This is where the passion to learn homesteading began… with a mentor patient enough to teach a naive city girl.
This past weekend we said our final goodbyes to my beloved friend and mentor, Ms. Addy. Those of you who have followed me from the beginning know that this blog was conceived eight years ago with the Lessons From Butterberry Farm Series. In these first raw entries I shared everything I was learning from my … Read more
It has been over two years since I last wrote about my visits with Ms. Addy. I wish I could bring better news.
It had been five months since I last saw my friend Addy… and a lot has happened in that time!
“Addy had just sat down on her little stool to begin her task when all of a sudden one of the bulls from the field came busting in through the barn door, practically taking down the whole wall with him!”
Today, Addy taught me a very interesting home treatment to use instead of stitches, and she shared her Cherry Pie Filling recipe too!
“I knew their church was a small country one, but I was really surprised by how very different it was from ours.”
So, some of you have been wondering just how Addy manages to keep her family’s shopping trips down to only twice a year. Well, I went to visit her today and was able to ask her specifically how she does this.
I told Addy how I had tried to make homemade donuts for the first time, but they didn’t come out all light and fluffy like they’re supposed to be. She so kindly shared with me the secret to fluffy donuts… then we made some!
I’m learning to rethink priorities in my life in order to make wiser financial decisions.
“The more time I spend with Addy and her family, the more I learn about generosity and the freedom that comes from the lack of need for money.”
“I explained that I wanted to start a garden, but I didn’t know where to even begin. All I had was a big yard, ready and waiting. They both told me that really I should have had it “turned over” by now, meaning tilled up and rows ready. I guess it’s good to let it sit exposed to the weather for a few months before you plant in it. Immediately I felt behind on my project.”
“Mrs. Clint shared with us a little more about the corn frolic. Not only were they going to be picking the corn, but they were also going to be grinding it to make cornmeal. She showed me three different types of corn grinders that they would be using, all from different eras.”
An old fashioned corn frolic social gathering. Shucking corn and fellowshipping with friends.
“It’s Apple Pickin’ Time, and last weekend I had my first experience picking apples. My good friend, Mrs. Addy, called me Saturday, and told me that they were picking apples and invited me to come join in. I was so excited! Me and Jada jumped in the van and went to meet them…”
More homesteading tips and advice from my friend over at Butterberry Farm.
“We got together some big bowls and walked down to the blueberry bushes. The bushes were full of bright blue berries, and I thought it would be no problem gathering a gallon of them pretty quickly. I was ready to start picking away, but slowed myself as I noticed that Addy was studying the berries.”