Monday, January 9, 2012

Our Challenge...What's the point?

I've been asked this a few times now...and the answer is *there is no *real* point.*

For 2010 I challenged myself not to buy vegetables for a whole year.  Proved to myself that I could even though I had serious doubts about doing it for 12 months.  2011 kinda had the same goal but really wasn't as *into it*

So to keep the fun in being outside digging, planting, mulching, mowing, braving all sorts of weather, picking up snails and squishing smelly bugs I needed something new.  Something harder.  Something that would knock my socks off and make me laugh more...Something that I could do that would make the husband think about what he ate and about all the hard work I put in to feed him these fresh yummy vegies that he doesn't really care about...Something to justify my not looking for another job now that I am on my last week...You know, all the normal reasons that a normal person would not have...

I have asked others to challenge themselves.  To do something that will be hard for them.  For no particular reason except that it will be fun... Kinda...

Sister in Law, who used to have a great veg garden but has since moved and become slack, said she couldn't even grow tomatoes so I said that could be her challenge.  To not buy tomatoes for all of this year, she needs to grow any tomatoes they want to eat.   I had heaps of ideas for her but in the end she kinda agreed to try the tomatoes but I think it was only to shut me up.  And in thinking about it I don't think she will join in the fun at all....
A fiend in Queensland says she'll get something growing but as she lives on rock it will have to be in pots.  That's good, I think she will give it a go.  Again, it might only be to shut me up when I ask about it but it's a start. 
Someone else is not going to drink cooldrinks (softdrink) for 3 months of the year.  She has yet to pick her months though.  I think this will be hard for her but she is willing to give it a go.
Someone said it will be so easy but he wants his bought pasta.  It was suggested that his challenge could be to
not have his pasta but I don't know how that will go...

I know that I can grow our food.  I know that we could eat quite well without going to any shops for a couple of months.  I know I can go weeks on end without spending anything.  I'm not sure though about only eating what we grow here.  That will be hard for me as I like some things that come from a shop.  I can't supply my own coffee (yet) I can't milk a cow or goat for milk.  I can't kill a chook so wont have meat if husband is away.  I don't grow any grains...And there is an idea for next years challenge.

Maybe you choose to eat only what you have on hand.  If you are someone that shops for food each day that might be hard for you.  Maybe you want to eat more vegetables so you challenge yourself to have at least 6 different vegies for your weekend meals.  Maybe you smoke too much, drink too much, eat too much chocolate.  Could you not eat chocolate for a month?  That would be easy for me, no challenge at all but I know people that would find that very hard to do.

So really, there is no particular challenge.  You pick something that you want to do better, do more of, do less of...And then put it out there.  Or not~

2 comments:

  1. Hi Barb..I have another giveaway
    here is the link ,if you or any of your readers would love you to join in ...
    http://simpleliving-sherrie.blogspot.com.au/2012/01/earth-garden-my-new-year-give-away.html
    Sherrie from Simpleliving :)

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  2. What is the point of running a marathon? To stretch your abilities, to challenge your body, to feel better about yourself?

    Well, why not your challenge? I find it much more rewarding to grow food than to run. But, that is just me.

    You can tell the naysayers that I am so impressed by your challenge of feeding yourself with your own land and labor.

    For the meat--can he kill more than you need at the moment and freeze it. Can you trade dressing chickens for a skill of your own and learn to kill and dress chickens yourself? Maybe you don't want to kill them and dress them yourself, EVER. What service or product can you provide for someone else? Eggs? Sewing? Yard mowing? I know you would hate that! Cheese made with someone's milk? Bookkeeping? You have some skill you could barter.

    As I sit here eating a dozen chocolate chips, I assure you not eating chocolate, even for a 24 hour period, is not a challenge I will even consider.

    My challenge, any challenge will be tempered by three operations this year. I will grow tomatoes and basil and zucchini (courgettes?). That will be a stretch.

    I don't smoke or drink, and...and...step away from the chocolate! LOLOL I do need to lose weight. Are you going to hold me to this? My weight-loss partner sort of flaked-out on me? That could be my challenge.

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