Lots of helpers

I've noticed a change in my normal group of contacts over the past few months. As I keep having small discussions with people and make small changes to my life moving it towards living sustainably they have, more or less, been dragged along with me and are also making these changes without thinking about it. And they are all helping me meet my needs to move towards that type of lifestyle.

My kids like to help in the garden (I don't know any boys who don't like to get dirty) and also to help "process" the food once it is procured. I think a lot of this has to do with them still being young, but I also hope it is something that they find somewhat enjoyable too. I know I do as it's fun to sit with them and shell peas and snap beans and talk with them about what they are thinking.

My wife has also started to help more. She is watching the boys a lot (she's always watched them more than I have), which is a tremendous help to allow me to do all these different things, but she is also helping me prepare the food more, and helping pick some things (I think the tomatoes being ready helped here) and she is taking an interest in eating more local and organic foods, without even realizing it, I think. She's also taking a bigger role in backing up my thoughts on what we should do as a family to move towards these future goals. It's great having a united front on this subject, and such a great partner for our future.

My friends have started to get in on it too. I have one friend who has been sharing with me the bounty from her father's garden. (I'm not sure how he feels about this but I appreciate it) I appreciate the potatoes and squash she has shared and also the great discussion with her about cooking different foods from what grows in a garden. I have another friend who has been great help setting up my compost pile.

My in-laws have been great sharing their truck with me so I can transport a lot of compost, and just this weekend they shared peaches fresh off their peach tree with us. (I've decided that canned peaches suck. Fresh peaches rule.) They are always ready with a bag of veggie scraps and such for my compost (they need to start their own though. Stop paying for it).

My parents have been a big help too. Answering questions about growing your own food, how to cook things we've grown, providing books and most importantly this weekend, how to locate the wheat moths we were invaded by (they were in the leftover corn we burn in our corn stove) have been a tremendous help.

Bloggers have been a great source of information too. Reading about their trials and tribulations, their recipes, their interactions and their information about growing food has helped me to become more aware of what is happening and how to prepare for it, and how to make a bigger impact on my life by growing my own food. Reading about other people who ride their bicycles for their basic transportation needs makes it more reassuring to make that step. Reading about other bloggers making changes to their lives has made it a lot easier to feel less alone in this journey.

I guess what I'm trying to say is thanks to everyone. I guess a community of helpers still operates in America today, it just looks a little different than it did 150 years ago.

FGLB