closer to the ground

it was with no small amount of *satisfaction that i both finished reading this book and took summer-sweet tomatoes out of the freezer.

i highly recommend "closer to the ground" to anyone who wants to be more intentional (not fanatical--it's ok to go to the grocery store) about growing or catching some of their own food.  i know the contented feeling of this sufficiency in part:  the pinnacle being when i only had to buy dairy items at the store, having organic ground beef from a friend, eggs from our chickens, fruits & vegetables from the garden, and bread from my own oven: pretty great eating!

as with most things, i prefer it when people take their skills and learning seriously without taking themselves too seriously and dylan strikes that balance in my opinion.

one of my favorite aspects of their rhythm of life as a family is:  would it be faster and often more efficient to do things without the kids?  sure, but it wouldn't be the best thing.  tomine has learned that the end result is important, but doesn't take precedence over the process which--like anything worthwhile--can indeed be frustrating, messy, and risky not to mention taking well over twice as long sometimes than if you just did something by yourself.

i love that he's taking time to show his kids how to do things.  after watching old family slideshows, i realize that i am who i am because of where i come from:  simple, hardworking, funny, nature-loving people.  they epitomized care for each other and the land.  coming from this long line of teachers, farmers, and pastors, i also realize that the things i love doing most were things that my parents did WITH me and instilled in me from a young age (thank you!).

things such as painting, planting seeds, hiking, biking, reading, fishing, cooking, swimming, bird-watching, camping, figuring things out, and enjoying outside adventures in general are just a few things that are the same today as back when i was a kid.  oh that all kids could have such a childhood!

i could go on, but it's time for lunch enjoyment of those garden tomatoes in my winter stew...

*i also thought this book was beautiful because of the paper-cut illustrations by nw artist nikki mcclure, a favorite for sure