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~
Monday, November 15, 2021
R.I.P. Aurora
Saturday, November 13, 2021
Grounded ~ Barn Cat ~ Craft Show Prep and more
I 've been grounded. Our November adventure has been postponed until next year. We simply have too much to get done, and my husband hasn't had a day off in literally weeks. He's exhausted, and more exhausted knowing what we need to get done. I'll just have something to look forward to next year.
Sadly, we have not seen our barn cat Aurora in 4 days now. I'll do another attempt to call for her, and look around, but there is not a day she does not come to the door to eat. I know she is old, but she still had spunk. We are all worried.
I dug out all my handiwork, and am making sure items are packaged and priced. My bedroom looks like a hurricane went through it, ha ha! I told my husband, it'll all disappear soon, and hopefully in the way of a lot of sales.
Made another apple crisp. My daughter ate the last of the last one for breakfast, and I heard about it for days from my husband. He's happy.
Friday, October 2, 2020
Rory ~ Hummingbird and other tidbits
I planted 4 mums in one of my flower beds and found our barn cat sleeping in my flowers. She loves my flower beds.
Saturday, August 15, 2020
1:30am Moom ~ Small Day Adventures ~ Barn Cat ~ Crochet/knit Socks of Another Kind
I am being very bad at eating breakfast at all. I have a light lunch and come dinner, I don't want to eat either. The stress has been over the moon bad. Just lots of things going on.
The chance for rain on Saturday (60%) went off the radar as fast as it went on. However, we thankfully got a nice pour down last night.
My 21 year-old and I went on a small day adventure and visited an antique store in the Big City.
I've been wanting one of these for a long time. First, I thought I might paint it red, but I may leave it yellow. I kind of like it.
We also went to a thrift store, which I sort of thought was not stocked by much (oddly). I snatched up this green pepper dish for $1.00 and it now holds my vegetable scrubber.
Picked up this wine bottle stand for a few bucks as well.
I picked up a few books as well, and a beat up metal strainer the antique guy gave me free. I wanted it for a table center piece for the fall holidays. I have battery operated lights (rechargeable batteries), and will top with some holiday colored something or other to pretty it up.
More tomatoes are turning red, but as you can see the drought has not helped with the size of most of them.
Thursday, June 20, 2019
Rain ~ Strawberries ~ Green Onions
Bad photo, but I got out to buy another flat of strawberries - 8 qts. I figured the rain will delay their picking, and when that happens, they don't offer a deal on them, and they are limited or out.
Before I tackled freezing some strawberries, I headed to the herb garden and unburied the green onions. This was before. Lots of rain, lots of weeds. I was tickled to plant 7 starts though. I got it 90% weeded out until I ran into more ants. Had to stop anyway, it was getting very hot out.
Rain fell all night long and it's still raining today. I hope to have a handiwork post for you soon.
Friday, May 31, 2019
Random Tidbits
It's saturated in most parts yet. We were to get rain all night, and did not thankfully. Rain was 80% at 6am Thursday morning, but quickly changed to 50% at 7am. Then it stopped early.
Although it was a muddy mess, I planted 17# of red and white potatoes (90 starts). Took a break, and headed back out to plant 53 sweet potato slips but only had room for 26. I managed to plant a row of radishes too.
We are really hurting in our area, farmers included. Not one farmer has been in their fields this year other than to do soil tests. Organic farmers may be having the same issue.
Our plan is to take it one day at a time, and then decide what's to be planted. We will attempt fall planting of radishes, kale etc. If I can manage it by myself, I plan to pull the pea fence and roll it up until fall. It'd make tilling a bit easier since we can't plant any pea type at all now.
The weather changes by the hour, so it's hit or miss this year.
Allergies are at their worst ever this year. I've relied on nettle for years, but I'm now mixing it up with mullien. I'm also using oregano oil this year. The diffuser is going at night, but that means turning off my dehumidifier and it's still raining here.
Goldenrod is not in season yet, and I don't have horehound. If you have a tea remedy that works better, please share.
To relieve sinus pressure I did some essential oil steams the other day too. I also decided to take my worries away with a long hot soak in the tub with essential oils.
I'll be looking through my herbal recipe books to see if I can find another tea alternative. If there is nothing new in my own books, I'll be ordering some from the library.
I was chilling on the front porch with a wine slushy, when I saw something move out in the field across from us.
I then remembered my chickens were out in their run, and ran out there to check. Whew. All accounted for, but not the barn cat. Found her later.
Just before that, our biker friend arrived to mow. No mower. Grr. He has plans on Friday, and it's the only dry day for a while.
Sunday, January 20, 2019
Sick Cat ~ Wood Cuttin' Day ~ Snow Rolling In
I'll admit we laughed our way through it. Layered in 5 layers of clothes, wind blowing and almost getting the truck stuck....we laughed and laughed. What idiots we were for not cutting more wood over summer (again, he does this year after year). Then again, he was a pretty depressed man after losing two nephews. I gave him a pass. Next summer we'll hit it hard. By the way, I much rather prefer dry sawdust than sogging sawdust that sticks to everything. It was everywhere.
After we cut wood we pretty much hunkered in. We parked the car at the front of the drive, and thankfully we did. Hubby has to work this morning and the drifts behind the car are 3-5 feet high. The snow plow has buried the end of the drive and most likely the mailbox.
I was up at 3:42am precisely. I had to check water pipes and the fire. I got both going and opened cupboard doors. I also heard our barn cat Aurora crying on the front porch and brought her inside. It's gonna be way below 0° and there is no way she'll find a warm place. I just hope the chickens do well with their heat lamp. So far, the power is on and the hot water flows. We are just waiting for family to plow us out. Behind the car anyway. The truck is buried.
Sunday, October 18, 2015
Friday, August 7, 2015
Photo Moments...
A butterfly that often visits the front porch flowers, and....
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Monday, May 4, 2015
Happy Goats ~ Blisters and Backaches
Staking the goats has been successful. I think they look forward to seeing me approach the gate to bring them out now. They get a belly full of goodness, and we get a gas free mower (and cleared land).
Speaking of land. Hubby went guns-blazing with the garden expansion yesterday. He literally wore me out. I put 11,000 steps on my fitbit in garden work alone (by 3pm). I had gone to the garden to plant the onions, but they are still not planted.