The Glass Half Empty

How cool is that! Keep us posted on your work...y...

2012-03-03T00:15:12.183-05:00

How cool is that! Keep us posted on your work...you know your blog is good writing, so the book will be too! I just know it.

Excellent! You go, girl! WooWoo! (cranking the air...

2012-03-02T19:03:07.716-05:00

Excellent! You go, girl!
WooWoo! (cranking the air)

This is wonderful! Please do let us know about it,...

2012-02-28T14:59:47.064-05:00

This is wonderful! Please do let us know about it, I'll be the first to read it :)

Thank you for the review. It help me so much. Rega...

2012-02-16T09:24:15.888-05:00

Thank you for the review. It help me so much. Regards from Mexico

I sometimes feel the same. I mostly try not to car...

2012-02-07T15:58:58.131-05:00

I sometimes feel the same. I mostly try not to care about how often I post, I post when I feel like it and have the time. The people who care will continue to read my posts.

I want to let you know you could go a year without posting and I will still be here following your blog and it's ok!

Just don't go away completely, please, cause then I'd sometimes wonder how you are and good byes suck :)

I have those same guilt feelings if I go a while w...

2012-02-06T11:11:43.743-05:00

I have those same guilt feelings if I go a while without posting. I try to not let it bother me. Others have more time to devote to it and/or place their blogs higher on their priority lists. I just have to do it my way and not worry what others think.

I'm also with you on content. I try to post pertinent stuff, but most of what I talk about has already been covered somewhere else on the web. I tend to think of it as more a personal exercise, and if others benefit, so be it; if they don't, so be it.

Sounds like a pretty intense diet. Kudos to you for staying motivated!

I'm in the same mode that you are. There'...

2012-02-05T20:37:26.144-05:00

I'm in the same mode that you are. There's not much going on that I want to share...nothing homestead-related except that we tapped our maple trees today.

Maybe we're just in hibernation?

I used to can quite a bit...but it is just too muc...

2012-02-01T14:42:22.097-05:00

I used to can quite a bit...but it is just too much work. I now only make marmelade and items that do not need too much prep work. We started buying freeze dried food at www.shelfreliancesanantonio.com They have a monthly shipment program where you make a wishlist and set a budget. Each month you get some of the items shipped directly to you. It's called "The Q". Great idea! Saves me so much time plus I get a discount. Food storage on autopilot!

Unrelated to this post -- I remember you asked abo...

2012-01-30T17:37:24.750-05:00

Unrelated to this post -- I remember you asked about one pot meals before and just came across this on the Martha Stewart site: http://www.marthastewart.com/275672/one-dish-dinners/@center/854190/comfort-food-recipes

There are 48 one pot recipes on there!!

do you can your own produce? I know it's not i...

2012-01-28T19:52:43.320-05:00

do you can your own produce? I know it's not in season now, but it would certainly seem to be a good investment to have reusable canning products. I think there are even reusable lids, but I've never tried them. Anyway, I would think the advantage would be that you would then have some supplies to keep on storing up your own food after SHTF.

What a great fireplace. I am so happy that I live...

2012-01-24T10:47:22.500-05:00

What a great fireplace. I am so happy that I live in Florida and don't have to worry about freezing to death if the power goes out. I feel for you folks up north.

I'm in Zone 7. I'll be starting my first s...

2012-01-13T16:53:55.357-05:00

I'm in Zone 7. I'll be starting my first seeds indoors this weekend. If you have or have access to a copy of the square foot gardening book, there are some great charts in the back that tell you how many weeks before the last frost you should start various veggies, in order to get the most out of the growing season. Or maybe you could find something similar online.

I'm in zone 5/6 and can tell you that last yea...

2012-01-13T05:35:21.688-05:00

I'm in zone 5/6 and can tell you that last year was a hard year, even for seasoned gardeners.

Zone 6/7 should be fairly easy to grow in...your frost date is probably mid-late April? Plenty of time to grow anything you want.

Relax? What's that? haha Yeah, I should get a...

2012-01-12T09:22:30.452-05:00

Relax? What's that? haha

Yeah, I should get a babysitter in for a few hours and go get a haircut. I haven't had one in months...

I hope you get a good break soon. I see a movie ev...

2012-01-10T15:54:54.157-05:00

I hope you get a good break soon. I see a movie every Monday night. It saves me, to forget everything and just become observed in another world.

Maybe you can call someone to come by and watch the girls while you go out? Or just have a bath and relax for a short while?

Ah yes, losing 10 lbs. I lost the bulk of my extr...

2011-12-29T08:12:33.287-05:00

Ah yes, losing 10 lbs. I lost the bulk of my extra weight, now it's time for some fine-tuning.

I want to learn how to produce a sweetener here on our property. Maple syrup or sorghum, being the likely sources.

This spring, my goals for the yard and garden include planting gooseberries, Egyptian walking onions and an asparagus patch.

But my major, major resolution: loving people that are hard to love. My friend calls it "EGR"...extra grace required! If Jesus could stand being spit on, mocked, cursed, beaten, surely I can put on a smile and try extra hard to love people whom I'd really rather throttle. I'll need all your prayers for this one :)

Most of our resolutions revolve around home repair...

2011-12-28T22:45:17.975-05:00

Most of our resolutions revolve around home repairs, getting berry bushes planted, and getting a second income stream going! But I could stand to lose 10 pounds my own self!

I am getting no eggs at all right now! the little...

2011-12-28T22:42:50.085-05:00

I am getting no eggs at all right now! the little stinkers just cluck and eat!

I am so impressed! I don't know if we could g...

2011-12-09T19:23:14.930-05:00

I am so impressed! I don't know if we could go that long with what I've got...It is a good way to assess any holes in my storage, you've got me thinking!

Thanks for the update, sounds like so far its been...

2011-11-30T21:42:49.952-05:00

Thanks for the update, sounds like so far its been nice and easy..

I'm right there with you. Just feeling sort o...

2011-11-29T20:45:23.699-05:00

I'm right there with you. Just feeling sort of "meh" this year. I did get the outdoor lights hung up about 6 weeks ago, but that's only because I'm lazy when it gets cold.

Love the birthday cake idea.

We picked up a Little People Nativity set when the kids were young and oh how they have played with that over the past 5 or 6 years! Mara has called it the Baby in the Barn since she was about 2 :)

There's a really cool book called The Stable Where Jesus Was Born that we read frequently. Very beautiful pictures and it shows what was going on in Bethlehem the night He was born.

And we also started observing Advent a couple years ago. I'm sure it's not a proper observance, but we light a candle each Sunday and read some scriptures, mainly on the prophecies, the angels, etc. The kids look forward to it each Sunday and it kind of takes the focus off of Santa and presents.

Other then music, I have not hit that real spirit ...

2011-11-29T11:07:08.858-05:00

Other then music, I have not hit that real spirit yet this year, have not even started my xmas chocolate making or bath products, at least the soaps are curing.

Sorry to hear you are tired, it certianly seems that you have alot on your plate at the moment..

So how goes your eating out of the pantry this week?

I like the idea of a b-day cake for Jesus's, where I was raised, we had the tradional live action birth story of jesus for every christmas that I can remember, so when you see Mary give birth, it hits home from a young age, and then once you get older, you get to be on stage as part of it, it takes on a very special meaning, or at least it did for me..

we did a full month last year in march, a very lea...

2011-11-24T16:55:00.619-05:00

we did a full month last year in march, a very lean time of the year, and it was interesting to do so, I have been currently eating out of our pantry for the past two months, with any loss leaders being picked up to date going to a certain area and not being allowed to use them at the moment.

Good luck, and if you can find the time I hope you can do weekly updates on how its going? I look forward to hearing all about it.

Ps, Happy Thanksgiving!

I also struggle with the "now". I find ...

2011-11-09T09:04:18.877-05:00

I also struggle with the "now". I find myself focusing on when we get moved, or when I have enough water stored, when I have enough food canned...And while goals are good, they shouldn't take over my pleasure in ""today". I hear where you are coming from, and I appreciate your honesty in this area. Thanks for the reminder to slow down!

I think the $200 spent to secure 3 areas is well s...

2011-11-02T21:10:08.301-04:00

I think the $200 spent to secure 3 areas is well spent.