I confess, that February was cold enough that we didn’t think too much about what seeds to start yet. We were hunkered down during a rash of freezing temps and below-zero windchills. Instead, I spent my time writing and doing research about planting where the garden will go. Along with ordering seeds and plants from…
Learning More About Herbs and Herbalism Part 2
As I mentioned in my last post, there is no shortage of books on herbs and herbalism. However, separating the excellent references from those that are less impressive can be a challenge. This post will include some of the best books, blogs, vlogs, and other resources I didn’t include last time. Many of these books…
Learning More About Herbs and Herbalism Part 1
I realize I missed last week’s blog schedule. Things were a little crazy here at the Homestead. One of the things that was holding up some of my chores was being without wheels. Well, I finally got my beloved pickup truck back after a 10-point buck killed himself by running into me on the night…
Planning Your Garden
Most of us remember what a garden was supposed to look like from our experience as children. It could be the garden that our parents or our grandparents planted. Everything was probably arranged in neatly tilled rows, sometimes in graduation of sizes, specific types of food, or compatibility of plants. Such an arrangement would have…
Homemade Laundry Soap and Dryer Sheets
Having a family of various skin allergies and sensitivities has proved to be a bit of a challenge. I attempted to make my own powdered laundry soap a couple of years ago. I thought I was doing great with my foray into the world of laundry DIY – that is, I did until my childhood…
Homesteading Topics for 2024
Happy 2024! One of my latest posts was about the staples that everyone should consider having on hand. This post will be the first of many dealing with skills that would be a good idea for everyone – whether they have a homestead or not- to consider learning or brushing up on. I confess this…
Baking Bread on the Last Snow Day of 2023
One of my favorite things about winter is the times when it snows. 2023 has been pretty sparse when it comes to snowfall. In fact, I think we may have just had a couple of days where we got any snowfall at all. It has been either dry or rainy and unseasonably warm the rest…
Staples Every Homesteader Needs to Keep On Hand
With higher prices every day at the grocery store, the gas pump, insurance costs, and everywhere else in between, more people are looking toward the habits of our ancestors and how they made ends meet during tough times. Having foods and supplies on hand that can last in case of a power outage, another widespread…
It’s Getting to Be That Time Again: Scores of Seed Catalogs to Get You Thinking About Spring!
I originally wrote this blog piece in the spring of 2018. Things have changed a bit since then. On a personal level, life happened. Putting that aside, I am pretty safe in saying to those who are still reading that we’ve gone through a pandemic, and global climate concerns are on the minds of just…
Some Great Books to Add to Your Permaculture & Gardening Bookshelf
I confess, I have been away from updating this blog in a while, and I am here to remedy that. Life, as I am sure many of you know, has a way of happening. However, in the world of homesteading, sometimes a step back can actually end up as a few steps or even a…
Jumping Back In
After a long hiatus, and much encouragement I have decided to bring this blog back to life. Never mind that I absolutely loathe WordPress’ new block layout., which is one reason why I stayed away. (Sorry, guys…you didn’t improve a damned thing here!) During the pandemic over the last two years, I was dealing with…
Cold Weather Reflections
It would seem that the past year rather got away from us here at the homestead. The funny thing is, life really does have a way of doing that. So here I am, ready to dust off this blog and get things restarted here. I have to apologize. I let some of the content writing…
Real World Homesteading 