There was no plan, but here I am

[Gypsi]

I've been doing astrology since high school. Did it professionally for 5 or 6 years, til I moved. I saw this series of transits coming back in 2000, and just kinda cleared the decks and got myself a place that would let me work through them with fewer people-impacts. I have a lot of planets between 25 mutable (gem/sg) and 6 cardinal (cancer/capricorn) Once these pass it will quiet down for a bit.

November 21st was a fated day for driving, that's for sure.

 

[Gypsi]

Well my astrology is making a lot more progress than my self-sufficiency. Although I got a MUCH lower water bill this month, and I am actually looking forward to my electric bill. An all electric house, I don't expect it to be over $70 or $80. The truck trauma continues. I bled money the week after the wreck, between covering my x-ray, paying help to get my tires moved to my daughter's truck, other repairs on her truck, turning down work I was not physically able to do. Now we are into the holidays and work is very very scarce at this time of year. My mortgage goes past due tomorrow, the money is not in the bank. One of my oldest accounts bounced a check on me, unintentionally, the regular bookkeeper is in the hospital, but every little bit hurts just now. So the new chicken coop/run I wanted to add, no way, no money for materials. Same for kitchen cabinet and counter materials. The under construction sign will stay in the kitchen. I am seriously considering daisy chaining batteries, just taking the one out of the mazda, the one out of the chevy, plus the little lawn mower battery I'd been using, and setting my solar back up, but I couldn't afford the clamps to connect them all at the moment.

I dug up about 35 feet of fenceline and put in red clover next to the fence and a row of mixed wildflower, red clover and dutch white clover along the fence, for my bees next year. The giant red clover is only good for bumblebees, but they are good pollinators.

Cleaned the garage out, found more wiring stuff in the process, filled my trash can with debris - it was a long DIY summer. I could go out there and work, but since I have no money for christmas or yule gifts, guess I should start making them tonight.
I spent a couple of days working on my website, need to finish, need to finish bookkeeping, but I'm going to puke if I don't get away from the computer.

I am making one daughter a quilt. Have big rubbermaid tubs of old fabric to use up, guess I'll make the kids some clothes or something. Need a really "cool" idea for my 11 year old granddaughter who's going on 19. Has to pass school dress code though. I soaked a jacket, a pair of shoes, and a hat, so I'm going to go sew and just stay in this evening.

Gypsi

 

[dragonlaurel]

I hope the money comes rolling in for you- and fast.
You might want to check the free section on craigs list. Sometimes people list extra building materials they have laying around. Chickens don't care if it's fancy or not.
Maybe that wiring stuff could be recycled? Copper prices are pretty good.

That quilt sounds like a great present.

 

[Gypsi]

I won't be recycling the wire - I'm re-wiring my house, just found extra stuff to do it with. If I ever get time to add the circuits I need, I've got most of the materials, most bought at 2007 prices, some squirreled away from things I took apart...

I've been a packrat on metals for years.

The rest of the $ - I need to look at my solar return for this year, because it just flies out of my hand and off into the wind. Literally had $86 do that this spring, more jumped out of my bank account for unknown reasons yesterday. I just go out and earn more and pay the bills, honestly... What else can I do?

I may end up having to keep Allstate - if their coverage on my house and the liability on my dogs is any good. Take the auto down to PLPD, put the extra not paid to them in savings for the next time I get hit. Much faster and less stressful than arguing with them. And I have so little fancy stuff in my house, I'm quite sure my contents coverage is too high, and I'm paying for that. So I need to take an actual inventory of what it would cost to replace what I have (omg, my $40 living room set - solid wood, removable cushions, perfect for the person with allergies, got at a garage sale), anyway, do an inventory, and sit down with my agent and reduce my coverage.

Don't know about the rest of the insurance companies, but the Hartford won't cover liability for anyone with a rottweiler mix and a german shepherd mix. And I'm not getting rid of my dogs.

For the rest, some days you can make a profit, and some days you just try not to spend any money. And today, I'd best stick with option B. This will pass - I'm keeping an eye on transits, a lot of this should pass before 2012 is half way through. BUT, then Uranus squares my Saturn, and starts a whole NEW party. Hopefully it will be a more fun one.

 

[framing fowl]

Well I went to work today, with most of my tools transferred to my daughter's truck.. Tonight my rott dug through my guard that was supposed to keep rodents and possums out of the green house where my pullets are living, and darn near got into the greenhouse. He is in big trouble.

The dogs are gated out of that area when I am not at home, but tonight my chicks are at risk from any predator that might climb the fence. I'm too tired to go out and fill it in in the dark, I chunked a couple of rocks in, and topped them with a big rock. He knows he's not getting a belly rub I suspect.

He is an excellent ratter, squirrel and possum chaser. At some point he will realize my chicks aren't rats. He doesn't mess with my hens.

Gypsi

Our pit mix was great with our adult hens and rooster, but she was not good with the chicks or youngsters. After they were about 3 months old, I didn't have to worry but up until that point, I really had to keep the chicks enclosed or they were snacks.

 

[Gypsi]

Well, 4 weeks and 1 day later, 2 days until Allstate has to reply to my complaint filed with the State Board of Insurance, and I'm still here, muscles are mending, catching up on my website overhaul and bookkeeping, waiting for the cold weather to pass.

New self sufficient stuff consists of using my electric chain saw to cut more firewood. Can't buy ANYTHING but I'm covering the bills.

Making quilt for daughter. One more strip and the top will be done except for the applique trim. Not putting any batting in it. The most comfortable quilts, for Texas, have a sheet on the bottom, woven stuff on the top, no bat. If you want fluffy, add a blanket on top for that month out of the year when it isn't too hot for batting.

Still buying eggs. Will see what my production Reds do after their feathers finish coming in. From 5 hens I'm getting 2 or 3 eggs a week. But it is winter. The feathers are coming back. I fixed the hole next to the green house a couple of days after he dug it. Not leaving dogs in pond area right now, too much to get in trouble with. (which is why the kennel fence is around that area anyway.)

Gypsi

 

[Gypsi]

OMG, I am so old. They have invented all of these pricey little html editors, and my daughter's friend was going to help me work on my page, and he can't understand what he's reading in the code, and asks me what tool I am using. And I am using Wordpad. I actually LEARNED html back in 1996. Balked at java and closed my web design company when people wanted java, but I can actually bypass the editors and make things happen on the screen.

But at the moment, while I do feel like they taught us how to learn in high school in the olden days, I am doing this all by myself, because the college lab shuts down its fancy editors over winter break, and the genius who was going to help me, doesn't understand code without them....

Sometimes self sufficiency doesn't mean manual tools. I am quite html self sufficient. Good thing too.

 

[BarredBuff]

You need more chickens and a variety of breeds. I also think its smart to have two shifts of chickens, changing one each year. Then you are never without eggs.

 

[Gypsi]

Well the Americaunas will grow up, should start laying around March 1st I'm guessing. But I didn't know last year that I needed a 2nd shift, so I didn't get more chicks. I also need a 2nd coop and run, which I was going to build until my truck got wrecked.

 

[BarredBuff]

Well the Americaunas will grow up, should start laying around March 1st I'm guessing. But I didn't know last year that I needed a 2nd shift, so I didn't get more chicks. I also need a 2nd coop and run, which I was going to build until my truck got wrecked.

Yeah having two shifts of chickens and 2 coops makes the world a better place.