Journey Towards a Dream

I have always had a fascination with the Amish, hippies, survivalists . . . any type of people really that could live totally supporting themselves. It all started as a small child reading Little House on the Prairie where Laura Ingalls describes in great detail how her family stored food for the winter, built their own house, made their own cheese, clothes, and even bullets. Such independence, I thought. Such freedom to be who you are and answer to no one except yourself and God. Such possibilities to be truly at one with the God who created us and all His creation. How wonderful would that be?

I have grown up and realize that independent living is not just a dreamy fairy tale of fuzzy horses, blue skies, and sweet apple pies cooling at the window. And yet, I still have that fascination . . . not to seclude myself from people, but to have the pride of independence from the system as well as the knowledge that the food I use and the products I eat are as pure and "green" as possible. One day, I hope to find myself on my own farm, raising my own food , creating our own energy, and being indebted to no one.

I don't know if I will ever reach that goal, but I am making small steps toward that future. This blog specifically is to record those steps, at least those steps I learn in my garden. This will be my fourth year as a gardener. I have been making very, very slow steps for three main reasons: 1. my health 2. there's only two of us in our family to feed and 3. there's not a ton of space in our current yard for a huge garden anyway. I have realized though, that I need to start recording what I learn, what doesn't work, advice I have been given, great sources of info, etc., etc., etc.

So, here it is, my record of experiments gone wrong and experiments gone right in my garden.