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Medicine Woman

Almost Self-Reliant
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Have no idea what is wrong with me but I just got over a UTI (at least I think so) and suddenly my left leg wants to fail me at random times when I’m walking, standing, trying to sit down. I get some strange, unpleasant sensation and then it hurts. So far I haven’t fallen down. But I did submit a specimen to see if I am clear. How is this about self sufficiency?? How is it it not? I can’t do blankety blank like this!! Oh I forced myself to do the bare minimum yesterday and last night. Fortunately I have leftovers so I just need fresh rice and I’m going to have food. But I also have a bunch of wild ducks that haven’t been plucked. I finally bagged the coon and put it in the freezer. Oh man…. I hope if it’s a pinched nerve it lets go soon. Getting old sucks!!
 

flowerbug

Sustainability Master
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...Oh man…. I hope if it’s a pinched nerve it lets go soon. Getting old sucks!!

i hope it goes away too! so annoying when something goes wrong and you don't know what the problem really is.

and yeah, getting older just reminds you of all the things you did when you were younger and should have known what you now know instead.
 

Medicine Woman

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Today was anti-procrastination day. Before getting on the road with DH, I planted some Ponderosa Lemon seeds and some onion roots and the end of a celery.
DH and I then fed the pigs, collected venison from his cousin (neck roast and a leg), checked all our mail, did two more errands then I went to my old house for planters. I ended up finding two of the containers I used to use for soap molds. I’ve been wondering if I can half the recipes.
 

Missa@#5252

Lovin' The Homestead
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Today was anti-procrastination day. Before getting on the road with DH, I planted some Ponderosa Lemon seeds and some onion roots and the end of a celery.
DH and I then fed the pigs, collected venison from his cousin (neck roast and a leg), checked all our mail, did two more errands then I went to my old house for planters. I ended up finding two of the containers I used to use for soap molds. I’ve been wondering if I can half the recipes.
I hope things keep getting better 🙏🙏
 

Medicine Woman

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I know I live in the warmest climate on the forum (probably anyway) but I woke up to a pretty chilly house and took pity on Trouble by lighting the heater but I decided early to get the house warmer by killing two birds with one stone. So I burned some crisco in a cast iron pot on the stove (gas of course) and I then took out my favorite pot to roast 4 wild ducks with a bunch of organ meats. I woke up DH (sleeping pattern is way off) because one of his friends arrived. Funny how he gets up for them but not for me. Then I started bringing in the pumpkins we had growing in the front yard and pulled out the seeds. Shoved 2 small pumpkins and two normal sized ones into the oven which can barely close. I have it over 200F just to start reducing it and soften them up. After we eat duck (I’m kinda late) I will cut the pumpkin off the skin to smother in butter and sugar and later I will fill whatever jars I have left with the preserves. I might collect more jars from my old house because I have two more pumpkins, given to me from my uncle (different variety). But I did turn off the heater.
I have been having back pain so 2 nights ago I stripped my bed and put my mattress warmer and fresh sheets and started a heavy day of laundry with washing 2 comforters, one blanket and sheets. Good thing I had caught up on laundry before. But even besides just being good to snuggle up in a warm bed when it’s cold, it just feels good on my back.
Also I woke up to peep peep coming from the Bator. I don’t know how many ducklings have hatched but DH put in an order for more eggs. So I got wild ducks in the pot and domesticated ducklings in the Bator.
Yesterday DH wanted to get some treated boards he had picked up to create a place for my plant pots. I have taken to putting them on the rail of the front ramp. He wants to make a rack on the opposite side. No argument from me because my cousin gave me a 5 foot stack of 3 gallon pots. I haven’t exactly counted them yet. I don’t have enough potting soil for them so I will fill with sticks and leaves and then put 4 or 5 inches of soil. My cousin has a little side line of succulents, houseplants, cacti and other plants; not necessarily useful but pretty. I rather like green but I might as well have food growing in the pots. So I told DH if he wants to do that I would appreciate it if he can make me a hoop covering the ramp so I can have a vertical garden at that spot. We shall see.
We are really roughing it right now because of an unexpected vehicle problem that occurred on Thanksgiving Day…set us back over $300 then loaned my oldest a bit of money which I think I will get it back Wednesday…which is also DH’s payday. Just two more days!! YeeHaa!!
I guess the mice come in because of the cold. I caught two last night with some almonds and I reset the same traps. Gonna set even more before tonight.
I really want to start my own garden plants soon, inside. I might start them in egg cartons and put them on top of the Bator during the night.
 

Medicine Woman

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Hello. I’m getting ready for a storm and I think it will get cold. I WANT A GARDEN!!! I don’t even have room for any more meat in the freezer with all DH’s catfish, the shrimp he buys when his buddy is tired of waiting on the boat and he just wants to sell everything for a price we can’t refuse and various wild game we been eating but I have been relying on produce from the store and canned vegetables. I have been working on the west side of this old house and DH can’t help himself when he sees me playing outside. He just has to come out and take over. Well we picked up the Fava beans from his arch and I pinched a thick, huge cardboard box a woman was trying to put in the recycling bin that we put under the arch to smother all the grass. We have a new rooster in a dog kennel on grass duty. I want to collect that kind of kennel and put a bunch of chickens to work in the yard…. I mean garden 😂. I plan on using the wooden fence and shoe stringing some clothes line wire or maybe zigzag and doing vertical gardening from large planters which will all be sitting on top of cardboard boxes I pinch from the bin or the Dollar Store. I wasn’t sure what to do about the cesspool covering but I finally decided it would be the perfect place to put my rootstock to grow in small pots. DH decided to crack up the lawnmower yesterday and I ran into the backyard to do something away from him so I was cracking ragweed and I got hit on my left butt cheek with an oyster shell so hard. I ended up meeting one of our neighbors who was walking his dog. DH, of course already knew him and he knew all about me already but we never spoke. He is old like us but not in our shape, thanks be to God. So we cleaned up in the backyard a while and lite a fire. We got a lot of junk to bring to the dump as soon as we can. I don’t know why there is a fireplace back there but it looks terrible and it has to go. Yuck!! So we then got back to the west side and I was regretting not taking a before and after picture. I told DH, I want him to enlarge his arch both going north and south and we will collect a few appliance boxes to choke out anything but what we absolutely want to grow. I was really tired and hurting by the time we came inside and we ate leftover gumbo for supper. I decided to bake my own bread because DH absolutely won’t stop eating it and it will keep the house warm. But last night I fried beignets for dessert.
Well like I said I’m preparing for a storm so I’m cracking open the Fava beans, I need to flip the duck eggs over and we have a battery for backup power for the incubator if the power is shut down. We also left a few minutes to go slop the pigs and I grabbed a few branches off some okra to collect the dried seeds i very much want to plant in the backyard (thinking of some ground fabric DH has stored at his place and just spot planting….you know..easy for old people). Hey..better than ragweed. 🤷‍♀️. So I’m collecting seeds right now warming up the house. Dogs getting nervous and quiet.
I will attach a picture. My friend who gave me the rooster sent a cast iron pot back with me because she doesn’t know how to take care of it. She said it was a gift to DH. He was touched she thought of him. So it’s ugly now but maybe after I can show the after picture when we ready to cook in it. I’m using it to collect seeds.
 

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