O.K. Winter, I'm Ready

    It's the last day of November, the Christmas decorations are up, the house is ready for winter. So far we have been very lucky. Yesterday it was near 60.There are still leaves on some of the trees & the grass is still green & mine really needs mowing.
    I need winter to start. It is my downtime. This year has been so busy with my Husband having three surgeries & daily keeping up with a just turned 7 year old that I need some time to decompress.
    We got our first Christmas card in the mail today. That means it's suppose to be Winter. I want snow & cold, just long enough to grow tired of it then it can go away. Just long enough for me to finally get my shawl knitted. Just long enough for my Daughter to get some snow days where she & her Dad can get the sled out & come in cold & drink hot chocolate. Just long enough for us to have a white Christmas. After that it can go away & thoughts of spring planting will be on my mind.
    So, come on Winter, I'm ready. Get with it!

Standing Rock Photo by Steven Spencer

Bourbon Cough Syrup

2 ounces bourbon whisky
1/2 lemon, juiced (about 2 ounces)
2-4 ounces water (optional)
1 tablespoon honey

Mix the bourbon, lemon juice, and water (if using) in a tumbler or mug and heat in the microwave for about 45 seconds. (You can also do this on the stove top in a little saucepan.) Take out and add the honey. Whisk to combine, then microwave for another 45 seconds.

Arlo Guthrie - Alice's Restaurant (Live at Farm Aid 2005)

Bittersweet Thanksgiving

     Thanksgiving for me is very bittersweet. As the years went by I was in charge of drinks & dessert after everyone had gone elsewhere for dinner. This was fine to me since I wanted to make the holiday as stress free as possible for everyone. There just happened to be one who wanted his Mom to make the full dinner every year....so I did. When he showed up Jim made sure there was Pabst beer in the fridge & I had tons of food to eat & take home. He would bring every tupperware bowl he had to fill up on the mega food I fixed. enough for him to eat on for several days. We'd listen to Alice's Restaurant  & laugh, drink & eat. It was our day, every year until it was no more....
    I caught myself cooking way too much this morning & actually saying outloud "he's not going to be here, you don't need so much food". I started to cry. I have cried several times during the day even as I type this I am sobbing.
    I am thankful for the good times that were & the good times to come, A Mother's heart never heals & there are days that the tears come easily. This is one of those days. Hug your children & be thankful.

Wise Advice From A Farmer's Wife - Found On Facebook

Whenever you return a borrowed pie pan, make sure it's got a warm pie in it.
Invite lots of folks to supper. You can always add more water to the soup.
There's no such thing as woman's work on a farm. There's just work.
Make home a happy place for the children. Everybody returns to their happy place.
Always keep a small light on in the kitchen window at night.
If your man gets his truck stuck in the field, don't go in after him. Throw him a rope and pull him out with the tractor.
Keep the kerosene lamp away from the the milk cow's leg.
It's a whole lot easier to get breakfast from a chicken than a pig.
Always pat the chickens when you take their eggs.
It's easy to clean an empty house, but hard to live in one.
All children spill milk. Learn to smile and wipe it up.
Homemade's always better'n store bought.
A tongue's like a knife. The sharper it is the deeper it cuts.
A good neighbor always knows when to visit and when to leave.
A city dog wants to run out the door, but a country dog stays on the porch 'cause he's not fenced-in.
Always light birthday candles from the middle outward.
Nothin' gets the frustrations out better'n splittn' wood.
The longer dress hem, the more trusting the husband.
Enjoy doing your children's laundry. Some day they'll be gone.
You'll never catch a runnin' chicken but if you throw seed around the back door you'll have a skillet full by supper.
Biscuits brown better with a little butter brushed on 'em.
Check your shoelaces before runnin' to help somebody.
Visit old people who can't get out. Some day you'll be one.
The softer you talk, the closer folks'll listen.
The colder the outhouse, the warmer the bed.

Netflix Prepper Shows - homesteadingandprepping.com

20 Best Prepper and Survivalist Shows on Netflix

BY ALAN 38 COMMENTS

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The holidays are almost here and unless you’re travelling, you may have some free time on your hands. Why not spend it watching prepper and survivalist shows? Netflix has several great TV shows to choose from. There many great movies and documentaries I could have included as well, but the list would have been too long.

Keep in mind that most of this is “edutainment.” While you can learn a lot, you should always double check what you learn from these shows because some of them–cough! man-vs-wild! cough!–have been known to give very bad advice. Others are pure fiction (such as The Walking Dead), but are still the kind of shows preppers might enjoy.

For each show, I made a note at the end indicating whether it is available to stream, on DVD, or both. Also, I was going to link directly to the Netflix pages, but then I realized that if you don’t have Netflix, the links just take you to a page asking you to sign up. So instead I linked to the Wikipedia entries. Now, on to the list.

Last Update: 10/19/16.

1. Combat Zone – A documentary series about the many operations and missions the U.S. military has fought around the world. Each episode is about a different battle, invasion, ambush, gunfight, rescue operation, you name it. This show is a good wake-up call for people who imagine themselves capable of serious combat after the SHTF. DVD only.

2. Falling Skies – This sci-fi series is set in a post-apocalyptic world where extraterrestrials have invaded Earth and killed most of the population. A group of survivors, led by a retired U.S. Army Captain, mount an insurgency against the aliens. This is a very well-done show that gets better as it goes. DVD only.

3. I Shouldn’t Be Alive – This series tells true stories of people who survived life-threatening situations against all odds. Through interviews and dramatic reenactments, we learn about the endurance and decisions of survivors who got through scenarios like being shipwrecked, lost at sea, trapped under a boulder, and more. DVD only.

4. Jeremiah – In a post-apocalyptic future, nearly everyone over 13 has been killed by a deadly virus. 15 years after “The Big Death,” a young man named Jeremiah and his friend Kurdy travel the country is search of the “Valhalla Sector” where his father–a viral researcher–may still be alive. DVD only.

5. Jericho – This series follows the residents of a small town in Kansas after the largest cities in the United States have been destroyed by nuclear missiles. Since they have no power or communication with the outside world, they have to manage with limited resources while trying to figure out what has happened. Available on DVD and to stream.

6. Life After People – This show asks the question, “What would happen to the world if humanity suddenly disappeared?” Scientists and engineers speculate about the fate of skyscrapers, bridges, certain plants and animals, and pretty much anything else built or impacted by humans. It extends from one year to several million years into the future. Very interesting show. DVD only.

7. Man vs. Wild – In this show, survival expert Bear Grylls is dropped into a different scenario in each episode–lost in the desert, jungle, mountains, forest, etc. He teaches you how to construct a shelter, forage for food, build a fire, and generally survive until you can reach civilization. Unfortunately, he makes a lot of foolhardy decisions in order to increase the entertainment value. DVD only.

8. Man, Woman, Wild – A husband-and-wife team attempt to survive inhospitable environments around the world with only a few supplies. Most of it features Mykel Hawke teaching his wife, Ruth England, various survival skills. It’s a pretty good show, although sometimes Ruth gets on my nerves. DVD only.

9. Out of the Wild: The Alaska Experiment – This series follows nine volunteers who make their way through the Alaskan wilderness with only a few supplies. They have to forage for food, build shelters, and stay warm amid freezing temperatures. Each volunteer has the option to summon a rescue team if they want to quit the experiment, and most of them do. DVD only.

10. Remote Survival – A reality competition series where two contestants, guided by a survival experts, spend several days travelling through the wilerness while learning and practicing survival skills. The show first aid on the National Geographic Channel. Available to stream only.

11. Revolution – A post-apocalyptic sci-fi show about what happens too the world after all the electronics abruptly stop working. It’s an interesting look at how society would function after all the current institutions experience a permanent blackout. Available on DVD and to stream.

12. Storm Chasers – Meteorologists visit Tornado Alley in order to study twisters and capture them on video. This show doesn’t teach any survival skills, but it’s very well done. At times it is very suspenseful and instills a sense of awe at the power of these deadly phenomena. DVD only.

Becoming A More Self Sufficient Homesteader With These 28 Tutorials

Becoming A More Self Sufficient Homesteader With These 28 Tutorials

Victory Garden Layout

Thanksgiving Decoration 2016

Super Moon 11-13-2016

Tea Wine

 This morning I started a new batch of wine. I heard of a book called 'Easymade Wine & Country Drinks' by Mrs.Gennery-Taylor written in 1964 in England. In it there is a recipe for wine tea & I figured why not try it? Yesterday I soaked 1# of raisins in boiling water & made 1 gal strong tea with 20 tea bags & let it steep in a sunny window all day. This morning I mixed the raisin water, tea, 4# sugar, 2 TBS. lemon juice together & added enough water to have 2 gal. in my primary bucket. As soon as it warmed a bit I added 2 crushed campden tablets. It will sit covered till tomorrow when I will then add the yeast & yeast nutrient. Warm spot, 3 weeks, strain off, put in 2 - 1 gal. glass jars with airlocks & let it set. We'll see how this goes.



Update: 11-16-16 Tea wine is bubbling away sitting in the warm pantry. It took the yeast a full day to activate, but once it did it really took off.

The Morning After

 After a political season that has worn all of us beyond thin this part is finally over. Now the real work begins. I as well as many other's didn't like either candidate but voted anyway. This country has never been so divided. Hopefully the new President will do as he says he will & get us back on track, but we've heard it before. They all say what we want to hear. We are running out of chances to start getting this right. No one knows what is ahead, but I hope we start seeing change. The voter's showed that we are all sick & tired of the same old crap that has been getting us nowhere.

Remembering Shoot

   Today is my Grandpa Shoot's 102nd Birthday. Of course he has been gone for 30 years, but I miss him terribly. You would have never met a kinder man. Known as Shoot by everyone his actual name was Elmer. I told him that I wanted to name my Son after him & he ask me why in the world I'd name a child Elmer & I told him his middle name Wilson was what I wanted to use for one of my Son's middle names. He had two.That seemed to be alright with him.
   I only saw him mad a few times in my life. I am his oldest Grandchild by his only child, my Mother so I always felt that special closeness with him & my Grandmother. She was the "older woman" by 4 months. They were a pair.
   He was the one who got me interested in making wine. The Man could make some killer wine with Welch's Grape Juice. It would knock you on your butt.Even when I was a child he'd let me have a small glass of Mogan David at Christmas time. My Son ended up being my co-wine maker so we kept the family tradition going. I never bottle any wine without raising a glass, to he & my Son.
   Shoot got brain cancer & had surgery in 1986. While he was in the recovery room from having such major surgery I went in to see him & he asked me if I needed any money to make the long drive home. Even then he was thinking of me, just like I think of him today.