Tuesday, September 21, 2010

About my "free food"

Someone commented on my previous entry that food from the garden isn't really free, because my labor counts for something.  
If I considered it labor, indeed it would.  
This reminds me of a conversation I had with a couple of Cliff's cousins a couple of weeks ago.  These ladies have friended me on Facebook, and have found my blog.  They told me they were amazed at all the hard work I do, milking a cow and churning butter and making cottage cheese.  
"That's not work," I told them.  "I'm playing!" 
It's hard to explain to people that I do all that kind of stuff for fun.  I don't have to do it; I do it because I like to, because I want to.   
Financially, we could do without a garden; in fact, I had not gardened for a long time because I got tired of blight taking my tomato crop and squash bugs killing my vines.  Then two years ago, I got a hankering to have a go at it again.  
Last year I had a blast, and this year I've had even more fun with it.  As much as I love the food, though, if it weren't fun, I wouldn't be doing it.  
It's the same with with milking and churning and making cheese.  
I do all these things happily, while ignoring mundane chores like washing windows, cleaning my mini-blinds (I still haven't figured out how to get them down), or shampooing the carpets.  
So:  I have a hobby, gardening.  If I happen to get some food from it, it's simply a by-product, and it's free.  I have another hobby, taking care of my pet cow and milking her occasionally.  If I happen to get some milk or cream or butter out of the deal, that's just icing on the cake.  
Anyone who knows me will tell you that I do very few things that I don't want to do.   
There aren't a lot of people who can say that.  

6 comments:

  1. and it keeps you from sitting home watching tv all day

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  2. How wonderful to do what you love to do and gain those extra benefits from it then. I'm the same as you. There is little that I do that I don't want to since I've retired.

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  3. Thus...a happy hobby that brings forth....FREE FOOD! lol

    Have a good evening.

    Sonya

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  4. Well put! I really didn't think of the garden so much as "drudgery" this year. I think it had something to do with me resigning myself to the fact that I couldn't be a successful organic gardener. Miracle Grow is now my friend :D -Tammy

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  5. Lindie11:29 PM

    I understand exactly! I love picking my salad an hour before I eat it. I know I actualy paid for it, one way or another, but picking it and eating it and knowing I have no pesticides on it make me happy.

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  6. Yes I agree. We're at our happiest when the sweet corn, cukes, tomatoes,and green beans are in full swing.
    Harvest is about to begin here. The beans are about ready and the corn is drying up quickly.

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