Groundhog Day

The collective history of humanity is full of tales of people who are doomed to keep living a specific day of their life over and over again. There is a reason that people feel the need to express this phenomenon in works of fiction. That reason is that for many of us it is a reality.

For a long time I had a variety of memories that kept repeating.  Moments I regretted and wished I could take back. Everyone has these, those little clips that nag us until our dying day like a bad movie. Most of these memories lose their edge over time. They become more and more dull until they cannot hurt us any longer.

However, I have a specific memory. An event. A punctuation point in time, that I cannot change. I will never be able to go back. I will never be able to change it. I don't have the means or the ability to fight it. It simply is and it hurts every day.

The sting never stops. I have tried to cultivate a fantasy where I can see the after-effects of this day differently. But, at the end, I know the truth. One mistake. One poor, brief evening of bad judgement that took place in the midst of an irrational amount of pain, has taken something from me that I will never, every truly get back again.

And every day, I live it over again. It keeps me up every night. It haunts me from behind those irritating Facebook memories. It breaks me over and over. And it is the top thing I have zero control over. The top thing I will be eternally judged on. The thing that she will never forgive me for and probably never understand. 

The Farm Keeps Growing!!

Today we added some new members to the homesteading fun.

Glitter Baby, a pregnant New Zealand rabbit doe.

Sparkle, a lactating New Zealand rabbit doe.

Sparkle's two, two-week-old kits known currently as Snowy and Rocket JR.

and a very sweet buck who is a Checkered Giant/New Zealand cross named Mr. Cookie.

At the moment they are all chilling (quite literally) in my room enjoying the fan, while hanging out in their temporary cages. We are in the process of building them large hutches right now, though they will likely be moved to a colony within the next few weeks.

We recently received 203 FREE pallets for building animal habitats and everything else I can find on Pinterest. What's more, we probably have around 1,000 more coming!!!!!

Also this weekend my husband and his brother are tilling my garden and I am planting finally (better a little late than never).

Pictures to come soon!

Chappie the Nigerian Dwarf Goat

The newest little addition to the Comer homestead! Chappie the Nigerian dwarf goat has been here for a few weeks. 

He is a great little companion and super sweet. Nigerian dwarf goats are not only great pet goats but also fantastic millers. They are much smaller than standard breed goats, making them an excellent addition to hobby farms and backyard homesteads (Although you should of course check local ordinances before investing). 

The milk of Nigerian dwarf goats is higher in fat than most standard breeds and sweet, making it closer in nature to cow's milk than most other goat breeds. 

Now I just need to find Chappie some friends. 

Turkey: It's What's for Dinner

Today I dispatched my first animal. A turkey that weighed in at about forty pounds. 

I also plucked and cleaner her. It wasn't something I would enjoy it doing every day but it wasn't as awful as I imagined.

I used to stand in judgement of people who did this. Not going to lie. But if you eat meat, I kind of think you should learn where it comes from first hand. It is the process like shucking corn or picking an apple. 

Turkeys don't come all neatly packaged in cellophane and freshly smoked like we find them in the store and those store turkeys do not live a nice life. The turkey I slaughtered was raised by hand from a chick. It's been free to roam over a dozen acres. It had a good life and as humane a send out as we could give it. 

It seems the ultimate respect in a way to raise and take the life of your food yourself, if you are going to eat meat. There is something spiritual and connective about it. An understanding and a respect. 

Just food for thought. Oh and that bag next to me is in theory the start of a down feather pillow. #waste nothing god gives 

The Chickens Have Arrived!!!

The chickens have arrived! Got my first of this years flock from a fabulous breeder in Taylorsville, MS. Going to Taylorsville was quite an adventure. We passed a ton of cool farmers markets and stores that I cannot wait to check out. 

We also drove through a city called "Hot Coffee", which just thrills me to no end. Totally moving there one day. 

So far we have 11 chickens and if our sex determining skills are on point, 10 are hens. They are dominiques, which is an awesome dual-purpose breed. They are actually one of the oldest breeds in the United States. 

I am so excited to watch these babies grow up!!

Progress

Thus far we've sealed the leaks on the trailer and repaired the broken windows. Power is on and we are ready to replace some interior walls.

We are currently staying in my sister n laws house until the trailer is ready. Both homes are on the same property. 

I've planned out where I am going to put my first garden and have placed some old carpeting over it to kill off the grass. As soon as some more cash comes in and I will be ordering seeds and baby chickens will be here, if everything goes as planned, on the 5th! 

Homestead

We are starting a new reality. Slowly but surely. Attempting to put 2015 and all its craziness behind us.

What's surprising is that I mostly feel pretty good about it. 

I never thought I would have any interest in moving to Mississippi again and even more so doubted any desire I might have to homestead. But then life took a major left turn. I lost my job. Nearly divorced. We found ourselves completely broke and living in chaos. 

So when family in Mississippi offered a place to live and a fresh start. Saying no was hardly an option. 

So here we are, in rural central Mississippi on a few acres with a fixer upper trailer and 8 kids when we are at full capacity (My four and sister-n-law's four). 

Let the fun begin!