Green Pasture vs. Suburban Sidewalks

Happy New Year!

Well, for a while now it has been on my heart to leave the rat race of suburban life and go live on a farm.  You know, be subsistent, grow and raise our own food, be one with the land!  The Amish way of life always hits me as so pure and content.  I realize that their culture also has some very strict religious aspects, and I'm not saying I understand 100% or would like to join up.  But the idea of agrarian life seems pretty great. 

Image: Paul / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

As I sat and pondered my farm wishes today.  I started to wonder how farmers feel.  Are they happy where they are?  Do they wish they could live where I am instead?  Do they wonder what our days are like here in suburbia?  I have been reading and reading about farm life.  There are some great sources for this stuff that explain some details to fill the head of silly people like myself...books by Helen and Scott Nearing and Gene Logsdon have been my latest finds.  A search for "farm life" on Amazon finds 8,261 book hits.  A search for "suburban life" on Amazon finds 582 book hits.  I realize this must have required some odd chronicaling on the part of the authors.  Granted this is information I want to know... How much wood do you burn a day?  Do you use electricity?  What are the foods you like to cook?  How much snow did you get last December?  All the day to day details an anthropologist would long for.  Anyway, I've decided to try to chronicle our suburban life.  I'm not sure that anyone will find it interesting, but then the farmers who write about their lives may be thinking the exact same thing!  From time to time I'll post a selection here...don't need to disclose EVERYTHING :).  I do still like to craft and I do still like to dream about one day being on a farm with livestock and crops and a cozy stove to warm our home, but for now I aim to be content with what I have.  I am blessed with a wonderful and loving family and the backdrop for family must be of minimal importance, though I'm sure you'll see that I believe it has an effect on the family!