How were you raised?

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Hi all, Can you tell this is MY Saturday night lol..... The question is: Were you raised in a homesteading kind of household or other wise... and how did you come to have the passion you have for homesteading. And what were some of the lessons taught to you by family that has helped you live this lifestyle.

Myself I was raised pretty much in a rural kind of household.. they were kind of into homesteading, we were taught to be independant.. (for example my dad when I was 14 decided I needed to work on cars, "cant stand dumb women" I think were his exact words... so I spent that summer helping him rebuild car engines...which has saved me a fortune and car repairs and has been a source of some fun when a mechanic/gas station isnt quite so honest.) My Gram put everything in a Jar that didnt crawl away first and some things that did... she just caught it again..I learned to do my canning from her as my mom was a bit intimidated by the pressure canner. She also sewed a great deal and was a gifted quilter.

-- Trina (trina@ccountry.net), February 04, 2002

Answers

VERY interesting question. Hope you are prepared for an inundation of answers! :)...Me, I grew up in several worlds. I am blessed by having known people from the 19th century. I am so pleased that my Grandfathers were born before 1900. Cool. Grandpa McMichael in 1895. The other Grandpa was long gone by the time I came around. I should ask my Dad about that. Let's see, he died when my dad was 16 and Dad is now 76...oh phooy...don't want to figure math problems. Never mind. I remember when there were a few veterans of the Civil War around (drummer boys probably) and even some survivors of slavery. I am 53 in case you are wondering. I was born and lived in a city, but spent time with Grandparents in their one room log cabin in the woods "up north." My mother showed me the insides of a hen she was cleaning when I was about 5. Wow. Real eye-opener I'll tell you! fasinating that the eggs were not egg shaped before they came out of the hen. And there were lots of different sizes too..eenie weenie on up. Sure did stink when they singed that hen tho. I seem to remember boiling water was involved. I was sorry Grandpa lost his horses in the swamp before I was born. I got lost in that same swamp when I was 10, sure had 'em goin' for a while. LOL. I remember the barn where I was not allowed, but went anyway. I watched Grandpa build a cradle in that empty barn for my new baby brother. I still have the doll cradle he made for me. I was 4 and then he said I should go back to the house before Grandma found out I was out there. That's the only time I ventured into that secret, special Grandpa place. The barn is gone. The chicken coop is gone. The asparagas plants are gone and so are the strawberries. Grandma and Grandpa Upnorth are gone. The outhouse is still standing and so is the log cabin (barely). I should write a book. I'll stop, don't want to bore you guys too much.

-- Susan in Northern Michigan (cobwoman@yahoo.com), February 05, 2002.

I was brought up in central Virginia at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains. We had a small place, only 15 acres, but we had cows, pigs, a chicken or two, once we had a goat, horses and whatever strays we children brought home. Daddy always planted a "dry summer" garden and a "wet summer" garden, just in case. I learned to can and freeze, hang out clothes, plant, weed and pick, milk, ride, and care for whatever animals we had at the time. Both parents worked, so we had a "girl" who lived with us Monday through Friday and did the cooking and light housekeeping. I learned butchering, cooking and baking from my maternal grandmother (I think the cooking gene skipped a generation in our family, because my mother is an awful cook although she could make beautiful butter when she wanted to).

The chores we had were not only to help out but to keep us busy and out of trouble. We weren't "instructed" as much as just learned by watching and doing. Out of my two brothers and one sister, I guess I'm the only one who cared to continue with that kind of life.

Wishing you enough.

-- Trevilians (aka Dianne in Mass) (Trevilians@mediaone.net), February 05, 2002.


Do you remember Northern Exposure? Remember Maggie? O.K. Have you seen the movie Princess Diary? O.K. These represent how I was raised. Maggie is from the same hometown as me. I know those principles and standards very well. The Princess Diary? Yea! That was how I was raised and trained. Everything had to be proper! How or why did I wound up where I am? Who the heck knows. My family just shake their heads and are comvinced that it is still a phase. HAAAAAA!!!! NOT!

I remember that all my life I admired the Snowwhites, and Cinderella's when they were living the live they got rescued from. Go figure! Prince Charming forget it, I would have taken those dwarfs anyday. I dreamed of a little shack in the woods, or talking with the animals. You can imagine I was a frustrated child.

My family is still trying to get me to change but I think they are beginning to give up. My mother is the only one who appreciates my spinning and knitting, soap, and a few other things. But she gets board when she comes to visit.

Susan

-- Susan in Minnesota (nanaboo@paulbunyan.net), February 05, 2002.


I was raised in both urban and rural settings. Have existed in society classes from poverty to practically UMC and back down to where I am now. Always carried my same values and personality, no matter what environment I found myself in. Was always trained by my elders to keep a clear thinking head so i find myself being turned to for help by friends overwelmed by their situations as I try to keep a clear view of all perspectives. The experiences I have learned or endured have all contributed to my enjoyment of this, the downhill side of my lifes journey. After a life of continually progressing "against the wind", I now enjoy the passing "gypsy winds" as I relax on my porch on the fringe of society.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), February 05, 2002.

I was raised in a rural community in a small town. My parents started out farming-my dad loves to tell everyone I was conceived during a lunch break under a tree when they were harrowing. Mom and dad both had it rough during the depression and got out of farming by the time I was 5. We moved to town and I became spoiled rotten I only needed to ask for things and I got them. When I was 18 I found an old copy of TMEN when it wqs still really good I haven't looked back since. I don't live totally the way I want to but I have added to my knowledge and I add a few skills to my bag every year and someday.......

-- Karen (abbaskid61081@yahoo.com), February 05, 2002.


I'm a fourth generation native Minnesotan. My father's side of the family, which is German, homesteaded in the Watertown area of Minnesota and my mother's side, the Norwegians, homesteaded and farmed near where Sherry lives: between Milaca and Onamia in Daley Township of Mille Lacs County. (Sherry, FYI my great grandfather is buried in a little, unknown mostly Indian cemetery, just off Hwy 169, overlooking Mille Lacs Lake, south of the casino by the "historic marker" sign. Do you know where I'm talking about?) At any rate, I lived in the Twin Cities as a kid. I was in the Scouts and became an Eagle Scout. My love for the outdoors and living a simple lifestyle came from my experiences as a scout and later as a canoe guide. During my childhood and teen's, I also spent many days, weekends and vacations on "the farm." My grandparent's farm is where I developed my passion for homesteading and agriculture. I later studied and received degrees in both soil science and agronomy. Both of my parents grew up during the depression and my dad served in WWII. They were masters at stretching a dollar, and getting by with less, even when we didn't have to. And boy howdy could they save! I was the kid who never got to wear the latest fashions. My mom cut my hair, she did okay but I didn't like it most of the time. Much of the food we ate came off of my grandparents farm. Both mom and grandma canned. I can remember my grandparents farmhouse…small, "owner-built," wood cook stove, no phone, etc. Up until the late 1940's they didn't have electricity, so they had to pump water and use an outhouse. I suppose this isn't as much about me as it is about those who raised me. Simple, hard-working, relatively poor (but very rich, if you know what I mean!) god-fearing, friendly folk. For most people, I suppose you become like those who raised ya.
--Happy trails, Cabin Fever

-- Cabin Fever (Cabinfever_mn@yahoo.com), February 06, 2002.

I was raised both in the country and city. We left the city when I was 7, because my parents wanted to do part-time farming. We lived there for 3 years, then my father had a severe stroke and we ahd to move to the city for his medical care. So we lived in the suburbs on 3 1/2 acres had a huge garden. At that time I was convinced I would never have a big garden. I went to school for social work and business administration. I now work for a small businessplus own 2 business and live on 7 1/2 acres, and yes I do have a HUGE garden,over an acre. I could never see returning to the city. Cabin, I know exactly where that cementary is, but I live south of there.

-- Sherry (tlnifty@ecenet.com), February 06, 2002.

Trina, I have farmers on both sides of the family. German farmers who migrated to Nebraska, and Pennslyvania Dutch farmers who wound up in the same area. My dad worked construction so we moved all over the country and lived in a trailer house(that's what they were called). My mom missed the country so much. She had to have farm eggs and milk no matter where we lived. I was impressed that she could milk a cow and make butter. when we settled down in a small Kansas town, we had a rabbitry and chickens in the backyard. My mother died from cancer at 48. I was planning on living in Coffeyville, the rest of my life with my 6 RIR hens and 4 rabbits in the backyard. A good friend introduced me to Mother Earth News. I fell in love with whole concept and went back to school to get a better paying job. When I graduated we(the boys and I) moved to Elk Falls. I got my first goats, and put 100 fryers in the freezer, and had a heck of a garden. Alot of water has passed under the bridge since then, 2 more boys, another divorce and a life with my sons "all growed up". I miss having a best friend to do all the fun stuff with, but have given up on my knight in shinning armor. I am still having a good time and wish I could share it.

-- Karen Mauk (kansashobbit@yahoo.com), February 06, 2002.

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