I have been feeling like a homesteader lately. I am puttsing around with stuff on the property. I am thinking about what to do with this portion of the universe that falls under my "ownership". (Seems a strange term when talking about a piece of land). My interests these days are very domestic. Learning to cook and garden. Learning how to live on less. My goals are about living smaller. Not larger. There is a commercial on the radio now that mocks just such a notion. But that is what interests me. I have downsized my living arrangements considerable from the 4000 ish square foot house and 1.1 acre of land I owned when I moved here. Though, my current abode (a modest 900 square feet) is roomy compared to the 500 ish square foot apartment I was in before this. I down sized my vehicle too. I had a big eight cylinder Chevy truck with a long bed and an extended cab. (I always hated that truck). Now I have four cylinders and a six foot bed, and a very small extended cab. (Sorry girls). My house is unendowed with certain amenities I use to have. A dishwasher, a shower, a garage door opener. I am managing without them. Granted, with four kids and a new interest in cooking, I am spending a lot of time washing dishes. This house seems, by my current sensibilities, quite adequate. The girls still have the big house and ample private bedrooms. And I admit that helps a bit. I don’t feel so much like I have to provide a second lavish house for them. This one provides comfort and functionality. It’s safe and comfortable. And for me, it’s manageable. The downsizing is by necessity, I admit. But ironically, it fits into the still quiet reminders of my inherent ethics. The ones I got a long way away from. Became a stranger to. These days are a sort of re-acquaintance with the person I thought I would become.