Four months....
- Jan 9
- 4 min read
Hello friends and family,
Welcome back to the homestead. Oh, my goodness this past week has been crazy busy. I do want to say that yesterday was the 4-month anniversary of moving down here. It feels like we have been here longer. In other ways, it does not feel like we have been here that long.
We had to run to town twice this week. On Monday Rick had his doctor’s appointment with his new PCP. Obviously, he was not due for his annual wellness check, but we had to get a doc lined up for renewal of prescriptions. He also needed a referral to a cardiologist. The cardiologist can then refer him to an office that will monitor his pacemaker/icd. While we were out, we stopped into Walmart to pick up prescriptions, a few groceries and a garage can. Next stop was 412 Lumber. We had to pick up a board, lag screws and order our metal for the siding of the cabin.
On Wednesday, I had my appointment with the PCP. We had the same nurse and PCP. They were such great people. I was due for a wellness appointment. My vitals were great. I had to have blood tests and wait for my call to schedule the boob squeeze. Before the appointment, we dropped off trash, filled our water totes and stopped by the post office. There was a package waiting for us and finally got the kids’ Christmas presents mailed out. After the appointment, we may have had Sonic for lunch for the second time this week. Don’t say it. Then we had a hot date with the laundry mat. Off to Walmart again, we need another trash can and pick up more of Rick’s meds. The first trash can is to collect cold ash from our woodstove. This can be used in the garden or for our chickens when we get them. The other can is a temporary water holding station in order for us to take showers before we get the rain catchment and ibc totes up and running. By the time we got home we were exhausted.
In between all of that I have been working on my January skill goal for the month. The topic assigned by the group I joined was baking. I have a portable oven that sits on the woodstove or the propane stove. I have never used it until this month. Adjusting the temperature is going to take some time to learn. I didn’t do too bad. I made oreo cake, rustic biscuits, cookies and meatloaf. I need a new biscuit recipe. The cookie bar was a bit overdone. The other two turned out great. Unfortunately, more of my stuff is still packed in the blackhole, so I am limited to what I can bake right now. I will do my best to get some more baking in and hopefully become a pro with that oven. Eventually, we would like to add a bread oven to the outdoor kitchen, but that is way down the road. I am also following another woman who is doing canuary this month. Alls I can do is collect the recipes for now. All my canning stuff is…you guessed it…packed in the black hole.
Another project we have been working on is setting up our solar system. We decided to put the rack on our bathroom roof. We figured they would be safer up there. It would not take up valuable real estate on the ground. Lastly, you can’t see they are up there until you get to the side of the cabin. So, it helps with curb appeal. We also installed two 8-foot ground rods too. That was a bit of a challenge, but we got it done.
Yesterday morning we finally celebrated Christmas with our friends. It was so good to be together. Ate some good food and exchanged gifts. They gave us some cute light up Christmas sweatshirts. We got them some essential oils and an axe. We also got a delivery. Our metal and wood showed up. So, siding and facia is in our future. Keep an eye out for that update soon.
Today was an amazing day. It was supposed to rain, but it didn’t. It was cloudy and the sun came out. We literally were outside in t-shirts and jeans working on our solar in January. That is so amazing to us. We reached the high 60’s today. I love it. Tomorrow it is supposed to rain, but we will see. We do have a to do list if the weather cooperates. The cabin smells fantastic right now. I made banana pancakes with elderberry syrup and a side of ham steak. It is good to be back in the kitchen.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read our blog. We do this to update friends and family on our progress down here. We want them to feel that they are a part of it, even if they are not here. It is also a record for us on our accomplishments. Our second hope is to inspire others to follow their dreams or their projects they are stuck on. We gladly welcome your ideas and comments to help us on our journey. We also welcome guests. We can’t accommodate sleep overs until spring, but we do have a hotel that is 18 miles or so away.
Take care of yourselves. We will see you soon.
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