Work in progress

My New Year's resolution is to be more tolerant of disorder around here.

Order makes our farm more efficient and attractive, both of which make the farm more financially viable. And order in the household prevents frustrations and promotes harmony. So we do intend to keep pushing the ball forward in terms of organization around here, definitely.

But disorder is valuable too. Disorder is a necessary part of living with others, and I like living with other people. We are actively searching for interns for this season, and we expect probably two of them to live with us, at least partly. Kat living here last season was totally awesome, it worked great, and I am pretty optimistic that the new people will be fun, too.

Disorder is also important to the farm. It is part of the creativity and growth that the farm needs. Just last weekend, we were walking through what I would call a messy part of the farm, and I was feeling down about all the unfinished work, and Peter, not knowing what I was thinking, turned to me and said, "We are so lucky to get to live here. It is so beautiful." He is right. Totally right. Not just the beauty of the barn, the mountains, the snow, the earth. But the beauty of a life's work in progress.

Maybe I just need to recognize that mess is not failure, nor are mistakes or unfinishedness. It's just part of the process, and this is a process I am very happy to be in.