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!
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