The Doings of the Day

I slept in this morning. Late for me, 7:30. It felt good but at the same time I had to rush to get out to do chores. Hungry goats waiting to be milked and a baby goat that was crying for its bottle. Emery got his own breakfast. I crabbed a thick end piece of home made bread toasted while the baby bottle warmed on the stove and munched on it as I headed out the door, milk bucket in my other hand, baby bottle in my jacket pocket. Camera around my neck as usual.

Once things were under control, and the hay was picked off my sleeves, I wandered around with Emery, looking at the blooms on the trees, the new leaves, birds singing to us and making our plans for the new porch, which is going to become a reality very soon now. Plans complete. Permit sought this week to begin the building. Lumber purchased.

The winds are high today, reminding me it is March, and March winds bring April showers and then May flowers. This is a pretty spring, or maybe it just seems that way since Winter was sort of a dud season for us this year. Not one snow flake fell. We needed less than a cord of wood to heat the house this winter, of course there will be more wood burned but I don't see us using much more. We don't keep the house as warm as we used to when the children were home. We add another layer of blankets on the bed at night and let the fire go out now.

At times when I write about how we live, it seems so old fashioned, so backwards compared with the life so many are rushing to have. But at the same time, I feel so good about the choices we have made for ourselves. Not that we are loosing out in anything, but actually gaining so much.

I can sit back and feel good about the life we gave to our children. Homeschooling them worked great for us. Having farm chores with animals to care for taught them so much about work, compassion and an understanding of the natural world. So many times I can hear in my mind, all the children working in the garden singing together. They sang hymns most of the time, in harmony. They may not be living this kind of life now but they understand the value of it.

And here is a new generation, two tiny girls that come to Grammie and Grandpa's house and feed baby goats, see the chickens, eat food from the garden. I see that same tenderness growing in Mei-Ling for animals that I saw in my own children. Elizabeth is not here as often as Mei-Ling so I don't get to see the day to day bits of growth in the same way. Mei-Ling comes here almost every day now and says, "feed baby goats? " or "where's Harry?" She marvels at the leaves budding and smells deeply the flowers as they appear. I am glad our home will be that place where you can step back in time a bit, away from the rush and madness of this instant world we live in. I feel blessed that there is energy and strength in me to bake bread, quilt, spin wool, work the garden, milk the goats, make soap and breathe deeply the fresh air all around me and at night, time to sit with Emery cozy in the warmth of the wood stove, while cooper color flames reflect on the shinny wooden floors, entertaining us in their fanciful movements.

This life isn't for everyone, but everyone seems to want to at least know someone that lives it so they can share in it for a moment or two at least when the busy-ness of life seems to make you feel like you are in a sinking ship.

Life is good !

Faith, Hope and Charity provided me with lots of entertainment this morning, but poor Charity got caught making some pretty crazy expressions !