Filed under: October 2018 | Tags: change, forging, God, hobbies, Knife making, relaxation, Rest
October 7, 2018
I think it is very good for us as humans, to take some time out to do what pleases us. We need to take care of responsibilities first of course, but some time to relax is a necessity. I am guilty of working too much in the past. Life is short. There is no way to go back and spend time with people, see an event or watch a sunset from a comfortable chair. Those days are behind me and I have regrets for sure. I will try harder to spend more time on the things that really matter…and one of those things is just some time for me.
It is no secret that I have found a great hobby with forging. I like to heat the steel and make it move in my hands. I like to create. I like the solitude and alone time. I read somewhere, that men and steel get second chances. Its true. The metal can change, reshape, bend and harden. Men are the same way…it just takes guidance from a master to make it happen. Choose your master well…don’t choose money, work or pleasing others. Stay true to self and go forward following your heart.
I have been making blades from old files and rasps. The hardened steel has to go through fire before it can be made into a knife. They are very hard as tools. The fire restores flexible steel, reducing the hardened tools to malleable steel once again. They make fine blades with hardness restored in their cutting edges, while leaving the rest of the knife flexible enough to bend when put to a test.
Men too, sometimes need to go through a “fire”, for them to change. I have been through a few low points in my life testing my mettle. I did indeed change a few things. In the end I am stronger than before, but I can bend.
Slowly the knife blade takes shape. In men, maybe it is the loss of a job or failure in some way, that tests them. The birth of a baby or the loss of a loved one, will shape your life differently. It is not the reshaping that matters, it is the way you react to it. Be positive. Find the good in yourself and others. Change if needed, but at a minimum, learn from the new experience.
I stand at my forge and anvil. I hammer and twist steel into shapes. I make mistakes, but I turn out good stuff too. The joy comes not from the pieces of steel I bend and hammer, but from finding a skill that I didn’t even know I possessed! I wouldn’t allow myself to waste time on idle things…what a mistake!
So, the point of this post is to help my readers understand, the importance of rest and relaxation. We as humans need the down time to recharge and reset. The Bible tells us that on the seventh day, God rested. He was God. He didn’t need to rest…He did it because He knew that “we” needed it! This took me too long to understand, but now…I get it.
Filed under: April 2016 | Tags: draft horses, peace, quitting time, relaxation, Small Farming
April 13, 2016
I have to ask, “Is there anything better than supper?” I mean the last meal of the day when the work is all done. There is just something peaceful about that time. Even their horses enjoy their evening meal. They actually seem to chew slower, pause between bites and savor their food. I like to stand or sit in the barn and just listen to them chew. It is very relaxing for me.
I am thinking that this is what’s wrong with our society today. We don’t really have a “quitting time”. We jump out of bed, rush all day long, bolt down some food and head off to evening activities. My horses and this farm give me the opportunity to slow down. There is magic in the still of evening after the work and chores are done. Sitting down to supper is the signal for the end of the work day….well most of them.
In certain times on a farm, like planting, haying or harvest, lunches and sometimes suppers are eaten on the run as we scramble to complete the job at hand while the weather holds. I think that is why, when things are idled down because of the season or wet weather, evenings and especially meals are so much more enjoyable. I too chew slower and find enjoyment in every bite.
The food tastes better. I am better company when I am relaxed rather than just pausing between jobs to suck down some nourishment. It is the company around the table, the peace in our home and the sense of completion that makes supper time so special. I think the horses have this all figured out!
Filed under: January 2015 | Tags: hate, life, Mental Health, relaxation, Rest, Scotch/Irish
I’m awake…honest!
January 25, 2015
After an eight day stretch of work at my off farm job, I am resting up. I do have pens to clean and hay to move, but I enjoyed a morning of sleeping in, eating a late breakfast and just sitting around doing nothing. I guess its good for all of us to recharge our batteries. Even the animals do it now and then.
When the sun shines bright and warm on a still winter day, many of the animals will lay about soaking up the suns warm rays. I’m sure it feels as good on their coats as a warm quilt covered bed feels to me. I don’t do it often but when I indulge, it feels wonderful!
I am sure that I get more done after I have rested. It seems that pushing myself forward, while dragging my ass behind me, makes no sense at all. A few hours, stolen from time, that refreshes my mind and body, is well worth the time spent. I am invigorated with a new sense of purpose, energy and mental health. Rest is a wonderful thing!
When life pushes too hard, we fail to live. We get so caught up in problems, concerns and deadlines, that we miss the birds singing, the laughter of children or the peace found in a quiet room. We must embrace down time now and then. We must create this time for ourselves. Rest and relaxation gives life balance. I don’t allow myself enough of this kind of time.
When I was a young boy I remember a day working in the hayfield. It was hot and dusty. I was helping an older boy who was struggling to keep up with a fast paced machine. The machine was being driven by an angry old man who spent most of his life hollering and mistrusting people. I asked the man to stop for a minute so we could get a drink. I wasn’t really thirsty, but knew the older boy could use the water and a minute to catch his breath.
That mean, little old man’s face got all screwed up with rage and he bellowed at me. He yelled and chastised me severely. He told me that I was a spoiled, lazy kid, damn near worthless…just like my father! I was about thirteen years old, but that old man summoned my Scotch/Irish temper. I didn’t say a word, but the look I gave that rotten bastard made him walk back to the tractor…. and I have never forgotten that day.
I have made sure that no one can call me lazy. They may call me other things 😮 but not lazy! That old man went on to live into his old age. Not many folks think very much of him. I don’t know what causes a man to hate so much that it destroys a person from the inside out…but I am glad that I find ways to enjoy life…just like my father! I much prefer to smile and laugh. I work hard, I play hard and every now and then… I allow myself to rest!
As for that old man… I say piss on him!
Filed under: October 2014 | Tags: autumn color, hurry, mums, peace of mind, relaxation, Rest, Spelt, wood
Back porch mums
October 5, 2014
In my rush to catch up on chores, get speltz planted and come up with a plan for wood cutting, I have almost missed some very pretty things. The mums around the back porch are in full bloom. The leaves on the trees are starting to turn color and the corn is fading from bright green to golden harvest brown. The animals are in great condition from the green grass. Their coats shine in the sun and in the meadows, red clover and goldenrod bloom in a blaze of color.
Even the farm looks good with it’s patchwork of fields. The green pastures never faded this year because of the rains. The hayfields are lush as they await the coming frost. The recently planted speltz fields provide a dark contrast in the neat landscape. The wood line border awash in autumn color gives the scene a final touch….and to think that I almost missed it!
My main focus this week will be on cutting wood. I want to finish that job before the weather shuts me down. I don’t mind working at it in the winter, as long as it for a coming year and not the year we are in! I have a few friends coming next week to share a days labor. I want as many logs stacked up as I can get. Five men can make a whopper pile of cut and split wood in no time!
One last job that I have a keen eye on is the job of bringing in my corn. I want to shock some for use later this winter. The rest will get picked once it dries down enough to store on the cob in my crib. Sure, there is still plenty to do to keep me busy, but today I will putter around, rest up and enjoy the sights around me…maybe I’ll even get to see a grandchild or two 😮
RicelandMeadows 