Countryside subscribers are in for a treat in the upcoming July/August issue. I’ll be interviewing JoAnn SkyWatcher, noted nature photographer and yurt dweller for three decades. Here’s a taste of what’s coming:
Today was on of those perfect days, one of those days that we embrace deep in our memory when the snow is deep and the wind is cold. After a week of showers and fog-soaked drizzle, days on end of humid winds and the rotting remnants of the trampled snow pack, I was ready for a day like this. Even as I trudged through the mush and slew that passes for our yard and farm road, I was seeing the red and green hues just setting on the thawing branches, still bare, but not for long.
It’s the Ides of March, and even though old Julius Caesar didn’t much like the day (he was assassinated on the Ides of March), I’m loving it. I started a flat each of Roma tomatoes, red celery, leeks, and broccoli in a small room off the south side of the barn. It gets a fair enough amount of light, although Wayne says he’s going to replace some of the Plexiglas because it yellowed with age. It’s nothing fancy. No cool solar-powered vent on a timer, no cool shelving, no cobblestone floor or fancy fountain, but it works. I’m just finding this out, after six years on this property. Six years of harping for Wayne to build me a greenhouse, and now I discover that had I just took a moment to see the possibilities that were right in front of me, I would have saved myself (and my husband) hours of wistful (and wishful) thinking.
So, that’s the lesson I learned this Ides. Having what you want is just a matter of learning to appreciate the possibility in every day, every thought, and every circumstance. Got lemons? Make lemonade. Got a south-facing area that gets a fair amount of light? Start a few plants. There are huge possibilities in even a handful of plants, possibilities you haven’t even thought of yet.
The idea of bartering isn’t new, but the way we do it these days is much different from days gone by. No longer do we have to go to a flea market, garage sale, or swap meet. These days, the Internet has made bartering as easy as pointing and clicking. It’s amazing what you can get for free, or next to nothing, if you’re willing to spend a little time bartering online. We got a refrigerator for the kids’ mobile home, Mason jars, cast iron pans, and a whole bevy of other items. Similarly, we have gotten rid of bunches of things like computer monitors, a course on natural healing on cassettes, and gently used baby clothes. If you’re a scrounger, a penny pincher, or just looking for a great hobby, check out these sites:
The Freecycle Network The Freecycle Network™ is made up of 4,775 groups with 7,090,000 members across the globe. It’s a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns. It’s all about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills. Each local group is moderated by a local volunteer (them’s good people). Membership is free.
SwapTree You list the books, CDs, DVDs, and video games that you want to trade and the books, CDs, DVDs and video games that you want to receive and swaptree does the rest.
Craigslist You can find all sorts of things for free and barter, all sorts of things. Exercise extreme caution when dealing with people you meet on Craigslist, especially in the adult section.
Tip Junkie One of the best blogs for finding free stuff on the Web. Right now there are 107 giveaways listed, a value of $6,391. Fabulous products with real value – way better than your average giveaways.
The Internet often gets a bad rap from mainstream media outlets, but for those of us who are scroungers see it as a great tool for finding free stuff. We all need free stuff now and then.
