Free Time?

As a first year elementary school teacher, free time is a foreign concept. In fact, I technically don't have it right now, I should be lesson planning for next week. But here I am, blogging, I think. Today is President's day and I am not required to be in a classroom surrounded by 26 children who all believe they require my immediate assistance. My brain feels somewhat neglected and is therefore searching endlessly for occupation.

Already this weekend I have completed shopping, sowing seeds for spring transplant, visited with parents, baked two loaves of handmade honeywheat bread, rearranged my livingroom and dining room, done laundry, groomed a poodle, gone to yoga class, made chicken stock and potato soup, taken the dogs to the vet, gotten an allergy shot, and stopped in at a local soda shop for an icecream cone and a new candle. In addition, I have finished reading my book on beekeeping basics, and completed a number of other chores (including cleaning the kitchen at least twice and scooping poop in the backyard). So for the past two hours, I have done nothing but research.

My original passion and the result of my BA in Art History, research is a timeless effort that generally makes one feel either empowered, excited, overwhelmed, or even all of the above. With plans this year of starting my first official "mini-farm," I have set out many goals and necessities. I have spent the past five years of homeowernership attempting to find a happy balance between curb appeal and functionality. Four growing seasons in a row I have learned a lot. There was nothing else to do with my mistakes but learn from them (and/or compost them). Now, don't start doubting the color of my thumb (although my husband does). I have had some small successes; such as some small berry harvests, broccoli, a few cucumbers and tomatoes, and various herbs. I appear to be great with rosemary, yucca, and chrysanthemums, but these would probably be even more successful without my help. This year, I started my research before the holiday season by purchasing a number of books on homesteading, mini-farming, and sustainable living. Slowly, the goals have been transforming into realities.

My gardening journal is a testament to the number of trials we have already overcome in the short amount of time since originally planning for the year. Despite minor setbacks, and financial frustration, we now have a 120 sq. ft. raised bed (100 sq. ft. planting space), all seeds needed for the season, and have even ordered a bee hive. We will once again pass up on chickens this year, as we are not big egg-eaters and my mother and neighbor are generous with their chickens' eggs in exchange for our help with caring for them. However, my husband did seem attached to the idea of honeybees. He likes to screen my Mother Earth News and pretend to tell me which articles I'm "approved" to read. Our previous edition had an article about honeybees, and after both reading it, and doing some minor research, we dove in. We then attended a local Beekeepers Association meeting (which apparently is for all women, yet the hubby didn't seem to mind) and discovered the most helpful people ever. The president even agreed to help us put our hive together and then provide us with her first swarm! Free-Bees! (pun intended)

Other goals are taking place inside our house. I have begun making my own bread on a regular basis and discovered the ability to grow a yeast culture in my refrigerator so I would never have to buy it again. I have the starter flakes on order because I am a bit scared of starting one from scratch and I couldn't find anyone locally who would share. So today I have been researching how I can also start grinding my own flour. Right now I only use about 10 lbs of flour per month for bread (half whole wheat pastry flour, half bread flour) and a little extra for other purposes (all-purpose white flour and oat flour). However, the idea of keeping a grain store in my home and grinding what I need has a health value that I just can't pass up. So most of my research today consisted of grain mill attachments for my Kitchen-Aid. Conservation of space makes less appliances a necessity, so no separate grain mill for me. For this reason I am also researching yogurt making without an additional machine. When really baking great bread, it is best to use cultured milk products, and making my own yogurt is the cheapest option. Plus it is one less thing to buy at the store.

All these things mentioned so far intertwine and build upon each other. My desire for self-sufficiency and my husband's desire for saving money and making me happy seem to all lead to an interesting journey down a path studded with semi-lost arts of survival. For the past few years, we have already managed to do many things like making our own cleaning supplies, and even building a new bed. These small accomplishments somehow fit into our tiny lives and make us more complete, more satisfied. In the end, it isn't so much a quest for happiness, as it is a quest for occupation. Happiness is, after all, the journey not the destination. To quote Montaigne, "The great and glorious masterpiece of man is how to live with a purpose." As a teacher, my purpose is to learn and share, and I believe this about all aspects of my life. I am undoubtedly one of those crazed-hippie-types (minus the hallucinogens). I think we all have a role to play in protecting the planet, and my role is not just activism, but also making adjustments in my own life to lead by example. If just one other family realizes that they can live without frivolous luxuries, or over-processed food, or toxic cleaners, then I feel this effort is worth far more than I could ever expect. So much of what I see today, so much that frustrates me, is just ignorance. Ignorance of our own history, of our own abilities, and of our impacts. Live conscious. That's all it takes. When you find out that something you do has a negative impact, adjust. Monitor and adjust. It's the motto of teachers, and it should be the motto of life. Never run from negativity, just use it to learn.

So my hope for this blog, is not only to occupy my mind on those few days off. It is to share my trials and tribulations. I want to share the journey that my family is taking and hopefully give some useful information to others on a parallel journey. It will hopefully be a mixture of practical knowledge, humorous cock-ups, and a tiny bit of activism for Mother Earth. Peace.