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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The Kitchen's Garden 
86 responses to “And last but not least – Lyn of Virginia.”
G’Day Lyn, nice to meet you. I love your cottage and what you have done with the garden is amazing, It seems you have found that ‘little piece of paradise’ we all yearn for! I had it myself but had to move back into suburbia due to the hubby’s ill health. I still miss the space and the quietness – and of course, my chickens!
I am from the UK too, born in Scotland just after the war then we moved down to Lancashire when I was 10. I still have a soft boiled egg and soldiers for breakfast! The hub and I live in Australia now (20 years) and love it here – better climate for the hub’s health.
Thank you so much for filling in for Celi whilst she is away, and I hope that you give some thought to starting your own blog so we can learn more about you and where you live.
Four years ago after my divorce I did actually move back to the UK, thinking I had no other choice but to go home! I was there all of 6 weeks and couldn’t take it, felt so claustrophobic! So gritted my teeth and came back to my little piece of paradise. Turns out is was the best thing I could have done.
I admire you for doing what you did.
Hi Lyn, another expat Brit here. My mother brought up 4 small children in wartime Holland, where starvation was an ever-present danger, and it was impossible to buy anything new.
They were my older siblings and I was born later in England, but you’d better believe we learned how to make do and mend, how to stretch food to make it go round, and how to never throw anything away if there was the smallest chance of repurposing it. I love your cottage, and am very jealous of your 2 acres. Here in tropical north Queensland, I’d love a big garden and chickens, but no space, so I have to enjoy them vicariously through other peoples’ blogs. So keep writing, because I did enjoy it!
Luckily space is one thing the USA is not a problem here! Before my divorce we lived a couple of miles from here on 5 acres of land, and i had started a mini farm there – but wasn’t to be. However my 2 acres are enough for me now. I have an acre of it fenced to keep my animals in and the deer out. The rest is woods, a small creek and a large area that could be used for goats if I ever pluck up the courage to have a go at keeping them!
Wonderful! Look just what you have done and how lovely your life has become. If you start your own blog please let us know and I”m sure all of Celi’s readers will attach themselves to you!
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com
Your little cottage and acreage is a piece of heaven. Enjoyed getting to see a bit of your life. Well done.
Thank You!
Wonderful story and great post.
Hello Lyn: late on site as had friends for dinner last night when others commented. Loved every bit of your story and honestly wish we could meet ~ don’t know whether to laugh or cry: from the fact that WWII is important as far as my birth date goes too; and I was born in Europe and went short after the war; there has been a ‘messy’ divorce or two and subsequent leaner pocketbook here also; am from the corporate world and thus a world traveller also and now live semi-rurally: well sort’of 🙂 ! Have a small cottage too but no land to speak of ~ and you have done wonders with yours . . . so pretty! Oh – guess what I have slow-cooking: tripe in red wine! Absolutely adore offal 🙂 ! Thank you for your post!!
Eha, you sound like a kindred spirit! I was wondering when I wrote my ‘piece’ if many would understand where I was coming from, and am astounded to find so many of you completely understand and even have similar experiences. Ny Aunt always cooked great tripe, not sure she ever used red wine though, sounds lovely!
Why, Lyn? What makes us have a cuppa at Celi’s place? Every morning . . . and we miss it if we miss 🙂 !
Lyn, I’m usually late to reply since I am on the West Coast US, AND work a 40-plus hour job at a software company. Thank goodness I don’t have to travel any more like I used to! I adore your cottage and acreage, and hats off to you for changing your life! My life has taken some drastic turns in the past two years, but even renting now we do a hanging planter garden and herb pots. Lovely, lovey post, I like some others wanted more!
Hi Lyn, what a wonderful post; your language has a lightness of being, and your house is enchanting as is your get up and go energy. Wonderful blog; wishing you well;hugs and love
Hello, Lyn. Thanks for filling in for Celi and doing so with such a great post. Your home and property are quite nice and I admire your progress towards self-sustainability. Your raised garden beds and the crops that fill them are impressive. And I’m glad that most laugh at the though of eating offal. That’s a guarantee that the price will stay low because of the lack of demand. 🙂
What an encouraging story, and I wish you well with your healthy lifestyle, good for the land and good for you. Thanks for telling us about yourself and your land.
What a wonderful story Lyn… I’m from Uk too, and born just before the war, so i well understand where you’re coming from. Now I live in NZ, where I came with my two children after my divorce in HOngkong, with no money, job or friends…How resourceful and creative you’ve been in your new life,I just loved reading about it, and didn’t want you to stop … I felt quite envious, and felt I’d love to live the life you’ve made for yourself – just wonderful Lyn, thank you so much…
Hello Lyn – lovely to hear your story, I think so many of us have been through similar experiences and we salute you for what you are doing. It sounds like life is now happy and settled for you – shame you’re not closer as you could dog and chicken sit for us in Spain 😉
A great post. Your spirit and your English roots are showing – I too love offal, specially liver and kidneys, a product of my pre-war London vintage. We had chickens in our suburban garden!
Nice to meet you, Lyn. I also live in Virginia, but on the opposite side from you. I do love your cottage and garden, and happy to hear you’ve made so many friends.