Although I am not one to follow astrology, I’ve often felt that my sign, Gemini, fits me perfectly. I see myself as the twin, changing between my two personalities sometimes daily. There is the Social Butterfly/Chatty Kathy Alana and the Hermit on the Hill Alana.
David McRaney, in his book You Are Not So Smart, says that studies show we all have multiple personalities depending on our immediate social situation. (I don’t have my copy of the book with me, so I’ll have to put the exact information in here later.) Check out his blog for more interesting bits of psychology.
Lately, Hermit Alana has reigned over Career Girl Alana.
I think it might be because Sadie and I have been reading the Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. That little handmade farmhouse with Ma, Pa, Mary, Laura, Carrie and Baby Grace has incredible appeal to me.
On the other hand, it could be the rising cost of toilet paper. When did a decent 4-pack start costing over $2.50? Could someone hand me the Sears Catalog?
I have a premonition of a time when even the barest of necessities are so expensive that we all have to resort to being self-sufficient in order to exist. Prices keep rising at the grocery store, but our incomes are holding steady. I feel lucky today to even have an income.
I feel guilty complaining about my tight budget when I have a cell phone, television subscription and internet. I remember not having those things as a kid. It wasn’t so bad. Maybe it was better. Maybe there were things back then that meant more…like following in my Daddy’s footsteps as he steered the tiller…dropping in three seeds to the hole.
“Don’t put your fingers in your mouth if you handled the pink seed! It’s poison!”
Would I need a gym membership if I had to work the farm every day? It’s hard work, but what if there isn’t as much stress to deal with?
My parents grew up eating peas and cornbread. Daddy remembers Sundays being extra special because you might get a bite of chicken to go with your field peas. Today, Daddy will tell you, he wants meat with every meal because his family couldn’t afford that luxury when he was a kid. Fair enough. Do we really need meat at every meal? If I think about it, I am afraid to eat our hormone and antibiotic filled meat from the grocery store. Some nutritionists say it is better to have more grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables. Most nutritionists say the less processed the food, the better for us. Is the rising obesity rate our penance for excess and convenience?
Would I be stressed over my weight if the only food available was what I grew with my own two hands? Laura and Mary were pretty excited over the occasional piece of candy. In the book Sadie and I are currently reading, The Long Winter, the Ingalls family has just survived months on nothing but potatoes and brown bread from wheat ground in a coffee grinder.
So how do I get to the point where I can trade in my suits and heels for sturdy, comfortable shoes and a pair of worn overalls? Can I imagine the feasibility of trading in the cubicle downtown for the sun on my face and dirt on my hands? How much money do I have to save working in this cubicle in order to one day have the homestead of my fantasies? By the time I get there, will my body still be strong enough for the work? I don’t want to start my little farm at the age of 70.
What balance between modern technology and old fashioned grit is doable today? What products could my crafty self make and sell at a Farmer’s Market to bring home a little bacon? How much could I do without in order to make do with a little?
Should I have planned for this sooner?
Can a farmer girl still do internet for keeping up with news and friends in other states?
These people are doing it.
He has always been a hero of mine.
Can this fantasy become a reality one day?
I’ll keep you posted…
I could SO get fired for this... 