Curiosity comes from many places, many sources, and sometimes it comes out of the blue when you're staring off into the wall. I find some of my best ideas come when I shut my mind off and just stare off into space.
I can see my dream home, which for some would be a nightmare. I can see a couple of acres of land, a small home with a gourmet food business open to the public on the bottom floor where I could sell fresh bakery items (breads, cakes, cookies, crackers), fresh dairy (milk, yogurt, cheese, cream, eggs), fresh jams and jellies, honey, and homemade wine (with a liquor license of course - I'm not into bootlegging).
Off in the distance a little bit is the barn that houses the cow, some goats, sheep, and chickens. Next to the barn is a good size patch of ground where I raise food that I'll can for the winter. The abundance from the garden and livestock will find its way onto the table(s) of those in need of help. There's a small dirt road that runs between the house and the barn - everything is to the right, and off to the left is the small vineyard where I grow grapes for my wine. Between the barn and the windmill would be the beehives that would pollinate the garden and vineyard. And the no-so-vast territory would be patrolled by "Cupcake", a female German shepherd, who's about as vicious as a teddy bear. She would be kept company by "Toffee" and "Jack", a pair of world-class champion mousers.
Behind the barn is a windmill that operates for powering the pump to draw water for the house and the land. The house and barn both have solar panels on the roof and are heated and cooled with a geothermal system. Any extra electricity is sold back to the power company. I call that my "internet connection fund". They say man cannot live on bread alone...s/he must have DSL!
In the winter, I'd take the washed fleeces from the sheep that were sheared and learn how to spin wool and weave it into colorful blankets. Maybe I'd learn to knit or crochet, and if I didn't I could still sell the fleeces.
I'd make bread, pizzas, pots of baked beans, and all manner in a wood fired adobe oven that's safely attached to the house (I don't want to burn the place down). When done, I'd turn on the blower to recycle the heat to help keep the house warm.
That's my idea of a little slice of heaven. Honest work, simple living, and fresh eating.
I believe a person only needs so much, and the rest is showing off. I don't begrudge anyone who has more than me or has different dreams; it takes all kinds to make the world go 'round, and it doesn't turn for me if I'm preoccupied with what others have. It does turn when I'm planting crops, harvesting, tying up the grapevines, or milking the cow and goats. Since I don't have any of those things, I'll make my world turn with tangible steps I can take that will help me achieve those goals.
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