LeArN the HERB!

(just a few of my herb books.  most, if not all of them I ordered from amazon.)

Since living on one income can sometimes be very 'trying' I think it is important as wife and mother to find ways to be frugal, but yet still effective.  When building up a farm/homestead like we are, money has a tendency to just VaNish!  I don't really know where it goes, I think it is a magical farm FaiRy that makes constant withdrawals from our very limited funds.  :)

Okay, enough joking around.  Let's get serious with this HerB stuff.

Plants have been around since God created the earth.  It hasn't been until recently that I have truly begun to appreciate their beauty and their purpose.  Herbs/medicinal herbs are all around us, and it is awesome!

Before we had these big pharmaceutical companies pushing every OTC medication at us that they can, how did people treat illnesses or injuries?  Very simply put...herbs, tinctures, poultices and salves.  In biblical times oils and spices were used, as they still are today.

I am a HUGE believer in natural and holistic healing.  I can't say that there isn't a place for Western medicine in our world today, as it has saved many lives, I just think that the more natural/holistic approach is best and should be used first, if possible. 

With that said I wanted to urge you to start learning.  Pick up a book at your local library or your local book store and just start slow.  Pick something you or a loved one might suffer from and research it. 

For example...headaches.  I like to use peppermint essential oil for my headaches.  I drop a few drops in the palm of my hand, rub it in and then cup my hands over my mouth and nose.  I take a few deep breaths through my nose and within seconds my headache is usually gone.  I can't say that it works EVERY SINGLE time, but I would say 98% of the time it does.  Also, it does depend on what your headache is from.  If it is due to lack of water, then drink water.  If it is due to lack of eating...then eat.  I know I am making lite of it, but I have experienced first hand the benefits of a more natural approach and I love it!  I also know that some people swear that by drinking peppermint tea helps with headaches...I have not tried this, but I plan to next time I feel a headache coming on. 

So I encourage you to learn, educate and apply your knowledge.  The more we learn to rely on our natural surrounds for health and better living, the less reliant we are on others.  Not only that, but I can not even begin to explain the sense of accomplishment and freedom one experiences when self-healing is obtained. 

Be warned though...once you begin to educate and apply all this herbal knowledge???  You can't help but tell everyone about it.  It is very addicting!!!  To know that you can heal an aliment with what you have growing in your garden or what you have in your spice cabinet is very empowering...so you have been warned!  :)

By taking back our health, we take back our life, and that to me is what learning is all about!

Peace and love to you all~

electric fences, a pole barn, tilling and thankfulness...

 

 

so here we are.  we had a very busy weekend.  mother nature came through for us and gave us a few great days to work with.  this is a pic of what we have accomplished, so far.  isn't it absolutely gorgeous?  i almost tear up every time i see this.

 

so, on to our preparations from this weekend.

 

electric fences...a must here.  now that we are the owners of a jennett and a rescue horse, we knew we needed to provide them with more pasture to graze on, along with a greater area to run and play in.  beloved got off work early on friday, we headed to the local farmer/hardware store, bought what we needed and headed home.  i had some errands to run in town, so after a quick diaper change and a few kisses, mama was out the door.  after running all over the place and hitting every store imaginable, i headed home and found this...

 



 beloved got the electric fence up in no time and it looks great!  gypsy and salty were in heaven!  it was the first time she had been out of the pen and soon after i got home we found her running...running and prancing and i think i saw a smile or two.  it was great!  what a wonderful reward.  to see her acting like this brought smiles and laughter to both of us.

early the next morning beloved went back to work on this...

pretty sweet huh?  once again i must say, this man totally amazes me.  there is nothing he can't do or build. 

as you can tell, there is still a back wall to put on along with the right-hand side that needs to be finished.  some of the roof is bowing in so that will need some attention too.  but all in all, i love it! i love our pole barn, as so do our animals.

saturday morning once again came very early.  mama headed out to pick up some plants, compost and some other odds and ends.  i couldn't wait to get home.  i couldn't wait to get in the dirt and start workin' it. 

it wasn't long before i found myself there.  in the pic above i am working on a few herb plants that i purchased.  i had considered starting my herbs via seeds, but realized that i was biting off more then i could chew.  hence...the plants!

(oregano)



(oregano) 

(basil)

the rest of my saturday was spent cleaning up and prepping the garden for the following day. 

 

 

here is the garden before the tilling began.  here is the garden during the tilling...

 

 



(daddy's audience)

 

 

 

 

 

this man worked so hard today on my/our garden, even though he had to go into work tonight, without a nap apparently.  we hung out and talked, and i was instructed to rake dirt, or rake dirt there...so that is what i did, along with some earthing!

 

 

after all was said and done, he had just enough time to shower, eat and head out the door.  oh how i love that man!  we plan to finish the tilling/composting tomorrow and fingers crossed...get in some seeds and plants.

 

one thing i do have to admit is that i found such joy in our whole tilling experience.  i knew that for every clump of dirt that was overturned and aerated, it was just one step closer to our plentiful garden.  one step closer to self-sufficiency.  one step closer to becoming the homesteaders/farmers that we long to be. 

 

it was at that moment that i realized just how thankful i was.  i was thankful for the beautiful property that the Lord has blessed us with.  i was thankful for the sun, the soil and the sweat that goes into preparing the land.  i was thankful for my marriage and for our unconditional love for one another.  i was thankful for my children, my grandchildren, my animals and my home.  i hope i never stop being thankful.

 

i hope that this post inspires you to try to homestead right where you are.  weather it be in an apartment, a condo or a mobile home.  you can grab a few cheap pots from wal-mart, along with a few tomato plants and what not, some soil and then you are good to go.  experience growing something...anything...even an herb garden that is prepackaged.  put that on your window sill and let it do its thing.  you might be surprised at how easy it is.

 

i am linking this post with The Homestead Barn Hop, The Clever Chicks Blog Hop, Simple Living Wednesdays

 

peace and love to you all!

 

 

 





because simple IS better...

so it has officially been 15 days since we moved here and we love it more now then we did before.  we are still unpacking, hubby thought it would be in my best interest if he only allowed me (lovingly of course) one box at a time, to open and put away.  if he left me to my own discretion...i would have 15 different boxes open, all half empty and packing wrap everywhere...he knows me sooo well.

all in all it has gone really well, just still a lot of work to do because it is important for me that everything has a place and everything has a purpose.  if one of the two are missing...it goes in the donations/garbage pile. 

i have been really working the last month on simplifying and minimizing my possessions.  i realize that even though i am not one of those hoarders you see on the television show, i have a tendency to hold on to things, 'just in case,' i might one day need them.  i know that many of you are the same which isn't a bad thing per se, but for me, i have decided that unless it serves a purpose, and on a frequent basis, i don't need it.  i must admit that at times i struggled getting rid of things due to emotional or sentimental value.  in that case i have to remind myself that they are just objects and that i hold a greater value you for them in my mind and in my heart, and in that case i don't necessarily need to hold on to the item itself to relive those memories. 

on a much more positive note, purging and simplifying has been a very freeing experience.  i had no idea the bondage and chains i allowed my possessions to have on me.  i love seeing bags of clothes or toys or nick knacks be given to someone else whom can appreciate and love them in whatever capacity they see fit.  after i finish going through my stuff, i then plan on purging and simplifying the girl's stuff. 

babies don't need 53 onsies or 34 dresses.  they don't need 108 toys and 81 books.  teens don't need 17 different shades of nail polish, four types of nail polish remover along with 77 different tank tops and shirts.  it is my goal to teach the girls the importance of living light and living simple.  i want them to spend their time traveling (if they see fit),  visiting friends and family all throughout the united states while making memories along the way.  i have decided that both the girls will get a good but sturdy camera so they can save and cherish these memories, and i don't want them bogged down with 'things' and 'items.'  i want them to live their lives freely, minimally and chain-free.  we as a society base so much of our self-worth on things that we own, and not only do i NOT agree with that, i feel for those who really believe that. 

with all that said let me say this...please don't think that this is a self-righteous, holier-then-though moment because it is far from it.  i don't judge others and the way they choose to live their lives.  i have made the choice to live simple.  i have come to realize that by living this way i never feel the need to 'keep up with the jones's' or even find the need to have all the newest and coolest gadgets.  i believe that simple living is in the eye of the beholder and just because i choose to rid myself of something doesn't mean you should.  you might be in a different season of life which requires you to hold on to certain things because they serve a certain purpose.  simplicity isn't a competition...it's a way of life and the simpler i live, the less stress i feel, and for me...that is what matters. 

so with all that said my new motto's are such...

simple is better

&

if one comes in...one MUST go out!  {this last one really helps me to stay grounded and focused on my goals}

since i have scaled down my wardrobe/shoes i enjoy walking into my closet and getting dressed.  i never feel as i have nothing to wear, quite the opposite.  i feel like there is so much to work with since i can visually see everything right in front of me. 

"this shirt can go with these pants, or these shorts or even with this skirt.  this skirt goes with this shirt and that shirt.  these shorts match everything so we are good to go!!!"

anyhow, we are headed into town later on this morning, so for now this mama/wife has to get off the computer and get breakfast going.

peace and love to you all on this lovely but very hot sunday morning!