Skip to main content

A little bit of gratitude

     Last week I got a great comment via Reddit concerning this blog and why I do it.  "Leaving a legacy to future ancestors through climate awareness - a smashing idea."  

    I was just happy that someone was reading what I wrote, and I appreciated it.  To make things even better, he's a professional writer and I highly recommend his blog.  I'm grateful for any feedback and this simple comment made me feel like I was on the right path.   

    So when I sat down this week, electronic pen in my virtual hand, I had a lot of thoughts bouncing around in my head.   My small container garden is growing, my dogwood trees (with edible fruit) haven't died and I got to spend some time with my 90 year old father; who seemed to fall in love with the goldfinches at my bird feeders.  Susan noticed the number of bees and hummingbirds that have been attracted to our yard, and laughingly told me not to mow till August.   

Photo by Birds Unlimited


    I've noticed something about myself as well; while I had my doubts about country life...I've grown to adore it.  I love to just go outside on a break from work and just stand outside.  I let the sunshine just pour into me and listen to the buzz of nature.  I am amazed by the variety of birds that visit my feeders; I simply don't remember seeing this variety, and number of, birds growing up.  

    In the evening, we watch a family of deer that wonder into the upper part of our yard to sample a well placed salt lick.

    I find myself full of gratitude for all these little simple things.

    In my chosen profession we bring up gratitude a lot.   It helps when you can connect with someone when you're talking about planning for a child's education, or the death of a loved one.  Sometimes I think that if I were still in sales, I would work with that autistic and special needs community.  Simply because they will not be around forever and their kids will need that extra help as they become adults.  

    I have been blessed with health and a pretty drama free life.  My biggest anxiety comes from letting our youngest cat outside; although it is fun to watch him chase a bee or attempt to catch a frog.  

    It's amazing what I've learned.  From simple things like planting flowers and trees to actually getting my hands dirty by working on machines and with tools.  While I've always had respect for the craftsman, I find it only grows here.  

    Somehow this country life has grown on me, I've even managed to get used to the sound of farm equipment driving up the road at 6:30 in the morning.  

    So yes, I do think I'm in the right spot at this time in my life.   I also think that I'm going to continue to do what I'm doing.   I will slowly learn to forage and slowly plant edible native plants around, I'll plant an apple tree and maybe another fruit bearing tree.  I will continue our small container garden and maybe expand it over time.

    Because I don't want to lose this.  If anything, I want to share it.  I want this to become my legacy, so it really doesn't matter how many people read this blog.  If one person is touched by it and moved to action by something they have read here, then it is successful.   

    If someone finds respite under a tree I've planted, or nourishment from an edible native shrub I've planted then I can think of no greater legacy.

Labels:
Location: Stoneboro, PA 16153, USA

Comments

  1. AnonymousMay 14, 2022 at 6:21 AM

    The country life! Simple, beautiful, filled with newness everyday.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

What all the cool kids are reading.

The summer that I go to war

When I first moved into my house some five, nearly six year ago, one of the first things I noticed was that we had a tree out back that was nearly strangled by an invasive woody vine called Oriental Bittersweet.   At the time I didn't think much about it as other more pressing problems, like a new roof and insulated windows, came first.  Other problems and projects kept pushing that "little issue" back onto the corners of my mind.   Small "little issues" tend to become bigger ones.  Oriental Bittersweet That's the problem with home ownership, their is always "one more project."  One more bill. I was considering where to plant the Pawpaw and new Bur Oak   and this corner seemed to be a very good option.  That's when I noticed my problem,  I have several Multiflora Rosa growing in my "wilds" and one that somehow I've missed over the last few years, it's become rather well established.   The Oriental Bittersweet was reaching o...
Post a Comment
Read more

Digging in the dirt

In a lot of ways I feel rejuvenated.  It's a glorious morning as I am driving down to Pittsburgh with the local radio station playing a mix of old and new that elevates my mood, the sun shining strong through the sun roof.   I am on my way to buy plants.   I have a list in my pocket and I expect that I'll be coming home with a few of them.  I had hoped to buy spicebush and maybe serviceberry , in addition to what I did end up buying.  As I talk to people there, I use the term " food forest " because that's about the closest definition to what I'm trying to do, although it's also not the best one.     What I'm more interested in doing is creating a refuge.  A place for a weary traveler in the future to stop, rest under the trees and have access to wild strawberries and blueberries (which sadly didn't take last year), apples etc.   A place of respite rather than a place that can self maintain itself over time, although I do...
Post a Comment
Read more

Why didn't Erie, PA develop into a bigger city?

          Recently I had to travel up to Erie, PA for business.   It's about an hour north of me and is a rather small city, having just under 100 thousand people living in it.   It played an important role in the founding of America,  - where it was the headquarters for Oliver Perry's flagship Niagara during the battle of Like Erie in the war of 1812 .            It was also a important shipping center, being Pennsylvania's only access to the Great Lakes which was the easiest way to trade with parts of Canada at the time as well as move goods to the cities of Detroit and Chicago, which in the mid to early 1800's were just starting to develop.  It was also directly north from Pittsburgh which was a major industrial city at that time.     Yet Erie never really grew beyond it's humble beginnings and I wondered why.   Like any good sleuth I turned to the intern...
3 comments
Read more