Ok…my disclaimer is that I’m not a writer. I can’t spell (thank god for spell check), I write how I talk…which is not proper ‘written’ english and I’m not good at editing. How I ever got a Masters is a mystery…really. But on to the blog….
So, the front yard is progressing. The walkway is almost out and I can tilt on Saturday. The crab grass is still a problem, but I have a few ideas on how to manage it. I’m using the broken up walkway to build mounts and vegetable beds. I also have left over Arizona flag stone (very small pieces) from another project that I will use for the raised beds. The idea is to use all the material here on the property including plants to landscape the front before having to buy anything new.
Someone asked my why do I need more vegetables when I give most of my harvest away. The answer is a bit more complex then my friend had expected. I took my back lawn out four years ago so I could start a Kitchen Garden (veggies, flowers and herbs) and not pay a high water bill. I have been talking about taking out the front lawn for the past two years and finally did it. I wanted more crop rotation so I can have four season and not two, which means I spend less at Wholefoods on organic produce when I’m in between seasons. I also joined a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) because it’s locate/organic, not a chain and it’s affordable. Not only can I buy my product there if I need it, but I can buy my meat there. I don’t eat meat anymore but my 9 year old needs the protein until she’s at least a teenager and she’s a picky eater so lentils, beans and tofu are not on her menu yet.
So, yard by yard, I have been moving into the ‘slow movement’. But it is not just about the food I grow and the chickens I raise, but the whole life style. Last year being laid off really open my eyes to how crazy my life had become. I was working to feed the beast ..the beast that needs to acquire more stuff, or new stuff or the latest stuff. Last year I asked myself a lot “do you really need that” or “is that a want or a need?”. Last year I acquire more friends and developed deeper relationships that I never had time to develop before. The slow movement goes beyond having a relationship to food and where it comes from…..slowing down has allowed me the time to deepen my relationship to my community, my friends and to myself. And from this experience I’ve decided I want to live the second half of my life with meaning and purpose, not more “things”. How am I going to create that ‘slow life’? Don’t know…it’s a mystery. But keep reading and we’ll see if I can get there.
