I'm Not Having a Bad Summer....

and more of life's ups and downs

Hello Friends,

Welcome to my weekly email which ends up being monthly during the summer. My thoughts only become clear when I have time to sit with them and summer is definitely not that season. If you opened this email today, thank you. That means the world to me. Writers don’t want to write into the void. We appreciate your moments spent reading our strings of words. I hope that mine will bless your day.

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I am not having a bad summer. I am having a summer as usual. We have lost 6 older hens to the heat and yes they have shade, plenty of clean cool water and fans. The sheep came in from the field one evening with tongues hanging out. That’s not a good sign! And of course I have stayed out too long in the garden and suffered heat illness.

It is unbearably hot but bear it we do. It is muggy, wet, humid and illness producing. And it happens every single year. I did comprise a plan that would keep me humanly comfortable for twelve months of the year. It includes moving every few weeks to avoid any unpleasant weather.

Since that was impractical, and considering the fact that I spend a large amount of time bemoaning the summer heat and humidity, I am adopting a different approach this year. It has not made me any less uncomfortable, but I am feeling better mentally about the summer.

Each day when I open my eyes, I pray to God that I can find joy in the current situation. Here are some joyful occurrences that I have enJOYed since taking this approach.

1. Large portions of our meals are made from food we sweated over. (Not on, that would be rude) Even on the “off” years for gardening, there is enough.

2. Raising a large batch of meat chickens during the cooler Spring and we held processing day on the first serious hot day. While that was uncomfortable, not one chicken succumbed to heat stress.

3. Making tasty and hydrating drinks to enjoy after the time in the garden. I like to experiment and found that Redmond’s Re-lyte electrolyte hydration powder mixed with water and some kombucha is tasty and refreshing.

4. That first red ripe tomato sandwich. Do you add American cheese to yours?

5. We had a few days with the entire family together. One of my greatest joys is watching my grandchildren enjoy time together.

The disappointments of spending more time indoors during the heat of the day, the loss of animals that had become less hardy with age, and the lack of cucumbers so far, can be placed in perspective. Not every season is ideal. Certainly every garden season has it’s trials and failures. Looking for the wins, the moments where things work, the times with family and friends, that’s the mental clarity I need to survive summer. For some of you, winter might be the season that tries your sanity. Or maybe it’s something completely unrelated to the calendar months. Whatever it is, I hope that looking for the joy hiding behind the trial will help sustain you.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1Thessalonians 5:16-18

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Ending on a sad note but one I want to share with you. I had shared previously about Toes, my barred rock hen who lost her toes to frost bite a few years ago. Since I moved her to a new coop, she was thriving and happy. Free ranging in the evening found her walking on her tiny toe stumps all over the chicken yard. She was totally in her happy place. It brought me great happiness to watch her living her best life, regaining her strength from being weak and undernourished in the large flock, to being healthy and robust.

One night I carried her to the coop because she didn’t want her free ranging to end. All seemed well. In the morning, Toes could not stand. Over the next few days she went downhill until she passed quietly. Up to the morning she passed she would still raise her head up when I called her name. I miss her. I am also glad she did not appear to suffer. Toes was an inspiration and a comeback story I will remember with joy.

Stay Cool and Stay Well Read on for the updates.

Janet

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Around the Barnyard

Hard to believe it but July is almost over. Still plenty of summer weeks ahead and the fans are going full time in the barn. I noticed once again, that the sheep choose the barn for resting. The cool earth floor, heavy wood siding and the fans provide a darker quieter place for cud chewing and afternoon naps.

I had the opportunity to teach a local friend how to skirt her flock’s fleeces, preparing them for the fiber mill. Skirting is going through the fleece, pulling out undesirable portions, debris, vegetation, and gathering the uniformly good parts to have made into yarn, felt or roving. It’s also a great chance to catch up with a friend.

In the Garden

It’s probably best to not compare one year to another but I am sure many of us fall into that pattern. Last year we suffered drought. One of us watered the large gardens and several raised beds daily because it was hot and dry. The spring crops last year were weak and not abundant. Summer was a good strong harvest despite the drought.

This year, spring was lovely. It is always shorter than the amount of calendar days. We are a subtropical climate near a saltwater bay and estuary. The air here is soggy. But this spring we grew lettuce and greens for weeks. Radishes and onions flourished. We had peas for months. And then the rains began. I think it rained every day and some storms were pretty crazy.

Drought is an awful thing. Thankfully, this year, we are out of the drought status. I would guess we are well out of it judging by the rains we have had. Rains followed by heat with oppressive humidity. Did you know that while tomatoes love heat, they also have a very definite range of heat where they ripen? My tomato branches have been loaded with fruit for weeks. I have made two quarts of tomato sauce. I think my September will be very busy processing tomatoes, peppers and green beans, Lord willing.

On the Bookshelf

Over at my day job, Sawdust Publishing, we have finally sent The One Acre Homestead by Cassidy Cornell off to the printer. Thank you to those who pre-ordered, and for your patience while we got it just right. The printer takes about 2 weeks and all pre-orders will be filled first.

Snow on the Mountain is our newest children and family reading time book. The story and the gorgeous art make a book that you will want to hold onto for generations. We love it so much that we produced it in hardcover format. It’s a keeper!

Don’t forget we also released the second volume in the series from Homestead Scratch Cooking, Holidays on the Homestead, a Homestead Scratch Cooking Compilation. This volume’s proceeds will be directed to Hope for Homesteaders Foundation to assist homesteaders and small farmers recover from fires, floods, and serious illness.

The Guide to Homestead Diary Sheep is waiting for a new print order to come in. We have some on the shelves still but it’s a hot seller. This was our second book printed when we first started publishing in 2023.

What I’m Recommending

Showwalter Home and Forge makes heirloom forged steel cookware. In addition the copper scoops and spoons are a great addition to your kitchen. I recently purchased a coffee scoop and a cream ladle. Click here to take a look at their craftsmanship.

Last but not least, I was invited to be a reviewer for an upcoming book published by Harvest House Publishing. You might follow RuthAnn Zimmerman on Instagram or enjoy their family’s weekly you tube videos. Now, RuthAnn’s book is almost ready to read and I highly recommend you grab a copy. It’s inspiring, uplifting and encouraging. To the Zimmerman family, the most important part of life is family. Life on their farm is far from mundane! The book is available where ever you shop for books.