Adventure 503: Busy Day: Activity Like Never Has Been Seen

Sarah, 1/4 of the baking crew.

The baking crew bounced out of bed just before 5 A.M. and ricocheted around the kitchen like Orionid Meteors. For sure, the dust trail of Haley's Comet has nothing on them: By 8:30, Eighteen pies, eight pans of cinnamon roles, six loaves of whole wheat bread, and two loaves of Sourdough had rolled off the assembly line, ready to glitter like stars in the treat room down at the sale. At this rate, the four baker ladies may earn names in Orion's belt. At the very least, they've earned places among the stars of the Milky Way. As for me, I got to be useful today. Loey asked me if I'd enjoy breaking down the garden, so I worked like a fanatic campaign rally attendee and body slammed  several tomato  vines, rolled up a soft sheet of weed suppressing plastic, unearthed a tough row of carrots, wrangled three semi-cooperative hoses, and tamed one large tub of twisted Republican twine.  By the end, I was sweating like a fat man, and my sissy city boy hands were sore and blistered from the effort. But it was great fun to spend the day in the bright October sun, feeling the weight of the rich earth cake on my boots, the salty sweat trickle off my body, and the true satisfaction of outdoor work. I hope I can still stand up tomorrow. Judy was no less productive. She spent the day selling goods. If there were bonuses handed out for volunteer sales, she'd be in the running for rewards never before seen. Anna, the boss of this sale, said she'd never seen a Friday so busy. One family group came into Judy's garden room and bought goods totaling well into the thousands. They said they wait all year for this sale. They take care of Christmas, birthdays, home decor, and provide a little justice in the world in one fell swoop. Meanwhile, the work on the farm continues. Loey and Sarah make runs to and from the church in between their regular chores. Gary, Andy and Lisa manage their long to do lists: Hay has been raked and baled. Beans have been thrashed and lifted. Seed has been gathered and bagged, and a steady stream of large trucks move in and out of Andy's seed bay. And don't forget Loey's sister, Virginia, who is here visiting from Alaska. She's kept herself busy doing chores as well. It's a very busy time.  Every time I looked up one or the other family member was riding off on yet another piece of farm equipment to take care of yet another task. I've enjoyed watching the progress this week. Every time I walk into town, another of the fields has changed its appearance. If they're not careful they may think they've come to an end of their efforts, but they don't let up. Instead, they embrace each task just as they embrace each day, and simply accept that tomorrow will be another long day. This tomorrow will mark the end of the sale at five. Unsold goods will then be repacked, ready to move on to the next venue. The church will be restored to its normal operational mode, and by Sunday morning, church members, including the Hooley family will be sitting in their normal places, safe in the knowledge that life is good, especially today.

 A glimpse of Andy Hooley's seed operation.

 My "farm" work for the day was to remove the tomato supports.

 That meant pulling posts, body slamming slimy tomato vines, and retrieving orange twine.

 I also dug a long row of carrots.

 Archie supervised.

 Nellie, seen here gouging my legs with her claws, critiqued my work.

There go Andy and Sarah on their way to thrash some beans.

Adventure 502: Day One of the International Gift Sale

Hey, Alice-Any joy down there?

Not much for me to do today but contemplate, one of my favorite past times. This week I've been walking to and from town, a distance of 4.5 miles. The fresh air, the roar of field trucks, the lowing of cattle, the barking of dogs, the gentle sway of breeze, the waft of farm aroma, the rustle of dried corn stalks, and the time to be alone with myself helps me find my center. Master Wong Chung-yua wrote in the year c. 1600 C. E. that Tai Chi is born out of infinity. It is the origin of the positive and the negative. When Tai Chi is in motion, the positive and the negative separate; When Tai Chi stops, the positive and negative integrate. So it follows that we can't have darkness without light, love without hate, heat without cold, up without down, and truth without lies. This we must accept. In our Christian context we call it faith, and that faith brings me to Loey Hooley. She has a fondness, when asking for help, to say, "Tim, would you enjoy peeling the potatoes?", or "Gary, would you enjoy giving the blessing?" It's the idea of joy that I'm focused on today. Yesterday, when I was walking into town, Lisa, Andy Hooley's bride, rolled by and asked, "Are you enjoying the walk, or would you like a ride to the church?" I declined the ride, but it sent me quivering as I approached the idea of joy. What do I enjoy? What contents me? How can I capture joy? What defines satisfaction? Because of course, the other side of satisfaction is dissatisfaction. The other side of joy is misery. The other side of contentment is frustration, and so on. I'm fond of responding to someone asking me how I's doing by saying, "I can't get any better, but that doesn't mean i can't improve." It's the Yin and Yang of life. The trick is finding balance: too much is just as bad as too little.  Last Sunday when we I arrived, I had a chance to talk a little bit with Andy Hooley, an event I very much enjoy. I asked him how he was adjusting to married life. As reserved as always, he replied, "I've never done it before, but so far so good, and then he went on (Demonstrating the compassion and depth I enjoy most about him) to say, "It's Lisa whose had to make the biggest adjustment. She left everything she knew to come here." I know many people joke that the matrimony vine is also called boxthorn, but for me I very much enjoy sharing the briar patch with my Bunny. After nearly thirty years, we're still finding ways to enjoy each other. I suspect the same will be true for Andy and Lisa as they approach the end of year one. And hearing Loey refer to "her Gary" speaks to the joy the two of them share. But it's finding the acceptance that I find interesting. Andy says he lives in his little bubble, away from the maddening crowd. Like his parents and his sister, Sarah, they exist within the rhythm the farm demands. It's the yoke of acceptance that provides their joy, and I'm sure it's the satisfaction of jobs well done. Sarah said something interesting this morning after helping make a dozen pies, six pans of sweet rolls, and six loaves of bread for the sale (And completing her morning chores, too). "This is what we've been able to do, and it will have to be enough." There it is again: satisfaction. How can we as humans accept the joy of our efforts? What is enough? What determines when the cup is full? I think each of us must find our own rhythm, our own center, our own simple truth, and when we do, we come to realize that life is good, especially today.

 One step at a time.

 More than one hundred years of keeping to the straight and narrow here at Stoneybrook.

 And the babble continues, some of it told by idiots. But for those centered in joy, the river of life provides solace.

 And who wouldn't want the life of a well fed cow.

 Moo!

Adventure 501: International Gift Sale on the Launching Pad

Made in God's Image

An 8 A.M. start found us off loading the last three pallets of merchandise for this year's sale. After a full day of unboxing, pricing, and arranging, all we had left was the anxious overnight wait to open the doors. Fair Trade. Justice. FairPlay. What outlandish concepts. The idea of fair trade is a trading partnership based on dialogue, transparency and respect that seeks greater equity in international trade. It contributes to sustainable development by offering better trading conditions to, and securing the rights of, marginalized producers. Fair trade participants follow ten principles:

1. Create opportunities for economically disadvantaged producers.
2. Be transparent and accountable 
3. Establish fair trading practices.
4. Pay a fair price.
5. Ensure no abuse of labor or forced child labor.
6. Commit to non discrimination, gender equality, and freedom of association.
7. Ensure good working conditions.
8. Provide means for capacity building.
9. Promote fairness for fair trade everywhere.
10. Respect the environment.
11. No calling people "horseface".

Not really that last one, but fair is fair to all, not just the legally powerful, not just those interested in winning at all costs, and for sure not just those who've deemed themselves more important. Fair trade is really about three words: Justice for all. In the meantime, those of us trying to encourage the better angels in our nature will continue to believe that life is good, especially today.

 The first of the last boxes off the truck. Lyman and Tom supervising.

 No mas.

 Let the unboxing begin!

 A crew of fourteen shared the work.

 My domain was sorting plastic, bubble wrap, shredded paper, cardboard, and recyclable paper. Oh, and stacking boxes. Any item unsold by sale's end must be repacked, so it helps to have things at the ready.

 Judy worked to make the "Garden Room" presentable.

 Here she is still standing after a twelve hour shift.

 She had some help. Loey arranged this "kitty" corner.

 The real work happens in the "Christmas Room" where the items are ever so tiny. 

 Oh my!

 Christmas before Halloween. Really?

The doors open tomorrow at nine. Sell Baby, sell.
   

Adventure 500: Setting up the Sale

Found art: Hay Bale Shadows

Like bees buzzing, a cadre of workers began setting up for the Ten Thousand Villages sale, which is not the name, but you get the idea. Box after box was opened, unpacked, and directed to its display space. Judy spent the day in the "garden" room. Loey, Sarah, Anna, Jessica, worked the main room with Paisley (Jessica's two year old daughter pitching in). Steve and Teresa worked the "Christmas" room, as they do every year. Lyman filled in where necessary as did Jeff. I worked the boxes, spending the day separating the recyclables in an effort to make Saturday night a little easier because at the end of the sale, the unsold goods need to be repacked and reloaded. The church then has to be set back up for Sunday service, which means getting all of the downstairs furniture back to their respective places, and the Sanctuary needs to be returned to its God space. Many folks will help with that effort when the time comes. It was a glorious fall day here in Southern Idaho. The night temperatures fell just below freezing, but the sky was clear and fresh. That made the morning glorious. I walked the five miles into town, and thoroughly enjoyed chasing the shadows, breathing the air, and otherwise enjoying the good life. Tomorrow morning, the rest of the merchandise (Three pallet loads) will be delivered to the church around eight. We will work the day and most likely into some of the night in order to get the place ready for the doors to open on Thursday. The work, really just joy, is made all the better because it's shared. It reminds me that there are "better angels" at work in the universe. For that I'm grateful, hopeful, and happy that life is truly good, especially today.

 For a sissy city boy like me, the walk into town is full of new sights.

 Art shot: Parallel Living.

 Both days I've passed this small herd of young cows, they've skittered away, afraid I guess of this city slicker.

 A fourth or fifth call for lunch is not really necessary.

 Lyman, ready to aid the process in any way needed.

 The merchandise comes from all around the world.

 This couple made it all the way from Africa.

 This shelf, while mostly set up, will brim tomorrow like a cup runneth over.

 New to the sale this year: purses, felt hats, and other textiles.

While we worked the sale, Gary and Andy worked the fields, drying beans, raking hay, weighing grain. And after the farm work was done, they still needed to put two tons of coal into the bin in preparation for winter. Gary says he uses six bags, or six tons of coal to heat the house over the winter. His bin holds four tons, so sometime during January, he'll load more coal, only the ground will be frozen and most likely covered with snow. The warmth will  be worth it.

Adventure 499: 2018 Trailer Storage Trip

Our campsite: Stoneybrook Farm

After leaving at 5 A.M. two hours into our trip, the rosy fingers of dawn spread her morning light over the edge of the Lewiston grade. So bathed in the promise of a new morning, we felt as giddy as goldfish in an Ani DiFranco song as we made our way down into the serene valley  full of sleepy little castles. From the valley floor, we followed the Clearwater River up and over the Camas Prairie past several signs pointing to Hell's Canyon recreation access along the famed Salmon River (The river of no return). We wiggled our way through McCall and down the snake-like curves that follow the Payette River until we joined I-84 in Boise. From there it was just a scant two and and half hours to Filer, Idaho including the short jaunt out to the Hooley's Stoneybrook Farm where we'll spend the week helping with the MCC sale, a Mennonite endeavor that encourages fair trade world wide, and rewards artisan effort from around the globe.  Our drive totaled just under 500 miles and took an elapsed time just over nine hours. Our incentive is that we get to spend time with the Hooley's, nestled in the safety of their little "bubble". Frac is tucked once again between the garage and the back storage buildings. The aroma of fresh hay, fresh manure, and fresh air compete for our senses along with the crisp fall color and the lordly peacocks that run roughshod over the farm. We always enjoy it here. As for our work load, we do whatever is asked of us. Mostly, that means helping with set up, shlepping boxes, unpacking sale items, and otherwise finding ways to be useful. A lady named Anna, who manages the Ten Thousand Villages store in Boise, comes down for the week to oversee the sale. She has a great eye for set up, vast experience in selling the wares, and is in all ways a benevolent taskmaster. The sale itself begins Thursday. It takes the first part of the week to transform the church by moving furniture, setting up displays, and things "shleppy". Each day one or the other of us is in charge of preparing the noon meal. It's truly a case of many hands making light work, and it's for a cause that furthers justice in the world, which to my mind is sorely needed these days. I read a sign on a billboard on the way down that read: Worry stops where Faith begins. That good thought helps remind me that life is good, especially today.

Our view for much of the drive.

Plastic humor, Idaho style.

 Lake Payette, which borders the main street of McCall.

 The Filer Mennonite Church basement turns into a hot bed of capitalistic activity.

 Boxes and boxes of goods to sell. This is Anna and Judy marking prices in the "Garden Room".

 This is the "Christmas Room. A local family takes charge of setting this room up every year. It's no small feat due to the "zillions" of small items that are sold here.

 In the main room, there are purses, hats, scarves, jewelry, toys, coffee, tea, olive oil,  and carved trinkets of all kinds.

 Sarah Hooley and her sister-in-law, Lisa help make the work load light in the main room..

 By Wednesday night, every horizontal surface and most of the vertical space will be covered with goods to sell.

 Loey, a tireless energizer bunny, makes this week one of her most dear forms of service.

 My Bunny getting started in the Garden Room.

 As for me, I'm starting to build the large pile of boxes and inventory that will take over the sanctuary. Two years ago when we came down to help, the sale netted nearly thirty thousand dollars in three days. None but the profits from the sale of the baked goods goes to the  church, and most of those profits pay for the advertising and promotion of the sale. Beginning Thursday morning, Judy, Loey, Sarah, and most likely Lisa will get up in the wee hours of the morning to bake bread, pie, and sweet rolls to sell. They sell out every day. In an America so divided by poor leadership, self-interest, and outright malice, it's nice to be part of a counter weight that strives for fellowship, love, and equity.