Hello and welcome to Monthly Fuel, a newsletter for the day to day happenings, routines, inspirations, to - dos, good listens & reads that keep me going. Expect an update of what I’ve been up to, thinking on and an occasional vision board, accompanied by favorites from my monthly roll of film.
Published once a month.
The day to day
March was for moving. Having access to our house since January (when our renter moved out) made for a slow and steady transfer. We attempted a major purge hoping to downsize our load, as the house we own is less than half the size of the caretaker house we’re living in now. We’re not stuff people, but given the space we’ll fill it up- primarily in the form of gear and tools, which (mostly) evaded the purge. I’m good at throwing shit away. So much so it’s probably an issue. Even things of sentiment I can usually toss with little wavering. I’ll take a photo with my phone (one that I’ll most likely delete later) and say goodbye. To me it’s freeing. It removes the physical attachment to stuff taking up space and makes room for more intentional items and living. It gives me a sense of control and eliminates a source of sensory overload. Sounds great, until I’m hit with “babe, where’s ?”
The caretaker house was fully furnished so we’re starting anew in the furniture department. A set of speakers, record player, mid-mod surfboard- style coffee table and a bed frame without legs are the sole furnishings at the moment. BUT we’ve decided that sleeping on the floor in your own house is better than sleeping on something nice in someone else’s.
This is the end of an era for Ajax and I. We’ve been caretaking for 4 years- spending 2 years on the ranch in Potomac and 2 years in town for our current gig. Both great financial decisions, one more than the other, but we’re ready to move into our own house and put a little more focus on it and us.
Disappointing people is always hard for me, especially when it comes with some sort of advantage for myself. It makes me feel guilty and selfish, even though it probably shouldn’t. No one ever wants Ajax or I to leave and I suppose that’s a good thing, but breaking hearts is hard.
As is moving. I never really fell in love with our current home like I did with the little cabin on the meadow or our first apartment together in Minneapolis, but there are some things I’ll miss. I’ll miss our proximity to Rattlesnake creek, where I told myself I’d get into the daily habit of cold plunging, but never really did. I’ll miss the ample counter space in the kitchen and the way the robin’s egg colored paint would glow on a sunny day. I’ll miss the donkey next door, named Murray and the flock of turkeys that inhabited our yard every morning. I’ll miss the feeling of being put-together, as we live out of boxes and duffels for the foreseeable future, given my tendency to hold out for the perfect what have you before I settle on something to get us by.
We didn’t get up to a whole lot else this month. I spent the beginning half recovering from BPPV and shifting most of my focus to the farm. We’re in full swing. I’d hoped to get on skis much more, but followed my PT’s recommendation to resist until my ear crystals settled back into place. Don’t rock the apple cart - as they say. I started to feel closer to normal by the end of the month and was cleared to ski on the 30th! Not exactly how I envisioned my birth month, but with so much else going on I suppose it was in my favor.
Vision board
Read
I started The Great Alone, a novel by Kristin Hannah. It’s our March/April book club pick. It follows the life of a 13-year-old girl, and her mother who follow their troubled Vietnam Veteran father to an off grid homestead in the Alaskan wilderness,trying to out run the troubles that will follow them anywhere. So far, I’d highly recommend. I’ll report back in April. We gotta split this one up between months, it’s a 500+ page doozy.
Listen
I was gifted Margo Price’s Stray LP from a friend for my birthday, so we were spinning that until it was time to pack away the record player.
Find
The chokehold Facebook marketplace has on me is embarressing to admit to- but it led me to an old L.L. Bean wool lined barn coat with the coolest and roomiest pockets. Surely didn’t need it, but we’ll call it a birthday present to myself. About this time of year I trade my puffers in for chore coats and love the juxtaposition of pairing a rugged utilitarian styled jacket with something delicate like a white skirt. It reminds me of the transition from a tough winter to a soft spring.
Working on
The Farm; Just about every weekend in March was spent at the farm. Notable events include; setting up deer fencing, constructing our seed house, crop planning, and finalizing our application for a $15,000 New Producer grant. So much work lies in the months ahead, but we’re grateful for a mild winter to get ahead on some the infrastructure needed to get seeds in the ground.
Caretaking; Besides caring for the family’s 2 black labs for the majority of the month, our caretaking duties mostly included deep cleaning the caretaker house and getting our replacement couple up to speed on the in and outs of the job. They’re stoked to be there, we were stoked to leave. Win win.
Be back soon, reporting on April.
S