This is an exciting time of year. My husband has tilled up the soil and we planted our crops and they are beginning to bloom. I can for the coming year veggies and make  jams and jellies. We plant what we eat;corn,peas,black eye peas,tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, 2 different lettuces,squash, cucumbers,green beans;pole and bush,yellow and Roma.okra,egg plants,green,red, and yellow peppers,plus banana and chili peppers,onions cabbages,cauliflower,broccoli,,Irish potatoes, and later in a few weeks sweet potatoes.We will also be putting in collard and turnips in late summer.

I have a large herb garden;basil.cilantro,aslope, (also known as the bible plant),thyme, rosemary,sage,parsley,oregano,catnip.bee and lemon balm,mint,chocolate mint,lavender and lambs ear. In addition we have pear and plum trees, and a strawberry bed.

I figure out each year how much I have to can and how much I can swap for things that we do not grow like carrots, lemons, garlic,apples, and blueberries.We have a small root cellar for the potatoes,onions,and cabbages.

I keep a record book each year on how much we yield of each crop,how much I can or freeze(not a lot of freezing usually the collards and turnip leaves and pumpkin if we get any in trade). I also put down if I have to replace any canning supplies. I keep extra gaskets and plugs for my 2 canners,I buy off season sales of lids. The rims are reusable unless they show rust. Vinegar,sure jell;canning salt,sugar, all go down in my book. I have dozens of jars of all sizes so no worry on replacing any of them for a long time.

Compare prices in stores of store caned veggies,jellies, etc. against what you spend,the savings can be anywhere from 100 to hundreds of dollars each year.And you know what you are eating cause you made it. You know what is in your fruits and veggies. It takes a while if you are new, you have to figure in the cost of the pressure canner,pickle crock(I use a crock from an old crock pot) and water bath canner start up jars, and other canning equipment but usually that first year pays for itself.

We keep a small flock of chickens(all old maids no  rooster :<))and I also write down the expenses. What eggs we do not eat I sell.I sell our eggs large brown ones for $1.75 a dozen. Not a huge profit but enough to pay for the feed and bedding for our girls.Their coop was built from lumber and windows that ed salvaged from different places,traded for the chicken wire for the covering of the coop,left over shingles for their roof and a screen door and solid door as well. They free range during the day but are locked up safely at night.

So, if you are doing a garden this year or thinking about getting some lovely hens,keep track of all that you spend, compare what you spend and what you saved year after year. You will be pleased at the savings and satisfaciton of home gardening and chicken keeping

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 When I was growing up I never knew we were poor. We had a nice house and farm in the 50's that my mom,dad and me co-owned with my married brother and his family,there were plenty of rooms,I had my own small bedroom and we never lacked for food or clothing. Everything was bright and neat and until I hit junior high and had one of the town kids tell me I was a poor farmer's kid I always thought we were rich! There were about a dozen of us that were bussed into town to go to school and we all came from farms. We belonged to the 4H and our folks belonged to the Grange and there were parties and dances and all sorts of stuff.Never could figure out why that snooty girl made fun of me,she didn't look very happy and was constantly poking fun at us "farm brats." Fell sorry for her and others like her now that I am grown up.

My mother and sister in law were great needle women and she made my clothes and her 6 kids clothes right on through to high school.Years later I found out that lots of the pretty blouses and skirts were remade ones from outgrown clothing bought at thrift shops and yard sales. The boys things were also remade mostly from outgrown items.Even when I was working at my after school job and could buy my own clothes, I still liked what Lucy and my mom made for me. That is how I learned to sew was from watching them do their magic.

I make all of Ed's shirts especially the flannel ones. About every 2 years I make him a dozen flannel shirts. Because he is a welder sparks can sometimes land on his shirt and even cause small fires that leaves holes. While he wears masks and gloves and aprons, things like this do happen.

For the past several years I have gotten great flannel for a dollar a yard at walmart. It is very durable and washes well and doesn't fade,I keep an extra yard of flannel in each design so that if a hole is too big for a regular repair, I can remove that section and make a new one such as a sleeve or pocket and resew it back in. I also remove  good collars and cuffs and pockets from any shirts that are too tattered or stained to fix. If a shirt(flannel or otherwise)has some good material in the back and sides, it can be used for   various things;backing or fillers for potholders,patches, and a couple of times I had enough to make a turtle,dog, kitty, or bunny toy for the kids when they were little.And of course I save the buttons.

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