Slow Living: October 2013

We've had some freezing temperatures, snow and most of the leaves have dropped.  The air is different.  The light is different.  I love the transition into winter.  Which makes it time for the October installment for the Slow Living Project.

NOURISH: Make and bake as much as possible from scratch. Ditch overpackaged, over-processed convenience foods and opt for 'real' food instead. Share favourite links/recipes/tips from the month here.

I roasted our first turkey of the season.  It may seem silly since Thanksgiving is only a few weeks away, but I love turkey.  So we've been eating a lot of turkey sandwiches lately.... my favorite.  :-)

PREPARE: Stockpile and preserve. Freeze extra meals or excess garden/market produce. Bottle/can, dehydrate or pickle foods to enjoy when they are not in season. Aim to reduce dependency on store bought items especially those known to contain BPA and other suspect additives. Stocking up on dry goods when prices are low counts too.

With the flooding in September we have revisited our some of our Emergency Plans and Stores.  Things like candles, matches and batteries have all been checked and added to.  The warms, woolies and extra blankets have all been cleaned and the boiler has been serviced.

REDUCE/Reuse/Re-purpose/Repair: Cut down on household waste by re-using, re-purposing and repairing. A ladder into a strawberry planter? A sheet into a dress? Share ideas and project links here, allowing others to be inspired.

I blew out the tire on my wheelbarrow.  Hubba says it means I'm a "Real Farmer" because I'm putting more miles on my wheelbarrow than my truck.  ;-)

He replaced the tubed tire with a solid tire, so I'm good for a while now.  :-)

GREEN: up our lives. Start (or continue!) using homemade cleaners, body products and basic herbal remedies. The options are endless, the savings huge and the health benefits enormous.

TBD


GROW: plant/harvest. What's growing this month? What's being eaten from the garden? Herbs in a pot, sprouts on a windowsill or and entire fruit/vegetable garden -opt for what fits space and time constraints. Don't have a backyard? Ask a friendly neighbour or relative for a small patch of theirs in return for some home grown produce, they may surprise you!

With it being fall now, there's not too much happening in this department.

CREATE: to fill a need or feed the soul. Create for ourselves or for others. Create something as simple as a handmade gift tag or something as extravagant as a fine knit shawl. Share project details and any new skills learnt here.

There has been a bit of start-itis on the creative front.... Alpaca Cape, Palindrome Scarf, and a couple of other things I haven't written about yet.  ;-)

DISCOVER: Feed the mind by reading texts relevant to current interests. Trawl libraries, second hand shops or local book shops to find titles that fill the need. Share titles/authors of what is being read this month.

I've been spending some time studying AKC rules.  Gunnison and I had our second show in October and we have another in November.  So I want to make sure I understand more about how the points are calculated and awarded as well as what my responsibilities are, as an Exhibitor.

ENHANCE: community: Possibilities include supporting local growers and producers, help out at a local school/kindergarten, barter or foodswap, joining a playgroup or forming a walking or craft group. Car pooling where possible and biking/walking instead of driving. Even start up a blog if you haven't already - online communities count too! Or maybe just help out someone trying to cross the street! The rewards for your time are often returned tenfold.

I've been on the receiving end of this again.... our friends at Taboo Tibetan Mastiffs have been mentoring me over the last several months and they came out to help/teach me some grooming techniques for Gunnison's show.

I was also gifted about a half-case of canning jars that were not being used.  :-)

ENJOY: Life! Embrace moments with friends and family. Marking the seasons, celebrations and new arrivals are all cause for enjoyment. Share a moment to be remembered from the month here.

An impromptu dinner with someone close that we don't see often enough, evening walks and visits with the neighbor cows, knitting with friends, dog shows, and lots of time with each other and our animals.