Reflection

The hardest thing to do right now is wait...I'm kind of done researching and planning until we know what we're researching and planning for, and I'm ready to live life like we love to do. But...the benefit of limbo is the reflection  of who we are and what we want. Today is a dreary, hum-drum day, and I feel like doing nothing. I will, however, take a moment to sum things up.

What I want for us:

• At least 5 acres
• Off grid
• A well
• Awesome vegetable garden - totally organic
• Berry patch started with the raspberry, blueberry, blackberry bushes and grape vine we have now
• Fruit orchard including the apple, peach, and nectarine trees we have now
• Lots of trees, including the starts we have now (sycamore, hickory, tulip, maple, and pine)
• Water gathering and recycling features
• Composting and recycling capabilities - I'd like our trash to be minimal
• Bees
• 2 Goats, lots of chickens, 2 sheep, a cow, and maybe a pig
• Lots of outdoor living space
• Space for living, workshopping, and growing
• Spaces for family and friends

Who we are:
Not that I'm and expert in any of these, but I feel a connection to many different cultures. We share the Native Americans' love of the earth and beliefs that we own none of it, but are responsible for the welfare of all of it. We admire the sense of community of the Amish, their sustainable off-grid living, and preparedness for the future. We believe in a pay-it-forward society and teachable moments. Life should be lived and enjoyed every day, not spent working overtime for those few days of vacation. Recently we feel that destiny has guided us down certain paths, although I believe that you can choose which path you take (but do you still end up at the same destination?). Like Shelby says: "We're not extreme anything." Extremists are fanatics and tend to be scary. Our beliefs evolve and grow, yet we're not purists in any one of them. I value life, but that fly I destroyed earlier probably doesn't get that. I don't drink soda, but I'm pretty sure my body would go into shock without coffee. It's not only that I want to live on renewable energy, but I want to reduce our energy use dramatically...yet I don't want to give up this laptop. The journey will be awesome, and hard, and will give us life. I know that we will spend way more time outside, and learn so much about ourselves while we build our home and grow our food. The place where we want to be will be our own, and our few dependencies on others will be tied to our community, education, and medicine. We will learn, and then teach, about this way of living because it is a growing wave that many people are gravitating towards. I think it is essential to our spirit. We will get there, but the dream makes waiting that much harder. I sit in an apartment that is lit with computers, video games, and lamps. The outdoors offer little here. But life will change drastically, hopefully soon, hopefully for the better that we are dreaming for!