O paraíso

 

31.12.2023

O PARAÍSO

Quando perdemos a noção

De que tudo é sagrado,

Deixamos de saber que somos amados

E deixamos lixo por todo o lado...

Uns dizem que é falta de educação,

Mas pode ser apenas uma falha na visão...

Tudo é espírito separado,

E nós somos incluídos

Nesse corpo santificado,

Não conformado

Com sistemas de humanos formatados...

O corpo de Cristo rejeitado,

Perseguido e torturado,

é de todas as tribos,

Raças, linguas , nações e gerações ,

Como viu João em visões...

Todos os que adoram o seu Criador,

Sem gênero nem idade,

Adoram em espírito e verdade,

Buscando santidade,

Para não ser cúmplice desta insanidade...

Desconexão da terra, da água, do ar

E do fogo que há-de queimar...

Quando é que vamos parar,

De roubar, mentir e matar?

Por uns tostões?

Ainda estamos a viver em ilusões,

Em realidades virtuais

Criadas por mentes doentes

Que se tratam em hospitais...

Mais um negócio para escravizar,

Já nem doentes podemos ficar,

E se espirrar ,

São capazes de me matar,

Ou criam uma vacina para lucrar...

Não sou deste mundo nem quero ser,

Nem quero ter uma televisão para ver

A podridão a que o ser humano

Se está a submeter...

Lembremo-nos do passado

Lembremo-nos do que era a fé antes do papado,

Lembremo-nos que da terra somos filhos,

E para a terra voltaremos,

Lembremo-nos dos xamãs, profetas,

Curandeiros, feiticeiros, 

pintores e pastores,

cantores e poetas...

Lembremo-nos do filho do homem

E do Buda sentado,

Dos eremitas, dos monges e frades,

Bruxas, gurus e madres,

Lembremo-nos da Luz

E de todos que A Luz servem,

Lembremo-nos de olhar para os lírios

E para os pardais,

E aprender com eles

Que somos todos iguais,

Somos todos Naturais,

Orgânicos, biológicos

E o que mais inventais...

Vivemos da terra

Enquanto houver água para regar,

Só são precisas sementes para começar,

Venham as ruderais e pioneiras,

Venham as invasivas companheiras,

Essas, mais as que nutrientes fixam,

Sao logo as primeiras...

Não é de mais conhecimento que precisamos,

Pois com boa intuição não nos enganamos,

Muita fruta, perenes e nozes

Junto com flores e trepadeiras por vezes atrozes...

E é só isto que é preciso

Para alcançarmos o paraíso...

Para quê a religião

Se temos o paraíso na nossa mão,

Na nossa terra e no nosso coração?

21 novembro 2023

  Vencer o mal

 é não nos subjugarmos a ele.

é resistir á tentação...

o Mal só existe se for praticado por alguém,

alguém que abriu o espírito, que deu permissão 

desprotegido ou não (não sei),

e dar entrada ao mal que acaba por 

alojar a alma (ferida ou doente),

da alma á acção por intermédio

do corpo,

é um instantinho...

A tentação não se parece em nada 

com uma maçã...

nem tão pouco uma serpente...

e não foi no antepassado

mas está sempre aqui bem presente...

é mais do tipo :"-bora lá matar o teu vizinho porque me roubou o brinquedo?"

sugestões tão absurdas como esta...

ou esta:

"-só pode ter sido ele, eu vi como olhou quando me viu com o brinquedo novo

que o meu pai me deu,

que custou mais do que o salário mensal do infeliz do pai dele...dizem que gasta tudo na bebida..."

até parecem conversas de café,

não é?

mas são vindas do mal,

ou como quer que o queiram chamar 

ou pintar...

conversas faladas em nossas mentes,

que até nos fazem sentir mal...

se todos os seres humanos escolherem fazer isso ao mesmo tempo, 

( não se subjugarem ao mal)

o mal não existia para ninguém,

já pensaram nisso?

o acto mais heróico do ser humano,

para além de dar a vida por outro alguém,

não é salvar milhões,

é escolher não fazer o mal

a cada instante da vida...

já imaginaram?

ninguém era ofendido,

éramos todos iluminados

sem mais tentações para resistir...

infelizmente o mal é contagioso,

faz o COVID parecer uma leve constipação...

é altamente contagioso,

passa de uns para os outros,

um está a ofender e um está a ser ofendido,

não é preciso muita matemática...

por isso o perdão é tão importante,

é para vencermos o mal,

e não querermos vingança,

nem mesmo justiça,

ou infelicidade,

ou apontarmos dedos 

e condenarmos outros a viverem em culpa, 

em vez de mostrarmos compaixão 

ou compartilharmos a nossa opinião  ...

não interessa,

"não te tornes um monstro

para derrotares um monstro"

já cantou o Bono,

(agora já nem sei,

espero que esteja a cantar pelos palestinianos também...)

saber perdoar é fodido,

mas se conhecermos o verdadeiro inimigo,

mandavamos foder mas é o ódio,

e o orgulho, e a inveja, ou a cobiça,

a maldade que pode estar em cada um de nós...

quem fica pior no final é quem não perdoar,

fica a remoer e a ruminar,

abre portas para o mal entrar...

é nosso dever perdoar,

e quanto mais rápido melhor,

mas é muito mais fácil escrito do que feito...

é uma simples escolha na mente,

e o coração começa a seguir...

é uma escolha consciente,

e todos temos Consciência,

ou não?

alguns já a perderam...

não há que enganar ou como fugir,

a menos que te queiras enganar

a ti mesmo...

"Pai Nosso,

perdoai as NOSSAS ofensas 

assim como NÓS perdoamos os que NOS ofenderam ( já não já?)

e não NOS deixes cair em tentação,

mas livra-NOS do mal,

livra-NOS do mal,

livra-NOS do mal,

livra-NOS do mal...

Teu é o poder,

a honra e a glória,

a NÓS resta a confissão,

grata pelo Teu perdão...

E se as abelhas deixassem de trabalhar ?

 Post in Portuguese .

Read more Here

CCTV - Televisão em círculo fechado

Post in portuguese 

Read more Here

Cidades e Muralhas, para que raio foram inventadas ?

Portuguese post.

Read more Here  

mAke aN efFort oR nOt? ThaT iS a gOod qUeStioN ...

read more Here

lAsT pOsT oN tHis bLoG... nEw bLoG oN tHe wAy...

 Hello, I dont even know who follows this anymore...or who still reads blogs, but I felt I should leave a message here, if for no one else, for myself :-) , to communicate that this blog is officially closed.

I will keep it online for myself as I still go back to read some stories every niw and then :-)

And here is the new l
ink for the new blog I'm starting, " Mente Errante...w@andering mind", which will be written both in english or portuguese, depending where my mind will wander :-) 

Much Love, Joy and Hope to all

HAPPY DAYS

Shantii pilgrim 

WHo wAs Jesus?...a "pArtY aNimAL?"

This post is partially humorous, partially based on an honest search... If you didn't like the title of this post you probably shouldn't read it, as it would probably not be of interest for you... I apologise in advance for any possible offence from now on...

There are many stereotypes of Jesus, but in reality we know so little of the historical Jesus... We can read the gospels which were written by a group of Jews followers at the time of Jerusalem's destruction by the Romans...at least 30 to 40 years after Jesus died...I imagine quite a tragic and sensitive time... The image the older ones might have still kept, and the oral tradition that might have carried most of the stories and parables we read today...it was probably their own construction of what became the experience of God s spirit in their lives, after Jesus' died... a minority group among the many Jews who lived under the oppressive imperial domination system of Rome...

Let's have a look, if you want to amuse yourself, with some stereotypes that survived the ages until now... 

mAyBe i M bAcK tO bLoGiNg...

I think for the last 4 or five years, I've been trying to get back into bloging, but then I never make the time for it...even now, I'm reluctant to write... I ask myself, why should I write on a blog? I have a journal...the question might be more like "what do I have to share?" Or " what do I want to share?" ... That's what blogs are for,right? It does help me process my own experiences and ideas, but it is about sharing in the end, otherwise I stick to my journal...

I started this blog when I went traveling for 6 months and it was the easiest way to share my experiences with a lot of my friends at the time, instead of writing e.mails to all individually ( this was 2005, before Facebook era)...

WiLd fiRe iN pEdRogAo gRandE 17-24 June 2017 :-(

This was a post on Facebook...but I want to include it here ...
it´s been 20 days since the 17th of June. the day we started our Natural Building Course at Lisbeth Herz s place in Pedrogao Grande, and the tragic day of the big fire that desolated this country for 7 days. 50.000 hectares of land burned down to ashes, 64 people died, countless animals, houses, and much more...This is still what I have in my mind and why I´ve been avoiding going online.I´m still blocked to what I want to say or share, not sure if I share about the week which was a mix of good moments on the building course together with really sad news from our good friends Liedewij Schieving and Joey.

How is the Mount of Oaks today ...

-->

Dear Friends of the “Mount of Oaks”,

This letter is from me, Barbara, for those of you who were somehow connected to this place from the early beginnings and for those who are interested in knowing how things are developing so far. We are thankful for your part in the history of this place.

…if you want to go back in time, take a look at these many pictures first... then, find a moment when you have nothing else to do, and read my loooooong letter :-) … enjoy and rejoice !!!

a nEw eCoNoMy...a nEw LifEsTyLe... iS tHeRe hOpE ?

"- You can't worship two gods at once. Loving one god, you'll end up hating the other. Adoration of one feeds contempt for the other. You can't worship God and Money both.

tHe sPiRiT of eAsTeR ...

--> -->

This Spirit is not dead, the Spirit that ... “stands for liberation of the human mind from the dominion of religion, the liberation of the human body from the dominion of property, liberation from shackles and restraint of government. That stands for social order based on free grouping of individuals” (Emma Goldman defining Anarchism) ...

Human greedy systems come and go and they all try to destroy and kill this spirit... But the truth of what we celebrate at Easter, is that This Spirit is and will always be alive...

O sOL dOs tRóPicOs ... Henrique Galvão

LINDO !!!! Acabei hoje de ler, a 25 de Abril..."O Sol dos Trópicos", de Henrique Galvão, de 1936, uma edição creio da minha avó. Este romance tem muito que se lhe diga. Um filho de camponês, deixa a aldeia da Beira sonhando n "a Riquesa ou a Glória, a Celebridade ou a Autoridade"...desiludido e falido vai para Angola para morrer...e é nos vales da Chela, entre o povo Mukubal, que encontra a razão de viver...vou transcrever uma breve passagem...fica aqui para pensar :

"...havia em mim um principio de felicidade simples que brotava como os rebentos verdes da massambala no meu arimo. Compreendia a vagabundagem dos mukubais - 

bAcK oN wRitTinG...mAybE...tALvEz mAiS Em pOrTugUêS...

A caminho do 25 de Abril,
e porque também hoje
muitas pessoas se lembram que Cristo ressuscitou,
e nisso venceu a morte de vez e para todos,
vamos ter Hoje um pouco mais de Esperança...
Do amanhã nada sabemos,
amanhã esperaremos.
Nós somos criaturas
que fácilmente nos esquecemos,
e por isso desesperamos.
Precisamos de festas,
rituais,
missas e carnavais
para nos fazer lembrar,
ou apenas parar...

"Deus Quer
o Homem Sonha,
a Obra Nasce" (F.Pessoa)

Precisamos sonhar alto,

2nd FeBrUaRy – "gOoD" or "eViL" ?

-->

There is a whole spiritual realm we don´t really know much about (if we are honest)...

All I´m going to share is based on personal experience and my own interpretation, I might be wrong, as I realize how little I know on the subject.

It´s sometimes easier to recognize “bad” things in the physical world than it is to recognize “bad” things in the spiritual world. I usually don´t like to classify things as “good” or “bad” as that can be so subjective and fruit of our dualistic mindset...

mOrNinG mEdiTaTiOnS fRom LaSt wEeK...

Finally it seems that I will make the time to write again on this blog... mainly because we have a solar panel which able us to charge the computer anytime... I will try to post some of my morning meditations... it´s more like what comes into my mind at that time... what my spirit is wandering or wondering about ...

Writing here it´s simply a way for me to process those times in the mornings...

30th January – God wants community not religion

Christmas Meditation ...

by Richard Rohr

 

"The rifts and chasms between good people today sometimes seem impossible to bridge. Let’s just name a few obvious ones: male versus female, rich versus poor, liberal versus conservative, Christian versus non-Christian, “Pro-Choice” versus “Pro-Life,” the overdeveloped world versus the underdeveloped world, renew-from-within versus change-from-without, straights versus gays, hierarchy versus laity, whites versus people of color—and every shade of every issue in between.

eXiLeS iN BaByLoN

(From Jeremiah 31:10-17 and Habakkuk 1:1-6)

Jeremiah speaks to the exiles in Babylon. People were scattered , made slaves throughout the vast and oppressing Empire of Babylon.
Here´s a song to bring Hope for those in captivity, for those who could see no way out, no hope for the future.
Jeremiah lived before the people of Israel were taken into captivity to Babylon. He was trying to tell people what was coming...but nobody seemed to want to listen.
Jeremiah was foretelling what could have happen to the people if they would not repent. Obviously they didn´t listen and kept living their lives as they wanted. They were eventually taken to Babylon...
Yet "There is Hope for the Future, says The Lord"

Who are the prophetic voices today?

tO bLoG oR NoT tO bLoG... ThaT iS mY qUeStiOn...

It´s been a while since I last posted here... (I should count how many times I started a post this way, eh, eh)
When I first started with this blog it was basically a matter of being practical, as I was traveling and it was the easiest way to share my journey with those who wanted to accompany me along The Way... Then, when I came to The Mount of Oaks, it became a weekly reflection for myself, and again, to share what was going on here with all those who were interested to know or those who passed by ...
Then I started a blog just for the Mount of Oaks, because I felt and still feel that the Mount of Oaks is not about me and I wanted to make that a bit more clearer... This blog became then for more personal sharing... reflections, thoughts, processing the week or season that passed, etc...
Now, I´m not so sure if people read blogs so much...

fiNaLLy LaSt viDeOs fRoM oUr rOaD tRiP...

I know it´s been a while , but it was not easy to find the time to put together all the footage from our road trip...
We´ve been busy since we´re back and without electricity it makes it harder to find the time... Winter is a time of reflection and introspection anyway... A time to plan and envision what is ahead...
But anyway... here´s a little something to remember our pilgrimage at the end of the summer... Believe me, it takes ages to make this little videos...it´s fun though... but exhausting at times, to go through all our pictures and video snaps, putting it all together, cutting here and there, choosing the songs, etc... not to mention the times I forgot to save and the program froze...
Enjoy !!! There are six of them :-)

From Chester to Peterborough ...

ChRiSt iS aLL, and is iN aLL...

One more meditation from Fr. Richard Rohr:

We are too tiny, too passing, too recent to imagine any eternal greatness within us, but the Biblical pattern of incarnation always has God disguised and hiding inside of littleness, particularity, ordinariness, and seeming insignificance. God seems to want us to do the desiring and all the discovering. No one finds God who is not looking for God and willing to go to the edges to find God. Unless we leave our comfort zone, we really do not meet God at all, but merely pull God inside of our own small sphere, and it is no longer God that we meet at all. Just religion.

tHeRe iS gOoD nEwS aT cHriStMaS...

Prayer: 

O Rising Sun, enlighten my darkness.

" Through the heartfelt mercies of God, 

      God's Rising Sun 

will break in upon us,

   Shining on those in the darkness,

      those sitting in the shadow of death,

   Then showing us the way, 

one foot at a time,
      down the path of peace."    (Luke 1:78-79)

Pre-industrial people were far more connected to the natural cosmos and seasons than we are today, and were very aware that the 21st of December is the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere... not really the death of the sun—but its rebirth! The liturgical year was easily connected to the seasons of nature. 

here's a little review of our first 6 days on the road...
From Belfast, to Edinburgh/Scotland, then into England....firstly the Northumbrian coast to Lindisfarne on the Holy Island; Durham; Leeds and Manchester...

We had our last good-byes in Belfast with a lovely dinner and hang out time at Pádraig´s house. 

LoVe cELeBrAtIoN viDeO

for some reason, one of the songs I used in the video of our Love celebration has copyrights and is not possible to open in certain countries, like germany... odd...
If it´s restricted in your country, click here instead... 
not so good sound, but hey !!!

Shalom
Salaam
Peace
Paz

LoVe cELeBrAtiOn VidEo

check here for a youtube video...
If it´s restricted in your country, click here instead... for some reason, one of the songs I used has copyrights and is not possible to open in certain countries, like germany... odd...
when I find time I´ll post some more :-)
we´re just now packing the van to start the road trip back to the Mount of Oaks...through Scotland, England, North of Spain till Santiago and north of Portugal...

Shalom
Salaam
Peace
Paz

oN tHe rOaD...

Here'e me and emma starting our trip from the Mount of Oaks to Ireland... in our van that now has a name, "soraia"... it came with the wind-brake we got as you can see...
We left on sunday afternoon and on wednesday we were already in the north of France close to the place we'd take the ferry to Ireland... so we still had a day to rest from travelling and enjoyed the day at a beautiful beach in Normandy...
I'll just leave you with the pictures and some brief comments...

"cHuRcH aS pErMaCuLtUrE..." ?!!!

This is part of some daily meditations I get through e.mail from Fr. Richard Rohr, a Fransciscan monk living in the north of America... Obviously he's relating with the reality there, but we can see  the same issues in our part of the world...
He gave this tittle for the week "Church as Permaculture"... I had to laugh... and read..., specially because it was just the week before the Permaculture Course here...
so here goes:
"Mere beliefs do not necessarily change the way we live in this world.  What we have been calling “Emerging” Christianity or “Lifestyle Christianity” involves a real movement toward simplicity—at all levels.  A return to a simple lifestyle is the only way we are going to be able to respect this planet and create honest community instead of this social climbing we are involved in today.  

tHe sToRm cOmEs bEfOrE wE rEaCh tHe sHorE...

I was meditating this morning on the passage in Luke 8:22-25, when Jesus and his disciples got on the boat to reach the other side of the lake, and got stuck with an heavy storm...
I was quite familiar with the story, and the teaching of Jesus to his disciples (me included) of how little faith we have when we face different storms on the way...
Again I got confronted with the same question Jesus asked his disciples then : "- Where is your faith?"

what was different this morning was that I kept reading while I was trying to get familiarized with the context... that's when my perspective changed...

a LoNg wAy tO gO...

This is me next to Lesley a week ago during the Permaculture Design Course. I sprained my wrist when I was tying a rope from the tarp in front of the kitchen. I was on a step ladder and wearing an african fabric tied around my waist as a skirt... not a good idea !!! even though I lifted it and tied it up to my waist, as I was stepping down, the fabric untied itself and blocked my knee... so I was not able to step down, fell on my butt and landed on top of my hand... Outch!!! it did hurt... Thank God it was not worse as I had a knife on that hand... Fiiiuuu !!!
     This was just one of the many "incidents" I experienced the last weeks... but there were many blessings too... I would suggest you would grab a cuppa to read the rest...I will try to sum up the last months on these lines ... but I can't promise it will be short :-)

3 mOrE dAyS iN aNgOLa...

      It's been a good time here visiting my parents...
the reason why I came so unexpectedly was due to my mom's health condition. She had broken 2 ribs and during the time of recovery she felt really bad...one night she almost couldn't breathe, she had high fevers and was cold as ice...  My dad said she was virtually dead... they went to the hospital and she was immediately looked after ... one of her broken ribs had punch one of her lungs, and they took out more than 1 liter of blood...

a rEfLeXiOn fOr tHe nEw sEaSon tO cOmE...

It's almost 2011 (for those who count that way), and it's nice to be in a warmer place :-)...
I just wanted to drop a line and wish everyone the chance to have a good time to reflect on this year that passed ... a time to remember...
I'm sure in the end there will be many things to give thanks for...
I also want to wish you in this coming season, all the rest and peace needed for each day... time to stop and simply wonder at the beauty around us... time to contemplate, and eyes to see and realize that beauty...

cAr tRiP ViDeO & mY oBsErVaTioNs iN aNgoLa...

This was my little trial to make a movie of my trip from Luanda to Benguela by car...

I went with my father, my brother Jorge and his 2 sons, Keanu and Eric... This was the first time I could make this trip by car cuz before the roads were not safe to drive...

It's been 6 years since I last came here and many things have changed... The war only ended in 2002 (after more than 40 years), and when I came here in 2005 there were still not many changes... 

5 dAyS, 3 AiRpOrTs, 5 cAnCeLeD fLiGhTs...

so, I will share my "saga" of my trip to Northern Ireland...
I was only going for a week , for Emma's birthday, to see her dad in Hospital and the rest of the family...
I end up having 5 flights canceled, in 3 different airports, and ended up arriving in Belfast on the same place the Titanic was built :-)... thankfully nothing compared to the Titanic story happened :-/...After all that it would be dreadful ...

rEfLeXiOnS oN LaSt cOupLE oF mOunThs...

It's been again a long time since I post anything...apart from my last note about my laptop keyboard... as you might presume, I do have a keyboard now :-)... i found a cheap one on ebay, only 12E...super!!! but that was not the only reason why I haven't got the opportunity to write...
the thing is that my days have been quite full and many things have happen...
Now I seat here in "my house" (the bus), the sun just set, I just lit a nice fire to warm up and made myself a cup of tea... the season of cold days (and specially nights) have started, and the olive harvest season is about to come to an end...
Somehow I feel as I haven't spent much time on my own for a long time, and maybe that's just what I needed to seat, relax , and write...

nO cOmPutEr...aNd oLiVe hArVeSt nEeDs hELp...

it s been few weeks now that i cant use my computer. only to connect my internet modem in order to use my phone for internet, as im doing now... :-)
My keyboard got few drops of rain and doesnt work anymore.but the rest is fine, fiiiiuu...but i can only use the mouse ...
Im using my phone now for access internet and check emails, so i just wanted to drop a line to let you know.
All my mail contacts are in my computer, so i ve been only replying to those who have been sending me emails recently.

sUmMeR tiMe...

This has been a reeeeally hot summer... one of my excuses not to write so often on my blog :-) eh, eh... but it's true, it's really discouraging to write during siesta when it's most hot, or in the evenings when I'm basically exhausted...
anyway, just wanted to catch up with the last month before I have another bunch of things to share...
After the time in USA I had lots of work to do here... mainly cutting grass/weeds to prepare the camping area for the permaculture course participants, and to open up the walking paths... at the same time I would use the same cuttings to mulch most of the trees...
I had to say that I had lovely visits who helped me on that...

aBoUt TimE...

it's about time I post something about my time in USA... I already came back 4 weeks ago, but I had so many little (and big) things to do here at the land that I was not so enthusiastic to be at the computer... It's also not so encouraging when we have between 35º and 40º ... really really hot... so, If I'm not working, I'm swimming :-)...
But anyway, I would really like to share some of my thoughts about the time at the camp... first because it's always a good way for me to process it all, and then because I would like to share it ...
of course this would be simply my personal experience...if you're interested in more you can also read great entries by Audrey on the camp's blog... click here ...
I chose this picture to start with (it was actually a post card Marcia gave me from Chiapas-Mexico), because that is the picture I have of this camp... building bridges, where once there were walls...

fACE 2 fAcE...fAiTh 2 fAiTh...hEre I gO...

Soon, me and Emma will be going to the Usa to participate in an inter-faith program called "Faith to Faith, Face to Face"... click here to find out more about it.
The program operates in four regions around the world, Belfast (Northern Ireland), Cape Town (South Africa), Jerusalem and United States. Emma is the leader of the Northern Ireland region and this is one of her jobs with the Corrymeela community that she's part of... so, this will not be new for her, but for me it will be the first time, both in this program and in the USA...
I'm really excited and looking forward for all the experiences that will await for us at this time...

hApPy hApPy dAy !!!!

Just a couple of days after finishing our strawbale building workshop we had lots of friends and family for a "baby party"... (go to the other blog to see how it all went... it was great!!!)

This was definitely a happy day… a celebration day for many reasons…
For my twin nephews’ 3rd birthday, Nelson and Joshua, and also for Nolan’s 2nd birthday that would be later this month…
We also had little Diogo with us, only few months old, son of Pedro and Lisanne, my sister’s best friends…
And Kiara, Lua’s daughter was also with us…
so, a party with and for children… I think we all became a bit like children, except for the alcohol consumption ☺, but hey, it was a party !!!
Another big big reason for celebrating was that my mom came from Angola ☺ …

This is Lyna's Yurt floor finished...
Click here to know how the strawbale building workshop is going...
It's only the second day and we are ready to lift up the walls tomorrow :-)

hArD wOrK...

Check out here for our last weeks hard work...
I'm back in Belfast to visit Emma who got a viral meningitis... she's much better now, and I'll be back to the land on tuesday to get back to work...
We need to finish Lyna's Yurt floor, and get ready for our Strawbale building workshop... I'm looking forward for it...
IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE SOME MORE ATTENDANTS, SO, PLEASE PASS IT ON TO THOSE WHO MIGHT BE INTERESTED
it will be from the 27th May to the 3rd June...and costs 200E, food and camping place included...

tHe sHacK...

what an amazing book !!! I just finished this morning and I'm still so thrilled about it all... I highly recommend it ...lots of deep insights given with a nice sense of humour... you can check it out here on "the Shack" 's website.
It will definitely break down all your pre-conceived stereotype images you may have of God... :-)


Let me share just a little part that stood out to me, to give you a little taste :
(one of the many conversations between Mack, the main character, and Jesus)

wOnDeRs oF nAtUrE...

I just arrived from Dublin, after not being sure I was actually about to take the flight. All UK airports are closed because of a vulcano in south Iceland which erupted today...they say this ashes are really dangerous for the plain's engines so they are not risking to allow any plains to take off...
Even flights to Brussels were being canceled, I didn't understand...but I guess there was no danger to fly south to Portugal... Fiiiuuu...it was a bit chaotic at the airport, but I made it to the gate on time...
Thank God there are no major loses in Iceland, people are being evacuated, but no injuries nor deaths...just quickly read the news...

oNe mOrE suCceSsfUl PErMaCuLtUrE cOuRsE ...

we finished one more successful permaculture course at the land... with 13 participants, most of them Portuguese (which made me really glad), few Germans, one Dutch and a "multicultural" one (eh, eh, hard to define, but basically he's born in Holand, lives in Portugal for more than 10 years and his parents are both from America)... that's Chris Uhler for those who know, he's part of the "house" already...and he was also the youngest of the participants... It was a pleasure to know all of them... and it was a pleasure to spend some time again with Lesley who is such a delight... Most of the people who came were new for me, so it was nice to get to know them... all such beautiful people...
Marcia also came from Lisbon to help me and Lyna in the kitchen, and as she said, it was so nice to spend this time with
like-minded people, even though all different and unique in our own ways... it was soooo nice to be with Marcia again... I miss her so much...

wE hAvE hOt wAtEr aLrEaDy :-)

Me and Lyna were like children when the hot water came out of the solar water heater...this is how it looks , but check it here to see the last processes...
The permaculture course is coming soon and we still have to finish little things and make the shelter for the course cuz the forecast predicts rain... I'm still hoping that changes, but still, we have to be ready for what might come...
around 20 people will come and camp for 9 days for this intensive permaculture design course, but I'm looking forward to get to know them all... I do hope despite the weather, we will have a wonderful time together...
Me, Lyna and Marcia will be in the kitchen cooking and making sure there's always hot tea and coffee :-)

rain...rain..rain...

check out here for last week's news...
Thank God the sun will be shinning this week...and I hope for the next weeks too...we need to dry a bit... the soil is totally saturated with water...even in our kitchen and common place the water springs from the floor...
In this picture you can see that our upper pond is overflowing...actually, the other one below as well... and our road is being a bit more destroyed....it's amazing how much power water has...it doesn't look as strong as stone, but it does find its way through...
so, I'm looking forward for this next week...we've still lots to be done...
Have a good and pleasant week too
PAECE

wOrK iS gOinG wELL...

I have lots of news about last 2 weeks of work in the land... so, I better just put some pictures and write some comments about it...
Last sunday I went to Moses for a wee rest and I end up trapped by the snow...so I could only come back to the land on tuesday and then had lots to do...so not much time to blog...but I wrote a bit here on the MOunt of Oaks blog... I'm still trying to figure out what to write on my blog and on The Mount of Oaks blog...anyway, I'm not sure if it makes sense yet to have 2 blogs, but hopefully in a near future it will not only be me writing about the life in the land here...
As you can see, the bath roof is done...

After that I started to work on the the plumbing system for the washing station near the kitchen and the bath house...as you can see here on the same post I mentioned before...
I gave up on the idea to build a shower place before the permaculture course as I'm seeing the weeks flying by and I don't think I would have the time to finish all I wanted in the first place...

Willi is determined to fix our road down below cuz it keeps raining and it's getting almost impossible to go up with the cars... not so nice when we need to carry heavy material for the things we're working on...

As I said I went to visit the Winter's at Moses, and I end up getting trapped by the snow...they convinced (it was not so hard, eh, eh) to stay overnight and go monday morning...it was also Joshua's 13th birthday, so, another good excuse to spend some time with them all... we watched this movie "Avatar" online, and I have to say that I highly recommend it (if possible for you, go to a good theater and watch it 3D)...sooooo impressive... I was really touched by the story which, even though fiction, we could easily relate with our sad reality throughout history...when out of fear of the unknown people kill each other in the name of "peace" (or for the sake of money and good busyness)...it made me cry in few parts of the movie... I can say that after the Lord of the Rings, it's definitely my favorite movie...beautiful pictures too...
Anyway, monday morning I left, and I just needed to drive up hill to see this

Yep, snow again...and more was ahead...

I literally had to go around trees that were falling on the road with the weight of the snow... It was pretty exciting actually :-) and beautiful...but then I got trapped here

these were the tracks of my car wheels as I tried to drive up this hill...I got to a point where I lost traction and I had to go back...I was literally sliding to the edges, so every once in a while I had to go up a bit to straighten my wheels and slide back again... it was fun and exciting... I also knew I would be fine cuz I could just call the winters to pick me up if I was in trouble... but I did it :-)...
I was taking another way to go to Fundao, but then I thought the road could be worst ahead and I was not far at all from Moses... so I went back :-)... it was not snowing in Moses, so they were all surprised when I told them what happened... they had planned to go to Coimbra and watch a movie for Joshua's birthday, but they thought it wouldn't be a good idea if it was snowing... so we enjoyed one more day in each other's company which was great... not so great was the fact that the electricity from the city company was really weird and end up blowing up most of the transformers of computers, Josh's play-station, the internet modem and the washing machine...bummer!!!
But we did have a good time playing the guitar and me and Andy playing Djembes... Vonny end up falling asleep with the drums :-)
Tuesday morning I was again ready to leave...hoping I wouldn't get trapped with snow again...

well, I didn't... But looking at the road, I was glad I decided to stay one more night...the road must have been blocked with snow...
It was good to spend those days with the Winter's, but I also had my mind in all the things I had to get done this next weeks...

when I arrived, Willi and Sebastien were fixing the road below...such a good timing as I was just arriving with the back of my van filled with stones from Moses :-) I was already thinking we needed to put some more stones on our road...
but Willi was far ahead in his thoughts, and now he's determined to fix it properly... :-)

That's lots of hard work there as you can see...

nice pictures by Sebastien...



While Willi was busy with the road...I kept working on the plumbing... I fixed the taps on the washing station cuz they were leaking the first attempt...I opened a trench from the kitchen to the drums (next to the big bus), and dug the pipe...

And now I'm starting the second stage which is the solar water heater...here in the picture I was starting to build a small tower to put one more drum, which will fill the drum inside the insulated box next to it where our water will be heated... I have to build it with bricks, and that's why you can see a small foundation being prepared on the right side (facing the solar south)... I have to confess that this will be a great challenge for me, and I do hope that in the end of it, it will actually work :-)
we'll see...the tower is done now, so tomorrow I'll buy the bricks and start with it...
It's been a really exciting time for me to learn all this different things :-)

It's now 3 weeks for the permaculture course to start, when 20 people will come to stay for 9 days...
I do hope we'll have time to finish the bath house walls with a shower compartment (as I said, I gave up on building a whole shower place for now), the compost toilet and the shed for the course in case it rains... I feel the rain will stop for a while after the next full moon on the February 28th...but we never know really ...

Anyway, I hope you all have a good week...and time to process and rejoice for the week that is past...

miSiOn aLmOsT aCcoMpLiShEd..

I just posted about my last week work on the Mount of Oaks blog ... click on the link if that interest you...
Oh, and I just want to say that I changed my settings on both blogs to moderate any comment, cuz I was getting stupid ones from chinese blogs, probably trying to make publicity or sell useless stuff... sorry about that...

bUiLdiNg aGaiN...

just a quick note to say I 've just posted the last week news on the Mount of Oaks blog ... we're busy here building one more roof :-)