New space and beauty tips

While I was visiting my family, Jeffrey finished up a room for us to move into. We've wanted to move upstairs right over the wood stove since we put it in. It'll be a warm and soothing - cat free, dog free and construction free space! Usually when we go into town for groceries, we'll stop at the resale shops or garage sales along the way. We picked up some pretty decent solid wood end tables for $5, the dresser for I think $20. Jeffrey found the window at a discount building supply place and did all the trim himself out of pine. The quilt was made from a lady a mile down the road that runs the diner and the little pine picture frame with handmade dried onion flowers is from my friend Mary Ann as a going away present. It matches the window frame perfectly. The painting to the left was a gift from my grandmother. It was in the scrap pile and I found it a few years ago when I lived there. She hated it and wouldn't let me take it like that. She lightened the sky and added some details. The sky was ominous dark and purple and I loved it, but she wouldn't let me have it without the yellow in the sky and lights in the windows. The yellow in that sky matches the paint that Jeffrey covered the room with and I really love it, insurance paid for that. We are really trying to fix up this place and hope to sell it to pay for part of the build of the new earth sheltered house. If we have to keep this one for a while though, we'll have some nice space to live in till we can sell it. If Jeffrey's mother moves up here with us there will be plenty of room.

Solar Panels arrive!

Last night, we picked up 4 solar panels at approximately 1/2 the regular price. Jeffrey found them used on Craigslist. They are only 2 years old and came from a solar company, we have a guarantee on them. This was a huge find. We've been able to find a solar hot water heater (that we had to sell before we moved) and have seen solar panels listed before, but that is rare. When we found them previously, the seller was either too far or the timing was bad. We've been looking and looking lately and there haven't been any. We thought it would be a good idea to go ahead and get started on solar out at Crooked Creek while we had some money and the need to start building out there. Then the day before yesterday they appeared on Craigslist and the man even met us closer in so we wouldn't have to drive so far. We are going to build an animal house/ building supply storage/ Garden & power shed first. Since we aren't in a huge hurry, we can take our time and wait for the great deals and they are out there. It's amazing what people will get rid of. We already have roofing material from our old roof, some lumber left over from construction and other items we can used that we've picked up along the way. Now if only I could find a good, used grain/ flour grinder I've wanted!

My trip to houston

I'm back from my week long trip to Houston for my parents 40th anniversary. I was able to visit with my immediate family and many extended family members that I don't usually get to see. It was a bittersweet trip of laughter and tears; reminiscing and misunderstanding; joy and careless injury; youthful wisdom and energy. I will always be absolutely awestruck at the great blessing my nephews and nieces are. It brings tears to my eyes at how incredibly fortunate we are to have them. Their very births created joy and distraction during grief. Their childhood has been one of great flexibility and insight. They express their love for us without shame and truly enjoy listening to our "stories around the fire". They show amazement, excitement and sentimentality well beyond their years.

It's a hot one today

It was so hot today. The desire to finish though is greater than reason that creates balance and I think our brains baked a little too long in the heat today. More of the seeds that need to go in for July were planted this morning and the remainder will go in this afternoon. Then the next planting will be for August 1st and before that some succession planting. The RV is now on top of the hill and has provided tremendous relief from the hot sun for us and the dogs. The weather forcasted 85 degrees today and I believe it hit that while I was planting Kale. After I watered the seeds, 3 small solid yellow butterflies and one larger, darker yellow butterfly "fluttered by" and all around us landing on the freshly watered soil. I tried desperately to get photos of them, but they were bashful today. I managed to snap 2 of them together.

We recently got an Earthway "high wheel cultivator" and it's wonderful. Makes the work of preparing the beds much easier than using the hoe, though I still do like to use the hoe for getting the big rocks out and making the sides high and straight. The walkway is already compact and hard. Jeffrey used it to easily plow up some dirt from the walkway to bury the sides of the row covers. We swear the corn and beans grow while we are there, it's bigger after only a few hours! I've attached a photo of a big area at the bottom of a the hill that I scythed today. I told my mom it took me 1/2 - 1 hour to finish. Jeffrey just informed me it was longer than that. I had no idea. It's a pretty big area, the white square you see down there is carpet pulled out of a room.