Apifera Farm - where art, story, animals & woman merge. Home to artist Katherine Dunn

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Sunday, January 29, 2017

Humanity

The days, and nights of the last week, for me, are caught in the charcoal in this quick drawing.

I'm outraged, scared, sad, and grieving for what I believe America is, versus what a bunch of Fascist and extreme thinking thugs of the newly appointed Upside Down Kingdom want to turn it into-by force.

I spent most of the day trying to focus on the good. I got somewhere by doing that. Martyn and I are planning a structure in the front of the property to store wood and other things, and act as a meeting place for people passing by in the summer, where we can sell share honey, wool, books...maybe kiss a donkey. We need to plant lots of trees for more sound barrier, and the bees will be in the field over where I want to do a beautiful nectar garden. Then we walked in part of our woods that has potential to give us more grazing. There is so much to be done, and money needed to do it-the latter has me feeling shaky too with Martyn still not working and the economy of the coming months-who knows. Sales are slow, I think many people are...sitting tight...preparing for lift off. Maybe I'm the only artist or freelancer scared out of my pants...but I'm nervous.

It gave me some grounding to work outside and imagine how we are evolving here.

But I had great sadness all day, thinking about so many desperate people just trying to survive. I am ashamed for what happened with the bans and am outraged, and many are and the fight is real now, it's personal. I never thought there was, but it is now a fact that there is no caring person inside the orange suit. If you really believe that with all your heart, you are entitled to your opinion, but you and I have no common ground strong enough to give me an ounce of hope of forming a bridge.

I'm done pretending to anyone who says "gotta give it some time."

Nope, I don't. Time has shown the destruction that only eight days can have when a small group of white housings want to inflict their warped vision-a vision based on fear-on our country. Their actions have now shown the true colors that many of us knew were blazing in proper light.

Like many, I want some peace and some comfort too. Many of us are viscerally affected by this-and we should be. I looked for articles today with facts from people on the inside that might give me a glimmer of...not just hope but answers on how to combat all that is being flung at this country. I'm talking to my senators, and their staff about as much as I can. This is not about the two parties, I have many Republican friends, I voted Republican once years ago, I have never been a political zealot. This is not about 'sides', or being a 'sore loser'. This is not about 'getting over it' - It is about humanity, caring, empathy-but the lead White House narcissist and his fascist sidekick don't have those words in their environ, or hearts.

After reading many excellent articles, I came up with only one conclusion. This mess is here for all of us, to teach us-and make us stand up together, all parties, all colors, all sexes. It is not a time to calm down. It is a time to speak up, loudly, with your own heart. Speaking up loudly doesn't mean you have to be a bully. And it doesn't mean you get what you want in a day, or a week, or a year. And it never ends. Look at the barnyard-they never stop speaking up to show their place in the hierarchy. Freedom is messy, it takes courage to speak up. I applaud many insiders that are now speaking up, risking their jobs. Gas lighting is very productive, we have seen that, but I applaud the people that continue to speak fact, and repeat fact, and knock down non-fact.

I leave you with Boone's tail, slowed down in the wind, it is these very small things that somehow help. His tail won't help stranded, terrified people I'm afraid, but it somehow is like thread that holds something together around here for me, because I have to stay tuned in, engaged, and be prepared for the worst and ride it out with people that care, truly care, about humanity and Mother Earth.