Garden Love/Hate
I've entered the phase of life I hit everytime at this year of being in a love/hate relationship with my garden.
LOVE: I LOVE the fresh eating that goes on with the garden produce. Yesterday's meals included tomatoes, beets, red raspberries, green and red peppers, and two acorn "trash" squash that volunteered from my compost pile (still have about 12 more to go!). You really can't beat all that produce for the cost of seeds (or free in the volunteer cases). So healthy and so yummy! I love making a meal and seeing that a lot of it has come from my own garden where I know what is on it (or what isn't on it, to be more specific). I love the creativity of seeing what's ripe in the garden and figuring out what you can make with it.
THINGS I DON'T LOVE SO MUCH: Once school starts, much of my time is consumed with everyday schooling. I no longer have the time to go out and weed my garden. It starts to look quite unmanagable, messy and overwhelming. I also do not have all day to can the loads of tomatoes I gather, the bushels of apples and pears I pick from various trees, or to go and pick everyday the things that are ripe. I miss things and some things go to waste. I feel a little bit like I'm failing when I fall behind like this. I know it comes from my perfectionistic tendancies to want to do everything "right" and have everything look good. So this is the time when I can't keep up with everything and I feel bad about it. It happens every year. You would think I would be okay with this and give myself some grace by now. But no, I see the piles of things I need to get done and feel like a failure. In my mind, I know this is stupid and not even remotely true and not at all a thought from God. So I will work this year at kicking out those bad thoughts, living in grace, and feeling comfortable with things being less than "perfect". I will live in freedom! Our sermons at church this past month have focused on living our lives in God's freedom, God's strength, and God's zest for life. I think it's time for me to put that into practice.
LOVE: I LOVE the fresh eating that goes on with the garden produce. Yesterday's meals included tomatoes, beets, red raspberries, green and red peppers, and two acorn "trash" squash that volunteered from my compost pile (still have about 12 more to go!). You really can't beat all that produce for the cost of seeds (or free in the volunteer cases). So healthy and so yummy! I love making a meal and seeing that a lot of it has come from my own garden where I know what is on it (or what isn't on it, to be more specific). I love the creativity of seeing what's ripe in the garden and figuring out what you can make with it.
THINGS I DON'T LOVE SO MUCH: Once school starts, much of my time is consumed with everyday schooling. I no longer have the time to go out and weed my garden. It starts to look quite unmanagable, messy and overwhelming. I also do not have all day to can the loads of tomatoes I gather, the bushels of apples and pears I pick from various trees, or to go and pick everyday the things that are ripe. I miss things and some things go to waste. I feel a little bit like I'm failing when I fall behind like this. I know it comes from my perfectionistic tendancies to want to do everything "right" and have everything look good. So this is the time when I can't keep up with everything and I feel bad about it. It happens every year. You would think I would be okay with this and give myself some grace by now. But no, I see the piles of things I need to get done and feel like a failure. In my mind, I know this is stupid and not even remotely true and not at all a thought from God. So I will work this year at kicking out those bad thoughts, living in grace, and feeling comfortable with things being less than "perfect". I will live in freedom! Our sermons at church this past month have focused on living our lives in God's freedom, God's strength, and God's zest for life. I think it's time for me to put that into practice.
Perhaps you could have "Home Ec" class and teach canning in it !!!!!!!! Weed pulling could be part of "Phys Ed" !!!!!!! Just a thought !
ReplyDeletesorry I have not been a commenter or frequent visitor. had no idea you were such a blogging stud. I vow from now on to be a good big sister and have officially put your blog on my list. In my defense, you started when I was on vacation and I got to the email quite late =). adios.
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