My How Things Have Changed

We’re not in California any more.

In the past eighteen months a lot has changed in my life. I have gone from a fast paced life where I found myself trying to keep my head above water every day, to a life where each day I feel like I have the chance to stop and truly appreciate the moments in my life. In California, I felt as though my life was speeding by so fast that I didn’t have a minute to appreciate what was happening. I was always running to the office, to school, to the grocery store in order to get to the next pick up, event, or practice. Although it took me some time to adjust, moving to North Carolina, to the farm, gave me the opportunity to slow down. Now that I am settled, I am loving every moment of this new chapter.

In California, we lived in a two story house with a postage stamp sized backyard. I woke up every morning and put on slacks, a blouse, and a pair of heels. I drove our kids to school and headed to the office where I sat behind a desk and went to meetings for about 4-5 hours a day before I’d head back to the kid’s school to pick them up, help them get their homework started, and then get them off to practices before I started dinner. By the time I sat down with Mr. A to watch a tv show or have a discussion, I could hardly keep my eyes open. I was on the go every minute, or so it felt. My how things have changed!

Since moving to the farm in North Carolina, my days are much different. I’ve traded in the slacks, blouse, and heels for jeans, a tee shirt, and rubber work boots. The kids now walk to school everyday after they feed their animals breakfast and give them water. They also walk home! I now spend my days meeting with farm animals. I muck stalls, collect eggs, clean out the chicken coop, water and weed the garden, and Swiffer the floors several times a day because they have a constant coating of dirt and hay on them. If I’m lucky, and I finish all those chores early, then sometimes I have the pleasure to bake something for the kids before they get home. Y’all, I bake from scratch now! (Oh yeah, I say y’all now too! It’s so much easier to combine you and all. It’s fun too! Honestly, I think the whole country should adopt it!) Ok, back to baking… I still love me a boxed mix when I’m in a pinch, but there is something about baking from scratch that gives me a great sense of pride now. In the past I rarely had time to bake from scratch, but now I not only have the time, I prefer it. It’s nice to know my family is eating healthy ingredients.

Living in California, I used to shop at Nordstrom and I loved being on top of the latest fashion trends. Now, the nearest Nordstrom is over two hours away. In between that distance however, there are about six Tractor Supply Stores. For those of you not familiar with a Tractor Supply Store, it is Nordstrom for farmers. You can find egg incubators, electric fencing, chainsaws, every kind of feed for any kind of animal, guns, overalls, and just about anything you could possibly need for a farm. I go there about every other week now. For those of you wondering, no, I haven’t picked me up some of them overalls yet. That is one thing, even with the adoption of farm life, I never see myself embracing. Mr. A however, keeps teasing that he’s going to get himself a pair. If you knew him well, you would know that any day now he could walk out in a pair of overalls and a completely straight face. If and when that ever happens, I will be sure to document it for you all with a photo so you can share in the moment.

In California, I had a standing nail appointment every two weeks with my closest friend. We’d get manicures and pedicures. My nails and toes were gorgeous! Since moving to North Carolina, I haven’t had my nails done, not even once. Not only does it seem strange to go with out my girlfriend, but soon after moving to the farm, it became very clear that having painted nails and toes was futile, their beauty would never last! The amount of dirt, manure, and hand washing I do on a daily basis would never allow for a manicure and to last. And with my feet shoved in boots all day, I just can’t see the point in painting my toes. My how things have changed!

These are just a few of the lifestyle changes I’ve experienced since moving from our house in California to the farm in North Carolina. It’s certainly been an adventure and I am enjoying sharing it with you. There is certainly more sharing to come! Until then, I hop you enjoy your day. I’m so happy y’all have joined me here!