In the evenings, we unwind with a late supper while enjoying some episodes of The Waltons. Rick often takes naps daily; when he needs rest, he can't ignore it. Cat usually finds something quiet to do, but you know how it goes—trying to be quiet often leads to unintended noise.
Recently, Cat had the pleasure of attending a dairy class at our friend Brenda's house, organized by the Benton County Homesteaders group. Although we don’t reside in that county, they graciously welcome anyone interested in joining their community. During the class, we learned to make sour cream, butter, cottage cheese, farmer's cheese, cream cheese, and yogurt. The recipes were surprisingly simple, but the highlight was definitely the taste testing and the camaraderie with other ladies. Everyone was eager to share information and ask for advice when needed. Cat stayed to chat with Brenda, wishing she could linger longer, but she had to return to check on Rick and see what mischief he might be up to.
The remainder of this blog won't follow a chronological order; instead, it will be organized by topic. To continue working on our projects, we needed to dig through some items stored in the conex. Cat told Rick, "This is it—we're taking everything out and organizing it!" we were tired of not being able to find things, and we were wasting hours rummaging through boxes. So, we had no choice but to tackle the mess. In true organizer fashion, Cat made labels and taped them to the tarps, marking categories like electrical, plumbing, and kitchen. It took some time to unload everything, but it wasn't too bad. The real challenge was putting it all back in.
We set up all the available shelves, and Cat took the lead on organizing while Rick helped move things around. Progress was steady, and she managed to get my canning supplies up on the shelf, just in time for the upcoming season. We also found the slides for the refrigerator shelf and located the yard art Cat had been eager to decorate with. As the day wore on, we realized we wouldn’t finish everything. Cat managed to box up all the kitchen items, and we found boxes for potential decorations as well. Eventually, we had to start throwing everything back into the conex. It was much improved inside, but her inner organizer was still restless. We emptied a lot of boxes, which found a temporary home on our trailer.
Later that week, Rick broke down all the boxes and removed the tape, storing them under a tarp. They’re ready for our food forest project to resume. Due to all the organizing, both the conex and the camper became a chaotic mess. Cat spent a couple of days in them while Rick worked on our projects. All of the survival gear was put into a large blue tote we acquired for free, pushing it to the back of the conex along with other items we won’t need for a while. We did bring in anything that had a place for it. The rest were sorted into three boxes: cast iron, small appliances and larger gadgets, and all the little stuff. Anything meant for the outdoor kitchen went to the camper.
Next, she tackled decor, separating kitchen decorations from those intended for the rest of the main part of the cabin. We had already downsized significantly back in Michigan for our massive garage sale, but it became clear we needed to declutter even more. As she sorted, Cat began pairing down again, placing them into separate boxes. We hope to host a barter meet with the community and have reached out to gauge interest.
The camper was in disarray; she could barely open the door! For now, the inside and outside of the camper will serve as our temporary outdoor kitchen until we can build a proper one next year. It’s also being used for extra non-perishable foods, paper products, winter clothing, camping gear, and a drying room for herbs. Cat spent a few hours organizing everything, but there were still two areas She hadn’t reached: under the bed and the belly of the camper. We tackled the belly yesterday, and Cat plans to address the rest soon.
Now, let’s talk about the gardens. As you may know, we’ve been facing drought and unseasonably warm weather, which has taken a toll on our plants. With limited funds for compost and garden soil, we did our best with what we had. Cat had been collecting seeds for some time, so we scattered them in the dirt and hoped for the best, also purchasing a few plants along the way. Things are start to grow and some items we have started to harvest.
Unfortunately, weather forecasts can be quite unreliable, making it difficult to plan anything. We simply try to fit projects in whenever possible.
Now, for the moment you’ve all been waiting for—the cabin build! Rick has been hard at work, striving to accomplish as much as he can. He’s making the most of the materials we have on hand and even getting a bit creative along the way. The countertops have been tiled, grouted, and sealed, and the backsplash is up. The sink is installed, though we still need to apply silicone, which requires a trip to the store. He’s also installed the lazy Susan, the fridge drawer, and the shelf above it, along with two spice cabinets and a knife rack. Additionally, the water heater and pump are in place, meaning we officially have running water inside the cabin. We just need to hook up the propane to the water heater, but we have a few purchases left to make for that. It’s wonderful to have a mostly functional kitchen, even if it’s a bit crowded on the counter. Once all the shelves and drawers are in, that should change. Rick has truly done an amazing job.
Yesterday, we dismantled a bunch of pallets, which will be repurposed for the cupboard doors. They’re going to look fantastic! If you haven’t noticed, we aren’t high-end people; we love rustic and functional designs. We enjoy reimagining things. Just wait until you see what we use to support the shelves we’re putting on the walls. It’s a process that takes time, but progress is being made. We just have to be patient. In the meantime, there are plenty of little tasks that need attention—things that break or require fixing. There’s never a dull moment here; no two days are the same. We love it here and wouldn’t change a thing. We’re proud of everything we’ve accomplished in the past eight months. We do miss our family and friends and can’t wait for them to come down and experience it all. We hope they feel as proud of us as we are of ourselves.
We'll be back in Michigan for a week in August, though we don’t have the exact dates yet; it all depends on our grandson. Reach out to us, and we’ll do our best to arrange a visit.
Remember Small Steps Get You Miles
Rick & Cat
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