Recent Posts

Merry Christmas to all here on the board.  I'm wondering how you all spend your Christmas?

Here in the Pacific NW (east side) we usually have lots of snow.  This year is a little light- only two inches after a few days of warmer temps.  We cook all day on Christmas Eve, then eat and enjoy spending time together.  This year we have aome nighbors joining us. 

Christmas Day the children open presents, then we go outside for sledding and fun in the snow.  I make a big Christmas dinner (ham with all the trimmings) and lots of goodies to eat.  This year we will be able to sing around the piano as the kids are learning to play. 

Always we keep in mind the true reason for celebrating Christmas- Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ

I have been studying herbal medicine for several years now.  My favorite book is "Herbal Medicine" by Dian Dincin Buchman.  It was given to me by an elderly friend (no longer with us) who used it to teach herbal medicine at a local college.  It is quite basic and practical, but also a bit old, so I don't know if it is still in print. 

The best advice I got was to pick one herb, learn all about it and how to use it and then add another.  It takes time, but it is best to learn slowly when dealing with medicine.  I started with Oregano.  It is antibiotic, antiseptic, and tastes good!  I make a strong tea and soak a compress that I use on childhood owies and wounds, breathe the steam for sore throat and colds, drink it for an antibiotic to fight infections.  And too much will not hurt you.  I would hesitate to use it in place of a doctor's prescription just because I do not know enough. 

Another good place to look is on the internet.  I google specific herbs I want to learn about and usually avoid the "spiritual" sites that way. 

I belong to a secular homesteading group out of Denver Co.  They have offered some great stuff and I have learned a lot all free classes. How to make  soap,  raising chickens,  making cheese, etc..The one thing I want to learn more about is using herbs for salves and tinctures. I have missed the class twice.  When I search the Denver area for herb identifying classes or classes related to using herbs for medicinal purposes.  All I run into are classes run by either witches  (no thank you please)  or women who mix the herb teaching with other far out Goddess spirituality.   Like crystals or meditations.  Does anyone know of some basic books,  that tell how to make burn creams,  boil salves from herbs?

Thank you

new to forum I wanted to post under livestock but could not find a way.  So here I am starting a new post about livestock.  I am thinking of getting Zebu the small cattle.  I have heard that if you use them for milking they don't have to be milked every day.  That they could even go up to 4 days with out milking.  Does anyone know about this breed?

Sounds scrumptious !   I will be trying this just before Christmas.  Thanks

We homeschooled our five children...finished the last one is 2002.  Now, our grandchildren are coming to live with us and we will start teaching them at home, too.  We used A Beka and Bob Jones and Alpha Omega.  Has anyone heard of American Language Series?  I have heard that it is great for teaching reading quickly.  Thanks for any input you might have.

Does the bad weather come in from the north?  Assuming that it does... the entrance will have to be shielded from the wind, rain, snow, etc. so that it doesn't bring down the temp. inside too low.  Very good information on root cellaring is available in the book "Root Cellaring" by Nancy Bubel.  We keep it as our main reference manual.   

Gallup did a poll earlier this year asking people if God, the Bible, and "religion" were "an important part" of their lives.

Mississippi came in first place, with 85% of people saying that, "yes," God is important to them.

Alabama was second, with 82%.

Maine was number forty-eight -- third from the last -- with only 48% saying that God was "an important part" of their lives.  Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts occupied the bottom four positions.  Kind of ironic for a region of our country settled by Puritans.

I'm a country girl from Alabama...not much resistance to living off the land down south, because hasn't been that long ago that everyone HAD to anyway. I'd offer a few links...but seriously...when they say the Bible Belt they aren't kidding...I am in a cow friendly town and there are 25 churches just within a two mile radius of me...most all wouldn't mind anyone homesteading.

 

[King's Valley Chapel, Kingfield, Maine]

King's Valley Chapel, Kingfield, Maine
http://www.KingsValleyChapel.org/

incorporated as non-denominational; teaches traditional Baptist doctrine.
conservative in doctrine and practice, informal in atmosphere.
Small rural church, about 30 members.  Young, lots of children.  Mostly homeschoolers.
Very supportive of homesteading lifestyle.  Some members live without electricity.