From Scratch Magazine Fall 2016

From Scratch fall 2016

The Fall Issue

homeschool edition Farmhouse Frocks more faith than fear

Herbalism for Kids

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Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.

F. Scott Fitzgerald

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Find out more about this amazing earth friendly company here. from scratch magazine •

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Calling all Cheesemakers

Everything you need to make your own Cheese!

Most of us start cheese making the same way, searching for products, not know what they are or how to use them.

We have put our kits together with you in mind! Most people have an idea what types of cheese they want to make based on what they use to eating. We took the guess work out of the process and put together kits for beginners and experienced cheese maker alike.

www.homesteadersupply.com from scratch magazine •

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Windy Willow Homestead

The Perfect Handmade Easter Basket

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12 School St. Bath, Maine • halcyonyarn.com • 800.341.0282 Serving fiber artists worldwide 1971!

Calling all Fiber Artists! Click here to order your FREE Halcyon Yarn Catalog! from scratch magazine •

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handmade in Amish Country

Farmhouse Frocks brings forth beauty--the beauty of women, the beauty of texture, and the kind of elegant beauty that can only come from the flowing farmhouse style. With 28+ Amish women seamstresses, Farmhouse Frocks specializes in handmade quality clothing for all sizes of women.

fromFlorida scratch magazine 65 W. Jackson St. Millersburg, Ohio 44654 • 506 S. Pineapple Ave. Sarasota, 34236

www.farmhousefrocks.com

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Contributors CHRIS MCLAUGHLIN GARDENING EDITOR LAUGHING CROW COMPANY

JANET GARMAN CHICKEN EDITOR TIMBER CREEK FARM

STEVEN JONES, FOUNDER AND EDITOR

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KAREN DURAND THOMPSON LIL’ SUBURBAN HOMESTEAD

MELISSA JONES, FOUNDER AND PUBLISHER

Letter from the Publisher Fall is here. I wish I could communicate how happy this makes my heart.

It has been a long hot summer but relief is in sight. Cool nights, turning leaves and pumpkin spice are coming fast!

Homeschooling has started back up in full swing and we have a lot of fun articles exploring the art that is raising free-range children.

We’re going to explore how to put together a curriculum with a good friend and really talented writer, Jennifer Hall.

We’re looking into incorporating herbalism into homeschooling with the newly revamped Herbal Academy.

And we’re going to explore ways to bring other aspects of homesteading into our homeschool with Janet Garman’s Chicken Column.

This year, me and Hannah (our resident homeschooler) are hoping to get her small business project off the ground (Hannah’s Banana Pots -- Plant starts made with recycled origami newspaper pots for sale at the farmer’s market).

Hannah, who is currently 10-years-old, is determined to have success with

three career fields: Astronomy, medicine and in business.

Which means we have a lot to do this school year!

We’ve also scoured the web and Etsy, and put together a great list of Esty stores and makers that you might want to look into and buy from, which can be found in my homeschool picks!

We take you on a Farmhouse Frock fashion shoot! Who says that farm life can’t be fashionable?

We found this great new product to keep your chickens safe and fall wouldn’t be complete without some apple cider - and we take you on a tour of a fruit press manufacturer.

Finally, Steven shares a beautiful obituary column commemorating the life of Clyde W. “Beck” Jones -- his Granddaddy and part of the reason we decided to take up homesteading in the first place.

We hope you enjoy this issue and wish you love and blessings as you embark on the fall homesteading season!

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IN THIS ISSUE

keep your chickens safe with chickensafe

farmhouse frocks more faith than fear

Educate with Wild Abandon

Chickens in the Classroom?

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dill pickle salad dressing

How to choose a homeschool curriculum

water bath canning with blackberry jam

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Melissa’s Picks BACK TO HOMESCHOOL

Unique finds to add to your homeschool!

Christian Job Charts MsFriedasClassroom • $49.95 Waldorf Daily Rhythm Cards KinderGardenToys • $10.00

Montessori Learning Toys - Flag Puzzles • DanielaKoepke • $37.00 28 • from scratch magazine

Homeschool in Session door hanger • LongleafSigns $20.00

Handcrafted Curly Maple Shut the Box CoopersPensandThings • $50.00

Reclaim Wood Desk SawdustisHappiness • $50.00

Kid’s Fold Down Desk • KentuckyReclaimed• $105.00 from scratch magazine •

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Farmhouse frocks

More Faith than Fear

BY MELISSA JONES

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M

ore faith than fear is the motto at Farmhouse Frocks.

And Lena, the company founder, has enough faith to move mountains.

Born into an Amish family, Lena knew from a young age that she loved fashion. She would always look for ways to 32 • from scratch magazine

make her Amish dresses fancier and imagined herself traveling the world and wearing English ladies clothes.

Which is why it is amazing to see her dream coming true right in the heart of Amish country.

The Farmhouse Frocks home studio is in the historic town

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of Millersburg, Ohio. Lena, her two daughters and a team of 30 Amish seamstresses design and sew all of the Farmhouse Frock collections.

Lena’s simple concept: handmade beautifully designed clothes for women of all sizes - is a welcome change to the mass market apparel choices that are in every big box store in the 34 • from scratch magazine

country.

When you inspect the exquisite detail of the stitches and seams - you can almost feel the love that the garments are made with. You know someone prayed over this material - in fact, on each Farmhouse Frock label it says made with love and gentleness and it also reminds the wearer that you are 100% Beautiful, 100% Unique, 100%

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Worthy and 100% God Made.

Because Lena was born Amish and has Amish parents she has a unique relationship with the seamstresses who sew the clothes. She loves being able to provide an opportunity for these wonderful ladies to shine.

She prays with them and is able to help them support their families. Her heart swells with pride knowing that she can give back to the community that she loves so much.

Farmhouse Frocks started in 2014 and has experienced tremendous growth - and is still growing. In addition to the Millersburg studio in Ohio there is an additional studio in Sarasota, Florida. Located in Burns Court, a trendy artistic part of town, Sarasota has been a favorite family vacation spot for years.

The fast growth of Farmhouse

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Frocks is a blessing, but is also challenging. Through all of the constant change and continued success - she has learned how important it is to have a spirit lead team.

Designing a clothing line with her two daughters has brought her so much joy.

Lena finds it nice - being a plus size lady - to finally have clothing that fits well and looks good on her.

When asked what piece of advice she wished she would have gotten at the beginning of this life changing journey: Lena replied: “You get what you pay for. If you want quality work you need to pray and pay for it.

Dream big and learn from your mistakes. and always: MORE FAITH THAN FEAR”

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everything you need to know to get back to homeschool

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How to choose a homeschool curriculum

BY JENNIFER HALL

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which your school will need to comply. Some states are more relaxed and do not regulate curriculum in any way. Others require documentation, samples of work, progress reports or visits from a supervising instructor. Looking up your State homeschool requirements with your local department of non-public Just as every family is differeducation or with an ent, every homeschool will organization such as HSLDA be different, and honestly (Home School Legal Defense every homeschool year will Association) will help give you be different. Because there a clear picture and starting is no one size fits all answer point for what requirements when it comes to curriculum choices. This is an area where that whichever curriculum you you as the homeschool parent chose will need to meet. are going to have to do the Another basic factor you will homework. need to consider are ages and approximate grade levels of So, pull up a chair, grab your children. If your something delicious to drink children are transitioning from and let’s talk about some of a traditional education the basic steps of choosing setting it will be a bit easier to a curriculum for your homedetermine a grade level, but school. it is not unusual for children to be above grade level in one subject and below in another.

Most states have homeschool Keep in mind that home education is marathon not a laws and regulations with Congratulations! You’ve made the decision to homeschool.... now what? Where do you begin? With thousands of curriculum options, educational philosophies, and the desire to do the very best for your children how does one decide on a curriculum?

THE BASICS

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books while huddled together on the couch while I nursed the ever hungry new kid on the block. I had my moments of panic, what if I wasn’t doing Whether you are beginning enough? What if he was fallwith Pre-K or jumping into ing behind his peers? We just homeschool with both feet kept going, doing the next after a start in public school thing. Reading, talking and one of the most important exploring and spending time priorities as you begin your homeschool journey is to slow with your children. (Fast fordown, give yourself and your ward about 15 years and that children the space to adjust to little boy was not academically damaged, and is currently a this new experience and way Physics Major) of life. sprint and there will be plenty of opportunities for your children to thrive overall.

In our early years of homeschool I tried my hardest to replicate the school environment of my childhood.

My idealistic vision of how our homeschool was going to look (basically a mini-version of the public school I had attended) soon became unsustainable with the additions, in rapid succession, of our second and third children. We quickly transitioned from desks and work books to learning phonics with sidewalk chalk on the driveway and reading copious amounts of pictures 52 • from scratch magazine

DEFINE YOUR GOAL Once you know your states requirements, and where you are going to start, I believe that it’s a good idea to decide why you are homeschooling before committing yourself to a curriculum.

Coming up with a list of goals and priorities will help you filter your curriculum search. For example, are you homeschooling for religious reasons? Do you want to follow an educa-

Click here to read now! read it

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Define Your Home school Goals!

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tional style like Unschooling or utilize unit studies? Are you interested in an educational approach like Waldorf or Montessori? Are you and your children called to a more classical education or do you want to follow Common Core standards?

Every homeschool family will have a different set of priorities. For our family our main goals are to educate our children in line with our religious convictions, provide hands on character training and a solid foundation in the core subjects of reading, literature, history and arithmetic. We want our children to have the opportunity to seek higher education if they chose but also wanted to make sure that they learned a trade. Our desire was to have a relationship with our children and to foster an environment where they were always learning and growing. Having these goals in mind helped us weed out the curriculums that didn’t meet our standards.

I keep my list on the first page of my master plan book.

We have changed and added goals as the years have gone on, but it has been helpful to have this list to refer back to in times of struggle or when I have lost focus.

WHAT IS YOUR FAMILY LIFE STYLE? The rhythm, needs, and lifestyle of the household will be a large factor in choosing a curriculum. There are many factors within your family that will dictate which curriculum is best suited for you. Some families thrive in a delight directed unschooling environment, while others excel with a more structured routine. Your family life style and your homeschool goals will go hand in hand.

A good old internet search is a fantastic place to start. Don’t get discouraged! There will be lots and lots of options.

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themselves right away for one reason or another. Searching Facebook for groups that fit your homeschool criteria and ask lots of questions. Your homeschool support group and homeschooling friends are a wonderful resource for information on curriculum before you buy.

GOOD QUESTIONS TO ASK: Are the instructor/parent directions easy to follow and understand? How much prep work is involved for each lesson? Can the lessons be used for multiple age groups and grade levels? Are consumable materials (workbooks) reproducible?

TIP: DON’T BE AFRAID TO EXPLORE LOW COST OR FREE CURRICULUM OPTIONS. YOUR LIBRARY CARD AND INTERNET ACCESS ARE TWO OF YOUR BIGGEST ALLIES FOR HOMESCHOOLING 56 • from scratch magazine

ON THE CHEAP!

Many chose a thrifty homeschool on a budget, but for some cost my not be a factor. Establishing a budget for curriculum, supplies and extracurricular activities will help narrow down your choices as well.

Time will be a large factor in your decision. Do you have lots of children at different levels that you will have to plan for individually?

Does a complete curriculum best fit your time requirements or do you have time to piece a curriculum together from different publishers and resources?

Do you want to explore ways to augment your lessons using platforms like YouTube or Nexflix?

Would you like to utilize online resources like Khan Academy or complete online curriculums like Easy Peasy All In One Homeschool or

keep your family lifestyle in mind when choosing your curriculum

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Switched on Schoolhouse or would you rather limit internet Seeking out a homeschool access or exclude screen time support group and other altogether? homeschool families in your community or online is a wonMake sure to explore derful way of gaining insight, opportunities like Classical perspective and examples of Conversations and other how a curriculum and homehomeschool co-operatives schooling in general works, near you. You may also want before making a commitment. to research some less main stream educational Early on in our home school methods and philosophies journey we were blessed to like Montessori or Waldorf. be surrounded by seasoned homeschool families. I identiThere is no one size fits all fied the character traits that I approach to homeschoolwanted to cultivate in my chiling. As you research don’t be dren, the academic goals we afraid to think out of the box hoped to achieve, and began and experiment until you find looking for a family that fit the combination that is perfect those descriptions. I started for your family. a friendship with one of the Homeschooling Moms that I admired and whose style I most wanted to immolate. I Nothing can replace good began asking questions. She old fashioned experience. let me look at her curriculum Homeschool veterans are your library. She lent me books best resource for curriculum about homeschooling. I spent advice. Most will be extremely time with her and her children. candid about curriculums that It was incredibly encouragwork and those that don’t and ing to me to see what homethe reasons why. school looked like for some-

FIND A MENTOR

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one who had been doing it for a few years. For me, beginning our journey was very overwhelming and hard to visualize. The goals seem far off and intangible. This friendship/mentorship has been invaluable to me and has made our homeschool journey richer and more relaxed.

Having access to a variety of curriculums to look over before I made the decision to purchase and having the opinions and insights of other 60 • from scratch magazine

homeschoolers has saved us thousands of dollars over our years of homeschooling.

BEG, BORROW OR BUY USED Once you have established the state regulations, made your mission statement or set your goals, identified the needs of your children and the rhythm you would like to develop in your homeschool, it is time to get out there and get that curriculum!

BEG…well not really, but if you have family members of friends who want to support your homeschool adventures or would like to purchase education related gifts for your children, setting up an Amazon wish list is a great place to start. This is a great way to build a library of living books, a treasure chest of art supplies and all the extra STUFF that can make homeschooling fun, while getting extended family involved.

BORROW….Ask around in your homeschool group or your homeschooling friends.

Quite often someone has the exact curriculum that you are interested in sitting on their shelves at home. It is always nice to try before your buy or at least take a good long look.

I have been known to hang out at our local homeschool curriculum store for hours, flipping through curriculum and taking notes.

TIP: I KEEP A LIST OF BORROWED AND LENT ITEMS IN MY MASTER PLANNER. IT MAKES RETURNING ITEMS EASIER AT THE END OF THE SEMESTER OR YEAR. If you can’t borrow, buy used.

The internet is full of used curriculum for sale. Facebook curriculum groups, Amazon, local or state curriculum fairs, yard sales and discount homeschool websites are wonderful resources for used curriculum.

DON’T GET TOO ATTACHED The absolute best piece of advice I could give anyone who is on a homeschooling journey is embrace flexibility and change. One of the most important reasons we made the choice to educate our children at home was because we could tailor our curriculum to each individual child’s needs and abilities.

As the years have passed we have made changes to our curriculum based on how

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the needs of the children have changed, shift is family dynamics, and how my needs as the primary instructor have changed. Homeschool evolves with the family and looks very different year to year. In our early years of homeschool I tried my hardest to replicate the school environment of my childhood. My idealistic vision of how our homeschool was going to look (basically a miniversion of the public school I had attended) soon became unsustainable with the additions, in rapid succession, of our second and third children. We quickly transitioned from desks and work books to learning phonics with sidewalk chalk on the driveway and reading copious amounts of pictures books while huddled together on the couch while I nursed the ever hungry new kid on the block. I had my moments of panic, what if I wasn’t doing enough? What if he was falling behind his peers? We just kept going, doing the next thing. Reading, talking and exploring and 62 • from scratch magazine

spending time with your children. (Fast forward about 15 years and that little boy was not academically damaged, and is currently a Physics Major) As we have added little ones, moved older children through High School into dual enrollment and on to college our curriculum needs have changed. Make room in your school for those delight directed learning experiences that are so often overlooked in main stream education.

Don’t be surprised when your sweet little darling who loved worksheets last year will have nothing to do with them this year. Allow time and space for the 9 year old who only wants to study bugs and carnivorous plants. If you are using a curriculum that is too taxing on you as the parent or one that isn’t structured or organized enough for your needs, if your curriculum isn’t bringing you joy and peace as you instruct your children, don’t be afraid to let it go.

ALL OF THE INFORMATION YOU NEED TO START YOUR OWN VERTICAL GARDEN , FROM SCRATCH! CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE! from scratch magazine •

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Chickens in the Classroom?

HOMESCHOOLING LESSONS FROM THE FLOCK

BY JANET GARMAN

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Have you wondered how to incorporate more of the homestead lifestyle into your homeschooling lessons?

While you might not really want chickens in the classroom, your backyard flock can teach many valuable school lessons to your children.

Chickens are a common feature in many backyards these days. Getting in touch with our food, where it comes from and how it has been grown is important to many people. Knowing what your chickens are eating gives you more control over your food.

Collecting the fresh eggs is extremely rewarding. How can the flock of chickens in the backyard help you teach lessons in the homeschool classroom?

of geography lessons. For example, if you are raising a backyard flock of Barred Rock hens, investigating the conditions the breed originated in, climate, adaptation,and food sources. The Buckeye breed holds the distinction of being the only pea comb breed developed in the United States. Chickens such as the Welsummer are natives of Holland which would lead to an interesting cultural and geographical study.

Math lessons from backyard chickens are plentiful. What is the ratio of eggs laid vs hens in the flock? How do you calculate the feed ration and meet the nutrient requirements is another great math lesson for older math students. Younger learners could practice counting, sorting, Chickens come to us in many grouping into dozens, and weighing the eggs for size varieties. There are numerclassification. Another more ous breeds, and some come advanced lesson could include in tiny sizes called Bantams.

Where do your chickens come break even cost calculations, price setting, and feed cost from originally? This inforper hen. mation can tie into all sorts from scratch magazine •

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Biology is an easy lesson to see when there are animals on the homestead. The reproduction lesson will be easily apparent if you have a rooster on the farm! It has long been a standard classroom lesson in public schools to hatch out a few fertilized eggs. This teaches many lessons in embryo development. Tracking growth of the embryo by candling the eggs is fascinating for adults and children. Regulating

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temperature and humidity for proper development and hatch is yet another lesson relating to biology.

Any homeschool lesson planning probably includes food science lessons. Chickens provide good quality protein and are included in many recipes.

Cooking, meal planning, and providing balanced menus are good lessons for children to learn at even an early age. I

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believe good eating habits are cake baked with your own flock’s fresh eggs is a delicious learned early in life. treat for the family.

When children participate in meal planning around healthy The last lesson I want to mention is perhaps one of the choices, they learn to make good choices and they learn most important lessons of all. to cook! Cooking is a valuable Responsibility for family pets life skill wouldn’t you say. Not or livestock fosters indepento mention that an occasional dence and confidence in

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young people. Having chores to do that help the family run smoothly is an important lesson for even the youngest of children.

School age children are very capable of performing age appropriate tasks in the chicken coop.

They can help with cleaning, feeding, bringing clean water, and looking out for health concerns.

Chicken care doesn’t take an enormous amount of daily time.

Each day the chickens need to be let out of the coop in the morning. The feed should be checked, replenished, or refilled. Water containers or founts should be cleaned regularly with vinegar and water to prevent bacteria build up.

Having a small rake, kitty litter scoop or shovel in the coop makes cleanup easier.

Taking care of this task on a daily basis keeps the ammo-

nia smell down, and keeps the coop cleaner overall.

Checking the nest boxes once or twice a day for fresh eggs, prevents wildlife from getting used to a free meal of fresh eggs.

Adding the manure waste to the compost bin or pile adds a lesson in environmental and garden science to the classroom studies.

With children it is always important to monitor personal hygiene and make sure that they wash thoroughly after being in the chicken coop or handling the chickens.

Other than that I think caring for a backyard flock of chickens holds many life lessons for your homeschool, or traditional school students.

Have a wonderful school year and don’t forget to bring some meal worms to the chicken teachers!

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Herbalism for kids!

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the importance of self care.

WE RECENTLY SPOKE WITH Beyond that, the study of ANGELA JUSTIS, THE FAMILY herbalism touches on many EDUCATIONAL DIRECTOR THE aspects of learning in other NEWLY RELAUNCHED HERBAL ACADEMY, FORMERLY THE HERBAL topics. From history to science to health, there is a lot to be ACADEMY OF NEW ENGLAND, learned here.

ABOUT HOW THEIR CURRICULUM COULD BE USED TO HOMESCHOOL I UNDERSTAND YOU HAVE AN KIDS. CHECK OUT OUR INTERVIEW HERBALISM FOR KIDS PROGRAM BELOW! VIA YOUR BLOG. CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT THAT? WHAT BENEFIT WOULD HOMESCHOOLERS GET We do have a herbalism FROM TAKING AN course for children on our HERBALISM COURSE? blog! Our Introduction to There are so many potential benefits for homeschoolers studying herbalism. Learning about herbalism fosters an appreciation of nature and helps to instill an awareness of the cycles of life of which we are all part. In taking an herbalism course, students have the opportunity to learn how to work in concert with the natural environment, learn about possibilities for selfsufficiency in terms of caring for their own wellness, and gain an understanding of

Herbs for Kids is an exciting and engaging way for children to enjoy learning the basics of herbalism. This series of eight lessons is geared towards children and is designed to be fun for kids to read themselves. Younger kids can join in by having a parent read the lessons to them. There are activities for children of all age ranges in each lesson, covering everything from botany, wildcrafting, and gardening to making kid-friendly herbal preparations. Some of the activities do require parenfrom scratch magazine •

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tal supervision and we have included a parent safety note with each lesson to ensure that everyone can safely enjoy learning.

It is truly a joy to share herbalism with the youngest among us! With over ten years of experience working as a children’s herbal educator, I am blessed to be part of the Herbal Academy as the Family Educational Director.

Children’s herbalism education is very dear to the hearts of those at the Academy and

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I am grateful for the chance to help create educational opportunities for kids. There is nothing more inspiring than seeing a child become enchanted with a beautiful herb.

As a special learning bonus we are also offering a free Family Herbal Summer Series on the blog. An on-going offering throughout the summer, this series is designed for everyone in the family to start their learning together!

Further learning opportunities from the Academy for both parents and children include following our blog where we are always sharing great new ideas for enjoying herbs as well as information about a wide variety of herbalism topics. Folks can also sign up to receive our newsletter which highlights special features and offers. Those who sign up for the newsletter get a free eBook as well!

WOULD IT BE ADVISABLE FOR PARENTS TO TAKE THE COURSE AND TEACH THEIR CHILDREN HERBALISM? WHY/WHY NOT? Parents who are interested in the learning about herbalism could certainly do so alongside their children. We offer three levels of learning through our online Herbal Courses. Our Introductory Herbal Course is perfect for folks who are just starting their herbalism studies. The

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Intermediate Herbal Course is designed for students who have the basics of herbalism down and want to go deeper.

Our Advanced Herbal Course offers in-depth study with an aim towards helping students becoming professional herbalists. Parents who are learning herbalism could share what they are learning with the children either directly or through the experiences of integrating their use of herbs into every74 • from scratch magazine

day life as well as using herbs during illness and injury. Along the way, parents could use these practical situations as teaching tools and share with their kids what they are doing.

Our Introduction to Herbs for Kids series mentioned above is a great way to give kids their own herbal course of study to do along with mom or dad. For those families who would enjoy learning

together yet want something less involved than our online Herbal Courses, the new Family Herbal Summer Series on the Academy blog offers another great option for study.

DOES THE HERBAL ACADEMY OFFER A COURSE TO SPECIFICALLY TO CERTIFY INSTRUCTORS? Yes and no. We offer an Advanced Herbal Course which has been designed to prepare students working toward a career as professional herbalists. This course is academically rigorous and aimed at developing the budding professional herbalist’s knowledge base and encourage critical thinking skills in preparation for the hands-on clinical training that is needed to become a professional herbalist.

Currently the field of herbalism is not officially regulated by any specific set of standards. This means that there is no way to become certified or licensed as an herbalist.

However, folks can attend a school that offers high quality herbal education. That is what we do here at the Academy. To bring our students quality programs, we have built a team of clinical herbalists, community herbalists, medical doctors, and herbal enthusiasts who are all actively involved in our course development. While we do not make claims to produce certified herbalists, graduates of our online herbal programs earn a certificate of completion, which recognizes completion of the course under the direction of the Academy.

This can be a valuable certificate to document your educational experience when job searching or starting your own herbal practice.

I FEEL LIKE HERBALISM COULD BE USED TO TEACH MATH, SCIENCE, HEALTH AND OTHER SUBJECTS TO CHILDREN IN HOMESCHOOL PROGRAMS. DO YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE? WHY/WHY NOT?

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Absolutely! Herbalism touches on many topics. While making herbal remedies, a child can work on math skills such as measurement, sorting, counting, estimating, learning numbers, and mathematical concepts. Children will be naturally exposed to the science topics such as plant morphology, plant life cycles, and environmental ecology, as well

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as human anatomy and physiology. Herbalism is a study of health and ways to help maintain or improve health through the use of herbs, diet, and self care. As students of herbology, when kids learn that nettles can help them feel strong or that chamomile can soothe a nervous stomach before a performance, it leads them to inquire why the plants impart

these effects. This can lead to study of plant chemistry and its effect on the human body.

On the whole, the study of herbalism gives kids a lens through which to think about and understand their own body and health.

ARE THERE ANY OTHER SUBJECTS THAT HERBALISM COULD BE USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH? IF SO,

COULD YOU ELABORATE? Herbalism also has profound links to humanity’s past, to our history. The history of herbal usage is fascinating and intertwined with human evolution.

Another subject that herbalism touches upon is language. The names of herbs often refer to the function of the herb or the physical form the takes.

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For example, the beloved lavender comes from the Latin word “lavare” which means to wash, referring to lavender’s use as disinfectant. Herbalism is also a great way to get kids out in the garden, relearning the practical skills of how to grow and tend plants for food and medicine. Gardening and the study of herbalism inevitably opens up our awareness of nature and the role both plants and humans (not to mention mushrooms, animals, seasons, etc.) play in the ecosystem. Exploring these ideas leads to study of many environmental topics - sustainability, stewardship, and protection, to name a few. So you see that herbalism really does open the door to many other subjects of study!

I FEEL LIKE HOMESCHOOLERS COULD BENEFIT FROM THE VOCATIONAL ASPECTS OF HERBALISM. TO EXPAND ON THIS IDEA, HERE IN NORTH CAROLINA, MANY HIGH SCHOOLERS PARTICIPATE IN VOCATIONAL PROGRAMS STARTING IN 78 • from scratch magazine

THEIR SOPHOMORE YEAR, OR GO INTO EARLY COLLEGE ENROLLMENT (USUALLY THROUGH COMMUNITY COLLEGES IN THE AREA). IT SEEMS TO ME THIS WOULD BE A PERFECT FIT FOR HOMESCHOOLERS TO DO SOMETHING SIMILAR WITH YOUR HERBALISM COURSES, HOWEVER, AMBER INDICATED TO ME THAT YOU GUYS HAVE A CUTOFF AGE OF 21. IS A HIGH SCHOOL AGE PROGRAM SOMETHING YOU’RE LOOKING TO EXPLORE IN THE FUTURE? Definitely! We are considering creating a high school program at some point. However, for those high schoolers who are interested in pursuing an herbal education right now, co-enrollment with a parent in our courses is an option. Our cut-off age for courses is simply due to the use of alcohol in preparing herbal remedies such as tinctures. Contact us and we will help to work out a special arrangement to allow underage students an opportunity to enroll with parental consent.

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5 Reasons the public library is a homeschooler's best friend

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1. ALL THE BOOKS! AND THEY ARE FREE! If they don’t have it - they will find it!

2. EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING

robotics, technology, arts and crafts there are classes for everything!

3. HOMESCHOOL GROUPS the library is the gathering place for homeschoolers. Libraries are happy to accommodate and often host meetings and community groups.

4. THE PLACE FOR TECHNOLOGY wi-fi, computers, laptops, tablets - the library has them all. and you can use them for free. they will even teach you how to use them.

5. A PLACE TO VOLUNTEER I can’t think of a better place for a homeschooler to volunteer. being surrounded by books in an environment dedicated to learning.

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Educate with Wild Abandon Musings from a Veteran Homeschooling Mom

BY KAREN LYNN

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I love what I consider to be the lost art of correspondence.

I am corresponding back to you in response to your question you posed to me in your last letter I received from you I received a letter from a back in mid-July. Sorry it took family member tonight and me so long to get back to you instantly as I removed the as the homestead has been a handwritten letter from the mailbox from out by the road flurry of activity. We have the my mind raced with anticipa- new chickens we added to the flock and keeping up with tion as I wondered what stocanning the tomatoes…well ries would unfold. You see this is the way I grew up along it’s been an adventure let’s just say. Don’t mind my chickwith my parents, and grandparents, and not many people en scratch either I have just correspond via the postal ser- been flustered from the heat today or the fans just aren’t vice like they used to. keeping the house quite cool When I was a little girl I found enough. one of my Great Aunt’s journals and she wrote in it every “So you ask me why I homeschooled our children?” day just like she was corresponding through the mail to a loved one. She wrote about Hmm an easy question with a the weather, family members, not so short answer but if you have a minute to sit a spell I the gardens, and just day to can tell you the entire story. day minutia. This letter to Would you like some hot tea Deidra sums up in an oldor a glass of water? Would fashioned way the questions you like to get comfy?

I was asked all through our homeschooling years.

It’s these social graces that later on made me so glad I Dear Deidra, from scratch magazine •

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homeschooled for a season in my life. My children learned the importance of small graces and creature comforts…the little things in life that folks don’t always talk about but they notice.

of the interlibrary loan system.

Our philosophy on homeschooling really became “Learn While You Live” and it worked for us for three years for our son and four years for our daughter. I started It’s the comments from teach- out cautiously, timid, nervous ers in high school. “Your son and unsure. Homeschooling wasn’t just a gift to my chilis so articulate and such a dren; it ended up being a deep thinker”, or “we have gift for myself, my husband, not quite seen matched the artistic nature of your daugh- and our entire family unit. As we got more comfortable we ter”. really dug into our learning units much of we did had to I didn’t completely take the unschooling path but I didn’t span the five years between my daughter and my son. She completely take the formal often required more time as homeschooling path either her studies were more rigbecause we always thought orous but I was fortunate that would defeat the purenough to have a neighbor pose. We catered towards who was homeschooling as our children’s’ strengths and well that included my daughthis was not always a good ter in some of their studies. thing because they became extremely strong both of them This afforded me some one on one time with my son to dig in different areas. My son into some primary learning. I lived to go to the library and park; we were outdoors often. am proud to say I taught my son to read and not everyone We lived one mile from the can say that. I did not teach library so we went often and my daughter mastered the art my daughter she had gone to

FOR FOOD AND MEDICINE BY: KRISTINA SELESHANKO

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including following up with clean-up. They took such pride in this task and no matter what even if the meal was too salty or tough we ate it.

We made corn husk dolls, read all of the Little House on It’s the point of the matter every effort should be rewardthe Prairie books as a family and even did the Prairie prim- ed and we took that seriously plus we were on a really tight er homeschool curriculum.

We worked in the garden side budget. by side, and we planted seeds I think the only thing I would and we cooked meals from have done differently looking the garden. This transferred to giving to others in the com- back is not worry so much… munity we would sew stuffed it is amazing how resilient and intelligent our children animals for orphanages and my daughter learned practical are. I kept worrying if we skills quickly. She even taught tested them on the California herself to use our vintage foot Achievement Test which is a measurement a lot of homepedal sewing machine when schoolers use that if we had I didn’t know how to use it an area of weakness that I was myself. We encouraged our lacking in some way. It’s actuchildren to figure out how to use their critical thinking skills ally kind of ironic because I to figure out how to do activi- have been in the work place for years and of course I have ties on their own. weaknesses we all do but I have strengths too and they Our children made us dinner are mighty. Our children’s about once a week sometimes less often and they were strengths were mighty too and will serve them well in their excited to prepare the meal lives now as they have both as well as plan the menu.

They planned the entire event entered the world of adultpre-school and learned prior to our homeschooling days beginning for us.

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hood.

My children inspired me, we forged life long bonds, and our family was stronger for our season of homeschooling. I am grateful to have had the opportunity. Deidra I hope I answered all of your questions friend….oh and give my love to Bob, Gayle, and Cyndy.

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advice is throw caution to the wind and educate with wild abandon!

Fondly, Karen Lynn PS – Let me know when your new flock of chickens starts laying. I can’t wait to hear the news!

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happy valley ranch Handcrafted fruit presses that make cider and wine by steven jones

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Happy Valley Ranch is a fruit, apple and wine press manufacturer and supplier in Kansas.

The company began in 1977 in Washington state. We discovered this company after doing some research for presses and grinders for our own apple trees in North Carolina. We were so taken with their products and their manufacturing process, as well as their dedication to an “old fashioned” way of doing things that we reached out to them to find out more about the company and their products.

Here’s the interview we had with company manager David McIntyre:

Happy Valley Ranch originated in Yakima, Washington in 1977 and was purchased

by Ray, who was in his 50’s, and Wanda Stagg in 1983.

Ray moved the company from there in 1985 and erected a metal building on his property southeast of Paola, KS that year. The company started with two employees doing the packaging and Ray and Wanda in the office. Three models of presses were sold for between $100 to $500 each. This was Ray’s retirement business who had owned a very prosperous printing company in Kansas City for many years.

Happy Valley Ranch was determined to keep the old fashion style press where the work was done by hand. As Ray would say, “It just makes the juice taste better when you crack it out yourself.” He would also Happy Valley Ranch is one of say, “People just don’t want to the few manufacturers of the drink things with all the pestitrue, old fashion, Cider Presses cides in them and the pasteuriin the country. Their design is zation processes of today kills based on the same press that the taste.” came over on the Mayflower.

CAN YOU GIVE ME A BRIEF HISTORY OF HAPPY VALLEY RANCH?

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The Presses are sold all across the lower 48 States as well as Alaska. They are also sold in Canada, Australia, and even a few in Europe. Sales consist of approximately 700 to 800 units per year with annual sales from $700,000 to $800,000. The Company now employs five full time employees. The company was saddened in March of 2015 when Ray passed away at the age of 92. Wanda is continuing the business and says “We will keep this going in memory of Ray”.

HOW ARE THE PRESSES MADE? Items are made from Maple wood from scratch here in Paola, KS. We then put them together for the cast iron parts and prepare them for shipping. Units are boxed for shipping through UPS Ground.

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CAN YOU TELL ME A LITTLE ABOUT THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS? We get out Maple from a high quality wood supplier who distributes wood for cabinet makers. We take each of the blank pieces of 1” x 4” planks and cut them to length. Then they are laminated together under pressure to make a 3” by 3” piece which is then used in making the different parts.

We use ‘Dado” saws to establish secure mountings and drill presses to position holes for the bolts and rods. Every piece is sanded on a big drum sander for a smooth furniture like finish in a very modern wood shop. (see attached picture) We the laser our branding into one of the legs.

I LOVE THE FACT THAT YOUR COMPANY HAS A LAYAWAY PLAN. CAN YOU TELL ME HOW THAT CAME TO BE AND HOW THAT PLAN WORKS?

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The Layaway plan was developed many years ago when Ray knew that the price was too high for some people to pay outright and he wanted anyone to be able to own and enjoy his product. The plan is very simple: 1) customer places the order, 2) puts down at least a $50.00 deposit (non refundable), 3) payments are made as the customer wishes with absolutely no interest charged, 4) pricing will remain the same when ordered except for the shipping costs which will be adjusted to current rates at payoff time, and 5) when the balance is paid off, how every long that may be, then the press is shipped out.

YOU GUYS ARE REALLY THOROUGH WHEN IT COMES TO FILLING AN ORDER. FOR EXAMPLE, I NOTICED THE YAKIMA FRUIT PRESS COMES WITH A 1/2 PINT OF EZ-DO SEALER, GLOVES

AND A CHIP BRUSH. THAT’S A NICE BIT OF ATTENTION TO DETAIL AS FAR AS WHAT YOUR CUSTOMER MIGHT NEED. CAN YOU TELL ME HOW THAT ATTITUDE CAME TO BE? Ray was always thinking of the customer’s needs. We have products that do come with a full compliment of need accessories such as the Yakima and Pioneer. We have also developed a discounted package of finishing products for the other presses but people to have their own way of doing things, so these are optional. We also supply a Full 1 Year guaranty with every press. Anything is wrong will be replaced. All presses come with a full instruction manual which establishes procedures for assembling the press as well as proper maintenance and care. We also offer, for a small price, a full 10 Year warranty which can be purchased within the first year of use giv-

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ing the customer time to use it and see if they feel this is needed. As you can tell by the customers feedback on our website, customer service is the second most important goal of this company next to a superb product to being with.

YOUR CONTEST TO WIN A FREE HOMESTEADER PRESS? The contest is for anyone who requests a catalog, which is free, during the current year.

We want catalogs in people’s hands even though many more customers today are just going to the web for their information.

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN APPLE PRESS AND A WINE PRESS? CAN I SWITCH THEM OUT? IS THERE ANYTHING The difference between our ELSE I FORGOT TO ASK? Complete Press and Wine Press is the grinder. When you are squeezing grapes and other small soft fruit you don’t need to grind them before hand. So we sell the small Yakima for table top squeezing and the larger Homesteader Wine Press (which is the same thing as the full press without the Apple Eater Grinder). If you buy the Homesteader wine press you can always buy the grinder at another time.

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We have now, last year, developed a motor unit for each press. We knew people were retro-fitting their own but had many question about the item.

We use to supply suggestions but thought it best to give them a complete package with safety items included.

We have ‘Dealers’ across the USA which also sell our product. They are given a discount but they have the right to sell the products for whatever they wish. This gives us much larger customer base in which to draw from. Most of these

click here to enter to win a free press!

dealers take orders and then we ‘Drop Ship’ for them.

So we are here to help people get back to their roots and do it the old fashion way. You would be surprised at the number of people that say, “I remember doing this as a

kid and want my kids to have the same experience. That is exactly why we are here.

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Keep chickens safe with chickensafe protect your flock by steven jones

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The Chicken Safe is a unique, prefabricated walk-in chicken run. The company started in the United Kingdom about 5 years ago, and since then has put together an incredible range of products that allows the backyard chicken keeper to protect their flock from predation with a thoroughness that is impressive.

We spoke to the company representative Mitch Clemmer about their product and what makes it unique.

set allows the unit to be easily moved about the property.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN MAKING CHICKEN SAFES? The company was started in England 5 years ago. The US branch was started 2 years ago, but it was managed from the England office. I bought the US company in March of this year and moved the main office to Mississippi. We still use a fulfillment center in Kentucky for shipping product to the 48 states.

WHAT MAKES CHICKEN SAFE A HAVE YOU TESTED BETTER OPTION THAN BUILDING A CHICKEN RUN? THE CHICKEN SAFE? WHAT WERE THE RESULTS? We have a large variety of sizes, all of which are made of galvanized materials. Two people can easily put this together after UPS delivery.

You have a center height of 80” that allows the caretaker to easily walk in the unit and also gives the birds plenty of room to move about. The addition of the optional wheel 100 • from scratch magazine

There are over 5000 units in place in the US and England.

The unit has held up well and provided excellent protection for our feathered friends.

I have yet to have a customer tell me that they have had a failure of protection. I did have one inquiry about keeping bears out, but I didn’t

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offer much hope for success to that customer!

WHAT PLANS DO YOU HAVE FOR THE FUTURE OF CHICKEN SAFE? I just developed wheels that attach to the unit to make it movable like a chicken tractor. Many customers were asking for this, and we were able to meet their needs. We are always looking for products that will enhance the enjoyment of keeping and raising chickens and other small livestock.

WHAT USES DO YOUR RUNS HAVE, OUTSIDE OF SERVING AS CHICKEN ENCLOSURES? Our units have been used for containment of birds of many

species as well as holding sheep, goats, dogs, cats, rabbits and other small animals.

We are starting to get inquiries from the gardening world for use over vegetables, fruits, and flowers to give protection from predators.

WHAT ELSE WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADD? We offer 4 widths of enclosures but unlimited lengths.

Some customers have started with one size and later added on more sections. In my unit, I left the end wall in place when I expanded and put in a door to connect the two sections. This allows me to house different breeds or just move the flock from one area to another and “rest” the previous ground.

click here to check out chicken safe

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water bath canning for beginners: blackberry jam

BY JORDAN CHARBONNEAU

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Have you ever bottled sunshine?

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 cups of crushed blackberries (raspberries could be No of course not, but just a substituted) taste of blackberry jam come midwinter and you’ll feel like • 6 1/2 cups of sugar (that’s where those emergency you have. phone calls for sugar come in) It’s the essence of all things • 1 pouch of liquid pectin summertime just sitting in

the root cellar waiting to be opened some dark night huddled around the wood stove. It’s sweet and juicy and definitely not healthy but it’s one of those good for the soul kind a foods.

The equipment you will need includes 5 to 8 half pint canning jars with new lids and bands (or jars of your choice) and a water bath canner (a rack and large pot).

The best part is that even if you’re a total canning novice it’s really not difficult to make.

Optional but extremely useful equipment includes a canning jar lid magnet, canning jar tongs, and a funnel. You can get all these things in a ball canning kit like we did here.

Not at all.

PREPARATION

On with it! Right? Well here’s Boil all your jars and rings what you’ll need:

(not lids though) in your water bath canner for 10 minutes.

You can remove the lids and set them on a clean towel but

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many people choose to keep the jars simmering until ready to use. Placing hot jam into cold jars could cause them to crack.

PRO TIP: TIE ALL YOUR LIDS ON A COTTON STRING AND THEN LOOP THE STRING OVER ONE OF THE CANNER HANDLES SO THEY’RE EASY TO RETRIEVE FROM THE BOILING WATER. YOU CAN THANK PILGRIM FROM STONE AXE HERBALS FOR THAT PIECE OF ADVICE. Rinse if needed and then crush your berries. I use a potato masher to crush mine though your could use a food processor just be careful not to puree them.

How much your crush them is all personal preference. I like mine pretty chunky.

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MAKING THE JAM Measure your berries and simmer while stirring in the 6 1/2 cups of sugar. I like to measure the sugar out into a separate container first so I have it all ready.

Once the sugar is incorporated bring the mixture to a hard boil (it should not stop bubbling when you stir it) then you can add you liquid pectin.

Bring the mixture back to a boil and boil for 1 minute stirring constantly.

Remove jam from heat and jars from canner. Using the funnel and a ladle fill the jars leaving a 1/2 inch of head space.

Don’t rush but you want to do this fairly quickly before the jam sets up.

CANNING Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean damp cloth before putting on lids and rings. This is an important step! Dirty

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jar rims could affect the seal.

Screw on rings finger tight.

should be able to lift your jars by holing the lid without the ring on.

Using the jar tongs so you If you have jars that didn’t seal don’t burn yourself place all your filled jars back in the can- you can re-can them using a new lid. ner.

You made need to add or remove some water. It should be 2 inches above the top of the jars.

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

Bring to a boil and boil for 10 minutes.

Use a bigger pot than you think you’ll need to cook the jam. It bubbles up a lot more than you’d think.

**Note if you’re using larger jars they will need to be in the canner longer. Sometimes I use pints and can them for 15 minutes.

Some people say to skim the foam off before putting your jam in jars. I don’t but it might make it look a little prettier if you want to.

Remove your jars from the canner and let them sit overnight. You will probably here the jars seal fairly quickly after they come out but I like to let mine sit overnight before removing the rings.

Don’t forget to label your jars after they’re done! I just write on the lids with a sharpie.

Don’t forget to take a breath and enjoy your jam!

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dill pickle salad dressing (SUGAR-FREE & VEGAN!)

BY JORDAN CHARBONNEAU

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DILL PICKLE DRESSING

Full disclosure: I avoided making homemade salad dressing What You Need: for years.

• 1/4 cup leftover dill pickle juice I mean, I was already making • 1/2 cup olive oil homemade bread, crackers, • 3 TB water pasta, pickles, pasta sauce and lots of other goodies but • 1/8 tsp thyme • 1/2 tsp basil we were still buying salad • 1/4 tsp garlic powder dressing.

• 1/4 tsp onion powder It always kind of seemed like • 1/8 tsp pepper

a complicated affair. Have you read the ingredients on those bottles? Even Italian has a Place all your ingredients in a pretty intimidating list. I was mason jar and shake them up. sure I couldn’t replicate it.

That’s it! Super easy right?

DIRECTIONS

And you know what? I was right (there is no replacement in my kitchen for the flavor of preservatives) but it’s okay because as soon as I tasted this recipe I swore off the store stuff.

You can play with the seasonings quite a bit depending on your preferences and pickle juice.

We’ve used pickle juice from hot dills that had a jalapeno soaked in it and it was to die It’s tangy, garlicky, clean and for. Which is crazy coming oh so quick and easy. Plus it from the girl whose nose runs totally reduces food waste. when she eats medium salsa.

What have I been doing all So get crazy throw some caythese years pouring my excess enne or something in there. pickle juice down the drain?

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It’s pretty hard to mess this dressing up.

It stores well in the fridge just shake it before using.

enjoy a big salad with this stuff I have to get back to the kitchen.

This dressing was just a small step in beating back the I haven’t tried it but you could cucumbers that are literally probably blend it with and taking over my kitchen. immersion blender for a thicker dressing that separates less. Hello future pickles!

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A grandfather remembered

BY STEVEN JONES

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On August 4, around 9pm, Clyde W. “Beck” Jones, my Granddaddy, died at home in Kellyton, Alabama, at the age of 94.

Granddaddy Beck, aside from being the father of my father, was an interesting human being.

He was born on January 28, 1922, in Clay County, Alabama.

He was the son of sharecroppers in Alabama -- William Henry Jones and Mildred Kay Jones. His family borrowed money every year to rent land and put together a cotton crop.

“We made a crop off of $50,” he said, the last time I saw him.

I visited my family in Alabama last Christmas, and while there, I took the chance to interview him about his life and his family. He was “twilighting” at the time, which

means his clarity varied, based on how he felt at the time.

With help from my Daddy, however, I managed to put together a bit of information about him.

He, along with his twin brother -- Claude -- learned to plow with a mule and live off everything the family produced.

Some years were easier than others, depending on how the cotton crop went.

He lived a “homesteading” life before it was even considered homesteading.

His daddy was the closest thing many members of the community in Clay County had to a veterinarian: If a horse was feeling ill, or a cow doing poorly, they’d bring it to his house and leave it there until Great-Granddaddy Jones had it back to health again.

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ed in the 1890s as a reference guide, along with decades of experience, to nurse the creatures back into working condition.

Payment for services was usually rendered in barter or trade: Bags of feed corn, bushels of beans, whatever was on hand.

As a child of sharecroppers born a scant eight years before the outbreak of the Depression, living in the Deep South before the TVA, Granddaddy Beck’s family experienced poverty in ways that most of us, blessedly, are unable to comprehend.

He used to tell us about breastfeeding until he was six years old.

“I used to stand behind the door when company was at the house and tell Momma that I was hungry,” he said.

She’d dutifully report behind the door and feed her son.

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story is, as my Great-Uncle Claude, Granddaddy Beck’s twin brother, swears it never happened. Granddaddy Beck was known to be honest to a fault, however, so I’m inclined to believe it.

He was, also, considered to be a “Momma’s Boy” -- which is just a rude way to say that he loved his mother. There are many, many much worse things for a boy -- or a man -to be.

Granddaddy Beck had a peculiar personality quirk: I don’t think I ever saw him experience shame or embarrassment. That may be the result of his life choices. He strived to live Well -- he worked hard, he prayed, studied his Bible, loved his wife and took care of his children as best as he knew how. Considering that kind of lifestyle, I cannot imagine that shame and embarrassment were emotions that it would be necessary for him to experience in the first place.

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As soon as he was old enough, he and his twin brother both got jobs, saved up money and started traveling. They liked the act of traveling, much more than the act of arriving anywhere. They’d often take trips together, driving for hours in their Model A Ford, only to arrive at their location, turn around almost immediately and drive back.

As a teenager, the brothers drove to Florida. The Model A, my Daddy told me, slung a rod. So, they took the engine apart on the side of the road and cut the tongues out of their leather shoes, soaked them in motor oil and used them to replace the burnt out bearings in the rods. He rebuilt the engine and they drove it all the way back to Alabama, without incident, finally repairing the car permanently when they got home.

Granddaddy Beck was a master at engine repair. Before he lost his hearing, he could listen to a car running and 118 • from scratch magazine

diagnose any problem he heard. If he couldn’t pinpoint the location of whatever noise he was hearing, he would use a wooden broomstick as a makeshift stethoscope, putting one end to his ear and the other end to the various and assorted parts of the engine until he could ID the issue.

He continued to travel all through his life, taking long trips in the car with his family for as long as he could and they could stand it.

He once drove to Canada.

Once he got there, he sat in a park with his wife for about half an hour, relaxing a bit, and then said, “Well, I reckon it’s time to go” to his wife and left.

He was drafted into the Army during World War II, but was discharged shortly after Basic training under a medical discharge due to bleeding ulcers, a much more serious condition at the time.

BECK AND CLAUDE IN 1922

BECK WANTED HIS PHOTO TAKEN WITH THE ALABAMA SNOW

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As soon as he could, he got a job in a mill town in Alabama, Alexander City. He worked with Russell Corporation, a clothing manufacturer, at the Number 6 Mill, as a weaver.

He worked on giant looms that used solid oak shuttles.

The bullet-shaped pieces of wood were shot back and forth across the loom at more than 100 mph, right at the level of a grown man’s temple.

ground, like it did some of his softer headed coworkers, he’d simply recoil from the impact, shake his head and mutter out loud: “Hot Dog it, that thang like to brought tears to my eyes.”

(Granddaddy Beck did not curse, ever.)

At the time, there weren’t nearly enough safety regulations, which meant if you stood too close to the loom, then the shuttle would slam into the side of your head.

Over the years, he was struck in the head by all manner of objects including a pool cue and a truck that fell on it.

Every time, he’d simply rub his head and express how it almost brought him to tears.

He was metaphorically hard headed as well, especially according to his wife, Inez Jones.

Granddaddy Beck discovered that he had a super power while working at that mill: He was both metaphorically and literally hard of head.

Near as I can tell, Granddaddy Beck only loved four women his entire life: His momma, his two daughters -- Christine and Barbara -- and his wife, Inez.

Granddaddy Beck would occasionally get too close to the loom and the oaken shuttle would slam into his head.

Instead of knocking him to the

They got married on June 30, 1945. She was 17, he was 23.

They were married for a total of 71 years before he died. 71 years.

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Both of them worked at the cotton mills in Alexander City.

He met her while she was on break at the mill where she sewed.

He set up a CB radio antenna, where he chatted with truckers driving through the county on Highway 280. His handle was “Rambler.”

They raised four children together, working at the cotton mills the whole time. He finally retired after 40 years at the Number 6 Mill, I recall, barely, that he got a watch.

He was a staunch Republican, and would often prank call his brother-in-law, Shorty, to pick on him about them “sorry” Democrats.

They bought a house, with just under 20 acres of land, in Coosa County, Alabama, where they lived for most of my childhood and all of my adulthood, for 32 years.

Inez raised a ½ acre kitchen garden.

He once fought with Inez for what seemed like months over painting the house purple.

She wanted a purple house.

He did not.

A few times, during their fights, he nearly starved to death, as Granny would sometimes refuse to cook for days at a time. In their obstinacy, Granddaddy Beck dug a sometimes other members of 15x15 storm shelter with a the family would be forced shovel (he loved digging to step in and negotiate a holes, for some reason). truce, reminding both of them They ate homemade biscuits they’d been married for so nearly every morning, had long, there was no point in countless pans of cornbread, shared slices of ice cold water- throwing it away, even over a purple house. melon and drove each other crazy.

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Later in his life, he became a dog lover. He adopted little mutt dogs, which he always called by their full names, their last names being “Jones” of course. The latest animal was “Buck Jones.”

how Granny was doing. She said while going through Granddaddy Beck’s belongings, they’d find notes from him in the family Bible: “I love my sweet wife, Inez Jones.”

“All he wants to do is sit on the couch, watch the news, nuss on a little dog and fall asleep,” she’s grouse.

(Note: “Nuss” is a really, really old Southern slang term, meaning, in this instance to love on, or cuddle.)

He died in his home, suffering from pneumonia, with Inez in the house.

They found pictures of her And whenever anyone visited, with the words “This is my he tell them, “That’s little Buck wife, Inez Jones, ain’t she pretty” written on the back.

Jones, ain’t he sweet.”

They were together all the It drove my Granny a little way to the end. crazy.

I always got the impression she was a little jealous.

She is, understandably, heartbroken.

Granny told my Daddy at his gravesite that “It’s just something I’m going to have to deal with, and I’m just going to have to keep going.”

She didn’t need to be, however, as Clyde Jones was madly Everybody in the family is a litin love with Inez the entire 71 tle heartbroken, truth be told.

But honestly, I think we’re all years they were married. a little proud of Granddaddy Beck.

My mom called me after the funeral to let me know 122 • from scratch magazine

friend was his twin brother.

94 years ago, a man was born He prayed and read his Bible and lived well and simply for in Clay County. He spent the rest of his life loving his all of his 94 years. And then momma, his kids and his wife. he died at home, surrounded by his family, including the He raised his kids the best wife he loved for 71 years. way he knew how. He argued and fussed and stood up for We should all be so lucky to live such a beautiful, heroic what he thought was right.

And he took care of little life. dogs, and contentedly dug holes and took really long May his memory be a blessing car trips just for fun. His best to us all. from scratch magazine •

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