How Canning Fruit Supports My Writing

Geri Spieler
3 min readFeb 21, 2022

I found the perfect antidote to writer burnout

Photo by JBryson for iStock

We’ve all learned how certain practices support others. Such a taking a walk can help us work out a problem or vacuuming the carpet encourages the resolution for a dilemma.

For me it is hard labor of picking fruit and canning that helps to sort out my mental challenges. However, it is more physically demanding than I’d like, but, I planted the fruit trees, so I have no excuse to complain.

I also have chickens just for the eggs, let me be clear. And, in case you didn’t know, keeping chickens in a suburban environment is not maintenance free. Unlike a farm where the chickens can run and find shelter away from a predator, neighborhood chickens are trapped inside their run.

So, I have built what I call “Chicken Alcatraz” out of hardware cloth (very strong ¼” gauge wire) to keep raccoons and hawks out.

“I’ve always felt that sexuality is a really slippery thing. In this day and age, it tends to get categorized and labeled, and I think labels are for food. Canned food.” Michael Stipe

Unlike the fruit trees when I feel the need to take a break, I can go outside and pick up a chicken for a snuggle. It works well and feels good.

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Geri Spieler
Geri Spieler

Written by Geri Spieler

Award-winning writer, master researcher, journalist, former Gartner analyst, non-fiction author. Reach me at gspieler@gmail.com