56. PEAS ON EARTH

Sign at a local Restaurant

That is where we are heading next, to Peas on Earth. http://www.peasonearth.co.za  The owner is a couple called Niki and Colin and they have a small Organic farm. I am ecstatic to be going back to “farming”. 

The farm is about 30 km outside of Kei Mouth, so it is not a major move; just down the road and Kei Mouth will still be our “local” town.  I do like Kei Mouth, it is an eccentric and off the wall kind of place full of characters of note, but I am a farm girl by heart.

The harsh reality is that the small towns are ghost towns out of season. I have to say that I do see myself as a bit of an expert on living in small towns.  You either come here to retire, with money already made or you have an existing business, like a Food Zone or the Bottle Store. It is real hard to actually find work and the population is too small to really sustain any kind of year round business. It is a beautiful place with lovely weather and long beaches and lush bushes and fresh air and all those things, but it can become hell in paradise.

Paradise lost?

I also applied for a position as Organizational Assistant at a place called Zuvuya/Impendle http://www.impendle-ecotourism.org.za   (Organic farm/Self sustainable farm and Eco tourism). I made it past the first round, filled in a questionnaire, that was two days ago and I haven’t heard from them since. I guess we will just have to wait and see.

It takes a lot of organizing the keep things running smooth; basically a lot of these communities are also businesses. It takes commitment and lots of planning to keep things on track. It also needs funding and a Perma culture garden. I say perma culture because it is a whole system of self sustainability, not just a matter of growing food for profit.

Peas on Earth and Impendle are both small Green Businesses. I have spoken to Colin and he knows that if the Zuvuya happens I will be going, simply because they also have the Ecotourism side, but for now, it is me and the Peas.

We are moving the end of the month.

55. WHERE TO NOW?

Vertigo

Stairway to heaven?

Coral tree, with the Kei rive mouth in the background

Stop this roller coaster I want to get off! I told you in a previous article (Forty Eight) that I started meditating again and that it always (3^rd time now) creates havoc in this world. Everything just explodes, all at the same time. The big bloody bang is not over yet.   

I see a plan, but I have to go places and talk to a few people first before I can share that here. I have taken the photo, now I must develop it, so to speak.

Putting yourself first is not selfish.  Stop the self sacrifice, it gets you nowhere.  How can you help others it you cannot even help yourself? I am busy giving myself a motivational speech, trying to convince myself. Sometimes you have to let go of things.

This whole idea or starting the Medicinal herb garden with the Doctor is just not happening, for all sorts of reasons, but mainly because I think I have created enough gardens for other people at my expense, next time I will do it for payment or for myself.

Paradise lost..

Being on the brink of disaster (financially) does bring up some issues, you do think about things in a different way. The trick is not to fall into a space of fear and lie there and panic.

I am sure a plate of food and a place to sleep must be a basic human right, it is a basic human need! Talk is cheap and there are all these beautiful words about human rights.  Now we are so happy and proud, look we have a piece of paper it says we have rights, but what does it really mean in the real world. Just because something exists in theory, does not automatically mean it is being applied in practice. Even if you know your basic right, how exactly does that put a roof over my head? There is this commission that has to decide whether your rights have been violated, by the time they have decided, you could have died from exposure.

In the meantime I can really put some energy into some of my ideas about making money from the internet. My main interest in this is the fact that payment is normally in Dollars or sometimes Pounds, so even if it does not bring in much, with the exchange rate it is worth quite a bit in Rand value. It is a lot of work and learning in the beginning, but once it is all up and running it does not take up your whole day and can create income, without creating slavery.  I am brainstorming a lot about this at the moment.

Kei Mouth Coffe Shop, they have an Organic market every Saturday

We have decided to move at the end of the month, actually we haven’t decided that, we will have to, cannot afford this rent any longer.  There goes my idea with the Internet business, because I will more than likely not have a good internet connection where we are going next, that is now if my plans all work out. Again I cannot share details with you yet, because I have to go and talk to some people first.  I am rather excited about my whole plan. Let us see how things develop, I need to get out of town, even towns are too big for me and I need a garden! This will be the start of a whole new chapter in green living!