Years turning
It is January 1st and I am taking a moment to reflect on the year past in order to get perspective and set intentions for the year ahead. It sounds so nice and concise like one of those lifestyle aspirations photos on Instagram. Whelp. It’s not quite like that!
The truth is I have been really struggling the last bit. I am sick (haven’t been tested but I am very sick); I’m snowed in (pretty but lonely); I am isolating because of the previous two points; I’m recovering from the loss of an intimate relationship; I am in the middle of what I can probably just own as a permanent process of re-imagining my career/ work life and evidently I am also struggling with a deep sense of self pity. Oh, and the land where I farm and live is under threat of sale and I may have to move away.
In the past year, my partner was diagnosed -after years of suffering- with a serious chronic disease, he suffered catastrophic mental health impacts and he moved out. There was not much I could do but hold on. I tried being kind and a lot of the time I managed it. In a lot of ways, his departure was a relief.
Also in the last year, I faced the loss of a trusted long term employee in my landscaping business (cheers to him for getting a union position!) and thus chose to sell the business. This transition was also a bit of a relief as in the year previous, I’d been separated by geography when I chose to move to the the island and then the pandemic made travel difficult. I had not been really present to support employees or customers so it was time to let go.
A part-time job I picked up at the local marina turned into a full-time job including some management duties and it reignited an old passion I have for hospitality and especially for dining. I’m still not sure if I should reinvent my landscape design business or what. At the moment farming and fibre production are not paying enough to support me solely.
Anyway! on to my list of accomplishments from the year past. It is not complete but it is actually not so bad either.
survived! yes, it has been tough but I’m okay.
transitioned farm from a two person to a one person operation.
sold my business and didn’t spend all the money!
adopted a delicious old Cherryville loom by way of a trade of a tree for the community centre.
figured out how to set up the loom without instructions.
streamlined and improved my small batch dye approach.
processed, dyed and sold our first year’s batch of yarn!
adopted 3 registered German angora rabbits
had our first season of CVM and CVM cross lambs- what beautiful animals.
Well, thanks for being here with me, following our little farmy, sheepy, rabbity project. Articulating the victories, the struggles and the goals helps. And yes, being a part of creating a sustainable textile system is still what we’re doing.