Change in the air

It's with some trepidation that I acknowledge, we are about to make some pretty huge changes to life around here.
For eighteen or so years, we have been trying to establish a smallholding economy, live simple, walk lightly on the earth ... and on rented land, in a rented house, although we've had our glory days, they are few and far between.
I stayed home to home-school our daughters, and even when they moved to a christian school, and finally a state school, I worked from home. Firstly on our own ventures, and latterly on customer service call taking on the phone, from home.
Two years ago I stepped out in faith and applied for a job two days a week in a christian care home, on the admin staff. I got it, and have been doing it ever since, but we saw it as a support to my main function as wife, mother, and farmer.

Neil's decorating business is doing OK, but we both know we should be more focused, and it could do a lot more. We are drowning, and it is frustrating and heart breaking to be unable to do the smallest job around here, because we simply can't afford it.

Last week, I was brought into negotiations for a far bigger, far better job. There is a strong possibility that I will move towards getting that job, and then, for the first time in over twenty years, I will be at work full time.

A small cry goes out from my heart when I say that, but it's a practical solution. We've decided, I will have to work for a decent salary, Neil will have to build his business for all he's worth, and between us, we can get out of debt, gather some money, and howbeit a bit late in life, buy ourselves some security, God willing.

But here's what's important. We're going to nail this part time farm/homestead thing if it kills us. We've both agreed that it will be what keeps us sane. My side of it involves homemaking, growing the veg garden - growing us flowers (my commercial flower venture will likely be postponed) and blogging/writing about it. His is to keep a simple, straightforward, profitable small sheep operation running on the field, so that the field has a job, pays for itself, and is there for our future plans when we get through this. Oh and to decorate this house to within an inch of its life.

My Welsh pony Diva will have to go. Nearly all the goats will go, but we do plan on keeping house-goats. I'm not going back to commercially produced milk. The chickens will move over here, to be near to the house. I only wish the goats could but I suspect our narky neighbour would play up about that.

I really want to remember to share our progress - as we embrace frugal, part time, rented plot smallholding. (how many challenges can you pack into one project?!)

I know some of you live this hodge podge patchwork life as well - how is it going? Do you have any words of wisdom for me?