a time of change

Yesterday I went roller blading with my Polish friend Viacheslav and went to his house for awhile afterwards. While there I was exposed to an array of traditional Russian music, painting and literature. I also tried a type of tobacco that comes compressed in charcoal-like discs and is smoked out of a large hooka that looked to be the style of hooka used in eastern europe.

Viacheslav told me alot about his father, who he seems quite proud of, who works for NASA and has done some interesting work. At one point his father performed alchemy by transmutating palladium to copper and other elements.

The Russian culture that his family finds its roots in is steeped in a pastoral lifestyle. The music of this culture contains often simple, yet elegant, vocals. I was told that the music after the communists came to power was of poor quality, however, and lacked much of the true spirit that earlier music contained.

Viacheslav showed me a beautiful backyard garden that he maintains full of useful and delicious vegetables and fruit trees. He told me that his compost heap, which was rather large, will steam when the bacteria inside really starts to digest the waste contained therin.

I've been thinking about compost heaps lately and decided that I would like to have one myself. All that I'm going to need is some organic waste which comes from garden plants, food waste (no meats) and yard waste. Simply mixing the waste up in the right proportions and layering with old soil produces an environment in which bacteria digests the waste aerobically producing a very rich mixture as an end product. After about two or three months the compost heap will have produced a fresh batch of the most excellent soil one can have.

It is intersting to think of the possibilities of being self-sufficient in the production of one's produce and soil. Throw a greenhouse into the equation and one can have fresh produce year round and save a great deal of money while eating an optimal diet rich in produce.

Today I have eaten very well and feel quite energetic. I awoke this morning, peeled and ate a fresh orange. For lunch I had a bowl of baby spinich leaves topped with a head of brocolli and sweet peas. I feel like my system is in its peak health state and I am almost completely recovered from the sore throat and nasal drainage that I experienced last night as a result of being exposed to outdoor volatile organic compounds (VOC's) such as oak pollen for an extended period.

The brocolli, rich in vitamin B12, is excellent to help the body in nerve-building. This is especially useful in the meal which is taken in the evening, since during the sleep period the body builds and repairs its neurological systems.

Every day I strive to become further self-sufficient; i have the groundwork lain and will, in the forseeable future, be able to produce much of my own food and process most of my organic waste with the compost heap. This, i do, for many different reasons.

I think it is of the utmost importance that humanity cease the divorcing of individuals from the production of their sustainence and management of their waste. It is only after this that individuals will realize what must be done to handle these problems. I fail to understand why individuals will spend so much time on their lawn and flowers and not dedicate any of their property to the growth of fresh produce.

Imagine the impact if people were to begin using composting to manage waste and grow the brunt of their own vegetables. If this were so then individuals could trade vegetables with each other and foster a sense of community well-being and awareness. I intend to produce a surplus of vegetables, especially tomatoes, and give them away to my friends in the hopes that they will strive to do the same.

If we band together and use the land that lay worthless, growing only grass and weeds, then we can enrich the soil and make organic foods in abundance. Weather patterns are about to change, especially in Europe, the ocean current that brings warmth to Europe and allows for a decent growing season is coming to a halt. This means that Europe, over the next few years, will experience a dramatic cooling effect and food will need to be imported; this will raise the price of produce ACCROSS THE BOARD and further increase the necessity of self-sufficiency.

Earth is quite a paradise; I find myself in awe as each new day unfolds and I challenge myself to be one with this Earth and its inhabitants. The practice of careful cultivation of the self and of the food for the self is a spirtual practice indeed; it helps one to reach the higher levels of aesthetic sensibility and spirtual awareness. To live a sort of monastic lifestyle, generally separated from the harmful influences of modern day culture, in a state of quiet study and careful husbandry is truly noble and will benefit the individual embarking on such a quest more than they might imagine.

I hope that man can learn to appreciate the true garden of paradise in which we live and not fall victim to the fear of one's neighbors and the manipulations promulgated by the elite who seek to divide humanity for their own purposes. Self-sufficiency and de-centralization of the societal structure are the solutions to these problems which have vexed our peoples for thousands of years.