New Design

With a new purpose, I thought I new design was in order. I think the new design fits in better with the theme of homesteading. I'll probably continue to tweak over the next month or so, and your feedback is appreciated. I'm particularly concerned if the page is too wide or if the sidebars are readable with the white text.

Enjoy!

Change of Focus

I have decided to give my blog some focus. I hope that by having a more specific subject to write about, rather than whatever “strikes my fancy,” I will feel more compelled to write and become a better writer. I love talking about our DIY projects, my knitting, gardening, canning, baking, etc., and I think I have found a way to continue that, but with more purpose.

My family & I have a 5-year plan to start a path toward a self-sufficient lifestyle. To some, this is also known as modern homesteading. We have chosen to take on this lifestyle for a variety of reasons, but mostly I think it will work for us because our beliefs and the pleasure we take in doing things for ourselves. We're not "the end is coming and we better be prepared" types, though I have to say there is some comfort in knowing that if there is a major economic or natural disaster, it is likely we would be okay.

Right now, we live on a small lot in a "semi-urban" neighborhood. I say "semi-urban" because we live close to downtown, but it is a small town of about 15,000 people, on an island, in northwest Washington State. We are about 2 hours north of Seattle and a little over an hour from Canada. Part of our goal is to acquire a 3-5 acre plot in Skagit County where we can build a house and farm.

We have lived in our current house for 3 years. The house was originally built in 1949 as a vacation home/cabin. It has been added on to and remodeled over the years and has many quirks. We have yet to take on a home improvement project that was not complicated by the character of the house or the inadequacies of the previous remodel.

We live in a unique climate that some people attribute to a "banana belt" and others to the "Olympic rain shadow.” We have a mild climate with an annual average of 27 inches of rain (compared to Seattle's 36 inches), an average winter low of about 36 degrees, and an average summer high of only 71. We typically see about a week of cold in the 20s with 1-2 good bouts of snowfall and about a week of hot in the 90s. We are surrounded by a multitude of saltwater beaches (remember, we live on an island that is only about 40 square miles), rivers, lakes, and mountains. I am awestruck daily by the natural beauty that surrounds us.

We plan to use the time until we acquire our land to educate ourselves and adjust our lifestyle. I think our path to self-sufficiency will constantly change and evolve. Will we become full-time farmers? Will we be able to sustain ourselves with the fruits of our own labor, bartering or selling our goods as necessary? Will we be able to quit our "day jobs" or change to something less demanding/more flexible? Only time will tell.

Fortunately, many of our hobbies are skills that fit nicely into the homesteading lifestyle (which may be part of the reason we are so drawn to it). My significant other, Cliff, prefers to take on projects that involve power tools. He loves to build me toys (and more than a few for himself). He has a background in electronics, so he is in charge of the technical and power-related projects. I enjoy knitting, crocheting, sewing, baking, and cooking. I also hope to discuss food preservation, alternative power, and gardening.

I hope you will follow along as I share our journey... our struggles and our successes, as we learn to become a self-sufficient family.

Bad blogger!

I'm a bad, bad, blogger! It has been months since I've written anything and there has been lots going on. My excuse was that it was summer and there is always just too much going on in the summer... well, it is November . I suppose that excuse won't fly anymore. In the past week I've had new insulation installed under my house, so it stays nice and toasty(er) now. To go along with that I also had something DIE in my duct work. My house stinks! In an attempt to find out how/where the thing died, we discovered a LOT of water under the house and a leak in the kitchen drain pipe, which is lead. (Did I mention it rained like 6 inches in the last week?). Tuesday I have a guy coming out to clean out the ducts and dispose of the aforementioned dead critter (and hopefully a lot of dust and allergens) and I have to call a plumber. This will be the THIRD time a plumber has had to visit this house this year. I think we're keeping the guy in business. Add a death in the family, a birth in the family, a new job, and deciding to begin homeschooling my son, and my life pretty much feels like chaos right now.

I'll share a couple of photos while I try to regroup and share more details of the last couple of months.

We spent a week in Kansas (my first time) and this is a photo of me in front of the vast, flat, nothing that we encountered on occasion. I'm too used to all the mountains here... it was kinda eerie.

My sister-in-law receiving the baby sweater I made for my first nephew who was born on October 28.

My grandmother turned 90 years old in September. And yes, there are 90 candles on that cake.

There has been knitting. Quite a bit of knitting actually. I started my Christmas knitting almost a month ago now and I'm moving right along. I made it a bit easier on myself be deciding to give all the kids in the family (4 total) felted clogs. Its a pretty easy pattern. The girls get variations on purple and Ethan gets camo. I'm sure they'll love 'em.

My first entry

Well, while attempting to sleep the other night, I suddenly felt the need to start a blog. I don't know why, really. I've never been good at keeping a diary or journal.

So, I guess my goal in starting this blog is to chronicle my hobbies and activities of life in general. I'm a single mom of a 4-year-old boy. I live in a smallish town that I love, though I've only been here a year. I'm a knitter, crocheter, scrapbooker, photographer, quilter, and the list goes on and on, depending on my mood. Currently, my focus is knitting. I just taught myself to knit as part of my New Year's Resolution and am really enjoying it. I've joined a knitting group called Knitting Neighbors (they're actually my mom's neighbors, but they were kind enough to include me.)

Today is March 20, "Wear a Sweater Day" to honor what would have been Fred Roger's 80th birthday. Mr. Roger's Neighborhood was a wonderful show and I am only sorry that my son will not have the experience I did of growing up as part of the Neighborhood. In honor of "Wear a Sweater Day," I am wearing my blue Dale of Norway cardigan I purchased many years ago, but still love. Someday, I hope to have the knitting skills to replicate it in another color palate.