Your Lifestyle?

[WriterofWords]

Single parent, son at AIT coming home for college end of Sept. or beginning of Oct. Joke to joke, I'm a teacher that means my pay is joke, but I love to teach so here I am. Small town life, no cable or dish or anything, love to gold pan, geocache, write, ride, you name it I've probably done it. Very simple. 2005 Ford truck, no I have no plans to drive some little bio coffin on a road full of lunatics.

 

[Funky Feathers]

I was raised in the city (burbs), moved to the big city (Baltimore), was a Vet Tech for 10 years, have been a Country girl all my life, finally realized it, retired from the city & Vet Tech, moved out to the sticks (Bishops Head), way way out, now have all the animals I want (actually want more but have all I can afford), finally Married my man of 15 years, no kids, he has a grown daughter & 2 grown sons. I have my horse of 17 years (she's now 27), the dog I always wanted (Pit Bull), hubby has the dog of his dreams (GSD), he's a retired cop. We also have fancy ducks & chickens. And one outdoor pet cat. I miss my Guinea Pigs, rats & mice. And my turtles, frogs & snakes. We have lived in this old (big) farm house (built in 1894) for 10 years. We love our new Country lives here. Money is tight but we are getting by. We have God to thank for living our dreams. I used to wear T-Shirts & jeans only, but have recently gotten interested in wearing nice dresses & lots of jewelry. Would have never done that in the city, say 15 or 20 years ago! I think we have both changed for the better. You have to go through H*ell to be able to appreciate Heaven.

 

[debilorrah]

Quote:
Hippy on the inside (local and organic food, homebirthed and breastfed kids, environmental values) "Hootchie" on the outside (tight jeans, big hoops, pedicure) Let's just say if you saw me at Target you probably wouldn't guess That I was headed home to go build my chicken coop. I drive a minivan, I wear designer jeans (but never pay full price) paired with yard sale finds, I am raising chickens for eggs and would like to use them for soup when they stop laying but that may be a little hard after my kids become attached, so we will have to cross that bridge when we get there.

AH HA!!!!! YOU are the one that resurrected an old thread!

You will find this community an awesome place to hang out. HAVE FUN!

 

[goatranch]

I am a mom of a boy 7 yrs (he loves farmwork) , and a girl 5 yrs (she loves animals). My DH and I own a liquor store in a town 12 miles away. I would love to be off the grid, but he is not all for it. I would love to have our carbon footprint to be very small. I have some dairy goats for milk and soap and cheese. Chickens for entertainment ( and eggs and meat ) I have been trying to make everything on this farm be as sustainable as possible. I am not great at the gardening, but I am trying. I had someone ask if I would be willing to trade fresh eggs for veggies!!!! Why didn't I think of that! I like sitting on the porch with a good book and watching the chickens peck the ground. I want my kids to know where all their food comes from, and how good it feels to know it was raised with love and respect while it was here. I have even started vermicomposting with redworms, and have just added black soldier flies. People think I'm crazy to put so much work into survival, but I enjoy doing it.

 

[goatranch]

oooppss I left out the rest of my brood! We also have 3 dogs, 3 cats, a rabbit, 9 goats ( dairy and meat ), and a horse. I would also like to have a llama, so I can learn to spin yarn. When my family tells me my Vet Tech degree was wasted, I tell them they are crazy!!! LOL!

 

[Whitewater]

Goodness

Well, to try to fit Hubby and self in a neat little box would really be missing the point, I think -- and I also think that there's not a big enough box!

The best short phrase to describe us would be 'counter-culture'. I have multiple tattoos, Hubby has shaved his head by choice. He masquerades daily as a banker with a nationally (probably internationally, come to think of it) well-known bank and his second job is providing customer technical support for Apple's IPhone and IPad. He really *should* be one of those guys that works in a lab all day for NASA, making new discoveries about stuff, though.

We are both MASSIVE geeks, and our first date was spent discussing the literary archetypes in the Lord of The Rings and whether or not those same archetypes made it to the silver screen, and how they were treated as a film.

I have been in theatre as a stage manager and backstage tech (BTDT, all of it) for well over half my life as of this moment. I have extensive training in stage combat and a bit of knowledge about safe stuntwork as well. I also studied western martial arts for a while until my group disbanded. I am female. And I used to routinely get asked by the leader of our group to spar against the men who were smug mysoginists, because (quite frankly) I was better than they were and that sort of attitude can get you killed when playing with live steel, as we were.

We are both active in our local living history re-enactment group, we re-enact a small part of military history regarding the 30 Year's War as a regiment of newly recruited Scottish mercenaries. It's quite fun!

I also worked at my local Renaissance Fair for a full decade.

Hubby and I both have quite a lot of college education, though neither of us have degrees.

We aren't very 'crunchy', really, even though I really enjoy gardening (as well as having chickens!) and consider myself a Food Rebel and support the Real Food and locavore movements. Hubby isn't really into any of that at all but puts up with it because he can see how much better my health is. . .

We don't have a ton of extra money to throw around, and we do live from paycheck to paycheck but we also have a bit to put away into savings at the end of every month, although usually there's some sort of emergency once or twice a year (this year, a new water heater and a new suspension for his vehicle) that wipes out what we've saved, so we're *always* starting over. I work as an independent contractor in two separate jobs, one from home via the internet (and that's so new, I have no idea about how much $$ I'll get from it) and one as a delivery driver, dropping off advertising materials at various places around the city.

I was brought up silk-lined and silver-spooned, though I turned my back on THAT when I was old enough to escape from the gilded cage. My parents are still very well off and are willing to help for major things if necessary, but it's not often necessary. Hubby was a farm boy for the 1st 12 years of his life and was always solidly 'of the people' but there's nothing wrong with that! I was supposed to be a city slicker but except for refusing to go camping, I'm pretty much happy if there are animals and plants around me, LOL.

We have two cars, one of which is paid off, the other will be within the next 2 years. Neither of them are new. I drive a small SUV (a Honda CRV, which I love dearly) that was new in 2000, and he drives a 1995 Lincoln. We do not keep up with the Jones', preferring instead to compete against a much different (and more spiritual and metaphysical!) landmark. I am a Celtic Christian, Hubby believes in God and Jesus while preferring not to side with any particular faction. We are deeply spiritual but not religious, we think little of mindlessly repeating a ritual and calling it faith.

In some ways we look very normal. We have our own home, which God willing we will be able to keep even through this economic downturn, we have 2 dogs and a cat in addition to our 3 chickens, we live in a busy urban area, and on the outside, there's not much that's different.

But.

Roller Derby and RenFaire and living history and being child-free (by choice) and geeks . . . I don't really 'do' brand names (I don't get the point, really, and right now nothing fits me anyway) and anyhow, most of what I can afford comes from Fleet Farm and Target!

And I am set further apart by the fact of my Asperger's and other issues. Happily Hubby knows about everything and loves me regardless.

Oh, and speaking of other 'lifestyles' . . . yes, we know about those, and no, they don't bug us. In fact, we support marriage equality etc and don't feel that the government has any right to dictate how we live, as long as we don't harm anyone while going about our private lives. Needless to say, I'm fairly libertarian in my political views. Hubby can be a bit more conservative here and there, but he's really more fiscally conservative than socially, LOL!

I am glad this thread got brought back, I've very much enjoyed getting to know people here a bit better!

Whitewater

 

[Jamie_Dog_Trainer]

30 years old, Married with one daughter. Husband is 35 almost 36 and has his degrees in Computer Graphics/Art and Comupter communications and systems. I have no degree but a lot of vocational education in health care and dog training and behavior.

We live in a three bedroom home, about 1800 square feet on just under three acres. I have had my dog training business for nearly six years now, it was much more successful before a car accident in November 2007. I have been struggling between financial needs and my career and my daughter to make things work. My husband doesn't work in his desired career, he works in the Automotive industry in management. He's currently in the works to become a Police officer in Seattle, but we may be looking for other cities nationwide if this process doesn't speed up. Finacially things have been very hard since the car accident. But things are better, we have made some drastic changes in our life and we are happier.

I do use some brand name clothing, and also some off brand stuff. I am not a clothing snob, if it fits and looks good I wear it, brand doesn't matter to me (the one exception is I LOVE Ralph Lauren clothing LOL). I grow what I can for food, including my own meat birds. Recently have had to get rid of all our chickens. I love gardening. Been slowly introducing my husband to the idea that growing/making something yourself feels better and IS better. I don't realize what an impact that has had on him until I over hear him telling someone else that we raised our own chickens, and then he loves to tell them about the process.

I drive a '97 Ford Explorer, and my Husband drives a Nissan Pathfinder, older but not sure the year. My explorer was the vehicle we could afford after my car accident in '07. Hubby saves a lot in maintinace since he works in the industry.

My lifestyle is more modest than it used to be. My husband likes to spend money and have nice quality things, as do I. But I am more the penny pincher than he is. I have not gotten a pedicure or a facial for a long long time. I miss it to a point but can certainly live without them.

My daughter is my life really and I enjoy being a Mom more than I ever thought I could. With her, life is always good, no matter the challenge.

 

[joedie]

We live on a small 50 acre farm in a house built in 1860 that we have been renovating for the past 3 years. Both of us have masters degrees, his in CIS, MBA and he works from home for a software company and travels sometimes for short periods. I'm an Endocrinology nurse practitioner and work 2 days a week treating diabetes and thyroid disorders only. We have 2 adult kids and 6 grandkids who are the love of our lives. We both drive used Toyotas and don't wear designer clothes unless I find them at a great price or thrift shops. We heat with an outdoor wood burner, have cows for or own consumption that we share with family/friends. I garden organically with heirlooms that I grow in the basement. I don't can the food, just freeze it. (I don't know how) We have the chickens for eggs and meat. I'm currently in the process of getting my instructor certification in Therapeutic riding and for fun I am in the Red Hat Purple Chaps (aka Galloping Grannies) I also breed, raise and train mini donkeys. Not alot of spare time for much else but happy.

 

[NT]

Quote:
Hippy on the inside (local and organic food, homebirthed and breastfed kids, environmental values) "Hootchie" on the outside (tight jeans, big hoops, pedicure) Let's just say if you saw me at Target you probably wouldn't guess That I was headed home to go build my chicken coop. I drive a minivan, I wear designer jeans (but never pay full price) paired with yard sale finds, I am raising chickens for eggs and would like to use them for soup when they stop laying but that may be a little hard after my kids become attached, so we will have to cross that bridge when we get there.

AH HA!!!!! YOU are the one that resurrected an old thread!

You will find this community an awesome place to hang out. HAVE FUN!

Yup, that would be me! I typed in "homebirth" out of curiosity, I guess I was hoping to find a bunch of chicken-loving midwives

and this thread popped up. Nothing about homebirth as far as I could tell, but fun to read about other people's lives.

Hubby and I are both nurses, but I'm a SAHM and have yet to actually work as a nurse (been too busy poppin' out kids myself) I'm a real housewife of Orange County who just happens to drink beer and use power tools.

 

[PineappleMama]

Quote:

Tarrant and Jack... but I do love me a good impact wrench...