It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light and winter in the shade.

–Charles Dickens

Today was exactly like that quote from Charles Dickens.

Spring Break was a couple weeks ago. Quite suddenly the frenetic pace in which I have grown accustomed to functioning, came to a screeching halt. Then there was silence and time. I can’t remember when I had such a vast expanse of both.

Last year at this same time I was learning new ways to kneel and kiss the ground even as that ground was spinning away beneath my wheels and shifting beneath my feet.  Prayers were being flung to the heavens. Finally, the ground gave way and I poured right through the hourglass into a completely different life. And here I am.

This year I am learning to operate at a slower pace.  The curriculum is challenging, but the lessons are definitely worth the while….as well as delicious!    El Diablo made these fluffy rolls this week the slow way.

Amish Friendship Bread

Amish Friendship Rolls

They took *forever.*

Piping hot and drenched with melted butter and maple syrup as they were, I ate entirely too many of them.

Now, raspberry, blueberry, and blackberry bushes are ready to be planted. This season’s new seeds will be planted soon, along with the seeds collected from last year’s garden.

seeds for the planting

seeds for the planting

As we are making way for slow food, I’m remembering some of the things I read in Barbara Kingsolver’s memoir Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life about how to rely less on fossil fuels through the food choices we make. So I leave you today with food for thought.

  • Americans put almost as much fossil fuel into our refrigerators as our cars.
  •  The average food item on a U.S. grocery shelf has traveled farther than most families go on their annual vacations…. an average of 1,500 miles….
  • If every U.S. citizen ate just one meal a week (any meal) composed of locally and organically raised meats and produce, we would reduce our country’s oil consumption by over 1.1 million barrels of oil every week.

–Barbara Kingsolver

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle