Saturday, December 31, 2011

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Naming Contest

Ok I need a new name for my homestead. Rules are simple you have til January 1st to submit names. Then I will gather them up and we will sort them out choosing the one we deem best fitting. The winner gets highlighted on my website and they also will get a packet of my heirloom "black cherry" cherry tomatoe seeds as well as a suprise gift. And yes, you may submit more than one name.

New Year. New Cast. New Name?

The new year is almost upon us. I am looking forward to it, but then again I usually do.  This year was a particularly wonky mix of awesome and pain and as much as I'm glad it's going to be over with I'm thankful for it as well. My life has gone through some drastic cast changes but the stage is the same for now. I will say though that there are plans on the table for a move in a couple of years. While I love southern Illinois I'm finding a growing urge to go elsewhere. However, like I said, it's a few years off still. Many things need to be done to get me to the point where I can leave (mainly house repairs/improvements/selling) Until I get to that point I'm doing my best to enjoy my life here. So without further ado I introduce you to the current cast of characters:


Me: You've been with me for a couple years now but for the new people Im Stephanie, a 33 y/o pagan who located to Southern Illinois from Central Illinois about 6 years ago. I got married, I got divorced and now I own a house in a tiny town outside of Carbondale where I live with my roommates, cats and  a pitbull. Besides urban homesteading I like to participate in a sport called Dagorhir and also becoming active in the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism).


Cool Roomie(Walley):  He's been my roommate for over a year now! He's currently a metalsmith student here at SIUC, he also participates in SCA and Dagorhir and is a gnome. He tinkers and fixes and creates.  I have even trusted him with a torch under my house and he only set fire to the beam once or twice ;)


Cool Roomie 2- Aka Jodie. I've lived with her off and on since I first moved down here. She's a forestry graduate who is getting ready to go off to basic training and tech school for the Air Force Guard. It's going to be different not having her around.


Sister Zim and her menagerie: Doom, doom, doom! She's not one that I've talked much about before, she is a friend who has become a sister in my heart.  When I'm not home I am at her house a lot with her, her husband and their roommates, Monkey and Basement Troll. They have been instrumental in keeping me from going completely destructive over the past year. They are my immediate family down here now. My mother has accepted them as family as well. Sister Zim held my hand while I went through hell and at court to get my divorce, her husband and I held hers while she brought the most gorgeous child into the world. Baby is the apple of all of our eyes and I am thoroughly enjoying being Auntie Stephie. Sister Zim is an awesome crafter and has been encouraging me in cross-stitch and crochet and has offered to teach me knitting if I get the urge to learn it. She also is a baker of epic cookies and muffins.


Brenna: You've already met the Brenna during the great cheese fiasco. Another sister of my heart, we are actually both from the Central IL area. She's in love with goats and is a fan of the fiber arts. She is usually my partner in crime for most of the homesteading activities/schemes and we often are found at one of her jobs daydreaming over gardening, chickens and (for her) goats. She's mainly a vegetarian and she loves to bake and cook ethnic foods.


So those are the people you may hear about or even see on this blog. Now on to other news......


I need a new name for my place.  My ex had dubbed it "McNelly City Farm" but that no longer is applicable. Hrmmm maybe make it a contest? Besides fame I'm sure I have something here to sweeten the pot.