Everything sublime is as difficult as it is rare. Baruch Spinoza

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Give Me Comfort

I have been spending more time inside this winter. My body had started to feel the toll of the unrelenting work associated with my farm and my horses. Something had to give and I decided it was in my best interest that it be some of the barn work rather than my ability to walk and use my arms. So standards have slipped over the long winter, but an amazing thing is happening. I can feel my body heal. I will never be forty again, or even fifty. But I am slowly feeling better.

The wear repetitive motion places on joints is startling. Couple that with tugging, pulling and jarring and I had one sore body. The extra time has had me in the kitchen, trying some new things.

Today I decided to try these mushrooms ala Beading Stars She is a very accomplished cook, so I pay attention to her advice. I don't eat mushrooms but Mark does, so I made one jar for him to try. I'm sure he will love them. 


I think a little time devoted to wool gathering is not a bad thing. I am a tightly wound individual who obviously needed a little unwinding; mentally and physically. Our bodies tell us when enough is enough. If we don't listen, we are eventually forced to do so. I didn't listen. I am now.

The moral of the story is, stop along the way to sit down and eat a cookie. Or pickle some mushrooms.

11 comments:

Flat Creek Farm said...

Good advice! Those mushrooms look scrumptious.. may have to try some :) -Tammy

Deb said...

beautiful photo of beautiful mushrooms...I can see those tossed on a mixed green salad...a welcome relief from dull winter salads. I giggled at your "tightly wound" description of yourself...somehow I think this is an understatement. I can relate! I too am mellowing as I get older...It's a good thing.

Dawn said...

Good for you, listening to your body.
The mushrooms look great. How interesting!
xo

Sandra said...

Tammy: I'll need to ask Mark how they are. They look pretty. : )

Debra: I am a bit 'tense' : o I'm believing they will be as good as they look.

country girl: my body did not give me a choice! I was going down for the count, so I decided to give in. It was a wise choice. ; )

Jill said...

The mushrooms look fabulous. I know what you mean about the farm chores. Too much cold wet weather this winter!

Sandra said...

Jill: and years of doing the same thing over and over again. It would be the definition of insanity except I didn't expect a different result each day!

Ganeida said...

I stopped all summer. We're about to start back up. I'm not good but I'm better than I was. This growing older thing is not fun! ☺

Sandra said...

Ganeida, your schedule gives me a headache! I hope you are having a great time at the shore with your mum.

A.Smith said...

Thank you for the compliment about cooking, but like you my body is getting to feel the rust...sigh.

What normally would have been a morning of cooking is now several hours, some sitting and carefully slicing and dicing and wondering how in heaven's name my body could do all the things I did when I had the restaurant. Youth is indeed wasted on the young, I never appreciated the effort gone into what I call the most unselfish of all arts: cooking.

Hours spent making something to see it disappear in moments. Ah, but the memories, right? Good for you to listen to your body, I am slowly, very slowly beginning to listen to mine.

BTW, he was charming but smoked like a chimney as I told you in my blog. How on Earth could he have tasted the food is beyond me.

julochka said...

those look fabulous! i may have to try that. i was just looking longingly at my pickled green tomatoes the other day and thinking it would be such a long time before i could pickle anything again.

Britwife said...

Oh my. Heaven in a jar. I am soooo there!