The chickens are now residing in a new home.  My challenge was not wanting to keep them cooped up.  They were fine to wander in our yard and the lot next door, but they started wandering a whole street away.  If we kept them cooped up in a chicken yard or the coop itself, we would be buying even more feed.  My husband reminded me that this wasn’t what we were aiming for…the cost of feed, due to the cost of corn has been steadily rising.  So, a good friend with lots of land and animals took them a few months ago.  I’ll admit, I miss them. A lot.  But it is probably for the best.

I started working part-time to supplement our income.  Our oldest got married on 12/31 and I even picked up an extra part-time job over the holidays to help with the wedding expenses.  Working more meant I was less available for my family.  Even though the boys are young adults, I still like to be available to them.  I also found us eating out or more convenience foods, since I didn’t have time to cook from scratch.

I was so thankful the extra job ended a few days before the wedding!  Now we’re entering a different season with one child out of the house and another graduating high school in a few months.  I’m looking forward to getting to some creative projects around the home and getting our little garden going again.  This is a great time of year to grow lettuce, kale, swiss chard and broccoli.

The older I get, the more home-focused I become.  I sometimes look back and wish I had really valued my role as a homemaker when my kids were younger.  As I move toward having an empty nest, I’m also looking forward to growing in personal areas and learning new skills that I might pass on to my daughter-in-law and hopefully, grandchildren.  I’m blessed that my husband doesn’t want me to go out and find full-time work.  We are quite content with my part-time job that is worked mostly from home.  A perfect fit for us during this season of transition.

I’m also looking forward to growing and learning from other bloggers and those who visit this blog.  I’m committed to giving more and living more purposefully, with more faith in the coming year.

Several of us realized we were in the same boat when it comes to our gardens — we are very late getting our next crops in.  We are all novices at this, and it would be easy to get discouraged.  Instead we encouraged each other to plant those seed anyway – the worst that can happen is we don’t get any produce, but we most likely will see some yield, even if it’s not what it could have been.  So this week I’m pulling the spent broccoli plants, adding some compost and planting squash, zucchini, and cucumber seeds.  I’ll keep you posted on the progress!

Another thing we talked about while our knitting needles clicked, was how we were each doing on our storage/pantry planning.  It was neat to hear what others were doing, and to be reminded to stay on track.  We also discovered there were some items we each needed and are going to do another bulk order together soon.

I recently finished reading the book “Independence Days – A guide to Sustainable Food Storage & reservation” by Sharon Astyk.  Sharon has done an excellent job of blending practical tips and recipes, with the story of her own journey and the results of her own research regarding food and the decline of natural resources.  Even though the information wasn’t necessarily new, it was still a good reminder for me to stay on track.  I also picked up some very useful tips and feel better armed to encourage others that they too can start stocking up for an emergency.  By the way, there are lots of good reasons to stock your pantry that have nothing to do with the world as we know it coming to an end!  Job loss, rising prices, and natural disasters, are a few that come to mind.

One of the things I know I should add to my pantry for long term storage is beans and legumes.  Problem is, I don’t know how to prepare them!  Once again, my friends came to the rescue.  Cooking beans is something that a couple of us have done a lot, whereas myself and one other friend were pretty clueless.  After making some notes and pulling a recipe book off my shelf, I am ready to incorporate this power food into our diet.  Even as I type this, there is a pot of black beans out in the solar oven!

When I first started thinking about the idea of some key ingredients to moving toward a simpler, more sustainable lifestyle, I really didn’t have friendship on the list.  However, I realize that in a society where we’ve either moved away or lost touch with many of our older relatives that can teach us these skills.  So, I definitely benefit from the support and information I receive from “friends” who write great blogs about their journey, and friends here in my community who are so willing to share both their failures and successes so we can each get a little further toward our goal.

I have a stack of books on my table and I’ve re-started a notebook that I’ve let languish on the shelf for far too long.  I know that if I don’t get everything in one place, I’ll end up wasting lots of time looking for information, or end up making purchases of items I already have.  I was planning to write about another “Key to Simplicity” — organization — so now is just as good a time as any to put some more effort into that area.  I’ll be sharing how things go, and how my notebooks are set up over the next couple of weeks.

On top of everything else going on, my sons and I will be traveling to Peru in less than 2 weeks for a mission trip!  I have never been out of the country (except for a port of call on a cruise), so this will be interesting.  We’ll be in Iquitos, in the Amazon rainforest.  In addition to the work we will be doing with missionaries there, I’m hoping to pick up some handwoven textiles made by the people who live in the region.

Wow!  So much to do, and so many things on my mind!  I find it helps to put things down on paper, so this morning it’s time to start my lists.

For many of you, gardening season is just beginning!  I’d love to know how you keep all your homestead projects organized.  I really dislike spinning my wheels, don’t you?  Hopefully we can all learn some helpful tips from one another.  My lettuce has done GREAT, and I cheated and bought some tomato seedlings to replace the ones lost in the freeze.  They are already producing and I can’t wait to eat fresh tomatoes everyday.  Oh, and my broccoli is really growing (mental note – take some pictures!).   So, I’m off to get some things done around the suburban homestead!  Leave a comment about what’s growing, or just what you’re doing around your homestead these days.

First, confession…it is easy for me to get caught up in consumerism even as I desire to move away from that lifestyle and be more self-reliant!   However, as I strive to learn new skills, and live a more simple, frugal lifestyle, I have found that it is still so easy to get caught up in acquiring new things.  Books are my primary downfall.  I’ve done my share of decluttering, and continue to do so.  But, as I’ve shared before, there are some items (including books) that need to be purchased, borrowed, or bartered for in order for us to make many of the items that most people purchase.

Fragrant Jasmine in Bloom

So, I have a list of things I “need”, yet I find that some of those needs are really wants.  Can I do without?  Can I come up with a creative way to duplicate an item I think I need to purchase, that will still get the job done?  For instance, I am loving working with fibers and spinning my own yarn.  I’m now longing for a spinning wheel!  Of course, a wheel is not in our budget for the near future, so I’m learning to be content with the drop spindle I started with, and my dear son and hubby are crafting me a couple more to try.

The seed catalogs have been arriving over the past few weeks – all sorts of new varieties are available!  It’s easy to just start making a list, but wait!  Don’t I have seeds from my order last spring?  I even managed to save a few seeds from my tiny garden last year.   I’ll sit down today with a cup of homegrown herbal tea, and take inventory of my seed packets.  I have a feeling I have plenty to work with!  It would be fun to place that order, but I believe I can be content with what I have.

From my own experience, and from reading blogs and books written by others trying to live a simpler life, I’ve noticed that an underlying secret to successfully moving toward the life we desire is contentment.  The culture is constantly bombarding us with messages that we need more, deserve more, etc.  Cultivating contentment isn’t always easy.  However, it is a key ingredient to living a simpler lifestyle.  Contentment isn’t really about not purchasing things we might need or even want.  Instead, for me at least, it means looking inside myself at my motivations and what occupies my thoughts.

Am I spending more time thinking and dreaming about all the things I want or need in order to give us a more simple lifestyle, than actually staying on task and making do with what I have?  Too often, I have to answer honestly that I’m spending more time pining for what I don’t have, than appreciating all the tools and resources at my disposal today.  There is always lots to be done and enjoyed around our suburban homestead.  We have been richly blessed!  I have everything I need to do a better job cooking from scratch, making my own cleaning supplies and bath products, growing food, and mastering various handcrafts.  Instead of spending valuable time and energy worrying about what I don’t have, I am resolved to be content, really content, and daily enjoy/make use of the items at hand.

“But Godliness with contentment is great gain.”  1Timothy 6:6

I’ve been wanting to make infused herbal oils for awhile, and today seemed like a perfect day to give it a try.  Though I’d love to say I grew the herbs I was working with today, that’s not the case.  Some friends and I put in an order together for bulk herbs from More Than Alive.  I’ve had them for a couple months, and definitely don’t want them to lose their potency before I have a chance to give them a try.

Since I have two sons playing basketball, Arnica is always useful to have around.  I’ve purchased commercial salves, but really wanted to make my own so I have more control over potency and ingredients.  I used my solar oven to infuse Arnica and Chamomile.  Yes, I could be more patient and let the herbs infuse in the oil on a sunny windowsill for a few weeks, but I really want to use the oil, so heating with the sun in the solar oven was the next best thing.

The weather we’ve had lately has been perfect!  THIS is why I live in Florida — these days don’t last long before the heat and humidity come back, but I enjoy them while they are here.  My garden is doing well, and I’ve enjoyed a couple salads from my productive lettuce bed.

The tomatoes that survived our hard freeze a couple weeks ago are starting to get some blooms, so all is not lost there.  So, far my winter garden raised beds consist of tomatoes, kale, basil, radish, onions, spinach, lettuce, and broccoli.

This morning I picked some fresh lemon balm and added it to some dried homegrown mint for delicious tea.  I also had time to work on some hot pads and dishcloths while sitting on the lanai watching the hens scurry around the yard searching for bugs.

I recently learned how to felt soap and did some felting this morning.  They turned out pretty well.  My friend and I have started a company, Soapsy Daisy, and are doing a few local craft shows this winter.  I’ve also been working on getting an Etsy store up and going for selling our soaps and salves.  I think the chamomile oil I infused today, along with the  dried flowers, will be great in a bar of skin-soothing soap!

Lately I’ve been pondering how I can be more home-centered and what other steps we can take to live a simpler more sustainable lifestyle.  Things like making our own teas from homegrown herbs, and growing our own food is definitely a start.  Slowing down and taking the time to figure out how we can make do with something we already have rather than buying new is also a habit we are cultivating.

I’ve been reading some books about the great depression and thinking back on conversations I used to have with my grandmother.  We have so much available to us these days!  Things are often cheaper to buy, than to make.  However, part of simplifying is being creative and taking the time to make things ourselves.  Those “cheaper” items come with a price — whether it is fuel to travel thousands of miles, or being the result of underpaid workers, or simply that it wears out or breaks because of poor quality, causing us to have to purchase the item again.

Of course, another advantage of making things myself is the satisfaction of producing something with my hands.   Lately, even my teen sons have begun to use their creative juices!  I love sitting down to sew or crochet, and having them working beside me on art, drawing, music, and even sewing and crocheting!  Even though I was in consumer mode when they were young, and lamented about what they and I missed by not slowing down all those years ago, I can see that it really isn’t too late!  Partly from necessity, partly from their parent’s example as we embark on this journey, we’re all changing and growing…together.

I finished the edges of a rag rug for the kitchen last night and I love it!

Part of my journey to simplicity is slowing down and actually savoring the time it takes to prepare things by hand or wait for them to grow.  Rag rugs are also a great way to “waste not, want not” by using linens, and even clothing that we no longer need.  My challenge will be to not let things pile up for “someday”, but choose to get to work preparing and then weaving them for something useful.

The loom looks strange with no weaving on it.  Can’t let it stay that way for long

Now I need to get the warp tied back on the loom so I can create some more.  I’m actually going to make this warp more narrow so I can make placemats and smaller rugs.  I also am ready to tackle warping the four-harness LeClerc loom that has been sitting idle in my studio.  It is a bit intimidating, but I’m feeling much more confident after watching my new DVD, Beginning Four Harness Weaving , and re-reading my favorite learn-to-weave book, Learning to Weave, by Deborah Chandler.

If you want to learn how to weave (the most common looms available are four-harness), then you must get your hands on these two fabulous resources.  I have searched online for videos and found some good ones, but none that put it all together the way Deborah Chandler does.

Over the next day or two, I’m hoping to have some photos to share of the finished items from the loom, and my progress on warping the newest loom.

I’ll admit that I’ve put off blogging because I allowed myself to believe that I’d gotten too far behind in posting, so why bother.  I can’t believe I really believed that…but sadly it’s true.  I was frustrated by my lack of consistency.  That was somewhat brought on by life circumstance, and also from the belief that many days I had nothing exciting or new to share.

Reflecting back over the past months as one tends to do this time of year, I realize that I had many things to share, I am learning everyday, and most importantly I missed the writing, interacting, and “centeredness” that writing in a journal (of sorts) brings.  I even stopped writing in my own personal journal for a season!  Although I have continued to learn some new skills, I have also found a loss of focus in my steps toward simplicity and homemaking.  Believe it or not, I think the lack of journal/blogging is related to my lack of focus.  The writing keeps me accountable and motivated, and it keeps me connected with others on the journey!

Enough explaining!  I am putting the past behind and moving forward.  Not as a “resolution” that I too often fail to keep past January 5th.  No, I’m freeing myself from the pressure of HAVING to write, and then not writing because I felt guilty because I DIDN’T write.  Crazy, isn’t it?  Instead I’m writing out of a heart of gratitude, and a real desire to share my journey with others.  Folks, the way things are going, we’re going to need each other’s support more and more in the coming months and years.

So, what does this all mean?  I guess it means that I’m going to forgive myself more quickly for failures, and hope that you’ll understand if I miss a few days now and then.  A good friend has encouraged me with the thought that taking the pressure off myself to write will most likely mean I’ll do more of it — I pray she is correct!

People in southwest Florida have been hit hard by the housing collapse.  The news outlets often remind us of the high unemployment and how many families are facing poverty and hunger.  Construction is the boon of our economy; no construction means no jobs.  Thankfully there are local organizations like Wake Up America who collect donated food (mostly baked goods) and distribute them to agencies in our area who are dedicated to lending a helping hand.  I was thrilled to find out about this organization a few months ago, and immediately felt led to jump in and help.  As I’ve become more aware of wastefulness in my own home, it is nice to know that food donated to WUA is not going to waste.  My little part is picking up food from a grocery store just a few miles from my house on Tuesday mornings.  I also built their website so they have more visibility to attract donors and volunteers.

Like most families with teens, we are incredibly busy.  It takes effort to slow down and focus on what is really important.  It can be easy to feel like we’ve no time for volunteering.  I know I’ve felt like that often over the years.  However, as our society changes, we are going to need to come together as communities again; getting to know our neighbors and using our unique gifts and abilities to make our world a better, safer place.

Although I’ve lived here for over 20 years, I had never heard of WUA until a friend told me her church picks up food there to give to the homeless.  It makes me wonder what other, little-known, agencies exist in my area.  You, my friend, probably have similar organizations in your community.  Even if it’s something small like, donating food items to your local food bank, I encourage you to find a way to bless others this week.

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” Aesop

With a quiet house and some extra time on my hands, I decided to make a go of it.  I did some reading about Aladdin Lamps, watched a video from Lehman’s, then took the plunge.

The lamp I wanted to light has a metal finish and beautiful shade with pink flowers.  The body of the lamp had some damage (which is one of the reasons my dad got such a good deal on it).  Unfortunately, I was unable to get the burner to screw on securely enough.

So, I went with plan B and got out the Genie II shelf lamp.  I don’t think they’re meant to have as large a shade, but I like it anyway

After getting it lit, I realized why these oil lamps were so prized by the pioneers.  When turned up all the way, the lamp shines forth with the equivalent of a 60 watt bulb!  Last night I turned off all the lights, shut down the computers and spent some quality time in the Word and in prayer by lamp light.

Part of my motivation for learning homemaking and other “survival” skills, is to be ready for more difficult days.  I want to learn and know how to do things BEFORE I’m in a situation where I HAVE to do them.  Living in a hurricane-prone area, we face a reality of being without power for days at a time.  Having such a bright, easy-to-use light source will be a blessing.  Of course, I’ll need to keep oil and an extra mantle (the part that glows so bright) on hand.  But one quart of oil will last 2 – 3 hours.  If you’ve ever considered buying a quality oil lamp, I highly recommend the Aladdin!  I did learn that they burn very hot, so they should never be left unattended.

Another off-grid lighting solution I’d like to get are solar panels to charge a battery w/inverter so we could use a lamp or a fan.  In the event of a prolonged power outage, I also wonder how solar yard lights would work – they could charge up during the day, then we could bring them in to provide light at night.  I think some models come with an on/off switch, but I’m not sure.

Even as I focus on learning skills, living a more simple life, and preparing for the future, I was reminded again last night to not become dependent on the things of this world and my own abilities, but to stay close to my heavenly Father; trusting Him to light my path.

“Thy Word is a LAMP unto my feet, and a LIGHT unto my path.”
Ps. 119:105

One thing I like to do is keep my own herbal tea bags with me.  These tins work great for keeping little things like tea bags safe in my purse.  However, I hadn’t thought of using felt to make them more beautiful, as well as functional.  Another project to add to my list!  I also plan to cover and line a tin with felt, then label it “My Treasures” as a gift for my niece.  You could also use a lined tin to keep jewelry when on a trip.

My goal is to only give homemade gifts for holidays and birthdays this year.  Planning ahead is not one of my strong suits, so I’ve already been caught once not having time to put something together for a good friend’s birthday.  Today I put reminders in my calendar program, so I can keep on track this fall when I will have several gift-giving occasions.

I actually have several projects I’m working on this week.  My husband and boys are off at youth camp, so I’m enjoying a quiet house!  Although it is refreshing to not have to prepare meals, and to be able to leisurely sip my tea while watching the chickens, I’m glad my guys are only gone a few days.  I love being a wife and mother, so I feel a little lost without them here!

I’m hoping to write on my blog quite a bit this week as I tackle some of the items on my list.  Sewing projects are definitely in the plans, as is getting my Aladdin Lamp functioning.  Of course, I’ll also be making time to do some reading and maybe even a little napping

If you’d like to read more of my thoughts on recycling vs upcycling, head over to the “Oh My Aching Debts” blog.  I was honored to write a guest post while Cindy spends time with her mom following the death of her father.  I’m sure she would appreciate your thoughts and prayers during this difficult season.