It seems that someone in my house has been doing a little online shopping to beat the holiday rush…

Will you see my family out wallowing in line today? No…not a chance. But it isn’t because of the crowds necessarily, it is because the big-box retailer really has nothing to offer us. You see…there is more to life than discount sweaters, plasma tv’s and games one tires of before they finish unwrapping them. For whatever reason we are a nation of people are seeking to fill a void with material possessions. But what need are we struggling to fill and at what cost?

I recently overheard a comment on the news, and I’m sorry I didn’t hear the whole piece, but the person speaking said “we are raising a generation of children who are mourning the loss of “stuff”. In these times of families losing their homes, jobs being lost, people dying without the health care they need and we are raising children who only think in terms of “stuff”. But it isn’t just the children, what about the adults? What’s wrong with a 10 year old car, wearing last year’s coat, or carrying a simple handbag (mine just celebrated its 30th birthday!). What happened to quality before quantity? Simply put…why do we NEED so much when everything that is important is right in front of us.

There is an old Ellen Goodman quote that I have taped on my desk:

“Normal is getting dressed in clothes that you buy for work, driving through traffic in a car that you are still paying for, in order to get to a job that you need so you can pay for the clothes, car and the house that you leave empty all day in order to afford to live in it.”

See the irony? I did several years ago, and it is one of the things I am most grateful for in my life. Today I know my child and we are friends,my husband and I are stronger than ever and life as I know it is filled with love, beauty and peace. If the TV, the radio, the luxury items were gone today we would still be ok. In fact, we might not even know they were gone. Over the years the “need” has more or less disappeared and I am finding more and more contentment in my life. I wonder often if this is the need that we as a nation are trying so hard to fill, the need for true contentment.

I have no needs to fill other than the basic needs for simple shelter, nutritious food and the love of my family and friends. These don’t come in the form of plastic Chinese toy or shiny new gizmo, these needs are fulfilled from the heart and from the hands. The memory of receiving a tray of delicious homemade treats, or a fragrant handmade wreath, perhaps a photo album or a ornaments made by the children which are given with love and care, will linger longer than the memory of a Juicy Couture sweatshirt or Wii game. Trust me…it will.

This is my gift to my readers this year. All the recipes, crafts, cards and gifts I share on my blog are my way of showing you how magical it can be when you step outside the Big-box and look instead into your heart. In time you to will find that the need for true contentment does indeed come from within and with the simple act of giving of yourself to others.

Wishing you much joy and peace as we begin the Holiday Season!

Colleen

The Farm at Nanticoke Creek
www.farmatnanticokecreek.com

This year was year like no other. Really, I mean that. I never thought in a million years that our life would be what it is to today and what it continues to grow and evolve into.

We bought our little farm almost 10 years ago expecting it to just provide us with the some breathing room and fresh air after living in town for so long. We didn’t expect that I would be diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis nor that our little girl would be diagnosed with Autism. As we came to grips with all we had been dealt, we also learned…and learned…and learned. During or journey we came to find that our little piece of fresh and sunshine would instead become our saving grace in the face of life altering change.

We now raise heritage breed ducks and small flocks of heritage breed poultry. We grow Ark of Taste heirloom vegetables and herbs with abandon. Everything in our world is local and organic. As a small scale caterer, I am proud to be the only one locally (actually for many. many miles) that only offers locally grown, seasonal fare exclusively.  We also head up Eat Local Southern Tier, an outreach to bring the food service community together with the producers and the community at large. We have met some incredible people along the way and so grateful for the wisdom that they share.We try to give back by sharing our day to day life, including recipes, photos, success and failures on our website. And now nearly 50,000 come each week to see what goes on…who would have thought…

This year something else happened that will leave us forever changed…we have made the decision to move our growing energies to something we feel strongly about, helping special needs children. We are so proud to announce that in the spring of 2009 we will break ground on The Childrens Garden here at our farm.

The Children’s Garden will be a place where children in pre-k through 3rd grade with special needs can come with their families, and in small groups, can dig their fingers into the dirt and participate in their very own garden. They will learn to weed, water, plant and enjoy the fruits of their labor! A vegetable and fruit garden and a flower and herb garden will be established for their enjoyment and education.

While the children are here they will enjoy learning about life on a small farm, from the care of small animals to the importance of preserving our Heritage Breeds. They will enjoy interacting with many small farm animals who live here, from the ducks and chickens to Dumplin’ the teeny tiny horse who is coming here from Sunkissed Acres rescue and retirement in GA.Two of our ducks and three of our chickens and Tito the dog, also from Sunkissed Acres, will become additions to the therapy animals.

This was a year like no other, we are so incredibly blessed there really are no words to express it. We are so grateful to everyone who has helped us get to this place in our lives, friends, family, neighbors and fellow producers…we love you all more than you know!

Colleen, Todd and Ally
The Farm at Nanticoke Creek
Union Center, NY 13760
www.farmatnanticokecreek.com