Nearly-No-Work-Partially-Whole-Living

Living from Scratch.
I bet there is a blog with that name. If I were to change blog names at this point, that might be it.* Although, more accurate might be "Living from Scratch, Partly." Or "Partially Whole Living" or "No Work (nearly) Whole Living (mostly)", well, it is probably good that I do no know how to change blog names. In the last year I have done quite a bit more cooking, bought and used very very little from the "prepared food" category and learned how little work goes into things like baking bread, making fresh pasta and homemade stock. I am not a zealot. I do not feel the desire to make my own soap, I haven't broached my own yogurt or cheese - although people say these also are not such a big deal. Maybe I will get there. I didn't think I would bother with fresh pasta until the pasta-roller christmas gift and, voila, its pretty simple and damn that makes yummy lasagna. But although I enjoy how simple this stuff is compared to how complicated and time consuming it sounds, still there is some work involved. At least a learning curve. There isn't always time. But, throwing together soup from actual vegetables is so much easier than many people think. Not much harder than opening up a can and so dang much better and healthier. Especially with practice and the right stuff on hand. So I am all about the no-work-whole-living. Generally, just being a little bit chill and relaxing about things promotes this goal. For example: the garden. I do not weed it. I mulch maybe, I harvest things, I compost, but I do not pay a whole lot of attention once it is planted. We get what we get and do not use chemicals or stress and, poof, hardly-any-work-wholesomeness. I have started reading Gaias Garden, a guide to permaculture. I dream of a fabulous food forest permaculture dreamland around my house. With a grey water system too. And chickens! I am learning quite a lot from the book. Not sure how I will implement these ideas or how much will take root in this home (spoiler - no greywater system or chickens to come). I will report more as gardening season approaches and I learn more. But the idea of permaculture really is a garden like a forest - no one has to work on a forest, it does its thing and all is well. No weeding, no pesticiding, no fertilizing, no tiling. Now, if I want to grow everything I need for a vegetable stew, I can't just let the backyard do what it wants - work is of course involved, but it doesn't have to look like a martha stewart magazine spread with pretty little weedless rows. Another example: cleaning. I keep the house clean, but without the stress over dirt and germs that commercials about cleaners are drenched with. Soap and Water and Vinegar and Baking Soda, plain old dusting with a rag and water - these things work pretty darn fine! Sometimes more serious remedies are needed, and oftentimes there are good alternatives to heavy chemicals. But if you do not stress out about dirt in such a way that implores you to cover the house every day with cleaning liquids, well, life is easier and probably healthier. I say as I look out over the toy strewn room that needs a good vacuum. Sigh. That is what I will go do now.
My new years resolution: keep Nearly-No-Work-Partially-Whole-Living as my habit and goal for the year and find new ways to live up to my aspirations.


*why "readingtheleaves"? I was drinking lots of tea at the time