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.
29 August 2011
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?
31 July 2011
a day off
Today was a no-car day around here. I know urbanites have those regularly, but out here, living rurally, it is more of a challenge to create those. Literally, it's been nearly an entire month since we've had a no-car day, and this is likely the only one for another 3+ weeks. Yes, you read that right. Literally, about one no-car day every 3-4 *weeks*. One in 20 days I do not get in the car.
I realize, in our peak oil and climate chaos times, how ridiculous this reads, and how, post-peak-oil, I will look back and realize how utterly unsustainable this lifestyle is.
Something has to change.
I spent a good deal thinking about it today, while reading Depletion and Abundance out on the deck in the beautiful sunshine, 'neath the cloudless blue sky, with the rustling of the alder leaves and the waves crashing ashore the background sounds... I realized how things will simply have to change.
Less structured classes for the children and myself.
Growing more of our own food.
A restructuring of how we use energy in our lives...
I have more thoughts floating around about it all, but for now, the children want to read E is for Environment, a kids' book where the illustrations have these huge heads on little bodies and my children think that's hilarious. Not to mention the increasing awareness of environmental issues. I guess that's just a pleasant aside. ;)
I realize, in our peak oil and climate chaos times, how ridiculous this reads, and how, post-peak-oil, I will look back and realize how utterly unsustainable this lifestyle is.
Something has to change.
I spent a good deal thinking about it today, while reading Depletion and Abundance out on the deck in the beautiful sunshine, 'neath the cloudless blue sky, with the rustling of the alder leaves and the waves crashing ashore the background sounds... I realized how things will simply have to change.
Less structured classes for the children and myself.
Growing more of our own food.
A restructuring of how we use energy in our lives...
I have more thoughts floating around about it all, but for now, the children want to read E is for Environment, a kids' book where the illustrations have these huge heads on little bodies and my children think that's hilarious. Not to mention the increasing awareness of environmental issues. I guess that's just a pleasant aside. ;)
30 July 2011
meh.
Hi. How's life? I'm good. I suppose things are actually really great. I'm just not feeling really super full of life and joyous at the moment. Oh, it's nothing, really. Nothing more than everyday worries, nothing that is worth worrying about. (or is it?)
I stayed up way too late this week reading our book club book (even though book club's not for a few weeks, lol). It was called The Help. I can't remember the author. It was an amazing read. 500+ pages and I read it in one night.
I taught 3 tai chi classes last week (well, 4 in the past 8 days). But I missed my own class. It can be hard to balance - life, I mean. I only went to the farm one day this week (again; that's two weeks in a row I've only been once). I *like* to go twice a week, but I'm finding that my days are pretty full. And both tai chi and the farm are volunteer, and I have other responsibilities I'm trying to make time for as well.
I weeded the herb garden out this morning, most of it, anyway. Cut the comfrey way back, the lemon balm, the lovage, the oregano. Planted the lemon verbena, rosemary, catnip, tarragon, and (Miranda) hydrangea I'd picked up a little while ago. Watered everything. The other garden needs some lovin', too.
Oh, the bear was trapped and relocated from this area. I'm not sure if they actually did relocate the bear or if they killed it. I really don't know. One night (not sure if I mentioned this) it actually was scratching at the side of my neighbour's mobile home (a big tin can, someone called it). It's much quieter in the neighbourhood without the bear's daily escapades.
It's about 19 degrees outside (68 F); was 23 in town (76 F). It's slightly windy at our place, and being on the open ocean, it's a cool breeze as always, making it feel slightly cooler than what the thermometer says. Only during a real heat wave does it truly feel hot at our house, otherwise it's just comfortably breezy.
I'm having a really difficult time making healthy lifestyle choices these days - especially in regards to food and exercise. I feel like I'm sabotaging myself, and it's dreadful. I don't like it, and yet repeatedly I find myself making poor choices. I look at pictures from 2 summers ago and I get a pang of regret at what's happened since. I know I feel better with daily exercise and when eating more mindfully. *sigh* I'm feeling particularly crummy in this moment because of a poor food choice I made this afternoon. I'm hoping I won't be forced to repeat this lesson time and time again. :(
I'm reading Depletion and Abundance: life on the new home front (or, one woman's solutions to finding abundance for your family while coming to terms with peak oil, climate change, and hard times.) by Sharon Astyk. It's really interesting. She talks about the last century, how gender roles have changed, how we devalue domestic work, and about options for the future. Really, really interesting.
Generally, though, and you may have already picked up on this, I'm feeling pretty meh. Just in a bit of a funk. Not taking care of myself properly and I'm feeling it. I'm aware that's what's going on and I'm wishing I would snap out of it and just start caring again. I feel like my life is not in the best state of balance right now... struggling a little to balance the housework, yardwork, gardening, child-raising, family time, volunteering with tai chi and the farm, financially, oh, just everything. It's all feeling rather precarious sometimes. A little off-kilter.
Ask me next week. I'm sure this'll blow over. ;D
I stayed up way too late this week reading our book club book (even though book club's not for a few weeks, lol). It was called The Help. I can't remember the author. It was an amazing read. 500+ pages and I read it in one night.
I taught 3 tai chi classes last week (well, 4 in the past 8 days). But I missed my own class. It can be hard to balance - life, I mean. I only went to the farm one day this week (again; that's two weeks in a row I've only been once). I *like* to go twice a week, but I'm finding that my days are pretty full. And both tai chi and the farm are volunteer, and I have other responsibilities I'm trying to make time for as well.
I weeded the herb garden out this morning, most of it, anyway. Cut the comfrey way back, the lemon balm, the lovage, the oregano. Planted the lemon verbena, rosemary, catnip, tarragon, and (Miranda) hydrangea I'd picked up a little while ago. Watered everything. The other garden needs some lovin', too.
Oh, the bear was trapped and relocated from this area. I'm not sure if they actually did relocate the bear or if they killed it. I really don't know. One night (not sure if I mentioned this) it actually was scratching at the side of my neighbour's mobile home (a big tin can, someone called it). It's much quieter in the neighbourhood without the bear's daily escapades.
It's about 19 degrees outside (68 F); was 23 in town (76 F). It's slightly windy at our place, and being on the open ocean, it's a cool breeze as always, making it feel slightly cooler than what the thermometer says. Only during a real heat wave does it truly feel hot at our house, otherwise it's just comfortably breezy.
I'm having a really difficult time making healthy lifestyle choices these days - especially in regards to food and exercise. I feel like I'm sabotaging myself, and it's dreadful. I don't like it, and yet repeatedly I find myself making poor choices. I look at pictures from 2 summers ago and I get a pang of regret at what's happened since. I know I feel better with daily exercise and when eating more mindfully. *sigh* I'm feeling particularly crummy in this moment because of a poor food choice I made this afternoon. I'm hoping I won't be forced to repeat this lesson time and time again. :(
I'm reading Depletion and Abundance: life on the new home front (or, one woman's solutions to finding abundance for your family while coming to terms with peak oil, climate change, and hard times.) by Sharon Astyk. It's really interesting. She talks about the last century, how gender roles have changed, how we devalue domestic work, and about options for the future. Really, really interesting.
Generally, though, and you may have already picked up on this, I'm feeling pretty meh. Just in a bit of a funk. Not taking care of myself properly and I'm feeling it. I'm aware that's what's going on and I'm wishing I would snap out of it and just start caring again. I feel like my life is not in the best state of balance right now... struggling a little to balance the housework, yardwork, gardening, child-raising, family time, volunteering with tai chi and the farm, financially, oh, just everything. It's all feeling rather precarious sometimes. A little off-kilter.
Ask me next week. I'm sure this'll blow over. ;D
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