Grow From the Inside

Life at home is pretty good these days. Tomorrow's date is the two year anniversary (thank you, five year diary) of my first evening shift in Toronto, with the work contract that would slowly eat away at my soul. It broke me down so much that I didn't even realize that it had been two whole summers of commuting the opposite hours of my husband, and most of my friends, and the world in general.  I really didn't have time to take in a lot of the smaller pleasures of day to day life. These past five months of spare evenings that I've had since leaving my job in January have been incredible and rejuvenating, and it just seems to keep getting better.

I know I've talked about it a lot, but I just can't get over how different my life is these days. And I am very grateful.

I made jam for the first time on the weekend. As my shift at the farmer's market was coming to an end on Saturday night, a vendor friend of mine asked if I wanted to take home some raspberries that he couldn't sell and was going to get rid of anyways. Mike and I spent Sunday morning picking out all the good berries from about 150 pints, and I ended up making just under a dozen jars of pretty delicious jam.

I also baked my first two loaves of bread. We ate them before I thought of taking any photos. Two once intimidating cooking/baking/canning projects under my belt. I'm ready to run away to the Yukon and live in a cabin in the woods now.

Working on my first personal embroidery project in ages, I've decided to do my first sampler, and learn all the stitches and techniques properly. I'm going through the Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Needlework (a Beehive favourite) and teaching myself stitch by stitch. I'm particularly inspired by this sampler, and love the idea of working on something similar once I finish this "practice run" of mine.

I've been making frequent trips to Central library and taking home books on weaving and blackwork embroidery, trying to satiate my urge to learn about all forms of textile craft. It feels really good to be able to have the time to create with my hands again, and to learn how to do things properly.

Because their needlework guide is so informative, I couldn't pass up on the Reader's Digest edition of Success with House Plants when I saw it at Value Village. I have never, ever, had luck with houseplants, except for the really hardy Pothos. You couldn't kill one of those if you tried. But, I'm like, kind of a farmer now or something, so I figure I just have to give it another shot.

This book seems pretty extensive and really helpful. I've seen it a couple more times since I found my copy, so I'd suggest picking one up if you want a good guide for house plants. Fingers crossed that it will help me. I really want to be that house with macrame planters hanging in every square inch of natural light.

More free time means more free time at the farm which means more free time wandering through the brush looking for magical things and actually coming across them, like this fox skull. I love you, fox skull.

A rare good thing to come out of working was my tax return. Which I haven't even received yet due to the Canada Post worker's strike, but promptly bought a pair of TOMS Grey Chambray Cordones with it in mind. They are classic and adorable, and I didn't have them more than a week when I got a spot bleach on one of them. A common theme in my life is the struggle between being completely utilitarian and having an overwhelming desire to keep my nice things nice. Utilitarianism wins more often than not.

Life is good. Along with all of my personal self-bettering projects, I'm working on a couple of really exciting ones for White Elephant and The Beehive as well. I'm really looking forward to this Summer. How about you?