End of the Road Ranch

What is a luxury?

I know I am a little slow in adding more posts, but things keep moving around here. 

I had an interesting experience this last week; sometimes you don't know you are missing anything until you have it.  DH was gone fishing in Mexico with his dad for about 5 days, so I put a few extra things on the calendar to keep the kids and I busy.  One of those things was making dinner at a friend’s house and then watching a movie (a favorite of mine - 7 Brides for 7 Brothers).  Here at the Claim Shanty we have 2 rocking chairs with seat cushions on the porch, an office chair with a seat cushion and benches at both the outdoor picnic table and the indoor table.  If you really want to get comfy, you go to bed , or maybe pull a bench up in front of a rocking chair to act as a footstool, but those are really your only options.   But my girlfriend is a normal, house living person who has - drum roll, please - couches!!!!!!!  Yes, it was VERY comfy to sit, lay and stretch my 36 weeks pregnant body out on her couch, but what struck me was not the comfort of the couch, but how easily I had lived without something that so many of us think is a necessity.  We are a spoiled nation.  When the big house is done I will put the big down couch right in the living room and thoroughly enjoy sitting on it in front of a fire, but I am glad for a lesson in recognizing the luxuries that we take completely for granted.

Now to answer a few of the questions.  My wonderful DH insisted on electrical outlets, so I am not hand grinding my grains, although my mill does have a hand crank option and I have the attachment - just in case of  . . .  I just bought bread and rolls of all sorts, but have a really hard time paying that amount for "fake" bread that feels more like candy than bread.   I would like to try a simple solar oven to try to bake bread in a lighter fashion than the heavy Dutch Oven, at least till I am recovered after the baby. Maybe tomorrow I'll have a few extra computer minutes to research a design that won’t cost anything to try.   I'll use the wood cook stove as soon as it cools down enough to actually dream of having a fire inside the cabin. 

Everyone tries to get me to take more stuff.  Most of it would be convenient, but there really is a very limited amount of space in here.  People have offered electric skillets, small air conditioner units and microwaves, to name a few things, and while they are all very well intentioned and the items would make life easier, they don’t fit into the cabin or the lifestyle.  I am starting to turn things down on principle, not just for space.  I have really learned that the amount of time needed to care for an item of that sort, is often not enough to offset the benefits of using it.  Take sippy cups, for example.  When we moved up here I said no to sippy cups.  I didn’t want to hand wash them in a sink and try to get all of the dirt/sand out of the little grooves.  We have had some spills, but the amount of time spent on cleaning up the few (or more) spills is WAY less than the total extra time involved in washing them every day.  Even if it is justifiable, every little item you own has to be cleaned, moved, serviced, dusted around, used or just put away.  This all takes time and thought and energy.  Why not slowly do one basic chore, like hanging out the laundry, or cooking in a pot over the fire rather than rushing to do many things?    What I have learned by being out here is that this concept truly works - you actually have more time, even though the chores you have to do take a little longer and involve more work.  So as for what you need, I would say, as little as possible. 

With all that said, I do have the Kitchen Aid for kneading and the electric grain mill, not to mention the washing machine and the computer (I would really have a lot more time if we got rid of the computer - but alas - running a business and all!).  My advice would be to cut WAY back on clothing, cleaning supplies (I have just gone to a Baking soda or vinegar or dish soap cleaning regime), furniture, dishes and anything else you can even imagine living without.  You can always go get more back out of storage or from the dollar store, but the chances are you won’t want to.  Oh yeah - cut out the toys - they don't need them, and educational is a sales term.

Good luck to all contemplating living this way - it is worth every minute of it- don't pass up the chance if you have it (especially if you have kids). 

Grain Mill

{ 06:18 , Wednesday, August 8, 2007 } { Posted by quiltercmr }

Which grain mill do you have? I am planning to buy one that is electric or hand crank and am looking at the Family Grain Mill.

Untitled Comment

{ 06:38 , Wednesday, August 8, 2007 } { Posted by morningsunshine }

I LOVE 7 Brides! it is one of my all-time favorites!

I sit in awe of you and your simple lifestyle. what do we really need, really? so little....