Don’t you miss traveling?

Mmh, no. Not really.

That’s the short answer. This however is a blog post, so we won’t be sticking to the short answer. People ask me this question both in regards to my daughter and my farm. Both make traveling harder, but trust me, if I still felt the same way about travelling as I did 5 years ago, I would make it work. Our first home, the birth of our daugter, the purchase of our farm…these things never got in the way of travel. In fact, they only happened because my interests and curiosity changed.

No longer am I wondering what it would be like to wander the cobblestone side streets of Scotland or dreaming of the smell of the crisp morning air of a new continent at the end of an overnight flight. While that last one still gives me a feeling of nostalgia, its a happy feeling. I don’t feel like I’m missing out. I did wonderful things, saw wonderful places and experienced wonderful things. And now? I am doing different wonderful things, enjoying a different wonderful place and experiencing different wonderful things. Thats a lot of wonderful isn’t it?

Ha, I’ll stop using it now.

So no, I don’t miss traveling because parenting and homesteading did not take that from me. I am a parent and a homesteader because my love of travel changed into a love of growing and nurturing a family, a garden and a little farm. You may think it strange that standing in the middle of my vegetable garden brings me as much excitement as standing in the middle of a new town square once did, but it’s true. Just because it is not an exotic, romanticized hobby or occupation does not make it bring me less happiness. I find great joy in reasearching plants, planning my garden, planting it, and watching it grow and an immense feeling of satisfaction standing in the late July jungle that it becomes. I LIKE waking up in my uncomfortable bed with tiny elbows digging into my ribs and big beautiful eyes pearing into my face from way too close. I like walking along the same trail in the woods with my family, week after week and seeing it differently every time, changing with the weather and thd seasons. I like the rhythm and routine that comes with barn chores and the connections you get with the animals you tend.

Maybe in 5 or 10 years I will have a whole new set of interests, a whole new lifestyle. Who knows! But until then, pity-looks can be put in pockets knowing that there is no sadness here at the thought of all the flights departing without me!

Traveling and I, we had a good thing. It was fun and we had good times, but now I’m trying something else! 😊

Isn’t there a song that goes “A-a-aye, I’m on vacation
Every single day ’cause I love my occupation”?

 

Growing memories in the garden

I have a lot of childhood memories in and around my moms garden. From the little patch she gave me(and I did not maintain very well) to eating cucumbers freshly plucked from the vines to that time I got sent to my room for using the carrot rows as jumping obstacles one too many times. Of course theres also the countless tedious hours we all spent picking potato bugs, but even that I remember somewhat fondly(from the comfort of my for-now pickingless comfort). I think it comes as no surprise to anyone that it brings me such joy to see my own little daughter spending so much time out in the garden with me!

We had such a lovely morning out there together earlier this week! It was a gloomy morning, threatening to rain, so we dressed in our raincoats and boots to go do the chores and by the time we were done taking Gracie the goat for her breakfast walk, it had started to sprinkle. Not ones to shy away from some rain, I took the opportunity to get some seedlings in the ground and E was delighted to help dig the holes for them. I decided to get the last of the peas, corn and beans into the ground and when she found out I was planting peas, Oh my! Was she every excited! Peas are her favourite, so after I’d planted the whole row, I gave her the remaining seeds and showed her where she could plant them. I may need to do a lot of thining out later, but she was just so happy to help mommy!

Yesterday while I was weeding, she cane over and sat in a milk crate beside me and watched and asked questions. She’s only 2 so we agreed that mommy would be the one to take care of weeding for now! I’m constantly being amazed at how much she takes in! She knows where the spinach is, how to pick the chives and which plants are tomatoes! I know these are simple things, but they are big for a 2 year old! I just love when she reaches for my hand and we walk through the rows checking on progress. It may not last forever, but it sure makes my heart sing right now! I hope someday she will look back at her childhood and have lots of wonderful memories in the garden with her mommy just like I do!