Common Sense Home Good News Letter 11/5/23
The toughest things are often the most rewarding.
The guys are finally getting the roofing and siding on the new outbuilding this weekend. The project has been a major challenge, from delays getting the footing poured to uncooperative weather, to the sheer magnitude of the building size.
To accommodate the tractor and overhead door, the sidewalls are 12 feet tall, plus husband decided to include a loft area above for storage of beekeeping supplies and other odds and ends, so it’s a challenge working on the roof and upper areas.
As I’m typing, they’re about halfway through getting the roof on – and the skies are clouding up again. We’ve been blessed that a neighbor is able to help out this weekend, so I’m hoping they’ll be able to finish. It will be such a relief when it’s all finally done, and such a nice space for the tractor and wood working area.
As we were sitting down to breakfast this morning, it was so good to simply savor the meal and time together. So often nowadays things get rushed, and food is just fuel to keep going. We don’t cook fancy, but the scrambled duck eggs, some good local bacon, and sourdough toast with homemade strawberry rhubarb jam hit the spot, and the coffee mixed with herbal coffee warmed me up to my toes. (Coffee inventories are at a 24 year low, which means coffee prices aren’t likely to come down any time soon. We usually mix half regular coffee and half herbal coffee to stretch the brew.)
Our oldest chicken, Miss Mimi (she’s the one who raised the baby ducks years ago), has stopped laying for the season. The next oldest chicken is molting hard, so she’s not laying right now, either. The other laying hen was being mean, and wouldn’t stay away from pulling the young rooster’s crest feathers, so she got banished to a friend’s farm. We have young replacement pullets, but they won’t be ready to lay for a while yet, so the ducks are keeping us in eggs. I was impressed with how well our runner ducks laid, but the khaki campbell ducks have them beat. (More on best laying chickens and ducks here.)
I’m turning yesterday’s roast chicken into chicken pot pie for supper, so I’d better get rolling.
All our best to you and yours,
Laurie, August IV, August V, and Duncan
This week’s featured articles…
I’m sure most of us have run into fussy eaters who won’t take their medicine (or maybe you are the fussy eater). These homemade elderberry gummies are easy to make and fun to eat.
Sylvia has her next home apothecary article out. This week’s featured herb is fennel seed, which is excellent for helping with digestion, as well as many other health issues.
This is the chicken pot pie recipe we use – simple and good.
If you are looking for unique gifts that will be useful all year round, check out the Herbal Academy Good Shop. They have fun and useful items like an herbal wellness calendar, botanical dye kits, botanical skin care recipe books, and more. These would be great gifts to inspire old children over Christmas break.
Popular on Instagram – our first snow of the season and the outbuilding in progress.