the journal of small work*

this small work barely made it out from underneath all the pears, apples, grapes, plums and asian pears that we've been turning into every sort of preserve we can think of. still, here it is, smelling of cool september mornings and warm fruit crumbles, wearing a cardigan and wool socks and welcoming you with a cup of tea.this piece was originally written for homesteadmamas. i'm very excited to catch a scent in the air so reminiscent of every september's new possibilities, and i'm looking forward to picking up my writing and filmmaking in earnest, between the late summer waves of harvesting and preserving. there are so many pieces in the works, i cannot wait to share with you.thank you to the appleturnover patrons. if you love these small works, subscribe to the 'letters' for a not-exactly-a-substack weeklyish piece from elisa rathje.

this small works looks at the converging crises we face as a moment for stepping into a different kind of responsiveness, one that makes us all the parents of another future. with thanks to the appleturnover members. if you missed it last week, you might enjoy the deep dive that elisa took with accidental gods, the art of living well.

pausing the small works as harvest season hits one of its peaks in the food forest, but not to worry, appleturnover has a treat for you: a conversation with manda scott over at the inimitable 'accidental gods' podcast, called, The Art of Living Well: A Creative Life on the Land. people are saying they love this wide-ranging conversation, and found many sources of inspiration and action. if you've been wanting to get to know elisa rathje's work better this is a great dose of the philosophy, the praxis, of her approach to living regeneratively. if you'd like support in your own regenerative transformations, you'd love the appleturnover membership, check it out here.thanks for listening, and catch you in september!

like active hope, this small work touches the bleakness of our deep concern and the terminal prognosis of the state we are in, but moves forward into looking at what's possible from a perspective that takes into account the deep capacities of our greater system for healing and regeneration. with gratitude to suzanne simard's work with the mother tree and robin wall kimmerer's braiding sweetgrass, joanna macey and others' work with active hope and the work that reconnects, this episode dwells in possibility.thank you to the appleturnover members for your tremendous support. this letter was originally written to the letter patrons. if this work resonates with you and you'd like to be immersed in it more deeply, and to get early access to episodes, find out more at appleturnover. thanks for sharing these words, and look out for the journal of small work* book as it forms from them.

this small work listens so closely to what's needed, it turns inward to hear the messages that come from a world in great need of our attention and our considered action. thank you to the radio + film members at appleturnover. if this work is useful to you, consider becoming a patron of the journal of small work* or show your appreciation through a ***** rating and a review, it really helps ever so much to send these small works out into the world where they can be of some service and comfort.thanks for listening. you can learn more about elisa rathje and support for transitioning to regenerative practices. check out recent writing and filmmaking over at appleturnover.tv.

this small work is a meditation on being and how we might reimagine who we are, before we begin to imagine how we can be in the world in a way that makes more life. i may have lulled my own self into 'soft fascination' with this one. if you'd like to spend time in dialogue with me at our monthly conversation inspired by a tour of what's riveting at this moment on the farm, check out the membership to join us on the second saturday of the month (and get access to the private archive of tours and conversations, as well as receiving the journal of small work* book as it emerges -- of which this is the live writing of part III).