How many of you guys go it alone?

PD-Riverman · #1 09/06/08, 05:50 PM

The Girls Have their Post, figured I would start "Us" a Post.

I am single, (but have a GF Now) and have been doing my Homesteading alone. Just to let the "Girls" know----its not easy for a man to homestead alone either even though we can do it. When I go out there and work in the field all day if I get hungry I have to stop, figure out what I can eat where it will not take alot of my time from work. I work all day then come in and have to feed and take care of the animals then go in and have ALL the House Chores to take care of---Cook, Wash Clothes, wash dishes, pick the garden, can the food-----Not going to put in clean the house------Cause most of you girls know Most of us guys don't do much cleaning---LOL. Its Not Easy---if we men have to do all this and work a public job---just so hard to keep up everything. Its Just So Much Better To Have A Good Partner To Homestead with, but if the partner is pulling the wrong way----I agree--I had Rather Homestead Alone!!

FarmboyBill · #2 09/06/08, 09:01 PM

Turning 61, I find myself doing a bit less than I used to do. I guess that comes with age, I find I rely on my son and daughters family more and more, but get them less and less. Im hopeing if I get to retire at 62, Ill have more time to do more. Well see, Less and less seems important to me now. Since its for me only

Sheripoms · #3 09/06/08, 09:06 PM

OK guys, if us girls gotta chop wood and change our own oil etc... How many of you guys can sew up a quilt, can up some maters, clean the toilet and just for kicks make some homemade bread?

Windy in Kansas · #4 09/06/08, 09:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sheripoms

OK guys, if us girls gotta chop wood and change our own oil etc... How many of you guys can sew up a quilt, can up some maters, clean the toilet and just for kicks make some homemade bread?

Well------I have never sown block for a quilt but there isn't any reason I couldn't if I wished to. I do own my own sewing machine. Back when married I made my own pattern from grocery bags, cut out and sewed an apron for my daughter. Matched pattern, made the straps, etc.

My record for canning was 100-150 pints over one summer as well as dehydrating, with most produce put into the freezer.

We are no more helpless around the house/homestead than you ladies are. Well I guess I can only speak for myself and not the other men.

I'm of the opinion that almost anyone can do anything they set their minds to and have the physical strength, coordination, etc. to follow through. I understand muscle masses between the sexes are different and limiting.

You go ladies! You go men! You go couples!
-----------
Almost forgot---yes on the homemade bread. I have two pounds of yeast and 25+ pounds of flour in the kitchen awaiting cooler weather to set in so that I can get back to baking. I fore go that during the summer as I don't use AC.

Oldcountryboy · #5 09/06/08, 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sheripoms

OK guys, if us girls gotta chop wood and change our own oil etc... How many of you guys can sew up a quilt, can up some maters, clean the toilet and just for kicks make some homemade bread?

I tried that one time, I ended up cleaning the oven with a toilet brush and tried baking the biscuits that I had sewn together in the toilet. Nothing turned out right and everything tasted like....., well it didn't taste good at all!

Quint · #6 09/07/08, 02:24 AM

Yeah I go it alone. I had planned this homestead with my fiancee in mind but fate intervened and it didn't turn out the way we had planned. So yes, now I go it alone.

Can I sew? Fairly well. Well enough for my purposes. I'm far from a tailor but I can mend and make simple garments if the need arises.

Can I cook? Better than most girls can. I worked in a restaurant for several years during high school and after. I have the fancy kitchenaid stand mixer. I make my own bread. Cook from scratch. Yes, I still do use convenience foods like hot pockets, frozen pizza and such sometimes but I have the ability to not only cook but cook extremely well if I say so myself.

can I can? yes. Not doing so right now because I haven't been able to put in garden but as with cooking, sewing and other skills, my mother taught me how to can as well.

Can I do laundry? Well, yeah - sorta. I just stuff everything in the machine, add soap and when it's done shove it in the dryer. Mom tried to teach me how to do laundry but frankly I could have cared less. Once in a while I gather up all the white socks and white dishtowels and rags and instead of just washing them I bleach the devil out of them. That is the extent of my doing laundry. Oh and I will iron but only if I'm left with no other option.

Can I clean? I can but to be honest I rarely do. Every so often when I get sick of the filth I go wild and clean everything ---- and span. I do keep one bathroom absolutely spotlessly clean. That is for females who visit. The bathroom in my master bedroom resembles a cross between a library and a badly maintained gas station restroom. it gets cleaned once in a while but to be honest most of the time it is pretty vile.

The rest of the house I try to keep clean but it's an ongoing process. Right now the kitchen is really clean and I just cleaned out the refrigerator. It looks brand new now. The kitchen floor isn't as clean as it could be. The rest of the house needs vacuuming and I haven't dusted in probably a year.

It certainly isn't optimal to live a single life, especially for a man. We're just not suited for it and we don't live as long as our married brethren. Personally I hate being single. Some aspects I like but they pale in comparison to the negative aspects which can be....well, quite terrible at times. It just takes a lot of looking to find the right sort of girl especially if you have certain standards (not looks or things like that but character, religion, temperament and such) that you just can't compromise on. Ending up with the wrong girl can be as bad as not having a mate at all.

**Shrek** · #7 09/07/08, 03:10 AM

My ex and I started this as a 2 acre truck patch to sell produce at the farmers market back in 1996 and by 1999, I had added a container worm farm to produce vermicompost to reduce fertilizer costs of the truck patch.

After our divorce, I reduced the truck patch to 3/4 acre of SFG selling off my porch produce stand , keep 1/4 acre for lawn around the house and let the south acre go to hay.

For the first couple years, I didn't clean the house except when neccesary, then as my other income sources established, I hired a once a week housekeeper to do it.

Since I have 3 years of garden goods put back and adequate income coming in, this season I am only building outdoor wormbeds for compost and setting up a personal requirement garden and mellon patch for next year and have a small pumpkin patche for this fall.

The women interesting me now have no interest in farming or gardening and to be honest when I'm with them, neither do I.

With the place paid off, if my other income sources reduce, I can always expand the worm farm or truck patch.

tn_junk · #8 09/07/08, 08:02 AM

I have been married, and divorced, twice. Decided that I am much better as a single person.
As far as cooking, sewing, etc, I do pretty good.
I put myself thru college as a restaurant cook, and was the primary cook in both of my marriages. I can food, make pickles, bake bread, cook cakes from scratch. You name it.
My only shortfall is housecleaning. Home is clean, just cluttered.
I can grow a garden, milk a cow, butcher a hog or beef. Hunt for venison, squirrel, rabbit, quail, doves, duck, etc.
I made my own tent, sleeping bag, down coat and other clothes. I can, and have, even stitched myself up if needed. A quilt would be no problem, and I may just make one during my travels this winter. I already plan on making a sheepskin coat.
If I need companionship, I will get a dog.

alan

Sammy · #9 09/07/08, 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Windy in Kansas

Well I guess I can only speak for myself and not the other men.

I always thought "Windy in Kansas" was a women !

Sorry .....

pheasantplucker · #10 09/07/08, 09:19 AM

sounds like some of you singles oughta hook up...

Windy in Kansas · #11 09/07/08, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sammy

I always thought "Windy in Kansas" was a women !

Sorry .....

Many have related the name Wendy as Windy in Kansas. Nope, I have always had boy parts and am gender secure enough to do the things that traditionally women would do and am not afraid to tell that.

Speaking of quilting---I already have backing purchased to be used for making a tee shirt quilt. One will focus on "Doing it on two wheels" in that I have a lot of bicycling and motorcycling tee shirts. Most are very bright colors so that I could be seen easier and be safer.

I have a quilt top that my dads aunt made that needs put with batting, etc. and then quilted. Expect I'll tackle that one of these years and get my daughter and grandsons to help do some of the stitching to make it an heirloom quilt. Don't have a clue when it was made. The aunt was born in 1863 and died in 1935. She was very arthritic so it was probably made in the 1920s or before. It was made for a grandson and his widow passed it on to me. That works as the aunt & husband raised my dad after the age of 10. Kind of like grandparents.

critter · #12 09/07/08, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sheripoms

OK guys, if us girls gotta chop wood and change our own oil etc... How many of you guys can sew up a quilt, can up some maters, clean the toilet and just for kicks make some homemade bread?

I have done all that - and can still do it. I did sell the electric sewing machine years ago, and only have this old treadle now. And I haven't made bread in over a week. Sometimes I'm just terrible like that. I have also been a single parent for the past 16 years, so my sanity is sometimes suspect.

Oldcountryboy · #13 09/07/08, 01:13 PM

Actually if I ever divorce, I've done decided I'm gonna stay single the rest of my life. I was single up till I was 32 and have now been married for over 16 long years. But I've often lived the single life in my dreams and thoughts and I have concluded life would be much, much, simpler and very less expensive if I lived alone. The house chores would be simple, the meals simple, and finances simple.

Truckinguy · #14 09/07/08, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Ending up with the wrong girl can be as bad as not having a mate at all.

Worse! The last one took me to the cleaners so my homesteading dream might be done. I'm only 42 so I've got time but boy did that put me back a few years!

I'm raising rabbits now and hoping to expand the herd. Too late for gardening now but next year a big one gets started. I can cook pretty well and keep the house fairly clean. If I found a woman with the same homesteading dreams as I do I might give it a try again but I'm not looking. It's pretty simple to look after myself and I come from a large family that gives me a pretty good social life so I"m good for now.

no1cowboy · #15 09/07/08, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sheripoms

OK guys, if us girls gotta chop wood and change our own oil etc... How many of you guys can sew up a quilt, can up some maters, clean the toilet and just for kicks make some homemade bread?

Because of failing health it has all dropped off drastically, but I use to have a huge garden and canned everything, made my own bread, and baked pies. I own a sowing machine and know how to use it! I can knit and have made some sweaters hats and things. and no im not gay!!

Watcher48 · #16 09/07/08, 07:51 PM

I'm 61 got six acres and go it alone

I cut wood for four stoves. split it by hand. I'm residing the outside and redoing the inside right now.

I just put up over a 100 jars of juice, pickles,salsa,spaghetti sauce, potatoes.beans
Froze a bunch of beans, broccoli,corn, peppers all from 100x100 garden.

Raised two hogs last year so that will be enough for one for a while. Would do chickens, have the building but work doesn't allow it right now.

I can sew,darn socks, wash ,clean house, iron or any of the other things

It would be nice to have a partner (female

) but their are really not that many woman that want to live like like this. I stay at home for weeks on end. I mean don't even leave the property. And I have a plan

Hopefully I wll get done so i can set in the rocker on the porch and in front of the stove.

Hobbes · #17 09/07/08, 08:44 PM

Watcher48, your sig line sums it up for me. I can cook, sew, garden, can, dehydrate, clean, etc. but, it sure would be nice to have some help... Working all day around the farm and then having to come home and make a decent, healthy dinner gets old sometimes.
But on the other hand, I really, really, really, really enjoy being single and by myself (most of the time)!

onthespot · #18 09/07/08, 10:49 PM

I can't do a quarter of what you men can do, but I'd still be a good other half for a lot of you, cuz I could do the stuff you really would like done, like pay off the farm, go out and drag home a decent paycheck, lend a hand around the place while not carrying too heavy of the load, being as I would be worn out from my money type job. Still, I'd be a bit of help around the house and pick up quite a bit of slack.

no1cowboy · #19 09/07/08, 11:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by onthespot

I can't do a quarter of what you men can do, but I'd still be a good other half for a lot of you, cuz I could do the stuff you really would like done, like pay off the farm, go out and drag home a decent paycheck, lend a hand around the place while not carrying too heavy of the load, being as I would be worn out from my money type job. Still, I'd be a bit of help around the house and pick up quite a bit of slack.

So when ya moving to Alberta

Cheribelle · #20 09/08/08, 01:43 AM

HAHAHA You guys all sound pretty good, but I have one already.