afarmsteadpilgrimage.blogspot.com/

2011-12-12T00:46:00.000-08:00

Season's Greetings Family and Friends!

I hope this note finds you all doing well. I'm sorry for such a long absence from posting. We are still here. Still keeping hope in our original plan. It certainly has been a continuous learning trail for us this past year. Some of it hard to readily accept, but we have managed through relying heavily on the Lord. If there is one thing I have learned, it is that the difficulties we have faced are just stepping stones for what He is preparing us for. In each situation, we are able to take from it, and strengthen our thoughts and character from it. In the beginning, I did not understand a lot of what was happening. I was hurt and confused at why the Lord would allow these situations to arise. Now, looking back, I see He is prepping us for who He wants us to be, not what we want to become. That probably sounds confusing, but possibly later, I'll be able to explain further.

2011, Comfrey
Started from Seed
I WAS completely Amazed, to say the least!

NOTE: Don't use 1st year
Comfrey leaves or roots for anything!
Cut first growth back and compost,
as these leaves contain
paralyzing alkaloids.

There is so much to tell you about, that which we have been up to. I know I'll never be able to share it all with you. I will tell you however, that I have come to a very strong conviction, to live my life, so very alternatively from mainstream society ways. Years ago, I would have never thought this to be so. I praise the Lord for the strength in breaking the chains, the vision He placed upon our hearts, and setting us free. Know that He does answer prayers in His timing, but maybe not exactly how we think they should be answered. His ways are actually beyond our understanding at certain times.

2011, Summer Cutting Garden.
Zinnia's, Status, Dyer's Chrysanthemum, Bachelor Buttons, Aster's, Marigolds, Holly Hocks, and many others.

Our harvest of fruits and vegetables was good, but lean. Though, exactly what we will need for the winter season sustenance. Gosh, we even harvested seven pounds of sweet corn.

Our Sweet Corn
Who knew corn grew in cool conditions?

This year, I learned that I cannot judge what a harvest will be like, based on the weather and what I wear during the summer growing season here: a winter hat, winter coat with two long sleeve shirts.

2011 Sweet Corn
Waiting for blanching, then cut off cob, and freeze.

Corn still can be had! (grin)

Fall harvest 2011
Just before the first hard killing freeze.
Finally, my third year attempt. I finally 'get it' how to grow status here.

My schooling is coming along slowly it seems, but I'm definitely 'getting it'! And I'm seriously LOVING it! Praises to God! I have a final test coming up soon. I can't wait to be done with this level.

Late Fall Hike
October, 2011
Wilderness Blueberries were perfectly ripe!

In the last two years, we have had a lot of new people move down our one lane road. All have turned out to be very nice people. That is a blessing! It was strange to have such friendly people around, after living here 13 years with complete opposite people.

Late October, 2011 hike.
New area we hiked several times this summer.
It's my new favorite piece of heaven.
Photo of hubby.. almost on top of the world.

One couple in their late 60's, purchased horses after they moved in. To be exact, they purchased 5 different horses and leased one, over a period of 1 1/2 years, trying to find a good match for them selves. Unfortunately, it is not easy to just go out into the horse market and find a good match. Not all sellers tell the truth about the horse, especially now, people are desperate to sell their horses, as it is so expensive to feed them. (In our area, we have paid $18 a bale. Sheesh! We bought it once, because we had to.) During this entire time period, they have been gracious to us, by letting us take their manure for our compost. What a blessing!

Hubby would talk with them whenever they were outside, but he never mentioned that we knew anything about horses, nor that we had owned them previously. He did not want to commit me to something I had no desire to be involved with. As we got to know them a bit more, I mentioned my background with horses. Well that was the beginning of endless questioning of "When do you want to ride?" For one and a half years, I continued to put them off, giving legitimate excuses for not accepting the invitation. Looking back, I was afraid if I accepted their invite, I would have to face the reality of what I had lost. For me, it was better to just 'remember' the past with horses. They were my whole life, years ago. Finally, the beginning of July, I felt the nudge of the Holy Spirit, and accepted. I have not regretted one precious moment!

Driving up mountain for late Fall, 2011 hike.

After 12 years of being out of the saddle, I was so extremely nervous, very fearful of facing the reality of how much of my horsemanship skills I had lost. My first step into the stirrup after such a long absence, felt like I was being interviewed for a new job. My palms were sweaty, and I tried my best to fight off the nervous tension, so the horse would not feel it. My heart raced at a high speed, there was such an adrenaline rush. I'm certain they felt it anyhow.

My first thoughts once sitting on their backs: they were so powerful, this could be seriously dangerous.

I don't recall these same thoughts while growing up in the saddle.

First day, July, 2011
Sonny and Kris.

I wear a helmet when riding horses I don't know.
I have experienced being knocked out, via an unplanned dismount,
many years ago.

All went well. What went from two hour weekend rides, soon turned into riding after work daily, and has continued right into the dark, cold winter nights with me getting two and a half hours in the saddle after work, six days a week.

Day two
Danny and Kris
July, 2011

As it turned out, they needed my help, and

I needed them.

My View
Atop of 16.2 hands
Sonny & me
November, 2011

Hubby has been very supportive and encouraging, especially at first when I questions some things on 'how to' or 'why' with the horses. He had no issues with my leaving him with evening chores or an evening meal to prepare. I give continued praise to the Lord for this opportunity. Words can't express my gratitude.

A Saturday morning,
on the cold, damp trail.

Sonny and Kris
November, 2011

So as of late, my daily routine is spent between bible study, studying for school, riding, and renewing my horsemanship knowledge via reading, DVDs, and attending natural horsemanship clinics.

Oh, and getting to work on time Monday to Friday (grin).

In our memories:
Riley
July, 2011

Wishing each of you, a blessed winter season.

Until next time,
Lord's Blessing!
Kris

Give thanks to the God of heaven, For His loving kindness is everlasting. Psalm 137:26 nasb

2011-10-12T20:43:00.000-07:00

Spontaneity!

It's what we denied ourselves. Daily life for the last six years has been planned, researched, practiced, and kept limited. We kept our nose to the grindstone, and didn't look up.

I did not find it bothersome until this year. I liked the ongoing trail we have journeyed, burning off the dross of societies taught ways.

It's been good and freeing.

We have not reached our ending point. There are still aspirations to seek out. And always, much more to learn.

But now...

Change is coming. Shifting direction? Possibly. The Lord's hand has been guiding the doors open and close. You know it is His hand, as no one else knows the unplanned occurrences aligning. It is not by chance. I don't believe that.

Here are a few photo's of our recent 'spontaneous' early morning hike.

~Sub-Alpine forest looking up~

~October Morning Hike~
The photo doesn't capture the 'aweness' of this forest.

~Mountainside Blueberries and Fog~

~Elevation 5500 feet plus~
~35 degrees F~

~Two Black Tail Does~

Grazing in heavy fog.
We almost did not see them.

~Sooty Grouse~

There were two.

The other was over the hillside to the left, in the tall grass.
They were very calm, not scared of us.

Just maybe...
they sensed we came in peace.

~Foggy Mountain~

Can you see it?

The landscape peeked in and out at us as we hiked.

~Atop of Mountain Peak~

Looking down the side of the mountain.
Heavy Fog one side...
Clear sunshine on the other.

As we sat at the top of the mountain to rest, we ate sliced apples, and homemade trail mix. We had passed only two people coming down the trail earlier, but not another soul was heard or seen. It was purely wonderful! The quietude emitted. Neither of us spoke for a long time. I jotted down on a scrap of paper the following words...

Listen. Hear tranquil. Feel quiet.

My heart's joyful in this land.

Hear the wind in the firs.

Observe deep.

The cool white mist drifts.

No words spoken.

Seek change.

I am ready.

Thank you for stopping by for a visit.

Until next time,

Look for His blessings!

Kris

Into your hand I commit my spirit; You have ransomed me, O Lord, God of truth. Psalm 31:5nasb

2011-09-16T22:46:00.001-07:00

My life feels like a blur. It is hard for me to believe its the end of the third week of September. Three months left of 2011. I'm not sure if that is good. Where did the year go? As much as I don't really want the year to end, I am anxious to get started again seeding, planting and growing tomatoes. Our tomatoes were not very good this year. It's just too cold, too long here in the spring and summer. I will however, start them earlier next year. Also I'm going to find a few good short season, cold tomato varieties. Something that grows in ice! lol

Well, I thought I'd better fill in some gaps of what we have been up to. There is alot to fill in, so I'll work my way backwards. When we arrived home this evening after work, we noticed that neighboring property was starting to line up with trucks with horse trailers and horses. 'We've got KOA out front,' I say to my hubby. We call it KOA after the KOA campgrounds. The neighbor has an arena that is used for timed horse gaming events. It has always seemed odd to me, that right in my back yard is a state recognized (legal size and footing for qualifying points) arena.

~Horses and riders settling in Friday night for the gaming show~

Horses and their riders come from all over the state, rolling in throughout the night before the show is to start. Sometimes we have stayed up late into the evening, watching these people unload horses by flashlight or headlights of another vehicle. Once the horses are unloaded, the horseowners set up their own portable pens of woven electric wire, which is powered by a 6 or 12 volt battery. In the morning we will awake to the field lined with trucks, horse trailers, horses covered with their blankets, water buckets and majoriety of the horses quietly munching their hay. They know the routine. With the outbreak of EVH-1 (equine herpes virus) this year there were fewer shows here.

~Tractor disking arena at night, prepping for next day~

On another note, since the outlook of the real estate in our area has not been good for the past few years, and does not appear to be changing anytime soon, it looks as if we may be here a while. It has been hard for me to find peace about this, but it is coming. We had worked so hard to disengage from the mainstream ways and learned all we could about self reliant living. For five years it was all we did, lived, and breathed. People thought we were crazy. We did not care. We lost alot of our friends, as there really isn't much we have in common anymore. We had a vision and a goal. It was what we believed in (and still do). It was(still is) a good and honest way to live. We no longer need 'things' just because they are available to us. We are not consumers anymore. It feels grand to walk in a store and have no desire to purchase something that is unnecessary.

By December 2010, we came up 10 months short on funds, which was due to the economy dropping out back in 2008 here. In order to keep our jobs, we had to take pay cuts. It has been a humbling experience for me. I have learned alot about myself during this time period, which has been a true blessing.

So while we are waiting for our move to happen, we are going to be adding on and remodeling a few things, which will make living here more in agreement with our current lifestyle. We won't change things too much. Our woodshed is one area we decided to start with. It's actually roofed right now. This photo is from two weeks ago. It took my hubby 1 day to build. It will sure be much nicer to be able to get out of the rain or snow.

~Adding on our woodshed~

We have changed our eating habits a bit this past year. I don't bake bread or cakes, cookies, pies like I used to. Everyday, I used to bake something. Now, I bake maybe two times a month. Over the Labor Day Holiday weekend, I made this Banana Nut Cake.

The cake was suppose to last us four days. It lasted only one and a half days. I had to get a picture quick, when I saw there was nothing left but this small piece. When I decided to make it, I did not think it would be anything special.

However, I was wrong. I don't know if it was because we do not eat cakes, cookies and pies much, or if it was indeed good. But it did not last. So that tells me, I will be making this again.

Here is the recipe I used:

2 1/3 C fresh ground organic soft white wheat flour

1 2/3 C. Sucanut- organic (sugar)

3 bananas- organic (mashed)

2/3 C. walnuts- organic (broken in med. size pieces by hand)

1/3 C. Olive oil, organic, first cold press

2/3 C. buttermilk (I made mine from organic non-dairy milk and organic vinegar)

3 eggs from our hens

1 1/4 tsp. baking powder (aluminum free)

1 1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt (I used Redmond Salt)

Beat all ingredients together (I mixed it all by hand, but you can use an electric mixer).

Pour into greased pan (I used 9X13X2 Pyrex).

Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 min. depending on your oven. (test with toothpick)

Cool, then frost with Vanilla Frosting, if you desire. (we ate it without frosting, as you can see).

Serves 15, or 2 pigs like us. (grin)

Enjoy!

Tomorrow, (Saturday), we are attending a small local fiber festival. As always, I'm looking forward to seeing wool, wool, and yes, more wool. There will be various sheep and even alpaca's! The breeder I purchased my sheep from, wanted me to bring my spinning wheel and spin with others. It was the plan, but my wool never got fully carded enough to take.

~Clover, my boss ewe~
~She's super sweet~
~She's ready to be sheared Again!~

Until next time,

Look for the blessings in your day!

Kris

2011-08-24T10:26:00.000-07:00

He left us this morning in my hubby's arms...

It's always hard to loose a member of the family...

He worried...

He watch over...

He helped in his way...

He always wanted to be outside with us...

He was extremely sensitive...

He was full of love...

He was forgiving...

He was a real sweetie...

He gave his whole heart until the end...

and fought to live,

even when we said... 'Go, We will be OK'...

We will miss him terribly...

'Riley'

March, 28, 2000 - August 24, 2011

2011-07-21T23:38:00.000-07:00

It's been way too long! Being on line has had to take a back seat to my daily life. As of late my days blur together. I can no longer keep track of what I did just yesterday. It doesn't matter. I keep my focus forward, marching upward.

Here are a few pic's to share of the 'happenings' since I last posted.

~A late in the day, unplanned, quick hike, at the end of May, 2011.~

~ A favorite spot of mine! ~

~1880's local homestead cabin~

~Looking through our east living room window in early June, 2011.~

~Lily-12 yo (left) Riley- 11 yo (right)~

~Pembroke Welsh Corgi's~

~This year, they started showing their old age.~

~They have always been high energy dogs.~

~Much more laying around, slower and stiffer to stand up and move.~

~My heart drops when I see them feeling so old.~

~Our Barley crop~

~July, 2011~

~May, 2011~

~Trip to Montana~

~Seeking Land~

~Rain, cold, lots of flooding~

~Photo taken through windshield~

~Montana Barn, I-90~

~Romney Natural Color Wool~

~LOVE the color!~

~Awaiting picking, then into the carder.~

~My continuous project this summer.~

~4th of July Pass~

~I-90 Idaho~

~One day hope to stop here.~

~July, 2011~

~Photo taken through windshield~

~CVM Sheep~

~American Romeldale~

~Reflection Farm~

~Black Sheep Gathering,~

~Eugene Oregon~

~June 2011~

~Hoping to add to my flock~

~Their wool is wonderfully soft to the skin!~

~Montana Homestead~

~I-90~

~July, 2011~

~Natural Color Romney Wool from my girls~

~Sorting the colors of wool-- within part of one fleece~

~Piles of dark gray, then lighter gray~

~My continued summer project~

~Antique Swap Meet~

~ Finds cost $6~

~FUN!~

~Brooks, OR~

~June, 2011~

~Montana, North I-15~

~Landscape~

~Photo taken through windshield~

~Seeking land~

~July, 2011~

~Waiving 'Hello' to all~

~Idaho friends, as we pass through.~

~Snow and rain mixed weather~

~May, 2011~

~Photo taken through windshield~

~Montana Barn~

~Gold Creek~

~Seeking Land~

~May, 2011~

~Lolo National Forest~

~I-90- Montana~

~May, 2011~

~Trying to get more time on the wheel,~

~when I'm not exhausted in the evenings.~

~20 minute minimum time commitment, usually lasting into 45 minutes.~

~Wool Types~

~From left: Silver Gray, Natural Color Romney (one of my girls) blended with Alpaca.~

~White: Romney-Targee cross (local purchase)~

~Black: Alpaca (local purchase)~

~Light Gray: Natural Color Romney (mine) blended with the purchased Romney-Targee~

~Getting the feel of each!~

I realize I have not included any photo's of the current state of our growing plots. It's not done intentionally, just can't find them very quick in the 368 photo's I have taken since my last blog post. Yikes! I've got to get a handle on all of this, before things get too far out of control. The veggies are doing good, except the corn, again. Weather is just too cool and cloudy still. Our highs are averaging 68 degrees. We could sure use some warm weather. Can you folks in the mid-west send some my way?

Until next time,

Blessings,

Kris

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12 nasb

2011-04-26T22:14:00.000-07:00

Untimely or is it...

(Kris, heading down the side of the mountain)

to share a few photos of day two,

snow shoeing on

January 2, 2011.

(Yep, that is me)

Since snow is being forecasted on Thursday here,

I don't think these are too out of season to share.

(me, again)

The sky continued to be clear and bright!

The temperatures were not as cool as the day before.

The camera did not capture the overall beauty.

And for that I'm sorry I can not share.

The blue in the back of this photo is a shadow of

mountains, trees, and river.

We hiked around on top of the mountain at first,

and then decided to follow a goat trail down the side of the mountain.

Taken by the beauty of the scenery,

we were unaware of how far we were walking down

this trail, until we stopped and looked back.

Wow! We had gone along ways!

We both agreed we should turn back,

as it was a long ways to the top.

(My hubby, hiking up)

We did not take any photos going down the trail,

as we were concentrating on where we were

going to take our next steps.

There was melting snow in some areas,

so we had to be aware of where we were stepping.

A wrong step, and we could find ourselves

in a dangerous situation.

(Hubby, taking in the view across the way)

Sometimes as I was walking down the steep trail

my snowshoes did not grasp into the icy snow,

and my foot would slip.

It only took a couple of times of that action

before I decided to pay full attention to

the placement of my feet, as well as

making sure my pole on the outer ledge

of this trail was good and stable

when I took a step.

Although you can not get a good feel from the photo above,

this is a vertical 100 foot plus drop off

on the trail.

The trail in this area was very narrow,

as there had been a land slide right here.

At this section, we really were

walking the width of a narrow goat trail.

The photo above is of my hubby

at the top of the mountain

where our truck was parked.

Just a pretty mountain view,

don't you think?

Thank you for stopping by for a visit, and viewing our snowshoe walk.

Blessings,

~Kris

God saw all that He made, and behold, it was very good... Genesis 2:31a (nasb)

2011-04-17T19:30:00.000-07:00

Just in from the Field...

Fresh!

and

Alive!

Purple Spring Broccoli,

along with

regular green broccoli, Red Russian Kale, and Blue Curled Kale.

Some of this will be use for raw eating,

and some will be made into a quiche for the coming week.

Our first year to grow this Purple Spring Broccoli was two years ago.

We just happen to stumble upon growing it.

Nothing is more welcoming right now, than this fresh produce,

after a long dreary, cold, gray winter.

The added bonus for me...

Purple is my favorite color!

These are the seeds from the Purple Spring Broccoli

I saved two years ago, off the original plants we grew here.

They were harvested in late September.

One last photo to share...

Our ~Always~ broody Buff Orpington hen.

She is a really nice hen, even when broody.

Some broody hens are wicked, requiring gloves ~AND~ a lid off a bucket (to move the hen off the eggs... when trying to collect eggs). Yes, we have had to use those two items. Sounds crazy, I know.

(~grin~)

We finally had a couple of nice days, and were able to accomplish quite abit.

Praises to the Lord!

As I was outside today finishing up a few chores, I noticed the wind turned crisp.

It felt cold enough for snow.

Back inside the house,

I turn on NOAA weather radio...

Sure enough, NOAA is reporting snow Monday in the late morning hours.

Well, I welcome it.

It is hard to believe I am wishing for more cold days,

being's I prefer the warm sunny weather.

I need several more weeks of cold weather,

as I'm way behind on shearing, and

I'm trying not to get stressed out about it. (~grin~)

Hope you are all doing well!

Blessings,

~Kris~

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us. Ephesians 4:20 nasb

2011-03-20T21:18:00.000-07:00

I am sharing the list of sites I monitor for the west coast radiation fall out. You have to remember, the government links, may be censored. Meaning, they may not be completely accurate. We are only being told what they want us to know. Alternative news sources are appearing more accurate. Some links may be helpful even to those further across the United States or even Europe, etc. as the situation progresses. The sad part of this is, it is not only affecting Japan or the west coast, but the entire northern hemisphere.

http://www.intellicast.com/Storm/Hurricane/PacificSatellite.aspx?animate=true

http://modernsurvivalblog.com/nuclear/jet-stream-animation-japan-to-usa-fallout/

https://cdxnode64.epa.gov/radnet-public/showMap.do

http://www.radiationnetwork.com/index.htm

http://www.naturalnews.com/index.html

http://www.iaea.org/

http://www.nei.org/newsandevents/information-on-the-japanese-earthquake-and-reactors-in-that-region/

Also, I thought I'd share a few thoughts for natural sources of iodine containing foods:

Kelp, Dulse, etc. (seaweeds)
Chlorella
Spirulina

Increase the following in your daily diet and eat fresh~alive~ foods (if all possible):

Onions, Garlic
Dark leafy greens
Colorful fruits and vegetables

If sensitive to iodine, use Chlorella (cell wall cracked), as it is a great protector and chelator of radioactive metals from body. If you can't find Chlorella, use Spirulina.

The goal is to increase the amount of stable iodine in the blood, so the thyroid will absorb the stable iodine, instead of the radioactive iodine.

Also be aware in the coming days, where your food is coming from. I am anxious to see what the organic farmers will be doing in CA. During the winter months, until our local growing season is underway, our food co-op purchases fruits and vegetables from there.

If you have a website(s) you have found helpful, please leave a comment/link. I'm sure other people will be appreciative as well.

Praying for all,

God Bless,
~Kris

2011-03-18T12:08:00.000-07:00

Please!!!

Repent

and

Pray!

Mainstream media is not reporting the truth about the nuclear fall out! (in any country)

It is alot worse!

Do NOT be Deceived!

Seek Truth!

I am VERY troubled. The west coast is to be hit with the fall out beginning today, Friday. I pray most of the fall out has dropped into the ocean. This fall out will eventually trickle across the U.S., as well as AK, and into Canada, per the jet stream map I studied. As much as hubby and I mind our own lives, taking responsibility for ourselves, there is no escaping harm from outside sources. My soul despairs. I feel defeated. I pray for people to wake up and seek truth, before it's too late. I also pray for protection for everyone and all things. This will change our lives for a long time!

May God have mercy on us.

God Bless!

~Kris

Psalm 18: 1-3a... I Love You, O'Lord my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised...

2011-02-27T08:35:00.000-08:00

On September 1, 2010, I tried to post about a project that was completed. For some reason, Blogger must of been having a glitch in the system. I could not get the entry displayed correctly.

So I thought I'd try again.

In October of 2009, I began this project. For many years, I had been wanting to get around to making these stained glass panels for the sidelights of our front door. The panels were finally completed and hanging in place mid March, 2010.

Above is one of the 14 panels I made, to complete this project. I traced the pattern onto the chosen color glass, cut the glass, and then sanded the edges. Just this part alone (for one panel) took close to four hours. I'm sure, if I did this often enough, I could cut down the time frame.

After choosing the color layout, tracing the pattern, cutting, and sanding, the next step was to foil the edges of the glass. Foiling did not take nearly as long, about 1/2 hour per panel. The final step was soldering the pieces together. Hubby helped me with this part, as he is much quicker at soldering, and I was getting pretty anxious to get this project completed.

Once all 14 panels were completed, hubby made frames. He used Alder for the wood, and routered out a center grove for the panels to slide into. He sanded the frames, and applied a clear finish to the wood. Eye hooks were placed at the top of the frames, and small sized chain added to hang the completed stained glass panels.

~Panels complete~

~Panels in place at front door~

This was my first stained glass project of this size. I have done two small projects previous to this one. One thing I was uncertain about was the choosing of colors. There are tons of colors and patterns of glass to choose from. I did run out of some colors that I favored over others, and used some I did not think would work together.

The ending result, I was pleasantly surprised. I often find myself stopping at the front door and looking at all the color combinations and how they seem to 'go together'.

Thank you for stopping by for a peek.

Have a blessed day!

~Kris

Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. Romans 12:17 nasb

2011-02-26T22:07:00.000-08:00

This past week

~Driving out of town, after work~

we were granted cold and snow (lowest temp. 17 degrees and 7" snow) once again. The snowy weather and low temperatures do not last long, which is nice when you have to be away from home all day. Coming home to a cold house is not enjoyable to me. However, about an hour after the wood stove has been lit, the temperature inside our house finally warms to 65 degrees, and my outlook improves.

Fire starting in the wood stove is the priority when we first arrive home during the fall, and winter months.

Unloading the empty lunch containers into the sink, leaves me with a sink full of dishes to tend to, before I get the evening meal started. Dinner is a last priority.

A tribe of companions eagerly but politely wait, pacing amongst my feet, making their presence known, as I dish up each bowl of kibble.

In the laundry room, warm water is filling 5 gallon buckets to carry out to the ducks, goats, and sheep during these freezing temperature days. Chicken waters are emptied and feeders brought inside until the next morning.

While the water is still filling, I gather some herbs to give to one of our aged doe's who has blood in her urine.

I help shovel pathways again tonight, as it is too much for my hubby to do alone right now. He restocks firewood on the back porch for use through the night and in the morning.

Tiredness doesn't fully hit me until I walk into the dark, but warm house. I receive a blessing that lifts my spirits and lessens my tiredness. I love this time of day.

There is a peace that I feel at this moment.

I love the blue hue of this natural light.

~Looking out dining room window~

(Ignore the date. It's incorrect.)

~Our barn~

(photo grainy due to window screen)

~Spinning Wheel~

I pray you have a wonderful day!

Thank you for stopping by!

Blessings to each of you!

Kris

P.S. This entry was written Friday night. I did not have enough time to get it blogged.

Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17

2011-01-16T17:10:00.000-08:00

Our New Year's Eve Night...

December 31, 2010

There was no snow on New Year's Eve here. The temperatures were in the low 20's.
We decided to have a bonfire anyway.

The sky was clear, so we could see the stars.

The fire was warm.
It was a relaxing night.

The food was delicious!
Our favorite dish for celebrating. Full of vegetables from our farm: carrots, onions, sweet peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, corn, various herbs: Thyme, Cayenne, Oregano, and Dill.

~Vegetable Herb Cake~

To continue our celebrating,

the next day, January 1, 2011

we headed to the mountains for half a day of snowshoeing.

The snow pack was 81 inches.

We were blessed with beautiful sunny weather!

Temperatures were in the 20's.

Once we got walking and out into the sun,

the gloves and jacket had to come off.

You can give yourself a good workout

hiking straight up the side of the mountain. (grin)

Hubby is taking a break in the sun, watching snowboarders.

We find them interesting to watch.

There were alot of snowboarders, down hill skiers,

cross country skiers, tubing, and snowshoers.

The masses of people were unexpected to us.

Grooming a trail for cross country skiers...

Or... maybe it was actually for the downhill skiers we saw... (which were crazier than the snowboarders), they were skiing off the side of a very steep grade of the mountain, dodging trees. Crazy!

This trail would give the down hill skiers a path to walk back up out of the gully, once the groomer makes it to the bottom. Some of the skiers had snowshoes strapped to their packs, and once they skied down, they took their ski's off and put the snowshoes on to walk up the hillside in the deep snow. We also saw some skiers who 'walked' (without snowshoes) up out of the gully.

Those people were pretty tired once they got to the top. The thrill of skiing off the mountain side must have been well worth it, because we saw them do this several times.

I can't wait for our next outing!

Enjoy your day!

Blessings

Kris

Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. 1 Corinthians 16:13 nasb

2011-01-15T21:45:00.000-08:00

January Already?

~Early morning snowy home view from the lower pasture~

Where does the time go any more? I am very grateful for the extra daylight! Last year was one of our most challenging years emotionally, physically, and even spiritually. My hubby works endlessly to keep us moving forward towards our goal. I can see his tiredness, and especially now when the outside temperatures drop into the low 20's. You see, our house is not designed to be heated by a wood stove only (the stove requires wood about every 2 hours when very cold outside... which leads to lack of sleep). My hubby pointed out to me the other day, 'The whole front of our house has no insulation as it is all glass, so we loose alot of heat there'. We have chosen now, to live as we intend to, once we make our move. We believe it is better (for us) to get into the mindset, or develop a pattern of living at this time, which will result in a bit easier living as we move into a more challenging environment.

The first week of November, 2010, I began to not feel well. Not the common cold, stomach flu, or even tiredness, but pain. Pain is a sign that your body is telling you something is wrong. It needs attention now.

The high stress of managing a once successful small business which now is hanging by threads (due to economic crash 2007), fragmented extended family relationships, studying for my final exam and desperately wanting to get it, seeing my brother in law loosing his battle with cancer (heart wrenching), understanding where this country is heading, and the financial setback of our 'time frame' for moving, (which passed), I suspect...

I allowed it *ALL* to get to me.

At my lowest point, at the end of November, I put on paper the following:

Journal Entry of Thoughts~November 29, 2010

I'm over my head and sinking fast. For the past month, I have not felt physically well. I seem to have acquired a pain that is uncommon to me; the pain under my rib does not seem to ease.

I believe the pain is due to stress, fear, and anger.

I feel as if I have battle fatigue.

Traveling with my best friend, into this self-sustaining way of life, has broadened my shoulders and toughened me to where I do not even recognize myself, but not as of late.

I am worn down.

Since dedicating myself to our journey, I push myself to 'Do Better', 'Get Educated', 'Understand', 'Seek Truth', and lastly, 'Don't Be Fooled'.

Within our change of lifestyle, my eyes have been opened to many things I never knew existed or even functioned. I was ignorant. Things have been wrong for a very long time.

These days I consider myself to be very 'aware', though not fully understanding... yet.

Turmoil of anger, fear, and hopelessness I have gained with this awareness. I feel it echo through my body in a harmful vibration. I can't seem to shake it.

I pray for help.

I want peace.

Where is that peace I once knew?

Our Heavenly Father seems so distant. Life seems so dark.

I ask for help to be stronger. I need courage to continue.

I recite the verse Joshua 1:9 Be strong and courageous: Do not be terrified; Do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you where ever you go.

I wonder now, what is the Lord's plan for this new awareness?

Several days after journaling my thoughts to paper and praying scripture, the pain began to lessen. Praise the Lord!

Two weeks into November, I changed my diet completely. My diet mainly consisted of fresh oranges and fresh carrot juice, herbs for relaxing, and daily Castor Oil pack to my rib area. I did not have an appetite for anything else. My body felt like it needed cooling...it felt hot internally (not a fever), and definitely out of balance.

The fresh orange is one of our Heavenly Father's greatest gifts to us. It contains predigested nutrients which are immediately accepted into the human body. The fresh orange strengthens the body and is rich in alkalizing salts. The fresh carrot juice is loaded with potassium, sodium, and calcium, as well as many other nutrients the body requires for health. It is very good for the mucus membranes, and great cleanser for the lymph, blood, and liver. (Note: before this point in time, I never had a desire to drink carrot juice. It was not appealing to me. However, when I first drank it, I found that I craved the taste, and could not get enough. Now, I continue to drink it every morning and sometimes, even at night).

Fresh fruit or fresh vegetable juices are very good for the body, as they don't require the body to 'work' (digest) to get the nutrients. When a person is not feeling well, I believe it is a good idea to let the body rest, and not over load it with work (digesting food). Our Heavenly Father has created our bodies beautifully AND amazing in its functions. We as humans have a huge habit of destroying 'His' creations.

Although I eat healthy, I believe due to the high stress I allowed to take hold, my body turned toward acidic conditions, which is very bad. That is when disease can take hold. I continue daily to watch the stress load. When things get too much at work, I make sure that night, I do something I really enjoy. I also make sure to get time in on the treadmill at night. So far it has been helping. Glory to our Heavenly Father!

~Our kitchen table 'look' for the past one and a half months~

~Between study breaks... I quilt~

(Note: ignore the date...it is incorrect)

As of late, I have decided for my best interest, to keep my mind on the future, and leave behind those that do not see eye to eye. I have given alot of myself, more than I should have. It is a fault of my own.

I was completely amazed to have passed my first semester of school with a 95 percent. I am very relieved. I worried. My hubby was not surprised. He had more confidence in me, than I did.

~January 8, 2011 was the first time I baked bread since October, 2010~

~An added treat... "Rustic Mountain Fruit Cake' ...for hubby~

I wish each of you peace and wellness this coming year!

Until next time,

Lord's Blessings to You!

~Kris

Where there is faith, there is love.

Where there is love, there is peace.

Where there is peace, there is God.

Where there is God, there is no need.

~Anonymous

2010-12-21T19:43:00.000-08:00

Happy Solstice!

~Pacific NW Mtns. after storm blew through. November, 2010~

The lines in the snow are from snowboarders.

We are finally descending to L-O-N-G-er daylight!!

Yippee!!!

Driving up. Checking out the summit scenery after snow storm. November, 2010

I eagerly look forward to those days once again! My heart really aches for that cheerful sunshine.

~*~

Praise the Lord for the continued renewing of each season.

Hiking in Pacific NW ~May, 2010

~*~

I really miss blogging here... AND visiting you!

~Kris-- May, 2010 Hike

Lord's Blessing to each of you!

Until Next Time,

~Kris

So Faith comes by hearing [what is told], and what is heard comes by the preaching [of the message that came from the lips] of Christ [the Messiah himself]. Romans 10:17 Amplified

Hello! Just Checking in...

2010-10-31T11:25:00.000-07:00

Greetings to All!

The end of the growing season is here. We have been pulling out the growing plot and putting it to rest for the winter. What a LOT of work!! I think there is more work pulling out the plants, than the preparation of the ground and planting in the spring

I am being pulled in different directions right now. I do not like the pressure I carry lately. I have always enjoyed the normal daily, endless workload, and embrace it, as it comes with this way of living. Lately I find myself resenting the work I do here, at times. I have to stop and remind myself, this pressure is only temporary, just until school is finished.

~Pacific NW Mountain Natural Art~

August, 2010

This year our harvest was an extremely lean one. Our tomatoes and corn gave a good try, but the cold and dark days just won. We will be purchasing some extra onions, carrots, and winter squash for our wintertime use. We still have a small quantity of tomatoes and corn left from last year to use. One things I've learned in the past, is to never use all your harvested items from the previous year, if you can help it.

~Pacific NW Mountains~

July, 2010

From the beginning of this blog, I have not mentioned where we will be moving to. It was not an oversight, but done intentionally as we are still unsure where the Lord is leading us. We have come to a point where our eyes have been opened to many different possibilities of where to live and how to live (on grid or off grid). Sometimes with many options it makes decision making more difficult.

What I can share is that we will be staying in the Pacific Northwest, and that we are looking at rural mountain areas. We have looked completely at two states, Oregon and Washington. The last two states we are considering are Idaho and Montana.
`

~Kris on day hike in Pacific NW Mountains~

May, 2010

I am finding difficulty in school.  I continue to seek the Lord for guidance in this matter. My schooling was not something we considered when we began our pilgrimage back in 2005.  After three years into it, we realized it was something that needed to be learned. I pray daily, Lord willing that I make it to the end. It is our desire to take what is being learned, and glorify Him and His beautiful creation.

On Friday, my book work and two essays were submitted. Now I begin to study for the final test which will be third week of November. The pressure is on and I am feeling the tension.   Praise the Lord, hubby has been able to do alot of the 'kitchen' work, making meals and washing dishes to give me more time in the books. What a blessing!

Until next time...

Have a blessed day!

Joyfully,

Kris

Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him for His mighty expanse.       Psalm 150:1 NASB

Sorry for mix up...

2010-09-01T06:21:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the mix up... there is no "Project Complete...Take a Peek". I had to delete it.

For whatever reason, the last two posts had not appeared correctly on my blog.

It is frustrating.

Recently, one way I have found to try to post more frequently, is if I can get the photo's up in one 'computer time session', then I can come back when I have 1/2 hour or so, and put the words in, it seems to work for me. But not this time.

I'll make another attempt, when I have more time. There is too much to do this morning before work, as I have company arriving right after I get off work, and I'm not prepared!!

I ask myself, 'How does daily life get so busy, when we have been working towards daily living to be more relaxed, less hurried pace?

Until next time,

Blessings to you, and enjoy your day!

~Kris

A Farmstead Pilgrimage's... "Spicy Farmstead Mustard"

2010-08-29T07:32:00.000-07:00

Note: This is the second attempt to get this posted, sorry for mix up...

Greetings to all!

Since the Labor Day Holiday is coming upon us in the United States, I thought it would be a good time to post a recipe we use to make our own mustard.

I normally don't post recipes due to my limited computer time, and as we connect to the web via dial up, making posting a bit time consuming. I also am not certain that readers would find what we eat very appealing. However, I thought I'd share this, as there just may be someone who may be interested.

If you are used to eating packaged prepared foods, this won't taste good. ~grin~

Yet, if your the adventurous type, give it a try. I also encourage you, when making anything from scratch, 'make it to your liking'. Example in this recipe, add more or less of honey and spices in this recipe.

I must give Warning, this mustard is spicy HOT!! The 'hotness' seems to mellow a bit after about two weeks. However, we have used this mustard after 48 hours of it being made. We have found it a wonderful ingredient to our potato salad, as it gives the salad a bit of a 'kick', just how we like it! An added benefit, the ingredients used, are all very healthy for you. I recommend using as many organic ingredients you can find. Your body will be grateful for the nourishment.

A Farmstead Pilgrimage's... "Spicy HOT Mustard"

Ingredients needed:

1/2 Cup Yellow Mustard Seeds

3/4 Cup ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar)

1/3 Cup Filtered Water

2 tsp. Raw Honey

1/2 tsp. Turmeric

1/2 tsp. Paprika

1/2 tsp. Garlic Granules

3/4 tsp. Salt

Directions:

In a pint canning jar, soak mustard seeds in vinegar and water for 2 days, making sure seeds are covered by liquid.

On third day, place mustard seeds and liquid in blender.

Add raw honey and spices.

Blend until smooth and mixture thickens. (about two minutes, approximately)

You will need to stop the blender ever so often, and help mix the ingredients.

Scoop into a glass canning jar, store in refrigerator, and allow flavors to mingle and begin to mellow.

Enjoy your homemade 'Spicy' Mustard!

We do!

Thank you for stopping by for another visit.

Joyfully,

Kris

~Psalms 111:1~ Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart, in company of the upright and in the assembly. ~NASB

Vegetable Update and More...

2010-08-18T20:47:00.000-07:00

Greetings to Each of You! Thank you for stopping by for a quick visit. I enjoy your company.

The sun showed its promise very early in the morning of very agreeable temperatures for us. Finally warmth! We are so grateful!

Our weather has continued to be on the cool, dark side for the most part. We have sat in heavy fog just about every morning since June. Not the normal expected weather pattern for this time of year. The fog does burn away usually about noon, thankfully, but the day's temperatures do not get much about 68 degrees F.

We have a lot of mold this year on our berries. Our harvest for berry fruits this year is very minimal. We will have a harvest of about one quarter of what is normal. As it is looking right now, our over all growing plot production is extremely low compared to the last five years. Our oat harvest looks to be none, due to mold also.

It took three times of seeding green beans, before they germinated. At this time, we are unsure if there will be any green beans to harvest. It all depends on how long the frost holds off.

Our sweet corn also does not look promising for harvest either. We planted later in June, again due the coldness. Without the sun's rays to warm the soil, it grew extremely slow, almost appearing to be in a dormant state. What was useful for us to observe with the corn was the fact that the leaves never yellowed or died off. There showed no signs of nutrient deficiency or stress, despite the weather. The leaves were very strong green color. We view the health of the plants to be our responsibility, and the weather is left up to the Lord.

The tomatoes that were planted outside have finally grown into nice busy plants, but no fruits, just blossoms. Everything appears to be about a month and a half behind normal harvest times.

At times, I have felt twinges of disappointment, as I watch the plants struggle to grow into their fruitful producing state, all the while keeping an eye on the calendar, as the ~potential~ warm growing season begins to come to a close. There is nothing we can do, but wait to see what the end of the season brings.

We continue in ~Thankfulness~ for this opportunity of learning.

I also understand very strongly, that this low producing year is a realization of what we will be faced with once we move. We have been gifted this land in which we live right now, as a wonderful learning and confidence building setting.

On another note, towards the end of July, I apprehensively enrolled into school. Yes, it's official now. I received my books at the beginning of August, and I have begun the studies! I am a bit overwhelmed about the amount of reading that is required, as it is ALOT! Nevertheless, I have found it to be interesting, so that helps tremendously.

I received an unexpected note from the Romney breeder we purchased our sheep from. The note said they had two smaller framed black ewes in need of a home. Oh what a note to read, just as I had registered for school! 'Keep your eyes on the horizon', I tell myself. Reading the note certainly caused heavy turmoil between my heart and mind. It was a difficult several days after I wrote back declining the offer. I must keep full focus, and not get side tracked by WOOL! ~grin~

It is time to end this post, as there is broccoli to blanch and several pages of book reading ahead of me tonight.

Enjoy the day!

Joyfully,

Kris

Not to us, O'Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, because of your loving kindness, because of your truth. Psalm 115:1 nasb

Challenges are Blessings...

2010-07-07T10:24:00.000-07:00

Each year, as we attempt to grow as much of our food as possible, we find ourselves challenged by a different weather pattern than the last growing season. Last year, even though I started the tomatoes and peppers in the first week of March, they really struggled to emerge and grow in our green house. It was a very dark (not much sun) and cold spring. I had to actually compost the pepper starts, as they were just too small for our short growing season to produce anything. That was a hard decision to make.

Last year also found us at the end of May, in a drought. We had very few days of rain and many days of sun. Very unusual weather for us. I enjoyed it tremendously. It was the best growing season we have experienced. No mold or rotted fruits or vegetables.

This year is turning out to be the total opposite. We have had many, many days of rain, dark clouds, low spring and early summer temperatures. I was determined not to be defeated by what seems to becoming the normal spring weather (cloudy days and cool temperatures), and started the tomatoes and peppers inside the house. For three months, our kitchen table was an indoor garden spot. We have since transplanted the tomatoes and peppers outside and into the green house.

The month of May brought a new challenge to us in our attempts to grow our food this year. I first noticed it in the green house, and then in the growing plots. The dreaded Flea Beetle. It is a pesky insect, eating leaves of any plant I've observed, except the herbs. They are very hard on the seedlings, but as of late, I have noticed the potatoes are being hit hard. They have many holes in the leaves. This is our first experience with the Flea Beetle, so we are just waiting to see the ending results. The plants are still strong and healthy, just a bit on the holy side.

We have also been challenged by fire ants. They tried early in the spring to invade our green house, but I was unwilling to let them. It was pure war for about three days, before and after work, battling them. We are not into doing alot of killing of nature here, but this was one insect that had to be persuaded to live elsewhere. I tried various natural items to discourage the ants. Cayenne, vinegar, garlic, salt in a hot soapy water solution. These ants are aggressive and persistent, but I can be too. ~grin~ I won the battle, but have now found them marching back and forth to another area in my flower garden carrying the dead. Sheesh!

And our last 'on going' battle has been with someones 'un-neutered' cat, which has discovered that cats live inside this house. This male cat has continued to spray urine on every corner of our house, on our front wood door , side lights (windows on either side of the front door), both sliding glass doors, and now the garage window and screen! Yikes! For one week straight, (every day for five days) I spent one and a half hours after work cleaning the glass and screen with bleach water. It was maddening and felt like a waste of time, when there was so much more important things to tend to.

However, as much as I view a few of these things, specifically ants and the cat as 'time wasters', I decide to change my outlook and find the blessing.

I think of these nuisance now as just a prep course in dealing with much larger challenges when we move. The Flea Beetle could be exchanged for a swarm of grass hoppers, or the cat spraying in exchange for bear and cougar issues, and the fire ants are just a primer course for more annoying fire ants.

In each one of these annoyances, I have learned something. Educating oneself is a blessing.

I'd like to say a warm welcome to any new friends, and...

to everyone...

Have a wonderful day!

Blessings,
Kris

~And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 niv~

Unspoken Message Received...

2010-05-12T05:03:00.000-07:00

One day after work, I went out to gather the eggs. I had to laugh at the wordless message they left for me.

When our young hens begin to lay, we place a plasic egg in their nest box, in hopes to encourage them to lay 'in' a nest box, rather than in a dark corner on the ground.

Enjoy the day!

Blessings to all!

Kris

You will seek Me, and find Me, when you search for me, with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13 nasb

Guess Who Else LOVES the Wool...

2010-05-08T22:07:00.000-07:00

This year after shearing, I decided to hold some wool aside for myself to 'practice' processing into rovings. The wool washes up very easily and dries quickly too. After the wool dried, I gathered it and placed it on the couch, as I was going to sit and begin to hand pick it (separating the clumps of thick wool), preparing it for the drum carder. However, before I got a chance to pick the wool, this is what I came to find at various different times...

These two cats have been a blessing. They are quite the characters. They make us laugh...alot!

Have a great day!

Blessings,

Kris

Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. Psalm 105:4 niv

Spring Wool Harvest and Various Reflecting Thoughts...

2010-05-06T15:30:00.000-07:00

Last month was a busy one for us. We continue to start various seeds every week. Some recent starts are Flat Leaf Parsley, Thyme, Purple Broccoli, Waltham Broccoli, Snowball Self-Blanching Cauliflower, and a variety of onions: Flat Italy, Bianca Di Maggio, and Copra.

I have also been elbow deep in wool. My spring shearing has been completed. Yippee! One huge weight has been lifted. I have been sorting wool, preparing it to take to the processor.

~Natural Colored and White Romney Wool~

~Waiting to take to the processor~

Shearing has gone well this year. This was my third year to shear. This shearing season, I experienced feeling a bit more comfortable, which is a huge blessing, as shearing for hand spinning fleece is intimidating to me.

Back in February, I actually talked myself out of shearing. I told myself, 'Just call someone to do the shearing, everything would be much easier.' But the battle inside me, did not leave. Calling the shearer was the easy way out of not facing my fear. Last year, I really disliked shearing. I love the sheep, but struggled seriously with the shearing. I had more than 'several moments' of frustration and tears. The sheep have become much bigger, heavier, and stronger, than my first 'easy' year of shearing them.
Shearing is not an easy task for me. It takes what feels like brute strength, to muscle around a sheep that outweighs me. Not to mention, the heaviness of the shears (clippers) after a while. My arms soon feel like they can't hold anything, and then I add, 'Do Not Cut the Sheep!'

So with these thoughts gathered in my mind, I think, 'Who would want to take on this job?' 'Me!' I answer to myself, 'You don't get anywhere running away from your fears!' I remind myself of the little black bucking pony I first learned to ride on, when I was eight years old. I can remember to this day being so terrified on him, yet I loved horses. Through tears and injuries, I overcame the fear, advancing on to another level of learning and riding.

~Natural Colored Romney Wool with sun kissed tips~

So I found with the help of my husband's encouraging words to 'keep trying' and 'don't quit', along with his assisting me in handling the sheep, I am able to complete the task. I am very grateful. Shearing is just learning 'how to'. It is nothing more than what we have been doing for the last five years in preparation for our move. It is just a different topic. My husband would do the shearing in a moment, if I asked. However, we purchased the sheep as a hobby for myself, after my horse was put down. I needed a stimulating hobby again; something that would be a challenge. And that challenge I have received. ~grin~

~ White Romney Wool~

(The darker brown tones in the wool above, is lanolin, which rinse easily out, becoming pure white wool.)

~Love the crimp in this fleece~

I spent one weekend (in the evenings), and several nights after work sorting fleeces in the barn. One night the tiredness just hit me. I had become so fully engaged with my sorting, and did not realize just how worn-out I was feeling, nor the time. I thought, 'hmmm, I guess I'd better quit for tonight.' As I came inside the house, I imagined the time was about 8:30 p.m. To my shocking surprise, it was 11:30 p.m. No wonder I was feeling drained.

~Natural Colored Romney Wool~

I used to know what feeling 'tired' was like. These days, I believe my husband and I are functioning more in the sense of exhaustion. We do burn the candle at both ends. There is no lie in writing that. We know it is not a good thing, and we are trying to remedy it.

Spring is always a busy time, especially when you've taken the steps to supplying as much of your needs as possible. Last summer, my husband and I talked about my going back to school. By going back to school, it would be favorable for our future farmstead venture.

We continued to talk about how much we already do here. Could we find any more energy in taking on one more item of focus? School will take three to four hours every day, away from what I (we) am (are) doing here. Could we manage it?

With our food preparation from scratch, seeding, growing, harvesting, preserving the foods we grow, weeding the growing plots, mowing lawns and pastures, daily livestock care, maintaining household chores (house cleaning, laundry, unexpected house repairs, etc.) an unexpected injury or sickness of either livestock or human, and of course our off farm jobs. Could we find a way to do it?

In last summer's conversation, we agreed starting school in the fall would be the best, as my husband said he did not think he could not do all the planting, harvesting, and weeding himself, along with all his other normal chores. So, it was agreed that the fall would be the best time for me to start school.

October arrived and so did unexpected news of my favorite aunt being diagnosed with terminal cancer. Hearing the details of what she was enduring, had pretty much taken alot of my ambition away. I fought depression off and on. There was no way I could keep my attention focused on learning. So school had to wait. I was torn.

At the end of January, I began to get a feel that I could focus on school again. The shock of my aunt's terminal illness had eased, and I had come to terms with her expected passing.

I began to get excited about school again. Shortly, more unexpected news came about my husband's brother; the same brother who had taken ill with a stroke last March. Interestingly, his stroke was caused by a torn vein in his neck. My brother in law had worked through his physical disabilities caused from the stroke, and now was diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Because my sister in law came to us very upset with the news of my brother in law's diagnosis, I offered my knowledge of health and natural ways of supporting the body for possible healing. I read many nights late into the morning. I studied as much as I could on the subject of cancer, a disease at times, that has filled me with anxiety.

I am not a doctor, but I truly believe what my brother in law was offered for treatment, was not going to give his body the support it needed to fight this battle. If he died, I did not want to look back, and think to myself, 'Could I have offered any knowledge to help save his life?'

As of now, my aunt is coming very near the end of her life. She is surrounded by her family. My brother in law is doing well at this time.

I have come to the acceptance, as much as I would love to blog on a regular basis, it is not going to happen right now. I just can't find the extra energy or time.

In our list of 'Things to Learn About', in preparation for our move, the list is getting small. Nonetheless, my schooling is an important part we need. It could actually be holding us back on our move. I'm six months behind, according to my timing.

Then again, if there is one thing I have learned with all of our homestead, self-sufficient preparations, this journey is all being directed in our Creator's perfect timing. I will keep faith.

Thank you for stopping by for a visit.

Have a wonderful day!

Blessings!

Kris

Be very careful, then, how you live- not as unwise, but as wise' Ephesians 5:15niv

Update Note: After posting this, I feel a need to clarify my useage of "fear". Fear = Failure.

Latest Spring Happenings...

2010-04-07T21:29:00.000-07:00

Wow! Time just won't stand still for us. That's OK, as we have been keeping a steady work in progress around here, preparing for our move. We had zero snow that stayed around, this last winter season, which is a big change from last year's 19 different snowstorm days. The snow stayed at the higher elevations this year. It has been a dry, cold, and windy winter here. We feel, however, that the Lord, has given us this opportunity to work straight though the winter season outside, finalizing the 'Outdoor To Do' list. Last weekend was our fifth week mowing our lawn. We have tilled the growing plots several times already. They are waiting for the cold season crops to be planted. Prayerfully this week I will get them in the ground.

Above photo is of five types of cabbage: Savory Alcosa (last year was our first try with this and it was superb!) Red Savory Deadon (I saw this at the locale food co-op. Beautiful! Can't wait to try it.) Red Express- an early red cabbage, and Evergreen Hardy White Bunch Onions. (These cabbage & onion seeds are from Johnny's Seed).

Along with those three cabbage types, I planted Mammoth Red Rock and Brunswick cabbage (seed from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds), two types of beets: Bulls Blood (Excellent beet greens for fresh eating- seed from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds), Detroit Dark Red (beet root has excellent flavor, I like it over the Bulls Blood root- seed from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds), and kale: Blue Curled Scotch (it is our favorite kale for eating raw- Seed from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds).

These vegetables are a main staple of food for us, year round. There are also 16 lettuce plants growing in the green house. This year I was determined not to be so far behind on getting our fresh produce growing. I try to seed the lettuce every two to three weeks to keep a fresh supply. Fresh, raw vegetables are very important for a person's health.

One day last week, we harrowed two of our grazing pastures. We generally graze our sheep on a pasture for two weeks or just under three weeks, depending the pasture foliage. After grazing a pasture, the sheep are moved to what we call a 'clean' pasture, which basically means the pasture has not been grazed for 60 days.

Dragging the pastures flattens mole hills, distributes manure more evenly, and stimulating the grass regrowth. Ideally, it would be great to run a flock of chickens on this pasture, as they would do alot of the work for you. They do a great job of cleaning up parasites, scattering manure, and flattening the mole hills, not to mention their own contribution of manure for natural fertilizer. However, because we live in a Bald Eagle's flight path, we are unable to do this. We have lost many of our laying hens and ducks to the eagles. If we were home during the day, it would be something we would definitely do again.

The photo below is our flexible harrow. You could pull this with a riding lawn mower, if you did not have an ATV. We purchased this 25 years ago, and used it to drag the riding arena.

Because we farm 100% organically, we do not use chemicals on anything we raise here, animals or crops. We rotate our sheep through the pastures for several reasons. First, some sheep are very susceptible to internal parasites. Mine happen to fall into that 'susceptible' category. By not over grazing a pastures, this helps the sheep to not reinfect themselves. The internal parasites (the worms) live in the digestive tract where the eggs are laid. The eggs hatch out of the manure on the ground. Within three weeks and weather dependant, another set of larvae climb the grass stems, only to be eaten and returned to the sheep. (My general rule on parasites activity: weather warming up, longer daylight (springtime, summer,fall) eggs hatch. Cold weather, short daylight, less issue of eggs hatching and reinfecting).

By rotating the sheep, it also helps prevent over grazing the pasture. If the sheep are left to graze an area too long, they will graze it right down to the roots. Not good. This then can lead to soil erosion, mud during rainy season, and unwanted weeds taking over a pasture.

We give heartfelt thanks for the opportunities we have been given to learn from. We continue to prepare, waiting and watching eagerly for the Lord to move us.

Have a wonderful day!

Blessings!

Kris

Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in his ways, you will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours. Psalm 128:1-2 niv

Searching... Waiting... Searching... Find!

2010-01-27T19:40:00.000-08:00

NOTE: This post is very late. It was written back in January, but due to my lack of computer time, and two 'extended' family illnesses, it was not posted. I hope to get back to posting in a much more timely manner. Thank you for your kind comments.

The early morning air was cool and the ground frosty white. The day after Christmas, December 26, 2009. Morning chores were done quickly. After a bowl of hot oatmeal, we loaded the 1-ton diesel with things needed. Books, food, a jug of water, dogs, and music CD's. We prepared for the long day.

We had searched and searched for many years. My husband spent many nights after work, searching 'For Sale' advertisements in newspapers and Craig's List. This was one piece of equipment we needed before we could make our move.

After a long five hour drive one way, we finally arrived at the livestock trailer sales lot. The outside temperatures were just above freezing. Thankfully the sun was sharing its warmth, and we were very grateful for that.

The advertised trailer my husband had found was in our price range, and loaded with special features that an experienced horse enthusiast would appreciate. However, after looking over the trailer, we found it not to be in the same condition, we were told on the phone.

We asked if they had any other 4-horse trailers on the lot. 'Yes', the salesman replied, 'I have two others to look at'. To our surprise, this sales lot had the exact horse trailer my husband and I had decided upon many years ago.

Because my husband and I live very differently now, our outlook on life is unlike years ago, when I was involved heavily in training and showing horses. Though we do not own horses now, they are certain to enter back into our lives.

So the reasoning for our decision on the type of trailer was based on our lifestyle now. What our our needs? Today our lives are not about 'wants', nor are they 'just horses' anymore. We were looking for an aluminum trailer that would accomodate our life today, as well as the horses in our future.

The sheep and goats will trailer fine in their own herds, but horses can be a bit more finicky. Not all horses like each other, and from our experience a horse being trailered with a divider between the next horse is more apt to be an un-injured horse.

'07 Exiss CX400

Photo Above: Rear view, four horse with tack room on right side.

Above Photo: Kris opening the door, and Riley checking out the inside of stock area.

Photo Above: Riley giving his approval of the inside of the trailer.

Photo Above: Horse stall dividers are all open, but not removed.

Another option we liked about this trailer is being able to completely remove the dividers out of the trailer,simply and without the fear of loosing a finger. Removing the dividers in some brands of trailers can be a big hassle and somewhat dangerous if you don't get a good hold on the spring that holds the divider. This trailer is also lined with rubber mats on the floor and walls.

Photo Above: Escape door on left side. 'This trailer is gigantically tall!'

Photo Above: 'Oh look, our first volunteer's for the test ride'. They gave their approval of the trailer.

Lily (age 10) on left and Riley (age 9) on right. Pembroke Welsh Corgi's.

Photo Above: Tack room shown with screen door.

This has been a very interesting journey for us to experience, thus far. What began with eggs and vegetables selling from our small farm, has found us branching into self-sufficient homesteading. We LOVE it! The changes we have made, once we have been able to break free of the mainstream mindset, have been a true blessing. They have even been life saving.

Have a wonderful Day!

Blessings,

Kris

Give Thanks to the Lord, for He is good; his love endures forever. Psalm 107:1 niv

Handcrafted Simplicity

2010-01-18T08:21:00.000-08:00

The foot stool above is one of my husband's creations. On New Year's Day, he spent few hours out in the cold barn, building this stool. He left the decision up to me to cover the top or leave it wood.

I opted for the fabric, as the fabric seems to bring a warmth to the stool. Another small item to mark of our list of things to accomplish.

However, my actual plan for the top is to use the wool from our sheep, and handcraft a wool rug top. But first, I must get the wool spun. Oh dear, the likelihood of it happening soon does not look promising. One more item to put back on the 'To Do' list. How does that happen? I thought we were making progress. {grin}

Enjoy the day!

Blessings!

Kris

A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones. Proverbs 15:30 niv