Every year, waiting until at least mid-May, when the danger of frost has passed, I plant a variety of container flowers, and this year I also planted a few herbs to use for cooking. My husband plants a small vegetable garden. I care for the flowers, and he for the vegetables. He has had to be out of state on a number of occasions this year, to care for his deceased father's estate. While he was gone, our daughter watered the garden. Once he returned, I assumed he would resume care of the vegetable patch. By the time I realized that wasn't happening, it was nearly too late.
Tall grass grew in every square inch available, green beans turned brown, and it became impossible to see the wanted plants for the weeds. The garden looks like grief, but it isn't bereft of hope. We've had some small but delicious tomatoes, a handful of beans, and plenty of lettuce. The kale and Brussels sprout leaves have been the food of some pest or other, but it may not be too late to salvage those plants.
When something is a habit, a good habit, it makes our lives easier. We have to make fewer decisions when our behaviors are automatic. It's much simpler to keep a garden watered and to remove weeds on a regular basis, while they are still small and haven't taken over, than to do damage control late in the game.
English educator and homeschooling pioneer Charlotte Mason wrote a lot about the connection between habit training and personal character. The importance of encouraging good habits in children cannot be overstated; but it seems nearly impossible to do this if the adults responsible for them have poor habits themselves.
Clutter and neglect, whether in a garden or a home, is a sign of disorder--be it clutter of the mind, heart, or spirit. Where I live, school begins Aug. 19, in less than three weeks. Since we will be homeschooling again, we don't have to start that early. But as many of my daughter's friends will be less available once school resumes, we will likely get our studies under way on the 24th.
It takes 21 to 28 days to form a habit, so now is the perfect time to evaluate where things are working, and where we need to fine-tune our routines. What our your priorities for the coming school year? What do you want to do differently, to bring greater order, beauty, and harmony to your days? I'm going to take some time over this weekend to draft a plan, to get things like sleep schedules and meals under control, and to organize our homeschool. If there are books and other materials that are needed, it's time to order them, as mail deliveries have been inconsistent.
I've gone back and forth over the years regarding Charlotte Mason, at times being thoroughly enthusiastic about her philosophy and method, at other times finding her ways to be too overwhelming; and/or I've questioned her appropriateness for a Catholic education. But this summer I have felt led to return to her once again, to mine the treasures of her writings, and to seek the joy and creativity that underpin her educational approach. Most of all, I want to spend much more time in nature.
