On being prepared, Preparedness Challenge #1

Amy from over at Homestead Revival is doing a preparedness challenge. Well, you don't have to ask me twice. I am all about a preparedness challenge.

Thus says the LORD: “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.'~~ Jeremiah 6:16

I believe in lieu of recent events in Japan, it is probably a very wise thing to look to the ancient paths a bit. We have been on a path of self sufficiency and preparedness for quite a while but have probably really accelerated that path in the last few weeks.

For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.~~ Matthew 24:7-8

We believe that we are in these beginning of birthing pains. So if you are to believe what the Word says it might be a good idea to be a little more prepared for those things that are to come. I would say that your first step needs to be knowing the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal saviour. Here is a good place to start: http://www.allaboutgod.com/the-roman-road.htm

Next, here's something that we have been doing and I highly recommend it as a first step. We are accumulating a homesteading library. Right now the internet is an amazng wealth of info. in the homesteading dept. but if there is no internet we need a back up. Here are some books that we have and I highly recommend for the prepared minded or homestead minded.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=surviving+off+off+grid

This book answers a lot of the how's and why's of living a life prepared. My husband and I have devoured this book, it is so good. I am going to order several copies for friends and family!

http://www.amazon.com/Encyclopedia-Country-Living-Carla-Emery/dp/1570615535/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1300626398&sr=8-1

This is a great reference book for everything homesteading or living in the country. This book was one of the first in our homesteading library.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_20?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=foxfire+complete+set&sprefix=foxfire+complete+set

This is an old, old set of books. They were written by a group of students who were interviewing old mountain people of the appalachian mountains. I enjoy them not only for their wealth of knowledge but also for just the plain neatness of them. I only own 3 volumes but hope to eventually own all 11.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_29?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=back+to+basics+readers+digest&sprefix=back+to+basics+readers+digest

This is another set of books that I just love. They are a great reference tool of everything homesteading.

http://www.amazon.com/How-Build-Animal-Housing-Stanchions/dp/1580175279/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1300627379&sr=1-1

This book is a great reference tool for building housing for all of your animals. We are going to work on a pig hut from this book next!

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_2_14?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=storey%27s+guide&sprefix=storey%27s+guide

These are the Storey's guides. They have a book for everything from raising sheep to raising pigs. They are very informative about each specific animal.

We have many, many, more books in our homestead library but this is a good start for those who are wanting to get started on the track of preparedness. If you have any suggestions for me, please let me know. I love a good book!!

Finishing up the coop

Looky, looky, what came in the mail Friday...... Oh, is it not glorious.

It's a brand new, nice and shiny 6 hole nesting box system for my chicken coop. It was made by none other than the farm man from over at Life on a Southern Farm. I can not tell you how happy this little beauty has made me. I have wanted one ever since I first read about them. I love their blog and I love that they make these on their farm. The quality is amazing and I urge you to check them out!!

Oh, and the farm lady also makes soap. Look what she stuck in the box with my nesting box. It's her clean linen fragrance and it smells sooooo goooood. You can't really see it but the soap has a chicken on it. I don't think I will ever be able to use it, it's so pretty. Thank you so much.

Now down to the nitty gritty. Here is my hard working man putting the siding on my chicken coop. He did a great job.

My hard working little man helping to put siding on the new chicken coop. He is learning a lot with all of these farm projects. I just hope he still wants to do them on his own farm one day.:)

Here the girls and boys are checking out their new spread. They were not sure about all of this.

Here's that amazing nesting box in her permanent home. I hope our girls love this little gadget as much as I do.

This is the new roost area. Lord willing this will be enough room for all of my many chickens.

And the almost fisnished coop. I still need to put chicken wire on the front and then some white lattice. We don't have to worry about predators (other than my chicken eating dog, that's a whole other story) so we probably wont put a door on. I would like to add flower boxes to either side and a garden flag. It will be really pretty eventually.

This is what the two beauties did while all of this building was going on.

They got two of our cars sparkling clean inside and out. They haven't been this clean since probably last summer. They look so good. Thank you girls!!Well, I am off now to get us all packed up to head down to the Coast for a couple of days.

I am also going to link this post up to the barn hop, tomorrow. I am really loving all of the posts from the barn hop. It's fun to see what others are doing on their homesteads.

The Training of a Boy to be a Man

We have this great son, Peyton, who is 14 and he is growing up in a tough world. It's chock full of lazy, self indulging, men. I hate to say that, and I really don't have a great first hand account of it, but my husband is full time Army National Guard and he deals with guys fresh out of boot camp. He comes home with the most ridiculous stories of laziness and self gratification that you have ever heard of. In return, it makes he and I that much harder on this sweet 14 yr. old boy.

We firmly believe that if you teach a boy to work hard then he will never be unemployed!

~~For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either. 2 Thess. 3:10~~

Now, don't get too worried. You can look around our place and know that no one is going without a meal. We do take it very seriously that God says we are to work and work cheerfully.

~~Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than men. Colossians 3:23~~

We are still working on the cheerful part. Ha Ha

Here are a couple of pics. of this work ethic training in action.

We live in the county and our septic tank is one that has the 99% clean water coming out of it through field lines. Well ours stopped in the soon to be chicken/ turkey/ pig and maybe sheep pasture. We needed it to run on out about 70 more feet. My husband could have rented a back hoe for such job but why when we have a 5' 9", almost 200 lb., scrapping, young man who could dig it out. We did pay for this job. We have very few pay jobs around here but this was one of them. We just told him that daddy can pay for a back hoe or he can give you the money for a back hoe. He jumped at the chance to dig it out.

It has taken him about two weeks to get it all dug out and running downhill. It has been tedious at times but he stuck with it!! They will be laying the new field line and covering it up next week.

I love to see a kid, that could be sitting in front of a TV, doing something that benefits his whole family.

That is my next point. We are also training, said young man, to TAKE CARE of his family. This is one that hits home for me, as I am the product of a single mom who was left with three small children.

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It is very important for us that our children marry believers. ~~ Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? 2 Cor. 6:14~~

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And also that they marry men who believe in taking care of their family and that we raise a man who does the same. ~~ But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. 1 Tim. 5:8~~ That is serious!

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We don't know how all of this will work out but we are praying hard for their hearts and that God will be glorified through our efforts.

And on a less serious note, I will leave off with a picture of my new girls mixing in with the old girls. They are doing well. I soon will have more eggs than a person should be allowed to have. Ha ha

I am linking this post up to the Barn Hop.

Wow, a blog award.....

I am usually an award free zone. I just don't like them. I don't like the having to choose other blogs to give them to and all of that. I read some great blogs that write of anything from decorating your house, to living a self sufficient life off grid, to being a homemaker who is passionate about the role God has given them. There is no rhyme or reason. However, this award is a little different. Katherine from over at Granny Miller gave me one of her Stylish Blogger Awards. The reason why this one is so different is because Granny Miller is like the guru of homesteading and self sustaining living. She is a go to source for anything to do with preparedness. I refer to her blog often. So to say that I am humbled that she even knows I have a blog, is an understatement. I still can't decide on 15 blogs to forward the award onto, but if you are in my sidebar, or if you follow me, or even if you are a lurker around here, then please consider yourself a stylish blog.

Thank you so much Granny!!! You have made my week!!!

Wow, we are having some good weather in Feb.

It has been in the 70's this week and we are LOVING it...... The kids are having a blast in the warm temps. and we are getting lots done. I love the comradery here.
One of my latest projects is trimming and taming the overgrown muscadines. I got half way down one side today before giving up..... I will start again tomorrow.

We are also working on a new chicken coop. The old ugly coop is directly behind the muscadine vines and the newly framed coop is directly across from the old coop. I am so excited about this new abode for the girls. We should finish it up this weekend. We have to add siding, trim, and the tin roof.

Getting everything just right....

Oh, it's starting to look like something. To be continued.....

We have been planting trees, like this Little Gem Magnolia. I hope to have every tree and plant here that speaks "Southern". Lord willing, we will get a Live Oak in the ground in the next couple of weeks.
Here's one of the plum trees planted. We also planted more blueberries and blackberries. Hopefully, one day they will produce!!! Prov. 28:19

Here is the latest member of the farmette. Daisy. She is so much fun. We have had her about a month and she is 11 wks. old.

We got her because our beloved Shiloh, died the day after Thanksgiving this year. We had had him for almost 14 yrs. and we are still sad to think about him gone. We needed a diversion and so did Diesel.
Now, I wouldn't say that Diesel likes her as much as he did Shiloh but we are all gradually coming to love her.
To add to all of our great happenings, this wonderful young man turned 14 on Monday. When did this happen? Time goes by wayyy toooo fastttt. I hope to cherish the next few years, as I know they will be gone in a blink.

He loves any kind of gun or knife.

And what about this sweet girl. We elected this time not to name her and her litter mate. They have been loved on all the same. Her litter mate went to the butcher this morning. This one was the runt and now we know why "real" farmers kill the runt. She has had the hardest time growing and her litter mate would not let her eat. So we decided to go ahead and take her sister and keep this one another month to fatten up. She may even get a name but I doubt it. If you wonder why we raise pigs check out this movie but don't watch it if you don't want it to change your life, and thinking, regarding food. Food Inc.

And last but most definitely not least, here is Phoebe in all of her splendor. She is the most worthless farm animal we have but definitely the most entertaining. We are in the process of fencing off about an acre in our back pasture for her to roam and root. Right now she is in a pen in the barn where she is quite happy but we want her to have room to roam. Our chickens and turkeys will free range this pasture with her, Lord willing.

We have been told that a diet is in order....
I hope you are all getting some great weather and getting lots done.

~~ Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.~~ Eph. 5:15-17

I am also linking up to the new Barn Hop. I think it will be so much fun to see what is going on on other Homesteads.

Goals for a New Year.....

We don't really make New Year's resolutions but I do want to make a list of some goals, both personal and farm related for this upcoming year.

Personal Goals for 2011:

• I start to read through my Bible every year and I never succeed. I would like to complete the whole thing this year. I am using a mix of two plans. I am doing a chronological reading of the Old Testament and I am combining a partial of Prof. Horner's reading plan for the New Testament.
• We would also like to work on the area of hospitality. We have several people right now who want to come to our house and who we want to come, yet we can't seem to find the time to get together. This is a problem that we are wanting to work on in the coming year. 1Peter 4:9, Hebrews 13:2, Romans 12:13


• I would also like to lose a little weight. I lost 30lbs. last year only to gain it back. I would love to lose it again and resume a healthier lifestyle. Also, I would like to start my daily exercise regime. I did so good last year. I have gotten lazy again.:(


• I also want to work on a Homemaking Binder. I would love to get everything important in one place and have a little better organizational system. Here are some examples: http://www.keeperofthehome.org/2010/01/creating-a-homemaking-binder.html, http://www.squidoo.com/home-organize

School Goals:

• I need to get a little more organized with my record keeping and I need to have my children read and write MORE!! They love to read what they love to read but I need to implement more literature.

House Goals:

• I would like to get the rest of the walls and trim in my home painted. I would also like to get my master bedroom and bath finished. I would like to work on my laundry room. We would love to get our garage enclosed and turn it into a work out/ rec. room.

Farm Goals:

• Finish the fencing for the back acreage.


• Build the new chicken coop.


• Shore up the garden shed.


• Plant more fruit trees.


• Extend the garden.


• Build a round pen and corral.

This list could go on and on.

• We would like to acquire sheep and turkeys.

I hope you all have lots and lots of goals for the new year and I hope you get most of them accomplished!!!

Merry Christmas....

2 The people who walk in darkness

Will see a great light;

Those who live in a dark land,

The light will shine on them.
3 You shall multiply the nation,

You shall increase their gladness;

They will be glad in Your presence

As with the gladness of harvest,

As men rejoice when they divide the spoil.
4 For You shall break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders,

The rod of their oppressor, as at the battle of Midian.
5 For every boot of the booted warrior in the battle tumult,

And cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire.
6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;

And the government will rest on His shoulders;

And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace,

On the throne of David and over his kingdom,

To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness

From then on and forevermore.

The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.

Isaiah 9:6

“She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

Matthew 1:21

★Merry★* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

•。★CHRISTmas★ 。* 。

...° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚

˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚

˛˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門｜ ˛ ˚ ˛♥ The Spencer family ♥

The Simple Woman's Daybook~~ 12/14/10

For Today.....

Outside my window~~ it is bitterly cold here in Mississippi and the animals just tend to be standing around miserably.

I am thinking~~ how quickly time flies by and that I need to make a better effort to try and make the most of every moment.

I am thankful for~~ the fact that we saw to homeschool 9 yrs. ago and that now I get to spend every moment of this glorious season rejoicing and sharing in the lives of my children. I can't imagine what it would be like if I missed all of this.

From the learning rooms~~ we are taking from now until the first of Jan. off of formal school. However, we will be cooking and crafting.

I am wearing~~ warm clothes, pink shirt and pants, and nice cozy socks. Remember it's cold outside today.

I am creating~~ an atmosphere of a cozy home.

I am hearing~~ the sounds of my children giggling at the Christmas movie they are watching.

Around the house~~ yesterday was a mountain of laundry day and today I get to finish the last two loads. We will also be tidying up and making goodies for a Christmas gift. I also need to work on my grocery list. Tomorrow is my big shopping day and I try to only go once.

From the kitchen~~ we will be working on cookies and I will be making homemade mac and cheese for dinner!! Yum Yum...

I am going~~ absolutely no where. Thank you Lord!!

Plans for this week~~ We have Christmas cards to get out, goodies to make for friends and neighbors, and last minute Christmas shopping. We are also working on our Jesse Tree every night. It's been a great thing.

Scripture thought~~
The people who walk in darkness
Will see a great light;
Those who live in a dark land,
The light will shine on them.
Isaiah 9:2

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...
My son's first deer of the season.

Enjoy 100's of other Daybooks at Peggy's Simple Woman's Daybook!