Simple Choices

My family and I have sought out a lifestyle that seeks to find joy in life's simple pleasures.  Many might look at our lifestyle and find the pace, well, boring.  In fact, when we have visitors come to stay with us, they often comment how less stressed they feel once they figure out that they don't always have to be "doing" something.  But for others, they sometimes get a little antsy. 

That is not to say that we don't have times of stress or hectic activity in our home.  But we do make an effort to move through those times quickly and efficiently as a team whenever possible, so that we can make the most of our free time.

Since we live on a little farm, we have daily chores which need doing.  And because we place a high value on our time together as a family, we often do those chores together.  So while I am watering and weeding the garden, our daughter is feeding and exercising the dog, and my husband is feeding the chickens and goats.  We finish at about the same time, and then we go do something together.  Sometimes we pitch a few horseshoes, or sit and chat on the porch, or watch the plants grow in the garden. 

On days when all hands are required, we join together to do what we can to help one another finish the job.  Just the other night it was time to trim the goat's hooves.  Right now we have six goats, so 24 hooves to trim up.  This can be hard on one's back.  So hubby does the buck and the big does.  I trim the kids, and Kaylyn talks to the goats and tries to help keep them calm during the process. 

I suppose there are times when it might be easier to just do this job myself.  But we wouldn't be learning to work together as a family to get the job done.  So I put away the selfish desire to have things done just the way I might want them done, and be grateful for the blessing of a family who works together.

I remember when I was a little girl, my family rented a parcel of land from a family friend.  We used that parcel to plant a HUGE garden.  I remember going out in the hot summer sun with my three brothers and my parents to pick corn or beans, water the plants, and check on our bounty.  It was a lesson in hard work with a reward that benefited the entire family.

That same bounty fed our family during homecooked suppers that went largely uninterrupted by extracurricular activities such as soccer practice, dance rehearsal, band practice, and the like.  There was no texting at the supper table.  No tv playing in the background.  You could actually have a real conversation about the day's events and what was important.

I want my daughter to cherish the time she has with her family.  I want her to have a foundation of home, togetherness, faith, and old-fashioned values that she can draw on in the future, no matter what the world throws at her.

So as her parents, my husband and I make conscious choices as to how we spend our time and what we let into our lives.  We are counter-cultural in many ways.  (I prefer "old school"!)  For example, we turn our cell phones off when we get home, and we let the machine catch incoming calls during supper time.  I know some people that would absolutely twitch with anxiety to not be "connected" to their wireless devices for any length of time!  But we strive to keep technology from intruding into our lives.

One of the simple pleasures we enjoy is to go for walks around our property.  We watch for the small changes that each season brings, thereby staying connected with God's creation.  We delight in the intricacy of a spider web delicately crafted on the fenceline.  We smile at the giddy leaping of a young goat kid learning to be in the pasture with the "big goats".  And we don't mind kicking off our shoes and wiggling our toes as the three of us pile into our hammock in the backyard.

On a recent drive through the country, we stopped at this little store that sold old farm items, antiques, and such.  I found and purchased a sign that now hangs in my kitchen that reads:
"Learn from yesterday, Live for today, Hope for tomorrow." 

The only thing I would add is, "...trusting in God the whole time."

That about says it all. 

Yummily Simple!

Living a simple country life is very satisfying for me and my family.  However, it dawned on me the other day that "simple" doesn't always equate with "easy."  In fact, simple often means more work!

For example, making simpler healthful meals often means growing the food and preparing it from scratch at home.  And it seems that in order to make more healthful choices, we often need to cut down or cut out at least some of the highly processed, so-called "convenience" food items many recipes include. 

But I have also found that you need to pick your battles.  For example, I haven't cut sugar completely out of my family's diet.  However, I am becoming more and more aware of how much sugar I add to our diet.  I also look for ways to use healthy alternatives to sugar.  Furthermore, I am trying to be very choosy about the convenience foods I use, as many have added "hidden" sugars.

All this to say that in order to simplify my family's diet, I have had to analyze what we buy at the grocery store, research and source alternatives to unhealthy ingredients, adapt recipes and cooking styles, etc.  Sounds like work to me!

But in the end, it's worth it because I know my family will be healthier in the long run.

So.......one of the foods my daughter eats a LOT of is yogurt.  Hmmm.....How to make yogurt healthier???  We have dairy goats......The dairy goats often give us more milk than we can drink......Why not try making HOMEMADE YOGURT!

The following is how I make yogurt.  However, a quick search on-line will reveal a number of recipes and methods.  Find one that suits you.  And the kicker is that it really isn't all that hard!!


Recipe for Plain Vanilla Yogurt (sugarfree):
  
3 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup dry powdered milk
2 heaping Tablespoons of live yogurt culture (store-bought is easiest)
1 Tablespoon vanilla

In a medium saucepan whisk together the milk and the powdered milk.  Turn on heat to medium. 

Meanwhile, make an ice bath in your sink of cold water and some ice cubes or those freezer things you put in your lunch box to keep things cool.                   

Heat the milk stirring occasionally until it reaches around 180 degrees Fahrenheit.  (This kills off the bad bacteria that might be present.)  Some people heat the milk to boiling, but I have not found this necessary.  Keep the milk stirred as you get closer to 180 so that the heat is dispersed evenly and it doesn't scald.

Once the milk is 180, set the saucepan in the ice water bath and stir continuously until the milk's temperature drops to 100 degrees Fahrenheit.  This takes about 5 minutes.

Once the milk is cooled to 100 degrees, combine the following in a 4-cup measuring cup:

2 heaping Tablespoons of live yogurt culture.  (I just use Dannon low-fat (1%) vanilla flavored yogurt.  It is important that the yogurt you use has "live cultures" in it.  These are the good bacteria that will make your milk mixture turn into yogurt!)

Next add 1 Tablespoon vanilla.

Note: This recipe is for sugar-free yogurt.  However, if you prefer something sweeter, you can add your choice of sweetener at this time.  I have used brown sugar in the past, which we like.  You could also add honey.  I have found that adding these does change the texture and thickness of the yogurt, so you might have to experiment to see what works best.  For my family, I make the yogurt sugar-free and then let everyone add what they like once the yogurt is fermented.  A favorite around here is adding fresh fruit or even fruit preserves and a little granola.

Once you have combined your culture, vanilla, and sweetener, if any, whisk in your cooled milk.

Now pour your yogurt mixture into the little glass jars that come with your yogurt maker.  I use a "Euro Cuisine Yogurt Maker" model YM80 available at Amazon for around $25.  Be sure to leave the plastic lids off.  Put the yogurt maker's lid on, plug it in and turn the unit on.  Be sure to leave the unit undisturbed during the incubation time.

Your yogurt will be ready in 6-8 hours!  The longer it sets, the more sour it tends to taste.  Once fermented to your liking, put caps on your jars and refridgerate!  It will thicken a bit more once chilled.

A few comments:  Some people use a crock pot to ferment their yogurt.  I have heard of others using their gas oven with the pilot light lit and the door closed.  Still others use a heating blanket under the bottoms of jelly jars of yogurt!  I think using a yogurt maker is more convenient and reliable, but do what works for you.  ENJOY!

Hellos and Goodbyes

I suppose that in the grand scheme of life, saying goodbye to a farm animal isn't that earth-shattering.  But when you have assisted in its birth, been its caretaker and vet, and just generally watched over its life, "goodbye" takes on new significance.

And when you're like me--seemingly more able to create and maintain animal relationships more easily than human ones--goodbyes are just downright hard.

Over the past year, we've said goodbye to a few critters on our little farm.  Nanner and Cocoa, a 13 year old golden retriever and a 15 year old Australian shepherd, both passed away.  They were both up there in years and dealing with various medical issues that were diminishing their quality of life.  And so we had to say goodbye.

It wasn't easy.  But in the end, knowing that they would no longer be in pain tilted the decision toward letting them go.

Goodbyes are never easy, and my life has had its fill of far more than I would have ever cared for--both human and animal.  However, I am grateful that God balances the bittersweet of goodbyes with the joy of "Hellos"!

Kidding season and spring, in general, bring their fair share of new life to our farm every year.  And after a long gray winter, new life is something we look forward to.  In fact, I would venture to say we NEED that newness to break the spell of sleep that we and the natural world have fallen under during the dormancy of winter.

For example, this year we had the delight of seeing our fruit trees flower for the first time.  The sight was another welcome "hello" and affirmation that spring is here.  The trees were planted three years ago, and we have waited a long time for this first blooming.  With a little more time and patience, we will hopefully taste of their fruit, and once again be grateful for God's creative genius!

A "goodbye" that is just on our horizon involves two of our older goats, Gussie and Moosie.  They are wethered males who were the first kids ever to be born on our farm, and they will soon be moving to a new home to help clear wooded land--a job just made for goats, as they are great foragers.

Many people don't put two and two together when it comes to dairy goats.  That is to say, in order to get milk every year, your goat has to have kids!  And so it is inevitable that the day eventually comes when there are too many goats to keep.

I have been trying to prepare our daughter for the transition....She has helped raise these animals and has a bond with them.  She hugs them, brushes them, feeds them, and generally dotes on them.  We will see how she fares with the change.  So far she is ok with the upcoming move, but then, she tends to process goodbyes later than I do.  (And unlike her mother, she doesn't get choked up when Bambi's mother dies....)  She may handle it better than I do!

In the end, I want her to understand that while they may be inevitable, goodbyes are not always bad things.  (Of course, on this occasion it helps that she gets to keep our two new baby goats!) 

And I suppose that is also a lesson I am still trying to learn as well. 

Goodbyes can have more meaning than just sadness or grief.

Goodbyes give us an opportunity for expressing thankfulness for God's blessings--those He gives and those He takes away. 

Goodbyes give us motivation to be the best stewards of the life we find ourselves in. 

Goodbyes help us remember to live in the present, not taking life for granted.   

And in the same way that without the bleakness of winter, spring is just another season,  without goodbyes, hellos aren't as meaningful.

Barn Sittin' at 2am...

Well here I am.  It's 2am and I can't sleep.  I am too wired from the wonderful day we had here at our little farm.  You see, Pomegranate ("Pom"), one of our goat does, had her first kids last night! 

Let me introduce "Buttercup" and "Charlie".  They are, as we say here at our house, stinkin' cute! 

Thankfully, I did not have to scrub up and "go in" as mentioned in my previous post.  This year, I got to just enjoy the blissful event.  Well, ok.  Maybe not blissful....at least from our goat's perspective!

Anyway, the adrenaline of being a midwife to one of our favorite does has worn off, and after a few hours of sleep here I sit.  If I weren't in my jammies, I would be sittin in the barn right now.

It's a favorite and rare thing for me to get to do--barn sittin all by myself in the quiet of a cool night.  No distractions.  No chores to do.  No "Mommy!" being hollered at me across the house for some unmet need.

So instead of actually trudging my way out to the barn, I do the next best thing.  I turn on the baby monitor.  Yes, that's what I said.  Baby monitor.  Believe you me, when you are waiting for kids to arrive, listening in the monitor can save lots of trips back and forth from house to barn.

Tonight as I listen, I hear only the occasional rustling of straw under hooves.  I imagine the little ones and mama are all trying to catch some zzz's after an eventful night.  It's hard work being born, you know!

And I relish the quiet.  I know that in the morning my 5 year old daughter is going to rush through her breakfast, throw on some barn clothes, and fully expect to do her fair share of holding her precious new charges.  After all, she helped bring them into the world, and made a great little vet assistant!  She wasn't squeamish about the blood or "goo" that comes with the messiness of new life.  She even encouraged "Pom", telling her "Push Pom, push!"  But then, she has seen the arrival of new life a few times now.

And I'm glad for this quiet time.  If I let myself reflect, I think back to that first night in the hospital when my little girl was born.  Everything was finally quiet.  The nurses were no longer poking and checking every few minutes.  The adrenaline of a long labor, failed induction, and Caesarean section had worn off, and I was sleepy.  But I didn't sleep.  I held that precious new life in my arms.  She was so quiet and trusting.  No crying or fussing as I had imagined there would be.  Just quiet and peace. 

And I praised God for the gifts He gives so freely. 

It might sound funny to some, but as our brave Pom first began active labor last night, my little girl and I paused together and prayed for God's guidance, wisdom, and help.  We needed Him to help us do the best for this animal, and not to do harm.  We needed him to help her do her job as she labored.  And we needed him to help us with these new little lives.  And he did!

A Simple Life

Sure.....Those country magazine covers make country life look enviable.  Raise your own heirloom tomatoes...build your own chicken coop...make your own bread from scratch.  It sure sounds "doable."  But when those tomatoes have critters as round as your thumb crawling all over them, and that loaf of bread you just spent three hours on is as heavy as a brick...well, let's just say it's not always as easy as it looks!

Don't get me wrong, life in the country can be very satisfying.  Whether you live on just a few small acres or your nearest neighbor is miles away, having a spot on God's green earth to care for is a real gift.  And nowadays it seems everyone is trying to get back to nature.  Eating organic.  Going green.  Striving for greater self-sufficiency.  But unless you've grown up gardening, raising livestock, and the like, there's often a learning curve when you "go country."

And I guess that's what my family and I are striving to do.  But we also want our life to be uncomplicated.  We are striving for a simple life.  One that remembers such simple pleasures as porch sittin'.   Barn dancin'.  Fire-fly catchin'.  Know what I mean?

Life in the country, or for that matter, anywhere, isn't always peaceful.  There are complications, daily stresses, and yes, even meltdowns that often arrive at our doorstep unannounced.  Like when your chickens decide to ignore fence boundaries and visit the neighbor's flower beds.  Or when your doe goat is giving birth to a kid in breech position, and the nearest vet is over an hour away.  What do you do?  Well, you scrub up and go in!  (More about that in a future post....)

Homebodies at heart, my hubby and I are willing to put up with some complications in order to live this country lifestyle.  Someone has to go to work to pay for the goat feed, and the chicken feed, and the hay, and the straw, and, well, you get my drift.

And someone has to keep the homefires burning.  Supper's got to come from somewhere, bellies need to be fed, minds need to be taught (we homeschool), and chores have to be done.

So we join as a family in a cooperative effort to accomplish all that needs doing, so that everything gets done, and so that we end up spending as much time together as possible living our life here in the country.

Come on along!  We'll share our adventures, our triumphs, our failures.  And maybe we'll learn something in this life -- this country life.