Homesteading seems like such an old-fashioned word. Images of Laura Ingles fill my head. Oh, how I loved that show! Maybe my affinity for the show and the romantic notions I have of living that life explain why I was led to register for the PASA Homesteading Track #11 last week.

But I am here to tell you right now, in the 21st century, that this is no longer an outdated notion!

The "track" was a day spent in a meeting room of the Penn Stater, listening to the real-life stories of how two people live with and on their land, complemented with a set of beautiful power point slides highlighting their homes/journeys.

One of them lives on 3-acres (that's Harvey in the picture there, showing us how to use his cool broadfork), AND one of them lives on less than 1/3-acre. A "homestead" no larger than my in-town dwelling. This is practical and sensible!

After the event - and a stop by Taize, then Dinner & Fellowship with the college students (I think my homestead is going to have to include the church!) - I read Blair my notes from the day, fully inspired by a myriad of easy ways for us to integrate the systems with which we live. He pulled out his handy-dandy i-phone and checked out Kate's blog. The first thing out of his mouth was, "she rips up sweaters!" Dang! I hate how our impression of something is always affected by the first thing we see/read/hear. It's a sad commentary on our culture that we don't sit with someone (or their blog) long enough to hear their real story.

I am so grateful that I had that opportunity yesterday. Because what I learned about Kate is that she lives with intention, working hard to repurpose the things that will otherwise become waste. She makes cold-frames out of old windows & scrap lumber, she experiments with healthy gardening techniques, makes real food, and she has even taught herself how to un-do an old sweater so that she can reuse the yarn to knit fingerless gloves. She thinks about how her life is made better when she integrates the pieces of her life to positively affect not only her life, but the whole creation.

But, don't take my word for it (though I suppose you can if you like).....do more than just "check out" these inspiring sites. Take some time to get to know them, and begin to consider how you can make the place that you live a true HOMEstead - no matter what your "homestead" looks like:

Kate Hunter, of Living the Frugal Life

Harvey Ussery, of The Modern Homestead, US