Still Diggin’ the Good Life

Do you ever get that feeling when a few positive things line up together that you must be doing something right? It doesn’t happen often enough, but when it does, you know it. Things just fall into place. I think to myself, yes, I am doing exactly what I should be doing. Instead of running that tape in my head of “You really should be doing this,” or “If only I had done this,” or “My life would be more meaningful if I…,” I start to notice how well my life actually is going. It’s like the tape stops, flips over, and starts new. I get to feel good about everything for that moment.

This morning I got home from milking goats around 9 a.m. with no energy to cook breakfast, do three days worth of dishes, or feed the chickens. It was one of those days that had hardly begun and I already wanted to crawl back into bed. I know you have been there, too. Alas, too many responsibilities to tend and eating a healthy breakfast of eggs and a potato stir-fry gave me some energy. Fine, I’ll keep on going, despite really just wanting to collapse on my futon.

I did what I do every morning like most of us, check my email, read the news. Little did I know my mood was about to change completely. It’s not every morning that I see a photo of myself in the NY Times. In fact this is a first. There I am placing labels onto the cups of cheese trying not to think about the fact that a NY Times photographer is aiming her camera straight at me.

Recognition and appreciation for my work- it feels really good. Here’s a link to the article in last Sunday’s paper.

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2010/08/16/travel/20100822LOCOVORE-2.html

August has been very full of colorful vegetables, stunning flowers, and sweet fruits. I have canned pickles, dilly beans, peaches, and tomatoes. I pop blueberries in my mouth throughout the day and savor the occasional raspberry from the new plants we put in the garden this spring.

Ah, the garden. It is so huge and can be intimidating. The sunflowers stand about 14 feet tall and some are blowing over in the wind. Everything is doing incredibly well we can’t keep up with all the food, so the chickens get the overly ripe tomatoes and baby goats nibble on cabbage leaves and broccoli.

The hens are still as happy as can be roaming free all day and following me wherever I go in hope of a treat. Maybe a mushy peach or a stale rice cake.

Unfortunately we lost one member of the flock, Buff. She was lame after her leg started bothering her and I couldn’t watch her suffer much longer. Now the strong group of five are without their blonde beauty, but appear to be getting along quite well.

The meat birds are almost 8 weeks old and will be ready to be processed soon. They are very fat and can hardly walk, however they seem to enjoy lounging around the pasture. I see a parallel between the giant sunflowers that topple over and these chickens, which cannot walk after 10 weeks old because they are too big for their legs. I’ll let you know how they taste. You can dine with me through the photos. Or maybe you will be lucky enough to be at the dinner table making a toast to the chicken, who sacrificed himself to nourish our souls.