Skip to main content

Hurry Up & Slow Down

I think I am right there with most of the population wanting so much, yet knowing that it can't just be picked out of thin air.  I have to constantly remind myself that there is no need in trying to hurry a process that I have no control of anyway.  I saw a quote the other day that said, "Slow down and everything you are chasing will come around and catch you."  I pray that the Lord would give me the ability to just be patient, and wait on Him to move the mountains that seem so big.

In other news, we are getting soaked over here.  So much rain has fallen this winter, completely obliterating any hope of a substantial winter.  I believe I saw earlier in the month that this has been the wettest season on record, and I absolutely believe that.  Mucks and my Totes rain jacket have been my best friends, keeping me as dry as they can.  I have nearly lost my boots, more than once because the mud wants to suck me into its nasty murky jowls.  This week, we have kept up with the forecast, and are expecting 4-7 additional inches of rain over the next seven days.  More than once, I have complained, something that I rarely do when it comes to weather.  Kaden brought both me and Andrew down over the weekend while we were complaining, nonchalantly saying, "God knows how much rain the plants will need."  I have no doubt that the man upstairs was speaking through that 8 year old boy.

So, we are ready for this rain, or as ready as we can be.  We have taken measures to make sure that the critters have fresh dry hay in their cages and coops.  Water bowls are rid of mud, and feeders are full to the brim.  I receive joy of having happy, content animals after they hunker down in their warm beds, with all the water and food that they could need for a couple of days at a time.  Animal husbandry is a way of life I will always appreciate; taking care of animals who may not be able to fend for themselves, and in return they will provide for their people.  It is a beautiful circle, one that I wish people would get to learn more about so they might be curious, instead of judgmental. 

The garden planning is also coming along this week.  While the rain is slowing down progress in the garden plot, we can still do as much planning behind the scenes as possible so that when we do have a dry spell, we might be able to till in the manure and eventually make the beds larger for more substantial growth.  There is so much happening this week with our little homestead and it makes me anxious.  Greenhouse, garden, incubating eggs, etc.  Through the chaos, I pray that I can keep my head steady, remember who is on my side, and keep doing the work that I know the Lord is intending me to do.  While parts of this life do need to be fast paced, I must strive to slow down to appreciate each and every element.  We're starting things from seeds people, and eggs that have just been fertilized.  In two weeks we will have sprouts.  And in three weeks we will have chicks.  This life is an amazing one, if we just slow down to take it all in.  Through the stress, I am glad that I am here.

"Life on a farm is a school of patience.  You can't hurry the crops or make an ox in two days."  
-Haneri Alain Liogier

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Old Paths

Ok.  So picture the Judd's singing, "Grandpa, tell me 'bout the good old days."  Let that tune stick in your mind as you read the following paragraphs.  I love the old ways of life that have mysteriously found me.  I was raised in the city limits of Scottsville, Kentucky.  I loved looking at the "moo cows" that just so happened to be in our backyard, separated by a fence, thanks to a neighbor who owned just enough land to accommodate them.  They were friendly for the most part, but I always longed for one of them to let me feed it from my bare hands.  I got close a few times, but their skiddish demeanor left them just out of reach.  My small city life as a child was good, safe, and reliable.  My parents worked their tails off, ensuring that bills were paid and we had food on the table.  We bought new tennis shoes, once a year at the beginning of school.  We were never allowed to wear them out of the house until that first day of...

One Bad Day

I thought I would take a minute to help explain a part of the homesteading life that seems to throw people off. Let me first say that we hate killing our animals. But ultimately, there comes a day when we prep and plan to do just that. The animals we have on our property have a purpose. The dogs help alert if there are predators after our critters. The chickens produce eggs and meat for the freezer. We also raise rabbits. We have a few that we keep for breeding purposes but their offspring will eventually be harvested. On “killing day” our anxiety is usually high, hoping that everything dies as humanely as possible. Again, we don’t enjoy killing these animals that we have raised since birth. At the same time, we’re not just raising pets. We are raising animals that will help sustain us. All of this was new to me until a couple of years ago. I didn’t know how I would handle the slaughtering of our livestock. But I knew that if I wanted to live a life of self-reliance, I would have...

What's Your Beans?

This year, Andrew and I took on a huge endeavor of tripling our garden compared to last summer.  We've had an abundance of cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes, and peppers.  However, our beans were lacking sufficiently to the point that I was about to purchase fresh green beans elsewhere.  I mean, I only had four jars left in my cupboards from last year's harvest.  I needed my beans!  I would look at posts on Facebook of friend's abundant bean harvest, and I'll be honest, I felt completely defeated.  We purposely planted two huge rows to ensure that we would have beans coming out of our ears.  And here we were, at the end of July, with no beans.  About a week ago we were in the garden, picking tomatoes, deciding if it was time to rip up some of our crops that were on their way out, and plotting on other crop endeavors.  Andrew decided to take a look at the beans, and low and behold we had beans.  Our bean bushes were not even worthy to be ca...