Hello Permies

I have been a silent witness to the permies site off and on for a few years and have decided it may be time to come out of the shadows and start doing the actual communication thing.

As a natural cave person and nomad my relationship with social media is zero at the current moment and I am working to repair it. As unintuitive as it feels to me, it seems to be a valid way to meet people in our world today. I much prefer direct communication and hand written letters that show up in the good ole mail box. I often forget to check my email, or follow up with virtual things. I’d much rather spend my time kissing a chicken or playing in the dirt.

I have recently been asked 2 questions that stirred me to some deep reflection. 1- am I a real person. Well-yup. I’ve just been in my own little world and not the internet world talking to other real people in real life. One day I’ll come to terms with the interwebs being ‘real’ but maybe not soon so pardon my resistance and continued attempted engagement, or lack thereof. 2- what am I seeking. That’s a longer answer that I actually formulated the answer to driving on the open road and perhaps will post in its entirety as a random musing sometime in the future.

Why am I on permies? It’s a happy place. Dirt. Things that grow in the dirt. Dirty people. I was also asked if I bathe because I mention dirt so much. Ya know, sometimes. When the occasion calls for it. But really, I’m completely clean and love just playing the the dirt and don’t get grossed out by anything an animal produces. It’s all beautiful in its own way.

Currently I am riding the wind through life and the Southeastern portion of the US. At some point I’ll land and my roots will take hold. There will be some alignment of the stars and calling of my soul and I’ll park myself-but that hasn’t happened yet so I’m riding the waves of experience and learning along the way.

I have had a couple little homestead type places in extreme cold and a lot of heat and humidity. I would love an in between. Winter is amazing, but 108 growing days just aren’t enough. And while I have a somewhat tropical temperament, 100 degrees and 98% humidity a majority of the year is just a little much. I like seasons that have distinction. 7-8 months for one of them just seems like not enough sharing of the year for me. I’m a fan of balance.

So- hello. And thanks for sitting in my nutshell for a moment. Brevity has never been, and likely never will be, my strong point! I hope to meet and engage with some super cool people with super cool ideas here, and maybe the virtual world crosses into the physical world sometimes and that’s really cool as well!

Hope you- whoever may be reading this- are having a beautiful day and are inspired by something completely random today. Meanwhile, I am making an assumption that critters make other people as happy as they make me. So here’s the ‘real live’ me and some of my fav creatures that have or currently do grace me with their amazing presence and love. And a random fungi spotted in the northeast region of VT that I’ve yet to figure out. Ideas?

Welcome to Permies!

Christopher Weeks wrote:Welcome to Permies!

Thanks Christopher. From bystander to participant. Sometimes takes time and just the right coaxing. All in its own development. Thank you. Proud to be active, hope to be helpful, in this nifty little community.

Welcome to the communication thingy!

With Wifi and cell phones so available now days it is so easy to communicate.

It is always nice to see lurkers turn into active participants.

I live right on the NY/VT line and that fungus is interesting. You don't happen to know what type of tree it is growing on? I'm not confident in identifying it by the bark. What a wonderful little mystery you got on your hands.

Timothy Norton wrote:It is always nice to see lurkers turn into active participants.

I live right on the NY/VT line and that fungus is interesting. You don't happen to know what type of tree it is growing on? I'm not confident in identifying it by the bark. What a wonderful little mystery you got on your hands.

The tree is unknown. I am more familiar with SE  trees. VT was a new world and I was very lost in tree id! I can reach out to a tree peep up there and see if they can offer insight. Or dig and see if I have a picture of the whole tree or at least more of it. It was pretty half dead, and I couldn’t find it again when I walked my property searching. I asked a lot of fungi friends and I haven’t yet found it. Maybe a creature from another realm making a quick visit;)

Amber Michello wrote:Brevity has never been, and likely never will be, my strong point!

Oh, it is so nice to (e-)meet a fellow word-... sorry, I can't come up with a flattering, politically correct, non-assumptive term at the moment. I call my self a word-nerd, because "wall of text" is my default MO. "Concise" is vigorous (mental) exercise, not a natural trait!

Am also familiar with transient/mobile (oh, the adventures and memories!). There are surprising and lovely ways to sneak permie-ism in even without roots. Or with temporary roots. It's all practice, right?

Anyway - welcome, thanks for delurking, glad you're here, reflections are fun, and those are some great shots of the animals. Enjoy! Looking forward to reading about it.

Sara Hartwin wrote:

Amber Michello wrote:Brevity has never been, and likely never will be, my strong point!

Oh, it is so nice to (e-)meet a fellow word-... sorry, I can't come up with a flattering, politically correct, non-assumptive term at the moment. I call my self a word-nerd, because "wall of text" is my default MO. "Concise" is vigorous (mental) exercise, not a natural trait!

Looking forward to reading about it.

Hey Sara,
High School kids I worked with determined me to be ‘loquacious’. Which I thought was maybe a bad thing from them, but they said it was a positive quality- I’ll run with it!

There is always room to sneak in some perm stuff, everywhere, and sometimes adventuring is an extra fun way as it spreads into tiny pockets where it may not have existed a moment before. I try to say hello to every little piece of land I cross and ask it what it needs from me in the moment that I can give, or what I can communicate to someone else on its behalf. Maybe that makes me crazy? Maybe it just makes me a fun kind of weird? Either way, I’m happy in this existence and I think it doesn’t impede on anyone else’s happiness so I’m ok with it. Probably just gives people something to laugh at, and everyone needs laughter!

Hello and thank you to another adventurous spirit. It’s nice to emeet you as well! If you want to exchange dissertations on random topics, let’s get loquacious anytime!

Anne Miller wrote:Welcome to the communication thingy!

With Wifi and cell phones so available now days it is so easy to communicate.

This is true Anne!
If-
*I’m not on a mountain somewhere.
* I remember to turn it on.
*I remember that there are multiple functions to devices, they are tiny computers not just phones (I came from the world of having a pager and a phone only made calls and cost per minute and when there came text-each text was a charge on the bill….. I’m still not fully current tech trained in many ways)
*I have left over brain power for virtual tune in!
*I remember that communicating with someone in my mind while I’m playing in the dirt does not actually mean they were tuned into the whole conversation I thought I was having with them;) and then forget to say whatever it was directly to their human🤣

Thanks for the warm welcome.

Hi Amber, none of that sounds crazy to me.  This forum is better than others because:
I learn something every time I come here.
Everyone is nice here, because one is only allowed to be an asshole in the ciderpress, and I just don't go in there so I never see people being assholes!

Riona.

Thank you for the warm welcome. And the tips. I enjoy nice people and nice conversations. I don’t mind things that provide challenge or depth, but nice is a nice place. I’ll play with nice. It does seem like a wonderful community and I’m not sure what inspired me to come out of the shadows after…… um….. an embarrassing amount of time, but I’m grateful for the interactions here. And all of the wonderful information. I’ve found myself laughing, crying, saying ‘oh my gosh yes’ to a challenge or solutions, and being overall amazed by the community and creativity.

I also think I saw that you sing? At ren faires? This sounds like a fun thing.

Riona Abhainn wrote:Everyone is nice here, because one is only allowed to be an asshole in the ciderpress, and I just don't go in there so I never see people being assholes!

Oh you're supposed to be nice in the cider press forums too! In fact, you are only allowed to post there if you have demonstrated that you can be nice (hence you need to have earned a number of apples). The point of the cider press is a place that we can discuss controversial subjects like religion, politics, 'cides, GM and climate change - 'hot button' topics that might attract trolls - and have a conversation with nice people that may have differing opinions. If you're not nice you can lose apples quickly - hence the 'cider press' moniker!

Hello Amber, and welcome...!

I have a number of penpals I exchange hand-written letters with, and when I mention it to the "uninitiated," responses range from they think it strange, or exotic, to completely beyond them. Keep the postal service alive, says I.

Enjoy your time at Permies.

Stephen B. Thomas wrote:Hello Amber, and welcome...!

I have a number of penpals I exchange hand-written letters with, and when I mention it to the "uninitiated," responses range from they think it strange, or exotic, to completely beyond them. Keep the postal service alive, says I.
.

Stephen. Thank you. I love it! I miss letters. I’m eager to get settled at the next general temporary-ish landing place to get a mailing address there so I can begin the letter writing again. I once was a part of a list where people submitted their address and everyone was given a random person’s address and then a who’s next. We received a book of the persons choosing and then were meant to send any book we loved to the next person with a note. I can’t remember the logistics of it’s the name of the person who sent me the book or what I sent. But I do remember the book I received, the way I felt from the letter that was in it. And how much I enjoyed it in a way I may not have otherwise. It’s been over 15 years and random things will spark that warm memory of a complete stranger taking the time to share a piece of something that inspired them with me.

I’ve been a part of many letter writing activities for shut ins or people that just need a pick me up and would love to have more of those opportunities! Thank you for providing these things in the world. It is a special gift. And so real to read handwritten words. A true gift.

Amber Michello wrote:We received a book of the persons choosing and then were meant to send any book we loved to the next person with a note.

Oh I like that idea! - it is difficult to write to a total stranger when you don't know what you have in common, but the book gift between you instantly gives a subject to write about and put the gift in context.
Amongst my sentimental clutter I have a tin with letters that my husband and I exchanged before we were married and lived in different towns. We saw each other most weekends, and talked on the phone (landlines in those days) but still felt the need to communicate in between. I somehow don't think a text or email would be cherished in the same sort of way !

Nancy Reading wrote:

Amber Michello wrote:We received a book of the persons choosing and then were meant to send any book we loved to the next person with a note.

Oh I like that idea!
Amongst my sentimental clutter I have a tin with letters that my husband and I exchanged before we were married and lived in different towns. I somehow don't think a text or email would be cherished in the same sort of way !

Nancy. Those are amazing memories. I agree. I have cards from my grandmothers and seeing their handwriting is th e most precious. I have a lot of old letters that they saved from people and there’s just a feeling. It is beautiful that you and your husband took that time with one another. A practice long gone by I think. Such a beautiful way to develop your connection together.
There’s some amount of anticipation and excitement in waiting on the mail that we miss a lot without that as well. There’s so much to it. I am all for letter writing being a time honored tradition that doesn’t stop. I also love receiving postcards. The ultimate in giving without anything in return and telling someone you were thinking about them while you were busy out in the world, and took the time to buy, write, and find a way to send it. The postmarks from other places are fun as well. Very different than email.

If someone is smarter than me in figuring out the dynamics of that book swap, it would be fun. And between a bunch of permies it would be fun to send a ‘non permie’ book….. if that’s possible for anyone?! I find all of my books generally have to do with some part of my ‘work’ and it’s hard to get myself back into things I love for the simplicity like stories or poems or plays. Reading simply for the sake of reading and allowing something to be stirred up.