Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow

Upside down trash bags with hole in bottom cover clothes

I leave today in a few hours. For my littlest two (Monster and Flower), the only thing they've figured out is that my "being gone" means they'll get to sleep in my spot next to mommy at night. The rest of the clan are okay with everything and I'll be promising to call them daily.

I am now the pointman in our new adventure. It is my job to scout out the area and construct a viable plan. Our plan includes becoming more self sufficient through the use of livestock and gardening, bartering and DIY endeavors, and spending MUCH more time with family...both immediate and extended. Gone soon are the days of slaving away at a job that could care less how much family time you fore-go in order to help the company make a buck.

Reader's Digest Back to Basics is a MUST have!

There are "manuals" out there regarding establishing a homestead. The one I fully intend to use is my favorite: Reader's Digest Back to Basics. If you have the slightest itch to homestead, you HAVE to get this book. Personally, I like the old volumes for the feel and illustrations but it is up to you which edition you get. I've been told there isn't much difference. Considering the older versions sell on Amazon for a mere $4.66 (vintage 1981), how can you pass it up?

For one last affirmation, Wifey and I attended a church session to pray about our new adventure last night. Upon exiting, a bright shooting star illuminated over our heads. Her eyes teared up as she looked at me with a loss for words. "Really?" I said softly to her. "Are you still asking for ANOTHER sign?" Five seconds later a car alarm went off ten feet in front of us. We both shook with laughter. "Okay, okay...we get it!" we joked.

As hard as it is to believe that things keep happening which point us in an eastern direction, there are actually countless other signs that I haven't blogged about. Monster's tooth broke a few nights ago but was quickly fixed the next day by our favorite dentist for free (Dr Wold rocks!). The concern about how dirty the farmhouse would be was soothed when an aunt sent me pictures via cell phone showing how she had driven out to the farm, collected all the linens,  taken them home to launder and returned them fresh and clean without being asked. Time and time again, issues that initially seem like a hurdle get smoothed out quickly.

Now the hard part...time to leave.

I'll Tweet from the road because it is too hard to write more than a sentence on the road. I don't advocate texting while driving but I can use voice recognition to speak one sentence updates on Twitter. Follow me on Twitter if you want.  I'll post an update on this blog once I get to the farm and get settled in.  It's not very often in life that we get to do something both SCARY and FUN at the same time. Well, here goes...

~OJD