No Farms, No Food

There is a field next to our house that is about 2 acres.  There is also another behind us that is probably 10 or so acres.  The time that we've lived here, it's been hayed. Hay that fed livestock which in turn fed us. 

A bit ago, these stakes showed up.  And our view is going to now have a neighbor right next to us.  We have enjoyed lovely privacy up here on our little hill.  That is now gone. As is the food for the livestock that used to be grown in that field. 

It is a bit of a mystery to me how people expect that we can continue to feed the masses when the farms that make up our local food are being sold to the highest bidder.  Music Man went and talked to the developer that bought it to build the house on the two acres.  The new owner is a transplant from Massachusetts, which is not a popular thing for we native New Hampshirites. I'm sure the $140,000 he paid for those two acres is a bargain where he came from.  But it's not land someone on a smaller budget that has lived in New Hampshire most of their lives that wanted to farm it could have afforded. Not without a house, foundation, well or septic system on it.  No, too expensive indeed.  Little by little what was a farm is being sold off, money seems to be the only objective that matters. 

I'm saddened deeply by this.  Not just because we'll have to give up our beautiful, rejuvenating view, but because that's one more piece of farmland that's now housing.  And because of it's proximity to us, it sure feels a whole lot more personal to this would-be farmer.

Insert resigned sigh, ~Peacemom

A Little Teaser....

Remember when...it wasn't so long ago, but feels like an eternity to us...this was our little barn to be.

Oh, so many people told us we were nuts.  What were we thinking?

And, we'll agree it was, well, scary indeed. 

But then, our faith and lots of hard work on the part of everyone involved started to give it a glimmer of life.

The men doing the roof did some serious balancing acts, I admired their comfort and bravery at such heights.

We started to feel like it was not all for nothing.  We had a vision and believed it could come to life...the ol' behemoth WAS going to be resurrected.

And here we are mere days from getting a closing date, we knew it could be done. All the hours and money that has gone into saving her was all so worth it when we see from whence we began.  It's not quite done yet, but it's got such a great start. 

We can't wait to hear music rebounding off the beams and posts and friends and family gathered around to celebrate the saving of this little piece of humble American history. 

Our deepest and heartfelt thanks to our friends that have done so much to help, Gary, Laura and the Paul family, Julianna and the Dunwoody children for entertaining ours while we worked.  A labor of love for many, and our hearts will never forget the love shown to us by these people.  So much more was gained in this whole endeavor then just a house and barn needing attention, a home is being made and love has grown and we could never repay their selfless kindness.  Stay tuned for more to come...Soon, it will be our homestead and we can't wait.

Realizing the dream,  ~Peacemom

Spring is Springing!

Hello Everyone,

Thanks to everyone for the kind and encouraging words for us due to my hubby's yet again unemployed status.  I've finally got things in perspective...we were not hit by a tsunami or earthquake where our entire lives are leveled and family is gone.  Music Man was laid off again, yes, but he's an amazing and talented man and will find something else again.  There's a tremendous amount of age discrimination (though no one admits this) in the job hunting market right now, so it's not on his side, but he'll do it...he always does.  This month he celebrates his 50th birthday (Happy Birthday, Sweets!) and things in the job market become a whole lot harder when that's the case...I read it actually starts at 40 now.  Apparently, employers want "fresh" and "young" ideas.  Experience counts for something, but the college degree counts more (even if it's in something like Elizabethan poetry, as long as you've got that degree, mister).  He's currently working on his degree, but at 50, you can't exactly reinvent your entire career, so it's a struggle sometimes.  We're getting our bearings and reassessing our situation and seeing what the next step is. I'm trying very hard to talk myself out of any freaking out sessions I allow myself to delve into.  It's not helpful or useful to anyone to allow that, so I'm trying.  I'm not always successful, and they will usually pop me into wakefulness when I'm sleeping and then I'll lie awake trying to talk myself out of it, then become more and more tired as this happens night after night...you see the vicious cycle that begins, right?  It's very unproductive and stress inducing, so I'm working on this all the time.  Trying to just be and allow that it is what it is right now.

In the meantime, spring has sprung around our neck of the woods.  It was quite lovely here yesterday with temperatures in the 50's, and we've had so much snow melt in the last two weeks that...yes, I know you're all dying to know this...we did get water in the basement.  But, after one long, awake night of bailing with buckets and shop vac'ing continuously, we managed to discover what the problem areas were and how to solve a good bit of it.  Two sump pumps humming and we're doing fine now.  PHEW!  After last springs horror show of a literal river in the basement for 3 solid months in the old house,  we'll take one night of bailing and two sump pumps that actually solve most of the problem in a heartbeat.  Doable, definitely doable.

Yesterday, Music Man and I sat outside in the Adirondack chairs, feeling the sun warming our skin back to life.  We planned the future sites of the garden and chicken coop. We'll be getting our chickens sometime next month and so need to have the coop up and running soon.  I'm hoping to salvage a lot of the materials for this project at our local "still good" shed at the landfill.  I'm also keeping my eyes open for any construction dumpsters around to get what I can from those as well...waste not, want not.  Certainly my treasure will be someone else's trash, and that's okay by me.  My goal is to have the chickens be a not so costly adventure for us and salvaging is a great way to NOT make a dent in that chicken budget.  And, they'll be paying for themselves once they start laying for us in about 24 weeks or so.

So, spring planning is in full force around here. It's good for the soul.  I know we'll get more snow at some point, but watching Music Man and Maestro playing catch in our back field yesterday did my heart some good.  And hey, the boys are loving having Daddy home with them more again, they don't see the bad in this lay off at all.

Hoping Spring is springing for you, too, ~Peacemom