Choices.


We all have choices in life, don't we? 

We can choose to walk to the beat of our own drum, or we can choose to be influenced by the voices around us.  Those voices which move us away from the quiet voice in our heart of hearts.  We usually know we have done this when after we make a decision we feel a kind of unrest within ourselves. 

We can choose to have the lovely things we see in the shops, and in magazines.....or we can choose to look for an alternative.

We can choose to eat out and enjoy the atmosphere that it brings, or we can choose to find a different kind of beauty in our homes, and save the money. 

Recently I joined a dear friend out for breakfast with her friends.  I know these other women and they are lovely people.  We are quite different but that’s OK, the world needs different people.  I was bemused as they judged my decision to own a pure bread Scottish Terrier, gasping at the cost.  Declaring they could NEVER afford something like that.  I chuckled as I looked at them with their faces fully made up, hair styled and dyed, clothes on trend.  Showing each other the beautiful jewellery their husbands had bought them, driving their new cars, discussing their husbands footy season tickets.

Their choices resonated with them, mine with us.  Which is OK.  When we say “yes” to something, we say “no” to another.  But I did find the conversation amusing, none the less!

You see for us, Aggie the Scottish Terrier is not just a pet.  She is something we get to experience.  She is a part of the family yes, but she is also a teaching tool for our family.  Aggie, will be a breeding dog.  A partner for her will be carefully selected, genetics thoroughly researched so her offspring will have strong, pure genetic lines.  Our aim will be to preserve and strengthen the breed.  Her litters will be well spaced out, and kept to the very strict pedigree standards.  Our boys will learn about life, birth, finances, about vetinery medicine, the development of puppies.  They will learn responsibility, to care for something dependant on us.  They will learn to love and to say goodbye as we find good homes for the puppies. 

But these are all choices, and we all have them.

Recently Grant and I have made another choice.  To change the way we are selling the shop.  To sell the lease of the business whilst holding onto the building and renting it out.  This is not ideal for us, it will leave us with a small debt, the rent will cover it.  But none the less.  But it does put the business into a completely different price bracket.  We have also accepted the grim reality that business’s in this area are currently only able to be priced 1.5years profit, rather than the traditional 2years profit.  In the long run it will be fine, short term it will be financially tougher.

But we can choose to hold on having our focus on making as much money as possible.  Or we can choose to live the life that resonates within our heart of hearts.

Luckily I don’t care for fancy clothes or shoes huh?

It also means that when we buy a farm it will just be land, there will likely not be a house on it – probably not even a run down little one.  Which in one hand means we get to build, and there are some interesting, cost effective options out there for someone as handy as Grant.  But who on earth will ever rent to a rowdy family like us when the time comes?  3 kids, 3 dogs, 2 cats and a flock of chickens…..!  I think it pays not to think about it. 

On the home front we are happily working in the new veggie patch.  I had a good friend come yesterday and I was thrilled to send her home with lemons, grapefruit, spinach and some home made lemon curd.  We have brought manure into the first section of the veggie patch and turned the soil and planted it out with a few winter veggies.  Carrots, broccoli, cauli, cabbage, spinach, kale and marigolds have gone in.  The mulch will go down once the tiny seedlings are a bit bigger.  It’s a bit of an experiment this patch.  I think the soil needs more work, Grant thinks it will be fine, though it will improve over time.  It’s not an ideal time of year to plant, but we have not spent much and it’s a bit of trial and error which brings us great fun.       

I wonder if you are thinking carefully about the choices you are making in your life?  I wonder if there are choices you havn't dared let yourself consider to be an actual possibility? 

Much love,
Emma
xx

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