Balance

"When you try to control everything, you enjoy nothing. Sometimes you just need to relax, breathe, let go and live in the moment."  Unknown

This summer was a summer to learn this.  I worked night and day to finish the gypsy wagon and I was exhausted.  When I finished I realized what I had placed aside.  The house wasn't finished  with the last sides unpainted.  The garden was overrun with weeds, the whole farm suffered from weeds.  My aches and pains which I attributed to working so hard on the wagon persisted, so I took a few days of rest.  The aches and pains didn't improve with rest.  I could barely walk without pain.  I took to walking with a hiking pole.  I finally went to my doctor and asked what was going on and he narrowed it down to the statin I was taking.  It would take a month  to a year to get my strength back and it made me come in touch with my mortality.  I am not getting younger.  Do I work to make a buck or work to have income and work to enjoy this piece of paradise we call Purple Dog?  Shari has told me for awhile, we have to focus on what we do well and what we enjoy.  The goal of this farm has always been a lifestyle choice.  We knew we would never replace my income with proceeds from the farm.  We came to this farm to grow food.  Our food.  What ever food was more than we needed we would share with others.  Sell the extra by the road, give the garden overflow to friends.  It is all a matter of balance.  Do what we enjoy, share it with those who are close to us and savor the moment. The things I enjoy most are my family and friends and cooking for them.  Dinners with witty conversation, politics, religion, laughing and stories these bring richness to my days.  As fall draws to a close we will look to these things as we plan our next growing season.  "Enjoy the farm", is as much a statement  for our friends as it is for me.