I am a woman, a wife, a mother, a sister, a friend and an ally. I have been a feminist since I was 12 years old and first observed sexism and double standards. I have a degree in philosophy and more than 20 years professional experience in publishing, marketing, and communications. I have a pre-teen daughter, and my full-time job right now is homeschooling her. I have had more than my share of health issues; I have been through hell on Earth, and, through stubborn resilience, dogged determination, and a strong marriage, I survived it to come out on top.
I am passionate about education, travel, the arts, and the environment. I am a creative lifelong learner who enjoys trying new things. A fiber artist, I knit and crochet, as well as do mixed media and book-making. I’m a good cook and baker. I have a green thumb. I love strong coffee and good books. A well-chilled prosecco is my potent potable of choice, although I have been known to quaff a quality vodka or gin cocktail on occasion. I enjoy hiking and, when I have the opportunity, downhill skiing. I love nice things: When they were 4 years old, a friend of my daughter observed to her mother as we were walking, “Miss Lisa likes things fancy,” to which I replied, smiling at her astute comment, “Why, yes, I do!” I love celebrating holidays, both big and small, and I’m a sentimental person who takes an abundance of photos to chronicle my life. I plan to write about all the things important to me that shape my life in this space.
As a philosopher, I like to think about things. In fact, it was a simple, casual remark that got me thinking about what it means to live well and ultimately inspired me to create this blog. I was watching a British gardening show, Monty Don’s Adriatic Gardens, where on this particular episode, gardening guru Monty Don tours Croatia. Thanks to his guide, Don makes an impromptu visit to a random woman’s sizeable vegetable garden. Through an interpreter, Don comments to her, “You live well … you eat well,” which she affirms.
His compliment to her really struck me. I eat well. Does that mean I live well?
For me, those two simple sentences launched a cascade of thoughts about what it means to live well. I first thought about Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. For those not familiar with it, it’s a psychological framework shaped like a pyramid that explains what humans need to be fully self-actualized individuals. Basic needs like food, shelter, and clothing form the base of the pyramid. Things like safety, community, and self-esteem shape it upward. Creative expression forms the peak of the pyramid and indicates someone is self-actualized and living to their potential. It isn’t necessarily a linear process to the top; it can be much more organic.
I applied it to my life: My basic needs are well met. I am safe at home, and we live in a safe place. Community, I’m working on. I believe in myself, and I have a number of creative outlets. I strive to be my best self every day. So, yes, I am self-actualized and aim to live fully.
I returned to thoughts of eating well equating to living well. I do eat well; it’s a very conscious choice that defines a sizeable corner of my life.
I have celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder that makes it necessary for me to eat gluten-free. I’m incredibly sensitive so anything that goes on my body, such as makeup or skincare products, needs to be gluten-free, too. In fact, I’m so sensitive my house is gluten-free, meaning we don’t bring anything containing gluten into our home.
On top of being celiac, I have developed a slew of food allergies, which further restricts my diet such that I am often asked what I can eat, but more on that another time. What it means is food is not easy for me. I don’t have a lot of options when it comes to eating out. There are only a few restaurants where I can eat safely, and I don’t trust most people to cook for me: A simple mistake can mean a hospital visit at worst and at least days of debilitation for me. More often than not, if I want to eat, I (or my husband or my mom) need to make it. I enjoy good food. I am not someone who eats just to survive. If I make it, it needs to taste good. So, while I was already a good baker, I became a good cook out of necessity.
Suffice it to say, good food factors heavily into my lifestyle. Does that mean I live well, though?
I thought a bit about my mom, who grew up poor on my grandparents’ farm, where they grew grains like wheat and corn and kept livestock (cattle, pigs and chickens). She has talked about how hard life was then; one of seven kids, she and her siblings worked on the farm from the time they were little, and creature comforts were few. But she has stressed they always had plenty of good food to eat and never went hungry. My grandmother had a large vegetable garden, not unlike the one Monty Don saw in Croatia, but bigger. She canned and preserved fruits and veg. She was an excellent cook and baker who would often greet my mom and her brothers and sisters with fresh doughnuts when they came home from school. My grandfather could butcher and cure his own meats, as well as hunt and fish. They indeed ate well, but I very much doubt my mom would say she lived well then.
Ultimately, I believe eating well does factor heavily into living well, but it’s not the sole component.
Then I considered what it means to live a good life, to live well. Now, I believe definitions of what constitutes a good life may differ, depending on people’s abilities, interests and circumstances. I define a good life as being healthy, loving and being loved, eating well, doing meaningful and rewarding work, pursuing your interests, traveling, being social, observing holidays and celebrating special moments, learning new things, always trying to do one’s best, being creative, having a spiritual practice, spending time in nature, appreciating cultural places and events, enjoying the finer things, practicing kindness, and giving back to society.
By my own definition, I do lead a good life.
My musings came full circle back to gardening and food. Last November, I had decided I would grow as much as I could of my own produce, starting the spring of 2025. Given the outcome of the election, I realized that prices especially on fruit and vegetables were going to rise, and that regulations monitoring the safety of commercially grown produce would likely weaken or disappear. Because my gluten-free, allergy-friendly foods and ingredients are already very costly — our monthly grocery budget is about four times what typical families pay for groceries — I didn’t relish the idea of paying even more for them. Also, my daughter and I both have compromised immune systems. We physically can’t afford to chance Salmonella or E. coli infections. Plus, our homeschool curriculum includes nature-based learning, and gardening is a perfect application. So, this year, full-scale fruit, herb and vegetable gardening we will be doing, as much as we can in our suburban yard within the confines of our HOA dictates.
It then occurred to me that eating well and growing what amounts to a victory garden were two good forms of personal resistance to what’s currently happening on the national stage. I will continue to live a good, rich life and live well in spite of the powers’ that be criminal efforts to dismantle this democracy, disenfranchise me and my daughter, and destroy the country I love. Rather than give in to the impotent rage I feel, helpless to do anything other than stay informed, boycott specific companies, and call my senators and representatives, I choose instead to cultivate joy in my life, along with fruit, veg, herbs, and flowers. I will elevate dinner and lunch when I can as an act of defiance; I may not be a billionaire, but I certainly can eat like one, if not better. I challenge myself to live fully and beautifully rather than wallowing in despair.
It was then that I decided to create a blog and share my journey in the hopes that it would encourage others who felt like I did to fight back and resist in ways meaningful to them. I feel it’s important to note that I don’t believe you need to grow a garden or have the kitchen skills of a chef to resist what the government is doing or be an artisan as an act of political defiance. It’s a completely personal choice. The point is to do what brings you joy so you don’t feel defeated and can live abundantly regardless of what is happening in the world.
In Plato’s Apology, the philosopher Socrates says, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” The sentiment served as inspiration for the name of this blog. To me, it means introspection is important, and really considering how you want to live your life and then striving to live accordingly are the first steps on the path to leading your best life.
That’s the goal anyway, to lead my best life, even amid the chaos and overwhelm.