Our dreams of living a homesteading life are becoming a reality. Three months ago we purchased an old farmhouse with two acres of land and a very large barn. Our minds are racing as we think up all the delicious things we can do on our land...we are planning out where this will go, where that will go...trying to read up on how to raise chickens, dairy goats, how to garden, maintain our fruit trees and plant more, create a pond, a secret garden, a cutting garden, the list goes on and on. I know we won't be able to do everything at once, and it will take years of trial and error before mastering any of these skills, if they ever CAN be mastered. But it is all so very exciting!!!
I am creating this blog here so that I can keep an electronic journal of our journey, our life, our everyday whimsies... A place I can look back upon, share, search, and see how far we have come.
As this is our first blog post, I think a little introduction is in order...in case there will be any readers in the future....
I am Sarah. I am 32 years old. I am a housewife/homemaker/unschooling mother. I love reading, especially non-fiction...love reading about anthropology, sociology, biology, natural history, nature guides, how-to books. I am an atheist, or secular humanist...whatever you feel more comfortable with, lol. I went to college for social work and before my home career I worked in the MR/DD field. I grew up in Maine. I love taking photographs and going to art museums...even if it is a virtual visit. I like quiet solitude sometimes...I need it to recharge. I have always loved lilacs as they remind me of visiting my grandmother when I was a girl. I like making things from scratch, including laundry soap. Can't wait to try making more things soon. I want to teach myself to play the violin. I have one and at one point could play the simple kids songs fairly well, but since moving I haven't touched it. I'm sure I'll have even less time for it unless I make it a priority. I love trees. I don't know if it is from growing up in Maine, which is supposedly 90% covered with trees. There is just something about them, so graceful and elegant, strong and grounded.
Mark is my husband. He is an amazing husband and father and I really hit the jackpot in marrying him. He is a hard worker, very generous, patient, understanding...or at least tries to when he doesn't. He grew up in the 80s with the hair bands of heavy metal and that is what he continues to listen to today. He cranks it up and air guitars it all over the place! Mark grew up on a farm nearby, however it was mostly corn and soy bean farming...and he was little...so we are having to learn a lot on our own. He is a family guy, as I am a family gal, and we are one close and happy family. We are at our happiest to be home spending time with one another. Mark has been interested in woodworking, so I'm sure this blog will chronicle his projects and learning. He is also interested in birds and birding. He is working on an ornithology course through Cornell University and is our resident bird expert around here. He also has a fascination with the weather, which I think he got from his dad, the farmer...and as I think I may become more interested in as well...since it will have a more direct impact on our lives with our farming adventures.
Georgia is our 9 year old daughter. She is horse-crazy...she knows so much about horses, from their evolutionary history, their breeding history, uses in cultures through history to today, their anatomy...just about anything you could know about a horse, except riding one. We don't have a horse and do not know anyone with a horse. At the moment we do not have the room for a horse to be happy. If we are able to buy some of the land around us in the future then we would be able to have a couple horses, but that will have to wait. For now I am interested in finding a place nearby that allows children to take riding lessons without needing to have their own horse. Georgia is also interested in all things nature. She takes all the nature classes offered at the local nature center and on nice weather days is usually out and about observing, studying, collecting, identifying. She has a fascination with grasshoppers at the moment, too. She's very gentle and kind to all types of animals. She loves reading and learning. She likes to make up stories, some of which she writes down and others she shares orally. She loves the show Survivorman and loves to pretend she is surviving, building shelters and creating tools from things found around the yard. She is determined and resilient: she doesn't like to give up on something she is trying to master, never getting discouraged. She is a treasure for sure.
Georgia attended public school for kindergarten but was already at a 2nd and 3rd grade level. Her teacher would send home extra worksheets for her to do at home...but while at school she was bored! She was losing the light in her eyes and her love of learning...we decided against sending her back. She had already taught herself to read at age 3, was very bright and loved learning all the time...like a sponge that soaks it all in. School was changing this about her and we needed to do something about that. At first we tried the whole school-at-home type of homeschooling. I never bought packaged curriculum, but we would put together resources that kids her age were "supposed to be learning" at that age. After the first year we realized this just didn't feel right. We researched unschooling and have never looked back. Georgia is thriving. She is free.
Olivia is our 6 year old daughter. She has never been to school. She is not "reading" fluently right now but she does know some words, and she loves to write, copy words, have me tell her what things say, she loves being read to. We trust that she will start reading at her own pace, as she does with everything else in her life, like learning to walk and talk. She loves bugs, dinosaurs, and of course horses. She is very helpful and offers to sweep the kitchen or vacuum the floors when she feels like it. She loves to help out and "do jobs" as she calls it. She gets discouraged easier than her sister, so we offer her a lot of support and try to boost her confidence in things. She is hilarious and can make us laugh so hard. And her cuddling is the best!! She is very creative in her playing and has a great imagination.
