This Little Piggy Went to Slaughter

It is always a joy whenever my wife writes for the blog. She doesn't do it often, but when she does it is always from a viewpoint that either I haven't considered or is presented in a way that just touches people that I normally can't. I really appreciate the fact that she is so supportive of my crazy idea about writing and recording podcasts. It is just one way that I believe we can help others that are on the same journey as we are toward a more sustainable life.  I find it really sad that there are so many couples out there that don't take an interest in each others passions. Life is always fuller when you have an engaged partner.

Without any further delay, I present to you my wife, the Un-country Country Wife and This Little Piggy Went to Slaughter.

First off, this little story isn't Kosher. I do not mean to be offensive but, I love pork. I'm not a fan of fish, either raw or cooked and the verdict is still out on venison. I'm not sure if rabbit is ever going to hit my palatte either. But right under beef and chicken, it's pig for me. But my eyes have been opened to a new experience. One that does not involve the grocery store.

Recently my husband was gifted with a hefty amount of pork from his dad, who had just slaughtered a pig and had it sent off to the butcher. It was returned in nice little packages that had me pondering if I would be able to eat if without being cynical and biased to the pretty stuff I'm used to seeing at the market. 

Gregg has to do his fair share of the cooking due to my 12 hour shifts at the hospital. Needless to say, I don't gripe when he chooses what we're eating when he's the chef. The menu consisted of some of the pork chops that came from his dad. So here it comes. Was I going to be disappointed? Grossed out because I had met the owner of those chops, (before they were detached from her body). I put on my brave face and bit into the chops... that was all it took! I was in Hog Heaven! The flavor was incredible, not to mention the size. I was hooked.

The next morning, I got up early and started breakfast. I had some bacon waiting in the fridge. As I began preparing it, the aroma filled the house. It felt like something from a book. And again, the taste was phenomenal. The cut was thick and juicy and full of flavor. I was ruined. This week I made biscuits and homemade sausage gravy. It was the best I have ever made. Not to mention the green beans cooked in the neck meat that I served as part of our Valentine's Day supper.

So now I'm in a dilemma. I don't want the grocery store pork anymore. I want my own pigs in the backyard. I want to be able to put packages of meat up in my freezer that I absolutely know for certain what it was fed and how it was raised. But we have such a small amount of land, and that squeamish, wimpy part of me wonders how I would handle feeding something and taking care of it, then knowing it would have to die.

Gregg has trouble understanding this due to this being all he's ever known. He is always patient and kind when it comes to me and my goofy somewhat neurotic ways. I'm hoping to overcome this in the future. In the meantime, I reckon I'll just have to send him to Carter Hill to purchase some of those wonderful piggy packages!

Living a more sustainable life is always a journey. For many the journey can be difficult and even a little scary. It is worth every step. I hope you enjoyed this post and maybe you can relate to my wife. If you relate, leave a comment, who knows that might encourage my wife to write more often.

Bringing Rural Back

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You can like The Rural Economist on Facebook follow on The Rural Economist on Gplus. We now have a YouTube channel and we cover all sorts of things. Hop on over and check them out, oh and don't forget to subscribe. I have just joined Instagram if you would like you can follow us HERE. We will be sharing several things over the next year, I hope to see you there. 

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Situational Awareness

In this episode we talk about situational awareness. What it is, how we can improve our awareness, and how it applies in our everyday lives. We also cover the enemies of situational awareness, which are normalcy bias and perception bias. I really thing you will enjoy this episode. If you do enjoy the podcast consider subscribing and giving us a rating on your podcast directory of choice. 

You can join the listener appreciation contest HERE. All you have to do is promise to share the show in some way.

Thanks

Together We Are

Bringing Rural Back

Homestead Blog Hop 70

Welcome to the Homestead Blog Hop!

There are so many things going on right now that it is crazy, a good kind of crazy. First plantings and so much more. I hope everything is going well with you too.


Now on to the hop... Homestead Blog Hop will take place every Wednesday and is for all things homesteading: real food recipes, farm animals, crafts, DIY, how-to's, gardening, anything from-scratch, natural home/health, self-sufficiency, self-reliance, natural remedies, essential oils, & more! Basically anything related to homesteading.

Meet and Follow Your Hosts!

  Bonnie - The Not So Modern Housewife (Facebook/Pinterest/Twitter/G+) Gregg - The Rural Economist (Facebook/Pinterest/Twitter/G+/Instagram) Jenn - Little House on the 100 Farm (Facebook/Pinterest/Twitter/Instagram) Jennifer - Homesteading on Grace (Facebook/Pinterest/G+) Katey - Mama Kautz (Facebook/Pinterest/Twitter) Kelly - Simple Life Mom (Facebook/Pinterest/Twitter/G+)

Featured Posts from the Last Homestead Blog Hop

Each week we will choose three posts to feature. Each post will be shared on all social media platforms by all of the hosts! Here are the features from Last Week's Hop:  

1. Feather Pecking in the Chicken Coop from Oak Hill Homestead 

 2. How to Compost from Farming My Backyard

 3. What to Look For When Buying Homesteading Land from The Rustic Elk

Congrats! Feel free to grab the featured on button for your post.

Just right click and 'save image as...'

Guidelines for this Get-Together:

1. Click on the “Add your Link” Button below and add a great image of your project or recipe. Make sure you link to the page of your family friendly post – not the main page of your blog!
2. Try to visit at least a few other blogs at the party. Be sure to leave a comment to let them know you stopped by!
3. Please link back to this post somehow (a text link is ok). This is one thing we look for when choosing who to feature. We will share on multiple social media if you are featured!

Let the Party Begin!

Don't Let Perfect be the Enemy of Good

I first heard this phrase several years ago at a marriage conference that was being held at the church I was attending at the time. I believe the speaker at that time was Beth Moore. This portion of the event was primarily aimed at the ladies, but it held truth for everyone. She talked about her husband, about the problems they had had and the victories they had seen. She made a statement that he wasn't perfect, but he was a good man. I remember her saying "Ladies, don't let perfect be the enemy of good".

Now, I will be honest this phrase is one of those that could be used to help us accomplish incredible things, but it could also be used to make us feel better about not stretching ourselves. We must always strive for better. 

Like so many things in our lives, I hadn't thought about that statement in a very long time. We have so much that draws our attention and demands our focus. Today I was lucky enough to spend some time in the garden doing some prep work. I was putting down some cardboard and mulch in the garden spot as a weed barrier and to help retain moisture. I was lucky enough to be able to get a windfall of topsoil, mulch, and compost at a stupid cheap price. (I would have been stupid not to take it.)

I was looking around and wishing that the garden was better, that I had more room, that I had more time, and energy..... well you get the idea. That is when this phrase came back to my thoughts. Don't let perfect be the enemy of good. The garden has gotten better every year. Last year we had the best production so far, but for me it still wasn't good enough. We still have problems. There have been a few times that I honestly thought about just not having a garden at all. Yup, I am admitting it. There are times it would be easy to say, "Until I have more time I am just going to wait." or, "I just don't have the energy", I could even say "I will get started when we have a more suitable homestead". But if I said or did any of those things I would be giving you and myself a disservice.

I realized as I was thinking about these things that I am not the only one that feels this way. For most of us there is never enough time, money, and energy. I do mean NEVER. In fact this phrase was quoted by Voltaire so it is at least older than when he was around.

Why We Wait

I believe that all of us were created to do something in this life. Some of us are innately  endowed with the ability to be great teachers, some are encouragers, others are entrepreneurs, and the list goes on and on. I am fully convinced that everyone excels at something and no one excels at everything. The people that look like they excel at everything have just chosen to not participate in the things they stink at, and I really believe it is that simple. So, if we all excel at something, why do we wait about getting out there and following our passion?

Fear of Failure

I believe this is the biggest obstacle that we all face. Many of us fear getting out there and trying something, only to fall on our face. We don't want to have to deal with the struggle, pain, and possible humiliation of not being successful at something. Many of us have tried something massive and failed. Some of us lost everything. But you know what? The sun will still come up in the morning. When this happens, we just have to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and head out in a new direction. It stinks. It hurts. But it doesn't have to kill you.

Every time I have failed there have been lessons that were available to learn. Some times I learned them and some times I didn't. That doesn't mean that they weren't there. Even if the lessons are hidden, look for them.

Fear of Success

I know this one sounds strange, but it does exist. Fear of success is actually fairly common. There are many books and articles about dealing with this fear. Very few people, however will admit that this is an issue. There are always other things to blame, but the truth is success can be a little scary. Once you have achieve what people call success there is always the drive to go higher and do better. Think about it, how many of the Hollywood stars are on drugs? How many musicians that you would call successful die of overdose or commit suicide? There are much worse things in life than being on a list of "one hit wonders".

Responsibilities

This one hits a lot of us. We honestly feel that we can't do anything because we have commitments that must be kept. There are bills to pay and we have to feed our families. These are all very important, but let's be honest, there are always ways to pursue our dreams while not neglecting to take care of our commitments. You can always start small and build, it doesn't matter if we are talking about a garden or a business, it can be done.

You might find this post helpful.

Some Things are Worth Doing Even if You Can't Do It Right

I know there are people who are almost screaming at the screen or speaker. There are so many people who will say anything worth doing is worth doing right, and to some extent I agree with that. I have found that there are a lot of people who will use this statement as an excuse for not doing something. This is not good. There are times that we just have to do things, even if we aren't certain how it is going to work out.

I remember a preacher a long time ago that was talking about Christian service. What we should be doing for our faith. I will never forget what he said." If you don't know what to do, just do something. If you're not doing what you are supposed to be, you will find out and you will gain experience that there was no other way to attain.".

This year my motto is going to be:

Don't Let Perfect be the Enemy of Good.

Bringing Rural Back 

Subscribe to our mailing list

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Email Address * 

First Name 

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You can like The Rural Economist on Facebook follow on The Rural Economist on Gplus. We now have a YouTube channel and we cover all sorts of things. Hop on over and check them out, oh and don't forget to subscribe. I have just joined Instagram if you would like you can follow us HERE. We will be sharing several things over the next year, I hope to see you there. 

Check out The Rural Economist on Pinterest

Visit The Rural Economist's profile on Pinterest.

Affiliate Link Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I may receive compensation for links, endorsements, testimonials, or recommendations for any products mentioned on this blog. If you see something you are interested in, check them out. Thanks for your consideration.

Rural Values No Matter Where You Are

In this episode we talk about the values of hard work, thrift, community, faith, and honesty, as well as how I believe they are based on the rural community. These are values that can be implemented no matter where we live. They sadly seem to be being lost. 

Don't forget to enter the listener appreciation contest. If you enjoy the podcast subscribe on iTunes and Stitcher. For some reason Stitcher takes longer to update the feed than iTunes. We can also be found on other podcast directories.

Bringing Rural Back 

Personal Sovereignty: The Realization

This is the second in this series. The first episode was some time ago, but we are still working our way through. In this episode we talk about all of the many systems that most of us are either dependent on or are attached to and how to slowly uncouple ourselves from those systems. I think you will enjoy it. 

Don't forget to enter the listener appreciation contest. If you enjoy the podcast subscribe on iTunes and Stitcher. For some reason Stitcher takes longer to update the feed than iTunes. We can also be found on other podcast directories. 

If you have time check out this very interesting interview done by our friends and Rural Round Table members Sean and Monica Mitzel. 

Bringing Rural Back

Homestead Blog Hop #69

Welcome to the Homestead Blog Hop!

  The past couple of weeks have been really challenging for myself and my family. Without going into any details, we have lost one of our family members unexpectedly. It is really bad. When something like this happens, it calls to our attention just how precious life is and how if we waste it, it will be gone before we realize. Make every moment count.

This weekend is Valentine's Day. Be sure to tell those that you love, just how much they mean to you.

Now on to the hop... Homestead Blog Hop will take place every Wednesday and is for all things homesteading: real food recipes, farm animals, crafts, DIY, how-to's, gardening, anything from-scratch, natural home/health, self-sufficiency, self-reliance, natural remedies, essential oils, & more! Basically anything related to homesteading.

Meet and Follow Your Hosts!

Kelly - Simple Life Mom (Facebook/Pinterest/Twitter/G+) Katey - Mama Kautz (Facebook/Pinterest/Twitter) Jennifer - Homesteading on Grace (Facebook/Pinterest/G+) Amanda - Idlewild Alaska (Facebook/Pinterest) Gregg - The Rural Economist (Facebook/Pinterest/Twitter/G+/Instagram) Bonnie - The Not So Modern Housewife (Facebook/Pinterest/Twitter/G+)

Featured Posts from the Last Homestead Blog Hop

Each week we will choose three posts to feature. Each post will be shared on all social media platforms by all of the hosts! Here are the features from Last Week's Hop:

1. 41 Ways to Become More Self-Sufficient from The Rustic Elk 

 2. Easy Meatball Soup from Prepare & Nourish

 3. 7 Tips to Help You Create Healthful School Lunches from Grounded and Surrounded

Congrats! Feel free to grab the featured on button for your post.

Just right click and 'save image as...'

Guidelines for this Get-Together:

1. Click on the “Add your Link” Button below and add a great image of your project or recipe. Make sure you link to the page of your family friendly post – not the main page of your blog!
2. Try to visit at least a few other blogs at the party. Be sure to leave a comment to let them know you stopped by!
3. Please link back to this post somehow (a text link is ok). This is one thing we look for when choosing who to feature. We will share on multiple social media if you are featured!

Let the Party Begin!

Questions and More

Bringing Rural Back Episode 40

In this episode we cover questions about gardening, composting, and trying to move off grid. I think you will enjoy it.

ITunes only shows the last 10 episodes. When I reference episodes in the past I will provide a link to the actual post and the audio is embedded. You can go through it to download the episode if you desire. If you enjoy the show consider subscribing and giving us a rating on iTunes or Stitcher. 

Join the listener appreciation contest. All you have to do is promise to share the show in some way. Thank you. 

Bringing Rural Back

The Difference Between a Home and a Homestead

There are some simple differences between a home and a homestead. I am a firm believer that any home can be made into a homestead. I really wanted to do a full write up on this, but due to events in our family I just haven't been able to get it done.

Sign up for the listener appreciation contest. 

Bringing Rural Back