homesteading?

I've been pondering all of these wonderful homesteading blogs that I enjoy reading.  And chuckling to myself, because this new homesteading craze--it's how I grew up.  We all did.  All of us country kids anyway.  Our momma's had huge gardens (which we were pressed into weeding and picking), we helped make preserves and pickles and jams, we bought sides of beef and chickens from the neighbours to fill the freezer for winter.  My mom made bread for us, muffins and cookies--I don't think I had store bought bread until my early teen years, not at home anyway.  We had fish that we caught with our dad, and venison from my grandpa.  We didn't have hens, 'cause they smell according to my dad, but we got farm fresh eggs from the neighbour.  My parents huge garden had a compost heap (long before plastic composters were to be had), the garden was fertilized with manure from the family farm.

Don't get me wrong, I love that homesteading has become a new way of being/living for so many newly rural folk.  But I do chuckle at the notion that this self-sustaining way of living is new.  I was at a friend's house yesterday morning, a friend who grew up in the city.  He planted his very first garden this year.  Let's just say that this single man planted a garden that would provide for a family of 15.  He has enough tomatoes and beans to feed himself for about 5 years, if he gets it all into the freezer or canned.  I offered to teach him how to do canning and preserving.  He looked at me like I had just sprouted another head.  I offered him some gardening advice.  Again with the second head look.  I finally asked him what the heck was the matter.  His reply--"how do you know this stuff?"  I guess I have A LOT of knowledge tucked away in the back of my head, stuff that I haven't used in years.

I haven't had a garden for years.  Between kids sports, spring being the busiest time of year for a teacher, and just not enough steam to get things rolling in the spring, I just haven't done it.  I also moved a few years ago to a new house without the benefit of pre-made gardens.  A blessing and a curse.  Every year I have the best of intentions, but just never get there somehow.  But looking at the bounty of my friend's garden made me pine for it like crazy.  I think I might put the teenagers to work helping me get gardens dug and amended this fall, so that in the spring I can easily plant.  I have a vision!  And my hubs is likely cringing if he reads this, he knows what that means :)

My good friend shares the bounty of his garden and gave me a lovely basket filled with 5 types of tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans and onions straight from the garden.  A beautiful basket lined with a cloth, all piled up.  I ate a bunch of tomatoes and a cucumber with supper last night.  Nothing compares to produce picked that same day for flavour!  And he's offered more--I will gladly take him up on that offer, and he will be receiving some pickles and chili sauce made with his produce in return.

Speaking of chili sauce, I made a batch last night, with Ontario tomatoes purchased from the market.  Not as good as my friend's tomatoes, but they made a mean batch of chili sauce.  I need to make another 2 or 3 batches, 4 jars of this delicious sauce does not go far in a family of this size.  I think I'll make a batch of salsa with some of the tomatoes he gave me, and the ones I had leftover from the chili sauce.  He gave me some gold tomatoes, along with some kind of burgundy coloured ones (I don't know the name) and I think they will make a beautiful salsa--to look at and to eat!  I found a fresh salsa on pinterest (no 100 year old salsa recipes from my Scottish/Irish grandmother's!), that looks amazing.  I'll let you know.  And that reminds me to say what an awesome feeling it is to make something from a recipe that you know is at least as old as your great-grandmother would have been, 'cause it came from her recipe book.  You know, the handwritten, notes on the sides kind.  One of my most treasured possessions is a handwritten recipe from my grandmother--written in her beautiful handwriting, with her little notes to me on the side.  The best recipes ever!

I may even raise the hen issue with my hubs again....we go through a lot of eggs around here, it would be wonderful to have them right from our own hens.....that may be a bit of a hard sell.

My friend the Cargillwitch (hi ML!) posted an article on facebook yesterday (a link from the Toronto Star) about young, educated women taking up farming.  Great article, but some of the comments were even better.  The state of agriculture in North America is appalling.  The article was timely for me, given the thoughts I was already having about homesteading and gardening and such.  And I saw a Harrowsmith mag at my friend's house (I miss Harrowsmith, a "homesteading" kind of mag from waaaaay back that has gone out of publication).  Makes me ponder.

Today, no gardening, preserving or such.  Going to IKEA with my mom.  And likely some shopping too.  Talk about a change in pace!

Enjoy this overcast possibly rainy day :)

August

I have a love/hate relationship with August.  August makes me melancholy.  It makes me think about all of the things I haven't accomplished in July--I always have huge plans, and don't achieve many of them.  It makes me realize that it's almost school time again.  While I love my job, the insane pace that life takes on once school starts, not so much.  I love August weather, hate that it signals the waning summer.  Days are getting conspiculously shorter.  Makes me a bit panicky, I have to say.  I love the bounty of the farmer's market, hate that it also means Thanksgiving will be here before we know it.

Maybe part of my problem with this August is that I was taking a very intensive course for the first 2 weeks of July.  My personal life has had more than its share of bumps along the way recently.  Happily we are getting through them, things are better than ever, but it hasn't been especially easy.  And hasn't made this summer especially wonderful--and now August in all her freaking glory is here already.  *sigh*  See, melancholy.

But--good things are on the horizon.  Hubs and I are going away for a couple of days, just the 2 of us!  I'm excited.  Although I really miss having little guys, this is one benefit.  Big kids (ok, the girl is an adult...) can fend for themselves, keep the menagerie alive in my absence and my house will be standing at the end of it all.  Blackberries are a wonderful thing--I can check in with them whenever I need to be sure all is well.  We've decided to go to Tobermory, one of our favourite places on earth.  Have I mentioned I can't wait?!

We've also booked a yurt for the hubs birthday weekend in September.  I love camping, but neither one of us can sleep on the ground in a tent anymore (middle aged backs are not fans of that!).  So we've planned another weekend sans enfants, camping in a yurt.  A yurt is kind of like a cabin, only circular shaped.  It comes with beds and all the stuff you need for camping.  Another bonus.  Fall camping is the absolute best kind of camping.  Again--can't wait!  And the girl has agreed to come home from university to help make sure her brothers survive (and don't have a high school party and trash my house).

I've just realized that in addition to my angst about my new job (exciting and terrifying!), my girl will soon be heading back to university.  Which she loves.  So much that she doesn't come home very often and I really miss her when she's gone.  She's living in a house this year, and has to cook for herself.  Maybe I'll see her more often so she can come home to be fed up :) 

Another reason for feeling some melancholy this year--my geriatric kitty has started peeing in inappropriate places.  Like my bed.  With me in it.  I think she's maybe lost her marbles.  And it pangs me to think that we are maybe going to have to make a very difficult decision.  But I need to be a realist.  I can't afford to replace all the things that get ruined when covered in cat urine.  Like my purple haze purse (periwinkle nubuck leather Roots....).  My mattress.  The carpet.  She's been to the vet, there's nothing physically wrong.  There are enough litter boxes placed strategically around the house for 10 cats.  I repeat--I think she's lost her marbles.

August is not a good month around here for grief.  It seems to be the emotion of the month.  In response, I am determined to not wallow in self-pity (I know, doesn't sound like it, does it?).  But I will make the best of a difficult month.  I will be excited about school.  I will be excited about cooler days ahead.  I will enjoy these last few weeks of beach weather.  I promise.

The worst thing about August--I just get into the swing of summer living and it's time to get thinking about fall. 

What do you do to get ready for fall?

October, already? Seriously?!

It's October.  Already.  And it's World Vegetarian Day.  Probably not the best day to have planned a birthday party for a certain 43 year old carnivore!  We won't be eating vegetarian today, but there are lots of days that I do eat vegetarian.  Maybe tomorrow can be Bolyea Vegetarian Day.

I can't believe it's October already.  September was a blur of busy-ness.  Both on the homefront and at school.  I am exhausted.  It's always such a crazy month.  I dream of having a large vegetable garden, but at the present I realize that there just plain and simply aren't any days or energy left for wrapping up a garden in September.  So while there are plans afoot for a bigger veggie plot next year, it won't be huge.  Because I haven't completely taken leave of my senses.  The really big garden will likely happen about the same time as I get chickens.  Not until my own chicks are all living on their own, and I have time to fill.  Or at are all driving and can get themselves to all of the after-school activities.

I'm feeling just a little behind these days.  I have a ton of work that I need to catch up on for school, and I need to knock off a bunch of assignments for the course I'm taking.  This past week has been NUTS, and I haven't gotten much of anything done!  Not a single evening spent at home.  Perhaps that's why I'm completely exhausted?  And even this morning, not able to sleep past 5:30.  Which compared to 3:30 or 4:00 is actually sleeping in, right?! 

Everyone else is still sleeping, so I'm basking in the peacefulness of the quiet.  Coffee beside me, computer to myself, sleeping doggy on one side, sleeping kitty on the other side.  I guess Allistair Cookie the kitty boy wasn't ready to uncuddle when I woke up.  It's been delightful to have him sleeping with me, cuddled up against my legs.  And Chase the wonderdog is my constant shadow when I'm home, so no surprise that she is curled up next to me, snoring away.

My girl chicky is home from school for the weekend, bringing with her a lovely friend.  This friend is adorable and oh, so much like Jess.  It was a very fun drive home from Orillia with the 2 girlies laughing and talking and keeping me company.  It gives me hope that we will get through the rougher parenting times with the boys and one day we will have those laughter filled car rides again too.

I had a great phone conversation with my sister on the way to Orillia.  I am truly grateful to have a sister that I can talk to, and who understands.  Yesterday was a very sad day for her and her family.  They had to have their darling dog, Lily, put to sleep.  They are devastated.  And we've had many talks lately about coming to that final decision.  Lily has not been well, and they have done everything they could possibly have done to try to keep her for a few more years.  But sadly, Lily was not going to get better and they made the difficult decision to let her go, for her own good.  It is truly a gift of love and compassion, but it also rips your heart out of your chest, and feels like someone is crushing it in their hands.  It's been 3 years since I had to make that kinder decision for my dog Bailey, but it is as fresh in my mind as if it were me in that vet's office yesterday.  My heart hurts for them, and I'm so sad because I too loved Lily.  Our family dogs are like our family children--we all love them all dearly and have them in our hearts too.  Someday they will be ready to love another dog, but for now they need to heal.

This post didn't start out to be sad and be written with tears spilling down my face.  Honest, it didn't.  But I often find myself letting the words and thoughts go where I obviously need them to go.  And I guess today is another one of those days. 

On a much happier note, we are celebrating Rick's 43rd birthday today!  Most of the family is coming over and we will eat, drink and be merry.  It will be nice to have everyone in our house.  It was kind of going to be an inside and outside on the deck get together, but unless everyone wears their long johns and winter coats I think we'll stay inside.  Cold fall weather here today.  I don't think my brother's family will be able to come, since my nephew Fisher had his tonsils and adenoids out this week, and he is still recovering.  We will miss them.  Luckily next weekend is Thanksgiving, and we will also be celebrating Fisher's 5th birthday.  Another birthday cake!  And pumpkin pie!  Two things that make my heart go pitter pat :)

Since I have rambled on enough, and I only have about a million things to do before this afternoon's guests arrive, I will humbly sign off for today.

Wishing everyone a beautiful, happy, peaceful fall day.  Stay warm and enjoy the day.

changes

I am supposed to be going into school today for some last minute planning/work.  So of course I'm writing a blog post instead of getting ready.

My oldest chicky is heading off to university next week.  She's been working midnights for most of the summer and her only week off has been a big adjustment for her body.  She's finally starting to get back into a normal sleeping routine.  But she just found out her residence won't be ready, she has to stay in a hotel for the first month of school.  Which has caused all kinds of stress.  She is worried about leaving home for the first time.  And her beloved pet rat, Fergus, died last night.  It wasn't a shock, he was old and has been ailing for a while.  But she is so sad.  I know part of her is relieved, she was worrying he would die when she was away at school, and I was caring for him for her.  Which would have been bad.  But this week is difficult enough without a death. 

It's funny because rats elicit the most freaked out reaction from people.  I was once one of those people, I admit.  But they are really fabulous pets.  Very dog-like in personality.  Fergus loved to ride on Jessie's shoulder, and hide in her hair.  He was always excited when she went into her room, and loved hanging out with her.  Did you know, that like a dog, they lick your hands when they are happy?  And they click their teeth when they are contented.  Ferg liked to take treats from your hand.  He had definite people preferences, and Jess was his person of choice.  She will be living in residence for this school year, but is planning on getting an apartment or private room in a house next year.  And I know new pet rats will be the perfect housewarming gift.

Some people are so excited by change.  The changing seasons, the changing weather, life changes.  I have to say, I'm not really one of those people.  I know change is healthy, but my ideal is for everything to stay pretty much the same.  Beach weather would be my ideal.  I like fall weather, cool nights and warmish days, but fall inevitably turns into winter.  Blech. 

I had a weird almost nightmarish dream last night (a reaction to change, I'm sure).  I dreamed that I had a different principal at school, a woman who was very nice.  But I had this HUGE class the first day of school, and more kids kept coming, and coming.  I didn't have enough desks, and these kids were rude and unmanageable.  I was trying to take attendance, and kept being interrupted.  This new principal was in the room with me, because there were about 2x as many kids in the class as there should be with one teacher.  I was confiscating gaming devices, ipods and all manner of things.  I couldn`t see the whole classroom because of a huge column in the middle (it looked my gr. 5 classroom with Mrs. Hill which was an art room).  It was about 10 o`clock and I just couldn`t get attendance done.  It was a bizarre dream.  And it was like I had zero classroom management skills.  It was strange for sure.  Especially since I have already taught most of the kids I`m getting, and the ones I haven`t I already know because our school is very small.  There isn`t a kid from Gr. 1 to 8 that I don`t know.  There will be a few new enrollments, but new kids stick out (poor things) because it`s a small community.  Where this dream came from I don`t know.  And classroom management isn`t really a problem for me, in general.  Absolutely weird.  But at the same time a testament to how much change upsets my applecart.

How are you coping with the change in seasons?  I know a few people who take the changing seasons as a reason to clean their house, digging deep into corners.  Some people like me, are clinging madly to the remnants of summer, and are being dragged (figuratively) kicking and screaming into fall.  On which side of the fence do you find yourself?

Now I must prepare to go into school.  Have a wonderful Friday.

Namaste.