The Origin Story, Part 1: Compost & Mothers

Why 13 Tons and Why Love?

Hi! Welcome to 13 Tons of Love, a weekly dose of visual joy and reflective meanderings. Read on to learn more about the origins for the title of this newsletter. It really is all about beauty, the power of regeneration, transformation and renewal…and tons of love.

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So why 13 Tons?

Because between 2009, when I first built a three-bin composter, and 2022, when my mother died, I processed 13 tons of compost…in 13 years (I’ll give the details in a later post).

Why Love?

Because in May 2022, we buried my mother on a bed of compost she and I co-created.¹

It was the most beautiful moment because she loved mushrooms and the land we buried her in and she was really tired and ready to return to the earth, which she loved.²

For me, it wasn’t sad at all, given our shared fascination for compost (She taught us how in the 1970’s),

Mummy composting in her garden. Photograph by Steven C. Swett

her passion for gardening,

Mummy in her garden in Purdys, NY (1970's) and in Hanover, NH (2017)

and my vision for a greener life.

Why would anyone bend over year after year in gardens in three different states for fifty years, if not for love? Love for the earth between her hands. Love for her family with whom she shared fresh peas, cucumbers, potatoes and more.

The first detritus enters the pile, September 2009

I created this newsletter because there are so many stories to share about compost and gardening and relationships between mothers and daughters. Each of these subjects touches on every aspect of our lives - - our consumption habits, what we eat, how we treat our waste, and how we care for each other on this glorious planet.

It’s all about love. Tons of it.

It’s also all about nuance

When a bear got into the compost bin the same month my mother chose to stop treatment for Multiple Myeloma after she was diagnosed with an additional and rare cancer, it was time to start saying farewell, not just to composting at home (Once bears find a source of food, they’ll be back. Not such a good thing when you live in town),

but also to Mummy.

It was so odd that these two events occurred within days of each other. Was the universe speaking to me, inviting me to let go of so much more than composting and my mother? I think so. Because since her death, I’ve danced in snowstorms,

made offerings on my mother’s grave,

and experienced the renewal that follows transformation.

The earth embraced my mother, is caring for her, and continues to create beauty in her midst, just as my mother embraced me, cared for me, and created beauty with me.

Mummy and Me, 1968 Photograph by Steven C. Swett

How better to honor my mother and our shared passions than to tell the stories found in compost and so many other micro-climate moments. Welcome to 13 Tons of Love.

Next week: The Origin Story, Part 2: Kaleidoscopes

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Thank you for reading my first full post on Substack! I’m so glad you’re here with me on this exciting adventure. 

To read more about compost, photography, gardens, mothers and many other micro-climate moments, please subscribe to 13 Tons of Love. It’s free and open to all. I look forward to sharing more with you next week!

And if you’re already hooked, feel free to become a paid subscriber. While everyone will receive the same newsletters and there is no paywall, the more support I get, the easier it will be for me to continue sharing joyful stories of regeneration, transformation and renewal.

With cheers and gratitude,

Lyn

PS: I’m new to this platform and will be figuring it out as we go along. My apologies for any clunkiness as we get started!

1. Green Burials, while less impactful on the climate and your wallet, are emotionally intense and complicated in interesting ways. Stay tuned for a future post on this subject!

2. My mother self-published a number of nature-based photo books, including one on mushrooms and another about the land on which she was buried.