Getting the Hang Of It!

I have not been able to write as regularly here as I would like.  We have been amazingly busy implementing new strategies at work, and then took a quick weekend trip for a family gathering over the Fourth holiday.

We have been very fortunate this year.  Our garden is flourishing above and beyond years' past and today we put out our third farm bag of the season!  Last year our first bag came out the middle of July!  I love to be able to look back year to year at photos.  The above photo is our garden as of July 15th last year.  The top photo was our garden this afternoon.

Most of the individual pictures and details of the farm bags along with recipe ideas are being shared over on our Aisling SmallHolding facebook page, but to summarize:  our farm bags in the early part of this season have consisted of lots of salad greens, green onions, kohlrabi, bok choi, green garlic, garlic scapes, radishes, beets, dill, thyme, lavender, sugar snap peas, and a few baby carrots.  Our tomato plants have already set tons of tomatoes, some are just beginning to blush with color.  We harvested our first few eggplant this week, the chickpeas look to be getting close, and it seems we will have a bumper crop of raspberries.  It is so rewarding to walk through this years plot and just breathe.  We seem to be getting the hang of this thing!

Mother Nature Down to the Wire

This time of year is always a waiting game....a Russian roulette of sorts with our trees.  When to do the final mow and leaf composting?  When you have six acres to get cleaned up, you do not want to pull the trigger prematurely, only to have to do a repeat a short time later.  The ash trees lost their foliage a couple of weeks ago, but many of the maples are still clinging steadfastly to their brilliantly colored leaves.  With cooler temperatures and forecasts of snow North and West of us this week, I was beginning to get nervous.

I just love the wind, so when I woke up this morning to the sound of gusting I was excited.  When I ran out to take some pictures the trees were already significantly barer than they had been late last night.  As difficult as it is to capture the true beauty of the wind with my camera, it is almost impossible to adequately capture the majesty of masses of falling leaves.  Just when you are thinking that timing will come down to the wire, Mother Nature swoops in and fixes it!  I know what we are doing next weekend!

Time

Time.  That is what it is all about isn't it?  How we spend it.  Do we fill every hour to the gills or stop and savor them before they pass us by?  In today's world, every day seems to be an exercise in time management; how to be the most efficient, most effective, most well rounded.  Why is this?  To keep up with those around us?  To give into that fast speed by jumping into the flowing main stream? To make a name for oneself? 

Time.  Each moment is precious, yet sometimes we are so caught up in the pace of things that we forget to indulge in what is in front of us.  We all have the luxury of time if we live in each moment don't we?  Have you ever thought about how your actions may affect the space of those around you?  We should enjoy and respect the time we are given with each other, you never know when someone else's distracted moment may alter your time.

Time.  Mother nature, has it right.  The spring has been cool and wet, so planting is much delayed this year.  The time has been delayed, but she is not worried.  Over the weekend as the sun finally began to warm us we put these seeds in the ground.  In time, they will grow to sustain us.  Patience, and some TLC will see the garden through.  Shouldn't this philosophy be applied to how we all function in every day life? 

Have you ever been frustrated by someone who comes up behind you fast, tail gates for a period of time, then passes you in a hurry, only to be stopped just in front of you at a stop light?  Then they begin their frantic commute process again.  How much time do they ultimately save?  One minute?  Two?  Was the intensity worth it?  And, how did you as the recipient let it effect you?  Emotions can be contagious.  Did you get caught up in that other persons moment, or did you just let it go?  Now, can this be applied to how we conduct ourselves in the rest of life?  Work, kids, activities, social commitments.  Moving to the farm was in part a way to slow down that pace that runs at break neck speed beyond the cocoon of the homestead every day.  The best of both worlds, all reliant on how we spend our time.

Have you thought about how you spend your time?

**I am headed to Mexico with some girlfriends later this week.  I am looking forward to the time :)