This is a short post - a snapshot, really, of the highlights of my last year. As big as the many upheavals were that we experienced last year, my shining moments, though simple, were equally as meaningful. Here they are…
I Grew A Frickin’ Watermelon!
Holy F, I grew a watermelon. I remember the day when I cut this bad boy open and discovered it’s perfectly pink interior. I literally jumped for joy and screamed in excitement! Yay!! The only downside was there was no one around to share the moment with, but that didn’t stop me. I ate it like there was no tomorrow…and it was GOOD!
This moment holds great significance for me, as although I’ve been organically farming in different capacities for years now, I’ve never had my own garden I could try growing new plants in. This was my chance and I did it. It was a moment of pure fulfilment and delight, and I’m not sure I’ve ever been so proud of myself!
Eggs on Top of Eggs
We now have a couple handfuls of hens and we’re up to 7 eggs a day…in winter. This is amazing! Every egg is a little treat and looks different than the last. Another very satisfying chore to tend to that brings as much fulfilment as growing food, raising laying chickens is a delight.
I’ve always wanted chickens, as has my boyfriend, so when we got the opportunity we couldn’t pass it up. We got a little addicted, having filled our flock within two weeks, but now everyone’s friends and we have a nice little backyard family. Needless to say, the dogs love them too.
Sleeping in the Backyard
Admittedly, it was my first time doing this and I loved it! So much so, that I convinced my mom to do it the night after! There’s nothing like sleeping outside and if you get a chance you should definitely try it. The noises, smells, and comforts are all different, but at the same time wonderful. Plus, you get to sleep under the stars and fall asleep and wake up with the sun.
Being outdoors a lot has become more important to me in recent years, but most significantly this year. I took every advantage to be in the fresh air, which made all the difference for me.
Growing A Swallowtail Butterfly
In June, I happened to notice a bunch of caterpillars on our dill plant out back. I knew, from previous experience, that these would turn into butterflies, so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to help them thrive. Granted, I wasn’t the best at this…a few were picked off by birds before I moved them inside, and even more died along the way, but one sole caterpillar made it all the way from baby caterpillar to swallowtail butterfly and it was so cool to watch!
My mom and I shared in this glory. I don’t think I’ve seen my mom as excited as she was when that fateful day came and the butterfly had to be let go out of its cage. It was beautiful and it flew away in seconds, but those few seconds and weeks leading up were priceless.
Becoming Friends with a Butterfly
I was practicing Essentrics on a dock in northern Ontario, when all of a sudden a butterfly made friends with my leg. It quickly moved to my hand and stayed there for 10-15 minutes, enough time for me to take a few great photos and videos before it moved on to make friends with another.
In this moment, I completely slowed down and I don’t think I stopped smiling the whole time. I was in awe that this creature chose me to rest upon. It was breathtaking. I mean, how often do we get the opportunity to come that close to such a delicate and intricate creature?
Sure, a lot of other majorly momentous things happened in 2020 that are worth noting - you’ll hear about those next week - but before I get into the big stuff I wanted to take a moment to focus on the small yet heart-filling wins I had. These moments are important to me, because they remind me that it doesn’t take much to be happy, I just have to stop moving long enough to notice them.