Adding & Taking From My Plate

Well, I started a new blog...not really. But I did start up a new site - for people who are interested in purchasing our bread.

Mosquito Creek Bread 

I had considered closing down this blog and actually did for a while, until I realized how much I missed the writing avenue. Blogging can be a big time consumer, I felt bad about taking time away from my "real" work & family. But, digging deeper into myself, I really enjoy writing, and I want to write about the things I am learning about.

Our homestead kind of took a dive over the last few years. This summer we got rid of the goats and have plans on unloading the chickens as well. The garden went to pot and so did my blogging enthusiasm. I was to the point of wanting to get extreme and throw in the whole homesteading towel.

It was a very sad two weeks. I am not a wash-the-dishes kind of girl. I do wash dishes and do the laundry and clean the floors and swipe at the dust(out of duty) because I like a clean orderly home. But if there is something more interesting to do than wash dishes, it's hard to put my heart into the task. I need a project and dream to keep the droll from drowning me. So. when I "gave up" on the homesteading dream I was sad and life was grey. This naturally stressed the whole house out. Kids were acting out and more than my garden was being eaten by worms.

Doom and Gloom reigned until some very dear friends invited me on a kayak trip. It was so fun and so relaxing! Later on that evening we gave the kids a sampling of kayak fun, too. They loved it! It did more to me than just a relaxing day with friends and family. I suddenly realized where I was. I'm sure all of you moms out there with teens understand, suddenly there are new kinds problems and they need to be dealt with differently than you deal with  little'uns. I am in a different chapter of motherhood. Maybe homesteading fits in or maybe not so much, maybe we need to be more flexible and get out more. Maybe we need to hike the Appalachian Trail or just kayak down the Little Miami River. It doesn't mean I give up my homesteading dreams, but I need them to be what fits us.

I have always been envious of families who are able to build their family around their homestead and by this create a heritage. Yes, I wanted to be Amish or something like that: Agrarianism.  But I don't think that is the way the currents are pulling our family. We have principles, values, and needs. Having a goat can't be what defines me. Having six boys and a daughter does make me so much of what I am. I need to be there for them and get them thru their time. I need to eliminate junk food off my plate (goats into the neighbor's field) and be able to drop everything and be there. I realize that I didn't fail at homesteading, I finished that chapter.

So our actions now are things that we can do to help the family flow this special time. It is appealing and freeing. Bryon's business has him working so much, many things are just not practical in homesteading. I will stop fretting over an empty barn. Bryon needs the boys working for him more. The bread business is very flexible and involves the kids as well. The Farmer's Market has been a really good thing for the kids, as we give them more responsibilities and independence.
We are moving along much more peaceable now with a few less distractions, or maybe just different ones.