Behind The Scenes Survival Diary June 9

Welcome the survival diary for June 9, here is what is happening today on our homestead.

It has been a long time since I wrote a new survival diary.

Sometimes sharing the personal things in my life is harder than what one might think - at least here on the blog.

This is why I created the survival diary posts - so people could skip the personal posts if they wanted to and get just the information they were looking for.

Table of Contents

Today Was Their Anniversary

Today - June 9 - is the day that my mom married my step-dad Larry.

They both passed away.

My mother in 1998 and Larry in 2013, a few days before Jerry passed away.

Meeting My Real Dad For The First Time

I did meet my real dad for the first time.

I just love him.

It was great finding out I had a whole family who loved me - plus brothers and sisters.

I have felt so alone for so long - and the family I grew up with always made me feel like the outcast black sheep who was never quite good enough.

While it hurt then - and sometimes still does - I do realize their feelings were their problem and no reflection on me.

Still Missing Jerry, But Moving On With Life

Even though Jerry has been gone almost 3 years now, it still seems strange sometimes that he is not here.

Jeffrey and I are doing ok.

He has moved to a first shift job which has made things easier on the relationship I think.

At least now we get to spend some time together.

Vehicle Problems

Last night we went to get a thermostat for his mom's car only to find out when we came home the battery had drained.

He thinks there is an electrical issue with the car.

I was finally able to get a battery for the truck, so it is back on the road.

It feels really good to not feel trapped.

Of course the downside to driving the truck is it is a pain to park and only gets about 9 miles to gallon on the highway.

Health Issues

When I woke up this morning I felt kind of blah.

I did not follow my usual routine of getting online and taking care of my blog/vlog business first thing.

Instead I puttered around waiting for time to head to my appointment at the Cancer Center here in town.

The Livestock And The Garden

About an hour before I had to be there I decided that I would let the chickens and turkeys out then check the garden.

It has been a rainy spring so I feel like I have more weeds than crops.

I collected eggs from the coop - all chicken, no turkey today, then I headed to the garden.

There were strawberries to pick - and basil too.

Then I ran out time, so I brought everything I picked or gathered indoors and headed off to my appointment.

Finding A Parking Spot For The Ford F350

Now driving a oversized truck such as my Ford F350 makes parking fun - to say the least.

I found parking spot but the rear end stuck out into the pathway where cars needed to drive.

I went inside knowing I would not be there long and asked if parking at the side of the building was ok.

I was not sure if that was reserved for staff or not.

I was told that was fine so that is where I plan to park on future visits.

I was able to get right in and right out - which was great!

I won't know the results until later this week if there is something wrong - and if not, it will be next week when I see the doctor again.

Back To Garden To Harvest

When I got back home I headed to the garden to pick lettuce, noticed I had garlic scapes to harvest, then realized there was also French Tarragon to harvest.

I need to harvest the lemon balm as well, but decided to do that another day.

I picked the lettuce, cut the garlic scapes and French Tarragon then brought them inside so I could wash and process them along with the fruits and herbs I picked this morning.

I always quickly soak my herbs, fruits or vegetables in cold water, then rinse them off twice more.

I always find little bugs and little pieces of plant material that stick to them this way.

I want to be sure my crops are clean when we eat them.

Since I grow organically there is no fear of chemicals on my crops.

How I Preserve Garlic Scapes

Preserving Garlic Scapes Tutorial ExperimentalHomesteader.com

While I have not decided how to process the herbs - make a vinegar, freeze them or just dehydrate them, I did want to share this video with you on how to preserve garlic scapes.

I do this every year and am always glad I did.

The garlic scapes are great to use in place of garlic especially if you are like me and never end up growing enough garlic.

Washing And Storing The Harvest

I packaged and bagged everything.

I no longer wash or refrigerate eggs when they are collected.

I wash them right before I use them so the natural bloom can stay on the egg and protect it.

I also found out there is no need to refrigerate them as long as they have never been refrigerated.

Now I do sometimes put older eggs in the refrigerator still to extend their shelf life but fresh eggs go in a basket - or are processed and frozen for winter use.

Final Thoughts

By now it was time for lunch.

I had some leftover tater tots from last night.

Thank goodness I did not get sick again - like I did last night right after supper.

I need to get supper started - tonight I am making Swiss Steak from local grass-fed beef.

I am going to make mashed potatoes and serve a tossed salad with it.

There is much to get done before I can call it a night - the vlog finished and uploaded, the poultry put up for the night, this blog post finished and shared on social media, there are chore threads and my usual Facebook groups to visit plus I have some review items coming and some to get reviews finished on.

There are never enough hours in the day it seems.

I wonder how many of you have small farms or a homestead and feel this same way?

Do share your thoughts in the comment section.

I really want to hear from you!

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