This morning on the radio, the local guys were interviewing someone who has written a book about influence. I was slicing squash for the dehydrator and was halfway listening but he was talking about the difference in telling someone to do something vs. influencing them to do something. He gave the example of getting someone to stop smoking. You can tell them to stop smoking, and talk til you’re blue in the face, or, you can somehow “influence” them to want to stop smoking and then get the help they need to get to accomplish that end.
I was thinking about that in relation to this blog. I was thinking about “influence” as I was thinking about the blog. My goal is never to try to convince anyone that our lifestyle is better than yours. Our lifestyle is better for us but I know it this isn’t the lifestyle for everyone. As I share what goes on around here, for some, it brings back memories of things your grandparents may have done . . even though the lifestyle we live is because we choose it and we could move to the city any time and buy our groceries and eggs. Many of our grandparents didn’t have that opportunity.
Some read the blog and realize they want to do a few of the things we do . . maybe be a bit more self-sufficient, maybe plant a garden or a fruit tree or two, maybe even get some chickens. Some read the blog and are more determined to find land in the country and get out of the city. Some read the blog and are sure we’re totally crazy! 🙂
We may or may not stay here forever but this is what we wanted for so long – a few acres, chickens, a big garden and fruit trees. We’re happy. All I ever want for the blog readers or anyone . . is to be happy! If you’re not happy . . not a whole lot else matters. It doesn’t matter how much money you make, or the size of your house, or the age of your car or anything else . . if you’re not happy with your life, your family, your home, and most importantly, your own self . . what else matters?
If there’s anything on this blog that I hope “influences” you, I hope it’s that you realize the importance of living the life you want to live and if not, you’re working very hard to get to that point.
Micki says
Amen!!! I love your stories of the chickens, cooking, gardening! I live vicariously through you! It’s funny bec. I started reading bec of your quilting and continue for all of your stories. Thanks for sharing your life with us!
Terri says
I love your stories and hearing about your life on the ranch, but I know it isn’t for me, or my husband, who is a big city boy born and bred!! We used to talk about buying some land in the country and building a house, and I probably would have liked that, but as the kids came along, he realized that he really didn’t want to live too far from a 7-11!! He likes the convenience of having the bank, the grocery store, the post office and the gas station only a few minutes away. We live in the suburbs of a smallish city. It’s 5 minutes into town and 5 minutes the other way to wide open spaces and woods. You obviously love your life, but I’m afraid, I’m not willing to work as hard as you do to keep it all running!! So I just enjoy your stories, wish you well,, and thank God, it’s not me working out in that garden in the heat!!
Diana says
I look forward to reading your blog daily. Love the chicken tales. Enjoy the quilting and knitting……thanks for the stories….recipes. I have made the homemade hand lotion….love it. Yes, I remember staying at my Grandparents who lived in the country…..helping make homemade butter, fresh milk, vegetables fresh from the garden….canning…..Grandma’s home cooking :-). Thanks for your stories.
Susan says
Amen. Life is too short to spend it doing what is hateful to us.
Ranch Wife says
Well said! I don’t share my lifestyle because I want to convince someone else of anything. I just do it because I have a desire to write and to document some of what goes on around here. I think we all have the opportunity to learn from each other through what we share.You, dear Girl, are a treasure trove of good information and ideas! I too think that the goal is to discover what makes you happy and to begin taking those steps to make it happen.
Sherryl says
I love your life and your blog and, for now at least, I’m living vicariously through you knowing that it IS possible to make that kind of change and be happy if you’re willing to work for it. Thank you!!! By the way, I listed your blog as my favorite in response to Martingale’s weekly quirky question at http://blog.shopmartingale.com/. Hope you don’t mind.
JudyL says
Of course I don’t mind but my blog probably doesn’t really qualify as a “quilt” related blog these days. Thanks!
Debbie says
I have to admit some parts of your lifestyle isn’t for us. I am enjoying being close to grands for school and their life events. And my parents need me to be nearby. It makes me happy be a blessing to my family. A small garden is fine.
AngieG9 says
In my ideal life I would still be on the farm with my garden, my huge house with my fabric stash, and cooking for the hands. In my real life I know I have MS and can’t do that any more, but I still do what I can, making sourdough bread, melt & pour soap, your home made lotion, my own detergent, shampoo bars, fruit syrups, your sourdough waffles, finger knitting ruffled scarves, making jewellry, catching up on my reading when I’m too tired to move, just getting by as well as I can. I know realistically that I couldn’t work in the garden any more, but I do plan on planting a huge container of potatoes just to see what happens, and I’m not going to just lie down and die because I have MS and at times can’t even walk across the floor. I live close enough to a grocery and a K-Mart, and I can order things online when necessary, and even worse, when not necessary but just because I want it. I can’t drive a car any more, so if I were still living on the farm I would be a virtual prisoner there, while here I can use my power chair and hop on the city bus and go wherever I want to go most of the time, so I love reading about all the things you do, and laugh at your chicken stories because I’ve been there, but my regrets at not being there still are because of an unfortunate disease that only God has control of, so I just have learned to grin and bear it. Thanks to you, when the headaches get so bad I want to scream I remember one of your chicken stories and laugh instead. When I’m so tired I want to just sit down and never get up again, I think about all the things you do in all that heat, and manage to do one more thing before calling it quits for the day. So, you remind me of what I had, what I would love to still have, but something I lost because of a disease that my family couldn’t deal with. Just keep on telling your funny stories so I can laugh every day, and taking your pictures to show us because they remind me of some I used to be able to take, and at times when my hands obey what’s left of my brain cells I can still take. I look forward to your blog, and love your chicken stories, and little Addy. Keep them coming.
Joan in NE says
You hit a soft spot when you said, its important to be happy where you are. I garden and can etc. but not as much as I did when the family was home. I still like the fresh veggies (peas are coming in right now–love them raw) zucchini are setting on, tomatoes and cukes are setting on and beans and potatoes are blooming.. More fresh stuff is in the offing if there is no hail to ruin it. Pear tree is loaded and if all goes well there will be around 25 bushel on it. tree is a minimum of 70 years old and suspect it is older than that as it was about 20 ft. when we bought the place 50+ years ago. Pears are absolutely wonderful and will can and freeze lots. Wish we were allowed to have a few chickens for fresh eggs, but they are not allowed here. But being happy where you are is most important.
terri says
You influenced me to get a composter, which I have been meaning to ask, how is your’s doing? If you have.said I missed it.
KatieQ says
I do some of the things you do on a smaller scale. I enjoy hearing about you and Vince and the beautiful life you lead. Life is full of choices. We should choose the ones that make us happy whenever we can. Thanks for the daily peek into your life. It’s like having a cup of tea with a friend.
Helen Koenig1 says
Your blog is a favorite. I used to live on a farm – but when my son was an infant yet and had very severe asthma and I was back to being a single mom, – one major episode of being snowbound for an extended period of time – with no electricity, no way in or out except by helicopter – and a son with an asthmatic attack (7 miles from town – it took over 7 hours for a neighbour to snowmobile to town and get the meds so desperately needed – and over an hour for my dad to drive the pharmacist the 6 blocks uptown to the pharmacy) – and it didn’t take long for me to decide to move back to town. Between that and the medical bills which always seemed to need payments I didn’t have any more – my choice became rather limited.
Still – I mourned the loss of that farm – the loss of the dreams, hopes and backbreaking effort that had gone into it. My son is grown now (he’s 31) and I still mourn it.
We moved to CO – and for various reasons returned to IL the hard way,,moving back to that same small town – but choosing to live IN town – and then to hopefully develop the property there to include much – but not all, unfortunately – of those elements of the farm that I missed so much.
Eventually my son grew up, moved here to MA – and then I moved – to a small city – and again, incorporated many (but not all – and I STILL want chickens, drat it!) that I really enjoyed on the farm.
Would I move to a farm again? Ummm – depends. With enough funds to make it work – yes – provided it was still close enough to drs. if need be – but somewhere I could have chickens and maybe a goat or two (or three), and a small orchard as well. – and room for lots of kids to do their kid things in (I don’t LIKE the cell phone ear attachments, nor the I-phones or whatever! Not for kids who need to run, yell, shout, be bored, play)
Diana says
You make me laugh; remember the good times with my grandparents and my own parents. My kids when I think of the chickens and the one rooster we had. The garden we do have and life is good ..
Thank you !!
Ida in Central PA says
Funny that you post about listening to the radio because this morning, I heard something on the radio that made me think of you. [The only time I listen to the radio is when I’m getting ready for work in the morning, so I don’t always catch ‘goodies’, but toady I got one that immediately made me think of a recent post.]
In the US, dogs destroy over 8 million electronic devices each year, to the cost of 1 Billion dollars. Male dogs are 50% more likely to chew and destroy than female dogs.
Ready for some math?
x + 1.5x = 8m
2.5x = 8m
3.2m electronics are destroyed by male dogs
Costing
x+1.5x=1B
2.5x=1B
$400m (cost of electronics destroyed by male dogs)
Speck has good company.
Carol Williamson says
Influence? Yes you have influenced me in more ways than one. You have taught me to cherish the people I have in my life, to live as God wants me to live. You have taught me to have dreams and that they do come true. My husband and I plan to move east (we are in AZ now and no it’s not a dry heat) and have a small area of land. What you have taught me about self-sufficient living will be incorporated into our new home and lifestyle. Yes it is hard work but worth it. I can’t wait. It may not be for a few months or a few years, but I will be taking your blog with me and enjoying your life as you so well describe. Thank you for being there for all of us!
Ruthie says
I’m a city girl, but not the BIG city. Sometimes I think your life seems perfect, but I’m very afraid of snakes and critters, so I’ll stay put. Was the Influence guy Tom Wunder from Influence Systems? He developed Influence Wirhout Authority and I worked for him in Colorado.