Maria got the gutter up, some problems with the downspout, which would come in right over an electric box, so she had to add to the main gutter and get some new pieces for the new configuration. I’m pretty useless at this point other than for handing her tools, but we are zeroing in, I think she’ll be done in a half hour or so. If she isn’t, we’ll head to the Fiber Festival nearby anyway and finish the work later.
It is a fearsome thing when the full weight of media and new information technology all bear down at once on a single event, like the debate tomorrow between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. It reminds me of the powerful beam emitted by the Death Star in Star Wars, too much heat and light, too little wisdom and perspective.
Too many people I know are frightened and confused, or angry and defensive.
I came up with my own primer, for me, here on our farm, a way for me to remain grounded, keep some perspective and avoid the hysteria and fear and anger swirling around in the very air.
First, I will not join any angry mobs. I will not hate people who have different values from me, and who disagree with me, no matter what they say and do.
Secondly, the Republic will be standing on November 9. Our system is malleable and accommodating in many ways.
I check the new once a day.
I herd sheep twice a day.
I visit with donkeys once or twice a day, they have an amazing perspective on the many foibles and inadequacies of humans observed over thousands of years.
I never argue my beliefs on Facebook, read other people’s arguments on Facebook or Twitter, or spend more than a few minutes on either.
I ignore anyone who tells me they are moving to Canada, Europe or Costa Rica if their candidates loses. We don’t really need them here.
I will try and listen to what I dislike and comprehend it rather than simply wring my hands about it.
I will spend a quiet hour with myself or the people or animals I love today and tomorrow. They are what my life is really about.
I will accept that the country I love very much is in the midst of turbulent and sometimes disturbing change, I will look for the small acts of kindness and community that remind all of us of what it really means to be human. As a survivor of turbulent and sometimes disturbing change, I understand that part of being creative is learning to empathize and understand, not simply condemn.
My own beliefs and preferences are fairly obvious in this contest, I don’t need to shout them on my lawn or blog or anywhere else. I don’t much care if people agree with me or not, and I consider their own values their own business.
I have faith in myself and my own judgements, I can’t say they are right, but they are mine, and that grounds me and helps me keep perspective.
I will remember that democracy is not a perfect system, but the best system anyone has come up with so far. I trust it. Democracy can’t work if we only accept what reflect us, it has to do more than that.
So those are my ideas for moving through this radioactive cloud in a rational way, and for keeping a sense of perspective, essential to a rational or spiritual life. I am not telling anyone else what to do, but I hope it is helpful in some ways.
Today will finish putting up our gutters and then head off to the Adirondack Fiber Festival. We intend to have a peaceful and productive day, today and tomorrow.
When I married my quite wonderful wife, I had no idea how many things she could do. For some years, she worked on restoring old houses, something she didn’t really want do, and so when we moved into our new farmhouse, I was surprised by how many things she knows how to do.
I’ve been very clear in my mind that Maria is an artist, not a handyperson, it is up to her, but I strongly discourage anything that takes her away from her art, where her heart is. But she can do almost anything. She gardens, paints, is a devil with a drill, repairs holes in the barn, moves rocks around, frames pictures, cuts glass, and also makes beautiful art that people want to live with.
She can also make beautiful quilts, wall hanging, crank out potholders and tote bags, organize art shows and open houses, be a good and loving friend to many people. She knows how to love also.
It is odd to be so proud of your partner? I am just perpetually amazed at the depth of her skills, from her art, to her wielding a hammer, climbing up on a ladder and figuring out how to measure a gutter. These are things I always hired people to do, and I grew up having no idea how things actually work, or understanding what I can do.
Climbing up on the ladder to clear the leaves out of the gutter was not exactly brain surgery I handled it quickly and easily. The gutters are harder, and I defer to Maria, who grasps the different elements that would be too complex for me.
But I am fortunate to have a partner with these skills, we have re-shaped and re-designed our home in many ways that have a lot of impact, but that we are proud to have done ourselves. Sometimes having no money is a blessing. We both love the work we have shared in bringing this beautiful old farmhouse back to life inside and out.
So I want to get back outside and help Maria, and I am in awe of the things she can do. She is not Superwoman. There are things she does not do – cook, shop, or clean much (unless something is disgusting.) I love doing the domestic stuff, making suer we eat in a good and healthy way. Our lives are in balance, we switch gender roles on and off all the time.
And I am proud of her. She is my wonder wife. It turns out a person who thought she could do little can do just about anything, and there are all kinds of lessons in that.
One of the many things i love about my life is the opportunity to do things I never did before, thought to do before, or was permitted to do before. I grew up and worked as an urbanite, I’m not sure I ever got on a ladder and surely, never thought about removing leaves from gutters.
Today is different. Maria and I are undertaking two beautiful-day Autumn tasks, clearly leaves out of the gutters (I’m doing that) and putting a rain gutter up on the other side of the porch, to keep water away from the foundations of the farmhouse and ice packs from forming on the steps to the back door.
Maris is mostly doing that, I am helping out wherever I can. This afternoon, we are going to the Adirondack Fiber And Wool Festival to learn more about our Romney sheep and Maria’s booming yarn sales. (We picked up our very beautiful yarn yesterday, it will go up on sale shortly on Maria’s website, fullmoonfiberart.com, photos later).
The gutter-building stuff is not simple, much measuring, discussion of screws, clamps, sealants and braces. Maria woke up thinking about it, she couldn’t wait to get to work. Me too. A morning of guttering I call it, where I try and get comfortable up on a ladder.
