I just got this wonderful DVD in the mail today and without too much of a wait, I had to pop it in the computer and take a gander at it.

I really love the West Ladies, and their beautiful farm in Tennessee.  They are just so lovely and just, well, wonderful.  I think they would be such delightful neighbors.  Sweet and ready to help with hard stuff as much as the fun stuff in life and living simple and all that.  I like that even though they are gentle spirited and sweet, you can see a little spunk in their eyes and smiles and you know they are not just little zombie clones of Little House on the Prairie meets the 700 Club.  And best of all, they sing and make music!  Just luvs them!  I do…

The DVD is basic, but really nicely done.  Good information and nice video techniques and they are just nice to watch.   I think I’m going to be ordering one every week or two.  I’m hoping that my girl children will enjoy learning some of this stuff by video which is their favorite way of consuming info like this.  I love that they are learning from me as well, and that much of this, they have already done with me, but it’s nice to fill in the blanks and see it in a nice easy to digest video.  They are definitely going to be a part of our keep library!

I think I’m going to get the soap one next, and then perhaps the candle one.  That is something we’re into right now.  Oh yeah, I wonder if they have a beer one.   (haha, probably not.)  My Mr. Beer kit arrived and I’m very excited to get that started this weekend!  I’ll take lots of pictures.   The girls are excited to help, but not too interested in the final project.  That’s fine.  (And oh, just if you’re wondering… I’m not much of a every day beer drinking gal.  But I do appreciate a fine brew once in a while, especially with a really decent cheeseburger and some hand cut fries!!!  Or on a super hot summer day after working on the estate, kicking back with a cold one is a delight.   I really can’t remember the last time I had one, though, at least a few weeks ago, so don’t worry, not falling into some dreadful moby home stereotype of lottery tickets, booze and smokes and all that.  That is JUST not this Moby Home gal!)

That being said, I’ve always been fascinated by home brewing and the graphics for the labels…  hahah… yeah, I like those and can’t wait to design my OWN beer labels!!!  I’m not sure if I want to brew because of the learning process and the beer or the excuse to make my own labels and all.  Well, whatever the reason, I asked the gentlemen in my band if they would be willing to help me taste test my batches and they unselfishly volunteered to assist me in any home brewing assistance that I might need.  They’re like that, you know.

Anyway…  I got done watching that DVD and then I headed over to their website to take a peek and I’m telling you, I got a little down.  I started to think, I really want that kind of life, a little couple acre plot of land, homesteading, animals, big garden, woods, etc.  I want that so badly for my kids.  Although they are pretty much not kids anymore…  at 16 and 20!  I love my Moby and all, and hope to get us a little RV in the spring to ramble around in, but it seems like every year we’re still not there.  And I just felt a little ache in my heart.  I’m sure it’s Barnheart… that condition that affects people who want to live a bit more agrarian then they are…  I’m quite sure my sigh was heavy enough to be felt through the whole place.

Had a LOT of client work this week, and though I am thankful for sure, I’m really not doing much of that anymore and just helping my loyal clients I’ve had for the last ten years or so.  But they all apparently got the notion they wanted major projects done NOW and thought of their favorite graphic artist!  And so that usually makes me pine for a simpler life because I’m just not that good at doing everyone else’s dream projects when I have a big old pile of my own I want to keep working on.  I should be a bit more caught up over the weekend…  it’s too cold out right now to really do too much outside.

But then, I started to think about it all, and realize, the heck with that…  this is here and now.  We’re doing just about everything I’d like to be doing on a couple acres, NOW.  We put in a garden and got nearly 200 pounds of produce this year… we rehabbed this old Moby and have continuing rehab projects that we’re doing… we canned a TON and froze stuff and have a stuffed panty.  We are paying down our debt, work at home, live simply.  We craft and sew, we buy local, we recycle, we are very green.  We have critters, just not farm livestock.  We compost.  We have old cars.  We have a friend nearby with chickens and we buy from the farmers market and love all things second hand and handmade and all that.

Really, all we’re missing is the livestock.  And they are a lot of work.

I guess I should be careful about letting other people’s perfect homestead world impinge on my perfect little urban homestead world.  I think there is a time and place for everything and who knows what is around the corner.

I think I need to make beer tomorrow.  That would be fun.  And maybe do a little sewing. Yeah.  That’s the ticket.