tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-336229542024-03-18T23:24:05.554-04:00The Next WorkerThe details of my life in the radical Catholic world.Kelly M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11061881196571090338noreply@blogger.comBlogger228125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33622954.post-3035575776474466412012-03-08T22:45:00.002-05:002012-03-08T23:07:33.807-05:00My New Blog is Up! Swing by when you're done here.In a quiet house with all five kids in bed, I can now sneak off and wrap up one last loose end. As I mentioned on here in August, I was working to create a new blog, one more in tune with how my day is now spent. It was a crazy fall, full of homeschooling, medical appointments, family birthdays and then Christmas. I was so thankful for January and a less hectic routine. But by then I had committed to performing in a play (yes, really!) and so it was not until late February that I finally got my new homeschool blog up and running. <div>It's really meant to be a humorous look at homeschooling. There's already so many other great homeschooling moms out there producing inspirational Catholic homeschooling sites with great resources, I knew I needed to find my own niche. I couldn't compete with the experience and advice these ladies could offer! But I do have some book lists and history resources I developed available to download for free. As I create lessons for my homeschool, it's easy to share the files with the world, so if it can benefit someone else, why not? </div><div>Mostly, though I want to get back in the habit of writing, and to write happy, fun and joyful work that makes others smile. I've made a conscientious decision to be an optimist; to not let my sons illnesses shape me, or my family, in a negative way. I have every reason to be a pessimist, but I choose to focus on all the wonderful things that happen in my home on any given day and share that smile or laughter with someone else who may need it. </div><div>So check me out over on my new site<a href="thisaintthelyceum.org"> 'This Ain't the Lyceum'.</a> It's where classical homeschooling meets the real world and my motto is, "Around here, it's ain't the Lyceum, but it's home education that works for us." Hope to see you there! </div>Kelly M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11061881196571090338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33622954.post-83067579521681669662011-08-15T21:37:00.003-04:002011-08-15T23:09:57.707-04:00My Inspiration and My VocationAugust is a month of great fruition around here. Mother Nature is at her grandest and the long days of summer are filled with picnics, vacations, bonfires, swimming and drawn out, watercolor sunsets. After almost four summers here, it has yet to get old. <div>Since August is also the only summer month we don't homeschool, I have extra time to reflect on the present and ruminate on our future. Four Augusts ago, I had a newborn and was preparing to homeschool a 1st grader and a Kindergardener. Today, I was hashing out lesson plans for a 4th grader, almost 3rd grader and a Kindergardener. I could not have anticipated then how much time homeschooling would consume and how little free time I would have to give to homesteading. And most surprising to me now, is how little I enjoy spending my free time on what would be considering homesteading skills. It did not take me long to view canning, breadmaking, gardening, sewing and the like, as the time consuming chores that they are. </div><div>When school is done, and the house is in order and the children are all content, if I happen to find myself with a quiet half hour, you will not find me in the garden, in the kitchen or at my sewing machine. While I can enjoy doing all these thing, I do not find them to be relaxing or stress relieving as others may. I now finally understand why many people who head 'back to the land' soon head back to wherever they came from. Thank heavens our food supply is not dependent on our efforts at self sufficiency. I try to console myself with the thought that as the kids get older, they will be able to contribute to, and hopefully take more of an interest in homesteading, in addition to becoming more independent, allowing me more time for chores and hard earned rest. Having a baby who sleeps through the night, will also be a huge help. </div><div>And the sobering fact is that for as long as we're in NJ, with this mortgage and these taxes, homesteading will never be more than a second job for my husband. Paying the bills without outside employment is impossible. Consequently, after two hours of commuting on the train each day,Tony, like I, has a hard time spending his few precious hours of free time on chores.</div><div> Thankfully, Tony enjoys his new software position more than the job he was laid off from. I love homeschooling and it has become my job in a way I could not have predicted when I began this blog. The needs of my children have directed my time and attention away from the Catholic Worker Movement, and much of my original enthusiasm for the back to the land movement. The writing of Day, Maurin and the Distributists have shaped who I am and how I live, but for now, that enthusiasm must be placed on the backburner. </div><div>I'm not giving up this blog. My husband and I still have much we hope to do with our land, albeit at a much slower pace than we originally anticipated. I still feel there is much that should be done to educate Catholics about the Worker Movement, it's unselfish charity, it's simple message, and it's relevance to the world today. So my journey as The Next Worker continues but my focus must shift for the time being. As time allows, we'll keep updating this site with news and photos on our homestead and all things related to the message of the Catholic Worker Movement. In the mean time, I'm anticipating starting a new blog/website focused on homeschooling. It will hopefully produce it's own fruit in due time. </div>Kelly M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11061881196571090338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33622954.post-34354006050502898892011-07-21T22:23:00.002-04:002011-07-21T22:31:44.656-04:00Changing Seasons<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/be/Les_Tr%C3%A8s_Riches_Heures_du_duc_de_Berry_juillet.jpg/369px-Les_Tr%C3%A8s_Riches_Heures_du_duc_de_Berry_juillet.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 369px; height: 600px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/be/Les_Tr%C3%A8s_Riches_Heures_du_duc_de_Berry_juillet.jpg/369px-Les_Tr%C3%A8s_Riches_Heures_du_duc_de_Berry_juillet.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Over the years I have come to have a greater appreciation for the changing seasons, both natural and liturgical. One of the most monotonous aspects of modern office work is that the environment is always the same. All year round you do the same kinds of tasks in the same "weather." Even an enjoyable job can become a grind under those conditions. Even with the small amount of homesteading we do, we have to be attentive to the seasons, and I am grateful for the variations they provide.<br /><br />I used to hate Summer. I still do hate humidity, but I don't mind the heat as much anymore, and I like the long slow days. Of course, "slow" is a relative term. The time still goes by too fast. But in Summer it does seem slower. When it is not too humid the Summer nights are especially pleasant. Although I don't do it often enough, I like to sit outside after the kids are in bed and listen to the sounds of the Summer night and enjoy a fine drink. Those pleasant nights seem to invite you to just relax and and take time to reflect. And that is something most of us probably need to do more.<br /><br />Different seasons bring a different focus to our homesteading activities. Summer brings a lot of outdoor manual labor. Usually it is very satisfying to get this work done, and see it blossom and bear fruit (sometimes literally). At times it can be tedious too, like when you are weeding. But even at these times, you know you only have a few months of it before the season changes again. So you plod through the work, and hopefully you get a worthwhile harvest.<br /><br />The Church's Liturgy works in concert with the natural seasons. Time after Pentecost brings a slow and steady pace to the liturgy after the highs and lows of the first half of the liturgical year. Even the chants of the Mass are slower and more drawn out (honestly I am not a huge fan of these, but I do appreciate the way they mesh with the season). Christmas, Lent, and Easter, are all great, and generally my favorite times of the year. But you can't always be in high gear. In the Liturgical Cycle, Time after Pentecost represents the time of the Church in the world. It is the time from Pentecost until the end of the world, that the Church plods along and does it's work, hoping for a good harvest.<br /><br />For ourselves, it's time to do what we need to do in our spiritual lives. Nothing special or flashy, just buckle down and attend to our spiritual duties. There are still plenty of feasts to give us rest from our labor, but they serve to punctuate the season, they don't dominate our attention the way the events of our Lord's life do during the other seasons. Of course every season has ample opportunities for spiritual growth. But this season has more of a "slow and steady wins the race" feel, as opposed to the intensity of the other seasons. I am convinced that the Liturgical Cycle is ordered that way because we can all benefit from the change of pace that different seasons bring.benedictushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01849318955059683538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33622954.post-65424268782316848212011-03-09T14:15:00.001-05:002011-03-09T14:18:37.131-05:00Moving Forward - Ash WednesdayIt's a new year, a new liturgical season and like many people I've come up with some resolutions for 2011 (and now Lent.) I'm moving past the pain of 2010 and taking each new day as it comes. I'm still struggling, but then again, aren't we all? Who can't find some sorrow or tragedy in their life to spend every waking hour anquishing over? I see people with so many reasons to be happy, hunched over and scrutched up with bitterness because they allow the bad to overshadow the good. The storm clouds may be heavy, but there is always a silver lining and I'm reaching for it. So here goes; my resolutions are as follows<div><blockquote>Remain Positive. Rebuild Faith. Restore Hope. Reaffirm My Belief in Miracles.</blockquote> </div><div>It's a mission statement, motivational statement and slogan all in one. If my resolution was only to lose 10lbs by May, I'd have broken it already. The goal this year is to not be defined by the tragedies in my life. </div><div>And now Lent, how do I take this mindset into the penitential and sacrificial season leading up to Easter? Here is where I really start working on rebuilding my faith, a faith that has sustained me but yet been greatly shaken. Thank God I have built this faith on the rock of the true Church and not the shifting sand of my past wishy-washy beliefs. It is nose to the grindstone time. Fasting, prayer, avoiding worldly distractions-those are the general goals. I like to keep the specifics between me and God. </div><div>I hope to come out of desert on April 24th with a true feeling of hope; a value I am so quick to cast aside nowadays, fearful of being hurt again. May God carry us all through this Lenten season.</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family:Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><blockquote>How shall we have the means to help our brother who is in need? We can do without those unnecessary things which become habits, cigarettes, liquor, coffee, tea, candy, sodas, soft drinks and those foods at meals which only titillate the palate. We all have these habits, the youngest and the oldest. And we have to die to ourselves in order to live, we have<b> </b>to put off the old man and put on Christ. That it is so hard,<b> </b>that it arouses so much opposition, serves to show what an accumulation there is in all of us of unnecessary desires<b>. -DD </b></blockquote><b></b></span></div>Kelly M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11061881196571090338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33622954.post-6629773068136784892011-02-17T22:11:00.002-05:002011-02-17T22:34:37.358-05:00Why Bother?It's been awhile since I have posted anything (for all the same reasons Kelly hasn't posted much), but diving back in...<div><br /></div><div>I started reading <a href="http://www.ihspress.com/churchandland.htm">The Church and The Land</a> by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_McNabb">Fr. Vincent McNabb</a>. Almost right off the bat, I was struck by something he wrote:</div><div><br /></div><div>"seek first the Kingdom of God, and his justice. First things first, for God's sake; or you will crash at once... Leave the garden cities and the flesh pots, not in order to scorn suburbia or to lead a simple life, but to worship God."</div><div><br /></div><div>It can be easy to get caught up in homesteading and simple living for their own sake. After reading that passage above, I realized that at some point I started thinking about the homestead as an end in itself. When we first became interested in simple living, it was to reduce the clutter of modern life, so we could focus on the important things, God and family.</div><div><br /></div><div>I am trying to wrap up my homesteading plans for the coming year, so reading this could not have come at a better time. I had been thinking in terms of, "what can I do to grow the homestead." But now I will be more careful to consider what will better enable me to worship God. That is the highest goal of the back to land movement. To restore a society that is centered on God.</div>benedictushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01849318955059683538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33622954.post-73247070272315959012010-12-11T19:52:00.001-05:002010-12-11T19:52:10.544-05:00Brothers<div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/32335215@N08/5252339039/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5208/5252339039_5f464dc32c.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/32335215@N08/5252339039/">New Little Brother</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/32335215@N08/">KMantoan</a>.</span></div><p></p>Kelly M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11061881196571090338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33622954.post-39223664218759483482010-11-16T17:40:00.003-05:002010-11-16T18:18:36.145-05:00The StruggleIn case you're wondering...yes, I had a baby. Surprise. Today was my official due date but my son Theodore Anthony arrived a wee bit early. Since his arrival on Oct. 8 at 2:14am I've been off bed-rest but, obviously, a bit preoccupied. Birth at 34 weeks meant Teddy was in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">NICU</span> for two and half weeks. During that time we received the difficult news that Teddy will also have Spinal Muscular Atrophy like his older brother Fulton.<br />Since that day in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">NICU</span> when the doctor gave me the results I have been struggling to figure out what the hell is going with my life. I've been overwhelmed with sorrow, furious with God and numb to everything around me. My faith, which sustained me during the period following Fulton's diagnosis, is suffering. I've stopped reading and writing. And, most upsetting, I've given up hope.<br />You wouldn't know it to look at me. I still love to be with my children, most especially Teddy and Fulton. I love spending time with my husband. We all enjoy the company of friends. But when I am still, and think of my situation, I am as I have mentioned.<br />Time will lessen the pain and I hope it will bring understanding of WHY, God WHY?! rather than more misfortune. Fulton's diagnosis made me a different person. I'm not sure what Teddy's diagnosis means for me now.<br />I will write again. I'm sure I'll need to in order to sort out my thoughts and heal but don't look for me on here too much. Perhaps a hibernation is in order.<br />You may take away this from my experience, because God willing you will never experience anything half as horrible- Nothing in life is certain. Time is short. You are more blessed than you believe so suck it up. Sorry if those sound cliched but any deeper meanings escape me at the moment. If there is something profound to be learned, I have yet to be enlightened.<br />I know that it is only through my faith that I will come through this, even though right now it seems that it is God alone who has caused/allowed this tragedy to befall me and more horribly on my children. I am trying to <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">persevere</span> and force the prayers to come. Your prayers, as always, are welcomed.Kelly M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11061881196571090338noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33622954.post-79742858372780983372010-10-06T08:58:00.002-04:002010-10-06T09:06:37.862-04:00Kelly's KardsI've added a widget on the right to display some Christmas cards I've been designing while on bedrest. Thankfully, graphic design remains something I can do from bed. I'm still an amateur, but it's something I enjoy and involves little, if any cursing on my part, unlike most creative endeavors (including writing) that I undertake.<br />The cards have a definite style, which may or may not appeal to you. Please, spread the word to anyone you know who may appreciate my designs. If I can sell a million or so of these greeting cards, my husband can stay at home and focus on running the homestead rather than continue to frantically search for a new soulless job. (I'm only partially kidding.)<br />Thanks again everyone for your prayers and support.Kelly M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11061881196571090338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33622954.post-59235974512964304062010-10-01T13:08:00.011-04:002010-10-02T22:22:14.177-04:00The Curse of Eve From A Different Perspective<div>Thankfully, since my last post, I've returned home (much to the relief of my children) but I'm still confined to my bed. I hope I can stay here for awhile, but just going to the doctors office for a check up makes my blood pressure rise, so we'll see.<br /><br />As I lay here I've had quite a bit of time to reflect upon this whole 'mystical' journey of pregnancy and childbirth. Even though I'm a seasoned pro by modern standards I continue to be amazed at the movement I feel from the child inside of me, and apprehensive at the thought of delivering said child. Labor and delivery has always gone easy for me, so I've always managed to avoid all drugs. Many times, the attending doctors and nurses don't believe me when I tell them the baby is coming because I've barely arrived at the hospital and I'm not screaming for an epidural. I know my experience is unusual and I know many women have reasons for choosing to rely on pain medication during childbirth. However, a conversation with a close friend a few months back helped me to find new value in the suffering of pregnancy, and especially childbirth, and to see 'the pain of Eve' as an under appreciated gift of sorts. Seriously, hear me out.<br /><br />Nowadays, we as a culture avoid all pain and suffering. With the bevy of drugs available to us, why should anyone be burdened by pain? Alleviating the pain of childbirth is a natural extension of this mindset. Interestingly, there are those who feel the pain of childbirth is the result of years of women being conditioned by society or the Church to feel pain during childbirth and with proper coaching, we should be able to have pain free childbirth -like animals. (Experts words, not mine.) If we had never been told that a painful childbirth was the curse of Eve, it would never had occurred to us to experience pain during delivery. Then there is the more widely held belief that child birth is painful, just because IT IS and that masking the pain with drugs is preferable to experiencing that pain.<br /><br />Now, if you hold the belief that childbirth is painful, you have two options, ignore the pain (and in some cases, whatever else you body is trying to tell you during childbirth) through artificial means or accept that pain is a part of childbirth, and see it as a means to increase in holiness. Perhaps, God 'cursed' Eve with pain in childbirth so that she, and all her daughters, would have a a great and unique means to achieving holiness. As Catholics, we know that our suffering in this world can be lifted up for many intentions. As a woman who has experienced the pain of childbirth, I wish I would have thought about offering up those hours for departed family members, for the conversion of sinners or any number of problems facing my family or society at large. Can you imagine the power if all women embraced even a small part of the suffering of childbirth and offered it up for a good cause? So often we find ourselves in challenging situations and we forget to offer up our troubles, but with childbirth, you have months to plan and usually months of the discomforts of pregnancy in addition.<br /><br />Given my difficult pregnancy this time around, I've already been thinking what I can focus my suffering towards. Certainly, there's times I'm laying here feeling sorry for myself and NOT about how my experience can help other souls. But it's a goal and in those moments between contractions which I know are only a few weeks away I hope I can remember the specific intention I've selected on which to direct my suffering and less on the pain of the moment.<br /><br />I'm certainly not superwoman, and many women admittedly tell me they reach for the drugs ASAP because they're wimps in the delivery room. I won't argue with them but I hope that at least the idea that the pain of childbirth can be a GOOD thing, eternally speaking, will give women pause before asking for any drug.<br /><br />Maybe God didn't curse Eve with painful childbirth after all. Maybe, knowing the strength of our characters as mothers when asked to do the ultimate-carry and bring life into this world- He designed a process to extend the wonder to the spiritual world too. We have the opportunity to unite our suffering, and ultimately joyful birth, with the pain of Christ crucified and His promise of eternal life for all.<br /><br />"27. Saint Paul speaks of such joy in the Letter to the Colossians: "I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake"(88). <strong>A source of joy is found in the overcoming of the sense of the uselessness of suffering, a feeling that is sometimes very strongly rooted in human suffering</strong>. This feeling not only consumes the person interiorly, but seems to make him a burden to others. The person feels condemned to receive help and assistance from others, and at the same time seems useless to himself. The discovery of the salvific meaning of suffering in union with Christ transforms this depressing feeling. Faith in sharing in the suffering of Christ brings with it the interior certainty that the suffering person "completes what is lacking in Christ's afflictions"; the certainty that in the spiritual dimension of the work of Redemption he is serving, like Christ, the salvation of his brothers and sisters. Therefore he is carrying out an irreplaceable service. In the Body of Christ, which is ceaselessly born of the Cross of the Redeemer, it is precisely suffering permeated by the spirit of Christ's sacrifice that is the irreplaceable mediator and author of the good things which are indispensable for the world's salvation. <strong>It is suffering, more than anything else, which clears the way for the grace which transforms human souls. </strong>Suffering, more than anything else, makes present in the history of humanity the powers of the Redemption. In that "cosmic" struggle between the spiritual powers of good and evil, spoken of in the Letter to the Ephesians(89), <strong>human sufferings, united to the redemptive suffering of Christ, constitute a special support for the powers of good, and open the way to the victory of these salvific powers. "<br /></strong>-APOSTOLIC LETTER, SALVIFICI DOLORIS, POPE JOHN PAUL II (Emp. mine) </div>Kelly M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11061881196571090338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33622954.post-35923549189752656472010-09-28T08:39:00.004-04:002010-09-28T09:08:18.678-04:00Laid upWell, it looks like I've found the time I wanted for blogging. I'm currently on hospital <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">bedrest</span> due to hypertension and the fear of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">pre</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">eclampsia</span>. Even if I get to go home tomorrow, I will be spending the remainder of the pregnancy in bed. I'm currently at 33 weeks and I'd like to make it another 3-4 but my blood pressure seems to have other ideas. Thankfully the baby is growing well and is very active.<br />With this time I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">will</span> try to bring you up to speed on our homestead. My husband and I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">always</span> have the best intentions about blogging as things happen, but, well....moving on.<br />Our chicks are now about two months old. We lost another one, probably to a hawk soon after we let them start free ranging around the yard. We fenced them off again until they managed to find a way out of their yard on their own-Mom in the lead. Now they've all moved into the main coop with the other hens and spend their days grazing the yard with their aunts. And all the chickens have adjusted to our new mouser, Butters, who so far has only killed a cricket, but I'm sure will be an effective <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">deterrent</span> against mice this winter... if he ever stops napping.<br />Although our spring and summer crops were dismal, our fall crops are coming in nicely. Lots of carrots, lettuce, peas and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">broccoli</span> are peaking out. We managed one more nice pumpkin <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">before</span> the entire plant succumb to beetles and with cool weather finally approaching, hopefully, Tony will get a pie or two made. (And bring me a slice.)<br />Tony's unemployment has led to lots of improvements around the house <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">finally</span> getting done; many relaying on <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">ingenuity</span> to make up for lack of funds. And as fall birthdays and the holidays rapidly approach,we are working on creating more thoughtful gift ideas for family and friends. Thankfully, because we have <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">always</span> been <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">conscientious</span> in our spending the kids have not noticed a change in lifestyle and are a bit puzzled when Tony mentions getting <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">another</span> job.<br />We closely follow news on the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">economy</span> and have to laugh at articles that try so hard to instill buyer confidence or insist on real change after elections this year. Both <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">parties</span> are to blame for this fiasco, and families like ours are struggling as the mud is thrown.<br />My medial bills and Fulton's are the largest unknown expense that seems to keep throwing our books out of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">wack</span>. Weekly, new bills show up- a specialist co-pay we missed or a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">deductible</span> on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">labwork</span> from months ago. As the deadline for Tony's insurance coverage quickly <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">approaches</span>, we're <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">investigating</span> all our options and hoping the state programs cover us as well a they claim to. That is, if they ever return our calls.<br />So dear readers, thank you for checking back with us. Please continue to keep our family in your prayers, and know we do the same for you.Kelly M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11061881196571090338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33622954.post-42946765529304215372010-09-07T10:42:00.003-04:002010-09-07T10:51:02.866-04:00Autumn RevivalAnd just as I predicted-BOOM, it's September. We're getting back into the swing of things (aka new school year) and I've been mentally hashing out several entries. Tony and I hope to get back to posting ASAP. Check back later this week-I promise! Until then, a wonderful quote from "The Duty of Delight, The Diaries of Dorothy Day."<br /><br />"I have fallen in love many a time in the fall of the year. I mean those times when body and soul are revived, and in the keen clear air of autumn after a hot exhausting summer, I felt new strength to see, to "know" clearly, ... to look upon my neighbor and to love. "<br />-October, 1969Kelly M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11061881196571090338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33622954.post-88933282112675939602010-08-02T21:46:00.002-04:002010-08-02T22:06:53.789-04:00A Successful Hatch!It seems I was a bit pessimistic in my prediction at the end of the last post. Our broody hen hatched seven healthy chicks! And she is doing a great job as a mother hen, which is good news because occasionally a hen will brood, then ignore the chicks (or even kill them).<br /><br />Only one egg did not hatch, and that was one that got slipped in with others before I moved the broody to her own private quarters. That egg was probably a couple days behind the others. After awhile the hen had to give up on it to tend to the seven peeps running around her. I candled it and could see a live chick in there, so I tried to incubate it with a heat lamp, but it didn't work.<br /><br />The seventh egg to hatch seemed to have trouble getting out of the egg. It was a full day after the first ones hatched. I don't know if it was necessary but I finally just broke it out myself. But the hen was tending to the others and she wouldn't go back to that one to set on it and warm it up. The other chicks, who were all quite mobile, kept stepping on the poor thing, so I took isolated that one and put the heat lamp on it for a few hours. Once it dried off and got its feat under it a little, I slipped it in with the rest. Three days later and all the chicks look good.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3r-7gM8kfY5B0WK4Umei4Iw8GWuq4goYPXDqzAh2yw4250p5cDxRS1-irzqc-H3vGETumj7uOd42YAJG0EcHKk5PEGf4wDvZ4qnYJ_Z1V29kb48B-zdhXRS-PJNJZCj17l4Wk1A/s1600/IMG_0946.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 229px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3r-7gM8kfY5B0WK4Umei4Iw8GWuq4goYPXDqzAh2yw4250p5cDxRS1-irzqc-H3vGETumj7uOd42YAJG0EcHKk5PEGf4wDvZ4qnYJ_Z1V29kb48B-zdhXRS-PJNJZCj17l4Wk1A/s320/IMG_0946.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500999149684684098" border="0" /></a>benedictushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01849318955059683538noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33622954.post-48454668830833966922010-07-23T22:29:00.005-04:002010-07-24T14:29:51.314-04:00BroodingFor the first time, we have a setting hen. I had not planned to get any chicks from these hens for a couple reasons. First, I butchered all of the roosters that we got with them. Second, Rhode Island Reds are not generally broody. They have been bred to produce lots of eggs, then forget about them. We have Reds that are more of a heritage breed (as opposed to Production Reds who have even less of their maternal instincts in tact). So I wasn't too surprised when a few (out of 19) of them starting sitting in their nest boxes all day.<br /><br />The problem is that when they go broody, they don't lay eggs. One hen in particular was very persistent and since we recently got a few roosters from a friend, I decided to let her give it a try.<br />We took all the eggs that were laid that day and stuck them under her until she couldn't cover any more. I might have let some other hens try, but a couple days after starting with this hen, our last rooster got picked off by a fox. All we had left was pile of feathers. Hopefully he will leave us a legacy. The Lord killeth and the Lord giveth life (<a href="http://www.drbo.org/x/d?b=drb&bk=9&ch=2&l=6#x">1 Kings 2:6</a>).<br /><br />It has been an interesting couple of weeks. I have already learned a lot about hatching eggs. Unfortunately I tired to leave her in the coop with the other chickens. That was a big mistake. Other hens still tried to squeeze in there and lay more eggs in that nest. Finally a couple eggs got broken. One was unfertalized, so no big deal. But for the other I could see an embryo in there. Then of course the broken eggs made a mess all over the other eggs. As I was cleaning them I broke another one that had an embryo. So we are two down already.<br /><br />Last week I candled eggs for the first time. To make a long story short, I think we have four or five good eggs. There were three I wasn't sure about, so I left them under the hen. Then a couple others were unfertilized so I pulled them out. We now have about nine days to go. It will be pretty exciting to see what we get!benedictushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01849318955059683538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33622954.post-14513156902947365822010-07-22T21:10:00.002-04:002010-07-22T21:10:44.800-04:00Pickles<div style="padding: 3px; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/32335215@N08/4819904156/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4073/4819904156_2f3e00458b.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="margin-top: 0px;font-size:0;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/32335215@N08/4819904156/">Pickles</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/32335215@N08/">KMantoan</a>.</span></div><p></p>Kelly M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11061881196571090338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33622954.post-42802209187195589052010-07-22T19:29:00.004-04:002010-07-22T20:10:38.398-04:00July ReflectionSummer is always a busy time for our family. Adding a garden, homeschooling and animal care on top of family vacations, picnics, graduation parties, etc. means Labor Day is upon us before we know it. Our schedule is compounded by regular specialist visits for our youngest, plus the added doctor visits for 'new baby' and me. (We don't share baby names until the child arrives so around here, everyone addresses my growing mid section as 'new baby'.)<br />My husband's unemployment has been a mixed blessing. His free time is quickly consumed by tasks that would have otherwise dragged into the evening or stole precious weekend hours from the family. Farming, and homesteading, is a full-time job but unfortunately, doesn't provide the money for the mortgage or enough food for the refrigerator -at least not yet.<br />Reaching the point of self sufficiency is certainly a ways off for us. Plants will only grow so fast and hens will only lay so much and we understand so little of it all. Unfortunately, the learning curve is costly. We thought baby lightning bugs were living amongst our plants. Come to find out they're striped cucumber beetles carrying bacteria that are already in the process of destroying our melons, pumpkins, zucchini and cucumbers. Unlike our ancestors, we can always run to the store, so this lesson doesn't equal starvation but it means we won't enjoy more than the two jars of pickles in the fridge and probably no homegrown pumpkins.<br />But there's still hope for the soybeans, and despite a late start, the carrots, basil and pole beans too. As a consolation prize, we've been allowed by our neighbor the farmer to pick as many tomatoes as we'd like. Despite being coated with pesticides, I look forward to freezing batch upon batch of homemade sauce.<br />Life in the Garden State means the remainder of summer will be spend in the soil and playing in the sand. Being only a short trip from the coast means leaving animals and returning before they miss us, a luxury afforded few homesteaders. And once the shore is out of our system maybe we'll finally start talking seriously about getting that family cow.<br />The pleasure of the summer season and the joyful anticipation of many things (Fulton's wheelchair, a month off from school, the new baby) is a welcome change from the melancholy of the spring. Even the thought of reworking the budget and becoming more 'creative' with funds isn't enough to dampen my spirits; rather, I am excited by the challenge. There is much here that is ready to bear fruit and lay seed.Kelly M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11061881196571090338noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33622954.post-86555606068373588292010-07-11T22:02:00.000-04:002010-07-11T22:03:03.243-04:00HomesteadingHello TNW readers! As my dear wife mentioned about four weeks ago, I am joining her here on TNW to write a bit about our homestead. For a while now we have been thinking about starting a new blog about homesteading, but since she renewed TNW, we decided just to do it here. To start with, I will give an overview of why we homestead.<br /><br />Initially we wanted some measure of independence from the modern food supply system, and from the broader economy in general. We are not far along with that, but even the fairly minimal progress we have made is very satisfying. It is also about living more simply. By providing for ourselves, on our own land and by our own labor, we know there are few things that are under own power to provide, and what ever happens to the value of the Euro will have no bearing on them. To my mind, that brings a little bit of sanity to an insane world. Simple living is also antithetical to consumerism. Being committed to that life style means that we live with less stuff, we have fewer gadgets, machines, and trinkets that demand our attention. By using and having less, we reduce our bills and thus reduce the income that we need.<span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><br /></span><br />There are also spiritual advantages to working the land (to whatever extent you can). When you grow or raise your own food you are working directly with the system God made for us. You see first hand how His creation works, and you even participate in it! You have to pay attention to the rhythms He established in the seasons and in the weather. There is even a kind of liturgy to it. Indeed there are many facets of the Church's liturgy that dovetail with agricultural activity. There are <a href="http://www.fisheaters.com/customseastertide3.html">Rogation Processions</a> and <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05399b.htm">Embertides</a>, and various rites of blessing in the Roman Ritual. Soon you find yourself paying more attention to the work of God's hands, and less attention to the works of men.<br /><br />Finally, homesteading is also a great education for children. They see where food comes from, the work that goes into it, the value of good food. They learn some measure of self sufficiency. They learn how to make do with what is available. They learn a little about the animal kingdom, and learn how the natural world works. It also prepares them for modernist twaddle about human oppression of animals and that kind of nonsense. As a good example, my daughter was reading a silly book about giants the other day. In one part of the book the nice giant tells the little girl in the story that humans are the only beings that kill their own kind. Giants don't, and neither do animals, according to this large fellow. Well, tell that to the rooster we had last winter who got dethroned as king of the roost.<br /><br />In short, homesteading isn't just a hobby for us. It is part and parcel of our lives. To some extent is even part of how we live out our Catholic faith. Hopefully it will not be long until I can write more posts about the specifics of what we do here.benedictushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01849318955059683538noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33622954.post-58534156106805515452010-07-05T21:27:00.000-04:002010-07-05T22:50:48.095-04:00Government "Charity", Part I, The Problem.On June 28th my youngest son Fulton turned 2, a day we were uncertain we would see a year ago. As mentioned in an earlier post, Fulton has Spinal Muscular Atrophy. When we received this diagnosis just we were under the impression he presented as a Type 1. Most children with Type 1 SMA die before their second birthday. (Since those early days, we've come to realize Fulton does not have this most severe form of SMA and we anticipate more memorable birthdays with him and all our children.)<br />With the arrival of his toddler years, we are anxiously awaiting his power wheelchair. Our 15 passenger van is equipped with a wheelchair lift and we recently christened (at a Nativity of St. John the Baptist Party) our new deck with handicap ramp. Though somewhat bittersweet, we have rejoiced at these developments; brought about not through government programs, but through the overwhelmingly charitable acts of our friends and family.<br />Being the parent of a special needs child has opened my eyes painfully wide to the problems inherent in government run social programs. I have always argued here on TNW that charity is best carried out by Christians and neighbors not faceless agencies and government bureaucracies. It is now with personal experience behind me that I more fervently defend my earlier assessment. (The only exception I will make is for the NJ Early Intervention program. So far, it has been a lifeline for me, especially in regards to my social worker. But I will touch on them more in Part II. )<br />Our experience with other county and state agencies has been nothing but red tape, misdirected calls combined with a continuous waiting game. For example, my son will be receiving a powerwheel chair.This is standard for SMA children his age. Our cozy farmhouse needed major modifications just to get Fulton and his chair through the door. Thankfully, we already had a bedroom and full bath on the first floor. And because of his age, his chair should be small enough to fit through even our old, narrow interior doorways. But we needed at the very least a ramp and new back entrance door. The first agency I was referred to was just reorganized due to budget cuts. I was bumped from one office to another, given mis-information by the second office, re-called the first office after getting help from my social worker and told my request for ramp was submitted and someone would be contacting me. I was informed that once contacted I would get an evaluation of my house and the evaluator would then determine our families needs in regards to renovations and what their office would contribute. Then I could get three estimates and, with the departments approval, have the work done. That was four months ago and I have yet to hear back from them.<br />Our county ran a program similar to the state one, but, when employed, my husband made too much to qualify. Once he was laid off we inquired again and learned it was at least a four month wait to <span style="font-style: italic;">initiate the process</span>. And then once the ball was rolling, the county would select our builder and take a lien again our house, so while we would save money now, the total cost would be deducted from the sale of our house.<br />These are the programs that are in place to help families. Seriously.<br />I won't even launch into all the issues we're dealing with applying for medical aid. That's a whole separate post.<br />Thankfully, we had friends and family throw themselves into getting our house ready ASAP. This was crucial because Fulton's chair is arriving in just a few weeks-ahead of schedule even! If we had relied on a government program, Fulton's chair would be sitting unused, for possibility months.<br />So what about those who don't have the support of friends, family or the community? What of those who can only turn to the government for aid? They're going to have to sit and wait. Either trapped in their homes, unable to get out, or stuck in a hospital or rehab facility. I've been investigating the ramp issue since last winter because I knew Fulton's chair would be ordered this spring or summer. What about those who are effected in a sudden accident? A car accident victim no longer able to walk-his family is expected to plan for home modifications and fill out reams of paperwork while making life or death decisions in the ER? Because otherwise, how will anything be done by the time he's able to come home?<br />I understand the need for government programs to provide a safety net so no one slips through the cracks but relying on the government for immediate needs seems downright impossible and even dangerous. When first told of all the programs available to help us, I was so relieved, but as I quickly saw the restrictions, limitations, etc, honestly, I panicked. There were programs to help, but that would take to long as mentioned above. Programs that would pay, but we'd have to pay the money up front.-which we've done to modify our van with a wheelchair lift; maxing our card out in the process as we wait for the reimbursement check. And there are programs to help with medical expenses but they require a regular scouring of our financial records and if we make too much one month, sorry, no help or, better yet, whoops, we overpaid, your family owes the government some money back.<br />Families who come to rely on these programs quickly learn that getting ahead equals less assistance even if getting ahead only means a promotion to night manager at McDonalds. That promotion may bring you more income but not enough to meet the demands of raising a family member with a disability. So one is forced to stay destitute, and live off the system, or become independently wealthy in order to cover all the needs of their family member. Those of us trying to stay middle class and not fall into poverty are totally screwed, to put it mildly. Our family's financial planning in regards to saving for our children's future and our retirement is actually detrimental to obtaining certain types of aid. We will have to exhaust all these savings, ie wipe them out, to become eligible for certain coverage. Because we acted fiscally responsible, the government will not help us. We are not wealthy. Our kids do not have millions set up in a trust fund somewhere. Our 401k will not last us very long, especially given the fact that my husband was just laid off. But rather than helping us to protect those assets, which will make our family less of a burden down the road, we need to burn through them- a scenario familiar to many people before they reach the level of poverty the government deems worthy of assistance.<br />It is a difficult situation to understand unless you're in it. People do not want to rely on government aid, however the burden of raising a medically needy family member will consume, in time, all your resources. The average middle class family does not have a huge amount of savings and usually has a bit of debt. It is hard to adjust an already tight budget for the unpredictable financial demands that accompany any medical disability.<br />Once a family comes to rely on the system, it is hard to escape and when you are trapped in a hopeless situation, it is easy to see how some people come to take advantage of the system or feel entitled to its benefits. The system itself is so demeaning, it is easy to be callous and demeaning right back at it. What would be your enticement for improving your situation? It's not simply a matter of picking yourself up by your bootstraps. Medical costs are high. You might be able to save a thousand here or a hundred here but when your child requires an emergency visit that totals tens of thousands of dollars, pinching pennies will not help you. Outside assistance is necessary because, who has tens of thousands of dollars in reserve?<br />The government does of course, but to them, you are a number or case file and in order to be fair and not have their resources abused you must take a number, wait your turn and follow the government protocol. You might never meet the person who processes your request or set foot in that departments office. To my friends and family, I am Kelly M., mother of Fulton. If I am in need, they will step forward and offer prayers, meals, money or just a shoulder to cry on within hours day or night. I can visit them or they will show up at my door and they give only because they want too and not because I filled out my form properly and waited six months for them to process my request.<br />How can we as Catholics, and Christians, save people from falling into a hopeless system?Kelly M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11061881196571090338noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33622954.post-86859302567042432002010-07-01T17:30:00.002-04:002010-07-01T20:28:04.241-04:00Winnowing<div style="padding: 3px; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/32335215@N08/4753259102/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4139/4753259102_ef95f5dca9.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="margin-top: 0px;font-size:0;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/32335215@N08/4753259102/">Winnowing </a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/32335215@N08/">KMantoan</a>.</span></div><p>Tonight I plan on baking bread from our first harvest of winter wheat. Despite being trampled by children earlier this spring, our small patch managed to produce enough flour for an entire loaf of whole wheat bread. Not bad for my husband's first experiment with grain. I have a recipe for 100% whole wheat bread from King Arthur Flour that the whole family can agree on. If you visit my Flickr stream you'll see the progress from harvest to sifting. It went well enough for us to plan a larger patch for next year.</p>Kelly M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11061881196571090338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33622954.post-3352489930866593902010-06-23T21:31:00.002-04:002010-06-28T21:45:24.234-04:00Fresh Chicken<div style="padding: 3px; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/32335215@N08/4729190638/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1422/4729190638_bde9e833ae.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="margin-top: 0px;font-size:0;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/32335215@N08/4729190638/">Fresh Chicken</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/32335215@N08/">KMantoan</a>.</span></div><p>This kids watch Papa clean a rooster before breakfast.</p>Kelly M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11061881196571090338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33622954.post-84643758388013094872010-06-23T21:27:00.002-04:002010-06-28T21:45:47.486-04:00The Roost<div style="padding: 3px; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/32335215@N08/4728526685/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1193/4728526685_a546984bbd.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="margin-top: 0px;font-size:0;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/32335215@N08/4728526685/">The Roost</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/32335215@N08/">KMantoan</a>.</span></div><p>This is the door to our chicken coop. The kitschy art was a craft project my in-laws undertook sometime in the 70's. The rooster on the front is actually quite similar to one we just received, with two others, from some friends. The children have named the rooster that looks like this one Chanticleer after a children's book 'Chanticleer and the Fox' (taken from Chaucer's Caterbury Tales.) By the end of the week, all three should be either in my freezer or part of some leftovers in my fridge. I love, love, love me some fresh chicken.</p>Kelly M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11061881196571090338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33622954.post-48149717818138830252010-06-19T16:36:00.012-04:002010-06-28T21:46:16.455-04:00Recommended ReadingA friend of mine recently took an interest in urban gardening and was asking me for books, blogs, and assorted resources for learning more. I thought I would pass along my reading list. Feel free to add your own suggestions via comments. My husband and I still have much to learn ourselves so don't skimp on any good recommendations (or shameless self-promotion.)<br />The first category of books I want to mention are more interested in discussing the question of why to homestead, live simply and make do with less rather than just how-to. (Though many also contain great tips.) These books helped changed my mind and made me more open to ideas that run contrary to popular consumer culture. It's hard to see the benefits of laboring over your own garden or herd if you value convenience more than quality.<br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Tightwad-Gazette-Amy-Dacyczyn/dp/0375752250/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277172925&sr=8-1">The Complete Tightwad Gazette</a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Simple-Living-Guide-Sourcebook-Stressful/dp/0553067966/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277172970&sr=1-1">The Simple Living Guide</a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Better-Off-Flipping-Switch-Technology/dp/B000FTWAYU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277173000&sr=1-1">Better Off</a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Crunchy-Cons-Conservative-Counterculture-Return/dp/1400050650/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277173030&sr=1-2">Crunchy Con</a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ten-Acres-Enough-Edmund-Morris/dp/098029763X/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277173058&sr=1-3">Ten Acres Enough</a><br /><a href="http://www.maryjanesfarm.org/">Mary Jane's Farm Magazine</a>-try to get ahold of the early issues.<br />And, of course, my study of Dorothy Day, the Catholic Worker Movement and Distributism helped solidify my beliefs in homesteading and self sufficiency as a something that is seamlessly woven into my faith as a Catholic. Our earthy pursuits not only feed our bodies but our souls as well. There is dignity in our work on the land and joy in sacrificing the excesses of materialism. Our choices speak about us as Catholics, not just consumers.<br />I also thing there's bevy of books and websites one can read to open one's eyes to role of Big Ag and our country's food supply. When you understand where the neatly packaged, heavily processed foods you've come to rely on actually come from, it becomes easier to see the value in reading labels, shopping locally and setting up a raised bed out back.<br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Omnivores-Dilemma-Natural-History-Meals/dp/0143038583/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277173146&sr=8-1">Omnivores Dilemma</a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Botany-Desire-Plants-Eye-View-World/dp/0375760393/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277173184&sr=1-1">The Botany of Desire</a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Unhealthy-Truth-Shocking-Investigation-Americas/dp/0767930746/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277173216&sr=1-1">The Unhealthy Truth</a><br />The <a href="http://www.organicconsumers.org/">Organic Consumers Association</a>'s website is constantly updated with great articles about food, organic and otherwise.<br />I also recently discovered the<a href="http://www.lavidalocavore.org/"> La Vida Locavore</a> blog which pulls great info from across the Internet and compacts it into one concise, tasty package.<br />And once you have bushels of fresh veggies you'll need to figure out what to make with them. I like,<br /><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.allrecipes.com">allrecipes.com</a>-Makes finding <span style="font-style: italic;">another</span> recipe for zucchini <span style="font-style: italic;">so</span> much easier.<br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/More-Less-Cookbook-World-Community/dp/083619263X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277173331&sr=8-1">The More with Less Cookbook</a>- proves you don't need meat with every meal.<br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Feeding-Healthy-Vegetarian-Family-Haedrich/dp/0553379364/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277173403&sr=1-1">Feeding the Healthy Vegetarian Family</a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Laurels-Kitchen-Handbook-Vegetarian-Nutrition/dp/B000E7VN0U/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277173439&sr=1-8">Laurels Kitchen</a>-Laurel's Bread Book is equally awesome. I feel guilty for owning a bread machine every time I see this book on my shelf.<br />Once you've decided to change your lifestyle and become a creator of your food source rather than just a consumer, there are plenty of resources to help you try your hand at homesteading or urban gardening. Regardless of the size of your apartment, city lot, suburban yard or country acreage you can do it! Really. There's lots of people out there doing the same thing and learning as they go. There are so many wonderful books, blogs and magazines filled to the brim with information. You'll still make mistakes along the way but you might discover some new tricks too.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Blogs</span>-(You can visit all these from my sidebar.)<br />35x90<br />Path to Freedom<br />The Yeoman Farmer<br />Homegrown Evolution<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Magazines</span><br /><a href="http://www.motherearthnews.com/">Mother Earth News</a><br /><a href="http://www.backwoodshome.com/">Backwoods Home</a><br /><a href="http://urbangardenmagazine.com/">Urban Gardener</a>-just discovered this new magazine and it looks pretty good.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Books</span><br />Anything written by <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Joel-Salatin/e/B000APFOT2/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1277173562&sr=1-1">Joe Salatin </a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Barnyard-Your-Backyard-Beginners-Chickens/dp/1580174566/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277173603&sr=1-1">Barnyard in your Backyard</a>-good overview<br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Storeys-Guide-Raising-Chickens-Facilities/dp/158017325X/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277173632&sr=1-3">Storey's Guide to Chickens</a>-great in depth book. Storey's makes many other guide books too.<br />(Online, you can visit <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.backyardchickens.com">backyardchickens.com</a>. Be sure to check out all their sister sites.)<br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Self-Sufficient-Life-How-Live/dp/0756654505/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277173742&sr=1-1">The Self Sufficient Life and How to Live It</a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Back-Basics-Complete-Traditional-Skills/dp/1602392331/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b">Back to Basics</a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Compost-This-Book-Tom-Christopher/dp/087156596X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277174011&sr=8-1">Compost This Book</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ball-Complete-Book-Home-Preserving/dp/0778801314/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277174097&sr=1-1-spell">Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving</a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Root-Cellaring-Natural-Storage-Vegetables/dp/0882667033/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277174137&sr=1-1">Root Cellaring</a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Preserving-Food-without-Freezing-Canning/dp/1933392592/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_c">Preserving Food...</a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/All-New-Square-Foot-Gardening/dp/1591862027/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277174242&sr=1-1">The New Square Foot Gardening</a>-This is what we use for many of our veggies. Fool proof if it wasn't for our clever chickens.<br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/McGee-Stuckeys-Bountiful-Container-Vegetables/dp/0761116230/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277174272&sr=1-1">The Bountiful Container</a> - Great book or growing tons of stuff in very little space. You don't need to hang your tomatoes upside down to save room!<br />These are mostly books I own. There are plenty more I'd still love to read but so far, we can make do with these and the wealth of information on the Internet.<br />Our seed company of choice is <a href="http://rareseeds.com/">Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds</a>. And, since we only plant heirlooms, I want to get the book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Seed-Growing-Techniques-Vegetable-Gardeners/dp/1882424581/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_c">Seed to Seed </a>ASAP. It's highly praised anywhere I see it so I feel confident passing along the recommendation.<br />I've also turned to the<a href="http://www.instructables.com/"> Instructables</a> site for information on how to build greenhouses, rainwater collection systems and other farm improvements. (A quick peek around the site reveals DIY wood-stoves, solar power setups, compost bins and how to make a food dehydrator from a dorm fridge-cool beans!)<br />Lastly, be sure to check out<a href="http://www.lehmans.com/"> Lehman's</a> for some inspiration and all your non-electric needs.<br />The hardest thing for us with homesteading is finding time to do it all, especially given our family size and situation. And around the homestead, it's either feast or famine-the grain needs harvested, the roosters need killed and the seeds all need planted RIGHT NOW-and then you have a week of relative calm. We want to try as much as possible, but realistically, we can't and it can be hard to say no to that crop of garlic , herd of goats or whatever when you know the opportunity won't come around for another year.<br />So, I would say, it doesn't matter if you start small; just start something and don't be discouraged if your first attempt (or repeated attempts) fail. When you finally get around to serving your own fresh eggs for breakfast or fresh picked salad greens at dinner you'll feel great. And that feeling, plus a full stomach, will motivate you to do more, regardless of the extra work involved.<br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><blockquote><span style="font-size:100%;">"To live in Newburgh, on the farm, to be arranging retreats, to be making bread and butter, taking care of and feeding children there, washing and carding wool, gathering herbs and salads and flowers — all these things are so good and beautiful that one does not want to take time to write except that one has to share them, and not just the knowledge of them, but how to start to achieve them."</span> -DD, On Pilgrimage June 10</blockquote>Kelly M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11061881196571090338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33622954.post-4798404171359357512010-06-14T21:13:00.000-04:002010-06-14T21:40:46.901-04:00My Better Half<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKyJYWEYYz6inXH7Sex00E6YRH_h-YnGMogCUNfGBvN93FNyWcOXPCcDr1mXT4eG935fEwkqdPKuuwX9uaaBFVO8wytkwLdR5LOPmD_mdTirT2kP1iE7rnZ2PWWUHVGh5jHgy_ng/s1600/IMG_0206.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKyJYWEYYz6inXH7Sex00E6YRH_h-YnGMogCUNfGBvN93FNyWcOXPCcDr1mXT4eG935fEwkqdPKuuwX9uaaBFVO8wytkwLdR5LOPmD_mdTirT2kP1iE7rnZ2PWWUHVGh5jHgy_ng/s400/IMG_0206.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482807321693329106" border="0" /></a><br />I am happy to announce that my husband Tony M., who currently blogs as <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">benedictus</span> over on his liturgically inspired blog <a href="http://benedictus.mantoanpages.net/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Benedictus</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Deus</span></a>, will be joining me on The Next Worker. Tony does all the 'manly' work around our homestead so it only made sense for me to drag him, er, politely ask him to join me in documenting exactly <span style="font-style: italic;">what it is</span> that we do around here. Plus, given my delicate womanly condition, a.k.a pregnancy (complicated by hypertension), I've really had to focus on taking it easy for the sake of my health and that of the baby. It's absolutely <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">maddening</span> to me to have to sit still. And unfortunately, the tasks required to keep our homestead going cannot be done from the comfort of a rocking chair. <br />I'm very blessed to have a husband who gladly picks up the slack and a mother-in-law under my roof who jumps at every chance to interact with the kids, wash a load of laundry or even change a diaper. (No, I'm not <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">exaggerating</span>.) Maybe now you see how I find time to blog.<br />So I will go about my business as usual around here on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">TNW</span> and Tony will help round out the content with his always insightful observations and commentary. Hopefully our relationship, which works so well in real life, will translate equally well into the virtual <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">realm</span>.Kelly M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11061881196571090338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33622954.post-31684662819268251202010-06-14T15:16:00.002-04:002010-06-28T21:46:38.712-04:00Waiting gameHeavy rain yesterday, combined with deep furrows in the farm fields around our house equalled LOTS of water in our strawberry and melon patches. Last time rainwater from the fields next door washed into our yard, it killed the grass. The particular method of plowing directed even more water onto our property (and into our basement) than we'd ever seen. We know the neighbors crops (tomatoes) are being treated with something, but we're not sure what. Our free range chickens also gulped heavily from the puddles that formed around their coop. It seems no matter how hard one tries to keep one's own food supply clean and pure, the decisions of larger producers will inevitably interfere. (Just look in any heirloom seed catalogue to see the problem with obtaining non-GM corn.) We now must wait and see whether or not the water that washed across our lawn carried more than just H2O. Perhaps a little<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isopropyl_amine" title="Isopropyl amine" class="mw-redirect">isopropylamine</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt" title="Salt">salt</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> of </span><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glyphosate" title="Glyphosate">glyphosate</a>?Kelly M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11061881196571090338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33622954.post-85851496594973485682010-06-12T21:56:00.000-04:002010-06-12T22:00:40.717-04:00What's worth my time?And BTW-I'm TOTALLY out of the Catholic blogging loop. I see some of the same ones out there I was reading a couple years ago but some have dropped off the face of the earth. I'm looking for some recommendations for good Catholic blogs and any other good blogs related to homeschooling, homesteading, simple living, distributism and the Catholic Worker Movement. (Yes, this is an opportunity to shamelessly plug your own blog as well.) Leave a comment or drop me a line. Thanks!Kelly M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11061881196571090338noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33622954.post-47176899274802062382010-06-12T21:01:00.002-04:002010-06-28T22:03:23.225-04:00GratitudeToday my family walked together in a fundraiser for my son Fulton. Around two dozen people came out to walk and many more pledged donations. We were astounded when the total amount came in at over $6,000, with more donations on the way. After such an overwhelming show of love and generosity, I've been moved to mention briefly, gratitude.<br />Being the recipient of such charity is difficult because you know you can never repay all the people for all the kindness and generosity they've shown you. It does however motivate one to want to give even more the next time an opportunity comes around. Looking over the donations, I was reminded of the story of the women who gave her last two coins. In the midst of an economic crisis, people are turning out their pockets, for<span style="font-style: italic;"> my family</span>. How often I've said, we don't have any extra money or time to give to this or that. How foolish I feel now, and how humbled. So I have immense gratitude towards those who gave so much when they are also struggling and I owe them a debt of thanks for schooling me in charity.<br />These people are only one of many blessings the Lord has given us in the midst of our trials. It would be easy to forget or dismiss them, and perhaps without grace I would, but thankfully, despite it all, I can wake up every morning and go to bed each night and thank God for many, many things in addition to my generous friends; the best husband in the world, four wonderful children, a roof over our heads, a garden and hens to produce food, space to run and savings in the bank just to name a few. God is so good. May He give me plenty of opportunities to repay that which has been so freely given to me.<br /><blockquote>"I do know that my nature is such that <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">gratitude</span> alone, <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">gratitude</span> for the faith, that most splendid gift, a gift not earned by me, a gratuitous gift, is enough to bind me in holy obedience to Holy Mother Church and her commands." -DD 12/17/66<br /></blockquote>Kelly M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11061881196571090338noreply@blogger.com0