Monday, September 23, 2024

Batteaux Park Food Forest

Batteaux Park Food Forest is one of 2 Free Fruit Forests that have been planted in Barrie, Ontario Canada.
The other one I have visited so far is located at Shear Park in Midtown Barrie.
The concept of Free Fruit Forests is a rather brand new idea that seems to be catching some good support in addition to the good vibes :)

It is reminiscent of the peace and interest in communal living in the 60ś and 70´s. There will always be those who consider these kind of efforts to be wasteful or indulgent. But they are easy to ignore. 
Community supported Free Fruit Forests bring out the best in the community. They  are a teaching opportunity for local schools, so the children can make a tangible connection between the fruits and berries they can eat and the trees and berry bushes that they can touch with their own two hands. Seeing fruits that your mom or dad bought at the grocery store is not the same as an apple that you pulled off the tree yourself, or a gooseberry you hunted down and plucked from the bush.
No one can argue against the great health benefits of eating fruits and berries fresh from the tree, harvested at the peak of ripeness with your own two hands.
The only draw back that may be put forward is that there may be some in the community who take more than their fair share of the ripe fruits rather than leaving some on  the bushes and trees for others to enjoy.

I was happy to see that the trees in the Fruit Forest at Shear Park were plucked absolutely clean. Not one berry or apple or pear or plum to be seen. That´s a great thing. That is something to celebrate. Hungry folks are eating the abundant harvest. Humans are being fed. Hallelujah :)

On a side note, since I have had numerous opportunities to volunteer for church and public food programs, I want to give you a gentle word of encouragement. The need for food support is big right now. If you  have started a food bank or food suppport program and are overwhelmed with the amount of food that people are taking, please don´t stop what you are doing. Even if you need to cut back on the amount per family that your program is giving out, please don´t cancel the program because you are overwhelmed with food requests.
Food banks must be fed with the right spirit. A spirit of kindness and generosity. Food banks are not a work program. You can not force people to work for you to ¨earn¨ the right to access your food bank. Food banks are donation centers. 

Although it may be really frustrating if you feel like people do not appreciate the free food in a sincere way, please don´t stop giving. Why? Because somewhere somehow, in the midst of the shenanigans and the occasional dishonest user, there is a vulnerable senior citizen or a young child who is finally getting their belly fully of good quality food. Never let dishonest or scammy folks dissuade you from supporting a local food bank. If you are going to be involved in food charity, you will come into contact with those who will pretend to be poor just to take advantage of a free food source.  It doesn´t matter. Those who work in charity must develop a rather thick skin. Focus on the quality and availability of good quality food, to ensure it gets to those who need it most.

Are food banks the ¨end all and the be all¨ to end community hunger? By no means. But it is just one piece of a puzzle that deserves attention. 
Hungry people can not focus on getting a job, or taking good care of their children. Hungry people are ¨hangry¨  and irritable. The lack of protein and fats,  inhibits their ability to think calmly. They may find it difficult to focus and form a good plan. 

If you have the privilege of working in or at a food bank, you may want to also spend some small chunks of time praying for those that you meet. Pray for their peace of mind and pray that they will accept the food without shame or guilt. Pray for their families that God will help them to get over their temporary troubles in Jesus´ name.

Well friends, thanks for listening to me chat about free fruit forests and food banks. If you ever get the chance to plant a berry bush or fruit tree in a public location, I encourage you to go for it! 

There´s a great book ¨ The Man Who Planted Trees¨ by Jean Giono. It is a tiny book with a huge heart. What one man can do  who just starts planting trees ....is transformative and inspiring.

It is along the same lines as the store of John Chapman, the man behind the story of ¨Johnny Appleseed¨.

Great stories build up good hearts. Take part friends in reading and repeating these great stories.

 
May God bless your adventures, big or small in tending to the earth whether gleaning parsely from a pot on your porch or planting a grant fruit forest in a public park.

Peace,
Carla

Thursday, September 12, 2024

The Man Who Knew Infinity


This movie brings the winds of similar genius....although how can one compare genius?
I think of John Nash...( see the movie A Beautiful Mind)
I think of Grigori Perelman ( the Russian mathematician who solved the Poincare Conjecture)

There is a beautiful humility to all three of the above mentioned geniuses. Srinivasa Ramanujan is the young Indian mathematician that is the focus of the above featured film. 


They loved their work. They laboured at this work with a compelling passion that consumed their total concentration.

Have you found something that compels you with similar force?

Peace,
Carla

Wednesday, September 11, 2024

Did a Woman Write These?


 As a Man Thinketh by James Allen.

The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace D. Wattles.

Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill.

The above 3 books have been and continue to be compelling reads. The authors of these books have been studied for decades and their books poured over in both written and audio formats.

But why, I did ask myself this week, why are most of these kind of books written by men? Are women not interested in the topic? No, they most certainly are interested in these topics and many women have become readers of these literary pieces.

Do any of you have any explanation as to why we, as the female side of society, not endeavored to put more of our own success strategies into black  and white? Is it that we are so secretive with our formulas that we just want to be selfish with whatever we have learned? Are so self centered that we can not share what we learn with other ladies and gents around the world?

I am going to keep this post ultra short. I just am seeking a reason for this. Do tell.
Peace,
Carla







Thursday, September 5, 2024

the Cost of Capitalism?


Not sure how I wound up living in the era where capitalism needs a boost...but here i am and will happily do so.

With modern times of rapid technological advances, I know that not only are folks trying to ¨recreate the wheel¨ in almost every industry....but they are wondering if capitalism also needs some fine tuning.

In my occasional ponderings of economics I am still convinced that capitalism works.

 Capitalism, as I understand it, works for one simple reason.....it allows some people.... sometimes....to win.

It is this process of watching the occasional person ¨win¨ that folks on the benches start squirming because they are no longer in control and jealousy begins to raise it´s ugly green head. Watching other people win, when we are struggling is hard... It´s painful.... and at the same time... it is the price of capitalism. We can not all win all the time, in a capitalistic society. But yes, we always have the OPPORTUNITY to win. We win only when we create and develop something that others have not thought of or discovered, or uncovered. We win when we make something that works well.....really really well. 

I like to think of the following example often. When a smart entrepreneur walks into a thrift store and spots an ancient painting that he believes was painted by one of the well known masters...he takes it quickly and pays for it quietly, being able to purchase it for only $19.99.
He doesn´t shout in the store, that he has discovered a masterpiece. He does not say anything to staff on his way out of the shop. No, he lays low and takes his new found treasure home. He unwraps it from the bag carefully and examines it closely, hunting for some sign that it is authentic and not a fake.

He does a search online for the painter´s works and sees if the painting he now owns is listed and where it was last sold. Finally, after completing his own due diligence, he brings the painting to a real art appraiser, to authenticate his hunch. He holds the painting every so cautiously as he rides the bus to the office of the appraiser.  The appraiser takes her time, her eyes widening as she inspects every aspect of the painting. The stunned appraiser finally asks the young man if he knows what he now possesses? The young man sits quietly nodding his head. The appraiser helps the man understand the true value of the painting to be over 2 million dollars. The young entrepreneur´s hands begin to shake and his heart begins pounding.

The young man pays the appraiser  with the last few dollars he has in his bank account.  He then goes home again on the bus, and then locates and reaches out to the nearest art auction house. Perhaps the auction house is a Sotheby´s. They agree to put the painting up for auction that very next weekend and the bidding wins the young man a solid 5 million dollar windfall. The tears pour down his face as he realizes his life will never be the same. He thanks God as he asks the auction house to transfer the money to his account.

The young man´s path has been radically altered because of his wisdom, keen eye and ability to take action. Who knows how many shoppers in that thrift store had walked by that painting and ignored it? Perhaps some shoppers even muttered to themselves that this painting reminded them of one they had seen at a museum. But their musings talked them out of taking action.


This is how we are going to protect capitalism for the next generations. We are not going to complain when we see people win. We can not tell the young man to give the thrift shop a portion of his winnings from the auction. We can not tell the young man to give his struggling next door neighbour a portion of his winnings. We can not tell the young man to pay for his sister´s college education.  We can not complain that we have ZERO control over what that young man is going to do with his new found wealth. It just isn´t fair.

Bingo. That´s the word I was looking for. FAIR. Capitalism is rarely fair. The fact that capitalism allows people to win is what keeps capitalism alive and compelling. Chasing the possibility of an unfairly oversized prize in life, is what keeps people creative and motivated. Winning is grand. Winning is often rare.

Governments also must resist the temptation to inordinately tax away the power of ¨unfair¨ huge winnings. Does a young tech wizard create a new app that he sells to a fortune 500 company for 2 billion dollars tempt the government to eat more than a reasonable chunk in capital gains tax? Do family members get to sue other family members when one sibling earns a big salary and the other one earns minimum wage?

My friends, we must get over our need to control each other´s wealth.  We must embrace the beauty of competition. We must embrace risk sometimes. The greatest innovations occur when individuals have autonomy over great wealth. They build new inventions, and sponsor schools and scholarships. They build hospitals or build better cars. They help to fight disease and fund charitable organizations that fight famines and floods.

Of course, we are all human. We would not be human if we didn´t flinch sometimes when we realize that modern capitalism is creating billionaires that can probably never outspend their wealth in one lifetime. But that does not give us or anyone who loves economic freedom the right to take capitalism away. Do not clip it´s wings. When we allow folks to win, including ourselves.....we give power to our dreams and to the dreams of the future, a future that only great gobs of money can profoundly develop.

So the next time you see a grand yacht floating dreamily down the Bay...thank God for the system that allowed that person to prosper, because next time it just might be your unique idea and relentless ambition that grants you and your family the ability to buy even more than one yacht. 

Wealth does not play favourites.

Your opportunity still exists. 

Peace,
Carla

Wednesday, September 4, 2024

New Day


Not sure what is up....just some kind of shift occurring in the atmosphere. When these things occur, I know that God is up to something.

And when it is a God thing.....one can reasonably expect that it is going to be a good thing.

I was wondering what I was sensing and then I watched a bit of news. The net explained some changes going on in my country of Canada. These are huge things.

I know that God is responding to the prayers of His people. And nothing gets in the way of the good Father responding to his Children.

Have you wanted something to occur that you know is God´s will for a long time? Have you longed to see evidence of God´s blessing and presence in your life? I believe that the gifts that God is beginning to pour out is not going to be constrained to just church people. I believe that we are going to see miracles occur on the sidewalks and in the shopping malls and in the factories and office buildings. I believe that people who have never shown any interest in religious activities are going to have real spiritual encounters that can not be faked or controlled by humans. I believe that heaven is going to overlap with earth at certain times, so that our joy and fulfillment will be great. There will be times when humans can step more easily from earth to heavenly places and back to earth again, without suffering further ado.

And if you have no idea what I am talking about....that´s ok....maybe the next post will be your cup of tea. Not everything I write is meant to be embraced by all. I kind of write in my own language sometimes...yes, still english...but definitely a genre of it´s own.

Thanks for listening friends, I value your time and attention. May this season of kindness from above bring rest to your soul.

Peace,
Carla.
john 3:16