"Out of Your Own Way: 8 Homestead Lessons for an Incredible Everyday Life" is a collection of the stories we've lived, so far, on our journey to create our self-sustaining, off-grid homestead, as well as the lessons we've learned along the way.

From these hard-won lessons, we have been able to develop skills that have changed our lives for the better, helped us find purpose, and transformed our day-to-day routines into lives of adventure, full of satisfaction.

The book is meant to be a guide for bringing those skills into your own life, no matter the lifestyle you choose to live. These skills, I believe, are more important than ever when faced with an uncertain future, and I am very happy to share them with you.

I hope this book helps you get where you want to go.

I encourage you to read the stories in this book as if you're there, living these experiences with me. Read the tips and takeaways from the viewpoint of applying them to your own life and situation, and finally, DO the exercises in order to put these hard-won skills to work for you.

One More Thing...

You can download this book for whatever you want to pay, even if what you want to pay is nothing.

I sincerely hope it helps you get where you want to go.

Jason is a man of many things: father to 5 precocious and creative children, enthusiast for out-of-the-box thinking, a problem solver, electrician, welder, builder, and handyman, a comedian (in my opinion), and of course, the love of my life and husband of 18 years, to name a few. But one of his most admirable traits is his heart, his big potato-shaped heart. It may even be giant pumpkin-sized for that matter!

His goal and purpose for all he shares is solely to help others, empowering you with knowledge that your dreams and goals are attainable. As he has said many times before, "We [Jason and I] are not special; we didn't have buckets of money to throw at the problems that came our way; we just did it, and you can too."

He has inspired me to be more creative in the way I approach solutions, more persistent to see them through, capable of accomplishing my goals, and as a result, I am an all-around better person.

Thank you, Love, for all you do to help try to make this world a little better for anyone wanting more out of their lives. You sure have come a long way, and I am very proud to call you my best friend and husband. Thank you for being your wacky, inspiring, big-hearted, hard-working, loving guy. I look forward to our future together.

~Cari

Why did you say "Catalpa" at the end of the video?

Well, It's the species of tree that I'm planting in it.

Here are some interesting factoids about the Catalpa tree.

1. Bean Pods as Musical Instruments: Catalpa trees produce long, slender bean pods that contain numerous seeds. These pods have been used creatively as musical instruments by indigenous peoples in North America. When dried, the pods can rattle when shaken, creating a sound similar to maracas.
2. Catalpa Sphinx Moth Host: The catalpa tree is the primary host plant for the catalpa sphinx moth (Ceratomia catalpae). These moths lay their eggs exclusively on catalpa trees, and the larvae (caterpillars) feed on the leaves. This relationship is an example of coevolution, where the plant and insect species have evolved together, each influencing the other's traits and behaviors.
3. Historical Use in Medicine: Various parts of the catalpa tree have been used in traditional medicine. Native American tribes used different parts of the tree to treat ailments such as asthma, fever, and even snakebites. Additionally, extracts from the bark and leaves have been historically used as a laxative and to treat skin conditions.

Here is a picture and thank you for not leaving the this page to look it up. We appreciate you!