Lessons in Patience...
Dear Friends and Family,
Last week of May- the Lily of the Valley and Autumn Olives are filling the air with sweetness. Our resident honeybees that have made their home in the wall of our barn are busily gathering nectar. Steph turned 30 this week. Life is humming along!
Those of you who know us well probably have a pretty good idea of how driven (and stubborn) the Rhodzell clan can be. We are deeply motivated by a desire to build, grow, achieve...
Moving forward and progressing with our abundant visions and goals is our biggest passion, and our inspiration for this brief lifetime we share here on this beautiful planet. For example, in our lifetime we'd like to see an end to all chemical industrial agriculture, the end to the destructive monetary capitalism that rules our world, the end of weapons manufacturing and subsequent violence, and a return to cultural harmony that views the balance of our basic natural elements as the basis for all individual and communal decisions. You may call us idealists, but hey- we're working really hard to achieve these ideals.
So you can understand how difficult it must have been for us to face the prospect of an entire season 'wasted.'
But of course... as we've learned over the past two months, nothing is ever wasted. The passage of time and the accumulation of wisdom are intrinsically connected. And so, rather than a season 'wasted,' we've been blessed with a season of unexpected lessons. What a gift!
Let me back up, for those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about.
Two months ago, going into a season full of ambitious plans, I fell backwards 20 feet off a ladder after making a near fatal mistake chainsawing a large limb off a Silver Maple tree on our farm. This resulted in 9 broken vertebrae in my upper back and neck, a broken rib, a severe concussion, and a slew of other more 'minor' injuries that I am still in the process of recovering from.
The 10 days I spent in the hospital are a blur of I.V. opioid induced delusion, nausea, lights, beeps, sirens, and general suffering. It was the longest I'd ever gone without seeing or feeling sun, clouds, trees, birds, air... It was pure misery.
Things began improving dramatically upon my arrival back home, although new (and often unexpected) challenges presented themselves on a daily basis. The first thing I did was stop consuming the prescribed opioid pharmaceuticals. This immediately lifted the veil from my mind. I have a pretty strict policy of not consuming anything that I don't know either what it is or where it comes from. For pain relief I began taking herbal tinctures, including Saint Johns Wort, Skullcap, Solomon Seal, and high CBD Cannabis. I also started drinking nourishing infusions again- Nettle, Oatstraw, Burdock, Linden, Comfrey, Red Clover, and Astragalus. Using whole herbs and visualization exercises have not only helped reduce my pain, but also significantly eased my post traumatic stress, which was fairly acute after the accident.
Now, when I say "I did this, I did that..." I hope you realize that it was really Steph who has been taking care of me these past two months. She has exceeded all possible expectations as a healer, and as a mother. The original "plan" for the spring was that I'd be working off site landscaping, Linden would start daycare, and Steph would be at home taking care of the farm and the rental. Instead, for the first six weeks after I got home (when I really couldn't do much), Steph took care of the cooking, cleaning, mothering, nursing... plus working physical labor as a landscaper, and making most of the important phone calls trying to get our health insurance in order. Oh yeah, and forgot to mention that she is also taking care of the garden and the yurt rental. I'm a pretty lucky guy.
Our local community has also come together in an incredible way, providing us with meals, help around the land, and unlimited love and support. We are continually awed by the spirit of this place, and the people who live here.
I have one more month to go of wearing a neck brace before the real work of physical therapy begins. It turns out that not moving your neck for months results in what my physical therapist described as "noodle neck." Basically, I won't have the muscle to hold up my head. I'll be like a baby starting from scratch. And that's really what it feels like, having lost 20 pounds (of mostly muscle).
But like I started off saying, I've been gifted with a season of observation, meditation, and relaxation. Baring an event such as this, these are not activities that would have described any spring for the next 20 years or so (at least). So yes, I am blessed.
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In the meanwhile, today we signed a contract to receive funding from the NRCS for a 30x70 hoop house! We are so thrilled that we managed to sneak into the last year of Obama era budget. Starting next year, our new administration is cutting funds for these types of programs, funneling money into builder bigger bombs instead.
Also, our rental, "Wildwood Yurt" is available. Please help spread the word!
Visit out Airbnb page to learn more:
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/14615520?location=Frankfort%2C%20MI%2C%20United%20States&s=RhKwb-sb
The rental is currently our primary way to bring in income.
And finally, I want to share with you all a beautiful love story. One of my best and oldest friends, Shawn, is getting married. His fiancé, Liliana, lives in Bogota, Columbia. Currently Shawn is working his butt off to earn enough money to reach the quota required by immigration and customs in the United States to bring his soon to be wife home. This is an incredibly difficult and complicated process. Once Liliana makes it to the States, their plan is to buy a house in Detroit, and convert it into an dynamic living art gallery.
Please take a moment to visit their webpage, and if you are in a position to do so, contribute to their dream and spread the word:
And lastly: Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to everyone that has reached out and supported us during this challenging period in our lives. We love you all so much, and are grateful beyond words.
Peace, love, and green blessings!
Eran, Steph, and Linden
Our new Chicken coop!
