Down on the Homestead - Dec. 5 - 11th

**homesteadmamma** · 12-05-2004, 10:35 AM

Good morning everyone. Winter has hit us full force today. It is snowing, blowing and with the windchill factor -29C. The roads are very icy so we will be staying home today.

I'm not sure what I'll do yet today. I'd like to get some sewing finished, bake bread but we've been watching old movies with the kids and they may want to watch a couple more later today. Its been fun all sitting on the couch with only candles burning, watching the classics.

Sometime today I have to clean the post office and shovel the sidewalks, probably later tonight.

Otherwise, a fairly quiet Sunday here on our homestead.

**kimmee** · 12-05-2004, 11:02 AM

Good Morning!! its a sunny day here!! Still cold but the sun is really bright which means with our elevation you can still get really warm when you work and you will definately get sunburned cheeks!!

Gonna be a pretty easy day around here today - we are all just cleaning and preparing for my mom to come into our home on Tuesday - the kids have the task of figuring out which toys they can donate and which clothes they don't use anymore. After cleaning I am making some bread, preparing my bucjet of homemade "shake'n bake" and then I am kicking back to sew!!

One of the guys Bruce works with is giving us a pellet stove so we may neeed to go pick that up today. I am so excited!! Bruce has never lived with a pellet stove and has no idea how wonderful they are so he is pretty hesitant but he'll see!! Between that and the new heater for the house our electricity bill should come way down!! They allready speculate that the Trane heater that is the proper size for our home (3800 sq. ft.) because of its efficiency alone will save us between $700-900 a year!! That is an awesome savings!! Thats almost one whole house payment we can put towards principal!!

Have a lovely day on your homesteads!!

**DaisyLady** · 12-05-2004, 02:07 PM

Cold and sunny today.

Stayed home from church cause I am still feeling under the weather.

Making soap and knitting today.

Keep warm everyone

**forestdale** · 12-05-2004, 02:08 PM

Hi ho everyone!

It's been raining and unseasonaly cool here. I had a little cotton cardigan on yesterday and will probably wear something similar today while I'm at the store. Up in the mountains it can get quite chilly - I'm talking mid 20sC, not north american cold. It's good to get the rain, it helps the farmers and it will keep bushfires at bay.

Our run of bad luck continues with shoplifters stealing a handbag and some onxy in the past few days.

It really breaks my heart when that happens. DH and I work very hard at our store and for someone to just walk in and take what they want makes me very angry. DH said he thougt he knew who stole the items, it was probably a group of people who he asked to leave the store because of bad behaviour and language. I don't know how some people can live with themselves, stealing is such a low act.

On a more positive note, DH and I are still determined to sell the store and have been doing some planning. One of the things we'll do to earn some income is to sell things at a market once a month. Yesterday, DH visited several markets to try an guage which one would be best for us. We live in a toursit area so there are lots of markets to choose from - on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. We've decided on one day a month simply because we want to enjoy life, the days of working every single day are (hopefully) over for us soon. We will go fishing too which I'm really looking forward to.

I've nearly finshed my November and December challenges, CJ, so don't give up on me just yet.

Kimmee, I've been reading about your craft sales and I'm so pleased and proud of you.

Looks like you're on a winner with those dipped kittens.

Chriss, happy birthday to Josh for the other day. I hope he had a great day.

Stay warm and toasty everyone.

**QuilterMom** · 12-05-2004, 05:38 PM

CJ - Have you been blowing cold air my way?

Kimmee - Glad to hear you made some sales at the craft fair!

Happy Belated Birthday to Josh!

for Chriss!

for Rhonda!

We took ds to the fire station last night for the Christmas tree lighting. There weren't many people there, but he said he had fun. We're having temps in the high 40's to low 50's at night so we had to bundle up while outside last night. LOL

This morning we discovered our VCR died (the heads finally bit the bullet) so we took advantage of a great sale at Target today and got a dvd/vcr combo (so now I won't miss taping any of my shows/movies I want to see and ds can still watch his videos plus we can put a dvd on for him in the other room if we're watching a dvd). The crowd at the store was unbelievable. I am so glad I'm finished with gift buying (dh hasn't even started LOL).

We also tried out a nearby church this morning. The music is definitely not what we're looking for, but we knew that. Today was not a typical service (guest speaker plus they observed the Lord's Supper) so it went quite long. We'll try it a few more times before coming to any conclusions and still keep researching our options.

I have been doing well on ds's quilt. I have 4 rows to go (get them put together and then attached to the quilt) and I'm finished (aside from clipping the fabric and washing and drying the quilt so it frays). Yay! I keep telling ds it's for my bed so hopefully he'll be surprised when he opens it on Christmas and sees it's for him. Dh is working on a nightstand for ds and almost has it finished. He's added quite a few more touches to it than I thought he was going to (had to do it up extra special).

Have a great day everyone!

**Strawberry** · 12-05-2004, 06:45 PM

Good afternoon! It has turned cold here too; -22C with the windchill.

We didn't go to church this morning; dd needed us here with her. Her first aid instructor came over to talk to her. There's more info in the support thread. We have just had a quiet day watching movies and talking.

Tonight we're going to a Christmas production at dh's boss' church.

After that I'm hoping to go to bed early but dd is already nervous about going to sleep and dreaming. I'm praying she has a good nights rest.

**dmvezina** · 12-06-2004, 09:51 AM

Good morning!! It is cloudy here and we're supposed to get a little snow tonight. Only about 1 or 2 inches though.

Today I need to:
dust
vacuum
mop the floors
clean the glass & mirrors
empty the trash cans
clean the coffeemaker
change the sheets
make orange juice
scoop the cat box
freeze leftover soup
mail a movie & coupons

Breakfast was oatmeal, toast & pineapples
Dinner will be chicken parmesan scallopine, orzo pilaf and salad

I hope you all have a wonderful day!!

**kimmee** · 12-06-2004, 10:01 AM

Good morning!! Its a beautiful day here ~ bright and sunny and supposed to be fairly warmish 45º (with full sun on you it gets nice!!)
I am going to be a whirlwind through the house today - getting ready for mom tomorrow -
In the middle of this I need to get cellophane bags to package and ship two wax kitties and go to the postoffice to send them - ugh!
Bruce is going to stop by the grocery store for me - he has a list but I am sure he will come home with a bizzillion extra "good deal" things!!

Oh well, he enjoys that.
I need to make buns today and I think I will throw a roast in the crockpot for dinner.
Tonight is Ryan and Damon's holiday show at school - why do they do this stuff on weeknights?? It's from 7:00-9:00 pm. so a late night for the kiddos!!
Yesterday we put the lights up on the house so if I get a little break today I am going to make my outdoor wreath which should also count towards the December Homesteading challenge !! yippee!! (still haven't finished my November one

)
I hope you all have a lovely day on your homesteads.

**matt&roxy** · 12-06-2004, 10:23 AM

Hello all! Well things around our house have been hectic for the last few days. Friday we had a waterpipe burst and we had to turn the water off at the main. Well Matthew couldn't work on it until Sunday, so we went without water for two days. I sure did miss my coffee!! Laundry got backed up, but I am catching up on that today. I am glad I waited on Matthew to fix it himself though as the parts we needed we got at Lowe's for under $4.00, where as calling a plumber would have been much higher!!!! Today I have got alot to do....
~Laundry(4 loads)
~Sweep the kitchen and laundry room
~Mop the kitchen and laundry room
~Clean the bathroom
~Vacuum the living room and hallway
~Wash breakfast dishes
~Empty catpans
~Finish crocheting a preemie blanket
~Start on another preemie blanket
~Critique a friends novel(probably only a few chapters today)
~Edit fifteen more pages of my novel
~Find some info on editing and revision for another forum I moderate!

It's going to be a busy day, but I look forward to all of it!!! Just that kind of day I guess!!! I hope ya'll have a wonderful day!!

**homesteadmamma** · 12-06-2004, 11:00 AM

Good morning everyone. It finally stopped snowing and the temps are a bit warmer than yesterday and NO wind. I love winter but I hate the winds that come with it. Its so pretty outside.

Yesterday from 5 until 10, we watched movies. The kids thought that was so neat.

I got a late start this morning. Its laundry day here so I do have one load done and another one ready to go. I'll get those hung to dry on the clothesracks and fold a few I didn't get folded from the last laundry. Ummmm, that was last Monday's laundry.

I do not like folding clothes!!!!

This afternoon I need to package up the Christmas parcel for a son who lives in Kitimat and my mom's parcel as well and get those in the mail. I also need to start on dd's pj's. She will make the bottoms, I'll do the top. And I need to finish 2 craft items we sold and need to be done by Wed.

Tonight, its clean the post office, work on a quilt and do more reading. Although I think there is a Christmas show on CBC and the kids will want me to watch that with them.

Have a great Monday everyone.

**slowtypinwoman** · 12-06-2004, 11:05 AM

GM all,
I am home today. I went into work but came home,stomach ick.

It is supossed to be a very nice day here. un the upper 50*.
I have all my laundry done so I think I'll just fold up what isn't done and put that away. This if I feel up to it later I'm going to pull all the stuff out of my closet and clean it up.

Havew a wonderful day all
Marcia

**QuilterMom** · 12-06-2004, 11:41 AM

Feel better Marcia!

I'm catching up the weekend's entries into my frugal notebook and getting things ready to take back to the library. I plan to stop by Walgreen's on the way since I'll be going past it anyway. This afternoon I'd like to make bread, but ds is petitioning for cookies so I really don't know which will get done. I will also be tidying up the house from the explosion that always happens every weekend. LOL

This afternoon I need to do some weeding in the garden since I didn't do it this weekend. Tonight I'll work more on ds's quilt while I watch a bit of TV. Only 3 rows to go!

Have a great day everyone!

**Heather** · 12-06-2004, 01:09 PM

Hi everyone!

Haven't posted in awhile and glad to be starting again.

This morning we awoke to snow and high winds. We are starting to get our winter.

Both the boys are not feeling well and slept the morning. I took Delaney to school and then met with the other Sunday school teacher from our church to plan a little concert for the 19th. We only have 4 little girls but they are so good in coming and excited to be angels in the concert. While I was there Betty showed me her family search folders, I'm so interested in the past and how people lived so many years ago. She gave me a few sites to start my own search.

When I got home got Doug's meals together for him to take with him this week. He left around noon, I hope he doesn't run into too bad of weather. He is used to it but I still worry.

Tonight we are decorating our tree, Delaney is so excited!! We'll have hot chocolate, apple cider and a few treats to go with our tree decorating......the boys aren't AS thrilled but they'll be there giving direction I'm sure!

This afternoon I am tidying up the house from the weekend and putting up more decorations around the house.

Have a wonderful day!!

**babetteq** · 12-06-2004, 01:11 PM

good morning everyone,
This weekend was pretty productive.... got my bread baking done... I know I'm going to be busy so i did an extra batch and into the freezer it went. found out that my sock needles hadn't come in yet

because it was going to be my goal to learn to make socks so that at least one person got a pair for christmas.... looks like it will be january by the time I get them though...the price of living in paradise. fixed a knife i've been procrastinating on, did my mending, and finished 2 presents.

Monday is here and it's chore day... laundry, floors.... It's a gruzzly day out, so I don't mind staying inside warm doing them.

have a great monday
babs

**Strawberry** · 12-06-2004, 01:31 PM

Good morning everyone! It's still cold here; -22C no wind thankfully.

I'm having a hard time getting anything done this morning. I was up till after 1am with dd and then my day started at 6 this morning.

Today I'm hoping to pick up a few groceries, clean the bathroom, bake muffins, make two kinds of fudge, tackle the huge laundry pile, get some gifts ready to mail, and continue working on dh's gift.

Maybe tonight I'll get to bed early.

Hope you all have a great day

Heather - It's wonderful to have you back posting again. I've missed you!