The Positivity about Weeds?

 The Positivity of Weeds

I was pulling weeds in my lawn this morning, trying to grow new seed in an area that was ripped up during our Homestead move by the moving truck. We were so lucky to relocate during the weekend of Hurricane Sandy, and our poor lawn lost the war from the squish factor of mud.

Anyway, as I was weeding, my mind wandered to the past. As a kid I remember living in my suburban neighborhood, where the resident fathers loved to play a quiet competition.

It's a popular game, widely played among Suburbanites, called "My Lawn is Better Than Yours". I remember the whir of lawn mowers on Saturday, background noise as we played hide and go seek with friends. I remember my dad using colorful metaphors toward the weed trimmer, running out of line in the middle of a job. I remember the large tanker trucks rolling in during the week; with the men looking like the Ghostbusters wearing their packs and spraying something that smelled funny on neighborhood lawns. I remember the visible signs "Keep off the Grass", and the cranky old neighbor up the street who would yell at us if by chance our ball bounced on his perfect blades.

Funny, as I pull weeds here on the Homestead, I have a new appreciation for weeds. As much as they annoy me in my newly seeded grass patch, I actually have many uses for these little annoyances. The positivity of weeds? It keeps me moving, active, and the exercise is helping me drop a few pounds. My worms are very happy, and my compost pile is growing with abundance. The gardens will appreciate the compost, and my belly will be satisfied from all the edible bounty my garden produces. Most of all, I love watching my thirteen chickens get excited when I bring them weeds, a snack only chickens can love!

As metaphor for life, how can we use our "weedy" experiences that spring up in our lifetime? Why do we constantly fight and try to eliminate them with artificial "weed killer" (food, drugs, alcohol, etc.)? Can we choose to pluck the "weeds", and use them to benefit us? As with real weeds, sometimes the blooming weed  flowers are surprisingly beautiful. As ugly as a weed may be structurally, the flowers they bring benefit many birds and animals in wild life. If we can make it past the growth period of "weed patches" in our lives, the withstanding "flower" can represent illumination and growth. Like real weeds in my lawn, these metaphorical "weeds" can represent exercises in life, bring growth in ourselves, and maybe, just maybe, help feed others as we share our "weed" experiences. With that said, may we experience our "weed patches" more fully, and find beautiful flowers among the Weeds of Life!

~Jenn, City Gone Country Girl

Rain, Rain, Go ... Fill My Well!

OH THE RAIN!!

April showers are supposed to bring May flowers. But what about June rain? Our surrounding towns and counties are in the midst of flood watches and alerts.  Our sump-pump is working overtime rockin' the floors as it sings in the basement.

At first, I was overjoyed with the rain. I was excited that I didn't have to stand over to shower my newly planted fruits, veggies, and flower beds for hours with a hose. As the rainy days have become rainy weeks, I now look longingly at my plants through my window, praying that my newly planted beets don't float away or my established plants don't become snail fodder.

As much as the rain is beginning to play on my nerves, and my motivation, (I am as solar powered as my plants), I am grateful for the well water refill. This is new territory for the City Girl in me, as I become oriented to a well system instead of being infinitely fed by town water lines. Much entertainment was brought to others as they giggled at me; I tweaked about taking showers, doing dishes, and running loads of laundry all in the same day. Remember, I am learning to be a Country Girl!

We are blessed to have two wells, we couldn't be more excited for that. Our indoor well  is dug 200ft in the ground, and on a filtration system (which is desired in order to douse that new fabulous smell, country sulfur water!) The other well is specific for outdoor use for gardening, the chickens, and just maybe some old time fun in the sprinkler with the kids. My husband assures me we are okay to pump out many loads of laundry and dishes, and the kids don't have to be thrown out with the bath water!

So as the monsoon continues to flow, here is a cheer to the droplets that annoy our outdoor plans. May the sun shine soon, but till then...cheers to a full well and clean laundry!

~Jenn, City Gone Country Girl




 

City Girl Gone Country

So this City Girl has gone Country, and I am enjoying my simpler life on our Homestead!

I grew up actually in an Upstate New York suburb, living the high life in an upscale village. I shopped for food at the supermarket, drank lattes at the local coffee spot, shopped at the local mall. I dodged traffic in the family mini van, and worked meaningless jobs in order to pay for the frills of the high life. 

Everyday was the same, and I was expected to conform to the expectation of success; college graduate, important career, big house with the picket fence, and a family with 2.5 kids. However the stress of trying to fulfill the roles that women are expected to fill, and juggle this with perfection became a daunting task. I longed for simplicity and true happiness amidst the stress of everyday living. 

This is where my husband saved me from the life of conformity. The love for my husband brought me to the land of milk and honey, so he could follow his teaching career. Of course at that time, I went kicking and screaming! I did not want to leave the comforts of the Suburb and the entertainment of the City to end up in a Rural community. I was not ready to smell cow manure in the morning when taking my girls to school. My career path did not line up with living in the middle of farm country. This was a hard transition.

November 2012, our family bought our dream farmhouse. This has been the ultimate puzzle piece that was missing since I have acclimated to living a country life. It took fifteen years to get to this girl to truly understand the blessings of rural living, and I plan to share my journey here as a City to Country Girl!