Sometimes I feel like the homesteader label doesn't fit me. Usually it's those weeks when I've had to run to town every day for some odd thing or other and ended up in the McDonald's drive-thru or bringing home a Pizza Hut special. Should I be seeking forgiveness for the times when I sneak a loaf of bread through the WalMart checkout like a Baptist trying not to be seen in the wine aisle? Am I the only one who can't finish the garden I start every spring? Does anyone else hang their head when others talk about their hatch rate or egg count? Did I really dry up a goat before she hit peak production?
Speaking of labels, I've noticed I've got some that others might find a little weird. While rummaging through my freezer yesterday I got really tickled at some of them. How many people have to move a box marked "goat ribs" and a package of "rabbit livers" to find the "turkey back" they want to put in the slow cooker? And to fit the turkey back in the fridge to thaw, have to push aside the "radish pickles" and "dandelion jelly?" Care to take a guess at how often "cheese salt" and "dehydrated orange slices" can be found on the average kitchen counter? How about backyards across the land? How many have buckets labeled "bunny poo" and "banana water?" I'm not saying that these things are terribly uncommon. But if you have them, even if you have to resort to fast food and store bought stuff sometimes, you (and I) can wear the "homesteader" label. With pride.
So share with me- what weird labels do you have on your homestead?
