Freetobeme

Remodeling my house so I can sell it! I know that's not a handicraft, but my mom just bought a spinning wheel from a lady who bought it new and never used it. That's something I want to work on...learning to spin.

My mom doesn't like hotels and would never be happy in a nursing home. She will live out her life cared for by me on a small farm in a peaceful place. I hope someday at least one of my kids will do the same for me. We even plan to be buried (no muss, no fuss) on our property. (Yes, it's legal to have a family cemetary. You just can't ever sell that plot of land for anything else.)

Tomatoes, eggplant, onions, peas, radishes. Peppers are next!

I'm 43, single (twice divorced), with three grown children. My daughter is 26 and out on her own. My oldest son turned 24 Friday and the youngest son in 19. Both boys are in the Navy. The oldest is a hospitalman in San Diego and will be shipping out to Okinawa in Sept. The other one is currently in Dahlgren, VA and will be transferred to San Diego in July to serve aboard the USS Shiloh as a fire control tech (fire as in missiles not flames).

I currently teach junior high science, but I turned in my resignation last week. I will be moving to Payson, AZ (up on the Mogollon Rim) with my mom this summer. We are looking for 40 acres in the Snowflake area (White Mountains). I grew up a farm girl, but as a teenager was moved (unwillingly!) to Phoenix. I've been trying to escape ever since. I have a house that I bought inexpensively and am remodeling for re-sale so I can get out of debt.

As for critters, currently I have a beagle mix, a yellow lab, a border collie, and two cats. I am also keeping my oldest son's chihuahua and cat, and my youngest son's shepherd mix. I also have a king snake and a tarantula at school.

I enjoy quilting, sewing, gardening, raising animals, writing, reading, carpentry, photography, cooking and preserving, hiking, shooting, and many other homestead type activities. I just acquired a spinning wheel and plan to have angora goats for fiber. I would also like to learn to weld. Our homestead plans include being self-sufficient and off the grid ASAP.

When my children were younger, we home schooled. The older ones got their GEDs and went to college where they did quite well. The youngest wanted to go to high school for NJROTC. He entered a year early and did well, then went to college for a year before joining the Navy. He and his brother are top of their classes in training. (Yes, I am a proud mom!)

Are you getting too much rain, or not enough? We have been in a drought for years now. We need rain!

Is it hot? Cold? Is your weather on track or unusual? The weather is a bit toasty and dry, but it is a usual weather cycle for here. I am assuming about three more dry years before the low pressure systems start hovering over AZ again bringing rain.

Are you planning a vacation this year?

No, too busy and gas is too expensive. I am taking my mom fishing at a local lake.

Gardening? Yes.

Puttering? Finishing the remodel so I can sell my house. Fixing things for mom.

Canning? If the garden and fruit trees make. Other preservation? Jellies and jams, maybe some drying. Might buy some grapes if the price is right for raisins.

What's your personal goal for learning a new skill this summer? Outdoor cooking? Sewing? Learning to relax more? I watched an excellent video on primitive skills. I want to learn how to make fire by friction. I'm also reorganizing my life to simplify, simplify, simplify and pay off debt.

Does anyone here do leather work? I used to when I was in high school, but I'm looking for a good source of leatherworking tools and patterns.

Cute!

If the landlord is reasonable, perhaps you could contact him to clarify this woman's orders. I would be looking for another place to live. You don't have any responsibility to fix up the place for the benefit of the owner in selling it. All you are required to do is take resonable care of the place such as cutting the 'grass', keeping the house clean, and not breaking things. You don't have to improve it one little bit. By the way, weed killer can work wonders if you get the kind that kills the root. Yeah, I know it's not organic gardening at its best, but it is short lived in the environment.

Good luck.

Well, my oldest son received his orders. He is going to Okinawa. That is far away, but better than the other orders (Iraq or attachment to a Marine unit) that were available. He is a hospital corpsman in the Navy, so if he is with a Marine unit, he goes where they go. He also just received a promotion. He was the only one in his class to be promoted this time.

Just goes to show that the stench of treating others badly follows you through life!

Hi! Here's a piece of cake (no...I'm not going to throw it!) It's German chocolate and too good to waste! Enjoy!

Once mom and I make our move to acreage a cow is on the list. I would be happy with dairy goats, but mom doesn't like goat milk. I would be doing the milking and cheese making, mom is the butter person. I'm considering a Brown Swiss. They are small, well mannered, and don't produce too much milk for a small number of people. Extra milk can be put to good use to feed other animals, too. Chickens will gobble up milk and by products of cheese making. Excess can also go to the dogs. If push came to shove and my sons and DD needed to join us, the dogs and such would just not get their share I guess!

Hi Garry,

Even though I asked about dogs and was not the one to ask about guns, I must say you gave some good advice. I was raised with guns and raised my kids with guns. DD was not much interested, but my sons are both crack shots. The mistake a lot of people (not just women) make that results in a sore shoulder is not holding the gun properly. It must be tucked tight against the shoulder or the recoil is much worse. I've fired guns that supposedly 'kicked like a mule' without any problem. Of course, my mom always said I was 'strong as a horse'!

Thanks for the invite! Unfortunately, Arizona not very close to Alabama! When I'm finished with my house, I'm selling it (I think I may already have a buyer) and moving to the mountains to help redo my mom's place.

Well, today I helped a friend move some of their furniture from their in-laws' garage because it was suddenly in the way even though his new house will be ready in month. So we crammed a bunch of furniture into a tiny bedroom in his and his wife's tiny apartment. Now I'm taking a break from my projects. The ceramic tile is up and the residual mortar removed from my sunroom floor (lots of hammer and chisel work followed by an angle grinder with a masonry wheel). After I clean up the mess I'll do some repairs on the walls and paint. Next will come new vinyl tile. Then stuff from the family room can be moved into the sunroom and the remaining carpet removed and painting done. The family room floor will also be vinyl tile. Since the kitchen, sunroom, and family room are all open to each other, the tile is the same throughout.

I just heard on the news last night that milk is expected to go to $4 a gallon by summer. The reason? Last summer prices were down and feed was up so dairy farmers reduced their herds. Now we are seeing higher prices on all milk product. I'm stocking up on powdered milk before prices become too outrageous. Today at Sam's Club a box of Carnation that makes 22 quarts was $7.97. That's $1.45 a gallon. Coffee prices are supposed to sky-rocket too. With all of these prices going up (gas here is close to $2 a gallon) I don't know how people are supposed to survive. Oh yeah, our property taxes were just raised too. I'll be glad to get out of the city and be self-sufficient again.

You all are so talented at finding just the right image for everyone! Thanks everyone for helping me find my 'new' identity. The baby goats are great! When I get my real goats I'll try to post some pics.

Perfect! Perfect! Perfect! Can the lettering be in purple or blue though? Lois sent me some images too, but the real goats are soooo cute! You all are the absolute best!

Well...something to reflect my interest in goats would be nice.

Thanks a bunch!

I've noticed with some envy the lovely signatures of some of you. Where ever do you find your pictures. I'm especially fond of the ones Mare and theyd have.

I was just on the phone with my mom. She said that the rains in Payson (N central AZ) really motivated the tomatoes, peppers, and newly planted strawberries. We mulch with straw and 22 out of 25 strawberry plants have grown up above the level of the mulch (they were planted about a week ago!)

It doesn't really count as garden stuff, but grass seeds I put in bare spots in my backyard have come up thick and healthy due to rains we got down here in the valley.

I imagine that the rest of mom's seeds will be up really soon. Right now the radishes are up, but there's still squash, cucumbers, beets, okra, beans, etc.

Thanks!

Does anyone know first hand about spinning animal fibers (mohair to be exact) and weaving it? What about good (quality as well as price) equipment such as spinning wheels, cards, and looms?

upon which she and her sweetie dined

as they blithely reclined

by the rolling sea in the sand.

You don't have to take out the old flange. There is a replacement part that just bolts over the old one. When you start to put the toilet back in, make sure you set it (with a new wax ring!) down very carefully so you don't chip the bottom of it.

Good luck! I would come over and lend a hand if I could.