satisfyingly sore shoulders

Yesterday was a holiday. I don't really know what kind of holiday it was, but I was pretty happy for the unexpected "break." And, oh my, how I love how I spent the day :)

I woke up to the dern rooster at 5.30a and dozed in and out until 6.30a (someone really needs to put a muzzle on that thing). Then I read and drank tea until 7.30a. I hopped on my bike and went to a nearby village, and it was such a beautiful ride. The sky was very clear, the snow-capped mountain was shining and in view almost the whole ride, and the fruit trees are at their blooming peak. Once I arrived, I joined "uncle, aunt and cousin" for breakfast of fried peppers, tomatoes, eggs, fresh bread, and fresh milk. Then, after digesting for at least 30 seconds, we started working.

We actually started working on this project many months ago, and this is my 3rd (or 4th?) time moving dirt to fill in what was once a hill. We took soil wheelbarrow by wheelbarrow from the garden up the hill to the house. Because counting things motivates me (when I jog, I count my steps; when I'm bored in a lecture, I count tiles or anything that is countable including random words), I suggested that we count and take breaks after every 15 loads. Indeed, it was a blast. 15, then 30, then 45, then 60! We continued to 75...and finished at 90 at around 1pm.

We then ate spinach pite (and I felt something like Popeye) and rested - continuing to chatter and tease. I hopped on my bike after a bit and took the shortcut home - again, magnificently beautiful. Because I was so close, I stopped by some friends' home for 20 minutes for a glass of water and a yummy Turkish coffee (and for their reaction to my hairchop). Once home, man, was I sore. But, man, I love being sore. I love working and seeing "the work of my hands" and feeling physically tired at the end of a day. I love working like that with people - I enjoy talking with people while working at something more than simply talking (sometimes...). Sooo satisfying.

[I really admire how many village families live. They define "sustainability" and "organic" and "small ecological footprint" - these words that perhaps my culture made up but people in other cultures live without a second thought... This particular family grows all of their vegetables - peppers, onions, leeks, corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, carrots, spices, squash, etc. They grow all of their fruit - apples, cherries, yellow blob fruit, etc. They grow their wheat and make their own flour. They grow nearly all of their eggs and meat (chicken). They buy their milk and cheese from the farmer a few houses down. The only things they buy are sugar, coffee, tea, and snackies for guests (peanuts, pretzels, and Turkish delight). It's so much work - and it's so neat!]