Our First Goats

Sharing

I wanted to get a few posts under my belt before I shared this blog for the first time . I am by no means a blogger and do not typically like to share things that I am working on. In this blog I plan to share some of my day to day activities, which include triumphs and failures. I do realize that I am using a simple blogging tool and things may be slightly rough to begin with, however with practice and time I hope to improve some.

First Eggs

These are the first eggs from our chickens. We were all a little excited when the chickens started laying. We are getting almost a dozen a day now.

My "ADHD" Brain

I post this at this point as a warning. Some posts may seem off topic and sporadic on the surface, but they do connect in some way.

It may sound strange; but I agree that ADHD does have a significant impact and I also believe that it is a disorder created by society. I often hear that ADHD does not exist in Europe and I think this is an accurate statement, however they also live in a different type of society. So in my ADHD brain, I need to change how I think and live. Not just talk about how society can change, but try to be part of that change.

When working as a special education teacher the topic of medication was suggested a several times and with much hesitation I decided, even just for experimental purposes, it is worth a try. The medication did not really work for its intended purposes for me, so I decided not to take them. Although medication did not work for me, it may work for others. I guess it just depends on your desired out comes.

A Brief History

As I was writing my previous posts, I realized that a brief history and explanation might be needed. As I have already stated, I was a teacher for a little over 10 years. However I did not explain everything that happened prior to that or during that time period. I will not delve into all of the specifics, but I will make the picture a little clearer.

Jessica (my wife) and I met when we were both seventeen and obviously connected. We headed off to Cedar Rapids, Iowa where we stayed with Jessica's Grandma Paddy (I am sure she will come up later). There is actually much to say about our time in Cedar Rapids, but we will save that for another post.

After Cedar Rapids we headed to Cedar Falls to attend the University of  Northern Iowa. While living here we had some of the best times, as well as trying times. The University was excellent, we worked at Wisconsin Badger Camp, gained a lot of teaching experience and it was during this time period that Jessica and I got married. Even though we knew were we meant to be together, it did not mean we always agreed. The topic of moving to Tucson was brought up and I was not interested, but Jessica was. (See next paragraph to see who won this disagreement)

Next stop, Tucson, Arizona! I have to admit that Tucson was bitter sweet for me. Our children were born here, we met lots of great people and at first we were even able to really connect and help the children we taught. However politics and red tape at work, along with other struggles also made Tucson the place that made me realize that we needed a change. After years of discussion we finally made the move back to Maine.

This brief history does not cover everything that will be discussed, but these are the major time frames as I see them. This will simply help place certain topics in the proper setting.

Now What?

Deciding that something has to change in order to make your life and your family's life better can actually be quite quite an exhilarating idea, but with that feeling of excitement also comes the thought of what to do next.  Although I was heading into uncharted territory I did not feel getting my teaching degree and years of experience was waste of time. I started to think that life was more of a journey and could come in many forms and stages, rather than just a static existence.

Where it all Began

There came a point in time that being a teacher just did not feel as rewarding as it once did. That sense that you were making a difference and really helping children and families had been engulfed  under certifications, evaluations, applications and assessments that turn you into a paper pusher instead of a teacher. That is where this idea of an "alternative" life began.