Friday, April 15, 2011

Taking it too far

I was just thinking about this while shopping this morning and later doing my chores.  I love being somewhat self sufficient and being able to do things that other people can't. I love baking bread, making yogurt, gardening, raising my own meat. It gives me a great deal of satisfaction, but sometimes I just don't realize my own time constraints. I have passed by the English muffins in the store for 3 weeks now and not picked any up because I now know how to make them and since mine have none of those additives and preservatives mine are better, right? So for 3 weeks we have had no English muffins because making them is time consuming and I haven't had the time to make them. Not exactly a hardship--no Engish muffins but I realized today that I was just being stupid and went ahead and bought some. When I have more time, I will make all our English muffins but that time isn't here right now.
I also have been on this kick about trying to stop drinking soda. Water is just fine. ....but ...every now and then...you just want some..... FLAVOR! I have wanted to get some flavoring to put in my water for weeks now but keep passing by that section of the store because they just can't be good for you, right? But after I broke down and got the English muffins I went ahead and stopped to look at the "Chrystal Light" section of the store. I read label after label, after label and finally found one that was all natural and used stevia as a sweetener so I felt better about that.
I guess my point is, don't drive yourself crazy trying to do it all. If you don't have time to make bread every week--don't. Just don't. And if your garden isn't the perfect weed free, tremendous producing, heirloom, organic, composted work of wonder. Well it will just have to be alright.
Learn to do as many things as you can. Do them all at least once to get the experience and then do the things you have time for and like doing.
Now, if I could just follow my own advice....

9 comments:

  1. I so understand this post, lol. I drive myself crazy too. I was just sayin this to my momma yesterday. I wont buy certain things at the store either cause I know I can make them & they are better for us. I havent bought pickles for 2 years now, lol. Love the picture, morning glory, right?

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  2. I sympathise! You mustn't try TOO hard. I reckon you do very well as it is, and you deserve a little treat occasionally.

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  3. I treated myself to 24 more strawberry plants this week, two more pepper plants and 6 tomato plant (I am curious to see how my store bought 50 cent tomato plants compair to the heirloom ones I started myself. One of my heirloom ones has flowers already!)
    Anyway I am glad someone understands this. I think gas prices shooting through the roof and work slowing down has got me feeling like there is an incredible rush for me to have everything in order so that if things get bad here we will still be ok.

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  4. I understand it all. I was drinking a lot of diet pepsi and needed to change that so, I also got the crystal light, only I would add just enough to water to give it a different taste. I also changed things when I stopped wearing a watch, now I have time for everything.

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  5. Have to wear the watch, but I don't wear it at home.
    I bought the True Lemon Raspberry Lemonade which says it is 100% natural (so did several others but I read the box and disagreed).

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  6. Yes, Jennifer that is a morning glory. They are my favorite flower and each year they completely take over my front flower garden and each year I get out in early spring and weed it all out and say that I am not going to let it get out of hand this year. And each year the morning glories and 4 o'clocks come back and take over everything, lol.

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  7. I love morning glories too! I had a real pretty purple one growing last year, had just takin some beautiful pics. of it then a day or two later my wonderful husband was cuttin weeds where it was & chopped it :( I need to get out there & plant me some more. We just put a fence up for the chickens to free range most of the back yard, I think I'm gonna plant them along it here & there, then let them take it over.

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  8. Interesting post, knowing how to do things is important, and staying in practice is too.

    These things help us live a more aware life. Sure you can buy the english muffins or sodas, but knowing how to make the muffins or paying attention to what is in your drink (even if you decide to ignore it) is to me, a step in the right direction.

    Not to put too fine a point on, it, I disagree with your first statement. I think others can do all the things you do, but they don't or won't, and that is a far different animal than can't.

    The simple condition of awareness (which I think is demonstrated by those who choose to blog about country life, self sufficiency, gardening and whatnot) puts you way ahead of the curve; and that, in and of itself, is important.

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  9. You're right others could do it but just don't or won't. I think too many people just follow the crowd and don't bother to question whether it is right or not. And then some do question but can't make themselves go against the grain. I guess it was easier for me because growing up we never had what others did so we never got into the competition of "who has the most". Plus my father made or did everything himself. We never hired anyone to do anything for us.

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