Mini Farm Soon

I'm growing more anxious every day to move to our property near Rodeo, New Mexico. The well is in and the electric and septic will be in within two weeks. After that our spot for our temporary living quarters and circle drive will be prepared. It won't be very much longer, but I'm beginning to feel like a child waiting for Christmas morning.

It is a small piece of property at ten acres compared to the large ranches of the area that are measured in sections. It will be enough for what we want to do. Knowing what is enough is something I've gotten better at determining as I age. Ten acres will be plenty.

Del and Dan dismantled our modular, failed dog run a couple of days ago and it is going to be recycled into a chicken pen. I'm glad I had the foresight to design it so it would be easy to dismantle and move. We have the materials for building the coop and nest boxes. Farm fresh eggs are first on the agenda after our move.

We have a lot to do this winter. The list is long. Fence a garden space, build a pump house, build a greenhouse, plant trees, move in a container to convert into a shop, build a dog kennel that will keep our dogs safe from predators and keep them contained (we have one that is a master escape artist), build a footbridge over the wash to the back strip of property, and get our house ready to put on the market in the spring. My lists usually are longer than what I can accomplish, but we'll give it our best shot. Fortunately, Del retires in February so we'll be able to work together on this list.

I experience childlike joy when I gather eggs, dig up a potato, or fill our freezer with meat that is organic and raised humanely. It is my belief that if an animal gives up their life for our food they should be as comfortable and content as possible during their lives. I prefer raising food organically as much as possible.

As you can see from the photo we will have to learn how to enhance the soil for our gardens and trees. We have a lot to learn about that. The land is slightly sloping westward. I'll learn how to test soil and what to do to make it right for the plants we plan to grow. There are many good people in the area who will probably be willing to teach us about that.

We are coming full circle. More than 32 years ago we shared a goal of living in the country and raising as much of our own food as possible. We have made a few attempts at that through the years, but it wasn't the right time. Still, we learned how and how not to raise chickens, hogs, corn, and tomatoes. One of my greatest lessons was that proper fencing is a must. It is not much fun to chase hogs. We always built the pens too large and didn't have enough money to build such large pens to the standards required to keep the animals in the pens. Live and learn.

The events in our lives led to making our home in New Mexico for which we are grateful. Now is the right time and the right place. We are looking forward to it, and now we have grandchildren with whom we can share our harvests and our love of country living.

We are open to advice.........

Lessons from Grandma

My grandmother once told me that the older I got, the faster time would pass. Like everything else she told me, it is true. Days flew by, then weeks flew by, and now months fly by so quickly that it is dizzying.

As I had likely passed the mid-point of my life I had begun to bemoan the time that had come and gone so quickly, as though that time is lost forever. It is not that I fear death in my future. That is inevitable and I feel that I have come to terms with the fact that death comes to all mortal beings. Rather, it was that time seemed as though it was slipping through my fingers like grains of sand, never to be recovered.

I have conversations with myself while driving. The issue was that I came to the realization that the passage of time was something I have no control over, and the thoughts I was having about it were distracting me from some of the joy in my life.

My grandmother, who never drank a drop of alcohol in her life, often recited the Serenity Prayer as she did housework. When I was a child I often wondered why she recited that prayer because I knew it was the prayer those who were battling alcoholism, recited during recovery and then throughout their lives. As an adult I have found that prayer a good reminder for many situations. Grandmother was right to recite the prayer and unknowingly show the value of it to me.

The acceptance of the lack of control over the passage of time, however, did little to make me feel better about it. My conversation with myself continued. If I can not change it, then how can I feel better about it? Then the thought came to me that if I can not do anything about the passage of time, I can choose how I view it or feel about it.

This is how I now view it and feel about it. As time passes I gain a variety of experiences, and I get to keep the memories of those experiences. Without the passage of time I could not have the experiences or the memories. They are gifts, small and large. They are moments and they are lifetimes.

More than before I treasure the moments and memories they give me. A smile or an expression of gratitude, holding our grandchildren, having dinner with my sons and their families, a hug, a pretty flower, a kiss from my husband, a funny joke with laughter, a breeze against my cheek, a beautiful song, a colorful sunset, and all that happens that is good and joyful.

My grandmother may be gone, but she still teaches me great lessons. Thank you, Grandma.