Tune in to Episode 218 of the Small Scale Life Podcast to find out who, what, when, where and why!

For links to the recent appearances and to learn more about Driftless Oaks Farm, head over to smallscalelife.com .

As a reminder, you can now buy high quality grass fed meat (raised using Regenerative Agriculture protocols and principles) at the following site: https://www.amodernfrontier.com/

Use code SMALL (in all caps) and you will get $25 off and beef, pork or chicken box. That’s right, use code SMALL (in all caps) and get $25 off!

You can chat with Adam on the site if you have any questions, or you can email him at amodernfrontier@gmail.com.

For full disclosure: this is not an affiliate for me or Small Scale Life. I want to help a friend get this business going. I receive no payments or percentages from any sales; I am just helping a friend out.

1. Gratitude Practice - Shout Outs and Thank Yous
2. Driftless Oaks Farm a. Outbuildings b. Fruit Trees, Berries, Grapes and Perenials c. Pens/Paddocks d. The Blue Barn e. The Chicken Coop
3. Small Scale Life Podcast
4. "Harvest" by Osi and the Jupiter
5. Final Remarks - Happy Halloween!

For more information and to subscribe to the Small Scale Life Newsletter, go to smallscalelife.com!

Special thanks to Sean at Osi and the Jupiter for writing and recording the song at the end of the podcast episode. You can fiund Osi and the Jupiter on YouTube, Facebook and Bandcamp. I really enjoy his Appalachian/Norse/Folk style.

We can spend a lifetime chasing dollars and cents, yet we don’t have the sense to take care of the Small Scale Life Basic 10 Core Principles. We have become addicted to consumerism, screens, and Modern Western Culture that pumps out garbage at an incredible rate. That is where we get into trouble: too much debt, not enough savings, few prospects, no connection to Nature or people, and living life on the hamster wheel fulfilling someone else’s dreams.

Are you sick and tired of all that yet?

I can see how we need to ramp up and execute them as Julie and I start our new homestead in a rural place where we don’t know many people. It is going to be challenge for us, but I think all of the work we have done is going to pay off. We are starting to see results already, and we have just barely gotten started. Just wait!
Change is coming. We need to go with the flow like a twig on the shoulders of a mighty stream.

Go to smallscalelife.com for show notes and links.

April has come and gone, and we had a lot going on gearing up for constructing our Eagles Ridge Barndominium. The machine is MOSTLY in place, and the weather had cooperated; however, we hit a delay. We are in a holding pattering until some things get sorted out, and that gives us time to do other things.

One of those other things was the stairs from the middle of Eagles Ridge to the Apple River. The Ridge is about 60 feet above the river, and we have been working on a stair project from about half way up the ridge to the river. Things were going well last Fall, but we ran into some serious issues in the past two weeks.

We decided to make some drastic changes with the stairs, and I walk you through the project and the 5 Lessons Learned from Our Stair Project. For photos, links, videos and other information, check out the article titled "In a Hole? Stop Digging! 5 Lesson Learned from Our Stair Project" on smallscalelife.com!

On this 187th Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I discuss about how Our Time is Finite as we enter a Season of Change here at Small Scale Life. Spring 2021 is coming, and there will be a lot happening on Eagles Ridge, Small Scale Gardening, Small Scale Life and in our lives.

Time is finite. There is only so much time in a day, and it really comes down to how we use that one essential limiting resource: time.

It is time of new beginnings, and we can still be the lighthouse even though things look differently. If you remember, these are my Guiding Words for 2021. Things may change, but not all change is a bad thing. After all, gardeners and homesteaders know that as old, unproductive growth is removed, new plants can sprout and grow.

Head over to smallscalelife.com to get all the show notes and links.

For all of our knowledge and understanding, there are things in this world that humans don’t know or have forgotten during our evolution. The fact of the matter is that there are energies and vibrations at work all around us.

In our crazy Western Civilization, modern men and woman are on the go and don’t often stop to contemplate WHY things happen or WHAT they can do to change how they feel, think and act. Instead, they chalk it up to bad luck or blame someone else for their misfortune.

Feelings, thoughts and actions are all tied together. When we have stinking thinking, it is usually the result of problems with our internal energies, our chakras, conditioning and mindset. We have been programmed from a young age to be on the go and move through the normal, chaotic progression of birth, school, college, job, relationships, perhaps kids, rearing children, career, retirement and death. The only constants are death, taxes and never-ending consumption.

Stop, breathe and think for a minute. Turn the lense on yourself and your path. Ask yourself:

• What if you could understand the deeper meaning of our pain, stinking thinking and relationship problems?

• What if we could tap into that energy power deep inside us and begin to work with it rather than against it?

• Do you work with Source, Nature and deep energy to heal your mind, body and soul?
• Do you know how to do that?
• Do you even know what I am talking about?

If you are like me six months ago, I wouldn’t have known what this is all about. I would have thought this was woo woo voodoo and looked at you funny as I hit “block” on my phone. Oh have times, and I, changed!

Our guest this week is a Reike Master and Intuitive Energy Healer Maria Voorhees-Reincke. Julie and I discuss the following topics:

• What is Energy Healing?
• What is the Difference between Healing Touch and Reike?
• Is this just woo-woo or voodoo?
• What is grounding?
• What are sessions like?

We talk about these and a host of other topics on this 186th Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast! For liinks and show notes, head over to smallscalelife.com!

How is it going? How are you feeling? Are you making it through these tough times and cold weather?

It can be hard this time of year. It feels like Spring is never going to get here, and we have a long stretch of sea before us before we get to a warmer seas and safe ports.

On our course, there a rocks, reefs and sandbars that can snag our sailing ship. We can get stuck and hung up there, and that can be dangerous in foggy or stormy seas.

You didn’t know you tuned in to a sailing podcast, did you?

This is all a metaphor for life right now. Many of us are struggling with issues and problems, and sometimes we get stuck. We stop moving and get bashed and battered, much like a ship stuck on a rock, reef, or sandbar. Captains use charts, buoys and Lighthouses to safely navigate rivers, seas and oceans. We need the same in our lives as we deal with problems, issues and hang-ups.

On this 185th Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, let’s put on our Captain’s hat, hoist the sails and grab the charts and a glass. After all, its time to discuss When the Struggle is Real, Find Your Lighthouse to skirt the rocks and find better seas or a safe harbor. We can even say “Yarrrrrr” as we do it, maties! Now bring me that horizon…Yo ho!

For show notes and links, head over to smallscalelife.com!

Quaderer Creek is a stream that flows from just north of a small town named Hillsdale towards Barron, Wisconsin. It connects to the Yellow River in downtown Barron.

Before it connects to the Yellow River, Quarderer Creek flows through a Waterfowl Management Project. This is a pond created by a earth and boulder dam near the intersections of 12th Avenue and 13th Street (JUST southwest of Barron, Wisconsin).

The water flows through the dam, and it created an interesting sound. As I always say, each body of water (creek, stream, river and even a lake) has its own song and its own voice, and sometimes that changes depending on the season, flow and part of the body of water you record.

As we step firmly into 2021, take a few minutes to relax and think where you want to go this year and in the future. We have a clean slate, an open book, a clear canvas and open waters ahead. We choose our path forward. Think about it, and move forward with confidence in 2021.

Of course, you can think deeply about these subjects with one of our Water Sounds Meditation episodes on the Small Scale Life Podcast or Water Sounds Meditation Videos on the Small Scale Life YouTube Channel.

And now, Relax and Meditate to Water Sounds from Quaderer Creek in Barron, Wisconsin here is the first Small Scale Life Podcast and YouTube Video.

Happy New Year!

• Hall of Heroes - Gratitude
• Chaos in the Time of COVID
• Consolidation and Remote Working
• Homeschooling
• Our Crazy 2020
• Discovering Star Prairie, Wisconsin
• "I blame Jules"
• Each river has its own tune and song
• Finding and Buying Eagle's Ridge
• The Universe is Talking to Us and....
• "I blame Jules"
• Our Vision for Eagle's Ridge
• "Let the River take Ya where it takes Ya!"
• Ending with Gratitude

How about You?
Julie asked a question at the end of the show: if you have built a home or homestead from scratch like we are, we would love to hear from your and hear your story! We would love to hear your Lessons Learned, tips, tricks and advice as we begin this journey and build Eagle's Ridge Homestead!

For more links and information, head over to Small Scale Life and click on the "Eagles Ridge: Discovering Our Homestead" post or the Eagles Ridge Homestead Tab!

What is the Tree of Life?

For those of you unfamiliar with the Tree of Life concept and icon, it is a symbol in many world religions. For a quick definition:

• The Tree of Life, connects all forms of creation
• The Tree of Knowledge connects heaven and the underworld

Both forms of the world tree or cosmic tree and are portrayed in various religions and philosophies as the same tree. The Tree of Life is a symbol in many world religions including:

Germanic, Norse and Slavic Religions
Native American Religions
Central and South American Religions
Christianity
Judaism
Islam
Hinduism
Buddhism
Church of Latter Day Saints
Other Ancient Middle Eastern Religions in Iraq and Turkey

While we all might have different beliefs and deities, we all seem to agree on one thing: the Tree of Life is incredibly important.

As I explored Northwestern Wisconsin this fall, I discovered a little island in the middle of the St. Croix River. A tree was growing on the island, and this place seemed really special. The sight of this tree gracefully swaying in the wind and the sound of the clear St. Croix River that surrounded it just spoke to me.

As I think about the Tree of Life, its meaning and its significance, I know some have examples from around the globe. I have seen massive trees in Hawaii, and I know there are huge redwoods in the Pacific Northwest, massive banyan trees in the tropics, towering trees in the rainforest and even sacred trees on the African Plain.

For me, this tree on the island had a lot of meaning. It wasn’t the biggest tree in the woods; it wasn’t the tallest. It has many trunks that split off in many different directions. However, the birds are attracted to it, and if a person or animal wanted to get to this tree on the island, they would have to make a sacrifice to get there. They would have to wade into the cold waters, step over the stones and sand, and climb the bank to get to the tree. Much like Odin, Christ and other gods, a sacrifice must be made to reach that Tree of Life: it does not come easy or free.

At some point, we hope to get what we put into our efforts and relationships, and hopefully you will feel some of that love come back to you for your efforts, hard work and sacrifices this holiday season.

I hope you enjoy this Meditation Podcast Episode and Video titled “Tree of Life,” and I hope you have a great Thanksgiving holiday.

In case you don’t know who these guests are, let me introduce them to you.

• Glen Tate is a lawyer, the author of the 299 Days book series and co-host of the Prepping 2.0 Podcast and syndicated radio show.
• Shelby Gallagher is author of the Great State book series and co-host of the Prepping 2.0 Podcast and syndicated radio show.
• Mr. Tactical Jay is my good friend and frequent guest on the Small Scale Life Podcast. He hails from somewhere on the East Coast where he is involved in healthcare and a firefighter.

Becoming the Gray Man or Woman

We live in incredibly uncertain times, and there are threats all around us: in our community, online and on the road. As we look at the current events and what has happened in 2020 to date, it is quite clear that we are entering a new era in the United States.

It isn’t getting easier for people.

I define “Being Resilient” as being able to withstand incredible challenges and adversity while we keep moving towards our goals. Being cancelled or erased clearly is a catastrophic event for many people, so the question is:

How do you become a gray man or woman in uncertain times and in this increasingly technocratic and surveillance-heavy world?

For links and show notes, please see the article titled Becoming a Gray Man or Woman with Glen Tate and Shelby Gallagher on smallscalelife.com.

I recently posted the following quote on the Small Scale Life Instagram feed:

“It’s hard to have a bad day when you START your day with gratitude.”

Truth be told, I didn’t just develop this quote out of thin air. Julie says it around the house (now around the apartment) a lot, and it is true. Practicing gratitude and being thankful really does change our outlook on life and results in helping us lead happier lives.

In this episode, I will be discussing 9 steps for practing gratitude in your own life. I am not an expert in this yet, but I am trying these steps out in my own life. For more information, please see the article titled "Practicing Gratitude for the Good, Bad and the Ugly" on smallscalelife.com!

Special thanks to Small Scale Life member Danielle for her video and her windchimes. They are a true blessing and mean a lot to her and her family. It is a special honor to share these with you, so thank you, Danielle.

The world seems to be a crazy and upside down, and I know a lot of us are sheltering-in-place and hunkering down in the Time of Corona. To help with that, I believe we need to get back the land and nature to unwind and become more resilient.

If you want to see other Running Water, Creek and River Videos and Podcasts, check out the following:

Spring Birds and a Bubbling Stream Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMxpAnoLm6E&t=446s

Stream of Meditation – Relax to a Bubbling Creek:
https://www.smallscalelife.com/stream-of-meditation/

I hope you enjoy this video and podcast episode, and I hope that it helps you relax, and I will be creating more relaxing videos in the future.

In many religions and practices, the folk would go to a stream, river or lake in order to meditate and pray to their gods. Water is life, and chants and prayers seem to resonate in the forest and along the shores of streams, rivers or lakes.

In these uncertain times, I wanted to provide a way for people trapped in quarantines or under shelter-in-place orders in urban landscapes to have a way to connect with nature. You might not be able to be by this stream physically, but I am providing a method to connect virtually.

I firmly believe that we need to by physically, mentally and spiritually fit as we come through these dark times and begin to rebuild our homes, neighborhoods and communities. Being in touch with nature and connecting with our spiritual selves will help give us strength in the days to come.

I hope you enjoy this recording. I plan to capture more of these places and spaces and provide them to this audience. My goal is to trigger something deep inside you as you meditate in order for you to become the best you. As I always say at the end of my videos and podcasts:

Learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday. Take care, everybody!

As things are changing, now is the time to do some thinking and introspection. We need to come up with new ways to do things. Going back to “normal” might not be an option. We need to come up with new ideas to do things: education, business, socializing, finance, etc.

For more on this topic, check out the show notes and links in the article titled Adapting, Adjusting and Overcoming on smallscalelife.com. Click this text to get a direct link to that article.