I know that I share a lot of negative crap. I feel bad that what I share so often is negative or sad. Unfortunately it is, what it is. Some days it really seems like the glass is half empty.
One thing good thing has come out of this situation. I don't know how long it will last, but for now I will enjoy what I can.
When I was worried about putting food on my table because of having to pay for health insurance, so that cps cannot accuse me of not tending to my children's medical needs, I decided to call up a woman that I met last summer. I met her and her husband at the local farmer's market. They were selling csa shares. CSA shares are local farmers that sell you portions of their crops. Its a type of community agriculture. I think it's a wonderful thing. Some farms allow you to volunteer so that you can have access to the shares for a reduced price. Now this particular couple were not able to offer that last year. They do not have any government grants or funding helping them with their project. They have what they are able to grow and then sell at the farmers market. Last summer my husband and I bought a "share" in this program. Every Saturday, we would go to the farmers market and pick up a box of fresh vegetables. Some weeks we would have fresh potatoes and broccoli. Other weeks she would make home made bread and soups. It was different every week. Kind of like getting a care package every week and you never knew exactly what would be in it.
It's not exactly the cheapest way to buy your vegetables, but it is probably the next best thing to being able to grow your own vegetables. Let's face it, many of us are too busy doing other things to grow our own food. Or you may live where growing your own food is impractical. True, it's easy enough to go to the local grocery store and buy your fresh fruits and vegetables. Nothing wrong with that, except that you don't know where your food is coming from, how it is grown and the money is going to a big corporation. The other problem is if you are like me, when it comes to shopping, you get into a rut of buying the same thing over and over again. You like corn, so you buy corn. You like carrots, so you buy carrots. Rarely, do I venture out and buy things that I am not accustomed to. When I got food from the csa program, I was given new foods. Foods that I would not typically purchase for my family, like rutabagas, beets, and acorn squash. Last summer, my children and I learned that fried beets taste good. We also found that you can make radish chips. Not that I did, but at least I thought about it.
Any way I called up Mrs. M and asked her if it would be possible to work out a way for my family to get fresh vegetables. Would she mind if me and my girls would come work at her farm, helping plant crops and pick them in exchange for some of the produce. It will help get us out of the house and outdoors, doing something productive. Since I have no money to go anywhere now that my husband is gone and I have to pay for wicked expensive insurance, my girls and I are just sitting around the house sleeping and cleaning on the weekends. They are watching anime 24/7 and I am reading books. Not bad, but not great for the soul. I was happy when she said yes, but then she went a step further than that. She offered to come over during the week and help me prepare some meals ahead of time that can be eaten during the week. This is fantastic because it gives me and my girls someone to interact with and breaks up the monotony of life. It gives us something to look forward too. For the first time in months my youngest child smiled and was happy. She has been so sullen and angry since her dad has left. It is heartbreaking because she was a energetic and happy go lucky child. Now she is becoming this stranger who finds comfort in the cold world of the Internet. This situation has not helped my relationship with my children. It has caused us to isolate and withdraw from each other.
The first time she was here, we made granola bars, soup, shepherds pie, meatballs, ham and scallop potato casserole. The granola bars were a big hit with my oldest daughter and our dog as well. My youngest daughter and I loved the soup. You know, you can never go wrong with meatballs and spaghetti.
This last week we made more granola bars, spicy cabbage soup (which is good for losing weight), bean and beef burritos, yellow and green squash boats, eggplant parmigiana and pizza. Her friendship and help these last two weeks have been a God send in helping to turn things around for me and the girls. I can't say, that I am still not depressed at times. I am. I miss my husband so freakin much, that it hurts. I want him back, but I know that I have to carry on and do right for my children. I may not want to be present in life right now. I may want to sleep and hide in a book, but I can't continue to do that. It's time to face life on lifes' term and carry on. It's things like friendship, a Higher power, a blog, the singing of birds, a good book, little things that help some of us to keep going. These things are like food for the soul.
What keeps you going? What brings peace to your heart when life has you twisted up inside?
One thing good thing has come out of this situation. I don't know how long it will last, but for now I will enjoy what I can.
When I was worried about putting food on my table because of having to pay for health insurance, so that cps cannot accuse me of not tending to my children's medical needs, I decided to call up a woman that I met last summer. I met her and her husband at the local farmer's market. They were selling csa shares. CSA shares are local farmers that sell you portions of their crops. Its a type of community agriculture. I think it's a wonderful thing. Some farms allow you to volunteer so that you can have access to the shares for a reduced price. Now this particular couple were not able to offer that last year. They do not have any government grants or funding helping them with their project. They have what they are able to grow and then sell at the farmers market. Last summer my husband and I bought a "share" in this program. Every Saturday, we would go to the farmers market and pick up a box of fresh vegetables. Some weeks we would have fresh potatoes and broccoli. Other weeks she would make home made bread and soups. It was different every week. Kind of like getting a care package every week and you never knew exactly what would be in it.
It's not exactly the cheapest way to buy your vegetables, but it is probably the next best thing to being able to grow your own vegetables. Let's face it, many of us are too busy doing other things to grow our own food. Or you may live where growing your own food is impractical. True, it's easy enough to go to the local grocery store and buy your fresh fruits and vegetables. Nothing wrong with that, except that you don't know where your food is coming from, how it is grown and the money is going to a big corporation. The other problem is if you are like me, when it comes to shopping, you get into a rut of buying the same thing over and over again. You like corn, so you buy corn. You like carrots, so you buy carrots. Rarely, do I venture out and buy things that I am not accustomed to. When I got food from the csa program, I was given new foods. Foods that I would not typically purchase for my family, like rutabagas, beets, and acorn squash. Last summer, my children and I learned that fried beets taste good. We also found that you can make radish chips. Not that I did, but at least I thought about it.
Any way I called up Mrs. M and asked her if it would be possible to work out a way for my family to get fresh vegetables. Would she mind if me and my girls would come work at her farm, helping plant crops and pick them in exchange for some of the produce. It will help get us out of the house and outdoors, doing something productive. Since I have no money to go anywhere now that my husband is gone and I have to pay for wicked expensive insurance, my girls and I are just sitting around the house sleeping and cleaning on the weekends. They are watching anime 24/7 and I am reading books. Not bad, but not great for the soul. I was happy when she said yes, but then she went a step further than that. She offered to come over during the week and help me prepare some meals ahead of time that can be eaten during the week. This is fantastic because it gives me and my girls someone to interact with and breaks up the monotony of life. It gives us something to look forward too. For the first time in months my youngest child smiled and was happy. She has been so sullen and angry since her dad has left. It is heartbreaking because she was a energetic and happy go lucky child. Now she is becoming this stranger who finds comfort in the cold world of the Internet. This situation has not helped my relationship with my children. It has caused us to isolate and withdraw from each other.
The first time she was here, we made granola bars, soup, shepherds pie, meatballs, ham and scallop potato casserole. The granola bars were a big hit with my oldest daughter and our dog as well. My youngest daughter and I loved the soup. You know, you can never go wrong with meatballs and spaghetti.
This last week we made more granola bars, spicy cabbage soup (which is good for losing weight), bean and beef burritos, yellow and green squash boats, eggplant parmigiana and pizza. Her friendship and help these last two weeks have been a God send in helping to turn things around for me and the girls. I can't say, that I am still not depressed at times. I am. I miss my husband so freakin much, that it hurts. I want him back, but I know that I have to carry on and do right for my children. I may not want to be present in life right now. I may want to sleep and hide in a book, but I can't continue to do that. It's time to face life on lifes' term and carry on. It's things like friendship, a Higher power, a blog, the singing of birds, a good book, little things that help some of us to keep going. These things are like food for the soul.
What keeps you going? What brings peace to your heart when life has you twisted up inside?
Granola Bars. 2 cups of oats, heat them on a flat pan in the oven for about 10mins at around 350.
ReplyDeletethen mix oats with wheat germ, I believe we used about 1 cup, 2/3 cup of honey, 2 tsp of vanilla, 1/2 cup of chocolate chips, 2 table spoons of peanut butter, 3 table spoons of butter. We put them in a muffin pan and baked them for 25 mins at 350. I don't know if the measurements are exact,, I think you can play around with them, to suit your taste.