One of the best things I love about living in the country and on our little farm is that no two days are the same! And I know at the end of the day, when I crawl into bed, I can fall fast asleep because I am exhausted! Today was one of those days, so I wanted to share with you what a typical day in my life looks like.
My day started pretty early!
4:00 AM – Hubby’s alarm went off an hour early since his job was four hours away, and he needed to be at the job site at 8:30 AM.
4:15 AM – Fresh coffee was ground and on the stove brewing while I made breakfast. This morning was homemade bread and farm fresh eggs.
4:30 AM – Hubby was out the door, and I sat down to enjoy some quiet time with the Lord before I started my day.
5:00 AM – Breakfast dishes were done; laundry started, bed made, and I dug out a couple boxes of canning jars and reviewed my canning book to refresh my memory on canning potatoes.
5:30 AM – Checked emails, responded to blog comments, paid bills and hung laundry.
6:30 AM – The sun was up, so I went to the mailbox and took a short walk before it got too hot.
7:30 AM – Pigs, rabbits and chickens were fed and watered for the day.
8:00 AM – I weeded the flower garden and planted three new bushes.
9:00 AM – 1:30 PM – Mowed grass and ran weed eater. (We have a large yard, and it usually takes five hours to mow but I mowed some last night.)
1:30 – 2:00 PM – Dug half of a row of potatoes, washed and cleaned them outside before bringing them in the house to clean up good.
2:00 – 3:00 PM – I was pretty hot, so I took a break to shower, eat lunch and rest before starting on the potatoes.
3:00 – 4:30 PM – Worked on getting the potatoes in the pressure cooker. With the leftover potatoes, I diced them up and flash froze them for hash browns for the winter.
4:30 – 5:15 PM – While the pressure cooker was doing its magic I swept the floors, washed dishes, took the clothes off the line and put them away.
5:15 – 6:00 PM – The stove was finally free so I made supper and cleaned the kitchen back up after supper.
6:00 – 6:45 PM – Gathered eggs, fed the pigs and planted late cucumbers in the fall garden. Then I had to take another shower thanks to two very messy pigs who like to jump in the fence and splatter me with pig muck!
6:45 – 8:00 PM – Computer time…blogging, emails, social media.
8:00 – 9:00 PM – Relax with a needlepoint project I am working on.
9:00 PM – Bedtime…I know it is very early, but after watching the sunset for a few minutes I decided I got up early so I could go to bed early!
I am not sure if my day as a homemaker is much different from yours, but it is a life I love and look forward to repeating each and every day I wake up!
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Wow..You day sounded a little like my does. Its just my husband and I now and we have been tossing the idea of getting a feeder pig or pigs to breed but can not decide which would be cost efficient. I am assuming yall have pigs you breed. Do you raise your own beef? I guess what I am trying to ask what is the best plan for raising your meet when its just two people? Thank you Tracy for letting us into your life.
Beth
Beth,
Sorry I try and answer pretty quick but somehow I missed this one! We do not breed pigs,but we buy two feeder pigs in the spring. We raise about 30 meat chickens, 2 feeder pigs, hubby usually gets 2 deer, we breed meat rabbits, so we do not buy meat from the grocery store. It is just my hubby and I and we do have more than enough pork for the two of us. However, we get our two grown children to help with the butchering and then we supply them with pork throughout the year. This year we had our neighbor give us about 50#’s of beef since I supply them in eggs every month, so that really came in handy! We do not eat meat at every meal and with what we raise we have enough for just the two of us.
Thank You Tracy. What is your method of feeding your hens? I can feed mine ladies and they spread pellets all of the pen. I was thinking that maybe I should divide their feedings into twice a day since they free range all day. What are your thoughts?
Beth
Beth,
In the summer I only feed our hens once a day. They free range all day long and the bugs and worms are plentiful around the farm. Each morning they get scratch thrown on the ground to them. I do have a hanging feeder in their hen house that has pellets in it but it rarely gets touched this time of the year. When the days get shorter and it starts to get cold I will feed them scratch in the morning and then pellets at night. Scratch always gets scattered on the ground but the pellets always go in the hanging feeder. In the spring, when the garden is first planted they do spend time locked in the hen house and I do feed them twice a day.
I still work outside the home but my weekends sound very much like this. I took off work today to get some things done that I really want to get done and just haven’t been able to get to them. I love our homestead and am looking forward to our goal of being home (in about 7 years). Seems like a long time but when you are paying off a mortgage and getting the last couple of kiddos through college it really isn’t that long. Now, at 6:30, I am off to start my day! and by the way, I am always in bed by 9, up at 5:30. 🙂
So glad to hear I am not the only one who goes to bed early! Most days I am in bed by 9 PM because I am just plain tired from the days work. Hang in there and you will be home soon enough. Once our kids were all through college we were able to cut back to just one income. I do know I work harder now being on the farm full time, but I love every minute of it!
After reading this I need a nap.LOL I really enjoy your postings
I usually need a nap as well…my busy week is catching up with me today. I have been canning potatoes everyday and my body is saying STOP!
This does sound like a very full and very fulfilling day! Like the previous commenter, I also work outside the home as we are working toward our full-time homesteading venture but this sounds pretty much like a dream. Lovely, thanks for sharing.
It is our dream and even though it can be hard work some day it keep me active and young!
I’d love to see what needlework project you’re working on. 🙂
Love,
Janet
Janet I just posted my project on Facebook. Check it out! https://www.facebook.com/tracy.fredrychowski
Wow! That’s a full day of note. I’d love to get up at 4am to do all the blogging stuff and stay off the computer the rest of the day as I school our kids. But I just can’t bring myself to!!! I know I need discipline. I am working on it :0) This is a lovely blog. I’m glad I stumbled on it. We live on a farm as well.
Thank you for stopping by!
I thought I may need to take a nap around your 3pm time before I could even read the rest! Of course you are exhausted and go to bed ‘early’. It isn’t really early for you.
I’m so glad you are sharing with us at The Home Matters Linky party. Lot’s of families are learning Homesteading, Sustainability and the living green lifestyle. Many will enjoy learning from an experienced Homesteader like yourself.
Thanks Shirley and most days I do need to take a nap but living a simple life on our homestead is so satisfying and we just love it.
I enjoy your blog although today’s made me tired thinking of all you do in a day. My husband and I live on a farm and love the simple lifestyle. We raise cattle for meat for us and our son’s family who live close. We have laying hens for eggs and also share those with our son. We also raise Katahdin sheep for breeding stock and alpacas. And we have some Pygmy goats for fun. I guess my days are pretty busy too. I need to get up earlier. I’ll let you inspire me to do it. I enjoy your blog. glad I found it.
I am wondering how do you deal with “isolation.” This has been one of my on-going challenges since we moved to the country 14 years ago and I started our homesteading life. My husband too is gone long hours and I am left at home to manage the “farmette” as well as a home-based business. Now that my business is closed I no longer have customers coming to our shop (White Oak Studio & Gallery) and I get lonely. I do drive into town on Monday’s for yoga and groceries but my homestead chores keep me busy at home and the price of gas (as well as my commitment to minimize my use of fossil fuels) makes it really lonely at times. The Internet helps but I still need some face to face time with friends. Unfortunately the tiny community we live in has not made us welcome (apparently we are very different than the majority here) and we have no church or friends here. We DO have friends but most are an hours or more drive way. I am a self-contained person but some times I just wish I had a friend to call to go impromptu shopping or to the beach or the like. Are you lonely at times-how do you manage that part of rural homesteading?
Donna,
You are not alone when it comes to feeling isolated on the farm. I know many of my homesteading friends do feel that way as well and I have had bouts of it myself. One of the reasons I started to blog was to keep me busy in the afternoons after all my chores and household duties were done. I always have a few projects I am working on and when I get really get lonely I go visit my grandchildren. Once I spend a few hours with them I am anxious to get back home for some peace and quiet.
Have you ever been on MaryJanesFarm.com? There are Farm Girl Groups who actually meet in person and they have them all over the country. Check them out maybe there is a group near you. I wish we lived closer I would invite you over or we would make a point to meet up once a month for some face time!
I make a point to have some face time very week. I have a fiend in the city who we have a standing lunch date every Friday, so I have lunch and then do my weekly errands. I too conserve gas and only drive to town once a week so I still have four other days to keep myself busy.
Just wanted to let you know you are not alone and many other homesteader or country dwellers feel the same way at times.
What kind of cucumbers can you plant in the fall?
This is my first time planing cucumbers in the fall so I hope they work. I planted a long green slicing cucumber. We live in SC so our growing season is much longer than many in the north so I am really hoping a can get this crop to do well.
I really enjoyed reading your blog. We have chickens, very large garden and 5 acres to mow. There is plenty to do every day but love being home now after 43 years of working outside of my home.
Me too! Thanks for visiting with me.
Good morning Tracy! Just wanted to let you know that I couldn’t resist a homemaking schedule so this post was featured on the Art of Home-Making Mondays this week. Happy Monday to you! 🙂
Jes thank you so much for the feature and I will be sure to stop by!
Wow! What a busy rewarding day! I started canning 3 years ago and add something new every year. I have chickens for all my fresh eggs and have leftovers for selling and giving away to friends. We will soon raise a pig…my gardens usually produce enough to can and freeze. I love having and raising my own food. Were not self substained yet…but hopefully soon…my hubby takes care of the yards and the property (5 acres) I take care of the house, animals (horses, goats, chickens, dogs and cats) and gardens. I recommend to anyone with insomnia, working on a farm. Keep up the good work! 🙂
I totally agree! I never have insomnia!
I could never do all that you do. I’m in my late 60’s with some health issues but even so, you amaze me!
Thanks Linda…there are many days I feel my age, and have to soak in a long bath before I go to bed so to take some of the soreness away!
Sounds like a very satisfying day’s work! I hope your hubby works a bit closer to home now. That’s a lot of time apart!
Oh Tracey!!! I am so envious of your job!!! I love reading your blog! Thank you!
Darby…you’re too funny! You might not think that if you had to clean the chicken poop your living room rug after the dog tracked it in on her paw this morning!!
I really am envious! I am a farm wife with a town job. I’m not home as much as I would like but do the best I can. Thank you for sharing, I do appreciate it!