As much as I loved watching other people's lives and hearing about their experiences, in 1997, I realized something had been missing after I began actively supporting state and federal legislation to protect children from sexual predators on the Internet. I testified before the U.S. Congress and the Illinois House and Senate, and there were times when I crossed over to the other side of the steno pad as I was interviewed for print, radio, and television. I appeared on Oprah, 20/20, Good Morning America, Today, Final Justice with Erin Brokovich, Court TV, Leeza, and other national and local news programs. I realized that Margaret Mead was right when she said, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."
After that experience, I began thinking about my personal commitment to sustainable living. In 2002, I decided to start living the adventure that Henry David Thoreau wrote about in Walden, and my husband and I moved our family to 32 acres in the middle of Illinois where we built our own house and learned to grow our own food. Today we produce one hundred percent of our own meat, eggs, dairy products and even maple syrup, as well as the majority of our fruits and vegetables. For more information on our homestead, you can visit our website at Antiquity Oaks.
Today my goal is to make a difference by writing and speaking about sustainable living, while continuing to "walk the walk" by making our homestead more sustainable. My first book, Homegrown and Handmade, was published in 2011, and my second book, EcoThrifty will be published in 2012, both by New Society Publishers.
