Finding Thanksgiving

I was talking with my daughter this morning and the conversation turned to this topic:

"I can't wrap my head around the fact that next Thursday is Thanksgiving."

And that's truth.

2015, like many other years past, has been a vapor. It has been everything from peaceful to roaring chaotic and all in between. The highs have been high and the lows have been low. Bad decisions were made as were good ones and things I promised myself I would accomplish this year....well...most haven't happened.

Now, I could get really down about that last statement, and if I am honest with you, have found myself doing that at times.

And that's okay, and here's why:

Because in the midst of all our plans, hopes and dreams...life happens. Folks get sick, need help. Job situations change. Births happen, as well as deaths. Children grow and that is a constant and good change! Groceries have to be bought, bills have to be paid, laundry has to be done, meals have to be cooked and homes have to be cleaned.

So in the midst of life today, I was thinking that maybe some of us have lost Thanksgiving. Like, really lost it. Oh, we can say that we are thankful for this or thankful for that, but we have truly lost Thanksgiving. In the middle of this happening life, it's easy to focus on the sadness, the emptiness, the loneliness. It's easy to focus on finances not going as far as we'd like, especially when we know right behind Thanksgiving will be Christmas.

Yes, we should have prepared better. Yes, we should have stayed home more.Yes, we should have cooked at home instead of hitting up the drive thru.  Because let's be honest....birthdays, Thanksgiving and Christmas come at the same time every single year. Those are three days that should never catch us off guard, yet we always find ourselves under the gun, family activities bearing down on us and there we are again.....

I'm asking you...and myself...to start right now looking for Thanksgiving. Looking for and truly believing in your heart, to the point your heart is singing so loudly you can't believe it, that life IS beautiful and it IS fun and that it IS a blessing! Don't look behind and don't look in the future. We just cannot change the past and the future is in God's hands and if we're doing all we can for those future things, God will do all we can't and if those future things don't play out like we'd prayed for, God will take care of us through that as well.

Look at today. Look at the physical today. Look at your spouse, look at your children, look at your home....the picture might not look as our heart would like it to, but in those things I believe we can find Thanksgiving.

In finding Thanksgiving we are making a choice, we are choosing to enjoy today. We are choosing to be thankful for today. Share that with someone. With  lots of someones!!! If you're struggling to see Thanksgiving, you may have to share with a lot of  people and you may have to say it over and over but you will begin to see Thanksgiving emerging and I'm sure, before long, you will have found exactly what you've been looking for....happiness and thanksgiving.

I Am a Homemaker (Part Three)

Now that we have sought God and we are aware of the things required of us as older women, it is time to look into what we must be doing ourselves and teaching the younger women to do as well.

If we are holy in our behavior, not speaking against others, not given to wine and teaching what is good, it will be noticed. The younger women will see that there is something different about us and they will see that our marriages are good, are children are good, our homes are good and they will desire that in their own worlds.

We, as older women, are to teach the younger women to love their husbands.

Love our man. Show him respect. Put him above all but Christ. Sacrifice for him. What pleases him? What does he want to see in his home? Does he want supper done when he gets home from work? Does he want his laundry kept up so that whatever he needs is handy when he reaches for it? Does he want the finances in order, even if they're tight? You know your man. You know what shows love to him and you need to be making sure that it's getting done for him. And then we need to teach this very thing to the younger women so their husbands will know that they are loved.

Love our children. My children, as I'm sure as are yours, are my world. A mother's love for her children is mind blowing. As older women, we have developed more patience and we have learned a few things along the way and it's important for us to teach this to the younger women. A child who wants to wear their pj's all day is no big deal. Macaroni and cheese for breakfast? No problem. As women we can get overwhelmed by all there is to do in our day and we can forget that our children need and crave our attention. If we don't give them attention while they are acting good, they will start acting out to get our attention. Turn off the phone, the computer, the tablet, the tv and invest real quality time in your children!! I can't even begin to make you realize that the last thing you want to hear from your adult children is, "Mom always had her nose in the phone and couldn't be bothered." What is so important in the technology highway that it should take away from your children??

Be wise and pure. Wisdom comes with time and experience and that's why it is so important for older women to share their wisdom and so important for younger women to seek and listen to older women. Younger women, you could avoid so many problems if you would just treat the wisdom you obtain as precious, pray and give it a try in your own home and life. We've been there, done that and you have the power to stop the generational curses just by listening and applying older wisdom.

Pure. Free from harshness or roughness , unmixed with any other matter. If Jesus is your Savior, then allowing things of the world to be mixed in with you means you are not pure. Think about it......

There are still three other things to go over, and we'll hit those in the next post. I believe there is enough to think about for now. I know there is for me...

I Am a Homemaker (Part Two)

Talking to the older women. Titus tells us that we are to be holy in our behavior. A quick peek in Webster's tells me that holy means, "Exalted or worthy of complete devotion as one perfect in goodness and righteousness; divine; devoted entirely to the deity or the work of the deity; having a divine quality".

Wow.....that is big!

Self exam time. Are we holy? Are we worthy of devotion from our husbands and children? Are we divine? Are we devoted entirely to God and the work of God? Do we have a divine quality?

I don't know about you, but I'm fairly certain that I'm not quite up to par in most of those things. With that being an honest answer to the above questions, now that I'm totally aware what is required of the older women before they teach the younger--because you can't teach what you don't know--it is apparent that I need to ask God to help me become what is required of the older women and then it is also my job to begin to study and act upon what He shows me.

Next, we are not to speak against others.

What!!? I may have to step back a moment and have some one on one with my Daddy. Let's be real older women, we DO speak against others.

"I can't believe they done that!"
" How stupid was that?"
"I have to do it because they are so lazy it will never get done."

The list could go on and on and it's easy for me to come up with things because I speak this mess myself!!  If you're honest with me, you do too.

Next, it says we are not to be enslaved to much wine. In this part, no debate on alcohol will be going on here because, believe me, I've heard ALL the arguments on that subject. My personal belief is that no strong drink is to touch your lips. Proverbs 20:1, Proverbs 31:6, Isaiah 24:9, Luke 1:15 all speak against it and for me, I lived the lifestyle of enjoying wine and alcohol and it almost cost me my marriage, my children and everything and everyone I held dear and for me, no mind numbing buzz is worth it. Pray, seek God and work this one out between you and Him.

After we are sure we have all these things lined up with the will of God, then and only then are we ready to move on teaching the younger women.

Let's pray ladies, let's get serious. Future generations for Christ depend on us stepping up, walking in our calling and making a change all for the kingdom of Heaven.

I Am a Homemaker (Part One)

When you ask anyone what they do you will get a myriad of answers.
"I'm in maintenance."
"I'm a secretary."
"I'm a nurse."
"I'm a coal miner."
"I work in fast food."
"I work in retail."
"I'm a therapist."
The list can go on and on but you get my drift. When asked what we do, we define ourselves by our jobs.

This post is going to be more geared toward the women because it's where my heart is. This subject is where my passion is. When asked what I do, I respond, "I'm a homemaker."

Now, before I get too much hate mail or ugly comments, let me share a few things:
1) I warned you I was going to write what God gave me.
2) I'm not putting down any woman who desires to work outside the home and I'm especially not putting down any woman who HAS to work outside the home. Unfortunately we live in a time where life decisions are made that puts us in situations where we truly have no other options.
3) I have worked outside the home myself. So if you think I'm making digs at you, then I must be making them at myself too....get the logic??

I would truly love to see all women be able to stay at home, making their house a peaceful, calm sanctuary for their husbands, their children and all who enter in. One of the greatest compliments I believe a woman can hear is, "I love coming to your house. It is so peaceful here."

I take the Scripture in Titus 2:3-5 to heart. As with all of the Bible, I believe it literally means what it says,

"In the same way, teach older women to be holy in their behavior, not speaking against others or enslaved to too much wine, but teaching what is good. Then they can teach the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be wise and pure, to be good workers at home, to be kind and to yield to their husbands. Then no  one will be able to criticize the teaching God gave us." NCV

It may take a few posts to go through this entire passage, but that will be perfectly fine. Before I jump on the homemaker issue, let me address verse 3. 

Speaking to these older women......my grandmother tried to teach what a Biblical help meet looked like. What a true homemaker was. My mom tried to as well, but she was born in that generation that was beginning to decide that a woman can do all a man can do and should. She should have a career and the husband should do just as much in the home as she does and the children were just fine having her an hour in the morning and a couple of hours, maybe, at night. That was mom's generation. 

My generation decided that not only could we have the career and the husband, but we could always dispose of the career and get a new one and we could dispose of the husband and get a new one if he got in the way of our dreams. 

I'm now seeing a generation of girls who, for the most part, doesn't desire to even be a homemaker and hey, doesn't even need to be a wife. The family unit is breaking down and for all intents and purposes today, that's okay. Who needs it anyway? 

Hold up!!! News flash!! The women my age ARE the older women now and according to verse 3, we are to be holy in our behavior, not speaking against others, not enslaved to much wine, (a debate I won't get into here. Work that one out between you and God), teaching what is good. Verse 4 goes on to say we are to teach the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be wise, to be pure, to be good workers at home, to be kind, and to yield, submit (yes, I went there) to their husbands. 

Question 1: How many women 40 and older do you know that are able, according to those verses, to do what the Bible tells us to do?

Question 2: Are YOU the woman over 40 that can fill that position yourself? 

It is my personal belief that there is no greater calling than to be a homemaker. It is my personal belief that God set up the family unit in just that way, the man the head of the home under the leadership of Jesus Christ, the woman a keeper of the home and all that entails under the leadership of her husband. It is also my personal belief that when those things get out of order, you see the family unit suffer and that begins a ripple effect, exactly like what we are living in today. 

I believe we, as women, have really lost sight of what God desires us to be and do. I believe that in looking vertically instead of horizontally, we, as women, desire things that will in no way give us pleasure or peace long term and we have bought into the lie that more is better and in order to get more, the family unit suffers. 

I am a homemaker. It is my desire to see women, and especially the young women, desire to be homemakers as well. Older women, it's not too late to make a change, if you possibly can, and strive toward the goal of coming home. It is my desire to see a generation of women step up beside their husband and support him as he leads and takes care of his family while she makes their home a haven of rest, peace, comfort and a place he looks forward coming home to at the end of the day. 

It is my desire to be that Titus 2 woman and maybe, it is or will become your desire too. 

Sometimes It's Tough......

Yes, I confess, it has been way too long since I have posted a blog of any sort. It isn't that I haven't had anything to share or say...I've had plenty...but I have another confession.....I have let the enemy shut my mouth, my words. I've allowed him to convince me that saying nothing is better than posting things that may upset, offend, contradict people. I've allowed him to convince me that the things I believe in, the things that I believe God has led me to--whether He has led others to this place or not--is of no value and will cause others to look at me as the odd duck, the nut job, the weirdo.

This attack that I've allowed has affected more than my writing, it's affected my prayer life, my time in the Word, my time with God. It has affected my joy and my peace. In short, it has taken me to a place that no child of God should ever be. And God has tried...oh has He tried to get me out of the pit, away from the destructive thought process and I have just put my blinders on and my ear plugs in and totally ignored the One Who loves me beyond measure.

Confession is good for the soul. That's how the saying goes anyway, but there is a lot of truth in that. Confession to my Savior is a necessary thing for mine and His relationship!! Confession to you is necessary because I refuse to believe that I am the only one that has been under this attack. This allows you to see me, as transparent as I can be, as a real live person, a real live Christian, who doesn't always run to her Daddy as she should. Thus the awful place I have been for, actually, many, many months.

What does this have to do with homesteading? After all isn't the title of this blog Small Homestead Living?? Well, I'm not real sure it has anything to do with homesteading at all. But I am sure that it has everything to do with life on a real level and that is exactly what homesteading is....real life, everyday ups and downs, good and bad.

So, in keeping things real, every post you read on here will not be about gardens, chickens, rabbits, line drying laundry, canning and such as that. There will be posts about homeschooling. There will be posts about my walk as a child of God and whatever He chooses to tell me to write about...even if it upsets you a little and you disagree with me. There will be posts about being a godly help meet and what that TRULY means....because believe me, that view is very distorted. There will be posts about being a homemaker...again you may disagree with my views on that and I am truly okay with that, but I have to write what God gives me and sometimes that can be contradictory. It is possible to love each other and disagree...

I already know where God wants me to go next. Amazing when you quit fighting Him how much He fills you with....love, peace, boldness, compassion.

So let me encourage you. If you're feeling a bit out of sorts, if you're feeling like nobody gets you and you don't even get yourself anymore, if you're feeling like you are the only duck on a big ole pond and you're going under because you are feeling so deeply alone because of your convictions....you are not alone. I'm right here with you and more than that HE...our heavenly Daddy is right here and He is overjoyed because you have made the decision to say enough is enough!! He is ready to fight your battle because you finally made a decision to hand over the reigns and say, "Here you go Daddy. Fight for Your baby because I am so tired..."

"I will give them a heart to know Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:12-13

Walking In Faith and Singing a Song

When you homestead, many things are trial and error, but you do spend a lot of time walking by faith.

When you plant a garden, you walk in faith that God will send the right amount of rain and sun to make sure that the harvest is great.

When you have your chickens, you walk in faith that God will give you the knowledge to keep them healthy so they will produce eggs and that some girls will sit on their eggs so there will be new babies that will grow up to take care of your family.

Some hunt, some fish, some have pigs and cows and goats or whatever they deem necessary to take care of the needs of their family, but it's by faith that we believe these animals will be able to take care of us.

While our homestead is still in the very early stages of formation, my hubby works his own business in construction and remodeling to support our family. And believe me, the owner of his own business continually walks in faith that God will supply every need.....it can get downright scary sometimes!!

Today it is raining.....again. We have been bombarded by rain over the last several weeks and I have some plants that are sending out SOS's for some lifeboats!! But today, I have the windows open and there is a cool breeze blowing through my house. I can hear the rain falling and the thunder rumbling. In between downpours though....I hear the birds singing!! They are calling to each other and singing the most beautiful songs!

They don't doubt. They don't wonder. They find shelter in the storm and the moment they get a chance, they break out in song!! Now, when the rain is just pouring, they are silent, but as soon as the storm gives them even the smallest of opportunities, they break out in song!!

Today I am aware of storms going on around me. There are some who are walking paths they never envisioned and were totally blindsided by. We are walking through our own storm right now. And when it comes a downpour, I find myself running to the shelter of my Daddy's arms and He holds me and comforts me and encourages me because just as soon as the storm gives me an opportunity, He gently lets me go and I walk in faith and sing my song of praise to my Daddy. It's still raining and it's still cloudy. I can still hear the thunder rumble....but by faith we'll be okay and our song will give us hope.

Not One Post This Year??!!

Time has a crazy way of downright leaving you in the dust! Especially for me anyway. I noticed the last post I did was on December 30, 2014!! What's the deal with that??

Well, let me be honest....

I lost control of myself...I always had an excuse for why I couldn't get X done..much less Y and Z. I truly felt like I was a dog chasing my tail or running here and there putting out fires but not taking the time to clean up the mess left behind after the fires. I fell into a place that I haven't been in a very long time and I stayed there much longer than I should have.

Let me be honest again...

There is still a lot going on. Still a lot of fires that need put out. And life will always be that way...but we control how we handle everything that happens in our day...maybe not the situation itself, but our attitude toward it.

Instead of catching you up on the last 3 months, I'm just going to tell you where I'm at:

It's finally broken off into spring weather and I'm so grateful!!

The gardens are tilled and almost ready to plant.

We have two hens sitting on eggs which means in a little under three weeks, we will have babies!!

My beautiful old Lab friend and buddy, Toby--who will be 13 this October, has a very large, inoperable because of his age, tumor in his jaw and that sweet boy is on daily meds to keep him comfortable. While the tumor is a sad thing to see, Toby is in a great mood, eating well and I cherish each day I have with this faithful companion!

We are facing a battle with the precious little granddaughter that is due in August. We need and are believing for a God miracle!! She is completely in His hands and this has completely removed the scales from my eyes in that all people are precious and every moment is special because we really are just flesh and bone and have no idea what's around the corner.....STOP majoring on the minors!!

Ready to begin a new Bible study in just three weeks with some of the most wonderful ladies I know!!

So, this is what is going on now and hopefully, since God has had to correct me, drag me away from the mountain I've been running around, whipped my behind and then wrapped me up in His big ole' arms and loved on me, I'm ready to stay a little better in touch with y'all, share what's going on in my life and on the homestead.

Hopefully as you walk along with me, you will find encouragement, some knowledge, some tips and tricks to help you along the way and a desire to live a more simple and slow life and be more fulfilled and content than ever!!

"All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah!! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, He brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. We have plenty of hard times that come from following the Messiah, but no more so than the good times of His healing comfort--we get a full measure of that, too." 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 MSG

Looking Forward

Tomorrow is the last day of 2014. A day of reflection and a day of planning.

What did I accomplish in 2014? Am I pleased with those accomplishments or disappointed? What new thing did I try that worked or failed? Is 2014 ending on a higher note than it began? Am I closer to God on December 31 than I was on January 1? Am I happy? Did I bless others? Are others better off because I was a part of their lives?

Some of these questions can't be answered in the here and now. One is never really sure how they touch and affect the lives of other people. I mean, so often it is the little things we do each day that makes a big difference in the lives of others, so it's hard to really know the difference we make in a person's life.

But....is our debt smaller or bigger? Our savings account? How is our job going? Is our business growing or losing ground? Did we weed through the clutter or has the mounds in our homes, garages and shops grown? Did we learn a new craft, a way to be more thrifty, less materially minded? If not...why not?

Did we leave 2014 better than we found it??

Tough questions for this lady to answer.

I guess for me it has been a lot of one step forward and sometimes two steps back. We can scream, "YAY!!" to a few of the afore mentioned questions and we can moan, "Ohhhhhhhh........." to some of the others.

However, one thing I can say that I am truly leaving 2014 with is the knowledge that while some things have worked well and some things have failed,

 I am taking knowledge into 2015.

I realize that I need to journal statistics a bit better. With our goal of being more self sufficient, I need to make sure I write down everything that does work and everything that does not...and why.

I need to become a better example of, "Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without", and I also need to share that with other people.

While Christmas was, financially, a bit less stressful, I have learned many things that will make next Christmas even more simple and I also learned that I need to start much earlier in the year to accomplish that!!

And I learned that Deb needs to embrace the life she desires. It is very hard to strive to live more simply and be surrounded with so much that screams otherwise. There is no room for laziness or excuses. I need to plan my days better so that the end result is a calmer, more satisfying life. I need to stick to a schedule and I need to fall deeply in love with the goal.

When striving for change, you have to realize change seldom comes easily. In realizing that, you aren't so blindsided by the hurdles and problems and forks in the road that are bound to pop up. When making changes in lifestyles you have to mentally prepare yourself for those who are always steering your focus away...and they probably don't even realize they are doing that...but when you are striving to get away from commercialism and live more simply, even a trip to the dollar store can be a real test!!

So, in looking forward to 2015 I have no idea what it will bring. A few things I do know though:

1) God is in control. I have to let Him have control and then I have to trust that He loves me so much that everything will work out for my good.

2) Each day will have it's own blessings and struggles. My job is to focus on the blessings and leave the struggles in the hands of God. (see number 1)

3) In all of the ups, downs and unknowns I am blessed beyond measure. I must never forget that and I must never dwell on the downs and unknowns. (see number 1)

4) God has this. It's not my job to try to figure it out.....(just see number 1).

Welcome 2015!!!! Let's begin this year great and finish it better than we find it!!

Just Pass It On.....

The title of my blog is Small Homestead Living. And while most of my posts are about homesteading, animals, gardens, canning and the like, it's also about life...OUR life. Why we do what we do. Why we believe what we believe.

We know that there will be folks who don't agree with us at all and some who agree whole heartily. There will be folks who agree, but just aren't interested in this life for them, and there will be folks who want to incorporate certain things in their life.

I was reading on Facebook today, a certain page that I follow. A question was posed, "How much do you spend on your children at Christmas?" This person went on to say that they thought $500 per child was fine. This person also had more than one child. This did not include spouse, extended family, etc. Let me tell you, I just nearly fell out of my chair!!!

$500 on one person...I'm still trying to wrap my head around this.

Is it okay to spend that amount of money? Yes......I guess....????

Is it right? I'm inclined to say no......at least not for us.

First of all, there is major materialism going on there. It's all around us. Mailboxes are full of credit card statements. Families need two incomes just to make ends meet...if they meet at all. Sales circulars, catalogs, commercials and online ads convince us that life would be better if we had ______. We are missing out if we don't have ________.  This is the world we live in.

And that is very sad.

We are raising a generation that has to have the most, the newest, the priciest. And that generation will soon be a generation of adults that have to work two and three jobs, each parent, and another generation of children will see that and think it's normal....and the cycle continues.

As a family, we made a decision this year that Christmas will be done differently. We have never been uber extravagant in our giving, but we ourselves have gotten caught up in the spending too much money rap and while we haven't incurred debt, how much could we have helped or blessed those less fortunate if we had been wiser.

This year, hubby and I have set strict spending limits. Gifts should be handmade if possible and most of them should serve a useful purpose with only one or two being that "just because" thing.

Our adult children are incorporating those same guidelines in their homes and I couldn't be more proud of them!

I have a granddaughter that I love SO much!! I am fully convinced the sun doesn't shine until she gets up....however, I want her and her parents want her to understand it isn't the number of gifts or the amount spent, but the love and careful choosing behind the gift that matters.

This is a rather long post, I realize...but this is something here on the Homestead that we hold dear. Simple living. Simple things. Simple pleasures.

And we hope to pass it on......

Baby It's Cold Outside!!...Or It Will Be!

Anyone who knows me knows how much I enjoy hanging my laundry outside on the line. I love the fact that it saves money, yes, but I just love the quiet...almost always mingled with dogs barking, birds singing and now, chickens clucking!

However it IS November and Mr. Weatherman has told us that the end of this week it's going to get VERY cold here in the deep south. Add to that the fact the days have gotten shorter and it really limits the drying time outside.

However, all is not lost!! We just adapt to a new routine during the cold months! I make sure my clotheslines are full before the sun goes down in the evening and by mid day the next day, I have three lines of dry clothes!!

No using the dryer and still got to enjoy my time outside!!

Homemade Cream of Mix

One of the things that we are trying to change here on the Small Homestead is the amount of processed food we eat. I'd like to tell you that we are all into that "crunchy" lifestyle...but that would not be the total truth.

It is true that if you find one of us in a Dr's office...it's serious. While we do support and are grateful for the medical world, we are big proponents of holistic medicine and doing that as naturally as we can, as often as we can.

It is true that we don't fry much around here. Too much fried food makes too much us and a sluggish heart...neither of which is appealing.

It is true that we love simple and natural....but let's be honest....you get in the way of my sour cream and cheddar chips and there is going to be trouble!! And it goes the same for my Reese Cups!!!

Truthfully we love moderation. Simply enjoy the good God has given and all things in moderation as long as it doesn't cause my brother to stumble.

Today as I was planning supper, I realized I was out of my Cream of Soup Mix. One of the many things I make from scratch is our cream of soup mixes. Way cheaper and so much better for you!! It tastes so good and is so quick to put together!!

In less than 10 minutes I was able to mix up a batch of Cream of Soup Mix that is the equivalent of 18 cans of soup...at a MUCH cheaper price.

It is so nice to just pull a few ingredients out of the pantry and mix together what you need instead of jumping in the car to run to the store because you're out of soup!!

Below you'll find the recipe I use....again, wish I could remember where I pulled this up from, but I can't. If you don't write it down right away.............

Cream of Anything Soup Mix

4 Cups Powdered Milk

1 1/2 Cups Cornstarch

1/2 Cup Instant Bouillon Granules

4 tsp Dried Onion Flakes

2 tsp Thyme

2 tsp Basil

1 tsp Freshly Grated Black Pepper

Mix together well. Equivalent of 18 cans of soup.

To make Soup:  

1/3 Cup Mix

1 Cup Water

   1 TBSP Butter

Mix gently in medium saucepan on low heat until thick. Add 1/2 cup minced or chopped whatever you'd like to make your soup. (chicken, celery, mushrooms, etc.)

Give this a try and let me know what you think!!

The Prayer Rock

Here on the Small Homestead, God is our Holy Messiah, Provider, Healer and the One to Whom our lives are dedicated. We know that God has led us to this point in our lives and we know that He will guide our steps and bless.

Prayer is very important to us. It's the glue that holds our family together and the life line between us and our heavenly Daddy.

We know and practice prayer anywhere and at any time...as a group, one or two of us or just a heart felt one on one with God.

However, we have this one special place that we migrate to whenever we want to really be in the quiet so that we can not only speak with God, but that we can clearly hear Him with no interruptions. Many years ago when we move to the Homestead, hubby set up this place under an oak tree at the back of our property. There is nothing but animals, trees and sky. No distractions.

It's where we can take someone with us and have a heart to heart knowing that the One who loves us most of all is sitting there with us, helping us work out problems or cheering us on.

We've talked there and cried there. We've laughed and smiled and soaked in the presence of our Father.

The Prayer Rock

We call it the Prayer Rock. We all shoot up our prayers at will, but when our hearts are truly broken, serious, or losing hope you can find us there, when we just want to praise Him and bask in His presence, the Prayer Rock is where we are....drawing closer to the One Who is waiting to heal, mend or just let us crawl up in His lap and hold on for dear life.

We love all areas of the homestead, but The Prayer Rock is the cornerstone of this Small Homestead, and God is the Founder....

Knowledge is Power!

I made a wise homestead purchase on Friday. This green notebook. Notice the name, Wise Gardening.

I've been reading on many sites about how important it is to write down what you plant, where and how you planted and took care of it and how much your garden veggies produced. Honestly, I'd never really given it a thought in years past just how important it was to do this.

What Hubby and I learned though, was that we had very poor soil.  So last winter we took the time to heavily fertilize and prep our garden. We kept our rows at the space we normally plant, but didn't take into consideration the fact that better soil would produce larger plants! We spent our summer harvesting within a jungle!!!! We certainly need wider rows next year......

That's what this little notebook is for. It is to help us remember and believe me, at our age, we need all the help remembering we can get!!

I'm looking forward to looking back on this notebook in a few years and being reminded just how far we've come in this homesteading process, what worked and what didn't and how we were able to share knowledge and bounty with others.

I encourage you to pick up a notebook and begin doing the same. Whether you are doing raised beds, container gardening or planting hundreds of acres, a record of what's going on in your planting world can be a very valuable thing, and remember...knowledge is power!!

Stay Strong!!

As most people do this time of year, we cleaned up our garden and tilled up a new spot for even more garden next year. Pulling up dead vines and plants, tilling the soil and planning out where we'll plant what next year on our homestead. It is a great anticipation of wonderful things to come, dreaming dreams and watching them come true!

New garden space for next spring!

During the pulling up process though, we found a couple of little guys who are refusing to give up the fight! Two strong, healthy cucumber vines, climbing the trellis and in full bloom!!

Not just in full bloom, but producing fruit!!!

When everything around them was dying and giving up, these two guys are standing strong, reaching toward the sun and producing fruit!!

What an awesome reminder from God! When everything and everyone around you seems to be giving up the fight...stand strong!!

When everything and everyone around you is dying, you can still produce fruit!!!

It's all God asks of us...reach for Him and produce fruit for Him!! You might be the seed planter or the trellis holding someone up, but fruit is the result!!

"For if you stand firm, you will win your souls." Luke 21:19 TLB

Moving Day!!!

It has been SO busy here on the Small Homestead!! A morning of catching up on laundry and house cleaning and an afternoon and evening of cleaning rabbit feeders and pens, canning chili, cleaning up around some building projects we have going on.....boy can we make a mess!!..and completing our big hen house.....well....it doesn't have nests or roosting poles yet but come on!!..The babies are only a month old!

Yes, our little Austalorp babies are quickly outgrowing their baby coop so it was time to move them to their forever home. This chicken Momma was really watching helping chicken Daddy because it's a big deal when little chicks move into their big home!!

Still need to paint..

"Are all the cracks sealed?"

"Yes dear"

"No critters can get in?"

"No dear"

"Are you sure they will be warm enough?"

"Yes dear"

.....I'm married to such a patient man!!....






Anyway, three babies at a time and five trips back and forth and they were all moved in!! And I should have never worried for a moment!! Cheeping and scratching and running and jumping!! Digging among the shavings all the way down to the dirt!! I'm telling you these chicks are on a resort chicken island!!

Checkin' out the new place!

So much room!!!

Peeking in the window!

I have to admit...before I put head to pillow, me and my little flashlight friend will make a trip down to the mansion to make sure everyone is tucked in okay and settled down for the night!











Ahhh,.....simple pleasures make for big contentment on the Small Homestead!!

No Room for Complaining

It is still raining here on the Small Homestead. We are so grateful that as strong storms came through last night and trees fell and one precious soul lost her life, that here on the homestead, we enjoyed just a good ole' fashioned thunderstorm.

Our one month old Black Australorps

As in my last post we have been having quite a bit of rain around here the last several days. Much needed rain I might add. However, when you are trying to plant your fall/winter garden and you are trying to build your chicken coop because those month old Black Australorps are quickly outgrowing their baby coop, it's quite easy to fall into complaining mode.

Rubber boots for mud and mucking stalls!

As I walked around this morning taking care of our babies though, I realized that God has provided so much to keep me dry and warm as I spend time outside in the rain and wind to help see our dream of full on homesteading become a reality.

One of 4 rain barrels to catch that free water!

I realized that He has provided free water for our babies that we don't have to pay for. That free water will also water our garden when the rain dries up for days and weeks on end.
















Yes, it takes a little longer to complete the chores.

Yes, it can be a bit tougher to walk out of the warm, dry house to hang out in the cold, wet rain.

BUT....the babies that are working so hard to provide for us and help us reach that simple, self-reliant goal really appreciate it....and we appreciate them.

Rain, Rain

What a crazy weekend here on the Small Homestead!!! This is the weekend that is set aside each year for the men in our family to take a Father/Son camping trip. They are away for two nights, three days in the wilderness, no cell phone service--depending which campground they go to--no women, no jobs, no worries.

This year found them choosing the campground closer to home and that was a wise decision. You see, Friday was overcast all day...no big with that, but that evening found our guys back home because a slight monsoon took place at our campground and....well....the tent just didn't cut the mustard!!!

Saturday morning was bright and sunny and found me cooking breakfast here at the homestead for my guys.....I must admit, for a brief moment, I was a bit miffed. For their camping weekend is also the women's hang out, eat chocolate, do mani-pedi's, watch movies and stay up late. NO WORKING.
However, after breakfast was done and I sat down with these men of mine, the conversation was great, the laughter was abundant and having time just me and my guys.....priceless!

They left again headed back to the campground to enjoy the day and hopefully actually spend the night. But.....evening came, and it brought with it angry lightning and heavy rain and three men headed back to their homes. Not the most relaxing camping trip, but memories were certainly made!!

Which brings me to a wonderful thing about homestead living. My guys talked and they are going to spend the next year clearing land on our property to build a small cabin and an outhouse so that next year at this time, no matter the weather, their plans won't be washed out!

Over the weeks and months ahead I'll be sharing pictures of that sweet little camping cabin going up and showing you just how awesome it is to live here on the Small Homestead!!

It's Not All Work!!

Life on the Small Homestead can sometimes be very exhausting!! There is always a building to build or mend. A fence...to build or mend. A garden to till or weed, plant or harvest. There is always an animal to tend to...such as the surprise Ms Sarah gave us about three days ago....She was the first critter that we welcomed on the Small Homestead and what we didn't know was that she decided to bring seven others with her! Yes, Ms Sarah is a mother!!! A total surprise and that leads me back to there is always a building to build....

Ms Sarah resting

It can get exhausting at times, but then we take an evening here and there to have friends and family over. This past Friday night found us surrounded by these friends and family to celebrate Hubby's 50th birthday!! 

There was plenty of food and laughter and then there was a good old fashioned game of horseshoes! I thought and thought about what to buy Hubby for his birthday and all I kept hearing him say was, "I want to get back to simple. I don't want to always have to be searching for bigger and better." Well, when you are trying to change your mindset from consumerism to simple, let me tell you....that isn't always an easy thing to do!!

My Daddy reliving memories himself!

Hubby getting ready for a long pitch!

Then I got to thinking about my growing up years and how much fun everyone had at the end of long hard day gathering in the backyard for a game of horseshoes. The men took it very seriously and the women enjoyed getting to chat away from cooking, dishes and husbands. The kids enjoyed running around and being silly and seeing how far they could throw those heavy horseshoes!! And I realized what WONDERFUL memories those were for me and yet such a simple, simple thing. So that was when I made my decision to buy Hubby a set of horseshoes and the new memories made sure did favor those of my childhood!! 

It's those memories I want to pass down to AF and those grandchildren to follow. Simple times that money just cannot buy. Let me encourage you to let go of consumerism. Let go of bigger and better and more, more, more!! Life on the homestead isn't all work, it's simple laughter and priceless memories.

Just Because You Asked!!

I love sharing! I especially love sharing what I've learned because typically I've learned through my mistakes and if I can keep someone from following down my mistake path...well....I'm all over that!!

A few of you asked for the Apple Cinnamon Jam recipe. I wish I could take credit for it, but it's not my original idea. I got this recipe from a canning page I'm part of on Facebook. I LOVE this page and it has really helped me on this journey. The administrators are master canners and put safety above everything else! The best part is there is no such thing as a silly question---and believe me, I can ask some doosies!!!

Apple Cinnamon Jam

8-9 Apples

1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon

3 TBSP Lemon juice

4 Cups Sugar

1 Pouch liquid pectin

*Peel, core and cut finely. Simmer in a pot of water until soft enough to use a potato masher.

Use 4 cups mash and put in a separate pot. Add cinnamon, lemon juice and sugar.Bring to a rolling boil. 

Add liquid pectin and boil again for 1 minute.

Remove from heat and place in hot jars. 

Seal and process in a hot water bath canner for 10 minutes. 

Apple Cinnamon Jam and Homemade Biscuits

I have to tell you, this is truly delicious and just like I posted yesterday, it  is wonderful on hot, homemade biscuits!! 

*Don't throw those cores and peels in the compost just yet!! My wonderful mother reminded me that I can put those in a pan, add a little water and boil them down to get the juice. Once you've boiled those peelings down, strain over some cheesecloth and you have juice ready to make apple jelly!! 

We've got to get back to a way of thinking that includes not wasting! Too many things today are disposable and that is a terrible way to think and a very poor way to be a good steward of  ALL of the things God has blessed us with!

The recipe for the apple jelly can be found in a package of Sure Jell!! For those of you who might not want as much sugar as the regular Sure Jell calls for, Sure Jell offers a Sure Jell For Less version.

Give this a try and let me know how it turns out for you!! Abundant blessings and smiles flow when you witness your family enjoy the labor of your love!

Canning, Canning and More Canning!!

Yesterday was a busy day on the Small Homestead. Hubby found himself at home and made good use of his time building on our chicken house. At the rate these little Australorps are growing, they are going to need larger accommodations in the very near future!!

Just the beginning of a beautiful home for our hens!

I helped him hang a few pieces of siding, but my time was spent in the kitchen!! I needed to wrap up what I call odds and ends in canning...you know, a few jars of this and a few jars of that.

On Friday I had made a beef roast in the crockpot for supper and typically I will make noodles with the broth or I will bless our dog babies with broth over their dog food. I then had a brilliant ( I thought) idea!! Why not can that broth to use in soups this winter! So that's just what I did.

I had already strained the broth Friday evening so on Monday all I had to do was take it out of the fridge and skim the fat off the top. I prepared my jars, rings and tips and poured up the broth. I ended up with four pints and since my canner needs at least eight pints to work properly, I also canned four pints of water....which I used in my dishwater later---no wasting here!!

Hubby had also pulled our tomato plants up and I had several green tomatoes so I decided to make pickled green tomatoes. The recipe tells me I will need to wait four weeks to give them a taste....

Then the dessert of the day...I had some apples and made twelve half pints of Apple Cinnamon Jam!!! Oh my gosh is that stuff wonderful!! A plate of hot, homemade biscuits is certainly in our future!!

It was an exhausting day. Homestead living is not for the lazy or faint at heart for certain! It is so very rewarding though. It is a pure blessing to look at the shelves of food that God has provided for us and I admit I get a warm fuzzy when I see the labor my hands has done in order to provide for my family.

In the coming posts I will share a few of the recipes and the canning procedures that I follow. It's important to do that canning safely!!!

Make sure to leave a comment and chat a while!! We love to hear from you here on the Small Homestead!