People's reactions to what we see as "normal"

[Millymollymandy]

I'm very lucky. When I go to my Mum's village in Somerset all the people that we spend time with are either into just pretty flower gardening (so am I), or grow veg to some extent or other and a lot of them have had chooks or ducks in the past. Lots of them make jam and chutney etc, so nobody thinks I'm odd and they love to hear all about my place. Indeed I have had some great discussions about how to deal with mole and rat problems with my mum's cleaning lady!

Here in the French countryside we just live like everybody else and so we are very, very normal indeed.

Tho' I told my husband about wee wipes and he was grossed out, but I think they are pretty gross myself!

[Bluemoon]

OK, I'm going to have to ask; what are wee wipes?

[mrsflibble]

http://www.selfsufficientish.com/forum/ ... =21&t=6791

[Jobi1canobi]

Indeed I have had some great discussions about how to deal with mole and rat problems with my mum's cleaning lady!

Your mum has a cleaning lady...I'm in awe!

[mrsflibble]

I'd love a cleaning lady. I can do washing, I can cook, I can sew, crochet (ish), knit, play with my baby, grow food but I'm so hopeless at cleaning I'm scared we will eventually disappear under heaps of crap.

[farmerdrea]

I just wish we could afford a cleaner to come in and do a thorough job about once a season. I have better uses for my time, and I really dislike cleaning....

Andrea
NZ

[old tree man]

We are so lucky to have our Alexandra, she cleans through the house once a week to help me out while i am looking after jane, not bad for a 20yr old girl we love her so much.

Russ

[happy place]

i used to think i was normal but you guys out normal me ( how do you make soap)
my old man still don't understand that i choose to have animals rather than holidays
i keep telling him its a life style choice.i don't need that stuff
do have telly but when it brakes i won't replace it (but as usual stuff you want to brake don't) mind you the anklebiters might kick up a bit (should never have got freeview for ceebiebees)
remember to ask the next person who says your not normal to define normal

[farmerdrea]

I'm lucky that my immediate family (husband and children) understand, but my extended family think we're mad to choose farming/animals over holiday-making ... you've no idea how many times I've heard "oh, it must be so hard to get away..." and no one ever listens to us saying we don't WANT to get away. I don't mind a bit not getting away, and now the high cost of fuel (it now costs nearly $100 NZD to fill my fuel tank) gives me a sort of good excuse to just stay home.

Andrea
NZ

[Mainer in Exile]

The family still asks, "when are you going to go back to work?"
and
"Are you really going to be able to kill the rabbits and chickens yourself?"

[QuakerBear]

I don't see why those who don't share our life style can't just accept the difference as a differnet type of normal.

Take my best friend for example, she's a wizzy business woman who wears suits all the time and enjoys going shopping at the weekend. She's abit flumoxed by my interests but becuase she loves me she takes an interest in what I'm doing, she gets pleasure out of my enjoyment even though she can't get enjoyment out of a perfectly formed homegrown potato. I hope I do the same for her, but it's just about mutual respect.

[farmerdrea]

The family still asks, "when are you going to go back to work?"
and
"Are you really going to be able to kill the rabbits and chickens yourself?"

Get this -- my charming paternal parental unit thinks I "sponge" off my husband because I stay at home and take care of the farm and grow most of our food and homeschool the children, and calls me a cold-blooded killer for slaughtering the meat we eat.

Andrea
NZ

[Millymollymandy]

Indeed I have had some great discussions about how to deal with mole and rat problems with my mum's cleaning lady!

Your mum has a cleaning lady...I'm in awe!

Why? She's old, she's had a heart attack, and her cleaning lady is a good friend of hers so my mum who is all alone now has someone to chat to twice a week.

Anyway I used to have a cleaning lady and/or an ironing lady when we were affluent and my husband earned mega dosh! Who wouldn't?!!!

[Karen_D]

I think not having a TV has provoked the most reactions and, oddly enough, the most hysterical "What do you do in an emergency?" being my favourite. DH once answered the door to someone trying to flog Sky who, upon being told there was no TV in the house got most upset and said "But you need to relax..." as if the only way to do it was sat in front of the TV.

There are some strange people about....

Wassail

Karen

[Jobi1canobi]

Indeed I have had some great discussions about how to deal with mole and rat problems with my mum's cleaning lady!

Your mum has a cleaning lady...I'm in awe!

Why? She's old, she's had a heart attack, and her cleaning lady is a good friend of hers so my mum who is all alone now has someone to chat to twice a week.

Anyway I used to have a cleaning lady and/or an ironing lady when we were affluent and my husband earned mega dosh! Who wouldn't?!!!

Please don't get me wrong - I'm not knocking it - I'd love someone to help me out too!