Brittany Marks

I tried Hopi Red Dye Amaranth in Upstate NY. The seeds are tiny and I just spread them out in my lettuce garden. They got good sun and after established I stopped paying any attention to them. They self-sowed and I have had them for two additional years without planting. I don't have too many expectations because most of my greatest gardening accomplishments are experimental at best. A one-time investment of $3 for a seed packet has gone a long way. They are beautiful, low maintenance, and useful! I think I'll try another type in the future.

I'm bad at things like this too...

Hello northeast neighbor. I'm in rural upstate NY. I have a vision that's not so different: I own 7 acres and a 3 season school bus cabin (perfecting the heat/ventilation systems and getting right with codes). I'm currently working a couple of jobs and living in a small apartment where I can walk to work, etc. I work as a teacher and outdoor guide ( sometimes a waitress when I need extra $). I'm 38 and divorced. I have an 8-year-old child who lives with me during the school year. I love to play outside and explore the outdoors.  Inside I like to read non-fiction books, listen to music, and make stuff.
I'm a bit in hibernation mode for the winter and looking for maybe a pen pal to start: Someone I can try to make laugh and share permaculture ideas with. My future goal would be to meet a partner. This summer (every summer)  I have time off from my mom job while my son visits family in GA. For most of the summer, I am free to travel and entertain traveling guests.  My summer goal is to create a stone foundation for a round cordwood cabin. I also will need to process the wood. I imagine myself helping a few friends with projects this summer and asking for their help when I'm ready to start building/processing timbers.  

Message me if you'd like to talk
at brittilyn@aol.com
-Brit

Here is a share:
I have wanted to try online dating for about four years now. I've looked at sites, reviewed many profiles, and examined what I want and have to offer. Maybe I've been creepy just creeping around in the background, but it took a lot of "research" for me to feel comfortable making a profile and communicating on a dating site. After scouring the internet for well over a year, I decided that I wanted to start a conversation with a man whose profile I kept coming back to. We shared a lot of common goals and interests and he appeared to live a life I could see myself joining. We messaged first a few times and then he wanted to speak to me on the phone. He even wanted to meet me at my location( I declined). I looked forward to our conversations. About a month into our communication, he told me I needed to know he wanted multiple partners ( not on his profile)  and that he was not physically attracted to my body ( I have a thin/athletic frame). He did let me know that he could see us gardening and working the land together and would consider an intimate relationship if I would cater to his interest in feederism (look it up; I had to). I am thankful he told me before we met and spent time together. However, I think that is very important information that he could have put in his profile.  I felt really irresponsible that I gave him personal details about my job, my general location, and mostly that I had a young son. I don't think he listened at all to what I wanted in life or a relationship and his requests sounded like some sort of enslavement. At times it makes for a good dark joke on myself around friends: How many vegetables would I have to grow myself coupled with my metabolism rate in order for him to find me attractive?...a very large number.  
I haven't lost my want to try again because I'm still regularly looking at the community page on Permies, but I hope the next time I find a guy my kind of weird (eating invasive species and composting his old undies).

Thank you...so many ideas! I'm already starting to sort my hearth rock collection!

Hello All,
I am wondering if anyone has considered or has attempted a rocket mass heater in a tiny home/RV/skoolie. I am located in Northern New York and will have a cold winter! I played around with a tent stove in my skoolie and enjoyed the smell of campfire while being heated this past winter. I lived in an apartment and spent time in my skoolie on my raw land when I could. Not sure if my skoolie will become an accessory dwelling as it is currently off the road and semi permanent. It is road worthy with a tune-up. The woodstove I used was a Winnerwell Nomad intended for my Springbar tent. I used it in the skoolie and piped the smoke out through an open bus window. I need to create a more efficient and "breathe safe" option as I would like to use the bus as a dwelling for this fall and possibly the winter. When I purchased the bus it already had bench seat/storage area that I think would make a great frame for a mass heater. I am afraid of too much smoke or creating a fire hazard. I have a lil one and safety is a priority! Any suggestions?

CHEERS!-
Brit