Today, on the eve of the celebration of Lammas/Lughnasadh, I spent the day in the garden and in the kitchen. I harvested herbs, flowers and fruit which where then prepared for drying or infused in oil/alcohol on their way to becoming ingredients for homemade soap or tinctures. I also brewed a batch of blackberry elderberry mead which is now happily bubbling on my kitchen counter (a sign that formation is, indeed, taking place).

During this time I left social media behind and was fully focused on the tasks at hand. By the time I sat down to eat supper, I felt so relaxed and content. This reminded me that one of the lessons I learned during the pandemic was the power of choosing to live a simpler life than I did before the coronavirus forced us to “shelter in place.”

Last summer, while on lockdown, my husband and I tore up part of our front lawn and built a raised bed for vegetables. It was an experiment in urban farming and we quickly learned what grew well in that spot (green beans) and what did not (cucumbers). We also grew lots of tomatoes in big pots that we placed in a sunny spot near the garage. Much to our surprise and delight, we had a good harvest and enjoyed our “yard to table” lifestyle.

This year, we increased what we planted and applied the lessons we learned last year. Not surprisingly, we had an even bigger yield which we transformed into sweet pickles, spaghetti sauce, fried green tomatoes and lots of pots of beans for supper. I have no doubt this is the “new normal” for both of us. We’ve found great joy in a simpler lifestyle that includes less eating out and more eating in. I don’t think this would have happened without the pandemic. It is one of the hidden blessings that has come out of this difficult time in the life of our planet.

Blessed Lammas! David T

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