T h e G a p

We made it through Christmas, and here we are on the "other side" in that weird gap between Christmas and New Years. I used to hate this time because I would be so bored! But now I live for it. There is nothing you have to do - nowhere to be. It is perfectly acceptable to do absolutely nothing, which is great because both kids have come down with the flu...womp womp. We are in full on couch mode. Nothing but reading books, watching movies, and snuggling on the couch will be happening in this house for the next few days.

I have been using this time to prepare for all of my starters going into the garden this spring. Planning which plants will go into each bed, when to start them indoors, and when to transfer them out to the beds. Since I will be adding four new raised beds to our garden this year I will be able to have an entire bed for our root veggies and things like my garlic and onions that will take a bit longer. I've also decided, after being re-introduced to how hot and dry summers can be in Durham, to add in an irrigation system that I can hook up to the hose. I lost a ton of plants last year when we went out of town for a week and my garden got completely scorched. Not this year!

Another thing we are planning to add to our outdoor space this spring is a chicken coop and our first round of chickens. I've been researching and reading up on the best breeds and runs for our area and I finally feel like I can confidently take on a small flock. Were talking like 6 chickens to start with, because I don't want to get in over my head. It has been so fun to decide which breeds to look into and design a coop/run! The kiddos are super excited and have been very involved in the process so I think it will be a really fun thing for us to all do together.

Hopefully, the next few days are filled with rest and healing for the kiddos so we can enjoy the rest of their vacation before we get swept back up into the flow of the New Year. The final new moon of the year is in two days so I am starting to think about what I would like to build on and manifest for the beginning of 2025. I've also been doing more in depth meditation on the card pull I did for the Winter Solstice that represents the year to come (I'll do a separate post on that process in the next day or so). Until next time, wishing you all peace, rest, and reflection during this liminal time.