I awoke to see snow covering the ground. It continued to snow all morning and Paul couldn't even leave for work until 11 because the road was covered.
It was quite a surprise considering we were only supposed to have a thunderstorm or two. It wasn't even supposed to get colder than 40 degrees.
I brought in the few pots of flowers and veggies but there isn't much I can do about the stuff in the garden. We spent all day Sunday moving dirt and a few rows of beans closer to the house to hopefully save a few of the seedlings and to prepare for the new seeds that arrived yesterday. It was so hot that I am sunburned on my head, shoulders and neck. It's amazing to compare the weekend with this morning!
My sunburned skin appreciated the cold weather though!
I'm trying not to become too frustrated by all the bad stuff that's been happening here but it's really difficult. We spent all day yesterday traveling 3 hours to see Lorna's specialist. It just amazes me that there are no closer doctors with the number of people that live within an hour of us. The people waiting in line behind us were from Bakersfield, so we aren't the only ones who have to travel.
The long drive and wait resulted in a 5 minute appointment. It seemed like a total waste which we will have to repeat in another 4 months. They also referred us to a different specialist for a routine check to evaluate when her next surgery will be. Of course that doctor is also located in that same building and only has a few appointments available. We will be repeating the trip in 2 weeks to see him. I'm not sure how many more of these visits we can afford before it becomes a huge problem. Paul cannot keep taking the afternoons off work and the price of gas is just insane ($3.25 a gallon as of last night).
I'm hoping things will calm down after all of this and we can get back to our normal life and expenses...
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Friday, March 23, 2007
I guess this is why...
I was wondering why people couldn't mind their own business. I got my answer on another topic but I think it applies to my earlier post...
I saw the following response to a post on the possible banning of incandescent bulbs in the Ontario, Canada (article here)
Here's is my thinking... These restrictions don't have anything to do with saving the world. If that was the case you would be able to get a mortgage on a solar home that isn't grid tied. Or you wouldn't be restricted on the size of the solar system you can put in, as we are here. It's about control. In this case the government wants control over what type of bulb you use in your lamp. In other cases, it's your neighbor who wants control over how you landscape you property, or what kind of home you can build, or whether you have a useless "shelter" for your horse.
Personally, I have enough to worry about in my own life. I don't want to worry about my neighbors. If they want to park a bunch of rusted out cars in their yard and call it landscaping that's fine with me. If they want to build a second story or run their electric bill up by foolish choices, I don't care. But I also want the same courtesy shown to me. I want to be left alone to live my life the way I want. If it's not hurting their physical body or destroying their property then it's none of their business what I do. If they don't like what I'm doing they can either buy me out or move, but I'm sick of people complaining because they want to run everyone else's life!
For those who feel the need to regulate everything, where will it end? What happened to freedom? The need to not offend or pollute or (insert the current pc subject here) seems to have eradicated the very thing which we claim we have...
I saw the following response to a post on the possible banning of incandescent bulbs in the Ontario, Canada (article here)
I can see why you're a 'reluctant' Californian. So you're saying that if a few million people want to waste large amounts of energy, putting tons of extra carbon into the atmosphere, and releasing heavy metals into the water treatment system, they should be able to pollute everyone else's air and water?So I guess this is it. We should all give up our freedoms so that others can save the environment. Where does it end? Will the restrictions ever get too invasive?
If you've got your own planet, go ahead and pollute it. But as long as you're sharing one with everyone else, you have to make some sacrifices or you're harming everyone.
And if you do live in California, you're going to be more restricted than most Americans on making poor environmental choices.
Here's is my thinking... These restrictions don't have anything to do with saving the world. If that was the case you would be able to get a mortgage on a solar home that isn't grid tied. Or you wouldn't be restricted on the size of the solar system you can put in, as we are here. It's about control. In this case the government wants control over what type of bulb you use in your lamp. In other cases, it's your neighbor who wants control over how you landscape you property, or what kind of home you can build, or whether you have a useless "shelter" for your horse.
Personally, I have enough to worry about in my own life. I don't want to worry about my neighbors. If they want to park a bunch of rusted out cars in their yard and call it landscaping that's fine with me. If they want to build a second story or run their electric bill up by foolish choices, I don't care. But I also want the same courtesy shown to me. I want to be left alone to live my life the way I want. If it's not hurting their physical body or destroying their property then it's none of their business what I do. If they don't like what I'm doing they can either buy me out or move, but I'm sick of people complaining because they want to run everyone else's life!
For those who feel the need to regulate everything, where will it end? What happened to freedom? The need to not offend or pollute or (insert the current pc subject here) seems to have eradicated the very thing which we claim we have...
Why?
I just want to know why people feel the need to meddle in others' affairs?
I was once again visited by animal control. Since we live in a much more remote location than the last time I was hoping this wouldn't happen. This time someone complained that our horse didn't have shelter. This horse had shelter at the rental and never once used it. It is very unnatural for a horse to stand in an enclosure since they have a need to keep their eyes open for predators. I will have to say that at the very least I feel that I have a right to know who made the complaint, but according to animal control I only have that right if I am taken to court.
The officer who visited our home even apologized since he knows that this is a stupid requirement. After hearing about our financial situation, he offered the building materials for free (he has enough stuff lying around his property) if we wanted to come pick them up, which we very happily agreed to do.
But this brought up another problem, two of the dogs are no longer registered. He asked to see the registrations. I brought out the two that haven't expired and told him I couldn't find the other two, which was actually true. I explained that we registered all four dogs at the same time, which was also true. The county changed the registration expiration on the two to coincide with their rabies vaccination dates. Once again unfair since I paid for a full year, and the one dog has a $60 registration fee! He called in the info but no one had time to get back to him, which I am thankful for. So now we get to have the dogs vaccinated tomorrow, which we were planning on anyway, and I get the "pleasure" of paying $105 to register the dogs for another year. Kinda expensive, you say? Well that's the penalty we get for living in socialist California!
We have been talking about putting the house on the market for a few weeks. The plan was to do it next spring, now I'm voting for today!
I wouldn't be surprised to find CPS on the door next. Someone will probably turn us in for not having a big enough shelter for our kids...
I was once again visited by animal control. Since we live in a much more remote location than the last time I was hoping this wouldn't happen. This time someone complained that our horse didn't have shelter. This horse had shelter at the rental and never once used it. It is very unnatural for a horse to stand in an enclosure since they have a need to keep their eyes open for predators. I will have to say that at the very least I feel that I have a right to know who made the complaint, but according to animal control I only have that right if I am taken to court.
The officer who visited our home even apologized since he knows that this is a stupid requirement. After hearing about our financial situation, he offered the building materials for free (he has enough stuff lying around his property) if we wanted to come pick them up, which we very happily agreed to do.
But this brought up another problem, two of the dogs are no longer registered. He asked to see the registrations. I brought out the two that haven't expired and told him I couldn't find the other two, which was actually true. I explained that we registered all four dogs at the same time, which was also true. The county changed the registration expiration on the two to coincide with their rabies vaccination dates. Once again unfair since I paid for a full year, and the one dog has a $60 registration fee! He called in the info but no one had time to get back to him, which I am thankful for. So now we get to have the dogs vaccinated tomorrow, which we were planning on anyway, and I get the "pleasure" of paying $105 to register the dogs for another year. Kinda expensive, you say? Well that's the penalty we get for living in socialist California!
We have been talking about putting the house on the market for a few weeks. The plan was to do it next spring, now I'm voting for today!
I wouldn't be surprised to find CPS on the door next. Someone will probably turn us in for not having a big enough shelter for our kids...
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Spring cleaning and such
I've been very bad about updating my blog. I wish I could say we've been madly cleaning but all I've gotten accomplished is a really long list of things that need to be done. With the price of gas at $3.25 a gallon I have high hopes that we will be forced to stay home and work on that list, not that we have been going anywhere in the recent month.
We put in a garden about a month ago after the last frost. I had high hopes that we would start to see some action by now but it looks like the squirrels and bunnies have decided it is their own personal buffet. I saw a couple of shoots only to have them disappear the next day. It was very frustrating! I also didn't have very good luck with the seeds which I bought at a discount place so I broke down and ordered some more seeds from a seed catalog. I'm hoping for a better germination rate and I'm moving the garden closer to the house!
The fruit trees are blooming though and brightening up the yard!
We put in a garden about a month ago after the last frost. I had high hopes that we would start to see some action by now but it looks like the squirrels and bunnies have decided it is their own personal buffet. I saw a couple of shoots only to have them disappear the next day. It was very frustrating! I also didn't have very good luck with the seeds which I bought at a discount place so I broke down and ordered some more seeds from a seed catalog. I'm hoping for a better germination rate and I'm moving the garden closer to the house!
The fruit trees are blooming though and brightening up the yard!
Monday, March 12, 2007
It's always something...
I can never complain that my life is boring but I'm hoping for a better start to this week than last week ended.
Paul called me right after leaving the house on Friday, it seems the last time we had the tires rotated on the truck they somehow messed up the alignment. We knew we were going to have to buy tires in a few months but it wasn't supposed to be so soon. Unfortunately it had to be right then. I called around and no one had tires in stock that would fit. We had planned on finding a used set of smaller wheels so we could buy tires that would be more geared towards off-road conditions. Unfortunately the dealer that was helping us didn't find any in time. So after a number of calls I found a competent salesman who suggested an alternate size that is manufacturer approved. $800 later we have new tires and the alignment is fixed.
To add just a little more frustration our printer died during all of this calling around. So we had to replace that as well since Paul needs it for work.
It made for a very frustrating and emotional day for me. Since we live on a cash basis I had to do some quick juggling. The few projects we had planned, finishing the outside of the deck enclosure and ordering math books, have been put on hold indefinitely and the money for the extra property taxes will have to come from somewhere else. I don't know why I was so surprised, nothing ever goes as planned.
I'm just hoping this week will go more smoothly!
Paul called me right after leaving the house on Friday, it seems the last time we had the tires rotated on the truck they somehow messed up the alignment. We knew we were going to have to buy tires in a few months but it wasn't supposed to be so soon. Unfortunately it had to be right then. I called around and no one had tires in stock that would fit. We had planned on finding a used set of smaller wheels so we could buy tires that would be more geared towards off-road conditions. Unfortunately the dealer that was helping us didn't find any in time. So after a number of calls I found a competent salesman who suggested an alternate size that is manufacturer approved. $800 later we have new tires and the alignment is fixed.
To add just a little more frustration our printer died during all of this calling around. So we had to replace that as well since Paul needs it for work.
It made for a very frustrating and emotional day for me. Since we live on a cash basis I had to do some quick juggling. The few projects we had planned, finishing the outside of the deck enclosure and ordering math books, have been put on hold indefinitely and the money for the extra property taxes will have to come from somewhere else. I don't know why I was so surprised, nothing ever goes as planned.
I'm just hoping this week will go more smoothly!
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Technology
I just finished the book Better Off: Flipping the Switch on Technology by Eric Brende. Anyone who knows me will understand that this is my kind of book. I've become almost obsessed with trying to pare down our life, both out of a sense of frugality and also the desire to lessen our dependence on big industry.
I was excited to see the book in the mail yesterday afternoon and just finished it. It's on the small side but packed with information that really made me think. I thought I would post a quote that really stuck with me...
So this brings me to the question of how much technology to use. I can look at the washing machine and see the benefits and drawbacks of such a machine. Having done laundry with washtubs and a hand wringer I know the health benefits but also see the huge drain on my time. So the drawbacks of the machine, the money needed to run it, are outweighed by the time I save. I can't say the same thing about the dryer. We have one but can't use it because we don't have a 220 outlet. For the last 6 months I have hung the laundry out to dry. It is a pain when the weather is bad but it's free. Why pay the exorbitant electric bill to generate what I already have for free, wind and heat? Yes there is a little more time involved, hanging up the laundry, and I have to plan ahead and watch the weather to make sure we have enough clothes during those times it's raining; but in my mind the benefits far outweigh the little demands.
I could go on and on but I think I want to digest a bit more before I post anymore of my thoughts. This just reminds me of why I enjoy reading so much, it forces me to think and question. Now that I have something to chew on I'm off to take the laundry off the line...
I was excited to see the book in the mail yesterday afternoon and just finished it. It's on the small side but packed with information that really made me think. I thought I would post a quote that really stuck with me...
"First, a modern automatic machine is no mere tool. It is a complex fuel-consuming being with needs of its own. It gobbles up energy; it demands care and maintenance; it even has bouts of temperament. In many cases no diaper will contain its mess. And all this on top of the initial chuck of cash it bites-its purchase price-which often amounts to a king's ransom. For these reasons, it not only serves but must be served. But it is more than another mouth to feed; as it becomes more involved and involving, it can easily invade the living space we formally reserved for ourselves, taking on functions once our own."When I read this I just said, "Wow!" This is exactly the sentiment I have expressed to Paul so many times. We don't own a nice sound system or big screen TV but have friends and family who do. Looking at the space and money needed to house and maintain such equipment I am in awe. Much of this type of thing is used as an escape from the hardships of life and working. I often wonder if getting rid of the equipment and the needs it generates would alleviate the need for escape. Would getting rid of all the non-essentials eliminate the need to work at a job that requires escape?
So this brings me to the question of how much technology to use. I can look at the washing machine and see the benefits and drawbacks of such a machine. Having done laundry with washtubs and a hand wringer I know the health benefits but also see the huge drain on my time. So the drawbacks of the machine, the money needed to run it, are outweighed by the time I save. I can't say the same thing about the dryer. We have one but can't use it because we don't have a 220 outlet. For the last 6 months I have hung the laundry out to dry. It is a pain when the weather is bad but it's free. Why pay the exorbitant electric bill to generate what I already have for free, wind and heat? Yes there is a little more time involved, hanging up the laundry, and I have to plan ahead and watch the weather to make sure we have enough clothes during those times it's raining; but in my mind the benefits far outweigh the little demands.
I could go on and on but I think I want to digest a bit more before I post anymore of my thoughts. This just reminds me of why I enjoy reading so much, it forces me to think and question. Now that I have something to chew on I'm off to take the laundry off the line...
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Projects
We have had lots of snow, for us, so we have been forced to stay inside for the last 4 days or so. Typical of the weather here it is bright and sunny today with only a little of the snow holding over in sheltered places.
Since we were stuck inside I decided to catch up on a few sewing projects. I finished a skirt and top for Lorna.
The long overdue shower curtain is completed and up. I didn't realize how the old one made the room look so dark. The new one isn't anything really special, being simple and cream colored, but it doesn't detract from the tile in the shower like the old one did. I also made a panel to cover the wall cabinet, now all our junk is hidden.
Yesterday I spent the entire day cutting and ironing pattern pieces for a suit of Malachi. This is my least favorite part of sewing! The suit has a jacket, pants, and vest so the number of pieces is overwhelming. After looking at the pieces and scanty instructions I'm not too sure if it is gonna turn out. So far every time I've said that about a project it's turned out just fine but we will see.
Since we were stuck inside I decided to catch up on a few sewing projects. I finished a skirt and top for Lorna.
The long overdue shower curtain is completed and up. I didn't realize how the old one made the room look so dark. The new one isn't anything really special, being simple and cream colored, but it doesn't detract from the tile in the shower like the old one did. I also made a panel to cover the wall cabinet, now all our junk is hidden.
Yesterday I spent the entire day cutting and ironing pattern pieces for a suit of Malachi. This is my least favorite part of sewing! The suit has a jacket, pants, and vest so the number of pieces is overwhelming. After looking at the pieces and scanty instructions I'm not too sure if it is gonna turn out. So far every time I've said that about a project it's turned out just fine but we will see.
Friday, February 23, 2007
School books and stuff
I'm sitting here watching the snow fall outside my window. It's the end of February, in California, and we have snow! I'm not exactly complaining but I really dislike the crazy weather. We went from the high 60's to snow over the course of 2 days. We are supposed to warm up to around 70 by the end of next week. It's just freaky!
We finally got our tax return and I should be happy but it's going toward more taxes. Some people get to take vacations or go shopping. I get to pay for the car registration and a supplemental property tax bill. I did get to take a little bit of it and order some much needed school books.
I have ordered from Rainbow Resource for the last 5 years. I've always been happy with their prices and service but this year I'm wondering if I shouldn't find another supplier. I ordered online 2 weeks ago. I called Monday to check on the order and I was told everything, with the exception of one book, was shipping out on Tuesday. Great news. The last 2 years I've ended up with backorders that were 6 and 11 months in coming. Then I noticed the amount they took out of my bank account was incorrect. It was too little. I called this morning to find that 2 of the books I ordered were out of print. They have the new additions, which cost a few cents more. I didn't receive an email or phone call from them; they just cancelled the books off the order. They straightened it out and agreed not to charge me shipping since my original order was over the amount needed to qualify for free shipping.
But wait, there is a problem with my address. We don't get mail at our home; the post office does not deliver here. So I put in the comments section of my order that anything shipped USPS (backorders) needed to be sent to the PO Box. They didn't read it and can't put exceptions in the system. They caught the backordered book that was shipping out today and informed me that in the future I should have everything shipped to the PO Box so there is no confusions for backordered items. Of course that means even though they offer FedEx ground I will have to use Book Rate USPS. We all know the Post Office puts book rate stuff on the back of a chicken and points it in the direction it's headed, that's why it takes 3-6 weeks! So instead of getting my order sent to my house I will have to wait until we can get to the Post Office. No big deal, right? Well our post office is open from 9-4 M-F. No Saturday hours, they say they are open for 1 hour each Saturday for pick-ups only but they aren't always there. So I could go weeks without catching them during the hours they are open, after all Paul has to work during the day. All of this because Rainbow Resource doesn't want to have to deal with 2 shipping addresses. Of course if they had everything in stock when I originally ordered this wouldn't even be an issue.
Maybe by the time I order my next shipment next year I will have forgotten all about this. Maybe they will even get their system updated so they can read the comments they ask for. The woman I spoke to even mentioned that this is an issue for a number of their customers, so why don't they fix it? Or maybe I'll just find a new supplier for books.
We finally got our tax return and I should be happy but it's going toward more taxes. Some people get to take vacations or go shopping. I get to pay for the car registration and a supplemental property tax bill. I did get to take a little bit of it and order some much needed school books.
I have ordered from Rainbow Resource for the last 5 years. I've always been happy with their prices and service but this year I'm wondering if I shouldn't find another supplier. I ordered online 2 weeks ago. I called Monday to check on the order and I was told everything, with the exception of one book, was shipping out on Tuesday. Great news. The last 2 years I've ended up with backorders that were 6 and 11 months in coming. Then I noticed the amount they took out of my bank account was incorrect. It was too little. I called this morning to find that 2 of the books I ordered were out of print. They have the new additions, which cost a few cents more. I didn't receive an email or phone call from them; they just cancelled the books off the order. They straightened it out and agreed not to charge me shipping since my original order was over the amount needed to qualify for free shipping.
But wait, there is a problem with my address. We don't get mail at our home; the post office does not deliver here. So I put in the comments section of my order that anything shipped USPS (backorders) needed to be sent to the PO Box. They didn't read it and can't put exceptions in the system. They caught the backordered book that was shipping out today and informed me that in the future I should have everything shipped to the PO Box so there is no confusions for backordered items. Of course that means even though they offer FedEx ground I will have to use Book Rate USPS. We all know the Post Office puts book rate stuff on the back of a chicken and points it in the direction it's headed, that's why it takes 3-6 weeks! So instead of getting my order sent to my house I will have to wait until we can get to the Post Office. No big deal, right? Well our post office is open from 9-4 M-F. No Saturday hours, they say they are open for 1 hour each Saturday for pick-ups only but they aren't always there. So I could go weeks without catching them during the hours they are open, after all Paul has to work during the day. All of this because Rainbow Resource doesn't want to have to deal with 2 shipping addresses. Of course if they had everything in stock when I originally ordered this wouldn't even be an issue.
Maybe by the time I order my next shipment next year I will have forgotten all about this. Maybe they will even get their system updated so they can read the comments they ask for. The woman I spoke to even mentioned that this is an issue for a number of their customers, so why don't they fix it? Or maybe I'll just find a new supplier for books.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
What's important?
Before I start this post, once again, I just wanted to vent. I was forced to upgrade to the new version of Blogger this morning. I hate change. I typed out this post and hit "save as draft", when I went in to edit it, it was all gone! Eaten by this supposedly great new version of Blogger...Grrrrr!
Since Paul and I are trying to get our long-term goals hammered out we have been forced to think about what's important.
My previous comment that we wanted to move away from CA sparked an email from a friend who thought we were over the desire to leave. We thought we were over it too! Our friends are important to us, they are the family we weren't given by blood. But is that enough to make us stay in a place where we just aren't happy? The financial strain of living here is wearing, it will inevitably lead to burn out. We may be close (relatively speaking) to our friends but what good does that do when we can't afford to visit or join in on outings? Since we have been here our visits to church and our friends, which are one inextricably combined, have gone from weekly to once a month. We've gone from enjoying lunch out after church to no longer being able to do that. I'm glad that our friends have the opportunity to go out and enjoy the company of others, but we cannot. Paul and I live in a completely different reality. We are in a different part of our life (most of our friends are older) and we have chosen to have children. We have chosen to give up financial security to give the kids the security of having a parent at home to guide their education. I have chosen to embrace my vocation as a wife and mother in a traditional, some might say archaic, manner. Because we live in this other universe, we just don't have the means to participate in much else.
So once again this brings me back to wondering if staying here strictly to be near friends is an option? I can't say I have a hard and fast answer but the longer we are here the more I think it's not a good option. So that makes me wonder what is important? Everyone has different needs to consider. For us we know one thing that we cannot ignore, homeschooling laws. Wherever we move must have, what we consider, decent laws. That rules out at least 1/2 of the states, I can live with that. The other things we have thought about are: affordability, zoning restrictions, taxes, weather, and gun laws. I'm sure there are more but that's what comes to mind right now. California pretty much falls short on every one of our concerns, except for the homeschooling laws.
Luckily we don't have to make any hard decisions right now, even if we wanted to we can't move for some time. But being the planner that I am, I can't just ignore what I know is coming. Eventually we will be forced to make a decision on where to go next. If I'm lucky maybe our friends will want to follow us.
Since Paul and I are trying to get our long-term goals hammered out we have been forced to think about what's important.
My previous comment that we wanted to move away from CA sparked an email from a friend who thought we were over the desire to leave. We thought we were over it too! Our friends are important to us, they are the family we weren't given by blood. But is that enough to make us stay in a place where we just aren't happy? The financial strain of living here is wearing, it will inevitably lead to burn out. We may be close (relatively speaking) to our friends but what good does that do when we can't afford to visit or join in on outings? Since we have been here our visits to church and our friends, which are one inextricably combined, have gone from weekly to once a month. We've gone from enjoying lunch out after church to no longer being able to do that. I'm glad that our friends have the opportunity to go out and enjoy the company of others, but we cannot. Paul and I live in a completely different reality. We are in a different part of our life (most of our friends are older) and we have chosen to have children. We have chosen to give up financial security to give the kids the security of having a parent at home to guide their education. I have chosen to embrace my vocation as a wife and mother in a traditional, some might say archaic, manner. Because we live in this other universe, we just don't have the means to participate in much else.
So once again this brings me back to wondering if staying here strictly to be near friends is an option? I can't say I have a hard and fast answer but the longer we are here the more I think it's not a good option. So that makes me wonder what is important? Everyone has different needs to consider. For us we know one thing that we cannot ignore, homeschooling laws. Wherever we move must have, what we consider, decent laws. That rules out at least 1/2 of the states, I can live with that. The other things we have thought about are: affordability, zoning restrictions, taxes, weather, and gun laws. I'm sure there are more but that's what comes to mind right now. California pretty much falls short on every one of our concerns, except for the homeschooling laws.
Luckily we don't have to make any hard decisions right now, even if we wanted to we can't move for some time. But being the planner that I am, I can't just ignore what I know is coming. Eventually we will be forced to make a decision on where to go next. If I'm lucky maybe our friends will want to follow us.
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Views
Since the Presbytera asked for pictures of the views from the newly enclosed deck I thought I would post a couple.
This one has our "peek-a-boo" lake view. It's really hard to see it right now since the lake level is really low, but if you look just to the right of the large boulders the lake is visible. The clothes line posts are also a new addition, we cemented them in yesterday and I painted the post purple, my favorite color. I figure if I have to hang the laundry out to dry I might as well enjoy looking at the posts while I'm doing it! I'm very excited about the posts, no more will our laundry be in the driveway strung between the tree and carport.
This one is the view of the back of our property. The trees are mostly dead from a fire that scorched the entire area a few years ago. We are getting ready to chop them down tomorrow for firewood.
The area we live in is just at the edge of the desert before you get into the forest. There is a lot of scrub and a few trees. The area used to be owned by the BLM and was sold in the 20's. The road up to the area is paved but is only wide enough for one vehicle in many spots. For the most part everyone is extremely cautious and courteous. A few miles further up the main road is USDA controlled forest. Extremely convenient for us since it is a firewood cutting site.
As of this afternoon we now have power in the new room. We were able to disconnect an outdoor outlet that we never used and extended the line into the room with two new outlets. We are very careful about the load we place on the entire system, using only fluorescent lights and few big appliances at any one time. The main box needs to replaced soon and we will upgrade the service at that time.
This one has our "peek-a-boo" lake view. It's really hard to see it right now since the lake level is really low, but if you look just to the right of the large boulders the lake is visible. The clothes line posts are also a new addition, we cemented them in yesterday and I painted the post purple, my favorite color. I figure if I have to hang the laundry out to dry I might as well enjoy looking at the posts while I'm doing it! I'm very excited about the posts, no more will our laundry be in the driveway strung between the tree and carport.
This one is the view of the back of our property. The trees are mostly dead from a fire that scorched the entire area a few years ago. We are getting ready to chop them down tomorrow for firewood.
The area we live in is just at the edge of the desert before you get into the forest. There is a lot of scrub and a few trees. The area used to be owned by the BLM and was sold in the 20's. The road up to the area is paved but is only wide enough for one vehicle in many spots. For the most part everyone is extremely cautious and courteous. A few miles further up the main road is USDA controlled forest. Extremely convenient for us since it is a firewood cutting site.
As of this afternoon we now have power in the new room. We were able to disconnect an outdoor outlet that we never used and extended the line into the room with two new outlets. We are very careful about the load we place on the entire system, using only fluorescent lights and few big appliances at any one time. The main box needs to replaced soon and we will upgrade the service at that time.
Friday, February 16, 2007
Deck views and goals
I was going to wait until everything was moved into the new rooms before I posted more pictures but then I realized I might never get there!
Every time I turn around I seem to be finding things that need to be moved, cleaned, or arranged so I gave up waiting.
Malachi's loft bed is the dividing line for his area. He has lots of space to play between his bed and the wall. When we finally went through all his tubs we found that he had a lot less than we thought, most of them were less than half full.
Here is the room that used to contain the table, Malachi's things, and the sofa. Now it's just a living room!
Cleaning and arranging have left me lots of time to think about what our goals are for the future. We have finally come to the realization that no matter where we live we are never gonna be comfortable financially. Each move has had the promise of a better income and each time it hasn't happened. Some of this has finally hit home because I just finished the taxes. We made less last year than before I got out of college 10 years ago! It seems so pathetic to think we are going backwards and not forward. At the same time I can look at the fact that we live in one of the most expensive areas of the country and we are making it, even if it is tight.
So I think we both have realized that it's time to make some goals that can be actually achieved. We both know that we don't want to be in CA forever, in fact the sooner we can leave the better. But soon might not be for a number of years so we want to spend the next few years figuring out where we want to try next. I'm hoping having a goal will help to make our time here more palatable.
Every time I turn around I seem to be finding things that need to be moved, cleaned, or arranged so I gave up waiting.
Malachi's loft bed is the dividing line for his area. He has lots of space to play between his bed and the wall. When we finally went through all his tubs we found that he had a lot less than we thought, most of them were less than half full.
Here is the room that used to contain the table, Malachi's things, and the sofa. Now it's just a living room!
Cleaning and arranging have left me lots of time to think about what our goals are for the future. We have finally come to the realization that no matter where we live we are never gonna be comfortable financially. Each move has had the promise of a better income and each time it hasn't happened. Some of this has finally hit home because I just finished the taxes. We made less last year than before I got out of college 10 years ago! It seems so pathetic to think we are going backwards and not forward. At the same time I can look at the fact that we live in one of the most expensive areas of the country and we are making it, even if it is tight.
So I think we both have realized that it's time to make some goals that can be actually achieved. We both know that we don't want to be in CA forever, in fact the sooner we can leave the better. But soon might not be for a number of years so we want to spend the next few years figuring out where we want to try next. I'm hoping having a goal will help to make our time here more palatable.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Finished....Almost
The deck is finally finished...almost. I say almost because we still have to paint and do trim work. Both of those things will have to wait until it's warmer and we have a little bit of extra money for the trim. But it's done enough to move Malachi outside.
We installed the carpet today and I have to admit this was the first project we have done that didn't take longer than we planned. We actually got it done in one day with time to spare!
The windows are great, there is lots of light and it really warms up that area. During the summer we can take them out and put screening in.
Oh and just so I don't keep you in suspense, that oval thing hanging on the wall is a train track. It's 4 x 8 so it's hanging there to keep it out of the way when it's not being used.
We installed the carpet today and I have to admit this was the first project we have done that didn't take longer than we planned. We actually got it done in one day with time to spare!
The windows are great, there is lots of light and it really warms up that area. During the summer we can take them out and put screening in.
Oh and just so I don't keep you in suspense, that oval thing hanging on the wall is a train track. It's 4 x 8 so it's hanging there to keep it out of the way when it's not being used.
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Deck Improvements
While Paul and I were gone for the weekend, my mother and her husband got the deck almost completely finished.
It's coming along nicely. We have carpet picked out and will install that later this week. The walls will have to be primed and painted before that happens, luckily it's been really warm so we shouldn't have a problem painting this week. Then we can move Malachi and all his stuff into his new room.
It's coming along nicely. We have carpet picked out and will install that later this week. The walls will have to be primed and painted before that happens, luckily it's been really warm so we shouldn't have a problem painting this week. Then we can move Malachi and all his stuff into his new room.
Friday, January 26, 2007
House Guests
I must be crazy. I know some of you think I'm crazy because we have lived in a yurt with no electricity or running water, or because we have moved across the country a few times, or because we live in a house that is only 530 sq feet. But this time I know I'm out of my mind.
My mom and her husband are coming to visit next week. They are going to be here for a week or two and they are staying with us. Yep that's right, we are going to squeeze 2 more people into a house that is already too small for the four of us. I don't think my mom understands how small the house is. She visited when we were working on the floor, before we moved the furniture in, and I've sent pictures of the inside since we've moved in, but it's not the same as actually standing in the middle of the room surrounded by stuff. We have only 1 bathroom which presents a challenge on a normal day, I'm not sure what's gonna happen when we add 2 more people into the mix.
It'll either be fun or we will kill each other, I'm not quite sure which. While they are here we should increase the amount of space we have by 250 sq feet so that will help, unfortunately we won't be adding another bathroom. Malachi will finally have a room of his own, which makes me happy. He doesn't seem to care but I do because he sleeps 10 feet from the TV so when Paul and I want to watch movies that aren't appropriate for the kids we have to use the laptop in the bedroom and I'd much rather watch it on the big TV.
So we will see how things go. I wonder how long they can take it before they get a room at the local motel...
My mom and her husband are coming to visit next week. They are going to be here for a week or two and they are staying with us. Yep that's right, we are going to squeeze 2 more people into a house that is already too small for the four of us. I don't think my mom understands how small the house is. She visited when we were working on the floor, before we moved the furniture in, and I've sent pictures of the inside since we've moved in, but it's not the same as actually standing in the middle of the room surrounded by stuff. We have only 1 bathroom which presents a challenge on a normal day, I'm not sure what's gonna happen when we add 2 more people into the mix.
It'll either be fun or we will kill each other, I'm not quite sure which. While they are here we should increase the amount of space we have by 250 sq feet so that will help, unfortunately we won't be adding another bathroom. Malachi will finally have a room of his own, which makes me happy. He doesn't seem to care but I do because he sleeps 10 feet from the TV so when Paul and I want to watch movies that aren't appropriate for the kids we have to use the laptop in the bedroom and I'd much rather watch it on the big TV.
So we will see how things go. I wonder how long they can take it before they get a room at the local motel...
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Breakfast
For those that know me, you know I'm not a morning person. So pancakes for breakfast is a rare treat for the kids. I will on occasion make them pancakes for lunch but my making breakfast is something special.
As I read through some posts on the homeschooling list I'm on, I was struck by a few off-handed comments about the time these people got up. They were mentioning that they didn't get up at 5:30 but *gasp* 7:30. Okay I'm gonna let you in on a secret, I don't normally get up until way after 8, sometimes as late as 9. That's right I like to sleep in the morning. I'm not saying it's a bad thing to get up early but I can't do it. Well I can and do on those Sundays we go to church, in fact I don't get up in the morning but the middle of the night, 4:30. But I spend the rest of the day feeling off and grumpy.
So yep, I'm a bad mom who makes her kids fend for themselves for breakfast normally. I like to get school started by 11, if I'm lucky, and my house is always a mess because of how small it is.
Oh and just in case you are thinking that I get points for making pancakes from scratch this morning, I admit that those are Bisquick pancakes.
Monday, January 22, 2007
Which Classic Heroine Are You?
Anne Shirley
The loveable redhead of "Anne of Green Gables." Anne lives on Prince Edward Island, and never ceases to astonish it's inhabitants. She's a writer, matchmaker, and can generally be found getting into some scrape or the other. Gilbert Blythe, one of her dearest friends, is in love with her, but she refuses to see it for many years.
Which Classic Heroine are You?
I'm not all that surprised. This is one of my favorite books right behind Pride & Prejudice. I see a lot of myself in Anne, constantly getting into trouble and being somewhat strong-willed. Besides, Anne is my middle name!
The loveable redhead of "Anne of Green Gables." Anne lives on Prince Edward Island, and never ceases to astonish it's inhabitants. She's a writer, matchmaker, and can generally be found getting into some scrape or the other. Gilbert Blythe, one of her dearest friends, is in love with her, but she refuses to see it for many years.
Which Classic Heroine are You?
I'm not all that surprised. This is one of my favorite books right behind Pride & Prejudice. I see a lot of myself in Anne, constantly getting into trouble and being somewhat strong-willed. Besides, Anne is my middle name!
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Working outside the home
This happens every once in awhile. A very well meaning friend will suggest that our financial struggle can be eliminated if I just got a job. I think this happens because most of our closest friends don't have children and don't think about the costs involved in working outside the home.
I don't think it's a bad thing that this comes up, it always gives me an opportunity to reevaluate what I already know, the costs are too high. So yesterday I was told that I could do this if I want to. This is, of course, assuming that the kids were put into the government indoctrination system.
Here is what I came up with:
The costs for daycare after school and school holidays $12,000-$15,000 per year
The costs for a second car including the payment, insurance, gas, and maintenance $8,000 per year
The costs for appropriate clothing and supplies for the kids $1,000 per year
The costs for work clothing for me $500 per year
The costs of increased medical premiums and copayments since we are currently on a plan that has the premiums determined by income $4,000
The costs of increased taxes $4,000
The costs of more prepackaged foods for lunch and dinner $2,600
Assuming I could find a job making $30,000 per year, the grand total that we would add to our current income is -$2100. That's right it would cost me to work! That's not even counting the costs that aren't monetary. So could I work outside the home? Sure but the costs would put us in a worse financial situation not a better one.
So for the sake of argument let's consider all those non-monetary costs:
The kids would have maybe 2 hours a day with their parents
Lorna's medical condition requires her to take a steroid medication which suppresses her immune system, how many times a year would she end up in the hospital? From past experience when she was in daycare, twice a year. That's not even counting how often she got sick and didn't require hospitalization.
How would Malachi deal with being in a classroom, he has a difficult time now because he spends much of his time in his own little world.
Who would do the laundry and clean the house? Who would take care of the animals? When would I have time to cook?
I could go on but I think you get the point.
I do not have the ability to be a wife, mother, and worker. Something has to suffer and it would be the first two because if you let the worker part suffer you lose your job. So how is working outside the home going to solve our problem? It isn't. In fact I think it would just cause that many more problems.
So thanks to the friend you brought this up! You have helped me to remember why I quit working in the first place.
I don't think it's a bad thing that this comes up, it always gives me an opportunity to reevaluate what I already know, the costs are too high. So yesterday I was told that I could do this if I want to. This is, of course, assuming that the kids were put into the government indoctrination system.
Here is what I came up with:
The costs for daycare after school and school holidays $12,000-$15,000 per year
The costs for a second car including the payment, insurance, gas, and maintenance $8,000 per year
The costs for appropriate clothing and supplies for the kids $1,000 per year
The costs for work clothing for me $500 per year
The costs of increased medical premiums and copayments since we are currently on a plan that has the premiums determined by income $4,000
The costs of increased taxes $4,000
The costs of more prepackaged foods for lunch and dinner $2,600
Assuming I could find a job making $30,000 per year, the grand total that we would add to our current income is -$2100. That's right it would cost me to work! That's not even counting the costs that aren't monetary. So could I work outside the home? Sure but the costs would put us in a worse financial situation not a better one.
So for the sake of argument let's consider all those non-monetary costs:
The kids would have maybe 2 hours a day with their parents
Lorna's medical condition requires her to take a steroid medication which suppresses her immune system, how many times a year would she end up in the hospital? From past experience when she was in daycare, twice a year. That's not even counting how often she got sick and didn't require hospitalization.
How would Malachi deal with being in a classroom, he has a difficult time now because he spends much of his time in his own little world.
Who would do the laundry and clean the house? Who would take care of the animals? When would I have time to cook?
I could go on but I think you get the point.
I do not have the ability to be a wife, mother, and worker. Something has to suffer and it would be the first two because if you let the worker part suffer you lose your job. So how is working outside the home going to solve our problem? It isn't. In fact I think it would just cause that many more problems.
So thanks to the friend you brought this up! You have helped me to remember why I quit working in the first place.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Washer repairs
They won't be happening today which means I will be outside using the washtubs since we are out of some necessary clothing.
I didn't get a confirmation call last night which should have tipped me off that there was a problem. I took the phone with me everywhere I went this morning so I wouldn't miss the call from the repairman. But the call never came. Instead Paul got a message on his cell that the repairman went to the house but we don't live there and they don't have our updated home phone number. What?!!? I gave all that info to the woman who I made the appointment with, she obviously got Paul's cell number added. We had a long coversation about our new home phone and address. I distinctly remember because I explained that everyone has a different city listed. It seems she forgot to update the screens or something.
So I called the appointment center only to get a rude young woman who claimed it wasn't her problem because she didn't make the original appointment! My thing is that it is her problem to fix because someone where she works dropped the ball. After getting very upset I was able to speak with someone who apologized and set up a new appointment for tomorrow.
I just want my washer fixed, why is this so difficult? To top it all off the guy who helped me today was too busy to update their records properly as to the fact that we have a maintenance agreement on 3 large appliances so now I have to fix this so I don't get charged. I'm just glad I have all the receipts handy!
Monday, January 15, 2007
Pipes and Laundry
Our pipes made it through the low temperatures of the past few days. We did have a slight problem yesterday for a few hours but got everything thawed and working.
My washing machine didn't make it though. It started spraying water out of the back panels and when we opened it up found a break in the water inlet. It's still under warranty until August so the repairman is coming tomorrow. Unfortunately we have laundry piled up everywhere and it looks like I'm going to have to break out the washtubs and wringer.
I would love to take it all to the laundromat but I can't since I don't have transportation during the day and they close at 6. Not only that but looking at the price to do a small load of clothes I don't think it would work anyway. My only fear is that the repairman will have to order a part and we will have to wait for weeks before he can fix it.
My washing machine didn't make it though. It started spraying water out of the back panels and when we opened it up found a break in the water inlet. It's still under warranty until August so the repairman is coming tomorrow. Unfortunately we have laundry piled up everywhere and it looks like I'm going to have to break out the washtubs and wringer.
I would love to take it all to the laundromat but I can't since I don't have transportation during the day and they close at 6. Not only that but looking at the price to do a small load of clothes I don't think it would work anyway. My only fear is that the repairman will have to order a part and we will have to wait for weeks before he can fix it.
Friday, January 12, 2007
Laundry
Well our infestation turned out to be something more serious than I thought, so yesterday saw us spend $200 at the doctors getting prescriptions for ourselves. Now I get the task of stripping everything again, I started yesterday. I now have enough laundry to keep me busy for weeks. Seeing as the temps are hovering around 30 this morning I need to wait until the booster pump thaws before I can start any of this glorious work. To top it all off, everything is supposed to be washed in hot water and dried on high. Problem is we only have cold water to the washer and no dryer. So in lieu of all of that I can soak stuff in the bathtub before washing it or I can let it sit for a week before washing it. I'm doing a little of both. The most important stuff is getting soaked but it's very difficult to wring out bulky items like the pillows.
I'm starting with the oldest stuff first, which has been sitting outside for a week already. Maybe by the time I get to the newer stuff it will have sat long enough and I won't have to soak it. The worst of all of this is that we have exposed our friends to this nightmare since we were unknowingly contagious up until this morning.
BTW, they are projecting temps of 10 tonight, this does not bode well for our pipes or drying laundry. At least I can never complain about my life being boring!
I'm starting with the oldest stuff first, which has been sitting outside for a week already. Maybe by the time I get to the newer stuff it will have sat long enough and I won't have to soak it. The worst of all of this is that we have exposed our friends to this nightmare since we were unknowingly contagious up until this morning.
BTW, they are projecting temps of 10 tonight, this does not bode well for our pipes or drying laundry. At least I can never complain about my life being boring!
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