Christmas �Farm Report�
The Blueberry Peace Farm
Dear Family and Friends,
Hope the end of this year finds you in Good Spirits and with wishes for you all for a Happy, Blessed, Productive and Fulfilling New Year. Lynn and I moved to Magee, Mississippi last May after living in St Petersburg, Florida for 5 years. While in Florida, we participated in the Green Party of Florida, a small Community Active Church (Solid Rock), the Coalition for the Homeless and were Volunteers and Board Members for a Nonprofit Social Service Agency, the Mid-Pinellas Homeless Outreach.
One of the real highlights of being there was being involved in a diverse Group of Caring Individuals, which became known as St Pete for Peace (web site: stpeteforpeace.org). Words in this short Christmas Note are not sufficient to relay what this Group of Thoughtful People meant and still mean to Lynn and I. We met twice a week for Peace and Truth Promotion Gatherings, on Saturday Night downtown St Pete and for a Wednesday �Peace Cornering� rotating monthly between major intersections in St Pete. Monthly, we also had a potluck dinner where we talked of events and did planning as well as having the Fellowship of warm Friendships. The Spirit of this Group was less �anti� this or that and more �pro� � pro- Peace, pro- Democracy, pro- Justice, pro- Ecology, pro- �alternatives� to Bush�s handling of Iraq, pro- �better Government�, pro- Concern for the welfare of other Human Beings whether close or far on the Planet. It was the Golden Rule being lived out by individuals that all were an inspiration and an honor to know.
There is a verse in the Bible that say �You can�t serve God and Money at the same time�. I think there could be a related saying �Bush cannot serve Corporations and America at the same time�.
Also in St Petersburg, I took classes at St Petersburg College, finishing all the prerequisites for the RN program, other classes of personal interest and as well being a part of the �Campus Greens�. Lynn, you could say also participated, as she was involved in most all of the classes, learning along side and even attending classes of those instructors who were on an equal or friendship relationship with us. I was accepted in the RN program but declined to start the �clinical� 3 times.
I started a 1-year Chemotherapy for Hepatitis C through the VA in January of 2003. Part of the side effects of this was problems in concentration and memory. It didn�t feel right to pursue the Nursing program at that time. Still just taking the classes themselves was worthwhile. Completing a RN program remains an �option�. The Chemotherapy was successful in curing the Hepatitis C, but there have been lasting issues including emotional/stress and memory/concentration problems. Hopefully being here in Rural Mississippi will be healing and healthy.
We came here to Mississippi last March to scout for properties, made an offer on this one in Magee and returned to St Pete to fix-up the house there and put it on the market. We painted inside and out, landscaped and did repairs and completely remodeled one room with new walls, ceiling and tile floor. It was completed in May, sold and these �hippies� were going to Mississippi. We have 18 acres here and are trying to establish an Organic Farm and Retreat Center. We spent the summer clearing, mowing and making compost.
Katrina hit in the end of August, which added to work here. Trees were blown over all through out Magee and the area including on our property. One third of the Property we hope to have Blueberry Bushes, one third Pecan Trees and then one third will probably remain for wildlife, as it is too �boggy� to plant on. We will also have a small Fruit Orchard and a large Vegetable Garden. We hope to market some to put back into improvements here on the Farm as well as give to Community Food Pantries and Feeding Programs. There is a large open shed that we want to enclose to be a Music/Art Studio and Dormitory. We will have room for bus parking and hope Church Groups and other Groups will be able to come here as a �Stop Over� when traveling. We also want to be an �Always Free Bed and Breakfast� where people are Welcomed to stay for up to 3 days.
We attend a small wonderful Church very close to our Home called Goodwater C.M.E. Church (�the Church on the Hill where the Water is always Good�). The winter season now affords us to work on our Vegetable Garden Beds, planting Blueberry Bushes and Fruit and Pecan Trees. The name of Our Farm is the �Blueberry Peace Farm� and we hope that it will always be a Peaceful, Blessed and Beautiful Place on the Planet.
God bless you & Happy Holidays!
Love and Light,
William and Lynn McLean
The Blueberry Peace Farm
Magee, MS 601-867-3879
http://blog.360.yahoo.com/dirtandsludge
(Our "flog" ~ "farm log")
for previous entry "Home" from July 1, 2002 see:
http://geocities.com/cpeacesigns/home1
