The Homestead Life and The Clothes Dryer

This picture is of a relative several generations back, standing proudly with his cow. Taken at his home in Prince Edward Island. The son of immigrant parents from Germany.
His life of hard work gave him a sense of pride.
With our children all grown and married, our life is changing without even our working towards change. Just the natural scheme of things as situations change. We have stopped milking goats, we no longer have the same kind of farm chores. The garden feels more like a hobby than a need. Making my soap and such is still a pleasure but a batch sure lasts a lot longer.
The very life we choose to live, this homestead simple life is changing. Where pasture once stood, flowers and trees now grow. We have surrendered to some of these changes willingly. At times I sure don't miss milking twice a day, being tied to the place because of animal chores. But then, there are days when I so miss the clanging of milk buckets breaking the silence of the morning air. Speaking softly to the likes of Annike my Saanan goat. Having the dog, round up the goats with just a look from me to do so. Or standing by the waterers, filling them aimlessly while seeing the sun come up or the trees bending in the breeze. I spoke German to the goats, which always made my husband laugh. I would get to the gate and say to them, "Guten Morgen. Wie geht's?" half expecting some sort of reply. The warmth of the goats body giving off heat to my hands on cold winter mornings, steam coming from the bucket of snowy white milk. Knowing each day that this milk would provide for the family. I loved the years of watching the girls, our milkmaids, coming into the house, happy and content from the chores they had done. Smelling of hay, sweet feed and fresh air.
We have let that go for now, but I will never say we won't be there again. A grandchild is on the scene now and it would be fun for her to visit Grammie and Grandpa on the farm with animals around the place.
So here we are in a different place than a few years ago. The homestead feeling less homestead like as the chores have lessened. My husband and I feel strongly about this lifestyle. It has given us so much. It was my dream life as a young city girl growing up just outside of Boston.
So if I write about not caving in to one more loss of this lifestyle, you may understand the importance of it for me. Its not just about getting a clothes dryer or not, its about surrendering one more aspect of the life we so dearly love. Hanging clothes is good for the environment. No fossil fuel used, that is important to me. Hanging clothes gets me outside, its a workout. It keeps your arms firm, lifting that basket of heavy wet clothes. It is aerobic, the up and down action required. It gives me time to look up at the sky and look for shapes in the clouds. It refreshes me spiritually. It is part of our steps to maintain a simple life. A homestead life. A life that takes the good from the good old days and make it work in todays world on some level.
Its about a commitment to simple living. Its not a machine I am talking about getting when I mention the clothes dryer, its about loosing one more piece to the life we love and are committed to, just as we are committed to eating good food and good health.
This has been and will continue to be for Emery and I, a year of readjusting. One thing we know, we want to remain simple folk, not letting the busyness of life take or the modern ways, take away from the simple life of homesteading.
We lived for a time with all the modern consciences, the life of shopping, big house, and such and it wasn't what we wanted. We gave it all up very willingly for this life and now we are working to maintain what we have and not slip ever so subtly away from it.
The clothes dryer is just a symbol of surrendering one more aspect of the homestead life.