Modern Homesteader

Every now and then I find myself stressed with my morning routine. Maybe I slept in or I have a lot of work scheduled on the calendar, but I notice a sense of frustration as I am rushed to get my “farm chores” done so I can get on with my day.

Watering the gardens, planting seed starts, collecting eggs, getting breakfast to all the animals; this all needs to be done before the heat of the day hits. Not to mention, this is all happening before the coffee has even had a chance to kick in. I start to wonder why I decided to go this route. The whole homesteading idea starts to look less appealing as I notice my mornings are beginning earlier and earlier.

But then I stop. I stop and put down whatever it is I am holding in my hands and I take a few moments to breathe and look around. Dogs at my feet, cats lounging on the porch, the sound of a very noisy bullfrog down on the river (presumably looking for a mate) and chickens excitedly squawking in the background, in need of their after-breakfast snack.

This isn’t what should be causing my stress. It should be where I go to get away from it all – the real stress in life. It’s so easy to take life for granted when you’re busy and it’s even easier to miss all these little moments. I love seeing the bumblebees snoozing in the rose bushes and I love seeing the dahlias starting to come up through the ground. I absolutely love it when the chickens and ducks come running to me every time they see me and fetch down on the water. It is now a tradition not to be broken. There’s even a group of wild turkeys that enjoy hanging out with their domesticated counterparts.

Slow living is truly an art form. Tiny, little moments act as the brush strokes that paint a bigger picture and in the end it’s something you could have never seen coming. I have vowed to myself not to take these mornings for granted anymore. It really is quite harmonious down here, sometimes I feel like I’m in a Disney movie. I wonder which one of these critters would be my sidekick?

Miriah Kardelis is a modern homesteader who is always looking for new ideas. Reach her at [email protected].