Our Unusual Life

In this episode we start off talking about Little Women - a great version just out now. And then I talk about our school days. It ended up being more about me than my mom. The most interesting part is that I didn't really talk to my parents about the bullying...and I wonder if that is the case for most kids. It wasn't fun to have a girl two years younger pull your hair the whole school bus ride home. And hard to explain the sense of relief when she got off at her home.

This fun episode features a very special guest - my Aunt Marguerite. Her first time to our house was the day before my mom and Bills wedding. Talk about culture shock when she arrived in the middle of the night to a small cabin high in the mountains. This was the first of so many visits from her and her family over the years. I love her so much and am grateful she took to time to talk about her adventure. The letter mentioned in the episode is online at www.ourunusuallife.com and on Instagram. The sound is a little off as we continue to try to perfect the recording.

This is my favorite episode so far...not only because we get to hear moms path to her faith in God but also because you can tell this means so much to her. Moms life is so amazing and her faith has an obvious influence. We also talk a bit about the passing of my Grandmother Anne...I still miss her every day and that was hard to talk about. This episode is beautiful. I apologize about the volume level of my voice. I was not aware it was not matching mom's.

In this episode we are trying a new microphone for mom so hopefully the quality is okay as we talk about how we got our water...for drinking and bathing. The big 5 gallon (?) jugs you often see on the back of Jeeps were what we used most of the time. And I also ask mom what it was like to send us off into the woods to get to the bus stop as such young children. It was a different life...and I imagine there may still be people doing this today...maybe.

Lorien and I chat about Mountain Hair Care and walking miles to school...well until we started riding on our horses. A little sister chat...

In this episode Bill and Kathy talk about the details of how the cabin was built. It still stands to this day 40 years later. I suspect many of people have camped in our cabin found deep i the woods.

It this short episode you will meet my dad Bill who met my mom when I was about 3ish. He and some friends had also moved to the middle of Northern Idaho. It is a beautiful thing that they met each other and a life changing event for all of us.

This is the epic story of when mom left us alone in the middle of the woods and we fought off a bear all by ourselves!! Well it wasn't as dramatic as that but what a story! As you will hear encountering bears was a normal part of us going through the woods to school...this one was a close encounter however.

This episode is so fun! Mom meets Dad and plans her homestead. This is an adventure for sure as Lorien and I learn more about how mom met Bill and also Mom discusses surveying the land to find the perfect spot for the cabin. The bonus episode coming next came from this discussion but deserved it's own -- Mom teases it about half way in!

In this episode you get to meet my sister Lorien! Oh the stories already got 100% better. We are two years apart so she remembers much more than I do. This is about to get good!!!

In this episode my mom goes into more detail about her decision to move to the middle of Northern Idaho ... and stay. As a young 25ish year old woman it is truly amazing all that my mom did with us two girls. This is the reason I started this podcast with my family. I know it is hard to visualize where we lived and how with just photos (and the video) but hopefully our stories will help. And she wasn't the only one. As this goes on you will start to hear about our neighbors and friends most of whom we are still in contact with thanks to social media.

Episodes are live and published via Facebook and Instagram...and we have more photos! Also we were highlighted on a TV show when I was 10...here is the link to my yougtube channel! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbKk90-t6yc&t=45s

We all know hitchhiking was a normal event back in the 60's and 70's. Mom tells us about our trip to the Grand Canyon and a man named McKrakken...funny but sort of scary too. My mom was so adventurous.

Mom discusses why she chose a teepee to live in while building the cabin. It is a very interesting story about being daring and creative. Mom, a three year old, a 5 year old and a dog...living deep in the heart of the mountain.

Mom explains how this period of her life comes out in conversation today.

Mom explains how she ends up moving from the East Coast the the mountains of Northern Idaho (with kids in tow)

This is Our Unusual Life by Jessie