An open cover letter

About two months ago, I quit my job. And now, I'm out on my own, trying to make a go of things this way. I see the 'youth' are into "Fucking Around and Finding Out" these days. And I get it.

Unemployment and underemployment are at all-time highs globally, especially amongst young people. We're just blowing up our limited oil supplies to satiate the greed of billionaires, and the price of literally everything else is also blowing up in the process.

The income gap is the widest it's been in living memory. Communities are divided in so many ways. There's an actual genocide happening that we appear to be powerless to stop. The media keep feeding us a narrative that makes us vote against our own interests, and it's easy to feel like it's all just generally... a bit shit.

So why be unhappy too?

If I were still young, I'd say fuck it as well. Hell, my first grey hairs are settling in, and we're well past my first wrinkles at this point. This is not the future I dreamed about when I was young. So even though I'm not that young anymore, I'm more than happy to jump on the trend.

And in that spirit, this blog is going to be honest as fuck.

So the truth of it is I threw in my part time job because I wasn't happy. I liked the work, but a combination of other factors meant it wasn't worth burning myself out for ever-increasing expectations, and a dwindling reward. It kept me stuck. And I'm ready to see what else is out there.

The thing that makes me happy is pottering in my garden, and writing about it in this little corner of the Internet. And I'm fortunate enough that it doesn't take a lot of regular income to make that dream possible.

But it does appear I'm happier knowing that there will be a regular income, in some capacity.

To whom it may concern,

I'm looking for work. I mean, probably not as a job where I'm your employee. I think I just have to own the fact I'm a burned-out, disillusioned millennial.

It's not super-likely I'm ever going to gel with mainstream employment, even when things are objectively pretty good.

I'm thinking projects and contracts—especially things I can do from home, but I'm open to in-person opportunities too. I'm based between Kerikeri and Kaeo in the Far North, but if you're willing to pay for my travel, then I'm willing to talk.

I enjoy teaching people about growing stuff, and helping people to grow more trees and food. Even if I'm not teaching about the things I enjoy, I do have a knack for researching and explaining stuff.

I can write, and I've been fucking around building websites since 1997. I've also been known to help with a few successful crowdfunding campaigns when the idea is good. Those are some skills which you might see value in.

Perhaps you too have a whacky dream you'd like to fuck around with and you're missing a skill I have? Let's talk!

The truth is, right now, I'm open to all of it.

Need a gardener?

There's 4-8 hours of my time available each month for in-person gardening work in the Kerikeri-Kaeo area. Ideally, you are willing to commit to regular visits, but until I fill that roster, I'm also available for one-off clean ups.

I work from sunrise until mid-morning because that's when the wasps are less likely to sting me, and the heat is still manageable. I'm happy to work any day of the week.

My dream client wants to learn about gardening, rather than just have someone do all the work for them. But I am also able to just do all the work for you.

I know about growing vegetables, fruit, native plants, and ornamentals. And what I don't know, I'm prepared to find out for you. I'm curious about nature, and my response to a problem is usually "goodie!" because it's an opportunity to write a blog like this.

I can take you to garden centres and help you understand whatever it is you're curious about. I guess I'd rather be your garden coach or buddy than your gardener. In an ideal world, once you have control and confidence in your space, you won't need me at all.

But this world is far from ideal. So the option of just having me work with no teaching is also available. You can just tell me what you'd like done, and I'll make it happen for you.

Perhaps your grandmother lives near the Bay of Islands and needs some help cleaning her place up?

I'm a woman, I'm not threatening, but I own a chainsaw, a line trimmer, and a hedge trimmer. I can get things under control for her.

I'm also a licensed Vespex handler, so if German and Common wasps are a problem on your property, I can come and run a sting for you too.

In the meantime

I'm going to keep doing what I love. Growing stuff and writing my blog. Kat's Garden—both the physical and digital incarnations—is my happy place.

Earlier this week, I received a Note From The Universe. Sometimes those notes really hit me. This one said:

Do you know what’s really HOT?

When someone keeps doing little things, expecting BIG results. Especially when circumstances never seem to change.

These are the world’s metaphysical movers and shakers.

Circumstances always change -

The Universe

So I guess I'll just be here each Sunday, doing my little thing until the circumstances change.

I'll be taking Kat's Nip to its first in-person market on November 14 at Rogues' Bazaar at the Turner Centre in Kerikeri.

Harvest for 2027 is coming up and the catnip plants are looking great, so even though fewer and fewer people seem to have the disposable income to buy cat drugs, I'll keep doing that for another year.

In the background, I'm working on more than one sequel to Kat's Garden Guide, and developing some decent grow kits for kids, beginner, and experienced gardeners alike to grow strange and unusual things.

And if you have something you'd like to chat about, I'm kat@kats-garden.nz. I also have a LinkedIn profile, and there are guidelines about how to work with me on this website too.

Thank you for your consideration.

How to help if you can't help

Most of the country is nowhere near me, and not everyone is in the position to offer work. But there are other ways you can help. I'll start with the ones that don't cost money.

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