Goings on around the Homestead.

Well, I haven't had time to think let alone take any pictures. The kids went back to school this week. They were on Spring break last week. They are doing a lot of work this week, getting ready for their yearly standardized testing (CRCT). They come home so tired, but still have homework to get done.

We went strawberry picking yesterday after school. We came home with quite the bounty... 23 lbs of berries. I have frozen 5 gallons and we have a big bowl of them in the fridge for the kids to snack on. It's a good thing that they don't charge us for the ones that get eaten in the field.

We got the garden planted and looking nice. I am getting imapatient. I guess that is normal for newbies to gardening. I am anxious to harvest already. The kids are getting antsy too. They helped me tremendously getting it ready to plant. They all argue over who gets to water it. What is it about a water hose with children?

The baby chicks are doing great. My son and I went yesterday morning to get them a feeder and a waterer. We also picked up a 25 lb bag of starter scratch. We also got a dog kennel from my dad to put them in. They seem to like having more space. The kids ask to take them out every afternoon and I let them for a few minutes. The chicks have started trying out their wings. They are also very fast. When we let them out, they run around so fast, the kids get a kick out of watching them.

We had a death on the homestead this morning. My husband went outside this morning to go to work and the cat was laying outside the door, stiff. We don't know what happened to her, but there was no blood. I wonder if she didn't get bitten by a snake or something. Hubby took her to work with him in a box to bury her there. We didn't want the children to see her and he didn't have time to bury her here this morning. I was also worried about vultures coming to perch. We are sad to lose her. We haven't had her that long. She was a stray that took up here, and we loved her. She was a cuddly thing, never had a cat that liked her belly rubbed. I wonder if she didn't think she was a dog.

So, that is all that has happened here lately. Hope everything is going great where you are (Becky, seems you are the only one that reads this) and have a great day/week/month.

Bless ya'll,

Jamie

Giveaway notice... I love these!

So, as you know, we received a gift of 3 baby chicks last night. I read a lot of farming blogs so I knew right where to go to seek help with them. I went to the "Life on a Southern Farm" blog, and she graciously answered my questions for me. She is having a giveaway this week. Chicken nest boxes that her husband (aka Farm man) builds himself. The giveaway is for a double nest box. I am really hoping I win, but I wanted to let you know about it too. Even if you or I don't win, they have great prices for these nest boxes, so go check them out.


(I am not so bloggy inclined, so I hope that this link works, if not, go to www.georgiafarmwoman.blogspot.com)

Good luck
Jamie

Baby Chicks!!

EEK!!! I have been after my husband for several months about us getting some chickens. We only have a half an acre with our house, and we also live within the city limits, but there is no rule against chickens. And think of all of the free eggs honey... This has been my arguement. His arguement was that we really don't have the room, or the money to build a coop. Well, our neighbors don't seem to have a problem with us having chickens. Actually, they surprised us this afternoon with 3 baby chicks for the children to raise. We got 2 hens and 1 rooster baby. Right now they are in a box in our laundry room, all cozy with a lamp for extra warmth and chicken scratch and water. We'll have a couple of weeks to figure out the coop, but until then, the kids and I are in baby chick heaven. As soon as I take some good pictures of our new babies, I'll post it. Until then, I will be surfing the net to figure out what type of chickens they are.

Bless ya'll,

Jamie

I have planted my garden and I am getting antsy for it to be grown already. I hope I am not the only one that gets this way. I started my seeds 3 weeks ago, and they took off. My sweet bell peppers and my jalepino peppers haven't been planted yet, they are still sprouting. I also want to succession plant, so I have just started my squash and zucchini and green beans. I should be able to plant them in a couple of weeks. I have't taken any pictures of them or the garden yet, but I will soon and post them. Keep in mind that this is my first garden, so don't be too excited. It isn't a professional garden by far.

The kids have been out of school this past week for Spring break, it went by so quickly. They helped me out alot in the garden, digging the rows. They aren't ready to go back to school. They only have another week until they take the CRCT tests, and I am a little worried. I just get nervous, this is Hannah's first time taking them and she doesnt' do well on timed tests. She gets that from me.

Any who... I only had a minute to get this post done, so now I have to get dinner started.

Bless ya,
Jamie

Give away notice!!

Hey, just wanted to let you all know about this great site called "Food Storage Made Easy". I have fallen in love with this site/blog and hope you do to. Right now, they are having a give away for a binder with all of the baby steps to starting food storage. Check them out and let me know what you think.http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/2009/04/06/food-storage-binder-giveaway/


Jamie

JEEZ!!! I really need to start updating this blog more often. I actually have no idea if anyone even reads it, but it wouldn't hurt.

SO, ALOT has happened since I last posted. We moved into this beautiful house and we are loving every square inch of it. We had started homeschooling and I loved it... But after a couple of months the children lost interest, and being the over protective mother that I am, I was scared that I was failing them. So, I bit the bullet and put them back in public school and they love it. We have been so blessed that they got some very good teachers. So far, they have been doing well. I am so proud of my children. Even though we have moved a few times in the last few years, they always seem to take it in stride.

We (I) have always wanted to live on a farm. That has never been a choice for us, financially speaking, so instead I have made the decision that just because we live "in town" that doesn't mean we can't be "farmers". We have just tilled up a 20 x 40 area for our garden. We started the seeds on Saturday in peat pots and we are praying that they germinate and start to grow. Once they sprout we will transplant them into the garden. So far, the only problem with it is that I can't seem to get the cat to stop using the garden as a potty spot. Anyway, let's just hope that this garden thing works out for me.

I haven't put it on paper yet, but my 5 year plan is to have acerage in which we can really homestead. I would love to have cows, chickens, goats and such. My girls would really love to own a horse, but I'm not sure about that yet. I just have this Norman Rockwell image of my son mowing the grass on a tractor. I don't know, maybe I am crazy, but that is my dream.

I'll post pictures soon, once the plants start to sprout and my garden actually looks decent.

Thanks for reading and God bless,
Jamie

Wow, has it been a month already?

I didn't realize that it has been a month already! Time really does fly by. We have had so much go on around here since I last blogged.

We have moved into our new, old, house and we are settling in quite nicely. It is an old house, built in 1950, and had actually been moved here several years ago from somewhere else. We aren't sure of it's original history. We love this house. We love the city that we are in. It is small, quite, nice neighbors. Great small town living at it's best. The children are loving it too. There is a great park area just around the corner from us that they love going to.

We have started homeschooling and the children are loving that as well. There have only been a few days that they have given me trouble, but all in all, we are enjoying it. There is much to be said about having your kids with you all day everyday. I really felt like, although they are young, that I didn't know my children as well as I wanted to. There were too many outside influences for our children, and we didn't like where they were going. By homeschooling them, we have limited the outside influences and are more in controll of what they see and hear on a daily basis. We are not controll freaks at all, it is a personal choice that everyone is entitled to. We are having much fun with school work and craft projects. We did a Winter unit study this December. It included reindeer, Santa, the origins of the Christmas tree and ornaments. They kids made home made ornaments to hang on the tree and had a blast with it.

I have been busy teaching the kids, organizing the house, and researching for our new adventure... Urban Homesteading. It isn't something new by any means. Urban homesteading... To live in the city, neighborhood, or the like. To have a small area of land, for example- we have less than an acre lot. To have a vegtable garden, animals for meat and eggs. To be as self sufficient as possible. I intend on learning how to can our veggies so that we can have the fruit of our labor last as long as possible. I also want to learn how to can meat, so that we can make use of the meat sales at the grocery stores and buy more in bulk. I am absolutly astounded by how much information is out there on this subject. Try google and you will see what I am talking about. It amazes me every day at the new stuff that I learn. I have been working extra hard over the last week in the yard. Raking piles and piles of leaves. Trying to get the yard ready to make our planing beds. We hope to have our seeds planted by mid February. I was told by my neighbor that a good rule of thumb is to have them planted by Good Friday. I asked my mother in law about the planing that she did on the family farm as a child, and she agreed that the Good Friday thing is true. So, I have a lot of work to do still and I am praying whole heartedly that this doesn't flop for me. For those of you that know me, I don't do well with failure. Especially when it is something so close to my heart. And this deffinatly is close to my heart. I keep thinking of all the money we will be saving on our grocery bill every month.

To add to your garden education..wink.. I read about Victory gardens. Back during the world wars, the government asked for everyone to plant their own garden, due to the "regular" food was being shipped overseas to the military. So many people started gardens during that time. It wasn't uncommon for whole towns to plant one garden, one that all of the towns people would eat from. This help the war effors tremendously. So, this Urban Homestead idea really isn't that far fetched.

So, as you can see... my life is going to be very busy over the next few months. Getting settled, teaching the kids, growing a grand garden, and learning all about home making from the olden days. I am taking us back to the "Good ole days" type philosophy around here. If you want to know more, just ask and I will do my best at answering all of your questions.

God Bless,
Jamie