Homesteading
Responsibilities on a Farm
Growing up on a working farm is a much different experience than growing up in a suburb or city. As a child, I lived on a farm and for a period of time in the suburbs of Houston. Depending on where I lived, I had different responsibilities. Some of my fondest memories were from my... »
THSC Convention
I wrote last week about inspiring your children. Well, sometimes adults need to be inspired, too. We need to be encouraged by like-minded individuals and our spirits need to be refreshed. Every year for the last five or six years I have left the Texas Home School Coalition (THSC) State Convention and Family Conference in The Woodlands feeling renewed and... »
Addicted to Coke
I have a confession to make. I am addicted to soft drinks. In Texas we call them coke, regardless of the brand. In Oklahoma, they call them pop. My grandmother used to call them soda water. It doesn't matter what you call them; I like to drink them even though I know how bad they are for me. Since high school,... »
Pickle-Making the Easy Way
My daughter absolutely loves cucumbers. She will eat an entire cucumber as a snack. In fact all of my children love slices of raw cucumber, but not quite like Kyla. You cannot always eat enough before they start going bad. Our favorite way to preserve cucumbers is pickling them. In the past I have... »
Mosquito Predators
We have been getting a lot of rain recently. It began with the Hurricane Alex a week or so ago. Even though the hurricane was a long way away, it dumped inches of heavy rain on us. Now we are experiencing the typical afternoon thunderstorm during the hot days of... »
Stung by a Scorpion
Every once in a while we find dead scorpions in our house when we sweep the floors. Less often do we see one run across our floor in the late evening. I do not like it at all. Scorpions give me the creeps. I have always been afraid that one would... »
All-Natural Upholstery Cleaner
Some friends of ours generously gave us a couch and love seat set. The colors and the floral pattern on the fabric looks great in our home. The couch is very comfortable. The set definitely looks better and feels better than the couch we used before. [caption id="attachment_1388" align="alignright" width="300" caption="This couch looked like the top cushion. Now the bottom... »
Too Many Tomatoes?
There is nothing better than the taste of a fresh, vine-ripened tomato. Store-bought tomatoes do not even compare with those raised in your garden. I love Roma tomatoes, the big traditional tomatoes, and cherry tomatoes. They are all doing well in my garden this year, especially the Roma. We have... »
County Fair Results
Our family had a great time at the 2010 Grimes County Fair. It was the first time that our children completed and showed animal projects for the fair. In addition to caring for the animals we raise here at home, the travel and stay at the fairgrounds consumed our week. We were... »
Plum-licious Jam
In my small and very young orchard, I have one plum tree. This was the first year that it bore fruit. Well a fruit. It gave me one small plum. I enjoyed eating it immensely and wished that I had more. My dad has a young plum tree, too. His tree gave him at least 40 plums. ... »
Finally Back to Writing
I did not intend to be gone for so long. I had to take off two weeks for the Grimes County Fair and all the events before and after that required so much of my attention. Then the house, yard, and garden had been neglected for at least a week. It took forever to get on top of my housework,... »
2010 Grimes County Fair
Is it just me or is time flying by at a mind-boggling speed? I cannot believe that it is time for the 2010 Grimes County Fair. It seems like it was not that long ago and we were looking for potential show animals. Both Jake and Kyla are showing animals for their first time this year. It has been a learning... »
Activated Charcoal
Activated charcoal has a many uses. Some are for medical purposes. Hospitals rarely pump one's stomach if they suspect poisoning because they treat the patient with activated charcoal. Other uses include treating stomach upset and other problems associated with the bowels. I bought activated charcoal in capsule form when I was going through a seven... »
The Seven Phases of Gardening
On my right sidebar, I have Psalm 128:2 typed out for all to read. I really like this verse as it pertains to homesteading. "You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessing and prosperity will be yours." Gardening is labor-intensive. It takes time, sweat, and love to grow your own food. There... »
Shoo Fly! Don’t Bother Me
Upon my return from New York, one of the first things that I noticed is we had developed a fly problem. I have read that in hot weather flies can multiply in 2-3 weeks. The weather has certainly warmed up in Texas. Flies are not only a huge nuisance to animals and people alike; they can spread disease. Flies are attracted... »
