Ramblings

I have now gotten our 3rd load of manure and we will only have one side (smaller) of the driveway done.   I can't believe how much manure this will take.  I actually took a couple hours this morning off of work and unloaded it before it was going to rain...  It felt GREAT!!!  I loved the energy I got out of doing the work.  Exercise to me has always seemed pointless me (my opinion) but if it produces something like a beautiful home - YEA...that's just up my ally  We'll see maybe this project will also help me loose a little around the middle.

So a couple jobs have posted.. I think I might go for them and see what happens.  If you don't put yourself out there...and all that.  None of them are in the legal field and I think that's ok for now.  I'm bored silly and need more challenge (not more work sillies)...  on the other hand it's nice to leave work at work...  We'll see it's not like I'd have to take the jobs - if I'm even offered an interview.  I've been doing a lot of thinking about what I want to do next in terms of work and home.  I WANT to drop it all find a small hobby farm and try that way of life...  I don't even care if I fail...at least I would have tried! But we can't...  responsibilities...fear...credit history...one kid still at home...  so for now I'll do a damn good job... but my real work will be what I'm doing at home. 

Well that's what floating between the ears...there's gotta be a better way to do this!

Now if you want to visit some awesome bloggers check these out...i read them regularly and love what they are doing...

http://www.waldeneffect.org/
http://www.livingasimplelife.com/
http://www.rootsimple.com/

bye for now!!!!

Focus on What I Can Change

I had four days off of work.  Day 1 - Rain but I got a lot of running around done so very productive.  Day 2 was spent in the yard.  The horse manure I picked up did not cover as much area as I thought it would.  So I'll be going back many more times. Day 3 was spent at UW-Oshkosh at Science Olympiad.  Jarret did well, especially his tower.  Day 4 was spent in the yard again but I have to admit that it is definately slow and steady to get this done.  I napped for a couple hours on Sunday between working outside.  I'm soooo out of shape.  I tried to get a picture of how far I am but was unable to get a good one.  I need a ladder I think.  I'll try that another time. 

I'm going to get more cardboard tonight  A double load of manure later this week.  Woodchips soon to put on top.    BTW, the sheet mulching I'm doing in the front yard is free.  Woodchips will come from neighborhood tree service, the manure and cardboard I found on craigslist.

With everything else going on around me it's nice to focus on something I can change. 

Self Watering Containers

We made these self watering containers so that we can at least have a few things to grow this year while we primarily prepare the ground for future garden beds.  We will continue to use them until we are up and running a full yard of edibles.  At that time I hope to gift them to one of my kids to see if they have interest.

I got the instructions from http://www.josho.com/gardening.htm and http://www.instructables.com/id/The-Dearthbox-A-low-cost-self-watering-planter/ and yes all materials we used were safe for food production.

New page added!!!

So I finally got the pictures of the front yard taken and uploaded.  See "FRONT YARD" to the right.

I'll be starting to sheet mulch this week.  I picked up my very first load of horse manure last night.  I can't believe how excited I am over this.  I tried gardening MANY moons ago with absolutely no idea what I was doing and too much information that I got overwhelmed, i was also a baby at the time, all of 26.  I'm much wiser and much more comfortable in who I am today to go after what FEELS right.  My little homestead is on it's way!!!  I know it sounds weird to some but when I start smelling "earth" in the spring i literally can't contain myself.  I joke about hibernating in the winter but I believe that's what I need.  Listening to my body and my heart seem to be pushing me in this direction.

So there it is....the beginning!

Weeds to Wonder - explanation

We moved to our house in 2003.  We have just under 1 acre of land and at one time it was landscaped and I'm sure beautiful.  However, it had been some time since someone took care of the yard.  I've been overwhelmed when looking at it so it continued to be in sad shape.  I've always wanted to garden but to tell you the truth I never learned and felt overwhelmed when I started researching how to do it.  Over the past year I've read about permaculture and people's blogs that have taken their small pieces of land and made them into beautiful productive gardens/homesteads.

Now that spring is here (hopefully) I will be posting my progress in turning this mess into something beautiful.  It will take time and it will be done one small step at a time.  The other day I had to ask a friend who's family owns horses how to shovel shit...I've never done it before.  But I'm willing and ready to learn.  I'll be posting the before pictures over this weekend to show what I have to start with and what my plans will be. 

My ultimate goal and hope is to have a functioning homestead to provide my family and my children's families (as they get older) with fresh nutritious organic food.  I have a lot to learn. 

Small Steps

YEA!!!!!!!!!!  We now have a working worm compost bin in our kitchen.  I’m so excited by this it’s ridiculous.  It’s a small step but a step nontheless. 

Our son was so excited when it arrived and completely bummed out when I had to tell him that the worms would be coming later.  He helped me put it together and it sat in our dinning area until they arrived.  When our daughter came home from college and asked what it was, you could see in her demeanor that she thinks we have gone off the deep end.  What will she think when she comes home this Wednesday and finds that we now have a pound of worms as our new family addition. 

It’s silly but I feel this is my first test.  Will I be able to keep them alive?  Will I love it in the beginning but bore of it?  Are we really going to change the way we live? 

On another note…I have talked to my husband about hunting.  I read on a woman’s blog about her first time hunting and I was inspired.  If I’m serious about my concerns and the changes I want to make I have to think about much more than I originally thought.   Things that just 1 year ago made me uncomfortable.  I like that my beliefs, skills, habits and etc are being stretched.  I may learn how to shoot after all.  Guns scare me.  I’ve shot before, guns are powerful and makes me a bit uneasy.  I wonder if I’ll ever shoot at anything?  I have to at least try and see how it plays out.  I’m a meat eater and always will be.  My husband has been after me for years to join him in this activity.  I’ve always blown it off.  “It’s just not ME”  Well time for me to shut up and learn and question myself.  We’ll see…

Plain & Simple

It’s hard for me to write.  My ideas and thoughts go around in circles so fast it’s hard for me to stay on topic long enough to write about it.  I also OVER THINK EVERYTHING!!!!