Red Door Homestead

what is going on?

2009-11-11T13:43:00.001-05:00

what is p with the formating in my blog? why are the side bars in the main body?

thpought for the day

2009-10-13T09:59:00.001-04:00

Leadership is action, not position. ~ [unknown]

thought for my day

2009-07-21T07:43:00.000-04:00

If... the machine of government... is of such a nature that it requires you to be the agent of injustice to another, then, I say, break the law. ~Henry David Thoreau, On the Duty of Civil Disobediance, 1849

my thoughts

2009-07-16T07:31:00.001-04:00

"If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace." ~ Thomas Paine, 1776

monsanto patent for a pig

2009-07-15T12:56:00.002-04:00

Achievement

2009-07-15T12:22:00.003-04:00

Achievement should not mean the end of struggle & desire - But merely mark a turning point from which we can aspire _ to greater heights. Success in life is not a cul-de-sac - but the start of new endeavers on another track. a goal attained must never be a graveyard of our dreams - but a signpost pointing up to where the sunlight gleams - on wider vistas, challenging the mind, the will, the soul. there is always something better beyond the goal. ~ pateince strong

the mothers institute needs YOUR help

2009-07-14T08:12:00.004-04:00

my thought today

2009-07-14T08:12:00.001-04:00

It is every man's obligation to put back into the world at least the equivalent of what he takes out of it. ~Albert Einstein

here's a thought

2009-07-13T09:06:00.000-04:00

Life is mostly froth and bubble, Two things stand like stone, Kindness in another's trouble, Courage in your own. ~Adam Lindsay Gordon your thoughts on this?

My thought for the day

2009-07-11T09:12:00.001-04:00

In the United States today, there is a pervasive tendency to treat children as adults, and adults as children. The options of children are thus steadily expanded, while those of adults are progressively constricted. The result is unruly children and childish adults. ~Thomas Szasz

YES!!!

2009-07-02T13:07:00.000-04:00

2009-07-01T10:29:00.001-04:00

the coming collapse of the middle class

2009-06-30T11:49:00.001-04:00

sorry i cannot get this to embed into the post but this is a really good lecture.

oops

2009-06-30T11:42:00.001-04:00

sorry i haven't posted anything recently, but my camera broke, UGH!! we have been butchering chickens, and gardening and herb gathering and wildcrafting. as soon as the camera is fixed i will start posting pictures again :)

liberty loving michiganders

2009-05-29T10:43:00.003-04:00

in my journey looking for like minded folks in my area i have found these 2 groups. if you live in michigan and LOVE liberty you should check these groups out! Michigan Freedom Coalition Grassroots in Michigan Michigan stands for sovereignty it's time to get organized locally !!

busy spring

2009-05-18T08:16:00.005-04:00

spring time at the homestead means we are VERY busy. there is the garden to plant, the fryer to tend, the turkeys running wild. i have been doing a lot of moving of plants to give the place a little better look. dear husband has been working like a mad man lately (thankfully) so i have been getting a tad bit behind in the chores around here. i also am without a car, ugh!! so i am unable to run errands and things of that nature. my washing machine also broke, UGH AGAIN!! but i did hand wash some diapers (those just can't wait) in the home made washer. it was NOT fun, but here is a small video i made.....

the part to fix my under 2 year old washer (HE front loading piece of POO) was over $100! well i didn't like my front loader and told hubby to find me an old school top loading washer on craiglist. he did. it was $50 and it works like a charm :)

fox in the hen house

2009-04-02T10:23:00.003-04:00

ok it wasn't in the hen house but yesterday a scraggly old fox ran through the yard. he raised quite the hub bub with the girls!! luckily i caught a glimpse of him out of the corner of my eye and i went to investigate. there he/she was between me and the coop. i yelled for josh (apparently he didn't hear me because he never came) then i start yelling at the fox along with all the hens that happened to be right there. darn thing ran off into the woods, but it makes me nervous to think it's around. i check on the girls alot more often! makes me wonder if the chicken tractors are safe ?!?

update on the chicken tractor

2009-04-02T10:21:00.002-04:00

well it seems it may be a slight challenge to get the chickens in the tractor. one went in and found she couldn't get out. she made quite the fuss and although the others would stand around the tractor watching her, they would not go in. i know that i could grab them up at night while they roost, but that mean old boogie woogie (the rooster) kinda scares me.......

my thought for the day

2009-04-02T10:20:00.000-04:00

In Germany they came first for the Communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time no one was left to speak up. ~Martin Niemoller

chicken tractor

2009-03-31T21:21:00.004-04:00

here is the chicken tractor hubby finally had to make. our layers and the rooster will be in this from now on. boogie woogie the rooster attacked baby ian again! well we can't have that! hubby stopped working on the waggy (in the background) to whip up one of these. we got the idea from one of my newest heroes, Joel Salatin of polyface farms. the tractor well be moved everyday to give the chickens fresh ground and grass to scratch at. there is a roost and 2 nesting boxes under the roof. a door in the roof above the nesting boxes will provide easy access to the eggs. i'm sure the chickens will be very unhappy at first, but oh well. it has to be done. although i think the rooster will find himself in the stew pot soon.

cheep cheep peep peep

2009-03-31T21:00:00.005-04:00

our chicks have arrived, TWICE!! seems the hatchery has double hipped our order and now we have about 60 baby chicks. we are having a hard time accommodating them all. every tote in the house is being emptied and use for chick brooders! there is always peeping and cheeping going on!

these little cuties are called polish or chooks. they get big feather hair dos! ike wanted to show these as his 4h project. i think they may turn out to be a little more work than he bargain for. we'll see how he handles it. he can be very helpful in feeding and watering, but he does have his moments. :)

this is a turkey chick. apparently the accommodations for these do not have high enough sides!!

poor chick, to tired to even leave the food dish. they are so cute when they're little.

bad luck on cars

2009-03-31T20:57:00.003-04:00

well, once again the car bad luck has shown it's face here. apparently the wagoneer has a bad engine, yikes! we ended up buying a "new" one that is 11 years older than the current one. hubby and step daddy were able to hear it run and say it sounds awesome. i only hope it is reliable! that's all i ask for in a car.

creating community

2009-03-29T16:35:00.001-04:00

jan at the mothers institute wrote an awesome blog on community.

Creating "Community"Merriam-Webster recognizes the individual in its definition of community, showing such fellowship and organization as a reflection and manifestation of individuals’ needs, desires and interests. Accordingly, communities or groups should be created, sustained and thought of as an adjunct to the individual, rather than an entity maintained for its own purpose.
please check it out !!

MfL at the frederick meijer gardens

2009-03-14T16:41:00.003-04:00

we had an excellent time at the gardens today. the butterflies were in and they were flying all over the place. they came in a number of colors and sizes. they had a case at the exhibit that showed the chrysalises. we even had the opportunity to see newly emerged butterflies. did you know their wings are curled ans soft and they have to wait for them to straighten and harden. very interesting.

there was a room just for insectivorous plants and we were able to see many different types of pitcher plants along with sun dews and venus fly traps.

the day was just beautiful for a march day. the sky was blue and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. we were able to walk to trails of the garden and play in the kids area. everyone really enjoyed themselves.

frederick meijer gardens is a fun place to take the family, it has something for all ages to enjoy. whether you are a resident of grand rapids or just visiting, this should definitely be at the top of your list of places to visit.

recap of this morning's MfL coffee & conversation

2009-02-21T21:42:00.000-05:00

well we had our meeting today and one new member came. we had an excellent time! the weather wasn't very cooperative though, we had a snow storm!! we did discuss the camp-out. we discussed a fee for the camp out and we thought that $20 per family would be a good price. we came to this amount because of some of the crafts (we are going to get the supplies) and taking care of any other things we need to get (porta potty if a good amount of people come, trips into town, we were even talking about some time at one of the local lakes, big breakfast sunday morning.) we would also like to have some MfL/MI merchandise for sale here, i have emailed jan and am waiting for her reply. we are very excited about the camp-out and we have some really good ideas for games, crafts and fun for both kids and adults. we also discussed going to our local botanical gardens for the "gardening with your kids project" for march. i am also going to post the seed project and something about growing sprouts. the membership drive in may, the conference in april (it doesn't look like anyone from the group will be able to attend this event), speakers for the teleconferences and writers/artists for the magazine. if i missed anything please feel free to add it :)

Mothers for Liberty meetup group

2009-02-13T10:24:00.001-05:00

We are not only looking for moms who would like to join our group, BUT we are also looking for moms who have talents and interests they would like to share with our group ... possibly as a guest speaker at one of our meetings.

Some of the topics that would be of interest to our members include homeschooling/unschooling, gardening/canning, alternative energies/green living, writing/publishing, running for local office, etc ...If any of these topics appeal to you and/or you have experience in any of these areas and would like to share your knowledge with other moms, please contact me via this thread, pm me at CafeMom http://www.cafemom.com/home/Leslillli or contact me thru the Meetup Group at: http://moms.meetup.com/3675/message/?recipientId=6034274

Consitution Class

2009-02-13T10:20:00.002-05:00

Want to learn more about the Constitution? check out this class and website. if there are 20 people who say they want the class in your home city, Michael Badnarik (the author of the book Good to be King) will begin making arrangements to come.

Class: Introduction To The Constitution

Instructor: Michael Badnarik

This is the highly acclaimed 8hr class taught by author and Constitutional scholar, Michael Badnarik.In 8 hours, Michael covers far more than you learned in years of high school or college, in a way you'll never forget.

kombucha

2009-01-31T11:46:00.004-05:00

kombucha is a yummy tangy refreshing drink. it uses a "mushroom" or "mother" (scoby or symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast) placed in a sugar and tea mixture, this will make a fizzy acidic good for you drink. there have been may attributes given to kombucha but it is said to aid the body's natural cleansing process & it helps boost the immune system. here is how i make 'bucha.

(finished kombucha tea and scoby's)

the first thing i do is make the tea. i use both organic black and green tea. so i get a quart of hot water add 4 tea bags to it. i let this sit until it is room temperature. take the tea bags out and mix with 3 more quarts of water and add 1 cup of cane sugar. i take about a cup of this mixture and set aside, the rest is placed in a container that can hold a gallon, mine are made of glass. metal should not be used! the container should also be wider than it is tall, but i do also use a gallon pickle jar.

(a daughter in a glass container waiting for a new tea and sugar mixture)

your mother and kombucha tea should already be separated, with about one cup of the kombucha tea set aside. this cup of kombucha tea is mixed with the tea and sugar mixture and then the mother placed in. when your mother is done brewing it will have made another scoby. these can be separated from each other. i put the new scoby in a quart jar with about a cup of tea/sugar mixture and k tea. these can go in the fridge and eventually given to a friend!

(mother in a new mixture of tea and sugar, waiting to be covered and placed in a dark spot)

(these are 2 of my kombucha brewers covered and on the top shelf of my pantry)

in 7 to 10 days i will check on them and taste them to see if they are ready. if they are i start the whole process again.

but what about the finish tea?, you ask. well here's what i do:

the tea is transferred to 1/2 gallon jars. they are left on the counter for a couple days for their second brewing. this will give the tea it's fizziness. i will also add fresh or frozen fruit during this brewing.

(green tea kombucha with raspberries on the counter during second brewing)

(blueberry kombucha tea. i don't let them set in this window, but i thought the color was really cool.)

i use the canning jar lids because once i can no longer push down their button, i call the tea done. i strain out the fruit, if there is any and i place the k-tea in the frig. it's ready to drink! my family likes it cold, i don't mind it room temperature.

(finished k-teas. green tea, black tea and blueberry in the front)

bail out tea party

2009-01-27T11:47:00.002-05:00

Tea Bag Party 2009!-

Are you tired of bombing those who have caused you no offense?

-Trillion Dollar Bailouts that help the wealthy while saddling future generations with debt?

-Deficit spending and inflationary tactics that silently steal your savings?

-The American Army being stationed upon our own soil in violation of the Posse Comitatus Act?

-"Spread the wealth" schemes that amount to theft?

This February 1st, show your disapproval by mailing a single teabag to the new President and your Congressional representatives.

Remind them that as this country was founded by the people, so shall it remain a nation of, by, and for the People!

You can mail a teabag to the President at:

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

Washington, DC 20500

Use this link discover the addresses of your Congressional representatives:http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/

Join up and invite your friends!

Mark your calendars!!

2009-01-20T15:28:00.003-05:00

Join us for our Mothers for Liberty National Online Afternoon Tea Party: Wed. Jan. 28th @ 2pm Central We'll have interesting, educational and entertaining posts -- fun quizzes -- live keyboard chats -- contests -- prizes -- and more! Participation is easy ... simply join our Mothers for Liberty National Group online via CafeMom. Go to: http://www.cafemom.com/ -- Type in the words "Mothers for Liberty National" in the search bar -- This will take you to the group's homepage where a link is provided to register at CafeMom so you may join the group. Note: If you are already a member of CafeMom, simply click on the following link: http://www.cafemom.com/group/54702/

the mothers institute's new advisory board members

2009-01-20T15:16:00.002-05:00

The Mothers Institute has 2 new advisory board members!! yours truly is one of them and so is Sharon Brewer. Check out the updated advisory board member page!!

Mothers for Liberty coloring contest

2009-01-20T15:09:00.002-05:00

The national Mothers for Libery group is holding a coloring contest!! Color our Mothers for Liberty Logo The Mothers Institute is sponsoring a Coloring Contest for children ages 3-12. The Coloring Page is the Mothers for Liberty logo, a unique image created especially for The Mothers Institute and our Mothers for Liberty Magazine. Children are eligible to participate in this contest if their mothers (or grandmothers) are members of one or more of the following organizations/groups: 1) The Mothers Institute 2) Mothers for Liberty Meetup Group 3) Mothers for Liberty Yahoo Group 4) Mothers for Liberty National at CafeMom. The contest runs from January 5 through January 31st. Completed Coloring Pages must be received by February 5th to be considered for judging and should be sent to: The Mothers Institute 515 W. MainGreenville, IL 62246 Judging will be done in three categories: ages 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Winners (and prizes) will be announced on Monday, February 9th via our MI Weekly Update posted here on our website. down load the color page here.

100 foot diet challenge.

2009-01-14T17:23:00.002-05:00

we just signed up for the 100 foot diet challenge. you should too.

Had a Blast at the mothers for liberty meeting.

2008-11-08T20:45:00.003-05:00

the sewing meeting for the west michigan mothers for liberty was an awesome good time. Robin, Kate and i made our little sewing projects (the one i made is above) and then sat and chatted over coffee and tea. many ideas were shared for the group and our next meeting is in the works. i am so excited and hopeful for the development of the group. good thing are going to come of it. hopefully we will start getting more members and more activities can be done on promoting liberty and freedom and community.

mothers for liberty november 8 meeting

2008-11-06T19:32:00.004-05:00

do you want to learn to sew? this is the meeting for you! we will be sewing a couple of simple projects that everyone from beginning seamstress to the expert will find fun. bring your machine and supplies (i will list later) and come and join the fun. i do have one extra sewing machine, so even if you can't bring yours you can borrow mine. the coffee will be hot and the conversation good, please come on out.

uphill

2008-11-05T08:49:00.003-05:00

our battle will be uphill. we will need to work harder to keep our freedoms and liberties.

Perhaps America will one day go fascist democratically, by popular vote. William L. Shirer

i am a patriot, i will defend the constitution, the bill of rights!

How's the soap packaging?

2008-11-03T08:43:00.005-05:00

well here is an example of how i am going to package my homemade soap. i will be adding labels to them with the kind of soap and contact information. we are out of ink in our printer now =) so what do you think? how much would you pay? any thoughts would be appreciated. these will also go up for sale on my etsy site if you are interested in purchasing some. i will have lavender, this bar is chamomile, and i will do some other fun ones.

my new etsy shop

2008-11-03T08:38:00.002-05:00

well i have opened a new etsy shop. stop by and check it out! i will be adding new things as soon as i can! i have a mini etsy on the side of my blog too. very cool!

quote, what do you think?

2008-11-02T08:00:00.001-05:00

Alexander Tytler writing in the founding era said: "...the world's greatest civilizations.. have progressed through this sequence: from bondage to spiritual faith; from spiritual faith to great courage; from courage to liberty; from liberty to abundance; from abundance to selfishness; from selfishness to complacency; from complacency to apathy; from apathy to dependency; from dependency back again to bondage." Where do you think we are in this sequence? Can we stop it or at least slow it down?It also seems to me that we are moving through these phases at an accelerated pace compared to earlier civilizations. Is this because of the technology of the modern age? If so then we have lost more control than we can fathom.

10 public school "signposts of failure"

2008-11-02T07:51:00.003-05:00

10 public school "Signposts of Failure"

by The Libertarian Party(11/5/99)

WASHINGTON, DC -- George W. Bush is wrong: The biggest problem in public schools is not "moral chaos" but educational chaos -- thanks to government schools that endlessly demand more money to hire more teachers, while lowering standards and churning out more functional illiterates, the Libertarian Party charged today. "Government schools can't teach reading, writing, and arithmetic -- why should we trust them to teach morality, respect, and character?" asked Steve Dasbach, the party's national director. "If public education does for ethics what it's done for learning, we'll end up with a generation of immoral, disrespectful, and characterless students."

On Tuesday, Texas Governor George W. Bush, in a major speech on education in New Hampshire, proposed that public schools must begin to teach "right and wrong" to end the nation's "moral chaos." Bush, the leading contender for the Republican presidential nomination, also promised to increase the amount of federal money spent on "promoting character education," from $8 million to $25 million. But any effort to "save" the foundering government school system -- whether with more federal money, smaller class sizes, or morality-based teaching -- is doomed to fail, countered Dasbach.

As evidence, he pointed to 10 "Signposts of Failure" in government schools:

* Between 1960 and 1995, average per-pupil spending in U.S. public schools rose 212% in inflation-adjusted dollars.

* Between 1960 and 1995, the student/teacher ratio has dropped by 35% -- from approximately 26 students for every one U.S. public school teacher to only 17.

* Between 1960 and 1995, the average salary of U.S. public school teachers jumped 45% in inflation-adjusted dollars.

* In 1994, fewer than 50% of the personnel employed by U.S. public schools were teachers.

* American 12th graders rank 19th out of 21 industrialized countries in mathematics achievement and 16th out of 21 nations in science.

* In fourth grade, 77% of children in urban high-poverty schools are reading "below basic" levels on the National Assessment of Educational Progress tests.

* Since 1983, over 10 million public school students have reached the 12th grade level without learning to read at the basic level.

* Since 1983, more than 20 million students have reached the 12th grade unable to do basic math.

* Since 1983, more than 25 million students have reached the 12th grade not knowing the essentials of U.S. history.

* In 1995, nearly 30% of first-time college freshmen enrolled in at least one remedial course to compensate for a sub-standard high school education.

"Look at the track record," said Dasbach. "More funding has been tried. It failed. Smaller classes have been tried. They failed. Higher-priced teachers have been tried. They failed. More educational bureaucrats have been tried. They failed. "In fact, the only thing we haven't tried yet is freedom: The freedom of parents to use their own money to send their children to the non-profit, religious, or private school of their choice -- non-government schools that effectively teach the values parents want," he said. "It's something that George W. Bush and other Republicans don't seem to understand: Freedom and responsibility are a prerequisite for morality, respect, and character. So why don't we try it in education?" Source: http://www.libertarianrock.com/topics/school/ten_posts_of_failure.html

Andrew Jackson comments on the economic crisis and ending the Fed

2008-10-19T09:52:00.001-04:00

Andrew Jackson comments on the economic crisis and ending the Fed Posted by Matt Hawes on 10/17/08Well, not quite, but the warnings against the paper money system made in his 1837 farewell address can be directly transferred to our day."The distress and sufferings inflicted on the people by the bank are some of the fruits of that system of policy which is continually striving to enlarge the authority of the Federal Government beyond the limits fixed by the Constitution. The powers enumerated in that instrument do not confer on Congress the right to establish such a corporation as the Bank of the United States, and the evil consequences which followed may warn us of the danger of departing from the true rule of construction and of permitting temporary circumstances or the hope of better promoting the public welfare to influence in any degree our decisions upon the extent of the authority of the General Government. Let us abide by the Constitution as it is written, or amend it in the constitutional mode if it is found to be defective....""The paper-money system and its natural associations--monopoly and exclusive privileges--have already struck their roots too deep in the soil, and it will require all your efforts to check its further growth and to eradicate the evil. The men who profit by the abuses and desire to perpetuate them will continue to besiege the halls of legislation in the General Government as well as in the States, and will seek by every artifice to mislead and deceive the public servants. It is to yourselves that you must look for safety and the means of guarding and perpetuating your free institutions. In your hands is rightfully placed the sovereignty of the country, and to you everyone placed in authority is ultimately responsible."An ominous task nowadays to be sure, but one which Jackson was confident the people could win if they stuck at it."But it will require steady and persevering exertions on your part to rid yourselves of the iniquities and mischiefs of the paper system and to check the spirit of monopoly and other abuses which have sprung up with it, and of which it is the main support. So many interests are united to resist all reform on this subject that you must not hope the conflict will be a short one nor success easy. My humble efforts have not been spared during my administration of the Government to restore the constitutional currency of gold and silver, and something, I trust, has been done toward the accomplishment of this most desirable object; but enough yet remains to require all your energy and perseverance. The power, however, is in your hands, and the remedy must and will be applied if you determine upon it."There are two main courses of action to take. First, we must educate ourselves so that we can not only articulate sound economics, but also adequately combat the pro-fiat arguments. Second, we must spread the word. One great step toward that second goal would be to forward around Dr. Paul's CNN interview from earlier this morning to your friends and family.(Source for Jackson's Address: http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LnByZXNpZGVuY3kudWNzYi5lZHUvd3MvaW5kZXgucGhwP3BpZD02NzA4Nw==)

our bad day

2008-10-18T22:56:00.003-04:00

yesterday was a bad day! the company hubby was working for went under, no job for hubby. on the way to get a replacement driver's licenses for me (my purse was stolen) our only running vehicle broken down (over a $200.00 part to fix it) and we had to have it towed home (more money spent we don't really have). so it was a bad day........ but it got worse. i thought our eldest son was out helping his dad in the garage, but he wasn't. he was "helping" me paint the mud room. here's how he did..... well here is the update picture. ike has to help clean up the mess he made.... so here he is scrapping paint.

Real ID

2008-10-14T09:25:00.002-04:00

terry lynn land has made an agreement with the homeland security department on the new michigan enhanced driver's license, which will be available in the spring. for the moment this will be optional, but if you want to travel out of the country to canada or mexico you will need this or a passport.

very scary thought that my state is going along with this, since there is an opt out option. there are state leaders who oppose this due to privacy issues. i am going to look into this more and see if there is anything i can do. i will not be getting this license, eventually, if all goes as planned, the borders will be opened up by the NAU anyhow......very sad and scary.

mother's for liberty meet and greet

2008-10-12T11:06:00.003-04:00

the first meeting of the west michigan mother's for liberty went very well. three members sat and had a great conversations over coffee. we discussed the mother's institute, the mother's for liberty and the direction of the group. i am in the process of planning the next meeting, i think i may be beginning sewing. how cool.

Our first eggs!!!

2008-10-08T10:01:00.003-04:00

well here they are.....our first eggs!! we are very excited 1) because we have our own eggs 2) we found them in the nest boxes! the blue one is from josh's chick, she's an easter egger (our only one), the other, i think, is from one of the rhode island reds. they are little now, but that's the way the girls start out!

home from the conference!

2008-10-02T08:14:00.005-04:00

well the first annual mother's for liberty midwest conference was a success!! i had tons of fun with all the like minded mamas.

left to right robin, ruth, leslie, karin, jan, leanna, patty, jennifer, aimee and andrea.

there were disscussions about what brought us to the conference, the thomas jefferson education (which i am very excited about), running for office, the mother's institute and soapmaking. i was a very good time and it was nice to finally meet these ladies in person.

this is the soap i made at the conference! it is very nice, very bubbly!

mothers for liberty mid west conference

2008-09-25T08:20:00.005-04:00

the mothers for liberty midwest conference is this weekend! i am going and demonstrating soapmaking with my mom. i've been busy all week trying to get ready, but i'm sure i'll forget something.

if you happen to be in the area, stop by and check it out, here is the info

What: Midwest Mothers for Liberty Conference

When: Saturday, September 27, 2008

Where: Senior Citizen Center 616 W. Jackson, Vandalia, IL

Theme: "Radical Responsible Mothering ... From Soap Making to Soap Boxes"

when i return home, i will post how the conference went!

our veggie garden, beginning to end

2008-09-18T10:31:00.004-04:00

well this was the first year for a garden. it did pretty good this year, but we will be working on the soil and hopefully it will do better next year. we got zucchini, acorn squash (they were just little), butternut squash and pumpkins. the corn didn't do any thing, neither did the eggplant. we got lots of banana pepper and hot peppers. i could've swore that i planted green peppers but none showed up. the cucumbers went crazy in the garden, i've canned just about every kind of pickle, i swear.

we did get a few green beans, enough for dilly green beans and a few quarts canned. the black beans and lima beans are more work than they are worth and would take a huge amount of the garden to get enough to last more than one dinner. we did get a crop of mutant carrots. darn hard soil. lol we started our garden in the house when it was still pretty chilly out. luckily we have nice wide window sills =)

when it warmed up a little we put up this homemade greenhouse. it is made from the frame of a portable car cover and some clear plastic. it worked well, except for the fact the wind like to "play" with it. next year we will be putting it up against the house. hopefully this will help with the wind problem and maybe help heat it too. (our house is dark brown right now, on the south side the walls get fairly warm)

we did cover our garden area with tarp to try and help kill off the grass. it didn't work very well. when we expand we will just till up what is there.

this is the garden growing mid summer. we have a deer fence around it and haven't had any problem with wild visitors (except for the free range chickens). the garden will be bigger next year. this is a picture of the herb (medicinal and culinary) garden on the berm. i planted it and harvested a little, but i want to let the plants get established before i do lots of harvesting and drying.

chicken coop upgrade

2008-09-08T10:47:00.004-04:00

the nesting boxes have been added to the coop. we don't have any nesting material yet, but at least they're in. soon the girls should be laying and fresh eggs will be ours. the rooster has been harassing them alot lately, so maybe we'll have chicks =) this is the inside of the coop, the roost where the chickens sleep.

i raked the chicken yard. got all the yuckus into a pile to go to the bonfire pit. the chickens went right in and spread that stuff all over the minute i walked away......

naughty naughty chickens.

so tomorrow i will be out there again to rake up. i plan on moving a little faster this time.

here is the chicken coop before it was painted. we got it free off of craig's list, of courrse it was in holland, which is quite a drive from here. but it was cheaper than buying a new one. lol

compost bin

2008-09-08T10:44:00.002-04:00

well we "up graded" out compost. it use to be just a hole in the ground out in the wood line by the barn, but not any more! Hubby found some branches out in the woods and made a small frame. we have two sides to it now, accepting compost, making compost. it looks a lot better than it did, i really like it. it's rustic but it will work.

yard clean up

2008-09-08T10:33:00.002-04:00

so yesterday hubby and i decided to do some clean up in the yard. we had a tree that had bunches of branches that fell, yet still hung in the tree. very dangerous, i know.

so my hubby shimmied up the tree and cut the brunches down! while he was doing that i found a bee home in the ground! we had to move to a different area for a while.

we do have a pile of wood also that needs to be cut up and stacked.

we did get some done, but unfortunately the chain on the chainsaw was dull! after a while it just gave up. oh well, we'll be out there working again soon =)

pickled tomatoes

2008-09-08T10:30:00.003-04:00

we had tons of small green tomatoes this year! so i thought i would try and can them...

so in another 4-6 weeks i'll let everyone know how they turned out!

my shield

2008-09-02T08:38:00.000-04:00

My shield in the war to protect my family Recently my hubby was asked if he thought I would be interested in having some of my photography in a guerilla art show. His response was “I doubt it; she hasn’t done photography in a few years. Maybe if you let her put aprons in she would.” (Aprons are my “thing” right now) the girl then replied, “You’re a chauvinist”. He said “No she just likes aprons”. After he told me about this conversation, we had a little chat. We discussed that although I do have a few things in common with this girl, whole food cooking, crocheting, soap making, non vaccinating. We do them for different reasons. I do all these things for the family. We are trying to get back to the older family values, trying to be self sufficient, to be healthier. I see no problems with my role as caretaker of the home and the family. I don’t see my hubby as a chauvinist by being the bread winner. I don’t view my apron as scarlet letter. I view my apron as a shield in defending the values we hold. When I wear my aprons it lets people know who I am (a mom) and where I stand (at the homestead). It lets people know that we are a “traditional” family where one parent is home at all times taking care of the things there. There is always someone on call, so to speak. I find it very discouraging to think that another mom (she has children, they just don’t live with her) would think that because I stay at home and wear an apron I am some how suppressed/oppressed by this. It is totally the opposite. I feel freeier knowing that I am doing what my hubby and I feel is best for our family. We are not rich people, we sacrifice to live this way, but it’s our way and we wouldn’t change a thing. My apron is a shield not a scarlet letter!

here we are

2008-09-02T08:27:00.003-04:00

well lots has going on lately, when it rains it pours. i am in the mists of starting a homeschool group in my area, very exciting! hope it all goes well, it would be nice to have support in this area. i have to get on the canning, the garden is coming to an end and i need to pick the last of the veggies it will bear. tomatoes, any squashes left and the vast amount of cucumbers i continue to get from it. i will be supplementing our bounty with veggies from the farmers market. not everything grew well this year. i have been sewing up a storm, i am trading aprons for jewelry. getting a little christmas "shopping" done. i will be demonstrating soapmaking on the 17th at the mothers institute conference in Illinois, very exciting, but i need to get some soap made! i also am making up a pattern for an apron to give away there in line with the apron revolution, very very cool. we will be starting a more structured line of homeschooling for ike soon. just because the time of year will call for it. we are looking into getting him started in wrestling and into the 4h. he really wants to show boogie woogie at the fair! we are also looking for a piano teacher. hubby and his fellow musicians will be doing a show at a coffee house in gr on the 12th. he's very excited! i won't be able to go though. some one has to stay with the boys :)

soap making *

2008-08-28T17:30:00.005-04:00

i make my own soap. we use it for everything from cleaning our bodies to cleaning our clothes, even our dishes. it's the best soap i have ever used and i will not go back to the detergents found in the stores. well here is how i do it. i get beef suet from the local meat market where i purchase all our meats. then i render it and make tallow. i cut the suet up into pieces, put them in a pot and add some water (about 2-4 inches). then it is brought to a boil and let boil for about half an hour. i do squish it, while it's boiling, with my potato masher to get all the good fat out. the boiling separates the grizzle and sinew and such from the fat. once it's done boiling i use a colander and strain it into a container and put it in the frig over night. the next morning i drain the water from the bottom of the container and take the solid piece of tallow and boil it done again. in the frig it goes for the night. the next morning i drain the water again. at this point the tallow can go in the freezer for future use. i get my soapbox ready by lining it with parchment paper. my hubby made me the boxes, isn't he sweet? when i am ready to make soap i get the tallow out and weigh it. once i have the weight i can do some math and get the amount of lye and water that i need. *note: lye is a caustic material and needs to be handled properly!! wear gloves and protective eye wear when working with lye.* the tallow goes into a pot and it melted down to a liquid. i mix the water and lye together in the sink. the lye & water mixture does give off heat. when the tallow is melted i add the lye to the melted tallow. over a low heat i stir and stir until i get trailings, which is like pudding sitting up on itself. then i pour the soap into a prepared soapbox to let it cool and solidify. if i get go soapy bubbles when cleaning out the pot and when i stick my hands in and i doesn't sting then i know i have a good batch of soap. after about 24 hours i remove the soap from the box and let it finish curing on a rack. this is about 3.5 lbs. of soap.

* note: this is NOT a tutorial, just the steps i take to make the soap for my family. if you are interested in making your own soap please get a good book or find a reliable online site with explicit directions on the process.

apron revolution

2008-08-21T09:06:00.003-04:00

Apron revolution

I wear an apron everyday. Yes everyday. They are a wonderful utilitarian tool. They are what I wipe my dirty hands on, they protect my clothes for spills while cooking, they have very handy pockets, and if I have to change the baby they provide a prefect place to lay them down (take it off of course). There are a multitude of uses for them. They are also very cute. They come in many styles, colors, patterns. And they are very easy to make. I can make one in an afternoon. While these are all very good reasons to wear an apron, I also wear one as a symbol. One that says no to the government trying to break up my family. I wear one to say, I cook a meal every night, I am at home so my children do not have to be under the care of another, I provide all the care that a parent should. I do not need the government to educate my children, I don not need a licensed daycare, I do not need an after school program. I am responsible for my family. I cook, I clean, I mend, I bake, I can, I garden, and I sew. I do not feed my family preservative filled foods, I do not let the TV entertain us, and I do not clean my home or my family, with chemicals. I am not on any government program. I wear an apron to symbolize the fact that I will not let the government break up my family, this is my family and I will take care of it. I will not let the government step in; big brother is not welcome to look over my shoulder. I wear an apron, not only because they are useful, but also to say “I am the caretaker of my family and home, and I am proud.”

garden

2008-07-31T16:48:00.004-04:00

well we have been pulling TONS of cucumbers out of the garden. we are going to have SOOOO many pickles. the calendula is doing very well too, i have lots of it drying in the kitchen and dining room. i picked 2 cabbages out of the garden and i'm attempting to make sauerkraut, man is it going to be stinky around here for a while! oh well it'll be good when it is done. there are butternut squashes, acorn squashes, pumpkins and watermelons all growing in the garden yummy. i went to the farmers market here in town and met a couple who run a chemical free farm just down the road. very cool. we may stop by for a visit and get some veggies to can. next year we definitely need to expand our garden. good thing this year was the "learning" year. we started our first year of homeschool this week. it's going well. i think bubby really likes it. he is very smart and very interested.

mama cloth

2008-07-29T07:20:00.002-04:00

well, i'm gonna do it. I've made one already. and here it is...

i made it from a pattern i found at Many Moons Alternatives website. i made it from a receiving blanket. Man it was so easy to make. now all i have to do is wash them then try them out. i've heard they are suppose to reduce the number of yeast infections (i've never had any until i had kids, weird.) well i have to make some more, i have lots of receiving blankets. i will also be making more diapers out of them since jelly bean is out growing some of his.

no 'poo revolution

2008-07-25T14:18:00.002-04:00

i have been shampoo and conditioner free for 3 months now. i LOVE it. my hair has never seemed so healthy and shiny and full and strong before. i have been "washing" it with baking soda and using a chamomile lemon juice and vinegar rinse afterward. it's great, i will never go back. if you would like to know more just ask.

aprons

2008-07-25T13:23:00.003-04:00

just thought i would post a picture of some of my working aprons. these are some of the ones in the weekly rotation. yes i wear an apron everyday.

what should i make??

2008-07-24T21:13:00.003-04:00

well i need another apron. yes yes i do. the ones i wear now just do not have enough pockets! i saw one somewhere and it had lots of big deep pockets and man did i want it! so i'm sitting here thinking (after getting teething jelly bean to finally go to sleep, what a way to relax think about aprons), so i was thinking i can make one, yes sirree i can and i will. keep checking at the remix projects to see how i'm doing on it. i'll post the work pictures there. wish me luck!

Bread

2008-07-23T09:38:00.002-04:00

yesterday i made bread. there is nothing like the smell of homemade bread filling the house. i made just plain white this time (i usually make egg bread) and it was very good.

i was busy yesterday, i also made pickles and pickled some zukes. i've never done either before so hopefully they turn out yummy good. we'll see in 4-6 weeks......

home made diapers

2008-07-23T08:42:00.002-04:00

this is a test from my photobucket account. these are some of the homemade diapers i made. aren't they cute?

world without cancer

2008-07-22T16:28:00.002-04:00

how amazing. what if there never had to be cancer again. that would be great and so very sad at the same time, my very favorite gramma died of cancer......*wiping a tear*, if a change in diet and vitamin supplement was all it would've took. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4312930190281243507

sheet skirt

2008-07-22T11:27:00.002-04:00

well, this is the skirt i made from a sheet and an old t-shirt. very cool and comfy. it was really easy and it only took me like an hour to make. i got the idea off of a forum, there are some very creative people out there. i just love the idea of reusing or "upcycling" stuff.

ok here we go....

2008-07-22T10:05:00.000-04:00

well we are going to try out this blog thing. we are trying to live as simply as possible and this will be the place to keep track of our adventures. i will probably be the main (if not only) writer to this blog. i'm leslilli, i have been married for 7 years to my hubby and we have 2 boys, bubby (4years) and jelly bean (11.5 months). we also have 2 dogs, brutus (7, a pug) and vera (3 months, border collie). we also have a flock of naughty chickens known as "the girls". this is the first year for us in our red door home, we have a veggie garden, it's full of weeds but i am still getting tons of veggies out of it. next year the plans are for a much bigger garden, i didn't seem to make it big enough to can things too. good thing we have lots of goods farmers markets in the area. i have been making lots of jam, bubby, jelly and i have been going to u-picks for strawberries , red raspberries, and blueberries. at the end of the week it will be black raspberries hopefully.....mmmmm homemade jam.