More Room for Less

September arrived with a touch of autumn in the air. The days have been less humid and the evenings darken earlier and beg for an extra layer. It's quite kind of Nature to offer this, given the waxing of boiling pots in my kitchen. The canning continues every few days, mostly just to keep up with the tomatoes this year. And I must say that The Spouse has been a huge help this year. We already have several jars of purée nestled in with leftovers from last season, plus several jars of dried tomatoes... squash, green beans, beets, collards, kales, a variety of herbs. Next up will be more of the same plus the tomatillos, winter squashes, autumn beets, broccoli, brussel sprouts, daikons, and other assorted abundance for which I'm so grateful. Admittedly, even as my pantry fills to overflow I find myself longing for the first frost and the autumn-to-winter downshift. ::nods:: Soon my dining table will have room again for actual dining.

Despite the frantic busyness of this aspect of the garden-to-pantry season, I do make time for the Mystery, for the spiritual side of life that nurtures and sustains me as much as any Ordinary "food."

I make time in my studio for making messes with students (and alone) and tidying up afterward. I make time for plotting and planning the year ahead in broad, holistic strokes and in focused, precise ways.

Making time for my heART journals has been spiking, as the Ordinary makes renewed and new connections with the Mystery and makes more room for exploring and evolving. It would seem that all things in these first few days of September are leading me to make more room for less. We shall see.

Peace.