Today I did the kind of things I usually do. Worked a little. Went to the market, made a big ol' salad for dinner, tried my hand at home made ranch dressing. Roasted up the asparagus and cauliflower that were getting yukky. Put a bunch of stuff on Freecycle.

Then, I got a call from a head hunter.

Which naturally has me wondering if I would ever really go back to work in Evil Corporate America (heretofore known as ECA). I can definitely see the positive results of my change to being self employed in my family. I'm here 95% of the time when the girls get home from school. My stress level is a sliver of what it was. My family is eating healthy meals and my cooking repertoire is expanding. I get to volunteer in my community. I get to take my dogs to the park. My fuel costs are minimal. Many of those things are pretty high on my list of priorities. Hard to walk away from.

Then we have the things that WOULD improve if I went back to ECA. We would have health insurance. We could ensure A's continued attendance at her private school (which has been a HUGE positive step for her and has drastically improved the family dynamic). We would have a verifiable income to work with when buying our farm, as well as capital for equipment. If I worked for 3 years and we kept to a strict budget, we'd be in a much different place than we are now with essentially nothing but a dream and a prayer to keep us going.

Under what circumstances would I consider it?

If I were able to work from home? And made enough $$ to pay someone to cover the kids if I had to travel? If they gave me a signing bonus that would cover the $30k needed to buy the farm that I love?

My dog Ezra has wobbly hips. I didn't notice it much until Maxx came. Now, seeing them walk side by side, I can tell that Maxx's gait is as true as North. Ezra on the other hand swishes back and forth from mid-torso to tail. It doesn't bother him or impair him at all. As he ages, though, my guess is that he'll begin to feel pain a little earlier than most German Shepherds. He'll get stiff - getting up and down will become difficult. Someone suggested I put him down now and cut my losses. But seeing him run in the woods, swim in the lake and wrestle with his brother, I have no doubt that he finds joy in every day. He doesn't know that one day he'll be stiff and achy. Or maybe he does. Either way, he lives each moment as if there is no tomorrow. Whatever comes, this moment is his.

I want to live my life that way.

Quick post as I'm almost out of battery:

I love the picture that is now in the header of this blog. I took it in Michigan's Upper Peninsula last summer while looking for a place to call home for the next chapter of our lives. This was before most of the events that have landed us where we are today took place. It was a beautiful morning and the girls and I had breakfast on the beach. I'm pretty sure that there will never be any other place that impacts me emotionally in the same way this area does. Some of my most intense moments of joy have happened there. And some of my most intense moments of pain. Without a doubt, it's special.

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We are on the ball this summer with much going on. Everything is in the ground that needs to be. Oyster Mushroom logs are inoculated, Lion's Mane mushrooms are growing in my kitchen, rosemary & thyme are outside rather than in. The very last thing that needs to go in the ground are the eggplant seedlings I bought at the Farmer's Market week before last. I left town for a visit to Memphis without planing them and may have screwed the pooch.

Most exciting is that Bill and I are going to visit a potential farm in Southern Ohio June 11th. Other than being in Southern Ohio, it has everything we are looking for in a property including creative financing. Keep your fingers crossed.

Tallow soap is scheduled to happen this weekend. More finger crossing, please. I'll be doing it with coconut oil and shea butter to cut the tallow. Rosemary & Spearmint essential oils will round out the recipe. I'm psyched.

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Trips to Memphis make my head spin. I'm always so glad to go and so glad to get home. This time, my sister came back with me so it'll be interesting to see how long it takes me to get back in my routine here. She's a spastic house cleaner, so I'm hoping to channel some of that to help me get on top of my housework. Lots of talk about family issues. Dope, sex, etc. Lots of love, too.