Did The Swiss Family Robinson Drive A Winnebago?

I think I am normal. My kids do not. Some of my friends do not. But deep down, I know I am just an average-fairly-ordinary-run-of-the-mill-kinda-suburban-mormon-mom. But when I was asked to categorize my blog on a website recently, I looked at their categories and the place that best fit me was "Crunchy Moms". Now. I know I do not know much about the world these days, but I do not consider myself sheltered. I must admit, however, that I have never heard the term Crunchy. I have been called Hippie, Granola and even Meadow Muffin, but Crunchy is new. So after a little googling on the subject I have to admit it, Crunchy I am. But I think that is normal. I do not believe my children when they tell me they are the ONLY kids at school with whole wheat bread around their homemade jam and peanut butter. Nor do I believe that ALL of the other houses they visit have chips, soda and cable TV ready for the asking. I am pretty sure that most of our neighbors live the way we do. It is 2010 for crying out loud. Right?

But in case you are in the dark as I was about your crunchiness, here is my tutorial. What we do that may seem crunchy to some, but I stand by it as being completely normal!

• Recycle---Everybody is doing it. I am almost embarrassed to admit that I do because it has become so cliche.
• Eat Food. As natural, local and seasonal as possible--God made food for us to enjoy and to nourish and strengthen our bodies. People tampered with food and mixed food with chemicals to try to kill us. We eat food.
• Chickens--People have been raising animals for millennia. Eggs are better fresh. Plus chickens are funny to watch. Pretty cheap entertainment (make that "cheep"...get it?).
• Clean Naturally--Way cheaper. Way healthier for us and Mother earth. Works just as well. Still fighting with Hunky Hubby about toilet bowl cleaner, but trust me...he is wrong on this one.
• Compost--Also been going on forever. My parents did it. Black gold. I keep a little bin on the kitchen counter for scraps and take it out to the compost bin in the yard every couple of days. Twice a year I have beautiful fertilizer for the garden at no extra cost to me! This is sounding like I am just cheap not crunchy.
• Gardening--this is sooo normal in my area that I look like a total amateur compared to my neighbors, but we eat what we grow and we have fun with it. Except the weeds. I hate the weeds.
• Debt free---Cash on the barrelhead Pa always says. That was a line from Little House on the Prairie not me, but it is good advice.
• Potty rocks or logs--This is a name we came up with when our kids were tiny. There is an art to finding just the right spot in the woods to conduct business. I think perhaps this is why some of my girlfriends have labeled me. I am actually pretty good at locating these precious spots.
• General attitude of frugality and stewardship over the earth and the things that we have. "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without". I must admit that I do see a lack of this in our country today, but I think the attitude is changing. Mass consumerism is losing its appeal. People are prioritizing and simplifying. Nice to see.

See, I told you, normal. Truth be told it is a far cry from where I would like to be and from where I imagined I would be when I was a kid. I always wanted to live in a treehouse a la the Swiss Family Robinson or in a cabin in the woods like the Wilderness Family. I still dream of picking up and moving to a yurt with no electricity or running water and living off of the land. Or buying an old Winnebago, loading up the kids and driving off to lands unknown for a couple of years. But alas, in the box I stay. We do what we can to make our lives cleaner, simpler and more natural. And for now, that makes us happy and it feels close to right. And you never know what tomorrow will bring. How much do you suppose a used Winnebago is anyway?...

Quote of the Day: "Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves."

~John Muir