Preparing for Babies

Within the week, we should start seeing the baby activity from our goats!  I am so excited!  I LOVE babies.  Love, love, love! 

Last year, when our sheep were pregnant, I was NOT prepared.  I knew they were going to be having their babies any day, but I didn't really have anything to prepare MYSELF.  God created animals with a motherly instinct, and most mother animals do just fine on their own to deliver and take care of their young ones.  But having animals on my farm, I feel that we have taken them out of that "natural" element , and making them more dependent on humans.  So, we need to be prepared to assist if necessary. 

Plus, when I went down for the first time last Spring and found that my sheep was in FULL labor, I freaked!  I ran around like a chicken with my head cut off, trying to gather things and to call my friend who was more experienced in animal births.

So this year, I am determined to be more prepared.  Each year, I will probably discover more of what I want and don't want, maybe some better ways to do things, but for now I am sharing what I am doing.  For you personally, it has to fit what you like and what you don't like.  It all comes with experience.

So here is what I am going to have on hand for the birth of our new goats/ sheep:

• Heat Lamp-  This is a MUST in Indiana weather.  Especially the stuff that we have right now!  Make sure even if you already have a heat lamp and bulb, that you buy a NEW bulb, just in case.  You MAY just want to replace it right away so you can be sure that it won't burn out after a few hours then your baby is chilled to the point of being sick...
• This isn't something to have on hand, but your pen should be cleaned out well.  OR you should have a separate pen to put your mommy in right before she is to give birth.  That way, she has a clean pen, and less stress.  She may need a friend if in a new pen.  Make sure it isn't someone she will fight with!
• Scissors (cleaned).  This can be for any number of things...  I always need them in the barn anyways, and never have them!  You don't want to be running to the house in the middle of the birth!
• Betadine-  You can use this for the dip for a placenta after the baby is born.  it helps it dry up a little fast.  Or for any wounds, this is good to have around on the farm.
• Garbage bag (or old feed bag)- For any trash from cleaning up a baby, cleaning up placenta, etc.
• Paper towels, Puppy Potty Mats, old CLEAN towels-  These are for clean-up.  When the baby comes out, it helps if you can dry the baby of right away.  You can lay down a potty mat to keep the baby clean while it lays on the ground.  Then you can clean off all of the goo! 
• Baby bottles or special bottle for baby goats or sheep- These are "just in case". 
• Milk Supplement- This is just in case also.  It is SUPER important that the baby gets the colostrum from the mother though. But if it comes to life or death, we need to get milk into the baby.  Make sure the milk is approved for goats or sheep.
• Special treat for mommy-  Make sure you have some sweet feed or molasses or honey and water for her after all of her hard work!

Now, mentally prepare yourself for the birth!  And know that not every birth is perfect.  There could be problems.  But I believe that God is in control of everything.   So if a goat is having some issues and you try to help and it dies, it is difficult! But that is what was supposed to happen.  This part is difficult for me. But knowing that God is all knowing and always in control helps me out a lot.

Hopefully this helps someone out there!  Maybe showing you that you CAN have a baby on your farm!  You don't have to be afraid!  If I can do it, you DEFINITELY can!  If you have any questions, feel free to ask.  Like I said I am an amateur, but have been through it twice! I can point you in the way of an answer or help you out if I can!

Keeping Track of All Things FARM...

I told you last week about how I have started this year to keep track of our produce from the garden. I also started at the beginning of this year to keep track of everything going on here on our little farm.

It may seem a little silly to some, and some of you just may not care to even do such a thing. But I have found it VERY helpful so far, and I have a feeling I will be glad in the years to come, that I was keeping track of everything- from food we are feeding each animal to what they have produced (eggs, milk, etc), and how much. I keep track of everything in my Farm Notebook.

Here is a 10 minute video walking you through my Farm Notebook:







I have so far been able to look back at when we got our bees, when we got our 2 female goats, the actual production of eggs, and much more. I have used this for a reference quite often. And I am sure I will be glad to have it for years to come.

One thing I have added since I made this video last week, is a Canning Page under Gardening. I picked some strawberries from a U-Pick Farm, and I canned some Strawberry Jam, and now I can add how much I picked, how much it cost me, and how much I was able to can from that.

I am not a hyper-organized person, but I could see the need for this in the future. If you see the need, start with a simple 1 subject notebook. That's how I started. Then as I got too many pages I expanded.

If any of you have questions, feel free to ask in the comments. Do any of you do something like this? How has it worked for you? DO you think you would LIKE to try something like this?

Sustainability, Self-Sufficiency... Plan B, or Plan A?

What does that MEAN? Is Self-Sufficiency even POSSIBLE? Do we want to WORK for sustainability? What's the point? Why can't I just buy what I want from the store?

These are things I have heard and things I have SAID.

And it's amazing. One day I just kind of had a different mindset... I wanted to garden. I wanted to eat healthier. I wanted to raise animals. I wanted to hang my clothes from a clothes line. I wanted to bake my own bread and make things from scratch...

But why?

Well, I guess one thing (of MANY) that I think about, is like in this video (Nightline ABC), what is my plan B? What happens if we don't have electricity? What happens if there is a MAJOR terrorist attack and stores and business have to close down?

I know there are a lot of what if's, but what if?

COULD you fend for yourself? Could your grow your own food? Could you figure out how to grow your own food without the Internet? Would you live comfortably? Or would you live in panic?

I trust that in these situations there is a great big God that knows the beginning and the end. He will take care of me and my family. But that doesn't mean that I can live like I am spoiled until then...

I CAN work with my hands, and I CHOOSE to do so. I HAVE TIME to raise animals, and I CHOOSE to do so. I HAVE TIME to make many things from scratch, and I CHOOSE to do so.

I know many of you have full time jobs, and this is in NO WAY a knock to anyone. But I hope it is something you think about. I hope this is something you PRAY about. I hope this is something you look up and buy a book about, or copy some pages off the Internet and keep in a file, "just in case".

For those of you who are stay-at-home's, or part-timers... pray about your time also! Pray about how your time can most wisely be spent! What kind of new things would you like to learn, and spend a little more time on?

What is YOUR plan B?

My suggestion? Take it one day at a time. Learn one new thing. Then learn one more new thing. Then one more. You don't have to be an expert first off. And I pray you don't buy a field full of animals and plant a 2000 sq ft. garden your first year. Cuz' if you do, I am afraid you will crash and burn your first year. Pick something you enjoy, and do it. Little by little. Buy a new book here, and plant a small 8'x8' garden there. Maybe get a few chickens. Talk to people who know animals or know gardening. Talk to someone who knows how to knit, and would like to teach you.

Have a plan B...

Mine? Well, it's far from Self-Sufficiency. Some days, I'm tired. Heck, LOTS of days I'm tired. But at the end of the day, I lay my tired head on a pillow case dried by the sun and wind, and I am happy. I have accomplished what I have set off to do. My goals are to learn new things little by little. Expand gardening space each year. Canning more this year than I did last. Learn a new skill or two. Get a few more new animals. Plant a new fruit tree. Take God's creation, in all of it's splendor and appreciate it. Use it. Love it. Reap from it. And then thank the Creator for all that He has given us for the taking, and all it takes is a little learning and some physical labor.

I love it.

My "plan B" is God's "Plan A"...

The Great Depression... What Can WE Do to Change?

In the 1920's & 30's, this country went through the Great Depression. I have heard for a little while now that WE are AGAIN on the verge of a Depression. What does that mean?

According to the Concise Encyclopedia of Economics, during The Great Depression, 25% of all workers were completely out of work, and 37% of all non-farm workers were out of work.

Here are what our rates have looked like for the past year, according to Historical Labor Force/Unemployment Data for
UNITED STATES :

   MONTH..........LABOR FORCE.......EMPLOYED.....UNEMPLOYED..UNEMP RATE/SA RATE*

2008  November      154,349,000      143,350,000   10,999,000      7.1%    7.2%
2009  January       153,445,000      140,436,000   13,009,000      8.5%    7.6%
    February      153,804,000      140,105,000   13,699,000      8.9%    8.1%
    March         153,728,000      139,833,000   13,895,000      9.0%    8.5%
    April         153,834,000      140,586,000   13,248,000      8.6%    8.9%
    May           154,336,000      140,363,000   13,973,000      9.1%    9.4%
    June          155,921,000      140,826,000   15,095,000      9.7%    9.5%
    July          156,255,000      141,055,000   15,201,000      9.7%    9.4%
    August        154,897,000      140,074,000   14,823,000      9.6%    9.7%
    September     153,617,000      139,079,000   14,538,000      9.5%    9.8%
    October       153,635,000      139,088,000   14,547,000      9.5%   10.2%
    November      153,539,000      139,132,000   14,407,000      9.4%   10.0%
2009  December      152,693,000      137,953,000   14,740,000      9.7%   10.0%

Good news, we are not yet to the unemployment levels of the Great Depression. Bad News, we definitely aren't getting any better. Where I live in Indiana, we were basically the RV/ Manufactured Home Capital of the US! About a year and a half ago, that all started to change. Many people I know, lost jobs. In fact, we are also a few minutes from Michigan, and Michigan's unemployment rate is at 14% unemployment.

I am not usually the bearer of bad news, but this is a topic that I wasn't totally aware of. According to some news sources, I heard things were getting better. Then others said, we were getting worse... I guess, when it all comes down to it, you need to go digging yourself! Find your own information.

So, as to not leave this all doom and gloom... What can WE do to change this? How can we keep ourselves to falling pray to a falling economy?

In my opinion, it all comes down with what you are WILLING to do. In this country, we are totally reliant upon our jobs providing a stable income, then taking our checks to the bank, getting money, then going to Wal-Mart and spending our little hearts out on boxed meals, beverages, and cheaply made clothing. We jump into our vehicle that we still owe an arm and a leg for. We take it all home, throw it into our houses that we are still paying for. And then we stuff ourselves full of this non-nutritious "food". We depend on others (government, grocery super stores, banks, etc) to provide FOR US what WE NEED.

What are YOU willing to do to change the way you live? Are you willing to do anything? Are you content with the way things are now?

What if it all changed? What if Wal-Mart went out of business? What if China stopped sending food and cheaply made clothing to the US? What if the banks ALL went under? What if you could NO LONGER purchase anything on a credit card? What if you had to have cash???

I know there are a lot of "what if's" in that, but it COULD happen! What if it did? Back to the question, are YOU willing to change? Are you ready to STOPPING being reliant upon someone else for virtually everything?

I'm not saying to go all crazy, grab your tents and hide out in a dense forest somewhere... I am saying there are small steps that we all can make, that don't hold us so dependent upon something that could crumble and fall (quickly!).

Here are a few things, I THINK we should all do(or at least work at!):

• Pay off those bills! Do you have a car payment? House payment? Payment on a TV? Pay those bills off! And if you can't pay off that payment on the Television, ask 'how important is this?'. If it isn't really THAT important, get rid of it! Getting debt free will not only free us from owning someone else, but will also free us from bill after bill each week. What if you just had to pay 2 or 3 bills a month? WOW!
  
• Grow something! Even if you don't want to take care of a garden! Go to you local green house, and get a few things like a tomato plant, a watermelon plant, a pepper plant or some herbs. Plant them in a container on your patio, or in a flowerbed in a sunny spot. Water them like you would water the rest of your landscaping. And watch your plant(s) grow! Gardening doesn't have to be a huge undertaking! Growing SOMETHING is better then nothing! And if you DO want to have a larger garden, go for it! Make sure to plan ahead, and leave your harvest times open to can and freeze! You will be glad you did. There is NOTHING like eating something you (and God!) grew!
• De-clutter! Walk through your house, and take out what you don't want, what is just taking up unnecessary space, or things that are broken or stained and you KNOW you will never fix. Then start a box of things to either giveaway or garage sale. Also start a trash bag! Things taking up space actually do take up energy. Energy to clean, energy to look at and stress at the mess it is making! Make sure to do this in your kid's rooms too! Especially after Christmas! And remember Spring is a great time to have a garage sale and get rid of some of those unwanted items! The you have $$ to apply to bills or making a good investment...
• Make Good investments! Investing in a new couch, when your old one works just fine, is probably NOT the best investment. Investing in something that will help you in the future- GOOD! Examples: Replacing your old, broken appliances with new, energy efficient ones. Invest in some garden tools, to start a garden so your family can eat out of this summer. Invest in a chicken coop, so you can have free eggs! Invest in more insulation for your attic, so all of your warm air doesn't escape into the great outdoors.
  
• Shop Local! When possible... It is sad to drive through a once thriving town, and to see all of the neat old buildings empty. At one time, this town was a proud, functioning town, full of life and commerce. If possible, shop your small town shops, instead of making a trek into "the big city". Doing this for fresh fruits and veggies in the summer and fall are a great idea too. Keep those farmers and families growing!
• Help your neighbors! In this age, we don't know many of our neighbors. We stick to ourselves. And unless something goes wrong (I always thought there was something wrong with that family!), then no one cares to know anyone else. Sadly, the only people who care to know their neighbors are the "older folks". In this also, we need to support our local food banks. Make it a family challenge to donate a grocery bag full of food each month. In helping other people, God WILL bless you! Plus, it is a great lesson to teach our children.
  
• Waste less! Look in your refrigerator right now. I mean it! Go look! Now, tell me what you see. Is there anything expired in there? Moldy food? Of course there is SOMETHING bad in there. Now how much money did you just waste? We need to be at least WEEKLY checking out our refrigerator situation- eating left-overs, finishing up that jar of sauce before it grows mold, eating those carrots before they dry out... Wasting less food is going to save us $$ in the future! If for lunch, I go and fix a box of mac-n-cheese, instead of eating last nights left overs, chances are that last nights leftovers will never get eaten. You could have saved the mac-n-cheese for another day, and ate something that will go bad first...

These are all small steps that, if everyone worked at, I think our economy would even improve! We are a spoiled, SPOILED society. Let's stop acting like we're spoiled, and taking responsibility for those things that God has entrusted us with. Are YOU willing to do anything to change?

13 weeks Until Christmas!

Sorry, didn't mean to frighten you! But every year, I find that the more prepared I am, the less stress there is. And Christmas should NOT be a stressful time! It is a celebration for the One who came and gave us LIFE!!!

So, I will be starting to each week post some ideas for gift giving! I am a HUGE component of making your own gifts!!! They can be VERY FRUGAL (which I LOVE!!!), they can be fun, and they can be from the heart (made just for the receiver!). There is NO better gift. And you don't have to be as crafty as your sister or your best friend. You just have to find something that YOU enjoy doing, then explore the different ideas on the Internet. Do you like scrapbooking? Look for different ideas that you can use your scrapbooking skills! Do you like to do the "trash to treasure" thing? Give some of those new "treasures" as gifts!

This week, I have, so far found one very cute idea I would like to pass along, a manicure kit cover. Check it out:

Do you LOVE it? You can get all of the manicure accessories from the Dollar Store, and material will cost very little. If you love it, like I do, hop on over to "dhbuscher" and check out how to do it! Awesome gift for women (or men!) in your life!

If you have a great link that you would like to have included, please e-mail me! I love getting new ideas!!!

Christmas is Only 3 1/2 Monthes Away!

OK, now that I gave you a good shock to your system...

There is one resource that I used last year, and will be using again, to gear up for the holiday season. Call it "Fall Cleaning" if you will. I love it. It is by Organized Christmas... Yes, their site is actually called that. It actually started this week, with List Week. Ah, I love making lists... It goes week by week, and has a different room to clean, and different tasks to perform before you have a very well organized Christmas! It is filled with printables for each wee, or you can do what I did, and I took one of those $.05 notebooks from the school stash and started writing down each week what applied to me for that week. It worked better then to waste paper AND printer ink.

So, if you would like to participate on the side with me, I will post each week what I have done, and you can also leave comments and post what YOU have done also. It is just a very well planned way to help ring in the holidays, with less stress.

Because, the holidays should not be about stress at all. They are about the One who came and was born on this Earth, so that we could one day all be in Heaven. I accept that promise, and I want to avoid all un-needed stress. SO I go the List making way!

Join me!

This weeks cleaning project is the front porch. And we need to make gift lists, Christmas card lists, are you throwing any parties?, Make menus for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New year's, etc, list meals to freeze so you can pull out on those busy days! And a long-term shopping list, what kind of items will you be needed for your meals, watch for them to go on sale!

I am making my lists, and checking them twice... sorry, I had to do that. And my plan for today is to clean off my front porch, or if you are like me, you have 2 porches. I will be working on both of mine.

Are you willing to give this "organizing" thing a shot??? What do YOU need to do this week???