Not sure whatever possessed me to say I would post 30 days in a row. (on a somewhat daily basis)
Regardless I am sticking to it, so here is some RANDOM pics from our life as of lately.
Anatomy & Physiology as Mother Nature intended. Lucky kids to have such a fine dad that teaches them everything he knows.
My friend’s sheep. A few weeks back we took a stroll out back on her land to a babbling brook and waterfall. There we sat and talked. Moments like that make me feel blessed for my friends that I spend time with regularly and those I just get to visit with from time to time.
Nothing like home-grown chicken! The kids and Maine Man processed 20 of our meat birds last week. We have more that they plan to do in the next week or two. Some we bartered with and the rest will feed our family until Spring.
With Thanksgiving approaching and cranberries in season I have made cranberry sauce twice and plan to make it this weekend for a friend. I figured I would post the link in case anyone wanted to give it a try.
The kids just after Flower Girl shot her deer. Always a humbling moment when you take the life of another in order to sustain your own.
Gingerbread cookies in October, why not?
The kids used cookie cutters on the pumpkins, they came out pretty good.
School is going good for the most part. I have much more confidence this year then our first year homeschooling. It is not without its moments but we surely will have no regrets with this commitment. It has been fun to learn along with the kids for both Maine Man and I. We each have our strength and weaknesses. We are all really liking the book series Dear America. We just finished reading My Heart is on the Ground. I cannot wait to start the next book in the series. My Name is America is also being enjoyed by the kids.
Anyone else still battling to fill the barn, garage, woodshed before snow flies?
I'm curious, how do your kids feel about being such major providers for the family larder? Is it just business as usual or do they have a sense of pride that they helped put meat on the table? Was it hard for your daughter to shoot a deer for the first time or is she more of a practical person about it? Are they so used to life and death on the farm that hunting is sort of an extension on that? I know that's a lot of questions, but my kids are talking about learning to hunt and I guess I'm wondering about the psychological aspect of it. I never went hunting with my father, just fishing, so I don't have my own experiences to fall back on.
ReplyDeleteGREAT QUESTIONS!! My kids take much pride in providing for our family. They are actively involved in many aspects of putting food on the table from picking eggs, feeding and watering animals, hunting and foraging, and helping my husband process some of the livestock we raise. It is normal life for them. Our children thrive in this homesteading environment. My daughter did cry after shooting the deer but mostly out of excitement. I think she was unsure of herself, unsure that she could kill a deer so she was overwhelmed with emotion. I also think anytime you take the life of another there is a humbling moment and damn there should be. Hunting I guess is an extension of what we do and it is something my husband is passionate about therefore my kids are. It is sad that as a society we have taken the faces of the animals away from meat in the supermarket. In my eyes children of today should all learn these basic survival skills as someday they made need to know them.
ReplyDeleteDo you mind if I post your question and my response? I think it is questions that a lot of people wonder about.
ReplyDeleteWe are still struggling to get the wood shed filed. I expect we'll need 7-8 cords for the winter. We only moved to our new farm in Sept so there are so many things that need to be done. We're still struggling to get water pumping from the spring to the house. And feed for the cow and calf are another thing. We have about a month of hay and money is so tight it sqeeks! We're currently still without power here in south central WV. Thankful for our wood and coal stoves. Limited generator use for the freezers. Phones are out so no purchases except for cash and we have 30 minutes to drive to town anyway so we're just hunkering down here for now. This life is a fantastic way to raise kids. We have 5. :) Our girls are twins 14 next month, 12 to be 13 in Feb, one turned 11 in Sept. and our son will be 3 in Dec. Enjoying your blog!
ReplyDeleteOh, I don't mind at all. I definitely think a lot of people are curious over such things, but aren't quite curious enough to ask.
ReplyDeleteWow Missy, we burn about that much wood too and we are still working to get it all in. The work on a farm is ENDLESS. Wow hom many days without power...how are you posting on the internet? Good luck with everything, hope things turn around for you. Thanks for the kind comment!
ReplyDeleteWe were out 6 days. It came back on about 8pm yesterday. We have a generator we run a couple hours am and pm for the freezers so it gives us a chance to see what's happening in the world. (And I get to blog hop!) Farming and homeschooling definitely keeps us busy!
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