{whole food} :: the rubber meets the road

Wow! What a whirlwind of a month was February?! Lots and lots has been going on around this place, and I am bound and determined to give you the highlights, without getting into the nitty gritty of the goings on in my head, the past few weeks...that's later. For now, I want to highlight the season we are in, right now...the grunt work it takes to realize a dream...

A year ago, we watched Food, Inc.

It changed the course of our lives, forever.

We watch lots of documentaries. We always get something from them. However, it's often something that touches us with some valuable information, and then we move on, change a couple of practices, and things look very much the same. But, this time...it stuck with us. It changed us at a cellular level. Suddenly, many things about our previous lifestyle were simply unacceptable...unthinkable. We would never be the same. I have documented our quest for real food, and in some ways...we ended up back where we started. But, in the most important ways...we are in another world.

We are at that point where the rubber meets the road. It's time to put up, or shut up. It's time to...well, you know. In short, we plant food, get animals, or we just get busy dyin' faster.

We opt for the former...howeeeevvverrrr...

Let me just say...all the daydreams about working the soil, and feeling the sun on my neck...so wonderful and peaceful...well, CRAP!

*Caveat Alert!!*

Turns out, I've been a city girl for 33 years, and for some reason, my poor back...timid after years of beatings by a pair of bully giganto-boobs...is not so chipper about joining the real food movement. It's one thing to get all passionate about growing food, and type about it all day...it's quite another to, you know...DO IT! Sheesh!!

Hoeing rows and planting food hurts. Shoveling compost...hurts. My husband and I both feel like we were the junk cars in a monster truck rally. If this were a workout program, I'd be waving my bloodied kerchief, dialing the chiro and figuring out how to let everyone in on the fact that all my talk is, once again, not going to materialize.

But...

...I have him...and he does most of the work...

...and we have about 300 square feet of plant-able space for food...

...and so we planted 1/3 of that this past weekend...

...and I got one of the most valuable manicures of my life...

...and we have food...REAL. FOOD...in the ground...

...and my son loves this life...

...and a homestead is born. Our homestead.

So...the difference here is this...for us, this is a matter of life and death.

Back be darned...I'm doing this.

I'm gritting my teeth and barreling through.

My back will catch up to my resolve.

My resolve will not be shaken.