I was very excited to get a delightful confirmation message this week. There was something that “clicked” inside when I read the invitation to become a contributing writer for this fabulous site! I wanted to share my first post by introducing myself and offering a little background.
My name is Robyn Johnston and I am a chicken, goat and garden lover! My family and I live in a small, rural community in the southwestern part of Nebraska. I’ve always been a country girl and through I’ve lived in towns during my college years, my heart as always remained connected to vast vistas and wide open spaces. My family lived over 25 miles to the nearest grocery store when I was growing up. I was blessed with grandparents and parents that fostered my love of growing things, tending to animals and being a respectful, responsible land caretaker. Those early lessons set a valuable foundation for how we live and care for our 300+ acres today.
I’d like to share that I haven’t always appreciated this lifestyle. Like with many good things you don’t know what you’ve got sometimes until it’s no longer there. In me teens, it wasn’t exactly “cool” to be country, though there was no way denying who I really am! After a wonderful experinces through my 20’s and 30’s taking me to far away places, working with various teachers and then finally journeying back to my roots, I’m now at home in my body/being and on my path! One could say I took the “long way around”!
Five years ago, with the birth of our daughter, I made a conscious choice to leave my work as a classroom educator. Though I love teaching and working with kids, I really wanted to be a stay-home mom, raise my children and honor our land. This brought through some very significant changes that have provided amazing “sustenance” and literally changed the coarse of my family’s future.
Since I no longer went to work for someone else, I now had the time to raise and preserve our food and care for my family and home in a way that felt supportive and healthy. I took small steps and have made plenty of mistakes, though the mistakes have been just as supportive as the successes in that I am learning a great deal! Just because I’ve grown up in the country doesn’t mean I know all there is to know about it!
My dream, back when I was living in a tiny trailer house in college, was to have a beautiful place in the country with a husband, kids, dogs, chickens and goats. Of coarse I didn’t share this with my roomates; I tucked it down deep inside my heart and waited for the “right time” for such a dream to manifest. It’s been nearly 16 years since I recognized that desire and this year that dream became a reality. It is still a work in progress and that is what I’ll be sharing through these posts! I grew up gathering eggs and caring for chickens. I had a pet goat too, but when I brought these animals to our place, and started tending them without the assistance of my grandparents, realized I was pretty much a NOVICE! Hopefully what I share can save others a few footsteps or at least provide some humor!
I’m excited to share pictures and stories as they come through. If anyone is interested in seeing more, I also have a blog that I share through www.cre8tivecowgirl.blogspot.com
