What are we...............................

Yesterday I started a Facebook page to link in with this blog.  The aim of which was to show how we are developing the Finca here, during that process I started to think about  exactly  what we are  trying to do here on the Finca. It raised many questions, what are we now? in the UK  I was a Nurse, Mother and Wife,  but what am I now, I no longer had a Job as such, of course I am still a Mother, but not in the same way as before, and still a wife.   I do some of the "hard" manual work, cook clean and blog!, but so far nothing that defines me/us or what we do or are trying to do on a day to day basis.  I suppose like most folks, however hard I try to just "drift" I really need to be defined and have goals.

When you start to write about yourself, you have to think about what it is that is motivating you , what are you, what are you aims how do you want to develop. what is it that makes you who you are.

There are some people, who have small Fincas who declare themselves as Farmers, are we farmers..... at the moment we have land, 2 dogs and 2 cats, and I think the average farmer would be a tad defensive if I called myself a farmer.  To me a Farmer is someone who is reliant on the income from said farm and the truth is we have nothing to farm no olives etc   In a  previous post I declared that our aim was to be self sufficient, what ever that may mean.  So when people ask what do you do we declare oh us we are....Self Sufficieners!

Then it struck me, our friends across the pond, have a lovely phrase that I believe fits in perfectly with what we are developing here , we are developing a homestead a definition of which I found on another Homesteader blog

 http://wholesomeroots.org/home-2/

Definition.

Homesteading (v)-The act of living off of the homestead.

Homestead (n)- House, land, animals and outbuildings that operate as one, frequently a farm.

I just love this word, it conjures up all that I love, fresh home grown produce, tasty food and home made goodies.  Now I am not going to lie, there is a little bit of me that wants to wear a gingham pinny and  flounce about with flowers in my hair, but like others who are doing this it actually is hard work.  I have already outlined our aims for the coming year, but on top of the growing of crops and the animal husbandry, there will be lots to learn and more think about and focus on.  Suddenly I feel as if I have a role back, I am a homesteader, yes I know its an American term, but I just do not care, that is what I/we are Homesteaders creating a Homestead.

So welcome to our Life in Extremadura and our little Homestead................................................must dash, got to get out my pinny.....................