tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6508329740466442082024-03-14T08:19:25.345-07:00Emily Homesteader Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger96125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-650832974046644208.post-87858299286682830282022-05-15T07:19:00.031-07:002022-05-15T07:19:00.169-07:00Think You Have A "Brown Thumb"? Think Again!<p> Of all the excuses people make not to start a garden, one of the most prominent ones is, "I have a brown thumb."</p><p>(For any smart aleck that comes to this post, <b>no, I'm not talking about skin color</b>. Clear? On with it, then.)</p><p>I have a newsflash for those people. For you, if you're one of the guilty party.</p><p><b><i>Nobody has a brown thumb.</i></b></p><p>To claim the proverbial brown thumb is to claim complete ineptitude and incompetence when it comes to growing plants. You tried growing impatiens in your front yard, or bought a handful of houseplants, and they all ended up dying weeks or months later. Therefore, you don't have what it takes to grow plants.</p><p>Let's take that logic to its bitter end, shall we? A three-year-old tries to learn to read, but struggles to remember which letters make which sounds, or how to blend them together. After trying valiantly for a few months (probably at an ambitious parent's insistence), he still can't read. Therefore, he is incapable of ever learning to read.</p><p>A man who can't carry a tune in a bucket and who has no sense of rhythm takes a few dance classes, but three months later still can't find the beat of the song that he's dancing to. His partner always has to count for him. </p><p>He must be hopeless. He wasn't born to dance, and should just give up before the rest of the dance class members laugh him out the door.</p><p>Those are real examples from my life. The first is my son, who is dyslexic and did not become a fluent reader until he was twelve. He now can read almost as fast as I can (and I'm a fast reader). The second is my husband, who did finally, after a lot of paying attention and practice, learned to dance to the rhythm of whatever song we were dancing to. </p><h3 style="text-align: left;">How to turn your thumb from brown to green.</h3><p>Like reading, or dancing, or gymnastics, or playing basketball, or knitting, or any number of occupations, gardening can be learned with practice and experience. Or, if growing your own food is too overwhelming for you to think about right now, maintaining a ficus tree or peace lily so that they thrive is a mere matter of practice and experience.</p><p>"I tried to grow such-and-such a plant, but it died."</p><p>So, it died. So figure out the reason it died. Too much water? Not enough? Insufficient lighting? Millions of living things die every second on this planet. It's part of the cycle of life. Something dying at your hand doesn't mean that you're a complete, hopeless failure. It means you learned something. You gained an opportunity for wisdom and knowledge.</p><p>And next time, you'll do better. </p><p>The key to turning your brown thumb into green is, as with any endeavor, not to give up. Keep trying. Start small. </p><p>And<i>...learn</i>. </p><p>Don't assume you know what a particular plant needs. Research it. Read books written by people experienced with those particular plants, and do what they tell you.</p><p>Then, observe. Tweak and modify their advice when necessary, because not every plant is the same, not every growing environment is the same. </p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Be honest. </h3><p>You do not have a brown thumb, in the horticultural sense. No human being does. If you have tried growing things only to watch them die, likely as not it was your lack of experience and knowledge. Or, maybe it wasn't your fault at all. </p><p>But if you're convinced you're a "plant killer," at least be honest about why you've up trying to grow things. Admit that you don't want to take the time to experiment and learn to grow plants well. Admit you don't want to go through the work of practicing the skill of gardening. Stop saying, "I have a brown thumb."</p><p>On the other hand, if this post has lit a fire under you and you realize that yes, you might actually succeed at gardening, then get out there and get growing!<br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-650832974046644208.post-24354645395809632482022-05-13T08:18:00.001-07:002022-05-13T08:18:00.172-07:00What Is No-Till Gardening?<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnY3z_PHFtSIaHZi-2kNnt5kARUfXyQ0eYL3Yg6QOnXizgBbMUssIu_jm7l4yXlP-wCb5IGNxJ8zN67Hb4OYfKw-JY3hGKkUM-G0jzmUZ91RE9oOgWPlbXNtsP1pT6IZy5ldA1SIbYdgxRgo8PpNRhLGL1XaQ2pha_q7AI0W43oWdHV499ikiOG_IuaA/s1500/1-notillgardening.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnY3z_PHFtSIaHZi-2kNnt5kARUfXyQ0eYL3Yg6QOnXizgBbMUssIu_jm7l4yXlP-wCb5IGNxJ8zN67Hb4OYfKw-JY3hGKkUM-G0jzmUZ91RE9oOgWPlbXNtsP1pT6IZy5ldA1SIbYdgxRgo8PpNRhLGL1XaQ2pha_q7AI0W43oWdHV499ikiOG_IuaA/w426-h640/1-notillgardening.png" width="426" /></a></div>"No-till gardening? What is that? How can I garden without tilling the soil??!"<br /><br />I'm always a little surprised when I encounter people with that question, because in my decade of growing vegetables, I never tilled the soil but one time.<br /><br />And it really wasn't I, but my husband, and he used a hand tiller (a hand tool with three prongs on one end), not a rototiller. The only reason we did that initial tilling was that due to the thick clay soil where we lived at the time, the local organic gardening guru recommended tilling certain amendments into the soil before the first planting.<br /><br />To his credit, he stated that this was the only time you should till your garden. However, I've discovered since then that even that little bit of tilling wouldn't have been necessary. I'll get to that in a moment.<br /><br /><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">The reason people till their backyard garden<br /></h3><p>If you think you have to till your garden every spring, there is one reason for it, and one reason only: it's how farmers have loosened the soil in their fields for millennium. It's the same reason people think they have to separate the crops they want to grow, planting all of one kind of vegetable down a long row.<br /><br />People see how farmers grew their crops, and think they have to pattern their kitchen garden the same way.<br /><br />What if I told you that if they were doing it right, not even farmers would need to till their soil? I'm not going to get into no-till farming, but I want to let you know that there is a small but growing movement of farmers learning and applying the no-till method of growing to their large fields.<br /><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Why tilling is bad for your garden<br /></h3><p>Native soil teems with healthy micro-organisms that are eagerly waiting to help plants get the nutrition and moisture they need. It also teems with earthworms.<br /><br />Good stuff, right? But there's one more thing soil teems with, and it's not so good: weed seeds.<br /><br />Therefore, when you till soil...<br /><br />...you disturb the fragile ecosystem within it. And if the micro-organisms can't do their work of delivering nutrients to the plants' roots, the plants won't be as healthy as they might have been.<br />...you chop up earthworms (that kills them. All those pieces don't magically turn into new worms).<br />...you compact the soil more than you loosen it (assuming you're using a tractor, rather than a broadfork or hand tiller).<br />...you bring to the surface weed seeds that would have otherwise stayed buried deep and taken years, even decades, to find their way to the surface and germinate.<br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">The benefits of no-till gardening</h3><p>The benefits of not tilling, then, are the opposite of all those problems: the soil ecosystem remains intact, the earthworm population (which provides awesome natural fertilizer to your garden) is not depleted, the soil doesn't get compacted by heavy machinery, and you don't end up with a hundred times more weeds to pull.<br /><br />In addition, you save yourself the cost of a rototiller as well as the annual dreaded chore of tilling.<br /><br />The final benefit is that you end up with much more nutritious soil, because of what you do instead of tilling to create loose, rich, loamy soil.<br /><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">The how-to of no-till gardening<br /></h3><p>There are five steps to creating a no-till garden.<br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Step 1<br /></h4><p>Measure out thirty to forty-eight inch wide beds, up to ten feet long. Space each bed one to three feet apart.<br /><br />You can build a border for these beds with pressure-treated or cedar lumber, or with rocks. Or you can leave them without a border. It depends on your circumstances and preferences.<br /><br />When you create beds like this with space in between, you won't have to walk on the soil next to the plants in order to work with them. This means you won't be compacting the soil.<br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Step 2<br /></h4><p>Soften the soil by piling up organic matter into the beds, then letting it sit and compost for at least six months.<br /><br />I detail how to do that in <a href="https://emilyhomesteader.blogspot.com/2022/05/how-to-build-permaculture-raised-bed.html" target="_blank">this post about building a permaculture raised bed</a>.<br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Step 3<br /></h4><p>Leave no area of dirt uncovered. Fill in the spaces between your main food plants with flowers, herbs, clover, or wood chip or bark mulch.<br /><br />You do this for two reasons. First of all, if you intentionally keep the dirt covered, nature won't work as hard to cover it with weeds. Second, the soil in between plants, even if not covered in mulch, will be shaded and therefore will stay cooler and more moist longer, even during a drought.<br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Step 4<br /></h4><p>Always leave some roots in the ground. In other words, at the end of a plant's lifespan consider cutting it off at its base and leaving the root in the ground. This will keep the soil micro-organisms happy. Whether or not you leave a certain root in the ground depends on the plant. For example, tomatoes are notorious for developing fungal diseases at their roots, so it's best to always pull those out at the end of every growing season.<br /><br />On the other hand, consider leaving the roots of peas, beans, and lentils in the ground, because the nodules at the ends of the roots will continue to put nitrogen back into the soil.<br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Step 5<br /></h4><p>Continue to add organic material to the bed. If you get into the habit of using several inches of wood chips, bark mulch, leaves, and/or straw everywhere in the garden, this step will happen automatically.<br /><br />Another way to add organic matter is to bury kitchen scraps and grass clippings around your garden crops as you accumulate them. Dig a hole six inches deep and with a diameter large enough so that the material you put into the hold can be spread out to a layer no more than two inches deep. Then, cover it back up.<br /><br />Some gardeners, even those with small plots in a small backyard, will grow cover crops in bare beds, then after a couple of months dig them up and turn them over. A few months later, this material will have turned back into soil.<br /><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">No-till gardening is a no-brainer!<br /></h2><p>I hope I've convinced you that no-till gardening is the best way to grow your own food. It may seem more labor-intensive at first, and maybe it is the first year that you build the beds. But as long as you follow the steps outlined above, in the long run this method of growing vegetables will end up saving you time and energy.<br /><br />And your produce will be a lot more, um, productive. ;)<br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-650832974046644208.post-66901484401736651442022-05-11T19:01:00.001-07:002022-05-11T19:01:00.175-07:00 Castor Oil In My Eyes? No, Thank You!<p>I have dry eyes. Even had an ophthalmologist once officially diagnose me.</p><p>They're even drier now, ten or so years later, the condition made worse by exposure to intense light (sun, computer screen) for too long a time. Not caring for the sensation, and now also knowing that dry eyes can accelerate the progression of presbyopia (age-related farsightedness), I've tried several remedies to produce more moisture in my eyes. </p><p>Once, I tried smearing coconut oil on my eyelids. A while later, my eyeballs grew sore. At first I thought it must have been a coincidence. I'd been on the computer too long or something.</p><p>But after doing this for several days, then stopping, the conclusion was undeniable: coconut oil, for some weird reason, hurt my eyes. Even when just applied to my eyelids.</p><p>I cast around for other ideas. Someone suggested castor oil, not just on the eyelids, but actually in the eyes. She'd been healed from glaucoma and had her vision improved by this remedy.</p><p>A search online, and I found that, indeed, castor oil applied to the eyes can help with a variety of eye conditions - including dry eyes. </p><h3 style="text-align: left;">The experiment began.</h3><p>I started putting a drop of castor oil into each eye right before going to sleep. I did not like the stickiness of it. At. All. But, I continued for a week.</p><p>It didn't help.</p><p>Time went by. A couple of years, actually. I badly strained my eyes, which always makes my eyes drier than ever. When I still hadn't recovered several months later, I thought, well, what if I just apply castor oil to my eyelids?</p><p>I began to do so. Three times a day. My eyes stayed moist.</p><p>And the pain in my eyes continued. And continued. </p><p>Why were my eyes taking so long to heal from the strain? Yes, I'd done a number on them a few months earlier, but, this bad? Really? I began to despair of my eyes ever returning to normal.<br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">And then, I remembered the coconut oil.</h3><p>Putting coconut oil on my eyelids had made them sore. For all the purported miraculous power of castor oil, what if it was exacerbating the pain in my eyes, making them feel more strained when in actuality the inflammation was a reaction to the oil?</p><p>So, I decided to conduct another experiment. I stopped smearing castor oil on my eyelids. </p><p>And my eyes stopped feeling sore. </p><p>On the one hand, I was greatly relieved. My eye strain was much further along in its healing than the castor oil had led me to believe. </p><p>On the other hand...I wanted to kick myself six ways from Sunday. </p><p>Castor oil in and around the eyes may not bother most people. But it (and other oils), for whatever odd reason, bothers me. Not anywhere else on my body. Anywhere else, neither coconut nor castor oil causes any problem.</p><p>But, my eyes despise them.<br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">How I treat my dry eyes now.</h3><p>I haven't used either homemade or commercial eye drops in years. I no longer apply anything to my eyelids. Yet, I manage to keep my eyes moist for most of the day.</p><p>Without spending a dime.</p><p>How do I do it? Every few minutes, I squeeze my eyes shut. Hard. For several seconds. Sometimes I need to do this two or three consecutive times. But it produces tears. </p><p>And my eyes are comfortable. And that makes me happy.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-650832974046644208.post-23635299875805828192022-05-09T04:00:00.001-07:002022-05-09T04:00:00.180-07:00How To Build A Permaculture Raised Bed<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-B35a50vAd48ght9v1fTFho8vp0oDiNcA4GFbcFOnqfEwyGa2ESW-vGNSTQ6YYEQ7EEIMC5qKYRDb-ityvYBACD05DRwlhJEitr7Kr0Q4X_wsoUYBXIabX0wO6bJAc5mvgq_sQGP1q0cS6ZZ8Hdf0D2B9rwY0PotzPxb-L7n-ThNexYLMOWjWbzgg0A/s1500/1-lasagna%20garden%20bed.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-B35a50vAd48ght9v1fTFho8vp0oDiNcA4GFbcFOnqfEwyGa2ESW-vGNSTQ6YYEQ7EEIMC5qKYRDb-ityvYBACD05DRwlhJEitr7Kr0Q4X_wsoUYBXIabX0wO6bJAc5mvgq_sQGP1q0cS6ZZ8Hdf0D2B9rwY0PotzPxb-L7n-ThNexYLMOWjWbzgg0A/w426-h640/1-lasagna%20garden%20bed.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /> In order to answer the question of how to build a Permaculture raised bed, first I might need to explain the word "Permaculture." Decades ago, the word was formed from "permanent" and "agriculture." It refers to using techniques of growing food based on the behavior of, and patterns in, nature. For example, nature doesn't use pesticides or herbicides, and nature plants a diversity of crops within a small area.<br /><br />Today, the meaning of Permaculture has been broadened to mean "permanent culture." The underlying question this lifestyle seeks to answer is, "How can humans live in a way that respects the other animals, the environment, and each other?"<br /><br />So when I talk about a "Permaculture" raised bed, I'm talking about a garden bed that is built purely from what nature gives, not out of ingredients purchased in plastic bags from a garden center.<br /><br />You may have heard the term "lasagna gardening." Same thing. ;)<br /><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Preparing the garden site<br /></h3><p>The first order of business is to prepare the garden site. Measure out the length and width of the bed. Raised beds are three to four feet wide, depending on how tall you are (I'm barely five-foot-three, so I prefer three-foot wide beds).<br /><br />Keep the length of any raised bed you build to ten feet or below. It might seem more space-efficient to have one twenty-foot long bed than two ten-foot long beds, but trust this voice of experience: it's really annoying when you have to walk ALLLL the way down to the end of a twenty-foot bed in order to get to the next bed parallel to it.<br /><br />Once you've figured out the size of the area of the new raised bed, cut the grass and weeds down within the area as short as you can. If there is a particularly well-rooted grass growing there, such as Bermuda, that you don't want to eventually grow up into your bed, the best thing you can do is to find another location for your garden.<br /><br />If you have such grass everywhere, dig out as much of it as you can, three feet beyond the borders of where your raised bed is going to be. But a heads-up: you'll be fighting with the grass several times a year for as long as you continue growing food on that site.<br /><br />If the site of the future raised bed is on a slope, or on uneven terrain, you may want to level it so that the frame will fit flush against the ground.<br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">The frame<br /></h3><p>Next, you're going to build the walls for the raised bed according to the size of the area. If you don't have the tools, strength, or skills to do so, you can buy raised bed kits.<br /><br />If you're going to build the frame from scratch, your next step is to decide what kind of material you're going to use to build the raised bed frame.<br /><br />If you live in a mild-summer climate, and you have access to a bunch of rocks that are all around six inches high, you can build the bed border out of rocks. This isn't a good idea for hot-summer climates, as the rocks will heat up. That heat will transfer into the soil, causing it to dry up more quickly and perhaps making the roots of your vegetable warmer than they want to be.<br /><br />Most people are going to use wood. It's certainly easier on one's back to handle than large rocks! Use either two-by-six cedar boards or two-by-six pressure-treated lumber that the bed borders will last for many years.<br /><br />The most permaculturish thing you can do when using wood is find some scrap lumber if you can.<br /><br />Saw the boards to the correct lengths, then screw them together at the corners.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjttD2b4vERbcOiZkjA0Kt5qc-NLikBOrMfIPjSak0fyM2_fEdzNc6LiLagdr8WNb1_2eO3HKpv9NOvnQuINdsoEf2eZ8uTW7BKcPSJ6AIy9UouUW6L8p5fgJ8Fa_gr58Z1UOEMP-Dq-e4UKd_Zo5V0OK2zNa6xRqlVNY4bpjv55EJ9odo0S4ncLNItFg/s500/1_2_bedwallscrews_4lasagnabedpost.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="500" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjttD2b4vERbcOiZkjA0Kt5qc-NLikBOrMfIPjSak0fyM2_fEdzNc6LiLagdr8WNb1_2eO3HKpv9NOvnQuINdsoEf2eZ8uTW7BKcPSJ6AIy9UouUW6L8p5fgJ8Fa_gr58Z1UOEMP-Dq-e4UKd_Zo5V0OK2zNa6xRqlVNY4bpjv55EJ9odo0S4ncLNItFg/w400-h300/1_2_bedwallscrews_4lasagnabedpost.jpg" width="400" /></a><br /><br />Once this frame is complete, place it over the mowed area.<br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Sheet mulch time<br /></h3><p>Now it's time to sheet mulch the entire area inside the frame. This simply means that you're going to cover the entire bottom with either cardboard, or four to six layers of newspaper. This will prevent weeds from growing while you build up the bed, yet still allow earthworms to get through.<br /><br />There's something else you need to prevent, too: moles and voles. To that end, cut out hardware cloth (wire mesh) that will cover the entire width and entire length of the bottom of the bed. When I built our latest beds, we had chicken wire leftover that had been used to protect baby trees.<br /><br />The holes in chicken wire are big enough for either a mole or vole to crawl through, so if you use it you'll need to use two layers. Arrange the top layer so that the holes of the bottom wire and top wire will be staggered. That way, you'll create holes that are too small for the critters to get through.<br /><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiol2r3VW_rNnvs0TufkzD7tOcNLhHqCCo1y19e5OozD6BFE2yCG2A91Hlm7wZnkj10kLWlHDWeAVVnYHIxuRg2V7T4R25tDKlZsYAUhaiFdls6yDdF3zPXjvfuxLKyNNnyyzR5R2ywYFxMCfPYDWa7qxR6a9z9hr1WvE6BMZfnnp3aEavwNnPLAPRixg/s500/1_1_molebarrier4lasagnabedpost.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="500" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiol2r3VW_rNnvs0TufkzD7tOcNLhHqCCo1y19e5OozD6BFE2yCG2A91Hlm7wZnkj10kLWlHDWeAVVnYHIxuRg2V7T4R25tDKlZsYAUhaiFdls6yDdF3zPXjvfuxLKyNNnyyzR5R2ywYFxMCfPYDWa7qxR6a9z9hr1WvE6BMZfnnp3aEavwNnPLAPRixg/w400-h300/1_1_molebarrier4lasagnabedpost.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table>(Two layers of chicken wire. The corners are being held down by rocks until organic matter is added into the frame.)<h3 style="text-align: left;">The layers<br /></h3><p>Finally, we get down to business! This last step is the longest and will take the most work. However, within six months to a year you'll have a bed full of rich, loamy soil that you didn't pay a single cent for.<br /><br />I happened to have put a case of bananas into the freezer just after I got the chicken wire laid down, so I spread out the peel at the bottom.<br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6pstsd1ETKj5fWF_ob8YVeYIVy-H8bEaqrTkXmR2LH3UBLy9nztdRLK379OS8-JgWGywbrx9k2RXxFsfBojVhB-b-XkcyEIyDBDzR4UPfD6z_qhPep7NpVftpxBSOu9BWt0iS_NdA0l7X2oPaLCD0s0gVTDYzt80-dg6XXTroOt2V6AHLTT6TJkQMGA/s300/bananapeels-300x1694lasganabedpost.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="169" data-original-width="300" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6pstsd1ETKj5fWF_ob8YVeYIVy-H8bEaqrTkXmR2LH3UBLy9nztdRLK379OS8-JgWGywbrx9k2RXxFsfBojVhB-b-XkcyEIyDBDzR4UPfD6z_qhPep7NpVftpxBSOu9BWt0iS_NdA0l7X2oPaLCD0s0gVTDYzt80-dg6XXTroOt2V6AHLTT6TJkQMGA/w400-h225/bananapeels-300x1694lasganabedpost.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>(Beginning a lasagna gardening raised bed.)<br /><p>I continued with rotting leaves that had sunk onto the bottom of a small pond we use for supplemental garden and orchard watering. Some shale around the pond had also been washed into the pond and sunk to the bottom, which is what is giving the leaves that sickly gray color.<br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihVAbh6Yih-ixKT-Vrt5uftpiAXpN7zjdbP4nVt4nnwnHdTpSz_9h3OivDtUv3fm2zEGnxrcjz2PsPeY8IHqw44kOj5R5uhwVpFz94klpB8MG39KwUCrJNWGe5JYUDEmOGOC8gKoBpRLEIF4E5Zsgajil-GyyhwOXBNKHuFtWFzu82CVj5jWQt-_JFLA/s300/rottingleaves-300x1694lasagnabedpost.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="169" data-original-width="300" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihVAbh6Yih-ixKT-Vrt5uftpiAXpN7zjdbP4nVt4nnwnHdTpSz_9h3OivDtUv3fm2zEGnxrcjz2PsPeY8IHqw44kOj5R5uhwVpFz94klpB8MG39KwUCrJNWGe5JYUDEmOGOC8gKoBpRLEIF4E5Zsgajil-GyyhwOXBNKHuFtWFzu82CVj5jWQt-_JFLA/w400-h225/rottingleaves-300x1694lasagnabedpost.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>(Rotting leaves form the second layer of this permaculture raised bed.)<br /><br />It really doesn't matter whether you start with a nitrogen-rich layer or a carbon-rich layer, but I'm going to arbitrarily pick nitrogen.<br /><br />So...gather up enough nitrogen-rich organic material – grass clippings, weeds, and/or food scraps – to create a layer around three inches thick at the bottom of the bed. Next, scavenge up carbon-rich material: shredded paper, pine shavings, wood chips, or dried leaves. Pile them up evenly over the green material, six inches thick.<br /><br />Keep on layering the organic material this way, alternating nitrogen-rich and carbon-rich materials. This layering method is why it's commonly known as "lasagna gardening". As when you prepare the pasta dish called "lasagna," you alternate layers of the different ingredients.<br /><br />Do your best to layer on two parts carbon-rich materials to one part nitrogen-rich, as the materials will compost more quickly if they are used in these proportions. However, if you have mostly grass clippings or mostly dried leaves available, you can pile them up and still eventually end up with the same result. But the material will take longer to compost, and if it's nitrogen-rich material, it will stink in the process!<br /><br />We used to live in north Texas, where the native soil is thick clay. Even after tilling in the amendments recommended by the local organic gardening guru, my vegetable garden soil was still hard to work with.<br /><br />So, one fall, I collected all the dried leaves I could from neighbors, piled them a foot high in the garden bed, and covered them with cardboard and bricks so they wouldn't blow away. By the next spring, I had two to three inches of much richer, softer soil. So you don't have to mix the carbon and nitrogen materials in order to end up with beautiful compost at the end.<br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2514Bh2jSblKIPFfPKEs-6EqlYIa0GqTzf3Ktxm5raej8Cv9b7Xe1G-tFIn6VPXuP-dBLXzkn80EbwjQs2PRhMmMBDNykg6bVn_rNWlQwQjgfHa6ELTnLBEkyH-WF81YagDFl8fWdfWw7EELKdWzTCD2_5VjadDcgNQ2pTvfGUfqaEMD6QkN7nhXJWw/s500/raisedbed_green-layer_small4lasagnabedpost.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="500" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2514Bh2jSblKIPFfPKEs-6EqlYIa0GqTzf3Ktxm5raej8Cv9b7Xe1G-tFIn6VPXuP-dBLXzkn80EbwjQs2PRhMmMBDNykg6bVn_rNWlQwQjgfHa6ELTnLBEkyH-WF81YagDFl8fWdfWw7EELKdWzTCD2_5VjadDcgNQ2pTvfGUfqaEMD6QkN7nhXJWw/w400-h300/raisedbed_green-layer_small4lasagnabedpost.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>(Weeds and grass clippings top the layer of leaves.)<br /><br />Keep on layering the materials as high as you dare. Accomplish this by heaping up the materials several inches above the six-inch edge of the Permaculture raised bed frame in the center of the bed, then have the materials gradually sloping down toward the edges of the bed.<br /><br />If you have finished compost on hand, plop that on the very top. If you don't, cover the bed either with biodegradable black plastic or with cardboard. Weight your cover down with bricks or rocks so they won't blow away.<br /><br />Finally, let the earthworms and microbes do their thing. Give them at least four months to break down the organic matter. The longer you wait, the more of the matter will have broken down; however, if only a third of it has composted and the rest of the matter is in various stages of breaking down, you'll still be able to grow vegetables in it.<br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Enjoy the bounty!<br /></h3><p>That's how to build a Permaculture raised bed, or lasagna gardening bed. No shelling out big bucks for potting mix, or the ingredients for potting mix. No purchasing materials whose sustainability is debatable, such as peat moss or coconut fiber.<br /><br />And what you'll end up with is a soil much richer in both nutrients and beneficial microbes than anything you can buy from a store.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-650832974046644208.post-38912960172226683502022-05-07T07:07:00.039-07:002022-05-07T07:07:00.171-07:00Is It COVID, Or Is It FIBROMYALGIA??A little over a week ago from when I'm writing these words, I started sneezing a lot. My nose began dripping like a faucet. It's allergy season, so I blew the symptoms off as the usual spring histamine overload.<p>In the meantime, every so often I felt a kind of short-lived swelling in the right side of my chest, like my lung was temporarily inflamed. </p><p>I thought it was gas, because back when I was experiencing acid reflux on a regular basis, I would sometimes feel the stabbing pain shoot up into my right side instead of my left. Though the sensation this time was different, I continued to chalk it up to a stomach problem. I'd recently been treating a minor hiatal hernia.<br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">And then, the elephant came.</h3><p>Maybe about four days ago, in the evening, I suddenly felt this odd sensation at the top of my chest which I'd never experienced in my fifty-two years. It was similar to that swelling sensation I mentioned above, except it was on <i>both</i> sides. And only toward the top. </p><p>During the few days, I'd also been experiencing costochnodritis. That's when the cartilage in between your ribs gets inflamed for no apparent reason. It's been a change-of-life symptom for me for at least the past five years, but up until the other day, the soreness would only be in one or two spots, usually on the same side of my chest.</p><p>This time, it felt like my entire rib cage, even in the back - which was new for me - was sore. I'd also begun to cough once in a while, and one day, my throat felt like it was full of glue.</p><p>When I went to bed that night and lay on my back, it felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest. And no matter which way I turned, my lungs hurt. </p><p>At least, that's what it felt like. And that was on top of the familiar pain from the costochondritis. </p><h3 style="text-align: left;">I got scared.</h3><p>I had trouble sleeping that night, and the next. What the heck was <i>wrong </i>with me? I feared the worst. </p><p>And then, I began cataloging my symptoms. Sneezing. Dry cough. A bit of a sore throat.</p><p>I got online. Searched, "omicron and chest pain." Sure enough, one of the symptoms of omicron (and all COVID mutations, I think) is chest pain. </p><h3 style="text-align: left;">It could have been worse.</h3><p>While most of the rest of the world has been fearing COVID for the past two years, I hoped as hard as anyone could ever hope that I'd finally got the nasty bug. The other horrible alternative that might have been happening in my lungs was unthinkable. </p><p>But, I had to be sure. And so, I did something I've never done as an adult. </p><p>I sought medical attention because I felt sick. </p><p>Even when I was in my late twenties and had what I now believe was whooping cough, even another time back then when my sinuses were so clogged that I was literally half deaf for a month, I never went to a doctor. </p><p>But I'd never had this weird heaviness and tightness in my upper chest, and I knew it was going to worry me until a medical professional told me what it was.</p><p>If the essential oils I'd been inhaling deeply every fifteen to thirty minutes for two and a half days had helped, had diminished the symptoms, I wouldn't have bothered calling the local clinic. But thought I would seem to get better at times, I would get worse again. Was COVID too strong for even God's most powerful weapon against illness?</p><p>So I made an appointment, adamant with the staff there that I must have COVID, and insisting on the nasty nose swab. The LPN who initially talked to me was skeptical. COVID cases had become few and far between in our area by that time. She also pointed out that a lot of people had come in recently with similar complaints about chest pain (not the heart attack kind, the achy-scratchy-heavy kind).</p><p>But, at my insistence, she dutifully did the swab. </p><h3 style="text-align: left;">I was wrong. And that was good.</h3><p>About a half hour later, the A.N.P. (Advanced Nurse Practitioner) with whom I'd officially made the appointment came into the exam room and promptly announced...</p><p><i><b>Wait for it...wait for it...</b></i></p><p>...that I tested negative for COVID.</p><p>I was almost disappointed. </p><p>Almost.</p><p>Because, really? Does anyone want to have a virus of any kind in their body?</p><p>And by that time, the LPN's words had given me pause, made me think that I'd just caught something that was going around. </p><p>Chris, the APN, believed my problem to be either some kind of bacterial infection or allergy symptoms. </p><p>He wanted to prescribe antibiotics, to be on the safe side. </p><p>I told him thanks, but no thanks. If it was either bacterial or viral, I knew how to take care of it myself. I was just there to find out if it was COVID.<br /></p><p>And, yes, I <i>did </i>ask him, sheepishly and with self-deprecating chuckling, to tell me that it couldn't be the Big C. Of course he couldn't responsibly say that, but he <i>did</i> tell me what the symptoms are that indicate that particular disease.</p><p>Which I knew. But I needed to hear it from a medical professional in order for my brain/the devil to stop being able to torment me with the possibility. </p><p>Chris went on to say that if the symptoms hadn't subsided in a week, to consider calling in and asking for a prescription. Desperate for the feeling in my chest to be gone, I actually agreed. </p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Everything's connected.</h3><p>A couple of hours later, however, I began to wonder: since the chest pain came right on the heels of the costochondritis, could they be related? For at least the past five years, I've been experiencing mild symptoms of fibromyalgia, presumably as part of the peri- and post-menopause package. So I got online and searched, "fibromyalgia and chest pain."</p><p>Sure enough, chest pain of all kinds is a common symptom for sufferers of fibromyalgia. </p><p>Now, it <i>is</i> possible that I'm dealing with a new allergy symptom. Or a bacterial infection in my lungs. But antibiotics won't help the former, and the latter I should be able to knock out with intense essential oil therapy.</p><p>However, I keep wondering: if it is a bacterial infection, shouldn't the discomfort in my chest be more or less constant, rather than coming and going as it has been?</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">My conclusion and decision.</h3><p>Thanks in large part to my low estrogen levels, my immune system isn't working up to par. I'm working on raising my estrogen levels, but my intuition is telling me that whatever is wrong with me, I need to also do some serious internal cleanses to reset my systems while taking something that will improve my immune function.</p><p>I'll let you know later how that goes. </p><p>In the meantime, knowing I don't have either of the Big C's has reduced my anxiety considerably. Which in and of itself will be a big boost to my immune system.</p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-650832974046644208.post-50054049096285195042022-05-05T03:00:00.001-07:002022-05-05T03:00:00.174-07:00 Time For A Front Yard FaceliftI know it's cliche, but spring is a time of rebirth. Every single spring, I look out the window, walk around our property and visualize ways we might improve it. Or, come up with new ideas around the garden - new crops to try, new places to plant, and so on. <p>This spring, I've been looking out the bank of windows on the south side of our earth-sheltered house and thinking, not for the first time, that it's too green. Walking around the area in front of our house, I've been appreciating the native flowers that come up every spring, but also wondering if we couldn't add more color to them. Especially given that, in our front yard, the native summer-growing flowers are sparse. </p><p>I'll talk more about my grand plan for the entire front yard in a future post. Right now, I want to focus on the area right outside the two windows by our kitchen. </p><p>Here's what it looks like from one of the windows (which has a screen on it):</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTqxbB6kKSEQ861JxQ9HpeYC0cR8SXp73grjGCh6UQMi_ywAcTRFN4qb2tGbTs0_v8dRpyltzvRj0uEAxaNNEDobghkEBPFh6JWoaSSx4YWhj8e_TaVfZso_W6mT31IG1LC2I7H_r3S3T52_UdkEqwcXz9vVq3eTQ3i3o5yGETOcDpmlugfTzGi6rVGg/s1152/infrontofhousethruwindow_5-22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="1152" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTqxbB6kKSEQ861JxQ9HpeYC0cR8SXp73grjGCh6UQMi_ywAcTRFN4qb2tGbTs0_v8dRpyltzvRj0uEAxaNNEDobghkEBPFh6JWoaSSx4YWhj8e_TaVfZso_W6mT31IG1LC2I7H_r3S3T52_UdkEqwcXz9vVq3eTQ3i3o5yGETOcDpmlugfTzGi6rVGg/w640-h480/infrontofhousethruwindow_5-22.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Here's what it looks like when I step outside and photograph the same area:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaOeDSItI2TAobGkO7OIhMqlsWhPQoah8pM3u4g4NgZ31Ba6Glr993JtLZ2E39MFo9Rp5rSt-ezrPetA1nYqu2VlAbQDkYDxjpOrU01gTxMy1WhtL4aCKZXDtqfLMfPCvE9b146HcWQhlz9KWmrx8hIydqog2dEieVKLTm4xRMneaurhKYs2Vn8WGN0g/s1152/infrontofhousefromsmartpots.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="1152" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaOeDSItI2TAobGkO7OIhMqlsWhPQoah8pM3u4g4NgZ31Ba6Glr993JtLZ2E39MFo9Rp5rSt-ezrPetA1nYqu2VlAbQDkYDxjpOrU01gTxMy1WhtL4aCKZXDtqfLMfPCvE9b146HcWQhlz9KWmrx8hIydqog2dEieVKLTm4xRMneaurhKYs2Vn8WGN0g/w640-h480/infrontofhousefromsmartpots.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>J had already pulled up a bunch of about-to-flower prickly lettuce plants before I took this pictures. Otherwise, note how high and lush the area is. That's because there used to be a pomegranate tree there, which was heavily mulched in wood chips. They've composted quite a bit, providing a lot of nutrition to this particular patch of soil.</p><p>Nutrition for green, not particularly attractive foliage. Might I add. <br /></p><p>When I look out those windows, I want to see color. All. Summer. Long.</p><p>Here's a similar photo, showing what our yard currently looks like on the other side of the path from the area in question. That part of the yard will also be going through a transformation next year.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmP86GEZD7Lux0y-W_19JeRbsHhjyKyXEbAFdpFlh_3tLZCO5NJ5BjDujUygQADkCsBcJzPeHSn9b82BP0O2lA2UzStEL1t9OHh-AtkpTX1BbbjbSUfwVrxuwzGcBUI8FJ9zTRrpJ4syI5DG6obHd6m8IyHwjwvzLCgX9amW4A5oQtZpDNLMFH-FZP9Q/s1152/infrontofhouseshowingbothsidesofyard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="1152" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmP86GEZD7Lux0y-W_19JeRbsHhjyKyXEbAFdpFlh_3tLZCO5NJ5BjDujUygQADkCsBcJzPeHSn9b82BP0O2lA2UzStEL1t9OHh-AtkpTX1BbbjbSUfwVrxuwzGcBUI8FJ9zTRrpJ4syI5DG6obHd6m8IyHwjwvzLCgX9amW4A5oQtZpDNLMFH-FZP9Q/w640-h480/infrontofhouseshowingbothsidesofyard.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /> Here's the same area, as viewed toward the house:<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAKzS9QP2aRAjQfSGTiFXnG8FQ87RdGfIY4zbHhhhGTGNEOsuZuN9aaEBrtxFVkXaznYnzYUIyGMlEE_lpW_yJFDtDGZC9b_Oi4e-89XgwK8Tm9IT2ulMjE7P1sPkwd9_xG-ZYQ0QbgdBDxw6SnDkwf7sDcjr6upj80CqtoFg5qbhcFLo1x0GUSdfC4g/s1152/infrontofhousefromendofpath1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="1152" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAKzS9QP2aRAjQfSGTiFXnG8FQ87RdGfIY4zbHhhhGTGNEOsuZuN9aaEBrtxFVkXaznYnzYUIyGMlEE_lpW_yJFDtDGZC9b_Oi4e-89XgwK8Tm9IT2ulMjE7P1sPkwd9_xG-ZYQ0QbgdBDxw6SnDkwf7sDcjr6upj80CqtoFg5qbhcFLo1x0GUSdfC4g/w640-h480/infrontofhousefromendofpath1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>This area needs a serious facelift, in my opinion. I spent a few days bouncing some ideas around in my head.</p><p>And then, I got out my bag of seeds to find the packets of wildflower seeds I'd acquired for free several years ago with the purchase of some vegetable seeds. In the process, I discovered I still have a few zinnia and alyssum seeds. On the back of each packet is a sample garden design which includes alyssum, nasturtium, marigolds, and zinnias.</p><p>I just happened to have been researching flowers that rabbits and deer won't eat. And, guess what? </p><p><i>Rabbits and deer won't eat any of those four types of flowers</i>. </p><p>I know from past experience that they won't touch kale with a ten-foot pole, either. In addition, nasturtium and marigolds repel pests. This may include aphids, which are notorious for attacking my kale as soon as the weather gets consistently above eighty-five degrees (F).</p><p>Three guesses as to what I plan to do with this little nook right outside the kitchen windows. </p><p>You're so smart! You guessed it on the first try. 😉 I'm going to turn it into a rabbit- and deer-resistant flower garden, leaving space in between the flower plants for kale. </p><p>Alas, not this year. It's already May, and I know from experience that no one sells nasturtiums around here. It's also too late to start kale. Besides, I want to dig up all the existing weeds in that little patch, leave them on the ground, and cover them with a tarp or black plastic to improve the soil even more. That will take a few months. </p><p>Next winter, I'll start the four flowers and some kale from seed, and turn the spot into a flower-kale garden in about a year. </p><p>Follow this blog to see the final results.😊</p><p>Might a wayward deer eventually trample the garden? Perhaps. But I'm willing to take the risk to have a prettier view outside my window.<br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-650832974046644208.post-44962661849037890782022-05-03T09:52:00.002-07:002022-05-03T09:52:00.180-07:00Happy Medium Homeschool: The Ultimate Guide To Low-Stress, Joyful Homeschooling<p> What's the best homeschooling method? The following is an e-book on homeschooling that I once had available - and perhaps one day will have available again - in the online book stores (Amazon, Nook, etc.). For the moment, it's here only. Feel free to copy the text as a text file, save that file, and upload it onto your reading device of choice (I THINK all reading devices can read text files. If not, look online for a free file converter that will convert into epub or whatever you need. Kindles definitely read text files).</p><p>**********</p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi--BdDS4ZOwDxqRCdptdMjcoKjdybhgMJmwtHZzuHw37kxM8qRlU_AO1X3qzTwPVKzJhPkIjjrAI4Qw5yDrndCHrGOe-etblGBMGXELD2FMcgKCeUf5XgAtiX83jhk-PVJwFZhhLAYOUh8kP9Mw3kE5RLJvuWjpzwgc7222HpR5wVkVYZDiXV95rhEzA/s600/HMHbk_cover_josephine.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi--BdDS4ZOwDxqRCdptdMjcoKjdybhgMJmwtHZzuHw37kxM8qRlU_AO1X3qzTwPVKzJhPkIjjrAI4Qw5yDrndCHrGOe-etblGBMGXELD2FMcgKCeUf5XgAtiX83jhk-PVJwFZhhLAYOUh8kP9Mw3kE5RLJvuWjpzwgc7222HpR5wVkVYZDiXV95rhEzA/s320/HMHbk_cover_josephine.png" width="213" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>
</p><h1 class="myhead1" style="text-align: center;">Happy Medium Homeschooling<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;"></span></h1>
<p class="centered" style="text-align: center;"><b>by Emily Josephine</b></p>
<p class="centered"> <span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">©Copyright 2017-2020.
All rights reserved. You have permission to quote small portions of this book
in other publications, digital or print, as long as you give credit to the
author.</span>
</p>
<p class="centered"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Disclaimer: The URLs
to the websites listed in this book are live at the time of publication. The
author accepts no liability for dud URLs. In addition, the style of
homeschooling presented in this book is based on the author’s opinions and
experience. The content herein is for educational purposes only. The author
accepts no liability if you try it and it doesn’t work for your family.</span></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><a name="intro">Introduction: A New World, A Paradigm Shift</a><span style="mso-bookmark: intro;"></span></h3>
<p class="mynormal">If you are reading this book, you are likely in one of two places.
Place one: you have already begun homeschooling your children…but it’s turned
out to be more work than you originally bargained for. You may be spending
hours planning lessons and correcting papers, or you may be encountering
constant resistance from your children when you are trying to get them to do
their work.</p>
<p class="mynormal">Place two: you are considering homeschooling. If that’s you,
you are in good – and numerous – company. Perhaps as many people are
considering it, as are actually doing it. </p>
<p class="mynormal">And if you’re like most people considering taking the leap,
you want to do your due diligence and check out all your options. Chances are
good you read the title of this book and thought, “Oh, great! An easy way to
homeschool? That’s what I want!”</p>
<p class="mynormal">Before we go on...I am not promising to present an <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">easy</i> way to educate your children. If it
were easy, everyone would already be doing it! (Maybe.) Rather, my objective is
to show you that this journey does not have to consist of daily power
struggles, expensive (and boring) curricula, tedious paperwork, or unhappy
children.</p>
<h4 class="myhead2" style="text-align: left;">A little about me</h4>
<p class="mynormal">I homeschool my son. I don’t do it because I used to be an
elementary school teacher and therefore think I have some special talent to
teach. I do it because schools are unhealthy places in which to raise children.
I do it because I believe children deserve freedom. I do it because…well, I’m
getting ahead of myself. I explain some of the benefits of homeschooling in the
next chapter.</p>
<p class="mynormal">Like every other homeschooling parent, I’ve spent a good deal
of time reading up on and experimenting with various homeschooling methods.
I’ve spent a good bit of time unlearning the beliefs about education, teaching,
and children that were drilled into me during my years in college, and
subsequently as a school teacher. </p>
<p class="mynormal">And I’ve come upon a way of home education that is low-stress
and joyful. It not only makes sense to my husband and me, but also fits well
with our son, who is independent-minded and can smell manipulation a mile away.
I want to share that way with you. </p>
<p class="mynormal">You are, of course, free to modify what I present in any way
you like, or just toss my ideas altogether. No offense taken. But if I help
just one person begin to homeschool their children, or to transition their
family into a more relaxed homeschooling environment, writing this book will
have been worth the effort.</p>
<h4 class="myhead2" style="text-align: left;">What you will find in this book</h4>
<p class="mynormal">As I mentioned, the first chapter is all about the benefits
of homeschooling. The next explains some of the most popular homeschooling
methods, giving the pros and cons of each. After that, I explain the education
lifestyle that my family has fallen into.</p>
<p class="mynormal">In the later chapters, I go through the different academic
subject areas and give you some ideas on how to approach them. Finally, I give
you a sample homeschooling week in the life of a family with three children. </p>
<p class="mynormal">Sound good? Then, let’s move on and see if I can help you
make your home education environment a lot nicer.</p>
<p class="mynormal"> </p>
<p class="mynormal">P.S. – One quick thing before we go on our merry way: In the
spirit of keeping pronouns gender-neutral, I purposely use the plural pronoun
“they” for “your child” because it is awkward to switch back and forth between
“he” and “she.” And I don’t want to be sexist and just use one or the other.
Besides, chances are good you will be homeschooling more than one child, so
there you go!</p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><a name="chap1">Chapter One: Why Homeschooling?</a></h3>
<p class="mynormal">I know that in certain situations, traditional schools can be
an absolute blessing. I once heard a podcast episode about a family that had
five or six children. All were homeschooled, except one. He was autistic with
Down’s Syndrome. To paraphrase the father, they sent him to special education
classes at the local public school because they wanted the mother to keep her
sanity. </p>
<p class="mynormal">I also understand that a few couples are genuinely living as
frugally as they can, yet with both of them working still struggle to make ends
meet. I am not here to criticize them. I understand that life sometimes dishes
out stuff we don’t see coming. And they are blessed that government schools
exist to help them along. </p>
<p class="mynormal">However, most people who are either leery of homeschooling,
or don’t want to homeschool, are not facing situations anything close to the
magnitude of the two I just mentioned. Most people have the wrong idea, either
about what a homeschool looks like, about their ability to be a homeschooling
parent, or about the dynamics of a homeschooling family.</p>
<p class="mynormal">So if you are reading this because you are contemplating
homeschooling your child/ren, pay close attention to the benefits of
homeschooling I am about to list. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>PLEASE
NOTE</u></b>: The benefits are generic, assuming a person is using a typical
homeschooling method whose formal academic time is three hours per day or less.
They are not specific to the homeschooling method I will describe two chapters
from now.</p>
<h4 class="myhead2" style="text-align: left;">Advantages of homeschooling</h4>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">#1. You can center the education around your children’s abilities and
needs. </i></b></p>
<p class="mynormal">If your child isn’t understanding a certain concept, you can
either go back over it several times until they do, or revisit it occasionally
over the next few weeks, or completely drop it and wait a few months for their
brain to mature into the particular concept. </p>
<p class="mynormal">On the other hand, if the child understands something right
away, you can move on to the next thing. </p>
<p class="mynormal">If your child is a mover and a shaker, like mine, you can
schedule several short lessons over the day instead of having him sit down for
three hours straight. If your child is a late-bloomer, you can wait until they
are eight or nine to start on the formal academics. </p>
<p class="mynormal">And so on.</p>
<p class="mynormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">#2. Homeschools are safe. </i></b></p>
<p class="mynormal">Safe from bullies, safe from drug pushers, safe from mentally
ill teenagers with guns.</p>
<p class="mynormal">I need to put this out there: many children do not tell their
parents that they are being bullied. Or sexually harassed. Do not assume that
because they are doing well in school and seem generally happy that nothing is
going amiss while they are at school. School teachers cannot keep an eye on
twenty-five plus children all day long. And many kids have sneaky down to a
science.</p>
<p class="mynormal">I know. Remember, I used to be a school teacher. </p>
<p class="mynormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">#3: Homeschooling allows for flexibility in everyone’s schedule. </i></b></p>
<p class="mynormal">You can go on vacation whenever it is most convenient for
your family, not just during the summer and holidays. If your children are
early risers, they can get all their formal academics done in the morning and
spend the afternoons, when they are more tired, engaged in less intense
activities. And vice-versa for Night Owls. </p>
<p class="mynormal">You can schedule appointments whenever, without having to
worry about who is going to be home for the children after school, without
having to try to fit in visits to the pediatrician after three in the afternoon.</p>
<p class="mynormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">#4: Homeschooling parents develop deeper bonds with their children than
non-homeschooling parents.</i></b></p>
<p class="mynormal">A few years ago, I had a friend – whose daughter was about a
year and a half younger than our son – tell me that she was not going to
homeschool because she thought her daughter would drive her crazy.</p>
<p class="mynormal">I understood. Our son would be diagnosed with ADHD if he saw
the right specialists. And until he turned nine or so, I kept being tempted to
send him off to school. But then a wonderful thing happened: he started to want
to be with me. And I started to want to be with him. We got to know each other
on a level that would not have been possible had I given in to that temptation.
If I had decided to send him to school, all I would know about him is how crazy
and obnoxious he would act at the end of the school day. I have no doubt our
relationship would be strained, and one of us would end up eventually needing
therapy.</p>
<p class="mynormal">I know a woman who is close to twenty years older than I who homeschooled
her children for most of their elementary and middle school years, and testifies
that she developed deep bonds with her children during that period. I and that
mother are only two of many homeschoolers who can attest to the great
relationships that homeschooling parents grow with their children.</p>
<p class="mynormal">I believe that my friend missed out on a great opportunity to
really get to know her child.</p>
<p class="mynormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">#5: Your child is not forced to become a robot.</i></b></p>
<p class="mynormal">A homeschooled student gets to eat, drink, and use the
bathroom whenever they want. If they’re not feeling well, they can take a
couple of hours – even the rest of the day – off. </p>
<p class="mynormal">(Gee, sound like homeschoolers might actually be healthier
than schoolers, eh?)</p>
<p class="mynormal">During their free time, they can engage in whatever
activities interest them, read whatever books they want. They will also feel
much more free to share their opinions and ideas and thinking processes than they
would in a school situation.</p>
<p class="mynormal">Speaking of thinking… </p>
<p class="mynormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">#6: Homeschooled children usually are better thinkers than schooled
children.</i></b></p>
<p class="mynormal">I don’t care how many Ivory Tower head-nods are given toward
Bloom’s Taxonomy of Knowledge, nor how many principals demand that this
Taxonomy show up in lesson plans. I don’t care how many cute logic puzzles a
teacher does with her class. Traditional schools do a lousy job of teaching
critical thinking.</p>
<p class="mynormal">Traditional schools exist to turn children into obedient
young people who will become obedient employees. </p>
<p class="mynormal">Employees who think are dangerous. They upset the status quo.
Worse, they might leave one day and start their own business and become
competition. (Or, they might leave and write a book about the dark side of traditional
schools.) Ooooo! We can’t let that happen now, can we?</p>
<p class="mynormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">#7: Homeschooled children have the opportunity to dig deeply. </i></b></p>
<p class="mynormal">No, I don’t mean bury themselves in a hole in the ground. What
I mean is that when a homeschool is run correctly, at least half the day is
wide open. That leaves a lot of time for a student to delve deep into a topic
that interests them. Take our son, for example. He has been into animals since
he was about two years old. By the age of eight or nine, he could tell you more
about life science than your average schooled twelve-year-old because we had
read him so many books on the subject! </p>
<p class="mynormal">There you go. Seven benefits of homeschooling. But I’ve
probably missed a homeschooling advantage or two, so use your noggin and come
up with some yourself. <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><h3 class="myhead1" style="text-align: left;"><a name="chap2">Chapter Two: The Madness Is In The Method</a></h3>
<p class="mynormal">If you dug deep enough, you could probably find at least a
couple dozen methods of homeschooling online. In this chapter, I’m going to
familiarize you with the most popular methods and give you some of the pros and
cons of each. And then, in the next chapter I’m going to recommend a kind of
homeschooling that is very different from most of these methods!</p>
<p class="mynormal">So, why bother going through them? Two reasons. First, I want
you to be well-informed. You may finish my book and decide I’m nuts and that
you need to do something more structured with your children than what I’m going
to recommend. </p>
<p class="mynormal">Second, I’m hoping that, when you get to the next chapter,
you will see how the “cons” of the different popular homeschooling methods
really smack against what’s best for children. </p>
<p class="mynormal">All that said, let’s get on to these methods of home
education…</p>
<h4 class="myhead2" style="text-align: left;">The Classical method</h4>
<p class="mynormal">Classical education is so called because it embraces what is
considered classical subjects that were taught to wealthy children way back
when, such as history, foreign languages (with an emphasis on the classical
language, Latin), classical music, and world literature. The curriculum is more
rigorous than that of even some private schools. </p>
<p class="mynormal">With this method, the student begins his education at age
five or six – no exceptions – and starts off spending three hours a day with
his studies, ending up at about six hours per day by the fifth or sixth grade.</p>
<p class="mynormal">The advantages of classical homeschooling: your child will be
taught everything that a traditional school teaches, and more. It is the most
rigidly structured method, so neither you nor your child will ever be at a loss
of what to do next.</p>
<p class="mynormal">The disadvantages: first, it takes a lot of research on the
part of the parents to put together curricula, especially if they want to do it
as low-cost as possible. Second, there is little leeway for the child to take
up subjects of her own interest if they are not a specific part of the
curriculum. Third, a child is forced to begin formal academics at a young age,
which is not good for most children. Fourth, your child will be forced to
“learn” a lot of information that they will either forget by the time they are
thirty, or never use in their life. Finally, this kind of curriculum puts a lot
of strain on the homeschooling parent’s time, not just to prepare, but to
correct assignments and do assessments as well.</p>
<h4 class="myhead2" style="text-align: left;">The Moore Formula</h4>
<p class="mynormal">The late Raymond Moore, Ph.D., and his late wife, Dorothy,
homeschooled their children (more than five!) back in the 1950’s. Both former
educators (Dr. Moore had actually been a superintendent of a small school
district), the couple discovered how to make homeschooling effective yet
low-stress. The method is elaborated in Moore’s book, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Successful Homeschool Family Handbook</i>, but here it is in a
nutshell: do not start formal academics until the child is between the ages of
eight and twelve (this is based on Ivy League university studies that Moore
cites in another of his books, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Better
Late Than Early</i>). Up to that point, do a lot of reading aloud, singing, and
game-playing with your children. </p>
<p class="mynormal">Once they begin their formal academic learning, they spend as
much time on real-life work as they do on their studies, and spend time in the
afternoon on a cottage industry (that’s a small family business), either their
own or the family’s. </p>
<p class="mynormal">Children just beginning their formal studies start out at
thirty minutes total every morning, working their way up to three hours every
morning by the time they are high school age. This way, a lot of time can be
devoted to the child’s talents and/or special interests, another important
element for the Moores. </p>
<p class="mynormal">The advantages of the Moore Formula: it is, indeed, a
low-stress way to homeschool. It also focuses on teaching the skills every
adult needs: the three R’s, plus the ability to teach themselves topics of
interest. Because of that, parents don’t have to do a lot of legwork to obtain
the resources they need for teaching their children. The children also have a
lot more free time.</p>
<p class="mynormal">Also, the children are taught the importance of helping the
family, which lays the general foundation of learning to be a hard-working and
considerate adult.</p>
<p class="mynormal">The disadvantages: pushing children to work on a cottage
industry that they may have no interest in – or before they are really ready to
dive into it – is as psychologically unhealthy as forcing a child to read
before they are ready. In my opinion, this kind of work should happen
organically, as part of a child’s growth and maturity and in concert with their
interests and skills. It’s the only thing about The Moore Formula that I
disagree with.</p>
<h4 class="myhead2" style="text-align: left;">Charlotte Mason</h4>
<p class="mynormal">The Charlotte Mason method, named after the woman who
developed this particular method of education, is similar to the Moore Formula
but with more guiding principles behind it as to the what and how of curricula.</p>
<p class="mynormal">Children whose parents use this method generally begin their
formal instruction at age seven. Math instruction is to be
manipulative-centered, foreign language instruction is encouraged – starting at
a young age – and all other subjects are to be taught based on what Charlotte
called “living books.” These are books written by one author with a passion for
the subject – whether a novel, a book about frogs, or a book about American
history – as opposed to textbooks. The formal instruction period lasts between
two-and-a-half to three-and-a-half hours per day. </p>
<p class="mynormal">But like Moore, Charlotte Mason was about more than
academics. She emphasized the importance of establishing the right home
environment so that children would “catch” their parents’ values, as well as
the importance of training children into good habits. She also believed strongly
in getting children outside as much as possible to enjoy God’s creation – and,
yes, to teach them to connect with their Creator.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="mynormal">The main advantages: It is generally very open and flexible,
with general guidelines as to when children should learn what while being much
less rigorous than the Classical method.</p>
<p class="mynormal">The main disadvantage: Like the Classical method and boxed
curriculums, it wrongly assumes that there is some magic in beginning formal
academics with children under the age of ten, and following the scope and
sequence of the traditional school system. Children do not have as much freedom
to explore their world as they might otherwise have, and are not any more
likely to enjoy this method of home education than they would spending seven
hours in a classroom each day.</p>
<h4 class="myhead2" style="text-align: left;">The Montessori method</h4>
<p class="mynormal">While entire schools – especially preschools – are devoted to
the way Maria Montessori believed children should be taught, many homeschoolers
have adopted her methods, as well, especially for young children.</p>
<p class="mynormal">Montessori’s philosophy of education revolved around three
core beliefs. The first was that children between the ages of three and five
pick up language and reading much more easily than older children, and so that
is the age that they should be taught to read and begin to learn advanced
vocabulary (not to mention learn a foreign language). </p>
<p class="mynormal">The second belief she held was that all educational materials
should be hands-on. For example, to teach letter sounds as well as handwriting
you hand the child a block with a letter that has been cut out of sandpaper
glued onto it. The child repeats the letter sound while tracing the letter
several times. The third belief is that children should have the freedom to
choose what they are going to work on at any given moment of any given day. </p>
<p class="mynormal">The major advantage of using the Montessori method is the focus
on hands-on activities. They can help some children understand relatively
advanced concept at younger ages than children in regular schools do. I
observed in a private Montessori school once, and saw a five-year-old working
on multiplication and a three-year-old spelling three- and four-letter words
with the sandpaper letters.</p>
<p class="mynormal">The different hands-on activities Montessori and her
subsequent followers developed are effective at helping a lot of young children
begin what we would consider formal academics. </p>
<p class="mynormal">There is one big disadvantage. Despite what Montessori
believed, not every child is ready to learn to read and do math at an early
age. I tried the sandpaper letters with my son when he was three, as is done in
Montessori schools. No go. I tried again a few months later. Then when he was
four. </p>
<p class="mynormal">He just didn’t get it. </p>
<p class="mynormal">Trying to use the Montessori number rods and
addition/subtraction board that I <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>acquired
as a teacher was also a joke. If a child is not ready to read and do math, they
are not ready to read and do math, no matter how cleverly you try to get them
to do so. </p>
<h4 class="myhead2" style="text-align: left;">The Waldorf method</h4>
<p class="mynormal">Based on what I’ve read, this homeschooling method seems to
be similar to the Moore Formula as far as rigor (in other words, it’s not very
rigorous). The emphasis of the man who developed this method of education is
nature study. The family is supposed to read literature together for forty-five
minutes a day, do math three times per week and science two times, and spend as
much time studying nature as possible. </p>
<p class="mynormal">The advantage: children get grounded in the basics in a
relatively low-pressure way.</p>
<p class="mynormal">The disadvantage: What if a child couldn’t care less about
nature?</p>
<h4 class="myhead2" style="text-align: left;">The Eclectic method</h4>
<p class="mynormal">Eclectic homeschooling, as you might guess, isn’t really a
method in and of itself, but a mix of different homeschooling methods. Many,
many experienced homeschooling parents are eclectic in their approach. For
example, one family might do mostly Charlotte Mason but add another hour in the
schedule for more classical instruction. Another family might use a boxed
curriculum for math, sticking to the same company for years, but teach science
and social studies from library books. </p>
<h4 class="myhead2" style="text-align: left;">Summing it all up</h4>
<p class="mynormal">Most homeschooling methods are loosely based on the
traditional school system, regarding both structure and content. While that’s
not always a bad thing, they almost always take more time and freedom away from
both child and parent than is necessary, and often end up with children having
negative feelings about academics because they are pushed into them too soon.</p>
<p class="mynormal">I am not here to give you the panacea for all homeschooling
ills. I am not going to promise that I have discovered The Perfect Homeschool
Formula that will work for all families. However, as I mentioned earlier, I
have read up on and/or tried out several methods, and come up with what I
believe can be an incredibly effective, low-stress homeschool philosophy that
will provide your child/ren with all the foundational knowledge they need to
succeed in life. In the next few pages, I will explain what that is as well as
provide you with evidence that it works.</p>
<p class="mynormal" style="line-height: normal;"> </p>
<h3 class="myhead1" style="text-align: left;">Chapter Three: Happy Medium Homeschooling</h3>
<p class="mynormal" style="line-height: normal;">The method of homeschooling that
my family finally settled on is more of a lifestyle than a method. If you have
heard of relaxed homeschooling, it’s a kind of relaxed homeschooling. If you’ve
heard of unschooling, it’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">almost</i>
unschooling.</p>
<h4 class="myhead2" style="text-align: left;">Unschooling? What is that?</h4>
<p class="mynormal">Unschooling is not a method of homeschooling. It’s a
philosophy of living, a lifestyle, where children are entirely responsible for
their own learning. They choose the activities they do throughout the day, with
no agenda imposed on them by authority figures. There is no set curriculum, no
tests, and no grading.</p>
<p class="mynormal">In other words, they are not schooled. They have complete
freedom over what they learn, and when. Yes, parents can (and should!) offer
resources and suggestions when relevant or appropriate. But in an unschooling
home, the children are free to say no to any and all parental suggestions.</p>
<p class="mynormal">If you have heard of unschooling via mainstream media, no
doubt you think it means children running wild, eating junk food all day, and
staying up all hours of the night. Two things about that: first, did you know
that those mainstream network news shows often edit their videos to either push
their own agenda, and/or to make people who are really nice, normal,
intelligent people, look like idiots? Second, this is a branch of unschooling
that is called “radical” unschooling, in which children have no rules about
anything and the parents see themselves as partners and friends to their
children rather than authority figures. </p>
<p class="mynormal">This can work depending on the child. But my belief is that
parents are there to train their child to develop healthy habits, and they have
every right to steer their children in such directions. There is, of course, an
ineffective, demeaning way to steer; and a much gentler, more respectful, and
more effective way to steer. This latter way is accomplished by providing real
– and healthy – choices, saying “yes” whenever possible so your child has as
much freedom as possible, and treating your child with the kindness and respect
that you want from them. </p>
<h4 class="myhead2" style="text-align: left;">A happy medium</h4>
<p class="mynormal">As I write these words, I am an almost-unschooler. Perhaps in
the future, I will give my son free reign over his education. I suspect I will,
because this often happens to those of us who follow a relaxed homeschooling
style. (UPDATE: As I post this to the blog several years later, when our son is 15, we are full-on unschoolers.)<br /></p>
<p class="mynormal">However, I am aware that this idea seems extreme to many
people, even to many curriculum-using homeschoolers – including those who follow
a path with as little structure as the Moore Formula. Many would-be
homeschoolers who run into the concept of unschooling ask, “But when will he
learn to read? Will she ever learn Newton’s third law of motion on her own?
What about the times tables?”</p>
<p class="mynormal">Another reason I am not prescribing pure unschooling is that,
while most grown unschoolers are gainfully employed in work that they enjoy and
believe they had a great childhood experience, you do run into the odd one who
either never really became fully literate, or who complains that their life
right now would have been better if they had been required to follow a more
structured educational path.</p>
<p class="mynormal">And thus, I present the happy medium. You might call it the
“An Hour A Day, And Then We Play” method of homeschooling. But that’s awkward
to say, so just call it “Happy Medium Homeschooling.” Here’s how it works:</p>
<p class="mynormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Do not buy a homeschooling curriculum. </i></b>Not
for any subject.</p>
<p class="mynormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>For the first hour to ninety minutes after
breakfast, the children do something structured with the homeschooling parent.
Until a child is around nine or ten years old, this “something” should be void
of anything that smacks of school. Books should be read for the sake of
enjoying the story, or the information, not for teaching reading (although it’s
perfectly acceptable to run your finger under the words while you read – most
children will begin to learn at least some sight words that way). Games should
be either just plain fun, or at least more fun than educational. </p>
<p class="mynormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>After the child turns ten, the structured time
follows the homeschooling parent’s agenda of education. This consists of the
basic skills and/or information the parent wants to make sure the child has a
firm grasp on before entering the adult world. HOWEVER, all the activities
should be kept low-stress and as fun as possible. For example, practice math
skills using board games, purchased or homemade. For geography, don’t just
point to a globe and make the child repeat the names of countries. Instead,
watch YouTube videos on different countries, and use resources such as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Travel Book: A Journey Through Every
Country In The World,</i> published by Lonely Planet Kids.</p>
<p class="mynormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>This structured time should never consist of
your child doing worksheets or doing flashcards – or really, doing anything
that makes your child groan when you announce what they’ll be doing. In other
words, make it look as little like school as you can. </p>
<p class="mynormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>After the structured educational time has passed, the child is free to
do what they like for the rest of the day.</p>
<p class="mynormal">Now, I know you’re going to have a lot of questions about
this method of homeschooling. To help you out, I am going to answer the most
common general questions.</p>
<h4 class="myhead2" style="text-align: left;">Happy Medium Homeschooling FAQ’s</h4>
<p class="mynormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Question #1: How
can I possibly fit all the subject areas into sixty to ninety minutes per day?</u></b></p>
<p class="mynormal">Answer: You cannot! And this is not a problem. There are
three facts to keep in mind here.</p>
<p class="mynormal">First, by the time they are in their mid-teens, most children
learn much of what they need to know simply by living life with a knowledgeable
parent who freely shares their knowledge when relevant. For example, parents
generally teach personal hygiene and basic health knowledge as they go along.
As another example, when certain federal or national holidays – such as Martin
Luther King, Jr. Day in the U.S. – come up on the calendar, mini-history
lessons are easily integrated into the day. </p>
<p class="mynormal">A third example: a child can learn how to tell time – either
with an analog or digital clock – by the parent occasionally pointing to the
clock and reading the time. A few times a week, they might explain about the
hour versus minute hand, or how to count each number on the clock by five, and
so on. Such “lessons” can take under a minute and be done as an aside, rather
than looking like a formal math lesson.</p>
<p class="mynormal">Second, the vast, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">vast</i>
majority of people (99%, says one high school math teacher I saw on a TEDTalk
video) never use any of the advanced math and science that they take in high school.
So you don’t have to sweat over trying to teach your teenagers Advanced Algebra
or Physics. If they get interested in those subjects, or decide to get a
college degree with those kinds of prerequisites, they can either choose to
enroll in a local high school for a year or two or take online courses. </p>
<p class="mynormal">Third – speaking of teenagers – this is the time of
“childhood” when the brain is most ready to understand complicated skills,
specifically reading, writing mechanics, and math concepts. Unschooled children
often do not learn to read until they are ten or twelve years old, or even
teenagers…but then they catch up with their peers anywhere from a few days to a
year or two. The same goes for writing mechanics and math. What school children
are forced to try to learn over a period of twelve years, unschooled teenagers
pick up in a period of a few weeks to a few months. Why? Their brains can think
in the abstract now!</p>
<p class="mynormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Question #2: So,
how do I know what to teach during that time?</u></b></p>
<p class="mynormal">Answer: By knowing your child, and by having an idea of what
you want your child to know by the time they are eighteen. An example of
knowing your child: my son has been very interested in animals since he was a
toddler. He was also interested in big machines (bulldozers, etc.) when he was
younger. So he had a lot of those kinds of books read to him when he was quite
young, and remembers much of the information – much, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">much </i>more than he would have remembered if he had been “taught”
from a boring textbook! </p>
<p class="mynormal">I would also check out books from the library on related
topics, such as simple machines, or how your body heals a broken bone. So when
I transitioned into a more formal academic learning time (which really doesn’t
look all that formal), there was a whole lot of science that I didn’t need to
be concerned about. </p>
<p class="mynormal">As for what would be helpful for your child to know – and
which they likely would not fall into by accident – the Core Knowledge® series
of books, edited by E.D. Hirsch, Jr. (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">What
Your First-Grader Needs To Know</i>, etc.), are a great general resource. But
if you use that series, remember the principle: nothing formal until your child
is ten. The reason: anything you teach them before then, unless they are really
interested in it, they are unlikely to remember by the time they grow up. In
fact, you might be better off saving the history, geography, and “heavier”
science until they are at least twelve. For sure, do not directly teach them
the grammar or math as they are laid out in the books, for the reasons I’ve
already mentioned.</p>
<p class="mynormal">For most of the rest of this book, I will give you some ideas
on how to approach each subject. </p>
<p class="mynormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Question #3: What
if I have some children ten and older, and some under ten?</u></b> </p>
<p class="mynormal">Answer: This will likely be the case at some point. Your best
option may be to carve out two forty-five minute per day sessions, one for
structured time with the older kids, and one for structured time with the
younger ones. Your older children might actually want to be a part of the
session with the younger ones, since the games and reading will tend to feel
more like play.</p>
<p class="mynormal">Start with this, but you will eventually figure out what
works for your family.</p>
<p class="mynormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Question #4: Why so
much time to play?</u></b></p>
<p class="mynormal">Answer: If you are seriously looking into homeschooling, or
making your homeschooling experience more relaxing, I highly encourage you to
read the book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Free To Learn</i> by Peter
Gray. A psychologist, he has a son who did not do well with the traditional
school system, and when he was nine years old Peter and his wife removed him
from the public school he’d been attending and enrolled him in Sudbury Valley
School.</p>
<p class="mynormal">Sudbury Valley School is also known as a democratic school.
There are other schools that follow its model scattered around the U.S.
Basically, children can enroll as young as four, and they choose what they want
to do all day. There is a computer room, a video game room, rooms with board
games and other kinds of games, rooms with art supplies and writing supplies,
and in almost every room there are shelves and shelves of books. Children of
all ages play and talk and work together, outside and in, and when they reach a
certain age they are even allowed to leave the campus to take themselves on
field trips. </p>
<p class="mynormal">The adults on staff are not teachers, but facilitators and
resource people. They only act as teachers if a student asks them to teach them
a specific concept or skill. In fact, if students don’t like a particular adult
because they behave like a teacher in a traditional school (or for any other
reason), they can vote not to have that adult rehired for the next school year!</p>
<p class="mynormal">Except for the democratic justice system set up within the
school (which is mostly run by students), Sudbury-model schools look like what
you would call an “unschooling school.”</p>
<p class="mynormal">After Peter’s experience with Sudbury Valley, he began
researching into childhood development. To sum it all up, he discovered that
children who are allowed number one, to play as much as they like; and number
two, free reign over their education, almost always end up as well-educated
adults involved in meaningful work that they enjoy. </p>
<p class="mynormal">But when I say “well-educated,” I don’t mean that they know
all the exact same things that traditional schools try to teach their students.
The fact is, most students in traditional schools learn what they need to pass
a test, then forget most of the information. By “well-educated” I mean that the
children have had a chance to engage in activities that interest them, and when
a person is free to do so all day long, every day, they are much more likely to
retain the information and skills. </p>
<p class="mynormal">This is why I am so emphatic about keeping your agenda down
to an hour a day (ninety minutes max), and keeping that hour as fun and
interesting as possible. </p>
<p class="mynormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Question #5: What
if I end up with a teenager who is proficient at reading and writing, and is
very intent on doing their own thing – to the extent they resist me when I tell
them it’s time for our one hour together?</u></b></p>
<p class="mynormal">Answer: Let them! And welcome to the world-wide community of
unschooling. In fact, I’d say that if you end up with a nine- or ten-year-old
who reads and writes well, and is gung-ho on a particular interest, to the
extent that they either tell you that they want to skip the “one hour a day” or
don’t seem at all enthusiastic about that time, let them go do their thing. A
child with that kind of initiative is going to become a successful adult, even
if they can’t recite the major history facts that schooled kids learn, or don’t
understand how to do x = 2y + 4. </p>
<p class="mynormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Question #6: So,
after that hour my kids are just supposed to run wild? Am I allowed to do
anything to encourage them to do more educational or wholesome things than
watching T.V. all day?</u></b><u></u></p>
<p class="mynormal">Answer: If your children are not used to so many unstructured
hours for so many consecutive days in a row, you may have to provide a little
more structure for the first month or two. Give them three or four options to
work on for a while, such as a craft, building with blocks, or outside play.
After an hour or two, give them a couple of other options. Maybe schedule in
“Movie With Mom” after lunch. </p>
<p class="mynormal">Eventually, they’ll start figuring out which activities they
prefer and start initiating them on their own. Very active right-brained
children need a lot of mental stimulation, and if not given it will stimulate
themselves by acting hyperactive and start doing things that get on your last
nerve, so they may need more guidance when they’re young.</p>
<p class="mynormal">I speak from personal experience; this was my son before he
hit the age of twelve. When he began acting up, we’d do one of three things. We’d
sit down with him and read a book, which inevitably calmed him down so that
when we were done reading he could go off and find something non-destructive to
do. Or, we’d tell him to do this, or do that. He’d usually choose to do
something totally different, but he got busy doing something productive. Or, we’d
suggest he put in a DVD.</p>
<p class="mynormal">Which brings us to “screen time.” Honestly, this is one of
the best ways to engage the super-active brain of a right-brained dominant
child who is not yet reading, nor has a natural talent for art. We adults have
been taught to see screen time as a waste, but it is actually mentally
stimulating for such a child. </p>
<p class="mynormal">That said, you are the parent and are perfectly free to
restrict your child’s video game-playing or T.V. (or YouTube) watching time.
But unless you are like us and live in a rural area where there is not Internet
service with unlimited data plans, try giving your child twice or three times
as much screen time as you might otherwise. For example, if you would only
allow one hour of video game-playing time, try three. It’s not debilitating
their brain like we’ve been told (in fact, any kind of screen time can be quite
educational in a number of ways), and it will save you any number of power
struggles. </p>
<p class="mynormal">Some parents allow their children unrestricted screen time
for some time, but occasionally schedule technology black-outs for a certain
number of days. You might also try allowing unrestricted screen time Monday
through Thursday, but restrict it to a family DVD Friday through Sunday. Work
it out in whatever way feels right to you. Just understand that if you remove
all screen-time restrictions, there will be a period in which your child will
indulge liberally. But after a while, when they either get a bit tired of it or
see that you really meant what you said, that they can have that screen time as
much as they want, they will pull back and usually spend part of their day
doing other things.</p>
<p class="mynormal">As far as encouraging other activities, as a Happy Medium
Homeschooling parent, you have the joy and privilege of strewing. Though
usually considered archaic, the word “strewing” is used liberally throughout
the unschooling community to explain the process by which a loving parent puts
interesting resources and items in their children’s paths. For example, you
might tell your child that you found an interesting video on YouTube. Or, you
might lay out colorful books on different topics on the coffee table. Or, you
might set new craft materials on the arts and craft table, front and center.</p>
<p class="mynormal">However, keep in mind that after the hour with you, your
child has the right to say no to anything you strew. And if they do, don’t
sweat it. They’ll learn what they need to learn, by the time they need to learn
it, either by themselves or during your structured time together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="mynormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Question #7: My
state requires that homeschooled kids learn certain bits of information in each
grade level – and that I document everything, or require that they take a
standardized test, or require that I use an approved curriculum.</u></b><u></u></p>
<p class="mynormal">Answer: Unschooling is legal in every state in the United
States, and from what I understand, in a growing number of other countries, as
well. Therefore, the Happy Medium Homeschooling method is still possible for
you. It will also work better for you than straight unschooling, because you
can cover what you’re required to cover during the structured time.</p>
<p class="mynormal">If the place where you live requires particular documentation
or assessment, do what you can to fulfill the requirements. Get online and find
unschoolers or relaxed homeschoolers in your state to see what they do. Sue
Elvis, an unschooler in Australia, has several videos on YouTube in which she
explains how she uses Evernote to document her children’s learning (the state
in which they live, New South Wales, requires it). Find her on YouTube under
her name. She also has several podcast episodes on her blog, <a href="http://storiesofanunschoolingfamily.com">http://storiesofanunschoolingfamily.com</a>,
where she explains how she figures out how to document different knowledge and
skills that her children have acquired. </p>
<p class="mynormal">I generally recommend parents limit the structured
educational time to as close to an hour as possible. However, there are a few
reasons to extend it, at least occasionally, and this is one. If your children
have to take a standardized test, every day for ten or fifteen minutes give
them practice questions in a standardized test format (for example, typical
math word problems) and walk with them on how to figure out the correct
answers, and how they would mark the answers on a test form.</p>
<p class="mynormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Question #8: What
if I have an older child who feels like he’s behind in math compared to his
schooled friends, and wants to catch up? Or a teenager who wants to study
certain subjects as pre-requisites for what he wants to study in college?</u></b></p>
<p class="mynormal">Answer: Khan Academy (which is free) or other online courses,
enroll in high school for a year or two, study the free textbooks that are put
out by the CK-12 Foundation and available at Amazon.</p>
<p class="mynormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Question #9: I have
a special needs child. Can I still homeschool them?</u></b></p>
<p class="mynormal">Answer: Absolutely! Many homeschooling parents have at least
one child who would be slapped with a label if they were at school. In fact,
except for obvious genetic conditions like Down Syndrome, most children who are
given a label at school are only labeled because they are part of the fifteen
or twenty percent of children who need a lot longer than age seven to learn to
read and understand math. They are put on medications, thrown into Special
Education classes, or simply referred to as being “learning disabled” <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">only</i> because they cannot fit in with the
expectations of the school system. </p>
<p class="mynormal">Right-brained children thrive in a homeschooling situation
because they don’t receive a negative stigma for being “slow”, and they are
allowed to blossom in their own time. They also have the freedom to talk and
move about as they need to. </p>
<p class="mynormal">Let me get personal for a moment. My son, if taken to the
right specialist, would be diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia. I’ve done the
research, read the criteria for the diagnoses…and of course, lived with him all
his life. Trust me – he has almost every symptom of both conditions, and for
the ADHD, sometimes to what could be considered a “severe” extent. After I
figured that out, I made the mistake of purchasing and reading a book written
by a school psychologist about how to “help” children with different learning
difficulties. Then I made the bigger mistake of trying to implement some of her
ideas with my son.</p>
<p class="mynormal">Why was it a mistake? Simply put, the ideas are covert
attempts to manipulate children into learning how to read, write, and do math
before they are ready. In other words, to force them to conform to the
expectations of the school system. Not only did the ideas add on an extra half
hour of structured learning time, but my son got totally stressed out. </p>
<p class="mynormal">With Happy Medium Homeschooling, children who would be
labeled and stigmatized at school learn that learning is an enjoyable
experience. They have the freedom to grow at their own pace, rather than being
forced to do acrobatics to please an educational “expert.” </p>
<p class="mynormal">What about autistic children? I will share the personal
experience of two mothers who have not sent their autistic children to school.
As a matter of fact, both mothers <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">unschooled</i>
their autistic children (because they were unschooling their other children). </p>
<p class="mynormal">First, I urge any would-be homeschooling parent of an
autistic child to read this blog post: <a href="http://www.christianunschooling.com/yes-i-unschool-my-autistic-children/">http://www.christianunschooling.com/yes-i-unschool-my-autistic-children/</a></p>
<p class="mynormal">In essence, the mother says the reason that autistic children
have trouble with changes in routine is that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">they get attached to routine</i>. If they live in an environment that
offers freedom of choice, they don’t develop that attachment and so can accept
last-minute changes and decisions with no problems!</p>
<p class="mynormal">The other mother is one I heard talk on an unschooling
podcast. When her autistic child was young, her maternal instinct told her that
something was not right about all these therapies that were supposed to force
her child to learn how to “behave right” in society. So, she pulled him out of
all but one, and eventually weaned him off of that one, as well. Her son developed
very well in the home environment – yes, including learning how to socialize
with others. </p>
<p class="mynormal">Now, I know that there are autistic people, and there are <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">autistic</i> people, just as there are
different intellectual and behavioral levels among people with Down Syndrome.
You know your child; you need to make the decision you believe will be best for
them. However, I can tell you with confidence that children with special needs
can be, have been, and are being, successfully homeschooled.</p>
<p class="mynormal">And they are being treated with much more dignity and respect
than they ever would be in a school.</p>
<p class="centered">**********</p>
<p class="mynormal">Any more questions? Wondering how to make learning the
different subjects fun? A lot more on that in the chapters that follow!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<h3 class="myhead1" style="text-align: left;"><a name="chap4">Chapter Four: Teaching Language Arts</a></h3>
<p class="mynormal">The subject of “the language arts” encompasses a broad array
of concepts and skills: phonics, reading comprehension, literature, poetry,
different genres of writing (essays, fiction, how-to’s, etc.), writing
mechanics, grammar, communication skills, and so on. It’s enough to scare off
any would-be homeschooling parent! </p>
<p class="mynormal">But that’s only because we’ve been told that children can
never learn all these concepts and skills without direct instruction. The truth
is, as soon as they begin to read, children begin to pick up much, if not most,
of what they need to become worthy of the label “literate.” They may need
direct instruction on how to write a good story, some of the finer points of
writing mechanics, spelling, and some of the trickier grammar rules (lie vs. lay,
for example). However, as I mentioned in the previous chapter, most teenagers
can learn such skills in a relatively short period of time. </p>
<p class="mynormal">That said, let’s discuss how you might approach the subject
of language arts in a Happy Medium Homeschooling scenario.</p>
<h4 class="myhead2" style="text-align: left;">Reading</h4>
<p class="mynormal">Different children learn to read in different ways, and at
different rates. Some are reading by the age of three of four after having only
learned the letter sounds; others don’t start reading on their own until
they’re teenagers.</p>
<p class="mynormal">I need to park here for a minute. I used to have this book,
the one you’re reading right now, available on Amazon. One unhappy reviewer
criticized me over the late-reading issue, declaring that no school district
would be happy about a student who is in fifth grade and still can’t read. </p>
<p class="mynormal">No, they probably wouldn’t. Because teachers can’t
individually assess twenty-five-plus students orally, so early reading and
writing is essential in the school system. If you live in a state or province
or nation that requires school teachers or district administrators to visit
homeschooling families, and they expect the homeschooled children to show a
certain level of competence by a certain age, then do what you have to do.</p>
<p class="mynormal">You could always also move to a state with more lenient homeschool
regulations. Parents have done just that. </p>
<p class="mynormal">I’ve already told you that my son is dyslexic. If I could do
it all over again, I would have begun doing echo reading with my son when he
was about five years old. Echo reading is when you read a line of text from a
book, and then the child, tracking the words with their finger, echoes what you
just read. The reason I would do so is that I know now that he is right-brained
dominant. In other words, he thinks in pictures, not words, which means that he
does a lot better in learning words by sight than by learning phonics rules and
“sounding out” words using those rules. This is true for children who are given
the labels ADHD, autism, and dyslexia…and this is why doing the Montessori
sandpaper letters didn’t work.</p>
<p class="mynormal">On the other hand, children with dyslexia can benefit from
more intense instruction on phonemic awareness. So after doing a couple of
years of casual echo reading with silly poetry books and authors like Dr.
Suess, if I knew then what I know now, I would have started him on the <a href="https://pridereadingprogram.com/ref/47">PRIDE Reading Program</a>, and
done at least the first three or four books. If he was still seriously
struggling after the second book, I would have stopped and put the program away
for a year or two to let his brain mature some.</p>
<p class="mynormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">A CRITICAL WORD OF
WARNING HERE:</b> Children under the age of seven are at higher risk of
developing near-sightedness when they spend more than a few minutes, two or
three times per day, doing “close” activities; that is, activities where their
eyes must focus on small objects – such as words on a page. This is because
their eyes are not fully developed. So if you choose to work with a very young
child on reading sight words, limit it to ten minutes, two to three times per
day. And if they begin to read on their own at an early age, try to encourage
them to frequently break up their reading with other activities.</p>
<p class="mynormal">That said, remember that the only reason schools push
children to learn to read early is that the entire curriculum after first grade
depends on students being able to read and write independently. Other than
that, there is no valid reason to push a child to learn to read, because they
won’t truly need the skill until they go out into the world as adults. </p>
<p class="mynormal">In other words, homeschooled children should be free to take
until their teenage years to learn to read. In fact, John Holt, a former school
teacher who began pioneering the unschooling movement when I was still a little
kid, observed that when left to themselves, many – if not most – boys will not
learn to read until between the ages of eleven and fifteen. I have read of
girls not learning to read until they were twelve or thirteen – and then
starting off with a Judy Blume (chapter book written for pre-teen children)
book, and a couple of days later digging into Harry Potter! True story! How
does this happen? Two ways:</p>
<p class="mynormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l5 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>They were not forced to learn to read before
they were ready, and therefore did not learn to hate reading, and</p>
<p class="mynormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l5 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>their brain was finally ready to solve the
reading puzzle. </p>
<p class="mynormal">I learned to read when I was four years old. But I am what
they call “whole-brained”, in between left-brain and right-brain on the
spectrum, leaning a little toward the left. It was easy for me to learn the
sounds of letters and how to put them together to read. </p>
<p class="mynormal">Many right-brained dominant children, because they see words
as they see pictures, need a lot more time to crack the reading code. Autistic
children are a different story, often learning to sight read at a young age to
the extent that they can memorize entire books (I’m talking, adult-sized) in
just a couple of hours! Their brains can somehow “see” the whole picture of
words on a page.</p>
<h4 class="myhead2" style="text-align: left;">What if…?</h4>
<p class="mynormal">What if your child struggles with reading? If your child has
either been in school and declares that they “hate reading,” or you have been
doing a kind of school-at-home and your child is either struggling to read or
is very reluctant to go through reading lessons or read any material that you
ask them to, then, STOP! Your child is one of those whose brain simply will not
open up to reading until they are over the age of ten, perhaps not until they
are fifteen or sixteen years old. </p>
<p class="mynormal">I know it’s hard to comprehend a child not learning to read
until then, because we have all been brainwashed with the “early readers are
the most successful” doctrine. But for the happiness and optimum emotional
health for your child, I urge you to pull back. Eventually, when they are
ready, they will begin to read again. </p>
<p class="mynormal">Again, if your local school watches homeschoolers like a hawk
and expects your child to be reading fluently by age nine or ten, invest in the
<a href="https://pridereadingprogram.com/ref/47">PRIDE Reading Program</a>. Go
through it until your child has a good handle on reading and spelling. Or, go
through the whole thing, if you believe it will benefit you child to do so (or
help you stay in the good graces of the school district.)</p>
<p class="mynormal">What if your child is still young, and you haven’t yet begun trying
direct reading instruction? My first recommendation is to read aloud to the
child either as much as they want you to, or as much as they will let you,
letting your fingers track the words as you read. Use books with fun pictures,
engaging stories (or topics of interest to the child), and print that is large
enough for the child to pick out individual words as you point to them. </p>
<p class="mynormal">One of two things will happen. They will be able to read with
some fluency by the time they are eight to ten years old. If not, Or, you will
have realized that you have a right-brain dominant child on your hand. You’ll
know because they are, at this older age, still confusing similarly-shaped
letters and are struggling to learn to read beyond “The cat sat on the mat.” </p>
<p class="mynormal">In that case, you can wait and see if they pick up reading by
their early teens. If that either makes you uncomfortable or is unsatisfactory
to the Powers That Control Homeschoolers in your area, start using the <a href="https://pridereadingprogram.com/ref/47">PRIDE Reading Program</a>. It’s
easy to use, and incorporates a variety of hands-on strategies to help make
learning to read more engaging.</p>
<p class="mynormal">Another idea would be to try echo reading and/or shared
reading for a couple of months and see how that goes. Shared reading is when a
child chooses the reading material, and you read while tracking with your
finger. When the child wants to try, they take over until they run into a word
they don’t know, at which point you take over again. </p>
<p class="mynormal">As a final option, you can hire a tutor to work with your
teenager. </p>
<p class="mynormal">Now, you might be wondering about reading comprehension,
vocabulary, and other related skills that traditional schools include under the
heading of “reading”. All these things will come naturally, through a
combination of just living life and through their enjoyment of reading. </p>
<h4 class="myhead2" style="text-align: left;">Writing and spelling</h4>
<p class="mynormal">Some children will begin writing before the age of ten, and
perhaps even before they learn to read. Other children will not begin to write
until they become fluent readers, perhaps in their mid-teens. However, if your
child is not writing by age ten, and that makes you uncomfortable, focus ten
minutes of the structured hour on writing. </p>
<p class="mynormal">Begin with handwriting, if necessary. The perfect material
would be a laminated handwriting practice sheet on which the child writes using
a dry-erase marker. My son used such a sheet until he could form most of the
letters correctly without my help, for several days in a row. Then, I had him do
extra practice on lined paper for the letters he still was struggling with. </p>
<p class="mynormal">You are free to introduce cursive writing if you want to. But
in the spirit of keeping the structured hour as fun as possible, I recommend
not forcing your child to continue with it if the skill is difficult for them.
With most writing being done on the computer, and most correspondence being
done online these days, it’s better to encourage your child to learn how to
type. This can be one of the activities that you strew, as there are several
websites that teach typing for free. I don’t like them as well as the
old-fashioned typing manual my mother had, though – they advance too quickly. </p>
<p class="mynormal">What about composition writing? Again, this is something that
does not need to be pushed, since teenagers can pick up the skills quickly.
Some children will fall in love with writing at a young age, and begin
producing stories and poems well before the age of ten. But if your child is
not naturally gifted that way, no worries. </p>
<p class="mynormal">If your child is still very young, you can write and read
stories together. One fun activity is to read repetitive books or songs (like the
old song “Down By The Bay” or Margaret Wise Brown’s classic book, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Important Book</i>) and write new verses/pages
for it. You could also keep a journal together. Have your child tell you a
sentence about what happened the day before. Write the sentence as the child
looks on, spelling the words as you write. Then, read it together. Eventually,
invite your child to write some of the words.</p>
<p class="mynormal">What about spelling? In the ideal world, you would be patient
and let your child learn how to spell naturally when they learn how to read.
However, some children do need a leg up in this area, and you can give your
child a leg up by playing spelling games with them when they are still young.<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>With children under the age of eight,
try a five-minute spelling game. One idea is to have two sets of alphabet cards
(make sure each set has more than one card for the more commonly used letters).
You “write” a word using the cards, spelling the word and reading it. Then the
child does the same. You can find any number of websites with spelling lists. Just
make sure the spelling lists make sense. They should consist of words that
share similar spellings, such as words with “ai” that make the long a sound, or
words with “igh” (bright, high, light), and so on.</p>
<p class="mynormal">Another idea is to have your child write words using a
different colored marker for each letter, saying the name of each letter as
they write. Just remember: if any activity becomes a drag for your child, drop
it. Do not force it. They will get it when they need it.</p>
<p class="mynormal">Once your child is nine or ten years old, start teaching them
spelling rules such as the “Milk Truck” or “Catch Lunch” rules. See the
resources at the end of this book.</p>
<p class="mynormal">For teenagers, the best way to help them improve their
spelling is to have them practice the words they spell incorrectly in any
compositions they write that they allow you to read. What if they don’t write
anything? What if all they know is “texting-talk”? Encourage them to write
snail-mail thank-you notes for gifts, and even snail-mail letters to family
members (those are a wonderful surprise in this day and age of e-mail). You
might ask them to write for thirty minutes a day until they seem to have a firm
grasp on the skill. Mechanics such as the proper use of commas can be taught in
ten-minute lessons, and you can probably find YouTube videos about those kinds
of things. Videos generally interest teenagers more than a lecture from Mom. </p>
<h4 class="myhead2" style="text-align: left;">Grammar</h4>
<p class="mynormal">Most grammar rules will be learned by listening and reading.
To teach children under twelve the basic parts of speech (nouns, verbs,
adjectives, etc.), read them (or have them read) the books in Brian P. Cleary’s
“Words Are CATegorical” series. We have them available at our local library.
For teenagers who seem to need a leg up in the area of grammar (which you can
tell by their speech and writing), present the Core Knowledge® books. Just
going over one concept a day for ten or fifteen minutes will bring them up to
snuff in a few weeks to a few months. </p>
<p class="mynormal">There is also currently available (through both Stitcher and
the iTunes store) a podcast entitled “Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for
Better Writing,” in which a self-proclaimed Grammar Queen talks about proper
grammar using easy-to-understand examples. She had 555 episodes published as I
write these words, so you can probably find any explanation of anything
grammar-related with a bit of browsing.<span face=""Helvetica","sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 17pt; line-height: 115%; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"></span></p>
<h4 class="myhead2" style="text-align: left;">“What About Shakespeare and Tennyson?”</h4>
<p class="mynormal">I was one of five Valedictorians in my high school graduating
class (it was a private, college-prep school, so students were academically
competitive). I was THE Valedictorian in my college graduating class. I don’t
say any of that to brag. In fact, I have come to believe that grades and GPA’s
are a farce – they measure how well a student has hacked the school system, not
how much useful knowledge a student actually knows or how smart they are.</p>
<p class="mynormal">Rather, I tell you this so that you understand that not all
smart people (or maybe I should say, people who figure out how to hack the
school system) are inclined toward what mainstream culture deems as “the
classics.” I only ever read Shakespeare when I was forced to. I don’t think
I’ve ever read a Tennyson poem. And I still made out quite well in my adult
life. I read all of Charles’ Dickens novels in my mid-twenties, but that was
because I’d always enjoyed <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Christmas
Carol</i> and wanted to see if I would like any of his larger works. Turns out
I did, but I have not read much more in the realm of classics since graduating
from college.</p>
<p class="mynormal">If you value and enjoy the classics, great! Feel free to
strew them around the house and see if your teenagers enjoy them. Put in a DVD
of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Romeo and Juliet</i> and see if anyone
wants to watch it with you. But while reading classic literature and poetry can
increase vocabulary and provide an interesting view of history, it’s not
essential for having a happy and fulfilling adulthood. Unless you want to be an
English professor at a university, in which case you are going to be drawn to
that sort of thing, anyway. </p>
<h4 class="myhead2" style="text-align: left;">Summing it all up</h4>
<p class="mynormal">For more than 98% of all children who will never receive much
– if any – reading instruction, reading will happen. So will writing. Why? Our
world is full of print, and most children eventually realize that having a firm
grasp of both skills will be helpful, if not necessary, to journey through
life. </p>
<p class="mynormal">Make learning the language arts fun. Don’t push, but gently
encourage. The best way to make a child learn to hate reading and writing is to
force the subjects. The one exception I would make is if your child is ten to
twelve years old and is dyslexic. Then it may be time to push harder.</p>
<p class="mynormal"> </p>
<h3 class="myhead1" style="text-align: left;"><a name="chap5">Chapter Five: Math – A Necessary Phobia?</a></h3>
<p class="mynormal">Ask 100 people, and probably at least seventy-five will admit
to having math phobia. Why? In an unschooling podcast episode, I heard a
college math professor say that schools teach math all wrong. In fact, she is
an unschooling parent herself, and has never said “math” to her children, not
one time! Almost every single one of her college students comes to her with
some level of math phobia.</p>
<p class="mynormal">She didn’t give details to explain this, but I think I can.
At least, I can give my narrow perspective.</p>
<p class="mynormal">School math is tedious, boring, and almost always irrelevant
to the students’ lives. Children who are still concrete thinkers are forced to
try to memorize the basic facts, do dozens of practice problems every day, and
deal with regrouping. Yes, I know, they use manipulatives these days to help
concrete thinkers make the connection. Some curriculums focus more on
problem-solving than on rote memorization. Goody. Yippee. Kids still hate math,
and turn into adults who hate math. </p>
<p class="mynormal">So, what’s the solution? Take the unschooling view of it?
That’s one option. Teenagers who want to get their G.E.D. and/or get into
college and therefore need to master basic math, can master it within a few
weeks to a few months. As I said before, unlike younger children, teens can
handle the abstract and therefore pick up academic concepts much more quickly
than pre-teens. </p>
<p class="mynormal">However, I’m not in total agreement that no math should be
directly taught. Even the world of young children is filled with numbers,
shapes, measuring, and addition and subtraction. So I believe that in the ideal
world, a Happy Medium Homeschooling parent presents their child under the age
of seven with the basic math concepts. An easy and fun way to do this is to use
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Kindergarten Story Math</i>. It’s a book (paperback
only, not digital) that I wrote that uses fun stories and a variety of critters
to introduce these concepts, including counting (through ten, then twenty, then
later to 100), the basic two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes,
measurement, number recognition, and money. Read more at the following link: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1543052177/">https://www.amazon.com/dp/1543052177/</a>
.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The book costs much less than the Kindergarten
book of any of the most popular homeschool math curriculums.</p>
<p class="mynormal">In addition, there are probably as many picture books that
teach counting, shapes, and so an as there are alphabet books. Check these out
from your local library, and include them in your hour of structured time as
well. </p>
<p class="mynormal">I recommend introducing the math concepts to a very young
child for the same reason that, in the previous chapter, I recommended working
on sight words and writing with very young children. They have not yet been
ruined by school or a boring curriculum, so they are much more likely to be
interested in working on it.</p>
<p class="mynormal">What about for older children whom you have pulled out of
school, or with whom you have been using one of those boring, tedious
homeschool math curriculums? If they have been obviously reluctant to work on
math, or struggle with it, I would recommend dropping it for a few months.
Then, reintroduce it with games. You can find a plethora of math games online,
or make your own. Another homeschooling product that I have available in the
Amazon store, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Multiplication Is Fun! (and
division is delightful!) </i>(also paperback only), contains over fifteen games
as well as a variety of puzzles to help children learn both the concepts of
multiplication and division, as well as the basic multiplication and division
facts. Here’s the link: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1541261879">www.amazon.com/dp/1541261879</a></p>
<p class="mynormal">But remember: wait until a child is ten years old and has a
firm grasp on addition and subtraction before introducing the book. </p>
<p class="mynormal">Another thing you can do in the area of math is to strew
various games (such as Monopoly) and manipulatives (such as Cuisenaire rods)
that help children learn different facets of math. There are some interesting
math-related videos on YouTube, as well, such as the history of math, a
discussion of Fibonacci numbers, and so on. </p>
<p class="mynormal">There are also picture books that introduce middle-grade math
concepts. One example is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Lion’s Share
</i>by Matthew McElligott which introduces multiplying by two. Then there is
the “Sir Cumference” series of books by Cindy Neuschwander<span class="apple-converted-space"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;"> </span></span>.
Search online for “picture books that teach math” and you will come up with
several websites that list those and similar books.</p>
<p class="mynormal">How do you know what math concepts you should cover? If you
decide to use the Core Knowledge® series as a resource, this will be a good
guide. Just don’t get into the trap of thinking that you must cover X concept
when your child is Z years old. </p>
<p class="mynormal">Generally speaking, a child needs to be able to recognize and
read numbers at least into the millions place, add and subtract, count money,
do different types of measurements, understand the concepts of multiplication
and division (and preferably know the basic facts), understand basic geometry,
and understand the relationship between fractions, decimals, and percents. </p>
<p class="mynormal">Much of this can be learned simply by living life. However,
if you want to make sure your child gets the math they need, I invite you to
check out the website <a href="http://coolmath.com">http://coolmath.com</a> if
you have not yet done so. There are tutorials for some of the more advanced elementary
and middle school math concepts, such as fractions, ratios, and algebra. </p>
<h4 class="myhead2" style="text-align: left;">Summing it all up</h4>
<p class="mynormal">Games, games, and more games. Interesting math-related
videos. No worksheets or requirements to do ten or twenty practice problems. A
lot of real-life math, such as handling a bank account, reading the time on a
clock, measuring to make or build something, cooking, organizing spaces.
Playing with Legos is considered by some mathematicians to be a great
foundation for learning certain aspects of math, particularly those involving
geometry and construction.</p>
<p class="mynormal">These are some ways in which to keep math fun and relevant.
And if it’s not at least one or the other – fun or relevant – a child will
forget what they supposedly learned in a heartbeat. </p>
<h3 class="mynormal" style="text-align: left;"> <a name="chap6">Chapter Six: It Ain’t Rocket Science</a>
</h3><p class="mynormal">Science is life. Life is science. Every day, you observe,
develop hypotheses, and experiment to see if your hypotheses hold true. Before
you read any further, you need to understand that truth. Science is not a
difficult subject requiring an advanced vocabulary or a special kind of mind to
understand it. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Science is life. </i></b></p>
<p class="mynormal">That said, it’s easy to fit the formal study of science into
a Happy Medium Homeschool. First, there are dozens and dozens of books on the
various branches of science at your local library, including books for young
children. Even before your child is ten years old, you can sneak in
age-appropriate books about animals or simple machines during your structured
hour. The reason is that the information is presented in such an entertaining
way – with bright, colorful, big photographs – that your child won’t feel like
you’re trying to teach them something, just share an interesting book!</p>
<p class="mynormal">Actually, the science sections of the Core Knowledge® books,
while not as engaging as library books, are written in a style that is much
easier on the eyes and ears than a textbook. And the nice thing about those
books is that they go through all the basic science concepts that any
elementary school student will. At the end of each section (for all the subject
areas, not just science) there is also a list of suggested further reading.
These generally include other books that may be available at your local
library, and that go into more depth on a topic.</p>
<p class="mynormal">Another way to use the Core Knowledge® books would be to just
familiarize yourself with the concepts presented. Then, when your child turns
ten, for each concept systematically check out a few books from the library
related to the concept and read them aloud to your child, or read them
together. Or it could be that your child would be interested in reading them on
their own outside of the structured hour. </p>
<p class="mynormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Magic School Bus</i>
series by Joanna Cole – begun way back before I started teaching – teaches
science in a fun way to children who are between the ages of eight and eleven.
Even though the stories are set in a school, they are still worth sharing. </p>
<h4 class="myhead2" style="text-align: left;">Screen time, anyone?</h4>
<p class="mynormal">Whether you want your child to learn about the
characteristics of amphibians, how a lever works, or Newton’s first law of
motion, I can almost guarantee you there is a well-made, engaging video on
YouTube explaining the concept. Do you have cable? Watch The Discovery Channel
with your child. Then there are National Geographic and other nature programs
put out by PBS. If your local library carries <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bill Nye The Science Guy</i> DVDs, consider strewing those around (from
what I saw last, they’re pricey to purchase from Amazon). </p>
<p class="mynormal">Most of those videos are on YouTube, as well. If you are
Internet savvy, download them onto your computer and let your children watch
them at their leisure. </p>
<h4 class="myhead2" style="text-align: left;">But remember, books and videos do not equal science!!</h4>
<p class="mynormal">The main problem with the way schools teach science is that
most of it comes from textbooks. Not only are textbooks boring and cover a
superficial amount of information, but also they provide very little in the way
of real-life experience with the concepts.</p>
<p class="mynormal">Science is the discovery of the world, and how the world
works. It is learning how to take care of a small pet. It is realizing the
differences between a spider and an ant. It is finding out that if you build
the ramp for your Hot Wheels car just so, the car will be able to go twice the
distance as it would otherwise. It’s discovering that going to bed late and
getting up early makes for a long, tiring day. It’s figuring out that if you
click <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">this</i> on the computer, than <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that</i> will happen. It’s watching the big
machines on a construction site, mixing different colors of paint, learning how
to milk a cow, making fudge, planting flowers, studying stars through a
telescope, and so much more.</p>
<p class="mynormal">Like math, science is all around you. And children are doing
informal science experiments all the time – although most adults would not
consider them to be “learning science.” Even if you never read a
science-related book to your child or did a science experiment with them, they
would learn a lot more science than you might imagine. </p>
<p class="mynormal">But doing science experiments is fun, to the extent that
children will often consider them as part of their play. Whether or not you
decide to include science experiments as an occasional part of your structured
hour, at least strew instructions and materials for different kinds of
experiments. Your local library will have plenty of science experiment books in
the junior non-fiction section; online you can find even more such books. Also,
you can find a variety of experiments on blogs – which are likely to be blogs
written by homeschooling parents who want to share what their children are
doing. </p>
<p class="mynormal">You can also find science experiment kits. If you live in the
city, for example, you might want to purchase one of those that allows a child
to raise caterpillars into butterflies, or tadpoles into frogs. There are
floating-and-sinking kits, magnetic kits, electricity kits. We actually found a
kit that combines electricity and magnetism. Just do a search online for
“science experiment kits”, and you’d be amazed at what’s out there!</p>
<p class="mynormal">As always, keep in mind that the older your child is when
presented with a concept – especially a more abstract concept, like physics –
the more likely they are to remember it. </p>
<h4 class="myhead2" style="text-align: left;">Summing it all up</h4>
<p class="mynormal">Science is a ridiculously easy subject to fit into any kind
of homeschooling style. Children who are given plenty of time to play, indoors
and out, learn many of its concepts naturally and without having to be directly
taught. </p>
<p class="mynormal">But if you do directly teach it, remember to keep it fun and
light-hearted. No drilling, no forcing to memorize terms or definitions. </p>
<p class="mynormal"> </p>
<h3 class="myhead1" style="text-align: left;"><a name="chap7">Chapter Seven: Geography, History, And All
Things People</a></h3>
<p class="mynormal">When I was in elementary school, social studies bored the
snot out of me. When I was a teacher, social studies bored the snot out of me.
The main reason is that the traditional social studies curriculum before fifth
grade presents information that is easily learned by a child who is only
halfway paying attention to their surroundings. </p>
<p class="mynormal">In fact, I recommend avoiding the subject altogether until
your child is at least ten years old. Sure, there are little kid books about
how to say “thank you” and take turns and all that. But children don’t learn
kindness and politeness from a book. They learn it by watching the adults
around them. The most you should do with the subject is, if you happen to read
a picture book that takes place in a different country, point out where the
country is on a globe or world map. </p>
<h4 class="myhead2" style="text-align: left;">History</h4>
<p class="mynormal">Once a child hits the age of ten, they are more likely to
remember interesting information presented to them. So, break out the Core
Knowledge® books and start reading the history section, maybe five pages per
day. Better, read the books that are listed at the end of the history section.
Still better, search out books at your local library that teach history in a
fun, exciting way. Our library has a book that teaches the major events of
world history in a pictorial form. There is also the “You Wouldn’t Want To Be”
series with titles such as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">You Wouldn’t
Want To Be An Egyptian Slave</i>, or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">You
Wouldn’t Want To Be An American Pioneer.</i></p>
<p class="mynormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many homeschoolers
have used Susan Wise Bauer’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Story of
The World</i> series. While it is a fairly comprehensive look at world history,
through the end of the Cold War in the early 1990’s, I began to get dismayed by
the third volume (there are four) because it seemed that over two-thirds of the
events were wars. It got repetitive. And, no offense to Susan, but she doesn’t
relay history in the most engaging way. It also is scant as far as American
history goes (or, if you’re not from the U.S.A., detailed history of any
particular nation). If I had to do it over again, I would have stuck with the Core
Knowledge® books from the library and not purchased <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Story of the World </i>series. </p>
<p class="mynormal">But let’s not forget historical fiction in our discussion of
books! I never liked studying history in school, but I’ve learned a lot of
history by reading historical novels. There are a few out there for children. If
you have never checked out <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Magic Tree
House</i> series, it’s a great one for children under the age of twelve. But be
warned: it makes a lot more sense to start with the first book and read them in
order, because the author connects each story with the previous ones.</p>
<p class="mynormal">If your child is old enough, they may enjoy the “Dear
America” series published by Scholastic. I understand that, even though the
main character is always a girl, boys also enjoy these stories. </p>
<p class="mynormal">Then there’s The History Channel. And, of course, YouTube. If
your child can read and is into gaming, Sim City inadvertently teaches some
world history. </p>
<p class="mynormal">The one thing I don’t recommend is forcing your child to memorize
dates. Unless they have a special knack for it, memorizing dates of historical
events or when a certain President ruled is not going to be at all enjoyable,
and they’re just going to forget them. To give your child a sense of what
happened when, create a timeline together that will stay tacked up on a wall. </p>
<h4 class="myhead2" style="text-align: left;">Geography</h4>
<p class="mynormal">First things first: you <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">must</i>
have a world map and a map of your home country hanging in a well-trafficked
area of your home. Or, if not a world map, have a globe in the living room.</p>
<p class="mynormal">Some unschooling parents take care of geography by
continually traveling around the world with their children. But if you are
either a homebody, or cannot afford to do much travel, take heart! You can
still make geography fun and meaningful.</p>
<p class="mynormal">First, your child might get into a computer game like “The
Oregon Trail” or “Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego?” Second, I’m sure you
can find a number of videos about every single country in the world – as well
as every single state or province in the country in which you live – on
YouTube. Third, it’s easy to find puzzle maps of the U.S.A. (I can’t vouch for
any other country) and of the world.</p>
<p class="mynormal">Last but certainly not least, there are books. For my
American readers, your local library should have a series of books that cover
each state in our nation. Our local library also has a series that covers the
different regions: Midwest, Northeast, and so on. My favorite book resource on
geography so far is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Travel Book: A
Journey Through Every Country In The World</i>, published by Lonely Planet
Kids. </p>
<p class="mynormal">If your child is into animals, integrate geography with this
interest. Look for videos online that talk about the animals in different
countries, and before and after watching the video, locate the country on a
globe or world map.</p>
<h4 class="myhead2" style="text-align: left;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People and cultures</h4>
<p class="mynormal">Although my parents subscribed to it for a while, I never
picked up a copy of National Geographic until I took a course in high school
where the teacher required the students to read and write a summary of an
article from the magazine every single week. And I loved it! I never realized
people lived so differently than I (yes, I lived a rather sheltered childhood –
but remember, this was before anybody thought of there being an Internet), and
I thoroughly enjoyed reading about all the different places and cultures. </p>
<p class="mynormal">If you enjoy National Geographic magazines, definitely strew
them about the house and your teenager may pick one up once in a while and skim
through an article or three. You can try reading them together, but they are
long and detailed and don’t really lend themselves to being read aloud. </p>
<p class="mynormal">There will be books in your library that cover different
people groups around the world. And then, there is…(drum roll,
please!)…YOUTUBE! In fact, you might integrate science, history, geography, and
cultural studies by finding several videos that are about one particular
country, but which each discuss the different facets of the country – flora and
fauna, interesting natural formations, major historical events that happened in
the country, and what the people are like. This could take up one full hour, or
you could spread it out over several days. </p>
<h4 class="myhead2" style="text-align: left;">Summing it all up</h4>
<p class="mynormal">The subject of social studies should not only not be boring,
but is relatively easy to make interesting. In addition, it is easily
integrated with other subject areas, something that will make your hour of
structured time more effective as far as making the information more relevant
and thus easier to retain for your child. </p>
<h3 class="myhead1" style="text-align: left;"><a name="chap8">Chapter Eight: The Universal Language</a></h3>
<p class="mynormal">“Music is the universal language and love is the key…” go the
lyrics to the classic song, “I Believe In Music.” But is believing in music
enough for your child to get what they need to know about it? How do you teach
music to your children? What if you can’t carry a tune in a bucket? No matter.
If you have Internet access and a nearby library, music should be an enjoyable,
maybe even exciting, subject for everyone in your family to study (and I use
that word loosely – if it feels like study, your child is unlikely to enjoy
it).</p>
<h4 class="myhead2" style="text-align: left;">It’s not all classical</h4>
<p class="mynormal">If you’ve read up on Classical homeschooling or the Charlotte
Mason method, you’ve likely gotten the impression that the only type of music
worth exposing your children to is classical music. Nothing can be further from
the truth!</p>
<p class="mynormal">I won’t downplay the beauty of orchestral music, or how
wonderful learning to pick out individual instruments in an orchestra is for
developing listening skills. I am aware of the studies that have been done on
how classical music positively affects brain function, and enjoy having some on
when I am drawing or just want to relax. </p>
<p class="mynormal">However, if you restrict your children to just this one type
of music, you are restricting their learning of different cultures. Music is,
after all, one of the defining elements of all the various cultures. Jazz and
blues music, for example, originated from the black American culture. Bluegrass
comes out of the mountains of southeastern states such as Kentucky and
Virginia. Rock and Roll comes from…uh…well, somewhere in California, maybe? No,
Detroit! Wait…Minneapolis?</p>
<p class="mynormal">Maybe that one’s a bad example. </p>
<p class="mynormal">But you get my drift. There’s Celtic music from Ireland,
mariachi music from Mexico, reggae music from Jamaica, polkas from Germany.
There are dozens, maybe even hundreds, of different genres of music. Everybody
doesn’t like every kind of music (I don’t care for blues or heavy metal, for
example), but most people like listening to a variety depending on their mood
and/or what they’re doing. </p>
<p class="mynormal">Have I convinced you to play a wide range of music for your
children? Great! So, let’s talk more about the actual educational aspect.</p>
<h4 class="myhead2" style="text-align: left;">Homeschooling music</h4>
<p class="mynormal">Two words: YouTube and Pandora. With YouTube, you can look up
specific genres of music, or particular songs, as you go. With Pandora, you can
either set up a station that will play a variety of different styles of music,
or set up a dozen stations, each of which plays a certain style. </p>
<p class="mynormal">Decide on two or three days a week that you are going to
invite your children to sit down and focus on some songs for fifteen minutes or
so. Choose a style of music to listen to, and listen. YouTube is great to start
with if you can find videos of real performances (as opposed to animations or
static lyric videos), because then your children can see what kind of
instruments are used in creating a particular style of music. </p>
<p class="mynormal">Want your child to learn the different instruments in an
orchestra? There are several on YouTube; simply do a search like, “orchestra
instruments” or “instrument families.”</p>
<p class="mynormal">Either way, after listening for a while, ask your children
what instruments they think they heard. How did the music make them feel? Did
they like this genre of music? Why or why not?</p>
<p class="mynormal">Young children will usually enjoy doing actions, like
fingerplays or silly dances, for child-oriented songs such as those based on
nursery rhymes. Encourage children of any age to move to the music if they
like, or draw a picture that goes along with the music. Consider strewing these
types of activities outside of your hour of structured time.</p>
<h4 class="myhead2" style="text-align: left;">Learning an instrument</h4>
<p class="mynormal">I don’t believe in forcing a child to learn to play an
instrument just because “it’s good for them.” However, if someone in your
family is musical so that you already have an instrument or three lying around,
and your child expresses an interest in learning how to play it, I believe you
should do what you can to fulfill that interest. Perhaps the family member who
plays can give them lessons. You may be able to afford a private music teacher.
Undoubtedly you will be able to find YouTube video beginner tutorials for a
wide variety of instruments.</p>
<p class="mynormal">What if there are no instruments in the house? Should you go
out and spend several hundred dollars on some for the sake of giving your child
the opportunity to get interested in them? No. Instead, take several field
trips a year to a music store. If a child doesn’t care about playing an
instrument, they’ll lose interest in the trips quickly. But if they do care,
you’ll probably know by the third or fourth trip. And whoever runs the music
store will probably be able to point you in the direction of finding a
second-hand instrument (craigslist, anyone?) and/or a teacher. If you cannot
find a local private tutor, make an appointment with the band or orchestra
teacher at the nearest high school and see if they’re interested in making some
extra money by tutoring your child.</p>
<h4 class="myhead2" style="text-align: left;">What about reading music, rhythm, and all that other stuff
they teach in school?</h4>
<p class="mynormal">Unless your child is planning on pursuing music as either a
hobby or a profession, there is no reason to put him through the torture of
learning to read music, or to teach him technicalities like beat versus rhythm.
If you think your child should at least know what a musical staff looks like,
and what all those black flag thingies (the notes) on the spaces and lines are,
then you can breeze through that in fifteen minutes. I’m sure there are
kid-oriented videos that explain the basics of sight reading online, as well.
But the fact is, even if a child waits until age fifteen to learn to play an
instrument, and has had no prior teaching of all the technical jargon or sight
reading, they will pick it up with relative ease once they begin taking
lessons.</p>
<p class="mynormal">In other words, don’t sweat it!</p>
<h4 class="myhead2" style="text-align: left;">Summing it all up</h4>
<p class="mynormal">Turn music into lessons, and you’ll turn children off. Even
children who love to sing may begin to lose their enthusiasm if their parents
turn it into a tedious subject. </p>
<p class="mynormal">Listen to different genres of music. Watch videos. Talk about
the instruments. Talk about the sounds. Dance. Clap. Draw or fingerpaint while
the music plays. </p>
<p class="mynormal">In other words, enjoy music with your child in authentic
ways, and don’t force them to sing or play an instrument unless and until they
want to. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<h3 class="myhead1" style="text-align: left;"><a name="chap9">Chapter Nine: Art You Glad You Can Draw?</a></h3>
<p class="mynormal">Art is similar to music, in that your child is going to be
drawn to it (pun not intended…I think), or not. They will have a natural gift
with it, or not. If they do, they will not need a lot of lessons to become
proficient with any particular medium. If they don’t, then they needn’t be forced
to learn all the nuances of pencil drawing, perspective, etc. Nor is it
necessary to go out and spend the equivalent of a mortgage payment on various
kinds of art media and materials. </p>
<h4 class="myhead2" style="text-align: left;">Teaching art to children who don’t care that much about it</h4>
<p class="mynormal">You know what I’m going to recommend first, right? Uh, no,
not YouTube. Not this time. One more guess?</p>
<p class="mynormal">Yep! The Core Knowledge® series. Each book contains a section
about art. They introduce some of the most famous artists and their paintings,
as well as discuss various styles of art. They also include activities to get
your child trying out different styles and media for themselves, but I
recommend only offering these activities as options. If your child really isn’t
interested in doing them, don’t force them to do them.</p>
<p class="mynormal">At our local library I found a resource that I like even
better than Core Knowledge® when it comes to teaching art. It’s a series of
books whose titles all go something like this: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">13 [SOMETHINGS] Children Should Know</i>. (See all titles at <a href="http://store.metmuseum.org/kids-books+media/the-complete-13-children-should-know-series-book-set/invt/80024770">http://store.metmuseum.org/kids-books+media/the-complete-13-children-should-know-series-book-set/invt/80024770</a>).
For example, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">13 Painters Children Should
Know</i> by Florian Heine. When I first checked that out of the library, my son
didn’t act too interested in it. But when we dug into it, he did get
interested, if not in the artists themselves, in some of the paintings. </p>
<p class="mynormal">This is one example of how relaxed homeschooling could be
more beneficial to a child than pure unschooling. Sometimes, giving a child a
firm nudge to look more closely at a topic can expand their interests and
provide them with a greater knowledge base than he would get if he were allowed
to say “no” to every suggestion you gave, sight unseen.</p>
<p class="mynormal">Whether you use Core Knowledge® or a series of books like the
one I just mentioned, do try to introduce your child to famous artists and
paintings, as well as other types of artwork such as sculptures and pottery.
This can be done in three or four ten-minute sessions every week, until your
child is either clearly done with the subject or you feel like you’ve covered
all your art bases. </p>
<p class="mynormal">Finally, have some basic art supplies on hand for experimentation:
Play-Doh<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">®</span> (or make your own), tempera paint, construction paper, a
sketch pad, crayons, markers, scissors, and glue. You could also have several
plastic storage containers with different craft supplies (save things like bottle
caps and popsicle sticks for this), along with thick paper (poster board, plain
cardboard), out on a table to encourage children to create crafty masterpieces.</p>
<p class="mynormal">If you have an older child (say, over ten years old) who is
clearly interested in learning more art media or refining her skills, you might
want to take a look at the book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Art Lab
For Kids</i> by Susan Schwake. It may be available at your local library, and
is also available in digital form. </p>
<p class="mynormal">And whatever your child’s interest level in art, there’s
always YouTube (you knew that was coming, right?), where you can watch a
documentary about famous paintings that have been stolen, tour some of the
world’s greatest art museums without leaving the comfort of your home, and
receive instruction in various styles of painting.</p>
<h4 class="myhead2" style="text-align: left;">Summing it all up</h4>
<p class="mynormal">Knowing things like who Vincent Van Gogh was, what the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mona Lisa</i> is, and what abstract art
looks like will make your child look smart when they grow up. So, help them
out. Give them the basics, but as always, keep it light and fun!</p>
<p class="centered">**********</p>
<p class="mynormal">By now, you should have a good idea on how to present
material in each of the major subject areas. If you start Happy Medium
Homeschooling when your child is four or five, by the time they are ten years
old they will have already picked up much of what is found in the scope and
sequence of a traditional school. In fact, they will have picked up even more,
because they will have been allowed the freedom to explore their own interests
for most of the day, thus having time to dig deeply into certain topics.</p>
<p class="mynormal">This makes planning the structured hour even easier. You can
get through all of the basic information in science, history, geography, and
the fine arts in two to three years, just spending fifteen or twenty minutes a
day on one or the other. You might delve into science for one week, then switch
to history, taking one day a week to talk about art. Or, you might go through
one subject in its entirety, and then move onto the next subject. </p>
<p class="mynormal">This means that by the time your child is in their early
teens, you may no longer have need of the hour of structured time. In that
case, as I stated earlier, welcome to the world-wide community of unschooling!
And remember that teenagers can get everything they need in the realm of “the 3
R’s” in about year, maybe two depending on how advanced they want to get.
Unless they are part of the small percentage of children with a real and severe
learning disability, they will need only a small amount of support and help
from you, if any, to become proficient in reading, writing, and ‘rithmetic.</p>
<p class="mynormal">Now I continue the book with two more chapters that cover two
more issues homeschoolers face.</p>
<p class="mynormal"> </p>
<h3 class="myhead1" style="text-align: left;"><a name="chap10">Chapter Ten: The Non-Issue Big Issue</a></h3>
<p class="mynormal">Just like the number one question non-vegans ask vegans is,
“How do you get your protein?”, the number one question that non-homeschooling
parents ask homeschooling parents is, “How do your children get socialized?”</p>
<p class="mynormal">If you are already homeschooling your children, you have
probably already worked through this issue. But if you are hovering on the
edge, it might be the deal-breaker for you. I know this because a few years
ago, I heard a podcaster tell her story of homeschooling her children for a
year, only to put them all back in school because her son was very social and
expressed that he missed his friends. </p>
<p class="mynormal">With all due respect, she was doing it wrong. But before I
get into how to do socialization right, I want to bust some myths about school
providing a good socialization experience for children.</p>
<h4 class="myhead2" style="text-align: left;">Myth #1: Kids best learn to socialize with other kids</h4>
<p class="mynormal">Fact: Kids are cruel. That is to say, they become cruel when
they have to spend all day trapped in a room with a bunch of other people their
same age whom they may not necessarily like, doing things that they don’t want
to do.</p>
<p class="mynormal">Back when we had first purchased five acres in the middle of
nowhere, I started to wonder how on earth I would ever find other kids for our
son to socialize with. I posed the question on a homesteading forum, and one
woman challenged me with her own question: are other kids the best kind of people
for our own children to be socializing with? She went on to gently point out
the fact that many children are not very nice. Even the children who are not
intentionally cruel pick up bad habits from others, habits like excluding other
children from their clique, using vulgar language, cheating, or fighting to
have their own way in games.</p>
<p class="mynormal">When I thought about my own elementary school experiences, I
realized she was right. I was bullied, picked on, and excluded by other
children. My only safe-haven was the classroom (and even that ceased to be safe
by the eighth grade). The playground, cafeteria, gym, and – worst of all –
school bus were a different story. </p>
<p class="mynormal">I didn’t learn to socialize in school because I learned early
on that many other children were cruel.</p>
<h4 class="myhead2" style="text-align: left;">Myth #2: The school situation allows for many opportunities to
socialize.</h4>
<p class="mynormal">Fact: The school schedule provides very limited time every
day for children to socialize. </p>
<p class="mynormal">I taught in a school for thirteen years. Trust me. It is not
the ideal place for socialization. At lunch, the kids have so little time to
eat by the time they get through the cafeteria line that they have to focus on
eating. They don’t have much time to talk to their friends. </p>
<p class="mynormal">The recess afterwards – if there are any schools any more
that allow time for recess – only lasts about fifteen minutes. Even
Kindergarteners aren’t allowed to have snack time anymore, and even when it
still existed, again, that was time to eat, not talk. </p>
<p class="mynormal">How about working in small groups or centers? Thanks to
school curriculum focusing on standardized tests nowadays, the rare
non-Kindergarten classroom that has centers is mostly academically-focused and
does not allow for much authentic interaction between students. Neither does
small group work, which is about discussing whatever topic or solving whatever
problem the teacher has assigned. Again, little authentic interaction happens
in these situations. </p>
<h4 class="myhead2" style="text-align: left;">Myth #3: “I enjoyed my friends at school, so my child(ren)
will, too.”</h4>
<p class="mynormal">Admit it: if you were a social butterfly at school, you were
probably constantly getting in trouble for it. Is that what you want for your
child? </p>
<p class="mynormal">And children often have very different personalities than
their parents. Just because you’re a life-of-the-party extrovert does not mean
that your child should be. </p>
<p class="mynormal">And, back to the social butterfly getting into trouble thing,
the typical classroom is not friendly toward children who are naturally
inclined to converse and chat. Children are expected to be quiet and listen to
the teacher, or be quiet and work. Talking is by and large discouraged. </p>
<h4 class="myhead2" style="text-align: left;">Myth #4: Socialization is a good thing.</h4>
<p class="mynormal">Milk is pasteurized and homogenized. People living in or near
certain countries are often terrorized. Look at that word ending, -<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ize.</i> It means that something is being
done to something (or someone)…<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>by force</u></b>.
So children who are being <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">socialized, </i>are
being forced to be social. </p>
<p class="mynormal">How is this a good thing? Do children really learn to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">BE SOCIAL </b>by being <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">socialized</i>? Maybe some do. But is it the optimum way to teach
children to learn to get along with others? Is it the most effective way?</p>
<h4 class="myhead2" style="text-align: left;">How homeschooled children learn to be social</h4>
<p class="mynormal">There are a variety of ways that homeschooled children learn
to get along with others, and practice their social skills. </p>
<p class="mynormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">*1. They interact with
their siblings. </b></p>
<p class="mynormal">Many homeschooled children are a part of families that have
three or more children. While they are sometimes close in age, they may also be
anywhere from two to seven years apart in age, even more. There is nothing
warped about learning to become social by practicing with family members.</p>
<p class="mynormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">*2. They interact with
their parents. </b></p>
<p class="mynormal">Yes, parents count. Especially if parents back off the role
as authority figures and most of the time treat their children as they would
treat a friend. Caring adults provide better role models than children in
certain aspects, such as how to respond to adverse circumstances or how to
delay gratification, simply because their brains are fully mature. They will
also not name-call or otherwise make the child feel degraded or unworthy. </p>
<p class="mynormal">Of course, parents have more experience and a wider knowledge
base than children, so they contribute to children’s learning during
conversations. Just remember – your child probably can also contribute to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">your</i> knowledge base, too!</p>
<p class="mynormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">*3. They interact with
other homeschoolers.</b></p>
<p class="mynormal">This is where I think that podcaster fell short. If you live
in any decent-sized city – say, with a population of at least 100K (even less
if you’re in an area where homeschooling is a popular choice among parents) –
there will be at least one group designed to get homeschoolers together on a
regular basis. Even if the group only meets once a week at a park, you can
connect with other homeschooling parents and arrange to meet on additional
days. </p>
<p class="mynormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">*4. They interact in
the community. </b></p>
<p class="mynormal">Homeschooled children do not spend all day, every day,
sitting around at home. When Mom has to go to the dentist, they go with her.
They go to the grocery store. The nearby shopping strip with a UPS store and
hairstylist place. They go to the library, probably with some frequency. </p>
<p class="mynormal">And who do they find at all these places? Other people,
probably adults, of all ages, ethnicities, sizes, and beliefs. They learn to
accept differences among people. They learn how to talk politely to strangers
and acquaintances. They learn how to make small talk.</p>
<p class="mynormal">And as they learn, they become more confident in their
communication skills. As that happens, they open up even more to others – both
children and adults – about what they’re learning, about their opinion on a
certain issue, and so on. </p>
<p class="mynormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">*5. They interact with
schooled children.</b></p>
<p class="mynormal">If you live in a town or city, you likely also have a few
other families in your subdivision or on your street. If you have a
socially-inclined child who is homeschooled, there is no law against them
getting together with their neighbors after school hours. This, plus two or
three gatherings a week with other homeschoolers – or field trips where they
have ample opportunity to talk to adults – will allow for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">more </i>social activity than the average school-going child ever has.</p>
<h4 class="myhead2" style="text-align: left;">Summing it all up</h4>
<p class="mynormal">Children who go to school do not have more opportunity to interact
with others than homeschooled children. In fact, much of that “socialization”
includes bullying, exclusion from cliques, and learning disrespectful behaviors
and language. They don’t learn how to interact with people of different ages. </p>
<p class="mynormal">Homeschooled children, on the other hand, have many more
opportunities to authentically engage with people of all ages and from all
walks of life than do schooled children. If they don’t, it’s only because their
parents aren’t trying.</p>
<p class="mynormal"> </p>
<h3 class="myhead1" style="text-align: left;"><a name="chap11">Chapter Eleven: How To Never Have A Bad
Homeschooling Day</a></h3>
<p class="mynormal">I present this brief chapter to help you relax about days
when things go awry.</p>
<p class="mynormal">Some things that can cause a bad homeschooling day:</p>
<p class="mynormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>You didn’t get enough sleep.</p>
<p class="mynormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Your child didn’t get enough sleep.</p>
<p class="mynormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>You or your child, or both, is sick. (I will include
moderate to severe P.M.S. symptoms here. ;) )</p>
<p class="mynormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>A big weather change. </p>
<p class="mynormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Upcoming new moon or full moon. </p>
<p class="mynormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Mercury retrograde starting in a few days. </p>
<p class="mynormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Serious excitement over a fast-approaching
special event, such as a holiday or vacation trip.</p>
<p class="mynormal">Some things that happen on a bad homeschooling day:</p>
<p class="mynormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Your child is whiny or uncharacteristically
belligerent.</p>
<p class="mynormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">You</i>
are whiny or uncharacteristically belligerent. </p>
<p class="mynormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Your child is behaving sillier than usual and is
having more trouble concentrating than usual.</p>
<p class="mynormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>One or both of you is acting particularly clumsy
(and this is not normal).</p>
<p class="mynormal">Some choices for you on a bad homeschooling day:</p>
<p class="mynormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: 94.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Cancel the structured hour and let your child
play all day.</p>
<p class="mynormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: 94.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Snuggle up together on the couch and read aloud
to your child.</p>
<p class="mynormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: 94.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Try starting your structured hour a couple of
hours later than usual.</p>
<p class="mynormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: 94.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Let your child play educational video games. </p>
<p class="mynormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: 94.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Watch “educational” videos.</p>
<p class="mynormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: 94.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Forget any formal education and call it an
entertainment day and crack out a favorite movie. </p>
<p class="mynormal">Many homeschooling parents plow through difficult days,
stressing out both themselves and their children. They ignore one of the great
benefits of homeschooling: the flexibility. I don’t know about you, but I would
prefer never to have a bad homeschooling day. A day off once in a while is good
and fun, and we can always catch up later. </p>
<h3 class="myhead1" style="text-align: left;"><a name="zconclusion">Conclusion: Happy Medium Homeschooling In
The Real World</a></h3>
<p class="mynormal">By this time, you’re in one of three places. One, you doubt
the Happy Medium Homeschooling method can work, and want to look into other
alternatives. That’s fine, and I wish you well. Most homeschooling families
experiment with several different methods or philosophies before settling on
one. </p>
<p class="mynormal">Two, you’re convinced that Happy Medium Homeschooling is the
direction you want to lead your children toward. In that case, hooray! Glad I
could help.</p>
<p class="mynormal">Three, you believe this homeschooling method sounds good, and
you want to try it, but you’re not sure how to make it work with your clan. I
understand. This chapter is for you.</p>
<h4 class="myhead2" style="text-align: left;">What about us?</h4>
<p class="mynormal">(As you read the following, remember that this pertains to when our son was younger.) <br /></p><p class="mynormal">No doubt you’ve been wondering what Happy Medium
Homeschooling looks like in our family. Well, it truly is “almost unschooling,”
as the structured time is down to around a half hour per day. That’s because as
I write these words, my son has hit his teens and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in earlier years already went over much of the
basics. For example, we’ve gone through all four volumes of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Story Of The World, </i>some of them two
or three times. My son has learned the math basics. We’ve also dabbled in the
Core Knowledge<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">®</span> books. Our main focus these days, because he’s dyslexic,
is to have him practice reading (he won’t do it on his own) and writing. While
he reads, he learns geography and history. I also cover math that he’ll need to
know in his everyday adult life. </p>
<p class="mynormal">The rest of the day he is free to play and work on his own
projects. My husband and I are available to be with him or help him as needed,
but much of the day he is happy to be on his own. </p>
<p class="mynormal">That’s our Happy Medium Homeschooling life in a nutshell. But
you likely have more than one child. And if you’re just starting out, you
probably want a better idea of the hour of structured time. What might this
homeschooling method look like in your family? To answer that question, let’s
visit the Smith family. They are fictional, but a realistic representation of
what relaxed homeschooling often looks like. Glancing through a description of
their current homeschooling life will help you catch the vision of Happy Medium
Homeschooling.</p>
<h4 class="myhead2" style="text-align: left;">A week in the life of the Smiths</h4>
<p class="mynormal">Jimmy, fourteen, usually does what he wants to do for the
entire day. He learned how to read a couple of years ago and uses his skill to
read a mix of sci-fi and graphic novels. But he’s just gotten interested in
learning how to write compositions, because he loves classic cars and wants to
start a blog about them. And so he joins in on the ten-minute writer’s
workshops his mother runs every morning for his younger brother, Jack, and his
younger sister, Jane. The day before, outside of the structured hour, all three
of them write at least a paragraph about anything they like. Then, the next
day, they bring their writing to their mother. She spends two or three days
teaching one punctuation or grammar rule, using their writing as examples and
helping them make corrections. </p>
<p class="mynormal">After the brief writing lesson, Jimmy does a variety of
things: reads novels, reads websites and watches online videos about cars and
car mechanics, reads online about how to create a blog, plays video games with
gamer friends, shoots baskets or rides bikes with one or more of his
neighborhood friends. He eventually plans to take a few math courses via Khan
Academy so that he can pass the test to get his G.E.D., as he wants to take
some classes at his community college in a few years. </p>
<p class="mynormal">After the writer’s workshop, the rest of the structured hour
time – with Jack, 11, and Jane, 8 – goes something like this:</p>
<p class="mynormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY:</b>
For the first ten minutes, Mrs. Smith reads picture books or children’s poetry
while tracking the words with her fingers. Sometimes Jack and Jane take a turn
reading.</p>
<p class="mynormal">The last ten minutes – if they haven’t already been used up
by another activity – are what Mrs. Smith calls “your choice” time. Jack and
Jane alternate taking turns choosing a learning activity. Sometimes, it’s
playing another math game. Often, it’s reading another book together, or
finding a video on YouTube about something that has recently sparked their
interest. </p>
<p class="mynormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">MONDAY, WEDNESDAY,
FRIDAY:</b> After the ten minutes of shared reading as described above, Mrs.
Smith reads fifteen minutes from a non-fiction book, based on the concepts
presented in the Core Knowledge® series. Then, they play a math game for fifteen
minutes. </p>
<p class="mynormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">TUESDAY AND THURSDAY:</b>
In lieu of listening to or reading non-fiction books and playing math games,
they watch 30 minutes of YouTube videos, either about interesting math concepts
and/or related to what they’re reading about that week in the non-fiction
books. </p>
<p class="mynormal">Despite that Jane is not yet ten years old, she has
participated with the structured hour since she was seven. One reason is that,
as young as she is, she wants to spend a lot of time with her mother. Another
reason is that she wants to know everything her older brothers do – and enjoys
learning the skills and information, as well. </p>
<p class="mynormal">After the structured hour, she does a lot of other things
with her mother throughout the rest of the day. They usually do extra reading
together, often cook or bake something, and may do a craft together. Jane reads
a lot of pre-teen chapter books and writes her own stories. Her two closest
friends go to school, so she usually spends time with them after school and on
weekends. But she and Jack are part of a local homeschooling playgroup which
meets twice a week for an hour and a half, and they have friends in that group
that they will play with on the days that they want to go.</p>
<p class="mynormal">Jack, who is just learning to read, sometimes persuades Jimmy
to sit down with him and read his graphic novels to him. Jimmy tracks the words
with his finger, as his mother does, so that Jack learns new words every week
from this activity. Jack is also into playing video games and watching YouTube
videos about animals and other aspects of nature. At least three times a week,
he takes his skateboard out in the late afternoon and skateboards with his
schooled skateboarding buddies. </p>
<p class="mynormal">When the weather is nice, the younger children will sometimes
play for a couple of hours in the backyard. Mrs. Smith usually does her grocery
shopping after the homeschool playdates, and encourages Jane and Jack not only
to find certain foods, but also to compare the prices of different brands,
weigh out produce, and even use cash to pay for the groceries. </p>
<p class="mynormal">On not-so-nice days when most everyone is feeling “blah”,
Mrs. Smith will suggest that they have a “movie afternoon.” Even Jimmy usually
joins in the movie-watching fun. Mrs. Smith also uses afternoons to “strew”
music by finding videos that demonstrate a particular music genre and inviting
her younger children to watch and listen to them with her. </p>
<p class="mynormal">In addition, the family takes monthly weekend trips to
different places that provide different experiences, such as museums,
aquariums, petting zoos, and state parks. They also visit nearby family
members. </p>
<h2 class="myhead2" style="text-align: left;">Conclusion</h2>
<p class="mynormal">If you remember nothing else from this book, remember these
two things: first, children learn the most by being given the freedom to play
and pursue their own interests. Second, whatever you want your children to
learn, present it in the most engaging, relevant manner possible. </p>
<p class="mynormal">Following is a list of resources that will help
you on your way. </p><h4 class="myhead1" style="text-align: left;">Resources</h4>
<p class="mynormal">**The <a href="https://pridereadingprogram.com/ref/47">PRIDE
Reading Program</a> was written with an eye on helping dyslexic children.
However, it’s great for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">any</i> child,
especially for spelling. Even children who learn to read at an early age
without much instruction can benefit from its explicit, step-by-step method of
teaching spelling rules. <a href="https://pridereadingprogram.com/ref/47">Click
here </a>to check out the program. The link is an affiliate referral link, but
you won’t pay any more for the materials by using it. If you appreciate the
information in this book/on my blog and would therefore like to support me, I’d
appreciate you using the link. <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span></p>
<p class="mynormal">**The Core Knowledge® series of books, edited by Ed Hirsch.
Remember to ignore the grade levels on the titles. If the series is not
available in your local library, request that they purchase it. If you want
your own set, it is likely available at any of the big online booksellers.</p>
<p class="mynormal">**The CK-12 Foundation series of textbooks, which go from the
elementary to high school levels. You can download them for free from Amazon.</p>
<p class="mynormal">**<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dumbing Us Down</i>
by John Taylor Gatto.</p>
<p class="mynormal">**Any book by John Holt. </p>
<p class="mynormal">**<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Free To Learn</i> by
Peter Gray.</p>
<p class="mynormal">**The “Free School” channel on YouTube. The woman who runs
this channel has created and uploaded dozens of well-made videos on various
topics for children between the ages of four and twelve. The videos include
readings of classic poems and Aesop fables; famous classical music pieces;
information about animals, the fifty states (of the U.S.), constellations, and
other science and social studies related topics; some math skills such as symmetry
and basic division; and more. Here’s the URL to the channel: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/watchfreeschool">https://www.youtube.com/user/watchfreeschool</a></p>
<p class="mynormal">**Khan Academy, which provides free courses in all the major
subject areas, from elementary to high school. Here’s the URL to the home page
of the website:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="https://www.khanacademy.org/">https://www.khanacademy.org/</a></p>
<p class="centered">**********</p>
<h4 class="myhead2" style="text-align: left;">Unschooling resources.</h4>
<p class="mynormal">I provide the following links because even if you decide
never to unschool, understanding as much as you can about how children
naturally learn will relieve you from the burdens that the conventional
homeschooling community would put upon you. </p>
<p class="mynormal">**<a href="http://unschoolingsupport.com">http://unschoolingsupport.com</a>
Listen to Amy’s podcasts, which are mostly all under seventeen minutes long.</p>
<p class="mynormal">**<a href="http://unschooling.org">http://unschooling.org</a>
Not a lot there, but the author of the blog provides basic info about the
unschooling philosophy/lifestyle.</p>
<p class="mynormal">**<a href="http://christianunschooling.com">http://christianunschooling.com</a></p>
<p class="mynormal">**<a href="http://storiesofanunschoolingfamily.com">http://storiesofanunschoolingfamily.com</a>
An Australian family, that is. Check out Sue’s podcast. Some are very
informational and encouraging.</p>
<p class="mynormal">**<a href="http://sandradodd.com">http://sandradodd.com</a>
Sandra is considered the unschooling online pioneer.</p>
<p class="mynormal">**<a href="http://livingjoyfully.ca">http://livingjoyfully.ca</a>
Another great source of podcasts about unschooling from an unschooling mom
whose children are now grown. Pam’s (Canadian) voice is easy on the ears, and
she does a great job drawing out a lot of helpful information from her guests. </p>
<p class="centered">***********</p>
<h4 class="myhead2" style="text-align: left;">My two math books. </h4>
<p class="mynormal">Find <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Kindergarten Story
Math</i> here: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1543052177/">https://www.amazon.com/dp/1543052177/</a></p>
<p class="mynormal">Find <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Multiplication Is Fun!(and
division is delightful)</i> here: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1541261879">www.amazon.com/dp/1541261879</a></p>
<p class="centered">**********</p>
<h4 class="myhead2" style="text-align: left;">Spelling rules.</h4>
<p class="mynormal">Blends: A blend is two or more consonants, each making its
own sound: sl, br, sp, spr, spl...<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="mynormal">Blends can be at the beginning, end, or beginning and end of
a word.</p>
<p class="mynormal">Digraphs: A digraph is two consonants making just one sound:
sh, wh, ch, th, ck</p>
<p class="mynormal">Digraph Blend: A digraph blend consists of a consonant next
to a digraph: shr, nch, nth….</p>
<p class="mynormal">Closed Syllable:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One
vowel “closed in” at the end by one or more letters. If closed, the vowel sound
is short. The breve (teacup) shows the short sound:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a (apple), e (eddy), i (itchy), o (olive), u
(upper).</p>
<p class="mynormal">FLOSS Rule:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If a word
has only one vowel and ends in f, l, s, or z, double the last letter. (A
doubled floss letter is not a blend.) Exceptions: gas, bus, and yes</p>
<p class="mynormal">ALL:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A unit. (Group of
3 letters at the end of a word making an unusual sound.)</p>
<p class="mynormal">The /a/ sound is not the /a/pple sound. ALL, OLL (The only
word spelled with oll is DOLL.</p>
<p class="mynormal">KISS THE CAT RULE:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Spell /k/ with a c whenever you can (CAT). When you can’t spell /k/ with
a c because a watch out vowel is the next letter (KISS), spell it with a k.
(Watch out vowels are e, i, y.)</p>
<p class="mynormal">MILK TRUCK RULE:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
/k/ sound at the end of a word with only one vowel will never be a C. The only
time you use CK is right after a short vowel. Otherwise spell it K.</p>
<p class="mynormal">Words that end in /kt/ are always spelled ct.</p>
<p class="mynormal"> </p>
<p class="mynormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="mynormal"> </p>
<p class="mynormal">ING, INK units: Units are groups of 3 letters that appear at
the end of a word and make a slightly different sound as a group, than they
would individually. NONE of these units has an E.</p>
<p class="mynormal">CATCH LUNCH RULE:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
only time you use tch is right after a short vowel.</p>
<p class="mynormal">*****EXCEPTIONS to the rule: SUCH, MUCH, RICH, AND WHICH</p>
<p class="mynormal">Contractions:</p>
<p class="mynormal">*Change the second word.</p>
<p class="mynormal">*Leave out the first vowel and anything in front of it.</p>
<p class="mynormal">*Put in an apostrophe or “flying comma”.</p>
<p class="mynormal">*Squish</p>
<p class="mynormal">**The Weirdos: not (n’t), would (‘d), let us (let’s), and
will not (won’t)</p>
<p class="mynormal">Kind Old Units: Group of 3 letters that make an unusual sound
and which always come at the end of a word. The vowel says its own name (long
vowel sound).</p>
<p class="mynormal">OLL, OLD, OLT, OST (except lost, frost, cost), ILD, IND </p>
<p class="mynormal">Open Syllables: A vowel not closed in at the end of a single
syllable word is its long sound: FLU, PRO</p>
<p class="mynormal">Long /i/ at the end, spell with Y.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Exception: HI (short for hello)</p>
<p class="mynormal">Long /u/ has 2 sounds: /ee-oo/ or /oo/</p>
<p class="mynormal">Multi-syllable words DO NOT follow the FLOSS RULE.</p>
<p class="mynormal">Cry Baby: Y says /eye/ in a one-syllable word like CRY, and
says /ee/ in a multi-syllable word like BABY.</p>
<p class="mynormal">Italian words can end in I, but not American words.</p>
<p class="mynormal">Y usually comes at the end of a word.</p>
<p class="mynormal">Usually spell SEE at end of multi-syllable word -CY. (Nancy)</p>
<p class="mynormal">Music Trick:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>/ick/ at
the end of a multi-syllable word is always IC.</p>
<p class="mynormal">Picnic Chicken Basket: Use this sequence; stop at the first
one that works.</p>
<p class="mynormal">C ~ Spell /k/ with a C whenever you can.</p>
<p class="mynormal">CK ~ the only time you use CK is right after a short vowel.</p>
<p class="mynormal">K</p>
<p class="mynormal">Happy: Short vowels must be closed.</p>
<p class="mynormal">If you can’t hear anything closing it off, double the next
sound you can hear.</p>
<p class="mynormal">Almost All: ALL only needs two L’s when it’s at the end.</p>
<p class="mynormal">Campus Confess: If the last syllable ends in S and is
accented (lasts the longest) double the S.</p>
<p class="mynormal">In most two-syllable words, the first syllable is accented.</p>
<p class="mynormal">EX: If a syllable says /eks/ spell it EX. NEVER e-x-s. No
word starts with e-g-s or e-g-g-s.</p>
<p class="mynormal">If EX plus a vowel, it says /egz/.</p>
<p class="mynormal">If EX plus a consonant, it says /eks/.</p>
<p class="mynormal">Schwa: On the syllable that is not accented (usually the
last). In dictionary shown with an upside-down E.</p>
<p class="mynormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo6; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>To allow us to talk faster, the vowel in an
unaccented syllable says /uh/. Only one syllable in a word is accented. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="mynormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo6; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Closed A’s or O’s<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Texas Blossom)</p>
<p class="mynormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo6; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Any vowel-L<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>(Cancel Pencil)</p>
<p class="mynormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo6; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Open A’s<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>(Banana)</p>
<p class="mynormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo6; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>A at the end of a word (never accented)</p>
<p class="mynormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo6; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Usually A by itself at beginning of a word
(adopt)</p>
<p class="mynormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo6; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>A is the only vowel that changes to Schwa when
it’s open.</p>
<p class="mynormal"> </p>
<p class="mynormal"></p>
<p class="mynormal"> </p>
<p class="mynormal">Banana Rule: ANY unaccented Open A will change to Schwa.
(Banana, Canada)</p>
<p class="mynormal">Accented syllables never change~they are pronounced just like
they look, and spelled just like they sound.</p>
<p class="mynormal">Confident: Open I’s or E’s in the middle syllable (of 3 or
more syllables) make their short sound.</p>
<p class="mynormal">A word can follow both the Confident and Banana Rule (a
closed-A that changes to Schwa).</p>
<p class="mynormal">Vowel Team: Two vowels, side-by-side, making one sound: AY,
EE, OW, OE, EW, UE<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="mynormal">Long vowel sounds at the end are spelled with Vowel
Teams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Never split a vowel team.</p>
<p class="mynormal">A Vowel Team never changes to Schwa.</p>
<p class="mynormal">Long-E~ Y is the most common spelling of /ee/at the end of
multi-syllable words.</p>
<p class="mynormal">EE (usually at the end of one-syllable words) always says
/ee/.</p>
<p class="mynormal">Only one-syllable words having to do with people use E: He,
She, We, Be.</p>
<p class="mynormal">Long-A at the end is spelled AY. (Y is only allowed at the
end of a word.)</p>
<p class="mynormal">Long-I at the end should be spelled with Y no matter how many
syllables it has. (multiply, July)</p>
<p class="mynormal">Long-O at the end is spelled OW (most common) or O. OE only
occurs at the end of 8 one-syllable words: Joe, doe, floe, foe, hoe, throe,
toe, woe.</p>
<p class="mynormal">Long-U at the end is spelled EW or UE. Some words are spelled
both ways (blue, blew).</p>
<p class="mynormal">American words do not end in U.</p>
<p class="mynormal">W is never a vowel by itself. When it follows a vowel, it is
a Vowel Team: OW, EW, AW.</p>
<p class="mynormal">Vowel Teams used at the beginning or in the middle of a word:
AI, EE, OA.</p>
<p class="mynormal">Never split a Vowel Team when dividing into syllables.</p>
<p class="mynormal">In multi-syllable words, spell a Long vowel with an Open
syllable whenever you can. When you can’t use a Vowel Team.</p>
<p class="mynormal">EE is the only Vowel Team that can be used at the beginning,
middle, or end.</p><br /><p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
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<![endif]--></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-650832974046644208.post-85580120215138264222022-05-01T07:03:00.009-07:002022-05-01T07:03:00.174-07:00I didn't know they were THIS hardy!<p>Anyone who's been vegetable gardening for more than a couple of years has a good handle on some of the hardier plants. They include many herbs, such as oregano, parsley, and peppermint. They include certain greens, such as kale, Swiss chard, and corn lettuce. Some are hardy because of their resistant to below-freezing temperature. Some are drought-hardy. Some are both. <br /><br />But of all the types of plants that come back year after year, regardless of how cold the winter, regardless of how little water they get, one type of plant you never hear about surviving very long: fruit-bearing plants that have been confined in a container whose soil has been allowed to dry up. <br /><br />But I recently discovered differently. I recently discovered that strawberry plants, grown in containers, can miraculously come back to life after being completely neglected during a drought.<br /><br />As a last ditch effort to protect our strawberries from being eaten by rodents, I had my husband build long boxes several feet off the ground. He lined them with leftover pond liner and filled them with potting soil, then planted in brand-new strawberry plants.<br />Being new plants, and in disease-free soil, the theory was that they wouldn't get anthracnose. However, the plants must have contracted the fungus in the nursery, because the very first berries they bore showed signs of the disease. <br /><br />I was ready to give up on them by June. But I had my husband continue to water them. Because maybe if we started spraying early the next spring, we'd be able to keep the anthracnose at bay, at least until we harvested a few pints of berries.<br /><br />However, we're off the water grid, and most of last year any rain that was forecast went around us. The water in the small pond he was using for the strawberries disappeared much more quickly than it had since my husband first dug it out. <br /><br />I regretted putting the plants in containers, because strawberry roots in the ground can survive a drought. Not so when they're in a container. You can even see the new shoots from last summer and fall that tried to get to the ground, and didn't make it, that they eventually dried up.<br /><br />Of course, that was going to happen to the plants in the boxes, as well. <br /><br />Or, so I thought. Because that's what the gardening gurus say. And, indeed, by the time autumn arrived, every single leaf had dried to a crisp. I was certain that the roots had dried up and died, too. A few of the new shoots made it to the ground, rooted in in time, and survived. But many of the shoots dried up before they could find their way into the soil.<br /><br />Well, watch the video below and look at the strawberry plants now. </p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="317" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8GpcDbP418c" width="481" youtube-src-id="8GpcDbP418c"></iframe></div><br /><p></p><p>Check out the green leaves. The flowers. The baby strawberries. Granted, since the two sleet storms in February, we've been getting more or less the amount of precipitation that is normal for this area. Still, that usually hasn't amounted to more than an inch a week. Not nearly enough for containers, especially for the ones on the bottom, and sometimes it's been ten days between rain showers. <br /><br />Turns out, strawberry roots can survive a certain amount of drought. And the actual plants don't need nearly as much water as we thought in order to bear fruit. Of course, they'll produce more and better quality fruit if they get water on a regular basis, so we're going to start taking care of the plants. We've even begun a natural fungicide regimen that we hope will delay, if not prevent, the anthracnose that always has ended up ruining more than half our potential crop. <br /><br />And after the plants are finished bearing fruit for the season? We're not going to water them nearly as much as we have been. Just enough to keep the roots alive, and at least some of the leaves green. <br /><br />As for the ones growing in the ground? I'll never worry about them again. <br /><br />Happy strawberry gardening. And remember: the gurus don't always get everything right.<br /><br /><br /><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-650832974046644208.post-57818826237650749632022-04-29T06:57:00.004-07:002022-04-30T14:52:11.588-07:00One Of My Favorite Spring Delights: The Hummingbird Moth!<p> "Hummingbird moth."</p><p>That's what I said to myself when I first saw this most peculiar insect that I'd never seen before. Initially, I thought the thing was actually a hummingbird. It hovered and zoomed from flower to flower, its wings going a thousand miles a second. But as small as hummingbirds are, this creature was even smaller. And the coloring wasn't right.</p><p><i>And, wait a minute, that's not a beak. That's a proboscis, like what butterflies have! Except, it's body is large and furry, like a moth.</i></p><p>After watching not one, but several of them, enjoy the nectar of some wildflowers, I went inside and searched online for "hummingbird moth." Of course, that couldn't be the actual name of the insect. But since it made sense, I was sure I wasn't the first person to so dub it as such. Thus, I was sure that someone would have used the term in an article that revealed its proper name.</p><p>Lo and behold, I was wrong. </p><p>I mean, I was right. I was wrong that I wasn't right about its name. Because - drum roll, please - "hummingbird moth" is the common name for that interesting critter! </p><p>Though I was raised in a rural area, I'd never seen or heard of one until we moved onto our rural property eight years ago. That year, there seemed to be plenty, though we only saw them for about a week. Every year since, they've proven to be a rare sighting. I've seen up to three on separate days during the first week of April. The past year or two, I didn't see any at all.</p><p>Then came this year. Are hummingbird moths like cicadas, having a major hatch-out every so many years? Or have we seen so many because of our relatively new cherry tree, one of the moth's favorite place to lay eggs?</p><p>Whatever the case, this entire month (April 2022) we've seen numerous of these fascinating insects every day. Only now, as May quickly approaches, is their population decreasing. </p><p>They've been a delight, and I'll miss seeing them around. But I can always watch the following video if I get to missing them too painfully.</p><p>If you've never seen a hummingbird moth, or rarely, you might like to watch the video, too. :)</p><p>(Interesting side note: in the video, the wings don't blur nearly as much as they do when you're watching them in real life.) <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="320" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/E_y9rH-R6Ew" width="391" youtube-src-id="E_y9rH-R6Ew"></iframe></div><br /><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-650832974046644208.post-31442580559920122402022-04-26T13:02:00.000-07:002022-04-26T13:02:11.826-07:00Easy To Grow Vegetables For First Time Gardener, Part Two<p> In <a href="https://emilyhomesteader.blogspot.com/2022/04/easy-to-grow-vegetables-for-first-time.html" target="_blank">part one of Easy To Grow Vegetables For First Time Gardener</a>, I explain how to grow lettuce, kale, and potatoes (grown in mulch). A beginning gardener should start slowly and small if they want success, if they want to feel competent in their gardening endeavors. And those three crops make success with growing your own food an easy achievement.<br /><br />Which vegetables should you try growing once you've got those three down? How about beans, cherry tomatoes, Egyptian (walking) onions, squash, and cucumbers?<br /><br />Remember that the soil should be enriched with organic material before you begin. And, except for the onions, all of the crops I'm going to discuss in this article require six hours of sun per day.<br /><br />Also except for the onions, they will be killed by even a slight freeze (frost tender), so plant them out a week or two after the last average frost date for your area.<br /><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Beans.</h2><p>Bush beans. Pole beans. Chinese long beans. Dried beans.<br /><br />There is a variety of bean for everyone, and none of them require much more than proper watering, correct spacing, and a little pest control to get them producing so much that you risk getting tired of picking beans! They also are beneficial to the garden soil, as well. Legume plants – namely, beans, peas and lentils – fix nitrogen into the soil, helping feed the other plants growing near them.<br /><br />I'm going to focus on green beans here, though the principles of growing them generally apply to all types of beans.<br /><br />First of all, in my experience it's easier to grow bush beans in the north, and pole beans in the South. Pole beans seem to take the heat a little better, and I haven't had the pest problems on my pole beans as I have with bush beans.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkqqgLo888tF02TbpGWJZevJFmrTq0KEopaW6vhJfVR_meouCZVokBPvMXd8Ykij7GQbN0Eap7uJL2IdPsNfJqt4Kp4KuXQlEbBpu9dgLpYtsblfJgT_z1OW6CUb2r8qoSRcihR6vqRl5ap3v6-3jDEkN6av7ImuRzdCQAIRNRwIiwdCXYHGm1y_hkeA/s666/photo1_easy_vegetables_first_time_part2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="666" data-original-width="500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkqqgLo888tF02TbpGWJZevJFmrTq0KEopaW6vhJfVR_meouCZVokBPvMXd8Ykij7GQbN0Eap7uJL2IdPsNfJqt4Kp4KuXQlEbBpu9dgLpYtsblfJgT_z1OW6CUb2r8qoSRcihR6vqRl5ap3v6-3jDEkN6av7ImuRzdCQAIRNRwIiwdCXYHGm1y_hkeA/w480-h640/photo1_easy_vegetables_first_time_part2.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pole bean growing up PVC pipe in raised bed.<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br />That said, I've read that you can prevent the Mexican bean beetle on bush beans and the Colorado potato beetle on potatoes if you interplant bush beans and potatoes together. That's an experiment I might try one day.<br /><br />If you're using the Square Foot Garden method of spacing, the SFG gurus will tell you that you can plant nine bush beans in a square foot. In my experience, that's too many. Four or five per square foot allows the plants much more room to breathe, and diminishes their risk of getting a fungal disease (which, by the way, I don't think I've ever seen on my pole beans).<br /><br />If you're planting pole beans, they need something at least six feet long to climb up. A cheap and easy thing to do would be to push short sticks into the ground, three or four inches apart, then on each stick, tie one end of a six-foot long piece of string. Pull the string tightly at an upward slope and tie the other end to the top of a fence post, tree branch, or trellis that you're using to support other vegetables. The pole beans will wind themselves around the string as they grow.<br /><br />Otherwise, stick some kind of six-foot-tall pole in the ground, one per bean. Space the poles three to four inches apart and plant each bean seed right next to the pole.<br /><br />Most beans require regular watering. When the top two inches of soil are dry, they need water. This isn't true for all beans, however. For example, I know from personal experience that both mung beans and Chinese long beans are highly drought-tolerant. When we have several weeks of 95+-degree temperatures (that's Fahrenheit) and no rain, I've only needed to give these kinds of plants about a half gallon of water each once a week (even once every other week).<br /><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Cherry tomatoes.<br /></h2><p>It might surprise you to see tomatoes in a list of easy to grow vegetables for beginners in the garden. Some expert growers say they're a more advanced crop, probably because of all the diseases and pests that can take them down.<br /><br />Others claim, if you have healthy soil, growing tomatoes is a snap.<br /><br />The truth is somewhere in between. However, if you want to reduce the risk of disease on your tomato crop, have a crazy prolific harvest – even in temperatures above 90 degrees (F), when the blossoms of many tomatoes turn sterile and fall off – and reduce the risk of tomatoes cracking (and thus rotting) before they get ripe, cherry tomatoes are what you're looking for.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr7AShEO9jonq5qx9FEye6rPOFYrt4eh7Ohrdu3lvZmBDorYJF8XPw7f_AGvvJUpKfsRIz4HEcCl7fLand00oX-lE9BuQUc6hw0fckmElSHZMxRLEkIVBHuelI1GG1xyVYnPIVCbwoxuawmBPyWz1ua7j7Tsk2XjcdYXjH0QFMAYk6nLjpc7x8Oq41jQ/s640/photo2_easy_vegetables_first_time_part2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="640" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr7AShEO9jonq5qx9FEye6rPOFYrt4eh7Ohrdu3lvZmBDorYJF8XPw7f_AGvvJUpKfsRIz4HEcCl7fLand00oX-lE9BuQUc6hw0fckmElSHZMxRLEkIVBHuelI1GG1xyVYnPIVCbwoxuawmBPyWz1ua7j7Tsk2XjcdYXjH0QFMAYk6nLjpc7x8Oq41jQ/w640-h420/photo2_easy_vegetables_first_time_part2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cluster of cherry tomatoes within plant.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br />Start the seeds indoors two months before the last average frost date plus two weeks, or buy cherry tomato seedlings from your local nursery.<br /><br />Tomatoes are fairly heavy feeders, so even though you're planting your veggies into rich soil, throw a couple of banana peels into the hole where you're going to plant a tomato.<br /><br />Most gardening experts advise you to keep tomatoes pruned down to one or two main stems. Instead, you could plant your tomatoes every three feet, and either tie them to a trellis every vertical foot or so as they grow, or have them grow in a sturdy cage where they spread out as much as they want. I've done this before, but tell you what: you end up with this huge mass with tons of tomatoes hidden inside that end up rotting. So you might as well take the bit of time to prune your tomato plants every week or two.<br /><br />If you want to keep the plants pruned to one or two stems, inserting a stake about a foot into the ground, and at least five feet above ground, then tying the plants to it as they grow will be sufficient support for the plants.<br /><br />In the beginning, tomato plants appreciate a decent amount of water (like the beans), but as they grow and get established you may be able to get away with giving each plant a gallon of water every other week.<br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Cucumbers.</h2><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhKhQVY_fKQ42XQ96ULmXEn340xOaBMGhzeHZD7JPWPNU8o0NM9K8QAgf9guFPk1EE5OQjvFYMJM3Z2IXzO8VoZkEMHcRKt-dNPW3a5pNrpthps-MqQawzPmYscYORXZBlM59j1dia3f0QEQPH-8O4DBugg12ujWu_25LHBWqcfyfDIBwKc7J-Ewthqw/s500/photo3_easy_vegetables_first_time_part2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhKhQVY_fKQ42XQ96ULmXEn340xOaBMGhzeHZD7JPWPNU8o0NM9K8QAgf9guFPk1EE5OQjvFYMJM3Z2IXzO8VoZkEMHcRKt-dNPW3a5pNrpthps-MqQawzPmYscYORXZBlM59j1dia3f0QEQPH-8O4DBugg12ujWu_25LHBWqcfyfDIBwKc7J-Ewthqw/w640-h480/photo3_easy_vegetables_first_time_part2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cucumber plant growing over cardboard mulch in high raised bed.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br />Cucumbers are another controversial crop. Are they an easy vegetable to grow for first time gardeners? Many say no, because they are so prone to fungi in humid climates.<br /><br />So, buy varieties that are resistant to powdery and downy mildew. Or, plan to plant a new cucumber plant every three to four weeks, up until two months before your area's first average frost date in the fall. That way, when one plant succumbs to a disease, you've got another one ready to go.<br /><br />Pick off, or spray with orange oil or diluted liquid castile soap, any cucumber beetles you see before they have a chance to spread disease.<br /><br />Finally, cucumbers are thirsty plants, and would prefer that the soil around the roots stay moist at all times. They would appreciate a gallon of water every other day, perhaps every day, during the hottest time of the summer. The exception would be if the plants are surrounded by six inches or more of wood chip mulch. In that case, they won't need to be watered as often.<br /><br />Either way, cucumber plants let you know if they're not getting enough water by turning the fruit bitter.<br /><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Squash.</h2><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij0sLkR7Yp9_4zBUxncNu8aw1hxgjj8C5Nj8Ci89LyN969vjryq4x-GO6HhWjeoPWB5O_Jgu4JtQcSinkdrUYa1scUMuFCHklKFVY3Zh_XYu-mp4lhlhp-S-r-KA4QQ5XakGH7orjLZeVhG-rBIQx57baIn1vxeo2QAL3HPlPwv56z5MY0iBz2a_6saw/s640/photo4_easy_vegetables_first_time_part2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="640" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij0sLkR7Yp9_4zBUxncNu8aw1hxgjj8C5Nj8Ci89LyN969vjryq4x-GO6HhWjeoPWB5O_Jgu4JtQcSinkdrUYa1scUMuFCHklKFVY3Zh_XYu-mp4lhlhp-S-r-KA4QQ5XakGH7orjLZeVhG-rBIQx57baIn1vxeo2QAL3HPlPwv56z5MY0iBz2a_6saw/w640-h426/photo4_easy_vegetables_first_time_part2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Butternut squash fruit lying on a very long vine.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br />Both winter squash and summer squash are generally easy to grow vegetables for beginners. They need the average amount of water, and the average amount of fertilizer.<br /><br />HOWEVER.<br /><br />The big caveat with squash being an easy vegetable is that it has two major predators: the squash bug, and the squash vine borer.<br /><br />The squash bug isn't found everywhere (for example, Minnesota gardeners have never heard of the squash bug), so you may not have to worry about it.<br /><br />But if you do live in a place where squash bugs abound, they can take down a zucchini plant pretty quickly. Some people take a hand-held vacuum out to their garden and regularly vacuum them up. Peppermint essential oil repels them, so you might try spraying the plants once or twice a week, either with peppermint oil diluted in water, or with peppermint liquid castile soap.<br /><br />Be aware, however, that both peppermint oil and soap will kill beneficial insects, so spray early in the morning or just before sunset you don't kill anybody you don't want to kill.<br /><br />One year I planted a borage next to a zucchini, and didn't have any squash bugs that year. So you might try growing a variety of aromatic herbs around whatever kind of squash plant you decide to grow.<br /><br />The squash vine borer is a bit trickier, as the mama moth lays its eggs on the stem of the squash vine when you're not looking. When the larvae hatch out, they eat their way in and through the stem, quickly killing the plant.<br /><br />Squash vine borers don't bother butternut squash plants, which is why it's the only winter squash I grow now. For other varieties of winter squash, bury a few inches of the vines for every foot they grow to discourage the moths from laying eggs.<br /><br />And just like with the squash bug (or any insect pest, for that matter), surrounding the plants with a variety of herbs and flowers will make it harder for the moth to detect the scent of the squash vine.<br /><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Egyptian, or walking, onions.</h2><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9oBp5KNlKWCmMhGuh1G_zY6aWQOj7qRaID4yQ3qkgcBrGhpCk8OjKFGeFJKHkq9nywBb2YAGuXdpPE-Gn7vb98qoMO8_vOOmscgW12gqZjP7r88yrtr7kH3nBJvh4wcEKKStH7RJVDe1X0i8Q9r1J3j0fcb3UrxtBb5l8O4_QW8K4rd-UOr7BO0KcJg/s500/photo5_easy_vegetables_first_time_part2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9oBp5KNlKWCmMhGuh1G_zY6aWQOj7qRaID4yQ3qkgcBrGhpCk8OjKFGeFJKHkq9nywBb2YAGuXdpPE-Gn7vb98qoMO8_vOOmscgW12gqZjP7r88yrtr7kH3nBJvh4wcEKKStH7RJVDe1X0i8Q9r1J3j0fcb3UrxtBb5l8O4_QW8K4rd-UOr7BO0KcJg/w640-h480/photo5_easy_vegetables_first_time_part2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking onions gone to flower in late May, southern Oklahoma.</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br />Walking onions have to be number one on the list of easy to grow vegetables for a first time gardener. Why am I writing about it last, then? Who knows? Probably because I don't use them that often, and so they stand around in my garden, bored out of their little onion minds.<br /><br />If you like cooking with onions, and you don't grow anything else, grow these. Plant the bulbs once, and you'll never plant them again. Not only that, but they'll also slowly spread into other parts of your garden of their own volition, and without asking permission.<br /><br />You can cut the tall, green stalks off any time before they develop flower heads (when the temperatures head up toward 80 degrees F in the spring or summer) and use them raw in salads, or cooked in any dish that you want to add onion flavor to. When the onions go to flower, the stalks get tough and are only good to use as flavoring in broth or soup.<br /><br />You can also harvest the little bulbs that form once the flowers go to seed. But hurry! The stalks are going to bend to the ground in order to plant the bulbs to produce new green stalks. This is why they're called "walking" onions. They seem to change locations all by themselves, when really they're just replanting themselves. Cool, huh?<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKKsikNAV0JnBJhVxOyaEH95z1a32uep3c83SR3p2DbUMSX-3gx7uC20ABrGnuFth78vgGxoagXxFHeGxYHYmghveGhkK2m8QorJlHEgqk29YuWIaNPVJ6C-vycVq7PJVGByrlgJvJurRbiQue-KgdHjruT_PGQst9rVBSr6ruLguusvFIiN2TJGCa6w/s500/photo6_easy_vegetables_first_time_part2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="500" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKKsikNAV0JnBJhVxOyaEH95z1a32uep3c83SR3p2DbUMSX-3gx7uC20ABrGnuFth78vgGxoagXxFHeGxYHYmghveGhkK2m8QorJlHEgqk29YuWIaNPVJ6C-vycVq7PJVGByrlgJvJurRbiQue-KgdHjruT_PGQst9rVBSr6ruLguusvFIiN2TJGCa6w/w400-h300/photo6_easy_vegetables_first_time_part2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seed head of Egyptian onion, or walking onion. The tiny bulbs have already started growing new green shoots.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><h2 style="text-align: left;">Ready to grow?<br /></h2><p>Now you know the eight easy to grow vegetables for a first time gardener. So, what are you waiting for? Get your garden plot ready, and get growing! </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-650832974046644208.post-2546610880201557972022-04-25T12:27:00.001-07:002022-04-25T12:27:21.198-07:00 Three Gardening Hurdles That Are Easier To Jump Over Than You Think!<p>Search online for "how to start a vegetable garden," and you'll find an abundance of advice. You'll be told to start a compost pile, build a raised bed in an area of your yard that's in full sun, set up a watering system.</p><p>All that advice is well and good, but it largely ignores one thing: not everyone has the perfect circumstances to build a perfect garden (which doesn't exist, by the way, no matter what Instagram leads you to believe!). In fact, many people who truly want to grow their own food, at least a portion of their vegetables, run into snags early on in their endeavors. </p><p>I'm going to address three of the most common hurdles that keep enthusiastic would-be gardeners from getting started, and show you how they're not as difficult to overcome as they may seem at first glance.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">First hurdle: Not enough space.</h2><p>Perhaps you rent a house, and your landlord/lady has forbidden you from digging up the yard. Or you live in an apartment. Or both your front and back yards are the proverbial postage stamp-size. </p><p>For the last one, check out <a href="https://emilyhomesteader.blogspot.com/2021/04/six-home-vegetable-garden-ideas-for.html" target="_blank">my post about gardening ideas for tiny backyards</a>. For the others, container gardening is the way to go. Even if you live in an apartment that has no deck or balcony, you can set up a few pots in the bathroom, the corner of the living room, or the closet with grow lights hanging above them. When I lived in a condo, I had a few pots outside on my balcony, and against my dining room wall I had a plastic utility shelf with fluorescent light fixtures attached to the bottom of a couple of the shelves and grew herbs in pots underneath the lights. </p><p>It would be fifteen years before I'd learn that one can be self-sufficient in lettuce by <a href="https://emilyhomesteader.blogspot.com/2018/05/growing-lettuce-indoors-easier-than.html" target="_blank">growing it in a similar way, semi-hydroponically</a>.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Second hurdle: Not enough money.</h2><p>Watch a dozen random videos about growing your own food, and you'll come away thinking that gardening is an expensive endeavor. While it can be, it certainly doesn't have to be, especially if you're not in a hurry.</p><p>You can find garden tools at a discounted price, or even free, on places like craigslist or freecycle. There, you can also find cast-off lumber to use to build raised beds. </p><p>But raised bed borders are a convenience, not a necessity. You can build up a borderless raised bed simply by gathering and piling up leaves and other organic matter until you have a good eighteen-inch pile, then placing broken-down cardboard boxes on top of it all and weighting the cardboard down with rocks or bricks. Wait a year - two is even better - and you'll have rich, nutritious soil in which to plant seeds and seedlings. </p><p>Speaking of seeds, if you don't even dare shell out to purchase those, ask your gardening neighbors or your social media acquaintances to give/send you some. </p><p>Gardening will cost you some money, at least in watching your water bill go up in the summer. But it certainly can be done on a budget.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Third hurdle: Not enough time.</h2><p>If you're reading this blog post, you have enough time to garden. </p><p>Seriously. </p><p>Because, if you worked sixteen hours a day, you wouldn't have time to mess around with researching vegetable gardening online, or fiddle around with social media, or watch Netflix. I must therefore conclude that you work the typical eight- to ten-hour day, and typically have two days off per week. </p><p>You. Have. Time. To. Garden.</p><p>It's a matter of priority.</p><p>Ever heard of Nora Roberts? The author who cranks out four number-one bestselling novels every single year? She writes Monday through Friday, about eight hours per day. And when the weather warms up, she gardens.</p><p>On the weekend. Only.</p><p>It's a hobby she enjoys, so she makes time for it on the days she's not committed to working on her next blockbuster novel.</p><p>Whether you want to take up gardening as a hobby, or save money on your grocery bill by growing some of your own produce, or even make supplemental income with a market garden, you have plenty of time to do it.</p><p>As long as you prioritize. </p><p>A basic backyard garden requires fifteen to thirty minutes a day of maintenance. That's it. If you can't carve out that much time, or dedicate a few hours on the weekend, for weeding, mulching, watering, harvesting, and pest control, you really don't want to garden. </p><p>**********</p><p>There you have it: the three most common hurdles to growing a vegetable garden. Now you know that they aren't nearly as high as you originally thought.</p><p>Get out there, and get growing!<br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-650832974046644208.post-53824380911544096652022-04-24T14:18:00.002-07:002022-04-26T14:32:42.104-07:00Easy To Grow Vegetables For A First Time Gardener, Part One<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRNt8qXN_Q3Q9PkDtiV-1nq6MZJ11IG5CjkP9DSQjzpFUjwdTe6JOkG3PfFGkbU-GaHGOOJdJ5N3A8C1PBqONrbDuE5MVsmaC_G-2WJiel173BOom8s5Ink_sksDaiwhqIU564hj43KWukaeC5t99WaHNMKWUZ7q6s6Mjxlpek5LhmXy6CIByinn0I7A/s1500/1-easy%20vegetables3_new.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRNt8qXN_Q3Q9PkDtiV-1nq6MZJ11IG5CjkP9DSQjzpFUjwdTe6JOkG3PfFGkbU-GaHGOOJdJ5N3A8C1PBqONrbDuE5MVsmaC_G-2WJiel173BOom8s5Ink_sksDaiwhqIU564hj43KWukaeC5t99WaHNMKWUZ7q6s6Mjxlpek5LhmXy6CIByinn0I7A/w426-h640/1-easy%20vegetables3_new.png" width="426" /></a></div> Which are easy to grow vegetables for first time gardeners? The question is debatable, partly because the answer depends on which climate you live in. But unless you live at one of the poles or in a tropical area, there are several vegetables that are generally easier to grow than others.<br /><br />In this article, I'm going to talk about the three that beginning gardeners should start with. Why only three? Because when you start small and slow, then you have much more success, and you're much more likely to keep gardening next year. And, this would be a super-long article if I had all eight in it. ;)<br /><br />But in the next article on the topic, I give you five more. <br /><br /><p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Get the basics down first.</h2><p><br />If you're serious about growing your own food, you have to prepare your garden correctly before you sow any seeds or transplant any seedlings. If you don't, trying to grow even the most forgiving of vegetables can end up being an exercise in frustration.<br /><br />The first thing to do is to make sure your vegetable garden site will receive at least six hours of sun for fruiting plants (tomato, squash, cucumber, pepper, etc.), and at least four hours of sun for leafy plants and root vegetables such as carrots and turnips.<br /><br />The second thing is to make sure your soil is well-amended. Avoid tilling it at all cost, because that disturbs the soil biology which help your crops to be healthy and produce the best they can.<br /><br />How do you avoid tilling? Cut the grass or weeds covering your garden site as short as you can, then layer cardboard or several layers of newspaper over the area. Water this paper layer, also known as "sheet mulch", then on top of that pile six to twelve inches of whatever kind of organic matter you can get your hands on – dried leaves, grass clippings, compost, kitchen scraps, seed-free weeds, and so on.<br /><br />Water every time you've got three to four inches piled up, and water again just before covering it.<br /><br />Cover it up with either more cardboard, or biodegradable black plastic mulch, using rocks or bricks to weigh them down. This will keep weed seeds from falling into the organic material, and will keep mice from building nests inside it.<br /><br />If you use the black plastic, it will have the additional benefit of helping the organic matter underneath it to break down more quickly.<br /><br />After a four- to twelve-month period, depending on whether you used the black plastic and what kind of material you used on top of the sheet mulch, the organic matter will have turned into soil. This soil will be rich with nutrients and soil micro-organisms, as well as be easier to work than the native soil.<br /><br />Now that you know how to prepare a garden bed that will produce happy plants, let's get onto the first three easy to grow vegetables for first time gardeners.<br /><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">#1: Lettuce.</h2><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_QnsmwfFlL5bBo2nQhUGvBI9yHDqWTgQLc2KqBbazoi49_W34IWZro6fHzW14jPgI0QKkm9C7DlUC75Ga7XBOkML01njyUgyO6MxijkIwg6eVAgUDn4hUtj7f_UlqO0J_T-7anq2SBtPLTGr8kQ06feD3-Wt1I_bs0DVMaB094Xmh_Jkkmgvgl40xJg/s666/easiestveglettucesmall.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="666" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_QnsmwfFlL5bBo2nQhUGvBI9yHDqWTgQLc2KqBbazoi49_W34IWZro6fHzW14jPgI0QKkm9C7DlUC75Ga7XBOkML01njyUgyO6MxijkIwg6eVAgUDn4hUtj7f_UlqO0J_T-7anq2SBtPLTGr8kQ06feD3-Wt1I_bs0DVMaB094Xmh_Jkkmgvgl40xJg/w300-h400/easiestveglettucesmall.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red romaine lettuce growing in mulch.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br />Lettuce is a cool-weather crop, and will take a freeze down to about twenty-five degrees Fahrenheit. If you live in a mild-summer climate, you may be able to grow crispy, sweet lettuce all summer.<br /><br />If you live in a hot-summer (mostly 85-degree-Fahrenheit and hotter temperatures) climate, you have to plant the lettuce two months before the consistent eighty-degree-plus temperatures hit, or it will bolt and get bitter before you have a chance to harvest it.<br /><br />On the other hand, you'll be able to grow lettuce from late fall to early winter, and late winter to mid-spring. Years when you have a mild winter, you'll be able to grow lettuce all winter long.<br /><br />Sow seeds or transplants three to four inches apart. If you sow seeds, sow them one-fourth to one-eight inch under the soil's surface. Also, you'll need to keep the top of the soil moist until they germinate. This is true of any kind of seed that you sow.<br /><br />In addition, until they're about three inches tall, seedlings of any kind of plant need more frequent watering than the larger plants (say, when the top half inch of soil or less has dried). So do transplants. Since they need a week or two for their roots to get established, water them the same as for small seedlings.<br /><br />The one trick to growing lettuce is to keep the soil slightly moist at all times, even when the plants get mature. If lettuce doesn't get enough water, the leaves might turn bitter even before the plant begins to bolt. So every day or two, go out and test the soil where your lettuce is growing, and give your plants some water if the soil has gotten dry a half inch deep. Mulching around the plants with wood chips will help keep the soil moist.</p><p>Misting the plants every day will also ensure they don't bolt prematurely. Use a pesticide sprayer, or, better yet, irrigate them with a sprinkler. <br /><br />If slugs are a problem where you live, sprinkle diatomaceous earth around the plants once or twice a week, or after it rains. Or you can use the old beer trap. Sink shallow containers (such as lids to storage containers) into the ground and fill them with beer. The slugs like beer better than anything you have in the garden, and will drown themselves trying to consume it.<br /><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">#2: Kale.</h2><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEialMQw7NLVgovvvouAfEt9YW__O6oan5nXFbg_C5MhZYuoaQ9jB8O94_HyTsq2NkqWG3xKPCHklTnlmff_vybV2umtH5khUuVgYZwtWMwO8t8iaOgx0AkqCMtpDBaxYf8oQiRfYC2eN2M6g4V-JiEOWnIBbqMYOwNiuCkqYtMaVqrgs1mgS22iUwYdQg/s500/easiestvegkale2small.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="500" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEialMQw7NLVgovvvouAfEt9YW__O6oan5nXFbg_C5MhZYuoaQ9jB8O94_HyTsq2NkqWG3xKPCHklTnlmff_vybV2umtH5khUuVgYZwtWMwO8t8iaOgx0AkqCMtpDBaxYf8oQiRfYC2eN2M6g4V-JiEOWnIBbqMYOwNiuCkqYtMaVqrgs1mgS22iUwYdQg/w400-h300/easiestvegkale2small.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A kale plant that volunteered in our front yard a few years ago. Turns out, the rabbits don't like it!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br />Kale is one of the easiest vegetables for beginning gardeners because it is so low-maintenance. It is cold-hardy, somewhat drought-tolerant and has only three pests that I know of: grasshoppers, aphids, and cabbage worms. I'll get to them in a minute.<br /><br />In my experience, kale can survive temperatures as low as the mid-teens (F), and can tolerate warmer temperature than lettuce before bolting. If you live in a hot-summer climate and want to grow kale in the summer, you may be able to prevent it from bolting by planting it in an area where it won't get afternoon sun.<br /><br />Sow seeds about a quarter inch deep, or plant transplants, about a foot apart for bushier kale varieties. Dinosaur, or lacinto, kale can be planted four inches apart because their growth habit is more narrow.<br /><br />If you're an urban or suburban gardener, the only pests you're likely to have with kale are aphids and cabbage moths. Both urban and rural gardeners can prevent an aphid infestation in one of two ways.<br /><br />First, they can make sure not to grow kale into the hot summer weather. Or, as I stated earlier, grow your leafy greens in a place where they will get morning sun but afternoon shade.<br /><br />Second, grow sunflowers around the edges of your garden. Above all other plants, aphids love sunflowers the most. Even better, aphids can't harm sunflowers as they can your dark, leafy green crops.<br /><br />If all else fails, you can spray the plants with a liquid soap solution (one tablespoon soap per gallon of water) every day until the aphids appear to be under control.<br /><br />Grasshoppers are the bane of a rural gardener's existence when it comes to the cabbage-family crops such as kale...especially for vegan gardeners, who won't have any chickens around to eat up the bugs. If you're vegan and live in the country, your young kale will probably be eaten down to the ground before it even has a chance to grow.<br /><br />How to prevent this destruction by this eternally hungry insect? Cover your kale.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgna6mpfoC-QOTvb45poREtd89JHOp8Hai85M0q1F3774roWpP7RRfku8eL1f8e_j7aemD2sGnjzeUWVJj1qCW8615OsWdO7to0SabAbAg6QKOYja7qMQQaN8sTDgX7kIVx1ASbxnZSE2x_ZJsPimuEbbMAlE_b0JceGNlVeCJKrfc5dgZKvxFB1Vu3iQ/s500/easiestvegprotectsmall.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="500" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgna6mpfoC-QOTvb45poREtd89JHOp8Hai85M0q1F3774roWpP7RRfku8eL1f8e_j7aemD2sGnjzeUWVJj1qCW8615OsWdO7to0SabAbAg6QKOYja7qMQQaN8sTDgX7kIVx1ASbxnZSE2x_ZJsPimuEbbMAlE_b0JceGNlVeCJKrfc5dgZKvxFB1Vu3iQ/w400-h300/easiestvegprotectsmall.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kale growing under one of our PVC-beetle netting cages.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> <p></p>We have three two-by-three-by-three-foot cages made of PVC pipe and beetle netting. This covers six square feet of kale and will keep both the grasshoppers and cabbage moths away.<p>Or, you can bend 1/2-inch PVC into hoops, attach them to sides of a raised bed (or insert them over pieces of rebar stuck into the ground), then cover the hoops with lightweight row cover.<br /><br />Once the plants grow to at least five inches high and the leaves start to grow to hand-width proportions, you can uncover them if you want. The grasshoppers will still eat them, but you'll end up with just a hole here and there rather than the entire plant disappearing overnight.<br /><br />You may, however, still end up with cabbage worms if you uncover them. Then you'll need to either check for them every three days or so, and if you find any, either pick them off by hand or spray them with peppermint or orange essential oil diluted in water.<br /><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">#3: Potatoes.<br /></h2><p>If you've read a typical gardening book that explains how to grow potatoes, you might not think it's a particularly easy to grow vegetable for a first time gardener. Well, that's because most gardening books make it sound like rocket science, with all the constant digging and hilling to make sure the greens don't overgrow to the detriment of the tuber production (because if you don't reduce the green growth, the plant will put its energy into producing more greens, rather than tubers).<br /><br />The same books tell you not to plant potatoes until all danger of frost is passed.<br /><br />But there's another method that make growing potatoes a piece of cake. That method is to bury the seed potatoes in mulch. Here's how you do it.<br /><br />First, set an entire seed potato on top of the soil.<br /><br />That's right, you don't need to cut it up.<br /><br />And when I say to set it on top of the soil, I'm assuming it's well-amended and therefore nutritious. If not, you should put a couple inches of compost on the soil first, then set the potato on top of the compost.<br /><br />Second, cover the potato with eight to twelve inches of straw or wood chips (definitely twelve inches if you're using straw, as it's not as dense as the wood chips and will decompose more quickly).<br /><br />Third, walk away.<br /><br />That's it. No watering, no "hilling." After a month or so, start checking to see if any green growth has emerged from the mulch. About two months from piling the mulch on top of the potato, carefully pull back some of the mulch to see how big the tubers are. You can harvest them as new, small potatoes, or let them grow larger.<br /><br />Speaking of frost...When you plant potatoes under mulch, you can plant them before the last average frost date. In fact, in some areas you can bury the potatoes in mulch in the fall, and then harvest them the next spring.<br /><br />You just have to be careful if you plant them while your area is still experiencing freezing temperatures. If the greens pop out of the mulch, a freeze will kill them off, and that may or may not destroy the sprout. More greens may grow back once it warms up again, but it's not a guarantee.<br /><br />On the other hand, if you plant potatoes in late summer and they mature sometime around the first frost of the year, you don't need to harvest them all, as you'd have to if you were growing them in soil. But you might want to throw some extra mulch on top of them to be sure they don't get frost damage while they're waiting for you to harvest them.<br /><br />Perhaps the best part about this method of growing potatoes (also known as the "Back To Eden" method) is the harvesting. No digging into the dirt! No messing up your hands or gloves, no accidentally breaking potatoes with a shovel. All you have to do is remove the mulch.<br /><br />Some potatoes may grow into the soil, but not many, and not very deep.<br /><br />*********<br /><br />There you have it! Three easy to grow vegetables for a first time gardener! <a href="https://emilyhomesteader.blogspot.com/2022/04/easy-to-grow-vegetables-for-first-time_26.html" target="_blank">Click here</a> to read about five more such crops.<br /><br /><br />Happy homesteading. :)<br /><br /><br /><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-650832974046644208.post-80501916553294320982022-04-23T15:15:00.001-07:002022-04-23T15:15:20.846-07:00Spring Cleaning In The Garden<p> I did it again.</p><p>I let the weeds get away from me this spring. It's just so hard to get motivated to get out and hoe and pull weeds in January and February (yes, where we live, weeds can and do germinate and grow that early), even March, when it's so cold. And this winter, I'd convinced myself that<a href="https://emilyhomesteader.blogspot.com/2022/04/why-i-quit-calling-myself-homesteader.html" target="_blank"> I didn't care if the garden became overrun with weeds</a>.</p><p>Well, come the beginning of April, I <i>did</i> care. I especially cared that the weeds were consuming all the nutrition out of my new-ish lasagna beds. They were also preventing me from seeing baby stalks of asparagus, the only food that will come out of the garden this season, that were sprouting up.</p><p>So I decided I would at least weed the asparagus area.</p><p>Here are the before photos. This first bed is supposed to have asparagus in it, but alas, last spring when I planted in the seedlings the organic matter in the bed hadn't composted fully enough for the roots to get established. They all died or were eaten by grasshoppers within a matter of weeks. </p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwVB5oZVsaf2ZL9HdSWZkP6mVEsLLbIVoDcKK3WjBbsGOvt1PxpJSzlux9ctR_Q8ypUcs4CnZ0uNhWScnV66DFCOa5IGJXCcLfq5byz5CjBeCow7jbxow32zFodOviP0nIc2baO4XZbS9EZDSZbGYjF8w77OnyWc97mD6bK9Ors7IQHhPei6XajmIqdg/s1152/asp_wd_3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="1152" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwVB5oZVsaf2ZL9HdSWZkP6mVEsLLbIVoDcKK3WjBbsGOvt1PxpJSzlux9ctR_Q8ypUcs4CnZ0uNhWScnV66DFCOa5IGJXCcLfq5byz5CjBeCow7jbxow32zFodOviP0nIc2baO4XZbS9EZDSZbGYjF8w77OnyWc97mD6bK9Ors7IQHhPei6XajmIqdg/w400-h300/asp_wd_3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo6EOSCZNxRnrgkFhti1DbtkCnjGcZMBPG6LTYkS483X_TG6H29K4b1t_BUVJrOXakjhsejUE4yA-B7LSZ8hrSFnvdiZWdKYcAlztzu12invwm4jE_vZYOTRxIqCwkiPT3SHJXjBSHxA_gaoZzNtqgm5ZhvP-F1VaimCf24yI_wMUyCTGw66-qAl3yrA/s1152/asp_wd_4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="1152" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo6EOSCZNxRnrgkFhti1DbtkCnjGcZMBPG6LTYkS483X_TG6H29K4b1t_BUVJrOXakjhsejUE4yA-B7LSZ8hrSFnvdiZWdKYcAlztzu12invwm4jE_vZYOTRxIqCwkiPT3SHJXjBSHxA_gaoZzNtqgm5ZhvP-F1VaimCf24yI_wMUyCTGw66-qAl3yrA/w400-h300/asp_wd_4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPcUbqKusIaEen58zsU1cfxJRDdzN-CPR6Npa5IrtlvLJ-VBfjVnp_PlR1XBGrT6Reh-ToXMWowPnGECVSwIs6NdbZVX4lk1huK70h3efpxa6sbnt8HrAv85Lvir8t5RzE2EsZirxB8luNX9WBoLPOKMeMoCGP3yh5gEdepwLRUhbZeXvfiRbPThLsxA/s1152/asp_wd_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="1152" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPcUbqKusIaEen58zsU1cfxJRDdzN-CPR6Npa5IrtlvLJ-VBfjVnp_PlR1XBGrT6Reh-ToXMWowPnGECVSwIs6NdbZVX4lk1huK70h3efpxa6sbnt8HrAv85Lvir8t5RzE2EsZirxB8luNX9WBoLPOKMeMoCGP3yh5gEdepwLRUhbZeXvfiRbPThLsxA/w400-h300/asp_wd_1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT3q6I8J77pCezhDP19dsy9he5_SKigfhWMC7N8NxTECk4wGtViYDJLGMh8F2mn6MZknumBMrMfvWEUblOViy38ENWpN_xz6bEAEaGRuNojA6rP5s2fa9mDoH7ke2jxuhtBimWpDeqhNjNBnu69bQV1WphmTGV4zZymjZPWIcvyNAD77S761LEu8tJKA/s1152/asp_wd_2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="864" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT3q6I8J77pCezhDP19dsy9he5_SKigfhWMC7N8NxTECk4wGtViYDJLGMh8F2mn6MZknumBMrMfvWEUblOViy38ENWpN_xz6bEAEaGRuNojA6rP5s2fa9mDoH7ke2jxuhtBimWpDeqhNjNBnu69bQV1WphmTGV4zZymjZPWIcvyNAD77S761LEu8tJKA/w300-h400/asp_wd_2.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p>Here, in the following photos, is the area again. After I weeded the two lasagna beds, my husband piled up some mulch inside them. Eventually, we'll add more mulch around the other asparagus plants as well, as much the existing mulch has turned to soil. </p><p>Notice how much easier it is to see the asparagus. Of course, there is a lot more growing now than when I took the first pictures, as it took at least a week for me to complete the weeding. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiCV2mFW3sKn-eW6Pcao9XTVNj7IrQOSsHUZxtle3LjMvSRf-W_kTsUTTHpMmgzxM_xKAbRgiXr2muLDSQMtY_0sJe-spOMmrjU_fBezywGMHhifhNIWdIG6vdNPtb5yDNAcziEFpBSGFIekpxV96qJSgEZiVLXXttnt79pCAinb1YzkyGYxG00O9bEw/s1152/asp_clean_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="1152" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiCV2mFW3sKn-eW6Pcao9XTVNj7IrQOSsHUZxtle3LjMvSRf-W_kTsUTTHpMmgzxM_xKAbRgiXr2muLDSQMtY_0sJe-spOMmrjU_fBezywGMHhifhNIWdIG6vdNPtb5yDNAcziEFpBSGFIekpxV96qJSgEZiVLXXttnt79pCAinb1YzkyGYxG00O9bEw/w400-h300/asp_clean_1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlEYwGIAF7EZCzUMHlapNh_BQR6cYqRlUucUzj6lmaXfFw0UkHN9gVlGq0LWRBcRUcuiZAddieS9uhdcKjCLz3ZurIFywAqLDAaukiBZknF6SRqO6JSM57KGsa2dhgtDtCcMyTCiqFrW2I-tJ_ATIbSjvjhiY0aL3P6V0FUBu8_8U1iB9wm-QVtdH5Zg/s1152/asp_clean_2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="1152" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlEYwGIAF7EZCzUMHlapNh_BQR6cYqRlUucUzj6lmaXfFw0UkHN9gVlGq0LWRBcRUcuiZAddieS9uhdcKjCLz3ZurIFywAqLDAaukiBZknF6SRqO6JSM57KGsa2dhgtDtCcMyTCiqFrW2I-tJ_ATIbSjvjhiY0aL3P6V0FUBu8_8U1iB9wm-QVtdH5Zg/w400-h300/asp_clean_2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They're hard to see, but there are several tall stalks of asparagus growing in the bed in the foreground.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXLyM0x8CY5QURPgnIH4HYwq6RxdnxFbHv8IeqT9rQcQJ9kyiT2snH3RGg82v6VbR59-Z4xhWdPyaoopgQ334eQ05ecfMZ4gShfUXXkFm1wf2MGJ6VGJmML4zQ-VeUQwrThyZJdaBVy7m-tQMwBpgQpCs086cqNGIzILN2Xkt14foqdRsmlF7T0xquaA/s1152/asp_clean_3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="864" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXLyM0x8CY5QURPgnIH4HYwq6RxdnxFbHv8IeqT9rQcQJ9kyiT2snH3RGg82v6VbR59-Z4xhWdPyaoopgQ334eQ05ecfMZ4gShfUXXkFm1wf2MGJ6VGJmML4zQ-VeUQwrThyZJdaBVy7m-tQMwBpgQpCs086cqNGIzILN2Xkt14foqdRsmlF7T0xquaA/w300-h400/asp_clean_3.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_45ZA3beCICCPumXQ3awzA0hfyWYGNwU-71ZGZmUIX_AOqpCPq0cCQv90rHHAFqKiLJmawySFMRnye614o0JPLk13LuRvC0FNPpmNw1uCzaXqz45hW6i4UWZ3wR5vj7LK6SuZeHtVdanESQ2njfgh8N5ZOXWKrEIu9JnVpOGuvdB6iuBxeH_ypbnUoA/s1152/asp_clean_4.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="1152" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_45ZA3beCICCPumXQ3awzA0hfyWYGNwU-71ZGZmUIX_AOqpCPq0cCQv90rHHAFqKiLJmawySFMRnye614o0JPLk13LuRvC0FNPpmNw1uCzaXqz45hW6i4UWZ3wR5vj7LK6SuZeHtVdanESQ2njfgh8N5ZOXWKrEIu9JnVpOGuvdB6iuBxeH_ypbnUoA/w400-h300/asp_clean_4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Except for the dandelion, the green growing out of the mulch are asparagus stalks.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4yXHUiesWm4TNvt082VPfilar7qwnBLoVio-USoAe5nm3WK8-j5RR0HJsq7re266UGSF42Y5AzjsC-md1wu3RV_539vztOodW4TMfpC0XK7I9CMh0F64OlRXLs6pS_OuxFXvzX1QuK7SatYs9rEMPYmDUuvvtcaLwHsfQvsJUQrt45QUL3W_YCWuFLQ/s1152/asp_clean_5.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="1152" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4yXHUiesWm4TNvt082VPfilar7qwnBLoVio-USoAe5nm3WK8-j5RR0HJsq7re266UGSF42Y5AzjsC-md1wu3RV_539vztOodW4TMfpC0XK7I9CMh0F64OlRXLs6pS_OuxFXvzX1QuK7SatYs9rEMPYmDUuvvtcaLwHsfQvsJUQrt45QUL3W_YCWuFLQ/w400-h300/asp_clean_5.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SUPER hard to see, but there are a few small asparagus stalks growing in this picture. Most are purple.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>*********** <br /></p><p>Lesson learned: don't be lazy in late winter! I need to get out and hoe up the weed seedlings before their roots get established.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-650832974046644208.post-55863804548747842932022-04-22T13:43:00.000-07:002022-04-22T13:43:04.984-07:00Seven Compelling Reasons To Homeschool<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbeyCaNoXvQMcPRVxBoshGIASDexV4_DQq4Wya8ybxX8r_El08t85TvwmDohnR4LOvSPWejd6jKSSyk2j4KsV3wne6YbC70K83h6Tv8sbQrgXAymk3j15zsjAJVzDIM_Gq2uQSaohf7F9tQB26LnR2qtkd85lmEM8bmwrRqzBjXyNszU63PVN7Eitx1w/s1500/2-reasonstohomeschool.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbeyCaNoXvQMcPRVxBoshGIASDexV4_DQq4Wya8ybxX8r_El08t85TvwmDohnR4LOvSPWejd6jKSSyk2j4KsV3wne6YbC70K83h6Tv8sbQrgXAymk3j15zsjAJVzDIM_Gq2uQSaohf7F9tQB26LnR2qtkd85lmEM8bmwrRqzBjXyNszU63PVN7Eitx1w/w427-h640/2-reasonstohomeschool.png" width="427" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p> Homeschooling isn't scary.<br /><br />It's not.<br /><br />Neither it is weird or something to be ashamed of when your distant relatives ask, during a get-together, what grade your child is in.<br /><br />The truth is, homeschooling provides several big advantages over the traditional school experience. As a thirteen-year veteran teacher whose child has never been in school, I know. I want everyone to know, so, here goes.<br /><br />#1. You can center the education around your children’s abilities and needs.<br /><br />If your child isn’t understanding a certain concept, you can either go back over it several times until they do, or revisit it occasionally over the next few weeks, or completely drop it and wait a few months for their brain to mature into the particular concept.<br /><br />On the other hand, if the child understands something right away, you can move on to the next thing.<br /><br />If your child is a mover and a shaker, like mine, you can schedule several short lessons over the day instead of having him sit down for long periods of time at one shot. If your child is a late-bloomer, you can wait until she is eight or nine to start on the formal academics.<br /><br />And so on.<br /><br />#2. Homeschools are safe.<br /><br />Safe from bullies, safe from drug pushers, safe from mentally ill teenagers with guns.<br /><br />I need to put this out there: many children do not tell their parents that they are being bullied. Or sexually harassed. Do not assume that because they are doing well in school and seem generally happy that nothing is going amiss while they are at school. School teachers cannot keep an eye on twenty-five plus children all day long. And many kids have sneaky down to a science.<br /><br />I know. I used to be a school teacher, remember? Not to mention a student in a school.<br /><br />#3: Homeschooling allows for flexibility in everyone’s schedule.<br /><br />You can go on vacation whenever it is most convenient for your family, not just during the summer and holidays. If your children are early risers, they can get all their formal academics done in the morning and spend the afternoons, when they are more tired, engaged in less intense activities. And vice-versa for Night Owls.<br /><br />You can schedule appointments whenever, without having to worry about who is going to be home for the children after school, without having to try to fit in visits to the pediatrician after three in the afternoon.<br /><br />#4: Homeschooling parents develop deeper bonds with their children than non-homeschooling parents.<br /><br />A few years ago, I had a friend – whose daughter was about a year and a half younger than our son – tell me that she was not going to homeschool because she thought her daughter would drive her crazy.<br /><br />I understood. Our son has ADHD. And until he turned nine or so, I kept being tempted to send him off to school. But then a wonderful thing happened: he started to want to be with me. And I started to want to be with him. We got to know each other on a level that would not have been possible had I given in to that temptation. If I had decided to send him to school, all I would know about him is how crazy and obnoxious he would act at the end of the school day. I have no doubt our relationship would be strained, and one of us would end up eventually needing therapy.<br /><br />I know a woman who is close to twenty years older than I who had the same experience with her children. While she did not homeschool them through high school, she testifies that she developed deep bonds with her children during the period that she did.<br /><br />I believe that my friend missed out on a great opportunity to really get to know her child.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />#5: Your child is not forced to become a robot.<br /><br />A homeschooled student gets to eat, drink, and use the bathroom whenever she wants. If she’s not feeling well she can take a couple of hours or the rest of the day off.<br /><br />(Gee, sound like homeschoolers might actually be healthier than schoolers, eh?)<br /><br />During his free time, he can engage in whatever activities interest him, read whatever books he wants. He will also feel much more free to share his opinions and ideas and thinking processes than he will in a school situation.<br /><br />Speaking of thinking…<br /><br />#6: Homeschooled children usually are better thinkers than schooled children.<br /><br />I don’t care how many Ivory Tower head-nods are given toward Bloom’s Taxonomy of Knowledge, nor how many principals demand that this Taxonomy show up in lesson plans. I don’t care how many cute logic puzzles a teacher does with her class. Public schools do a lousy job of teaching critical thinking.<br /><br />Public schools exist to turn children into obedient young people who will become obedient employees.<br /><br />Employees who think are dangerous. They upset the status quo. Worse, they might leave one day and start their own business and become competition. (Or, they might leave and write a book about the dark side of public schools.) Ooooo! We can’t let that happen now, can we?<br /><br />#7: Homeschooled children have the opportunity to dig deeply.<br /><br />No, I don’t mean bury themselves in a hole in the ground. I think the homeschooling parent is more likely to end up in jumping into said hole.<br /><br />Okay, so that’s just me. I have bad days. Pray for me.<br /><br />Anyway, what I mean is that when a homeschool is run correctly, more than half the day is wide open. That leaves a lot of time for a student to delve deep into a topic that interests her. Take our son, for example. He has been into animals since he was about two years old. Bu the age of eight or nine, he could tell you more about life science than your average schooled twelve-year-old because we had read him so many books on the subject!<br /><br />There you go. Seven benefits of homeschooling. But I’ve probably missed a homeschooling advantage or two, so use your noggin and come up with some yourself.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-650832974046644208.post-64637671185759690052022-04-21T06:16:00.001-07:002022-04-22T07:26:21.482-07:00The EASIEST Way To Grow Sweet Potatoes, EVER!<p> If you’re wondering how to grow sweet potatoes, you’re probably interested in knowing how to grow them in the least labor-intensive way. What is the easiest way to grow sweet potatoes?<br /><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">The usual way.</h2><p><br />There are two typical ways that people grow sweet potatoes. The first is, after all danger of frost has passed in the spring, they cut up pieces of sweet potato that have been sprouting inside and bury them in several inches of dirt, one piece given about one square foot.<br /><br />The other usual way is to get some sweet potatoes seriously sprouting indoors a couple of months before the frosty weather ends by placing potato halves in containers of water, about third of each half submerged in the water. Eventually, the part of the potato above water is covered with baby sweet potato plants. Supposedly, if you carefully remove these, taking care to dig down into the potato underneath each plant, and then stick these babies into the ground, they will eventually produce tubers.<br /><br />I tried it one year. It didn’t work.<br /><br />And then I learned about…<br /><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">The easy way.</h2><p><br /></p><span class="video-url-fadeable style-scope ytcp-video-info"><a class="style-scope ytcp-video-info" href="https://youtu.be/B4tJlU_HlGo" target="_blank"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/B4tJlU_HlGo" width="320" youtube-src-id="B4tJlU_HlGo"></iframe></div><br /> </a></span><br /> <p></p><p>What if you could grow sweet potatoes in such a way that you didn’t have to dig up dirt to plant them, never had to water them, not even during a drought, never had to fertilize them, and hardly had to dig down into the soil to harvest them?<br /><br />You can. I discovered it several years ago. All you need are some sweet potatoes and a bunch of wood mulch, which is relatively inexpensive and easily available at any place that sells garden supplies. I use sweet potatoes from the previous harvest if I have any. Otherwise, I just buy sweet potatoes from the store. They don’t always sprout, however, because the non-organic ones are sprayed with an anti-sprouting chemical after being cured. So if you want to be sure of a bumper crop and don’t have your own seed potatoes to plant, buy some seed sweet potatoes from a seed company.<br /><br />You need a spot that gets full sun, at least six hours per day. You’ll plant the tubers a foot apart, so plan accordingly.<br /><br />Here’s the awesome news: you don’t need a garden bed. You can do this right in your lawn if you want! Just understand that if you do, and there are night critters around that dig like we have, you might lose some of your crop that way.<br /><br />All right. So, you have your space. About a month before the last frost, place a whole potato on the ground. Just on the ground. Not in a hole. On the ground.<br /><br />A foot farther away, place another. And so on, until you’ve planted them all.<br /><br />Finally, cover the entire area with eight to twelve inches of wood mulch. In a few weeks, you’ll start seeing little stems and leaves emerge from the mulch.<br /><br />If you get absolutely zero rain within a three-week period, you might want to give each plant a half gallon of water. Otherwise, plan on not needing to water.<br /><br />By mid-October to mid-November (depending on how warm your climate is), the sweet potato area will be a mess of vines. And the tubers will be ready to harvest. Cut back the vines to where you can find the base of each one, and start pulling back the mulch.<br /><br />Some of the tubers will be sticking out of the mulch. Some will have grown down into the dirt, so you will need a shovel. But you won’t need to dig nearly as deeply or as much as you would planting sweet potatoes the traditional way.<br /><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">How big will the harvest be?</h2><p><br />I can’t say exactly, but I can tell you this: five pounds of sweet potatoes per tuber planted is on the slim side. In the past, I’ve had a mere three plants fill two large boxes with the harvest.<br /><br />No cutting up tubers, little digging, little watering, no fertilizing. Yep, I’d say that’s the easiest way to grow sweet potatoes, ever!<br /><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-650832974046644208.post-29505781654942167402022-04-20T09:43:00.001-07:002022-04-20T09:43:18.111-07:00 The "Simple Living" Myth<p>"Simple living" has become a sought-after keyword in the world of blogging and YouTube, because so many people search the phrase on a daily basis. Ironically, this term which implies, among other things, frugality and disdain for collecting material things, can be quite profitable.</p><p>The truth is, people who write and video about simple living are selling a fantasy. Why?</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Life is complicated.</h2><p>I don't care who you are, where you live, or what your lifestyle looks like. Life is never simple. Even a newborn baby has to figure out what kind of cries will get their mother's attention. They don't instantly get their needs met just by having a need. </p><p>Want to be self-sufficient in food? It takes a lot of work, planning, and, yes, some material collection in the way of seeds and tools. Growing and foraging for food are complicated endeavors.</p><p>How about living off the energy grid? Unless you have zero energy needs, the items you purchase in order to produce your own energy have been manufactured using a complicated process, and assembled by other people. </p><p>I know! Make things really simple by just renting an apartment where all utilities are paid and maintenance is free. On the outside, this lifestyle appears simple, and probably feels simple to the person living it. But you and I both know that all of the materials, resources, and systems required to allow this "simple" life end up being a complicated array.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Time to face the truth.</h2><p>Simple living is a myth. The main reason? </p><p>People. For one thing, entering into any kind of relationship with even one person makes life much more complicated. For another, human beings thrive on those relationships. We're meant to be interdependent. Even if you live all by yourself in a lean-to, trying to be as independent as you can, you have to count on other people not to infringe on your space. And you can't control other people.</p><p>That's what <i>really </i>makes life complicated.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">How about a new phrase?</h2><p>I prefer the term "simpl<b><i>er</i></b> living." Because, while a simple life is non-existent, a person can always strive to make one's journey simpler.</p><p>Henry David Thoreau hated the railroad because he believed technology made life more complicated. But no one with half a brain can believe that his year on Walden Pond carried no frustrations or worries with it. And the seeds that he used to grow his food didn't just come out of thin air. He would have had to have spent money in a store to purchase them.</p><p> Then, afterward, he wrote a book about his experience and sold it to a publisher.</p><p>In other words, he got involved with a complicated system in order to get his message about simple living across.</p><p>Like all of the online "simple living" gurus do, hoping to make a few bucks from the fantasy they weave in their audiences' minds. </p><p>Simple living does not exist. But it's always a good thing to reach for the next step to make life a little simpler.<br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-650832974046644208.post-10302919537677560612022-04-19T08:11:00.001-07:002022-04-19T08:47:39.392-07:00Yes, I'm A Homesteader. Let Me Count The Ways.<p> In <a href="https://emilyhomesteader.blogspot.com/2022/04/why-i-quit-calling-myself-homesteader.html" target="_blank">my previous post</a>, I explained why, for a few months, I backed away from the label "homesteader." I also wrote that I have re-embraced it.</p><p>Why? <a href="https://emilyhomesteader.blogspot.com/2020/06/what-is-homesteading-basic-elements.html" target="_blank">What is a homesteader, really</a>? Definitions and opinions vary, but I believe most modern homesteaders can agree that a homesteader is a person who endeavors to live as simply as possible, conserving as much of the Earth's resources as possible, and working to turn one's place of abode into as much of an asset as possible. </p><p>That said, let me count the ways that my husband and I are homesteaders.</p><p>*1. We collect and use rainwater for all of our water needs, both household and garden. </p><p>*2. Having a limited amount of water has taught us to be very conservative with this precious resource.</p><p>*3. We live in the most energy-efficient type of house available, an earth-sheltered house. Though we're on the energy grid, this choice of dwelling significantly reduces the electricity we need to heat and cool the place.</p><p>*4. Concrete houses, especially ones buried underground, require much less maintenance than conventional houses (for example, we'll never need to replace the roof).</p><p>*5. The south side of our house is lined with windows, so the sun helps heat the house during the winter.</p><p>*6. Our house isn't plumbed, so we are forever forced to get some level of exercise with such chores as doing laundry by hand, lugging jugs of water from the water storage tanks into the house, and burying the waste from our composting toilet. </p><p>*7. Most years, sometimes into the winter, I grow a decent portion of the amount of vegetables we eat. I'm still learning how to flow with the challenges the climate brings, and this summer (of 2022) I'm taking a break from my garden. But one day, we might actually break even monetarily with my food-growing endeavors. </p><p>Maybe in thirty or forty years. ;)</p><p>*8. Back to the house. It's only 576 square feet, which means it saves me a lot of time and energy in keeping it clean. The less housecleaning I have to do, the more relaxed I am, which leads to better health. </p><p>*9. We do our best to repurpose items/think outside of the box before going out an buying new materials for any given project. </p><p>*10. We use things (from clothing to electronics) until they wear out.</p><p>*11. When certain things wear out, I try to think of ways to repurpose them before trashing them. For instance, washcloths which develop holes can be used for cleaning, old cotton clothes can be used as mulch in the garden.</p><p>**********</p><p>We are not nearly where I'd hoped we'd be by now when we first set out on our rural homesteading adventure eight years ago. But the desire to garden, to enjoy and conserve nature, and to lighten my footprint on the planet is so ingrained in me that I have to admit to being a homesteader. </p><p>Even on days that I desperately miss my old washing machine, and when powdery mildew takes out a cucumber plant prematurely.</p><p>Yes, I am a homesteader. And I embrace the fact with joy.<br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-650832974046644208.post-73539636872240214592022-04-18T09:50:00.004-07:002022-04-19T07:37:35.641-07:00Why I Quit Calling Myself A Homesteader<p>I decided to quit calling myself a homesteader earlier this year, 2022. (Don't freak - keep reading to discover why I was merely temporarily insane.) I actually announced on my YouTube channel that I was no longer going to call myself a homesteader. (Don't look for the video; I have since deleted it.)</p><p>The first reason I gave was that where we live, the average annual humidity is seventy-four percent. Our winters tend to be mild, meaning that diseases don't die off easily during that season. Most of our rain comes in April, May, and June, when people around here typically plant out their frost-tender crops: cucumber, peppers, tomatoes, and the like. </p><p>But those crops are not just vulnerable to frost. They are vulnerable to fungi such as powdery mildew, blight, and anthracnose. </p><p>If you're smart, you are right now figuring out the correct equation that high humidity + ample rain + mild winters = an abundance of fungal disease. Even the native vegetation in our area, including many species of deciduous trees, show signs of disease for much of the year.<br /></p><p>Which means, harvests only last so long. And, as I hinted above, the diseases persist in the soil over the winter. </p><p>It's not really a huge deal for the vegetable-fruit crops (those mentioned above). By the time the diseases are killing the plant and fruit, I'm tired of eating/harvesting them anyway. </p><p>But we've spent about $1,000 learning that no kind of fruit plant, save <a href="https://emilyhomesteader.blogspot.com/2018/05/the-easiest-fruit-to-grow-ever-how-and.html" target="_blank">the goumis</a>, will ever produce much, and will often eventually be killed by some fungus or other. </p><p>So one reason I gave in the video as to why I could no longer call myself a homesteader was that we can't produce more than a small fraction of our own food. (This is in large part due to the food sensitivities that my son and I have.) A second one was that, at the time I made the video, I was beyond tired of doing laundry by hand and having to carry my urine outside to dispose of it. </p><p>Of course, most modern homesteaders have indoor plumbing and don't have to deal with such issues. But when we first got started on our homesteading journey, we wanted to be off-grid with water, and we didn't want to deal with the inevitable (and inevitably expensive!) plumbing repairs. And off-grid being a big part of the modern homesteading movement, well, it seemed like the right thing to do. </p><p>Especially since we, unlike a lot of our homesteading peers, remain on the energy grid.</p><p>I got teary-eyed while making the video mentioned above, and was quite whiny and petulant. But while I was trying desperately to explain to my audience the reasons I could no longer, in good conscience, call myself a homesteader, I was ignoring the root of the problem.</p><p>Anxiety. </p><p>I've suffered with it all my adult life, particularly at the time of the month when my estrogen levels were low. Well, I'm post-menopausal now, so my estrogen levels are low all. The. Time.</p><p>I'm working on that, and will blog about what I've found to help me. In general, I'm doing much better now than I was a year ago. </p><p>But if you've ever dealt with anxiety (depression is an outcropping of it, so if you've been diagnosed with depression, anxiety is the root), you know that when you get into a funk, nothing is right with the world, seems like it will never be right again. You think negatively, speak negatively, and want to shut down and do nothing because nothing seems worthwhile.</p><p>And when external circumstances are actually going wrong, it feeds the anxiety, exacerbating the feelings of hopelessness, dread, and worthlessness. There is no light at the end of the tunnel. All is dark, and getting darker. The only thing ahead is a black hole.</p><p>As a result, you might do stupid things, like get on your YouTube channel and cry over spilled milk.</p><p>I am back to calling myself a homesteader. Why? That will be the subject of my next blog post.<br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-650832974046644208.post-1934576444158006532021-05-12T04:00:00.001-07:002021-05-12T04:00:00.220-07:00How To Transform A Cluttered Shed Into A Cute Living Space<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MzQ_Tt0INp8" width="320" youtube-src-id="MzQ_Tt0INp8"></iframe></div><p><br /></p><p>So, you want to convert an existing shed to a work studio. Or play space for children. Or a guest cottage. How does one begin such an onerous task? How to transform a cluttered, messy shed to a cute living space?</p><p>We originally built our sixteen-by-twelve Tuff Shed to collect rainwater, intending to eventually use it for storage. However, realizing that I was going to do violence to someone if the three of us had to live in a travel trailer for longer than a couple of weeks, I convinced J to finish the shed out so that we could live in it until our permanent home was built. The video below illustrates how.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wCSnkfJ7lAk" width="320" youtube-src-id="wCSnkfJ7lAk"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><p>The shed then served as a tiny house for us for almost 2 yrs. Then, <a href="https://liveyourdreamswithemily.com/the-true-cost-of-our-earth-sheltered-home" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">after we had our earth-sheltered house built</a>, it reverted back into being a shed.</p><p>A messy, junky shed.</p><p>Until I decided I wanted to turn it back into a tiny house. In the first video at the top of the page, I share the five steps it takes to get such a large project accomplished. Those steps are:</p><ol><li>Determine the purpose for the space.</li><li>Declutter. Which means, you need to have somewhere to take all the things that you want to keep, but that you no longer want in the shed. We had another shed for that purpose. I had to declutter it first, to make room for the items from the Tuff Shed.</li><li>Plan the space. Where which piece of furniture will go, etc.</li><li>Rearrange and/or add the furniture and accessories that you need and want so that the shed can fulfill its new purpose.</li><li>Finally, to the largest extent possible, save money by using what you already have. An extra night stand or bookcase not being well-utilized in your home. Extra wall decor. And so on.</li></ol><p>To convert a shed into a living space can take a lot of time and effort. But, in my experience, it's well-worth it!</p><p> </p><p><br /></p><p> </p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-650832974046644208.post-79335221660394738122021-05-05T12:32:00.001-07:002021-05-05T12:32:11.099-07:00Ah, The Wisdom Of Experience!<p> I recently happened upon a post I published to another blog
a few years ago, when our earth-sheltered house was in the process of being
built. I began by talking about how, before we’d moved to our rural property, I’d
believed so strongly that God had called us to be off-grid with water. Then I talked
about how there was no way we’d be able to water the planned forty fruit trees,
vines, and bushes during a summer drought with the 3,000 gallons of water we
then had stored in water storage tanks.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I was already worrying about how we were ever going to have
enough water for the twenty-six fruit varieties we’d already planted. I was
beginning to see that during a several-month drought, we’d barely have enough
for household use. And then, there was the garden!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Did you catch that word, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">worry</i>?
That’s your first hint that I’d stepped out of God’s will.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We’d had to hook up to the water grid in order to properly
bury our house, and when I wrote that post, I’d been feeling the freedom of
having unlimited water. Had decided that I’d missed God about being off the
water grid.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Fast forward to now, 2021. Of those initial twenty-six fruit
plants, four trees and eight bushes, plus several blackberry and raspberry
plants each, are the only survivors. And the blueberries look like they’ve been
overtaken by the mummy disease that has afflicted them more and more during the
past four years, and will have to go bye-bye sometime this year. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We live in highly humid climate with typically mild winters,
which means that every plant that’s susceptible to any kind of fungal disease
is going to get at least one of them within its first couple of years of life.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I had no idea, entering our third year here, that within
three years I’d be eating the prideful words I’d written in that blog post.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We got off the water grid not too long after we finished out
and moved into the earth-sheltered house. We bought, three or four years apart,
two more water storage tanks, each 2500 gallons. This was enough to help us
make it through a long-ish drought, both for the vegetable garden and for
household needs. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There’s also the fifteen-foot diameter pool J dug and lined
with pond liner. It’s about two feet deep in the middle, and is the water J
uses to water trees when the hot weather hits and the rain stops. It’s never
been more than half empty. Even before we took out three-fourths of our trees,
vines and bushes.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Most fruit trees just don’t work in the climate where we
live, unless you begin hitting them with fungicide from the get-go, which we
didn’t. Not to mention the fact we don’t want to use conventional fungicides,
which are much more effective than the natural ones. Especially once the plants
are already diseased. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In the book of James in the New Testament, the man wrote,
“Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city,
spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit.’ Whereas you do not know
what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that
appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, ‘If
the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that. But now you boast in your
arrogance….’ [James 4:13-16, NKJV]”. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I’d been subtly bragging in that post, thinking we were one
day going to be self-sufficient in fruit.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Nope. Not be a long shot. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Serves me right for bragging. And planning without the
Lord’s input. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Vegetables and herbs are our focus now, the latter requiring
only a little supplemental water once established.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ah, the wisdom of experience. I hope mine has just saved you
a few hundred dollars in purchasing dozens of trees for your homestead on
impulse, instead of growing slowly and seeing what will work. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Which is what J wanted to do in the first place. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">All that frustration, when God had given me His wisdom in
the form of a husband. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I must get out of the habit of being unable to learn unless
I fall flat on my back. </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-650832974046644208.post-88750088737963099122021-04-24T13:06:00.002-07:002022-04-24T09:54:30.560-07:00Six Home Vegetable Garden Ideas For Tiny Backyards That You Can Implement TODAY<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGjz41vaWNIyxrHGhAqhG7feFMCMfySSTtXaIUar3fcmMYyCPKvQuurd8h7mg98CAJkqp_6jm0giBt3TXqrHWX7hdru0Bh9pt1GJH10P5q6JoBLtkuVQZ31gd91YjQDOH9JntJlntMa29J/s1500/1-6vegideasfortinyyards.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGjz41vaWNIyxrHGhAqhG7feFMCMfySSTtXaIUar3fcmMYyCPKvQuurd8h7mg98CAJkqp_6jm0giBt3TXqrHWX7hdru0Bh9pt1GJH10P5q6JoBLtkuVQZ31gd91YjQDOH9JntJlntMa29J/w266-h400/1-6vegideasfortinyyards.png" width="266" /></a></div><br /> When your space for
growing your own food is limited, any home vegetable garden ideas
that will make your garden more productive are worth looking into. I know,
because we used to live in a suburb and had the proverbial postage stamp-sized
backyard.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In this article, I
want to give you six ideas that most people with limited growing space –
whether you have a tiny backyard or an apartment balcony – can put into
practice starting today.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;"><b><span style="font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Idea
#1: Trellis everything that can be trellised<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">You may already know
that peas require a trellis to grow up, and that cucumbers like to climb up
trellises.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But did you know that
you can trellis many types of melon and winter squash varieties, as well? The
trick with doing that is to trellis only the smaller varieties – say, those
that are cantaloupe-size at maturity – and then when the fruit grows to be
about the size of an orange, to wrap it up and attach it to the trellis so the
weight of the fruit doesn't make it fall off the vine before it's mature. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">You can use netted
bags such as what lemons and onions typically come in at the store, or you can
use old pantyhose. Basically, you need a material that will stretch as the
fruit grows, and that is strong enough so that it won't break.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;"><b><span style="font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Idea
#2: Mount shallow containers to a fence.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">YouTube is replete
with ideas on how to grow things in gutters attached to fences or the outside
of apartment walls. Below is one.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">https://youtu.be/wqIU_elcngI<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I will say, if you
either live in a hot-summer climate or don't want to be constantly irrigating
the soil, you might want to use plastic window boxes instead. They are deeper
than gutters, and so hold more soil and thus won't require watering as
frequently as gutter gardens do.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;"><b><span style="font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Idea
#3: Grow greens in pots on a metal shelf.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This home vegetable
garden idea is a great way to take advantage of vertical space, especially if
you don't have a fence or wall that you dare attach gutters to. The metal
shelves that are available at Big Box stores are coated so that they won't
rust, so you can leave them outside season after season.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Level a spot in your
backyard garden that gets at least six hours of sun, buy one of the shelving
units, and assemble it on the level spot. Then, cram each shelf full of pots of
lettuce, herbs, kale, whatever.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Because the spot will
get sun for most of the day, all of the plants – even those on the lower
shelves that are more shaded – should get enough sun for greens to grow.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">That said, if you use
small enough containers to have three rows of them on each shelf, forego that
idea. To make sure all of the plants get enough sun, only have two outside
rows, and leave the middle of each shelf empty.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Here's an irrigation
hack for such a set-up: Buy a shallow plastic storage container at least thirty
inches long for each shelf. Cover it with either three layers of lime-green
landscape fabric or panda film to keep the plastic from getting sun damage. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Plant your plants in
small grow bags – a one-gallon bag for each lettuce, a three-gallon bag for
each kale – and set the bags inside the shallow boxes.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">To irrigate, simply
keep about two inches of water inside each plastic box. Shake up fifty drops of
orange oil per gallon of water to instantly kill any mosquito eggs that get
laid inside the boxes.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;"><b><span style="font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Idea
#4: Utilize interplanting wherever possible.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This is one of the
easiest, yet least-used, of the home vegetable gardening ideas for small
spaces. Interplanting is when you either plant narrow-growing plants with
wider-growing ones, such as carrots in between heads of lettuce, or early
harvest crops with later harvest ones, such as radishes in between tomatoes.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A related trick, if
you live somewhere where the summer temperatures average well above eighty-five
degrees (F), is to plant smallish, cool-weather plants to the north of large,
warm-weather plants.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For example, if you
have four tomatoes growing in a row, plant a lettuce or two on the north side
of each tomato, and the tomato will protect it from much of the hot summer sun
rays.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;"><b><span style="font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Idea
#5: Use a stackable planter.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigHAXSnXllvt6XdFKwntDHLVkwKdi-Vah5sRd7YF1L7f1nXwE5LSNWlVkuokK9yUBzsn9tyKS0EUXbjYVpkwmHj1bH1_f_ROUKAUhUfzcS4_3bPbth-WnN62ewllAuXhvdLGqubOtqr7BH/s215/stackableplanters.png"><img border="0" data-original-height="215" data-original-width="215" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigHAXSnXllvt6XdFKwntDHLVkwKdi-Vah5sRd7YF1L7f1nXwE5LSNWlVkuokK9yUBzsn9tyKS0EUXbjYVpkwmHj1bH1_f_ROUKAUhUfzcS4_3bPbth-WnN62ewllAuXhvdLGqubOtqr7BH/w320-h320/stackableplanters.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">The brand really <i>does</i>
matter if you decide to invest in one of these, because the cheaper ones don't
allow for even irrigation all the way to the bottom of the structure.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">However, if you want
to significantly increase the number of plants you grow in a very small area,
investing in a quality stackable planter, such as the kind you can buy from </span><a href="http://greenstalkgarden.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">greenstalkgarden,</span></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
might end up being the perfect solution for your backyard garden.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;"><b><span style="font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Idea
#6: Grow in nooks and crannys.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When we lived in the
suburbs, I grew things under bushes in the corners of the yard and along the
fence. I also let cilantro and red malabar spinach, both being plants which
freely reseed and come back year after year, grow wherever they popped up as
long as they were close to the back patio or other area that we didn't need to
keep mowed.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">You can grow lettuce
in the partial shade of bushes. You can grow a tomato in a five-gallon bucket
next to a porch or balcony post that you can easily tie it to as it grows. Does
the place where your hose connect to the outside faucet drip when the water is
turned on? Even if it only drips once every few seconds, a water-loving mint
plant might flourish there.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;"><b><span style="font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Your
imagination and ingenuity are the limit!<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When it comes to home
vegetable garden ideas for tiny spaces, there are probably at least as many as
there are small backyard gardens. Try a couple of the above ideas, and see
where your own ingenuity takes you!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Happy (small space)
gardening! <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">(If you enjoyed this article, please pay it forward by pinning the graphic at the top of the page to Pinterest. Thanks very much!)</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-650832974046644208.post-72946812516878457122021-04-20T07:55:00.000-07:002021-04-20T07:55:13.472-07:00I’m Back. Here’s Why (And Why I Left).<p> I’m coming back to this blog. And chances are looking good –
because my intuition keeps pulling me in this direction – that when my paid
webhosting is up for renewal in a couple of years, I’m not going to pay. My
author website, as well as my healthy living and homeschooling blogs, will go
bye-bye. Why?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Because I was never
supposed to get sucked into the online business world in the first place</i>. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When I last cancelled my webhosting, and later began this
free blog, I knew both decisions were right because both gave me joy. But then…</p>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">Why I abandoned this blog</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">…I began to listen to all the wrong voices. One voice was of
the devil, whispering that I had to try to make a full-time income online. I
know it was the enemy because of the fear and anxiety the thoughts brought.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Another voice was the world’s, the world that lusts after
money, that told me that I’d never make serious money unless I got paid
webhosting, then wrote blog posts that catered to the Almighty Google’s
algorithm. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Before I’d even started this blog, I’d begun self-publishing
Christian romance novels to the Kindle store. Also not God’s plan for me. But
as I went along, reading blog posts and listening to podcasts about
self-publishing, I let the world convince me that in order to be taken
seriously as an author, I had to have an author blog with paid webhosting. </p>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">Long story short</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">Except for the period that I kept up this blog, I’ve spent the past seven years out of God’s will. I’m
wondering now how much of the anxiety and negative thoughts I’ve experienced
were truly due to perimenopausal hormone imbalances. I’m beginning to think
much of it was due to me walking away from the will of God for my life.</p>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">Why I’m back</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal">I can’t tell you the whole of what I feel God is calling me
to do. But I <i>can</i> say with certainty
that instead of writing novels these past several years, I should have been
spending time with my son, engaging him in activities that would have never
tempted him toward YouTube and video games. I should have been <a href="http://gutenberg.org/ebooks/5657" target="_blank">practicing the presence of God</a>. I should have kept on with this blog, finding joy in
the homesteading journey despite the setbacks and trials.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In other words, for the past seven years, I’ve been running
away from God, ignoring my duties as a mother and making money an idol. I’ve
repented from all that now. Drawing closer to the Lord than I ever have, I’ve
rediscovered the joy in homesteading, the joy in mothering, and the joy of
writing without having to engage in the worldly marketing and business
world. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I may be wrong, but right now I feel that I’ll eventually
have pages on this blog that promote my novels. I don’t feel that I’m supposed
to unpublish them, or that doing occasional promotions is going to go against
God’s plan for me. Not yet, anyway.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Just so you don’t accuse me of hypocrisy. ;)</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And, who knows? I may write more novels in the future. If I
do, you can be sure they will be overtly spiritual, overtly Gospel-oriented. And
they will <i>not </i>be romances! If I do
write another novel, I have a small fan base that “loves” my work, and I want
to give them a place to check back to every once in a while to see if I’ve
published a new book. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But mostly? I’m going to be letting the Holy Spirit lead me,
moment by moment, and never again get caught up in the demands of the world. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And one of directions the Spirit is leading me strongly is
to reboot this blog.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Consider it rebooted. ;)</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-650832974046644208.post-49447053130388734582020-06-22T02:00:00.001-07:002021-04-24T12:53:45.551-07:00What Is Homesteading? The Basic Elements<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw7ISSjTO9cftkCQj2UYgYILb13kkYkNI4IatgUim0RMtec2ui1-5en1YuwPoMp2p5ZFEmWl1E-I_6WpYZ_A3LwltdbVu8hoTkylaGiEvxThSoWjyF3rTif0OF_CyEyqj9qc2q8QBmudLk/s1600/1-whatishomesteading_2_green.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw7ISSjTO9cftkCQj2UYgYILb13kkYkNI4IatgUim0RMtec2ui1-5en1YuwPoMp2p5ZFEmWl1E-I_6WpYZ_A3LwltdbVu8hoTkylaGiEvxThSoWjyF3rTif0OF_CyEyqj9qc2q8QBmudLk/s400/1-whatishomesteading_2_green.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://emilyhomesteader.blogspot.com/2014/09/lessons-i-learned-from-my-first-big.html">What is homesteading? </a>I looked in my husband's old Webster
unabridged dictionary and was surprised to find that it lacks this word! It defines
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">homestead </i>as "a dwelling with
its land and buildings, occupied by the owner as a home and exempted by a homestead
law from seizure or sale for debt," or, "any dwelling with its land
and buildings." The definition for the verb <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">to homestead</i> is "to settle on a property." </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The modern definition of homesteading arises from back in
the 1800s, perhaps even earlier, when pioneers in the United States traveled to
unsettled land in order to settle it. Back then, residential use of electricity
was uncommon, and there were no agricultural conglomerates to produce food or
large, multi-purpose factories to manufacture clothing, furniture, and other
essentials. So the settlers had to be self-sufficient, growing their own food,
making their own clothing, etc.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So today, while the word "homesteading" can
technically refer to a person in the city becoming an owner of a small lot with
a house, it almost always refers to a lifestyle of becoming as self-sufficient
as possible. Within this self-sufficiency, homesteaders endeavor to transform
their home and property from liabilities to assets as much as possible. I'll
get into that in a bit. Bottom line: homesteading is a return to a simpler life
of less consumption. </div>
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<h2>
But remember, the early settlers had community
</h2>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Usually when you come across the topic of homesteading
online, the concept of self-sufficiency is tossed about like a hot potato.
"The sh*t is going to hit the fan! You must become self-sufficient!"</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What these people miss is the fact that the early settlers
of the United States did not live independently from one another, as the term
"self-sufficient" implies. Rather, they lived as human beings are
supposed to live - <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">inter</i>dependently.
If somebody's barn burned down, for example, the community would gather
together and build them a new barn. When a woman had a baby, other women in the
community would make themselves available to help her for the first few weeks.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So if when you think about homesteading, don't think about a
life led in isolation. Think, instead, about a community where the members
share their skills and knowledge as needed.</div>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">
The benefits of homesteading</h2>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtYCmOnjpjoP17SaSQ-XXwb-YUWjqo7JG8IOxNWMv95W9wPE1GiV03Ztgrine6qtZN1Iqw1uT87i9WaBiIOCFX2VDr45JEzrkPFUlrxBB6_ljVHXyeXOyG9Y52eAy9C_tk3LA_PRn6gHZN/s1600/june16leveledbeds_small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="500" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtYCmOnjpjoP17SaSQ-XXwb-YUWjqo7JG8IOxNWMv95W9wPE1GiV03Ztgrine6qtZN1Iqw1uT87i9WaBiIOCFX2VDr45JEzrkPFUlrxBB6_ljVHXyeXOyG9Y52eAy9C_tk3LA_PRn6gHZN/s400/june16leveledbeds_small.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">High raised beds with summer crops in June.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I need to say this right up front: contrary to the popular
belief of the self-sufficient/prepper community, not everyone needs to be a
homesteader. Not everyone is called to that lifestyle – at least, not to the
extent of the maxims the "gurus" want to hold people to: "you
must produce at least 20% or your own food," "you must be off the
energy grid," etc.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If at this moment in your life you have to work at a job,
and you come home exhausted at the end of the day and barely have the energy to
spare to stop at the grocery store on your way home, let alone try to garden,
there's no need to feel guilty or bad about that. In fact, in a future post
I'll be writing about the myths of homesteading where I'll help wannabe
homesteaders in that nine-to-five situation to get rid of their guilt.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All that said, there are definite benefits to the
homesteading lifestyle.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">
Benefit #1: A healthier planet. </h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When you choose to life a simpler life, a life that steps
away from consumerism and unnecessary waste, you automatically reduce
pollution.</div>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">
Benefit #2: A healthier you. </h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Whether you're making a meal from scratch, planting out
tomatoes, or cutting down weeds to make compost tea, the homesteading lifestyle
gets you moving more than the mainstream convenience-based lifestyle. I don't
have to tell you that getting more exercise reduces your risk of developing
many kinds of diseases.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In addition, food that you grow yourself is more nutritious –
and less toxic – than food you buy from a supermarket. Yes, that includes
produce in health food stores. Just like with exercise, we could all use more
nutrients, and when we are nutrient-sufficient, we are healthier.</div>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">
Benefit #3: Less stress.</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This might go under the "healthier you" category,
but it's so important I want to give it its own heading.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Also, I'm going to push vegan homesteading here, because the
more animals you have on a homestead, the more stress you're going to have.
Plain and simple. Animals require a lot of maintenance and extra expense. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Be that as it may, in general, a person who homesteads is
going to be more frugal. Living frugally equates to the ability to save more money,
which leads to less financial stress. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Many skills that have become attached to the homesteading
lifestyle – such as gardening, sewing, and making crafts – are relaxing. The
more you can relax, obviously, the less stress you're going to experience.</div>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">
Benefit #4: Save money.</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I alluded to that above. It's almost a given that if you
make choices that enhance Planet Earth's health as well as your health, you're
going to end up saving money. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you choose to do with what you have, and repair and
repurpose items as much as you can, you're going to save money. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are more benefits to homesteading, but those are the
major ones. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And now you may be hanging your head, tears dripping down
your cheeks because alas, you can't possibly homestead because of where you
live. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Chin up! And keep reading. Because you can homestead no
matter what kind of dwelling you call home.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyhINVwxYrd-RWz8aGwJ7LolLnbLm5H74NosalfCOX2vdbXSNF8xlVVfAK9PoAPdkUv4c__r6q8jAO6FSZIs8pEGnaR_fMe9t4yDkUSibshaEWeZCKuiPO5y00T0sQJjXiDA3FAQUAvqXO/s1600/redmalabarspinachforwhatishomesteadingpost.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyhINVwxYrd-RWz8aGwJ7LolLnbLm5H74NosalfCOX2vdbXSNF8xlVVfAK9PoAPdkUv4c__r6q8jAO6FSZIs8pEGnaR_fMe9t4yDkUSibshaEWeZCKuiPO5y00T0sQJjXiDA3FAQUAvqXO/s400/redmalabarspinachforwhatishomesteadingpost.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red malabar spinach climbing up a post in a suburban backyard.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">
Where can a person homestead?</h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you ask the average person on the street where the
homesteading lifestyle happens, they are likely to answer, "Out in the
country," or "In rural communities."</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But go back to how I defined homesteading above. It's a
choice to become more self-sufficient, to turn home and property into
productive investments. Given that definition, a person can homestead with any
kind of dwelling. Sure, some dwellings are limited in the extent of
self-sufficiency you can develop. But any attempt to live a simpler life comes
under the umbrella of homesteading.</div>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">
Apartment homesteading</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you live in an apartment, do you utilize ways to save
water? Do you work on cutting back on your electricity usage? Are you learning
to reduce your consumption and be happy with what you have right now? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If so, you can consider yourself an apartment homesteader!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What about growing food? You can produce a non-stop crop of
lettuce with a metal shelf and inexpensive blue-and-red LED grow lights. <a href="https://emilyhomesteader.blogspot.com/2018/03/the-easiest-way-to-grow-lettuce-ever.html">Inthis video-post I explain how</a>. Note that we own five acres in the country, yet I
grow our lettuce indoors. The reason is that where we live, it gets so warm so fast
in the spring, and so cold so fast in the fall, it's hard to grow lettuce that
either isn't bitter, or doesn't need some kind of protection.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, some tenets of apartment homesteading work well for us
country bumpkins, too!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You can grow sprouts in jars or on trays in your kitchen. Do
you have a balcony? There are all sorts of videos and blog posts online
explaining how to make the most of your tiny outdoor space in order to grow
food crops. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In some apartment buildings in some cities, residents are
allowed to have rooftop gardens, growing in containers or raised beds on top of
the building.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yes, you <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">can</i>
homestead in an apartment!</div>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">
Urban homesteading</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The phrase "urban homesteading" – or, suburban
homesteading, if<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>you will – typically refers
to houses on city lots in which the owners endeavor to reduce their carbon
footprint and work toward more self-sufficiency. If you own a house, you own
some yard space, so you can grow a lot more food than the apartment
homesteader. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You can grow much more than you think, if you plan your
garden out right. When we lived in a suburb, we had what is commonly known as a
"postage stamp-sized" backyard. We had <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">way</i> less than a fourth of an acre, even combined with the front
yard. Yet, it was enough space to keep us in fresh vegetables almost all year
(we lived in north Texas, so we could grow greens for most of the winter). </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We also made moves to reduce our electricity and water
usage, and we didn't try to "keep up with Joneses." Though I don't
think we had any neighbors by that name. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you rent a house and your landperson won't give you
permission to dig up the yard to build gardens, you can container garden.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Some urban homesteaders, if their city allows, keep backyard
chickens for eggs, or rabbits for meat. Although, as a vegan, I'm not going to
encourage either. ;)</div>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">
Rural homesteading</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ah, space, space, and more space! When you live in the
country, you can have a huge garden and a variety of fruit-producing trees and
bushes. If you're not vegan, there is, of course, much more space for keeping
animals. In many states once you get outside city limits, codes go bye-bye so
that you can get as extreme in your lifestyle as you want, building a tiny
cabin for your home, using a composting toilet, collecting rainwater into
tanks, and building a solar panel array to collect electricity.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
No matter where you live, you can choose to live a simpler
life and produce at least a small fraction of your own food. And thus, you will
be homesteading.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So now you understand the where's and why's of the
lifestyle. The big question is, what does it look like? How does a person live
out the lifestyle of a homesteader?</div>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">
How to homestead</h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
From what I wrote about above, you could infer a lot about
the how-to's of homesteading. While I'm not going to go into any kind of depth
about beekeeping or growing a tomato from seed to harvest in this post, I do
want to give you the ten-thousand foot view about the lifestyle.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Being a homesteader is about:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">#1. Having a frugal mindset.</i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You endeavor to live as simply as you can in order to both
save money and avoid unnecessary purchases that will eventually contribute to
the landfills. It means you own many fewer machines of convenience, such as
dishwashers and food processors, than the average person. It means that you
don't buy anything on impulse. It means that you're good with purchasing from
thrift and consignment stores, and from yard sales, whenever possible.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It means you ask for discounts, use coupons, and stock up
when there's a sale. It means you aim not to own anything that doesn't either
have significance and/or use.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This frugal attitude is the root of all the other
homesteading how-to's. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">#2. Doing it yourself whenever possible.</i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You make your own meals. If you eat bread, you bake your own
bread to go with those meals. You grow as much of your own food as you can. You
learn how to make basic repairs around the property and do them yourself rather
than hiring out the jobs. You might sew your own clothes, or create your own
household accessories. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And of course, the more things you do yourself, the more
frugally you live.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">#3. Respecting the planet's resources.</i></b> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
No one enters the homesteading lifestyle thinking, "You
know, I'm going to do this so I can use as much energy as possible and waste
all the water that I dare!" Rather, they set up their home so that it will
use less energy. They figure out ways to conserve water usage, and collect and
use rainwater. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Homesteaders try to work with nature, rather than against
it. This includes endeavoring to use as few synthetic chemicals as possible,
both for household use and outside, so as to reduce their "pollution
footprint."</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Along with that, they recycle, reuse and repurposes
materials whenever possible. Instead of mindlessly collecting piles and piles
of plastic shopping bags from the grocery store, they bring their own canvas
bags to tote their wares – or reuse plastic shopping bags from other visits. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">#4. Transforming the home from a liability to an asset.</i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This facet of homesteading actually ties into the others
above, but it's important enough to earn its own mention.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Most homes – including house and property – are liabilities
to their owners rather than assets. Even if the owners have paid off the
mortgages, the houses and land consume much more than they give back in the way
of money, energy, and other resources. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When we lived in our suburban Dallas home, there wasn't a
single front yard in the neighborhood that was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xeriscaping">xeriscaped.</a> Know why? <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">It wasn't allowed!</i> The city property standards
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">required </i>residents to have grass on
at least half their front yards! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And the bushes and trees? Purely ornamental. Despite the
thousands of gallons of water poured at the trees' bases every summer, few
produced fruit or nuts. Most people paid a landscaping service to cut their
grass and trim their hedges once every two weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The houses weren't well-insulated and so were energy hogs.
Many – like ours – had a twenty-foot ceiling in the living room. Can you say,
"heat sink"? Can you say, "a 50% higher electric bill in the
winter"?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When homesteading, on the other hand, people take measures
to turn their homes into assets. They use the roof of their houses to collect
water. If they have a new house built, they make sure it's energy-efficient.
They only build (or buy) as much house as they need. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And, of course, as much of the property as possible is used
for food production. Often, sections of land are set aside for other kinds of
production, like using the woods to grow trees for firewood. Or creating a
flower garden in order to sell bouquets. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The homesteading how-to's come down to living more simply,
and living more frugally. And you can take steps in those directions no matter
where you live, no matter your career. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You can be like my family and take things to extreme, using
coolers instead of a refrigerator, having no running water inside the house,
and washing laundry by hand. But homesteading doesn't require extremes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It simply requires the attitude of simplicity. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Happy homesteading.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-650832974046644208.post-60726838637823367382020-04-20T10:25:00.003-07:002021-05-11T10:29:15.638-07:00A BAN On Homeschooling???<p> I knew that some
people – okay, a lot of people – had some warped ideas about homeschooling. But
I didn’t realize that some people thought it was so evil, it should be banned.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">One such person is a
professor at one of the Ivy League universities. Not wanting to give her more
undeserved glory than she’s already gotten for herself, I’m not going to name
her. I will, however, comment on a couple of things she said.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;"><b><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Logic
doesn’t follow intellect<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">First of all, she’s
called homeschooled children “victims.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Victims. Hmm. Let’s
think about that for a a minute, shall we? Children who are homeschooled get to
drink water when they want. They get to go to the bathroom when they need to.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Without begging for
permission to do so.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Children who are
homeschooled don’t experience peer pressure that leads them into potentially
dangerous behaviors. They aren’t bullied…unless the parents are abusive, but
this is an exception in the homeschooling world, not the rule. Just like in the
world at large.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">They aren’t being
constantly told what to do and how to do it. They don’t have a constant threat
hanging over them if they don’t toe the line. They aren’t forced to sit in a
chair for hours every day, while they’re growing bodies beg to move.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Homeschooled children,
victims?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">No. It’s the children
who are sent to day prison – I mean, <i>school </i>– who are victims. I have to
wonder what planet this professor is from. She obviously has a very skewed
memory of what school was like when she was growing up. And proof that logic
doesn’t necessarily proceed intelligence.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;"><b><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She’s
oblivious to the truth of institutional education<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Another thing this
woman said? Parents who homeschool have “authoritarian control over their
children.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Wait, <b><i>what??</i></b>
So, schoolteachers aren’t authoritarian? Principals? As a former schoolteacher,
I’ve even seen administrative staff and teacher assistants treat students as
though they were inmates.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And what does she
think parents are for, anyway? To make babies, then let those babies rule the
roost?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Oh, wait. Okay. No,
parents are to be good little robots that obey the government, sending their
children to school to become good little robots. People are a means to an end
for the Powers That Be. To work for the government, either directly, or
indirectly by enslaving oneself to a corporate job so that the one percent
wealthiest people can continue to lord it over the rest of the population,
thereby improving the economy, thereby feeding corrupt Big Government.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Even if that’s what
she believes, I can’t see how someone who believes that schools are a healthy
place to be can also believe that parents aren’t to have any authority in their
children’s lives.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If lawmakers won’t
ban homeschooling, she says, at least they have to strictly regulate it.
Because as we all know, </span><a href="https://happymediumhomeschool.com/the-secret-about-school-curriculum-that-formal-educators-either-flat-out-deny-or-are-reluctant-to-admit/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">the
traditional school curriculum is the be-all-end-all for creating a healthy, happy,
and successful human being</span></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Hold on a minute. So,
the<i> government </i>can be authoritarian over children, but not parents?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Or, no. Wait. That’s
right. The professor doesn’t care about any of that. She just wants a bunch of
government-brainwashed robots.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Or...she might be
against parental authority for a reason that has nothing to do with
homeschooling <i>per se</i>. She might be against evangelical Christian parents
who "force" their children to learn about God and the Bible. How
terrible! How dare a parent love their child so much that they teach them about
their loving Creator?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;"><b><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She
talks out of both sides of her mouth<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The woman in question
seems to hold two conflicting beliefs. On the one hand, she apparently believes
that most homeschooling parents are radical unschoolers, allowing their
children to eat sweets all day and not making them brush their teeth. This
borders on neglect, and I can see why she would take issue with that. So do I.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But radical
unschooling parents are the exact opposite of authoritarian. Indeed, the
authoritarian homeschooling parents aren’t doing anything different from
government schools! Except, of course, allowing their kids to take care of
their physical needs as necessary.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Oh, and, yes,
possibly teaching them that God exists.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The professor should
think about going into politics. She’s quite adroit at talking out of both
sides of her mouth.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Whichever way you
slice it, she seems to want children to grow up into non-thinking, apathetic
adults who work for the pleasures of the weekend. She'd better be careful what
she’s wishing for. Because today’s young children are the ones who will be
ruling her world when she’s old.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I can only hope that
by then, she’ll be too senile to keep demanding that children be kept
imprisoned by Big Government.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-650832974046644208.post-77549582953620689102018-05-31T06:00:00.000-07:002019-04-26T15:26:39.046-07:00Should I GIVE UP On Growing STRAWBERRIES?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
When you do online research about growing strawberries, all
the sites that show up in the first page of results make it sound easy. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>I</u></b> even once wrote an article
about how easy it was to grow strawberries. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Because it was my first year to do so in the super-humid
climate we live in, and I was stupid.<br />
(For a really, truly easy fruit to grow, you gotta try<a href="https://emilyhomesteader.blogspot.com/2018/05/great-gobs-of-goumis-how-and-why-to.html" target="_blank"> growing goumis</a>!) </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now, growing the actual plants is a no-brainer. But most
people don’t grow strawberries because they’re going to harvest the leaves
(although you can make a high-vitamin-C tea out of them). They grow
strawberries for the fruit.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">
Strawberries + rain + humidity = FRUSTRATION!</h2>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">
</h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What I didn’t realize until this year, my fourth year of
growing strawberries, and what nobody else seems to be saying online, is that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">if you live in a humid subtropical climate
and don’t spray a fungicide, you’re going to end up with rotting strawberries.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And it’s not just a matter of “oh, well, most of the fruit
rotted this year. We’ll do better next year” because the cause of the rotting
is a fungus called anthracnose. And this fungus will hang out in both the soil
and the plant, waiting to inflict its damage the next spring. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Oh joy, oh splendor. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I did spray my strawberry patch with copper for several
weeks. This fungicide is supposed to prevent anthracnose. However, I still had
most of my fruit rot – on many berries, before they even began to ripen.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
(My apologies about poor quality of the following photos - the sun was just in the wrong place when I took them. If you look carefully, you can see the rotting spots facing the camera.)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUlb30EIekQpJpY_J5RmvjVQQkxLoiqEWffUcoerAa9mjnI_u_-YEc2bViJbllQiSZUihio3ZoJDjNB76EJZpSKNcPTJlqqifP4zxMdODC6Duzprp4m9pGbRYxqc9pkecqiqfsAoVIMsg2/s1600/strawberriesrottingsmaller1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="933" data-original-width="700" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUlb30EIekQpJpY_J5RmvjVQQkxLoiqEWffUcoerAa9mjnI_u_-YEc2bViJbllQiSZUihio3ZoJDjNB76EJZpSKNcPTJlqqifP4zxMdODC6Duzprp4m9pGbRYxqc9pkecqiqfsAoVIMsg2/s400/strawberriesrottingsmaller1.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy9eUkk7ixpJpFkcsMwsO7fUww6Bx37DNd9VKk2MDH9vh8FkVsV5T9rLfIOoIenM-973gstizslxWo0_Amh0XPDHLoxzxYzhZBIHadhY_jNKllaiq2h9YinEu7ds2AM81Fb5bj0_oUq4UF/s1600/strawberriesrottingsmaller2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="933" data-original-width="700" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy9eUkk7ixpJpFkcsMwsO7fUww6Bx37DNd9VKk2MDH9vh8FkVsV5T9rLfIOoIenM-973gstizslxWo0_Amh0XPDHLoxzxYzhZBIHadhY_jNKllaiq2h9YinEu7ds2AM81Fb5bj0_oUq4UF/s400/strawberriesrottingsmaller2.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<span id="goog_545363725"></span><span id="goog_545363726"></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One reason is that I started spraying too late – you’re
supposed to start spraying as soon as the buds start forming. I didn’t start
until there were berries growing (because I hadn’t done the research on the
problem until then). Another reason is that except in years of drought, our
springs consist of several weeks (read: two to three months) when we have rain
several times every week. We sometimes can half or more of our annual rainfall
in the spring. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And guess what causes the anthracnose to become active? You
guessed it – wet plants and berries. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Last fall, before I learned about the cause of strawberry
rot, I thought that getting the plants off the ground would prevent the rot. I thought the rot mainly came from the berries sitting
against the ground. If I could just get them to grow where they could hang in
the air. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMwbJyxLNhyphenhyphenYixYFhFAax9HM1ipF2Ms5BizTDhCo6dX1LdXLvL9JlQ2Xq1ZefTtnsgCMEZ5L_PLkfG_-KnsQaXlcbu-J2v2HRU3fiYsY_cYtuD0npx6z_APFtnUmXtlQNW7TEjo3XuwPvR/s1600/strawtower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMwbJyxLNhyphenhyphenYixYFhFAax9HM1ipF2Ms5BizTDhCo6dX1LdXLvL9JlQ2Xq1ZefTtnsgCMEZ5L_PLkfG_-KnsQaXlcbu-J2v2HRU3fiYsY_cYtuD0npx6z_APFtnUmXtlQNW7TEjo3XuwPvR/s400/strawtower.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My failed vertical strawberry garden - 2 rows planted on this side, another row on the other. It worked for the guy on YouTube whose video I watched, but not for me. The idea is to have a rope going through the container down into the PVC pipe. You fill up the pipe through the open end (right in the photo) and the rope is supposed to wick the water up into the soil. Well, it does, but apparently not enough for the robust strawberry plant.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Nope. Most of the strawberries there rotted, too. Number
one, they weren’t protected from the rain. Number two, they were already
infected with the fungus.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A few weeks ago, I almost gave up on growing strawberries. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But I can’t. I'm a strawberry snob. See, I grew up with home-grown strawberries - sweet and juicy -
and I can’t stand the hardly-ever-sweet-and-usually-moldy berries they sell in
the store. Even the Whole Foods brand of frozen strawberries are often full of
not-quite-ripe, or even only half-ripe, fruit. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">
My solution</h2>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">
</h2>
<h4 class="MsoNormal">
Part One</h4>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">am</i> going to give
up on one thing: the vertical strawberry garden. I’ll use the structure for
growing something else, maybe spinach in the winter?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are sixty strawberry plants there right now. My plan
is to keep them alive, then at the end of the summer cut off all the leaves and
stems so that only the crowns and roots are left. I’m going to pull them out of
the bags and let them soak in a hydrogen peroxide solution for a few hours,
hoping that will kill any remnant of the fungus. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After the soak, I will plant them in a two- or three-bucket
tower, per the instructions in the following video:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3UWykCPxN5c" width="560"></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I don’t know how yet, but somehow I’m going to make a kind
of umbrella over each tower so that rain will have a hard time pummeling the
strawberries planted there. And then, I’m just going to see how it goes.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h4>
Part Two </h4>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m also going to experiment with the strawberries in the
ground. Right now I’m in the process of thinning out the plants that are in the
original rows I created so that they are nine to twelve inches apart. I’m
figuring five rows of ten, so fifty plants there. In the fall, I’m going to
pull up any suckers, cut off all the foliage, then spray them all with hydrogen
peroxide, giving the ground a good soaking of the solution, as well.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAzMKLykoDAQ3Zr7bgWUfHIZB0dINE6yLubze1CvldrATO330wkDqTqXoIzW_m4OWIkHTOcAeAmDX3c8UMkQ81AZcoXoSEUpfp6yctXZvNB349FRghuIqhnedAiu_9TAmJ_BCImq4L2oH_/s1600/thinnedstrawb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAzMKLykoDAQ3Zr7bgWUfHIZB0dINE6yLubze1CvldrATO330wkDqTqXoIzW_m4OWIkHTOcAeAmDX3c8UMkQ81AZcoXoSEUpfp6yctXZvNB349FRghuIqhnedAiu_9TAmJ_BCImq4L2oH_/s400/thinnedstrawb.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First row I thinned out.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9RTYqmrj6wV5RRsObL55VRuN3pvsGDpb3Ly-o1NUquru8Aof3Z23JJN_eHnb4vfh7kP6wIB_qehkXOR3XFcJtelN4qk905U53ALnIX8yDyKAHQl-aJuqDjR0rk2yw0GwvKtkgcEp4OUBA/s1600/unthinnedstrawb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9RTYqmrj6wV5RRsObL55VRuN3pvsGDpb3Ly-o1NUquru8Aof3Z23JJN_eHnb4vfh7kP6wIB_qehkXOR3XFcJtelN4qk905U53ALnIX8yDyKAHQl-aJuqDjR0rk2yw0GwvKtkgcEp4OUBA/s320/unthinnedstrawb.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The rest of the strawberries that have yet to be thinned.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At some point late in the year, I’ll have DH help me place a
hoop over each plant, plus one in between each plant. When rain is forecast, I
will drape the hoops with plastic so that no water can hit the plants or any
budding berries.<br />
<br />
Maybe. I'll have to see how feasible that idea is.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Finally, I’m going to start spraying them once a week as
soon as I see the first flower on the first plant.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And I’ll see how it goes. Hopefully better than it’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">been</i> going. But by 2020 I may be growing
strawberries indoors.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Desperate times call for desperate measures. Especially when
you’re a homesteading strawberry snob living in a humid area.</div>
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