Pioneer Woman at Heart

One Flourishing, Frugal and Fun Family!

One family learning to live off the land, cut back on expenses, and to live a simpler and a more self-sufficient lifestyle.

Adopted Motto

"Eat it up,
Wear it out,
Make it do,
Or go without."
~A Pioneer Sampler, by Barbara Greenwood~

Saturday, March 25, 2023

Painting progress and other tidbits

 

I'll admit, I have been terrible at cleaning the ceiling fans in the bedroom.  After dusting with the swiffer duster, I had to wash them with soap/water.  You can see the dust left on them after dusting them.  I'm also going thru to many duster refills, so I invested in this...

The blue cover slides off, and is washable.  The unit can be attached to your extender handle you use for painting ceilings with (if you have one).  Works great for weekly dusting on these types of ceiling fans.

My hands are cracked, dry and sore.  My back is sore by most evenings.  My fingernails are worn, torn and look terrible.   I'm climbing ladders unsupervised most days, but progress on the bedroom is starting to happen.  

In order to paint, I had to climb into our walk-in closet like a monkey holding a flashlight.  I had to get our "paint" clothes.  Mission accomplished.  Oh, the reason for the flashlight?  Well, the switch in there is a motion sensor switch, installed behind the door (builders did some dumb stuff), and it is not working.  It's on the to-do list with everything else.  

When our bed was dismantled, it ended up in three places - the master bath, the hallway and the walk-in closet.  Hence the monkey climbing.

The ceiling fans had to be cleaned, as they were covered in order to paint the ceiling.  Today, it's wall painting day.  It's also the day Tiger is to get out of the emergency vet.  We have not heard any update on his condition, so I am stressed and worried it will not be good news.

Daughter E has been keeping herself very busy at her salon, but also with her boyfriend.  She however, became even more stressed yesterday when she found out her boyfriend's Grandpa passed away.  Instead of her focusing on her cat, whom she loves dearly, she focused on her boyfriend.  She made him a basket. 



It made us tear up, that she was so very thoughtful, when she was so mentally stressed over her cat.

It's been cold and raining here, and today high wind warning.  I guess I'm thankful for the little things right now, considering our "living in the wild" during this process of renovations.

I'm thankful for leaving a sweater on a hook in the kitchen.  I cannot get to my bathroom, which I left on the back of the door in the master bath.


Friday, March 24, 2023

Whirlwind continues...

 

Tiger when he was a baby.  He is under emergency vet care until possibly Saturday, depending on his prognosis.   He had an emergency ultra sound, which found crystals in his bladder, causing a blockage.  He was in miserable pain.  He is not being treated, but there is the possibility for kidney damage.  We are in touch with daughter E for updates.

The painting progress on the bedroom is slow going for now.  It takes two people to just do the ceiling edging.  Our ceiling is 8 foot, 9 inches tall, so a tall ladder is required, as well as someone to hold the paint tray, and yes we will be needing to cover the entire bedroom floor with plastic.  There are two ceiling fans in the bedroom that need spring cleaned before we cover them with plastic to paint the ceiling as well.  I feel like this room is the one that will make me lose my marbles.

I just want my bed back, so I'm hoping for at least the paint work done this weekend, in order to put the bed back together.  The air mattress is messing with us getting a good night's sleep.

There is so much going on right now, it's nuts!  I have now moved drying racks to my living room, and I feel like the entire house is chaotic.  I don't do "chaotic" very well.

On top of everything going on, I am stressing about getting the new coop started.  It's rained here for days, and the ground is mushy mess.  


Wednesday, March 22, 2023

Stress over time....

 Renovations gone wrong.....so many variables to deal with this time around.

My husband thought it would be grand to just take a short vacation while the bedroom carpet was removed and new flooring installed.  We went, we returned, and we are so frustrated right now.

First, we hired the same person who did our living room and kitchen bathroom.  Second, we hire him for chicken duty, and watering seedlings, so we do know him.

Came home to find the flooring installed in the wrong direction, and he knocked a large hole in one wall (we are still waiting for him to explain, but he will be fixing it on his dollar not ours, which also delays painting, which should have been done before new flooring....see what I mean about stress?).

He also did not water my seedlings.  It appears that he watered one time while we were done.  He literally was here every single day and asked me and I explained how to water them (he's watered them before).  98% of my seedlings most likely won't make it.  I'm beyond livid.  

This morning I get a call that my youngest daughter's cat is in distress and sick.  I am jumping in the shower and there will be an emergency vet visit.   Could this week go any worse?

Thursday, March 16, 2023

...and it begins!

.....tomorrow morning.


We have not only carpet, but tile to remove (hard to explain what they did, like I said built for someone in a wheelchair), before the flooring goes in.

Oh, and my husband said, picking out the paint was on me.  Hm.  He wasn't that thrilled with the living room color until it was all done.  Not sure how this will turn out ha ha!  I will get samples before buying it.

Blog posts should resume after we are done or close to being done.  Hopefully some photos to share some time next week.


Coffee hour with me . . .

Grab a cup of coffee and let's have a short chat.

Not many "homesteading" things going on right now.  I'm mostly doing the purge/pack/donate motions.  There may be more take out dinners than home cooked for a few weeks.  We have however picked up seed potatoes for the garden.

Chicken's watering units got a good scrubbing.  The sun has been shining again, and a bit warmer, so they are laying pretty well right now.  Rain returns this weekend.

We are a bit frustrated with the company buy out.  We are in limbo with health insurance and he just had a check up.  I got a nice big bill of $210.00.  Hopefully the new cards will show up ASAP and I can get this mess taken care of.  




I got one camper ornament completely finished.  I forgot how much work goes into just one.  I have the pieces already made, but have a dozen or so to actually assemble.  I'd like to have them done for the craft show next month.  I've been so busy with the bedroom, that my crochet time is about minuscule right now.


Before I added the cheese.






I finally got some garden tomatoes out of the freezer, and tried enchilada (chicken) soup for the first time.  We have also enjoyed some home canned lemony-tomato basil soup (keto bread for hubby, and we put home canned cowboy candy in the grilled cheese).  That's a bit of butter in the soup.  Mmmm!  

Tonight is the last night to clear out the remaining furniture in the master bedroom.    The work begins tomorrow.  I'll be so glad to get that stinky carpet removed, but it has been a whirlwind so far.

Tuesday, March 14, 2023

Random Chit Chat ~ Post Office Closed ~ Finished and Unfinished and other tidbits

 I went to our small town post office last weekend to mail a package to a friend.  There was a hand written note on the door that they were closed "due to staffing issues."  How is this happening?  Anyway, we didn't get mail delivered either.

Finished!  A 17th set of pot holders ha ha!  I had to finish them, so that is done, but I won't be starting a new set any time soon.  Hopefully I will sell them next month, and I do have to deliver a set soon.


Another unfinished crochet project - doll afghan, but it's getting ripped out and yarn put away.  I think I was just looking for something new to sell.  Anyway, more yarn found, ha ha!


I pulled the totes out from under our bed.  One went upstairs, one had yarn, and one had a lot of stationary.  I pitched the envelopes (gone bad, discolored etc) and kept the paper for lists at my desk.  The last tote is my husband's college stuff.  He'll have to go thru that on his own.  Oh, and I found printer paper and matching envelopes. 

New rule for me:  Do not store anything under the bed!!  We just forget it's there, and collects dust, and makes it hard to clean under there.  Having carpet made it worse, but it's one bad habit to break this year.

I purged more clothing, and dusted a lot more. I started another box for donations.  Anyway, getting a lot more done, but I feel busier and busier, and boy the lists are going mad with reminders and what not.


Monday, March 13, 2023

Happy Homemaker Monday

 

We are approaching the count down on starting the carpet removal.  It's been a process for this room.  It's funny how fast (or slow) a job can go, when it involves where you sleep at night. 

Anyway, expect blurps in my blog posts.  We plan to start this Friday.  It will become crazy busy, as I try and figure out how to survive with things a hot mess again.



I am joining Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom (although all our kids have moved out)


The weather . . .

Cold, in the 30's but will warm up to the 50's this weekend.


As I look outside my window . . .

There is more snow.


Right now I am . . .

Brewing coffee.  The time change has me all messed up.


Thinking and pondering . . .

We thought about it, and and pondered, and decided to sell our record player and vinyl.  We used it twice since we've had it over the last 14 years.


On my TV . . .

Anything that looks interesting.


Listening to . . .

Country.


On my lunch plate. . .

Have no idea.


On my dinner plate . . .

Have no idea.


On the menu. . .

-grilled cheese, home canned tomato-basil soup

-enchilada soup

-leftovers


On my reading pile. . .

No reading as I am clearing the bedroom.


On the to-do list . . .

-Dust
-laundry
-plan meals
-work on bedroom


Plans for the week . . .

Take all the wall decor down in the master bedroom, box it up, remove any furniture other than the bed (still making a plan).  I finally convinced my husband to work on the bedroom first, then the closet (not all at once as he wanted).  I still have a lot of work to purge the closet (craft related supplies, purge shoes/boots, more clothing etc etc).


What I am creating . . .

I'm down to the last two color sections on our blanket, but need to check my yarn stash for gray.  I was incorrect on how much I needed, and may need to get more.


My simple pleasure . . .

Journaling.


Looking around the house . . .

Well, it looks as it would if you emptied an entire room into another room.  Again.


From the camera . . .

One of the many 45's I have. I have many from the 80's, and bought them in our home town at a record store that is still in business.


Bible Verse, Devotional . . .

Prayers for Hope, as she struggles daily with the loss of her husband.