Suburban Homesteading – Frugal Living

As you walk your path to a simpler more self-reliant life, homesteading can easily intrude into every corner of one’s life, even if it’s not exactly welcome or invited. It becomes the stray that adopts you, the guest that won’t leave, or the rain that won’t subside.

During the most unusual times, where the homestead has no business being, it finds its way in and distracts you. It comes on softly, sometimes without warning. In the middle of a meeting you realize you haven’t cleaned your shoes and the smell of chickens wafts through the office. Or people stop you to ask if you have suffered an injury because your jacket is covered with hay or straw. Or while sitting at your desk, going about your daily job, the phone rings suddenly, announcing your order of baby chicks has arrived at the post office and must be picked up right away. Or a co-worker, out of the blue, invites you on a field trip to a much admired quilting show.

There was a time, in the not-so-distant past that you might have gotten out of these situations if you wanted to.

You thought you could quit this homesteading life anytime you wanted. But, that train has left the station. You’re hooked. You’re in this life and it’s in you. The lines between your former life and your homesteading life have blurred, even grown dim. You know this to be true because even in your world of business or bio-tech, commerce or computer science new friends beckon you deeper into the world of self-sufficiency.

Come on now folks! How can you turn it down? The invitation to bake bread, make jam or set in a load of firewood with new found friends. Spending a weekend with people that think and live the way you are now trying to live is both welcoming and satisfying. It’s comforting to be with people that are willing to share their knowledge, their experiences. To make you part of a group that are the lucky recipients of closely held recipe secrets. You get to watch and learn; take notes and pictures; all the while laughing in the process.

This isn’t light stuff friends. To be amongst those who understand what you’re trying to accomplish. The way you’re trying to live. They offer an ear, answer questions, and lend a hand.

It’s a fine way to live – amongst friends.

photo credit: Travis Seitler