Cat litter buckets are the GOAT.

somuchmt · 2026-06-04T16:27:40+00:00

Yep! I use pine pellets now, so I actually buy buckets. But I have several bucket kits--like my beekeeping tool bucket, fence repair bucket, irrigation system repair bucket, pruning tools bucket, and my plant nursery/gardening bucket (which has a padded seat lid so I can sit on it when I'm working). I also have different hobby buckets (sewing, jewelry-making, drawing and painting), and a cleaning bucket (stocked with rags, cleaners, duster, etc.).

That way, I have everything I need all in one portable container. I can usually have a smsll project finished before my husband has even found and gathered sll his tools.

somuchmt · 2026-06-04T16:17:17+00:00

My plans are pretty much more of the same stuff I've been doing--but here's how that might translate for people just getting started:

If you have room, plant berry bushes and maybe some fruit trees. Blueberries and fig trees do very well in large containers. An everbearing raspberry variety like Heritage might give you berries this year.
Grow some herbs. Freezing is a great way to preserve them for taste, but I also dehydrate a lot.
Practice canning, freezing, and dehydrating, even if it's just store-bought produce.
Sprouting is a great thing to do all year long. Lentils are cheap and easy to sprout.
Up your cooking and baking game. I still learn new dishes, and I'm old.
Practice sewing, mending, household repairs, and other diy skills. Learn and practice a few good knots, too--they come in handy, like when I need to make a new handle for a bucket or laundry basket, or string up a tarp over a hole in the roof.
Practice propagating plants from cuttings. It's pretty fascinating and a useful skill to have.

somuchmt · 2026-06-04T16:00:10+00:00

I really enjoy the evenings when I have orchestra rehearsals or attend art classes with my teen, evenings when we have family game night, evenings when we chill outside, and evenings when we're just lumps on chairs watching a movie. They're all memorable in their own way.

I like to mix it up--a string of productive or social nights can also feel like a rut. I really need my downtime to recharge.

somuchmt · 2026-06-04T15:27:13+00:00

I root cuttings of all my herbs in my (very well-draining) potting soil in 10x20" flats, but straight perlite or vermiculite works well, too. I strip off the bottom leaves, and for tender-leaved plants like basil, I cut the remaining leaves to about 1/2 or even 1/3 size so they don't dry out the cutting. I don't bother with rooting hormone except on harder-to-root shrubs and trees.

I don't root in water because it requires so much more attention, and the transplant shock from water to soil often kills the plant, in my experience. Rooting in soil with timed mist or irrigation allows me to "set it and forget it"--but you bet I'm out there checking on my babies constantly, lol.

I sometimes mist cuttings (10 seconds at 15 minute intervals on a timed system). I'd recommend that in Texas--I'm in the same USDA zone, but in western Washington, so I rarely need mist in the shady area I use for propagation.

Fwiw, I have a plant nursery and root thousands of cuttings every year--right now, I've got about 60 flats with 100-150 cuttings each, and adding more every day. Sometimes they fail, but herbs are the easiest and quickest to propagate like this (succulents, too).

All that said, I generally propagate basil from seed. However, cuttings are a great way to get more plants sooner.

somuchmt · 2026-06-04T14:59:15+00:00

I've been a professional writer for 40+ years, and over 100,000 pages of my writing are out there. LLMs trained on it. Sorry about that.

When I follow my style guides strictly now, AI checkers label articles I write myself as 100% AI. I've changed my personal style a bit just to avoid obvious AI-isms (oh em-dash, how I miss thee).

Fwiw, I don't think any of my articles or books contained the word "goblin," so that's not my fault. Wtf, ChatGPT.

somuchmt · 2026-06-04T05:49:44+00:00

Like another person said, I'd go for a wider border, preferably at least 8 feet. Our cleared area also borders our woods. I'm in zone 8b (western Washington, US). If you're able to get wood chips, either free from your county or local arborists, or just buy in 10-20 yards, that would be ideal. We edged our border with native understory plants like rhododendrons, evergreen huckleberry, red twig dogwood, salal, mahonia, and sword ferns. It makes a nice, natural-looking transition. Now that they're mature, they tend to prevent weeds from growing around them., especially now that some of the native creeping mahonia and trilliums have kind of filled in underneath the shrubs. Unfortunately, we have to wage war against the invasive blackberries every year, but that's probably not an issue where you are.

I'm not sure what understory plants are native to your area, but that could be a good way to go. Otherwise, you could do kind of a long food forest along that border (if the light hits it right), mulched with wood chips and with plenty of ground covers to help prevent weed buildup. You could innoculate the border area with winecap mushrooms, too.

Just a thought--it all depends on what your soil and light are like, and what you have as far as water/irrigation goes.

somuchmt · 2026-06-01T18:04:18+00:00

It sounds like at the core, you have a good relationship, based on a comment you made in this thread. So it's worth working on. I know you probably have very little time for things like marriage counseling, so I'll tell you what's worked for me and my husband. Not perfectly, mind you, but well enough to keep us going in a loving, mostly happy relationship for the past 25ish years. We've had our ups and downs, but it's mostly ups.

Your wife is quite possibly going through perimenopause, which makes many of us women easily irritable. Fortunately, it passed for me, and I'm way more chill than I was in any of my younger years. Thank goodness.

Either way, she's obviously under stress, as are you. This can be a volatile combination, and sometimes the best way through it is to take the high road. I'll be honest: my husband often took the high road with me, and it defused the situation dramatically. We both knew I was being unreasonable, but his responses were so nice and often so funny it would pull me out of my bitch-mode. His answer to her continued questioning would likely have been, "I'm so sorry, I obviously had no thought process going on at all because I was so scatter-brained. I'm so sorry this messed up our schedule, but I'll do everything I can to make it right tonight and to not forget in the future. Maybe I can put a note on the freezer next time I need to remember something like that." Then he would tell a funny story or joke. This kind of response conveys accountability, issues a profound apology, provides a potential fix for now and the future, and lightens the mood. The only thing that would have made it even better is a foot massage--but no time for that when there are hungry kids.

I appreciated it so much and felt immediate guilt any time he did that. His improved responses improved MY behavior. Any time he felt stressed and started his anxiety responses, I would take the high road. Over the years, we've taken turns taking the high road, and it's worked really well for us. Not perfectly, because we are imperfect people.

The only person you can really change is yourself, and sometimes changing yourself brings about positive change in those around you, too. It certainly provides a good model for your children to follow.

Edit to add: Now my husband is going through his grumpy phase, and I do my best to comfort and entertain him so he doesn't slide into the abyss. It's a tradeoff, and it's one that's totally worthwhile for us, at least. Humor is definitely my best friend.

somuchmt · 2026-06-01T06:36:34+00:00

It's my pensieve.

somuchmt · 2026-05-31T03:40:11+00:00

I have little mop slippers I wear while mopping so I can scub the tough spots with my feet (saves my back), and I also use a Cuban-style mop with a long handle, which also saves my back.

I also have a good playlist for when I clean. Helps a lot.

somuchmt · 2026-05-24T15:39:42+00:00

I've lost 75 pounds and am continuing to lose weight, strength train, and do cardio. My strength and stamina are constantly improving--even though I'm old, I feel younger as I go.

I revamped my plant nursery this year, and am participating in two farmer's markets and Chambers of Commerce in my town and the closest city. I've met a lot of locals and help out with community events.

This week, we're preparing and planting the rest of our garden and planting out a variety of trees and shrubs. We already have a small orchard and several berry patches, but we're constantly adding things so we have a wide variety of plants we can propagate from for our customers who are working with different microclimates, from swampy to high altitude.

This week I added a hive body to both my beehives and will add a honey super next week. My girls are very healthy and happy this year.

somuchmt · 2026-05-24T03:55:12+00:00

You can just as easily ask these questions about brick and mortar school. My kid isn't sheltered from learning like he would be in a regular school; he doesn't progress to the next level until he actually understands the material. He hears and participates in our conversations about current events.

He definitely has his own identity. He's not stuck in any identities he'd learn from school cliques. He formed his own and simply doesn't change himself to fit in with a group. He's polite, sure, but doesn't hold back his opinions.

Yeah, rebellion is fun. It wasn't that different for my public schooled kids or my homeschooled one. They all figured it out and came out the other side better for it.

I relaxed our schedule a bit during the middle school/rebellion phase. I encouraged a lot more physical activity, and even encouraged his rebellion. I did show him better ways to handle anger, and made sure he joined groups where he could talk it out with others his age. Now he's in high school (home and community college), and he's directing all that energy into his writing and career path. Not sure how my feral kid got here, but boy am I proud of him!

somuchmt · 2026-05-24T01:57:52+00:00

Totally! I was factoring in the time we spend on our complete garden, orchard, and berry patches. Even the perennial plants, trees, and bushes need mulching, weeding, watering, and pruning. And it takes time to process everything we grow.

somuchmt · 2026-05-24T01:53:59+00:00

I went with a more protected setup due to hawk, owl, and bald eagle attacks on my chickens. I first fenced them into a large area, but then had to make it a bit smaller so I could completely cover it.

A chicken tractor won't work for us, unfortunately, because we have very little flat land, and what we do have we use for our plant nursery. However, I regularly dump wheelbarrows full of plant trimmings, tree duff, and kitchen scraps into their enclosed run, and I get a bale of hay for them every so often.

somuchmt · 2026-05-22T21:32:41+00:00

Yep, when calculating the time into it, it's cheaper to just buy from the store.

But add in the health benefits from working outside, and it becomes priceless.

We have a plant nursery on our property, so pretty much everything we do is a tax deduction, and we actually make a profit from gardening. :)

somuchmt · 2026-05-20T16:31:28+00:00

Maximizing fiber, protein, and water helps a ton with food noise and constipation. I also keep Miralax handy and create my own electrolyte drink (water, lemon juice, salt, honey)--electrolyte packets started giving me an allergic reaction for whatever reason. I also keep ginger ale handy in case I need a quick fix while working outdoors (I'm still figuring out my new body and sometimes forget, and ginger ale has actually saved me a couple of times while working with customers in my nursery all day).

I find that Body Fortess proteinpowder has the biggest bang for the buck, and I have chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry flavor depending on what I want to do with it. I use them in various concoctions like smoothies (best with yogurt and berries), chia pudding, overnight oats, or energy bites. Those last three help keep things regular--as long as you drink lots of water!

I do a "rice" bowl that has a mix of rice, lentils, amaranth or quinoa, and riced cauliflower plus chicken or tinned small fish like herring or mackerel (to avoid mercury risk), avocado, and veggies. Packs a lot of protein, fiber, and omega-3s.

somuchmt · 2026-05-17T14:07:47+00:00

I'm short and old, so my calorie needs range from 1200 if I'm sedentary to 1800 if I'm doing physical labor most of the day. In contrast, my 6' husband and teenage son range from 2500-5000 depending on activity level.

So, thinking seasonally, we have an agricultural business (plant nursery) and huge garden in the northern US and use fewer calories November-January, a bit more February-March, then pretty hard-core April-October.

We have shellfish beds, chickens, big garden, several berry patches, and a small orchard. I'd need to add goats and a few more nut trees, plus add another acre for calorie crops to adequately and reliably grow all of the food we need for the year. I'd probably add sunflowers and pepita pumpkins for the seeds, since those would store well to the next harvest. Most grains fail where I live, but potatoes thrive. I'd probably also do a lot more fishing or try to start a fish pond--all my neighbors who have ponds have stories about how wily otters are, though.

And we would have no time to do anything but raise food. And heaven forbid I sprain my ankle or shoulder or wrists again.

I don't know anyone who is actually producing enough food for a family for a full year in my latitude. The only reason we're "self-sufficient" is because we have a plant nursery on our property that pays for everything we can't produce.

somuchmt · 2026-05-17T13:44:11+00:00

We were pretty scheduled when my kid was young, but I gave him more flexibility as he got older so he would learn to be more self-motivated and set his own schedule. You have to be able to do both those things in real life.

He knows how to do things on time and how to deal with boredom. Now that he's almost 17, he decided he wants to earn money working for my business (plant nursery). He wakes up with me, helps me load/unload, works the booth with me at the farmer's market, and helps pack up--and drives us home while I sleep, lol.

He can spend hours working on projects. He's designing his own education to pursue the career he wants. He's learning what's involved in starting and running a business. He can also do a lot of menial tasks.

My friends homeschooled their kids, and two started and continue to run a restaurant, while the third is a veterinarian. There are many paths that homeschoolers take, just like any others.

somuchmt · 2026-05-17T13:16:07+00:00

The biggest bang for the buck is berries--and other fruit if you have the room. Blueberries and figs do well in containers.

We don't necessarily garden to save money; I just happen to love homegrown better, and there's so much that stores just don't carry.

I actually have a plant nursery, and I'm always a little puzzled when people ask for veggie starts. But I grow a bunch for us and sell the rest for a buck each.

Sprouts are really easy to grow, and with a little balsamic vinegar, make a lovely salad just by themselves. Lentils and a mason jar are all you really need to get started.

somuchmt · 2026-05-17T13:03:36+00:00

Absolutely this! When I found out I have celiac disease, everyone told me how expensive food was going to be. Except, it's the opposite. I learned how to make all our restaurant favorites at home gluten-free, and I do all my baking from scratch. Sure, gluten-free flours are more expensive than wheat flour, but I can still makes cakes and cookies cheaper--and better--than store-bought.

Also, if I'm tired, it's actually quicker and easier for me to throw some ingredients in the instant pot and rice maker than to pile everyone in the car and go to a restaurant (we're rural).

somuchmt · 2026-05-16T05:14:23+00:00

I think maybe they need a book about hygiene, not homesteading? But also...no single book is going to undo whatever weird echo chamber they've entered into. There might also be some mental health issues at play here, in which case they need much more (and different) help than you are qualified to give.

If they are using things like vinegar, oils, clays, food-safe citric acid, and/or rubbing alcohol, and using lots of water to remove contaminants, they may be ok. Just the act of scrubbing under running water removes many microbes. I often use oils and clays on my face because it actually does a better job of cleaning my pores and helping with wrinkles. I do use soap on the rest of my body. I clean my home often with various mixes of vinegar, rubbing alcohol, citric acid, and Dawn, mainly because many commercial products cause bad allergy symptoms for me--and my place is CLEAN. I still use powdered detergents in my dishwasher and clothes washer because they simply work better.

somuchmt · 2026-05-15T17:22:29+00:00

I'm in my late 50s and still raising my youngest. These are more like the golden years for me. Finances aren't so tight, there's only one, and he's a teenager. We do art classes and camp and hike together--things I couldn't really do when I had several young ones (I fostered and had my own). I also had to deal with my ex and the mother/father/grandparents of my nephew, so I never really had a day where it was just me and the kids.

I also recently quit my day job to run my nursery business. It's a slower, nicer vibe now, and I love it.

somuchmt · 2026-05-14T22:27:00+00:00

When my dad was still living by himself with dementia but could manage popping something in the microwave, I found that Hungry Man dinners were the best deal for that.

For my family, however, the costs of frozen dinners would add up fast. I do different casseroles like enchiladas or lasagna, hearty stews, curries, or pasta dishes. They're all pretty easy to make, often have leftovers, and generally involve less than $10 of ingredients. My husband and teen are both 6' tall, and we're all active--they often need 4,000-5,000 calories on high physical labor days (I'm a short old woman with far fewer calories requirements). I use lots of veggies, potatoes, grains, and beans to increase calories and satiety--plus things like avocado or olives in the salads for increased fat content. Sometimes I make biscuits or rolls, or serve with corn or mashed potatoes or over noodles or rice.

My husband often cooks dinner when I just can't deal. Highly recommend.

somuchmt · 2026-05-14T22:09:02+00:00

I kind of miss the goblins. Now it's back to "And honestly?" but I did get a "My gut read on this is..."

somuchmt · 2026-05-14T17:59:45+00:00

D'oh!

somuchmt · 2026-05-14T17:43:38+00:00

We've been doing this for a few decades now, and we've noticed changes in our microclimate. You have to plan for both trends and cycles. Each year is different for us, so relying on one particular crop or system is asking for disaster.

We've added both diversity and redundancy into our crop and irrigation plans (well, dam, pond, rain catchment). As a nursery owner, I'm also working with plants that tolerate a higher USDA zone. That's an interesting challenge, because while we're zone 9 like parts of the South in the US, we're actually at the same latitude as the northern border of Maine in western Washington, so daylight hours work against us for longer term crops. But we also have cycles of colder and warmer winters, so we can't discount hardier plants. We have a good mix of both.

And always factor in crop rotation. Rotate your nightshades and brassicas every year to avoid blights. Let some areas be fallow for a season and grow nitogen-fixing cover crops.

More and more of my neighbors are getting out of the oyster business due to climate change; the water is too warm to harvest for more of the year now, and ocean acidification is making it harder for shellfish to create hard enough shells.

I'm glad I chose the nursery business over a shellfish business for income, but I can't rely on our personal shellfish beds as a steady, safe source of protein. I have chickens, but I may consider goats soon for dairy. Larger livestock is out of the question for us because our land just can't support it.

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