Homespun...... from the Miller Homestead

Thinking about the Fall Garden

I know, Summer just started, and I'm talking about Fall already! 

But, in order to have a Fall garden, some things should be done now- planning, ordering seed, planting seeds to transplant into the garden when it is time, adding compost or any other needed soil builders, etc.   

In my area, July 1 was the suggested date for planting tomato, pepper, and eggplant seed.  I'm a few days behind schedule, mainly because I'm trying to keep up with harvesting the tomatoes that are ripening like crazy right now!   

Most of the Fall planting for my area comes a little later, since July and  August are always HOT.   The bulk of  planting comes from September to November.  But, if I don't at least make a plan now and make sure I have seeds ready, I may miss my planting date when it arrives. 

Many of the same vegetables that grow in the Spring garden can be replanted for Fall, they like the cool weather and will do well if they have time to mature before a frost gets them.  You can probably get a list of what grows well in your area in the Fall either online, from a local nursery, or from your County Extension Agent. 

Here's a little chart to show when the first predicted Fall frost date is:

Zone 3 - Sept 1st - 30th
Zone 4 - Sept 1st - 30th
Zone 5 - Sept 30th - Oct 30th
Zone 6 - Sept 30th - Oct 30th
Zone 7 - Oct 15th - Nov 15th
Zone 8 - Oct 30th - Nov 30th
Zone 9 - Nov 30th - Dec 30th
Zone 10 - Nov 30th - Dec 30th
Zone 11 - Frost Free

If you aren't sure what zone you live in, here's a map that will show you.

With that information you can see how long it takes a particular crop to mature and then count backwards to get an estimated planting date.  Of course, it all depends on the weather, and it is good to give your plants at least a week or two of a head-start if your area often has early frosts.  I live in Zone 8, and sometimes we don't even have a frost until close to Thanksgiving.  Fall is a great time for growing here. 

Please share what you grow in your Fall garden and any tips you have.  Those of you who live in colder climates, please share your wisdom, as this Texas gardener has never had to garden where it really gets cold !

Hope you have a great holiday weekend, and maybe next week, spend some time planning (and perhaps planting) for the Fall garden!

Blessings,

Catherine

Excellent Home Making Article

When I read the following excerpt from Managing A Home by Crystal Miller in the Homestead Happenings newsletter this morning, I just had to e-mail her and ask permission to post it here on the Front Porch.  Some of our new bloggers may not be familiar with Crystal's newletter or her Country Store, and I don't want anyone to miss out on the blessing of what she has to offer!  The article spoke to my home-maker's heart and was both an encouragement and a reminder that I need to be diligent in caring for my home and family.  Hope you enjoy the article as much as I did.

Blessings,

Catherine

Home Management and Making a Home
By Crystal Miller

When I think of the word “Homemaking” I think of the word as “Making a Home”. Homemaking is all that goes into making my house a home. Due to my home being a priority to me and perhaps because I have a large family I feel like much of homemaking is good home management. I have felt that it takes a well functioning home to feel like a comfortable home. A home where your family enjoys the time spent and others like to come to your home for refreshment and encouragement. I personally feel like it is hard for me to nurture my family and reach out to others if my life and home are not functioning as they should.

In order to manage a home you have to have a plan. You have to have a basic daily plan on how to keep the home flowing and the work done. A plan consists of routines, good time management, chores maintained, systems of organization, and tools to help you keep it all in order and keep the wheels moving forward in your home. Remember that one of the most important aspects of being a homemaker is creating a loving and peaceful environment for your family.

The housekeeping plan you use needs to be one that works for you and your life. I have read lots of books and read many ideas and used different plans, but ultimately these plans and ideas were not the end in themselves, they were the means to creating my own plan. My home is unique and so is yours. I don’t believe we could follow someone else’s plan exactly and have it work for us. We will tweak it and modify and then find something else and say, “Oh that might work” and try it and tweak that, etc., until after a time what you have is “your” plan.

Obstacles to Planning

Our Attitude
There are obstacles that can make a home management plan difficult. One is our attitude about cleaning a house. Being a homemaker is hard work and it takes a positive attitude and a lot of energy and determination each day. The beauty of it all is that with the right attitude caring for our home can be one of those areas in life where we can learn to get into the rhythm of the tasks and learn to appreciate things like warm soapy dishwater on our cold winter-time hands, the soothing hum of a washing machine going, the smell of dinner wafting through the home, the beauty of a shiny clean kitchen floor, the peace that comes from a home where all is clean and in order.

Any woman can choose to believe that their job is drudgery or they can choose to view it as a service to Christ. I believe that being a homemaker is a ministry of service and love unto Christ to those the Lord has given me to love, nurture and care for. My husband and family are the ones that mean the most to me; they are the closest to my heart. They are the first and foremost ministry in my life. If I begin to think of other things I would rather be doing then laundry, cooking, cleaning, etc., I realize that I have neglected to view my role from God’s perspective and that is as His servant. There is something humbling about serving others, washing the feet of our loved ones in these tasks; something that can, if we allow it, help to put our heart and attitudes in the right place. It can change our view of the work we do each day. If Jesus walked into your home you would do everything possible to serve Him while He was in your home. Well ladies, He IS in your home and you are serving Him each day as you go about your task of raising up godly children and caring for and keeping a home for you husband and family (Matt. 25:40 And the King will answer and say to them, ”Assuredly, I say to you inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me”).

Busyness
Many years ago when I began my quest to manage my home better I evaluated all the busyness in my life and looked at what things might be preventing me from managing my home better. I decided that if I am not able to take care of my home in such a way that shows that I have control over my domain then I may need to lessen what I currently have going on and not add any more to my schedule.

I have always been a person who would bite off more than I could chew so to speak. I don’t think I am alone with this either, as I talk to other women who deal with the same issue. I would take on more projects than I could handle, I volunteered for more than I should have, and I made plans that were beyond my abilities or time. The end result was always the same; something would suffer.

When I am too busy the first thing to suffer is always my home. It becomes a mess, laundry backs up, and clutter is a big problem. Then my children are next; attitude problems, discipline issues not being handled well, little ones not getting enough mommy time. Of course meals suffer; boxed cereal, instant, expensive and typically unhealthy food is served. All for the sake of not having my home under control.

The dividing line for outside busyness and effectively managing a home will be drawn in a different place for each of us. I am not saying that all outside activity needs to stop, that would be unrealistic. But rather when life has too much going on, it is much more difficult to manage a home as it should be managed. I had to make very different choices in my life in order to achieve my goals.

Time Management
Problems in good home management can also come from our time not being used as efficiently as possible. I know that it can be somewhat depressing for someone to look around and see that they don’t have control over their home or don’t have as much control as they feel they should and think it is hopeless, I might as well just continue on because I can’t ever get it under control. But let me encourage you that my experience is that as I have worked to organize, deal with clutter, create and implement systems of operation in my home and learn to use my time wisely that my skill level in these areas has increased, my efficiency has increased and I am able to train my children to work along side me and eventually move beyond the basics and accomplish other things in my life.

The first thing to remember is that there are only 24 hours in a day. We can’t expect to find anymore time available than this! We need to sleep a certain amount of those hours; we need wake up time and unwinding time and personal time. That calculates into only so many available hours to do all the other things we would like. These available hours should be viewed as precious time to accomplish the work the Lord has given us!

Be realistic about what you can do with the hours you have. Know your limits, your strengths and your weaknesses. I remember planting a huge garden one year. That was great except for the fact that I was due to have my 5th baby at the beginning of September. The same time all my tomatoes were ripe and ready. I personally did not have the energy to go from birth to canning in the same week! I was still struggling to care for my new baby (which was the 3rd baby in less in than 3 years) and recover and regain some energy. I was not very realistic about what I could accomplish. I wanted to do it all and I physically could not.

Recognize the things in our life that rob time from us. Over commitment, the telephone, the computer, laziness, hobbies that need to put off until the house is in order. Once you have a good handle on time management you will find it much simpler to accomplish the basic priorities.

In Summary
Time spent making and managing a home for my family will be a value passed on not only to my children but to future generations too. I think of the legacy left to me by my hard working, home loving, dedicated grandmothers and I know I can leave this same legacy for my grandchildren.

Managing my home is a mission that the Lord has given me. I always want to remember that homemaking is not a job to be avoided but a job to embrace and live to its’ full potential. This is one major area that is so easy to run from. It can be hard work to run a well managed home. This is a challenge that we as homemakers can embrace and be successful. It requires a determination to succeed and a plan. I don’t mind hard work and I don’t mind working towards these goals when I know that my hard work and my goals are for the purpose of something worthy. And certainly raising a family in such a way as to honor Christ is a worthy purpose.

An excerpt from:
Managing a Home: Tips, Organizational Advice and Practical
How-To’s from a Mother of 8
A new eBook from The Family Homestead

Wise Words from Marmee

"I want my daughters to be beautiful, accomplished, & good; to be admired, loved, & respected; to have a happy youth, to be well & wisely married, & to lead useful, pleasant lives, w/as little care & sorrow to try them as God sees fit to send.  To be loved & chosen by a good man is the best & sweetest thing which can happen to a woman; & I sincerely hope my girls may know this beautiful experience.  It is natural to think of it, Meg; right to hope & wait for it, & wise to prepare for it; so that, when the happy time comes, you may feel ready for the duties & worthy of the joy.  My dear girls, I am ambitious for you, but not to have you make a dash in the world, -- marry rich men merely because they are rich, or have splendid houses, which are not homes because love is wanting.  Money is a needful & precious thing, -- &, when well used, a noble thing, -- but I never want you to think it is the 1st or only prize to strive for.  I'd rather see you poor men's wives, if you were happy, beloved, contented, then queens on thrones, w/o self-respect & peace...

"...better be happy old maids than unhappy wives, or unmaidenly girls, running about to find husbands," said Mrs. March decidedly.  "Don't be troubled, Meg; poverty seldom daunts a sincere lover.  Some of the best & most honored women I know were poor girls, but so love-worthy that they were not allowed to be old maids.  Leave these things to time; make this home happy, so that you may be fit for homes of your own, if they are offered you, & contented here if they are not.  One thing remember, my girls:  mother is always ready to be your confidant, father to be your friend; & both of us trust & hope that our daughters, whether married or single, will be the pride & comfort of our lives."

~~Marmee -- from "Little Women" ch. 9.

Featured Blogger~Mama Hen

Welcome to this weeks Featured Blogger!

Help me congratulate
Mama Hen!

Great posts
Lots of neat ideas
Pretty pictures
Very nice little home on the web
Go by and let her know you enjoy her blog

Blessings,
Chasity L. Burrell
Senior Editor Homesteadblogger
Heritage Acres Homestead

More on Fermenting Foods

I found some information on fermenting and a few recipes in a book I discovered at the library this weekend- Fresh Food From Small Spaces- The Square Inch Gardener's Guide to Year-Round Growing, Fermenting, and Sprouting by R.J. Ruppenthal.  The directions for making Kimchi say to cover the jar loosely with the lid or a cloth for 2 days, or until you get that "fermenting" smell; then, cap it tightly and put in the refrigerator.  Maybe that is what I've been doing wrong.  I put the lid on at the beginning; perhaps it needs to "breathe" a bit first???  The author recommends Wild Fermentation by Sandor Ellix Katz, which sounds like a very interesting book on the subject.  I plan to look into reading this one, too; and am going to make another attempt at kimchi soon.   Wildfermentation.com was created by the book's author, and if you click on the resources button, you can find his recipe for sourkraut and pickles, plus a troubleshooting area.  Hope this info. helps some of you who are having the same struggles as I am in learning the art of fermenting food!

Blessings,

Catherine

I missed several photos yesterday. Thought I would add them.

More grandchildren and children.

Dd 5 and her sweet ones

More grandchildren

Dd's 1 and 2.

 Dd 6 and hubby.

My life is like a stream that flows swiftly through each day.  Sometimes the rains of adversity fall heavily upon me and I overflow my banks,, but Christ brings me back to my guided stream bed.  Sometimes drought shrinks me to a trickle, but again Christ fills me up.  These last few weeks have found my stream flowing swiftly full to capicity.  The Son shining down upon me and warming me. 

Sowing, reaping, necessary work for income, cleaning, nursing dh, family reunion, preserving, on and on flows my stream.  Oh, how grateful  I am for the life I have been blessed with.  I eagerly look forward to each new day.

Welcome to my back yard.  This wooden walk way was constructed by my son when he was 14....15 years ago. It leads to my back door and of course everyone comes this way.

I love hens and chicks.

Garden is growing.

Even at a family reunion I have my crocheting in hand

My 3 oldest granddaughters

We took a cave tour.  8 of my natural daughters and my one natural son were at the reunion, 1 daughter could not make it.  All of the adopted and step brothers and sisters were invited but none could make it.

Daughters 1 top, 5 left,8 right

Dd 7.  She had to do an audit for the property management company she manages.  I sure missed seeing my 4 grandchildren.

A few of the kids having fun.

My one natural son.  He's a small guy 6'2''.

This was where it all began. We were only married 26 years when he passed away.  We celebrated his birthday by having our first family ruenion. There are 53 three in my first family, 11 in my adopted family and 11 in my step family.  I love them all.  Next year I will take lots of pictures.  I should have gotten each family together and taken a picture of them.  Well next year.

A Time to Rest

Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time.  ~John Lubbock

This is good advice for a summer's day, I do believe.  Take some time today to rest, relax, and enjoy the  garden.  Listen to the song of nature, give thanks for the beauty around you, plan for next season. 

If you've had some trouble with the garden this year, remember these wise words:

"There are no gardening mistakes, only experiments." ~Janet Kilburn Phillips

I have done lots of experiments in the garden . 

Now that you've had a nice time of rest and reflection...Get back out there and get busy because-

"Gardens are not made by sitting in the shade." ~Rudyard Kipling

Blessings,

Catherine

Graduated Our "Baby"!

Well, 16 years ago, when we started homeschooling, we knew this day would come.  But I can't believe how QUICKLY it did!  Saturday, we graduated, Jenna - our 'baby'!  She didn't want the big outdoor ceremony like we did for Jasper in '06 (http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Buckeyeblog/153294/) , she just wanted an open house - a more social event.  We DID, however, still get her a tassle &, of course, a diploma.  And I am still putting together her memory book. 

It was a beautiful day & we had over 100 people between 1-9:30p.m.!  One of Jenna's dearest friends, Hannah S., put together a great slide show that was repeating on our T.V. whenever anyone wanted to take a retreat from the slightly high humidity or get a piece of cake (kept inside so it wouldn't melt - lol) after their hambergers & hotdogs.

It was a great day!  Here are a few pics for you to enjoy...

Jenna w/some of her Besties!

Jasper (DD#1 on right) w/life-long bestie, Beth, & her new beau!

Ty (in the middle)...a.k.a....Daddy...a.k.a....my sweeite...a.k.a....grill master!  And co-horts.

Proud grandparents.

Various awards, trophies, newpaper articles, graduation tassle, diploma, Golden Angels homeschool volleyball team pics, etc.

THE diploma.  (Thanks HSLDA!)

VOLLEYBALL!!!!!!!!!

 And what's a cookout w/old friends if it doesn't end in a grudge water fight?!  (There's history behind those water fights!)  lol 

It was a great day!

Blessings from Ohio, Kim Wolf<><

Thoughts on Going Green and Fair Trade

The Fair Trade issue is one that has been on my heart for quite some time.  I first read about the Fair Trade movement on a visit to World Hunger Relief to pick up the week's share of organic vegetables for my family and friends from their CSA.  They also have a nice little gift shop which sells Fair Trade items like tea, coffee, and all sorts of crafts and gift items.  I purchased a bag of coffee beans for my coffee-loving husband.   Though they were more expensive than our regular grocery store brand, I thought the little extra $ was worth it since it was a gift, and the money was for a worthwhile project.  In my bag was a little pamphlet telling about the Fair Trade Movement.  After I read that, I felt saddened that I had no idea what the cost of producing things I buy on a weekly basis was to not only the earth, but to the farmers growing them.  I was shocked, saddened, and convicted; now that I knew the truth, I was responsible for my own response to that truth.

The things that my family has started with in an effort to not only Go Green, but buy Fair Trade are tea and coffee.  I buy these often as we drink both on a daily basis.  My local grocery store does stock one brand of Fair Trade coffee, and I can order teas from Mountain Rose Herbs when I place an herb order.  These are 2 simple things that I can do without much extra effort at all; and though the cost is a little more at the checkout; I know  that we are doing the right thing by not making life harder on a farmer somewhere across the world.  My first concern was the cost, as we do not have a large income for our family of 5; but I felt that either I needed to pay the cost of a Fair Trade brand, or sacrifice by not buying tea and coffee at all. 

Bananas are usually the cheapest fruit in the grocery store; but I've recently learned that there is a huge cost elsewhere.  Since I've not yet found Fair Trade bananas in my area, I've decided to do without that fruit until I can either buy Fair Trade or grow my own.  I have noticed a blessed absence of fruit flies as one benefit of not having bananas in the fruit bowl daily (My husband makes Kombucha which is dearly loved by fruit flies it seems- no bananas, no fruit flies attacking the Kombucha!). 

These are just 3 simple things that I have committed to do in order to promote Fair Trade, Go Green, and do what is right by those who are growing these items. 

I've included several links throughout this, and you will find possibly more than is comfortable to know about Fair Trade and the true cost of food should you choose to read about it.  It isn't always a pleasant subject, but knowing the true cost of what we consume is something that is important, I believe.  It may be challenging to know the truth; but knowing the truth sets you free to do what is right.  One book that gives a good picture of the true cost of food production in the world is Hope's Edge by Frances Moore Lappe and Anna Lappe.  Please note, I do not agree with all of their viewpoints, but their travels and sources are well documented; and it is a good source of information. 

I'm not suggesting that everyone has to make the same choices I have.  I'm simply sharing my story and giving you some information on the subject.  If you are a Christian, read the information in the links, or do your own research;  and then truly ask yourself...What would Jesus do?  Perhaps Isaiah 58 is a good place to find out. 

Blessings,

Catherine