Sept. 29th update

 

September 29, 2023. 

You know, each year, I think that the month of September won't be as busy or chaotic as the previous...then, I am proven wrong - year after year. This year, I knew September was going to be a train wreck, and I can tell you...I was pretty accurate. Even though we love each event we host, it's a lot of work before and after, plus work during. So we prepare for it. Although, we are typically completely worn down after each event, we have time in between to rest. This year, the entire month has been back-to-back events, and we are all exhausted...and harvest has begun, so my husband is getting ambushed daily at work too. So, when we had our run in with a serious air conditioner leak that flooded a corner of our room...I had to actually accept help, so that my husband didn't have to deal with it. Thankfully, I have one brother here that was able to get everything fixed and put back in order, in no time! Both of my brothers stepped up to help beyond anything I could have asked to help with my oldests wedding too! Their significant others also stepped up and showed me they had my back during really stressful times this month! I had a very dear friend that made sure she helped every way possible with everything this month too. It is amazing to me how much the help I have had this month, has made more time for me to do others things I needed to do. 

So, as I am limited on conversation on social media, I decided to write out an update today. I have a lot to say and I am tired of worrying about being flagged or sent to Facebook jail, again. While I am focusing on my own stuff, walking the walk as far as practicing what I preach, doing all I can to stay focused on more positive aspects in my own life, yet staying in touch with fact too...I am attempting to understand other perspectives. I don't always accomplish this. I am pretty sure footed in my beliefs and knowledge. I am a person that would rather deal with issues head-on instead of avoiding them. I do, however, understand there are times when I have to put issues on a shelf when they become too overwhelming. I will go back to them when I know I can fix them. I am a fixer...not a whiner. 

Obviously, there are areas that can not necessarily be fixed by me, alone. Our government is a big one. Anyone with half a brain knows there are serious problems in our country, created by both political parties over many decades, and many of them are culminating now. Out of control government spending, can account for the majority of federal debt currently. Why on Earth we are printing fiat money to send and support other countries, when our own is such a mess, is beyond me. Understanding the nature, history, and level of "not our business" happening in that other country would be a good starting point for many. Not many people understand that since the early 90's Ukraine has never registered their boards...therefore, technically, there is no invasion...it is a civil war. That is not popular knowledge, but you can look it up and find the facts with not much digging. We have no right to impede in another countries civil war. We are not the world's police. We have enough problems right here in America. Closer to home:  we have millions of laws on the books, and the large majority of them are not being enforced. We have a founding document that has trampled on, and literally ignored for many decades. If people truly knew and understood their rights, they would know that about every law written for 100 years, went against our Constitution. People would understand that for 150 years plus, we have been blindly following Admiralty/Maritime law, not Common Law. We would understand that any law that goes against the Constitution, or law that is made in DC or states, that did not include enforcement by ALL including politicians, would be null and void. i.e. Social Security, Obamacare, etc. When Congress excludes themselves from their laws, that voids the law by own Constitution. 

We know the inflation rates are not the supposed 8% or whatever they currently claim. That is the core rate...which does NOT include housing, food, fuel, or utilities. So, if we add in all those, the true inflation rate would be well over 20%. When a loaf bread in January of 22, was $1.49 and in September of 23 is $4.99...that is a big inflation. Utilities are up, fuel/diesel is up, food is stupid high, insurance - both auto and health are through the roof, building supplies are high, feed/grain is high, fertilizer is high, and that is just a starting point. When you add in the interest rate increase - you start having bigger issues yet. Mortgages are not only getting more difficult to get but the 8% plus interest rate is unbelievable. Auto loans, credit cards and now the repayments of student loans that the Democrats claimed would not have to be paid back...guess what, they lied again. It's part and parcel of both parties to tell people what they want to hear, so we keep voting these rejects into office. Sadly, they have all but proven that none of them care about America....they care about power, lining their own pockets and their posh lifestyles. 

Anyway, I could talk for days about laws, executive orders, continuity of government, etc. but I will let that rest for the moment. I try to keep my overall outlook more on what I can fix/control. That is my home, farm, and family. While there are days the family area is questionable as the kids grow up and have their own directions. Finding a point when I just have to say, "just remember the choices you make have consequences. Whether good or bad...you have to deal that." That is difficult when you spend so many years trying to do your best to protect them from stupid decisions, and teach them to make educated decisions, and attempt them from making some of the dumb decisions we have made. While many people will give advice and it is well meaning, but they don't have to deal with outcomes of those decisions. My husband says, "they don't have a dog in the fight, so they don't have to deal with end result." Fortunately, my husband and I are fairly close on  beliefs in most areas. Not exact, but close. He is just a lot more aggressively blunt. 

Every year, we spend 6-8 months preparing for the remaining months of the year. Living on a farm, in the middle of nowhere, you have to. When you are going to drive 25 minutes to an hour in any direction to get to a store...you have to be prepared. After 25 years of living this way, I don't want to think about anything else. You learn to have no less than a 6 month supply of food, back up supplies for animals, vet care, health care. You keep some extra supplies for emergency repairs - water lines, lumber, tin, dog/log chains, heat lights, etc. We begin about April, to restock everything. Take inventory of everything. We count the bales of big round hay, small squares of hay, straw, the amount of feed we used, and what repairs we've had to make since October/November. This allows us to prepare better for the following winter. We have done this, in some fashion, since 1998...and my husband much longer than that. He grew up this way. I start planning my gardens in January, seeds usually around mid-March or April, get the gardens worked by May, so I can start planting in May. This year, I was a little later getting seeds going, so I had some plants that didn't get in the ground until July. So, I still have tomatoes setting on now. This has been a blessing and a curse this year. Usually I am done with my garden by this time. That way I can move on to the final winterizing projects before it gets cold. I just picked another wagon load of tomatoes last night! I have a ton or more of green tomatoes still on the vines. My bell peppers have begun flowering again too. I have banana peppers and jalapenos, coming out of my ears! I still have potatoes to dig, and once we have our first frost, I will be digging my sweet potatoes too. Then I can put the gardens to rest for a few months. Until then, I am preserving everything humanly possible. We turned our extra bedroom into wall-to-wall shelves for more pantry storage, canning supply storage, and back ups for back ups. We have been hit hard by increased expenses of everything. Everything is going up except our income. There is constant chatter of job loss, so that adds insult to injury. I am doing all I can to make sure my family will eat, even if the costs increase beyond our means or there is a job loss. Having a small farm means expenses to maintain that too. Feed/grain, hay, straw, mineral, heat lights, tank heaters for the waterers, fence maintenance, keeping neighboring animals out of our chickens/sheep, out of our gardens. Farm equipment repairs that risen nonstop for 3 years. Vehicle repairs and maintenance that have also increased for 3 years. 

Overall, I spend a lot of focus on maintaining my family unit. The importance of a family farm, staying family...not shirking the responsibilities that each family member has. Sadly, we've seen this shift and it has caused more responsibility onto others. I know the family unit model has changed over the years, but that goes against what we have lived by. Anyway, the transition to running a farm has pretty much fallen to my husband and I's shoulders. It is what it is. We will go as long as we can. It's just sad to see the shift. We tried to raise our kids by better standards, but they have to stick with them even in the face of adversity...once they are grown, it's up to them to carry on that tradition. Again, sadly, that has been fading out for decades too. Our "old fashioned" values don't fit into this crazy society. We are several generations removed from those values, so it's not surprising to me, that it is the way it is. 

It's amazing to me the shift I have felt, just this year. While I see parents thrilled to ship their kids off to school, have them move out, get married, or whatever...I am different. I love having my kids here, and I have for years. I love knowing their quirks, their learning styles, I have loved teaching them...even the trying days, I have loved knowing I was giving them true life lessons/skills that would help them become more productive members of society. I love meals, when all our kids(including our bonus kids) are at the table. When it's loud, they are all talking over each other, when my daughter pops off some remark that stops everyone mid-thought. When my husband and I just look at each other and know we have something special. The nights we lay in bed and talk about how amazing our kids, and our lives are...even when we are faced with issues. My kids, all of them, have been such a huge part of my world for 23 years now. I love seeing them expand their horizons, I am just sad that so far, those horizons are not the directions I hoped. It also becomes difficult to change your parenting style as your kids get older. You still want to protect them from the evil in society, but the more you try...the more push back you get. So, you have to adjust to just letting them learn some hard lessons, the hard way. Yet, they still come to you complaining about a stupid decision, that you tried to warn them about. At this point, being a parent is tough. It's hard to watch them struggle, but trying to help just gets you grief. So, for me...learning to bite my tongue, has been hard! We have to trust we have raised them correctly, and eventually they will get to learn just how much we have always had their backs. 

Both of my boys now have good, but very strong willed women in their lives. One is married now. I just keep thinking back to my husband and I when we started out. I was stubborn, strong willed woman...he was just as stubborn, and think their women are in the same boat. I pray they don't make the same stupid mistakes we have made. I hope they are wiser than we were. As the Mom, I hope my bonus daughters understand the give and take that is required to make a relationship last. The strong backbone, the determination, and even the mumbling under their breath that will occur, on both sides. I hope they will learn that if they are not growing together, they will grow apart. That the only thing in a relationship that is 50/50, is the divorce/separation. I hope they step into their roles knowing that it takes both people giving everything they can to make a relationship work for both of them. Some days the women have to give 90%, because the guys only have 10%...other days, it will be reversed. I hope they learn early that no relationship is perfect, that it's ok to table an issue until they both calm down and logically tackle it together. I hope they learn effective communication within their relationships. Conflicts will occur, but learning to argue with respect, and actually listening to hear each other is what will make a difference. Learning that you need to not only be a united front, but keep individual identities is necessary. Learning to accept that none of them will be right all the time, and that admitting you are wrong isn't a bad thing. Learning that finances will be play a huge role in your relationship, learning to live within their means, and not living with massive debt will help keep a relationship from failing. Having the hard conversations, the ones that cause feathers to ruffle, are a necessary evil. Learning to accept that sometimes, an outside opinion can help...sometimes, it causes more problems. They need to learn and understand when to take advice and when not to. Being Mom, I am always rooting my kids first. I want them happy, but I am also the Mom, that will point out when my kids are being foolish. 

Anyway, I wanted to get a few more thoughts out of my head this morning. I am also planning a video soon, of the fall gardens. Sharing some recipes, some money saving tips, some easy food preservations, and whatever else seems to be helpful. I want to see all of us survive this economic mess our country is in. While I try to catch up on the news being spoon fed to us each morning...most of my days are spent focused right here. I know it's hard to digest all the chaos in the world, but facing it head-on is my way of dealing with it. Yes, I'm worried and scared for our future generations...but I also have had the wisdom to know I have to dig to find the truth. While it gets overwhelming...I don't want to ignore things and be blindsided. The more I know, the more I can prepare and be ready for whatever bullshit comes our way! 

Have a good and productive weekend!

2023 Veteran Hunt

 

Less than 5% of the American population have taken the military oath, to serve our nation. That oath is protects the remaining 95%. Our veterans have my deepest respect. 

This year, 2023, was our 5th annual Veteran Event. However, we had some firsts and honestly a great crew. We had our first female veteran, from Illinois. We had 2 veterans from Tennessee, and 4 from Iowa.  Each year, I say is better than than the last...and this year is no different. I can't remember laughing so much, having such deep conversations, and having my own faith restored in the humbleness within so many of our incredible veterans. 

We had a few small hiccups this year with volunteer schedule conflicts, so we were seriously short staffed, but we made it work. Those that were here, picked up the loose ends and I am forever grateful!! The first day is always a bit chaotic. All our veterans come in, we get the lodging organized, go over what's available for the weekend and have the evening meal. For a couple of years, we have supplied pizza and that seems to be well received. It's a little to grab as everyone is getting acquainted and settled in. It's always a little nerve wracking to meet new veterans, and their guests. It's just as curious for the new veterans to meet us. We don't put on a show. What you see is what you get. Most that come for our hunt are fascinated with the farm life, the animals, and are happy but humble getting to participate. Just as we are humbled during the organizing that happens for a year to make this great for our veterans. 

During our event weekend, we have a very flexible schedule. We have fishing available in the mornings, and hunting in the afternoons - but we leave participation at the desecration of our veterans.They can sleep in if they wish, fish, sit around the farm and relax, or whatever their hearts wish. We have breakfast and lunch provided everyday they are here. The evening meals are provided once everyone comes in, in the evenings. The Friday evening is always the big night. We invite all the local businesses, sponsors, donors, Dept. of Conservation Reps, and even state Reps to attend to meet the group each year. We provide a meal, DJ, and lots of fun conversations. 

 

This year, most of our veterans chose to sleep in or hunt only. Breakfasts were mostly indoors in waves. Even a few naps were taken on our sofa and recliners. There was a lot of visiting too. My husband smoked pork for the Friday evening meal, my brother cooked burgers and brats for Saturday evening. My daughter, and daughter-in-laws, sister-in-law, niece and I did a lot of prep work on Wednesday and Thursday. Our adopted Mom of the group did all the desserts this year. We had my husband, my father-in-laws, our sons and and my brother helping put up blinds, get people to there and taking them down. After a year or two of having a pretty strict schedule, we found that it is better and more relaxing for our veterans to keep things flexible. We work around their needs and wants. The hunters were able to get 3 deer in Iowa this year. We had a pretty good storm roll through on Saturday but it didn't dampen the spirits and the hunters were excited to get out to their blinds. Each year, the final day varies. Many take off by about noon, some stick around to hunt longer. This year, was no different.

 

We have had a great partnership, that has allowed us to keep moving forward. T.I.O. has helped with so many areas, and we can not thank them enough. Having the ability to get quality feedback, experience and sometimes even a sounding board has been hugely beneficial to keep making each year better and better. Their entire crew is supportive, with the similar beliefs and guides that we believe. 

 

This year, as we did last, we had an quilt donated to raffle off to one of our veterans. This year's winner was one of our Iowa Veterans. We also had 3 tactical belts donated by great friends to raffle for the veterans, 2 were going to Iowa and 1 one to Tennessee. Each of our Veterans received a coffee mug, a veteran key chain, and a t-shirt. They will also receive photos from the weekend. Each of our volunteers has also received t-shirts. I believe we even had enough for my husband and I this year. 

 

As you can imagine, there is a lot of work that goes into the organization of an event like this. I have already begun for next year. We have a few areas to look at from this year, to improve but we always look  for those to make the following years better. I will get through the areas of concern this week, and move on to next year's planning.  We have already set the dates for 2024, have several helpers that have stepped up, and have already began on the donations for the event.  

We are truly grateful and blessed to be able to host this event every year. We have incredible support from our partner group and the communities, as well as many individuals that step up and help out where they can. 

Another successful event is on record, and we look forward to 2024 being even better yet!

Salli

A little Fall chat

 

Above all, we need to pray!

So, I just posted a pretty long but very summarized post of the thoughts racing through my head today. I have been very busy the past week or so with my son's wedding. I took a lot of time away to focus on that, and spending time with people we had come in for the wedding. While I needed that break, and wasn't really given a choice of taking it...I dug in to some news stories this morning to catch up...and holy cow! I honestly do not know how anyone can still have their head in the sand, clouds, between their legs...whatever! The signs are everywhere!!

Let's dive into my own findings over the past week. We'll start with fuel. One week ago, gas was $3.29 and diesel(I think) was $3.89. As of yesterday, gas was $3.60 and diesel was $4.19. IN A WEEK! Crude oil barrels were around $91 yesterday. It is being estimated that crude barrels will top $150, do you realize what that will do to our fuel prices, anything that is made from petroleum based ingredients, or the cost of trucking/rail travel for our supply chain? I had to actually look to see what all was made from petroleum based ingredients...the list is MASSIVE!!! We are already facing a pharmaceutical drug shortage, since most of them come from China. The Panama Canal has reduced it's traffic flow by 40% because of low water levels. China has an economy as bad or worse than ours...and they are not producing near what they did. India is now going into lock down because of some new virus there. Do you all realize the effects the entire world stage has on us, here in America?! When 90% of our GDP is consumption, from products from other countries...we are in BIG trouble! The UAW is now on strike again. Our labor market is pretty slim pickings. There are little to no skilled trades anymore. We have a federal government the entire world is laughing at, and has ZERO respect for...where exactly do you think this will lead America? 

I don't do "doom & gloom." I believe in being real, educated and facing battles head on. I refuse to bury my head in the sand and pretend that life is hunky dory just because the fear of reality is overwhelming. The truth of the matter is, we as American's have become oblivious to anything beyond worrying about hurting the feelings of others. That has turned a lot of folks into pansies. I apologize if my straight forward conversations offend you, but I do not apologize for keeping things real and being aware of what is happening. I don't care what supposed party you affiliate with, that is nothing more than a wing nut...left wing, right wing....SAME DAMNED NUT!! The entire "political arena" is a circus, doing all it can to divide and conquer. Those elite nuts, are not coming to help any of us!! They are sending OUR TAX DOLLARS, to other countries, charging us more and more in taxes, inflating our dollar, and have put us $32 TRILLION in debt. What happens to YOU if you get in debt? You don't get out of debt by borrowing more money. That is elementary knowledge, for any one with half a brain. 

Here's a little more reality check. Our real wages have DECREASED for 25 straight months. This means that our wages, have continually had LESS buying power for over 2 years. The median income in America right now, is around the $40K annual level. Yet...the average price for a home is over $300K, the average rent is over $800 a month. The utility payments have increased, the food prices have increased, the insurance prices(health and auto) have increased, fuel has increased...yet our incomes are NOT increasing to meet the overall increases in needs alone. The amount of debt held by the consumers has topped $1 trillion for the first time EVER. That tells me there are an awful lot of people living well above their means. Our federal government is sending BILLIONS to Ukraine alone. The federal reserve has continued to print money out of thin air for that spending, which has added to our inflation. They have also admitted that most American's will be in complete financial distress by October 2023. The average American doesn't have a $400 emergency reserve/savings, and 60% of American's are now living pay check to pay check. Do you understand that federal moritorium on student loans comes to a halt this month? That means the average student loan repayment of $500, will start having to be repaid in October. Where do you think that is going to take our economy? Imagine all those who were planning to have that debt wiped out by this administration, and have not had to make that payment....they are now back on the hook to repay THEIR debt. That is going to effect millions of households!

So, what can we do about any of it? First of all, get your head on straight! Stop thinking that someone else is going to fix things, someone else is going to take over your debt, someone else is responsible for YOUR life. Take on your own responsibilities, and get educated. Learn a skilled trade, learn something that could potentially allow you to make a little extra or be of use. Be willing to learn to barter for things you want. Shop only local markets, owned by local people. Do not tell me there are none in your area, you aren't looking hard enough. There are local businesses every where, and local people offering items/products - they just may not have a brick and mortar building. Get creative. Talk to local farmers are meat, eggs, produce. Utilize second hand stores, yard sales and auctions. DO NOT BUY WHAT YOU DO NOT NEED!!! Learn the difference between needs and wants. Now is not the time to make frivolous purchases. Learn to ration. Instead of a Dunkin coffee 5 days a week at $8 per trip, cut yourself to just once a week...and take that extra $30 to add some extra food to your pantry! Learn to make foods that stretch! A homemade pizza - can be eaten for supper, lunch, and then froze to reheat another meal. Learn to use less, consume less. Do you really need 2 pounds of burger to make a pot of spaghetti? I can feed 8 people on a pound of burger, and having homemade bread and a veggie. Buy in bulk when possible. Many times, even Walmart, you can purchase a 10 pound roll of burger. Buy that and some quart freezer bags. Divide that burger out into meal portions per bag, label it and put those baggies in the freezer! Not a huge fan of cooking? Get a group together, each of you bring something to add in, and spend a day with your group preparing a weeks worth of meals. You can each bring a recipe, make enough for each person and all of you have a weeks worth of meals, and a variety. Learn to preserve your fresh fruits and veggies! You do not need much for this! Listen, I do a lot of this but there are some EASY means of preservation! Tomatoes - you can freeze them! If you pick some up from a local producer, you can wash them off, pat them dry, put the whole tomato into a freezer bag, and pop them in the freezer to use later! You will need to use them for cooking as once they thaw, the skin will fall off, but just think of the incredible pasta sauce or tomato soup you could make in January or February! Peaches are the same way. Blueberries are the same. Bell peppers are the same. Realistically, you only need to know how to wash off most fruits and veggies, how to open a Ziploc freezer bag, have a freezer to hold them, and you can preserve foods!!! It truly is a simple means to preserve foods! 

Talk to your neighbors and family. Many of us have seen the writing on the wall since 2020, and started preparations. We all saw the toilet paper debacle of 2020. What if it's the food in 23/24? Can you survive 3-6 months on what you have in your home currently? Could you ration what you have to last that long? What about if you didn't have access to electricity, water, or medical care? What about your pets? Do you have children that have specialized needs? I know I have shared some items to stock up on, but I have recently added to my own lists and I'd like to share a few more things.

Foods:  shelf life foods - canned goods-veggies, soups, meals that can be eaten without being heated, dried beans, dried peas, minute rice, tortilla shells, spices-you can change the flavors of repeat foods with different seasonings. Water - bottles and gallons. Also, wash out and save your milk/OJ containers. You can fill those containers with tap water to clean with/wash with. I personally keep gallons of water, for tea and coffee. Speaking of, extra tea, coffee, or drink mixes. Also consider having some herbal teas on hand. Learn some herbal tea remedies. They are worth learning!

Pets:  Food, litter, veterinary supplies, minerals, etc. 

Medical:  bandaids, butterfly stitches, gauze, medical tape, sinus/allergy/cold meds, triple antibiotic ointment, hydrocortisone creams, pain relievers, tooth brushes, tooth paste

Other:  Soaps - body, hair, cleaning, pets, etc. Disposable sponges, old t-shirts(to use as rags), flashlights, batteries, matches, lighters, candles, solar lights(these help use less batteries and provide more light if the power goes out). Toilet paper(again, 2020 was a lesson learned), paper towels, disposable plates/cups/utensils. Foil pans/cast iron - if the power goes out, do you have a means to cook? Propane, charcoal, wood.... CASH - I know this doesn't look to fit in, but it does. Since we are coming into winter, Texas can tell us all how things get when the power fails. Having cash on hand, at all times, will allow you to make purchases even when the card readers are not working, and many local businesses will benefit more from you shopping with cash. They are charged stupid fee amounts for you to use a credit/debit card! Recipes!!!!! I can not stress this enough! WRITE DOWN RECIPES LIKE IT'S 1993!!! If there is no power, there will be no internet! Utilize those thrift stores and yard sales, and buy those cook books! You can never have enough! Learn some simple recipes for things like bread, homemade pasta, tortillas, etc. 

PAY OFF DEBTS!!! I know this is easier said than done. Most of us have debt. Work to pay off what you can, start with the smallest one and work your way up! Those little debt payoffs will help you to not only eliminate debt but will also show you the progress as you go, to keep you moving forward. Now is NOT the time to take on astronomical debts. It's always easier for others to spend your money, but they don't have a dog in the fight. It won't ruin them if you lose your butt. So be smart and only take on what you have to right now. Do not let pride keep you from taking a step back if necessary. Moving in with family, going back to your parents, having a room mate, etc. whatever you need to make sure you stay afloat. Pride and ignorance can have devastating effects on your financial strains, and can cause a world of relationship problems and even divorce. So use your heads for more than a hat rack! 

Learn to define needs from wants. This is a tough lesson for Americans. We have had it pretty good for a long time. It's difficult for most to grasp that we could see a complete break down in not only our supply chain but also our monetary system. Sadly, all you have to do is look back to History. We are about 50 or so years into what historically was 20-25 year reset. Our elected officials have continued to kick the can down the road for more than 30 years with constant raises in the debt ceiling and increased money printing. In 1971, Nixon took America off the gold standard, and our dollar has since been leveraged from strictly debt. Borrowing against junk bonds, commercial mortgages, and pensions. A little word of warning to those depending on your pensions to survive, I hope you have a backup plan. There are over 700 banks in the US alone, that are insolvent. Meaning they have more debt than actual revenue to back it up. It also means that their leveraged debt, typically commercial mortgages, as those goes into default...they will take from the pensions AND the deposits made to those banks. Did you know that once you put money into a bank, it is technically no longer your money? I just learned this last year. After the 2008 crash, it was made into law that banks are legally able to confiscate any all monies to remain afloat...this means CDs, deposits, etc. It's called a bail in. It's amazing how much you learn when you are willing to do so. So, my best advice....only keep what you have to in your bank, get yourself a waterproof/fireproof safe to keep in your home....but keep it on an outside wall! 

So, in the words of another person preparing....get your beans, bullets and bandaids! Treat others in the manner you want to be treated. Help those you can, BUT you have to help yourself FIRST! You will not be of any value to anyone, if you aren't helping yourself. You can't pour from an empty cup. If you want recipes, easy food preserving tips, those sorts of things...let me know. I will share what I know!

Coffee Chat

 

Coffee Chat 

Where do I begin?! We are on the cusp of Fall, already. The actual first day of Fall is September 23rd this year, but September is our unofficial start around here. This is always a busy month around our farm, as we are trying to wrap up projects that have to be done before it gets cold. This year, we have added our son's wedding, and a week of hosting his future in-laws from Italy. I am personally thrilled to have some time with them, and even for the wedding. It's just a lot of work and planning, and organizing to still get done what is required. It's kind of terrifying as a mom, to realize my oldest child is getting married. It has taken some serious effort to allow the mom role to shift. For this mom, there have been a lot of transitions that I am having to come to terms with...not all of which I am handling well. So, I'm going to chat about everything briefly this morning, before I make myself busy enough to stop thinking as much.

Fall prep on a farm, is kind of a challenge. We live by weather signs, nature signs, and yes - even some folk lore. It's strange how much folk lore is more accurate than forecasts. Anyway, I have already felt the shift in nature. I have begun seeing caterpillars, most of which are red or white. Early predictions from persimmon seeds in Tennessee and Missouri, are showing spoons in the seeds. That typically means cold/snowy or wet winter. That will be good for the drought conditions, but not for livestock, tank heaters, hay usage, feed usage, straw bedding, or lamb season. Due to the drought conditions in our area this year, we did not get all of what we will need for the winter. Purchasing hay, is a massive expense when it's upwards of $100 bale...and as high as $210 bale. We got some square bales put up this that will help feed the goats, and the ewe/lambs during lambing season. Hopefully it's enough. Harvesting from the gardens and orchard has been phenomenal this year, but will have a 2 week delay with the wedding/guests and our annual veteran hunt. However, I decided to plant a late crop of tomatoes(our most used food item) this year, and they are setting on well right now. So, there is a good chance I will still be canning in November this year. Our apples, peaches and potatoes set on heavy this year. The sweet potatoes won't be dug until after the first frost. I will continue canning soups, stews, tomatoes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, apples, peaches and blackberries; but not until the end of the month and throughout next month. We still have to get our logs ordered for the winter that will heat our house, but we are still in good shape to at least get the furnace started for a couple weeks, if need be. I have the entire deck enclosure to redo this year as the latest storm has torn even more of the plastic panels. So, that will be a weekend project after the main events this month. For me, figuring out what kind of feed schedule I will have for my critters has been a challenge. The heat this summer did not fare well for my chicken flock. I have less than 2 dozen birds left, so at least the feed cost has diminished...but isn't good for the total egg production. Not to mention that my chickens are a peaceful creature for me. I have 10 ducks to wrangle for the winter, too. I managed to end up with 5 breeding pairs, but several do not get along well. The goats will have their own pen by next month, and that will help control the feed waste. I have roughly 900(this year and last) jars of food preserved and that will help manage the food budget for the people on the farm. This year is a little different as my husband is coming into the main harvest of Fall, and his job is already short staffed....it means he will be working more and giving him less time at the farm to get things done.

As many of you know, I have been preaching about stocking up your pantries. Well, I practice what I preach. As I said earlier, I ran out of coffee, while I was trying to rotate my stock. It reminded me that I have to get many things rotated, used and restocked. While I always pick up a few extra things whenever I am out, the next 2 months will undoubtedly be getting even more supplies refilled. I have replenished the first aid supplies and I believe we are in good shape there. The paper products will need to be refilled after this month. The animal feeds will begin to be overstocked in the coming months too. We try to keep at least an extra 2-3 week supply of animal food in the event that we can't get a delivery or go pick something up due to weather. I will be getting an extra gallon or two of milk, to freeze for emergency or running out before I get to the store. I have frozen several eggs too. I know I use about 100 lbs. of flour, 100 lbs. of sugar, 20 lbs. of brown sugar, and 20 lbs. of powdered sugar from October through March, so I will be restocking those. My household cleaners are few, but I have stocked vinegar, my essential oils are currently ok, my windex is good, as is my lysol. I know I will go through about 8 gallons of olive oil from October to March, so I will be checking my backups for that too.I do need to restock my frozen backups of whipping cream and half & half. I can't keep those things stocked when I am cooking and baking winter foods.

Having a child reach adulthood, has to be one of the strangest things I have experienced. Even though he's been an adult for a few years now, it's another transition entirely to watch as he begins his own family, with a wife. It's been difficult for me, as I truly dedicated even minute to both my kids. He's my oldest, I still have a few years with the youngest...but it's a major transition, none-the-less! I know I have to trust that I raised my kids right, taught them as much as I could, and allow them to prosper. It's hard though! I have tried to give the best advice I could, from my own lessons in life. Tried to steer them away from making the same stupid mistakes, avoidable mistakes. Teaching to live within or believe their means, keeping debt to a minimum, using logic and common sense, not just checking off boxes that many generations have and knowing that they just wise enough to understand all this. It's a challenge to have to step back, and have to learn to mother differently. It's hard for me, to never know what is going on, even when he has lived under the same roof. I have had to come to terms with knowing that I am not longer "needed" and I am no longer the person he asks for advice. I will admit, I'm struggling through it. 

As the 2nd event at our farm is looming, again, I'm struggling. I'm trying to keep everything straight but holy smokes....if it wasn't for copious amounts of notes....I'm pretty certain I wouldn't know which end was up! Our annual veteran deer hunt begins the 21st, just 6 days after the wedding. So, I'm kind of running around like a chicken with my head cut off!! I still need to touch base with a few businesses for donations, need to get with our partner group to get those donations, shirts, and anything else we need to take care of there. I have gotten all the food, the lodge is reserved, the rentals are reserved, I believe we are in good shape for volunteers, I have the canopy sides in hand, so I believe all that is left is cooking, and getting everything paid for and getting everything set up. I've done this enough years now, I have a pretty good handle on most things. I just get flustered trying to make this event a good one for the veterans. That is truly where my heart lays...with them. 

I need to get into my day, but after not much sleep last night, I'm really dragging. What was supposed to be sunshine and 77 today, is currently cloudy and 68....I need the sun!!! I guess I will have to muster up some motivation from somewhere! A nap sounds really good though. 

It's time to get the show on the road. Maybe my brain will function as well as it did yesterday. Have a great day!!