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I read about the challenge on Ship full o’ Pirates and decided I was up to the challenge The blog hosting the Challenge is Mom’s Toolbox and I am going to participate there. Here is the schedule that the challenge posted: http://www.momstoolbox.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/b90orgbookmark.pdf

That being said, I am not going to buy the special book or follow the schedule from the site that created the challenge.

I am going to use a function on e-Sword (it’s cool, it’s free!) that allows a person to set up a Bible reading schedule and have it open up when I start the e-Sword program. I have a bunch of different Bibles that I have downloaded and installed in e-Sword and I think I am going to read a version that I have not read before. I prefer the 1611 KJV so it will be interesting to compare and contrast the two, which is easy to do in e-Sword as well. I suspect that will push me into reading two Bibles at once, which is ok with me Since the settings in e-Sword have you choose by month, my schedule actually goes 2 days over, so I will double up on two different days to come out at 90 days.

I really need to do this as my husband and I have become a bit lax in our evening studies together

The L-rd will put us where he wants us, I guess, and no amount of my jumping around, making plans or getting all impatient will make that any different.
So, because I am a planner by nature, I have been taking stock of the yard and garden, reading seed catalogs, and planning on livestock purchases. I am definitely going to get geese this year, along with weaner pigs to raise on a friend’s property, and more meat chickens. I am really looking forward to the additions. I am also planning out how to get additional nesting boxes in the cop, and maybe building a new coop for a different flock. I will be purchasing banties for sure so we can hatch our own chicks out. Oh, and at least 3 turkeys this year! I miss having turkeys, even though they tend to be hostile and nasty birds. They are so delicious it makes it worth the hassle All of our current flock of chickens is doing well. They are still laying! Only a few eggs here and there but they sure are a nice addition to our winter diet. I wish I had been able to get some winter veg in the ground but i was too sick at the time I should have plus I was intending to be moved by then! Best laid plans, I know!
Well, off to bed. I am going to try to blog about our farmstead every other day or so, so keep checking back!

I have no idea if and when we are going to move, since my health has been so dicey as late, but I am improving. You see, over the last 2 1/2 years, having 4 surgeries to try to correct a defect in my bladder that was killing my kidneys, constant antibiotics and steroids, a continuous infection only ending upon the removal of a kidney, my overall health plummeted. Add to that the loss of my job under awful circumstances, the loss of a good friend to stupidity (she’s still alive and a thorn in my side, no matter how much I practice forgiveness) I finally crashed in late October. My thyroid dropped, my remaining adrenal gland went under, my ovaries stopped functioning, my heartbeat became erratic, my blood pressure went sky-high, and my guts became inflamed and I had trouble eating. Although I am quite fat, I dropped 40 pounds in 50 days. My skin is hanging off of me! I was exhausted and slept for hours and hours. The doctor prescribed thyroid meds, adrenal drops, and a fist full of disgusting supplements and protein shakes. I am still losing bits of weight, but it’s not plunging any more. I am not exhausted now, just tired. The pills are all working, thank goodness, but I am healing very very slowly. I started walking again for the first time since i got sick, and am up to slightly over a mile a day. Daniel is afraid that any more stress will set me off again, so no talking of moving until I am better. I hate being sick! I’ve always been one of the disgustingly health and hearty farmgirl types that never get sick! Until this happened, I had not had a cold or the flu in 15 years! Not even a sniffle! Needless to say I am really disappointed but I am giving it all to G-d. His will be done!
I took a small contract to do some community work on broadband, and to instruct folks on basic computer skills and social media, and it starts in January so I will have a bit of money. The RV rebuild still continues. It is in the shop getting some vacuum leaks, the ignition and the hydraulics repaired. We paid $4000 fr it, have put about $2000 into it so far, and it is looking and running great. Our anniversary and my BD are in January so Daniel and I are looking at taking the RV out on the road for a weekend trip and shakedown cruise to see if it needs anything else. THAT will be fun. I want to go to Reno to the hotsprings (not for gambling, can’t stand it) but he thinks that is too far for the first run, which is probably correct At this time of year Reno is about 4 hours from here due to pass closures. There are no hot springs on this side of the mountain so we prob won’t take that kind of trip the first time out, sigh. Maybe to a lake or something.
Well, that is my situation update. I’ve been mostly posting on FB as it requires little effort and on my food blog, since I cook everyday anyway. The farmstead is quiet right now due to winter but I still will work on finding things to post about is anyway. If you want to find me via FB just leave me a comment and I will get you my FB info.
Have a great weekend!

I’ve been posting on my food blog now that it has been fixed, and will come back to posting about our agrarian life soon!

That was the sound of the door slamming on my old life. I finished the last of the Aggregation of Demand Report today for the broadband project I was working on for the last two years.
The report that I wrote on our project is here:
http://centralsierraconnect.org/finalreport
We should have all the last pieces uploaded today and sent to the funders. I am getting ready to send off my invoice shortly. I am officially unemployed! I am kind of scared as I have not been unemployed for many many years. I have worked steadily since I was 14 and I am 42 now!
I am anxious to get the RV back so we can start packing it full of the junk we are taking. Plus I am anxious to start looking for land! I guess I am just anxious all the way around!
I think I will go drown my anxieties in another cuppa coffee

Sigh. I am worn to a frazzle. I just drove 1200 miles in 2 days to go to a job interview in the area we are relocating to be told I was waaay overqualified for the job. Disappointing. I only need the job for a while, to get us up there and going. We will own our land outright and have enough to build a very simple home. We just need money for the unexpected stuff that happens along the way.,
The drive was gorgeous. I went up I-5 at 75 miles per hour while the rest of California passed me at 90. Thursday’s drive was better than Friday. All the Friday crazies were out and driving like they were already drunk. I am very very thankful that I arrived home in one piece. On the way back, I stopped at just about every rest stop along the highway as I just was not into driving. I met a lot of people standing around. There were a lot of travelers, and many of them were seniors, which I thought was odd. I smile a lot at people and it makes folks want to talk to me. It also helps being in a long jumper and headcovering. My best guess is my appearance is like advertising my position on a lot of issues through my clothing, lol.
I stayed at a campground next to the ocean and it was beautiful but cold. I met a whole load of people at the campground as well as the caretaker put me in the RV section right next to the office and bathrooms. I was camping in a tent since the RV is not ready and he was worried that I was a woman alone and that with the wind my tent would roll over. He introduced me to the RV people and we sat out and talked for a long time. They also helped me get my tent up I am a gregarious person by nature and interested in everything, so people will open up and talk to me pretty easily. A lot of the folks were professional people who were recently jobless and downsizing their lives to RVS. Most were looking for employment. Scary. Several people were leaving around the first of the month to continue their search for work. Some were going further north, others to the east and out of state.

As I drove up the coast I could not help but exclaim out loud how spectacular the scenery is. The Pacific Ocean is so dramatic, with cliffs and rocks and crashing waves. It does not hurt that I was also driving through giant ancient redwoods forest land at the same time:)

I honestly do not know if we will make it up there before the wheels come off the economy. There are some troublesome things going on with the banking system and credit and I find myself increasingly concerned each day. We are blessed by the L-rd with a strong work ethic, the willingness to farm and work hard and to work towards self sufficiency, and have a generous supply of food and other items that will allow us time to become self sufficient should things get much worse soon, but I fear for all the folks I know that have been hiding their heads in the sand regarding the way the world is headed. We can make a go of it here at the old homestead and the place does have some advantages, but there are also major problems with it that I just don’t WANT to overcome. Well, I am not supposed to be online but I grabbed some quick blog time as DJ needed something looked up so I need to go The Sabbath is supposed to be about rest!

We bought an 91 Cruise Air II by Georgie Boy. What a name! As we were driving it home (I was in our Jeep, DJ was driving the Wallowing Sow..erm..RV) we were talking to each other via GMRS radios , kinda like walkie-talkies. I was Viper 1, and he was Galactica Actual. True geeks we are. I miss that show. It was only one of three I watch on TV: Battlestar Galactica, No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain and 18 Kids and Counting. Odd mix, yes? My mind is so all over the place I just can’t stay entertained by TV and I find the commercials SO OFFENSIVE that it becomes impossible to watch. Mostly I DVR the program then speed through the commercials. I am sure anyone listening to our convo on their scanners were really confused.
“Galactica Actual, this is Viper 1.”
“Go ahead Viper 1″
“Galactica, you are wandering all over the road like a Wallowing Sow. I am concerned that the CHP will pull you over for drunk driving.”
“Viper 1, you should try it from this side. No comments from the peanut gallery, especially until you’ve tried DRIVING this piece of crap.”
“10-4 Galactica. Viper 1 out.”

See what I mean?

Ok, back to the point of this. So, the guy we bought it from. He is a certified Tin-Foil-Hat wearing dude. We are talking full court conspiracy, with FDR, the gold standard, the UN, Admiralty Law, invalid contracts, fiat money, you name it. He was shocked at all get out that we could follow his conversation. We were still edging backwards as he foamed, don’t get me wrong, but we could understand him. I love a good conspiracy theory, and am up on many of them but that does not mean I BUY any of them. I just enjoy reading about them. While we were there he got a call from his girlfriend. Apparently the IRS would like to talk to him. I wonder why
So, I talked to him for a while, and he really warmed up to us but we could not come to a price. He wanted $9000, we did not want to pay that. We ended up parting ways and did not expect to hear back from him. He called a few days later, offering a lower price. DJ, being the savvy dude that he is, told him “Sorry, we only have $4000. That’s all we can offer.” The guy was incensed, and told DJ he could not do a penny less than $7000. Daniel agreed to disagree, they parted ways amiably, and we washed our hands again.
A few more days go by, and Guy calls again. $5000 is a fine offer, he said. DJ patiently explained to him we have $4000 and regrettably could not offer more. The agreed to disagree AGAIN and I though “That is IT.” The next day, Guy calls back. “$4000, and you have to come get it TODAY.” DJ told him “I can’t come until Monday”. This was Saturday The Guy finally agreed and we picked it up on Columbus Day, the day before the storm that Attempted To Destroy California. (Hey, wait until I leave!) We lost two trees in that storm, and made the local paper for the awesomeness of one of the trees falling, destroying power poles and phone lines and blocking roads.
We paid $4000 that day, and drove it to a tire place in Placerville near Guy’s house to get new tires on it. 6 of them for $1000. KaChing! Just doing our part to stimulate the economy. I registered it yesterday: $475. Darned California and exorbitant fees. That even shocked me, as jaded as I am
The brakes were squishy so DJ took it to the local shop to have them looked at. Master Cylinder out, special part needs to be ordered, $585 for part/installation. Bam. Can you feel my pain?
It has to be smogged on Monday to pass California emissions compliance. You and I both know that 1) it will not pass, and 2) it is gonna be over $500. Ouch. We’ll see how my predictions go.
I insured it yesterday: one bright note. $35 for 6 months, with the minimal coverage and a promise to never hardly EVAH drive it. At least we both have good driving records. Phew.
The ignition needs replacing, but that will be cheap. The hydraulics are not working but it appears to be a problem with the fuse casing, and will hopefully be a cheap fix. The transmission gasket has a small leak, and DJ is going to fix that as well. The inside is in great shape, and everything works. Phew! I think that is everything so far!
I will post pics when I get it back from the shop on Friday. We are taking it out for an overnighter in a full facility campground nearly to learn how to use all the hookups and equipment

I am better this morning, not so achy and swollen. I think that sticking to simple bone broth soup and mineral water is helping my poor kidney by not stressing it too much. Some days are good days, some not so good. At least I did not wake up moon-faced swollen this morning!

My prayer request is for another blogger and her family. A few days ago this blogger’s child was hit by a SUV and thrown 25 feet. She is in the hospital and beginning to recover but iis still in the PICU. I have enjoyed reading this lady’s blog, along with her friend Rootie’s blog for quite sometime. It is my understanding from a previous post that this blogger does not necessarily like incoming links so I won’t link to her blog. I will link to Rootie’s blog. Rootie is a prolific and entertaining blogger that talks a lot about her life and family in Georgia. Please pray for her friend’s recovery.

I don’t think I have ever fully recovered from the trauma of multiple surgeries and infections over the past two years. Although my last bout was in January, I still feel weak and tired all the time! I struggled all summer with going outside to garden and play in the yard but did not do nearly as much as I would like, and still can’t even contemplate riding my bike anywhere. It does not help being so overweight! I found this AM that one of my favorite dresses is a wee bit tight but a nice apron is covering the evidence
I had a lot of yard help from the boys this year, which is the only reason I had a harvest at all. Weston Price stated that all disease arises from diet, and I believe that to be true. But I also believe a lack of movement is a part of it, and I only move when forced right now I have been watching Parkour and Mov Nat videos, wishing I could bounce from rock to rock and run and leap like that. So how to get there from here? One step at a time, i guess. The Big Dog will feature prominently in this; he needs more exercise and would be thrilled if I was hopping around for him to play with
We have ANOTHER delay in moving that is pushing us back by a week or so. I was promised payout on a contract but the company did not come through. Still no explanation from them either. So, we wait. And wait. And wait. Something will happen eventually!

BIG BIG storm today; we already had a tree fall on my daughter’s cabin but fortunately there was no one hurt and no damage.
We got the RV yesterday. I will take pics and post them a little later, G-d and the power willing!