another season

Beautiful strawberries

Coffee for sale, fresh roasted and delicious!

Baked goods on display

Strawberry tart

Colorful beets from the garden. Roasted in olive oil with fresh pepper and coarse salt for a perfect side dish!

Antiques for sale

Another farm season has begun. U-pick strawberries are in full swing, and the store selling already picked strawberries is also open. The store opened ten days ago, U-picks four days ago. Today was the first absolutely crazy day, where I was on the run from sun up until sun down. Even after the store and u-picks were closed for the day, I had to drive in to town with a load of (very, very) overdue library books. While I was downtown, I ran into a friend and her daughter and we walked to the gelateria and had gelato and coffee. It felt good to relax and enjoy the last few minutes of daylight, and unwind from the craziness of the day. Sometimes, the days are so busy and the cares of farm and home weigh heavily on me (not to complain-I love the life we have chosen and the business we have and life with my farmer and the farmhouse full of children) and I forget to enjoy the moment or season I am in. I feel as if I don't even have the time to enjoy it, I must just get through it. I am learning though, that the attitude of "I must just grit my teeth and get through this" is not the best attitude to adopt. Sure, there are lots of unpleasant tasks and onerous responsibilities that require such an attitude, but I do not want to view my whole life that way! I am much happier when I learn to enjoy the work I have been given to do, to laugh at the crazy days, to be grateful for this growing business, and to look for the joy in what seems sometimes to be an overwhelming day. It is there. I need only look for it. So! Enough philosophizing for one night! Tomorrow morning will come bright and early, and I am going to need a lot of coffee to make me bright!