Hard to believe it's August already! Mid-summer is almost here (~August 5th, in case you were wondering). So far summer has had its hot moments, but July proved to be foggy around here; hopefully August isn't quite so.
I thinned the raspberry canes out tonight; hope next year we get *LOTS* of berries. This year has been so weird in terms of food. We just didn't get enough rain (or snow) last winter, and the water tables must be low because the plants are just not producing fruit. The huckleberries are in such a sad state. Bears are a problem, not just in our area, but all over the island. We are getting daily email warnings about 'problem bears'. One even climbed inside someone's car nearby through the sunroof to get a candy bar wrapper! (I saw the muddy paw prints on the car myself) Possibly the same one walked off with a full garbage can. I hate to think what will happen to the bear if the conservation officer has to deal with it. Habituated bears are dead bears around here; relocation is not used once the bear has been habituated to human habitat. Conservation officers are only going out on calls right now where the bear has "gone in the house".... LITERALLY. No thanks. I don't need a bear INSIDE my house. No need to replay Goldilocks, thanks. I think the bears are making themselves visible this year because not only the changing seasonal weather patterns (meaning less food), but also possibly because we might be in for a real nasty winter? I would be more than happy to be wrong on that one, though!! (Note to self: get more firewood in, and SOON! And plant that winter garden!!!)
I've been thinking of painting on a wall in the kitchen:
"Food is Sacred
From Seed to Harvest,
Through Preparation and Serving,
With every bite we eat."
...why paint this on the wall? To bring more conscious awareness and connection to our food, for my own benefit. Sometimes its just so hard to remember. But that's no longer a good-enough excuse. If we are to truly love our selves, then it becomes so important that we make that connection between the food we are putting into our bodies and how we feel afterwards, both physically and spiritually. Grow, harvest, and prepare your food with *love*. Serve it to others with a giving heart. Eat with a grateful heart. I have noticed that when I'm stressed, and I reach for food, it doesn't matter if it *is* a healthy choice, like a banana, I feel gross afterwards because of the underlying stress. Food is not the answer. I really need to be in the right mental space, free of stress and worry, to enjoy my food and to assimilate the most nutrients from it. This has been a huge lesson for me lately. And so I want to paint "Food is Sacred" where I will be reminded every time I prepare, serve, and eat food.
I got a copy of I am Grateful last week in our raw bulk order; it's the raw cookbook by Terces Engelheart. I *LOVE* *LOVE* *LOVE* this book. I am so inspired by the affirmation names of all the meals. And the side notes in the book, asking questions meant to get you thinking about your connection with food, asking you to remain conscious of that connection. I so need this in my mind right now (well, always, really).
Next week I'll be planting the winter garden while I'm housesitting. In my head I'm planning a beautiful garden, but I realize that August is actually a little late to be starting. I needed to start the seeds a month ago. Hopefully we'll get sunshine through the end of September so the plants get a good 6 wks of growth in. I'll post pics once things are up.
August is going to be busy; we have two weddings to attend and several other commitments already. And we spontaneously traded in our 2005 car yesterday for a 2010. There wasn't anything terribly wrong with the 2005; but realistically it was going to need more work in the next 3 yrs, whereas now we won't have that. Also, we had been going to trade-in in 3 yrs anyways, and by then, our 2005 would have depreciated that much more, and it would have had twice the mileage on it that it currently does, so really, I think now was the better time to trade it in ('though I had a minor panic attack about spontaneously making such a large purchase decision; all the thoughts about money I grew up with, that my parents hold dear, came bubbling up inside in a little (LOUD) voice... so I had to sit with them, hear them, but not be limited by them. It was interesting to remain in a state of observing them without reacting to them. Very meditative). I see ourselves becoming far less car-dependent once we move to the new property (in 2-3 yrs). The kids will be that much older and there are good commuter biking trails to ride into town, not to mention bus service close by. I'm looking forward to further releasing our dependence on oil as time goes on. :D
Ahhh yes, the new property. We're definitely looking ahead. My son & I were perusing craigslist tonight, looking in the 'farm and garden' category. We found a horse for sale, including tack - $3000. We both drooled. Then there were goats for sale - yearling nubian does. Yes please! ;) (The raw vegan in me wants a strictly plant-based farm with lots of fruit and nut trees, lots of garden beds producing a huge variety of foods, but I realize the kids aren't ready to go raw vegan, and I'd rather raise the food they eat ourselves). DS wants 100 hens; we currently have 27. Yep, big farming plans for the new property. I think about the farming/food production potential of that property more than I do the design of the new house, although that is definitely under the radar and under active discussion these days. Still, we are a couple years away yet, realistically.
But we *did* win $20 on Lotto Max this week! (On our free play ticket!) A $12 investment 3 wks ago has yielded one free play and now $20, so at this moment, we're doin' alright on the gambling! LOL ds is CERTAIN we're gonna win big each week. Positive thinker that he is. ;)
And a slight shock last night as an ex co-worker of dh's showed up unannounced at 9:30 at night, JUST as I was reaching to lock the door, he knocked in the darkness on the other side! I involuntarily shrieked as the dog barked. I felt bad b/c this fellow is so shy; he'd obviously had a few drinks (that might be an understatment: few; he seemed pretty loaded) to get the courage up to even come by and say hello, and here I let out a blood-curdling yip as he knocks. OTOH, 9:30 at night isn't the time to make a social call on someone you haven't seen in yrs, even if it is Saturday night.
I suppose this is rambling enough - just to recap: bears lacking food, maintaining a spiritual connection to food, winter gardening, the new car, won $20 on lottery, and a surprise visitor. Yep, that pretty much recaps the past week! :)
Enjoy your long weekend (if you're Cdn, that is!).
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