News perception....

Adding some insight to my already very opinionated blog, seems like an oxymoron to me...but I am going to do it anyway!  As I began this blog to simple allow my family & friends that live a ways away from to keep up with our goings on, it has evolved into a blog about our homestead, home schooling, politics, recipes, natural health and so much more!  It's my goal over the next 2 months to reach as many as possible and watch the followers of this blog increase and to increase the viewers of our website - hayfieldhomestead.com and the facebook page - hayfield homestead increase. Please help us out and follow each of these!

Today, as I read through all the different news, groups, blogs and posts on Facebook that I have/get, I have to be a little reserved as to their content.  There is so much information that can really help you grow and accomplish whatever goals you set.  However, there is information that can cause you to feel overwhelmed and a bit nervous too.  As someone who has serious control issues, I don't like to feel like anything is out of control, or beyond being able to be fixed.  I have serious organizational issues...as in I need organization, but rarely get it lately.  I write notebooks upon notebooks of notes, recipes, or any information that can possible be used at some point.  I am constantly struggling to gain organization, control of certain situations, and eliminate clutter.  I like simplicity.  I like people to say what they mean, and mean what they say.  I don't want things sugar coated, and I don't like being lied to.  I will not judge anyone, and I don't want anyone to judge me.  Just because opinions may differ, it doesn't make either opinion right or wrong, normal or odd.  I am a firm believer in our Constitution and our Bill of Rights.  I am one of those that is considered a " God fearing, gun toting, Constitutionalists that is firmly planted in less is more!"  I worry about the future of my generation, and the future of my children's generation.  I am very proud that our family is sticking with a future of being self-sufficient and that we have learned and are teaching the same antiquated morals and values.

So, with all of that being said, here are some topics that have really stuck in my mind today.  The first article was about the Department of Homeland Security purchasing multi-millions of rounds of 40 caliber hollow point ammunition.  While the article was a little stressing to me the way it was presented, however, you can look at it from several different perspectives.  The article phrased it more as a paranoid "the government is planning to wage war on the American people."  You could also look at it as they are buying that much so that the supply is lower, and the prices will go up, and it will slow down the amount of ammunition that is bought by the American public.  Either way, it throws up a bit of a red flag for me.  While the article presentation stresses me at the thought that our elected officials could get so power hungry to do this, I just can't see how that would happen.  Especially since there are more households in the United States with guns in them, than not.  However, if that is the case, are you prepared for that kind of catastrophe?  On the other hand, if it's a supply/demand issue, this happens all the time.  This has become a staple move in America.  When prices are stagnant, or a product needs to be sold in bulk, the prices are lowered and the supply in minimized.  However, when the producers of a product want to increase prices, they slow down the production and increase the price.  This is the exact reasoning of the oil barrel prices, food commodities and and any product you purchase.  If ammunition is selling as quickly as the numbers appear, I can only imagine that our government wants to slow this down.  Our government has increased it's hold over so many markets in the past 25 years, that having their hands in ammunition just makes sense, that they'd be trying to limit supply & demand.

On the theme of government intrusion.  As many of my own family is divided along the political lines, I am of course somewhere in the middle on some aspects and extremely conservative on others.  I am a firm believer in working hard, being personally responsible for your life, not depending on handouts, and not depending on the government for anything.  I know, I am stirring a pot here.  I have family that are firm supports of the Democratic party, and family that are firm supporters of the Republican party.  Myself.... I am a FIRM supporter of our Constitution and Bill of Rights.  I don't negate giving a hand up to those who need it, but I am FIRMLY opposed to constantly giving a hand out to those that just live off the system.  I believe American families need to have full truth from our elected officials no matter what party, department, or organization.  I am laughing as I reread this paragraph.  I sound like an idealist.  That's OK... I may be but this is my opinions.  I believe marriage is between a man & a woman but it's not up to me to judge other lifestyles or place laws that discriminate.  I believe that conception is when a baby is a baby and a human life, but it is NOT my place to judge someone who doesn't want to carrying the child, has been raped or molested, or is irresponsible.  I have total faith in a Godly power, but I will not sit in a building with a bunch of hypocrites claiming to be Christian, yet judging everyone for every move they make.  It is not Christian to judge anyone for the things they do!  There is ONE judge, and it's not me!  I don't believe it's the governments job to tell me how to raise my children, nor is it their job to educate them.  My future, their future, and the future of any generation later is based on what they are taught at home...not by the television, not by the government, not by pharmaceutical companies, not by a federal department that has overrun their power.  It is our job as parents to teach our children right from wrong, it is our job to teach them to be responsible, and it is our job to instill morals and values in our children.

I see so many children that have zero parental guidance in their lives.  Being a parent isn't a right of passage to make yourself a "grown-up,"  it's an ongoing responsibility that can be overwhelming but can be the most rewarding experience of your life.  When you have children, there is never a dull moment.  No matter what your situation is, kids must be taught or they learn by watching.  A quick story about how kids behave lately, that I personally watched and cringed!  A few weeks back, we decided to take a trip into one of the bigger towns in our area that had a Wal-Mart.  Because we have to go after my husband gets off work, we decided to stop off at McDonald's(not a smart choice, I know!).  While we were sitting there, there were 4 young boys.  I would guess 10-13 yr olds.  The 4 boys weren't bad.  They were sitting there eating and laughing and having fun.  shortly after a group of 4 more boys came in and all hell broke lose.  They all started acting up, and there wasn't a parent to be found!  These young boys were loud, obnoxious, belligerent, and rude.  They were cussing, yelling at the top of their lungs, grabbing food off the tables around them and cramming it in their mouths, throwing stuff, and generally making complete asses of themselves.  I did complain.  I was told that these same 8 boys have been thrown out many times for their behavior and that the parents drop them off and leave.  These boys are young!  I know some will argue with me and say they are old enough to be on their own...I've already heard this.  However, these boys are at impressionable ages.  I couldn't help but wonder if their behavior was innately learned by watching the adults in their lives or if the parents were even aware of their behavior since there wasn't a single one of them around.  Quite honestly, if either of my kids behaved like that...they would be in SERIOUS trouble.  Not that it would happen to start with because I will not allow my children to be completely alone like that.  As I said before, it is the parents job to teach these kids.  Kids need guidance even beyond the magical age of 18.  I know I personally still turn to my parents and my in-laws for guidance, even at 37 years old.  When my parenting adventure began, I can remember saying I wanted more for my kids than what I had.  Over the past 11 years, I have learned that although I do want them to have more...I also want them to have less!  Contradictory I know!  I want them to have more, as in education, independent thinking skills, true leadership skills, financial knowledge, self-sufficiency, and understanding that less is more.  I want them to understand that what others have is great for them, but competing with what others have is time wasted and not smart.  I want them to know that it's a privilege to have the knowledge to think outside the box and that even though some will think you are odd or weird...it doesn't matter.  I want them to be happy with who they are and the accomplishments they make.  I have been very blessed to be able to stay at home full time with my kids, but I know that this too is antiquated.  Although everyone needs a break, I would not change anything in our lives.

The next topic is one that is dear to my heart.  Supporting Local businesses and farmers.  As we have begun our homestead, I am finding it so important to buy local.  We are fortunate to live in a farming community surrounded by life long farmers.  We have been blessed with several acres of land to allow us the freedom of raising our own food.  Although we are not 100% yet, we are getting closer everyday.  We have our beef, we have our gardens, we have our herbs, and we are soon to have our pork and dairy covered too.  Yes, this is a lot of work.  There are days when it would definitely be easier to just go to the store and buy a bunch of this stuff.  However, I am a stickler for research.  Having researched and learned so much...the less I have to buy at the store, the better!  I am constantly learning tricks that I'm sure my grandparents could have taught me, but I am personally reviving as a way of life for our family.  We have so much we could learn from our Elders that lived through the Great Depression.  During those days, life was tough for sure, but the family unit was stronger than any other time history.  They didn't have much, but yet they had it all.  They learned how to make things stretch, they struggled, they eventually overcame and thrived.  They had family, and as long as they had family, they had a strong foundation to which to build.  Although my kids seriously have so much, we don't just go and buy the latest and greatest.  Many times, we will find really fun things at yard sales, not to mention finding great deals on clothes.  Why on earth would you spend the price of brand new, when you can get great looking second hand ones at a fraction of the cost?!  You can call this thought cheap, frugal, or whatever but I personally call it smart, common sense thinking.  Whether you are attending yard sales, the local farmers market, or any number of local businesses/home businesses...you are supporting local families.  The big retail stores may offer a thousand square feet of stuff...all you are doing there is lining the pockets of that CEO or those in another country making the goods sold at those big box stores.  When you shop local, you are buying American made and that is an amazing feeling.  I would be willing to bet that most people couldn't find 5 things in their homes that are American made.

What do you know about the community you live in?  15 years ago, I didn't have any idea about my community...and honestly didn't care!  Now, on the other hand... I LOVE to learn more about my community and also about the surrounding communities.  Our local community is really interesting.  It's made up of all kinds!  We have some farmers that have been here for generations, we have what I refer to has the transplants from other areas, we have Amish, and we have Mennonites.  With such a diverse community, you can learn so much!  We live a long way from any town, but our scattering of farms gives me a chance to truly diversify my life.  Although our Mennonite families and Amish families are different that what I could live, there is so much to learn from them.  They are communities within themselves.  They have the majority of businesses, they have their own formal education, they have their own beliefs, and yet they are still happy to support local business.  Although I haven't had the pleasure of truly getting to know my Mennonite neighbors just yet, I can't wait!  They are really remarkable at the abilities they have.  This brings me to another story.  We moved into our homestead Halloween weekend 2011.  We had lived in our new area for about month when we had 2 visitors.  The first was a neighboring farmer about 1/4 mile down the road.  although he caught in the middle of a lot of projects and I wasn't real nice...he stopped to offer any help we needed.  It was a nice gesture.  The second came closer to Christmas.  It was our Mennonite neighbor.  His wife, every year, made a plate of homemade cookies for each of their neighbors.  This actually brought tears to my eyes!  I couldn't believe that there was still areas that took the time to think of others and to plan the way they must to accommodate that amount of cooking into their regular schedule.  This was an eye opener for me.  In our area, we have about 12 farms scattered over several miles.  I honestly don't know how many plates of cookies they made, but I for one, was warmed clear to my core!  You can bet that this year, I will be doing something similar for our neighbors.  I hope to get to know many more in the coming years and look forward to learning and growing.

OK, on to my final "hot" topic for today.  A statement that I have heard so much since we began our home school adventure.  What about socialization?!  Wow!  If I've heard this once, I heard it a million times.  I can appreciate the concern that some have, but before anyone judges I encourage everyone to understand.  Home schooling for us, was a choice out of necessity...not just because.  We made the choice after a bully hurt our oldest.  We have spent 3 years now trying to reverse the damage that 1 year of bullying did.  We did a lot of research and still research regularly to make sure we are doing what is best for our kids.  However, once my husband and I made the choice, almost everyone became an "expert" on what was best for our kids.  We have heard every negative, and ignorant opinion possible.  I say ignorant because some of the opinions have been from whatever ill-reported stories they had seen on television or some misconstrued perception they had.  Yes, home school was not in my plan for my kids, but that is how it has worked out.  As for the socialization, this is yet another area that is categorized to include being around other children their own age and making sure they are involved in every club/group/event as possible.  Although I agree that kids do need some time around other kids, I don't feel that it's necessary.  Have you seen the way most children behave now?  I personally don't want my children behaving like that!  This goes back to my earlier story of the boys at McDonald's.  My kids have friends their age, but it is not a requirement.  We have offered our oldest to be involved in sports, 4-H, or any other event and if either of our kids chooses to that is fine.  If not, that is fine too!  I will not force my kids to be involved in everything possible just to live vicariously through them.  That to me undermines their ability to be independent thinkers.  We feel that too many activities causes kids to be too stressed and not attentive enough to do the best they can do.  We believe that kids have to grow up too fast as it is, and it's important for them to be kids as long as possible.  Our way of thinking, and doing things may not be right for everyone, but it's what works for us.  Everyone has their own needs and ways of doing things.  It's important to be respectful to each other.

As our homestead continues to evolve, I hope you follow our progress, our blog, our website and our Facebook page.
Salli