In this vlog, the narrator (Speaker A) opens by reflecting on finishing a course of steroids for reactive arthritis, describing the fluctuating pain in his feet and ankles and the mental conflict between wanting to stay active and needing to rest. He emphasizes the importance of consistency and self‑discipline in homesteading, regardless of physical limitations. The family then tackles a series of farm chores: deciding what to do with an old family tractor named "Lucky," attempting to charge and start it, and planning to move it into a shed while reorganizing shed space. They discuss the sentimental value of the tractor and other inherited items. The group proceeds to milk cows, separate cream for ice‑cream, and manage feed supplies for pigs and chickens, noting the arrival of a new feed shipment. Interspersed are light moments with baby Henry’s weigh‑in, family banter, and a brief mention of a boxing fight that the narrator watched but deemed a distraction from his goals. Throughout, the narrator reinforces themes of positive thinking, habit formation, and perseverance, culminating in a return to kettlebell training despite lingering foot pain. The vlog blends practical homestead tasks, personal health updates, family interaction, and motivational reflections on discipline and resilience.
Chapters
Yesterday was my last day on steroids for this reactive arthritis. I feel like as it tapered off, my pain sort of tapered back, but fortunately it's only now seems to be concerning in my feet and ankles. Yesterday I felt really strong, like there was hope for healing. Today though, they're hurting pretty bad. I just want to get out and do, but my body's saying don't, but my mind's saying do. That can be a tricky spot. Because I want to get on with my life and get these projects on, but find limitations. As much as I pretty much just don't want to do anything, I got to do something. You got it, you got to keep moving. As discouraging as it is that we can't move the pigs, clean the shed, harvest the tomatoes all in one day, what's the point in doing none of it? I think the key to successful homesteading, no matter what your ability is consistency. So we're going to keep moving forward no matter how fast or how slow, and that means getting lucky in the shed. I'd say it's been sitting here a little too long. My dad's old tractor he gave to Jonah. You can try it, Jonah. It might not be dead. I mean, that's why we name it Lucky. Sometimes it starts, sometimes it doesn't. Water's building up in the bucket. Yeah, it needs charged. That's dead. Let's let the— that charge while we're cleaning up the shed. That's Gabby, our cousin from Nebraska. We've got a Kubota now. We don't really need the tractor. What are we going to do with Lucky, Jonah? What do you want to do with Lucky? It's kind of sentimental. You what?
Keep it until I can drive it.
Okay.
And paint it and fix it up.
Okay, I like it. We'll park Sally here. This is our butchering bay, and we only need it when we butcher. We can easily pull Sally out to do that. Uh, there, add that to the list. Glue those— that drying rack together. Let's do something with all this because I think Lucky needs to go here, and this stuff can be stored here. Lucky's the tractor.
I don't think Lucky can fit there, it's too small.
Lucky can fit into here, and then so all this stuff needs to be pulled out, and then we put Lucky in, and then we put this stuff back. You have to put the clutch in, man. Man, it's in.
It might not be in neutral.
It's like it's not engaging into neutral or something. It's not even turning over. Probably gonna have to get Mark out here. We could get it to battery charging though, just so that we don't have that problem. And I'm thinking, what are we— why are we making sheds, valuable shed space for a broken down tractor? Memories, I guess. This might have been the only thing my dad owned that he seemed to actually be attached to, appreciate. Like, he had— oh, there it is. What'd you do? He had all these books, for example, never read them. They weren't even quality books. He just wouldn't throw anything away. I might take that back. I think my dad liked his truck. Well, my brother got his truck and it's still going good, so that's good. I'd like to get Lucky in before the hurricane rains come, probably tomorrow, so hopefully Mark can come out today. All right, we got a charge in. Let's try it one more time after milking. And then we'll call it, get Mark. Have you ever milked a cow before? Uh, last time, Gabby, you want to give it a try?
Sure.
You got it, you're getting it.
Not really.
First time milking takes an hour, but within a week you're doing it as fast as you're ever gonna do it. 10 minutes, 15 minutes. Let's try Lucky again before we go milking. It's been about an hour. It's not engaging. All right, let's just get a hold of Mark. I don't know what's wrong. It's not the battery. I mean, the lights come on. It's not even trying. It's hooked up to energy. It's not engaging into neutral or something.
Hi, baby Henry!
You helping Grandma? You helping Grandma cream separate? We're back in the cream separating. Ice cream's back on the menu. Gosh, what do we got, 15 gallons? Pretty close. Yeah, I gotta get another 5-gallon jug. You got a well baby checkup today.
Hmm, this stuff is the last of the pig grain, and then this is the last chicken grain.
So we have 1.5 bags of pig grain and a half bag of chicken.
Not even.
Okay. Well, it should be here today. It's been shipped like last Wednesday or Thursday. Mr. Henry, go have a good checkup, all right? Be good for Mama. Bye-bye.
Keep getting better.
Thank you. Bye. I keep telling myself I'm getting better because I am, and, and positive thinking will get me a lot further than Stop negative thinking. The feed is here. We're due feed. We're just about out. Grandma dropped me this off. It's from a paper. Do you guys know there's still papers? I think this is the Epoch Times. Uh, I think I can. That's my theme lately, isn't it? The importance of self-discipline, habit, and perseverance. I wanted to watch the boxing fight last night. Sunday night, uh, Jake Paul. Yes, I'm admitting that I wanted to watch that fight, and, uh, problem was the fight didn't start till 8. 5 fighters, it probably would have been like 11, 12, and I had to say, dude, it's not really helping you accomplish your goals and you're not well. You got to get in the bed. So I got in the bed. I watched the highlight this morning and it took like less than a minute. Not quite the same, but discipline, discipline. A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest of men, Roald Dahl. So a little nonsense, all right, but discipline's better. Thank goodness for Kubota right now, because if we were counting on Lucky, you just have to run that lift gate. Yeah, we're gonna have to go ahead and get the plastic off and then lift this one on because they're not the same. One of them's pig and one of them's chicken. All right, I'll put the forks through these and then we'll lift it up and put it right there. Sound good?
Henry was weighed and he is 18 and a half pounds and he's growing like a weed.
Are you so happy?
So happy.
They are back. You are happy. You got no toys sitting here, but you are so stinking happy. He is so happy. How did we get such a happy baby? I'm so happy. I'm a happy kid. How'd he check out? Great.
Great. I told them, I told her that he's like more quiet. He doesn't, I don't feel like he talks as much as my other babies did.
Yeah.
And so then he must have heard me say that. He proceeded to, for the last 5 minutes of the visit, scream as loud as he could.
You made a liar out of Mama.
Didn't you? She goes, well, he's talking a lot now. Weren't you? Mmm, weren't you? Sweet boy. He loved the paper at the office. He was crinkling it, trying to eat it.
Jacob! How's it going? Going good.
Brought 3, 4 weights.
He's come ready. I told him I was ready to train again. Pain or no pain. We're gonna do warm-ups? Yep, warming up. Breathing? Our breathing. As low as you can get it. She just moved up to an 18. I got you. Look at you, like, take your time here. Look at that. She didn't want to do it. Take your time. But it's been 15 weeks.
It's been how many weeks?
15. 50 weeks or something like that? Oh, easy. There you go. I got you. Good job. Look at you.
Oh gosh.
You got this.
It's hard getting up though.
Yeah. Good. Take it back down and touch between the heels again. So always take it back between the heels. Bend the knees a little bit. How's that feel? Good. Looks great.
Alright, let's do 5 of those.
I did it. I just said, you know what, my feet are hurting. Let's just embrace it. My body, the rest of my body needs attention. And we were able to do it. I'm back in the kettlebell game.
