It’s mid-morning in my office. A candle flickers cheerily while the washing machine gurgles, shimmies, and whirs through its cycles. Ducklings peep outside my window and sunlight filters down through wind-tossed branches onto the floor.
It’s lovely to be home.
Slowly but surely I’m getting back into a routine that feels good. Writing the history book was all-consuming the last few months, numerous delays causing a backlog of other projects. Now I’m playing catch-up while trying to make time for needful rest.
It’s been wonderful to get back to working with Bear on our farm. We’ve really missed that partnership, the time and energy to tackle projects together. The last few days have been spent outside working on orchards two and three, digging through rock hard soil with crowbar and shovel to get all sorts of things planted. We’ve got blisters and sore muscles aplenty now, but we’ve also got fantastic results: chestnuts and hazelnuts, bush lemons, limes, and apricots, raspberries and gooseberries, wine and table grapes. In the days ahead we’ll finish fencing the orchards, covering them with vital bird netting, and putting in drip water systems to keep them thriving even during drought. I’m so excited to see it all in a few years when everything is established and flourishing.
Through this book project, I’ve seen how I put inordinate pressure on myself to do it all, all at once. But it’s just not possible. Not for me, anyways. And I’m learning to be gentle with myself, to take time to celebrate one achievement before tackling another. It’s been good. So good. I feel present in my life instead of hurtling along like an express train.
I’m practicing enjoying each thing I’m doing, be it laundry or editing photos, sorting through paperwork or checking on animals. I don’t want to be just a list-checker-off-er, I want to be a list delight-er, a life savor-er.
It’s a much more peaceful life, truly healing and nourishing. I now find myself evaluating my day on how I experienced it, rather than how I performed it, and that makes me smile.
I’m also working on building good work into my life. There will always be unpleasant tasks we must do or unpleasant people we must work with for a time, but when I have a choice, I’m choosing work I love with people I love, trust, and respect.
Right now I’m working on two books that bring me great happiness. One is a black and white photo book of Italy, the other is a homemade Christmas book. Both feed my creative soul and inspire me no end. It’s so nice to step into my office with excitement and anticipation, squirrel away making beautiful things for a few hours, then head back outside to our beloved farm.
I’m so thankful to be in this place.
What work is bringing you happiness this week? xo
This makes me so happy. I love hearing about the progress of your farm! Its taken a few hard knocks this year to teach me more about being present, in whatever the present is. I can’t get everything done in a day, perhaps a week or a month and there is freedom now in that. Also, your books sound fantastic!!
There IS freedom in that, isn’t there, @breannemosher:disqus ? I’m so thankful our worth is no longer in what we accomplish, but in who we are. What a relief that is. 🙂 Love you. XOXO
Hard yakka is always good for the soul, Krista, and you have the added attraction of working for yourselves. I’m glad it is youngsters, like you & Bear, digging that rock hard dirt 🙂
I’ve never worked so hard to dig a hole, @Kayrpea61:disqus 🙂 But there is an odd sense of conquering the world when you’re done. 🙂
Would it be worth it for any next time to rent a small jackhammer to break up hard soil, eg can you get electricity to where you dig (extension cord, generator)?
It is effective by my experience. Would even a pick/mattock help?
I love the positive feel of this post! Work itself brings me happiness as I am grateful to have a job 🙂
Yes, I feel the same way, @tandysinclair:disqus 🙂 We are so fortunate. 🙂 xo
Ah, the joys of being able to celebrate simply being at home and doing what you love most…. xoxxo
It is wonderful, @liz_posmyk:disqus 🙂
“I want to be a list delight-er, a life savor-er.”
Love, love, love this ~ and your dear heart!
xo Suzanne
Thank you so much, @suzannewalcher:disqus XO Your words mean a great deal to me.
I love seeing the farm through your eyes. You’re so right. Be gentle with yourself and it will come together as if everything before happened to bring you to that spot.
“as if everything before happened to bring you to that spot” – I love that, @OrgasmicChef:disqus . Your view of things is beautiful. 🙂
What a wonderfully healing perspective! Thank you for sharing it here. I look forward to those books!
I’m so glad it was meaningful to you, @rachelfriesen:disqus xo
Blisters are so rewarding. When Roy comes home from work we put some serious work into our place and holding a cold beer at the end of the day with blistered hand looking over what you have achieved – bliss. I am currenlty finding the work happy medium, I have been trying to impliment this for some time now I hope that the crap things I don’t like doing become things that just whir by.
Your work times with Roy sound just like our work days, @lizstrayedtable:disqus 🙂 I’m so glad you’ve found such a happy medium to keep you going. 🙂
Welcome home! Well done on writing your history book. I love hearing of all the things you’re growing and producing on your farm. How lovely to work with ducklings outside your window xx
Thank you so much, Charlie! 🙂 It is lovely having the baby birds close by. Right now I’ve got some newly hatched chicks in my office. They’re so cute. 🙂
Awesome pics love. 🙂 Especially the sun flower, they make me happy!
Haha… I love that you are finding happiness in the little things, my mom for reals gets a buzz out of seeing clothes on the line.
This week I am finding happiness in being able to spend quality time with my fave people. This time of year is so busy for me, so its wonderful to be able to see them. 🙂