A life less ordinary

From the suburbs to the country in Independence Township, this is our journey. We are two suburban yuppies who always had a dream to leave it all behind and become country dweller's. Now we are on part two of this adventure. We just bought our Historical farm. We have six acres, a barn, some outbuildings, three excited kids, three dogs, one cat, a tortoise and us, the wonderstruck parents who are beyond thrilled and a little bit clueless about what the next chapter has in store for us!

Sunday, January 16, 2011

chaotic bliss

We have made our way out to Hentennial quite a bit lately. We love going there and getting work done, snowmobiling and warming up in front of the fireplace. But it's nice to see the house progressing. Now our master bedroom is done. New carpet, wall painted, furniture moved in. It feels just like home! I can't wait to sleep in our room, rather than the upstairs guest bed. We saved our old Ethan Allen sleigh bed when we upgraded to a king at our house in Franklin. And now it feels right where it belongs at Hentennial. And I found a great old chest of drawers at my former High school's summer garage sale for $80.00, and it looks like it was left behind in the farmhouse. Everything is coming together so well. Now we just need to really tackle the kitchen. It is such a daunting task. We decided to tear out the old cabinets. They are useless. Too high and too deep. I would rather have nice, white, open shelves to display some antique dishware. We also need to install the tile floor, get the fridge repaired, (it's not cooling) and buy an apronfront sink. Then we need to find a stacked washer/dryer set and hook that up next to the laundry sink that Roger took out of a house they were about to tear down. The fridge is from that house too, and although it's in great shape, it doesn't seem to be getting cold. That's the bummer about getting things for free. They don't always work!
But, I'm sure it will all come together in time. Just need to phase it out and get busy. Then, we will only have the bathroom to finish. And it still needs to be gutted.
All in all, the progress is pretty good. Considering our time constraints, money constraints, and that it's only been 11 months since we purchased it, I'd say we are right on schedule!

It's a lot of work and a huge undertaking. Between Rog and I both working, and raising three kids, three dogs, and a bunch of other critters, some would think we were crazy. But we wouldn't have it any other way!

Sunday, January 2, 2011

My forbidden fruits (and vegetables)

Please read this article recently published in the New York Times!
"My forbidden fruits and vegetables"
It is quite eye opening and sheds light on the struggles that our farmers face and what they are allowed to grow!
www.nytimes.com

Our first farm night

We did it! We spent Thursday night out at Hentennial. After 10 months and tons of work, we loaded up the kids and dogs and headed out for the night!
It was really fun to make a fire in the fireplace (first one) and cozy up on the sofa in our jammies and know that we didn't have to drive back to Franklin. The kids just hung out and played, and Rog and I got to work painting the master bedroom. Two coats of Benjamin Moore's Elmira White, and three coats of bright white on the window trim. We also met the carpet guy out there Thurs. evening and they installed it Friday morning. It was the only room in the house where the floors were not salvageable. Now our bedroom is finally done! It looks great. The kids helped us paint and they made a fort in our closet with blankets and a (non flame) lanturn, and their MP3 player with speakers. It was really cute that they all hung out in there for a couple of hours. I chose a color scheme that is on an opposite spectrum from our home in Franklin. I want the farm house to be really different from our main home. Bold, brighter colors, more patterns and simpler styling. The walls are all neutral, but the furnishings mix red, black, yellow and green. I call it "equestrian/country." It suits the house. It makes the house feel happy, warm and inviting.
Most of my inspirations come from a vision board that I had created before we actually bought the farm. I had torn out and collected various photos and quotes and images from magazines for months and put them all together on a poster board which I looked at daily. It helped keep me focused and it kept me motivated to move ahead. The house was a huge project and daunting at first, but we both knew that we would be very happy there during, and after the work. All the rooms are mostly done, we just have some finishing touches. Next on the list is the kitchen and bathroom. And we have already done most of the prep, tearing out old flooring, priming, etc...but there is still a ton of work to do. Hopefully that will be done before summer so that we can focus on the outside projects then.
On another note, when we slept there we realized quite quickly that our rooster, Oreo, loves to crow at all hours of the night. He is quite loud and eventhough it is a farm, we don't want our closest neighbors to be annoyed by his constant crowing. So, I posted a pic of him on Craigslist and we already found him a wonderful home right down the road from us. An older couple who raises Arucana's(the blue egg layers) wants a roo for their breeding stock. So it worked out perfectly. We can even visit him when we want to and get chicks from them in the spring. February is baby chick time, and we can't wait to replenish our flock!
Well, things are moving along at Hentennial. And it truly is a labor of love.

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Inspiration that helped me get here.

Food for thought

The increase in U.S. food prices from 1982 to 2009 rose 128%.In the same period, prices paid to farmers rose only 34%.

1 in 3 Americans born in 2000 is expected to develop diabetes in his or her lifetime.

Jargon-food sovereignty: the right of peoples to eat healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods, and their right to define their own food and agriculture systems.

(from the declaration of Nyeleni, 2007)

32 hours, 50 minutes- The amount of on-screen media, including television, videos and video games that American children between the ages of 2 and 5 years old consume each week, according to the Nielsen Company.

Chicken-ism

I loved this so much that I had to post it. I cannot take credit, I found it on the web.

All I need to know I learned from my chickens.

Wake up early, stay busy, but always stay alert.

Visit your favorite places every day.

Scratch out a living.

Routine is good.

Plump is good.

Don't ponder your pupose in life, your brain is too small.

Accept the pecking order and you know your enemies.

Weed your garden.

Protect your children fiercely, sit on them if you need to.

Take them for walks, show them the little things, and talk constantly.

Brag on your accomplishments.

Don't count your chicks before they hatch.

Protect your nest egg.

Test your wings once in a while.

Squawk when necessary.

As you age, demand respect.

Leave a little something for those who care about you.

Chase butterflies.