A Farmish Kind of Life

Wherein Amy goes off about “my body, my choice”, medical freedom, Karens, people who get off on being angry, and who is going to take the guns.

Thoughts on employee shortages and the "nobody wants to work" argument. Folks, it's a much more complicated discussion than that.

Honest talk about growing and raising your own food, as well as a caution to the homesteading community about pride.

Today I've got two random lessons that I've learned on the homestead lately that I thought maybe you could learn something from, too. One was brought on by a ridiculous task I've taken on in my office—one that was supposed to be easy. The other is something I learned while checking out my struggling garden.

Stages of life affect stages of homesteading and we sometimes forget to think about that as we look into the future—at least I know I have. This has been on my mind a lot lately as we have reached a point at our house where there are a lot of changes that I didn't realize would affect our homesteading so much. There are many stages to homesteading What happens when you were a childless homesteader and now you have twin babies and you’re freaking out because what you used to just walk outside and take care of you can’t just walk outside and take care of anymore? Changes, my friends. What happens when your kids grow up and get jobs of their own, and your big butcher day that used to be "easy" isn't easy anymore because everyone is busy and schedules are complicated? So many changes. What if you are super involved in something outside of your farm life, and that something suddenly dictates what animals you can handle on your farm, or what month those animals can arrive at your farm (which ultimately changes other things in your schedule, like when they are butchered)? All. the. changes. Some of them are temporary, and some are permanent. The point is that your life will change, and you will also change as a homesteader. What you can physically handle changes I’m healthy and I’m physical but I’m gonna tell you what, sometimes I’m gonna use that side by side ranger to do a job that I would have walked across the farm to do before. Because I’m not 30 anymore and sometimes it’s just nice to get a break. I hear my dad talk about this, about wishing he could do the things that he could do when he was younger and how it frustrates him. Sometimes there are things that take you longer, wear you out more. Sometimes there are things you have to ask for help with that you used to do alone in half the time. Sometimes there are things you just have to admit you can't do anymore, or shouldn't do anymore, or have to really modify the way you do them. And all of that affects your life as a homesteader. The way you start isn't necessarily the way you continue The way you start your farmish life is not necessarily the way you continue your farmish life. The animals you have, the size of the garden, the things you take on will differ. There are things that will become easier… but you might exchange them for other difficulties or challenges. For instance, you've got to figure out how to modify all that cooking and baking you used to do and how much you have to make. The way I cook and bake has started to change because I never know who is going to be here or if they will have eaten before they come home. Will my husband and I continue to raise as many pigs, chickens, and ducks after our kids are out of the house or will we cut our numbers? Will we continue to raise the same amount to provide for our family (even though they don't live in the same house) but then ask someone else to process for us because the job will get too big to do alone and too complicated to find help for? I don't think we will know until we get to that stage of homesteading. Kids getting older of moving out certainly frees up certain things for you, but you also lose some of the help you had (or the convenience of help you had). Kind of like the funny meme I saw the other day that said I thought sending my kids to summer camp would be a break for me—until I realized I had to do all their chores while they were gone. Then again some people actually grow their farm after their kids get older or move out because they aren’t running their kids here there and everywhere and they are able to be home more. Another stage: when homesteading isn't a "thing" anymore What happens when homesteading isn’t a “thing” anymore, it’s just something you do? I feel like some people identify as homesteaders. If there was a flag for homesteaders, they would fly it proudly. It would be imposed on their profile picture on social media.

When we first moved to our farm in 2011, the one animal that I insisted we get was goats. We started with two male goats (Willy and Waylon) and then added three female goats (Luna, Pickles, and Olive.) Then we bred the gals and got babies. But after having goats for a few years, we ultimately decided goats weren't for us. I am often asked about why that was, so here are the reasons we no longer raise goats. And none of the reasons are even because goats are often described as "unruly toddlers" or "drunk teenagers". ;) Milking actually does control your schedule: It's one thing to know in your head that having a doe in milk means you will be milking and that you have to milk everyday at about the same time. It's another thing entirely to actually live that. You can't drop what you're doing and run off to that thing you just got invited to. You can't run super late at an event with the kids. You really have to pay attention to what you're involved in outside the farm and make sure it works with milking. No one was drinking the milk: In the beginning, milking was a "thing" and it was "cool". We had milk from our goats in the fridge. Ain't that cool? Not if no one drinks it. While my husband and I have never been huge milk drinkers, my kids were. Until they weren't. And then I had a lot of milk in my fridge. Goat milk soap sounded like a real great adventure to get into. Until I realized that likeliness of me fitting that in was similar to the likelihood of me finishing that one quilt I have in the basement... We don't make our own hay: We don't make our own hay at our farm which meant we had to buy it. And wouldn't you know it, the final year we had goats was the year hay prices went through the roof. That's fine, goat friends. Just go ahead and toss that hay all over the ground. It's fine. Really. Babies are stressful: While I've always enjoyed hatching out chicks, pheasants, and ducklings, larger livestock babies ended up being a ball of stress for me. (This was similar to the reason we stopped doing piglets and now only do feeder pigs.) Some people enjoy the "rush" and stress of kidding season. I discovered I didn't, regardless of how adorable those kids ended up to be. Selling/finding new homes for babies was a pain: Wanting milk from goats meant having babies, and having babies meant selling babies. Selling babies meant dealing with people coming to our farm. That sounded like a lot less hassle on paper than it ended up being in real life. In our search for new homes for goat kids, we dealt with all sorts of people—from multiple no-shows, to the guy who insisted you can't have a male dairy breed goat because you can't milk males, to the woman who showed up alone to take three goat kids in her car... with nowhere to put them. They'll just stay in the backseat, right? I'm more of a small farm animal/don't overwinter gal. Every homesteader is different, and you don't know what kind of homesteader you really are until you actually live the homesteading life. After being on the farm for a decade now, I've realized that smaller animals are my thing. I've also learned I'm not big on overwintering in Minnesota. We do overwinter our egg birds and our ducks, but everything else is put in the freezer before the snow flies and we start again in the spring (pigs, meat chickens, and turkeys). I'm glad we tried goats, because you really don't know if an animal works for you until you try them out! I also think it's important to realize that not every kind of farm animal is for every kind of farm—or every kind of homesteader. Good thing we have so many choices of what to raise, right? -- Amy Dingmann, 6-22-21 Find More Goodies from A Farmish Kind of Life: Videos: YouTube, Odysee, TikTok Social media: Facebook, Instagram, MeWe Podcast: here on the site or subscribe in your favorite podcast app Books by me, Amy Dingmann: My books

Thoughts on the importance of finding the line between being comfortable and being stuck.

Deep thoughts on a certain something we hear from our parents that we don't understand until we have kids of our own.

Thoughts on "the way things were" and how we tend to live in every moment except for the one we're in. What you're doing right now? You will look back on this, too.

I've been watching my dogs, and I've figured out five things we can learn from a dog's approach to life.

Deep thoughts on food, health, and why you should control what you do with your body so no one *else* can control *you*.

My thoughts on why it's important to be teachable (especially as an adult) and how that can benefit your life and the lives of those around you.

Sometimes it’s not just about learning something new. Sometimes in order to actually learn the new thing, we have to unlearn the old stuff.

After a four week long experiment with my YouTube, Odysee, and Tiktok accounts, here are my stats... and my thoughts.

It’s important to know what your goal is so you know if the things you’re doing are actually helping you reach that goal. There is a point where you’re doing more work than you need to for the payoff you’re getting. Have you set the right goals? And are you working towards the goals you actually set?

Be aware of these pros, cons, and realities about alternative social media networks so you can help them thrive.

Do you want to get started raising turkeys? Here are answers to some common questions you might have.

We tend to think of other people in terms of ourselves, and assumptions made about others through that filter can get us in to trouble.

Whether you've just entered the world of adulting or have spent many years in it, this is a great reminder about normal life in the real world.

In the nature vs. nurture debate, what matters more, and how does it affect us as adults? Here are my thoughts.

I've learned over the years that the secret to personal growth is being willing to do one very important thing...

You're a hard worker. How do you know if your hard work is worth it, and (big question) should you turn the thing you love into a job?

I am not an expert at gardening, nor do I know everything about how to start seeds. But I will share with you 11 things I have learned about starting seeds while we've been here at the homestead. Hopefully some of these tips will be helpful to you. 1. It takes time to figure out how to start seeds It may take you a couple years to figure out what works for you—which may not be what works for your friends who are also starting seeds. I have a friend who grows amazing starts in plastic covered food trays or ice cream cake containers from DQ. I also have friends with a super simple greenhouse set up in front of their south facing window (no grow lights at all!) and they do AMAZING things with those seedlings. Unfortunately, neither of those sets ups have worked for us. You need to go through the things that don't work (and the mistakes you make along the way) to figure out what actually works. Ahem, not putting the grow light down close enough to the seeds, Amy? Yeah. Did that one year. Deciding that hardening off was a skippable step? Yeah, Amy, big mistake. You need those fails to figure out what not to do. Just keep trying! 2. Start more seeds than you think you need Obviously this depends on your set up and how much room you have, but if you want to grow five tomato plants, you need to start more than five seeds. Sometimes some seeds don't germinate. Sometimes you want to grow a few seedlings for a friend. Always plant more than you think you're going to realistically need. Having said that... 3. Seedlings grow and take up a lot of room Seed starting trays are small. But keep in mind that those seeds grow into seedlings that take up WAY more room. Starting 80 tomato seeds seems like it makes sense when you're just putting those seeds into the little starter pods and everything fits so nicely on the seed starting shelf. And then they start growing. And your husband says, "80 tomato plants, Amy? Where are you going to put those?" 80 tomato seeds is totally different than 80 tomato plants. Just keep this in mind. 4. Your grow light needs to be closer than you think Your seedlings will stretch to the light, but if they are stretching too much too fast you’re going to have spindly little leggy things that are weak. Your light needs to be adjustable so you can raise or lower the light as needed. I use Barrina grow lights; (affiliate link) and they give a lovely purple pink cast to my office when they are on. We’ve had great luck with them—they were suggested to me by my friend Chris at Rockin’ 8 Farm. 5. Don't use a grow light 24 hours a day Your seedlings need time to rest, so don’t put the grow light on them 24 hours a day. I leave the light on all night and turn off during the day. This was suggested to me and it works really well, although many people do the opposite (light on during the day, off at night). Research the differences between light on at night or light on during the day to determine which is best for your seed starting set up. 6. Don't overwater your seedlings Seedlings should be moist, but not wet. I tend to underwater, if anything. Some folks say you should be watering your seedlings once a day, but that would be too much for mine. Mine generally get watered every other day or every third day. I think this mostly has to do with the environment you're growing them in, etc. Pay attention to your plants, press your finger into their soil. Is it moist? Good job. A bit dry? Add more water. Really wet? Stop drowning your plant babies. 7. Don't be afraid to pot up your seedlings Potting up means to put your seedlings in a bigger pot before you're to the point of actually transplanting them into the ground. I usually pot up twice before my seedlings end up in the garden. I go from seed starting pods to 7 oz. dixie cups (with holes punched in the bottom) to red solo cups (again, holes punched in the bottom).

This isn't a "hey, homeschooled kids are so smart!" article. This asks a question about the pedestal we've stuck college up on, which became more obvious to my kids when they got to college.

Is that person really there to support you and have a genuine relationship with you... or are they just collecting more hands and feet for their cause?

"They're all gonna laugh at you." "You don't know what you're doing." "You're just a hack." I used to be afraid of people saying this when I first started out. And believe me, I definitely hear these things. But when I hear them now, it bothers me for a totally different reason.

There is nothing wrong with having a tool to help keep you informed, but what happens when that tool is often wrong, or is used to get you all worked up?

The next time someone asks you a question about homesteading (or any other way you're living), stop and consider: do you teach from the ego, or the heart?

The belief that you don't have enough time will make you less productive with the time you have. Here are two tips that have helped me when I fall into time scarcity mindset.

Here are two things that make you nervous to create the life you want to live, and a "kid learning to walk" analogy to help you get past it.

Lately I've noticed that many of the issues we have as a people attempting to have a conversation (or relationship) with each other stems from two different categories: all or nothing thinking, and how we speak and listen.

Today I'm tackling topics like the gift of life, responsibility and choice, consequences, and how this all relates to the future. Let's talk about getting involved in your own life... and dive into some most likely politically incorrect conversations.

Nowadays, it’s all on the table. And it’s almost as if your choices and your opinions are now an aggressive assertion of who you are as an individual.

I've raised one kid to adulthood, and the other isn't far behind. Here's the one big secret I've learned about parenting.

There is power in deciding not to participate. There is power in stepping away and saying, "I’m not going to be a part of this."

Here's something I've seen most of us do while encouraging or uplifting others. It's really weird when you think about it.

Short (but deep) thoughts on where you fit -- and if it matters.

When spring finally rolls around, it's time to do some deep cleaning of the house and the barn. But what I've recently considered is that spring is also a time to do some deep cleaning of your life and your self. Read on for more of my thoughts, or check out the podcast episode for a more in depth discussion. You can also watch the 3 minute video at the bottom of the post for the highlights! Listen to the podcast episode by pressing the play button on the black bar above. All episodes are linked under the podcast tab that you can find way at the top of this post in my menu bar. You can also listen and subscribe to my Farmish Kind of Life podcast at all popular podcast players. Spring cleaning your self: The point of a good ol' traditional spring cleaning is to get rid of all the junk. We deep clean. We dig into the corners and cabinets and behind the furniture that we don’t normally get to when we’re doing that quick everyday cleaning. We take time to organize and declutter. And when it’s all done you think yes, that feels good. And you feel like you're heading into a new season, starting fresh and clean. Well, we can do that with ourselves too. And honestly, I’ve needed to do some serious spring cleaning of myself—physically and mentally. Now, this isn’t just some woo-woo, feel-good, mystical self-help stuff. I want you consider that spring cleaning your self is a way to get your self ready for the future, so you can be your best for whatever comes next. Spring cleaning your self is part of preparing. Any prepper worth their weight knows that physical health and mental clarity is just as important as how much food, fuel, or ammo you have stored. Note: You can’t just attack this all at once. Just like this spring cleaning a house, you have to do it in pieces. Room by room. Closet by closet. This isn't a wipe a rag across the surface, this is a deep dig in and clean things up. Things to get rid of When tackling the spring cleaning of your life and your self, here are some things to consider cleaning out: The "stuff " of winter: brain fogtirednessthe sluggish blah feelinglack of motivation/momentumeating too much crap Stuff that’s bringing you down: guiltself-hatenegativity"I can't"incorrect focus What’s weighing on you: First, check to make sure that the thing that’s weighing on you isn’t just something that’s bringing you down. But something weighing on you is sometimes a sign to pay attention (something isn't right, something seems amiss) or finally take a breath and do that thing you need to do. Dig into those things and solve them. Are you in the wrong job?Do you need to ask for a raise?Does your brother not understand boundaries?Do you have a medical issue that needs to be checked out by a professional?Do you need to change your approach in marketing your side hustle? Things you don’t understand: Sometimes we are stuck in our lives simply because we don’t know something. Invest in some time in education. Maybe you want to learn about tarot cards or bitcoin or how to start a podcast. Find people who can teach you. That’s why community is important. Things that aren’t moving you forward: Now, this doesn’t mean you shouldn't have things that are just for you. A lazy day spent on the couch reading a smutty novel. A fancy coffee. Putting purple streaks in your hair. Sitting on the porch drinking a beer. Time spent in the garage putzing on a project just because you want to tinker with something. I believe self-care looks different for everyone, and you need self-care to make you okay. If you’ re not okay, you can’t move forward. What I'm talking about here is be aware of where you're spending your time and energy, and consider whether it's moving you further in your life. And yes, complaining and venting, to a certain point, can move you forward. But what doesn’t necessarily move you forward is listening to a podcaster/YouTuber/news anchor/e...

Today I answer your questions about: being self-reliant enough, hard times in homeschooling, favorite non-fiction homesteading books, frozen eggs in the winter, and self-publishing.

Random thoughts about love: big gestures, little things, and "knowing each other".

Everyone is struggling even if it looks different. And you're not wrong if you don't know how to deal with "all this" right now.

Today I answer your questions about who should cook dinner, a teen worried about the future, death on the homestead, competition in frugal living, and buying baby chicks.

As the world collectively holds its breath right now, let's talk about 3 things: deciphering truth from fiction, operating underground, and resiliency. Listen to the podcast episode by pressing the play button on the black bar above. All episodes are linked under the podcast tab that you can find way at the top of this post in my menu bar. You can also listen and subscribe to my Farmish Kind of Life podcast at all popular podcast players. 1 . The ability to decipher truth from fiction: Back in October 2020, my messenger suddenly blew up one day with people asking if we were going to sell our Harley because they saw some picture posted on social media that showed Harley-Davidson was endorsing Biden/Harris for presidency. Okay. You guys. First off, people had no idea who I was voting for, or if I even planned to vote at all. Secondly, the image was photoshopped. I wrote more about this in But First, Read This. But I get it. Sort of. It’s hard to decipher truth from fiction. The internet and more news channels and forums and chats were supposed to make us more informed. What it’s really done is, is made it harder to find actual information. In the past couple weeks, especially, people have emailed me with "facts" and "evidence" and "information" about their version what’s happening in the world. I’ve started saving all these, screen-shotting lists, taking notes on articles so in four months I can look back and see what things people were spreading around before the inauguration—on all sides. I won’t even say “both sides” anymore because there are plenty of things coming from outliers who don’t agree with the two party system. We see something online that fits with our agenda so we share it out of the need to "educate people with the truth". We see something online totally against our agenda and we share it out of frustration. Most of us don’t even click on the link to read the article. We share headlines—and it just so happens there are articles attached to them. We didn’t read them and the people we’re sharing it with aren’t going to read them. It's. not. helping. We see something the other side has shared and we think “how in the world can they believe something like that, it’s totally not true” when in all reality, you’re probably doing the same thing. The crazy thing is that we think the other side does it and we don’t. And we've all done it. I like sharing this meme on social media when things get a little dicey out there, and people start dividing based on assumptions or "fact": (Please contact me if you know who originally posted this and I will credit them.) Assess all information. Consider all options. But take the time to consider that marketing is everywhere and it’s possible to spin any story to fit the purposes you want it to fit. And the bigger the topic is, the more people will do it—without even realizing it. Evil is a loaded word. What you think is right and just and the way things work is oftentimes what someone else would describe as wrong and immoral and unjust. Having pointed out that caveat, I’m not saying permit evil. I’m not saying ignore evil. I’m just saying make sure you know what you’re looking at and where it came from. 2. Operate underground Here’s what I mean by that: I’m visual and it’s easy to look outside at the world and see a giant mushroom cloud. Ooo! Shock! Awe! Big explosion! And that giant mushroom cloud is clouding the view of everything else. It’s destroying our ability to see anything else. And a mushroom cloud probably isn't the best example to use, because if we’re talking a mushroom cloud from a big ol bomb, there probably ISN’T anything else going on because it HAS decimated everything else. But work with me here. What I’d like you to consider is there are a lot of regular ol' people going about their lives outside of that giant mushroom cloud doing really great, productive, wonderfully kind things.

It’s another random audience questions podcast episode (and blog post) where I pull five questions from my giant mason jar of topics you’ve sent in. Today I answer your questions about: a significant other struggling with country living, suggestions for getting things done when working full time away from the homestead, issues with too many roosters, clarification on meat bird terminology, and finally, “Amy, I cut out a bunch of things and my life is still nuts, please help.” As always is the case with these random audience questions episodes, the podcast episode is more in depth than the blog post. If you’d like to add a question to my jar for a future episode please email it to [email protected]. Listen to the podcast episode by pressing the play button on the black bar above. All episodes are linked under the podcast tab that you can find way at the top of this post in my menu bar. You can also listen and subscribe to my Farmish Kind of Life podcast at all popular podcast players. 1 — Significant other struggling with country living So, my wife (a city girl) is really struggling with country living. Complaining that our kids have no one to play with. Can't ride bikes down the sidewalk, can't run over to the neighbors house and play, can't run to the grocery store, etc... - Chris (first part of email) It's always hard to move from one life to another. I'm positive that your wife's concerns come from a place of love and wanting the best for your kiddos, and we tend to latch on to what's familiar to us and how we were raised. If she grew up in the city, it makes sense that she's thinking, "who will the kids play with? How will they ride their bikes down the sidewalk? Why are we so far from the store?" That's the normal she grew up with. Much like I would wonder how kids in urban families survive without spending all day playing in the woods (like I did!) There are people who like the city and people who don't, and that's okay! Sit down and have a conversation about her pros and cons, your pros and cons, and don't be afraid to include the kids in the conversation. After talking you will have a better idea about where everyone stands and how to look for compromises to bring about a happy country home. (Note: Much longer answer to this in the podcast version.) 2 — Getting things done on the homestead when working full time away from home? ... It's just a struggle. Both of us work an hour away from home and by the time we get out of work, get the girls from daycare, get home, cook dinner, (there's) not much time for anything. Any suggestions would be helpful. - Chris (second part of email) I generally tell people to do a time audit. First, how much time do you actually have at home? Take a good hard look at that number. Then, think of how much time your homesteading ventures actually require. I mean, REALLY think of a number. Is it 30 minutes every morning and night? Is it three hours each day? Is it an entire weekend? Be aware that sometimes homesteading is so exciting to us that it can take up a way bigger piece of our brain than it takes in our actual schedule. For instance, chickens seem like a big deal. They are the gateway animal, after all. But how long do chicken chores take everyday? Ten minutes? Next make sure to include all the other things that have nothing to do with homesteading in your time audit. We all do more than work, sleep, eat, and feed the chickens. There are only 24 hours in a day, and you've got to be realistic about what you can fit into those hours. You either have to find time where it might be hiding in your schedule, manage the time you have in a different way, or admit that you've got plenty your plate for the place you're at currently in life. 3 — Is this what roosters do? We butchered our own chickens for the first time this summer and we ended up butchering sooner than planned due to the boys starting to fight. Have you had issues with this?

After the buzz and energy of the winter holidays are over, people can sometimes fall into a slump and get stuck in the darkness of the season. Here are 25+ tips from myself as well as readers/listeners of A Farmish Kind of Life to hopefully help you get through winter and make it through to spring with a smile on your face. You can also check out my winter post from last year: Winter is Hard: Mental Health for Homesteaders as well as Winter Projects: What to do While You're Waiting for Spring. NOTE: This podcast/blog post is not intended to take the place of professional medical advice regarding depression. I'm not a medical professional. I'm just an adorkable farmgirl with a microphone. Listen to the podcast episode by pressing the play button on the black bar above. All episodes are linked under the podcast tab that you can find way at the top of this post in my menu bar. You can also listen and subscribe to my Farmish Kind of Life podcast at all popular podcast players. My plan to get through the winter: Be honest about what affects me negatively and positively, and then give the appropriate attention to those things: Sometimes it makes me feel powerful to listen to podcasts, people, etc. who are all about fighting the man, changing the world, taking action, etc. Other times, it all just feels like angry noise. And I know it’s not just me because I have heard from followers and listeners and readers who have said, “I just can’t listen to it all right now, does that make me a bad irresponsible person?” Whatever that thing is that you're supposed to be fixated on right now...will you remember it a month after it passes? What was the last thing you were supposed to be worried or fixated on? Is anyone talking about it now? Save your worry and concern for what deserves it. (Hint: things you can actually affect or do something about.) Eat good food: But also not beat myself up when I decide to bake a pie or have an old fashioned or two while I snuggle with my husband. Your body requires good fuel to do the work it needs to do, but there's nothing wrong with treats—if you understand the meaning of the word treat—so stop with the dang guilt. Learn something/have a project: I feel like part of what’s at the heart of the difficulty of winter, especially for homesteaders, is that you might feel as though you’re not accomplishing as much. We are so busy spring summer and fall that when we’re not meeting ourselves coming and going from the barn to the garden to the kitchen in the winter, we can almost feel like there is something wrong. And then we do this weird "guilt" thing and this weird "questioning my worth" thing. To counteract that, I'm making a list of the projects that need to be done in the house and the skills I need to brush up on. And I will devote this winter downtime to those things with the mindset that I'm preparing for spring's arrival (instead of waiting for winter to end). Figure out what I want: Yesterday I was flitting about doing all the things and I had a really productive day. However there was this feeling nagging at me that I didn't get done what I wanted to do. Like there was still something else I was supposed to be doing. I've realized that it's very important for you to know what you want, what your goal is, what you're heading for, what the to-do list entails. If you don't know what you want, you won't know when you accomplish it. Reader/Listener Suggestions for How to Get Through the Winter: "I'm trying to find time each day to read, even if it's just 5 minutes. Starting some seeds; who doesn't love to see green growth starting when you're surrounded by snow?! Avoiding the news, other than the weather at 6:17pm, has been so good for my mental health. Getting back on the letter writing bandwagon for my pen pal in California." — Lettie "Spending more time outside. Staying Facebook-free (it's been 6 weeks already). Starting seeds. Maybe, just maybe,

As we spend time finalizing gifts for the holidays, I got to thinking about seven gifts we should imagine are wrapped up under the tree. Gifts we probably already have, but sometimes forget about in the hustle and bustle of a hectic holiday. Listen to the podcast episode by pressing the play button on the black bar above. All episodes are linked under the podcast tab that you can find way at the top of this post in my menu bar. You can also listen and subscribe to my Farmish Kind of Life podcast at all popular podcast players. 1 . The Year that Was If you’re listening to this, you lived through 2020. And I don’t think there is anyone’s life that wasn’t touched with some kind of change or difficulty, whether that was direct or indirect. But I think the best way to look at the year that was, is to consider the lessons that came out of it. We all learned a lot. What we could handle. When we needed a break. What things needed to change in our life. Some of us were pushed to make those changes and we wouldn’t have made them without the struggles we encountered in 2020. Some of us felt validation for choices we had already made. Some of us got perspective. Some of us learned how much we take for granted. Homework: What is one thing that 2020 taught you? 2 . Opportunity I know there is a whole mainstream world out there that's screaming that life is hard and life is tough and nothing turns out and everything is horrible. But I kid you not if your great-great-great grandparents were here, they'd laugh at us for complaining about some of the things we complain about, for focusing on some of the things we focus on, and for our inability to see the opportunities we have that we absolutely take for granted. The ease in which we can do things that were an absolute impossibility for them. A lot of people were frustrated that they had to work from home, but had that opportunity not been available during the various lockdown periods instituted this year, it meant a lot of people simply wouldn't have had work. Something to point out here is there are many opportunities available, but it doesn't mean they will just drop in your lap and it doesn't mean they aren't work. Oftentimes when I bring up there are many opportunities available, someone will say "oh really, what about..." Opportunity means having eyes to see what's out there. To dig through the cant's and won'ts and shouldn'ts and it's hards to see what could be possible. Starting a business is hard, but there are tools today we didn't have 50 years ago. Starting a homestead is definitely work, but there are ways to make it happen that don't require 250 acres of land. Going back to school is a commitment, but you can do it from the comfort of your home now. That wasn't available when I was in college. Connecting with like-minded people who happen to live faraway from you takes time, but it doesn't necessarily require getting on a plane anymore. You just turn on your computer. Spending the day reading doesn't even require leaving your house anymore to find a bookstore or a library. You can just one-click a button and send a book to your Kindle. Have you ever thought about how insane that is? Homework: Are there opportunities in front of you that you need to look in to? What are they? 3. Peace That cup of coffee in the quiet morning. Maybe for you it’s something else. But those few moments. Maybe it's knowing you're working towards removing yourself from the noise of the world. Maybe it's understanding how to have peace within the noise of the world. Maybe it's knowing that the life you've built isn't centered in chaos. Homework: How do you find peace? 4. Gratitude Living with a spirit of gratitude makes you see the world differently. And I don't think that living with a spirit of gratitude means ignoring the reality of things that are happening around you, and the unfortunate thing is that's often how "gratitude",

There is a balance to be struck between striving to do all the things, and realizing when you’re at a stage in your life that you’re already busy doing other things. While it's important to dream, make goals, and draw up plans, today I want to talk about honoring the reality of where you are in life. Listen to the podcast episode by pressing the play button on the black bar above. All episodes are linked under the podcast tab that you can find way at the top of this post in my menu bar. You can also listen and subscribe to my Farmish Kind of Life podcast at all popular podcast players. It's important to make plans. I'm all about dreaming and setting goals. But today I'm backing up a bit and getting honest about life, because for some of you, hearing just do some dreaming and make some plans! is the exact opposite of what you need to hear. I was 24 when I had my first kid, and 25 when I had my second. And I remember shortly after the second was born, I sat on the deck, exhausted and sobbing. My husband asked me what was wrong. "I'm afraid I'll never write again. I will never have time. I can't do all of this." And I pulled out a book by some author who by my estimation had "a bazillion books out". I shoved it at my husband's face and said, "Look at her. She is doing all the things." And my sweet husband looked at me, his wife with an almost 13 month old and a brand new baby, and said, "You and her are in different places. How old is that author?" When I told him she was 42, he told me to stop comparing myself to her and live my life. "If I know you," he said, "when you're 42 you'll be back to writing all the books just like that author." "What if I'm not?" "Then you're not. But it's not like you're going to forget how to write. It's part of who you are." I don't know if my husband remembers that conversation, but it was huge for me and I totally stuck it in my back pocket. Fast forward to last week when I was making a huge business plan for the novels I plan to release under my two names in 2021. And it occurred to me while I worked on it: guess how old I turn in 2021? 42 years old. I recently shared this story with another writer, who said he really appreciated the honesty. As a new dad, he was scraping by on writing 10 minutes a day and wondering, “is this is all there is?” I remember those days. I remember the days of trying to get an article done in 20 minutes because that’s how long I had before the kid woke up again. While that writer and I are close to the same age, he and his partner just had a baby. So even though he and I graduated almost the same year, he's currently getting up with a baby every few hours and I’ve got a kid who turns 18 in a few months. Two totally different places in life. Which makes all the difference. My reality now? My husband works weird hours. My kids are almost adults. Our house is wildly independent. We’re all on different schedules. I often say that there isn’t a moment in a 24 hour period where there isn’t someone awake in our house doing something. So when people ask how do you have all the time to do what you do, I want you to understand at this point in my life, I spend a lot of time alone—meaning, not being needed by anyone else—either because they aren’t home, they’re sleeping, they’re at work, or they’re doing their own thing like recording music or doing their college classes. So I am currently free to do the crazy things I’ve got up in my head—and that I’ve had up in my head!—because there are so many other things I don't need to take care of anymore. The truth is, the place you are in life will determine a lot of what you can do. Let's break down some steps to getting comfortable with this realization. Step One: Dreams. Goals, Plans. We all have something we want to do. You might want to build a homestead, learn a new skill, switch careers, or put out a crapton of books next year.

Today's podcast episode is a mash up of two previous itty bitty thoughts, as well as a continuation of them. I hope you find today's thoughts inspiring and motivational as we maneuver our way through 2020 and beyond. There's also some homework, if you'd like to get involved! Also, if you listen to today's episode, you will know what #cheetodust means, and why we should start using it. Listen to the podcast episode by pressing the play button on the black bar above. All episodes are linked under the podcast tab that you can find way at the top of this post in my menu bar. You can also listen and subscribe to my Farmish Kind of Life podcast at all popular podcast players. Worry First, check out my previous Itty Bitty Thought: What I Worry About Here are further thoughts—and some homework—after you visit the above link: Back in episode 77, I did an episode called Because Winter is Hard: Mental Health for Homesteaders. I’m going to ask you to do something to help me build a future episode. This idea actually didn’t come from me, it was actually suggested by a listener who goes by “Kelley from the Northeast”. She suggested: I think it would be a great idea to have an episode where you have other people write in on how they get through the winter and maybe you'll get some novel ideas. What a great idea! I've got an inkling that Winter of 2020 is going to be hard for a lot of folks. Maybe that's you, maybe it's not. If you'd like to help build an episode and blog post to motivate and encourage others through the winter, comment below or drop me an email about how you plan to get through winter 2020. You can email me at [email protected] Forget First, read through my Itty Bitty thought called The Thing We Keep Forgetting. Then, continue here: What I want to point out is that we need that time to be angry and frustrated—that's part of the process, so don't squash it down. But the next step is to remember you still have a pulse and as long as you’re alive here there is something you’re supposed to be doing. I don’t know what that something is for you. You might not know what that something is for you. But I encourage you to spend some time thinking about it. Do not get stuck in the idea that you will get started when this blows over or that it’s pointless to do anything because you don’t know what’s coming. Make a plan and go for it. If things change (and they will because this is life) then you adjust. But you can’t adjust anything if you’ve spent this whole sitting on the couch licking Cheeto dust off your fingers. My plans and thoughts: dream big I've had time to think and time to plan. To be completely honest, when I think about A Farmish Kind of Life, I get confused about where it’s going. I started this website years ago and I've talked about the homesteading journey as I understand it and as I've lived it. But now we've found our groove, we know what works and doesn't work for us, and I've wrote and spoke about the majority of those things. Eventually, one gets to a point where they think okay, now what do I talk about? If you’ve been here at the podcast/website for awhile you have seen how this has gone from all about homesteading to all about a lot of different stuff. I had a listener email me the other day giving me some very kind words about the itty bitty thoughts I had recorded back in episode 109 and she said “it’s almost like you’ve moved from homestead podcaster to motivational podcaster.” And maybe that's what I am now. I’ve also had a couple of you ask if I’m going to put my itty bitty thoughts into a book. Maybe I'll do that. The point is, the benefit in being “farmish” is that I can morph into different things. And I think it’s important to realize that at this point in life and technology and connection, we can do that. So while I don’t think this site or my podcast is going anywhere anytime soon,

As a homesteader, a lot of my audience is conservative. As a fiction author in an artist community, most of the people surrounding me are liberal. I have friends and family all over the political spectrum so from both a professional and a personal perspective, it's been interesting to maneuver life the past week listening to the comments, arguments, and opinions from both sides. My answer to all of this, as if little ol' me has the answer, is a piece I wrote called And I Hope. I hope it applies to you whether you live in America or not. I hope it applies to you no matter who you voted for, if anyone at all. I hope it is something you can listen to or read as a pause or a breath or an opportunity to reflect on your focus—and fine tune things if necessary. You can read it below as an itty bitty thought or you can press play above to listen to it as a podcast. The main topic starts at minute marker 5:24. Listen to the podcast episode by pressing the play button on the black bar above. All episodes are linked under the podcast tab that you can find way at the top of this post in my menu bar. You can also listen and subscribe to my Farmish Kind of Life podcast at all popular podcast players. Here are the things I hope for you today and tomorrow and all of your days. I hope if someone wants to listen to Christmas music really early because it makes them smile that you let them. I hope that you have a friend who can eat all the black jelly beans that you don’t like. I hope you have enough yarn to finish your hat I hope you have enough hot water for a really long shower I hope you can remember all the items you needed at the store even if you forgot your list and I hope that when you smile at the cashier, they look up and smile back. I hope all those things, and other things too like I hope that right now you can act like an adult because kids are watching I hope that you don’t let two people who don’t even know your name come between you and the people who do. I hope you don’t completely surround yourself with people who think exactly like you. I hope you know the issue isn’t social media. I hope you’re always thinking about and searching for a better way to do things. I hope you understand that how you acted before the election and how you acted after say more about you than how you voted, if you voted at all. I hope you know that people don’t need to know where you stand on an issue, they need to know how you stand as a person. I hope you realize the loudest person in a group doesn’t usually speak for the majority of the group, the loudest person is just really loud. I hope you’re not living for conflict. I hope you’re not driving the conflict. And if you are, I hope you get tired of it I hope you fail to find a payoff for it And I hope you stop. I hope you realize that in a nation so divided, no one wins. I hope you understand there is a difference between unity and conformity. I hope you know this is not an apocalyptic novel and I hope you know this is not a fairy tale. I hope you understand this is actual real life and I hope you realize that nothing that little ol you or me does or doesn’t do today will even be seen by the mainstream media or the individuals who ran for office. But it will be seen by the people who live with you, By the people who do life with you. By the people who will be affected by what you do or don’t do. So I hope you have a friend over for a fried chicken dinner. I hope you take two hours to talk on the phone when someone calls and just can’t handle it anymore. I hope you realize there are bellies to tickle and leaves to rake up and cookies to bake. I hope you know there are mugs of coffee to be poured and quilts to snuggle under and love to be made.

If you are someone dealing with big emotions (anger, fear, frustration) regarding what's happening out there in the big wide world or what might be coming around the bend, today's writing is for you. You can read it below as an itty bitty thought or you can press play above to listen to it as a podcast. The main topic starts at minute marker 5:58. Listen to the podcast episode by pressing the play button on the black bar above. All episodes are linked under the podcast tab that you can find way at the top of this post in my menu bar. You can also listen and subscribe to my Farmish Kind of Life podcast at all popular podcast players. Heading into this week is weird. I know as a writer I should have bigger, better words to describe what I'm feeling, but weird is all I can come up with. Friends across the pond tell me they're going into another lockdown. Many of the schools local to me are going to total distance learning again. But the main event whether you're participating in it or not, is tomorrow's presidential election. I've been talking to friends on both sides of the aisle and what I hear is fear tension anger panic anxiety did I mention anger? Because there is anger. I wasn't sure what I wanted to say today as an itty bitty thought or a podcast I don't know how to approach all of this and that and everything. So I will go with what I like to focus on in times of chaos and unknown. because maybe it will help you, too. Here’s what I want you to focus on. No matter who you think should win. No matter who ends up winning. No matter what comes because of the person who wins. When you wake up the day after election day or the day after or the week after or whenever after there is one thing you need to remember: the chickens still need to be fed. And it’s such a simple statement and for me it makes sense because I have chickens. If you don’t have chickens I hope you realize what I’m getting at. Your kids still need to be fed. Your significant other still needs to be held. The wood stove still needs stocking. The tomatoes still have to be canned. The bread still needs to get in the oven. There are things that still need to be done regardless of what is happening in the outside world out there, beyond your doors. I want you to see these things as a comfort. These things that become our normal and that we pass by to get to other things. These things we fly through in order to find out what's going on in the world or what's happening next. I find these things particularly comforting in times of chaos or when I don't know what's coming next. I don't know who is going to win the election. And I don't know what will happen after it's done. But I will put one foot in front of the other in a house with my husband and kids with our tiny little life and we will continue on. Because that's what people do. It's what people have always done. In times of chaos, in times where you feel like things don't make sense and are out of control and you don't know what is going to happen next remember, you do know what's going to happen next: the chickens still need to be fed. -- Amy Dingmann, 11-2-20 Remember to bookmark ITTY BITTY THOUGHTS and come check out my daily posts here at A Farmish Kind of Life RESOURCES: Episode 33: Supplemental Light for Chickens? Be Honest About This... Daily posts here at the website: https://afarmishkindoflife.com/category/itty-bitty-thoughts Signup for my email newsletter: http://www.subscribepage.com/q6n3t5 Farmish Kind of Life MeWe group: https://mewe.com/join/afarmishkindoflifehomesteaders Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/farmishkindoflife/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/farmishkindoflife