Pioneer Woman at Heart

One Flourishing, Frugal and Fun Family!

One family learning to live off the land, cut back on expenses, and to live a simpler and a more self-sufficient lifestyle.

Adopted Motto

"Eat it up,
Wear it out,
Make it do,
Or go without."
~A Pioneer Sampler, by Barbara Greenwood~

Thursday, January 5, 2017

A Little of "This" and a Little of "That"

I brewed a canning jar of home picked, wild growing nettle yesterday.  It tasted so good.  I am running low, but I have many other teas to enjoy this winter - chamomile, ginger root, tulsi, lavender, lemon balm, catnip....the list is long.  The health benefits are awesome.


I'm gearing up for a possible "Farmer's Market" season this year.  I may only do a few dates, as it 's taking a long time to create the "goods" to sell.  This is one "set" I am creating - over sized pot holder, hot pads to match, one crocheted flower dishcloth, and a soap saver bag.  I am using up extra "country yellow" yarn, but many not have enough to knit a matching dishcloth.  I guess we'll see.  I like to make an entire matching set, even if I put them all in separate groups to sell.  One customer once told me she buys "matching sets" for three family members each Christmas.  That put a light bulb on for me.
 

I'm about 3/4 done with the baby blanket I was commissioned to crochet.  I'm working on it daily to ensure it's shipped in a timely fashion (so my book is not being read right now).  Hubby is thrilled that a baby will be using a blanket I crocheted, all the way across the U.S.

When the blanket is finished, I have plenty of "busy" work to keep me moving. The walnuts are still waiting to be cracked.  I totally forgot about them.  It wasn't hard to forget, as the last month and a half was a blur.

The hospital bed really messed me up.  Having a tube up your nose and down into your stomach was not comfortable.  Sleeping was miserable. I had to have my back elevated, and turning to the side was out of the question.  Hence, my back is very sore. I dug out my comfrey salve and a heating pad yesterday, and will again today.  I will overcome this little set back.  Wild weeds will win this battle.
 

I love fun mail.  Don't you?  Especially in this day and age, when everything comes to you in a text or email (vs. and hand written card, letter, or note).  Anyway, somehow, I received a free copy of this magazine.  A cooking/baking magazine.  Hubby was slobbering over some of the recipes.  Ha, and new recipes is not really what I need right now, considering the mess I got into with them.  Honestly, I don't remember seeing ads, and it has some wonderful recipes.  I was told he has a show too, but have not seen it.  I do not even subscribe to any magazines right now - not even Writer's Digest and Writer (which I always subscribed to).  Not sure how they located my address, but I may be making one or two of the recipes in it.

Speaking of "fun mail" my mother mailed me a poem that originally came from my Aunt who passed away a few years ago.  Funniest poem I ever read, and sort of naughty (work and people related), so I can't share.  Hubby came home from a long, hard day at work and laughed when he read it.  Laughing is good.  I'll keep that poem in my box of letters from my Aunt, so I can read it when I need to.  Oh I love fun mail.  No one wants bills, and bills and bills every day.

I survived my first full day of being home alone - tended animals, took dogs out (King is terrible at pulling), barn cats, getting the mail, cooked my egg breakfast, etc.  I even walked on the treadmill and lifted some free weights (could only get my arms up halfway, which was frustrating).  Today, I have a bit of "office" work to tend to, as those hospital bills are rolling in (oh joy). The dogs need their yearly license, and so forth.

It's a -5°F today, so I was up at 6:30am (over slept for once) to get the wood stove going. I was thrilled to see hot embers in it too.   

I'm trying to come up with a good number to sell my knitted dishcloths wholesale, if I can find a store to sell them.  I don't want to "give them away" either.  They take more time to make than crocheted. 

Have a wonderful day today!  

 

4 comments:

Mama Pea said...

So good to hear you feeling more and more like your old self again! (Bet it's feeling pretty darn good to you, too, huh?) We had an overnight low of -8 so our temperatures aren't that different right now. How's your snow cover? We, thankfully, have a good, deep, insulating, many inches on the ground. Bad wind chill factor the last couple of days though. Stay warm and keep doing that handwork . . . it will pay off in the months to come.

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Mama Pea, it snowed all day, but didn't really put much on the ground until dinner time. We may have an inch or so right now. It's pretty cold yet today too. The goat's water was frozen the other day. They were screaming at me, letting me know I was late getting their hay for breakfast, ha ha!

RB said...

Glad to see you getting back into the swing of things. Remember to take it easy. Respiratory ailments have a way of refiring if we try doing too much after having one.
Chris Kimbell is well-known on PBS for Cook's Country and a couple of years back for America's Test Kitchen. Milk Street is his new show for which he also publishes a magazine. I've been a fan of his for years.
We're expecting a snow storm here in south central NC. Just how much we're going to get is debatable at this point, but we're ready for it with plenty of food on board for both us and the critters, along with heaters and a generator if we lose power.
Prayers everyone has a great weekend.
God bless.
RB
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Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

RB, Milkstreet was on Rachael Ray yesterday. I was thrilled to catch a few minutes to see it. I saw that storm heading your way, yesterday on the news too. For us, we are freezing below zero. Brrrr! Stay warm.