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Tuesday, June 19, 2007

If it's not one thing, it's another

Between the violent storm and some pretty bizare nightmares, I got little sleep last night. I have been sitting here thinking, I promised to talk about the good points of homesteading, but right now...I can't think of any. So I am attempting to get some coffee into me, to think clearer and to wake up a bit, I don't want to ramble to much. Plus blogger seems to be acting up, I am typing 4x as fast as it is appearing on the screen. What a morning. ~sigh~

I have already mentioned that homesteading brings pride, and accomplishments. It means you are more independent from commercial items {foodstuff and the like}

As I said, if it isn't one thing, it's another... as I was writing this, the electricity went out. Good thing blogger has an automatic save. I think someone wants to make it hard for me to say positive things about homesteading.

I realize that I have said many negative things about homesteading, I am not trying to put anyone off the idea. But there are just so many things not covered in books that need to be told. As I sit here and look over to my right, there is a homesteading book that on the cover reads, everything you need to know to live off the land I want to call BS on that. Many times I have tried to refer to books about something and it isn't covered. They tell you how to do things, but not tell you about all the mistakes that will occur.

But I was talking about the positive, wasn't I?

There is a rush when you hatch out your first chicks. Harvest is almost an unbearable thrill. Looky looky at all my hard work paying off! Our family works differently then most of the town families we know, our boys work together and help with work. Yes they still bicker and rebel, but that is par for the course. They are not stuck in front of the tv watching cartoons all day nor playing video games. Those things are earned. We make things together, like Derby cars, or makeshift forts.



Our cars when people's choice every year.

A homesteading family is different, we are isolated but we know how to work with others to get things done. We are not loners in any sense of the word. I guess the most positive thing about homesteading is family life. We have to be here, together to survive, might as well make the best of it.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Although my homestaed is not physicaly isolated, you are right that it requires a family to work together. The other great value for our children (I hope) is that they understand that there is a way to accomplish things (ie:feed yourself)other than just running to the grocery store. I think we will be raising a generation smarter than ourselves by giving them skills that are not often taught (possibly valued?) in our currnet society.Keep up the good work! I am enjoying reading of your adventures, there must be good points, we just all forget them when its 95 degrees out at 10:00a.m. and we're trying to do weeding and round up goats!

Phelan said...

Anonymous, thank you and welcome to my blog. You are right about things not being valued. But it might be changing.

You are also right about the good points, there are many, but the harshness kind of blurs it out. I will think of some more this week. SOmething will go right, I know it.

Stephanie Appleton said...

Family was probably the biggest consideration for choosing this lifestyle.

Some other benefits? Hmmm... I think I've lost about 10 pounds since garden season began. I have a great tan albeit a tank top/short tan. (Like I go in public with less anyway! EEK!!) I have more energy than I have in a long time. Yes, I'm exhausted at the end of the day, but it is the good exhaustion where you've worked hard. Not the sluggish blah exhaustion I used to have. I sleep very well at night! Perk up girl, you know it is all worth it! :)

Tim Appleton (Applehead) said...

commercialism is the worst thing I have to put up with and I work in sales...I also have tightened up the belt this summer. I wouldn't trade this lifestyle for much else.

Billy said...

I don't have the same lifestlye, but I can agree about family and children. My son is the average kid. He likes his fair share of television and video games, but I know he would rather be outside doing something more constructive. I have been asked countless times if he can build a fort or build a tree house, anything. Of course we are so limited on space, the answer is always no. I wish I could live differently. Right now I am making small changes. Very small. Hopefully one day it will be different.

Jeff Roberts said...

Cool cars!

Unknown said...

So far this year we've had over 60 poultry babies hatch, but even now, the first tiny chip in an egg is a cause for celebration ~ it's still a miracle to me that a small oval object can give rise to life. I'm still besotted with my kids & love the fact that Demi hides them, but will go to them when I appear in her field to show me where they are.

On the downside ~ my horse cold mix has been changed & is now full of GM crops. I won't eat GM because I don't trust what the agrichemical industry may have inputted into the plants, so I don't see why I should expect my animals to eat it either. The quality of the "new" brand of mix isn't a patch on the old. I w3ish I could get organic feed. My land is organic. OK I do use the vet & his medications when necessary, but only because I have not the knowledge/experience to treat my new animals when they are ill.
Homesteading = the cycle & miracle of life, death & rebirth

Phelan said...

Stephanie, you know that farmers tan are sexy. :D

Tim, nor would I.

abba, make sure you think long and hard about it before commiting.

Jeff, thank you. We had a blast making them.

Killi, I agree.

Stephanie Appleton said...

That's what Tim says! ;)

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