Vaboomer -- Baby Boomer Views & News

A Good Life - Helen & Scott Nearing

Scott & Helen Nearing - true Vaboomers

Before "sustainable farming" was a common idea, a rugged, adventurous couple, Scott & Helen Nearing...blazed a trail that may lead us to a passionate nature-connected life.

A former college professor at the Wharton School of Economics, Scott lost his position due to his anarchist and pacifist beliefs during WW II. He had written a pamphlet, The Great Madness, asserting that the causes of war were largely commercial, benefiting corporations and the wealthy. (Where did he ever get that idea?-Ed.)

Beginnings

The Nearings began their simple life on an old farm at the foot of Stratton Mountain Vermont in 1932 in the pit of the Depression. Scott was 50 years of a.   They sought to extricate themselves from the market economy. 

They cleared brush, built stone structures. They experimented with greenhouses and organic farming.  (remember this was the 1940's & 1950's).

Scott Nearing: "Commodity production and high-pressure selling have turned millions of talented humans into spectators ... Following the rhythms of nature provides more than a formal education; it stimulates an unfolding and growth and attaches the fortunate individual irrevocably to Mother Earth."

The Nearings wrote a wonderful account of their experience.  It is the perfect guide on homesteading -- a veritable Bible for "back-to-the-land" living.  You can order it for  $7 (Click on book cover):

Freelance Farming -- the new “Back to the Land”

If you don't currently own a large piece of land for homesteading:  and since so much good land is already taken, find a way to farm it for the landowners. Give them a box of veggies every week, and earn your living off the rest. website: Freelance Farmers

"Do the best that you can, wherever you are, and be kind." ~ Scott Nearing

How do you think the "Back to the Land" movement has evolved? 

Have the current high food prices been a factor?

Is Love Intelligent?

Vaboomer is delighted to present Lori Hamann.  Lori offers a 12-week  "Life Balance Course" -- emailed lessons with videos. http://www.lorihamann.com This course gave me a calmness I never expected. And hope. I wanted to learn 'balance' but never realized how "deep" a journey I would take.  Lori is a skilled teacher with a graceful, loving presence.~ Nancy Mehegan co-founder Vaboomer Video: Part 1 Part 2 ````````````````````````````````````````````````````` The Lesson Where there is Love there is balance.   Better, yet - love is an Intelligence.   I can hear you saying, "Now, what does that mean?"   I will begin by saying that an "Intelligence" is a body of consciousness existent in our Universe that propels life forward.   Now, that might be difficult to get your head around...and that is why love is a mystery.   Your job however is to align with that mystery, the vibration of love...a love that you feel with your heart, versus think about with your head.  When you align with anything, you align your head and your thoughts, with your emotions.  You then feel that alignment through your heart and through your being.  It becomes what you know...what you remember about the true nature of God, the Universe, and Yourself. Let's get specific.  So, how does one align with the vibration of love?   You may think it's just being "loving".  You may think it's how you feel in relation to another.  But, I would like to offer that it is much bigger than that.  In fact...LOVE is so big, so powerful, and so threaded through life that is a wonder that we can even begin to speak about it through our limited "thinking mechanism".  Let's begin by expanding more on LOVE: - Love is God, Source, All That Is - You are love.  In other words the energy that is you, that is God/Source - is Love. - The power of God, Source, and the Universe works through Love -  (Therefore) Everything is created from Love - it's the power of creation. -  Love generates all life (LIFE - your broadest perception of it and beyond) -  All truth exists in Love and only Love. -  Love represents the field of pure potentiality -  Love and truth are found in your heart center.  -  When you choose to expand through Love, you empower your life on all levels. -  Love calls "LIFE"- into assembly -  Love is a miracle Now with that said, know that understanding what love is NOT sometimes helps us to understand more fully what love is, and expands our notion of how to create ourselves within that vibration. Love, is not scarcity.  It is not beliefs systems, thoughts, or attitudes that are rooted in fear or any other negative emotion. Love does not withhold forgiveness from yourself or others.  Love, does not judge -- ever.   Love does not deny love.   Understand, that you can not be in the vibration of love, and at the same time holding resentment and anger, or standing in fear.  Be clear that love is love is love.  If it is not love, is is something else.  Ask yourself a few critical questions.  Do you - misuse the power of love in any way?  Do you deny the workability of love in your life?  Do you stand in question of its power?  Do you ever pinch off the vibration of love through dishonesty or misrepresentation?   Do you disrespect yourself or view yourself as unworthy?  Do you view love as something you do...versus the body of  intelligence that you are? These are blocks to love, and then you, as conscious and sole creator of your life, diminish its power.  Know that love honors your journey of where you are at, and others as well.  Love  is never separate from you, you only separate yourself from love. The Field Work Remember being a match to the vibration of love is a choice. In what ways am  I willing to be a match to the vibration of LOVE?   How am I willing to express my love to others?  To myself?  What am I willing to give up? Judgment, unworthiness? The Journal Love, aspires to compassion.  In your journal begin to contemplate what true compassion is.  Begin to tell your story about compassion.  Imagine yourself being a bringer of compassion to the world.  What are your experiences, what would it look like?  Start it anyway you like...but for example - "Last year I became the most compassionate person that I know...." "Yesterday I saw what compassion could look like....." "Compassion was offered to me - here's a profound story...." I want you to be a match to love - and you can do this by focusing on compassion.   copyright 2008   Order: 12-week Life Balance Course:  $127

Seeing Salmon

Pat and Gilburt Peterson are 5th generation Ojibwe/Scandanavian fisherfolk and own Peterson's Fish Market on Rt 41 just north of Hancock, MI. Petersons Fish Market. You have never tasted smoked salmon until you have broken off a piece from a fish caught in Lake Superior the day before and smoked in the Peterson's own maple wood smoker.

Deep rich flavor, succulent flakey texture. I can barely wait to get to the car to unwrap my piece and stuff chunks in my mouth.

Peterson's is a family affair: Mom, Pop, sons, daughters-in-law, grandkids and some times a few hired hands. They fish from their own boat 'Three Sons', in Lake Superior everyday, sometimes starting as early as 2 AM. The catch comes back to be cleaned and ready for restaurants in the UP--lake trout, salmon, white fish by mid-morning. 

Then the walk in customers begin. Fish is put to smoke in wisps of fragrant maple--no additives or amendments --fish and smoke. It is ready the next day.

This summer, they added a little fish fry operation in the parking lot run by their youngest son who has just completed a course at the French Culinary School in NYC.  Fried fillets, french fries and cole slaw under a red-striped awing off the side of a lunch-truck. Plus a little upscale cream fish soup. Folks are lining up.

I think about the fish and their Omega 3 oils so healthy for us humans and giving us Boomers longer life, and wonder if I should say a prayer to the salmon in thanks for its sacrifice allowing itself to be caught in the nets the Peterson's make in the red barn out behind their little white market. Salmon.

As a totem, fish give us clarity and vision--no wonder with the Omega 3s. And salmon bring clarity to a visionary journey. With the pure air and delicious food here in the UP, I can only hope the journey I have been on in the last few years stays as true down in Troll Land (below the Mackinac Bridge).

The Peterson's show us about family, partnering, commitment and great simple food. Thank you.

More on Omega-3 oils:  Susan Allport

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