Primavera

 Um bom dia da Serra do Açor em plena floração Silvestre de tantas amadas plantas!

Viva a Primavera e as chuvas mil de Abril.

Scary times - evolutionary times

Did we think that this might happen?
No!

Life is a surprise... always.
These last times, after the fire and the strong winds and rain, made us question everything. Really everything.
But first things first. Just have a look at this and to what happened:

You can see the bit of land that just slided down!

Where the caravan is.

Where the Tiny house is.

The experience that I had was similar to the one after the fire: a gigantic fear that seemed to control me. That seemed to stop me from breathing (I had and still have lack of air in my lungs).  I couldn't sleep well and rest. I couldn't meditate. I couldn't write or read. Everything was stressful. Everything was intense. I would hear more rocks and soil going down and a big movie would start to play in my brain - thought after thought telling me that we were going to lose things again. That both the Tiny House and the caravan were going to fall down the mountain with all of our things. And worst, that we would be sleeping in the caravan and that the wind and the rain, would pull us down the hill. What a death!
My experience was that I couldn't live. That all of this was preventing me from living the life that I/we were supposed to live now.

We noticed that that is a need to be secure, to know that nothing is going to change, a need for stability, for everything being good with no problem or crazy situations. A need for everything to be flat and with no strong emotions.
But what is this need? A need that comes from a part of us that is not real, but it is experienced as so real and so alive. These strong emotions seem to make it real. But what is this "it" that I am refering to?
If you are a human being, I am sure you experienced this. All of these emotions and intensity is not bad at all! Everything is part of life, it is life. Everything is God/Consciousness.

After a while, and continuing to sit in the meditation cushion and to live in rainny and uncertain days, and with the help of Australian florals, a lot was revealed:

- Life is expressed in every moment and situation, no matter what the human experience is;
- There is no bad or good situations, but situations that cause different emotional experiences;
- There is nothing wrong in having emotional experiences;
- A human being is rich and there is a perfection in how one experiences different situations;
- Avoiding, denying and not accepting what happens (what is) leads to suffering;
- Accepting and embrancing what happens (what is) leads to reality and to a deep relaxation;
- Control or wanting to predetermine the future it's, not only a waste of time, but something that prevents oneself to be and live the present moment, and is actually an ilusion;
- One has the choice to respond in a liberated or in a constrained/conditioned way to any life situation;
- Every moment is the moment to make a different choice;
- One doesn't know what surprises life/universe/God/consciousness has for oneself and that's a relief;
- The peace that comes after the storm it's one's choice;
- The peace can happen during the storm or not happen at all, but that doesn't take reality or presence ever away!
- One is not victim of life situations, one is!

And these floral remedies were great to stay with the constant fear and the questioning why - why there is such a threat after the house survived to the fire and to the caravan which is where we are living now? 

That and knowing that everything is right, no matter what.

For now, and after talking with Sr. Ângelo and his visit here, everything is not only calm, but fresh and alive. Nothing is a warranty of anything! Except that consciousness is, no matter what. No matter if one is challenged, is suferring, avoiding or denying what is happening.

Life is so beautiful and full. 

One is beautiful and full, in the midst of intensity and in the possibility of a transformation or a strong challenging situation.

Right now, the days are getting bigger, sun is up and the light and calmness are big. Actually, lightness and relaxation are all the time, I was just distracted from it, which is fine!

With love,
Raquel

Where are we living and new loo!

Olá 2018!
We have been sick after spending christmas at my parents in Porto (a strong flu that knocks anyone down!) and our energy levels have not been the best.
But like the saying says, time heals everything. Even depression times.
Tell you, living life after a fire that turned everyone's life upside down is challenging, but possible.
Anything is possible!

After spending some weeks in Mizarela, wich we are really gratefull, the calling to go to the land and be closer to the Tiny House and to the land itself, was big, so we decided to have a place to live here.
The fastest situation would be a caravan. And living here, we would need a mean of transport, as well, that could go in these tracks with no problem. That we could transport things and friends and family when they come to visit.
Searching in Portugal, was clear that we couldn't afford this! Everything was very expensive and very old or in not so good conditions. The other possibility was the UK.
It was obvious to us, that not only the prices but the quality of the caravans and the cars were so much affordable to us!
So, the journey begun.
David went back to the UK and in 2 weeks, he found a beautiful caravan and in very good conditions. And the plus is that it came already with a gas heater. So we didn't have to worry with small woodburners or any kind of improvement in the caravan. And the other find was a 4x4. Ideal to transport the caravan to Portugal and to transport people and things here in the mountains.
We love both of them. We are confortable and warm and at a very tiny distance from the Tiny House, so we can work, prepare meals and to not waste anytime in big journeys back and forward.


Here you can see some pictures of the caravan and the 4x4 journey:

In the ferry coming from the UK to Spain

In Spain with snow

Arrived well to Benfeita, at night, and only the next day I could see both properly. Right before David got to here, he had a bit of a situation, because the 4x4 wouldn't pull the caravan all the way up the road from Benfeita here. But, fast he could see what the problem was! He arrived well but with a smell of burned tire!

And there they go, the same track as the one that the Tiny House did back in August. It was very fast, not even 5 minutes to arrive to the top of the track that goes to the land. 

When we got here, we had to turn the caravan all the way around, since we wanted it in a way that we could take it out. It looked so easy and fast! Was it? No! Not at all! All because the space was small, cluttered with things and we don't live in a flat area. There are ups and downs everywhere, which makes something always more challenging than normal.

Straps were used to secure the caravan, in case the brake would not work. We didn't want the caravan to go on it's own down the hill!

 

Just in case, we were always putting a log close to the tires.

Half way done!

Driving on the right side and you can see the caravan turned all the way.

Almost in place and then we thought of something: security! We can't have trees so close to the caravan. Because of the fire, we learned that houses have to have an area around them with no trees, and because the soil is so empty, with rain, it can just slide and trees can fall down easily. So, the next thing that we did was to cut some pine trees. 

In the middle of the work, we run out of fuel (when we think that things can go in a flow, something often happens!). No worries! 

And the work is done! Caravan in place, with no trees in danger to fall down on top of it and we are ready to move in!

Not only we are happy living here, but Lara and Missanga love it as well! Sometimes is challenging, because it's smaller than the BUS. We just downsized in things that we own because of the fire and we live in a smaller place. It's funny, because either we laugh about it or we are just irritated by living in such a small place. Welcome to the Tiny Living! 

And the adventure re-starts!

Meanwhile, David started to build a loo so we have the proper conditions to live here. We had a big storm in the area back in December. The wind was so wild that knocked the loo down! Luckly, nothing else happened over here, except a lot of rain falling down in a small amount of time.

And that's it for now!

We are good, we love and we are challenged living here, but now our spirits are high!

We have the next steps planned and we are working on them already.

Some days were spent in surviving the flu, or just a downtime.

In between, we planted some trees on the land and we allowed ourselves to just be.

Life in the mountains, with the cold, the rain and the strong winds is not easy.

We questioned our choices, but it was all part of the post traumatic time that happened (and I think it's still happening) after the fire.

We are looking forward to continue to build the Tiny House and to finally move in.

Hope to give news about the building very soon.

With love,

Raquel

P.S. - After this time sick in the caravan, we decided for sure that we want an inside loo in the Tiny House. We are not going to put our precious bottoms in the cold in the future!