So which do you want first, the good news or the bad news? How about I make a news sandwich, since I have two goods and one bad. The first good news is this:
Even though this home is going in two lots down from us, it looks like they are putting the stairs so they go onto the driveway of the next lot over, which means that the lot right next to ours will no longer have a driveway available to it, so I shouldn't have to worry about a home going in there and messing up my sunlight for the growing season. Yay!
The bad news is that I've been very depressed lately, and that's why I haven't been blogging very much lately.
The
other good news is that I may have a new venue for you to view my blog on soon. There would be a small fee if you choose to go that route to view it, but that will motivate me to blog more, if people are paying specifically to read it. Anyhoo, hopefully that will be finalized and I'll have an actual real announcement about it in a couple days.
As for what else is growing on at the Trailer Park Homestead, it is largely SSDD:
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| More or less the same... |
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| More or less the same... |
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| I think I saw a sign of life on the zombie pineapple (it didn't fall over when the plant light cord knocked it, indicating the possibility of a root system developing) and that crazy spinach thing is reaching its tentacles beyond the confines of my kitchen counter garden and occasionally attacking me as I go by (which is pretty freaky when it is dark and sends thoughts of zombies that are not pineapples into my head). |
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| Speaking of monsters, my tomato plants look like they'd all like to be transplanted. Checking the 10 day forecast, at this moment, it looks like it might be maybe possible to send them outside to play as early as next week! The last frost is usually mid- to late May here though, so I'm not going to count on it. I'll just have to keep checking the forecast to see. |
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| My apologies to those that abhor the consumption of meat, but this is an update on the mushrooms from last week's post. I didn't get around to eating them in a salad with spinach from the garden, sooooooo, I sauteed them with this here venison steak that we ate last night and, boy, they were yummy! My husband had had oyster mushrooms previously when I got some from a farmers market a couple years ago and didn't care for them, but, with the steak, he said they were "pretty good", which is his highest praise! I'll probably turn the mushroom kit over and start growing them on the other side within a few days, so I can have that more or less done when my free replacement bag of mushroom spores and growing medium arrives. That's right: FREE! Back to the Roots has a promotion going on that, when you post a picture of yourself (or your kids, whatever) and your mature mushroom kit on their Facebook page, they will send the classroom of your choice a free mushroom kit. However, they also give you the option of getting a free replacement bag for yourself instead. Since we homeschool, my kitchen is the classroom of my choice, so I asked for the replacement bag and was informed yesterday that it will be shipped within a few days. Getting two bags for the price of one definitely makes one of those nifty keen mushroom kits a better deal! Once I'm done growing in the bags, I plan on seeing if I can learn how to keep the mushrooms growing on my own, without any further purchases or, if all else fails, I've heard the stuff left in the bags after the mushrooms are done makes a fantastic soil amendment, so that should make my plants happy as well. |
I love reading your posts and blog. I'd be left in the dust if I have to pay as I'm a single mom with a family of 6. Thanks for all the good tips I have gotten over the past years.
ReplyDeleteDon't worry: you don't have to pay if you don't want to. It would just be an option for a certain kind of subscription.
DeleteI'd be unable to pay as well, since my husband currently is suspended from work. Even if he does manage to get on the next schedule, we'll be playing catch-up with the bills for a couple months, and I'd hate to stop reading you during that time.
ReplyDeleteIt's not that I don't want to pay, it's that I really can't!
No worries. It would just be an option for those that want the service. It will still be available free on the interwebz.
DeleteWell, I'm just not going to pay. There are plenty of great blogs out here. I see no reason to pay to read one. However, I do wish you luck with making money this way and hope it works out foryou.
ReplyDeleteThat's fine, you can still continue to read for free. The pay option would be just for those that want it.
DeleteI hope you're feeling better. All of us get the blues sometimes (and everything seems so terrible in the midst of blue), but I hope you have come out the other side and into the sunlight. Don't know you, but I'm sending you a big hug anyway!
ReplyDeleteI believe I live somewhere near you here in Michigan.
ReplyDeleteI bought a cottage on a small lot and do everything I can to save money to be able to stay home. I do have two degrees, but prefer not to work in an office. I grow my own food and can and freeze what I grow and items that I find on sale. I menu plan and use coupons for only the items that I use. I play the CVS and Walgreens game to keep us stocked in toiletries. I plan my wardrobe accordingly and only buy items that need to be replaced or upgraded that I find at the Salvation Army, garage sales and sometimes Walmart when they have their sales. I just did a whole new summer wardrobe for $25.00. I shop at more than one store to get the deals. Every week, while making my menu, I write down all the sales, search for coupons on places like couponfrenzymom.com and print them out to take along. I may go to 5 different stores in a day.
What I do to bring in extra money is, I babysit the kids next door about 10 times per month for an hour and half in the morning for $20/each time, clean other people's houses, I have my own craft/treasures business that I try to set up at a few times per month at different venues, sell extra coupons and samples that I don't use that come in the mail on ebay, bake cakes and goodies for other people's parties, bring home free items sitting along side the road in other peoples garbage - paint them up and sell them on craigslist or at the craft shows, I do some catering and a few painting jobs per year. I also manage/work at a seasonal club in my area. All the money from the Club goes directly into my savings account to pay property taxes, Christmas and vacations. I also went through mine and my kids closets and anything they outgrew or we didn't wear went to the resale shop to sell and make extra cash for replacing clothing.
I homeschooled my kids and resell anything that is remotely related to education that they have outgrown, books, projects, skiing/snowboarding equipment, magazine subscriptions, etc. I usually use that income and put it back into their education. But, now, my youngest is 17 and we are pretty much done with the homeschooling movement.
Part of the process is keeping good budget books. I write everything down. I keep track of all my categories, income and spending on an excel sheet. I run my home like a business, but have fun at it.
Yes, some days/weeks are challenging. That just means we get more creative and the Lord always provides.