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New Addiction Discovered --- Tea
I was just organizing my pantry again and came to a disturbing realization: I am addicted to drinking tea. There are at least a dozen caffeinated types such as Pur-Eh, black, Earl Grey, green, green blends, Yerba Mate, etc. (These are my lunch drinks.) There are at least two dozen types of herbal teas of single and herbal…
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Building with ice
If you live in the right area and have enough ice you can make building or ice houses. (this topic was brought up in another link.) Twenty minutes away we have a March event where they build a huge ice castle. It takes several weeks and a lot of helping hands. Even in a warmer winter, once built, it will last a month. Our…
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37 Ways to Know You’re Addicted to Gardening
Got this from Mike McGroarty: 37 Ways to Know You’re Addicted to Gardening 1. Your neighbors recognize you in your pajamas, rubber clogs, and a cup of coffee. 2. You grab other people’s banana peels, coffee grinds, apple cores, etc. for your compost pile. 3. You have to wash your hair to get your fingernails clean. 4. All…
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Why an organic garden?
Today I was doing some reflecting and it occurred to me that my reasons for doing what I do now are far different from what they were when I started. Years ago when I started my gardening journey I decided to do it organically. Back then I didn't know much, if anything, about gardening or the toxins that could potentially…
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New Neighbors
Does anyone have any tips for (in a rural area) making new neighbors feel welcome? There is couple moving in just nextdoor on Monday and I want to make feel welcome. They have a dog and 4 horses.
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where do you get your recycling finds?
In the spring I take a look outdoors and see what all the winter weather has damaged and what I need to replace. If at all possible I get recycled items to keep costs down. I have two coops roofs damaged and one shed that the roof needs replaced. I decided I need to fence the perimeters of the property, 17 acres. Ouch.…
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Call me in twenty minutes
I went out to do emergency rabbit pen work today. We had freezing rain the other day, an inch! I looked at my rabbit shed/pen yesterday and noticed the ice had built up and caught water and froze. I could tell it could pull down my roof so my project for the next morning was Operation Rabbit Pen Rescue. This is the pen…
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What's your view today?
Early this morning. It was a bit nippy. Back of property by our little creek. (yes, just about where the truck went swimming) Whats you view today?
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Permaculture job opening in Costa Rica
Just got this in my email today. Putting it out there if someone is qualified and wants an opportunity.
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Kid contests...picture heavy
Our kids have been entering contests sponsored by Skills Manitoba. It focuses on the Trades. The have done a spaghetti bridge (one of our boys won 1st in his category), a paper airplane challenge, and now and valentine baking or appetizer cooking challenge. Next will be a popsicle house/truck or bridge, then there is a…
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Another source of water not to waste
Think about how much water runs down the drain from: the bathtub/shower, the various sinks and the washing machine. That's a lot during the course of a day.
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Spending less on Groceries
Interesting clip from Item #9:
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Am I going to need a boat?
So... strange question to put out there. I’m planting fruit trees after my last spending spree, and I dug 3 holes only about a foot deep and 3 feet in diameter. It’s backbreaking work picking through clay, so I took a break. When I came back, all the holes had quite a bit of water in them, as if someone had watered them.…
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How to find your place on Earth - ID'ing your bioregion
OK, so I am working on a quiz that anyone can take and it will quickly help them identify thier biogregion on Earth. I am wanting to segment the Earth into approximately 9 categories of growth habits. Since plants and animals grow primarily based on their temperature and rainfall... groups of people around the world that…
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Garden Memories
I was surfing you tube this morning and came upon how to start tomatoes. It reminded me of my grandfather. He started his tomato seeds in the basement (where I live now) by the one large window. The lighting was perfect and he had the most beautiful tomato plants. Tomatoes can be picky to grow where I live but he always…
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Nature fiction
Hey- are there any good fiction books full of nature stuff? Like plants, survival stuff, outdoorsy type fiction. Not interested in romance or horror at all.
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My chickens are fantastic gardeners
This spring and summer I am starting to totally revamp the property and gardens. I am trying to simplify, take advantage of any property traits (micro climates for one) and of course I plan to take advantage of my chickens. They can be good gardeners. For the last few years my chickens have tilled my garden spaces. They…
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What are your Favorite Podcasts?
What are your favorite homemaking/homesteading podcasts?
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Midwest? How's your snow?
Called off today, since I need to dig my Jeep out of a snowdrift. The wind is blowing in the direction that will put back all the snow that I shovel, I'm holding off a little while. We were projected to get 6 to 12 inches, we only got about half as the storm track shifted slightly. Now we're getting the lake effect. How…
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Of all the things to argue over: emojis & skinny jeans
What can I say? @Marjory Wildcraft I guess we are old. Allow me...😂 😬🙄
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Old Fashioned Ways to Stay Warm(er)
I'm lucky that my area (West Plains, MO) is not having the worst weather this week, but it is still cold this morning. Zero degrees with a minus 19 wind chill! We are not in danger of losing power, so far as I know, and I have the heat up to 70. But this apartment has NO insulation, and the floor is cold! I've had the…
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New Green Living Bookazine
Quite a few interesting ideas. The Brits have some really cool stuff. A machine that you use your glass bottles and refill them with milk, like the water machines here.
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new computer set-up finally doneish
Sorry I have been MIA, I had to migrate to a new to me computer. What a pain, but with the extreme weather we are having I have to basically live by the stove. So I had to set up my office in my husbands work area. I actually enjoy having a smaller office space and being in the living room I can watch the fire and TV.…
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What's old is new again....
I've been reading a lot of depression era cookbooks and such. Trying to soak up the wisdom found there.
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Dog stories
@Annie Kate and her wonderful story of Rex and how pets touch our lives and leave behind those amazing stories and a piece of their heart reminded me of all the past dogs we have had. So many dogs, but all leave a memory and some you could write books about. I lost my Annie this fall. She developed Diabetes in early July…
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C.S. Lewis On The Reading of Old Books
Although this is a religiously oriented article, I think it would be insightful for anyone on any subject. Reading old books is not only more enjoyable than one might suppose if only taught by textbooks that teach about the original authors and their works, but is essential for really understanding much of anything beyond…
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My old banjo
@LaurieLovesLearning , @torey and @jodienancarrow asked me to update the group as this project came together... well, I am still working on it, but am making progress. A couple of years ago, I bought an antique tenor banjo - made by Epiphone, circa 1920, so around 100 years old. It needed a little work and a lot of…
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Valentines Day Recipes
What are your favorite valentines day recipes and treats? Any traditions?
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Farmers Markets
I love Farmers Markets. Between healthy fresh and sometimes unique verries and fruits you have a place to meet, exchange ideas and grow as a person. We have two relatively close and up by the lakes there are numerous farmers market for tourists and summer travelers. For a bit out markets suffered with new regulations but…
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What To Do, What To Do
The temps here all week are going to be in the single digits. I love the outdoors, but my lungs don't always thank me for breathing in that ice cold air. Chicken chores and maybe scooping snow for a bit will be the extent of it. I tend to think of doing all kinds of things on my day off from work and end up doing none of…
