This site is an archive of ChiotsRun.com. For the latest information about Susy and her adventrures, visit the Cultivate Simple site.
Thank you for all your support over the years!

Quote of the Day: Margaret Atwood

May 6th, 2012

“In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.”

~Margaret Atwood

I certainly do. You know it’s been a good day in the garden when you step into the shower and see swirls of dirt running down the drain!

Barefoot or shoes, which do you prefer?

17 Comments to “Quote of the Day: Margaret Atwood”
  1. Rachel on May 6, 2012 at 7:37 am

    I love this quote and one Spring season had it written on a chalkboard in our home. I discovered your blog about a week ago through HomesteadRevival, and have since been so inspired by the details you give about gardening as well as your many recipes and quotations. We too have an organic garden, and your blog has been quite the discovery and encouragement.

    Reply to Rachel's comment

  2. Liz J on May 6, 2012 at 8:44 am

    What a wonderful quote ~ been there…done it…LOVE IT!!!

    Reply to Liz J's comment

  3. Sincerely, Emily on May 6, 2012 at 8:46 am

    Great quote. I wish dirt was the only thing I smelled like at the end of the day!

    Reply to Sincerely, Emily's comment

  4. Jay Miller on May 6, 2012 at 9:10 am

    Barefoot! Both my kids refuse to wear shoes when outside as well.0

    Reply to Jay Miller's comment

  5. Sherri on May 6, 2012 at 9:20 am

    ROFLOL!! What a fantastic quote :) These days, my feet are VERY grimy with dirt at the end of the day and yes, the swirl of dirt in the shower is the ultimate sign of a productive day in the garden! A true sign that gardening season is in full swing is when I shower in the evening instead of in the morning :)

    Reply to Sherri's comment

  6. Janet Anderson on May 6, 2012 at 10:50 am

    LoL – shoes….always shoes! I have exceedingly tender feet and can’t stand barefoot outside the house! :-)

    Reply to Janet Anderson's comment

  7. Erin on May 6, 2012 at 10:59 am

    Barefoot all the way! I don’t wear shoes unless there’s snow on the ground. Which means this year, I wore shoes briefly during October and then never again. The callouses on my feet are at least a quarter of an inch thick.

    I live in a city, and holy cow until I moved here I never knew how many people would be willing to stop me on the street and express concern of my shoeless state. I’m lucky to work in an office that doesn’t care that I’m wandering around without shoes on most the time and flipflops the rest. And I’m totally that person in stores where storepeople have to be like UM LADY CAN YOU PUT SHOES ON.

    In conclusion: shoes are the worst!

    Reply to Erin's comment

  8. Joshua on May 6, 2012 at 1:02 pm

    I don’t like to go barefoot normally, because, between sheep, chicken, and duck manure, gravel, and the occasional screw or nail, who knows what I might step on. But when I’m in the garden, nothing beats the feel of warm, soft dirt against my bare feet.

    Reply to Joshua's comment

  9. Sue from Ky. on May 6, 2012 at 1:12 pm

    I could be no more content(unless I were a mole). I could live in the dirt. I think of all the things I do, playing in the soil gives me the most pleasure.Doing my best to build it up.Repotting flowers and veggies. Building new beds and improving the existing beds,for all sorts of vegetation. I simply love dirt.

    Reply to Sue from Ky.'s comment

  10. judym on May 6, 2012 at 3:16 pm

    I’m definetly shoeless. Rarely have shoes on during the summer. Not even in the winter (in the house). Love the dirt and grass between my toes. As a little girl my mother always had trouble keeping shoes on me. Love the outdoors!

    Reply to judym's comment

  11. Marcia on May 6, 2012 at 3:54 pm

    Barefoot. It’s not summer until the soles of my feet are toughened out enough to run on gravel. Bravo on the quote from my favorite author.

    Reply to Marcia's comment

  12. Pat on May 6, 2012 at 4:16 pm

    Barefoot! I prefer flip flops when going out, because I can get them off in a flash and back to barefoot again ;)

    Reply to Pat's comment

  13. Maybelline on May 6, 2012 at 4:42 pm

    Shoes

    Reply to Maybelline's comment

  14. daisy on May 6, 2012 at 5:08 pm

    Barefoot whenever humanly possible…

    Reply to daisy's comment

  15. KimH on May 6, 2012 at 9:09 pm

    I love the feel of soft cool grass & warm sweet soil between my toes. I go barefoot when I can, and my neighbors from the hills of West Virginia laugh when they see me barefoot & call me a hillbilly. ;)

    Reply to KimH's comment

  16. EL on May 7, 2012 at 2:30 pm

    The best of both worlds: sandals or crocs. When wielding a shovel, bare feet just don’t work (and I am doing a lot of shovel wielding right now as I slowly prepare my garden. The secret is wearing something that can be cleaned easily.

    But barefoot is great, especially first thing in the morning.

    Reply to EL's comment

  17. Sharpeshots Photography on May 16, 2012 at 6:59 am

    Yep, I’m an open shoe gardener – usually an old pair of crocs

    Reply to Sharpeshots Photography's comment

About

This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

Admin
Read previous post:
Hello Little Friend

Ever since we moved in here I've been hoping to spot a snake or two in the garden. A few...

Close