The Hippy Home Needs Your Help!

!!!Update: I need to raise $325 immediately or my lease will not be renewed!!!

Dear readers,

I'm asking for help keeping The Hippy Home up and running.

The last three months have been hard for me, my son, and my little homestead and I am at risk of losing everything. I've lost income sources that have left us struggling and I'm falling behind on rent. For seven years I've worked on my own to keep this little Hippy Home of ours and creating our safe place in the world. I'm not quite sure what the next step would be if we lost it, especially so close to the end of this dark tunnel, but I'm not giving up yet.

The Hippy Home is growing. This Thursday I'm excited to be hosting the first free Hippy Home bartering event for local followers. The Facebook page and the blog have both grown in visitors. I'll continue to write informative articles for the blog so all of those new visitors can continue to find new content. I'd like to get some guest bloggers on board as well. All of this is awesome, but I need some financial support to keep it going.

This is where you come in. What is my blog worth to you? $1 $5 $25? If you find value in what you read here, I ask that you click on the image link below to contribute toward growing The Hippy Home. It will take you to Paypal. It's quite OK if you don't. You may be in a place where it is difficult to contribute. You may be a skeptic. Maybe you think everyone should be able to pull themselves up by their bootstraps with no help from strangers. That's OK. But if you have found real value in anything I've posted, please consider a contribution that will help me keep this blog alive and my little backyard homestead together.  I'll even send you a postcard of Princess Lea the chicken from San Antonio, Texas with a big thank you from me, the boy, and our menagerie of animals.

I'm also looking for business sponsors who would be interested in advertising on the blog. Contact me and we'll see if you are a good fit.


Thank you,
Gina
The Hippy Home

Click Image Below To Donate:

My Little Urban Farmstead: Raising Chickens and Gardening in the City

I would like to show you around my little backyard homestead.

Growing up in Ohio I was always used to putting in the garden around early April and almost ignoring it while still getting a good crop of vegetables. I've struggled with having a productive garden here in Texas for the last couple of years and I think it's mainly because I start my garden too late in the season. The plants don't have a good start before the heat sets in. This is the earliest I've ever planted a garden. It's in the spot where my original chicken coop used to be for the last few years so it's quite fertile. I'm feeling hopeful that this year I'll be able to harvest plenty to feed my son and me, and maybe even a little extra to share.

I planted tomatoes, romanesco (if you don't know what this is, Google it. It is beautiful), lettuce, carrots, zucchini, cucumbers, dill, basil, spinach, thyme, and beets. I always plant marigolds to repel pests. The dill usually gets sacrificed to caterpillars. Five days from now I should have little sprouts coming up from the seeds I planted. I never cease feeling excitement and wonder at the little sprouts pushing up towards the sky. Life renewed.

My old coop was a disaster and I worried nightly about predators getting in. One night a young opossum did get in and cornered one of my hens. Luckily I woke up to hear the screams my poor frightened girl was making. If you ever hear a chicken scream in fright you will never forget it. I ran out barefoot, scooped her up, and herded everyone into the kitchen where they spent the night. Everyone has kept chickens in their kitchen, right?

The new coop is much nicer, but it was quite the challenge...

I was excited to be the first in line when this coop came up as a freebie on a chicken group I'm in. The catch was I had to move it. The original person who was supposed to move it for me had a nice trailer and all of the equipment to properly move a building this size but he backed out last minute. I posted on Craigslist and found someone else who promised he could move the coop on the back of his truck. Moving day came and he was late meeting me at the site to pick it up. When he finally showed up he's driving an older pickup with a small bed. I had a bad feeling.

I wish I'd saved the photo of the coop loaded onto his truck. It looked like Beverly Hillbillies moving into town. It was a disaster waiting to happen, but he and his partner insisted that they didn't need to take it apart to move it. It didn't sit properly on the bed of the truck and it towered over the road. We didn't even get a half mile down the road when the wind caught the door and whipped it off, sending it flying directly at me and my son who were following in my Jeep. By sheer luck, it didn't hit us or anyone else and instead shattered all over the road. They had failed to properly tie down the door. I was a nervous mess the rest of the way home. 

Somehow we made it the 30-minute drive to my house. We passed a police officer and it was with great relief he didn't pull them over for having an improper load. I explain to them where I want it to go. They unloaded it at the side of the house but insisted they couldn't get it to the back yard because of a low hanging tree. By this time I was done with them, so I told them to just go and I'd figure out something on my own. I might have muttered a few curse words under my breath as they left. 

The coop sat there with the roof off and no door, totally useless to me, for four months. I had to stare at its behemoth teal form every time I stood at the kitchen sink. It was with the gracious help of a friend that it was moved in to place and the door another friend gifted me installed. If it wasn't for his help I'd probably still be staring at the darn thing out my window. Now that it is all set up where it is supposed to be and my chickens are all settled in, this hippy girl is happy. I have four hens contently roosting in the coop and now that the days are longer all four are gifting me daily eggs. 

As I told my friend, I'm quite content being the neighborhood crazy chicken lady.

How To Give To The Poor and How to Receive With Grace When You Are Struggling

This is a long title, but I didn't want to come off as ungrateful towards those who have helped me. Because I am. But there's an elephant in the room when it comes to giving to those who are struggling financially and are at the bottom rung of society's ladder. People, stop donating your expired food out of your cabinet. Quit passing on off-brand junk you wouldn't eat and expect the person in need to feel grateful for it. Be thoughtful when you pass on hand me downs and other items. Please stop giving poor people your trash.

I made up a box of some off-brand mac and cheese someone gave us the other night. My son and I couldn't eat it. It didn't even taste like mac and cheese. Someone else gave us a bag of canned goods, most of it expired. My sweet neighbor recently brought over two boxes of some weirdly flavored soup his mom had picked up at a food pantry to be passed on. 24 cans of it. It's sitting in my garage. It has beef in it. We are vegetarian.

Now, I'm not going to be rude to the giver. That's why I say you should receive with grace. I smiled at him and thanked him for his help and generosity. It's the right thing to do. And there were some items in the box, like snack-sized boxes of raisins, that definitely was a help.

So, coming from someone who has needed a hand up one too many times, I just want to give you some pointers on giving with heart. One, take the time to find out what the person you are helping likes to eat. Include some fresh foods, even if it's just a bunch of bananas. One of the most generous and heartfelt offerings I've ever received was from another single mom who brought me a crate of fresh fruits and vegetables.  If you are buying a couple of items to drop into a food collection bin, buy foods you would want to eat. And for goodness sake, don't go purging your cabinet of outdated food and pass it on. If nothing else, give money and trust that the person receiving will put it to his or her best use.

If you are thinking of passing on used clothing or household items, consider these tips. If it is well worn or has a small stain or tear, don't donate it. I don't mind being given used items that I need that someone else is ready to let go of. When it's in good condition. I've gained plenty of things that I didn't have the money to buy that way. I've also had people pass on their junk to me. Uhm, thanks?

In our society, lower class people are supposed to be grateful for anything they are given. Even if it is worn out, expired, cast off from someone else. But here's what you are doing when you give those kinds of things. You are reminding that person that they are last on the rung. You are telling them that they are less than and ought to be grateful for any scraps they are given. You are in a sense throwing scraps to the hog. You are perpetuating the poverty mindset that is so prevalent in society.

Society says, well if you are really that poor then you'll just shut up, be grateful, and eat it whether you like it or not. Society says you aren't good enough for anything else. Maybe if you worked harder and pulled yourself up from your bootstraps,  you'd be able to eat food that you enjoy and wear clothes that weren't tattered hand me downs. Society says something is wrong with you.

If you are struggling and someone shows up at your door with a bag of food or items they think may somehow be useful to you, say thank you. Be grateful. But it doesn't mean you have to accept their offering if it's something you won't eat or use. Giving and receiving is a two-way street and it needs to be done thoughtfully and kindly. After all, most times they do mean well even if the giving is misplaced.

Basically, dear readers, just be thoughtful in your giving and your receiving. You want your giving to be uplifting to the person you are reaching out to. Not a reminder of how hard they are struggling. If you are receiving, be honest about your needs. You don't have to blindly accept everything that is given to you because society demands otherwise. Let your needs be known. But be grateful that someone reached out to you, and be kind. Always be kind.

What I Have Learned While Walking my Son to School

The drop-off and pick-up line at my son's school is a winding nightmare of tired parents and car exhaust. I get that some don't live a comfortable walking distance and some are in a rush to or from work. For some, it may be physically impossible for them to walk their kids to and/or from school. But even those that live a reasonable walking distance to the school seem to drive instead. I pass the same two or three parents on foot every morning when I walk my son to school.

I've gained a lot from walking my son to school. Not only do we get to spend precious time together, but we are also moving our bodies. It sets a positive tone for our day. We talk about things he's interested in. We act silly We observe what's going on around us. He holds my hand, a precious act I know he may soon grow out of. And when we get to the school I can give him an unhurried goodbye because I don't have a line of cars behind me, impatiently waiting to drop their kids off. I think it's very important to set a positive tone for the day for our kids to help them succeed, and taking the time to walk him to school does just that.

I stop and get to know the crossing guards on the way back home. Now that my schedule has changed and I mostly work from home, having that adult contact is awesome. But even when I was walking back home to hop in the car and drive to work, I enjoyed slowing down and talking to these very important people keeping our children safe. I wouldn't want their job. People driving through stop signs, on their cell phones, just totally unaware of their surroundings, driving too fast. They put up with a lot.

Walking him to school allows me to observe our neighborhood in a way I don't have time for when I am driving. I can pick up on which kids are struggling at home. I get to see the delight in the kids walking home when the unharvested kumquat tree is full of ripe fruit. I can actually look into the eyes of other walking parents and give them a warm greeting. Occasionally we may get chased by the chihuahua that regularly escapes her backyard. She's an annoying little ankle biter. We get to really know our neighborhood.

I see a lot of newer neighborhoods building schools where it is just plain unsafe for kids to walk to school. The schools are built around buses and cars. This, to me, is sad. It's a missed opportunity for community and parent/child connections, for slowing down and really seeing your neighborhood.

If you have the opportunity, walk your kid to school. Slow down your mornings. Bond with your child. Get some exercise. Observe your neighborhood with fresh eyes. Not to mention the environmental impact that you will be making by not starting up your car.

How You Can Help Hurricane Harvey Victims

ABC News Satellite Image

The Hippy Home, if you weren't aware, is based out of San Antonio, Texas. I was watching updates on Harvey with great anxiety last Friday because early predictions put us in the path of this storm's catastrophic flooding. We narrowly missed disaster. For that I am grateful, but I sit here at my desk with the sun from now cleared skies shining in my window horrified at the events still unfolding in Houston and the destruction left behind in coastal towns like Port Aransas.

I have posted on social media that my home is open to anyone evacuating Harvey's wrath. That still stands, so if you or anyone you know needs a place to stay please reach out to me. In the meantime, if you would like to help out the victims Hurricane Harvey left in its wake, I have compiled a list of organizations that are in need.

The Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund is a local organization set up by the Houston mayor.

Several Texas food banks are collecting donations for victims. Those include the San Antonio Food Bank, Houston Food Bank, and the Food Bank of Corpus Christi.

You can donate to The Red Cross directly on their web page or text Harvey to 90999 to donate $10.

To help out with all of the pets displaced by Hurricane Harvey, you can donate to the San Antonio Humane Society or the Houston Humane Society.

You can help the wildlife affected by the floods here: TWRC Wildife Center.

Unfortunately, there are folks who take advantage of bad situations, so make sure you donate to a reputable organization to avoid scammers. 

From the great state of Texas, I say thank you. It is heartwarming to see so many people coming together in our time of need. I have seen and heard awesome stories of humanity pulling together in adversity. 

Staying Centered When The World Feels Out of Control

I know I'm not the only one who looks around and thinks our society has collectively gone mad on many levels.

Yesterday, on my way home, I decided to stop into the newest HEB grocery store because I needed to pick up some milk. It was opening day. People were filling the parking lot. I grabbed my milk and decided to look around, but after a couple of minutes decided to head straight for the checkout. It's a beautiful store, shiny and bright, filled with a wide selection of items, but is it really what we need? Wouldn't the world be better with more farmers markets, local bakeries, small mom and pop shops? Do we really need another Wal-mart, Target, corner drug store, gas station, etc.?

Folks, we are rushing headlong into an environmental disaster. And we don't seem to be able to stop ourselves. We are like buffalo running ourselves off a cliff.

While all of this is going on, our country is dangerously divided. People are slinging hateful words at each other, and worse. The threat of a war with two different countries is being flung about. Every day, the news brings something else negative and the divide gets wider.

Then there are our own personal struggles. Right now mine is the struggle to build a thriving business while taking care of all the responsible stuff as a single parent. Some days are about flow. Some days are full of resistance and I just want to give up.

It can be hard to not feel discouraged. But there are some things you can do, that I do, to help keep you in the right mindset.

Acknowledge Your Feelings

It's important that we own how we are feeling. When we feel discouraged, we may try to push down the sadness and disappointment. Or, if you are prone to anxiety or depression, curl up in a ball and hide from the world. But in neither of these instances are we owning how we feel. We need to be able to look in the mirror and say to ourselves, "Yes, I'm feeling really overwhelmed right now.  Things feel out of control."  

Ask Yourself This One Question

What is one step I can take today towards achieving XYZ? Whether XYZ is taking control of where your food comes from, speaking out politically, building a business, working toward minimalism, or something entirely different, just take that one step that is in your power to take. There is always something you can do, no matter how small. 

Minimalize

When you're surrounded only by the things that bring joy to your life or you need to make your life run smoother, your life isn't going to feel as chaotic on a personal level. It's one more thing you can feel you have control over when things aren't going as planned. 

Find Your Tribe

Find people who understand your way of looking at things. Then reach out to them. Isolation can be devastating when you are feeling overwhelmed. I know first hand. Taking a step back is fine, especially if you are an introvert in need of recharging. Hiding out and avoiding people, especially those people who can lift you up, is unhealthy.

Get Out In Nature

Research has shown that exposure to the natural world is healing. If you aren't up for a hike through the wilderness, take your morning coffee outside and listen to the morning bird song. Grab someone from your tribe and go for a walk or run at a local park. You will be avoiding isolation, getting some exercise, and exposing yourself to nature all at once. 

Detach From Social Media

Some of us, like me, depend on social media to promote our businesses. I can't be away from it for large chunks of time. But I can step away for blocks of time. One thing I did so I'm not absent mindedly clicking into Facebook when I'm out is to simply uninstall the app from my phone. I can only access Facebook from my laptop or my tablet. In fact, I don't have any social media apps on my phone, so if you want to get ahold of me when I'm away from my desk you will have to call or text. I'm looking at going further and declaring one solid day where I step back from social media. 

And finally...

Keep A Gratitude Journal

I can't stress this enough. I have kept one for five years now. I switched from keeping a traditional journal to a gratitude journal because I felt like I was focusing too much on the negative stuff. I don't write in it every day, but I do make sure to sit down with it several times a week, especially on those days things don't feel like they are going well. It is on those days that you especially need to sit down and take stock in every positive in your life, no matter how small. Maybe it's just that you got out of bed and combed your hair. Write it down. The plus about a gratitude journal: you won't need to burn them to get rid off all the negative stuff you don't want your children to read when you are gone. 

What do you do to help keep you centered during crazy times? I'd love to hear your stories.