Self-sufficiency is Where it's At

I know, bizarre, right?  2 posts in one day.  I figured I needed to get out of this "waiting" mode I was in with selling the house and keep moving forward with my life.

Late afternoon yesterday, I went out in the garden and saw this mess:

I have to admit, I have neglected the garden horribly since we put the house up for sale and then some.  I started cleaning up some of the weeds, hoping to put a dent in it and ended up with a row down one side that was cleaned out.  I covered this area with grass clippings until I could figure out what I wanted to do.

The problem with the garden is there are no borders, the grass just comes on in and every time you turn your back, there is the huge chore of weeding to do.  This is not the first time the garden has looked like this.  So I started thinking about raised beds and I made a diagram of my garden with the dimension of boxes I would like and where I would like them.  I was going to go out again today and clear more of the grass/weeds away in preparation for the raised beds, but it's raining, so it will have to wait.

I love everything about self-sufficiency.  I pull a carrot from the ground, feed the rabbits the greens, carry the vegetable inside to prepare for supper and I am filled with a sense of accomplishment that few things can compare.  So I have decided to make self-sufficiency my priority.  It makes me happy, why not?!? 

I saved broccoli seeds from last years plants and while watching TV, will mindlessly free the tiny seeds from the pods.  It takes forever, but saves me from shoving food down my throat while I sit like a zombie watching whatever show that is on. (This week it is Dexter).

The end results looks like this:

:I plan to plant some of the seed for this years broccoli, but I am also going to sprout a bunch for us to eat on salads and sandwiches.  I have a small sprouter I use that I cover with a paper bag from a bottle of wine because the sprouts prefer the dark until right before you are ready to eat them.

 In approximately 4 days, they should be ready to eat after multiple rinses with fresh water.

I also pulled a bag of pecans out of the freezer that I have saved for over 5 years. There are multiple bags in the freezer, but we have never taken the time to shell them.  I had vacuum sealed the pecans after picking them from a tree on acreage we had before Giddings.

I put The Waltons on, grabbed my pecan clippers and started shelling them.  JR was walking in and out from the garage where he was reloading bullets and he grabbed a cracker we had and started shelling them, too.  It went much faster.  After 1 show, we were finished with the small bag.

I steamed the nuts for 10 min with filtered water, mixed them with sugar, cinnamon and a pinch of salt and then baked them for about 8 minutes in the oven at 400 degrees.  Talk about good!

Besides eating them by the handful, they are excellent on a salad with thinly sliced apples, feta cheese, dried cranberries, spinach and lettuce.  JR almost swooned when he tasted the finished product.  I told him I would make more if he would get cracking.  :)

The water from steaming the pecans cooled and my outside hanging flowers got a little treat.

I'm taking a little break now, drinking some chai tea with honey from when JR had bees and enjoying my life, enjoying today's productivity even with the rain and enjoying the fact that I have a choice to do what makes me happy.

Until next time,
Pam
 

Maybe, Maybe Not

Our house has been on the market 7 weeks with 18 showings.  The majority of the people "loooooove it", but wish it were a little bigger.  Um, why are you looking at a 2000 sq ft house if you want a bigger one?  I find this whole process incredibly frustrating and not just a little bit offensive. And why does everyone leave the attic door open upstairs?  What the heck?!?  I have 3 cats who don't need to explore the attic and a house I would like to keep under 90 degrees, thank you very much.

Maybe now isn't the right time to sell.

I look around at what we have, what we have done and what we could do and we don't need anything more than this.  The house is big enough for us, the yard is the perfect size for growing fruit trees and having a large garden or two. There is plenty of room for my menagerie of animals and a shed. The field out back that leads to the creek is the perfect place to walk the dogs without bothering anyone and if we ever felt the desire, we have a boat ramp at the end of the street to use with jet skis, kayaks, or a boat.

Granted, I would like more space around us.  As much as I am social, I am also private and the neighbors peering into our backyard and dogs barking at us every time we step outside gets old.  A wooden fence would fix this, for the most part. Although, when JR travels overseas for work, I have a street full of people who I trust and would help me if the need be and this is a comforting feeling.

And as much as we prefer the country, we like the convenience of the city and all it has to offer.  We have a choice of Doctors and stores, hospitals and entertainment and don't forget restaurants.  The girls have friends here and will come back to see us more because of this, not to mention return in the summers for the coaching job or other connections from their past.

The home in Brenham we are interested in sits on larger property in a much less populated area.  It is prettier there with rolling hills and a lot more country.  The home also needs a lot of work including foundation repair, new windows, a fence and just about every bathroom ripped out and redone.  Just thinking about the bathtubs makes my skin crawl.

Financially, it makes more sense to stay here with a home almost completely remodeled besides flooring and our bathroom and most everything a want, not a necessity.  I can also watch a child or two here with a slew of references which not only keeps me busy, but fills my heart.

We still have acreage in Giddings when we want a country break.  Property that will be paid off in a few years.  We could have a shell home built and take our time choosing the inside features as money became available and maybe one day live there after retirement if we liked.  We could actually move there and then sell this house without caring if someone left the attic door open or didn't show for an appointment after waiting in a car with 3 dogs in 100 degree weather for an hour.

I could actually lean both ways and tell you every good thing about moving and every reason why not to stay here, but sometimes it makes more sense to be happy with what you have rather thn always wanting something else.

So, maybe we'll stay here.

Or maybe not.