Tuesday, April 21, 2009

greetings and salutations

i am a writer, collage artist, organic gardener and farmer,
photographer, and compulsive haiku writer...only a few of the
many"hats "that i have worn in my life, as well as those on my head
right now. i am also a creator of bonsai, and have a lovely, but
unruly collection of little trees. their culture teaches me patience,
and calm thoughtfulness. i live with livestock, 3 dogs, 2 goats and an
old halfblind mule.... i own two horses, morgan and
quarterhorse mares. both are young and beautiful; they
take off full of high spirits, running wild and free across
the pasture like little children at recess. the morgan, Poppaea
looks just like the "Black Beauty" of my childhood reading.
she is as spirited, strong-willed and flighty
as my quarterhorse horse is gentle and laid back.
i am learning to train Rosa, the Q/H; she is three yrs. old
and we are learning together. so far we are both doing well.

i live in a 100 yr. old farmhouse( wood heated ) on pre-civil war homestead
land. it was the home of the local doctor, built in 1906, who was considered
quite"affluent" in our little community. the house is plain and rambling,with
a deep wraparound porch. inside is always dark, and cool- a deliberate design
for georgia summers. as i dont have A/C either, i feel it works pretty well.
it is a typical one-story old southern house, but in the mantles, trim and
elaboratly carved front door there are touches of fine detailing and a
craftsman's work. many souls have been born here, lived and died here;
the house creaks and pops at night. i have lived with these noises for 23
years now and they seem friendly comfortable creaks. what i assumed
might be ghostly are the sounds of an old house, settling in the night.

i have had this house and farm for 23 years now, and i will be
its last resident. i have found my "place", and my life-path within this
small, private, green world; i will tend it and enjoy it for the rest of
my days. it is a quiet peaceful country life. living with livestock, as well as
sacred space for my creative self are only a few of its many rewards.
it's puzzling to my city friends why i live so simply--in such a drafty
old house, always carrying wood in winter, or sitting on the porch on
a hot summer day. they have not lived here, in all its beauty...
i think the modern sealed-off climate-controlled way of life is much
worse; for the most part, folks rarely spend much time outside.
to me, nature's absence in"modern" lifestyles is such an incredible loss.

i write much about my life on the farm, as well as many other
random-yet-connected topics. i have a wide range of interests,
and i hope to find connections and dialog here. this is why i have
called this blog "switchbacks". i am guilty of free-association,
wordiness, and i often zig-zag from topic to topic. like hiking a
mountain trail, i follow the path uphill, which rarely runs
straight up to the top.
thus the switchbacks become necessary; you travel farther
in steps, but you get there easier, and must be strong and
long-winded to make the climb.

and so, this is my opening greeting to the blogworld! i hope
to exchange words with many folks, but i certainly am
able to generate plenty, on my own....

best regards from the switchback Queen...vty, j-lea

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