Homesteading: Defined.

When you hear the word "homesteading" you draw up some picture in your mind.  Maybe a tidy little farm or a dilapitated old house and outbuildings.  You think of farming activities.  A family working outside all day, doing things your grandparents did.  Making all of their own food.  Big strange jars of stuff lining a pantry and a cellar filled with bags and boxes of harvested food.  And the hours of work it all takes...
Maybe you've thought about it and really love the idea of all the above and anything else you consider to be part of that picture.  Maybe you read blogs and books and whatnot.  Maybe you've taken that path, made the homestead.  Or maybe you, like so many, think--WOW....there is no way I have the time or know how or whatever it takes to do all of that.  I would love to---but its just....just.....

I am a "word" person.  Really, a word junkie.  I big word geek!  I love how words define things, set people's expectations, create context and have different meaning to different folks. I think the best and most interesting thing about this word is that it is so elastic.  So able to bend to whatever your mind can conjure up. 
I mean really, look at what the dictionary has to provide here:

homestead

n.

4. The place where one's home is.

v. home·stead·ed, home·stead·ing, home·steads

v.tr.

To claim and settle (land) as a homestead.

And so, my premise, if you want to "homestead", do it.  In fact, you probably are already.  Claim your space and fill it with all that is important to you.  Live, fully.
How we interpret it, and do it, is really well summed up here in the following video from the Good Life Center.  Although the whole documentary is enjoyable to watch, it really hit the nail on the head for me somewhere between 4:21 to 7:10.  If you've ever contemplated what it all means-this homesteading thing-watch this::
http://vimeo.com/925276

GoodLife Center Documentary from Renee Johnson on Vimeo.