Sunday, June 6, 2010

Starting the Week

We have Dewey all packed back up and ready for his early-squirrely leave time in the morning. He's to meet the Project Manager for the Little Rock job at the shop tomorrow morning. It's about 4 hours drive. Everything is packed up and in the truck for him (he'll go from the shop to Little Rock for the week). We've done some baking for him, and he's got a huge pound cake to munch on :o)

Jennifer's foot/ankle has run from a pretty shade of lavender and rose to a deep, almost midnight blue, to that 'old bruise' sort of mustard tone. It still has considerable swelling, but nothing like it was. She can 'walk' a bit, but we are discouraging that. She's been doing several stretches and rotation exercises with it. With such a serious sprain, it has to heal very slowly, and very deliberately, otherwise she'll have a weak ankle the rest of her life. We're taking our time.

It has threatened rain all weekend, and even produced some popcorn showers off and on. Just enough to keep my laundry moving slowly. And the goats have had a hard time moving from pasture area to pasture area -- they don't like being in even a small misting rain.

I've been scanning all my patterns looking for something to work on. I'm up to my eyes in dishcloths and need a break. I've finished my last order to mail out right now, and I need to work on something else. We have a friend expecting a baby this October, so I'm looking at sweaters, bonnets and carriage robes. I have several patterns, and I've started at least 4 of them today, just to pull them back out and roll the yarn back up :o( They just don't make me interested enough to keep working on them. Am I the only one who does that -- start a project and just can't wrap my motivation around it?

This week we're going to mow...yes, there's been just enough rain to keep the weeds very healthy and the ground wet enough that mowing has been put off again. So, despite the heat warnings this week, we'll get mowing a bit at a time as the heat index drops off in the evenings.

I am hoping to stock up on a few things, and I need to start getting familiar with how CVS does their sales and coupons as they're just about ready to start the interior work on a new one here. I've reworked the budget for this month to accommodate the bi-monthly pay periods now. This month will take some adjustments, when you have always done weekly pay, to switch without warning is a bump in the road.
With all the things going on in the world, this (and that...ahem...lack of a water filtration plan...), these are small bumps in the road when you look at the big picture. But, I have things set up now, and there are things to keep focused on, like the food storage plan and the long range plans around here. Need to start making alternate plans. Thanks to that blasted oil slick *still* pumping away, gas will rising before summer ends I'm sure. We did drop to barely $2.50 now, after being around $2.80. A drop like that usually happens, around here anyway, when they decide it's time to raise prices again. We need to get some gas stored up for things like mowing, and I need to get kerosene for winter before those prices creep up again, and diesel for the tractor wouldn't be bad to have, either. Not something we will "stock" around here for a long run, so we need to start thinking ahead to some what-if plans...

What if gas went up to $5 gallon? Even at half that price, I don't fill the van, so I'm sure not going to put much gas in for anything higher. But what about working folks? If it suddenly took you near $100 to fill your tank(that would mean about $180 for me...ouch!), where would the money come from? Trim the food budget? Can you afford to trim the budget to provide for gas? When Dewey was working 2 hours off, it took almost 3 tanks a week for fuel...

What about grocery priced taking a rise again? Last time the gas went up, trucking prices went up, and that translated into fresh foods being at lessened supplies, as well as being ridiculously priced. How well are you stocked for groceries...even if just basics to provide a few good meals? What about longer-range food plans? The time to learn how to can and put by for not only winter, but beyond, is now...while the availability is still there. Your garden, for example...perhaps planting time is about at an end in your area, but have you looked at second plantings for a later fall harvest? Or adding to your larder by way of farm markets this summer. There are all sorts of ways to set up a supply for winter while you plan ahead for next year. Ideally a garden will provide your needs from harvest to harvest.

Obviously, you can lessen your gas dependency by simply cutting back on outings that aren't important, or multi-tasking those outings. Those expenses would be first on my list ahead of shorting my food supply, that's for sure. That, and perhaps culling the livestock if I had animals that were not serving a purpose/need. Right now, we have dogs-a-plenty, yes, but my neighbors have not been an issue on the homestead, and with Dewey being gone so much, that's certainly a plus!
The only other animals here are milk goats and chickens. Both useful, and fairly low maintenance on the budget when planned for properly.

Yep...a so-called quick update, and I write a novel. You expected a bunny trail from me...go on, admit it. It's practically my signature :o)

4 comments:

Val said...

Oh I always enjoy reading your updates. I have 3 big gardens that we are doing with my Dad. Actually Dad has done most of the work. But I will be putting up all of the food. I am looking forward to it.

Sharm said...

Talking of dishcloths - did you get the ones I sent, they could still be making their way over there as I did only post them last week. Preparations - yes, I need to order my bare root fruit trees now while its winter so we can get them in! Talk soon, have a good week!

Anonymous said...

Your constant need to tweak things in the preparedness area are a blessing to me! You always give me some other area that I had not thought of.
Although with our budget at near none recently, I am finding ways to conserve on gas. We aren't fortunate to have the prices you do...living in a tourist state, our prices are at $3/gallon already, and I fully expect them to go up to $4 by the end of summer. Our library is only 3 blocks away, so if the rain holds off tomorrow, we are walking :)

FRUGAL DAYCARE MOM said...

Just an idea for the mower gas. I know it isn't the perfect solution if you have a lot to mow, but we have one of the older type that requires no gas. Of course if we had a much bigger yard it may be a pain, but then I suppose I wouldn't mow the whole thing lol. Of course as it is now I drive past places with so much more open yard than I have and wonder why on earth they are mowing it when they could be growing food!

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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