Everything in life goes back to the basics. — Kron Gracie
This month’s prompt encouraged us to go back to basics with our word.
Okay. So this month I tried to search out “back to basics” with my word and I had some wins!
This year I have really focused on staying in the moment, day, and yes, season. This was a huge change versus old me who was always focused on what is coming next, and yes…lots of time wishing for “my favorite season“. Not so this year… I stayed in summer right up to that last day. Yes, I was happy that as the month wore on, there were a couple of days that I was very comfortable in a sweater. But the release of summer and welcome to fall was a very happy occasion.
I also released the misguided idea that the only thing worth making is home grown. Case in point… tomato jam. In years past we have had such a bumper crop of cherry tomatoes that I can eat and preserve. Not so this year… but boy were we missing some tomato jam on our happy our table! So I let go of the idea that it needed to be home grown tomatoes and did a riff on this recipe… with a couple of cans of diced tomatoes. (The recipe is easy, it is super-tasty, and fills the void on my happy hour spread!) So… releasing misguided ideas worked very well this month. Likewise, since I knew there would be zero chance of being able to stop at a farmers market in the near future, I picked up a bag of apples from TJ’s late last week… there will be some apple baking this week!
Which brings me to the gardening portion of release… I have ripped out all the vegetable plants and have released the notion that there will be a garden next year. I think a pass is absolutely in order because this was a very unproductive garden year. We did not harvest our investments worth of veggies. So I have written in my planner for next April to pass on the garden and I am releasing a sigh of relief at that idea!
The other thing I painfully released was all my container gardens. Yes, they are all empty and tucked away for spring. We leave Friday for Michigan (at long last!!!!) and I did not want to return to dead, straggly plants to tear out. Yes it was painful, but my mid-October self will thank me for doing that work now.
I don’t know if any of this counts as being “back to basics” but it very much feels like it is. Every day life… living in the moment… about as basic as one can get.
I want to thank Carolyn for providing a space for us all to share our Word Journey. Please make sure you stop by this week and see what paths everyone is on this month!
See you all back here on Wednesday for some Unraveling!
I find myself nodding along to much of this post Kat, and I feel the energy!
“…the only thing worth making is home grown.” Amen to that release. We [finally] let ourselves off the veggie garden hook a few years ago, and not only was it an immense relief, but we’ve gotten so much joy from what we’re doing INSTEAD. (And in our case here in DRY Colorado, it’s just a far more responsible use of our water.)
I love the favor you did for your future self–it’s going to be a happy thing to come home and NOT do September’s container chores in October! And so glad the Michigan trip is happening for you.
Releasing misguided and not-helpful ideas is a good thing! I used to think that homemade cookies were the only cookies worth eating and sometimes they might be. But one day my kids came home from a birthday party raving about the world’s most delicious cookies, and it turns out they were slice and bake. I think they liked them more than anything I baked. Enjoy your back-to-basics tomato jam and countdown to Michigan!
Love your blog! Thank you for sharing .
You may have written this already but I can’t find it. You
You tell me the color # of your Vanilla Sweater?
Thanks,
Mary
Your future self will thank you for releasing these things now. It’s not easy to do but it sounds like you have a good grasp on what you need to release.
I think what you’ve done and the choices you’ve made will serve you well in the future. As far as the garden is concerned, I’ve always said that it’s a good thing that we’re not relying on our garden to feed us! You’ve been lucky with your tomatoes in the past, but gardens can be unpredictable. You should have one if it’s bringing you joy but not frustration.
I think it was a good idea that you cleaned up the garden before your trip, now when you come home you can relax and enjoy the rest of the fall season. I think a garden should bring pleasure, and if it doesn’t, it’s time to let it go. I hope you have a good week!
Thank you for this post, I like this idea of releasing. Though I have not chosen a word for the year, I did stay in the season more now. And it made me appreciate it so much more ! Also, obviously, I notice much more of the details of the seasons’ changeing this way; which makes for more things to appreciate and enjoy.
What great things to release, Kat! Very freeing for you, I hope. And you are so wise to clear out those containers (and your FORMER vegetable patch!!!). It’s time. I started clearing out my containers over the weekend, and plan to finish up later this week. I think that “release” has been quite a fruitful word for you this year, Kat. I’ve loved following along and reading your updates. 🙂
Releasing around the garden seems to be a theme for a few gardeners this year – I’m so glad you found the right things to let go of … and to give future you a break! Best wishes for a fantastic trip to Michigan – have a ball soaking up the time with family and making lots of memories!
It sounds like you found some great things to release this month! I’m sad to hear that you won’t be having a vegetable garden, but maybe that will leave more room and energy for FLOWERS! And it’s nice to be able to support local farms by buying veggies from them — and getting exactly what you want when you want it!
Enjoy your trip to Michigan. Seeing your family will be a whole new kind of release!
Oh – I am so happy to hear that the Michigan trip is coming up. I think the ideas you released all sound great. You are an inspiration.