As the year comes to a close, I continue to be thankful for the decision we made ten years ago to make the change to country life. This past summer and fall kept me busy as ever between my day job, caring for the farm, putting away our harvests for the winter, and running my hobby soap business. Every available flat surface in the house was covered for weeks on end with harvests in various stages of being preserved, and later with seeds being saved for next years garden. Most weekends were spent working in the garden, the kitchen, and caring for the flock, with a fair amount of chicken and turkey snuggles too. There were joyful days of abundance and sad days dealing with a hard loss. Some days I think for a moment wouldn't it be nice if life had a little bit slower of a pace, if weekends were filled with more friends and fewer farm chores. But the reality is that I love this life we have built for ourselves, especially the sense of satisfaction that comes at the end of a hard days work. I'm thankful for the friends that come out to visit us, and who give us a much needed recharge when our spirits run low. I'm grateful that we have our good health and the strength to take care of the farm, and it gives us so much happiness in return. I know that we have a life that is happier and more secure than many people do, and also that there are many people that wish they could live what I like to call the simple, happy, country life.
I had no idea when we moved to the farm and I started sharing our farm life on social media that I would find a voice inside of my normally shy self and that voice would connect me to new friends across the country and around the world. I enjoy sharing our farm life with you - the ups and downs, the laughs and the tears. I'm so glad that you are here to share these experiences with. Most of the time I share the simple pleasures and silly side of this life that bring me so much joy, and that I know gives others joy too. Some days I'll share information or a skill that I've learned that I think may be helpful to those starting out in the homesteading life. There are also days where I miss an opportunity to say something I should have, or I say something that isn't received the way I intended and it hurts someone's feelings. I'm not a religious person, but I have come to understand the importance of grace in the last few years. The importance of meeting people where they are. Trying not to be too quick to judge or to give up on a person because they disappoint you. Understanding that a difference in opinion, or a different perspective on something doesn't mean a person isn't worthy of your friendship. These are divisive times, and I have not always succeeded in these things that I aspire to. There are things I've said that I could have said better, that I wish I would have said in a less hurtful way. But none of us is perfect, and we all make mistakes. My hope for myself, and for us all, is that we can be a little better about giving each other, and ourselves, grace when we need it. Forgive yourself, and forgive others. Because in these times in which we live, having more people that support us and that love us is a good thing, and something we all deserve, and if it takes a little grace to get to that place, isn't it worth it?