The material presented
here is not Al-Anon Conference Approved Literature. It is a method
to exchange
information, ideas, feelings, problems and solutions on a personal
level.
Our summer here has been slow in coming- rainy and cool. In stark contrast to our neighbours across the ditch. More than once the smoke from there fires has hung around our hills.
I decided over Christmas and New year to devote the rest of my working life to working on our properties. That way i can make the equivalent of $30 to $40 an hour...
...my SO sort of expected me to go out cherry picking. Fact is we can get 4 Asian fruit pickers into our spare rooms and make money that way!
But I do need to rest and relax as well... and give my tired old body a rest.
As a kid I was compromised between wanting to be a scholar or a lawyer- and the need to make extra income to buy shoes etc.
It was an uneasy compromise. I recall my mum calling me lazy and telling me to get off of my backside. When I was sitting down reading a book.
I already knew that "read" was a verb too!
I suppose I could be lazy and slothful sometimes- and getting called a lazy little b****r was not a nice thing. But looking back I worked hard.
In November I had a back yard full of bees- and the swarm moved into an empty honey box. So now I have to tend to them and keep them going. Split the hive- if they have made queen cells. And so on and so on.
Already I have hens out there, three only... ...and already own five sheep. But little black banty is sitting on six eggs.
More a little farmyard for the grandkids really- to teach them about nature- an dhow food is made.
My family background was about poverty and squalour- and I still battle with this sometimes. A certain amount of clutter.
Getting to Step 12 means that my mind is clear and working well. Memory ditto.
I can still picture the day when this happened. And I thought to myself- hey, boy... y'all have a backlog of stuff to catch up on, but y'all are ginna make it!
When I get into relapse [which can happen} ah kin pick up the signs fairly quickly.
My work skills and life skills were pretty limited when I was a kid. Harvesting, once the rhythm is set is fairly easy, if not boring.
But I always set myself to improve. And harvesting time was always the most important
With our small business I get to play "good cop". This is a great shift for me- as I seemed to play "bad cop" for years at community level.
Much less stress and agro floating around.
Our valley got a flaming great lake plonked right in the middle of it. And this added to the stresses one might expect.
And as I always say- the construction crews bought in chapters of AA, and Alanon, which was not to be sneezed atI
It is an ill wind that does not do somebody some good!
I love hearing about your life - past and present! Thank you for sharing!
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"The wolf that thrives, is the one you feed." - Cherokee legend
"Hello, sun in my face. Hello you who made the morning and spread it over the fields... Watch, now, how I start the day in happiness, in kindness." Mary Oliver
(((David))) - love, love, love hearing about summer arriving - knowing it will roll my way in a few months, after spring! We have one cherry tree - we actually planted it several years back for ornamental purposes more than anything. Long story short, the neighbors behind us had to take down a super-sized tree as the root system was raising their fence and doing some other damage in their yard. So - out came the super-sized tree.
Well - last year, summer, that silly cherry tree we planted produced! It had never done it before and may/may not do it again - but it was such a lovely, unexpected surprise! Needless to say, we ended up with more than 100 lbs. of cherries - from one darn tree! That thing has been growing smartly each year, has a lovely shape and clearly wanted to 'give back'!!
I am better prepared this year! I've studied up on how to can for preservation and have others lined up to be gifted cherries. I have room in the freezer this year, etc. Your post reminded me of the lovely gift of cherries we got last season/year. I personally would love to vacate city life and return to a small farm/land to grow my own. We plant tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and herbs - it's not enough for me! I'd love to have chickens and more room for a large greens garden. I don't like Kale and a few other greens from the grocery store - taste bitter to me. Yet, I love fresh grown/picked greens - so much more flavor and sweeter when fresh!
I do plan to try some greens in pots this year - will see how that goes! This is a perfect day for me to envision some summer - we've got weather getting ready to roll in, and I plan to hibernate if necessary all weekend long. Make it a great day and keep sharing!
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Practice the PAUSE...Pause before judging. Pause before assuming. Pause before accusing. Pause whenever you are about to react harshly and you will avoid doing and saying things you will later regret. ~~~~ Lori Deschene
Ahhhhh.summer. Thank you David for your post. We have a ways to go here, but I find if there is at least some sunshine, I can get through the long winters. Thank you for your wonderful shares.
IAH......Oh my goodness......all those cherries from one tree. How fun to learn ways to use them to their maximum! I loved that story.
Ellen - I've never had a fruit tree so it was quite fun. What was so enjoyable to me was literally waking up one morning, and seeing this tree that was always very pretty - the shape, the growth pattern, the leaves - just absolutely glowing red with cherries! We picked and picked and picked more and it really seems that the more we picked, the more that came!
Talk about a real life example of being blocked from the sunlight! This tree came 'to be' just because the partial sunlight became full. It was a great gift, unexpected, but really fun (until I got tired of pitting all those darn cherries!!) Love and Light!
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Practice the PAUSE...Pause before judging. Pause before assuming. Pause before accusing. Pause whenever you are about to react harshly and you will avoid doing and saying things you will later regret. ~~~~ Lori Deschene
David, thank you for the great share!! :) So nice to hear how what you do is so integrated with the Steps and how that helps you to see, feel and share the healing. Gods gifts of the seasons, the earth and all of nature helps me to put it all into perspective, that the world does not revolve around me, but that the world is there for me, to help me see that I am a part of the biggest picture!! You must be so proud of your farm, I would be!!! :) Blessings
-- Edited by Debb on Sunday 12th of January 2020 10:08:13 AM
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"Forgiveness doesn't excuse bad behavior, but it
does prevent bad behavior from destroying your heart". ~ unknown
Our summer here has been slow in coming- rainy and cool. In stark contrast to our neighbours across the ditch. More than once the smoke from there fires has hung around our hills.
& 