Good Weather for Growing Gardens
and Some Thoughts on Decluttering and Health
I’m going to plant a garden this spring. I’ve never planted a garden, and I haven’t tried to grow anything since I was a small child. I tried to have a plant in the house a couple years ago, but the cats made it impossible. I may try house plants again someday, but I’ll have to build more creative spaces to keep them. But yes, I am going to plant some seeds and see what happens. I’m not necessarily looking for advice either. I’ve looked up some information and grown a basic knowledge of what I need to do. Plus, everybody and their mother seem to have their own ways based on their own experiences. I guess time will tell if I reap what I sow.
I have the itch. Maybe it’s the warmer weather. Maybe I feel a lack of control. Or maybe I feel so in control that I have the energy to deal with chaos (although I didn’t yesterday when I became increasingly overstimulated and needed to pass my sweet but finicky teething baby off to his dad for a while before I either cried or yelled – a feeling I can’t explain unless you’ve felt it yourself). Anyway…
I have the itch. I want to declutter and organize, but I look around my space and can’t find anything that needs more than a little tidy. And isn’t that the goal? Isn’t that the reason for being “minimal-ish” and being disciplined about buying habits? The hope is you do all the work then just maintain so you can spend time doing other things. I’m so conscious about what I bring into our home, because I know I will someday have to decide if it stays or goes. If it goes, it will likely end up in a landfill where it will take up precious space on the earth.
Which makes me itch. Sometimes I think about all the material things we consume. It’s more philosophical than environmental. I imagine every plastic milk or water jug a household throws out each week. I think about all the plastic cups that contained drive-thru iced coffee. Every plastic toothbrush that gets tossed, every single-use flosser, every toothpaste tube. How can there be room for all this trash? And those are just the everyday consumables. That doesn’t include the polyester clothes, polyester couches, polyester rugs. Smartphones, televisions, batteries. Even if we “recycle” these items, how do we know they aren’t just being shipped off and dumped somewhere?
Still itching… Then there is everything we donate. Why was it purchased in the first place? Was there a use in mind? Was it a want disguised as a need? Maybe it was a gift given with good intention. Obviously, there are some real treasures people let go of, but so many of our donations get thrown in the trash, not worthy of reselling. We overvalue the things we get rid of, and it makes us feel better to think someone else might give our old possessions a new life. Plus, it’s too easy and cheap to buy new.
So much stuff. So many things. Itchy, itchy, itch. They can be fun to have. They can even be useful, even if their purpose is for beauty and enjoyment. But every item is something to manage, a future decision to make. Even if it doesn’t cost time, it costs money. $20 here, $5 there. It adds up. Only to end up in a landfill.
Thus, I have become quite conscious about what I buy or acquire. In a way, I’m living the dream.
Yet I still itch. I want to sort and bring order, and I’m lacking an outlet.
My latest non-fiction read has been Good Energy by Casey Means, MD. I’d listened her and her brother on several podcasts, and my mom bought me the book for Christmas, so I’ve been anticipating starting it. So far, I feel validated in my thoughts towards lifestyle, food, and the medical system. I thought I would be highlighting and underlining a lot, but so much of it has just seemed logical. My husband and I are already doing most of what she suggests is conducive to living a metabolically healthy lifestyle and preventing future disease. It’s been a slow process over several years, and it’s crazy to look back on some of the habits we’ve kicked or modified especially regarding what we eat and drink.
Once you know this stuff, it’s hard to look at our culture the same. It’s especially difficult to not become preachy. I can’t control my friends and family, and the best thing to do is lead by example and keep working on myself. I mean, who am I to tell someone else how they should live? It’s still hard to watch people close to me deal with various ailments that I know could be better managed, alleviated, or prevented through diet, discipline, or even more holistic remedies. Basically, I want everyone around me to read this book, so if anyone wants to borrow my copy when I’m done, I’ll be happy to lend it, and it may be everyone’s Christmas present this year.
It's been wonderful consistently getting outside again. It’s been so windy, but it hasn’t stopped me from putting my son in the stroller or carrier and walking. We even did a three-mile hike last week. Now is the time before bugs become a factor! I have a new theory/saying/whatever that in the Midwest there are three variables of “good” weather – sunny, not windy, and good temperature. Rarely do we get all three at once. For example, if it’s sunny and good temperature, it’s likely windy. If there’s no wind and the temperature is good, it’s likely cloudy. If it’s sunny and not windy but the temperature is pretty cold, it probably doesn’t feel that bad out. If it’s cloudy, frigid cold, and windy – just stay inside!
Here’s a couple tunes to leave you with. Happy Spring!