Harvest time

When I started this blog, it was my intention to post something each week. My life has been full of good intentions, but I’m not always willing to take a good hard look at what I’m actually able to accomplish. In my mind, I can do anything. They say visualization is an important part of success and I do visualize. I see all the neat things around our property that aren’t there yet, but that are coming.

But while I visualize and imagine all the wonderful improvements to make our life easier, I still need to do the laundry, feed the chickens, make meals and preserve our harvest. That’s where I am right now. A friend gave us a bushel of sweet corn that needed to be cut from the cob and frozen. Another friend gave us a bushel of grapes that we’re turning into raisins and jelly, and while I have a steam juicer for the jelly, the grapes destined to be raisins don’t let go of the stem nubs very easily. So the grapes need to be plucked from the cluster one at a time. Very tedious,

Our tomatoes are taking their time but they’re indeterminate so I knew it would take all season. I only want to process them once so I’m freezing them as they become ripe and I’ll make tomato sauce at the end of the season.

We made a decision to raise meat rabbits, and I’ll detail that in another post, but I had to make a rabbit hutch and get it completed before we picked up our buck and doe last Saturday.

So with all that going on, I just haven’t had time or energy to sit down and write. I’m trying to be kind to myself and not push myself faster than I can go but I still wish I could do more.

Baby steps. Right?

A Day in the Life of a Parkie Homesteader

I remember my mom telling me about a time when my brother asked her, as a stay-at-home mom, what she did all day. She decided to write everything down that she did just so she could prove that she was being productive. She started at 5:30 am when she got up and by 10:00 am she decided to give up because no one would believe her anyway.

I may be doing this just for my own benefit, but I thought I’d share what a typical day is like for me dealing with Parkinson’s disease. Every day is different, and some days might be a little more challenging than others. But here’s a general outline.

Why is it so hard to finish a job?

As I’m driving down the road into town I’m pondering and contemplating everything I’d like to accomplish at home. I’m not sure if I’m having a hard time focusing and staying organized because I’m overwhelmed, just bored or maybe Parkinson’s is progressing. I can’t go there yet. I’ll choose overwhelm or boredom, I used to think that I worked well with many pots on the fire, but I’m thinking that’s not the case anymore.

Nutrition and Parkinson’s Disease

I’ve had a lot of conversations with people regarding diet and Parkinson’s disease. I myself have done a lot of searching for recipes and meal plans that would fit into my budget and lifestyle that would be beneficial to my health.

We all want to be able to find foods, supplements and fitness plans that will slow or even reverse the progression of this disease. Maybe that’s a pipe dream, but I know there has been a lot of research in this area that keeps getting better each year.

Foot in Mouth Disease

This is an interesting topic for a homesteader, but it’s been on my mind so here goes.

For those of you have an acute form of this disease, you can leave now. But for the rest of us who have a chronic habit of saying things that we regret and then stewing over it for days, you should stick around. I’ve got a few ideas that might help with your condition.

Aphid-herding ants

(FYI, I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this article)

This is something completely new to me. My pepper plants are covered in ants. But what’s interesting is that the ants are farming the aphids.

Ants don’t necessarily eat the aphids unless food is scarce, but aphids excrete a substance called honeydew as they digest the leafy greens they eat, and the ants love it. The ants will keep other predators away from the aphids and can even go so far as to bite the wings off the aphids to keep them corralled.

7 Easy Habits to Make Life a Bit Easier

Life can be stressful. And there are a lot of things I do that unwittingly add to my stress levels. I know better though. I’m a grown-up darn it.

Over the years I have found a few things that really help with my stress levels I thought I’d share. This is not to say that I’m perfect at this. On the contrary. You’d think I was five years old by the way I keep forgetting simple truths like these.

Renovating the bathroom

This cute little house had a 3/4 bath when we moved in. And a working toilet in the attic, but no one wants to climb the ladder pretending to be a stairs to get up there. That “bathroom” needs a lot of help too.

Embracing Imperfection

There have been times in the past when I worried about what people think. Sometimes I would let it rule my decisions and behavior. Living in a rural area has challenged and is actually changing my core nature. I’ve lamented in the past that I miss my old house because it was “done” but there’s joy in the journey.

What is homesteading to you?

When I hear the word “homestead” I automatically picture a log cabin with a stone fireplace. A garden is close by, along with a stable and horses.

What is homesteading to you? For me, it means living a life of self-reliance. And there are varying degrees of that self-reliance. It can range from farming 100 acres of farmland to growing cucumbers on your patio. It can be expensive or very budget friendly.