Homestead mailing list

[tonitime AT juno.com]

I love this - have paid my dues in hurrying for others toward mere pay! 
I do not know your name, Clansgian, but this is kind of how my life goes
on our stead.  It IS a land of plenty of all except for money.  We are
rich in friends, bounty from my efforts at home, live in a most beautiful
and serene environment - making it better able to further ourselves
individually on whatever the heck The Path is!  We are always broke, and
learning to cope with that is about the most difficult thing - but never
behind.  It was a choice made consciously long ago, with  no regrets.  My
husband will work away from the farm for another year or two, then retire
to making about as much as he does working in our impoverished area, and
i still go out to other surrounding counties a couple times a week to do
some massage therapy for women - both for good hourly wage and the dear
friendships that come along with being so close to those i work on/with. 
While doing that, they buy my vegies and often give me gratuities in the
forms of farm-raised beef , eggs,and pork - or even better the wild game
that is so incredibly abundant in these parts ( we are not hunters at
all, but will butcher anything!). It is social AND i get paid and we eat
well from it without having to keep livestock at all.  Leisurely, i bake
and taker produce and products made at home to Music in the Park on Thurs
eves ( usually bluegrass music), again socialize and come home with
enough money for gas, baking, and garden supplies - all the while having
a nice time.

Still, i do not know how many of you have time for so much internet
pleasure with each other!!!  See, i have some things to learn from all of
you :)
I also cannot take ill-will on any forums..breaks my heart, and this sort
of list is what i give myself for rest time and inspirations.  I thank
the folks that wrote me back in the beginning to let me know that such
negativity isn't the true character of this list.  I love the
personalities  i see here, the wisdom, the fire, the comaraderie!  Thanks
for having me, tho i cannot yet get myself to post often enough for a
true give and take that good relationships call for.  I will learn to be
a bit more efficient, and assertively call for my time on these pc's that
my husband built and maintains for us!!  One more daughter to fledge the
nest after upcoming senior year, and i can have more time and see what i
shall become when i grow up (yet again!)!  Lynda, my Grace is a senior
now, and 16 years old!!!  My how time has flown, and i so enjoy all of
you along the way ( until y'all get too cranky, hee-hee).

Time to move the pond hose - drought is relentless and we do NEED our
huge gardens in good health!
Bless yawl,
Toni ( harvested hundreds of various garlics yesterday and this morn,
dreaming of pesto, pizzas, all that stuff requiring our that allium we
won't do without!)
*************************************************************************
************************
It all goes at a very langid pace.  Never any hurry.  What gets done,
gets 
done.  That's how much you have.  Not the other way around of having a
fond goal 
and running like the Devil to get it all done.