Which Way Is West?

-journey-

noun:

1.an act of traveling from one place to another.

a long and often difficult process of personal change and development.

You should know that I am terrible with directions, Steve teases me about it all the time. I mean, I can figure it out as long as it's not high noon, but it takes me like 30 mins.

 As I was driving home the other day, I was deep in thought and made the wrong turn.  It took me 15 minutes longer to get to my destination because I turned on to the interstate by accident.  I get distracted by my thoughts a lot more now, age I guess, Steve will have to keep a better eye on me so I don't get lost (either that or buy me a compass.. lol not that I would know how to use it).  Maybe it's because I feel like I have more time to think now? Whatever the case, that isn't the point of this story.

I started thinking about our farm.  We want to move onto land with nothing on it.  A blank slate that we can plan out in which ever way we want.  Specifically, I thought about documenting the process to getting settled.  It made me wonder about this blog and wonder if I should change the name of it, or start a new one when we get the farm land.  I thought of why I decided to go with "From Here to There" as the title to the assignment that my teacher gave me.  Does it still fit what and who I am now?  I honestly didn't think that I would like or continue doing this (I didn't know myself at all, obviously). I chose the name of the blog because I liked Dr. Seuss and I hoped that I could write about things in my life and the funny things that are everywhere.  "From there to here, from here to there, funny things are everywhere."  A silly name for a blog? I shortened it and used Dr. Seuss quotes at the end of my assignments.  Extra credit for creativity!  I'm a shameless suck up, sometimes.

 Little did I know, I would end up loving  Dr. Seuss even more and could find a way for his quotes seem to fit almost any situation.  I thought about my time as a college student.  All I wanted was to get from here to there. I wanted to finish school.  I wanted my life to have a different direction, if only just slightly.  I wanted to prove to myself that I could graduate.  I suppose I even wanted to mend past regrets, not that I wish my life were different, I genuinely love the way it all turned out.  It took me 4 years to finish my degree, but I did it. As I thought about all of that, I smiled because the words 'from here to there' speak about a journey.  A journey from where I was, where I am now to where I want to go, who I want to be, how I want to live and every change along the way.

This blog really is a snapshot into the journey that I've been on so far, and that is what it will continue to be.  My apologies for not blogging more often.  Also my apologies for being boring, we can't all be Anna Kendrick (She is my new favorite actress.  I think she might like dinosaurs as much as I do, this is of course complete speculation on my part).  I really am trying to form better writing habits. Anyhooo... I decided right then that 1. I had something to write about and 2. I'm keeping the name of my blog.  "From Here to There" started as an assignment and changed into this:  A peephole into my life and my journey. I am determined to enjoy the road to getting to the end of my story.    And I don't know when I'll get There, but I'll let you know when I do. ;-) 

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go...” -Dr. Seuss

Oh Oh Oh OH Stayin Alive

It's been a little over a year since I wrote about our BIG DREAMS.  Obviously, that didn't happen last year.  The dream is still alive and much closer than it was last year.  We are working hard on growing our building business and getting the house ready to sale, so that we can move on to farm life.  Last year, the dream seemed so unreachable.  I never thought that we would find a place that would fulfill all the wishes I had and some that I didn't even know I would need.

I should have more faith.  I've been praying for some time now that God would prepare the land we were meant to live on, that He would help us find it when the time was right.  That happened!  Maybe I am speaking too soon because there are at least two more things that need to happen before the land is ours.  We are on the list to have a perk test done, and we need to have our loan/financing finished (which includes selling our current house... which means we have to finish remodeling it).  Well okay, so more than two things need to happen.

I've also put some more thought into what I really want (what I really really want ): Eggs, Milk, Meat, and Wool.  The wool is where I am struggling.  I think I want to do Angora Rabbits for wool, less stinky? smaller animal?  IDK.  I am still putting some thought and research into that.  I am also looking into how I can make our farm productive, or at least break even.  We want to do this to be self sufficient.  So I want to be able to make goat milk soaps, and angora (maybe) yarn, have a way to feed our family and know where the food came from.  It's definitely going to be a lot of work but I am ready for it.

One step at a time we will see our plans and dreams become a reality

Possible Rant

Here's the thing, people take the internet WAY too seriously without the benefits of friendship (or any semblance of close relationship) and it only breeds so much unnecessary offense.

The other day was just like any other day and my loving and amazing husband was his usual meddling and controversial self.  He finds pleasure in rattling cages and rocking boats and generally making others question norms (even if he doesn't question them himself).  This isn't necessarily a bad quality, but often it is mistaken because people do not know my husband well.

There were many people who were offended with what Steve posted on Facebook the other day.  One person in particular really got under my skin, usually I just ignore Steve's posts altogether because it just isn't worth my stress level to be sucked into all of the things that he involves himself in.  **This blog is starting to sound like a rant, I promise it's not.  I love Steve SOO MUCH.  We are just have totally different personalities... anyway back to what I was saying** On this particular day, it hit me wrong and I wanted to chew this person out.  They basically said that because what Steve's post was offensive that his freedom of speech was forfeit.

I gave this a decent amount of thought into this.  When are people not offended over just about anything?  Let me clarify, I do not condone someone being purposefully cruel, but I also do not think that you lose your right to free speech just because someone might be offended?  I bet you can think of lots of things where others were offended by actions that you yourself perceived as harmless.

So as I am thinking about all of these things: being offended, lack of personal connection, freedom and such.  I thought about how the majority of the friends I have on Facebook, I have personally met or have known in the past.  Steve hasn't necessarily met all of his friends but they usually share political beliefs.  This made me think that maybe, just maybe, the comment that I took offense to was not meant to be offensive either?  I don't know.  I never asked.  I figure that Steve can handle it on his own and my interference could make a situation out of nothing.  This IS Facebook we are talking about, which is mostly a bunch of drama anyway.

Maybe this blog is a rant?  The point to the whole thing though is this:  Give people the benefit of the doubt.  Maybe they aren't good with the written word.  Maybe they are joking.  Try and filter things through their lens instead of yours.

"Poor empty pants with noone inside them" - Dr. Seuss