|
|
Post by luvtohomeschool on Feb 3, 2012 10:13:37 GMT -4
Good Morning,
I have no clue if I have started the new thread for February like I should have...feel free to fix it if I didn't. I just thought "I gotta start a thread for February because it is the 3rd (seriously...when did that happen?) and no one has started a thread. LOL.
Don't know if Andy or I post this already but we planted onions a couple weeks ago. We are hoping to get seeds plants (in the house) this weekend.
Our first soap we have made will be able to be put away this weekend (will have my kitchen table back). We plan to make shampoo bars as soon as Andy makes me a mold for them. After that we plan to make shaving soap.
Tomorrow I am excited to go to a class on canning. It is being hosted by a lady who is a fellow member of a food buying co-op we are part of. She has decided to host "parties" once a month this year for people interested in Food Storage. Yeah me. That is my kind of people. I am excited to make like minded friend and learn from them first hand....and of course share what I have learned so far.
Not sure if Andy had posted that 5 of our 6 chickens disappeared a week ago. I miss them...they would follow me or run to me if I called them. But I am glad that I don't have to butcher them....we had been talking about that since we have had them several years and they were not laying a lot of eggs. Andy plans to get new chickens in the next few days. Yeah ME! I want new chickens. LOL.
Today I am going to strain my tinctures that I made in December. The Elderberry, Echinchea, astragulus root (antibiotic) I have been making but this time I used Vegetable Glycerin instead of vodka. The other one is Hawthorn berries used for your heart. I got them to give to Jake for his heart but I decided since I tend to have heart flutters and have a family history of heart issues that I will start taking it everyday too.
Hope you guys have an awesome weekend!
|
|
|
|
Post by nhlivefreeordie on Feb 3, 2012 15:26:18 GMT -4
By all means Trudy, if we forget to start a thread for the month go for it! We are pretty lax, I have been delivering papers for the last three days and was finishing layout for the upload last week. I set up another town this morning, at some point here we have to make some money. Although the paper has been paying for itself it isn't producing a lot of profit, so now the area that I have been avoiding, because it is going to cause us to have to double the number of papers we have printed, I am starting to set up. Mileage wise, it is nothing compared to the area we already cover, but State College has a HUGE advertising potential, so maybe this is where we can start making profits.
Once we go franchise, we will all start making income off that, but it would be nice in the time leading up to that, to be able to pay for those preparations as we go, rather than go into debt. You all that have stayed with it, will be able to reap some benefits, and help steer the ship forward. Hopefully, when we get together this summer, if everyone can make it, we can formulate a plan, I have ideas, but none of this happens without you-all, so the more ideas the better.
|
|
|
|
Post by Martin on Feb 4, 2012 2:35:53 GMT -4
Good Morning, I have no clue if I have started the new thread for February like I should have...feel free to fix it if I didn't. I just thought "I gotta start a thread for February because it is the 3rd (seriously...when did that happen?) and no one has started a thread. LOL. Don't know if Andy or I post this already but we planted onions a couple weeks ago. We are hoping to get seeds plants (in the house) this weekend. Our first soap we have made will be able to be put away this weekend (will have my kitchen table back). We plan to make shampoo bars as soon as Andy makes me a mold for them. After that we plan to make shaving soap. Tomorrow I am excited to go to a class on canning. It is being hosted by a lady who is a fellow member of a food buying co-op we are part of. She has decided to host "parties" once a month this year for people interested in Food Storage. Yeah me. That is my kind of people. I am excited to make like minded friend and learn from them first hand....and of course share what I have learned so far. Not sure if Andy had posted that 5 of our 6 chickens disappeared a week ago. I miss them...they would follow me or run to me if I called them. But I am glad that I don't have to butcher them....we had been talking about that since we have had them several years and they were not laying a lot of eggs. Andy plans to get new chickens in the next few days. Yeah ME! I want new chickens. LOL. Today I am going to strain my tinctures that I made in December. The Elderberry, Echinchea, astragulus root (antibiotic) I have been making but this time I used Vegetable Glycerin instead of vodka. The other one is Hawthorn berries used for your heart. I got them to give to Jake for his heart but I decided since I tend to have heart flutters and have a family history of heart issues that I will start taking it everyday too. Hope you guys have an awesome weekend! Wow!!! Sounds like y'all are getting a lot done down there. Have ya got a dog shampoo bar recipe? I know some folks make it. I'd ask about the regular shampoo bar recipe if I still had hair! LOL ;D ~Martin |
|
|
|
Post by luvtohomeschool on Feb 4, 2012 9:26:20 GMT -4
We are trying to get some of our to do list done, but you know how that goes....take one thing off the list and add two more. LOL.
Never heard of dog shampoo bars, but I would think you could just use any of the soap or shampoo bars for the dogs. My dogs act like they are being punished if they are given a bath. LOL. Actually that happened last month as Andy and Jake cleaned out the goat house the dogs thought they had to roll around in the stuff when it was put in the tree wells. Gross. These dogs go in the house all the time. They didn't come in that day till they had baths. Let me know if you would like me to give you any of the recipes I have found, I would be happy too. I can't wait to make the shampoo bars.
|
|
|
|
Post by leatherneckpa on Feb 6, 2012 12:31:56 GMT -4
So here it is, the first week of February, and I am hanging laundry out on the clothesline! I've never been a big clothesliner, is that normal? Can outdoor lines typically be used in the middle of winter?
On the one hand, there is very little humidity and plenty of breeze. So they should dry quickly. On the other hand, it's usually cold, and I would think they would freeze solid, then still be damp when you bring them inside.
I have to 'fess up. I'd be using the dryer, if I wasn't waiting for parts. The heating coil went out this weekend. But I found everything I needed to diagnose the real cause of the problem, gain access to the parts for testing, and find new parts to order, all on the internet. It's amazing. How did we ever live without it?
I railed against cell phones for YEARS. Then when I got promoted to LT I was required to carry one. All I ever wanted was a simple phone; no texting, no camera, no e-mail, none of that stuff. I've owned my Droid smart phone since June and again I am hopelessly addicted.
Oh, washer's done. Time to hang the second load out to dry. I believe that as long as it's not freezing or raining I can probably hang and dry two loads a day.
|
|
|
|
Post by capecmom on Feb 6, 2012 19:05:23 GMT -4
It was 47* here today-so warm again-NICE.
Before we know it, it'll be PLANTING time!
A friend of mine has me hooked up with a guy with a wood shop-she brought me a HUGE bag of pine wood shavings today at work-she said he could supply me with a bag per week. I am stoked about this not only for the coop but for the future goat barn. We are FINALLY getting some projects moving here. Our friend is coming this week about taking down the last of the grove of trees near the vegi garden so that we can transplant all of the fruit trees. We also will have space to expand the vegi garden. James is looking into getting the poles to make a hoop house over the main garden area. That will extend our season big time.
We are also fencing in that area of the yard so that the girls can run around without me watching them constantly-it'll help contain the dogs too-
WOOT!
|
|
|
|
Post by nhlivefreeordie on Feb 6, 2012 19:56:39 GMT -4
It was 47* here today-so warm again-NICE. Before we know it, it'll be PLANTING time! A friend of mine has me hooked up with a guy with a wood shop-she brought me a HUGE bag of pine wood shavings today at work-she said he could supply me with a bag per week. I am stoked about this not only for the coop but for the future goat barn. We are FINALLY getting some projects moving here. Our friend is coming this week about taking down the last of the grove of trees near the vegi garden so that we can transplant all of the fruit trees. We also will have space to expand the vegi garden. James is looking into getting the poles to make a hoop house over the main garden area. That will extend our season big time. We are also fencing in that area of the yard so that the girls can run around without me watching them constantly-it'll help contain the dogs too- WOOT! EXCELLENT!!! |
|
|
|
Post by leatherneckpa on Feb 8, 2012 11:55:02 GMT -4
Parts for the dryer arrived yesterday afternoon. I got it all put back together and everything is now hunky-dory, I think. Which is actually good, because I didn't relish the thought of hanging wet laundry outside when the temps are in the 30's. Doing that in the 40's made my fingers burn.
|
|
|
|
Post by leatherneckpa on Feb 13, 2012 11:42:35 GMT -4
Whoo-whee, it's cold out there! Yesterday didn't even get out of the 20's. Yeah, I know, it's February and I should expect that, but it's a shock after all the nice temps we've enjoyed so far this winter.
|
|
|
|
Post by nhlivefreeordie on Feb 13, 2012 15:41:18 GMT -4
I was just working outside for the last 4 hours or so, I thought it rather nice, even thought about goings MDing but decided to concentrate on getting things done so I can go MDing later in the week when it warms up even more.
|
|
|
|
Post by luvtohomeschool on Feb 13, 2012 20:14:30 GMT -4
You guys should come out here. It has been in the 60's today and beautiful. The windows are open. Just got laundry off the line and Jake and I were raking rocks....yes....you guys have grass we have rocks. YUCK! If we can get more done tomorrow I will be super excited as it has been an area I have wanted to rake for a long time.
Andy and I started more seeds this weekend. Fingers crossed that we are better at starting seeds this time.
We decided to take out the hood over the stove (it doesn't have a light and the fan sounds terrible so I never use it) so we can get a bigger canner!!! At first I wasn't to sure of the idea but now I love the idea and if it didn't have electricity going to it I would take it down while he was at work. LOL.
|
|
|
|
Post by nhlivefreeordie on Feb 13, 2012 20:53:53 GMT -4
We were there two years ago during January and it was beautiful, rode horses in the desert, swam, perfect weather, your May-October weather is for the birds.
|
|
|
|
Post by capecmom on Feb 13, 2012 21:08:53 GMT -4
It's been really cold here the past few days but should warm up again towards 50 by the end of the week.
Our friend george came over today and fell the rest of the trees in the "orchard" stoked.
Things at work are crazy leading up until Super Tuesday. I'm pooped.
|
|
|
|
Post by nhlivefreeordie on Feb 13, 2012 21:36:32 GMT -4
If it stays warm I may go over to the Amish farm and pick up my 6" X 6" X 8' Black Locust that I am going to use to build a 4' X 80' raised strawberry bed. In a raised bed I can lock it down tight so we won't be sharing with the ground hogs and birds this year.
|
|
|
|
Post by luvtohomeschool on Feb 13, 2012 21:51:20 GMT -4
Oh bummer that you were in Az Wayne and we didn't know it. Where did you go to???
I so wish I could go hang out with Amish families. That would be AWESOME!!!!
|
|
