In this episode, you’ll learn:
• Why slowing down is essential for emotional and physical health
• How nature’s rhythms can guide our own
• Practical ways to simplify, declutter, and reconnect
• How to set boundaries heading into the holidays
• How this season nurtures renewal, rest, and spiritual grounding
• How slowing down now prepares you for a better spring

What’s ONE thing you can slow down this week?

Let us know via email at realsmallscalelife@gmail.com!

Whether your “hearth” is a wood stove, kitchen table, fire pit, or simply a calm moment at the end of a long day, this episode is about returning to what matters:

Slowing down. Giving thanks. Growing gratitude. Building connection.

Bring your coffee and coffee cake or donuts....let's chat as we learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday!

• Starting a new business called Tommy Cakes (Bird) Seed LLC
• Gardening,
• Improving the shoreline,
• Feeding the birds,
• Taking some shorter trips
• Connecting with neighbors and,
• Dealing with the Government Shutdown.

The government shutdown is concerning. 42 million Americans might lose access to funds to purchase food and put it on the table, and whiile we cannot change what happens in Washington DC, we can help people right where we live. A couple great ways to help are;

• Stock local little library pantries,
• Make monetary donations to local food shelves and pantries,
• Bring foo to local food shelves and pantries, and
• Volunteer at local food shelves and pantries.

Start where you are with what you have. We need to come together and help those in need in our community. It starts with us.

The Small Scale Life Podcast returns on Wednesdays at 7:00 PM starting 11/12/2025. I will be live-streaming on the YouTube Channel and creating a podcast from that video. Join us LIVE! Bring your floaties, river shoes, some snacks and drinky drinks. Let's go!

Grow Roots
Find Peace
Live Small
Love Big
Live Well

Remember to learn, do grow and be a little better everyday!

Check out the blog at smallscalelife.com for the following recipes:

• A super quick/super good cheesy au gratin potatoes recipe,
• How to cook a turkey and
• How to cook a ham

Thanksgiving should be a lot of fun and bring people together, so we are helping you get ready and get the dinner on the table. It doesn't have to be overwhelming; we are here to help!

As you finish up your prep and cooking, I also give a little advice on how to facilitate your family, friends and other guests who arrive at your house. It's life lessons we have learned from experience. I have been there, done that and gotten the t-shirt with some of this!

For more tips and photos, check out the post titled "Happy Thanksgiving from Small Scale Life" using the link!

Happy Thanksgiving, all! Bon appetit!

For more on this episode and some pictures from this year's pumpkin carving and some pictures of us in haunted house costumes, check out the post titled "Happy Halloween 2018: Memories and Stories" on Small Scale Life!

In January, Terrance interviewed Scott Hebert, and somehow he found me.  He reached out to me, and after working out our schedules in a busy July, we found a way to connect and complete the interview.  In our interview, Terrance and I discussed what lead me to start my small scale life journey, gardening tips and ideas, how and why communities are important and so much more.

For show notes, pictures and more information, head on over to the article titled Starting Small Scale Life - The Intellectual Agrarian Podcast on Small Scale Life!

For show notes, pictures and more information, head on over to the article titled Minnesota Traditions - Labor Day 2018 on Small Scale Life!

Special Note:
I have to apologize to all the listeners out there: I did not intend to publish this podcast and post without any content! Yikes! As an aside, it is interesting that some folks shared this without any content….hmmm….Anyway, thank you for your patience!

If you are new to Small Scale Life or missed Part 1 of the Homesteading for Beginners podcast, I recommend that you take a listen.  In that podcast, Captain Lumbersquatch Greg Burns, my friend Jay and I discuss starting our own Homesteading journeys by asking why.

For more links, photos and extensive show notes, please go to Small Scale Life to get more information!

My friend Jay and I can relate to those new homesteaders: we both purchased properties in 2018.  We want to create new homesteads on our respective properties, and we figured it would be great to talk with someone who actually had a homestead and was further down the rabbit hole on this journey.

Fortunately, I know a few people who do some great things due to this little podcast and blog!  I called on my friend Captain Lumbersquatch Greg Burns, and he agreed to bring his contrarian perspective (and jar full of fermented goodness) to the discussion.

For more information, show notes and links to other podcasts and information, check out the post on Small Scale Life!

My questions to you are:

• Do you have some friends that have your back?
• Have you spent some time building community around you?

Unfortunately in modern Western Civilization, the answer is probably no.  I have to admit: I need to work on this as well.  We are going to make some changes to Small Scale Life to help you build community around you, where ever you are. 

For more on that, please head over to Small Scale Life to read the post that has more thoughts, information and links.

Check out more and get more detail on [Small Scale Life](www.smallscalelife.com)e!

Please go to Small Scale Life for links, more information and the text of the podcast,

I am doing this episode by request from Daniel from Ohio.  He is a Marine with time in Afghanistan under his belt. Thank you for your service, Daniel.  He asked me to read this story for Midweek Motivation, and after reading the article, I wanted to move forward with it.  In this day and age, we see a lot of people who are elevated to “hero status” for strange reasons and to fulfill agendas and narratives.  What does real sacrifice look like?  Two Marines who gave all in defense of their Band of Brothers in Iraq in 2008 show us what real sacrifice is, even in this modern era.  While you might not make the ultimate sacrifice for others, what can you do to help your family, neighbors and community around you?

Story Time

Daniel sent me a link to a story written by Geoffrey Ingersoll from the Business Insider in 2013.  The title for this piece is “Everybody should read General John Kelly’s Speech about Two Marines in the Path of a Truck Bomb.”

As a dad to a combat veteran, this story hits home.  My son could have been one of these young men when he was deployed to Afghanistan.  I am going to read selected portions of this story for you, and I will provide a link to the original story in the show notes.  The link to the original story is here:

http://www.businessinsider.com/john-kellys-speech-about-marines-in-ramadi-2013-6

Midweek Motivation Lesson: Sacrifice for Others

Many of us will never find ourselves in a similar situation as Corporal Jonathon Yale and Lance Corporal Jordan Haerter.  These men gave the ultimate sacrifice for men they knew, and some they did not know.

How can you apply this story to your own life?

We live in a fast-paced and isolated world.  We are connected by apps and screens, but we really don’t know each other.

It is time to stop connecting on screens and start connecting in real life.  Reach out, meet face-to-face and develop those relationships.  Help your friends and neighbors with a project, or invite them over to your house for dinner.  Lend them some support and give them encouragement.  Sometimes some folks just need a smile and some time to talk.

While you might not make the ultimate sacrifice to stop a truck bomb for your family, neighbors and friends, you might be able to help them when times are tough, or even when they aren’t (to quote Jack Spirko).

Special Thanks from Tommy Cakes

I would like to thank Greg Burns from Natures Image Farm and Doneil Freeman from Freeman Family Farms for the INSPIRATION to do this Midweek Motivation Podcast.  You two ARE the wind beneath my wings!

Also I would like to thank Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) for the "Kool Kats" theme music. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/.

Badda boom, badda bing!  Dat's how we do it!