2010 Diary week 12

A comfortable living

The garden

Pruning of olive trees continued this week.

Book Review

It was Five Acres and Independence that introduced me to Abraham Lincoln’s statement “The greatest fine art of the future will be the making of a comfortable living from a small piece of land.” Faced with the financial turmoil and unemployment in the world today and some 37 million people on food stamps in America, learning how to make a comfortable living from our house and 1 acre plot seemed to Christine and me a sensible way of regaining some control over our lives. I work in the garden while Christine is a ceramic artist who also hosts schools, universities and families.

“This book aims to be a ‘road map’ which traces some of the best routes along which you and your family may travel to happy, prosperous and interesting lives. It not only indicates the safest routes but, what is even more important, it particularly warns against blind alleys and side roads that lead to disappointment if not disaster. In this respect it differs from the usual rural life book which depicts only the pleasant features of farming. So for this reason, if for no other, it should be of signal service to you, especially if it prevents you making the serious mistakes commonly made by people who move from the cities and towns to the country.”