Thursday, May 24, 2007

a better life

Jesse has been reading Barbara Kingsoler's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life, and when you are married to someone reading a book--it 'almost' counts as you reading it yourself. It has challenged us to question our eating habits, where our food originates and what happens to it along the way. I have seen daily evidence of my struggle with this topic.

It's baby steps for us; we've lived a lifestyle similar to many Americans not giving a second thought to our food and it's direct effects. I decided that we are going to buy our bread fresh and local (or make it ourselves when we have the time--in 5 years maybe). Yesterday, the boys and I trekked half a mile to the bakery, walking (not relying on oil)--another lifestyle change. It was wonderful. I got the exercise I'd been trying to find the time for, we got fresh baked (cheaper than the grocery store!) bread, waved at EVERY car and neighbor we passed by, and enjoyed everything seeing the things we usually zoom past.

It's these choices that will hopefully create, what every parent wants, a better life for our children. We would love for them to slow down, enjoy life, and spread love to everyone around them. The bakery trip was our first and will now be included in our weekly activities.