Ruth and Joel’s house was cozy and warm. The sun shone through the large windows looking out on the cold mountains just yonder, the wood stove stood guard against the chill, in front of a wood cabin wall. Their children played with simple toys and brought me books to read them. Ruth had sewing waiting…
Category: Homestead
Being Prepared (homesteading and becoming aware)
As we walk around our little town each evening, down red dirt roads and surrounded by mountain ranges, we are amused by the eclectic makeup of this place. We pass run down trailers, the yards filled with decades of accumulation. We pass new houses (definitely city transplants)- large “country” homes with landscaped yards and a…
The Wisdom of Simple Living
A fascinating book dropped into my home library by way of a student who thought I would enjoy it. It is the second in the series, and by god, I am enjoying it! Foxfire 2 has delighted me this past week with recipes, anecdotes, and interviews with homesteaders that were born in the late 1800’s….
This is Why We Homestead (and how we will prep better this year)
Five pounds of smoky, rich local coffee beans are a comfort to have. We still have 3/4 of a fifty pound bag of organic, unbleached flour. We have lots of wheat gluten and jars upon jars of pulses, like barley, rice, and pinto beans. Did we know that there would be a worldwide pandemic? Yes…
The Right to Homestead (and the ability to stop panicking)
In my mind, especially after watching the absolute chaos of this week unfold, I feel like old fashioned principals and homesteading practices have never been more important to incorporate into one’s life. Then one might not be so apt to wipe out the shelves of Walmart hoarding toilet paper over a cold that Oregon Grape…
How an Old Fashioned Life Benefits HSPs
What is an HSP? I first heard the term Highly Sensitive Person some dozen years ago. It is used to describe someone who is very sensitive and emotional. Words such as empath have come forth, but there are differences. An empath is someone who feels others’ emotions and feels empathy for them. My husband is…
DIY Affordable Homestead Fencing
My husband, Doug, and I have never been accused of being handy. We do, however, have a great passion for homesteading, so over the years we have learned and we have made it work! We watched our first goats, adorable and nimble as they were, hop through the holes in the field fencing and go…
Sweet Homestead Days
The wood stove comes alive, savage and hot. The whirl of orange and red feel so comforting, so primal, so homelike. The living room will be warm soon. I prepare my coffee and watch through the picture window as the sky slowly begins to lighten with dawn. A new day is upon us. The kitten…
Top 10 Homesteading Tips I Have Learned Over the Years
This was hard to narrow down, because in each area of homesteading, there are many great tips available. I wanted the most useful tips for this article; the ones that I use all the time. 1. Steaming Eggs- even following a plant based diet, we have happy chickens that lay a lot of eggs. Not…
Baby Steps; How to Begin Homesteading
It is no bad thing to celebrate a simple life. J.R.R. Tolkien We moved into an apartment four years ago between homesteads. It was a beautiful, top floor, one bedroom with views of the mountains and a fireplace with a light switch. Lush carpet, a large bathtub, and walking trails everywhere. We had just come…
Farmgirl School 