idling through the Saturday papers [just a few days late]
with my coffee this morning
i stumbled upon something that looks remarkably like
a daydream i've been having for some years now
a place with a lake of its own
90 acres to plant and grow a collection of the best eucalypts [in terms of dyeing]
with an average rainfall of 1030 mm - that's 40.55 in inches
to sustain them...that's twice what we get at Mount Pleasant
it has a big old stone woolshed
just perfect for workshops [and dancing]
along with a separate storage building
that would make a rather nice gallery
the house has three bedrooms
and another room that could also become one
together with three bathrooms
so up to six people could live in for small classes
work at their own pace
perhaps even take a longer residency
be nourished in body by food grown on the property
served in the lovely dining room
and in spirit by wandering the wonderful landscape in which the house sits
[really nice people would be allowed to help weed the garden
which is very good for the soul]
it's well away from other dwellings
[so i imagine that star-gazing would be fabulous]
but within 10 minutes of a freeway link to Adelaide
meaning far less frustration-by-caravan/horsefloat/grapetruck
there's space to create a walled vegetable garden
where chickens could have a fox-proof palace
and indigo could be grown
safe from the hot north winds
and there would be plenty of room for a helpful border collie
as well as a flock of pet sheep for her to manage
if you look at the picture carefully
you'll see there is even a resident rainbow
the only catch is that there's a price tag of $2million
i can't even imagine that in marbles
let alone find it in dollars.
...er, i don't suppose there are a thousand brides out there wanting to commission wedding dresses, perchance?
i look forward to hearing from them. SOON.
meanwhile
i'll be here playing with those amulets...
and nursing Kowhai the piglet
Have you considered crowdsourcing??? Pozible and such?
ReplyDelete...i did go as far as reading the rules on Kickstarter...
Deleteprojects, as opposed to properties.
i dream on.
A retreat/educational center IS a project!
DeleteAnd I think there is great power in naming what we want, for all the Dogs Above and those below to hear. How else can they know what to fetch?
DeleteLoving the little piglet, so cute, and the pouch is lovely too.
ReplyDeleteI have an awful picture floating in my minds eye: a long line of 1000 irate brides, (and their Mama's..even more militantly angry), tapping their feet, waving calenders,demanding wedding dresses NOW while 1000 grooms shuffle embarrassed feet or slink around the outskirts wishing they'd never mentioned the W word at all.
ReplyDeleteSuch a fairy-tale place must come with a fairy-tale Godmother, surely? One with a nice magic wand in need of exercise? Looking for an expert with a cauldron?
Here in the US, it's still St Patrick's Day. That rainbow must be there for a reason. I can bring my own shovel.
i have a much more beautiful picture in mind
Deletea thousand brides happily handsewing their dresses
windfall wandering hand in hand with their beloveds
and then
a ring of 100 cauldrons [10 dresses per pot]
on lovely bonfires
with the Mamas [and the Papas] providing food and nourishment for the crowd
and then
just think of the fabulous parade we could have
of those who have dyed happy
wearing their dresses.
although the practical me thinks we might split it down to twenty events [to cater for ablutions etc]
giggling.
and please do bring your shovel, Nikki, if no pot of gold then at least we can prepare the ground for potatoes...
Mmmmmmmm .... SO much better!
Deleteand potatoes are good, too. Mine, (discovered surreptitiously sprouting in the bottom of the fridge earlier this week), went in the ground today.
Oh my goodness. Your daydream is spectacular, the land and house are too, the price tag is large but a few sponsors could do it. Magical business persons want to use their products, cloths, fibers, and the like. Persons with like minds. A large order I know. But I believe nothing to be impossible. Everything has its own time.
ReplyDeleteThe amulet purse is wonderful. Perfect!
I am unable to attend a class and have never worked with cloth, dying etc. So I ordered your Eco book and it has been shipped. Excited!!!!
We RV eight months of the year and winter in our home state, Florida, USA. I will keep it small but want to make the full moon quilt square offerings. I've been unable to find the small canvas....which is perfect. So I will now look online.
I feel creative energy and encouragement when I look at your work creations and full moon offerings!
Thank you for sharing.
i figure i am at least laying an idea before the Dogs Above...
Deleteoh and i almost forgot - thank you for buying the book!
Deleteput the dream out there into the universe, give it form, who knows what may come....
ReplyDeletewell, as i read i thought, why ever not? so fairygodparent, are you listening?
ReplyDeletesigh.
a paper mill, too?
grin.
paper mill and a garden of native Australian fibre-producing plants. joy.
Deleteoh my god. i'm moving in, like it or not!
DeleteOH!!!! THAT is a dream place for you!
ReplyDeleteIndigogo let's you keep whatever you raise, as opposed to kickstarter where you have to raise your goal in order to get it.... or so I've heard.
I'm daydreaming... there is a person reading your blog, who is quite smitten and enamored of your work and has a ton of mullah and thinks this would be a grand place to come dance and weed on occasion and all she wants in return for buying the place for you is a contract that you provide her with a few gifts of your work throughout the year - a specified yearly amount so its all VERY clear. She is an orderly, uncomplicated person who has wealth to spend and gets an absolute THRILL out of being unbelievably generous and that is mostly her reward - she makes dreams come true.... she comes twice a year for a few weeks to retreat, dance, weed the garden, dream with sheep and chew on a few grass stems. I'm so glad she found you!
thank you for the lovely thought[s]
Deleteand who knows
'she' might even turn out to be a 'he'
who might just like a regular supply of brilliantly dyed silk shirts...along with the chance to dig a potato patch
and be offered lovely cups of tea
either way, let's see if the Great Dog can give them a friendly wet-nosed bunt in the right direction
Ha... yes, it very well could be a he. But everyone so often says "he" that I simply say "she" most of the time to shake things up...
Deleteand, I received a very strange email today telling me that some extrodinarily wealthy couple in the UK has chosen me as a recipient of 1.5 million pounds as a part of their "voluntary charity donation" and that they are so happy for me and my famiily.... and I'm sure it was some kind of spam thing and I shouldn't click the link, but man, one is actually somewhat tempted, and thought about getting your kickstarter started... after, of course, paying off my mortgage, buying oodles of watercolors, paper and brushes, and some nice handmade items from all the artists I admire!
This is a dream place...I would love to see the baby piglet. My girl friend has a pet pig named Oliver...he thinks he is her baby!!!Peace, Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart
ReplyDeleteSo sorry the Swiss bank is not up to that sort of 'lending' power with what has been happening in the financing sector lately.
ReplyDeleteIt is however crossing fingers etc, and holding thumbs and putting in a good word upstairs.
If perchance you decide to co-op, I'm in. Just sayin'...
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of crowd funding (surely there is a way...) I couldn't help but notice Eco-Colour being paged through on this (French) crowdfunding pitch that came across my desk today:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.kisskissbankbank.com/en/projects/le-recupere-couleurs-machine-de-teinture-textile-ecologique-et-open-source-par-rosa-tapioca
Love these dreams and hope they can come true!
oh India looks perfect... apart from being far from the UK. Waving my magic wand and making a wish for you. Sally x
ReplyDeleteAlways good to have you on my side xx
DeleteI was all set to sign up for a class in this eden of yours. I'll pass along any bride's names that come my way!
ReplyDeleteMy immediate thoughts...Could be the India Flint Center or IF Dreamsdocometrue Compound. Could be owned by a collective and you are the Director. Could be a kickstarter or Indigogo. Set up a non-profit and have allofus fund you. Big hugs from the rusty wet city of Cleveland.
ReplyDeletedreaming into being
ReplyDeleteI recall reading somewhere (can't remember exactly where) that the high-tech moguls who reside here on our western shores began their empires based on *one idea* that they pursued relentlessly .... whether that's true or not, no reason on earth you can't be a dog-with-a-bone about THIS dream, yes?!
ReplyDeleteAnd then there's Monsieur Pasteur: "Fortune favors the prepared mind."
A grand dream. Ohhh, it's GRAND. ;>]]
the "book" has arrived. I have just gone through "looking" at "everything". truly the book is a beauty, the book is a treasure.
ReplyDeletedoing spring cleaning now. we leave out to travel April 2nd. i will dig in to Eco then.
you did a fine job!
thank you.
blush. thank YOU.
DeleteSweetpea's comments are stellar.
ReplyDeleteIt is a grand dream. I've had similar ones. Just in case you are REALLY serious, check out crowdtilt at https://www.crowdtilt.com/
ReplyDeleteJust last week a friend of mine was faced with losing her business because the bank unexpectedly called her loan. Other friends started a crowdtilt campaign on the store's behalf and in 4 days raised $83,000+, more than enough to stave off foreclosure. Crowdtilt uses a different process than Kickstarter and releases funds as soon as goal is met. The town where this happened has a population of around 25,000.
On the other hand, be careful what you wish for, lol.
Love the piglet!
good advice on both counts!
Delete