10 Days in February... Limitations & 10 Days in March... Possibilities
A Memoir
by Eleanor Deckert

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As a child in the 1960s, my biggest and happiest influences were: • living in the mountains of Colorado • experiencing Brownies and Girl Scouts • Laura Ingalls Wilder’s ‘Little House’ books • Helen Keller and her teacher, Annie Sullivan • observing myself and others • caring for my baby sister • creative expression in dance class • going to Sunday School In 1978, as newlyweds, my husband, Kevin, and I set out for the wilds of Canada intending to live the ‘Back-to-the- Land’ homesteading lifestyle in the tiny log cabin we built before winter set in. The cold, darkness and silence were crushing. The isolation and poverty intensified Limitations. Could I somehow overcome the Limitations and seek Possibilities? Volunteering opened ever-expanding community, creativity, and Possibilities.

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Encouraged by reader feedback and her ever-expanding contacts through inter- views, speaking engagements and book signing events, Eleanor Deckert spent the winter of 2017-2018 describing more personal details of her homesteading lifestyle, marriage and family, inner turmoil and satisfying volunteer projects. “Much of my life is simply the ‘Serenity Prayer.’ The things that cannot change are the ‘Limitations.’ The things that can change are the ‘Possibilities.’ Although the isolation of the winter months still presses down on me,” Eleanor explains, “I continue to explore creative opportunities and re-dedicate myself to volunteering in new and interesting ways.”

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Eleanor Deckert