BarredBuff's Homesteading Shenanigans

[BarredBuff]

I have been very busy this week with work, and working at home!

Some of my tomatoes are coming up really. They are much bigger now, and will be transplanted early next week. I am still holding out on some of my tasty heirloom to pop up. On the bright side, my canning tomatoes came up great. I did have to fix a makeshift greenhouse in my greenhouse to get them to germinate. Clear plastic and an electric blanket made them pop right up.

My chicks came in and are doing great! Plenty of new biddies to lay eggs and make manure for my garden!!!

My raised beds are coming along well too. I have six built and need to finish two or three more. '

I have also been hauling manure like crazy!! Tonight, I even got the plastic laid down for my brassica crops in the old chicken run. I'll be planting them next week...

Hope everyone is having a great week!

 

[BarredBuff]

One of my raised beds with white and yellow onions and broccoli at the end. Still have another bed of onions to do once I can get more soil.

Carrot bed with cabbage at the end. Need to do another carrot bed once I get the second load of soil.

My concrete block raised bed. I planted green onions, spinach and lettuce in it tonight. Not a big quantity, but should be enough to eat on.

My cabbage and broccoli patch in the main garden. Only one plant did not make it. I think the gander stepped on it. I do have some that have a purple tinge on their leaves since they have been set out. I think it is probably stress.

My seedlings are coming along nicely.

My garden is looking good so far. Potatoes are sprouting under the soil. I expect they will be up in a few days.

"I cannot bring them back, but I can go to them" This is a line in an old gospel song I heard on Sunday, and it has just blessed me so well. Has anyone ever heard this song before? Its an old mountain song I think. I know a few dear friends that will soon be going home to heaven. It's a joy to know that I might not be able to keep them here, but one day I'll make that journey too. Cancer is an ugly, ugly disease. A dying saint is a joy and sorrow at once. You're happy they are finally getting to rest with Jesus, yet you mis them and wish they were back with you. Once again, "I cannot bring them back, but I can go to them".

 

[BarredBuff]

Well, considering this will likely be our safest form of socializing over the next few months, I am going to try to journal again. I've been terrible at it over the years, but now we all have time to enjoy it. I've been working the last few days to get ready for Spring, and with more urgency than usual. We really don't know what the future holds just yet with the current events going on now. However, while I was still able I have gotten all of the necessities to start gardening hardcore when the weather clears up.

As of this evening, I have got my seed potatoes and onion sets to set out as soon as it dries out enough to disc and then till the garden. I'm stocked on pest management supplies, and fertilizers. My Broccoli and Cabbage is coming up in the Greenhouse.

I stocked up all of the feed I will need for next few months. I have a batch of broilers that shipped today and will arrive on Wednesday. I have also brought back a few rabbits to breed later and to help provide manure too. They're young now, but will make some nice animals to breed in a couple of months.

On Sunday, we continued with our regular worship service. I don't know how long that will continue, but we did have church on Sunday. I was able to preach a message from this passage:

Acts 17:23-28

23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, To The Unknown God. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.

24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;

25 Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;

26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;

27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

There are several applications from this scripture, but probably the best for this present or any time are these three:

1. God is sovereign (reigning over and around everything) in all situations. (v. 24)
2. God is ultimately self-sufficient. (v. 25)
3. God has foreknew all that would ever happen in our lives. (v. 26)
4. God is not far from us, and ever present and knows our every need. (v. 27)
5. God is the sustainer, and giver of our lives. (v. 28)

A week ago today, I was at a funeral for a friend's mother. Never would have I imagined the world a week would create, but God did. God knew about it, and knows the ends of it. As we continue through a time of uncertainty, know that in the throne room of heaven, God is in control. It's good to prepare and be wise with our resources, but God is the one that must bless it to bring to fruition. I feel like we each have a duty to do our best for our families while being generous and loving to all. I am a worrier by nature, and times like these I must myself repent and look back and say "God, all of this is under your control. Give me faith to trust you in the hard times too."

"The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee.: The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace." Numbers 6:24-26

God bless you all!!

 

[Britesea]

Yes, we are social animals, and quarantine is hard on people. Cabin fever is a very real thing. When we pick up our mail, we always see a few of our friends and have a nice talkfest-- while standing 6 feet apart.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Wow - great to see you! Sounds like you have been busy and accomplishing great things! Hope you hang around or at least pop in and saw howdy on occasion. Hope that gal comes around for ya!

 

[BarredBuff]

I hope maybe I can hang around here! I miss the homesteading life!! I can't wait to get back to it.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

You will - things will all fall into place someday and you'll get back to your roots!

 

[sumi]

That's great advice and it is that simple. Very important bit: be true to yourself. Stay "you" Give it time, let things unfold and go with it. I hope it will work out for you!

 

[BarredBuff]

Just finished my second day of work. I have missed being here. I work at a youth camp a few hours away from home, and we are busy getting ready for the summer. I've spent the last few days laying tile, moving and re-installing AC units, and we trimmed some trees earlier. It's been good to be doing some manual labor as opposed to the mental labor at school. It wears me out!

So, tomorrow we start the main landscaping jobs and we will begin to prune, and plant. I'll be in my element! We also welcomed some of my friends in tonight for those that'll be joining our staff team this summer. It was good to see them again.

Hopefully, my first coke order will come in tomorrow and we can get the machines stocked. My job once campers arrive is to maintain the camp store, and sell merchandise. So, the prep for that starts tomorrow as well. Coke machines are awful by the way. When 400 people use them a week with hot, and humid days--they malfunction all the time. I run myself ragged fixing them last year.

I love being here, but I do miss home. I talked to Mom earlier, and we have a black snake residing in the chicken house now. I think it kind of scared her. I'm actually relieved that we still have black snakes around. I haven't seen one in years.

My sister also stole the show for the athletic awards tonight. She got all of the athletic genes, and I think I got the personality . Well, the good looks for sure...

I just finished my reading for the night, and I guess I'll hit the hay. I'm tired, and I think I'm working on a headache. If you're a praying person, I'd appreciate your prayers tonight--the Lord knows all about it.

Hope everyone has a wonderful day tomorrow!

 

[Mini Horses]

Sounds like a GREAT summer job! Hey, maybe you could find a spot to plant a few veggie plants -- teach the kids all about horticulture, benefits of fresh, share the produce and pretend it's just for them. Do enjoy the summer.

You can always live your farm life here until the real thing can happen again for you. We are, after all, a group of enablers.
If you were near me I'd let you plow, plant, milk, clean, cook and enjoy it all...like every grandma!