Independence Days Challenge and Other Updates

I am hopelessly behind. I am combining several weeks (I think most of October and November).

Planted: Many, many bulbs: tulips, daffodils, dutch iris, allium. I wish I had thought to order garlic this year, but I forgot. Cleaned out flower beds and some of the vegetable garden.

Harvested: Thai peppers (somehow missed being the frost), borage flowers (they just don't quit!), catnip, mint, sage, oregano.

Preserved: dried herbs, drying peppers (the ones that aren't used fresh).

Want Not: found a crocheted afghan; bought a treadle sewing machine (works!) from thrift; also from the thrifts: two wool sweaters, wool coat and shoes for me; flannel shirt for Lyndon; a tin and a pickle for storage; fabric and other craft items; and books. MIL gave me two large plastic jars (used to hold pretzels) I am going to use for storage. My mother gave me a sturdy plastic gallon juice container I will use for sap collection this winter. She also gave me newspapers and egg cartons which I use for various reasons (the egg cartons the obvious when the hens are laying). Started planning holiday presents (I am thinking about pomegranate jelly this year to go with the handmade bird houses I bought this summer). I may also try some peppermint liquor that I saw on someone else's IDC list.

Stored: Canned beans (quick meals); dried beans; honey (found an unbelievable source at the grocery liquidator); granola; chocolate (for when I get off this blessed, expensive diet!); squash and pumpkins

Waste Not: boxed up a bunch of magazines and gave them to a co-worker who collects magazines from his recycle center, reads them, passes them to me and other co-workers, and then back to the recycling center. He gave me back the old Mother Earth News I gave him earlier in the year and I plan to send them out to some friends I think will enjoy them. These are from the '70's/'80's. raked leaves in front yard and spread them in the poultry pen for their enjoyment.

Community: Continue to buy hay from neighbor; friend is buying one of our cows (sadly for slaughter-I am way too attached to these eating machines:(...; bought squash and pumpkins from local source.

As part of anti-community: delivered acceleration notice to deadbeats in my other house.

Eat the Food: Lots of chili and soups lately. I did make a really good sauteed apple dessert using the local apples we have stored (I should have bought more apples-we are almost out already. We still have our rather wormy apples in storage).


Has anyone else noticed the price of grocery shopping has gone insane? I am generally a frugal shopper and I thought at first it was this special diet (I had to buy fish and things I normally don't buy), but now I think it is the price of things. I went to Aldi's the other day and stocked up on things like fish, cheese and beans and my bill came to $110! I think that is the highest bill I have ever received there. I also had a huge bill at the grocery liquidator, but I was stocking up for Sr's business trip to Lancastor, PA. I think I am going to follow Tansy's suit and plan some menus and use what we have. I don't want to return to the grocery until winter (and I mean after Xmas). I do plan to buy the some of the pomegranates on sale at one shop to make jelly for gifts (o, how I would love to be able to grow these and citrus right in my back yard!), but other than that I am going to see if I can not return for at least 6 weeks. I really need to get our spending under control with winter heating bills coming on soon enough.

More Camper Stuff

The Mobile Scout's story isn't nearly as great as the Trotwood's (stumbling onto my dream camper on a non-regular route to work), but it is a classic (1955). Above is the emblem on the back.

Ignore the tarp (we are putting them to bed for the winter and since this is probably next year's project, Sr already started tarping it up for storage), as you can see it is a "canned ham" style too. It tows really well and the guy we bought it from lived in it for a bit in Michigan. Unfortunately, he altered the interior (took out the original cabinets and dinette and put 2 X 4 wall dividers). We'll tear it down next spring and start over. Our plans are to do a more rustic theme in this one, whereas the Trotwood is all vintage feminine!

This is a shot of the Trotwood's ultra-cute curves! I can't wait until all that yellow paint is sanded off of the birchwood. The facing wall is almost done (it is very time consuming).

These little things are a lot of fun. I will be so happy when this one is done!

If you have an interest in these birchwood beauties here are a couple of cool links:

Sisters on the Fly

Repairing Yesterday's Trailers

Happy Campers

It was so nice today-an Indian summer at last! I planted many of the bulbs I still have to get in the ground (still have around 90 or so to finish tomorrow). I also worked on one of the vintage campers.

I painted the cabinets:



I still am a long way to being ready for paint, but I was dying to know how the color I picked out looked and I love it. It is a vintage-y blue and looks great.

I also removed the home-made bunk beds. I plan to rebuild the dinette chairs. The original table was under the bed (shown in the picture). I can't believe how much it opened up the space not having those bulky beds right in the doorway.



Other chores I managed today was to drop off an acceleration notice to the LC people. They have goats (I counted four I think in the barn). I can't understand why you would add livestock when you are four months behind on your payments. Am I missing something???

Sr has left for Pennsylvania and will be gone for two weeks. He seems to really be trying to make amends, but we have been through this before so it is too soon to tell if he is serious or not. I am trying as well not to be so mean. It is not easy.

Day-to-day

Can any one tell me where the year went? I have been so busy and I can hardly believe it is November already. The darkness has already commenced and I get little outside work done now due to the evening blackness. I am not looking forward to winter...

Saturday is the day. We are delivering the Notice of Acceleration to the Land Contract people. In the 6 months they have been there, they have paid two months (and only the very first payment on time). I look for them to voluntarily abandon the house which means we will be paying heating through winter. MIL wants them out, though, and we owe her money (this land contract was suppose to pay back). I would have liked to wait until March so they pay the heating bills. I may just hire someone to winterize the well and septic after the eviction.

I finally got around to posting the cattle for sale. Of course, right after the posting, Sr informs me he is going to Pennsylvania for two weeks which means if they sell, I'll have to help load them. I hope they sell as I really need a break this winter from the water tanks and hay bills.

Well, nothing else to add. Marriage still a struggle, still waiting on official job notice and start date, still fighting the remnants of the influenza.

See, It does Cycle Back, Right?

First, I have to get this out: I got the job! I can be such a downer!

Second, We are getting counciling. Again. Maybe this time will be better. Maybe not...

Third, sorry you have to weed through the mundane, Ronnie, but I will try to get pictures of the Scout up as soon as possible. It is in poor shape (next year's project).

5 Pounds of Woe

Well, at least I can say when things go wrong, they go wrong all at once and then generally get better.

Here is the latest boo hoo in my life if you are interested:

What started as a tickle in my throat on Tuesday turned into a horrible case of influenza. I can't say it is The Flu that has all the press right now (the doctor didn't bother to test me because I had all the classic symptoms). This is a flu like no other I have ever had: deep in my chest like a "cold", fever and the worst part the most horrible headache ever. In fact, it was the latter symptom that sent me to the doctor's office hoping for a good pain killer. I can tolerate most sicknesses and pain, but headaches are really hard to suffer through and this one was no exception.

Being viral, of course, there is no cure for this stuff, but they gave me something for the headache and I spent the last three days in bed mostly. I still have the pain, but it is better now. Or maybe it is the pain killer...

Today I scrubbed the house with bleach in hopes of taking out the bad germs. I have a feeling my children had this a week ago, but their physician thought it was bacterial and not the flu. I have my doubts.

The upside: I lost another five pounds!

The other things that have made the crap list this week are my washer which is acting up again and my computer which won't turn on. I am using another laptop for now.

Maybe next week I will have something more cheery to write about...

The Drive

I alluded that my marriage is not the only thing going awry in my life. The job front is looking dismal as well. I interviewed for a position last Thursday in the same program I am in now, but is a promotion of status. The pay would remain the same at least for now. The new position would open up more doors for me in the future if I decided to stay in this field of work.

My interview was mediocre at best I admit. I had a busy week and squeezed the last minute telephone interview in between other scheduled events. I did not do as well as I normally do for several reason (I believe) and wish I could do it again. The interviewer is my current supervisor and knows some of my accomplishments (I just received one of two outstanding reviews among the staff). He is rather new though (June) and I really could have said more about my career in my current position (I instead talked about a job I held ten years ago-I have no idea why, I actually got nervous which is rare for me during an interview. In fact, I have received every job I've ever interviewed for in the past).

The sup answers to another boss, of course, and he has stood in as our immediate supervisor several times. He knew me before I ever took this job as I worked in a similar capacity for another cooperative agency. I think he is a chauvinist, but that is not an easy claim to prove.

I made the interview list in the number one spot. One of my co-workers made it in the number four spot. They, by unwritten rule, interview the top three. This happened last week. The co-worker tells me since he didn't make the list he is thinking about retiring in April (he is 71 and this is his second career). Then , in the afternoon he calls me and tells me his afternoon plans for tomorrow has changed (we were suppose to work on a project together). He has to interview.

I am just sick about it. No matter how hard I work I can't seem to get myself out of "lower" positions. I work hard, I volunteer for projects and remote destination work (um, LA...), I have won several awards, I am the "go to" girl for answers by the other staff, I had several people all over the US call and give me commendations and reference (and I didn't ask them to do this!), I recieved two perfect reviews two years in a row (co-worker did not); I get the work done; I do presentations...WHAT THE HELL AM I DOING WRONG????

I need a life coach.

Now, I could have done better at that interview. I admit that straight up. However, I gave valid answers that matched the questions. And, the interviewer has records of my past performance. I hate to think I messed up my career just because of one stupid 1/2 hour. How does this erase three years of hard work? I have driven to an office for three years. One hour there, one hour home. Every single day. My co-workers, in the exact position as me, gets to work from home. The one interviewing rarely leaves the "office" whereas I am constantly in the field. I know he runs errands for his wife while working. I really feel I earned this position. I help him and my co-workers constantly with their computers, work, I find issues in their areas and alert them. The other three people with similar positions have never had to answer to another co-worker (in this job, your "position number" seems to give you some sort of hierarchical power and I have a man in my office that is higher than me. I do all his work and am the one that has to handle confrontations, conflicts and the difficult people-and I am good at this so I don't mind, however, he gets the credit and cannot handle the job).

I am answering my own questions. I give my credit away. I have no idea how to brown nose (some people are really good at this task).

I don't want to sound age-ist, but it is not fair for someone to have two careers in a lifetime. He has a huge retirement he doesn't want to touch and this is why he works fulltime in this new career. I adore him and his wife, but they have two grown children, a huge house, three vehicles. At what point does the torch pass? I have yet to have a real career. I work in these temporary jobs hoping I will get in permanent. I am almost 40 and I want to have a retirement and security until I am 70. I want to be able to afford to put my children through college (like they did during his and her other careers). I know he and I are both qualified to fill the position and he has the advantage of a longer relationship with the bigger boss (who, like I said, does not respect women). He will interview better than me because his schedule has not been packed like mine since I returned and he has has a longer time to prepare. It is obvious he is the choice because he did not come in the top three. If I had been in number 4 spot, I bet I would not have been interviewed (we both missed the top three spots the first time the job was announced: he was 4 and I was 5 and we were not interviewed. they closed out the position to get rid of the competition).

In my life the rain brings floods and this is where I am: drowning.