How many skills have you mastered and what are you going to work on this year?

  • Summerhat-n-Chicks

    Member
    January 28, 2023 at 2:55 am

    Well, reading through this list reminded me to get a centrifuge to separate the cream from the milk so I can make butter.

    I definitely need to learn to tap my two maples and how to make a starter dough. Later this year I want to make soap using my own Lye when I collected enough ashes.

    I may not have everything on the list, but I think I’m pretty versed in a lot of things.

    • BeeBon

      Member
      January 28, 2023 at 2:11 pm

      Yum. Love homemade butter.

    • KansasTerri

      Member
      January 30, 2023 at 12:15 am

      You are making butter and I am making cheese! It is good to have homesteading activities that can be done while the ground is frozen

  • Hippiemimi

    Member
    January 28, 2023 at 4:13 am

    I was raised on a farm in the country. I was in 4-H and FFA and learned how to sew up flesh wounds, give shots and pull babies. I learned how to carry and shoot a gun, hunt and butcher. How to use every part of the animal possible. I have been working so hard to learn as much as I can as fast as I can. We built our own cabin 21 years ago. I learned plumbing, electric(rewiring old lamps and such) rough cabinetry, how to use power tools, how to build furniture and shelving. We drive 3 hours every weekend to work hard turning it into our homestead. We built a nice little garden area and have planted quite a variety of fruit and nut trees. My father is a logger and has taught us how to fall trees safely. At least as safely as possible. I have learned to forage, make tinctures and oils, extracts and liqueurs, teas and salves. How to make soap, deodorant, tooth powder, lotion, chapstick, and shampoo. I sew and make felted slippers and leather baby shoes. I clean, card, dye and spin wool and then knit and crochet socks, slippers, hats, scarves, hand bags and bibs. I water bath and pressure can all foods. I make dog food with the left over scraps and potatoes and carrots. I raise rabbits and quail and chickens because at this time we live in town and aren’t able to have a full farm like I’d like. I also have a great dehydrator and use it often for fruits and veggies and sometimes Jerky. I have recently learned to make bread and wish I hadn’t because I like it too much 🫤 I learned how to make yeast from a potato and from pineapple juice. I also learned a sourdough starter recipe. I think one of my favorite things I make is dandelion jelly. 🙌🏼🤤🤓 we have bad earthquakes here in cali and my old clock broke in a fall off of our mantle. I was told by a clock repairman that I could not do the repairs myself since replacing a broken spring is dangerous. Well, I did it anyway and I’m here to tell you it’s not. I’ve tried to always keep in mind that if someone else can do it so can I. Always believe in yourself. You can do it too. 😀 this year Id like to learn to relax. That is my goal 😂

    • This reply was modified 1 year, 11 months ago by  Hippiemimi.
    • BeeBon

      Member
      January 28, 2023 at 2:10 pm

      Wow that’s awesome!

      • Hippiemimi

        Member
        January 29, 2023 at 8:51 pm

        Thank you

    • pturner72

      Member
      January 28, 2023 at 3:30 pm

      Truly amazing! That’s inspiration for us all.

      • Hippiemimi

        Member
        January 29, 2023 at 8:53 pm

        Thanks. It’s true. Just try it yourself. You can do it. Every time you do it you get better at it. 😁

    • Summerhat-n-Chicks

      Member
      January 28, 2023 at 5:48 pm

      What a great motto “if someone else can do it, so can I “! It never occurred to me, but I taught myself a lot of things as well on the basis of: if the info is out there, I can learn it.

      This morning, I taught myself how to butcher a chicken 🐓🍗 and got one step closer to completing my ‘need to know how to’ list. 👍

      • msjoann

        Member
        January 29, 2023 at 9:50 am

        I need to learn to process a chicken. Got 5 roosters that need to go.

      • Summerhat-n-Chicks

        Member
        January 29, 2023 at 2:00 pm

        Yup, same reason here, too many roosters.

      • Hippiemimi

        Member
        January 29, 2023 at 8:55 pm

        Awesome! I always take notes. I have a binder that I keep all my notes in so in the case of forgetting a step I can refer back to my notes. It’s super helpful.

    • SimplerTimesHomestead

      Member
      January 28, 2023 at 11:46 pm

      Wow! That’s great! I try to have a similar attitude and am always looking to see what else I can learn.

      • Hippiemimi

        Member
        January 29, 2023 at 8:57 pm

        There is so much to learn out there. Please learn self defense. I neglected to add that in. It’s super important!

    • msjoann

      Member
      January 29, 2023 at 10:03 am

      Wow! Your list of skills is quite impressive. As a 70 year old Grandmother, I admire your can do attitude. Many things in our married life, I just depended on my husband. He is 76 and battling lung and right kidney cancer. I realize there are many things that I need to learn. During our last hard freeze, I had to learn all the places to take care of to keep pipes and faucets from freezing. He does not have much energy at this time because of chemo treatments. I pray that my health stays ok and that I have to call on our 2 sons as little as possible.

      • Hippiemimi

        Member
        January 29, 2023 at 8:59 pm

        I’m so sorry. I will say a prayer for him and wish you the best. Please do not hesitate to ask for help when it is needed.

  • Woodsman

    Member
    January 28, 2023 at 2:52 pm

    Dang-it, Don’t you know? I’m a Jack-of-Many-Trades and the Master at none. Listen people when I graduated high school back in the dark ages of walking to the 4 channel rabbit earth TV or staying out and going any where until dark as a child (meaning before the addictive wonder luster world of the personal inter world … known as the box that would not only create more jobs bit amazingly and some how more leisure time? It’s the personal computer dummy).

    Born and raised in snow country (New England) I come to learn later in life my school system sucked moose dick just like all of America’s schools sucked. Only we in the North had my cool stuff. Shop classes for boys wasn’t an option. Hell, at one point Home-Making was an option. So he ole printing press (Ben Franklin style), full industrial sized wood shop, machine shop, etc. was the standard.

    The year I graduated the “Personal Computer” (The U r F’d Box) arrived on the scene). Son- of-1/2” Reaming Bit welcome to your middle class nightmare of no money for college, not the free ride skin color and an economy a like like this one we are in now. Struggle, struggle, struggle with reverse racism (again affirmative action was not my color? A job of the shit-e-out was not to had! Sum-of-bit!

    Hey, Dad, can I barrow the car for a job interview … often it was no. But I was given the ole: “Don’t let the door hit on your ass on your way out!” I can’t tell you if the childhood ass beating shaped me more or the “tough-love.” I sure there some pros and cons to the way I was raised.

    I’ll let you know 🤔 then again being at the end of God’s given human expiration date …. Hmm?

    I can say this; the hard ass childhood years was the was it was for many during the times. In comparison to what I am seeing society today. Sad! Key, is the word or phrase: “the times.” You need not be part of your times whole heartedly. True we are a product of are times. This product of the times would not go wasted on those who are Black and feel the “times” of black slavery in America owes them something. What is the norm in one period of time may not be during another. Stop fishing for a free ride on all of our ancestors backs. Especially, when the times reflected the norms.

    Do YOU owe the future money for not stoping the slave trade taking place today and yes, here I. The USA.

    The moronic theme of the rant: life is real society is not. Deal with it!

  • JerseyGiantChick

    Member
    January 28, 2023 at 8:50 pm

    Try to learn and do all possible, hope to be able to give it further.

    Veterinarian, orthopedic blacksmith, pharmaceutical, gardening, cooking and baking, pets, butcher last but not least mama.

    • BeeBon

      Member
      January 28, 2023 at 9:25 pm

      Those are some wonderful ambitions and skills. Wishing you the very best in achieving all.

      • JerseyGiantChick

        Member
        January 29, 2023 at 8:11 am

        Thank you, those skills I have learned well being a mama is a never ending process.

        On my list for this year is starting the project, growing for and with Kindergarten and school. Having Meetings and cook out together.

        Rabbits and growing as mutch fresh food and feed.

        Cleaning up and getting everything in it own place.

  • Concealed-Kari

    Member
    January 28, 2023 at 11:35 pm

    Canning and growing most of my vegetables. This year and I determined to be as waste free as possible.

  • Goatlover

    Member
    January 29, 2023 at 12:05 am

    After reading through this list of skills, I realize just how far I’ve come in the last decade! Fruits, Vegetables, herbs, permaculture, chickens, turkeys, dairy goats, soap making, essential oils and herbal medicines, canning, dehydrating, fermenting, cheese making, bread making, sewing, seed starting, seed saving, composting, cane syrup making, on and on I go! Praise the Lord for waking me up long ago to the need for a more self sufficient lifestyle. Come Out of Her, My People—I heard it loud and clear.

    • Concealed-Kari

      Member
      January 29, 2023 at 8:38 pm

      Wow, yeah you would be a good neighbor to have to learn from.

  • JerseyGiantChick

    Member
    January 29, 2023 at 10:56 am

    Great to see you all being so busy and learning so much, keep up the good work!

  • Hippocrates_Garden

    Member
    January 29, 2023 at 8:56 pm

    Mastered? None (other than maybe procrastination)

    The rest I just keep practicing on.

  • SLINGSHOT

    Member
    January 28, 2023 at 3:34 am

    Is that You JB. lol

  • Hippiemimi

    Member
    January 29, 2023 at 9:14 pm

    Oh I sure could use your skill of calm! We have had hundreds of earthquakes here in northern (nearly Oregon) California since December 20tb. Most are between 2-4.5 but trust me when I say that it is just unnerving as hell. The 6.4 at 2:20 am took out our huge brick double stack chimney and fireplace and caused countless small damages to our home. Every cabinet was emptied of its entire contents and it looked like they each vomited shattered glass in every single room. So my nerves are toast. I’m so afraid a huge one is coming because we have never seen this much movement in the earth before. Can you share a little calmness with me? 😆

  • BeeBon

    Member
    January 28, 2023 at 6:33 pm

    Sounds like you are on your way… 30 is a great start. Wishing you the best as you continue on your journey.

  • BeeBon

    Member
    January 28, 2023 at 6:34 pm

    That’s great! Wishing you the very best

  • Hippiemimi

    Member
    January 29, 2023 at 8:56 pm

    😀

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