Living simply

As promised (awhile ago)I thought I would share about the simple living class that Bill and I had this semester. Going into it the only thing I really knew (I thought...I didn't know for sure) was that we were going to have to go without electricity, Internet, and make ALL foods from scratch for two weeks.  Well, that wasn't entirely true it was pretty close.  The rules were, for the duration of the class (2 weeks)
~we were not allowed to use any electric appliance
~we could still use the washer and dryer (because there is only so much you can do to simulate what life will be like overseas)
~lights had to be out by 10pm
~No surfing the web but we were allowed an hour a WEEK to check and respond to emails only.
~Had to make all meals from scratch...meaning no boxed foods (didn't mind that). We could use canned fruits and vegetables but nothing else that was in a can. For example if you wanted spaghetti sauce you had to make it yourself.  For that matter if you wanted to have spaghetti you had to make the noodles from scratch.
~We were supposed to try at least two new things that we had never made before. I made spaghetti sauce. However I did NOT want to bother to make my own noodles so James was the only one to eat the sauce until class was over (he eats sauce on his rice almost every day).
~No leaving campus except for Dr. appointments and Church. That meant no running to the grocery store.

Following these rules meant that I didn't get do blow dry or flat iron my hair for 2 weeks. We went to bed earlier every night because with the lights out and no Internet what is there to do? (Ha ha!) Meals took so much longer to make.  You have to have a plan.  You can't just go on a whim. I planned out my meals for the two weeks and bought most of what we needed ahead of time.  The day before our scratch cooking began they broke us up into groups. There were about ten people in each group. Each group was pared with another group of ten people.  One group took a walkie talkie radio and went in the downstairs part of the building and the other had their walkie talkie upstairs.  We had to take turns giving orders over the radio. There were two "supply buyers" from each group. Bill offered to be one of them for our group.  The purpose of the exercise was to give you a small taste of what ordering over the radio might feel like (this is the reason I didn't buy everything I needed ahead of time because I needed to have some things bought from the store for me.). This exercise also taught me something about Bill and shopping.  He does such an amazing jog getting the RIGHT products. I was surprised at how well he did (sorry honey) because every time I send him to the store he comes back with something different then what I asked for.  I learned that the key for getting him to buy the right ting is....drum roll...be specific.  It sounds so silly but it totally works.  If I give him all the exact details he needs he will get the right thing %100 of the time. Very helpful thing to have learned.  I digress...

During the two weeks the only homework we had was our scratch cooking.  I absolutely LOVED that! I really enjoyed being in the kitchen all the time.  I enjoyed making bread by hand. I had forgotten how fun that was since I always use my bread maker.  I found a recipe that our family loves and it is pretty easy (I will post soon).  It is a cool rise recipe. It doesn't take as long as other recipes I have used.  I also loved the fact that Bill was required to make four of our meals and had to bake a loaf of bread.  I have to say his bread (and this was his first time) turned out better then mine.  We may have discovered a hidden talent of his...I'm sure he wishes that to be undiscovered {grin}. One thing I realized during this time was just how MUCH I depend on appliances. Heating up leftovers takes so much more time when you can't use a microwave.

One of the course requirements was a weekend camping trip. It was optional for mother's and children.  I opted not to go. It was at the end of October and it was going to be really cold that weekend.  I was concerned about how we would keep Katy warm. Also Anna was having breathing issues, so we decided that I would stay home. Bill asked Ryan if he wanted to join him. Ryan was more then excited to go. There were no tents allowed on this trip.  You had to make your own shelter using tarps. (this is the new version of the six week jungle camp that they used to do...so glad we didn't go through training then. ha ha!) Although they didn't get much sleep they managed to stay warm.  They spent the weekend with the other students hiking (learning to use a compass) and learning how to butcher a live chicken (and eat it)! Meanwhile back on the home front while those two were off having adventures, I was home alone with four kids.  I was a little nervous about being a single parent for the weekend but it went really well. I took the kids to a harvest festival. We played games went on a hay ride and ate food.  Then at the end of the night we went to a  blue grass concert. We had a blast. I spent the weekend hanging out with the kiddos and having fun! Although we were really glad to have Bill and Ryan home again on Sunday.

This is the shelter that Bill built for them.

Bill and I decided that we were not meant to live a simple life. {grin!} I'm joking...sort of. :)  I didn't like being without internet.  However, I am sure we will be faced with it and we will get used to it.  It made me feel so out of the loop on what was going on back home with friends and family.  I know it sounds crazy because it was only two weeks, but in today's world a lot happens on the net in that amount of time. You can quickly get behind. I know I will get used to it, but it it made me think about how much I will miss that daily "knowing" and being in contact with loved ones.

All in all it was a good experience and we actually had fun along the way. I'm sure it was only a tiny glimpse of what life will be like for us in the future! :)