I love country life! I love the quiet, the peace, the stars at night - so many it takes your breath away! I love the hammock under the Catawba tree, the sound of the creek rushing at the base of the mountain after a hard rain and so much more! As we are looking for a new place, I have had many encourage me to get a nice house in town. "Time to take it easy", "You know, you aren't getting any younger!"
Thank you. I couldn't tell that looking in the mirror each morning.
I don't think I could ever live in town again...not if I could help it. But time is marching on, children are growing up and getting married and it won't be long before it is just mama and me living at home. There is a grandbaby to play with as much as I can! So...I need to be practical and at this point in my life practical isn't 45 acres! Mortgages aren't practical!
I still want to live in the country. I still want to look out my kitchen window and see sunflowers and chickens!
Chickens make me feel peaceful. I love their little clucks and soft calls...I think it is such a soothing sound. I like to see them scratching in the yard (cleaning up the bugs!). I don't mind the dozens of eggs we get each day either. Oh!....how those eggs make my baked goods better!
I love the sunflowers - leavings from the wild birds all winter. Each spring, under the feeders, sunflowers pop up! Sunflowers are the happiest flower, in my world anyway! I can count on them each summer season.
I still want to raise my own beef. The flavor is amazing, the texture is better, I know what went into that cow and I can have it butchered to my specifications. And it is SO much cheaper than buying beef at the store. Each fall season, I hope to put one of my cows into the freezer.
I still want to garden. Perhaps not on the grand scale we have in the past, but I want to grow my own food and preserve it. Again, healthier, organic, tastier and I know exactly how it was raised. I want to make my own bread, jams, jellies, relishes, condiments, cereals, cheeses, herbal mixtures, soaps, salves, medicines, herbal teas and more.
I hope there will always be fresh herbs on my windowsill, bark tea brewing in the sun, herbs drying on my counter for medicine, tinctures, soaps, salves, and winter use.
There are seasons in life. My friend Herrick posted a wonderful message about seasons. I encourage you to read it. There are times we set our own agenda aside to serve those around us. I have a wonderful canner - in fact I have two of them. It is so much faster to can with two! But mine have gathered a lot of dust this last year also. We have been in the season of serving others.
Although we ate a bit out of our garden, with our foster boys there was never enough time to can. The weeds took over in the end. Canning is rewarding and I love looking at my shelves lined up with garden goodies for the winter. Canning is also time consuming...and it is a long and hot job. Many days I have been up way past my bedtime waiting for a batch to wind down. It is worth it come November, but July can seem abnormally long.
As we prepare for a new season, moving to a smaller property, I know I will miss the farm where my boys grew up and became men. Elijah came here as a babe in arms and now he stands a good head taller than me. He has no "moving" memories - other than helping others move. It will all be new. But my Father promises that it will be good!
Yes, chickens are awesome and soothing. Your blog was one that inspired us to get chickens. They are delightful creatures with so much more personality and smarts than their reputation. Ours have learned their names, understand routines, and feel affection for us (they want to be nearby if not held).
ReplyDeleteI pray that God gives you a good new location. In my area, it is hard to find a location where one can raise livestock.