[tirednurse]

I came across this site a couple days ago since it was referenced in a book I was reading. I normaly would have nothing to do with blogs since I find they seem to tie up time I don't have to spare. That in fact is the very reason I joined. I need help. I would call myself a life time prepper since coming from an old farm family a lot of the prepper mind set has been ingrained in my system. Old farmers have always looked and planned for the future and knew you must always prepare for the worst and hope for the best. I have been gardening, canning, drying etc since I could walk and have had a variety of animals all my life.

Curently I live on about 2 acres of not enough room. My garden can supply most of the vegetables and fruits we eat, and the rest I can live with out. I keep chickens for eggs and meat and have between 100 and 500 chickens at a time through out the year depending on butcher times. I also have 9 milk goats, a beautiful sow who I expect to have a new litter in about 3 weeks. we have a year round creek and a spring fed well so for the most part water will never be an issue.
My issue. I'm tired. I have to work to support my family but at the same time I feel this inner anxiety pushing me to do more. Prepare more. store more. teach others more. This anxiety to get ready for what I know we here all know is coming, I killing me. I can't keep up with it all and that makes it so much worse. I don't have time to sleep and cant anyway because I keep myself awake worrying all night.

By the way..even though people in my household agree with my motivation they are not motivated to help. So this means all gardening, animals, food storage and everything else is my burden.

Any one out there that can advise me how to manage all this crazines? I feel I dont have time to put it on hold and know it would be stupid to stop.

 

[Rigged for Quiet]

Welcome to the forum Tired Nurse. Thank you for your chosen vocation, I know it's a grind. My better half works in an O/R Dept at a large hospital and between the hours, work load, and weekend call hours she is always running on fumes it seems these days.

How many in your family and are there any particular tasks, large or small, that anyone seems to take an interest in? Perhaps it's time to assign duties and assume a bit more of a "command presence" and assign tasks if a family sit down and open discussion doesn't work.

 

[LunaticFringeInc]

Welcome to the forum and I share RfQ's sentiments.

When I was growing up if I wanted breakfast in the morning then I had best get my butt in gear and get out there and feed the chickens and collect the eggs so Mom can do what she does best in the kitchen. If I wanted Pork Chops this week then I had best get out there and slop the hogs after school. If I wanted some milk...I knew where the bucket was and the cow was, you know what I mean?

Sometimes folks have to understand that nothing good in life is free. It takes a lot of work and dedication. The flip side of that coin is that folks have to understand that its a team effort, so that no one person has to bare the brunt of the load. Additionally team work is the fuel that allows ordinary folks to achieve extrodinary results. When folks realize they got some skin in the game, they tend to view things a little differently than they otherwise would. Think about that for a few then go out divide and conquer!

 

[Moonshinedave]

Hello and welcome to the site. LunaticFringeInc gave what I consider very good advice. You need to get your family involved, I hate to say it but sometimes people do (or don't do) what they know they can get away with, dividing the chores seems to be in order.
By the way, you already seem to be prepped a lot better than a lot of us. What you have on your two acres will be a great start if something should happen, in taking care of you and yours. Lastly, try not to be so stressed, it's great to prepare, but don't worry yourself sick, that won't do anyone any good. Best of luck.

 

[Inor]

Hello from Minnesota

 

[Old Man]

Welcome from Mississippi.

 

[rice paddy daddy]

Welcome from Florida.
My wife and I have a small homestead and we keep chickens and a vegetable plot plus a nice grapevine. We also have horses, and dogs. I work full time and my wife's job is to be the family farmer.
I don't know where you find the time to do what you do. I agree with the others - your family needs to get their butts in high gear and help momma. You need to put your foot down.
You have a lot of animals for 2 acres. You could relieve your burden some by down sizing.
Do you can the meat? Freezing it works - as long as you have electricity. Do you sell your eggs? 100 hens would lay a whole lot of eggs. We had 50 at one point and we were selling to friends to help with the feed bill. We downsized and have 26 right now, but 11 are too old to lay and will be processed this month.

Good luck, and we're pulling for you!

 

[tirednurse]

I do have a lot of animals, but is what I would feel would be necessary to produce for my family of 8 and to also reproduce to continue long term.
for now yes I do sell eggs about 30 dozen a week at $4/doz. I also sell my extra goats milk for $10 a gallon and usually around 10 gallons a week. so this brings in more than $200 a week. Since one of my sons is a manager of a groccery store her we get all the produce and cereal items that would normally be thrown out. So free food for the pig, chickens and the goats. What food I buy costs me 21 cent a pound and all human grade organic grain that can be used for sprouting for human use. so basically money wise it evens out and I get all the milk eggs, chicken and pork for free. Except for my time of course.
As for the preserving of the meat... I actually can all the chicken and as much of the leaner cuts of pork and beef. I have been doing roast as well as hamburger in the form of cooked ground (like for tacos etc), hamburger patties meat loaf and meat balls. What a time saver for fast meals when you have no time to cook a real meal after work!!

 

[tirednurse]

Thank you for your welcome. Nursing is a hard feild of work to be sure.. both physically and mentally/emotionally exhausting.
As for help from the family...It's not going to happen. I went through all of the "you dont work you dont eat stuff" with the kids when they were little. Now my oldest is 27, youngest 19 and doesn't live here. I can not force my family to believe the way I do, or see the value of all this work. They are adults and need to do what is right for them. They know my views. I accepted a long time ago that things that are important to me would not be to everyone else. How can you compete with the easy way of life that is the norm for our society. why work so hard to grow a potato when we could just buy a nice clean and perfectly shaped one at the store?
My family consists of boyfriend that puts up with my craziness but has not come to understand the importance yet, daughter 27 who is also a nurse, son 23, son 24 and his wife 22 and 2 grandkids ages 1 and 3.. grandkids love to help crazy grandma feed the animals. Thats about it though.

 

[longrider]

Welcome from Southern Minnesota. Wrecking your health by worrying is not going to do you or any one any good. It's easier said than done, but you have to realize that you are doing all you can do. You've got to leave it at that. I don't know if you're religious, but I've always heard, "Count on the Shephard, not the sheep". Hand it over and trust all will be well. As for the boyfriend, he could help also. You work as a nurse. As a radiographer, I know how hard you guys work. So I don't care what kind of job he has, he can help, if he enjoys the fruits of your labor.

Do try to get good sleep, at least. You can't controll it all. I use Melatonin, when my brain won't shut off. It's natural, so no side affects. For me, it works within 30 minutes.

I admire the number of livestock you have. And I'm a bit envious, as I don't have land yet. Good luck to you. Try not to wear yourself out.

 

[PaulS]

Welcome to the board from SE Washington.

If your boyfriend wants to spend time with you then he should lend a hand to give you the time to share with him.
My wife and I do the work together and when one needs time away the other picks up the slack. That is the only way to stay healthy.

btw: Why are you trying to have support for eight kids that don't want to be prepared badly enough to help? As a nurse you should know what "tough love" is all about. If they want the fruits then they need to do some fertilizing.

Paul - just an old man - who just became a great-grandfather. Four generations and still going strong!

 

[Doommaker]

I would suggest that you take a deep breath and realize that you can only do what you can do. Worrying will do no good, you should realize that if and when SHTF, you'll be as prepared as you can be. You'll be far better off than most people. What you should do is try to network with other neighbors and like minded people, so that if things ever went south, you can work together to make ends meet.

 

[arthurstjames]

First step, take a knee and relax. Sit down evaluate your situation. Relax. Be patient, go for the long term and if you lead by example your family will follow. It sounds simple but they will eventually see what you are doing and help.