The Community Fire
Hi, this is Deb Potts from Winedown Permaculture and this is my first ever blog.
Our name Winedown Permaculture is a bit of a strange one, but for us it brings a feeling of connection and community. After moving here, we started a ritual of having a fire and dinner outdoors on a Friday evening. An older gentleman called Murray had also just moved across the road. One Friday evening Murray crossed over the road with a bottle of red wine as an offering and asked if he could join us around the fire, he had not long retired and had been feeling very lonely. This continued for the next fifteen years, right up until the passing of our dear friend. Many others have joined us along the way and our fire pit area feels so connected to community. It was Winedown time and as Murray used to say "we can fix all the problems of the world gathering around our fire". So when it came time to name our Permaculture endeavours, of course it had to be Winedown Permaculture. Over the last few years the original fire pit has not been lit much and has been calling for another community to gather around it.
Not so long ago I read, "In a time of destruction, create something" Maxine Hong Kingston
This spoke to both of us, along with many other calls to action to create a space to learn and support each other in a changing world. We have started a Growing Together Circle which gathers on the third Sunday of the month, 3pm - 5pm. We have had two Circles, where already there has been lots of connection and sharing of knowledge. The next circle is coming up on the 17th of May. There is an invitation to arrive earlier this month as a few of us are going to learn how to knit dish cloths made of cotton. Please reach out if you are interested in joining us.
So, as the weather cools down, we would love to light that fire and gather a community around us where we might not fix all the problems of the world (sorry Murray) but we can support and learn from each other.
The Wise Women gather on the second Sunday of the month exploring the rich full years of The Crone - Women over 50. There is a waiting list if this is of interest to you.
Owning our story and loving ourselves through that
process is the bravest thing that we will ever do. -
-Brene Brown
Our Magic Growers - The children's permie group are busy behind the scenes, planning some amazing projects. They are our next earth restorers and are curious learners.
What's happening in our garden this month? The garlic has been planted and is already poking up through the soil. The first brassicas are well on their way. Lots of greens, root vegetables and baby celery seedlings settling in beautifully. There are still some tomatoes, peppers and chilli in the greenhouse and lots of herbs still going strong. It is time to plant the strawberry runners and we are drying lots of calendula flowers to use in our teas and balms. We have been fermenting garlic in honey and making some tonics for winter wellness. Drop us a line and tell us what's happening in your world.
A huge big thank you to neversleep.dev for our amazing new website. Very professional, creative and easy to work with, he is also our son, Jesse Potts.