My Thoughts on Gun Control

It seems that a lot of my friends are torn on the ideas of gun control some being for it and others against, I don't wish to debate this issue or say one is right or the other wrong simply say my peace and move on.
  Growing up my house was always filled with various items that could kill, wound, or otherwise make your day go very very bad, these items ranged from my baton to knives, bows, and guns. Most of the year they were locked away except for one gun in my parents bedroom right behind the door.
  During hunting season it was a different story... there were guns everywhere. In the kitchen beside the door, in the living room by the couch, by the front door, in the truck, I don't think I ever saw one in the bathroom but I could be mistaken. The theme here is guns and lots of them filled the house, when I was real small I can remember one of my cousins saying "Goose (yucky nickname never to be repeated), don't touch that unless you want to end up like that deer out there" pointing to the buck on the back porch dripping blood and tongue hanging out. That was all I needed to know GUNS+ME= DEATH.
   Even as a small child I knew what death was it was never hidden from me, a deer could be in the field one second and hanging from the same tree as my tire swing the next. A squirrel could be jumping from tree to tree and then be on the squirrel rock with little more than a thank you and  a pop. The idea that that could be me never running through the field or climbing a tree was not lost on me.
   We used guns as tools, to feed us, to protect us, and when necessary to provide an easy death to a hurt animal. The children were taught what they could do and to be respectful of the ease in which your life could be no more, am I saying no child in my area was accidentally killed by a gun no, but not one in my family or one that I knew. 
 Guns have always been tools for generations not just in my family but every where. The truth is no our founding fathers could have never known we would make guns that can hold more ammo than they saw in a year but they probably wouldn't have cared in my opinion. They also would have never let things get to where they have in the US either. We used to care about each other in ways we no longer do where we may have wanted guns to feel safe we still didn't feel the need to lock our doors.
  I also think where does it end? If the government tells us what guns we should and shouldn't have and how to protect our families then why cant it tell us what a family is? Why cant it tell me what religion I should have, car I should drive, places I should go, or  how to raise my children? From big to small if we let our government take away our rights to choose one thing then why is it not ok for them to choose other things for us. We cant have it both ways we say its ok for someone else to  tell me what to do, what is right, what is safe or not.
  I know my thoughts are different from a lot of yours and I am ok with that, differences make the world a better place. Also before anyone thinks that I just don't know the pain that can be caused by misusing a gun, my husband's mother was shot when he was small and he lives with that loss and pain everyday.
  Thanks for reading. Blessings, MoonFlower

How This Whole Thing Began

   Today I have had so many new friends on my FB page that I thought maybe I should tell everyone about me and why we have adopted this lifestyle. I was born and spent quite a bit of my childhood on a farm in WV, moving to NC when I was 12ish. Met and married my husband as a teenager and I had our first child at 18, we now have 5.
   My husband and I have always made ends meet with my Dad"s and the Gods help (thank you). The last few years have been the hardest. Times where my husband had a part time work or none at all. We ended up on foodstamps.
   When the FS started I was so happy to bring real food back into the house instead of Ramen noodles I cant even tell you, but there was a shame that ate at me every time I had to pull that card out. I knew I could do something, anything.  So I sat down and came up with plan, I made my first goal... I will have chickens.
    I sat out to find free chickens and if I could get a cheap coop well that would be awesome and I did(thank you Carrie). My friend didn't want hers any more and told me if I came and got them have at it! So here I was with a great coop, 2 roos, and a hen, well that just wasn't going to work. We got some more free hen (thanks Jen) then bought a couple, then bought a few more,lol.
   We then had an issue with 2 roos fighting and one being mean to the kids so he was re homed. Then we had an egg eater and well she got eaten (this was a huge step), lost 1 to a predator and a couple to unknown causes. Now we have Silkies sitting on eggs to try and have either birds to eat or birds to sell. That's part of the chicken story there will be more, but not today.
     We now had eggs and meat if we needed it and I mean needed it because if we ate all the birds who would lay the eggs so we could have more. So back to the drawing board where else do I spend a lot of money each month? DAIRY!! But a cow is out of the question, what now? GOATS!!! I couldn't afford them for the longest time, but instead of sitting around waiting we worked the garden some more. There is a post about me and gardening up here already so I wont bore you with that story again.
    Back to the goats, my friend had a buckling that needed alot of extra care and sent him my way (thanks Jordana), this gave me the push to make the money to pay for a doeling. Enter Ozzy and Marrabelle!! Then my friend came up with 2 six month old does and thought of me again ( thanks huge Jordana) so we are now that much closer to having milk, butter,cheese and oh my goodness I'm so excited.
    We are far away from doing it all but I think this month may have been our last on FS!!! I am so thankful they were there when we needed them even if I hated to use them, but I am so happy to sit here and think that we may not need them anymore.
    If you would like you can follow our journey on FaceBook at The Witch's Way Homestead. Brightest blessing to you all and thank you for reading.

More Gardening!

     Here it is already Fall! The garden is either still growing nicely or its about time to put it to bed. If you're like me putting the garden to bed consists of maybe pulling all the dying plants out and saying thank you, that's it. I know we have all read that you MUST do all these things to make sure come next Spring your garden will grow. Phooey says me, I say you start early with tons of planning and that is how you have a successful garden.

     Now is the time to plan if you had a garden this year, what worked, what didn't, what would have if you had gotten it in the ground on time.? If you haven't had a garden before watch where the sun is or maybe watch where the shade is anyway you look at it know your yard/field. 

      Next is the fun part, you decide just what you want to eat next year! I know what you're thinking, "how can I know what I will want to eat next Spring and Summer?" When we shop we usually get the same things over and over, we tend to use the same 21 or so meals all the time, so you kinda know what you will be eating. Also don't forget to add a few things you don't usually eat but think it would be fun to grow, if you are using seeds what's a dollar or two for the sake of science ;).

     By this time it's probably Winter you have watched your yard for the perfect place, decided what worked and what didn't last year, or devised a plan for what you want if you have never gardened before. That's a lot and you haven't even gotten dirty yet, but that is coming! Here is the last task to be done over warm coffee or tea with colored pencils or crayons and tons of paper or a couple pages at least. Draw your garden with every seed, plant, and stake. How long will your rows be? Answer all the questions now so when it is time to dig you will feel sure and confident you know what you are doing!
    Drum roll please.... It's time to dig/till get yucky and dirty! About a month before the last frost, you will know it is time because you have checked on line to know when last frost is and you have started your seedlings inside in a south facing window. You walk to the perfect spot in your yard or the one that will work the best{ good drainage, lots of sun and you can keep the kids from running through it for the most part anyway,lol} and mark off the exact measurements you decided would work for you. I started with 20x20' too small for a family of 7 so next year it was 30x30 still too small for a family of 7 so this year coming up we may go 50x50 sounds huge but a family of 7 eats alot more than you think they will, and so will a family of 4 plan for that.
  Begin in a corner with the tiller go down about a foot or so to get all the sleeping weed and grass roots make one good solid pass then you get the fertilizer of your choice, and go over the whole area. For me the fertilizer of choice is poo, any livestock poo is good, I like rabbit but I have rabbits, if you have goats or cows you may prefer that. You now get to work the poo into the garden by going back over the area one more time with the tiller. Give the Earth some good thoughts and walk away,save your energy for the seedlings inside, talking to them will help them grow and thrive.
    When your days are getting warm start taking your seedlings outside for visits with the sun and wind, not too long at first but work up to several hours then just before dark, it should work out that that the seedlings will toughen up right before the last threat of frost. When the last frost has happened {I wait another week or two just to be sure} till the garden one more time and begin planting. I put my seeds in first then the seedlings. Because you have planned way better than me you will know which plants grow better beside whom, companion planting, I put everyone out there and force them to be friends,lol.
   Having a successful garden to me is a lot like being a successful Witch, yes you can make do with whatever you have been thrown but when you plan it out and do it right, nothing can stop you because everything is working with you!
 Shameless plug check me out @ The Witch's Way Homestead on Facebook!!  

The 5 Animals No Homestead Should be Without(IMO)

Today I want to write about our animals friends that may or may not become our supper. We will start with the ones that won't be "whats for dinner".
   1. Dog: Every hopeful homestead should have a dog, one that is big enough and mean enough to protect you and your livestock yet friendly enough not to want to eat your friends. If you find one that is multi purpose that is even better. What do I mean by multi purpose one who can herd the chickens and goats without eating them, yet if a coyote rolls through they will protect the same chickens and goats. When choosing a dog I don't think breed really matters in most cases, some are bred to do a lot of different things but if you don't train them to do those things they wont, now I am not saying run out and buy a beagle they will eat your chickens the hunting instinct is just too strong. I love a mutt one that you rescue is even better, if you get it as a puppy.
 
2. Cat: Why a cat? One or more cats will keep mice away and moles out of your garden. If mice eat all the food(both yours and the animals) then you have done all this work for nothing. I personally have several cats and while my neighbors complain to me about mice I have only seen a couple(knock on wood). Cats are working animals who you will have to feed to keep around if they are left outside but not too much or they will not catch the mice.

3. Rabbits: Rabbits are cute and cuddly but they have amazing poo! It is never "hot" so you can mix it into the garden without composting. They also are a source of meat, protein that is very very lean. If we have a food shortage, people will take to hunting like no tomorrow and there will not be enough to go around, so if you have your own rabbits they will produce quickly and eat everything so you will be ahead of the game.

4. Chickens with a rooster: If you don't want to buy chickens every year or two you will have to get a roo. Chickens have excellent poo for your garden they eat EVERYTHING and are easy to care for. They can be supper or can supply breakfast. I have several different kinds of chickens,  Rhode Island Reds for eggs, Orpingtons for meat and eggs and Silkies because they go broody more often than other chickens. If you don't have power for an extended period of time yet still want to have chicks a Silkie will sit on all eggs from other chickens to ducks. You will need 1 rooster for every 8 to 10 hens unless you want to have a lower chance of fertile eggs.

5. Goats: A couple milk goats are on my list of things to buy. When you add up how much you spend on dairy product every week at the store they will pay for themselves sooner or later depending on how much you spend. We spend alot on cheese, milk, yogurt, ice cream and butter so at least 2 nannies is something we need. If you get a mixed goat you have the chance for milk and meat. Caution always have the nanny the bigger of the mix or you could lose both the nanny and kid during birth. Also when you mix the breeds you may have less milk than you expected.

These animals are my top 5 yours may be different and that's ok, having a homestead allows you the freedom to have what you think you can care for and will serve you the best. The order I placed them in isn't the order in which I think they belong but how they came to me as I typed. After I typed all this it came to me I should have done 6, I left out an important one that is on my list too, Bees.

 The time before last I said I wanted to find something I buy to make at home and since then I have come up with 3. Lip balm, lotion, and clothes detergent. I will give the recipes after I have made them and tried them out to be sure I don't tell you wrong.

 The goal this time is to smile at everyone who thinks you are crazy for wanting to live a more self sufficient life one that is better for you and the Earth that we share.
             MoonFlower

Pagan Gardening

        Pagan Gardening

  In the comments section of my last blog I had someone ask about gardening and it took forever for me to decide how to word what I do to have a successful garden and what is successful anyway.
  Last year was my first real attempt and it failed horribly. This Spring I tried again and again epic fail. Those two times would have sent me running for the hills if not for one thing I listened. I listened to the old timers, to the people buying seeds, but more importantly for a Witch I listened to the plants and animals in my yard and to the Spirits of my Ancestors. So basically the voices no one else heard the sounds of songs in the wind, the patter of rain, that had I stopped and paid attention I would have known was coming and to the stirring inside my hands and stomach when I started a plant.
  Every failure brought me one step closer to having what others would say was a success. I was tickled pink with the tiny watermelons and few pumpkins I got last year but for all that work I knew deep down it should have done better. So I sat and thought about it, meditated even, and came up with a new plan. When the deer dug up all the potatoes and started stepping on the pumpkins I called to them, with a promise of food, if you will work with me on letting things grow I promise I will share. When the bugs started to eat everything left, I called to them if you only eat this plant out of these I will not bother you. That seemed to work so I was happy and thought I had it in the bag, until...
   This Spring we hired an older gentleman we know to till the garden, make it huge, and add horse and rabbit poo to it. I then got out there with a hoe and made the rows, it was so pretty, then I proceeded to plant 100's of seeds( the whole time I said words of encouragement and  of growth). Then I did the worst thing I could do, I called for rain, anyone who has ever tried this knows you only do it when it is needed and you make it specific, not me. I called for rain( in April mind you) big ol drops of water to fall and make my life easier, since I wouldn't have to haul buckets of water to ensure the seedlings have enough. Well you get what you ask for, I got 2 weeks of rain, heavy rain, my life was made so much easier in fact because the seeds rotted in the ground or simply washed away  (FAIL).
   I wont be defeated, I know I have the know how and the power to grow things, so I went to town and bought some sad tomato and green pepper plants. I say sad because they knew they were dying you could feel their pain at being stuck in the small plastic pots, so yes here I am in the Walmart talking to tomato and pepper plants and asking them if I take you home will you grow, I hear back "that's all we wish to do", I now have one  tomato plant that is taller than me and the rest are not far behind and two of the 4 are producing. The peppers where farther gone but at least 1 will have peppers in it and the other 3 I'm still talking to about it.
   That brings us now to the Fall garden that has been going for about a week. I have pumpkins, mustard greens, Roma tomatoes, and green beans growing. Carrots in a couple pots and getting ready to add more veggies to the list. The things I have learned have out weighed my failures by a truck load.
   Do I have advice for someone who wishes to grow something? Sure I do but first are you willing to talk to bugs and deer? Are you willing to look to the trees for signs of rain? More importantly are you willing to listen to the voices/feelings only you can hear/feel?  If not there is nothing I can do, or anyone else really until you are ready to commune with Nature instead of fighting it then that is all you will do and yes you may grow some really good fruits and vegetables but the lessons you could have learned will be lost.
  This was so long that I'm not going to post a recipe or tip, but the goal is to go outside and bask in the glory of the sun and moon and listen.

The Witch's Way: Homesteading with a Pagan Flair

 Just started this tonight! Here you will find hints and tips, what we are doing at The Witch's Way, a little Magick here and there, and really whatever stikes my fancy at the time.
 Tonight I want to talk about the difference in homesteading and prepping. It may seem like a fine line but really it's not, I homestead/farm I do not prep. I am not hoarding tons of food in my closets and under beds, I am not saying the zombies WILL attack anytime and we must be ready. So here's what I am saying: Wouldnt it be fantastic to walk to the pantry and have some sweet wonderful tomatoes from this summers garden in the dead of winter, shouldn't we be aware of what our children are eating and shouldn't what they are eating be good for them, have little to no "mileage" on it, shouldn't we be able to not only spell what is in our foods but know exactly what the ingrediants are, and lastly for us meat eaters shouldn't that animal have lived a grand life for after all they have given it so that we may eat.
 Preppers are all about gloom and doom and what if"s, they will tell you to stockpile ramen noodles and spegetti oh's because they have long self lives and can be cooked easily. Preppers it seems have taken over the internet and TV's with their stories of spending thousands of dollars to be ready for when TSHTF(the shit hits the fan I added that because I really had to think on it, lol). I am not saying they are wrong because if it helps them get through the day then more power to them. I on the other hand can not imagine a world for myself or children that is all about fear and worry. Wondering if the world will end whenever so lets stock up on the most unhealthy foods we can get our hands on because think of all the extra calories in that innocent pack of soup, not for me and I hope not for you either.
 My goal is to end each blog with a hint or tip, a goal to complete before the next time, and a recipe. Today's tip is: use baking soda and cinnamon to freshen your carpets, the baking soda gets rid of the smells and the cinnamon not only smells good but also encourages money flow and love. The goal is to look at one food you love and think about how you can grow it or make it yourself. You will be suprised at how easy things really are to make homemade. Today recipe is:
Basic Muffin Mix:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar or stevia if you wish
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 egg or 2 egg whites
3/4 to 1 cup of milk to get the cosistancy you would like but it should be pretty thick
1/3 cup of oil or drained applesauce to keep the fat down
Mix it all together.
After you get this far you can add whatever you want chocolate chips, blueberries, coapple chunks and cinnamon the options are limitless!
Use cupcake liners or you can butter or use non stick spray the cupcake tin
fill the cups about 3/4ths of the way and bake for around 15 to 18 mins depends on your oven. They come out really yummy!!!