June 14, 1996, our family moved to Maple Grove Farm. Luke was 9 and Cassie was 7. Gulp. Terry and I were...younger. We loved the quiet and seclusion of the place yet the nearness to the town where all our activities happened. We yearned for a homesteading life and the first two years we gathered animals (chickens, goats, ponies, cows, pigs, a potbellied pig for a few short days), planted gardens, built fences, installed a greenhouse. We picked blackberries, canned tomatoes, green beans, pickles, pumpkin and applesauce. We bottled root beer and cream soda. We gathered maple sap and made syrup. We watched a foal take its first steps. We mourned chickens lost to coyotes, weasels and the neighbor's dogs, a goat gored by another goat, and a young calf who didn't survive a very cold night. We cleared our pond and swam in it until snakes found it, too.
Luke discovered peace and room to run off excess energy labeled as ADHD in the schools. Cassie handled puppies to her heart's delight and didn't have to brush her hair for days if she didn't want to. We all discovered the natural rhythms of life and learned more about God's perfect creation. We didn't stick with the homesteading very long--it's very HARD WORK. We did, however, grow closer as a family than a life in town would have afforded and we homeschooled for ten years.
Five years ago, June 9, 2005, I began blogging about our life. Good times, not-so-good times, struggles, victories, daily stuff, spiritual journeys, vacations, family, memories, knitting, cooking, diets, baseball. It hasn't all been well-told and it hasn't ALL been told at all. Still, I've been so blessed by those of you who check in on these humble doings from time to time. My life is richer because of the reflection and I'm blessed to have the record preserved.
God is good, ALL the time.
Blessings,
Sandy
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