Unto the Gentles of the Knowne World....

....Lady Gregoria Anne du Lac sends greetings! It certainly has been a long time. Many thanks to Lady Jerusha for this archival photo. Since I am definitely of the 'Old School' in the SCA, I have a lot of catching up to do and lots of stories to tell of my travels. Also, please keep in mind that I will likely switch back and forth between mundane-speak and SCA-speak in theprocess of this set of blogs so it will be easier to explain in terms for those SCAer's of a city persuasion that would like to make the move from city living to country living and perhaps how to do it on your own, with little or no help from a bank or other modern mundane worldly financial entanglements. In the mundane, we are using solar, wind and geothermal power sources to enable us to get 'off the grid', as well as sustainable agricultural practices to keep food sources local.

From journeys long and through lands far and wide, this is a window into the world here at Glastonbury Farm. This past winter, we began a new milk shed for my goats and their feed, which will become a craft shop as soonly as a more correct milk parlour is built, which could take a couple of more years.

The excavation for the new manor house cannot happen until the a few things take place, one of which is the construction of the new shed and the destruction of the old shed. I currently milk in this shed and it is not a very pleasant place as the chickens have taken residence.

A curious thing happened as we began the new shed- several levels of what appear to be an old medieval manor raised itself out of the dirt as we began to peel back the layers of time. This old manor may be several hundred years old, or possibly even almost twenty years old. In any case, this is to document the archeological records of the old manor and the construction of the new manor house and grounds. If any scholar wishes to visit and observe the process, you are all most welcome to come- just let us know ahead of time.

I'm going to attempt to do a weekly update on each level of Glastonbury Farm since it began as some of the oldest levels are still here and functioning. These will also be illuminated with photos and drawings of the oldest positionings of the structures here. The old gate house, called 'The Dragon's Gatehouse', is still in use somewhat, and while the structural integrety is still there, the house itself does need to some work to complete it. The chances are it will be deconstructed and then reconstructed in some manner after the new manor house is built.

This is a photo of the new shed foundation as it was framed in. In the background is ' The Dragon's Gatehouse'. We found an old midden behind the house with all sorts of curious objects and broken tools. You will also see in the background one of the 'caravans' that some travelers decided to sell and it is now used as supplemental housing for my older daughter. Discovered to be from the 'level 7' configuration of Glastonbury Farm, it is still of some use, but will be offered for sale here in the near future. The cleared area up the hill and to the left of the photo is the bottom of the clearing for the new manor house.

Above, we see the new shed framed in and in the background is the area cleared for the excavation of the foundation for the new manor house. We have done all the proper augeries and dousings, and have offered prayers so that the foundation construction will go well and not fall over into the swamp next door, which is also called 'mud waller flats'. We have been assured by the local thaumaturge and several out of state alchemists that the dragons and gnomes are well satisfied with the gifts we've given them in exchange for allowing us to build here.

These are our Town Crier's, Violet- left, and Willard- right. Along with the poultry constabulary of roosters Wakie-Wakie (that's what he says) and Mohammed (Upon Whom Be Peace!- When you pick him up, he shouts 'Allah! Allah!'), and a grimace of guineas, the farm stays running smoothly- no ticks or other bad insect pests.

This is our 'Fore-goat', Ammalyn Starchild, who oversees construction and keeps an eye on things. She also milks a gallon or so of milk a day, so she's a keeper here at the farm. Ammalyn is a Saanen dairy goat, also called Gessenay, which comes from the Saanen Valley in Switzerland.

Look for us in the next installment, at least each week. As we get more into the workings of things here at the farm, I hope folks will comment or ask questions on how we have done this or that or perhaps offer suggestions as to how we can do things more easily.

Thanks for stopping by- Lady Greggy, somewhere in the "Land of Shining Water'

Hard Scrabble vs. City Minded

This is Our Lady of the Harvest. More about why she is here later- sorry it is a thumbnail picture.

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We bought our land here in 1989, and moved onto it in 1990, with only our hands as our tools- not many city folks care to do what we do- it actually involves doing some physical labor, getting your hands dirty, living with no indoor plumbing for a couple of years and dirt under your fingernails for months on end. The girls did enjoy their muck bucket bath tub when they were little though.

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First the cabin came, then an outbuilding for the goats and then more outbuildings...if you cannot stand living in what city folks term 'a big nasty mess', then please don't do what we did- It is like doing the mortgage trip thing in very slow motion- the very same thing as, but almost to the point of entropy. On the other hand, if you want to have a satisfied soul at the end of the day, along with no mortgage, total creative control, not 'beholden-to' anyone for anything to do with your property other than yearly land taxes, then the rural sustainable lifestyle may be for you.

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And you may find that you are a different person than you thought you were.

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Walking away from the matrix of the modern day 'normal' 'get it and spend it', credit card lifestyle is well....more 'normal' than the afore mentioned 'normal' lifestyle. Keep in mind that the word 'normal' is a judging word- a word that denotes rather a lack of courage. Besides, when one gets a comment like 'you have a pioneer spirit' from an MBE recipent (Member of the British Empire) who barely knows you and a comment of 'Eeeewwww!' from family, well who are you going to listen to? 'Normal' is in the eye of the beholder- what is normal for me may not be normal for you, but each form is just as valid and wholesome to each person.

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After all, no farms = no food.

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To the city folks that go 'Eeeewwww!', I usually say ' are you going to stand there complaining and critisizing or are you going to pick up a hammer and pound a few nails with me?' These folks really need to get their heads wrapped around Habitat for Humanity or Heiffer Project. Or even the Manna Food Bank. If you can't pound nails, then learn to use a measuring tape and marker to measure the length on a 2x4 for the person who cuts the wood!

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Still, at the end of the day, I have so much to be thankful for.

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Each year, we do a farm blessing. Father Andreas comes out to bless the farm and the animals- he's excited about blessing our tractor- he says he's so happy to be a country priest. We have a potluck lunch after the blessing- which takes place after Pascha, Easter for all you heterodox and pagans. :-) This year, we will be holding it on the future site of Our Lady of the Woods Chapel- a place for all people to experience the Mother of God in all her forms. Our Lady of the Harvest will be there, along with Kwan Yin, the Bodhisaatva of Compassion and Our Lady of Einsiedlin (Switzerland), one of the Black Madonnas of Europe. The name Einsiedlin means 'Place of the Hermit'- I went there during a band trip with the Dobyns-Bennett HS band in 1972- the Cathedral there is enormous and beautiful. It is the first place in my life that I met the Living Lady in one of her myriad and eternal forms.

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The foundation for the Chapel is there, but it needs work before I would trust people on the platform. I'll blog more about this as we come closer to the date, as yet undecided, but after Pascha, so I can cook!

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Have a blessed Oestarra, ya'll! Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen!

For the honor.....

It's 5am here and the next round of kidding is in the offing- we are on baby watch and bleary eyed to say the least. I am making it through with the help of medication for my Spina Bifida- don't worry, it is the 'occulta' kind that we found on a x-ray in the 80's, so I can still function. It has been a quick two weeks since the last two does kidded and all girls. 4 of them, Annie and Laurie, and Lucy and Ethel. Yeah, I know- Lucy and Ethel's daddy was named Desperado, called 'Desi'- someone had to do the obvious. :-)
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There comes a time for most folks that it is also painfully obvious that working with people becomes a big chore- which is why I like living in the woods, away from most type A's. Some folks take nasty medications to help them deal with other people's personalities. And some folks just keep going into the same rut with the same type of people that have no respect. These folks are generally really good people, but they tend to be enablers- 'give give give give give' all day long to folks who have no intention of returning the exchange. I fall into that catagory. I own it. I do come by it honestly- growing up, my mom was an enabler- her thing was money/food/stuff= love. Dad did his best to keep her satisfied (he couldn't), but his own addiction to 'more more more more' was too strong. His addiciton became hers in short order- it happens when you don't have much when you are growing up and then suddenly have everything you want.
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Lest I become maudlin, here is the point of the story- and it is about goats. Some years ago, when I had been in goats for only a few years, I had done some trading around- 'a goat for a goat' sort of thing with another person. I registered that animal I traded for with the name I chose and used him. When I was done with the buck that I had traded for, I asked the person if they wanted the buck back- they said yes. Of course, my goats were long gone by then- this gave them everything and left me with nothing, so we agreed verbally that I'd get back equal value of some sort- goat equipment, etc. That was OK, since I trusted the person.
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Sometime during the next couple of years, the person's spouse got hurt on the job and they began to sell off their animals. That's alright, I said, I am patient, I know you will keep your word. So, over the next couple of years after that, each time I would ask for the trade to be honored- either following an advertisement for their equipment for sale or on my own- the person would say 'we need the money'. OK, I thought, they are still in a tight situation, I am patient, I know they are honorable. Even last summer when I asked after an ad for more equipment being sold, I was told again 'we need the money'- this was getting way too old.
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So most recently, I saw yet another ad for more equipment and I went a bit further in asking by also asking folks publically to wait until I could bring this to a head privately. Interestingly enough, the person now said that I must be mistaking them for someone else- they did not owe me anything and refused to even deal with the subject. OK. Let's examine this from a persective of 'letting go'- In the end, it is all just 'stuff' after all.
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Doing business on a handshake used to be the norm everywhere- today, it ain't so common. I recognize that this went on way too long, but from the perspective of the other person, I know I could not live with myself if I did not honor a situation, no matter how long it had gone on- my connection with God is way too strong to not recognize that I would be very much out of Grace to not make it right in the other person's mind as best I could. NOTE: This may discount stupidity on the part of the other person who will not understand, no matter what you do since some folks cannot be taught- this is where a written contract or bill of sale comes in, but I digress and that's another story- whooo boy, is that another story.
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The lesson, for business purposes, is to always get it in writing. And make sure each party has a signed copy of the agreement.
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The lesson, for spiritual purposes, is to 'trust in God, but always tie your camel' (old Arab saying). IE. keep the beast tied. If things do not work out as agreed and you are the one that gets the short end of the stick, let it go and let God take care of it. Be nice, let the folks know you see what they are doing and that you deplore their lack of honor, but do it nicely. God will take care of it in the fullness of time. Then go and do more work for the good.
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Cherokee Wisdom
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A Grandfather and his grandson were sitting under a tree, fishing by a stream. The Grandfather
said to his grandson, 'Inside of everyone there are two wolves fighting each other. One is an evil, angry wolf. The other is a kind, benevolent wolf.'
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The grandson thought a minute and said, 'Grandfather, which wolf wins?'
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The Grandfather paused a moment and answered, 'The one that I feed.'