Excerpts from a Journal Junkie

from the Garden Journal . . .

     planted about 30 Kohlrabi and 7 cabbage plants.  Spaghetti squash and pumpkins have sprouted.  Sugar snap peas need picked.  Looks like we lost one more rhubarb plant.   Planted 12 zucchini plants after tilling up the seeds that never came up - first year ever for that.

Sad Report for On-line Earnings ~ Rising Electric Costs

After eHow removed their writer's compensation program, I lost one of the highest revenue earning opportunities I had.  
Bukisa, a while back, hooked their revenue earnings to anyone's Google adsense account.  When they could not get my account to "hook up" and stopped replying to my inquiries, I removed my articles from their site also.  And that leaves me with ListMyFive.com.  Last month, my earnings dropped about 75% from the previous month, and absolutely no earnings for June so far.  That leaves me with one site - Helium.

I will be looking at other sites now, and looking into other freelance sources of income.  With my income down, I must search out ways to lower our costs even more. 

I have gotten our electric bill down to $64.00 before, but it has yet to get that low again.  I'm not sure why, other than it could be the water pump kicking on to water the garden, and the oven from baking bread.

When I say $64.00 for our bill, the actual amount of usage cost is about 1/2 of that.  The other half is:

$4.00 - Customer Charge (what for?  I have no idea)
$35.64 - Distribution Related Component (again, for what?)
and then there are cost recovery charges and then....and then....after all of that....the usage cost.

However, on my current bill, I read:

"The Public Utilities Commission of ***** in Case ****** approved a DSE2 (what??) charge of 0.2008 cents per kWh.  Effective May 18, 2011.

Ironically, this goes into effect during the months when most people run air conditioning.   It would be nice if they could put it in terms we could all understand, because I have no idea what the DSE2 stands for.

We have the highest electric in our county.  The absolute highest, and it's really getting out of control.  We are seriously looking into a wood burning stove for the kitchen.  And it's not out of the realm for us to hook propane to the stove vs. electric also.  Although those costs are rising also.  So again, we are back to the wood burning cook stove.

I have found 3 appliances that we can unplug when not in use.  It may help cut back that increase we've been slapped with.

Seriously Mom!

"Did Mom just put lettuce in that pillow case?" screamed my oldest daughter in shock."Seriously Mom?"

Yes I did.  I just learned that an old pillow case works great for a "salad spinner."  It won't do well for fruit, but for our homegrown, freshly picked lettuce, swiss chard and spinach, it did.

If the kids thought I was nuts a long time ago, they are in few more shocks. Ha ha ha!

Excerpts from a Journal Junkie

from the craft journal . . .
     taught myself to knit, and taught two of the girls.  Worked more in my "possibilities" journal, and finished a DIY craft article.

from the garden journal . . .

     beets and swiss chard seeds have sprouted.  I can't believe the size of my heirloom runner beans.  I can't wait to see them blossom.

from the homestead journal . . .

    the new chickens are still not getting along with the reds.  They mind their own business while free ranging, but fight in the coop at night.   Orion's horn is growing in downwards, and we may have to de-horn him.  
   taught the younger two girls how to make homemade biscuits, and each made their own.
   made a batch of homemade tick repellant for the dogs.

from the gratitude journal . . .

   ~today I am thankful for the cooler weather
   ~today I am thankful I bought knitting needles a few years at a cheap price
   ~today I am thankful for my bike
   ~today I am thankful the bountiful lettuce in the garden

from the exercise journal . . . 

   rode two bike rides yesterday, totaling about 12-13 miles, rode another 4 this morning.

Homemade Biscuits ~ From the Family Cookbook

We've been using this recipe for years.  I like the  fact that it's basic, similar to what the Pioneers used.  I can use milk from my goats or future cow, and I can make my own butter from cream.  These are delicious with buttermilk also. 

Heritage Days ~ Spontaneous Sundays

My kids were chuckling early Sunday Morning.  It's not often they find their mother at the computer watching YouTube.  However, I was.  


After throwing my "How to Knit" kit in the "get rid of" box, I made one more effort to teach myself to knit.  I found a series of "how to's" that were slow enough for me to catch on.   Here is the first one, for anyone wanting to learn to knit.  I am now teaching one of the willing, daughters to knit.

Baking Biscuits

I know I'm definitely a Pioneer Woman as Heart today.  I woke up early, donned my Farmgirl apron, and whipped up homemade biscuits and gravy.  It just felt natural.  I haven't made them in years.  I am sure the fact that the kids are out of school makes a difference in my morning patience.

Now that I am getting back into baking our breads myself, it feels pretty good.  I love to bake, and the weather is much better today. 

The farm repairs continue.  Today it's a water spigot.  When we bought this farm house, it did not have any outside water spigots on it.  My husband installed one, but it had a 1/2 turn plastic handle.  Unfortunately, someone who was helping us with the septic last year, cranked on it too hard, breaking it.  


During the last week, when I needed to water the garden, it would not shut off.  Even if we shut off the valves under the sink.  I had to keep turning off the well, and back on when needed.  Otherwise we'd be paying a high electric bill and lose a lot of water from the well.  


The rain we received yesterday was a huge blessing.  I was able to complete many indoor projects, including a recycled craft.  I hope to submit it to a magazine next week.  


I was also able to make a few more garden markers.

These are fun to make, and we add new ones each year.  These are made by using cut pieces of wire hangers and pushed through two holes at the top.  These slide easily in to the ground, and are reused year after year.