More Roses!

OK OK I know I wasn't going to get any more Roses. BUT Silly me was out and about all by myself. Well OK not by myself, I had Ethan, my partner in crime. We were out doing errands, and the place we normally get chicken manure was out. So I thought I would stop at the garden center. They had it totally over priced, but I got some verses using more gas driving around looking for it. So my van smelt amazing coming home!. 

Any Who back to the roses, I honestly wasn't even going to look. Except they had a few as you walk in and they were in bloom and stunning. And before I know it Ethan and I were walking through the roses, after a few minutes we both landed on this Orange one. Her name is Judy Garland. Read her story here

Stunning is an understatement.

The colors are amazing.

This is Texas, I fell in love with him as we walked into the garden center. He is my first mini.

Again Stunning. Needs some love, so I think after some trimming, planting and food. I will have one amazing rose.

How can you say no to that rose? 

Sadly I broke into my birthday money for these. But they were worth every penny. 

8 Roses and counting.

Weekly Update & Mortgage Challenge

EXCUSE THE MESS! But seriously if I waited for the couch to be cleaned, we would have been there all day long. The pipe is for hydroponics. Holes are all cut out. We got a load of 2x4's delivered today, someone was going to burn them can ya believe it? We plan on heading up and getting more. Hubby will start on an A-Frame to hold these pipes. Almost time to get started!

This little Turkey, he is in first grade, but half way through second grade math. He is scary on how stinking smart he is. Well he is now done with school until we start up again.

So hubby and I fought last night. I found a wee bit of money in the budget and this faucet needed fixing. It was streaming water, you could hear our septic pump running all the time. It was a matter of time before the pump burnt out and then how much would that costs? Lots more then we have. 

So last night well running numbers I mentioned that its time to fix the faucet. Hubby was like I thought you were going to call a plumber? Hum no, why would I call someone for something so simple? I fixed it last year, I can take it off and put on a new one? Then he got on you tube and watched a few videos, and really we found out it could be a simple nut or washer issue. 

So this morning we went out and found our faucet looks nothing like any of the faucets we saw on you tube. We did this and this and that and still streaming water. So hubby frustrated with me, sawed it off, and went to the hardware store and bought a new one. Came home and within one minute had it all totally fixed. Water has stopped streaming. We waited 5 minutes to turn on the well, and then another 5 minutes to turn on the house water. And still it's dry. We just left it like this to be sure it won't leak. A leak in the inside wall is NOT good. 

So for 20 dollars instead of 300 plus we have a fixed faucet. Now there is a place for plumbers, don't get me wrong. Like last year when the dog hit the back faucet and it was ripped off the house and took pipes with it. We called a plumber because the pipes in the house needed to be fixed and I was busy under the house cleaning up the flood. Spent 360 dollars we didn't have. But when you have plumbers on You Tube saying folks it's easy peasy fix it yourself and save the money! 

On the Mortgage front, moving slow. From 118,766. to 118,634.

One Word & Weekly Update

HYDROPONICS!

So we are going to try hydroponics. We will do some test tubes this summer. Trying to figure out how to grow strawberries, lettuce, and I'm thinking basil? We also have some scrap wood coming to make an A-Frame. An A-Frame will hold about 6 tubes on each side. I'm hoping to build one A-Frame this summer, add in the tubes and see where all this goes. Well building this, I'll have about three tubes set aside and some lettuce in a tub. And just play with things.

So a few things I have learned all ready. I have only seen men on you-tube talking about hydroponics. And one should not drink and make you-tube videos. Just saying! And you can get sea sick watching a you-tube video.

Mr. Lincoln bloomed last week. Well then we had a storm from heck with hail and dumping rain and this bloom gave up and died. Luckily I got a photo the day before? It was lovely.

Lordy another busy week. Mostly out in the garden, way too much to do and not enough time. 

Today was my birthday and guess who forgot? I got to spend the day in the pouring rain planting my in laws flowers. You know when you are wet and sticky and just yuck. Yeah, that was me today. 

Well on the Mortgage front things are dropping. Sitting at 118,766. It's slowly dropping, but can't complain. I know one day we will get there. Gosh I hope!

Weekly Update & Mortgage Challenge

Thought I would show off some photos from the garden.

This is the new hens and chicks bed. They were here before, but not enough depth for roots. So I pulled them all out. Removed the plastic, dug out a few inches, put down the plastic. Filled with new dirt and replanted.

This is the newest rose, well ok can't say that. But I haven't showed off this one yet. This is Blue Skies it's a purple.

Blue Girl is blooming.

One bed of tomatoes are planted. I have dill in the middle.

My garden is starting to turn green.

This is actually my newest rose. Pot of Gold. It will be planted in the back. 

Not tons going on this week. Which is actually good. My one child (Tucker) who has been pushing every button I have, melted me the other day. Daddy and Ethan have been spending a lot of time birding, and have some birding dates coming up. Well Daddy asked Tucker if he wanted to do anything. He said he wanted mommy time to make a teddy bear for Ethan's birthday. Yeah, I melted. But then I directed him to maybe, Ethan wants a bird house instead???? So we are looking into that. Although that child is growing and ARRRR he is testing me every time we turn around. 

So on the Mortgage front. We are under 119,000. Ever so exciting. We are at 118,898.00. It helps in the stress department we are under 119. Need to go and do the math and see when we will be under 118.

Weekly Update & Mortgage Challenge

Garden photos to come. Sadly it's raining AGAIN.

Tell ya the cat who hates everyone. Sure gets around. This is the closes she has gotten to Buddy.

Here Kirby and Tinkerbell so inter-mixed. She sure takes care of Tinker. Tinker is close to passing over. Really just a matter of time. Probably be harder on Kirby then me. 

Any who, been a very tough week here. Work messed up hubby's check. I can't tell ya how many times I tell hubby to do something yourself don't trust someone. Well he trusted his manager who said he would take care of the vacation pay. HA manager said he thought the computer would just take care of it. Like really? And well does he care? nope. So we are only getting 4 days of pay this week which just covers the bills. It's so hard to take money out of savings, because we may not see that missing day? Then savings is down and we are hitting savings hard right now. I need the bleeding to stop. 

The truck came back a LOT more then we were expecting. Add in we need new tires. Garage guy said you have a bad tire. Sure enough pulling into the driveway it went flat. It has the spare on it for now, so we can save for new tires. 

So it's been a bumming week. I can't afford to get my mother a gift, but if I don't, I kid ya not she will call daily and whine. it's honestly a pure hell I don't want. But she won't listen if I say I can't afford it. She won't care that we didn't get our full pay check. She just wants her gift it's all about crap for her. Not to mention she hasn't called in weeks on end. IDK it's hard, because there is no loving relationship with her. You can't have one with someone who use to beat you and treat you like her personal slave?

And I'm bummed that I won't get a mothers day gift, told hubby to thank his manager for ruining my day? And it's not like I wanted much of anything, I don't need anything. Just wanted to go to the garden store and mosey around. Instead I will be gutting a play area and cleaning it up and out for the kids. 

On the Mortgage front, we are at 119,030. Next week we will be below 119. Even through we took a hit on the pay check, we are not stopping the payment for the house. It's way too important. And really we would have just tried to tough it out money wise. But I found out today we are out of cat food and I forgot we are out of flour. I'll be as cheap as I can, but....Just hope for things to be back to normal next week. And well some sun would be nice!

Weekly Update and Mortgage Challenge

My week started with us chasing horses down the street. I kid ya not! So sitting on the couch, doing emails and you hear the dogs bark. Not just any bark, something is wrong bark. So I ask Tuck to look out the window as I start to get up. Thinking someone pulled into the drive. He yells Horses! By now I'm getting on my boots, he yells horses going down the road. So Ethan and I rush out to try and catch up. Can't for the life of us get ahead of them. Luckily a car pulls up on the top of the road. So the one horse sees the car and turns into the last yard on the street and eats grass. So Ethan and I go around and block any way to the road. It was Ethan, me and the car all lined up. 

The neighbor was able to then walk up and get one horse. That scares the other and Tucker got him into the next yard. Then we paused, as not to scare the horse. Then the neighbor started to walk the horse he got home, was able to slowly grab the other horse and start to walk home. Ethan, Tucker and I walk behind, in case they bolt, they can't get past us. 

So the story is they horses were tied to the trampoline will the owners were working on fences in the horse area. One horse then realized he could move the trampoline, they walked it across the yard, taking out a mail box. Finally broke loose and went on down the road. Just Thank God that car stopped and that person stayed in the car. How many people would have gotten out and that scares the horse? Just gently and calm is what we need. No one got hurt and they got home safe.

This is a common photo in this house. 

24 hours after the running of the horses, I could not move. My back went out, my legs hurt, I was dead in the water. But kept pushing through as things need to be done. It's not Friday and I'm still hurting. But pushing through.

So by Thursday I was just having a week and done and burnt. So I called school off and we ran down to Home Depot and just look around at the garden center. Rumor has it they got a new shipment of roses in. Well no roses and I was bummed. BUT I found an orange tree I fell in love with.

And a lemon.

So today after all the errands were done and over with, I had just enough money to go and get a rose. So Welcome Blue Girl. She was on my short list. So she came home with me, with a dollar to spare.

She will be a lovely purple.

So hubby is home for a week. And tell ya we have LOTS to do. Yesterday he mini fenced this area in. No more having dogs in with the apple trees. Today we fixed the mini gate to the play area for the kids. Well hubby was fixing the gate, I weed wacked the very tall grass. After that we dug up the grass, we put down weed blocker, and for the moment we have 5 barrels in with the apple trees. The barrel's will hold our citrus for the time being. The area will be away from the dogs, and be watered good, and out of hair for the year.

As you can see I haven't touched the grass in the play area. A future project. Hard to believe there is weed blocker in the play area? 

So to the Mortgage. I am now trying to pay 132 a week. That will safely get us under 113k if all goes well? So I paid the 132 on Wednesday. I paid the Mortgage payment today. With everything we are at 119,163. In two weeks we will be in the 118's. Very exciting. 

We are also still waiting on the truck. Very scary. We keep saving, I keep hoping we walk away owing nothing. BUT what are the real odds of that?