Seize the Moment

A day in the life...

Today I went to work at 7am and arrived home at 7pm. After I gave the kitties their dinner, I put pasta on to boil. As the water was boiling, I preheated the oven, then washed and prepared a few trays of sliced tomatoes. I sprinkled them with olive oil and the thyme that was drying in the pantry. After I plated my supper, I popped the tomatoes into the oven to roast at low temperature for an hour.  Before I go to bed, I'll quickly transfer them to the dehydrator, where they'll remain overnight. In the morning I'll put them into jars and place them in the freezer, right before I leave for work.

Urban homesteading as a hobby looks like this. Five minutes here, ten minutes there, multitasking and creating moments where we can squeeze in a task. It becomes habit, and lifestyle... So much, in fact, that actual full days are rare where I get to really relax and savor each task. I treasure those days, but I still have to live the rest of my life.

If I didn't do these little things in the small moments, I wouldn't get nearly as much done. Homesteading is just like any hobby: to succeed and accomplish alongside a full time job, means creating a mentality and a lifestyle where it's the default way to spend any free time. When I was dancing, I would do calf raises and foot exercises as I made dinner, practice balancing on releve in long lines at the store, and listen to performance music over and over as I drove to and from work. This is the same.

I try not to  think about this as maximizing, multi-tasking, optimizing, or any other left-brained word. I just constantly ask myself, "Can I be doing something for the garden or pantry right now?" This is a gentler way to adopt a lifestyle, a way that is more inclusive and curious. It also shifts the energy to a slower, more relaxed vibe- even while doing several things at once!

The kitties approve, as long as dinner is served at the appropriate hour. After all, kitties come first.

How do you squeeze in things you want to do for your garden? Please share your ideas in the comments!

Thoughts on the Approach of Winter

I've been busy canning tomatoes and pears today! Does anyone else sneak into their pantry just to look at all the pretty jars? I took a picture for you... the rosemary that you see hanging is drying for my winter meals!

I was out in the garden this morning, planting garlic and harvesting the beans that were drying down. A cold front blew in while I was working, and I could feel the temperature drop about 10 degrees as I was digging and scurrying. And fall embraced me. And winter stirred in her slumber. My heart beat just a little faster, and the scent on the wind was more than just the coming rain. 

This is our ancient and primal response to the seasons changing. Thousands of years of preparing for the uncertain winter has left its mark in our DNA. When we allow ourselves to slow down and feel this natural rhythm, we connect to our ancestors and to every human who has ever walked the Earth. There's an exaltation to being alive when you remember how precarious and precious our existence on this planet actually is.

The miracle of food in this age, in America, is an absolute marvel. I spend a lot of time thinking about what the modern lifestyle (buying food at a grocery store, most of it highly processed) does to us. Not what it does just to our waistlines and our physical health, but to our spirit. I feel that when we disconnect and disengage from our food production, we are turning off something intrinsic and vital to the experience of being human. So then, the urban homesteading trend is an important and necessary revitalization of the individual, the community, and of the human race (or at least those of us in industrialized nations).

Let's spend this winter being grateful for the modern age and all its convenience, but also grateful that we can choose to do a few things the old-fashioned way. For our betterment, enjoyment, and spiritual nourishment, let us be grateful.

Applesauce

Today I put up 10 pints of my favorite pink applesauce, which is a Martha Stewart recipe.

In Washington, our apple varieties are different than the ones Martha enjoys on the east coast, so I make the recipe with a beautiful red apple called Jonathon. I buy my apples from a local farmer. In turn, he works with a farmer in Yakima to bring those beautiful apples to our area. So, they are semi-local apples.

I will tell you a secret: I don't particularly love applesauce. I like the product I make, especially at Thanksgiving. When I remember to add it to a plate, I enjoy it. But I don't think about it, ever, and I definitely don't crave it.

Regardless, I'll be putting up quite a bit of applesauce while Jonathon apples are in season. Mostly because it's cheap to make, easy to process and store, and keeps for a whole year. It brightens up a plate instantly, especially in winter when good fresh fruit is scarce.  I have a billion recipes clipped to use and enjoy it in. And it's silly, but I feel a bit nostalgic about applesauce. It was served on my great Aunt Sarah's table every Sunday as I was growing up, so I remember her fondly when I experience applesauce.

For me, simplicity and frugality go hand in hand, and applesauce is a bridge to better living... I suppose. It is really pretty...

Do you have to work at certain things like this, even if you like them? Let me know in the comments!

A "simple" holiday?

Since we have committed to a simplicity lifestyle, every holiday season has the same goal for my family: unhurried joy. And every year we struggle with the same things that threaten to tear down the peace we've built. Here are my thoughts on staying true to your holiday vision:

Continuously simplify your giving

I always think I have my simplicity game on point until the inevitable happens. Last year, I decided to personally make as many gifts as possible. I thought it would be cheap and streamline my giv ing, as I was only making jams and bath soaks. Which actually meant, in addition to consumable and frugal, I had put the added stress of handmade on my plate. I enjoyed making the gifts. I had carefully carved out the time, and I was extremely pleased with how they came out. Win! And then I realized I still had to ship all of these (heavy) things to our extended family in WV and KY.  Three trips to the post office, and one to UPS, had me wondering if I should have just sent gifts from Amazon and Harry and David (again). The crowds, the grumpiness, and the cost all did their best to tarnish my holiday shine. Luckily, I accepted the lesson with (some) grace and didn't get too worked up. Hindsight is ever perfect, but I wish I had not been quite so tied up in going whole-hog on handmade gifts. Or at least, I wish I had spent more time in coming up with light-weight gift ideas!

Or skip the gifts all together
I know this is hard for others in our lives, who aren't on the simplicity path. But the recent years of economic uncertainty have made people more open to giving less. Ask your family to draw names out of a hat or only give gifts to children under 18. Plan a secret Santa at work instead of buying for everyone.

If you give a gift, go for experiences and necessities (like clothes) over toys and knick-knacks. Give consumables (candles, food, bath products) if you can. Ask your friends and family what they really need, and then act on their honest answers. You know what I wish people would give me this year? Stationery, and long taper candles. These are things I use often, and use up. Last, consider donations to someone's favorite charity. Or, thinking about the natural disasters recently, ask your family and friends to donate to charities in Puerto Rico, Florida, and Texas in lieu of giving you gifts. It's a wonderful feeling to know you are doing some good in the world.

Not every party requires your presence.
If you, like me, get really stressed when every weekend in December is full of commitments, give yourself permission to skip a party or two (or all of them). The show will go on, without you. Let that be a relief and not a sadness. Yes, it's important to participate in functions for the organizations that you contribute to (including your work). But, it's not more important than your family, your sleep, or your health. Bow out of a few functions and stay at home for a PJ-wearing, nap-taking, book-reading blast of your own.

Reconsider holiday "traditions." Create new traditions that reflect your current values.
I have a couple of traditions at the holidays that are incredibly important to me. On Christmas Eve, I make chili. As I stir the big pot, I think of my great-grandfather and the incredible gift he was to our family. His spirit lives in me as I prepare that meal.  This is a ritual that costs me little, connects me to the spirit of the season, fills me with gratitude, and grounds my holiday around routine and tradition. It's deeply spiritual, nostalgic, and special to me.

In the last couple of years, I've been re-evaluating my other holiday "traditions." Many I have let go of, as they cost too much and stress me out more than they nourish my soul. But a handful have become my rock around which the holidays are mapped out.

To find these special moments, imagine you were celebrating the holidays in a foreign country, with only your immediate family. What would you bring with you, and why? What would be the most essential plans that you hold onto that season? Perhaps the annual snowball fight with your kids is essential, or the midnight stroll under the stars with your spouse. Decide what you must keep, and then let the rest go. If you need more, create new rituals that bring to life your values and priorities.

What are you doing to de-stress the upcoming holiday season? Let me know in the comments!