Everybody needs a hero, Christine Massey is now mine. In a world where criminals and conmen, actors, malingerers, politicians and mindless yes-men are elevated to preposterous heights, it is a blessing to find such a gem of a woman.
A hero reminds you, without a single word to you directly, where there are gaps in your character you might still grow into, or incongruence in your worldview that’s worth exploring, or good people with wisdom to share and courage to inspire, or simply individuals truly worthy of your admiration.
They are a true blessing and often arrive just in time.
We’ve been at this about a decade now, learning by trial and error. Because of a major health crisis in the family, I’ve been introspecting even more than usual these days. That’s why I haven’t been posting much lately.
I thought it high time to deeply consider what our own health futures might hold, Hubby and I, while we are not under the immediate duress of old age and poor health. Health is one of the main reasons why we committed to this homesteading lifestyle. Other reasons are political, esthetic, quality of life and, for me at least, a sense of urgency to hold on to something precious for future generations—nature—before it slips completely from our lives.
Tumeric flowering, didn’t know they do that!
Watching the impact of the Scamdemic not only on the economy, but also on our ‘health care’ system has demonstrated unequivocally that, despite the challenges and hardships, we’ve made the right choice.
Our ‘health care’ system, which is actually a disease promoting system, is beyond hope, in my estimation. (This one’s surely gone viral by now, but in case you haven’t seen it yet, it’s brilliant!) The DEVOLUTION of covid vaccine efficacy
I truly believe the only way out of the mess this country has become is by reclaiming our natural rights back from the government.
However, that first means reclaiming our natural responsibilities—those ‘unpleasant’ aspects of life we’ve come to outsource to the government (and their corporate partners in crime) in the first place, which has made it ridiculously powerful, as all governments (and their co-conspirators) are wont to be.
We are trying to accomplish that by first demonstrating to ourselves, and then hopefully to others, that such a thing is possible, and also desirable.
But what if, due to our increasing age, we had to choose? Limited strength, mobility issues, cognitive decline, all are serious potential threats to our continued lifestyle here.
Considering this I’ve made a few lists, ranking our current activities against future realities based on: Required inputs, health impact, pleasure principle, and bang for the buck.
It isn’t pleasant. I don’t want to give up any of it, ever! Bees, chickens, pigs, sheep, goats, veggie garden, fruit orchard . . . . But, here goes.
Kombucha, no caveats, it stands alone. If you can make tea you can make kombucha. It’s healthy, it’s fun, it’s delicious. Hubby no longer drinks beer or soda thanks to this amazing beverage, better for health and finances for us, and far better for the environment too, with almost no waste.
Sourdough bread, and already we have caveats. I know loads of folks think they are gluten intolerant; I used to think I was too. Grains properly prepared are nothing like most store-bought breads, for health and taste. Around these parts you can’t even find good bread. In other locales you may be able to find it, but I’d guess the prices are scary. Making your own sourdough bread is time consuming, but it’s not difficult. Same goes for sourdough cookies, brownies, pizza crusts, etc. And, let’s face it, gluten-free products are not tasty, so there’s some extra incentive.
Raised garden beds, and more caveats. Starting to garden at an advanced age is probably not going to be too successful. Of all we do here it claims the prize of Most: most expensive, most labor intensive, most greatest learning curve, most unreliable results. Still, I love it! So, continuing to garden with some foresight and adjustments is perfectly doable. I insist!
That short list makes me sad. It’s the bare bones and I hope such sacrifices will never be required of us—no more chickens, goats, big dogs, great big garden?!
I don’t even want to consider it, but there it is.
Tori surveying the gopher damage. Bad rodents!
There are also many projects still on my list to successfully accomplish, which are in trial and error mode now. Like making all our own body care and household cleaning products and herbal medicines. Hubby has future hopes of making furniture, if his current to-do list will ever allow it. No time for poor health here!
So, another short list is in order. The three things, in addition to those above, that I hope and pray we never get too old for: 1. Bees — not even for the honey necessarily 2. Chickens — they are easy enough to manage, but they attract predators 3. Goats — mostly for the cheese making, but they’re pretty good company too
And the three things we would most likely not be able to continue into old age: 1. Slaughtering — tough work, no doubt about it 2. Orchard — even established ones are a lot of work 3. Pigs — high maintenance, yes, but so delicious
We have no intention of ever rejoining urban life. And as far as intentions go, avoiding nursing homes and hospitals is right at the top of that list as well.
Why is the world I see through media so vastly different from the one outside my door?
Once upon a time, stories and reality were most often reflections of one another. When stories were meant to stray terribly far from reality we labeled them as such—fantasies, science fiction, myths, legends, tall tales, etc.
These days I often comment that it feels as if we are in an episode of The Twilight Zone.
We don’t get out much, but that’s nothing new for us. Last week we went to town to run a few errands, which we do a couple times a month. On the weekend we went to a church fundraiser, which was a pleasant occasion with burgers, homemade ice cream and live music.
Folks were very friendly. I saw only a couple of them wearing masks. No one I noticed was doing anything remarkably weird, like ‘social distancing’ or not shaking hands or screeching incessantly about ‘safety’.
The most remarkable thing that’s happened lately is a few weeks ago I was having lunch out with some ladies and overheard a table of preachers next to us discussing ‘conspiracy theory’. I was astonished until I realized it was in reference to the debate as to whether Jesus was an actual living man.
Sometimes we turn on the TV to watch the evening propaganda, but more often we hear it online. Here’s where the stories get really weird. They try to sell some of this as news, which like stories, used to mirror one’s reality. Not anymore.
Now the news has become like science fiction, which they try to pass off as reality!
A ‘pandemic’ used to mean lots of folks ill and dying. They say it’s happening, for over a year, yet I still see no evidence of this. They keep carrying on about ‘Science’ and ‘listening to the scientists and experts’ but they only parade around a handful of them in front of the camera, as if those are the only experts in the world.
Since when did real scientists like to spend all their time in front of cameras?
And they keep going on and on about political division, and violence, and race wars, but again, where is the evidence?
I hear from others that on social media, like Fakebook, there is loads of ‘violence’ against ‘antivaxxers’. First of all, words aren’t violent. Words are just words. Even after a few hours of downing some hard core Dutch courage, words rarely lead to actual violence.
Second of all, why is anyone hanging out in places they consider to be violent if they don’t like violence? It used to be folks who liked witnessing violence went to special venues for that unusual brand of pleasure—like a boxing match or cock fighting, or whatever.
That’s not my cup of tea, but every once in a while I’ll pop onto one of a select few forums (not Fakebook) to berate a few nitwits about the current shit-show they’re calling reality, which in my mind should be named: Tyranny in the Twilight Zone.
Then I get back to the real world, right outside our door, where normal is still normal and this so-called New Normal is not actually evident anywhere.
My favorite conspiracy theorist, James Corbett, calls this the ‘Biosecurity State’. Now it looks like we’re about to face her evil twin sister, Hysterical Climate Rage.
Oh goodie, a new sci-fi hits the airwaves called ‘reality’!
“Yes, the good old anthropogenic climate change fairy tale is set to make a comeback with a vengeance in the 2020s. As I warned last September, The Pandemic is a Test Run for the systems of control that will scare the public into complying with all sorts of draconian limitations on their activities in the name of saving the earth from climate change.” JC
“Scamdemic was so last year, here’s what’s coming next.”
I was lucky enough to be invited yesterday on a foray, a mushroom hunt, about two hours south of us. My first question was, “Are masks required?” That’s because I had to cancel my participation in a much anticipated wilderness walk last month as soon as I learned masks were required.
There is a point where mask-wearing logic among folks must fly right out the window, no? Or at least, I keep hoping to stumble upon this point. Instead, I find at a mushroom foray where masks are not required, everyone is wearing a mask, children included, except for our party of 3.
That folks think these masks are actually doing anything is now a completely mute point to me. I know now, it doesn’t matter. If the masks are effective does not even cross the radar of most of them, I’m willing to bet.
At one point a mushroom was passed around the circle, so we could all touch and smell it, in order to better understand its properties and therefor how to identify it. The mask-wearers pulled their masks down in order to smell this mushroom that’s been passed under everyone’s noses in the circle.
Ok, seriously?
At what point might we question whether these folks use any brand of reasoning faculties before making a decision of any variety? These weren’t even orders, they were nonsensical, unreasonable, unenforceable ’suggestions’ from Government tyrants they’ve never met, Not required by the event organizers (bless their hearts) yet they allow these control freaks dominion over their very breathing with NO basis whatsoever.
Logic, indeed real science, is banned and blocked and algorithmed to Fahrenheit 451, and corrupt professionals the world over take advantage of this.
Welcome to your asylum.
Here’s a few voices of reason left should you need to take a breath of fresh air, hurry, while supplies last.
I can’t think of another proverb that has more betrayed human civilization over the centuries than: “It’s God’s will.”
First of all, if God has a will at all, I’m certain no man alive today or ever has any clue whatsoever what it is. Secondly, anyone who claims to know what is the will of God should be treated with deep suspicion, not elevated to sainthood.
Thirdly, since so many others are doing it, it makes me want to do it too.
So, during these times of Our Great Global Scamdemic, I claim God’s will is . . .
Rage Moms! (Please send my Sainthood Certificate care of: Kensho’s Club of Common Saints.)
Along with their tribes of non-compliant, pissed off women, rage moms give me gobs of hope. I just heard about a few of them yesterday and my pride in humanity did indeed runneth over in that moment.
In case any readers need some serious rays of hope in our forthcoming ‘dark winter’ (according to the tyrants), click below, and may your faith in humanity be restored, if only for an hour or a season.
Alison McDowell, deep bow Queen, thank you.
Vanessa Valentine, I invite you to join the ranks of Kensho’s Common Saints!
Carol, your channel is the truest truth on YT, thanks for being YOU!
Kensho Homestead 