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Within the garden. Among the city. by Jacob Sandoval, Garden Intern 2016

5/28/2016

1 Comment

 
"I love Songaia, I love community...the people, the dandelions and the trees," but when the work week in the garden is over, there have been various times that I venture out into the Seattle city.
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Though I still do enjoy being in the city sometimes due to the bounties of people, potential experiences, and the endless playgrounds of realities that are occuring between the different groups of people and lone wanderers. The tourists, the couples, the families, the homeless, and the working class. Stirring in a stew of metal, trash, laughter, casual encounters, love/hate, relaxation, workday hustle and sin. It all evens out though.
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A type of life like this seems to put its existence on a downward slope towards endless dead ends, but until then it is a fun ride.
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I like to experience life in the city to study the nature of people and society, which seems to be at a continuous flurry of disarray and commotion.
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At the end of the day, I enjoy experiencing life within nature in it's bountiful sanctuary. We are all a different unique species of plant, bearing a different fruit from each of us. Each year we grow and improve at different rates. When we get strong enough to produce fruits, we continue to grow and produce higher yields. We adapt to the changes around us and hope for the best. A time will arrive when we've done our part, but the earth will thank us.
With a contrast of experiences, I get to witness the duality of living a life within nature and living a life among the city. As I expected, I enjoyed life within nature much more, but there was a lot to learn, observe and experience in the city as well.
One thing I realized was that nearly everything I saw in the city demanded to take something from me. Each corner had a tempting source of empty delight that tried to summon me to consume from it.

But when I am in a natural land such as in much of Songaia, it is quite the opposite. The land asks what I can contribute to it, as well as what it can contribute to me, rather than what can be taken from me.
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Still I believe that living a life within nature is important in order for us to take example from it; its immovable peace, and its unstoppable power. At Songaia I get to experience nature as it naturally occurs. In the city I see many people acting in an unnatural way that they naturally grew into due to unnatural circumstances of life in the city.
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I like to study the nature of plants to experience the power of their peace and the prosperity of their lives. A flower does not wilt under the stresses of the world, but it flourishes through the blessings of the earth. That is something us humans must remember within our daily routine In hopes that our routine is productive in enjoyment in what many say are the little things in life but are actually the big things.
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1 Comment

My Duel Lifestyle - by Levi Bilderback, Garden Intern 2017

5/22/2016

1 Comment

 
​I currently am living a double life. On the one hand, I eat, breath, poop and sleep at Songaia four days a week, not to mention the work that goes into maintaining the Garden. On the other hand, I go visit Kaylee for three days and eat, breath, poop and sleep with my wife, as well as looking for a permanent place to live. Sometimes one life is more stressful than the others.
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Since I don’t have a butt anymore, I had to work my thighs off when I’m with Kaylee. Trying to find a house here has been a little upsetting, but the search shall continue! House hunting isn’t all we do, though. We’ve also been tending and keeping a garden at my brother and sister-in-law’s house. It is little and a work in progress, but we love to grow things, and growing ANYTHING is a work in progress. We’ve also gone on some hikes and explored the greater area a bit. We are quickly falling in love with Washington.
While I do feel I have two separate lives, I realize it is all the same thing. I have been learning so many valuable lessons about farming and life, because permaculture is about both. When I was with my parents, I kept imagining how I could farm the land for the maximum benefit to the earth and community. I wanted to plant a food forest. I’m learning so much and working so hard. I can imagine a beautiful future, and I have found a way I believe can usher in real change that is good for everyone.
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I’ve worked my butt off at Songaia. No, seriously, I have no butt. But I have so much more knowledge about some things I feel very passionate about: living sustainably and growing good food.
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1 Comment

Peace and War - by Levi Bilderback, Garden Intern 2016

5/7/2016

1 Comment

 
Violence is everywhere. I ran away, as far away as I could because I saw into that hell that is war. I needed to find something better. “The evils of Lucy was all around me. I went running for answers.” –Kendrick Lamar. So many bad things are happening in this world, and it can be hard to think about.

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I’ve seen that it is possible for us to work together as a species, but it means being vulnerable as well. Let your guard down and trust these people around you enough to not be malicious, or be scared away by who we are inside. It can be unnerving at first, but it has been ultimately rewarding.
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This community is very aware of the state of our world, and they are concerned with how we, as residents of the world, are going to face the issues. Everyone has different skill sets, and will help you if you seek it.
The longer I stay here, the more it reinforces in me what it truly means to be a neighbor. Having community dinners is one of my favorite parts of being here. On Monday nights, we sing together from binders with songs by Pete Seeger and the Beatles, along with various show tunes, etc.  I unknowingly signed up for a dinner job that involved me leading the community in song. I was a little nervous, but I love to sing and thought, why not? I chose the songs, “If I Only Had a Brain,” “When I’m 64,” and “Five Green and Speckled Frogs.” I had a blast leading the community in song! It made me so happy.

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