So here I am, like you probably, trying to catch up to myself before the New Year. Lately, I sometimes feel like it's a never ending cycle of running to keep up with myself.
This has been a crazy year, for sure. Maybe you feel the same way. Merely two years ago, my life was predictable, even in its unpredictability. I worked a steady job, and ran around overtime doing art. I felt my life had purpose and despite the fact that I wasn't quite living up to my parents' idea of what a "good job" or good life was, I was happy. Not rich, not glamorous (although oddly, I
WAS in performing arts), but happy.
Fast forwarding to the present, it seems as if I've fallen down some ridiculous rabbit hole and ended up somewhere completely nonsensical.
Anyone who's known me has known for some time that I've worked freelance in one of the most expensive cities for the past two years.
It's not a grand living, and in the meantime, I've been searching for jobs that are sort of more "meaty", and not necessarily near the city. Nope, not anywhere city-like at all. See, I have a fever. Again, if you know anything at all about me, I have this unbelievable desire to live the life of a farm-girl. And, no, I don't have a definitive reason for this except I've always loved nature, animals, old fashioned life and...well, anything FARM-like.
As you might know, "ain't no money in farming." Although, apparently there IS, according to some ads I have seen in the past two years of searching. Farm jobs seem to be a plenty--some more legitimate than others, apparently. Oh, I could tell you some funny stories of ads from even high-end corporate farms and dairies looking for people with my background skills, which SOUNDED great up front, but never really lived up to what they promised in the way of compensation. Looking back, some of these scenarios are now hilarious..if they weren't a little tragic (Cometragedy? Tragecomedy?)
Well, you see where this is going, right? I'm telling you this because
you may remember this post awhile back (yep, I'm trying to catch up here!) where
I might finally have a great job going in Kansas. A whole farming family with
700 acres and three generations of farming(swoon!) of corn, soy, cattle, and other Big Ag products was looking to diversify their farm. They needed ideas, someone organizational, and maybe some big city consumer insight. So guess who stepped in?
They actually paid my ticket to come out and I spent an amazing two days being on their unbelievable property. I loved their family vibe (the kids and their families lived within a two mile radius and were always in and out and helping the matriarch and patriarch--and boy was there a lot of food served!). The visuals were breathtaking!
This old house was built by the great-grandfather of the Moore's. He was the first to buy the property...
The family was very nice, they took me to farmer's markets and antique stores and organic stores (there is a suprisingly huge organic movement in Kansas that resembles something more on the line of LA or New York City!) and basically had me fall in love with Kansas. I loved the beauty of the wildflowers, creeks, the deer, the spotted tailed hawks and owls we saw
every day in the fields....
But then when it came down to talking about the logistics of actually having me manage their farms, the family couldn't agree on what to do...the older ones being afraid of change, although the younger ones were the ones pushing forward for diversifying their farms. In the end, I couldn't guarantee them success (who CAN, really, though?) and I gave them the best business plan that they could use. I think it was too much of a change for some and I didn't end up with the job.
Now, let me say that I love this family and hold no ill will; I can TOTALLY understand being in their situation...dealing with business and money is never a sure-fire proposition, and they were simply being cautious. They were quite lovely to me and I will cherish the experience of being there.
But there is an internal grummmbling in my head. How do I get a green job? Or something remotely like it? How long do I wait before some sort of fortune comes my way?
Well, it might be sooner than you think....so while I won't be moving to Kansas, other things will certainly be moving! And that's another story I'll soon be telling you!
In the meantime, here are some lovely "souvenirs" I bought back from Kansas:
A feather from a hawk, and giant oak acorns:
An old hat box in pink and white, a hand sewn bag from an antique store, several sawed ancient oak trunks and an old metal tea box, from the old house on the Moore farm that was pictured above...
Posts
This old house was built by the great-grandfather of the Moore's. He was the first to buy the property...
It's the back of our brownstone, in our little gardenstead. I booted up and climbed our (precariously slippery!) fire-escape to go to the roof and check on the bees. The bees are okay (I think!) but I did need to dig out their little entrances. Not that they needed them to fly in or out of--they are now in a big ball, huddled deep in their hive for warmth.
From there, I decided to trek down to the mother of all nature areas in the Big City, Central Park. I love Central Park, it's one of the few places for a nature girl like me to get her fix of flora and fauna.
No it's not a painting, this is really a scene from atop a hill in the park!
I still love the ivy clinging to the tree in the foreground!
Ahh, amore!
Hatshepsut the Pharaoh Queen
The temple of Dendur--a temple accredited to Cleopatra.
There's my sister, again!
Here is a whole courtyard of Nouveau American Sculpture!
