I was recently told that I am an inspiration to women, and that I am empowering women.  I would hope that is true, but that was not my intention when I started out.  What I wanted to do was carve out a place for me to retire before I got "too old".  Along the way, I have learned how to electrify houses, plumbing inside (yes, I wimped and called a plumber for the well hookup), and how to build a strong cabin that can stand up to the winds of the night.

This is my fifth cabin since 2005.  the first cabin was 8x10 and swayed in a strong wind.  I learned about bracing structures after that one.  The next one taught me how to add rooms, and to experiment with different roof pitches was the third cabin.  The fourth one was where I gained mastery of drywall, mud and tape skills.  This fifth cabin, yes I bought rebuilt, but it gave me the necessary time to learn electricity, and plumbing before school began again.  Each cabin got successfully bigger....until this one!

This is the one that I will keep. As an Air Force brat growing up all over the world, I despaired of ever finding somewhere that I could call home.  When I walked on this piece of land, I knew I had found it in Oklahoma.  My heart will always be in Texas, but my body and soul are firmly planted in Oklahoma.  I will continue to build and sell just will never sell this place.

If my voyage inspires and empowers other women, then I am glad.  I am just a simple old woman who likes to learn new skills, and hates for a guy to tell me to leave these things to the menfolk. ;-)

So pull up a chair to the fire, read catalogs, read how to use tools, watch youtube videos, because most of the skills I use and have taught myself are hard work, but believe in yourself- with effort, you too can do all this, and carve out a place for yourself!  My thanks to the guys and gals in Lowes who listen to my questions then help me find just what I need, to Classic Country Land for having this great piece of land for me to buy, and to Derksen for my tiny cabin.  Thanks to Spoon plumbing of Prague, Oklahoma for getting the water from well to above ground, and fixing the issue left by a previous tenant.

I will continue to post as my homestead continues to evolve and grow.  He plan is to get chickens next Spring, but gotta build a chicken coop first.....fencing....then Irish Dexter Cattle.....the garden will grow, the produce will be dehydrated, frozen, and canned.  Lots more to come.  keep reading with me, and let me know what you are learning as you discover and follow your own dream.