Today was pretty much an at-home day, which was *FAN*tastic. Not very often the calendar is empty for an entire day.
I am getting the hang of pressure-canning, now having done two batches of baby beets, one batch of whole tomatoes (which ended up looking rather stewed) and two batches of green beans. I'm going to work on the farm tomorrow and am hoping to come home with more produce to 'put up'. I'm inspired by the kitchen cupboards here; they have a great picture of their cupboards with all the canned food inside that i can't find right now on dial-up. :P
There's been a huge shift going on in my perspective lately; I can feel it. I'm noticing that I'm needing to learn some new skills surrounding managing money and finances and also a need to let go and declutter a LOT around here. (must be reading about Voluntary Simplicity that's got me itching to make changes; that, and my pack-rat neighbour is doing some decluttering, and (well, not to be competitive with him or anything, lol, but) i just know that decluttering will open new spaces and opportunities up in our lives... much needed fresh energy.
Speaking of energy, there's the whole Smart Meter program being hurried into implementation in our province. It's really got my hackles up; from the way it's being done, the privacy concerns about the information they will be collecting about my family's energy usage, the mercury switch in the meter (equivalent to 500 CFL lightbulbs in each meter is what I read), having no reasonable opt-out options, the bringing in of wireless technology in a neighbourhood where there currently is none (including no cell phone coverage and dial-up as the main internet option), and where there is no community discussion on whether we *want* this technology forced down our throats... on and on, questions about why Hydro would spend twice the amount of money they expect to save (how is that fiscally responsible of a public utility?), questions about the safety of these smart meters, about appliances going haywire after the installation. I want to know why, when EMFs are classified by the World Health Organization as a Class 2B possible carcinogen in May of this year, why then are Smart Meters being allowed at all. Questions, questions, questions. Yes, I have concerns and I'm not alone. I have enough concerns that I've sent a letter of no-consent to BC Hydro and I support communities around the province who are asking for a moratorium on the installation of these things. I was shocked to learn that neighbours have *already had theirs installed*, several weeks ago. I hear of other neighbourhoods in the greater urban area who are going through installation as well. It's bullocks. Makes me want to go off-grid, big-time.
There's a yahoo group called Parents for Choice which is lobbying against the smart meters. I encourage all parents in BC to join. I hate to say it, but Friday night, when I was at a neighbourhood gathering with 7 other neighbours, and the Smart Meter topic came up for discussion, I was made to feel like a freak for having any concerns at all about them. My concern about EMFs was dismissed flippantly and the subject was quickly changed. It's not JUST the EMFs (although imo that's enough to warrant exercising due consideration before their implementation), it's all the other things I also mentioned above. And more.
Eating Local: we are making such GREAT strides in eating local this year. Working at the farm is making a huge difference as I come home with the excess produce (like 9 lb zucchinis/courgettes, lol). Today the kids had vegetable soup for lunch that was almost entirely local produce in it and dinner was rice and lentils with vegetables and coleslaw (all the veggies were local, and the rice & lentils came from the food co-op in bulk 25 lb quantities, so I felt really good about these meals). The kids continue to eat healthy, whole-food, vegetarian meals, and we're trying to source as much of our food locally as we can.
Generally, I'm spending time lately thinking about where I want to be 5 yrs from now, and realizing that if I don't take action steps now, I won't ever get to that place/goal. So if it starts with decluttering and snowballs from there, awesome. (Goal for September: get that field plowed and plant a cover crop!)
I am woman; hear me roar!
04 September 2011
02 September 2011
CRACK that whip!
omGOODNESS it's been a busy (and emotional) week... funny how things kinda converge all at once sometimes...
I made ketchup this week. The recipe called for 24 lbs of fresh tomatoes. And the first thing you had to do was peel EVERY one of those tomatoes! wow, that only took 2 hrs! Then a few steps later the instruction read: boil gently, stirring often, until mixture is reduced by half. hmmmm, how long could THAT possibly take... *26 hours* later, the mixture was reduced by half. had the recipe stated that i would have to stir often for 26 hrs i'd probably have rethought the whole thing. but when you've already invested 2 hrs peeling tomatoes (not to mention time growing and harvesting them) and another hr letting it simmer, what's another 26 hrs?!? In the end, the recipe yielded 16 half-pint (250ml) jars = 4L, or basically about 6-8 months of ketchup for our family. note to self - NEXT TIME: USE ROMA TOMATOES. lmao
Other than making the house smell like ketchup, it's just generally been busy. I have had to sit down and look squarely at our schedule, especially with 'school' starting up next week. What are my priorities? Where do I want to be 1 yr from now? What do I need to focus on?
Today, for example, I played hookey from farming to instead clean the house a bit while dh and ds volunteered for the community association. Then we had to drive dh to catch the boat to work, a handful of errands, clean the community hall (ds's job but many hands make light work so we all pitch in), a quick dinner, off to register dd for a class and then tai chi class in the evening. And a whole lotta little things I'm trying to remember ("email so and so", "call so and so", remember this and that). The days are one after another busy right now.
Yep, there are some major changes afoot around here and I'm having to rethink our schedules a bit, trying to pare back but still maintain connections to supportive friends. It's hard because I *love* farming and *love* tai chi but can see that I have to really balance those passions with other priorities in my life, especially being that I'm volunteering with my passions.
I'd write more but it's rather late and I've had too many late nights lately.
hope you understand...
Namaste'
I made ketchup this week. The recipe called for 24 lbs of fresh tomatoes. And the first thing you had to do was peel EVERY one of those tomatoes! wow, that only took 2 hrs! Then a few steps later the instruction read: boil gently, stirring often, until mixture is reduced by half. hmmmm, how long could THAT possibly take... *26 hours* later, the mixture was reduced by half. had the recipe stated that i would have to stir often for 26 hrs i'd probably have rethought the whole thing. but when you've already invested 2 hrs peeling tomatoes (not to mention time growing and harvesting them) and another hr letting it simmer, what's another 26 hrs?!? In the end, the recipe yielded 16 half-pint (250ml) jars = 4L, or basically about 6-8 months of ketchup for our family. note to self - NEXT TIME: USE ROMA TOMATOES. lmao
Other than making the house smell like ketchup, it's just generally been busy. I have had to sit down and look squarely at our schedule, especially with 'school' starting up next week. What are my priorities? Where do I want to be 1 yr from now? What do I need to focus on?
Today, for example, I played hookey from farming to instead clean the house a bit while dh and ds volunteered for the community association. Then we had to drive dh to catch the boat to work, a handful of errands, clean the community hall (ds's job but many hands make light work so we all pitch in), a quick dinner, off to register dd for a class and then tai chi class in the evening. And a whole lotta little things I'm trying to remember ("email so and so", "call so and so", remember this and that). The days are one after another busy right now.
Yep, there are some major changes afoot around here and I'm having to rethink our schedules a bit, trying to pare back but still maintain connections to supportive friends. It's hard because I *love* farming and *love* tai chi but can see that I have to really balance those passions with other priorities in my life, especially being that I'm volunteering with my passions.
I'd write more but it's rather late and I've had too many late nights lately.
hope you understand...
Namaste'
29 August 2011
abundance!
I worked at the farm today for a few hours... and came home with a LOT of produce! 34.5 lbs, to be exact. (isn't that insane?!?)
dd and I harvested summer squash today for an hour - FOUR wheelbarrows FULL. I took a picture on my cell phone but will have to email it to myself to upload it here. It was crazy - must've been about 200 lbs of squash, quite easily. We took two home - one was 8.88 lbs! The other was 5.4 lbs. They were MASSIVE!
This is definitely the time of year when the garden is going full-tilt and you can't even give away zucchini. The farmer said the local food bank won't accept fresh produce from farmers because they find the people coming to the food bank don't know what to do with 8 lb zucchinis, and packaged food is easier to prepare. Sad statement on our society, imo.
Alas, I digress. I wanted to share with you the abundant variety of produce that is ripe these days:
several lbs of tomatoes - will Can them tomorrow, might make salsa as well
kubota winter squash - is curing
a pint of strawberries - eaten practically before we got home
a couple lbs of shelling peas - shelled, blanched, and frozen
broad and green beans - trimmed, blanched and frozen
carrots - cut up, blanched and frozen
broccoli - cut up, blanched and frozen
leeks and potatoes - will be combined into soup
oh, and the zucchini. (how could i forget!) - will shred some and freeze, make zucchini bread, stuffed zucchini for dinner one night, and will probably *still* have some more with which I will have to dig out more recipes for. Last year I compiled 15 different zucchini recipes. I'll probably end up using all 15 recipes on these two massive squash.
The feeling of satisfaction is grand when one is putting up food for winter. The freezer is slowly starting to fill up with produce. I'm trying to locate more wide-mouth canning jars for free that I can do some canning with. Pickled beets, pickled green beans, and canned vegetables and the salsa, too. Lots to can.
Anyhow today was all about food - harvesting and putting up. It felt sooooooo good to know I'd gotten all that food in exchange for my labour and time, because i have an abundance of both to give. :)
Abundance of blessings around here.
dd and I harvested summer squash today for an hour - FOUR wheelbarrows FULL. I took a picture on my cell phone but will have to email it to myself to upload it here. It was crazy - must've been about 200 lbs of squash, quite easily. We took two home - one was 8.88 lbs! The other was 5.4 lbs. They were MASSIVE!
This is definitely the time of year when the garden is going full-tilt and you can't even give away zucchini. The farmer said the local food bank won't accept fresh produce from farmers because they find the people coming to the food bank don't know what to do with 8 lb zucchinis, and packaged food is easier to prepare. Sad statement on our society, imo.
Alas, I digress. I wanted to share with you the abundant variety of produce that is ripe these days:
several lbs of tomatoes - will Can them tomorrow, might make salsa as well
kubota winter squash - is curing
a pint of strawberries - eaten practically before we got home
a couple lbs of shelling peas - shelled, blanched, and frozen
broad and green beans - trimmed, blanched and frozen
carrots - cut up, blanched and frozen
broccoli - cut up, blanched and frozen
leeks and potatoes - will be combined into soup
oh, and the zucchini. (how could i forget!) - will shred some and freeze, make zucchini bread, stuffed zucchini for dinner one night, and will probably *still* have some more with which I will have to dig out more recipes for. Last year I compiled 15 different zucchini recipes. I'll probably end up using all 15 recipes on these two massive squash.
The feeling of satisfaction is grand when one is putting up food for winter. The freezer is slowly starting to fill up with produce. I'm trying to locate more wide-mouth canning jars for free that I can do some canning with. Pickled beets, pickled green beans, and canned vegetables and the salsa, too. Lots to can.
Anyhow today was all about food - harvesting and putting up. It felt sooooooo good to know I'd gotten all that food in exchange for my labour and time, because i have an abundance of both to give. :)
Abundance of blessings around here.
25 August 2011
beach day
Spent yesterday afternoon at the beach with the kids and some friends. We frolicked in the waves and the kids attempted to build a driftwood beach fort, 'though only half-heartedly (usually they go at it with much more gusto). I got a slight sunburn on my knees of all places. I should've taken pics of the beach b/c it was GLORIOUS. We saw a seal swimming around and at the far end of the beach, a mass of seagulls resting on the fossil-imbued rocks. Spatterings of people down the beach, all playing in the waves (this beach is never crowded). Beautiful day.
The kids had black bean burritos we made for lunch (one of their faves) and lentil, zucchini and tomato casserole for dinner (with br rice & broccoli). I am filled with gratitude that nearly all our produce these days is coming from less than 10 kms from our house, from the fields of the local organic farm. Very blessed, we are.
Having trouble sleeping lately, but not worrying too much about it; feeling solid that it will pass in time.
no profound thoughts at this hour.
The kids had black bean burritos we made for lunch (one of their faves) and lentil, zucchini and tomato casserole for dinner (with br rice & broccoli). I am filled with gratitude that nearly all our produce these days is coming from less than 10 kms from our house, from the fields of the local organic farm. Very blessed, we are.
Having trouble sleeping lately, but not worrying too much about it; feeling solid that it will pass in time.
no profound thoughts at this hour.
21 August 2011
local family fair day
it was our local community annual celebration today. being a (very) small, rural community of less than 500, it ends up being a core group of us very committed volunteers who put the whole thing together. after several meetings and lots of planning it comes down to the actual day.
dh was up at the hall by 6:30 this morning starting to get set-up. it is now 11:30 and he is entertaining friends who have come back to our place & it looks like they'll be staying the night.
no worries; i'm off to the farm in the morning. just kinda funny how bachelors live, imo.
anyways suuuuuuuuuuuuuper tired and my eyes are starting to close involuntarily.
adios!
dh was up at the hall by 6:30 this morning starting to get set-up. it is now 11:30 and he is entertaining friends who have come back to our place & it looks like they'll be staying the night.
no worries; i'm off to the farm in the morning. just kinda funny how bachelors live, imo.
anyways suuuuuuuuuuuuuper tired and my eyes are starting to close involuntarily.
adios!
14 August 2011
Tai Chi
I'm back from a week-long tai chi workshop back East. It was the first time I'd gone for a week-long workshop, having only done weekend workshops until now, and it was the first time my daughter and I had been away from each other for more than two nights as well. It was also the first time I'd been on an airplane since 2008, and while I don't have anxiety about flying, the carbon footprint of flying *does* concern me, which is why I don't travel much by plane.
The workshop was fantastic and opened my mind in many ways. There were 650 participants from more than 20 countries. You'd sit down for lunch with people from different countries and speaking different languages and that experience made me realize how sheltered a life I lead, lol!
I spent the week camping; they'd sent up a tent city for all of us who'd brought tents. Having to pack everything you'll need for a week (tent incl) into one piece of luggage is... freeing. That, and I read more voluntary simplicity books during the week (my dh often teases me about how reading puts new ideas into my head!)... and I came home wanting to declutter even more... sell off a bunch of things that just take up space. I'm ready to let go of them. It's interesting when you get to the point of being ready to let things go.
Of course, coming back home meant facing all the things left undone before I left... actually, it wasn't completely overwhelming. But like my last post, I'd managed to forget about the financial worries for an entire week (which was really nice) but came home to a bit of stress there, and a few other things.
Overall though, I'm so glad I was able to go to the workshop and learned so much. I'm so grateful for that experience but also happy to be back home now.
The workshop was fantastic and opened my mind in many ways. There were 650 participants from more than 20 countries. You'd sit down for lunch with people from different countries and speaking different languages and that experience made me realize how sheltered a life I lead, lol!
I spent the week camping; they'd sent up a tent city for all of us who'd brought tents. Having to pack everything you'll need for a week (tent incl) into one piece of luggage is... freeing. That, and I read more voluntary simplicity books during the week (my dh often teases me about how reading puts new ideas into my head!)... and I came home wanting to declutter even more... sell off a bunch of things that just take up space. I'm ready to let go of them. It's interesting when you get to the point of being ready to let things go.
Of course, coming back home meant facing all the things left undone before I left... actually, it wasn't completely overwhelming. But like my last post, I'd managed to forget about the financial worries for an entire week (which was really nice) but came home to a bit of stress there, and a few other things.
Overall though, I'm so glad I was able to go to the workshop and learned so much. I'm so grateful for that experience but also happy to be back home now.
05 August 2011
Your Money or Your Life
Have you read that book, Your Money or Your Life, by Joe Dominguez & Vicki Robin? If you haven't, check out a copy at your local library. It will CHANGE the way you view money. Completely. I've tried reading it in the past but the clarity I was gaining was too much for my little ego and i just couldn't finish it; it was a little overwhelming... plus, it was very popular at the library and I had to return it before I was done reading. :P I have it back and I'm coming across the same themes of financial intelligence in many books, including Depletion and Abundance (which no, I haven't finished reading yet - it's another book which is shaking up the foundations of my thoughts).
Basically I'm feeling like my relationship with money is out of control. I buy things I do not need, 'though not nearly as much as others I know, but still, I realize money slips through my fingers a little too easily. I would like to get to a point where we're not living paycheque to paycheque, where there's money saved (*gasp!* what *is* she talking about?!?) and I feel like I'm in control. Ideally, I'd like to have no mortgage (i.e. it being paid off, not us not having any shelter, lmao) and I'd also like to see us cut back on our energy consumption by at *least* 25% over the next couple years, if not more. I'd also like to see all our consumer debt paid off and (perhaps more importantly) not accrue any more. I'd like to have money to give to charity. I'd like to be able to grow the majority of our own food and also eat more simply (and not eat out so often), thereby reducing our food costs considerably. I'd like to (i can't believe i'm even saying this)... trade the car in for something without a car payment. (I have a 2010 vehicle and while I do really enjoy the heated seats and AWD - *especially* the AWD in winter, I am having an increasingly hard time justifying the gas consumption and car payments. dh drives a 1991 car with 250K kms on it and it's not 100% reliable, but i don't mind driving it in the daytime in the summer (don't want to get stranded in the evenings, or in the winter at any time of day) Yes, we're a 2-car family. Could we get by with only one vehicle? (or none?!) Well, maybe once we move and we're only 2 kms from a transit stop and a good biking route. Here we're 17 kms from the nearest bus stop, and I'm not about to have my kids biking on the main road out here.
At the moment, I feel like I'm up a creek without a paddle, so to speak, financially. Behind the eight ball. Whatever metaphor you want to use, it's how I'm feeling right now. I hate to even verbalize (or print) these thoughts about how it is for me right now, because I don't want to see it, or let anyone else see it, or put it out there in the universe. But it is the truth. I'm feeling the crunch. Saying "this too shall pass" isn't going to cut it this time. Changes must be made. We *must* learn some financial intelligence or it will be the unravelling of this house of cards.
I know I'm not alone, either. Many people in North America are feeling the crunch, too. Our society encourages us to buy now, pay later and live on credit. It's not sustainable. I can *see* that and yet, making changes in how we live our lives is going to take courage, especially when it goes against the grain of how society is telling us how to live.
Who's with me?
Basically I'm feeling like my relationship with money is out of control. I buy things I do not need, 'though not nearly as much as others I know, but still, I realize money slips through my fingers a little too easily. I would like to get to a point where we're not living paycheque to paycheque, where there's money saved (*gasp!* what *is* she talking about?!?) and I feel like I'm in control. Ideally, I'd like to have no mortgage (i.e. it being paid off, not us not having any shelter, lmao) and I'd also like to see us cut back on our energy consumption by at *least* 25% over the next couple years, if not more. I'd also like to see all our consumer debt paid off and (perhaps more importantly) not accrue any more. I'd like to have money to give to charity. I'd like to be able to grow the majority of our own food and also eat more simply (and not eat out so often), thereby reducing our food costs considerably. I'd like to (i can't believe i'm even saying this)... trade the car in for something without a car payment. (I have a 2010 vehicle and while I do really enjoy the heated seats and AWD - *especially* the AWD in winter, I am having an increasingly hard time justifying the gas consumption and car payments. dh drives a 1991 car with 250K kms on it and it's not 100% reliable, but i don't mind driving it in the daytime in the summer (don't want to get stranded in the evenings, or in the winter at any time of day) Yes, we're a 2-car family. Could we get by with only one vehicle? (or none?!) Well, maybe once we move and we're only 2 kms from a transit stop and a good biking route. Here we're 17 kms from the nearest bus stop, and I'm not about to have my kids biking on the main road out here.
At the moment, I feel like I'm up a creek without a paddle, so to speak, financially. Behind the eight ball. Whatever metaphor you want to use, it's how I'm feeling right now. I hate to even verbalize (or print) these thoughts about how it is for me right now, because I don't want to see it, or let anyone else see it, or put it out there in the universe. But it is the truth. I'm feeling the crunch. Saying "this too shall pass" isn't going to cut it this time. Changes must be made. We *must* learn some financial intelligence or it will be the unravelling of this house of cards.
I know I'm not alone, either. Many people in North America are feeling the crunch, too. Our society encourages us to buy now, pay later and live on credit. It's not sustainable. I can *see* that and yet, making changes in how we live our lives is going to take courage, especially when it goes against the grain of how society is telling us how to live.
Who's with me?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)