GrowingWildFarm

Take off

February 1, 2012 by growingwildfarm

Really quick, before we slip into February and the year is officially on its way, let’s pretend that all year we will be as poised and ready for flight as we are in the freshness of January.

I have had this list floating around in my head for the past month or so, taking shape, refining itself into something worth paying attention to for the rest of the year. These January lists, for me, are always filled with lots of maybe’s and only a bit of for sure’s. Nonetheless, they always serve as good guideposts as I make my way through the months.

That boy above seen flying down the hill and exploding in light; a few weeks ago he made a list entitled, “pashions to fufill”. It was one part impossible (for now) dreams (go to Hawyee (Hawaii) and Japan, build a small room on the roof, find a 1,000,000 doler bill), one part wishful thinking (get a laptop, die my hair), and one part achievable goals and aspirations (beacom a break dancer, become a master yo-yo-er, go to a concert of these bands-weezer, radiohead, snow patrol, beck, and get a bunch of lizerds). It is also one part overarching approach to life–so unassumingly, he adds to this grand list, have fun. That’s my favorite one.

And even though he still doesn’t take much time to make sure he is spelling everything right, he is never short on ideas. The daily output of creativity–in the forms of drawings, paintings, story ideas, intricate imaginative games, mini books, jokes, dance moves, and songs–is nothing short of amazing. And the same goes for all of my kids, and really, all children in general. They breathe creation.

And so, taking a cue from the small folks in my my life, I am thinking about this year not in terms of resolutions, but rather in terms of passions to fulfill as well as in terms of creating the year, day by day. Some things on my list may be impossible dreams for the year, but why leave them off the list? Imagination isn’t only for the young in years, but for the young at heart, right? Some may be wishful thinking, but it is those wishes I make every year and keep in my mind most clearly that tend to come true. And unlike last year, I have a few goals set for myself as well, just to make sure my own cup doesn’t run dry by the end of the year like it did in 2011.

2012 Passions to Fulfill

more date nights with the farmer than I can count on one hand
a full larder come fall (since I haven’t preserved anything for the last few years)
a trip to California to visit Great Grandma, who totally rocks, so we all can see her at least one more time before she moves on
eating out here and here, since we ate out maybe once last year for Valentine’s day (here)
see much, much, much more live music, both mama and papa, and the whole family
take up running (I can’t believe it has come to this, but hey! it’s free and it’s outside and those rank pretty high on my exercise list)
begin to learn the fiddle
practice the piano
visit Nebraska, hug my nieces and brother and introduce them to their new cousin/nephew, bask in its landscape, so much a part of me, and the closeness of old friends, in all their familiarity
say yes more
go dancing with my love (I’m thinking tango or salsa lessons!)
get a canoe and take the kids floating on the river
remodel the kitchen, finish painting, and pull up the rest of the carpet in the house
heal some food allergies
re-institute the weekend, balance farming and family time
explore the city
find real ways to help end the wars, stop the spread of GMO crops, and improve the diet and health of the next generations
be silly with the kids
let the little things slide
soak in the hot springs
make a rag rug
and make time ( I believe it’s possible)

Really, lists like these are not exhaustible and often need to be tweaked as life rolls by.

Really, they are just snapshots of the moment. But still, I like them a whole lot.

And in the end, I rely heavily on picking something like have fun or be present or love to be my guide everyday, inserting other inspiring words like relax, focas, let go, dream, move, give thanks, and on and on as needed, hoping against hope to keep that frame of mind more hours of the day than not, the never ending work of being human.

And so, with a lot inspiration and determination, and, fortune willing, a little bit of grace, we embark.

Posted in children, cycles, family, home | Tagged family, home, mother, rhythym, seasons | 1 Comment »

January through the lens

January 28, 2012 by growingwildfarm

A small look at what our month has been full of:

yo-yo’s

keeping warm with new Christmas hats from Grandma

sunny (and wet) winter harvests and yummy winter meals

rain and rain and floods

wet explorations, loads of splashing, and oh so much puddle jumping

baby goat joy and tragedy

and many hours of learning, playing, and loving with this silly crew, the youngest of whom was not happy to be slowed down by big sister for this photo!

What else?

We are mixing potting soil to start transplants, ordering greenhouse supplies, tinkering with the tractor to make sure it is running well when we need to start using it this spring, finalizing the fruit orders for the year, and contemplating a week’s vacation before we start to get busy again.

January is such a sweet, quiet month. It is usually sunnier than the months to come, so we try to get outside to soak it up as much as we can, all the while itching to be doing more work with the ground than we actually can. It is a month of dreaming big and filling back up after the drain of a whole busy season.

It is one of the best, don’t you think?

(but really, I do love them all)

Posted in children, cycles, farm, farming, home, winter | Tagged family, farming, home, seasons, winter | 2 Comments »

Happy (Chinese) New Year!

January 24, 2012 by growingwildfarm

This year I think I’ll throw my lot in with the Chinese calender and call this the start of a (great) new year. I am a dragon child after all; according to the eastern skies this will, indeed, be a year meant for me. There was a part of me itching to go right after Christmas, ready for resolutions, goals, plans. But there was another part of me right in the middle of serious pain, pain that began the day after Thanksgiving as what seemed like a sore muscle and turned into a misplaced rib and tightened shoulder/neck muscles causing nerve pain through my whole arm and hand, lasting through the holidays and into the start of my fresh, new year.

So, I just gave in, finally, to my body’s cry to slow down and practice some much overdue self care. Part of that meant a few weeks of mellow. After a busy and stressful year of adjusting to the new family size and the growing business pace, it was really what I needed. At the start of last year, when I was riding high on the bliss of a very relaxed and positive year on the farm and a brand new baby, I intentionally didn’t set any goals for myself, wanting to just be with that new little guy as he grew that first year. Still, there was such an ominous feeling to the beginning of 2011, I should have been a little less shaken by the stress of the little dip we took in our roller coaster ride, a little more prepared. Instead, I just pushed through making sure to take care of everyone else. As for myself, I certainly didn’t get enough sleep, and I drank way too much coffee!

But now our little guy is so solidly rooted in the family, another wild and wonderful sprout toddling along with his brothers and sister and making just as much mischief and laughter in our home as ever. And I think that as much as last year was one with growing pains, this year is a year to grow, stretch, and work hard too, but without all the worry and feeling of being busy. I had to stop drinking coffee and modify my diet as well as take myself to get a massage, a few chiropractic adjustments, and some accupunture (which really rocked the pain!). It feels good to spend a bit of time mothering my own body a little, and I feel refreshed and ready to take on the year.

The farmer, too, was feeling really tired by the end of the season; but two week off of market and a new season to plan and he is as fresh as spring and ready to go! The beauty of farming is that the end of the cycle–the winter, the death and dying part–it so quickly becomes the start of new! hope! growth!

So–2012!

I am sure we will be just as busy and we have lots of plans, lots! So there will be the balancing of the farm and the family, as always. But it is the year of the water dragon, a year of good luck, prosperity, a year of flowing and flying high again!

Here is to a very happy new year!

Posted in family, farm, farming, health, home | Tagged family, home, mother, rhythym, seasons | 2 Comments »

Happy Solstice!

December 22, 2011 by growingwildfarm

While some say it is the first day of winter, for me it is more like mid-winter. This morning, saying hello to that winter sun, I knew that each day henceforth would be brighter. So Winter, though snappy and still and blanketing our farm as you are today, really your grip has loosened.

Posted in winter | Tagged winter | 1 Comment »

Let your heart be light

December 18, 2011 by growingwildfarm

Yesterday, the day I planned to take a holiday photo of all of my beautiful 1,000–I mean4!–children happened to also be the day that our oldest child’s face was puffed up like a balloon and covered in a terrible poison oak rash. Needless to say, that photo wasn’t an option. He is gradually getting better; and although I have been so worried since the one other time he had contact with poison oak and reacted just the same, this is surprisingly, only the second such incident. He is super sensitive to it, and now, about it. We are sticking close to home until he once again looks like himself and not some strange child I don’t know and one he keeps looking at in the mirror.

And that is just how it goes sometimes. Maybe I should have had the photo taken sooner (well, I know I should have), but the thing is, life right now is busy–so, so busy. Not busy always with things, but busy with so much life. I remember being the mother of just two small people, living in town, doing all the little motherly things right. We always had a cute and fun holiday photo, a million and one organized crafts, and time for a million and one stories on the couch. There were still toys left out at the end of the night sometimes, and sometimes dishes too, but everything was more neat and tidy, and my goodness, it was SO easy!

Nothing has really been the same since we moved to the farm, our third babe just two months old. But that ride, as fast and furious as it seems at times, has been wonderful. This busy that we are now is very much the good kind, full in the simplest sense, uncomplicated but wild.

And so this holiday season, with no family photo to share and a million and one holiday craft ideas left by the roadside in favor of the 4-5 picture books on the couch each day (and the bedtime stories…always the bedtime stories), I am so happy to find us all filled with holiday cheer and I know for a fact that this happiness stems from the one instance where trickle down theories seem to apply. The calm and simple intention of the big people in our home is all the small people in our home need to enjoy the season. This spreading of good cheer is more important than any other holiday trick I could play.

The winter solstice is fast approaching, the darkest day of the year, after which the sun will return a little more each day bringing us closer, bit by bit, to mid-winter. Then, plant growth resumes and around that time, another growing season will begin too, in the quiet space of the greenhouse. As the days grow darker, and generally colder too, we get to really embrace the light and warmth of our homes, our family, and our friends. And in turn, we get to shine our own light out on these sources of love and light in our lives: we make our homes bright, we gather together, we give.

There is a solemnity to all this, but really, the point of these winter holidays is to celebrate! To bring joy!

And so this week, the last week of “farming” for 2011, the end of another wonderful CSA and market year, our holiday wish for all of you is simple:

may your heart be light!

Posted in children, home, winter | Tagged family, home, seasons, winter | 1 Comment »

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