Living Life in Rural Iowa

This week's weather in northern Iowa has been less than ideal. We never really appreciate a day before Thanksgiving snowstorm. Those have a tendency to make travel a bit difficult.


School was cancelled on Wednesday due to several inches of snow being on the ground already and more coming down. The kids were to go down to their dad's house to have Thanksgiving with him on Wednesday. We already had the day planned, had moved Dane's doctor appointment earlier in the day so they could leave earlier, and Shali had some food made and ready to go.

My kids do not let weather stop them unless it is really bad. I think they get that from their mother. Shali is 19 and Jordan is 18. While they are young drivers yet, they are very experienced in winter weather driving. They both have been through some difficult driving conditions and made it home in one piece.

They decided to leave a bit later than planned and their dad knew they were coming. They as well as him and I kept a close eye …

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A picture from last year. For some reason, I didn't take any this year!
This year's garden gave me a lot of hope that I could actually grow produce and plants could thrive! That being said, there is a lot that needs to be done to the garden and I have already started some of that.

I grew onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, carrots, green beans, beets, peas, cucumbers, acorn squash, lettuce, spinach, yellow squash, zucchini, and potatoes. I also have rhubarb, strawberries, and raspberries already established. I started blueberries this year and they survived the summer (Yeah!).

The bell peppers did not grow well due to wet and cool summer conditions. The carrots didn't do a dang thing. I had a 10-12 carrots grow, but weren't near the size they should have been. The onions actually grew which is a first for me. They were small, but totally edible. Beets and spinach did not grow at all. The tomatoes could have done better, but I was happy just to get a few. I haven't had …

The budget is getting tighter and going to get a whole lot tighter. I have read a lot of articles lately and talked to a lot of people about money and budgets. Sacrifices are already being made. I sometimes feel like I am getting a bit extreme in my savings and learning to live without some of the life comforts. I don't necessarily like that feeling. However, I have a feeling that the budget is going to get even tighter.

What can you do about it now? This is what we are doing now:

1. We are so geared towards stocking up and getting prepared that it is hard to let go of that mentality. Sometimes though you will need to scale back or stop. If money gets tight, you will need to use that food storage. That is a good thing! This is why you have it! You need your food storage to get you through those tough months. Start by using up the older food. Look for opportunities like clearance fruits and vegetables that you can for later use. Grow some of your own food indoors.

2. I am so glad I st…