In days gone by there were certain skills that were expected of women. These were required to to keep a home going and take care of the family. Due to modern conveniences and technology, these skills are no longer needed to maintain a home. In fact some of them may be a dying art.
I think these skills started fading out clear back during World War I when women entered the work force outside the home. Technology rose to the occasion and started coming up with modern appliances to help women with their everyday house work.
My mom was what we now call a stay-at-home-mom. I can remember her using a wringer washer. With the old wringer washers you had to fill the tub with soap and water; the washer would agitate the laundry and then you had to run it through the wringer (two rollers that squeezed out the excess water) into rinse water. After that you still had to run it through the wringers again. And of course you had to hang everything out to dry.
Food companies also kicked in creating items to make a tired working woman's life easier. They came up with things like cake mixes, bread (white and sliced), even canned fruits and vegetables. In order to run a household on a low income, my mom canned food grown in our garden such as pickles. I still remember her dill pickles and sweet pickles. These were staples in the winter when fresh vegetables weren't available.
Now I'm not saying I'm willing to give up my washer and dryer, but I think it's a great idea to keep these skills alive and know how it's done in the event we are ever forced to return to a place where self-sufficiency is a requirement for everyday living.
Some the things I like to do is gardening - there was a day when EVERY family had a garden. You didn't waste water keeping a green lawn, you had a front yard garden. There was no such thing as going to the grocery store for vegetables; you grew your own. This led to canning. My mother never taught me to can. I learned from books, but my husband's grandmother passed on some of her recipes to me. You had to have a way to store your excess and freezers were not available. It's good to know how to freeze vegetables and fruit too, but what if your power goes out. Also, there is nothing better than home made jam. Yummm!
Quilting is another skill from the past that now is considered an art form. There was a time when you recycled all your old clothing in quilts. If your kids outgrew their clothes and there was no body to pass them on to, you turned them into a quilt. Maybe your dress was stained or worn in certain areas, you cut out the good parts and used them in a quilt. Now we buy brand new material from the fabric store to create quilts and since blankets may be purchased so easily at Walmart or Target, why bother with the art of quilting. Let's not forget that those quilts were made by hand and now we use sewing machines. There are still a few women out there in small communities like Reedley, California that get together to quilt. These are called "quilting bees". The quilting bee was an opportunity for women to get together and gossip while still being productive. These gatherings were what produced tight knit communities.
Crocheting and knitting are also some of the crafts that I have learned. My paternal grandmother taught me the basics of crocheting and my mother is teaching me to knit.
I'm also learning how to make wine from fruit, herbs and flowers. This is another way to enjoy your excess. Even if you don't drink wine, there are wines you can make for cooking purposes.
Animal husbandry was a requirement for pioneer women. Their husbands may have been responsible for the larger livestock like cows, horses and pigs. But the women often tended the chickens collecting the eggs for baking and the big breakfasts they made for their families. There is nothing better than eggs from your own chickens. There's also the peace of mind from knowing what your hens are being fed and watching their funny antics.
I'm always wanting to try new things. To me they're interesting. I'm trying my hand at growing mushrooms. My first batch isn't doing so well as it decided to grow mold too. I would like to make soap sometime. I've made tinctures and syrups for the home medicine chest. I want to also make some healing salve from comfrey. I think I will never run out of things to try. If I don't like it, I don't have to do it again. Not only do these skills give me a sense of self-sufficiency, they give me a link to my heritage. Since there are so many different things that fall under this umbrella, I just call it all home crafting.
Oh yeah, I hate everyday housework. Boring.
Showing posts with label gardening. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gardening. Show all posts
Monday, May 2, 2011
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Gardening - Therapy for the Soul
Today I was transplanting tomato plants into larger containers and I started thinking about my gardening experiences.
As I mentioned in a previous post, my mother always had a garden and would can our extra vegetables. My mother grew up on a farm and for her it was just natural to have a garden. It was also very common in those days to grow your own food. We had vegetables and a salad or some type of pickles with every meal. I don't remember much else although I probably helped pull weeds in that garden. I did pick wild strawberries, crabapples, wild grapes and pulled wild onions that grew in the surrounding woods. These were nature's bounty without a lot of effort on my part that I enjoyed.
When we left Wisconsin, we moved around every year or two and my mom didn't always plant a garden. Once I reached my later teens, my parents started gardening again. I remember one time bringing home some pig manure from my boyfriend's farm. I was supposed to be really good for the crops, but it sure did stink.
Up to this point, Mom planted her garden in the standard way of rows that they could irrigate. Then my dad started reading gardening magazines like Mother Earth News and Organic Gardener. He began trying different techniques and methods for increasing yields, cutting down on weeds and conserving water. Pretty soon I was reading those same magazines and helping Dad in the garden.
Although I was exposed to gardens as I grew up, I didn't plant my own garden until I was almost through my first pregnancy. We lived in a small house across from Mooney's Grove Park in Visalia, California. I had planted a small plot behind the house. I don't really remember what I planted. I just remember sitting on the ground cross-legged and turned sideways to pull weeds since I couldn't lean forward over my stomach. What I do recall is how peaceful I felt as I sat there pulling weeds.
My next garden was located behind the garage of our house on Zumwalt in the country. I had gone through a divorce and remarried; things had really changed in my life. However, I still had this inate desire to grow a garden and can my surplus vegetables. My mom never really taught me how to can fruit and vegetables. I taught myself with some pointers from my husband's paternal grandmother. She had some great recipes she shared with me. I also decided to return to college where I earned an AA degree in Ornamental Horticulture. I learned many techniques that I still utilize to this day.
When we moved into town, I went several years without a garden. But the desire set back in and now I have half of my back yard fenced off for gardening. I'm very glad for the heritage and experience in gardening. I feel like I have an advantage as our economy is forcing so many people to grow vegetables to supplement their grocery budget. We enjoy good vegetables that are healthy and grown without pesticides, but the greatest benefit I still gain is peace of mind. Gardening is therapy, both physical and emotional.
As I mentioned in a previous post, my mother always had a garden and would can our extra vegetables. My mother grew up on a farm and for her it was just natural to have a garden. It was also very common in those days to grow your own food. We had vegetables and a salad or some type of pickles with every meal. I don't remember much else although I probably helped pull weeds in that garden. I did pick wild strawberries, crabapples, wild grapes and pulled wild onions that grew in the surrounding woods. These were nature's bounty without a lot of effort on my part that I enjoyed.
When we left Wisconsin, we moved around every year or two and my mom didn't always plant a garden. Once I reached my later teens, my parents started gardening again. I remember one time bringing home some pig manure from my boyfriend's farm. I was supposed to be really good for the crops, but it sure did stink.
Up to this point, Mom planted her garden in the standard way of rows that they could irrigate. Then my dad started reading gardening magazines like Mother Earth News and Organic Gardener. He began trying different techniques and methods for increasing yields, cutting down on weeds and conserving water. Pretty soon I was reading those same magazines and helping Dad in the garden.
Although I was exposed to gardens as I grew up, I didn't plant my own garden until I was almost through my first pregnancy. We lived in a small house across from Mooney's Grove Park in Visalia, California. I had planted a small plot behind the house. I don't really remember what I planted. I just remember sitting on the ground cross-legged and turned sideways to pull weeds since I couldn't lean forward over my stomach. What I do recall is how peaceful I felt as I sat there pulling weeds.
My next garden was located behind the garage of our house on Zumwalt in the country. I had gone through a divorce and remarried; things had really changed in my life. However, I still had this inate desire to grow a garden and can my surplus vegetables. My mom never really taught me how to can fruit and vegetables. I taught myself with some pointers from my husband's paternal grandmother. She had some great recipes she shared with me. I also decided to return to college where I earned an AA degree in Ornamental Horticulture. I learned many techniques that I still utilize to this day.
When we moved into town, I went several years without a garden. But the desire set back in and now I have half of my back yard fenced off for gardening. I'm very glad for the heritage and experience in gardening. I feel like I have an advantage as our economy is forcing so many people to grow vegetables to supplement their grocery budget. We enjoy good vegetables that are healthy and grown without pesticides, but the greatest benefit I still gain is peace of mind. Gardening is therapy, both physical and emotional.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Deer Season and Elderberries
I haven't posted a blog in so long, I forgot my password. So here's an update on what I've been doing lately - work. No, that's not all.
It's fall so the garden is slowing down. I've planted lettuce, carrots, onions and beets. Also some cole crops and they are growing slowly but surely. My green beans are nearly done producing. I froze about 30 cups this year.
It has also been deer hunting season. You can ask my kids, but my husband has been a hunter all his life. His parents raised him with it and they still go hunting to this day. When I first met David, I would go along and we would camp out. I love camping. It's challenging and I love getting up in the mountains and enjoying nature. It was a grand adventure, especially when the kids were young and went along.
One year we took my daughter and niece who are the same age. They were in junior high and best buddies. Our oldest daughter was there with her husband and our sons. After climbing some crazy rocks and scaring us to death, the girls turned in that night to a light snowfall. Well the next morning we woke to the girls yelling, "Our tent is caving in on us and we're stuck!" It had snowed so much that their domed tent for three had collapsed in around them allowing them just enough room to huddle together. Well we were in a similar situation. My husband finally dug out and was able to clear enough snow for them to escape. Everyone was cold, but it sure was beautiful. The world had changed overnight! Everything was white. Pretty soon everyone was packing up to go home. Our son-in-law ended up using his Bronco to pull a motorhome out of the snow when they got stuck. It was fun watching the snow and mud fly! So we definitely had our share of adventures.
But after several years, I realized my husband didn't enjoy camping for camping's sake. He camped out so he could hunt. And for him, hunting was WORK!!! He enjoys it, but I sure didn't. I felt like he took all the fun out of it. So eventually I quit going. He would be gone every weekend in October and I would play. I would do things with my friends like craft shows, weaving shows, trips to the coast, etc.
Well the last few years, he took to going during the week while I was at work. So there went my free weekends. Then last year, once he was over the worst of the buck fever, I went up with him for the last weekend. He didn't hussle me out of bed at the crack of dawn. We took a leisurely drive in the morning and then played War in the afternoon. We cooked good old camp food and enjoyed talking around the campfire. We really enjoyed ourselves.
This year I went up one day and we took my inlaws. Their truck was in the shop and they were so glad to get out of the house. Then I decided to go up for the final weekend again since we had enjoyed ourselves so much last year. Only this year it was much colder and cloudy most of the time. Even so, it was still enjoyable for the most part.
My second batch which is in progress is a conglomeration of recipes and instructions. I'm keeping notes so I can reproduce it if I like it.
So no matter what, I don't come home empty handed. So what do I do with my jellies and wines? Well we can't eat it all, but my family loves receiving these home made goodies and they make great Christmas gifts.
I'll add the wine recipe at a later post.
It's fall so the garden is slowing down. I've planted lettuce, carrots, onions and beets. Also some cole crops and they are growing slowly but surely. My green beans are nearly done producing. I froze about 30 cups this year.
It has also been deer hunting season. You can ask my kids, but my husband has been a hunter all his life. His parents raised him with it and they still go hunting to this day. When I first met David, I would go along and we would camp out. I love camping. It's challenging and I love getting up in the mountains and enjoying nature. It was a grand adventure, especially when the kids were young and went along.
One year we took my daughter and niece who are the same age. They were in junior high and best buddies. Our oldest daughter was there with her husband and our sons. After climbing some crazy rocks and scaring us to death, the girls turned in that night to a light snowfall. Well the next morning we woke to the girls yelling, "Our tent is caving in on us and we're stuck!" It had snowed so much that their domed tent for three had collapsed in around them allowing them just enough room to huddle together. Well we were in a similar situation. My husband finally dug out and was able to clear enough snow for them to escape. Everyone was cold, but it sure was beautiful. The world had changed overnight! Everything was white. Pretty soon everyone was packing up to go home. Our son-in-law ended up using his Bronco to pull a motorhome out of the snow when they got stuck. It was fun watching the snow and mud fly! So we definitely had our share of adventures.
But after several years, I realized my husband didn't enjoy camping for camping's sake. He camped out so he could hunt. And for him, hunting was WORK!!! He enjoys it, but I sure didn't. I felt like he took all the fun out of it. So eventually I quit going. He would be gone every weekend in October and I would play. I would do things with my friends like craft shows, weaving shows, trips to the coast, etc.
Well the last few years, he took to going during the week while I was at work. So there went my free weekends. Then last year, once he was over the worst of the buck fever, I went up with him for the last weekend. He didn't hussle me out of bed at the crack of dawn. We took a leisurely drive in the morning and then played War in the afternoon. We cooked good old camp food and enjoyed talking around the campfire. We really enjoyed ourselves.
This year I went up one day and we took my inlaws. Their truck was in the shop and they were so glad to get out of the house. Then I decided to go up for the final weekend again since we had enjoyed ourselves so much last year. Only this year it was much colder and cloudy most of the time. Even so, it was still enjoyable for the most part.
So my husband goes to hunt and if he gets a deer, we have extra meat in the freezer. However, I go with a different goal in mind. I go to pick elderberries!
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| Elderberries - flower, unripe and ripe berries. |
I love making elderberry jelly and it's good for you. Did you know that elderberries are 80 % higher in vitamin C than grapes? I picked one large bag when my inlaws came with us and then another bag the last weekend of season.
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| Yarrow |
I also dug up some native yarrow to plant in my "herb garden". Yarrow is a natural steptic (stops bleeding). And if you add it to your compost pile it composts faster.
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| Sagebrush likes the dessert of the mountains. |
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| Sage bundles |
I was going to cut some wild sage, but it was cold and looked like rain so I didn't. I just wanted to get home to a hot shower and my own bed. Wild sage smells really good and it is a natural moth repellent. You can hang it in your closet or put it in little sachet bags in your dresser drawers.
Now I'm trying something new with the elderberries I picked. I'm making wine. I've started 2 batches. The first was a simple matter of juicing the berries, adding sugar and water with some bread yeast and putting it in a jug to ferment. I put a balloon over the opening with a pin hole in it to allow the CO2 gases to escape without letting in any wild yeast that could ruin the wine.
My second batch which is in progress is a conglomeration of recipes and instructions. I'm keeping notes so I can reproduce it if I like it.
So no matter what, I don't come home empty handed. So what do I do with my jellies and wines? Well we can't eat it all, but my family loves receiving these home made goodies and they make great Christmas gifts.
I'll add the wine recipe at a later post.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Christmas in September?
I received my seed order today and even though I knew what I had ordered, it was still fun to open my package. I knew what I wanted when I place my order - onions, cabbage and broccoli. Oh, and peas to grow on the fence. Well, I couldn't decide between which cabbage so I bought 2. Hey, they had bok choy - cabbage without the head; I had to get some of those too. The onions? 1 red, 1 yellow and 1 green bunching of course. Then there are peas - flat snow peas for salads and stir fry and english peas to shell and cook. And lets not forget the broccoli. Now I just need to figure out where I'm going to plant everything since I already used up 3 of the 5 rows I had originally planned to use when I ordered the seed. I found out after I placed my order, that I still had some seed that I bought in the spring - beets, leeks, 3 kinds of radishes, carrots. These went in the first 3 rows. I also found several types of lettuce, collards and spinach seeds. All of these will grow well in the fall and through the winter in the valley.
So today I cleared about 1/3 of my original garden for space to plant. Now we'll till it up and prepare to plant this weekend. According to the Farmers' Almanac Moon Calendar, this weekend will be good for planting above ground crops. http://www.farmersalmanac.com/calendar/gardening/ I've never planted by the moon before this year. It's my latest experiment.
By the way, I ordered my seed from Sustainable Seed Co. http://www.sustainableseedco.com/. They're located in California just like me. Most seed companies are back east. I like their product because they sell seed that is self propagating. Most of the seed you buy today is hybrid which means it will not breed true to itself. The price of seed is going up just like everything else and it is so easy to save your own seed. Plus these guys give great service. I've e-mailed questions to them several times and they're always helpful and quick to respond. Check them out.
So today I cleared about 1/3 of my original garden for space to plant. Now we'll till it up and prepare to plant this weekend. According to the Farmers' Almanac Moon Calendar, this weekend will be good for planting above ground crops. http://www.farmersalmanac.com/calendar/gardening/ I've never planted by the moon before this year. It's my latest experiment.
By the way, I ordered my seed from Sustainable Seed Co. http://www.sustainableseedco.com/. They're located in California just like me. Most seed companies are back east. I like their product because they sell seed that is self propagating. Most of the seed you buy today is hybrid which means it will not breed true to itself. The price of seed is going up just like everything else and it is so easy to save your own seed. Plus these guys give great service. I've e-mailed questions to them several times and they're always helpful and quick to respond. Check them out.
Monday, September 6, 2010
First Post
As I recall, I've been around gardening all my life. My mom planted in a community garden before they were popular. We lived at the headquarters to New Tribes Mission in Woodworth, Wisconsin and there was a big garden on a hill. Each family got to use several rows for their personal use. I don't remember much except we were closer to the bottom of the hill than the top. My mom canned our produce and we ate from that all winter long. There was no fresh produce in the winter; we ate sweet pickles and other preserved foods instead.
I remember bringing home pig manure from my boyfriends farm when I was about seventeen for the garden. Then my folks had a big garden when I was 19 where my dad tried out ideas from Mother Earth News and Organic Gardening.
When I was 21 and pregnant with my son, I would sit on the ground and pull weeds in my own first garden. When my son was two and I was a single mom I went back to college and got an Associate of Arts degree in Ornamental Horticulture. That was really just a preview of the wide world of OH and really didn't teach enough for a specific career. I've learned more about gardening from experience than books or school. Now I'm almost 52 and I've still got a lot to learn 'cause I still make lots of mistakes.
I always say I should have been a farmer's wife, but I live in town with a big back yard and a wonderful husband who pretty much lets me do what I want. When I need help with manual labor or someone to water, he's always willing.
Last year, I only grew tomatoes and peppers for salsa, relishes, etc. Year before I grew tomatoes, peppers, and beets. This year I decided to go all out and plant a wider variety. I planted carrots, green onions, squash, swiss chard, pole green beans, beets, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, lettuce, new zealand spinach, sweet corn, herbs, sunflowers (for the bees and birds), and honeydew melon. The garden expanded to a new area of the yard for the corn.
Now I remember why I only grew tomatoes and peppers. The APHIDS FROM HELL!!! Sounds like a B-rated movie. The aphids have munched on the okra, the melons, the cucumbers, the squash and even the corn. I harvested the corn, green beans, cucumbers and squash and then when the plants just couldn't take any more, I pulled them up and threw them on the compost heap. I incorporated some companion planting, but will do more next time.
For once I'm trying to get a fall/winter garden in on time. I planted leeks, carrots, green bunching onions and beets on Saturday and then I covered them with boards to keep the moisture in and the dogs out. (I have two dogs, one big and one little, who think they have to inspect my work and tromp all over it. Then they shit on it.) I was reading a newletter today about growing your own onion sets and I find out from my seed man, Farmer John of the Sustainable Seed Co., that onions need sunlight to germinate so I have to uncover the onions and leeks. Hopefully the dogs won't do too much damage tonight. On second thought, maybe I'll wait and uncover in the morning when the sun is up.
I remember bringing home pig manure from my boyfriends farm when I was about seventeen for the garden. Then my folks had a big garden when I was 19 where my dad tried out ideas from Mother Earth News and Organic Gardening.
When I was 21 and pregnant with my son, I would sit on the ground and pull weeds in my own first garden. When my son was two and I was a single mom I went back to college and got an Associate of Arts degree in Ornamental Horticulture. That was really just a preview of the wide world of OH and really didn't teach enough for a specific career. I've learned more about gardening from experience than books or school. Now I'm almost 52 and I've still got a lot to learn 'cause I still make lots of mistakes.
I always say I should have been a farmer's wife, but I live in town with a big back yard and a wonderful husband who pretty much lets me do what I want. When I need help with manual labor or someone to water, he's always willing.
Last year, I only grew tomatoes and peppers for salsa, relishes, etc. Year before I grew tomatoes, peppers, and beets. This year I decided to go all out and plant a wider variety. I planted carrots, green onions, squash, swiss chard, pole green beans, beets, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, lettuce, new zealand spinach, sweet corn, herbs, sunflowers (for the bees and birds), and honeydew melon. The garden expanded to a new area of the yard for the corn.
Now I remember why I only grew tomatoes and peppers. The APHIDS FROM HELL!!! Sounds like a B-rated movie. The aphids have munched on the okra, the melons, the cucumbers, the squash and even the corn. I harvested the corn, green beans, cucumbers and squash and then when the plants just couldn't take any more, I pulled them up and threw them on the compost heap. I incorporated some companion planting, but will do more next time.
For once I'm trying to get a fall/winter garden in on time. I planted leeks, carrots, green bunching onions and beets on Saturday and then I covered them with boards to keep the moisture in and the dogs out. (I have two dogs, one big and one little, who think they have to inspect my work and tromp all over it. Then they shit on it.) I was reading a newletter today about growing your own onion sets and I find out from my seed man, Farmer John of the Sustainable Seed Co., that onions need sunlight to germinate so I have to uncover the onions and leeks. Hopefully the dogs won't do too much damage tonight. On second thought, maybe I'll wait and uncover in the morning when the sun is up.
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