The Test of Time

Time... It keeps on ticking. The world keeps turning. The seasons change. The sun rises and sets again... and finite time means making choices. I have so many interests, and yet perhaps my energy runs out before the clock. Infinite hopes and finite time and energy is a phrase I once wrote to a friend to describe a certain state of mind that starts leading you to a place where you're trying so hard it can feel like you're hitting a wall. You can be so busy pushing forward you're unable to go with the flow, and sometimes that's the best way to be moved further along.

Inspiration can come from the most unlikely and seemingly simple task.

One small and silly example I have can been taken from the notably non-food related photos in this post. One of my "maybe I should just give that up" moments was a couple of weekends ago when I realized it was time to make a choice about bringing in the houseplants. This year I thought perhaps I should just let 'em go. They take up time, and space, there's all that re-potting and some leaf dropping. I have so much outdoor gardening... In the end I chose the plants. It took a few hours to scrub the pots and trays, replace the soil, wash the plants, and find each one a good indoor home. Shortly after getting them in I stopped struck by how lovely the light looked shining through the plants in the dining room window. I felt lifted and thought of how much I will appreciate these beauties come winter... Make time for something you love or would just love to try.

If you're reading this blog, perhaps something you'd like to do is dedicate more time to creating a garden, preserving or making your own food, trying new foods, visiting a farmers market or making a day trip out to that orchard or farm you've wanted to check out. It can feel like it's about doing more, and making life more hectic than it already is. Really, its about slowing down and giving some time and attention to things things we often ignore. The rewards are quite often surprising.