We
drove back to the farm this morning. On our way out of town we stopped for a
geocache near the bottom of the Lewiston Hill. The name of the cache was “a
better mousetrap.”
It’s
lovely here at the farm – about 80 and breezy this afternoon. It rained some over
the weekend so the garden is in good shape. I picked two cups of strawberries, with
which I made a pie for supper.
When
I retired six years ago we began to travel between the Lewis-Clark Valley and
our farmhouse more frequently –and to stay longer at the farm. Keeping two
places is a challenge, you know, and so is going back and forth.
I
have to consciously adjust to leaving one place for the other. I have to think
about what I want to accomplish while I’m at the farm and pack whatever I need
from town – patterns, fabric, yarn, supplies, etc -- whatever. Then I think
about what books I want to take with me and pack them. But those things are the
frosting on the cake – the fun part.
Next
is the food. Usually I have a list to help me with that. It’s just
time-consuming to pack it and I always overlook something. Oh well, I say – it’s
make-do time because even though there’s a grocery store about ten miles from
the farmhouse, it’s a tedious drive to get there, and we adjust our recipes and
menus – and our attitudes -- rather than make that trip.
Of
critical importance are the electronics – the phones, iPad, iPod, laptop,
camera – plus cords. Most of the devices are mine, so I am personally
responsible for ALL of them whether or not they are mine. Add to that list Mike’s
glasses, his medicinal oat bran muffins, and his reading material.
In
order to simplify all this, I have begun to think in terms of not carrying so
much back and forth. I plan meals so that we’re eating up the food regardless
of where we are. Leaving produce and dairy products at the farm unless they will
spoil has also worked to advantage. And this year we actually had garden
produce.
Last
year I bought another sewing machine so that I have one in town and one at the
farm. Mike and I agree that that was a good move – really simplified things.
But,
having a double supply of sewing notions wasn’t practical, nor has it worked to
have separate projects at each house. I decided that a certain amount of
carrying back and forth really does need to happen, but my existing sewing box,
received as a Christmas gift in 1973 (a long time ago), had seen better days
even before Bess chewed the corner. It needed to be replaced.
4 comments:
AND for a future blog: Mom's new storage closet! (I spy with my little eye). Fun!
We spent those summers at Canyon, so I do have some idea of what you're talking about, but we didn't travel back and forth as much as you do. We lived there in the summer and in town in the rest of the year. And of course, no store at all. (I still hate drinking powdered milk!) The "grub truck" came each Wednesday and we could have some non perishable things sent from the store so that helped. Hmm, just remembering back makes me smile. Thanks for prompting the memories!
Yes, there's a project in progress. Mike already went to town for "the needful," as Ina would say.
Chris, you should consider sharing more of those Canyon memories -- perhaps on your blog? That was a unique experience, and though it seems like yesterday to you and me -- well, it wasn't. How did your family manage living there? What did you take? What did you eat? What did you do? Wish I still had some of your letters.
We don't do well with powdered milk either. These days we can buy soy or rice milk, either shelf stable or refrigerated. Just one of the things we didn't have in the '60s.
Agreed! I was just thinking about how I'd enjoy knowing more details about this Canyon place. I assume this is the location of the lookout where Aunt Chris' father worked in the summers.
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