Destress Yourself- in Nature! podcast

PaleoJays Smoothie Cafe

First of all- my FIRST commercial break EVER in over 11 years on this podcast of ancestral, paleo health and ever evolving into more and more. http://www.jessthornton.org
This is my author link, which is another career path of mine. Fantasy adventure stories mostly, but with strong political and health views throughout. Audio versions are now available for most- links to purchase books are on the website, as are links to free samples.
Also, all of my books, both audio, ebook, and print are available at your library. If not, just ask- and your librarian will provide!
And now, on with the podcast...
We live in stressful times! But, you don’t need me to tell you that. Truth is: all times have their own variety of stress. Fighting wars is stressful, but even in times such as this, with our relative prosperity, stress is built into our daily lives.

I had planned today purposely to be a ‘fun day’. I was going to plan and plant my garden! I gave the plot a final tilling, and then raked it all smooth. It was the first day that was warm enough, sunny enough, and above all dry enough to set all of my plants in the ground, dividing the rectangular plot into four quadrants with a flowered decoration in the center. A few areas were already rife with kale, raspberries, strawberries, and a big horseradish plant. Those guys are pretty much indestructible, and anyway I love horseradish!

So, I got it all tilled and ready, had the seeds at the ready, and was raring to go- the sunshine was blazing down, it was a brisk but pleasant 60 degrees, and then:

Interruption followed interruption. Endlessly! It was all very frustrating; and then, at last, I went out- and it is now already getting dark, and cold…

For a minute, I felt angry- after all, I had planned to take care of this. It was supposed to be FUN! And there was a time when I would have gone ahead, planted my garden in the cold and dark, getting it done perhaps- but it would not be fun, not at all.

And really- isn’t that supposed to be the point, after all? I do have a large garden, and the vegetables and fruits I gain from it are a substantial part of my produce. Also, I give a lot away. But, will I starve if I have no garden, none at all?

No. I won’t even be deprived!

And, since it is only May 12 in Wisconsin, I am early anyway- if I don’t get the garden in until June, it pretty much catches up to where it would be if I planted now by mid-July anyway. I sat down, and just contemplated what will be my garden, picturing where everything will be, and how it will look. I started smiling a bit, and then took walk in my woods in the early evening instead of rushing to slap seeds and plants into the earth. The small bright gleams of sun were a pleasure to behold, rather than all too brief flashes to illuminate my feverish work.

Then, totally relaxed, I went inside and meditated on how much I have to be grateful for. It’s supposed to rain tomorrow, but it really doesn’t matter whether I plant tomorrow, or 3 weeks from then. I have learned to wait- just wait for the perfect day! For in gardens, as in all the rest of life- the journey is the point, not to get quickly from seeds to harvest.

Just as in battling this crazy coronavirus- for me, it really doesn’t matter if everything opens up right away, or at least soon. The fact that it no longer seems to be about the virus at all anymore, but has become a political bone of contention; this is the true problem.

And people really do need to be able to work again, it can’t just be put aside indefinitely. It’s not like a vegeta

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