Kate Muller wrote:
Jeremy Baker wrote:?
That’s a tough situation to be in . Good luck and best wishes. I just take miniature sized bites at a time these days. And get a surprising amount done.
This is exactly what I have spent the last 2 years learning to do. In my case I have a connective tissue disorder called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome.
I wrestled with reality for 36 years, and I'm happy to say I finally won out over it.
Ryan Hobbs wrote:How do you do it? Today I was fine in the morning and then completely useless.
...
How do I homestead with these problems? How do I design the homestead with permie principles to work for me? How do I make it work so that if I have a bad day or even a bad week, that it isn't the end of the world? I know someone is going to say I have to figure it out myself, but I'm in terra incognito here, a road map would be awfully useful for choosing a way forward. What are my options here?
No rain, no rainbow.
Bonnie Johnson wrote:I keep telling myself, "Rome wasn't built in a day." I try to set goals but if I don't get to those goals, I don't let that be the end of a world. Small bites. Do what you can when you can with what you have.
...
...
you can do it. Yeah, you have to believe that you can do it. One small chunk at a time.
And for the person talking about freezing hoses. I live in North central Ohio have hoses everywhere from my animals. In the winter the hoses are off the hydrants so the hydrants won't freeze. I have invested in some of those light weight hoses some of them even collapse. The water drains out of the them really easy and I can carry them into the basement of the house so they stay warm and don't freeze. I have a 35 footer I can easily carry with one hand after it is drained. Heck, I have a 75 footer that I can carry with one hand when it is drained. Makes life so much easier in the winter. I use regular hoses in the summer but I use the lightweight ones in the winter. I love them and they make life so much easier.
You Can Do It.
Bonnie
Bonnie
Bonnie Johnson wrote:I keep telling myself, "Rome wasn't built in a day." I try to set goals but if I don't get to those goals, I don't let that be the end of a world. Small bites. Do what you can when you can with what you have.
This is for Ryan. Cooped chickens are at the mercy of you feeding them and watering them. Unless you have automatic waterers and feeders that hold lot of feed. Free range chickens and other poultry aren't at the mercy of you taking care of them quite as much, but they do need protection from predators. If I were you I would consider investing in automatic solar powered coop doors that would let your poultry range out in the morning when the sun comes up the door opens. At night when the birds come in the door closes. They sell those doors in a lot of places like on amazon. You can buy the parts you need and make it yourself cheaper. I make a cheap chicken/poultry waterer with a bottom of a plastic barrel cut to adult chicken height with an automatic float valve and a hose to the water hydrant. If you don't have a hydrant and are catching water in a barrel or tote, you can still hook up a float valve to a water pan or barrel bottom. If you get ducks, you probably don't want a waterer with an automatic float valve as ducks will just keep the water flowing especially if they can jump in a swim or attempt to swim and bathe. You can get large poultry feeders that hold 25 lbs and more of feed or you can build some that people are showing on pinterest using a tote and PVC pipe fittings. I haven't tried those yet but I might in the future. I tried Muscovy ducks. Never had one roost on anything ever. Never had one fly into a tree. Never had one scratch through stuff like a chicken. If you let them get over a year old they are so tuff you can't eat them in my personal experience. I sold all of mine. Two of the drakes would gang up on any new drake and have their way with him......over and over and over. You mileage may vary with muscovy ducks.
Bonnie Johnson wrote: This is for Carla Burke. You are thinking you have to move a whole bag. When I was a kid of about 8 I had chickens and a horse. I had to take care of them. So my parents took me to the feed store bought a bag of laying mash for my chickens and had the very nice guys at the local farm equity load it in the trunk of the car. When we got home, I was told I had to move the feed and feed the chickens as it was my job since i wanted the chickens. I think my parents thought I wouldn't have the chickens much longer as there was no way I was going to be able to move that bag of feed. I am pretty sure it close to 100 lbs had to be at least 80 lbs since it was one of those big plasticy burlap bags that was longer than normal 50 lb bags. I did manage to get the bag sitting up vertically in the trunk but I couldn't manage to lift it up out of the trunk. So, I went and got some container/bags/ buckets and my feed scoop. I scoop feed out of the bag into my buckets/bags and containers in amounts I could lift and move to the trash can I was going to store the feed in. I would fill a bucket or bag and then take it to the trash can and dump it in. Then I would go back and do some more until I had that bag down to weight where I could lift it and carry it to the trash can and dump it in. Over the years, I have had various injuries that have forced me to return to this way of thinking. Broken arm, hurt back, crushed knee. My husband travels for his job so I have to do things myself. So save your old bags. Take them to a the car. Scoop half of the new bag or a third of the new bag, what ever it takes to make it easy into a extra bags and carry them into the the feed storage area or container. If you need help carrying even the small bags, get a dolly or a wheel barrow or a lawn cart.. This is doing things smart. Not everyone can heft a 50lb bag onto their shoulder and walk with it for tenth of a mile or a 100 yards or 50 yards. I am blessed that I can at my age of 56. Yes, all that scooping may take longer, but you do what you have to do.
you can do it. Yeah, you have to believe that you can do it. One small chunk at a time.
Bonnie Johnson wrote:And for the person talking about freezing hoses. I live in North central Ohio have hoses everywhere from my animals. In the winter the hoses are off the hydrants so the hydrants won't freeze. I have invested in some of those light weight hoses some of them even collapse. The water drains out of the them really easy and I can carry them into the basement of the house so they stay warm and don't freeze. I have a 35 footer I can easily carry with one hand after it is drained. Heck, I have a 75 footer that I can carry with one hand when it is drained. Makes life so much easier in the winter. I use regular hoses in the summer but I use the lightweight ones in the winter. I love them and they make life so much easier.
You Can Do It.
Bonnie
Bonnie
The only thing...more expensive than education is ignorance.~Ben Franklin
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Lori Ziemba wrote:
Kate Muller wrote:
Jeremy Baker wrote:?
That’s a tough situation to be in . Good luck and best wishes. I just take miniature sized bites at a time these days. And get a surprising amount done.
This is exactly what I have spent the last 2 years learning to do. In my case I have a connective tissue disorder called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome.
I have it, too. It's a bitch, isn't it?
Disciple of Tarzan
Jason Hernandez wrote:In my case, it is hypothyroidism. Despite my profile listing Dominican Republic as my location, I am at the moment in California; my VA doctor is still trying to figure out the right dose for my thyroid replacement.
Hanna Sanders wrote:I have found this thread so comforting! I see now that it’s not just me! I, like a few of you, have ehlers-danlos syndrome. I hurt ALL the time and have constant fatigue. Problem is, my mind is hyper. I’m guessing a lot of you are that way as well, or you wouldn’t choose to be a homesteader... I have sooo many thing I want to do, and I try to do, but my body can’t keep up. I truly enjoy the work, but I often find myself over-doing it, and regretting it later.
Kate Muller wrote:
Lori Ziemba wrote:
Kate Muller wrote:
Jeremy Baker wrote:?
That’s a tough situation to be in . Good luck and best wishes. I just take miniature sized bites at a time these days. And get a surprising amount done.
This is exactly what I have spent the last 2 years learning to do. In my case I have a connective tissue disorder called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome.
I have it, too. It's a bitch, isn't it?
Seriously a bitch. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that I am not the only zebra that has found permaculture a good hack for being able to continue doing the things we want to do.
Would anyone be interested in a homesteading thread about homesteading with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome(EDS)? It would be about what and how we do things as we maintain, expand the homestead, and slowly get the place ready for retirement and my continued physical decline.
Nicole Alderman wrote:
Hanna Sanders wrote:I have found this thread so comforting! I see now that it’s not just me! I, like a few of you, have ehlers-danlos syndrome. I hurt ALL the time and have constant fatigue. Problem is, my mind is hyper. I’m guessing a lot of you are that way as well, or you wouldn’t choose to be a homesteader... I have sooo many thing I want to do, and I try to do, but my body can’t keep up. I truly enjoy the work, but I often find myself over-doing it, and regretting it later.
Kate Muller wrote:
Lori Ziemba wrote:
Kate Muller wrote:
Jeremy Baker wrote:?
That’s a tough situation to be in . Good luck and best wishes. I just take miniature sized bites at a time these days. And get a surprising amount done.
This is exactly what I have spent the last 2 years learning to do. In my case I have a connective tissue disorder called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome.
I have it, too. It's a bitch, isn't it?
Seriously a bitch. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that I am not the only zebra that has found permaculture a good hack for being able to continue doing the things we want to do.
Would anyone be interested in a homesteading thread about homesteading with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome(EDS)? It would be about what and how we do things as we maintain, expand the homestead, and slowly get the place ready for retirement and my continued physical decline.
I'm not quite at the Ehlers-Danlos degree, but I also have hypermobility and some of the other ailments that go along with it (lightheartedness, Chronic Fatigue, joints trying to fall apart, etc). My husband and children are also all hypermobile. I would love to see a thread on this!
The only thing...more expensive than education is ignorance.~Ben Franklin
Learn to make cheese on a personal sized scale, with our own Kate Downham!
You missed the 2023 Certified Garden Master course? Here's the LIVE Stream
Tomorrow's another day...
homestead houligan: one who lives on any homestead and tends to break the "rules" or practices of a traditional homestead. ex:using practices such as permaculture on a homestead. homesteadhouligan.com
"In the end, there are no one-size-fits-all solutions to the challenges of (homesteading). . . It is better to grow one potted tomato plant on the patio than none at all. It is better to have a small suburban garden than none at all. It is better to keep a few potted herbs under a grow light than none at all. It is better to do something rather than nothing. By starting one step at a time, you may be amazed at where the journey can take you."
Chapter 6, "Food Self-Sufficiency: Feeding Ourselves," 5 Acres & A Dream The Book.
Blog: 5 Acres & A Dream
Books: Kikobian Books | Permies Digital Market
Nicky McGrath wrote:This thread is really quite wonderful, and I couldn't add to the insightful suggestions of those with such meaningful experience.
I yo-yo back and forth between understanding that I'm "doing enough", and feeling like a complete failure at life. Just in reading this thread it's a real battle in my head not to feel like a failure compared to those that have to endure more then myself. I know it's the deceptive nature of depression, but it's not always possible to turn a logical assessment into a better emotional response.
I really try to practice not judging others or making too many assumptions; I think it's probably easier to find that grace and forgiveness in yourself when you apply it to others as well. I have definitely met individuals who have suffered hardships and seem to feel that everyone else therefore have no excuses for their own shortcomings. And I have met people who are incredibly kind and generous when life has been less so to them.
Ok, I've decided to add one more thing (it's probably taken me at least 30 minutes just to decided on those few sentences!)
I have found that some experts, from books or online, on sustainable living/farming/homesteading do push a version of "devote everything to this and you can do it" mentality. So far I have noticed that approach espoused by men particularly so I wonder if it's a bit of that "tough it out" masculine ideal. Either way, it's made me feel less-then before and I've tried hard to separate it from otherwise great ideas. I guess I just agree with everyone else that we're not running anyone else race. And really, you don't have to run at all, a walk or a wheelchair ride gets you there too.
Nicky McGrath wrote:
I yo-yo back and forth between understanding that I'm "doing enough", and feeling like a complete failure at life.
....
I have found that some experts, from books or online, on sustainable living/farming/homesteading do push a version of "devote everything to this and you can do it" mentality.
Gardens in my mind never need water https://permies.com/t/75353/Gardens-Mind
Castles in the air never have a wet basement https://permies.com/t/75355/Maison-du-Bricolage-house
Well made buildings are fractal -- equally intelligent design at every level of detail.
No rain, no rainbow.
Natalie Lawrence wrote:
Some of my solutions I have used...Small, square foot beds for higher maintenance plants, raised beds, gravity drip irrigation from rainwater barrels, companion planting. The black raspberries are my sacred Preying mantis hatching sites. I haven't done livestock being in the city. I let a lot of things go wild. Tomatoes and pumpkins growing from piles of compost aren't organized or orderly but they're still tasty. I eat my weeds, so there's motivation to pick them. I plant heirlooms and hoard seeds, I scatter and plant seeds in their respective area whenever I can, if it's not the right time of year or they're three years old I will plant them just in case, because better planted than forgotten and I forget everything. Usually I get nice surprises. As everyone has said..things happen when they happen. If I do it two days late and had to make up for a bunch of damage I could have prevented..it's still done. There's no other way it would have happened, there's no one else who would have done it. It is what it is. If something is picky and dying or the project just isn't going well at all, roadblock after roadblock for me is just a sign I'm trying to force the world to work my way and that it's time to look for a path that's trying to make itself instead.
Gardens in my mind never need water https://permies.com/t/75353/Gardens-Mind
Castles in the air never have a wet basement https://permies.com/t/75355/Maison-du-Bricolage-house
Well made buildings are fractal -- equally intelligent design at every level of detail.
Natalie Lawrence wrote:Thank you for the post Ryan and thank you everyone who responded. It's nice to hear from others that stuggle with this and that it can be done. I have also been treated for various mental health and physical disorders for years, ASD/PTSD/a list of related issues. For me it's not a question of how do I do this with a disability. Doing this is my solution to my disability because I can't do anything else very well! I belong in my garden better than anywhere else it seems and it never judges my issues and just breathing around the plants is like a lifeline when Im stuck and can't talk or move well. I'm in the middle of a stressful move and reading all this has really reassured me it will work out and I'll be okay. Thank you again everyone.
Ryan it sounds like you have some amazing plans for your food forest already, some really good ideas for building your life around what you can do. That's a lot of interesting business ideas! I have a million too, it's easy to get tangled up in them all sometimes. Which one will you start with?
Some of my solutions I have used...Small, square foot beds for higher maintenance plants, raised beds, gravity drip irrigation from rainwater barrels, companion planting. The black raspberries are my sacred Preying mantis hatching sites. I haven't done livestock being in the city. I let a lot of things go wild. Tomatoes and pumpkins growing from piles of compost aren't organized or orderly but they're still tasty. I eat my weeds, so there's motivation to pick them. I plant heirlooms and hoard seeds, I scatter and plant seeds in their respective area whenever I can, if it's not the right time of year or they're three years old I will plant them just in case, because better planted than forgotten and I forget everything. Usually I get nice surprises. As everyone has said..things happen when they happen. If I do it two days late and had to make up for a bunch of damage I could have prevented..it's still done. There's no other way it would have happened, there's no one else who would have done it. It is what it is. If something is picky and dying or the project just isn't going well at all, roadblock after roadblock for me is just a sign I'm trying to force the world to work my way and that it's time to look for a path that's trying to make itself instead.
No rain, no rainbow.
Natalie Lawrence wrote:It must be a fairly logical solution then if so many have it. I was reading several other older posts about autism and aspergers last night and there seemed to be a lot of us diagnosed and un. That's reassuring I think.
Hell yeah, sounds like you've got it all planned out! Very exciting. That looks like a perfect shop building. Like a TARDIS is good for sure, since it sounds like you might be doing a version of time travel with everything you're going to be making and after you get alternate fuels and electrionics going who knows maybe space too. Very cool.
No rain, no rainbow.
Carina Hilbert wrote:This thread has given me so much to think about! Thank you!
I'm still pretty new here, long-time lurker, but I have fibromyalgia and a bunch of other health nastiness that has me disabled. We're expanding the garden this year (again), which means many more seeds started, and we have ducks, which means I have to take care of them every day, and don't get me started on how much work teens are. ;)
My big job right now (other than trying a modified version of the Autoimmune Protocol for Lent to see if I really am allergic to more tree nuts than the ones I already know about, etc.) is working on the negative messaging in my head. Tonight, for example. I tried a new recipe (sweet potato gnocchi), and it was a disaster. So, dinner wasn't ready on time or, in the end, at all, so everyone has had to just grab what leftovers they could. I couldn't clear out the area of the duck pen I wanted to, but I got some of it. I couldn't get to both grocery stores in the plans for today, but I made it to one and got the needed bread flour. Okay is good enough. Some is good enough. Anything at all on my bad pain days is good enough. At least, this is what I tell myself every day now.
No rain, no rainbow.
Carina Hilbert wrote:
Tonight, for example. I tried a new recipe (sweet potato gnocchi), and it was a disaster. So, dinner wasn't ready on time or, in the end, at all, so everyone has had to just grab what leftovers they could. I couldn't clear out the area of the duck pen I wanted to, but I got some of it. I couldn't get to both grocery stores in the plans for today, but I made it to one and got the needed bread flour. Okay is good enough. Some is good enough.
Ryan Hobbs wrote:
I deal with things like this too. I'm as frustrated as you are. I also have to tell myself: There is always tomorrow to try again. Some days are just a bust for physical work from apathy from me. So I do something creative instead. If you have a lot of goals, you can either look at it from the perspective of having too much to do, or you can think you have something else to do when things don't work out.
Carina Hilbert wrote:
Ryan Hobbs wrote:
I deal with things like this too. I'm as frustrated as you are. I also have to tell myself: There is always tomorrow to try again. Some days are just a bust for physical work from apathy from me. So I do something creative instead. If you have a lot of goals, you can either look at it from the perspective of having too much to do, or you can think you have something else to do when things don't work out.
Oh, there is always more to do. Lol! Always! That's a good point about just switching to something else. I mean, that's what I do with my knitting and spinning projects, so it makes sense to do them with the homesteading projects.
No rain, no rainbow.
Carina Hilbert wrote:I will say, moving to a house that's still in the city we need to live in but is quieter and has space for ducks and gardens and trees and even deer and wild turkeys, that has massively helped all of us with stress loads. Having space to get away from the crowds that's quiet is such a needed thing.
No rain, no rainbow.
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