A Shakin’ and a Bakin’

Jill's Journal: Once again we braved the intense heat and humidity for a little history today. The girls and I headed to Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill near Harrodsburg, Kentucky. I loved this photo of the three girls getting their “Shake” on.

The largest restored Shaker community in North America, Shaker Village is a 3,000-acre living museum with costumed guides showing how life was 200 years ago in a celibate religious commune. There are 34 restored buildings – everything from a privy to a meeting hall – and 25 miles of rock fences. Men and women, called brethren and sisters, all lived and worked together in quiet discipline and equality, but the two genders were kept completely separate in everything from work to worship to meals. I found the original “laundromat/wash house” most intriguing after our washing machine drama of late! But the girls were most amazed by the Shaker-style, revival-like, wild song recreated by one of the interpreters (apparently these people really “shook” when worshiping as they felt moved by the Spirit of God; they were originally called “Shaking Quakers” before their quest for simplicity led them to shorten the name to “Shakers”). The musical performance was only forgotten by the girls after they discovered the wide variety of animals…turkeys, goats, cats, oxen, and Percherons (a breed of draft horses). Farming is still done on the property using the oxen and Percherons and an antique plow!

Interestingly and obviously, a celibate commune must rely on recruits to keep its population going. The Shaker movement was brought to the New World by nine people on a broken-down ship from England in 1774. The last Shaker of Pleasant Hill died in 1923. Of the 19 original villages stretching from Maine to Kentucky, only one in Maine remains an active Shaker community with just four remaining residents.

Wanderlust

/Jill's Journal: A new year; another step closer to scratching our wanderlust itch. We think this will be a quiet year for us as we prepare for the RV launch in 2010. We have just two major family goals:

1). Keep the status quo with our little family. In other words, keep everybody healthy and happy as we enjoy every day together.

2). Conquer that tax debt! Barring any unforeseen setbacks, our very aggressive goal is to be debt-free by the end of October. It requires commitment and sacrifice, but we’ve already made some major headway over the past six or seven months. We are dedicated and determined.

By the way, I’ve always loved the word “wanderlust.” I remember discovering it as a kid and thinking it was a positively delicious word! It also sums up an affliction I’ve had since I was very young. I’ve always loved to travel, always craved travel. I remember being 13 and literally begging my parents to let me use my life savings for a trip to England (especially as my fave band, Wham!, had just broken up and planned a farewell concert in London, but that’s beside the point). Naturally, my parents said no (I can’t imagine why!), especially as I planned to go by myself, and I thought I would just die from their stamp of refusal!! Somehow I managed to survive the crushing blow (!) and got a job as a travel agent before high school graduation. I put myself through college on my meager travel agent pittance and was fortunate to do more traveling in seven years than many people get to do in a lifetime.

I finally did get that trip to London and over a dozen more to Europe during those years (and certainly have visited a good portion of the U.S. and a few other countries), but like anyone stricken with wanderlust, I ache for more! I’m fortunate to have a husband who, although he probably doesn’t quite crave travel the way I do, definitely enjoys adventure and seeing the world.