you and your oil thing, moseying through collapse

Where to next?

2012-01-01T20:50:00.000-08:00

Here's a pic of my men learning to cast on Christmas Day, one poor
lad fell in. I think my current frustration is lack of time to do things like I'd like them
to be done. We go and go and go. We work, and work, and work. Laundry, dishes,
cleaning, dehydrating, I hardly cook anymore. Date night, tonight was spent with
the older kids, then eating a grilled cheese sandwich, and falling into bed, exhausted
by 9pm.

Unfortunately a barking dawg, and insomnia had me back up in 30 minutes, so I did
more laundry. I've never worked so hard in my life....

Today, I had a melt down, sparked by a six year old and husband talked me through
my stress without escalating my vent. He's quite clever.

I feel like I've just barely raised one generation, and this new one is taking every last
once of energy. I don't exercise. I have great ideas, but not enough patience. And we
just work so damned hard. I don't want exhaustion to be the new norm. So I've prayed
for God to nourish my relationships with these young men. I push them, I raise the bar,
just like I did with m other kids.

Truth is, we really have a lovely family. We fight, we love, we flick eye balls, we
accept, we nurture, we appreciate. We do zerberts.

I have been trying to pace myself. but the preps need to be done, money earned, money
saved, Going forward, more work, more flexibility, more nurturing even as times
get harder . . . because we must.

mh

2011-12-26T08:22:00.001-08:00

I had a brilliant rambling put down in virtual space and lost it as the net crumbled under the weight
of everyone facebooking about their holidays.Clearly, this was an ominous sign. And it was a sign
that matched my mood. I want to prep. I have a garden to plant, chickens to buy, more veggies to
dehydrate. The list is endless. The addition of a new canine has slightly altered my plans for the
back yard, but spring is just around the corner and the world is fraying at the seams, time to get
busy.

~MH

pics

2011-12-06T07:54:00.000-08:00

The kids posing with my zombie apocolypse tree.

I know, right?

~MH

What's next?

2011-12-06T07:50:00.000-08:00

Isn't that the BIG question. I've been chatting up a fellow
doomer at work, sharing some ideas about weaponry, timelines,
dehydrators, alternate currenices. What? ya'll don't have a
fellow doomer at work?

We have a few examples to see how collapse has happened elsewhere.
Germany, Africa, and more recently Argentina. And even more recently,
the Middle East. Social media helped spark movements and bring down
dictators, and cause more wars and more bloodshed. Argentina is
probably the best example:

http://ferfal.blogspot.com/2011/12/what-ammunition-to-choose.html

I pointed my coworker torwards ferfal's blog. In a nutshell, life
is harder, inflation and crime rampant, utilities spotty, and
food and medicine scare. I suggested to my coworker that he buy
enough ammo for his and his children's lifetimes.

Back to the timeline, I don't think we have ten years, probably
not even 5... we can expect the unexpected. We can assume that
change is around every corner. And if we get tired of being
flexible and having good attitudes, there is always someone
younger and hungrier and willing to do more for less. We can
all be replaced. I walk into work with a smile on my face almost
every day. I insure us, you won't hear any grumbling from me..

On to prepping. I took a week off from dehydrating and I felt so
darned guilty. I was ill, working, working, working and I finally
ran out of stuff to do dehydrate. I hate doom-guilt. So yesterday
after washing up my recent finds from my fav charity shhop, I went
to Aldi's, determined to feed my dehydrator. I bought massive
amounts of produce. I pickd up the kids and we chatted. I told
them I had bought oranges, apples and pears. "PEARS? We want pears!"
One of the lads even asked for a pear in his lunchbox. Now, how
cute is that?

Gotta go feed the dehydrator.
MH

Ahh family . . .

2011-11-27T12:40:00.000-08:00

There are now 7 of us, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
There is almost always someone to talk to, share the load with,
butt heads against, drink a beer with, and share a meal.

Thanksgiving was great this year, no stress, no worries.

I put a dent in the Christmas shopping that night, I figured
what the hell, I have insomnia anyways. I bought heaps of warm
pajamas, and a few toys. The lads are starting basketball next
week, so I got 2 of them as well.

I did a big grocery shop Friday,I'm not having much success
dehydrating cranberries. I got a second part time, low stress
gig to help add funds to the family coffers.

Our housemate picked up a second gig, Husband dropped one job.
The oldest daughter brought home a fabulous dog, they are quite
smitten with one another.

I have been maing trips to a local thrift shop, they have clothes
on one side of the store 2/$1. So I've managed to stock up on
playclothes and get a bit ahead on bigger sizes.

Much to do, M

Prepping my a$$ off . . .

2011-10-31T09:11:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Wendy, I was able to take my mind of personal doom
and focus on the Zombie Apocolypse.

1. We scored a ton of used clothes for the kids at a local
consignment sale.

2. We bought the kids each their very own shovel 2/$1.

3. My food dehydrator has been going nonstop for nearly a month.
I actually have at least 8 more loads to go in (each load takes
about a day), before I even have to think "what next?"

4. I have run out of room in the pantries for canned goods.

5. Everyone in this household of 7 is comfortable with prepping.

6. I have been working my ass off since husband lost his job.

7. Husband now has 5, count 'em 5, jobs. I helped him this some
this weekend (it's hard to spend quality time riggt now, lol)
Sunday morning we were up at 2:45 am to start his paper route.
Sunday afternoon, we went to the airport for his 5th job (delivering
lost luggage). It's actually a pretty good gig. We drove up to
Dunlap,TN. It was absolutely gorgeous. The fall colors were so
nice, the mountains and valleys so scenic. I made husband promise
to buy me a farm if we ever struck it rich. We got the luggage
delivered and on the way home, I scored 40 pounds of locally
grown sweet potatoes.

Happy Hectic Days,
M

Today I prepped by . . .

2011-03-29T20:19:00.000-07:00

Going to the dentist.

Taking a walk.

Turning off the thermostat.

Attacking old and failing grout
in 2 bathrooms.

Dehydrating 2 pineapples and 2 pounds
of strawberries.

Finding a babysitter for my as yet to
be acquired chickens.

~MH

I always cruise the clearance section . . .

2011-03-28T12:16:00.000-07:00

. . . of any store I'm in. Today I stopped
at Walgreen's for pepto and gingerale for my
sick huby and found great deals on toilet
paper, and dishwashing liquid. I also
found some boxes of oatmeal and hot chocolate
on clearance. It really feels good to stock
up.

~M

Making headway . . .

2011-03-25T10:02:00.000-07:00

I'm washing out juice bottles and refilling them
with water for an emergency water supply. My
lovely husband gave me a bit of money for prep
and I have berkey filters once again (got to
put it together, tho.)

I also bought a lovely excalibur food dehydrator.
I haven't had a chance to play with it yet, I've
been super busy at work and trying to avert
pneumonia.

I'm having a mobile chicken coop delivered next
Friday. I worked lots of extra, so it'll be paid
for.

I got next season's coats, and some clothes and
sandles for the boys at Walmart. They realy like
camo ; ).

I think I'll be knee deep in chicks and berry bushes
by Monday!

~MH

Banana chips!

2011-03-08T16:35:00.000-08:00

They turned out chewy, and I ended up
drying them for almost 30 hours. I
think they still had too much moisture
in them, not sure.

We promptly ate 1/2. They were sweet
and almost tangy. (I soaked the fruit
in lemon juice to keep the color.)

I think I want a BAD-ass dehydrator
next.

Grin. M

Prepping for collapse

2011-03-07T17:20:00.000-08:00

I actually got a heckofalot done today.
I hauled home $167 worth of food from
Aldi's. It felt so darned good to fill
my cabinets, rotate stock and to have
stock to rotate.

Nicole gave me some great plastic
containers (recycled kitty litter
containers) and I washed them out
and have one 1/2 filled with rice
and another 1/2 filled with dry
beans.

I watched a youtube video on food
dehydration and experimented with
cinnamon-banana chips. Stay tuned.

And my dogs are home. Yay.
~M

Preparing for econimic collapse on a dime . . .

2011-01-28T12:14:00.000-08:00

http://ferfal.blogspot.com/2011/01/economic-collapse-preparedness-what-to.html

I love this blog. It says what needs to be said from
someone who's going through collapse first hand.

So today, I sent this link to my husband. I hope
to foster an understanding of the stuff I'm doing
for our family. Cost: 0.

I also washed out 2 soda bottles. I'm going to store
water in them. Cost: 0.

I went for a walk to check out my new neighborhood
and try and meet some new neighbors. Cost: 0.

I turned off the heat when the temps outside reached
55f. Savings: not sure.

Soetimes prep is in the little things.

MH

Today for doom I . . .

2011-01-25T11:34:00.000-08:00

went shopping with a list of items that I needed
to stock up on. (Our reserves got really low with
the move.) I bought flour, sugar, rice, beans,
canned tuna and spices. I also stocked up on fresh
fruit.

I adore Aldi's prices. No where else in town can you
get a bag of apples or oranges for $1.49 or pineapples
for under a buck.

Also this month, my new husband got lasik'd. I got
both of us to the skin doctor. The southern sun isn't
kind to the fair skinned.

I've gotten the family used to lower temperatures.
I scored 8 shirts at the big box for $1 each for the
kids. I started back to the gym.

more later,

m

A new blog for 2011

2010-12-30T06:53:00.000-08:00

Or I could just be slighty demented to think I have
time to devote to a new project. (I don't even have
time to contribute to forums at the moment.)

I don't want my blog to be a spinoff but it needs to
adapt and become relevant. I think it's time. So
without further ado, let's hash some economic news.
I took the good measure of saving news websites
that Matt used as an origin for his news articles.
Not all of them, but those worth a second look.

One site I like is oilprice.com. Here is an article
that peaked my interest:

A wee bit: Those numbers are meaningless. The price of a pair of jeans will be 50% higher. Food will cost us 15% more. Gas will be at $4. Bernanke’s QE will be blamed for the inflation.

So the great squeeze is on and times are going to get
rougher. So time to stock the closets with larger
sizes by hitting the clearance racks or thrift shops
or yard sales. I buy my men underwear constantly.

We've been staying home to eat a lot more. And I've
been shopping Aldi's and sales at Walgreen's. I can
usually stretch my budget by 40% or so doing this.

Chhers,

Mh

Adapting to change . . .

2010-12-28T06:52:00.000-08:00

I'm sure someone in an office in academia can explain this
to me. But have you ever been through so much change, rolling
along full steam ahead, until your brain says "You know what?
Enough is enough. Shhhhhhh." ?

I had one of those moments recently.. The elasticity of my
reasonable elastic brain went on strike. Nope. No more
adapting today thank you.

And relying on past customs and behaviors and paradigms?
Oh HELL no. That doesn't work either.

So where am I at exactly? Walking around in a daze?
Escapist behaviors? Well no, those don't work either.

I need to get quiet. I need time for the dust to settle.

I think.

mh

My sort of doc called . . .

2010-12-13T18:07:00.000-08:00

"Feeling run down still?"

"Uhhh yeah."

"Well your TSH is nonexistant and your T3 is
high, cut your medicine in 1/2 and come back
for a check mid-January."

"OK, thanks." My spotted brain recalled slippery elm
as an excellent herb for stabilizing bouncy thyroid
levels.

So today I rested. I didn't cook, work or clean.
I rested and then rested some more. I scored some
very cool boxes from the appliance delivery guys.
The boxes kept the kids amused and imagining for
a few hours. I don't keep the telly on much when
I watch them, they really don't seem to miss it.

I've been feeling very grateful for my new husband
and my warm, solid home and for all my wonderful
kids. God has truly blessed me.

And while I want to prep my heart out, I need to
pace myself. I'll get it done, it may just take
a while.

Cheers,
MH

We've started moving . . .

2010-12-10T18:08:00.000-08:00

I woke up at 2 this morning with pain
in my chest, a bronchitis type pain.
I muddled about online, took some
aspirin and went back to bed. We
got up at 7:30, I loaded the car
and did the dishes while hubby
showered. At 9:30, my husband was
getting a vasectomy. At 10:30, I
was being seen by another doctor
for bronchitis, and an ear and sinus
infection.

We went to lunch and ran some errands
while my prescriptions got filled.
Husband iced up, and I took a nap.
We managed two small car trips to the
new house. I vacuumed, de-cob-webbed,
and swept, and stocked my dehydrated
food in a closet.

HUsband arranged the utilities, movers,
the POD, and the delivery of a new
fridge, and help.

I have the Christmas Tree set up. ;)
Tomorrow, moving, work, cleaning and
a bit of shopping.

Wish me luck.

~mh

Not just another pretty face . . .

2010-12-06T17:28:00.000-08:00

So today was another gosh-awful Monday.
The kids acted up, my husband's job was
a booger, and the stress of it all had me
questioning my sanity. I almost broke down
in front of the kids' teacher. I called
my dad to vent. I rang my girlfriend to
cuss and try and arrange some time away.

I'm cracking under the pressure.

On a positive note, husband and I are
spending alone time together tomorrow. I
desperately want to keep this marriage
nurtured and healthy.

On a positive note, we may close by Friday.
I already have furniture arrangments plotted
on out paper.

On a positive note, I keep learning and prepping.
Before my favorite Peak Oil news site went lunar,
(no disrespect, I only have so much time in
the day), I saved a series of websites so I can
scour the net for my own news updates.

Here's what I learned today:

http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/2010/12/multiple-simultaneous-games-of-chicken.html

This is a great post that explains the international
money crisis by region and suggests implications for
our country. (READ, not much chance of hyperinflation for us!)

Then I studied up on something called the Texas Ratio:
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/2010/12/texas-ratios-of-banks-and-credit-unions_06.html

And I checked my bank's health on this website:
http://www.depositaccounts.com/banks/health.aspx#texas

Then I scored 4 loaves of bread at Walgreen's for 75 cents
each. Bread freezes very well, and I hate running out. I've
saved my family lots of money by putting cheap meals together
via pbj's, french toast, and grilled cheese sandwhiches.

On my last positive note, we've done cash for Christmas.
And I'm looking forward to hitting the sales and clearance
racks to stock up on clothing basics in larger sizes.

Cheers,
~MH

Trying to get in the holiday mood

2010-12-06T07:41:00.000-08:00

Doom and Christmas

2010-11-26T06:16:00.001-08:00

My new husband and I are trying to buy a home and
get moved in before the collapse of the mortgage industry
and Christmas.

We may even put up, then move a Christmas tree. Sighhh.

I am now married to a financial geek (i am one as well) and
it's a journey blending our styles. Husband has a spreadsheet
on his iphone.

I heard about a sale at Old Navy and we got new coats and
practical jeans for the kids. (Thursday afternoon.)

Thursday night we moseyed to Walmart to see how far we could
stretch our modest budget to cover 8 kids. I bounded up and
down the aisles like a gazelle in my native habitat, while husband
never lost sight of me, pushed a cart, and plucked spreadsheets
in his iphone. My younger daughter came along and strutted the
sale in heels, looking like a million bucks.

We got 10 pairs of warm jammies for the kids, and bikes to teach
the twins how to ride. Rain started pouring on the roof, so husband
went home to get a different car. Now my coffee is locked inside the
car and I can't find the keys

Cheers,

mh

Starting from scratch on the eve of collapse

2010-11-22T11:14:00.000-08:00

Who the hell buys a house/urbanesque doomstead
on the eve of collapse? I do! I do!

18 months and counting til the world goes to hell,
would someone please time me?

Gotta run,

M

My day so far . . .

2010-11-18T11:39:00.000-08:00

I needed new tires. The cheapest place was also the
most far away. I figured my time was worth a drive so
I moseyed over to my old county and was the first
customer of the day. They had me in and out with
4 brand new tires before I'd had time to log onto
facebook from my phone. This place was at least
$20 cheaper than the local walmart. Pass.

A nap and a shower later, I went over to publix and
scored on some cheap cereal by combining coupons and
sale items. I turned my $20 savings into food in our
pantry. Pass.

I failed to read the receipt and was charged double for
a supposed sale item. Fail. I'm making another trip over
to get my money back (and the kids want to see the
lobsters). Pass.

mh

I just liked the picture

2010-11-15T10:55:00.000-08:00

I have so much to say and so little time.
I'm working my ass off. Recovering financially
from divorces and raising kids puts a constant
strain on our finances.

Marriage-wise, we're working out the kinks of
hoildays, unreliable ex's and blended families.
I'm trying to introduce new traditions and
trying to carve out some "us" time in our
super busy lives.

Stress-wise, I'm struggling a bit. OK, a lot.

Healthwise, I've lost a bit of weight. I'm
also feeling worn down.

Prayer wise, I'm amazed at the daily interventions
when I need them most.

PO-wise, thinga are coming along well enough.
We're moving forward with the house. I'm almost
ready to start packing.

~mh

I'm dreaming about . . .

2010-11-10T02:35:00.000-08:00

1. Urban homesteading.

2. Chickens in the side yard.

3. An edible landscape of berry bushes and
a dwarf fruit tree or 3.

4. Planting potatoes and garlic.

5. Having time to work out.

6. New tires for my car, and an oil change.

7. Stocking the shelves in my dream kitchen
with tons of food.

8. Buying 4 zero rated sleeping bags in January.

9. Hitting some super amazing sales in late winter
and scoring enough clothing to keep the kids warm for
years to come.

10. Doing all this while becoming debt free.

~MH

the wonders of technology

2010-11-08T18:21:00.000-08:00

We're driving home from Atlanta and I'm on line
at the same time. How cool is that? Blogging from my
Mobile. Today we made a counter, counter offer.
and I prayed a lot. We're running short on time. And I had a
Very long chat with husband about doom and the things I
Need to accomplish very soon. More LATER

The toys they like the most . . .

2010-11-06T17:38:00.000-07:00

Our almost five year olds are seeing a lot
of commercials. It's getting to be that time
of year. They have a few pricey things, but
the toys they like most are boxes, recycled
plastic bottles and, baskets, cups, and the
occasional fast food toy or dollar store
find. They like to use their imagination,
and not be scolded if something breaks.

Their latest find is some pet snakes. Cost?
Free.

~MH

"We can put the chickens here and the garden there"

2010-11-03T15:30:00.000-07:00

I just liked the picture. : )

This week I was naughty and splurged on a
new cellphone. Ok. I admit it. It's a mobile
penis MP. I can now keep up with emails and
family on the go. (So many of my kin don't
text, and my "me time" has been drastically
reduced.)

My amazing husband came home for an early
lunch today and we went and looked at some more
houses. I saw one I really liked. It had a place
for chickens, a fenced backyard, a lovely side
yard, and it had plenty of room for our kids.
I even saw a fireplace. We have an appointment
to go back and see it tomorrow.

I stopped by CVS and stocked up on toilet paper,
coffee, dish detergent and toilet paper. Bit by bit,
I'm building up our supplies.

We've had a few meals at home for a change. I get
so much pleasure from pancakes and turkey sausage
for dinner.

~M

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T04:55:00.000-07:00

I got paid Friday and . . .

1. Paid off another small bill, woohoo.

2. Made the twit a sandwhich, she's leaving
town. It was the least I could do.

3. Stocked socks and beer. You can never have
enough of either.

4. Bought my younger daughter a long sleeve
shirt commemorating beating her school's arch
rival. Hehehehe.

5. On Saturday, I filled my gas tank on the way
home from work and made a special stop at Aldi's.
I'm trying to build up our food stores bit by bit.
I bought 2 cases of canned veggies, juice, pancake
mix and syrup.

Cheers,

~MH

My week so far . . .

2010-10-28T20:34:00.000-07:00

The forum went to hell on Saturday, I was working
and then attended a band competition, and family
outting. I fell into bed exhausted at midnight,
and had no idea of what was traspiring.

I took my computer into work on Sunday, to try
and catch up on some emails and news on my break.
The forum was shut up, and I made some calls to
old and trusted friends to try and get to the
bottom of it.

I got home Sunday night and was hoping for some
quiet time, cuddles and a neck rub. Instead,
my beloved spouse had caught the Stomach Virus
From Hell. He proceeded to puke/barf/hurl as
soon as I got home. I finished dinner and tried
to visit with my daughter while juggling my new
sons (Mischief and Mayhem). I collapsed into bed
about 10:30, and tried to comfort my spouse
who shook and heaved all night.

We were woken up by my daughter at 5:55 on Monday
morning, tornado alarms were going off. My silly
man tied to go to work, "Go to bed, you'll just
give it to everyone else." I got the new sons off
to school, and then headed over for my very last
MRI. My stomach cramped as we were finishing up.

Uh~oh.

The rest of Monday was a blur. I threw up my toe
nails, ran a fever, and had body aches. On Tuesday,
I asked my husband, "Why don't we have any good
pain pills?" He found some old Tylenol #3 from
2008. Bless him, it felt so good to be pain free.
By Tuesday evening, I was trying to clean the house.
We ran errands that night, and checked out some
local real estate options. We ate dinner out and I
got a call from my (a little bit lonely) mom.
We got home just in time to skype with my home
sick older daughter.

On Wednesday, we took the kids to their new school
to introduce them to their new class mates, they
start next week. I finished cleaning the house
and cooked dinner, and I put us both back on
rhodiola rosea, an adaptogen. My younger daughter
came over and I fixed her dinner and hung out with
her until about 10:30pm.

Today I got up early to see her before school, and
I thought I'd get 30-60 minutes of me time. The rest
of my crew woke up at 7:05. Halloween is like crack
to a 4 year old, they can't get enough of it (and
we've had activites almost daily for a week).
We had a field trip to a pumpkin patch. The weather
was glorious. I asked husband to buy me a farm.
He said "settle down, Michelle." One twin was still
recovering from the Stomach Bug, and the other had
green sinus drainage and a cough.

When the field trip was over, we decided to keep on
tripping, and drove a few more exits up the road to
see a dairy processing facilty. Four ice cream cones,
and a call from a tennant later, we headed back to
town. We ran rental errands for a few hours, we got
home in time for me to change into work clothes.
Dinner was a happy meal, and I headed to work for
a few hours. "Michelle why are you here on an off day?"
"I have new bills, old bills and seven kids, I think."

At 11:15 pm, I plugged in husband's work phone and cuddled
and scratched him, while we talked about our rare
separate evening. He's such a nurturer, yay.

And now it's Friday, 00:12.

~M

A day in the life . . .

2010-10-23T02:23:00.000-07:00

In the last 3 weeks we've scoured these hills and
valleys, crunched numbers, trolled the internet
and had a tarrot card reading in the hunt for our
new home. (Prayer too, yo.) I've had several doom
talks with husband, trying to emphasize the need
for close proximity to work/wood/land/water.

I've had my man in for a colonoscopy, a stress test
and a root canal in a week and a half. We're just
catching up on some deferred maintanance. We even
followed up with his doctor yesterday.

We have the kids all the time now, our transition
is nearly complete. (Read, I have a bottle of
champagne to pop when the twit is finished leaving
town.)

We had our 2 month anniversary today. I mentioned
it in passing while catching barf, wiping green
snot, and solving world peace. Life is very full,
and very busy. AND, I work.

~MH

House hunting continues . . .

2010-10-23T02:20:00.000-07:00

"you have to put aside your emotions . . ."

2010-10-18T08:50:00.000-07:00

A friend advised me of this recently while we
discussed my hunt for a new home. And I don't
really have the luxury of time to process all
that she told me.

So I called my realtor, again this morning.
Wish me luck.

~M

Is it the autumn of civilization?

2010-10-14T17:49:00.000-07:00

I love this time of year. I adore my husband, all seven
of our children, the briskness in the air and the turning
of the leaves. It's the season for cool walks, high school
football games, candy corn, bonfires and amazing beer. In
short, I'm having too much fun. Being with someone
who understands me only adds to my delight. I keep pinching
myself, wondering when I'll wake up from the very best day
dream of my life.

Today I had a break from the twins. And without their voices
calling and demanding nearly constant attention, doom stopped
by for a visit. I read the news, it wasn't good. It's time to
prep (again) in earnest. The window of opportunity is closing.
We don't have much time left. Our military points to 2012, to
2015, as the start of difficult times. Our civilian government
has no plans at all, save the status quo and weird currency
games.

Today, my poor hubby came home from work, and I gave him the
"time is running out and I'm really worried" talk. He listened.
I talked about oil, food, electricity, the 1970's, the need
for chickens, a garden, a doomstead, and water. He took it all
in, and then said he had too much on his plate now to deal with.
I countered, that I needed to start buying extra food and he
woulnd't notice the difference in the budget. I also needed
him to know my heart and my concerns.

A few hours, 40 ice cream cone cupcakes, a little finger
desplintered, a bath and bed time for the little ones later,
I'm making plans.

~MH

Quackers!

2010-10-06T19:28:00.000-07:00

I need to start dragging my camera
around wherever I go. I lost some
great shots in the last few days.

I have a to do list, that I'm
slowly chipping away at in my
non existant free time. Today
I woke at 4:30 in the morning,
tidied our apartment home, did
situps, showered and emailed
my Aussie~fied daughter.

I rolled into work and put in
a solid and pleasing 12 hours.
I stuck to my diet, ate fruit
and non processed foods. I
left work as the sun was setting
and drove to a casual movie set
to watch my oldest new son and
husband act in an independent
film.

I left early, met my younger
daughetr at the door and we shared
a veggie sub. We internet
chatted with my older daughter,
the poor baby needs a care package.

Time for bed.

~mh

Marry me and get a camera shoved up your butt! (and a root canal)!

2010-10-05T05:29:00.000-07:00

And I was true to my word. The day
after our honeymoon, I became his
dependent, and my husband became mine.
We are among the lucky few with not
one, but two insurances. And in the
weird insurance world, our insurances
like each other and are willing to
work with each other in regard to
co-pays and such. This is the same
for our dental insurances as well.

My beloved spouse has a long family
history of colon cancer. He was two
years overdue for another screening.
It's human nature to put things off,
especially when divorce leaves you
with mountains of debt, and the
thought of huge medical bills only
adds to the conundrum.

So after the honeyoon, I made some
phone calls and started setting up
appointments for both of us. I think
I impressed him with my initiative.

He found the colon prep easy. First
some pills, then miralax mixed with
gatorade. This was much tastier than
the last time. We confirmed his test
a few days in advance, and showed
up with time to spare yesterday
morning.

We were in and out in record time,
everyone was lovely and took great
care of us. (No one seemed to mind
my holding his hand, or pda's.)
The lady doctor was excellent, and
one small, half hearted polyp was
sent off for analysis. My spouse
cracked jokes the whole time, and
then treated us to a big country
breakfast.

We'd do it again!

~mh

(next week, the root canal)

Random thoughts . . .

2010-09-27T09:59:00.000-07:00

I trimmed small amounts from
my annual expenses recently.
I closed my mad money checking
account for a savings of
$72. I kept the free savings
account. I dopped my daughter's
road side assistance from
my cell phone plan, she won't
be needing it in Australia.
This saved me $36 per year.

My husband and I are muddling
through the process of combining
finances. We have his, mine and
ours. I'm on his accounts, he's
on mine. My tenant's rent check
is my fixed contribution to the
household accounts. I want to
and do maintain some independence
from him in regards to money.
I came with bills, I pay them.
I'm his backup in rough weeks,
he's mine. I let him know when
I spen money out of the household
accounts. I haven't touched a dime
of his bonus check that sits in an
my savings account. Some how we
make it work.

The hunt for a doomstead continues.

~mh

A nice day . . .

2010-09-22T06:39:00.000-07:00

My beloved spouse got off work
early and we both went to the
dentist. He has to go back for
a root canal.

We took a country drive and
saw a doomstead that beckoned
to me. (REALLY beckoned to me.)
We're going back for another
look in an hour.

~MH

Fall projects?

2010-09-20T08:21:00.000-07:00

Fall is very weird in Georgia and
Tennesee. It comes at you out of
nowhere. One minute, it's 95F every
single day and the next it's cold
and too late to plant anything.

Joan posted a question online about
fall projects. So I thought it would
be a good time to put pen to paper,
or words to virtual space and take
stock of where I'm going and what
I'm doing.

Healthwise:
I'm getting all my annual checkups.

I'm stocking some meds.

I'm seeing the dentist this week.

I see the neurologist next month.

We're getting the same for my husband.

I'm trying to build up my stamina and
walking.

Financial:
My new tennant seems to be working out just
fine.

I'm trying not to charge. I've begun the baby
steps torwards debt paydown.

I'm pondering savings and retirement.

Stocking up:
October is just around the corner. By then I
will have caught up from moving and wedding
expenses and I'll have extra cash to prep.
My friend Nicole said she accomplished prep
just a little at a time. Yesterday we went to
Walgreens to get a few photos printed and I
picked up a store add and found some bargains.
I bought dishwashing liquid, extra tp, feminine
products for a song. I was grinning ear to ear
and hubby said, "It doesn't take much to make
you happy."

Longterm:

We're quietly looking for a new home.

I need my TN cocealed carry permit.

~mh

Are the lights going out?

2010-09-15T15:36:00.000-07:00

Common wisdom wouldn't even address
such a question. Yet, a recent story
in the local press told of an
apartment complex headed to foreclosure
and the utilities turned off for
all the units ~ because 50% of
the tennants hadn't paid their
bill.

We live in interesting times. On
any given month, 50% of my husband's
tennants don't pay their rent.
Living marginally is becoming the
new norm for so many folks. I
actually posted for rent signs
and knocked on the door of a nonpayer
just yesterday. I was polite, but
firm. "This can't go on another
month, we can't pay OUR bills. We
need you out by the weekend."

And my spidey sense is tingling
on overdrive. Time to work some
extra shifts and build up my
food stores.

~mh

I grew up, I swear . . .

2010-09-11T13:20:00.001-07:00

Yes world, I have a Hello Kitty
debit card. I did leave this
purse at the store, damnit.
My point is, I have a child
like enthusiasm for life.
A near miss with a fatal
disease, and hanging with
full throttle lads brings
it out in me.

And I love with full throttle
enthusiasm, I don't know how
not too. I love my new husband
to the point of public
embarassment. I see nothing
wrong with nibbling on his
ear in front of the kids
at the playground, at the mall.

I love my friends and family
with equal adoration. I am
not however, a pushover. I
have my limits. I'll give you
the shirt off my back, but
don't take it without asking.

The saddest thing I told a
former friend the other day
was, "you burn through friends
and lovers like chewing gum".

She nodded, sad that.

~mh

Time for Drogheda to stop . . .

2010-09-06T18:12:00.000-07:00

This phrase has been bouncing
though my spotted brain for the
last week. It's from one of the
final paragraphs of The Thorne
Birds. One of the main characters
was reflecting on her family's
long journey with a farm in
the outback. It was time for
another family to work the land.

I feel the same way about my
little farmlette. It's time for it
to stop. My family has scattered
and begun reseeding itself, as
families do. One daughter has
sprouted wings all the way to
Australia. The other is looking
forward, and sees a life beyond
these mountains and valleys.

I have been moving the last few
days. Dad and I took a load to the
dump, a load to my new home~for~
now, and a load to the Goodwill.
I have more purging to do. I hate
purging, I find it draining and
exhausting to decide what to keep
and what to get rid of. So many
things have memories attached.

My tenant to be has dreams, likes
my dogs, wants more horses and
might just have enough pluck to
pull it off. Sometime in the next
six months or so, I will walk
through the doors of my new home.
I will see land that beckons to
me, and my journey with that
farmlette will begin.

~mh

Ask, and ye shall recieve . . .

2010-08-31T08:20:00.000-07:00

Some time ago, I asked God for a new life mate.
I needed nurturing, hand holding, understanding,
and other wicked good things.

God heard, helped me over the bumbs, and I found
a new life. I became a new wife.

On a fine afternoon in late August, we married in
a park surrounded by our family and friends. The
wedding took 5 minutes, the party lasted 3 hours.
I gained three sons, he gained two daughters.
I brought an impressive dowry of weapons, ammo
and land. He brought passion, compassion, real
estate and an open mind.

Our wedding night was postponed, as we had a house
full of children. The next day we took my daughters
to the doctor. One had a swollen hand, the other
needed a checkup before she left for foreign lands.

The next morning, we boarded a plane for Virginia.
When we arrived there, it was cold and raining.
The cold felt awesome after a long hot southern summer.
Husband looked at me, and I looked at the map.
I remembered visiting the Luray Caverns when I
was all of 11 years old (1978). I pointed to
our destination and we took off.

I loved the caverns. He(Ty) loved them. When we
were done with the tour, I asked an employee where
she likes to eat lunch. We ended up at a small
town diner, filled with locals. Ty asked a local
what he liked to do for fun. We were pointed in
the direction of a scenic highway and some
wineries. The rain helped us decide on a winery.
No tours were available, but we had our first
official tasting. I finally met a chardonay I
liked.

Ty mentioned that he'd never been to the Smithsonian.
So of course, we spent the next 2 days touring
the air and space museums. We snuck in a bit of
peach picking and a visit to a feloow doomer's
for dinner. We had a gorgeous trip.

~MH

Closure and fresh begginings . . .

2010-08-21T08:22:00.000-07:00

I done lost my post. Gtting hitched
tomorrow. Wish us well.

~M

Frugal weddings

2010-08-09T05:17:00.000-07:00

I'll be honest, folks keep asking me about my
wedding plans . . . and I'm not really making
any. I had the date arranged, and changed, and
a preacher lined up with a phone call. My
fiance and I may go pick up the lisence thingy
this week.

I found a park near where we live, we're going to
mosey in commando style, get hitched, get some
gorgeous pictures and mosey out before anyone
notices 35 folks gathered about.

We're hosting an afternoon party at our place
right afterwards. Beer. Pizza. Wine. Cake.
Coffee. I might throw some other munchies
about. My fiance is handling the pizza
arrangements. My oldest daughter has appointed
herself as my alcohol consultant. My stepmom
is bringing a salad. My Alamama homie internized
my honeymoon.

So what's left to do? Get pretty and work a few
extra shifts to pay for primping.

Cheers,
M

Money and changing times . . .

2010-07-24T04:56:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I haven't posted since May.
Life has been changing so quickly, and I am
a bit reluctant to waste time with yammering
about it on line, until now. I finally
have a quiet hour to myself and I have time
to collect the thoughts rambling through
my head.

I have moved. I am working a lot. I help care
for 2 rambunctious lads. I've made friends
and so on.

I started cutting expenses in April and May.
My budget has been super stretched, paying
for my roof, and I was tired of being broke.
I canceled my home phone and internet. I ate
in as often as I could.

One day my neighbor showed up and asked me what
I was going to do about my horses. "Fatten them
up." I said. "I want them." He said. "I'll
take care of them til they die, they'll want
for nothing." Now in these times, you don't
get an offer like that. So we agreed, and he
built infrastructure from the ground up at
considerable expense (I donated gates and such)
and the horses went across the street. The
neighbor man has only them and some stray cats
to answer to, I think it was a blessing all
around. (Annual savings $2000)

In late May, my house mate moved in. She came
with a dog, a runt~kitten, a kid and a healing
heart. As she moved in, I was slowly moving
out. I was tired of living in 2 places and
needed to make a home in one.
(Annual savings: monthly utilites and about
$80/month in gas, wear/tear on the car.)

Soon after my fiance proposed I officially
moved in. (Savings to move across state line
and not pay Georgia state income tax, $200
per month.) The wedding is set for mid August.
(Tax savings to be determined, but I will be
in a lower bracket.)

I got a call from one of the managers at my
work, my weekend pay was being phased out.
So while I didn't know it was coming, my
above changes certainly helped.

Next up, my frugal wedding.

~M

Couponing my way to collapse?

2010-05-18T16:45:00.000-07:00

There really is an art to this couponing stuff.
One of my girlfriends brings home tons of food
that she gets for very very cheap. But as a
fellow LATOC poster pointed out, most of the
deals are for processed food ~ which they eat
so little of.

This may be why I favor couponing at chain pharmacy
stores like CVS and Walgreens. Today's CVS trip
was as follows:

step 1. Research blogs/circular/online coupons

step 2. sign up for CVS extra care card and check
cvs' site for online coupons

step 3. scan card at cvs kiosk for more coupons

step 4. make multiple purchases, up to item limits,
to make maximum use of etra care reward buckso5

The blogs explain this process in more detail.

Today's haul:

1 dawn dishwashing liquid
2 11oz maxwell house coffee
2 bottles extra laundry detergent 45 oz
2 large single roll tp
1 speedstick lady's deodorant
1 8oz herbal essence hairspray
1 15oz vo5 shampoo
1 15oz vo5 conditioner
1 10oz aussie hairspray
1 clearance/discontinued item

All this for about $18.50. I could
have done a bit better.

Cheers, M

I feel doom lurking . . .

2010-05-18T16:23:00.000-07:00

This is a recent pic of an alligator in the
everglades.

I really felt a sense of doom on the horizon,
a sense of noodginess that changes are coming.
I felt unprepared, and unsettled. So I called
a few of the brightest minds and ended up
picking a good friend's brain. "Calm down."
She said (I paraphrase), "This thing is going
to take decades."

We chatted a bit more, about everything from
my relationship to the minimal doomstead size.
She suggested that I go buy more food, and hold
onto my doomstead, all very good advice. I had
to cut our chat short. But the moral of the
story is . . . slow and steady wins the race.

And of course, I need to keep plans flexible to
adjust to a changing world.

~M

sigh . . .

2009-12-28T14:00:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting here watching Russell-of-the-
pornographic-tongue lick the remnants from
a jar of peanut butter. Next to him in my
second dog crate, lies my redbone napping.
The collie mix and the pyrenees rule my back
fences.

My American Eskimo has his own pen, he doesn't
like my other dogs. Buddy the doomer dawg
sleeps in a catbox turned dog house on my
front porch.

And now a seventh dog has been dumped. It's
a girl, cowering and shivering and begging
for scraps of food and love.

Sheesh. Why can't folks take care of their own
problems instead of bringing them to my door?
I can barely afford to feed my own, let alone
take on anymore.

Seriously.

~M

Fixing the leaks . . .

2009-11-23T07:53:00.000-08:00

Now that my leaky roof is a fading memory, I am
turning my attention to my budget. I am reconnecting
with my inner financial geek.

OOOOooooooohhhhmmmmmm . . .

I switched satellite tv providers to save $15 per month.
I pleaded with the propane company to put me on a payment
plan to avoid paying $5 per month in interest charges.

I am watching my bottom line like a hawk. I have cut my
Christmas budget by 1/3rd for the kids and cut it to the
bone for everyone else.

We eat in alot. We cart leftovers to work, to each others'
homes, etc.

I share and get a lot of ideas for free or nearly free
fun stuff to do in and around my area with the work chicks.

I let folks know that I'd love to be the recipient of
their unwanted stuff. Several girlfriends cleaned out their
closets. My boyfriend loaned me a couch. Dad gave me a
bunch of stuff just before he moved.

My budget for the rest of the year is wicked tight. I'm
trying to make grocery lists instead of winging it. I often
grocery shop with cash, and shamelessly put stuff back
when I've reached my predetermined limit.

~M

Holidays, blended families and finances . . .

2009-11-16T05:23:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is next week and everyone
has been very cool about not making demands
of the kids. We're all almost too cool
about it. My bf called and said his oldest
would be up our way next Thursday evening.
Bless him for getting the ball rolling.
We decided that dinner would be at my
place, I invited my folks up and checked
with the ex about his plans before inviting
the kids. We still haven't checked with
his ex, but hopefully things will work
out.

My folks offered to bring stuffing and handle
the gravy. My bf and I will do the rest.
I'm not a stickler for everything being
homemade, I just want to enjoy the holidays.
I'll probably buy an extra turkey and put
in the freezer for Easter.

I've started Christmas shopping with the kids.
They pick out what they want, try it on and
I take it home, wrap it and stick it under
the tree. No hassles, no returns. My budget
for them is quite modest this year. I
told the bf that I can only buy a small gift
for his youngest kids, I have a roof to pay
for in 12 equal monthly installments.

And I asked him for a wheel barrow.

~M

This and that . . .

2009-11-14T02:14:00.000-08:00

I should be doing "the feed" and getting
ready for work, instead I'm sipping a
second cup of coffee and posting here.

My boyfriend and his former son-in-law
brought me a lovely couch late last night.
Well broke in and loved on, needing a bit
of mending here and there, but awesome.
"You need furniture," My oldest said.
"The rooms echo."

My new roof survived tropical storm Ida
and it was nice not to worry about leaks
for a change. I have one moldy looking
spot that needs some attention . . soon.

My oldest daughter met my boyriends'
youngest kids, and I swear you could see
God's hands in the matter.

I've been living credit card free for
almost a month. I'm watching my money
much more closely and don't make rash
decisions anymore. (Still have debt,
but no visa other than a check card.)

I've been pondering some "what if's", I
am a doomer after all. What if my car
needs repairs, etc. And I basically need
to work on my savings.

~M

Update . . .

2009-11-02T08:24:00.000-08:00

later.

~M

The roofers are here!

2009-10-28T07:41:00.000-07:00

Despite a damp morning, the roofers showed
up and are now working away on removing the
crumbling shingles. What a relief.

I've been mending some fences this morning
and I let Secret out to graze. Her coat is
getting shaggy and fuller for winter. Penny
stood at the fence and nuzzled me. I moved
some fencing around so she can get some fresh
grass as well.

My dad is putting up a for sale sign on his
place. I had a good cry about it in private,
the bf held me while I cleansed the loss from
my heart. Such a tumultuous year, and the
changes keep coming. Yet, I'm happy.

~M

Credit . . .

2009-10-26T14:46:00.000-07:00

Well I've done it. I canceled my last Visa card
last week. They wanted to offer me an attractive
adjustable rate linked to the prime rate and I
sadly had to opt out.

I ran the card up a bit, I bought some dog houses
and paid for some repair work on my home. Then I
made the call. Opting out of new terms means simply
that I can't use the card anymore and the old terms
will be in effect until it's paid for. My prior
arrangement was a lovely fixed rate.

So how will I cope? What if something happens?
First, I've made very simple holiday plans. I'll
be paying cash, less of it, and to less folks.

Second, I have a wee bit in savings. It will stay
there during lean times as some insurance.

Third, I'm slowly stocking up on essentials and
re-examining where/when/how I can save here and
there. I'm taking the lads to the library tomorrow
instead of the mall or a fast food place.

Lastly, I'm cultivating a "thrift is cool" philosophy.
Anyone can spend themselves into the ground, only
cool folks can have more fun, and do it on a dime.
I know wat day hiking at the park costs zilch, and
when the movie only costs a buck.

More later.

~M

Sorry for the lack of pics and posts . . .

2009-10-21T05:14:00.000-07:00

Life is really rather busy, I rarely
see a keyboard these days outside of
work.

I've picked out a dark green color for
the roof, and am going with a 25 year
shingle. There are more rotten bits
that need to be fixed, but that may
wait til spring. The roofer is *hopefully*
going to be here next week.

The propane tank is full.

My hay barn is full, I've upped the mares
to all grain and add oil for extra
calories.

The dog houses are on their way for my
hounds, so they will have at least some
shelter when I'm not home to let them in.

I've been looking at garage doors as well.
Mine are held together with duct tape and
bubble gum.

~M

Deferred maintenance . . .

2009-10-13T08:06:00.000-07:00

When we bought the place over
a decade ago, it appeared solid
enough. Little did we know what
lay ahead.

So now it's a gorgeous October
day and the sound of a hammer on
wood is wooing me. Finally, we're
getting some work done on the place.
(We = my kid, myself and our
critters.) The house was put togther
rather badly and is already rotting
here and there. The capenter is
fixing the rotten bits and the
problems that caused the decay.

Hopefully, next week the roofer
will come and finally put a solid
covering on my home.

I'm having to max out a credit card
to get ready for winter. I have yet
to buy propane and dog houses. I'm
closing the card out at the end of
the month, opting out of the term
changes.

I'm financing the roof with a one
year loan. Money is going to be very
tight for a while. But I can't help
but get the feeling that time is of
the essence, and that consumer credit
is drying up. It's now or never.

On the other "home front", my courtship
is going exceedingly well.

Cheers,

~M

Random pics

2009-10-12T10:45:00.000-07:00

I'm having a fat day and can't
seem to blog. Carry on.

~M

Food . . .

2009-10-08T10:36:00.000-07:00

The dust is still settling around here.
I get the eary feeling that I'm quickly
running out of time. I's going to get
harder to prep, let alone get by. I
keep feeling that the days after Christmas
may be the turning point many of us are
dreading.

It's coming.

I actually started to work on my food
pantry the other day. I found a lot of
stuff that needed to be tossed or re-
puposed. Old cans of eadibles were fed to
the dogs. I took some oats out to the
horses. I'm using old baking soda on
the cat boxes.

I took some stuff to the bf's house.
Then I bought $90 worth of groceries
from Aldi's and restocked.

$90 doesn't go as far as it used to.

I need to start making a list of what
to buy, to avoid getting too much of the
same thing.

~M

Our vacation pics are great I swear . . .

2009-10-06T15:30:00.000-07:00

The only problem is I can't find the camera cord.

Grrrrrrr.

On the other hand I/we've been very fortunate of late.
I've had 3 girlfriends give us bags of clothes. I've
been washing and hanging stuff up for 2 days. I've run
out of hangers. This recession turning depression is
starting to make me very noodgie and having extra
stuff to wear is a blessing indeed.

My home refi went through just before we left. The foot
of rain that we got caused my roof to leak, and my ex
got flooded, about 7 feet high. He had to rescue our
daughter's cat and dog by canoe. The critters came to
stay with me and I got the cat neutered yesterday.

The winter supply of hay arrived yesterday. I got it
for about 1/3rd the price of the prior supplier. I had
the farrier out last week to give my mares a much needed
trim. I wormed the hounds and as long as everyone is
fed separately, they seem to be getting along at the
moment.

I called a gf's bf, and he gave me an excellent quote
on some "deffered maintenance". He's going to start next
week. His work is great and he took the time to explain
why things like eaves and posts rot and how he can
fix them. I got a one year loan to fix my roof. I'm
hoping to have all the repairs done in the next 5-6
weeks.

Special shout out to Jock of ye olde forum for fixing
my borrowed laptop for me. He worked tirelessly. I'm
so thankful.

Left to be done:

The BUDGET.

Get the propane tank filled.

Loose 5 pounds.

~M

Next up . . being brutal with food storage.

Water everywhere . . .

2009-09-21T18:49:00.000-07:00

The refi on my mortgage hiccupped,
but happened. Thank God, seriously.
I was urged to keep looking for a
better deal, but the little voice
in my head told me that consumer
credit was drying up. It was now
or never. I signed papers, all
150 of them.

Pause to take a sip of Sam Adams.

It felt weird signing on my own.
Weird, but I made the right decision.

My poor ex had a really bad day.
Freak flooding wiped out much
of his worldly goods. Pray for
him. He rescued our daughter's
dog, cat and computer and whatever
else he could carry by canoe.
The water rose as he did this.

I have her pets at my place,
everyone seems to be settling in.
My flight is confirmed. I'll pack
in the morning.

~M

"Mom, the roof is leaking . . ."

2009-09-21T03:53:00.000-07:00

We've been inundated with rain, lots
of rain for a week. That's good, we
needed it. But then we got 8 inches
in one night (and still coming down),
that's bad. Roads are impassable, the
schools are closed and no one is going
anywhere. I'm surprised I have
electricity.

My poor youngest woke up at 5am by a
new leak right over her head.

Sigh.

~M

Who's gotcher money money?

2009-09-16T06:57:00.000-07:00

My doom-meter has been buzzing of late.
Matt's most recent breaking news page
certainly has me on edge. Credit is
drying up, it's getting much harder
to buy and sell. It's even getting
harder to refinance.

Here are some issues on my front burner:

1. I'm trying to refinance my mortgage.
I've been misinformed, yanked around,
and my ex has to come to closing. I'm
on pins and needles, waiting for the
closing date.

2. I got 2 letters from my active
credit accounts. They are changing
the terms and making the interest rate
variable. I have to tell them soon
that such arrangements aren't
acceptable and close the accounts.
I'll pay them off, but will have to
secure at least one new card.

3. I need a roof. Period.

~M

Part 2

2009-08-31T20:09:00.000-07:00

Kitten vs cheese-it

2009-08-31T20:07:00.000-07:00

Movie Review: District 9

2009-08-31T13:33:00.000-07:00

Roll slavery, aparthied, and the
Holocaust into one movie, add a
dash of aliens (prawns) and some
transformers-like special effects,
and you get a very well done movie.

Brilliant! A movie for the doom
library.

~M

Kittens are better than Prozac

2009-08-31T13:27:00.000-07:00

This li'l kitty is one of the best
things I've done this year. She's
so sweet and lovable and doesn't
mind being yanked around by the
lads.

Her only drawback is that she thinks
HE is HER boyfriend.

Giggle.

~M

Blogger ate my blog . . .

2009-08-31T13:17:00.000-07:00

So I suppose it's time to start another one.

~M