place of not enjoying my self I am actually projecting, feeling and allowing more energy of like nature into my life.
So to let go, breath and remember that it is all ok, that there is nothing I have to do or get done is a constant meditation.
I am reading my new favorite books of all time! It is a 9 book series called "Ringing cedars" and the author is Vladamir Megre. Absolutely read it. If your ready for change, evolution, upgrades, abundance, connection, peace, love, enjoyment, empowerment, sustainability and much more its all contained within these pages. Its a magical connection to energies and realities very powerful indeed. I am so thankful to have come to be with it.
Me and Shellie are hosting Uber Dank, High Vibe Cuisine events here at the Garden of Eden. We had two last week a vegetarian night and a raw cuisine night. Both nights had 3 course meals at a really nice table and a didj session afterwards. We charged $30 for it all. This Saturday we are changing it up a bit for experimentation. We are serving Raw and Vegetarian from 3-11pm with no set price but offering the dishes on an individual basis. So this brings lots of flexibility into time and money. Check out http://www.meetup.com/uberdank for full info pics and list of dishes.
Today I woke up (whenever it was) got some loving massage. Drank some activated enhancing crystal water. Laid in the sun. Went out to collect materials for sustainable projects (55gallon barrels of rotting vegetables from produce markets, cardboard, coffee grounds, and other free usable substances. Went to a thrift store to find a few treasures. It is quite amazing how much great stuff there is out there for free or uber cheap. I have quite enjoyed estate sales of late also.
Came back and made some compost piles with all the harvested composting matter. Harvested some veggies from the garden <3 Built a compost tee system. Watered fig trees, herbs and some other plants that are not on automatic drip system. Made a super delicious salad with many ingredients from the garden =D> sat down at the computer to share with friends via facebook and other awesome outlets. Now posting a blog!
Will continue to post daily activity on this blog from time to time.
May 26th.
Writing a day recap is not quite in my flow ;-) I shall do a few day recap instead hehe. In the past 4 days I have built raised beds for sprout propagation, I have potted a bunch of peach trees for growth and sale as they mature. I have started another round of seeds to be planted in the ever expanding garden. I have made 2 new compost piles! I went to a massive sale at a thrift store and found some amazing materials at super cheap prices. I dumpster dived the best doughnut harvest yet finding raspberry filled donut, blueberry and chocolate cake doughnuts for the first time ever! Watching the garden grow and lovin the nourishing life giving rain. I went to enjoy a middle eastern feast with my family prepared by my mom mmmmmmmmmmmm mmm yumm =D> Made a bunch of how to videos for various sustainable resource info, including raised bed how to, sprouting how to, fixing irrigation how to, hair cutting how to, trailer fixing how to and compost tea how to. Posted some new items on my web site for sale and the BIG ONE got papers in process for my non profit organization!!!!!! Freeedom Living.
Fun sharing. Blessed be. Until next post =D> <3 <3 <3
May 28th
Got up early this morning to take a friend to the airport. Taking a blog break from laying in the sun and loving my body. Going to CSL today for a winter solstice brain storming session then to SMU for rehearsals on the concert I am a part of this weekend! I'm excited as it is a beautiful production.
Yesterday I made another raised bed and started cultivating herb cuttings for abundant herb garden. I really like herbs as a product as they have so many uses and have great long term use as well as fresh now use. Starting some really nice batches of rosemary, oregano and hot pepper olive oils with the produce from the garden! I am really excited about the fresh full flavor of the oil to come! I will post bottles of it for sale on my web site in a few months when it is just right!
Blessings <3 =D>
AHHHHH long fulfilling day! Went to a brainstorming meeting for the Winter Solstice Event that is the second biggest winter solstice event in the nation. Feeling super high vibes about it this year. Lots of energy moving and feeling the abundance! Then went to rehearsal for the concert this weekend. Really impressed with the 140 person choir! I have 2 didj solos and a sweet print add in the program!
Feeling really really ready for some relaxing rest in the dark!
LOVE!
June 1st
Went to an ecstatic dance workshop on Friday night and really really enjoyed it!. Its fun to be in a place where everyone is just dancing to dance and sharing in the experience. It was a powerful program put on by http://www.thegreatdance.net/ based in Cali. I danced, enjoyed, played and shared the power of the didj sound vibration!
This went on all day Saturday and Sunday as well! Ate raw food all weekend and shared with in lots of enhancing energies!
I also did two concerts at the Caruth Auditorium at SMU on Sat and Sun. Really fun to be part of such a large, structured, professional, orchestrated, conducted, production and be able to play in and with it in my organic, inspired, now way. I am so thankful to be so appreciated for what I contributed. The org that put it on is Resounding Harmony http://www.resoundingharmony.org/ dedicated to doing concerts to raise funds for various projects. Really really quality sound! I loved having a 140 person choir behind me not to mention the other skilled musicians. I also got to meet the composer of the piece played on this night and have dinner with him after the concert. I enjoyed sharing with him and his family very much.
Came back home to the garden after a couple days of being away and it is thriving! A large pepper harvest for some really dank pepper infused olive oil in process today. Spent most of the day today harvesting free abundant resources. Compost materials and food mostly today. I love eating free food that would otherwise go to land fills. It feels SOOOO good.
Spent most of the night on the computer catching up with all the online energy that has been building up for a couple days! Its amazing how much energy is moved online when one is quite involved there, as I am these days.
Made some fantastic connections this weekend and feel it is accelerating didj process.
Had such a wonderful night last night. The huge storm was very present here. I laid on the hammock next to the window feeling the power and life of the strom. The cool breeze on my skin, the smell of fresh air and rain, the sound of thunder and rain drops. SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO nice =D> put me into a super deep sleep after hours of being present with the storm.
Today Im tending to the garden, enjoying the cool day and getting ready to go out on a an industrial harvest session! Have some nice stuff awaiting =D>
Thankful to share, to experience to be. Blessed Be <3
June 4th
Woke up rested and soaked up some sun while talking and idea sharing. Sorted my super abundant door harvest from last night! I got 33 doors, 14 of them are solid glass sliding doors, 10 are wood picture frame doors with glass and the rest wood. I can feel the green house! I would like to have a 80 square foot green house by the end of the summer! =D>
Started adding trellis to my bamboo trellis system as the vines are getting big! Have watermelons starting and looking YUMMY! DOing lots of documentation of the sustainable process here and preparing for my new web site for Freeedom Living Non Profit organization!
Probably watch a movie tonight while relaxing and enjoying beingness.
June 6th
Designed and completed a sweet compost tea system today! Ate the first blueberries and blackberries! YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMM more to COMEEEEEEEE =D>
Listening to "Sounds Of Isness" my new EP and doing art! OMG SO SO SO SO AWESOME! I am so thankful for the didgeridoo. The power of the sound and the dance as we play together! WOW
Collected a good load of free firewood today and 20 pallets! Almost have a full winters worth of firewood already hehe =D>
Preping for Austin trip tomorrow! Feeling the life force of the event! Still time to join us. Contact me if you want to starts sat 10pm goes until 6am =D>
Off for the night. Blessings <3
June 8th
HOLY WOW, what a weekend! I love playing in vortex's! Sat early evening I went to the Hills of Austin for a sacred sound session with Cornell (flute) and Jodi Roberts (Tibetan Bowls) where I would have completely melted if it were not for being aware of my didj parts =D> I highly recommend going to either one or there collaborated events that they do quite often. They also have web sites and facebooks so find them there!
The Synergy event was so fun. Its a fantastic example of how community comes together in abundance when focused, conscious space is held and provided. So many really inspired alive beings involved in the experience. Austin, what a wonderful place! I enjoy the space so much and the people there LOVE! Went to a really beautiful gathering at the Amala Foundation off Lamar on 8th I think. Meditation, sound, sharing, dancing, playing, being. Such a beautiful space, huge wise trees, AMAZING wind chimes beautiful buildings. Definitely check the space out or talk to Joshua Adair (he has facebook) about the place.
Back home. The garden is still flourishing, starting to REALLY feel the heat. Catching up on internet world ;-) found a cool web site today http://www.justfortheloveofit.org/ . Enjoying quite peaceful being.
<3
June 12th
Went to Denton to pick up a trailer load of free 55 gallon barrels for various projects going on here. They are so useful and am so glad to have found a supply of free ones! While driving back the tornado hit and the storm was crazy! I was flooring the truck and could only get up to 30mph because the wind was so strong. Those orange construction barrier barrels on the side of the road were flying through the air as well as road signs all over the road. Saw some flipped over cars and 40 ambulances and 3 fire trucks. The garden didn't seem to get hit with to much wind or its just uber strong ;-)It sure did love the nice rain though and everything is flourishing! I ate the first cucumber from the garden the other day with lime and salt, Mexican Style! MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM GOOD! We had a long power outage here during the strong so haven't had much computer access but I'm here now! I am uploading some new sound medicine that came together during the huge storm! With the added magic of Tibetan Bowls! YES!!!!! I just acquired 8 new (for me) old (for the world) bowls of really high quality! I am loving them! Been playing hours a day just sitting with them as the vibrations just move through me activating, enhancing and releasing. I have them on http://www.reverbnation.com/quinneaker/ I am also uploading some Flow Sessions that I recorded with Oren Harris on all realities AWESOME =D> Also an Unschooling specific one for those of you interested in that.
Enjoying my self online and the sun today. May go collect some manure by the trailer load and some other cool free usable materials.
Love
Recorded another really fun and alive sound magic compilation "Fairy Magic" which I uploaded to my www.reverbnation.com/quinneaker site. Loving the Tibetan bowls. I am making bamboo, Tibetan Bowl cases for travel ;-) NICE!
Lots of composting and ground prep today. Garden potential growing and growing. Utilizing trailer loads of compost and truck loads of wood chips. Also barrels full of rotting veritable matter. Good soil is the key to healthy easy gardening.
Have two people moving in here that want to be a part of sustainable realities. Its fun to have contributions. I would be interested in a few more. Maybe its you?!?!?!
Enjoying sweating and getting dirty, then taking nice cool cleansing showers. Loving the sun and heat of the day and the fresh night breeze that is OHHHHHHH so refreshing! Appreciating being and experiencing.
So much experience so few words ;-) it is what it is. Blessings <3
Enjoying using no air conditioning and such a small amount of money to live fulfiled and abundantly. Had a wonderful lil gathering at the house eating alive awesome food including a raw chocolate chai cheese cake! Played with inspired enhancing sound, talked shared abundance and joy.
Been eating fresh foods from the garden quite a lot now. Really full ripe tomatoes, rich green basil, huge tasty cucumbers, spicy cleansing peppers, the melons are all over the place but not yet ready to eat.
Did a sound enhancement journey at a dear friends. Letting go and journying through the power and transfer of sacred sound. Such deep connected meditation. From a place of clarity and focus life just flows!
This friday 26th I will be sharing the sound enhancement of the didj at a health gathering by malissa cantrelle and David Coppersmith. http://www.meetup.com/quantumhealth/calendar/10043120/ and about Matrix Energetics here:
http://www.matrixenergetics.com for info if you like or find there stuff on fb about it.
Saturday I will be at the summer solstice gathering from 12-10 sharing the didj various times throughout the day and other enjoyable stuff.
Sunday I will be doing a sound enhancement session at a friends in dallas, more details later.
Its raining really hard here. SOOO nice and life giving in this intense heat. I have been sweating pretty much 24 hours a day for a couple days now with the heat and no air conditioning or earthen home. Still loving it ;-)
At my parents house right now sharing and enjoying.
Woke up to another hot day today. I do quite enjoy it. Sweating all day is a special kind of meditation. Still loving using no air conditioning. My relationship with quality alive water is even more present in this heat where water is so important to keeping cool and hydrated. Did basic garden nurturing today in the sun and loaded a trailer full of harvested rock for cob building foundations. Also picked up a free travel scanner. Its nice and portable. Its now night time where my creativity awakens =D>
Wow so much since last entry! I was so into the internet world there for a few weeks and now its very little. I love to be free to engage when I feel inspired to engage and disengage and engage something else whenever I wish. The garden is really prolific right now. We did a huge harvest of about 40lbs+ of produce in 1 day! Spent the whole day processing the food into various recipes and preserved dishes. I really really love sweet jalapeno relish. I highly recommend it to anyone even if you don't grow all the ingredients. Lots of pics on my FB page check em out if you want to see beautiful produce =D> Making lots of pickles salsa's, soups, etc etc.
Having a really epic flow gathering at the property today. Fun bunch of beings here to share and expand consciously and in joy. Sharing magic and abundance, appreciating experience.
THe event started here at 1pm today. I went to bed this morning at 10am. As I was going to bed I figured well ill wake up just in time. I woke up at 12:45 threw on some shorts and there were people in the living room! hehe feel alive and awake, the abundance of energy is flowing.
Doing a bit of online stuff now, feeling moving to rainbow tonight. Dont know how long will be there as its such a timeless magical experience I am just playing moment by moment.
Its all OK. There is nothing to be or do, there is no point...unless there is ;-) the question I find relevant for finding purpose and experience is. Does this serve me or not? if yes then its truth if not then its false. If it does its worth it if doesn't then its not. Everything is possible and its all possible right now. There is eternity to do it so time is of no factor...unless it is. I enjoy remembering that if and when its important it will be. Faith in the unknown, embrace of now.
Blessings
Wow been so long since I wrote a blog! Rainbow was beyond words. I shall share a few words with prayer of sharing the essence of the experience. 30,000 plus people gathered together in the woods....no electricity, plumbing, cement, money, or other such common things. Everyone accepted and embraced for where they are in experience. Hundreds of camps so as everyone finds the perfect place for them. Such abundance of food, medicine, music, laughter, hugs, love, nature, sun, rain, green, peace, and freedom. A common game played at rainbow is a group shouts LOVING YOU or LOVING YOU FAMILY or something of that nature then as groups hear it they also yell it until it has spread accross the many square miles of the gathering! Huge fires with drum circles playing until dawn with out stopping. Such intense, zen drumming as is experienced in Epic Stories in existence.
People bare foot and dirty, while loving it. Naked people, beautiful people, people with no more possessions than fit in there bag. So much sharing.
Camps making and serving various foods at all hours of the day. Had popcorn one night under a tarp in the rain. People would get served in anything from a tin can, to a cub or bowl, to there dirty shirts or pockets or some piece of trash harvested for a eating container.
Trade circle with hundreds of people trading what they have for something they want more. No money involved all based on what is important to each individual. So many great trades exchanged and enjoyed.
Stayed for part of clean up "Naturalizing" the land as after 30,000 plus people even with the gentle nature of these people there are marks. Covering trails, camp fires, poo trenches, and other various high travel areas. Quite amazing how it all comes together so wonderfully with no leader or organizer but so many individual contributors. So much food is provided and shared.
Collected some wonderful nature treasures, rocks, bark, moss, sticks. Loved being in nature, the deep silence and peace there.
Went to Chaco Canyon in NM which I fully enjoyed. Its an old civilization from the 800-1200AD. In the middle of the desert where its really hot and really cold. Very little water and very very hard sandy soil. They were not only surviving but flourishing. There buildings we made from stone and clay and a few wood posts for support. I loved to see the skill and strength of these buildings. Still standing in part even after all these years. Its obvious that these buildings were warm in the winter and cool in the summer. All built from local materials and so strong they still stand in part today. Its just another sign as to the importance of earthen building for us as well. I could feel the ancient wisdom and connection this civilization had with life and appreciated sharing it there. I defiantly recommend it to anyone who is in or will be in that area.
Been back in Texas for almost a week now. Garden is still flourishing and we are now having Uber Dank, Fine Cuisine meals offered here on the property. We schedule certain meals on certain times and days and also offer private group reservations for whatever time/day is perfect for that special day. We require a group of 5 or more and offer menu requests, also live music options. I have a blog on this more specifically.
Freeedom Living is now an official non profit with 501(c)3 Status! Really excited about the possibilities! Grant writing time ;-)>
Ive been relaxing a lot. An interesting paradox that continues to play out for me is the balance of getting things done and allowing life to unfold in synchronicity. In getting things done I focus on projects and what is most beneficial in progress in relation to various goals and projects. I am really good at holding focus, work really fast and do things very efficiently. It is however really important for me to only do what I want to do and to enjoy what I am doing. So if a project just does not seem inspiring or motivating then even if I love the results I just sit until the inspiration/motivation comes or I do what is inspiring now.
The realization that allows me to live in this manner is knowing that life is eternal and that as long as there is life there is more to get done, to experience, to invent, to evolve.
Another aspect of reality that is very important to me is how much can actually come to be without really doing anything or much at all. I like to say meditation is the most productive space for me, because it is when I am really clear and connected that reality and process play out abundantly and synchronicticly in benefit to what is important to me. It is in the embrace of the unknown and clarity within that the unforeseen and unfathomed possibility may present it self.
Sometimes it seems to my mind as if I am wasting time and energy by doing "nothing" however I have come to realize that as long as I am feeling good and connected life is playing out in my favor. So even if I am "getting things done" if I dont enjoy the process, in an inspired, connected way I am actually doing my self a harm as far as energy is concerned. For in a metaphysical perception of life everything is energy and energy attracts like energy, energy that is in alignment with other energies. So if I am in a place of not enjoying my self I am actually projecting, feeling and allowing more energy of like nature into my life.
So to let go, breath and remember that it is all ok, that there is nothing I have to do or get done is a constant meditation.
I am reading my new favorite books of all time! It is a 9 book series called "Ringing cedars" and the author is Vladamir Megre. Absolutely read it. If your ready for change, evolution, upgrades, abundance, connection, peace, love, enjoyment, empowerment, sustainability and much more its all contained within these pages. Its a magical connection to energies and realities very powerful indeed. I am so thankful to have come to be with it.
Me and Shellie are hosting Uber Dank, High Vibe Cuisine events here at the Garden of Eden. We had two last week a vegetarian night and a raw cuisine night. Both nights had 3 course meals at a really nice table and a didj session afterwards. We charged $30 for it all. This Saturday we are changing it up a bit for experimentation. We are serving Raw and Vegetarian from 3-11pm with no set price but offering the dishes on an individual basis. So this brings lots of flexibility into time and money. Check out http://www.meetup.com/uberdank for full info pics and list of dishes.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Health Is Natural
Our bodies want to be healthy. Our planet has provided every nutrient and energy that our bodies need to thrive abundantly. Aging is a disease.
Step 1. Love they self and listen to they body
Step 2. Drink activated water. NOT DEAD STRIPPED WATER. Bottled water is not enough.
Step 3. Relax Take a Deep Breath.
Step 4. Get a Massage.
Step 5. Sleep as long as you want.
Step 6. Keep drinking the living water and get another massage.
Step 7. Listen to some super high vibes in some sound format. (Quinn's Didj Tracks ;-)
Step 8. Keep Drinking Living Water.
Step 9. Try eating some raw foods. Try Fasting. Try eating less.
The body is an amazing tool. It is quite capable even with very poor input. If you believe that poor health is natural you are free to continue but I hear now give you the opportunity to choose anew.
All disease can be cured...Quite simply at that.
One can have eyes that see without glasses. One can have full shiny hair. One can have soft stretchable skin. One can have strong supple muscles. One can have a beautiful complexion.
Even greater one can have this without any doctor. Without any medication, any prescription, any surgery, any shaman/healer/priest/ or guru.
For health is natural and it is OK to be beautiful.
Blessings
IsnessIs
Most amazing book I have ever read on health. It all makes sense. UBER easy, ultra simple and totally abundant and natural. Absolutely must read please buy from this link if you buy as I do get a commission as I have chosen to sell it because of its potency. Miracle Cure
All these books are money back guarantee. If you don't like em return em no problem! Easy and fast way to get info and explore possibility with no paper involved. Can share transport, and store easily also.
Cool book on reiki and also a course to become a reiki facilitator! Reiki Home Course
My favorite raw book Raw Secrets
Eating For Energy
Using Aloe as a remedy to replace medicines, prescriptions, and other non sustainable methods and can be grown and cultivated at home! Aloe Medicine
Curing Eye Sight rather than relying on glasses and letting eyes get worse. Embrace the possibility! Activate Eye Sight
If your in tune with smell than aromatherapy may be a powerful medium for you. Power Of Scent
I love crystals and use them every day. If you are drawn to crystals then concider using it as a facilitator of beneficial energies. Crystal Focus
Step 1. Love they self and listen to they body
Step 2. Drink activated water. NOT DEAD STRIPPED WATER. Bottled water is not enough.
Step 3. Relax Take a Deep Breath.
Step 4. Get a Massage.
Step 5. Sleep as long as you want.
Step 6. Keep drinking the living water and get another massage.
Step 7. Listen to some super high vibes in some sound format. (Quinn's Didj Tracks ;-)
Step 8. Keep Drinking Living Water.
Step 9. Try eating some raw foods. Try Fasting. Try eating less.
The body is an amazing tool. It is quite capable even with very poor input. If you believe that poor health is natural you are free to continue but I hear now give you the opportunity to choose anew.
All disease can be cured...Quite simply at that.
One can have eyes that see without glasses. One can have full shiny hair. One can have soft stretchable skin. One can have strong supple muscles. One can have a beautiful complexion.
Even greater one can have this without any doctor. Without any medication, any prescription, any surgery, any shaman/healer/priest/ or guru.
For health is natural and it is OK to be beautiful.
Blessings
IsnessIs
Most amazing book I have ever read on health. It all makes sense. UBER easy, ultra simple and totally abundant and natural. Absolutely must read please buy from this link if you buy as I do get a commission as I have chosen to sell it because of its potency. Miracle Cure
All these books are money back guarantee. If you don't like em return em no problem! Easy and fast way to get info and explore possibility with no paper involved. Can share transport, and store easily also.
Cool book on reiki and also a course to become a reiki facilitator! Reiki Home Course
My favorite raw book Raw Secrets
Eating For Energy
Using Aloe as a remedy to replace medicines, prescriptions, and other non sustainable methods and can be grown and cultivated at home! Aloe Medicine
Curing Eye Sight rather than relying on glasses and letting eyes get worse. Embrace the possibility! Activate Eye Sight
If your in tune with smell than aromatherapy may be a powerful medium for you. Power Of Scent
I love crystals and use them every day. If you are drawn to crystals then concider using it as a facilitator of beneficial energies. Crystal Focus
My Purpose Is Clear
In this now I remember my purpose as clear as ever.
My purpose is to share with you the possibility of a life in freedom. A life where there is nothing we have to do and nothing we have to be. There is no proper, correct, superior, or higher way to experience life besides experience it self. How we feel in every moment is a direct indicator of this.
When one feels good everything is right. When one feels bad everything is wrong. This is how I know within my self that the only part of life worth weighing is how I feel.
For when I feel in love my location, company, and status matter not, I feel as good as I could ever dream for. When I feel bad it matters naught how much control I have, or how much matter I have accumulated or how much I know, I feel as bad as I may fear.
Everything is possible and it all is eternally now.
Because we are so free it matters naught whether we feel good or bad just as it matters not whether we are famous or not.
What I do know is that it is possible to live where every day is a new opportunity to enjoy and share in the wonderful reality of life. That everything we need is abundant and renewable. That we need not rely nor succumb to others. That our health is in our hands. That aging is a disease. That life when allowed to flourish flourishes. For it is flourish that life does best and naturally when free.
There is no wound that cannot be healed. There is no memory that cannot be forgiven.
Start now by sharing with those who you love and enjoy. Those who support and nourish your spirit and character. Start now by focusing and energizing aspects of reality that feel good, fulfilling and inspiring. There is no need to change that which does not work or that which is in disorder. Only to embrace that which does work and that which is in perfect alignment.
Most of all start now by loving your self and paying attention to your life rather than everyone else. For we are the way. There is no question without an answer just a question repeated. Listen pay attention its all available here and now.
Infinite Possibility
Eternal Movement
IsnessIs
My purpose is to share with you the possibility of a life in freedom. A life where there is nothing we have to do and nothing we have to be. There is no proper, correct, superior, or higher way to experience life besides experience it self. How we feel in every moment is a direct indicator of this.
When one feels good everything is right. When one feels bad everything is wrong. This is how I know within my self that the only part of life worth weighing is how I feel.
For when I feel in love my location, company, and status matter not, I feel as good as I could ever dream for. When I feel bad it matters naught how much control I have, or how much matter I have accumulated or how much I know, I feel as bad as I may fear.
Everything is possible and it all is eternally now.
Because we are so free it matters naught whether we feel good or bad just as it matters not whether we are famous or not.
What I do know is that it is possible to live where every day is a new opportunity to enjoy and share in the wonderful reality of life. That everything we need is abundant and renewable. That we need not rely nor succumb to others. That our health is in our hands. That aging is a disease. That life when allowed to flourish flourishes. For it is flourish that life does best and naturally when free.
There is no wound that cannot be healed. There is no memory that cannot be forgiven.
Start now by sharing with those who you love and enjoy. Those who support and nourish your spirit and character. Start now by focusing and energizing aspects of reality that feel good, fulfilling and inspiring. There is no need to change that which does not work or that which is in disorder. Only to embrace that which does work and that which is in perfect alignment.
Most of all start now by loving your self and paying attention to your life rather than everyone else. For we are the way. There is no question without an answer just a question repeated. Listen pay attention its all available here and now.
Infinite Possibility
Eternal Movement
IsnessIs
Monday, May 18, 2009
Kids/Parents/Swearing
I don't think the idea is for the kid not to swear just because the parent/parents have baggage with it. The important thing is that one understands the power of words and even more so the intent behind words.
As for a parent that doesn't like it I suggest you let that go as its just a word and there is no sense in agreeing or filtering ones self based on stigma. Otherwise just ask that the kid doesn't swear around you or too you...even still I suggest letting it go because one of the most sacred things about family is honesty and unfiltered communication. Everything you require etiquette, filters, policy, and stuff of that nature is just another layer on the onion of pretending.
If a child wants to stop swearing then ask for punishment or something every time one swears so there is reason to stop. Easier to just stop though.
Swearing can be like drinking, smoking, or sex. The more resistance to it the more it shows up. The beautiful thing about a child compared to an adult is a child still wants and is connected with being ones self. As pressure is applied to follow someones else's idea of life, rebellion and fight come out. As an adult all that fight and passion is gone, adults just fit in and play nice because its all they know and all they have left.
I would not want this for my child.
The reality is that a free connected child will not choose something that doesn't serve one for long. Its important to be able to choose it though if it does and to be able to choose not to when its right. Process and experience are priceless and cannot be taught or forced.
As for a parent that doesn't like it I suggest you let that go as its just a word and there is no sense in agreeing or filtering ones self based on stigma. Otherwise just ask that the kid doesn't swear around you or too you...even still I suggest letting it go because one of the most sacred things about family is honesty and unfiltered communication. Everything you require etiquette, filters, policy, and stuff of that nature is just another layer on the onion of pretending.
If a child wants to stop swearing then ask for punishment or something every time one swears so there is reason to stop. Easier to just stop though.
Swearing can be like drinking, smoking, or sex. The more resistance to it the more it shows up. The beautiful thing about a child compared to an adult is a child still wants and is connected with being ones self. As pressure is applied to follow someones else's idea of life, rebellion and fight come out. As an adult all that fight and passion is gone, adults just fit in and play nice because its all they know and all they have left.
I would not want this for my child.
The reality is that a free connected child will not choose something that doesn't serve one for long. Its important to be able to choose it though if it does and to be able to choose not to when its right. Process and experience are priceless and cannot be taught or forced.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Family
Me and my brother were best friends growing up. Technically he was 6 years younger than me but he was always the same age to me. We did everything together and we were treated equally. We showered together, slept together and played the rest of the day. It is un-comprehend- able to me to imagine a better friend or one I was able to get along with and enjoy more. If he were the only friend I ever had growing up I would still feel fulfilled and be thankful. No matter what anyone else thought of me I would be OK because I had my family who loved, accepted and supported me for what was important to me. Many realities come into life and its all part of it. For me family is important and even when we didn't get along or even when it wasn't enjoyable it is still extremely effecting. Like or dislike your family its effecting and shaping of who we are. That is why having a family that frees and supports each other is so beneficial to the rest of life.
Its so easy to place our preferences and points of view on others especially when they are in our family. To remember that we are all different and it is through our unique perspective and skill set that we tape into our genius. That when one is happy everything is right and when one is unhappy everything is wrong. This is why its so silly to base importance on "appearance" "status" "money" "education" or anything else that is not derived from an inner inspiration and fulfillment.
We are of course free to be and choose anything. Its all OK and we all are where we are.
Blessings on the journey
http://www.isnessis.com
Its so easy to place our preferences and points of view on others especially when they are in our family. To remember that we are all different and it is through our unique perspective and skill set that we tape into our genius. That when one is happy everything is right and when one is unhappy everything is wrong. This is why its so silly to base importance on "appearance" "status" "money" "education" or anything else that is not derived from an inner inspiration and fulfillment.
We are of course free to be and choose anything. Its all OK and we all are where we are.
Blessings on the journey
http://www.isnessis.com
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Free Powerful Capability
It is indeed most wonderful to have support for something that is very unknown and brings up fear and doubt because of it.
It is also wonderful to have examples of what is possible as this is how we evolve.
Before I was born my mother had a degree and a job that she planned on going back to. She was already on the path of much freedom as she already had a home birth arranged, no immunizations, breast feeding and such. When I was born she realized that I was pure potential that it was her and her world that had fear, doubt, limit, ingrained in almost every aspect of life. In these moments she chose to learn and realize from her child rather than impose her reality on the child. She then began the life of a student rather than a teacher.
She then had the opportunity to re-realize life. So when I was 5 and she would come out side and I would be 40ft up in a tree, she would feel her fear of what may happen to me her doubt of what I was capable of......then she would breath, realize she was of no benefit to me in such a state as shouting "be careful!" or "dont fall" or "get down" were of no benefit. She would turn around and go inside to contemplate and be with fear. These were her opportunities to be faced with her fear and doubt in my perfect ability to climb and take care of my self. For capability is natural and when one is allowed to develop ones skills one develops them based on what is important to one, and when one focuses on what is important then one excels very quickly and capably. As she would realize this it would prepare her for something else. When I was 7 we went to the grand canyon. We all got out of the car and I ran off to explore. She would come upon me in a tree over hanging the canyon hundreds of feet below. Her heart would drop into her stomach as her fear of heights came into play. She would check her feelings find a place of peace and come to me and say "Quinn come over with us there is some really cool stuff to see" I would then climb down and go see. This would then prepare her for when my brother was 14 and still not reading. My aunts and such had offered him money to learn. My family had tried many times to interest him in reading. There would of course be no rule or requirement that he should have to and we would most defiantly not try and make him feel bad about not knowing. Fear and doubt are quite present in this yet my mother knows that we all in freedom focus on what is important and if it is not important than it doesn't matter. She would know that he is indeed capable and when it is time he will learn. He did learn and it was only because of a video game. There was a game he quite liked and one must know how to read to progress in this game. He would sit there copying down all the letters of a message box (taking a half hour or so as he did not know how to spell, read or write) he would then show my mom so she could read it for him. He would then go and play again and copy more boxes. He very quickly realized that if he wanted to play this game he would need to learn to read and that maybe reading is a useful skill. This is how true learning works. When there is beneficial reason, motivation, importance it happens. He knew how to read in a very short time 2 months maybe. The first books he read were Lord Of The Rings which are the most complicated books that I have ever read.
Our only limitation is fear and doubt not limit it self. Although in my essence I am pure potential I have been touched with fear and doubt over time. I know what it is and how it works. We can all start unschooling our lives now, it is just a blessing to allow a child to come into an environment where intention is for it to be free to choose and engage when and what is important.
Infinite Blessings
Present
Here Now
<3
http://www.isnessis.com
It is also wonderful to have examples of what is possible as this is how we evolve.
Before I was born my mother had a degree and a job that she planned on going back to. She was already on the path of much freedom as she already had a home birth arranged, no immunizations, breast feeding and such. When I was born she realized that I was pure potential that it was her and her world that had fear, doubt, limit, ingrained in almost every aspect of life. In these moments she chose to learn and realize from her child rather than impose her reality on the child. She then began the life of a student rather than a teacher.
She then had the opportunity to re-realize life. So when I was 5 and she would come out side and I would be 40ft up in a tree, she would feel her fear of what may happen to me her doubt of what I was capable of......then she would breath, realize she was of no benefit to me in such a state as shouting "be careful!" or "dont fall" or "get down" were of no benefit. She would turn around and go inside to contemplate and be with fear. These were her opportunities to be faced with her fear and doubt in my perfect ability to climb and take care of my self. For capability is natural and when one is allowed to develop ones skills one develops them based on what is important to one, and when one focuses on what is important then one excels very quickly and capably. As she would realize this it would prepare her for something else. When I was 7 we went to the grand canyon. We all got out of the car and I ran off to explore. She would come upon me in a tree over hanging the canyon hundreds of feet below. Her heart would drop into her stomach as her fear of heights came into play. She would check her feelings find a place of peace and come to me and say "Quinn come over with us there is some really cool stuff to see" I would then climb down and go see. This would then prepare her for when my brother was 14 and still not reading. My aunts and such had offered him money to learn. My family had tried many times to interest him in reading. There would of course be no rule or requirement that he should have to and we would most defiantly not try and make him feel bad about not knowing. Fear and doubt are quite present in this yet my mother knows that we all in freedom focus on what is important and if it is not important than it doesn't matter. She would know that he is indeed capable and when it is time he will learn. He did learn and it was only because of a video game. There was a game he quite liked and one must know how to read to progress in this game. He would sit there copying down all the letters of a message box (taking a half hour or so as he did not know how to spell, read or write) he would then show my mom so she could read it for him. He would then go and play again and copy more boxes. He very quickly realized that if he wanted to play this game he would need to learn to read and that maybe reading is a useful skill. This is how true learning works. When there is beneficial reason, motivation, importance it happens. He knew how to read in a very short time 2 months maybe. The first books he read were Lord Of The Rings which are the most complicated books that I have ever read.
Our only limitation is fear and doubt not limit it self. Although in my essence I am pure potential I have been touched with fear and doubt over time. I know what it is and how it works. We can all start unschooling our lives now, it is just a blessing to allow a child to come into an environment where intention is for it to be free to choose and engage when and what is important.
Infinite Blessings
Present
Here Now
<3
http://www.isnessis.com
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
LIVING!
I find unschoolers are confident about lots of things! When in an unschooled family, family life is quite huge. Because we are around each other so much family IS life. My sister has always loved kids and talked about having them since she could talk. I myself have not had much interest in it. For me if and when I started a family I would want to be present and have family be my life. Life is always changing though and whats important is doing whats important when its important. Just cause someone as a kid talks about having a family doesn't mean at 18 they will have a family...maybe by playing with a prospect as a kid enough of it is experienced to either not do it at all or at a much later time. That is why play and experimentation is so important. Because we can play with all of life and experience it in a way where we understand what its about and can choose consciously whats important and whats not when it is or it isn't.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH freeeeedom!
<3
Find Me On Facebook/Myspace. I have lots of fun photos and updates and its FUN TO SHARE!
http://www.isnessis.com
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH freeeeedom!
<3
Find Me On Facebook/Myspace. I have lots of fun photos and updates and its FUN TO SHARE!
http://www.isnessis.com
Whats important
I think its important to base ones decisions on what feels good/fair/abundant. I think its important for individuals even kids to be responsible for what they are partaking in.
I think as a parent that if you enjoy cleaning up after your kids and making them food then that is wonderful for all involved!! If you dont anymore or are enjoying something else I think that we are all capable of preparing our food and if we arent its worth being capable of!! Same for cleaning up our dishes, or washing our cloths, finding enjoyment, figuring stuff out or paying for our car. This doesnt mean that a parent cant contribute any of those things. As kids evolve in there life so can a parent. A parent at one point can love taking care of everything.. ...food, cloths, cleaning carrying and all things important.
It is then common for a child to decide it no longer needs to be carried everywhere and wants to direct its own physical path via its hands and knees. It then decides it wants to eat more than just mothers milk. Then decides to give up milk and knees moving to feet and solid foods. Starts pooing and peing on its own while also taking care of the mess! A child may even choose to want something more than the warmth of a mothers arms.
As we evolve what we desire changes and our situation around us also changes.
It is amazing that one desires more than a mothers love and nurturing but it is fun to sail the oceans, climb the trees, eat food grown in ones own garden, massage and be massaged.... ..It is wonderful to be free as parents and as children to be free to do what feels good and be supported in that process.
I think as a parent that if you enjoy cleaning up after your kids and making them food then that is wonderful for all involved!! If you dont anymore or are enjoying something else I think that we are all capable of preparing our food and if we arent its worth being capable of!! Same for cleaning up our dishes, or washing our cloths, finding enjoyment, figuring stuff out or paying for our car. This doesnt mean that a parent cant contribute any of those things. As kids evolve in there life so can a parent. A parent at one point can love taking care of everything.. ...food, cloths, cleaning carrying and all things important.
It is then common for a child to decide it no longer needs to be carried everywhere and wants to direct its own physical path via its hands and knees. It then decides it wants to eat more than just mothers milk. Then decides to give up milk and knees moving to feet and solid foods. Starts pooing and peing on its own while also taking care of the mess! A child may even choose to want something more than the warmth of a mothers arms.
As we evolve what we desire changes and our situation around us also changes.
It is amazing that one desires more than a mothers love and nurturing but it is fun to sail the oceans, climb the trees, eat food grown in ones own garden, massage and be massaged.... ..It is wonderful to be free as parents and as children to be free to do what feels good and be supported in that process.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
"Unschooling"
Whats most important to understand about this is that "unschooling" is not a system nor a program. It is a way of life it is an understanding and engaging of life. We are all different and so are our kids. My sister has been working almost full time jobs since she was 15. I have worked only a few and not 1 in many many years. I learned to read at 9 my brother not until 14.
"unchooling" is not about right or wrong, legal or e legal, its not about shoulds, have to's and supposed to be's. Its also not about having kids with no respect or responsibility. Its about treating a child equally not less or more. Its also about an opportunity to re invent life or experience it from a new freeer perspective because of a child who has way less baggage and attachment to what is. When a being understands responsibility and respect all things work out and there is no need to deal with each situation with rules and agenda. It just falls into place nicely.
This is a deeply spiritual experience this is about real understanding and experience in life. This is about living in a way that is free and supportive of what matters. When this is what if focused upon all the crap disappears.
Blessings
"unchooling" is not about right or wrong, legal or e legal, its not about shoulds, have to's and supposed to be's. Its also not about having kids with no respect or responsibility. Its about treating a child equally not less or more. Its also about an opportunity to re invent life or experience it from a new freeer perspective because of a child who has way less baggage and attachment to what is. When a being understands responsibility and respect all things work out and there is no need to deal with each situation with rules and agenda. It just falls into place nicely.
This is a deeply spiritual experience this is about real understanding and experience in life. This is about living in a way that is free and supportive of what matters. When this is what if focused upon all the crap disappears.
Blessings
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