Thursday, November 29, 2012

My Take on Lotteries

Ok who hasn't played them? I have never won anything from them.Not a number picking person I guess.I can get one maybe two of the numbers but that's it.So I quit playing unless I can remember to pick up a slip to fill out when I am at the store.No biggie lol.Then I remember about ALL them taxes that come with winning.They will slice and dice you to death on them things no matter how you receive your winnings. No I don't think I would like to win the lottery.It's a dangerous thing for normal working people to all of a sudden win that much money.They become wild and crazy on the spending and yes they will spend.Most accountants(you really need to get one)will say spend this much and invest the rest.Do you really want to invest your money in the market NOW? Can you imagine what the taxes are going to be in the upcoming years for millionaires?OMG No.The only way to keep what you won is to move to another country and give up your citizenship and I won't do that.So I am happy being who I am and what I have cause this is the way God wants me to be.No more no less.Besides do you know what kind of damage a person with Bipolar could do with a wad of lottery winnings?LOL You have to be me to get this humor.I'll stay poor thankyou very much.


I have however won around a thousand dollars on the scratch offs over the years.I kinda like those.

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Sugar bowl and Stainless Steel stuff

It's starting to look alot like fall here in west Texas.Our local trees are turning a pretty shade of yellow.I would take a picture but most of them are in front a trailer or two.This time change has messed up our clocks alittle and now it's getting dark early I have to keep checking the clocks to see what time it is.

They changed hubsteads days and now he has more time off maybe we can get some things done around the house.Still have alot to do as far as packing.We are planning on going to Lowes and pick up a wood burning stove for the cabin.After much thought we think this is the way to go for now as far as keeping warm.March and April can still be cool in the south and has been known to snow in March.So I don't want to take any chances.I have noticed it has still been raining there so I am excited about getting the rain barrels setup.

I have gotten over my cold ,it took a week and half to get rid of.It seems it's going around and I talked to some people who have had it.They said the same thing.You start feeling better then it makes you feel nasty again.The only thing that is bothering me is this dull headache I've had but hopefully it will go away.I didn't eat too much but drank alot of fluids while I was down and I didn't drink my usual coffee amount,I'm thinking it could just be a caffeine headache.

I ordered a sugar bowl finally.It has little veggies around side and top and a stainless steel mortar and pedestal for my herbs I'm going to grow.



Keep your sugar bowl full and it brings your home good luck,so I heard,works for me lol.I decided I am going for the veggie look in my kitchen.




If anyone does their own herbs how about an opinion on the ss pedestal because I have been told some herbs don't do well mixing in these.The reason I got this is one is because almost everything in my kitchen is stainless steel except my mixing bowls which is next.Stainless steel is so much easier to clean.I have pots and pans I adore for this reason.I think once we get home I may try to get my cast iron back again.We have a cast iron dutch oven with the legs,which,I am not real fond of.It doesn't sit on top of a stove too well.

I got a feeling we are going to have to do the off grid thing for awhile so I have been reading on the internet and trying to figure out what we need and don't need.We'll have heat and water(fingers crossed on the water ,hoping the well is usable)so for now that's all we'll need. I have oil lamps already and other battery operated lights. Hubstead wants to insult the cabin FIRST.Which is the best thing to do.Everything else will have to come second.And yes we will have a portable toilet to do our thing in lol.I am so happy to let this country girl back out after all these years!


Have a great Tuesday folks and may your day be Blessed!




Saturday, November 24, 2012

Rest finally

Hubstead is finally getting some much needed rest.He sleeps most of the time when hes' off anyway.It's done got cold here and the last two nights it's been around the thirties.It's the wind that will get you here,chill you right to the bone.We got up this morning and took a run to Hastings to get a movie.It has become our favorite place to go.Once the electric is turned on at the cabin I got a feeling we are going to be watching alot of movies.So we are stocking up on our favorites.Then we took off and came back around to Sams.God knows Orion would of pitched a fit if we didn't get him some dogbones and thats a mild statement.I have several recipes for homemade dogbones but I haven't tried any yet.I better learn cause once we get back home hes' gonna be outta luck on them.He hasn't had deer meat so that's going to be a tested treat.I had some pumpkin pie last night and tried to give him some and he wouldn't eat it.So later hubstead got some and Orion decided he wanted some of what daddy had and dang dog ate most of it.Yeah that's gratitude for ya.

Once we got home and got the groceries unloaded we were too poop to pop and laid down for awhile.I get tired easily still but I have been trying to do more and more to keep myself going.I have figured out I got a thyroid problem because of the pills these doctors gave me.I am not a happy camper.I'm going to wait til we get back home and I'm going to find me a doctor there for it.Trusting doctors is a big issue for me.

One thing I have found or rather not found is while I have been blogging is I
haven't found alot of people from the southeast blogging much about their farms or off grid living.I'm talking about people from Alabama.I have you Jason I know but you notice not many on here are from there.I would like to find more people around where we will be so we can exchange ideas and maybe barter stuff.I do have a friend on FB who by the way is a very nice lady and she's a Native American and she is trying to open her own herbal store.Come to find out we are related thru our family.We are all kin to someone in that corner(NW Alabama).I'm kin to most of the people in the county.Anyway if you look her up her name is Wanda Reed.She very insightful on herbal stuff.

Ok puttering out here and so have a great weekend and be careful during this sale weekend especially out there on the road.











Thursday, November 22, 2012

Happy Thanksgiving!







Yeah Turkey MOM!!!




Simple meal today,Smoked(yes smoked in a smoker) Turkey,Stuffing(bread and cornbread),Green Beans,Pumpkin Pie later.I didn't really go all out for our last Thanksgiving here.I'll be doing the same for Christmas too.Next year will be a whole lot different!




Happy Thanksgiving Everyone

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

I Share I Like,Recipe for Chicken Parmesan

I'm always reading everyone elses recipes and our favorite comes from this cook book.
The Fannie Farmer Cookbook by Marion Cunningham


Chicken Parmesan (no tomatoes were harmed in this dish)

1 egg
1 cup freshly grated bread crumbs
1/2 cupfreshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 pounds skinned and boned chicken breast
1/3 cup flour
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 cups chopped spinach,or 1 package frozen chopped spinach cooked
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons oil
1 cup heavy cream


Mix the egg with 2 tablespoons of water in a shallow bowl.Combine the bread crumbs and cheese on a piece of wax paper.Coat the chicken breasts with flour and sprinkle with salt and pepper.Dip them into the egg and then into the bread crumb-cheese mixture;set aside.Add the lemon juice and nutmeg to the spinach and stir over low heat until warm.Melt the butter and oil into a large skillet.When it foams,add the chicken and saute over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes on each side,or until just done.Spread the spinach on a warm platter,place chicken on top,and keep warm.Remove all but 3 tablespoons of fat from the skillet.Place it over high heat and add the cream.Stir scraping the bottom of the pan,until the cream comes to a boil.Spoon a little of this sauce over the chicken and spinach,pour the rest into a serving bowl.


This does not last long around us and we have made it so much now we can cook it without looking at the recipe! The cream keeps everything moist.If we have company we cook this cause it's a good meal and most like the spinach.


If you try it let me know how it turns out.Dang well it looks like another trip to the store,done got myself hungry.We serve ours on our turkey platter and it fills the platter up.We also add alittle more here and there depends on how hungry we are.On the parmesan we get the little triangle real parmesan cheese and I grate it myself,makes a big difference.Those triangles aren't that much.In the milk section we get the small carton of heavy cream(also called heavy whipping cream)and the lemon you can use fresh squeezed or the lemon in the plastic squeeze bottle(produce section).The first time we ate it we were hooked! It's all worth it.


I've had a pretty good day today and have been on the up side of life.Haven't slept too much,still coughing but I'll get over it.I think it has finally ran it's course.Have a great evening folks.










Sunday, November 18, 2012

Orions' new harness

We had given alot of thought about buying something new for Orion to wear this winter.He has a thick collar of hair around his neck,usually means we are going to have a cold winter I was told,well heck!But anyway,he has never been one to walk around without a leash,yes,he will take off like a rocket,something we have never been able to break him of,so in order to keep him in check we have always put a dog collar on him.I noticed he has a hard time because he pulls me a little too hard,hubstead says he has no problem with him(go figure)so I suggested about getting him a harness to put on.

Well we bought one for him last night and he don't like it.It's going to have to be something for him to get use to.Hubstead put it on him and adjusted it to fit him and we let him go.It makes him walk funny because of the straps that go under his legs.I started laughing at him and he got so insulted and gave me the evil eye.He tried to chew on it and we scolded him about it,which he gave both of us his full evil eyes.So today he gets to wear it for awhile,yeah this is gonna go over well.I'm not going to sleep anytime soon while he is wearing it.



This is really a nice harness with a stretchy mesh front to it.I just hope it holds up to his weight.He's a really strong animal and he can just about pull your arm out of the socket if he wants to run.So we will see.I would show it on him but unfortunately the harness is jet black and so is he,it would be hard to see.But the walking is hilarious!



We also went and got stuff for our Thanksgiving meal.I bought some can green beans(so sad)but a friend told me to wash the beans real good and then add the seasoning and they taste better,they do it works,been doing it for years.I have all my stuff and some pumpkin for my pies.This year I think I am going to try to make my own pie crust.Some of you have posted some good recipes for homemade pie crust so I'm gonna give a twirl.We got a twenty pound bird.We used to smoke our bird in the smoker but here there is so much wind it doesn't work.Year before last,yep,food poisoning.Another story.But we have been cooking it in the oven since then.Even if it's the two of for Thanksgiving it's the one holiday that I go all out and cook on.Christmas not so much.We were talking about a smokehouse and hubstead wants to build one YAH! A lot of people don't like smoke meat but it's a great way to preserve it.Hubbys people in Kentucky had a smokehouse and he said he wished he could of gotten the big meat hooks before they sold the house.That house was a self substaining piece of work.It had a well,his uncle always had a HUGE garden,livestock,the whole nine yards and it was an old two story house.His aunts were actually born in the house.It sits next to the Cyrus house and yes he knows Billy Ray.I'll download a picture of it.The smokehouse sat right out back from the backdoor which at that time was convient.It has a wonderful maple tree in the front yard that is so big and so pretty when the leaves turned,apple trees in the backyard and more maples.A little about hubstead here lol.

We picked up(I say we because if one goes some wheres usually we are together)some other kitchen gadgets.He found a good whisk to work with,he likes to cook too when he gets in the mood,and I needed a timer because I forget sometimes when something is cooking duh me!We also got a new roasting pan for the turkey with the forks to pick it up.Tomorrow is stove cleaning day top and inside and out.I know,you don't feel sorry for me,I don't either it needs it.

Well this is the last winter we are going to be here.Next years holidays are going to different.I told hubstead I wanted a real tree next year for Christmas and I wanted to make my own ornaments for it.Hopefully by then we will be eating deer meat and fresh veggies!














Saturday, November 17, 2012

More beads



My new stash of beads and findings.I couldn't resist a good sale.So I decided to get a few things and for the life of me have no idea what I'm going to make.The packge with 6 is natural jute cord,that's for baskets.I like making coiled baskets for stuff.I'm going to try my hand at making pine baskets since we'll have some pine trees on the property.I have every intentions of crocheting when we get settled in our cabin.I want to make some of those kitchen towels with the crocheted tops.

We are now on the look out for a wood burning stove.We will be doing some clearing on the trees and it would be good to have some use with the timber.And it will still be cool there in March,it'll be nice to have some warmth.Besides going great with the "look" of the cabin.It's been so great to look at the winter pictures people have been posting.So pretty and it makes the landscapes look so clean.

I still got this lousy cold.It's trying to clear up I think.It feels like I got two more days on it and it'll be gone.I hate these one week things,it throws my whole week off.As long as I stay home I'm fine but I can't stay in forever.LOL.I have been sleeping alot with this one and I haven't lost my apetite either so that's a good thing.

Well We're down to needing a love seat,a refrigerator,a stove(haven't decided an electric or gas)and a couple more bookshelves.I wanted to get a good bed but haven't found one yet.Hubstead wants to make a platform bed,I'm not so sure about it.I like a soft bed to snuggle in.Yea we'll see where this goes.I know we aren't going to be able to put a whole lot in the cabin but everything we have will fit.Soon after we get in we got to put together a utility room for the washer and dryer and chest freezer.











Thursday, November 15, 2012

These stores will give away anything!

You know I went to the big store(W) and wanted to pick up a few things Sunday.Yep I now a have full blown cold.I didn't know they gave these away for free! Chills ,fever,headache.Tonight I got under a bunch of covers and managed to sweat my fever out.Just my head stopped up for right now.Hubstead picked me up some chicken noodle soup and 7up and that made me feel so much better.I have been filling up on fluids and keeping myself in check.I know it's just a cold but you know I haven't had one in at least three years.So I guess it was about time.Oh well! And really there were not that many people in the store either.

This is the reason why when you get your can food home,wash the cans good and wash your veggies and fruit before you put it away.I went to one store and watched the employee sneeze on the milk he was stocking,I kid you not! I wash the milk jug and any soda bottles too.Yeah can't wait to get to the cabin.At least I am going to know where my food comes from and how it was put up.

Besides all this I am in a pretty good mood this morning.Hope everyone has a good morning too and stay well!

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Family History Finally Done!

I haven't been on here because I have been trying to finish up some extra leads on my family history.I have been trying to find two people that were elusive and yesterday both got dumped in my lap.It's so thrilling to find people(I get that way)I haven't been able to find but if I can get a bead on them either by name or date or county,I do pretty good finding them.Now I am sending information out to others who are related to me.You have to share with others when they share with you.That's basically genealogy good manners.I found some new sites and have been scouring them for more(you really can't have "enough")so I write or type or copy anything I can get my hands on.I really would like to do a book on our family but for now I got to wait.

Packed a few more boxes and doing some cleaning out.Not much going on besides that.

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Windy Saturday,Cooking Ribs

It has totally amazed me living here in Texas how much wind we get.No wonder they have so many windmills here.There is a mesa not too far from here that has nothing but large windmills setting on it.I was so fascinated(everything fascinates me anyway)the first time I saw them in Palm Springs when we went to California.They were huge up close. I borrowed this picture but this is where there were.It seem they crammed these things in any nook and cranny they could.Here we only have a few on the mesa.You can kinda feel the change of weather here going on.TexWisGirl you feeling it yet up there lol? I also got the sneaky suspicion we may just get some snow here this winter not unless it stays up north.Usually the day before or on Thanksgiving day it get really cold.We use to smoke our turkey on our smoker but we get so much wind it futile.I am trying to talk hubstead into building us a smokehouse when we get home.He don't know it yet but it's on "the list".Of course I have alot of projects on my list he don't know about yet(grin).





I'm cooking ribs today and I cook them in beer.I don't know if anyone does this but they sure are good.I cut up onions and whole garlic and parsley,about three bottles of beer.We use Michelob only because it better.We found out the hard way about using the cheap stuff.
Let it simmer until the meat comes off the bones unless they don't have any and then put them on pan put bbq sauce on it and bake for a few minutes.I am dying to try the Jack Daniels BBQ sauce.I heard it was good.I'm cooking these babies for all weekend.I hate cooking on the weekends,I figure I cook all week I need a break from it.






Its done.

Yah!Put it in the crock pot,suppers doing it thing!!!!



I have started packing stuff up,things we don't use.So now I got boxes starting to pile up but that's ok makes it feel more real.Still haven't found anyone to rent us a camper for those two weeks.Plenty of you can come stay with us but I tell them no because of Orion.I won't put him out when it's cold,he's a house dog.So I told one of my friends if it comes down to it,we'll just get a two room tent and bunkout for those days.Not like we haven't done that before.I think it might be nice to do something different since we have been cooped up here for so long.It would give us a chance to do some clearing on the property and get use to it.I like it LOL.





















Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Looking at the World Different

Each person in this world is different.This is a fact that I have accepted.Each person has their own ideas of how they want their life to be.One may want more than the other or one may want less than the other.Some just want to be comfortable while another makes their life unmanagable.It's all up to the individual.

Now me,I do look at the world different.I see beauty where others may find ugliness.I find the most simplest way to live and make it work for me.When I was a teenager(I don't usually tell this)I had severe problems at home.So I did the one thing I thought at the time that would solve these problems.Yes,I ran away but not from the problems just the situation.I gave myself a whole new set of trouble but I faired it pretty well.After years of trying to figure out this thing called life,I set my goals on my dreams and at the time that was all I had.I finally figured out the only thing I wanted was to just be left alone and let me live the way I wanted to.What's so strange is I ask myself why I had to wait til now to get to that point.I guess God figured I wasn't ready but now I am. Someone always told me "God gives you as much as you can handle"and that stuck in my head all these years.They were right.Now I feel like I can be "ME" you know.

Sometimes people are cut out to do great things while others are there for support.We're all here for one united reason and that is to take care of this planet.To me that is the simplicity of life.

On another issue,our health.There is so much information out there,it gets the mind boggled.Heres' my outlook.How we function is like this. We know our bodies consist of mainly water,bones,tissue and blood,cells included,right. If you were to take a jug and fill it with water and add a few skin tissues and a few drops of blood and a few bones they will swirl around and this is what we are suppose to look like on the inside.Now add grease,sugar,flour,additives and what you got?Yep a nasty mess and that's what we do.We add all this stuff and become all murky inside.No wonder we have health problems.Simple isn't it?


Finances,we all got to have money but if this planet keeps on going like it's going,are you willing to put all you have on a small looking credit card? Trust a bank?Trust the fact that they take your money and put it elsewhere? I have to do what I'm doing now but later no,as soon as we get the property up and running I'm calling it quits on alot of things. I have set my goals on being totally and independent of anything.I know it can be done because I'm sure there are people out there doing it now.The world even if people don't want to acknowledge it is going back to a simple form of living.We have to it's always meant to be this way.This is the way I look at it.I am a simple person who wants to live not live to be someone else.

One thing I personally have a problem with but it's just me I guess is the way people treat each other.Yes I know,all people are different and I accept that.A large population of people mainly in bigger cities become like robots and I feel for them I really do.I went that route and I did not like it.I did it cause I thought that was what other people wanted me to be.But if you look at the way things are now,employers want you to come to work,keep your mouth shut,do your job and go home.And please don't think for yourself.There is no such thing as retiring from a job now.So you see,I do look at what's going on and seriously don't want no part of it.As far as money,later, well,guess what, I probably wouldn't have it later anyways.So that is that.It's all good to feel like you are accomplishing something but it's a different story when someone else gets credit for it.And that happens more often that not.

One more thing,someone very special I knew told me later you will know the difference between reality and fantasy.I do really I do but I have found a way to do both.It works for me,maybe not someone else.Bipolar can be fun,sometimes.I don't go out of my way though to involve anyone else.Besides God knows whats in me even if someone else don't.

My two favorite guys?Check!
A cabin in the woods?Check!
A garden to grow?Check!
Woods surrounding us?Check!
My idea life?Check!
Calling myself the Wild Woman in the Woods?Check!

















Sunday, November 4, 2012

Something Different


I bought this today.It's a bottle of red wine.I'm planning on using it in the kitchen when I cook or maybe when my nerves get frazzled,I haven't decided yet.Depends on which comes first.

When I go out I really try to find the unusual. I see what I want in my head then try to go from there.I won't be able to get much for my kitchen because it's going to be small but I want it to have an impact on the rest of the house.We decided on as much rustic as possible.So getting some things here will be great.We have some antique stores that carry the tubs that are on lions feet.I have always wanted one.They're deep and you can just soak in them.Don't know yet on that item.They also have some old cabinets with the windows I thought would be cute and old diningroom tables and chairs.My poor brain has been in overdrive in the last few months and it's getting even hard to sleep.I lay there and think of all the things I can do with the cabin lol.But's that o.k. I am entitled I think!

Well anyhoo I called the cabin place and they told me I would have to be there in person to sign the paperwork and then they would order the cabin for me. I told them I had wanted the cabin to be there before we got there so we could at least have a roof over our heads(it's still going to be cold there in March),so I asked her if she could send us the paperwork and I could sign it here and send it with the money back to her,she said she would have to ask because they usually don't do that. If we can't that means either we will be doing some camping out for two weeks or I have been asking my relatives if they knew someone with a camper we could rent.Why not stay at my brothers?No Orion would not be allowed in the house and they have a bad coyote problem there.He is not an outside dog.And I'm not giving him up for no one,not this time.

So we will see how it goes.








Saturday, November 3, 2012

Charlies' Friends(the lizard)




Well I found them after looking thru EVERYTHING!So here are the rest of the scrap pictures I did.We have-
Rattlesnake
Butterfly
Hummingbird
Flower and vine
Cactus

Just remember I was bored and threw these together.I am wanting to find some kind of frames to put them in together.If I seperate them I'll never find them.After going and trying to find them they were three feet away from me.Last place I looked in.Yeah I know.

It's been quiet here today for a change.The only thing I've done is clean some things up and put things away.I just hope I find them.

Thursday, November 1, 2012

In the Mood

I'm not much of a Halloween person even though the origin of it is pretty interesting.
I'm more of a Thanksgiving and Christmas type.So I thought I would just post this,hubstead said it was just wrong.







ok I got them turned around but you get the picture.

Alright off to another subject.I have been watching the news and reading articles on the storm Sandy.I feel bad for the people in New York but at the same time people who live along the coast should know how to be prepared for a storm.Living in Florida and Louisanna for many years taught me some very valuable lessons.Always never let your guard down when it comes to storms.They tell you it's coming do what you got to do.I personally can live with out a cell phone(I know bite my tongue)but seriously if you can't get a signal you can't call right? Have a backup plan especially if you have young children,they are looking up to you when they are scared.I replied to a post earlier saying that when Hurricane Katrinas high winds came thru Birmingham,Alabama we lost power.No problem we had oil lamps that were on the wall and we lit them and went about our busy way.As far as cooking,we had a Coleman stove to cook on and make coffee.We were fine thru that ordeal.What was off was our neighbors came to our house wondering why we had lights.Oh yeah it was time for a lesson and a walk thru the house to show them we were prepared.I did not mind at all showing them how it was done.And as you know we are moving back home and the only thing(so far) we will have is water but no electric.No biggie for me I got my Coleman stove and my coffee pot,I'm good to go.Brother is going to let us use his generator,which,I really don't like using some eles stuff you know,I'm that type of person.But we are prepared.I got a can opener and a pot and fire,it's heaven to me.

Maybe this disaster is something that will jolt people into being more prepared.I pray for them and hope them all the best.