A trip to NY last week led to a long discussion with my husband last night. We talked until nearly one in the morning. Discussing how we wanted to live. I grew up in a normal mainstream house, but on the weekends I went to my Dad’s. My Dad is a homesteader. He instilled a love and respect for the land in me. He built his log cabin himself. He and my step mom live in a way that is very self sufficient. They know where their food came from because most all of it was grown right there on their land, animal, vegetable, and mineral. They were “green” before the phrase had even been coined. I miss that. I miss being so connected to nature. I am tired of Walmart. I am tired of private health care. I am tired of The Gap and Target. I am tired of eating food that is removed from the land, that I have no idea where it came from. I am tired of buying things because I have been programmed to believe I “need” it. Like plastic wrap, and toothpaste, bread, toilet paper, and tissues. Yes, I know what you are thinking, and that just proves how “sold” we all are.
I used the last of the Saran Wrap the other week. I’m not buying more…ever. We started making our own toothpaste with baking soda and coconut oil months ago. We started using family cloth (flannel toilet paper) a while ago too. I figured if cloth diapers and wipes are good enough for Finn, they are good enough for us too. The same goes for tissues, and paper towels. The list goes on and on.
I am tired of all the processed fake food. We have made some radical changes in how we shop for food, how we cook, and how we eat. I have been drinking 100% whole, raw, grass-fed, organic milk, cooking everything with butter and coconut oil for a while now and guess what. I lost 8 pounds. I have more energy. I don’t crave sweets the way I once did. Probably because my body is finally getting the fat it needs. Yes, I said needs.
There are some new slogans in our home. Simplify. Reduce, Re-use, Recycle. Make it yourself, Make Do, Do With Out. Yes, I am a tree huggin’ hippie earth mama. Yes I am proud of that title. I watch my daughter who is so “plugged in” and think of my childhood and the many summers I spent practically living in or down by the creek at my Dad’s. I want something better than the American dream. Because the American dream is all about me, me, me. We have forgotten how to live for and serve each other. We have forgotten that our actions affect other and our planet. Well it stops now…at least with this family anyway.
It doesn’t happen over night. I have made small changes each day. Making small choices and changes. Already we have seen a difference in the way we live and that’s great. And just to ease your mind, we still have toilet paper in the house for our guests, so you can still come over and visit.
Posted by Tracey Besemer 
Cold Coffee 