Stark Raving Sober

Middle of the afternoon, and I’m taking  break from yard work. Just easy stuff like pulling weeds in the flower beds, picking cucumbers and blackberries, gathering eggs. I’ve just started digging the trench to plant the irises along the west side of the house. It’s only 72 degrees today, but I’ve started sweating, so I came in for a small break and to drink some water. I’ve played hookey from the District Meeting this afternoon…just didn’t feel like going.  Really no reason for me to be there…Patrick went and I’ve stayed home to putter.

Did a little minor housekeeping this morning and played  on the computer a bit.  Trying to take a day “off” and only do things I want to do. lol

We’ve been talking about taking a day off once a week and really just spend it in observance of our life. It’s something the sustainable living courses have talked about…where you unplug, don’t do any retail consuming,  don’t use any fossil fuels  (if you can help it), and eat and live very simply at least one day a week. It sounds wonderful, but can we really do it in this day and age?  I guess there are a lot of really devout people who manage it as part of their observance of the Sabbath, so it MUST be possible.  I’m thinking it would have to be Saturday for us.  Imagine….a day where all you do is eat simply, laze around and read to each other,  listen to music (oops–thaty’s not unplugged, is it?)–ok, make music perhaps.  And take the time to slow way down and really relax. To maybe walk in the woods near your home,  play with the dogs and take time to pet the cats the way they really like it. lol   To use the time for prayer and meditation, napping, whatever kinds of things make you really pay attention to your life and your home and your relationships. It sounds like heaven., to me.  Although somedays I think if I was any more laid back, I’d tip over. lol

The dogs went berserk this morning late and when Patrick went out to see, they were running somebody off that was picking our blackberries. Pat said the guy was running down the road to the bridge where he’d parked his car. I guess that part of the yard is probably really county property…but geez….it’s the embankment that goes down to the road. Anyway, I went out and picked today too, and he had pretty much stripped the front area. Oh well, it will probably just help the ripening along to get picking. I hope he enjoys them, and if he was hungry, I wish I could have given him some more food.  I still picked about 4 cups of berries from the inside parts of the yard.  The weather hasn’t been real conducive for the fruits and vegetables this year. Periods of broiling hot dry heat interspersed with cool mega-rainy days. It’s weird. The green beans do finally have flowers, so I’ll be picking beans within the week I expect. The apple tree is loaded, but the apples seem soft for some reason.  The peaches are doing well–the ones that survived the late frost we had. The tree closest to the house has beautiful huge peaches on it–more than I thought we were going to have. The other tree has smaller peaches, but they are sweet and huicy.   I picked a bunch more cherry tomatoes today, and looked around at the damage in the garden. We do have a couple of baby bells watermelons on the vines. And lots of squash. Turban, Acorn and Butternut. I am very happy about all the squash, as it keeps so well all winter. The bell peppers are doing fine as well.

Okay.  Back to the irises. I am hydrated and rested and ready to shovel a little more. The ground is nice and soft from all the rain,. so it’s really not much of a chore, as shoveling goes.

Until next time….

Namaste.