Reflections on 2019
We’re back after a long blogging break! If you’re a regular reader and have missed the monthly Reflections blog, thanks for coming back! If you’re new to the
We’re back after a long blogging break! If you’re a regular reader and have missed the monthly Reflections blog, thanks for coming back! If you’re new to the
Welcome back, my dear readers who have missed my monthly updates. Aunt Debra, ye shall worry no longer! We are all alive and well, even the last remaining
As promised, here is our Winter Solstice tree, with borrowed lights and decorations thanks to Nana. Standard Christmas tree lights use a lot of power by the way,
Friday, November 2nd I wake in the night for some unknown reason and can’t get back to sleep. I get up to use the restroom and get a
I love October for the cooler temperatures, and the diminished flies. The leaves change color (not like the brilliant Illinois colors) but pretty in their own Oklahoma way. I
Fall is fast approaching. This September, we’ve had several rains lately of 2 or more inches and much cooler nights. The air seems so clean and clear, with
Black iron! Last month I left you wondering what we’d use as a material for light fixtures. Black iron pipe is quickly becoming a theme around here. I
What to do With a Perfect Day: Own It. July, 2018 I am standing on a ladder, one that my husband made from scrap wood. The spacing between
It’s warming up on the homestead. We spend some afternoons inside on the cool soil-cement floor to escape the heat. When it’s 95 outside, it’s only 88 inside.
I used to stand outside the semi-trailer each evening while brushing my teeth, and look at our unfinished house with its partial walls and flapping tarps. I would
The absence of April showers equals a lack of flowers, unfortunately. We finally had some wintry mix on the morning of the 7th this month. The kids’ excitement
March: Motivation, Baby! What a fantastic month we’ve had here on the farm and off! The weather has been steadily getting warmer and so has our interior home
Hello folks! Welcome to Home Farm, where our children are always dirty, our blogs are always clean, and our projects are always unorthodox. This month, as a monthly
Welcome 2018! This year is going to be uber-progressive, I can just feel it. Each day and week are going to bring us that much closer to “done-ness,”
Solar power is in the pipeline! The ground mount frame for the solar array is now secured in the ground. Each of the 12 posts are stabilized 6
We’re now moving into the 5th year of building our home. At the beginning, I assumed it would take 2-3 years. However, my mother’s death, the birth of
Ah, the power of music! I’m going to let you in on a little October secret: if you are facing a tumultuous task, turn on some music. You
Welcome back to the homestead, readers. The grass is not always greener on the other side. Our pastures are as green as my birthstone, the emerald, and it’s
What a contrast this July has been compared to last year! Saul, my name for the wind, has taken a hiatus for some reason. I usually complain about
It is the 30th day of June and I type this next to a window that frames a glorious rain which broke the pattern of heavy and hot
Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there! I am serious; mothering is hard work. We have 3 children, 2 dogs, a cat, 9 chickens, 1 remaining
April showers are no match for our homestead endeavors! We made some real progress this month. First and most importantly, we are totally and entirely waterproof! No more
So maybe you’re not into reading about uterine contractions and placental encapsulation, but there is one thing you must know about the birth of Earthbag Build Oklahoma’s 3rd
Wow, talk about a short winter. I think we’ve had over 5 days of t-shirt weather and fewer than that number of freezing nights. I’ve noticed that my
Consisting of a mixture of pseudo-spring days and bitter cold snowy ones, January has been quite an exciting month. In the beginning, the kids watched out the window
Once upon a time there was a small family. A strong man, a long-haired woman, and two young and rambunctious boys. They lived in Oklahoma, where the wind
I need chocolate. I mean, really need chocolate. “The struggle is real,” they say, or “First world problems,” they say. Well “they” actually live in this “first world.”
October is a second spring in this region. Plants that appeared desiccated to their death have reawakened. Fall rains and cooler temps have granted them new life. So
Delicious tomatoes, the juiciest cantaloupe, and a giant bag of okra kicked off this September of 2016. They didn’t come from our soil of course, but the Lawton
In case you were wondering, building a house is exhausting. I mean serious, fall-asleep-before-your-head-hits-the-pillow exhausting. We’ve been at this house-building business for 3 years now and I am
The fireworks were a blast. The flies are terrible. The heat is miserable. Happy July. The end. Well that’s what I felt like writing during my 102 degree
Summer is upon us. The heat is on. The grasshoppers are just beginning to annoy our gardens, and all the rain has caused an explosion of mosquitoes. It
Ah, the most glorious month in Oklahoma is upon us. May is gorgeous. It is fresh and green and alive and there are perfect days with sunshine and
In order to accurately reflect on the month of April of 2016, achievements and milestones would fill a copious list. While I’m surely going to miss a couple
I thought March was supposed to be rainy. We’ve only had a little rain this month. I sure love the “spring green up,” with all the new life
Note: This blog was posted on the day that only exists every four years, February 29th. Feeling much less like winter than December and January, February has bestowed
Welcome to the new year, everyone who keeps up with H.O.M.E Farm shenanigans! Lots of new stuff is taking place so far at the homestead. I feel like
Snow is the only redeeming quality that winter’s barren landscape has to offer. It blankets the naked ground in a magical sort of way. We got some snow
November sends chilly breezes across the landscape as the winds shift and begin to blow from the cold north instead of the warm south. I always imagine the
Living in an off-grid situation makes one resilient, creative, and open to utilizing resources in a way that most people might never imagine. It makes one more independent
Reflections on September 2015: A Roof Over our Heads This month marks a very important turning point in H.O.M.E. Farm’s history and development. We have officially moved into
Ode to my Mother June of 2015 was bittersweet. The weather was not like last year’s June. It was much milder. Warm days and cool nights and the
Reflections on August: Reciprocity Reciprocal: in mutual relation; concerning, given, or owed by each with regard to the other. A compliment. Reciprocate: give and return mutually; act in
Reflections on July, 2015: Wall Completion! As far as Oklahoma summers go, this one has been the nicest yet. It actually rained around the 4th of July, around
The Month of Rain… The week of perfect days. Those were the last couple of days of April and the first couple of days of May. The wind
The rain falls and breathes new life into the soil, enticing green stuff to reach for the sky. It is during this month that I actually feel
March Muscles This month has been an exceptional one for weather, spring cleaning, getting back to work, and my mood, which has been positive and forward-thinking. At the
Surviving February Oklahoma February is a roller coaster of weather. Some days are frigid and windy and icey, and others are in the 70’s for 3-4 day stretches.
Reflections on January 2015: Thinking Outside the Box-Kitchen A new year. I have never really agreed with the calendar that the middle of winter marks the new year.
I wondered when this would happen, knowing it was inevitable. We got too busy to keep up on the blog. So, that is why these last two months
Welcome, October! How I love the cooler temperatures, the receding of the grasshoppers, and the tranquility of light. When the sun begins to lower its passage across the
That we suffered an embarrassing, yet successful harvest this year is grounds for a post about the real dilemma of food. Embarrassing because the grasshoppers ate better than
Them’s Grayasshoppers! Ah, hot ol’ August again in Oklahoma, the only month that, despite my hatred for it, I miss the wind. Some days are 100 degrees with
Time keeps on tickin’ tickin’ tickin’ into the future. To produce much of one’s own food is the epitome of self and family health. It allows the grower
June is my second favorite month in Oklahoma. Our second son was born on the 5th. You can read about our Home Birth Story if you haven’t already.
My Favorite Month in Oklahoma Thus Far Being 9 months pregnant on our farm has not been very fun. Bending over is required for nearly every task, I
This month, I thought I’d do the blog a little differently. There is a monthly magazine that comes to the in-law’s house called Farm and Ranch Living. It
Starting Seeds, Hugelkulturs, and Earthbag Rows! I think maybe its because February is short that we expect for March to be long. However, it always seems to fly
Garden Prep: Permaculture Style Ah, February, the month of staying warm in the house, on the verge of becoming totally sick of being inside. Craving the spring, despising
Steel Belted Radials in a Windy, Dry Month The labor is strenuous and the air is cold, but the worst part is the wind. It blows so hard
Weather, Climate, Travels and Earthquakes Oklahoma’s Decembers are intermittently cold. We had 4 days in a row of freezing temps and blowing winds so frigid, I felt sorry for
Reflections on November: Groundbreaking! Why is Oklahoma so windy? Because I don’t want to offend anyone from Kansas or Texas, you’ll have to Google the joke. But seriously,
October 2013: The Month of Changing Weather and Changing Moods The Centers for Disease Control estimates that 1 in 10 Americans suffers from depression. I know what you’re
September The days are getting shorter, but the sun is still bright enough to kiss the corners of your eyes with new crow’s feet wrinkles while it’s out.
A Month of Learning, Sweating, and Getting Stuff Done The rains have slowed back to the more typical Oklahoma climate as we got down to business on the
July Flies By I kept putting off writing this blog because I felt like we were away from the homestead so often that there wasn’t much to write
Reflections on June, 2013: Our First Month in Oklahoma A firefly was displayed on the side of our U-Haul as we pulled it up to the garage of