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No matter where you live; learn to think like a homesteader & you'll save money!
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One vital key to thinking like a homesteader is not so much 'pack-ratting' (although I stand guilty of that with glass jars), but looking at ways to reuse something that might otherwise be thrown away. Today I want to share a pictorial tutorial of just what I'm talking about:
A chewed up hose (thanks to our dog, Chewbacka [nicknamed 'Chewy'], when he was a puppy) has been coiled in our shed for months. I wouldn't throw it away because I just knew there was something I could do with it, eventually:
Low and behold, today, while going to dig up some purple potatoes, I found that someone had left our pitch fork (of 15 years) out under some bushes last fall and wow it's weathered:
But it's still quite sturdy and, well we don't want to buy something if we already can use what we have (homesteading mindset key point #1), so my wheels in my head started turning and I grabbed the exacto-knife, scissors and some electrical tape:
With the scissors, I cut four equal pices of hose, then with the exacto-knifesplit them in the center:
 Look at that guilty party in the background....
Opening them up I wrapped them around the weathered, rough handle of the pitch-fork:
Then wrapped it with electrical tape:
And if they meet exactly in the center, you could use less tape (saving more $) and make this nifty design:
But, I like things to 'match' so I wrapped them both the same.
The grips are cushioned and smooth. No splinters and less blisters now - time to get to work!
Now my husband jokes that there's no room for being lazy and just working for 3 hours in the garden, with this 'cush-handle' I should be able to dig and pitch all day long! Oh my! What have I done?? 
Seriously though, reusing things that others (or at one time I) may have thought were trash or not worth the time is one of the vital keys to developing a homesteading mindset.
By sharing these tips, I hope it inspires you to look outside the ordinary and challenge yourself to make the most of what you already have!
Best Blessings!
Donna Donna Miller is an author, teacher and entrepreneur. Her favorite roles are that of wife and mother to three home-school graduates. The Millers own and operate Millers Grain House which offers Organic and Chemical-free Whole Grains, Bosch Mixers, the NutriMill, instructional tutorials, recipes and more.
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While cutting the grocery budget and still trying to feed the family a healthy diet, it seemed that most of our 'temptations' were for the treats we would get when we had been used to eating out. So I started a massive test kitchen effort to recreate them with a healthy and budget friendly twist.
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I've been doing a series of healthy & cheaper 'eat-out-treats' made at home and sending it out through my monthly newsletter. Each recipe costs about 1/2 the price of eating out (not to mention gas money) and is a much healthier alternative to the traditional recipe!
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It started with a whole grain remake of Macaroni Grill's Rosemary Bread, then I remade a healthy version of Red Lobster's Cheddar Biscuits and now I've finally I have decided which recipe is next:.
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Hardees Cinnamon Raisin Biscuits, complete with frosting!! (Plus some other variations)
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When I come to an end of this series, I'm going to move on to some 'convenience foods' made healthy!
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If you would like the recipe - (it's going out July 1 afternoon Eastern Time) - go here to get the newsletter: http://www.eatgrains.com There will be more to come....I promise! (o:
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Best Blessings!
Donna
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I don't know about anyone who may read this, but my generation (by and large at least) was raised on conveniences. The remote control for the TV as invented when I was a child, the TV dinner was all the rage, boxed meals, hamburger helper and canned pasta came 'of age' along side of me. Is it any wonder that *we* (my generation) struggles with raising kids with solid work ethics?
All three of our children were in college at the same time. Much of the time they heard through their peer groups "I just want my work to be fun!" Now, I do understand this. Certainly work being 'fun' would be more on the positive side than work being 'grueling'. I'm not a glutton for punishment. What about enjoyment. I mean a real satisfaction type of enjoyment.
One of my dearest friends has been a lady almost twice my age. She tells of the hard work in the garden, milking the cows and preserving the harvest as a young child. The fun came when the work was done and they'd run to the pond to cool off or play in the hay-barn after stacking hay bales. But there was enjoyment in each and every chore. Those memories for her are as dear as the 'fun'. I admire that. I long for that attitude. I want my children to have that attitude as well as my grandchildren.
Why must work equal bad and fun equal good?
This morning my daughters and I picked blueberries (yes, AGAIN) as we have for the last 5 mornings (all but Saturday morning). We will do this for the next two weeks in the hot, wet, bug infested back yard. All the while, we are sweating and holding increasingly heavier containers of berries while we dig in the bush and fight off the bees and flies (and squeal at each buzz that comes toward our ears)...but I have looked forward to this each and every winter. As I would pass that bare and naked, knarled bush with no life to offer, I looked forward to working in it for weeks with my daughters as we have every year since living here.
Fun seems to be something that finds you - whereas - enjoyment is something you have to look for, and that's just not a bad thing at all. The most precious gifts are usually something we have to search for rather than have dropped in our laps anyway!
I hope you will enJOY the journey, the work and the challenges...don’t worry the fun will come too!
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It truly is a homesteading mindset to look at things a little 'off' the set normal center. That's what I love about the pioneering spirit of homesteading. The truth is that mindset can be used everywhere!!
Let's look at home decor and some ideas we use around the house here (on our homestead) and have used when in urban apartments as well:
Dumpster or curb salvage: We got a great old wooden high-chair 20 years ago that was out by a dumpster in West Palm Beach (hardly a homestead area) - refinished it, fixed hardware and made a (washable) cushion and it made it through two more kids! (o: Cost...FREE
Sheets, they're not just for beds: We found some cheap 200 thread (too itchy to sleep on for me) sheets that we have turned into drapes, table clothes and more! The fabric to make these was triple the price Plus there is no hemming in many instances! Saving time is saving money too!
Flower arrangements from weeds and wildflowers: Hey, don't knock it! Some of the 'weeds' around our house are really pretty, so I go cut them every few days and arrange a new set in the vases around the house. As I cut the flowering or delicate foliage, I also uproot the little sucker to keep our other things more weed-free. Why buy flowers for $8 that will be dead as fast as these weeds?
Paint is our friend: A new color or fresh coat can do wonders for faded shutters, a kitchen that seems too tiny (no money for remodeling) or a creepy out-dated bathroom. The cost of a gallon and supplies (which are there for the next project, so not wasted) is minimal to the perk-up it can have for your whole home.
Basement finds: One home we moved into 21 years ago had a lot of misc. furniture left in the basement. We refinished a beautiful oak table (we still have it), a mirror and some bookshelves. The owner didn't want to move them so they became ours. We still to this day have a table from our first home that all the kids grew up eating around and it had been left by the previous owner.
Duve' Covers: If you read that and said - huh? Let me explain. You can make a pillow case like cover for your comforter to change colors or cover a ratty one for the time being. Just look into those sheets that I mentioned above and ‘tah-dah’, a new bedroom decor for much less than a new comforter set. An oversized sheet can also make a great dust-ruffle. Just put it on your box spring and tuck or pin some corners.
Bring the outside in: Plants help cozy up almost every room, but why stop there? We had lawn furniture for den furniture at one time. Why? Because it was cheaper, light and we needed something to sit on! We also had a picnic table IN the house as our kitchen/dining table for several years until we were left the one that the kids grew up with (mentioned above). It worked great and was easy to fit into our simple country decor at the time!
Think outside the Better Homes and Gardens magazines and have fun decorating your home with a homesteader's mindset!
Best Blessings!
Donna
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Sometimes we wonder if this frugal lifestyle of homesteading has been worth all the hard work. It isn't easy and it isn't typical. However, the fruits of our labor may not always be measured in income vs. expense, but in lessons learned as we watch our own children coming into adulthood.
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Yesterday I had the joy of combining a business trip (an hour and a half away to pick up supplies which took all of 8 whole minutes) with a 'Girls Day Out' with our adult daughters. These are the two women in my life that I love to spend time with the most!
We sat at Olive Garden and had a nice, calm lunch. We talked of ideas, crafts, and plans and of course, boys. That was a treat! They voluntarily, as they usually do, ordered water and split a meal. The whole thing cost less than $20.00 for the three of us.
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We then window shopped all the way home. We stopped at Pier One, Michaels, Target and more....just looking, oooing and aaahhing and loving being together. We went in all the shops that Daddy and brother would have said - "Uh, what? No WAY!" to... and browsed, dreamed and giggled (when I dropped little smelly bouncy balls all over the floor and had to scramble to pick them up).
. I watched them from afar, pointing and calling each other over, often taking pictures of things they wanted to have in their own homes some day (special plates, lamps, art work), cataloging what they 'liked' so they could find it at a yard sale or someplace used. They looked at items from all angles to see how they could make it themselves. They conversed as the best of friends with each other and with me, Mom......not just mother, but friend.. .
Seeing how they choose to live and think as adults fills me with great respect for both of them. It gives me pause to realize that being frugal has not deprived them of anything, but in fact has empowered them to not feel the need to ‘fit’ into the status quo of consumerism and frivolous spending, just to find security in who they are. These two newly adult women are showing signs of lessons learned and better yet, lessons enjoyed and embraced!
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Donna Miller is an author, teacher and work-from-home wife and mother with three home-school graduates. The Millers own and operate Millers Grain House which offers Organic and Chemical-free Whole Grains, Bosch Mixers, the NutriMill, instructional tutorials, recipes and more.
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Although by the look of the dates on my blog, one would *think* the Miller Family had dropped off the planet! Sorry I've been otherwise engaged with two college graduations and a pending move! Phew....
To finish up my last post and tie things in a nice little neat (obsessive compulsive) knot....the garage sale was a success!! Yes!! Enough money to pay for all the gas and food for a little graduation celebration trip!!
After reviewing how it had done and the list of obsessions before having the sale, I realized that it's not really DONE after all. The money gave us a week's worth of memories while our kids were still under our roof and the 'left-over' items are actually still selling and my obsessing is actually paying off in a thrifty way!
Let me explain by way of my top 10 obsession countdown again. Updates are in ALL CAPITALS....
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Number 10: You've alphabetized your spices and color coded your drawers. (WITH THIS, I AM ABLE TO FIX MEALS, FIND THINGS AND ORGANIZE MUCH FASTER, MAKING BETTER USE OF MY TIME, WHICH FOR A HOMESTEADING ENTREPENUER EQUALS MONEY!)
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Number 9: There's more in the garage than in the house.(THIS HAS DWINDLED DOWN A GOOD BIT, BUT THE LARGE ITEMS THAT DIDN'T SELL ARE STILL OUT THERE - AND SINCE THEY ARE ADVERTIZED IN THE LOCAL PAPER, IT'S AN EASY VEW FOR PEOPLE TO COME SEE THEM BY APPOINTMENT)
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Number 8: You've found almost all missing sock mates! (Doing that happy dance, because, uh, yeah, I hold on to the spares just in case!) (OH YES, STILL HAPPY ABOUT EVERYONE HAVING MORE SOCKS INSTEAD OF BUYING NEW ONES!)
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Number 7: You look at a box of garlic that you harvested last fall and wonder...."Can I sell them for a quarter a piece?" (WE DID SELL QUITE A BIT OF IT ACTUALLY!)
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Number 6: You could EAT off of my garage floor it's so clean now! (WELL, HALF OF IT AT LEAST WHICH SAVES ON HOW MANY TIMES I HAVE TO VACUUM THE DEN!)
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Number 5: You re-do the 6 street signs because: "Well, they just aren't pretty enough to catch the eye." (SAVED THEM FOR THE NEXT GARAGE SALE! VERY EYE CATCHING NOW!)
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Number 4: You boxed up clothes to sell but also boxed up the hangers to take out to the garage and then hang up the clothes...(wow) ( I GOT NOTHIN' - THAT WAS JUST PLAIN SILLY TO DO THAT)
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Number 3: You look for plants to divide into smaller potted plants so you can sell one plant 4 times! (YES. THEY DID SELL! AND THE TWO LEFT ARE A NICE [FREE] ADDITION TO HE HOUSE!)
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Number 2: You fabreeze (homemade of course) the GARAGE to make it smell more 'inviting' (what is up with that thought). (AGAIN, JUST PLAIN SILL THAT I DID THAT, BUT IT MADE A NICE ENVIRONMENT FOR THE CUSTOMERS!)
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The Number 1 sign you're obsessing about your garage sale.....Your black lab comes in to take a nap, and wakes up walking away with a $10 sticker on his hind haunches!! (ACTUALLY HAVE HAD OFFERS ON HIM, BUT HE'S WORTH MORE TO US AS A FRIEND THAN A CASH-OUT!)
Really the act of having that sale gave our family more than immediate cash. So, like a domino effect, we have reaped far more rewards for the hard work for one weekend garage sale. It cost us nothing to HAVE it but time (which we spent together and even made new neighborhood friends). It lost us nothing but some items we didn't need anyway. It has produced a 'freeing' feeling of less clutter and more productivity. It has been a blessing beyond the sales. Worth the time and effort....but...I still think I'll wait a while before another one!
Donna Miller is an author, teacher and work-from-home wife and homesteading mother with three home-school graduates. The Millers own and operate Millers Grain House which offers Organic and Chemical-free Whole Grains, Bosch Mixers, the NutriMill, instructional tutorials, recipes and more.
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Well, this Saturday is our garage sale. If you've read earlier posts, you may know it is out of desperation (no pay for months) that we are having it! 
With that said, I've rather enjoyed the purging process (still haven't hit the sheds and boxes in the garage itself, but....). Closets and drawers are organized (with room to spare) in all areas of the house. But....I've noticed, I AM (not have, AM) OCD! Well, I already knew that in some areas, but below are my top 10 signs that I am obsessing about my Garage Sale:
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Number 10: You've alphabetized your spices and color coded your drawers.
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Number 9: There's more in the garage than in the house.
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Number 8: You've found almost all missing sock mates! (Doing that happy dance, because, uh, yeah, I hold on to the spares just in case!)
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Number 7: You look at a box of garlic that you harvested last fall and wonder...."Can I sell them for a quarter a piece?"
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Number 6: You could EAT off of my garage floor it's so clean now!
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Number 5: You re-do the 6 street signs because: "Well, they just aren't pretty enough to catch the eye."
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Number 4: You boxed up clothes to sell but also boxed up the hangers to take out to the garage and then hang up the clothes...(wow)
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Number 3: You look for plants to divide into smaller potted plants so you can sell one plant 4 times!
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Number 2: You fabreeze (homemade of course) the GARAGE to make it smell more 'inviting' (what is up with that thought).
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The Number 1 sign you're obsessing about your garage sale.....Your black lab comes in to take a nap, and wakes up walking away with a $10 sticker on his hind haunches!! 
To read more about my 'odd' life on the homestead - go here: http://www.homesteadblogger.com/millersgrainhouse/
Best Blessings!
Donna Miller
http://www.millersgrainhouse.com/store
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Last week the Swine Flu was the biggest news distraction I've seen in a while. It was the talk of our tiny town (even more than the new Super Wal-Mart opening, so that's BIG news then). It was a prevalent topic of many conversations in the people who called me at work. Much may have to do with our line of business (food storage, self sufficiency training, saving money, etc) but, it was a hot topic.
The threat of quarantine was very real last year with a small town not two hours away from us. During flu season last year the whole town was quarantined into their homes. Too many people had the flu. Too many died from the flu in the area. So people were quarantined.
The talk of potentially being 'stuck' at home due to mandatory quarantine actually made me excited. I looked forward to it as a potential. Why, you may ask, when others were panic stricken about the threat of being quarantined? It must be because I have a homesteading mindset. It sounds like fun!Here's how it's fun:
~ We have more than enough food to last us for several months, more if we rationed it.
~ The kids stay home! (o:
~ Projects take on new priority when errands are done away with.
~ Days of board games, and time together with the whole family!
Certainly I didn't wish for people to get sick or worse. There are so many people who just can't even spend 2 days with their own families without distraction or errands. To me, that's sad. I just longed for a mandatory 'slow-down' so that many other people who don't SEE the need to prepare, plan and prioritize the REAL important things, would SEE what is important.
EnJOY the blessings you have in your life NOW.
Donna
http://www.millersgrainhouse.com/store
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So maybe you don't live on a farm or out in the back woods of the rural country side, but you may be one of today's homesteaders and just not even know it yet! Now, let me be honest and give credit where it is due, they die-hard homesteader really does live out in the middle of 'no-where' and is quite self-reliant, but, there is a little homesteader in many of us and it may just help you to define your own style to know what types of homesteaders there are.
The "Pioneer" Homesteader: You are someone who is fascinated with the life of the pioneer. From making soap from rendered fat to striking out to new territories, this homesteader is ready for the adventure of hard work. You also to look at how things were done, back in the day, and renew the lost arts that modern day conveniences have made virtually obsolete, like spinning yarn or candle-making.
The 'Neighborhood" Homesteader: Your homesteading ideals show up all over the home and yard. You're not letting the fact that you may live in the burbs or in town dissuade you from setting up a little homestead in the neighborhood. You have a clothes line that you prefer over your dryer and you even can the produce that you find on sale at the weekend farmers' market.
The 'Mad-Scientist/Inventor" Homesteader: Oh, you know who you are. You can't look at a piece of 'trash' without thinking of another use for it, or make up a better deodorant formula made with all natural ingredients. You are always looking for the best way to do something at the least cost or like it's never been done before.
The 'Hippy" Homesteader: You are the 'back-to-nature' poster child! I'm not talking free love and the sexual revolution, but the thoughts of eating more from the earth and living off the land in harmony with nature rather than overpowering it appeals to you. Your decor is made up of more natural items and you would rather use glass than plastic, and learn what foods grow wild in your area that you could forage for fun! Also the very thought of having a group of homesteaders living and working together appeals greatly to your heart.
The 'Farm/Farmette" Homesteader: You love your crops and critters! Chickens, for meat or eggs, goats for milk or meat, a huge family garden or acres of row crops, no matter how you slice it, you like to use the land! If it needs tending to, you're just the one to do it.
The 'Die-Hard" Homesteader: You are the one who read this list and said: "Wait! I'm all of these!" There's good and bad news. The good news is, it's great to mix and mold all of this together. You'll never get bored on your homestead! The bad news, well, guess what? You may never be completely happy living in an apartment. (o:
Donna Miller is a work-from-home wife and mother. She delighted to share her trials and triumphs of learning to homestead anywhere. The Millers own and operate Millers Grain House which offers Organic and Chemical-free Whole Grains, Bosch Mixers, the NutriMill, instructional tutorials, recipes and more.
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Well folks, this is where the rubber hits the road and we've lived it off and on for a while.
Hubby's new job (although having the potential to be wonderful) has yet to cut him a real check for 2 months. So, while we either wait to see if the payroll gets on schedule or while he is looking elsewhere (or both) we are doing some creative cash flow. We've been here before. We may be here again. It's not as big a deal when I think we have a healthy happy family that will pull through together almost any thing that life tosses at us...so off we go.
You may be in the same situation, so I thought I'd share:
Closet cleaning for Cash - This is two -old. Do it yourself and have a garage sale. Even when the belt is tight, you and I both know there is clutter we can rid ourselves of, so now is the time to do it and get a little cash on hand. Second, do it for someone else. We all hate to do this. So offer that service to someone who hates it. You can in turn ask for payment or any items they do not want, you sell at your garage sale.
Bake for Bucks - I sold 4 loaves of bread this week that paid for all the gas I will use next week. Hey, toss in some cupcakes or coffee and coffee cake at that garage sale....hungry early birds just might tripple what it cost to make it!
Ebay everything - Cloths (believe it or not) go on eBay. Old books and antiques that may mean nothing to you, are someone's final addition to a collection.
Miserly menu plan - eat as cheaply as you can. This doesn't make more money come in, but it does slow the flow of it going out!
This next week I will be focusing on #1, to have a HUGE garage sale. I'll keep you posted on the 'finds' and 'funds' as it goes!
Best Blessings!
Donna
http://www.millersgrainhouse.com/store
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This saying is more than just a reminder of good manners for arriving to a destination on time; it is a moto of many a homesteader.
Did you know that in the Great Depression, one (1) out of three (3) families were in agriculture. That's 33%! Many people that we know in our area remember growing huge gardens as children and never going hungry, while most people in the cities were in soup lines. They worked hard, but found joy in it. The tables were always full of homegrown goodies with plenty to spare for the occassional 'drifting guest'.
Now, less than 3% of Americans have a home garden. This speaks volumes to me on the state of our union. Without getting political, how do we expect to provide for our children if we are not providing for ourselves and letting the stores, media or government do it for us?
Maybe we won't ever have to worry about a food shortage, but maybe our children will. Why not be prepared early so they won't be unprepared when it's too late? Seems to make good sense to me.
If you are thinking of planting a garden, buy heirloom seeds. They will produce seeds that grow with each crop (unlike GMO or hybrid seeds that are 'sterile' and produce for one season only. Seeds from those will not produce anything but foliage the next year).
Below is a link/picture to click and check out a very reasonably priced heirloom seed company.
Be prepared, or at least prepare our children. Better to be five minutes early than one minute late.
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Somewhere in the universe are all of our missing mates to a sock, right? Sucked out through the dryer into the vortex of a sock planet orbiting an unknown sun in an undiscovered system....right? Isn't that where they are? No....even though when we move or (really) clean we often find some of those missing socks, some simply never re-appear. But, they ARE somewhere, even if the dog ate them. We just don't see them.
It's no secret that as even the most of simple minds (let's say, mine...) reads the news and listens to the 'plans' of government to 'fix' our fiscal situation something is askew...or, 'off' somewhere. Hold on and roll with me if you will....I'm a simple home-maker and even I know there is no validity in 'Lost Sock Economics'.
Where has all the money GONE? It has to be somewhere, right? I mean, if it were in a company, that company did pay someone until they went out of business. Those people had to buy something. Houses have been purchased in the past for what was a secured amount and payments have been made so, where IS all the money?
Money, backed by gold or backed by fictional credit simply does not vanish like a lost sock. Somewhere - someone is either hiding it or feeding it to their dog. Which could explain why soon the dollar may not be worth, well, much more than dog poo? (Sorry, sad attempt at a joke).
I know, my mind is somewhat warped and I don't even care to 'get it' when someone tries to explain it to me because it sounds like so much 'spin' anyway. What can these following 'proposals' do to locate what was already in circulation at some point:
- · The new Global Currency.
- · Printing new (pretty, shiny and clean) money.
- · Cutting consumer spending, yet taxing some elements of it.
- · 'Stimulating' our economy with 'surprise' money from...(somewhere? where did they get it, no really....is it real? Did they find the sock planet too?)
To simplify it - to make the old set of socks usable again, I cannot go out and get a new ONE to match the old one. I have to get a pair; this is leaving a spare, yet again. The only way to fix the whole dilemma is to find the lost sock. Potentially wash and mend it and put it back into circulation with its mate, otherwise even the mate becomes obsolete.
The way I see our current economic situation being handled is that we ARE headed for a "Lost Sock Economy" with no real answer and a lot of missing elements to function properly.
But if the term "Lost Sock Economics" gets coined - I want some royalties  - uh, no really....my idea... my phrase..... ....send cash when you say/use it....  and then, I'll go buy stuff and the cashier, manufacturer, retail store and gas station will get paid because of what I purchased with the money you send me and we can send these 'socks' back into circulation.
Donna Miller is a work-from-home wife and mother with three home-school graduates. She delighted to share her trials and triumphs of learning to homestead anywhere. The Millers own and operate Millers Grain House which offers Organic and Chemical-free Whole Grains, Bosch Mixers, the NutriMill, instructional tutorials, recipes and more. She also has a Preparation Blog called Grain Store House
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Well, weather you care to learn these tips because you dream of 'Little House on the Prairie Days' or you just want to stretch the dollars you have, a homesteader's mind works a little differently than most.
One main thing is to look at any one object and see how many different ways you can use it (avoiding extra purchases).
Let me give you some examples:
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Plastic Ziplock Freezer Baggies: Of course freezer storage, pillows for camping, no leak lunch bag that fits in back packs, storing scarf/hat and glove sets for summer, meat marinade (easy flip & clean up), make up bag (you know they get messy inside anyways) and best of all these are really NOT disposable...make them LAST by washing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1UzVYfOkvU&feature=channel_page
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Empty Milk Jugs: Cut to make oranizers or planter -  , keep the handle part to make a basket for berries or produce from the garden, or use that as an all purpose scoop (maybe for dog/cat food/animal feed), also plant covers for that spring chill and cutting the 'flatter' part up as burger patty separators or to carve for paint sencils. Many more on this one....many....
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Rolled Oats: Use in place of bread crumbs for meatloaf, use as toppings as all or part of the 'fattening' struddle on cobblers, send through the food processor for a while to make Quick Oats or longer to make oat flour (good for thickening and binding). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CR6En56LNUU&feature=channel_page
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Egg Cartons: Styrophome ones can be used for quick ice cubes. The cardboard ones work great for organizing small items like paper clips, tacks, screws and buttons. Use to fill space while shipping or start some garden seeds in them (the cardboard composts when planted).
There are so many items that are easily over looked as one-use items. These are just a very few.
No matter where on earth you live, you can develop a homesteader's mindset!
Best Blessings and enJOY the journey!
Donna MIller
Donna Miller is a work-from-home wife and mother. She delighted to share her trials and triumphs of learning to homestead anywhere. The Millers own and operate Millers Grain House which offers Organic and Chemical-free Whole Grains, Bosch Mixers, the NutriMill, instructional tutorials, recipes and more.
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"I took the road less traveled by, and that has made all the difference."
Robert Frost (The Road Not Taken 1915) This poem always made me reflect on life. Am I a follower or a leader? Do I know when to be one or the other?"
The road less traveled by" - what does that look like now in this day and time? I've come across the poem again and read it with new eyes each time:
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same.
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
The road less traveled by can be viewed as having made a difference in our lives with either regret or with contentment. It's not the road that leads to our happiness, but the way we view the choice that leads to it.
Our family has chosen the road less traveled to homestead. Are there days it is not easy and the work load is heavy? You better believe it! But if I look to the more often treaded road and long to have taken it, there is a difference that would be missing in my life, the life of our family and kids that could not be replaced by another choice. The chickens hatching, the bunnies, the garden work and rewards, the firewood and marshmallows - all are 'the differences' we have due to that choice of roads. Every day you, the reader of this post, make choices. You made the choice to read this (bless you!) and will make a choice how to receive it as an attitude. Reading it is not what makes the impact upon your happiness - your attitude toward the choice is what impacts your life.
When choosing to skimp, save and live frugally even though it seems like hard work, it is the road less traveled by. Developing a homesteading mindset, even in the suburbs is also a road less traveled by. What we do with that choice and how we view that choice is what makes all the difference.
Best Blessings and enJOY the journey!
Donna
Donna Miller is a work-from-home wife and mother. She delighted to share her trials and triumphs of learning to homestead anywhere. The Millers own and operate Millers Grain House which offers Organic and Chemical-free Whole Grains, Bosch Mixers, the NutriMill, instructional tutorials, recipes and more.
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Please let me preface that I know many people who are legitimately in a 'program' of some form, so don't take this the wrong way. There are real people in real need. I also believe their character would prefer a 'leg up' over a 'hand-out' any day of the week. At least, they would after I explain the difference. I can speak because I have been there.
Yep. I looked the difference up. Just to make sure I wasn't living in some southern colloquialism time-warp. I'm a vocabulary geek. They do each mean what I thought they did.
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leg up:
a.a means of help or encouragement; assist; boost:
b.advantage; edge
hand-out:
a.a portion of food or the like given to a needy person, as a beggar.
b.anything given away for nothing, as a free sample of a product by an advertiser. |
Is there a reason why home grown tomatoes taste better than store bought? I believe it is the effort put into growing them yourself. We can argue the point of what is in or not in the soil, but the truth is, you've earned it and it is a sweet reward!
Is there a reason this quote is, well, quoted so often? "Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day; teach him to fish and he'll eat for a lifetime." One fish will not keep a man (or woman) from goING hungry. It only stalls the inevitable unless another fish falls in his/her lap the next day.
Let us look at what is created with a 'hand-out', shall we?
By the first definition, yes, it is our duty to care for the needy, but to give one fish means they are only temporarily cared for...so...is our obligation fulfilled? I would say "HARDLY." But also, by simply handing out items that are needed, we have reduced this person, this soul, this productive body of society to a 'beggar.' That is not a label to many would willingly wear for too long.
Secondly, when something is given for 'nothing' - someone, somewhere IS always paying the price for it. Usually it is the consumer, unwittingly until the end, but still ultimately paying a price. By becoming dependent upon the 'hand-out' and seeing no way out or worse, lethargically addicted to it as a source of sustenance (be it drugs, food or money). A free sample from an advertiser, as we all know, is meant to entice us to buy and take the bait, for who's gain? Do those giving free samples have OUR best interest at heart or their own? Free information is one thing. Free money, free food, free items are all another, much like bait.
Now let us look at what a 'leg up' is in comparison.
Let's take the saying to 'teach a man to fish' that act not only impacts his own starving body, but that of his family, friends and community. He will likely out of his boosted confidence spread this skill by teaching others. He enjoys the fish he works for with a more enthusiastic gusto than the one that washed up on shore (that's a little 'iffy' smelling).
Encouragement says: "YOU can do it!"
Assistance says: "I'll help YOU, but I'm expendable, YOU are what is important."
Giving someone a boost, advantage or edge puts them ahead in the game, but the game still has to be played by everyone who is in it. No benchwarmers ever helped win the game.
On a personal note, I know the difference between the two intimately. I was on scholarship (poor-people & talent scholarships, not brainy-people scholarships) for all of my high school and college years. That was humbling and encouraging. It wasn't a free ride. I had to do work-study and still pay for classes. Had I not had that 'leg up' I would not have never gone on to school. Yet, early on in my adult life we found ourselves struggling as a married couple to make ends meet and suddenly a baby was on the way, surprise! We did turn down the government subsidies we qualified for (well below the line) because we'd known what it was to be poor and work hard all our lives already. We did accept food from a food bank ONCE because we had three small children and a job loss. That was all it took to realize the difference between working hard because we had someone give us a 'leg up' (wanting to honor their encouraging trust in us) and waiting for that next 'hand-out'.
I don't fault anyone for doing what they need to do. I just think the two differing means of 'help' create two different attitudes in the receiver. I would rather help someone feel empowered because they don't need me anymore, they’re fine now, and can go and give a 'leg up' to someone who needs them.
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