{"id":863,"date":"2008-12-10T19:18:00","date_gmt":"2008-12-10T19:18:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/homegardenjoy.com\/site\/2008\/12\/learning-how-to-live.html"},"modified":"2026-01-28T15:27:25","modified_gmt":"2026-01-28T20:27:25","slug":"learning-how-to-live","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/homegardenjoy.com\/site\/2008\/12\/learning-how-to-live.html","title":{"rendered":"Learning How to Live"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

I made a startling discovery this week. I am finally learning how to live.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
It’s been a little over a year since I left Manhattan’s teeming streets for a quiet rural life. In that year, I’ve launched one company, improved a second one, and relaunched my writing career. We’ve unpacked and made a home here, added gardens, planted an orchard, and made a spiritual home at St. Theresa’s. I’ve taken courses at the Cooperative Extension and made friends. And it’s all been wonderful.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n

Yet I wasn’t enjoying myself. I planned one activity after another, and if I wasn’t at my desk for a full eight hours or more a day I felt as if I were slacking off. Yet who was yelling at me? A tiny voice inside my own head, that’s who…it was my ‘responsible nature’ and that enormous well of self-discipline that was going to be my undoing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
\n

So this past month, I’ve worked on learning how to relax. Each day I stop working at 4pm. John and I take Shadow for a walk through our woods, our gorgeous woods. We stop and look at the wild plants. We found a place yesterday deep in the woods where deer must have rested, for the pine needles were pushed into the shape of an animal and there were hoof marks everywhere. I found wild wintergreen and beautiful old holly bushes. We went down to our creek, little Clearwater Creek, and found a big tree had fallen across it and now we have a homemade bridge. Shadow dipped her toes into the water and the big tufts of golden fur in her German Shepherd feet make tassels. I come home and cook a nice meal for the family now, taking my time to enjoy cooking. I listen to my old records on the stereo and light the fire in the family room. I’m taking time to enjoy my life.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
Are you enjoying yours?<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  I made a startling discovery this week. I am finally learning how to live. It’s been a little over a year since I left Manhattan’s teeming streets for a quiet rural life. In that year, I’ve launched one company, improved a second one, and relaunched my writing career. We’ve unpacked and made a home…<\/p>\n

Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_wp_convertkit_post_meta":{"form":"-1","landing_page":"","tag":"","restrict_content":""},"footnotes":""},"categories":[2301],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-863","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-personal","7":"entry"},"yoast_head":"\nLearning How to Live - Home Garden Joy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Learning How to Live\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"  I made a startling discovery this week. 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