Category:

motherhood/family/parenting

Don’t Spend Today’s Bread on Tomorrow

by Kelly Crawford June 21, 2009

written by Kelly Crawford

I love when the Lord uses the simplest of things to reveal the profoundest of truths…as He did this morning while visiting my parents’ church.

A man sang a beautiful, solemn version of The Lord’s Prayer–one of my favorite songs–familiar words we’ve spoken thousands of times. And yet, as soon as he sang the words, “Give us this day, our daily bread”…tears welled up in my eyes.

“How often I’m not content with daily bread?”

Daily bread means food, yes, but all throughout Scripture it has also referred to Jesus Himself as the Bread of Life, the Living Word. Is He enough for me today? Am I content with today’s promise, today’s grace? Or do I waste it on my fears of tomorrow?

He told us to ask for daily bread. But we want yearly bread, or at least monthly bread, both in the physical and the spiritual sense. We want God to show us what’s ahead, to promise us security for the future–but that’s not what He wants.

Remember the children of Israel and the manna? He provided it daily. He told them to gather only a day’s worth. They still tried to save it, for tomorrow, just in case He forget, or didn’t come through. The manna decayed overnight–all that work, wasted.

Think about the heavy burdens we put on ourselves trying to figure out tomorrow? We don’t believe Him, that He’ll provide exactly what we need for then. We let fear of things that aren’t even here yet consume our thoughts today.

But He provided for today! Why don’t we believe Him for tomorrow? He will bring the grace, the strength, the peace, the wisdom we need when we need it. If we spend what He has given us for today on tomorrow we don’t live today well.

There is something to be said about living “one day at a time”…God said it. If we are to live the life He wants for us, we must be content with our daily bread.

June 21, 2009 12 comments

Courtesy, or the Right to Rant?

by Kelly Crawford June 17, 2009

written by Kelly Crawford

(My phone rings…)

“OK…here’s the thing…whatever happened to ‘excuse me’ could you please move? This man at the gas station–he was obviously a tourist–was in the way of the truck and the guy in the truck just jumps out and starts yelling and cursing this guy to get out of the way. What is that all about?”

My brother called for a morning rant about people who rant 😉 I said, “It’s ‘the right to rant’ I guess. Then he gave me another example of how he had just been the victim of a similar rant (with his two small children in the car listening to all the profanity). (Is it just in CO, where my brother lives?)

Does this seem to be an increasing incident? And why? Why are we so angry? Why is no one allowed to make a traffic mistake, or just be “off” that day?

I remembered the last time my family piled into the van. I heard two brothers saying “you move!” in a less-than-kind tone. I stopped them…”Would you speak to someone like that at the grocery store who was in your way? What makes you think it’s OK for your brother who you love?”

Deference. Simple courtesy. It’s becoming lost. Do you blame parents? Do you blame the “entitlement gospel” of our culture? I’m not sure. But I know as a parent, I don’t have to teach my children to be selfish.

“A child left to himself brings his mother shame.”

I DO have to work full time to teach them to defer to others (and is there anything better able to teach ME than my responsibility before them? How many times have I been expounding passionately about their treatment of each other, “use gentle words”…when suddenly the Holy Spirit reminds me of my guilt?) It’s probably what I spend the most time on throughout the day–backing them up and making them redo the tone, the demand, the attitude.

Courtesy is training the will to deny its immediate wants and rights for the sake of others–an unnatural trait for all of us, really. So unless we have been diligently trained as we grow up, it’s a real struggle, especially within our own families where the social pressure isn’t as strong.

Courtesy is huge. Perhaps it even has much to do with why we can’t keep our marriages together. Taken to the extreme, it could even save lives (road rage crime, anyone?) Let’s be mindful as we raise our children to be courteous and praise Him for the opportunity to whittle away at our own selfishness.

June 17, 2009 12 comments

homeschooling motherhood/family/parenting

Homeschooling: Not a Formula

by Kelly Crawford June 12, 2009

written by Kelly Crawford

I’m a homeschooling nut. Maybe to a fault. It’s more than “school” to us–it’s life. I love it, and because I love it so much I think everybody should get to experience it. That zeal that frankly many homeschoolers have is good, but comes with a caveat.

In our defense, the culture has been so anti-homeschooling for a while (though warming up now) that we might feel we have to go overboard singing its praises to combat the negative cloud surrounding it. After all, we’ve experienced it, and on this side we really see its benefits and know that you can have well-educated, socialized, adjusted kids.

Admittedly, there is some defense when others who have never homeschooled or maybe hardly know a homeschooling family begins to explain to us why it won’t work. It feels a bit like I imagine Bill Gates would feel if my grandmother told him all the reasons there was no future for him in the computer industry–as he counts his fortune.

So, the caveat. Homeschooling does not come with any guarantees. It can be tempting to think that once we’ve taken on the title, our children have somehow been ushered into a “safe place”. Now they’ll be geniuses, they’ll never get into trouble, and they’ll serve the Lord.

Homeschooling is nothing, in and of itself. It’s simply one tool. It doesn’t make us better, or our children better. Now I’m not saying I don’t believe it has positive effects in our physical realm–you know how I feel about that. I could post all day about the benefits I believe homeschooling can afford. But spiritually, we are wrong if we elevate it beyond what it is, and put faith in the act itself.

Homeschooling families sometimes lose their children to the world. Does that mean we just throw up our hands and decide it doesn’t matter how we raise them? Of course not. We are still called to walk faithfully, seeking as earnestly as we can the best way to disciple and point our children to Christ.

But we must put our faith where it belongs–IN CHRIST–and not take for granted that it is HIS work in our children’s hearts that brings them to Him.

It’s easy to get unbalanced on either side of this issue. Some parents are prone to think it really doesn’t matter what we do with our children since God is the One who works. I disagree.

But I think often Satan has used pride to come in the back door of our Christian homes and do just as much damage as he could do with any other sinfulness. We are not immune to this deadly sin.

Scripture gives us clear practical guidance about *how* to bring up our children. And at the same time, we acknowledge that it is only by His grace that they grow to love and serve Him.

We must hold both in our hands. Obeying and doing all we can to raise them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, but placing all of our trust in His work, and not ours.

In a nutshell? It’s not homeschooling that we are called to. We’ve got to keep the main thing the main thing…

“You shall teach them [God’s commands] diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.” Deuteronomy 6

Think Outside the Classroom

$6.97

Are you a homeschooling mother who worries that you aren’t “doing enough”? Are you thinking of homeschooling but feel afraid that you aren’t qualified? If so, r ead more…

June 12, 2009 19 comments

christian living frugal living/saving money marriage motherhood/family/parenting

The Enterprising Family: A Recipe for Contentment

by Kelly Crawford June 9, 2009

written by Kelly Crawford

There’s really no end to the ideas and concepts behind an enterprising family. It’s about working…together….to save money….to make money….to provide for basic needs….to help others with their needs…to be self-sufficient now, and if there comes a time when it’s necessary….it’s about wisdom and resourcefulness and being good stewards of what God has given. It’s about working with our hands simply because God created us to.

Wouldn’t you agree there is a dearth of contentment in our culture? It seems one of the biggest ironies of human nature is that prosperity often breeds discontentment and apathy. Unexplained. My Dad always said that there’s just something satisfying when you’ve put in a full day working with your hands. Perhaps it’s a major missing element in our culture? Hard work brings good sleep and deep contentment.

And nothing brings a contented spirit like producing something meaningful. In addition to all the tangible things we’ve discussed in this series, I didn’t want to fail to mention the beauty of producing art–which can be found in anything from a flower arrangement to a piece of music to a poem. God gifted humans with the sensational ability to create just about anything…let’s encourage our children and ourselves to tap into that creative gift.

“It is neither wealth nor splendor,

0 but tranquility and occupation, which give happiness.”

~Thomas Jefferson

I mentioned in yesterday’s post about the character building that comes along with enterprise. It seems like such a simple concept, but more and more we look around and see a society who doesn’t understand it. Giving children responsibility–enterprising–is GOOD for them. I hear a lot of parents express their concern over “children working too much” but very few seem concerned about not enough.

Keep in mind that a family doesn’t have to create a home business to be “enterprising”; we’re talking here about a simple philosophy of working and production to further the family economy in any and every way.

Tom Brokaw wrote a book entitled “The Greatest Generation”. Do you know which generation that was? The children who grew up during the Great Depression. Now think of that for a moment…one of the most common replies I hear about not wanting more children is that “we can’t afford it”. What message does that reflect? The truth is: 1. We can afford more in this day than perhaps ever in history. 2. If “the greatest generation” was born out of too much poverty and an overload of work, why are we afraid of a fraction of that plight? We continue to believe that “affordability” and an easy life makes” good” children, no matter how often we see proof otherwise. But, I digress on a slight rant 😉

Let’s give our children the gift of work, and a feeling of belonging to an enterprise that matters. Nothing will hold a family together like the need for everyone to be a part.

Enterprise: a unit of economic organization with a systematic purposeful activity.

“The man who removes a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.”

William Faulkner

“There is joy in work. There is no happiness except in the realization that we have accomplished something.”

Henry Ford

June 9, 2009 20 comments

christian living entrepreneur frugal living/saving money motherhood/family/parenting

The Enterprising Family: “Can We Make It?”

by Kelly Crawford June 8, 2009

written by Kelly Crawford

If I could sum up in a word what it means to me for a family to be an “enterprise”, it would “production”. As technology and convenience has flooded in to America, we have become more dependent on others, and increasingly less self-sufficient.

(The topics in this series seem to all be very overlapped, primarily because they almost all have to do with production.)

But it’s a vicious cycle; the more dependent we become, the more freedoms we lose–even in just our everyday habits.

I have been trying to challenge myself to ask the question, “What can we produce instead of buy?”

Saving money is a factor yes, but that’s just a small part. I think if families became enterprising again, it would change the face of the economy, our attitude toward a lot in life, and our relationships. Maybe that’s a great big assumption, but it just seems logical to me. ( An enterprising family also usually turns out several entrepreneurs, creating a big advantage in the lives of your children.)

And not only that…there is something deeply character-building about hands that work and produce things that benefit others. Especially when families work together. Imagine a youth culture who was busy producing goods and/or services for their families and community–Imagine!

“…and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you…” 1 Thessalonians 4:11

So, where does a family start? One thing at a time. Look around your house. What things are you buying that you could either find a homemade substitute or do without?

The obvious things that come to mind first are food production. But not everyone lives in a place or has the capacity to grow and produce their own food. But if you do…make EVERY effort to do it! There is something marvelous about showing your children that the seed they planted in the ground three months ago is on our table tonight. It is a miracle for which only God can take the credit.

What about these things:

soap
cleaning supplies
furniture
clothing
gifts
medicine (within reason–we’ll talk more)
greeting cards

Can you recycle it? Can you alter it? Can you embellish it? The two aprons were made using an unused sheet. You can see the transformations here and here. Homemade doughnuts here. (Lots of other good stuff at these sites of my friends that I’ve pointed you to so many times before!)

I mentioned that my daughter is experimenting with an all-natural, herbal bug spray. She ordered her bottles and is growing the lemon balm and is waiting for the other oil she ordered from Ebay to come in.

If you’re interested in a few more homemade gift ideas, you may want to check out my ebook called “Easy Homemade Gifts“.

Enterprising is really about seeing things differently; tapping into your own resources and finding different ways of doing things.

Seeing the family as a place of production has so many benefits! You can even set up a business selling whatever it is you like to make (even letting your children sell cookies or bread to the neighbors) and learn about how you can save money using tax exemptions from that business. You will be surprised how many ways you can save money that way!

June 8, 2009 14 comments

abortion motherhood/family/parenting pregnancy/birth control

Abortion Brings Deeper Hurt to Women

by Kelly Crawford June 6, 2009

written by Kelly Crawford

I wanted to post this video for one reason…while pro-choice advocates love to rake the pro-life advocates over the coals for “not caring about women”, it is so important that the truth continues to be told–abortion–the “quick fix for hurting women”, (not to mention the undeniable murder of life) leaves women in a much worse state than they were before. Why is this fact shoved under the rug? If they really care about women, why are they so quick to suggest abortion while denying the longer-term, more harmful effects it will have?

Pro-life advocates care VERY much about women–we are not “pro-fetus” as one commenter recently accused (I deleted several comments accusing the pro-life readers here of being “non-educated idiots” who she absolutely believed would be “shunned by God”).

No, we’re pro-every life, even attesting that Dr. Tiller’s murder was NOT justified. We care deeply about hurting women who find themselves in difficult situations (we ARE some of those women). But we’re wise enough to know that killing babies within their wombs is not going to solve their problems but make them bigger.

June 6, 2009 23 comments

frugal living/saving money motherhood/family/parenting

The Enterprising Family: Frugal Decorating

by Kelly Crawford June 4, 2009

written by Kelly Crawford

Decorating is an area where you can be really creative and resourceful or you can break the bank. A woman must begin with the understanding that part of her job is to be as resourceful as possible with the family’s income. (Don’t forget: “A penny saved is MORE than a penny earned.”)

Many women–especially if she works, have rather lost this concept, feeling entitled, instead, to whatever luxury she desires. This is one area where “the heart of her husband should safely trust her”. The better I can manage our spending, the less my husband has to work.

I personally think a house where a woman has spent her creative energies is so welcoming. Stretch yourself! You are building a home AND instilling a sense of frugality in your children.

The good news about saving money with decorating is that recycling is in! To me, there’s nothing more satisfying and easy on the budget than finding new uses for old things. And because we live in such a disposable society, you can find just about anything at a real bargain if you’re looking.

Ideas are what you need! Many women are born with the natural creativity and eye to behold the beauty before it’s there; others need to see it before they can do it.

So, browse magazines (please buy them at thrift stores!) and the Internet for things that catch your attention, rip out/print off the picture, and tuck them in a notebook. Make a mental note of things to look for at yard sales, thrift shops, etc.

Keep it simple. Anyone’s taste can still be suited in a simple fashion. Less is usually best when decorating a home.

Use natural resources. Nothing is lovelier to me than when my daughters bring in a wild bouquet of flowers from the nearby field. We put them in small vases for bathrooms, large vases for the table, beside the beds–everywhere.

Here are some picture of other ideas to get your started:

The Window Table

I’ve posted this before–it is a table I made from an old window pane ($5) and some table legs we happen to have around. It now sits on my porch. I used some left over paint and because it was so rought, instead of sanding it down, I utilized it’s appearance and just brushed paint on and then wiped it off with a paper towel. The result is a “distressed” look.

Wheelbarrow Planter

“Here is a nice old Wheelbarrow with great colors and rust that’s been turned into a Planter. I picked it up at a garage sale for a dollar because according to the seller “the tubs full of little holes”. I’m thinking, great, it saves me from drilling a bunch of drain holes” From Junk Market

Baby Crib Spring Display

Look at this! It’s burlap interwoven into a baby bed spring found on the side of the road. Maybe a little eccentric, but pretty clever, nonetheless.

Junk Market

Fence Panel Re-Do

I love old fence panels. I’ve posted a picture of the one that hangs on our dining room wall, and I loved this look as well. Junk Market

Consider:

Decorating with old quilts and baskets (to help keep things orderly).
Painting an old picture frame instead of buying a new one.
Covering an old pillow with some fabric–even an unused sheet or article of clothing no longer being used.
Rearrange your furniture. It may not feel like the natural thing to do, but a sitting room is really best suited when the furniture is pulled in close together.
Decorate with books.
A coat of paint can work wonders with tired furniture.

There are so many ideas, but hopefully we’ll be inspired to just start looking at everything expecting it to have a little more potential before we go out to buy that perfect piece.

June 4, 2009 20 comments

motherhood/family/parenting pictures

Our Pea-Pickin’ Enterprise

by Kelly Crawford June 4, 2009

written by Kelly Crawford

peas-2

God is faithful in every way,

See it here in these peas we picked yesterday.

peas-41

A friend called to tell us their crops overflowed,

So we got the free food from the seeds that they sowed.

peas-3

Shellin’ peas on the porch with my children around

Most landed in place with a few on the ground.

We laughed and we talked and a few songs we sang,

Intermittently threw in a Veggie Tales refrain.

(Still don’t know what “I ‘Aint Got No Belly Button” has to do with peas *shrug*)

peas-1

We talked about blessings that flow from above,

We talked about hands that work out of love.

Tonight we’ll have peas and it seems for a while,

And we’ll eat every time with our pea-pickin’ smiles.

June 4, 2009 17 comments

frugal living/saving money motherhood/family/parenting

The Enterprising Family: “Using Your Gifts”

by Kelly Crawford June 3, 2009

written by Kelly Crawford

This is where I think being a keeper at home combined with the vision of the enterprising family gets exciting. To the outside, who can’t fathom “what women do all day at home”, there is a whole realm of life they just don’t know about. To those who have discovered it, it’s a luxury no career could woo them from.

Using your gifts to promote the industry of the family is a privilege that the freedom of being home affords. I think every woman has a gift–most have several, and whatever they are, there is an abundance of opportunity awaiting them. And once again…it’s more than just “my gifts right now”. The motions of our daily lives are shaping the generation under our feet.

“Give her the product of her hands, And let her works praise her in the gates.” Proverbs 31:31

Gifts can be used to minister and bless others, teach, save money, make money, grow and learn, contribute to society, leave a legacy–and very often, all those things combined!

I am so grateful for the opportunities the Lord has given me since I came home from teaching. I would have never had the time or energy to invest in my gifts and loves with the rigorous schedule I was imprisoned by before.

This list could be endless, but I’ll name a few ways, off the top of my head, that I see friends using their gifts to promote the enterprise of the family….

Giving lessons. Whatever it is you know how to do, there is someone else who would love to learn!

Our neighbors I posted about with the outrageous utilities savings (with 13 children) have a daughter who teaches several children in our community piano lessons. She (along with many of her siblings) are incredibly talented musicians. And now she does what she loves (and does it very well!), earns an income, and blesses us moms because she comes to our house for a very affordable price!

Our piano recital was Friday–such a blessing–and do you know her students represent only 4 families and there were 35 children among us! Afterwards we went back to their house for a cookout and a swim in the creek. Socialization at its best 😉

My friend Kathy also gives “Domestic Day Classes” which is not only a way to use her gifts to benefit her family, but I can’t tell you what a blessing it is to have someone willing to teach in this age where so many of us didn’t get the practical skills in our upbringing that maybe our grandmothers received.

She has also used her talents to create tools for those who want to learn practical skills from home–she has a Cake Decorating DVD, a Quilt Class, a Crocheting DVD and is working on another! She sells these on-line and everyone benefits! (I highly recommend them 😉

Cake Decorating. Many women have made nice incomes this way, and it is certainly a great bartering tool as well as money-saving.
Interior Design.
Writing.
Home business selling what you love to make.
Floral arranging.
Working in your husband’s business. Many home businesses are able to flourish only because a husband has a wife who is able and willing to help him with the logistics.
Artist.
Nursing Skills. Vickie West, who has been featured on some Franklin Springs films, is one of the most knowledgeable women in the area of medicine and home treatment we have ever seen. People come to her from all over her community for advice and treatment. They came and hung out in our neighborhood for a while and she was just a walking encyclopedia (and she and her girls are very musically talented!). BTW, if you don’t like blue grass–just skip it 😉 It’s a “down home” kind of song.

Encouragement. Don’t underestimate this gift–if you have it, USE IT! Cards, phone calls, a visit–so many are in need.

There are so many more! Keep in mind that while using your gifts always presents the possibility of earning income, it’s not the main thing. Your gifts and abilities should be viewed first in light of how they minister to your family and community.

Cooking, creating and beautifying your home are not small things–they represent a slice of the creativity and beauty of Christ and we literally minister to our families and those who come into our homes by the simplest of these acts.

Here’s a brief example of a girl, Eliza Pickney, (who lived in Colonial times)whose gifts and vision had a huge impact on her state’s economic industry…

Inspired by her readings of Virgil, Eliza was convinced that the climate in South Carolina was akin to the climate in Italy. If indigo could be grown in Italy, it could also grow in South Carolina. Therefore, she experimented with different indigo seeds year after year. Year after year the winter frosts destroyed her crops.

Finally, a crop of indigo succeeded. Generously, Eliza distributed the seeds from the harvest to her neighbors. The tougher strain endured the cold and a new colonial industry was born.

Indigo (as a dye) proved more beneficial to Carolina than the mines of Mexico or Peru were to Spain…. The source of this great wealth … was a result of an experiment by a mere girl.

What are your gifts? How can they be used to promote your family’s enterprising ministry?

June 3, 2009 5 comments

frugal living/saving money motherhood/family/parenting

The Enterprising Family: “Natural Resources and Bartering”

by Kelly Crawford June 2, 2009

written by Kelly Crawford

As we begin “The Enterprising Family” series, I wanted to add a quick thought…some of the ideas we try to implement may not necessarily save us a bundle of money, but JUST AS IMPORTANT as being resourceful is the value of a foundational concept that we want our children to grow up with.

Namely, that God is the ultimate Provider (and we want them to see that in as many tangible forms as possible), and that the more self-sufficient a family is, the more freedom it has. So we don’t measure everything solely by how much money we’re saving/making.

The first topic in the series is using our natural resources and bartering. (Many of these topics overlap, so I’ll do my best to categorize them–very difficult though!)

This will vary for every family according the resources available in your area. But I thought I’d throw out a few things we’re thinking through and/or implementing, and I hope you offer your suggestions as well.

Free Food. Do you have food that grows naturally in your area that could be harvested for FREE? Our favorite free food is blackberries. I know, lots of work. But work is good, remember? 😉 We love making pies and cobblers, blackberry butter, blackberry jam and blackberry syrup. These homemade treats make great gifts too. (Virtually anything we can produce is a gift possibility.)
Garden. Growing your own food is the best use of a natural resource and has dividends far beyond saving money. Health and good work opportunity abound, but also the ability to see God provide in a miraculous way just does something to the soul. You don’t have to have much space at all to grow food. You can even grow small plants (herbs maybe) inside the house.
Expanding Food Usage. My daughter is this very day, working excitedly on an all-natural bug repellent using the lemon balm plants she has been growing in her little garden. (Our neighbors let us in on the secret of lemon balm as a bug repellent.) Here is another clever way my neighbor uses the mint leaves they grow:

Cool Mint Towels

Crush mint leaves and sprinkle them on a small, wet towel. Roll them up and stick them in the fridge. On a super hot day, unroll them, shake off the leaves and drape them around your neck to squeeze in a few more outside hours!

Bees. Consider getting into the bee business! From a bee hive alone, you get a wonderful, healthy sugar-substitute (that’s very expensive otherwise) to be used in all kinds of ways. Plus, the bees wax can prove valuable in several different ways. We’ve been using it to make some simple skin products (lip balm, baby salve, etc.) and you can also make candles from it. (We don’t have bees, we get it from a friend. My Dad “did bees” when I was younger…I would love to do that again.)
Chickens. Another great project, especially for kids. And fresh eggs are so much healthier, I think! We’ve had hens in the past, but are gearing up to build another small coop. Look on-line for information about how to do it. (It’s a cheap start-up project.)
Flowers. We love decorating with wild flowers, and sometimes they make nice dried bouquets to keep for a while. (Tie up with a ribbon, hang upside down, then place on a shelf.) We’ve also made great use of wild flowers and ferns to make cards, framed gifts and candles. (More pics. in the “homemade gifts category.) We press them in a heavy book and then glue them on card stock. I used pressed ferns one year to embellish a poem I wrote and framed. And then as a gift for one family, I put the ferns on a piece of card stock printed with the family’s last name in the middle, and each member’s name and birthday all around it. The right font and frame and the added ferns made it a very well-received gift.
Pine Cones. For starting fires.
Pine Straw. For mulching beds and gardens.
Veggie Scraps. For composting.
Animal manure. For fertilizer.
Trees. If you happen to be building…this is the main beam-a cedar tree trunk-that supports my parent’s balcony. When my Dad first put it in, our job was to strip the bark off. At the silly age of 15 I thought his idea was ridiculous. (“Like, I can’t believe we’re gonna have a tree in our house.”) Now I love it.

Clay. When I was young, I remember making moldable clay out of clay/dirt we found in the ground. Then I ran across a man who was making a fortune out of red clay sculptures.
Rocks. If you are artistic, painting rocks can create all kinds of possibilities.

Plantain. (This will also fit into the “medicinal” category I plan on covering.) Plantain is a bountifully-growing, common plant with great medicinal properties, the most common of which is treating wasp/ant/bug bites. You can make a tincture, or you can do what we do–run outside, yank it up, chew it up and spit it onto the victim’s wound 😉

Remember to barter! Just as some of these ideas could turn into great gifts, they also make great bartering tools. We’ve lost the pleasure and benefit of bartering! We don’t have to produce everything, but when your friends and neighbors are busy at production, it expands everyone’s resources!

Currently in our neighborhood we have several who milk cows (we milk my Dad’s), several raising chicken eggs and meat chickens, goats, gardens, and all sorts of homemade goodies. Bartering can be an invaluable resource for a productive circle.

There are more, but I don’t want to overload the post. Besides, I know you must have some good ideas waiting to be heard!

“Be studious in your profession, and you will be learned. Be industrious and frugal, and you will be rich. Be sober and temperate, and you will be healthy. Be in general virtuous, and you will be happy. At least, you will, by such conduct, stand the best chance for such consequences.” Benjamin Franklin

June 2, 2009 31 comments

Newer Posts

Older Posts

motherhood/family/parenting

$6.97

Post Category

Author's Picks

Latest posts