Missing - one pioneer family (Calico) - hmmm covered wagon you think?

[homesteadmamma]

Our pioneer girl is missing - they must have had so much fun with their homesteading challenge that they've decided to head west in a covered wagon.

I can't wait to hear about their adventure in this challenge.

Heather, report in when you can. I know its hard to give up the challenge, I know, I know. But just for a bit okay.

Anyone see a covered wagon driving by? Wave because its probably our pioneer girl.

[Heather]

Pioneer girl, checking in!

Oh CJ and Carolyn, you have me smiling. It went great!! BUT, I have to run out and will be back this afternoon so the details will have to wait......sorry! I wrote a little journal of our day and will share it all with you.

[canadian gardener]

I will wait breathlessly for the tales of your adventure oh calico one!

[homesteadmamma]

Alas, the covered wagon is only heading into town. I thought for sure it was heading west, to cj's homestead.

Hmmmm wonder what that pioneer gal is buying in town. Can it be hmmmmm possibly fat quarters.

Oh pioneer girl, can't wait to hear of your experience.

[Darlene]

LOl, I'm looking forward to hearing all about your families journey too Heather.

[guest2]

Heather,
Can't wait to hear all about your adventures!!!!

[Heather]

Finally! Pioneer girl checking in for good now. Modern conveniences prevented me from typing this......our isp was down later yesterday and I had quite the time getting on this morning....

Our Day

We woke up with many plans for the day and excited (ok, well I was! )

We all sat down and ate breakfast together. We had orange juice, cereal, muffins (made the day before) and fresh fruit. Over breakfast our day was discussed and it was brought up that if we were true pioneers we would have all been up about 2 hours earlier.

First off Kody got a call to babysit for the day so off he went chuckling all the way as he would have POWER where he was..sneaky boy

Delaney went to a friends for the morning but couldn't wait to get back for the afternoon.

I cleaned up breakfast and spent the next hour watering the plants, sweeping floors and making beds. We even filled containers of water the night before so we wouldn't use the tap. Didn't know how that would go but we did it. No running water so we pretended the containers were our well. lol! We had a basin of water out on the picnic table (sitting in the sun) to wash our hands and changed it throughout the day. The sun warmed it up nice.

An old neighour then stopped in this morning (she moved last year) so it was a nice surprise. We spent a couple hours sitting at the picnic table under the maple trees sipping lemonade and catching up. It was wonderful to see her again. And being our "pioneer" day it was nice to sit and enjoy her company, back then unexpected company was a treat and embraced. Work would wait.

DH and Dylan spent the day in the barn/workshop. They first did the chores. The barn needed patching on the side and a new (old) window put in. On Tuesday we had our friend Noah who is Mennonite out to help raise the front end of the barn. In all the shifting the door didn't "fit" anymore. DH and Dylan made a new door for the frame out of 2 wood doors we had stored. Dylan made a handle for the door out of wood and did a great job. They got alot accomplished in the morning. I took them out lemonade and watermelon for a break/snack.

After our friend left the guys started a fire to cook our lunch. We had beans and weiners, corn on the cob, bread, veggies and dip and lemonade. It took a little longer than preparing in the kitchen but it was so good! Delaney got home in time for this and loved it!

We cleaned up lunch, I washed the dishes in the larger basin and Delaney dried and put away.

Oh, right before lunch Dylan and Delaney went for a swim at the 'ole swimming hole (our pool) to cool off...it sure was a hot day!

Our afternoon~Delaney and I decided we would try out washing a few things by hand on my antique scrub board. It really was fun but when looking at the FULL laundry hamper Delaney didn't think it would be fun for long. We washed 2 outfits of Delaneys, some tea towels and dish clothes. We proudly hung them on the clothesline.

I cut up the potatoes and vegetables for supper and put them in the fridge. Delaney wanted Smores for dessert so we made sure we had all the ingredients.

Delaney and I went and picked a huge boquet of flowers and put them in an old kettle and placed them on the picnic table.

The garden was calling us.....we weeded 2 rows of beans and 1 row of peas and onions. Delaney found the dog to play with and her butterfly net and was chasing butterflies....perfect picture it was!

Doug and Dylan were sawing and hammering away. They were making a box to keep our garbage in to keep the animals out of it until pick up day. They used wood we were given by a neighbour from his pool deck. It worked perfect. They finished just before supper with a couple lemonade breaks in between.

After I was done in the garden I washed up and headed back into the house. I spent the next hour and a half cutting fabric for a quilt I am making. One thing I noticed while doing this.....when we are outside there are the sounds of the birds, horses, vehicles passing but inside, although I did have the windows open it was so quiet (with no tv, radio etc..) It was me and my fabric and after the first 20 minutes of kind of uneasiness (really! don't know why) it was very peaceful. As I was cutting my fabric I thought of all the women years ago that HAD to do this to keep their family warm in the winter and of the quilting bees they had, what they would be talking about and how the bees would be a wonderful outing for them.

Before supper we pitched the tent as Daddy and Delaney were sleeping in there for the night.

Kody came home and immediately went to the tv and couch to relax from his hard day..lol..and I caught him before the power button was turned on. He laughed and went outside to get the fire going for supper. We talked about how back then there was a lot more planning that went into daily chores. Meals didn't just get zapped in the microwave! For supper we had potatoes and onions, carrots, hotdogs and garlic bread all cooked over the fire. We made Smores for dessert and I had a bowl of fresh fruit. Everyone helped clean up and wash the dishes.

Another swim was in order as it was such a hot and humid day.

The guys cleaned up the barn/workshop and then DH and the kids had a game of cards at the picnic table. I headed off to the garden again and finished up the weeding. DH came and helped me for the last half hour. We talked about pioneers gardens....that was their main supply of food and how tragedies like drought, too much rain etc could seriously affect that and how it would be handled.

We were all ready for bed that night. After we came inside DH and I read for an hour while the boys played some games with Delaney. We didn't even have to turn on the oil lamps because we went to bed before dark!

It was a great day although there were times that we automatically went to turn on light or start the coffee maker! DH got his morning coffee from the general store up town! I think being summer and spending most of the day outside was a bit easier than winter as we didn't have a fire to keep going and we cooked outside. Dh and Dylan didn't find the experience too hard for a day but for all the time they said it would be hard without their power tools.

[AmyMCGS]

What a neat adventure!

Imagine how much your kids have learned~ and you, too.

Thanks for sharing!

[Heather]

Adding more here:

It was SO nice this morning to have a long hot shower! That is one thing I would surely miss, my bath or shower daily.

I got to thinking about cooking and baking as well....That would be a full time job in itself. Now I know why they have a specific day for baking for the week. Keeping the stove heated up for the day and baking as much as possible for the week instead of like us baking a batch of muffins one day, then some cookies the next.....

What I did think about alot though was that for them years ago (ans Mennonites/Amish today) it was is to live, to survive....for us it's mostly a choice.

Oh and girls....when you were looking for me yesterday when I was in town.......YES I did buy some fabric!! How could you possibly know that!!

[homesteadmamma]

I'm so very proud of you my friend. Isn't it fun doing something different to what we normally do all day. It brings us together and makes us so thankful for what we have now.

Funny you should mention the "silence". Thats what we noticed the most when we did our challenge. It was just so peaceful. Even to this day, noise bothers me and I love when everything is turned off and I can sit and enjoy the silence.

Hmmmm wonder what my next challenge will be. Maybe a week in the winter.

[homesteadmamma]

See Carolyn, I do know our pioneer girl quite well. I knew she'd be buying quilting supplies. How can any pioneer girl go to town and not buy material.


Ooooh Heather, you should see the quilt I'm starting in the next few days. Course I need more material. Its another scrappy one.

Just wish we could have an old fashioned pioneer quilting bee!!!

[guest2]

Thanks so much for sharing. It sounds like fun. I wonder if I could get my crew to agree to do this for a night if I promised them smores?????

[forestdale]

Heather, it was wonderful to read about your pioneer day. I like how you had everything planned out - that would have been essential in the days back then, no such thing as deciding on a whim to do something. I also liked how you chose to do the activilties that would have been similar to what the pioneers would have done.

Did you go to bed early because you were tired or was it something else?

I really admire you and your family for doing this. I'm sure you all got a lot out of it.

[Heather]

Bethany... ...it was because of exhaustion! DH slept out in the tent with Delaney and I had a nice, quiet peaceful sleep all by myself!

CJ~yes the silence.....it's a lovely "sound" I can take more of that. I can't wait to see the quilt you are working on!

Carolyn~Kody...yes, cheeky boy, thought he was free and clear, little does he know we are probably going to do this again! And boy oh boy, I can't even sneak out for f/q's without my buddies sensing it hundreds of miles away!

[Heather]

Amy~ yes many lessons were learned....mainly the thankfulness of what we already have and that material possessions are just that!

Debbie~ yup, smores were the clincher~!