Sunday, August 6, 2017
Chop Wood Carry Water
"What did you do before enlightenment?"
Chop wood, carry water
"What did you do after enlightenment?"
Chop wood, carry water
I've always loved my life. I take it as it comes but in reality,
name the other choices. Take last month for example when I
was awakened and tossed from my bed as the walls were weaving.
"Oh crumb, we're having an earthquake," I thought.
I'm not a nitwit pollyanna who sees the rosey glow in all of
life's little misfortunes.There's plenty of crappola in this world
to moan about, as in, "Have you had your daily moan today?"
I am sometimes questioned of why I should be happy when
I spent the first 15 years of my life living like a character from
"The Grapes of Wrath." Don't let anyone tell you the Great
Depression lasted only a few years. It ended with WW2. Ask
any one who lived it.
I believe my youth led me to appreciate food, the kind of food
grown in rich humus-filled soil that allows a human body to run
like a well-oiled machine.
That's how I spend my summers..... I GROW A LOT OF MY
OWN FOOD. Dirty fingernails, sunburn, achy muscles......
I love it all. Yesterday I had my first vine-ripened tomato and
creamy-white mashed home-grown spuds.
Apricots from the 3rd apricot tree
are drying in the Excalibur like the beautiful little droplets of
Laetrile. My pole bean's tendriles are reaching out for
more poles to grab. Two pumpkins have already reached a
vibrant orange color and a few water melons are ready for a
picnic. The cherries ripened early but I was so busy I gave them
to a friend for jam. Apples on the tree. Last year I made apple
cider. A few plums high on the tree but not too many this
year. I was a little late with the swiss chard but it's
on it's way.
Growing and sharing my food is one of the things that makes
me very happy and healthy. Life is so simple but also a
mysterious miracle.
But, you may ask, "what do you do when the cold winter comes?"
Easy.....CHOP WOOD CARRY WATER.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Note to my blogging friends........I appologize for my absence
this summer as I fall into bed, too pooped to lift a finger on the
computer. Just a little more to harvest and I'll return. CHEERS
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Great thoughts and perspective indeed. Warm greetings and best wishes with the harvest.
ReplyDeleteBlogoratti
DeleteAnd a huge Hello to you. Thanks for the visit and the kind words.
No running water? Bah, I'm heading for the hills lol very true, much we can whine about each day, like my stuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuupid computer dying on me yesterday, but have to enjoy what we have and what we can do. Can I borrow your axe to chop my computer to bits?
ReplyDeletePat, Condolences on your computer. Another expense, huh?
DeleteHahahaha I'd like to do that to all of my electric stuff. I feel much more at ease with my hands on a hoe than on the computer keys. But.....we gotta do what we gotta do and I like all the advantages of electronic world too.
Of course we have running water, be it crap fluoride. Although, I do have a wood burning stove that I do occasionally use. Of course you may use my axe for the big chop. It must be in style. I read that quite a few of our politicians are in the habit of doing that. LOL
Another expense indeed, ugg.
DeleteYeah, blah to the fluoride crap, but it can be there to let me crap on it and flush lol one chopping I'll leave to the politicians.
I love the thought of home grown food and the work involved, but in reality I don't think I could do it. If I'd been raised that way and just continued, yes, I'd do it. But having no garden to speak of and a small one bedroom flat where every cooked meal can still be smelled days later is a bit off-putting.
ReplyDeleteRiver
DeleteNice to talk to you again. My summer just whizzed by. This is my first attempt in growing potatoes again, after many, many years. I planted them in a garden next to the chicken coop that lay fallow for 3 years. A place where I toss all the chicken poop. A neighbor said, "You're growing spuds the size of footballs." Well not really but they are large and lovely. Another advantage of having chickens.
I know what you mean about space to grow. Those pumpkins really spread out but I do have a very large city lot.
Thanks for writing.
Wow, you have really put in an ambitious and yummy garden. I'm tired just imagining the work you have put in. You certainly are eating well though.
ReplyDeletePatti
DeleteWhat was it our mother's used to say when we put more food on our plate than we could eat?........our eyes are bigger than our stomach? LOL Well that was me with the gardens this year. Hahaha Then I also have many flower beds too, plus hollyhocks and other flowers around the perimeter fence, which the dog keeps distroying. Bad Lily. Everything grows so well because the chickens free-range and they keep everything well fertilized plus, they look so adorable pecking around in the gardens. I actually planned all the gardens around them.
But I am sooooo blessed at my age to be healthy and able to still do the things that I love to do.
Thanks for stopping by.
Very inspiring and motivational thought Belva...
ReplyDeleteVineeta
DeleteThanks for remembering my blog, in spite of my long absences. Your trekking and photos are always a beautiful wonderment to me.
Enjoy the rest of the harvest. I admire anyone who grows their own vegetables and fruit. I'm far too lazy;) I bet they taste amazing.
ReplyDeleteMurees
DeleteYou are definitely NOT lazy but your interests lie elsewhere. Isn't it great that we all don't have the same interests or there would surely be an over abundance of that one thing. LOL
My long-time girl friend does triathlons (I think I mentioned this before) she said she is so busy working out while I am raising food. She asks, would I give her a carrot if the whole world gets crazy. Haha
Cheers, Belva! Your garden and produce sound wonderful! I'm a rolling stone, but in my dreams of an alternate life, I imagine myself as a gardener. I enjoyed Pat Hatt's rhyming run on you today!
ReplyDeleteI forgot to watch to see if you had comment moderation enabled. I don't know if blogger ate my comment or not. I enjoyed Pat Hatt's rhyming run on your blog today. Enjoy the rest of the summer in your garden and the fruits of your labor!
ReplyDeleteAll of that chopping wood, carrying water, digging in the dirt, and eating fresh produce is what keeps you so young. After reading pat's tribute to you, I thought it only right to stop by and say HOWDY. So... howdy!
ReplyDeleteI admire anyone who grows their own vegetables and fruit.
ReplyDeleteการ์ตูนโป๊, jav
My job has me posting less and less too. Seems every free minute (at work or not) I need to get something new done (by a deadline, of course). I love my work, but even though I have work to do this weekend, I'm absolutely taking some me time!!!
ReplyDeleteLove that you grow so much of your own food. I will too, very likely, when we move out of this apt and into a house. :)
LOvely read!!!
ReplyDeleteyou reminded me my dear mother who LOVED gardening and she called it a soul therapy!!!
being PRODUCTIVE gives peace to heart my friend and you own a beautiful soul which heal through the nature.
right now i am kind of stuck with other responsibilities but i feel instinct inherited me from my mom ,
One day when life will give me some FREE time i will read ,write and garden lot hopefully .
I love my hands in soil and cutting grass of my small lawn.
how impressive dear Belva ,you have grown LOTS of fruits and veggies and i can imagine it took quite hard work which is enough for daily moan .
apricots are my favorite but melons oh dear i am mad about watermelon so be aware if i eat away all your delicious perls lol
i wish and pray you feel better soon my friend and i really wish i can read you more often
There's just something special about starting from scratch and growing your own product isn't there?
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by today.
Hope your day has been productive and pleasant.
Greetings from the UK. Good luck with your endeavours.
ReplyDeleteThank you. Love love, Andrew. Bye.
Nice article great post comment information thanks for sharing.
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