I feel energy gathering, like the moment of pulling up armfuls of lace petticoats and skirts in order to start running.

Seven years ago I was wandering through our farmers market with the children. They were two and three at the time. We happened upon a woman spinning at a booth where her wool and soap were for sale. The moment had an archetypal quality, one of those moments where you feel energy pooling at your feet and suddenly your life changes, only you don't quite know it at the time. I think I've even mentioned it here before. A woman spinning who looked at my children and said, "Your children already have the demeanor of homeschooled children." At the time I had no intention to homeschool and I had no idea what she meant by "homeschooled demeanor."

This woman is still making soap, spinning wool, homeschooling, and now blogging: Three Waters Farm

Just as I never planned to homeschool, I have never planned to farm. Just as I found myself inexplicably drawn to homeschool, a thing that looked like WAY to much trouble and pain and doomed to fail. Here I sit a devoted and passionate homeschooler, drawn to permaculture, even as it looks difficult and unattainable. Even as old messages from childhood about my incapability run through my head, I think I want to try.

I can't really say much for the idea of farming at all. I do not want to slave on acres of rows of a crop. What I want, as much for my children and our homeschool and as much for a need to be and raise responsible citizens, is to take our tiny land and practice stewardship.

The primal forest is long gone, so the idea of leaving this acre to nature is already corrupt. But, looking a little deeper, I see we could set systems in place here, systems that work with nature. We could figure out a tiny orchard, some chickens, water, herbs, vegetables, and I don't know what all. But a lot more. In so doing, we could make more of our own food, medicine, and cosmetics. And what better school? No better school, I feel certain. I am thinking on this now.Couldn't resist adding this sweet picture of Henry from early last summer. It seems to me children are such natural gardeners. I've never met one who was completely uninterested, who couldn't be coaxed to get their hands in the earth here and nip a leaf there.