All of us are afraid of something: spiders, dark, close spaces, heights, crowds, speaking in public, etc. Yesterday, it was tornadoes and bad weather for my 8 and 6 year old grandchildren. Last month, they were in a mobile home when a tornado went directly over them. They were safe in the bathroom with their parents, but the trauma of it has taken a toll on their minds. Fear has set in where it did not exist before.
Bri, the 8 year old, was always afraid of weather. The storm caused her anxiety to increase. Cayde, the 5 year old who knew no fear, has developed an intense fear of any slight rain storm. How do you help them overcome those fears? At least help them to remain calm, unless there is a real threat.
With impending weather predicted for the afternoon and late night, my daughter came to stay with us because we live in a house and have a storm shelter. Every time it started to rain, Cayde would cry with such heart wrenching anguish, that it broke my heart. Bri would pace, look out the window , and refuse to eat. This went on all afternoon, even though it was just raining. I would take Cayde to the door and let him see that it was only rain. He asked about what time it would be over. We told him that by 10 everything would be past. Big mistake! Every few minutes, he would ask what time it was and count up to 10. He knew he still had several hours. We started telling him it was almost 10, even though it was only 6 o'clock.
Danny had the radar pulled up on his computer and he showed Bri how to watch the weather system move toward the area. He showed her how to know what was dangerous and what was just rain and where we were on the map. Knowledge can help alleviate fear.
Around 4, the radar showed that a line of severe weather was headed toward our area. Danny made the call to head to the cellar. The kids were suddenly relieved. They had wanted to go stay all day in the cellar. Bri loaded up everything she owned, including school books that she didn't want to work in earlier but said she might want to work in the cellar. Really!
We were in the cellar for about an hour. During that time, Danny showed the kids survival tips. Number 1 - How to use a compost toilet. Number 2 - How to conserve toilet paper. Number 3 - How to eat bugs for energy. They laughed and enjoyed their time in the cellar. It took their minds off what could be happening outside. In the cellar, there were no windows and hardly any sound could be heard from the storm.
We had a good night. The storm passed by a few miles down the road. The kids slept in their bed all night. Overcoming these fears will take a long time for these two, but as they learn to watch the weather and know when it is a good rain and when there is potential danger, they will become more at ease.
Blessing to you all,
Wanda from Deep South Homestead
Friday, February 26, 2016
Just My Thoughts
I am starting this experience as a way to help others learn about herbs, gardening, gluten-free cooking, and just living a simple life, debt-free. Just 3 years ago, I was living in a college town, in a one-bedroom apartment, with a view of a Lowe's loading dock. There was no where to go to be outside. Everything I did was inside: work, gym, shopping, and eating. It was a concrete jungle. Daily, I wished that I could find a place in the country to call me own. I had been in the apartment for over 2 years. Before that, I had lived in the country, and had loved the freedom of simply walking out my door and enjoying nature. Life happened and I had to leave the country and move to the city.
In April 2013, I met Danny and my life changed. God had given me the desires of my heart: a companion, a country life and a beautiful garden. I am still amazed at the handiwork of God. He knew I needed a simple life and that Danny needed me. All I asked for was someone to spend time with. I didn't ever want to remarry. Be careful what you say, because you will do what you say you will NOT do. We were instantly attracted to each other after a 6 hour phone conversation. We didn't meet for 2 weeks, but talked nearly 8 hours each night. We married in July and have spent nearly every moment together since we met.
Danny and I spent the first 6 months just talking and enjoying the beauty that God had put here for us to use. We discussed plans for the future of the property and started a small garden. We picked the wild huckleberries and blackberries that grew in the woods we owned. That year, most of what we canned was jelly. We had an obsession with jelly. We made huckleberry, wild blackberry, tame blackberry, dewberry, mulberry, peach, plum, apple, pear, strawberry, strawberry fig, and blueberry.
After looking at our stash, we decided we needed to plant veggies and have something besides jelly to eat.
In 2014, we planted a variety of veggies: English peas, green bean, field peas, okra, cabbage, potatoes, corn, and many more that I fail to recall right now. That provided us with more variety in our diet that we didn't have to purchase. We then decided we wanted a fruit utopia. That lead to us planting more berries and fruit trees. In the spring and summer, this place is a utopia. At all times from February to October, we have something blooming, something producing, and always something to eat. When you eat in season, you eat what is growing in your garden at that time.
In 2015, we added to our list of fruits, veggies and berries. We wanted a way to share with others what we had growing and how beautiful it is. In December, we started a YouTube channel called Deep South Homestead. We are reaching people in all walks of life and in different countries. God has blessed our journey. We hope to share through YouTube and this blog our way of living the good life.
Blessing to you all,
Wanda from Deep South Homestead
In April 2013, I met Danny and my life changed. God had given me the desires of my heart: a companion, a country life and a beautiful garden. I am still amazed at the handiwork of God. He knew I needed a simple life and that Danny needed me. All I asked for was someone to spend time with. I didn't ever want to remarry. Be careful what you say, because you will do what you say you will NOT do. We were instantly attracted to each other after a 6 hour phone conversation. We didn't meet for 2 weeks, but talked nearly 8 hours each night. We married in July and have spent nearly every moment together since we met.
Danny and I spent the first 6 months just talking and enjoying the beauty that God had put here for us to use. We discussed plans for the future of the property and started a small garden. We picked the wild huckleberries and blackberries that grew in the woods we owned. That year, most of what we canned was jelly. We had an obsession with jelly. We made huckleberry, wild blackberry, tame blackberry, dewberry, mulberry, peach, plum, apple, pear, strawberry, strawberry fig, and blueberry.
After looking at our stash, we decided we needed to plant veggies and have something besides jelly to eat.
In 2014, we planted a variety of veggies: English peas, green bean, field peas, okra, cabbage, potatoes, corn, and many more that I fail to recall right now. That provided us with more variety in our diet that we didn't have to purchase. We then decided we wanted a fruit utopia. That lead to us planting more berries and fruit trees. In the spring and summer, this place is a utopia. At all times from February to October, we have something blooming, something producing, and always something to eat. When you eat in season, you eat what is growing in your garden at that time.
In 2015, we added to our list of fruits, veggies and berries. We wanted a way to share with others what we had growing and how beautiful it is. In December, we started a YouTube channel called Deep South Homestead. We are reaching people in all walks of life and in different countries. God has blessed our journey. We hope to share through YouTube and this blog our way of living the good life.
Blessing to you all,
Wanda from Deep South Homestead
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