I got so tickled reading JenIg's post Grab Your Anti-Radiation Tabs and Run for the Hills.  I definitely agree that for every alarmist there needs to be an equal and opposite rationalist.  I've got friends on both sides of the fence.  Some think you're wacko for even mentioning the words "end times" and the others think that you're an ostrich if you aren't following current events along with Revelations on a daily basis.  I can kind of waiver between the two.  I don't want to overreact and live in fear, but I also want to prepare wisely as needed.  Hmmm.... 

Anyway, when Y2K happened we did some very minimal preparations and just planned on heading to my homesteading buddy's house if things got crazy.  I figured they would be able to kill and prepare their own meat,  forage for the edible weeds and basically teach us how to live without all of our modern conveniences. 

So now almost 5 years later, what are we doing?  We are living out in the country with plenty of animals, woods and all that jazz.  Now we understand the satisfaction that comes from knowing that you are eating food that came directly from your own land.  Before it just sounded like a bunch of unnecessary hard work, but now we get it. 

We have so much more to learn, but with friends, books and many great magazines, we are making progress.  My favorite homesteading magazine is Countryside.  It is written for folks who want to live "off the grid".  Some of the things in there can make us laugh out loud sometimes, but more often than not, we've picked up many great ideas that are just simple throw-backs to the good ol' days when the pioneers used to actually survive on their own as families. 

So 2 years into living on this farm the guys have hunted and field dressed deer & turkey for us to eat, we've raised chickens for meat and eggs, grown a few things in our garden, gotten 2 horses and generally just learned alot about how we could provide for ourselves by simply being  good stewards of the things God has provided. 

So things have really changed for us.  In fact, I noticed on JenIg's comment section that a few bloggers have said that if the going got rough, they'd head over to our happy little farm.  That's alright.  We'll leave the light on for ya.  Just bring a couple of chickens, some seeds and be prepared to work.  We can all learn together out here on the farm!