Where to begin...I guess I'll start by saying we sold all the chickens, turkeys and the incubator...why? well last September right after my dad passed I was diagnosed with Systemic Lupus and was told I could no longer be in the sun for long periods, that and I was just plain tired from the previous 9 months of my dads illness and death...Do I miss them?...honestly, no, I don't...We only have pigs and bees right now...we have 3 sows, 1 boar and 23 piglets...at this point in our lives...We are focusing on food production only on a different scale...we are focusing on fruits and veggies...I live in an area where I can buy farm fresh eggs whenever I need or want them for cheap, so I am enjoying less expense in feed and also the fact I no longer stay frustrated at escaped hens that would dig up my flowers or freshly planted herbs...it's wonderful to have a nice "clean yard"...(Update on my health soon)
Our electric company sprayed our ditch last summer and killed our bees....We were supposed to have been on a no spray list, however someone overlooked that and sprayed...it is now taken care of and we have purchased another nuc...it is going strong and we are pleased.
This year I was finally able to put in a good sized herb bed and have it all decorated to suit my taste.... its been nice...We have most of the veggie garden in and went somewhat smaller than previous years...partly due to age and partly do to the fact we had a hard time keeping up with the bigger garden....We like time to just sit and watch the birds and other wild life that call Rocky Oak their home. :)
Farm man and I are in a place in life that we want to enjoy our "homestead" and all the work we have put in here the past 9 years...We want a sanctuary, a place that affords us somewhere to relax, feel safe and enjoy...not a place that feels like a work prison and no time to relax and spending so much time worried about the economy collapsing that we are stressed out all the time and do not feel safe and like we haven't done enough...Life is short, someday I don't wanna wake up and realize all the time I wasted working towards something that might never happen...We are enjoying our newly found freedom from all that!
Before I quit blogging here I had mentioned Farm man and I were dieting...I am proud to say I have maintained my weight loss doing low carb and so has Farm man...we both would still like to lose a bit...me, I would like to lose 10 more lbs, Farm man has a bit more than that to go, but he is much more healthy and his doctors are supporting the Low carb more natural diet we have chosen.
I have also being doing a bit of yoga and have taken up meditation...I have found it greatly reduces my stress level and has helped me tremendously to deal with my frustration and anger over many things in my life including our church experience several years ago...at this point Farm man and I have chosen to not persue 'church' and have instead decided to do a study of different religions and seek to find our own truth and not the truth we have been fed by others...I am sure some of you will find that offensive and I certainly mean no offence...we are all free to believe what we wish and have it respected...we all must find out own way and we are finding that we enjoy the study of buddhism( no we havent "converted" just studying) and various other ways so believing.
Rocky Oak has evolved a great deal in the past year....we still enjoy "farming" only on a smaller scale...pigs and bees work for us right now...I am now free to spend my days gardening and relaxing working on getting my health back in order...When my dad passed it was the catalyst to my new way of life...I looked at him just days before he past and ask myself, what was his life all about....he and I were not close, he was a very abusive man....but I learned forgiveness in those last months...it freed me from much anger...I looked at his life and saw the years and years of regret that he couldn't fix...he tried...and I feel he made his peace with me, my mom(divorced for 33 years) and my siblings...but I looked at all the years wasted...wasted in anger and proving he was right...all the years missing life trying to prove things that were meaningless...I vowed to enjoy my life and be happy...I want peace and joy in my life....not chaos and someone else telling me they are right and I am wrong...equally I don't wanna be that person...I don't wanna spend years working so much for what I want that I miss the opprotunity to enjoy what I have...Life is much slower paced here and I am happy...I am more peaceful in my soul than I have ever been...I look foward to sharing our life with you...Our pigs, our garden, our way of life and certainly our journey to finding peace in such a chaotic world!
My side links will be changing soon as well...My blogging here will be at my pace...I am putting no pressure on myself..blogging should be fun, not a chore or a job!
Until Next Time...
The Homestead Lady
