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Tribe Conference

This past weekend, we attended Tribe Conference. It’s a conference for writers, artists, creatives and entrepreneurs. The weekend was packed with speakers and information along with a few challenges. As a result, you’ll be seeing some changes in our website, blog posts and communication with our community over the next few months. Our goal is to provide you, our fans and followers, with the best value for the time and money you spend with us.  

  • We identified things we need to implement as Five Feline Farm moves forward.
  • We connected with others who are ahead of us in this process and a few who are behind us. 
  • We learned to invest in ourselves so there is enough available to invest in others. 
  • We made decisions about the business and next steps. 
  • We might break the rules.
  • We will show up every day and do the work.

Stay with us as we put what we have learned into practice and share what we know. It’s going to be exciting. 

One last thing, we learned to identify and address our dork goblins. More about that in a future post. 

If you would like to know more about Tribe Conference or TribeWriters, head to goinswriter.com. You’ll get a ton of information. 

A New Feline Joins the Farm

It was a story to tug the heart strings. Eighty plus cats rescued from a hoarder home in Southern Illinois. Nearing that fateful day when otherwise healthy cats would be euthanized for want of a home. We had just lost our Sassy after 15 years of love to the wasting of kidney disease. She was a special soul and is missed profoundly. In the midst of this grief, we heard the story of the hoarded cats. It was too soon, but the need for homes compelled us to act.

The cats were removed from poor conditions, relinquished by an owner overwhelmed with the responsibilities of a situation that spiraled out of control. We do not blame or judge that person. We are thankful for the opportunity to raise and love the one destined for us. 

I was scared. I had four babies I could barely feed as I was starving myself. First the cage, then a carrier. I did the best I could for my babies, but I could not care for them all. The nice people at my first shelter helped me with them. The dogs barking scared me. Some days the most I could do was cower and shake. I had no idea what would happen to me next. I heard the words, but didn’t understand the meaning.

We really weren’t sure what we wanted other than to provide a home and convinced we would know the right one for us. We held several. Snuggled them, checked their age, gender. Looking for the one who made that special bond.

Tiger Lily was huddled in the back of her cage, passed over by those who wanted a more active or younger or different color. As soon as she came into our arms, she snuggled in, buried her head in the crook of my elbow and purred. Yes, it was a nervous purr, but a purr nonetheless.

The one in the black shirt pulled me out of my cage. She was gentle and held me close. The one in the pink shirt stroked my head and talked softly to me. I liked them instantly but was afraid they would not want me. Maybe I’m not pretty enough. Maybe I’m too old. I tried to purr to let them know I liked them but it came out as a tremble. 

They didn’t put me back! They didn’t put me down. They kept me in their arms, first one then the other. After all the paperwork was signed, we went to the car together for a long ride home. They talked to me and told me I was going to be loved forever. I could hardly believe it. 

On the way home, we had to discuss a new name. We talked to her about the home she was headed to and what she would find there. As we talked and drove, we settled on a name. Tiger Rooney. She gave us a paws up.

It was a long exhausting ride. I was so scared, I pooped in my carrier. I didn’t mean to but it just happened. In my experience, humans don’t deal very well with that. I knew it would be my first test. Black shirt said it smelled bad. Pink shirt said oh the poor baby. They pulled over. Pink shirt picked up the poop in a napkin and threw it out the window. Black shirt petted my head and told me it was ok and it happens sometimes. That was all. Then they drove on to my new home. 

Once home, Abby and Thumper sniffed the carrier to acknowledge the newest member of the household. Unimpressed, they went about their usual activities. For them this means is to curl up in a chair on the porch and take a nap. After a couple of hours snuggling and sitting together, Rooney was settled into a bedroom to become acclimated to her new home. 

 I’m so tired and it is all so scary but I think I could like this home. 

For more stories about Rooney and all the happenings at Five Feline Farm, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and here on the blog.

Take Some Time Off

It’s all going wrong.

Have you ever been in one of those cycles when every thing just seems to go wrong?

We recently battled one of those cycles.

First came unusually heavy rains washing out newly planted garden seeds. Logs ferried down the swollen creek jammed under the bridge we use to take the ATV to the back of the property.

One of the mowers wouldn’t start and a tire on the ATV went flat. Not once, but twice.

The two of us just didn’t have enough hands to hold up the sheets of tin while screwing to the mercantile ceiling. That project came to a halt while we figured out what to do.

It’s hard to stay positive in the face of continued adversity. Hard to remember when we are sore, exhausted and frustrated that we truly are blessed. Hard to recall all the progress we’ve made over the years.

What to do?

How do you cope and break through when nothing is going your way?

We took a day off.

That’s right. Put down the shovel, the hoe and the screwdriver.

Sometimes the best thing to do when nothing seems to be going right is to back off. We’ve learned from experience that continually banging your head against the same old wall does not improve focus and clarity. It only hurts your head.

We came back refreshed with new perspective. It was possible to think through problems and come up with a new solution.

The garden is replanted and thriving. The ATV tire is fixed and the mower starts. There are still logs to remove from the bridge and a few details in the Mercantile to finish.

But it looks better every day.

Stay tuned to all of our social media channels for updates to Five Feline Farm. We are growing daily, while seeking to provide quality products and excellent service.

Self Reliance

We live by the principle of self-reliance at Five Feline Farm. Whenever practical, we do for ourselves. It is both a matter of saving money and the satisfaction of being able to do things for ourselves. Mostly the satisfaction. There is not much that stops us from trying to figure things out.

Of course, some tasks we hire out. Usually because it is something we don’t want to do or don’t have the tools to do correctly. Occasionally it is because we would rather spend our time doing something other than that particular task. We also dream up with projects where it is more expensive to buy the tools than to pay for someone else to do it. 

But when we can do for ourselves, we do.

For example, when we needed a new greenhouse, we decided to build from a kit.

Shopping around and exploring all of the options, we found a Palram model we like. It is small but expandable in 4 foot sections if we choose. This particular model has an integrated covered guttering system with small downspouts.

What are downspouts without a rain barrel?

A quick order on Amazon and a rain barrel was delivered to the front door. Now to make the gutters useful, we needed some type of hose to direct the rain water to the barrel. 

Wandering the aisles of our local home improvement warehouse, we found something that would work. One and quarter inch discharge hose. Easy to cut to length, hose clamp to the downspout and screwed to the top of the rain barrel. One good rain and the barrel is full. It is easy now to run a garden hose into the greenhouse to water as needed.

It is common for us to use parts for other than their intended purpose. We browse the home improvement store, with a project in mind, looking for anything that will suit. Our theory is: if it works, it works.

A Challenge

What can you do to be more self-reliant? Think about a small task you need to accomplish. Is it something you can do for yourself? Can you repurpose some random part you have lying around the house?

We challenge you to do one thing today to be more self-reliant. Let us know in the comments or on any of our social media channels. (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram)

Five Feline Farm is a modern homestead where two women and their cats seek to make their corner of the world full of creativity and fresh food. Sign up for our email list and get a free ebook “Wisdom of the Bees”.