We are harvesting the first peppers and field tomatoes, and okra and shishitos have arrived onto the scene. That and the humid 100 degrees are letting us know that summer is officially in the house. Mallory kicks off vacation season next week as the first crew member to head off the farm for some R&R (or whatever they choose to do on their vacation--it's theirs and they get to choose!). After that, it's pretty rapid fire with someone gone just about every week (we try to stagger them so no more than one person is gone each week). These are paid vacations so that folks actually take them. Years ago, we noticed a slight burn out/low energy/people quitting about the beginning of August and so out of enlightened self interest, we started paying people to not work as we lead up to those dog days. After all, we work hard and it's often hot and humid, and rest and renewal becomes a necessity.
This week's waxing poetic:
The best and most frustrating part of life is that there’s no end to learning and growing. It’s wonderful because I never get bored or stagnant. There’s always more to learn. It’s frustrating because quite frankly, things would go much smoother if I just knew it all already! And sometimes, I’d just like to feel like an “expert” instead of an imposter just making it up as I go along. I used to think people didn’t change all that much. Then we were having this discussion about this the other day and most of us wagered that we were completely different people than we were ten years ago. So I thought back to ten years ago in my life. 2012 was a year of transformation for me—a virtual growth spurt. So yeah, I guess I emerged from the primordial goo of 2012 a bit of a new person-a better—more complete—version of myself. The new self is informed by the old self’s experiences, but I guess that does mean that I have changed quite a lot. Humans seem to like consistency, so it’s kind of amazing that we can maintain relationships through all the drastic changes in each other. Our adaptability is incredible! I don’t know what any of this has to do with our nation’s celebration of our day of independence, but perhaps the country is not all that different than the people that make it. Perhaps the country learns and grows and adapts as well. I hope so. I hope the country emerges from the primordial goo of these years of division and tension and transforms into a better, more complete, version of itself.
