Everywhere I go I meet women who are taking their lives into their own hands. Thinking for themselves, making decisions that would curl the ears of the current administration in the USA. The are people who may have never been involved in counter culture, or they are people who were hippies in the 60’s and now are coming to as close to a sustainable lifestyle as they can.

Working locally, not waiting for the Federal government to sanction their lifestyle.
They are working for peace, speaking out, working for sustainability in the foods they buy, grow, eat. Growing their own food, buying locally. Some put their money into real estate instead of the stock market, some don’t have a bank account. some don’t have a computer. Living a life that they can be happy with, even helping to build an alternative monetary system that fosters local communities and does not depend on the World Bank. This alternative monetary system will hold when the world economy goes belly up because it is not dependent on debt, but local goods and services. These people won’t be hitting the rails looking for work this time.

My last visit before entering Canada was to Cyndy in Bellingham, WA where I marveled at Cyndy’s beautiful house and gardens and the view of Mt. Baker from her windows, not to mention, the hot air balloon that drifted by the last night I was there. The gardens were made by a master gardener who lived in the house before Cyndy.

The hot tub is great!

Cyndy is one of those women I met who is taking things into her own hands. She is involved several groups that are working out of Bellingham Washington. They are:
http://sustainablebellingham.org/ a buy local and organic foods non profit.

http://www.FourthCornerExchange.com an alternative money system that is local and involves both money and exchange of goods and services. a time dollar is worth 10., if you put in time dollars to a person’s account, they can use it to buy goods and services from anyone else. it’s neat, it is computerized, and does not involve carrying money, the money is not printed, it is all kept in the computer. Here is a little from the fourthcorner website. I think we very much need this in Oakland. Perhaps by the time I return, one will have already been started. If not, well— time will tell if I will be able to do something about that.

Fourth Corner Exchange is a Sustainable Community Currency based in the Pacific Northwest USA, which operates throughout the USA and the world. Currently we have over five-hundred participating members,
http://www.fourthcornerexchange.com/