Hidden Haven Homestead

Wishing I had more time to post here to ya'll

We are living here in Linden, or should I say south of Linden.  Its beautiful here in fall but boy it sure feels more like winter already. Tonights low is 15 and we have been 2 weeks with no furnace due to the electrical fire in it .  We have rented a 14x60 2 bedroom 2 bath.  Now imagine me trying to sort through all the stuff that we brought with us from our 2200 sq ft house, after getting rid of half of it.  We only brought our beds and  my sewing stuff and my soap stuff and my homeschool stuff, crib, changing table, porta crib, high chair, fold up tables and 2 folding chairs, 2 bins of toys that were left of the girls ( baby dolls and tea set, little people house and farm, noahs ark and play set.)  All the bathroom, kithen stuff and what food I could bring with us.  I am sorta set on baking supplies for a month maybe less and it seems that I only run low on milk and meat, potatoes and those things that come from a garden. Since we were moving we didnt really plant a huge garden as we wouldnt be there to can things.  We left for TN Aug. 2nd.  I did have meat in the freezer but it was not able to travel down with us , what I tried to bring spoiled on the way down though packed good.  Yes I brought my electric sewing machine and serger and vacume and our computers. ( 2 desktops and one laptop with wifi capabilities)

Well the point is we thought we were coming down with less and yet in the RV and in this smaller home it seems like alot of stuff.  So what is really needed anyways ?  Well as I sort through it all much is going in boxes to be sold.  To raise money for other needed things.  ie. land, cabin or small home, wood cookstove.  After all that was the idea, to move here and eventually get land and homestead more then we had been in NY. Somehow living the countrylife no longer seems like homesteading once you have visited many here that life off the grid and have built their own home, rustic as they are, they are home and boy they seem nice to me. What is life all about anyways ?  Was it about nice rooms with painted and papered walls ? Was it about having a nice bathroom with all the fixtures and such ?    No, it is nice to see an outhouse now with paper holder, a light in there and ya know what ? copies of countryside and a real toiet seat !!!! Fancy huh !!!!

Some here have solar, some are living no electric substitute at all and each encourages us to strive toward whatever the Lord tells us is for us to do and each gives "My use to be DH who said we will never go non-electric and we will never live like the Amish"  A new vision for our lives.   The first goal was to live on what money we do have or can make and live on less or with less.   Unless it can make you more money or serves a purpose that is useful, it has no real value here.  ( I will admit I have my country tins, crock, and rooster things with me, but they serve a purpose too. My rose bowl and pitcher and my tea set will be used not just sit on a shelf for looks anylonger.  Here DH has a shed to keep his tools in and we can keep our goats here.  All the new ways are blessings and those we meet are the best blessings in our new life here in Linden TN.  The likemindedness is in the fact that Jesus died for each of us and though we  are each different in our degree of living the life of plain and simple living, we are all sharing the fact that Jesus died for us to save our souls.

Wensday night we attended a local sing, the glorious sound of our blended voices while we blend our lives in friendship I am sure is the most wonderful thing to the Lord God.

Blessed to be in His Child

Love

Linda

Faithful Acres Homestead

Pumpkin Pie Coffee Creamer

Yummy Soap!!!!!

Good Morning Everyone!

    Today I started my day like all others...Lighting the candles in the living room, starting a small fire in the fireplace and turning on my candle warmer.    As all the scents started to drift through the house it suddenly hit me that something was missing.   Oh yes, it was the scent of my yummy soap that I take my bath with each night.   It suddenly dawned on me with Christmas just around the corner maybe it was time to share my secret of why my house smells so wonderful each night before I drift off to sleep.

    While I make my own soap, it's very primitive in looks and to be honest, for "displaying" purposes in this old house, that's how I want it.   BUT, when it comes to soap that I like to use on my skin and that will make my house smell, I turn to my dear friend Kay's.    While I know a lot of your are familiar with her wonderful line of soaps, "The Rustic Cottage"  (www.therusticcottagebath.com) I decided to let the rest of you know about her too.  

    For several years Kay has been perfecting her line of soap.   I have to be honest and admit the first batch she sent me while a wonderful soap, just didn't have the "lingering smell" that I like.   Since we are good friends (Yes, we've never met but that doesn't stop us from being good friends!) I promptly told her this.   Maybe a lesser friend would have taken offense but not my sweet Kay.    She immediately e-mailed me back and asked what she could do to make it better.   Of course I told her I wanted the scent to last longer but she went a step farther....She worked until she not only got the scent to linger but she made the soap even better!!!!!....Now when you use it you get these great big soapy bubbles/lather.   I love it!!!!!

    Of course for me, I get to be the guinea pig trying all new scents.    Every few months a box will arrive at my door step and inside will be bars of luscious smelling soaps.   Some will be in her delightful wrapper (Keith is still raving about them! HA) and others will just be laying "plain and roughly cut" with a note attached saying, "Try this one and tell me what you honestly think!" HA   Do you know how hard it is to choose which one your going to try first????   And the worst part is, they last FOREVER so you feel quilty using it for a month or so and going on to another one!!!!

     This year Keith made a decision for me....I'm to send all my friends, teachers, bus driver, ect. bars of Kay's soap.  As he pointed out, not only will it be an inexpensive gift for me to give but it will be a gift that will be "giving" long after the holiday season is over and one that all my friends will love.   

    So, if your looking for that special gift for one of your friends or loved ones, drop Kay a note and tell her Sher sent you and check out all her wonderful scents.   (My very favorite is "Blue Bonnet"!   Talk about heavenly!!!!!)   May your homes be filled with the wonderful smells that I smell each night as I go to sleep and if you try her soaps they will be!   Hugs, Sher

Happy Birthday to Richard!!

 

Happy birthday to my son Richard! He is my oldest child..  and definitely not a “child” anymore! He turned 26 yesterday.. hard to believe where all the years have gone! 

 

Richard is in the Army and currently deployed in Iraq. His unit will be back in North Carolina (Ft.Bragg)  in 5 weeks! And then home to us in Washington in time for Christmas! The family can’t wait to see him!!

 

Here are a few current pictures of him:

 

    

 

 

And this is Richard with his girlfriend Lolot:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Birthday to my boy! 

This Weeks Menu

Pizza: Sierra’s Birthday! 

It's a Boy!

We have a home !!!!

Well here we are......  Let me first say that moving or making the move does not come without trials....lol

Ya, now I can laugh about things but I can tell you that I wasn't laughing when they did happen.

Everyone is looking for thier perverbial " Garden of Eden" here on earth and or heaven on earth

 to live peacably while we wait for the Lord's return.  Perhaps if our little homestead was in heaven

we would all be happy and content right ? 

While we found a 2 bedroom mobile home, 2 bathrooms 14 x 60.  In the country of course.

The girls are happy the landlords daughter has 2 horses pastured out here behind our place.

They are ok with us having our goats and fencing in an area for them here.  We have a nice sized

porch to sit out on , so that is good .  Have to watch out for the fire ant hills but that is part of TN.

OK so for the trials.... The Second night we had a electrical fire in the furnace, house was filling with smoke

we got out and tried to wake up neighbours and no luck.  Well the guy up the road was up shotting cyottes

so he called the landlord for us. We aired out the house and then slept well , after the landlord brought us space heaters to use.

What a House Warming !!!

Linda

Updates from the Homestead

I have been working on my Christmas projects lately. I would love to share more detail about what I am doing, but recipients of these gifts also read my blog! LOL.. soo… I will save it for either after Christmas or I will share next Christmas!  This year I am determined to get things done ahead of time. I want to make sure I get my packages out in the mail on time. I am so excited too because my son’s deployment will be ending next month! Hard to believe 15 months has gone by.. hard for me to believe but not for him. I can see first hand how hard these deployments are for our military men. He is more than ready to come home. He will be able to be here for Christmas and our family is so excited to see him!! I guess that has been another motivation for me to get things done early! I want to enjoy my family time and not be rushing around doing lots of last minute things.

One thing I am going to be doing ahead of time is my Christmas baking. I am going to freeze my cookies and quick breads. I have done this many times and it is a great way to have a nice variety of goodies during the holiday season. Has anyone ever frozen fudge? I am sure it would be fine.. just wanting to hear some personal experience on this. I just don’t want my defrosted fudge to be sticky or anything.. so if you have frozen fudge before.. let me know how it was!! 

Hope you have a great Thursday on your homestead!  

A Christmas Challenge for all of YOU!!!!!

New Fall and Winter Soaps!