Breconbcs...On the path to Self Sufficiency

[breconbcs]

We had an active weekend but it sure doesn't feel like we got much accomplished. It snowed Friday night leaving a good dusting on the ground. Saturday we went to the local museum for their Easter Eggstravaganza. The kids had a good time, it was cold and wet but fun. We came home and I made buns and "bread" (it's what's left over from the bun making dough). Got a couple of loads of laundry done (17 yr old took over the washer) and then decided I should finish the gift for one of the kids' former teachers. Have you ever had a teacher that was so exceptional that even when they left the school you stayed in contact?? We just adore this teacher and she adores the kids. A couple of months ago we met up with her at the arena and found out she was pregnant and due at the end of March. So I put a gift together for her, which meant getting the soaps and bath salts finished up. So I spent Saturday afternoon doing that. I also tested out an idea for a loofa soap. Not sure if I like it or not...

Sunday, was more eventful. I let dh sleep in, course he was upset that I did has he had big ambitions for the day.
I try to spend Sunday mornings reading, either a book or online. I read The Soapmaker's Companion and I must say I feel alot more confident in making cold process soap. I got some laundry going (I am forever doing laundry), and cleaned the house. Once dh was up and moving, he got downstairs and started to prep the concrete floor for painting but found a small hole in one of the outside walls so we slipped into town to pick up some supplies to fix it. So he did that and sealed it on the inside to so that ended his goal of getting the floor painted as we have to make sure it works and he wants to frame the wall first. So he spent the rest of the afternoon trying to organize his workroom. So with him out of my hair I got some hot pepper seeds down, made more buns and bread and searched the house for the equipment supplies I needed for the soap. Found everything I needed, except the handmixer, thankfully I picked one up while we were in town cause I thought I had gotten rid of the one we did have from years ago. I also took pictures of my plant stand with the seeds/seedlings on it.

Top row left to right: the one you can barely see is the hot pepper seeds - there are chocolate and orange habaneros in there, then the broadleaf chives, purple foxglove 3 pellets of garlic chives, foxglove in the front with hostas (yellow tags) in the back with a couple of african violet leaves, potted up tray is foxglove (Northern Lights) and marigolds and the covered one is purple and white columbines.
Bottom row let to right: the two trays are mixed violas (I had so many I put some into bigger pots as I couldn't just give so many good plants to the worms), then a tray of 1/2 black peony poppy and 1/2 bee balm, more hostas, calendula, and lastly goat's beard.
These will be switched around today as I set up my other grow stands so I can get more seeds on the go. I still have lots of flowers to do up and my beans and peas to do. I decided I will buy the tomatoes as I only need two or three plants, not a tray full (like the chives...lol). Most of the veggies I will start outside in the veggie bed.

Today's plan was get everyone off to school/work and make my first soap batch today. But the weather did not co-operate. Buses were cancelled today and they are calling for 15" of snow. DH went to work, but his 20 minute drive into town has been almost an hour. The roads are slippery with glare ice underneather and he called to tell me to prep the generator and let me know about the amount of snow they are calling for. So I'm considering if I can keep the kids out of the kitchen, I may still be able to make the soap. I'm just worried about using the lye around them. I'll just have to see how the day goes. Otherwise it's going to be a more slow day since I did all my cleaning yesterday.

edited for spelling

 

[Henrietta23]

Welcome! Your dogs are adorable!!

 

[gettinaclue]

WOW! That is a great grow set up!

Maybe I can talk DH into building me something like that!

 

[breconbcs]

Henrietta23 - thank you. They have their moments but we love them anyway.

Gettinaclue - it wasn't that hard to make, of course dh tried to make it more complicated than what I wanted. It's longer than it should be for garden plants but I originally wanted it for my violets and leaves don't require alot of light to produce babies otherwise it works really well. We put it together with screws so that it can be taken apart easily and put back together. The lights are held up by electrical zip ties so they can be removed easily and put back on.

Yesterday was a bust for getting the soap made. Instead I made cake and buns/bread and helped dd go through her clothes again.
Today I got the soap made. Not sure how it will work out but we'll see. I used coconut, olive and safflower oil and added some lavender scent. It was easier than I thought it would be. I can't wait till tomorrow when I can unmold it and see how it's working out. I think next time, I'll try adding colour or maybe just marbling it and add in some sort of dried herb/seed. I've got more buns in the oven (I make small batches as the family doesn't eat alot of it if it's not "fresh" from the oven. Only the 17 yr old (in less then 10 days will be 18!), eats the buns/bread the day after but he eats ALOT of bread.

We have about a foot to a foot and a half of snow again. The dogs thought it was fun yesterday but they were not happy to see it this morning. The "old" man even refused to go out this morning..lol. He looked out the door, looked at me and turned around and went to his bed. I can't blame him, I didn't want to go out to supervise them. Can't wait till the weather is truly spring so we can get the deck addition on the back done so I can put stairs off it and fence an area just for the dogs. They have large kennel runs but I hate using them. They all just sit/lay at the gate waiting for me to come back so they don't get any joy from being outside. If I leave the house door open they will hang out on the deck and sun as long as they can come and go (we have a gate across the stairs so they can't get off).

Think tomorrow I will spend time sewing up more banadanas for the dogs. Then I have to start making pillows for ds. He's asked for a cover for his body pillow. I have the material he picked out, I've just been afraid to do it. But it's only material...if I mess it up I can just go get more. I just have to keep telling myself that...lol.

 

[breconbcs]

I got to "unwrap" my first batch of soap this morning. And it looks like it turned out!!

I had added some lavender essential oil but I don't think I added enough, there is no smell but 'soap' smell. But for my first try I don't think it's to bad.
I now understand how it can be addictive. I want to make more today so I can try different things and the surprise of unwrapping it to see if it worked.
:bun

eta: for spelling..

 

[gettinaclue]

Congrats!

 

[breconbcs]

First off...Happy Easter Everyone!

This year dh and I agreed that it was time to cut back on what the kids get for Easter. They always get some sort of big basket from the Easter Bunny. The kids are 12 and almost 11. DH finally realized they don't need the "stuff" that comes in those baskets, especially dd as she can't keep her room clean so why add more to it. So this year they got a little chocolate and one small thing from us (dd got a couple of new tops, ds is waiting for the parts for his pocket dirt bike).
We also aren't doing anything special for dinner. I'm going to do up a pork tenderloin instead. I'm just feeling burned out and not in the mood to be in the kitchen cooking. I'm going to spend most of today over at my sister's. They've sold their house and are moving to an apartment at the end of the month so I'm helping her pack as well as she had put in the agreement that she would be taking plants so we are going out to plan what I will be taking and bringing home for my own flowerbeds.

I made my second batch of soap last Thursday. I'm not following a recipe from a book or anything, I've just been experiementing with small batches. This last one I'm not happy with it and I won't make it that way again. I think it was to much avocado oil in it, not to mention I stirred it to long so it was really thick when I poured it. It's really soft, and an ugly yellow/greenish colour. I have my next recipe already planned and hopefully I will get time to make it up. I have ordered more oils and they should be here in two or three days.

Otherwise, I've been outside trying to enjoy the sunshine and warmish though still cool temps and get the rest of the yard cleaned up. Hopefully our income tax will be in soon so we can pay off some outstanding bills, get the wood for my raised veggie garden and the fencing for the dogs and if there is any money left over, the lumber to extend the side of the deck over and out so that we have more sitting area but also stairs down into the dog area so they will have their own access to a fenced in area so they can be outside whenever they want. Right now I basically force them outside by using dog runs but they don't enjoy it as they would rather be with us on the deck or in the house. If I get the fence and stairs done they can come and go as they please during the nice days.

I hope that everyone has a great Easter, enjoy the day and your family.

 

[breconbcs]

Wow it's been awhile since I posted to my journal.

Everyone's doing well here. It's official, my oldest son is heading to British Columbia for University in August. He's been looking for a summer job for before April. Yesterday morning (7:30) the local provincial park called (he interviewed with them almost 4 weeks ago), and he starts there this weekend! He's really excited about it, though he's not happy he's on "maintenance crew" as they pretty much do garbage pickup from the campsites all summer. But we told him, it's a good paying job and it'll look good on his RCMP application next year which is really what he wants to do. University is his back up plan incase he doesn't get in. I also decided to give him my truck. He needs a vehicle for work and I'm not going to be reliable this summer to drive him back and forth so seeing as we rarely use it since DH can't drive standard anymore. So I'll just try to save up and hopefully next spring I'll be able to afford to buy an SUV of some kind.

The two younger kids have been doing good. School is almost out for summer, 11 days left. They're both pretty excited. The guy who owns the lot behind us was up a few weeks ago, he's friends with our next door neighbour (that we get along with), and he gave us permission to use his lot for the kids' dirtbikes. So starting next weekend DH will have them out there planning out a trail or two. Also ds is getting a new dirtbike, we're just waiting for it to come in. It was cheaper to get it brand new from the manufacturer than to buy the same one used locally. Only problem has been that the colour he wanted it in is on backorder. Hopefully it will be here this week or next.

Otherwise, we've just been working on finishing off the recroom side of the basement. Nothing was really saved there as such. Though we did have all the ductwork already and we didn't pay for it, it was scraps from jobs we or the install crews have done and the tv was free (40" LCD) as DH won it from work. But doing it ourselves has taken almost 2 months. The final sanding should be doable tonight and then I can get down there to prime and paint. We have the primer but I'll have to go buy the paint. It has to be done within the next two weeks, ds is having a school is out sleep over. Once that's done, I'm hoping to get DH to start on the "laundry room". It's alot more work as there is a cistrine behind the washer/dryer that has to be emptied of the sand in it, cut down and then a top put on so the washer/dryer can sit on it and drywall that area.

Cause of finishing the basement we haven't had the money to put in new raised beds. I've put out ads for free lumber but around here nobody gives anything away. People thought I was nuts when I set out 3 fish tanks and put a curb notice out (come get them or the garbage guys can take them) - but they were gone in one day which was my goal. I had tried selling them but no one ever showed and I got tired of holding onto them so it seemed like a good idea. But I'll keep looking around and if I have to I'll just buy one board at a time and maybe by the end of summer we'll have enough to get it done. Filling it won't be a problem. A friend has offered his truck and a trailer to load with compost from the local landfill for $10.

The dogs and I have been busy. One of our sheep raisers has rented the land beside them and across the road from them so they've had us out moving their sheep around. Eventually she will decide where she wants to put everyone and leave them there. lol. But it has been great for the dogs to have more work.

I've been making soap almost daily, only stopping when I run out of lye and have to wait for my order to come in. Starting this weekend I'll be selling my soaps, salts, lotion bars and tub truffles at a local farmer's market. I'm still trying to find the person in charge of another local market so I can arrange to sell there on Sunday mornings. There is also a local "flea market" that runs on Thursdays and Sundays so I may check them out and see how busy they are. I'm hoping to sell enough to at least pay for supplies so I can keep making more soap.

That's been about it. I wish it was more SS but right now, money is tight (no overtime) so we are just going day by day at what we can.

 

[breconbcs]

It's finally starting to feel like things are coming together. Rec room is almost done. It's painted, wired, heated, just have to find something for the floor so keeping an eye open for something free. Picked up a pullout couch thanks to Freecycle. It's in really good shape considering it's 15 yrs old! So even if the floor isn't done, ds's party is still a go next weekend and they have somewhere to sit/sleep now.

We finally got everything together, and the time, to put in the new kitchen sink, it's only been waiting to be installed for about 6 months. Still have to work on saving up to redo the countertop so maybe able to do that next month. DH traded labour and some parts for the sink. The lady need her fireplace fixed and a thermostat for it installed. She works at a sink manufacturer and so she asked what I wanted. We told her, and she got it custom made for me, plus she threw in all the extra stuff like the sink trays, drain board, cutting board, strainer. It took so long cause we couldn't find a tap for it we liked that didn't cost an arm and leg. Finally found a tap, at of all places Wal-Mart. It is so nice to do a full load of dishes, not just a couple of things at a time. The old sink was round and very "cottage" looking but for every day use it was not practical - I liked it till I had to use it every day.
Here it is installed (counter hadn't been fully cleaned yet):

Priced out the wood from the mill for my raised beds, it's been put on hold till later in the year, probably closer to September. So I decided I just can't put my growing plans on hold just because I don't have the set up I want, so I decided to do some patio gardening. I bought patio tomatoes (on clearance), I have some LARGE plastic planters already to put them in when I get more compost. I also decided I wanted to plant peas and beans (I already had the seeds) but I had no containers to grow them in - then I started to look around at what I had available...recycling bins. For some reason we have 3 recycle bins we don't use (I found 2 downstairs yesterday), and I have my first worm bin that I no longer use since I got the 5 tray one. So I filled two and planted. Now I just have to figure out a way to keep the younger two dogs out of them. I may move them to the ground where the raised bed is going, then the dogs won't bother them as they are to busy playing and running around to bother with anything else.
So now I have two more bins to use, have to get more dirt for those. And I'm thinking...carrots (experiment to see if they'll grow in it and if it's deep enough) and lettuce - I also have a rail planter on the deck railing that I am not using that I want to plant leaf lettuce in but not sure if it's too late in the season to do that. I also am going to try growing some sunflowers against the house, there is a small dirt strip between the house and patio stones, and it gets full sun there.

Once the bin planters are growing, I'll post pictures of them. Right now they just look like dirt in a bin.