The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same

My DH and I have had an ongoing joke over the last few years. DH is never to buy me jewelry, just land. It sprang up after a friend back home said she wouldn't accept a marriage proposal unless the guy gave her at least a $20K diamond ring. It's a good thing she said it over the phone, so she couldn't see me choke. ;)

We thought we had found the perfect place - it had a decent amount of land, plenty of trees and greenery (hard in some part of Texas as you probably know!), and a pond. It also had a house in need of serious help - perfectly liveable, just kind of in the same situation as what we have here now. It needed a bit more serious work than either of us cared to do for what it was - although, it was nearly three times the size of what we have now. (I'm not sure I'd know what to do with all that extra space! LOL) It even had a fireplace. Before we could get our act completely together and try to make an offer, it sold. Phooey. The person who bought it got a great deal, good for them - bad for us. Sniff, sniff.

So I figure if there was one place we liked, we'll find another. I'm using that first place as a way to get all our ducks in a row though, and not only finish up some cosmetic projects around here, (I might love purple walls in the bedroom, but most people don't!) but start going through our things and getting rid of the extra fluff. Even with all my trying to get rid of clutter, we always have a bunch. I'd love to blame just the kid, but DH is the guiltiest. I know I have some guilt too - goodbye, breadmaker I never use. That was easy - parting with books? Not so easy. Extra kiddo clothes in hopes lightning strikes again? Also not easy. I really don't want to get rid of absolutely everything outgrown and then -wham! I'd cringe at the cost of rebuying basics - what can I say? lol

Then there's the part about us really wanting to build our home ourselves and have it as much off grid as possible. We've done a good job over the years of paring down appliances we don't need and keeping things off when not in use, so much so that our electric bill has never once cracked $100. It usually averages in the upper $30's to upper 40's, and the highest it's ever been was in the $80's. Granted, we rely on wood heat a lot, but that's still pretty good. DH's cringe is that he knows if we run mostly solar, there goes his extra big screen TV and he'll have to downgrade to a smaller one. ;) (Hey, if it was me - we'd have NO TV! I did just fine without one before we were married!)

We talk about chicken and goats, not purchasing a washer and dryer - I'll line dry everything, and there's a hand crank washer from Lehman's I am in love with. (OK, I'll admit it - I'm in love with just about everything in the Lehman's catalog/store! Road trip to Ohio, anyone?)

DH calls this my "Gothic Amish midlife crisis". lol My mother thinks it's hysterically funny because she likes to remind me I ran away from the countryside and swore I'd never go back.

...really, I'm not going back - at least where I grew up. I'm looking at further northeast. I have no desire to be so far south in Texas except to visit... Plus, the last thing I'd like to do is run into anyone I went to school with. You won't catch me attending any reunions, accepting former classmates friend's requests on Facebook, or signing up on MyLife.com. My attitude towards that hasn't changed since the day I did run away! Have I ever mentioned I almost wasn't allowed to walk in the graduation ceremony because the new principal didn't like my nose ring? Pfft. I took it out, and as soon as he turned his back, put it right back in. He could bite me for all I cared. ;)

I haven't really changed a bit since those days, I think. Well, I'm taller and heavier, alas. (Hey, I grew 3 inches after I graduated!) But my style of dress and everything else is still so much the same. The only thing to me that's changed is I can't handle living in the big city anymore - I need to be able to walk barefoot in my grass. Well, at least if there were snakes and fire ants nearby. LOL

We'll have our little place of off grid paradise - and my chickens! - if it's the last thing I do! Aren't these Golden Polish Hens neat?