I felt inspired by some of the 8th graders' mentorship project speeches from last night's school function (at Aubrey's school), and went to find my books on painting.
While there, I found Made From Scratch.
I thought, "What is this doing in the animals-sustainable living-art section of the bookcase?" (A totally great spot for it, by the way.) "It should be in memoir." (Because it's also that. Sort-of. And it actually says so on the front of the cover.) I went to transfer it to the "right" shelf, and lo and behold! Another copy. HA!
This is a boon for you, of course, because someone's getting a free book. Leave a comment on this blog, and I'll do a random drawing. If you're name is drawn, I'll contact you to get your address, and I'll ship it to you. Pronto-like.
It's a super awesome book. I've apparently read it three times now. And every time I read it, I retain something more. It really is so inspiring.
Here's a quick review:
5 out of 5 stars
Summary:
A young single woman finds the bliss of self-sufficiency and urban farming while working in an office 9 to 5. She quickly gets the bug and moves to the country. It's part memoir, part how-to, and is chock full of life lessons, practical tips, and down-home humor and humility.
Review:
The really cool thing about this book -- besides the author's voice, and the fascinating content -- is the structure. I really dig the lay-out. First, the sections fall under standard themes like, Chickens: the most exciting accessory since lawn darts, and Growing Your Own Meals: I get cocky with my hoes. But also some less mainstream ones: Packing Dogs, Homemade Mountain Music, Angora Rabbits as Livestock, and Old Stuff.
Then, within those thematic sections, Jenna starts with a personal chapter -- an essay on the most private thing she learned about her process in this area, or why she made a certain decision, or just some quirky little story about her friends -- and then follows it up with a practical how-to for those of us that want to try it out ourselves.
This is pure brilliancy. How many times have I read a memoir that inspired me, but then didn't have a clue how to set myself up to start? Or the reverse is true, too. Sometimes I'll pick up a permaculture book, say, because it's an subject that interests me, but I don't end up reading it because it's all text-booky. And I want more character. More humanity.
Made From Scratch: Discovering the Pleasures of a handmade Life is that book. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
