Hard Times

We've all been a little stressed about current events here at the urban homestead lately... (It must have happened the other day when i turned on network news)

The ongoing economic crisis has been tough for all but the few who have managed to somehow "cushion" themselves from the blow. Everyone from farmers to builders to developers to state workers and even college graduates are finding it hard to pay the bills. Every single person I know amongst friends/relatives are struggling more now than ever. Many are having to find 2nd and even third jobs just to get by and some are not getting by at all, are completely unable to even find work, and sinking ever deeper in this harsh economic sand trap. Are we ready for what may lie ahead? Do we have the nessesary community and systems in place to support us if and when things get worse?

Probably not.

While these frightening realities are sobering one cannot forget that even the simplest steps give us hope during "hard times". I'm not speaking about turning off the water while we brush our teeth. The truth is that we all try to make an effort to ease the hardship that another might face. Although we all know that life isn't all about aquiring "things", the reality is that some people are already past this and in deep financial trouble with no end in sight. Personally, if we know of anyone who have unfortunately lost their homes, we do what we can to support them and have even opened our home and had friends stay with us on a many occasions. (Didn't I say we had a knack for adopting folks?) A few people I know are still in this situation and are thankfully living with friends/family.

It can be hard to transition from lounging in a big air-conditioned home with no one to disturb us from our daydreaming but how many of us truly know what its like to live and work together? The Green Family Urban Farm project is about doing just that. We believe that through working together and doing so sustainably and earth friendly as possible is our only chance to survive if the "big one" ever hits. Its prudent to see this current crisis as a practice run and start making changes early while we can. Small steps can get one places and I've found that simple things like driving less and conserving water lead to more earth friendly habits. (In addition, it's high time we all made a more conciouse effort and stop watering our lawns!)

Grey Water.

Here at the urban farm, we recently decided that instead of waiting to get our greywater system up and running, we can still utilize the water by carrying out to the fruit trees by the bucketful. We simply bring a very large bowl/bucket in the shower with us to catch the waste water that would normally run down the drain. It didn't take long for me to learn how to shower efficiently enough that I can now carry it all out in three short trips to our front patio. This might seem like a chore to most folks, but I like how toned my arms are getting, and without even having to go to the gym!

Crashed!

Tonight, while I was logging on to the computer, I noticed that none of my files or programs were loading. It seems that, once again, we will be making a trip down to the nearest repair shop to get my computer fixed, updated, reinstalled, backed up and what have you. While I planned on posting more amazing pictures for everyone, it wasn't meant to be. I will try and keep everyone updated in the mean time.

Note: Being that we are artists, sailors, and travelers who moved to California in 1985, our family never actually learned to water a lawn.