~paying with a goat!

It is a strange feeling when you have raised children for 20 plus years, to not have any children to actively be raising or to be responsible for.  It leaves you with a feeling of "whats next".  I know it is not just me, we have all heard talk of the empty next syndrome.  As the younger generation say, "THE STRUGGLE IS REAL".  It really is.  But I am no more defined by my position as a mother raising children, than my husband is by a position he no longer has after a long military career.  Our relationships with our sons and now daughters have moved on to a different place. Are we still there as parents, of course, we always will be. If they ever want our input, opinions or advice we are happy to be engaged in their lives and speak whatever wisdom we have gained through the years that it might be of some help to them.

We are people with a purpose and when one mission is over, rest assure there is another one lined up.  After having lived in the suburbs of  North Carolina, we bought a beautiful heavily wooded farm property when we moved here nearly 5 years ago.  The busy but laid back farm life suits us well and having this property to work on together causes my beloved and I to be a great team for a joint effort.  From keeping quite a few hives of honey bees, to the trial and error of our own wine, to gardening, raising livestock and everything in between!

I cannot tell you how stinking excited I am for our next addition to the farm.  Speaking of stinking...                                                                                                                                                                    

We are adding two adorable little piglets to the farm, for a short life - sigh.  These little piglets will be raised as holistically as we possibly can, for some good clean tasty meat for the freezer. EEK.  I am not sure if I can envision savory bacon as I look at these two little sweet hearts!  All I see is two adorable little sucklings.  Look at those curly-q tails!  These girls arrive in a week or so. Were paying for these two cuties with one of our little goatlings! I love bartering.

~Lynnie