We can make all the perfect plans we want to, stick to them religiously and still have a monkey wrench or 2 or 3… thrown into our plans. I figure as long as I’m seeing progress I can deal with a change of plans again and again. It is never what happens to us, it’s how we handle it and conduct ourselves that matters. The power to manifest change is within all of us. These past few weeks I’ve had many monkey wrenches thrown at my plans. I’m throwing them right back!
One of my biggest obstacles is finding the right help to hire. This has become more of a frustrating situation than I had expected. It started with trying to get trees down to get the cabin in. I had no idea how unprofessional and even creepy some of the “contractors” were. It took forever to find someone I’m not uncomfortable around or feel they are trying to take advantage of me. I’ve put up with comments like “You have such pretty brown eyes”, “Whisky and women are my weakness” and the ever disgusting, as he puts his hand on my shoulder and takes a step closer “You know, we can work something out between us and save you some money” That one made me throw up in my mouth a little. I’ve been questioned about my personal living situation, relationship status, personal finances, and other personal things contractors do not need to know. The one and only guy that didn’t get all creepy I hired to take trees down for the cabin. He left stumps, we agreed he wouldn’t. Now I need to get them removed…especially the one right on the fence line where I’m putting the goats. He scraped all the top soil off with his machine and missed a dead tree that is still leaning on a live one. His crew left garbage all over my property and left the once smooth ground all roughed up with piles everywhere. He did smooth out the driveway and area I was putting the cabin nicely. I felt he figured I was a single woman that won’t notice the shoddy work and, like many, took advantage.
I could go on and on with the ridiculousness I’ve encountered. After complaining to friends, meeting with countless contractors and working through frustration and disappointment, I found a guy! He’s an off grid married guy that actually respects his marriage! I’m finding that to be rare among contractors as all of them so far are married. He has skills and tools! He shows up sober and ready to work. His name is Cowboy and I love him! He put together a greenhouse I’ve needed help with, he showed up on time and went right to work. He’s wonderful to talk to and I feel safe around him. I pay in full at the end of each project and it was an honor to pay him for all he did. I was introduced to him by a friend and I’m keeping him!!!
Plans got set back a little as I had my laptop, vacuum cleaner, generator all break on me in May. The car broke on me on Monday and is currently in the shop. The laptop, vacuum cleaner and generator are all replaced. Finances need to be replenished this month and I’ll resume paying for the next thing when finances allow. It shouldn’t be more than a month.
So far there are improvements to speak of. I got a new shed. Being off grid in a tent I got used to storing my thing under tarps wrapped in plastic in totes on plastic pallets. This is OK for a temporary situation but not the best. Now I have a nice, big shed that is great for storage as well as setting up my drums. The cabin got a bit crowded with the drums. I also put in air conditioning, this was one of the reasons the generator needed to be replaced ASAP. I dislike AC however, I dislike the humidity even more. The heat doesn’t bother me as much. When making product, I need temperature and humidity control. I run the generator during the hottest hours of the day. That’s also when I charge everything, run the ice maker and dehydrators, print anything I may need and do anything else I may need power for.
Another improvement is the gardens. Someone backed into my permaculture garden killing many of the berries that were coming in. I does look like a bunch of weeds to the untrained eye. I need to put some kind of sign up. It is disappointing however, it is fixable and I can harvest berries other places. Brambles are abundant here. He didn’t run over the Elder Tree so I forgive him 🙂 I’m growing double the herbs here as I did last season and harvesting twice as much! I have clean places to hang them and use electronic dehydrators. I’m really looking forward to offering more dried herbs and herbal medicine. This is a lot of fun for me. I’m learning just what I’m capable of and giving thanks for the abilities I’m blessed with. I love seeing happy plants, feeling their energies and connecting to nature spirits. The more I learn, the better I can help others. I’m regenerating soil in some areas of the land so I can grow more. I’ll blog about that adventure in the future.
As far as what I’m producing on the farm, I’m making more medicine than ever. I’m able to make more now that I’m in the cabin. I’m able to offer a wider variety of medicines and farm products and take more custom orders. I’m working on getting into my second local store, I can’t wait to get that display done up all nice as well as sprucing up Thompson’s Outdoors’s display.
This month I’m focusing on fencing and getting caught up a little financially. There’s plenty to do around here and I’m gonna do all I can! I’m enjoying the journey. Watching this place grow into the farm and homestead I have in my mind is a long but exciting process. I truly feel I’m on this planet for this, it’s my calling, where I’m guided to be.
What is your calling? What do you truly enjoy? I’d love to hear about it!
Namaste,
Rainie Dae Weaver
Love of Lotus Apothecary and Farm 