Our Family Journey~Part 2

I left you at part one with my recuperation from a very tramautic birth of my last child. This did provide the impetus for our move as I look back. I was struggling wth post traumatic stress disorder, although at the time we didn't know that. When I , and I say I, because I actually asked my primary doc if this is what it could be, did realize that PTSD was one of the problems I had I kind of threw myself into how to get well. Holistic medicine had been a part of my life for over 12 years now, first being introduced to it by a brilliant neurological doctor who specialized in headaches and movement disorders that I worked with. I started taking a yoga class that was specifically for those suffering from PTSD and this instructor Lucy was key in helping me.

My husband and I realized we needed a lifestyle change. One of my side effects from the AFE was a noise sensitivity. We lived on a very busy street and the noise and traffic bothered me. Opening the windows in the nice weather brought less birdsong and more daily traffic noise. I needed peace, so the search for it started. Jim and I discussed country living, alot. He was a city boy, but loved the mountains and small town living. Our initial search led us to New Hampshire. We were in NH so much for vacations and get aways that relocating there felt right. It wasn't God's plan however, and as we prayed and looked around it became clear that the state we were in was the state we were to stay in. We decided or I should say my husband indulged my fancy for very old houses, very old. As much as he liked them they are a bit to upkeep and he just finished doing over the current one so wasn't too enthused to start another project like that.

We developed a list of our wants and must haves and one was more earth to garden and possibly raise some animals. Farmers we are not! Hobby farming we could handle. My husband had a great job that he loved and enjoyed going to each day. His work schedule allowed us to see him three and four full days a week and we had excellent health insurance, something we needed because of my health and a heart condition my son has. But, he wanted a music studio. His passion and his love as a musician would be a space carved out for him to nuture this. And because he is such a great guy I fully embraced this! Again, I must say that God was in control each step of the way. He knew what we *really* needed and He provided it.

It was more important to us both to have a place of solitude and peace. Jim had just come off an 8 week sabbatical--every seven years his company gives you one of these, nice perk! We had spent a good deal of time in Lancaster County Pennsylvania staying on a Mennonite farm and living in the widow's farmhouse. It really cemented for us the desire for simplicity and quietness. We realized how much stuff we didn't need in our lives. The time spent uninterrupted from life's pulls and pushes with our children opened our eyes. We came home knowing in our hearts that change was necessary.

Our search started and we knew we needed some acres. I was fortunate knowing how to garden from my Italian grandparents. I could can, bake, make bread , etc. even on a wood cookstove as they used one in the cellar kitchen. FYI-most Italian immigrants have a second kitchen in the lower level of the house:-) Because I loved to cook I really didn't need to transition from processed foods or anything in this area. (I had taught myself how to cook by watching Julia Child on PBS as a teen with my best friend. A great weekend while we were in high school was cooking up a fancy French meal for our families--most times they asked what it was!) Even in the city we were blessed with a farmers market and great natural health food stores. Alot of the food I bought was organic, we just weren't growing it ourselves. When I stopped working we did eat less take out or supermarket ready meals.

Of course, I should insert here that our family, friends and neighbors were just dumbfounded at our desire to move. No one could really understand our desire to slow down. They all thought we were going off-grid/homesteading and were concerned for us. Our older children weren't too keen on moving, they had friendships, great colleges a stones throw and jobs they loved. But, my husband and I knew that we, as a family, needed to do this to maintain and foster a connectedness to each other. The children survived the move, have made friends and such, so no one was traumatized!

The hobby farm was found after much searching and alot of trials may I add. The move was NOT smooth--a tenacious lawyer bought our house. Note to self: Never sell another house to a lawyer. We started to doubt if this was God's will. I left it up to my husband, the stress was really too much for me to bear. Well, we landed in a town we never thought of living in and knew basically nothing about. We did have friends out this way who had moved out of mainstream society years before so this was a good thing! We got the old house, a 200 plus year old house, a post and beam saltbox barn that would fit a studio for my husband quite nicely. The barn is four stories of space for animals and even a shop I hope to open someday devoted to fiber love. Plenty of space to garden , a pasture already fenced and perks like a gazebo overlooking the river down back.

God blessed us with our hearts desires! As I had eluded to in the first part of this journey I had done alot of reading. I love Hobby Farm Homes, Carla Emery's book Country Living is like the Bible for all things farming/homesteading and Mary Jane Butters is an inspiration for her journey into organic farming and sharing that knowledge with community , which is so important. I have enjoyed Tasha Tudor's books and the traditions she created with her children when they were young. As much as I like the 1800's I don't want to go back there as she did. God is still the smartest being around and if he thought any of us should be living in the 1800's instead of now He certainly would have put us there!

I will share how we have simplified and toned down our lifestyle in future posts. Thanks for taking the time to read here and leave the wonderful comments! One never knows what to expect when one puts themselves out there...LOL!