A Year in Retrospect

When Ben first brought up the idea of moving to the country, I immediately shot it down. "The country" brought up images of fat old ladies in straw hats, grubby kids playing in the dirt streets, and overalls. After a month or so, he brought it up again. He promised me horses and an orchard, so I promised him one year.

"If I can't get used to it in a year, we'll move back." I told him. He agreed.

A year later, here we are. I can't say I'm fully adjusted yet. However, I am realizing that many of my pre-conceived notions of "The Country" are wrong. And, despite my city-girl-half, I do believe I'm starting to like it out here.

However, I still don't have horses or an orchard. Grr.

Now, what's changed in the past year? Lets see...

1. "Food" used to be whatever came in a box from the supermarket or whatever drive-thru was closest. Now our meals are 90% from-scratch... and we still eat out, but less often.
2. Spiders were cause for panic and screaming. Now, I gently shoo them back into whatever corner they came out of. Or else squish them if they're in my way. Or if I'm feeling ruthless.
3. Owning chickens used to be the tagline of a joke. Now we have about 70 of them. (Have you ever heard a bad rooster try to cockle-doodle-doo? Oh man, it's fully. They sound like they should be shot.)
4. Corn used to come in a can or in a feed bag. Now, we skim the fields after the harvest and pick up missed cobs.
5. I used to wonder who the heck heats with wood anymore? We have electricity for that! Well, guess what? Now, we have a wood stove. And I'm realizing how much misplaced faith we have in electricity.
6. Fat old grannies in straw hats? Yea... they exist. But they're nice, and they share fresh vine-ripe tomatoes with us. I think I can handle the straw hat. :D