Thursday, March 31, 2011

atchafalaya houseboat








i was up in the middle of the night last night. and i think it was meant to be.  i turned on the television and the documentary atchafalaya houseboat was on public tv. 

i am completely taken with this story. 

and i immediately ordered the book written by gwen roland (pictured above).  this is the story of a couple who set out in 1970 to live off the land and the water on a houseboat in the louisiana bayou.  the photographs were taken by cc lockwood.  they are spectacularly beautiful.  i grabbed these photographs from various places off the net but the ones on his site are so worth the look.

i will let you know more of my impressions once i start reading the book.  i am really looking forward to this.  but i also feel a little apprehensive because i have dreamt about living a similar lifestyle for some time now.  and sometimes i feel regret that i haven't just forged forward and trusted my instincts and ideas.  but regret gets a person less than a step.  and it can do a number on your head.  so i try not to listen to that little voice. 

also, as i've grown older my desire has turned from a true subsistence lifestyle  (it really may be tiring!) to just simplifying to the point where i own my own life.  where i don't have debt.  where i can spend a lot of time outdoors and i can take care of a healthy garden and do work that is enjoyable to me rather than do work just to earn a paycheck just to pay the bills. 

for me these thoughts are as basic as it gets.  because we have one life.  and we need to take this seriously.  to respect and honor the fact that we get to live.  and there are choices to be made about how to do it.  it is so easy to get caught up in living the way everyone lives around us. in living a sort of zombie existence.  in thinking our choices and lifestyle are a foregone conclusion.  in being afraid and not thoughtful and courageous.  the answer will be different for everyone but you have to ask yourself the question.

you have to have a sense of humor about this crazy ride.  and you have to accept all the twists and turns.  but in the end when you have that feeling in your stomach and that spark of enlightenment about what will make your life really mean something to you and to those around you, well, you gotta listen.

love, liane

16 comments:

Sara said...

nice post. Your life looks lovely from here. How about "my life would be better if only" I knew the serenity prayer?

Michelle @ Give a Girl a Fig said...

I love what you say about how your thoughts and idea have changed over time...so have mine. It's interesting what we realize about life...and ourselves...as we age. And mature. And think more realistically.

Kelly said...

Liane,
loved this post...it speaks volumes to embrace what we ultimately yearn to do...I'm in
awh when people like this just do it...love your blog and all the insightful things you bring to the blog community and the hands on life I feel it seems you already live. kelly

Molly said...

i have been reading your posts for some time now and have often 'commented' to you, but only in my brain! this post moves me to actually comment - things have been (and will continue to be) crazy around here and i have been aware of a severe sense of deprivation...after reading your post, i realize that i needed a jog to get back on track, re-center myself, and work from the stability that gives me...thank you for the reminder!

Anonymous said...

Yes. Simply yes.

Anonymous said...

nice blog post!!

and I'm so in the same boat with changing my "I'm going to walk off and live in the woods" dream to "how about a nice garden and some chickens". Simple is best, and idealism seems to fade a little with age =)

Jen said...

Lovely thoughtful post. And I like to say "atchfalaya".

Anonymous said...

so well said. I think about this every day and we have worked to free ourselves for years (though somewhat ironically, we took on more in a certain area of our life in the last 2 years, than ever (read - a home!!)), but living differently, freeing the mind, freeing yourself from the grips of the monster that makes up "the norm" - that is the greatest freedom. Unbeatable. A close friend and I talk a lot about the "zombies" all around us. It's important to stay lucid, be attentive to ourselves, and not forget that we are luminous beings.

simple :: dream :: quilts said...

I watched this documentary with one of my sons some time ago on PBS. I just love the hanging bed. I've even thought of screening in my front porch and turning that into a sleeping porch, with a hanging bed. Just the thought of a slower life is relaxing. Enjoyed your post and pics,Lisa

melania said...

beautiful. thankyou!
i'm looking forward to that tiny bit of forging ahead tomorrow - building the chicken coop and working in the garden. we're renting but i figure that if we wait for that day when we own our little bit...well who knows what could happen in the meantime!
will have to track down this doco/book, the images striking.
~ melania

beth said...

So true. Nesting is our dream this year, without loosing our sense of adventure.

panthercreekcottage said...

The road to a life free from debt is challenging to say the least. It may take time but is so worth the energy and effort it takes to get there. Remain single minded in your quest and keep the blinders on to avoid the pit falls and slippery slopes. And it's the maintaining once there that is as equally challenging. Always, there are temptations,and I keep "NO" in default mode to avoid them. Your saying, regrets gets a person less than a step were very encouraging to me, thank you. God bless your journey.

greenemama said...

i like that your way of living your one life isn't this overbearing "live life to the fullest!" kind of thing. it's simple and real and i appreciate that. you're the best!

india flint said...

a life lived in fear is a life half lived
respect
for those who dive in at the deep end

another feather said...

What a dream! Thanks for posting this! Longing to read that book!

Dominique said...

c'est beau, merci.