Why I Want a Donkey

Yeah, yeah...laugh now!

Seriously, I really do want a donkey. To me, they are one of the homesteader's dream animals along with goats and chickens. When many people think of alternate ways of doing things, whether because they are convinced the country's infrastructure is going to fall, leaving them in the dark ages, or because they truly want to get back to the land, they think of horses. I think of donkeys and mules.

If you've ever seen me standing next to a typical donkey, you might laugh again.

Yes, my legs are far longer than many donkeys'. In fact, my arms are often longer than a donkey's legs and that is humorous. Picturing me riding a donkey could bring you to giggles, I'm sure. BUT, donkeys are an amazing animal, riding them left to the side for now.

A donkey is a very hardy creature. Far more hardy than any horse I've met, including the northern ponies. They are comfy in almost any climate, bed down wherever they can, eat willingly and with little pickiness and are often smart to the point of wiliness. Many of the truly scary ills that even the most cared for horse gets I've never heard of in a donkey, such as a lethal case of gas (colic).

They live for a very long time and their care is super easy. They also can carry
burdens far and away greater than you think and it doesn't even bother them enough to stop them trotting off for something tasty to nibble. They can pull carts and wagons and odd shaped conveyances with ease. And, they'll carry people, albeit comically.

Personally, I like riding a donkey. I do it to the side like I've seen often in South America but I don't really see the need to do it save to keep them used to it on any regular basis. Where their true value to me is in their ability to haul and carry. Odd shaped loads of firewood, big bundles of assorted stuff, produce baskets and even a cart filled to the brim with dirt are all viable options. And because they are small, they can get closer to the garden, woodpile or on a smaller trail in the woods. They don't squish up the ground as bad either.

So what about their stubbornness? Oh yes, they do have that, but like any animal, that is far more often the fault of the human than the animal and I personally, haven't yet met one that didn't do what was wanted when handled properly. They have personality and spunk. It needs to get to know you and you need to get to know it. Most of the time, you'll probably wind up really digging each other.

My Favorite Needlework Book and An Old Project Found

Pardon the blurry picture. The cover of the book may be old, but it is very shiny so I had to take it with no flash.

This is my, hands down, favorite book to learn sew-y, knit-y, needle-y things with. It covers almost any type you might care to do and has loads of pictures and patterns to go with it.

It came back to my attention while I was doing a bit of spring organizing and unearthed an old dining room tablecloth project from several years ago that I'd put aside before going on deployment.


I found it, shook it out and thought how very pretty it was and realized I had no clue as to what I'd been planning for the rest of it. I dug out my handy book and tucked neatly inside was my written and drawn diagram.

Of course, I changed it. I unwound all the scalloping and am making it more like the center so it will stay flatter until I get to the very edge, then I'll add the scalloping back in. The color on the picture isn't very even due to the flash, but it is simply ecru in color and uses size 10 cotton.

It will, upon completion, fit my big dining room table with all the leaves in it. Meaning huge. When projects get so big that I consider it a milestone to get another row done, I stop finding them as fun. This one will probably wind up being a test of willpower.

Right now though, I'm enjoying picking it back up again.


The book is long out of print, however a quick browse of the web and I found at least 2 copies for sale at various places. If you ever run across it while in a second hand shop, give it a look. It is a great one to get someone who'd like to get into doing such things, but doesn't like being hand taught.

Chris's Questions: My Answers

Another blog I follow pointed to yet another great blog that had the following questions on it. I really enjoyed reading the answers other people gave so I thought I'd take a run at them too! Hope you enjoy my answers as much as I've enjoyed others.

If you want to get them for yourself, the One Acre Homestead in Ohio is the original author and has the original versions easy to copy and paste. Let me know if you do so I can read yours! Hey, I'm nosy. ;)

Basic Questions About You
1-What is the biggest goal of your lifestyle?
Improving self-sufficiency and independence, being sustainable in a real way (not the faddish TV way), having clean and healthy food that actually tastes better, being less of a consumer and more of a creator.

2-When did you start this lifestyle?
It grew on me. Since I'm still near the urban center/edge of the suburbs, I'm very limited by local ordnance what I'm allowed to do. I've been increasing my capabilities over the past 2 years conciously and drifting that way for years.

3-What was your main motivation?
If you had to boil it down to one single motivation, I would have to say fear. That is a bit embarrassing, but true. Food contamination, lack of control over prices and availability, utter dependence on our consumer system really sort of freaked me out.

4-Did you have any previous experience in anything you're doing now?
I come from a long line of farmers, but really nothing that I did myself. I never graduated from the "little helper" stage in my Great-Grandma Elma's or my Grandmommy's garden. Even as a teen I was still being directed due to lack of interest. Canning and preserving and hunting and fishing and the cleaning of catches were done under duress. I wish, oh how I wish, I would have been more pro-active. They told me I would regret it....

5-Does your spouse/signifiacant other (if you have one) share the same ideas?
Alas, no spouse ::sigh:: but my family is sort of half and half on it. One sister shares my "green" ideas and also gardens and the like for health but no one else. I really think they think I'm a bit of a nut job.

6-Do your friends and family understand and support these choices? What about your kids?
My best friend is very supportive even though she doesn't share my passion for it. Some family support in the form of not making actual fun at me, most of the time, but no one to really share the journey with or enjoy the accomplishments. The kiddles, my sister's, really have no interest save the youngest who thinks the wonderful rich compost/dirt mix smells and feels nice to play in. (I agree.) She also likes to see things grow. I have hope for her!

7-How happy are you with your achievements so far?
Pretty happy. I wish I could do more. I'm always reaching for the next thing to do or learn. Really can't wait to move into the country!

8-Are you more of a gardener, homesteader, prepper, health concience, "green"' or a combination of several?
I would say all of the above since they all sort of lean on each other or come from or go to another. Being a gardener gives an urban homestead capability that allows prepper-like food independence that is more healthy and certainly more green!

9-Has this change of lifestyle affected your personality?
I'm not objective enough to judge my own personality changes. I'm me every day. BUT, I do think it has changed my views enough so that it must show in my personality. Every single day I get at least one moment of max happiness and that is good for your sunny side. It also means I see more of the "lack" in the world in independence, responsibility and just plain common sense. That, I think, has made me a bit less sympathetic and I'm sure that shows in my personality at times. I'm also less daunted by new things or skills because I have learned new things I never thought I could do. Now, I'm more of a grab a bull by the horns sort of person. (No actual bulls will be grabbed this way!)

10-Has it changed your view of your life before?
Pretty much as in Question 9.

11-What about how you view others that don't understand it or naysay?
Sometimes I feel like I should try to change their minds, mostly if I care for them. Other times I feel like such total idiots should not be reproducing. It varies. Many times, I just feel sorry for their kids, growing up to be just one in the zombie horde, dissolving their brains with TV and junk food.

12-If you could convince someone to live the way you do in ONE sentance, what would you say?
If you've ever actually seen what e-coli or salmonella can do to a kid, you might want to start a bit of a garden.

Other Questions-
1-How large is your vegetable garden?
I do Square Foot Gardening with some side beds and herb gardens. I couldn't really give a square footage since I am opportunistic in where I put plants. They are everywhere! And I use dozens of giant to medium sized containers too. Just look at my 2009 garden plan for the plant listing to get an idea, I guess.

2-Do you grow any fruits, and what and how many?
Some blueberries from a couple of bushes and strawberries. I have apple and olive trees but the apples won't produce for a couple more years. Ditto with my newest fruit dwarf trees that I keep in containers.

3-Do you have any animals and what are they? (other than pets)
Nope. City laws allow NO chickens or poultry and no other animals not "commonly" considered pets. Pshaw! I'm working on it!

4-Do you can/dehydrate/freeze/store your own produce?
Yes, Yes, NO and Yes. I don't do very much freezing of excess produce because it is energy dependent. In a major emergency or hurricane, I couldn't keep it frozen. I can or dehydrate or just plain store (root veggies, etc) almost everything.

5-Do you work with mainly power tools or hand tools in your gardens and others? (wood cutting, splitting, tiller vs. broadfork etc...)
Because my home borders the wetlands, I can't do anything with power back there. It completely sucks. You ever tried taking down a 30 foot high wall of invasive japanese honeysuckle, poison ivy and multiflora rose with a pair of hand clippers? Yeah...great....

6-Do you compost?
Yes, but I'm a miserable failure at it to this point. It just won't break down! I'm keeping on trying though. I'm gonna get one of those fancy spinner ones this year.

7-Do you recycle?
Absolutely! However, I never take the labels off the cans because I'm lazy and I don't like touching slimey cat food. (Before anyone says anything, my cat has IBD and has to have a special pre-digested food. I've have him 14 years (as of the 15th of February) and love him so I give it to him.)

8-Do you consider yourself energy consience? (conserving to save $)
To some extent. I've really tried by unplugging things when they aren't needed and replacing all the non-critical lightbulbs with CFLs. Places like the kitchen and bathrooms though, I just can't stand that yellowish light so they have regular bulbs. I have been doing really well keeping the thermostat much lower this winter than in previous years and simply not wearing shorts 365 days a year.

9-Do you make any of your own household cleaners?
I've recently begun doing that again. I used to years ago because I was so poor when I first went out on my own. So far, I'm limited to vinegar for window cleaner (it really does work better than Windex!).

10-Do you make your own bread?
Yes, 100% of it for the last several months. For Christmas my best friend and her dad got me the ultimate in bread machines, the Cuisinart stainless steel rolls royce of bread machines, so that I could do it even when I was simply too busy with gardening after working all day. I gotta say, it really does free me up to do a lot of other things and uses a LOT less energy than firing up the big oven.

11- If in an emergency situation, are you able to not leave home for a week? How about a month? A year??
Yes for a week or a month. No for a year however that is the goal. I think at 3 months I'd be hurting. And milk...I'd probably be sweating bullets for a glass of cold fresh milk by the end of the first week. I would have to have power though to do it at this for anything longer than a week if in winter or full summer.

12-Are you tired of answering questions yet?
Nah..this is fun.

13-If you prep, what do you consider to be your most useful tool/items
Hmm....Propane grill/stove probably, because I can do so much with it from cooking to canning to baking to sterilizing water in a pinch. You'd be amazed what you can do with a good one!

14-Are you able to heat your home without gas or fuel oil?
No, since I live near the wetlands and in a pretty protected area, I'm restricted in what I can do. I built the house to be super energy efficient, meaning all electric also. I've got propane based support to a limited extent.

15-Are you able to cook without gas or electricity?
I can for so long as my propane bottles hold out. I can also use my solar oven for some things if there is sun. If no one is checking, I can also build one heck of a campfire!

16-Again, if in an emercency situation, could you live in the wild or out of a tent? ( camping,hunt/fish, cook,etc.)
That depends. Not here because there isn't enough wildlife to eat nearby without a vehicle to get to them. I could fish in my river, but I'd have to be pretty darn hungry to eat out of it since it runs all through the suburbs and urban environment. I am a pretty good camper in general though.

17-Have you ever practiced your prep skills? (turning off main power for a day or 2) How did you do? (this can include a power outage due to weather as a test)
I have had to practice it when a water main broke for a couple of days and once when the power went off for about 24 hours. Other than that, I've really limited my practice to individual things. For example, trying to figure out how to clean clothes if I had no power or having no power to cook, etc. Given my heavy work schedule I really do have to work around "modern life" at this point.

18-Do you have the knowledge & skills (plus tools) to hunt and fish for food?
Limited at this time. I do have some skills, but I really need to find someone this year who will take me hunting since the last time I did it I was a child. I'm a crack shot (I've got the chest candy to show it) and have some skills with human powered projectile weapons as well.

19-If you don't prep, why not?
NA. I do prep.

20-Do you or can you sew your own clothes and make your own bedding?
Yes! I love to sew and can sew everything from a full authentic Elizabethan gown to modern pajamas and make my own patterns too. I wish I had more time to do it at the moment. I can crochet but what I don't know how to do is knit. That is one of the skills I've got on my list for this year.

21-Can you field dress a deer, drink a coffee, smoke a cigarette, make a cell phone call, light a fire, AND answer all of my annoying questions at the same time? lol thanks for playing!
Ahhh...no! Wish I could do all that and whistle a tune at the same time.

Random Stuff from Shopping to Onions

Christmas last year, we decided that consumerism had reached ridiculous proportions and that either no-gift, handmade gift or drawing a name options were the way to go.

With my best friend, we simply made a list and set a dollar limit. For those who know me, it is perhaps not surprising that everything on my list was cooking or kitchen related. I do love my kitchen and all it's wonders.

One of the coolest gifts I got was this pair of Onion Goggles. Now, I know, some out there are going to bonk me on the head for wasting all that plastic on goggles against onions, BUT, I'm exceptionally sensitive to them. I love them, I eat them any chance I get, but I cry like a baby and have burning eyes for hours when I cut them.

Alas, no one will cut them for me. So, Onion Goggles. I was going to take a picture of myself with them, but the result was so horrifying and silly looking, Boscoe volunteered instead. He looks much more attractive. The blur is because he was doing the "Boscoe Dance". They work wonderfully.


I know I just recently wrote a post on what I thought sustainability was and I know that buying smelly nice things for showering isn't exactly in the correct category. Bear with me in my imperfections!

But it does bear on frugality.

I do have pretty dry skin in the winter and it is quite painful to have your hands so dry they crack from washing them a lot, digging in dirt and all of that.

Most of the Bath and Body Works formulations work well for me and as a bonus, smell nice! But I'm also trying to be less spendy on things and get used to the concept of planned spending and improving overall spending patterns.

One of the ways I do that is to buy a large supply when they have their fantastic semi-annual sale or when they change packaging and put all the old packaged items on sale. Here is my haul from the last sale. I saved an average of 49% even including shipping costs. I probably won't need to buy again for a year and maybe by then, I'll have figured out how to make more of this stuff on my own.

(Not all of this is for me, by the way. I do front load items that will go into gift baskets for both expected and unexpected gifts throughout the year. Hey, I found out right after my order that I would need to give a Mom-To-Be basket soon, so we all know it happens. Congrats, J!)


And just for kicks, here is the Boscoe-Big-Man enjoying a moment and trying to lure me into scritching his belly! You'd give in to that face, wouldn't you?

When Waste Isn't...Sort Of

I'm not much of a drinker since I'm such a lightweight. In fact, I'm so easily made tipsy that it is embarassing and I'm quite careful if in the company of others.

Despite that, there is one beverage I do like. I realize that some of you may start giggling and ask when I became a 1960s era loose woman, but my drink of choice is champagne and orange juice. I don't know why but it always feels like a fizzy juice I used to get from the soda fountain when I was young.

Considering how little I drink though, buying a whole bottle will mean 3/4 goes into the trash. So recently I started buying those little 4 packs. One four pack lasts me 3 months or more and costs about the same as one bottle.

And yes, I do buy the cheaper stuff. Who can tell when it is in calcium enriched Minute Maid Orange juice?

Mostly I recycle the bottles, but I have used some for various herbal mixtures that I use for gardening, bathing or the like.

So even though it is less efficient to buy things in tiny four packs than in a single large bottle, I guess waste is relative when you use so little of something. Of course, if I was really being sustainable I would be making the stuff in a vat in my bathroom, but hey...maybe someday. :)

A Tale of Sloth...The Three-Toed Kind

Hah, you thought I was going to wax philosophical on some of my procrastination lately. Well, no.

Instead I thought I'd share a story from several years ago in Costa Rica. It is one of those that never really leaves me and I find myself telling it at odd times. And now I also love Sloths as a bonus side effect.

So here is the story...

I was standing on a sidewalk between sights and I noticed a young man who looked like he was hugging a stuffed animal.

Now that is a strange sight for a nice conservative place so I subtly got a little closer and realized it wasn't a stuffed animal. Instead I was looking at the cutest face I had ever seen. Smooth baby head, a big contented smile and eyes that crinkled up at the corners because of that big smile. And of course, long arms with wicked long claws. It was a beautiful three-toed sloth.

My mouth was hanging open and the guy saw me and laughed. He, surprisingly, spoke very clear and unaccented english. He was outside waiting for his wife and child who were shopping in a store that didn't want his sloth in there.

At any rate, I did ask and he did tell his story. I can't remember his name, but he was an only child because it turns out he had a congenital heart problem that his sister had died from as an infant. His parents were told not to have more children because they too would have the problem. I later had it translated and looked it up and it was essentially very leaky valves which caused depleted blood to enter the arteries, lowering the oxygen percentage in the blood. Surgery for this was far too expensive for his family, who had a small farm. After his sister died and his parents were faced with him following her they went to an old healer from the rural parts one of his parents hailed from.

The healer had said that if the boy had a three-toed sloth, he would live to grow up.

Now, this is clearly ridiculous but the parents went with it. There are laws against that kind of thing though and an adult sloth isn't exactly tame. The father set about locating and tracking all the sloths in an area while the mother worked the farm. Apparently it was not a short procedure and the father searched and tracked for a long time, like months.

But finally what he had been searching for happened. A baby sloth had fallen off of its mother onto the ground. His father waited and hoped and sure enough, the mother sloth didn't come down for the baby. (They often don't depending on the age of the youngster or the danger.) So the father grabbed it up and headed home.

The baby sloth was fed on goats milk and a very carefully prepared diet as it grew and it lived on the boy. Yes, on. It hangs from his chest with its arms over his shoulders even now. At night, it slept on a stand much like a bird stand so it could hang upside down. This same sloth had lived with the boy who was now a man and when I asked how long it would live, he said that it could live to 25 or even 30 years and he hoped he would not have to live without him.

He let me hold his sloth. I didn't ask but he could tell I was twitching to. He simply put his hands around it's little chest and tugged slightly in my direction. I stood next to him and the sloth moved one long arm over to my shoulder and transferred himself. He was snugged in and comfy very quickly. He stared up at me like I was the worlds most fascinating creature with that smile on his face.

The feeling is instantaneous. And I could immediately understand why the healer said what he did. There is an odd sensation that goes with a sloth like the feeling at the height of a good massage. Total calm. Considering that heart problems are made worse by stress, well, the sloth by it's very nature allows no stress to be felt by the wearer.

When I pointed him back by moving his arm, I felt strangely bereft. Sad and almost like I'd lost a friend I could never get back. The man patted me on the back and said that is how everyone feels.

We were outside for about an hour I'd guess and eventually his wife and daughter came out. He said that his daughter did not have the heart defect and that he himself was doing quite well.

I found out when I came home and researched the three-toed sloth that the smile is actually just the way they are all the time. The same with the upturned smiling eyes. I also learned that the claws aren't generally dangerous as they are really not aggressive but they are ideal for hooking into trees for hanging around.

Most people I tell that to don't really fully believe me and I'vd had a hard time finding proof. Recently on one of my random searches I found a sort of proof via another person who had a similar experience and had the foresight to take a picture. You can see it here:

http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/set/1478/sloth-lt.html It is on the first part of the very long page.

One of his parting wisdoms was that the three-toed sloth was slowly going away and he felt the world would become a bad place if that happened. He also said that when a baby sloth falls and no one finds it, they are eaten. He said that he thought every baby that fell should be given to someone who needs it and then the world would have peace.

Very profound there. Wouldn't you say? I never forgot this encounter and whenever I see a three-toed sloth, I just want a hug.

No Garden, Just Dogs

Not much happening on the garden front, what with it being winter and all. Yes, the Brussels sprouts are growing as are the carrots and beets, albeit slowly. Yes, I do plan to get my act in gear with much raised bed building and dirt moving...but not today and not till after the holidays.

Today, I'm just posting a couple of pics of winter behavior. When it is cold and rainy and just plain ucky outside, this is what you are likely to find in the late afternoon on my couch.

Just the fact that someone was able to stand so close to us and get a picture should tell you exactly how far out into nap-land we were! Beagles make the warmest snugglers, don't they?

And this irresistible photo is Vanna snuggling with the Gigi...in her crate! For some reason this just cracks me up and I thought you all, (Mom, Amelia and Holly, I'm talkin' to you), might enjoy it too.

Till next time...

Things I Love...My Disreputable Garden Hat

The picture may not be flattering, but the hat is the cat's meow to me! I burn really easily and I definitely don't want my ears to fall off in my old age from too much sun exposure, so I almost always wear a hat when puttering around the yard. As a bonus, the open straw weave is very flexible and allows good air passage, so I don't get as hot as I do in the canvas hats.

This particular hat is so old I don't even remember the year in which I bought it. It has to be at least 10 years old and could very well be as old as 15 years. Amazing, isn't it?

But all good things come to an end and this, my beloved floppy hat, is reaching that point. You may not be able to see it in the picture, but it is coming unraveled in places and a tear is forming where my ponytail always presses on the back. For the last year I have been actively searching for the new perfect garden hat and have had no luck. A good straw hat is just hard to find, I guess.

Enough of hats! There are gorgeous Beagles that are much nicer to look at. And here they are; Gigi (front) and Boscoe enjoying their "Memories of Chicken" Water. When I cook their food, I save the broth that the chicken and veggies were cooked in, let it set in the refrigerator until it is like jello, then wrap individual spoonfuls in plastic wrap and freeze them. To make chicken water, I unwrap one, cut it in half and put it in a bowlful of water.

On hot days, chasing the chicken ice ensures they get lots of water after a run. On cold days, I melt it in the microwave and add it to water, giving it a slight warmth after a freezing walk.

Now if you want to amuse yourself a bit, sing the tune to the duet "To All the Girls We've Loved Before" and substitute Chickens and other appropriate verbiage and you have their song.

Things I Love...Home-made Shower Oil

For those who slather lotion on several times a day and wonder if there isn't something better and longer lasting, there is!

Shower oil is really after shower oil. After showering, stay in there and just pour small amounts into your hands, rub them together so it doesn't gloop around, then smooth it on where ever you might have put lotion. You can spend a couple of moments rubbing it in or just towel dry your hair while it soaks in. It won't soak completely in and you'll towel some off, but if you are left feeling like a wet seal looks, then you used to much.

For a couple of years now I've been sort of making my own. Now, there is no chemistry to it and no boiling or toil because I buy the ingredients ready to mix. It is really easy and takes about 60 seconds to mix up a 2 week supply.

The basic recipe is simple:

• 2 parts Jojoba Oil
• 2 parts Macadamia Nut Oil
• 1 part Wheat Germ Oil
• Essential Oils to Preference

That's it. Really.

My personal favorite for the morning shower is Rosemary and Mint. I put about 3 dropper fulls of Rosemary extract and 2 dropper fulls of Mint extract (not the cooking kind!) into the oil and shake well.

For a shower after a hard day outside or after really strenuous labor of some sort, I'm really fond of Lavender Cypress since it totally relaxes me. Not everyone thinks that is a great combination of scents but in the right proportion it feels and smells great. Other really good ingredients are basil, lemongrass, rose or sweet orange. You can put any essential oil that is right for you in there though and I have quite the collection in a bin in my refrigerator.

Some hints to make this work for you:

• Mix only what you'll use in 2 weeks to be sure it will always be fresh.
• Keep the unmixed oils and essential oils in the refrigerator to vastly extend their lifespan and potency.
• Use glass bottles for your mix so that you can fully get rid of the scent by washing if you change scents during refills
• Don't buy huge vats of Macadamia, Jojoba or Wheat Germ oil just because they are cheaper per ounce that way. A 16oz bottle of each will last about as long as they will remain fresh if you use the oil every day
• Make sure you use different towels for your hair and body. What you chafe off onto the towel will readily be deposited into hair!

I hope you like it!

And here is our pretty dog shot of the day. Boscoe is looking pretty in the light. (He is really scoping out what Gigi was playing with and if it might be food.)

Things I Love...Hot Green Tea

While I realize this has nothing to do with the garden actual, it does relate in a very sidewise manner. I mean, I do indulge myself in the things I love after gardening frequently because they offer comfort and after hauling multiple cubic yards of dirt or clipping invasive vines or what have you, I am often in need of comfort.

Hence, there will be some of things I love in here. Umm...mostly if I can get a good picture of it.

It is starting to get warm here and we've had a couple of days that bordered on actual hotness, but the evenings are still brisk and cool. With those cool evenings and open windows comes a real need for a couch blanket and a nice cup of green tea. You may notice from the tag that my poison of choice is Lipton. Yes, Lipton!

It is part of my new adventure to try to become more self sufficient and to be a consumer with a reason rather than a boutique maven. Tea is one small step.

I did a taste test and I chose the Lipton over the pricier small company brand. That said, I also chose the much better grade of honey as the better tasting too so it isn't all economy here!

While I still have my cabinet stocked with overly priced and exotic teas from before, my decaffinated version of Lipton Green Tea, which is just right with a good honey in the evening, now sits proudly right beside them

Ahh...and the gratuitous shot of my dogs after a good run outside for those who love a good couch Beagle.