And last but not least – Lyn of Virginia.

Today, as you read, I will be wending my weary way home.  Hopping planes, trains and  and automobiles plus a bus or two until I am all the way back home. Door to door is about 15 hours. This has been such a lovely break and the unBloggers have been stunning.  And here is Lyn!

Good Morning Farmy Friends!

Our very good friend Celi has asked me to write a ‘guest blog’ whilst she is on her trip to sunny California. So with butterflies in my tummy (never done this before) I will attempt to do so.

First a real quick background on me and where I come from.

I was born in England just after WWII. The reason I mention this is to put a little nugget in your mind regarding my up bringing during a time of ‘rations’ and hard to come by food people have now become used to. The staples around at that time were things people now turn their noses up at, namely ‘OFFAL’! Yep I eat liver, kidneys, heart, tongue and other unmentionables! Good source of protein! Also what ever you could grow in your gardens, as fresh vegetables were also a luxury.

 Fast forward 50 some odd years and guess what, I am eating that kind of food again. Now not because of the restrictions of war, but from choice.

The years in between, like most people, I abused my body with all sorts of crap (am I allowed to say that word?). Mostly due to my lifestyle and chosen career of a Project Manager with an international computer software company, that kept me on the road most of the time. This career was the reason I found myself, back in ’94, embarking on a fork in the road that bought me to theUSA. Here on a 2 year work contract I found myself living in New Jersey. I also found myself dashing around from State to State, living in hotels and eating from fast food restaurants more often than not.

 In 2005, my then husband and I moved to Bedford Virginia, and bought a house at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and I retired from my travelling. Sad to say life then threw me a curve ball and one messy divorce later I was to find myself alone in this wonderful part of the country. With my share of the divorce I did manage to buy myself a little cottage that was just my size. It has 2 acres of land and had a lot of potential. I moved in with one dog, Shelly, one cat, Nala, 2 suitcases of clothes and a blow up bed. That was basically all my worldly goods. Oh and I was unemployed.

 My little cottage

This was my back garden just after I moved in – not a lot going for it! 

After surviving my own little war I reverted back to my childhood and decided I needed to provide for myself as we did back then. I was lucky that I had a father who filled my brain with all his knowledge of growing stuff. A friend made a number of raised beds for me and I started growing in earnest all the food I could want to eat.

Obviously I wasn’t equipped to just live off this alone, so got me some chickens to help with my protein needs.

Money was still an issue; therefore I embarked on a new career as a ‘Pet Sitter’. Initially this was walking dogs and feeding cats, but I live out in the boonies somewhat and soon I was asked to look after horses, goats, ducks, chickens, the list goes on! My love of animals saw me through thankfully and the only problem I ever had was a Pot Belly Pig called JD (short for Jimmie Dean) who, whilst I was walking him on a leash, decided to bite me! Needless to say I haven’t looked after him since.

 After reading numerous books on what is actually in the food we buy from the grocery stores and how the animals are treated, I have now done things I never thought I would. Make my own bread, can my own produce and stay away from processed foods. I also only buy my meat from local farmers that I know treat their animals well, and they are more than happy to provide me with the ‘offal’ that local people turn their noses up at LOL..

Finding Celi’s blog has also been a wonderful help as she has given me the courage to continue my new lifestyle. No where near the scope of her little farm, or the wonderful things she does day in and day out, my little cottage and animals are my life now and I am so happy to be away from that Corporate world I worked in for far too long! Oh and the back garden is filling up fast!

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