My summer is going to be busier than I thought. Along with plans for a large organic garden, raising chickens (for the first time), learning to can vegetables, caring for two small children and the everyday duties of life, I now realize that the farmstead we just moved to needs A LOT of clean up. I don't quite understand why people will clutter up an otherwise beautiful farmstead with old rusty machinery, junked out cars, miscellaneous discarded equipment, and trash.
Hold that thought. I should make one confession here. I like the outdoors. I just prefer to look at all the beauty of God's creation from inside a nice, comfortable home. I would like being outside a lot more if there weren't so many bugs and if my fair skin didn't burn so easily. But, I'm not into spraying a bunch of nasty chemical pesticides on everything to get rid of bugs, sunscreen is annoying and so are sunburns. So, I just stay inside most of the time.
This summer, my goal is to break my habit of living indoors and spend most of my days outside. There will be plenty to keep me busy! Somehow, I need to rediscover that tomboyish 18yr old who loved excitement and adventure, fishing and exploring, hiking and rollerblading. Or at least rediscover that part of myself just enough to enjoy cleaning up trash, collecting eggs, feeding chickens, planting, weeding, harvesting produce, oh yeah...and playing outside with my two boys--I almost forgot about the one thing that actually sounds like fun and not work.
Do you know that feeling when you know something should be fun and it's good for you, and probably will be fun once you get into it, but you're kinda scared that you won't like it or that you'll fail at it? That's kinda what it feels like looking at this summer. I really want to garden, raise chickens, learn to can vegetables, make this place look awesome, but I'm a little scared that I'll 'chicken' out. That I won't like it and that I'll end up watching it all from inside again.
It probably sounds like I'm one of those agoraphobic people who never leave the house. Seriously, I'm not. I go to the store, appointments, church, wherever I need to be. But, this summer, I'm going to spend as much time outside as I can. In North Dakota, winters are long (especially this last one) and I don't want to find myself suddenly in October, full of regrets about spending so much of another summer inside --even if my outside 'to do' list isn't as exciting as it was when I was that 18 year old tomboy.
I know exactly how you feel, I love it outside as well but usually choose what is most comfortable. About the Bug spray, I think there is some somewhat natural stuff that we got for the boys from BabiesR Us when they were too young for the other stuff. It does not work as well as the stuff with deet but works better then nothing, also since you like gardening you can get citronilla plants and plant them around an area you are often. They work if broken, so you have to brush up against them often. Just thought it was something you could look into.
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Danielle, Wow...I just found your comment. I must be a newbie at blogging. =) Thanks for the citronella idea! I'll have to look into it! How's life?
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