Nice to meet you! I’m Melissa K. Norris.
I’m a mom, wife, sometimes cattle wrangler, and all time follower of Jesus. I’m also an author, blogger, radio show host, and speaker whose passion is to inspire your faith and pioneer roots. Using personal experience and God’s word, I teach others how to:
- see God in your every day life
- grow an heirloom garden-no matter how little or big of an area you have
- cook traditional wholesome from scratch meals
- cut out fast paced processed lives and get back to a simpler way of life
- implement modern homesteading lessons anyone can use
Explore this site to learn how you can start Pioneering Today in your home and life.
When I was a little girl, our TV only came in when there was snow on the mountain top and you turned the antenna just right. And then we got two channels. But a love of books and words was born. My mother read to me every night and I cut my teeth on the Little House and the Prairie Series. Growing up in the foothills of the Cascade Mountain Range and a father who was from Tarheel (aka North Carolina), it’s no wonder a love of tales woven deep in the mountains, on the backs of dreams, hard work, and tied together with the love of Jesus flows into my non-fiction and novels.
Beyond my love of books, I also love to chat, so please leave comments, ask questions, or share your dreams and stories with me.
As we say around here, come on in and sit a spell.
Blessings,
Melissa
P.S. Do you like free things? I’ve got three free e-books for you.
Thanks for sharing!!!
I am a good ole Tarheel girl. Raised on a dairy farm. Lived in Florida for last 12 years. Just moved back to farm. Plenty of land. Barns run down. Good news. Plenty of garden land. Fertile from Dairy farm. Had a big garden last year, but much to learn!!!!! Living off a MUCH less salary than once ad and trying to be ok with that. Love growing my food
I do want even if just two of those Tarheel Beans. You just gotta share with this Tarheel girl.
I love God, and so happy that Jesus lives in my heart. I feel close to God in Nature, but do attend church. But love his presence even in my Garden. Weeds and all. Was happy to find your site. I am a nurse, for 19 years. Just got burned out physically so…..now I garden. Lots to learn.
Be blessed and SPRING is coming !!!! Love the idea of frost and seeding yard. :)))))
Rachel Eissens Hayes
Rachel, I love that you’re getting back to gardening.
I do an annual giveaway of the Tarheel seeds as I can’t grow enough to meet demand on my own. If I have extra, I’ll try to send you some.
very impressed with these articles. Im glad that others enjoy nature & love God!! This is truly awsome.
Hi Melissa.Enjoyed reading what you have to share. Think I’m going to enjoy keeping in touch and sharing.I have a love for sharing and learning something new.Loved your tip on raising Basil indoor in water. I wondered about this but never pursued the option.Have a wonderful day and be blessed. Linda
Curious where Tarheel might be located ?
I’d better edit that part, Linda.
Tarheel is from North Carolina. I’m so glad you stopped by and I hope you stay in touch.
I’m not that much of a internet reader to be
honest but your blogs really nice, keep it up! I’ll go ahead and bookmark your site to come back later.
All the best
Take a look at my web site; Instagram Followers Free Fast [Emilio]
Melissa, just discovered your site couple months ago. I return to your site daily. LOVE WHAT YOU SHARE, the Good Lord, your garden knowledge, livestock info, and cooking. Your no-knead bread and no-rise rolls are AWSOME… Simply put, your’e sharing LOVE sprinkled with Knowledge…..how blessed we are to have you!!! Strength and love to you!! One other compliment — your voice is soo beautiful when I listen to your blogs. Has anyone ever told you how peaceful you sound!!! That also is a God-given Gift. Please continue sharing HIS gifts!!!!
Hi, Pam,
So glad you’re here. Thank you so much for the encouragement and I’m blessed you’re finding things here useful.
And no one has told me I sound peaceful, but I’m so happy it comes across that way. I’m heading into the studio tomorrow to record some episodes.
I am planning some urban gardening and would LOVE to start with these!
Hi there, what an interesting find your blog through following GNOWFGLINS and the Homesteading writings . I’ve only read a little bit of your work but it really resonates with me. As one commenter wrote that your voice comes across as peaceful (I haven’t listened yet) my impression of your blog has the same feel.
I only have a tiny corner of my suburban garden for herbs and such, but it give a great sense of connection. Also am most thankful for my now aged Mother who loved gardening and made the most of it wherever we were. She has passed this gift to all three of us girls in different ways.
Thank you for your lovely writings and long may you be able to continue your sharing of thoughts ….Alexa
Blogging from Sydney, Australia at
http://www.Alexa-asimplelife.com
Alexa,
What a beautiful gift your mother graced you and your siblings with. I hope to hear more of your gardening adventures.
Welcome. I’m so glad you find it peaceful here.
Melissa I recieved my Tarheel seeds today and I wanted to thank you again. We have had a good amount of snow and now rain and yards are full of water. I can hardly wait to get out and start on the garden. God bless
Bonnie,
So happy they made it to you. Can’t wait to hear what you think of them. Blessings to you!
Thanks for your comments to my question about the [L'Origan/Coty] perfume I located by my research that might have been used by a WW I era 25-year old professional woman. As she is an upper class, Philadelphian, she probably was familiar with Parisian ‘amenities’ and scents in her house: L’Origan a sensual break for a ‘sensible’ woman.
It was grand to meet and hear you at the NCWA monthly meeting last night in Kirkland, WA.
Looking forward to the next time.
“Mac”
Hi Melissa. I just signed up for your newsletter and am excited…I have been an advocate for the “pioneering” way of life for years now! Having a personal relationship with our Lord and Savior and getting back to our roots is the best way to live a happy and blessed life!
I love your site! It’s a blessing!
Welcome, Linda! I’m so happy you’re a fellow sister in Jesus.
Hi Linda. Just found your site and I am so looking forward to following you. I miss the “old” days though they don’t seem that long ago. I can’t stand the busy-ness of this world. So I’m going to incorporate some of the “old ways” back into my life. Just thinking about it makes me happy. I am a 911 dispatcher candy he thought of having a beautiful garden to work is very inviting. I love my lord and I look forward to reading your blog and learning from you
God Bless
Yay!!! I just found your site, I am so excited! You and I are so much alike it’s scary, we could be sisters! haha!! I so en joy getting my heads dirty planting my garden and working in my flower beds as well. I love this beautiful land that God has given to us to use to grow and raise our own food. I enjoy cooking also and your site is just wonderful!!! Thanks so much for sharing all of this information with us! Have a great and blessed planting day!
Hi, Debbie! So glad to meet ya. I love meeting another kindred spirit. What do you grow? Or would it be safer what don’t you grow.
Sissy sorry it has taken me so long to stumble over this! But just now getting on here! Although as you know I have gardened and canned all my live it’s so neat seeing what you are doing! Your books -This Web page, to this day I stilled cook a small batch of anything! I wonder if it’s from cooking so much as a child for our big family! Hee Hee! You missed out on that part! I thanks God we Both had the Wonderful Mothers that we did to teach us what they knew!
Keep up the Ggod Work! Hugs!
Dear Melissa, all’s good here in Northeast Texas (somewhere way down a blacktop road….lol)
1. I am begging you PLEASE PLEASE for just a couple of your greenbean seeds, started 3-4 years ago gardening and with raised beds, feel I’m now experienced enough to keep em alive and thrive!!
2. Would also love to hear some about your barrel racing, do you still run, travel much or any, your horses, etc, just elaborate!!
You have a great day!!!! and go ride. Take care, Pam
Hi Melissa,
Thank you so much for all the valuable information. We just bought a farm in Kansas about three and a half years ago. We raise chickens, ducks, rabbits and would like to do some grass fed beef next year. Thank you for the podcast of raising a cow, it was very helpful. I have a question about making tomato sauce. We had are first garden last year and I got an abundance of tomato’s and tried to make some homemade sauce and it took forever… by the time I put them in the hot water, then ice cold water, then squeezed out the seeds and the core, I had hardly any tomato left, then I cooked it down to nothing. What do you think, is there a better way of making sauce? Thank you. Cathy
Hi just came.up on your site. I live on a small farm. I try and grow every thing we eat. I would love some new recipes. We are also try to go gluten free. Oh me oh my my house all of a sudden has a smell. Yup skunk. Oh well the dogs keep them out of the chickens. Has a awesome day. I can tell mine peachy!
Hi Melissa
I live in Seattle and I’m a Southerner who once lived in Chapel Hill N.C. I noticed you have a connection there. Just where are you located to Seattle? I appreciate VERY MUCH your love of Almighty God the Father, His Son our Savior and the Holy Spirit that keeps us in touch. This country needs more of the Trinity in everyone’s lives today AND a get back to basics mindset. I fear our country is truly going in the wrong direction BUT, His word says it would along with the whole world but, I shouldn’t be worried because, like you and yours……I’m covered. Thanks for the freebies and I look forward to getting to know you. God Bless You and Yours.
Hi Carroll!
I’m almost two hours northeast of Seattle up in the foothills of the Cascades. Yes, I agree we need all three parts of the Trinity. I look forward to getting to know you, too!
I’m so glad I found you, I cannot wait to dig into all this great stuff… the radio show , your books , newsletter what to read first …
I just listened to your talk on the summer of survival series & enjoyed it very much. Ido have some questions I would like to ask you to receive your knowledgeable answers. Do you use vacuum sealing? If so; what recommendations do you have for a first time user? Do you have your own recipes or do you use sone from book’s? If you use recipes from a book; which ones do you use? What is your favorite book/books & why? Thank you for your time. I look forward to your answers.
Thanks for the information, my husband is already looking for a pressure canner.
We have a garden but its not big enough, need to expand.
Looking forward to learning how to pressure can.
Judy
Thank you for deciding to have a site like this and sharing with us out here. It is great to be able to come together on a machine like the computer….once that would have seem so very foreign to us….at least those of us that were born- before the computer age. ;o] I remember NOT HAVING A TV yet and only the family radio was there for newsand entertainment! I hunkered down in front of the RCA to listen to the Roy Rogers Show!! But when there was a TV…the Christmas I was in 2nd grade. There were only two channels also and then it was the Howdy Doody Show that I liked. Some shows were on Saturday morning and then at night but went off the air after the 10pm news!! How times have changed……and not always for the best either! So getting back to the soil, roots of plants and critter is a welcome and refreshing thing…especially for those of us that live in a city. The Lord is our salvation and will keep us protected in His love and care….
Recenty heard your presentation on Summer of Survival. I’ve been doing the extreme homemaking thing for a while now, also raise my own beef, pork, chicken, turkey. Tried to cure/smoke my own meat last round of pigs we processed, and wasn’t happy with the way the ham and bacon turned out. I LOVE ham and bacon, and it just didn’t taste as good as it should. Do you cure/smoke your own? I got a couple books, and looked online for recipes, but obviously what I tried was not the best advice as I wasn’t happy with the results. Would love to hear your methods/recipes if you have been really successful. Thanks!
I plan on trying this recipe because of the low sugar (& no pectin). I tried a recipe a few days ago that called for 4 cups of strawberries, 4 cups of sugar, and 1 tsp. lemon juice (& no pectin). It set up beautifully, has a pretty color and tastes good, but it does have a lot of sugar. I was wondering why your recipe calls for so much lemon. I am looking for a recipe that has a strong strawberry taste. Thanks for your assistance!