Provision and Wellbeing

Since we moved we have been table-less.  Our table, that I loved, was ruined in our original move to Bozeman and we have been borrowing tables ever since.  For a few weeks we were sitting at the hearth or with our plates on our laps or having indoor picnics on blankets on the floor.  I'd been looking on Craigslist, but with the beginning of 2 businesses (J's and mine), 'free' was our price limit.  We do a lot of hosting, so we really need someplace to sit and eat.  Just when I was about to break down and buy something, anything, Tony & Ava called to ask if we'd like a picnic table for our little yard.  *SQUEE*!!  Yes, but we'd like it for our dining room even more!

Eventually we will sand it and paint it, but for now Minda put a yardage of fabric on it and we are enjoying having a place to gather for meals.

On top of that, this week Cassia and I began our Annual Green Smoothie Challenge.  I do it longer than 30 days (all summer is what I aim for) because I love it so much!  I'm so excited to be back at it!  I can't do it in the winter when there are mountains of snow but as soon as the days grew warm (for more than 3 in a row) my body said, "Now!"  The challenge is easy.  And, though I know they look unappetizing, they are delicious!  Great way to get kids to eat their veggies too! Here is a link to Sara's blog post on it (rather than me try to rewrite it all).

Let me know if you decide to do the challenge this year!  You won't regret it if you do! 

One Small Change

I signed up to challenge myself to make "one small change" that will have impact on our enviornment this year through a blog I linked to from a friend's blog.  About 3.5 years ago I did this same kind of thing (paring down, changing habbits, giving things up), it lead to a lifelong friendship.  What will it lead to this time, I wonder? 
My commitment for the year is to buy more local.  I do pretty much 100% of what the other suggestions (stop using paper products, use energy saving blubs, recycle, use reusable bags...) were, but this is one I can improve in. 

You may have read the post below of how tight our budget is this month, but since I had made this commitment I searched out what I could get from local farmers, maufacturers, and businesses.  Most of the produce I found was local or from the county - tomatos, cucumbers, grn. onion, grn. peppers, & carrots.  I bought local salsa, locally roasted coffee and locally produced granola and milk.  Though the crackers I bought were not local, the egg roll wrappers, the eggs, the yogurt and the butter were all Montana produced and mostly small companies/farms!  Feels good to have a goal!
Very excited to begin this journey!