It is amazing to me how adding music to a great poem can bring more life to it. This is the final in a series of four versions of the Night Before Christmas with a special song, performed live on Dec 3, 2017 in Cookeville, TN, by the Cookeville Mastersingers and the music wsa arranged by Simone.

Merry Christmas all!

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Join us for the second in a series for 2017 of poems read from throughout the world. This version of The Night Before Christmas comes from me, recording from Tennessee. It is followed by a performance of Jingle Bells, recorded live on December 3, 2017 in the Wanntenbarger Auditorium by the Cookeville Mastersingers and arranged by Don Large.

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Today’s show is the last one until next year! In this episode, we will take a look at 2017. The good, the bad, the sad. We will also cover holidays, navigating them, being with your family who you may love, may find frustrating, or may even find abusive. I’ll share what this time means to all of us here in the Holler Homestead. Share some recipes we will try this year. Marvel at the bounty that surrounds us, talk about bitcoin and two-factor authentication, share some cool thoughts from listeners. Today, the show is about you, about us, and about the learning from the past, letting it go, and making our future.

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Today, we have a fun one cued up. We will  review the pig processing workshop over at Cider Hollow Farm and I will describe for you some of the things that David Oswalt built that made the whole day go a bit easier, we will dive a bit further in the the independence fund assessment for the year and what that has meant for all of us here at the Holler Homestead, and I will walk give you a much-needed goat update!

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What mother nature is providing

• Kale – more kale plants are popping up
• Carrots that I planted last spring
• Radishes
• Oyster Mushrooms finally showed up: Chowder Recipe (the egg yoke thickening method)
• Stinging Nettles are still around
• Mullein: https://www.motherearthliving.com/plant-profile/herb-to-know-mullein-verbascum-thapsus

Tales from the prepper pantry

• THE PIGGGGG – makin’ Bacon this week
• Baked collards
• Homemade Dressing This Week: grated horseradish root (or powder), mayo, balsamic infused with fig, honey, salt, olive oil
• Acorn Squash Recipe we plan to try: Roasted with olive oil and garlic, topped with venison/pork sausage
• Venison pork sausage: S, P, garlic powder, sage, oregano, a touch of cumin, dill

Operation Independence

• Crypto in English – a special episode on Thursday, followed by a webinar as Kurt’s schedule lines up with mine.
• Installed my own light fixture at our rental unit, followed by a new one at home – no electrician required

YTD Independence fund update:

• Winter electrical wiring
• Firewood
• Frequent flier miles for hardware, christmas gifts, household goods, and more
• Painted the duplex on our own instead of hiring it out
• We also hired some things out – the coffee business needed to go faster than I could
• Vacation rental trade
• Smoked meat trade
• Piggie trade

 

Pig Processing Workhop Walkthrough

Infrastructure that David installed over at Cider Hollow Farm

• Scalding tank with pulley
• Hanging pulley by the “shooting” pen
• Lots of tables for processing (wood vs temporary tables)
• The cold smoker

Upshot: Hope the charcuterie workshop is scheduled soon.

Goat Update

• No longer escaping – I think because they are kind of fat and can’t climb the fence as well
• Mark’s new project
• Tethering on the bramble
• Upshot: things are starting to look much different around here

Find coffee at LivingFreeInTennessee.com

Make it a great week!

Song: Burned by Sauce