Too often, I hear things like "I don't know how you do it all!"

But the other day, this happened. An acquaintance passed along that a relative of hers had begun following this blog and become inspired. The relative was even making plans to bring home a dairy cow. Said the blog reader to my acquaintance, "I figure, if Ashley Beller can do it, then I can do it!"

I LOVE that attitude!

She's absolutely right! I possess no special gifts or training that make me capable of running this little homestead. It all comes down to priorities and "want-to." If you've got enough "want-to," you'll figure out a way to get the "know-how."

It was only a few years ago that the sole animal here was a cat. We had tried our hand at gardening, though it wasn't done organically. Then, I picked up this book. And everything changed. . . because this book made it all seem so doable.

The other morning at about 5:00 am, just as he rolled over to turn off his alarm, John muttered to me, "Where's that Backyard Homestead book?" I was a little afraid that he was asking because he didn't want to get up and lug water over to the farm before the sun was up, and blaming this book for getting him to this point, he planned to burn it and just get back in bed.

Thankfully, there was just something he wanted to look up. ;)

Seriously, though, if you're interested in this blog and would like to get an idea of what it would take to incorporate some homesteading elements into your lifestyle, this book is a good starting point. You'll see just how doable it can be.

Because "If Ashley Beller can do it," you can, too!