These Days

I will say it again - that I just love these days between Christmas and New Years.  A time to regroup and lay low.   It is even easier to do with a virus keeping me quiet for a day or two at least. 

The goats are enjoying the Christmas tree.

We've been blessed with another bounty of birch.  The ice storm left birch trees hanging in the road so the road crews cut them down and left them on the sides.

The temperatures have dropped dramatically today so that the windows are icing over.  But the pond, after 40 degree weather yesterday and some rain, is perfect!

I was able to get a sweater off to a now-not-so-new cousin.

And I am finally catching up with letter writing and some holiday cheer using handmade note cards stamped with a stamp I made at a class this past summer.

I am thinking lots over these last few days if there is such a thing as too simple.  I mean we can go days without leaving our home except to do mailings.   Is it ok to miss out on all the world has to offer?  Or is fulfillment more a state of mind.  So many people I know (and I used to be like this) think that the grass is always greener.  Not that living out one's dreams isn't admirable and truly what I think we are supposed to do during this one life we have.  But, what if your dreams are small now and maybe all the little things really are big things - I guess it just depends upon how you look at it.

Working Outside till Dark

Yesterday I planted garlic.  My homesteading friend told me that she always plants garlic on the 15th of October so I was only off by one day.

The air was warmer than usual and the light beautiful and after dinner I returned outside shoveling and dumping wheelbarrows of compost until the last light left feeling full and complete.

Enough

After reading this and then reading some essays from  The Bill McKibben Reader, that I found at a church rummage sale recently, I have been thinking more about why our family makes the choices we do.  

In Bill McKibben's essay, Consuming Nature, he points out that humans consider themselves to be the center of the universe and that consumerism is mostly about filling the "it's all about me" desire with very little thought about the consequences.

But on the flip side he brings up the point that those of us that have chosen to live more on the outside of this societal norm may also be filling ourselves with a similar kind of "this makes me feel good about myself".   You know like - "You wouldn't believe what it was like doing the morning chores in negative 30 degree weather" or "We had a home grown meal tonight - quiche with eggs from the chickens and veggies from the garden."

 Bill McKibben concludes, though, that living the latter is, of course, better for our planet.

I think, though, that there is something much deeper about choosing less and being more connected to our food, our heat source in the winter, and to each other (our family).    I find an inner peace living this lifestyle and will keep fighting off the never ending temptations of more.

Rushing

I think one of the keys to simple living is changing our mindset from one of "getting it done" to one of being fully present in the moment and being grateful for the little things. The more activities a family is involved in outside the home, the more computer time, video gaming and television programming become a priority, life becomes a blur of motion and meaningless activity and often harried rushing.

Taking time to make a meal from scratch instead of using pre-packaged ingredients helps to reduce waste and is healthier, but more importantly, if I am not rushed and instead giving thanks for the food, and thinking about the importance of making my family a healthy meal, it is no longer a chore, but a pleasure. If we are not under time constraints because one of the children has to be to an activity (which is sometimes the case), then I find myself even more at peace while preparing the meal.

Another key to leading a less rushed life is practicing gratitude throughout the day. Our great-grandparents probably led a much simpler life (although the work may have been harder), enjoying conversation, sunsets and meals together. By just being grateful for their food, for those 30 minutes to sit together at the end of a hard days work sipping a lemonade, those precious moments make up a life. I think they were able to appreciate the little things without all of the distractions and without rushing.

Baseball Days

Baseball season has started.  Isaac, our 12 year old, loves the game.  Generally, our whole family attends each game, the little ones usually play on the playground if there is one in between visiting me at the blanket and chairs (wonderful knitting time, of course).  Dear husband helps to coach the team.   

Choosing to live as we do, we limit activites for each child because if we were on the go all the time, we wouldn't have the family together as much as we should, be able to live modestly, or get the work done that is required here on our farmstead.  (Having one vehicle also helps to keep this in check.)   But, baseball season is special and it is a short season, and playing sure brings a smile to Isaac's face.

Warm wishes,
Tonya

Work

"We can best discover the principle of the simple life by a contrast with the spirit of commercialism.  The commercial spirit is selfish.  Its motto is "Expand to get."... Over and against it, at its antipodes, is the spirit of the simple life.  It can be lived at any level of poverty or wealth; and at any age of ignorance or culture.  It is sessentially the spirit of living for life's sake, or consecration to personal and social goodness.  This spirit does not keep us out of commerical business, nor does it command us to confine our business to narrow limits and to small returns.  But if we are to belong to the goodly fellowship of those who live the simple life, our business must be made an avenue of ministering to human life."
Rufus M. Jones, 1927

I really like this quote for a number of reasons.  One, is that there are many avenues to a simple life and they can look quite different.  However, caring for one another is what is truly important, not how withdrawn you are from society, or how many jars of produce you put up this suummer, but simply caring and ultimately, loving one another.

Any thoughts?

Warm wishes,
Tonya

Such a Simple Life

Sometimes as I think about what I am going to write about for a blog post, I am struck with how truly uneventful our life seems to be and maybe it would seem a bit boring to others.  The daily chores, homelearning, cleaning, baking, and handwork take up more than a full day for sure.

Over the past several days we have ~

Had a play date with a friend that lives on an organic farm who just happens to have a daughter born the exact same day and year as our Sarah.  This is in a town with just about 500 residents.  Quite remarkable, I think and they so enjoy their time together.

This past Friday we went over and it was a beautiful November day.  The girls made fairy houses, while our Abby enjoyed rolling in a blown up inner tube and Abraham engaged himself with hoses.

On Sundays we have Meeting at our house and this past Sunday we had a potluck after which was just so nice.  It was especially enjoyable talking while washing dishes after enjoying our meal together.

Although the days have been dark, we have still been spending time outside.

Outside the younger children have been hiking around looking for "Christmas trees" and decorating them with dried vegetation they find nearby. 

Later the same day, found Sarah weaving birch bark in a fence.

And bringing in the wood to fill up our woodpiles on our porch has become more frequent.

I am grateful that the chickens have begun to lay again after about a month of very low production.  I moved them to our smaller coop since it gets light all day.    We have also added crushed oyster shells to help with calcium and scratch to supplement their grain, food scraps, and free ranging.

Thank you for all joining in on the handmade holiday and for sharing.
Warm wishes, Tonya

Apologies and Clarifications

I just wanted to say that I am sorry if I offended you with my previous writing.  That was never my intention and I now realize that I wasn't clear.

I work very hard not to judge others in any way, this is one part of my Quaker practice.  I listen to God speaking to me where I am at this moment in my life.  How others choose to live is up to them,  but I need to listen to what is right for me.

During my time in the urban area, I was delighted to discover that I, for the first time, was not overcome with feelings of worry and neglect over what my husband and I were "not" providing for our children.  It was the first time I was not slightly embarrassed by our very old and a bit beat up Suburban and our not stylish clothing.

I grew up in this busy  lifestyle of achieving with the purpose of earning money to buy a home, cars, and shop.  And I also grew up with a loving family.  The two can certainly co-exist.  But I was not brought up with the idea that there are other ways to live.  Many family members do judge our family and wonder what in the world we are doing and do not understand.

I was simply struck with the pleasant realization that I had grown enough in my own life choices where that last bit of longing had ceased.  It was a nice feeling.

Warm wishes, Tonya

A Country of Excess

We are heading home today.  Many of the children are asking to go home now and I am ready, oh so ready to go home.  I have been observing much of my surroundings and people on this trip and thinking about how our small life back home in northern Vermont is just so different from what I have observed here.

I know there is poverty, I read about the statistics, that nearly 25% of American children live in poverty.  However, as I observe life around me in the more crowded populated area of eastern Massachusetts, I am struck over and over again of those living with excess.  The fancy cars, clothing, hand held devices, jewelry, accessories.... As the cars go zooming past my father's house, I wonder what job they are going to and when they will return home in the evening.

This visit has been a series of affirmations for me, things I have known in my heart, yet had still worried about and questioned.  More than ever I am confident that my children are  not missing out.  That they are not sheltered.  That they don't see this excess on a daily basis can only be a good thing so that they don't take this way of living as the normal state of life.  

No, there is nothing here in eastern Massachusetts that they "need".  Our simple lifestyle back home is giving them what they do need - relationships with family and neighbors and the time to create, learn, and play in a lifestyle less encumbered by the excesses.  

The Rustic Reality

When our family made the decision to move to Vermont from Massachusetts five years ago almost to the date, we knew what our goals were, however, we did not know exactly what steps would make up the process.

First we rented a home in a little village in northern Vermont, then we bought an old mobile home and put it on leased land and lived there, off grid, for over two years.  During this time, I prayed often, that God would know our needs and that we would be able to find a way to provide for our family.  After Abraham was born while we lived there, we were truly bursting at the seams space-wise.  However, one of our goals has been to have home based business and to work toward self-sufficiency and farming.  Earning a large income was not likely with this plan nor was it a goal of ours (it is not today either).

Just one mile down the road from the mobile home we found our home just a little over a year ago.  A place large enough for our growing family, private, enough land to grow food and have chickens and goats, and perhaps a couple of sheep.  The rustic cottage, however, had been neglected and on it was one very run down barn.  We were blessed to have all of this while staying within our budget for housing.

Well, this house is not fit for the pages of Country Living to say the least.  However, we are working hard each day to make improvements.

Because the basement was excavated last summer, we have mounds of soil here and there.  We are using shovels (yes shovels) to spread the soil in certain areas to help with drainage, make visible areas more attractive, and to make pasture for the goats (coming soon, I hope).

I just wanted to share a little of the reality that is our homestead.

front of the barn

The side of the barn.

The chickens are in the back part here now but we will be moving them to a free standing coop to make room for two goats.

I have been shoveling soil down from this nearby mound into this area, filling it in and then we will grade it away from the barn.  The shoveling has been so wonderful for my body and soul.

The boys working together.

Sarah tending her flower store on top of a mound.

Warm wishes for a beautiful weekend,

Tonya

Simple Joy

We are enjoying the bounty of beautiful apples from our own trees and from the old trees along our rural roads. Even the smallest of apples are eagerly picked and eaten in our house. God is good.

Are you picking apples where you are?

Warm wishes, Tonya

Quiet Reflection

I don't know if it is my nearly 41 year old self realizing that I am just about middle aged now; I don't know if it just that there is too much in my head; perhaps it is the pressure of much of our family's income reliant on my using the computer to sell our handwork. Whatever, "it" is, I am may never know. What I do know, however, is that I need to spend time in quiet reflection, waiting on God to make it evident what (if anything at all), I must let go of, or if I just need to be better organized, or maybe (this really could be it), I need to get my priorities in order so that all else will fall into place. This unsettled feeling inside me has been distracting and this simple life just doesn't feel so simple right now.

Thank you to all the readers here for your kind words and sharing.

The Handmade Holiday will be back next Monday.

Warm wishes for your week.

Tonya

The Simplicity of the Amish

~photos from The Amish Cook by Elizabeth Coblentz with Keven Williams~

In the early years of learning about living a simpler life, homesteading, researching about intentional communities and living off-grid, I was re-introduced to the Amish.

For the last ten years I have read quite a bit about their way of life and have grown to admire them for many reasons.

Without relying on the government, it is easier to live a life of faith

With a strong faith to guide them, they have fewer choices

With fewer choices, life is simpler

Surely the Amish must face many challenges and struggles, but if music and art were allowed and they had a community in New England, it is certainly one we would have considered. Their sense of community is amazing and their commitment to peace and practicing forgiveness stand out to me. There is much we can learn from them.

Warm wishes for a wonderful weekend. I will be back on Monday sharing lots for a Handmade Holiday.

~Tonya

Warm wishes, Tonya

Wednesday Wanderings

Joining in with Garden Mama, just this morning I snapped a photo looking down at my feet as I went about my morning routine.

~Here I stand, although usually these feet of mine are not still. Back and forth, inside and outside travelling many miles each day, from morning baking in the kitchen to wiping the table after each meal and snack, running to the bathroom to help with potty training to dancing to classical music with my children. They travel over these worn wooden floors in our rustic cottage.~

Just Being....

... I envy her ability to do just that.

Working and Playing

Just wanted to share some glimpses of our lives over the last couple of days.

~Sarah and Abraham playing with the sawdust from Mike drilling out the birch branch pencil holders~ (We are planning to build a workshop this spring so this will not have to be in our home soon.)

~Abraham helping Mike apply the natural beeswax/oil finish to the bottom of our walking blocks.

~So much fun can be had with a simple paper bag... Abraham growling away, pretending to be a scary monster.~

Warm wishes, Tonya

One Car Family

Changing the direction of our life was a gradual process, one that is still ongoing and I hope will continue to evolve.

One of the first realizations we made when considering the idea of homesteading was that we would need to live on less money. Step by step, we started to let go of the ideas of having more and having new.

Mike’s compensation package as a golf course superintendent always came with a truck, therefore, we did not have the “need” to purchase a second vehicle.

We have had just one car for our family for many years now. There are many advantages. One advantage is that we save money - only one car to keep up with repairs and maintenance, pay for registrations, insurance, and so on. We make careful choices about where we go and when as we have to consider all family member’s needs and plans. Therefore, we use less gasoline and are driving a vehicle less which is good for the environment. Having one car keeps us closer as a family because we can’t split up and go in different directions. We don’t have that option. One child can’t be taking a class at the same time as another, for example. As a result, we spend more time all together. We have more time to spend on our homestead doing the necessary chores that help to sustain us.

The car we drive now is a 1992 Suburban with 236,000 miles. We were blessed to find it two years ago this March for just $1500.00. With the birth of our sixth baby, we all could no longer fit in our 10 year old mini-van. While we bring our Suburban to our mechanic every few months to give it a look over (to make sure nothing is about to break from rust, etc..) and we have had to do some repairs, all and all it has been wonderful for our family.

Having one vehicle has been a necessary step for our family on our journey in order to keep our life simple and our expenses down.

Warm wishes, Tonya

Our Small Change for February

Inspired by Suzy at Hip Mountain Mama, our one small change for January was quite successful. Our goal was to make our coffee on our wood stove instead of using the electric stove. Well, not only have we done that, but we have also been cooking lots of meals on top of the wood stove. We did this for over two years in our off grid mobile home, so why had we become lazy???? That is one reason we chose to live as we did off grid. We wanted to deny ourselves the temptation to spend money that we didn't need to spend and to not use our natural resources any more than was absolutely necessary. Well, in our new homestead which we affectionately call our "rustic cottage" we do have electricity. As a matter of fact the previous owner left a nearly new electric stove/oven. So, why on earth had we stopped using our perfectly wonderful wood stove top while the wood stove is being used to heat our home anyway? That is why living without makes simple living so much easier. When more conventional options are available, living simply and conservatively has to be more purposeful and with discipline.

We have enjoyed cooking many of our meals on the wood stove. The little extra walk back and forth from the living room to the kitchen is good for me as well. We will continue doing this until our wood stove is no longer needed for heat. I forgot to mention that our electric bill was reduced $10.00 as well!

For February we are going to commit ourselves to buying our milk twice a week from Butterworks Farm. Currently we are only getting up to the farm once per week. At about 8 miles away, we need to do this twice per week. Not only is the organic raw milk much better for us, but we will no longer need to buy conventional milk which means no more plastic gallon containers. We need to make this our new habit.

Warm wishes, Tonya

Simple Birthday

With six children and keeping in mind the impact of what we do on the environment and our financial means, we keep birthdays simple.

When the children are old enough, the get decide what I will serve them for each meal on their special day and what activities they would like to do, usually right here at home.

Sunday was Abraham's second birthday. It was made more special by having my mother and step-father here from Connecticut and his godparents which are our neighbors.

~ Abraham eating his breakfast with his birthday crown on.~

~We enjoyed cake and ice cream.~

~his gift of beeswax crayons in a handmade wool felt holder~

Abraham is truly a joy. He is happy, outgoing, loves to "talk" with people, and give big hugs. We are truly blessed.

Here is the birthday cake recipe I usually bake.

Vanilla Yogurt Cake

2 1/4 c. flour

1 t. baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

5 T. oil or melted butter

1 cup sugar (organic sugar cane or raw sugar)

2 eggs

1 t. vanilla

1 cup vanilla yogurt

I combine the wet ingredients and whisk together and then add the dry ingredients. Mix well. Pour into a pan and bake at 350 degrees. The time will vary depending on the kind of pan used. I like using my pan with the tube in the middle and that needs to bake for about 50 minutes.

Enjoy and warm wishes, Tonya

Skating, Skating....

We have a little pond in front of our homestead that is not only wonderful for ducks we plan to get in the spring, but ice skating in the winter. It has been sufficiently cold the past few days after a bit of a warm up for the skating to begin again. Such simple fun for all of our family and friends. A late afternoon doesn't usually pass, when the pond is safe, that a game of hockey isn't played.

None of our children take any formal lessons or play on hockey teams, but they love to skate.

As I was sitting at my secretary looking out our window at the pond, I was filled with gratitude to watch all six of our children and my husband out on the pond. Even the little one was was playing on the edges.

Have a wonderful weekend. We have a birthday celebration to prepare for. Abraham turns two on Sunday and my mom and step-father will be arriving from southern New England to help celebrate.

Warm wishes, Tonya