Blog | Homesteading Dream

Life update

by Christina | Jul 2, 2024 | Life, Update

I’m sorry it’s been a while since my last post but I have a very sad update to share so I’ll get right to the point. My mother transitioned from this earthly realm last month. She got sick in May and spent most of that month in the hospital. On June 4th she got worse and went back to the hospital. The mass they previously found had grown and metastisized and she had also contracted COVID.

She decided to forgo the biopsy and any Western cancer treatment. In the hospital they treated her with a lot of very strong medications that were causing side affects and that she was also becoming addicted to. We discussed several herbal options I found and talked about chaning her diet to help slow the progression of the disease and increase her quality of life. After the infection was clear she was discharged to return home and spend the remainder of her days under my loving care and the assistance of Hospice of the Valley.

We though she would have several months to just enjoy being in her own home, spending time enjoying each others company and sharing our favorite memories but that wasn’t the case. The first two to three days she was doing well but then after a shower she took a turn for the worse. Two days later her condition had declined so badly that Hospice advised me to start preparing for the end. I stayed by her side the entire time, caring for her the way she cared for me as a baby, with love and compassion.

On Summer Solstice she decided to have me remove her canula and later that afternoon she took her last breath, in my loving arms. I was in shock and was completely devistated by the quick progression of her condition so I didn’t have the mental capacity to manage my garden and had to let it go.

After returning home to clean up some of the dead plants and weeds I got a couple of bug bits on my feet. Most were small, red bumps, probably mosquitoe but one was larger, raised and hard. It was also itchier than the others and anti-itch cream wasn’t helping so I decided to follow the dream we discussed and make my own herbal remedy.

I didn’t have much to work with but I found some organic oatmeal in the cubord. I mixed 2 Tbsp of the oatmeal with 2 Tbsp of hot water. I added one garlic clove, 1 tsp of baking soda and a couple drops of oregano oil. I don’t have a large motar and pestal so I just mixed and mashed everything together into a paste with a fork. When I applied the mixture to the larger bit the itching stopped immediately. I’m very excited to see if this reduces the swelling or brings out any of the toxins. Mom would be so proud.

Homesteading dream is progressing

by Christina | May 3, 2024 | Gardening, Homestead, Learning

I’m excited that my little homsteading dream is coming together. The dehydrator arrived yesterday with the other canning supplies. The extra fruit trays and herb trays came a couple of days ago. I’m very egar to get going and start practicing how to preserve food in various ways.

I’ve been watching a lot of videos and learning so much. I can tell Grandma & Grandpa are with me. There’s no way my garden would be doing as good as it has been without him. I’ve been successfully able to grow various herbs, kale and spinach. The zucchini plant is growing but isn’t producing yet. I think my soil might need amending. Time for a trip to Arizona Worm Farm! It’s my favorite place for compost and other soil ammendments.

I’m excited to see how the bunching onions and carrots will turn out. The last time I tried to grow carrots, which was during my first gardening attempt in over 10 years during the pandemic, they weren’t even baby carrots. I called them micro carrots because they were litterally line 1 inch long. I learned the soil was too compacted and that stunted their growth.

On a happier note, the chamomile is flowering! It’s still a bit thin and lanky but there are flowers. I look forward to drying those out to make my own chamomile tea.

Merry Beltane!

by Christina | May 1, 2024 | Canning, Cooking, Gardening, Homestead

Merry Beltane! Just wanted to give a quick overall update.

Sourdough – My first, ever, attempt at making a sourdough starter did start but I hadn’t kept an eye on it and it died. RIP Mr. Starter.

Zucchini- The zucchini either isn’t getting pollenated or needs nutrients. I’ve has many blossoms, both male and some female, but none have started to produce fruit yet. I’m leaning toward not getting pollenated. I have some flowers but with my garden backing up to a major street and a city bus stop right behind my house I wouldn’t be surprised if the pollenators don’t want to come near here. Maybe I should get some more flowers and put the hummingbird feeder back up.

Canner – After getting all of the Costco and Walmart returns done I had enough money to get more canning supplies. $80 of jars and lids are coming home with me. Now all I need is something to can. I think I’ll do some taco sauce and pico de gallo. Doing a couple of small batches of recipes using the same base ingredients should be a good way to start. Living alone I don’t need 10 quarts of taco sauce for the year. Next purchase will be a good pressure canner but for now I’ll use the inexpensive Presto canner I got from Walmart to learn and practice. I’ll get an All American canner later.

Dehydrator – The additional racks and accessories for the dehydrator should arrive today and the dehydrator itself should arrrive tomorrow. I’m so excited to start making healthy snacks. I remember mom making fruit roll ups when I was a kid and they always tasted so good. With all the extra stuff they put in most store bought foods this will be a great next step to not only eating healthy but also to preserving foods. I’m really excited to also use it to dry my own herbs as well as the various medicinal herbs I can collect when forraging.

Garden – I’m already trying to think of ways to expand the garden so I can grow more of my own foods and herbs. I had no clue how many of the herbs we use in cooking actually have health benefits and medicinal qualities. It makes me happy that little pieces of my homesteading dream are coming together.

Quick garden update

by Christina | Apr 23, 2024 | Gardening, Homestead

Garden grow bag with kale, cilantro, carrots and basil

Quick garden update. After camping this past weekend my garden survived! The heat is rising so I’ll be putting the shade cloth up or moving the grow bags into the shade of the mesquite tree. This should allow full morning sun but help shade them in the afternoon.

The wildflower bag has several flowers. The kale, cilantro & basil are all very good. The carrots in that bag look good but the carrots in the 2nd bag, with the zucchini, look small. I wonder if the soil is still too compacted. We’ll just have to wait and see how they develop. I was surprised to see that 2 of the three watermelon seeds I planted have sprouted too!

The zucchini has 2 flowers on one plant. I need to test the PH in the soil to see if the balance is right. I might need to switch the fertalizer to the fish emulsion if the PH is too low. The last time I checked it was starting to get a little too alkaline. I’m not sure about the levels in the other vegie fertilizer from E.B.Stone, I don’t have the package anymore but I believe the Tomato/veggie was 4-5-3. I’ll need a couple of new ones that are less balanced. I’ll get one that’s higher in nitrogen for the spinach, basil, kale and cilantro. One that’s more phosphorous for the root growth of the fruiting/flowering plants.

I wish I could ask Grandpa what do put on them. He never used store bought fertalizer, just coffee grounds, egg shells and other kitchen scraps and he always had the most amazing garden. Granted, he was gardeing in the Bay Area of northern California, not the dry , hot desert of Phoenix.

First 7 things you must do on a new homestead

by Christina | Mar 18, 2024 | Homestead

Recently I’ve been watching a lot of videos on what to know before starting a homestead. I came across this video (I’ll try to find the link) and thought point three was extremely helpful. You don’t know what you don’t know, until you know.

Move in! Get fully moved into the new home/site. Get settled in, unpack, get the home in order, as much as possible. Lay a good foundation by starting to create some simple habbits.
Meet the neighbors, before purchasing the property and especially those with shared fence or property lines and others who share the road. Start to become part of the community. Bringing food can sometimes help.
Understand the access issues. Are there country roads or private roads? Who maintains the roads? Does your road cut through someone else’s property? Never buy a property that is “boxed in”. If your heart is set on a land locked property get legal contracts with the neighbor whos property you have to pass through or try to purchase a small sliver for your access point. Does it snow? Will there be ice? How does the rain drain off the roads? What about downed trees, power outrages or other things that could delay deliveries or access. What about police, fire and medical access?
Prepare your preps. Do you need a well dug? Is there a cistern? What about power, water, sewer? Get all your food in order. For power, get backups: generators, solar, batteries. Get back up food stores. Don’t forget medical supplies and know how to use them. Especially if it’s going to take time for medical assistance to arrive if there is an emergency.
Observe the land for the first year. Find the rhythm of the environment. What are the weather patterns and sun movement like? How does the rain either pool up on or drain from the property. Start dreaming. Think about ho to use the space. Decide on kitchen stations, food storage, etc. Where will the garden go? How will you use the land? Think of permaculture zoning and chaos gardening. Mother nature doesn’t arrange trees and plants into pretty rows.
Gardens: Plant what you know will grow and you know you will eat. After your first harvest or two then start to experiment. How are the pests in the area? What is the health of the soil? What minerals do you need to supplement with. It could take up to three to four years to have a good, consistent, successful garden.
Animals: What kind of animals do you want and how many do you have the time, energy and funds to care for?Where are you going to put them? How are you going to keep them safe? Where are you going to store their food and water? Can you get a vet out, if needed? What type of basic medical care can you do yourself? How will you get them through the winter? Or summer, for that matter. Find and get to know a good vet in the area. Ask neighbors or the person you’re buying the animal from who’d they recommend. Ask for references, word of mouth is the best marketing.

Feeling torn

by Christina | Mar 8, 2024 | Homestead

My focus, at this time, is starting to build the skills needed for my homestead dream. I plan on learning about food storage on a small scale. In the next five years I want to purchase some land where I can start to live a life with intention and purpose, that aligns with my values If I don’t add the goal it will never happen. In the planner community they always say “failing to plan is planning to fail”.

I’m torn about the location though. Part of me says go to the mountains, get away from Phoenix and other big cities. I’ve always loved the trees and the landscape in the higher elevations. Trees are great for shade, small bits of building material, warmth and many other purposes. Plus, there’s always hunting, trapping and fishing. I’d be incredibly lucky to find a property with a small creek/stream or pond. If there’s no natural water source though how hard would it be to drill a well? The good news about mountains is more rain for rain water capture and snow.

A place in a more desert region might allow for a well to be dug easier. Either wayI will focus on capturing as much rain as I can. A desert area that’s more open and exposed might prove more difficult for a variety of reasons. I am starting to consider other factors before choosing a community. Eventually I’ll add a small dwelling above ground and hopefully a nice root cellar below ground.