It is definitely a must that I get the photo thing figured out.  Yesterday was the monthly trip into town.  While browsing through the Goodwill my husband found a great pair of Nike shoes.  Cost $4.  Problem: they are bright blue/grey with orange trim and laces!  He plans to wear them for working out with the chickens.   The girls may not be ready for this.  A picture would be self explanatory.  I'll work on it.

Stretching

Like everyone else these days I'm having to stretch.  The cost of food is rising and the packaging is shrinking.  So I can , freeze and dehydrate everything from my garden, and whatever is on sale.  I cook everything from scratch, make my own mixes and bake my own bread, bagels and english muffins and pastries.  The cost of everything else is rising as well.  So I quilt, sew, and knit.  Anything I can make myself or learn to make myself I do.  I'm not complaining....honestly.  The sense of accomplishment as a family that we get from all this activity makes it all worthwhile.  I have gained a new perspective and appreciation for my Grandparents over the years.  I'm guessing I will stretch as far as I have to.

The latest stretch is with our internet.  I realize some have had to give up internet and use the library and we may have to go to that.  We will see.  The internet server we use has changed their method of billing.  We will now be charged based on gigabyte usage.   We live in a rural area in the high desert of Arizona.  We had tried satellite but they charge by bandwidth, and if you exceed your bandwidth they slow you down to a crawl.  So we stopped the DTV and internet and went searching for something more reasonable.  That's how we came to be with our current company.  Since we don't have cable for tv, we use Roku. We don't watch much tv, thank goodness, because,  guess how many gigabytes streaming uses!!!!   All of this was to say, if you've noticed when I add my posts it's after midnight.  That's because for now usage is FREE from midnight to 6:00 AM.  More stretching.

God seems to be stretching us, molding us, teaching us to do more with less, drawing our family closer together and into a closer walk with Him.  He is revamping our wants and trimming our needs, bringing  joy and contentment into our lives and teaching us to slow down and appreciate His gifts.

How are you being stretched these days?

Making progress

Well I found bread crumbs after all!  My DD,  affectionately known as the computer fairy has been busy helping me and we have made some progress.  Still have lots to do.  Pictures, finish setting up my Etsy shop (Ladybug's Homestead) and general decorating.  I really don't like computers and I think mine knows this.  I'm trying to bond with it.  It is resisting this procedure.

I have found that retirement just means I have more time to get more work done around the homestead. There is satisfaction if not relaxation.    Today I canned 10lbs of chicken, at $1.67/lb I had to buy some.  This was a good price for this area.  My chickens were relieved.  I've explained to them the way of the world and they are producing eggs at an impressive rate still.  Little do they know how safe they really are.  Neither DH or I can wield an axe with any accuracy and one of the things I hate most in the world is plucking.   Should TEOTWAWKI arrive I may have to work on the whole axe thing.

Ladybug (the youngest drooling basset) had surgery last week.  This upset the other two more than her.  She was drugged and happy for about 5 days.  In case you were wondering it is almost impossible to keep a dressing on the side of a fat (we call it fluffy) , moving basset hound.  The other two kept trying to discover what was under that funky looking thing wrapped around her and inbetween doses of pain killer, she is attempting to run around and play.  It reminded me of having toddlers, all the same age, running in three different directions.  I thought I was having an acid flashback from the 60's.  Never having taken acid it would be hard for me to know but I was definitely bordering on a fugue state!

The most fun thing this last week was watching the DVDs my DD got me for Christmas.  They are from Homestead Blessings.  They are fabulous.  I have Bread Making, Quilting, Soap Making and Dairy.  I've been baking bread for a long time but their recipies were terrific and I want to make soap, and mozzarella cheese and butter and yogurt and get back to quilting and, and, and get a cow.......yeh I know.....I'm retired!