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!!

The Compact and A Date With My Son

Hello Everybody
   A lot of people don't get me.  When I make my own things like laundry detergent and my own bread they just look at me with brows scrunched, with a questioning look.  The same goes for why I prefer to buy things used.  Although I have never officially joined the Compact, I live by the guidelines as best as I'm able.  For more information on the Compact, take a look at another blog that I visit daily, she has a great way of explaining it!  www.thenonconsumeradvocate.com 

Now onto pictures from an evening with my son. 

Museum of The Shenandoah Valley

My Beautiful Boy

The Search

Passing by the county fair

Another milestone

Delilah coming for her evening snack

Until next time friends!

Around the "homestead"

Baby Acorn Squash

Butterfly Bush

Front Garden

Side Garden

Harry the Protector!

Rain Barrel and Composter

Until next time friends!

Garden Update

Hello Everybody, 

I can't believe that it is August 1st already!  The past few months have just been a blur, but a happy, crazy blur!  I just learned about the August Break and you can read more about it at one of my favorite blogs  www.rowdykittens.com   I have decided that I will participate in it and hope you enjoy it.  There are no hard and fast rules for the August Break, so maybe you'll join in the fun too?!?!  So here we go guys.... Enjoy!