2016

I don't know, I can't believe it's 2016 all ready? Got an in box full of all kinds of 2016 stuff today. Sigh. Well I make goals, but really there isn't much this year? Short of trying not to kill my neighbor? But that is another story.

 

My goals seem to be on going. We never buy new (so can't use that one). If we buy new it has to be 50-75% off. Oh we do buy new food. Although I really need to cut back on the food budget. So we have more gas money. I have one kid with braces coming up and that is freaking me out. I have one right behind him, and then I think I have a waiting period before the third. But Tucker is more urgent. He has such an over and under bite that he has so much trouble chewing and I can't tell ya how many times we have had to save him from choking. It's very scary. We should know in a few months if he is facing surgery.

 

I'm going to see if I can semi master my seeding and timing. As you can see I brought in the first light. I'm starting onions first. Going through seeds I don't need to buy seeds. Relief there. I'm just waiting for the dirt to warm up and so hopefully over the weekend get them going? 

Since I'm doing a garden this year, the rack will come in soon. About early Feb I will start tomatoes and peppers. Oh how I love peppers. well you all know my love for tomatoes. Speaking of tomatoes, I got my hands on Big Zac....If you don't know Big Zac he is a world record holder.

 

 

 

I don't know, I keep hoping oh this will be a good year, and it never is. I don't think this will be either. My hopes are not high. Maybe just hope for peace and calm? I'm tired of being so stressed out. I have so many quilt ideas stuck in my head, would love to get them out? But yeah when I'm stressed I'm not sewing. A cheap way to get fabric is buying sheets at goodwill when they are having a half off sale. Tip there. Because craft store solid colors are pricey.....And you can get yards and yards for about 2 dollars.

 

As you can tell, really not looking forward to the year ahead. So the post is a bit down. I do hope something good happens to lift our spirits and keep us going, but my hopes are not high. Hard to have hope when you are in a time frame of hit after hit. Something dies, you can't afford to replace, yet another hit to the budget here or there. Someone who has no clue about your life has a comment and it hurts. You try and shake it off and this something else comes up. Someone is rude or mean so it drags you down yet again. Try to get up and you are hit again. Frankly I'm just tired.

 

OH I know a good goal POST A FREAKING RECIPE! Get on the ball lady! How many minds did I just read?

When Life Throws You Lemons

Your suppose to make Lemonade right? But what happens when you don't like lemonade then what? I don't mind lemon on fish, but life hasn't thrown me a fish yet?

 

We've had a crazy time lately with things dying around here. TV, computer, Bunny, hair clippers, vacuum, dishwasher. Oh I'm sure I'm missing a few? TV was under warranty and they did fix it. Computer is toast, warranty people won't talk to us with a CC we don't have a CC, so as of right now not replacing the computer. Bunny, well we buried him it was a long time coming, hair clippers I will be replacing. I save so much money cutting the boys hair, vacuum, I bought a broom, but I really need to buy a new vacuum, dishwasher, well we plugged the hole and prayed. We are saving a couple dollars a week and should be there by the end of next year?

 

Make me worry about what was to come.

 

Then you have life. My mother in law fell ill again, nothing like getting a call at 3m when you get home from work at 2am and just dropped into bed. Which got us thinking back to four years ago. Four years ago changed so much here. I fear the changes coming this time around. 

Four years ago, we or mostly I had to be at the rehab center every day at set times, and lots of running around. Going back and fourth from rehab to house to errands sometimes 2-4 times a day. We had to finally take a loan out for gas. Which in turn took about two years to pay off. My kids missed so much school, because I couldn't be at one place at one set time and be at another place at the same time. Something had to give and I had to keep pulling kids out of school to make this time and that time work. Which I'm happy to do, but the kids were suffering. It was one of the biggest factors into finally leaving school and home schooling.

 

Then I get crap about how the kids should be in school. I want to yell HOW? what is the point if they are going to miss so much school? Because I can't be here, and there picking them up? 

Then we have the Mortgage, I've been trying hard to pay it down, so we can either re-fi or move, both would reduce our payment. We need our payment reduced so we can afford our payment with out stressing every single month. We'll it was decided last summer lets try and move. We need a bigger house, as we are in such a tiny house and just tripping over each other. We need a bigger yard. As I grow nearly everything we eat. I need a canning room to store all the stuff I preserve that we eat, that I grow. Tired of having to dig under beds and couches to find foods. Going south would get us a bigger house with less mortgage. Hubby's job may be moving south, it was a win win.

 

But I think we have decided that a move at this moment is not in our future. Because moving 20-30 minutes south is not logical right now. That is adding 20-30 minutes to our 30 minute trip to the in laws. That doesn't make sense. Gas is going to kill us as it is. We will still look, but we have decided to throw our tax return at the mortgage and re-fi. Extend our mortgage back out to freaking 30 years. But we should have a payment we can afford, which would allow breathing room to have a few extra dollars for gas, so we are not going down the loan road again. I also hope that once a dishwasher is bought that, that 10-20 a week can start being put towards a second car. It's something that we will probably need down the road. 

When I think about the in laws, I think back about 15-17 years ago, I'm still damaged from that time. My Grandmother fell sick and she was basically dumped on me, because after all I was just looking for a job and that is nothing. So yeah I have all the time in the world to take care of her. It turned into two years of hell. Taking her to doctors appointments, surgeries, meals, errands. Even when I parked her at my parents, hoping for help, hum nope, you have to come out here and take care of her. If she needs a 2am pill you need to be here, BUT you can't stay here with her. No I was kicked out of the house at 19, probably because I was too old to beat with a belt? IDK. So not only taking care of her, I'm hunting for a job, I'm couch surfing. At times sleeping in the car because I couldn't stay at her place, she wanted to be independent. But have to turn around and be there so early. I would beg and plead for help, and get a nope. I finally get her on her feet, she is doing for herself. I get a job, I get an apartment and then the bottom falls out and she dies.

 

Although then funny how fast her kids showed up to search the place for a will and then how fast they left when they found it, realized she died in debt, and so I was blamed for the lack of money. Hum? you have a 62 year old, who is on ss, no retirement, she has to pay rent and a car payment, pay for her health insurance and everything. She would skimp on food to get by. So that was a nice fight, told them to check the bank account, in the end they realized I was right. I was never paid for a second of the time I gave her. I was loaned her car here and there, which I would sleep in from time to time, because I couldn't find a couch to crash on. I don't mind the non payment, but I do mind the lack of help I received from family. I haven't spoken to my Aunt or Uncles from that day since. Don't even know if they know if that I have kids? They have never met them.

 

But Karma does come around and my mother is living with Karma now, as she is going from surgery to surgery, I know she is doing it for the drugs. But she asked for help and I said no. I haven't been to her house in years. Good luck to ya.  There is more Karma coming and I fear it may hit later this week. Not the week I need it, but in my 40 years on earth she has never heard one word I have said, she will listen or she will be removed from my life all together. I don't need her to live. And the boys don't need a drunk Grandmother in their lives. As it is she only sees them 2-3 times a year as it is. You can't beat someone growing up, call them names, still today I'm called fat. Yeah that helps. You can't dump your mother on me and not help and then expect help when it comes your time? I have learned how to say no years ago. It's actually really easy now.

 

So we have a tough year ahead coming up. I feel it, I know it. Figure if we take it day to day we can try and get through it and hope the other side is better? Just hope God can give us the strength to get through each day.  Although there are times I wonder why God is dumping and dumping and dumping. What I wouldn't give for some good news to keep us going. 

Now to figure out what to do with these Lemons?

Ready For Christmas

Well Buddy is...He has been sitting on presents under the tree. Although someone needs to break the news to him that not one of the gifts are for him????

 

These two kill me. The gray cat hates everyone, she is a one cat, well one animal house. But when she is the mood to take care of someone she curls up with them and loves on them. Other then that LEAVE HER ALONE. 

Well ready for Christmas here. Gifts are all bought and wrapped and under the tree. Kids are not getting much, the bulk of the gifts under the tree are gifts they made and gave each other. Which those gifts they get to open on the 24th. I'm excited about those this year, they really put some thought into the gifts.

 

Although we have been thrown some curve balls this week. Which will drag into next week and we have a crazy three weeks coming up. So Monday night, well Tuesday Morning, hubby gets home from work about 2am, about 2:30am we are finally dropping into bed. At 3am phones are going off. My mother in law was rushed to the hospital. So hubby after no sleep runs up to help get father in law to the hospital. He arrives home about 9am where he finally drops into bed. Mother in law got real sick real fast and it went to her lungs. It was caught fast this time, although tell ya she fought going to the hospital. Luckily with it caught fast, she should only be in the hospital for a few days.

 

She should be home sometime over the weekend. But next week, hubby will be up and back helping out. Mother in law needs to take it easy, so for the first week we are forcing help on her. She likes to over do it, so hubby help in the morning and an evening nurse until bedtime. Try and get her to take it easy for a week.

 

Our TV arrives back home tomorrow. So excited about that. We so have missed this thing. It's not like I watch it a lot, but been watching the stupid Christmas movies in the evening so have to drag the kids' TV back and fourth. 

 

Tomorrow we are home all day. Hubby home from work. I plan on a working on a new cracker recipe, and making a good dinner and just being quiet. 

12/19/15 Candy Canes

 

This picture doesn't do this justice. These are 9 foot tall candy canes. Yes, 9 foot tall. It's 4 inch pvc pipe, you wrap red duct tape around and then the lights and boom you have a candy cane, although the top is a bit tricky, they are 4 inch curve pieces, glued together. I found these first on pinterest and if I hadn't lost my other computer I would supply you with the website I got the idea from! But to me they look stunning and just something that no one else has.

 

Although light wise it has been about all we can do this year. Lack of funds, our minds are else where.

 

December has totally side lined us. Loosing the computer has cut our swags in half, So having to get Lego's from our budget. Budget tight as it was so that stops money from going to the house. So our Mortgage really hasn't dropped, our savings really hasn't gone up. Been kinda at a stand still.

 

 

We have a couple big purchases we need to do for the house. So probably put x amount aside a week for that and start going down the list. Would be nice to not need to do anything when we go to sell the house. Just be ready to list.

 

Updating 12/8/15

Well, about three weeks ago our TV died. Sitting here watching a silly Christmas movie, not paying any attention when I look up and it's a black screen. After some googling it's probably the inverter. Going for about 60 on Amazon. BUT the TV is under warranty so we went that route first. Called Costco and they sent us to the company. A freaking three week run around and we were finally able to send off our TV yesterday. Now because of the flooding it was stalled in Portland, as of tonight it's on a truck heading to GA. At this rate I won't be seeing the TV before Christmas. The kids loan me theirs in the evening so we are ok. 

So not in the Christmas spirit. Life isn't a Christmas movie that is for sure. Nope, it's stress, things breaking, money issues, rainy season, wet dogs, dying bunny, no time for anything, sewing, sewing and more sewing. Squeezing in school. And wishing time would stop because seed catalogs are starting to roll in.

 

Been racking my brain on what to make for the neighbor boy, when this idea finally landed in my lap, thanks manly to the fabric. What child doesn't want a batman cape? Like seriously? The child is three so it's a bit small on my ten year old. 

I wasn't going to do anything for baby brother, but hum how does one not do a bib in the same fabric? Almost wanted another baby, oh batman bibs, and batman diapers??? But then reality hits, and that baby thing passes, very quickly. 

 

I have sewed to many things so more photos are coming. I have created slug terra stuff animals, and about to do slug terra pillows. Two blaster holders, yeah no idea. In the midst of a quilt. Oh boy. Although the kids keep adding projects to my list. OH a pillow case tonight.

 

So Cole was flying the other night. 

Sam is doing well, well as well as he can. Flea issues, we are consently working on. Nothing is working on this dog. We are now doing a dawn bath every other day, and coated in natural flea stuff. It semi works for him. Along with cleaning his eyes daily. He pretty much has run of the house now. He has his set blankets in certain spots. He likes to sleep in the laundry room, where Tucker finds him in the morning and potties him. They take him to the playroom until I get up. Then his box is dragged to the living room where he either keeps sleeping or goes over by the couch. After a long nap, he gets fed and usually ends up in the laundry room until kids go to bed, then he is glued to my feet until it's feeding time again and bed time. And the cycle starts again. If he does something odd you rush him outside, it's pee or poop time. 

So not ready for Christmas. Even with us starting early on Lego's we are far behind. Losing the computer hurt. So the swags just are not there, so have to take the Lego's out of budget, and budget just can't do it. Still have four more sets to buy. So paying down the house is taking a big hit right now. We had to pay for packing to ship the TV back. The dishwasher is so close to dead. We are working on re-installing the second bathroom. Got the new toilet in. Only took two extra trips to Home Depot. We thought we had a leak, but it must be from turning on that water after so long? Now to get the new vanity in.

 

But taking hit after hit to the budget. I don't see it letting up until after Christmas. So going with it.

 

So can't wait to have my own sewing room one day. You don't want to see the living room. My small sewing area has exploded. I am working on this quilt and I want it all laid out, and can't. I have flannel everywhere, from sewing Tucker new pj's and such. Sigh.

 

 

A Punch In The Gut

Today I buried a friend. Not an old friend, the friend was only six months old. But my friend went into a coma and on life support over the weekend. And on Monday I finally pulled the plug.

 

WHAT?

 

Well let me back up a bit, back about 7 months ago, my computer died, it was expected, I was just getting every bit of life out of it. So we saved and saved for a new computer and we brought one in July. Hated it nearly every minute, but I figured I could make it work for two years? It went slow as a slug and had to restart 2-4 times a day.

 

Well Saturday it stalled out so I went to restart it and I got an error message, saying disk repair it will take hours. Well Sunday we called Toshiba, because the computer is only 6 months old and I have a one year warranty. Well except they won't talk to us unless we supply a credit card. So apparently the warranty isn't worth squat? Took the computer down to Staples, and for 155 plus a hard drive they can fix it. Well that is how much I paid for the dang computer. Not worth it.

 

So came home and turned it on and just to see if we can get it out of the disk error? Did and got a new screen. So ok I'll set it back to factory standards? except after days I can't get past 54%. So yesterday after many tries. I finally turned it off and buried the computer and I will move on.

 

So I'm computer less for a few months. We can't really start to save until after the holidays right now.

 

But I will tell ya. Toshiba SUCKS. Who has a one year warranty, but you can't use it unless you pay for it yet again? One shouldn't have to pay for a warranty that was paid for? Emailed and nothing back, I don't expect anything back. At the same time I got my six month survey, well yeah your company SUCKS. Why does a six month computer need a new hard drive?

 

Just feels like I've been punched in the gut.

 

So luckily I have hubby's computer, but. I have lost half my swags money. So we are working Lego's into the budget to get one or so a week. Because swag wise there is no way we can make it. 

Then we have the dishwasher. It started leaking months ago, nothing big, we had a cookie sheet under it. Except the other day it flooded. I had water everywhere. So gave up, it's time to figure it out and fix it. Took out the dishwasher, and the hoses are all hooked up. It's leaking from the electric???? makes no sense, until we opened it up to look at that area, and realized we had a hole? It seems the heating coil was bent down, burnt a hole into the bottom of the dishwasher and that is where we get the leak.

 

So hubby ran off to the hardware store and found some putty. It works. Although yesterday got a few drops. Hoping it will hold off most of the water until we can save for a new dishwasher. Sad we have to buy a new dishwasher just to turn around and sell the house? 

In updating our list this weekend we added over 1k of stuff to the list. Between buying a new dishwasher, to ripping out the pantry and putting the half bath back in. A lot of this and that. So it was a very hard weekend.

 

In the midst of trying to recover and work on budget, hubby and I have decided to go gift less this Christmas. It was on the fence anyway, but we can't logically afford anything extra right now. We need to focus on the kids, and then the to do list.

 

I had luckily just gotten out Family Reunion stuff, well snail mail, not the emails, But my Christmas card info is on the other computer. Luckily I have my photos in two places. One on a dead computer.

 

Yeah, so it was a hard weekend.

 

With the budget we've put a semi pause on putting money towards the house. It's a matter of survival right now. But as we work on Christmas and knocking down the list, we will get back to putting money towards the house.

 

 

Bring on the Good Days....

MY NEIGHBOR

MY NEIGHBOR, where do I start? Yes, the same neighbor with the fight over the fence. Still pissed about the fence. BUT, my neighbor, she saw this dog in an empty house and left it. She then a few days later saw this dog walking around the church parking lot. She decided to bring it home. She then raced it to a vet who wouldn't touch it. After some calls, no vet would touch it. LOVELY. 

So of course she thinks of us, because this is what we do we rescue. And boy did he need recusing. He was matted, and ratted, and the smell. His eye, I can't even tell you how gross his eye was, I didn't want to touch it. So brought it home and a bath, it then found our pantry and spent all day in the pantry. Made me wonder if he spent a lot of time in a small room? so left him and the next day he was out and walking around. So to kill the smell and work on the hair I started to shave him. It took four days to shave him. Not because he hated it but because he was so matted and bad and I did not want to cut him at all.

 

It then took two more bathes to get the smell off of him. Spent some serious time working on the eyes. He does look like a dog now. He is blind in one eye, and I think he is old, probably between 10-12. So old he won't touch dry dog food.

 

So he is spoiled now, He gets canned dog food with left overs. so if we have rice or chicken it gets saved for his meals.

 

After the second day we made him a box, and he knows where it is, and it's his box. He loves his box. It's his safety box, I can understand that.

 

Although now he is warming up to us. he now will sleep in places other then the box. and for some reason he likes my hubby, wants to snuggle with hubby. Although in fairness, I did shave him and clean him and bathe him so I can see why he isn't warmed up to me. Although I do fed him and potty him soooo....He is potty trained, well he doesn't pee in the house, we make sure to take him out every few hours. Treating him like we are potty training him.

 

He is becoming such a joy, so hopefully he can have a another year or two of good living now?  Just have to wonder what sort of life he did have? To a point I can understand someone leaving a blind not eating dog, but take him to s shelter or craigslist or something. To leave him in an empty house to die? Such a poor baby.

 

So Please meet Sam.

 

He is one of five freaking dogs in this house. Oh that may have came out wrong, but it's raining and having five dogs in the house gets to me at times. One lives outside and whines to go outside, then she gets wet and whines to come in. One is back and fourth so much I almost need to install a stop sign, and one just wants to sleep on Cole's bed (wet) and the baby, oh he is jealous, but the other day he was protecting Sam. So I think Sam is growing on him? Sam is smaller then Buddy if that is possible? Once he realized nothing is changing, he seems to have settled down and is semi ok with Sam being here.

 

And have I mentioned we live in a really small house? So can't wait to move away from the neighbor so we get no more surprise rescues from her. 

Christmas

Christmas is less then two months away...anyone else freaking out? 

Well don't! If you start early enough. you will be more then ready for the big day. Luckily I don't shop for a lot of family. Mostly just the boys, but my boys LOVE Lego's and Lego's are PRICEY. So back in September they had to make their Christmas List and I started shopping. So I have boxes that look like this, not opened. So Kids can't snoop.

 

I took care of my mother and niece's at a craft show this past summer. And hubby will get stuff if we have money, we are use to not getting each other anything. We really don't need anything and with me using swagbucks to buy about 85% of Christmas. I don't think this year there will be enough swags to go around. But we will see?

 

Another thing to do, if you are one of those person's who have to wait until December to buy for other people, is to set aside about 20 dollars a week, If you start in January you will have over 1,000 of play money....And then buying gifts won't kill your budget, you won't go into debt, in turn spending the whole next year paying off your debt. I have heard horror stories.

 

I'm sorry, but I really find it silly to go into debt for Christmas. Like for example, my mother gives the worse gifts. Always have, and probably always will. I have asked and begged not to get me anything, but oh everyone needs something, Hum no I really don't. For example, one year I got this plastic ice bucket. Like Really? What about this screamed my name? I don't drink? It was ugly. And honestly next time just give me the buck you spent on it. Most of her items end up at goodwill after Christmas. I did lay down the law a few Christmas's ago, no more then three gifts each for the kids. because of all the crap coming into the small house. She didn't obey, but the crap was cut in half. One year it was so sad, Tucker turns to me crying saying he hated everything she gave him and I didn't blame him. He likes Lego's and monkey's and he got clothes and crap.

 

So I'm telling ya, if you don't know what to get someone? Cash is King. Oh don't say that is boring. Because it's really not. I can then go and get what I really want. And then well I'm happy. Or a gift card to a store I really go to. Like I go to Joann's, I could live at Joann's. Gas card who couldn't use a gas card? But a gift card to coffee when one doesn't drink coffee? I have never gotten a gift card to Joann's, But to Safeway a store I have never been too yep. I got Restaurant cards, We dont' eat out. Coffee cards. I don't drink. So they sit and sit and sit, well wishing I was just given cash. So I can spend it at Joann's.

 

So a thought. Less then two months until Christmas. 

10-1 update

Life seems to be flying by. Can not believe it is October all ready. We are still harvesting, we are working slowly on getting the house ready for sale, and school is in session.

 

Although right now only averaging about 3 days a week. Which is ok, as everything is planned out and as long as we get through each day before going onto the next we will be fine.

 

Grapes are in, we got TONS this year. Although I do not do anything with them right now. Maybe down the road in the future? Been sharing with neighbors and such. 

Can you believe this flower bed? These are marigolds, called Firecracker Marigolds. They are so tall and over flowing it's just crazy. Plan on waiting until the last minute to pull the bed, kinda like how they keep going. 

Onions are in....We are processing them as fast as we can right now. 

 

This one weighed in at 2.5 pounds, not bad for our first year. This onion is called Alisa Craig. We may start them again next year, maybe around Christmas and finding a deep bed for them? 

Pumpkins are in. The biggest on only weighed in at 34 pounds. Summer heat turned them orange way too soon or they may have weighed more....

This child built a Chima castle Lego thing, and entered a contest. The next morning big brother made him tear it apart, so he could use the table. Oh the joy of big brothers....NOT

So Cole is getting glasses. Apparently he has never been able to see far away. Tuckers eyes are doing much better, So the supplements will continue, although I'm adding one. The other two will go onto the supplements as well now. Tucker is getting new lenses.

 

We are in the midst of getting the house ready for sale, getting new windows and such in. Fixing this and fixing that. We have a list a mile long and we are slowly working down it. I would like to be close to 100% ready for market soon, so all we have to do is save every penny and wait for our new house to come. Lord knows size is a major issue here for us now.

 

I'm also out in the garden working. Pulling up my herbs and getting them into pots and ready to go. But only moving one here and one there, making sure they transplant ok. I'm taking apart their beds and stacking the brick. I am taking about half my brick with me. Hoping this weekend to tear out the raspberries and get those on craiglist, and start to transplant those herbs in that area. We are taking apart the whole area by the pear trees, the area the neighbor put the shed in, and we will remove everything, let it all go back to grass, and hope for the best with the pear trees. One is so bent over looking for sun it's so not funny.

 

But getting all my herbs into pots and ready to go, so that if we find a house lets say right after Christmas we are not only packing and planning and such, but we won't be digging up herbs and the garden as well.

 

School has finally started here. Although averaging three days a week, as we seem to have an appointment here and there. Tiring. The amount of appointments these kids have, not to mention the massive amount of paperwork that goes with it. But I have school planned out by the day all though the year, so when all the days are done we are done for the year. So even if we run out of days in April then we are just done. Although right now no idea when we are set to stop?

 

 

Oh have any of you down loaded Windows 10? kinda kicking myself for doing it. I did it on my computer. It has made swags so much faster, but has slowed my email to a snails pace. Not to mention the consent kick off of the internet. Especially if you are in the middle of writing an email or buying something from amazon. OH and blogger won't talk to windows 10...So I had to steal hubby's computer to blog tonight. 

BOOM

It was like BOOM we woke up one day and it was Fall? After countless 90 plus degree days, it was 70 and raining and just yuck and it hasn't warmed up since.

 

Tomatoes are still kicking my butt. My table looks like this nightly, often I'm working 3-4 hours just on tomatoes and when I yell Mercy the kids pick up all the tomatoes and take them to the neighbors. I then spend the next day filling bowls and the afternoon taking care of them and by dinner yell Mercy and the day starts again.

 

We are actually in the middle of pulling tomatoes. So there will be an end in sight. Hubby has a week off coming up, my plan is to have the whole garden down and covered. Yeah, we will see, our harvest list is LONG. 

We up and surprise took a trip to the Ocean. I needed a tomato break and the boys haven't been in two years. They were having their art show, so we hit that first, and after lunch hit the beach. After two hours had to drag the kids out of the water. 

Sauerkraut! 

The kids had the job of mashing and mashing and mashing. I filled the crock and some quart jars and then we called it a day. What a mess we made. 

Hubby has a week off coming up, hoping to close down the gardens? Replace a window, and work more on our to do list. We have a long to do list of stuff to do in the house before we can even consider selling it. We want to have it ready to sell so we are ready to go when we find our new house.

 

Speaking of a new old house. We are saving every single penny, we are trying hard to pay down the house. We would LOVE to pay all cash for our new old house and be Mortgage free. So we will see. Budget has been kicking my butt. We got a raise, but I don't think that is it, because spending didn't increase, although I think I have too many lines on the budget as we are trying to save and pay the house and save for a new van and this and that.

 

So for the next few weeks are harvesting, closing the garden, working on the to do list, and starting school....so not looking forward to school. sigh.

 

 

In Shock....So far behind Update

Tell ya it's been one thing after another after another after another. Let's see if I can update everyone on everything? First I listed these three goats a few days ago. And today they sold. So many mixed feelings. Glad to see them go, as Sierra keeps sneaking into the garden, and Buddy is getting moody. Buddy has also been trying to climb over the fence to get to the tomatoes. He is also so very mean to the other goats, because Buddy must eat first. After Buddy eats then everyone else can eat.

 

But sad because I've had him from 6 weeks on. Trooper was born here, And Sierra is my girl. But they are a family unit. Buddy can't live without Trooper, Trooper has to have momma.

 

On the other side we wanted to sell them before we moved. But you don't know where for sure they are going? and how they will be treated and such. I just have to be ok with the decision I made.

 

So someone answered my ad today and came out to get the goats, although I don't think they realized how big Buddy was? Takes one look and realized nope we can't haul him in that truck. So they took Trooper and Sierra, and went to get the horse trailer for Buddy. Although they took many, many hours. Leaving Buddy at the door screaming for Trooper. Although when they came to get Buddy it took three grown men and me holding the leash just in case, to haul him into the horse trailer.

 

I was told they will have acres of land to roam....

 

Come in from loading Buddy and look out the back window to the four goats left, all looking around going what the hell? So I head out and yeah, so I fed them some grain and spent some time with them. Even Bella came up to me, Bella hates everyone, but I got to pet her. 

 

Then we have Delhia. Oh sweet unfriendly Delhia. You see the goat on her sisters back? In one day she went from black to nearly all gray. Thought that was odd? Until I realized she wasn't eating, and then using sister to "see", Millie would put her somewhere and she wouldn't move until sister came to get her, and then this unfriendly goat, let me get snuggled up to her and hold her. That is when I know I was about to loose her. Two days later she died. It's been so hard on Millie. She is very sad and quiet. But she is eating and doing ok, but you see she misses sister.

 

 

We finished the deck, well not 100% but the top is done. Next to do the skirting and stairs. 32 feet of Decking, it's really nice.

I guess the big news is neighbor and I are talking again. It's like she just didn't understand? Well let me put it like this, I hire a painter, well you are at work, I paint your house purple and tell you, you have to live with it. How would you feel? You hired a guy who did such a freaking crappy job and you are telling me to live with it and I can't. I flat out told her the fence is coming down and I will be doing this myself. Spacing is so big I can see them in the back yard, and in some areas the spacing is so tight the boards are cracking. She said she asked him to come back and fix those, but he wants more money. Where I told her NO, I am fixing this, period. If I see this guy again I will be calling the police, in which she was shocked, but yeah, I don't care to see him again in my life.

 

But we finally hashed it all out and made some ground rules. So now hubby is working for them again. Which I am allowing because we have rules in place and we really need the money for the house fund. Although not really going towards the house yet, I'm using the money for projects on the house. We will be replacing son's window at the end of the month. We need to build a new crawl space cover. We have a list a mile long and really I don't want the money coming out of budget.

 

Tomatoes are kicking my butt right now. My table is full of tomatoes, my counters are buried, under the mess. I'm running two crock pots full of tomato sauce a day. In turn canning nearly 14-15 jars a day. Up to 44 jars of sauce all done and in storage right now. Would like to be well over 100 jars when done. As I don't plan on doing a lot of tomatoes next year. Next year's garden is super light.

 

We are harvesting like crazy. Blackberries, Turnips, Onions, Garlic, Cabbage and of course Tomatoes. I can't keep zucchini in stock, which is odd because you always have too much you are looking for un-locked car doors around town. Nope.

 

Just a LOT of chaos going on here. I haven't thought about School yet. Almost daily something is coming up. You add in the heat, and I just can't handle the heat, we don't do heat here. But it's HOT. Peppers and Tomatoes are loving it, but I so am not.

 

 

Now to get over the shock of having only 4 goats....It will be ever so quiet out there now. 

What a week....

Well the deck is framed out. It's a whopping 32 feet long. OOPS. But it will look so good when it's done. 

 

We were able to afford a few boards so we got a start on it. 

And then we have a fence. Oh this fence. See neighbor and I agreed we could do this fence next year with hubby doing all the work. But someone changed her mind without telling me. We had a fence guy show up and honestly hind sight, I should have said NO and called the police. But I allowed him to take down the fence even through I had tons of work on my end and the dogs. He said it would be done in four days.

 

And it seems neighbor wanted a six foot fence all the way down. NOPE, It will be replaced as it is. half at 6 foot and half at 3 foot. It's more of a safety issue to be able to see in and out of the drive before turning onto the road.

 

Fence boy talked me into cutting down the mail box, because a new post would look good with the new fence. FINE very unhappy, but FINE.

 

So fence boy got it all torn out, the next day put the post in, and changing the height. Why. OH because this guy whines, and I mean WHINES about cutting wood, even through I said I would bring out my chop saw and cut the boards for him. So I left it at four feet, and left him. Well in walking the post that night (midnight)  I realized he didn't give me a post for the mail box? So in talking to him the next day. Oh that isn't my job. Oh I was so steamed I had to walk away.

 

So hubby and I dug out the old post because he just cut it off, Dug it out and replaced and because of how pissed I was, we cut all the post down to 3 feet. Had to match the mail box you know? Oh how pissed this fence guy was when he came back. So he had words, I had more words and basically told him where to shove his fence boards, I told you 3 foot and I mean 3 foot. And walked away. He also informed me in all the words, he won't be connecting the fence to the mail box. Then why the hell did you have to cut down the mail box? there was NOTHING wrong with it. Another pissed off moment.

 

So Thursday night I'm just looking at the posts, knowing the next morning he would be back to finish and I realize he isn't connecting the new fence to the old fence. You have never seen my level of prissiness go so high. I have dogs and kids and goats, all that can fit through the gap he left.

 

Oh the next morning I let it all rip. Me yelling at neighbor and yelling at fence boy. She had the nerve to say, he is a professional he knows what he is doing. Hum No do NOT call him a professional. A professional, would, not rip out a mail box for no reason, He would not leave a gapping hole, he would not have thrown the old fence all over my back yard for me to clean up, and no professional would WHINE about cutting freaking boards. I just let it all go, until Hubby carried me away.

 

So I went to town to do errands. Told hubby to watch every nail going in.

 

So I'm currently not talking to neighbor. what freaking dis-respect she should have spoken to me, we should have been on the same page about fence and fence height and such. Last week was not the week to pull this. But it's her way or the highway I guess. Her excuse is she didn't have time to talk to me. Bull Crap, her and fence boy were out in her front yard talking and I was in the front yard watering she could have called me over, a 5 minute talk could have solved all of this. She chose not to talk to me.

 

In hindsight I should have told him NO, I should have sent him away and if not going, called the police. And forced neighbor to talk.

 

Now that the fence is up, it's a piece of crap. The spacing under the fence is horrid. Enough for a small dog to go under, let alone a digging dog. The spacing between the boards is horrible. His idea to fix the gap is horrible. Although I got my mail box up, after I left they were waiting for neighbor to go and pick them up a nail gun (hum a professional would have a nail gun) just saying, I had yelled at fence boy over the mail box before I left. So he know I was really pissed.

 

So the neighbor owes me an answer as to why she did this without talking to me. She owes me an apology. Until then I'm not speaking to her, because why, I'll be cleaning up the mess for months that fence boy left all over my back yard. On the flip side she really needs us more then we need her so it's a matter of time. 

 

The gap, it's over a foot wide. 

The done fence. 

In other news after months of debate we have decided to put all efforts into moving. We really need a bigger house and more land space. But how do we move? We logically can't leave the area because of the in laws. They are getting older and we are the closest. But yet we want an old house. So here is our plan. We have opened an online savings account and will pour all extra pennies into it. Right now we are looking in the next town down from us, you get older houses and more land. If something comes along we want to put down a nice down payment if not pay cash for it. If in laws pass and nothing yet, we will start to look in the OR area. We only plan on moving one more time. So we will take our time looking and make sure the next house is it. In the mean time build up savings, pay down house. 

It has been HOT here. This is HOT. Last year we had 70's and I was running the food dryer every day. But its been over 90's and I won't run the dryer in this heat. Heck won't run squat in this heat. Although peppers and tomatoes are Loving it. Tomatoes are starting to trickle in all ready. We've been eating peppers for weeks now. This weekend I'm probably doing pesto.

 

So hopefully get the deck semi done next week, well done enough for me to walk on it, without risking my life. We will then be cleaning. We have lots of cleaning up to do around here. Sheds to go through and just de-clutter. Other neighbor is having a summer long garage sale (oh yea) we took over some free stuff and it's all gone, so see if we can take over some more free stuff.

 

Other then that just surviving the heat, I don't do heat. Sigh.

 



Checking In

Don't laugh...This is the neighbors fence. This is just one pile. We have many piles. Many, Many, Many piles, of panels to take apart. We will use the wood for a wood shop later this year. 

 

Deck is coming along. NOT! Although someone has four days off real soon. I'm hoping he will get it all leveled and framed out so we can just wait for the top of the deck? Got a bit behind because we apparently mis-counted beams. So instead of buying metal supports and screws, I had to buy two more beams this week. I can't wait to see the 30 foot deck in place. Exciting. 

I am finding Cole is one of the earliest tomatoes. Cole has lots of little tomatoes. So loving it. Although I seem to find new tomatoes daily. Shocking considering I have more then 500 tomatoes?

Peppers are going crazy. Kinda shocking because they love heat. But we are running hotter then normal this summer so it's a good year to grow peppers? This is a sweet pepper. 

Lots going on here as normal. A lot of watering. I find that I am watering front and back and it takes about 12 hours a day. Insane. Makes it hard to get away even for an hour or so. Although snuck out Monday and was able to get more stakes. So we will be out back staking this weekend. Only the ones that need it, I do like letting them grow free willy, but they have to grow straight up, If they are going wild or need staking I will stake.

 

Cole is nearly riding a bike. Dad lets go a lot. but he is freaking out about crashing. Although he can put his feet down and touch so IDK. Hoping next them he just goes?

 



Weekly Update

Trying to sneak in a quick blog post, because my day will be exploding tomorrow and who knows when I will get another break?

 

All 500 plus tomatoes are planted. This guy Matts Wild was the last baby to go into the ground. It has been a wild ride getting them all into the ground. So far I have only lost one. But they are growing like crazy. 

Roses are going like crazy now. This is Mr. Lincoln

This is Henry Fonda

We built this. A 14 foot mega flower bed for Tucker. 

We bought this, isn't it the prettiest thing ever. 

Just a crazy week, as we are trying hard to finish up school. Although doesn't seem like it will ever end? Like tomorrow, we will be taking down a neighbors fence and taking the wood we want. We only have the morning to get the wood, before the rest is carried away and burned. Neighbor has a lot going on so I will be back and fourth helping here and there as she has to work.

 

Spending tons of time in the garden. Never ending loads of work out there.

 



TOMATOES & Weekly Update

Well yeah true I'm going longer then one week at a time. BUT I'm up to my ears in tomatoes.

 

Our goal is to have this green house nearly empty by this weekend. But one problem?

 

I'm plum out of space in the garden.

 

Well I'm down to two rows in the green house, and they are spread out so I can match up tomatoes and plant them together. I still have a lot of planting ahead of me. 

These are my two new beds. They kinda filled up fast. 

More tomatoes

More tomatoes 

More tomatoes

More tomatoes

I do have this semi empty new bed. Guess what we may be buying and moving this weekend to fill the bed for tomatoes? 

I've had to get out buckets. I now have buckets all over the back yard and it's still not enough.

Henry Fonda was the first rose to bloom this year. 

So every spare second is spent in the garden. Hoping to have nearly everything planted by this weekend. Also hoping to get Tuckers' new flower bed into place. This child, He comes to me one day and was like Mom I seriously need more garden space (hum wonder where it comes from?) So we had an idea, I'm tearing out an old strawberry bed because even with weed block and taking care of it the grass is overwhelming and it over takes the strawberries. So we are going to build up the bed to about 2 feet high, and Tucker will be able to have it.

 

We are trying to finish up schooling for the year. I so want to be done with school. So I'm trying when I get up in the morning to do school and not run into the garden and be there all day. Dang it's hard. Really hard. Cole's math is on hold, he is so stinking far ahead, so we are pausing and he works on math facts on the kindle. He loves it and it will really help when we start back up again. He knows the facts, but I want to get him moving faster.