Kristen: Preparation

So, I've never really written in a blog before, but I guess it's about time I did.

This next year is going to be a great adventure. I'm looking forward to being part of a community of people, instead of just living on a floor of students that I don't know very well. I think it's great that we've all come together in sort of a common purpose-- to live simply in community together.

I think I am most excited about our "green" focus. Several of my friends have gotten to calling me a tree-hugger, and while literally hugging trees is not my hobby, I think it's so important to be aware of the impact our lifestyles have on the environment. One of the main ways I'm excited to see this happen is to eat locally. This summer we're helping out with Devon's family's garden, as well as Tig's. Also, with Devon's work at Suter's Produce, he has easy access to lots of delicious locally grown fruits and veggies.

Clearly, though, most of this food is ripe and ready for the picking now-- in the summer-- and we don't start living together until the end of August. Thus, it's really important to store up for the winter. After reading Barbara Kingsolver's book "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" about her family's experience living locally for a year, I realized how much planning and preparation goes in to making local living a success. You really can't expect to just pull fresh sweet corn from the freezer unless you've actually taken the time to put it there. As obvious as that sounds, I think it's actually very significant. Many of the big ideas we have will remain just that--ideas--unless the appropriate thought and planning goes in to making those things a success.

So far, Devon and I (with the help of my Grandma!) made some freezer strawberry jam from Suter's stawberries-- hopefully it'll be enough to last us through the year! I'd also like to freeze some corn and maybe make up some spaghetti sauce once the tomatoes are ready in the garden.

Anyways, I'm excited to plan/dream/do/fail/persevere/live/grow with this wonderful group of people.