Monday, June 29, 2009

This Week's Homestead News...Projects, Plans and Updates

...with much cooler weather ;o) So nice to only be in the low-90's with a heat index of barely 95. What a change from 110 heat index. Almost pleasant :o) I'll still be looking forward to some temps in the 70's come November though!

We received a notice today from our water association. Seems they were caught not testing as they should. Nice going. What exactly does my monthly bill go for if it isn't the testing and upkeep on the community system to ensure I am getting the safest, and best quality of water they can provide?

They seemingly forgot to test for Lead/Copper and VOCS in their last quarter. VOCS stands for Volatile Organic Chemicals. They aren't good, and certainly not something you want in your drinking water. Glad we don't drink ours, but still...the stock does, and we do use it for cooking where it has to be boiled. They skipped... forgot... testing for the December 2008 quarter, so they are testing now...now that they've been caught with their pants down and have been slapped on the hands by the powers that be. By law, being caught means they must notify each participant in the community water system that they will be completing the required testing asap. Otherwise, I imagine we'd all still be in the dark about it.

Whoopee. Now that we've increased the cancer population in the area even higher than it already is. Guess this will be a boon for organized government health care when it goes through.

VOCS: Synthetic organic compounds are chemicals synthesized from carbon and other elements such as hydrogen, nitrogen, or chlorine. They do not occur naturally, but are manufactured to meet hundreds of needs in our daily lives, ranging from moth balls to hair sprays, from solvents to pesticides.
This contamination originates from a variety of sources, including household products and leakage or improper disposal of chemical wastes from commercial and industrial establishments.
Volatile organic compounds have a variety of harmful health effects. At high levels of exposure, many VOCs can cause acute central nervous system depression (drowsiness, stupor). Virtually all VOCs cause skin and respiratory irritation. Long-term exposure to many VOCs is known to cause liver and kidney disorders, severe nervous system problems, and a wide range of cancers. Drinking water containing one or more VOCs at levels above standards should not be consumed. In addition, because little is known about the compound effects of exposure to multiple VOCs, attention should be given if two or more VOC chemicals are found in your drinking water. It goes without saying that all sources of VOC contamination should be eliminated or avoided if at all possible.

Aside from that, we have a summer routine in place for schooling. We have our Trail Guide for the US going...though we stalled on North Carolina and are really only getting started this week now. We did maps today. Science is our reading and going through Spring/Summer in the North Carolina Forests. One lesson each for math and English each day. And 2 workbook pages for reading -- which could be 10 pages to read, or up to 20 pages. We were going to start reading My Side of The Mountain (we bought the trilogy by Jean Craighead George), but next week if the class registration meets the required 30, we will begin an 8 week study using Nim's Island. If the class doesn't go, we'll start reading My Side of The Mountain out loud and using it for parts of our science study.

I've never done a CurrClick class before, but I've heard some great things from those who have. We're excited. I've ordered one copy from Amazon, will be picking up a paperback copy this week from Books-A-Million or Barnes & Noble in town, and we've printed off a couple other studies I found online for it as well here and here.

This Saturday is our visit back to the Natchez Trace for their Dulcimer Days. We've been looking over our book for our dulcimer...seems easy enough to learn. We'll see :o)

Another craft we are going to work on is Step by Step Noah's Ark, by Leena Lane and Gillian Chapman. You build Noah's Ark using a shoe box for a base, cardstock, popsicle sticks, and the animals and Noah's family are made using chenille stems, yarn, wood beads and cotton balls. It's really neat. I can see a Navity set with the children in Sunday School this year. I think it would make a fun project.

Sewing is coming along, but I still haven't touched the new church dress I have cut for myself. I have too many other things to keep up with...I always do my own sewing needs last.

The cleaning and organizing is coming along...slow, but still moving along. I have yet to attack my closet. It needs it. I need to organize it terribly. Actually, I need to confine a tidy little fire in there....but, that's not likely to happen, so I suppose I have to clean it by hand the old fashioned way.

On the job news front....doesn't look like we need to worry about South Carolina. The project has some set backs and they are not opening the bid process until at least next year. The other project that had been mentioned has been laying men off heavy the last couple weeks, so I don't imagine he's going there either. Seems unlikely, anyway. Scuttlebutt has it that perhaps economic times have hindered all. Maybe we'll get to partake in that dream job of being a cart jockey or door greeter at WalMart afterall ;o) I don't care what he does just so long as he's home. We don't need big paychecks here. We moved from big money down here to pennies. Life goes on. It actually improves, and I say that from experience.

If he's unemployed come the end of July, life will continue along same as it always does. No one is going to read about the Southern homesteaders who panicked in the Depression era meltdown and turned up missing or anything like that, though the news seems to be crawling with stories about folks reaching bottom and not bothering to look up for an escape route. It's sad. Life doesn't revolve around a paycheck, nor does it stop from the lack of one. We simply don't live like that. If we never received another penny, we'd still make it just fine. Sure, we'd miss the internet and the cell phones...but what else? We have access to food, and the continued ability to produce it...our water is free, of course it takes fuel to get to it (note to self -- gotta work on that!)...we have a roof over our heads, and as much as I hate hate hate summer in the South with its heat and wretched humidity, I am made of stronger stock and will not go into the throws of depression or insanity without a/c. There. I said it. Don't remind me I said it until such time as we are penniless and living without electricity, though.

Seriously though, it does appear that perhaps we will be out of work come July 31st. I am making appropriate plans for extra stock to fill my comfort zone this month and next. The finances don't worry me in the least -- there are jobs, and to even maintain our current lifestyle of living with luxuries (internet, cell phones, unlimited electricity for that a/c, gas for the car...) we don't need but $300 a week. I'd feel more 'comfortable' with $400, but I'm not greedy. I can pinch a penny pretty far when I need to. I am keeping a positive note on it all -- it does damage to a man's pride and sense of leadership when he's unemployed. No point having him stress over it...I sort of feel like this is why that verse says the heart of her husband doth safely trust in her there in Proverbs. He knows that we can survive and that we aren't looking down on him in anyway as not providing. That's just a pile of worldly bunk. Providing isn't a paycheck. It's way more than that. Way more valuable in the long run.

Well, I'd like to veg out a bit tonight. I'd like to watch something on the video...maybe a Christy episode or something. No...I love John Wayne movies...my favorite is The Quiet Man. Think I'll grab the crocheting, a glass of sweet tea and relax through a movie. We hardly watch anything anymore. It's 8:20 and the children are still outside after doing animals for the evening...playing in the yard waiting on fireflies to appear. More likely they will only find mosquitoes and chiggers....

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Your wit cracks me up....

The temps have been unbearable and you know me, I rarely complain about Ms. weather. However, it has been so hot, as of late. I took my car into the shop this morning at around 9:00 (you can tell there is no man at home here) and actually thought how cool it was. It was 81*. It's sad when you think that is cool.

I hope Dewey finds a job and close to home. However, if he doesn't right away, I have no doubt that ya'll will be just fine.

Have a good week!!!

Jer.6:16

Jeremiah 6:16
Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.

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