With the lengthening days I find myself with energy that was sorely lacing on those dark January days. January is the time for dreaming but February is the time to begin doing. My seeds are sorted and I have joined a seed saving guild. I have a tentative garden plan drawn up and I have ordered 20 new bushes and trees. The list includes Mulberry, Elderberry, Nanny Berry, Hazelnut and high Bush Cranberry. A friend has rooted sassafras for me and Bruce is looking for at least two large Basswood trees to purchase. Basswood is an amazing tree. The leaves are tasty and bees are attracted to the blossoms. It provides firewood and it can be coppiced with excellent results. We often purchase tiny trees to save money but we are willing to spend big to get big trees this year.
Today, the final work on the stove in the canning kitchen will be finished and we can begin tapping trees. Bruce got it all polished up and it looks great. I just need to locate a pan that’s big enough for boiling. I stopped at a Goodwill yesterday but had no luck.
Bruce and I drove up through Vermont and New York yesterday. It was a gloomy kind of day but we had a lot to discuss and the drive flew by. We went to Better Bee to get the supplies we needed to set up the new hives. The bees will be in early in April. I got a lot of candle making supplies. I’m loving the candle making. Once I feel confident I’ll move on to soap making.
On Thursday evening, I’ll be speaking about permaculture and who knows what else) on HerbalPagan’s radio show. Could you please give people the listening info Emily and I’ll post it here and on PreservingAbundance. Speaking of PreservingAbundance. I’ll be posting the details of the Pantry Book Giveaway on Friday. That will be followed by a Tattle Ring giveaway and then another book giveaway. I’ll be asking for people to mention my blog on their own blog and then picking a winner from those who respond. I would also appreciate it if all of you read regularly and have blogs to comment over a preservingabundance and leaving their links. I hope to get a blog roll going. I’m especially interested in blogs related to frugal living, gardening, permaculture, food preservation and preparedness. I’m staying away from political blogs. I want this to be a place where all feel welcome and where we don’t argue but support and inform.
Speaking of information. I have completed the first two canning videos and hope to get the third done tomorrow. I will then ask Maggie, my DIL and techie extraordinaire to get them all posted. They won’t get Oscars but I think they may convince beginning canners that the process is safe and easy.
February 15, 2012 at 9:11 am
Wow, you are ready to roll for sure!! I already have you on my blog roll and would be happy to link up the other info when you get it up. My blog is just everyday happenings in the spring/summer lots of gardening, canning and preserving. Fall and winter are when I have more time to sew and quilt. Each day is trying to live more on less$$. We are not what would be considered preppers I don’t think but I do have and use food storage. LOVE IT!!
February 15, 2012 at 10:23 am
Hi folks, here is the info for the show with Kathy:
shtfradio.com @ 8p.m. eastern time.
It’s an internet radio show and there is a caht room so you can ask questions. We run the show through BlogTalk radio, but created our own page so that folks don’t have to deal with the constant refreshing issues for their heavy advertising.
Hope to see you there! Chat with Kathy is ALWAYS so informative and fun!
February 15, 2012 at 6:34 pm
In Texas it has been so warm that the early trees are budding. There is bound to be a heavy freeze to damage the early things. We have onions and potatoes planted and have made a list of what seed we need. Have had to give up on broccoli and cabbage since plant lice always get inside the heads and ruin them. It was too hot and dry for too long to get in our usual fall crop of Swiss chard so are suffering for fresh greens. Still a few frozen green beans and chard. Also green, yellow and red peppers. The real spring seems so far away but will be here before we know it. I love spring!
February 15, 2012 at 7:00 pm
My mother was from Clarksville, Texas. I spent a lot of time there as a kid and I can only recall summer. It’s funny to think of freezing weather there.
February 15, 2012 at 10:01 pm
military surplus might have some large pots. I bought one 30 years ago that stainless steel and about 20 gallons.
February 16, 2012 at 11:50 am
Hi Kathy,
This question doesn’t belong here but I am wondering which Excalibur model you use. Is having a timer important? I am having a serious case of spring fever and looking forward to preserving extra veggies
Thanks!
February 16, 2012 at 3:59 pm
Your plans sound wonderful. I’m looking forward to listening to the podcast tonight. Meanwhile, can I chime in about dehydrators to say I’ve found a stainless steel model that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg (tho’ it’s not cheap, either)? We got a scratch & dent from them and saved a few dollars. Oh, and the housings and assembly are made in the USA, which is great for readers who are in the US and want to support American made. http://www.sausagemaker.com/fooddehydrators.aspx
(Hope posting the link is ok.)
February 16, 2012 at 5:12 pm
Fun that you should mention Clarksville TX. I’ve also lived there (long ago) and wondered who your mother’s family was.
Several years ago our daughter, son-in-law and two granddaughters arrived from the upper Midwest for Easter to find that it was SNOWING the day before Easter–in early April. The girls were distraught since they had only been in Texas when it was warm and sunny. Fortunately the snow melted by late on Sunday and they could enjoy the kind of weather they expected.