How wonderful it must have been for our ancestors to be born, marry and live out their lives in the same village. I'm sure there were some who went to seek adventure and their fortunes elsewhere. In my family tree for example, we've got people from Scotland in the 1700's who moved to the wilds of Canada. But many people were content to remain settled in their lives. I want that. To own my own little farm and have a place that I can grow old in with my wonderful husband at my side and the kids popping over for a visit. Give me a quiet simple life where I know all the nooks and crannies of my house and all the seasons in my garden.
Do you think that there aren't people like that anymore? Perhaps we're moving at such a fast speed in our modern society that homes are just where you're temporarily living. My god parents were neighbours as children so when they fell in love and got married about 35 years ago it was easy...she moved in nextdoor. Maybe it's an English thing because here's another English example. Meet Georgina Brown. She's been living in the same home for over 100 years in the little Hampshire valley she loves.
How glorious it must be to love a place so much and to have the chance to stay there forever.
Steve and I love Nova Scotia. It's home to us now. And while we still have a lot of settling to do, we know that this is the place we're meant to be. Would we recommend it to our friends? Yes, but only the not uptight ones. They'd hate the laid back attitudes that prevail here. Not a hectic city life at all and rush hour lasts for about 10 minutes from 4-4:10 at one traffic light in town beside CFB Greenwood when all the military personnel go home. Oh, and traffic on Commercial in New Minas is always horrible. Apart from that it's easy going, friendly, and we like it. It's a good lifestyle for retirees and people who want more quality of life and less quantity of dollars. You may not spend your life getting rich here but you'll have a good life nonetheless.
We had a dream, like so many others before us, to live a simple and sustainable life on our own organic farm... so we drove from Vancouver Island, British Columbia to the Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia, and we've been here nearly 6 years. We love life, learning, and sharing with others. Follow our adventures as we build a vibrant small family farm and work towards self-sufficiency using a combination of traditional methods, permaculture and original ideas.
Hi Elizabeth,
ReplyDeleteIt does sound wonderful there for the most part. I wish I could have lived in a lovely farmhouse by the sea, with a small acreage to grow veggies on ... and grow old gracefully. Never to late is it ? Happy that N.S. is
providing you with a good start to fulfilling your dreams !
Thanks for the post ... Helga
ps. If you sent the book, I never received it.