“By observing the patterns and cycles that nature uses to solve design problems, we can replicate these forms in our gardens, not as mere static shapes but as dynamic solutions that save labor, resources, and energy. Then our gardens can be almost as interlinked as nature is, producing no waste or pollutants, needing little excess labor, ripe with habitat, yielding abundantly.”
- Toby Henenway, author of Gaia’s Garden.

From this past year I’ve uncovered a lot about permaculture and the principles that surround it, both from a lot of reading and a lot of experimenting. A great book I have called Gaia’s Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture has been extremely helpful and explains thoroughly the principles of this practice. And as I’ve experienced, it’s a practice that leads you undeniably into a lifestyle.

Permaculture, short for “permanent agriculture” or “permanent culture” was coined by two Australians Bill Mollison and David Holmgren. According to Gaia’s Garden, it “uses a set of principles and practices to design sustainable human settlements.” It goes a lot deeper than just gardening and growing things that look good together.

It teaches you to see how perfectly nature works and that if we mimic what has been thriving already for billions of years, we can create something that is sustainable. As a set of tools with a broad scope, permaculture can help us design not only organic gardens, buildings, and communities, but lifestyles as well. Think of it as a set of tools we can use to design something using the sustainable techniques of nature.

There is so much more to share about permaculture and I will do my best to keep you updated with what I learn and practice. For now, here is the first of ten core principles used for permaculture designs that I’ll be sharing every Tuesday:

1. Observe

Use thoughtful observation rather than prolonged and thoughtless action. Observe the site and it’s elements in all seasons. Design for specific sites, clients, and cultures. In retrospect, take the time to see the larger picture and take into account what is already there. In your life, observe the relationships you have, the feelings you feel, and the thoughts you have. Then, you can design your life knowing what you have to work with and what you ultimately want.

“At last I understood writing was this: an impulse to share with other people a feeling or truth that I myself had. Not to preach to them, but to give it to them if they cared to hear it.”
- Brenda Ueland, author of If You Want To Write

Lush and full greens. dots of fuchsia flowers. a few tomatoes on a lonely vine. a swinging hammock. thick bamboo like chutes coming through the fence. it’s a backyard. it’s a haven. it’s a place where i can hear myself – nature – and the friendliness of the birds and crickets. the cool air is welcomed after such a hot day. it bathes my skin. isadora’s collection of sticks to chew on grows. i let her leave them in piles if it satisfies her. there are mosquitoes but even they can’t ruin the night. all that’s missing is the soft glow of bulb lights. i think i’ll hang some.

how would you share your backyard?

“We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.” -Anais Nin

She was sitting on the steps that led into the pool at One Mile. Slightly hunched, but relaxed and undeniably vibrant. She gave off an aura of simplicity and wisdom. Her naked little boy reminded me of a cherub baby with his rounded cheeks, not only on his face, and the perfect tanned skin. He even had gently placed blonde curls and clear blue eyes. I told her that he reminded me of that. She laughed and agreed. I couldn’t help but watch him and smile. Then I asked her, is he yours?

She said, He is his own. After a brief pause, she said again, He is his own person. But yes, in a sense, he is mine.

It threw me off. But it also made me want to know more about the mother and son. A statement like that is not something we hear very often. I wish I could remember his long name, but I can’t. I do know I’ve never heard of it before. It made me want to ask whether he named himself. With him being his own person and all. Is he really his own person if he doesn’t even get to choose what he, and others, call himself?

I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this. There are so many things we call ours. That’s my dog, my boyfriend, my tree, my car. But are they truly ours? Last time I really thought about it, the things that made all of these examples, really everything in the universe, has been around a lot longer than we were able to put a name on them. And call them our own.

Just something to think about. In our possessive nature, does everything really belong to us? Or maybe, do we belong to it? Or maybe, possession in itself, is really just an illusion.

And on a side note, what would you call yourself if this was a world where we really were our own?

“To become learned,
each day add something.
To become enlightened,
each day drop something.”
- Lao Tzu

In the midst of moving this past weekend, I came across this quote and found it to be perfect for the move. The act of dropping something everyday, whether tangible or intangible can be hard. Or it can be easy.

We spend our lives consuming and adding to what we call ourselves, adding to what we call our space, and adding to our emotions as well.

I really like the second half of this quote because it challenges the idea that we must always add to make our lives better or more complete. But instead of this, by dropping things, such as the negative thoughts, the extra weight of unhealthy relationships, or the boxes of things you’ll never use again, we become lighter.

What is one thing you’ve added today? And what is one thing you’ve dropped today?

]]> http://myalexandriar.wordpress.com/2011/08/23/the-act-of-dropping-things/feed/ 0 Myalexandriar glass jar http://myalexandriar.wordpress.com/2011/08/11/a-grateful-tree/ http://myalexandriar.wordpress.com/2011/08/11/a-grateful-tree/#comments Thu, 11 Aug 2011 06:00:43 +0000 Alexandria Araiza http://myalexandriar.wordpress.com/?p=793 ]]>

“We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.” -Thornton Wilder

Hand in hand, el Senor and I took a leisurely walk into downtown last week to run some errands when we came upon this tree. Normally, this tree blends into the background as we bustle by it, but this morning, it stood there with a presence that couldn’t be ignored. The small, beige tags flipping in the wind caught my eye and when I walked closer I noticed there were words scribbled on them. Along with a reused plastic container that held blank tags and pencils was a sign that read, “Gratitude Tree.”

Standing there in awe reading the many things people were grateful for, I smiled sweetly to myself. It was a moment where I felt alive and completely conscious of the rare beauty of what was before me. I also felt a feeling of pure gratitude for the person or persons who did this. They gave me a moment of truth to my own heart’s consciousness. There’s a sweetness of something so simple that can free people from their everyday routines. To take a minute from our day and express what we are grateful for, is an incredibly powerful thing.

This was one of those rare times where something so simple, left such a strong impression.  Wouldn’t it be great if this happened more often for all of us?

If you came across this tree, and pulled out a tag, what would you write on it? What would be your addition to the Grateful Tree and to those who may read your tag?

If you’re curious what I wrote…my tag simply said LOVE.

“But if it is the dreamy idleness that children have, an idleness when you walk alone for a long, long time…or lie in bed at night and thoughts come and go, or dig in a garden…at such times you are being slowly filled and recharged with warm imagination, with wonderful, living thoughts.”
-Brenda Ueland, If You Want To Write

During the past few weeks I’ve volunteered to work at a summer camp for the Montessori school across the street and it has led me to a new level of imagination and creativity. As I wrote last week, being with those kids seemed to stir up a creativity I didn’t know I had. And had always thought I lacked.

In my very short adult life, I haven’t spent too much time around kids because there were never any close by in my family. So when I am around them, I tend to get very curious about how they think, act with others, and interact with me. I am fascinated by their limitless ability to create anything and everything. We’re building a two-story train to fly to Mars! Cool, let’s do it, I say. We’re going to capture a super-giant reptile that eats whales! Sweet, count me in, I answer back.

But seriously, I’ve never been challenged to keep up with their out-of-this-world imagination until this summer camp came along. We were pirates, bus drivers, painters, puppets, cats, soccer players, chefs, and so much more I can’t even remember. All I know is that I have never felt more alive, present, or imaginative than in those moments of pure creation.

So. I wanted to pass along five things I learned, and I think we can all learn from kids.

1. To live only in the present. Doesn’t matter if you currently live on the moon or in the deepest ocean!

2. The only rule to the game of life is to have fun and learn. If you’re not having fun or learning, do something else.

3. My imagination is bigger than yours. And that’s the only thing that matters that we should be comparing.

4. Poke, touch, feel and try everything. And then you’ll learn whether or not you’re going to do that again!

5. “Behaving” is totally subjective. So do what you think is right for yourself.

“Whatever limits us we call Fate.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

I rode my bike to the community garden this morning and to my surprise, found there was no work to be done, only breakfast to be had! So for once, I sat down without my blue rubber boots and gloves and enjoyed an amazing batch of blueberry pancakes with my friends! Thanks to a few great donations, we were given a stove, counter space, and utensils to share what we knew of cooking with other community gardeners. It’s a project I am so excited to be a part of because I really don’t know how to cook everything in our garden.

But our first breakfast together was incredibly delicious….the pancake mix came from Chico Natural Foods Coop, the blueberries I hand-picked at Hansen’s Farm U-pick in Corning and the local honey just topped it off perfectly. In between very large bites, I started up a conversation with another gardener around my age about baking. She and I both love to bake and were sharing vegan recipes and ideas to start baking together.

In the mix of it all, our ultimate goals for life and happiness were added in (pun intended).

She told me she was tired of working hard only to fulfill someone else’s goals. And she wanted to make a life where she would be in charge of what she did that day. To be happy, she needed to be the one making the decisions, not leaving them to someone else. She knew what she wanted, but didn’t know exactly how to make it happen.

For a second, I remembered being in her position and wondering what it would be like to feel I had sole control over what I did during my days. Last year, I was in her shoes. And I told her that.

I also told her the best part was when the decision was made, regardless of action or not, it instantly changed everything. And she would never be happy going back to what once was. I felt like I wanted to tell her everything that I went through last year and how scary, but rewarding it was to take the leap. I wanted to tell her to do it. To go for it. And never look back.

It was like talking to my year-ago-self. And I loved every second of it.

It rejuvenated me to know there are people out there like me, that want to change their lives. That aren’t settling for living with other people’s dreams. That are searching for their own creation, their own mix of life and happiness.

To all of you out there like me, let’s continue to make our dreams real for ourselves. No one else can do it and my life is proof that it can be done!

“If the world were merely seductive, that would be easy. If it were merely challenging, that would be no problem. But I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day.”
- E. B. White

Does this ever happen to you? Every once in a while I wake up contemplating what to do with the day I have before me. I’ve realized it’s a luxury to not have to go to an office or classroom at a specific time everyday like most people. But because I don’t, it’s harder to plan the day. Some days, I may want to write something inspiring, I may want to meet people who are truly doing good, or I may just want to hang out with my dog at Bidwell Park all day.

But no matter what I do, I feel I have an even greater responsibility to do something valuable with my time because I do have the flexibility. These past few weeks I’ve been volunteering at a summer camp for students at the Montessori school across the street. And even though I am making no financial gains from it, I feel like it’s been worth my time every second. And every second has truly enriched my life, as much as the kids’. It feels like I’m improving my world and theirs, all while enjoying it.

I guess it’s not so much that you have to wake up thinking about what you’re going to do to change the world for the better, but just do something that may change one person’s day for the better. Start there. And maybe you’ll find you can improve and enjoy the world at the same time.

]]> http://myalexandriar.wordpress.com/2011/08/02/to-improve-or-enjoy/feed/ 1 Myalexandriar IMG_0238 http://myalexandriar.wordpress.com/2011/07/14/back-in-the-garden/ http://myalexandriar.wordpress.com/2011/07/14/back-in-the-garden/#comments Thu, 14 Jul 2011 20:37:03 +0000 Alexandria Araiza http://myalexandriar.wordpress.com/?p=742 ]]>

“Every gardener knows that under the cloak of winter lies a miracle…a seed waiting to sprout, a bulb opening to the light, a bud straining to unfurl. And the anticipation nurtures our dream.” – Barbara Winkler

This year, winter has followed us into what should be summer and has made gardening a bit of a waiting game. At the community garden I work at in Chico, we’ve seen vegetables get confused from the weather and go to seed instead of growing. However, at the Local Choices garden in Turlock, everything has taken off and it was incredible to visit and see everything in full bloom that I started last year with Tyler. I remember my first day as a “farmer” there where Tyler and I sifted compost and built raised beds all day. It was good, wholesome, hard work.

I’ve learned a lot in this past year about gardening, food, and the beauty of watching something grow. There’s been long mornings, hot afternoons, lots of weed picking, and the first breath of relaxation after a day’s end. I’m finding that with each passing day in the garden, I’m learning more about life in its most natural state. And I’m learning how far off my life is in some areas from that same natural state. Do you really think the tomatoes care if I wear makeup to the garden? But I do feel I’m getting closer.

To get me there, I made goals last year for my time in Chico and I’ve been adamant about trying to honor them. These goals have helped me along my journey to living a more authentic and eco-conscious life. Now, because I am more focused on what’s important to me, I can see clearly what either helps or hinders me. It’s like I’ve created a cool little filter in my brain that says “yes!” to the coconut water and “no” to plastic bags at the grocery store. These goals are:

• monthly camping trip or discovery of natural beauties and sustainable practices in Northern California
• support farmers market and eat seasonally, locally, and organic
• plant a garden or get involved in a community garden
• ride my bike everywhere
• maintain a minimalistic lifestyle
• get published locally
• train for a half-marathon

The camping trips have been sporadic, but I’ve continued to find organizations here that are doing some great things, like the Weston A. Price Chapter (who offers cooking classes and informational speakers), the Sherwood Montessori Public Charter School (whose garden program and Chef Ritchie is inspiring), and the Chico Food Network (who is the creator of GRUB).

The farmers market is a must every week. And between the food from the community garden and the market, I’m pretty much set. I get things like black beans, Celtic grey sea salt, and miso from the Co-op. I’ve been  really good lately about using my bike instead of driving. I now even ride the full three miles to the garden three times a week and back.

We still don’t own a couch. Or an official dining table. Which is fine with me, but it has shocked others to walk into our place and see a very bare (but tasteful) studio. I laugh just thinking about all the days I’ve ate sitting on the floor and how weird of a concept it is for some people. Eh, I used to say, if it won’t fit in my backpack, I don’t want it!

My byline in local publications is growing and I’ve met many great people because of it. I’ll be honest, I could step it up a bit, but I like doing a bunch of different things instead of just focusing on one.

As for the marathon, after seeing an x-ray from my chiropractor that shows a slightly skewed spine, I thought it best to try to fix that first. But, I do have my eye on a half-marathon this fall in wine country, and a training schedule ready and printed out. So here goes round two.

Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind. Absolve you to yourself, and you shall have the suffrage of the world. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

We live in a society of advice columns, experts and make-over shows. Without even knowing it, you can begin to believe someone knows better than you how to live your life. Someone might know a particular something better – like how to bake a three-layer molten coconut chocolate cake or how to build a website – but nobody else on the planet knows how to live your life better than you. (Although one or two people may think they do.) For today, trying asking yourself often, especially before you make a choice, “What do I know about this?” (Author: Jen Louden)

To My Alexandriar:

“Nobody on the planet knows how to live your life better than you.” I wish this wasn’t such a difficult thing to remember in our society today. This is something I’ve struggled with for years, as I’m sure many people have. I mean, what else do we have parents for? To give us advice and tell us how to live, right? At least that’s what it feels like.

I think this is another prompt that really has to do with trusting yourself. Trusting yourself to know what is right for you and doing it. With so much influence from so many different angles, it’s hard to have absolute faith that what you’re doing with your life is right for you. But don’t second guess yourself. You’ll know within your own depths if it’s right for you.