In two days I will be living on a ranch. I will be milking goats, feeding animals, playing with baby horses (colts? foals? what’s the difference? I should probably find out…) and generally, being a farm girl. And honestly? I am scared out of my pants.
For years I have been dreaming about cows and chickens, and my ultimate goal of self-sufficiency. I’ve been gardening, learning about alternative building techniques, making yogurt, cooking from scratch with simple, wholesome ingredients…basically, I’ve been a small-town girl dreaming about living the simple life. But now that I have the opportunity to actually get my hands dirty and experience some of what I’ve been dreaming about? I am quaking in my muck boots.
It’s not just that large animals can be intimidating (what if I get stepped on?) and that I’m used to sleeping in until nine. It’s that talk is easy, and action is not. It’s one things to appreciate the health benefits of raw milk, it’s another to actually milk the darn cow.
I think that metaphor applies to more than my current situation. I mean, seriously. How easy it it to dream about something and then freeze up when it’s time to start making it a reality? I’ve wanted to learn to play guitar for years, I’ve just never done it. And I’ve also put off applying to colleges because I don’t know what I want to study, do, or be (academically), and I’m scared of making a mistake. And I can’t even tell you the number of times I’ve decided to dye my hair purple, and then changed my mind because I’ve been afraid of what people will think.
“Be proactive”, my brain tells me. ”Make it work. Just start — you don’t need to know everything, because you’ll figure it out as you go along.”
(I sincerely hope that’s the case because googling “how to hand milk a goat” hasn’t done much to alleviate my fears.)
What am I really afraid of? Superficially, I’m afraid of looking like a silly girl who doesn’t know a colt from a foal, not being able to milk the goats, and getting stepped on by cows. Realistically, I’m afraid of failing. I’m afraid of failing myself. What if I can’t make it work, and I have to give up and find a new dream? That’s a scary thought. And up until now it’s been easier to choose inaction and not risk failure.
But honestly? Never trying at all would be the worst failure. So for now, I’m ready with my overalls and wool socks. And as cliche as it sounds, I know that with those, and my can-do attitude, I really can make anything work.
Thanks for reading. More to come on this goat herderess adventure.
Oh that is true! I tend to do much more looking than leaping and when I do finally leap I wish I didn’t have to jump so far!
I’m excited for your farm life adventure. It will be fun to follow allong as you “milk the darn cow”! :) and you shall be a beautiful goat herderess!
MadiMay 5, 2012 - 12:45 am
Seriously! Following through is definitely a problem sometimes… :)
Mary Helen GaroutteMay 5, 2012 - 9:37 am
After reading your post here, I am beginning to understand more of what you are striving for. I commend you and admire you for taking this plunge into the unknown. I have always known you to be a person who thinks things through and isn’t afraid to look at all angles of a situation, so this isn’t a big surprise for me and I believe it is so thoughtful and intelligent to actually find out what this kind of life is like before you launch into it full force.—-My goodness that was a long sentence—. Anyway, I say more power too you, and may this great adventure be for you everything you envision and hope for. I will be so interested in hearing all about it as the summer progresses.
Love you so much
Grandma
Joe GaroutteMay 5, 2012 - 11:14 am
As I’m sure I don’t have to tell you, I am proud of you and believe in you. This too will ad to the amazing Madison that you are. Succeed or fail you will grow. Nothing can be more important than that.
Much Love,
Dad
:-)
RebekahMay 5, 2012 - 1:30 pm
You are great!!! Colt=boy, filly or foal=girl!!! You never seace to amaze me!! Ps where are you?! Love ya. B
MadiMay 5, 2012 - 2:12 pm
Hey you! It’s great to hear from you. I saw Bekah Hefner and she said you had just cut her hair, it looked great! I hope you’re doing well in Joseph. I’m in La Grande until tomorrow, but I’ll be back throughout the summer.
LesleyMay 8, 2012 - 5:23 pm
Anxiously awaiting an update to your new adventure!!!
Last weekend, my brother Lucas and I attempted to make a hot air balloon. He had spent the night and without video games and TV, I think he was getting bored. So, I pulled out paper, tape, and string, and we got to work. (I used to make these paper balloons all the time during school, and my friends I would pass notes inside them. It was a lot of fun to write a note, fold the paper, blow up the ball, and toss it to a girlfriend in between classes. Good times…) I think Luke was pretty impressed with my paper-folding skills. We taped embroidery floss to a butter box/makeshift basket, put a tea light inside, and headed outside. As you can see, we weren’t exactly successful. But it was a lot of fun!
For the record, Lucas was absolutely NOT harmed during the filming of this video. I think his fingers just got hot. I still gave him some aloe gel, mostly to make him feel better. (My mom suggested that next time we test the candle first, and use a lighter instead of matches. Now I’m feeling really determined to make a successful hot air balloon. Next weekend, perhaps!)
In other news, here are some links that I’ve enjoyed lately.
I’ve always loved names. I am constantly adding names to a list on Evernote: names that sound different, names for my future children, names I want to remember. Therefore, it’s fitting that I’ve recently fallen in love with the name blog marginamia.
Stay by Alison Krauss has been stuck in my head for two weeks. The lyrics, her honest voice, the guitar solos…just lovely. Listen on Youtube or Spotify.
Love this post. :-) I think you should plan to see Alison Krauss on August 5 at Maryhill with your sister…. ;-)
MadiMay 4, 2012 - 9:18 pm
Thanks dad! I’m so hoping that I can go. It sounds like Uncle Shane and Cori’s wedding will be the weekend before, and Swan Song in Ashland is the weekend after. And with my new goat-herderess/farming job, I’m not sure if I can get all three weekends off. But we’ll see! I’m really hoping I can!
I’m really excited about spring. We’ve had several gorgeous sunny days lately, and everywhere I look I’m surrounded by cherry blossoms and grape hyacinths. It’s so exciting! It smells like sweet rain, thunder storms, freshly cut grass, and hope. I want to say that this is my favorite time of year, but really, I feel that way about every season!
Of course, there’s lots to do because of the changing seasons. In the past few weeks I’ve started to rotate my wardrobe and figure out what still fits and what I need to replace. I’ve retired my winter coat and replaced it with a rain slicker. I haven’t worn gloves in two weeks!
I’ve also been planting my garden. I’ve been busy all week starting seeds, weeding, dolling out steer manure to my pretty plants, and just being outside. My “side yard” is currently alive with color from tulips, daffodils, and hyacinth. I wish I could say thank you to the people who lived in my apartment before me, because the work they did in making the garden so lovely is really, really appreciated. Also, we have a magnolia tree! It’s simply magnificent and makes me feel like a princess when I come home from work and smell the blossoms. I feel so blessed with my gorgeous home! (And Roomie’s too, obviously J We have lots of fun calling it “our home.”)
So, in light of the warmer weather, and my spending more time outside, I’ve been thinking about what I need to make to get ready for long summer evenings outside and afternoon traipses through our surrounding mountains. Over Easter weekend I was attacked by mosquitoes and currently have NINE yucky bite scars on my feet, so bug spray is really top of my list at this point.
Someday! Tumblr
This is my plan for personal care products to make:
Bug spray – various essential oils mixed into water and witch hazel.
Sunscreen – zinc oxide powder mixed into my favorite lotion, or maybe this recipe.
Face spritzer – I love having a little spray bottle of half witch hazel/half water and some sweet orange essential oil in my purse. It’s so refreshing to spray on my face when I’m feeling hot and sticky from being outside.
Exfoliating soap bars – I need something with some grit to it for washing mud off my hands. I’m thinking about melting down a bar of my usual soap and mixing in some chopped up coconut, or maybe oatmeal.
Daisy Janie
As far as outside, I’m wanting to create a cozy outdoor space where I can barbecue, hang out with friends, and read. As soon as yard sale season starts, I’ll be on the lookout for inexpensive furnishings, like tables and chairs that I can paint.
I also plan on making:
Citronella candles – melted soy wax with citronella essential oil mixed in.
Weather-resistant pillows – you know, that weird scratchy fabric that can get rained on and not smell bad. (Or maybe I’ll just remember to bring them inside during storms…)
Mosquito netting hat/thingy – I have a wide-brimmed straw hat that I want to outfit with a mosquito net veil/thingy. You know, like this. (Yes, this is going to make me look like a major dork. But I really hate getting bitten!)
Picnic blanket – something with a water-resistant back so that I can lay on the grass and not stress about getting “soak marks” on my bum. I really hate that.
Market bags – some regular grocery bags with handles and some mesh produce bags. Also, some kind of reusable berry basket would be great.
Randy P. Martin
What are you doing to prepare for the changing seasons? What’s your favorite part of spring? Summer? Homemade ice cream is definitely at the top of my list. Last summer my favorite flavors were lavender with dark chocolate and salted caramel. This year I’m thinking homemade Chunky Monkey and a nice pistachio. Nom nom.
Quiche is one of my favorite ways to use up older vegetables from my fridge. Since this week I also had raw goat milk and a surplus of fresh eggs to use up, I made a goat milk quiche with broccoli and mushrooms.
While I was rolling out my pie crust, I realized that I still do not have a pie plate! I improvised with a 9 inch cake pan. It worked well, I just didn’t stress about the edges being super pretty. I also pressed a piece of aluminum foil into the edges of the crust while I blind baked it. I used a whole wheat baking soda crust that I had in the freezer. It’s similar to this recipe.
I encourage you to think outside the box as far as fillings for your quiche…what about spinach, onions, bacon, leftover chicken pieces, thinly sliced carrots, or snow peas? Yum yum.
Goat Milk Quiche with Mushrooms and Broccoli
Instead of the goat milk, feel free to substitute 1 cup whole milk and 1/2 cup heavy cream. I used sharp cheddar and monterey jack cheese.
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups raw goat milk
3-ish ounces shredded cheese
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 thinly sliced broccoli pieces
1 tablespoon butter/olive oil/coconut oil/whatever you normally cook veggies in
While pie crust is baking, whisk together eggs, milk, and seasonings to taste. I used thyme and a little bit of paprika. Gently cook veggies until soft. When crust is partially baked (edges are no longer soft, 15-18 minutes), reduce oven temperature to 350, and sprinkle veggies and cheese on bottom of crust. Pour in egg mixture. Bake until a knife inserted one inch from the edge comes out clean, 35-40 minutes. Serve warm or cold. I like quiche warm for breakfast, and cold for snacks.
On another note:
This week I guest posted over at Maniac Mrs. Stone while Elisabeth’s on her babymoon. I love Elisabeth’s blog and regularly squeal with delight over the cuteness of her two daughters, Eden and Ostara. Thank for having me, Elisabeth! You can read my post, A Handmade Baby, here.
Loving: Easter candy. Cadbury eggs, in particular. Also, The Palace on Hulu. In the words of my mother, “it’s like Downton Abbey, except it takes place now, and it’s about the royal family!” Yes, yes, and yes. Also, SPRING! So far I’ve spotted crocuses, grape hyacinth, and daffodils blooming around town. And soon, we can add lilac bushes to that list! I’m tempted to say that this is my favorite time of year, except that every season seems to be my favorite.
Making: Still working on those gloves for my mother. I’m also piecing together a quilt by hand. I wanted a project that I could work on at night besides knitting, and there’s something very…Little House on the Prairie about quilting by hand. It’s also a good excuse to use up my stash of fat quarters. Just ask The Roomie, I have a LOT of fabric. I’m just doing a bunch of 5 inch squares. It’s simple, and this way I don’t need to pay attention to a pattern.
Listening: I’ve been listening to Iron and Wine’s The Shepherd’s Dog album a lot lately. Also, this Gotye song that seems like it became instantly popular overnight. (Disclaimer: don’t listen if songs often get stuck in your head. It’s pretty damn catchy.)
Favorites:
Tree letters from Anthropologie. I would love an M and a Y, except the Y isn’t very distinctive. It looks like a regular tree.
How to make a circle skirt from Fickle Sense. Gahh…I love these skirts so much! I need to just hunker down and make one. It seems like I have so many other projects going on though…
What’s going on in your world lately? Any fun plans now that spring is upon us? I’m excited to get my seeds planted. I will conquer my fear of killing all the plants around me and I will be a successful container gardener. Or at the very least, I’ll get a sunburn and several broken nails trying.
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