Even Misadventures are Adventures

By: Misty Murph'Ariens

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Many people have asked in recent years how it is that my husband and I seem so cheerful all the time.  Sometimes it is someone we just met, commenting on my husband's radiant smile, something I have learned to do since meeting him. More often, though, it is people who know about our lifestyle that ask. These people know that we live in a tiny house, that we take our pedal car for 56 kilometre journeys to pick up groceries. Some know that I wash my laundry by hand in a basin and a stockpot, using a washboard and wringer (a new and fabulous addition to my laundry station).  They know that we cook our meals from scratch on a wood stove. And most of these people are keenly aware that I scoop the poop of numerous different animals several times daily and often have a lingering scent of pig pen on my coat and boots. Now, don't get me wrong, there are times when I could use a few more square feet to have my guests over in. Sometimes we are pedalling in the rain or cold or dark, sometimes breaking down far from home with a full trunk.  There are times when it is wet for extended periods and it takes a week to dry a load of laundry, days when the kettle doesn't get boiled until well after lunch, and times when I'd much prefer to smell like flowers.  On the other hand, there is enormous satisfaction in living in a home built by our own hands, of coasting down a big hill in the countryside on a sunny day with the wind in our hair, of singing an old Ella Fitzgerald song while elbow deep in cool water washing the socks.  There is always the good and the bad, but we know that we get to choose what we notice and how we interpret it.  We also have the enormous luxury of having a slower pace of life that gives us the time to learn and try new things, to notice the beautiful sunset, and to cherish the company we keep.  Each day is an opportunity to make our life a little better, and it is all worth the effort because we take the time to acknowledge and appreciate all the good things and the lessons we have learned through our experiences.  We smile because we know that every day is an adventure in an infinite universe and that everything is possible.