If I were a carpenter...

A resume looks best when it shows long term commitment and specialization.
But haven't you always wanted to try your hand at a variety of jobs?
Becoming a master of a trade is admirable, but what about exploring potential talents and gaining new perspectives?
And it is certainly practical to live close to work, but if you have any wanderlust at all, there is something wonderful about travelling about and working in new settings.

I wouldn't want to be on the move all of the time.
But I also enjoy the chance to see new country.
At the moment I am working south of the shield line and that means more field than trees.
Being able to look out over the distance is a stark contrast to the mature forests in our parts.
Of course, if we lived on fields I'm sure I would find the tall and dense wilderness just as exotic.


Plying a different trade means trying a different me; an alternate life.
Yet I still get to come home to my family and home at the end of the day.
Next week will be different.
Maybe back on the homestead working on our new business.
But the business may take me somewhere new.
My soul doesn't do well with cold repetition.
I rely on the bedrock that is my family,
but work needs to keep my interests piqued or I grow restless.

It is a shame that most people aren't encouraged to investigate different occupations.
How else can you get a feel for a special talent or niche?
It's an awful struggle with the work week for most.
Having been at my last trade for ten years straight, working at the same place,
I understand how it feels to know exactly what's coming for the foreseeable future.
For many people there is comfort in consistency.
But I would be willing to bet than everyone daydreams of doing a different job
in a different place; even if it was to simply try it out.


For me, the schedule is unwieldy and the priority list seems impossible.
But there is tremendous consolation in the fact that my future is not at all foreseeable and there is a very high chance that next week I will be doing something completely different.

 

Prepping the Garlic Beds, by Kira

130 garlic bulbs or about 500 cloves waiting to be planted.

Today We started preparing the ground.

Auren and Alex moved a lot of rock today.

Yes, this hill is full of rocks. It is hard to tell that this past spring we cleared many of the rocks out.

There is a mix of soil on this spot we have picked out for the garlic.

Some of its deep rich soil, while only a foot away it's just crushed rock.

We will mix in some nutrient rich soil from other parts of the property.

Despite the belly rubs and pats on the back they still sulked.

(I think they wanted to help.)

Ah yes, and sweet Fern, she was the 'worm police'.

Rescuing worms from beneath our shovels and relocating them to a safer area.

Will work for food.

I work at most anything these days.
Being self-employed means having the versatility to accept work as is happens.

Barter is one of the most powerful tools in the battle against a black hole economy.
It is vital that we keep our hard work, skill, and innovation near to our communities.

Carpentry is vigorous and challenging.
Wood is pleasant to handle and shape.

The value is exploring the countryside and meeting new people.