What Nice Jugz You Have!!!

OMG...I feel like I have been run over by a wheel barrel and a ton of mulch! Wait a minute...I ((have)) been run over by a wheel-barrel and a ton of mulch! More on that later, but for now I will have to say that I have been working my butt off (not that I had much of a butt, to begin with) for the last four days! Just so you know, I am still working on my project calendar from the previous post titled "This Old House"...I have plans for posting the calendar soon. Yeah right! *wink* We have had this wonderful "spurt" of warm weather here lately and I have soooo been out in it! I must take advantage of the warm days while I can, so the calendar is going to have to wait for a little while! This years spring weather has been crazy-unpredictable? It will be 70 degrees one second, then snowing the next?! Overall, it has been too damn cold for me! Remember, our house has remained (on average) around 56 degrees (outside of the hot rooms) ever since we disconnected our gas utilities the first of this month. Anything above 60 degrees is amazing! Today was in the '70s!!! Talk about amazing! Heck yayeh! So needless to say, outdoor work has become my first priority for now! Despite what my "muscles and bones" may be screaming, I have to keep on working!!

Anyway, enough moaning and groaning...and more rejoicing...WhooHoo...it is time for some details!

So...jugz!!! Yes! Milk Jugs! I have been collecting milk jugs for several months now...the idea was to make landscaping bricks out of concrete while using the jugs as molds! I basically cut the jugs in half, mixed the concrete...and HeyHey...bricks! I averaged about four bricks per bag of Quickcrete (40lb bag)! Each brick cost just under a dollar to make! A whooooole lot cheaper than buying prefabbed landscaping bricks! Much more interesting too!

Depending on how you place the bricks, depends on the overall "look" of them! I chose to place each brick facing down so that you can see the impression of the milk jugs (the bottoms look funny--more of a conversation piece placed this way and the kids love it)! Now, if I needed a deeper bed I would stack the bricks on top of each other (flat side facing up) so that they would stack better! Either way, they are fun and very effective...as well as cost-efficient! Below is what the bricks look like when faced flat side down!

Pretty awesome, aye? They look like molars...you know, teeth!? Don't they? Teeth...hmmm...that actually gives me another idea that I might have to experiment with later...

Speaking of cost-effective, how does (((free))) sound to you...? Can't get much better than that! The above picture is of a very large pile of rough cut mulch! My local power company has been recently trimming tree branches away from the power lines! Soooooo, I asked if they would be interested in a closer location for dumping their load...pause...that sounded weird ..(?)...anyway, I offered my front yard...um... that's beginning to sound even weirder!!! Uh hum, anyway...since they are presently trimming my neighborhood trees, what better location for them to dump the mulch than in my front yard? Can't get any closer than that! They agreed and I now have mulch...free mulch! Worked out for both of us: They save gas and time and I save money! Beautiful!

Needless to say, I have a ton of work ahead of me hauling mulch back and forth with a wheel barrel, but I would be doing the same thing if I were hauling bags of mulch (bought from a retailer) from out of the back of my truck!? Right? The same amount of effort except without the plastic bags and, of course, without the paper involved (the green kind called money)...! Love it! I have great plans for this mulch and have been working non-stop distributing it to it's designated areas! I will use this much like a filler and for landscaping (paths, beds, etc.)...! I am definitely getting a workout during the process, hence, aching bones/muscles...you know, the wheel barrel and mulch incident? Well, not literally...but it sure does feel like it! Overall, everything is working out nicely!

The below picture shows what the mulch looks like up close and personal! Oh yeah...I like it that way! Cheap and intimate!

The below picture is just a pretty picture! My pansies look beautimus, don't they! Happy plants indeed! I thought I would share! I will also share that the copper, butterfly candle-holders were a find! These beauties were buried under some leaves at an abandoned trailer site I scavenged with a friend a while back! Aren't they pretty? Again, free...! Who said being "broke" wasn't fun!?

The below picture shows the early stages of my "potted garden"...! I planted seeds, so give it a week or so and future yummies will eventually appear! Sweet! Also, every single pot photographed was...take a wild guess...FREE! Yes, these pots were all "rejects" tossed away...unwanted!

"It is okay little pots, Mama found you a home!"
(I don't just talk to my plants, I talk to my pots as well...)

Okay, so I agree...they are ugly as hell, but I have plans of beautifying them! I told you I have a lot to do! Baby steps...baby steps!

Alrighty, now...another project I have been working on is a soon to be fort/tree house! My 8 y/o son is very excited about this project! Funny, he actually believes that I am building this for him??? Ha! Why would he think a thing like that? Because I AM, silly!!! Of course, I am building this for him...his very own "manhole"...! How adorable! 

FYI: I have been informed that I will be the ((only))) girl allowed to enter the fort/tree-house! I am quite honored, to say the least! When I asked my son why (((I))) was the only girl allowed to enter, I of course expected to hear the words, "because you are cool, special and I love you more than anything, Mom"...but his response was, "so you can give my friends and I snacks and drinks!" Imagine that...? Hmmmm...oh well, at least he's honest! Ya know!?

Nah, the truth is he is very excited to have his own space where I can hang with him! He is a sweetheart! Now, I just need to get it built!

My son pitched in and started painting the outside! He did a fine job indeed! All materials used to build this fort/tree house were found in different dumpsters! Including the yellow slide! The only supplies that I have had to buy so far have been nails, screws, and paint! Everything else was free...

Tires, tires and MORE tires! Yes...free (of course)! The blue slide was found at the very same location the pretty, little, copper candle-holders (mentioned above) were found! I have other plans for these tires and the blue slide, but for now, we have grouped the two together to create a fun way to climb and slide! It works for now, but you ((will)) see these materials again...in a different post...used in different structural forms while serving even greater purposes!

See...told ya you would see them again! *smile*

 It is amazing what can be found if our eyes are open! We are completely surrounded by beautiful unwanted (un-seen) treasures! Mounds of unlimited resources right at our fingertips screaming, "take me home"...! Gosh...what a waste, ya know? Hey...it saves (me) a ton of money, but I can't take home everything I see tossed away! I simply don't have the room, or I would...trust me! I love scavenging! It's my "crack"...!

Sometimes, though...even ((I)) have to "close my eyes"...! Saying "no" is very hard for me to do, especially when it involves me pretending something isn't there when it is! Nope...don't like it! Very, very hard...such a waste! Sigh...! But does it have to be...?

Ah-ha! Wait a minute! A solution! How could I have forgotten?

One word: Pinterest!

Yes! Check it out...You'll love it! You won't throw ((anything)) away once you join Pinterest, truuuuuust meeeeee! Here, I will even post the link for ya! Go crazy! I dare you! I will warn you beforehand, Pinterest can be potentially dangerous! Once you're hooked, you're hooked!

http://pinterest.com/

Okay, off my "trip" and back on my..."trip"...? So everything pictured below is the materials I have found on the side of the road! My treasures! It feels fantastic (to me) knowing that I am making use of what would otherwise be dumped in a landfill...wasted! Just look all of it! Free and amazing! I can't wait to build things with all this beautiful "garbage"...!

WOW!

OMG! No way! Aren't they beautiful!

Seriously, who doesn't like wood???  

I (((love))) wood!  

Wood makes me happy! 

The more the wood I can get my hands on, the better!

I can't get enough wood, actually!

More and more...

wood...
Yes! There it is...
Right there...
No, there...
Seriously, right down here!
Wood!
See...?

Why do I have this sudden urge to smoke a cigarette...? 

Welp, there it is...my surplus! I have worked hard collecting and organizing it all...now all that is left to do is build! For now, though...it is time to go to bed! I am tired...

Until next time...

Goodnight! ZZZzzzzzZZZZzzzzzzZZZZzzzzzzz.....  

For What it's Worth: A Lifetime

Hmmmm...where to begin with this "tidbit"...

For the past few weeks, I have been working on a project. A different project not mentioned in this blog until today. A project for a couple...some friends of mine...my neighbors. Since I am "between jobs" at the present time, I was offered to do some work for them...they live right next door from me. They are beautiful people with a beautiful family...both professionals. Since I have a background in organizing, as well as having worked for them before in the past, I agreed to help them out by organizing their home. They simply don't have time and I need the money, so it sounded like a good plan for all of us. I agreed and knew that this would be a very tedious, time-consuming and large project because they have sooooo many things. Their home is one ginormous treasure box! Every nook and cranny is filled with a conglomeration of small and large...random...things! I knew it would be a challenge, but in hindsight, I could not have prepared for what I was about to take on and certainly not for what would happen....a romance. For the first time in my life, I was given the opportunity to experience a love like nothing I have ever known. As I relish in this affair...I have no regrets...

I began with the craft room and the kitchen area. Then, I moved onto the bathrooms and master bedroom. I worked my way through the house until I got to the very last room...the small office. This room was by far the most intense room in the house. So many things in such a small area. It was tricky at first deciding how I was going to maneuver around all the paperwork, trinkets, books, loose photos, random objects...drawers, cabinets, a closet and 2 desks filled with anything... everything! Stacks, piles, boxes...completely full! So, I took the easiest route...dump it...one square foot at a time!

On one side of the office is "his" desk and on the other side of the office is "her" desk. I started with his...then hers...then worked my way around the room until I got to the bookshelf. The first "dumping session" was loose paperwork...no problem. Shift, sort and stack...easy enough. Then I got to the fun stuff...pictures, postcards, journals, trinkets, random objects that had been buried for quite some time! This excited me because I had hoped that by finding these objects it would be like Christmas for them! I could hear the words, "oh, wow...I have been looking for this...", in the back of my mind. The idea of pleasing them in this manner motivated me to continue!

Even though I had permission to go through their personals, I still felt a bit awkward doing so I always do when I do this type of work). It is tricky to sort through things of this nature and not (look) a little...or (read) a little, but I managed not to get too involved with each item and avoided feeling "nosy". The photographs were difficult not to become intimate with. Not only because these are two people who I care very much about (I would want to see photographs of them), but also...because the contents of all these photographs were absolutely beautiful! To watch these two people grow as one and to experience their lives by way of 35mm film gave me an irreplaceable experience. I was able to see them as young lovers in college...I got to see their wedding and I witness the birth of their two children...! I organized 20 years of their life...photograph after photograph and item after item...I have only known them for 7 of those years. The experience was fun, beautiful, uplifting, exciting, happy...and heartbreaking...

 S h e

A beautiful young woman...

long dark hair...

 porcelain doll-like curls...

Long narrow face...

Thin lips...

eyes with stars inside of them...

Browns...

Different browns...

Glass...

Tiger eye?

Maybe not?

Maybe 

So

?

Lost inside...

Childlike innocence...

Dreamy stare...

Not so innocent...

Devilish grin...

Secret plan...

Leo

H e

A handsome young man...

Crazy hair...

Hats

For all occasions...

Round face...

Round lenses...

Different shapes...

Silly 

Expressions...

Different beards

For 

Different 

Seasons...

Amazing smile...

Unforgettable...

Gentle...

Warm brown...

Today...

Right now...

Taurus

T o g e t h e r

Youth...

Ribbons...

Couple...

Postcards...

Life...

Beads...

Mission...

Diplomas...

Culture...

Thread...

Marriage...

Watercolored

Tears

of

Happiness...

White horses...

Love... 

Paper hearts...

Forever...

Barefoot...

Husband...
Wife...

Children...

Family...

Sage...

T o d a y

Sun 

and 

Moon...

Oil

and

Water...

Footprints

and

Dried flowers...
Yesterday...

This union of two souls was one of the most beautiful...thing(s)...that I have ever seen in my lifetime. The way he looked at her and the way she looked at him in every one of those photographs, made my heart sing! These two people did not half ass do anything! Every last little...((particle))...of their life together was decorated! I fell in love with their love. My "love affair" was witnessing these two people and their love for one another. I have met a lot of happy, beautiful and wonderful people in my life who have done great things...but never like this! People just don't "live" like how this couple has lived? Many lifetimes are spent searching for what these two people have found and experienced in one lifetime! Some never find/experience it. I don't know for certain that (I) will...but I do know now, after seeing it, that it won't be hard to recognize its decorated beauty...

I have never been able to hold onto beautiful things for a very long time...being in-love would be one of those things. I wonder sometimes how true my experiences have been? Maybe I have never "truly" been in-love? Or maybe love is supposed to come to me in doses? Maybe I think too much...? 

My "heartbreak" is the reminder that all good things must come to an end...my neighbors are getting a divorce. It is hard for me to imagine these two people living separate lives, especially after my experience during the last few weeks. Why is this sad to me? Because, sometimes it is hard to let go, even when letting go (for me) has come so often. But as hard as it is to let go, it is just as easy to hold again. With each end, there is a new beginning...a re-birth. They will hold again...

On a lighter note: Even though I have yet to find a relationship comparable to the relationship that my neighbors had found with one another, I am content. I have no regrets! I believe things happen the way they are supposed too. That doesn't mean I totally (((understand))) the way things work out sometimes, but I believe that in the grand scheme of things that it's more about acceptance than understanding. One thing I do understand though...is that forever simply means for as long as it lives/lasts...which would be considered a lifetime!! Right? So, essentially if forever means a "lifetime"...and lifetime basically means "for as long as it lasts", then when it comes to (my) relationships I have lived (many) lifetimes! Wow, I have been busy for the last 45 years! No wonder I am so tired! So for what it's worth, I think I will continue to hold on to "forever"...every---single---time! Especially with the "re-birth" part mentioned earlier! This will keep me forever young! Hell, at this point in time with my track record...I should feel like a spring chicken!

This Old House: Finding the Right Gardener!

OMG I have a tendency to be too wordy, so I am going to try to be brief here...BTW, the above pic is how I look/feel on a "good" day! I have so much to do...

Anyway, now that I have my "menu' thang goin'...sorry, I feel like speaking southern today...FYI...I now need to construct a "things to do" list! I need deadlines to motivate me! I need a calendar! I need a miracle! I need a hot single man! Damn, I'm needy! I have decided to list eeeeverythiiiing...I mean everything and figure things out from there! Feel free to do this along with me if you like...?

...crickets chirping...

Well, here it goes...

Cool Weather Interiors List 

(since it is still cold outside--to me anyway--I am going to focus on indoor projects)

Sitting Room:
Paint ceiling
Clean carpet
Tiled archway over the door
Do something with sliding door
Do threshold at doors
Paint stripes on the wall and corner shelves

Living Room:
Paint ceiling
paint walls
Paint wet bar (cabinet, walls, and doors)
Install a threshold at the exterior door
Hang plant light

Foyer:
Paint ceiling
Weather seal door
Install fold-down attic door
Fix aquarium

Kitchen/Laundry Room:
Redo cabinets
Touch up inside cabinets
Finish painting ceiling
Tile work above counter
Fix floor--tile
Paint tables and chairs

Guest Room:
Clean carpet

Spare Room:
Clean carpet

Hall Bath:
Touch up paint
Touch up floors
Frame in mirror
Attach decorative door knob
Touch up under the sink
Touch up the ceiling above shower

Master Bedroom/Bath:
COMPLETELY redo...

Awesome! Great start! Now, my "things to do" list on ((((me)))! I will be honest, making a list for my house was a lot easier, the process of restoring myself will take much more effort/time than restoring my home! My whole life has been spent prioritizing other things before myself...that needs to come to a halt!

Me, Myself and I List

When trying to narrow down all the things that need to be done with me, it was overwhelming, to say the least! Where to start, was the BIG question!? Since I am not real good at "me", but DAMN good with home restoration...I decided to look at myself as an old house! A "fixer-upper"...! So I asked myself what I would do if I were an old house? It came to me something like this...

NOTE: I have been doing a good bit of research the last year or so (oh hell, several years)...I know what steps I need to take on improving my health...it's just a matter of doing it! Even so, to make things easier for me I have decided to post as I go. Any techniques, recipes, products, and information that I apply, mix, use and become aware of during the process, will be posted as it happens! You should do your own research as well...

Step 1: CLEAN! I need to do an internal cleansing! I have never fully completed a cleansing, because (for some reason) I have a reaction to those damned fiber pills!? They irritate my throat! Plus, I can't swallow pills very easily, so that deters my motivation in regimenting my daily dose of pill swallowing! So the only alternative I foresee will be to ingest a drink/food in order to make it happen! I also need to have blood work done to know if I have any vitamin/mineral deficiencies...and if so, I need to do something about it by use of either supplements or change of diet...possibly both!

Step 2: PREPARE SURFACE! If I were an old house, I would probably start scraping/sanding the walls... getting them ready to paint! So that means I need to focus on my skin by use of a scrub and moisturizer (I have plans of making my own)...! Also, I need to schedule an appointment with my Dermatologist! I am waaaay overdue for a checkup! My skin is suffering...

Next would be the makeup! I haven't worn makeup in a long time...so long that I have forgotten how to apply it! I think it is time to see a Cosmetologist and consider any tips he/she can offer this "old house" (though I won't refer to myself as an "old house"...)!? I think I have reached a time in my life where I might need to wear makeup, but not a lot! The natural look appeals to me. The use of mineral makeup is a must! I just need to experiment and get the right tones for my complexion! I might even post a before and after shot! WooHoo! Fun!

Toes? Yes! Pedicure and manicure...oh god yes! Hair and eyebrows? Yes, yes, yes! Sounds orgasmic!

Step 3: REPAIR ROTTED WOOD! I have GOT to go back to the Dentist and continue with the work that I need to have done! I was doing so good when I started this blog 3 years ago! I have gotten way off track with everything over the years! The phrase, "She just let herself go", haunts me every day... because I have! Though I am not wild about the Dentist and would prefer alternative treatments, I have decided to go ahead and have my teeth cleaned and X-rayed! Yes, I said that ugly 4 letter word...X-ray! But I feel it is something I have to do! If I don't do something NOW the damage will be irreversible! This will be a long drawn out process, but in the meantime, I am going to take measures in preventing further damage! I have found 2 links that I "groove" with...both offering information I think everyone should read and consider! I am starting this process as soon as possible! Check out the links and judge for yourself...

http://wellnessmama.com/3650/how-to-remineralize-teeth-naturally/

http://co-inside.com.au/2012/04/heal-your-cavities-and-regrow-your-teeth/

Step 4: STRUCTURAL REINFORCEMENT! One word...exercise! It is time to get that yoga ball out again and stretch these rickety bones! I also need to get up off my ass and onto my mountain bike! Nothing elaborate with either method. I just need to come up with a simple stretching/exercising routine that I can easily blend into my morning and evening endeavors. Listening to some music while wrapping my body around that big green ball I have rolling around in the living room that is serving no purpose at the moment, would help to motivate me! Afterward, while the music is still rockin', I can dance to a couple of my favorite songs...? How does that sound? GREAT! Once I get a wider seat for my bike (so that don't have to have it surgically removed from my ass every time I ride it), I can cruise around for a bit! Get some fresh air...at night, when all is calm and there are no witnesses to see me pant like a dog and call 911 to life-flight me to the nearest hospital...take a joy-ride around the neighborhood for 30 minutes! See, no pressure...just easy riding for starters...? I think that makes for a reasonable plan! Sounds like a "happily ever after" to me! Bottom line, it is time to stretch and move, baby...stretch and move! Simple as that!

Step 5: CLEAN WINDOWS! One word...glasses! It is time to get the proper prescription and toss out these cheep-os! Plain and simple...next...

Step 6: YARD MAINTENANCE! I assure you the bush is fine...I mean...Oh my! Sorry, I couldn't resist! Actually, the more I think about it...I could use a Gardener! Drum roll...

Step 7: WELCOME MAT! Spiritually I need to re-connect. Meditation and spending time out in the woods ...listening to music as often as possible...singing and dancing any chance I get...and getting the rest I need every night will make "this old house" inviting, once again. I can not allow myself to forget how important all these things are...

All Those Other Things, List

1). Get a job

2). Earn a Masters Degree

3). Work on blog

4). Enter writing contests

5). Work on screenwriting

6). Work on short films

7). Write music

8). Do art

9). Dance

10). Take kickboxing

11). Work on website

12). Create a body of work for art/photography exhibit

13). Finish knitting that damned green scarf I started 1 year ago

ummmmm...lets see...?

Tap, tap, tap...

Making weird facial expressions and funny sounds...

I wonder...?

Is that it?

Hmmm...

(pause)

Okay, we will start with those! I will add more if I have left anything out! Now you understand why I am screaming? I am not even finished! I haven't touched on the "Warm Weather List" yet...! Ha! Oh yeah! Give it to me baby!

Warm Weather  Exteriors List

1). Paint the house exterior

2). Finish the studio

3). Finish the tree house

4). Cut down dead trees

5). Build gate

6). Continue with your goal of achieving sustainability and complete any and all things necessary to do so...

7). "Hippi-fy" my beautiful beatin' down old truck

Pretty overwhelming, right? Not anymore. The whole purpose for doing this was not to ((add)) pressure, but to alleviate pressure! With alllll that stuff floating around in my head, it causes me to get overwhelmed! I am glad it is out of my head and onto this post! I can now think...without thinking!

The next step is setting deadlines and scheduling...

'Til next time...sleep well! Oh, which reminds me...bedtime is 9pm every night! 

I will leave you with something to "groove" too...my 2 latest "life theme songs"...Enjoy and goodnight...

Artist Lovers Electric, "Closer"...

Artist Lene Marlin, "Never to Know"..

.

 

 

Whats For Dinner!

(This picture was lifted off a free clip-art website)

So, I finally created my grocery list and I am now working on our menu for the month. This took me a couple of days (actually a week) to figure this out! Now some of that time was used to procrastinate (I will admit), but also this isn't a simple “whip it out” menu! Why? Because next month I am turning my refrigerator off, and I don’t want to waste the food that I have had stored in the freezer! I think freezing food for me became a form of denial...denying that I am being wasteful! I don’t want to throw away food even when I am sick of eating it or simply don't like the taste of it...so I freeze it and I don't think about it until it has freezer burn! By attempting to save, I am still, actually, being wasteful...a waste of space, plastic/foil, and food!? The philosophy behind “freeze it now deal with it later” is not going to be a convenient option/habit when the fridge is off! So I need to not only focus on how we will store our food but to keep in mind that I need to only cook what we will eat in one sitting! In other words, smaller quantities! This way I feel I will be decreasing the risk for potentially being wasteful. 

Since camping has been a big part of my life (not so much these days but in the past), not having a fridge seems…okay! The only difference is, this will not be for just a weekend fun thing…this will be how we live every day! I will not be able to store perishable items for long periods of time, so I will be shopping weekly as opposed to monthly. Especially if we want foods like meat, which obviously needs to be refrigerated! We will have a cooler packed in ice, but that will last for only so long...and I am NOT going to buy ice every 2-3 days! Within the 2-3 day period, we will plan our meat meals…outside of the 2-3 time period we will focus on fresh foods! In the process, this will help us to eat healthier! In the future, we will find ways to preserve our meats through drying, canning and so forth, but for now, we are going to have to be thrifty! Remember…this is going to take us time to live completely sustainable!

NOTE: What will we do with our melted ice from the cooler? Flush our toilets with it…water plants with it…boil it and wash dishes with it…you name it, we will use it!

As far as storing milk (I am a huge milk drinker)...we will use powder milk for cooking and drinking. Ideally, I would want to use powdered goat milk, but it is very expensive ($16 for a gallon once mixed--If I find a better deal I will buy it)…so we will have to interchange between powdered goat milk and powdered regular milk! It simply fits our budget better this way! If we could afford it and if it were easily accessible, we would drink fresh raw milk every day! But that is not an option for us right now due to finances and bullshit state laws, but I have a future plan on how we can make that happen! I am thinking about a future family pet! We will name her Bahhhhhhhrbara…I mean Barbara!

Gosh…so much detail… okay, another option (which seems to be a popular idea these days, though this method has been used forever)...a Zeer! In case you do not know what a Zeer is…I will post a picture of one! I don’t feel I have to go into detail about how it works, for it is pretty visually explanatory (wet sand cools down clay-cool clay keeps food fresh). If you are curious, you should read up on it, but for now...here she is, a Zeer…

http://rebuildingcivilization.com/content/busting-myths-about-zeer-pot

See…pretty simple! The only thing is, I have tried this technique before and it really doesn't work in a way that we need it to work. It might increase the shelf life of your produce for a few more days than usual, but it will not keep meat, dairy or a 6 pack of beer cold...not that I drink beer or anything! Since we are a small family (just the 2 of us) and we have the convenience of buying fresh veggies as we need them, the only purpose the Zeer would have in my family, would be to keep
our produce fresh!

NOTE: As far as eggs go, come Easter we will have chickens! So fresh eggs will be on the menu daily! Very exciting! A chicken coup is a prioritized project! Dang…I have a TON of work to do! Also, unwashed eggs do not need to be refrigerated and can last up to 30 days before spoiling! How do you check to see if an egg is bad? If you don’t already know this trick, you simply place the egg(s) in a deep bowl of water…if they sink---they are good; if they float---they are bad; if they hover in the middle---they need to be eaten soon! How do you remember this little tip? What does a dead fish do…it floats! So if the egg floats, don’t eat it! The reason why bad eggs float is that gases are released as it begins to age…! I could offer more on that, but I will spare you!

APPLIANCES: What will we do with our refrigerator? We will use it as a pantry to store fruits/veggies…seeds…dry goods, canning goods…and our cooler filled with ice! What will we do with our microwave? What a perfect air-tight place for bread rising!! What will we do with our dishwasher? We will use it as a dish drainer/dryer! I don’t know about you, but I see more counter/cabinet space!!! Eww-lahlah! What about the oven/stove? SELL IT!!!! My original plan was to build a dirt oven…or dutch oven, whatever! But I have sooooo many more things that require building, so if I can save some time I will! What will be our quick solution to an oven?
This bad boy…

http://www.amazon.com/Outdoor-Camp-Oven-with-Grill/dp/B0032OW8U6/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1363269835&sr=8-3&keywords=red+propane+oven+and+stove

Yes, I will spend money to buy this…but I see it as an investment! It is portable, so we could use it while traveling/camping as well. As far as any used empty propane tanks…we will either refill them or make art out of them... 

(This is not my artwork---this sweet little piggy was created by an Artist friend of mine! He has an Etsy site…you should check it out! I love his “happy” little critters)…!

http://www.etsy.com/people/metalartdude?ref=owner_profile_leftnav

 I am still researching all my options as far as the "stove thing" goes …so if I come up with a better solution I will post it! Until then...the above is it, folks!

Back to the menu...

BORING WARNING: I am only posting this for my own benefit! This is my way of keeping up with food inventory while creating a monthly budget…I really don’t see how the following could possibly be of any interest to anyone else (everyone’s budget and food preference is different—it’s not like I am including recipes or anything like that...hmmmm, but maybe I will!?)…but hey, if  anyone is curious have at it!

After taking inventory of our food, this is what we have to work with, or rather cook with...

Freezer: corn, greens, rice, ham, perogies, pico, hamburger meat, shrimp, egg drop soup-take out (I don't know why I froze this? An example of what I mentioned earlier about freezing everything? If it fits in a baggy, its freezer material!), pork/soy patties, Italian bread, spaghetti (a TON of it--in fact it might end up being dog food), fruit...

Fridge: spinach, raisins, carrots, tortilla wraps, cereal, cooked turkey (the entire bird)...

Pantry: canned chicken, pork (this was given to me and I don't know what the hell to do with it? I don't like throwing food away, so if someone decides to toss something...I will take it! I end up with some bizarre food items?? Not that canned pork is bizarre... weirder than anything--and not that bizarre and weird mean the same thing, but hey...it was free! We will think of something to do with it?), salmon, tuna, kidney beans, pineapple, applesauce, corn, refried beans, dried soy protein powder, almond butter, rice/pasta out the bazooka, oatmeal, grits, frittata, clog up your intestinal track Hamburger Helper (another free-bee), jello, pudding, cake mix, instant breakfast...

Any other day I would glance at this inventory and say, "Ew, we need groceries!" Well, ya know what, we HAVE groceries and we need to eat what we have before buying more! This is a lot of food, though it probably doesn't seem like it! We just need to cook it...and eat it! Even the weird pork! Yepper...I am up for the challenge! If Les Stroud can eat leftover rotted fish carcass glued to a rock out in the middle of no man's land, I can eat canned pork! By George, I might be sitting on the toilet for a week, but I will live! I'm a survivor baby...and very curious...?

Goodness, goodness, goodness...

After taking our food inventory, I made a grocery list of food items we would need to make meals out of what we already have.

Here is my list:
Syrup, Frito's, barley, popcorn, canned whole tomatoes, canned diced tomatoes, pineapple, pears, corn, canned green beans, coffee creamer, sausage, shortening, cheddar cheese, pretzels, chicken nuggets, instant coffee, pancake mix, banana's, zucchini, avocado's, link sausage, milk, ramen noodles, eggs, white wheat bread, whole grain bread, sweet potatoes, ginger root, parsnips, new potatoes, and apples! I spent a total of $93.74! WHAT!!!!? A hundred bux!? Yes...but this is for the entire month for a family of 2....! YeeHaw!

Not sure if you noticed that no beverages were purchased outside of milk...? Well, it goes like this: I am HORRIBLE about drinking water because I can't stand it! I need to drink more water, but it "ain't gonna' happen" (yep, I said aint...and yep)...if I have other options! So, I am forcing myself to drink water by having no other alternative...and you know what?  I might just have to argue with the ole' saying, "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink"...oh hell yeah you can! It has worked! I have drunk more water this week than I have in months! I am pretty excited about it actually! And no, I have no problems comparing myself to a horse...

(This picture was lifted off a free clip-art website)

MENU (I will add to this every day...the day after, actually):

Monday:
Breakfast=Oatmeal & banana
Lunch=Chicken salad sandwich with extra-extra garlic & avocado
Dinner=Turkey and rice (made with that egg drop soup in the freezer, btw! Tasty, actually!)
& sweet potato
Beverage= WATER damn it! Yayeyah!

Tuesday:
Breakfast=1 large glass of milk with a chunk of protein powder mixed in (I forgot to mention I have soy protein powder, actually...no I didn't!)
Lunch=Turkey and rice (leftover's) & sweet potato
Dinner= Chicken salad and rosemary whole wheat crackers (I really did forgot to mention I had crackers-boy, I didn't do very well with precision on that inventory...did I?)
WOW! This is easy!

Wednesday:
Breakfast=Vitamin drink; uno banana; uno avocado
Lunch and Dinner: TAKE A WILD GUESS!!!
See, this just goes to show how much food I have wasted in the past, by sticking it in the freezer and forgetting about it! I am still eating off of what I cooked 4 days ago! I (actually) gave a good bit of the turkey and rice away because I cooked way too dang-darn much! I need to go easier on "yield"...!

11 days later...

Well, THAT concept didn't last long! You know, forget it! The "add to the menu" idea is pointless because I apparently eat like a bird! I didn't think that big ass turkey was EVER going to disappear! Good lord! I think if I so much as hear the word turkey, I will throw up! Hell, at this point, even the letter "T" gives me indigestion! Okay, so...it is confirmed...I wasted food!!! Damn that freezer is like the black hole from hell, I tell ya! How did I fit all that food in there? Anyway, all is in my belly now! Just know in your heart, that I am eating well and we will move on from here! Okay? Ok...*smile*

Loose Lips & Retirement 101

Okay, lets back up a few years...say...13 years, when I had decided to buy that 10ft camper I mentioned in an earlier post! For the reasons I had decided to experience that type of adventure with my older kids, is the exact reason why I have decided to do the same with my younger son. Only...no camper (Cooper got lucky)! The "reasons" would be (in case you haven't read the earlier post), that as I sit and watch...I don't like what I see. I see a lot of waste (money/time) and for that reason, this observation compels me to prepare my children for an alternative living! It will be their choice as to how they live their lives, but at least they won't "jump in" without knowing how to swim...or in this case, jump in without knowing how to make a paddle out of found objects!

Now what I am doing is NOT original, and anyone who might possibly read this who also "pays attention", will probably roll their eyes and say, "Where the hell have you been for the last 6 decades?" Well, this is not my first rodeo...but for my 8-year-old it is! Over the years I slipped! I hate the fact that I have fallen into the hands of anything BUT sustainable living! Today, I want to re-surface and in the process, teach Cooper something I feel he needs to know...something he will not learn in school or from his immediate geographic circle. I am calling this experience "retirement plan 101"...! If all goes well, Cooper will retire while in grade school!

I have never understood why people spend 3/4 of their lives around making money...only to spend more than they earn--buying things they don't need!? I realize that one has to generate SOME income in order to afford a FEW modern amenities that are "required" to live? Like an indoor swimming pool, 3 walk-in closets to store clothes/shoes one never wears and 4 cars just because of one...can??? Wait!! What?? I think the underlining word in that sentence was "required"...? Ex: Food...water...and shelter??? Why do people choose to become slaves to their wallets, paying for shit they don't need!!??? What do these ((things)) that we kill ourselves wanting, have to do with retiring? I mean, seriously...what do we do when we retire (besides travel)? It seems the norm, when retiring, is to minimize? So, why buy it in the first place? If one doesn't minimize, then the other option is to ((hire)) someone to maintain all these ((things)) we wanted, but never NEEDED? Spending more of that retirement! How much do we NEED? Seriously? Would one have had to work so much if one hadn't of spent so much? Would one have to work at all, if one didn't need anything that required the use of money? I think the bigger and most immediate question for myself is...why have (((((I))))) been doing this? I am not really asking anyone else...to each their own...(?)...I am asking myself! BTW...Im really diggin' the "one" word right now...it makes me feel wiser! *wink*

I want to post a video that I am in "awe" over! I think this video will give a visual as to what I am attempting to convey, plus it will alleviate unnecessary typing coming from my end (I hate to type)...check it out!

Awesome, wasn't it? Now...if watching THAT didn't make someone think, then I don't know will???? Okay, enough lecturing, so I will narrow it down to 3 words: off--the--grid! It is time...to start (((moving))) and I do not mean my lips! I haven't met a pair of lips in a loooong time that DON'T look tired! People talk too damn much (me included)...so I've decided to ((move)) a little more...I want to dance, and at the same time, I want to figure out how to live without...gas! Yep, gas! Um, that would be natural gas...that still sounds wrong...hmmm...lets see...you know, gas utilities!? Right!

Retirement plan=

FUTURE: DON'T SPEND MONEY!
TODAY: REACH A POINT QUICKLY, WHERE I DON'T HAVE TO SPEND MONEY!

Listen, it has taken me a few years to make this mess...pardon my progress as I clean it up! *smile*

Step 1: Our first step in our home was eliminating natural gas. Which for us meant no heat and no hot water! Or at least not through our central heating system or hot water heater! Our gas was cut-off March 1st, and wouldn't you know that it snowed the very next day! FanTASTic!!! But hey, no worries...were we prepared? Huh? Hell no! It was freakin' colder than a well digger's ass! But were we warm? Huh? Yes! For now...becaaaaause...we are cheating!

We still have electricity so we created what we are calling "hot rooms"...! We have 2 space heaters--one has been placed in my bedroom and the other one is in Cooper's bedroom! Now, we only turn the heaters on when we are occupying that particular space. This means that we are (actually) not using as much electricity as we were, because we are congregating in one room as we heat that room. Also, we are spending more time TOGETHER because we are sharing the same small warm space. There are no walls separating us! Even as we do our own individual things...we are together!

The kitchen is another "hot room"...! It is heated by the stove which we leave on warm (again, only when we are using that room). Fortunately, my kitchen is small and has 2 doors that close it off from the rest of the house...also, it has shared space with the laundry area so the dryer (when used) helps keep the kitchen area warm!

TIP: In case you don't know about the "dryer trick" when it comes to using the dryer as a heat source, what you do is...the vent hose attached to the back of your dryer (you know, the big ugly aluminum foil looking thang' that vents hot air to the outside) should be rerouted to ventilate inside so that the hot air isn't lost. You then stretch a pair of pantyhose over the opening...the same opening from the hose itself that used to vent air to the outside of your house. This way while the dryer is drying, any dust will be trapped and not blowing around inside your home--the pantyhose acts like a filter which you can remove and clean when it gets dirty! The opening from your house, that the tin foil hose use to fit into to take the air out, should be blocked so that "critters" won't sneak in! Stuff a hand towel in there...works like a charm! Tataaaaah! A heater is born!

Whew...I am outta' air...that took more "wordage" than I was expecting! I reeeeally need to get my camera out!

Note: So you say, "Those space heaters will run up your power bill!" Yes, they will! Especially if we were running them all day long (24/7)! But we aren't! We have the heater thermostat on and we only run the heaters when we need too! Besides, throughout the rest of the house power is not being used--where before, power would have been used! In other words...no lights, TV, etc. because we aren't using those rooms right now! As far as the oven? We cooked before? The only difference is we are considering it a heat source now! It always has been a heat source, we just didn't observe it that way before! Same with the dryer...

The other "hot room" is the living room. Same deal as the kitchen (closed off), but it required the use of heavy curtains to create "make-shift" walls! We have a fireplace in the living room, so between using the fireplace and having the heavy curtains to contain the warmth created from the fire, we are quite cozy! Now, I went ahead and bought 1/2 cord of firewood for starters! It was expensive, but was worth my while to get a jump start on gathering firewood! Plus, the kids that delivered the firewood were way awesome and I was pleased to support them! They started their own firewood company called "Liberty Logs", which also helps fund the their college education so I was glad to help them out!

FYI: I have posted their FB link below! These guys were the most reasonable out of everyone I called! They deliver too!!!

FIREWOOD FOR SALE! https://www.facebook.com/LibertyLogs

Note: I thought I would throw this in...Remember my electric blanket from an earlier post? I am using it at night while I sleep and I turn the heater off in my room for the night! And yes, I will be careful! ;-) Keep in mind that use of electricity is temporary as we prepare to "disconnect"...

BTW: The rest of the rooms we are calling "cold rooms"...the last I looked my interior thermostat read 56 degrees! Chilly! Burrrrrrrrrr!

As for hot water...we boil our water using a hot plate! We have one large pot for the tub and a small pot for washing dishes. We are using a whoooole lot less water than we were using before! Cooper enjoys the fact that "bath-time" is quicker now (he hates to bathe because it takes away from his playtime--go figure)! I showed Cooper how to bathe "camping-style"...! Originally, I referred to the technique as "hobo bathing" but he didn't like that terminology! So, we came up with "camping-style"...! Funny how important word choice is!? It is the same dang-darn process...but whatever works, right?

Soooooo, we are cheater's for now...to say the least! I just need a little more time to prepare for when the lights go out! My goal is to be prepared by April 1st, but we will see??? Hey! At least we took the first step...loose lips!!! Right? Right! The weather is the big "what if"...! If it was just me, no problem...but I have a little guy and I want to make sure he is comfortable! Also, I want this experience to be a fun one and learn as we go! No need for this experience to be a living nightmare for Cooper! I don't want him to frown...I want him to smile!

There are a few things that I have intentions of building and some purchasing will be involved! But wait!!!! Screech! Earlier I said don't spend money...right? Ouch! Yes, that is our ultimate goal! But, some supplies will need to be purchased! Then there are future purchases to save for...example: solar panels! Investments will be necessary whether it be investing time, labor or even generating income to contribute! Whatever it takes to successfully accomplish our goal! Some sacrifices will be made... isn't that inevitable when it comes to progress!? Now, buying a pair of shoes I don't need or eating out every day is not an investment in my book! Therefore not acceptable within this project! We want to pro-gress, not re-gress! So the key word would be: Waste! We don't want to do that! By way of researching and planning, retirement is just around the corner!

Blah, blah, blah...loose lips I tell ya! My mouth hurts...or in this case, fingers! Enough "ventilation"...time to generate some fuel, meaning...I need to eat!