Small Victories
November 24th, 2005 by Northern FarmerI’m still so full as I’m writing this it’s difficult to get around. Good thing afternoon chores are minimal in winter. Maybe I should go walk around outside for a while without a coat on and burn calories but I’m afraid that I’d freeze before I could get the calories fired up. We had the traditional Thanksgiving meal around noon and that one pretty well done me in. You know, sometimes it’s hard to think on an overly full stomach, but I tried to seem intelligent to the extended family, don’t know if it worked though. This evening I’m really not in the mood to overstuff myself again so I’m just chewing on some bear meat while I’m typing this. Good stuff! One of the perks of living in this territory.
Many times holidays can be a rough time for folks working on a simpler lifestyle because that’s sometimes the time when the close relation can really bear down on them and make things miserable. I know I’ve been through it to many times in the past. It does seem to be toning down as the years go by, I’m not exactly sure why, but it is. Pressure from family has to be one of the hardest things a Christian person can go through. Even when a person isn’t down right confronted, the worldly folks can really get you down. My heart goes out to those that have to put up with extreme family pressure for choosing a simpler, agrarian lifestyle. It’s not easy.
But as the years go by I can see people in our relation taking a look at us in a different light. It’s so incredibly slow, but there never the less. I’m hearing statements that would not have been uttered a few years back about how the modern lifestyle is not that great. We’re not being scoffed at that much any more. Oh, they’re all in the rat race yet, still think shopping is something incredibly important and all the rest that goes with that lifestyle, but there are signs that a person can pick up by listening to them. Now when I do say something, instead of being laughed at, there’s real interest in some of the things I’m talking about, such as how the food supply’s quality has gone to the dogs, or simple gardening and storing away foods. Much, much more interest than even a short while back.
No one even scoffed at our change of churches. Strange, I was expecting that there would be mention that we go to that little weird church in that little town, hmmm. Must have been some help from the Lord today, I know I prayed before the get together for peace. And there was. Might be we have to lead by example, maybe they see a happy family, I hope so. Maybe they see the joy we have living simpler for the Lord. There was almost agreement today when I said we’re removing the television from our house and making the living room into a living room. At least nobody was laughing out loud. That finally was agreed upon last evening by our entire family here in our house. What a proud moment for me to hear my family say it should go. Praise the Lord!! Wow! And I didn’t order it, that’s what makes me so thankful. One more tool that the modern culture of death looses over this family, and a big one at that.
So basically, that was our Thanksgiving, better than expected in so many different ways. One day closer to a better future.
November 24th, 2005 at 8:25 pm
Tom,
You will never regret the TV decision! Congratulations! We haven’t had network TV in over 18 years. We use it as a video monitor - and we pick and choose what to watch.
During the school year it goes in the basement - only out during the summer and the Christmas Holidays.
You will find your lives greatly blessed and relationships deepened even more! Bring on the board games!!
Blessings,
Cheri
November 24th, 2005 at 9:52 pm
Hi Tom,
I’m so glad that your thanksgiving was not the battle that you expected and have experienced in the past. Sometimes Mark and I feel as though we have everything all figured out (ha!) and then we get slammed by friends and family for our ideas.
I commend you on the TV decision. It seems as people get older that they rely on it more and more and they forget to socialize and BE with those who are around them. I know that this will bless your family tremendously.
Oh, and I wanted to say - what a wonderful community you have out there… I’m so glad you found it.
November 25th, 2005 at 6:57 pm
Cheri and Gwen,
Thanks for the input on the TV. Believe me it won’t be hard to shut it down here. The good one is going in the basement for videos and dvds and that’s about it. That way we can select anything that we want but stay away from network junk. I don’t even think it’ll be used much for videos, but it’ll be there just in case.
And Gwen, I do know how it feels to get slammed by family and friends, but we just keep plugging. And I hope to show you around our area sometime when you all can get over this way. Who knows, you folks might like it around here… (Afterthought, I hope your hubby brings some of that award winning homebrew
November 25th, 2005 at 10:19 pm
You know, Tom, we’ve been talking about trying to make it up there. We could learn a lot from you - and Mark has lots of homebrew that he would love to share.
November 26th, 2005 at 7:03 pm
Gwen,
OK, imagine this, Northern Farmer doing cartwheels!!!
Might not be the prettiest site in the world but I’m happier than a hog in mud that you folks would even think of coming up here.
I was showing the girls pictures of your young one today from your blog and they were just plain exited.
Tom
November 30th, 2005 at 1:50 pm
Recently our preacher even said that going to these family gatherings can be like going into the very pits of hell. I agree with that. Even when a person isn’t down right confronted, the worldly folks can really get you down. My heart goes out to those that have to put up with extreme family pressure for choosing a simpler, agrarian lifestyle. It’s not easy.
I’d have to say ‘amen’ to that one. My wife and I did “the duty” and attended thanksgiving at my brothers. Might just be our last (not from any bitterness) just seems, well, disappointing. One of the most ‘interesting’ discourses of the afternoon was with my brother’s wife’s sister. (sister-in-law to me?) Never could get the hang of that family tree thing. When the topic of hamburger helper was brought up, being the family bumpkin’ and sarcastic wit that I am said to be, I joked that I did not see why they called it hamburger “helper†when it seems to do just fine on it’s own. Now this was intended as a joke (we don’t really eat it on it’s own IE without hamburger) but the joke was wasted and the humor was on me, as she remarked, “Do you really eat that? I bought it once, but couldn’t bring myself to making it.†(She’s City Folk ~ NY Style.) Well I suppose in a “Modern View†of dietary fare, hamburger helper is quite low on the totem pole so to speak, but that “uncomfortable†moment when I knew “We weren’t in Kansas any more Toto…†A trivial point or glimpse at things I know, but the sad commentary to this discourse was surround by the greater context of two things:
1) While my wife and I hung together enjoying the day and conversation pickin’ at food around the kitchen table. Her husband sat “glued†to my brother’s big screen watching the football game from the moment we arrived. Only to rise up on occasion to yell across the room at one of his brood, asserting his boyish manhood. I wonder if his wife feels neglected as those kids for a little patriarchal attention.
2) Upon returning home, I thought of our friends from the assembly and truly missed not spending the day with some of them, to honestly know not just what but who we give thanks for……..
PS. I did away with the TV “programming†7+ years ago and cannot say I miss it. My wife will tell you the same thing. We still use it for the occasional movie or instructional video/DVD. As for “Network (Nitwit) Television†as I wrote in an article I’ll have to post “Why do you think they call it programming….”
December 1st, 2005 at 5:12 pm
Oh yeh Scott, I truely know how all that goes. Thanks!
December 6th, 2005 at 5:37 pm
I did away with TV watching almost a year ago. I feel much calmer now and less depressed. I think it was all the gloom and doom news that is never totally right.
Kay Julia
I am moving to my farm in Kentucky after New Years. New Years another dumb holiday to celebrate stupidly.
I like most of what you said and especialy living closer with the Lord. I have had some very bad experiences at churches. I am glad you found one to your liking.
Soon, I will be lugging in my wood and taking care of the animals, planning the garden and making sure that I don’t forget to return the linch pin
December 6th, 2005 at 7:53 pm
Thanks for stopping by Kay Julia, and I’ll bet you are looking forward to moving to your farm!
I agree about New Years, it never did phase me, just another day. And New Years Eve I go to bed as always 9:30 PM.
I’ve had terrible experiences in the past with churches, and you know I said to God, OK I’ll go where you send me and we went to a little church I never heard of and the rest is history. God will never let us down.