Pod

One of yesterday afternoon's crop. Full of deliciousness. 

I spent an hour and a half podding beans and peas first thing this morning and have frozen some, kept some to eat for dinner and made the tougher/older beans into a dip with added mint, garlic, olive oil and yoghurt.

At lunchtime I had the great pleasure of meeting fellow-blipper TeeJay and the lovely Azzy-dog who are on holiday near here. We spent a convivial hour or so sitting on the deck overlooking Chez Mima, drinking tea and eating cake. Blippers are the loveliest people.

Bean wasn't at all sure about two new dogs on the property. They were perfectly behaved, but she hid in the truck on the safety of Pink. What a wooss.

And so here we are at the end of 2022 suddenly. 

I have been mulling over the year that has almost passed. It has been a mixture of joy, sadness and frustrations. The same as most years.

Perhaps the thing from which I take the greatest comfort is that our resource and climate crises are being taken more seriously than ever, not only by mainstream media and governments, but also by people I meet every day. 

My comfort is heavily qualified by the fact that whilst it is now a topic of common conversation, those same media, governments and people mostly continue to demand access to oil-based commodities and other resources in the same quantities as ever (if not more) and there is a collective blindness to our ever-insatiable consumption of earth’s resources. 

There is a long way to go before we are anywhere near opening our collective eyes to the straits we are in, let alone to accept the responsibility that lies with each and every one of us to amend our behaviours to respect the future of the earth and its inhabitants. 

For 2023 I hope for everybody’s further enlightenment in that regard. 

I haven’t made a New Year’s Resolution for decades, but this year I am breaking the habit. 

I have two: 
- to continue to adapt my lifestyle to respect the capacity of the Earth; and
- to continue to demonstrate that a simple life is a fulfilled and happy life.

Happy New Year to all of you.