Caught this in the pond....

Rodney was messing around tonight at the pond, and tossing his fishing line in, he caught this big bass. He was very excited! He also caught a larger bass and 12 perch. We are picking up our order next week for 50 each of catfish, bluegills, fathead minnow, and more bass. It looks like this will be a good pond to supply a food source for us. Praise God! LOL!

Home Selling Information

http://homebuying.about.com/od/sellingahouse/ht/homeprep.htm

Christmas Tree Farm

I am looking into planting Afghan Pines for a Christmas tree farm. It is low cost to get started, and easy maintenance for me and the kids to be able to handle. Here is my To Do List.

The website is: www.texaschristmastree.com

*Get your soil tested to determine what type of seedling species you can grow.
*Plan your field layout, providing for enough plots for future years.
*Consider your rainfall. Do you need irrigation? Do your research. Do an irrigation plan, if necessary.
*Order your seedlings by November 1.
*Join the Texas Christmas Tree Growers Association to begin getting the Yule Tidings Newsletter and the help of friendly TCTGA members.
*Attend field days and the annual TCTGA convention, where you can meet other growers and visit other Christmas Tree farms in your area. Be sure to take a camera or video camera for the many ideas you will get.

Countdown to Leap Day!

Muffin AKA Demon Dog and Twit

My mom emailed me and asked if it was okay if my grandmother had the address to this blog. I would love it if she started coming here to read what I have been up to. I am not much of a phone talker, so this is my outlet. If you are reading this Grandma, feel free to give it to everyone in the family, that way we can all keep in touch. I really miss everyone!

Yesterday was a bad day, I was not feeling well at all. I was dizzy and barely made it out of Walmart in the early morning before I passed out. I drove home carefully and spent the rest of the day on the couch. The kids picked up the living room and their dad got dinner. I am rarely this bad sick.

Today, I am much better, lots of energy. Started the day by making a fresh batch of laundry soap. I managed to clean more, work in the kitchen, and get almost all of the laundry done. I have two more loads, and that it will be it. I have packed up all the blankets and comforters and stored at the land. Everyone has one blanket and one set of sheets, and that is it. I sorted through all the laundry and got rid of holey stuff (this means it has holes, not that it is religious), and too small stuff to give away.

Rodney came home and took another bookcase, the dining room chairs, two rubber maid boxes, and some odds and ends. He would like to take everything, but I am not going to sit here on the floor until the house sells, or sleep on the floor with just a blanket. He wants everything out, that's not my goal. My goal was/is to declutter, which I have done lots of, pack, and put things out to give away to the thrift store. Taylor took a large group of give away items next store to the thrift store. The plan was to have a yard sale, but I have given up on that idea.

The stupid, little twit of a dog, used my freshly washed bedspread to pee on. Hannah left the door open to my room, where she watching tv, and the dog headed straight for MY SIDE!
She knows I hate her, and I know she did it on purpose. Chihuahua's are only good for taco meat, I swear it! I digress...

Today was a good day lesson wise for us. We accomplished quite a bit. Lauren and I worked on division with remainders, she read two chapters and finished her reading comprehension questions. We then sat at the computer and researched and discussed muskrats, the medicinal uses for Ginger root, how descriptive language aids our imagination, and three types of exercise (aerobic, strengthening and flexibility). A good discussion on what happens to a person if they are very hot and if they drank cold water quickly was very useful, seeing as they we live in a very hot climate. We talked about the body's need for electrolyes, and I explained what it was, and showed her what I had on hand (Gatorade and Pedia Lyte). Lastly we read the following Bible passages and discussed how they related to her reading assignment - Proverbs 10:5, 12:11, 20:11, 4:26, 6:6-8.

Tomorrow we plan to find a biography on Samuel Morse, read three more chapters and do the questions in her Silver Lake book. Look up "equinoctial" in the dictionary. Study the rotation of the earth on it's axis and the effect on sunrise, sunset and climate. We will talk about how we conserve water and why. Learn about the water cycle and study forms of precipitation, and more division work.

Something funny.....we were driving yesterday, and I saw a really large sprinkler in a field, and mentioned I would like to have it for my garden. Taylor said those aren't the best to use. I was kind of irritated, and asked why. He said that he learned in his Irrigation class at the community college, that drip irrigation was better, because so much water evaporated into the air, and the plants didn't get the best benefit. I just looked at him...I guess he's paying attention in class, which is good, and I admit I had hoped he would learn something useful to help out with on the land. Rodney just looked at me and laughed and said "yeah mom". I still liked the sprinkler, it was pretty, it was tall and looked like it was copper. LOL!

A New Dam at the Land

After church today we headed out to the land, with LeighAnn coming along. The girls spent the afternoon playing in the water and mud, and building a dam at the top part of the pond. The pond is filling up quite nicely, running the well pump, and the aeration and cleaning of the algae is making the pond look quite nice. Along with the grass being cut, it looks like a park!

We set up the canopy today, and I sat under it reading and drinking iced tea while the girls played in the water, caught tadpoles and frogs (and got bit by fire ants), and built the dam. The thermometer in the barn said 100 degrees! There was no way it was that hot. I brought the thermometer and sat it beside me under the canopy, and the temp went down to 90. It still didn't feel that hot.

I had put on sunscreen, but again broke out. I guess this was the sunscreen I wore last year at Disney World, because now I am in pain and itching all at the same time.

I need to get the girls water shoes, because they are getting scratches on their feet, and I would just feel better if they weren't walking in the pond in their bare feet, since hogs come down to drink and wallow in the mud, it's probably not too sanitary.

We left around 4:30 p.m., and I got the girls dinner at McDonalds, and then dropped my kids off at home with Rodney, and then headed to the Ladies' Bible Study with LeighAnn (we were meeting at April's house tonight, so it worked out great). Picked up Candi on the way, and afterwards we stopped at Starbucks before I dropped her off at home.

The bible study was very good, and we discussed finding peace in God, and how we often put other things in his way, and try to work things out for ourselves, and how that actually works for us. Had a few tense moments (can't discuss certain topics in our group, as it gets a few people wound up. These topics being certain family members and politics).

A Warm Spring Day!

Water Lilies by Monet

The temperature hit 90 today and we all have another sun burn! The guys (Rodney, Taylor and Rodney's Dad) headed for the land early to start cutting grass. The girls and I stayed home, cleaned a little, then headed to the grocery store. After coming back home and putting the groceries up, we headed to the land, stopping at the local McD's to take the guys lunch.

I had to come back home and get the keys to Lauren's four wheeler, the pool skimmer to get the algae off the pond, and to purchase a mini air compressor (at True Value) to pump up the wheels to the four wheeler. My intentions were not to stay there all day, but to finish up the laundry, but I didn't up leaving the land until 3:30 p.m. I fed and watered the chickens (one egg today), while Mr. Edge (FIL) used his tractor and shredder to cut more weeds and hay down on the proposed building site.

I had Rodney put up a rain gauge, as if this year holds true, it should start into the rainy time in a couple of weeks. I want to see how much rain the area gets, and to see how the water flows to make sure the house is in a good spot. Rodney also used his weed eater and riding lawn mower to cut around the pond. It looks like a park now! We will bring the park bench out to put under the tree next time. I planted two water lilies in the pond, to help with algae control. Between Taylor and I we were able to scoop out the majority of the surface algae.

We found two orange trees and a peach tree planted along the creek bed. The orange tree is only about knee high but had three oranges that had fallen off of it. Mr. Edge picked one up, peeled it and ate it, pronouncing it good and sweet.

I purchased two peach trees, two apple, and two nectarine trees, along with two blackberry bushes to plant. Now that the grass/weeds are cut, I can see where to plant them.

Taylor worked for a local man yesterday(Friday) helping with branches and such in the man's pecan grove. He lost his new cell phone at the man's land, and is going back to look for it tomorrow after church. I sure hope he finds it....good night everyone, it's after midnight, so I am off to bed.

Pressing on

I am getting discouraged about the lack of interest on the house. I really have my heart set on moving this summer, but if the house doesn't sell, we can't build the new house.

On a positive note the woodstove chimney kit for the new house was delivered today. We also spent the evening looking at flooring, air conditioners, lights, etc. I also ordered a two burner electric cooktop from Lowe's. It will be black to match the refrigerator and the wall oven we will also be purchasing.

Lauren is anxiously collecting paint samples and looking at rugs so she can decorate her room, but we are making her wait until we actually move and the house is built. She's a little irritated by this, but hopefully it won't be too long.

Thursday Afternoon

Okay it is almost early Friday morning.....so I want to hurry up and post.

Spend the day packing up the hallway (all the books from the bookshelves) and odds and ends from the drawers in the bookcases. Took time to put laundry in and out all day too.

When Rodney came home I was ready with a truckload of stuff, including my grandmother's dining room table and the buffet that Rodney made. I am hesitant to put this stuff in storage, but needed the room cleared out, so that Rodney can finish sanding and staining the dining room floor to match the kitchen. Next on the list is the other bookcase, the hall closet, the foyer closet and Taylor's room. We will get to that on Saturday, as I have errands to run tomorrow morning.

After running down to the land to deposit the load, we ran the well for a bit into the pond to help aerate it, and ran the portable pump to aerate on the other end.

Talked to a guy at a local fish hatchery today, and will be picking up Grass Carp (algae control), catfish and bass to stock the pond. I am very excited. I'd like to start getting this algae under control.

I gave myself until the end of February to get the house in shape for people to start coming to look at it, so I have all next week to finish packing and get the house cleaned up (mainly touch up painting and washing all the carpets and windows).

Everyone please pray it sells fast and for the price we need! Thanks!

Wheat And Economy Ramblings

I purchased my first 45 lb container of Hard Red Wheat today(actually Wednesday, but I am posting this really late or really early Thursday a.m. about 12:00 midnight) from the local distributor. I was so excited to find it in town, and not have to order online. Online the same container is almost $36.00 plus shipping. I paid $24.00 for it locally.

Since Candi and I had packed my coffee grinder yesterday, so I went by Home Depot this evening and purchased their last three coffee grinders. They were $7.00, which is why I bought all three, and if one goes out, I will have back ups.

At Candi's we used her coffee grinder to grind enough flour for her to make a loaf of bread. Worked beautifully! Grain mills are expensive. Anywhere from $150.00 to $400.00 depending on the style and manufacturer. I don't know why more people don't use a food processor or coffee grinder, works good for me. Even a hand cranked coffee grinder runs about $25.00 online.

I am going to grind enough flour in the morning to make whole wheat pancakes. I can't wait!

Once we move and my pantry shelves are up, I will purchase 14 pails of the wheat. This should be enough to last a year, which is my goal. I am trying to get enough food stored for a year. With the economy the way it is going, I am worried about Rodney's job. Having enough food for a year will help tremendously. Once we sell this house and move, I will have more piece of mind. I pray daily that God holds off any serious financial crisis in our family until after the house is sold. I definitely don't want it foreclosed on, because then my biggest asset will be gone, and I won't be able to build a new house. Along with a house that is paid for, and a year supply of food, Rodney won't have to worry about finding a high paying job. We could survive on minimum wage for the electric bill and car insurance. I am so glad that we are almost debt free. The house payment is our biggest headache right now, so once the house is sold, it will be a very freeing feeling.

I worry about my family and friends. Most of them are not taking the pending recession very seriously. It would be ideal if they would downsize their lifestyles some, but I don't anticipate that happening anytime soon. They look at me as different, and probably even crazy. I think I am just logical and practical. It doesn't take a genius to see the writing on the wall, and to prepare for upcoming emergencies. They would do well to get their finances in order quickly, and purchase some more food. Food prices are projected to increase 500% in some areas during 2008! I have already seen eggs go from .79 cents a dozen to $1.89. I am so glad I have chickens and they have started laying again. As soon as we are out on the land, I am getting more chickens, ducks, geese, goats, a cow or two, a couple of pigs, and will stock the pond with bass and catfish. Many of these animals will end up in the freezer at the end of the year, providing us with more than enough meat for the year. We will be renting a backhoe soon and digging a root cellar/tornado shelter, as well as, deepening the pond, and digging out a section above the pond to use as a swimming hole. Rodney plans to line it with cinder blocks and cement to help hold the water in.

I won't be able to have an extensive garden this year, which is sad. I had so planned to have a larger garden and to can the surplus. I even received a pressure canner for Christmas. But with moving and building I don't see how I will get to plant and care for a garden. We'll see.

If you are interested in preparing for any upcoming financial emergencies or natural disasters (tornadoes/hurricanes) check out www.backwoodshome.com for great info. I highly recommend their annual magazine subscription, and any of their books for sale.

Packing, Ponds and Pbbsstt!

Candi came over and we managed to get the dining room packed up. Rodney came home late from work, and we took a truck load over to the storage container at the land. We have the dining room table, buffet, desk and chairs to take over to the storage.

The pond is starting to be over grown with algae. I need to get a pool skimmer to clear off the algae blooms from the surface. I have also been researching purchasing Koi and goldfish to introduce to the pond, as well as, water lilies to help control the algae. We have begun aerating the pond, but it doesn't seem to be helping very much. I think it needs to be done on a daily basis, and not a weekly basis. But since we aren't out there very much every day, it's hard to do. Rodney doesn't want to leave the well pump going unattended, "just in case".

Tomorrow on my errands, I will purchase a pool skimmer, and inquire about goldfish and Koi at a Pet Store I know of. There is a hatchery near by, and I will call them tomorrow. But the fancy Koi prices start at $1,000! I just want something to eat my algae, it can be butt ugly for all I care. I was thinking of cat fish and algae eaters too. They have them in fish tanks. Maybe if I buy about 20, it would help??? Who knows? I'll try and see.

My to do list for tomorrow looks like this:

1) pick up Lauren from Candi's
2) stop by credit union and get cashier's check for Ann, Lawyer, Land Payment
3) mail land payment
4) stop by pool supply place
5) stop by wheat distributor
6) stop by pet store
7) pick up trays

Status

Spent the day decluttering and packing my bedroom. Packed up enough boxes to fill an 8 foot pick up truck load, along with my treadle sewing machine and a chair. When Rodney came home we took a load to the land to put in the storage container. We stopped for dinner on the way home.

I need to wash dishes. Candi is coming over tomorrow to help me pack up the kitchen and dining room.

Water Filter

This is the water filter that I want, it's called a Katadyn Gravidyn Water Filter and can be purchased from the www.crystalfallstradingcompany.com


Anyone feeling generous? LOL! Just kidding....adding it to my wish list, so once we move into the new house, I can start getting things that I have been wanting for a while.

Pretty Cool Sites

http://www.familiesontheroad.com/roadschooling.html

http://www.crystalfallstradingcompany.com/

Updated Construction Diagrams

Double click on each picture to enlarge it, that way you will better be able to see the details.

Chimney Kit

I ordered this chimney kit today for the new house. We will have to vent the wood stove out the wall instead of the attic, because well, the second floor in this house will be kid's bedrooms. We don't want a "touchable" stove pipe in their room, and there isn't an attic in this house. We will need to purchase additional insulated pipe, floor and wall protectors and a heat reclaimer to finish outfitting the stove, but I will wait on that for now. This kit is hard to find, so I bought it while it was in stock.

Tire Sandals

http://www.hollowtop.com/pls.htm

I found this site on the internet, and thought it was cool. Wanted to share it with everyone. Hey! I get tired of my kids wearing out their shoes so quickly, it's nice to know there is a solution. LOL!

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day to all! My kids really love Valentine's Day, especially Lauren. She is extremely sensitive to the fact that she feels she really needs to buy me something. Of course if she didn't insist and drag her dad to the store, I'd probably end up with nothing, not that it really matters, but it is sweet that she is so intense about it.

Taylor gave me a box of Ghiradelli Assorted Chocolates, the girls and Rodney gave me roses, a heart shaped box of Turtles candy, and a card (oh, plus an egg that they picked up out of the chicken coop ;-) - well it was in the bag when they handed it to me, so I assume it was part of the present.

I cooked lasagna for dinner for everyone, made a chocolate cream pie, have chocolate dipped strawberries, and we decorated the table with a hearts table cloth, candy, balloons, and cards for everyone.

Rodney started painting the trim around the house, and I planted marigolds in the pots on the porch. Tomorrow, we will get cracking cleaning up outside and inside, as the Realtor comes Saturday. We won't be able to get everything done, but at least she will get an idea.

I don't plan to sign with her right away. I'd like to try and sell the house ourselves first, that way I can avoid paying $10,000 in commissions.

I listed the house on craigslist last night, and have a few nibbles, hopefully something pans out, before too long. We are finished working on the plans with the builder, and just need the funds to get busy building.

I'd like to be out at the land by June, but will wait on the Lord's direction. I am trying to take it slow, and do one thing at a time, and God has been really good to us. The roofer came out and finished the roof and it looks wonderful. They tried to match the shingles as best as they could, and you can't even tell! Praise God!

Quote of the day

"Batten down the hatches and prepare the ship for heavy seas because we're in for a very rough ride in uncharted waters with a fool at the helm." -- 7th Fleet

Current Economic Outlook for 2008

*excerpt from online article found at FS -- just keeping ya'll up to date

February 13, 2008
Dave Hamlin & JB

Due to my particular formal education and training my mind tends to separate and prioritize incoming information and threats. I sat down yesterday and compiled a list of the current negative influences on our economic situation (I could not come up with any positives unfortunately). These are not in any particular order, just the way they flowed into my mind. I hope all can see that the powers that be have pretty much filled all the squares for the making of a truly catastrophic situation and economic collapse.

1. 3 years straight of negative savings rate for Americans.

2. Record National Debt is over $9 trillion.

2a. Federal Reserve is hiding the amount of money in circulation (M3 no longer published) and appears to be printing money faster than at any time in its’ history.

3. Record National trade deficit

4. Personal debt at all time high

5. Food/grain reserves at all time low (one month versus the historical standard of one year)

6. Equity markets essentially at a ZERO percent return since 2000

7. REAL National industrial production waning since the 1990's due to tax incentives that force businesses to move factories overseas in able to remain competitive

7a. National development and research noticeably diminishing due to the need to locate research/development in close proximity to manufacturing which has been driven overseas

8. National Guard and Reserve Military forces maxxed out and overextended, unable to respond to a national emergency

8a. Criteria to get into the US military has been relaxed to the point that many ethically challenged people with criminal records who previously would not have been admitted are now embraced.

8b. Corporate militaries are now heavily funded by the US government and given key assignments in foreign countries while simultaneously giving them immunity from prosecution. These corporate soldiers are paid much more than our military and equipped far better, and they have no compunction against shooting anyone who happens to be in their operational area. This is creating a huge image problem both in the countries where these corporations work as well as with our traditional soldiers who are expected to clean up their mess.

9. $100 Trillion plus (conservatively) teetering in the worldwide derivatives markets

10. $100 Oil (approximately) – and headed up.

11. Record foreclosure rates

12. Jobs in decline

13. Dollar index at record lows

14. Superbug infections (antibiotic resistant) increasing at an alarming rate

14a. FDA, UN, and WHO moving to take easy access to nutrients and supplements from the population. The Codex Alimentarius Commission is the United Nations and the World Health Organization working in conjunction with the multinational pharmaceutical cartel and international banks.

15. Bird flu on the verge of mutating into a truly pandemic causing vector

16. NAIS, National Animal ID system threatening to shut down ALL the family farms and ranches

17. GMOs (genetic modified organisms) and terminator seed technology threatening the ENTIRE food supply

18. Grain prices at RECORD highs

19. Bank reserves at RECORD lows

20. The BIG three....McCain, Clinton, Obama (I am voting for RON PAUL)

20a. Evidence indicates massive fraud in early primary elections, pulling votes from both Paul and Obama.

21. National ethics is in the ditch due to things like approval of torture (seen as necessary), people can now be held in secret by the feds without trial or even charges for years, and so on. (Much damage was done by the so called Patriot Acts.)

22. The world image of the US (as seen by other nations) is at an all time low.

23. Borders have been held open allowing illegal immigrants and criminals to flow into this country while legislating benefits to them which drain local resources. Some reports show approximately 25% of the US prison population are illegal immigrants.

24. Gangs in our cities are on the upswing and members have been joining the military where they get valuable training in weapons and warfare. This training is already being used successfully against police as these gang members return from the military onto the streets.

25. Cameras on all major intersections and highways, along with software which recognized license plates and facial features.

26. Americans are personally being tracked more and more. FBI is establishing databases which will contain key biometrics information on all Americans. Financial records (charge card, utility, and other transaction bills) are being dumped into Federal databases so profiles on and activities of every American can be accessed immediately.

27. US Military in conjunction with some local police have been practicing confiscation of weapons in the homes of Americans.

Weather on the Chilly Side

The temperature dropped rapidly this morning, and by lunch time it was cold enough we need a fire in the wood stove. I am trying to gear up to start packing, though I am not feeling well, and we have also been doing some much needed school work.

We are in the Little House Book "By the Shores of Silver Lake", Chp 15-17. Today's topics were learning about the history of the railroad and it's role in westward expansion in the U.S. We studied about tuberculosis, and highlight of the day was reading about the Polka and the Waltz on wikipedia and listening to samples of the music. I played the Blue Danube Waltz for Lauren and she recognized it instantly. This waltz is played a lot in cartoons. If you get a chance go to www.wikipedia.org and search for the Blue Danube waltz and listen to the sound clip there...you will recongize it too!

We also searched wiki for examples of petticoats, chemises, corsets (Lauren liked those), bloomers, long underwear and drew a picture of each. Laura's clothes were made of flannel, woolen cloth and wool yarn. We read about the "checks and balances" for our government, and then did some math work. I think we will call it a day. We have been at it for several hours.

I have been looking at curriculum for next year, and we will be doing Abeka Math and using E.D Hirsch's textbooks and online lesson plans. Lauren is doing school work in a mixture of grades, depending on her ability (5-6). We also ordered Pre-GED and GED practice tests, because she has established for herself a goal of completing her GED by the time she is 16. If she changes her mind, no big deal. I don't want to push her in this, but she is motivated, for now, in learning, and I wanted to encourage, hence purchasing the books for her to look through, and for us to use in the years ahead.

What if 20 million illegal immigrants went home?

I copied this article from an online news source....made me stop and think....

What if 20 Million Illegal Aliens Vacated America ?

Tina Griego, journalist for the Denver Rocky Mountain News (verified on Google) wrote a column titled,

"Mexican visitor's lament"

http://groups.google.com.nf/group/re...4de126db4a5b64

She interviewed Mexican journalist Evangelina Hernandez while visiting Denver last week. Hernandez said, "They (illegal aliens) pay rent, buy groceries, buy clothes. What happens to your country's economy if 20 million people go away?"

That's a good question - it deserves an answer. Over 80% of Americans demand secured borders & illegal migration stopped. But what would happen if all 20 million or more vacated America ? The answers may surprise you!

In CA, if 3.5 million illegal aliens moved back to Mexico , it would leave an extra $10.2 billion to spend on overloaded school systems, bankrupt hospitals & overrun prisons. It would leave highways cleaner, safer & les s congested. Everyone could understand one another as English became the dominant language again.

In CO, 500,000 illegal migrants, plus their 300,000 kids & grand-kids - would move back 'home', mostly to Mexico . That would save Coloradans an estimated $2 billion (other experts say $7 billion) annually in taxes that pay for schooling, medical, social-services & incarceration costs. It means 12,000 gang members would vanish out of Denver alone.

CO would save more than $20 million in prison costs, & the terror that those 7,300 alien criminals set upon local citizens. Denver Officer Don Young & hundreds of CO victims would not have suffered death, accidents, rapes & other crimes by illegals.

Denver public schools would not suffer a 67% drop-out/flunk-out rate because of thousands of illegal alien students speaking 41 different languages. At least 200,000 vehicles would vanish from our grid locked cities in CO.

Denver 's 4% unemployment rate would vanish as our working poor would gain jobs at a living wage.

In FL, 1.5 million illegals would return the Sunshine State back to America , the rule of law, & English.

In Chicago (IL), 2.1 million illegals would free up hospitals, schools, prisons & highways for a safer, cleaner & more crime-free experience.

If 20 million illegal aliens returned 'home' --

If 20 million illegal aliens returned 'home', the U.S. Economy would return to the rule of law Employers would hire legal American citizens at a living wage. Everyone would pay their fair share of taxes because they wouldn't be working off the books. That would result in an additional $401 billion in IRS income taxes collected annually, & an equal amount for local, state & city coffers.

No more push '1' for Spanish or '2' for English. No more confusion in American schools that now must contend w/over 100 languages that degrade the educational system for American kids. Our overcrowded schools would lose more than 2 million illegal alien kids at a cost of billions in ESL & free breakfasts & lunches.

We would lose 500,000 illegal criminal alien inmates at a cost of more than $1.6 billion annually. That includes 15,000 MS-13 gang members who distribute $130 billion in drugs annually would vacate our country.

In cities like L.A. , 20,000 members of the ' 18th Street Gang' would vanish from our nation. No more Mexican forgery gangs for ID theft from Americans! No more foreign rapists & child molesters!

Losing more than 20 million people would clear up our crowded highways & gridlock. Cleaner air & less drinking & driving American deaths by illegal aliens!

America 's economy is drained. Taxpayers are harmed. Employers get rich. Over $80 billion annually wouldn't return to the aliens' home countries by cash transfers. Illegal migrants earned half that money untaxed, which further drains America 's economy - which currently suffers an $8.7 trillion debt.

& nbsp; At least 400,000 anchor babies would not be born in our country, costing us $109 billion per year per cycle. At least 86 hospitals in CA, GA & FL would still be operating instead of being bankrupt out of existence because illegals pay nothing via the EMTOLA Act.

Americans wouldn't suffer thousands of TB & hepatitis cases rampant in our country-brought in by illegals unscreened at our borders.

Our cities would see 20 million less people driving, polluting & grid locking our cities. It would also put the 'progressives' on the horns of a dilemma; illegal aliens & their families cause 11% of our greenhouse gases.

Over 1 million of Mexico's poorest citizens now live inside & along our border from Brownsville (TX) to San Diego (CA) in what the NY Times called, 'colonias' or new neighborhoods. Trouble is, those living areas resemble Bombay & Calcutta where grinding poverty, filth, diseases, drugs, crimes, no sanitation & worse. They live w/out sewage, clean water, streets, electricity, roads or any kind of sanitation. The NY Times reported them to be America 's new '3rd World' inside our own country. Within 20 years, at their current growth rate, they expect 20 million residents of those colonias. (I've seen them personally in TX & AZ; it's sickening beyond anything you can imagine.) By enforcing our laws, we could repatriate them back to Mexico .

We should invite 20 million aliens to go home, fix their own countries &/or make a better life in Mexico . We already invite a million people into our country legally more than all other countries combined annually. We cannot & must not allow anarchy at our borders, more anarchy w/in our borders & growing lawlessness at every level in our nation. It's time to stand up for our country, our culture, our civilization & our way of life.

More Building Plans

These are the builder drawings (double click on pictures to enlarge) that were sent to us. I had sent preliminary drawings of what I was planning, and the builder took those and created the ones that would work engineering/structurally wise.

The first picture is a diagram of the first floor. The left side of the picture is the front of the house with porch. The first floor with have the great room (harvest kitchen, dining room, living room), a bedroom on the top right, and the bottom room on the bottom right will consist of a mudroom, utility room, large pantry and a small bathroom.

The second picture is a diagram for the second floor. It will consist of two bedrooms on the top floor. The parallel dark lines on the left are dormer windows.

I am getting very excited and really hope the house sells quickly.

We moved some boxes to the storage container out at the land. I will work on packing more tomorrow.

I will post some pictures below of rooms that I liked that I found on the internet, and that I want Rodney to copy.

Do you know how to catch wild pigs?

I found this online and wanted to share it with everyone.....

THIS IS TRULY THOUGHT PROVOKING. PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO READ IT.

There was a chemistry professor in a large college who had some exchange students in the class. One day, while the class was in the lab the professor noticed one young man, an exchange student, who kept rubbing His back and stretching as if his back hurt.

The professor asked the young man what was the matter. The student told him he had a bullet lodged in his back. Communists in his native country who were trying to overthrow his country's government and install a new communist regime, had shot him while he was fighting them.

In the midst of his story, he looked at the professor and asked: "Do you know how to catch wild pigs?" The professor thought it was a joke and asked for the punch line. The young man said that it was no joke.

"You catch wild pigs by finding a suitable place in the woods and putting corn on the ground. The pigs find it and begin to come every day to eat the free corn. When they are used to coming every day, you put a fence down one side of the place where they are used to coming. When they get used to the fence, they begin to eat the corn again and you put up another side of the fence. They get used to that and start to eat again. You continue until you have all four sides of the fence up with a gate in the last side. The pigs, which are used to the free corn, start to come through the gate to eat that free corn again. You then slam the gate on them and catch the whole herd. Suddenly the wild pigs have lost their freedom. They run around and around inside the fence, but they are caught. Soon they go back to eating the free corn. They are so used to It that they have forgotten how to forage in the woods for themselves, so they accept their captivity."

The young man then told the professor that is exactly what he sees happening in America . The government keeps pushing us toward Communism/Socialism and keeps spreading the free corn out in the form of programs such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI), tax credit for unearned income, tax exemptions, tobacco subsidies, dairy subsidies, payments not to plant crops (CRP), welfare, medicine, drugs, etc... while we continually lose our freedoms, just a little at a time.

One should always remember two truths: There is no such thing as a free lunch, and you can never hire someone to provide a service for you, cheaper than you can do it yourself.

If you see that all of this wonderful government 'help' is a problem confronting the future of democracy in America , you might want to send this on to your friends. If you think the free ride is essential to your way of life, then you will probably delete this email. But, God help you when the gate slams shut!

The only thing I can add to this is a question for you... Which candidates out there are most anxious to spread around the feed corn, and what might their motives be? Think about it, and think about it very carefully...!

Rodeo Time

The kids and I had planned to attend the rodeo today, but Rodney wanted to go with us, which made the girls really happy. He even called this morning to let me know he was taking off half a day, so we could go early instead of afterwork. This turned out to be a great idea. We didn't get down town until around 1:30 pm, because our home builder called and wanted to meet with us at the property. He gave us an estimate, but after discussing with him several different areas, he will have to re-work our estimate. A couple of things we want added are hurricane tie downs, even though we don't live in a hurricane area. We get very bad thunderstorms, which bring straight line winds and often tornadoes. We are hoping these tie downs will help prevent damage.
We paid the deposit for him to draw up the building plans, and are now waiting for the house to sell. Any takers??

Rodney also decided to go with a full front porch instead of the little one in the other picture, and he changed his mind about cedar siding. Soooooo.......here is a picture of the changed house


I also had to work up a preliminary floor plan to give the builder, even though he is just building a shell, and Rodney will do the finish work. Here are two pictures of the proposed floor plan. Who knows what it will turn out like in the end though.....

Here is a picture that was on the builder's website, of what the finished second story should/could look like...the roof slopes in, but I just didn't like the look as well, for the barn style roof.

Oh, by the way, the rodeo was great fun! It was dollar days at the rodeo, meaning admission was $1.00, as well as, the rides. We ate some really good fajita tacos at the Rodeo Scholarship tent, looked through the horse barns, and spent the rest of the time riding the rides. My stomach still hasn't recovered, and I feel "car sick". Blech!

Time to get in gear with cleaning and packing, so I can move our stuff to the storage container.

Have a great weekend!

Making Progress

My friend Rebecca came out this way to get her hair done, and asked that I take her to our new homestead. She had been waiting to see it. She said she really liked it, and was trying not to "lust" after our new property. LOL!

Received another egg from one of the chickens. Which the other three would start laying too. After work Rodney headed over to take a set of house plans back to his mom. She had lent them to us to see if we wanted to build it. We didn't, Rodney said it would cost way too much to build that design. He and his dad took some railroad ties out to the land, because the storage container that we ordered is supposed to be delivered tomorrow. It is an old boxcar type container. We will use it to start putting our furniture and belongings in, so we can declutter the house and get it listed. Making steady progress...after the container, Rodney plans to work on the fence, and then that will be it, until we sell the house.

Here is a recipe that I put together tonight:

I guess I will call it Chipolte Baked Chicken

Heat oven to 425 degrees.
Place Chicken breast, thighs, legs (whatever you have) in casserole pan

Mix the following ingredients together:

1/2 cup butter or margine, melted
2 tsp Watkins Grapeseed Oil Chipolte Liquid Sauce
1/4 tsp Watkins Ground Black Pepper
1/2 tsp Watkins Organic Thyme
1/4 tsp Watkins All Purpose Seasoning
1/4 tsp Watkins Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Watkins Organic Rosemary

Separate out the melted butter, reserving 1/4 cup. Using a pastry brush, baste the top of the chicken and cook for 30 minutes (baste every 10 minutes). Turn chicken over and baste the other side, and cook until done (I cooked mine for about an 1 1/2 hours because I started out with frozen chicken, forgot to take it out of the freezer earlier). Keep basting. It's done with the skin on the chicken is brown, crispy and crinkly. Baste one more time upon taking it out....

Use the remaining 1/4 cup to dip chicken in and eat, if desired. More melted butter sauce can be made if you really need more. The chicken is yummy like it is, but dipping bites into the butter makes it great!

**Warning, this is not a LOW FAT recipe! I didn't take the skin off of the chicken, and well, I am encouraging you to use LOTS of melted butter. LOL!

Reasons to Own a Gun

Thought I would share...

One of the best pieces of literature that I have ever read as to why we
should always maintain the right to bear arms.


1) "The very atmosphere of firearms everywhere restrains evil
interference; they deserve a place of honor with all that's good."
George Washington.

2) "The best we can hope for concerning the people at large is
that they be properly armed."
Alexander Hamilton.

3) "Arms discourage and keep the invader and plunderer in
awe, and preserve order in the world as well as property."
Thomas Paine.

4) "Americans need not fear the federal government because
they enjoy the advantage of being armed, which you possess
over the people of almost every other nation."
James Madison.

5) "Games played with the ball and others of that nature,
are too violent for the body and stamp no character on the
mind. Let your gun therefore be the constant companion of
you r walks."
Thomas Jefferson.

6) "The great object is that every man be armed. Everyone
who is able may have a gun."
Patrick Henry.

7) "Laws that forbid the carrying of arms... disarm only
those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit
crimes"
Thomas Jefferson quoting Cesare Beccaria.

8) "To disarm the people is the best and most effectual
way to enslave them."
George Mason

9) "The said Consti tution be never construed... to prevent
the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens
from keeping their own arms."
Samuel Adams.

10) "But the right of citizens to bear arms is just one more
guarantee against arbitrary government, and one more
safeguard against a tyranny which now appears remote in
America, but which historically has proved to be always
possible."
Hubert Humphrey .

11) "I carried it (a revolver) religiously and during the
summer I asked a friend, a man who had been one of
Franklin's bodyguards in New York State, to give me some
practice in target shooting so that if the need arose I would
know how to use the gun."
Eleanor Roosevelt

12) "By calling attention to 'a well regulated militia', the
'security' of the nation, and the right of each citizen 'to
keep and bear arms', our founding fathers recognized the
essentially civilian nature of our economy. Although it is
extremely unlikely that the fears of governmental tyranny
which gave rise to the Second Amendment will ever be a
major danger to our nation, the Amendment still remains
an important declaration of our basic civilian-military
relationships, in which every citizen must be ready to
participate in the defense of his country. For that reason,
I believe the Second Amendment will always be important."
John F. Kennedy

13) "Mightn't it be better in those areas of high crime to arm
the homeowner and the shopkeep er, teach him how to use his
weapons and put the word out to the underworld that it is no
longer totally safe to rob and murder? One wonders indeed
if the rising crime rate isn't due as much as anything to the
criminal's instinctive knowledge that the average victim no
longer has any means of protection. No one knows how
many crimes are committed because the criminal knows he
has a soft touch. No one knows how many stores have been
left alone because the criminals knew them to be guarded by a
man with a gun."
R onald Reagan.

I own a gun because:

14) 1911: Turkey established gun control. From 1915 to
1917, 1.5 million Armenians, unable to defend themselves,
were rounded up and exterminated.

15) 1929: Soviet Union established gun control. From 1929
to 1953, about 40-60 million citizens, unable to defend themselves,
were rounded up and exterminated or starved to death.

16) 1935: China established gun c ontrol. From 1948 to 1952, 20
million political dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were
rounded up and exterminated.

17) 1938: Germany established gun control. From 1939 to 1945,
13 million Jews, Catholics and others who were unable to defend
themselves were rounded up and exterminated.

18) 1956: Cambodia established gun control. From 1975 to 1977,
one million 'educated' people, unable to defend themselves, were
rounded up and exterminated."

19) 1964: Guatemala established gun control. From 1964 to 1981,
100,000 Mayan Indians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded
up and exterminated.

20) 1966-1976: China still has gun control. Another 50-100 million
civilians, unable to defend themselves, were killed in Mao Tse Tung's
"Cultural Revolution".

21) 1970: Uganda established gun control. From 1971 to 1979,
300,000 Christians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up
and exterminated.

22) 1990s: Rwanda established gun control. In a span of 100 days
in April 1994, 800,000 people who were unable to defend themselves
were massacred to death - most by machetes. How many dead,
hacked-up bodies do you think were found holding a loaded gun?
(answer is less than one)

23) 1992: Los Angeles California, USA. For three days police stood
by and watched, unable to stop the rioting, arson and destruction of
whole neighborhoods. Yet many Korean stores were virtually
untouched - protected by their well-armed storeowners who exercised
their right to self-defense through their right to keep and bear arms and
who did for themselves what the police were unwilling or unable to do.

24) Late 1990s: Great Britain established total gun control. Robberies,
burglaries and assaults have skyrocketed making London's violent
crime rate now higher than anywhere in America.

25) 2005: New Orleans hit by hurricane. Widespread catastrophe, no
law enforcement across most of the city for weeks. Some citizens
protected themselves with firearms - until NOLA police began
forcefully confiscating them "for their own protection", leaving even
the elderly unable to defend themselves against roving gangs
of looters.

26) "Ordinary citizens don't need guns, as their having guns doesn't
serve the State."
Heinrich Himmler

I Own Firearms Because It Is My God-Given Right To Self-Defense:

27) "If the thief is found breaking in, and he is struck so that he dies,
there shall be no guilt for his bloodshed."
Exodus 22:2

28) "...he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one."
Luke 22:36

29) "When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his
goods are in peace."
Luke 11:21

30) "We hol d these truths to be self-evident, that all men are
created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain
unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the
pursuit of Happiness."
Declaration of Independence.

I Own Firearms Because I Have Common Sense:

31) The second amendment is not dependant on the most recent
crime statistics - nor is my right to own a gun contingent on what
criminals do.

32) 2 million times a year, private citizens successfully use
firearms to defend themselves.

33) Criminals fear victims holding guns, not victims holding phones.

I Own Firearms Because There Are Those with Power Who, If Given
The Chance, Would Force Me to Relinquish them:

34) "Banning guns addresses a fundamental right of Americans to feel
safe."
Sen. Diane Feinstein, D-CA.

35) "We're going to hammer guns on the anvil of relentless legislative
strategy! We're going to beat guns into submission!"
Rep. (now Senator) Charles Schumer D-NY.

36) "Senator Ashcroft is so far out of the mainstream that he has
said that citizens need to be armed in order to protect themselves against
a tyrannical government. Our government? Tyrannical?"
Sen. Ted Kennedy D-MA, at John Ashcroft's Senate confirmation
hearing, 2001.

37) "The sale of guns must stop. Halfway measures are not enough."
Sarah Brady.

38) "Banning guns is an idea whose time has come."
Sen. Joseph Biden, D-DE.

39) "I don't believe that everybody in America needs to be able to
buy a semi-automatic or fully-automatic weapon, built only for the
purpose of killing people, in order to protect the right of Americans
to hunt and practice marksmanship and to be secure."
Bill Clinton.

40) "I don't care about crime. I just want to get the guns."
Former Senator Howard Metzenbaum, D-OH during Brady Bill
debates.

41) "If someone is so fearful that, they're going to start using their
weapons to protect their rights, makes me very nervous that these people
have these weapons at all!" Rep. Henry Waxman, D-NY, 5/2001 MSNBC report on .50BMG rifles.

7th

Monday

This cute little picture was sent in an email to me today. I really liked it, and wanted to share it with you all.

The kids and I drove over to a nearby town to pick up some grit and oyster shell for the chickens. I also purchased a 12 lb galvanized feeder and another waterer. We decided to go to Tractor Supply next, but they were kind of high, so we continued onto Walmart about 20 miles away to pick up some new wranglers, shirts, socks and underwear for Taylor. This was his birthday present from us. Plus, we bought him new tennis shoes.

After Walmart we drove about another 20 miles to the land to check on the chickens. They survived their first night. Praise God!

A neighbor stopped by with another neighbor that I have never met, and wanted to look at the house. The 2nd neighbor's daughter is getting married next week, and they are looking to buy a new home. The house is a mess, as I am throwing out stuff, and packing, but they looked through the house anyway. It'd be nice if they would buy it, and save us the worry of having to look for a buyer.

The roofer never showed up, he called and should be here either tomorrow or Wednesday.

I then called the county extension office and talked to the guy about wild life management and pond management. He told me it sounds like we need more aeration in the pond, and to get the cat tails under control.

When Rodney came home we drove into town to look at large storage containers (40 footers). They have them for sale around $1500 and up. Rodney found one he really wants, it's 45 foot long, and is $2800. Kind of high, but I really need some storage now. I need to get busy moving some of our stuff to the land, so that we can get this house in shape. Rodney is thinking about it still, and will decide if he wants to get the storage container.

I did only two loads of laundry today, and was able to get the living room and bathroom picked up.

**Okay ya'll go to my Watkins and/or Avon site and order something please!

With much shoving and pulling we were able to load this heavy thing onto the trailer and take it down to the farm. This thing is so heavy, that we couldn't pick it up at all. Using plywood as skids we were able to get it onto and off the trailer and situated outside the barn. Eventually, the area from the left side of the coop, to the end of the barn on the right, will be fenced in as an outside run.

On the way home, we stopped at my FIL and MIL house to drop off the trailer. My MIL lent us a set of blue prints for a house that she had wanted to build at one time, and that she thought we might like to build. It's the style we are looking for, but I think we are going to still go with www.alcocabins.com. We stopped at Church's Chicken for dinner on the way home, and a good thing because.....

When we arrived home, our neighbor informed us that we were without power. Apparently, the transformer behind our house (the same one that caught fire last May during/after the tornado/storm) started sparking, and the neighborhood went dark.


I came inside and lit the candles in the living room. Rodney started the generator, and plugged in the t.v. and we watched the Disney Channel while eating dinner. The plan was to plug the refrigerator/freezer in before bed if the power didn't come back on, but unfortunately it did. I was kind of dissappointed that it came back on so soon, as I was looking forward to showing Rodney how much we don't need to use the electricity. We did have a good discussion on if it would be cheaper to purchase fuel for the generator and run it when needed, or to pay the electric bill. We estimate it would be about the same....too bad.....

Tomorrow is Taylor's 19th birthday! I can hardly believe it, the time has gone by so fast. We plan to go out to eat after church for his birthday, as well as, taking a cake to church for everyone to share his birthday with him. Tomorrow evening we will head to April's house for a Super Bowl Party. The guys will watch the Super Bowl, and I will show the ladies how to make laundry soap.

Our next projects on the list is to get the forms built so that we can order the concrete for the foundation for the workshop/storage building/temporary cabin.

Friday

Checked the mail this morning and FINALLY received the insurance checks back from the mortgage company. We drove into town today for the Hannah Montana Concert Movie, and afterwards deposited the checks in the bank. I was able to pay all the bills by today, so being that it is the first of the month, we don't have to pay anything else the rest of the month. Praise God!

That means we have about $1500 this month to devote towards the land. I have earmarked an additional $600 for gas and incidentals, and we won't spend anything else.

We picked up a piece of lumber at Home Depot to finish the doors for the chicken coop. We also picked up all the barbed wire to fence in the remaining open side of the property. Eventually, we will fence in across the back, and replace the middle piece, as the posts are rotting and falling down.

The plan is to take the coop out to the land tomorrow, then move the chickens out there....