PERMACULTURE 101

Permaculture:

There are many definitions for Permaculture because there are so many applications. For an audios definition and more exploration go to: http://www.urbanpermacultureguild.org/

A wonderful 52 minute Permaculture film can be viewed at http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=-6370279933612522952

It’s a way of farming, gardening, and living. Basically I understand it as using observation of nature to understand the best way of doing just about anything. It is famous for not wasting, for everything being interconnected, which is what is understood by carefully studying things like forest culture, etc.

Many see it as one of the only possible solutions for our planet. Unfortunately, Bill Mollisen, one of the founders who travels all over the world promoting Permacuture, sees the U.S. as one of the only nations where conversion to Permaculture does not appear to be a posibilty because of our entrenched food systems and economic system.

There are a number of people, both Urban and Rural who are working hard to prove him wrong. I hope to throw my hat into that ring. How about you?

Peace with a future. JJ

We're in This Together

It's Monday morning and the news isn't good. Gas is over $4.00 a gallon. We have stolen Iraq's money and they want us out. Who knows what's really going on because the media has been bought out by big business.

In light of all that I just want to say, "Thanks for the Universe, the beauty, the wonder of community. For me that includes all of nature, all of creation and includes humans even though my family is in conflict, my nation is injust, and my heart is hungry for more kindness."

Short thought for today. Keep walking, it's good for the pocket book and the soul.

JJ

Ways We Can Save Money

Three major contributors to the economic depression in the U.S. are, THE WARS, Gasoline Prices, and FOOD SYSTEMS and Pricing. Some ideas that we are all probably doing are:
1. Driving more gently and slowly. Edmunds says not driving aggressively can save up to 37 % and slowing down up to 19%. That's a whopping 56% possible! That's a bunch. It's also great for our beloved earth so.... Adding bicycle riding and walking when possible could make us healthy as well.

2. STOP the WARS. I'm not sure what more to do, but at least almost 80% of us want it over.

3. FOOD. Buy locally, grow our own, trade, barter, local currency. Use real food, not manufactured plastic expensive junk!

Something I never thought of however, is that as a nation, we can save money by treating instead of jailing drug addicts! This is the result of a major conventional type study, not a bunch of pot smoking activists! I copied parts of the article below.

"American taxpayers would save more than $46 billion if drug addicts now in prison were instead treated, according to a study released Friday at a national convention of drug court professionals. Retired Army Gen. Barry McCaffrey, a former U.S. drug czar, and actress Melanie Griffith joined experts in calling on lawmakers to increase funding for such courts. "This is not a war on drugs," McCaffrey said. "This is a problem for our families in America. In order to turn drugs around in this country, we're going to have to treat those 1.5 million people who are addicted.". . .

The study from the Urban Institute in Washington found that about 3 percent of arrested addicts are referred to a drug court, which offers supervised treatment to nonviolent offenders whose records are expunged if they complete the program. "Most addicts need something more than being warehoused," said Judge Charles Simmons Jr., a drug court judge in Greenville, S.C. "Drug courts are putting families back together, and they are decreasing crime at a tremendous savings to taxpayers."

Housing an inmate in prison can cost up to $40,000 a year while drug court treatment costs up to $3,500 per offender a year, Simmons said. McCaffrey said 15 years of research has yielded definitive proof that drug courts significantly reduce crime by as much as 35 percent. He said legislators and the public may get behind the system once they understand its cost savings."

And how about energy from sand. Click it to check it out below. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10514381

Interesting Related Blogs

Here is an interesting blog with some great poetry and poet's connections out of Aspen Colorado.
Kim is a poet who has her hand on the pulse of life. Check it out.
http://www.heartofeverything.blogspot.com/

Also check out the comment by Stephanie, a member of the Youth Engagement and Action Team at Plan USA. She says, "our team runs several programs working with U.S. youth who are interested in global issues. One of our programs is the Global Connections School Linking Program. Through this program classrooms in the U.S. are connected with schools in a Plan program country. Through the exchange of artwork and media students on b oth sides of the globe learn what life is like for a student in another country.

As members of YUGA, the youth run campaigns in their schools and communities raising awareness about issues like Child Exploitation (including child soldiers, child labor and child trafficking), Climate Change, HIV and AIDS, and Global Poverty. Link is on Post below.

Another amazing poet, teacher, speaker, lover of life, Rosemerry Trommer can be reached and read at

www.wordwoman.

And last, but definitely not least check out writer Susan Tweit's blog athttp://communityoftheland.blogspot.com/. Beautiful writing well worth reading.

Happy reading and connections.

Home with Family in Maine

Sorry for the week of relative silence. I deeply appreciate hearing from you and exploring your blogs and websites. It helps me understand and remember how many gorgeous people populate this world. I spent the week in Maine, land of my ancestors, where I celebrated my sister’s 60^th birthday and spent some good time with my parents who are in their 80’s. They are still independent in their own home, but for me, it was a deeper facing of the fact that they will go on their final journey in the near future.

My favorite brother-in-law and I talked into the night about what happened in his family when his father and then his mother died, quite recently. Families who already have conflicts, a lot of us I think, will really suffer when the parents die. I’m looking for wisdom on what steps to take to help the process. I am the oldest child in my family. I guess I should step up and take the matriarchal position of counselor, helper, instigator of what needs to happen.

Any insights, suggestions, places of guidance? There are great rifts and wounds in my family. Maybe we will heal through all that is coming up. Who knows, but it may be like having a baby to save a bad marriage. It rarely works.

Senate Votes with This Insane Administration

$165 Billion with no strings attached for two wars which the American people want no part of.
Now we might as well give up on the Senate as well as the administration. Tell your Senator you're sick of not being heard. Go to www.fcnl.org

Find your senators and tell them how you feel. I sent messages to both of my senators, one Democrat and one Republican who both voted in favor!! There is still a little hope for the House vote. You might want to check out the green party presidential candidate. She sounds pretty amazing. :http://www.runcynthiarun.org/

A Plan...Here's Something We Can Do..Watch Video Ezra

The Article I wrote earlier today has me searching for ways to help. I had the privilege of attending one of the global simultaneous showings of gorgeous films on Pangea Day, May 10th. You can view the film Ezra about child soldiers by clicking on the title to this article. There you will also find a link to Plan USA, a wonderful organization working with kids in distress around the world. I'm looking into all of the options they offer.

One of the ways is to get youth in your own community involved in helping other kids. In a way that is working from both angles. It's hard to stay vulnerable to the idea of killing people in war if you are connected to them in some way.http://www.planusa.org
Instead of military recruiters in our schools we can have programs that give meaning to our children's lives. Please post any other ideas find.