The Milkweed Diaries

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Home


I was up early this morning, weeding the raised beds in the hoophouse. The cold-hardy greens are growing faster now, and the lengthening days are providing lots of sunlight for them to soak up and turn into green and growing plant energy.



Being away for two weeks offered me a lot of clarity, and absence definitely made my heart grow fonder of my life. I love being back to cooking on a wood cookstove, back to soaking up the sunlight and warmth in our house on winter mornings thanks to passive solar design, back to my community and my family, back to walking across the muddy fields and even back to weeding. It's good to be home.

After 12 days of cooking three meals a day for 30-60 people, it's so luscious just to make a small meal for myself and Christopher, to pull weeds, to check on the tiny spinach and carrot plants in the cold frames. These small mundane activities feel so good after being away from them. I feel powerfully, intimately connected to the land here, and glad to be back in my own homeplace, touching growing things, watching a Cooper's hawk fly low over the pastures, hearing the first Red Wing Blackbird of the season.

3 comments:

Dana said...

Bethy, welcome home to your cozy spot. I heard from a guy at work today about your conference, and I bet it is real real good to be home... I look forward to getting me some B and C face time in soon. Hopefully I will be out at your place at the end of March. Holler at me anytime. Love ya

Penryn said...

Hi Beth... I'm glad you're home but I sure do miss you and your loving preparations of food. I had a couple of tremendous sustainable/food adventures in Athens and Atlanta en route home that I would love to share with you sometime. Heard Carlo Petrini (Grand Poppa of Slow Food International) speak twice and that was also good. I hope to see you at Organic Growers School...barring any snow in the mountains I will be there. Thanks again to you (and Puma) for all ya'll did to keep up the sustenance and the spirits of all during the Koinonia PDC. Penryn

Kelly said...

I'm glad you're back, Beth. I know the feeling to be back in the lovely warmth of your home, doing the simple things you love, and I love your house and farm and TOTALLY UNDERSTAND!!! :) Miss you both lots!!!