A Different Life II

[Lily&Me]

The crochet project I started before leaving on my summer adventure...about a 3.5 foot square at this point.

[Joannadannna]

This brief video reminded me of our earlier discussion on whether the times are a changin’ or we are. I think many of us can relate to it. https://www.facebook.com/healingghea...9412745263382/

[Msmoto]

Having been born in 1942, after seeing the video, thought someone must have followed me around. Absolutely right on IMO.

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by Msmoto

Having been born in 1942, after seeing the video, thought someone must have followed me around. Absolutely right on IMO.

^^^x2

Thanks for the video.

Peter

[mimiandrews]

Yep, I'm another one born in 1942. The video tells exactly how it was.

[Al and Missy]

x3


Shared


Al

[Lily&Me]

Just found out there is WiFi in one of the buildings here, so checking in.

Working on log structures in TN, we have been replacing rotted timbers, and I have been using two different types of saws, an axe, draw blade and a blade axe (?) as we cut, shape and carve out the oak replacements.

Others have been hoisting the structures up on jacks, this is the last week of a 4 week project at an 1850’s working farm with a half dozen or so original structures. They have mostly done to this point the complete reshingling of several roofs.

9 other volunteers besides me, about 5 of which are senior citizens, male and female.

Lily has been surrounded by animal lovers, getting plenty of attention and alerts us to animals in the woods...there are bobcats and coyotes here, plus lots of deer, in addition to the usual small creatures.

Weather has been mild, we are working hard outdoors and it has been thus far another great experience.


Maggie

[Lily&Me]

Project is completed, Lily and I are about halfway home.

99% of what our crew did this week was the preparing of 4 logs to replace rotted ones...stripping bark, splitting logs to size, sawing and chiseling out by hand notches of varying shapes and sizes.

I’ve taken my turn at cleaning off bark with a draw blade, sawing, hacking and splitting of logs, also done a lot of chisel and maul work.

It was a good week, and a great experience.

If I can get a picture to load...(and I can’t, not enough signal here.)

Maggie

[Lily&Me]

Some pictures...

[Lily&Me]

A few more...

[Hittenstiehl]

Very cool and honorable work. Good sense if accomplishment.

[mimiandrews]

Nice work! And very much done the old-fashioned way, as the cabin was originally built.

[Lily&Me]

Mostly the old fashioned way...there was some judicious use of power tools, tho all those notches were taken out by hand and chisel.

These logs were oak.

Maggie

[Lily&Me]

I woke in the night to a cold, wet nose on my cheek, Lily with her paws on the side of the bed and face-to-face with me...Mom, it’s storming and I’m scared, can I get in bed with you?!?!

So, she’s trembling and snuggled up close, and that’s the end of sleep for me.

Ahh, well, the price we pay for the love of a good dog.


I’ve cooked twice this week , once for Wednesday-lunch-with-son...I was wanting soft shell tacos, so cooked up a couple pounds of lean ground beef and added a bag of black beans that I had soaked and cooked.

The usual seasonings and a jar of good salsa mixed in...lunch for us, and six, 1 cup bags, vacuum sealed for the freezer. MRE’s for home or on the road in a couple of months.

I can’t help it, why cook for just one meal.


I also made a double batch of these cookies, most of the dough scooped out and going into the freezer like this for later, a-few-at-a-time, baking.

Doug and I called these “breakfast cookies”, and would frequently start out a trip with some in the galley for quick breakfasts our first few days out.

The recipe in my King Arthur Flour Cookbook calls for one cup of wheat flour and one cup of unbleached flour, and that’s what I use, coarse wheat flour.

I also use quick oats, rather than rolled.

The high fiber content of these counter a bit the fat and sugar, and one large cookie with a banana or orange juice is a great, reasonably nutritious, grab and go, breakfast.

https://www.kingarthurflour.com/reci...rispies-recipe


Now that travel has settled down for a bit, I am looking at a bit of cosmetic tidying up of the exterior of the new rig, and have an appointment on Saturday with the small shop repair guy who sealed my roof last fall.

There is paint peeling/degradation on the deep red hot water heater cover, outlet and fresh water covers, also on that narrow silver trim that graces both sides of the Interstate.

The trim is peel-and-stick, which I know because we had it replaced on the other, but tho it sounds simple it is not something I would take on myself.

He is not a “body shop”, per se, but can paint in his shop items that can be removed, so going to let him have a look and discuss it with him.

I liked him, and he seemed to have an excellent work ethic...important.

There is some of what looks like clear coat peeling on the rear bumpers of the new rig, which we didn’t have on the other.

I’m guessing it comes from it’s previous life in the Southwest, and it’s not as obvious on the silver as on the deep red, so I am not looking to take that on. I think it would be terribly expensive.

Taking the grands out for lunch tomorrow, and for a ride in the new rig, which they haven’t yet had. Sweet babies.


My 60lbs of grass seed I got down prior to the trip to TN is doing its thing, and where the red leaf maple roots were removed there is now a nice covering of new grass.

I’ve ordered firewood and scheduled the furnace servicing and chimney cleaning...fall is just around the corner.

Maggie

[Lily&Me]

Happy National Coffee Day!

I am celebrating with a Starbucks, on a break from choring the little house.

It is a cool, rainy and fall-ish day, so I am cooking and cleaning out the garage.

I am a very good housekeeper, but a garage slob.

Having neither basement nor attic, my garage is the repository for all those things that would go into those places...in addition to several days cache of firewood thru the winter.

I sweep it up periodically, but only clean it when I am moved to do so...I don’t live out there, after all.

Son’s shop vac having been borrowed, I am doing it today. Trash is picked up on Monday, so in conjunction with the weather this is the perfect time.


The Interstate is tucked among semis awaiting service at Peterbilt...their body shop can do the needed painting, also install a proper coach battery for me. I’m hoping to get another short trip in before I have to winterize, but this is a priority before winter sets in.


Have been choring and “ridding out” in the little house this week...moving appliances and furniture to clean, piling particularly unused clothing to go to Goodwill.

Raised by an incredibly frugal and economical, depression era mother, it is very hard for me to get rid of anything that is still good, but I look around and think to myself “if I don’t get rid of some of this stuff, eventually my children will have to.”

I consider things that go to Goodwill as “recycling”, sometimes because I have purchased an upgrade , the same as household items stashed and passed on to young family members setting up in their own apartments.

If they can be used by someone, they must be kept until relegated in an item-appropriate manner.


I had lunch with a friend earlier this week, she and her husband on the countdown for a trip to Paris in October...which they got for $1500.00 for the two of them, airfare and a week in a hotel.

Makes me want to travel...the south of France, Spain and Italy are still on my wish list. I will be 70 next year, a small tattoo may be in the offing, and perhaps a trip.

I’m not getting any younger.


Have this recipe simmering on my stove, and I think it will be delicious particularly over rice, tho I am going to try it over yellow grits, as recommended.

I used all beef broth, instead of the red wine, and am simmering rather than baking...

[Lily&Me]

Down to my last candle , I made some more..

Rose with lavender.

[farafield]

Originally Posted by Lily&Me

A few more...

That is so cool Maggie! I hope I can do something like that some day. There is an organization that renovates historical buildings — maybe what you joined there—that are in beautiful locations. Enjoying the rest of your thread. Happy trails! Kim

[farafield]

Originally Posted by Lily&Me

Down to my last candle , I made some more..



Rose with lavender.

Rose and lavender! Heavenly! The best!

[Al and Missy]

Originally Posted by Lily&Me

Happy National Coffee Day!

I am celebrating with a Starbucks, on a break from choring the little house.

It is a cool, rainy and fall-ish day, so I am cooking and cleaning out the garage.

I am a very good housekeeper, but a garage slob.

... deleted so as not to get me motivated.....

Have this recipe simmering on my stove, and I think it will be delicious particularly over rice, tho I am going to try it over yellow grits, as recommended.

I used all beef broth, instead of the red wine, and am simmering rather than baking...

Maggie - This sounds so good! I had low country shrimp and grits once that was soooooo good and then several times later - not so much. This sounds like the sauce to make it with!


Thanks!


Al

[Lily&Me]

Thank you, Kim.

I really enjoyed the HistoriCorps projects, and am looking forward to practicing my new skills in different locations next year.

I’ll be interested to see if the to/from expenses give me any kind of a tax break, but I also had unusual medical expenses this year, so maybe...

One of the young women I met doing the wellhouse in August has sent me a couple of post cards since, and the last one states she is working on an old schoolhouse near Vail, Colorado this month.

That means camping in a tent for a week, working the project during the day...good for her, a great thing for a young person to be participating in.

Wish I could be there, but traveling to/from Colorado in October is not doable, and I think particularly risky in terms of bad weather potential.

There will be others next year...

Maggie