Just Another Hippie!

This past weekend we attended our Oklahoma Food Coop annual meeting. It was nothing as I expected. To be honest with you I expected a ton of "farmer" people. Instead as we walked in I saw more hippies in one church than I ever expected to see. It was so fun, this little underground movement of natural, earth loving people who love food. After we recieved the annual report and typical business we stood in line for the FEAST of FEASTS!!! As I stood in line I met more sweet and personable people than I have met in a long time. It was like we were given permission to be kind and talkative with one another because we were all there with the same cause and mission. If we could all be this way on a regular basis what a joy this place called earth would be. The food was as far as your eye could see, and the best home cooked, home grown food one could imagine. Oh and I forgot to mention the prayer. Yes, there was a prayer for which I was greatful. Here is kind of how it went. "Dear God, or whoever you may call on as your higher spirit. Thank you for this day and this food. Thank you for the land it was grown upon and let it nourish our bodies. Thank you and Amen." Wow, I just loved it. And at one point I was trying to nurse Eden discreetly and accidently elbowed the rather large fellow beside me at the eating table and I said "I am sorry". Where suddenly and without warning did he say "SORRY? What are you sorry about? You are doing what is best for that baby! My daughter nursed her children for well over one year each and I could not imagine anything else. Keep it up sweet child!" Thank you is all I could say in return. But in my mind I was so thankful. So thankful for acceptance in this world. There are many days that I think many (family mostly and some of our friends) think we have lost it. Between trying to live more simply, cloth diapering, fermenting different kinds of drinks, line drying our clothing, hand washing our dishes, buying smaller cars, and various sorts of other radical things, we get looks of disapproval for not conforming to modern society. But here in this place in this two hours of my Saturday I felt almost at home, like just another hippie.

I live in a bubble!

Well I officially have decided that I live in a little bubble. Ha- in more than one way! Anyways I have discovered the world of Facebook thanks to the guy that introduced Clay and I 13 years ago next month. We did a little mini reunion on the phone Tuesday night and he suggested that we get on Facebook so that we can keep in contact better. WOAH! IT is addictive! I have found people from my past that I would have never dreamed of talking to again and it has been some what pleasant to my suprise! It has given me such a happy outlook and some sense of adventure! I want to get outstide and live a little more!!!! I am SO ready for spring and to get these kids of mine outside and do a little gardening, exploring, hiking, camping and anything else that sounds adventurous for the day! I want to try new things! I am scared of my own shadow to be truthful. However, I want to drink life and live it to the fullest! COME ON SPRING!!!

I have locked myself in the house for the last five days in order to avoid catching the stomach flu that is running a muck in our friend's and family's homes.  It has been a hard week, and today has been especially hard.  I have run the gamut of emotions over the past five days.  From being very excited that I have a reason to stay home and accomplish things (if you read my last blog, I am a list accomplisher), to being very sad over a friendship lost, and now to just feeling down right depressed.  I am in desperate need of sunshine - vitamin D and adult conversation.  Typically, on a normal day in a normal year I would go and drown my depressive days and need of getting out of the house with a good shopping trip.  Purchasing this and that would get me through the low moments and in the end I would come out good spirited and arms full of "stuff".  But this is not a typical day in a typical year.  I can't go and get drunk from the shopper high of obtaining.  Instead I must look to other things to indulge in.  And honestly I have no idea what it will be tomorrow but it definitely include getting out of the house and obtaining some serious vitamin D!

~Holly

Lists and Excuses

As I lay in bed this morning at six, my mind spinning like the wheels of the bicycles on the Tour De France, I began making my list.  This is what I do, lists are my thing.  I am kind of a list obsessor.  My husband will tell you that I probably have lists of my lists.  But honestly it is the only way I get anything accomplished. As a young person, (IE, before kids) I was kind of the over achiever of the lists.  I would try and think of every thing possible that I needed to get done between today and the end of the week or better yet the end of the year.  I would get my kicks on how much I could get done in one day or one week.  These days I am still and overachiever of the lists, but only in my head and sometimes at six in the morning.  My lists today look very different from the lists of yesterday. Lists of yesterday were outrageously ambitious like...re-paint the kitchen, do three photo sessions, and re-organize the attic...all in one day.  And some days I would actually get all that done.  My lists today are more like do a couple loads of laundry, do a home school lesson, and return emails.  AND if I am honest with you then I will tell you that I really only accomplish one or two of those things in a day.

So I was making my mom list this morning.

• Return phone calls
  
• pack dinner for road trip
  
• wash diaper covers
• Home school Lesson
  

And all of the sudden a wash of freedom, excuse and relief came over me.  Like a child whom hates Physical Education class with a doctors note to excuse her from participation...I have permission today to go out and not buy "stuff".  Go to Target and shop? No.  Go to get the latest, greatest gadget? No, sorry, I have a plan this year that excuses me from that!

On day 16 of this journey I am at peace with it.  I will not lie and say it has been easy.  There have been times in a grocery store that I reach for something that is not in the category of food and realize that I can't buy that! Or times when I have heard about the latest book that everyone is raving over and normally I would run to the closest Borders and pick it up.  But instead I will go in search of these things to borrow, or live without.   At the end of the day I am very grateful for this journey.  It may become a way of life rather than a year long journey.

~Holly

In the beginning...

In an off handed comment in a coffee shop one day late in last year a good friend (Dan Rucker) challenged Clay and I to not purchase anything new in 2008. I told Clay about it thinking that he would totally balk at the whole idea and instead he said "YES!". However, he then turned around and told Dan that if he was going to hand out challenges that maybe he should take them himself. And so Dan and Jill are our partners in crime. So here begins the journey of our nothing new in 2008. Okay, there are a few exceptions, underwear, shoes, hygiene products and food are the main ones.
Clay and I have been on a journey over the last year or so to be more friendly to our world. We are not typically huge consumers, however we purchased more than I realized before taking this challenge. WE are taking this challenge for our children, to teach them a better way of living and giving them a better future on many levels. And most of all we are doing this for God. Check out the book "Serve God, Save the Planet" by Matthew Sleeth.
Please check in with us from time to time and read up on how we are doing!
~Holly (on behalf of the Peevyhouse Family)