Okay, that might be a little misleading. But now that I’ve
got your attention, let me share with you how I started a new tradition this
year. I’ve spent the last year collecting every day treasures to share in gift
baskets with family and friends. Let me explain…
It might seem like I’ve set-up a completely different life
moving this past year. Fence posts have replaced stoplights and busy
intersections. The truth is that I’m closer to where I always felt the most
comfortable as a kid…living life one moment at a time and appreciating what
matters the most to me. I’ve found a home on about an acre of land and we are
utilizing it to its fullest potential.
We tilled our first real garden in the spring (hand turned
with shovels followed by a walk behind tiller). We had “bumper crops” with
tomatoes and BLTs were a dinner staple over the summer. I managed to can a few
jars of salsa and pasta sauce as well. Early in the season, I felt like this
was a thankless job as the boys kept eating the salsa faster than I could make
it…but I caught up and made some reserves for the winter.
My habanero plant produced more peppers than I knew what to
do with and so I made Apricot Habanero Jelly and Strawberry Habanero…and
Cranberry Habanero…you get the picture!
I added milkweed to attract butterflies in the side yard,
where I have flowers growing in a small stone hedged garden. I was also
pleasantly surprised to see I already had monarda growing. I saved the dried
flowers and made sachets out of Christmas fabric to enjoy their fragrant scent
long after the blooms died.
I’ve upped my game in canning, moving from water bath to
pressure canning of green beans and squash. I’ve promised an entirely new
meaning for “return for deposit” to gift recipients on my list.
In collecting antique Christmas bulbs in the shapes of Santa
and Snowmen, I started making vintage looking ornaments and experimented with
soldering copper. I’ve reverted back to the glue gun until I get a better
handle on dealing with high temperatures!
We have pine trees in the side yard and collect them
whenever we can. We’ve made wreathes and crafts and used as fire starters as
well. I store them in empty dog food bags and have found that a scarcity
mindset goes a long way and in our case, it seems to have sparked a lot of
creativity as we see so many other ways to use an item other than its intended
purpose.
I have apple trees I’m still working on. I’ll be pruning and
treating them in the next few months in the hopes they bear fruit next year. I’ve
been lucky to have nearby orchards and friends to supply apples for my apple
butter. I still never think I’ve made enough to last until the next season. I
can’t believe I ever ate store bought before. I’ll never do it again.
I wish I could wrap up the sunrises and sunsets we’ve seen
this year. The skies are gorgeous absent the city lights. And earlier this
month, I saw the Geminid meteor shower. I counted at least 6 or 7 shooting
stars that were like slow falling rain drops surrounded in white light. I truly
believe anything is possible in these rare moments where nature takes center
stage and life stands still. My continued resolution is to focus on these
little miracles and make sure that the boys are learning to appreciate life as
well.
I can’t remember a summer that ever went as fast as this
one. It reminded me of those I had as a kid. Every single day, I walked in the
garden with my 16-year-old, Pete. We’d grab one of my favorite vintage baskets
and collect vegetables and take pictures of our glorious patch of land. What I
will remember most about this first summer in our new home is that I stopped
looking in and started looking out…in life, from the windows of my house…on the
deck…in the garden…on the riding mower…driving to and from work on a rural
state route road. I’m not saying this year did not come without its fair share
of challenges…but more and more I realize which moments are worth hanging onto
and which ones to let go. I see now that you can’t grab the next moment until
you let go of the last. And this applies to absolutely every area in life. Love
your job, love your home, love your life…exactly as it is right now.
I’ve always carried forward traditions from my childhood.
This year, I started one of my own. I shared baskets filled with every day
treasures I was fortunate enough to have and plan to do the same again next
year. I may not see my family and friends as often as I would like, but with
this new tradition I can share a little bit of every season throughout the year!
Merry Christmas Everyone!
