Twenty Twenty-Two

Are you feeling 22?

I can’t believe it is already a new year. Where did 2021 go?!

I love to spend time reflecting on the past year. Last year was a roller coaster. We lost all of our animals in February. We lost everything we planted in the garden to a huge, unexpected downpour that drowned all of our little plants. Shortly before Christmas, we had tornadic weather in the area that took out our huge blue spruce tree. It also took half of two other huge pine trees. As far as homesteading goes, it was quite disappointing. All of this could have broken us and caused us to thrown in the towel.

But, we refused to be discouraged and quit. We got a whole new flock of chickens and added ducks to the mix. We even have regular egg customers, which is so fun. Our garden was replanted, and did decently for how the weather was. A dehydrator was added to our kitchen to help us preserve the harvest in different ways. I’ve been cooking with garlic powder from home-grown and dehydrated garlic. Those little things feel like such huge victories! I’ve learned new skills in the kitchen, allowing us to eat more food from scratch. I got to come home full-time and be with my family. And, the trees that I actually cried over have become firewood and opened up some more sunlight on our garden.

We are looking forward to what 2022 brings. We more than doubled our garden space. The beds are covered in cover crops and leaves that will break down and feed the soil. We even purchased a small low tunnel and have spinach and arugula growing outside. On NYE, Scott and I stayed up and rang in the new year by spreading all of our seed and hatchery catalogs out with our Homestead Planner. We planned and dreamed what we hope the year looks like here on the homestead.

With the rising cost of food, we are trying to be especially deliberate in what and how we plant the garden this year. We bought grow lights to make our seeds grow much better. Every year, we put our seed shelf in front of our south facing window. It gets plenty of light, but our plants end up leggy and weak. The lights will help our plants get the strongest start. Here’s to a better tomato harvest in 2022.

I was looking out over all that we’ve done in the last year, and it astounds me. Where we once had nothing but grass now stands a chicken coop built from the ground up, a duck house and run, and a massive garden. We put in SO MUCH work last year. When I think about all that we achieved in a year, I get really excited to see what can be done this year. If only budgets were limitless. ha!

I’ve been reading Joel Salatin’s book Polyface Micro, and it’s SO packed full of information. I highly recommend that you get a copy and learn from one of the greats. You can get a copy here. It’s new, so I haven’t seen any used copies yet, but keep checking at Thrift Book. In his book, I learned that the average homestead only lasts six years before discouragement sets in and people quit. Six years. Gosh, that hurts me. I don’t want to be that person. Only if the Lord tells us “enough” will we quit.

The phrase that keeps coming to me lately is “open hands”. I have said for years that we hold everything with open hands. When the Lord closed the door in Oklahoma and we came back, I was so hurt and confused. If I could have turned my hands inside out, I would have. I didn’t want what He was giving me. But, I listened and my heart softened. I held out my hands, and saw all of the good He was placing in them. It has been so good. But, I can’t close my hands and cling to it. None of it is mine. It all belongs to Him. He gives and takes away, and I will hold my hands open to allow whatever He has for us.

I hope and pray that your intention for 2022 is the same. Life is meant to be lived, so go LIVE. God delights in us when we enjoy what He has created. Seek His will and follow His leading.

Happy New Year, friends!