Ten Years At Home

Today marks the 10 anniversary of our move to the Zeiger Family Homestead.

None of us can quite believe that we’ve been here a full decade now. Originally, we swore to give it 3 years, or 5. Both milestones, and the years since, seemed to fly by. Apparently, we’ve made the right decision. The great risk brought great reward!

The rains of Reserve Week loom . . . . (Photo: Mark A. Zeiger.)

The rains of Reserve Week loom . . . . (Photo: Mark A. Zeiger.)

Our sense of time has certainly warped and stretched, though. We think of events in our former home, Juneau, as having just happened, but also feel like we’ve only ever lived here in this way.

We are totally absorbed in the lifestyle, with no thoughts of moving on, or seeking new adventures elsewhere. Relatives ask if we’re planning to travel south soon; our immediate, most basic response is always “why would we?” This is where we live, and where we belong!

Unfortunately, as the anniversary clearly demonstrates, time does march on, and we face the perils of aging in place. Each year the physical work of the homestead gets a little harder. The day will come when it becomes too much. We have faced the constant risk of catastrophic injury for the past decade. Those risks will only increase in the decades to come. All we can do is be careful, keep ourselves healthy, and carry on (see Living on the Edge: Security Through Insecurity).

Even for such a milestone, we’ll likely celebrate our simple life landmark in typically simple fashion. Michelle’s home for the rest of the week on a “staycation,” (after all, it’s Reserve Week) but Aly has to work. Without Michelle’s commute to provide her transportation, Aly will likely ride her bike home, although I’m standing by to run out and whisk her home before this evening’s tide if things don’t go as planned. As is our way, we’ll have a nice dinner, most likely featuring fresh picked mushrooms, garden produce, and homemade wine. If I can, I’ll catch a fish for the main course.

As we’ve done for the past decade, we’ll take things as they come, and make the best of them. And, as we have for the last 10 years, we’ll do it with joyful hearts!

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6 Responses to Ten Years At Home

  1. John and Mary Helfrich says:

    Congratulations on your milestone. You folks are an inspiration to us!!!!
    Stay the course….be healthy….be happy!
    All the best,
    John and Mary

  2. Angie says:

    Congratulations, and may this be the first of many decades yet to celebrate. Perhaps the secret to aging in place is an adjunct cabin for an adult daughter with a family, to seamlessly carry on the running of the homestead …? (Hey, it could happen.)

  3. Mark Zeiger says:

    Thanks, Angie! We’re not pushing it, but we do like your scenario!

  4. Mark Zeiger says:

    Thanks, John and Mary! You definitely inspire us to age healthily–not that you’re old, we just know you’re going to be healthy when you get there.

  5. LInn Hartman says:

    congrats on living the good life as long as you have – hope you have many more years to come – unfortunately the age factor will get in the way – we have lived in the country since 2003 – set our home in the pasture and cleared quite an area for yard – haad to start cutting back 2 years ago – it does not take long for nature to reclaim its own – at 75 it is not as much fun keeping up with all the things that need to be done – the wife could not do it – but my life insurance is good to 105 so maybe I should not be to concerned – stay with it and continue to enjoy life

  6. Mark Zeiger says:

    Thanks, Linn. The fact that you’ve done all that at 75 is very inspiring to us!

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