Looking Towards the Future
Sharon February 23rd, 2010
It is so good to be back! I missed this site - I love my new digs over at science blogs, but there’s something wonderfully comfortable and familiar about being here - it seems weird to say that a place on the internet can feel like home, but it is true.
When I first shifted over to science blogs, I wasn’t sure whether I would stay. I’m still ambivalent about using a commercial site - I don’t like the ads any more than my readers. But I can’t argue with the fact that my material is simply getting a wider audience - yes, a more critical one, and the site is perhaps more contentious, but that’s good too. Ideas need to be criticized. And the reality of our ecological and economic predicament is sufficiently tough that they need all the exposure they can get. So at least for now, I’m staying.
Which leaves me with the question of how to use this site - because I don’t have any desire to give it up. Moreover, as soon as I finish the Adapting-In-Place book (which now has an official title: _Making Home_, and a cover that I’m not yet allowed to show you but which is just as stunning as the Independence Day cover!), I’m going to be making some big changes in my online (and home life), the changes detailed here in my post “Gleanings Farm Rides Again”. The gist of it is that I haven’t been happy spending so much time in front of the computer, and I really need to get off my duff and go back to being more of a farmer. I’m not leaving writing anytime soon, but I do anticipate a shift in how much time I spend in front of a screen - because it just is making me unhappy.
I’m going to keep blogging, but at a much more slower pace - the plan is for me to have two days a week devoted to writing and online teaching, and the rest of my time to be reserved for farm work, family work, community work and projects like in=person teaching and building neighborhood support networks. It will be harder for me to maintain two blogs of diffuse identity.
So my plan is this - The Chatelaine’s Key will be my farm blog. It will contain narratives about local resources, my challenges (obviously, there will be a third year of the Independence Days Challenge (more on that in a sec), but I’ve got a couple more in mind!), food storage (I’m bringing back the food storage quickies) and our farm’s life and products. I’m going to finally get a digital camera and let you see what life looks like here. The other stuff will be over at science blogs - where I’m also going to be adding some low energy life basics and bringing back the post-apocalyptic novel reading club. Hopefully the two blogs will develop something of a synergy.
Oh, and on March 1, I’m going to restart the Independence Days Challenge, as year 3 (yeah, I know, it hasn’t been quite a year yet, but close enough for jazz, and I want to start at the beginning of my hemisphere’s planting season, or close to it). The wonderful and always-participatory Rob has kindly made me a new banner for ID year 3 - and it is my favorite yet. Take a look! Thank you, Rob!!!
All these changes will take a while for me to implement - I’ve got to finish the book first. But good stuff is coming. The site is back, the book is nearly done and happy days are here again 
.
Cheers,
Sharon