Homesteading Home 🏡

[Neome]

Welcome to Homesteading Home for anyone with little or no direct contact with people outside their household.

This might be due to self isolation, precautionary low contact due to preexisting health conditions or living miles from anywhere and enjoying being a bit of a hermit.

What are we all doing to keep our lives and our children’s lives in balance today?

A day of screen time and popcorn may be called for or a day of baking, knitting and family yoga. Whatever you’re up to please feel free to share your triumphs and tribulations.

Best wishes to all who enter 🏡

Have waited for the teenagers to surface and come round adequately, so we can all get stuck into digging, filling pots and planting veg.

The sun is shining here too.

"Don't be afraid to attempt something new.

Remember, it was amateurs who built the ark.

It was professionals who built the Titanic."

This was on the bottom of someone’s message today, I found it really cheering and might try printing it out in a fancy font later.

Happy homesteading today everyone. One day at a time, one breath at a time, one seed at a time.

Hi everyone

Just after a virtual handhold today.

We’ve been out of our home for a year and a half, had to have it completely rebuilt because of a massive event that destroyed it (think flood etc).

Are staying in a lovely but far too small place very close to ground zero. With 3 kids. Think large caravan size. We’ve coped, been able to use our own garden etc. But been so, so looking forward to moving back in to our ‘new’ old house.

We were due to move back in early March. They asked for and got a two week extension. They should have finished Monday. Carpet fitters due in today. Is to move in Wednesday. They told us yesterday they’d be done Friday. Aaaargh. Trying to hold it together. Have been saying for the last month, seeing this coming, please hurry, Coronavirus might mean things will change, please get it done ASAP. They’ve been openly laughing at me and taking the piss.

Today, only half the guys on site. Carpet fitters have only one person, not sure if he will come. Not sure if they will all be going home at the end of the day and not coming back.

I could cry. Or scream. I have held it together so long. Feel completely powerless and fucking broken.

Don’t know what to do with myself. Kids are playing up like crazy because they can sense it’s all going to shit. Only silver lining for us was at least we’d be back in soon.

Just had enough.

Sorry, realise that reads like the start of a thread. Don’t want to do a new thread - I am a homesteader and have posted on the thread before, just needed a handhold from a friendly bunch ...

That is rubbish. You're still alive and all that jazz, but this would knock someone at any point in time, never mind at the moment when "home" is even more precious.

If they downed tools today, how usable is the house? If it's just carpets, could you use rugs and make do? Even if you slept in your temporary place, but just had the additional space during daylight. Without the workers there, you could have another four walls to look at?

It's another rubbish thing on top of the general situation and I am so sorry for you.

Thanks bibble, that’s exactly it. So homesick and felt so close.

Yes, currently hoping one fitter will be able to come tomorrow and fit carpets at least in the kids bedrooms. We could live without carpets, no worries, be amazing if we get some in though in the current situation.

As far as the build goes, currently not liveable and they won’t give us even partial possession, which is what we agreed they would do (at distanced site meeting yesterday) on Friday night. We would have hot water and basically internals finished.

I am desperately hoping we can still get in. Would give the kids 10 x more space during lockdown and we could get on with moving our stuff in and getting sorted. We’re in limbo here. Kids all sharing a room, nobody getting enough sleep.

I know I will get over it, pull myself up by the bootstraps and carry on, but today I want to get back in bed, pull the duvet over my head and cry.

Hope all ok with Gal and the rest of the homesteaders. The lovely weather is really helping us at the moment. It feels like holidays rather than the more depressing reality. More work in the garden today and have got ahead with the washing while we have great drying weather. DH is trying to convince us to get some ducks for eggs. Have told him to research and work up a proposal - not sure how much space they'd need and what they would require. But at least it is a project for him to do on the computer in the evening instead of pressing refresh on news websites. DC are ok - we have settled into a routine. DS is doing too much schoolwork and DD probably not enough - but I am not getting involved right now. The world has gone mad, but it feels like we are ok in our little bubble, touch wood.

Sending a virtual handhold to all that need it. I certainly need it as I'm trying to support a family member who's been triggered into a psychotic breakdown. 2 small children. Usual services not fully functioning.

Down on the urban 4 Square metre farm it was very heartening to hear a bee zooming about and see it finding a bean I potted out last week. I was quite excited to find a chard had sent out a runner with a couple of baby plants so I've pinned them down and fingers crossed.

There are teeny tiny shoots starting to appear on my window sill! Only four little specks of green but I’m chuffed to see anything at all

Hello Barbararara lovely to hear about the green shoots. I’ve been potting on and planting out and massively tidying up my tiny space.

Trying to figure out how much vertical gardening I can fit in.

Thank God for plants. Two of my family have serious illness (non covid) and I need the mental break from intense remote supporting.

Hope everyone’s well whether lurking or off elsewhere 🌿

Hi homesteaders! Hope Neome and Gal are managing to soldier on - it's not easy at the best of times, but must feel harder right now.

We're loving the cheerful weather. I have had to build a "structure" over the first lot of veg planted out, as starlings turned up en masse and started shredding them. It's not a thing of beauty, but has done the job. Hopefully once the plants are bigger they will be able to fend for themselves, as I will need the netting back for the soft fruit.

We found some garlic mustard lurking at the back of the garden so are mixing it in with salad leaves to pep it up a bit. Really pleased with the salad so far, but not much else fresh and ready to eat yet. We were rather lax last year, but have planned a bit better this year to cover most months with something harvestable. Fingers crossed!

Only just started sowing seeds indoors here. Hoping they will take off. Spent today in the garden planting unloved perennial plants we bought in little pots last year at various places we visited and had left outside to fend for themselves. Thought I'd have a flower borderish this year as well as just veggies. Or intersperse the veggies with the flowers.

I have plans to sew some hankies made from old sheet fabric but those are still in my head.

I'm taking solace in gardening and singing.

I did not prepare for the administative challenge of my dear Dad's death from covid-19 last Thursday in a London hospital. There were small mercies, silver linings and generous hearted nurses and doctors. However

I could not be with him
Video calls were not possible
I could not collect his valuable personal effects
I cannot retrieve any paperwork from his flat - will, funeral plan if there is one, last wishes.
I cannot retrieve his address book or list of people he wanted notified.
I will not be able to see his body.

Fortunately I did prepare to recognise the first symptoms, to understand clinical observations, to get medical help to someone remotely.
I prepare for loss by doing my best to be kind and on good terms with those I love and everyone I encounter and when I frequently fall short I try to learn, remedy and forgive myself for human failings.

I have a new prayer which has just come into my mind:

Let me be a rock on whose mossy side a weary traveller might rest their head

Neome So sorry about your Dad. Hope you find some peace.

Hi, glad to have found this thread although my heart is going out to those of you who are dealing with the dark side of this nightmare.

I've been a wanna be homesteader for many years although sadly live in a flat in a large city but luckily I've had my allotment for over a decade. I preserve a lot of our produce, mainly pressure canning and dehydrating. I seed save every year so I was lucky to have plenty of most types of seed when the seed companies closed their order pages. I managed to get an order in the other day for the odd pack of things I don't save myself, like carrots.

Some other things I make are hard/soft cheeses, yogurt, (less often) sausage, soap, liquid laundry detergent. I sew, bake and love messing around with a hammer and some nails....will tackle most things myself, sometimes successfully ….sometimes not so much :)

I'm a low level prepper and just sorry that it has taken this virus to make me feel grateful that I stuck with it for a few years and that I have learned how to do a lot of things to get through a tough time.

Oh Neome, I'm so so sorry. That is really awful. Hope that someone can help you with some advice on the admin at this dreadful time. Much love.

Thank you for the support and good wishes.

On the homesteading front I have been gardening today in my tiny yard. Flowers and green veg have continued to grow while I’ve been struggling with phone calls and paperwork.

How lovely you’ve found us MissAnanke I’d love to hear more about making cheese. Also do you or anyone know about live yeast for bread making?

I hope everyone is enjoying sunny weather 🌈🌦

Dad’s funeral was last Friday, just me and my brother. I used plants from our gardens and allotment to make homesteading wreaths from Fatsia, Choisia, Ivy, Rosemary and lavender and a forget me not basket with Dads photo tucked in. Lots of friends and relatives joined my daughter online.

It’s a sad time but remembering Dad’s humour and connecting with family is helping.

Hope all well with you wherever you are 🏡

The wreaths sound lovely. Hope you have the support you need at this rubbish time.

We continue to roll along - garden is coming along nicely. Considering losing another patch of lawn to extend the veg patch a bit more. We've settled into a routine, started some new hobbies and are planning ahead. I'm anticipating food supply issues in the autumn, so preparing for that. Our income continues to trickle in and covers our minimal expenses. We have enough. We are enjoying our health (improved since we started "withdrawing" last autumn), our time and rising to our small challenges. The birds and butterflies in particular are a source of joy.

Sorry for your loss Neome. Agree the wreath sounds lovely. Suck a difficult time to be grieving right now

We've been enjoying this lovely weather but I feel in a no mans land period at the minute. We're ok for now, but not sure what to do to prepare for Autumn/Winter. Have veg in & would dearly love to get the greenhouse that we've needed for an age. Enjoying the garden & still trying to get through the days. Will maybe go pick some kale as it's flowering now & will be wasted soon.

I've just read the whole thread, great idea for a thread!

Neome, so sorry for your loss, your wreath sounds beautiful

Dh and I have been low key homesteaders but with all this spare time we have really ramped up our efforts! We are prepping for future lockdowns and food shortages and we're planting with that it mind. I'm currently awaiting an order of seeds for summer salads but also have things in mind for autumn and winter.

Just had a wander down the garden and everything looks lush and green thanks to the rain

It really does help connecting with nature at the moment.

I’m weeks behind with seeds but I’m sure it will work out ok in the end. Very pleased to have fresh leafy greens of various sorts to supplement the prepped store cupboard.

Best wishes to all

What are you all planting for winter? We have a few cauliflower & some beetroot, leeks & broccoli in. Would like some more kale but have no seeds, will maybe look for transplants

Thanks to the fabulous Liz Zorab/Byther Farm (YouTube) I'm looking at trying some perennial veg too. Taunton Deane Kale and Malabar Spinach -on order from eBay. I love kale and spinach anyway and have annual versions growing. I predict they will be thicker leaved but nothing a stew or fry can't fix.
Just need to find a little corner of my already little garden .....

For winter we've got leeks, cabbage and brussel sprouts. Plus whatever we've preserved. Have never had success with Kale so gave up on ita while back, but may give bellini's perennial variety a go. We're also experimenting with a new carrot - rondo - which is a small golf ball (rather than long and pointy carrot). Hoping that it will suit the boxes I use for salad/spinach in the mini greenhouse thing and thus have a more extended season.

I can recommend grey Royal Mail post trays if you can get hold of them. We get a lot of post and it's often left on the doorstep in trays which they are often not interested in taking away on subsequent visits. They are sturdy, stack nicely and have useful drainage hols in the bottom. I use them all round the house and in the garage/attic for storage as well as for planting. They are mostly grey, but now and then we get a blue one which is most exciting!