I have long believed in healthier eating and home baking and generally knowing where our food comes from, but this past spring and summer I really made a plan to find what staples are locally produced and buy those items rather than relying on the grocery store for everything. I will say it was time consuming mainly because it involves really nailing down what we eat, and finding places to buy it, and a bit of driving. But now that I have a system in place for getting what we need it has become habit and therefore a lot easier.
One book that reassured me that it is all worth while is Apples to Oysters by Margaret Webb. This is an every person's alternative to Michael Pollan (whom I also enjoyed reading this summer). The stories are warm and make you want to thank your local farmer.
Aside from food, my eldest daughter has started school and that has thrown me head first into the next phase of my life, PTA mom/volunteer. Is it just me or does it get a little more hectic around the house when the first school days hit? It has been cool to see what my youngest is like when she is alone to shine. It has also been cool/scary to see the affect that school has on a little one. She loves it and I had no doubt she would be just fine, but it as been like a minefield mitigating all the outward influences that come from other students.
When she is not in school we like to do a lot of crafts, and practice scissors skills, which I had not realized as such an important skill until I witnessed 6 kindergartners wielding sharp implements in close quarters. A friend told me about The Creative Family, by Amanda Blake-Soule. This is a beautiful book to leaf through and we are looking forward to our own family art nights during the long cold evenings in winter.
Lately I am hoping for an upturn in the financial markets and peace and prosperity for all. Sounds a little Dickensian, but if Santa can wrap it I will take some under the tree this year.
