Learning about myself

I love to work with the veggie garden, our flowers, shrubs and roses. Animals are a joy to be around more especially the chickens. They are such comical creatures. Usually when a person has a love for the homesteading/farming type of life whether it's their livelihood or a hobby this person has been exposed to the life somewhere down the road. This is true of me as well. My parents raised chickens, pigs, geese, rabbits and cows when I was growing up. They always had a huge vegetable garden every summer from which they canned and froze many vegetables for our winter use.

My maternal grandmother had chickens for eggs. She sold eggs to the grocery stores in our little town when my Mom was growing up. I remember her selling eggs when I was a child. My maternal grandparents may have had other animals for their food source but I only remember the chickens.

I had an uncle that had all sorts of animals. He raised them and sold them in a flea market type setting. He and his wife had large gardens every summer, too.

I came to the conclusion that my love of the homestead/farm type life came from my Mom's side of the family.

A few years ago, I began to get to know a cousin with whom I had never had much contact as we grew up. This cousin was my Dad's brother's child (or my Dad's niece..LOL). The first time I saw her in eighteen years, I found that she loved to raise chickens and had a flock of laying hens. She loves to quilt (Me TOO!!) and makes lye soap. I was amazed that we had so many of the same interests.

This weekend we had the pleasure of making a trip to Louisiana to visit with my Dad's brothers and sisters. Much to my delight, I found that my Aunt Betty raises chickens, pigs and calves. My Uncle Henry has a big raised bed garden and has chickens and goats. My other aunt and uncle don't have any animals at this time but Aunt Jackie told me that at one time she and Uncle Max raised their beef, chickens, etc.. Both Uncle Max and Aunt Jackie and Uncle Melvin and Aunt Shirley always had big gardens until they could no longer work them. Age takes a toll you know.

Now it is easier to understand why I enjoy the things that I do as much as I do. It's in my blood. On both sides of the family.