Updates: A Reality Check

When I started this blog about a year ago, I had a vision. Eventually, my family would have a little self-sufficient piece of land, not too far from a lovely city full of culture and awesome food, where I raised veggies and animals and baked everything from scratch while churning the butter and sewing the clothes. Yeah, I know...It's Laura Ingalls Wilder's fault. From the time I was a little girl, I loved her books and totally identified with that era and way of life. Then began this journey. Now, let's be clear, I have been killing houseplants since I can remember. My family has always teased be me about having a "brown thumb". But, I was sure I could conquer this whole gardening thing. Here's the thing, I don't enjoy it that much. Labor intensive crops are a waste of time for me. Gardening is not relaxing to me, as it is for so many. In addition, we love traveling and my garden suffers while we're gone. What is a girl to do...



Our kind of garden.

 This girl has simply readjusted her vision. Instead of labor intensive crops that are available at any farmer's market, I've switched over to low maintenance herbs, rhubarb and native strawberries. I've planted native blueberry and cherry bushes and I transplanted some wild raspberry bushes to a location better suited for growing and picking. I'm looking forward to trying out a technique I've seen all over the web for growing potatoes in a large container. I'll still be producing some of my own food and I'll be doing it on my own terms.

As for everything else, I bake bread on a regular basis, but I'll leave the butter churning to the folks at the small organic creamery that I've recently discovered. I'm still interested in, someday, having some chickens and maybe a beehive or two, but, for now, I'll content myself to support the local farmers and producers that are becoming easier to find every year. I still think about taking up sewing, but then I remember the "shirt" that I once made for Girl Scouts. It actually wasn't bad, but I'm not sure I want to do it on a regular basis.

As it was always meant to be, Living From Scratch is as much about expanding horizons and developing relationships as it is about anything else. We've grown closer and healthier over the last year and we will continue to do so. Even if I'm not churning the butter.