growing, but not in the garden (yet)

Where the heck has time gone?
My blog...my garden...my time...


Well despite not updating here all that often, I am happy to admit it's because I'm actively doing what I set out to do earlier last year: reprioritize my life. The impact of this is made larger by events taking place around me locally (never mind globally- BIG). Over the last year and on into this year, I am witnessing many relationships unravel and become something new. Some of this is within my own life and some are of close friends. I'm seeing a lot of friends go through divorce; family members losing healthcare, their homes, their livelihoods. At times it feels like it's all coming undone, and yet (being the annoying optimist) it's kind of exciting to see what is coming out of the ashes. The resiliency, buoyancy and perseverance of those I love is incredibly inspiring.

While not blogging or really being social at all, I have been:

• spending a lot of time with my kids (just normal, hang-out time. not rush, buy food, buy entertainment, rush home time)
• enjoying being in my house and knowing I don't have to go anywhere except the kid's school
• reading for pleasure (I keep wanting to create a post about my winter reading list and all my fortunate library finds)
• planning a playhouse and greenhouse made from mostly recycled materials
• writing a binder-full of material for a 7 week class I'm teaching on assisting a midwife
• compiling a year's worth of receipts, mileage and more to do the dreaded task of taxes (mostly done and phew! it's looking good-nothing owed!)
• planning our garden but not obsessively. it's nice not to obsess
• honestly, being a bit bored but finding peace in that too!
• paying attention to my health and what I'm eating and how I'm feeling (much better, thank you)
• seeing my very small handful of all-local midwifery clients and planning how to better outfit my bike so that I can be less dependent on my car
• cultivating friendships-some old, some new
• consciously thinking about money but not fearing it or hating it (most days! ha!)
• reflecting, praying, rethinking and achieving a little more balance every day

Today I plan on finally cleaning the chicken coop. I am normally a bit OCD about it and clean it weekly. This year however, I decided to leave the poo all winter. Every week I'd clean the nesting box and just put a new layer of straw and saw dust on the old poo and straw. It seemed so wasteful to not use the manure, so I've left it to break down all winter. Now that it's warmer (it's gonna be 50 to day and 60 tomorrow!), I will finally clean it out and mix it into the compost pile.
It reminds me that nothing shows the growth of the kids like the seasons. Magda will be 18 months old on the 1st and she's all over the place. Throwing her on my back and cleaning the coop isn't possible (I've got a shoulder injury from holding her as it is! Hefty baby!). It's also too muddy to let her rummage through the yard and our gate is down. She could quickly escape the back yard. Little E did that once when he was her age and it scared the sh*t out of me. Busy street, loads of college students, missing toddler. Thank God some young woman found him around the corner and heard my insane screaming and quickly brought him back to me.
Will have to ask grandma to come down and watch the girl so I can get on my wellies and muck muck muck. The thought of working in the mud makes me happy this dark morning.