Our Long Winter

Haleigh has been busy reading Little House on the Prairie series.  She just finished "The Long Winter".  The whole time she reminded me of how this has been our Long Winter....she's right!  We've had snow and cold for ever so long...we are all sick of it.

We are complaining now on a daily basis.... *sigh*....

Trouble is...EVERYONE is having snow...last week, all 50 states had snow in at least one place.

What does one do when cabin fever strikes? Well we planted some seeds to replace the ones that didn't come up before.  Cabbage, broccoli, and some brussel sprouts have started to pop their lil heads up!...Yay

Insert the mad scientist laugh here.............
I've started lettuce seeds, several different ways....I've had so much trouble starting seeds so I'm bound to figure out WHY they keel over so quickly.
According to all my research, cold weather crops start growing when the ground temperature is 40 degrees.  Last Saturday the ground temp was 47.2...that screams practically screams SPRING!  No wonder spring fever has attacked!

How can I ever have an URBAN GARDEN if spring doesn't come?  It will come...that I'm certain.  I'll just keep planting more seeds while I watch the snow.....again.

I FORGOT!

I forgot to blog that I had a letter published in the URBAN FARM  magazine.  I was shocked when Lynn of Viggie's Veggies  popped up one day and said.....they published your letter....SHOCK AND AWE ensued!

Who knew that my email to them would end up in print?...It's really such a good read for people like me...Urban Farming is DOABLE!  Will I be  as self sufficent as the Devraes? or other famous urban farm girls?  not likely.  Will I be as self sufficient as my friends Dilli and Manthing at Frugal Homesteaders?....oh my heavens NO...for a multitude of reasons. But anyway...I've had my 15 minutes of fame or what I consider MY fame.  

Now that I had a letter published of my wish for a VICTORY GARDEN to honor my soldier son and airman son-in-law, now I want to take a picture of them in it!  How cool would that be to send in as a follow up? 

I leave my copy out...to remind myself...I wanna be an Urban Farmer too...if nothing else to supplement the ever rising cost of my food.

Hurry Spring....

Here is my cabbage, broccoli, and spinach flats that I've started....I'm very anxious.

(I hung up the light...don't worry :)  )

Becoming "Ma"

As I will spring to hurry up, I've been reading the Little House books along with Haleigh.  I've noted that Haleigh is enchanted with Laura as we all are when we read these wonderful chapter books.  However, I've been re-reading about "Ma" because now....eeeeek I'M THE MA!


How smart Ma was to be as creative as she was!  She made mock apple pie out of green pumpkins, knew to grind their hard wheat in Pa's coffee grinder, made all the meals come out just right when they moved into the surveyor's house using the provisions already laid in (by men no less).  Not to mention all the other "just right" things she did during all those Christmases?  And the Schooling?.... Fourth Reader   Check that out!...these "readers" had to be memorized before passing...wow and that's not even the math (done on a slate and in your head no less)

Sewing, washing, and IRONING? gasp...the thought of ironing makes me wanna have a lil breakdown...and the wood stove and SWEEPING ...

Reading all these books with Haleigh makes my head swirl; not in the way of a little eight year old girl reading about Laura and her adventures, but thinking...wow ma...YOU ROCK.

So...Ma has me thinking...I need to be more resourceful, grateful, creative, spiritual, and patient. (not necessarily in that order)

So now, in the interim between winter and spring....I think of "becoming ma"...I'm so thankful I can be Urban Ma while I can.  But in the back of my mind I look at our world and think to myself I'd better learn to be more like the pioneer ma....while I can.

Name Change: NEW

OK, so I changed the name of my blog...to Lil Urban House on the Prairie. I do live on the prairie sorta....just in town.


Haleigh has discovered reading for pleasure and is reading the Little House series...While we were socked in with our snow...I re-read "The Long Winter" only to remind myself...I don't really have it that bad.


Sometimes I'm glad for the "Urban" part of my life.


I do understand Pa's sense of urgency in that book...he couldn't put his finger on it, but knew it would be big.


That's how I feel....I cant put my finger on it...but it will be big.  Our dollar is collapsing slowly and like anything that caves in...it can only go slowly to a point....imminent collapse eventually comes.  The printing of all the monopoly  money can continue but hyper-inflation will be HORRIBLE.


It's funny how we get lulled back into "sheepleness" but we do.


There is soooooooo many things I need to do..making cloth napkins comes to mind...but just LOTS of stuff I need to do to make us more self reliant.

I did get my spinach flat and cauliflower and broccoli started and they are under their little grow light...  They are in my living room giving that room a lil touch of my hillbilliness...


If you doubt the hills are coursing through my veins....check out Weed and Mayhill, New Mexico...it's modernized now but about 50 miles from anywhere up in the beautiful Sacramento Mountains....My cousin Marlys claims that "hillbilly" has a negative connotation...she says I should use "mountain folk" instead. LOL

 I continue to read and re-read all my seed catalogs as if to will spring to come.  I have a good little supply of seed (not all heirloom) and would like some more to fill in a few gaps.


Our weather man (Doppler Dave) out of Amarillo predicts more snow at the first of the week and then again next Thursday...sigh....I need to remind myself that this moisture will cut down on prairie fires.  I live on the north side of town and I'm about 1 minute from farms and prairie grassland....


Now I'm off to work on my lists of lists....I hope you get some done on yours too!

Peace,
Misti

Life Happens

Ok, we've all done sooooooo much living since my last post.  Sorry...Sometimes FaceBook , I mean LIFE...just happens!.....LOL

We've had all of Randi's tests...and hadnt heard one darn thing from one darn doctor...Except....he called to cancell on his appointment without 24 hours notice.  Hmmmm...Wonder if he'd like to re-imburse ME?  That seems to be doctors rules these days.

We had my mom's 70th Birthday....it was a hit....fun; 

Scott's school has started back this semester and he's taking Tools 101 and a Hydrolics class....massive amounts of lab-times on his part....I guess I'll see him in 16 weeks when the semester is over.

The girl's home-school co-op has started too!  Randi has a "public speaking" class and a kickboxing  (aerobics).  She's been working diligently on her first speech...a narrative speech on The Persecuted Church.

Haleigh's in a Geography class.  It will prove to be interesting.

CHRISTMAS CRUNCH

This year the Christmas Crunch....you know the CRUNCH for time, CRUNCH for family,CRUNCH FOR the almighty dollar is here once again.

I have been lucky and/or practical and am making a few things to tuck into baskets instead of wrapping every single gift.  Cello bags are still cheap but I should pick up a few for next year when they go on sale.

I was able to make a large 2 lb bag of dried homemade noodles for close to 68 cents.  Never underestimate the appreciation of some homemade stuff.

For a little more (but not much) I've made several batches of "Evil"....popcorn covered with white chocolate...you cant see the chocolate so it is a little deceiving.  It truly is evil...cuz you cant stop eating!

I've also made a blend of coffee to give to the men in my life...half columbian/half breakfast blend....it's smooooooooooooth.  We are also gifting a coffee grinder or two....

Since Charlie just got to AFG....I'm sure his box will be late...I just now have an address.  I am mailing him a cute photo or two....wallet size of course.

I've already begun my Resolution List...I'm not calling it a "New" Year's Resolution List...because well.....you know...that usually poops out about Feb 17th.

 I was a little distressed to see Scott bring home 6 doughnuts for more than $2 from our local Chinamart....sweets such a doughnuts needs to be on my resolve list...I'm sure you are saying "why dont ya resolve to stop eating sweets?"  (I know who you are! LOL)....that wont happen unless of total economic collapse I'm sure.

I've also resolved to STOP this wrapping frenzy!  I'd like to make "gift" bags of cloth to put gifts in next year.  When I will get this done....is yet to be determined.

I am skeptical that our economy will not be as stable next year....(stable?....what a laugh) 


I'm so fortunate the lils really truly had a short list and if we would have had to do so we could have chosen not to give a few presents that we picked up.  I cant tell you what they are...since the lil girls read this "blob" on occassion.



I've also decided to upload my thumbdrive to my photobucket account because I have been using TONS & TONS of space on this computer....I need to get into the habit of deleting unnecessary photo's....I hereby do resolve.  I'm giving some photo's to some friends and family...I hope they like them...I'm sure they will.  I've also got a "freedom" wall started and so I'm collecting some photos for that and I think I'll put some photos on my piano!....I'm using cheap black frames and they will look awesome.



I'm hoping this Christmas Crunch has passed you by and you are more organized than I.  I hope to have some more "frugal moments of clarity" and hope you can use a few of mine. 



I wish you a Merry CHRISTmas!

More tree photos.

MORE TREE TIME.