Your Lifestyle?

[babettenj]

This is an interesting thread. I'm married, live on 3 acres, and drive a toyota rav- husband just got a prius. Have 11 chickens, a 12 yr old greyhound, and am planning on getting a sheep and meat birds in the spring. I have a degree in food science and was trained in France as a chef. My lifestyle is confortable, but i've always been thrifty. I do yoga, flea markets, and love to share good food and wine with friends. My blog shows a taste of my lifestyle- in the past it was mostly food, but plan to change direction more to sustainablity (of course as it relates to FOOD).

 

[Nyrial]

Married, 2 kids, both illegitimate, but DH is their daddy. We've only been married two years, but together for 6.

We both work full time, one of us is white collar, the other is blue collar. Our newest car is a 2003 PT Cruiser that is a 300 dollar a month lawn ornament, we can't seem to scrape together the extra 2300 dollars for the new transmission, but we make enough to get by ok. Currently we rent, but hope to buy the place, although that's on hold pending a job relocation for me. (Anyone ever crammed 30 chickens and two turkeys into the back of a minivan? I'm still trying to figure this out) We love animals, and in addition to the chickens have turkeys, ducks, 2 cockatoos, and 2 poodles. We tried potbellied pigs, but I hate whining, and they whine more than the kids. I wanted to turn them into potbellied bacon, but DH wouldn't let me.


I'm back in school part time (3/4 time, I say) we both work mandatory overtime, so needless to say, our lives are busy. Chickens have been very healing for me, and although he initially rolled his eyes, he's now just as into it, maybe even more so, than I am.

I'm extremely irreverent, am not exactly parent of the year (I love to mess with our kids' heads!) and I don't particularly care if the house is messy, as long as it's not gross (dirty dishes/stench etc). I'm not overprotective, and tell my kids to pick themselves up when they fall, and "omg you're not bleeding, so brush yourself off and let's go." Handwashing is important, but we don't live in an antibacterial bubble (read.. 10 second rule!)

Let me think, what else.. Question everything!

 

[[email protected]]

I love this thread. Thanks for starting it TwinMommy. I wonder what other people would say about our lifestyle. I've been called a hippie, Martha Stewart, free spirit and sarcastic. But I also know people who are jealous of our lifestyle. We rent, we don't own. We are kind of nomads. Like to move around. Not far. Just don't get attached to houses, neighbors, etc. Although I'm loving this house and neighborhood. It's chicken friendly. (I posted more in an earlier thread)

 

[PotterWatch]

We live in the burbs about 30 miles east of Los Angeles. It's a decent neighborhood and we have a good sized yard by so. cal standards. I have a garden in the backyard and am in the process of tearing up half of the front yard for more garden space. I would like to be more self-sufficient and I am slowly working towards it. We sadly sold our goats last year and I haven't yet found a decent, local replacement for that milk source, but we do have the chickens and I have raised some for meat. We bought 1/3 of a steer that is being raised at a local farm and will be ready for butchering this summer. Between that and our chickens, I hope not to have to buy any other meat for about a year. We are homeschoolers (almost unschoolers), and Jewish which is a bit of an odd combination (we don't know any other reform Jewish homeschoolers anywhere near our area). My husband was medically retired earlier this year after a long six year battle with his employer. He was a fireman/paramedic, I am a stay-at-home mom and have been since shortly after our oldest was born. So right now, my kids have both of us home all the time for which I am extremely grateful. We don't have new cars, but they aren't super old either, within ten years. We have two dogs that I do urban mushing with and I am starting to lobby for a third dog to expand my team. My husband's main hobby right now is his boat that he got about a month ago. We hope to someday move up north and have a farm. Neither of us care for being in southern california... too many people, not enough space.

 

[GlitterBug]

I have a college degree & home educate my children. I live on about 1 acre where I can see those beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. We drive older model vehicles for the most part as my "income" is not much other than selling things on EBAY, Craig's list, etc., once in a while--at least for now. I would live to "live off the grid" and am planning on doing more gardening and preserving this year. I like living so high up & that I can see the mountains from my home & that it's "cooler" up here in the hot summers.

I love being outside with my ducks & chickens, crocheting, sewing, piano, and did I mention READING!! I love to read~~mostly history or anything about France (my major was French...) I also love children's books & would collect them all if I could.

I like what Madeleine L'Engle wrote about writing for children, "You have to write whatever book it is that wants to be written. And then, if it's going to be too difficult for grown-ups, you write it for children."

Am planning on starting my own home-based business involving my own family soon. And so I read a lot about starting a business, too. All-in-all I am so thankful for what God has given to me!

 

[nop169]

I am a 41 yo married man & DW is 40. DW is a RN. I own my own small business. We have 3 children & 1 grandchild. All 3 of our kids are adopted and range in age from 11 to 24. We live in a 2700 sq ft house (counting garage) we built 6 years ago - our dream home after living in a DW for 14 years. We own 24 acres (paid for). We have everything from horses, cows down to poultry. 6 dogs (all but one were strays). 7 horses (all but 3 were starved & took in). I also have monitors & tortoises & emus. Chickens to peafowl.
We began this journey 19 years ago together on this farm. We do not wear name brands unless they are of good quality & on sale or found at the thrift store (carhart, levis, type of clothes) actually other than some new scrubs for DW, & socks & undies for me I don't think we have bought clothes for ourselves in about 5 years. DD (11 yo) gets new or gently used clothes about every 6 mos due to growth!!! We garden, kill our own beef & mutton & eat fresh eggs. We garden organic.
I drive a 2nd hand dodge pickup (99 model) that we bought rather cheap. DH drives a 2nd hand Toyota. We also have a small junk pickup (S10) that we bought 2 years ago & I drove for gas conservation. Looks rough but great on gas & only paid 500 for it.
We conserve energy as much as possible - hand wash dishes, burn wood to supplement the electric heat. We are pretty frugal in all ways except for building our dream home & sending DD to private school (about 400/month).
We are conservative, religious but also tend to be called "treehuggers" due to our environmental concerns. (WHAT EXACTLY IS A TREEHUGGER?). We no longer go to church regularly due to people but ourselves we are honest, good, salt of the earth people with heavy christian leanings - our word means something & we are not out to screw others for money. Can't say we are wholly democrat or republican or independents - depends on the issue as to which direction we lean. Although we both work about 60 hours per week - we do not define ourselves by our national gross production. Nor do we keep up with the Jones'. We feel we were born out of our time - we prefer the older days when someone's word meant something, when neighbors knew each other & families stood together & saw each other regularly. When working hard guarenteed that you had enough money to supply the basics & could save for the future.
We try to live moral upright lives & teach our children the same. Money is not our god. We are not "weird" or "out there" and are most likely like most of you. That being said - we are also thankful for many of the progresses made in todays society (medical esp.) that have enabled our children to live happier & safer. We also strive to ensure our children go to college.
We live - now - paycheck to paycheck. The last 18 mos has been tough - but we are blessed in that we have not lost anything or gotten too far behind. God has allowed us to catch up when we were. But we also do not have the luxeries (by choice) of satelite tv or eating out all the time. We choose instead to send DD to school of our choice & to have the farm & critters.
We try to live simply. Have integrity. Enjoy the simple pleasures in life & take time to actually "see" the roses when they are in bloom. We do not play the "socialite" game but enjoy friends & neighbors dropping by. We try to be gentle with each other's soul.

 

[TwinMommy2009]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading everyones replies!!!!! I love the diversity, and yet I'd say we are all very similiar.

 

[AmyBella]

What is "urban mushing" PotterWatch? I'm intrigued.

 

[[email protected]]

Quote:
Me too.

 

[Buff Hooligans]

Married, no kids (by choice), both work full time and have all our lives.
Small house, old car, company truck.
No vacations, no luxuries besides chickens.