Time Is Not On My Side

It is 11:00  p.m., and I am worn out.

Allow me to rewind the day. I woke up ready to embrace any new challenges that came my way. I would start the day by making four loaves of bread, and was even looking forward to walking to Church. After church, I would bake the bread for lunch, visit my grandma and be ready for a 2:00 meeting. I started the day by working on some marking. The marking took longer than I realized and I didn't have time to make my dough. As I was preparing to leave the house, I was frustrated to recall that my snow pants were left in my classroom at school. This would be my first cold walk.

After Church I walked to my grandma's house. We had tea and a good visit. She shared some incredible stories which I will be sharing through the week. When I returned at 1:30 I started the dough for the bread. My mind was racing with thoughts of the long list of tasks I still needed to do. There were loads of laundry to be done, dishes in the sink and blog posts to be written. I still hadn't eaten, and I was tired. As I was kneading the dough I noticed that the volume and texture wasn't what it usually was, and that it seemed a little more difficult to work with. I kept kneading it. As the dough finally came to a ball, I glanced across the counter and noticed my measuring cup, full of warm water and frothy, activated yeast. I had forgotten to add it to the dough. How could I have possibly missed this step? I have made bread for years, and yet I managed to mess up on the day I needed it the most. The batch called for 12 cups of flour, and I certainly couldn't afford to lose it. I added the liquid to the dough and patiently worked with it until it finally cooperated. I left it with the hope that it would still rise.

I was picked up at 2:00 for a meeting and didn't return home until 4:30. The dough had risen, but now I needed the oven to prepare dinner. I was looking forward to preparing a seven-layer casserole. I purposely chose this meal because it is very economical and can be stretched out to last two days. I enjoyed putting it together and it was in the oven shortly after 5:00. I hoped it would be ready by 6:00 as I had made a commitment to visit my neighbour at 6:30. A seven layer dinner includes sliced potatoes, carrots, onions, peas, rice, sausages and tomato soup. I had underestimated the time it takes to cook through all the layers. It was still not ready at 6:25. Derek, who had been at play practice joked, "Why didn't you just make a family-sized box of Kraft Dinner?" The question was poignant. I went next door to visit, but I didn't let on that I still hadn't eaten. It was 9:36 p.m. by the time I finally had a chance to eat dinner.

Although I had opened my daily challenge in the morning, I chose not to blog about it until this late hour, as the note presented the following situation;

It is 10:00 p.m. and you cut your foot. You need to go to the hospital, but you do not have a car. What do you do?

So now, at 10:30 p.m., completely exhausted and with bread finally in the oven, I am confronted with an accident. The thought of having to wait in Emergency at this time of night is more painful than my "throbbing foot." If I order a taxi, it would likely use up all remaining funds. I contemplate calling an ambulance, but discover that I would be required to pay a co-payment fee of $45.00. Further, if the ambulance is deemed medically unnecessary, I may need to pay up to $240.00. I eventually decide to ask my neighbour for a ride. I know it will be a late night, so I will not expect her to wait for me. $20.00 will be spent on a taxi home. I am discouraged.

                                                                                               

A Matter of Perspective

It is Sunday morning and I am already ruminating about the week that lies ahead. I sense that any unanticipated events will require more thought, more sacrifice than ever before. Yesterday, I purchased my groceries for the week. My family has agreed to support me in this challenge, so we will all be eating the same foods. Since I was shopping for four people, my goal was to spend $100. I came quite close to this, with a total of $102.88. I realize that purchasing groceries for four, rather than one, puts me at an advantage. I was able to buy more for my "share" at $25.72 than other challengers who are buying for one.

I decided to empty my refrigerator and pantry so that the only food visible is the food we will have for the week. The fair sized amount sitting on the table looks a little more scarce when put away. There is an awareness that once an item is used, it will not be replaced.

 

In an effort to eat as nutritiously as possible, I will be making many things from scratch. Since this is a day off for me, I want to prepare as much as I can ahead of time. As I consider what I need to do, I am surprised by an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the people who have taught me skills. In my life, I have been fortunate to learn how to cook, bake, garden and forage. While I will not dig into my freezer for garden vegetables or berries this week, I am more cognizant of their value.

As I reflect more deeply on this, my mind becomes flooded with memories of learning. Learning from my mother, as she taught me how to thin the carrots. Learning from my father as we searched for the best blueberry patch. Moments with children in our school gardens as they harvested their long awaited green beans. A friend, who calls every summer and invites me to pick an abundance of raspberries from her patch.  A memorable day spent with other community members building a section of a Permaculture Garden with KACL. Learning from the experiences of friends and neighbours who have been fortunate enough to gain this important knowledge in their own lives.

As one of the Directors for the Kenora Agricultural Society, I am inspired by the growing interest in Community Gardening in Kenora over the past few years. I am now quite intentional in suggesting that it is a topic for deep consideration as we explore ways to reduce poverty in our area. Sharing knowledge about skills that can help people access better food while building relationships through meaningful work. . . sounds like a win. How can we ensure the people who need these opportunities the most, can access them? 

Here is a link to the wonderful work being done through KACL.

https://www.kacl.ca/index.php/en/horticulture