SimplyForties

Coping With Inflation on Big Ticket Items

2009-10-26T08:00:00.001-04:00

This is a guest post by Mr Credit Card from http://www.askmrcreditcard.com/, which is an online credit card review site. Today, Mr Credit Card is actually going to veer off from his usual credit card topic and write a post about coping with "inflationary expenses". If you are looking to get a credit card, please check out his best credit card deals and offers section on his site.

There are some things that just keep going down in prices. Computers, for example, keep getting cheaper every year. If they do not get cheaper, then at least they have more processing power. Same goes with most electronic gears. But most other items just seem to keep getting more expensive. Some of these items make up the bulk of our big purchases in our lives (or at least are on-going expenses). How do we cope with them or at least mitigate their rise in price every year?

But first, let's explore some of the things that simply keep rising (at least most of the time).

Things that just keep going up in prices

House Prices and Rent - This is one of the biggest concerns when you are younger. Can you afford to buy a home. This becomes a factor especially when you are planning to get married. According to statistics, house prices (over the very very long run) have appreciated about 2-3% a year. But prior to the crash housing prices were rising 5% to 10% a year in different markets.

If this was 2005 and you were a young couple, how do you cope with runaway prices? Not much you can do except to rent and save and wait for the right opportunity (which may be now).

Gasoline prices - We have seen the days when oil was $20 a barrel and gas prices was ridiculously low. But with a weak currency, we may be in a period where oil prices stay high.

Food - Ever noticed that the cereal makers increased the prices of cereals in 2008 (or they gave less amounts in the same box)? What was the reason they cited? High commodity prices. But ever since 2009 when commodity prices collapsed, the prices of cereals have not changed. Kelloggs was quick to raise prices but somehow when corn prices decline dramatically, you do not hear these same companies lowering prices! Hence, food prices will always be rising no matter what.

Cost of college education - The cost of college education continues to defy expectations. While the so-called official consumer price index is about 3% a year, the inflation of college education cost runs about 5% to 7% a year. And it shows no sign of stopping even in this recession. This presents a huge burden to couples with kids. The amount that you have to set aside just to fund your kids college education is simply unreal!

Travel - Ever noticed that taking a vacation is always more expensive? Airline prices keep increasing because of "oil prices"? Mergers between different carriers also mean that the airline industry here is becoming more like an oligopoly. Hence, prices are pretty sticky. Remember why the Motel Chain used to be called 6? Because, they charged (or at least used to) $6 a night. Those days are long gone!

Medical Cost - We all know that medical costs are increasing. But for seniors that are planning for retirement, medical cost isn't just the issue. The real issue is the increasing cost of long term care. The insurance industry has done studies to show that there is a good chance that a senior person will at least visit or need a long term care facility at least once in their life time. Yet, the cost are really staggering - ranging anywhere from $150 to $250 a day. The rate of inflation of long term care cost is about or higher than 5%!

How to combat inflation in these areas?

There are various things you can do to help with with these expenditures that I mentioned above. Let's start with housing prices. There is nothing much you can do if you are in a super housing bull market or a bear market. But you certainly be grounded and not buy something you cannot afford, not taking silly adjustable mortgages, making sure you put a substantial down payment (at least 20%). And if you cannot afford to buy a house, just keep renting. Or you could find a really cheap place to live and maybe even buy a premade log cabin!.

You can dramatically reduce the cost of food prices by making extensive use of coupons. Use both manufacturer's coupons and stacking with store coupons are a great way to save on grocery and food shopping. Most grocery coupons are available in your Sunday newspapers so make sure you get a copy. To top it up, you should consider getting a cash back rewards credit card to help you save more money. You could do what Mary does and have your own vegetables garden and get your own fresh eggs.

When it comes to gasoline prices, I think the most important thing is to actually buy a fuel efficient car and buy one that just fits your needs. Another thing is to make sure you fill her up with the right type of gasoline. Many cars require just regular gasoline but many folks insist on using "premium gasoline". Different cars also have different insurance cost. You can bet that a BMW is more expensive to insure than a Toyota Corolla. You can also consider using a gas rebate credit card to help you earn rebates at the pump.

If you have kids, there is really not much you can do in terms of college inflation. You could hope your kid gets a sports scholarship and you should definitely work on getting scholarships. But like retirement savings, you could start early by contributing regularly to a college 529 plan. When you reach your fifties, you could also consider purchasing a long term care insurance plan as well to hedge against the event that you have to end up in a nursing home in your old age.

Lastly, we all like to travel. But travel cost seems to go up every year. How do you hedge against this? To be honest, there's not a whole lot you can do. The folks in the time share business will tell you that buying a time share is the best thing because you lock in a low cost and you can "exchange vacation spots". But in all honesty, this is what I think you can do to save on your travel expenses.

Firstly, you can fly just a couple of airlines so you can earn air miles with just one or two frequent flier programs and get free flights once in while. Try to stay in the same chain of hotel as well since you can earn frequent guest points and get other discounts. Learn when is the best time to book flights and understand the seasonality of booking cheap tickets. Obviously, you can also get an airline credit card that lets you earn frequent flier miles. Or you can make hiking trips and travel by a trailer.

To sum up - Personal finance gurus like David Bach have started this whole concept of not buying starbucks coffee and what it can save you. But to be honest, a cup of coffee is really a small expense. The items that I just mentioned are much bigger (or more costly) items and focusing on handling their cost inflation would be much more productive for your own personal finance.

Beat Credit Card Debt - 10 Tips

2009-10-23T08:00:00.002-04:00

This is a guest post by Mirsad Hasic who is the webmaster and editor of http://www.think-creditcards.com where you will get tips and advice on different types of credit cards, debt control, credit monitoring and more. He is also regularly contributing with guest posts on other blogs as well where he shares his knowledge within the finance area.

It all started out as such a beautiful romance. That credit card felt as if it had been created just for your hand and the two of you went everywhere together. You could depend on it to cover the cost of whatever happened to catch your eye. A new suit? A $500 pair of Jimmy Choo shoes? A vacation at the ski slopes? Why not? After all, the magical connection between you and your platinum-plated sweetheart is not to be denied. However, all good things do come to an end and it’s time to face the music and take stock of your financial situation. You are now looking at some serious credit card debt and it is time to create a plan that can get you out of the deep, murky waters before you drown.

Here are 10 tips you can use to free yourself from credit card debt that really work.

• You need to get out the scissors and start cutting those plastic passes to debtor's prison into tiny little shreds. You only need one credit card that you can use for identification and necessary purchases. If you continue getting calls and letters offering pre-approved credit cards don't fall into the trap again. Say "no" to the salesmen and shred the mail as soon as you get these "come hither" messages.

• Remember that just because you are destroying the credit cards you do not have to close all of the accounts. You might need a couple of open accounts to maintain your good credit rating. If you are already having problems with your credit rating you should close the accounts when you shred the cards. One open and active credit account is enough for you to handle and you still need to pay the other balances off as well.

• Leave your credit cards and checkbook at home when you go to the store. Take only enough money to cover the purchases that you absolutely have to make. Having access to additional funds only makes it more likely that you will make some impulse buys while you are out and about. If you see something that you absolutely must buy, take a deep breath and walk away. Allow yourself a 72 hour cooling off period and then go back and look at the item once more. Chances are it will not seem nearly as impressive the second time you see it.

• Remember that the ATM machine is not your personal cash cow. A cash advance courtesy of your ever available credit card will keep you in debt for a very long period of time. You may not have known it but the interest begins to mount on these cash advances the second those $20 bills start spurting from the ATM machine. If you think the APR on normal credit purchases is high, take a second look at the interest rate that is tacked on to credit card cash.• Instead of making minimum monthly payments you should at least pay double the amount that is shown on your statement. Paying even more money will help you cut your credit card debt even faster. Make bi-monthly payments if this makes it easier, but stay ahead of those minimum amounts at all costs.

• Do not use your credit cards for small purchases such as fast food meals, sodas, magazines and snacks. The interest you are going to be charged can result in the same financial hit to your bank account as if you had paid triple the going rate for these purchases. Is that Mickey D soy burger really worth $3.50 of your hard earned dollars?

• Curtail those shopping habits! Make a budget and keep track of all of your daily spending. This will help you discover the ways to stop unnecessary spending. The money you save can be used to chip away at your credit card balances.

• Get a copy of your credit history and look at of your outstanding debts. Then categorize them into groups. Separate the largest balances, the smallest balances and those debts with the highest interest rates. Begin with the highest interest rate balances and commit yourself to paying them off one at a time. When you finish with this group move on to the smaller balances and pay them off the same way and then you are free to concentrate on the bigger balances that you owe. Slow and steady payments will get you out of the credit card debt that has you trapped at the present time.

• Forget the grace periods and get your payments in on time so that your credit card providers will not add late fees and penalties to the balance each month. One late payment that is only 24-48 hours overdue can result in your being assessed an additional $35-$75 or more.

• Beware of the convenience of making credit card payments over the phone because that can mean an additional $10 that you are paying each month. Stick to online banking, pay the amount in person at your local bank or just use snail mail to deliver the money. If you choose regular mail for your payments allow plenty of time for the check to reach its destination and be processed before the payment due date arrives.

Carnival of Money Stories, Autumn Edition

2009-10-19T23:39:00.000-04:00

Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns. ~George Eliot

While spring is frequently thought of as a time of growth and change, fall is the time for recharging our batteries. It's a time to hunker down, contemplate our place and plan for the future. Are you where you want to be financially? Perhaps the slower pace of fall will give you the time you need to decide on the changes that will get you where you would like to be. Hopefully reading this week's submissions will give you some ideas!

Budgeting

The Financial Blogger has some Tips on Budgeting for a Wedding. Hopefully you can enjoy your special day without having to spend the rest of your life paying for it!

"Vacations are Expensive, Should We Go or Stay?", is the question being asked at Gather Little by Little. Although I disagree with his premise that people in this country have a feeling of entitlement about vacations (Europeans take a lot more vacations than Americans do), I certainly agree that you'd better be able to afford that vacation before you pack your bags!

Money Management

Darwin's Finances gives us the benefit of the lessons he learned at his father's knee, so to speak, with Money Habits to Live By. Sometimes it's good to get a refresher of the basics!

I generally decline to do an Editor's Pick when I host a carnival but this week The Amateur Financier gets my nod for his well-written, entertaining story about, “What Christmas Ornaments Taught Me About Money”. Good job AF!

Falling a little close to home, The Smarter Wallet also gets an Editor's Pick with “How Baby Boomers Can Earn Extra Income”. More fall out from the economic crises.

Life Excursion learned what “living to your income” means and has decided that regardless of his income he needs to live as he did when he was in college. He now believes Living Off the College Mean is the way to go. I think that may be taking frugality a bit far but good for him if he can do it!

Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn. ~Elizabeth Lawrence

Shopping

Did you ever have a bad case of buyer's remorse? Budgets are Sexy does. In My Worst Buyer's Remorse Story, he reveals that he regrets buying a house. It's a good lesson. Regardless of what we constantly hear, home ownership is not the right choice for everyone!

Are you shopping for a good rental car deal? Christian PF was and got a heck of deal. He's sharing How to Get The Best Price on a Rental Car. If you're willing, putting in the time can really pay off.

The Digerati Life is giving us some options in, “Green Living: Ways to Recycle and Buy Used”. It's always good to look at all possibilities.

Housing

Having trouble getting a re-fi? The Dough Roller can relate and shares 7 Lessons Learned from a Failed Attempt to Refinance a Mortgage. Tough lessons!

Drawing a possibly controversial conclusion, Evolution of Wealth finishes the tale of Bob or Jim? What's your take?

I trust in Nature for the stable laws Of beauty and utility. Spring shall plant And Autumn garner to the end of time. - Robert Browning

Investing

Money Blue Book is taking a look at E*Trade, with whom he has been a long-time customer.

Business

On the Internet Business Blog we are urged to expand our universe and think outside the box in terms of our future career choices.

Credit

In what is unfortunately an all to common occurrence, Ask Mr. Credit Card relates a tale of poor customer service in “Sister Act”. What's happening out there?

Are you getting all those Change of Terms notices from your credit card companies? CashMoneyLife answers a reader's question about an escalating interest rate in “What Should I Do?”

Youth is like spring, an over- praised season more remarkable for biting winds than genial breezes. Autumn is the mellower season, and what we lose in flowers we more than gain in fruits. - Samuel Butler

Other

Quite Worrying About 80% of Your Life, says Frugal Green, who references the Pareto Principal in his article about focusing on what's really important in your life. You know the expression, “Don't sweat the small stuff”? That in a nutshell, is the point!

While drawing no conclusions, Free Money Finance tells the story of A Real-Life Financial Meltdown. It's a tale of poor choices made during the economic downturn. Hope it's not your story!

Baker over at Man vs. Debt has a vlog post on Dave Ramsey's evangelical approach to financial management. Baker is asking “Is Christianity the Only Path to True Financial Peace?” His video essay dealing with this topic is interesting and based on the high number of comments he received, thought- provoking to his readers.

“Is Capitalism Always the Answer?”, asks The Happy Rock, in an excellent and also thought-provoking article. He got some predictable, “you've lost me as a reader” comments but also some good intellectual responses, including one which argues that the ability to choose your path is a feature of a capitalistic society. I have to say I agree. I doubt his good readers will leave him.

That's it for this week folks. I hope you enjoy the articles mentioned here. If your article was included, don't forget to link to the carnival from your site and promote it on whatever social networking avenues you frequent.

Did your perfectly reasonable, well written article not make it? It probably was not written in any sort of narrative voice and therefore was not a story. Try again next week by submitting your best story on a money related topic here!

It's Time for Trees!

2009-10-07T08:00:00.006-04:00

This article was written for me by the manager of Stadler Nurseries in Maryland and Virginia. She will be writing monthly article here on SimplyForties and I couldn't be happier!

The state of Maryland, where I live, has embarked on an ambitious 2-year program to plant one million trees by 2011. In conjunction with this, a program was instituted earlier this year to encourage state residents to plant more trees by offering a $25 rebate for each tree planted from an extensive list of native trees. The goal is to get private citizens to plant 50,000 trees by 2010. The name of this program is Marylanders Plant Trees, not a very catchy name I know, but the idea is a good one.

As noted on the program website, http://www.trees.maryland.gov/, “forests are our most strategically important natural resource. Trees protect water quality, clean our air and provide wildlife habitat. One large tree can eliminate 5,000 gallons of stormwater runoff each year, and well placed trees can help reduce energy costs by 15 to 35 percent. Trees also enhance our quality of life, beautifying neighborhoods and highways, providing sound barriers and shade, and helping increase property values.”

In these days when so many people are concerned about climate change and looking for ways to offset their carbon footprint, increasing this country’s tree canopy can play a major role in this goal.

We all contribute to global warming when we do things like heat and cool our homes, drive our cars, and fly on airplanes. The good news is that there are many things each of us as individuals, can do to reduce our carbon emissions. The choices we make in our homes, our travel, the food we eat, and what we buy and throw away all influence our carbon footprint and can help ensure a stable climate for future generations.

Trees are "carbon sinks." They absorb carbon dioxide from the air and use it as their energy source, producing oxygen for us to breathe. Reforestation is the most cost-effective means of offsetting carbon emissions. A tree can remove and store up to 7,000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime. A tree that shades a house can reduce the energy required to run the air conditioner and save an additional 200 to 2,000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime.

According to the USDA Forest Service, "Trees properly placed around buildings can reduce air conditioning needs by 30% and can save 20-50% in energy used for heating."

Did you know:

You'll save money if your air conditioner draws air from a cool, shaded area? One large shade tree can reduce the surrounding air temperature by as much as 9° F. Plant a tree to shade the area around and over your air conditioner, but be sure to keep the air intake area clear of branches.

More home energy is lost from windows than walls? Locate your trees to specifically shade windows. Plant a tree east or southeast of east-facing windows; south, southeast or southwest of south-facing windows; or west or southwest of west-facing windows.

Trees can also save energy in cold weather? Planting a windbreak will lower the wind chill near your home, which can greatly lower heating costs. A windbreak is a single row or multiple rows of dense evergreen trees planted on the north and northwest side of your house (or the side with prevailing winter winds). The windbreak should be longer than the area to be protected. Extend the windbreak to the east side of the house, if space permits.

"A well-designed landscape not only adds beauty to your home, it reduces your heating and cooling costs. On average, landscaping for energy efficiency provides enough energy savings to return an initial investment in less than 8 years." - US Dept Energy

Do you have space in your yard to plant a tree or two or three? Encourage your state legislation to institute a program like the one we have here in Maryland. The positive results from planting trees will benefit our neighborhoods, our states, our country and our world. This is the perfect time of year so get out there and get planting!

Cheryl lives with her husband and their three cats in a 100-year-old house in the beautiful state of Maryland. She has a degree in horticulture from the University of Maryland and has been the manager of Stadler Nurseries in Maryland and Virginia for over 20 years. Become a fan of Stadler Nurseries on Facebook to find out what's going on in the garden world!

Too Many Bills or Not Enough Income?

2009-09-24T08:00:00.001-04:00

If you've been with me awhile you know that I used to write frequently on the subject of personal finance. I've broadened my scope lately but this guest post by Tisha Tolar brings me back to my roots! Thanks Tisha!

Any consumer operating their personal finances without a budget is likely missing out on a lot of valuable information about their financial security. Without a budget, not only are consumers not sure if they have too many expenses, they are also in doubt about their income. Not knowing if you make enough money from your job can be detrimental to your financial future because it is likely your expenses will keep increasing while your income stays the same. This is certainly not a situation you want to find yourself in if you are already living paycheck to paycheck.

By establishing a budget, you will get a great visual of what exactly is going on in your life. If you are often short of cash and find it hard to meet all of your financial obligations each month, a budget can help you get back on track and see where you are lacking. One area where you may be lacking is at work. Many debtors mistakenly think that by cutting back on expenses, they can make ends meet more easily. However, after establishing a budget, those debtors soon realize it is in the income department where they are falling short.

Too Little Income

Analyzing your income is important. Since many people work to support their financial needs and not just for fun, it can be devastating to learn that you are not making enough money to support yourself. For people who are not particularly forward, asking for an increase in pay can be hard, but it is a necessary evil. Check out the Department Labor for your area and find out what the average salary rate is for the job title that most closely resembles what you do at work. If your salary comes in under the average for your region, consider talking to your boss about a raise.

Before scheduling an appointment to discuss an increase, you should ensure that your work performance does merit a better salary. If you can honestly say that you give your job 100%, go in to the boss prepared to stick to your guns. If your employer is not going to grant you higher pay, it may be time to consider a new job. When you secure a job interview, keep the salary figure that works with your budget in the back of your mind. While money is only one factor to consider when accepting a new job, do not just accept any offer for money. Be ready to negotiate based on the amount you need to meet your financial obligations each month. Since you've established a budget and done your salary research, you should have a much clearer idea of what you should be bringing home, which will make living on your paycheck a much more comfortable situation.

Too Many Bills

Part of the process of creating a budget is tracking how much money you are spending. By having a list of all the money you are putting out each month on one sheet of paper, you may be surprised to see how much you are really spending. You should begin to understand immediately why you never have any extra cash to put in the bank. Start prioritizing what expenses are necessities (electricity, mortgage) and which can be eliminated (cable, dining out). A good budget is always a work in process so you should keep on ditching what is not feasible for your financial security each month. A good budget is also a reasonable one. You should be able to deduce which bills can be lowered or eliminated completely and create a plan to eliminate unnecessary debts as fast as possible.

Tisha Tolar is a writer for DebtFreeDestiny.com, where she provides information about credit card consolidation, debt relief and how to get out of debt.

If you'd like to guest post on SimplyForties, drop me a line!

Buckeye Chickens: Ode to a Heritage Breed

2009-09-22T09:52:00.008-04:00

(One of the grand dames of the flock. Note her pale legs.)

When I first decided to get chickens I wanted what I refer to as a "boutique" flock; several different breeds, chosen for how much I liked their look. It's a fun way to indulge an interest in chickens and it makes it a lot easier to tell the birds apart! I also wanted a free-range flock. I soon discovered that some breeds are better at free-ranging than others. In Texas I realized, with the birds I had chosen and the area where I lived, that wasn't ever going to be possible.

When I moved to Virginia I took a little more scientific approach to choosing a breed. I decided what traits were important to me and began to do my research into which breed would best fill my need. Along the way I discovered heritage breeds. Commercial food production requires animals that can be brought to market quickly in a strictly controlled environment. Not all animals thrive under those conditions and the traits that make them unique are being bred out in favor of those that better suit commercial requirements. As an example, the ability and inclination to successfully forage for their feed, mate naturally, sit on a nest of eggs until hatch and raise babies are not important characteristics in a commercial setting. Meeting the requirements for commercial egg and meat production has resulted in the extinction and near-extinction of many of the individual breeds of chickens and other livestock that used to be commonplace. Genetic diversity is critical for the continuation of our food supply and as we lose genetic diversity, we lose our ability to adapt to environmental changes.

Heritage breeds, as defined by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy, are Standard breeds of chickens as defined by the American Poultry Association that are naturally mating, long-lived, and slow growing. The ALBC maintains a list of endangered livestock breeds and I decided that I wanted to be part of saving a critically endangered breed of chicken. I wanted birds that could successfully free-range and were good predators but still fairly friendly and easy to handle. I wanted dual-purpose birds, meaning good for meat as well as eggs. I also wanted larger birds that were fairly self-sufficient. Through my research I discovered the Buckeye.

Buckeyes were developed by Mrs. Nettie Metcalf of Warren, Ohio, and appropriately named after the "Buckeye State." Buckeyes are unique in the American Class of chickens in that it is the only breed created entirely by a woman. Mrs. Metcalf started by breeding a Buff Cochin male to Barred Plymouth Rock females. This produced what she considered a large, lazy fowl. The next year she purchased a Black-Breasted Red Game male and crossed this male over the half cochin pullets. This cross produced several red offspring and from there she developed the breed. It is interesting to note that her creation predated the introduction of Rhode Island Reds into the mid-west. In 1902 Mrs. Metcalfe exhibited a pair in the Cleveland, Ohio poultry show as Buckeyes. In color the Buckeye is unique. The color of the Buckeye is darker than that of the original Rhode Island Red (later, the Rhode Island Red was bred for a shade of color even darker than the Buckeye). The Buckeye has a slate colored bar in the undercolor (fluff) of its back; the Rhode Island Red’s feathers should be red to the skin. Both breeds share the trait of tight feathering – unique in the American Class of poultry.

(One of the cockerells looking, well, cocky! These guys were born in May. He's got rooster written all over him!)

Buckeyes also have a personality all their own. They are a very active fowl and are noted for being especially vigilant in the pursuit of mice, some breeders comparing them to cats in regard to this ability. They tend to have very little fear of humans and are possibly too friendly, although some males may show a little aggression during breeding season. They also seem to lack the tendency to feather-pick each other. The males emit a full range of sounds beyond those typical of many other chicken breeds, including a dinosaur-like roar! These birds sounded like just the breed I'd been seeking.

Now that I'd found my breed I had to find some birds. People with mixed flocks tend to produce mixed offspring, either accidentally or intentionally in an effort to come up with new colors and configurations. I wanted to buy from someone who was interested in breed conservation and had been breeding to further the traits that are unique to the Buckeye. During my search I came across the ALBC's breeder directory and contacted a couple of breeders within easy travel distance. One of the breeders I contacted just happened to be the Research and Technical Programs Manager for ALBC. I knew she was taking the breed seriously! After corresponding for several weeks she hooked me up with another Buckeye breeder whose flock she had recently evaluated. They set some birds aside for me so now I just had to collect them.

(Checking out the new digs.)

I scrambled to get the chicken side of my poultry building ready and made arrangements to pick up my new flock, which was located about an hour south of Greensboro, NC. The Central Carolina Fair was taking place in Greensboro last week so I stopped by on my way down. I arrived at 4:00 pm to find nine beautiful, healthy birds waiting for me. Two immature roosters, which are called cockerels, three immature hens, which are called pullets and four laying hens expressed their displeasure at being pulled out of their pens and loaded into the back of my car. We arrived back at the farm at 9:00 pm. I pulled the chickens out of my "car coop" and into their new home, locked the door and left them to settle in.

Even though I've only had them a couple of days, I'm convinced I made the right decision. I spent a good deal of time with them yesterday, fine-tuning the coop setup and found them curious and alert as opposed to nervous and flighty. None of the birds displayed any signs of aggression towards me and soon settled down, keeping an eye on me, and went about their chicken business.

I'll keep them in their coop for about a week to ensure they identify it as "home" before turning them out to free-range during the day. The guineas will follow suit in a few weeks. It'll be interesting to see how they interact!

(Eyeing a watermelon treat. They gobbled the melon right down!)

I'm thrilled to have my Virigina flock in place at last. I feel good that I am playing a part in conserving a critically endangered piece of American livestock history. The fact that this is the only breed of poultry that was developed by a woman is the icing on the cake! I had my first homegrown egg for dinner last night. Life is good!

Are you interested in finding out what you can do to help preserve threatened livestock breeds? Check with the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy.

Pan-seared Pork Medallions with Reisling and Apples

2009-09-20T08:00:00.000-04:00

It's September, the apples are ripe and it's the perfect time to incorporate them into your savory dishes. Add reisling to the dish and to your glass!

TOTAL TIME: 50 MIN SERVES: 6

ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 teaspoons dark brown sugar
3 Golden Delicious apples--peeled, halved, cored and cut into eighths
1 tablespoon canola oil
Two 1 1/4- to 1 1/2-pound pork tenderloins, each cut into 6 medallions
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup Late Harvest Riesling
2 1/2 cups chicken stock or canned low-sodium broth

directions

1. In a large skillet, melt the butter over moderately high heat. Stir in the brown sugar, then add the apples in a single layer and cook until golden brown and tender, 3 to 4 minutes per side.

2. In another large skillet, heat the canola oil over moderately high heat. Season the pork medallions generously with salt and pepper and cook until golden brown all over, about 15 minutes. Transfer the pork to a serving platter and keep warm.

3. Add the Riesling to the second skillet and cook over high heat until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 3 minutes. Add the stock and simmer until the sauce reduces slightly, about 12 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Add the apples and cook over moderately low heat until warmed through. Pour the apples and sauce over the pork and serve.

This recipe is from the fine chefs at Food and Wine Magazine.

The Guineas Are In Their Coop!

2009-09-18T08:00:00.000-04:00

(Guineas, with the ladder to the perch in the foreground.)

After what seemed like forever, last Thursday I moved the guinea fowl into their new coop! I set myself a goal of using materials scrounged from the various junk-filled outbuildings on this property. Uneven scraps of material going up in a crooked building; it was a lot tougher going than I ever imagined. The people on this farm saved everything and that coop is an homage to 70’s rec rooms. There are three different types of paneling, including one beige style with brown flowers. There are two different patterns of sheet vinyl including a white one with blue flowers and all sorts of scrap lumber. Flimsy plastic faux shutters from the trash heap in the barn now adorn the ceiling. That is my favorite example of adaptive reuse from this project.

(Plastic faux shutters on the ceiling. Every surface had to be covered to combat invasive fowl eating pests.)

Fowl security demanded that I buy lots of expensive hardware cloth, which is a ½” welded wire that manages to stand firm against raccoon assault, which cheaper chicken wire does not. It also will keep out snakes and mice. I built a screen door for the front and leave the “solid” door open all the time for good ventilation. The nice young men from MountainScapes brought me a truckload of sand for the floor, which they shoveled over a layer of hardware cloth I installed to keep digging pests out. Sixteen cubic feet of small flake pine shavings went over the sand.

(Hardware cloth lines the floor under the sand.)

I built a perch about 4.5’ up with a makeshift ladder. Guineas are good flyers but it can take them awhile to figure that out! If you remember from my original post, this building is made up of a long stall on the right, divided into two rooms, front and back, a raised gangway in the middle and a full length stall on the left. The guineas are in the small front room on the right. The wall between the guinea’s area and the gangway is lined with hardware cloth as will be the wall between the gangway and the chicken’s area on the far left.

(Looking from the guinea area, across the gangway to the chicken area.)

When it’s all finished I will have feeders and waterers for both areas that can be filled from the gangway. I’m going to try and heave an old chest freezer up there for rodent-proof feed storage. Some shelves will provide additional storage and a chair will give me a comfortable viewing area.

(The gangway; guinea area is through the hardware cloth to the right.)

The guinea’s space is about 8 feet square and they seem happy to have some room in which to move around. I learned that guinea fowl are smellier, messier and noisier than chickens and I am ever so glad to have them and their big brooder box out of the house. I’m sure they share my sentiments.

(When I go in the pen they cower in the corner as though they expect to have their heads lopped off at any moment!)

That job complete; now it’s time to start on the chicken side!

(The chicken side. A large portion of the back side of this building has to be re-sided.)

Hillsville Labor Day Flea Market

2009-09-16T08:00:00.004-04:00

Every year on Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends the tiny little town of Hillsville, Va., outside of which I have settled, throws an enormous party in the guise of the semi-annual VFW Flea Market and Gun Show. Booths are set up all along the main drag of this town of 2,700 people. Food concessions, carnival rides, pitch men, people selling actual antiques and people selling piles of, well, junk and everything in between start arriving two weeks before opening day in order to assemble their wares.

The event runs from Friday through Monday and during the course of the long weekend upwards of 500,000 people throng the streets. The state police are up on the Interstate dealing with the slowdown of traffic caused by people getting on and off the highway at the Hillsville exit. Many Hillsville natives either leave town or hunker down.

I had to see this thing for myself. All around the town, people were selling spaces in their yards for parking. Most of the businesses were closed and their parking lots were given over to various organizations that used the opportunity to raise funds. I parked in front of an insurance agency and handed my $4 over to the local high school girls’ volleyball team.

I went to gawk, not to shop and gawk I did! It was an amazing spectacle. Hillsville looked like it had been swallowed by a carnival. It looked like the midway from the Texas State Fair had been transported to southwestern Virginia. It was crazy. I just let the crowd take me. We flowed up one side of the street for a couple of miles and then back down the other way.

I saw pitch men hawking the ShamWow chamois, knives, vegetable choppers and various cleaning products. I saw purses and shoes, socks and bird houses, t-shirts and feather boas, confederate flags, cds, leather goods, key chains, wind chimes and decorative license plates. I saw funnel cakes and hot dogs, ice creams and apple cider. I saw Chinese food, Italian food, German and Greek food. There were beautiful antiques including furniture, glassware, crockery, cast iron, stoneware and cutlery. Everything you could imagine was for sale in Hillsville that weekend.

I saw lots of happy faces. In fact, the only unhappy faces I saw were the faces of small children who were tired and ready to go. It was an amazingly good-natured crowd. Lots of people were pulling little wagons and carts and pushing strollers filled with their booty. I did wonder, if you bought a big thing, like a piece of furniture, how you would get it out of there. I never did figure that out. I also saw a lot of guns. This was partially a gun show after all. It was a little disconcerting to see people walking down the street toting rifles. I never did find the actual gun show.

It was a surprisingly fun afternoon and I suspect I’ll be back during Memorial Day weekend. Oh yeah, in spite of all that not shopping, I did manage to find and buy a beautiful quilt.

If you find yourself anywhere near SWVA next Memorial Day, come on by. I don't know where you'll sleep but you've got to see this thing!

Carnival of Personal Finance: Live From Monticello!

2009-09-14T07:00:00.003-04:00

(Thomas Jefferson's Monticello)

I'm working on this carnival from my hotel room just down the road from Thomas Jefferson's famous home of Monticello, where I have spent the weekend at the fantastic Heritage Harvest Festival. Considering Jefferson was a bit of a profligate and died deeply in debt, his may not be the best example of good financial practices. Nevertheless, Jefferson was an incredibly resourceful, inventive man who had a lot of sensible things to teach us. So, after spending the weekend enjoying what he created, I've themed the carnival for this one of our founding fathers. Like the rest of us, Jefferson had his flaws and weaknesses but they do not take away from the value of his wisdom and the power of his words.

The photos are from Monticello and the quotes are Jefferson's.

Saving

The glow of one warm thought is to me worth more than money.

Trying to decide where to put your money? American Banking News takes a look at the relative BankRate scores of banks with online savings accounts. The Safest Online Banks: Is Your Online Savings Account At Risk? If your bank didn't score a 4 you might want to do a little research into the criteria BankRate uses before you start moving your money around.

Banker, Saver shares a neat little calculator to help you figure out when, given a set of saving criteria, you will save a million dollars. In When Will I Be A Millionaire, Banker, Saver reveals that it will be about 20 years for him. This might be a good tool to help you see if you're on track.

(The vegetable gardens at Monticello. They run for 1000 feet.)

Frugality

It is neither wealth nor splendor; but tranquility and occupation which give you happiness.

Oil and Garlic is struggling with the Battle Between Frugality and Simplicity and how to chose between the two. I'm not sure it's always a battle but it certainly can be!

If you've got kids you probably know that kids under the age of two fly free. Beyond Paycheck to Paycheck reminds us to Take Advantage of The Rules to Save a Few Bucks. Your baby probably won't get much out of the trip but at least you'll get to go!

The Realm of Prosperity takes a look at The Art of Having a Family Phone Plan With Your Friends as a way to save money. All I can say is, better trust your friends!

Do you call hotels directly or do you book through a third-party service? Foreigner's Finances relates an incident where he saved $65 with a 5 minute phone call. Good advice!

Single Guy Money has some tips for Thrift Store Shopping. Admittedly he doesn't have the patience for thrift store shopping but his tips are worthwhile, nevertheless.

Tackling one of my personal bug-a-boos, Pay Less For Food asks, “Are You Leaving Money Behind at the Grocery Store?” She's talking about checking the prices of your items as they are scanned at the checkout. Errors are pretty common.

Are you planning to start on the road to frugality? Modern Tightwad wants to make sure you have a Meeting of the Minds with your financial partner for the best chance of success.

PennyJobs suggests that you make frugality a competition to make it easier. How to Think Like a Frugal Person to Tackle a Challenging Financial Situation offers a unique idea for succeeding at this tricky game.

(The view from Montalto, Jefferson's "Big Mountain")

Investing

Do not bite at the bait of pleasure, till you know there is no hook beneath it.

Why Invest in Index Funds? The Oblivious Investor keys us in. Index funds are my first choice too!

Making a comparison between the relative values of slow growth hardwoods and quick growth pines, Dividends Value suggests Seeding a Forest of Dividend Stocks. Good advice!

Trying to decide where to put your investment funds? Bargaineering clearly and concisely explains the Roth IRA. He'll help you make up your mind!

Dividend Growth Investor shares with us Six Things I Learned From the Financial Crises; give it a read!

Clearly The Financial Blogger has some issues with HR departments. That notwithstanding, Is My Pension Plan Dead? 6 Killer Questions to Ask HR About Your Pension Plan contains good advice for everyone with a company pension plan.

The Digerati Life takes a look at Peer to Peer Lending. It's working for her! I'm about ready to give it a try.

Are you thinking about day trading? Investing Tookit has some Tips Before You Start. Here's a tip – don't do it! Investing Toolkit's tips are more helpful than mine.

Bad Credit Advisor takes a shot at predicting the future price of gold in Gold Price Direction. I suppose his guess is as good as any!

Did you ever wonder how banks make money? Narrow Bridge Adventures lays it all out in How Banks Make Money and How You Can Make Money Like a Bank. NBA is a fan of peer to peer lending organizations but advises us to tread carefully.

Are you an ETF investor? The Dividend Guy thinks ETF Marketing is Hurting Investors. It's an interesting read.

A little confused about what to do with your 401k? Teach Me Finances has a 401k Rollover Guide. Very informative!

Go To Retirement is looking at New Options for Investing in Inflation Protected Securities. This is the best explanation I've read about TIPS. I think I get it now!

In Investing – A Matter of Trust, Money Chronicle urges us to trust in ourselves, the financial markets, time and a good financial advisor.

(The vineyards at Monticello. Did you know Jefferson was an accomplished vintner?)

Reviews

Personal Finance Software Reviews takes a look at MySpendingPlan. If you're considering MySpendingPlan, I urge you to take a look at this in depth review first.

Have you tried Bing.com Cashback Rewards Program? Christian PF takes a look.

Need to send money overseas? Money Help for Christians explains How to Use XE to do the job. I'm glad to know about this program!

My Dollar Plan takes a look at ING Direct and explains Why She Likes It. I like it too!

Another vote for ING comes from Couple Money who is Finding a Good Checking and Savings Account. They sure make it easy!

Money Management

When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on.

The Chief Family Officer offers some excellent advice on Creating the Illusion of Scarcity to Accelerate Financial Goals. This is a great tip!

Growing Money tackles the touchy area of How to Collect Money You're Owed. Do you lend money to friends? Maybe this article will help you with your collections.

Budgets are Sexy takes an interesting look at Cigarettes vs. Coffee – Which is Financially Worse for You? Happily I suffer from neither of these vices but unfortunately, there are plenty of others!

Have you looked back on your financial year? Sound Money Matters takes a look at Our Financial Status One Year After the Collapse and, financial crises aside, she's doing okay!

Man Vs. Debt gives us 42 Ways to Simplify Your Financial Life. Should be something for everyone on this good list!

Are you suffering from financial clutter? Fiscal Fizzle explores the High Cost of Financial Clutter. I struggle with this problem myself from time to time. Do you?

Guest blogger Redeeming Riches has an excellent article over at Suburban Dollar on Navigating Your Finances. Plugging your goal into your GPS gets you where you want to go geographically. Do you have your goal plugged in for where you want to go financially?

Tough Money Love reminds us not to spend everything that's left after paying our monthly bills. The One Thing Not To Say After You Pay Your Bills recalls the wonderful advice to pay yourself too!

(Another view from Montalto)

Career

I'm a great believer in luck and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.

Are you just entering the workforce? Darwin's Finances takes a look at the Best Places to Work: Surprising Survey Results and Analysis. Accounting and finance top the list. That is surprising!

Although I find nothing startling about it, Free Money Finance reminds us To Proofread Your Resume if you expect to get a job with it!

Are you out of work at the moment? Well-heeled With A Mission finds a bright side in Unemployed or In Between Jobs? 4 Ways to Keep Moving and Groving. She certainly has the right attitude. When I lost my job I chose adventure and moved 2,000 miles and took a job caretaking a small farm. It's all in how you look at it! Love her masthead.

In another look at unemployment, One Money Design has some tips on How To Find A New Job. Good advice here. When you're out of work, your “job” is to find a job and that's how you should treat the process.

It's no surprise that in this economy people are thinking about their jobs. Make Money Lessons has an article on finding the perfect job. Even during tough times you shouldn't assume you can't get a better job.

Debt

Dependence begets subservience and venality, suffocates the germ of virtue, and prepares fit tools for the designs of ambition.

Modern Gal does some straight talking in her “Financial Advice for 20-somethings”. I think it's good advice for everyone, no matter your age!

Credit

Never spend your money before you have earned it.

What sort of credit card user are you? No credit cards; put everything on a rewards credit card; only for emergencies? Mike at Gather Little By Little is definitely a “put everything on a rewards card” person and lays it out in Get a Day-to-Day Credit Card and Make Money! I've been dabbling with this model since I moved to the farm. The jury is still out.

Looking for a credit card? The Smarter Wallet explains How to Get a Credit Card That's Right For You. No matter what you're looking for, it's always good to shop around!

Still confused about credit scoring? PT Money takes a stab at it with Improve Your Credit Score With These 5 Tips. Does that help?

(One of the flower gardens at Monticello)

Budgeting

Whenever you do a thing, act as if all the world were watching

Money Under 30 generously gives us A Really Simple Budget Worksheet. Having trouble getting started with your budget? Download his worksheet and see if it helps!

Bret Frohlich wonders, “What Would You Do With A Million Dollars?” I guess I'd have to drop it right in my oh so small retirement fund!

How do you rein in your impulse spending? Bible Money Matters offers up 5 Roadblocks to Help Prevent Impulsive Spending Decisions. What helps you?

Seems like everything is harder during a tougher economy. Paying your child support is no exception. American Consumer News says Scrimping Child Support Harder for Family Budgets. Whatever you do, don't just stop paying!

Fiscal Geek takes a look at the ever popular envelope system for budgeting. In the article, Cash Envelope Budgeting System, we are reminded that we might also save on overdraft fees if we adopt this method.

Real Estate

In his submission, Searchlight Crusade explains why sometimes a Low Asking Price means an Unfinanceable Property. Good to know!

Green Panda Treehouse is buying a home and shares some of the keys of mortgages in House Hunting: Mortgages and Interest Rates. This is a good primer if you are a little shaky on the basics.

The Economy

Don't Quit Your Day Job asks, “Does Increasing Tax Rates Increase Revenue?”. While I don't necessarily agree with his base hypothesis that increased tax rates automatically create a disincentive to work, I'm looking forward to part two of his article.

Other

Over at Get Rich Slowly, Baker is talking about phishing scams. They're not as obvious as they used to be. Check out Gone Phishing: How to Avoid Being Caught by Scammers for some refresher tips!

(TJ himself!)

That's it for this week's Carnival of Personal Finance. I hope you enjoyed Jefferson's musings as well as this week's articles. Please remember to link back to the carnival from your blog and help promote the carnival through your favorite social networking avenues.

Thanks to Taking Charge for hosting next week's carnival. You can submit your article here - http://carnivalofpersonalfinance.com/submit.php

Have a great week!

Monticello Apple Cake

2009-09-13T08:00:00.009-04:00

Monticello Apple Cake

Combine:

3 c. flour

2 c. sugar

2 tsp. cinnamon baking soda cloves or allspice

1 tsp. salt.

Add:

2 eggs

1/2 c. oil applesauce

chopped nuts and raisins

4 c. chopped apples

2 tbsp. lemon juice.

Dough will be stiff. Pour mixture into a 12C greased bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or longer (until toothpick comes out clean). Cool in pan 10 minutes before inverting.

Give it a try!

EcoSMART Blogiversary Giveaway Winner!

2009-09-07T10:34:00.003-04:00

Stephanie Appleton is the winner of my blogiversary giveaway. Congratulations Stephanie! I hope you enjoy your bundle of EcoSMART products! Thanks for being a SimplyForties reader!

Zucchini Muffins

2009-09-06T08:00:00.003-04:00

This post appears in the Make It From Scratch Carnival for September 8th at I've Got A Little Space to Fill!

It's that time of year again. Too many zucchini, no more people to whom to give them. If your friends are no longer answering the door when you knock, try camouflaging your zucchini in these delicious muffins. They'll love you and never know you've just handed off MORE zucchini! Muffins are a great way to use up some of those enormous ones.

Makes 12-14 muffins

Ingredients
3 cups grated fresh zucchini
2/3 cup melted unsalted butter
1 1/3 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons baking soda
Pinch salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup walnuts (optional)
1 cup raisins or dried cranberries (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). In a large bowl combine the sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in the grated zucchini and then the melted butter. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the zucchini mixture and mix in. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Stir these dry ingredients into the zucchini mixture. Stir in walnuts, raisins or cranberries if using.

Coat each muffin cup in your muffin pan with a little butter or vegetable oil spray. Use a spoon to distribute the muffin dough equally among the cups, filling the cups up completely. Bake on the middle rack until muffins are golden brown, and the top of the muffins bounce back when you press on them, about 25 to 30 minutes. Test with a long toothpick or a thin bamboo skewer to make sure the center of the muffins are done. Set on wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Remove muffins from the tin let cool another 20 minutes.

My Fall Garden is In!

2009-09-04T08:00:00.004-04:00

It’s been a physically exhausting last couple of weeks but the fall garden is planted! I’ve watched carefully to figure out which piece of ground got the most sun and staked that out. The plot is about 40’ x 20’ and about half of that area is planted with fall vegetables. I stopped by the local rental place and got a $40 quote on renting a tiller. Luckily I found a landscape service who agreed to do it for $50, which saved me the hassle of hauling the tiller out here and taking it back. They brought a tractor and very quickly had the plot ready to go. The ground is really wonderful. In that whole 800 square feet I did not see a single rock!

I decided I wanted to use a hoop house to keep the bugs and animals out of the garden. I wanted to see if I could construct it out of materials from the various junk-filled outbuildings. I found several pieces of 2” and 3” PVC, which I used for the base and some 2” irrigation tubing, which I used for the hoops. I tied it all together with sisal twine. It was a little floppy so I found 4 iron rods, which I drove into the ground and slipped the ends of the hoops over for some stability. I purchased some row cover material at the local feed store, which they let me have for half price. After sewing the three lengths together, I had a 25 yard piece that was 15 feet wide. After some tucking, tying and stapling my little hoop house was ready! I originally wanted to be able to stand up in the tallest point of the structure but sometimes, when you construct with found objects, you take what you get! At its apex, my hoop house is about 4 ½ feet tall, plenty high enough for me to work in.

My sister, who manages Stadler Nurseries in Maryland & Virginia, brought me several flats of vegetables when she came to visit me a couple of weeks ago. Now I was ready to plant! It quickly became obvious that everything was not going to fit in the hoop house so I had to make some choices. I’ve got broccoli and Brussels sprouts and one row of cheddar cauliflower under the hoops and three rows of cauliflower and some leeks outside the hoops. I also planted some carrots behind the hoop house. It’s a little early yet for garlic and onions but I’ve got some ordered and they should be here later this month. Once those are planted, the big garden will be complete for fall.

One of the reasons I laid out such a large plot is so I’ll have plenty of room to do some experimenting. One of my plans is to practice some trench composting in the unplanted space. With trench composting, you dig a long, narrow, deep trench, setting the dirt aside. As you fill the trench with your compostable materials, you cover it with the dirt, slowly filling the entire trench. When the trench is full, you dig another one, working your way across the plot. If things go as expected, come spring all that material will be decomposed and I’ll have much richer soil for my spring garden.

I still have a kitchen garden to plant up near the house for lettuces and herbs and I’m anxious to get that in. I’ve really had to learn to pace myself since I arrived. There is so much to do and no way to do it all at once. I was getting pretty frustrated and had to learn to take each day as it comes and just be happy with whatever I manage to accomplish. The garden is a pretty big accomplishment and, with fall fast approaching I’m thrilled to have it in!

Don't forget to leave a comment on this and every post this week for more entries in my blogiversary giveaway contest!

Make It From Scratch - September's Here!

2009-09-01T08:00:00.003-04:00

It’s September 1st! I’m not sure how it happened but fall is upon us! While a nip is not exactly in the air here in Virginia, the promise of cooler weather to come makes me want to store all these great projects and recipes. Crafting and cooking are the best way to spend the cold days ahead! So, ready or not…sports, holidays, fall leaves, snow, school…here we come!

Along with the links, I hope you enjoy the pictures. I took them on a recent Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture farm tour. They represent some last looks at some beautiful summer gardens.

Recipes

Adventures in My Freezer has what sounds like a delicious dish, Tomato Bruschetta Pasta. What a great way to use those last tomatoes from the garden (if you escaped the tomato blight!).

Gotta Little Space offers a tantalizing dessert recipe; Applesauce Cake with Caramel Whipped Cream. We all need some extra calories to make it through the cold weather, don’t we??

Beef-tallow French Fries? Can’t say as I’ll be making these as I don’t deep fat fry but I’ll bet they are delicious! I might try it for roasted potatoes, which I love to make with duck fat! Thanks Cheese Slave for a new look at an old favorite!

If you’re a working gal, you know how valuable a good crock pot recipe is. Try this one for Chicken Taco Soup from The Homemaking Helper, who says she drains off the liquid and uses the good stuff for making burritos!

Funny About Money, who lives in Arizona and isn’t thinking about winter, is drinking Fizzie Lemonade! I have to admit, I’m glad there are still a few hot days left for me ‘cause this sounds tasty. What a clever idea!

Here’s a cool little video on How to Make Ghee from Nutrition and Physical Regeneration. There are lots of good reasons to cook with ghee so give this one a look.

This is the time of year when we are all overrun with zucchini. If you’re not growing it, your neighbors are leaving it on your doorstep. Make It From Scratch comes to the rescue with Zucchini Brownies! I’ve got some very pedestrian zucchini muffins up next Sunday. Stephanie definitely steals my thunder with these!

Sweets and more sweets! Goodies from Granny’s House is tempting us with Peanut Butter Fudge! I’ve officially gained ten pounds just by looking at all the good recipes this week!

Unfortunately I had to leave all my beautiful basil behind when I moved to Virginia last month. I think I’m going to have to buy some at the grocery store just to try LJM’s Kitchen’s Creamed Corn and Basil Baked Pudding. It looks fantastic!

I love fruit salsas. The aptly named Salsa Recipes for You offers up Mango Salsa. A perfect goodbye to summer!

I’m so glad Bright Haven Days printed this recipe for Make Your Own Grape Nuts. I never knew what a grape nut was and now I’m going to make my own! They look pretty tasty!

Projects

I love Opted Magazine’s idea for Using One Piece of Paper to Keep You on Track. Clever and fun! Sounds like a project for a scrapbooker!

Another clever paper craft comes to us from Suburban Wife Life. She has some cute Tween Girls Birthday Party DIY Invitations. Thankfully I have no ‘tween girls in my life but maybe you do. You could change the colors and use them for ‘tween boys too!

Recycle Cindy is crocheting with strips of old T-shirt material! She calls it tarn (get it – T-shirt yarn?!) and is making Baby Bibs with it. Now that’s some clever recycling!

Now don’t cut up all your T-shirts for yarn, save a few to make Homestead Blogger’s T-shirt Tote Bags. This is a great way to make your own grocery store sacks.

Other

Kitchen Stewardship has a fascinating article on her discovery of an Effective Homemade Deodorant. I’m intrigued enough to give this a try!

This must be the week for homemade toiletries! Frugal for Life shows us how to make Homemade Shampoo and Rinse. I clean everything else with baking soda and vinegar, why not my hair? Makes sense I guess!

That’s it folks, another great Make it From Scratch Carnival! Thank for all of your excellent submissions. I don’t know about you but I’m heading to the kitchen!

Be sure and link to the carnival from your site. Please help advertise the carnival through whatever social networking sites you frequent. More traffic to the carnival helps us all!

Remember to enter my blogiversary giveaway this week by posting a comment on any/all posts during the week. I’ll be announcing the winner on Monday, September 7th!

A Giveaway to Celebrate my Blogiversary!

2009-08-31T08:00:00.005-04:00

Guess what?! SimplyForties is one year old! To help me celebrate, EcoSMART has teamed up with SimplyForties for my first-ever giveaway!

EcoSMART’s products are both kid and pet-friendly and most importantly, are non-toxic. According to their information, EcoSMART was the first company to apply modern science to essential plant oils — creating the first 100% safe pesticides. Their products are based on the natural defenses that plants and trees have used for their self protection against insects and pathogens for millennia - essential oils.

According to EcoSMART, university research has shown that these oils attack octopamine neuro-receptors. Octopamine is a key insect neurotransmitter that regulates insect movement, behavior and metabolism. The blockage of the receptor activity prevents the transmission of the octopamine signals, knocking down and killing pests as well as repelling future pests including cockroaches, ants, dust mites, flies, wasps, spiders, crickets, and fleas and fruit flies. Their blends of natural plant oils are every bit as effective as synthetic chemicals, killing bugs fast without any toxins or harmful residues.

EcoSMART has a mosquito repellent that reportedly, “keeps bugs away for hours and is safe for the entire family. Our powerful, all-natural formula is made from organic plant oils, and repels mosquitoes, ticks, gnats and other annoying pests for hours”. Sounds pretty good!

In addition to checking out EcoSMART products, check out their organic insecticde blog. Leave a comment over there and you might become a product tester!

So, back to the giveaway; leave a comment on any SimplyForties post this week, and/or Twitter about the giveaway with @SimplyForties in there somewhere and you might win a great bundle of products from EcoSMART. I’ll give one entry for each comment (one comment per person per post will be counted, starting with Sunday’s post and ending Saturday the 5th), and one for each Tweet with @simplyforties and a link to my blog starting today and running through Saturday, September 5th. I'll also give an entry for any new subscriptions to my blog between today and the 5th. I’ll use a random number generator to select the winner, who I will announce next Monday, September 7th, and who will receive their product bundle directly from EcoSMART.

End of the summer bugs getting you down? Help me celebrate my blogiversary this week, and you might win some EcoSMART insect repelling products! It’s a win-win!

Five Vegetable Stir-fry with Lentils

2009-08-30T08:00:00.003-04:00

This recipe comes from Food & Wine Magazine.

SERVES: 4

A dinner of Brussels sprouts, turnips, carrots, and lentils may sound more like a punishment than a treat, but believe me--the combination is delicious. In fact, the general effect is actually rather delicate.

Ingredients -

1/2 cup lentils
3 1/3 cups water
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons cooking oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
4 scallions including green tops, chopped
2 turnips, peeled, quartered, and sliced thin
3 carrots, sliced thin
3 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon butter
3/4 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and sliced
1 10-ounce package frozen cut green beans (if you use fresh, as I would, be sure and blanch them.)

Directions
1. In a medium saucepan, combine the lentils, 2 cups of the water, and 3/4 teaspoon of the salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, partially covered, until the lentils are just tender but not falling apart, 25 to 30 minutes. Drain if necessary, cover, and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick frying pan or a wok, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over moderately high heat. Add half of the ginger and scallions and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the turnips and carrots and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of the water, 3/4 teaspoon of the salt, and the vinegar. Boil until the vegetables are tender and no liquid remains in the pan, about 10 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a large bowl.

3. In the same pan, melt the butter with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over moderately high heat. Add the remaining ginger and scallions and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the Brussels sprouts and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the green beans and the remaining 1/3 cup of water and 1 teaspoon salt. Reduce the heat and simmer until the vegetables are just tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the carrot mixture and the drained lentils and toss gently to combine.

Did you try it? Did you like it?

Cabin in a Box

2009-08-27T08:00:00.003-04:00

My friend's hunting cabin from Home Depot

After exploring unconventional living arrangements like tiny houses (Tiny Texas Houses, Tumbleweed Houses) and communal living, I thought I’d take a look at another low-cost alternative. Did you know that you can buy a house at Home Depot? One of my friends bought one to use as a hunting cabin. After touring it, I know I could easily live in one fulltime.

In 2002 Tuff Shed partnered with Home Depot to develop a line of products available exclusively through Home Depot stores in select markets throughout the United States. Currently, Tuff Shed products are available in more than 1,500 Home Depot Stores across 36 states, with the products pre-fabricated and delivered out of a network of 55 Tuff Shed owned and operated factory locations.

You have to own your land free and clear, which can then be used as collateral for the cabin. The Tuff Shed Company even does the financing.

My friend chose a 30’ x 30’ Ranch Basic model, which sells for $30,500. She made various upgrades which brought her total to just under $35,000. A crew of three men showed up in a travel trailer to construct the house, which arrived from Home Depot and included all the necessary parts. Once the cabin was complete, they noticed a mistake in the roof rafters. New rafters were sent out and the team replaced them at no additional cost. They even left the original set of rafters, which she’ll be able to re-purpose at some future time.

Back of the cabin

The first floor is 900 square feet, with an upstairs loft of approximately 300 additional square feet. My friend’s cabin is outfitted for hunters and the rustic décor reflects its use. Clearly it could be finished out in any number of ways to suit any number of tastes.

Open loft sleeping area

The lower level is an open plan with kitchen, dining and living areas and a full bath. In my friend’s case, the loft has an enclosed bedroom at one end and several other beds in the open area. The cost of running electricity to her cabin was prohibitive so she used all propane. I was surprised at how far propane appliances have come!

Kitchen with all-propane appliances

Open living/dining area

These neat wall lamps emit light from the bottom and heat out of the top. The propane tubing runs between the interior plywood paneling and the exterior cedar lap.

Propane light/heater

It’s a really neat, very affordable house and a great alternative to today’s high-priced dwellings.

Looking up at the loft, which is located above the kitchen

Are you looking for a less-expensive alternative to the current high-priced homes? Maybe this could work for you. Find that perfect piece of land, stop by Home Depot and place your order and very quickly you could have your own little dream house.

What do you think? Could you live here for $35,000? I could!

Guinea Fowl; First Critters on the Farm!

2009-08-24T19:21:00.005-04:00

(The solid ones are pearls and the ones with white are pied.)

We have a little problem with ticks and Japanese beetles here on the farm. Guinea fowl are a perfect natural way to control these two common pests. The cooler weather of fall will take care of both of them but they will certainly reappear come spring and I want to be ready. I'm not going to get my new chickens until next month but I decided to go ahead and get a dozen guinea fowl.

(Here's what the pied will look like.)

My mom and my older sister who were visiting, and I all went down to Gregory Poultry in Stuart, Virginia, a few days ago. We met Jay Gregory who retired after thirty-one years in law enforcement and is now raising a number of different breeds of chickens and guinea fowl. He showed us around his pens and we visited a bit. His interest in his birds was obvious. He really has some nice ones! If I hadn't already decided on Buckeye chickens I would have bought some of his Cinnamon Queens, which if I remember correctly, are a cross between a Silver Wyandotte hen and a Buff Orpington rooster. They were beautiful. Jay said they started laying eggs at fourteen weeks, which is pretty amazing.

(This is a pearl guinea.)

Hard as it was, I kept my focus and bought six pearl guinea and six pied guinea babies, which are called keets. Half were two weeks old and half were five weeks old. We brought them home in a temporary cage and then headed to town to find a big box. A couple of hours later, recliner box turned into a brooder, we settled down to enjoy our evening. I've never had keets before but I can now say that they are much stinkier than chicks!

Luckily, it's warm enough that as soon as I get their portion of the coop ready, they can go out in it. Their smell is a good incentive to get that project completed! After a month or two in the coop, they'll be ready to go out and explore the world. It is my intention to free-range the guineas. I hope they'll come in to the coop at night but they are wilder than chickens and may not. If they totally free-range, meaning they are always loose, they will be much more susceptible to predation. Jay hatches a lot of guineas so periodic trips to Stuart to re-populate my flock will probably be in order!

The left behind pug was not cutting it as livestock so I'm happy to finally have some sort of animal on the farm!

Have you ever had guineas? Do you have any tips for me?

Real Waste Mangement - An Awakening

2009-08-12T09:43:00.006-04:00

There’s nothing like not being able to quickly and cleanly dispose of your trash to make you really think about your waste management. I thought I was pretty focused on the whole reduce, reuse, recycle thing but now I know I was barely scrapping the surface. I was a poseur.

My Texas town dealt with residential trash by using a dumpster system whereby lots of dumpsters were placed all around town. Residents deposited their trash in the nearest one. In my case, there was a dumpster in the alley at the back of my yard. It was incredibly convenient. Recycling, which had to be hauled to the recycling center, was somewhat less so. I was a fair recycler but have to admit to occasionally dumping it all in the convenient dumpster just to be rid of it.

Where I live now, eight miles from a very small town in Virginia, there is no trash pickup, dumpsters or any other convenient way to dispose of trash. Every piece has to be hauled into town to the landfill. Residential trash dumping costs $3 a carload. Since one is paying by the carload it’s not fiscally responsible to drag one bag of trash into town so it has to be stockpiled, preferably in some clean, odor free way until a carload is achieved. For me that’s about five trash bags full. Now I know what it means to be conscious of the amount of trash I am creating.

I’m finally really considering the amount of packaging on every purchase I make. Even more importantly, before every purchase, I’m stopping to consider whether I need to make that purchase. Before I stick it in the trash, I’m contemplating what other use I might make of every item or whether it can be composted. I’m wondering if there is any way I can stop from putting the item into the bag.

I always knew that if I wasn’t using them for seedling pots, the cardboard tubes inside paper towel and toilet paper rolls could be soaked, torn up and put in my worm bin. I knew the worms would also make short work of my oatmeal canisters. Sometimes I’d let them, other times I’d take the easy way out and just chunk them; well, no more.

I participate on a self-sufficient living forum and the other day I read a post where someone said the real way to be self-sufficient is to never throw anything away. That way, if you need something there’s a chance you might have it. This person clearly was not referring to household trash but all the little its and bits that we collect that might possibly be reusable. Unfortunately, the literal effects of that method of trash control are all too visible on the farm on which I am currently living.

Five outbuildings filled with junk that must be cleared away for the buildings to be usable is not my idea of the perfect way to “reduce, reuse and recycle”. If all these items had been carefully considered as they were being purchased or after they’d been used, they could have been dealt with in a responsible manner. Unfortunately, a lot of what is in those buildings is now going to end up in the landfill. I’m struggling with the recyclables and possible reusables in all that mess. The sheer volume of stuff makes it almost impossible to really sort through. A good example is the jars. The farmer’s wife canned a lot of produce and, in addition to saving canning jars, she clearly saved every jar that ever came through her hands. There are hundreds, if not thousands of jars on this place. I’m going to save the canning jars but all the others are going to have to go. I plan to start boxing them up and hauling them into town to drop in the glass recycling bin with every trip I make. It just may not be possible to deal with all of them in that way in any workable time frame. Some may have to just be thrown away.

Clearly a balance needs to be struck. I’m keeping “Reduce” at the top of my list of environmentally responsible choices. There’s nothing like losing the clean, convenient way most of us dispose of our trash to really wake us up and make us think. It may not be in your outbuildings, but your trash is stored somewhere, in some landfill and there is too much of it!

Are you a good recycler? Do you consider the packaging when you buy an item? Do you buy items made from post-consumer waste? Do you think about what you are throwing away? Do you really? What are you doing to reduce the amount of trash you are producing? I've finally gotten the message and I hope you have too!

Carnival of Debt Reduction - August 10th Edition

2009-08-10T08:00:00.001-04:00

In light of my current adventure I’ve been rereading “Walden” by Henry David Thoreau, which was published in 1845 and was struck by how much of his chapter on economy is still appropriate today. All the quotes in this carnival are from that chapter and all the photographs are from the beautiful countryside to which I have so recently moved. I hope you enjoy both!

I have no doubt that some of you are unable to pay for the dinners which you have already eaten, or for the coats and shoes which are fast wearing out.

Debt

Debt Goal reminds us that Debt and Employment are Related. He points out that some of the same skills that are required to reduce debt are needed when job seeking. It’s an interesting comparison.

Home equity loans can be a slippery slope. This week Fine Tuned Finances offers Borrowing Against Home Equity – The Dangers. Consider carefully before taking this step!

Nothing here about debt reduction just really incredible debt. Free Money Finance has a tale of A College Debt Nightmare, that is almost too bizarre to believe. See what you think.

Unlike the subject of FMF’s post, Christian PF is trying hard to get a paid-in-full student load debt cleared from his credit history and reports on his progress in Getting Credit Report Errors Removed. It’s an uphill slog but he’s persevering.

When getting out of debt and reviving your credit it’s important to know about Credit Card Scoring Variations: FICO vs. Vantage Score. Silicon Valley Blogger gives us the 411 on credit scoring.

Along this same theme, The Smarter Wallet discusses using Credit Monitoring Services to Check your Credit Report and gives a good review of several of these services.

Are you struggling with your mortgage debt? Banker, Saver gives us 4 Financial Tips to Weather the Mortgage Crises. These are some good, practical tips that everyone with a mortgage should keep in mind.

Most of the luxuries, and many of the so-called comforts of life, are not only not indispensable, but positive hindrances to the elevation of mankind.

Credit Card Debt

One Advice explains quite clearly the negative order of payment that many credit card companies use when it comes to applying your funds. Are You a Victim of the Credit Card Debt Trap? Read this informative article and find out!

Not much in the post but My Journey to Millions gives a quick link review of how he eliminated his credit card debt with Happy First Birthday to his blog. Congratulations!

Ask Mr. Credit Card relates the story of one of his readers who beat credit card debt in the True Story of A Guy Who Beat Debt. It’s certainly a wonderful feeling!

Balance transfers can be a useful way to help get high interest credit card debt under control. Credit Card Offers IQ asks that we consider Balance Transfers for Life Offers, which may be preferable to short term 0% introductory rates.

I have in my mind that seemingly wealthy, but most terribly impoverished class of all, who have accumulated dross, but know not how to use it, or get rid of it, and thus have forged their own golden or silver fetters.

Making More/Spending Less/Saving

In an excellent article Prime Time Money reminds us that Clean Finances, Clean Mind is a very relevant mantra. Since I arrived in my new home two weeks ago I still have not gotten my office organized. It’s really starting to bug me so this post hit home!

Do you and your significant other have seemingly opposing personalities? Debt Free Adventure explains how he and his wife use their differences to reduce their grocery bill in Grocery Hacks - How to Save Money on Groceries.

AutomaticFinances shares 7 Easy Ways to Save $100 or More Today. Maybe you can pick up some tips from Jason’s list. When you’re trying to get out of debt, every dollar counts!

Are we still worrying about keeping up with the Joneses? I’d hoped we’d learned that lesson but perhaps not. Financial Methods gives us a little reminder in Keeping Up May Set You Back. Get it?!

In another list post, Finance Tips 101 gives us 5 Simple Tips to Help You Save Money. If you’re battling debt and not attending to these areas, shame on you!

Finally and perhaps the most important lesson Thoreau has for us -

When man has obtained those things which are necessary to life, there is another alternative than to obtain the superfluities; and that is, to adventure on life…

Thank you for your excellent submissions this week! Don't forget to link to the carnival, give your co-authors a little attention, and spread the word through Twitter, Stumble Upon and/or in whatever other social networking communities you are active. Next week's carnival will be hosted by Debt Sucks. You can submit your article here.

Have a great week everyone and thanks for stopping by this week's carnival!

Lentil Stuffed Tomatoes

2009-08-09T07:53:00.004-04:00

My younger sister whipped these up recently while she was here helping me settle into my Virginia home. I was outside doing something and asked her to come up with a side dish from our meagre on-hand groceries. I don't know what I expected but I was so impressed to come inside and find her making stuffed tomatoes! I'd never had them before and she'd never made them before. They were delicious! You can adapt this recipe in innumerable ways. Now that I know how good they are, I'll be stuffing all sorts of things into a tomato!

(Random stuffed tomato image)

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup uncooked white rice (she used orzo)
1/2 cup red lentils
1 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
8 medium tomatoes
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 clove crushed garlic

DIRECTIONS

Rinse rice and lentils in a strainer. Place in a small saucepan and stir in boiling water. Cover. Cook for 10 minutes over medium heat.

Meanwhile, melt butter or margarine in a saute pan. Add onion, and saute until golden brown over medium low heat. Stir in lentil mixture and mint. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Slice the tops off tomatoes, and reserve. Scoop out the middles, and reserve. Fill tomato shells with lentil mixture, and replace the tops. Stand in a baking dish.

Chop reserved tomato middles, and place in a small bowl. Mix in oil and garlic. Pour around the stuffed tomatoes. *

Bake in a preheated 450 degree F (230 degree C) for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven, and serve.

Makes 8 servings.

*We omitted this step and used the reserved tomato middles to create a dressing to serve with the finished dish. I chopped the reserved tomato, added some finely chopped garlic, some mint, salt, pepper and some balsamic vinegar. Create your dressing before you put the tomatoes in the oven so the flavors have a chance to combine.

To get a firmer tomato Alton Brown suggests sprinkling your tomato shells with coarse salt, turning them upside down and letting them drain for 15 minutes and then rinsing before stuffing in order to draw out more moisture.

If you're overrun with summer tomatoes (lucky you!) give stuffed tomatoes a try!

A.M Yoga For Your Week - a Review

2009-08-05T08:00:00.001-04:00

Following my review of Rodney Yee’s Yoga for Beginners, my friend and I moved on to Rodney Yee’s A.M Yoga For Your Week. This DVD includes five twenty-minute workouts, each focusing on a different part of your body. These workouts include Standing Poses, Twists, Backbends, Forward Bends and Hip Openers. We did one workout each morning for a week.

I liked the idea of these workouts because my weight training experience tells me that it’s a good thing to work out different areas of your body on different days. Moving on to a different area each day allows the other areas of your body time to relax and rebuild, resulting in better muscle growth. I know that’s not the immediate goal of yoga but that’s my background and I was interested to see how these workouts went.

Although the workouts are good and thorough, I was struck by the fact that they lack any sort of warm up poses. Since they are supposed to be good for beginners I expected there to be either warm-ups or at least an instruction to do warm-ups before beginning the workout. Each workout ends with the expected relaxation or corpse pose so you get the cool down, but no warm-up. That surprised me.

Lack of warm-up aside, the workouts are very focused on the area of intention. I think this DVD would be good for working out kinks in a particular part of your body, creating an integrated workout, or perhaps for an end-of-the-day workout.

Rodney Yee certainly knows his yoga and I think this is a good DVD to add to your library. If you’re a beginner, I would urge you to look to another of your yoga DVDs for a good warm-up to partner with any of the workouts on this program. If you’re a more experienced yoga practitioner, be aware that you will need to do a sufficient warm-up before launching any of these workouts.

You can get this and many other excellent yoga DVDs at Gaiam.com as well as all sorts of interesting products related to living a more relaxing lifestyle. Check out this Solar Shoji Lantern. I love it!

Chicken and Goat House - First Project!

2009-08-03T10:25:00.002-04:00

One of my first major projects on the farm is to turn this junk-filled building into a combination goat and chicken house.

Inside it’s divided into three parts, basically stalls, with a loft. My intention is to turn the area behind the right hand door into a chicken coop. This is what it looks like now:

After clearing it out, I need to fix the walls and line everything with hardware cloth to keep the various varmints out. I plan to retain the dirt floor, lining it with hardware cloth to keep creatures from digging in. I’m going to add a layer of gravel and sand for drainage and then deep litter. Deep litter is a method whereby you add new litter and stir a couple of times a week or whenever things get damp. A little food grade diatomaceous earth sprinkled in helps keep things dry, fly-free and fresh smelling. Every six months or so you shovel it all out and start again. Once shoveled out, the deep litter makes excellent compost. At least ventilation won’t be a problem!

The lean-to part on the left side of the building will eventually house a few dairy goats and the intermediate areas will be for food and supply storage. Here’s a glimpse inside the storage area:

One of the neighbors told me that there used to be an irrigation system to the old garden and I think these hoses may have something to do with that. I see a pressure canner back there. Wonder if it still works? I think that ladder may have provided access to the loft area at an earlier time.

There are snake skins everywhere in this building so clearly there is a rat snake or something similar in residence. If I can keep him out of the chickens he’ll be a good co-inhabitant as he’ll help keep the mouse population in check. I read somewhere that an old chest freezer makes an excellent varmint-proof feed storage bin. I’ve counted three old broken ones in various other buildings. I’m not sure how I’m going to move one but I like the idea so I’m going to contemplate that a bit!

I’m looking into getting one of those big construction bins out here into which to empty the contents of this and the other outbuildings. I’m anxious to replace my Texas flock before winter gets here so I’ve got to get going on this project. My other immediate issue is getting a fall garden planted but that’s another post!

I'm in Virginia!

2009-07-31T20:26:00.002-04:00

In spite of all evidence to the contrary, I did not drop off the edge of the earth! The last couple of weeks have really been a whirlwind. Serendipity, positive intent, good energy, an abundant and giving universe; however you slice it, my life just continues to be full! I put my house on the market on a Thursday morning and by Sunday evening it was sold for over my asking price! I had so many lookers that one couple who really wanted the house and was afraid they would lose it, made an over the asking price offer. They bought the house “as is” with no inspection and we closed on the 28th. The couple, who are from Austin, have been coming to Alpine for quite awhile and love to drive around the neighborhoods and look at houses. They had discovered my house several months ago, fell in love with it, and have been “stalking” it ever since. Whenever they are in town they cruise by and check on it. They just happened to be in town on the weekend the sign went up, drove by and couldn’t believe their eyes when they saw that it was for sale. They are now the proud owners of their favorite house and can’t believe their luck. Talk about being in the right place at the right time!

With the house taken care of, my next job was to segregate the things I wanted to take to Virginia. It wasn’t easy but I got that stuff moved into one of the storerooms, where I had a space taped off to match the 5’ x 8’ trailer I had decided to take with me. Once my “trailer square” was full, I was done! I hired some estate people to come in and liquidate everything that was left. I highly recommend them. These people are great. You leave all your things in your closets, drawers and cupboards. They pull everything out, sort it, price it, set up a little store in your house and hold the sale. In my case the first day was a full-price day, the second day was half-price and everything left was auctioned off. Emotionally, I wasn’t quite up to attending the sale but when I came by after it was over I only had to throw out a little trash and that was it. They take 1/3 of the proceeds and it was completely worth it. Not only do they do an incredible amount of work, they are able to get better prices for your things than you would be able to so the 2/3 you are left with most likely adds up to more than you would have gotten had you done it all yourself. I think going from a two-storey, three bedroom home to a 5’x8’ trailer fulfills my 2009 goal of drastically reducing the number of my possessions!

I kept changing my mind about when I wanted to leave but once the sale was over there was no reason for me to hang around. My original plan was to have my sister fly in to the nearest airport on Wednesday night, the 15th of July. I was going to bring her back to Alpine and have us pack up on Thursday and then hit the road on Friday. I ended up getting two of my friends to help me pack the trailer on Wednesday and then making the 170 mile drive to the airport, meeting my sister and staying the night. We headed out Thursday morning, making Texarkana that night. We stopped in Oxford, Mississippi, on Friday and visited with my son who is a senior at the University of Mississippi and then kept going. We spent Friday night in Jasper, Alabama, and made it to my sister’s house in Georgia on Saturday afternoon.

The left behind pug, the worms and I stayed with my sister for a couple of days and then Tuesday the 21st my 12-year old nephew and I headed north to my new home in Virginia! Pulling the trailer I was averaging about 8-10 mpg and made a lot of stops for gas! We made it to the farm in the early afternoon and met the new owner who had arrived on the weekend and had been working ever since. He showed me around, introduced me to the immediate neighbors and then headed out. The farm is lovely and the house is cute with lots of potential but was pretty filthy from being unoccupied for awhile. My nephew and I got right to work.

My sister and my other nephew showed up on Thursday. She and I kept our attention on scrubbing while the boys headed outside. They worked on raking, trimming the grass along the creek and building a bridge. They also had time to shoot their BB guns, meet a snake and a snapping turtle, hike around and generally have a good time. Nothing goes together like farms and small boys! My sister and I had a great deal less fun but got the house well on the way to being sorted out.

We did take time to go down to Andy Griffith’s hometown of Mount Airy, N.C., which was the inspiration for Mayberry, RFD. Lots of Mayberry stuff going on there and although I doubt I’ll go back, we were glad we went. We also spent some time poking around the downtown area of Galax, Virginia, the next town over from here. If you’re ever near Galax, be sure and have lunch at the Galax Smokehouse. They have delicious BBQ and according to Southern Living, the best banana pudding in the southeast! Cute shops and nice people make this a great way to while away an afternoon. I’m sure I’ll be taking all my visiting friends there!

There is lots of work ahead of me here; an enormous amount of painting, both inside and out and lots and lots of trash to haul off, for starters. There are five outbuildings crammed with mostly worthless stuff that need to be emptied out before they can be put to use. Living out in the country here means no trash pickup. For the previous owners that evidently meant not throwing anything away!

There is lots and lots of fun to be had here as well! I’ve already picked out where the garden will be and which building will become my new chicken house and which one will be the garden shed. I can’t wait to get started and I hope you’ll enjoy following along on my big adventure!