Homestead Sissies

Three sisters resettling the Ozarks.

[homesteadsissies]

We've decided to move our blog from Wordpress to Substack! Hopefully we'll get back to our regular updates in the next week or so.

We're Taking a Break

[homesteadsissies]

The folks at Living Traditions live just about an hour and a half from where we are, so I was especially interested to see what irrigation system works best for them. After watching their half-hour video, I was sold on the Master Gardener Kit from The Grower's Solution.

Weekly Update: 7.5.25

[homesteadsissies]

Our garden production seems to increasing every day. We have several zucchini and a few cherry tomatoes in the fridge. We have several batches of pesto in the freezer. There are jalapenos ready to pick on the vines. Yesterday, we sisters and our sister-in-law spent the rainy afternoon making 14 quarts of pickles -- 10 quarts of refrigerator pickles and four quarts canned.

Weekly Update: 6.28.25

[homesteadsissies]

As I worked, the fireflies came out, making the balmy air sparkle all around me. It was a moment of pure beauty, and I felt enveloped in it. As hot and humid our summer days get, there is nothing like an Ozarks summer night.

Weekly Update: 6.21.25

[homesteadsissies]

The soil in that area of our garden has a bit more clay than we are used to seeing, so we brought top soil from other areas of our property to fill around the roots. We also worked in some coffee grounds and a little compost to add nutrients and lower the pH a bit. It was so exciting to see all 10 Concord grape vines planted and staked by evening.

Weekly Update: 6.14.25

[homesteadsissies]

Bottling at night was quite an experience, involving hauling heavy buckets around in the dark, using flash lights, and working by rather dim light in the bunkhouse. We all joked that we felt a little like bootleggers. We come by it naturally after all -- it's part of how our great-great-grandpa Thomas Roland Mills and his sons provided for their families during prohibition.

Weekly Update: 6.7.25

[homesteadsissies]

This week passed in a rain-splattered blur of coffee and messy buns. It was a string of early mornings and late nights. Busy days in the bunkhouse were followed by long nights working on plans and supply lists.

Weekly Update: 5.31.25

[homesteadsissies]

I poured water around the pepper plants, angling the old watering can so that I didn't splash the leaves. It was a relief to see the plants in the ground -- as weeks of crazy had slowed us down on our garden. As the sun began to set, I soaked in the sight of all our seedlings finally planted. It had been a long day and lots of work, but the effort was more than worth it.

Weekly Update: 5.24.25

[homesteadsissies]

It was a well-rounded week, which I always find satisfying and fullfilling. There is something about working yourself to the point of exaustion that is invigorating to the soul.

Weekly Update: 5.17.25

[homesteadsissies]

It was an overflowing week. We were busy in what felt like every possible direction. From breaking up soil to taking care of puppies, from staining floor planks to making beer, our days were full.

Weekly Update: 5.10.25

[homesteadsissies]

It was a drippy, rainy week. Several days were so wet, we didn't even try to go outside. Instead, the weather gave us the gift of slowing us down a bit. When we would usually be rushing ahead to accomplish the next task, we spent time organizing, strategizing, and planning.

Weekly Update: 5.3.25

[homesteadsissies]

Tears pricked at my eyes as I sat crumpled on our bathroom floor, head pounding as the nauseau hit me in waves. It was a cool, beautiful Monday morning, but the weight of everything needing to be done and my inability to do it hung over me like a cloud.

Weekly Update: 4.26.25

[homesteadsissies]

Food is a unique blessing like that. We all have to eat, so making time to cook is a non-negotiable. This week's commemorative meals required enjoyable moments of preparing the food together, talking, and remembering happy times gone by.

Weekly Update: 4.19.24

[homesteadsissies]

Springtime has soaked our bit of earth, turning it greener every day and shaping the way we live.

Weekly Update: 4.12.25

[homesteadsissies]

So life continues on, winding its way in unexpected directions like the wild grapes tangling our forested acres. The wild side of providence moves ahead, slow and strong, splashing green onto the trees and upending our plans. All we can do is embrace each day's gifts and give thanks -- even in seasons where we feel overwhelmed.

Weekly Update: 4.5.25

[homesteadsissies]

For those of us in the northern hemisphere, there is a certain poetry about the Christian season of Lent. It begins in late February or early March, when the winter's long grasp seems almost perminent. The word Lent comes from the old English "lencten," which is of Germanic origin and literally means "spring."

Weekly Update: 3.29.25

[homesteadsissies]

Spring is the windiest season for most of the U.S. -- a fact that has felt particularly true over the last couple weeks. When we weren't getting almost blown away, we got a lot done on the bunkhouse -- despite an unusually busy seven days.

Weekly Update: 3.22.25