So I'm on the phone with a city dweller. I love this person she has an incredible work ethic. She has worked 7 days a week multiple jobs for years. Definitely no slacker.
We talk about once a month I guess. She talks about how much she would like to have her freedom get out of the rat race. She can't drop one of her jobs or she can't pay her bills.
We have had the conversation before it always leads back to my lifestyle and how I can afford not to work. I always kinda dread it when it goes in that direction. We started talking about ways to cut back and things to do to save. The garden came up.
Y'all may have seen my post about breakfast from the yard
https://steemit.com/homesteading/@sugarcreek/breakfast-from-the-yard
I told her that one thing I do is instead of breakfast and lunch I do brunch. Let's face it we are a nation of over eaters anyway. So nobody will starve eating two meals a day! This summer to help save for our road I've been eating for my brunch ONLY what I grow. For awhile it was cucumber salad galore. But right now I have one last squash plant from the spring planting that just won't stop. That's it above and here are the blooms and squash from this morning!
My cherry tomatoes that I planted 3 years ago are cranking so I am flooded with squash, tomatoes and eggs. A few other things here and there.
I'm 5'5 look how tall my cherry tomatoes are and that's after the wind knocked em over
After I told her about my brunch plan she was quiet for a second. Then she asked, don't you get bored eating the same thing? Well, actually when I start to tire of a flavor something else will start to flourish and there have been black berries, blue berries and I'll have wild grapes soon. Foraging adds variety.
She said I see.
Then she talked about her breakfast and how she needed to eat with more variety. McDonalds gets boring so she mixes it up with the bakery and a couple other places, I can't remember the names of em.
We chatted about this and that and she wished me well on meeting our goal so we can move. She was gonna look at cutting her cable bill to help save a few bucks. I wished her well and asked she take care of herself.
I hung up the phone with a numb feeling. I've had hours of conversation with this person over the years. I've talked about the value of my chemical free food, she agrees, she knows it's healthier than McDonald's!
I've talked about living off grid and being free from utilities .... She agrees, hates paying all that money out.
I've talked about the benefits of my homestead lifestyle, she agrees, would love to have a garden and animals.
I've talked about her growing some food, she lives where she can grow year round, she might do that one of these days she loves plants.
I've talked about being debt free, she agrees that would be nice BUT just not possible in her situation.
I use to be one of those people working multiple jobs and paying all my money to utilities and the bank! But I really just want to shake her and say HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT?
Cause I'd rather eat squash 7 days a week 365 days a year than go back to that life.
Y'all my brunch from the yard is so healthy and delicious it's not like a real sacrifice. Lol
I guess when it becomes painful enough she will look for a way out of her situation. If you want change you have to make changes!
It took me years to. Once you do take that leap of faith you find it was so much easier than you had imagined. Not without challenges but they build character. You just have to put the fear out of your heart and step forward in faith.
If your reading this and your on the fence about living a more sustainable debt free lifestyle I hope you'll have faith and just jump. I believe you will be glad you did. Start cutting back on anything you can and don't wait to start!
I thought about not taking her calls, it's a hard decision, I know she wants to be free. I'll have to pray about it and in the meantime I continue to pray for my hardworking, loving,kind,giving friend that she will let her faith guide her.
This lifestyle isn't for everyone and it's hard to watch good people suffer but we all have our own journey to travel.
If your not living debt free I just have to ask how bad do YOU want it.
Thanks for stopping by the homestead!
@SugarCreek
You guessed it! Original photos taken by me on my cheap cell phone
She will do it or not depending on how hard she is pushed against that old wall. We all did the same thing until that little light bulb went off and we started on the path to homesteading and eating from our yards. Then it really hits home. You are eating healthier and suddenly a lot of stress disappears.
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It's true. I use to have so much fear about getting money to feed my family and now I have no fear about getting food. I worry over getting more canning jars so we can eat it next year. Lol
I can feel her hanging on the edge of the decision. I don't push but I share knowledge freely.
Thank you for your comment.
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Us too! You can never have enough jars!
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Lol, it's not a bad problem to have in the grand scheme of things.
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wow! a great work! Am working with plants now...wel, I try to do, hehehe
Nice post!
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Congrats growing food is very empowering.
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howdy today @sugarcreek! another great post full of great photos encouragement and wisdom! you were made for this platform!
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Or the platform was made for me!
The chicken or the egg... Hehe
Thank you!
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or you were made for each other!
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😜
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yeah this is a great point. it really does come down to how bad you want it. and honestly, too, there are a lot of "blocks" (energetically, relationally, mentality-wise) that people struggle to get over to "take the leap of faith"- maybe she is working through those in varying ways in her being, or maybe not. i know a lot of people who say, I wish I could what you're doing - and bring up some reasons why they just cannot. It's certainly an exchange and I'm with ya on the brunch!! <3
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Yes, fear holds her back. She struggled for years as a single mom of two and has been trained to be a model employee. A beautiful soul!
If ever anyone deserved a peaceful life it's her.
I hope when I get set up that she will come visit. If she wanted I would gladly offer her to stay at our place. Give her the same chance we have been given. A chance to learn with a safety net. But I don't push, I do a lot of listening.
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that's a wonderful offer from you for your friend <3
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Living a healthy life is a target everyone should be working for, food intake is the basic. Glad you are promoting health related content :)
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Food is medicine.
I am hoping when I get to the new property that I can get my gardens up and running quick. There are Alot of people in the community that could benefit.
I'm not a great cook but I love to feed people.
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Gardens are a must wherever we go, freshness must stay in life :)
Feeding people is a real good job and being able to do any help for the community is even better.
Good luck
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Thanks!
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you're welcome
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So true. But alas, “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make them drink.” If your friend wants it bad enough, she’ll do it, but in the meantime, it sounds like she just wants someone to commiserate with and provide empathy for her “hardship.” 😕
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Just finished reading some of the other comments; I agree about needing to come to grips with and resolve some of your blocka first. When you’ve lived as a single parent, it can be very easy to live in, and get stuck in survival mode, fear-based existence. It’s hard to imagine anything else is possible, let alone for you.
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Not so much her but most people from my past comment on how lucky I am to get to live this life. They seem to have forgotten the years I worked multiple jobs and sacrificed to pay off debt and buy land. Luck had NOTHING to do with it.
Paying off the debt so we could be free from the influence and control of others was key. I think she is starting to get the importance of that.
Everyone is so busy trying to be like everyone else and are afraid to be different. One day you realize being different means that you can be YOU and all of a sudden being different just looks a little more inviting. Lol
I think she will come around in time. I respect that it is her decision to make. As they say time will tell.
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How bad do you want it is the right question. The change has to come with a decision. That person MUST decide to make whatever change is needed, to get where she would like to go! It has been hard here because I set an additional goal of paying cash for everything, including the land. BUT, we own the land now, and I am working on fixing the house.
I had a Man tell me that was not possible. He said you have to have things. He asked me how long it took me to pay off my car. I told him I wrote a check for it. He could not understand...he was speechless!
You just have to DECIDE to do it, and then do everything to get there!
:)
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Great advice
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It is slower that way, but when you get there, you own it free and clear.
:D
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That was our thought as well
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Good girl! That is the "True Way," ROFLOL! Once you get there, you are on Base, so to speak.
:)
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Debt is bad for my nerves!
I was not born to be a slave.
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It makes me crazy too, debt is a terrible blight on this country! I heard that the average household owes $20,000.00 in credit card debt.
I am so thrilled to be clear of all that mess! Getting clear was hard, but well worth the work!
:D
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I gave up credit cards years ago
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