Closer to the Ground

I think most of us have big dreams. Whether we live them out or we just dream of bigger and better things, we all still have dreams of a life more full of the things we desire. What I am learning is that for me, it's time to turn off the dream switch and start living a more practical life. The truth is, we live in a trailer, we drive cars that are more than 5 years old and we live paycheck to paycheck and that is most likely how it will always be. BUT that doesn't mean we (my family and I) can't live a happy life. We can learn to live happy with what we have and we can have more of the practical things in life. One way to do that is to go "old school". This year we are going to start growing our own vegetables. We plan to have a small amount of chickens, perhaps a couple of goats and maybe a sheep. I am learning to can. And instead of buying everything store made, I've reverted back to my childhood and am making homemade cookies and cakes. I will be trying to make my first batch of homemade bread this week as well.

I've been making soap for the last 5 years or so and I have always sewn clothes for my kids (although my daughter Daisy is the only one who really cared for my sewing projects).

What a treasure it will be to learn WITH my children how to garden and can. My brother and sister and myself always had to help Daddy in the garden every year. And during the summer, Mama would send us across the road to grandma's to gather fresh eggs and apples of the apple trees that lined my grandparents' driveway. And Mama bought fresh milk from a sweet old lady down the road from our house. Recently, my brother joked how he still had a habit of shaking the milk before he opened the jug-something we had to do with our farm-fresh milk when we were kids.

I guess, one reason I want to do this (besides prepping for a dismal economy) is that I miss the things of my childhood and I want my children to have those experiences. I want them to learn to grow what they eat and I DON'T WANT THEM thinking everything that eat comes from a box or a styrofoam package. What I dreaded doing as I child, I now look forward to doing as an adult.

I sure do miss the taste of a fresh green apple right off the tree.