Is Homesteading The Life For Me?

I sat there on a cold rock one grey spring day after the long hard weeks had passed. I watched as my children explored the empty bay they enjoy swimming in each summer. It was a first for all of us to see what it looked like this time of year. Our hearts were still tender and hurting and this was the first time we had gotten back out into nature since the divorce was finalized. I watched the childlike joy spread across their faces as they explored what appeared to them as a fresh water tide pool or sorts. They lifted rocks and found the remains of tiny crawfish, hooks and fishing lines and other little treasures. I whispered half to myself even though my mom was sitting a couple of large rocks away from me, “ I need to take them to the ocean.”

Beaver Bay in Spring

They need to be free for just a little while. I need to ask some questions of myself…

Well, my mom heard that whisper - and she made it happen. She quickly planned a trip to our favorite spot on the Oregon Coast, Newport. My uncle from England heard about the trip and decided it was a great time for him to join in! I was excited to see him again since it had been before Covid broke out and a visit was long overdue. There was much to be done in the months between that whisper and when the trip would actually take place. The Modern Homestead Conference, a business photoshoot, a trip to the dessert and many other regular life things - but a trip was planned and it gave us something to look forward to.

All the while I worked on these tasks I felt a question brewing in my sprit.

As the spring turned into summer, the crops we planed grew and produced beautiful vegetables, herbs and flowers. Our animals gave birth and hatched out chicks and we experienced the great joy and deep sadness farm life can bring. My children struggled with the losses and I wondered why things were so hard this year. I knew I was stretched thin but something more was just off. Life on a homestead is about changing, adapting, learning and growing. We kept at it and made sure we were doing our farm chores to the best of our ability. Still difficulty persisted. At least there was the trip.

August seemed to fly by as it usually does when birthdays and the harvest run into each other. Homeschool picks back up and everyone in our cold climate is trying to take advantage of the last warm days summer has offer. We know full well the cold will soon overtake the warm days and the darkness of winter will set back in. It was nice having a trip to look forward to even in all the busyness. The children’s sadness had seemed to be replaced with high emotions and I knew the trip was going to be good for us all.

September came and it was finally time to take to the shores of the Pacific Ocean. The children were wild with anticipation and excitement. I was busy getting all the things prepared to leave. There is much to do during the harvest - but being homeschoolers there are cheaper prices to be had and still warm days to be enjoyed when all the rest of the kids have gone back to school. We are flexible in our schooling routine and are able to enjoy learning in all its beautiful facets. Tide pooling is such an amazing way of bringing the books we read to life. Pagoo- a story about the life cycle of a hermit crab is one of our favorites.

While we were busy exploring the magnificent rock formations the waves crashed upon them. We were feeling the sheer force of the winds… I stood there thinking I am not not in control of this life.

Standing there in the wind and having the waves crashing all around the questions that had been brooding inside of me bubbled up to the surface: Am I a homesteader? Is this the life I’m meant to be living? The questions demanded to be answered.

Seeing my children so happy and free running along the coastline, exploring the salty pools and dodging the waves as they tides rose I wondered is there a better life for them?

A few days into our trip I had noticed blackberries growing ripe in what seemed to be every nook and cranny of the west side of Oregon. I was no stranger to this and had longed to pick blackberries in Oregon since my early twenties. The timing never seemed to quite work out - we live about 10 hours drive away from the coast… so planning a trip just to pick berries had always seemed a little frivolous. Being an avid forager I determined this would be the trip I would finally pick a few of these juicy berries - there was only one problem… I didn't know the foraging laws of Oregon… or where the public lands were. It was time to do some research. I went online and started keeping my eyes open every time we left our beach house rental. There had to be somewhere I could pick.

One afternoon at low tide we took the kids to our favorite tide pooling spot - seal rock. There is a “secret spot” we like to go to and knew they kids would love it. It was a windy day, but it often is at the ocean so we brought coats and off we went. As we walked the beach the winds picked up and soon the whole area was socked in with thick sea mist. We tried to explore the tide pools but there was so much sea foam built up you could hardly make out the shoreline. - We later learned this is due to a healthy algae bloom and was nothing to be concerned about. The children still had fun seeing this new to them phenomenon. We didn’t say as long as we had planned not wanting to test these potentially dangerous conditions. We turned to face the wind and made the long walk back to where the car was parked. By the time we arrived we were freezing cold and had salty sand built up on our faces. Our hair was wild and the kids jumped into the car as quickly as they could. We had parked in a little spot surrounded by wild blackberries! While my mom and uncle continued to make their trek against the wind I quickly shed my jacket and started filling it with as many blackberries as I could fit! And that’s when it hit me!

The answer to my question was waiting there in that blackberry patch. Am I a homesteader? The pure joy of picking from this wild abundance hit me like the waves upon the rocks. It crashed over me and my sprit soared!

My mom and uncle made it to the car safely and joined in the picking fun. We soon had enough to be enjoyed by all. We took them back to the beach house and I searched the cupboards for any ingredients I could find to turn these berries into something delightful… A few apples we’d brought from home that were picked from a local farm. Some butter and flour and just a touch of sugar… Yes! Apple and Blackberry Crumble! Everyone was thrilled with this surprise desert.

As I mixed together the flour, sugar and butter and sprinkled it on top of those lovely berries the truth came to me clear as day - I am a homesteader at heart. No matter where I go the homestead life comes out in me and I just can’t help it. I love this life I’ve worked so hard to build. Homesteading is inside of me and I can take it wherever I go. In that moment I was perfectly content baking for my family something that would fill their bellies and bring smiles to their faces. I knew I was just about ready to go back to my farm and continue on living our beautiful life. Even the children were looking forward to seeing their animals again and eating the fresh food from the garden.

We had a few more days at the coast after that delicious crumble and I was determined to find enough berries to bring home one gallon. And you know what? I did it! A bit more exploring and I found there was a large patch just down the road from our rental. I was able to go out one morning while the warm sunlight streamed through the trees to harvest some of this abundance. As I picked I heard “Good will come to those who wait upon the Lord” - I couldn’t help but smile and sing a song of thanksgiving right there in that thorny blackberry patch.

Abundance is everywhere!

Good will come to those who wait upon the Lord!

You can take the girl out of the homestead but you can’t take the homestead out of the girl.

If you’d like to see more from our trip check out this YouTube video!

We all enjoyed our time in Newport, Oregon and have new wonderful memories in our hearts. My favorite will always be discovering more of my true self and picking those tart purple berries and being pricked and scratched by the thorns that protect them so vigilantly. I went home with my question answered - truly I am a homesteader. Are you?

Learn & Grow

Esther - Your favorite crazy plant lady.