The Homestead Mindset Anywhere: by Donna Miller : creative

Creative Stretching in the Kitchen: Beverages

Millers Grain House — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 15:00:00 GMT

Water is one of the most reasonable beverages for a tight budget. We drink a LOT of it. We have a faucet filter and use glass or stainless steel bottles for carrying the water around with us. Bottled water is too expensive and not good for either our...(read more)

Today's Homesteader: What type are you?

Millers Grain House — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 19:01:00 GMT

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...(read more)

I took the road less traveled by....

Millers Grain House — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:01:00 GMT

"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...(read more)

Weekly Preparation Practice Checklist

Millers Grain House — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 19:00:00 GMT

I have come up with a list of items that warrant practicing each week to prepare for an uncertain economical or governmental future. It isn’t being pessimistic to actually WANT to and look forward to being able to be more self-sustaining and out of debt...(read more)

Overwhelmed by learning about long term food storage? Relax, here's a plan.

Millers Grain House — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 19:02:00 GMT

I know how you feel. Just take a deep breathe and compartmentalize.....it can be very overwhelming at first. That's one reason I found the easy open buckets for my home were because people were telling me that for a year's supply I had to vacuum...(read more)

Homesteading on a porch

Millers Grain House — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 17:18:00 GMT

I always love to hear the trials and triumps of others who have that same pioneering spirit of a homesteader. Many people are overcoming the limits in which they live (financial, spacial, educational,etc) to find ways to improve their lives on a deeper...(read more)

More about my single New Year's Resolution - Organize: it will keep us healthy

Millers Grain House — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 21:39:00 GMT

As I mentioned last entry, I wanted to take note at how my one and only New Year's Resolution effected us in the area of health. Well, organizing things around this homestead has definitely paid off on the health side already. I'm down 4 pounds...(read more)

Making gifts and decorations for the Holidays

Millers Grain House — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 19:50:00 GMT

This year, we are doing as we have often done as we have trimmed our budget to the bone; we are making most of the gifts and decorations. This is not a new thing for our family. It actually began years before the kids were born, but has become a tradition...(read more)

How to stretch a left over baked potato.

Millers Grain House — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 18:21:00 GMT

Now, I know there are more ideas than this one....but this is our FAVORITE way to use them rather than toss them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MumZcIjTJQ

It's short so it should load pretty fast!

Best Blessings and enJOY!

Donna

A 'word play' trick to learning to be content.

Millers Grain House — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 17:24:00 GMT

It is one of my life's goals to balance contentment with a good healthy drive to succeed. That is kind of a tricky teeter-totter to be on, isn't it? Well, it seems that to do either one well (be content and strive to succeed) it would help to study a bit about just what the words mean.

I thought I'd study the word 'content' and hope to find some deeper meanings and see just what all the hub-bub is about, this "being content" thing and why it was on my mind so much lately. Funny thing happened when I did this...I found another word that is spelled exactly the same, but is pronounced differently. Thus began my weird thought process in how to use this as a word play and root this meaning of contentment deeper into my heart.

The word I was looking for was 'content' (kənˈtɛnt) but the other word I found was 'content' (kŏn'těnt'). Here is what an online dictionary says about each of these two words:

The fist word content (kənˈtɛnt) has a few definitions but this nicely sums up what I was looking for: "satisfied with what one is or has; not wanting more or anything else "and "Desiring no more than what one has; satisfied."

The other word (kŏn'těnt') has many more varying definitions, but these hit a chord with me on the topic I was really searching: "significance or profundity; meaning" and "The substantive or meaningful part."

It struck me that the homestead mindset can be boiled down to a little play on these two words. This can be applied ANYWHERE to anyone's life, no matter where they may live.

To be content, I need to focus on the meaningful content of my life not the ever changing circumstances and society around me.

Best Blessings!

Donna

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