A break

We have been reveling in summer, with its lazy days spent at the river, its glorious hot days that make the tomatoes and figs speed towards ripening, its flower scented air.  There has been a little bit of a lull in the workload for me, not because there is less to do, but because I am making a conscious choice to do less.  A month ago, I got some health testing results back.  They showed me that my efficient, hard working, type A German personality finally got the best the worst of me: my cortisol levels (stress hormones) are out of the ballpark low, meaning that I've been running on adrenaline.  No wonder I'm getting so much done!  But this has to change.  If my stress hormones dip any lower, I will get really sick.  I vote for a change!  We all want a happy mama.  So I've been chatting with the young kid in my body who believes that she's not good enough, that she's not worthy.  She believes that she needs to produce, accomplish, and attain in order to take up space in the world.  I lovingly tell her that this belief is a load of crap, and that we will change things from now on.  We'll see how it goes.  

One of the things we'll change is to get rid of the goats in the fall.  I can't even tell you how much this thought freaks me out, how much my identity is wrapped up in being a goat keeper and cheese maker.  I've had goats for nine years in a row.  And although the goats give me lots of joy, they also give me lots of work, extra chores and stress.  So with a heavy heart, I will enjoy the goats this summer, and then... we'll see.  For now, I sold all the baby goats and their mamas, and I'm borrowing my friend's goat to keep my other one company.  That means I'm milking two, getting over two gallons of milk a day.
Here is our new loaner goat Mocha in the minivan, on the way to our farm, and below that picture is my friend and her daughters, who just learned to milk!  And check out our new little chicks!

Other happenings in our lives, aside from all these major life transitions?  Well, there is fire making, of course, since my wilderness man has to keep up his hand drill fire making skills.  And there are flowers, lots of flowers.  The other day, my organic flower farming friend urged me to pick a bucket load of flowers at her farm, and who am I to say no to that?

I will leave you with pictures of my own flower paradise at our homestead.  No matter how turbulent life gets, I feel at peace whenever I stick my nose into flowers.  What gives you peace and joy these days?