It seems like I’m moving slowly these days.  I’m feeling overwhelmed with all the things I want/need to do around here.  Still haven’t got the 2nd raised bed in, but I did manage to get lettuce and spinach seeds planted in a container.  I hope they grow.

Tomorrow I plan to add more soil to the languishing tomato plant in a container.  I can’t seem to get my tomato seedlings going, so I may break down and just buy some at Home Depot.  Ordering strawberries is still on my list too.

The peas have sprouted, and the new bush beans I planted are coming up too.  Hopefully, I staggered the beans far enough apart not to be overwhelmed when picking time comes.

For several weeks I’ve had a visitor in my container where basil and mint is growing.  It’s a good-size toad and he appears almost everyday.  Nothing bothers him - I can water, clip basil (where he spends most of his time), and he barely flinches.  I think I’m going to let my sons name him

A toad in my garden.

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On the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, I had the privilege of teaching a group of teens from our homeschool group about the Feast.  We talked about its origin and looked up many verses about how YHWH tabernacled with us - including sending His only Son to “dwell” or “sukkah” with us.

Sitting out with the bugs and the breeze blowing definitely helped us to be grateful that this world is not our permanent home - our Savior went to build us a new home, not made by the hands of men.  Also, our bodies are just an “earthly tent” - someday we will have perfect, glorified bodies.

The weather was nice, but this being SW Florida, there were plenty of mosquitos.  We endured and I think the kids (and moms who attended) definitely took home a new understanding of this wonderful celebration.

Bible Study in our Sukkah!

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Tags: Bible Study, faith, Sukkot

I finally got my seedlings started and my bush bean plants are coming up in the raised bed.  They are already about 6 inches tall.  A few seeds didn’t germinate, so I’ll put a few more out.  This way the harvest should be a bit staggered.  In a little while I’ll put peas in the same bed, then I’m thinking of filling in some of the spaces with spinach. I’m having the hardest time deciding what to plant, where!  I’m about to the point of just sowing the seeds and waiting to see what happens.  Last night during our dinner outdoors in our sukkah, my youngest son commented on how much space we have available for growing our own food.  Today, my oldest son and I talked about putting in a couple fruit treas, although I did explain to him that it will take a couple years before we get any fruit.

I got the fabric cut to make a couple handkerchief style headcoverings out of linen.  I love how linen feels (keeps me cool) and it tends to stay put on my head better than other fabrics, which is something I’m appreciating more and more as I’m outside working.

I’m back to looking for a rabbit and cage.  It will be a pet, but we will use the manure in the gardens.  Hopefully I’ll be able to pick one up for free. I also did some more research on composting with worms.

I got another washcloth crocheted - this one will be a gift, along with some homemade soap.  I’ll probably stitch up another one tonight during the Presidential debate.

As I watch the economic situation worsening around me, I find myself wishing I had moved forward on many things sooner.  I’m not in a panic though - I know the One Who owns a cattle on a thousand hills and He is my loving Abba, so I have nothing to fear.

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Tags: crochet, gardening, homestead, rabbit

My solar oven arrived last Friday!  It is a “Sport Solar Oven” which includes two Granite Ware roasters.  I also purchased the optional reflector panels.  I am surprised how lightweight it is!

Yesterday I baked cornbread in one roaster - yum!  Earlier today I baked cookies.  The manufacturer recommends lifting the lid slightly so moisture can escape.  When I went out to check on the cookies, I could smell them as soon as I walked out the door!

Sun Sport Solar Oven

Baking Cookies in Solar Oven

I’m planning on having shepherd’s pie for dinner, so I’ve got the potatoes cooking in the sun, then I’ll mash them for the topping.  I don’t know if the sun will be high enough in the sky to bake the whole completed dish after I brown the ground beef on the stove top.

Things do take longer when using the sun, however I love the feeling of knowing that I’m using free energy and not heating up my kitchen :-)  We’re headed into the dry season down here in Florida, so I think I will be able to cook with sunshine almost everyday.

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Tags: solar

We’ve been on an interesting journey the past year.  I haven’t written about it, but am feeling like I should, as so many others seem to be on a similar path.  About a year ago my eyes were opened to the Hebrew roots of my Christian faith.  I was sent a book to review for my newsletter called “Celebrating Our Messiah in the Festivals“  The book is marketed to homeschool families as a way to teach about the roots of the Christian faith and does an excellent job providing lessons for young and old about the Biblical holidays, the sabbath, Hebrew letters and numbers, and so much more.

That book prompted me to do much praying and studying.  It has been so refreshing to see how the whole Bible really does all go together!  There has also been times when I was frustrated that I had so easily believed everything I’d been taught in church.  I thought I was a good student of the Bible, but found that I was really looking at Scripture the way I had been taught to “see” it.  My relationship with the Messiah is stronger and deeper than ever.

Our whole family is learning together - each of us responding to what we’re learning in their own way.  I’m thankful my husband has been open to my sharing and questions.

This year we have been celebrating the Feast Days and studying Torah with a couple other families.  We still attend church on Sun-day.  My boys are very plugged in to our youth group.  Sometimes I feel like we live in two worlds!  Ultimately we are all ONE in Yeshua the Messiah, but I know that my worldview is different than most in my congregation and I quickly learned to keep much of what I’m learning to myself.

I am looking forward to sharing more about my faith journey here.  The whole theme of simplicity involves more than just a back-to-basics lifestyle that we’ve embarked upon.  God’s plan is also one of simplicity. The deeper I study, the more I understand that He just asks us to love Him with all our heart, mind and soul.  And if we love Him we will obey His commands - not because His commands get OR keep us saved, but as an outward sign of our belonging to His family.  As I told a friend when I started wearing a headcovering - “it’s not a legalistic thing, it’s a love thing.”

Tonight is the first night of the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot).  We have set up a sukkah (temporary dwelling, booth) and will be eating our meals, studying, etc., in it for the next 7 days.  It isn’t anything fancy - in fact many people erect a more traditional structure.  Ours is a gazebo-type thing that wasn’t too hard to assemble.  This week reminds us that we dwell in a temporary structure that is fading away.  This is not our home.  It reminds us of the years the Israelites spent living in tents in the wilderness until they entered the promised land.  It is a wonderful picture of how YHWH chose to tabernacle WITH us when He sent His Son (who was probably born in the fall DURING the Feast of Tabernacles).  In Zechariah 14:16 we read that some day in the future when Messiah comes again, all nations will celebrate this Feast.  We were talking tonight at dinner that this is just practice for the day when we will celebrate Sukkot in the new Jerusalem with our Saviour.

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The more I read and learn about living a life of simplicity, the more I realize how FAR we have to go to get there! Although the goal is to use what we have and consume less, I do find myself realizing that there are tools that will need to be purchased.  These are things that we will need as we strive toward a more self-sufficient lifestyle.  I am a sucker for gadgets and technology, so I am aware of the need to wait and pray before proceeding with most purchases

Last Wednesday my hubby and I had a great discussion about how to live our lives like we believe things are going to go downhill, but yet still keep going with our current lifestyle.  We need to balance the many homesteading things we’d like to do with the reality of our life as it is now.  We’re not gloom and doom at ALL - but we are aware that things are probably not going to get better soon.  Anyway, we decided to continue toward debt retirement, but to judiciously use some of our funds for items we need on our journey.  Of course, I am always looking for items on Freecycle and Craig’s List.

One of the big items I have on my wishlist is a solar oven.  I have tried several different homemade versions, watched tons of videos online, and read lots of articles/tutorials.  I have yet to have one of my homemade versions perform consistently enough to reliably cook food.  We agreed that it will be handy to have in a variety of circumstances - especially with a loss of power after a hurricane (the weather is typically great after a storm has passed).

The next day I received an email from my business credit card company reminding me that I had earned points toward airline miles.  I did some investigation and found that I could also redeem these points (that I didn’t even know I had) for gift cards and/or CASH!  I can request a check and the amount was enough to buy - you guessed it - the solar oven!  So, now I am anxiously awaiting my Sun Sport Oven!  I am amazed and thankful for YHWH’s provision!

I’ll post pictures as soon as it arrives

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Tags: faith, solar

We survived Tropical Storm Fay and have watched Gustav and Ike pass to our west.  I was able to “put up” my first ever jam during the down time during the rainy days of Faye.

In August I made 16 half pints of jam and 12 half pints of peach butter.  It is all delicious.  I still can’t get over how much better “homemade” tastes

Shortly after my last entry, I had the blessing of hearing from Lisa Vitello of New Harvest Homestead.  She encouraged me so much by telling me that there are many other sisters out there who are feeling the same nudge to return to the “basics” and learn lost skills.  Lisa has a wonderful newsletter and she was kind enough to email me a sample issue.  WOW!  Her writings and the contribution of others in her publication are just what I’ve been looking for.  I promptly subscribed AND ordered all the back issues.  It has been money well spent!  I have already gleaned so much information, and, more importantly, I’ve found confirmation and encouragement in every issue!  It seems Lisa and her readers/contributors cover every topic of interest to those of us who have chosen to be “steadfast at home” no matter whether our homestead is a piece of land in the country or an apartment in the city.

I am daily finding many things to do around my urban homestead!  Now that my busy “business” season has ended, I am finding more time to read and begin doing some of the projects I’ve had on my list all summer.  I’ve made several crocheted wash cloths - I’ll never go back to store-bought.  My son and I made soap together (in case you ever wonder…Mountain Dew and lye do NOT mix).  The second attempt turned out much better (minus the Dew!).  I’ve been deciding which edible plants and herbs to put in my front yard, and I’ve begun planning for my raised beds.  Next week, I’ll start my seedlings - yes, it will soon be planting time down here in Southwest Florida.

I’ve had several friends ask me how to make soap, so the other night a few of us got together and everyone made their own 2 lb. batch - I had so much fun sharing my new knowledge.  I do not believe it is by chance that I’ve been called to these pursuits, and it is my prayer to be able to bless as many ladies as possible, while encouraging them to be busy at home in whatever they are called to do.  Just imagine if each woman shared some of her knowledge in any area of homemaking with 2 or 3 others who are not adept in that area!  What a difference this would make in our families, churches and communities!

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Tags: crochet, gardening, soap

It has been an interesting few weeks around here!  It is my “busy” season with our curriculum business, so that has kept me a bit distracted.  Then my youngest had surgery, so he is hobbling around on crutches, and we’ve had our share of Dr. appointments.  Now, we have to deal with a hurricane tomorrow - such is life in SW Florida!

In some areas we’ve made some real progress on our journey - but then there are those inevitable set backs.  My “brown thumb” is definitely showing, but I’m determined to overcome

The Everglades Tomato seedlings died - I let them get too dry.  I’ll start another set next week.  I learned that you need to put a cage around a tomato seedling BEFORE it grows - I didn’t and, although I did use a stake, it ended up getting bent and the base snapped during and afternoon thunderstorm.  So, another seedling AND cage went in the pot, and they are doing well.

Those cucumber seedlings took off!  I transplanted one of them in a large pot that also contained a pepper plant.  It is vining up the “trellis” that helps to hold up our porch.  The other seedlings stayed in their starter pots for a long time, but I finally got them transplanted last week.  I used a window box I found on clearance and put one at each end.  I need to come up with something for them to climb, as they are not in a good spot to sprawl.  I also put a few bush bean seeds (heirloom) inbetween the cucumbers.  My herbs are growing well and I was excited to use my home-grown basil in a couple dishes this weekend.

Oh, I killed the pepper plant that was in with the cucumber - I over fertilized with the organic stuff I’m using.  So, I pulled it up and replaced it with some lemon balm - I love the smell of this herb!  I’m looking forward to using it in my next batch of soap.

Speaking of soap - I made my first batch two weeks ago and it turned out great!  I can’t wait to make more!  It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be and I have just started using it (it needed to “cure” for a couple weeks).  It is scented with lavender and lemon, colored with BarleyMax powder (the stuff I drink everyday).  Everyone who has seen/smelled it has commented on how nice it turned out.

I have been trying to shop for more in-season fruits and veggies, trying to lower the amount of “food miles” we consume.  Peaches are in season now.  They are not grown locally, but even though they are from Georgia, I take comfort in knowing they are not coming from across the sea/border or across the country.  Since prices on peaches are great right now (I get 3lbs for $2 at the farmer’s market), I’ve decided to try “putting up” some peach preserves, so we can enjoy peaches when they’re not in season.

It has been a bit disheartening to see that even the stuff at the farmer’s market is usually from somewhere outside of Florida.  The produce is traveling from TN, GA, NC and SC mostly.  I guess there just isn’t enough growing down here this time of year.  I can’t wait to be able to eat and preserve our own food so next summer we can be living off of our own efforts.  (She says with a prayer and a bit of trepidation!)

Oh, I’ve been crocheting again too!  I love my crocheted washcloth and want to make some more.  I think two or three cloths and some homemade soap will make nice gifts.

TODAY - we have a hurricane headed our way.  Since we have been putting things aside to be more self-sufficient and prepared for tougher times, I didn’t have to do much last minute shopping.  We have been busy securing the house and my hubby still has to put up the hurricane shutters when he gets home from work.  I want to get my Aladdin lamp working; something I’ve been wanting to do, but never have gotten around to it, since my dad blessed me with 3 of them back in June.  I guess there’s no time like the present!

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Tags: crochet, garden, homegrown, soap

I’m so thrilled - my Wild Florida Everglades tomato seeds have sprouted!  The cucumber seeds sprouted too, and are several inches tall.  Now, I just have to wait a while and let them grow.  Of course, THEN I have to transplant them to something.  I guess I need to get moving on my first raised bed.

We’ve had rain all day for 3 days straight - kind of weird for us down in SW Florida.  I’m used to sunshine most of the day with an afternoon rainstorm.  The sun is back out today, finally!  I had purchased a few seedlings that I need to move to bigger containers.  I picked up a couple pepper, and a squash seedling.  The peppers are doing great, even after days of rain.  I hope they transplant okay.  The squash - well, I think it may have gotten too wet in it’s little pot.  We’ll see if some sunshine and drier air revives it.

A friend gave me a rosemary “branch” that I stuck in the pot with the tomato.  I didn’t think it was going to make it, but it looks like it might.  I also picked up a rosemary seedling on clearance the other day.  Now, to find a recipe for whole wheat rosemary bread!

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Tags: gardening, seedlings, tomatoes

Well, I just couldn’t wait any longer.  The Queensland lettuce came up so nicely in our summer heat and humidity, that I planted a few more seeds in the same pot as the tomato plant.  I got the seeds at ECHO along with several others thinking I would plant this fall.  When I got the seeds out, those other packets seemed to be screaming to be planted too.

So, now I have 6 cucumber seeds purchased from ECHO in improvised seed pots. I am holding off on the others until I’m sure what I want to put in my first bed.  ECHO is a neat organization and we are blessed to live about 10 miles from their farm.

A month ago I read about Wild Florida Everglades tomatoes.  The time to plant the seeds is now, so they can be planted in their permantent location (container or garden) in August.  They are a type of cherry tomato and apparently give a very high yield - we’ll see.

Next gardening step will be to build my first raised bed.  I’m putting it in the front of the house to shelter it from the baking, afternoon sun.  I started reading Mini Farming for Self Sufficiency and I’m already getting inspired!

The one culinary skill I seem to be good at is making homemade bread from fresh ground wheat berries.  The past couple months I’ve been pretty faithful to keep us from purchasing bread at the store.  Today I made a regular loaf and a cinnamon-raisin loaf.  I love the way the house smells when there’s bread in the oven!

I’m used to being my most productive on the computer; however, I have noticed a different type of satisfaction from working with both my mind and my body the past few days.  Tonight will be our third night in a row to eat a home-cooked meal.  WOW!

Speaking of dinner…I need to check the chicken!

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