by Texas Homesteader ~
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Texas is starting to loosen its shelter-in-place recommendations. But RancherMan & I are not comfortable mingling among the masses just yet. Not even using proper social distancing procedures. So we’re still tucked in at our Homestead.
Luckily since we live & work right here, that’s not too far from our typical day anyway. Come see what a day at the Homestead looks like even during these shelter-in-place times.
by Texas Homesteader ~
Many have been thrown into a strange world of doing their best to stay out of the stores and away from crowds. They’re trying to figure out how to provide things for themselves that they used to be able to buy. Sometimes such a drastic change can be frightening.
But take a deep breath. Today I’ll share with you the simplest self-sufficiency steps you can take now to begin providing for your own home and family. These were the easiest steps for me when I first started on the path to Voluntary Simplicity. And if you’re just starting out I think they can help you too.
by Texas Homesteader~
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Times are uncertain. This COVID-19 scare has us all taking precautions. Our state and local authorities have advised that we stay away from public places. It’s recommended that we practice social distancing to flatten the curve of new cases.
For RancherMan & me, that may look different than other folk’s social distancing. Come along and see what a day on the Homestead looks like during this time.
by Texas Homesteader ~
I usually make plans for the day and work towards implementing them to keep things running smoothly. And then things change. Wanna see what a day on our Texas Homestead is like?
I’d already made all the preparations for my homemade Chicken & Dumplings supper. The cooked chicken was pulled from the freezer and the dumpling dough made in advance & stored in the fridge. Heck even the Homemade Broth was made & canned weeks ago. So all my advance preparations meant that supper tonight would be quick & easy. But then…
by Texas Homesteader ~
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Many of you know we lost a family member quite unexpectedly recently. He was only in his 50’s, he certainly wasn’t expecting death to come so soon. During the grieving his children were left to pick up the pieces to get his estate & final affairs in order.
They struggled mightily to find the most basic information to even begin this estate process. Watching them struggle, RancherMan & I knew we needed to make sure our children were never left dealing with such uncertainties. So we took steps to document things we’d never really thought of before.
by Texas Homesteader ~
Whelp, here we are at the end of 2019. This year has been filled with firsts for me. I finally got an Instant Pot and learned to make IP Cheesecake (YUM!) and even easier IP Yogurt. I also got a bread machine & learned to make a 2-Lb Honey/Oatmeal Loaf. RancherMan’s favorite!
At the end of each year I like to share with you, my beloved readers, a list of the top 10 homesteading posts of the year found right here on this little ole blog of mine. This year y’all enjoyed some fun recipes, homemade cleaning supplies, tips, money-saving ideas and much more. Grab a cup of coffee and enjoy these top 10 Homesteading Posts of 2019!
by Texas Homesteader ~
Y’all know I started this little ole blog of mine back in 2013. It was a hard year for us since I’d just been diagnosed with breast cancer. But for a diversion, RancherMan suggested I begin writing about our lives here on our Homestead. So we started a blog and I started writing. I love sharing about our lives and glimpses into our days!
I started doing a feature at the end of each year where I share the top 10 posts that resonated with you the most, whether recipes, simple living or projects we’ve done. Of course I’ll do that this year as well but I thought it would be fun to share a recap of what you readers have deemed all the post popular posts by year. You can see each year’s top 10 homesteading posts right here in one place!
by Texas Homesteader ~
D’ya ever wonder what it was like to be on a Texas Homestead? I thought it would be fun to share… Here each day offers something new. Some days we’re focused on land maintenance like mowing pastures or repairing fences. Other days we might focus on bees, the garden or the cattle. But this week we had one day in particular that ended up being a very challenging day for us.
The temps that had once cooled nicely had made a wicked resurgence. On this day between the heat & humidity it was supposed to feel like sweltering triple digits. So RancherMan & I decided to work the cattle early in the morning while it’s cooler. That’s when everything went south…
By Texas Homesteader ~
I’ve often thought about other people’s perspectives on why I try so hard to provide for myself. (Although I’m focusing today on food production, homesteading encompasses providing many items for yourself, not just food.) I love to garden and it brings me joy knowing I’m providing healthier food than can be purchased at any price. Healthy veggies are often fresh out of my garden and on the supper table in an hour or less! I also like to grow herbs & spices such as rosemary, thyme and oregano.
But from another person’s perspective – why buy the seeds and plant them, water the plant until it grows? And why bother weeding the beds constantly under that Texas summer heat? Why wait several weeks later harvest it, dry it and put it in a jar? You can just BUY a bottle of oregano for a couple of bucks! I suppose it’s true that it doesn’t take much money to supply my family with oregano, so why do I even bother with this homesteading thing?
Texas Homesteader ~
When I worked in the corporate world I used to dread Mondays. After trying to relax at home over the weekend, cramming in all the “quality” time I could, it was back to work on Monday. With the intense pressure of it all, sometimes I felt like I was living to work, not working to live.
Mondays are still work days for me just as any other day of the week (except Sunday, which we take off for worship and rest.) But now I work nights and weekends as well. I’m on call 24-hours each day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year. Gone are the plush climate-controlled offices and predictable work schedules. And also gone are paid vacations & holidays.
Now my office is in a pasture or garden in all kinds of weather. I’ve given up the hope of ever having pretty nails or work clothes without mud or manure.
It’s amazing what happens when you love your job this much.
