Snowin in Cooks Creek. Not hard, just big flakes flutterin down. Don't think it will amount to much really. Last day of my three day vacation. What have I accomplished? I am embarrassed to say not much. Tinkering with this and that but no big projects have been completed. Have to finish the wife's taxes today. Have to make sure the Man gets his pound of flesh. I don't mind payin taxes. It is what the money is gettin used for. We have social programs comin out our ....... butts. We have people (read generations) who have not worked a day in their lives and have no intention of workin. I'm supportin them. So my wife and I not only have to raise our three children but I am payin for a half dozen lazy cusses that I don't even know. Our Premiere is off to some country over the duck pond askin for people to come to our country because of the opportunities here. Huh?? Our health care system and infrastructure can't cope with the people we have now. If there is so much opporturnity why are all these dead beats not workin? Mayby they just don't want to. Why work when there are more social programs than you can imagine for a person who has a work allergy to take advantage of. Now, don't get me wrong. Sometimes people need help. I have got no problem with that. I want to be a part of that help. A family that is down on their luck and needs a hand, a single Mom who has had some hard luck, a person with a disability can't work. I support and encourage our system in helpin. It is when the people your helpin is from geneation to generation. They are on a program, their parents are on a program and they are training their kids to get on a program. No time for that and payin taxes to support that, well, kind of gets a burr under my saddle. Many times in the big city at the stop lights you will see a person standing with a sign saying something like "Out of Work, Too Proud to Starve. Donations". They walk up and down the line of cars that are stopped at the light begging. Last summer one of them came up to my window. Just so happens I was in the process of trenching in electrical service to my barn. I needed 60 feet of trench 2 feet deep. I was doin it with a pick and shovel. Anysay, I rolled down my window and offed the fella a job. Come and help me trench, I'll give ya $10/ hour and the best supper ya ever ate. Didn't say a thing, not no thanks, nothin, just walked away to the next car. Now, this was an able bodied lad. Maybe 20 years old, looked in good shape. He was too proud to work but not too proud to beg. I wouldn't give one of those people one plug nickel. Never would and never will.
The answer to the last posts quote is Mark Twain. Mark Twain said "I have never let my schooling interfere with my education".
How about a joke.
A boy asks his dad if he can use the car and the dad replies "No, not until you cut your hair!”
The boy says "But dad, Jesus had long hair!"
To which his dad said, "Sure he did, but Jesus walked everywhere."
Now that is a good one. Come on laugh, Ya know ya want to.
Take er easy. God helps those that help themselves. Always has and always will.
5 comments:
Thanks for your comment--us small time blogger people have to stick together!
The chick are doing fine--only lost one so far. (I ordered the "assorted heavy st. run" from Murray Mcmurray hatchery so their all different kinds--mostly for eggs, but I'll butcher most (all?) of the rosters. Then come about May, I want to get some Cornish Cross for broilers.) I think I'm going to have to move 'em out of the basement soon though, they're starting to smell kinda chicky. Before I can move them outside though I've got to build a brooder to keep 'em warm out there! That's at the top of my list for today.
We have a scissor sharpener made by fiskers or something works pretty well but ceramic rods can only get stuff so sharp.
In your list you have sharpening shovels--can you write a how-to book(or at least a blog)on that? You could become rich and famous (like Mr. Kimball :-) [actually I think he'd be the first to say writing how-to books doesn't make you rich]possibly not famous either :-) ) I need to start digging up the garden soon (right after it warms up enough to move the chick out of the hoop house that is covering it up right now. I plan on "double digging" it and if I can make it any easier (use a sharp shovel?) it wouldn't hurt a bit.
We are just close enough to town to have dsl internet--I'll admit it sure is nice to have the web pages come up almost as fast as you click on them. We used to have to go back to dial-up when the dsl died when we were getting all the kinks work out at first. Boy is there a big difference! Now it's almost painful(well, OK, it is painful)to have to use the dial-up. We used to only get about 19.8 whatevers (ask Jonathan) and now we get about 1150--the difference is almost scary. I bet living out in the country would be worth the slower connection though. Down here they've got something that works off cell tower too (again ask Jonathan), but as I recall from our trip, there weren't many cell phone towers from about southern North Dakota up. Just lots of beautiful countryside.
Oh, and I agree about the hair--short is better on guys (especially if they don't walk everywhere) :-)
Matthew
Hi there,
I'll have to tell Jonathan about the counter, he was telling me the other day that there is a way to only count other people's visits and not your own. I'm not sure if ours is set up that way or not.
I don't remember where I read 'bout the egg shell thing, but it seemed to work out pretty well for me--I just need to figure out the watering. Something like not too dry and not too wet! There seems to be that fine line to try to balance on in a lot of things in life.
I'd never heard of the shovel sharpening before, or of oiling them either. (the things you learn online!) I'll have to try the bucket trick. Now is a "spade" a flattish straight bladed shovel? Or do they have a "round nose"? When we say shovel around here, most people mean the "round nose" kind.
I am disappointed though, no how-to-book? How will you get to be rich and famous?
Well we've got to leave for church soon, so I'd better run,
Matthew
I just finished reading all your archives...and I've got to say...WOW. You folks sure keep busy. The weather sounds quite cold too--I think I may eventually have to move North West, both for the wide open spaces (less people) and for the snow ;) Down South here in Michigan we don't get near as much snow and cold as I would like (they do get more in the U.P.) Even down here though I've noticed that thing where it warms up one day, and then even though a week ago fifteen or twenty degrees (Fahrenheit) was plenty warm, now 40 degrees outside is enough to wear a heavy coat! (and 75 degrees in the house is downright chilly!)
I've also wondered about living in Canada...I think you said you used to live in ND? [I tend be a pretty fast reader with poorer (is that even a word?) retention skills:) ] Why did you move? (if you don't mind sharing)
Sounds like you're well on your way to raising most/all of your food. I just jumped on the agrarian bandwagon and it sure seems like we're (our family) going slow. But then not much will grow outside yet, so I guess there's time yet. And these things tend to gain momentum the longer they go (I sure hope anyway!), so maybe we'll do more next year. (Lord willing, especially since this year is hardly started!)
I just got my plucker parts yesterday--Christmas in April! (hope to post on it yet tonight) Another fun project to work on.
I know I'm not a parent (yet anyway), but I want to commend you for the way you are raising your kids. It sounds like they are good hard workers all 'round. I think that my folks have done a bang-up job (that is to say excellent! Not sure where the expression came from...) of raising us (and they're not done yet) but I do think that if we/I'd have been pushed a little harder when we were younger (hard to teach an old dog new tricks!) it wouldn't have hurt. That is to say--keep up the good work.
Jonathan and I have been homeschooled all of our lives, and we love it. Work at your own pace, one on one, learn about things that interest you, etc.
It is so encouraging to read about another family that is not able to go "full-time" at homesteading, but that is making a good honest stab at it. What I mean (I think) is that it is encouraging that there is somebody else out there that is proving that the "good life" is possible even under less than ideal circumstances (having to both work an outside job). Which is to say, thanks for sharing your story--it's encouraging.
Or just ignore that last paragraph and take this (more concise?)version: Thanks for the encouragement! Anyway, hope you can figure out what I mean :-)
It sounds like a very lovely place you've found to fellowship and worship. The community that can be found in small towns and out of the way agrarian places is something I've never known. (funny how one can miss what they've never had in the first place...) I wish we'd been in touch before we drove to Alaska, maybe coulda dropped by to visit a spell.
Also love the humor--especially the joke about planting the chicks. Must remember that one. Still laughing!
Well, have a good evening
Matthew
Hi Mr. Guy,
[that has quite a ring to it, don't it. :-) My Great Grandpa's name was Guy also--interesting things, names.]
Forgive my curiosity, but why did your dad move to Canada (or his folks)? Was it for work, or land for sale? A lot of days I think that it's too bad that borders are so set in stone, if ya know what I mean. Even getting across the border can be a hairy experience--we didn't have too much trouble, but I can't imagine trying to get across with a moving van! If they decided to check through stuff that would be a nightmare...
I am thankful that I have the advantage of starting on this endeavor at a younger age, and might possibly have a shot at never having to "punch the clock." That's my goal anyway, not sure how realistic it is. If I start small enough perhaps I can grow it until it will support a family...have to wait and see I guess. Some days I wonder if there are even any really dedicated Christian girls left that even want to be mothers. So many don't seem to really care about anything practical, family, faith and the good life for instance--sounds like your daughters are well on there way. (don't take that wrong...I'd better be careful what I say here :-) )
I don't have any sisters...that would be...interesting.... If I did maybe I would understand better why 95% of them seem so silly. Maybe it's lack of parental direction, but most of the girls I know, or know of, seem to just kinda be drifting at sea--like they lost their anchor somewheres. Even in the Christian Homeschooling community there are few with what I would consider a worthwhile purpose in life. I've considered (with all of my eighteen years of wisdom!:-)Some days I feel really old) doing a post called something like "Where are all the Future Proverbs 31 Women?," or "Where are all of Tomorrow's Godly Wives," or something like that, but I don't want to say something (and once I got going who knows what might slip out) I'd regret latter--no telling when it might come back to haunt me.
You never know about those lotto tickets, you might find a winning one laying around on the ground (not such a bad chance considering how many people waste money on, I mean *buy* them!) No telling what the Father has in store. The sermon last Sunday was about the "Kids of a very rich, very powerful, very loving Father" [and no, I didn't remember all that--had to dig out my notes :-) ]
Someone said the other day that the parents' vision is not the kids' vision...and while that is not necessarily true, I think that if the parents are diligent in instructing the kids (and have a vision worth pursuing) that the parents vision should be the kids vision. After all isn't that one of the main goal of Agrarianism--a Multi-generational Vision? I believe that is what is so wrong with the world today. The young are only a nuisance--to be shipped off to school, and then to after-school stuff, and then up to their room to do homework and to bed, I hear so many parents say that they can't stand to be around their kids--so sad. It's the parents' job to train their children up in the right way, if they can't stand them, shouldn't that set off alarm bells?
The young are only a nuisance, and the old are expendable. Either ship 'em off to some out of the way nursing home or just kill 'em--no big deal. What ever happened to "Children honor your parents?" Not very honoring to ship them off to Timbuktu in my book.
Homeschooling is one of the greatest blessings of my life...I think that the greater assurance and maturity (sometimes more than others) of homeschooled students is due to the great amount of time spent with adults, rather than with their peers. I just think that if kids in general spent more time with people older (and wiser, if nothing else they've had more time to make and learn from mistakes)than themselves that they would actually attempt to imitate them. Whereas if all their time is spent with people their own age, what wisdom or insight is their to be gained? With little or no outside contact they tend to stay the same age emotionally and psychologically, even while they mature physically. I think there are studies that back that up--not sure how scientific. Anyway, just my thoughts :-)
100,000 lakes huh? That means there must be somewheres around 100,000,000,000,000,000,000 of those pesky 'sketers! We were actually planning to stay home this summer and try again on the garden (last year we went to Alaska, and it kinda got neglected somehow). But usually we take vacations in the Fall after regular school starts again--cuts down on the crowds. (another advantage to homeschooling!) It sure was pretty country up there. I'd like to take another loop through there--Minnesota, South and (especially) North Dakota, Montana and Manitoba and Saskatchewan. We've actually been to 49 states (and the Canadian provinces on the way to Alaska) (still missing Hawaii, but it's kinda hard to drive there!)but we went out west on one of our earlier trips, and I don't remember it so good. I think I'd like to live out that way, but would really like to drive though it all again first--maybe someday....
Did you ever mention how many acres you have? We're trying on 1.5--not much. (just realized you probably think in a different measurement--hectares? Hmm...that would be roughly 0.60702846336 hectares, isn't it amazing what wonderful tools you can find online? ;)
Thanks for all the interesting info, I really enjoy our "conversations." (the one problem is that my typing is slower than my thoughts, and I often lose track of something I wanted to say or ask....I wonder if memory loss is catching--I do hang out with the "old" crowd ;-)
Matthew
Hi Mr Guy,
It's warming up nicely here--although they say it might snow again this weekend :-(
You must have quite the setup for the chickens there--100 at a time, I bet that takes some space! Are you getting 100 hens or are you ordering st. run? I ordered my 50 broilers, now I had better get busy an build them a pen! Do y'all pasture your broilers? I would also like to have a few cattle (especially a milk cow, maybe a jersey?) but we just don't have the room (see my last comment for a brief paragraph on acreage conversions etc.). Maybe someday. I'd like a couple of hogs too, for all that bacon and ham! How much land do you folks have? I worked at a butcher's last fall during deer season and he processed about 200 deer (and a couple of hogs) while I was there, so I think I could probably do the butchering myself...it'd be interesting anyway.
I'm sure that the plucker will be a fun project. Do you have any of Mr. Kimball's other books? They're all great. I just got the one about the garden cart--supposed to be better than a wheel barrow, which would be nice. I don't get along very well with wheel barrows. Have to bend over double to avoid crashing that dratted front brace (the one in front of the wheel) into the ground! Our old one had a brace behind the wheel but that apparently wasn't good enough for the new style. We know some one who was taking one back down a hill to their shed and caught the front brace and ended up flat on his back in front of the wheel barrow--which wouldn't have been so bad except that he'd just had back surgery not too long ago! And then they seem to be pretty tippy on top of it all...
Well we've got a writing class this afternoon (only two more after today!) so I'd better run,
Matthew
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