The Somerset Farmhouse

Let's trek outdoors! Have you ever seen such happy faces? This is what gardening does - specifically growing your own food! Prior to learning how to plant food, I used to do a lot of perennial gardening at the old house in NJ - my big project was a dry creek on the sunny side of the yard, an area which had poor drainage.  The stony project eventually became decorated with every unique perennial I could find.  But one thing I've longed to do in recent history is plant my own food. Now, why not just do it in NJ? We really didn't have the means to, and the soil where we lived was poor quality - garbage was buried around the property, thus rendering the soil useless.  Out here, the soil is much better and so rich! The darker the dirt, the better for your plants!     The main inspiration behind this homesteading venture is the expensive produce prices.  We also aren't into the modern distractions like TV and videogames - though I do miss a good session of c...

  It's time to venture outside of housework a bit more and talk about most people's favorite topic: cats! I have always been a cat person - don't get me wrong, I love dogs too...and raccoons...and pretty much every animal on the planet! Ever since childhood, I wanted my own cat.  There was just something about felines in general that drew me to them.  My first kitty, Koshka, who passed on some years ago, got the ball rolling in terms of cat ownership.  Now, I take in and take care of every feline that needs me.  And they love me for it! Pictured in the email header is one of the cats that was on the farm when we arrived here.   Meet Phantom! Phantom got his name from the pattern on his face, which resembled Phantom of the Opera.  He is a sweet boy who had a rough time with some serious injuries.  Drove him an hour and some to an emergency facility in Pittsburgh and spent an entire evening with him to make sure he would live.  Phantom has...