What Are You Afraid Of? - Part 2

I feel very, very blessed. I consider every day that Ed, the kids, and I are happy and healthy a true gift. I also recognize that 2010 was a difficult year for a number of people I know and care about, and for them, I hope 2011 shines brighter.

The fact that this year is bringing some big changes to our lives is a bit scary -- but mostly it is so exciting I can hardly stand it. While my learning curve for building the house was fairly steep, I suspect this whole idea of country living will pose challenges in the extreme for me.

Aunt Gladys is worried that we won't know how to make lye soap and my dad is worried that I'll drive off the shoulder of the road, but I'm more concerned with the simple concepts of homesteading: vegetable gardening, pond management, canning, animal husbandry, chain saw operation, pick-up truck maintenance, sock knitting, etc. For all these things, I have NO experience and I don't think Ed's is any more robust. And, we can count the number of people we know in the whole county on one hand, so it's not like I can simply ask Larry, his brother Darryl or his other brother Darryl my silly questions.

Mary has nailed the art of knitting socks: see above.
Maggie is tackling mittens. Perhaps my girls will teach me....

I'm looking forward to small success and even small failures (so long as I don't repeat them). I feel like our whole world is expanding with this move and I can't wait to see where it takes us.