Thoughts on Books and Other News.

So, as of today I have exactly one month until my due date. Tomorrow I have a regularly scheduled doctor appointment and after that I go every week to see him until the baby comes. It just seems like nine months has flown by. Last night I worked on getting stuff ready to be packed for the hospital and holding the little baby clothes really made it hit home--I'm going to be a mommy. It's amazing how life changes and it just puts you in awe.

Now, on to the thoughts I've been having while reading My Small Country Living by Jeanine McMullen (which I've finished) and Made from Scratch by Jenna Woginrich (which I'm almost finished with). I really appreciate these women for not sugar coating what a lot of other small-holdings/homesteading type books do...the realities of livestock and agriculture. When you have livestock you learn that death is inevitable. Many of the "How-to" books out there make country living and creating a small farm out to be a walk in the park. Reading those kind of books and then being handed the realities of gardening and livestock would make a person feel like a failure. These women in their books aren't afraid of exposing their mistakes and failures in order for their readers to know that it's okay. Accidents, diseases, and problems abound on a farm, but even at the roughest times you still can't imagine doing anything else--I think that shows in their writings too.

I came across Jenna's book because of her blog--coldantlerfarm.blogspot.com--she's young like me, but that hasn't stopped her drive or ambition to do what she wishes. I'm in the same boat--although I grew up on a farm with livestock and a huge garden--I'm trying to make a go of a small farm on my own now. She's an inspiration because when I read her blog I realize that I'm not the only person out there with these crazy goals and dreams.

Jeanine's book I happened on by accident at a Half Price Bookstore (my weakness is the Clearance section). I'd never heard of her, but she apparently is an Australian born English woman who bought a farm on a whim and then proceeded to plod her way through turmoil and almost defeat only to get her own country living radio program back in the eighties. I found her life to be quite fascinating.

I definitely recommend both books--I haven't been able to put them down since I started reading them.