Looking ahead? Being present? Both!
Friends,
Happy winter solstice! In our part of Oregon the sun will set at 4:28 pm today. We will experience seven hours less daylight than we do at the summer solstice! That’s a remarkable difference and one that of course brings with it so many other shifts in natural phenomenon between seasons.
7:27 pm today marks the actual moment of the solstice for us here, and from that moment on, we will slowly regain some of that daylight — although it takes several days for the increase to really begin in earnest. But by New Year’s, we’ll be adding minutes every day!
How fitting then to be wrapping up one calendar year and starting another — to be thinking about new beginnings. I’ve never been much of a “New Year’s Resolution” maker, but I do like to pause to reflect on the past year and think ahead and set some basic goals. What have I accomplished? What parts of our life are we enjoying and want to continue fostering? What are areas that could use adjusting? I don’t consider any of this to be a strict guideline. I don’t make progress charts for myself or attempt to completely revamp my life or body, but I do like to think whether I’m headed in the direction I want to be for the next year.
Just this week I wrapped up another big step of the farming and parenting book. I have one more final round of small edits and tweaks ahead of me in early January, and then my work on the book will be complete until it is time to promote! This will be the second book project I’ve wrapped up around the New Year, but this time I don’t have another one immediately pending. I have ideas and will probably start working on those soon, but from my current vantage point, the future is open.
There are other parts of my personal life that are creating some big and little uncertainties for 2024 as well — kids at transitional ages, close loved ones going through hard things, and more. There are also some big questions facing all of us next year. My inclination is to want to find immediate answers and solutions for all these things so that I can know exactly what 2024 will bring. But the older I get, the more I realize that’s just not how life works.
So even though I will sit down with my 2024 planner and jot down a few thoughts (in pencil) for the next year, over the last few days of this year I want to be present for whatever is here right now. Time with my family. Cooking food with my kids. Taking long walks outside. Binge reading some good novels. Napping.
Even though there are some Very Big Questions hanging over me and my family right now, we can still do these things together now.
What about you? Do you have Big Goals for 2024? Or Big Questions? What small or significant pleasures are you going to enjoy while you wait for the next year to come?
Last minute holiday shopping suggestions …
Still looking for a gift idea for someone on your list? Some ideas:
My book Edible! Signed copies are available at Third Street Books in McMinnville. You can also order anywhere that sells book.
My 2024 Around the Green Wheel calendar! Available as a digital download on my website and in print at Alchemist’s Jam in McMinnville, Chapters Books and Coffee in Newberg, and Local Faire in Lincoln City.
Other fun veggie-themed mugs, shirts or stickers! It’s too late to have these made and shipped by Dec. 24, but you can always order now and print a picture to wrap!
Recently on the podcast:
Since my last newsletter, I’ve had two new Growing for Market podcast episodes drop:
Dr. Surendra Dara (OSU) and I talked about his decades of experience with Integrated Pest Management. I finally learned what IPM actually is (!) and we discussed practical pest solutions for busy farmers.
Zoe Bradbury DeSurra (Valley Flora Farm) and I talked about the cooperative marketing farm business she runs with her sister and mother on the Southern Oregon Coast and how focusing on their local community has helped them thrive.
You can listen (and subscribe!) on any podcast app or go to the GFM website to listen or get more info from the show notes for each episode. New episodes are released every Tuesday — my co-host Andrew’s interviews are also fascinating!
That’s it from me for 2023!
Thank you all for joining me on this year’s book, farming, illustration, family adventures! I’ll be back in 2024 with more news about the farming and parenting book (including a cover reveal!). For now, I wish you some fun healthy revelry and quiet sweet moments. And hopefully some delicious food in the mix.
Happy solstice! A belated Happy Hanukkah! Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!
With gratitude,
Katie