We went outside today to skirt the wool taken from our sheep in last week’s shearing. Skirting is simply the removal of hay, dirt, and feces from the wool so it can be cleaned and spun into yarn. Maria plans to sell Bedlam Farm yarn next Spring. People who are interested can sign up and get on a waiting list for the yarn through Maria’s blog, www.fullmoonfiberart.com. It was a beautiful and grounding thing to do together on our new farm, it is hard to hear and see the stories of suffering in New York and New Jersey and to listen to the endless angry blizzard of  arguments coming from the political campaigns.

People who experience fear often are porous, the fear and anger outside comes inside. I have never understood anger, I see it as a mostly male problem, yet almost all of the angry messages I receive come from women, so I am not sure how to process that. I don’t want to be a person who doesn’t care about our civic life, yet I simply can’t participate in the idea of politics as a perpetual argument between warring factions. For this reason, and in order not to support this idea of politics, I have tended to not vote. I am not sure what I will do this year. I do not believe I am obliged to vote in a system I believe is broken and unhealthy.  To me, it’s like supporting violence. I will think about it. The combination of Sandy and politics have tested me, I feel as if I am living in a massive system of fear, suffering and anger, not unlike the storm itself.

I felt better after skirting, an ancient and creative ritual. I recommend it to anyone as an alternative to watching the news.

It was sweet to take an hour in the cold and skirt the wool although my fingers ached in the cold. Red and Lenore kept us company. We got it done and we are taking it to Vermont in a week or so, details on Maria’s website.