Sunflower = the symbol of late summer!
I had a very unfamiliar experience this week. During my normal Monday afternoon office work session, I … finished my ‘to do’ list. And dealt with all the papers on my desk. I … finished.
How often in our adult lives do we get this sensation anymore? Of actual completion. I remember loving that feeling as a student of finishing a quarter and taking a clean break before the next term began. Rarely do we ever have quite that same level of “doneness” anymore, except perhaps the awesome feeling of wrapping up the CSA season. That feels good, but it’s a once a year deal.
Anyhow, I’m not really done right now. I was just done on Monday. Which is still rare. I usually have work that has to necessarily carry over to later work sessions. But I think this is part of where Casey and I are in the seasonal cycle of the year and also where we are at this season in life.
As far as the yearly cycle, one could say that we are in the midst of a big in-breath as we prepare for big fall harvests. Aside from the fruit, we’re not really in the midst of these big projects yet. But most of the planting and much of the weeding for the year is done. So, we breathe in and prepare ourselves.
I also don’t have any big pressing farm paperwork projects — late August is a relative lull, as I’m not thinking about taxes or CSA sign-ups or such. I’ve been keeping up with the monthly bookkeeping, so it’s a time to just keep going: paying the bills that come in and processing payments.
And, on the homefront, the kids and my summer schedule is winding down. I’ve already finished planning our homeschooling year, which starts next Monday. Since planning is done but school is yet to begin, I once again have a moment to pause and breathe in deeply.
Those things all give us a moment of pause, but I also think that things are happening in our life too that are changing (slowly) how “caught up” we feel.
I will tell you these things: starting a farm, building a house, and then starting a family are all very good ways to feel not caught up for quite a while. Basic maintenance of a life (housekeeping, farm maintenance, etc.) can feel very very very hard in these seasons of life. I’m sure that many of you have experienced similar periods in your own life — perhaps for you it was graduate school, or the birth of your own children, or moving to a new location. With so many of these kinds of life events stacked on top of each other in the last ten years, things that might feel basic in another season of life have felt next to impossible.
And, of course, on some level, the desire to “catch up” is perhaps misguided, since life is a journey after all. But, I do think that some seasons of life allow for more catching up, and I want to very cautiously note that perhaps we are in one of those seasons now. A season when both the farm and the children will easily allow Casey and me to spend a few hours cleaning on a Saturday morning without it feeling like a huge sacrifice or hardship (that sounds dramatic, but really try cleaning a bathroom with a baby and a toddler around, and you’ll know that it’s really not an over-statement at all).
Daily life out here no longer feels like “triage,” which is how we used to describe it. There have been times when it felt like we had so many things to do — things that were all past being urgent — and we just had to choose which tasks, knowing that we’d never get them all done and that some would inevitably just get dropped. In some seasons, that meant the house would get dirty while the fields were (at least partially) weeded. Or, the children would be rocked to sleep but the dishes piled up in the sink. Or, the fall crops were planted but the summer weeds weren’t worked in before going to seed.
Some of this is life, of course. A full life will always require prioritizing. But this process feels different now. It no longer feels like we’re just running around putting out fires. It no longer feels like our children and the fields and the house are all screaming urgent needs at us. For the most part, we are able to anticipate and meet needs earlier in all those arenas, before there is “screaming” (literal or just figurative). We will enjoy this slightly calmer season while it lasts.
And, perhaps some of this is late August talking. Perhaps it’s me enjoying this in-breath before the next cycle of our life starts — when we start hauling potatoes and carrots and covering the table with math and Spanish books. That’s ok too. I will enjoy this moment while it is here, because this moment is the only moment we have right now.
May you too find some peace in these final weeks of summer. Savor the warmth and the music of crickets at dusk and the wonderful, abundant foods from the field. Enjoy this week’s vegetables!
Your farmers, Katie & Casey Kulla
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Ratatouille Rendezvous is this Friday! ~ Join us on the farm for a late summer feast at 6 pm, Friday, August 26 ~ We are making a big batch of summer stew and will provide bread and goat cheese as well. Please RSVP if you plan to join us! Bring a big bowl & spoons/forks for your family, along with a side dish to share (salad, side dish, bread, dessert, etc.).
Directions to the farm: Take HWY-18 to Dayton. Drive south through Dayton and stay on Wallace Rd/HWY-221 for about seven miles. Turn LEFT onto Grand Island Rd. After the bridge, turn RIGHT onto SE Upper Island Rd. Our driveway is the first on your left. Our house is the 2-story brown one toward the back right. If you have questions, you can call: 503-474-7661
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Meet this week’s vegetables:
- Grapes — Concords! The ultimate grape flavor! Contain seeds.
- Chehalis apples
- Brooks plums
- Tomatoes — Both cherry tomatoes & big beautiful heirloom tomatoes
- Green peppers
- Eggplant
- Cucumbers
- Green beans
- Salad mix — Just in time for another round of big late summer heat. Make yourself a great big salad for dinner and beat the heat in your kitchen!
- Basil
- Rainbow chard
- Zucchini
- Potatoes
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And this week’s extra goodies from the farm:
- Eggs — $6/dozen
- Lamb — Chops are $14/lb; roasts are $10/lb; ground lamb is $10/lb; and organs/bones are $6/lb. Get it while it lasts!
- Beef cuts — Roasting type meats are $10/lb, and steaks are $14/lb. Organs and bones are $6/lb.
- Beef stew meat — $10/lb
- Pork organs, fat & bones — $4/lb
