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The weather outside is //
As I look outside my window // Our busiest season on the farm is over and this lull is very much appreciated! No rest for the weary, though: I just wrote out a lengthy “winter prep” task list and want to get most of it accomplished before cold weather hits. Counting down the days until I can hibernate inside for months.
As I look around the house // The kitchen counter is bursting with fresh produce and I need to decide what to do with it all. Use it for dinner? Freeze it? Can it? Give some of it to pigs and chickens? A good problem to have!
Prioritizing my health // The humbling part about keeping a blog is knowing that I’ve written a version of this sentence countless times over the years: I’ve fallen off the horse and have to get back up. Having a new puppy who wakes up obscenely early (and wants everyone in the house to know it) has really taken a toll on me. Add that to my already full farming schedule – and soon to be school schedule! – and I’ve been burning the candle at both ends. Early in July, I told my husband that I felt like I was exhibiting signs of depression, but without being depressed: I felt almost numb, going through the motions but feeling little. That admission scared both of us and I immediately started to make some changes. Some of my physical symptoms seemed to match thyroid issues, so I had bloodwork done to check. All came back normal, praise God! With further research, it appears that poor sleep, high cortisol levels and stress can also mimic thyroid issues. Well, check check check. I’ve put myself on a relatively strict diet, am allowing myself naps/going to bed early as needed, and am trying to reduce stress triggers. I’m starting to feel a little better, but Rome wasn’t built in a day. One step at a time.
Thinking // about this post from Michelle, especially this part: “When I’m feeling good, I focus on all the good things I’ve done. When I’m feeling down, I focus on everything I’ve done wrong. Social media, of course, only shows what we want it to show. How many times has a friend posted something, and I’ve thought man, that is nowhere near what they were telling me yesterday. How many times have I done that?”
On this week’s to-do list //
– consider jumping into a “low buy August”, like last year
– finalize preparations for Week 1 of school (we start next week!)
– move wood chips to piglets’ permanent paddock
– pick elderberries and freeze
– can pizza sauce
– mop the kitchen floor
– mail a birthday card & a thank you
– list a few things on ebay/Poshmark/Pango
Currently reading //
- Fiction: Fatherless by Brian J. Gail & a book for Netgalley
- Nonfiction: The Barefoot Bandit: The True Tale of Colton Harris-Moore, New American Outlaw by Bob Friel
- Religious: Humility of Heart by Fr. Cajetan Mary da Bergamo
On the menu this week //
Monday: chicken with a BLT salad
Tuesday: homemade pizza
Wednesday: sheet pan sausage & veggies over rice
Thursday: loaded nachos
Friday: breakfast for dinner TBD – maybe a frittata?
Those tomatoes look delicious! I am glad you are taking steps to being more rested and healthy!
Thanks, Laura!
Also, I just saw The biggest little farm and thought you might like it!
Those tomatoes look mouth-watering! I have an anemic-looking “Sweet 100” cherry tomato plant with 1 lonely tomato holding on for dear life…not the bumper crop of previous years. 🙁
So glad you’re tuning into your health. As a fellow mom of a large family (8 – and a grandmother of 1) , I’ve found it increasingly important to really and truly care for myself. If we are to have the capacity to care for and nurture others, we must do it for ourselves as well. (And, thank God for his graces which He so generously pours out to us!)
Take it easy on yourself!
Melisa
Melisa, I am so appreciative of your wisdom, especially when you said, “If we are to have the capacity to care for and nurture others, we must do it for ourselves as well.” Writing that down so I don’t forget the gentle reminder, thank you!
BLT salad sounds super yummy! And those tomatoes look amazing. I am so sorry that having a puppy has been rough. I remember that season with Piper (the crying, the late night pottying, the exhausting chewing and keeping an eye on her!) and I do not miss it! I’m glad you’re letting yourself take naps and go to bed early without guilt. Our rest is so important. I know you wouldn’t judge me if I was napping or checking out early, but we are hardest on ourselves, aren’t we?
I am grateful for your perspective on winter coming. I tend to dread the end of summer and the arrival of the colder months. But you make it sound quite lovely- hibernating with blankets and books. Maybe it won’t be so bad after all!
Since we’ve started farming, winter is quickly becoming my favorite season! I desperately need the extra time to recharge and rest after a busy spring/summer/fall. Gimme all the cozy blankets and fireplace fires and books and early bedtimes, ha!