Homesteading

I have to tell you I've VERY interested in creating a modern homestead, but I have found the books on the subject to be a bit lacking. I understand the authors problem is that they only have so many pages to give you an over view of the whole subject, but there isn't enough information in any one book to teach you to truly become proficient at any of the skills they mention. Don't get me wrong there are some GREAT books that give you an overview and details on each aspect of homesteading, but you can't teach some one to spin their own yarn in one to two pages. Everything I need to know about raising chickens can't be written in 4 pages with pretty colorful pictures.

I guess I'm just complaining that the all in one resources aren't all in one, and that I'm going to have to get out side the quick and easy route to learn more about homesteading as I put what I've learned into practice. Its just annoying that there are so many all in one books and that even though I've read probably 50 all in one books I'll still have to find books one EACH and EVERY individual subject to put it in to practice.

However, on the bright side as I learn more I'll be able to share more with you guys and MAYBE even put video out there walking you through the processes I'm going through.

So I guess I'm still in the beginning of my journey to spend less, grow more, and rely less on others for the needs of me and my family. Don't get me wrong we're not giving up deoderant, electricity, and running water..... just yet ;)

~LuLu

Fall Garden Update

My garden is growing - and Growing - and GROWING!!


Cucumbers - man oh man are my cukes looking good! They've been taking over and I've got probably 50 little fruits all over the vines. They are climbing on EVERYTHING and it's a fight to keep them off the tomatoes.

Tomatoes- The tomatoes keep growing and getting taller, but no fruit or flowers yet.

Cantaloupe- These aren't going nearly as crazy as the cukes which is ok because I can't eat them on my current diet, but I still want them to grow! I've got flowers blooming, but no fruit yet.

Bell Peppers- Boy do these look sad - and small - they are about 3 inch tall and one has already died leaving me 2 tiny plants, but we'll see. I'm not even sure this is the right season for them - Shrug its all just one on going experiment!

Sweet Peas- They are growing and growing, but they look meh at best. The lower leaves are a bit yellow and I've only seen one bloom, but they are about 1 ft tall now and so I'll give them time.

Broccoli- When the cold (lol in Florida the 70's is cold lol) weather hit my broccoli doubled in size making it about 1 inch - sad and pathetic, plus 4 plants were eaten by bugs. So I bought some starts from the nursery, and those are doing ok - We will see!

Corn- I ripped out all the corn! For several reasons - were not eating it on our diet, it kept getting caterpillar damage, it took up a lot of room, and mom gave me collard starts!

Collard Greens- they are alive after transplanting... which is GREAT!! Its only been a few days but they look good!

Green Beans- UGGH! - What a LOT of work - I keep getting caterpillars- ones that eat and roll the leaf so I've been smushing them and trying to crush all the eggs I find, but its a never ending battle. Plus the bush beans are more like lean over and shade the collard beans which bugs me. I may have to add a string separating the 2 crops until the collards get bigger. I've eaten 1 green bean, but it was tiny. I've seen lots of flowers so more should be coming soon. I can't wait!!

Things I want to learn and do

So here is a list of random things I want to learn about and do over the next ---- well eventually.

To Learn -
Basket weaving
Cheese making
Soap Making
Homemade Green Cleaners - (I already do Laundry soap)
Speak Spanish
Play Guitar

To Do-
Raise Chickens
Establish an Aquaponics system
Fence in my back yard
Plant a herb garden
Practice my Book Binding
Expand my vegetable garden
Plant fruit trees (Avacado - Citrus - Mulberry)
Plant Berry Bushes (Strawberry - raspberry - blueberry)
Try Rabbit
Build a Green House roof
Get a shed
Reduce waste
Brew Elder Flower Champagne 
Small vertical hydroponics
Maybe a clothes line
Blog more consistantly
Teach others what I know!
Make and/or modify more of my own clothing

Wishful Thinking- 
Perfectly Clean House
Pest Free ORGANIC garden

Ok so I know its a lot, but its what I want to do. I'm working to create a more sustainable backyard that focuses on producing more of my own food - especially fruits and vegetables. Plus fresh eggs and possible meat chickens and/or rabbits EVENTUALLY. Through Aquaponics I'll be able to grow more veg in my semi greenhouse and as a byproduct every 2 years or so I'll get to harvest fresh fish!

I'm also totally engrossed with what I call Dying Arts. The loss of the craftsman is a sad sad situation. Which is why I am apparently single handedly working to learn as much as possible. Plus I totally love learning and enjoy it and look forward to it. Its just so exciting to learn and try and experiment, so that is what I'm working on now.

I know its a little hippytastic, but it makes me happy - and isn't that all that matters?

~LuLu

Major Blog Edit and Content Shift

I've gone back through and deleted about 50 blog posts of nothing important. I've left all tutorials and posts of substance, but this blog is going to be focusing more on me and the process to become more self sufficient. I want to use it partly as a journal of my experience and also as an inspiration for others to join in if its something they are interested in.

It should be said that I'm a city girl and have no real training in ANY of this. So I'll be learning as I go, making TONS of mistakes, but most importantly having FUN! I believe that a HUGE part of something being sustainable is that you have to enjoy doing it.

I'll still be doing crafty things, I'll still be journaling, and I'll hopefully be posting a lot more because its something that I'm passionate about!

Here goes nothing!

~LuLu

Bored!

Uggh! I've been working on my masters - and I really do want the shiny piece of paper at the end, but I'm so over the school work!!

The assignments feel pointless and overwhelming, but I am trudging on through. I gotta get my butt in motion!!

Maybe I'll just take one class in the future - especially if I am full time soon (I hope, I hope, I hope!!)

My garden is growing well, but with all the hours at work and the school assignments I don't get as much time out side as I want!

~LuLu

Garden Fall 2011

So Thursday the 25th I planted the seeds for my garden in starter cups on the porch. I'm trying to do this fairly naturally, mostly organic, and with as little work and money as possible. I'm hoping to plant tomatoes, corn, peppers, cucumber, peas, cantaloupes, green beans, and broccoli.


Well today I went out to water my seeds and HOLY CUCUMBERS BATMAN they went from nothing to one of them is over 2 inches tall!! Awesome! - now if I can keep this up for several months I'll be sitting pretty!!

I'm hoping to finish moving and preparing my beds this week so they will have some time to soak up some summer rains and get all settled before I plant.

I'm also strongly considering planting potatoes this fall in a separate bed!

More to come!

~LuLu

On My Mind

In this weeks segment of On My Mind we learn that LuLu is completely insane and plans ahead WAY too much!

I've been thinking a lot about what I want to do for Christmas - you know presents, gifts, and holiday baking!! I want to keep this year relatively inexpensive so I might FINALLY get to take a vacation in 2012. You know like a REAL vacation where I get to leave my city, county, and state! I'm really wanting an Alaskan Cruise, but am not holding my breath for that to work out.

Any one want to pay me large sums for money for being cute, my opinion, or my leet movie reviews?

~LuLu

Injured

How did I manage to hurt both feet in the same day? My right heel is in pain when I walk or put pressure on it and I broke my left big toe nail in half. So now when I walk both feet hurt..... 6 days to race day - uggh lets hope I heal!!

On the positive side I've been staying off my feet by reading a LOT!  I am currently in the middle of book 3 of the A Song of Fire and Ice series. (The TV show A Game of Thrones is based on this series) I found the first book A Game of Thrones to be long and tedious - I mean come on 800+ pages that is a trudge even for me. I gave up after the first book and moved on to Harry Potter - now that's short and BORING, but I managed 3 of those books before I found my way back to The Song of Fire and Ice book 2 a Clash of Kings. The book pushed 900 pages, but I made it through in about 3 days pretty much devouring the book and thoroughly engrossing myself in the story. Now on book 3 A Storm of Swords and I'm two thirds through it and can't wait to finish and more excitedly can't wait for season 2 of the TV show!

~LuLu

The best intentions

I always have the best blogging intentions! - Weekly, Daily, and Monthly post ideas, but they always fall through - I have tried segmenting my blogs into one for running/fitness, one that is required for school - so mostly Library Based, And this one as more of a personal/crafty blog. However, it seems the only one that gets updated regularly is the one for school - and thats just because the posts are required as a class grade!

Although after seeing a good friend over the last few weeks and how she looks forward to my posts I'm hoping to post more often and maybe just focus on this blog - and maybe the movie review blog that I do with my husband (If we ever actually go back to watching movies)

So this ones for you Buffy! Lets hope I can stick with it!! :)

~LuLu

I'm not dead!

I know its hard to believe, but I'm not dead! I just haven't been using my computer very much. In fact I haven't been crafting or photographing nearly as much as I should have been. Instead I've been running! My husband and I started the Couch to 5k program and are really loving it! We're just starting on week 4 and its getting pretty intense.

The odd thing is that I'm actually really enjoying it. I mean the pain can be unbearable, but I really don't want to stop!! We've signed up for 2 races so far! We'll be running in the MayFaire 5k on May 7th which is just after we finish the 5k program. Then in January of 2012 we are running in the Warrior Dash which totally looks crazy and fun.

I've also been reading The Non-runner's Marathon Guide for Women: Get Off Your Butt and On with Your Training and although I know it will be a long way away I think it might be something I'd like to do! We've got a few other races to conquer first starting with our 5k, then a 10k, 15k, 1/2 marathon, and probably then the marathon. Its a long road, but running with my husband is one of my favorite parts of the day!!

I've also been eating a WHOLE lot healthier! LOW fat, LOW calorie, and HIGH protein. It really hasn't been as hard as I thought it would. We eat a ton of chicken and turkey and eggs! Brown rice, baked beans, green beans, and other random veggies. We've also added some low cal, low fat, low carb ice cream bars to the freezer so it feels a lot less like a diet and a lot more like heaven!

On the bright side I've lost 20 Freaking pounds! The down side is that my pants fall off and I don't have any bras that fit well. Oh poor poor me :) 5 more pounds and I'll be getting my nose pierced!

I think that is about all that is new as of late, but boy oh boy am I loving life a whole lot more now!

~LuLu