Cold and pampered

Friday, 3:48 pm

By Kate

Jan

09

2009

It’s cold in the house today. How cold is it? Evidently not cold enough to inspire either the lad or me to start a fire in the stove. I think it’s around 55 degrees in here, but we’re bundled up and we don’t seem to be suffering very much. Or at least not enough to do anything about it. Sometimes tending the stove is a bloody chore. It’s a simple equation though—too cold=start a fire. Must not be too cold yet.

I was browsing through my new favorite blog last night. I feel soft and pampered after reading it from beginning to end. Yes, I have to haul wood and stack it and drag it in the house and feed the stove and all that—if I want heat. By some people’s standards, that’s a somewhat extreme lifestyle. There are occasions when I think so, too. But after reading about Shasha’s new lifestyle, well...I feel particularly pampered and surrounded by luxury. For one thing, I have running water....

Shasha, her husband, and five children recently purchased an Amish home. They are deep in the Amish country. They have decided to live their values of a simple life—Shasha was involved up to her eyeballs in the 90% Project. Their new Amish house has minimal electricity (overhead lights) and no running water. Water must be fetched from the springhouse. It’s cold where Shasha lives. Very cold. Fetching the daily supply of water in buckets from the springhouse in sub zero temperatures is enough to make me shiver and ache. Shasha’s husband is a rural ER physician who is only home a couple of days per month. So, Shasha and her children are moving house and coping with the new lifestyle on their own. With some help from the Amish neighbors on occasion.

Shasha is documenting their new lifestyle as it happens. It’s a little scary and it’s darned hard work. But satisfying. Even so, she is exhausted and sore. And she gets my vote for superwoman. Good golly, it’s eye opening to see how much we take for granted in our lives. Just a fascinating blog. I know she’s dog tired, but I still can’t wait until her next post.