rathbone
Lovin' The Homestead
So if I try it - cooking it on the outside stove might be a good idea? Hmmm...I think I am even more afraid now!
SSDreamin Blessings and curses
- Thread starter SSDreamin
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SSDreamin
Almost Self-Reliant
Rathbone - don't be afraid. I realized, when all was said and done, I had done some major overkill on protection!
I have been majorly slacking on my journal lately.
DH & DS#2 are at deer camp, and have been semi-successful. So I have been cleaning out the big freezer, canning and making 'hamburger' rocks with everything that was in there, so there would be room for what is coming. Would REALLY help if DH got his 'trophy mounts' out of there and off to the taxidermist. Just sayin.
Also TRYING to pack stuff up. DH wants to try to move the majority of things on Thanksgiving weekend, and I AM NOT READY! It is proving almost impossible to get anything packed up. I get two boxes packed, need something, and end up dumping out one or both of them (or several others already done) to find whatever it is! So frustrating! I suppose it doesn't help that my energy level is very low. I think I may be coming down with something, because I keep needing to stop and rest. OK, maybe it's old age setting in
I've also been trying to help my next door neighbor (the super great one's that I'm going to miss terribly when we leave) make meal-in-a-jar gifts for her Christmas list. Once they heard we would be leaving at the end of this month, and our buyers wouldn't be moving in until Jan. , they offered to keep our driveway cleared and drive in & out every so often, so this place still looks lived in! *She just this minute stopped by to offer the use of their trailer, if we need it. Such good people!
I finished the Christmas shopping for extended family this week. We had decided to give gift certificate's this year, but I was worried because the kids wouldn't have anything to open. So, I went to the dollar store and found two things for each child. There are nine kids that I had to buy for, and money is tight. Glad I got out of there for $23.32 (I bought a couple things for DS#2 as well), as I had been worried about the cost. Even at only $5 per child (the advertised price of some toys at the local discount store), I would've been pushing $100.00, which is more than we can afford right now. Still haven't finished up with DS. He is very difficult to buy for! Wanted to buy him some nice new shoes, but he has gone to using duct tape to hold this pair together, so they need to be replaced now. DH suggested hunting clothes, but DS has been growing like a weed, I'd hate to buy him things and have him not be able to use them next year. He is using DS#1's clothes/boots this year, but we couldn't find the really warm stuff he had :/
My chickens had slacked off laying for a while, but have picked back up again. DS#2 has lost his 'job' with them. They missed me
and nobody babies them like I do, so that's it.
Ice Cream has been filling out nicely and putting on her winter coat. Trying to explain to family that, at nine months old, I can easily step right over her when needed, is comical. FIL helped us build her temporary pen at the new house (which, by the way, is 3 X bigger than the one we have here) and kept worrying that it was 'just too small for a cow' I can't wait to see his reaction when he finally meets her!!
OK, enough goofing off. Time to get back to work!
I have been majorly slacking on my journal lately.
DH & DS#2 are at deer camp, and have been semi-successful. So I have been cleaning out the big freezer, canning and making 'hamburger' rocks with everything that was in there, so there would be room for what is coming. Would REALLY help if DH got his 'trophy mounts' out of there and off to the taxidermist. Just sayin.
Also TRYING to pack stuff up. DH wants to try to move the majority of things on Thanksgiving weekend, and I AM NOT READY! It is proving almost impossible to get anything packed up. I get two boxes packed, need something, and end up dumping out one or both of them (or several others already done) to find whatever it is! So frustrating! I suppose it doesn't help that my energy level is very low. I think I may be coming down with something, because I keep needing to stop and rest. OK, maybe it's old age setting in
I've also been trying to help my next door neighbor (the super great one's that I'm going to miss terribly when we leave) make meal-in-a-jar gifts for her Christmas list. Once they heard we would be leaving at the end of this month, and our buyers wouldn't be moving in until Jan. , they offered to keep our driveway cleared and drive in & out every so often, so this place still looks lived in! *She just this minute stopped by to offer the use of their trailer, if we need it. Such good people!
I finished the Christmas shopping for extended family this week. We had decided to give gift certificate's this year, but I was worried because the kids wouldn't have anything to open. So, I went to the dollar store and found two things for each child. There are nine kids that I had to buy for, and money is tight. Glad I got out of there for $23.32 (I bought a couple things for DS#2 as well), as I had been worried about the cost. Even at only $5 per child (the advertised price of some toys at the local discount store), I would've been pushing $100.00, which is more than we can afford right now. Still haven't finished up with DS. He is very difficult to buy for! Wanted to buy him some nice new shoes, but he has gone to using duct tape to hold this pair together, so they need to be replaced now. DH suggested hunting clothes, but DS has been growing like a weed, I'd hate to buy him things and have him not be able to use them next year. He is using DS#1's clothes/boots this year, but we couldn't find the really warm stuff he had :/
My chickens had slacked off laying for a while, but have picked back up again. DS#2 has lost his 'job' with them. They missed me
and nobody babies them like I do, so that's it.Ice Cream has been filling out nicely and putting on her winter coat. Trying to explain to family that, at nine months old, I can easily step right over her when needed, is comical. FIL helped us build her temporary pen at the new house (which, by the way, is 3 X bigger than the one we have here) and kept worrying that it was 'just too small for a cow'
I can't wait to see his reaction when he finally meets her!!OK, enough goofing off. Time to get back to work!
lorihadams
Always doing laundry
I know what you mean about the xmas gifts. My BF asked me what to get the kids for xmas since I made some stuff for her daughter and I told her to get them each a $5 gift card to Target and they could go crazy in the dollar bin. She was grateful cause money is tight for her too. We found a coupon for a 1/2 off 45 minute massage so we told her that she could go get a massage with me and we would pay for it for her for xmas. I will be using the gift certificate he got me for my anniversary. We get to have a girl's day out and xmas is done.
We don't have many close friends so we always give gifts to them.
My daughter wants a fish tank so I am thinking wal mart, blech, for a kit of some sort and then some cheapy goldfish. Hubby already got some new hunting boots and a few new clothes and he got me a gun for our anniversary so we won't exchange at all this year. The kids are gonna get a few things each but not much this year. My big splurge was an $8 small xmas tree for each of them to put in their rooms. DS's is dark blue and DD's is barbie pink....I found a $2 box of ornaments for them to split and they decorated it yesterday. They are gonna make some ornaments to go on them too but they are so excited to have their own trees.
It's hard when they want everything they see. I can't imagine having a bigger family, I'm lucky to only have 2 to buy for. I keep asking relatives to get them gift cards or money so we can pay for "experiences" instead of "things". I also asked them for quality art supplies for them too cause they both love to draw and paint. Toys nowadays are so boring. You can't DO anything with them. I always go back to Legos or building blocks or something creative.
I went to get something out of the deep freezer the other day and found a whole duck. Feathers and all, guess hubby slipped that one in there on me when I wasn't looking. I am not mounting a duck. It's a mallard for pete's sake.
We don't have many close friends so we always give gifts to them.
My daughter wants a fish tank so I am thinking wal mart, blech, for a kit of some sort and then some cheapy goldfish. Hubby already got some new hunting boots and a few new clothes and he got me a gun for our anniversary so we won't exchange at all this year. The kids are gonna get a few things each but not much this year. My big splurge was an $8 small xmas tree for each of them to put in their rooms. DS's is dark blue and DD's is barbie pink....I found a $2 box of ornaments for them to split and they decorated it yesterday. They are gonna make some ornaments to go on them too but they are so excited to have their own trees.
It's hard when they want everything they see. I can't imagine having a bigger family, I'm lucky to only have 2 to buy for. I keep asking relatives to get them gift cards or money so we can pay for "experiences" instead of "things". I also asked them for quality art supplies for them too cause they both love to draw and paint. Toys nowadays are so boring. You can't DO anything with them. I always go back to Legos or building blocks or something creative.
I went to get something out of the deep freezer the other day and found a whole duck. Feathers and all, guess hubby slipped that one in there on me when I wasn't looking. I am not mounting a duck. It's a mallard for pete's sake.
rathbone
Lovin' The Homestead
I love the idea that they each got their own Christmas tree. We are working on helping the kids make gifts. Fun.
- Thread starter
- #85
SSDreamin
Almost Self-Reliant
Lori - I really like the idea of their own trees too! So fun to be able to decorate it 'your way'! And, Barbie pink, my dream tree when I was little! Of-course, by the time I reached twelve, I was asking for a Red Ryder BB Gun Loved that thing and, every time I see one in the store, it brings back memories.
We tried giving/asking for school related stuff for DS#2 one year. Did NOT go well. I should've thought it through. While all the other kids were opening toys, DS was opening a microscope (which, by the way, is awesome for so many things) and globes/books. He cried Then we tried gift certificates. I thought he would be excited, since GF's don't have to follow our 'rule' - (all money received, for any reason: half is set aside. Part of that goes into his long term savings account, and part goes to the charity of his choosing. The rest can be 'blown' on anything he wants) He didn't cry, but was bummed that he had nothing to play with like the other kids. I guess that's my main reason for buying the little gifts.
DH and I haven't exchanged gifts for over a decade. I made the mistake of returning a fancy dress coat he bought me
to get something more practical. That was the end of gifts, period. For any occasion. He just tells me now "You know how much is in the bank. Go get whatever you want that won't bounce checks." Works great! I've gotten diamond earrings (at a deep discount), my eyebrows weaved (cheap and it's the first time my brows looked girly) and a tattoo.
I really wish DH's family would draw names. SIL says it's 'not fair' and she's right, in a way. She has 7 kids. We have one now, and the other SIL has none. My family and DH's have just gotten so far away from what Christmas should be about, and are all about the gimmies. I tried homemade. It was frowned upon by 90% of the recipients. Can't draw names. We even tried to encourage gifts at home, then a nice family dinner together. Everybody agreed. Guess who were the only ones to show up to the family dinner without presents?
Loved that thing and, every time I see one in the store, it brings back memories.We tried giving/asking for school related stuff for DS#2 one year. Did NOT go well. I should've thought it through. While all the other kids were opening toys, DS was opening a microscope (which, by the way, is awesome for so many things) and globes/books. He cried
Then we tried gift certificates. I thought he would be excited, since GF's don't have to follow our 'rule' - (all money received, for any reason: half is set aside. Part of that goes into his long term savings account, and part goes to the charity of his choosing. The rest can be 'blown' on anything he wants) He didn't cry, but was bummed that he had nothing to play with like the other kids. I guess that's my main reason for buying the little gifts. DH and I haven't exchanged gifts for over a decade. I made the mistake of returning a fancy dress coat he bought me
to get something more practical. That was the end of gifts, period. For any occasion. He just tells me now "You know how much is in the bank. Go get whatever you want that won't bounce checks." Works great! I've gotten diamond earrings (at a deep discount), my eyebrows weaved (cheap and it's the first time my brows looked girly) and a tattoo. I really wish DH's family would draw names. SIL says it's 'not fair' and she's right, in a way. She has 7 kids. We have one now, and the other SIL has none. My family and DH's have just gotten so far away from what Christmas should be about, and are all about the gimmies. I tried homemade. It was frowned upon by 90% of the recipients. Can't draw names. We even tried to encourage gifts at home, then a nice family dinner together. Everybody agreed. Guess who were the only ones to show up to the family dinner without presents?
- Thread starter
- #86
SSDreamin
Almost Self-Reliant
We are all moved into our new house! 
Decided to do it on Thanksgiving, so we'd have a valid excuse to avoid family The good part about moving on a holiday is there is a lot less traffic. The bad part is there is no place open to grab something to eat. We were starving by the time we got here, and couldn't find everything needed to throw something together. Along came DH's Mom to the rescue - brought over a bunch of left overs from the family celebration, plus extra's for the picky DS#2. Stopped just long enough to inhale some food, then went back to unloading the U-Haul. Finished most of it by 1am. Ice Cream did NOT enjoy her ride to her new home but, once here, she almost ran straight to her new pen and did a little dance once inside! The chickens are in the hay shed out back, until we can get their coop up here. DH built it to NOT move, then decided it must come with us, so he is there today, with help, figuring out a way to bring it here. Hughes.net came today and hooked up my internet, so I am no longer totally isolated. No satellite (DS#2 is having serious withdrawals ), no phone and no cell service way out here. We are checking into a service booster, for our cell phones, because I really don't want a landline. For now, I have to go out to the middle of the front yard to text, and practically the middle of the road to call. At the moment, its raining, so I am staying inside and procrastinating on unpacking We found out that the shower/bath tub & washer plumbing DOESN'T work, so DH will need to work on that soon, before we are all too stinky to live with! On the up side, we turned up the heat to 62 and all agreed that was just too warm, so moved it down to 58. In the old house, I ran around in a sweater & covered up in blankets with the heat set at 67!
Decided to do it on Thanksgiving, so we'd have a valid excuse to avoid family The good part about moving on a holiday is there is a lot less traffic. The bad part is there is no place open to grab something to eat. We were starving by the time we got here, and couldn't find everything needed to throw something together. Along came DH's Mom to the rescue - brought over a bunch of left overs from the family celebration, plus extra's for the picky DS#2. Stopped just long enough to inhale some food, then went back to unloading the U-Haul. Finished most of it by 1am. Ice Cream did NOT enjoy her ride to her new home but, once here, she almost ran straight to her new pen and did a little dance once inside! The chickens are in the hay shed out back, until we can get their coop up here. DH built it to NOT move, then decided it must come with us, so he is there today, with help, figuring out a way to bring it here. Hughes.net came today and hooked up my internet, so I am no longer totally isolated. No satellite (DS#2 is having serious withdrawals ), no phone and no cell service way out here. We are checking into a service booster, for our cell phones, because I really don't want a landline. For now, I have to go out to the middle of the front yard to text, and practically the middle of the road to call. At the moment, its raining, so I am staying inside and procrastinating on unpacking We found out that the shower/bath tub & washer plumbing DOESN'T work, so DH will need to work on that soon, before we are all too stinky to live with! On the up side, we turned up the heat to 62 and all agreed that was just too warm, so moved it down to 58. In the old house, I ran around in a sweater & covered up in blankets with the heat set at 67!
Marianne
Super Self-Sufficient
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Don't forget to rest!We live in the twilight zone. Only a couple cell phone carriers reach to our house. All others need to drive a few miles down the road to have service. :/
Wannabefree
Little Miss Sunshine
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Good on the move! Sounds like you all still have loads to do though. Wish I was there and felt like helping!! Sorry you missed Thanksgiving though 
snapshot
Farmwife
I'm glad you are moved and love your excuse!!!!!! Like Marianne said "get some rest"!
