This year has brought relief and good change. I passed my Math class and graduated with a bachelors in studio art from Southern Oregon; Sam got his residency (aka, green card) which meant no more lawyer bills! neutralization of debt and a lot less stress on our plates; Sophia started kindergarten at Bellview; we all moved into a nice duplex tucked away on an Ashland alley with our two friends and their Sophie's-age son; Sam and I shared our first year anniversary; Sophia turned 5 on the 5th; I turned 25...
Pretty soon our roommate, Gwyn who was recently accepted to graduate studies @ Ohio State, will be leaving which means a move for us too.
Graciously, my parents have agreed to the idea of my little family bunking down in the 40-foot (wish it were the Beaver) Holiday rambler...if we can get it to function. This is sort of a dream for me (despite complications of living near the folks) because Mom and Dad's land has so much potential and much to offer. Sam has steady work and with the utilization of the great wisdom betwixt Diana's frugility-smarts and Dennis's autonomous living-smarts we hope to build the type of lifestyle we long for and dream of; living off the land, using less, making more, learning more and depending much, oh much less. I am, at this very point of time, figuring out how to use a sewing machine, working on an idea for a children's book of Shakespeare, and exploring the ideas of becoming a "progressive pioneer"... a great term I recently was introduced to.
Oh, sweet Ashland IS a good place to be such with the ever-growing support of farmer's markets and food co-ops and overall the growing possibility of leading a much more independent lifestyle here.
Ok. I also having been influenced, have been reading and almost finished with, by the Little House on the Prairie books. Sam and I crave the IDEA of a separation from the all encompassing monetary system, but for the moment all we can take is baby steps; to try to be less dependent and to be a more autonomous unit. Gardens; homemade and recycled cloth, paper and products; biking and walking whenever possible; buying and using only what we NEED, and locally and handmade at that...these are just some of the simple and sensible ideas we have (not to sound redundant or overly idyllic).
My aim is to eventually work out of my home in a practical, progressive and sustainable manner. These days everyone around me seems to be spouting the overflowing word "sustainable" but this word is the very essence of what could turn our position as humans living off the earth, around.
Anyway, dang-it, I was so blessed to have parents who taught me these ideas from an early age...wisdom I never took advantage of.
Now I'm kicking myself for not learning to sew from my mother, or how to master gardening from my father.
My goal is to learn from those who practice my ideals.
I am open to any feedback and advice! I would love to talk about these issues as they are my favorite topic to date. Sam and I have found some really nice blogs and documentaries on these topics that I will try to be posting and discussing when I can.
So far I love these two blogs a lot:
http://placetobloom.blogspot.com
www.progressivepioneer.com
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4 comments:
Sounds exciting Shira. Sometimes I dream about that kind of lifestyle but Edward could never be on board (he can't even IMAGINE drinking milk straight from a cow!) Years ago I gave dad a pretty cool book called The New Complete Book of Self Sufficiency by John Seymour. See if you can borrow it. I know you'll LOVE it!
Oh, and I had a look at those websites you suggested and they look great! Thanks for the tips!
Aside from pain au chocolat, pasteurisation is the only notable contribution of the french to modern civilisation; let's not offend them by drinking cowy milk...
Not putting that in my tea.
eurgh!
My constant objective was to better the lives and well-being of my family, not step back in time. Indeed, what you see as simplicity and joy was just damn hard work and pure survival. What would I have accomplished with electricity, natural gas heating, and a powered carriage? Don't give up on making a better life by devolving into trivial thinking that life on the prairie was better because it was back-breaking hard and simple out of necessity, not desire. - Pa Wilder
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