Adventures in "Unconforming"

Do justice.

Learn from the world community.

Nurture people.

Cherish the natural order.

Nonconform freely.

~Living More with Less by Doris Janzen Longacre~

Read that again. "Nonconform freely." Its right there, waiting for us to let go of our inhibitions and be ourselves in this crazy world full of societal norms- gloriously creative life, waiting for us.

The other YAVs and I spent the first weekend of December on retreat in central Massachusetts. As part of our retreat we went Heifer International's farm in Rutland, MA. The farm has a global village of exact replica houses from the countries they serve, some livestock, and a group of volunteers who live on grounds to keep the farm functional.
If you're unfamiliar with Heifer International, I suggest learning about the organization. Heifer gifts livestock, garden supplies, well pumps, and schooling to families and communities in developing countries.

After our day long volunteer shift, we took pictures in the photo booth. This was a photo booth like none other. There were goats. Yes, goats. Two adorable goats were in this fenced in area of the barn, stacked with hay, near their buddies, just waiting to have their picture taken with assorted people from the day's event. I say "just waiting" in a sarcastic voice. One was as sweet as can be and would just sit in your lap as long as you petted her and showed her some love. The other one had a mind of her own, didn't like being held, and couldn't sit still long enough to get a decent picture.

Maybe we should be like that goat...
Maybe we should be spontaneous and avoid being reigned in.

As a food justice YAV, I try to unconform (likely not a real word but humor me) in multiple aspects of my life. The four of us come from different backgrounds and are, together, trying to undo modern food culture, focused on convience and cost, in our own lives.
Our house eats local food, we buy anything not grown locally (chocolate, coffee, sugar etc) from organic and fair trade sources, and we make strange but surprisingly delicious food like pea tendril tortilla chips. We compost kitchen scraps and will have a garden plot come spring. We ask farmers about their farming practices and have dinner conversations about GMOs, plant families, the declining bee population, and SNAP policy.

I have a mean independent streak that pulls me to living a life going somewhat against the grain but I've never really thought of my self as an "nonconformist". My experiences in the past year have shown me that I do tend to stray from the norm. I want to have a garden, if not a farm, when I have my own home and family. I want to be close to Creation, close to my food, and know that the food I'm eating is grown responsibly. Its also another way of breaking the back of our abusive food system.

Break the back of whatever system you find stifling and oppressing.

Go with God and unconform freely, for His grace covers us.

Being Brought Down to Earth

This is a very loft thing I'm doing- "food justice." Its somewhat difficult to describe and explain to people but I know what it means to me, in my own heart and in my faith journey.

My lofty ideals of what this work means and how its done has been stirred up since arriving in Boston. The bright colorful balloon (the representation of the lofty sense) has now been tied down with a string (now having something to tie it to reality). Maybe the string is more like twine. Something rough around the edges but strong, plain, rather unassuming.

It all started when I visited Rose, an aging Cameroonian from my congregation. My pastor and I drove over to her apartment as Pastor Eric does on a weekly basis. He takes Rose to the local grocery store where she recycles soda cans and plastic bottles for deposits. In Massachusetts, you can return recyclable cans and bottles, via sorting machine, for 5 cents each, 10 cents if you're lucky. Our church collects bottles and cans so that Rose, with the help of Pastor Eric, can recycle them and get the deposits back. She can't even go do this herself since she doesn't have a car. The worst part of it all is that the $10 Rose gets back in deposits is her spending money and how she affords paying everyday expenses. That day Rose got $18- her excitement seemed to indicate that this was more than normal. $18.
There's something about witnessing a woman return bottles for 5 cents each, so that she can have some money in her wallet, that really humbles you. Brought down to Earth.

I've also been struggling with a sense of humdrum and routine that has left me feeling pretty uninspired. One of my roommates even noticed me sending out those vibes and told me that if I hadn't brought it up, she was going to ask me about it. So, I'm planning to start some workshops in preparation for the garden that will hopefully be making its debut in the spring.
This coming week I am going to buy compost bins from the Natick Dept. of Public Works and I'm going to schedule a compost workshop for the congregation and the folks at the food pantry we partner with.

One of the days this week I got to spend some quality time with me, myself, and I along with boxes and boxes of donations that people have dropped off. Going through a box of kindly donated food that then turns out to be mostly or all expired brings you back to reality. People go through their cabinets and what they find, that has been pushed to the way back and has been forgotten about, gets donated to us. Friday I found Tilex someone donated that expired in 1997. Its a few years shy of being a decade past its prime! People donate expired food, I guess thinking that the folks that come to the pantry will eat it because its food... "and that's what they need right?" is their logic. Brought down to Earth.
(Little PSA here: If you wouldn't eat, don't donate it)

It also hurt to see so much food being thrown out because it was expired. We threw out boxes of food. The amount of food waste just at the pantry alone makes me cringe but that's not even a sliver of 1% that gets wasted in this country annually. I want to do my part to make sure that even expired food has its place, likely in the compost we'll be using for the garden. Brought down to Earth.

I think God is challenging me to take ownership of my remaining time as a YAV and really shake up my little world. He's presented me with all of these issues that weigh heavily on my heart and mind. Now I need to do something about it.

James 2:18 ¹⁸ But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith.

2 Chronicles 31:21 ²¹ And every work that he undertook in the service of the house of God, and in accordance with the law and the commandments, to seek his God, he did with all his heart; and he prospered.

This post is dedicated to Gus Deeds who lives on forever in my heart and in my memories. Gus, you were a brilliant musician and a real gentleman. I hope you have found peace and were welcomed home into God's loving arms. "The banjo makes me vain." <3

No Impact Man

We spent Friday afternoon snuggled up on the couch, under blankets watching a movie called "No Impact Man." It was cold and overcast outside (we are in Boston) so it was the perfect day to be lazy.

In a fantastic twist of fate my roommate Libby was at the Watertown Library and saw "No Impact Man" on the shelves and brought it home just days before we were assigned the movie for our weekly community day.

We took it as a sign that we needed to watch this movie.

The young family at the center of the movie lives in New York City, a city full of consumerism and "keeping up with the Jones'." So what happens when they decide to throw all of it out the window and live simply? Comedy but also a good dose of thoughtful questions and commentary. In small increments eco-minded Colin Beavan introduces a set of new rules to his shopaholic wife and their young daughter. By the end of the movie the family is living without buying new things (clothes, shoes, furniture etc); commuting only by foot, bike, or scooter; only eating food that was harvested within a 250 mile radius; and using no electricity. Thats right, no electricity- no lights, no TV, no charging technology (unless by the solar panel), and no fridge.

The movie is great at humbly approaching huge, somewhat unanswerable questions about how our consumerism, as a culture in general and individually, effects our environment. There is no sense of the family using the film to spout that they are above the rest of us, bringing the audience along for the ride.

We as a community have decided to make some eco-friendly lifestyle choices in attempt to cut down our consumerism and our negative impact on the environment. So, in the spirit of "No Impact Man," here is a list of choices the Boston YAV house has decided to incorporate into our lives.

We get our produce from a local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture); the produce is great and we get a week's worth of produce for 4 people for $9 per person per week ($250 for 7 weeks for 4 people). Thats a steal.

Composting kitchen scraps helps put nutrients back into soil while cutting down on trash. Our scraps are collected in a container in the kitchen and we dump them into our compost pile in the backyard every other day.

Bread is baked right here at home with locally grown grains.

Coffee, chocolate, tea, and rice aren't grown locally so we are sure to buy ethically sourced products.

Even though we're in Boston, we keep the thermostat low and wear layers inside.

Cleaning doesn't have to be full of chemicals. We use plant based cleaners and all plastic spray bottles are recycled once empty.

And because we're in a big city with public transportation, we cram in with everyone else and ride the bus or T whenever possible.

I don't claim that we are making a huge impact but we are trying to at least make a dent in our own way. None of the above changes have been earth shattering, stress inducing (save the times you miss the bus or the T resembles a can of sardines), or bank breaking. They are, however, little decisions that become new normals and hopefully lessen our impact.

No impact? Not quite. Less impact? Hopefully.

Valleys and Mountain Tops

My apologies for not blogging as regularly as I should- or as much as I told everyone I would.
Life gets ahead of you, takes you for a ride, and just maybe at some point it slows down so you can carve out a sliver of time to get caught up on journaling, blogging, painting- whatever your release is.

Life sure has taken me for a ride in the past few weeks. I'm happy to say that most of the ride has been exciting and positive but some has forced me to be honest with myself and has made me reinvision some goals I had for this year.

Lets start with something I never guessed I'd be doing. Chicken processing. "Processing" is the... polite (?)... term for... how a live chicken becomes a cleaned bird ready for the oven. Reluctantly I told my site leader she could count on me to attend. It just so happened that the Boston Crop Walk, hosted by Church World Service, was going to be that fateful Saturday and I was put in charge of organizing my church's youth for the walk. PHEW! Got out of that one. So I thought.
Buckle those seat belts folks, here we go!
The Crop Walk was moved to November 9th just in time for me to attend the chicken processing event. I spent the entire night before having a battle between coming up with an excuse as to why I can't go and reasons why I should do this if I want to continue to eat meat. Ignorance isn't always bliss, especially concerning where your food comes from and how its harvested. As a woman of my word, I woke up at 5:55 am and dragged myself out of bed. Yes, you read that correctly- 5:55 am to then spend 4 hours getting intimate with some chickens- something I was less than excited to do.

Maggie, Audrey, and I arrived at the farm close to 7 am where coffee and donuts were waiting for us. The day's processing volunteers were gathered and we were given the quick run down of how the day was going to work. There were 2 shifts, morning and afternoon. Some people just do one shift (that was us) but most went big and stayed all day. Though its not for me, I admire their commitment. (Warning: read with caution; the following might be unpleasant for some) Once we got down to the mobile chicken processing unit, a trailer with all the gizmo gadgets needed for this sort of activity. We were shown how to correctly remove the "vent" (the nice term for butt hole) of the chicken and remove the organs. Sticking your hand in a still warm chicken is a unique experience. The first one is a doosy but the process gets slightly less weird the more you do it.
There are a few new fine motor skills you hone while doing this sort of work. Its important not to break the bile sack while removing the intestines lest you want your chicken to be covered in bright green slime. Its also important that you remove all of the organs which means being able to see all 5 rib bones on each side when you give a quick but thorough glance inside. The heart, liver, and gizzard all go in their separate bucket brimming with ice so they can later be dolled out with each bird for soup stalk and other assorted recipes. In the 4 hours I spent in the trailer I cleaned countless chickens and 3 turkeys. I also witnessed a few turkeys make the ultimate sacrifice. Due to a health inspector visit that day, the only one who could do the deed was the farm owner. Normally volunteers can do the deed if they feel so inclined. I will never feel so inclined.

Was I happy I did it, nerves and all? Yes. Would I do it again? Doubtful.
(Now see, that wasn't so bad was it? Read carefree from here on out.)

I have been enjoying the past 2 months in my new city. People talk differently here, building relationships with people is a little slower than what I'm used to, and people have a tendency to be a little more frank than sweet as molasses manners I'm accustomed to in Virginia. Then it hit me: a wave of homesickness. It wasn't and isn't enough to send me on the next flight home- far from that. Its just a little reminder that you can take this girl out of Virginia, but you can't take Virginia out of her. Here are the triggers: bluegrass and country music; talk of cider and the mountains; the wonderful, and awful at the same time, Facebook posts of friends going back to JMU for Homecoming; and "you don't have an accent" response when people learn I'm from Virginia. What I wouldn't give to be spending my days hunched over picking assorted veggies and playing with 3 of the cutest kids in the world at Broadfork Farm...

And the mountain top moment of my recent ride...

So this happened.

On a bold whim, my father, the man who shall spend the rest of his life as a saint of sorts in my eyes, bought us World Series tickets. WORLD SERIES TICKETS! Again, WORLD SERIES TICKETS!
Its not everyday that you move to a city and the home team moves on to the Fall Classic. When you move to a town like Boston that lives and breathes baseball April through October, there's a certain electricity when the home team makes it to the post season. Everyone seems a bit chipper and I would venture to say its impossible to walk a block without seeing Red Sox anything. The city is overcome with pride.
The Sox grew some impressive beards, their good luck charms this season. The beards became synonymous with the Sox and all sorts of paraphernalia has the silhouettes of the variety of beards. They even have names. There's a hashtag: #getbeard. These people love their baseball.

Monday night my dad and I talked on the phone. Nothing unusual for us as we catch up about once or twice a week. After our chat we hung up and went about our business. No more than 45 seconds later my phone rings again. Its Dad. Excitement is in his voice and he prefaces our conversation with "I might be going crazy in my old age but..." Then he drops the bomb... "Would you want to go to the World Series?" After my momentary confusion, I uttered "What kind of question is that? Hell ya I'd want to go to the World Series." To make a long story short, he offered to buy me and "a friend" tickets if we could find some and it was under $1,000 for the both of us. Sounds impossible right? The Lord works in mysterious ways and had His hands all over this. I found 2 tickets for Grandstand 5, past the right field foul pole just past the warning track, for just more than our $1,000 budget.
It was my turn to drop the bomb. With all the passion and love I could muster I told my dad that if I were to go to the World Series, the only person I'd want by my side is him. If he's wasn't going, I wasn't going. He taught me the rules of the game and I grew to love it in his company.
WHO ELSE WOULD I TAKE TO THE GAME? No one. Not a chance that I would want to share this with anyone but my dad.
We've been through a lot together and our relationship hasn't always been the best but this brought us closer than we have been in years. We still have our differences and some work to do but this was a huge step in the right direction. Its something we can look back on, fondly, for the rest of our lives. We were there, together.

The only person I wanted to share the experience with...

Nothing but a dream realized.

I stood next to my father, surrounded by momentary friends we made in the seats around us, as the Red Sox won the 2013 World Series in Game 6 at Fenway. Not only was it a Series win but it was the first home Series clincher since 1918! 95 years! The last time the Sox won the World Series at home was just a few years after Fenway was built. How's that for a night at the ballpark?

Money spent for tickets, hats, ballpark food, T passes, and a hotel room: I don't even want to guess.
Going to a World Series game with my dad: PRICELESS

God does wonders and sends you down roads you never thought you'd travel. Did I ever think I'd spend a Saturday getting chickens ready for market? No. Did I ever think, in a million years, I'd ever get to see a World Series game? No, but I had hope that it might happen "someday."

Through the valleys and mountain tops, He is walking beside each of us. Some things are beyond reason or explanation- the pieces fit together like they were tailor made for each other. Something bigger than any of us is at work in big and small ways.

God made dirt, dirt don't hurt.

God made dirt,

Dirt don't hurt.

Simple enough right? This catchy little phrase was said casually by one of my roommates over our chard tortilla dinner last night (more about that later). It was one of those moments when something basic has a profound impact.

Our the past few weeks I've had a lot of interaction with dirt, God's creation. I been apple picking so many times in the past few weeks it could be my full time job, I've collected soil samples for soil tests, I've hiked, and I finally got around to seeding the first Boston YAV house's experimental garden. Tired yet? I am.

The idea that dirt is God's creation is one that's been in my head for a while. Its Creation, I love the Creator, therefore its my responsibility to take care of Creation. All of my time spent with dirt these past weeks has been a wonderful way to care for this beautiful world we inhabit.

__________

Me at Carlson Orchard: Harvard, MA

The orchard my roommates and I went to uses IPM methods- IPM stands for Integrated Pest Management. Organic pest control is the first line of defense and when that doesn't do the job, the crew brings in the synthetic stuff. Its a pretty responsible and practical way to grow apples as they are prone to pests and there are few organic treatments suitable to apple tress/fruits. Though not affiliated with any faith Carlson Orchard is doing its part to care for Creation.

__________

If worms are a good sign of soil health...

As part of my planning process for the community garden I am in charge of getting the soil tested, adding amendments when needed, and cultivating healthy soil while we wait for spring seeding time. Collecting soil for soil tests is more detailed than I thought it would be. For a statistically sound soil sample, 12 samples of soil from at least 6 inches deep within the area you want to test, have to be collected and mixed together. Then all the rocks and debris has to sifted out. Then the dirt has to dry. The lab doesn't accept wet/damp soil samples. Finally in the culmination of odd details- you mail bags of dirt. Yes, mailing dirt is a thing.

I received the results of the tests today and the land we are planning to use for the garden is low in lead (a problem in some Boston neighborhoods) but low in basic nutrients. We have time to add the correct amendments which is the benefit of testing months in advance. Our house's future garden plot on the other hand was higher than recommended in lead due to years and years of lead paint back when we didn't know better. Rain washes down the side of the house, taking itty bitty pieces of lead paint with it, depositing it in the yard. Over decades that adds up. The modest plot is pretty low in the basics like Phosphorus, Potassium, Calcium, and Magnesium. Quite the pickle: high in the bad stuff, low in the good stuff. Good thing I have a farming mentor who loves to play with soil and even has his own recipe for potting mix. I think he and I will be spending a lot of time talking about dirt.

__________

Mt. Monadnock: Jaffrey, NH

If its Columbus Day that means Hartford Street Presbyterian Church is hiking Mt. Monadnock. We did so Monday. Its a very popular trail and is rumored to be one of the most climbed peaks in the U.S.

A team of us, about 15, climbed the mountain in two teams: the quick pace group and the... easy does it group. We all had varying hiking abilities and experience so people kind of sorted themselves into the group naturally; it wasn't a planned division.
I was in the quick pace group as I hiked fairly often during college (JMU was just 30 minutes away from Shenandoah National Park). When we stopped to eat lunch our group made sure we didn't leave any trash behind.

Its really amazing to me that the earth has been formed and molded into beautiful mountains like Mt. Monadnock in New Hampshire. I feel very blessed to spend a year of my life in such a beautiful place. Hikes aren't 30 minutes away like they were in Virginia but there are a lot of hikes within a 2 hour drive. I envision myself frequenting these trails in the spring after a rough New England winter- the delights of spring will be that much more precious.

Hiking trips like the one I took on Monday remind me of how nature glorifies God's majesty. He created a beautiful world for us.

__________

The most direct way I interacted with dirt recently was seeding the hopeful Boston YAV garden. I bought some seeds and flats from a trusted company and waited anxiously for the new farm toys. I used these tools at the farm I worked at this summer- I got a lot of practice seeding. I was the go-to gal for seeding. I just got in a groove and could produce flat after flat.

In ironic twist of fates I decided to seed a few mini rows of some root veggies and leafy greens to see how they would fair when planted about a month too late. That was last night while dinner was cooking. This afternoon I got the results of the soil tests we took from the yard and it wasn't great. Lead was higher than I'm comfortable with and nutrient levels are low. So, I ended up scrapping the project. I'm not happy that I had to forgo my long awaited first seeding but I don't want lead in my first round of transplants. The lab recommended not planting root veggies and leafy greens in our soil as it is now. What did I seed? You guessed it. Root veggies and leafy greens.

This is farming: its a continual learning process. Maybe we can get our soil in order this fall and early spring and be able to seed in February for transplanting in March and April.

__________

God made dirt,

Dirt don't hurt.

"Hey, you dirty hippie" and other crunchy experiences

On Thursday, all 4 of us Boston YAVs, our site leader, 3 tents, a cooler, our packs for the weekend, and assorted camping supplies crammed (and I mean CRAMMED) into a small four door sedan and set off for Maine. Unity, Maine to be exact- the home of MOFGA's Common Ground Country Fair.

MOFGA is an acronym for Maine Organic Farmer and Gardeners Association. MOFGA is a veritable smorgasbord of programs and resources for agricultural types in Maine. It organizes farm apprentice programs, coordinates policy campaigns, and publishes articles and fact sheets on almost anything someone would need/want to know about farming.
The one and only major event of the year is the annual Common Ground Country Fair. This is the place to be. People drove from all over to attend the fair; I even saw a Virginia license plate! The Fair is a one stop shop for beginners to experts, farmers to cattle breaders, kids to grandparents. I guarantee that almost anyone could find a workshop or seminar that would appeal to them or their curiosity, even if they've never planted a single seed before.

Being the ever-growing farm nerd that I am, most of the ag workshops appealed to me but workshops on canning and GMO labeling also tugged at my curiosity. Not to worry though, I got to see what I wanted to see and more!

I attended workshops on how to dry and save seeds, how to make and use soil blocks (a review of what I learned at Broadfork this summer), how to build a movable hoop house and attended an apple

tasting where I was asked to be the scribe (taking notes on what people thought of the different apple varieties). We tried around 14 varieties of apples, a few mass produced, some heirloom, and some English varieties. The favorite was a variety called Cox's Orange Pippin, an English variety.

Apples were a popular item in all parts of the festival. The five of us volunteered in the kitchen from 6-10pm the night we arrived and helped make huge apple spice cakes for the gobs of volunteers that were privy to the Common Kitchen meals. A hard cider workshop was also offered, which I attempted to attend, got lost because all the tents look the same and only caught the last 30 minutes. The logo for the Fair a few years back was apples, which we saw many people wearing this year.

To pass time while in traffic on the way out, stuck in a seemingly endless line of cars, we discussed what we learned and if we had any favorite parts. We were all very pleased with our experience and were as patient as we could be when exiting a fair with what seemed like the entire state of Maine. At one point our conversation was interrupted by a roar of laughter when we heard one of the Fair-goers greet a friend by yelling "Hey, you dirty hippie!"

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Common Ground and will return in the future if my schedule so allows... or maybe I'll make time to attend. It was that rewarding. Its comforting to know that other people, lots of other people, are interested in this movement we call "food justice." There's a term for us: crunchy. I'll wear that badge proudly.

Agape

Have you ever been to a place that feels magical and you fall in love instantly? If you have, don't you love it? That place holds a special place in your heart. If you haven't, I hope you have the incredible feeling someday.

Vermont is that place for me.

This past weekend my roommates and I spent some time in East Craftsbury, Vermont on invitation to attend the presbytery meeting of the Presbytery of Northern New England. Being the Presbyterian nerd I am, I was excited to attend a presbytery meeting in a different presbytery than my own but I was also REALLY excited to see another part of New England I had never seen before (I've never been to New England prior to setting off on this year long journey).

Our travels starting with a seemingly easy drive from our home base in Watertown, up through where Alex works north of Boston, all the way up to Haverhill, MA on Massachusetts-New Hampshire boarder. There we met with my pastor and his wife and carpooled to Vermont. Well wouldn't you know... traffic. We arrived in Haverhill later than expected but with enough time to arrive in Vermont before dark. In all, we were on the road for 5 hours. Boy was it worth the trip!

Welcome to Vermont!

 We drove through the most picturesque Vermont country side, saw road signs alerting us to be on the look out for moose (sad to report we didn't see any), and listened to all sorts of music including Mumford & Sons because lets face it, we were in a car full of Presbyterians.

Its hard to complain about spending 5 hours in the car when this is your view.

East Craftsbury and Greensboro, Vermont are neighboring towns on the Caspian Lake. My heart was full of awe when we pulled up to the lake house we would be staying for the night. It pushed all of my nature-loving buttons. Lake. Trees. Mountains. Flowers. Fresh air. And a trusty black lab mix, Shadow.

The hosts were a lovely couple, the Stoners, who are friends to many in the Presbyterian circles around Boston and the Northeast. They own a gorgeous lakehouse and allowed 8 people to crash at their place to attend the presbytery meeting the following day.

THE lake house.

Presbytery was interesting in the Presbyterian nerd sense but it was also interesting because there was some drama. I can't/don't want to go into the details but it was really different than what I'm used to concerning presbytery meetings.

What I learned during our time in Vermont is that God leads you to places and puts people in your life to teach you a lesson. This is not meant to be like a parent teaching a child but more like someone shedding light on an issues or perspective you're having trouble with or perhaps have never thought about. Vermont was a weekend of glimpses of the fullness of God. The weekend happened to coincide with a bittersweet anniversary for me and I saw little love reminders everywhere. Everywhere and in everything. God is Agape.

John 14:27- Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.

Learning a new language

Things I've learned since moving to Boston:
-drop your R's
-add R's to the end of words that end in a vowel (ie: pizzar, drawring)
-Worchester= Woostah; Watertown= Wahtatawn
-shopping cart= carriage
-the Jets and Yankees are evil incarnate, its a good thing I love baseball, I will need to learn to love football
-drive like a bat out of hell to keep up with traffic... unless traffic is at a standstill, which is often

Waatatown.

Some of the plates are in the cabinet, 
some are on the dining room table.
My warm fall and winter clothes, 
that may not be adequate, 
are still in my duffel bag.
Empty boxes are stacked in the living room.
Our bookshelf needs books.
There's a bike on our back patio,
one windy, narrow staircase away from pavement. 
Nights are spent tossing and turning
on an air mattress that loses air with each movement.
Such is life in Watertown.

We have moved into our house/unit/apartment in Watertown. (What does one call a part of a multifamily house?) Its a wonderful place and has great architectural detail, the wooden floors that cover the house creak and moan, we have a small backyard, and we're a block away from a bus stop. Its what I was hoping our Boston YAV house would be.
The move in process has been a bit slow as we have been working this week as well. After dinner my roommates and I go through the boxes of donated items that almost assuredly have been sitting in garages for some time. While we have found some odd items we have also struck gold. We have tons of great pots and pans, a set of 4 matching plates and bowls from Target in beautiful condition, loads of containers for leftovers and bringing lunch to work, and even a mug with a big K on it which instantly became my favorite.

A mug made for me.

Due to the holiday we started work on Tuesday. I spent Tuesday at my church, Hartford Street Presbyterian, and I learned all about the ins and outs of the garden project. The church has partnered with the city of Natick but the city, as government tends to do, has been dragging its feet on clearing the land. We can't plant until the land has been cleared. I've also started to reach out to people and organizations that might have grants for these sorts of community garden projects but we haven't had much response in this department either. I just have to keep on keepin' on. Slow and steady wins the race I'm told.

Yesterday I was at my non-profit placement, A Place to Turn. Its a wonderful place that serves thousands of people annually. A Place to Turn (APTT) is a "choice pantry" where clients come with a referral, they are logged into the in-house database, and a volunteer or employee walks around with them as they choose what they want from the grocery area (the employee or volunteer even bags the groceries for the client). There is a color code system to designate for different family size so that those with young children can take formula and baby food, for example. APTT also has clothes, shoes, personal care items, home care items, and even some toys for little ones. I have really enjoyed my time there and the employees are friendly as can be.

As a client was leaving the clothing area this morning, talking to his friend he came with, he said "This is the best pantry I've been to... by far... by far." I just happened to overhear the comment and it made me feel like I made a tangible difference in someone's life today. What can you do but keep that in your pocket and thank God for being so blessed? I will remember that moment for years to come.

Thanks for embarking on this adventure with me.

In peace.

Welcome to Boston!

Welcome to Boston!

What a week its been! We arrived in Boston on Monday and have been on the go ever since. Wednesday was my favorite day we've had so far in our new town. Boston is a very pedestrian friendly city- walking and biking are big here.
Hubway Bikes are the talk around town, for good reason. Hubway Bikes are rent-able bikes that people can take for an hour or all day and everything in between. We rented bikes and traveled all around the city, seeing all the different neighborhoods. It was difficult to get the spacial layout down but I really enjoying seeing the places I've only seen in pictures.

Boston is the history lovers dream, especially a colonial history lovers dream! You know me...

This is my kind of town- history is living, and its everywhere.

"Fellow the red brick trail..."

The site of the Boston Massacre

Old State House- the Declaration was proclaimed from this balcony!

The oldest tavern in America, "The Bell in Hand."

The statue of a soldier at Lexington Common, where the Battle of Lexington was fought.

Spirit, I Have Heard You Calling

Annnnnnd... GO!

The journey has begun.

While I have not started my mission in Boston, I have officially started my term as a YAV with PC(USA).

All of the YAVs serving for the 2013-2014 year have descended upon a Presbyterian conference center in Stony Point, NY. There are 60ish (I don't have the patience to count all the names on the list) of us that will be serving this upcoming year, a handful of YAV alumni, and another handful of YAV staff- all totaling 80+ people at this one place, focused on service, for a week. Its a very powerful thing. 

Days are jam packed with scheduled group time, lectures, worship, meals, and discussions.

*Just as a side note, my introvert core is struggling to just get through these first 24 hours with little me time with just me, myself, and I. I have 5 more days to go. Prayers are welcome. :-)*

I have learned a lot but I'm also very positive that I have missed some golden nuggets due to my weary state of post-lunch haze. By evening worship my eyes are pink and I likely have a glazed look on my face. Said look is not from boredom or any unpleasantness; rather it comes from mental exhaustion thinking about what all of this means in different contexts.

Today's theme was "critical cultural competency" and multi-faith/inter-faith relations. Some discussions felt more like philosophy class rather than mission training. It was heavy, intense, real.

Then there was small group. Small group is a blast. I would venture to say I have the best small group in the whole program. Our fearless leader, Luke, has an odd and borderline obsessive love for manatees. His sign for us to come circle around is this manatee face that can't really be described, only experienced. We get weird looks from the other groups but we take pride in our ability to circle around without verbal cues. We are a tight Herd of Manatees. We seem to all get along and the group dynamic is very open and group time is actually refreshing to me which is somewhat rare for me.

At some point during this week I will post about the Stony Point gardens, pigs, and composting. Yes, there are gardens and pigs. This is my kind of place.

Peace be with you.

Transitions

Whelp, I have finished my time at Broadfork Farm.

5 months almost to the day.
100+ days.
Too many hours to count.
Infinite seeds, plants, drops of water and sweat.

I don't know how to express my feelings of gratitude, sadness, contentedness, exhaustion, ambition, and the list could go on and on.

The folks are Broadfork are TOP NOTCH and operate a responsible, humble farm that provides local, sustainable produce for the area. Farming is an ongoing learning process and they have learned to manage the curve balls as well as one can in a constantly changing environment.

I'm transitioning from working to packing to Boston.
For the next week I will be packing, cleaning, sorting, and trying my best to catch on sleep. There will also be copious amounts of soaking up time with friends, favorite RVA sites and sounds, and reminding myself that Richmond will always be here. It may be home but I have to fly the coop and I can always return.

In the words of a famous country singer:

When your wheelhouse is the land of cotton,
The first time you leave it can be strange, it can be shocking

...
Oh, Dixie Land,
I hope you understand
When I miss my Tennessee Home
And I've been away way too long
I can't see this world unless I go
Outside my Southern Comfort Zone

(just replace Tennessee with Virginia)

Tomorrow as I spend time getting my act together I will think about Broadfork and what they've given to me. If you ever get a chance to know farmers or work on a farm, do not pass it up. You won't regret it.

Details trickle in...

Just a short little update tonight:

I continue to gather more specifics about my job placement in Natick. The more I learn about it, the more I get excited!

This placement seems to be tailored to my learning goals and skill/knowledge set.


Placement with Hartford Street Presbyterian Chuch: Natick, MA

• The garden project at the moment is being coordinated through the city's "Open Space Committee" 
• Church is currently trying to get a group together to clear some land and at least create some gardens for the spring.
• A good portion of the congregation is from Cameroon in West Africa- the church is interested in some of these members having plots with gardens where they could grow some of their native crops. There are projects in the area that have immigrants growing native crops from their country and selling them through local markets and making a good living.

In the land of subrban shopping, there appeared a farm...

I come bearing fantastic news!

I have learned that I will be serving in my first choice job placement! Hooray!

My job placement is for someone with a very specific knowledge and skill set. Luckily I have been working with the wonderful folks at Broadfork Farm this summer and what I've learned there is exactly what I need to fulfill the needs of this particular placement. Isn't it amazing how things work out!?

Just west of Boston lies the town of Natick, MA which is known for its malls and shopping (I had to laugh at the fact that I will be working in a town known for shopping and my tolerance for shopping is about 3 hours, if you're lucky). Within this small, suburban community is a church named Hartford Street Presbyterian Church and they have a long standing emergency food pantry on the church's property. I am charged with zoning and developing a community garden, on church grounds, that will supply the food pantry with fresh produce. The pantry is stocked with canned and boxed goods but the church would like to offer fresh produce to those who use the pantry. I have also mentioned that I would like to start educational work days for youth and school groups in the area. My hopes are to host groups of youth for a few hours a day and teach them about plants from seeding to harvesting. In return for their time in the dirt I hope to send them home with some produce to share with their families. By teaching youth about urban agriculture and supplying the pantry with healthy produce, I will attempt to combat hunger from two sides- education and assistance.

These are goals for just 1 year but I think I can accomplish them or at least get the ball rolling.
*Please hold me accountable if I'm 6-8 months in and haven't written a post about starting or hosting a youth event.

Thoughts, prayers, good vibes are always appreciated.

With a thankful heart,
~Kathleen

I Got Bread

I attended Bread for the World's National Gathering a few weeks ago and had a fantastic time. One of the performances was by a spoken word artists and this is something he performed. It really hit home and made me even more excited for my time in Boston.

I Got Bread:

I got a dollar in my pocket

And a million ideas in my head

Thanking the Lord I got bread

Thanking the Lord I got bread

I’m thanking the Lord I got bread

And I’m steady on the grind cuz the ants don’t rest

Eyes pierce struggle in a trance focused

Steady on the grind cuz the ants don’t rest

Throwing up my hands cuz I am so blessed

Yea, it’s like everyday I wake up

Everybody around me is trying to get their cake up

Everybody trying to survive and stay alive

People be like ‘where is the God in a 9 to 5?’

What you gon’ do?

In the hood they be shooting

Drugs a problem too –

in the ‘burbs they be shooting up.

And we battling upstream

And I be looking crazy when I begin to sing

Tell them ‘bout the joy

Enough with all the sorrow

Tears falling tonight

but you can smile tomorrow

I ain’t telling stories but I pray you catch the moral

On my shoulders you can lean and my ears you can borrow

Where the hope at? Put it in the air

We getting too comfortable with the hunger in the air

Yea we gotta respond with something

And it’s about time that I come with the triumphant

I got a dollar in my pocket

And a million ideas in my head

Thanking the Lord I got bread

Thanking the Lord I got bread

Thanking the Lord I got bread

And I’m steady on the grind cuz the ants don’t rest

Eyes pierce struggle in a trance focused

Steady on the grind cuz the ants don’t rest

Throwing up my hands cuz I am so blessed

Eyes straight, head tilted down

Looking at an angle

Staring at their phones,

but I’m lookin up towards the angels

Pleading ‘Lord please will you show me the way

I can show the people you so they can get through the day?’

I ain’t selling miracles no money making schemes

But necessity, I hear it though, for tummy aches and screams

People looking for love in jewelry and salaries

Hustlers move weight like Jared moved calories

Dudes mugging, no Folgers involved

People trying to survive only see the smoke and the fog

Go from doing all right to where hope is dissolved

And they’re something like August ‘cause they’re close to a fall.

Yea aww man how I wish I could take away their pangs

Now I’m feeling childish:

I gotta ask my Daddy

(I don’t possess His type of splendor)

I’m all grown up now I know when I should surrender

I got a dollar in my pocket

And a million ideas in my head

Thanking the Lord, I give bread

Thanking the Lord, I give bread

I’m thanking the Lord, I give bread

And I’m steady on the grind cuz the ants don’t rest

Eyes pierce struggle in a trance focused

Steady on the grind cuz the ants don’t rest

Throwing up my hands cuz I am so blessed

© 2013 Rodney “J Prophet” Reynolds for Peace and Power Media

YAV Boston

Welcome!

For those who don't know, I will soon be moving to Boston!
The Presbyterian Church (USA) Mission Agency created an outreach called the Young Adult Volunteer program. The program is for 18-30 year old young adults who want to serve God as well as a community. YAVs (Young Adult Volunteers) can serve in domestic or international communities- locations vary from Boston and Miami to Kenya and the Philippines.

Each location has a focused mission that tries to fill a hole in the community. For example, if a city has a large homeless population than the YAVs in that locale try to serve that population. Missions vary as much as the locations themselves. There are a few locations that focus on urban ministry and homeless populations whereas the mission in Montana is to serve a small town with a significant Native American roots.

Boston's mission is to reach out to those in food desserts, neighborhoods that have poor or no access to healthy produce and affordable grocery stores, and help them find and even grow healthy food. Some of the Boston YAVs will work with churches and schools to educate kids on healthy food choices while others will plant community gardens or work with an organizations that give recently released prisoners 2 meals a day.

Here is the link to the Boston program description:YAV Boston

I will be in Boston before I know it! Orientation is in Stony Point, NY (1 hour north of NYC) from August 19-25. On August 26 I will travel to Boston from orientation. I will be there until July 2014.

I can't wait for this new adventure! I will keep updating this blog from time to time; once a week minimum is my goal.

Eat Local. Think Global... Justice.