Category Archives: Personal

The $500 idea

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Hello world! Whew, it’s been a while…

When I sit down at this blog after a long hiatus like this (not the first time, mind you), I feel like I’m 12 years old, staring at a blank diary page after I neglected to write for months. I would look down at the diary and feel this huge expectation upon me. The pages saying to me: Well, where have you been? Fill me in on the past three months of your life! Surely you must have something to tell me?

And thus, this blank blog entry feels a lot like that. As though I am expected to recap everything that has happened in our lives since where we left off. Before the changes in our day-to-day lives and this amazing new adventure owning ReThreads really began. Back when I didn’t know what it was like to work 70 hours a week and we still spent the majority of our time together. As though I could just slowly turn the dial through these past few weeks and months, sharing and savoring the funny and beautiful moments, fast forwarding past the difficult ones.

But… (tell me you didn’t see this coming) I’m not going to do that. When I was 12 I picked up the diary out of the blue because I wanted to gush about my latest crush or how my best friend and I weren’t best friends anymore. I didn’t want to take on the task of bringing my diary up to speed from where I last left off. BORing. Then, as now, I had something pressing on my mind, and that’s why I came back. To share this juicy tidbit. This new passion in my life. Perhaps then, as now, I found it more suitable to live in the present rather than dwell on the past?

And so, here it is. The reason I’m back: to share an idea. It’s an idea in infancy right now, not yet a well thought out idea. But it’s still an idea worth sharing from the start. And a joint one at that. (As some of our best ideas tend to be!)

The basic premise is that we are going to spend $500 locally, on things that help grow our community and our selves. And we’re going to blog about it.

Here’s the story that led up to the idea: Due to a strange set of circumstances that nearly left us homeless, Mark and I were forced out of our most recent apartment and we received $500 in compensation for the inconvenience of having to move earlier than expected. At first we thought that the money would go a long way toward helping us furnish this new apartment and make it more homey and comfortable than the previous apartment. The last one always felt temporary to us, and thus we weren’t inspired to really make it feel like home. And even if we had been so inspired, there wasn’t much time: Have I mentioned we’ve been a little busy with a new baby in the family. Now, though I’m still just as busy at ReThreads, we’re more inclined to settle into this apartment and make it feel special, so we’ve been shopping for furnishings that feel like “us”. This would be a great way to spend our newfound moolah, right?

Right, except that home furnishings are things we would have bought eventually anyway. We’re both always keeping our eyes peeled for secondhand items to bring home that serve us functionally or aesthetically. And occasionally we buy new: we covet rare trips to IKEA like the cheap college kids we apparently still are (somewhere deep inside?). Buying furniture and artwork might be on our to-do list, but this new money won’t really be noticed if we just put it in savings and wait until the right pieces come along… That is to say, it’s like every time I receive cash as a holiday or birthday gift. It’s very very appreciated, but I don’t usually spend it on something I really want or will remember into the future. It usually just goes into the bank and ends up paying bills or some other nonmemorable purchase.

So we shifted our thinking, and wondered how else the money could make an impact in our lives, and maybe other peoples’ as well. After all, IKEA doesn’t really need our money. How can we have fun with this $500 and engage with our community at the same time?

Nearly every day it seems we learn of a cool new organization in Charlottesville, or local project that needs support, or fundraiser event that we want to attend. Or someone who could use their day brightened by a bouquet of flowers. So we decided that this is how we’re going to spend our money. Intentionally. On local products and services. Paying forward kindness. Treating ourselves to a class or event we might not have otherwise. Putting 100% of the money into the community, in a recordable way. As in, recording it on this blog as we go. What lessons will come from our $500 adventure? What new experiences will we have? What richness and beauty will we see in this community?

While we work out the groundrules of our little $500 challenge, here’s my question to you: If someone handed you $500 right now, how would you spend it? What would you do to make the world a little happier, your community a little stronger, yourself a little richer?

Short and Sweet

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Another ReThreads update is long overdue. After all, I’ve been hinting that I would show you what the shop will look like in at least two of the last three posts. And given that I just received the keys to the store yesterday, I’m finally closer to the reality of seeing what it will actually look like in real life, not just as a design on the computer. So… may as well share said designs, no?

i got the keys

Well, I’m afraid I’m going to disappoint you. In between a vacation that turned out to have less winter sports and more family loss than we had hoped for, I’ve now got a bit of a cold. And I will use that as an excuse for my foggy brain and lack of energy to even upload many pics.

Here’s one of the 3D designs of what the store will look like once it’s set up – more to come, including a key to deciphering all the icons, next time, when I’m hopefully back to feeling like myself again.

3D top

We’ll miss you, Cousin Eileen.

family

More about ReThreads, FAQ style

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Thank you so much to those of you who have been in touch about supporting ReThreads after yesterday’s post! I’m back to share some more information about this new venture, answering some of your Frequently Asked Questions.

logo

Okay, so what is ReThreads?

ReThreads is an eclectic and affordable reuse shop opening in Charlottesville in early spring 2013. Our goal is to offer affordable, good quality secondhand items: clothing & accessories for men, women, children, and your home. We accept items for consignment during open business hours and there is no fee to consign with us. Spread the word!

What is consignment?

ReThreads accepts items on consignment. This means you can clean out your closets, bring us good quality clean saleable items, and we’ll sell them for you. Once your item sells we’ll give you 50% of the sale price in store credit (half that if you want cash). Thanks to ReThreads, you can make space for the things that you love, and let your gently used items find a great new home! We also work with local artisans to sell reuse-related crafts on consignment.

What makes you the right person to run this shop?

I’ve been on this journey for about three months, or thirty years, depending on how you look at it.

I was raised with a strong “use what you’ve got” ethic and have developed keen resourcefulness and thrifty sensibilities. All my life I’ve loved shopping at reuse stores, and over the years I’ve made a pretty penny by buying cheap and reselling – either through consignment stores or online with Craigslist, Amazon and Ebay. I’ve helped organize “Freemeets” and regifting parties. I love stuff, but I’m not a hoarder! The difference is that I can easily let stuff go on to the next home just as easily as it came into mine. In fact, I believe that is what stuff is naturally meant to: move through the world to find the right place at the right time, and move on when it starts to feel stagnant or incompatible.

My professional background has offered me a variety of interesting work over the years, and along the way I developed business savvy and skills that I am excited to put to good use for this venture. For instance, I’ve helped many small startup businesses with low-cost marketing, event planning, and bookkeeping. I’ve run my own businesses and developed the necessary time management and multitasking skills. I’m a fast learner. I am nothing if not resourceful. And while I’m risk-averse (financially, physically, etc.), I do love a good challenge. Fulfilling my dream to be on the other side of the check-out counter is my newest challenge.

I have worked enough jobs that don’t fulfill an inner passion to know how special it is to love what you do everyday, and make a living doing it. After moving to C’ville last fall, it became obvious that I am passionate about starting a reuse shop. Those of you who know me know that once I get an idea in my mind, I am 110% committed to it. Some might call that stubborn. I prefer the term determined.

And after committing to this idea, the universe has steadily provided for me every step of the way. You say you want to run a reuse shop?, says the universe, Well then, here are some people to give you things for free; here are the keys to a storage unit; here’s a store closing down whose fixtures you can buy. And on, and on. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s get back to more questions.

I thought you were a farmer?

I loved farming in Scottsville, VA last season. I will miss growing my own food this season. But now is not the time for Mark and I to give up everything that this small city offers to own farmland far outside of town. And while I may not be tasting my own tomatoes in 2013, there are several ways in which this new business will resemble last year’s farm business:

  1. I won’t have a desk job. I’ll be physically active during the day instead of sedentary and staring at a computer screen.
  2. I’ll manage my own hours/be my own boss. This has been a necessity for me since I left my full time consulting job in Manhattan six years ago. Plus, I think I’m good at running the show!
  3. I will spend a large portion of my days interacting with people. As a farmer, I loved selling at the farmers’ market because of the interactions with customers. I loved getting to know the regulars, chatting with produce buyers at the stores where we sold our items, and just being more social than most of my freelance jobs allowed.
  4. The challenge of being an entrepreneur/figuring things out as you go/holding on for the ride. I’m in!

 harvesting

But do you have any retail experience?

Technically my only retail experience is as an occasional marketing consultant for a friend who ran a shop in Burlington (Hi Tracy!). I may have rung up a customer or two at the cash register when my friend was otherwise occupied, but I’m not sure that qualifies as much (or any) experience. That is to say, I acknowledge that I have a lot to learn about the ins and outs of running a retail store. But, for those of you who didn’t believe me the first time, let me say this again: I’m a fast learner. And I’m ready to approach this new challenge head on and learn everything I need to know to be successful.

Again, my farm experience is helpful here – I’ve run many successful farmers markets. Everything I’ve learned, from how to interact with customers to how to set up a display table, will be helpful in this new venture.

At the Shelburne Farmer's MarketMy first farmers’ market in Burlington in 2007

So there you have it, the answers to five frequently asked questions. More interesting and hopefully entertaining answers coming tomorrow including: What do I need money for? and How will the store help the community?

As always, I am very appreciative of any contribution amount – even $5 will help me buy store supplies!

Contribute

Help Fund ReThreads & Get Store Credit!

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Dear friends and family,

As you know, I’ve got big plans for 2013. Within the next two months I’ll be opening the doors to an eclectic and affordable reuse shop called ReThreads in my hometown of Charlottesville, VA. It’s a huge and exciting undertaking and I’m thrilled to be throwing my creative energy into it. And I’m also thrilled to tell you more about it. A lot more. Over the next several blog posts I’ll share some of the details you’ve been wanting to know about the store: my location, when it will open, the layout and design, and what inspired me in the first place. Oh, and I’ll even answer the number one question on everyone’s mind: how am I acquiring a starting inventory so that I don’t open the doors on day one with an empty store?

Before I go into all that detail, let me be frank. Starting a retail store, even for a bargain queen like me, takes a bit of money. I appreciate all the moral and emotional support friends and family like you have always provided. Now it’s time for me to do something that makes me uncomfortable: to ask for your financial support. I’ve been chipping away at my savings steadily since I first began planning this store in earnest two months ago. All signs are go for me to open my doors within six weeks, but I need some help with funding a marketing and publicity campaign. What good is an awesome shop if no one knows about it?

You’ll notice I’ve added a PayPal button to the sidebar and in this post below. If you’re in a position to contribute, I would greatly appreciate if you would consider it. I promise an upcoming post will offer more detail about exactly what the store will offer you and the community at large. And why I’m choosing this method of fundraising versus other options. So you can mull it over until I provide more detail if you’d like. But for now just trust me, this is something you want to be a part of.

Here’s the best part: despite the PayPal button label, it’s not a “donation” to me, you’re actually buying yourself store credit! To thank you for being part of the initial community of supporters – I’m offering to give you store credit for the value you contribute. While I appreciate any amount – seriously, even $5 will be helpful – I will gladly extend the store credit offer to anyone who contributes over $20. Those of you who aren’t local, which may be most of you reading this blog, will have to take this as a sign that you need to visit Charlottesville sometime after the store opens, to visit me and use your credit at ReThreads!

Much, much more detail to come in future posts. In the meantime, Thank You!

PS – If you’d like to contribute but don’t want to use PayPal (it’s free to you, but they charge me 2.9%), I’ll gladly email you my address to send a check. Send me an email.

PPS – If you’d like to contribute financially but you can’t for whatever reason, I fully understand. I also accept contribution in the form of internet high fives.

Figuring it Out

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2012 was a year of new beginnings. Insert cliches about doors opening, doors closing, etc. But it’s true.

And it isn’t true just for myself, but for all of us. I don’t know anyone whose lives this past year weren’t touched by great change. Heartbreak and loss. Happiness and joy. Burying the dead. Creating new life. Changes of all varieties. “Good or bad no one knows, it just is.” It seems every year, more so than the last, becomes the year of transition.

What strikes me as the most important thing to remember right now as I reflect on the past year and anticipate the next is this: No one has figured it out. That is to say, life isn’t easy, and there certainly isn’t an owner’s manual. Everyone has to sort through it in their own way. And we will, without a doubt, encounter failure and disappointment at times. And at others we will reach the highest ecstasy. As long as we keep moving forward, nurturing the creative spark that is in all of us, there can be no stagnation.

wild and precious

The point is, I think, for us to live our best lives at every given moment. And we don’t have to do it alone. We have friends and family, community all around us, to give us strength and encouragement when we need it. Personally, I am thankful to have such supportive people in my life, and an amazing, loving partner, all of whom have made 2012 a year to remember.

If you haven’t seen it already (I shared it on Facebook a while back), I strongly encourage you to watch this 20 minute talk by Elizabeth Gilbert. She is the author of Eat, Love, Pray and Committed – two memoirs that have had particularly poignant impacts on my life – and an amazing storyteller. She reminds me that we look to others to learn from their failures and successes. To glean something useful and meaningful. Because we are all just stumbling through this little life, trying to do our best. If I may paraphrase:

We all long for somebody who has ‘solved’ life like a puzzle. After solving it, they just glide through. But that isn’t how this works. Instead, you gather clues from others on the scavenger hunt of life. But in the end the decisions are going to have to be your own.

I can’t figure out how to embed this video, so you’ll just have to click on the link here: http://www.oprah.com/omagazine/Elizabeth-Gilbert-Talk-from-O-Magazines-10th-Anniversary-Video

Did I mention how strongly I encourage that you watch it? At least for me, her words offer clues on the scavenger hunt. Along with laughter and tears and, well, a desire to share it with others. So here it is again in case you missed the previous paragraph.

Here’s to a new year filled with joy and laughter, abundance of health and wealth, laughter and love. And may we all find the clues we need along our scavenger hunt.

live life love

Consider This Our Holiday Card

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Welcome to our first annual holiday/year-end update/post-Mayan-apocalypse/hi-how-are-you letter!

What a year it’s been! Twelve months ago we had recently decided not to buy a 27-acre farm in Virginia, consoled with the idea of starting a new farm business on someone else’s property. We were preparing ourselves for the big move from VT to VA and saying goodbye to a home we had spent over a year pouring ourselves into (leaving it in the responsible hands of trusted tenants). Last year around this time we were celebrating Mark’s birthday at a ski/waterpark resort on the Canadian border, cursing climate change for the lack of snow.

water park

Now, our farm business this spring/summer is quickly becoming a distant memory, Melissa is on the verge of starting an equally ambitious and yet completely different business, and we just celebrated Mark’s birthday with our new BFF Dave Matthews (and band. And 15,000 other fans.)

MarkDave

After our farm experience ended, Melissa spent a little time in Vermont: seeing friends, hiking, biking, and swimming in Lake Champlain. That is, until this summer’s massive outbreak of blue-green algae scared her from stepping foot (or any other body part) in the lake again. She then traveled the northeast to see friends and family in MA & NY, and took a vacation with some awesome ladies in Maine. After a hellish week without power that is best not talked about again, Mark left the farm but stayed in Virginia, finding friends and commonality at an intentional community called Twin Oaks. After many weeks apart, we two came back together to take a wonderful trip in New York’s Hudson Valley. A walk down memory lane for Melissa, it was Mark’s first time to the area, and he nearly moved right in to the cute hippie town of New Paltz.

On Poughkeepsie Bridge

Upon moving back to Charlottesville together, we temporarily lived in one bedroom of a two bedroom apartment. While far from the ideal living situation, it was the perfect short-term solution for our collective indecisiveness about our next steps and Cville’s indecisiveness about whether to make other apartments available to us. Somewhere in there, Melissa took an intensive course on Reiki I & II and we started side gigs as petsitters and (un)professional movers. These days, Mark is working a hobby job at Trader Joe’s, in walking distance from where we live, which he is having fun with. Thanks to TJ’s, and Mark’s enthusiasm for trying Joe’s products, we’re eating and drinking well!

Note: We do not actually eat this. But it is apparently all the rage at TJ’s.

We also have a beautiful new two bedroom apartment. “New” to us at least; it’s actually a bit shabby. Speaking of “shabby” and “apartment”: as a consequence of preparing for Melissa’s new consignment store, our furnishing style seems to be “shabby chic warehouse,” as there are stacks of boxes everywhere you look.  As I write this, there is a mannequin in the living room, dressed in an obnoxiously-ugly Xmas sweater. I’m not even kidding. (Update: someone on ebay paid $25 to buy this thing to win an Ugly Sweater Contest!)

holiday sweater on mannequin

What’s this about Melissa running a store? Yep, it’s official. Within a few months she will open ReThreads – Consignment Clothing in Charlottesville. She would tell you more but she’s too busy obtaining business licenses, store fixtures, and merchandise to sit still at the computer. Stay tuned for more info.

In conclusion, we’ve learned a ton this year – about ourselves and each other and this journey of life. We’ve come through the questions and the doubts and the cramped shared apartment to clarity and peace and abundance. Each day, we’re being our best selves, and we’re choosing where to place our hearts: with each other. We’re excited to see what the future holds!

magnet poetry(Oh and did I mention we also found a love for magnet poetry?)

Cheers and happy holidays!

holiday photo

Living The Random Life

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Nearly every day Mark and I exclaim to each other how random our lives are. Those of you who know even a little about us probably recognize the truth in this statement. One day we’re renovating a house in Vermont, the next we’re farming veggies in Virginia. But then before you know it, Melissa’s back to doing some renovating in Vermont while Mark is exploring a hippie commune in Central VA. A month ago we were couchsurfing with a crazy cat lady in New Jersey and attending an Indian wedding, and today we were less than 30 feet from one of the coolest Jersey cats -The Boss – as he played a free concert in Cville.

(Coincidentally, we also had a close encounter with the last well known celebrity who took that same stage – His Holiness The Dalai Lama – about two weeks ago. A smile and wave from HHDL sent a wave of emotion and gratitude throughout my whole being in a way that even Thunder Road can’t touch. Sorry Bruce.)

These days our random lives get even stranger. Well, maybe it’s not stranger than a hippie commune; I’ll let you be the judge.

Over the past week or so we’ve found ourselves in these various situations:

  • Participating in an online property auction, preparing ourselves to be the new owners of a condo with amazing views. Five minutes later: the auction over and us condo-less. We took turns convincing each other it wasn’t really what we wanted anyway. After all, unobstructed mountain views are overrated.
  • Driving through a hard hat construction zone for new commercial space on the outskirts of town. The development happens to be where the new Trader Joe’s is going in (woohoo!) and also happens to be where my baby got a job. The two may, or may not, be related. All I know is I’d like to see Mark in construction boots and a hard hat.
  • Loading ~500 books from a beautiful estate just west of Cville into Jenny-the-Truck for later sorting and selling. Similarly: helping a young woman certified hoarder move out of her apartment  Yep, we’ve got a new moving business going, using my trusty truck as our pack mule.
  • Chasing dragons*.
  • Missing Vermont = buying stock in Green Mountain Coffee Roasters.
  • Hiking to an apple orchard at the top of Carter Mountain – a local tourist attraction this time of year – and hitchiking our way back down.
  • Enjoying Ethiopian cuisine (a first for MM).
  • Attending classes at a fancy schmancy expensive gym. When we work out there we regularly look at each other and say “Who are we?”
  • (Melissa) Applying for a job at a metaphysical book store. “I meditate regularly” and “I have some knowledge of crystals” are phrases that had never made it into a cover letter until now.
  • (Melissa) Editing a book. Not one that I wrote, mind you. That’s coming – one day.
  • (Mark) Living to see the day when Melissa was willing to step into an AT&T store and seriously consider buying a smart phone.

All this is, in part, a way to bring you up to speed on our lives. After all, it’s not all that long ago that we broke up with the idea of running an acre farm at the Local Food Hub, and – in truth – questioned whether we too were breaking up. A lot has happened since then. We’ve had many months of processing, conversations into the wee hours, alone time with much personal growth, tears of joy and of sadness, speaking from the heart, and truth seeking. We lost each other and found each other again, feeling renewed and rejoicing for the love that was still underneath it all. We’re here, in Charlottesville, starting anew with ourselves and each other. We have all kinds of questions about what’s next and very few answers. I’m learning to love the questions.

This post is also a way of re-inventing this blog (yet again) to focus on the relationship side of the equation since we’re no longer in Vermont renovating our 1920’s “shack”. Though, the renovating topic may have its fair shot in the near future – especially if I move forward with my bright idea to get crafty with some thrift store furniture, or if we accidentally buy a fixer-upper in a property auction. You never know with us.

Stay tuned.

(*The dragons weren’t real.)

One Year Later

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So much can change in a year.

A year ago this week Mark and I took our first trip to Charlottesville together. The trip was a much anticipated – and deserved! – vacation from the recordbreaking winter in Vermont. When we left, there were still several feet of the white stuff on the ground, and it wasn’t about to end anytime soon. Here’s what our house looked like around that time.

Some of us were genuinely grumpy with the weather. Not that I’m naming any names.

It wasn’t just that we were sick of being cold, and the winter darkness, and the shoveling. It’s also that we were literally worried that the roof might collapse (turns out we didn’t have to worry as our attic roof was structurally overbuilt, but we were worried nonetheless). We also were itching to start gardening, and it was hard enough to even think about garden season let alone start seedlings indoors when our backyard looked like this.

We really thought spring would never come.

So imagine our surprise when we took our vacation 500 miles south and found daffodils blooming, community gardens bustling with people, and farmers with their hands in the soil! In March! With no snow on the ground! And no dreaded mud-season!

One year ago today I began picturing myself living in Virginia, and for the first time, and I kind of liked what I saw. Of course Mark and I had talked about it before then – he had been looking at Virginia real estate online for months prior to our vacation. But I never really gave it much thought. Because when I did think about it, it made me sad. Say goodbye to Vermont? Leave the house that we had put so much energy into renovating?

Being the sweet guy that he is, Mark wanted to ensure that if we did ever move to Virginia it was as much my idea as it was his. In other words, no forced relocation or ultimatums. Gentle prodding? Yes. Coercion? No. Mark simply let Virginia speak for itself.

Over the course of about a week spent in the Charlottesville area we visited some of the many places that did the talking – loud and clear.

  • First, there was Edible Landscaping, an amazing nursery that sells only edible plants that can grow in this region. Like figs and peaches and tea plants and peanuts and artichokes and almonds and pecans and lemons! (Yes, lemons and other citrus will grow here, if they have a protected greenhouse.)
  • We toured around wineries, meaderies, and breweries, and we attended a local homebrew club meeting. Of course, a great beer, wine, and homebrew scene exists in Vermont, too, but the number of breweres in VA, combined with the state tourism push (especially along Nelson 151) ensured we caught the Virginia craft beer buzz. We even won a prize from the homebrewers: ten pounds of English pale grain that we had to figure out how to lug home to Vermont with us.
  • We visited properties for sale that had garden/farm space measured in acres, not feet. And they were affordable-ish and close-ish to Charlottesville, which was more than we could find in the Burlington area.
  • And we met amazing people everywhere we went – not only through the CouchSurfing community but also through daily wanderings and conversations. Of course there is no way to compare VA and VT here. We find great people everywhere we go. (Law of attraction, perhaps?)

But above all else, there were two defining moments from last year’s trip: Viewing a particular property that was on the market, and visiting the Local Food Hub’s farm in Scottsville, that we now call home.

Let’s start with the Local Food Hub first, shall we? Through our pre-vacation research we learned of the LFH and thought it sounded like the kind of place we’d like to learn more about. They support local farmers, grow their own food to supply local schools and the food bank and were similar to Burlington’s Intervale (in fact, modeled on the Intervale in many ways). We got in touch and arranged to take a brief visit.

On March 9th, 2011, we met up with the Food Hub’s Marketing Manager – Emily Manley – who explained the nonprofit’s mission and projects, and gave us a tour around the farm. We saw wide expanses of beautiful farmland, low tunnels protecting crops from the nightly drop in temperature, as well as intimidating Virginia clay. We met farm apprentices who were digging in the soil to prepare for imminent potato planting. We wandered into the greenhouse to find happy, healthy seedlings, and noted that the mushroom logs looked nearly ready to bloom.

I immediately compared my situation to theirs: Potato planting? We’d have to wait for the snow to melt and mud season to pass before we could dig into dry enough soil to plant potatoes. Greenhouses with seedlings almost ready to go in the ground? We hadn’t even started most of our seedlings yet since the ground wouldn’t be ready for them for months. Oh yes, the land was speaking to me. Despite Virginia’s contentious red clay, the land looked way more appealing than the four feet of snow in our backyard.

At the time, we could not have fathomed that one year later the happy seedlings in the greenhouse would be our happy seedlings, and the hands digging in the red earth would be our hands. We had no idea that Emily and the rest of the LFH staff would welcome us into the Hub with open arms.

Defining moment number two: viewing a particular house on 12 acres of land that had everything we were looking for. (Mind you, at the time I still didn’t know I was looking for anything in Virginia, but after seeing this place I was fairly convinced I would find it here, whatever it was.) The house was in our price range, 20 minutes from Charlottesville, and had existing farm buildings in good condition. This place had us dreaming about starting our own small farm (and B&B?) within the first five minutes of setting foot. In fact, the house and property got our creative juices flowing to the point that we were ready to make a bid, and so we did. Only then we learned that there was already another bid on the house, and it had been accepted. We were quite literally a day late… (not sure about the “dollar short” part).

We saw other properties before and after this one, so why did this make such an impact on me? Maybe it’s because, unlike most of the other properties we’ve looked at, I was able to picture myself living there, starting our farm business, renovating the house (minor renovations – the house was in great shape), and spending time in Charlottesville. Maybe it’s because, once we decided to bid, it was an intense, and often draining, emotionally engaging process. We made up stories about the other people who had placed a bid. Maybe their bid was dependent on financing, and it would fall through? Maybe they would think it over and decide it wasn’t the place for them after all? Maybe it was someone from out of state just buying up cheap land to re-sell it and we would have another opportunity to get our hands on it?

None of those things happened. After several very emotionally draining months of back-and-forth with our realtor, we learned that their sale eventually went through. We were bummed. Since then we haven’t found a property as good as this one in terms of location (location! location!), quality, infrastructure, and price. That, plus the fact that this house was symbolic as my turning point in becoming open to moving to Virginia, and we have ourselves a place to which no other property can hold a candle.

Thus, we found ourselves today, a year later, driving past said house and dropping a note in the mailbox for the current owners. The letter said something along the lines of: Hi. We’re jealous. Call us if you want to sell your house. Only a bit longer and more narrative-driven.

We didn’t expect anything to come of it, but figured it would be nice to see the house again, one year later. Maybe meet the owners. (Only they weren’t home, hence the note in the mailbox.) And I’m glad we took the trip out there. It offered a chance for some reflection. Now that a year has passed, I could see it with new eyes. The trees in the orchard are still ugly and stunted, the neighboring houses look kind of trashy. And I bet the 70s carpeting and linoleum kitchen flooring is still inside the huge house. Yes, it still had some appeal, but maybe I need to trust in the universe’s message: that house isn’t the place for us.

The truth is, we have found our home in Virginia, albeit temporary, thanks to the Local Food Hub. Last year’s vacation literally changed our lives. No, we didn’t get that particular property but I think we got something even better: the chance to farm and learn, to grow as food producers and as people, starting to put down Virginia roots together at Cottage View Farm.

Why yes, I do celebrate my birthday for an entire month… Don’t you?

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My birthday month started off with a bang. To those of you asking “birthday month”? I refer you to the title of this post. Why yes, I do celebrate my birthday for an entire month. Don’t you?

To start it off, Mark and I took a nice bike ride to Mount Vernon on February 1st. I’m pretty sure this is the first year I’ve been on a long leisurely bike ride in February. And for that I can thank the nearly non-existent winter in these parts (and really, most of the country until recently).

Mount Vernon is, for those of you who didn’t major in American History, the home of the country’s first president, as well as a great destination for a bike ride along a beautiful path in Alexandria, VA. We had a nice picnic on the outskirts of the famous estate and wandered around the tourist shop inside. We would have paid the $15 each to go inside the estate as the “four acre working farm and gardens” sounded inspirational, until we realized that despite the fact that it felt like a spring day, it really was just the beginning of February. So we opted to forgo the tour until a time when the farm & gardens would be a bit more lush.

Knowing how much I love birthdays and surprises, Mark also had a few other things in store for me the past few weeks. Here are some of the random fun things I’ve been enjoying this month.

  • An amazing chinese buffet lunch in Alexandria, VA, not far from where we were spending our days in late Jan – early Feb. This was the largest (and cheapest most affordable) buffet I’ve ever been to by far. Definitely worth $8 if you’re in the area and in the mood for only eating one meal for the entire day. Especially if you can handle the potential digestive upset caused by mixing raw sushi with spicy soups with fried foods with rich sauces with sweet fruit.
  • Rockin’ in style with new car speakers. Technically this was a gift for Jenny the Truck, but I’ll accept them in her stead as she couldn’t be here to accept the honor (and she doesn’t know how to type). You’ll have to ask Mark but apparently when I opened the box I didn’t react the way he expected. My reaction was more like I don’t know what this is but it looks like some kind of technological doodad. How lovely. But once he explained what was inside the box to this technophobe, and installed the speakers on a frigid morning before a long drive, I realized how much I really wanted nice speakers to go along with the new stereo I installed a friend of mine installed for me before I left Vermont. (Thanks again, Rocko!) Now thanks to Mark, I get to listen to my favorites like NPR, farm podcasts, and The Beatles without the annoying buzzing and crackling sounds coming through the old speakers.
  • Knowing that I’m on a preparedness kick these days (more on that in a future post) and that a working flashlight is always a good thing to have around the house, Mark surprised me with a solar-powered-radio-and-flashlight-and-cell-phone-charger thing that I had randomly added to my Amazon.com wish list at some point. This in addition to the other hand-cranked/solar-powered lantern we received from Mark’s mom for Christmas, ensures we’ll never be left in the dark!
  • Mark went back to the aforementioned lunch buffet one day without me (I do have work to do on occasion) and surprised me by bringing home a takeout container with some of my favorites like crab rangun, spring rolls, and veggie dumplings.
  • We caught some live music not once, not twice, but three times this month. As you can see, I’m taking my goal of seeing live music at least monthly very seriously.
  • While not specifically birthday presents, if you count Valentine’s Day and moving to the farm as part of the fun birthday month activities, this month has been more festive than usual. Here I am on move-in day, starting to unpack Jenny the Truck.
  • Mark knew that the short list of things I wanted before moving to the farm included a hat to keep the sun off my fair-skinned face. I had already treated myself to a thrift shop straw hat, but he decided to double my fashionable hat collection with a blue corduroy cap from the Gap. The blue brings out your eyes. Aww.
  • There has been one birthday wish I’ve been asking for, for at least a few months: to go snowshoeing on my birthday. In what has become somewhat of a tradition, I’ve gone snowshoeing on my birthday for the past two (maybe three?) years in Vermont. A few days before the big day, our new town of Scottsville received about 5 inches of snow. Would my snowshoeing dream actually come true!? I excitedly put on snowboots…
And headed out to take some photos…
It wasn’t exactly enough snow to warrant snowshoes, but the winter boots and snowpants were a welcome comfort. Here’s the sight I awoke to the next morning when I went out to let the chickens out of their coop.
 Not a bad present. Thanks, crazy winter weather!
  • We had a fun celebration the night before my birthday, drinking wine and listening to loud music while baking up a storm in our new farm kitchen. I made an amazing chocolate cake recipe by Heidi Swanson (with a few of my own tweaks), and Mark made gourmet chocolate chip cookies. He also created a banana-peanut-butter-chocolate icing for my cake that was superb. For a guy who doesn’t like sweets, he sure knows how to please someone with a sweet tooth!
  • After the late night blast of wine and sugar I stayed up pretty late that night, so what I really wanted on my birthday was to sleep in. Mark gave me the best present of all by letting out the chickens at dawn so I could get some more beauty rest.
  • When I finally awoke, I felt refreshed and excited for the day. If my memory serves me, It’s my birthday! may have been exclaimed more than a few times that day. Yes, I am like a little kid when it’s my big day.
  • Funnily enough, someone else at our new home shares my birthday, so we had a nice big lunch celebration at the Local Food Hub office. The lunch was a surprise to me, and Mark did a great job of helping cook and prepare – generally playing it cool around me. I kept asking what’s going on? while I excitedly puttered around the house, knowing he had something up his sleeve. Did I mention I love surprises? Lunch was delicious, and a fun way to spend a bit of social time with our new friends at the Local Food Hub.
  • Later that day we took a beautiful drive in the country, went antiquing (what that means for me is looking at stuff I can’t afford, but dreaming of the day when I can!), and then hung out in Charlottesville for food and drinks.
  • Despite my wish for snowshoeing, on my actual birthday all the snow had melted and it was over 70 degrees! This was the first birthday I’ve ever spent wearing sandals!
  • Even now, after my official birthday has passed, it’s still my birthday month, and there continue to be presents coming my way. Mark recently ordered homebrewing supplies so we could get our brew on while living at the farm. He bought me all the ingredients I need to make a milk chocolate stout: one of my favorite beer styles/flavors.
  • Yesterday we checked out a cute thrift shop in Scottsville and found a pasta maker. Oh yeah! I meant to include make pasta on my goal list! Consider it goal 102.

The month’s not over yet, of course, but it looks like these gifts will keep me busy: I’ll be eating cookies and cake for the next week or two. When I’m done making homemade pasta I can wash it down with homebrew. When I need to check on the chickens in the dark I can take my hand-cranked flashlight with me for safety. During the day, I’ll protect my skin by wearing my new blue cap. And anytime I’m in the truck I can listen to the stereo and be reminded of all the sweet gifts my sweetie gave me this month.

Who needs snowshoeing when you’ve got all this?

My Life in Numbers: Turning 30, Setting 101 Goals

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I turn 30 this month. Milestones like this are always a good time for reflection, and since I count this entire month as cause for celebration (i.e. it’s my birthday month) I’ve already started in on the life reflections and analysis.

One outcome of this recent reflection is a list of my personal goals. One hundred and one goals to be exact. To be accomplished within the next 2.75 years. Why such specific numbers? I learned about this catchy cultural meme aptly called 101 Goals in 1001 Days from Duane Marcus at the Funny Farm and I think it’s a great idea! Apparently others do, too as there’s a whole community of people sharing their goals online.

A few years ago I had seen someone’s “50 things to do before I turn 30” list and thought that was a great idea. But now, with only 19 days to go before that deadline, I’m setting my sights a little further out.

At first I mis-wrote the name of the project as 1001 goals in 101 days, which would mean more than 9 goals a day! I’m ambitious, but not that ambitious. Instead, 101 Goals in 1001 Days averages out to a goal every ten days or so. Challenging, but not impossible.

I’ve already committed to paper more than 125 goals. I’ve already made progress on some of them. And I’ve been adding to the list almost daily. For now it’s still a living document, almost ready for the public eye. (Update: The goal list is now public. Check it out by clicking here)

One of my goals, in fact, is to post the goals on this site. Once I’ve removed any goals that are *too personal* and re-worked those that need help being SMART goals (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, timely) I’ll create a new page for them on this blog. I better get moving on it!  (If you missed the news in the last paragraph, the goal list is now public. Check it out by clicking here)

Posting it publicly is a great way to literally set my intention to the universe. To tell the world who I am and what I’m here for, and to remind myself to make forward progress. After all, stagnation kills creativity.

So, who’s with me in setting 101 goals? If you’re intrigued but worried you’re not up for the challenge, you could always sprinkle some easy goals in there like: take a shower, drink a glass of water, do a load of laundry. Or you can check out the resources to help you make smart goals on this page.

“The tragedy of life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach.” ~Benjamin E Mays