So, seriously. Ask anyone who knows me, my grandparents’ farm in Somerset was one of my favorite places in my childhood. I really loved that place. And my love of history got me into heirloom gardening, which I had no idea existed until I learned about it in the early 1990s. And that led to a renewed interest in all sorts of other things related to farming, including livestock, barns, smokehouses, orchards, root cellars, ponds, beehives, you name it. I guess that sort of thing appeals to me on several levels. Self-sufficiency? Check. History stuff? Check. Being outdoors? Check. Working with my hands in a way that is also intellectually stimulating? Check and check.
So when someone I know manages to actually do a lot of the things that I only wish I could do, I try to pay attention.