04.29.10

April....where did you go? sheesh. . . seems like just yesterday we were driving back from Idaho, wishing we never had to leave....and that was back in February! Maybe it's how busy we allow ourselves to get that makes time fly so fast...I can remember being a kid and feeling like the school year was soooo long. . . and then summer, oh summer. Summers when you're a kid, there's really nothing like it.
This is a good year. . . .
lots of changes happening.
At the age of 28, I finally feel like I am moving in the right direction towards the life that God has planned for me.
simple.
full of life.
full of meaning.
full of love.
full.

Reading this book right now..."Animal, Vegetable, Miracle," by Barbara Kingsolver...and it's changing my whole view on the way we live here on earth. Along with her family, Barbara made a commitment to only eat food grown locally...and by local, they meant within an hours drive from there house. And in doing this, they only ate what was available seasonally. Novel idea, eh? This family labored in the garden from March till October, knowing that the food they so meticulously cared for, would sustain them. Lily, the little 9 year old, raised chickens, so she could start a business of selling eggs.... Camille the eldest helped her mom can insane amounts of tomatoes.....
long story short...this book has really got me desiring to live a place that will allow me plenty of room to garden...and maybe even have a couple chickens? Just to be able to go to farmers market, and really establish a relationship with the fellow growers.... and really know where your meat is coming from. Yes yes, it is more expensive...now, but if enough people commit to eating locally, the prices will drop----true, it might not be until our unborn children are our age---but wouldn't you rather leave them with that future? .... so in the past week I have bought local eggs and local ground beef from Lazy 69 ranch here in Redding...well actually we just started selling both of them at my store...and yes, it was way more than I'm used to paying but it made me realize, I don't have to eat meat with every meal anyway.... in the long run, isn't my health more important anyway? Wouldn't I rather know that what I'm cooking hasn't been injected with hormones or antibiotics??
anyway....
I've been thinking about what to do with my life....now that I'm all done with school, I feel like I should go on and do something with my Psychology degree...so all that money isn't wasted. But now I'm thinking, how cool would it be to go back to school and get a degree in Sustainable Agriculture or something like that? I secretly wish I could work on an organic farm. . . and really hope to have one of my own someday. I think that would tie in rather nicely with my dream of owning a B&B.....oh think of the incredible meals I could create with food from my garden.... *sigh*
I feel more and more that I want to live as simple as possible..... there is so much I can go without. And I feel like this is a season in my life that is pivotal in how I'll live the rest of my life....So in addition to cooking at home 5 nights a week, I want to cook local food as much as possible. Another aspect of learning to live without, Jeremy and I are selling our Honda next week, making us a one car family---I can't wait, I've wanted this for a long time. I want to start canning, like my mom and grandma used to. I want to start making my own deodorant and laundry soap..not just because it' the "green" thing to do, but because it just makes sense.
Poor Jeremy, he's probably thinking I've turned into some crazy woman :)
loves-a.