Blog: Musings on the Earth, Mindful Living, and our Connections
Spreading Gardens in the Neighborhood
The main purpose for which the In the Gardens main site was started was to serve as a source of food and education: for the congregation of ...
Spring Fundraiser – Join our monthly giving program!
Spring has come much too early this year. From those 70-degree days in February, plants took off early out of the starting block. Even though we’ve had a snowfall since then and some additional cold days, the warm weather is here, and it’s time to get all the goods into the ground. There are times during the season that we need to work overtime, and this is one of them. Our water system is in, but needs some fine-tuning. Some of our seeds are in, but lots more of our beds need to be prepped and planted. Trees and plants around the…
Unexpected Interweavings
Life is filled with unexpected interweavings, cycles and circles. I experienced some of these this past week on my JMMTT – Jewish Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training – at Isabella Freedman retreat center and farm. Nestled in the woods of Falls Village, CT, about 90 minutes from the nearest airport, the center boasts trails and a pond, several greenhouses, a large network of yards and structures for goats and chickens, and extensive fields for produce and fruit orchards.
In the Gardens First Volunteer Day!
This past Sunday, April 23, was In the Gardens’ first formal Volunteer Day, and a great day it was. We tackled a number of projects. Early this week we brought several cubic yards of compost to the property, and the first objective was to use it in the rebuilding of the keyhole garden. A keyhole garden is a permaculture design term…
Volunteer Day Celebrating Earth Day!
In celebration of Earth Day 2017, which is Saturday, April 23, please come to the In the Gardens Earth Day Volunteer Day on Sunday, April 23. You will learn about gardens and growing food while you help us plant this season’s fruits, veggies, herbs and …
Spring and the Transformative Possibility of Horseradish
Spring brings many thoughts and feelings: sunshine, the yellow pop of daffodils, a day here and there that is warm enough to play outside. For me it evokes all of these, as well as the recognition that it is time to plant the garden.
This year we got our cold-loving greens in the…
How Do We Measure Success?
Working with people is the joy of our work here at In the Gardens, whether it is helping them discover a love of fresh food as they grow and harvest, or guiding them to greater balance in their actions with self and others through mindfulness practice. It is in our interactions with the people that we serve and employ, our volunteers, and our donors that we fulfill our mission. Here are…
Celebrating Women: International Women’s Day
Once a year we get to thank our moms not only for everything they do, but essentially, for our very lives. Without them, well… clearly we wouldn’t be here. Hopefully we acknowledge our moms often in addition to the second Sunday in May. Another such day recognizing women occurs this Wednesday: International Women’s Day. While it is not well known in the United States, this day is celebrated as a major …
Winter Sprouts
This past Sunday, as with many Sundays, my volunteer, Abe, came to help me with winter gardening detail: removing dried mint and dill from the stems to jar for tea and spice, respectively. We removed and bagged seeds from collards and arugula, and separated beans and peas from their shells, some for cooking and some for planting next season. But this Sunday was different. The sun was shining and it was 65 degrees—time to work outside.
I love…
Partnering For Good: Huddle
Since the Women’s March, I have felt compelled to continue to act for the betterment of our society and country. I am particularly concerned about inclusivity as it refers to issues of economics, race, ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation. I am concerned about climate change and the world that our children inherit. And of course, I am concerned about hunger and need. So I decided to participate in…
We know the heart of a stranger.
My family is one of immigrants. Three of my four grandparents were not born in this country. My maternal grandfather, being the exception, was born in the Lower East Side of New York, his family from Poland by way of Germany. My maternal grandmother was from Russia or Poland—“Minsk, Pinsk—they kept changing the boundaries,” she would say when asked where she was from, “sometimes we were in Russia, sometimes we were in Poland.” My paternal grandfather hailed from Russia, while his wife, my maternal grandmother, was born in England as her mother, a photographer, fled the…
Women’s March in Chicago 2017
I didn’t march in opposition. To anyone or anything. I didn’t march in rebellion. I didn’t march against this or that. I marched for.
I marched for unity. For a country that is “indivisible” as our Constitution says, a country “by the people and for the people.” I marched for those who have a voice, as well as those who don’t. I marched for equal pay for equal work. I marched for equal work opportunities for all, and equal education opportunities for all. I marched for our planet…