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.    

    

My love

I have a shepherd mix dog named Dexter who is just over a year old.  From the first moment I saw him at the shelter, I loved him.  He was black and tan and bouncy as all get up.  When I walked past his cage, he whined and I stopped to pet him through the small chain link fence, thinking, "What an awesome dog!"  I continued on my way, checking out the other cages to the sound of him whining for me to come back and play.  They had named him Colby, but he looked like a Dexter to me.

I got him.  And he got sick.  They all do.  It is probably the stress and the new shots and the mess of it all, but I contacted a woman I knew from fostering cats at my old bookstore. She practically runs the foster program at the shelter and gives so much of herself.  She shames me with her giving.  

She helped me get Dexter well with medicines and her abundant knowledge and before long he was good as new..  He was sassy, but a good boy.  A teeny standoffish at times, but it was preferable to a dog that trailed everywhere I did, always underfoot, tripping me up when I was in a hurry.

I worked with him on tricks and leash walking and basically behaving himself and he did great.  He loved everyone and other animals, and that was a good thing because I have a few animals around this house.

Fast forward to about a month ago, approximately a year after we got him. Dexter was in the backyard by our grill and he was drooling a long line of drool out of his mouth.  I yelled at JR to check to see he hadn't gotten into anything.  Dexter came inside and a little while later started yelping.  My heart almost stopped as I ran over to him trying to get up off the floor.  It was like his back end was too heavy and he was struggling to stand.  I thought it might be his back and gave him a Deramaxx anti-inflammatory/pain pill that was left over from our other dogs surgery on his leg.  The next day he seemed fine.  A little stiff, but almost as good as new.

And the pattern starts.  Good days, bad days.  We thought he was getting better then he would get worse and we made an appointment, then cancelled because he would improve and finally JR brought him in to see the vet.  Not my favorite vet, the other vet at the clinic we go to.  She's OK, but I love the regular vet.

It is hard to find a vet that understands that you are dealing with a DOG.  A definite member of your family that you love, that you don't want to suffer, that you want better, but you realize is a DOG.  There is a limit to the things I will do to make them better.  This fact may shock you, but there are zillions more dogs out there that need homes, that are perfectly perfect and that are being put down everyday because of space issues at shelters.  I have my limit. Even if it hurts me.

The other vet, not MY vet, ran a full blood panel on Dexter and after commenting how swollen all his joints were, the worst she had ever seen, prescribed amoxicillin and told us to give it to him until she contacted us with the blood results.  The results were inconclusive.  No disease detected, no toxicity and no change from the amoxicillin either.  She referred us to a specialist.

Off JR went to the specialist because I am watching two babies and couldn't very well take off days because of my dog. After looking at Dexter, the specialist guessed he might have an auto-immune disease. The specialist wanted to do a joint tap which would require putting Dexter under and drawing fluid from his joints, and he also wanted to take an x-ray of his hips to see what the problem was.

The tune of these two tests was $800.  This doesn't count the $100 for the office visit or the money spent at our vet.. The specialist Dr. was rude and didn't have time to answer questions and as JR is telling me things through texts and the phone, I am firing questions at him to ask. After a short time the Dr leaves the room and sends in a technician who is running back and forth to the Dr with JR's/my questions. JR never did see the Dr. again. 

What JR got from this visit was no matter what Dexter's problem was, he was going to be put on steroids.  I told him to ask the Dr to do the x-ray to check the damage and to skip the joint tap for now. Besides the monetary concern, Dexter wasn't doing very well and the thought of putting him under and through more painful procedures didn't seem wise to me. The Dr. said no.  His way or the highway, obviously.

JR brought Dexter home and we spoke with our vet asking if they could prescribe prednisone for Dexter since that was what he was going to have no matter.  The vet was off, so they had to call back the following day with our answer.  They said to keep giving the amoxicillin and Deramaxx while we were waiting.

Supposedly if you give a dog steroids/prednisone when they might possibly have a different problem, it can kill them.  The immune system is going hay wire, trying to fight whatever the problem is and basically the steroids turn the immune system off to stop attacking the body.  If you turn the immune system off with the steroids and it isn't an auto-immune problem, whatever is attacking the body will have free reign to take over.

Oh.

We made an appointment to go back to the specialist for the expensive joint tap, so they could see what the problem was.  That very day we were scheduled for the procedure, Dexter woke up with no swollen joints.

We cancelled the appointment and I got back on the computer.  Researching, researching, trying to figure out from other's experiences what was wrong with my dog. I thought it might be auto-immune, but some of the things weren't adding up.  And then I came across a description of Lyme disease.  It was too perfect.

I called our vet's office, who was sick of us, I know.  We weren't conforming to their plan and it was a pain in the ass.  I asked them if they had done a test for Lyme disease and the answer was no.  They didn't have the capabilities for that there.  We could be referred back to the specialist for a Lyme test.  But Lyme disease was tricky, sometimes the bacteria hid and it was difficult to diagnose because it masqueraded as so many other illnesses.  Sometimes the test results came back negative, even when they weren't.

The drug to treat Lyme disease is Doxycycline #1 or Amoxicillin #2. It is not overly harmful to the dog and compared to steroids and other drugs, was relatively safe.  My vet said they would not prescribe the drug unless they had a test result saying Dexter had Lyme. I understood.  Lawsuits, freakin sue happy people, whatever...

I searched for the drug online and found I could buy Doxycycline as a bird biotic, same exact medicine, just a different label, so I bought some and reasearched myself blue in the face.  To treat Lyme, you have to hit the dog hard with the meds; 10mg per kg of body weight, which equaled 3 pills twice a day for 6-8 weeks.

It had already been 2 weeks on a low dose of amoxicillin.  Enough to ward off the swelling in Dexter's joints apparently, but not enough to knock it out of his system.  He was still having problems getting up from the down position, was lethargic, depressed, wasn't eating right, and generally didn't feel well.  

I got the meds and started Dexter on them after a day of no amoxicillin or pain meds.  I was afraid that too many drugs would hurt him, but have read since that it would have been OK

JR left for Canada for work and when he returned a week later he said he could see a remarkable improvement in Dexter.  He still had trouble getting up from down, still slept a lot, still wasn't eating right, but he had more spring in his step and acted like he felt a little better.

So this is where we are.

I wake up and give Dexter 3 Doxycycline with peanut butter, the only way he will take pills.  I then try to get him to eat something so he has food in his stomach.  He has been resisting my homemade food because I had bought an organic vitamin powdered supplement with glucosamine in it, was mixing it in his food and he absolutely hated it. He thought every time I was feeding him I was poisoning him, I think. I switched to a soft chew vitamin with glucosamine and chondroiton to help his joints and now give the over priced powdered vitamin to our other dog, Remy. Now Dexter won't eat my food, so I had to buy wheat, soy, corn, etc., free canned food at the store.

After trying to get him to eat and giving him his joint pill; I give him a milk thistle capsule to protect his liver from the drugs, then I take him for a 30 min walk.  Supposedly the doxycycline pills will cause ulcerations if they sit in the stomach or esophagus, so to prevent this, you walk them.

I leave him alone for 2 hours and then give him organic unflavored yogurt to get some probiotics in his system. I am thinking of ordering a chewable probiotic, but haven't yet.

Around dinner time is when he gets his anti-inflammatory pain pill Deramaxx.  I'm not sure what I will give him when these run out, but there is a huge difference in his demeanor when it is nearing 24 hours since his last pill.  He needs them.  I'm a little worried.  I highly doubt the vet will give us anymore and I looked online and besides aspirin, which has tons of bad effects on dogs, there isn't anything over the counter I can give him  for pain and anti-inflammatory properties that I know of.

When it has been 12 hours since the morning pills of doxycycline, I repeat the process, giving him 3 doxycycline, dinner and a walk.

Today I researched the glucosamine more and will start tripling his dose to help repair his joints.  My feelings is the Lyme disease was attacking his joints and caused damage, damage that can't be fixed by doxycycline.  So what we need to do is try to fix the damage with the glucosamine and choindroiton.  I ordered a huge bucket of chewables online which I will start giving him in the morning and evening. Maybe this will prevent him from needing the pain pill eventually?  I can only hope.

What makes this difficult is Dexter is very finicky. He has never eaten a treat without dropping it out of his mouth and smelling it first. He will walk away more times than not if it isn't exactly to his specifications.  To give him  pills is not easy.  I bought pill pockets and he eats around the pill, I can wrap them in Velveeta and he spits it out, I smother them in peanut butter and he licks all the peanut butter off.  Some mornings I wake up to give him his medications and actually start crying because I am so frustrated by him spitting the pills out.  My other dogs would eat a pill out of my hand and be happy about it.  

So there you have it.  I have been busy.  And tired.  And worried.  And hopeful.  And sad.  And frustrated.  And angry.  And loving.  I love my dog.       .     .      

I bet you thought I was going to write something romantic...

Digging in the Dirt in December

Earlier this week I was digging around in the pantry and found a bunch of tiny red potatoes from last years garden sprouting away.  I took a quick look at my gardening calendar and even tho it said January 03 was the optimum date for planting, after I looked at the weather forecast and didn't see any freezes predicted anytime soon, I headed outside. 

I started pulling out weeds, some form of grass with runners that reach straight to hell.  You pull and pull and it breaks and you find another section and pull, it never ends. I yanked out my jalapeno plants, talk about hot.  We couldn't even eat them, so out they go.

I trimmed my bell pepper plants, hoping they will make it through until warmer weather hits.  The second year on peppers is always amazing, so my fingers are crossed.  I weeded their area and mulched with leaves from the yard before moving on to the green beans. 

All of the green bean plants had died in the last freeze.  I pulled them out, chopping them up fine to throw under the rabbit cage to compost.  I weeded this area, too.  My plan was to put the potatoes here, but I watched the sun and the area was shady.  Maybe it's the time of year because I don't remember that row being in the shade before.  I collected more leaves off the lawn and mulched the bean row heavily until the sun decided to warm that soil again.

I pulled out the droopy, dead squash plants and chopped them to join the beans in the compost pile.  I returned to weed some more, pulling up dead basil, dead cantaloupe plants, a dead peanut plant that had given me one peanut and then I trimmed off the dead branches on the blueberry bushes.  The term bush is used loosely here.  The blueberry bushes look like someone took a skinny stick and stuck it in the dirt, but I am still hoping they will come around. 

I stepped back to see where I could plant the potatoes and chose the old squash site.  I dug an 8 inch deep 4 ft square, squishing the white slug worm things that love my garden. They actually do a wonderful job in the compost pile chewing up the refuse and creating beautiful rich dark dirt, but don't belong in with the vegetables.  The slugs don't know the difference between compost and plant, so for now they get squished when I see them.  If I had chickens, they would absolutely love me, but that isn't going to happen until we get our wooden fence.

As I was digging in the dirt, I was so happy to see how rich it looked and such a  perfect texture.  If it weren't for periodically touching the slug things, I would have been in heaven.  They really are disgusting.

I planted the potato pieces, eyes up, covered them with some dirt and called it a day.  The garden looks so much better now.  I need to get my carrots planted sometime this week and possibly garlic, too.  My broccoli is growing like gang busters.  I've harvested a few heads, nothing as big as the grocery store, but they are decent sized.  I'm not sure about the peas, they are looking weird, but I'll keep my eye on them.

How wonderful to garden in December, digging in the dirt, feeling the sun warm your back.  This is the life. 

Benefiting from Being Frugal

One of the easiest ways for us to save money is by eating at home.

I like cooking and baking.  I love trying new recipes.  I feel we are eating healthier than we would eating out and  I ADORE picking food from the garden and using it in our evening meals. 

One of the first things I think about in the day is what we will have for dinner.  I need to pull out the meat, if we're having meat, and I like to chop up things that might be used that evening.  This does two things, it convinces me that we are staying home for dinner and it is less work for me later when I might have a lower energy level.

Last night I made Tex Mex Pizza:

It is extremely easy, but good for you and tasty, too!

The crust is a whole wheat tortilla, the sauce is picante sauce, the chicken is chicken I took from a roasted chicken we had earlier in the week, the green peppers are from the garden, and there are mushrooms and cheddar cheese as additional toppings.  You could probably add onions and whatever else you wanted to throw on there as well.

We also ate freezer cucumbers from my garden and left over cole slaw from earlier in the week.

It makes me feel accomplished when I make a meal we like and actually enjoy.  If it is the only thing I accomplish in a day, that's OK.

The other night I made vegetarian lasagna for the first time.  I was a little frightened because JR is definitely a meat eater and even tho the recipe looked good, you just never know.  Broccoli, squash, tomatoes, mushrooms, cheeses, etc. layered between whole wheat lasagna noodles.  It WAS good and chocked full of vegetables.

Tonight I'm making San Antonio Skillet with turkey sausage, ranch beans, brown rice, diced tomatoes, and salsa. We're having a veggie side made with peas, green beans, corn, onions, different colored peppers, celery, and dill with a vinegar, oil, sugar dressing.  I had a little taste and it is great.

Staying home lets me cook the way I want to for my family.  It takes a lot of thought and planning to have a dinner on the table every night that tastes good and is good for us.

I don't have many material wants in life.  I have a desire for a simple lifestyle, don't enjoy shopping or have a desire to wear the latest fashions.   I don't have much jewelry to speak of and rarely get my hair trimmed or have my nails done.  I prefer walking outside to going to a gym and  I am all about buying used and keeping it simple.  We down-sized our home when the girls started leaving and I am perfectly content to be in a much smaller place.  I try to de-clutter on a regular basis and besides books, have kept most things under control.   We keep our AC high and our heat low, we open windows when there's an opportunity and JR does our own lawn care.  I clean our house and he washes our cars and we are more fit because of it.

This is not right for everyone.

We have a piece of property in the country with a camper and electricity and that's it.  We will wait until we have the money to build something more substantial and this might take some time, but that's OK.  What we have here is good.

I know I said in an earlier post that we had decided to move out to Giddings, but we have rethought our plans.  Everything I want to do in the country, I can do here.  I can have a big garden (we have a 1/2 acre) and small animals. (I never wanted anything bigger than a goat and goats aren't really my thing.)  I have a large field behind my house and a large creek at the end of our street.  There is a hawk that flies by every morning when I'm on my walk.  How cool is that?

I also have convenience, resources and modern technology and neighbors who know me.  JR travels quite often and thinking about being in the country where there are wild pigs and who knows what else by myself doesn't trip my trigger.  What if something happened to him or me?  We would have to travel an hour away everytime we wanted to see a Dr.

I don't want to get rid of the property in Giddings, I do love it.  I feel at total peace when we go there.  We walk and play and I read and lolly gag.  Some day to have a small cabin would be terrific, but we don't need that yet, we have plenty to do here at this house without having to worry about another dwelling.   

I can stay home because of this.

I babysit Tyson because I want to.  I wanted to have structure to my days and time limits.  I wanted to play with a baby and see him smile and laugh and grow to trust me.  I wanted to feel needed.  He does this for me.  I am looking for one more baby or young child to watch because Tyson and I are totally comfortable with each other now and another child will be even more fun.  I used to care for multiple children at once and really enjoyed it, but think a smaller number is better for me now.

Anyway, being frugal gives me the choices I have to do what feels right for me and for my family.  Eating healthy, enjoying the fresh sunshine, sharing love with a baby, it is all right.  It works for me.

My heart hurts

Not knowing is killing me. 

Is he OK? 

Dexter got out this morning and hasn't come home yet.  It's been approximately 9 hours.

Did someone see him and are keeping him somewhere safe until tomorrow when they can contact the vet on his tag???

I left the gate open last night.  We had gone for a walk and he wasn't on a leash.  He decided to cut around to the front of the house instead of going in the back gate.  I brought the dogs in the front, completely forgetting about the open back.  We were inside together all night.

He has a dog door to use as he pleases, but didn't realize the back gate was open until this morning, I think.

Did he go in the woods?  Did something hurt him?

Texas is in a drought.  Like the worst drought ever, but today it is thundering and pouring and pouring some more and my dog is out in this.  I have gone out on foot multiple times, thinking maybe I would see him.  I got in the car and drove and Tressa did, too, but nothing.

He has gone out before, but he always comes back shortly, this isn't like him at all.

Did he get hit by a car?

I called the animal emergency clinic and they hadn't seen him, but they have my number in case someone calls in or brings him there. I also called my vet and left a number where they could reach me if someone calls their number from his tag tomorrow.

I almost walked them first this morning.  I was lying in bed thinking about working out, listening to the rain.  I considered walking the dogs first, but it's always hard for me to come back inside and start working out, so I decided to work out first.  I already had water next to my bed, so I didn't need to go in the kitchen where Dexter typically sleeps.  I thought about closing the dog door because of the rain, but it wasn't raining too hard, so I decided not to.

If I had walked them first, maybe I would have caught him before he noticed the gate.  If I had shut the dog door, maybe I would have caught him before he went outside. No matter, I didn't.  I just worked out in the room, completely oblivious to the fact that my dog was running free outside.

You have no idea how much I love him.  It is ripping my insides out.

Maybe someone has him.  Maybe they will call tomorrow. 

I know things happen.  I know he might be perfectly fine.  I know everyone in the family is so happy it was me who left the gate open and not them.

Please make him be alright.  

Waste Not Want Not

I love not being wasteful. 

A while back I bought some bone in chicken breasts on sale and put them in the freezer.  Today I pulled them out and boiled them on the stove, making a broth.  I strained the broth and cleaned the chicken, saving the skin and fatty parts for the dogs.  I covered the dog bits with a little broth and will mix this with their food in the mornings to ensure Dexter actually eats the puppy food instead of the other food.  I typically use canned dog food for this, but this will save me about 2 cans or maybe even 3.

I chopped the chicken and used a little more than half to make a tortilla soup with black beans, corn, tomatoes, etc.  I used some of the broth to give the soup a consistency I liked, even tho it didn't call for it. 

I had 2 large breasts left over which I chunked and put in a freezer bag for my next meal which requires cooked chicken.

I now have a large bowl of broth cooling on the counter and it will make it's way into the frig and then I will skim the fat off in the morning.  I will then pour 2 C portions into canning jars and freeze for future meals. 

The only waste was the bones and I now have enough chicken for another meal, broth made w/ filtered water for many meals, a pot of tortilla soup which will feed us many many meals and a container of chicken skin and uglies for the dogs to eat 3 or so meals. 

I LOVE being frugal.  :) 

Ch Ch Ch Changes

I think we're going to actually do it.  I don't precisely know when, but I think we are going to make the move to Giddings.

We have talked about this for years, but when all 3 of your daughters are in the area and 1 is attending high school, the idea of a move seems fun, not a serious proposition.  But now, 1 daughter is planning a move to San Antonio, another has moved to College Station and the 3rd...well, I'm not sure where she is headed, but everyone is moving out.

We love it out there, even when it is dry and brown and ugly.  It is peaceful and ours.  We are at the end of a road, surrounded by trees on 3 sides and a deep pond on the 4th and the privacy is incredible.  Of course, I am living next door to a dog that won't let me cross my backyard without barking it's fool head off, but to walk along the trails and down to the creek without my neighbor blowing smoke in my direction or attempting to quiet his dog is pure bliss.

We have had a call into a well guy for the last few months to come drill a well, but the last time he was in the area, JR had to go overseas and the well guy hasn't been back our way yet.  He will have to drill approx. 600 feet to hit good water and it will cost a pretty penny.  When I sold the bookstore in Feb, we put the money aside for this and have been patiently waiting ever since.  We have been bringing 30 gallon jugs filled from our home here, which JR empties into the camper for washing up, ever since we bought the place.  It will be so nice once we have a direct supply of water.  It's one thing less we have to pay or worry about when we do move.  We could hook up to city water, but we plan to do a lot of planting of fruit and nut trees plus have a large garden and the thought of having to owe each month forever and ever is not very self sufficient sounding.

There is a lot to do here before we move.  We have a few house projects in the works and have a few more we have to complete before we put the house on the market.  We also need to find a house plan we want to build out in Giddings. This is no easy task.  I know what I want, but after looking at the plans for awhile I start questioning everything.  Then JR will take a look and throw his ideas out there and I'll get even more confused.

I have a strong desire to save money and not waste it on frivolous things.  I am not a big spender by nature, but even now, as I look on paperbackswap at books, I think, "I don't really need that.  I have hundreds of books to read here in the house already."   This is a foreign idea to me...too many books?  What a preposterous idea!  What has gotten into me?  :)

I don't know why, but it seems like it's really going to happen.  It might take a year or two getting everything set, but we are actively trying to move in this direction.  JR is going to complete the dock he started, we are going to get the well dug, and he is going to get started building a shed for the 4 wheeler, trailer and misc. huge space stealers, like the generator, the chipper, and things like that.

I have been trying to declutter, as always, but with a renewed vigor.  I'm only keeping my favorites, the most used and passing on the rest to family or friends or donating to a charity.  I'm cooking almost all meals instead of going out to eat, I'm deleting store emails and removing myself from tempting lists.  I'm still gardening and watching grocery store sales, but mostly, I'm not spending unless it has to do with improving this home or Giddings.  And that feels good.

It feels great to have a purpose, something to strive towards.  I am in no hurry, but I am excited, all the same.

Till next time,
Pam

       My dirty feet last weekend in Giddings.  The pond is shrinking and I got way too close to the edge. 

 

Short Rant

I have a dilemma and I'm not sure what to do.

I walk our dogs every morning after I work out.  Typically this is around 6:45am to 7:00am.  I have to walk at this time because it is dark up til that point and Tyson gets dropped off at 7:30am.  It is just enough time to walk the dogs in the field, hop in the shower and then answer the door. 

Our new neighbor's have a dog that is driving me crazy.  No matter if I go early or late, the neighbor is out with his dog in the field which leads Dexter to jumping and lunging which rips my arm out of the socket.  Not the new neighbor's problem, I understand this.

But today, I am walking the dogs and the new neighbor's dog comes barreling around the corner and jumps on Dexter and growls.  Dexter, who is still a puppy, is forced the the ground and is trying to get up, but the other dog is stronger and keeps him pinned there.  I yelled at him to stop, and he jumped off and then right back on, this time with Dexter on his back. 

It is one thing for my dog to misbehave and pull my arm out of it's socket.  It is quite another for their dog to be tackling my dog to show his dominance. 

I finally got Dexter to come with me up the little hill and said, "Neighbor, come get your dog!"  The whole time the dog is trying to play with Dexter, jumping all over him. Finally the neighbor, at a leisurely pace because he doesn't want to spill his coffee, comes up and gets his dog. I didn't say anything because frankly, I was pissed and I don't want to start a war with a new neighbor.

I do not have time for this crap in the morning!  I am trying to walk my dogs in peace, get some energy out of them before they have to spend a majority of the day cooped up in the house because of the high temps. It is becoming more and more a source of stress and irritation. 

Do I just stop walking them in the field, the perfect place because they can do their business without offending anyone, they can run around without touching anyone's property, it is pretty and JR mows me a path to the creek to walk on?  Do I continue to go and just keep Dexter on a short leash if I see them coming and ask him to get his dog?  Do I start walking them in the front on the street with a shorter leash, so not to bother anyone who happens to be doing morning exercise?  Where does he do his business?  The street?

I hate walking along, and then seeing them, knowing we are going to be assaulted by their dog.  It stresses me out.  It takes the joy out of walking them.  It sucks. It also sucks that if I stop walking my dogs in the morning he gets the whole field to himself for being an inconsiderate dog owner.

No, I think I will stay as I am, walking when I want and when or if the neighbor's dog continues to hassle Dexter, I will ask him to please keep his dog off of mine. 

I shouldn't have to ask this.  He should do it without me asking.  What the heck is wrong with people?

A move to the country is becoming more and more appealing.

Til next time,
Pam

Homebody

I love being at home, always have.  I like the fact that I have time to stay on top of  most things.  I love reusing, recycling, making things from scratch and let's face it, this takes time.  I like having my photos organized, my dogs walked, my flowers watered and my floor vacuumed.  I like doing it myself.  I like trying new recipes and so much goes into this, finding the recipe, buying the ingredients and learning how to make it.

I read a while ago that in the olden days people had servants or the woman didn't work outside the home and that's how these things got taken care of.  With dual income households nowadays people resort to services to clean their house, clean their pool, mow their lawn, organize their houses, etc., which costs money, which requires a second income which requires you to be gone from your home.  This is fine for some people, but it isn't my style.

I am constantly trying to eat healthier, eat more fruits and veggies, back off refined foods, have things that are good for us prepared and waiting for our hungry bodies to grab them.  I try growing our fruits and vegetables and fail more often than succeed, but the process warms my heart.  The planting, the digging, the observance of the first green shoots breaking through the ground and if I actually can eat off the plant, what joy that brings me!

I do not use chemicals in my garden, none.  I make compost from kitchen scraps and have 3 rabbits who provide me with a little extra oomph.  I collect leaves and grass clippings and sprinkle coffee grounds on my acid lovers and bananas under my roses.  I collect the hair from my brush along with the eggshells from  my breakfast and give them to my tomatoes.  I love doing this.

I am an avid reader on all things considering self sufficiency.  I like books on apocalyptic events and how people survive.  If there is a gadget that is non-electric, I want to have it.  I collect hurricane lamps anytime I see one marked down at a store and I have oodles and oodles of books on returning back to basics.  I don't want the way things are to end, but I love learning how to survive if they do.

We have 22 acres out in the country and have plans that include an off grid lifestyle.  We have electricity and plan to keep electricity, but as we build and mold the property into a second home, we are looking into solar, wind, water and other resources to sustain a comfortable life out there if something were to happen.  It excites me.  It makes me feel good.  Even here, when I save the water from my shower and water my thirsty flowers.  When I take a bucket of rain water out to my peppers it makes me feel...independent, like I have some control over how things go.

Let's face it, it's a crazy world we live in and if I enjoy learning how to take care of me and my family the old fashion way, all the power.  You just never know.

Til next time,
Pam