Down on the Homestead - July 10 - 16th

**homesteadmamma** · 07-10-2005, 09:21 AM

Good morning everyone.

Kim t hinking of you and wondering if the hurricane is near you and if your safe.

Not much on the agenda today. Its been so hot here and the humidity remains at 100%, so were under a humidex advisory. Not pleasant weather to be doing much of anything.

We may go into the city later today to pick up a few things.

Tonight I need to clean the po.

Have a super Sunday everyone.

**QuilterMom** · 07-10-2005, 12:34 PM

Hurricane Dennis is nowhere near us thankfully, but I feel horrible for all the people who went through Ivan and are now going through this one. Rain from the outer eastern bands finally showed up here shortly after 7pm last night (after our forecast said it would rain here all day). We got a couple of really strong downpours during the night from it - so much so that it woke me and I started having Hurricane Jeanne flashbacks (it sounded very similar) and I got really scared that Dennis had changed course and was headed eastward across the state. It freaked our middle dog out as well and I had to coax her out of the bedroom this morning. I am very fearful that this is going to be an even more horrific hurricane season than last year, especially with 4 named storms already (broke a record - this is the earliest in the year ever for so many named storms) and with Dennis' ferocity (continues to drop in pressure and may be a cat 5 at landfall

).

Dh plans to do more remodeling work today and I have no idea what I'll do other than laundry. It's raining, but not much.

**Mom23boys** · 07-10-2005, 01:08 PM

Kim, glad to hear that the hurricane didn't come near you and you are safe.

CJ, try to stay cool. I know it will be hard with 100% humidity.

The heat is already taking its toll today. I didn't even want to go outside to feed and water the animals, but of course I did. They needed a big drink!

I plan on tackling Chris and Dakota's room today. I need to get it decluttered and gather up all their clothes they can no longer wear. I want to go through and see what is still in good condition and what they can wear so I don't have to double what they have for school. I need to go through Richard's clothing too. Before you know it, we will be school clothes shopping. I don't want to overbuy.

I hope everyone has a great day today,

**forestdale** · 07-10-2005, 03:11 PM

Good morning ladies.

Kim, I felt a shiver when I saw on our news last night that a hurricane was close to you. I'm so pleased to see you're ok.

CJ, I hope you stay cool. Humid weather is the pits.

Michelle, happy decluttering. I hope you get some "me" time later.

I'm doing my usual today - sewing and cleaning. If the winds abate here, I'll do some maintenance gardening. I have to retie tomatoes, do a little weeding, apply mulch and water.

I've been experimenting on my chooks during the colder weather. I read on the web that you can keep them laying during winter by providing warm protein, like milk, eggs, meat etc. Well, it's working! Apparently the chickens don't need to use their energy to stay warm so they can produce eggs. We got 5 eggs from 3 chickens over the past 2 days.

I've been making them nice warm porridge (rolled oats) and milk every morning. They love it and the eggs prove to me that the web theory works.

to all who follow.

**Michele Annette** · 07-10-2005, 03:14 PM

Hello Everyone!

Kim-I am so glad that storm was no where near you!!!

CJ-I hope you are able to stay somewhat cool. I hate it when the humidity is so strong you can't do anything productive!

Michelle- I have been decluttering along with you. I have been going through my own clothes and getting ready for Fall, already.

Trying to figure out what I really need since losing weight. I need pants and skirts desperately! Good luck finding all the clothes you need for the boys!

Today I have listed stuff on ebay. I hope it sells. I have been trying to find ways of making extra money here and there legally, of course.

I am thinking of going back to designing my handbags ( I have lots of supplies already in my stash!!) and continuing to design some quilt patterns. I need to talk with my lawyer about a few things that I would like to start.

I get to cook and bake today!

Making shortcakes for stawberry shortcake for dessert tonight. I'm marinating some chicken for the grill. So tonight we will be having grilled cesear chicken with homeade flour tortillias, grilled veggies, salsa and cheese.

I am thinking of taking a trip to my favorite library. The one I normally go to is small and free, but they have such limited books. The burlington library charges me $25 a year and I haven't renewed it yet.

I really need to pick up my new contacts next week, which are also $25. I really want to go to get out of the house and be out and about. sometimes I feel like I need to be in a public place, but not buy anything. Usually the library cures this. I'm weird, I know.

I just love to be around three stories of books! Maybe next week when I get paid.

DH is doing really well with the business. thank you for all your special prayers and good thoughts! He is now waiting to be paid. He has sent out his first invoices and is now waiting.

He has had consistant work for two weeks now. I have to say it's interesting being the only consistant income. Lots of pressure I have to say, but it feels good to know that I can do it and make it when times are lean. We still have a good chunk of savings and are very thankful. It really makes us enjoy the simpler things in live and I love that the most! I wish I had more time to cook and bake things for the freezer though. I try to make something extra each weekend for the freezer. Today I will be making extra tortillias for the freezer. I need to replenish my stockpile some. I am so low on everything because of thinking we are moving. So I need a few things. I will have a small stockpile until we are someplace more permanent, but I will carry enough food and supplies for us for a month minimum if I can.

Today I am also making my Christmas lists and Christmas card ideas. Homeade gifts such as homeade Jams, Apple Butter, Dilly beans and Pear chutney I will have to make and can soon! Starting in August after I get home from visiting my family.

I hope you all have a great day!

**Strawberry** · 07-10-2005, 05:20 PM

Good afternoon everyone!

We didn't have a very good sleep last night as dh was having some troubles. I'm feeling pretty dozy today.

Dh left the burner on after he cooked himself breakfast. I found it on about an hour afterhis breakfast. I'll have to keep a better eye open for these kind of things.

Not too much going on today. The rest of the week will be busy so I think I'll rest while I can.

Have a wonderful Sunday

**Mamaw** · 07-10-2005, 05:40 PM

Hi all. You all sound much more productive than I am today. Drove home from DD today ( 3 hr trip), returned some items to MIL and hit the grocery store for just a few items. Nothing really planned for this evening other than grilling dinner and watching a video I rented. My local store had coupons, rent 1 get 1 free, plus it is a 7 day rental. I dont feel so bad about renting movies if I at least get time to watch them!!

Need to start thinking about Christmas gifts too. I would like to experiment with different pickles, jams and relishes to give as gifts. Have a great sunday evening all

**DaisyLady** · 07-10-2005, 06:34 PM

Not much going on here today! It's too hot and humid to move. DH and I went to church this morning and that is about it. We've spent the rest of the day hanging out in the basement where it is cool!

Have a wonderful Sunday evening!

**Mom23boys** · 07-10-2005, 07:31 PM

Michele, congrats on the weight loss and on your DH's business' doing so well.

Tina, glad you found the burner left on before anything serious happened.

Mamaw, I don't rent many movies either because I don't have time to sit and enjoy them. I hope you enjoy your movie night.

Chriss, I hope you manage to stay cool for the rest of the day.

**QuilterMom** · 07-11-2005, 08:25 AM

I'm off in a few to the grocery store to see if another location has what I want. The organic cereals we like are on sale bogof and the organic canned veggies are 75¢/can (as cheap as it gets). The veggies don't go on sale often and the cereal has never been on sale bogof. We tried the location nearest us yesterday and the shelves were bare practically as far as the cereal was concerned (they've lessened the amount of space in the organics area as well) and they had no green beans or peas at all.

I need to stop by the library as well, go to Sam's, and stop by the post office. I hope I can keep my energy up. It will be the most I've attempted to do at once in a while.

We also have a new tropical depression to keep an eye on.

It's believed it will become tropical storm Emily later today and then turn into a hurricane later in the week. Dh heard on one channel this morning that the projected path brings it up the Atlantic coast (where we are), but I haven't been able to catch any of the stations saying that yet.

Other than all that I have a bit of laundry to do today and get hung to dry and I'll be continuing to go through a pile of stuff in the master bedroom and see if there's anything I can get rid of.

**homesteadmamma** · 07-11-2005, 09:14 AM

Morning everyone. Its cooled down here a bit, thank goodness. Were suppose to get a full week of no rain, however its clouded over this morning and looking like rain.

Its going to be a busy day here. I need to do a couple loads of laundry. I'm also going through the kids clothes again and getting rid of some. It seems the more clothes they have the more I'm doing laundry. Its ridiculous.

I'm also making strawberry and strawberry/rhubarb jam today. I have the jars all ready (did that last night) so I could get it made before it gets to warm in the kitchen.

I also want to do up some Swiss chard and get it froze up if it doesn't rain.

Tonight its over to the post office to clean and then home to relax and read.

Hope everyone has a good Monday.

**Mom23boys** · 07-11-2005, 10:13 AM

Good morning everyone!

I hate this heat!!! Enough already! We need rain so badly. I was hoping we would catch some from Hurricane Dennis, but nothing came close to us.

Some did hit Texas, just not this far.

Chris and Dakota have football camp this week. I dropped them off this morning. So it is quiet around here until 10:30 anyway.

I need to get in their room and try to finish up what I started.

I hope you have a wonderful Monday!

**forestdale** · 07-11-2005, 03:33 PM

Good morning homesteaders.

Everything is still very busy here and Kathleen arrives for her short visit today. I think she's only staying two days. I have to clean the bathroom she'll be using and vacuum the floors. Then I'll just sew until she arrives. I don't know what we'll do later. I do have to buy a birthday gift for DS1 so we might go down to the beach so I can go to the book store. When we come back, I'll talk Kathleen into helping me with the patterns and web page. I'm typing up instruction sheets for each and I need to add photos to the webpage. I'll bribe her with pineapple and coconut cake.

The weather is still cool with cold nights. I love this time of year.

I hope everyone is well and happy.

**Mom23boys** · 07-12-2005, 09:33 AM

Good morning!

Rhonda, I will type them up for you for pineapple and coconut cake! YUMMY!!

It is so quiet this morning! All three of the boys had to be at school this morning. Richard had a test to take and Chris and Dakota went for football camp. I get at least 2 hours of peace and quiet.

We finally got a little bit of rain yesterday evening. Nothing to brag about. It rained for maybe 10 minutes and that was all. It wasn't enough to soak the ground which is what we need.

Need to run to town after the boys get home. Richard has a job application to take back today and I need to pick up a scorebook to teach Chris how to keep score. He will be running the scoreboard and keeping the books next week for baseball. He is excited because he will be getting paid to do both. He usually runs the scoreboard, but I do the books. I guess I should have taught him a long time ago. I can't do them because I will be in another town with Dakota watching him play in his district tournament.

I finished the boys rooms and I found lots of items for eBay, a bag to donate and a bag to toss. Dakota doesn't need hardly anything. I can't believe how much he has and half of it is new!!

I hope you have a great Tuesday!

**dmvezina** · 07-12-2005, 11:03 AM

Good morning!!! It has been beautiful weather the past couple of days!!
I've been so busy that I feel like I'm going crazy!! lol
Between Ryan, summer programs, dr appts, etc.!! I need my life to slow down!! lol Ha, like that will happen with 4 kids, right! lol

I have a pretty easy day today:

2 loads of laundry *first is in the washer
do bathroom & computer room zone work
match odd socks
weed vegetable garden
pick blueberries
make crystal light
empty ashtrays
mail coupons
total up grocery receipts from last week

Breakfast today was toaster strudels
Lunch will be tomato & pasta soup, egg salad sandwiches, salad & oranges
Dinner is ham, scalloped potatoes & broccoli

I need to get my work done so that I may relax!! lol

Have a great day!