April 19th 6:11 am Friday, 35 outside and 61 in
yurt. Today highs in the lower 60’s will be cold tonight, no frost warning, but
a fire will be needed.
I’m sitting in front of a beautiful fire with a very hot cup
of coffee. I ran out of pages in my journal so decided to type away. Yesterday
was chili stayed cloudy and very windy throughout the day. The rain from the
night before only measured in at ½ an inch so that thing needs to be re-
mounted (not level) word has it we received at least five inches of rain the
night before and by the looks of the pond I believe it. We missed the bad
stuff, the hail, the 60 MPH winds by mere miles. Luck, that’s what that was.
Luck. The field looks a little ragged but not nearly what it could have looked
like. Whew!
Yesterday was spent digging myself out of a really dirty and
disorganized house. The commercial kitchen project we have going is almost
complete but the farm house is a crazy place. Cleaned now, scrubbed down to the
studs. The kitchen is looking great. Something I’ve dreamed about for years is
finally becoming a reality, It’s been hard though and costly.
Jackie Dill came yesterday afternoon, with Neva and her WWOOF-er ( http://www.wwoof.org/ ). They settled in at the cabin, Linda brought a
load of wood up and the place was cozy by dinner. They will be up and about
foraging this morning and throughout the day for the found and foraged dinner
here at the farm this weekend.
I slept fairly okay woke up a couple of times once to put
wood on the fire. The second time I woke up was at 3:45 the night was still and
quiet. This is the time of the morning when thoughts can get ugly and your
brain can turn on you. I’m ever so familiar with this routine so instead of
engaging the thoughts I focus on my breath. In. Out. In. Out. Slowly. Deeply.
Then before I know it the alarm is going off and the smell of coffee and
firewood fills my senses.
I’ve been so busy I haven’t made time to sit. I miss my
practice and try to practice deep mindfulness as I’m working but nothing is
quite like the time and space sitting in meditation. I long to rejoin my
breath. Things are down to the wire, the kitchen, the dinners, the field, the
goats…. I know it’s only temporary and I’m trying to work with grace but I’m
tired. Haven’t had a day of rest in several weeks and am starting to drag. This
Sunday though is that day. We’ll milk and do the regular animal chore but a
book and a position of leisure is my aim for the entirety of the day.
In spite of my extreme tiredness, the energy will come to
create a six course dinner from wild foods foraged from the farm and
nearby. This is the first dinner of the
season. I’m tired but excited and am ready to take the plunge and immerse
myself in cooking. This will be my practice today. A place I’m familiar with, a
refuge. A still pond that I float on. The wild foods are the current that moves
me from place to place, and as I shut my computer I will release myself from
all other thoughts and concerns and surrender to flavors, textures and the
colors. Ahhhh. What a wonderful thing.
It is an absolutely beautiful morning.
