Monday, May 30, 2011

Made from Scratch: Discovering the Pleasures of a Handmade Life


I just read the book Made from Scratch: Discovering the Pleasures of a Handmade Life by Jenna Woginrich. It is the true story of a city-working, house-renting, homesteading wanting young woman and it is utterly charming, and is full of fun anecdotes and useful advice.

The book covers many topics: making your own clothing, training dogs to pull, buying used instead of new, baking bread, establishing a beehive,  raising chickens and  angora rabbits, growing your own food, and playing mountain music. I've had an enjoyable evening and quite a few laughs out of this one. I think I am going to try out her pattern for making "green" grocery bags out of old tee-shirts
tomorrow with Ladybug. 

She has a subtle, but amusing sense of humor that I appreciate. 
In the introduction she describes a perfect summer evening:

"On calmer nights I'd relax in a hammock on the back porch and watch what she [her farming mentor] called "Farm TV." It was more engrossing than a Ken Burns documentary and more entertaining than a good sitcom. I'd sway back and forth, watching the calves chase after roosters and ducks waddle about the creek. Agatha, the Carlin's cat. sauntered past the red barn, ignoring the chicks at her feet. Angus and Bella, their two dogs, loped along the back pasture. I was mesmerized. Every so often Diana would come out to check on me and look at the episode I was watching and she'd say, "Oh, I've seen this one...Reruns."


You might enjoy a more detailed review from the Farmbrarian.
Here's a link to her blog, Cold Antler Farm, chock full of interesting homesteady stuff.

Here's an amusing article about the dread disease of Barnheart by Jenna.
I know several people who have this one.


If you have the time and inclination, you might want check this one out from your local library, the best renewable resource in town!

Blessings,

Heather

By the way, I am reviewing this book just because I liked it. 
I checked it out from my local library. What a great find!

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