The current temperature is -18. The wind is rocking the trees and when I checked the news a little bit ago, the wind chill was -41. Schools throughout the area are closed. Awana is canceled.How thankful I am for this nice warm home! In anticipation of the bitter cold, I brought in a few extra loads of wood. Then, last night as I could see the trees begin to sway and the temperature plummet I filled a five gallon bucket with water. Just in case we lose power.
I am sure Pat is grateful that he doesn't have to go out to work. We are really counting our blessings on a day like today. Yet so many must bundle up, brave the cold and head out to work. We are grateful for the doctors, nurses, snowplowers, store clerks and all who faithfully go to work despite extreme weather.
Today after I finish my morning chores: cleaning, baking, cooking, mending, and maybe a little sewing, I plan to make a cup of tea and curl up with some old magazines. For several years now I have subscribed to the Countryside magazine. These magazines are primarily reader-written and describe a way of life that is long gone in most of our society. Homesteading. The way my grandparents and, perhaps yours, lived. Raising your own food, fixing things yourself, doing without. Creative deprivation, but a very rich way of life.
How can you not love a magazine with covers like this:
Look at that wood cookstove! I have always wanted one....Here are some of the titles of the articles this magazine contains:
- Feed a family of four with a garden the size of a two-car garage
- Gathering wild foods and other timeless skills
- Back to basics:recovering from a lifetime of excess
- Feed a family on $50 a month
- Planning your ideal homestead
- How to knit socks
- How to cut expenses
- Raising dairy goats
- The benefits of composted manure
- Grow more with cheap and easy cold frames
Letters to the editor like this:
"I am 83, have never taken a vitamin pill, never been vaccinated, never been to the dentist to have a tooth pulled. I have about two-thirds of my teeth. When one gets hollow and the sides get loose and give me trouble, I get the pliers and take care of it."
Please understand, I am not recommending this kind of dental advice (we love our wonderful dentist!) but I admire the 'can-do', I'll take care of it myself attitude.
Today, the winds outside are howling, the weather is indeed frightful and dangerous.
Inside this home though, all is well, and the lady of the house is reading, sipping tea and dreaming about gardens and canning and chickens and goats and weaving and knitting and soap-making (and herbal remedies thanks to Cheri.)
edited to add: I tried about five times to get the above link to work right and failed. Click on another Cheri on the sidebar to see Cheri's blog
All things homesteading.
6 comments:
That is the way Earl pulled his teeth at 80 plus something.
DOD
Even with the cold, the sunshine is wonderful. It streams through my living room window, almost blinding us. Where I grew up in California, the winters were overcast and rainy, albeit short. The beautiful sunshine and clear skys here amazed my sister when she visited. We are stocked up with a fire going today too. I will venture out later and try to remove all of the snow that blew up against my front door last night, but just doing it in 5 minute increments and then warming up again! My day is full of bill paying and business paperwork and taxes, since school is cancelled,.....but my half knitted baby hat and Jungs catalog is yearning for my attention. It will be my reward when my other tasks are done. That magazine sounds like my kind of reading material....Have a cozy, warm day...Linda
I admire your pioneer spirit, Cheri. I have always wanted to liva on a farm and depend on God and the work of my own hands to make a go of things.
I like to think I have a pinoeer spirit but perhaps it is just my lifelong aversion to shopping :)
Stay warm.
Life expectancy for people during the "homesteading days" was around 40. I'll take modern conveniences and live (hopefully !!) 40 years longer.
It was a romantic time...but grueling and flat out dangerous.
Hi,
Bbrrrrr! And I thought we were cold at 29! Glad you are studying...did I mention there was a test ;)
Blessings,
Cheri
PS Link didn't work because you left an "r" out of agrarian :) Sorry...it's the teacher in me :)
DOD, I must get some of my frugal ways from Grandpa!
Linda, thanks-hope you had a cozy warm day too!
Becky, I think a pioneer spirit must begin with an aversion to shopping.
Anon., I know times were tough back in the old days. I'm grateful for the medical advances we are blessed with today. I just like the idea of doing things for myself - eating food that came from right outside my back door, wearing clothes that we stitched together with my own hands, heating with wood from our property....
And Cheri, I thought I corrected agrarian, maybe I didn't though...
Thanks for the advice, teacher ! :)
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