Homestead mailing list

[Kathyann <knat AT sprintmail.com>]

Bevanron wrote:

> Hi Kathyann!
> I'm not sure what you mean, but I first got on this list back around
> 1994 or 1995.  
Oh. I thought you meant you left in mid 90s and I got disoriented. 
Perhaps that's the answer to how I am, not well locked to current time 
and space. I launched my unschooled son (currently residing and enjoying 
bringing JinShinJyutsu healing and mediation skills to council at 
Arcosanti, AZ, while portfolioing his life into a form credentializable 
by a college.) Baby is turning 10 and doing much she was never supposed 
to develop. The school of our dreams is in it's second year (took 6 
years of political strife to open.) http://www.ridgeandvalley.org  It's 
a "regular" school but it's base of studying directly from the 
environment is perfect for her picture mind. Her teacher inspired her to 
want to communicate the things she is developing awareness of, to 
communicate in drawing, then writing. They do primitive life skills so I 
get to help with bowdrills and flint napping, burning bowls and utensils 
and foraging edible plants, geometry w sticks and ropes and, of course, 
camping. Takes a very skilled eye to recognize her Autism. she's amazing.
Home remains a struggle between values. We have a "traditional" garden 
like he grew up with in suburbia, complete w spring rototilling and weed 
overrun by summer. I've interplanted edibles in the woods edge with my 
mushroom logs and added fruit trees. Making jelly has been the only hit 
with him and he cans cherries, apples, peaches, mulberries, wild grapes 
and occasional blackberries. We still get a share in a local CSA for 
real vegetables and I drive a school bus to pay for it.
I just fell in love with bees and started my first hive. Traditional for 
now, top bar to follow.
Predators cleared out the entire chicken flock (didn't try ducks again 
after losing them back when.) New hatchlings still indoors to repopulate 
because we just can't order our life without chickens anymore.
We lost our tenant who helped me by gardening and occasional extra hands 
and I need to find someone who has some skills they'd like to share to 
take his place (hopefully w ability to hook up solar panels we scavenged 
to heat, the rental first then us.) Tenant needed more social life and 
moved to a city. I still prefer nights of frog calls and 1-2 people 
conversing on universal truths under the stars (or not). My social life- 
permaculture study, beekeepers or cob building on nearby farm. Still 
haven't fixed the cabins to year round but have summer hope again since 
I won't have to drive to school everyday.
House powered by solar to 90%+. I traded green credits to a company for 
installation costs and the state rebated 75% system purchase.
Still only small tank of fish doing aquaculture. Pool unfinished. I can 
grow most anything for starting stages but leave a base of a couple 
plants to keep system stable when I'm not doing anything special.
Can't tell where the baseball field was. It is finally pasture 
(reference to other list folks reading, we bought an abandoned camp for 
this homestead.) I'm ready to stop raising  sheep just to stop debate 
over him as a shepherd. Need to develop something else farm assessable.
Well, that's the catch-up. Glad to see you back.

Peace,
Kathyann