When I was a kid, nothing jarred me out of a boring school day like playing Oregon Trail. Library computer time >> boot up super high tech beige computer >> Oregon Trail.
via howtogeek.com
I would hunt for bison, cross a river in my covered wagon, close my eyes in a moment of silence when someone on my team died of dysentery or cholera, be transported in my mind to Little House on the Prairie days while my retinas burned staring at pixelated images of oxen and bonnets.
I find that my ten year old self is similar to my current self.
My very non-Amish dad lives in the non-Amish section of Amish Country, Pennsylvania. (Catch that?) Every time I drive down to visit him, I find myself longing for a simpler life. Churning butter and canning applesauce and letting my sleep patterns be determined by the rising and setting of the sun.
I was a big Laura Ingalls fan as a kid. And an Anne of Green Gables fan. And a Boxcar Children fan and a Babysitters Club fan, although that’s not really relevant right now. I just had the sudden urge to wear a neon, off-the-shoulder top. (Totally in for Spring 2012, I’m told.) So glad I’m ginormous for all these nostalgic trends. Booo.
Wait, where was I?
I enjoy the idea of living simply. Quietly. I probably annoy Jack with this, but if there are too many lights on and music’s going and we’re watching the news, I experience sensory overload and have to start shutting things down in order to preserve my sanity.
I waver between really enjoying mopping my floor and really loving the idea of having a cleaning service come once a week.
Every year I think it would be nice to start a garden, but every year I kill the hardiest of flowers in a pot on my front steps.
I want open fields and my internets.
I like handmade clothes, but cannot make handmade clothes. (The five times I used my sewing machine, I threatened to set it on fire.)
I Pin instructions for making your own laundry detergent. I also Pin fancy things and small appliances on a board called “Hey Husband, I Wouldn’t Hate It If You Bought Me This.”
It’s too much of a dichotomy, no?
Do you struggle with this? Is there a balance to be achieved? Are you reading this and shaking your bonnet-clad head at me?
I don’t want to die of cholera. Let me just be clear about that.
I love this! And in response to your question, yes, yes I do struggle with finding the balance. When I was 10, I told my mom I wanted to live in the country and go to a school house with 10 children. The simple life. Now that I’m older, I do crave to be that woman who does everything herself and gardens and sews her own clothes, but I also don’t want to be that woman. It’s tough. But I do like the idea in my head of a romanticized life that I could have.
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I think you and I had identical childhoods Roo! I struggle with the same thing, the good ol’ days sound so appealing, I’d love to live in the middle of nowhere… but when we vacation in nowhere land I realize I’m pretty hooked on my urban lifestyle complete with all the modern conveniences!
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I want to raise chickens and collect eggs, but still be 10 minutes from work. I want to live an all natural life style as long as I can have some Aquage because I don’t want to be sporting flat hair.
In other words… I get you.
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oh my word…i LOVED oregon trail! and yes, i struggle with this as well. we just do what we can. we just have a small garden, but shop at the farmer’s market, too…i buy handmade when i can, but i also love the convenience of drop shipping on amazon. i think it’s okay to have a little of each lifestyle.
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Roo Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 7:33 pm
I think you’re right. Maybe they don’t have to be mutually exclusive. :)
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Roo, I swear to God, you wrote this post about my life. I lived in Michigan most of my childhood, grew up on (practically) a farm, where we had chickens, and hunted, and my Mom and Grandma would make our clothes, and we lived a little over a mile from any other person (15 miles from a Wal-Mart… That’s right, we didn’t even have a Target at the time!) Ah, sigh. Then, I moved to Florida, in the city… And started dating a cityboy. I wish I could live in the country again without all the bad things (i.e. spiders). Alas, we can’t always get what we want.
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You can download Oregon trail on your iPhone … Just saying
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Roo Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 12:55 pm
Seriously, if I allowed myself to download games, I would do nothing but play Oregon Trail and Tetris all day long. :P
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MichelleLG Reply:
February 21st, 2012 at 7:54 am
dude!! tetris + a tape of TLC’s Crazy*Sexy*Cool was pretty much my entire summer between 6th and 7th grade. :o)
i second all your fave books and your desire for simple life with modern conveniences. and can i just say i am SO thankful i’m not the only one who goes into sensory overload on a regular basis!! :o)
re: the resurgence of neon fashions, its like “leggings as pants?!” all over again! i have no idea where i stand…
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I’m totally with you on conflicting wants. I think it’s just a matter of balance. And I think there is value in picking up simpler habits or skills, like learning to make your own detergent or how to sew curtains.
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Roo Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 12:56 pm
True! I think I tend to be a little too extreme. All or nothing, you know? And I need to learn that there’s something to be said for finding a balance. Good thoughts, Misty!
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“Little Laptop on the Prairie” is the best title ever.
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Roo Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 12:33 pm
Ha! You know what, Christine? I turned to Jack this morning and was all, “Oooh, I think I like this title I gave this post.” And he just gave me a blank stare. Thank you. I totally feel vindicated now.
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Christine Reply:
February 21st, 2012 at 5:27 pm
As you should. :)
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Melanie Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 10:55 pm
I was TOTALLY thinking that too. Best. Title. Ever.
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We are one of the same. I adored Laura and Anne, but I also kill my potted flowers. There’s something to be said about living simply…I would love to visit the Amish country and take it all in!
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My sister is that woman who can do it all. I wish I had her skills, but I lack a green thumb, and have a whole lot of procrastination. My dryer is broken and waiting for a tax return fix, so saving a hundred a month and drying clothes the old fashioned way is as close as I get to living life the old fashioned way :)
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Dude, I feel the same way! I’ve been taking baby-steps since Oct trying to clean/organize up my life, become more frugal and live more simply. I’ve learned to make my own cleaning/beauty products, I’m slowly starting to learn how to cook things that don’t come out of boxes, and who knows, maybe next year I’ll be ready for a garden.
P.S. – love the Babysitter’s Club!
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ok, YES on the babysitters club books! YES, YES and YES! love those. i totally get this post. i too love the idea of stuff like say, making my own babyfood. only to later find out that it didn’t really save me any money and it’s easier to just swipe it off the shelf at target. i also long to be living simply and to be organized but…..it’s a work in progress. i also really like to just sit on the couch after i tuck my kiddos in and watch the shows me and my hubby tevo’d. sigh. i’m pretty sure laura engals wilder would not approve. although, i have been to the town where she was born many times because there is an amazing natural dr. there who saved my life from chronic arthritis one time! love him. but….now i’m way off topic! sorry. i tend to do things like this. especially in my voicemail messages.
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You took me back to the good ole days. I would only add that I also played “Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego”.
I also struggle with this and wish we could have a little farm where we could grwo our own food and raise animals, but it would require a lot of changes. I’m all about the bittylutions. Our last house was on an acre and a half and we grew sweet potatoes and strawberries and it gave us such a sense of accomplisment. I miss it now since our yard is non-existent in our new house. Sigh.
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Ingrid Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 8:47 pm
me too! i totally want free range chickens. and a garden for summer but i hate doing yard work and live in the burbs.
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This is hilarious, I literally just excitedly told my daughter about my plan to host a ‘Little House on the Prairie’ sleepover for her just so I could indulge my ‘want to live like the Ingalls’ fantasy. I was even thinking about making little bonnets for everyone! Sigh. I think I need to stop thinking about it in all or nothing way too because there is no way I want to give up Amazon shopping or my laptop…. heck I need my laptop to look up how to make bread for heaven’s sake!
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i can totally relate! sometimes i love baking homemade bread and cleaning house and sometimes i want a maid and a cook to take care of me. plus i don’t want to die of dysentery.
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Roo! Only you could tie in a “deep thought” with Oregon Trail (btw … totally loved that game and completely forgot about it until I saw this post … thanks for the nostalgia, babe!). Sigh … finding the balance in life is a Rubik’s cube for sure!
xxCat
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You had a computer at your school? Lucky you! I can honestly say I’ve never played Oregon Trail. Ack. Don’t hate me. :) But I did and do still love Anne of Green Gables. Maybe it’s the red hair. I also have grand plans of gardens and flowers…which I plant and eventually kill or get bored with by the middle of the summer. My mom and dad can stuff like salsa and relish. I steal from their house when I’m there. I love the idea of “homemaking” but there are other things I’d rather do when I’m not at work. Great post!
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We have an abundance of farms down this way so whenever I’m at a farmer’s market (or drive past farm land to get to the casino) I get this feeling of wanting to simplify and go back to basics with food (but not appliances. I love buying sticks of butter, not churning it myself. I’d be willing to milk a cow, though). My sister and I used to have conversations of wanting to move to a farm just for the isolation from people but still have cable tv and internet. Ok that has nothing to do with living simpler, just further from people who annoy us.
But I bet it would be so nice! Less stress from modern life is all I’d ask for.
Also, I remember in 4th grade I’d work hard to be an A+ student to garner free time on the classroom computer just to play Oregon Trail. I don’t think I ever got to Oregon.
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Someone please tell me that there’s an updated version of The Oregon Trail game available somewhere.. you have induced a longing for that old pasttime. Ha. =)
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Can I just say (besides, I love reading your blog) that I grew up and currently live in Amish Country and absolutely adore it! Husband and I moved back to his old home town just to escape civilization even further.
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I forever want to go all-natural, organic, tree-hugger and then I realize the cost, the time, the life change and my husbands chocolate cherrios addiction will forever hinder my ability to do it. I could forever live without any television and have lived without the internet just fine, I am just completely cut off from civilization when I do it.
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Just another reader here saying “I SWEAR YOU WROTE THIS ABOUT ME!” 0_0
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You know I live not far from Amish country in PA right?! I see a PA blogger meetup in your future.
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