We had a wonderful birthday weekend for Brian. We spent Saturday with good friends at Old World Wisconsin, fantastic place! Brian spent some time riding his bike, we gardened, and had a big birthday dinner completely from the garden (well, except for the indulgent protein source....steak).It was also a time for reflection. We began our life and journey here (the farm) just over 2 years ago. Our dream of giving our kids this idyllic life blended with simple pleasures, efficiency, learning to appreciate the land and what it provides, balanced with all of the hustle and bustle of us being involved parents helping to form the next generation.
Our first garden year was laborious, filled with reading, formulating, working, learning, trying our best to preserve. This second year was much easier. We had the hindsight of experience and the hope of our aspirations. We've produced plenty, are preserving more than last year, and enjoying it much more.
We just began watching a hilarious series from the 1970's BBC called Good Neighbors. It's about a couple who give up work and go off the grid for self-efficiency. It's funny to see the similarities in process', especially with the hindsight we've got of our own journey. Mixed also with a dose of foreshadowing perhaps....
Pause for station identification.....I just had to go out to tell Charlie (the 6 year old) it was time to stop. As he was being very helpful and watering the basil, of his own accord.
Every day we learn more about ourselves and begin to strategize how we will incorporate new and exciting things to our little experiment. Things that sustain us. Things like family dance parties, special birthday nights, drying our first beans, exploring with the kids, enjoying dear friends, watching the sumac forest turn in the fall or simply harvesting the perfect Hillbilly tomato.
since we're just at the very beginning of embarking on such a journey, it's fun to read about yours..
ReplyDeletei'm really looking forward to having a bigger garden, paying more attention to it and preserving more, tho' i did more this year than i had previously, so it's going in the right direction.