Oh, this poor blog of mine has been neglected of late. Whether we were out of town on vacation and were wondering if the people in our household would squeeze in to the car, let alone the computer; or whether I've been working hard in the garden or the kitchen; or whether I've been deep in the planning the "school" year that will be and looking for ways to include all those intentions I set for ourselves and our environment...I find myself always with something or someone who needs attention, even in the late hours of the evening.
Despite the tiring nature of such a lengthy to-do list, I can't help but feel good about what we've been up to. I'm putting up food after it's freshly picked, rather than when it's on its last legs. We've got a pretty good head start on all that food dehydrating for camping (that I discovered in June should have been done the summer and fall before camping season, not during it). Yes, a little bit each day is how we're getting to it. And while I haven't gotten to making kale chips yet, I do have some lovely pickled beets just waiting for an audience, as well as dried dill, beans and zucchini, and frozen beans and peas. I did get around to cooking some beet greens rather than hoping to get to them later (read: wound up in the compost bin). I've been at the garden to harvest every couple of days, which I think is really helping the plants to remain productive. I have a helper who is so eager to be of assistance, in his bid to prove that he is ready to move to a farm and take care of plants and animals. We've been having a fabulous few weeks on the home front!
And we are going on field trips every now and then, to balance the work with the play. A trip to pick up unconventional school supplies here, an afternoon visit with friends there, a long-awaited trip to the museum where Nicholas correctly identified at least 75% of the birds on display - seriously!
I know that the pace isn't likely to slow down any time soon. In fact, once more fruit starts arriving and fall activities start up (only 3 weeks of August left - yikes!) it will be as busy as ever. And the last thing I want to do is neglect (in body or in spirit) these little ones I love so much. I do consider the vibe I'm sending out into the world as I work...is it a vibe that will encourage sharing the work or will it drive potential helpers away? Balancing busy activity with times of peace and calm is at the front of my mind often.
In the coming weeks, I'm looking forward to sharing glimpses into the lesson planner I've been writing in. It's been quite the experience to massage our planned projects and activities with empty pockets of time for creativity to flourish or for individuals to take a break so their emotional buckets can be refilled. Stay tuned!
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