Category: From the Beginning

  • 039 Of candles and cheese-making

    039 Of candles and cheese-making

    On the last day of my four month’s off, I had some projects open. It was a day of firsts and seconds. I made cheese for the first time. I made candles for the second time (if you count my first pretty failed attempt). And then, I made a very special pizza. Four months off…

  • 038 The second hut

    038 The second hut

    There is a part of my land I’ve been ignoring completely. Hidden between the hazelnuts, there is a second structure on my land. A shed? A hut? When I got here, this thing was filled with cracked rain barrels, and a whole lot of trash. I removed and inspected the rain barrels, managed to fix…

  • 037 It’s time for cold-weather meals

    037 It’s time for cold-weather meals

    There is something special about meals made from scratch. Meals made from ingredients collected on our land give me this warm, cozy feeling. With the seasons changing, what we eat is changing, as well. It’s time for some cold-weather meals. There is a walnut tree on my land. The beauty was part of why I…

  • 036 I won against a moldy tarp

    036 I won against a moldy tarp

    There is an ugly, moldy tarp attached to the garden house. I’d been pretending not to see it for weeks. But now, trash pickup was on the horizon. The sun was shining, and the winds had slowed. A perfect chilly fall day to head to the garden. The only thing I had to finish before…

  • 035 Let’s pile up some trash

    035 Let’s pile up some trash

    I’ve been cleaning up corners of my neglected land for months. But before long, the roof project took over, and I left the rest be. Now, it is time to tackle the trash before the owners of the land come to pick up the piles for me. Let’s see if I can get all of…

  • 034 A basket full of pears

    034 A basket full of pears

    With the pantry low on stock, I can’t say no to a basket of pears. A basket of pears showed up on my table, so I took them home to dry. I forgot them under my shelf for a week, so I set out to “quickly” chop them up. It’s not working at all. I…

  • 033 I finished the roof just in time

    033 I finished the roof just in time

    When I adopted this neglected land, I didn’t know how to build a roof. I didn’t know how long it would take. I didn’t even know what most of the parts where called. But slowly, I figured it all out, learned new skills, and built a roof. But let’s start where we left off last…

  • 032 An apartment on hold

    032 An apartment on hold

    The cold, dark days of living in Northern Germany are approaching fast. What sunshine hours we still get are spent in the garden. I haven’t started any of my dark-day projects. The apartment is essentially on hold. I have a very limited amount of energy. I have to ration my “spoons” to leave energy for…

  • 031 The roof is coming together

    031 The roof is coming together

    Time is running out on the roof. I need to finish it before temperatures fall, before school starts, before the rain returns. Two lovely friends had helped me finish the wood, but now I was back to two hands. Two hands, and a whole lot of motivation. I have never redone a roof before, never…