Wednesday, October 12, 2005

Carla Emery

An icon of the modern homesteading movement died last night.

Carla Emery Delong was a passionate advocate of sustainability and self-sufficency. Her "Encyclopedia of Country Living" had 9 editions, many of which were put together by hand by Carla in the early days.

Her book was the first homesteading book I owned. This summer I drove an hour and a half to hear her talk, and worked up the courage at the end to ask her to sign that book. I'm so glad I drove, so glad I asked.

Carla Emery's legacy would be difficult to quantify... but I know it is rich and wide. She has influenced countless adults over several generations. Adults who have tried to put her ideas into practice and pass them on to their children. Each person who has made changes to live more gently due to her words, has contributed to her gift to the community of humans on this earth.

Rest in peace, Carla.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

A couple of summers ago, Carla was speaking an hour or so away. I didn't drive to see her, and so didn't get the opportunity to ask her to sign my book (either of them, my dog-eared 1st Bantam edition, or my 9th edition.) I thought there'd be another opportunity, and I was wrong. What a lesson in making sure we do the things we really want to do before it's too late! I did, though, email her a few years ago and told her of the joy she had brought into my life with her book, and I'm grateful I did that.