Hmmm . . . am I really "Crunchy?"

Crunchy . . . I hear this word more and more.


It used to be, "hippy," or, "tree-hugger," and then it progressed to, "granola," and now, "crunchy."


Am I a hippy? I don't think so.
Am I a tree-hugger? That depends on who you ask.
Am I granola? I don't feel like oats, honey and almonds!


I guess I must be crunchy because I am not conventional. Earlier today a good friend described me as earthy. Perhaps that seals the deal: I am crunchy. I better get into this definition and be sure I have been correctly classified!

While looking up the definition of crunchy I happened across the word chickweed. This has nothing to do with being crunchy or not, I just thought it was an interesting word. It refers to pink weeds, or those little flowers our children bring us from the backyard. (More on this later)

Crunchy has an awful dictionary definition: making a crunching sound when chewed or pressed (Websters Collegiate, 10th). Great, that helped. At least it is an adjective. Let's try crunch. It is either a noun or a verb and has to do with crushing, processing information or critical situations (to wildly paraphrase). Perhaps there is something to this beyond the direct correlation to the preparation and eating of granola or other crunchy foods. (There was no pun intended. Honestly, how else would you describe granola?)

Let's go back to why my friend called me earthy. We were discussing something rather mundane over the telephone and got into a discussion about bread flour. I mentioned I had been using a lot of it lately and was considering buying a 50 lb bag at the Country Pantry, a great store nearby. I mentioned it is also the place where I buy the grains to make my children's cereals. That is when she pronounced me earthy.

I make my own bread. Ok, I also make all of my children's food. The only processed food in the house is organic or all natural and I can tell you what each ingredient is, where to get it and none of them require chemistry fellowships to understand. I switched to cloth diapers and subsequently cancelled my garbage service. We recycle ferverently and I am planning a compost bin into my garden for the summer. What's so earthy/crunchy about that? Oh, I think that was her nice, loving way of saying, "you sure are weird, but we love you anyway!"

Did I always make my own bread? No. Did I always use cloth diapers? Nope. Have I always purchased as much organic produce and dairy as I could afford? No, not really. Well then, why now?

I have decided to be more intentional in my living.

This wasn't an overnight change, it has been gradual. But here is the tie in; I believe we are losing something of our culture, we are in a "critical situation." The best place to begin replacing that loss is at the most basic level, the family. I take my family's most basic needs into account and get back to basics in that regard as well. Basic. That's it. The simplest bread is made from scratch. The simplest diapers are made with materials like cotton, bamboo, and hemp. The simplest foods are those with the fewest chemicals . . . but there is more . . . so much more!

Being crunchy is a whole mindset. I would describe it as "back to basics," but being called crunchy is better than being called base! I suppose I have been categorized correctly. Are you crunchy? Whether you bought the organic cotton pj's because they were super soft or because you were being mindful of their origins doesn't matter . . . a lot crunchy or not, a little crunch can go a long way!