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FarmerDenise
Out to pasture
k0xxx, yup, that is the one I remember.
What influenced you on your path to self sufficiency?
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- Start date
delia_peterson
Covered in Compost
Well, after reading some of the posts on here I decided to share...I was raised mostly in foster homes and sometimes a relative or two. My Mom had decided drinking and partying was more her style.
When I got married young (16) and had two great kids who are 34 and 30 yrs old now, both married (thank you God!
) -I am not any more, which is overall a good thing, lol!
I have lived on two acres for a long time and it seemed I was always working and trying to keep up with the Jones....then Hurricane Ike happened and well, lets just say my yard got landscaped the natural way.
Everything was gone. So I decided to do some soul searching and realized I wanted to live the SS way- I had wanted to forever but something always came up..had to have that new car, take that vacation. Well, now I have a small trailer untill I decide what to build. A small garden which is definitely going to be bigger next planting season, 4 laying hens and a rooster. And 2 dogs and 2 cats. LOL! My friends and neighbors think I am odd, but thats ok because I am doing something for myself and the planet. I have already made my laundry soap from a recipe on here, researched compost posts, goats and adding to my little flockof chicks. I traded in my car for a used one-so no car payments, no longer have cable-just my converter box for local channels. And am learning to can and freeze and be very frugal. And I know I am going to make the most of these two acres and be SS!
Just today my neighbor's daughter and her girlfriend (12 yrs old) came over as they love the chicks! And the chicks love them! and they saw the soap I had done for the laundry...long story short...they got on this site and found the liquid handsoap recipe and we made that!! So they took that home along with some laundry soap and both their moms called for more information about it! So I am not just improving myself but hopefully others along the way.
I love this new way of life. Knowing that I planted that garden, I cleared that plot gives me such a feeling of accomplishment!
And now this site with all of you is like family, lol I am even going to make catfood this weekend!
Sorry I rambled, but there it is.
When I got married young (16) and had two great kids who are 34 and 30 yrs old now, both married (thank you God!
) -I am not any more, which is overall a good thing, lol!I have lived on two acres for a long time and it seemed I was always working and trying to keep up with the Jones....then Hurricane Ike happened and well, lets just say my yard got landscaped the natural way.
Everything was gone. So I decided to do some soul searching and realized I wanted to live the SS way- I had wanted to forever but something always came up..had to have that new car, take that vacation. Well, now I have a small trailer untill I decide what to build. A small garden which is definitely going to be bigger next planting season, 4 laying hens and a rooster. And 2 dogs and 2 cats. LOL! My friends and neighbors think I am odd, but thats ok because I am doing something for myself and the planet. I have already made my laundry soap from a recipe on here, researched compost posts, goats and adding to my little flockof chicks. I traded in my car for a used one-so no car payments, no longer have cable-just my converter box for local channels. And am learning to can and freeze and be very frugal. And I know I am going to make the most of these two acres and be SS! Just today my neighbor's daughter and her girlfriend (12 yrs old) came over as they love the chicks! And the chicks love them! and they saw the soap I had done for the laundry...long story short...they got on this site and found the liquid handsoap recipe and we made that!! So they took that home along with some laundry soap and both their moms called for more information about it! So I am not just improving myself but hopefully others along the way.
I love this new way of life. Knowing that I planted that garden, I cleared that plot gives me such a feeling of accomplishment!
And now this site with all of you is like family, lol I am even going to make catfood this weekend!
Sorry I rambled, but there it is.
Beekissed
Mountain Sage
That is a great story! 
I like the ramblings...they are the mortar in the wall of our forum. 
I like the ramblings...they are the mortar in the wall of our forum. me&thegals
A Major Squash & Pumpkin Lover
delia_peterson--What a delightful story! Welcome to Sufficient Self. How amazing that you have already won some young converts
ETA: My own path has been changing every year. My family was moderately self-sufficient with large gardens and fruit bushes, hunted venison that we processed ourselves, low electric and water usage, infrequent and modest vacations.
Then, college left me impoverished and showed me how to live on even less.
After marrying a farmer and moving to the country, it was simply fun and satisfying to be as self sufficient as possible. Our low income also made it very practical. I guess it was necessary, but it is so much fun that it's hard to see it that way. We are fortunate to have many wild edibles that I can find for us to eat and enough land for pastured chickens, turkeys and meat birds, bee hives, large gardens, fruit trees and bushes.
The only "thing" I really care about is having land and using it well. That makes a perfect fit with self sufficiency. I find it very satisfying to take this land, plant it full of food for my family and the wildlife, beautify it or enjoy its own natural beauty, work hard, enjoy the simple and breathtaking beauties of nature and this simple life.
ETA: My own path has been changing every year. My family was moderately self-sufficient with large gardens and fruit bushes, hunted venison that we processed ourselves, low electric and water usage, infrequent and modest vacations.
Then, college left me impoverished and showed me how to live on even less.
After marrying a farmer and moving to the country, it was simply fun and satisfying to be as self sufficient as possible. Our low income also made it very practical. I guess it was necessary, but it is so much fun that it's hard to see it that way. We are fortunate to have many wild edibles that I can find for us to eat and enough land for pastured chickens, turkeys and meat birds, bee hives, large gardens, fruit trees and bushes.
The only "thing" I really care about is having land and using it well. That makes a perfect fit with self sufficiency. I find it very satisfying to take this land, plant it full of food for my family and the wildlife, beautify it or enjoy its own natural beauty, work hard, enjoy the simple and breathtaking beauties of nature and this simple life.
- Thread starter
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FarmerDenise
Out to pasture
delia_peterson, I'm so glad you joined us here. 
angelib1
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For me it was growing up in poverty, and not knowing it. My mom could and can make any thing out of nothing, she's amazing. And, she made every S.S. job fun, Shoveling manure=digging for treasure, picking veg.=pirates hauling in our loot, foraging= indians scouting for buffalo, etc. She also told really good stories. We made moccasins, jingle dresses ( out of old wool blankets and soda cans she found) and then we did indian dances with oatmeal can drums.
Also she read to us every winter (little house in the big woods). I wanted to be a mountain man when I grew up. But some well meaning jerk told me I couldn't because I was a girl not a man, burst my bubble. so I'm doing the next best thing.
Also she read to us every winter (little house in the big woods). I wanted to be a mountain man when I grew up. But some well meaning jerk told me I couldn't because I was a girl not a man, burst my bubble. so I'm doing the next best thing.
delia_peterson: congratulations on your converts! And welcome.
I grew up with a VERY frugal father who had grown up in a family of 11 kids with no real money. My grandmother was an amazing lady who did everything from scratch, or didn't do it. I grew up with sufficient everything, but I looked at what my grandmother did and wanted to do it, too. I love the feeling that I am taking less from the earth, living less in the "corporate" modern world of factory farming animals and plants and shipping basic necessities thousands of miles (did you know we buy powdered milk from China while our milk farmers are going broke?).
I was taught to crochet in third grade by our next door neighbor. I loved that I could take a string and make it something. A new obsession was born.
I also have had nightmares about scrambling to take care of my SO and myself if TSHTF.
The more self-sufficient I do, the more I want to learn. I am going to take two weekend basket weaving classes at a local place in August. You start with a woven pencil holder, and graduate with a Shaker apple basket.
I grew up with a VERY frugal father who had grown up in a family of 11 kids with no real money. My grandmother was an amazing lady who did everything from scratch, or didn't do it. I grew up with sufficient everything, but I looked at what my grandmother did and wanted to do it, too. I love the feeling that I am taking less from the earth, living less in the "corporate" modern world of factory farming animals and plants and shipping basic necessities thousands of miles (did you know we buy powdered milk from China while our milk farmers are going broke?).
I was taught to crochet in third grade by our next door neighbor. I loved that I could take a string and make it something. A new obsession was born.
I also have had nightmares about scrambling to take care of my SO and myself if TSHTF.
The more self-sufficient I do, the more I want to learn. I am going to take two weekend basket weaving classes at a local place in August. You start with a woven pencil holder, and graduate with a Shaker apple basket.
delia_peterson
Covered in Compost
Thanks for the welcome! I am amazed at how I can live frugally...and I used to be the person who got her nails done every week, lol! I love cooking from scratch and also just sitting on my porch reading about things I can do SS...then doing them!
One of my neighbors texted my DD last week(who lives in Louisianna) and asked her if she knew her mother was running around with a broom in her front yard....and my DD texted back that if he would look a little closer he would see I was chasing my chickens!
I kinda feel bad for some of my friends who are always running and not enjoying their life.... I mean they are running every weekend to clubs and bars ....and not enjoying themselves-always looking for Mr. Right! LOL!!
I know now that if I am meant to be with someone I have faith that the Good Lord will have him bump into me at the feedstore! lol!
One of my neighbors texted my DD last week(who lives in Louisianna) and asked her if she knew her mother was running around with a broom in her front yard....and my DD texted back that if he would look a little closer he would see I was chasing my chickens!
I kinda feel bad for some of my friends who are always running and not enjoying their life.... I mean they are running every weekend to clubs and bars ....and not enjoying themselves-always looking for Mr. Right! LOL!!
I know now that if I am meant to be with someone I have faith that the Good Lord will have him bump into me at the feedstore! lol!
Dace
Revolution in Progress
For me it was really a combination of naturally being pretty frugal, finding
http://www.pathtofreedom.com/ and a peak oil web site and the decline of our business (meaning going broke!)
I am no where near where I would like to be but I try to make the most of what I have, tread lightly on the earth and not want. The not wanting I am pretty good at it is the providing portion of SS that is a challenge for me. I am learning learning learning!
Part of my struggle is that we are renting, but we are looking for something permenent as well as trying to make this current place permanent...but as I have been taught here by all these lovely folk, I will try to bloom where I am planted
http://www.pathtofreedom.com/ and a peak oil web site and the decline of our business (meaning going broke!)
I am no where near where I would like to be but I try to make the most of what I have, tread lightly on the earth and not want. The not wanting I am pretty good at
it is the providing portion of SS that is a challenge for me. I am learning learning learning!Part of my struggle is that we are renting, but we are looking for something permenent as well as trying to make this current place permanent...but as I have been taught here by all these lovely folk, I will try to bloom where I am planted
Beekissed
Mountain Sage
Excellent!
I feel exactly the same way! 
Until then I will ride my broom in my front yard whenever I please! Er...um...I meant "wave" my broom.....
