Building Backyards Better
Episode 1: This is the way. I think.
March 1, 2022
I was into a lot of stuff as a kid; I was particularly fascinated with Harriet the Spy, typewriters, cameras, and tape recorders. The camera my family had at the time was nothing to write home about, but was entirely Off Limits nevertheless; the tape recorder was Not Quite As Off Limits, but required tapes and batteries, which were difficult for me to acquire due to a pretty significant dearth of funds. My mom wouldn’t let me use her (manual) typewriter, which I also coveted (years later, I took it with me to college), but eventually, in 5th or 6th grade, I came into an absolute piece of garbage (also manual) typewriter, probably at a garage sale, that immediately became my most prized possession. With great vigor, I set about “spying” on my neighbors, then writing articles for my Very! Own! Newsletter!, which I typed myself. With columns. Every copy*.
Backyard Industry has taken many forms since 2010 - read all about them here - but never a newsletter. I’ve been intrigued for a long time about starting one (see above), but have been on the fence largely because, oh, you know [waves hand], “commitment”, “life getting in the way”, “no one will read it”, “people might hate it”, etc. In other words, excuses that run counter to every good bit of advice I cheerfully give to other people. However, I recently realized that faffing around being afraid of what people might think of my little newsletter is completely disrespectful to 10 year-old me. That? I cannot bear.
So, hey, look at us. Newsletterin’.
My aim, as I mention elsewhere, is to show very real slices of life at 909 and the progression of my interests around gardening, food, making things from things, neighborhoods, mutual aid, empowerment, the environment, decreasing consumption while increasing support of local producers and enterprise, maintenance, and much more. I try to practice what I preach, but I fail all the time; I don’t do everything I a) talk about doing, or b) think we should all be doing. I’m the first to admit it.
[In fact, I’ll admit something right now: I bought yoga tights at Costco yesterday**.]
It should be noted that I am 100% not a trained expert on the vast majority of what I talk about. Lived experience and curiosity are my jam. I’m also not a perfectionist, and I am very much OK with not doing things well in front of people. Basically, I’m the person with the sloppy-looking actual backyard (a total hotbed of potential) who loves hanging out over the fence and talking with you about our metaphorical backyards (also total hotbeds of potential). I’m into building backyards better in every way. It’s not about physical yards, ya know. Your backyard’s your home. It’s where you live, and it’s also where you’re at.
*I think I lasted 2 issues, 5 copies each. Sold out.
** Not a sentence I would have imagined myself typing 5 years ago.
LOTSA (Lisa’s Open Tabs, Saved Aggressively):
🍠 I effed up last year’s effort before they even went into the ground, so take 2?
🌻 Obsessed with these, I’m FINALLY off the waiting list, I’m so excited
🤔 Thinkin’ ‘bout arborvitae (thanks, Better Still)
🌱 This place in Liverpool, England is basically my dream (thanks to EEK for the tip)