It’s tough these days to find any – balance, that is. Between the wonky weather (70 degrees last week – flush little late Tatsoi and Purple Pak Choi, this week our first snow and down to 20 degrees by the end of the week!), the store opening (in a mere week and a half?! egad!, it looks like impossibility now if you peek in the windows but it will all come together suddenly, will we? that remains to be seen…), and the Solstice creeping up for us (our countdown calendar board starts also in 2 weeks – I need supplies!), it feels like a lot. Besides, the dissertation, the bakery, and yes, the homestead.
What happens around here when we are ‘busy’ with other things? Not much, I’ll tell you that. Everything this Fall is neglected – it looks like we might have to eat the seed garlic we didn’t plant, the garden will likely wait until Spring to be rolled in by the magickal Garden Fork or light tilling, and half the wood is still in the driveway under a tarp. The stargazer chairs that J made are still in the yard, some of my terracotta pots (because just days ago they had thriving nasturtiums and snapdragons still in them) are still out, and the chicken tractor is lonely and still set up for birds we won’t likely have for another year. I might have missed out on the last of the Calendula seed, and a final sweep of Cleavers and if I don’t get out there soon on the last of the rose hips (the deer are eating them like crazy, they must know they need the Vitamin C).
I managed to pull my corn seed (yet to be hung), and some final Mullein and Comfrey for drying. I dehydrated the last of the local apples for snacks and tea. And I managed to get a nice bagful of Milkweed fluff (and seeds) for Winter projekts. D neglected her tree study (she did a couple of good days of nature journaling/drawing of leaves while they were still around) so now she has to identify by bark and twig (which is how I learned, and man, it’s not the easiest way!). And J still needs to clean up the Sugar Shack so it is ready for him in February (which comes sooner than you think by November).
Balance. Always the teeter-totter of sacrifice and attention. We’ve had a lot of (very appreciated, we’re very grateful) help with the store which propels us forward toward this elusive balance. I think it’s going to be very good when we get there – if we can stay upright until then. Keep your eye on something stable, that’s what they say…
Rock Bottom Homestead 