The original dream for Jarlanbah Permaculture Hamlet

April 5, 2010 – 3:07 pm I’m mining the archive!     Jarlanbah Permaculture Hamlet from Shirley’s house, 1993   The original dream for Jarlanbah Permaculture Hamlet was very different from the back-biting and suffering we experincce every day on this community. It was a dream with substance and charm. A real dream.   Here’s… Continue reading The original dream for Jarlanbah Permaculture Hamlet

(re)visioning Jarlanbah Permaculture Hamlet

April 3, 2010 – 9:44 am   It’s Easter weekend: a time for reflection on renewal, blessings and hope.   I am awash with fresh insights following a fascinating community mediation about the dual occupancy (accessory dwelling unit) issue on this community.   Sometimes people leave intentional communities. See “Leaving Utopia”, click here: Leaving Utopia… Continue reading (re)visioning Jarlanbah Permaculture Hamlet

Trouble in Paradise: Dual Occupancy at Jarlanbah

March 15, 2010 – 9:59 pm   Trouble in Paradise   Tomorrow evening my neighbours are meeting to decide whether or not to try to ban dual occupancy (commonly called accessory dwelling units: https://www.mass.gov/envir/smart_growth_toolkit/pages/mod-adu.html ) in this eco-village of 43 dwellings on 22 hectares.   The whole process has me mightily confused.   Imagine the… Continue reading Trouble in Paradise: Dual Occupancy at Jarlanbah

The blessings of a composting toilet

March 11, 2010 – 6:51 pm   After four years living on our half-acre block and over eight years in total including time visiting on weekends, we have a toilet.   We christened it a few weeks ago with great delight and considerable relief (pun not intended).   Neighbours and friends wonder why this basic… Continue reading The blessings of a composting toilet

A Bow of Gratitude to Bang the Table

March 5, 2010 – 5:36 pm         You may have been reading about the Australian community engagement firm, Bang the Table, recently caught up in one of those sorts of political issues that characterise community high-profile engagement – at least in some Australian states.   I have been concerned that the “baby… Continue reading A Bow of Gratitude to Bang the Table

One Sleep ’til the Windows Arrive: The joys of owner building

August 2, 2009 – 9:52 pm The Guest Bedroom, August 2009 We’ve been living in our shed for three and a half years. House under construction for two and a half”¦   And on Friday the windows arrived for the guest bedroom in our house-under-construction project. It has walls, doors, a roof, a floor and… Continue reading One Sleep ’til the Windows Arrive: The joys of owner building

Natural Disasters: A Tale of Two Banks

25 July 2009 2:19 am     While we have not been as badly hit as many flooded communities in Queensland and New South Wales in recent weeks, things have been messy here.   Roof iron blew off the shed roof, the python got in, as well as rats and mice. And many things were… Continue reading Natural Disasters: A Tale of Two Banks

Chocolate Chip Cookies: A Migrant’s Tale

24 July 2009 at 2:26 pm This is a story about chocolate chip cookies: a migrant’s tale.   I was visiting a city friend recently.   We have no oven in our shed in the bush, so the sight of someone preparing to bake was deeply satisfying.   “What are you baking?” I asked Bill,… Continue reading Chocolate Chip Cookies: A Migrant’s Tale