Stephanie

I'm here!!! but kind on the sidelines watching the flurry of activity, I think I'm mesmerized by it all. I'm not up to making a full sized list (too many real life requirements right now), but I'm enjoying reading the ones that y'all have created. I did have a couple of thoughts that I don't THINK anyone has mentioned. I'm going to add leather needles and canvas needles to the collection, as well as a leather punching kit. This can make life much easier when we start to make moccasins and use the leather that we will eventually have. Something like this. http://www.corpsrediscovery.com/Merchant2/...egory_Code=LTHR Along the line of the library wagon, I began to think of the educational needs of the children...my children in particular The library will provide excellent resources, but I'm thinking of paper (which would be a precious commodity) and pencils/crayons/chalks and chalkboards. I'd probably want a kit along this line for each child...plus a few extra. http://www.corpsrediscovery.com/Merchant2/...de=cnp-projkits Did anyone mention patterns?? for sewing? for moccasins? What about our stashes of thread and material? I'm understanding now a bit better how precious a soft piece of calico must have been to those ladies long ago.

Thanks everyone! I absolutely love making memories with my children. And since, 4 of them came to me as older children, I feel we have a bit of catching up to do.

Hi Nini, Yes, you have made some progress. Good for you! Keep adding to it, and soon it will add up to a lot!

Good for you Momo! We had beans several times oursevles, it's really easy to incorporate them into stews and soups and chili.

Wow! What a year!!

This past weekend we camped out and slept in tents on our own property. Our youngest four children had never slept in a tent. The very youngest, who is 5 yrs old sat in amazement as dh began to assemble the tent. After dh had spread it all out in the appropriate place (still flat on the ground) ds5 said "Daddy! How are you going to blow that tent up?" Apparently he thought tents were inflated. So, this was a long overdue lesson in tents and we all learned a lot. One thing I didn't learn is how they expected nine people to fit in that nine person tent. Good thing my two oldest sons (men sized teens) had tents of their own.

And don't forget bean dips. There are dozens of recipes on the web for those too. BTW - I'm linking this to that other thread too - we may lose our marbles sometimes - but a good prepper never misplaices their beans. Oops.....wonder what that says about me and what I discovered this weekend...I knew I had bought more beans, just knew it.

Thanks for the three wagons !! Yeehaw!! I'm sure either of my two teenage sons could handle the wagon better than myself, so they and dh would be the drivers, I'd be an alternate if necessary. This is the first part of my list and I'll edit this post as I can add to it. We would be taking my goats and chickens and dogs (and even my pet parrot). Every animal has it's uses except the parrot who just flat out brings us joy and entertainment, and he doesn't eat much. So, Jonah will be traveling with us. The goats are 2 wethers, 2 does and 1 billy. (I'll be able to increase my herd now that he has arrived.) They are Nubians and Mini Nubians. I'm not sure how many of the chickens I could take, but, I'd take as many as possible. I'm thinking some type of cage attached to each wagon? and in one cage would be my bantams, all six of them would fit easily. I suppose my alpha roo (Black Astralorp) and three of his hens. Then finally my Americaunas and one more roo, probably my Lakenvelder? My bantams would provide good setters, and I should be able to hatch more eggs with my roos and hens upon arrival. The dogs are three different breeds. My little Jack Russell could be useful in hunting, the Border Collie/Sheltie mix is a great help with herding the goats, and my Anatolian (Aslan) will help with security. Our party - Ma and Pa and seven children ranging in age from 5 yrs old to nearly 15, all of good sturdy stock and in good health. Our combined skills - Fire starting, campfire skills, animal husbandry, basic first aid, successful egg hatching, basic gardening, physical strength, Spiritual strength, trustworthy, team players, hunting, fishing, goat milking, cooking, child care, teaching of basic educational skills, music abilities, basic carpentry, hair cutting, ... enough for now. First edit to add... A few things I wouldn't want to leave home without. My Wonder Junior hand crank Grain Mill, and every bit of grain, beans, rice, oats, corn, flour, cornmeal, honey, baking soda, yeast, sugar, and everyone other dry good like pasta that I have squirreled away . It's a lot, but I'll be wishing I had more. These staples will be divided evenly between the wagons, not wanting all of my eggs in one basket, nor all of the weight in one wagon. My Berkey Light Water Filter and extra filters as well as the three Berkey Sports Bottles with included filters. Every piece of cast iron that I posses. Griddles and casseroles and skillets and muffin tins and etc...! All our camping supplies, tents, campstoves, and fuel, mess kits, sleeping bags, lanterns (both solar and oil), extra tarps, etc... This would be great for along the trail and for temporary shelter when arriving. BOOKS - there are a few that I would insist of taking, Several copies of the Bible, the McGuffey Readers, my many Readers Digest how to books, food preservation books, herbal books, at least a box of books per wagon. Yes, I think they are that important. My home canned goods. These would be difficult to pack and transport, but I would try to take them if at all possible. Not only would they provide substenance, they would provide canning jars for future food presrvations. Canning supplies, would take as much as possible, all canners, lids for replacing and other equipment. Also any dehydrated foods that I have gathered, these are light and convenient for eating on the go. More later....

Fun! Fun! Fun! A couple of questions ... naturally... Since I have more than 8 in my family, can I have a third wagon? And, am I reading this right? We are suppose to only take things we already own? BTW those links are grand, thanks, can't wait to show them to the children. They used to play 'Oregon Trail' quite a bit, so they're familiar with the concept of weight limits and such. Thanks for the neat scenario! Should be interesting.

This weekend we set out on a new adventure, in our own backyard nevertheless! A family with seven children and chickens and goats and dogs (plus a parrot) does not travel much, or at least ours doesn't. So, we decided to take advantage of a very low cost method of family vacationing and entertainment, camping. Under our particular circumstances we had to be a bit creative...therefore...CREATIVE CAMPING. Upon considering the choice of location for this camp out, we decided there was nothing better than our own backyard. After all, there would be no noisy neighbors, we could still see about the goats and chickens and it was free (free is good). Besides, I realized, minimal packing would have to occur and this was a VERY good thing. This left more time for fun and took a load of stress off my shoulders. The next step was the putting up of the tents. Our youngest four children had never slept in a tent before and were particularly excited. In this picture you see the youngest five all snuggled up in their pajamas and holding bears...well except for Jeremiah who opted for the family parrot (Jonah) on his shoulder instead. We were also celebrating Henry's (dh) birthday and he was glad for the opportunity to try his new Black Powder Gun (his birthday present). So target shooting was definitely on the agenda! Here you'll see the birthday boy and his seven kiddos, my oldest two preparing for their turn and me as well, trying out my new toy, a Mosin Nagant, made in 1939 (91/30). Of course the guns were totally unnecessary as we had our valiant family guardian there to protect us from invaders...that's him, Aslan, passed out on the grass while the goats investigate the tents. We also had a camp fire, which we sat around and sang Christmas Carols... ,hey, that's what they wanted to sing! We made smores, chili, hotdogs, and a huge breakfast cooked over an open fire. We played games around the picnic table using solar lanterns and today we're finishing up my attempting to make some moccasins (we bought a kit at Hobby Lobby. The rain has moved in and we took down the tents but continued the fun and activities inside. And that, is how you manage Creative Camping.

Welcome to the Blogs! Writing stuff down always helps me think more clearly!

Great Bump Leah!! Thanks!! Can't believe how close the holidays are!! I love them!! Every single one of them!!

(((Ginger))) I can NOT begin to tell you how you have encouraged me with your kind words, you are a blessing to me!

This morning, as I was taking an inventory of my dried beans I decided to make a Mix. We love the mixed bean soups and those bags of beans are much more expensive than individual bags. So, we looked at our assortment of beans, we had nine. I commented that this was one variety of beans per person in our family. I used one of the storage containers on wheels that I have mentioned before and we began to pour in the beans (4lbs of each variety). Black-eyed Peas Navy Lentils Green Baby Limas Small Red Beans Black Beans Pintos Green Split Peas Large Limas Because the container is clear, it was really neat seeing the layers that the beans made. It was very attractive as each bean represented different colors, shapes and sizes. I once again commented that these beans were like us, all unique and different. Some of the children thought we should leave them like that until I pointed out the problem. Our goal was to have a mixed bean soup and if we didn't mix them up and combine them we would never have the full flavor that they could only bring together. As a matter of fact I concluded, we wouldn't even be able to experience the bottom layers of beans for a long time to come and if we weren't going to mix them up...we should have just left them separate. Talk about a teachable moment! Our family does not consist of all the same 'variety' of people. And yet, God Himself combined us together to create a special family that holds a unique flavor, all its own. While we are each individuals, we have been put together and made into something lovely...a family!

We had two little chicks born (our first homegrown) and we've learned together all about this process. It has been so cool. We decided to stay out of the process and let nature take its course. The momma hen (whom we call Granny) has done a fantastic job. The chicks are now 2 1/2 weeks old and thriving. She takes such good care of them. No boxes, heat lamps, etc.. Just a old hen and her little chicks tucked neatly under her wings. It has been a lovely real life example of adoption We have no idea if she laid the eggs that she went broody on and gave up food and drink (except when we made her get off the nest twice a day) for. Talk about dedication!! And even now, they stay right with their mom...she is their mom because she is taking care of them, not because she laid the egg. My children really related. Lovely teachable moment.

Our blood here runs 'orange and blue' , Henry is an Auburn fan...and therefore, we are ALL Auburn fans!! However...I try to provide snacks for the game and keep the youngest kids occupied and out of the way so he can watch it in peace.

Way to go C4C!!! I love those little unplanned productive moments...makes me feel like I managed to sneak one by the clutter monster.

Thank you so much for this reminder of a lovely relationship that I believed the Lord intended, mentoring.

For months, literally, I have been wondering what September would bring. Why September? Well, it started about seven months ago when I was on the treadmill and reading my Bible passage for the day. I was reading about Joseph when he interpreted Pharaoh's dreams.When Josephs explained to Pharaoh that this was a time of 'plenty and prosperity' and that during those 7 years that should prepare for the 7 years to come, I just knew that I was to do the same. Not necessarily for the seven years (more like months), but for the spring and summer. I felt VERY impressed that we needed to be very diligent and productive during the Spring and Summer so we would be prepared for the Fall/Autumn and a Significant Event. Yesterday was the first day of Fall/Autumn and I took a moment to look back over our Spring and Summer, to take a good look at what we had managed to accomplish. It is a lot, a whole lot, but is it enough? I don't know what the rest of September and the subsequent Fall/Autumn season will hold for us, but it has already been significant with the torrential raining and floods here in the Southeast. So, was this the Significant Event that I was preparing for? Perhaps. Perhaps Not. I do know that they just announced that more rain and more potential flooding are on the way. I do know that this all happened in the same time frame as Rosh Hashanah (Yom Teruah) which is significant to me. This Biblically mandated holiday is also known as the Feast of the Shofar, which signifies a warning, an alarm. Perhaps this flooding is just the sounding of the Shofar, the warning of things to come? I do know that I felt like my family would be significantly impacted and that has not happened yet. I also know that I've made a genuine effort to prepare and set aside and gather in and clear out and increase skills and grow in knowledge. I also know that when I'm not enough, the Lord is.

This sounds soooo good and reminds me of my childhood as well, thanks C4C!!

One week ago today my mom and step-dad arrived and now they have gone. It was a lovely visit and so very productive in every way! My step-dad brought all of his handy man tools and my dh took the whole week off to tackle numerous building, maintenance, repair projects in our home and on our little homestead. My two oldest ds's worked right along side them assisting and learning so much. A new kitchen counter top, a new bantam coop, new nesting boxes in the big coop, an addition to the goat stable and a new back porch are among their accomplishments, but there were more! My mom brought her wonder sewing machines, a Bernina and Serger as well. We had many sewing projects but the main thing was the period correct outfits that my dh and two oldest ds's needed. I was right at her side assisting and learning. I may even be brave enough to try something on my own now. My fellows will be among the best dressed pre civil war participants! While my mom was here I finally opened up and set up my Berkey Light! My mom is a big fan of good healthy water and so we promptly sat down and ordered her one for herself. BTW, we really like the Berkey Light and I'll try to do a review on the forums. We intended to try my Wonder Deluxe grain mill while they were here but our time slipped away. And to top off our wonderful visit, as they drove off this morning, we went to check on the broody hen and had the pleasure of seeing two brand new little chicks tucked under the momma hen's wings. It is a wonderful thing to have a supportive family, what a blessing!

A couple of weeks ago I started attending an old fashioned Sewing Bee on Tuesday nights at my church. It is wonderful. As I'm learning I'm teaching my children. They are learning simple crochet and also making rags rugs (or attempting to) and how to thread a needle, tie a knot and basic hand sewing. This will be an ongoing project. This school year I plan to incorporate learning to sew using the machine, threading it properly and making bobbins...etc... I should have paid more attention when my mom was learning when I was a girl...I'm making sure my kids do.

I noticed that our blogging efforts have really slowed down. Y'all must be as busy as I am. So much going on. Mom and Pop will be here next Friday so we are working like Trojans getting ready for their visit, it's been a great motivator! Dh and the boys are out in the garage cleaning and loading a trailer to go to the Thrift Store for donation. This is a very good thing!! Not only are they coming and I'm dusting things that haven't been dusted in far too long, I'm trying to prepare for our new school year as well. We start our new year officially the day after Labor Day, just like we use to do it 'back in the day', I like setting my own schedule. All seven are officially being educated this year....although I have not 'registered' the youngest two. In the state of Alabama that isn't required until age seven. And once in the system, then you're in the system. I've decided to simplify my preps, focusing on the VERY BASICS. I'll probably start a thread about my efforts later, when I have time to breathe! We're doing really good in the 'eating what you store' plan, and I'm loving those new storage bins that I wrote about in an earlier blog entry.

This is a fantastic thread, so glad it has been resurfaced! I agree about the Crisco. I can also use it in making my biscuits instead of butter, and butter (unless you buy the shelf stable and expensive stuff) has to be kept cool. The way I'm trying to compensate for the health issues is MODERATION ( a hard state to achieve). I'm also starting to stock up on old fashioned Lard as an alternative.

I don't know know how many nesting boxes you are planning to have, but usually one per 3 hens is more than ample. And more often than not, they'll all use the same one anyway.