How poetry, imagination, and spirit entwine to help catapult us into truer realities. — It took a lot of convincing for my daughter to fall asleep, today. Lots of pretending to nap, lots of cuddling with this crying, tiny, frustrated human. Lots of kicks in the stomach. Ihave been thinking about my writing practice–more correctly, my lack of a writing practice. It’s one thing…

An invitation to women who prefer the starry night sky over artificial fluorescent lights. —

This tutorial uses a Portable Solar Generator, Solar Panels, Eufy Cameras, and T-Mobile WiFi. — Overview We’ve had issues with trespassers and thieves attacking our desert garden. As much as I dislike surveillance, I must concede to the power of having 24/7 access to a live-stream of your property when you are not there. Originally, I wanted to build my own security camera and motion detection…

Both cultivating the earth and writing are entwined — not only as acts of service, but generational memory. — This is Part 6 in the Flow the Desert project. (Read the series.)

No fluff. Just five things I wish I knew before I starting an earth work project in the middle of nowhere. — Part 5. (See: 1, 2, 3, 4.) 1. Before even finding land: if you can’t be on the land full-time, find someone who can. Desert thieves have a very elaborate system for stealing from homesteaders. They will scout out a target, and place small red objects along the road as markers for a future hit.

When the snow begins to thaw, it’s time to prepare for the growing season. — 1, 2, 3 It’s strange to talk about it, but I think any conversation about pursuing a pipe dream needs an anchor so that it doesn’t float away in the lost sea of hope, dreams, and aspirations. There’s a pattern I’ve noticed. At first, I thought it was just a…

From Design Systems to Dust. Components to Compost. Software to Soil and Seeds. — Part 3 in the Flow The Desert series. (Part 1, Part 2) A vision for this place has mapped itself out it my mind, over and over again — as though it were a painting, or a recurring dream. In the center of it all is a tree — one…

I just bought 10 acres of land in the Los Angeles desert. Here’s why. — Part 2 in the Flow The Desert series. (Part 1) There’s a beautiful story in the Mahabharata, one of the world’s oldest epic poems, about the desert. A band of brothers were “gifted” a swath of wasteland to rule over, in exchange for giving up their rightful claim to their…

This past month, I’ve been honored to craft lovely letters, stories, poems, & words for some incredible individuals. I’m highlighting a few of those gifts on Substack every Wednesday. Typewriter Poetry Sharing Poems, Letters, Cards, & the Stories behind them. Created by Billimarie.typewriterpoetry.substack.com Today’s feature is a Custom Typewriter Poem called “Irrigation.” Several years ago, I attended the Canoga Park Art Walk with my…