Amy’s Garden Jam

A Tiny Homestead

Today I'm talking with Amy at Amy’s Garden Jam about her jam making and her podcast, Grounded In Maine, which is about sustainability. You can follow on Facebook as well.

00:00
This is Mary Lewis at a tiny homestead. The podcast comprised entirely of conversations with homesteaders, cottage food producers, and crafters. If you're enjoying this podcast, please like, subscribe, share it with a friend, or leave a comment. Thank you. Today I'm talking with Amy Fagan at Amy's Garden Jam. How are you, Amy? I am doing good, thank you. How are you? I'm good, it's been a decent day. It's been a decent week so far, so that helps. So.

00:29
So full disclosure, folks, Amy and I tried to do this a few weeks ago and the recording failed and so we're trying it again. So Amy, tell me about Amy's Garden Jam. Amy's Garden Jam is, I have a jam business. It is for a little over four years old. I just started making jam.

00:57
for not for fun necessarily, but I made it as my contribution to the income in our home. Because I don't make a lot of money at my job. I was thinking that if I, you know, grew produce and harvested and preserved it, then that would be just like making money. And so I started making jam. I mean, I've just I've always made jam for like the last 20

01:27
And my sister got married and I made little four ounce jars of jam for all of their guests as a gift. And they said, you really need to do this. To which I said, that's really funny. No. But then a few years ago, four years ago, I changed my tune. So

01:56
Amy's Garden Jam is a thing. And why did you change your tune? So I was, I actually had a car accident. I was in a car accident and I was out of work for a few months. And so while I was out of work, you know, a lot of people were like, you know, just catch up on Netflix and watch lots of movies and I was like, no, I just can't do that. So I was watching like...

02:25
I was doing webinars and...

02:31
stuff like that, webinars and workshops and just getting myself all hyped up. And I was like, well, maybe I can do this. And while I was out of work, I couldn't really walk. I had foot surgery. So I had the time to wait on hold with the state and get everything in line. So by the time I was able to walk again, I had a kitchen all lined up and I had my license in hand.

03:01
And I started with a, I started running. So you did all the leg work with a broken foot. I did. Very nice. Yeah. I mean, I had nothing to do, right? Yeah. It's amazing how that works out. Um, I just thought leg work with a broken foot was funny. Oh, I didn't even get it. Good one. Yes. Yeah. Very funny.

03:30
Okay, so are you at liberty to say what your jobby job is? Do you mind telling me? Oh, well, I mean, at the time, at the time of the car accident, I was working for an elder home care agency in the office. Okay. And what's your jobby job now? Now I work for a healthcare company in medical records. I work from home.

04:00
Nice very nice, but I should have been doing four years ago at the time of the accident because I could be working. Yeah Yeah Okay, so I also know that you have a podcast called grounded in Maine Actually how I found you. Yeah So are you like balancing your jobby job you're making jams and your podcast as your three

04:29
jobs that you do or does one take more time than the rest? Oh, my job takes up most of my time. Uh huh. Uh, the podcast takes up most of my brain space by choice. I mean, I get very excited about it. And so I'm thinking about the podcast while I'm working. Um, and then jam is usually like one day on the weekends. Okay.

04:58
So jam is where you de-stress, I take it.

05:02
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Because we I called it I named it Amy's Garden Jam for a couple of reasons. So one, you know, it's a jam business. I'm making jam, obviously, but I also used to be a singer. And before I got like obsessed and and podcasting took up my my whole brain. I would listen to music and sing. So and so while I first started

05:32
making jam for the business, I would play like 80s music. It's always the 80s. And even still, like I'll do it sometimes. But so it's a jam session. I call it a jam session. And do you listen to music while you make jam and sing? I do. Uh huh. Yeah. I love having music playing when I'm doing housework or cooking. Oh my gosh. It is so it's like, I mean, I enjoy cooking and baking, but it would be unbearable if it was just quiet.

06:01
Yeah, the old house that we lived at, the music used to come out of our bedroom. When you walked in the door, our bedroom was to the right, the living room was where we walked into, and the kitchen was to the left. And so the music would just flow out of the bedroom toward the kitchen. So if I was cooking, I just turned the music way up and just danced around the kitchen and cooked and sang along and it was really fun. Here... What's your music of choice though?

06:31
Oh good lord. I don't even know. Um, alternative rock maybe? Okay. Um, I can't listen to 80s music. It makes me cry. Yep. Um, I really, really liked the music that came out from Maroon 5 and Sara Bareilles and all those people. Back, back 14 years ago. Oh my god. Oh, that's- Like-

07:01
It's still relevant. It's still relevant. It's still good, but I can't believe it came out that long ago. Yeah. So so the problem is the house we live in now is set up completely differently. And if I want to have music, not like pulling my eardrums out while I cook, I have to move the speakers out in the kitchen on the table and I have to move my laptop out there. I have to reconfigure everything to have music. So.

07:28
That is on my list for this fall to figure out how to fix that permanently. Hmm. Yeah. So, but either way. So, um, I really love that you you're making jams, but I'm actually more in love with the fact that you're addicted to podcasting because so am I. And I want to talk to you about your podcast because your podcast is really about sustainable living, right? It is indeed. So tell me about that.

07:57
Well, so it's kind of a long story, but I volunteer at a local farm. I'm a volunteer gardener. And so this farm, we grow organic produce just to donate it to the local food banks, because food insecurity is such an issue. I assume it's everywhere, but

08:25
in my area, that's what we're able to manage. But so I've been doing it for, I think this is my seventh year. This is my seventh year. We're the Saturday crew. And so the people that always go in on Saturday mornings, we are like family. And so we were weeding garlic one day sitting on the ground and a friend and I were talking about how cool it would be to start a YouTube channel.

08:55
and talk to people about different homesteading skills, like raising animals and butchering animals and gardening and making cheese and stuff like that and have a different person every week or every two weeks. And then after that conversation, bring it home and test it out and then report back the next week and be like, this was totally something that I'm taking on. I'm going to do this from now on.

09:25
or ain't no way I can do this while I'm working. And then my friend kind of dropped off and I said that I am not going to be talking to myself on YouTube. No, thank you. So it became a podcast, but it still took two years. It took about two years to actually come to fruition.

09:50
And I just I talked about it with everyone, you know, I'm gonna do this. I want to do this and a Friend of ours had told my sister-in-law Not me. I don't know why he told her I think he told her because she's she can be she's sort of In the nicest possible way bossy like she there's something about her that I can't say no to so He told her

10:18
that some friends of his in Florida were hosting a podcasting training workshop. And this was 2022. I found out about this in, I think, January. The workshop was in March, early March. And at first I said, no, it's 2022. There's a pandemic out there. And Florida is COVID county.

10:48
So no, I don't want to be on a plane with people and get their germs. But, um, but then this friend, I did eventually end up talking to him and he offered me flight points and said, you pay for the workshop. I will get you there. And that was just too big of a gift to say no. So I went, it was only like four, I think it was four other people and myself, and then the people that were doing the training.

11:18
So it was really, really, really intimate. And there were a lot of tears on my end because I did not feel ready. I didn't feel...

11:30
Like I had a place, I didn't feel like I had a voice that should be doing that. Like I just don't have, I don't have a lot of training. I don't have a lot of creativity, but then I did. So I left there in March and June, my podcast started. So I'm going on two years. It'll be two years in just a couple of weeks.

11:58
When I decided I was going to do this podcast, I was doing it within a week of deciding of what it was going to be. I wish. But, but there had been two years of trying to come up with a topic to do it on. So I wasn't afraid to do it. I wasn't, I didn't feel like I couldn't do it. I just didn't know what it was going to be about. Hmm. Because I talk all the time.

12:27
I mean, I've raised four kids. I've had many friends. I have, I have parents. I've had the resets of in-laws in my lifetime. It's not like I don't communicate all the time. So, so the talking part was not hard to handle. Right. And I knew that I had a listen, a listenable voice. I didn't know that it was as listenable as people have been telling me.

12:53
But I knew that it wasn't like, you know, nails on a chalkboard. So that was good news. I just needed the idea. And when I had the idea, I was like, honey, I'm going to do this to my I said, honey, to my husband, do this. And he said, yes, do that. So I'm going to do that. Do that. Go talk to somebody else for a while. Do that. I. Right. Yeah. Stop talking to me for a second. Talk to someone else.

13:16
Exactly. It was totally the opposite for me. That's so that is really funny. I mean, I was scared to death to hit record that first time. And I think I redid that first episode, which was only I think it was like four minutes, but it was the longest four minutes of my life. But it was just you as well. Yep. Yeah. Having another person on the other side is no problem. I'm so good talking one on one, but me just me is whoa.

13:44
Yeah, I had to do the intro for mine. I had to record it eight times because I kept screwing it up. I'm like, I'm never going to get through the intro, which was I'm never going to do this. And then I finally got one I liked and kept it. So, but anyway, we could talk about the details and the imaginations of podcasting today. Yeah. What I want to get to is what it's about and it's about sustainability and. Yes. So, um, ground to me.

14:12
is an open conversation about how we show up for the world. And the intent is to encourage people to be creative about sustainability. It is a huge word. It can be very overwhelming and feel like, you know, especially with the state of the world right now, it can feel like, you know, why even bother? Like I'm just one person and I don't have

14:37
know, a 10 acre farm and I don't have solar panels covering my whole property and I don't have lots of money to buy all this stuff. And that's where this is coming in. Like, people are talking about all kinds of really cool stuff. I mean, I had Mary on my podcast and she was talking, or actually next Tuesday. The prize. Mary was on my podcast talking about her

15:06
her tiny homestead and how it's totally possible. And I've had people that came on and talked about making their own broth, which I'm all for and container gardening and stuff like that. Like it doesn't have to cost lots of money to be part of the solution and to feel good about what we're doing. Um, and that for me feels like I am making a difference just by encouraging people. Yeah. And giving people new ideas because

15:34
The thing I'm finding with my podcast situation is that people talk to me about the things that they're doing and they love. And they tell me things I haven't thought of yet to try. And that makes me so happy because if I haven't thought of it, other people haven't thought of it yet either. Right? Yeah. So I feel like a cheerleader and a teacher and a learner all at the same time.

16:03
Yes. I am that. So I just, I love, I love, love, love doing podcast casts. There we go. There's the S and I love being on your podcast. I listened to the, the episode that you sent me that no one else can listen to until Tuesday the fourth and it's beautiful. It's great. I I'm in love with what you did with that. Oh, I did nothing.

16:33
You asked the right questions. That's what you get. Well, that is, I don't know about that. I mean, I just, I'm so curious about what people do and how, you know, for me, it's like the story of where someone's life changed. You know, we, there is for a lot of people or most people or all people, there's like a switch where we change from,

17:01
being careless and not thinking and then there's a switch where we're very mindful of what we're doing or you know, even if we're not like what changed what changed was there something that pushed it or was it just like a waking up? I don't know. And that's, you know, it's just for me, that's what's so exciting to get to know people. It's about getting to know people on my on my end.

17:29
and learning what they're doing. And hopefully it's resonating with a lot of people because I don't wanna stop it. Yeah, exactly. Okay, so what do you do to practice sustainability? Because I didn't ask that last time when we talked. I have a jam business. Uh. Ha ha ha ha. I had.

17:57
I'm a gardener. I'm not a great gardener. I'm actually a really bad gardener, but I enjoy gardening. I recycle like compost. We have chickens. I have a worm compost, which a lot of people don't know about, but that's because it doesn't smell like they would assume it would. I am not, I try to not use electricity as much as possible. Not to say in the summer, my air conditioner isn't running.

18:26
24-7. But otherwise, like in the summertime, or even, you know, in the mornings when it's light out, like I don't use, I don't turn lights on unless I actually can't see. And that's just a, I think it's just a weird mindset thing. Like I just don't, I don't feel like I need to, so I don't want to use it if I don't have to. I feel like that's it. And I say that all the time. Like I don't, I don't really do that much.

18:54
But then there are people that are like, oh my gosh, you do that too? But, oh, I make my own tooth powder. I do an all-purpose cleaner. And I also, excuse me, we have in the town that I live in in Brunswick, we have a refill store, which is the coolest thing. So it's like a total sustainability geek store.

19:24
And I bring all the jars that I can think of and I will fill them with dish soap and hand soap and castile soap for making my own cleaners and cleaning vinegar and deodorant and tooth. Oh, you can get like mouthwash tablets and stuff like that. So you just fill up your jars and then you have no waste. Which is so cool. I just love.

19:52
I love that. And they don't just carry all this stuff. They're super smart and super passionate. Like, you know, you go to some stores and they hire kids that they're just like, you know, they're frowning. They're just grumpy. They're like, I'm just here because I have to make money. These people actually really care about what they're doing and they know what's going on, which I think is so fun. And they know the products. I had to... I am currently in menopause.

20:22
And I had to, I, I've finding that my head is, um, my skin has heavily having allergies these days. And I've always used a shampoo bar. That's another thing that I do. Shampoo bar instead of a bottled shampoo. But, um,

20:40
I so the shampoo bar, the essential oils have been irritating my head. And so I went in there and I was like, I just need a shampoo bar. And they're like, maybe you need an unscented one. I'm like, you shut up. I like the sense deal with that. And then I went in the next day and I was like, yeah, or the next week. I was like, you're probably right. But I don't, I don't like it. Um, so, but it is, you know, it's just cool to have conversations with them and like,

21:10
They are, they're humans and they care. They're like passionate about it. And I can have real conversations where there are so many places I go and I try to make conversation with people and they're like, stop talking. Just stop talking to me, please. I'm trying to ignore you. Yup. Um, the last time I had to buy a computer, computer ish thing. We went, we went to best buy and.

21:38
There was this kid who looked like he was about 12, but I'm sure he was probably 20. And I was like- Oh my God, 12 years old is what I say when people look young too. Yeah, I said, I said, I need, I need a basic laptop computer that can do these things. And he said, I don't think they make those. Oh my gosh. And I said, really? They don't have computers for cavemen.

22:06
He said, no, he said, I don't think we have the, I don't think we've had that basic a model in forever. And I was like, number one, you're implying I'm 80, which I'm not. And number two, I know there are basic laptops around. So, so I literally said, is there anybody else I can talk to who might help me? And I didn't say, can I talk to the manager? Right. Cause I don't want to say that I've never said that. I don't ever want to, unless I really have to. Right.

22:32
But he was like, Oh yeah. And he called some other person over who looked like they might be 30. And I was like, okay, we're getting somewhere now. And went through the whole thing again. And he was like, Oh yeah. He said, we have those because some people don't need gaming computers or a ton of memory or whatever. He said, yeah, come on over here. And I think I paid like 150 bucks for a workhorse computer to basically write on.

23:02
to write articles on. So I understand what you're saying about people just being at their job because they need a paycheck. It's not great. And as for the refill store or whatever you said it was called, we don't have one of those nearby. But I saw on TV the other day that there are these detergent laundry detergent sheets that you stick in your washer and they're not

23:31
There's dry. Yep. And I had heard about them, but I really had seen them before. And I was like, that is really cool. And I'm really sick of paying for water. So I went out on Amazon. It a big thing of plastic every time too. That too. Yeah. And I went on an Amazon and I ordered some and it's supposed to be here tomorrow. And I can't wait to try them and see if they're good. Cause if they are, we're switching over. Yeah. Which brand did you get? I don't remember. Okay. I don't know.

24:01
I really I liked the kind I think they're kind version kind brand. I've just I'm I've learned that they a lot of them have plastic in them. So the the sheet is part plastic and then hate. We you know, it's going to dissolve into your and get in your washing machine and whatever but some of them don't. It's hard to tell.

24:30
It's hard to tell because they're all going to tell you they're eco-friendly and whatever and they want you to buy their stuff. Well, I'm going to try it and see what happens. But it's less plastic anyway. Yeah. And I'm in the same boat as you. I am definitely past childbearing years and your joints don't quite handle pressure the way that they did when you still had tongue vestrogen running through your body. And we end up buying the great...

24:59
big containers of laundry detergent and they're heavy. So I was like, huh, that laundry detergent sheets aren't heavy. Right. And they cost basically nothing to ship and they're, yeah, they're so light. Oh my gosh. Yeah. So I'm very excited about this. I haven't even told my husband about it yet. I was like, I'm just going to spend 12 bucks and we're going to try it. And if it works, we're going to do that. And I will tell him about it afterwards. Who cares? It's fine. Because you can like subscribe to them. You can subscribe for them and get...

25:29
on schedule and yeah. Yep. So that's my new my new myth that I'm turning over regarding laundry and being sustainable. Yeah, it's good stuff. I mean, I love I love stuff like that, you know, just people are catching on to the the inefficiency of all the stuff. I actually had a podcast guest on not too long ago. Her name is T T E.

25:57
Fortin Barnes, her name is Therese, but she goes by T. And she has her own podcast called Green Living with T. And so she talks about toxins, all the toxins that we have in our world and in our homes. And one of the things that I remembered so well is that she said that the companies, like the cleaning companies are trying to sell us.

26:24
a different cleaner for every single piece of area of our home. You know, the bathroom cleaner, the toilet cleaner, the glass cleaner, the, you know, all this stuff. And we just don't need, we don't need all that, but we're convinced that we need to because they're, they're yelling at us with it. You know what the best all purpose cleaner there has ever been and ever will be is vinegar. White vinegar. Yep. Yeah. And it's cheap. And it's available.

26:55
Yep. And it doesn't make your house smell like vinegar for more than five minutes. Yep. Yeah. I mean, I've started using a vinegar rinse on my hair. Yeah. For a soap maker lady. She told me that the head, I mean, I was telling her about my woes, my menopause woes. And she said, you know, your hair and your head are begging for acid.

27:25
And she said that would be the best thing that you could do. And so I have, I've been making my own apple vinegar, um, with the scraps from my apples for my apple jam. So I'm getting a twofer. And so I've been using that, just mixing that with some water and putting that on my head and it smells so I love the smell of vinegar. It doesn't bother me at all, but then I don't smell it after like 10 minutes.

27:51
Yeah, I love pickles and I think part of the reason I love pickles is I love the smell of vinegar. So I'm right there with you. The other thing I was going to say on the sustainability topic here is my peonies are starting to bloom. And I was like, I don't have any cut flour preservative packets that you get at the florist. Right. And I was like, there must be, there must be a do it yourself remedy here. So I went up and looked at that. Right. Isn't it?

28:20
It's well, yeah, you can ask, but we don't have any house for it in the house. But really what works is apple cider vinegar and a little bit of sugar in the water. Huh? Yeah. So I was like, okay, I have those. I can do vinegar will save the world. You guys. Who knew? Yeah. I was very excited because I was like, I do not want to order. Cut. Oh, plant. Preservative. I don't need it that bad. So.

28:51
And very excited because my peonies are starting to bloom. I have been waiting for three years for this to happen. So seriously. Oh, because it's a new house to you. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. We have we have coral and burgundy and Hello Kitty Pink right now blooming. Hello Kitty Pink. Yep. I want a peony tree, man. I want a tree. There are I mean, yes, there are tree peonies, but.

29:20
They're not a tree. They're like a bush. That's fine. And they grow differently than a herbaceous peony. You know what they're called? I don't know. The normal peonies. So you have to stir. Yeah. Not a plant person. I am a peony fanatic. So what do you call that person? What? What do you call that person? The person that talks about plants that's obsessed with plants? I don't know. I'm a

29:49
and I have no words, right? You call it me. I'm obsessed with plants. But either way, the tree peonies, they actually have like a stem, a hard woody stem. And you have to prune them differently and you have to take care of them differently. I have one and I have ignored it. And it's reverted back to being the normal peony. Oh, what? So yeah, tree peonies are not all they're cracked up to be. Oh.

30:19
They're pretty. They're all pretty.

30:23
But either way, my peonies are starting to bloom. I'm probably gonna have over 100 blooms this year. I'm so excited. And the other thing that's happened since I talked to you last is we just received two honey berry plants from the lady that I interviewed last week and her episode came out this morning. Oh, honey berry. Are those like big fat, like long?

30:51
Yeah, they're they look like a blueberry, but they're oblong. And she says that their skin is like a raspberry thickness, so they're really easily bruised. Oh, so we have to. You have to have two different varieties for them pollinate. So we have two different varieties and they're going in tonight and they will not fruit this year, but next year we should have honey berries. And I'm so wet about this.

31:22
So yeah, lots of plant things going on here. Another wonderful thing about podcasting, the people that you get to meet and the friends that you make and the connections that you make and people will send you stuff. If you're next to them, of course. Yeah. And I'm going to say it right now. I don't ever expect anyone to send me anything just because I interviewed them. That's not why I do it.

31:53
Yeah, but if somebody says hey you were talking about wanting to get you wanted to start growing honey berries Can I send you a couple plants? Why yes, if you're okay with that, I love that Right, you know like I'm yeah, there's like cuttings or whatever that you can. Mm-hmm Yeah, I mean people are will like prune their own and and thin it out and if you're you know, if you're gonna compost that I'll take it Yeah, and this is this is actually her business. She she

32:22
grows plants and sells the seedlings. And she also sells the berries when they harvest them. So I was just gonna go order a couple from her. She was like, I'd like to send you a couple. I said, are you sure? She's like, yeah. I said, okay, cool. So they're here and they're beautiful. And I just, I looked at them and I opened the box and I was like, oh my God, finally, we're gonna be able to grow honey berries, finally. That's exciting. Have you had them before?

32:50
I have not because they do sell them in the stores around here now and then, but they're not common and they're expensive. So we've never bought them before. But no one in our area grows them and people like them. So it's a good thing to start growing. Yeah. So that's happening.

33:20
But this really isn't about me, it's about you. But we are talking about sustainability because growing fruits is definitely a sustainable thing. Well, and also sharing. Yeah. Sharing instead of buying and selling, um, is also very sustainable. Uh-huh. Just doing my part. Yes. I think we both are. And I think a lot of people are, and that's kind of the point because if we don't start doing things differently and.

33:49
maybe better, it's not gonna matter. Right. I remember at the beginning of the pandemic, I had had, we were using Amazon at that time, and we have since this year, we canceled our membership. But at the beginning of the pandemic, I was like, I've got my toilet paper on auto ship, and I'm not worried about that. And then they canceled my auto ship, and I had such a panic attack.

34:18
I was so worried, like, you know, because I knew that the, you know, all the shelves were bare and I was like, what am I supposed to do about no toilet paper? Like, I need my toilet paper. So we bought it today, like an attachment for the toilet. And we never opened it because then things started to come on time. Yeah, the whole toilet paper thing was, it was not funny, but it was funny to me because I was like, that's what you're worried about?

34:47
Having a closet full of toilet paper? Yep. Well, and then there's the whole like, you know, the people that could buy or were buying all of it. Yeah. Like, what about everyone else? Yeah, COVID definitely showed us who people are. Right. And I wasn't all that impressed with most people at that point in time. No, no, and I, what-

35:13
Yes. I mean, it showed me that so many people were so grumpy. And it was, you know, I don't know if it was out of fear or if it was something else, but I hated it. I remember going to the grocery store and, you know, they only let so many people in at a time. I don't know if you had that in Minnesota as well, but they had to limit the number of people in the store at a time. And so we were waiting outside six feet apart with our masks on.

35:43
And it was such a beautiful day. And I, the person that was in front of me like turned around and was looking at the line behind her. And I was like, what a beautiful day, huh? I mean, it's not so bad to wait out here, right? And she just like scowled. I could see her scowl through her mask. And she turned around. I'm like, you just ruined grocery shopping for me, man.

36:04
Like it wasn't bad enough to start with and you were trying to make it lighter and she didn't slay. Yes. Yes. I remember going to Sam's club with my husband about a week after after our our governor said everybody mask up everybody um wash your hands everybody do all the preventive preventative things and it I think

36:32
I don't remember what the date was that happened, but it must have been like a Wednesday because we were at Sam's Club that Saturday. So like four days later. And I had never seen that store that crowded in my entire life. And people, you could just feel the panic in the air. And I looked at my husband and I said, are we weird because we're not panicked?

37:01
I mean, this is what we do. We go every two weeks to Sam's, we stock up for two weeks and then we go home. Yep. And he said, I don't know. He said, I don't think this is going to be as bad as how this deals. It's going to be in this moment. And I said, okay. I said, okay. And everybody was just so tense. Yeah. Like the way that they moved, you could see how panic they were.

37:31
And I was just like, okay, let's just get what we need to get and go home because this is really weird. I don't love this. This is not great. Forget the bill. Forget the bread. Forget the toilet paper. Yeah, I mean, we did what we always do. We went. We filled our list. We went home. And we weren't panicked. We were just on our usual shopping trip and wearing masks. Oh, well. And I like don't get me wrong.

37:59
I know people lost people that they love to COVID and that sucks and I hate that. But I've said this before on the podcast, some really great things came out of COVID. 100%. So it was a podcast for one. What? A million podcasts for one. Yeah, and a billion sourdough makers and I'm okay with that too. That's fine. But like I've said, people had.

38:29
A chance for people who weren't sick and weren't miserable mourning someone that they lost had a chance to take a deep breath and go, Okay, so what's next? What are we doing? And I love that the world had a moment of pause. Because there just wasn't any room for it until they were forced to take that moment. Yep. Yeah, we didn't allow ourselves to stop at all. We were just on autopilot. Yeah, all the time.

38:59
And also, one of the other things that came out of it is boundaries. Boundaries came out of it because if you were smart during COVID, you were like, no, we're not having friends over. No, we're not going to a dinner party with other people and boundaries happen. And I feel like the longest time people would just like walk all over each other.

39:27
because they thought that it was okay, or it was how they expressed their love to the person that they were friends with. And for me, boundaries are really important and always have been. So I was very happy to be like, no, you cannot come over and have coffee with me right now because I don't want you to die and I don't want to die. That's how I expressed my love and my affection for my friends. It was no, this is not the time.

39:57
So boundary. Right. Yeah. I went to a graduation party in 2022, maybe. I feel like it was, yeah, it must have been right after I started the podcast in July. I went to a graduation party and somebody, there was a couple that had COVID and they showed up anyway. And they were wearing masks. And I ended up with COVID.

40:25
Uh-huh. It was the end of June. And then, so I was sick for the 4th of July, which I don't care. The holiday is not that big of a deal, but it was strawberry season and I couldn't go pick strawberries. And I was so mad. Oh yeah. And then, you know, there was also, I remember reading in the, um, the regional newspaper, somebody was like, well, it's long over. Like it's not a big deal anymore. And I was like sitting home and I couldn't

40:54
go shopping and I couldn't go to work and I couldn't do all these things. Uh huh. I was like, oh, you're telling me it's over. But that was the first time I was my only time with COVID. Thank goodness. Got at a party. Uh huh. My first party out. Oh, that's a lot party out. That is such a bummer. My son and I, the youngest had COVID. We think we had COVID.

41:23
back in December of 2019 when supposedly COVID wasn't here. Right. However, it was all the same symptoms that everybody else had in 2020. Yep. Were you in Las Vegas? Because my sisters were in Las Vegas and they were pretty sure that they had COVID. No, I was in Minnesota. But what happened is my son worked at a comic book store and a couple of the guys that worked at the comic book store

41:52
were sick with some kind of nasty crud. And then a bunch of people came for, they had game nights and things. And they came in and they were sick with this nasty crud. And my son caught it. And then I caught it from him. Of course. My husband never got it. He never had it. And then all of a

42:21
COVID-19 was all over the news. And I was like, boy, that sounds like we had. And the worst part of it was that we were all sick for three days. But then we had this cough for six, eight weeks after. Yeah, that was the worst part of it. Yeah. So so we were lucky. I think we got the we got the early version that wasn't quite as bad as the later version. Hmm. I don't know. But either way.

42:51
COVID, I think, is the thing that jumpstarted the new interest in homesteading and sustainability and being prepared. And I'm thankful for that.

43:08
For sure. I mean, I just think there are a lot of people that, you know, I think that there was a huge...

43:19
Well, I mean, it made people stop and think about what they were doing. And, you know, and that pause was really good for people, as you were saying. And a lot of people were like, yeah, I don't think I really want to do this anymore. And I don't really want to go into the office and blah, blah, blah. But it just, it really, it really changed a lot of people's lives in, I want to say, good ways. Like, I mean, I'm sure that there are bad things about it.

43:50
you know, realizing that our lives were, we were slaves to the paycheck. And there was just so much more. I mean, when I actually, when I, you were saying that, that, oh, the sourdough thing, that was really funny that you couldn't get flour either. But when I, I started my jam business in my first time.

44:17
making jam in the rented kitchen was May 3rd of 2020. Right in the heat of COVID, I was making jam, but people were also doing a lot of canning. And so jars were super duper expensive and there was a shortage because everything was coming from China and everything was backed up coming from there. It was so hard to get jars.

44:46
I was like, this timing is no good. Yeah. Yep. And that's the other thing is that there were so many supply chain issues of things that you never would have thought would have been an issue. Right. Right. So go fig. It was very weird. I hope we don't have to go through it again anytime soon. Well, we'll see. That would be nice. If people learned and

45:15
Well, I guess we'll see. We'll see. Uh, I still have masks in my car because you know, just never know. I still have my favorite mask. My, my daughter-in-law made me a mask and it has, um, many Australian shepherd dogs on it and it's like turquoise blue with, with many Australian shepherds on it.

45:40
And it's one of the real soft elastic ones that go behind your ears. So it's really comfortable and it's washable. So that's my favorite mask from COVID and I still have it and it's all clean and ready to be used again if it needs to be used. Yep. She also made superhero ones for my husband and my son. And I think they still have theirs too. Awesome. I think. They're probably their favorite too.

46:10
Yup, my mom, my mom, God love her, she made so many for her, for her extended family in Illinois and her family in Maine and friends. And she was just a mask making maniac for for two years. And I finally said, I think you can maybe stop making masks now. She said, she said, that's good, because I really need to make new curtains for my kitchen. I was like, yeah, do that.

46:39
So my mom's sustainable too. She makes her own curtains for her kitchen windows. Aw. Yep. And she actually made some out of the material that she had made some of the masks with and it's the most beautiful material with chickadees on it. And she sent me- Oh, they're painters. Yeah. And she sent me pictures of the curtains and I was like, oh my God, they're so pretty.

47:10
She said, do you want me to make you some? And I said, nope, I'm good. I have curtains, I'm all set. Stop, stop sewing. Your future's must hurt. She's like, huh, I'm used to it. But no, no, I don't need curtains, but thank you for offering, but they were really pretty. So yeah, I come by, honestly. That's the sustainability and homesteading and gardening and cooking from scratch and all of that. I learned it from my family and I'm really happy that I did.

47:39
So anyway, we've been talking for 48 minutes, so I'm gonna let you loose because I'm sure that you probably have things you would love to be doing. Oh, well, sure. All right. I love talking to people, so I'm good. Yeah, well, I have things I actually have to do. I have things I need to do. Yeah, I have dishes to wash because we were just having dinner before I hopped on with you and.

48:07
The boys are outside planting honey berry plants. So I get to do the dishes. Okay. It's a good trade off. I'm okay with it. All right, Amy, thank you so much for your time. I appreciate it. Oh, thanks, Mary. It's, it's fun having these conversations always. I, I agree because we already know each other now. Yeah. We're best friends. We're besties.

48:33
Yeah, for sure. From Maine. All right. Have a good night. You too. Thank you. Bye.