Backlogged

I have had so many topics floating around in my head for the past couple weeks, but not the desire to sit down and actually write about any of them.

This photo is from our trip to Rangeley, some black and blueberry muffins we had one morning. Being fairly late in the season there were but a few blueberries, but oh! the blackberries. Combined they made a wonderful muffin. Nothing beat

s sitting at the counter, looking out the window with a steaming mug of coffee and a hot-from-the-oven muffin.

It just doesn't get much better than that!

Independence and Happiness

As we celebrate our nation's history with fireworks and thoughts of independence I've been thinking a lot about personal independence. Not in the pry-the-gun-from-my-cold-dead-hands, freedom-of-speech-no-matter-the-cost type, but freedom of dependence. It might be freedom from dependence from a drug, alcohol, cigarettes, a bad habit or a person who does you harm. Or, in my case, I'm referring to the ability to be able to take care of myself and produce the things I and my family need. The freedom from dependence on others. Self-sufficiency.

Of course, there is no such thing as being completely independent. I'm no electrician, plumber or carpenter. I can't fix my own car nor can I build a computer. I suppose if I was able to live a simpler life and didn't rely on such amenities as indoor plumbing, electricity and a cell phone I might just be able to do most things myself. I'm not willing to go that far, but it does give me a great deal of joy to be able to do what I can. It's one of the simplest pleasures life has to offer and there is personal satisfaction in knowing that something is homemade.

One of the blogs I routinely read posted about this the other day. Until the 1950s we, as a society, were much more self-sufficient. Of course, things have changed since then: women no longer are at home, in charge of the house and feeding the family. It has become the norm for both adults in a household to be wage-earners. This has left home management unmanned and so for convenience/time/necessity we have turned to purchasing many of the items that 60 years ago were self-produced. It's rare to find someone who cooks from scratch, sews, grows their vegetables, does their own yard and housework. In the past few generation we've lost some of the skills needed to be able to do these things; how long until we're unable because nobody knows how? Interesting to think about. I'm not saying it's a bad thing, but we've become dependent upon companies and business to produce and take care of the things that 3 generations ago we did ourselves.

My circumstances are far from usual- early retirement/disability at 32. I've had to figure out what I'm capable of doing and what makes my life happy and fulfilling. Who knew it would be the simplest things of all? Cooking and baking for my family. Taking care of the house and yard. Growing a little bit of what we eat. Making my own less environmentally harmful cleaners. Being able to knit and sew, make jams and give homemade gifts. I have found this is my own personal formula for happiness, and no doubt there as many other formulas as there are people on the planet. We're all different and I'm sure there are many who could no sooner imagine being happy doing what I do than flying to the moon. Perhaps another person's formula would be the ability to be independent from exactly those things that give me the most happiness. That's what makes our country great and what personal freedom and independence are all about.

Happy Independence Day.

Millions of Peaches

Peaches for me. Millions of peaches, peaches for free. - Presidents of the United States

Well, maybe not millions of peaches, but an abundance, certainly. And yes, they were free! My generous friend Cynthia has a peach tree that produces really ugly fruit, but they are the best tasting peaches I've ever had. I made a peach cobbler yesterday and had so many peaches left over I thought I'd try to make some jam. After calling around trying to find canning jars (who knew they were so uncommon?) I finally found some and got all the supplies.

Mmmmmmm, summer in a jar. These will be great next winter on toast!

Quote of the Day

If money is your hope for independence you will never have it. The only real security that a man will have in this world is a reserve of knowledge, experience, and ability. -Henry Ford

I stumbled across this saying in someone else's blog and loved it; it gets to the core of my belief system. We have become so accustomed to buying convenience, whether it be in terms of what we clean our homes with, what we eat, wear, and the items we use daily, that nobody thinks of doing these things themselves. In fact, if I had a dime for each person who said "why are you making soap? you can buy it cheaply at the store!" I'd be able to retire.

Of course it can be purchased cheaply at the store; that's not the point. I like the fact that it's not purchased and that I made it with my own 2 hands. I like the independence and feeling of self-sufficiency as well as the creative process - being able to control what ingredients are in it, the color (or lack of), the scent and shape.

We can pay someone to do just about anything around the house, from cleaning it to taking care of the yard, repairs and even shopping and cooking. Life becomes less stressful, allowing us more time to work. But what's wrong with this picture? When did making money to pay someone else to do things for us become the goal?

This may just be my way of rationalizing our way of life because I'm unable to work, but I'd like to think that even if I was in perfectly good health I'd be following this path. There will always be things either Joe or I are unable to do: electrical, plumbing and major home repairs. But a small garden to grow some fresh summer veggies, making our own cleaning supplies, hanging out the laundry and tackling small projects around the house are all within our grasp. Sometimes we may need to do a bit of research online to figure out how to do something, but once we have learned a new skill and completed a task we are rewarded with a feeling of Independence and accomplishment that paying someone to do it can never provide.

Simple Living

One of the things I'm exploring at this point in my life is how to live simply. With Joe out of work for a year it was a great opportunity to practice non-consumerism. How amazing it would be if we could continue that way of life now that he is working again! Of course, we have some catch-up to do; things that need to be repaired or purchases we put off until he was employed again. Once we are caught up I'm hoping we can find some happy medium - not completely abstain from purchases, but consider carefully before buying.

So here I am, 44 years old, an empty nester, trying to figure out where to go from here. I truly am living the life I want to lead, I don't think I'd change a thing. Wilson is happy at school, has a wonderful group of friends is and blossoming as a person. Joe has a good job that seems to be a nice combination of challenging and stimulating. The company he's working for is a good fit for him: they appreciate loyalty and focus on quality, two of his biggest strengths. We have a home which is perfect for us: small, cozy and simple with a pretty yard that I enjoy working in. I have the time to do the things that are important to me: cooking from scratch, spending time with family and friends, pursuing my interests and learning more about living sustainably and in an environmentally friendly manner. We have 4 sweet cats that are great company and an endless source of entertainment.

Sometimes I forget or take for granted how lucky I am to be living a life that is perfectly in sync with my values. We might not have high-powered jobs or be the richest people on the street, but I'm willing to bet that there isn't anyone who is more fortunate in the most important ways.