Tangwystl Cottage - urban homesteading

Tangwystl Cottage
~ an introduction to my slice of urban homesteading paradise

When I made my introductory post here I had assumed that I would have nothing to contribute besides my passion for genealogy, but after being here only a few days and reading through the great diversity in post topics made by other members I slowly began to realise that I had more to offer than I’d first imagined.

So I am branching out, hence the introduction to my small slice of homesteading paradise – Tangwystl Cottage.

(graphic courtesy of my artistic daughter, @kiwisims)

We – my kids and I – live in what is an archetypal colonial cottage built during the late 1890s, on a quarter acre section, in a small town with approximately twelve hundred other residents, near the bottom of New Zealand, in the province of Southland.

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We moved here from the North Island, for a better lifestyle, about 14 years ago and I think it’s worked out well so far. There is far less hustle & bustle, road congestion, or being trampled while out shopping; but there have been a few slight downsides to make allowances for, too.

For instance, it is slightly cooler living this much closer to the Antarctic, and while I think it is a bonus that the southerly gales we get means we are constantly given the gift of fresh, unadulterated, and clean air to breathe fresh off the polar cap (or so it feels like!), the actual frequency of such regular ‘refreshment’ can become a touch overwhelming. Mother Nature’s gift that keeps on giving even when you’re begging her not to bother, you’ve got plenty enough thanks kindly!

What this cooler temperature means for us locals is a shorter growing season and a grow-tunnel in darned-near every backyard. Food which would grow easily and quickly ‘up north’ has become either a long-forgotten dream or a battle of wills against her highness (Mother Nature, henceforth addressed as ‘Ma’am’).

Don’t let Ma’am know, but I still have high hopes for the citrus trees …

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Anyway, for some time now we have been living on an ever-decreasing budget so I’ve had to learn to find ways of being more creative around the cottage on such a taut shoestring. But this also brings my creative side to the fore. I am hoping to bring to the Steemit community posts on what we get up to here in regards to my organic gardening efforts, d.i.y-and-recycling-on-a-sweet-nothing-budget attempts, and kitchen forays into self-sustainability.

If I had known ‘back then’ that I should document & photograph all my adventures on the home front leading up to my joining Steemit I would have by now collected so much material I’m sure I could make a post-a-day for years to come! And not all of them depicting epic failures.

Do you know how hard it is to build stuff when you have neither a workshop nor the right tools? I do! One of my favourite quotes is “Learn from other peoples’ mistakes.” Well, I could be one of those ‘other people’. I invite you to learn from me, my friends.

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The direction I am determined to take my wee paradise slice is towards one of organic practices, possibly even bio-dynamic; but at the very least a lot more self-sustaining. It can be tempting to nuke those pesky weeds with some hideous chemical cocktail and save a manure-load of work ... but … that isn’t the kind of Earth I want to leave for my children. I don’t have the power to control what happens outside our boundary fence, but I can do the very best I can to nurture & support Ma’am as much as I am able.

Although, sometimes it feels like I am one of those fish that swims against the tide while everyone else is just swimming happily along with the flow. It can be tempting to just turn around and join in with them, so in those moments of self-doubt about what I am trying to achieve I need to keep in mind the bigger picture. No change means no change.

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Anyhow, subjects I will be highlighting in my articles will most often centre around sustainability, recycling, and touches of whimsy – just as the banner proclaims. I chose the name Tangwystl as it is a name, of Welsh origin, which means ‘peace pledge’, and I’ve always thought that would be a lovely reflection of what I’d want a home to mean. A peaceful place not only for the property’s human occupants, but also for its multitude of other creatures large and small.

Thank you for taking the time to read this piece. I hope to bring you further articles of interest, especially if I remember to photograph the journey.

To be admitted to Nature's hearth costs nothing. None is excluded, but excludes himself. You have only to push aside the curtain.
~Henry David Thoreau