My Ishmael by Daniel Quinn

Well, I finished the book last week. I've been so busy, this is the first chance I've had to sit down and write about it. I definitely think that was this was the best book from the fictional story perspective. It was very engaging and difficult to put down. The knowledge imparted however, was just as important as the other two. As a matter of fact, I would suggest that it is important to read them in the order they were written. It doesn't say that anywhere, that you should, but I think there is a natural progression of thoughts.

This book completes the equation of what has gone wrong with our society. Even as I type that, I know it conveys the wrong idea. It's difficult to say what the flavor of these books are because they really are so different from anything else. These were written to open your mind and help you see what our culture really looks like objectively. There are no answers here on how to fix it, just a history of how it got this way and where it's going if it doesn't change. And I think we all know that it's going to H-E-double hockey sticks in a handbasket.

My Ishmael focuses on the areas of business/capitalism and education of our young. Once the simple fact is laid out before you that if food weren't locked up, the world would be an entirely different place; you sort of shudder and say "Why didn't I realize that before?" Really, you must think about that - if food weren't locked up, would you work in a job you hate? would you be trudging through each day of your life? wouldn't your "hobby" actually become your life's work? Why is the food locked up? To benefit a few elite by getting what they want in exchange for the food so desperately needed by all. Sure, it started off small and has escalated into what it is today - 95% of the world's population dependent on commerce in order to live. I think this why Star Trek appeals to me so much. I watch every episode repeatedly, because I love to revel in the fantasy that human beings actually can elevate themselves to the point of eliminating money from the equation. There it is - a technologically advanced (warp drive capable) civilization that runs smoothly without currency. People excel in jobs they love because they are fulfilling their true calling in life and there is no stigma about some jobs being better than others - they are necessary and keep the wheels turning. And their food is given to them as they need it - no hoarding and no cost, freeing the mind to pursue its dreams instead of its survival.

The other topic is the education of our young. Everyone says that school systems need to be overhauled, no matter what country they're in - but the US in particular, definitely. As homeschoolers, we have already figured out that isn't the way to help children thrive. And private school is no better than public, simply more expensive. But here, in this book, homeschooling is also seen as an extension of a structured educational system if it is not unschooling. Four years ago, I would not have seen that as a true statement. These past few years of learning from my children about how they learn best, I have begun to see that unschooling really is the only way for children to learn well and permanently. And to let them learn what they are interested in - forcing boring subjects does not increase learning or make a person well-rounded. And really, why is "well-rounded" absolutely necessary? Look at the picture as a whole, every part of our knowledge will be passed down through generations by people who know it best to the people who want to know about it. Children only retain what's interesting to them, so why waste years trying to cram things in there that won't stick anyway.

The most important lessons learned from these books collectively is that there is no ONE right way to live for all people. This of course is completely contrary to central beliefs of technologically advanced, world power civilizations. I don't want to elaborate more here because I am trying to get you to read these books. You will learn so much more from them than from a summary by me. This shift in thinking can't come about by reading a summary - you have to have all the details, chew on it, swallow it, digest it - then you really know it and understand.

I really believe that if you have strong desire to change the world, you have to start here.

The Search Is Over!

If you've been reading my blog for awhile, you'll know that I've been in search of chemical free body wash. Well, I'm happy to say that I've found it! Heidi has been working on her shampoo recipe and she gave me 2 bottles as part of our trade. She said she's still working on it and she's not completely happy with it yet. I tried it and thought that it was fine. I've had other shampoos leave me hair feeling a little softer, but this wasn't overdrying at all.

After the second time of shampooing, I thought "This really lathers well and smells so good. There's no chemicals in here - there really shouldn't be any reason not to use it as a body wash." I sent Heidi an email just to be sure. I mean who knows, right? I don't make soap. Anyway, she said to go for it, it's fine for both. And (a little whisper aside) she's in the process of developing and all-n-one shampoo, body wash, bubble bath (so keep an eye out!). Well, my dear friends! It was fantastic! The lather was great, the smell fantastic, a quarter lasted the WHOLE body (and there's lots of body!) and then some - even through shaving! My skin didn't feel dried afterward and I'm just in love.

So, my search is over. I have found my chem free body wash and she makes a ton of different scents. Cheaper than Bath & Body Works for the same amount - so worth it! And earth-friendly and human-friendly :)

The Story of B by Daniel Quinn

The Story of B by Daniel Quinn is the second book in the Ishmael series. This story is another piece of the "Where did we (society) go wrong puzzle?". While Ishmael focused on our current society being a culmination of the last 10,000 years of history and how that culture differs from the other indigenous cultures; The Story of B looks at the problem from the viewpoint of the spiritual and our disconnect from it. After having read The Story of B, I now realize that I can summarize Ishmael better. I just re-read my review on Ishmael so I wouldn't repeat myself. I am a bit shocked that you, my dear readers, let me get away with such a 'non-review'.

So, Ishmael in a paragraph - Defining Mother Culture. Our current society has arisen from a cradle of civilization roughly 10,000 years ago. It came about as a result of totalitarian agriculture which fixed us to one place and created the need for other skills based on farming and trade. Mother Culture tells us that this is the only way to live and that there is only pre-history before this. Ishmael shows us that there are other cultures that were present before 'civilization' and are still in existence today. Examples would have been Native Americans prior to the European settlers, and currently indigenous peoples such as the Aborigine. What they value is so different from what our Culture values that we think of them as non-people. Ishmael also shows us that their way of doing things is a way that worked for them for hundreds of thousands of years - and our way is collapsing after only 10,000.

The Story of B looks at the spiritual aspect of what Mother Culture has told us over the last 10,000 years versus what the other indigenous cultures already know spiritually. I'm using the word "spiritually" sort of loosely to connote an idea rather than spirituality in the way we think of things as organized religion. B was a student of Ishmael's who has gone out into Europe, in a sort of underground manner trying to recruit people to this way of thinking. At the very least, to make them aware of the problem. Because as we all know, we need to identify the problem before we can find a solution. I liked it and I didn't. First, I'll start with why I didn't like it.

This book is again a collection of non-fiction ideas told in a fictional setting. However, this time, it is not a telling style like Ishmael. It is a combination of journal entries and speech transcripts. I found this difficult to keep up with because the speech would be referred to in a journal entry, but was actually written in an appendix. At first, I skipped the speeches and kept reading the journal entries, but found that I was missing out on some key elements. Then I had to go the appendix and read those speeches I missed and going forward, had to flip back and forth between entries and speeches to know what was going on. Mr. Quinn should have just put the speeches in the body of work as it was referred to.

The other aspect I didn't like was that the learning character was a Roman Catholic priest who was sent by the Church to determine if B was the Antichrist, was having a crisis of faith before this started and it pushed him over. Being a Roman Catholic myself, I did not have a crisis of faith over learning these new concepts. He gave up too easily and didn't follow apologetics in any way to really sort of prove or disprove B's support of animism. Animism says that there is not one God, but rather gods of nature living in communion with each other infused throughout all living things - people, plants, animals, earth. This story emphasizes that salvationist religions are useless and we are on the wrong path with them.

What I did like was how it took Ishmael's concepts are far as culture and expanded them. While Ishmael looked at the role of historic culture, this book looked at the role of modern culture and the lies we continue to tell ourselves in the name of technology, capitalism, expansion, democracy, government, and so forth.

I would recommend this book only because it takes these ideas further and it is a trilogy. You can't read one and three and get the whole idea. The characters from one book aren't dependent on another book and neither is the plot - but the ideas are. So, my suggestion would be to read the speeches as they are referred to, instead of at the end. If you are person with substantial faith, do not be put off by the references to religions. Just recognize that he is putting forth his idea and doesn't, in my opinion, have to sway you away from your spiritual belief system.

Soon, a review on My Ishmael, the third installment.

Yarn Delights

Mmmm, so I got a gift card from Ben Franklin for Christmas and I finally got to use it yesterday. I got YARN! Lots of Cascade 220 :) My list of projects now has to be written with what yarn will be used because I remember it all. It's just delicious! Combined with the yarn I received yesterday in a yarn swap (stripe-y sock yarn!) and the yarn I traded for last week (gorgeous yarn from a hand-dyer in Germany!)

If I were going to have another child, I would name him Merino!

Believe it or not, I don't sell my knitted items. So for those of you who don't know me. I am a knitting FOOL! I've decided to put a list of what I'm working on in the sidebar, so you all can ask me about it and keep me honest and on track. I teach knitting classes in my home and at my local homeschool center. I'm usually working on several projects at once. I've turned into a yarn snob in just one year! I only like natural fibers - I've given away all my acrylics and nylons. Those are great to get started with, but if you want to create true textile art - you have to use natural fibers. I can barely buy yarn at craft stores anymore, everything is a blend with some synthetic garbage in it. Etsy, and sometimes Ebay, have become my yarn stores. I do have one locally, but I get too overwhelmed in there. I've tried going in with a pattern or project in mind, only to get easily sidetracked.

Yarn is art. People don't understand that. My family doesn't. They just think

Oh good grief, she's knitting again. how much yarn can she bring into the house?

To them, it doesn't make sense. Why can't I go out and buy sweaters, socks, and tops like everyone else? It's therapy. Hah! You try to take care of a home, homeschool your 4 kids, and take care of a couple of daycare kids. You'll start knitting too.

Okay, this got too long and started ranting. But I got lots of yarn and new projects so I'm happy. And my good friend Jenny has finally come back from Wisconsin (she was there for a month) and I get to see her tonight. She's my touchstone, keeps me sane in our twisted little universe. So, here's to good knitting and great friends! Even better if you can enjoy both at the same time :)

Ishmael by Daniel Quinn

Okay, so originally I thought I would write about a bunch of different things each day, but I'm finding that all lot of time is consumed with crafting and homeschooling. I do read each night for about a half hour, but it takes me about a month to get through a book at that rate. So I think my blog will consist mostly of crafting news, new finds, etsy artists, some homeschooling stuff and the occassional book review (as I finish them)

I read Ishmael, by Daniel Quinn, on the recommendation of my friend Becky. This book is a very good read for people who feel like the world is falling apart at the seams. It really should be a non-fiction book, but it is told in a fictional way, so there you have it. All of the premises are non-fictional however, so it is very enlightening to be able to get to the heart of what's wrong today - and give it a name. I would love to be able to explain it all in a nutshell, but I wouldn't be able to do the concepts justice in a small space.

If you feel that the global community is sort of spiraling out of control, and there's too much emphasis on capitalism and defining the "axis of evil", and that society is breaking down, etc.; then you will want to read this. The book is ABOUT these things, it's about how we got where we are today. Because as we all know, you can't find a solution, if you don't know what the problem is.

There are two other books written by Daniel Quinn that take this concept further. I am still reading them, so you'll have to wait for the reviews or read them yourself!

Plenty: One Man, One Woman, and a Raucous Year of Eating Locally

Hahaha, it's Wednesday and I'm now realizing that yesterday was Book Tuesday. Okay, so the day got away from me. Anyway, back to it...

Alisa and J.B. are a long-term couple who live together in the Pacific Northwest, in a little apartment with no patch of grass to call their own. So their attempt to only eat food harvested within a 100 mile radius was a grand and lofty goal. And probably a bit more along the lines of how we surbanites would have to go about it if we decided to make the big break. They don't have any problems finding food during the growing season due to all the local farmers' markets. However, they do have to go on a bit of a hunt to find many things we take for granted: flour, rice, oats, wheat, beans, etc.

They spend one month living completely off the land during the summer in the Canadian wilderness - no electricity, no plumbing, just a shelter, lots of lush foliage, and a nearby stream. The crunch comes when they are trying to preserve a variety of foods to have in the winter when they can't go to the grocery store - keeping in mind they have a tiny apartment.

So realistically, after reading both of these books, here's what I do. I buy from the farmers' markets from April to November, supplemented with veggies and herbs from my own garden, and sadly traipse off to the grocery store from December to April. I do buy only anti-biotic and hormone free meats, organic hormone-free milk, and try to keep my winter produce from within the United States. "It's expensive! I can't do that!" you say. Well, you're right, it is expensive. But sometimes you have to decide what's more important and make changes. Eat less meat - we are only designed to process red meat once a week and white meats up to 4 times per week. As Americans, we think it's our sworn duty to eat meat at every meal and red meat at least once a day. This is what causes us to be sluggish and irregular. Eat more bean and rice dishes, pasta with veggies, quick processing things. If you reduce the amount of meat you eat and take in more legumes and grains, you can even out the higher cost of the AB & H-free meats.

Also, I'm going to try to plant more this year.

A Year of Food Life

Okay, so I had one of my killer migraines yesterday. I don't get them often, but when I do.... So that means I didn't get to finish my book review of "A Year of Food Life" from last week. (Tuesday is Book Tuesday - trying to set up a pattern here. I'm Type A for those who don't know me.)

It's funny that Book Tuesday (when I'm writing about food) fell on the very day my local CSA opened up their registration. More on that later! Anyway, Barbara Kingsolver, her husband Steve, and daughters Lily and Camille were living in Arizona (Tucson to be exact), living everyday regular lives. Steve had a piece of family property in Southern Virginia that they would visit for summers. (Can you believe it?! Arizona to Virginia - I read that and thought, "Lord? Could you make it any clearer?!) They wanted to do a family experiment of eating only the foods that they knew firsthand the exact origins of, for one year. It helps that they have a family farm just waiting to move onto, but image what a daunting task that would be. Do you have ANY clue where you food comes from? I don't mean Walmart or Kroger. I mean WHERE? Ecuador, Peru, California?

Barbara writes the bulk of the story, month by month, of how eating seasonally affected their lives and buying meats from local farmers and grain from mills changed their outlook on life, nature, etc. Steve offers the hard core commercial facts in what I call Snippet Boxes. These are the bits that make you sit up and realize how terribly wrong we have gone as a consuming public. If you are not an avid reader and don't think you would take the time to read this book. PLEASE, just rent it from the library and only read Steve's Snippets (you can find them easily - only 1 or 2 per chapter and typeset differently). Camille provides wonderful, and EASY, recipes to make from the bounty of your land. And Lily inspired me to get egg-laying hens. I don't have them yet (thank you Brandermill Community Association), but I WILL!

I know, I know! You're saying "I can't grow all my own food!" Blah, blah, me either. But I do grow in little small patches what I can. I suggest you look into the next best thing in your area - the CSA! CSA means Community Supported Agriculture. To keep hardworking family farms afloat and providing us with fantastic foods (and NOT selling out to growing acres of dent corn that no one can eat - or worse! Going bankrupt and losing yet ANOTHER vital piece of local flavor!), the farm will offer shares of the farm to the public. Some are working shares, where you physically help out, but most are financial shares. Farmer Bob will take, let's say, 60 of his 100 acres, and call that portion the Share Farm. He calculates his cost and small profit and divides that number by the number of shares he's offering. So basically, you pay anywhere from $450 to $800 dollars for 16 to 30 weeks of produce.

In my case, it breaks down to about $16 a week for FRESH (most times it's picked the day before pick up), organic, SEASONAL produce. You begin to enjoy things at the height of freshness, experiencing tastes you've never had before. You learn to appreciate new produce that you've never tried before, because it was in your weekly pack. You are not subjected to watered-down hybrid varieties that have virtually NO nutritional impact. The benefits are enormous! You would spend that or more going to a grocery chain. (Oh, and if you can't get into a CSA, please support your farmer's markets. We need a resurgence in this way of life. It may be our only hope of survival as a people.) Why NOT get better produce AND support your local economy?

I could go on an on! Wait till next week when I tell you about "One Raucous Year". More food! I have to go fill out my CSA application.

The Comfort Zone

Create your own comfort zone. We all have busy lives and it's hard to connect with our honies sometimes. We're exhausted, we don't know what to say, the kids are demanding constant attention; it's just time to zone out. You NEED to create a space within your home that makes you feel relaxed enough to have a conversation and remember why you're together in the first place. At my house, we have the Cave. If you've been to my house, you know what I'm talking about and you probably have fond memories of Friday nights gone by.

If you've been reading my posts, by now, you know that I have a split foyer (grumble). So when you walk into my house, you have to make an immediate decision (in a 2'x3' space) to go up or down. Down is the Cave. At the bottom of the stairs, you can take a right and there's 2 bedrooms and a bathroom; but to the left is a magical realm on Friday nights. We have a long rectangular family room with a fireplace at the end, woodpaneling on the walls, mottled grey berber carpet, and very plush, comfy navy blue couches. But what makes it really special are the strings of Christmas lights all around the perimeter of the ceiling and the 25 candles around the room - on the walls, the tables, but most of them surrounding the fireplace and on the mantle. On any weekday or night, it's just an ordinary family room where someone is watching CNN or surfing the web. But on Friday nights, it's like the Bridge to Terabithia.

Only Christmas lights and candle lights are on. Our computer is hooked into our (very cheap "Made in China") home theatre system, and we crank the iTunes loud and strong! We have an amp, a good microphone, and call up lyrics on the computer and sign karoake to the real songs, not those Musak-sounding, "follow the bouncing ball" songs. We call it a "kid free zone" and they know enough to stay upstairs. (We get them something from Netflix and throw a couple of snacks at them and let them stay up late as long as there's no fighting - remind me to tell you about my kids sometime.) We have a few beers, start off talking about the week - what's new at the office, how are the kids doing, how are the friends we haven't seen in a couple of weeks (hey! maybe they'll be poppin' over later!), how did the latest Chemistry experiment go ("I see we still have a kitchen!) and the other fabulous homeschooling experiences of the week. But after a couple of hours of good tunes, a few beers, and the weekly catch-up, we start solving the world's problems. This is where I come up with all these great ideas that I can't remember a month later.

So I didn't solve a global issue last night, but I did realize that it's important to write about a creating a warm, inviting, loose space for yourself and calling it a special zone for adults once a week. We have friends that come and spend this time with us. They bring their kids - who also run upstairs and know to stay away from the Kid Free Zone. It's nice. It's not every week, but it's often enough to have meaningful conversation with other adults and not spend a whole lot of money going out (you know, dinner, drinks, babysitters, etc.)

Everyone always comments on how relaxed they are in our Cave and that they really enjoy their low cost, social time with us and how they'd love to create that atmosphere at home. So I just thought I'd share it with you. If you've been trying to figure why things don't click for you, or you're feeling exhausted and apathetic and you can't remember the last time you had a real conversation - create YOUR space. Make the effort, the dividends pay off in so many ways! Reconnection with your honey, a social life, relaxation, less stress, happier parenting - just do it.