DIY
This is lame but it wasn't until I was in South Africa that I noticed the abbreviation "DIY." It seemed like lots of hardware stores, etc. had that it in its title.
Now that I am back and am more aware of "do it yourself" type of project, DIY is what I strive for. After all, why would I buy bread with tons of chemicals in it when I can make my own? (Yeah, it still has chemicals in it thanks to the fact that I have no idea how to grind my own wheat berries for flour, but certainly less. and no high fructose corn syrup. That alone makes it feel like a win).
I am reading this book that I randomly pulled off the library's display shelf called "Made from Scratch." It tells the story of the author's journey to try and well do things herself. The first chapter is about chickens. awesome. (I really want to get chickens. seriously. I cannot wait for that day). But it was actually the introduction that I loved the most thus far. Here was this person trying to create a "homestead," who had a regular day job. Instead, she found time to do all this DIY stuff in her spare time. She mentioned how once she started striving to live off the land, it took all this pressure off from her 9-5 job to be fulfilling - or what her life was "supposed to be about." She also talked about guilt (which is something I'm really great at) and how it's not about waiting until suddenly you have those acres to farm, or space to have chickens, or the courage to make cheese, but rather, it is about the grace found in the everyday. There is stuff we can do today to simplify our lives, and make the world a better place. I love that. As someone whose dream of an overflowing garden seems too far away to ever be realistic, this was very encouraging. It's all about the little steps.
So what have I been doing myself this week? Well, probably not much. But I did make bread this week (which will hopefully last until next weekend - but since it's still a delicious novelty, I doubt it will). I didn't notice this at the time (nor did I do it on purpose) but after I was done using the flour, I noticed this happy little face at the bottom.
Additionally, I roasted two more pumpkins (and made pumpkin bars with some of their fillings), and Leah and I did some yard work - which doesn't sound like much, but we did rearrange one of the garden boxes and covered them with leaves (which will hopefully break down enough to be mixed in the soil).(Oh my gosh, I cannot wait for spring)!
Leah also has this old door she found on Hesston's glorious "trash day" 2 years ago. She is determined to make it into a table. Today, we worked at sanding it down/ripping off the rusted handles and hinges. This was not easy work but after successfully ripping off metal from this old piece of wood, I felt very empowered. So much so, that I am determined to use these two old windows to somehow make a cold frame to use in the spring. I don't really own tools, so that's a problem. But we have connections, so I am convinced that this will happen. I maybe just need to do extensive googling.
So I ended this week with yummy baked goods in the kitchen and a healthy layer of dirt underneath my fingernails. DIY? I think yes.
Now that I am back and am more aware of "do it yourself" type of project, DIY is what I strive for. After all, why would I buy bread with tons of chemicals in it when I can make my own? (Yeah, it still has chemicals in it thanks to the fact that I have no idea how to grind my own wheat berries for flour, but certainly less. and no high fructose corn syrup. That alone makes it feel like a win).
I am reading this book that I randomly pulled off the library's display shelf called "Made from Scratch." It tells the story of the author's journey to try and well do things herself. The first chapter is about chickens. awesome. (I really want to get chickens. seriously. I cannot wait for that day). But it was actually the introduction that I loved the most thus far. Here was this person trying to create a "homestead," who had a regular day job. Instead, she found time to do all this DIY stuff in her spare time. She mentioned how once she started striving to live off the land, it took all this pressure off from her 9-5 job to be fulfilling - or what her life was "supposed to be about." She also talked about guilt (which is something I'm really great at) and how it's not about waiting until suddenly you have those acres to farm, or space to have chickens, or the courage to make cheese, but rather, it is about the grace found in the everyday. There is stuff we can do today to simplify our lives, and make the world a better place. I love that. As someone whose dream of an overflowing garden seems too far away to ever be realistic, this was very encouraging. It's all about the little steps.
So what have I been doing myself this week? Well, probably not much. But I did make bread this week (which will hopefully last until next weekend - but since it's still a delicious novelty, I doubt it will). I didn't notice this at the time (nor did I do it on purpose) but after I was done using the flour, I noticed this happy little face at the bottom.
Additionally, I roasted two more pumpkins (and made pumpkin bars with some of their fillings), and Leah and I did some yard work - which doesn't sound like much, but we did rearrange one of the garden boxes and covered them with leaves (which will hopefully break down enough to be mixed in the soil).(Oh my gosh, I cannot wait for spring)!
Leah also has this old door she found on Hesston's glorious "trash day" 2 years ago. She is determined to make it into a table. Today, we worked at sanding it down/ripping off the rusted handles and hinges. This was not easy work but after successfully ripping off metal from this old piece of wood, I felt very empowered. So much so, that I am determined to use these two old windows to somehow make a cold frame to use in the spring. I don't really own tools, so that's a problem. But we have connections, so I am convinced that this will happen. I maybe just need to do extensive googling.
So I ended this week with yummy baked goods in the kitchen and a healthy layer of dirt underneath my fingernails. DIY? I think yes.
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