I’m sort of riding on the coat tails of my friend Michael Bunker on this one, but his latest blog post really hit me as the truth. That post and also the latest post of the Deliberate Agrarian Herrick Kimball made me think I ought to post a disclaimer or two on this fairy tale life I lead. Yes, the pictures are generally lovely and it’s such a joy to go on about the blessings of raising children that have more to do than sit in front of a Game Boy (or whatever it is that children obsess upon), but I have to say that while I wouldn’t trade my life for anything, it isn’t all sunshine and baby ducks. In the summer it’s hot; I have flies in my kitchen, sometimes even maggots. Things die and get stinky really quickly. Sometimes things die because I’ve killed them. One of the baby bunnies broke it’s leg and I haven’t yet mustered up the heart to put it down. In the winter the water freezes and cold mornings require a bit more work than just bumping the thermostat up. I live in harmony with dust and brown recluse spiders. There’s no running to town just for a pizza and a Coke, even if I wanted one. My white laundry is white for about 2 hours after I purchase it. I’m not saying all this so people can think “Boy, she’s tough.” I’m saying it so people will think. I advocate a life on the land, and I wish everyone could enjoy the blessings it brings, but it’s not always easy (or even usually easy) and frankly it’s not for everyone. Like Michael, I’m not especially impressed with folks who build $100,000 houses complete with central air and heat and satellite tv on a little piece of land; who buy a few goats for the 4-H show and make a few jars of pickles and then call themselves agrarians. I treasure the term because it is through it that God drew me to truly like-minded people. I tend to think, though, that it will soon be watered down in the way the the world waters down everything. I don’t know what people like me and Michael and Herrick and a handful of others will be calling ourselves in the days to come. Probably we’ll be busy surviving and not worrying about calling ourselves anything. If God’s calling you to the land, by all means run, but know that it’s not easy and the He never promised us easy blessings.

Till next time,

Judy

tabletophomestead :: Jul.03.2008 :: random thoughts :: 1 Comment »