James - 7 months

Sometimes I hesitate to write anything here, but then I remember this is my space, and I write for myself. The things I write here aren't meant to be taken as complaints or whinings, but just "stuff" that happens around the homestead, plus my ramblings. It is a continuous, exciting, and at times heart breaking journey, but I am learning a lot.

This morning as we were getting ready to leave to go to a friend's to help out and do our schoolwork, Lauren came in from feeding the animals to tell me that Dolly (milk goat) had blood streaming from her head. I went out to check her out, and noticed about a silver dollar size injury on top of her head. She was eating so I knew it wasn't too bad, and figured that she and the biggest male goat had been butting heads. I think she is getting ready to breed, because he is following her around and she is flirting with him. He runs all the other males off too.

Bo, the Pyr, also had a hurt foot last night. I noticed him limping. Lauren went and checked him this morning, and said his foot was green, purple and red. I didn't have time to check him then, so waited until this afternoon. I think he was bit by a snake. She poured peroxide on it earlier, and tonight I looked at it, expressed the fluid and put neosporin on it. I gave him food and water which he gulped down, and he laid down to sleep. I think he'll be fine, but I'll keep an eye on him.

I started my new part time job at a local bookstore/internet cafe today. It was pretty fun. The kids behaved, and Lauren really liked it. I'd like to be able to work there full time, though I think I'd get a sitter for the kids if it was any longer than 2 hours a day. They were champing at the bit to go home. Hannah was hungry, and tired. James was tired, I was thirsty lol. I need to pack things for them to do, and snacks.

The grass by the gate needs to be cut, and around the house. I am so thankful that God has been watching over us and no one has been bit by a snake. The girls think I am mean that I won't let them run around outside at night, but that is too dangerous. I plan to buy a motion sensor porch light this weekend if all goes well, so at least I can step outside without getting a surprise. I need to find someone to replace the security light on the post for me. It's pretty high, so I don't know who or how...

The barn is a mess. Those darn goats! They have torn up the barn so bad! Well, I am off to bed, I am way tired and my hands are hurting from typing so much tonight.

I know I have said this before, but I love the nights out here. Tonight the moon, the clouds and I think it is Saturn look beautiful in the sky. I went out to lock the goats in their pen. It will keep the coyotes out, probably not the mountain lion in the area, if it chooses to come this way.

I totally forgot about the mountain lion roaming the area, and went out last night to take my laundry off the line, in the dark, at midnight. It was supposed to rain in the early a.m., and I had forgotten to take the clothes off earlier. Nex time I'll let the clothes get wet.

We have had a few drops today, and right now it is threatening to rain. Thunder and lightening are really bad right now. Time to shut down the lap top and head to bed I guess, before the internet goes down.

I finally made my laundry soap, and have a pile of clothing to wash and hang up to dry. I lit a fire in the wood stove the other night, it was chilly, plus it would help dry the clothes hanging on the rack.

Tomorrow I am doing some ironing for a neighbor, plus I start my new part time job at the small, local bookstore/internet cafe.

The chickens are laying so many eggs, I gave away four dozen at church yesterday.

Lauren's birthday party was fun, and we went shopping tonight with her birthday money and gift cards. She bought three shirts (one a Miley Cyrus one, really cute, it's tan with a black microphone swirled on it), she also bought a leather like bomber jacket and two Moxie dolls (kind of like a Barbie/Bratz doll).

In my never ending quest to make a few dollars, I will start giving tennis lessons in town. So far, I have four interested in attending, plus my two girls make six. I am not charging much, just $10.00 per person per week. It'll give me gas and/or feed money I hope.

This week the pastor charged us with reading one verse a week out of the Bible and to truly meditate on it and think about what is saying to us. I am looking forward to working on it this week.

I am also resolved to be more positive. I have had a rough couple of years, and these past few months haven't been easy, I feel I am drowning in negativity. I feel happy most of the times but then I think about my dad, my poor goaties, and my ending marriage and I get down. I don't want people to start running from me, so I am endeavoring to not talk about the bad stuff. I hope I remember ;-)

We survived!

LOL! The night started out cold, but we slept great and were cozy and warm all night. The baby didn't wake up until 10 a.m. It's been raining steady all day and the sound on the metal roof is very soothing. I have been doing laundry all morning, and even made 5 gallons of laundry soap, something I needed to do desperately. Hannah brought in 3 eggs from the chickens. The goats spent most of the day hanging out in their pen under shelter, as it drizzled for most of the day. Nena is the only one of them that doesn't seem to mind the rain.

Getting ready to make bread and start my soup for dinner.

Tried to string up a clothesline inside but it's not going to work, so back to draping wet clothes over every available surface.

Well, didn't make it in making my bread and soup. We headed out to a friend's this afternoon to pick up some firestarters, and ended up four wheeling or mudding it down the road. Kind of exciting and kind of scary at the same time. I am without a phone now, so if we were stuck it'd be a long walk. We saw a coyote on the way. It darted across the road, then turned and sat on the side looking at us. Pretty cool.

Afterwards we stopped by the car wash in town and cleaned most of the trash out of the car. I need to get the excess stuff out of the car. The plan is to hold a yard sale, if possible, this weekend. For now, it will be at the land, but later in October, I will hold one at the house in Lytle. It has better visibility and more traffic. The kid's dad informed me tonight that his job is ending soon. Not what I wanted to hear...The plan is to list the house for sale, and hope it sells before it is foreclosed on. Seeking God's guidance in this area, please pray for me.

I desperately need a source of income. At least to meet the land payment and electricity plus gas for the car. If I have to I will cut out the DirecTv and as a last resort the internet. So, I need a source of income that pays:

$448 for the land payment
$150 for electricity
$49 for Internet
$75 for DirecTV
$120 gas for car
$30 for insurance for car ($60 really but if I have to park the truck then I will)

I know I'll need extra for doctor appointments for the kids and such, but I am trying to concentrate on the necessities (minus the directv and internet)

If I get a job outside the house, which is looking more and more like I will need, I figure daycare is about $400 a month, plus another $400 for the kid's school fees. So, on top of regular expenses and now work related ones, I will need a job that pays me at least $2,000 a month. I have been praying tonight, crying and thinking, along with more praying. I know what I want, just not how to achieve it..Seeking God's guidance and relying on him to provide.

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On a positive note, I am making headway into getting the laundry done, next is to get it all folded and put away. I did get a fire started and it is chugging away in the living room. The plan is that it will keep the dampness out of the air. I have the bathroom window open, because the air smells smokey in there and I don't want to kill us while we sleep.

Tomorrow we will be taking our library books back, ordering Lauren's birthday cake and dropping the kids off with their dad for dinner. They are supposed to stay the weekend but they don't want to. I think they should, but their dad doesn't want to force them.

All in all, it's been a stressful day.

I was listening to KLOVE last night, and there was a segment on about preserving marriage, about never giving up on it. The thought fills me with dread. On one hand I am not looking forward to a divorce, I've been married 21 years (today is our anniversary), and have known him since I was 11 years old, that's hard to throw away. But on the other hand I don't like living with turmoil, and the past month has been one of the happiest I have had, though financially it's been stressful. So, what does the Lord want? Only He knows. I don't believe that God wants me to live in an abusive home, but I know He hates divorce. What to do? Another area where I seek God's guidance and providence daily.

Long term goals:
1) find a way to support us from home or get a job that works for all of us
2) get a better house
3) pay off the land
4) home school the girls

Short term goals:
1) get land cleaned up (cut grass around gate area/RV parking area)
2) have yard sale
3) sell house
4) winterize cabin
5) find job
6) pick up mulch for driving pads for RV park
7) put all containers in barn (mark boxes)
8) put items for sale on craigslist
9) clean out fire pit
10) take trash to dump
11) get truck fixed
12) pay for tags for truck (list as farm truck)
13) clean out behind cabin
14) bring wood inside for stove plus kindling
15) work on making shelters for goats (use tin)
16) sell axles

For Sale

White eyelet lace petticoat

I have fleece hats (baby, toddler, child and adult) for sale. The prices are $5, $6, $7 and $8 respectively.

In addition, I am also taking orders for flannel pajama bottoms, girls modest undergarments (shorts and slips), Christmas jumpers, fleece baby blankets, flannel diaper covers, flannel receiving blankets and cloth shopping bags.

Contact me at queensedgefarm@yahoo.com to place an order. Please put the word "ORDER" in the subject line. Thanks!

Happy Birthday!

Today is my daughter's 12th birthday! wow! Where did the time go? The day started out good, we had rain in the early a.m., but then the birthdaygirl copped an attitude, and was being mean to her little sister. Even though it was her birthday, I had to correct her, and she was crying up in the loft before lunch. She told me she thought she should be able to do whatever she wanted on her birthday. But rules and expectations stay the same on your birthday, meaning you still treat your family with kindness.

We headed out for her birthday dinner this evening. We had a great time, just the four of us. We ordered a HUGE piece of chocolate cake for dessert, it came with ice cream. Afterwards we headed to Claire's where she spent her birthday money. They were having a 75% off sale, so it worked out good. She did want this pair of moccasions but they were $28.00 and NOT on sale, so we didn't get them.

We then stopped at Lowe's. We always love looking at their storage buildings and little houses. We have played this game for 3 years, where we go in and mentally decorate and put our rooms and stuff in certain areas. I'd love to buy their largest building, it's a two story red barn, and double the size of what we live in now. I could really see us living in it, but it is $13,000 so out of our price range. We are good where we are now, though I admit the extra width would come in handy, not to mention the second floor bedroom.

We stopped to get dog food, and then headed home so we could beat the night. We needed to feed everyone, and make sure everyone had somewhere to get out of the rain. We locked the goats up, put trash in the bed of the truck to run to the dumpster this week, and brought in wood for the wood stove.

Along with the 1.5 " of rain today came cooler temperatures. It is in the mid 50's out here tonight, though the temps in town are registering low 60's. It is always cooler, and windier here it seems (except when it is 105 LOL!)

We retreated to the bedroom tonight, and we strung fleece blankets on the side walls under the loft. We are all sleeping on the king size bed. So it's me, a 12 year old girl, a six year old girl, and an infant snuggled in here together tonight. We found a rubber maid tote in the barn full of blankets and another of sweaters so hauled them into the cabin. The blankets that aren't strung on the walls to serve as a measure of insulation between us and the cold metal walls, are piled on the bed. The girls were all excited over their large tent. They piled into the bed, turned the light off and are watching Tinker Bell on the Disney Channel. So, while it shocks people to see and know where we are living, they don't know really how nice and cozy it is...we truly love it, though it can be rough at times. We all have flannel pants on, tshirts and socks to sleep in, and plenty of blankets. I don't think it's cold enough for the heater or stove, but the morning may tell a different story.

We are locked in here, very snug, listening to the rain come and go. The baby's soft breath is sounding in my ear as he sleeps. It's nice knowing that the diapers are drying in the kitchen on the drying rack, the house was cleaned earlier, I have wood by the stove if it is necessary, there is food in the house, dogs outside to help protect us along with my trusty rifle. So, it's off to bed so we'll be ready for another day on the homestead. Tomorrow, we absolutely have to do some more laundry, even if it rains. So, I expect the inside of the cabin will be draped with drying clothes.

The end of the day. I love this time of night. The kids are sleeping and it's quiet. Don't get me wrong I love my kids, but I rarely get time to eat or go to the bathroom. It's getting a little chilly. I need a blanket.

The kids were feeling better this morning, and we went to church. Our church was meeting at another church, as our pastor was guest speaker. He did a good job. Those who didn't go, really missed out.

We had lunch, and then checked the mail. Lauren was happy to get her birthday card from Grandma. She received some money and will be saving it so she can buy more paint (acrylics) supplies.

We all took a nap this afternoon, and then got busy cleaning up around the house, washing clothes and getting ready for co-op in the morning. I just remembered I have laundry on the line, and it sounds like it is raining. Shoot! One of the drawbacks of living here is that once it is dark, I do not go outside. I don't have lights by the washer and I don't want to step on a rattlesnake, plus mountain lions have been spotted pretty frequently and recently in the area.
So, I will have to re-wash the clothes, as they will be caked with mud from the dust and wind. I try not to leave the clothes out overnight as they get gritty, but I forgot.

I manged to get most of the dishes done, the floor swept, the trash bagged, sorted laundry, washed three loads, vacuumed the floor, made the bed, then finally made dinner (fried chicken breasts, corn, apple slices, cheese and crackers). I am TRYING to make the girls eat a little more healthier, and they are not cooperating.

I finally managed to find the charger for our coleman lantern. It is charging in the bathroom. I don't have many plugs, so I have to put things in strange places. The outlet in the bathroom only has two plug outlets and one is taken by the Tiny Titan water heater. I normally have small nightlight in there, but not tonight since the battery is charging. I only have one lamp, and it's in the bedroom, the other rooms I normally use night lights, or battery operated lamps.

I just remembered...I forgot to lock up the goats. They are probably laying in the pen with the door open, I sure hope the dogs protect them if need be. Man, I need some lights.

I found my box of flannel so I can get busy making the girls (and James) their flannel pjs for the winter. Lauren and I were also talking tonight about how to insulate the walls in the bedroom. Being as the container is metal, it loses and gains heat really fast. When it is in the 50's outside, it is really cold in here, plus the blankets start to feel damp. We decided we are going to take the fleece scraps and make "wall quilts". Then using thumbtacks we will attach them to the underside of the loft and blanket the walls with the fleece to help insulate the area below the loft where we sleep. I have a curtain that covers the front, so in the winter, I will just have to heat this small area with a space heater if possible, or if not, we will bed down in front of the wood stove when it's really cold.

Well, it's off to bed, we have to get up early for the home school co-op.

Warm, and sunny today (not overly hot, thank God, but warmer than I had anticipated.) No rain, mosquitoes are out in full force and HUGE. These are the first mosquitoes we've seen out here.

I have been asked for the link to the blog I stumbled across. It is http://wretha.blogspot.com
I found it at www.off-grid.net, and am still reading. I am up to July 2008 so far. Very cool, makes me feel downright frivolous LOL! Of course, compared to most people I know, they would FREAK to realize that someone is living more bare bones than I am. She has refueled my resolved to get alternate sources of energy here.

Today at the craft show was fun, I met a lot of new people, and some that I knew, but wasn't aware were in the area. One was my son's former 5th grade teacher. He is now 20. A few were former people I had gone to church with, and others I just generally knew from the small town I lived in before I moved to this even more remote area. I was asked to volunteer to work at the local museum. They are having an event in October to raise money for the Volunteer Fire Department. VFD's are something I always support, especially living so far out. This VFD is about a mile away from me, so that is very comforting. (When we built out here we did like the idea that the cabin is metal, plus we put in an 1100 gallon water tank with a fire hose attachment on the bottom, just in case we had grass fires. )

I sold one hat today, and Lauren sold one friendship bracelet. We made a grand total of $6. We were disappointed. James was generally good, though he did fuss a little during the day. He is still sick. I came home bathed him, fed and rocked him, and he is now asleep in the bed beside me. I looked and looked for my humidifier so I could put the Vicks Steam in there, but couldn't locate it. I looked at Walmart yesterday, but they were over $20.00 for a new one, and I am on a very limited budget. I saw this little plug in humidifier, fits right in the electric plug socket. There are little pads soaked with Eucalyptus and Lavender, and a few other herbal ingredients. It is supposed to work the same way as the humidifier. I am assuming that this plug in consumes less power, though not sure. On a positive note it does take up way less space, something that is a premium when your entire house is only 8 feet wide. Plus, there isn't any water to worry about spilling or humidifier to trip over in the floor. I can smell the Eucalyptus already, so hope it helps everyone breathe and sleep easier tonight.

Lauren and I came home tonight, and after everyone was in bed we cleaned up some, she likes to do the living room and bathroom, and I generally do the bedroom and the kitchen area. I did a bit in the bedroom before the baby got too fussy, then stopped. I am hoping to get the energy to do the dishes. We have been rushing around too much this week. First, at co-0p Monday, field trip on Wednesday, and errands on Friday, plus the craft show today. We have church in the a.m., then co-op again on Monday. I have plans to stay home the rest of the week to get the house clean and in order.

We did stop by at Tractor Supply about 5 small towns away (LOL) to pick up a goat mineral block, another type for Nena that contains iron, and some alfalfa cubes (protein). Since she is anemic and protein deficient, I have been worried about her. She seems to be a little more active, though I did put her in the barn by herself again (well she has the turkens and the rabbit from company). Those nasty boys won't leave her alone. She's too little to breed with, but they keep trying, which knocks her to the ground. Poor little thing.

Tasks on my to do list are:

laundry (my niece complained about how hard my towels were, she told me I needed fabric softener, my response "no amount of softener is going to make line dried towels soft and fluffy."

pick up wind blown trash
pick up aluminum cans and put in recycle container (we picked up a trash bag full off of the roadway on the way to the land)
clean out barn
rake out goat pen
work on tiller (learn how to mix the fuel)
price lattice and stock panels
price 4 X 4 posts plus a few 2 X 4's

I have located a great blog! Oh my, I love it. It is all about a woman and her husband who live 100% off grid. My dream goal! Man, my family thinks I live rough, compared to these people I am living high on the hog. I have no phone line, only cell service, satellite internet, I do have electricity, though it is limited. We couldn't afford to re-wire to the 200 amp service so we have 60 amps. We have everything down sized, and limited, which is fine, it really makes you think about what you need.

I have a Tiny Titan water heater, an AC for those 105 plus days, a refrigerator (I'd like to get rid of this, and get a small cube sized one).

My mom asked me the other day if I love living in my little house on the prairie. I absolutely LOVE it! Nights and mornings are my favorite times of day. Right now it is after midnight, the girls (my two and my niece) are giggling up in the loft. They are going to be a pain in the bottom to get out of bed in the a.m. We have the craft show to get to, good thing it's only 1 mile from here.

This morning when I went out side, the dew on the grass was white, almost looked like frost. It is so quiet and isolated out here. I love it, though I do realize the potential for danger and take precautions. It's not just me, I am responsible for the welfare of little ones. I know my family worries about me, but the only danger I am in would be from two legged critters. ;-)

I spent most of the morning sewing my baby hats, and then we went to pick up money from the kid's dad. I headed into town, because I needed to get some meds for the kids (I just realized I left these in the car!) I made a list so I would only get necessities. The baby had a bath, was fed and I rocked him to sleep. He is passed out in the bed beside me. It is getting a little chilly and he keeps kicking his blankets off. I think I will work on some flannel pjs for him. I have lots of flannel and other fabric, and limited money to buy him clothes.

The girls worked on bracelets and book marks to sell tomorrow. I will have a limited amount to sell, but am taking my fabric and will sit and sew as much as I can while sitting there..

It was so dark out when we arrived home, the stars were beautiful. There were so many and they were so bright. I didn't hear the coyotes tonight, but I locked up the goats anyway. I put Nena in the barn, I hope she is getting better. I need to get her some alfalfa tomorrow, plus give her the vaccination. She isn't getting enough to eat, and is protein deficient and anemic. I hope the alfalfa helps.

Well, I am off to give Hannah her medication, hopefully it will help her sleep better. Have a good night!

A Chilly Morning

I love this picture, it's borrowed from the Homestead.org page

Sewing like a madwoman, hoping to have enough product (hats, blankets, diaper covers) to make a good amount tomorrow. Please pray I sell enough to go towards the feed bill. Please pray for the kids too, everyone has a cold.

Working on getting ready for winter. After I finish making these items, I will be going through my blanket stash and making sure everything is washed and ready. Nights are pretty chilly for South Texas already, at least in my little valley.

The wood is cut and stacked already, I am so thankful we did that earlier in the year. I need to clean out the wood stove, and start picking up kindling pieces and possibly make fire starters.

I am also working on curtains for the pantry, and am continuing the every ongoing saga of decluttering. I want to be able to walk through my eight food wide home without killing myself, so more stuff has to go out to the sale pile.

Goats are fed and eggs gathered for the morning, the pond is overflowing thanks to the recent rains. I hope I have fish left after this summer's drought, and those pesky cranes.

It's dove season, and we woke to guns going off all over the place. I am praying no stray bullets or shells end up our way. Hope everyone has a good day!

This cracked me up! I love this woman!

http://www.off-grid.net/2009/08/26/grandma-goes-teotwawki/

This is so me! Except I don't consider my self a "doomsteader", how stupid. I am a survivor, and love to live frugally for economic reasons, but I am totally on this woman's side. Her family needs to wake up and pay attention.

Even the Animal Kingdom has it's problems

The following story was part of Hannah's schoolwork today, I found it funny, as it seems as if the male animals are similar to the male human LOL! http://www.mainlesson.com/display.php?author=pierson&book=forest&story=owl&PHPSESSID=70372942e3361eca76c5cf882408d545

Field Trip Day

We were up early this morning, actually Lauren was ;-) She usually bounces out of bed at 7 a.m. to feed the animals. I guess she likes doing it. We left the goats the penned up today, they have been destructive lately, and I didn't feel up to dealing with more after being gone all day.

We had a field trip to the San Jose Mission in S.A., and the Spanish Governor's Palace. I really like the Governor's house. Very cool, Lauren liked it too.

more later, baby is fussing...

The field trip to the San Jose Mission was a guided tour. It seemed really quick. I've never had a guided tour before. It was a little boring. The tour guides needed to remember they were speaking to children and to keep it short and interesting. Hannah was bored.

I liked the little apartments. The walls of the mission actually form the living areas for the indians that used to live there. I really like the beams in the ceiling, the white washed walls, the adobe, and the cute little fire places. The fire was laid on the floor in a corner, and the flue/chimney hung over the top of it and out the roof.

There was a bride there getting her picture taken. She was beautiful. The highlight of watching her was when she lifted her dress to walk. She had big red cowboy boots on under her dress. I laughed and laughed.

I like the granary, the grist mill and the church. The bells were nice, and rang frequently.

We had lunch then headed to the Spanish Governor's Mansion/Palace. It was built in the 1700's and occupied by the founder of San Antonio, the Marquis de Valero. Most people might think it modest, but I am sure by the standards of the day it was quite nice. I LOVED it. The foyer was small, and to the right was the family chapel with the dining room and kitchen behind it. To the left was the parlor, which opened onto a bedroom and the family room. I liked how all the rooms opened onto one another. The high ceilings, tall windows and the way the rooms were open to each other, appeared to let the air flow and to keep the place pretty cool. The family room and kitchen opened into the courtyard. The girls loved the courtyard. The trees and plants made it quite cool and peaceful. There was also a loft between the kitchen and dining room. A cute set of stairs went up and the loft was apparently used as the family's food storage pantry. I could really see myself living in something like that, very nice.

Afterwards, the girls and I, a friend, her kids and brother headed down to the riverwalk to take a river cruise. I hadn't done that since, well, forever. It was a little tiring, as I normally don't walk so far. It was a blessing it wasn't too hot. James did get a little hot and fussy on the ride, but finally fell asleep. I liked the ride, but could have done without the operator talking so much, and giving his marketing spiel on which restaurants to eat at. Overall, I enjoyed the day, and was glad that we went with Bonita. It is always more fun with someone you know.

We had an early dinner, baths, and then crashed on the bed watching t.v. I did get up a little later and sewed about 7 hats, until my shoulder started hurting. I sewed 10 more tonight, mainly newborn sizes. I don't have nearly enough, but I didn't have time to sew the past few weeks due to work getting in the way, and being so tired.

Fall is Here!

The weather the past few days has been AWESOME! It started raining really heavily on Wednesday afternoon, and hasn't really stopped much. We have received 7 inches since Wednesday evening. The creek bed was filled to the top at one time, and the girl's went tubing on it. The pond is filling up nicely and everything is greening up which is nice on one hand, but daunting on the other, it means I'll have to cut it. It does give the goats more to eat, as well as, Jack (donkey), so that's another plus.

We picked up a milk goat today. She is a doe, not sure of her age. She is a Toggenburg breed, she may be pregnant. I tried to milk her earlier, but she wasn't having any of it. I am hoping she will settle down and be ready for me to milk her in the a.m. before church. Her babies nursed some today, but since they didn't come with her, she should be more than ready for some relief by morning. Please pray that I can accomplish this, I haven't ever really milked a goat before.

We went shopping for a few supplies for the start of c0-op. I wasn't aware that Hannah was going to need basic school supplies, so I will have to stop at Dollar Tree and get those tomorrow.

I paid for the craft booth entry. The show is next weekend, now to get busy sewing. I did make one hat tonight but it is for a birthday gift for a friend's granddaughter. Her birthday party is tomorrow.

Because of the rain, I have been hanging diapers and other clothing on my indoor clothing rack. I really need another one, because the rack only holds about 16 diapers at a time. I have a fan blowing on them to help them dry, but it still takes a while in this damp weather.

I am really enjoying getting things together and organized, plus decluttering and setting the cabin up for the winter time. I rearranged the computer, moving it further from the wood stove. Had a small fire the other morning to take the chill/dampness out of the air. We've been able to turn off the AC for most of the day. This will be a big savings on the electric bill. I also need to start turning off stuff and unplugging to keep the bill down.

Well, I am off to clean up the living area while James is sleeping for the night.

The President's Speech

While I didn't find his speech today controversial, it also was nothing new. Parents and teachers tell their students/children this every day. Nothing he said will inspire the group as a whole, there may very well be one that he touched, but that is the case with teacher's every day.

People are wondering why parents did not want the President to address the kids since the speech was so benign. Think about it. He is a socialist, controversial man, so is it any wonder we would expect him to continue with more of his same rhetoric? More than likely he had a different speech prepared but after the flap, he came up with something simple. So simple, it was really a waste of time to hold the event. He has more important things to do than to speak to a bunch of kids who could care less.

Having said that, Lauren and I did watch the address on CSPAN and discussed it afterwards. She basically thought the entire thing was a waste of her time to listen to, but that is typical with kids. I did push her to pay attention to his words and to think about what her contribution would be to our country. We also discussed what her academic goal would be for the year and how she would accomplish this goal.

I don't think the speech was particularly "awesome" as I kept hearing on CSPAN. It was quite obvious calls were screened to only have those in support of the president speak.

I give the Office of President the respect it deserves, and believe our children also should respect the office, if not the person. The speech that was given was appropriate, though not necessary.

I attempt to teach my children to have respect for those in authority over them, while also teaching them to stand up for the true authority in our lives, the Word of God, and as Americans, the Constitution. If a president goes against the Constitution (the highest law in our land) and especially the Word of God, he is not to be obeyed or respected period.

Rain, rain, rain! It's wonderful. Over an inch on Friday, and almost an inch last night. The only dim spot in the entire thing is that I can't do laundry. It takes so long to dry on the rack inside, and without the dryer it is starting to pile up again. I was just about done, except for two blankets.

I did take two loads to April's yesterday to dry while I was visiting with her. We made pork tenderloin in the crock pot with the dried onion soup mix. She made mashed potatoes and green beans, and we had yeast rolls.

Tonight we cleaned out the car, at least most of it. I still have the stroller and a few things in the trunk that will stay there. I added the jumper cables and the small gas can. I need to get fuel in the morning. I really need a fuel tank. This was the reason I had Rodney bring me two previous, because I absolutely hate going all the time to get gas. We sold them to a friend (no "B" I don't want them back ;-) ] so now I need a replacement. I'll settle for just one for gasoline. I don't have any diesel items anymore since I sold the tractor. I'll see if I can get one from Rodney. Lauren ran the four wheeler out of gas, and it is sitting in the field getting wet. I hope it starts once I get more gas.

Went to the grocery store, and bought a lot of food. The freezer is full, and the refrigerator and shelves are full. Other than milk, and a few perishables, I should be good to go for a month (really more). Next month, I plan to lay in more canned items, trying to build up my storage again. In the process of decluttering and re-arranging, still. Trying to find what works best for us.

I haven't started sewing yet, and the craft show is in less than two weeks.

Well, gotta go get the girls in the shower. More later.

Yes, another post in the same day. It is just the end of the day and we are winding down. We spent this morning cleaning, then I was working from home a bit, though it was a slow day today.

The girls are having a date night with James. He is Lauren's date, and Hannah is their waitress. They are in the living room having a dinner of crackers by candlelight. They are so cute..they dressed up and everything. He loves it when they play with him. It's almost his bed time so I expect the fussiness to start soon. Lauren just came in and said Jame proposed to her. At dinner he had the crab (vanilla wafers) and she had shrimp (crackers).

We headed up to the gate tonight to slowly pick our way back gathering trash. Lauren patrolled the fence perimeter on the four wheeler and picked up a lot of stray trash. Hannah, James and I picked up trash from the front gate to the house. We'll do the pond and back part of the land another night. Once again, I forgot to put the boxes in the barn, and it is supposed to rain the next few days (Praise God, but I need to get that stuff in the barn.) The girls will be will their dad this weekend, so it will make it hard to get anything done. I'll use the stroller, but he will only entertain himself for so long. Found a dead baby rattlesnake in the driveway, exactly where I park the car when I get out to shut the gate. I must have squished it with the car. Good thing my sandals are broken and I have been wearing my boots.

More later, have to go put the goaties up.

Well, putting the goats up turned into a production. I left it too late and it was dark, though the moon was out (hazy, guess it's going to rain after all). I walked over to the pen with a flashlight, walking slowing and making sure I didn't see any snakes. My eyesight is getting so bad, and I can tell, so I was still scared, worrying I wouldn't see one until it bit me. I get to the pen and Nena is missing. Oh, great it's dark, and I can't leave her out, the coyotes will get her for sure. She's so trusting. I finally found her behind the cabin, curled up asleep.

I called her and she came running, I picked her up and carried her to the pen using the lights of the car to see by.

I forgot to bring the laundry off of the line or my dirty laundry in, it is supposed to rain tonight/tomorrow. So, as much as we need it, I hope it holds off until the a.m. so I can get it inside. It really is hard not having a 220 plug for the dryer, of course I am saving money, but with the rain this past week, it's been hard to get the laundry done. I am almost done, I only have one basket left. It's all washed, dried and folded, still putting it away.

I am so glad the trash was picked up around the land, everything looks really nice. The grass is greening up from the rain. I am torn between leaving everything for the goats to eat, or cutting it down to keep the snakes away. Now, I need to figure out how to put my mail box up. I am expecting a package any time, and I don't want it returned.

Well, off to bed, it's after midnight.

We picked up our new doe today. She is really cute, but very small for 6 months old. She is a beautiful reddish/brown and white color. Her name is Nena (pronounced "Nin-ah"). She has been a very well taken care of girl. Our other doe Daktoa came right up to her very excited. They all went off right away together to eat. Baeta came up to her and sniffed her then walked away.

Time for schoolwork.

Woke to rain, overcast most of the day. Goat still alive. Bo is a sweetie so far. Though he does love to bark all the time. When does he sleep?

Work went well today, not too overwhelming. Did lots of laundry this afternoon. Girls finished their school work this evening. It's like pulling teeth to get Lauren to read. Hannah is excited to work, oh for the days when Lauren was just like that....

I was planning to start watering the South East pasture, but it's been raining almost every day. I have turned the water onto the pond a couple of days this week, as it is drying up. I was praying for a big gully washer, but it hasn't appeared, only 1 1/2 inches this week. Which I am thankful for, Praise God!

On the agenda for the morning:

dishes
animals
work
sewing

Upcoming craft show, gotta get cracking on my items.

Today was our registration day for the Home School Co-op. The day started off bad as I woke up at 6 a.m. and the power had been out for about an hour (I could tell because my laptop battery died around the time I got up, it only lasts an hour unplugged.) I called the electric co-op at 8:30 a.m. to ask when I should expect the power to be restored. They had no idea. I was on the way to the barn to get the generator and plug the refrigerator in before leaving when the power came back on. I really need to get everything set up, so when this happens I can go right out and plug it in. It's on the list. I met a couple of interesting people today at the Home School Co-op, and one or two strange ones. Always one in every bunch. ;-)

Lauren managed to get the classes she wanted, and Hannah wasn't too picky. We had lunch with Bonita and the kids at McDonald's afterward. The playground is always a hit for the little ones.

I spent a good hour this afternoon cutting out most of the mats on Bo's fur. I then washed him. He was very scared at first, but calmed down and actually seemed to be enjoying it towards the end. He looks much better tonight, all white and fluffier. His hair will have to grow back in, and I need to brush him. He wasn't really cared for before, and is in horrible shape grooming wise. He is getting very friendly with the girls, and is hanging out around the front door with the other dogs. The little dogs don't seem to be taking to him very well, though Baeta seems to like him well enough.

One of my goats is sick, he has issues with his male parts, hope he doesn't die. I plan to give him some herbal meds tomorrow, and try and get a closer look at him, if I can catch him in the morning before I start work for the day.

We did a lot of laundry this afternoon, it's sorted and folded and put away, plus we cleaned up tonight so it will be done in the a.m., and I can get straight to work. Lauren did the living area, Hannah the bathroom (she was not happy), I did the bedroom and the kitchen.

I have a few phone calls to make to New York in the a.m., plus print out some documents. Not looking forward to it, as I don't have great phone reception in the cabin, and am running out of ink.

I also went through James' clothes and sorted out the ones that are too small to give to a woman I met today at the Co-op. She has eight children! I am always impressed when people have many children and they are well behaved. I met another woman with six as well.

Well, gotta go, bed is calling.

We had our monthly fellowship at church this afternoon. The last swim of the season, the pool closes next month.

Killed two rattlesnakes today, one was a teeny baby.

The Pyr pup we have named Bo, meaning loyal and trustworthy, since Pyrs are supposed to be. We let Bo out of the kennel today. He and Baeta made fast friends, though she has put him in his place and is clearly the top dog still. He is her same size and is 5 months old, she just turned 3 on my dad's birthday. We couldn't find him earlier but he had made himself a little cave in the dried out portion of the pond and used the cat tails. Lauren wanted to go in and make herself a house but I nixed that idea. Too many snake around here. I would have liked to go in there too, but safety and life prevails.

We have homeschool co-op in the morning. We are excited and raring to go. Hannah is going to take a Math, and Bible Art course. Lauren wants to take Basic Watercolors, Sewing and Tennis. We'll see what is available when we register tomorrow.

We received about 1 1/2 inches of rain total the past few days. It was very welcome.

I am having someone come out to fix the tail lights for the truck. I need to get a load of manure for about $20 from the feed lot. I plan to put this on my wheat field, so I can plant in November. I'd like to get several more loads as funds permit to put on the Southeast Pasture so that I can water it and get the coastal growing for hay in the spring.

Man, the dogs are barking like crazy over by the pond, that normally means coyotes. Not going to look, I'll have to survey the damage, if any, in the morning.