Let's see, today, if time allows, I need to get out to the humanure pile and bring up several buckets of it to dump in the tires for the tomatoes to get moved to. One tire is done, but two more remain, before I can shift maters round about to give the roots more room, and plant some carrots. That's just today. Tomorrow, I need to also head to Harrison for more topsoil and a couple more mini-greenhouses. I haven't given up hope yet that everything I already planted will come up ... I keep telling myself to give up, but then I give it another week, lol. The flowers by the stairs are coming up like crazy. FIVE of the sweet peas are already up about an inch or so, tiny little vines. The snapdragons and marigolds are popping up, especially the snaps. With those, I couldn't get them to space right, so a whole packet went along a little line in the middle. They're going to be rather crowded but it's going to be a lovely crowd when they bloom.
I need to work on the bailer bucket (so far, I've gotten the spring out of the check valve). I need to do some writing/research. I need to photograph, describe and price things to go up in the Ecwid store (more on that in a minute), I need to get some knitting done on that scrap afghan which is mostly sitting except on Saturdays because it's my travel project (it's not that big yet, so I drag it along). I need to clean out the fridge, get the hubster to start up the gas weed whacker for me so I can finish chopping down weeds, because he was SOOOO busy with the van again yesterday that nothing that needed doing got done - he "had" to fix his baja lights because one wasn't working right ... how about spending an hour chopping weeds that are waist high and need "fixing" more?
The blog has taken a turn for the better in design, I think. I reworked the layout some, and figured out how to do pages on it and get them to show up. I'd've gotten that done sooner, but it wasn't priority on the to-do list at that point, this past weekend it was, so much of Sunday's hot and muggy temperatures got spent with me on the laptop, messing around and figuring out what I want to do and how. So it's got a new look, new pages, some of which have little to nothing on them, but that's going to change over time. The Events page will get things added as stuff happens, and the Recommended Products page will be for all my affiliate links to various homestead and craft-related things where I make a tiny bit of money if someone shops there or buys that product. I love homesteading, but it's got to become a living if plans are to come to fruition.
You'll also notice an About Us page, where I describe what Bountiful Farm is about and some of what is in the works. If it's on there and labeled "in development," you can bet that it's something I'll be working on. There is also, finally, a webstore I'm happy with. One I don't have to fuss around with HTML for the design, other than to put a bit of provided code on the page itself. This is very good for me, because I can concentrate on products rather than site design. I've finally chosen Ecwid. I've tried others, goodness knows, but they aren't working too well.
Etsy integrates with Facebook (a must, in my opinion) but charges per item for listing and if you have digital products, they only allow five unless you pay a monthly fee for somebody's widget. Bonanza doesn't integrate and it's kind of complicated to get an item up. Selz integrates but you can't do much of anything with design. So someone suggested Ecwid. Easy to design, heck they hold your hand to walk you through it, and you can list up to 10 items for nothing, or 100 items for $12.50 a month. For $29.50 a month, you can list up to 2500 items. Yep, found the store. It integrates well with both the blog and Facebook, and even has a setup in the thing so that your items can have Facebook comments allowed, and like buttons and counters for about five or six different social media outlets, so things can easily be shared round as well. Time to get business cards!!!!!!
I am really hoping that sooner or later, I can find a decent small RV to live in whilst land is being prepped and a cabin put together. I can run a generator for big power, propane for heat/cooking/hot water, haul in water, and get a small solar system from Harbor Freight to generate power for charging up the laptop and cellphone and modem/router. I don't watch much TV, and once I get a new laptop, really won't because it will have a DVD player in it ... thus eliminating the need for a TV entirely. I like TVs because of the bigger screen, but I rarely "watch" and mostly just listen. So pop in a DVD, do other work while I'm at it, and if I really want to watch-watch, I can do something like knitting or crochet which take next to no attention at all, as long as I've been doing them. (Thank you, Grandma Betty, for teaching me to crochet 40 years ago [Gosh, it's been THAT long?], and giving me the courage to teach myself to knit six years later.)
I just need MONEY and that means working, getting bills paid off and getting a lot of other things done that have to be done to make moola to do what needs doing. Up and at 'em, I say! Time to find books and get my fanny in gear some more! Hugs, all!
End note: Hey, apparently, I have more time today to fiddle around here at the house than I thought - Quentin just called and said debone is shut down for the night due to a transformer blowing up, so that side of the plant has no power. Ooops. Guess I get more done outside then whilst there is no rain, after I make a run to Subway - I kind of have my tummy set on Monday is Subway day, lol. This also means I don't have to do the weed whacking - Quentin is so irritated by work getting cancelled that he's just gotten home with my Subway and is already out there whacking away to burn off some energy.
KINDLE FREEBIES OF INTEREST
How to Sprout Raw Food: Grow an Indoor Organic Garden with Wheatgrass, Bean Sprouts, Grain Sprouts, Microgreens, and More
Container Gardening : Container Garden Tips For Beginners For Successful Container Planting (A Container Gardening Guide For The Perfect Gardener)
Vintage Afghan Favorites Granny and Ripple Afghans
Organic Square Foot Gardening: The Beginner's Guide to Growing More in Less Space (Organic Gardening Beginners Planting Guides)
Boxed Set 6 How to Make Natural Skin Care Products
Home Grown Blueberries: A Beginners Guide To Growing Blueberries (beginners gardening, home grown berries, backyard berries, garden design, urban farming, organic fruit, growing berries)
Black Gold: Tips To Make Organic Fertilizer And Create A Bountiful Harvest
Soap Making For Beginners: A Guide to Making Natural Homemade Soaps from Scratch, Includes Recipes and Step by Step Processes for Making Soaps (Soap Making, ... Cold Process, Natural Homemade Soaps)
How to Construct a Greenhouse | Building your own Greenhouse | Home Greenhouse
Monday, June 2, 2014
Sunday, June 1, 2014
Quiet Sunday
Finally getting to where I can get out again for a bit. Taking a short break because it's muggy as all heck - the humidity is ridiculous and the temps are near 90F, so doing anything for more than 30-45 minutes at a time is just not happening. I did get photos taken (I hope I can remember what is what because my photos of the labeled stakes just did not come out at all) of what is up right now, at last. I'm finally starting to get something of a garden going, though it's still got a long ways to go before I can get anything to eat from it.
So what I got done was to unearth a 5-gallon bucket with a cracked bottom for hauling up some of the humanure to dump into the bottom of the beds as I get them going piece by inch. I figure that on the bottom half and top off with good topsoil will give my plants a really good start in life and allow them plenty of yummy stuff for their roots to grow down into. I also found three old tires fairly near the house with no rims in the middle yet and rolled them up to be new beds for the Arkansas Traveler tomatoes, which desperately need to be shifted around a bit. They've got a lot of blooms and I want them to have loads of room for root development. And as I type, Smudge has curled up next to me, purring up a storm, begging for attention. Do you know how difficult it is to type one-handed, because the other on automatically sneaks off to pet the cat? *laughing*
So, photos of what is what, and I hope I get them all right, lol.
#1 - If you look hard in this one, you can just see (front to back) marigolds, snapdragons and sweet peas popping up. They are REALLY tiny at this point but poof, there they were one day!
#2 - The three Black-Seeded Simpson lettuce that came up. I'm going to be picking leaves as they grow for salads later, and let them go to bolt so I can save the seed. Since I got my copy of "Seed to Seed" not too long ago, I've been looking up what to do and how to do it to save seed, so this is going to be fun and educational for me.
#3 - My sole Kabocha squash that has agreed to actually finish coming out of it's seed casing. The other two sprouted a root tip but have done nothing since.
#4 - Don't remember what this is - Marketmore cucumber, I think.
#5 - No photo here because it didn't come out and I don't remember what it is.
#6 - Two ornamental gourds. The big one I know is a large, I think the other one is a small gourd. I'm thinking of putting them in mid-sized containers or in tires next to some trees, right next to the walking path and letting the trees support the gourds and squashes as the grow.
#7 - Brandywine Red tomatoes - almost all of them came up in this cellpack (none in the other I seeded), so I am going to be inundated with beefsteak tomatoes later this summer. YUMMY.
#8 - Didn't come out good, as I accidentally moved when I hit the shutter button, something I'm very good at, but it's a cute little spider I saw outside. Light brown with darker brown stripes on the abdomen, it looks like it's just a plain little old common grass spider or maybe an orb weaver. So not poisonous, and quite helpful in the garden. S/he stays, much as I don't like spiders, because they have their place in the garden, too.
#9 - I think that's a Roma tomato. Yeah. I put in lots of tomatoes. If they all grow, I'm going to be inundated, but that's okay. Some to eat, some to save, and some to sell, right?
#10 - Large Red Cherry tomatoes. A whole two, but the older one has developed it's first true leaves.
#11, #12, and #13 did not come out and it's too hot and muggy for me to go out and retake them, lol. I know one of them is one of the mixed mini peppers, and another is a Hale's Best canteloupe, and the other is a Black Beauty eggplant. I also lost the photo of the jalapeno pepper that's come up.
So that's my day so far, and I'm hoping that while it's cloudy out, once I recuperate a bit, to go fill those tires and move the tomatoes ... assuming that Quentin quits messing with his van to gussy it up and gets the gas weedwhacker out to chop down weeds like he's supposed to be doing. (Apparently, lately, homestead chores come after his playtime with his van, then he gripes because nothing is getting done around here. Really????) Off to find us all some good books!!
KINDLE FREEBIES OF INTEREST
Kitty Draft Excluder - Easy Knitting Pattern
Container Gardening for Beginners: Grow Healthy, Sustainable Plants Indoors
Worm Composting: & Composting Ideas for use in Organic Gardening & Growing of Vegetables & Herbs
I CAN CAN CHICKEN!! How to home can chicken to save money and time with quick, easy, tasty family recipes (I Can Can!! Frugal Living Series)
Growing Bulbs in Containers: A Season by Season Guide to Growing Bulbs in Containers (The Weekend Gardener)
Tomato Container Gardening: How to Grow Tomatoes in Small Spaces
The Complete Guide To Gardening: How To Find Happiness and Joy While Growing Amazing Things in a Small Space
Square Foot Gardening Guide: A simple guide on everything you need to know for successful square foot gardening
Indoor Gardening Guide: How to successfully grow plants and vegetables inside your home, apartment, or office!
How to Grow Potatoes: Planting and Harvesting Organic Food From Your Patio, Rooftop, Balcony, or Backyard Garden (Booklet)
Our Survival Essentials: The self-sufficiency, homestead, prepper book for people that want to not only survive, but to thrive, in a difficult world
So what I got done was to unearth a 5-gallon bucket with a cracked bottom for hauling up some of the humanure to dump into the bottom of the beds as I get them going piece by inch. I figure that on the bottom half and top off with good topsoil will give my plants a really good start in life and allow them plenty of yummy stuff for their roots to grow down into. I also found three old tires fairly near the house with no rims in the middle yet and rolled them up to be new beds for the Arkansas Traveler tomatoes, which desperately need to be shifted around a bit. They've got a lot of blooms and I want them to have loads of room for root development. And as I type, Smudge has curled up next to me, purring up a storm, begging for attention. Do you know how difficult it is to type one-handed, because the other on automatically sneaks off to pet the cat? *laughing*
So, photos of what is what, and I hope I get them all right, lol.
#1 - If you look hard in this one, you can just see (front to back) marigolds, snapdragons and sweet peas popping up. They are REALLY tiny at this point but poof, there they were one day!
#3 - My sole Kabocha squash that has agreed to actually finish coming out of it's seed casing. The other two sprouted a root tip but have done nothing since.
#4 - Don't remember what this is - Marketmore cucumber, I think.
#5 - No photo here because it didn't come out and I don't remember what it is.
#6 - Two ornamental gourds. The big one I know is a large, I think the other one is a small gourd. I'm thinking of putting them in mid-sized containers or in tires next to some trees, right next to the walking path and letting the trees support the gourds and squashes as the grow.
#7 - Brandywine Red tomatoes - almost all of them came up in this cellpack (none in the other I seeded), so I am going to be inundated with beefsteak tomatoes later this summer. YUMMY.
#8 - Didn't come out good, as I accidentally moved when I hit the shutter button, something I'm very good at, but it's a cute little spider I saw outside. Light brown with darker brown stripes on the abdomen, it looks like it's just a plain little old common grass spider or maybe an orb weaver. So not poisonous, and quite helpful in the garden. S/he stays, much as I don't like spiders, because they have their place in the garden, too.
#9 - I think that's a Roma tomato. Yeah. I put in lots of tomatoes. If they all grow, I'm going to be inundated, but that's okay. Some to eat, some to save, and some to sell, right?
#10 - Large Red Cherry tomatoes. A whole two, but the older one has developed it's first true leaves.
#11, #12, and #13 did not come out and it's too hot and muggy for me to go out and retake them, lol. I know one of them is one of the mixed mini peppers, and another is a Hale's Best canteloupe, and the other is a Black Beauty eggplant. I also lost the photo of the jalapeno pepper that's come up.
So that's my day so far, and I'm hoping that while it's cloudy out, once I recuperate a bit, to go fill those tires and move the tomatoes ... assuming that Quentin quits messing with his van to gussy it up and gets the gas weedwhacker out to chop down weeds like he's supposed to be doing. (Apparently, lately, homestead chores come after his playtime with his van, then he gripes because nothing is getting done around here. Really????) Off to find us all some good books!!
KINDLE FREEBIES OF INTEREST
Kitty Draft Excluder - Easy Knitting Pattern
Container Gardening for Beginners: Grow Healthy, Sustainable Plants Indoors
Worm Composting: & Composting Ideas for use in Organic Gardening & Growing of Vegetables & Herbs
I CAN CAN CHICKEN!! How to home can chicken to save money and time with quick, easy, tasty family recipes (I Can Can!! Frugal Living Series)
Growing Bulbs in Containers: A Season by Season Guide to Growing Bulbs in Containers (The Weekend Gardener)
Tomato Container Gardening: How to Grow Tomatoes in Small Spaces
The Complete Guide To Gardening: How To Find Happiness and Joy While Growing Amazing Things in a Small Space
Square Foot Gardening Guide: A simple guide on everything you need to know for successful square foot gardening
Indoor Gardening Guide: How to successfully grow plants and vegetables inside your home, apartment, or office!
How to Grow Potatoes: Planting and Harvesting Organic Food From Your Patio, Rooftop, Balcony, or Backyard Garden (Booklet)
Our Survival Essentials: The self-sufficiency, homestead, prepper book for people that want to not only survive, but to thrive, in a difficult world
Saturday, May 31, 2014
I love Saturdays
Most of the time, they are pretty fun, running around getting all the errands done, with the only rough part being pretty wiped out by the time we get home and not really wanting to unload and put stuff away. I do it anyhow, because then I can sit down and relax for an hour or so to catch my breath, before I get outside in the last of the daylight and do whatever. Today has been no exception - this is the time when I'm relaxing for a bit, and there's plenty of daylight left to get things done. I have a lot to do, and boy, do I want to get on it.
We did the usual lunch-groceries-laundry routine, and also hit up one of the dollar stores in town, as it's right next to the laundromat. Mainly because they have some seed packets left at 4 for $1, so between what veggies and flowers they have left, I'm starting to clean them out. Then there's the dollar store at the other end of town to clean out, the one grocery store and the hardware store in town. (Never mind the three or four dollar stores in Harrison, lus the hardware stores there.) Just seeds though, no bulbs or plants. No time to deal with those right now, I have enough going on, haha. The seeds are being saved for next year, for planting and/or trade goods and/or growing seedlings to sell at the farmer's market. See, I'm already planning for next year and this one has barely gotten started! The good part is, now that Quentin understands my reasoning, he's totally on board with it, to the point that he reminded me of our trip to Branson the weekend before our anniversary in a few weeks. (It falls on a Monday, so we're doing the shindig the Saturday before.)
He reminded me that there are about four dollar stores up there, plus a couple of hardware stores, too ... Good thing we have been putting back funds for a few months for that day, I have a feeling I will be bringing home LOTS of extra seeds. I'm all for that. If I don't grow it myself, or grow and sell the seedlings from it this or next year, they can be saved, or traded or whatever. Oh wait, I just said that, haha. I'm just that happy about it.
It's been raining off and on all day again, meaning I likely won't get outside today, but that's okay, as there's plenty to do in here. I did notice on the way indoors with things today that those flowers I planted a few days ago are already sprouting up! One sweet pea, five of the eight or nine marigolds, and I'm not sure on the snapdragons, because it was starting to sprinkle hard again and I wanted to get indoors. The tomatoes are blooming like crazy, the rest of things I started from seed is either not doing anything yet or is starting to spring up in the seed starters. Overall, it's a good day, despite working 11 hours again last night (and sleeping in to make up for it!). So I'm off to hunt down elusive books and have fun. See you later!
KINDLE FREEBIES OF INTEREST
(2 BOOK BUNDLE) "How to Knit Scarves" and "How to Knit Socks": Learn How to Knit Scarves and Socks Quick and Easy
Crochet Stitches For Beginners (Learn How To Crochet)
Vegetables and Spices
THE BASICS OF GROWING GREAT TOMATOES: Seeds, Soil, Planting, Caging, Watering, Etc.
Natural Dyes From the Backyard (Techniques from Lakeshore Textiles)
Building a Wood Fired Oven in a Day
(2 Book Bundle) "Knitting Stitches Dictionary For Beginners" & "How To Knit Socks For Beginners" (Knitting For Beginners)
We did the usual lunch-groceries-laundry routine, and also hit up one of the dollar stores in town, as it's right next to the laundromat. Mainly because they have some seed packets left at 4 for $1, so between what veggies and flowers they have left, I'm starting to clean them out. Then there's the dollar store at the other end of town to clean out, the one grocery store and the hardware store in town. (Never mind the three or four dollar stores in Harrison, lus the hardware stores there.) Just seeds though, no bulbs or plants. No time to deal with those right now, I have enough going on, haha. The seeds are being saved for next year, for planting and/or trade goods and/or growing seedlings to sell at the farmer's market. See, I'm already planning for next year and this one has barely gotten started! The good part is, now that Quentin understands my reasoning, he's totally on board with it, to the point that he reminded me of our trip to Branson the weekend before our anniversary in a few weeks. (It falls on a Monday, so we're doing the shindig the Saturday before.)
He reminded me that there are about four dollar stores up there, plus a couple of hardware stores, too ... Good thing we have been putting back funds for a few months for that day, I have a feeling I will be bringing home LOTS of extra seeds. I'm all for that. If I don't grow it myself, or grow and sell the seedlings from it this or next year, they can be saved, or traded or whatever. Oh wait, I just said that, haha. I'm just that happy about it.
It's been raining off and on all day again, meaning I likely won't get outside today, but that's okay, as there's plenty to do in here. I did notice on the way indoors with things today that those flowers I planted a few days ago are already sprouting up! One sweet pea, five of the eight or nine marigolds, and I'm not sure on the snapdragons, because it was starting to sprinkle hard again and I wanted to get indoors. The tomatoes are blooming like crazy, the rest of things I started from seed is either not doing anything yet or is starting to spring up in the seed starters. Overall, it's a good day, despite working 11 hours again last night (and sleeping in to make up for it!). So I'm off to hunt down elusive books and have fun. See you later!
KINDLE FREEBIES OF INTEREST
(2 BOOK BUNDLE) "How to Knit Scarves" and "How to Knit Socks": Learn How to Knit Scarves and Socks Quick and Easy
Crochet Stitches For Beginners (Learn How To Crochet)
Vegetables and Spices
THE BASICS OF GROWING GREAT TOMATOES: Seeds, Soil, Planting, Caging, Watering, Etc.
Natural Dyes From the Backyard (Techniques from Lakeshore Textiles)
Building a Wood Fired Oven in a Day
(2 Book Bundle) "Knitting Stitches Dictionary For Beginners" & "How To Knit Socks For Beginners" (Knitting For Beginners)
Friday, May 30, 2014
Corporate ain't liking me
Because we worked till 4AM again last night (this morning!), I called corporate again just now and left a message for a fellow there telling him how I feel about all this massive overtime. Mind, I don't mind some, but 8 or more hours of overtime in a week is insane. So far, in two days, I've worked 22 hours. There has been talk all week of us working a FOURTEEN-hour shift tonight - yeah from 5PM tonight until 7AM tomorrow morning! It's nuts. That would make a nearly full forty-hour check for me in just three days. Nobody can keep up that pace without issues, no matter how tough you are.
Ah well ... slept in a bit this morning, and for once, so did hubby, which is highly unsual for him. But he's pretty wiped out, too. Only bad part is, I'm too tired to get outside and do anything that needs doing. If we didn't need the money so bad, I'd call in and so would Quentin, because I'm not kidding, this is just beyond nuts. So I'll hunt y'all down some books (which I'd do for myself anyhow), and then I have to try to pull together for work, assuming I can wake up enough. Hugs, all - this homesteader is not having a happy day.
KINDLE FREEBIES OF INTEREST
Soap Making From Scratch: 30+ Handmade Soap Recipes and Tips. Complete Beginner's Guide to Handmade Soaps (Soap Making Book)
Lavender the Universal Herb (Herbal Amicus)
Scoodie Hooded Scarf Crochet Pattern
Organic Composting: Reduce Waste, Save Money, and Improve Your Garden (How To Garden, How To Compost)
Baby Cocoon And Owl Hat Crochet Pattern
NATURAL HOMEMADE PEST REPELLENTS: Quick and Easy Solutions That Are Safe, Organic and Non-Toxic (THRIVING GREEN)
Ah well ... slept in a bit this morning, and for once, so did hubby, which is highly unsual for him. But he's pretty wiped out, too. Only bad part is, I'm too tired to get outside and do anything that needs doing. If we didn't need the money so bad, I'd call in and so would Quentin, because I'm not kidding, this is just beyond nuts. So I'll hunt y'all down some books (which I'd do for myself anyhow), and then I have to try to pull together for work, assuming I can wake up enough. Hugs, all - this homesteader is not having a happy day.
KINDLE FREEBIES OF INTEREST
Soap Making From Scratch: 30+ Handmade Soap Recipes and Tips. Complete Beginner's Guide to Handmade Soaps (Soap Making Book)
Lavender the Universal Herb (Herbal Amicus)
Scoodie Hooded Scarf Crochet Pattern
Organic Composting: Reduce Waste, Save Money, and Improve Your Garden (How To Garden, How To Compost)
Baby Cocoon And Owl Hat Crochet Pattern
NATURAL HOMEMADE PEST REPELLENTS: Quick and Easy Solutions That Are Safe, Organic and Non-Toxic (THRIVING GREEN)
Thursday, May 29, 2014
It's raining!
And yeah, we need it, but ... but ... but I had PLANS to get outside and DO things, darn it! How am I supposed to do things outside with the garden if it rains! Not that I mind the rain, because we do need it, just ... can't it hold off till I'm NOT trying to get things done, haha? Oh well, just means I take a nap today after hubby leaves for work, because we worked till 4AM again, and I'm whipped. With my enlarged heart (I have LVH - Left Ventricular Hypertrophy) and skipping heartbeats going on, I can't take all the caffiene stuff that most of the people I work with can take, like Yellowjackets and Black Bombers and Mini-Thins and the like. They would increase my heart rate to dangerous levels, and I could easily end up in the hospital for it. No thanks, I'd rather avoid that. So instead, I get extra sleep when I can, which also helps fight off fibro flares (which totally are rotten ... you feel about twice your age and move like it, too).
Since I took the domes off the seed starter trays a few days ago, I'm going to have to dump out the excess water and tie the domes back on for a bit. We're expecting a lot of rain the next few days and I don't want the seeds that haven't sprouted yet, along with what has, to drown out. I do really need to get so many things done, but with work and all, it's difficult. I really want to get at-home income up to around $200 or so a week, because that would replace my income from work. I actually make around twice that, but with not having to pay for gas and other extras that come from working off the property, it would save a lot. So $200 a week is my goal. Anything over that is just icing on the cake.
Speaking of stuff that's popped up, I'm seeing lots of little bits of green in those cell packs out there. I can't WAIT till things really get growing in the next few weeks. And my Arkansas Traveler tomatoes have really started to bloom well. Yet another reason I need to get some tire beds set up - they're getting a bit crowded in that big pot they're in and I need to carefully separate them and transplant them in individual spaces - which I would have done to start if I'd had the time to get things done like I wanted. Grrr. (Hang on - rain has stopped for now - gotta go put the domes back on quick before it pours some more.)
Ok, I'm back and whee! I have an acorn squash up now, too! Some things that still haven't come up yet are starting to bother me, as they are late. As in nearly a week late. If they don't come up by this weekend, I'll replant. Among about a zillion other things that need to get done. Sure, I'll just slot that into the schedule, too. My to-do list grows all the time. I need an it's-already-done list to grow, haha!
We did do some looking and discussing and deciding over the last few days, on what to do about a place to buy. With our credit the way it is, we are not likely to be able to get a mortgage. This despite that we pay all our bills in full, on time, and even ahead of time. Oh yeah, it's that "no credit cards around here" thing again. So, instead of saving for years and years and buying a place outright, we're going to save for a year or so and buy bare land. It will likely be about like this place, minus the house already on it and the trash piles from former tenants - basically trees and ticks. Then we'll buy a plot outright (saving a bundle on no interest from a mortgage). Then save up to have a driveway area and about an acre of land cleared for a house, toolshed and garden start, along with having the driveway, parking area and probably the house area done in poured concrete.
That only takes a couple of days to cure, so then it's have a Derksen cabin brought in and dropped on the house pad. While that's a bare bones cabin, it could be camped in, more or less, once we got a small solar system set up to run bare bones of TV, internet/laptop, his alarm clock, and recharge our cell phones. A 500-watt system plus batteries, MPPT controller and an inverter won't cost a whole heck of a lot and will power the basics. A good generator for power tools, the microwave and etc. wouldn't get run much and would cost less than $800. Derksen cabins don't require any credit checks or downpayments ... so buy the property and within three to four months later, move in and fix up the interior as we live there. The only other alternative for a house would be to buy a used trailer which means a "mortgage" and a big downpayment. It would be a finished house and all, but that "mortgage" on it really would kind of bite. There's still one on the Derksen, but with no credit check like buying a used trailer would require, we have a shell of a house.
Besides, we like the Derksen cabins. If you are homesteaders and like the cheap route, they are good. Graceland cabins are basically the same thing and about the same price, so if you want a prefab cabin exterior, go with either one, as both have the same payment options and all. We just like Derksen better as the local dealer has an actual office staffed by him and his wife. The Graceland dealer just has display buildings out and nobody staffing the place. Easy choice - I want to talk to a real person when I buy something.
So there's our plan for getting a place of our own. Within two years, we'll be starting over again, but on our own place. It's going to be a heck of a ride in the meantime, but the good news is we can take all the lessons we're learning here and apply them THERE, wherever there ends up being. And honestly there's land around here in good sized chunks we can get for around $12,000, so that really isn't out of financial range! Some of them are even partly cleared already, which would cut down on a lot of work.
My, I'm glad I took a moment to cover the seedling trays back up - it just started drenching outside again. Gonna be a wet ride to work. But I have to go look up books and try to get a short nap in and all, so time for me to quit being a wordy wordsmith, cuddle Smudge The Afraid of Everything Cat, and get busy on other things. Hugs, all!
KINDLE FREEBIES OF INTEREST
A Beginners Guide to Home Canning & Food Preserving: Recipes, Jams, Marmalades, Jellies, Chutneys, Relishes Plus More... (Simple Living)
Herbal Tea Recipes: Refreshingly Quick, And Easy to Make Tea Recipes That Are Healing, Nutritious, Relaxing, and Energizing!
Ketchup :The Ultimate Recipe Guide - Over 30 Delicious & Best Selling Recipes
Can, Preserve, Survive: The Prepper's Guide To Canning, Preserving, and Food And Water Storage
Can It!
Growing Your Own Vegetables - 3 Book Bundle: Container Gardening, Raised Bed Gardening, Companion Planting
How To Make Soap
50 Things to Know About Home Composting: A Beginners Guide to Learn How to Enjoy Composting Inexpensively
The Coriander Book
Since I took the domes off the seed starter trays a few days ago, I'm going to have to dump out the excess water and tie the domes back on for a bit. We're expecting a lot of rain the next few days and I don't want the seeds that haven't sprouted yet, along with what has, to drown out. I do really need to get so many things done, but with work and all, it's difficult. I really want to get at-home income up to around $200 or so a week, because that would replace my income from work. I actually make around twice that, but with not having to pay for gas and other extras that come from working off the property, it would save a lot. So $200 a week is my goal. Anything over that is just icing on the cake.
Speaking of stuff that's popped up, I'm seeing lots of little bits of green in those cell packs out there. I can't WAIT till things really get growing in the next few weeks. And my Arkansas Traveler tomatoes have really started to bloom well. Yet another reason I need to get some tire beds set up - they're getting a bit crowded in that big pot they're in and I need to carefully separate them and transplant them in individual spaces - which I would have done to start if I'd had the time to get things done like I wanted. Grrr. (Hang on - rain has stopped for now - gotta go put the domes back on quick before it pours some more.)
Ok, I'm back and whee! I have an acorn squash up now, too! Some things that still haven't come up yet are starting to bother me, as they are late. As in nearly a week late. If they don't come up by this weekend, I'll replant. Among about a zillion other things that need to get done. Sure, I'll just slot that into the schedule, too. My to-do list grows all the time. I need an it's-already-done list to grow, haha!
We did do some looking and discussing and deciding over the last few days, on what to do about a place to buy. With our credit the way it is, we are not likely to be able to get a mortgage. This despite that we pay all our bills in full, on time, and even ahead of time. Oh yeah, it's that "no credit cards around here" thing again. So, instead of saving for years and years and buying a place outright, we're going to save for a year or so and buy bare land. It will likely be about like this place, minus the house already on it and the trash piles from former tenants - basically trees and ticks. Then we'll buy a plot outright (saving a bundle on no interest from a mortgage). Then save up to have a driveway area and about an acre of land cleared for a house, toolshed and garden start, along with having the driveway, parking area and probably the house area done in poured concrete.
That only takes a couple of days to cure, so then it's have a Derksen cabin brought in and dropped on the house pad. While that's a bare bones cabin, it could be camped in, more or less, once we got a small solar system set up to run bare bones of TV, internet/laptop, his alarm clock, and recharge our cell phones. A 500-watt system plus batteries, MPPT controller and an inverter won't cost a whole heck of a lot and will power the basics. A good generator for power tools, the microwave and etc. wouldn't get run much and would cost less than $800. Derksen cabins don't require any credit checks or downpayments ... so buy the property and within three to four months later, move in and fix up the interior as we live there. The only other alternative for a house would be to buy a used trailer which means a "mortgage" and a big downpayment. It would be a finished house and all, but that "mortgage" on it really would kind of bite. There's still one on the Derksen, but with no credit check like buying a used trailer would require, we have a shell of a house.
Besides, we like the Derksen cabins. If you are homesteaders and like the cheap route, they are good. Graceland cabins are basically the same thing and about the same price, so if you want a prefab cabin exterior, go with either one, as both have the same payment options and all. We just like Derksen better as the local dealer has an actual office staffed by him and his wife. The Graceland dealer just has display buildings out and nobody staffing the place. Easy choice - I want to talk to a real person when I buy something.
So there's our plan for getting a place of our own. Within two years, we'll be starting over again, but on our own place. It's going to be a heck of a ride in the meantime, but the good news is we can take all the lessons we're learning here and apply them THERE, wherever there ends up being. And honestly there's land around here in good sized chunks we can get for around $12,000, so that really isn't out of financial range! Some of them are even partly cleared already, which would cut down on a lot of work.
My, I'm glad I took a moment to cover the seedling trays back up - it just started drenching outside again. Gonna be a wet ride to work. But I have to go look up books and try to get a short nap in and all, so time for me to quit being a wordy wordsmith, cuddle Smudge The Afraid of Everything Cat, and get busy on other things. Hugs, all!
KINDLE FREEBIES OF INTEREST
A Beginners Guide to Home Canning & Food Preserving: Recipes, Jams, Marmalades, Jellies, Chutneys, Relishes Plus More... (Simple Living)
Herbal Tea Recipes: Refreshingly Quick, And Easy to Make Tea Recipes That Are Healing, Nutritious, Relaxing, and Energizing!
Ketchup :The Ultimate Recipe Guide - Over 30 Delicious & Best Selling Recipes
Can, Preserve, Survive: The Prepper's Guide To Canning, Preserving, and Food And Water Storage
Can It!
Growing Your Own Vegetables - 3 Book Bundle: Container Gardening, Raised Bed Gardening, Companion Planting
How To Make Soap
50 Things to Know About Home Composting: A Beginners Guide to Learn How to Enjoy Composting Inexpensively
The Coriander Book
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Urgh
The garden is finally starting to pop. Thank goodness, because I was begining to think that it was going to flop with as late as I had to start everything off. I know, you're not supposed to start stuff like the cucurbits in flats, but kind of had to this time as the beds are not ready. Gotta hurry on that one and get something going with it so the beds will be there when the plants are a bit bigger.
Nothing to speak of got done yesterday, because I woke up sick as the proverbial dog. Ok, well not quite woke up that way, but went downhill pretty fast. I managed to get my morning going just swimmingly, packed for work, though I wasn't feeling totally up to par, and headed to Harrison to get a couple errands done before heading to work. One of the errands was to try to get a new bank account opened locally.
Well, lo and behold, because we don't have/use credit cards, and pay everything cash or the debit card, what do my wondering ears hear but, "You don't have anything recent on your credit report, so we can't give you a checking account. We CAN give you a spending card, though!" Excuse me? A spending card? If I wanted a spending card, I could get one of those from Wal-Mart! I want a checking account! Apparently, that ain't gonna happen, so we are still just using our accounts up in Missouri. That's fine, at least we have bank accounts. Only if we need to make a deposit, we either have to drive 1 1/2 hours or mail it to them and wait for it to clear. Grr.
So, upon leaving there, I head to work ... well, start to head to work. I didn't make it very far, because there's a state welcome center not far north of the WalMart and all in Harrison. I had to pull in because I wasn't feeling too good. Me and the bathroom had a nice time visiting for about ten minutes. Then I had to call the hubster and let him know I wasn't coming to work because I was feeling like crap. Got home, let him know I was safe and called in, before spending most of the next six or seven hours choking up my toenails. I'm pretty sure I lost a kidney in there somewhere, too. Urgh. It was awful.
So I lost my holiday pay for Monday what with missing yesterday, but it was worth it. The way I felt, I wouldn't have even made it to break before being sent home for how I was not doing. Still not doing great today, but as usual, I'll make the effort. If they send me home, fine. If not, I'll do my best to make it through. Still feeling pretty crappy, but bills have to be paid, so what you gonna do? Can't sit around for forever, ya know. Stuff has to be done, and one thing folks don't realize about homesteading is that you have to do it even when you are sick, unless you are so sick you literally can't move like I was yesterday. Seriously, just sitting up made me want to choke up more toenails. I spent most of the day on the couch, and getting from there back to bed about 11PM to crash for the night, being just that tired, took everything I had to stay upright. I was so out of it, I was bouncing off the hallway walls like a drunk on a week-long bender.
Able to keep solids down now, so hopefully, I can get to and through work, though I hope it won't be as long as last night. Hubby didn't make it home till around 5AM, because some motor burned out and they kept right on trucking to the bitter end. If that's the case, I'm leaving early because my body won't take that much hammering this soon after being sick. It's going to be hard enough to get through as it is. Right now, my head still feels like it wants to explode and I have a serious frog in my throat. Hubby joked that the Robertson's of "Duck Dynasty" called and want their frog back out of my throat, they're short one set of frog legs for dinner. Ha Ha Ha. Very funny. (Worst of that is, I really do have a horribly froggy throat, and if I try to talk much, it starts to sound like a mouse in my throat. Ha bloody ha.)
KINDLE FREEBIES OF INTEREST
100 Housewife's Helpful Hints for Home and Health
How to Make Colorful and Fragrant Soap at Home: Unique Soap Making Recipes With Step by Step Photos (A Soap Making Book)
Candle Making: The Simplified Guide to Making Candles
Sustainable Living Explained
Companion Planting Guide: A Companion Gardening Book for Growing Organic Vegetables, Herbs & Fruit in Your Backyard! (Beginners Guide to Companion Planting)
Growing Tomatoes - Your Guide To Growing Delicious Tomatoes At Home
DIY Household Hacks: Save Time and Money with Do It Yourself Tips and Tricks for Cleaning Your House (FREE Book Offer Included): DIY Projects, Household DIY, Organize Your Home, Cleaning Clutter
Nothing to speak of got done yesterday, because I woke up sick as the proverbial dog. Ok, well not quite woke up that way, but went downhill pretty fast. I managed to get my morning going just swimmingly, packed for work, though I wasn't feeling totally up to par, and headed to Harrison to get a couple errands done before heading to work. One of the errands was to try to get a new bank account opened locally.
Well, lo and behold, because we don't have/use credit cards, and pay everything cash or the debit card, what do my wondering ears hear but, "You don't have anything recent on your credit report, so we can't give you a checking account. We CAN give you a spending card, though!" Excuse me? A spending card? If I wanted a spending card, I could get one of those from Wal-Mart! I want a checking account! Apparently, that ain't gonna happen, so we are still just using our accounts up in Missouri. That's fine, at least we have bank accounts. Only if we need to make a deposit, we either have to drive 1 1/2 hours or mail it to them and wait for it to clear. Grr.
So, upon leaving there, I head to work ... well, start to head to work. I didn't make it very far, because there's a state welcome center not far north of the WalMart and all in Harrison. I had to pull in because I wasn't feeling too good. Me and the bathroom had a nice time visiting for about ten minutes. Then I had to call the hubster and let him know I wasn't coming to work because I was feeling like crap. Got home, let him know I was safe and called in, before spending most of the next six or seven hours choking up my toenails. I'm pretty sure I lost a kidney in there somewhere, too. Urgh. It was awful.
So I lost my holiday pay for Monday what with missing yesterday, but it was worth it. The way I felt, I wouldn't have even made it to break before being sent home for how I was not doing. Still not doing great today, but as usual, I'll make the effort. If they send me home, fine. If not, I'll do my best to make it through. Still feeling pretty crappy, but bills have to be paid, so what you gonna do? Can't sit around for forever, ya know. Stuff has to be done, and one thing folks don't realize about homesteading is that you have to do it even when you are sick, unless you are so sick you literally can't move like I was yesterday. Seriously, just sitting up made me want to choke up more toenails. I spent most of the day on the couch, and getting from there back to bed about 11PM to crash for the night, being just that tired, took everything I had to stay upright. I was so out of it, I was bouncing off the hallway walls like a drunk on a week-long bender.
Able to keep solids down now, so hopefully, I can get to and through work, though I hope it won't be as long as last night. Hubby didn't make it home till around 5AM, because some motor burned out and they kept right on trucking to the bitter end. If that's the case, I'm leaving early because my body won't take that much hammering this soon after being sick. It's going to be hard enough to get through as it is. Right now, my head still feels like it wants to explode and I have a serious frog in my throat. Hubby joked that the Robertson's of "Duck Dynasty" called and want their frog back out of my throat, they're short one set of frog legs for dinner. Ha Ha Ha. Very funny. (Worst of that is, I really do have a horribly froggy throat, and if I try to talk much, it starts to sound like a mouse in my throat. Ha bloody ha.)
KINDLE FREEBIES OF INTEREST
100 Housewife's Helpful Hints for Home and Health
How to Make Colorful and Fragrant Soap at Home: Unique Soap Making Recipes With Step by Step Photos (A Soap Making Book)
Candle Making: The Simplified Guide to Making Candles
Sustainable Living Explained
Companion Planting Guide: A Companion Gardening Book for Growing Organic Vegetables, Herbs & Fruit in Your Backyard! (Beginners Guide to Companion Planting)
Growing Tomatoes - Your Guide To Growing Delicious Tomatoes At Home
DIY Household Hacks: Save Time and Money with Do It Yourself Tips and Tricks for Cleaning Your House (FREE Book Offer Included): DIY Projects, Household DIY, Organize Your Home, Cleaning Clutter
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Weekend's over
And the internet is being a bit of a butthead, in that it is being really slow for no good reason other than it's slightly cloudy out. There is a nice breeze though, and that's good, though I won't get to get ouside to enjoy it today. Too many errands to run before work. Not a ton of them, but things that need doing, and I hope I can wake up enough to do them. If not, it's not a disaster, but they do need doing. The trials of having fibromyalgia ... which I likely wouldn't have if not for my first husband getting us into two car wrecks, one of them serious. It was after that when the symptoms starting showing up and the whole thing's just gotten worse over time. I really hate it, too ... there are so many days when I'm just so tired from it, or forget things due to the fibro fog, that it's ridiculous.
For those that don't have it, and can't imagine how it feels, let's try this. Think of how it feels when you overdo it on chores or something, and sit down to relax for a few minutes. You know how good that feels to sit down? Then you go to get back up and moving a little while later and your arms and legs are all tied up in knots from lactic acid buildup in your muscles? You know how much that hurts? Now, take that pain, make it all over, in every skeletal muscle from head to toe, all day, every day, times about ten and you have an idea of how it feels to be me. Because that's how it feels to have fibro in a mild form. There are those who have it so bad they are in wheelchairs and on heavy drugs like Darvocet and Vicodin and Oxycontin and the like. Yeah, it's that bad.
Telling us that if we'd just get up and exercise we'd feel better doesn't help. Don't you folks that say that think that if I could get up and do more that I would? Do you people that say that really think I enjoy being tired and sore all the time to the point where all I want to do is sleep so I can have energy enough to do something for an hour or so? Do you think I enjoy having to have a job where I can sit down a lot, or for some sufferers, no job at all? Yeah, I'm having a bad day today and woke up to a number of emails from folks who just don't get it telling me all the usual, and it doesn't sit well today. I took a great nap yesterday and it helped a lot, but I'm tired again as usual today and hurting and I would really just like to go back to bed after I get some breakfast and snooze for a couple of hours, but I can't because there's things to do.
So I have to get up and deal and then go to work. I'm not happy about this, because I'm exhausted from fighting the fibro, depressed because the pain never goes away and leaves me alone and feeling normal (which I haven't felt in nearly 25 years), mad because people just don't get it and at myself for not being more healthy, hurt because I get called "lazy" or whatever so much. So please folks, before you start giving well-meaning and well-intended advice to someone who suffers fibro and is doing the best they can, or saying something mean, think about what you're about to say, and then don't say it. Ask instead if there's something you can do to help. Ask what the person needs done. Offer help, because trust me, most of us will take you up on it.
Today is a rough day and it's only just begun for me. I hope it gets better. For those looking for the booklist, it's short today, there's not much besides a ton of recipe books that really aren't that great. Hugs all, I'm off to try to get into some kind of shape for work. Ugh.
KINDLE FREEBIES OF INTEREST
The Prepper's Guide to Survival Food Storage (Survival Family Basics - Preppers Survival Handbook Series)
Container Gardening For Beginners: Simple Tricks And Ideas To Container Gardening Made Easy!
Raising Chickens For Beginners
Organic Herb Gardening: the Beginners Guide to Planning, Growing, and Preserving Your Own Culinary and Medicinal Herbs (Organic Gardening Beginners Planting Guides)
Grow Herbs Indoors: A Beginners Guide To Growing Your Own Herbs Indoors (beginners guide to indoor herbs, how to grow indoor herbs, indoor herb gardening, grow herbs indoors, grow basil, beginners)
For those that don't have it, and can't imagine how it feels, let's try this. Think of how it feels when you overdo it on chores or something, and sit down to relax for a few minutes. You know how good that feels to sit down? Then you go to get back up and moving a little while later and your arms and legs are all tied up in knots from lactic acid buildup in your muscles? You know how much that hurts? Now, take that pain, make it all over, in every skeletal muscle from head to toe, all day, every day, times about ten and you have an idea of how it feels to be me. Because that's how it feels to have fibro in a mild form. There are those who have it so bad they are in wheelchairs and on heavy drugs like Darvocet and Vicodin and Oxycontin and the like. Yeah, it's that bad.
Telling us that if we'd just get up and exercise we'd feel better doesn't help. Don't you folks that say that think that if I could get up and do more that I would? Do you people that say that really think I enjoy being tired and sore all the time to the point where all I want to do is sleep so I can have energy enough to do something for an hour or so? Do you think I enjoy having to have a job where I can sit down a lot, or for some sufferers, no job at all? Yeah, I'm having a bad day today and woke up to a number of emails from folks who just don't get it telling me all the usual, and it doesn't sit well today. I took a great nap yesterday and it helped a lot, but I'm tired again as usual today and hurting and I would really just like to go back to bed after I get some breakfast and snooze for a couple of hours, but I can't because there's things to do.
So I have to get up and deal and then go to work. I'm not happy about this, because I'm exhausted from fighting the fibro, depressed because the pain never goes away and leaves me alone and feeling normal (which I haven't felt in nearly 25 years), mad because people just don't get it and at myself for not being more healthy, hurt because I get called "lazy" or whatever so much. So please folks, before you start giving well-meaning and well-intended advice to someone who suffers fibro and is doing the best they can, or saying something mean, think about what you're about to say, and then don't say it. Ask instead if there's something you can do to help. Ask what the person needs done. Offer help, because trust me, most of us will take you up on it.
Today is a rough day and it's only just begun for me. I hope it gets better. For those looking for the booklist, it's short today, there's not much besides a ton of recipe books that really aren't that great. Hugs all, I'm off to try to get into some kind of shape for work. Ugh.
KINDLE FREEBIES OF INTEREST
The Prepper's Guide to Survival Food Storage (Survival Family Basics - Preppers Survival Handbook Series)
Container Gardening For Beginners: Simple Tricks And Ideas To Container Gardening Made Easy!
Raising Chickens For Beginners
Organic Herb Gardening: the Beginners Guide to Planning, Growing, and Preserving Your Own Culinary and Medicinal Herbs (Organic Gardening Beginners Planting Guides)
Grow Herbs Indoors: A Beginners Guide To Growing Your Own Herbs Indoors (beginners guide to indoor herbs, how to grow indoor herbs, indoor herb gardening, grow herbs indoors, grow basil, beginners)
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