Happy 2011

I've been busy.  Busy with work, busy with home repairs, busy re-evaluating our plan of self sufficiency, and busy with learning.  I suppose the start of a new year is appropriate for this type of post.


I've chosen to delete my other blog.  Since we've made changes, I thought a fresh blog start was appropriate.

We had been looking for land where we could build a cabin and small homestead for our retirement years.  We don't have enough land where we live now to have goats.  This is a big issue for us.  We found that it is almost impossible to get a loan for land.  The banks all want collateral even though we have exellent credit.  So they want us to take a home equity loan.

The economy has taken such a hit that we are afraid now to put our home on the line.  Who knows what will happen and we could lose what we have.  So, we decided to pay off the car before we look at any more land to be completely out of debt.  We've also come to the conclusion that we will probably have to sell our house before we can buy  land anyhow.  It would have been nice to build the homestead slowly, also using it as a place to vacation until we are ready to make the actual move.  While we are here, we will continue to work towards self sufficiency in any way we are able.

Another change is in the area of home grown veggies and food storage.  With space at a minimum, we're looking at reducing the number of different veggies we will grow, allowing for quantity of a few kinds.  I began to follow a web site which teaches how to dehydrate, store and use your food pantry.  It has been a wonderful experience.  I've purchased one and began to dehydrate for food storage.  I'll do a detailed post soon on this.

We've been researching solar energy panels in our area and planning what sort of set up we will most efficiently be able to use for our location.  Here in Western Pennsylvania, we don't have a lot of hot sunny days.  We will use our system and still need to be on the grid as back up.  Not a problem, we will be happy doing what we're able to do.

We haven't come to a firm decision on where to put the sun room but waiting rather than putting it in just anywhere has been fortunate for us, as we have learned more about how to use it,  as well as how we want our house to look.  It will be in the front part of our home which is facing south.

Now, most recently on our list is the making of a medicinal herb garden.  I've always wanted to do this and people who really know me, are aware of my continued interest in herbs.  It is nothing new.

I've joined a website online which is an educational organization that demonstrates how to make folk style remedies for home use.  The depth of learning available is far beyond this, but this is where we are beginning this adventure.  Scoping out what we can harvest in the wild first, and planting what we need here in the garden.  This is another consideration as we plan our 2011 garden.  Space is always an issue.  What I have concluded though, is we can grow a number of herbs in containers and when we have the sun room built, many of them can live in there.

These are a few topics I will be posting about in the days to come.  I pray we'll all have a healthy, prosperous, and blessed 2011.