Food and Connection: Coming Together Around the Table

Written by Elaine

Unplugging can be a challenge. It seemed much easier when our daughter was younger. I work from home and am online most days. Chloe (our teenager) often has to use the computer for homework, and of course there is the iPod. Who doesn’t enjoy listening to music? My husband spends most of his day working on computers or network systems. It seems that one of us is always plugged into something. 

It's a dilemma. When the days are shorter and nights are longer, there's even more of a temptation to go our separate ways and disconnect from each other. So what coaxes us to unplug and come together as a family?  

Food.  Preparing it and eating it. Once the hearth was the center of the home — both a literal hearth at the fireplace, and a metaphorical hearth, the place the family gathered for warmth, light and sustenance. Today our kitchen is the hearth, the heart of the home. It is where we gather together, whether it's just the three of us, our extended family or members of our community. 

My husband, daughter and I make the effort to unplug and come together most nights at dinner time. Not only do we go offline and put our electronic devices down, we gather together with the intention of connecting as a family. We do this by preparing and eating our meal together. The kitchen is mostly my domain. Most days you will find me in there cooking up something. But at dinner time I let go of controlling my beloved territory by bringing my family in to help in the preparation. There is always salad to make, things to chop, drinks to pour and a table to set. 

By participating in the creation of a meal, we become connected not only to our food, but also to those who grew it and those who are eating with us. Giving thanks is an important part of this process, and it creates an even deeper connection with the food we are eating. My family is blessed to live in an area where we have access to just about everything we need locally. We know the face of the farmers who provide us with our eggs, most of our produce, our chickens and any other animals we consume. This deepens our connection to our food, to each other and to our community even more.

The silver rain

The shining sun

The fields where scarlet poppies run

And all the ripples in the wheat

Are in the bread that we do eat

So when we sit at every meal

With grateful hearts we always feel

That we are eating rain and sun

And fields where scarlet poppies run

— by Alice C. Henderson 

(This is our favorite family grace said or sung before meals.)

In a world where being constantly plugged in is the norm  . . . sharing our meals (unplugged!) is one way we keep our family connected.

How does food keep you connected to your family and community?

Alpaca Medicine

Written by Nicole

We’re moving to the mountains, but we’re taking the public with us. 

That is what David, the owner of Paca Pride Guest Ranch, said to us as he led us around the grounds of his permaculture-style Alpaca farm. On the outside, David and his partner were living in the heart of a vibrant city, both with successful corporate jobs yet on the inside felt a sense of disconnect.

So they made a huge decision to leave the city life and head to the mountains where their hearts already lived. And it would have been easy for David and his partner to buy a small cabin in the woods and live a simple life “away from it all.” It would have been easy to try and remedy their sense of disconnect by doing their own thing entirely. 

Lucky for us they didn’t do that. Instead they followed their hearts and opened their home to the public. They healed that sense of disconnect by engaging with their surroundings, providing a home to a growing pack of rescued Alpacas, and by literally reviving the land they purchased using mindful permaculture techniques. Every square inch of the property has a purpose and function beyond its natural beauty.

Our family decided to spend one of last month’s unplugged days visiting this Alpaca farm, and I couldn’t help but notice this underlying theme: that we disconnect from our computers and devices not as a way to disconnect from life. No. We disconnect from technology so that we can connect with the living, breathing, beating pulse of life. We unplug to connect in-the-flesh with beautiful, creative souls. To learn. To grow. To flourish. That is what David did when they moved to the mountains and invited everyone else to visit them too—he unplugged from his disconnect in order to connect and engage in a deeper way with life. 

Aside from leaving Paca Pride Guest Ranch feeling refreshed by my surroundings, I felt inspired by the commitment to sustainability that the owners have there.  And beyond that, I left feeling more hopeful about the direction of our collective values for the future. 

This unplugging thing is really something.

Thoughts on Simplicity

Written by Damien

Slowing down. Simplifying. Minimizing. Unplugging. These are the mantras many of us hear echoing throughout our Internet worlds.

Life can be busy, complicated, and stressful. We all know this and we don't like it. We don't want to be trapped in a flow that is heading straight for a cliff. We see scaling back and simplifying as a way to push back against the tide of "too much". Unplugging with family one day a week is just one of the many ways we reclaim some of what we feel is missing in our lives.

What do you reclaim by simplifying your life?

If you think that you are reclaiming "time", then you might be surprised to discover - as we did - that it doesn't quite work the way you think. You no doubt have heard the saying: "Good food takes time to prepare". That sentiment goes for pretty much anything in life; quality living takes time and effort. A simpler life doesn't give you more time, it just distributes the time differently. You spend more time doing fewer things, hopefully the things that really matter. For us this equates to more time spent together as a family in the outdoors.

If you think that you are reclaiming "money", again you may be surprised. Simplifying your life ultimately means being contented with less. For some this will equate to a shift away from debt - a very good thing. It may also mean a shift towards quality. If you have fewer things, one tends to hold quality and aesthetic in higher regard - both of which tend to cost more. A simpler life doesn't give you more money, it just distributes it differently. It gives you more financial and personal freedom. For us this equates to spending less money in other areas so we can afford the clothing and gear we need for spending time in the outdoors.

What we have begun to reclaim is quality. Quality time, quality relationships, quality food... Instead of rushing to meet all of our obligations in a half-assed fashion and winding up completely spent, we are better able to spend the time we need for the things that are important to us. Things start to become sustainable.

A couple of years ago when I was on the phone with a friend. We were trying to sync our schedules for getting together but we were having problems finding a date we could agree on. The date my friend wanted was in direct conflict with our family hiking day. He was surprised that our schedule was so booked despite the fact that we were trying to simplify our lives.

This is where I came to a realization: yes, we have simplified our lives but instead of doing too much, we are spending more time doing less. This has meant guarding our precious resources (time and money) and rather than saying yes to everything (despite how good it might be) we end up saying no to a lot as well. Sometimes it feels like we say no more often than we say yes.

I am not a gardener, but I can appreciate a good garden. They are beautiful, wholesome, and are a good representation of what we see as a life well lived. Anyone who has tried their hand at gardening can tell you that reaping the fruits of a fertile garden doesn't come easy. It is a lot of work. It is a process that requires years to learn and regular tending to develop.

I would say that living a simple, wholesome, quality life is the same way. It is hard work. It is really easy for the weeds to take over if you aren't careful. But if you persevere with the process the fruits are more than worth it.

Stepping Back

Written by Sarah

Autumn is such a nostalgic season. For me, fall is about taking the energy I have been projecting out into the world, and pulling it back into myself. In many ways, going out amongst the mountains in the summer and coming in for the winter are very different paths both leading to the same destination: becoming lost in the silence of simply being. Whereas hiking silences my mind with ease, sitting with the quiet and looking inward requires greater diligence and patience.

Conscious of the changes occurring inside myself, I always enjoy musing over the transformation of the natural world – watching the green of summer give way to vibrant displays of color. Of course, with the fickle nature of fall in the mountains, the valleys become aflame with reds, oranges, and yellows as the peak of the season has come and gone along the ridgeline and tired, brown leaves cling to mostly bare branches.

In light of the season, and my penchant for letting my mind wax nostalgically, how fitting that this weekend should be designated as homecoming in the church where I grew up.

Driving down the mountain, towards the southeastern shore of my childhood, was far more than stepping backwards in the season; entire years flew by in the few hours it took me to reach my destination.

I was able to attend one of two days of festivities, and connected with friends I had long forgotten or with whom I’ve lost touch. I wandered the familiar old hallways, remembering the still, quiet feeling of the building, reflecting on all that has changed and all that has remained the same.

The weekend has left a lasting impression on me – a different understanding of who I have been and might be, and where I find myself at present. I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to reconnect with times past, and bring those memories to light in the present.

What a way to unplug – not just from technology, but also from my potentially flawed conceptions of who I am and what I can offer the world. How can we truly let go, in our day-­‐to-­‐day lives, of all the ways we keep ourselves from reaching our true potential?

A few answers to this question, and reflections on my time spent revisiting my childhood, come to mind:

• Those who truly care about you will affirm the course you choose, no matter where you might be on your path.
• In any transition, there will be people you lose touch with and forget; this doesn’t mean they haven’t played an important part in your growth.
• Celebrate! Celebrate in the face of uncertainty; celebrate even when the going is rough; celebrate for no reason other than simply celebrating.
  
  
  Have you ever gone back to an earlier time or place in your life? 
  What was it like to experience your memories? 

Weekend Inspiration

Written by Heather

A couple of our writers have mentioned recently how preparation for a relaxed, unplugged day can be key for its success. This is a great point! A few mental notes can help your day flow better. It might seem counter-intutitive, but a little preparation can help you sink into relaxation or adventure more easily. 

Sometimes peeking in on what others are up to helps to spark our own ideas.

Heading in to this weekend, I thought I'd share a few items that might inspire you - activities, reflections on unplugging, and sheer inspiration. Make yourself a cup of tea and enjoy!

• Make a Gratitude Tree
• Maureen Cracknell Handmade - Unplugged Sunday
• Getting There - Unplugged Sunday
• Our One Sweet Family - Harvest Days
• Salt and Chocolate - Scenes from and Unplugged Sunday
• Clean - Unplugging and Getting Outside
• Begin Holiday Gift Making
• Plan a Craft Project

Video Inspiration
Thank you AMC and Renee.






Wishing each of you a wonderful weekend! May it be filled with all the activity, creativity, and relaxation that you desire.