tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28663723.post3855646710893714607..comments2023-11-05T05:27:55.905-06:00Comments on A Homesteading Neophyte: Feels like -15FPhelanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08250080326099834661noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28663723.post-3711867370347947322010-09-04T02:31:31.952-05:002010-09-04T02:31:31.952-05:00When I was 15, I became seriously interested in th...When I was 15, I became seriously interested in the kind of life I was reading about in our old issues of Mother Earth News. In Summer of '08 I had read enough how-tos and wanted to hear about real people living the life that I originally only knew as the "Back to the Land" movement. There's only so much you can read about half naked hippies in the 70s before you want to find out about regular people doing it now. <br /><br />A lucky google search introduced me to the term "homesteading" so I used that word in the blogs section of Google. Your blog was the first result, so naturally I checked it out. It was exactly what I was looking for. I went clear back to your very first post and read them all the way through to the most current one. I've been a faithful reader (lurker?) ever since, with the exception of this year (2010) when we stopped having internet for awhile. <br /><br />Now I'm catching up on what I missed :)Dark Spicehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08196632505007904073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28663723.post-31137033761761662332010-01-11T08:25:05.546-06:002010-01-11T08:25:05.546-06:00oh and you like bikes loloh and you like bikes lolKella Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17946233729341814984noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28663723.post-63799508630052853072010-01-11T08:23:57.496-06:002010-01-11T08:23:57.496-06:00i love blogs about simple living, with good advice...i love blogs about simple living, with good advice, and yours seems to be one of the "real" ones. not too cutesy, no pink patchwork backgrounds, (that i've seen). and you really are living what you are writing. you grumble about bills and the weather, your life isnt perfect. you are honest.Kella Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17946233729341814984noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28663723.post-37922542595084043342010-01-10T16:47:23.121-06:002010-01-10T16:47:23.121-06:00Homesteading! I like to learn how to do things. ...Homesteading! I like to learn how to do things. We live on 25 acres and enjoy doing what we can with it. Keep up the good work!Susannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28663723.post-48378718520060781912010-01-10T10:47:05.844-06:002010-01-10T10:47:05.844-06:00We have friends in Winfield. It's a drive for ...We have friends in Winfield. It's a drive for us, we are on the north west side of Wichita, almost out of county.<br /><br />We use to live in Mulvane, a lot closer. <br /><br />It's great to see a fellow Kansan around here.Phelanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08250080326099834661noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28663723.post-3626807735046880582010-01-10T10:24:53.055-06:002010-01-10T10:24:53.055-06:00Living in an old (1879) stone house on 20 acres ne...Living in an old (1879) stone house on 20 acres near Winfield, with chickens, guineas, horses, and a large garden, we were searching for other "homesteaders" and realized that you are fairly close to us. Also love the "does this goat make my butt look big?" photo!Paulanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28663723.post-66344829634684012402010-01-09T16:03:10.311-06:002010-01-09T16:03:10.311-06:00I sort of stumbled onto a couple blogs in the prep...I sort of stumbled onto a couple blogs in the preparedness/ survivalist niche a couple years ago. I had some thought and wanted to say them. The rest is history. <br /><br />Doing on on the preparedness thing. Hopefully some day not too long from now I will get going on the homestead thing.Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09612373437033635765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28663723.post-76936043035356121502010-01-09T13:19:40.672-06:002010-01-09T13:19:40.672-06:00hahaha! My butt brings them all in.
I tried repl...hahaha! My butt brings them all in. <br /><br />I tried replacing it once, and oh man! Did I get yelled at by my readers.Phelanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08250080326099834661noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28663723.post-48128818574097638502010-01-08T22:19:16.723-06:002010-01-08T22:19:16.723-06:00I started following your blog a couple months ago ...I started following your blog a couple months ago while I was still in Iraq. My wife had gotten some goats and I was looking for info on butchering them. I'm basically just going to treat them like a small deer... lol <br />I grew up in Alaska and homesteading is something I've always been interested in. I bought a small 9 acre farm right before I retired from the Army, outside of Enterprise, Kansas. My goal is to be self sufficient (or have good trading material) and cut the lines and go off the grid by the end of 2011. That's it in a nutshell.Russnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28663723.post-23151266767669894352010-01-08T21:08:51.749-06:002010-01-08T21:08:51.749-06:00I've been interested in homesteading / "p...I've been interested in homesteading / "preparedness" since I was a grade schooler. Disney movies and Scholastic Books (no idea which ones any more, more's the pity) got me interested in the idea of self-sufficient living, and LDS friends (plus living through a big earthquake) motivated my parents to store food, make emergency plans, and so forth. <br /><br />By the time the economy went "sproing" in '08, though, about all I had to show for it was my job (I'm a paramedic; took my first EMT class many, many years ago as a "prep", never suspecting I'd end up making a career in EMS) and a bunch of preparedness-related books.<br /><br />As soon as I realized that, I started prepping again in earnest, including daily visits to various homesteading / survivalist / sustainability blogs. No idea any more which link led me to you ... But your butt and the look on the goat's face DID draw me in, and your writing's made a faithful lurker out of me ever since! :)<br /><br />A lot of things about our future worry me (peak oil, our pals in Washington, terrorists, the fact that everything's made in China these days ...), but the end of the Mayan calendar cycle in 2012 isn't one of 'em.<br /><br />'Should have said this a long time ago, but ... Thanks bunches for letting us share your good times and bad, and giving us the benefit of your experiences. Much appreciated! You do good work, Phelan.Dan from Arizonanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28663723.post-87195258212823031892010-01-08T18:02:28.070-06:002010-01-08T18:02:28.070-06:00I'm certain that I found you by clicking from ...I'm certain that I found you by clicking from someone elses blog. It all started earlier last year with coldantlerfarm on blogger and went on from there. I'm still here reading your blog because I think its great. <br /><br />Looking forward to more reading in 2010 and whatever you choose to write about - be it homesteading or something else. Thanks for such a great blog.Connyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07742442227395727646noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28663723.post-72619163529739080922010-01-08T13:20:43.735-06:002010-01-08T13:20:43.735-06:00I've been reading you for a while now. I don&...I've been reading you for a while now. I don't remember how I got here, but I stayed because I'm interested in becoming more self-sufficient. We're in upstate NY on a few acres and I want to make the most of it. Hubby is self-employed and with the economy being what it is, I want to make sure we can take care of our family. I'm not a survivalist, I don't homeschool my kids (my kids are mostly grown anyway), and don't raise my own food, although I do admire anyone who does that. I would love to get some chickens and plant a garden (which I tried to do, but first the deer got to it and then after we fenced it all in, a woodchuck dug a few pretty deep holes and had a feast on it this year). Anyway, I'm always on the lookout for hints and tips, and I'm curious to read about your adventures. Maybe it will give me the confidence to do more.<br />As for 2012, like everyone else, I survived every other time the world was supposed to end, I'll survive this one too.kathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08602883597772387316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28663723.post-79613091896521389892010-01-08T13:20:32.493-06:002010-01-08T13:20:32.493-06:00We bought a big chunk of farmland and I don't ...We bought a big chunk of farmland and I don't know jack about farming but it's in my blood. I get weird urges to can or dry food and squirrel away more than I need for "just this week." That's why I seek out blogs...<br /><br />I love the butchering posts and your sense of humor but I stay because you're not just honest but you don't push a political or religious viewpoint.April Bourgoishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04855203751193210558noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28663723.post-4879937081944124862010-01-08T13:05:15.504-06:002010-01-08T13:05:15.504-06:00Now...how is it that you live in Kansas and I have...Now...how is it that you live in Kansas and I have temps as cold as yours. Today 12 (in the warmer part of the city---colder here we know) and 3 with wind chill. I didn't move to kansas and my dogs name IS NOT toto.<br /><br />Tell your kiddo happy birthday from the south.<br />MonicaMonicahttp://crazyhousequilts.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28663723.post-86369447367832996202010-01-08T11:53:04.260-06:002010-01-08T11:53:04.260-06:00shucks guys, you're making me blush. I didn...shucks guys, you're making me blush. I didn't mean me. . . I meant the topic of homesteading or prepping.<br /><br />But I do thank you all for making my head just a tad fatter.Phelanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08250080326099834661noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28663723.post-45480091550535234702010-01-08T07:38:38.958-06:002010-01-08T07:38:38.958-06:00I went looking for ideas of how other people are p...I went looking for ideas of how other people are preppers/homesteaders. In our neck of the woods, we don't know many, so I often felt like I was crazy, and it was nice to be reminded that there are others out there!Katie Z.https://www.blogger.com/profile/15747099863417435647noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28663723.post-6179923434282505522010-01-08T00:55:12.837-06:002010-01-08T00:55:12.837-06:00I was on the "It's Not Easy Being Green&q...I was on the "It's Not Easy Being Green" forum and I was looking for people stateside and there was a post about trailers and one of those lovelies had sent me your way. Why do I stick around? Because though we are not close at all I consider you a sister in arms. We want the same things. You are doing things that I only dream about (your homestead, animal husbandry, being a mother)and you are brutally honest above all.Jederahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12895768255456913584noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28663723.post-48659327343603093812010-01-08T00:03:10.994-06:002010-01-08T00:03:10.994-06:00I've always liked making things at home. My gr...I've always liked making things at home. My grandfather taught himself to make furniture, my grandmother was a self-taught cook. I learned to knit when I was very young...we didn't have a lot of money so we made Christmas presents. As I got older I "followed the money" as they say...into a career I hated because it just didn't hold meaning for me. So, after I got married I returned to school, and discovered we both preferred a simpler type of life. In the last few years we've gone from eating out most days of the week, to less than once a week, minimized purchases to only things we need, and managed to save enough to buy a house with an acre and a half in the country. This year we will be starting our first garden and small orchard. I'm grateful for the information I've found on homesteading blogs like this, which gave me the information/courage to get where we're at.FitWellRDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15540399165049167957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28663723.post-29434431831109643112010-01-07T22:46:44.127-06:002010-01-07T22:46:44.127-06:00I started gardening, then cooking from scratch mor...I started gardening, then cooking from scratch more. Then I wanted to can. Somehow found Sharon Astyk's blog and learned about Peak Oil. I started considering us preppers and looked for more prepper blogs to read.Matriarchyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11626790347402266263noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28663723.post-27356848058116032322010-01-07T21:55:39.978-06:002010-01-07T21:55:39.978-06:00You weren't a "prepper" when I start...You weren't a "prepper" when I started reading your blog. Of course, neither was I, back then :). In fact, I think the term "prepper" is still relatively new. <br /><br />I'm pretty sure I started reading your blog in the beginning, because I was looking for guidance in my own homesteading endeavors. <br /><br />And I have continued to read homesteading and prepper blogs because it's nice to know that my goals aren't so crazy. You know? It's the whole wanting external validation for my lifestyle choices ;).Wendyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04642417312794814066noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28663723.post-83826883449139771462010-01-07T20:25:30.389-06:002010-01-07T20:25:30.389-06:00I am a looooong time reaer, so not the type of per...I am a looooong time reaer, so not the type of person to whom your question was addressed, but I came here (I forget HOW I got here) because I wanted to learn a simpler way, a PURER way, of taking care of my family and my surroundings.Irmahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07187488217492892133noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28663723.post-46190608751912419302010-01-07T20:10:00.560-06:002010-01-07T20:10:00.560-06:00For me it started as a mere curiousity about homes...For me it started as a mere curiousity about homesteading. But the reaosn I keep coming back to your blog has nothing to do with homesteading. <br /><br />It's the honestly of your writing. It's identifying with the thousand mile hill that needs to be climbed no matter what the obstacle. It's the heartbreak of simple mistakes. It's the joy of the under dog winning. <br /><br />Simply put: It's about you, not the cows.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28663723.post-2289970744950339252010-01-07T13:56:08.428-06:002010-01-07T13:56:08.428-06:00What originally got me started looking online for ...What originally got me started looking online for homesteading stuff was working through all the books in the adult section of a VERY small local library. I checked out and read one of the Backwoods Home anthologies - WOW! It opened my eyes to the terms I needed to do proper searches online.<br /><br />It wasn't until the past couple of months that I seen on a site about food storage the term "prepper" and that opened my eyes to a whole new set of great resources, including APN. Initially I just read there and my state prepper blog. More than a couple of your post there made me really like what you had to say and how you said it, so I came over here too =)Anne M.https://www.blogger.com/profile/03891579621760424876noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28663723.post-60267136029739657692010-01-07T12:44:41.790-06:002010-01-07T12:44:41.790-06:00Looking to SLOW down in life. Everyone wants thin...Looking to SLOW down in life. Everyone wants things done yesterday. Kids have graduated. Have cash to buy land, (If I can ever find any in KY.) Want to take a step back and ENJOY life, not go through it so fast you miss many things.chili369https://www.blogger.com/profile/04550473478904624603noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28663723.post-79779227481914805132010-01-07T11:08:08.162-06:002010-01-07T11:08:08.162-06:00Oh and for the rest of the question - I'd have...Oh and for the rest of the question - I'd have never considered searching prepping *ever* I just considered having a full pantry & taking care of yourself & family part of being responsible & homesteading. How are you going to raise enough of anything if you don't know amounts ect? But the worlds of homesteading, prepping, simplicity, diy and frugality have a nice overlap in the middle. So I found the preppers. They are an interesting group coming from different areas too & a good read & learning.Stephanie in ARhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05117946992633230458noreply@blogger.com