After reading serveral responses of people criticizing/not understanding our homesteading ways, I was wondering what some of you have been told/called, etc. Mostly what I hear is Why do you do that?, You can buy it cheaper at Aldi's; I'd do that, but I don't have time, and I guess you're glad you raise that garden now, since you have to eat differently, and the biggie, what are you going to do with all that food or, are you going to eat all that?

My husband and I were talking the other day, and decided that if we were on a city bus and were overheard, "they" would think we were talking a foreign language. (o.k. with us)

Any interesteing "words of wisdom" from the "other side". Here's a chance to rant about them or find sympathy, whatever you need not just garden but any aspect of homesteading life.

-- Cindy (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), December 26, 2000

Answers

The favorites that I have heard from people are "Huh?", "Well, I know where I want to be when it all goes belly up, your house". And my favorite is from the guy I work with. He has 17 acres that he and his freinds go play on during weekends. Hunting, fishing, repelling and such. He wants me to get 20 or 30 acres beside him and be responsible for the food, electricity, fuel and wine making, he will guard my place and taste test the food and wine by my fire. :)

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), December 26, 2000.

I went to a big party last week and the majority of folks there were middle aged professional women who make EXTREMELY big bucks and travel all over in their glamorous careers, etc. (The fact that I know these folks still surprizes me, but let's just say it goes back to 30-year-old college connections.) Anyway, everyone talks about their jobs as usual, and then a few folks that I don't know will invariably ask me what I am doing. When I tell them about my lifestyle, it's like the old stock brokerage commercial: the room goes quiet and they listen....they are hushed, and truth be told, look kind of envious. They are thinking to themselves: All that pressure that they put up with, for what? Couldn't life be simpler? etc.

...They'll never give up what they are doing, though! But they all want to come *visit*, that's for sure! It will be the same way at next year's party too. Only a few of us screwballs actually try this lifestyle, but it's always good as a party topic. Or a nice day trip on the weekend! Whatever...

-- sheepish (rborgo@gte.net), December 26, 2000.

I always respond "You mean I can get fresh, organically raised (whatever) canned the day it's picked - at Aldi's? And cheaper! I'll go check that out!" Usually this is enough to have them backing and filling, but if they persist, I then tell them "Well, if I wanted to buy it, I'd have to get up at (fill in pest's waking time), drive all the way into town, and kow-tow to some pointy-haired boss in the hope that he kept my happy a** employed long enough to make the money to buy the food, not to mention the gas to go and fetch it. Nope, sound to much like slaavery to me!" I just love to watch them digest this. It must tickle when it goes down, because they do squirm so. This has best effect if you've been obviously getting more rest than the pest and are often seen "puttering" around the homeplace, enjoying the fruits of your lifesstyle choice while said pest has had to quickstep it 9-5+at a loathesome worksite.

-- Soni (thomkilroy@hotmail.com), December 26, 2000.

Well generally the first thing I tell people is that I have no debt....at all! This is the point where they get that dumbfounded look. No car payment, no credit payments....then I'll tell them a bit about what I do. Then for the death blow.....I tell them how much money I live off of in a year. Normally by that point they are rendered speachless and just do an impression of a human fly trap. My kin folk just say I'm insane and try to pretend I don't exist.

-- Amanda in Mo (aseley@townsqr.com), December 26, 2000.

Ditto Amanda's response. Couldn't say it better no matter how hard I try.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), December 26, 2000.

Oh Yeah,Amanda,I hear you.

Jay,send that guy over,as long as he's a GOOD fisherman & hunter. He can help fill the freezer.And run perimeter check all night long,in this single digit weather.Or,if he doesn't mind being a poacher,he can do both at once.Lord knows my neighbors don't mind that a bit.Ha!

And,If Nick & the dog don't stay off the cliffs ,I may need a good rapeller to rescue them. Coonhounds-who needs em.

I will,however, expect him to provide his own wine.There is a limit to generosity.

-- sharon wt (wildflower@ekyol.com), December 26, 2000.

I am the only person in my group of friends that has this kind of life. I have one friend in Portland who was raised by homestead parents and she gardens, but that's about it. Whenever I run into any of my old circle the subject of my goat's well being is always near the front of the conversation. Like "Hey Doreen! Nice to see you again...How's the goats?" I have had the supreme pleasure of giving goat milking lessons to people who had never even seen a goat in real life before. It's really fun! Of course they think I am eight sheets to the wind, but when y2k was on the horizon I received tons of calls for advice and I was happy to have a little knowledge to be able to help. My friends who have spent some time here love it...although they say the day starts much too early.

-- Doreen (animalwaitress@excite.com), December 26, 2000.

We don't exactly homestead (wanna be's) but Gabe and I live a frugal, simple life, in a tiny simple cottage on a few wooded acres. We work blue collar jobs, garden and fish, trade venison for pickles or 'whathaveyou', all the while rubbing shoulders with business execs and CEO's who....beg to borrow our canoes, stop over for a glass of homemade wine and 'wish' their lives weren't so complicated. Keep your bank balance and ulser.

-- Kathy (catfish@bestweb.net), December 26, 2000.

Doreen, the goat angel is the best. There is nothing better than me an my goat gals, eating lunch out talking, semen, bloodlines, AI'ing techniques, pulling kids and my two favorites, whether the distance a buck carries his testicles from his body has anything to do with how well attached an udder is going to be on his daughters, and rubber banding vs surgical castration! :)

Cindy, most folks who visit us sleep, we really have not figured out if it is because we are just that boring or if it is the fresh air. We do have folks say they couldn't live out here because it is so dark, so quiet, so spooky.. But I really do think there is something in the pit of most mens stomachs that make them envious of my husband for living in a house he built, and though most women would not choose to live as I do, I also know they respect what I do, and very few have the skills to do it. It really is family that is the worst by far! Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), December 26, 2000.

I was told to sell all my animals and go get a job. My DH's family hates me with such a passion because I "took" him away from them. I am the reason he "can't" go out to eat with them all the time. They blasted me so bad the other night, DH did not want to go to Christmas at the "family's", so needless to say in their eyes it is my fault again. They actually told me I have been "brainwashing" my DH for the last 5 years.

When we went to drop off the presents at his brothers, the bro-in- law, who drinks and smokes pot, had been drinking, and shoved the presents back in the van. He tried to pull my DH out of the van and beat him up, he pounded the hood with his fist. Nice Christmas cheer, huh.

-- Cindy in Ky (solidrockranch@msn.com), December 27, 2000.

Hubby and I have been accused of being aliens for years. Partly due to our relationship of the 'only married couple on earth still in love with each other' and partly due to our relationship with our 'true love'Jesus Christ! It's been such a blessing finding other aliens! Some of them close to our own farm in IN.And about the early morning thing-noticed that Cindy in KY had posted her answer before mine today and it's still dark! Hooray for the roosters!

-- queen (queenbuffness@hotmail.com), December 27, 2000.

Queen, Steve and I do love each other very much and love the Lord with all our hearts. We really want to be together, we have fun together. We look forward to the weekends when Steve and I can just be at home and do things together. They think I have some kind of hold over him though. They eat at those "buffets" in town at least 10 times a week, no joke. I get up at 5 because Steve works in Louisville and leaves at 5:30. Oh, I pray for the day when we can be together 24/7.

-- Cindy in Ky (solidrockranch@msn.com), December 27, 2000.

Boy we must all have the same families! after this holiday I do not how much more of mine I can take. My mother will ask about the farm and animals but it is more like being polite then really careing, my in-laws also think I stole their beloved son drugged him and forced him into living here.I am to blame for everything that happens to us or him and when it comes to our children well I am crazy for not sending them to school and they will surely end up living on the streets begging for food. We showed up at the in-laws w/ home made piggybanks for our kids cousins{they were really cute}and handed them out ,with in 10 min.all 4 were pulled apart and trashed,my kids started crying about it and my sister in-laws response was "I would have thrown them away anyway,who wants junk like that" well with that I went nuts started screaming got the kids dressed and left. Well that was our christmas, of course it was all my fault! I "turn the other cheek" and will avoid them at all cost until some one dies or gets married and we have to see them again! by the way they live less then 10 min from here!

-- renee oneill{md.} (oneillsr@home.com), December 27, 2000.

Renee, We must surely have the same in-laws!!! Sure takes the joy out of the holidays doesn't it? I had the flu for Christmas one year, (vomiting, diarhea, and dry heaves every 15 minutes for 12 hours) so I didn't have to do the in-law thing. The flu was just as fun!!!!

-- Tie A. (knot@endofrope.com), December 27, 2000.

Some of the people I know, who are the over consuming type wonder how we could possible have a nice life without all the neccessities, like BMW, Nintendo, electronic games, expensive clothes and the like. I tell them it's simple. You have a much better life when your not worrying how to pay for all that happiness. When we drove to Yellowstone last summer they couldn't believe we didn't fly, FIRST CLASS! Boy do they know how to waste money. I really try to ignore them and remember that during the 1994 earthquake when we were out of power for 5 days we had a wonderful time and they were so paniced they couldn't see straight. We allneed to do what makes us happy. Fortunately for us our happiness isn't that expensive.

-- jennifer (schwabauer@aol.com), December 27, 2000.

Renee, I have been outside all day splitting huge chunks of cedar with my splitting maul. I feel a little better now, but I need at least 3 more big trees to really get it out! I'm so sorry you're kids were the ones hurt, that's un-called for. I bet they worked real hard on them. I have no idea what happened to our home-made gifts. You all hang in there.

-- Cindy in Ky (solidrockranch@msn.com), December 27, 2000.

Oh my gosh it's like my christmas story being told back to me.My husband was kidnapped against his will tooo!!!!!And forced to live with this holy rollin, baby poppin, granola eatin,bread bakin,wood choppin woman who must be nuts cuz she's never wanted a manicure or 5 bathrooms to clean!My sister in law works like a dog and when the stress levels get too high where do they come ?you got it to teris it's so peaceful there!I think thats why so many of us are comfortable here( inthe forum) as opposed to sharing with our birth families we don'y have to explain and preface every conversation,with our philosophy of life and how it should be lived.I'm just in awe cindy our families are like identical!!!I can't explain to people anymore.I do get a little down when I go someplace and they have this huge kitchen with counter tops and floors that look so clean.I spent christmas listening to all my relatives talk about the kids universities,my relatives are all very cultured and I'm the crazy aunt that sometimes has goats in the kitchen or coons in the bathroom.They make fun and sometimes it bugs me.I guess it comes down to choice and like someone said they can have their ulcers and bank accounts.We have an opportunity to be debt free within a year and this forum and the mag (and scripture of course) are my only encouragement to do soHonestly today I'm teetering on the spend spend spend side,I really fight with the gimmies.I want it all now the barns done , the house fixed etc......oh well in time...teri

-- teri (mrs_smurf2000@yahoo.ca), December 27, 2000.

I sure am thankful for my family! They are city folk for the ost part, but not nasty about it. my in-laws are farming types who bring sheep and goats into the house, so no problem there. i think the worst is that some of the family will not even consider visiting us, because it's 'too primitive'. We have hot running water and solar electric, it's not like we live in a cave! My boy's grandma was going to visit us, we had it all workedout, but then when she heard we had an outhouse, she just dropped the plans and never mentioned it again. I told her we could finish up the composting toilet for her if she really wanted it. She'd never heard of a composting toilet, when I explained it would have worms in it to digest the solid waste, she screamed and laughed! She said it would bother her to sit on a big throne above a whole bunch of worms! My uncle is the only other homesteader and countrysider in my family. Our relatives all think he's gone off the deep end. They are taunting him unmercifully about the Y2K disaster not coming to pass. My uncle was the only one who had sense enough to stock up and prepare just in case. He has a nice little farm, all they can do is to harp about when is he going to face reality and get a real job? I guess they probably talk about me, but I don't hear it. My uncle and I stand up for each other in the family.:) Once he visited them, and told about how he'd lost nearly all his chickens to predators and heat, and the whole family about died laughing, like it was a big joke!

The one thing that really 'gets my goat!', is when ignorant people tell me how badly goats smell, how worthless they are, and how badly the milk smells. If they have ever owned or seen a goat at all, it's usually one that was treated like a dog, allowed to roam at will wherever, and then they act outraged when it climbs on the car or eats the rose bushes!! It REALLY bugs me, because when I take the time to explain that clean, properly kept goats are clean, interesting, and useful, they don't even want to hear it. People have stopped asking me how the goats are doing-they know that they are likely to get a detailed response! And I just don't understand why they are so squeamish about subjects like A.I., insemination, castrating, semen, breeding, heat cycles, kidding difficulties, what's the big deal, they are livestock, not people!

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), December 28, 2000.

Gosh, I must be related to all of you too !!! My family thinks I'm the wierdest thing they've ever seen....but my nieces and nephews will come stay at Aunt Monica's before anywhere else ! And no, I don't have a boob tube. My ex's family had the same opinion of me as yours. They about died when they showed up for Thanksgiving and found me bathing a goat kid in the kitchen sink. She had just gotten over a case of the runs and I decided to wash her up and keep her in the house in her cardboard box for one more day. They just stood there and stared !!! LOL LOL LOL LOL I don't know when I've had such a good chuckle. (In private of course)

Most of my family, their friends and others that I run into ask about my life just once. Then they either avoid me because I'm wierd or they laugh at me to my face (at least they're honest) and make condescending remarks. I then ask them how much of the national debt they're responsible and how many hours they spend in the office paying for it while I'm reading Countryside in my hammock under the trees !!!

Anyway, it is all summed up in my fiancee's remark as we left my family's Christmas gathering:

"Your sister has this beautiful, laughing baby that's the most precious thing in the world and all she can talk about is money. What's wrong with her ?"

-- Monica (zpepenovia@excite.com), December 28, 2000.

This is the saddest thread I have ever seen. I truly feel sorry for you with such so-called friends and family.

Be strong! Be happy!

-- jd (belanger@tds.net), December 28, 2000.

Revenge on the home front,I am a winner!!!!!Oh how funny the family can be when the lights go off. The phone rang at 3 AM and it was good old Mother-in-law,the problem no power=no heat or water. Their power was out not because of a storm but a car hit it yesterday and it was still off{total of 8 hrs at that point}and she was cold. Sister -in - law is on the same line so they were cold too,well guess where they came? you got it! our house the same 1 that only days ago was a house of doom and misfortune. I got up made a few beds and put on hot tea for them,we still had power and you would have thought we were throwing gold out our windows. In the morning I got up made a big breakfeast and off they went, only thing they never said thank you. With this storm on the way I have a feeling they will be back,deep inside I feel like not opening the door but.... Husband said we hould charge rent! Funny how people are able to tolerate each other in a time of need!

-- renee oneill{md.} (oneillsr@home.com), December 29, 2000.

Boy do you guys make me proud of my family grandpa may be a bachlor but lets go to his house thats what my family says and here they came loaded down with presants and food. grandpa cooked the ham tho we had a wonderful time that ended all to soon. Bob in s.e.ks. happy new year youall.

-- Bob Condry (bobco@hit.net), December 29, 2000.

All these make me proud of my family also. My father before me was a homesteader, along with several of his brothers.. We have an outdoor wood furnace and propane wall heaters for backup. Every member of my family has no hesitation about visiting us. We have had Christmas here in our big old farmhouse for 2 years out of the last 3. My mother loves to come and visit us. My hubby grew up on a farm, and I grew up learning about homestading also. Back in the olden days, days of the wild west, our types were called farmers, squatters, and much worse.. BUT who provides the food that goes to the grocery stores, farmers markets, etc? My sister lives a long ways away from us, but her and her husband have a home in the city and a home in the country -- complete with a cave that is stocked with 3 years worth of food in case of emergency. Some of our kids enjoy living in the country with us, and some live in the city -- but you can bet that if there WERE an emergency, they would all flock home to Mom's house. They know there's always food on the table at home, and there always will be. We have a whole community of us homesteaders on 42 acres on our mountain top, friends and family. Maybe our whole family is crazy, but we all stick together, anyway.

-- Ruth (Sugar Mountain) (sgrmtn@moaccess.com), December 30, 2000.

My husband's parents blame everything on me, too -- they profess to somewhat support our homesteading lifestyle -- but only if we are both working full-time to support ourselves in the manner to which *they* are accustomed!!! The funny thing is, they were both raised on farms so should know better!! I get a lot more support (tolerance, at least) from my family, even though only a couple share our lifestyle. I don't think, though, that the in-laws would ever have approved of me or anything I did, as they wanted Greg to marry somebody with ambition and connections!! Somebody who would push him into having ambition and connections. They also blame me for him getting saved and leaving the church he was brought up in to attend a Bible-believing church -- never mind that HE was the one who made the decision to find another church, and I was just following him!! (And thankful for the decision, I must add.) Three years ago I made the decision that I was completely done with his family (after my father- in-law tried to pick a fight with me at my oldest daughter's wedding). I speak politely when we have to encounter one another, but we encounter one another as seldom as possible. And I wish I had made that decision many years ago instead of thinking they might get over it in time. Life is MUCH more pleasant without visits to their home, and I have no feelings of guilt at all. I highly recommend total separation to those of you with problem families -- if they decide they want to fix things, they'll come to you eventually, but why should they be allowed to make the rest of your life miserable?!? And why should they think that they have the right to control the lives of other adults??? Let alone hurt your children?!?

As far as *words of wisdom*, one that I always get when I tell people I have dairy goats is, "What do you do with the milk?" They always seem to be rather astonished to find out that we drink it!!!

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), December 30, 2000.

My family thought I was out of my mind to homestead. Especially since I chose to do it during a time of real turmoil in my life. What they didn't realize was that I just decided to do something I'd wanted to do and had been preparing for since my early 20's.

My dad grew up on a depression era dirt farm his family didn't own. Everything was done with horses, and as a special treat, my aunts could go to the store with grandpa to help select the floursacks and feedbags the grain came in that would be used to make their dresses. Homesteading to him represented grinding poverty, backbreaking work, and a way of life to escape.

Over the years the concern the family felt has turned to burning curiosity. Everyone makes a trip here from time to time.

Now my brother in law has two horses (and is choking over the cost of hay - but that's a whole other thread). Father in law checks in and has changed from outright disgust with the idea, to amazement at what we've managed to accomplish, especially with the cattle. He's even changed from hinting about gifts of prime cuts of beef to asking outright. My father has turned nostalgic about what was good about the farm and my parents keep talking about retiring here.

The biggest tickle for me is that the president of the company where I work was a homesteader in his younger days, and several other people there either are or were homesteaders. Talk about feeling comfortable in the workplace.

I think sometimes the people that are so quick to judge or criticize are either jealous or insecure because you are somehow invalidating their lifestyle, or they think that you are somehow living off of them. Don't bother to justify to anyone, you don't owe anyone an explanation for the way you live - do others feel a need to explain their choices to you? I could understand if you had kids who were underfed, beaten, or diseased - then even I would butt in, but as long as you're self sufficient and take care of your own then who cares?

-- Anne Tower (bbill@wtvl.net), December 30, 2000.

Right on the mark,Anne.

And those of you with in law trouble-get their son(or daughter)-you know your spouce -to stand up to them. It's his/her family and thus their job.You can offer them support when the going gets tough,but don't settle for being put in the position of being the big bad wolf who ruined their son/daughters life.Not fair to you,and not fair to anyone in the long run.

Having said that,I have to admit I've been blessed with wonderful in laws.They are city folk & we don't have alot in common along those lines,except for love.Guess that says it all.His mom says I'm the best thing that ever happen to him,bless her sweet heart.Probably helped my position that his first wife was the evil witch of the east (and she was)that my Mom inlaw (who loves everyone)absolutely despised .I probably looked positively saintly in comparison,I expect.

My mom likes him, too,bc she's seen he takes care of me thru all my sickness,and that's all a mother really wants.

But we did go thru some "sticky" times when the kids were still at home.I had to make Nick understand that conflict with his family was for the most part,his to confront.Tough guy that he is,it's still hard to stand up to 'Mom',no matter what age you are. But he learned.You know,you both leave your parents home and cleave onto each other and start a new home and family.Everyone needs to respect that.

My family gives me fits,but it's because I'm the little sister and they are very competative,very bossy,type A people and they drive me nuts!But I love them.

Both families respect what we do.But we're just not the type to back down from a fight or a insult,either.That probably has had an impact.Stand tall and be proud of your accomplishments,and don't let people make you feel like cinderella.You are the only person who can make yourself into someone's doormat.

I actually have been able to find a few people here that share my passions.Maybe 'cause we're just a whole section of "misfits" over here in the hills? Who knows.But this forum sure is great for just talking back and forth,too.Now,I surely am counting my blessings tonight.

-- sharon wt (wildflower@ekyol.com), December 31, 2000.

My parents are educated intellectuals, and they raised me to be an educated intellectual who would be VP of a company by my 35th birthday. Well, that was last month, and i'm an educated intellectual who happens to run a homestead, and wouldn' work in an office and wear a tie no matter what you paid me. I know what kind of colitis I'd come down with! My wife and I do this because we want to, because it gives us a spiritual kick, and I don't think my parents have ever forgiven me.

It's a class thing, I know - we've "dropped" a class, from middle to lower...my family goes on about how we'll never have money, we'll never be able to "better" ourselves...Half our friends said that we were nuts when we moved out here years ago and did this. I found out that there was a betting pool on saying that we wouldn't last six months. Now they all want to come out and visit. They look at our wood cookstove and say, "Do you actually cook on that?" Duh, no, those pancakes you're smelling are just special effects.

Some of our neighbors are Yuppies who wanted to live out in the country, and we are always getting complaints - "your chickens are too loud! Your geese are too loud! I can smell sheep manure!" What really gets them is when they drive by and we're plucking a headless chicken hanging from the tripod in the yard. We had to move the sheep-and-goat butchering area down into the woods so as to not upset Yuppie drive-bys. We're out neo-pagans, too, so they all think we're sacrificing animals to some evil deity, no doubt. Yeah, our dinner table. ];-7

Anyway as long you aren't banging on doors trying to convince other people that THEIR lifestyle is wrong, you have the right to quietly do whatever you want on your own homestead and who cares about the other opinions. Take heart, you know what you're doing is right for you. And you'll live longer.

Raven Kaldera Cauldron Farm

-- Raven Kaldera (cauldronfarm@hotmail.com), December 31, 2000.

I could hug and kiss ya' all!!! WE all have weard in-laws. My MIL is a volinter at a after school progam in Excelsior Springs. She talks down about "pour" People. THis is a woman who has worked out side of the home since she was 12 years old, never payed child care {her mom and Grandma took care of her 2 kids}. She has bought my step son a $10,000 Mustang. A $1,00 home entertanment center for xmas. DH says it her money she can do what she wants to. SS is 17YO no job but DGM bailes him out. I keep my moth shut and pray to god that nothing happens to the young boy.ENOUGH said.

My parents are home steaders/ farmers and I go down there every other weekend to help them {to get away for this S#*t] I want soooo bad to go back to Sedville... wishing ya' the best for the coming year...redhen

-- redhen (redhen@fiberia.com), December 31, 2000.

My husband gave up a career on Wall Street because he could no longer take the rat race. We bought an 1840 farmhouse with 50 acres in upstate NY and hubby commutes 1 hour 15 minutes to a new, and less stressful, job. We could no longer take city or suburban life and I wouldn't return to that lifestyle for all the money in the world. Who wants to pay $350,000 for a mediocre raised ranch with 1/3 acre? We saw in-laws on x-mas and my sister-in-law has her son dressed like a rapper. They are totally financially overextended, but spent $300 for a Playstation for this child. He also has 8 stereo speakers! What 10 year old needs such things? Before moving here we lived in London, England for 3 1/2 years, and whenever family visited they felt stressed by the lack of American "conveniences," like shopping malls, Holiday Inns on the highway, and 24 hour supermarkets.

-- Amy (acook@in4web.com), January 01, 2001.

Gee Whiz, am I glad that I don't have in-laws like some of these here. My sweetie's ex-wife is our nemisis though. She lives on the west coast and has two homes and doesn't like to have the kids visit us as we let them get mosquitoe bites the last time they came to stay over the summer. My family thinks I have lost my mind as I have the means to buy a nice house on an acre lot, but choose to live in a converted stable on a farm! I think my mom will always be disappointed as she constantly compares me to my other relatives who have big houses, bigger mortgages and lots of debt (but they have stuff, ya' know!) I will be out of the rat race in about five years and it won't be too soon for me. I love being outside and (forgive me all you earth moms, I hate housework!) and handling my horses and soon, hope to have some milk goats. Yep, we all have our crosses to bare, but in the end, it is ourselves we have to look to for happiness. I used to get upset when my relatives got that shocked look on their face when I refused to buy whatever new thing they thought I should have, but now, I just say "oh, you want me to go into debt?" and they shut up.

Happy New Year to all those homesteaders who make this forum possible and to those who are homesteaders at heart!

-- Cindy (colawson@mindspring.com), January 01, 2001.

Wow. This is the first thing I ever did in my life that my parents approved of....strange.

I wish you all the best and the strength and surety to overcome any and ALL obstacles in your path towards self reliance. If it's any help, I am sure that we are all thankful to have other homesteading crazies to share with! God Bless!

-- Doreen (animalwaitress@excite.com), January 01, 2001.