It's been fun Ms. Astyk: The Weekly Challenge Update

Well after 3 years of living like a pioneer, With some sadness I am saying goodbye to Independence Days Challenge.

Why? Well nothing drastic mind you. Miss Astyck is coming up with a new challenge, called The Anyway Project, that goes to the next step dealing with the Infrastructure of your home/home stead/farm whatever. And I ain’t sure I got what it takes to take that on!

Anyway, I will still be doing updates from the other challenges that others rope me into allow me to participate in. And I am sure I will jump into the next challenge with both feet and no brain.

I have many things to be thankful for in these Challenges. Ms. Astyk has gotten me to get involved with my community. And to start gardening again. And many other challenges like Melinda’ Growing Challenge hone these efforts. And y’all know about my love hate relationship with The Crunchy one. Thanks to her I am freezing my butt off every winter. But her challenges are also great. I learn through all of them. They help make more self sufficient both economically and physically. In particular The ID Challenge and the others have taught or forced me to:

• Garden
• Think about were my food comes from
• Re Cycle
• Re-Use
• Re-Duce
• Re-Pair
• Preserve my own food.
• Make my own gifts
• Think about others who are in the Food Battle in the world and ways to help
• Think about others in my community

Anyway the last update for the ID Challenge…

1. Plant something: Started some Sprouts; Planted some more garlic at the allotment
2. Harvest something: Sprouts; carrots from the allotment
3. Preserve something: Boiled the Thanksgiving half Turkey I had, made soup and soup stock and froze; froze turkey meat; made dog food out of stuffing and gravy
4. Waste Not: Found some plastic trays that will be great for seed starting next season
5: Want not Bought an Electric throw blanket so I could shut the heat off in my bedroom at night

6. Preparation and Storage: Still working on shed
7. Build Community Food Systems: Nothing much this session
8. Eat the food (cook something new): Sprouts in sandwiches, soup from carrots