When we last left off, our rain catchment system was functioning beautifully. We collected another tote full of water during the latest storm, filling our storage to the brim. Shortly after, another rain came, overflowing and filling two additional containers. In total, we now have around 600 gallons of water at our disposal—what a great feeling! Our next step is to set up the water systems in the cabin for easy access. It’s on the way!
We were eagerly anticipating Mom and Dad’s visit. We had stocked up on groceries, tidied the cabin, and even tackled the weeds. Everything was looking great! The plan was for them to leave Wednesday morning, drive partway, stay at a campground, and arrive late Thursday afternoon. However, we received a call from Cat's sister that Wednesday morning. The camper was loaded, the dog was at the sitter, and they were all set. But then, Mom ended up in the ER. She was feeling awful and was diagnosed with pneumonia. Although they were preparing to discharge her, something concerning appeared on her heart monitors, leading to an overnight stay for further testing. Thankfully, all tests came back clear, but she was sent home with four prescriptions and strict instructions to rest. Unfortunately, they had to cancel their trip. Cat was very upset but understood that health is more important. They’ll reschedule when they can avoid illness and injury. People often wonder where Cat gets her gracefulness from.
With our plans altered, we took a day off to recuperate. We spent the day changing the tires on the Jeep and putting on the soft top. Cleaning the interior was the toughest part—Oscar was filthy! (That’s the name of our Jeep, by the way.) We headed into town to wash the Jeep and the mats, and he looked much better afterward. We also organized the back of the conex, making it neat again.
One day, we went into town for errands, but it never seems to be a quick trip. We stopped to do laundry, planning to wash and hang it out to dry. Just as we started, the power went out in that part of town. Cat quickly called the owners, but it took them a while to respond. Luckily, the power came back on before they called. One of the washers restarted, but the other didn’t, so we added quarters to get it going again. Shortly after, the owner arrived and refunded our money. We decided to dry the laundry there, because we lost precious time, especially since rain was forecasted later in the day.
With our weekend plans changed, we decided to visit Tom and Theresa to lend a hand with a few projects. They have always been so generous to us, so we wanted to return the favor. We headed up leisurely on Friday afternoon and took a tour of their gardens. They are much further along than ours, but considering it’s our first year, our garden is doing quite well! Tom made it home just in time for a fantastic dinner prepared by Theresa. On Saturday, the guys planned to work on their house, while Theresa and Cat had our own plans. Her truck was acting up, so Cat drove her to a Mennonite store in Kentucky. It was amazing. Cat could easily spend a fortune there. Afterward, we visited Sam's Club and a feed store. Later, we watched one of the grandsons play baseball before picking up our burger and fries from a local restaurant. They were delicious! Afterward, Cat helped Theresa, her son, and a few grandkids process 12 meat birds and a rooster. Those birds were the best we have ever seen, with impressive average weights. It was a long day, but afterward, Tom and Theresa treated us to pizza at a place called the Thirsty Goat. The pizza was fantastic, and the peach lemonade was excellent. We had plenty of leftovers for lunch the next day and headed straight to bed afterward.
The following morning, the guys returned to the roof. Unfortunately, due to rain delays and technical difficulties, they only managed to complete two-thirds of one side the day before. Their goal was to finish that side and schedule another visit for us to help with the rest. Cat spent some time helping Theresa harvest spinach, and she sent both bags home with us. She opened her farm stand so Cat could do a little shopping, and she picked up a jar of strawberry-rhubarb jam and a tallow body butter—both of which were fantastic! The jam was delicious, and the body butter reminded Cat of one of my old favorites from Bath and Body Works. Cat also managed to snag Theresa's recipe for the English muffin bread she always has on hand. Cat quickly located a discontinued Pampered Chef bread crock online to bake them in. Before we left, Theresa sent us home with half of one of the chickens we processed and two bags of frozen sweet potato puree. We always cherish our time with them; it’s good for the soul. We constantly share ideas and information, and we even got some seeds for next year’s garden.
Back at the homestead, we dove into cabinet making, and Cat couldn't be more excited! She is eager to have a proper kitchen again. All of our cabinets will be custom-made, and we’re making them taller to accommodate our height. Plus, we need a space for the fridge. In the upper cabinets, we want to maximize every inch of space. The cabinet on the left stands at 50 inches tall. We have a running joke here about our large window on the bedroom side, which we fondly refer to as the "big freaking window." Now, we’ve installed the TV we had in Michigan, which we call the "big freaking TV." And, of course, we now have a "big freaking cupboard" to match! Rick is in charge of assembling the cabinets, while Cat handles the staining and lend a hand when necessary. It’s taken a few days, but the framing for the cabinets is complete. It will take some time to finish all the shelves, drawers, and doors since we're making everything from scratch. Functioning in the kitchen has been a bit challenging lately, but we’re managing just fine.
While Rick has been focused on the cabinets, Cat spent the last two days cleaning up the garden beds in the medicinal herb garden. she took my little stool outside, settled in, and got to work. She managed to plant all the seeds varieties she had, ensuring each one was well-watered and labeled with bamboo markers. She even created a new bed with logs to contain three types of mint. Additionally, a log border around another bed that was planted a while ago. She still has four spots left for planting in the garden, and the seeds on the way for those. Today, Rick installed the lazy Susan, laid down cement boards on the countertops, and trimmed the counters in preparation for mortar and tiles.
In garden news, I've direct-sown the remainder of my plants, and they are thriving! We’ve been enjoying fresh lettuce, radishes, and green onions, with a few still ready for harvest. Excitingly, we’ve also gathered our first batch of raspberries for the season.
Cat recently trimmed the onions and is now drying them in the sun to make onion powder. With rain expected tonight, we had to move them into the conex for safekeeping. The turnips are ready to start harvesting. The green beans are currently about 3 to 4 inches tall, and today, the cucumbers, watermelon, and pumpkins have just started to break through the soil. Now, we’re eagerly anticipating the emergence of our tomatoes and peppers.
We took a field trip the other day due to the rain, visiting our local Mennonite store. It was a bit underwhelming compared to the one Cat visited in Kentucky. Afterwards, we stopped by a local greenhouse known for its amazing prices. We picked up a few zinnias and four marigolds, spending only $10.50 for six decent-sized plants. Later, we visited a Mennonite farm stand. Since we didn’t have much cash, we only bought four tomatoes, but I’m looking forward to returning for some milk, yogurt, and baked goods.
Interestingly, one of our neighbors, whom we had never met, has given up his land, leaving the adjacent plot available for anyone interested. Another neighbor, who has been caring for the land, informed us that we could help ourselves to anything left down there. We hit the jackpot! We found PVC, conduit, a mailbox for a project, pallets, some tools, a cooler, a tote, a ladder, and various odds and ends. We feel incredibly blessed. Today, that same neighbor stopped by to gift us two used solar panels he obtained from his mother-in-law. It’s true what they say: when you’re good to others, they’ll be good to you—whether it’s through supplies, work, or knowledge. He also mentioned that we can get free pallets from a nearby store, so we’ll be making a trip soon to collect some. We have exciting plans ahead!
We'd like to wish all the mothers out there a very Happy Mother's Day! We hope your day was filled with love and joy.
Thank you for visiting our blog. We truly appreciate your support; it means a lot to us. We aim to share our life with family and friends and hope to inspire those who are dreaming but haven’t yet taken the leap. You can do it! It takes hard work, knowledge, and a bit of stubbornness, but if you truly desire it, you can make it happen. Take care, and we’ll see you next time.
Remember Small Steps Get You Miles
Rick & Cat
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