When we embarked on our homesteading journey we had some really set ideas about what our homestead would look like. A lot of pre-planning went into this. Not surprisingly. these ideas have changed radically through experiences and time. That's what I want to talk about today. The profound changes this life has had on us in such a short time. So much has changed.
What we thought would be, is entirely different than what is.
When we first arrived here we had a picture in our minds of what the homestead would be. It was more or less that of a small farm. Cows, pigs, chickens, gardens & a big pantry.
We did a lot of the things we had envisioned, minus the horses and cows. For the most part everything we have done has been successful. There was an incredible amount of things to learn, and what we lacked in farm experience our training in business, project management, planning, budgeting along with a healthy dose of sheer stubborn determination helped us pull it off. We did everything like we had something to prove (which in a way we did).
But one thing leads to another ...
While moving tonnes of manure and rock using shovels and wheelbarrows and aerating acres of land with a broad fork as sweat puddled into our boots we've been experiencing profound changes in ourselves. I didn't anticipate that homesteading would put us on wild, life changing, spiritual roller-coaster.
But I'll tell you what hermits realize. If you go off into a far, far forest and get very quiet, you'll come to understand that you're connected with everything. ~ Alan Watts
The flowers started to smell sweeter. The sounds of nature around us became louder. Our curiosity grew deeper.
The beauty is captivating. We'd sometimes lose time simply by becoming mesmerized by our surroundings. We didn't hesitate to fill our bellies right in the garden, fresh off the vine. We became far less "snooty" about what we considered a good meal to consist of. I suppose you could say we appreciated everything more.
Often I look at some strange plant popping up from the ground and my first though is "what is this? Can we eat it"?
On the other hand, the rawness is very real and quite painful. We've responded to the screams of a chicken being eaten alive by a hawk, not hesitating to wring the chickens neck on the spot to end it's horrific suffering. We've both killed for sustenance and to end suffering.
Moments like this shock your mind and heart. That's the thing about nature and life, it's beautiful and cruel. I am learning that it's good to witness and feel this profound sadness in nature. It's part of life and part of being connected to this Earth.
We've become physically stronger but we are acutely aware that age is gradually making us weaker.
All the good food and stretching in the world can't stop time and ageing. We didn't expect the aches and snaps, crackles and pops of our bodies to arrive so soon. We've only just arrive into our 40's after all. Old childhood injuries are coming back with a vengeance and it's a bit of a shocker. You start to wonder how you'll keep this up in ten years, twenty, thirty.
Hauling firewood and traversing the land in winter is not a lot of fun. We have things to figure out. It's a good idea to plan for old age if this is the lifestyle you are going to choose for yourself. We have a focus on making work easier and more efficient. Perennials are a big part of our future.
The more connected we are with our surroundings the more joy we feel in our hearts. It's exhilarating.
That picture of a quaint little farm has faded and transformed into a desire to live more simply. We are itching to expand our knowledge of primitive skills. I don't just want to make wine and bread, I want to gather all items from the land and forest around us. I don't want to just grow food, I want the food to simply grow around us.
It's a funny thing. We set out to change our lives but never quite imagined how much we ourselves would change along the way. This awakening that courses through me is addictive. What I know most of all is that I want to live my life doing this. I've planted my roots in the soil and the earth has become my teacher.
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Building a greener, more beautiful world one seed at a time.
Homesteading | Gardening | Frugal Living | Preserving Food| From Scratch Cooking|
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