Wow! I've been sorting and packing and just generally decluttering and it feels fab! Gotten rid of a lot of stuff, gave to Salvation Army, Freecycling...it just feels lighter around here.
I think I'm enjoying it too much.
This downsizing is going to be good for us, I know it. Truly, I think a lot of my stress and depression issues related to this house and the state of it. It wasn't dirty, or really all *that* messy, just cluttered. A big clue was the fact I'd get all antsy or irritable and it would magically disappear when I'd step outside. I think my soul was feeling cluttered.
Well, off to bed. I'm holding a sweet sleeping Lily who's breath smells of warm buttermilk. Nuttin' better than this....
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Thursday, March 15, 2007
A couple sites I visit have recently had discussions on homesteading and what, ideally, is our goal or dream.
I know that for now, we won't be close to real "homesteading". Even though I grew up (mostly) on a farm, I have to say I didn't really absorb lots of information. I was upstairs reading Sassy and Seventeen dreaming of my life in the Village as a writer lol. Funny how things have come round. Now I'm wishing I'd learned more about gardening and canning and raising chickens and milking cows. Sure, I'm learning now, but it would be a heck of a lot easier if I'd just paid attention back then.
But I guess my "dream" would be...growing and preserving much of our own food, chickens for eggs, a Jersey heifer for milk, solar and wind power, a greywater system, composting toilets...totally off grid...the whole shebang. For now, it's going to have to be some trial and error organic gardening to get my feet wet, er, dirty. Maybe some canning/freezing at first (though I really prefer canning). Possibly some chickens next year. We are going to be using all natural products in the house, but I'd like to try soap making and herbal preparations as well. I'd just like to be able to do those things myself.
As far as the energy issues, well those might wait the longest. The solar and wind anyway as they're a bit expensive. The greywater system, composting toilets and rainwater catchment, those could be anytime really.
For now, we're pretty much going mainstream (as far as energy anyway) mainly to make this a gentle transition for the kids. It's not really fair, in my opinion, to make them cold turkey change everything. So we're trying to go slow and make it seamless.
I'm still excited though! We've planned this for so long and we're finally doing it. I think having a deadline has been good, as we've really had to get things done this past week (and in the coming few!). The decluttering has begun and I feel lighter already. This is going to be a good thing :)
I know that for now, we won't be close to real "homesteading". Even though I grew up (mostly) on a farm, I have to say I didn't really absorb lots of information. I was upstairs reading Sassy and Seventeen dreaming of my life in the Village as a writer lol. Funny how things have come round. Now I'm wishing I'd learned more about gardening and canning and raising chickens and milking cows. Sure, I'm learning now, but it would be a heck of a lot easier if I'd just paid attention back then.
But I guess my "dream" would be...growing and preserving much of our own food, chickens for eggs, a Jersey heifer for milk, solar and wind power, a greywater system, composting toilets...totally off grid...the whole shebang. For now, it's going to have to be some trial and error organic gardening to get my feet wet, er, dirty. Maybe some canning/freezing at first (though I really prefer canning). Possibly some chickens next year. We are going to be using all natural products in the house, but I'd like to try soap making and herbal preparations as well. I'd just like to be able to do those things myself.
As far as the energy issues, well those might wait the longest. The solar and wind anyway as they're a bit expensive. The greywater system, composting toilets and rainwater catchment, those could be anytime really.
For now, we're pretty much going mainstream (as far as energy anyway) mainly to make this a gentle transition for the kids. It's not really fair, in my opinion, to make them cold turkey change everything. So we're trying to go slow and make it seamless.
I'm still excited though! We've planned this for so long and we're finally doing it. I think having a deadline has been good, as we've really had to get things done this past week (and in the coming few!). The decluttering has begun and I feel lighter already. This is going to be a good thing :)
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Saturday, March 10, 2007
It’s hard to explain my awakening desire to have a fifth baby. I had three, then I had Lily. I was sure I’d be content with four kids; it felt right on a soul level. The Downs threw me for a loop though. So now here I am, wanting to do it again. Not that I’m guaranteed 100% health. It’s just…hard to explain.
This is what it’s like…
You plan a trip to the Cheesecake Factory for your birthday. You start thinking of that chocolate cheesecake you want to have. The mere thought of it makes your mouth water. You know it’s just what you want. The weeks leading up to your birthday the thoughts of this particular cheesecake increase. You cannot wait to sink your teeth in.
When you finally arrive, you learn they’re fresh out of chocolate cheesecake. You have raspberry cheesecake instead. It’s really wonderful and you enjoy it. It’s rich and creamy and just the most perfect raspberry cheesecake ever.
But…in the back of your mind, you still want that chocolate cheesecake. Maybe not right away, but you know you must eventually experience it.
It’s sorta like that. And yes, everything equals food to me. As evidenced by my backside.
So I’ve had the “chocolate cheesecake” three times already, isn’t that enough? I dunno.
If you’ve ever read that Welcome to Holland essay, it’s like that but you still want to eventually go to Italy. The detour in Holland is beautiful and enlightening. But you planned that trip to Italy and you still want to experience it. Even if you have been there three times before. Each trip is unique and wonderful.
But I think, I’m pretty sure, just about positive…that I’ll stay in Ohio and not visit the cheesecake factory anytime soon.
This is what it’s like…
You plan a trip to the Cheesecake Factory for your birthday. You start thinking of that chocolate cheesecake you want to have. The mere thought of it makes your mouth water. You know it’s just what you want. The weeks leading up to your birthday the thoughts of this particular cheesecake increase. You cannot wait to sink your teeth in.
When you finally arrive, you learn they’re fresh out of chocolate cheesecake. You have raspberry cheesecake instead. It’s really wonderful and you enjoy it. It’s rich and creamy and just the most perfect raspberry cheesecake ever.
But…in the back of your mind, you still want that chocolate cheesecake. Maybe not right away, but you know you must eventually experience it.
It’s sorta like that. And yes, everything equals food to me. As evidenced by my backside.
So I’ve had the “chocolate cheesecake” three times already, isn’t that enough? I dunno.
If you’ve ever read that Welcome to Holland essay, it’s like that but you still want to eventually go to Italy. The detour in Holland is beautiful and enlightening. But you planned that trip to Italy and you still want to experience it. Even if you have been there three times before. Each trip is unique and wonderful.
But I think, I’m pretty sure, just about positive…that I’ll stay in Ohio and not visit the cheesecake factory anytime soon.
Friday, March 09, 2007
I'm alive!
Things are going well in our little corner of the world...Gage is 11 and starting to exhibit peculiar pre teenish behavior that is crazymaking, Maddie is 8 and is our little jock, currently playing basketball and loving it, Mace is 4 and nutty as ever; still won't wear clothes for long but is the most sensitive kid you could imagine, Lily is almost ONE! I cannot believe it! Next month, she will be one. Wow. She's still doing so well, she's in occupational and physical therapy and soon will be starting speech therapy. She isn't crawling yet, but manages to "scooch" around if she needs to, can do a 360 on the floor to get to something she wants and is sitting without support. She's also an uber drama queen and knows just how to play mom and dad.
Scott and I are doing really well..I think anyway. I guess it's all a matter of perspective, he might think we're doing awful lol But we're getting along and getting things done. No, we still haven't moved but it's looking to be in the next couple months. We still have floors to finish and some plumbing loose ends to finish, but it's looking good and it WILL be this Spring sometime lol
I am o-kay. I was thinking the other day, realizing Lily's birthday is coming up, that this has been the hardest year of my life. But you know, that's saying something. If this wonderful person coming into our lives has been the hardest thing for me, I've led a pretty charmed life, you know? It really is not that bad, not as bad as I thought it would be 10 or so months ago. It's one of those things...you wouldn't wish for it to happen of course but you find out if it does it's not what you had imagined it would be. Plus I've come to the conclusion that you do what you have to do, you muddle through, you get by. There was a time in my life when I said I could never manage a special needs kid. But I can, and I do, and it's not at all an awful thing.
I am however, dealing with baby lust. Again and for different reasons this time I think. But that's for another post, and it's for the great spirit to work on changing Scott's mind :)
Things are going well in our little corner of the world...Gage is 11 and starting to exhibit peculiar pre teenish behavior that is crazymaking, Maddie is 8 and is our little jock, currently playing basketball and loving it, Mace is 4 and nutty as ever; still won't wear clothes for long but is the most sensitive kid you could imagine, Lily is almost ONE! I cannot believe it! Next month, she will be one. Wow. She's still doing so well, she's in occupational and physical therapy and soon will be starting speech therapy. She isn't crawling yet, but manages to "scooch" around if she needs to, can do a 360 on the floor to get to something she wants and is sitting without support. She's also an uber drama queen and knows just how to play mom and dad.
Scott and I are doing really well..I think anyway. I guess it's all a matter of perspective, he might think we're doing awful lol But we're getting along and getting things done. No, we still haven't moved but it's looking to be in the next couple months. We still have floors to finish and some plumbing loose ends to finish, but it's looking good and it WILL be this Spring sometime lol
I am o-kay. I was thinking the other day, realizing Lily's birthday is coming up, that this has been the hardest year of my life. But you know, that's saying something. If this wonderful person coming into our lives has been the hardest thing for me, I've led a pretty charmed life, you know? It really is not that bad, not as bad as I thought it would be 10 or so months ago. It's one of those things...you wouldn't wish for it to happen of course but you find out if it does it's not what you had imagined it would be. Plus I've come to the conclusion that you do what you have to do, you muddle through, you get by. There was a time in my life when I said I could never manage a special needs kid. But I can, and I do, and it's not at all an awful thing.
I am however, dealing with baby lust. Again and for different reasons this time I think. But that's for another post, and it's for the great spirit to work on changing Scott's mind :)
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