Want to Live in my front yard?

The future homestead across the road is up for sale. It is 5 acres, unfenced, prairie grass, I think 3 or 4 bedroom double wide with a huge kitchen, 1 garage, a shed, and set up for chicken. They are asking $75,000 for it. email me and I will get you in contact with the owners.

Valley Center Kansas

Please, come live with me!

tit for tat

A migraine woke my up last night, been trying to get rid of it ever since. They slowed down a bit in this cooler summer, and I have no idea what triggered this one. But it has subsided enough that I can see with my right eye again, kind of, depth perseption is still slightly off, but enough that it doesn't bother me to be on the computer. But you aren't here to hear about that, you want to hear that I will be in the city tomoorrow, in the Parking lot of Bently elemantry, selling baked goods to raise money for a child with cancer. (yes, that would be in Wichita, Kansas)

I have been lost lately, the homestead right before winter sees many chances, and it can get overwhelming. I am finding that once again, I need to take a step back and finish one project, instead of getting distracted and dessperate. Hey, it happens to the best of us. My husband isn't the greatest of help right now, we are getting more and more motorcycle in and out of here. Which to be truthful, is fine because that money goes toward Christmas.

Speaking of Christmas, I am rather relived that I had implamented the no electronic toys for Christmas rule a few years back. I couldn't imagine what this Christmas would be like without that rule, oh hey wait I can. They would behave like they did the first year we did it, have a blast and not complain about what they didn't get. Oh, they comlained when I first informed them of this rule, but come Christmas morning, it was all good.

The house and land right across the road from me will be going up for sale soon. I would love to be able to pick my neighbors this time.

Well off to go bake. Don't forget that I will be posting on Woman not Dabbling in Normal tomorrow.

This post brought to you by Ritalin, something this author obviously needs this morning.

No, you can't go to Heaven in a jar!

The other day, my squatter, my 7 year old and I were in the truck together. My 7 year old starts singing, "No you can't go to heaven in a jar. . . " I looked at him, waiting for some more lyrics. Instead I got an ornery grin and "You can't go to heaven in a jar." I replied, "But you can go to hell in a hand basket." This had my 7 year old rolling with laughter, before he took a breath to ask what a hand basket was. This started us on the various ways that pop culture has sang/said we could go to heaven or hell.

Many of us feel that the world, at least the US is going to hell in a hand basket right now. And my 7 year olds statement got me thinking. Maybe we can go to Heaven in a jar. . .at least a canning jar can give us a little piece of personal sanctuary. Let's think about it. Many of us are concerned about rising food prices, even on Oprah ( no I usually don't watch it, but I was flipping through stations yesterday because I don't have a remote and some woman was talking about canning jelly. See, that justifies it ha!) people were talking about money no longer being there and this is leading them to create homemade gifts, such as jams and jellies. No, I don't think I will start saying that the issues with our economy is a good thing. I don't think people should be forced to rethink their lifestyles, I believe that we should come to it because that is what we want to do.

Canning food, like your leftovers, really can be some peace of mind. There have been times in my past that I didn't have the money to buy food, I would freeze the leftovers. But after I learned to can, I began canning everything I could. And I assure you, this has made a major difference in my life. I have learned to can my "gourmet" meals as well as the down home types of foods. I give gifts of bread and cake in a jar along with jams, jellies and butters. And I have seen a savings in my food bill because of this. And with three growing boys that seem to eat as much as my husband does. . . well it makes a world of difference.

Canning isn't something that is going on just during harvest, although we homesteaders make it seem that way, it is something that happens all year long. If you are in need of basic canning times, see here. Be creative, and allow the problems of the world slide off your back with all the sweat.

I have articles to finish, another reason I was so late posting this morning. Oh, and if you haven't checked it out yet, you can go try and win a custom motorcycle over at Following the yellow brick road.

Wanted: Local Homesteader

I didn't mean you should stop emailing me with your questions yesterday. All I meant was to just take a step back and look before you leap. Everyone that emailed me, should have received an answer. If you didn't check your junk mail. I have been told that certain ones send mine to junk if it carries a link in it.

So we were talking about community yesterday. More and more people are thinking about the economy, more and more blogs are naturally writing on the subject. More than anything I am worried about the cost of heating fuels and Christmas time than anything else. I have enough food here to last the next year, harvest too harvest, which has been my goal, and I am still preserving food stuff. Personally I see the 3 month storage good for a natural disaster, rather than a long term man made one. But your 3 month supply can be stretched and help you save on your monthly food budget.

If you haven't yet, now is a good time to go ahead and check the laws of your town. Many cities do allow some sort of barn yard animals on a urban and suburban yard. And some do not. Also see what is available at your local extension office, as well as checking in with some of your local homesteading bloggers. Many that I work with online and many that I enjoy reading, including myself, don't mind teaching. If someone in my area is interested in coming out and working hard to learn, they are more than welcome. Fall and winter are a good time to learn some things without the mad dash to get it all done. Here in a few days (because the horse stomped on mine) I am going to a local pumpkin patch with a couple of women, then teaching them different ways to cook and preserve the bounty. I have been thinking about teaching a bread making class, so many people seemed to have one issue or another with that.

It is always a good idea to have the basics of homesteading down, or implemented into your life. Besides people thinking your a freak, or a chicken little, it doesn't hurt anything.

Now I am not saying the world is coming to an end. And I am not pushing my lifestyle off on anyone. I have a serious love/hate complex when it comes to homesteading of any kind. And there are many things I can't do as of this moment. I myself will be seeking out someone in my area that would be willing to trade some knowledge and lessons with me to fill those gaps.

So get out there, find a buddy and get your knowledge on. Now is an important time to do such things. And if they bulk on teaching you, tell em Phelan sent you . ha!

In Case of a Water landing, your seat. . .

Calm down, Please?

The emails I am receiving are starting to freak me out. I realize that many people are worried about the economy, but jumping into homesteading with both feet can cause you a lot more harm than good.

Homesteading is not a cheap endeavor, and not something to take lightly. Jumping in without the resources and research could cause much sorrow in your life. If you are wanting to make this leap, I am hoping I can convince, even in this time that is reminiscent of the Great Depression (which could if allowed, to be worse than that do to the fact that we no longer have industrial jobs, or at least very few of them) to continue to take baby steps.

First, meet your neighbors. Community is a huge part of being self sufficient. I know that sounds like an oxymoron, but it really isn't. Unless you are incredibly well off, you will not be able to acquire everything needed to live. Find out which neighbors think like you do, then sit down and talk. Work out what you can do for each other. And older neighbor my not be able to milk by hand, but can afford a milking cow, another neighbor has a tremendous green thumb, yet a black one when it comes to small livestock. Figure out what you can do for one another, work out deals and barters, creating a neighborhood that is reliant on one another.

A beginning homesteader needs to take small steps, but with a collective of individual talents at your fingertips you can create a worthwhile endeavour. And once things get better, extra income for all of you. Read that as a CSA.

Also I would like to give a shout out to my good neighbor, and give you all an example of what community homesteading truly means. Yesterday my husband and I were out, paying bills, making rounds, when the electric co-op showed up, looking for payment. We were $36 short on our payment last month. (co-ops tend to forget over time what they were originally about and end up behaving like big biz) The man told our squatter that we owed almost $300! And if he left without the money, he would turn the power off. Good thing I wasn't here, otherwise there would have been a lot of commotion. I digress, while the co-op worker was standing there with my squatter, my good neighbor happened to see the truck and called over to our house wanting to know what the H E double hockey sticks (ain't I cute?) did he want. Our squatter told him, and the good neighbor came over and paid him. I don't like it that we owe our good neighbor, bu we were appreciative of it. He is going to get a huge baked goods basket out of this one. The co-op guy had our good neighbor pay our $36 late payment and this month bill that we hadn't received yet, plus extra for what ever reason. This will be an interesting phone call when I get a hold of someone at the co-op. I walked over to the good neighbors house and thanked him, and told him that he shouldn't have paid it. I should have showed him the bill. But the point to this story isn't that I don't pay my bills when I should ( sometimes I can't, but I always pay just not as timely as I should) but the point is that with strong community, you will look after one another in desperate times.

Is your Soil Warm?

So that black tarp has been down for a few days, if it wasn't raining I would be out planting today.

Plan out the winter garden, make sure that your taller items are on the north side of your garden.

Punch a small hole into your landscaping tarp and drip your seed into the soil. Water and mulch around everything.

Wait for it to sprout, then mulch closer in, around the newly formed plants. Make sure that your plants are cool weather hardy. Water like you would with your summer garden, keep that bitter north wind off of them, and things should be fine.

Good luck!

A Word to the Wise

Yet another reason to put your flour in the freezer is that you won't have to deal with the wolf spider that has decided to bury itself into it, waiting for flies or for your fingers to fluff up the flour.