For me, part of the appeal of baking (and cooking) from scratch is that it makes my life more simple. There is something very simple and calming about chopping and stirring various foods in my kitchen. I can actually focus better on my tasks than I do during my work day, and it is the one time of day where I do not feel the need to have music going or want to watch something on TV. Instead, all I want it to be a part of making these different ingredients turn into one or two yummy dishes.
I have been reading a book of essays by Barbara Kingsolver called "Small Wonder". All of these essays in some way have to do with living simply, whether it is by eating locally or using fewer fossils fuels or watching less TV or learning to say no to a way too busy life. I knew that she made gardening and eating locally a large part of her life, but I was amazed to learn some of the things she has said no to, simply because they use too much fuel. For instance, she does not do book tours and turns down most speaking engagements (even though these would earn her more money) because she cannot justify the amount of fuel and pollution it would take for her to travel around the country.
I am inspired again by this woman who lives in a way that to many people seems outdated or inconvenient. It makes me dream of being able to live in a small farming community, have my own garden, and spend much of my time outside doing the manual labor of keeping up the garden, and the rest of the time cooking up a storm in the kitchen.
However, I am also convicted. I am sad/angry/guilt-ridden at myself and at our Western, capitalistic, dominance-oriented way of thinking that living simply is an active choice that we have to make, and how so often, we do not make that choice. Take this weekend for example...I have a new computer for work and so I have been cleaning off my old computer and organizing files for much of the weekend. So I choose to do this activity while watching hours and hours of TV, rather than reading, listening to some calming music, baking, sitting on our balcony, etc. Maybe that's not the best example, or rather the worst thing I could have done. But I think it is reflective of how easy it is for us to turn on the TV instead of reading, to choose processed foods instead of fresh, whole foods, and to consume more than our fair share of the world's resources.
And herein lies my dilemma(s)...I want this more simple life. I think that others want it too. I think that if we were all living more simply and more connected to our local communities, we would not have such a problem with the economy and climate change and war, poverty, etc. that we have. But I work two jobs and by the time I work, workout, and make dinner that day, I am so tired that I choose the convenience of TV instead of the work of reading or connecting to other humans via volunteering or a small group. Or I make my small choices of recycling (which is ridiculously difficult in Florence) and buying farmer's market food, but do not follow up on (what I see as) my responsibility to help others do the same. Why is it so easy to choose the convenient path, the path that in many ways destroys our connections with one another and with our earth? Why do I care more about missing what was on TV than missing out on living life outside of our apartment? Even though it may take more energy in the beginning, I know that these actions of living simply and connecting to others will be more fulfilling in the end, and yet I often do not choose them.
In the midst of this depressing post (sorry about that), I want to make the active and hopeful decision today to do things that are life giving, not only to me, but also good for those around me. I will take this Sabbath day and instead of watching TV all day or fretting about work or the state of the world, I am going to choose baking, reading, talking to friends, and going for a walk outside. I am going to turn off the electronics (which I do want to say are not bad in moderation) and live a little more simply today. I hope that you are able to do so this week as well.
I have been reading a book of essays by Barbara Kingsolver called "Small Wonder". All of these essays in some way have to do with living simply, whether it is by eating locally or using fewer fossils fuels or watching less TV or learning to say no to a way too busy life. I knew that she made gardening and eating locally a large part of her life, but I was amazed to learn some of the things she has said no to, simply because they use too much fuel. For instance, she does not do book tours and turns down most speaking engagements (even though these would earn her more money) because she cannot justify the amount of fuel and pollution it would take for her to travel around the country.
I am inspired again by this woman who lives in a way that to many people seems outdated or inconvenient. It makes me dream of being able to live in a small farming community, have my own garden, and spend much of my time outside doing the manual labor of keeping up the garden, and the rest of the time cooking up a storm in the kitchen.
However, I am also convicted. I am sad/angry/guilt-ridden at myself and at our Western, capitalistic, dominance-oriented way of thinking that living simply is an active choice that we have to make, and how so often, we do not make that choice. Take this weekend for example...I have a new computer for work and so I have been cleaning off my old computer and organizing files for much of the weekend. So I choose to do this activity while watching hours and hours of TV, rather than reading, listening to some calming music, baking, sitting on our balcony, etc. Maybe that's not the best example, or rather the worst thing I could have done. But I think it is reflective of how easy it is for us to turn on the TV instead of reading, to choose processed foods instead of fresh, whole foods, and to consume more than our fair share of the world's resources.
And herein lies my dilemma(s)...I want this more simple life. I think that others want it too. I think that if we were all living more simply and more connected to our local communities, we would not have such a problem with the economy and climate change and war, poverty, etc. that we have. But I work two jobs and by the time I work, workout, and make dinner that day, I am so tired that I choose the convenience of TV instead of the work of reading or connecting to other humans via volunteering or a small group. Or I make my small choices of recycling (which is ridiculously difficult in Florence) and buying farmer's market food, but do not follow up on (what I see as) my responsibility to help others do the same. Why is it so easy to choose the convenient path, the path that in many ways destroys our connections with one another and with our earth? Why do I care more about missing what was on TV than missing out on living life outside of our apartment? Even though it may take more energy in the beginning, I know that these actions of living simply and connecting to others will be more fulfilling in the end, and yet I often do not choose them.
In the midst of this depressing post (sorry about that), I want to make the active and hopeful decision today to do things that are life giving, not only to me, but also good for those around me. I will take this Sabbath day and instead of watching TV all day or fretting about work or the state of the world, I am going to choose baking, reading, talking to friends, and going for a walk outside. I am going to turn off the electronics (which I do want to say are not bad in moderation) and live a little more simply today. I hope that you are able to do so this week as well.
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