Control

Things in our lives haven't gotten any better. It's just a nightmare that keeps on giving. I think the worst is having the feeling of no control in the situation.

But, I realized that I can regain control in our household. I have let things slide so much over the past year and a bit as we haven't gotten any joy out of our little homestead. Not much joy period.

This week I have been baking and making soup. I haven't done that in a very long time. Tonight I dug out some pork fat and rendered it into lard for more baking.

I know it doesn't sound like much but just doing that little bit has made me feel better. Like I actually have some say and can do something in my life again.

Help Baby Lincoln

A long absence

I feel guilting not having blogged in almost a year.  I have thought about it several times but have just not been able to bring myself to sit down and write.

The past year has been a very difficult one for our family and we are still struggling with some personal issues.  There has been a lot of stress, a lot of crying and worry.  Our lives here have been turned upside down and our life on the acreage, our gardens, etc have fallen by the wayside as we try to cope.

This year we did manage to plant a few tomatoes, cukes and peppers in the greenhouse - but none that we started ourselves.  The garden has been planted with most of the surface covered in weeds at the moment.  We only put in potatoes, kale, cabbage, zucchini, radish, onion and lettuce this year.  I'm happy that we didn't plant the full repertoire of latter years - I wouldn't be able to deal with it all.  I figure we can pick up whatever veggies we need at the local farmer's market.

This year we had a tent caterpillar invasion.  There were millions crawling everywhere and on every surface.  The only way we could use our sundeck was to spray wasp killer at the bottom edge of the deck and  caterpillar's would not cross over the line.  Let me tell you it was gross!  The leaves of all surrounding trees were stripped bare, but nature is amazing and within a few weeks new leaves re-emerged.

Over the past couple of weeks we have  a couple of owls hanging around our property.  I'm not sure what kind but a fairly large grey owl which sits about 1.5 feet tall.  We hear them screetching over the day and at night.  There seems to be quite a lot of mice around so perhaps that is what has attracted them.  Feast away owls!

Vintage Bike

I am coveting this vintage inspired bike by from Opus.  

It was in my local bicycle shop, so I took it for a spin.  I soooo want this bicycle.

It was super comfortable

       I haven't sat upright on a bike for years

It feels better than hunched over a 10 speed or mountain bike

But at a price tag of almost $900 it is a bike to dream about.

Life Changes Quickly

I thought it was time I posted something on the blog as I have been very quiet lately.  Honestly I haven't felt like blogging.

Husband was hospitalized unexpectedly on February 1st and had a minor surgery.  Since then he has been housebound with the homecare nurses coming everyday to change dressings etc.  Today he is scheduled for a second surgery.

Life has changed quickly and unexpectedly. 

We had to cancel our vacation to Mexico which we were to take with my entire family to celebrate my parent's 50th anniversary (it would have been our first vacation in 6 years!).  Husband won't be starting any of the plants this year, but fortunately a friend has said she will start several varieties of tomatoes for us.  We had planned to hatch out some chicks, goslings, and ducklings this spring but I am thinking I may just do some chicks later in the springs. 

Right now I figure the less work and committment the better.  I don't know how long to expect for his recovery time.

Of course the snow keeps coming.  Luckily Son is old enough now to take on the responsibility of driving the tractor to clear the snow.

Moisturizers

I have extremely bad cracked heels and have suffered this condition for the past several summers.  Once I begin wearing sandals and open backed shoes my heels split, bleed, and develop deep cravasses.  I have tried everything including very expensive moisturizers containing urea (yes that means pee - luckily a synthetic one in this case) especially developed for split heels.  Nothing has worked so far, and I continue to suffer.

A couple of weeks ago I was listening to a BubbaTanicals podcast and he mentioned that the best thing to moisturize skin is petroleum jelly.  Duh, of course I forgot to try the least expensive method!  Well I ran out to the store and purchased a big tub for the paltry sum of $2.99, and guess what.... IT WORKS.  I slathered it on my heels and then put on some socks and within a couple of days my heels have healed!

I don't think I would use petroleum jelly for moisturizing anything else as it is very thick and greasy.  I'm really not familiar with the product and I didn't even use it when the kids were babies.  But for my heels that is the way to go!

For that past year or so I have been moisturizing my face and hands with coconut oil after reading about it on Crunchy Chicken.  I think the jar I purchased was around $12.95 and it has lasted me over a year now.  I was surprised that the oil is actually semi solid and then melts at body temperature (of course on a hot summer day it turns to liquid).  I've been really pleased using it as it is not too greasy and fairly light on my skin.  Unfortunately I haven't noticed any wrinkle reduction as Crunchy experienced :( 

Coconut oil appears to have a lot of health benefits and is antimicrobial.

My jar of coconut oil is almost out, so I purchased a new jar from the health food store.  Imagine my shock to find that a year later the price had doubled!  I guess it is another victim (or perhaps I should say we are the victims) of global food inflation.  Still it is cheaper than a lot of other commercial moisturizers and a lot better for you.

Posted on Homestead Barn Hop #18

Living Small

This video was featured on Yahoo News this morning and I thought it was so inspiring!

Housing sizes have increased phenomenally since the 1950's when the average family home was 900sq ft compared to today's average floor plan of about 2200 sq ft (in North America). As you can see from the video that much space is not really needed.

I love the fact that this family focuses on what they have, and not what is missing. What a wonderful attitude.

A Wordless Wednesday

24/7 Shopping

I brought Daughter to the walk-in medical clinic, which is located in a strip mall, and the only place to get medical attention on an Easter Sunday (other than the emergency room.)  I have to say I was rather surprised to see so many vehicles in the parking lot as I drove up.  In fact, it actually took my small brain a rather long time to figure out that the vehicles were there because all the stores in the mall were open!  On an Easter Sunday!

I am shocked to come to the understanding that going shopping on a holiday appears normal.  Personally I would rather spend time with my family than visit the retail gods - I can go shopping any other day of the week. I also feel bad for the employees who are pulled away from their families on an Easter Sunday... I guess the Easter Bunny comes extra early to their homes and Easter dinner must be a very quick affair.

Is Christmas Day the only day in the year in which stores are closed?

Husband says the stores wouldn't be open if people didn't demand to shop on holidays or just didn't go to the stores on a holiday.  Supply and demand... but I have to wonder if the demand is actually there?  Does the consumer demand the shops to be open, or do the shops being open entice the consumer in?

I remember when shops closed at 5 or 6pm every night other than Friday when they were open until 9pm.  No shopping on Sundays, Mondays, or holidays.  (Some of the smaller independent stores in town are still closed on these days.)  People scheduled and shopped when the stores were open, and that was that.  But... these days consumerism is king.  You just have to look at the advertising, the sales, the 'you must have this' item.  People shop for many other reasons than the actual need for the product; boredom, emotional rewards, whatever. I find it strange that they can't put those needs into a different form.  Purchasing 'stuff' for no real reason is destructive - it wastes resources and energy, wastes people's money, adds to landfills, and takes away from our families.

I shop, everyone shops, but can't we plan it around our family time and make use of of our holidays in a more constructive manner?  Honestly I think the 24/7 shopping mentality (and ability to do so!) is very destructive to our society as a whole.

Weekend Happenings

Saturday was our 17th wedding anniversary and we had planned to go out to dinner to celebrate, but I ended up working all day and I just didn't want to have to go back into town. So instead we had a lovely BBQ of babyback ribs, potato salad and roasted peppers.

While I was away over the day, Husband found a tool hanger which he installed on the side of the hen house. I now have my scraper, shovel and pitchfork all in one place right where I need it!



We love our morning coffee and before I rushed off to work Saturday I noticed the electric drip coffee maker wasn't working. AAAaaagggghhh, nothing frustrates me more than our throw away consumer products! This coffee maker actually lasted for about 2.5 years so I guess I can't be too upset, as usually a coffee maker will last me 6 months. The silly thing is the machine works in the mornings only - its not like we have it on all day. So we decided that is it now; no more automatic drip machines, we would look for an old fashioned perculator. Do you know how hard those are to find??? I remember as a kid everyone had a heavy glass perculator that sat on the stove. I went to Northern Hardware, as they have almost anything you could ever possibly need, and they had one flimsy glass perculator and a metal stovetop one. I took the glass one up to the counter and the salesman convinced me it was not worth purchasing. He suggested the old type of electric perculator - I didn't even know they came in an electric variety. He said he has owned his for 6 years(!) and would never go back. All I had to hear was the 6 years and I was SOLD (even with the $60 price tag).

Here is our new electic perculator. It takes the same length of time to brew coffee as the automatic drip, but in comparison the coffee is really hot and actually stays that way.




Yesterday was cold out and Husband's back was bothering him again. He did some puttering around outside. I did laundry and hung some out to dry, then gave the kitchen a good cleaning.

Last night we candled some of the eggs in the incubator and it appears (to our novice eyes) that something is growing! Yeah!

I ran out of chicken feed yesterday, so this morning I'll have to run into town to pick some up. I hadn't planned on going into the office today (saving me a trip to town), but I guess I have to go now anyway. Today's plan is to clean house and take photos as I have been asked by the girls at Home Sweet Home to do a home tour on their blog. I'll let you know when my guest spot appears.

Why Our Kids Don't Have Cell Phones

Okay, I can hear the outcry already...

Contrary to public opinion, we are not bad parents for not allowing our teenagers cell phones. Our kids, 16 and almost 15, have never had their own cell phones and we don't plan on allowing it in the near future. For a while they did have my old phone to share for a few months to take when they went out. The phone was on a pre-paid plan and I quickly learned it was a huge waste of money and the experiment ended in short order.

Both Husband and I have cell phones for our jobs as it's essential equipment for both of our lines of work and we are both on call basically 24/7. Believe me sometimes I wish I could smash the things, but for us it's a necessary evil.

Son used to ask quite often for a cell phone, but has given up over the past few years. I think he realizes that should he need to use a phone, he can usually borrow one from a friend.

Daughter on the other hand is still pestering us for one. She sees all her friends have cell phones and thinks she needs one too. Perhaps it is the texting that is so alluring. Though a couple of years ago she had some friends over and she became extremely frustrated because she wanted to do something fun, and instead the girls sat around texting on their phones and pretty well ignored her. A double edged sword; you can't have it both ways.

Our reasoning for denying the kids cell phones - it is unnecessary, and an unnecessary extra expense. Both of our children have good heads on their shoulders, and should they need to get in touch with us they will almost always be able to borrow a phone. I know a lot of people purchase phones for their children citing it as a security measure, but I'm confident that we have taught our children how to handle themselves should trouble arise. I don't always wear rose coloured glasses and I know that issues can arise that children can't handle, but will a cell phone truly help when Mom and Dad are far away? I'd rather have kids that are independant and can think things through themselves, and I'm proud to say it has worked well so far!

We also want our children to be social and be able to communicate with others face-to-face and in a proper manner. Social media and texting is fine to an extent - but it is not fine when kids lose basic communication skills. I can't get over how many people can't even answer a telephone properly, or know how to really speak over the phone anymore (and it is not just children!)

Fuer Unsere Deutscher Leser u. Leserin...

Ich sehe das wir jeden Tag mehr und mehr besucher bekommen aus Deutschland (Bremerhaven, Cuxhaven, Hamburg, Buxtehude, Muenchen usw)

Herzlich willkommen auf den Blog ueber unseren Leben in noedlichen British Kolumbia. Mein Deutsch ist zeimlich gut - bitte sagen Sie "Hallo" oder schreiben Sie ein Kommentar.

Und fuer meine Brieffreundin die jeden Tag besucht "Hallo Ute!" :)

Kids and Self Sufficiency

One of the things that I value from moving into the country is that my children have the opportunity to learn skills, learn about gardening and where their food comes from, learn how to cook, and learn about how to look after animals.


These days it is sad that children are in so many activities to keep them busy; from piano lessons to soccer, but they seldom have the chance to learn real skills that can benefit them in their later lives. It isn't their fault - it is society and large corporations which want us to be dependant in all aspects of our lives.


I'm grateful that I had the opportunity to learn and observe my parents gardening and cooking, and when I was a child they had chicken, ducks, rabbits and the occasional pig and goat. I can say I lived a rather spoiled life and hated having to haul wood for the woodstove in the cold winter and deep snow (I know my sisters will attest to the hatred of wood hauling as kids), but in the end I can look back and feel confident that I have the knowledge to at least try to keep myself somewhat self sufficient. That is also what I want for my children - that should they need to do something, they will have the skills or at least have seen how it is done, and will feel confident to try it.


Son is 16 and has always enjoyed bushcraft and making things. I was a very proud mom when he made his own rabbit snares which were successful. He is not afraid to get into the kitchen and bake or cook whatever he wants to - finding recipes on the internet or in our old faithful Amish cookbook. Last week he decided to try making a small woodstove out of tin cans. Below is the result: Daughter doesn't have quite the same drive, but she understands the various garden plants and gets disgusted when her friends can't tell the difference between radish and strawberries. Though sometimes she isn't happy to do things, like when we butchered the roosters, she showed up with rubber gloves on to help "I'll help but that doesn't mean I have to like it". She also bakes the best chocolate muffins.


I'm proud of my children - they are practical and can think things through logically. They have never been afraid to step up and try new things. They will grow up to be self sufficient.


I was a Brownie (Girl Guides) leader for four years and during that time I loved taking the girls to camp. It was a chance to teach them how to light a match, how to make breakfast, lunch, and dinner and then wash up the dishes and sweep the floor. Outhouse cleaning was also on my list of the things for them to try. Okay we did do a lot of fun things to, but it was a chance for them to learn skills that were not being taught at home.


Of course Scouting and Guiding are somewhat focused to skill teaching though the outlook has changed over the years. It saddens me that enrollment in these organizations has dropped such a great deal because kids think it isn't 'cool' enough for them.


Some schools are now planting gardens and letting the children use the produce to cook their own meals. How awesome is that? They get to learn several skills in one shot. Unfortunately I don't think any of the schools in my community do it, but a friend who's a teacher in Nova Scotia does it in her school.


What are we missing? How do we bring other children to self sufficiency? How do we teach them skills that will follow them their entire lives? Unfortunately the recent tragedy in Japan and other disaster areas must bring us to some awareness that at times we can't rely on 'just running out to the store' to get what we need.

PS. I know my parents read my blog, so to them I say "Thank you for the way you raised us and I love you"

Forums and Websites

This week I joined two really good Canadian Forums for farming/homesteading. The first is Alberta Chickens Etc and the other is The Journey. I'm hoping to learn a lot from these sites as the participants are very knowledgeable. The Journey is currently looking for new members to the forum and is holding a contest this month so you may want to check it out. I also came across Beyond Factory Farming which has some really good information. You will see I have added some of their buttons with links on my sidebar. This site is really in line with what my family believes in regard to farming and food raising methods. For interesting nutrition information have a look at Weighty Matters a blog written by a Canadian physician at a bariatric medical clinic. Well, I'll leave you with these sites to read, and I'm off to the Farmer's Market! I am really having trouble with Blogger lately, and once again I can't get it to format properly. Even when I manually enter the html codes it still just does what it wants to, so I apologize for not having any paragraphs (how Canadian of me :) ) I also decided to pump up my blogging since I have been pretty lax lately, and have joined the Ultimate Blog Challenge which I will write 30 blog posts in April.

Complaints and Updates

Okay, okay, I'm getting complaints that I haven't posted anything to the blog in such a long time. Not that I haven't thought about it, and I certainly don't want to ignore it, but I have been so extremely busy with work that I really only have had time at home to eat and sleep. Needless to say I'm very worn down and have felt ill the past couple of days.

So here are the updates:

Weight Loss - Husband and I have both lost about 13 pounds since January 1st. My exercise goals unfortunately have falled by the wayside over the past three weeks. I have managed to get out and walk the last two days as it was only -7c and sunny. I have to admit it was wonderful to get some fresh air and for the stress relief (desperately needed).

Weather - Snow, snow, snow, and, oh, did I mention snow? Last week we had tremendous amounts come down and that is the talk of the town. Here are some photos taken Feb 28th (since then it has snowed at least another 15 cm (6 inches):

The sundeck (snowdeck?)

Front of house

One of the greenhouses just peeking out

The side of the house with my car

Cooking - I have purchases a few Cleaning Eating magazines and have been cooking their recipes. I often don't like the flavours of 'diet' recipes or they often use unhealthy food alternatives, but these recipes are nutritious, low calorie and extremely tasty.

Animals - all doing well. We have discussed adding some pigs to the acreage this spring and will raise some extras for friends and family (you can guess what that means - and it doesn't mean as pets) We will have to finish building the pole barn and get some fencing done once the snow is gone - but it looks like that will be awhile. I would also love to add a heritage breed of pig that we could perhaps breed in the future.

Garden - Husband is dreaming of plants. He's planning on building a new system for starting the seeds in the garage. He wants to build a multi-shelved trolley on wheels in which the grow lights are mounted above each shelf. Hopefully this will take up less room in the garage and he can wheel the plants outside to harden off.

Extras - Husband and I finished the intermediate class for ballroom dancing at the end of February. It was lots of fun as always. Now we need to practice all the dances we learned so we don't forget them. I'm planning on making a playlist on iTunes so that we can let the music run and dance in the livingroom once a week. Last week we started East Coast Swing (jive) lessons.

Kids Playing

It is 8:45 in the evening and a winter storm warning is in effect with 20 cm expected. The snow must have started a short while ago and large flakes are falling from the sky.

The kids (16 and 14) are outside playing together (which is amazing in its own right). They are dressed in snow gear, have headlamps, and are digging tunnels in the soft dry snow. They are then coaxing the dog to follow them through their tunnel mazes which are crisscrossing through the back yard.

I forget how nice it is to watch the kids playing. Now that they are older it doesn't happen very often - they are usually off doing their own thing. I'm a proud mom.