Not Happy with SS?

[Grandma Goldie]

I couldn't agree more.

 

[delia_peterson]

I can't think of a single thing I hate about my lifestyle. I will never be totally SS. Don't even know that it is possible. Not striving to be. Just enjoy my chickens, rabbits, garden, baking bread and canning. Full time job sure cuts into all my fun work but then without the job there would be no money to buy food for all the chickens and rabbits. LOL

Vacations are not something I do anyway. All my feeders will easily hold two days worth of food and a weekend is all I am willing to be gone anyway. Plus a weekend 1 or 2 times a year is more than enough away time for me. I like my home time. I love taking care of my chickens and rabbits. Especially when its cold and rainy. Its such a stress release to come in from work in the winter, slip on those rubber boots, throw the poncho on, grab the flash light. Tromp thru the mud, fighting the rain and the wind, get to the feed shed and listen to everybody start clucking. I know they are saying "Look, Mommys home, come look at all the eggs we laid you today". Rabbits bouncing around their cages, all excited to see me. The dog jumping up and down and dancing thinking "Cookies, Cookies, Cookies, I know she is gonna give me Cookies".

Now I ask you, has anyone in your family ever been that excited about your arrival home on a cold, wet winter day. All I really need to add to the mix is a couple of milk goats to be bleating as they anticipate "I'm Next, shes gonna make it all better".

Back in the warm cozy electric heat of the house, I get to open up jars of food I canned and fix a meal that I grew, harvested and preserved. Then to top it all off I get to log into my computer, and tell all you wonderful folks all about it, as I drink hot chocolate that I purchased at the store cause I can't grow chocolate.

Nothing at all SS about any of that. Its just plain ole fun and satisfying.

 

[2dream]

I have been going back through some of the post including mine.
I do love this lifestyle. It is one I have chosen. I think living with animals, gardens, etc is exactly that A LIFESTYLE. If you want to travel and take long vacations its not really possible unless you have someone to fill in the gaps. Some folks are lucky to have fill in help. Most are not.
It really got me to thinking about how it really use to be. Kids grew up and left home as early as 15 or 16 years old and in some cases younger. Parents may never see or hear from them again. Sometimes a letter was recieved every few years. But visits were rare even if they only lived what we now consider a few hours away, because a few hours to us was days to wagon travel. Social gatherings were rare except for Sunday services and those were not every Sunday. Sometimes Church was by a circuit preacher who showed up once a month or so.
Going to town was an all day affair and sometimes longer depending on how far out you were.
I have a cousin who was a dairy farmer. He and his family never had a vacation. They milked 7 days a week 365 days a year. There were no days off. Their two boys grew up there, married, and built houses there on the dairy farm. Even though my cousin died, of a heart attack milking cows, and the oldest boy died after being struck by lightening walking to the barn to milk cows, its still up and running. Not one of them seems to find their life strange or deprived. The few times I got to visit them they were the happiest folks I have ever met. No one complained about the life. Its what they chose for themselves and the boys chose to stay with it. It was more than a way to make a living. It was their life.
So I think chosing to strive for those types of lifestyles you give up much but you gain much as well. Its just not for everyone.

 

[old fashioned]

For so many years I dreamed of a self sufficient/pioneering life always wanting to grow my own meats, fruit, veggies, etc. even growing the grain and feed for livestock animals and only going to the store for staple goods (sugar, coffee, chocolate-very important , etc). But I've always lived in or near city or suburb. I always thought it would save alot of money, but when I've thought more about it, I'm not so sure. The cost nowadays to get enough land, materials to build house, barns, fences etc. initial seeds and trees, equipment for planting, harvesting, processing and whatever else to get started could pinch even the richest. Though true once these are done, costs would be much less but still could be a financial risk- crop failures, animal injuries/sickness/disease, even people health could break the farm bank. One person down could mean ruin especially with limited or no 911 services in more rural areas. One missed placed lightening spark or overheated outlet could burn it all to the ground, loosing everything.
With all the scary negatives out of the way, there is still alot of great tings too. Like being able to look out the window and see what sustains you, knowing where your food comes from, and knowing exactly what is in your food because you put it there. Knowing your kids aren't being pumped with added hormones, chemicals, additives or preservatives, etc and they are just healthy, normal, very active, curious and lovable. IMVHO all those strange things added to store bought/commercial food stuffs have a profound effect on behavior problems/mental health issues in kids (and adults) like ADHD, OCD, Bipolar etc. but not neccesarily the only contributing factors. Also too much tv, video games and "bored with nothing to do". I admit I may very well be wrong in this idea and I'm sure there really are some instances of real medical base, but I've seen so many kids (including my own) having these kind of problems and instead of changing their lifestyles (food and activities) alot of parents insist on the doctors "labeling and medicating" their kids. And the medication isn't so much for the kids as it is to calm the kids enough for the stressed parents to cope with. I have refused to label my kids as such and nor do I medicate them. I do know they are more difficult when we've eaten more processed, store bought foods and with more screen time than when these are limited or non existant like in the summer time. Good weather equals go out to play, run, bike, fresh garden foods and easier, more attentative kids. Colder weather does bring more inside time and more store bought and more problems. All another good reason for the farm idea, my kids have some chores now but would have even more with farm. But since I'll soon be 50, I'm thinking I'm getting a bit old for such hard work, and the kids will be gone in 10 years, dh and I would be 60 and it would all be too much for us. I would aleast like to have those 10 years. Oh well, enough dreaming with mouth run a muck and I'll get down off my soap box now. No offense intended to anyone, just my thoughts for whatever they're worth.

 

[FarmerChick]

If younger----oh what I would do.

but for me now, nearing 50, I will not head into total off grid SS lifestyle.
Not even going to try.

I will conserve, do my homemade foods, save money and resources, live as simple as possible (and that means cutting down on animals on the farm definitely)

never give up the farming type life, but will live with conveniences that make my life easier.

I will never haul wood when older for a woodstove, won't ever hoe a garden (my rototillers etc do that work ) and do as much with technology as I can without going overboard in use.

I am looking for that happy medium definitely. No more worrying about "how far I can go into SS and all that mess"----I need to just "find simple"---to me, finding simple and doing it easy is my new career..HA HA

great posts on this thread definitely!!! I loved reading it!!

 

[tortoise]

I love SS lifestyle, it has been my life goal since I was 14 years old. I've checked off everything on my teenage list of my idealistic future goals except one - having a Jersey cow.

I dont like feeling like I should or could be doing more. Its hard for me to accept my limits on time and energy.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I feel like I'm living my dream also. I've always wanted to raise food, have productive animals and be a country bumpkin, lol. Vacations are hard and we don't take them often. But we can easily slip away for a night or two by utilizing auto waterers and feeders (in some instances). Goats/horses can do with a round bale in cold weather or just enjoy self-feeding in the pasture. They may not love it - but they certainly won't be harmed by it.

And, this lifestyle helps me get some steps in every day, lol. Not as much right now as other times of year, but it's better than nothing.

 

[Mini Horses]

I love SS living but, some days I admit I don't always want to do some things. Yeah, procrastination. Things like mucking out a big run in shed....ok, it can wait a day or three, that sort of thing. Generally when I get into a "mood" I find a day of something different, better if fun, takes care of it and the tiny vacay resets me.

The daily is ok and it's the projects that can be annoying. The weather plays a part. Also the fact that I live alone makes for some lack of enthusiasm at times. I mean, the excitement of your first ripe tomato for the year needs to be told to more than a chicken -- who might eat it before you can!

I muddle along. Always wanted a farm and all that goes with it. This is my third one, first one as a loner, and after 20 years, mostly complete. I'm happy with the location, neighbors and am working at "refining" my efforts. I'm semi retired.........deciding if that's ok.

Lot of OLD threads popping up lately.

 

[flowerbug]

i'm not aiming for 100% SS because we're not ever going to raise meat animals here and Mom will always want some kind of meat. same for eggs.

to me i just aim for reducing how much we need to buy, but also much of this is driven by dietary problems that Mom has. eating out and a lot of premade foods just do her in badly.

since i love gardening and breeding new beans and such or just working outside instead of being inside when the weather cooperates the exercise of gardening is to me a useful way to exercise, i despise exercise for the sake of exercise alone. the only way i get enthused about Tai Chi is if i try to teach it to someone, but that's not really happening and i'm complete mush again other than shovelling snow (no don't make suggestions i'm not in the mood to even think about it at the moment).

working with plants since i was pretty young and having the natural history bent meant i was always thinking in terms of ecosystems and how everything worked together, my gardening years in the past incarnation since i moved in here has been more fun and rewarding than a lot of the work i did before, except the library which i still miss.

entertainment wise, reading and writing are a much larger percentage of how i spend time (especially in the poorer weather and winter time). there aren't people around who like to game which when i was at the university was fun as we could usually find people for bridge, hearts or some other games. i have projects to finish too which keeps me out of most trouble (not all ).

 

[Chic Rustler]

I like it but I seem to be torn lately between chasing a buck and leaving society altogether