New house

The last three weeks we have slowly been arranging and unpacking our things in the house across the street from where we once lived.  This was the grandparents home and it is now ours.  We sold our house as is and got enough to pay off the mortgage and just a tiny bit more.  The week our house sold, I got laid off from my wonderful paying full time job with a major company.  I did receive a good severance package and great references to a couple of agencies.  One has already called me, but I explained that the house had sold and I needed some time to get myself together.  She understood completely.  Looks like it may take one more week to get myself arranged and then I will to in for an appointment.  Erin and I have talked about opening an Etsy shop as well.  We have bounced a few ideas back and forth and I imagine it will be a sewing centered shop.  Napkins, tablecloths, some simple dresses and aprons to start.  Since I used to sew professionally, I already own a serger and two sewing machines.  I sill have bolts of fabric that can be used.  I am going to teach Ashlee and Erin to sew and we will be on our way.  Technically I could retire at this point, but my social security would be reduced forever if I did.  So, I will continue doing at least something.

Today we planted tomatoes in large pots.  I have laid out my plan for the new garden and I have seeds.

quote.

It is easier to raise strong children than it is to repair broken men.

hmm

There is no going back......you can only move forward.  A phrase from a movie I watched tonight but relevant.

In the last 10 years I have evolved.  A more colorful and vibrant in your face me I guess.

November

It is November and it is snowing in Tulsa.  They say we will not get much and we will be having a warm up next week finally.  You can tell it is November in another way.  The city is once again starting to dig up people's yards and replace pipe for new water lines and I think AT&T cable.  I just can't  understand why they always do it in the winter.  Mud for the holidays once again.

Built a house for the outdoor cat to stay warm in this winter and a couple of weeks later I made one out of a tote and some Styrofoam for the stray cat.  My cat can't make up his mind which one he likes best.

stuff

Have been meaning to get back on here and write about a couple of things recently.

First off, I understand that the past election had one of the smallest turnouts in history......tsk,,,tsk...shame on those of you that did not vote.  I went through the grocery check out line Tuesday evening with my daughter and asked the clerk if she had voted..she is a older lady like me and she quite truthfully replied that no, she did not vote because she did not see any point in it, she knew her side would lose.  Of course this is the state of Oklahoma, idiot conservative, not climate change believing twits but I understood how she felt.  The point is that if all of those people that think there is really no point in voting were to actually go and vote we might change some things.  Think about it.

Second, I just read a facebook post about the Air Force using a training manual from DOD that says that farmers and people that grow their own food are considered as undesirable, terrorist almost from what I was reading.  Now I descend from a very long line of farmers that I can actually trace back to the 1600's so this is not going to sit well at my house.  When they come to raze my garden I will meet them with a broom and claim witches right to my magical garden because it is part of my religion......thank you Hobby Lobby for something at least.

Most likely will be moving in the spring to the house across the street, a grand adventure for all.

Most of my off time is spent in the garden or doing yard work these days.  During the summer my housework suffers severely.  But I think I will have time to make peasant bread today.  It is a wonderful no knead bread that I found at "Alexandria's kitchen" blog.

Mowed the backyard and filled up the dog pool for Molly this morning.  Found my first ripe tomato....  one of the Goliath's.  I have half a dozen cucumbers ready to pick as well, and there are new potatoes under the volunteer potato vines.  I finally pulled the lettuce, spinach and broccoli out as it is finally too hot for them anymore.  Planted carrots to begin the summer season.  I am over whelmed with green beans also.  I may have to start canning them.

I have the materials to make a great trellis if I can just decide where I want it and I have started using wood chips as mulch this year.

Tomatoes

Looks like this one will be ripe in about a week.  I planted 5 kinds of tomatoes this year.  The one pictured is a Super Fantastic which is a hybrid variety.  I also planted Goliath (heirloom) and Red Beefsteak (heirloom) Sweet Cherry 100  (garden favorite for me) and Celebrity, which is a bush tomato which I will never grow again regardless of how well it does.  I found out Monsanto owns the rights to it, so no matter how good it does or is, this will be it's one and only year.  It has been a fantastic year so far for gardening in Oklahoma.  Have not had to water for the last 3 weeks and things are just shooting up.  Need to mow more than once a week at this point.  The bugs are off schedule too.