I grew up with a childhood as polar opposite as my husband's as possible.  As children, whenever my brothers and I wanted something, our parents would make us 'work' to earn it. This meant doing chores like tidying up our rooms, washing the car, or mowing the lawn.  Sometimes we'd have to get straight A's in class or do really well on a test in order for our parents to buy us that special item we wanted.

Though we had to work for what we wanted, we were pretty fortunate.  We got to go on yearly family vacations to New York, Florida, and Trinidad and Tobago.  Every Friday evening, we'd go out for dinner at a restaurant of our choosing. We certainly weren't lacking in anything.

My husband's life was quite different.  At 6 years old, he already had his own business.  He raised and sold rabbits. No, not your cute Easter bunny rabbits! He sold rabbits for eating.  I know. This makes me so sad! I remember we had four bunnies when I was a kid.  One day, Dad told me that he gave them to a farmer and that the bunnies would live a happy life on a big farm with lots of greenery and room for them to run around on.  To this day, I still want to believe that is what happened and that they weren't sold for meat.

Hubby's mom keeps telling me of how she made all of their clothing by hand.  She made all their bread, yogurt, and basically everything the family needed.  If ingredients weren't available from their farm or the local store, then they simply didn't need it.

Though I have been married to a farmer for six years now, I am still adjusting to life on the farm.  My mother-in-law has given me a few gems and I thank her for imparting such wisdom.

1. Don't know how many potatoes to cook for a meal? The standard rule is "One potato for each person, and one for the pot."
2. Those plastic tabs for the bread bags (if you buy bread from the store) are useful to use for scrubbing stuck on food on your dishes! They won't scratch like metal implements would either!
3. Water is precious.  Use it sparingly.
4. Hang laundry out to dry.
5. Grow your produce in the Spring and Summer, and in the Fall, prepare them (freeze, preserve, etc) for Winter use.
6. Always keep loaves of bread, garden vegetables, and applesauce in your freezer! They come in handy when you have impromptu visits from neighbours!
7. Be thankful for all the little blessings.  We may not have a lot, but we are rich in many other ways.
8. Always appreciate the sunsets and sunrises.