This week, Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, has me considering locatarianism, eating only local foods. Kingsolver and her family vow to be locavores -- to eat only what they produce on their farm or can buy from neighboring farms and farmer's markets for one year.
This is a hefty feat, and I admire it, but I do not plan to make such a huge commitment myself. However, Kingsolver's book has inspired me to undertake the planting of a garden.
The big-thinking, possibilities-are-endless, Sagittarius spirit within me envisions cherry trees, berry bushes, asparagus and potato patches, herbs galore, root vegetables popping through the earth, lettuces, winter squashes, and watermelons. If I let my imagination run really wild, I picture high hedgerows creating Secret Garden-esque labyrinths, towering sunflowers, colorful wildflowers, and flitting butterflies and humming birds. Then Eric reminds me that we cannot plant everything under the Appalachian sun on one acre. I come back to earth, but just a bit.
My heart has always longed for a garden, but my transient and unpredictable lifestyle has not been conducive to caring for plant life. Until now! Now, I have a baby (his name is Avie, pronounced like the "a" in avalanche, an easy pronunciation tip thanks to my cousin Laura). Next month, Avie, Eric, and I are moving into our very own house, a permanent place, with a backyard. Subsequently, this seems the perfect time for establishing some roots, literally.
Thus, motivation for growing a garden is two-fold: to cultivate organic food and to create a beautifully appealing outdoor meditation area. What's more, gardening presents a wonderful opportunity for playing in the dirt with Avie and for instilling in him the values of hard work, self-sufficiecy, mindful eating, and a love for Mother Nature.
For now, as we wait out the winter, I am immersing myself in Organic Gardening and Mother Earth News magazines. I am perusing web sites like www.eatwild.com and asking health food stores and family members where to buy grass-fed meats and dairy as well as chemical-free grains directly from farms. I'm pondering where I can obtain a Shiva statue for our meditation space. With that in mind, I appreciate any local eating information, garden savvy, or Hindu deities that you may wish to share!