Liminal

[greenstorm]

Threshold is a good space to go into the unknown.

I have a heart-friend in Nanaimo, on 5 acres, who's enlarging her garden space substantially. I've put in more seeds to start than I'd originally planned but our season is very far behind. There's still a lot of snow on the ground, and as late as April 3 we had -20. I have lots of time to enlarge my garden if I so choose. I think I will, at least somewhat. I'm already trying to figure out where that will be, and where the birds and pigs will end up.

I'd be a lot happier if I could sink fenceposts right now instead of being on snowshoes in the back yard.

I've also -- like everyone -- been looking into grow bags as a cheap easy way to expand my space without having to build new beds. It does look like building new beds will be cheaper. It seems like everyone is gardening this year, just as everyone is cooking. I'm glad I got my seed orders in early.

It feels peaceful here, though. I have an income - that really helps. And the current employer is trying to keep all staff onboard to try and buffer the effect of all this on the economy, although if we have a provincial election that could change. I have supply lines. I've not really had a chance to settle into routine, but that will come.

And so I don't feel panic. There's going to be a lot of grief, more than enough to go around. I'll be mourning people. I'm also mourning the concept of the USA that I grew up with as an American; we always had this idea that under extreme mishandling and oppression the people would rise up and good for everyone would triumph through democracy and unbreakable spirit. That's what all the guns were for, and all the self-congratulation around the political system.

I guess they didn't.

So I'll enlarge my garden a little and see where it goes.

Comments

[yarrowkat]

there's a lot of talk about the end of capitalism and rent strikes and i'm waiting to see where it all goes.

many years ago i read The Long Emergency by James Howard Kunstler. while he was wrong in many particulars, i think his premise stands - culture changes gradually rather than suddenly (usually), and things getting slowly worse over a long time gives people time to normalize to the slightly-worse, and then slightly-worse and so on until life is one long protracted emergency. we have been heading that direction my entire life; now we are firmly fixed inside it. if we really can end capitalism, end rent, create a basic minimum income, and create a society founded on mutual aid, that would be the best possible outcome - but that is so true that it doesn't feel possible in my lifetime. we'll see.

[greenstorm]

I did not read that book, but could otherwise have written it. Except that things are a little less of an emergency here.