HOME Habits

by Danielle French South Pond Farms www.southpondfarms.ca

Ifelt the weather change this morning. Our mitts and hats are still packed away in a container, but pulling them out and finding a spot for them is on my to do list for today.

It has been a wonderful warm fall but I am ready for cooler temperatures and watching the leaves turn. Pulling on a hat and heading outside is the same for me as pulling out my heavy pots making up stews and slow cooking vegetables simmered in tomato sauce, picking the last herbs out of the garden to throw into the mixture. Cooking and breathing in the cool air on a morning walk is as much part of the change in seasons as lilacs in Spring. Habits and constancy in my life. I realize how much I will miss the smell of the fire and lighting the cook stove every morning to take the dampness out of the house. I will not miss stacking chords of wood. Change is a good thing and I’m happy to embrace new habits. I purchased a candle called Fireside and while it’s not quite the same, it smells cozy almost like a bit of smoke in the air.

The weather certainly plays a part in my mood most days and I frequently check it on my phone before even my morning coffee to see what I’m up against for a walk. I wonder if that is a true sign of age that weather becomes a critical factor in deciding what to do. A new goal is to simply go and never mind what it is like outside. Although I still love the rainy days and am happy to stay in and organize things or to finish some sort of project needing to get done.

Without daily farm chores, my days are often rudderless which is not a bad thing. Being thrown off course is something we have all experienced these past two years with the pandemic. While it was scary and devastating for so many it brought me into a place where I am more aware of what I do and how it affects others. I am sure that it will take some time to make the adjustment of not feeding the chickens and goats, no organizing events and generally being in my own space versus with others.

When we change course it is not going to be instantaneous. I am generally someone who likes to tick things off a to do list and while I may procrastinate, I eventually get it done. Adjusting to new habits takes concentration and commitment to make them a daily part of my routine. I am sure that so many of us are coming out of the pandemic with this dilemma. Work is no longer as it was, going into an office is possibly not happening still for a time. Routines are muddled and difficult to re-establish.

One constant part of my life that is still the same is getting out for walks and enjoying nature. It’s a habit well formed and a regular aspect of my day. Here in Peterborough there are so many options. There are trails throughout the city and outside its boundaries, well marked, easy to find and navigate. My favourite walk is along the canal and lock system. With the smell of the water I am transcended to Europe walking along manicured paths and watching the boats go by. The Kawartha Land Trust trails, specifically the Ballyduff Trails, are still my favourite for their diversity in landscape- poplars, birch, pines, oak, maple, and prairie grasses. Having this outlet to just check out of worries, clears the mind.

The pandemic affected my business and so many others, couples getting married not able to have what they envisioned, my employees to whom I could no longer provide employment, even things that I thought would always be there such as broken food supply chains. As we head into the holiday season, those things are still problems and we need to adjust. Instant is not as it used to be. I believe that we all need to be ready for changes all around us with our work, our food, consumer goods and even our environment. Change keeps us on our toes, flexible and maybe even younger. Enjoy the season change and maybe don’t check the temperature so often (a message to myself!). Pull on a hat, go outdoors and just breathe.