January is almost history. I can't believe how fast time flies, and I don't get nearly enough done on a daily basis. I must be slowing down as I get older, but it doesn't feel like it. It feels like I am always busy. I think I started this journey way to late in my life. This is something I should have started in my 20's or 30's.
Phil and I both love Mother Earth News and Grit and usually fight over who gets to read it first. We got a new issue yesterday, and I was sitting at the kitchen table reading about homesteaders (a new catch phrase for people who choose to live like we do) The question was "What is the biggest misconception people have about homesteading". The answer, "That homesteading can be tidy and that every homestead is picture perfect. The truth is it's a messy, exhausting way to live. There are always things to do, and you must learn to live with the feeling of not having accomplished all you wanted to do on a given day". Wow, did that guy look inside my head? I am forever kicking myself because I don't get enough done. I continue to pile more tasks on my plate but have not figured out how to make more time.
Winter has been my time to somewhat sit back and relax after the long hard growing and preserving season. Last winter I crouched rag rugs from old blue jeans. It was a fun way to spend my evenings. This year I took up cheese making. It is fun, and will be very rewarding, but I find it has taken up all of my weekends for the last few months. I keep thinking if I could find a way to not work outside the home I would have time for all of these projects, but I don't know. Phil has not worked for 2 years and he doesn't seem to keep up with his projects. I think I need to find a way to come to terms with being OK that things aren't done the way I wish they were. I don't stress out as much about the house being a disaster. I am irritated that the carpets are not vacuumed enough, but the dishes are done on a regular basis. I am irritated that the toilet (and the floor around it) looks horrible, but the sheets are washed on a weekly basis. I am irritated that the furniture is so dusty it is embarrassing, but the dogs are fed and well cared for. I guess I have picked my battles, and try to get past the rest.
Sometimes I need to sit back and reflect on what we have accomplished over the last few years. Yesterday coming home we sat on the road and looked at Pooh Acres. What a difference from 4 ½ years ago.
