Go With The Flow

This is the first time, I have sat down to take a breath. Though the Bluegrass Festival was over on Sunday, there was still lots of follow-up to do over the last three days. And on top of all the paperwork, budgeting, phone calls and let's not forget cleaning house, it has been a bit challenging. To top it all off Joe has pneumonia and it seems everything in the garden needs to be harvested, i.e. corn, beans, tomatoes, pumpkins, melons, potatoes, green peppers, basil, green onions and hot peppers. The Okra is looking pretty darn healthy as is the eggplant. You wouldn't know we staggered the plantings since everything seems to be coming in at once. So much for best laid plans. Like the all to true saying "Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans". However, I have one that I like even better. "A planned life can never be lived, it can only be endured". Which brings me to the subject of this newsletter.

I never imagined that I would end up in Michigan again, let alone on Harsens Island, let alone with a produce stand. The garden part I already had in place in Seattle. But the divine conspiracy that took place to get Joe and I here, is just too, well, divine. When living in Seattle, (we met there but both of us are from here), and after about 27 years of West Coast narcissism, I was ready to make another major move. I had some choices which included, the Rocky Mountains, the incredible Southwest (Flagstaff), or Florida. At the time, we were looking at places where Joe could work and I could continue with a singing career. This was eight years ago and the dot com world had come crashing down in Seattle crippling anyone that had anything to do with computers, which included Joe. Seattle is a very expensive place to live so if you don't have a decent job, then good fricking luck. Joe got an offer in Florida, off he went, while I packed up our wonderful little house, closed the garden, located a portable aquarium for our turtle, Howie, who now lives in the Greenhouse, tried to find drugs to knock out four cats who had to travel cross country, find a home for my parrot who hated everyone but me meaning I couldn't put Joe through that hell in a car as the bird continuously stalked him, and worst of all, put my old lab, Shebee the Love Dog to sleep. Just when I was selling the last of our belongings I got a call from Joe in Florida that the job had been downsized and he was let go. After coming out of shock, I told him to come home, we then drove cross country with our little zoo (by the way, none of them needed drugs, it was as if they were glad to make the trip), rekindling our sense of adventure.

Arriving in Detroit the winter of 2002 at my dad's house, was a little much for someone that was just turning 50, leaving me in shock. Starting over at 50! But I had no choice and decided to look at it as a mid-life adventure. The same way I do when I am going to plant something new, or try a new seed, or a new technique to make something grow faster and/or stronger. All I can tell you is that it is the best thing that ever happened to both of us. Within a year, Joe had a wonderful job, my new band and racked up 24 nominations for the Detroit Music Awards and my groups, Detroit Women and the Kate Hart band had been cited by the Metro Times as two of the influential groups in Detroit's Music History over the last 100 years. (We were included among many impressive names). My musical career only went up from there. Here I thought I was done with the whole "music is my career" thing, only to have life inform me that I just wasn't done, yet. It was as if I was the puppet and someone was pulling the strings. But the point is, I didn't plan it, but because I was and continue to be open to all possibilities, I was lucky to be present enough to fully experience all of these surprises while it was happening. I trusted the flow of life.

Now, I am at the precipice of another adventure. My challenge continues to be that I have enough energy and time to do it all. Some evenings Joe and I (and of course, Little B) sit on our porch swing that I found on the side of the road, painted different shades of pink by one of my voice students. Slowly rocking we listen to the crickets chirp as if they are thrilled that there is a garden that holds the same name. I marvel at the luck of the draw or, er...life's plan, on how we ended up here of all the places we could have gone. Not only is it beautiful, but Joe and I might actually be of some use to our community with the produce stand, the garden and now the Bluegrass Festival, becoming an annual event, with the proceeds providing help to those who need it. I had been looking for a charity or organization that I could be a part of or be useful to, and once again, life has dropped it in my lap.

There is a purpose for every living thing, but most of the time I don't know what it is, and I highly suspect that none of it is my business. What I am really here to do is experience life, which if I am really lucky, will teach me compassion. Maybe everything in this world isn't screwed up. Maybe there is perfection in all things, if I pay attention, live, and experience an unplanned life. And maybe just maybe when looking at the heartbreak that goes on in the world what is really behind it, is the beginning of us finding a new way to live. If that is true, then this could be the most exciting time to be living on this beautiful planet.

Connected to the Earth

How about this muggy weather? Could anything be better for the garden? My garden looks like it is thriving on some tropical island in the South Pacific! Joe and I come home from work every night and marvel at how magnificent it all is. The herbs look positively atomic not to mention that I already have green peppers at half size! Such a joy to be a part of this incredible process of growing vegetables. Really, all I am in this food chain of sun, rain, earth and seed is the stupid human that dug the hole. But still the pride that I feel when a seedling pokes his head out, feels like I just gave birth...um, well, without the labor pains.


Being connected to the earth has changed me. And I have to say, in the last year, the change has been profound. I am beginning to understand the wisdom of eating what is locally grown and only what is in season. This of course, takes a huge amount of planning and commitment, but hey, what else am I going to do? Watch television? So I am slowly making the adjustment of walking the talk so that I can live with a little more integrity and show real respect for this incredible planet that we all get to live on, our Mother Earth. Let us all revel in the pleasure of the sun on our backs, the breeze in our hair, the smell of freshly dug soil and a feeling of well-being after a good workout in the fresh air.

Being a Part of the Food Chain

goff How about this muggy weather? Could anything be better for the garden? My garden looks like it is thriving on some tropical island in the South Pacific! Joe and I come home from work every night and marvel at how magnificent it all is. The herbs look positively atomic not to mention that I already have green peppers at half size! Such a joy to be a part of this incredible process of growing vegetables. Really, all I am in this food chain of sun, rain, earth and seed is the stupid human that dug the hole. But still the pride that I feel when a seedling pokes his head out, feels like I just gave birth...um, well, without the labor pains. Being connected to the earth has changed me. And I have to say, in the last year, the change has been profound. I am beginning to understand the wisdom of eating what is locally grown and only what is in season. This of course, takes a huge amount of planning and commitment, but hey, what else am I going to do? Watch television? So I am slowly making the adjustment of walking the talk so that I can live with a little more integrity and show real respect for this incredible planet that we all get to live on, our Mother Earth. Let us all revel in the pleasure of the sun on our backs, the breeze in our hair, the smell of freshly dug soil and a feeling of well-being after a good workout in the fresh air.

Flexibility, Sustainability and Simplicity

The garden is winding down, though Joe and I continue to plant. Our third planting is showing great signs; the heirloom strawberry lettuce, green with red specks, that Judy found fascinating is ready to sell, beets are gorgeous, second planting of tomatoes with incredibly high yields, the cabbage and broccoli are looking full and healthy as I transplant them from pot to raised bed. Now I have time to paint yard furniture, weed and fuss over all of the little things that I didn't have time to get to while everything was growing like crazy. I do have a basket of small melons, more beans - green and fava to pick so it's not like I don't have anything to do. Let's not mention the 2,000 ground cherries I am shucking so that Deb and I can make chutney. Oh yeah, and we have 10 small pumpkins that survived some kind of weird fungus that took over the leaves. Joe put up 24 quarts of tomato sauce - next we have to do the pesto because the basil looks like a fragrant Italian forest, so gorgeous that it is making it hard to pick. And showing itself is the cilantro. Delicate, fragrant and demanding I cook something where it is a key ingredient.

As we move towards the idea of neighborhood sustainability, selling vegetables has been a real learning experience. I couldn't sell a yellow string bean if my life depended on it. But the farmer I get them from sells pounds every weekend at the local markets. I had 24 eggplants but could never sell more than 12. But the basics i.e. green beans, tomatoes, potatoes, mushrooms, lettuce, beets, corn, peaches, strawberries and blueberries - no problem. I'm still harping on the kale, collard greens, turnips, Swiss chard, mustard greens, parsnips and soon the okra. Do I get smarter for next year and just plant the basics? Or do I continue to try and convince customers, neighbors and friends to try and go with the heartier vegetable that will sustain the harsher climates while providing everyone with incredible nutrition. I mean you just can't eat anything healthier than kale. Through this experience I have had to learn how to be flexible and really, keep it simple. With my artistic nature, my ideas can be a bit grandiose and time-consuming. So once again the garden and what may lay ahead of me are already showing me how to improve as a person and maybe even how to be more useful.

Because I will have time to write as the days grow cooler and shorter, I have been collecting my thoughts about just what "I" think having a sustainable neighborhood really means. How many people does it include? I guess the fact that I live on an island make the boundaries fairly clear - but what about the urban neighborhoods or the more rural communities? What is the definition of a neighborhood? What do you need to not just survive but thrive? There are some things that are clear - land that can be farmed, fresh water and seeds. But then who has the farm equipment? Who has dairy products? Then let's not forget machinery that needs to be fixed and maybe even built to suit the needs of the demands. I guess that it is by necessity that these answers become clear and the issues at hand are dealt with. But then there are the overviews of questions, like "Shouldn't the way we do things become simpler?" I mean just because you have the technology to do something, should you do it?

In regards to simplicity, flexibility and sustainability, where does bartering come in? Karen Golden and I had a really interesting conversation today about that very subject. She is the gal whose family has had a cottage on the island since the 50's and an organic farm in Highland. Her specialty being heirloom tomatoes and peppers. This year she began to barter - pounds of tomatoes to her hairdresser for haircuts for her and her husband throughout the year. Her neighbor had more than enough concord grapes - they bartered so he could have his canned tomato sauce and she could have her jelly.

I have bartered many services throughout the last few years - my friend Walt, a handyman extraordinaire and an aspiring singer - traded his services for voice lessons. I bartered with my graphic designer and now her daughter gets voice lessons. The whole bartering concept really does seem incredibly civilized and simple. Not to mention that we might have to get fairly flexible on receiving goods we need if the world economic situation continues to tank.

Civilized or not what it may come down to is the concept of "simpler is better." Buckminster Fuller a great proponent of this concept is worth reviewing with his geodesic domes among other cutting edge concepts. At the age of 32 he found himself on the shore of Lake Michigan wondering whether to end his life there. Fuller took a decision to devote his life to others by embarking on "an experiment to discover what the little, penniless, unknown individual might be able to do effectively on behalf of all humanity". The following year he made his first 4D tower, a lightweight, prefab, multi-story apartment tower to be delivered anywhere in the world by airship. Once delivered the towers would generate their own light and heat with an independent sewage disposal system. Driven by his philosophy of "more for less", Fuller threw himself into a new way of housing mankind, in "Lightful Houses" so-called because they were full of light. This program and his vision of a world united by the most modern means of transport and telecommunication evolved into Fuller's philosophy of four-dimensional design. He defined this as thinking in time instead of only the three dimensions of space: thinking of consequences for humanity instead of only immediate personal gain. Hundreds of thousands of geodesic domes have since been constructed all over the world, often in extreme conditions, to offer inexpensive shelter to homeless families in Africa, or to house weather stations in 180 mph winds in the Antarctic. In 1960 Fuller designed a dome of two miles in diameter to encase midtown Manhattan in a controlled climate. He calculated that it would pay for itself within ten years simply by saving on snow removal costs.

When it comes to growing a garden, taking on new projects, writing a song and of course, living my life - maybe I can incorporate these words like Buckminster Fuller did in everything he took on. Simplicity, Sustainability and Flexibility may be the key in not wasting my time in trying to keep things the way they have always been but rather moving forward on a less stagnant path towards a brand new world.

Power of the Seed

We have no idea who planted the first seed. Who was the first participant in the mystery, magic and cycle of nature? Did they know that it would transform landscape? Did they know that at some point it would transform them as a culture, a civilization or just their own personal realm? did they know that they would change the course of human history? Was the seed found or gleaned? Was it a matter of the first gardener just paying attention, seeing a pod fall, unaided from the plant and burying itself into the soil, only to grow up - a miracle really. Or an accident? The seed gathered and then scattered by humans, flourishing months later the germ of an idea becomes planted in the mind? Bits of the flower, fruit or plant harvested and then the slow waiting, time and again, generation after generation?

The discovery of planting was probably born of need but it couldn't have been long before the first gardeners, over 10,000 years ago, recognized that more than just an empty stomach was being fed. We know that, in time, the storytellers acknowledged the mysterious forces that gave them the gifts of seed and plant, of earth and water, the cycles of the seasons, and of the moon and sun. Humans gave these forces names and forms, and offered them thanks. These ancient but once-sacred stories - preserved for us only as statues of now-nameless grain goddesses-are lost to us but later sacred stories-of the Egyptian Isis and Osiris, the Greek Demeter, or the Native American Changing Woman-remind us that humanity has always understood the provenance of earth's gifts as sacral in nature.

Nature is who we are. there is no separation!

The awesome power of the seed-its literal and symbolic promise of life, renewal, growth, death- must have changed how human beings lived on the face of the earth and their spiritual understanding. sowing the seed permitted them to settle, farm, and claim land as their own. Introducing or maybe enhancing what they already knew or suspected that the rhythm of life was real. What could be more important than not only becoming aware of the ever-renewing cycle of nature but being a part of it. It had to change the individual, the collective consciousness- a potent metaphor for human resurrection, reflected in the much later custom of the ancient Greeks, who kept a pot of seeds representing the household's dead near the hearth.

The cycle of nature-the progress from seed to fruition to dying-off and then renewal in the spring-was mirrored in the wild fields and the garden alike, while the fragile harvest- the possible interruption of the cycle by drought, wind, or other natural calamities-established the pattern of how humans understood the workings of the cosmos. The oldest of surviving sacred stories have their roots in the garden and reflect how humanity sought to understand the changeable patterns of their world and, at the same time, to imagine a world no longer subject to change. It's no accident that our own word "paradise" comes from a Persian word for an enclosed garden.

Gardening also helps us come to terms with the cycle of human life. Many of us tend to see our lives as linear, moving from birth to death at opposite ends of the continuum, but the garden teaches another lesson entirely. In nature, beginnings and endings, birth and death, are inseparable: implicit in the flower's blooming is its dying -off as well as its eventual renewal. The perennials in our winter garden-dead above ground, still awake below-teach us about time and hidden mysteries. The withered annual is a symbol for the larger pattern that extends beyond us and our gardens: Seeds borne by the wind and birds bring small pieces of our lives into other places and other lives, making new, if unseen, connections. Planting seeds makes us active participants in the cycle of life, while tending our gardens teaches us about larger patterns of the cycles that are beyond our control. We learn patience from the long wait from planting to sprouting to blooming, as we learn acceptance when nature takes its own course. We gain humility when we catch a true glimpse of the extraordinary complexity of the natural world.

So where we are, with all of these experiences to be shared; our lives are enriched when we understand that the seeds in our hands are the promise of tomorrow. With all of our senses engaged, seeing becomes understanding in the garden. Just as the medieval monks could see God's presence in His handiwork and could make it the starting point for a meditation, so too, we are learning to go into the garden to glimpse the "larger pattern"- regardless.

We Created A Monster!

Because of weather, either extreme heat or thunderstorms, two of the three days we closed the produce stand down early. On Saturday, Joe and I were sitting down to a just picked from the garden meal, and several people knocked on our dining room window to get tomatoes. Up Joe went and fetched the tomatoes. The following day after the thunderstorm, we closed early and to celebrate Joe's birthday wanted to take out the inflatable Achilles I bought him for his birthday that week. As we were dragging the boat out of the driveway, three or four people drove up and asked if they could just get a few things. So back to the garage to get more produce. Later that afternoon, we went up to the Schoolhouse to get some dinner (which was fabulous by the way) and when returning, there were people waiting in our driveway. I looked at Joe and said "I think we created a monster." A warm fuzzy, friendly, let us know how much you love us, Puff the Magic Dragon kind of monster....and we couldn't be happier.

Every single day, three or four people tell us how much they love what we are doing. It means the world to not only Joe and I but to Judy who has really helped and guided us in a huge undertaking. We do understand driving around the island looking for a fresh tomato. Eating something other than some wilted vegi is what started this whole shindig. There are so many of you that want organic food and/or your food to come from Michigan. And believe me this is no easy feat. If you go to Eastern Market almost all of the distributors sell crops that are out-0f- state. Only one distributor specializes in Michigan produce (his stuff is amazing). That is where I get the tomatoes, butter lettuce, melons (when he has them), cherries, blueberries, apricots and now the soda, salsa and blueberry/cherry products. The rest comes from either our garden, local organic farmer, Jackie or Don Dull, who has taken us under his wing. Speaking of wings, this is where I want to thank my mentor, Judy Jessup as her no-nonsense ways and big open heart is one of the reasons we are getting this right because my friends, this is a huge learning curve. Not only in what we should plant and how much, but buying wholesale and selling retail is another world that I barely have had time to investigate.

The journey continues, refining, planning and expanding. We are going to put in nine more raised beds in August. We would like most of the food to come from the island. It supports the whole idea of sustainability within the neighborhood and it is something we can all take pride in - especially if this could become more of a community garden. But baby steps are the only way to learn how to walk properly. So please be patient as we learn and find our way through permits in doing something year round. We will continue to expand on the cooperative concept and I will forge ahead on writing about our experiences.

Just a side note - some of you have suggested that we approach some of the other stores on the island to either bake bread and/or other products. We have talked about this, but really, what we are doing is not in direct competition with the stores on the island. What we wanted to do is something very different. If I begin to carry the same products they do, then I am competing and that is not our intention. We want to have Michigan made, in season and organic - that is our niche and something we can genuinely be proud of.

Sustainability in the Neighborhood Cooperative

One of the gifts I have been blessed with is the gift of paying attention. From when I was very young to the present, I just seem to see little things that others miss. Most writers have this gift as do artists. I read somewhere that "God" is in the details - and as I look around that seems to be true. The small Zennia bud bursting out of the green foilage. The birds flying back and forth from branch to bird feeder. The mother swan tilting down her wing so that her baby can crawl back on her back. The vegetable seedlings poking their little arms and heads through the soil. The sheets on the clothesline blowing in the wind. You would be surprised how many people do not stop to pay attention or as they say "smell the flowers".

When you are paying attention, hopefully in a non-judgemental way, many facts seem to be revealed to you. Which brings me to the next point. The more I look around, listen, study history and connect the dots, the more I know that the next step for us is to come together in a sustainable manner in regards to smaller communities. How do we rely on each other for what it is that we need? What is the best way to do this? How can it be fair and all -inclusive? These kinds of questions are something that I am asking myself and hence will begin to study and formalize as the answers are being revealed.

When I was younger, everything I let go of had claw marks on it. No matter how wonderful the new way might be, I was going to do it the same way because, well at least it was familiar. I came to believe by paying attention, that change is a good thing. We have wasted alot of time trying to keep things the way they are, even when they don't work. Our society has become increasingly myopic not seeing what the end result will be. And even though throughout history, the same mistakes were made, leading to the demise of very healthy cultures, we still haven't learned much.

I think the world is going a little wonky (that is putting it mildly), but it is too heartbreaking and really impossible to wrap my arms around "the world". All I can do is deal with what is at my front door or if you will, my neighborhood. If I/we can set an example, a model of what is possible, this can be a template for not only us but the neighborhood that is next door, and then, one that is next to that neighborhood and one that is next to that neighborhood....

In the next month, I am going to interview and visit other cooperatives so that I can have some sort of guideline to begin this. If this is a concept that appeals to you, please feel free to call me or stop by.

Let me say, that there are no politics in what I write about. I really am a political athesist. If someone like Ghandi or the Dali Llama would run for President, then I would go into action. But in the meantime, I will put my faith into something a little less human and a little more divine -like Mother Earth and pray to something bigger than me that we come to rely on and love one another.