Westacre’s bedsit apartment is taking shape. Except for the cooker, we have a fully functioning kitchenette. Tomorrow we’re off for a week in Barcelona, and when we come back we’ll be able to move in and abandon the rest of the house to the renovation project.

To keep you busy while we’re away, here is a list of articles that have caught my attention in the last week or two.

Finding awe in nature

Storms by Ian Hill
Musings in the snow

Finchley Road by Vivienne Palmer
Bumblebees and other minorities in the city

When things fall apart by Sharon Blackie
A life close to the reality of living on and with the land and its creatures. It’s not always an idillic existence.

Climate and environment

Thoughts on the Apocalypse: Fight for what you love by Derrick Jensen
An impassioned appeal to start fighting for our world and all that is precious in it.

The giants of the green world that profit from the planet’s destruction by Naomi Klein
Some large green campaigning organisations are deeply invested in the very carbon heavy industries that are killing the planet.

Climate-warming gas in atmosphere passes 400ppm milestone – interactive
Another sad milestone in a series of sad milestones. We desperately need to turn this around.

Ancestors and spiritual traditions

Complete Inuit shaman life story 1922
A fascinating glimpse into a real life story, in a scene from The Journals of Knud Rasmussen.

Witnessing a South African healer at work
Another real life story from our own times

Archaeologists find earliest evidence of humans cooking with fire
We, and people like us, have been using fire to cook food for a very long time. This may have had a significant impact on our evolution.

A better society

Positive development, a ‘turn around’ strategy for growth and civilisation by James Greyson
Ideas on turning our economy away from made-up measurements to real lasting value.

Does Bhutan hold the recipe for the future of farming?
One country in the world is aiming to grow 100% organic food.

Why parents should leave their kids alone by Jay Griffiths
Modern Western parenting compared to traditional societies. Something we can learn from?

Positive change

This desert miracle can only mean one of two things by Carolyn Silveira
How simple technology can change lives profoundly.

Roots, shoots and seeds: the spear carriers by Charlotte Du Cann
Coming home to small scale, land blessed, natural food.

Why your supermarket only sells 5 kinds of apples by Rowan Jacobsen
Singing the praises of rare and unique apple varieties.

Friends

Sacred Body part 4: Loss by Theo Wildcroft
My friend Theo has written an achingly beautiful series of blog posts for Druid Life. This is just one in the series of 6.