- I'll never get everything unpacked. => It will get unpacked when it's needed - which is now, so just unpack it. And if it doesn't get unpacked, obviously it's not really needed.
- I can't fit all this in the house with no storage. => Number 1, be grateful I have "all this" when many people have nothing. Number 2, get creative. Or Number 3, get rid of some of it.
- The laundromat sucks! => Yeah, but it gives me time to do the crossword from the paper. Or, have a nice conversation with a local like this morning.
- There are millions of foxtail on my land. It will be impossible to get rid of them all! => Concentrate on the dogs' yard and area immediately around it. I have a lifetime to work on the rest.
- The compost is rotting out there in the big black bags. I need to get it into piles but don't have the time or energy. => Um, it's "rotting", right? So what's the problem?
Thanks, Katie, I needed a kick in the ass today!
8 comments:
Yes after what katie has been through it puts it in perspective. You know I never minded the laundromat- I always kinda liked it- you got the clothes cleaned quick, and dried. And you could always walk over to the espresso stand for a coffee!
Isn't perspective a great thing! Knew it would all come together for you...I've had bags of leaves in the bag 'rotting' for the last two years. (An overzealous friend shared the bounty.) Became perfect compost for the new garden beds, this year. See! It all works out...
Hi Chile - I don't know what foxtail is, but chickens are great for clearing most weeds.
Just pen them in the area to be cleared, let them scratch happily till the area is bare land, then move them to the next patch.
Goats are (apparently) even better.
The other option is sheet mulching. Borrow a copy of Introduction To Permaculture by Bill Mollison from the local library. It has a section on this technique, which works brilliantly and involves a no dig, slash the weeds, then cover them with organic matter method.
Good luck! And never say die!
I wrote that post as a kick in my own ass, so I'm glad it helped you also!
Rob - no kidding. No espresso stand near the laundromat here (I'm not in the Seattle region, Rob...) but there's always the convenience store with coffee that's be sitting in the pots for a while.
Sharlene - I prefer aerobic composting to anaerobic but whatever works is what's on the schedule for now!
Daharja - foxtail is a grass with awns that grow vertically looking like a fox's tail. The problem is when they dry, they splay out and get stuck in dogs' toes and ears. In the ears is especially bad because it's very hard to extract them because they go in and splay, poking outwards.
No plans for chickens anytime soon. We've got to get settled first. I contacted a friend re harvesting the grass while green for her chickens but never heard back. :(
I'd love to rent some goats...
We will be sheet mulching (as mentioned elsewhere). I'm saving all of the boxes from the move. We're planning to do that and plant wheat and a local legume to help improve the soil.
Katie - sounds like you are kickin' butt! I'm so glad you're here. :-D
*grin*
Sometimes, you just gotta take what you've been given, step back, and look what it can become.
It took me a lot of years to start concentrating on possibilities rather than limitations, and really, once you get there, it's pretty amazing what you end up doing ;). It's very cool that you're already there. Should save you lots of time and aggravation.
As for the laundromat, having that time to wind-down and just *be* might actually turn out to be nice for you. My girls spend a lot of time in classes, and I used to get really aggravated, because there were so many OTHER things I wanted to be doing besides sitting and waiting, but the experience was too valuable for them for me to consider my need to vacuum the carpets more important. Now, though, I relish that time. I bring my laptop or a good book. It's become time well spent ;).
You're right, Chile, if the compost is rotting--what's the problem?
We've been in our house for years. Nothing is ever "all done". Actually, we've come full circle where some things we've done need to be done again (re-painting, etc.).
My attitude for gardening and landscaping this year is "do a little each week". I don't have the inclination to do it all at once, but guess what? It's my house and no one says I have to!
Wendy - yep, hear you on the not rushing into bit. The laundromat, though, is not giving me much time to wind down. Honestly, I'm only there for half an hour and that gets interrupted midway to put vinegar in the rinse cycle. Then all the wet things are lugged home to be spread out and hung wherever I can find space.
Anonymous - got a name? ;-)
You mean it's possible to actually finish a whole house? We only really accomplished that once, when we took 3+ months off work to gut and remodel MIL's house before leaving the state.
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