Why haven’t I been writing?
I’ve been pondering this question over and over for the last few months. Why haven’t I been writing?
Winter was brutal. On the farm and personally. A long winter and a severe lack of vitamin D took its toll on me this year. Every year, if I’m being honest. Which is really the point of this here homesteading blog. It’s not all sunshine and roses and cute animals. After the long winter was finally over, spring came and rose my spirits and brought the farm back to life....then I hurt my hip and even the simplest of farm chores became out of the question. The garden I had just planted was ravaged by birds and chickens and weeds as I watched from the window in the house as I toiled through physical therapy exercises. The garden didn’t make it.....well most of it any way. After weeks of physical therapy, my pain is gone and I’ve been working on the garden again, not allowing myself to throw in the towel. It’s looking better, slowly but surely.
So again, why haven’t I been writing? I think it’s because I felt like I failed this year....over and over and over again. What knowledge or helpful tidbits could I offer up after having such a rough go? But here I am again, plugging along and not quitting. That’s what it comes down to, doesn’t it? Not quitting. Not throwing in the towel when all you want to do is scream, sell everything and live in a bus with your family and travel the states. (I may have thought this one through before.) Getting yourself back outside and reviewing the perhaps dismal situation, changing plans, and rolling with it. Perseverance. Determination. Things that don’t always come easy after a long, hard winter.
So what is it that I have to offer up? My failures, my hardships, my determination, my successes. Whether they are helpful to you or not, they have all been part of my process of delving into the homestead life. They are what will continue to shape how this farm works, or doesn’t. They will determine what direction I adjust to and move forward with. What works? What doesn’t? What did? What no longer does? It’s all part of making this farm work for us. It’s all part of growing myself into something that works for this farm. Work hard, play hard, repeat. Start over. Learn. Grow. Fail. Succeed. Learn. Grow again. This homestead is not my life, I am so much more than just the farm, but I’m learning to enjoy the parts of me that are continually challenged to grow through this life. To enjoy the fruits of our labor, to be cliche. To enjoy the gratification of growing our own food and providing something from our soil to our family. To raise up our own meat. To raise our children with a fundamental understanding and appreciation for life, hard work, and fresh food.
So why haven’t I been writing? Because I felt like I had it all wrong, maybe I did. But maybe that’s what makes it all beautiful in the end. It’s okay for me to fail. As long as I get back up and try again....and again.














