Urban Homesteader: A legitimate excuse to be excited

Bethany J. Royer Garden Island Newspaper Originally published Nov. 22, 2011 ell, I !in"ed #ysel$ by boasting about how stellar #y health in a previous %olu#n be%ause I $ound #ysel$ in lo%al e#ergen%y roo# not on%e but twi%e. hile tests re#ain to be done all $ingers so $ar point to one rotten gall bladder and a potential ul%er. It only too& two 'R do%tors, #y $a#ily physi%ian and a spe%ialist to %o#e to this deter#ination. It al#ost sounds li&e a bad !o&e, two 'R do%tors, a $a#ily physi%ian and a spe%ialist wal&ed into the patient(s roo#). *nyway, I a# now living on the #u%h+dreaded BR*, diet - bananas, ri%e, applesau%e and toast, oh #y - and have had plenty o$ ti#e to %at%h up on #y night#arish *lgebra ho#ewor&. Not to say everything I(ve been reading is dry as I stole so#e ti#e into several .tephen /ing boo&s and $inally %aught up on reading the newspaper that I wor& $or. ,he latter o$ whi%h brings #e to the point o$ today(s %olu#n 0$inally, right12 as what did I see on the $ront page but a story on a lo%al wo#an $ar#er. hat I soon dis%overed as I read and resear%hed is that an entire networ& o$ wo#en $ar#ers reside in the %ounty and have %o#e together to o$$er a plethora o$ wor&shops $or the endeavoring lady o$ the $ield. ,hey have everything $ro# %lasses on potting and transplanting, to weeding, seeding and harvesting, to raising $owl and even a3ua%ulture. hat ro%& have I been under all these years to have #issed a treasure+trove o$ $ar#ers and ho#esteaders right in #y own ba%&yard1 I was so e"%ited I sent an e#ail as 3ui%&ly as possible to the organi4ation. *n e#ail that %ontained $ar #ore e"%la#ation points than what I would %onsider pro$essional and #isspellings that would later #a&e #e %ringe. ,hat(s o&ay. I thin& I(ve a legiti#ate e"%use to being so e"%ited as to paint an e#ail with e"%la#ation #ar&s and #isspellings. 5ou %ould !ust about %o#pare this lo%al $ar#er news to #y eight and ten year old being told they are going to 6isney orld. O&ay, al#ost li&en to a 6isney orld announ%e#ent. I(ve no doubt #y daughters would be less than enthused with attending %lasses on how to distinguish weeds $ro# $ood and how to e"tend the growing season in their garden. 7lus, one always has to loo& at the bright side8 at least all those e"%la#ations were $ar less o$$ensive than sending an e#ail in all %apital letters or s%rea#ing over the phone to one o$ the $a%ilitators o$ the $ar#ing progra# to show%ase #y enthusias#. *nd sin%e she replied so &indly to #y e#ail it %ould not have been too bad.

.o it %ertainly pays to do a little networ&ing and %ertainly a lot o$ reading to $ind individuals with si#ilar interests and goals. Now i$ they !ust o$$er a %lass on how to grow your own gall bladder I(ll be %o#pletely sto&ed. 9 Bethany J. Royer is a reporter $or the 7i3ua 6aily :all and wanna+be urban ho#esteader. .he %an be rea%hed at bethanyroyer;yahoo.%o# or visit her at www.bethany!royer.%o#.