Mind, Body and Spirit

"Gut instinct, or intuition if you will, is knowing something
is out of balance without really knowing."

I have heard for so many years, that women have a keen understanding of gut feelings or otherwise known as intuition. I know several women who don't have a clue, but I know some men that have tuned into theirs. I mention gut instinct fairly often. It is some that, for me, that began pretty strong, got strong after having kids, and the the older I get...the stronger it gets. It's that weird and sometimes uncomfortable feeling you get when something just feeling off. I've heard it explained so many ways: feeling weird, bad vibes, aura, and even like a rock sitting at the pit of your stomach. It's knowing something if off balance, or out of alignment, without really knowing. It's sometimes uncomfortable, it's sometimes unsettling, and can come on out of the blue.

The key to intuition is learning to listen to what your "gut" is telling you, and learning to trust it. After spending many years ignoring or just not understanding/trusting gut instinct, it takes a little bit to tune it in and begin to trust it again. It takes just as much listening and trusting in your self, your mind and your body to be able to understand what your intuition is trying to tell you. What your intuition is trying to get your attention about can be good or bad.

For me, I tuned into mine as a young person, lost it while in my teenage years, found it when a good friend allowed me to find myself, it grew stronger once I had my first child and I began relearning to trust it, it became overwhelmingly strong after having my second child and is still strong today. I have had to learn to listen when my gut is screaming at me. I have had to learn to keep quiet, listen, and interpret what my intuition is trying to tell me.

While there have been several times over the past few years that my gut will be screaming at me, I have had to eventually take some time. I have to quiet my mind of the everyday stuff and the surface stuff that clutters it. I have had to relearn meditation to quiet both mind and heart. When you take all the surface remarks, "I'm fine," "Everything's great," " there's nothing wrongs," and "I don't want to talks" out of the equation; and even the "good moods," "great days," become more than just emotion and lip service. When actions and words don't match up. When you feel off or out of balance, and you get a strange vibe, whether good or bad, you know your subconscious is trying to tell you something.

When it comes to my husband, kids, and extended family...my intuition is really strong. I know when there's something to celebrate, whens there's a problem, or something is off...so to speak. Many times my gut will get my attention long before I am actually told about something. Like I said, sometimes it good and sometimes it's not. Since I do not live near my extended family or most of my friends...my gut feelings seem to be mostly when something isn't right with them. I spent many years ignoring my gut instincts or just not caring what was going on as long as it didn't affect me. As I have gotten older, I am finding that more things do affect me. I have lost the self-centered personality and realize that even though I have a life of my own, my extended family not only means more to me but the issues that affect their lives will eventually affect mine. Not to mention the lives in my own family.

Since the past year has been extremely intuitive for me, I am trying very hard to become more open to hearing my subconscious when it tries to tell me things. This is not always easy. Especially when you try to get confirmation on a subject and end up running into a brick wall. Eventually, as they say, everything comes out in the wash. Until then, it has proven to be some frustration for me. Some people aren't open books or just choose to retreat within themselves rather than talk about what's going on in their lives. It makes it difficult for those of us that get that gut instinct that something is going on, but can't get answers.

If you are one of the many that are tuned into your intuition, I encourage you to continue learning and fine tuning it. It can be overwhelming but it is worthwhile to be able listen to your own mind, body and spirit. Learning to quiet your mind, and meditate is a great way to manage stress too!

Chapter 4 - April

April 10th -
50 degrees and storming. We have had about 1/2 inch of rain since 4 am...and another 1/2 inch is expected today. The driveway is soup again, the yard in under water, but it looks like my waterway will hold up! With the past week being 60-70 degrees and sun, we got outdoors...finally! Got my courtyard staked out, dug out part of the waterway to see if it would follow it or go its own way, burned off the garden, got the gardens spread with DE, took a hike this past weekend, and priced the materials for our deck. All my trees, flowers and garden plants have been shipped so we are waiting on them. Dug through all the garden/flower seeds I have gotten and made a list of those. We bought 50 pounds of seed potatoes, and 2 pounds of onion sets...only to have them go completely to waste. We bought them 2 weeks ago and this past weekend we had them out to get in the ground...everything had molded. I was not a happy camper! Still have several seeds to get for the garden: corn, pole beans, bush beans, kidney beans, horticulture beans and peas. May look into a few plants that will be a little further along since it's going to be another 2 weeks before we can get into the garden(tomatoes, green peppers, and cabbage).

We have the gardens planned out for companion planting and organic growing. The upper garden will be: corn, squash and a few pumpkins, beans, potatoes, peas, peppers, radishes, onions, cabbage, basil, dill, chives, clover, lettuce and spinach. The lower garden: half of it is the kids. The other half will be: Sunflowers, oregano, parsley, cucumbers, nasturtium, lettuce, radish, spinach, more corn, a few more pumpkins, zucchini, gourds, and amaranth(if I can find it). The vine garden is the smallest in width, but the longest. It will have: more sunflowers, watermelons, and pumpkins. The orchard is planned out for: 2 apple trees, a pear tree, a peach tree, a nectarine tree, a cherry tree and a fruit cocktail tree, and 3 grape vines. My courtyard, I am very excited for! It will be mostly edible gardens, trees and bird/butterfly friendly. It is set to have: 2 Mimosa trees, a medicine wheel herb garden, a waterway, a scarlet red maple, 4 butterfly bushes, lemon grass, 2 lilac trees, 3 box woods, marigolds, lavender, blueberry bushes, honeysuckle, hummingbird vine, cat mint, mint, fern leaf bleeding hearts, gladiolas, calendula, clover, chamomile, yucca, forsythia and burning bushes and hydrangea trees. We are going to dress up the area for the chickens with: a dusting box, and a living food source. It will have sunflowers, oats, wheat, peas, clover, kale and maybe some blueberry and raspberry bushes.

I am very excited to get the gardens in this year. Let alone getting a deck on the house. Then when it dries up some, we'll be digging out the drive, laying a mat, and dumping gravel. It will be nice not to worry about getting stuck!

April 11th -
Woke up to 40 degree temps, and the sun trying to come out. I am getting really concerned about getting in the gardens. I have so many things that needed to be in the ground already and the couple of days that it's not supposed to rain, over the next 7, isn't going to allow for much drying to get in and get the ground worked. I am seriously ready to put in raised beds so the rain/flooding/droughts/frost will not affect our gardening! Even with companion planning, it's still getting much too late in the Spring for my liking! I needed the ground worked last month, and need to have the seed in the ground this month. I have too many seeds, to not have them in the ground and growing!

Our online orders better be getting here soon. I need my trees in the ground now, need our deck done so I can get my flower beds in, my courtyard done, the orchard in, and I am getting really antsy.

April 14th -
UGH! I want to get my garden in! Starting seeds today in egg flats so hopefully when it finally quits raining, I can get plants in the ground and we won't be harvesting through the first frosts. 7 days of rain is forecast and honestly...I am tired of it! I want in my gardens, I need to get the ground worked, or get the wood to raise up the beds. I am ready to raise all beds so this rainy crap won't affect my gardening! Frustration has set in, as has Spring fever!!!

April 17th -
Well, finally finding some bright spots in these gloomy days. Even though we have severe storms forecast and 3-5" of rain predicted. After a year of having cattle, hubby has decided to sell-out of the cow industry for a while. After losing 2 cows and 2 calves in the past 9 months, it's time. We will keep J's cow for our own beef needs but the rest are going to the sale barn. J decided to raise some pigs, and has been wanting some sheep so I believe that will be the route we end up taking. Too much money lost too quick and he has decided it's time for them to go. We have acquired more hay ground that will take up a little more time and some other projects we need to get done will be coming first. This coming weekend, we will have to mud in 40 trees. Then hopefully by next weekend we can get in the gardens. I am feeling a little relief from the financial issues, but I know it will be short lived. We have a lot of projects that need done, some that we are wanting done, and one of these days I hope we can just relax a little and have a bonfire!

April 21st -
Well here we are with 9 days remaining in the month. What have I accomplished towards my goals? Not a damned thing! I am frustrated with myself, frustrated by the lack of respect I receive, still smoking...though not as much, not a single plant is in any of my gardens, trees need to be planted and they aren't, a deck to be built and can't get the time or get to the town to get the materials, flooding all over my hometown area and I am not there to help, flooding all over my immediate area and no way to help. I am being preached at for not showing compassion, when everyone is just really lucky I haven't blown my cork! Wanting to get to Illinois for my best friends college graduation and that is looking grim, and still attempting to get to back into nuclear power but nothing to fit what I am able to do with the kids/husband responsibilities. I am very frustrated, angry, becoming resentful fast, and finding that even though I have always held a short patience level...it has become even shorter. I try to talk to family members, only to be told they don't have time. Our lives get crazier all the time and still nothing I need done is getting done. I am just overwhelmed with everything! I need a break without anyone around me. Time to regroup, and just be for awhile.

April 25th -
This will be my entry for April. As our week draws to end, that means the craziness of the weekends begin. Since the weather is shifting and supposed to finally be warming up, that means work like crazy to catch up on projects that have been held up by the weather(and a tractor that has been torn apart for a week!). Tonight/today is the Full Moon/Partial Eclipse. That always proves to be interesting. I'm anxious to get pictures tonight! As the Spring projects begin, I plan to take lots of pictures documenting our experiments in gardening. This weekend actually will begin tomorrow, as our 2 heifers will be hauled to the sale barn. Saturday will be groceries, cultivating the 3 gardens, cutting the poles to begin placing flower beds and the walkway. Sunday the trees and part of the bushes will be put in the ground, finally. Hopefully, the garden will be dry enough to till, if not...it will be tilled this coming week. The yard will get mowed, chicken coop cleaned out and nests re-strawed, and the water feature dug out. Next week will be mostly a normal schedule before next weekends trip to Quincy to get the deck materials. May is going to be a busy month. Building the deck, putting the roof on it, finishing the planting in the gardens, finishing the courtyard, a trip to my best friend's college graduation, fencing a section of yard for the dogs, and somewhere in the month getting my counter in the kitchen cut, moving the refrigerator, and finally having the ice/water on it working again, and getting the shelves put up in the kitchen to get ready for the canning part of gardening.

Now that the weather finally appears to be actual Spring weather, I am getting anxious for bonfires, and some much needed time outdoors. Be watching my personal and homestead Facebook pages for lots of pictures!
~S~

My thoughts for today.

As I began this rainy/cold day, I woke up to a computer screen that had been rotated...by my 4 year. Finally figured out how to fix that. Found that she had been up sometime in the night and had spread 2 full rolls of toilet paper throughout the house. During her "alone" time, she managed to make one heck of a mess. All of this, while relatively easy fixes, just started my day...at 5:30. Add to this that it's raining, cold and there is snow in the forecast - the end of April, I've read news articles and caught up with friends. I've learned real quick this morning that there are oh so many misinformed/misguided people and many of them are in a position of power(that's scary!), and made a self-realization that is unsettling.

As you can see, the first 7 hours of my day have been anything but boring. Since my oldest went to spend a couple days with his Great-Grandma, which will definitely allow for him to grow and learn...I realize each time he is away from home, how much he helps me around the house and with his little sister. For him to have a Great-Grandparent that he can spend time with, learn from, see what it means to have respect/class, and grow mentally/spiritually...It means the world to me. While I do need to teach him that if he keeps up with his responsibilities at home, it's never an issue for him to spend time doing what he enjoys. Since we have not yet gotten any of our house really organized since we moved in, his room is in serious need! ;) I don't like that he is growing up so quickly, I do want him to grow up well. I am very proud of my young man and I do try to tell him often!

The youngest, on the other hand, is a handful...at best! She is, in all honesty, exactly what I want her to be. Strong-willed, determined, a free thinker, stubborn, and independent. Not to mention beautiful, inquisitive, perceptive, and full of imagination. As I have gotten older, she's just a handful to manage. She's smart, and is such a sponge. She loves to learn and do new things, but is our homebody. She likes to go visit people, go to town, but is always ready to go home and stay home. She has the exact personality that I had prior to marriage and kids. So, we really have some personality conflicts at times.

I love my kids with all my heart and soul. I am very protective of my kids, but I don't shelter them or sugar coat issues to them. They are involved in almost all aspects of my husband and I's lives. When any decisions are made, they are made with the kids and with their well being in mind. When tough situations arise we discuss them...especially with the oldest. It doesn't matter what they may involve, national issues to family issues and everything in between. Our kids are learning real life, and to think for themselves without being told what to think.

As with most days, visiting with friends online, in person or even on the phone, you learn where people stand and how they think. Since the world seems to have insane, that is the topic of most conversations lately. This blog is my "outlet" so-to-speak. This allows me a place to speak my mind and release tensions that I don't have another outlet for. That being said, I have really had to hold my tongue a lot lately. While I will never claim to know all the answers or have all the solutions or even know what is best...I know what is best for our family, I know where my beliefs/morals/spirituality stand. When these areas of my life are attack, I do tend to get a little prickly! I do not believe in religion. I am a very spiritual person, but religion has become too much hippocracy and judgmental for me. I am a firm believer in a grand creator, and that I can live by my faith without ever stepping foot in a religious building. Politically, I am not a Democrat, nor am I a Republican. I believe in our Constitution and our Bill of Rights. I am not a feminist, as I believe that too many women in the work force and not at home raising children, have given us too many children that have zero respect and common sense. I am not a person to judge anyone. Everyone faces battles that the rest of us know nothing about. I believe everyone is equal and that includes those that choose partners of the same sex, those that have different colored skin than I, and those that live a different life than I. I don't judge people by the religion, lifestyle, politics, home, or even their indiscretions. However, when someone does something that affects the lives of my children, or my family, that is when I get exploding mad. While I am not a person that will ever perfect here on Earth, I do try to be nice, respectful, and be a true friend.

Those that really know me, know they can talk to me without judgement, or fear of anything being repeated. They also know I will do anything within my power to help them, or be there for them when they need it. I have had friends that have come and gone, and some of them I think about regularly but as the saying goes..."Some people enter our lives for a reason, some for a season, and some for a lifetime!"

Such a roller coaster of emotions over the past week.

The past 7 days have proven to be quite an emotional experience. With the world seemingly getting crazier by the day, throw in crazy weather patterns, remembering a dear friend, and that is mostly outside of our immediate home. As the weekend proceeds, I hope to find some peace as I connect with nature.

The week began with 2 explosions that shook the finish line of the Boston Marathon. While I watched the end of the race, it became a television speculation that it was a terrorist attack. That became a very uneasy gut feeling for me. My thoughts raced as I was concerned for all those involved, and then anger over who may have done this; on our soil, during something so seemingly mute. By Thursday they had released 2 photos of suspects. I opened the computer to find breaking news Friday morning of a shootout between the suspects and police...only to find that one had died and one had escaped. I watched the live coverage, was shocked to hear that the area was on lock down, and then 8 hours later they lifted that lock down with no one in custody. Then the breaking news again that they were on a lock down in a single town with the suspect found. Only to watch the drama play out of the capture. While I am angry at the loss of life and limb for those involved in the marathon, and the shoot outs, I am reserved in judgement. This was a national media focus, and our laws state that those accused are entitled to a fair, speedy trial. How can anyone receive a fair trial when such a drama is unfolded on national media, broadcast to just about every country in the world? Yes, I would like to see the remaining suspect tried, and if found guilty to receive the maximum sentence allowed, but with so many closed-minded individuals and so much media spotlight...I just don't see how this suspect will receive a fair trial even though I'm sure he will be found guilty. Too much of the drama spotlights on national television are not able to receive fair trails, and by today's thoughtless process, they are guilty until proven innocent.

This week also brought some crazy weather patterns. My hometown area was hit with over 7 inches of rain over 24 hours. My area got 5. The flooding, damage and destruction of the floods is incomprehensible. The town I lived in my first apartment, over half the town under water. Barges broke loose, hit the dam, and caused the levees to breach. My brother and his wife, and my sister and her husband live in that town. I continue to pray for them, the remaining friends I have in that town, and all the people there. The town I was born in, had a lot of flooding as well. Their hospital ended up being evacuated due to flood waters entering it. A town that I spent a lot of time in, is also under water. This town was a sacred spot to me. One that I could connect with nature, and the Native heritage I am so proud of. Seeing pictures of my hometown area, and even my local areas that have been hit by flooding is heart breaking. I am sending each of these area many positive thoughts, and hoping that we can all dry out a little and enjoy spring.

Friday was one of my dearests friends birthday. A year and a half ago, he went missing only to be found deceased a short while later. He would have been 38. He was one of the first friends I had when I moved to my Dad's in high school. He was always there for me, always giving me a push to better myself, and was one of those guys that everyone loved. It was always his farm we went to for bonfires, it was his farm that felt like home to me. There were many conversations on that farm, that were intense and wide-ranging. It was on his farm, and around him that helped me to open up and meet so many people and even one of my other best friends to this day. It was because of him that I made it through high school, without the fate of his life. It was because of him that I was able to combat an eating disorder that only a handful of people even knew about. I can only hope that after his passing that he was able to find the peace and health he couldn't find here on Earth. Happy Birthday Bobby!

Here at home, it's been months of emotional up and downs. While I try to stay positive, some days are just more than even I can handle. The Winter and early Spring has been harsh for our little homestead. After losing 2 cows, 2 calves and countless chickens...to weather and predators, it's almost more than I can handle. We are selling off all but one heifer, have bought more chickens hopefully to replace what we have lost, and are spending the next 8 months finishing up projects that have been on-going for over a year. We are finally going to have a deck on the front of the house, gravel in the driveway, an orchard, several trees, several flower beds, a fenced area, and will be putting up more hay. We will be working with 2 fillies this year to get them broke, will be having piglets in about a month, a calf in September and hay in June/July. I want to have time for some bonfires, and lots of gardening!

This weekend is time for some decompressing. It's time to get outdoors. Time for some tree planting, and gardens. Time for connecting with nature and releasing some pent up energy.

Remember that it not our job to judge, not our job to catagorize anyone. It is our job to stay diligent, and be involved in our communities. Help our neighbors, friends and family.

Anxiety is setting in....It's garden season and I can't get in mine!

For the past 2 years, gardening has become a craps shoot. Gardening in the Spring of 2011 was delayed by large amounts of rain. The garden in our rented house spent more time flooded, than not. Gardening in the Spring of 2012, was done in a hurry. It was my first gardening at our new homestead. It was a dry year, fortunately, so we were able to rip up the sod and plant. Ended up with a good year, although early frost killed off a large part of our tomatoes. This Spring, we are at the middle of April and the garden has not yet been worked! I am itching to get this done! I need to get in the gardens, I am ready to have my hands in dirt, and get these seeds going! I believe the kids and I will be getting several started today, and hopefully this rainy/cold weather will break soon! I am seeing a late harvest, and canning being non-stop from June-October.

Since we are doing so much companion planting this year, hopefully it will all work together to avoid the dry times, the wet times and the early frosts. I need to go scavenging! I need to find a bunch of old lumber that no one wants. I need to get my raised beds in so the excess rain, droughts, and early frosts won't play such a pivotal point in our growing seasons. Hubby has the materials to build me a decent green house, but just hasn't had the time. Once he does....I will have an 8 X 11 greenhouse that is about 8 foot tall. Then I will have a place to garden all year!

We have gotten most of our trees that I ordered, but now comes the hard part...planting them! 7 orchard trees, 14 maples, 8 forsythia and 4 butterfly bushes. I need to get these in the ground before the rest of the orders get here and before I get busy with the gardens. There's still 2 silk trees, 6 burning bushes, 2 lilacs, 3 rugosa rose bushes, 3 honeysuckle vines, 4 hummingbird vines, 3 box woods, 25 periwinkle, 2 cat mint, 12 walk-on-me, 2 patriot blueberry, 2 rubel blueberry, 3 grape vines, 12 lavender, 2 fern leaf bleeding hearts, a mint collection, and 3 yucca plants to come in. Then comes the gardens themselves: corn, potatoes, bush beans, pole beans, squash, peas, lettuce(4 varieties), spinach, bell peppers, hot peppers, wax beans, beets, carrots, kidney beans, horticulture beans, onions, radishes, basil, chives, tomatoes, sunflowers, cucumbers, marigolds, zucchini, gourds, pumpkins, watermelon, asparagus, strawberries, rhubarb, and a LOT of clover! None of the above includes my courtyard or chicken run. The courtyard will have a medicine wheel herb garden, lots of lemon grass, and herb beds. The chicken run will have peas, corn, beans, kale, sunflowers, wheat and oats this year. Not to mention I am building a dusting box for them.

The courtyard, for the most part is on hold until we get the deck put in. I hate to do all the work only to have everything trampled on! Once the deck goes on though, we will have a great area to sit, the beautiful(I hope!) courtyard to look at, a ramp so anyone that wants to can visit and not worry about climbing stairs! Since so many of our family & neighbors have health related issues that cause them to have trouble with stairs...we want everyone to be able to come out/over without worries. Eventually this Summer/Fall we will have the back area fenced so the inside dogs can be outside even if I am too busy to take them out.(They can't just run since they love to chase the chickens, horses and pigs!)

Since our Spring/Summer/Fall isn't going to be busy enough, I am also planning to get to several yard sales this year. I have 2 pages of stuff I am wanting/needing for the different projects inside and out. While most people turn to the newer models of stuff, I personally prefer old. I love old dressers, cabinets, furniture, and such. I am also going to be seeking out little items to eventually make some big items. Old outdoor planters, old bird baths, baskets, coffee related items to decorate my kitchen, the gingham style curtains for my kitchen(I will make if I can't find what I am looking for!), and there is so much more! I love the vintage style.

Back to my anxiety....My Gardens! So, deciding on companion planting/3 sisters planting, has been a fun idea to learn. The concept of 3 sisters planting is that the 3 items(corn, beans & squash) are the life preserving vegetables that are needed. While I agree these are critical, they are the only ones. I do a lot of canning/freezing for our family groceries. While I have yet to make enough to get us clear through the Winter/Spring, we do get through a majority of it. You wouldn't believe how much doing this saves the grocery bill! Since the grocery prices continue to climb, this past year, our grocery bill was cut by over $300 per month! It's a lot more work, but the achievement and self-satisfaction of the labor or your work is worth so much more! While I continue to learn more about gardening, I have truly found a "hobby" that is a passion for me.

Gardening is the way my grandparents lived, the way most grandparents had food, and the way they were able to survive generation after generation. While there is no right or wrong way really to garden, I am a firm believer in no chemical gardening. This year, ALL of our garden seed is heirloom/organic. This is our first year completely chemical free. We use epsom salt, DE, baking soda, and occasionally some sugar, and of course...lots of manure. Our animals are feed organic food, and their manure is spread on the gardens. Having chickens, cows, horses and pigs....we have plenty! Every 3-4 weeks the gardens are sprayed with a mix of epsom salt, baking soda and water. The gardens are worked with DE before planting even begins. While the pride I take in our gardens, is mostly knowing that I was not raised on a farm...it is also because I know I am honoring not only my family heritage, but the heritage and way of life of those that came before me. I am honoring Mother Earth by not damaging her soils(at least on our little chunk of it) by putting chemicals on her. I am doing MY part in leaving less of a foot print for later generations. While we still have one more year of chemical run-off from the row crops next to us, I know by next summer, there won't be anymore chemicals running onto our farm come next Summer! We will be making 180 acres of ground chemical free.

So here is the plans for the gardens(including courtyard and chicken run).
Upper Garden: 20'x20' of companion planted potatoes and bush beans, 3 20'x2' rows of peas, 20'x4' row of companion planted radish/gourmet lettuce/leaf lettuce, 4- 56'x2' rows of 3 sister planted corn/pole beans/butternut squash, 56'x2' row of kidney beans, 56'x2' row horticulture beans, 10'x2' row of wax beans, 16'2' row of carrots, 10'x2' row of beets, 20'x2' row of cabbage, 36'x2' row of onions, 24'x2' row of bell peppers, 10'x2' basil, 10'x2' chives, 10'x2' hot peppers, 56'x2' tomatoes, and clover seed will be spread throughout in the paths to replenish the nitrogen in the soil.
Lower Garden: 4-4'x4' boxes with cucumbers and trellis with lettuce planted underneath, 36'x2' sunflowers(also repairs soil and draws the chemicals out!), 4- 36'x2' rows of 3 sister planting(corn/pumpkin only), 52'x2' row of sunflowers and gourds, and 14'x4' zucchini.
Vine Garden: Already has a 2'x50' row of sunflowers and asparagus, 40' of pumpkins, and 24' of watermelons, and the remaining 18' will be a wildflower mix to attract more pollinators.

The courtyard: 2 silk trees, 20 lavender, 4 blueberry, cat mint, chocolate mint, spearmint, peppermint, butterfly bushes, lemon grass, burning bushes, forsythia, box wood, fern leaf bleeding heart, periwinkle, walk-on-me, gladiola, honeysuckle, hummingbird vine, yucca, lilac, hydrangea tree, scarlet red maple, chives, basil, thyme, sage, swiss chard, chamomile, cat nip, rosemary, tarragon, parsley, oregano, dill, cilantro, mustard, red hot poker, moon flower, morning glory, calendula, alyssum, marigold, and forget me not.

The chicken run: beans, peas, wheat, oats, sunflower, corn, nasturtium, comfrey, and tomato this year.

The Orchard: 2 apple, pear, peach, nectarine, cherry, fruit cocktail(nectarine, peach, plum and apricot), grape vines, and strawberries.

As you can see there is a lot of planting to do. Since I never count on 100% of everything growing...there may be some replanting that has to be done even later that now. However, last year we used no chemicals, and being a first year garden...we got a wonderful harvest! Since this will be our second gardening year here on our farm, I will be happy with a 50% growth rate. If we can keep all the chemicals off the gardens, I believe it will be much higher than that!

I believe we are supposed to be in the 70's today with strong winds, so I think I will put in some elbow grease and turn the soils. I may have to get hubby to drag some of the old fallen down trees from the back of our place up so I can raise up some beds and get seeds in the ground. My patience with the weather is wearing thin! I think I need to find some straw and plant anyway! Then I will just have to keep the straw down and use it to help retain some of this crazy moisture! With a chance of rain everyday over the next 7, I am just not seeing my gardens getting in on time...and that aggrevates me! I want them in now!

Well, for my fellow gardeners and those who aren't - "gardening is better than therapy and you get tomatoes!" Happy gardening!

A day at our Hayfield Homestead...

While reading another homesteaders blog this morning, I realized just how "normal" we are. It was quite refreshing to know we aren't alone in unfinished projects, a messy house, and doing things a little differently than others. Not to mention, that some daily projects are neglected when the hours in a day are minimal to the projects! Thank you, Jill(The Prairie Homestead!)

Our typical days are anything but typical. While we are not perfect and many of our days lack any resemblance of typical...here is a day in our lives here at the Hayfield Homestead.

4:30 am - Hubby's alarm starts going off. While some days, one alarm is enough...many days the snooze gets hit 3, 4, or 5 times!
5:30 am - I am typically up by this point between the multiple alarms, and the racket my hubby makes. I get up and grab my coffee!
Then we usually have about 45 minutes when we can talk without little ears and without little opinions and demands.
6:30ish - Hubby heads out to morning chores, I make his lunch/coffee or both. Take a few minutes to check the forecast before he's
back in to leave for work.
7 am - Hubby leaves for work, I have about 30 minutes of quiet time when I can check emails, play a few games and read through a
few posts on FaceBook.
7:30 am - Oldest is awake, tv comes on, fix him breakfast, and then the conversations begin. Some new idea he has come up with or
a new project he wants to make/do. It's non-stop talking from now until 10:30 pm when both kids are finally sleeping!
8 am - Youngest is awake and demanding breakfast and "her shows"(ie. cartoons!). She eats breakfast, oldest heads outside to
finish up morning chores and typically ventures a 1/4 mile down the road to visit Grandma.
8:30 am - I am cleaning up breakfast messes, and trying to get kids to table to do some school work. This usually takes all of 30
minutes!
9am-12pm - We sit down for school work, have many breaks for something to drink/eat, and end up with papers, books, and marking
utensils shrewn all over the table.
Noon - We fix some lunch as a crew. It's usually messy, and even it's only peanut butter & jelly sandwiches...it requires 30
minutes of clean up.
12:30 pm - Lunch messes are clean it's time to either go outside or do some housework. Either way it's a production to get done.
1 pm - If we are outside, we are checking the animals, viewing birds and their habits, checking for plant growth, and eventually
it's time to play for a little while before the evening chores.
4 pm - Evening chores...water pigs, horses, chickens and dogs. Feed - chickens, dogs, gather eggs, get all the toys/bicycles,
etc. picked up for the night.
4:30 pm - We head inside when we can so I can fix supper while the littles play. One days we have further outdoor projects, it
may be 8 when we finally eat supper.
5:30 pm - Hubby gets home. We either sit down for supper or have an extra pair of hands to finish up outdoor projects.
6 pm - On good nights we are eating supper. For the other nights, we are still outdoors working on projects.
7:30 pm - It's time for baths! Again, on good nights. Since the oldest doesn't take long showers, it's easy to give the
youngest a bath while the oldest is in the shower. Then there is always the fun of getting a brush through the
youngest's hair.
8:30 pm - Kiddos are playing and watching some cartoons, hubby and I are trying to talk, make decisions, and plan for our new
projects, finish the old ones, and plan for the future.
9:30 pm - We are trying to get kiddos to go to sleep! I say trying because it typically takes an hour! Hubby takes the dogs
dogs out for the last walk of the night.
10:30 pm - Kiddos are finally asleep and hubby and I are both exhausted. We get a last few minutes to chat and then it's bedtime.

This is our Winter schedule. Our Spring/Summer/Fall schedule is significantly different. Since we will begin that schedule here very shortly, it will be complete chaos. With hubby's job requiring more time during planting/harvest season, it means longer hours. Our schedules here will include planting the gardens, setting up and planting the herb gardens, spreading grass seed, weeding the gardens, and later in the Summer to include canning/freezing, and lots of picking!

This Spring's projects include building the courtyard and fencing an area for the dogs, planting 30 trees(including the orchard), building and planting flower beds, building and planting the chicken area stuff(dusting box and natural feeders), planting part of our pasture, building fence, and digging out the driveway to lay a mat and gravel.

The house is never spotless, the floors from each door to the kitchen typically have mud/manure on them until I vacuum and mop. There's days the toys filter throughout the entire house, there's still boxes that need to be unpacked...but I have to find room for them. Laundry gets washed, dried and folded but sometimes sits in baskets. Dishes get washed but may be left to air dry until the next meal. Windows get washed twice a year...because I have to be able to see our beautiful surroundings. The kids have taken to sleeping in the living rooms since neither of them ever keeps their rooms clean. While I really don't mind, because their bedrooms are on the opposite end of the house from ours...I can't hear them if they call for me. Yes, I am extremely protective of my kids, but I do it because I love them! Most days, I can't be bothered by doing my hair and never wear makeup..it takes too much time!

While I'm sure many have organized lives, and I have a serious craving for organization, ours is pretty chaotic most of the time! I love our life but some days I wish for sanity! Many days, come and go, before I even realize. We don't claim to have everything together, but we try and eventually we'll get it together.

Until then, there will be more adventures from our homestead here on my blog. Have a great and chaotic day! ;-)
~Sal~

April - Fools, Spring, Planting, and More!

Whew! Made it through April Fool's Day without too many fools! While I can appreciate a good prank, I get so angry at pointless pranks of someone supposedly getting married, or having a baby, etc. It sends me over the top! Fortunately, I didn't have to deal with a single prank...just a few fools. ;-)

While Winter is my favorite season, I have some things I love about every season. Spring especially! Spring is a time of rebirth, resurrection, and renewal. I love watching the grass change from brown and crispy, to green, lush and soft. I love seeing the trees bud out, and flowers break through the soil. My absolute favorite thing...getting back into my gardens! I am still anxiously awaiting warm enough temps to get in the gardens this year, but oh when I do!!! I have lots of plans for outdoor projects this Spring and Summer. 3 vegetable gardens(and some Three Sisters Planting experiments), a new deck on the front of the house, a courtyard and fenced yard for the dogs, my wild garden, our orchard, and lots of new trees! We have some seeding to put in that was worked under last year. Lots of grass seed that didn't grow last year and finally gravel for our driveway. We have a tractor and baler to get ready for haying, and fence to build in our pasture, the front of the house and in the big pasture. We have gotten 25 meat chickens for butchering later, and 18 new laying hens to replace some of our older hens. We have 2 sows that should pig later this month or the start of May. After a long Winter, with several animals lost to the cold and predators...I am ready to reconsider livestock!

As Spring is always a busy season for us, I start planning my gardens in January. The planning this year began by learning about the Three Sisters Planting, and companion planting. While these methods have been around for hundreds of years, it's only now coming back into view. The American Indians and early farmers were aware of the changing weather conditions, so they planted to maximize their crops with minimal stress from those changing weather conditions. One example stays with me. They would plant corn, runner beans, and squash(vine) together. This would have corn growing in the center, supported by the ring of runner beans, and the vines of squash would keep the ground covered to retain moisture. Using this method, allowed the beans to support the corn from strong winds, and the beans put nitrogen in the ground which is a vital nutrient for corn, and the squash being a vine plant would cover the ground around the corn allowing moisture to stay during drier weather. It seems like a perfect fix for poor soils, drought, and prairie winds. So, we are going to experiment this year with a small patch of our garden. We'll see how this goes! We have decided to plant several dwarf fruit trees to begin our orchard. We have also decided to give blueberries, strawberries, lavender and several herbs.

As our lives get a little crazy for a few months, I hope my "garden therapy," holds out! I am hoping to get to see one of my best friends graduate from college in May. I know how hard she has worked to get this done. Plus she has done it around a job, a child and a home life. I am so very proud of all she has accomplished! I also hope to continue my education and be able to get back into nuclear power for a job. While it's not ideal for me to have a job aside from mom/wife and our farm...I need something for me. The thought of being able to make a decent income, with something I always enjoyed, and do most of it from home is very appealing. While I will continue to interview and hope someone will take a chance on someone who hasn't worked outside home for 10 years...I will continue to learn, grow, and improve myself. As I have said many times, I love to learn!

Speaking of learning, you just never know where your studies will take you. I don't get out much, away from our property. However, I talk to people online every single day. Many of which live all over the world. While it's fascinating to me how different areas live, it really makes me appreciate the simple, laid back life we have. While talking to different friends over the past week, I've learned some valuable lessons, valuable information, hurt from a few comments, and enlightened by some of the best friends ever. I can't help but appreciate every aspect of the lessons I've learned in just a weeks time. While I have actually had phone/online conversations with 6 of my closest friends...each of them has had their own issues. I value their friendship and would never judge them. I would also do anything I could for each of them. I've always heard that the number of friends is unimportant compared to the quality of your friendships. These 6 people are the best! I love each of them dearly and even when life throws us curve balls and we lose touch for a period, we pick up right where we left off.

As I begin our day, and enjoy the sunshine, warmer temps, and the sight of green grass...I am counting the many blessings I know of, and offering a thanks to all the ones I take for granted. Have a beautiful day!

~Sal~