I am taking today off. A few folks have asked me my plans today and here’s what I’ve come up with so far:
- Not get out of bed until 10:00 am. (Working on it…)
- Post photos of my kids on Facebook and Instagram, which I happen to love (Complete)
- Write on my blog, which I never ever get to do these days (In progress…)
- Go on a walk, do some laundry, drop off something at the cleaners, make a healthy lunch, listen to a podcast, read a magazine, get a pedicure, and…okay, I know that ALL these things won’t happen, but I might as well put good energy toward the POSSIBILITY of these things happening.
It’s been busy in my world, but probably no busier than your worlds. Life moves fast when you have a 5-year-old, a 2-year-old, and a full-time job. I’m not complaining. I am, however, constantly reassessing priorities and this year has been a year of growth for me in so many ways.
This year, I’ve realized that I’ve given away too many of my minutes and hours. This isn’t a regret, but this realization did kind of knock me over the head earlier this year and that sparked a renewed commitment to my priorities. Reciprocity is something I’m holding close this year. I’m trying to be better at it and hoping others around me will do the same. Last year was all about space and grace and forgiveness, but this year has been more about accountability and drawing some lines in the sand. And just like avoiding potato chips, it is DAILY work. Sometimes it works and sometimes I eat the bag of chips.
On this journey, food hasn’t been on the sidelines. I’ve completed one round of Whole 30 (won’t be trying that again, but appreciated the adventure). I’ve started weight watchers twice. I’ve snacked my way through the last two years: a cheezit here, a goldfish there; a graham cracker here, some hummus there; an adult beverage here, an adult beverage there; and everywhere a chip, chip. You get what I’m saying.
This blog started 8 years ago when I first found Jones Valley Teaching Farm (it was Urban Farm back then). I had a work-trade where in exchange for my volunteer services, I received a box of food each week. My boyfriend and I would try new recipes every week featuring the veggies in that box and Food Revival was BORN! Now I’m working full-time at the farm, married to that boyfriend, and have two children. Eight years is NO joke.
I’m trying to figure out what the point is to this blog post. I also realize I just moved from one paragraph about reciprocity and eating chips to the historical context of my blog with absolutely no transition. Maybe I’m just checking the “I wrote on my blog today” box. Maybe I’m trying to get back to personal hobbies I miss. Not so sure, but I’m thankful for the opportunity to share and thank all of you who have stuck with me to this point.
In the spirit of the things I love and my re-commitment to focusing on those things I love, I offer some fun pieces of inspiration in my universe:
Mae Mae wearing an S on her chest (and back) because she IS a Super Girl in so many ways. She challenges me to be stronger every day. She makes me laugh. I’m proud of her strength, curiosity, and humor. I can’t wait to see what she does next.
Martin Everitt continues to teach me more about life and its complicated lessons than I ever imagined. He’s a precious boy. I seem to be holding on a bit tighter these days and beginning to realize that there will be a time when I can’t carry him to bed anymore. He’s entering kindergarten in August and I’m pretending this is NOT happening. I’m fine with just living in this moment for now. I can’t fast forward just yet.
I love Jones Valley Teaching Farm and can’t believe I have the opportunity to work alongside such amazing colleagues, students, and partners. I’m proud of who we are and who we are becoming. It’s hard work. All of it is hard work, but I believe in it and that makes all the difference. Cool things happening now in that part of my world include:
Student-Run Farmers Markets are in FULL swing. We’d love to see you at any of the markets listed above. We will be back at Pepper Place Market on Saturday, May 20th!
JVTF’s on-site produce stand is open on the downtown farm Monday – Thursdays. You can bring a check or cash as it operates on an honor system. That means, you walk in the stand, get the veggies you want from the cooler, weigh it, check the price, drop the money in the box, and leave. We are located at 701 25th St. North Birmingham, AL 35203.
I’ve been busy planning (alongside some amazing folks) our Spring fundraiser. It’s called, “Gather” and we have 20 folks hosting dinners all over Birmingham on Saturday, May 13th to support our work. You can read more about it here: http://jvtfgather.swellgives.com/
Also really excited to share our Annual Report here: http://2016.jvtf.org/
That’s where I am today. Bottom line: I accomplished one of the things I intended to do today that was only for me (writing) and I did it while still in bed. It is officially 10:11 am, so that means I have just accomplished TWO of the things.
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