What Will It Take? Where Do You Start? Moving Into Your Beliefs

What are your beliefs?  When did you get them?  Are your beliefs intuitive, foundational, since childhood, newly acquired, epiphanies, at a funeral, mentored by another person or in Nature, discovered reading, realized watching an art film, driving when alone, listening to music, when your life fell apart, eating a slow good meal with kindred spirits, self evident, being with your pets, sitting in a Church pew, etc... ?

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Can you write your beliefs down?  Not for public consumption; to define them, to yourself.  Zero thoughts of a diary or journal in this, none.  Better, your own Common Place Book, 'used since antiquity', they're for quotes, themes, processes, God, Nature, "A commonplace book is a system for writing down and sorting all manner of tidbits: quotes, anecdotes, observations, and information gleaned from books, conversations, movies, song lyrics, social posts, podcasts, life experiences, or anything else that you might want to return to later."   ..

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In my 20's, studying historic gardens in Europe, Tara Turf, was OBVIOUS.  To me.  Now 60, tooting Tara Turf for decades, it's more obvious.  Yet, only, to me.  

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But first, what is Tara Turf?

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Tara Turf, below, in my garden.

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Oddly, Tara Turf, even my own, brought out anger and resentment in someone close.  Before reaching the mowing-paths stage.

Tara Turf, is local, and native, across the globe in myriad variations.  Tara Turf is the mix of flora/fauna evolved before the dinosaurs.  Jesus walked on Tara Turf.  Tara Turf evolved with its unique soil permutations.  

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The same soil, where each of us receives our serotonin and dopamine, via our gut microbiome, filtering itself using a direct path to our brain, giving us our moods, outlook, personality, health. 

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We are made of stardust, and Tara Turf.

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Virgin Tara Turf, above.  Ready for push mower !  In my garden.

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Freshly mown Tara Turf, above.  

Last week, I bought a push mower (Troy Built - Honda engine), hired a man to mow swaths with his big mower, for my own TARA TURF.  Paths lead from house to shed, house to car, house to garden rooms, house to chicken coop, house to pond.....

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Why did my own Tara Turf take so long?  

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Beloved said he would mow my garden down, if I did it.  He did.  He wanted fescue.

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 Tara Turf was bathed in round-up ahead of his fescue.   

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One morning, Tara Turf Beliefs, vindicated.  Digging armadillos, drinking shots & beer all nite, created a muck paradise feral hogs could only dream of producing, of his fescue.

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Almost 2 years later, TARA TURF is repairing the damage.  A few small patches bare Earth, should be Tara Turf by the end of summer !

Tara Turf from my car to house, above.  

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Almost 6 years in our ca. 1900 home, finally having Tara Turf, thrilling is understatement.  Came home late sunset last Saturday, a friend's precious daughter turned 14, a great evening.  With age, knowing such evenings are huge, sharing in friends joy & love.  AND, first time ever, walking across the garden, almost dark, on a foot path, to go inside.  

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Oddly, walking the TARA TURF path, thinking, "Finally, CIVILIZED."   Interesting what the muse speaks.  Didn't expect that.

Pic, above, here. 

Discovered TARA TURF while studying historic gardens across Europe for 2+ decades, beginning in my 20's, above/below.

Pic, above, here. 

TARA TURF, below, hid a TARA TURF secret, in plain site, many years.

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In the orchard, below, at Sissinghurst, TARA TURF, used in this way, more accurately named, Guilds.

Guilds are tallish grasses/flowers blooming at the same time as your Orchard Trees.  Why does it matter?  Guilds, TARA TURF, increase crop yields by 80%.

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It's all about pollinators.

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Your health needs are not separate from these facts.  

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SOIL, TARA TURF, POLLINATORS

Pic, above, here. 

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TARA TURF, below, has a different mission statement from the Orchard Guilds, above.

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Yes, this TARA TURF, still increasing crop yields up to 80% for grazing livestock, nearby crops.

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Noticing how much mowing is reduced, below, and, above?

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Pic, above, here. 

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Did the stones, above, make you smile?  Me too.  Hope they're keeping trucks from making muck of the TARA TURF.  Looks like success.

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Moving into my TARA TURF beliefs has changed my life.  Layers large, small, unexpected.  

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Getting into bed, last Friday, first day of my life, encircled by mown 

TARA TURF, it happened again.

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MUSE spoke, "Good girl, you've got a civilized garden surrounding you, as you sleep."  Better, I could feel my GARDEN of TARA TURF around me.

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What are your BELIEFS?

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Seriously.  

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How are they received?

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Would anyone be interested in a Commonplace Book Course Online?

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What I know for sure, YOUR Commonplace Book will change your life.

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You will be MORE you.

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I used to think this is why you are here.

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Now.

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I KNOW this is why you are here.

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Garden & Be Well,    Tara

Five years ago, I received a note, below.  Personal.  Met this woman online.  Stunned she could see so clearly, from a blog post, into human relations.  

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Knowing her a couple of years, I browsed one of my older Commonplace Books.  Thoughts, ideas, quotes, Biblical passages, cocktail recipes, music lyrics, magazine art, my own collage art, art reviews from NYTimes....I discovered 2 pages in that Commonplace Book were filled with HER garden, from almost a decade earlier.  Before Social Media.

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Story, above, is YOUR story.  Trust your Commonplace Book, trust yourself.  For centuries, people have kept Commonplace Books.  

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Her advice spot on.  She saw.  And was right, in reaching out to me.  

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Her note, below.

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"Such an obvious aesthetic thing........and so insulting when not respected!  Yikes!  Does "beloved" trust you enough yet?  Does he respect your taste and talent enough?  I am just wondering! It is so important!!! 

Have you established your credibility.??  You certainly have with your followers on your blog and your people who pay for your speaking engagements.......and take notes.....and follow your instructions on how to create lovely and productive landscapes!  Does he "get it"?  Your understanding of European classic landscapes.......the whole understanding of the landscapes that encourage bees, butterflies......and wildlife?  (You even explained to me how I did that without even knowing!)  now I have beehives!! And have learned what to plant under my fruit trees!  A whole world has opened!!!

 My husband was befuddled by the "messiness" of our planting.....and I took him through the nature preserve next to us....a haven for birds, butterflies, bees......and wild animals.....and I explained.....this is my goal!  A pond......to attract ducks and waterbirds whose habitat has been almost eliminated here.....native plants where birds can nest......NO LAWN  (18 years ago!)  and permeable paths and terraces.....gravel.......no hardscape....we had chickens in Pasadena (the only ones....honestly!!)  and a place for them too!

Does “beloved”  want to understand these things?  Or does he just want to drive his tractor over everything!  (just asking??!!)

 I don't mean to be sticking my nose into things.....I just had a very unhappy marriage with someone who had no respect for my taste or talents......and did not have a tractor...but if he had had one.....would have mowed down everything that I created that mattered to me.....because he liked it "tidy”!  

 Saw a perhaps red flag there…..and I am not trying to make trouble…..I want nothing but happiness for you…..I know how long you were in the pit of “unhappiness”!

 I am just disturbed by the mowing of your meadow……and what feels like disrespect of your brilliant ideas! Sorry to be a buttinsky!  And I sent this privately….I just adore you and all your beautiful ideas and your descriptions of how you learned…..I just see some danger signs……I was married twice before I found my mate for life!

 First marriage at 18 (my Daddie died when I was 4);  I was in college at USC in Los Angeles…..a freshman…….divorced seven months later….(I did make him change his last name……kinda funny);  then married the second time at 21!  after graduation!   We had a child…..My daughter Ella…..now 47!

 Never studied decorating….English major….started decorating in 1970!  (scary long time ago……still love every second!!)

 (If he didn't learn from your "staging" of his "vacation house”;  which sold right away!!!!) and your vision for your lovely farm (mowing down your loved meadow because he likes "mowing"; ) are you sure?  

 I do not mean to sow doubt......I mean to let you know that it is lovely when your man trusts you and lets you do things aesthetically.....in a house and in the gardens (in my case…both house and garden……wildness in the garden!!!)  when he knows and admits you know more than he!  Frankly, you know more than anyone I have ever met!!!

 Just a slight nudge in your ear!  Please forgive my buttinski!!  I don’t mean to!  I just love you and all of your ideas……your explanations…..your knowledge….deep and thorough…..and wish for your happiness in your next relationship.  There are some men who simply do not respect and will not acknowledge talent and creativity  in others…especially women........(they know it ALL)!

 I am hoping that is not the situation…..there are just sounding alarm bells in my head…….I was there……twice.

 

I have been married for forty years……almost…..and I still have to yell every now and then!  “NO!!!  Do not cut those olive branches!!!”  “No!  That is not a hedge”!!!  He tells the gardner to stop.  Same problem!  Gardner wants to trim trim trim…..and I want him to stop stop stop!!)

 Fortunately….even though my husband……and my beloved…….(total);    doesn’t understand…..he pretends to understand…and the branches do not get cut.  That is the secret.  He respects my taste here…..and , most importantly, he knows I know more than he does about the aesthetic part..  We have been published in lots of magazines….(I don’t think that is the reason……he also listens to what people say).  Visitors…..sigh….and they “get it”  Key.  Isn’t it?  Have people who "get it” visit often!  

 But there are lots of men who don’t get that some people “get it” and some don’t!  Who knows????

 I send this with love…..I just hope you are not springing against a brick wall……I know what that feels like.  I did it .  It doesn’t work. Ever.

 I admire you so much!  And my goal is a speaking engagement here this year!  YAY!!! "

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Receiving her note, above, I did know.  Thought I could hold it together.  Yet every layer of my life, screamed TARA TURF.   

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Janis Joplin, sang, "Freedom's just another word when you've got nothing left to lose.".  Bobby McGee is gone.  What have I learned?  I have everything to gain.  

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Sent a note, to my friend, above, after he left, told her what happened.  And, asked her, How did you know?  She didn't pause a second, "He didn't respect your work."

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Which part of spraying TARA TURF with round-up was I trying to hold together?

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Now you know why I've been gone.  I'M BACK.  God is good.