Well, we’ve been here almost 3 weeks. The time goes so fast…
We started working on the garden, and then the weather turned to cold and rainy for the past week. We are supposed to get some warm sunny days by the end of the week and into next week. That will be helpful for tending the garden.
We have lots of spinach, lettuce, and beets coming up in the greenhouse. We also have a wonderful poppy blooming by the old wooden door. It is in the way and not practical, but it is gorgeous and Helen’s favorite flower. Sometimes you just have to put practical behind pretty. : )
I have been keeping up with the Facebook page, but I’ve been neglecting the blog. We have finally settled in enough so that I have more time to concentrate on writing.
A visitor came today from Pittsburgh. He said that he came to Forest Farm when he was in high school. He remembered Helen and Scott, and remembered that they put the kids to work. : ) He said he remembers doing some work in the garden and sleeping outside near the bay. That would be a wonderful childhood memory! He also mentioned that what struck him the most was Helen and Scott’s choice to live deliberately. I agreed with him, but then I thought, “What does that REALLY mean?”
A definition of deliberately that would work in this case is “in a careful and unhurried way.” Another way to think about it is to be mindful. I don’t believe Helen nor Scott mentioned mindfulness in their writings, but they were using the concept in their daily lives.
I wondered if I could live deliberately. I tend to do things slowly. I am not a hurrier! I got that from my grandma. When I hurry, I make mistakes. I also get very stressed. I like to think about what I am doing or going to do. One thing I wanted to concentrate on while we are here is being mindful. I feel that I am doing that more, but I want to be more aware of my practice.
As we move through this experience and into the next, I will strive each day to live a mindful life. This is something you can start with because when you are more mindful, other things tend to fall into place.