Holidays and Beginnings

Hello All,

Just a quick little post to wish you and yours a (late) Happy Holidays and an even Happier New Year!

We had a great time with family, ate lots and lots of yummy food and did little else as much as we could manage. 

For New Years Eve we were planning on going to our local First Night, but wooooweeee it's going to be cold so we are going to find something else to do.  Sushi anyone?? 

What are you going to do for New Years Eve?  Are you the kind that likes to go to parties and live it up or stay home watching the ball drop with that special someone?  Me, I'm kinda a mix of both.  I like to go out and do things, but when the clock strikes midnight, I don't want to be anywhere other than in the arms of my handsome hubby and beautiful son. 

Here's to a wonderful and prosperous 2013! 

See You Then! 

One Week Later

It has taken me a solid week to really grasp what happened just a week ago today.  To really understand and grasp that there were children not only injured, but murdered.  CHILDREN. 

My heart aches for the parents who have to go through this tremendous pain that I could never understand. 

I think of the staff that worked in that school, waking up that morning, not knowing what the day would bring.... how now their families have to find a way to get through Christmas without them.

My heart goes out to the folks in Newtown..... and here at home, I will hug my son tight and Thank God for him.....

Hold each other tight.....

Food, The New Year and How I Plan on Ruining My Marriage

Hey Everybody,

As Christmas gets closer with the new year just around the corner, I've been doing some thinking.  *If you're my husband this is the part when you say" what did I tell you about that?"  And I sigh and say "not too"*  that joke NEVER gets old with him.... OK...moving on....

As I was saying, I've been thinking about things I want to continue in the new year and things I want to change.  One of those things is food.  We need to eat better.... not just pick out more veggies when I go to the store, but get back to eating locally.  I loved going to the farmers market a couple summers ago.  We would go there on Saturday or Sunday and have some lunch afterward.  I even went by myself quite a few times and how relaxing it was to walk from table to table to pick out food for my family.  More often than not, there was a person playing music..... so what's not to like about fresh, local food with a side of music.... awesome. Anyway, I went back to work part time in the fall of that last summer and wouldn't you know it, I had to work every weekend.  I simply quit going to the market.  I had one Sunday off a month and I usually chose that day to stay in my jammies until lunch time instead of riding to the market.  Not anymore.  TOOT! TOOT!  The train of reason has pulled into the station! 

I'm heading back to the market.  I believe the market starts up again in February.... in the mean time, I will get in touch with the local farmer who sells eggs, beef, pork and has chickens a few times a year.  We are on a tight budget, but after reading a blog I love about a lady who feeds her family fresh food, from scratch more often than not while working a full time plus job!  It can be done and it will be done.  Did I mention that this lady is also on a squeaky tight budget just like me?!?!  This girl rocks!  Swing over to Frugal by Choice, Cheap by Necessity..... she is me basically..... except blonde and has a couple kids.... but hey, you get the picture....

Now, since my husband is more picky than my son when it comes to food, this is the face I will see when I serve "weird" and "new" veggies next season.....

This is the face that will meet my gaze when I explain that we will be eating beans and maybe not as much meat as he is used to....

This is when I tell him that maybe we should consider not eating any fast food this coming year.... not looking forward to this.... !

Don't worry honey.... there will be chicken and all things pork..... just happier, less "factory-ised" (it's a real word, look it up) 

Wish me luck .... I think I should start a series called.... how I tortured my husband this week...:)

Until Next Time Friends!!

PS!  Have a WONDERFUL Christmas, Hanukkah, whatever you celebrate, make it grand!  See you next week!! 

Organizing the Armoire, Kitty Cat Watching and Shredding!

Hey All,

Finally getting back into my groove of organizing again.  This past Monday I should've gone to the grocery store, but the rainy, cold weather helped me decide to stay home.  I'm amazed at how fast my brain can work to come up with a menu plan for dinner when I seriously don't want to leave the house!  It took me about 2 seconds to realize I had all the makings for a spaghetti dinner.  So, since I didn't need to worry with such things as feeding my family, I was ready to turn my sites on something else.....

Enter obnoxious mess here:

 

 

Yea.  I know.  You don't have to tell me it's bad.  This is where all things paper and things I don't know what to do with go to die.  There's everything in there from a printer from the 90's to binoculars .... wooooweeee I was not looking forward to this.  But, it needed to be done.  So out came every paper clip, every pencil, every expired coupon and every lost receipt.  I started sorting, tossing and donating.  With sweat on my brow, I finally got to a point where things were looking a little less monster like. 

 



See that pile on the floor on the right?  That's old bills that I need to take to have shredded.  I have a shredder, but not the 200 hours that I would need to shred it all.  Did I mention that I have another large bag full of things that need shredding in my spare bedroom?  I didn't?  Well, yea. I do.  I'm what ya call a non-shredding hoarder I guess.  I always mean to do it when there's just a few, but then life happens and I end up with 2 big bags of it.  I know that I could bite at it a bit at a time, but I'm gonna bite the bullet instead and take it to Office Max to be shredded.  I know myself all to well. I know that I could do it myself and save some money. But if I do, I will do another blog in the future and have yet another bag of stuff that needs to be shredded.  For a small fee I'm willing to pay to have it done and over with.  Let's say that one of my resolutions in 2013 will be to come up with a better way to handle documents that need shredding.  Any hints??

Anyway,  I finally finished and even though I'm not as excited with this as I was my coat closet, I'm still pretty happy. 

Now, you may be asking yourself, Kim, why are those binoculars still in there?  The answer is simple.  I like to look at the feral kitties waaaaay across the way at my neighbor's house.  Honest!  I'm not a peeping Tom or a nosy neighbor!  But, really, doesn't this look a lot better?  Now I have to admit that my grandmother just gave me 2 free passes to a local museum and where did I put it?  I plopped it right in my newly cleaned/organized armoire.  I don't want to lose them of course.  I need to get a pretty little basket specifically for coupons/gift cards/discount cards.  I wish I could count how many times we've had a coupon only to forget about it and find it later!  What a drag! 

So there it is..... one more cleaning/organizing goal complete! 

Now, this is just for fun..... my new kitty Xander!  See ya guys!

Tis the season!

So here we are in December already!  We're enjoying the holiday season with activities together as a family.  We've been busy at the store, but are still taking time to do some fun things.  We've got some fun gift ideas in mind but of course since I know that my mom reads my blog, I won't be sharing what those gifts are!  Gotcha Mom!! 

The garden is pretty much done for the season.  You can see that I still have 2 bags of goat manure that needs to be laid out.  My initial plan was to lay it out and cover with straw to begin to kill back grass for a bigger bed next year, but we have been so busy that I didn't get to do that.  I haven't even put in my garlic yet, but I can do that in early spring. 

Here are some greens that we are still eating.... they are muslin mix that are spicy and just slightly bitter, so good with balsamic vinegar!  It feels great to still be able to walk out back and get fresh greens.  Some of the leaves have been nipped back a bit by the few heavy frosts we have had, but overall are still going strong. 

In other family news, we have gotten another neighborhood kitty neutered.  An adorable boy kitten and his mom found our kitty shelter during Sandy and he is so sweet.  I picked him up this morning from being at the clinic having his "jingle bells" removed!  I'll post pictures soon. I've been trying to trap/catch his mom for months with no luck.  The closest I got was scruffing her while she was eating, but then when I tried to put her in the crate, she kicked really hard, knocking the crate over and herself out of my hand!  She plopped on the floor and high tailed it out of there.  Eventually Barbie Kitty..... eventually! 

We visited the park yesterday evening and walked through Winter Wonderland.  Every year they put up tons of Christmas lights and for a small price you can walk through.  Absolutely beautiful and since I wasn't freezing my toosh off this year it was even more fun! We still don't have a tree yet.  We have bought real ones for the past couple years and really enjoy it.  We'll probably get one this weekend.  There is just something I love about the experience of picking out a tree, hauling it home on the roof of our car and then smelling it all through the season.  When we're done, we know it will be turned into mulch.  It's a win-win for us! 

What activities do you like to do with your family during the holidays?  Is there a must serve dish at Thanksgiving?  Are there cookies that Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas without?  Tell me all about it..... I'll go make some cocoa while you leave a note in the comments section! 

Until Next Time Friends!

Reorganizing the Coat Closet.

So, as you know, I've started going through the house and reorganizing things.  I'm shedding things that I don't need, use or think are beautiful.  When I come home in the evenings, I want to have that cozy feeling like when you put on your favorite warm sweater.... ahhhhh, home.....  When we invite friends and family over, we want them to feel the same way.  We want them to feel like they can kick off their shoes, climb on the couch, grab a blanket and hey! how 'bout a beer over here!?  Or more pie please!  You know, comfy.... but still pretty and organized.... oh boy do we need organized! 

 

Coat Closet BEFORE

 

 

So here we are at the coat closet.  Don't you just love that jumbled mess of boots and who knows what in the bottom floor of the closet?  Coats crammed in like sardines tickling your fancy right about now?  I thought so.  Now I have cleaned out this closet before and it always, ALWAYS ends up looking like this.  Luckily I've been reading Kelly's blog  www.imperfecthomemaking.com

 

She's an inspiration to clutter bugs like myself.  You should check it out, this girl rocks!  Seriously guys, she's awesome... if you love anything homemaking, you will like her blog.  She did the same thing to her house with beautiful results, so I said to myself.... I gotta get some of that! 

 

So I went through each item in the closet and I thought for sure my husband was the coat hoarder y'all.  Nope.... it's me.  I have 7 jacket/coats.  A work coat, 3 fashion coats, a regular winter coat, a lighter winter coat and a jacket.  Seven!  My husband has a measly 5 and he donated one last night.  My son beat us all by only having 3.  He does have 2 more jacket/coats upstairs in his bedroom closet that he will need to grow into before he can wear them.  They were both in the coat closet before and I was thinking.... why?  So up they went.  I decided to get rid of the Kirby vacuum carpet shampoo attachment since I have never used it and never will.  However,for what ever reason I had decided I needed to keep it for ohhhhh 8 years now.  Toss.  We donated a couple games that Ashton has outgrown and moved our boots upstairs with the rest of our shoes..... isn't that an interesting idea???  I moved kitty litter supplies to the newly cleaned/organized  kitty litter closet (yes my girls require an entire closet for their litter box) and all we had left were the remaining coats, exercise equipment, games and hat/glove baskets.  Now readers, I'm ashamed at how dusty the bottom of that closet was when everything came out..... how does that even happen?? 

 

As I stood there with the beautiful empty closet, I thought to myself, wouldn't it be great if I had one of those cute little shelves so I could set things on the top and store things in the cubbies?  Tiiiinnnnggg!  This is where this little lovely comes in.....

 

 

I had this sitting empty in my bedroom.  It used to hold old pictures and photo albums. BUT since I recently cleaned out the little cabinet in my sitting room and put all the pictures together in one place (gee why did it take me so long to figure that one out?)  this baby was just praying for a job.  So, I put this shelf on its side and wahhhhlaaaaaahhhhh..... perfection. 

 

Coat Closet AFTER

 

Nice huh?  Now I might actually use those dumbbells since I don't have to wrestle junk out of the way to find them.  Did you notice that we have 3, count 'em 3 free hangers?  This has never happened.  Our guests could actually hang up their coats instead of plopping them down on a chair for our kitties to lay on!  I would like to eventually paint the inside, because hey, Kelly does that and I can say it really does make a difference.  But, that will be a later date.....this is a really good start though. 

 

 

So, do you have a closet or room that just make you crazy?  Please tell me I'm not the only one!! 

 

 

Until next time friends...... next, I face the armoire, which I also call the mess that must not be mentioned.  Wish me luck.  





Thanksgiving thoughts....

Hey Everybody!  I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.  We had a great time at my mom's house.  It is so nice to sit around the kitchen table and talk after a big family meal.  I am truly blessed. 

Here's some pictures of us at the pumpkin patch last year.  This past year we couldn't go during the day since we are working the shop, but we went to the night time Corn Maze and Hayride in the Dark!  It was so fun and now that our boy is getting older, he loved the spookiness of it all. 

On the home front of homemaker kim, I've been working on reorganizing and taking a serious look at all the stuff in my house.  Like a lot of the moms on the blogs that I read, I want things that are either beautiful to me or useful in my home.  So, I'm slowly going through the house.  So far, we've done my son's room, which he is used to doing.  We always go through his room at this time of year to make room for his gifts (lucky mug has birthday and Christmas a month apart)  We like to teach him to think about kids that don't have toys like he does.  I've also still been trying to make things from scratch as much as possible. 

I will do an update on the garden soon with pictures.  Believe it or not, we are still pulling fresh greens from it.  Financially we are doing pretty well.  We stick to our budget closely, but we are so blessed that the business is able to pay for our bills. 

How was your Thanksgiving?  And.... how do you spend your "Black Friday"?  Are you a doorbuster addict or are you like me and love to just take it sloooooowwwww?  I'd love to hear from you!

Meet Toby.

 

 

Hey Everybody,  This is a bad picture, but as you can imagine, the subject is a wiggly little monster.  Who is this you ask?  Meet  *Toby*  ..... ahhh, isn't he a cutie? 

 

 

 

 

 

Exactly one week after losing Harry, when my heart was far from healed, this little boy showed up in our bushes at the front of the house.  I was working in the garden when I heard his tiny voice.  I went into the garage to get a shovel and I heard a little tiny meow.  I stopped in my tracks thinking... no, it can't be..... I walked over to the bushes and out popped this little tiny baby.  Cute as a button and he walked up to me cautiously. Even though I tried to resist the urge to go pick him up, I just couldn't.  It wouldn't hurt for me to comfort him a bit and check to see if it's a boy or a girl?  No, of course not. 

 

 

 

Crap!  It's a boy!  Did I mention how cute he is?  So, here in the midst of my grief, the universe decides that I need a sweet little 5 week old boy...... a CUTE 5 week old boy.  No.  I'm not ready for this I thought.  This would be wrong.... I mean, I just lost my Harry.  So, I crunched up some food for him and crossed my fingers that his Momma would come back for him.  That was at 2:30 in the afternoon.  He had not eaten any food at 7:30p.  He was too young for that food.  I took pictures and sent them to hubby.  Let's let him decide..... yea, that's what I'll do....

 

 

 

So, Hubby arrives home and I take him out front to meet the little one.  But instead, we hear only crying... scared crying.  Help! crying.... he was stuck underneath the steps.  He had crawled into a crack under our steps and couldn't find his way out.  Luckily after putting my fingers in the hole and calling him a few times, he came out.  My husband's first response was "Oh my goodness!"  I think he was shocked at how cute he was as well.  He said "You better go get this boy some food or he'll starve!"  Hubby and son took him inside while I went to Target and got him some baby mush supplies. 

 

 

 

 

He needed some help getting started eating the mush, but took to it pretty quickly.  He ate like he was starving!  Momma never did come back for him.  He is pretty small so we figured that he just couldn't keep up with the group and got left behind.  But that's OK.  I miss my Harry.  He will always be with me, but this boy makes the hurt go away a little bit. 

 

 

 

I guess you have figured out by now, that he is a part of our family now.  He is almost 10 weeks old and full of energy!  I love love LOVE this boy!  He is the prettiest kitty I've ever had!  (Shhhh, don't tell the other kitties!) 

 

 

Here's to being just one kitty short of being the crazy cat lady! 

 

 

Have a Happy Thanksgiving everybody!  I already have everything I could wish for and am so thankful!!!   PS- Hubby says Toby is my Christmas gift, hmmmm, I wonder if he'll sit pretty under the tree with a ribbon on his head?  :)  











Homemade Yogurt

Hello Again Everybody!

I've been dipping my toes into the world of cheese, butter and yogurts.... wow!  So much fun!  We love fresh mozzarella and now I can't see going back to buying the bricks at the grocery store.  Not only for the taste, but the price is so much better.  For the price of a gallon of milk, I can have a pound of yummy mozzarella and get some ricotta as well! 

Last week I made my first batch of yogurt.  I had tried a different method once before but I didn't like the consistency at all.  With the method I used this time, it came out perfectly.  The only adjustment I think I'll make next time is to let it sit for 8 hrs instead of 7.  This will give me even firmer yogurt and more of a stronger taste.

You will be amazed at how easy it is!  Again, why pay for something you can simply make yourself!?  Why pay for something when I now know exactly what is in my yogurt?  Here's what I did. 

I took a quart of milk and heated it slowly to 185 degrees Fahrenheit. While it was warming, I turned my oven on to preheat at 350 degrees for 2 minutes.  Turn it off when two minutes is up.  You want your oven good and warm, but not hot.  Let it sit while you finish heating the milk.  I then cooled the milk down to 110 degrees F quickly in a ice water bath.  It's a good idea to use stainless steel so you can go from hot to cold with no *ahem* accidents..... Once the milk is cooled, stir in 2-3 Tablespoons of a good quality plain yogurt.  I used Greek yogurt.  Be sure that it is plain and says that it has live cultures in it. 

Now place a lid on your pot (preferably a tight fitting lid), wrap it in a kitchen towel and sit it in the oven.  Now wait for 7 hours for a good yogurt that is slightly loose in consistency or 8 if you like a Greek style yogurt.  You now have plenty of time to do all the things moms like to do during the day, like laundry, dishes, ironing.....you know, all the FUN stuff!  :)  You may want to check the oven to make sure it hasn't cooled off too much.... This happened to me and I just turned my stove to warm for about 30 seconds and then turned it off again. 

Ok, now it's 7-8 hrs later.... you are tired from all that shopping, I mean, cleaning you've been doing all day..... take the pot out of the oven and remove the lid.  You should see a cheesy texture on top and maybe some separation of curds and whey.  Stir it up and place it in the container that you want to store it in.  It will be more loose right now, so don't worry, it will firm up in the fridge.  Set it in the fridge overnight.  The next morning you are ready for smoothies, plain, or spiced up with fruit and granola! 

Try it-- you will love it!  OH!  Don't forget..... save 2-3 Tablespoons of your yogurt and put it in the freezer..... for your next batch of homemade yogurt.  :)

Enjoy!!

If they had time to see....

Here's my beautiful son.  The light of my life, the reason I get up in the morning.  This guy will be turning 11 in just a couple weeks.  ELEVEN!  How did this happen!? 

He is such a blessing.  Hubby and I had been married 5 years before he was born.  It took us over a year to conceive him and had just about given up when we found out that we were expecting.  We always said that if we had trouble getting pregnant that we wouldn't do a bunch of medical procedures to make it happen, so I was thrilled beyond belief when I finally got pregnant.  I kinda always knew that I would only get one shot at this because we haven't gotten pregnant again.  So, yes, he is a huge blessing. 

That's why I'm a little saddened by our recent parent teacher conference.  Now, don't get me wrong.  I really like his teacher.  She is a ball of energy and she expects him to do well.  She pushes her students to excel.  He is having the best year he has ever had in public school.  But, he needs help.  He's behind in his math facts.  His spelling isn't great.  According to her his comprehension in reading isn't great either.  His social skills apparently need some attention as well.  She even asked if he had ADD. 

What bothers me is that she has made 2 assumptions that aren't true.  He's behind because a) he was homeschooled for second grade and b) he's an only child.  OR he must have ADD.

She assumes that he stays to himself and is shy because he's an only child.  No, it's because he was bullied to the point that he stays away from people until they prove that they are safe to be around.  She also assumes that because he is behind in his math facts and all other problems that homeschooling him is to blame.  NO!  He did great homeschooling and got the attention he needed to really understand something.... and he hung out with great kids....

I was just so frustrated because she just assumes...... she doesn't have the time to get to know him.  She has just put him in a category and there's very little that we can do to get him out. 

I'm not angry with his teacher or the school.  I'm mad at the system that makes her work with so many kids that she can only go on her own assumptions - quickly assessing the situation so that she can quickly place him and his problems in a box.

Here's to another year.......

We are so lucky!

Hi Everyone, 

Sorry it has been such a long time since I posted last.  We are finding our new normal without Harry and bringing a new boy kitty into our home, so things have been crazy.  What made things even more crazy is Sandy.  I'm sure you have either seen reports on Sandy or if you're anywhere close to the east coast, you probably felt the wrath of Sandy. 

Luckily, we made it through with no damage and with only 1 hour without electricity.  We stayed warm and cozy in our house while others lost theirs.  Watching the telethon on TV raising money for the victims of Sandy was so heartbreaking.  We knew it was bad, but we had no idea how horrible it was.  We were lucky to not be in the direct path.  We felt so bad for these people we had to do something.  What we could do wasn't much, but we donated to the American Red Cross for Sandy relief. 

We believe that sometimes, you have to give even if you can't afford it. 

I remember when my husband was out of work we were on an extremely tight budget.  We were getting by with his unemployment and my part time job income.  We had just learned that my husbands unemployment benefits were going to be cut soon, when a friend at my work had an emergency spleen operation and needed help paying bills.  I couldn't give much, but I handed over a 5 dollar bill.  The very next week, Eric got a job offer.  So, we have learned that things will work out, so you shouldn't be greedy if folks are hurting.  It will all work out. 

Look around your home today and love it.  Love the land, love the things needing repair.  Love the things that aren't as pretty as you'd like.  Love the house that maybe you feel a little cramped in.  Love the house that you call home.  Today there are families out there looking through piles of muddy rubble looking for anything they can salvage from their home.

Life has taught us yet another lesson in enjoying every minute because in that same minute, everything could change. 

Losing Harry

Hey Everyone, 

Today my post isn't going to be filled with my normal goofy stuff.  Today I'm going to write about the harder side of life.  With every life, there also comes death.  I had to face death just two weeks ago.  I am just now ready to talk about it. 

On Sunday, October 7th 2012 at 11:30 am I was happy at home.  I was cleaning the bathroom and enjoying the routine of it all.  I then heard a cry.  Not an ordinary kitty cat cry, but a sad, scared cry.  I walked out expecting that my timid mama kitty needed some attention.  But instead, in the hall I found my Harry looking as if he was having a seizure.  My first thought was he's having a seizure... meds, he'll need meds.... vet appts.  I went to him and honestly I wasn't overly concerned because my DiDi kitty as you know, has had these episodes before..... he just needed to get this over with and then we'll get him to the vet for meds.  But my boy didn't get it over with.  The longer it lasted the more freaked out I became..... what seemed like minutes was only seconds when he was taking rasping breaths.... sticking out his tongue.  By now, I'm crying..... yelling his name..... Harry!  Harry!  Come on buddy!  Harry!  I tell my son to call Daddy to see what we should do..... Through tears I give him the phone number...... 

His body then went limp, but I still thought he would come back..... flicker his eyes and wake up.  But he didn't.  I'm rubbing him sobbing..... This can't be happening.... he's only 4 years old.  My son is on the floor with me rubbing him, but surprisingly calm.  I tell my husband over the phone that I think Harry has died..... no pulse, no signs of breathing..... all in all it was about 2 minutes. 

I put his body on a towel and laid him in our sons bathroom until my husband came home.  We were all in shock.  We decided that we would have him cremated, so that if or when we move from this house we could take him with us. 

Now, I know what some of you are thinking.  He's a cat.  It's not like I lost a family member or anything.  But for someone like me..... it is like losing a family member.  I had plans for that boy..... I was hoping to move to a bigger piece of land someday so he and his sister would have a lot of room to romp.  I was going to put his 5 week old picture next to his 5 year old picture on facebook on his birthday..... I was looking forward to at least 17 years with him.  I wanted to see him grow old.....

But he was taken from us just moments after giving him treats and playing with him.  After doing some research, we feel he had the same thing our DiDi has.... Hypertrophic Cardio Myopathy.... thickening of the heart walls.  Very hard to detect and often the first symptom is death. 

We had his remains sent to Valley Pet Crematory.  We did a private cremation and received his beautiful box of ashes back just a couple days ago.  We have his collar sitting on top of his box.  They did a wonderful job.  Seeing the box pulled away any healing we had done since surrendering his body to our vet.  The hurt felt as fresh as the day it happened.  But he is home now.  He will always be in our hearts. 

The only good thing that came out of this is that we were home and by his side when it happened.  We know that even though his life was short, it was a comfortable and spoiled life.  :) 

It's still weird not having him snuggle up with me under the covers, (yes, he insisted on being under the covers!)  his sister lays next to me instead now.....

My son is handling it ok.  At first he was just mad.  This cat loved Ashton from the very beginning.  Ashton's energy never scared him. He would follow him around and just rub him..... so, this has been tough on my son.  After he was over being mad.... he cried and cried.  When we got back his ashes, he said a few words and put his ashes on our shelf.... kissing the top of the box. 

So, that is the story of losing our boy Harry.  I could go on and on telling stories of how sweet he was..... but I won't. 

It's time to say goodbye to my dear boy. 

Enjoy the every day.

Hello Everyone,

Fall is here.  Sunset comes earlier and the air is chillier.  I'm looking forward to the coming holidays and everything that comes with it.  Snuggling up on the couch with my kitties, reading a book with my son and eating up yummy food.  I've learned alot this year and one thing I've learned is that life is so precious and we never know when our time is up.  We need to enjoy the everyday.  The pretty predictable, dare I say boring parts of our lives are probably the ones that we would miss the most if taken away from us.  So love on your honey, squeeze your kids and cuddle cuddle cuddle those pets. 

Love every second.

Until Next Time Friends.....

The story of Tater and Wormy.

Hey Everybody,

This past spring I read a post on Homestead Acres where her kids enjoyed catching caterpillars and keeping them.  She said they really enjoyed watching the process of them going into the cocoons and later coming out a butterfly or moth. 

So today, I tell you the story of Wormy and Tater.

Wormy was a sweet little caterpillar than was hanging out by our door at our store.  We don't know how he got there since apparently none of his "host plants" are no where to be found around the store.  So we decided to take him home.  He is a Black Swallowtail caterpillar and the things he likes to eat is dill, carrot, fennel and other herbs.  So, we put him in our carrot patch in the backyard.  There he stayed until one day I noticed that he was no longer Wormy, but a woody looking cocoon.  He is now waiting for spring in our sitting room. 

We were shocked and surprised that Wormy completed his cocoon so soon, so we decided to bring in one of the Tomato Horn Worms.  We named him Tater.  We had him happily set up with green tomatoes in a fish bowl for about a week.  Until this happened.

See those tiny white things sticking off the back of this horn worm?  (That's not Tater by the way) Those white things are wasp larvae.  The wasps basically inject eggs into the worm and the larvae eggs grow and grow until they basically eat the worm from the inside out.  This is actually a good thing for gardeners because these little buggers can devastate your garden!  However, our Tater didn't have these eggs on him and he was easily as big as the one pictured here.  So we thought we were in the clear.  But one day, he stopped pooping.  Which in the worm world is bad news.  They can produce enough frass that you need to clean the fishbowl daily!  Then the next day, he had tiny white eggs appearing on his body.  So I took his little self out to the garden and said goodbye. 

There you have it.  The story of Tater and Wormy.  Wormy we'll see in the spring.  Tater Tot, we'll catch him next year in the tomato bed! 

Well Fudge.

Well, looks like my post on how I do what I want on my birthday didn't agree with the gods, because guess where I am right now? 

Yep. I'm at work.

Looks like hubby has some type of stomach virus or something.  We thought that his cha cha cha's was caused by the oh so processed cheap chicken fillets that we had for dinner the other night.  However, his tummy is still a rumblin'.... and looks like cold chills are setting in.....

Now that we have the business we can't just not come in.

Poop.  Poop on a stick I say!

At first I was a little upset and even a bit angry.  But then, I looked myself in the mirror and I knew I had a decision to make. 

I could either A- continue to be angry and irritated and make myself miserable all day.  Or  B- Go to work, enjoy my day and not waste a day wallowing in self pity. 

I chose B.  So I got myself ready..... looking super cute today by the way!  I pumped up the purple eyeshadow and played with my eyeliner. 

Would I rather be sitting in a comfy chair cuddling with my 17 year old kitty?  Abso-freakin' -lutely.
Would I rather make cheese today instead of looking over bills and daily reports?  Oh. Yea.

But, if I've learned anything from my now 41 years on this earth is that you gotta roll with the punches. 

So, I'm here.  I'm relaxing as best I can..... and trust me, that day to myself will come.  And it will be
sweeeeeet  ;)

Until next time friends!

What's a birthday girl to do?

Hey Everybody, 


I am anticipating my birthday coming up in just a couple of days!  I'm already daydreaming about sleeping in, reading and having several cups of tea and basically doing whatever I want. 

I've got so much I want to do, that I know that I won't have time to do everything I want.  I already know that I will be staying home alllllll day. Staying home is a sweet privelege now that we have the business, so this year, I am home bound!  Preferably in jammies or comfy jeans that I am no longer allowed to wear out in public.  Yep, they are that comfy!  These jeans are meant for the garden's eyes only. 

I have imagined a day full of bread baking, cheese making and garden setting.  Unfortunately, even though I want to cross my arms and say NO! like a preschooler, I will have to do laundry.  My family wants clean clothes again this week!  Sheesh! 

I have noticed in my years that once you become an adult, especially an adult with children, that we tend to let our birthdays swing on by like it's nothing special.  One of the saddest things is to wish somebody a happy birthday and their reply is "Oh, thanks,  it's just another day." Followed by a weak smile.  Not me. Oh no. I'm not going down like that. I haven't and never will work on my birthday.   I don't cook on my birthday.  (unless I really want to, which to date has never happened for the dinner meal.)  So no asking momma what's for dinner this wednesday.  It's my one day to be selfish and do what I want.

Here's something else you won't find me doing on my birthday..... complaining that it's my birthday!  I am proud and excited to turn 41 this year.  So you won't ever hear me saying the second anniversary of my so and so birthday.  I'm getting older and that's luck that some folks didn't get the pleasure to experience. 

I've noticed that I celebrate for more than one day..... I've been managing to squeak out a whole week of celebrating being me in recent years and this year won't be any different!  I will have a happy day at home to myself on my actual birthday, then this friday I'll be bowling with my family and friends, a girls night on Saturday and a triple birthday party this sunday!  I'll be celebrating my birthday along with my lovey hubby and my Muzzy who's turning 91 this year!

So what's the point of my rant today?  I guess it's to love your birthday.  Whether you are tween, a college kid, thirty something or on the other side of 40.... love your day!  It's your day, enjoy it.  Rock it out and own it. 

How's that song go?..... I'm sexy and I know it..... yea baby, that's me!


To 41 more years!

Thoughts on a food stamp challenge and a new hobbie!

Hello Everybody! 

Today you'll find me at work enjoying the company of both hubby and son.  Looking around, I have to say that I'm pretty spoiled. But, I'm not here to brag about how great I have it.  Keep on track Kim!

First off,  I am a regular reader of The Non-Consumer Advocate.  I love her blog and she is gearing up for a Food Stamp Challenge.  The premise is to see and experience how living off food stamps can be done.  After looking at some links on government assistance, it looks like you get $4.00 a day per person.  I believe there is differences per state as to considering age of the people.  Cause lets face it, a teenage boy is going to eat a heck of a lot more than 6mth old boy!  So I did the math and it works out to be $84.00 a week for our family of three.  Well, since we spend $75.00 a week, we are doing pretty good!  I cook from scratch as much as possible, buy in bulk and use beans/legumes to help keep the cost down.  Not everybody has the time or ability to cook from scratch so please don't put down folks who need assistance by accusing that they don't use their assistance properly. 

Secondly, I have a new hobby that I love that The Non-Consumer Advocate inspired me to do. (yes, I really do love her site!)  She collects money that she finds and sees how much she has at the end of the year.  I believe that she puts it into her savings account.  I might be wrong.  Anyhoo, she has had a lot more luck than I have!  The last time she mentioned it, she had found and saved $20 couple dollars.  I on the other hand have found a dismal 28 cents.  Now, in my defense, I haven't really been keeping my eyes peeled lately but now I'm an eagle ready to strike in any parking lot that I roam.  Also, keep in mind that I do this for FUN..... (Mom this is for you!  I'm not starving!) 

Should I be concerned that most of my hobbies are involved in some way in saving money?  I'm borderline one of those people featured on Extreme Cheapskates! 

Until next time friends! 

See You In September......

Hello All, 

I've been enjoying the coolness in the air lately.  It's that time again.  Time for sweaters, fall leaves and pumpkins!  I don't like being cold but I do love that we get to experience 4 very different seasons in our area.  Along with starting my fall garden and learning how to make mozzarella cheese, I also sent my son to 5th grade.  Oh how time flies!

 

 

So here we are in September already!  Days are getting shorter and nights are getting cooler.  So how are we doing at Casa De Boyers?  Why, sit down a spell and I'll tell ya allllll about it!

 

First off, we've been in business for 5 months now and we are just on this side of the business supporting us.  So close we can taste it!  We are so very lucky to be able to do this.  It is frustrating some days, but we are getting to the part where we are actually being paid for the 50-60 hr work weeks!  We look ahead and say SAIL ON!

 

At home I am enjoying getting into a routine of sorts now that school has started.  He actually started back in late August and he has mixed feelings about the whole thing.  His teacher is nice, but she is firm and she expects her students to do their best.  Well, that would be ok if Ashton felt like doing his best everyday.  Oh well.  We will get through it.  Getting all the chores done at home in a some what timely manner is starting to get a bit easier. 

 

As I mentioned above, I've been focusing a lot on the garden.  My goal is to grow as much food as I can.  I'm afraid that my spring/summer garden was a bust with only a few tomatoes and a handful of beans.  But in my defense, I started late and had no supplies except what was left over from last year.  However, I have high hopes for my fall garden.  I've got lettuce coming up and planning on putting out more seeds this week, along with collard greens.  These will be placed in an area where I can put a cold frame over them to hopefully keep them going long after the first frost.  I bought broccoli plants and strawberry plants at our local nursery for 50% off!  They are in the ground and with a nice mulch/straw blanket, they should be fine.  I also have cucumbers and peas flowering.  In the center of the garden I planted Black Eye Susans.  Now, I'm not a huge fan of the flower, the main reason I purchased them (at 50% off!) was because they are considered nectararies.  They will attract honeybees and butterflies to the garden.  I'll be giving them some extra nectar, while they'll be helping me pollinate my vegetables.  Nice trade off.  Now that they are planted, I have to admit I love the splash of color. 

 

 

For dinner tonight we will be eating mozzarella cheese (not made by me unfortunately), homegrown tomatoes and homegrown basil.  Ahhhhh, better late than never!  Thanks for reading!

 

 

Until next time friends!

Great Depression Cooking With Clara

Hi there Everyone! 
Sorry I've been away for so long, but the family, house, business, pets and house want attention every single day.  I know, so rude! 

Anyway,  I wanted to share a wonderful YouTube channel that I found.  She is a 90+ grandmother who was born in 1915 and remembers the foods that she ate during that very difficult time.  It is so wonderful to see her cook a meal while reminiscing about the days of her youth. 

I particularly liked this dish called "Poor Man's Meal".  I've already made it a couple times for the guys and it's good!  Even better when you fry the potatoes in bacon grease.

Try it, you might like it!

3 large potatoes (or enough for your family )  diced small
1 medium onion diced small
cooking oil  (Clara used olive oil, but any kind will work)
hot dogs or sausage
Salt and Pepper to taste

Fry the onions and potatoes in the oil until potatoes are tender
Add  in diced or sliced hotdogs or sausage  (we used smoked sausage, but Clara used the hotdogs)
Add salt and pepper
Heat through adding a bit of water to keep potatoes from sticking.

Enjoy! 

What I love the most is that even with using the smoked sausage it costs about $3 to prepare.  We had the luxury to add a veggie on the side, where Clara's family did not. 

A meal that's fast, easy and cheap.  Perfect for this gal!

Until next time friends!

Flowers of my childhood.

I'm amazed at how the landscapes have changed since my childhood days.  I remember sitting and playing with flowers.  Most of those flowers you now have to go to a nursery to buy if you want them in your yard.  Here's some flowers that remind me of my childhood. 

These were always best pressed behind my ear or on top of a mud pie.

Purple clovers! Always was fun to watch the bees on these....

Never fun to step on when you're racing across the lawn barefoot.

The best way to see if someone likes butter!

We called these "horns".  I don't really see these too often any more. 

I know that all these are considered weeds, but what fun they are to a child.  Ahhhhh, the good 'ole days!

Until Next Time Friends!

Goals, Gardens and The Result of Leaving Our Old Life.....

Hello Everybody! 

I hope today finds you happy, healthy and relaxed.  Today is a beautiful day!  Right after a breakfast of bacon and bagel with cream cheese, I put on my oh so cute pink striped rain boots and went out into the garden.  I'm in the midst of planting my "fall garden".  I tried to plant cherry tomatoes and carrots, but due to grasshoppers and kitty paws, they didn't get very far.  So, I erased that idea and went with lettuce mixes and soybeans!  I have also recently planted peas and they are poking up to say hello. I have a few cabbages coming up, but they need row covers to protect from the grasshoppers.  How I wish that I could have a duck to eat up all these grasshoppers!!  On the other hand, my cucumbers are up and not being bothered at all so far.  I have tomatoes ripening and I harvested my one fennel, can't wait to roast it with olive oil and Parmesan cheese! Yummy!!  My basil is starting to bolt, so it looks like I'll be making pesto to freeze. I'm hoping to hold off on that until I can have some mozzarella cheese, basil and homegrown tomato drizzled with balsamic vinegar... again.... YUMMY! 

So, Yes, I have goals in the garden, but I also have some more lofty goals in mind.  This one is going to be much more difficult.... but since my mom told me she accomplished it at the young age of 40, I've had my mind on it ever since.  The goal you ask? 

I want to get rid of my mortgage. 

Now, we have done the Dave Ramsey Total Money Makeover.  I love the book and hubby agrees with the idea of being debt free as well.  We are debt free except the house.  We need to re-gather our emergency fund and then we are going to get all over the mortgage.  Well, that's my idea anyway. OR we could sell our house and buy a piece of land and a "tiny house" as seen on www.rowdykittens.com  ... but I have a feeling that's not gonna float with hubby nor my son! 

I'm content at our house, with keeping an open mind if the possibility arises that we can move closer to our business.  Hubby would definitely like to move and he would like to move up... which is nice, but I really like the idea of not having a mortgage.  We'll see.  You can tell I'm the money geek of the family :) 

Lastly, let me tell you a little bit about our life before we quit our jobs to work full time on our business.  My hubby was sick and tired.  Literally sick with high blood pressure, fatty liver and high cholesterol.  He was grumpy and so was I.  Here's the result of us saying goodbye to our old life. 

1. We wake up happy and not dreading the day.

2. We eat breakfast together and kiss each other before we hop in the car to head to work.

3. While we don't have good days every day.... it is still way better than the best day at our jobs.

4. My husband's cholesterol is low and my moods are high.

5. Hubby's liver screen is perfect and so are our fun nights out.

6. Hubby's blood pressure is right where it's suppose to be and it turns out.... this life is exactly where we're suppose to be as well....

Money is still tight, but it's all worth it!  Hubby even got a 30% discount for paying for his doctor appt. in full today!  (Sorry money geek ALERT!)   :) 

Have a great day friends.  Just do what ya wanna do..... it'll all work out. 

  



Update on Di-Di

Well, that evening after we got home from work, we discovered that Di-Di's problem is an infected anal gland.  Yuck, I know.  But I was so relieved!  We had thought the worse, so while she was uncomfortable, this is very treatable.  No wonder she has been slow lately!  I took her to our vet yesterday to have her checked.  Our doctor wanted to sedate her and flush out the infection, but he didn't  want to risk it because of her heart condition.  So, after two injections of some strong antibiotics to get her started we took home our tired grumpy old girl. We will continue oral antibiotics for the next 10 days and hopefully it will heal on its own.  However, he did say that we wouldn't have a choice if the infection was still there after the antibiotics were given.  Leaving an infection without treatment is just as dangerous. 

This morning I could tell she is feeling better already.  She came all the way upstairs and woke me up at 7am ready for breakfast!  She followed us around and begged to go outside, but given the wound and infection, we can't risk bugs getting in there and making things worse. 

So here is to a happy healthy Di-Di!  See, I told you she's a tough cookie!!

Until next time friends!

Kim's Sausage Stuffing and an Update on Di-Di

Hello Everyone!

Today you'll find me working side by side with hubby.... a nice day.  We're getting closer to our son going back to school and I have to admit that I'm looking forward to cool days and crisp nights.  It's fun to look at Halloween inspired crafts and decorations on Pinterest. So, I thought I'd share a recipe that I love and it's great for cooler weather. It's from Kim at www.homesteadacres.com  I love their blog and videos!  I have learned so much.  This is an awesome recipe that my family loves!

Sausage Stuffing

1lb Pork sausage (whatever flavor you like)
2 celery sticks diced small
1 medium onion diced the same size as celery
1 green pepper diced (this is optional- I didn't use it because it irritates hubby's stomach, still delish either way!)
1/2 stick melted butter
1/4 c. chicken stock
cubed day old stale bread (cubes about an inch thick)

Brown sausage on medium in large skillet.  When sausage is almost finished add onion and celery.  Cook until sausage is finished. 
Combine sausage mixture and bread cubes in oven safe casserole dish.  Drizzle butter and stock over the top of the mixture and cover with foil.  Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F. 

So Yummy! 

Now onto the Update on Di-Di. 

I will be taking Di-Di to the vet tomorrow.  When I got up this morning there were several spots of clear urine with blood on the floor downstairs.  She has had urinary tract infections before, but normally there are only little dabs in the litter box, and I notice her squatting a lot.  This is different because there was quite a bit of urine, thick blood with clots, almost like she couldn't control it.  Scary, but I'm hoping it's just a bad infection. No vets are open today, and she is comfortable now.   I will update as soon I we get news. 

Have a great day everyone and fingers crossed for my girl!

Oh Di-Di......

Morning Med time.  We actually are pretty good at it.  She gets her meds quickly and I come away with my skin intact.  But my girl is changing.  Her knees are getting worse.  She loves going outside but has a hard time getting down the steps, so I've been carrying her down the steps and gently placing her in the grass.  Lately she has been known to "get stuck" in her stance and needs a minute to get things moving again.  I give her pain medication every Sunday morning, but even those don't seem to give her the relief she needs.  I'm allowed to give it to her every 3-4 days if needed and I think we have come to that time. 

This morning my girl met me on the landing, but didn't come back down the steps to eat her breakfast.  She stood up, looked at me and after a few moments sat back down.  I had to carry my old friend down the steps and sit her down in front of her food bowl.  What worried me more was that there was quite a bit of food left over from the previous day.  This tells me that she is either losing her appetite, and from her size you can tell this is out of character or.... she is having a hard time walking from the couch to her bowl.  My obvious next concern is the litter box.  I keep a thick layer of puppy pads around her litter box because she can't squat and often misses the box, even though she does get in the box.  How is she going to keep going to the box?

Now, don't worry.  We aren't anywhere close to even thinking of the idea of "making the decision" for our girl.  She's a tough cookie and a little mobility problem isn't going to cause us to call the vet to have her euthanized.  What we are doing is thinking about what changes we need to make to keep our eldest daughter comfortable. 

We're going to continue to give her meds, but increase the frequency of her pain medication.  We're going to alter or replace the litter box with a low wall or non existent front wall so she can easily walk into it.  We have not figured out what to do about the pet door she walks through to get to the box, we may need to just take the door out and cut away the bottom portion of the door. We are considering altering Pull-Ups just in case the box is just too far away.  Imagine my girl in Princess Pull Ups!  She has steps to get up onto the couch, but we also have a floor pillow.  We could, if need be, keep her food and water close to her "spot" so she doesn't have to walk far or even at all. 

Yes, she's a cat.  I know.  But I can't put into words how much she means to me.  I can't imagine my life without her.  When I carry her in from her "outside time" and she licks my face, it melts my heart.  We don't euthanize our relatives when they become older so I won't euthanize my girl.  Unless she is so uncomfortable and surrounded with pain that there is no other choice, she will be here.  Thanks for letting me get all this out and sort it all in my brain. 


Give your furry babies a hug today.... you are their whole world.  Until Next Time Friends.

DIY Laundry Detergent

Hello Everybody!

Today I thought I'd tell you about one of my favorite DIY projects.  I like to make as much stuff as I can.  Not only do I save a lot of money, but I also know exactly what is in the stuff I'm using around my home and body.  Today I'll tell you about my homemade laundry detergent. 

First off, you should know that this detergent has very low to non existent sud action.  That's ok, because the suds don't actually clean your clothes.  The detergent companies just add more chemicals to the detergent to make the suds because we as a society are *sud addicted*  :)  So, if you start using the detergent and you don't see suds, don't freak out.  It's ok.  Your clothes are getting clean.  Trust Me.

Also, your clothes won't come out reeking  smelling like a fake chemical based rose.  Actually, they won't smell like much of anything.  Just clean.  AND, it's ok, so don't freak out ok?  Ok. Again, they add that stuff to make you feel better. 

My recipe makes 10 gallons of detergent for about $1.50.  It's probably less, but that's just a rough estimate. 

Here's whatcha do.....
1. Grate one bar of soap.  This is the hardest part of the process.  I'm using Ivory soap right now, because that's what I have on hand. I also use Fals Naptha that you can find in the grocery store, but you can use whatever brand you like, it just may not have the same consistency as other bars.  I would love to get my hands on some Zote, but I can't find it anywhere locally yet. 

2.  Melt that soap in about a gallon of water either on the stove top or just dump the soap in a 5 gallon bucket and add REALLY hot water to it.  Stir that baby up to incorporate. 

3  Add 1 cup of Borax and 1 cup of Arm and Hammer WASHING Soda, not baking soda!  Big Difference!  Again, stir stir stir.... add some more hot water if you need to.....

4 Once everything is mixed together, top up your bucket with hot water and stir.  Let it sit for 24 hrs.

5. The next day, depending on what soap you used, you'll either find a total gel solution or a gel solution that has separated from the water.  Either way stir it up and fill your detergent bottle half way with this solution. 

6.  Fill the rest of your bottle with hot water and give it a shimmy shake before you pour it into your washer. 

That's it!  Maybe 20 minutes or less of your time and you are set with detergent for goodness knows how long!  So next time you're at the grocery store and you see all those ridiculously priced detergents with all those nasty smelly chemicals.... just pass them up like  a wool sweater on a summer day!

 Wanna take it a step farther?  Instead of using "fabric softener", just spray an old towel or in my case piece of my son's old pajama shirt, with vinegar and throw it in the dryer with your laundry.  NO, they won't smell like vinegar when they are dry.  Practically no static!

Happy Laundry Day!!

Not a great start to August Break!

Hey Everybody,

I know, I know, there aren't any pictures today!  And what about yesterday?  In fact I haven't put up any pictures in quite a few days now..... isn't that the point of August Break?  Well, turns out I was having so much fun recently that I simply didn't take any pictures!  So, I'm afraid you'll have to suffer through a visually bland post today.  So let's get to the updates.....

Homestead:  Ok, there's only one way to describe my house at the moment.  That word is neglected. We have clean clothes and that's about it..... I did manage to start the dishwasher this morning, so at least that is done.  Now, let me explain before you think that I'm this horrible, yucky, lazy person.  I have been spending my one day off a week running errands and having lots of summer fun time with my son.  We are down to just two more days off together before he goes back to school.  I'm sure I'll be organized once he goes back, but for now, house work can wait.  My growing 10 year old boy will not.  So, I'll give the house a quick kiss tomorrow morning before going to the dentist for a check up, then my little man and I will be spending the rest of the day on the "beach" at Greenbrier State Park.  Hanging out, swimming, eating packed treats and basically taking a long deep breath.  We'll be soaking up lots of sun and enjoying these long summer days that are slowly coming to an end. 

Finances:  We had a record breaking month in July and hoping to continue to grow beyond that in August.  We are so close to the business supporting us for our basic bills and needs!  It's so exciting and we are so blessed to have made it this far!

Garden:  Things are still growing and things are happening!  I have the acorn squashes starting to form, along with some tomatoes and beans.  I did put cucumber seeds out and have seen the sprouts poking through already!  I'll just keep chuggin' along and see what I can accomplish. 

Kitties:  All the kitties are doing well.  Delilah has not been around for a couple days.  I'm not worried though.... Her other "mom" must have steak or something at her house!  :)  DiDi loves her daily outside time while Shade still enjoys being queen of us all.  Harry and Lita still love to eat as many grasshoppers as they can and Momma Kitty has told me that she doesn't care if she never goes outside again. 

One more thing, We went to our local youth fair last night.  I am just a little over a month away from my 41st birthday and I have accepted that my body no longer enjoys being twirled, swung, spun or dropped on fair rides.  At first I was kinda sad, but now I'm relieved.  My son, however, is starting to choose the biggest scariest rides to have a good time!  Hubby and I were happy to stroll along with deep friend oreos and Italian sausages. 

Until Next Time Friends!!