As the sun goes down my thoughts turn and begin to process the day that was. So much change. Our reach as a family now stretches out over two continents. My part-time gardening gig has joined the big leagues and morphed into a full-time challenge to my body and brain.
I realize now with the benefit of hindsight that I wasted my time worrying about all that was coming. And accept the reminder yet again (flawed human) that perspective is everything.
xo
I struggle with the month of August. Partly it's just too damn hot. And being a February baby every part of my DNA recoils with the heat and humidity that is part and parcel to this stage in the wheel of the year.
Mostly though, more than any other, this month holds much nostalgia for me as a Mama. A generous amount of melancholy comes to roost in my head and heart when this part of the year comes around. I miss the open-ended way our days were spent together. I miss the lack of routines and the absence of lunch-making duty. I miss preparing for another homeschool year. I miss the mornings of quiet I enjoyed knowing that all were asleep under my roof.
Our days look a whole lot different now - with two old enough to live in their own postal code and one keen on spending time home alone. I can't seem to figure out my role in this reality. I have always been happy with the title of "Mama". Happy to spend my days creating childhoods. Happy creating a home. These are truths that don't lend themselves to resume building.
Somewhere deep in my thoughts I knew a proper, professionally built fence lived in the realm of wishful thinking. The cold truth of a reasonable yet regretfully unaffordable price tag brought those wheels screeching to a halt. I deluded myself into thinking my garden would need no protection - the reality was that critter sightings around our homestead fall into the category of rare occurrence anyway. That's actually what I told myself.
Literally, the next morning we awoke to find a deer hanging around in back of the house. It was not quickly passing through either. It was the sort of visit that involved a lot of sniffing and poking around.
A few days later we were visited by a wild turkey. With the exact kind of demeanour exhibited by the deer. Scoping out the area is how I would describe it....taking mental notes for later of what options for eating lay in the vicinity.
It was then that I considered myself warned. And called "Game On".
For the foreseeable future you can find me building a fence. Or at least something that resembles one. Either it will keep animals out and veggies in based on my construction prowess. Or, it will be so badly put together that any interested parties will take one look and keep walking - giving the crazy lady and her fence a wide berth.
Time will tell.
xo
According to the Urban Dictionary, a hack job can be defined in part as "A crude and improvised or temporary solution to a problem, designed to be more functional and timely than precise, durable or of good quality."
And, this my friends is precisely what this post is all about. Turns out, we are the living manifestation of the definition of "hack jobs".
(In the face of gale-force winds, this strategy involving cinderblocks and rope kept our woodshed roof in place protecting our wood pile. Not lying overturned beside it.)
(In an attempt to redirect Spring melt and rains away from the house, metal sheeting and paint buckets provided us with a water catchment strategy. )
(Our most recent hack job involving pallets screwed together to provide an enclosure for that all important component of any good garden - kitchen detritus and yard waste.)
Despite their shoddy appearances, I have to say that I am as proud of these cobbled together "improvements" as I am of the detail oriented work of choosing paint colours and installing wooden mouldings.
I am happy to add the title of Hack Job Artist to my long list of job titles.
Much to the dismay of those living in Eastern Canada, hard and fast dates regarding the arrival of Spring and the end of Winter remain elusive. More than any other, this seasonal shift carries with it a whole lot of baggage. Plainly speaking, it can feel like an eternity of one step forward in the direction of Spring followed by two steps back into Winter. For many, myself included, the overwhelming desire to throw open the windows and eat fresh produce from the garden is met with resistance, often in the form of freezing rain or snow.
And then. When melancholy is about to set in Mother Nature throws us a weekend like the last.
Sun. Warmth. Thaw.
And Hope springs eternal.
you wake up and find your garden beds covered once again in snow. Along with your sweet little sprouts of daffodil joy .
Sometimes because the forecast is one of foreboding....including everything but sunshine.
Sometimes it becomes necessary to re-evaluate previous plans.
And ignore all that swirls around outside the window. This is Spring.
xoKaren
Such a beautiful weekend to celebrate and welcome in equal light and dark. Full of sunshine, and yes, still cold. But with the distinct vibe of promise and good things to come.
Despite being the only person who reads this lovely collection of children's books anymore, my seasonal shift would not feel complete without the ceremonial switching up of books. Winter ones happily set away until their time comes around again. Replaced by those focussed on the season at hand.
From this weekend forward, the laundry will carry with it that distinct smell of outdoors - a welcome change from a Winter of woodsmoke scent.
After a long Winter's sleep, every living thing is stretching towards the sun. I am grateful to live here, where the seasons shift from frigid, to cold, to warm, to hot and all around again. I would not be the same person without these markers of time.
Happy Spring all.
(this time last year)
(currently)
As I ready myself for the official coming of Spring I feel a note to self is in order.
Karen. Do not, I repeat do NOT to be fooled by the way March has presented itself so far. March weather swings all ways. Control thoughts of seeds and soil, for the cold hard truth is that the average last frost date in your hood is mid-May. As in, two months from now.
This public service announcement has been brought to you by your rational brain. It remembers where your twitchy brain does not.
There were of course many factors that helped us decide on the move to our homestead. While it may seem ridiculous to some, I am putting it out there that a desire to live within a more balanced world with wild creatures was absolutely one of them. I imagined many opportunities for quietly watching all sorts of wildlings going about their daily business. With less noise and development, cars and concrete regular viewings were pretty much guaranteed - right?
Turns out that reality could not have been further from the truth.
Turns out that less noise and development, cars and concrete means they have more space to roam around far away from me and my prying eyes.
Turns out that they have no reason to show themselves. And move around at night, when they know I am not looking.
I admit now that this is as it should be. Those rare times when I am granted access are a gift. And I will always treat them as such.
Today marks 5 years since I stepped my LittleWool endeavour up a notch and made myself a place on etsy. When I think back to what my life looked like way back then it feels like many more years than just 5. I remember clearly that the decision to bring my handmades to this venue was big for me. I was a homeschooling Mama of 3 three girls ranging in age from 5 to 16. Time to create was a precious commodity for me - either alone or with my girls.
It is safe to say that my time is much more my own these days. The two biggest girls are living the lives of university students away from me. The one who remains has joined the ranks of public school student and without so much as a look back.
(Mother Earth and her children)
And me - I am enjoying all the different things that make up my days and my person. I work outside the home now three days a week, on an organic vegetable farm (love). I am working on the biggest garden and orchard I have ever known on my very own homestead (love). And I am still handmaking away at this little business involving wool and wood (love).
To mark this occasion I am offering a 15% discount in my etsy shop until next weekend. Just type in "5yearsold" in the coupon code part of the transaction.
Happy Sunday!
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