Common Sense Home Good News Letter 9/18/22
“Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.” ― James Clear, Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
Who do you want to become?
I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately as the years slip by faster and faster.
Am I a writer? A gardener? A survivalist? Am I surviving or thriving? What more can I do to improve my focus and vision and help others to do the same?
There is so much angry out there now. I get caught up in it too at times. How can people not see that doing the same thing over and over again is not likely to get a different result?
Why can’t people see that while some humans may indeed be bad for the planet, we can also do amazing things to create life and beauty? I’m so tired of the constant “humans are bad” narrative. I’d rather celebrate and propagate the good in the world. We need it now, more than ever.
Take the art of Andy Mast, who overcame traumatic brain injury to create stunning images of country life. Or Gabe Brown, who nearly lost the family farm using conventional agriculture practices, but was able to save it – and improve the soil and livestock health and save money – using regenerative practices.
To paraphrase Tolkien, there’s good in the world, and it’s worth fighting for.
All our best to you and yours,
Laurie (and August IV, August V, and Duncan)
This week’s featured articles…
Harvest season continues here on the homestead. We have highs around 80F this week, but next week they’re talking highs in the upper 50s. Brrr!
We’ve started digging the potato crop, and this is how we store the potatoes to keep up in taters until next harvest.
Even with our above average temps, I can still feel fall creeping in. The nights are cool, and the trees are starting to turn color. Sunset comes altogether too early, though I confess I don’t mind not being woken up at o-zero-thirty by the sunrise.
Along with trips to the apple orchards, campfires, and hot apple cider, this honey caramel corn prompts happy memories of a simpler time.
Duncan and I went clothes shopping this past week for pants and underwear, and I cannot say that I enjoyed the experience. The sizing on the clothes had some serious issues, with large of one brand being the same as a small in another brand.
We weren’t the only ones having trouble finding what we needed, as another gentleman asked me if I thought the shorts he wanted to purchase would shrink in the laundry while I was waiting for Duncan outside the changing rooms. He said the size he normally got seemed way too big for him. (Moms know laundry, right?)
The display racks were full, but certain sizes of underwear were completely missing from the racks. With all the continuing disruptions, I’d suggest shopping early for cold weather clothing if you need some. These are some of the brands and clothing types that we’ve found useful over the years.
Popular on Instagram this week – making apple scrap vinegar and picking elderberries.