Our move-in weekend found the three of us up all night vomiting with some sort of virus. Unforeseen electrical problems meant no hot water or drier for a few days. The washing machine had issues of its own due to the move. The heater vents were clogged and did not reach the bedrooms. It felt like moving decades back in time.
A few nights ago, we awoke at 3am to a gurgling sound in the bathroom. Flushing the toilet with the idea of clearing the problem caused sewage to simultaneously bubble up into the shower and sink. We soon heard a distinct dripping sound in the basement. My only thought was, "This can't be good."
It turned out to be a blockage in the only remaining 2 foot stretch of unreplaced pipe in the sewer line. The end result was not expensive or too difficult to fix, but, really, how much more can go wrong? We expect to repair and replace things in this 60 year old house, but the emergency nature of these fixes truly causes life to come to a halt. Other people lived here for years before us- what did they do about these very same issues?
Although it seems that life has to be put on hold while we fix our modern conveniences, in truth, we are reminded of the importance of living a simple life. And that was the vision that prompted this move in the first place.
We don't die when we can't flush our toilets or take a hot shower. We don't even die when sewage bubbles into our bathrooms and we have to clean it up. A simple life does not cherish physical comforts, because they mean nothing for our eternity. A simple life values family, friendships, and the character-building process of losing daily conveniences.
A few pictures of life on the farm...
The septic tank dug up. We were ready to pump it for the second time this year, but were able to instead replace the last few feet of pipe leading into it.
The finished kitchen, which unfortunately, did not come with a self-clean setting.
The orchard is beginning to bloom... I can taste the nectarines already!
Annike loves playing by the barn.
Playing in her hand-me-down "Storybook Cottage".
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