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HOW TO LIVE ON ALMOST NOTHING AND HAVE PLENTY

How to Live on Almost Nothing and Have Plenty

A Practical Introduction to Small-Scale Sufficient Country Living

 By: Janet Chadwick

I just re-read this book and I think it could be helpful for someone who is just starting out.  I have read Carla Emery's book, John Seymore and Storey's publications.  All very informative and helpful, however if you are starting out too much information can be overwhelming. This is why I recommend this book.  It is really for a novice.  It also contains some great diagrams and recipes too.  I also felt the author did a very good job holding the reader's attention through the dry areas of material.  In truth, it was not really dry. Certain areas of reference were just subjects that didn't pertain to my everyday life.  So, with that said! 

Happy reading everyone!

Jennifer

TACKY or frugal smarts?

Tackiness vs. simplicity
poor etiquette vs. saving $$ and a tree or two
We send out quite a few Christmas cards each year. Last year I was able to save some pennies by making Christmas postcards to send out- saved by making them myself and saved on postage.
This year the budget is even tighter.
So------ I’m thinking of sending Christmas greetings via e-cards through Dayspring.
I must ask- Is this a big no-no on the etiquette scale?
Will I be vilified?
Of course, I can’t do all my cards this way as there are still some people on my list that don’t have email but I could cut my list way down.
By my calculations, I could save myself $20 easily.
I don’t know about you but $20 is a lot of cash here—in fact, that’s half the weekly grocery budget!

photo- last year's postcard Christmas cards.

Pumpkin Pie Coffee Creamer

My frist troll

In a way, I feel honored.  Even in a negative way some one is reading what I write.  Even though this blog has been a way to share what I have learned and to help others, it mostly has been a way for me to keep track of daily life.  I know that I have been away for awhile but I am back now and planned a different type of post for today.  When I checked my e mail ( what I normally do while my little girl is working on her school work) I noticed that a comment had been posted.  I was curious since I had not posted for awhile so I decided to take a look.  Here is what I found:

1. Your DH has a job and you complain!!!!!!!!! Idiot.
2. You are making a huge fire hazzard in your home.
3. You chain your child to you like a dog.

Do you see anything wrong with your post?

Of course this was left by "Anonymous".   I felt the need to include a response.  I know, probably not the best idea but I wondered about the others that read this blog.  Maybe this is not a troll instead just a person that is having a bad day or just disagrees with what I said or am doing.  I included a response to help clear matters.  I do hope this is not a true "troll" and instead is just a person that disagrees.  Any ideas?

The Tablecloth

My daughter finally finished college, after six years, lol

Well, she's done it, finally!!!!!  Kristy graduated high school in 2001 with honors and went straight to NSU. Thank God that the university is about 10 minutes away across our little town. She could remain living at home and didn't have far to travel. I made all my children wait until they were 18 before getting their drivers licenses, so she had just started driving.

She started college with an open mind and no real agenda. She was taking general studies courses at first until she decided that she wanted to become a nurse. It was always something that she thought about, so nursing it was. By the middle of the first year she had switched and started taking classes that would lead her to becoming a nurse. Three years into it she got a professor that was sooo mean. When I tell you the class started with 30+ students and within two weeks had lost almost half and that my daughter came home crying almost everyday, I'm not exaggerating a bit. She stuck with it though, until the women got into her face and literally screamed and spat  on her face for something Kristy was even taught.  The professor would skip over things in the books because she "expected" the students to know these things. Well how are they going to learn things that they aren't being taught? I told her to hang on that the year was almost up, but she informed me that once your assigned a professor,  your stuck with them for two years, until you've finished the program. That wasn't an option at that point for Kristy, she couldn't take it anymore.  She left school that day and did not return for a little over a year. I was so upset to say the least.  I even called the school and told someone the story. They told me that they heard several complaints per week about this women, but that they were so short handed, they had no option but to keep her on staff.

So for a year my daughter beat herself up for what she had done to herself.  I was disappointed but never let her see that. I'm not one to push my children into things that I myself probably could not do.  I prayed that she would come  to figure out what she wanted in life and work to get it.

While she was off, she did work at several odd jobs, but nothing made her  happy.  She knew that she had made a big mistake so back to school she went. She found out that she could get back into the nursing program but with a different teacher. She was so excited. Well two more years into the program all is going well. Her grades are fantastic, she even made the Dean's list once or twice. THEN, my husbands little nephew died in my daughter's arm. He was one year old and died of heart failure earlier this year. She was giving him CPR and couldn't revive him.

OK, once again she was tramatized. I'm sure you can figure out where this is heading. Yes, she dropped her nursing classes AGAIN, BUT she dicided that she would get that diploma.

She was short only one credit to graduate. She picked up a speech class and Monday night was her last class. She has to email in her last exam and she's done.  THANK YOU JESUS!!!! LOL

She now has  a great job that she loves. She is working for a home health care company as a data entry clerk. With her partial  medical background  she is good at this job. She works with nurses and some doctors, so she is in at least the area of her choice, lol. 

She called me yesterday from work and asked me if I would go and pick  up her diploma from the school on December 16th because she doesn't want to miss work. She isn't one for big ta-dos or events, so graduating with the large class was never an option for her. So for her long six years of hard ups and downs, I  get to go pick her diploma. I won't even get a picture of her receiving it, LOL.  But, as long as she is happy, isn't that all that matters to us moms!

The Heathens, Umm, I Mean My Chickens

That's a catchy title isn't it? Well, that's just what my chickens act like. They have gotten into the habit of running to me when I come outside to feed them as if they were puppies that have been starved to death. I can't even get the food out of the jar and into their bowl fast enough for them. I even have one that flies up while the food is being poured into the bowl, thinking she can get the food faster that way.

I can't keep enough feed in these birds. I thought that it might be because it's been so cold and they need more energy. NOT! These birds are like this ALL of the time. Out of all the breeds we have ever had, these are the most ornery selfish birds we have ever had.

Now, they are they BEST egg layers we have had. So, other than being trampled on by birds during feeding time (and any other time I am outside) I have no reason to complain. They are red stars and also lay BIG brown eggs.

I have 8 Red Stars, 2 Rhode Island Reds, one Black Star and one breed that I can't recall the name of right now. I was getting about 9- 10 eggs a day during the spring and summer. I am now getting about 3-4 a day. I think that's pretty good.

We let then free range during the day by letting them out of their coup at noon. I declare, when I go up there to let them out, they all head straight to the dog's bowl and try and eat his food. Like I said before, these bird are hungry ALL of the time.

Anyway, I just thought that I would share that little bit of info. Does anyone else have chickens that act as strange as mine?

Bless all who pass this way!

Amanda <><
II Corinthians 5:7

How Do Ya'll Like These Falling Gas Prices? Has It Changed Your Spending Habits?

Now here's something to be really happy about!

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/natural_resources/article5198537.ece-

My $25 gas fund was getting me only half a tank at during the summer months. We didn't go out too often. Now that same $25 is getting me just about a full tank! Yippee! I am now going to try and cut the bill further by using only $15 a week for gas. That should get me about half a tank (what I have been used to for the past several months anyway.). I don't want to think that just because the gas has come down that I should be going out more and ultimately spending more because I am out and about (usually happens that way.) Does that make any sense?

Hubby is still getting at least 40 hours a week. (Praise God!) They have 2 jobs that should last them until the middle of December. He says that there isn't much on the books after that.

We are used to him getting laid off during the winter months anyway. It is usually for about a month starting in Feb. It may be in January now. So no matter what happens, I don't want to get into the habit of going off the budget "just because."

God is good and in control! Praise His name now and forever! Amen!

Bless all who pass this way!

Amanda <><
II Corinthians 5:7

Just my ramblings

I have spent the last few months decluttering and reorganizing our home--what a blessing it has been to get into those closets and corners and clean them out--how freeing--I honestly think my home decluttering is very much like what needs done in our hearts from time to time--There are times we just need to pull away from everything and spend some time deep cleaning our hearts--go into those hidden places that others do not see, but we know is there and just begin purging all the dirt, grime and filth that accumulates--We all have those hidden places--When we go into our 'prayer closet' and begin looking deep within we will find things we forgot were there--things that burden and weigh us down--much like 'stuff' we horde in our homes--We must get rid of that stuff in order to move on and experience God grace to its fullest--I am in the process of purging my heart as well as my home--I have held onto things for way to long and its time to let go--when that root of bitterness takes hold it grows into so many areas of life and a person becomes depressed, saddned and angered over the smallest things--Sometimes these bitter roots took hold in childhood--or maybe as an adult someone or many people wronged you and you never forgave them--when left unattened these roots ruin all the other fruit that may be there--This is not an easy process because when we let go of that anger, resentment and bitterness our walls come down and we are vunerable--we open ourselves up for all kinds hurts--Kinda like when we purge our homes of clutter we open up spaces we forgot was there and if we are not careful we will fill them right back up with junk--we must stay on top of our household chores and decluttering--such is our spirtual life--once things are purged and thrown out--we must be diligent to not allow that garbage back in--We must deal with situation when they arise--don't stuff it--I am famous for stuffing my feelings when they get hurt--I pretend all is ok when inside I am crying--then one little thing may happen and I blow up--but still I am angry--the only way to get over that is to give it to God--fully and completely--Doesn't this all sound so easy--LOL--It isn't--its hard to look at all the garbage--sometimes its even overwhelming--some you may have to deal with daily--but you can learn to distance youself--and learn to say no when you mean no--learn to be assertive and let someone know when they hurt you--It really is ok to stand up for yourself--Sometimes parents may be the ones that hurt you--sometimes it friends--church members--regardless of who it is--we must GIVE IT TO GOD--and walk away--don't go back and pick it up--God already bought and payed for it all--now give him what belongs to him and HE will take care of it! I will quit rambling for now--have a great day!

~Kris

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Good Morning--This is God. Today I will be handling All of your problems for you.

I do not need your help.

Have a nice day. I love you.

P.S. And, remember... If life happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle, do not attempt to resolve it yourself! Kindly put it in the SFGTD (something for God to do) box. I will get to it in MY TIME. All situations will be resolved, but in My time, not yours.
Once the matter is placed into the box, do not hold onto it by worrying about it. Instead, focus on all the wonderful things that are present in your life now.

Pattern of Insanity!