Well, welcome to the next installment of Abeo Journal. We've had heavy rain the last two days, making actually doing anything (other than hanging out at Aunty Bev's house) pretty miserable. The shed Tyler's converted to our living quarters is wind tight and waterproof, two very important aspects to a comfortable home, but it currently lacks electricity (and thus light) and heat, another two important aspects, especially in light of the current weather conditions.
The first few days after I arrived, I searched desperately for my place, waiting to be fit into my slot like a piece in a puzzle. The thing is, things don't happen like that – anywhere, and especially not at Abeo. After some frustration, a little bit of depression, and a conversation with Tyler and Della about what they expect of me, I feel much more comfortable choosing what I want to do and doing it, taking enough time for myself and devoting time to other projects as well.
What are the projects we're working on out at the farm? Our main objectives are to get things planted, like the huge shipment of seed potatoes Della just picked up, and buckwheat, amaranth and alfalfa that are multi-purpose – to add organic matter to the soil, help stop erosion of topsoil by growing deep roots, and, provide food! It's all very exciting. Aside from that, Abeo just bought an excavator to dig a new dam to catch the water leaking from the old one, to dig ponds around the property (called 'the block') for food production and fire prevention, to dig an underground house as the beginning of the residential quarters, and lots of other things I can't remember right now. Tyler can spew off reasons for five minutes straight!
I'm learning how to interact with two children, ages 5 and 18 months, and helping to confirm my decision not to have kids – not that they're not great kids, but the reasons seem to be endless as to why I don't want to put the time into reproduction. However, the closer I get to these guys, the more I like them, understand them, and well, kids don’t seem so bad. As long as they’re not mine!
Speaking of reproduction, Tyler has been telling me about new stem cell research that has managed to create stem cells out of our regular cells, which means no more fetoeus' being used! It also has the potential (he says) for us to inject stem cells into our bodies as a way of replacing old cells (so we're constantly renewing our cellular structure and thus, being reborn) as a way of becoming immortal. Unless a bus were to run you over. But what are the chances of that, right? Anyhoo...
What a concept! What an idea! What a flipped-around way to look at the world!
If we're all immortal, we don't have to worry about reproducing, or getting things done in our lifetime, because there is no limit. We don't have to worry about or fear the future, because we are the future and what we create is what we'll live in. This takes the pressure off of 'living a full life' or 'having kids in my time window' or whatever else it is you're worried about not accomplishing. And, what a great way to look at the world – as there being all the time in the world. Why would you want to consider things any other way?
I just watched some great movies – a cartoon called Money is Debt, a documentary on Forest Gardening and one on Permaculture, starring Bill Mollison, the grandaddy of Australian (and Tasmanian!) permaculture. My favorite part was the guerilla gardening when Bill planted seeds wherever he happened to be walking – in the city, along ditches, on grassy lawns, all with a sly smile and a smug chuckle. Hmm, reminds me of some Guerilla Greenpath tactics! The first movie, Money is Debt, is about how our modern banking system came into place. Essentially it's the same as the Zeitgeist Addendum, but for some reason it was easier for me to understand – it could be I've cleared my neuro-pathways for it. What it explains is how when you sign for a loan at the bank, the money the bank gives you is imaginary, based on what you've promised to pay back. This goes on and becomes more complex in many different ways that I don't fully understand, but essentially, our banks create money and this is legal! It goes on to explain how our economy is set up to fail because you cannot pay back a loan with interest when the money for the loan was created in the first place – where does the interest come from? Someone else's loan. This is why we're all incessantly in debt. But don't let me explain this, watch the movie and understand for yourself. Why don't they put this into schools? I would suppose they don't want us to know.
One thing I've been wanting to do is document all the great ideas I keep hearing for Abeo's development. It seems to go on and on – oh, the possibilities! It's best right now, for me to keep in mind what's most pertinent and important for the upcoming seasons – having food and shelter for the winter! No doubt we'll talk about this again and it'll all come out in a grand plan to take over the world. That's what we're all working towards, right? :)
The first few days after I arrived, I searched desperately for my place, waiting to be fit into my slot like a piece in a puzzle. The thing is, things don't happen like that – anywhere, and especially not at Abeo. After some frustration, a little bit of depression, and a conversation with Tyler and Della about what they expect of me, I feel much more comfortable choosing what I want to do and doing it, taking enough time for myself and devoting time to other projects as well.
What are the projects we're working on out at the farm? Our main objectives are to get things planted, like the huge shipment of seed potatoes Della just picked up, and buckwheat, amaranth and alfalfa that are multi-purpose – to add organic matter to the soil, help stop erosion of topsoil by growing deep roots, and, provide food! It's all very exciting. Aside from that, Abeo just bought an excavator to dig a new dam to catch the water leaking from the old one, to dig ponds around the property (called 'the block') for food production and fire prevention, to dig an underground house as the beginning of the residential quarters, and lots of other things I can't remember right now. Tyler can spew off reasons for five minutes straight!
I'm learning how to interact with two children, ages 5 and 18 months, and helping to confirm my decision not to have kids – not that they're not great kids, but the reasons seem to be endless as to why I don't want to put the time into reproduction. However, the closer I get to these guys, the more I like them, understand them, and well, kids don’t seem so bad. As long as they’re not mine!
Speaking of reproduction, Tyler has been telling me about new stem cell research that has managed to create stem cells out of our regular cells, which means no more fetoeus' being used! It also has the potential (he says) for us to inject stem cells into our bodies as a way of replacing old cells (so we're constantly renewing our cellular structure and thus, being reborn) as a way of becoming immortal. Unless a bus were to run you over. But what are the chances of that, right? Anyhoo...
What a concept! What an idea! What a flipped-around way to look at the world!
If we're all immortal, we don't have to worry about reproducing, or getting things done in our lifetime, because there is no limit. We don't have to worry about or fear the future, because we are the future and what we create is what we'll live in. This takes the pressure off of 'living a full life' or 'having kids in my time window' or whatever else it is you're worried about not accomplishing. And, what a great way to look at the world – as there being all the time in the world. Why would you want to consider things any other way?
I just watched some great movies – a cartoon called Money is Debt, a documentary on Forest Gardening and one on Permaculture, starring Bill Mollison, the grandaddy of Australian (and Tasmanian!) permaculture. My favorite part was the guerilla gardening when Bill planted seeds wherever he happened to be walking – in the city, along ditches, on grassy lawns, all with a sly smile and a smug chuckle. Hmm, reminds me of some Guerilla Greenpath tactics! The first movie, Money is Debt, is about how our modern banking system came into place. Essentially it's the same as the Zeitgeist Addendum, but for some reason it was easier for me to understand – it could be I've cleared my neuro-pathways for it. What it explains is how when you sign for a loan at the bank, the money the bank gives you is imaginary, based on what you've promised to pay back. This goes on and becomes more complex in many different ways that I don't fully understand, but essentially, our banks create money and this is legal! It goes on to explain how our economy is set up to fail because you cannot pay back a loan with interest when the money for the loan was created in the first place – where does the interest come from? Someone else's loan. This is why we're all incessantly in debt. But don't let me explain this, watch the movie and understand for yourself. Why don't they put this into schools? I would suppose they don't want us to know.
One thing I've been wanting to do is document all the great ideas I keep hearing for Abeo's development. It seems to go on and on – oh, the possibilities! It's best right now, for me to keep in mind what's most pertinent and important for the upcoming seasons – having food and shelter for the winter! No doubt we'll talk about this again and it'll all come out in a grand plan to take over the world. That's what we're all working towards, right? :)
