What we
do is important, but not nearly as important as why we
do it.
Here
is the "What":
We
really don't like the phrase "doing without". It denotes a
feeling of deprivation, and that is not what a life of
abundance is about. Living frugally should not leave us
feeling in want, rather should free us to prioritize our use of
resources.
I have received more than a few raised eyebrows about my constantly-in-progress tub of leaf clippings. Most folks wonder why I don't just go to the local mega store and buy a few bags of peat moss or compost for the gardens at our house, sprinkle on some chemical fertilizer and call it good. But we always have shrubs to prune or trees dropping leaves, spent flower greens, etc. Why would I spend hard-earned cash for someone else's decomposed plant material to put in our gardens when we already have more than enough of it right here? Looking for ways to do things for ourselves and avoid spending unnecessarily continues to be an adventure as we learn more and more about the true bounty surrounding us.
I have received more than a few raised eyebrows about my constantly-in-progress tub of leaf clippings. Most folks wonder why I don't just go to the local mega store and buy a few bags of peat moss or compost for the gardens at our house, sprinkle on some chemical fertilizer and call it good. But we always have shrubs to prune or trees dropping leaves, spent flower greens, etc. Why would I spend hard-earned cash for someone else's decomposed plant material to put in our gardens when we already have more than enough of it right here? Looking for ways to do things for ourselves and avoid spending unnecessarily continues to be an adventure as we learn more and more about the true bounty surrounding us.
Here
is the "Why":
There
was a time before the internet. I know, it seems crazy but it's true.
There was a time when information was not all at our fingertips, when
skills like baking a loaf of bread or building a table were passed
down through families. There was no such thing as "googling"
a recipe or looking up instructions for planting a
garden. These things were taught at the knees of mothers in kitchens
and beside fathers in workshops generation after generation. Before computers and microwave ovens, before chemical
fertilizers and mega super malls, certain skills were commonplace.
Nowadays, most children will grow up never knowing what it is like to
have a kitchen with no dishwasher, what it means to proof a bowl of
yeast, or how to know the best time to move tomato seedlings outside
in the spring. This is where our earlier mention of mulching
re-enters the picture! How will anyone know that they can do this and
have a wonderful, healthy garden if no one passes the information
down to them?
In
many cultures, there are those appointed specifically to remember. To
pass on through story-telling and historical memories the heritage
and customs of the community was considered a task of critical
importance. Our goal is to do just that in our own small way.
Is it a moral issue, this question of doing things by hand or
utilizing technology? Of course not! After all, we are sharing this story with you via a blog on the internet. But by the
same token, if we had to live for a time without certain
technologies, such as in the event of a winter storm causing a power
outage or a budget that does not permit ready-made meals, can we do
so with a degree of comfort? Or would we be utterly crippled by our
own lack of know-how? What happens to us when the washing machine
breaks down or the microwave oven wears out? Is it a disaster? Are
we that dependent? Or even more importantly, do we WANT
to be that dependent?
I
love to cook. I love to bake. I love making up new recipes and food
combinations, experimenting with flavors, and searching out new ways
to maximize nutrition while minimizing food costs.
I was
raised in a family where my mother cooked from scratch. She used an
occasional mix or pre-made product, but these were in place alongside
home-canned tomato sauce, vegetables frozen from our own garden, and
baked goods that began with flour, yeast, and fresh butter. Every
Sunday morning we had home-made pancakes or French toast, with hot
sizzling bacon or sliced ham, orange juice, and cream-topped milk
poured from a glass bottle. Weekday breakfasts were often hot oatmeal
with cinnamon and stewed apples, creamed wheat with cream, or fresh
fruit with milk and buttered toast made from home-baked bread. I
learned to appreciate the wonderful quality of tasty, nourishing
foods that came from my mother's hands, drawn from her own
oven.
I am the mother of three
children and the daughter of the strongest and most level-headed
woman I have ever known, as well as the little girl of a father who
loved me enough to take me in as his very own; the sister of a
miraculously courageous older brother; the granddaughter of a grandmother with whom this whole
family began. Family ties are so precious and one of the ways that
these bonds are strengthened is through sharing common life experiences together, including meals. Food is one way that we share our attention and
affection with those for whom we care the most. It is to that end
that my food blog, Simplicity Rebel Breads, continues to grow.
And about that food issue. Our culture continues to see disturbing patterns in the ways our foods are produced, grown, and distributed to the population as large corporations control more and more of our food-related issues. Chemicals have polluted our soil and nutrition has been depleted through inorganic farming methods to the point that production continues to fall in many areas...and in areas where production remains high, genetically modified seeds and plants raise concerns about food safety. Should we really be engineering artificial genes to render our plants resistant to toxic chemicals that control weeds, just so that we can consume those foods that are then laden with those same toxic chemicals? It sounds more like we need to simply return to sane and natural farming methods, reward our growers with fair compensation for their labors, and return to our communities the practice of smaller local garden projects.
I hope you are blessed by whatever you receive here, and that you will share your thoughts as you read these pages.
Blessings,
Lorrie
SimplicityRebel@gmail.com
"As each generation comes into the world devoid of knowledge, its first duty is to obtain possession of the stores already amassed. It must overtake its predecessors before it can pass by them."
~Horace Mann
