The Gothic Homesteader

Guest Post: Rob Nickles  Restoring tools is something important to any homesteader, but as the husband of a Gothic Homesteader, and being a Cowboy Mountain Man my self, with Steampunk Goth twinges, it has kinda become a passion.  When I hunt for tools, be it on Etsy, Ebay, or at local stores and flea markets, one of the key things I look for is usability.   Yes, alot of modern tools are great, but doing things by hand and having that connection with my work is even better. Once I have found my tools, I take pictures as I take them apart so I know how they will go back together.  Then with a wire brush I clean them with 1/2 boiled linseed oil and 1/2 turpentine mixed, and grease them with hi-temp grease.  Then once they are clean ( or as clean as an old tool can get) , I put them back together. Thus far, I have returned 3 tools to working condition, and made one display piece look sharp for the Blacksmith shop.  I would advise it to any homesteader...

I must apologize, all my fellow Gothic Homesteaders, for my long silence on this blog.  July saw us get a job back in the New Mexico/Four Corners region, and we have been swamped packing, moving, settling, and getting into the flow of our life back here.  Our ornamental purple sweet potato vine and setcreasea did survive the move, which is a good thing. I am adding purple mums this week, too. Our other big news is we have been given about a 1/4 to 1/2 acre lot to place a cabin on, near where we work.  We are currently working on getting the money in place to get it placed on the homesite.  Until then we are in a 1920's rented bungalow.  As well, I have blogging on my other blog: A Gothic Minimalist , but as the weeks and months move a head, I will be blogging more on both sites.  Keep an eye on both for alot of info; until then, keep on Gothic Homesteading! ~ Morria

So, with the hot Phoenix Metro summer, I lost all 3 of my outside herbs, even the heat loving one.  So I returned to the plant store determined to find some plants that will survive.  The gardener advised sweet potato vines and setcreasea, especially the purple varieties.   They had alot of types to chose from, which made my decisions harder... So sure enough, happy as a lark that the uber Gothic purple plants should survive my hot, sunny, second story balcony/walkway, I returned home to plant 2 Purple Sweet Potato Vines ( Ace of Spades, I believe though not listed ), and a Purple Queen Setcreasea... 4 days later, and they are still thriving. ~ Morria

Apartment Homesteading is never easy, compound that by summers that average 105 F, a walkway where you can have 12 inch pots at largest, and not knowing your new growing area, and it is a challenge for any Gothic Homesteader.  But it appears, my herbs are going to do well.  Except maybe my Lavender, but Lavender and I have had issues off and on since I started growing herbs back in 1997. Herbs are a wonderful plant to grow in Gothic looking pots ( mine are purple and black from Walmart and Lowes ), as they tend to be very hearty plants.  Rosemary, Lemon Balm, Sage, Cilantro, Thyme, Oregano, Chives, Mint, and sometimes Lavender I have found good for on balconies, porches, or pots along walkways. ~ Morria

It was a awesome week for finding Gothic Vegetables at the Farmers Markets.  My finds have been a Black Spanish Radish, Purple Dragon Carrots, Red Crispy Lettuce, Indigo Rose Tomatoes, Red Onion with Full Stock and Blooms, and Fresh Garlic.  There are going to be some yummy salads and dishes in this house in the week to come that is for sure! In fact, the Indigo Rose Tomatoes, Red Onion Blooms, Purple Dragon Carrots, along with Black Walnuts which Robby's mom sent us from Kentucky, go wonderfully upon the Red Crispy Lettuce.  Drizzle it with some Raspberry Vinaigrette, and it is to die for!  Even my picky chef of a husband loves it, and that is an accomplishment.  But then who wouldn't love a dark, tantalizing  dish like this? ~ Morria

Ok, so I have been in the Phoenix Metro with its awesome Goth sceen ( thank you, PhxGoth.Com ! ), but my heart is not in this overly hot, urban spread.  My heart is longing for my wide open spaces, plenty of room for my Gothic Garden and Dark Veges, and room for a cat or a dog to run free!  I know we will never have that here in Phoenix, so it is time to start scouting for where we will settle long term... and it needs to be rural. When you consider where you are going to settle homesteading, bit it rural like us or urban like we have been, you have to take many things into account.  One of the key ones is where is your soul at rest.  In the big city, I get depressed far worse than were I can get out, go adventure, raise big gardens, and have animals.  But you have to go were your heart is. So, Gothic Homesteading - rural version, here we come big time! ~ Morria

 Are you an Urban Goth?  Does the city nights make your blood pump and come alive?  Do you long for the hustle and bustle, the clubs, the urban adventures? Does the city a glow with her sparkling lights put you in a dreamy, poetic mood, and awaken your dreary soul? Do you like to be in either an apartment or close to down town? Then the city most likely should be your dwelling place! Are you a Rural Goth?  Do vast open spaces, deep forests, and mountain peaks excite you?  Does the feel of dirt beneeth your feet make you happy?  Do you find joy in the aloneness of the great outdoors on a dreardy night?  Then rural living may be right down your lane! Finding your fit, is really important, both for the longevity of your homestead, but also for your own sanity in everything.  Personally, I am more and more discovering I am by no means an urban goth.  My heart and soul are a rural goth, and it is getting to be time to go back to that way o...