A Crunchy Life - May 2023 Newsletter
Think of this as a letter from a friend with a deeper look into this month's post. I share more thoughts and resources for tapping into a simple, intentional life filled with Earth-based practices.
Hello friends!
The May blog post is up and it is all about wildness. I was wild until I was age 30. I don't mean wild as in untamed, unruly, unrestrained. I mean the wild that comes from being in and of the natural world. I use to spend a crazy amount of time on the water. Whether in boats, canoes, kayaks, or rafts, the act of being on water with no one else around relaxed me and made me feel connected to something larger than myself. I remember the first time I went white water rafting on Class III-IV rapids on the Youghiogheny River when I was 15. I was hooked.
But something happened when I turned 30. I remember my last wild adventure. It was a winter backpacking and climbing trip that we took as Outward Bound instructors. Backpacking on the Appalachian Trail in March in Maryland should be fairly safe from snow but it wasn't. It snowed from the morning of the second day until we returned home. The eight of us were the only people out and about on the trail. No competition for the shelters. No foot steps ahead of us in the snow. It was cold, it was peaceful, and it was beautiful.
The reason my wild adventures ended wasn't due to what you'd expect - marriage, kids, growing up, and all of that. After all, marriage and kids is a wild adventure of its own but that's a discussion for a different day. The reason was far more mundane - work. It was the nature of my job. I became an administrator in a public magnet high school. I lost my summers. I extended my work days. And, my wild adventures in the natural world very swiftly came to an end. My adventures into forests, mountains, and waters stopped abruptly. Although, at the time it didn't feel abrupt.
This blog post talks about how I am connecting with my hand, head, and heart to integrate myself back into relationship with the natural world, reconnecting to the life force, specifically the forests, mountains, and waters, and all of the non human persons living in those places.
You can find the blog post at https://acrunchylife.com/2023/05/06/an-invitation-from-the-wild/
Here is what I am exploring this month.
Hand…….
Granola Bars. I am making lots of snacks to have with me as I get out. Granola bars are my favorite – easy to make, varieties are endless, and they can be stored in the freezer until I grab one or two for my backpack as I head out. I wrap them in little parchment paper sleeping bags so they do not stick to each other and so they are easy to locate in my backpack.
Granola Bars with sultanas and cacao, May 2023
As promised in the newsletter, here is the recipe:
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 cups oatmeal
1 cup shredded coconut
4 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup raw honey
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup each: dried blueberries, cherries, sultanas, currants, chopped apricots or other preferred dried fruit
Preheat oven to 300.
In a pan over medium heat, add butter, vanilla, honey, brown sugar, and salt. Bring to a simmer. Add the oats, pecans, walnuts, and coconut. Stir. Remove from heat. Fold in the dried fruit. Press into a pan firmly. Bake for 30 minutes. Allow to cool prior to cutting.
Head …….
I am tapping back into the classics that inspired me and searching out new ones as well. Old “friends” such as Sigurd Olson, Anne LaBastille, Pam Houston, Barry Lopez remind me how I found myself in their stories and books. Currently, I am reading The Flow by Amy-Jane Beer. I believe that books find us when we need them the most and this one is all about water and wildness. Amy-Jane Beer is a biologist, naturalist, and a writer. This book is so beautiful. I have been reading it for awhile now, slowly, taking it in and mulling it over. I love her writing and don’t want to rush to the end.
Here are books from the authors listed above that are also wonderful:
Sigurd Olson
Listening Point
Runes of the North
The Singing Wilderness
Anne LaBastille
Woodswoman: Living Alone in the Adirondack Wilderness
Woodswoman II: Beyond Black Bear Lake
Woodswoman III: Book III of the Woodswoman Adventures
Pam Houston
Cowboys are My Weakness
Women on Hunting: Essays, Fiction, and Poetry
Contents May Have Shifted: A Novel
Barry Lopez
Arctic Dreams
Of Wolves and Men
Desert Notes and River Notes
Heart …….
I’m getting outside. Just the act of being out in the wild is my heart practice. I’m exploring new trails, discovering new places to swim off-shore, and looking forward to doing some paddling. I am very conscious of being out on my own and needing to be safe. Besides all of the precautions I take, I have invested in a Garmin inReach Mini 2 which provides global 2-way communication, tracking, and interactive SOS capabilities. I can even share my location with those back home.
If you are interested in getting started on adventures but aren't sure how, Rebecca Walsh's Hike Like a Woman is a wonderful resource. HLAW provides workshops and adventure opportunities. In Rebecca's words, HLAW provides "outdoor education and adventure travel for outdoorsy women."
What I’m looking forward to…….
The opening of our local farmer's market on June 1st. Food choices are so much more than answering the question, "What's for dinner?" We are very fortunate that our girls have grown up knowing where their fruits, veggies, eggs, dairy, cheese, and meat come from. They have met the farmers and walked the fields, and they have met the cows and chickens and fed the calves.
I remember when I has about 10 years old my family went for a Sunday drive and we discovered a roadside farmer’s stand. That began a habit of driving every weekend to Beverly and Donald’s farm to pick up fruits and vegetables. Around that same time, the “egg-man,” as we called him, began to deliver farm fresh eggs directly to our house on Saturdays. He continued to deliver to our house until he passed away around 2008. Since then we have supported a farm that delivers dairy, eggs, our Thanksgiving turkey, and so much more directly to our house.
Last summer was Bev and Donald's last season with the stand. After 48 years of driving to their farm it's hard to imagine a summer without them. I have learned so much from them and so enjoyed watching our girls grow up knowing them, just like I did.
Now, I am transitioning to our local farmer's market. I'll ride my bike there on Thursday's and gather produce. It won't be the same. What does remain the same is that I will still be supporting local farmer's in selling their produce in the most direct way possible. I'll also get to discover new farms - that's exciting!
If you are interested in finding a farmer's market near you visit Local Harvest. Put your zip code in the top to search for the ones closest to you.
Love.
Karen
Share in the moments of my life on Instagram.