Why Load Everyone Up In the Car and Go?

No, gas isn't free and no, we shouldn't jump into the car willy-nilly and waste resources/increase pollution on whims. And I don't. If I can walk somewhere instead of drive, I generally do just that, because I'm not a gym person at all, but I do believe in the value of exercise. My goal is a lifestyle where I have a pretty good idea of what I'm going to be doing in a day, and the calorie-to-energy ratio that the activities will require, and I can eat accordingly. For example, on Sundays, I could easily get by without eating at all, heh heh...but I digress. This post is to celebrate five reasons why it's good for the soul sometimes to just load everyone up in the car and...go!


1. Spontaneous new experiences.

 I once read that we spend hours, days, maybe even months pondering big decisions, like where to go to college, when to marry, should we take a certain job, etc., but it's the little, quick decisions that have the greatest impact on our lives, like should I go out with my friends this Friday night or stay home?
When I saw this flier on the message board at Daily Groceries, I was intrigued. So I decided, then and there, even though we were just returning from a mini-break and car taxes are due at the end of this month, that I would somehow scrape together the means to go. So I did. Gas money and a picnic lunch, and we were on the way!

For more information about the amazing things that Maria at Field to Cup Project is doing, visit here!


2. Your child/children need glimpses into your childhood.

My parents were the original day trippers. I can remember many picnic lunches in unusual places, seeing the sights that growing up in a rural community offers. Covered bridges were a main attraction, so it was a delight to come across this gem yesterday, and be able to tell my son the stories of visiting covered bridges with my parents years ago. Jumping in the car and heading out to places you visited as a child, or similar places, can afford you the chance to share stories from your own childhood and connect with your children.
My son loves hearing me talk about growing up in the '80s and often says he wishes he was growing up in the '80s, because it seemed like my childhood was more fun. What was different? The '80s were a simpler time, without so much focus on television and technology. I heard my son's words, and I listened, and I make sure to keep his childhood simple as I remember my own being. This is connection. This is what we learn.

This particular covered bridge in Watkinsville, Georgia, was originally built in 1897 and moved to this location near a grist mill in 1924. The grist mill has not been functional since the early 1940s. 


3. Meet new people. Make new friends. Connect and share ideas with like-minded folks.

Sometimes it's difficult to bloom where we are planted. Often, we find we struggle to connect with others around us because we haven't much in common with them beyond working together or living in the same neighborhoods.
Venturing out can afford us the chance to meet new people, make new friend and make connections with like-minded folks who share our passions and interests so that we can bring this inspiration home to help us bloom.

Little Rose Nature School has a truly amazing vision and I can't wait to hear more about what they are doing there. Learn more here!


4. A chance to explore new woods.

I often say I've raised my son in the forest, because we are blessed to live beside a wonderful, protected woods right in the heart of town. All manner of wildlife visit us here, including - and unfortunately for the outside cats we once had - coyotes. Sometimes, deep on a trail, it's easy to forget that there are cars and buildings not so far away.

It's a wonderful thing, however, to visit a new woods, to go off the beaten path somewhere deep in, to wade in cool water and hop along river rocks.

I couldn't resist getting in on the action myself! But nature is as good for the adult soul as it is the child. I read a disturbing report recently that stated prisoners get more time outside than elementary aged school children. I can't imagine that! I am so glad this is not true for my child or the children around us, but it hurts my soul to think it is true for some. I'm starting a book soon called Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv. You can see why I was so excited to meet and connect with Little Rose Nature School!


5. Taking pause in a different place. (Or, sipping tea/coffee in a different place!)

If you know me personally, then you know I love coffee and tea. And I love coffee shops, trying new flavors and varieties when we travel. I always tuck away a few dollars on every little trip for stops by local coffee shops we may come across. It' also great when we can sip coffee or tea in beautiful areas of a home or yard. It's a break time, a relaxing moment, time to sit and process all we are doing and have yet to do.

More importantly, however, it's a time to be in the moment, in the now, enjoying the scents and sights around us that a new place offers. A pause. We enjoy this often on our own patio; but it's great to be in a new place, taking a pause.


My parents used to load us up in the car without any real destination in mind at all, but I remember these excursions fondly. They were simple and generally free, save for gas money and picnic lunches. Good times don't have to cost a fortune! As a parent, I strive now to live on less and less, giving my son experiences instead of things, indulging that simple '80s lifestyle that he thrives on. I am always looking for ways to enrich our lives that afford adventure without involving expense, something my own parents seemed to have mastered as they loaded us up in second-hand cars without air conditioning to show us the world, or at least the world around us.

It's one of those simpler-times-parenting-skills that seems to be falling by the wayside, along with family dinners and hand-me-down clothing.

Let's not let that happen.

How I Make the Most of Busy Weekday/Workday Evenings

On a run this week, I thought about how I used to view weekday/workday evenings...

I'm not proud to say that I once referred to it as 'the second shift'. I would come home from work focused on all the work that needed to be done at home. Some days I felt like I was going through motions and I just wanted tasks to be done so I could sit down.

And I couldn't wait for the weekends to come so I could relax. 

Now, I've learned to see beauty in the simplicity of workday/weekday evening routines. Weekends are wonderful, but it is possible to make weekday/workday evenings not hectic and stressful, but peaceful and pleasant times together as family. Here are some things that work well for my son and I!

1. Unplugging and getting outside

These days, 'unplugging' is an essential part of our evening routine. I've written many times about the importance of being present and being in the moment. I have made a habit of no longer looking at social networking sites from my phone during workday/weekday evenings. I might view these sites in the mornings before I leave for work, but I find it is easier to be in the moment and fully present if I am not looking at my phone during evening hours. 

Time in nature is so important to our health and well being. Disconnecting from technology and immersing myself in nature, even only for a few moments, rejuvenates me after a long busy day at work!

2. Plant a garden

There is something so rewarding about growing your own food! But it is a lot of work! By splitting it into smaller jobs to be done daily or every other day, it is more easily manageable to work full-time and also maintain a garden. And there is a tremendous sense of peace, for me, in having my hands in the dirt after a long day of work!

A garden is also a great way to get children away from television or video games and also eating healthier foods. I find that my son is much more likely to eat foods that he planted, grew, and tended himself than if I simply purchase these items at the market. I never required him to work in the garden, but would occasionally ask his assistance when I was busy tending some part of it. It was easy for me to watch him play outside if I was in the garden, and I find children are inherently curious about things adults are doing and in time will want to help. I'm pleased to say this is how it has unfolded for us! The garden is a big part of our lives.

3. Find an exercise you enjoy and can easily fit into your evenings

I discovered running about a year ago, and have been practicing yoga for many years. These activities help me to feel healthy and strong, and I tend to alternate between each depending on the weather and how I feel. Because evening hours can be busy after long work days, I keep my runs and yoga routines shorter than what I might do on weekends - just enough to feel the benefits of regular exercise! And running has an extra plus, just like gardening - more time outdoors!

4. A bit of spontaneity makes a weekday/workday evening more fun

A visit from a friend, making an apple pie, visiting grandparents, or just going out to dinner...all of these things can add a new dimension to a weekday/workday evening! Instead of pressuring myself to have certain things done on certain days as I did in the past, I leave room to be spontaneous. Weekday/workday evenings should be as enjoyable as weekends! 

5. Find simple, flexible routines that work for you and your family

Doing homework immediately upon arriving home just did not work well for us. Neither of us wanted to come in and focus on schoolwork right away. So now, my son does his homework while I am tidying up the kitchen after dinner. This way I am close by and can answer questions or lend a hand. I also have found that keeping extracurricular activities, like classes I am taking or sports my son is participating in, to a minimum - one activity at a time, and no more than two evenings a week - help keep the weekday/workday busy evening burnout away!

6. Have something that you authentically enjoy to close your day with

A cup of evening coffee and good book...these are a perfect close of the day for me!

A knitting project works, too! 

I used to try and accomplish many things in the evening that were not always my authentic interests. My motivations for these projects were based on a feeling of always needing to be working towards some grand goal that would bring some sense of accomplishment to the day. Now, I find joy in the simple routines of the day and do not need grand goals to constantly be striving towards, only joy. I'm very grateful for this magical, wonderful life that we have and I am grateful to be able to close a day doing something I love!

There are so many ways to make workday/weekday evening routines less stressful and more meaningful, and I'll write more on this subject soon. The weekend is just around the corner, and I'm looking very forward to The Rabon Creek Farm Fresh Fair on Saturday and my mother's birthday celebration on Sunday! I'm sure there will be posts on both events, as well as on the change of seasons. Autumn is my favorite season and it is shaping up to be a beautiful one here in South Carolina!

Happy Thursday, all! 

Spontaneity and Apple Pie

I am not the most spontaneous person, most who know me well would agree. Perhaps it comes with maturity, but I like having some sense of how the day, week, or even the month will unfold. I think this has to do sometimes with being a parent, especially during those early years when you learn that anything can and will happen. It is almost impossible to try and make plans or keep a routine in early days of parenting, especially when you are parenting solo! So these days I really enjoy a sense of order and consistency to certain things, despite the idea many people have that because I am creative I would be very spontaneous and always do things 'on a whim'.

In reality, I tend to be reluctant to be spontaneous. There is a sense of security in my days that wasn't always present years ago, and I value it. I do not believe routine is a 'death sentence' as some people say, especially not if you enjoy the routines and they bring you peace, like my yoga practice, my work, or even my running schedule.

However, I do believe it is good to be spontaneous, and it doesn't have to be a major thing like a weekend trip or repainting a room. Spontaneity is a subject I've written quite a bit about because it isn't always so easy for me, and I find the biggest reason is that by nature, when a fun idea comes to me, sometimes I just procrastinate acting on it because I've already envisioned what a day, weekend, or even an afternoon will entail and I am attached to that idea. So I put the spontaneous idea on the back burner for another time, even though there is no valid reason not to do it.

Today, I'm pleased to say, that did not happen! For days my son and I have been passing by a field with an apple tree growing there, seemingly wild, with many apples going unpicked and falling to the ground.

I used to take my son to my aunt and uncle's house to pick apples from their tree each fall, and we would make apple pies and apple crisps and apple sauce and all kinds of yummy things. A few years ago, however, their apple tree contacted a tree illness and had to be cut down. So it has been some time since we've enjoyed picking apples that are just growing organically in nature. I was so keen to do it again that today, we stopped at the house closest to the apple tree and knocked on the door!

The man who answered told us he did own the property but we could pick as many apples as we liked! Not wanting to take advantage of his kindness, we picked enough to make an apple pie! For all my foreign readers, what is more American than apple pie, right? :-)

Today was just a typical Monday and the ride home was also typical until I stopped at the apple tree. Suddenly there was excitement about getting home! We were making an apple pie for dessert! Now every Southern cook worth their salt always has the ingredients on hand for pie of just about any kind, so I put my assistant to work making the crust while I washed and cored the apples. I was delighted at how naturally beautiful they seemed, despite a few imperfections that were easily cut away. I will take cutting away an imperfection over icky pesticides any day!

Boys love cooking, too!!

Filled with yummy natural goodness and ready for the oven...

...and a bounty left over for the composter! Nothing is ever wasted in this kitchen!

About the time I popped the pie into the oven, a friend stopped by and stayed for a slice. We were so caught up in visiting and conversation that I forgot to take a photograph of the finished product! I did, however, manage to sneak a shot of my son's slice, all warm from the oven and topped with vanilla frozen yoghurt!

My friend and I enjoyed coffee and conversation with our slices of apple pie, and the experience added something special to what was shaping up to be a typical Monday. It was even more special that we'd picked the apples ourselves from a tree right near our home.

Most days after work the last thing I feel like doing is coming home and making a pie in addition to making dinner, homework, and other evening routines. Many times I fall into the trap of thinking things like this are for 'special occasions' but it is in being spontaneous that we transform a typical evening into a special occasion! By the time I got home I was excited and felt energized and the workday just melted away. We had a great time both making and eating the pie. And my friend was delighted to have popped by just at the right time!

While I do greatly value consistency and routine, I'm making it a point in my life not to become so attached to the safety of it that I don't allow room for spontaneity and all the lessons and joy it has to offer, including apple pie!

Happy Monday, all!