On the Move!

I know I just started this blog, but I have transferred these entries AND will continue them on my my ALL NEW COMPREHENSIVE BLOG:

Simple Solar Home

Thanks for coming by!

How Not to Pay Through the Nose for Fuel

This is a picture we took in May. We loaded up the trunk with "vegetable oil" for our trip from Alabama to Massachusetts. We ended up returning with enough fuel for 3 more weeks of driving around home. Wow!

With the price of fuel being high, we probably saved, excuse the rough numbers,

about 58 gallons at $4/gal equaling around $232.

So, actually, in order to have $232 to spend, we would have had to earn $331 gross.

...and if we had driven a regular car that gets 25 miles to the gallon instead of 50 (our old Nissan which we sold at our garage sale) instead of the salvaged Jetta, it would have cost twice that!

Buy a fuel efficient car!
and then,
Run it on sustainable fuels.

The Shed, Slowly but Surely

Radiation barrier insulation is now blocking the view of our neighbors in the rear. We almost have a private backyard.

Passive Solar Designed Window Shading

Jason wants to set up a Solar Home Tour in our town, BUT the only thing that we have "solar" is our sun tea maker...
We do have plans for a solar hot water sytem, and are strongly considering a solar electric system (grid-linked).

It occurred to Jason not long ago (a month before the Summer Solstice) that the windows on the south side of our house were letting in alot of heat, basically acting like passive solar heaters So by adding a little roof, you could put them in the shade and "turn off" the heat.
"Brilliant! Do it!" I encouraged.
And he did... in a day!
His design provides complete shade for 2 months of Summer, when sun in highest in the sky, and provides complete sun for the 2 coldest months of Winter.
So thanks to my geeky solar husband, we are finally on the solar powered road!

AquaHelix Review #2

By now I have had plenty of time to come to a better opinion of the AquaHelix showerhead. Do I like it? Yes! Would I recommend it? Yes, but...
and there's a but...
I am too scared to shower my baby in it. It has a strong spray, and it pokes hard on those tender spots. For instance, when I shower my face, I let the stream hit my flat hands and deflect the water for a finer, gentler spray.
So one last test, Does it use .5 gallons per minute?
According to my test with my shower, it uses .6 gallons a minute.
That's really close! And there may simply be a problem with the setting on our water pressure. Cool!

What a Month of Being a Mother!

I would like to bow to all the mothers out there.... A Deep bow....

Cloth Diapering 101

Yes, I have decided to go with the cloth on diapering. Looks like a big money saver and better on the environment. Zach's been here three weeks, and because he is a preemie, I had to figure out a system that would work for his size and my learning curve...

I have even started another blog! Cloth Diaper Bucket!

So, during the day, we use newborn sized prefolds from www.GreenMountainDiapers.com along with a Snappi, Bummis BioSoft Flushable Liner (large size, cut in half), and a cover. At night I am using disposable diapers, as I am half asleep. But soon I will make the switch to completely cloth. I cannot wait!

I must mention that I love the flatfolds... I use them for everything! For example, burp cloth, nursing top, diaper changing, diaper cover, etc... They're indispensable!

As far as laundry, I've been doing a load every other day. After the first week or so of using the dryer to fluff and de-lint the diapers, I am now drying on the clothes line, which Jason just put up a second line last week. Thankyou Jason, and no, I do not need another that attaches to your shed-ma-hall 50 feet away. Thanks for the offer, though...

The next issue to take care of is the "wipes". We have some store-bought wipes that we are going through like mad. I do have fabric wipes ready and willing to do the job, but I've decided to wait till I get a Thermos pump, so I can have warm water at hand... I think this will make the job easier, and get rid of the majority of the store-bought wipes.

That's that for the diapering... I think. Well, if there are any questions just ask. I studied the GreenMountainDiapers website for months just to get a competent start on all this. Definitely worth it, in my opinion! Go cloth!

Yay, White Oak!

Jason got his wood in last week to do his board and batting walls of the shed-ma-hall. Why white oak and not pressure treated pine? Cheaper (60 cents a board foot, no chemicals, and it is somewhat naturally rot resistant.

Picked my first potatoes. We ate some for lunch today. Yum! To know they came from my backyard gives me much pleasure. And now, to know how simple they are to produce, I will definitely grow them every year... In fact, I believe I have time to go at it again. I just need to prepare a spot for them. We already put in the sweet potatoes... I put cucumbers where the white potatoes were... and I want to plant more green beans... Yikes, my brain is starting to overload... My energies are not up for what my mind would like to do yet, so I must constantly remind myself that it is okay to take it easy and enjoy some slow time with Zachary.

So Zach and I have started going outside in the mornings. He naps in his jogger, and I piddle around in the garden... And each day is a new day.

Thirty Day Challenge?

Jason has gotten me to do this online marketing course with him called the Thirty Day Challenge.  Already we've come across some awesome stuff, starting with the Flock browser.  The "challenge" is to make $10 in 30 days online--basically learning to make money on the internet...

Sounds kind of cheesy, I know, but I am getting a refreshing perception about the internet!!!

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Zachary is here!

Zachary was born June 1, at 2:02am Sunday morning... in my bathroom! This was not the romantic homebirth I had envisioned, but is was at home nonetheless. My contractions started at 11:30pm Saturday, I hit minute long contractions around 1:30 am, and at 2am I was squatting and Jason was ready to catch! What a miracle! Zachary came out and cried immediately. Jason put him on my chest, and the ambulance arrived moments later. They cut the cord and we were transported to our local hospital.
Zach came at 36 weeks, so he was premature. 5lbs 3oz., 18.5 inches long.

So, now, he is 2 weeks old, breastfeeding like the boobie monster he is, and is over 5 and half pounds!

Our life has been completely revamped, but for the better. Who knows what will come about. Major "life" issues are in the forefront of our discussions, of course. What's important, what are our goals, etc...? Exciting and scary! After paying off our mortgage last month, anything is possible.

8th Month of Pregnancy

Not too much to say, really. Just slowing down and eating more, oh, and sleeping more. I've been away from home since March 29th. From EcoVillage Training Center at the Farm in TN to the in-laws in Massachusetts, "what a long, strange trip it's been." We leave to head home tomorrow and will arrive Thursday the 15th, just in time for Jason to play Ultimate Frisbee (hope the weather is good).

I have a little shopping to do for my baby shower, which is Saturday. I want to get some supplies to make a friendship baby quilt. I am thinking of butterflies...

So this is my 34th week of pregnancy, and all that is on my mind are plans for when I get home.

So let me indulge!
Clean the house
Purchase any necessary baby stuff
Set up laundry room and bedroom
Install doors on wardrobes
Need 2nd clothesline
Sew, sew, sew!
Do laundry
Stock pantry
Do photo albums
Read my books
Update my blogs
Thankyou cards, and Prepare Announcements

Blue Roof

Well, I haven't been home lately, but I did happen to stop by my house on my way up North. So, Jason got the blue metal roof on! This shed is HUGE! When we get back home, he'll order the wood for the board and batten walls. He thinks he'll be "bug tight" in a month (even if it's plastic windows).

One Month at The Farm, and 3 Weeks Visiting Family

Well, before I decide to dive into a thorough report of my experiences at the EcoVillage Training Center on The Farm, I want to just take a brief look at things.

I learned about:
organic gardening
permaculture
world political issues
natural building techniques
bamboo
vegetarian cooking
community living
interdependence
chickens
solar power
grey water systems
humanure
ticks and deer
straw


It was so easy to make friends, and good ones too! I was surprised with all the open minds and hearts. There must be so many people who care and love Mother Earth and all her inhabitants. I am very excited and reinvigorated to pursue with my husband our dreams.

More to come!

A Manic Monday Welcomes the Shed-ma-hall!

Well, I'm not yet in Manic Mode, but I should be. I pack to go to The Farm for a month. I'll leave this coming Sunday.

Jason is in Manic Mode, however. Even since last week. He prepared for his Barn Raising, and that happened on Saturday. What a day! We didn't have the turnout that we were hoping for (probably because it was a holiday weekend), but family and a couple good friends did help, and what a job they accomplished!

The goal was to raise 3 beam-frames. Each are quite heavy, and could not be easily lifted by the amount of guys we had, so Plan A was attempted and failed (the Jetta lift technique managed to lift the Jetta, not the frame). Plan B was to rent an Ultra Forklift and it worked! Straps were tied to the frame and lifted with the forklift. Pretty Cool! (Actually it was hot and sunny--J got a nice sunburn.)

Everyone worked from 9am to ~3pm. For lunch I served spaghetti and meatballs, since we only had 4 extra guys to feed, along with a fresh picked salad (my sister picked), steamed kale and carrots (which no one was interested in trying). For dessert, a birthday cake, since literally everyone but 3 people had their birthdays in March and April! My Dad's being April Fool's, I try to surprise him a bit each year.

The guys were happy and exhausted after work Saturday. Especially Jason. It is a major start to getting this workshed done. The slab has been waiting since our wedding 2005. Originally, Jason planned on a strawbale structure, but because he needs a workshop sooner, he decided on timberframes. He can, if he chooses, in the future, switch to strawbale, I think. Also, he is considering solar power on the roof, but that will be a fun project in the future, too. For the meantime, he'll be busy building his "Shed-ma-hall" (18' at the peak, 27' square area)... then our new front porch... then a new roof on the house...

Barn Raising Party, this Saturday!

Jason has picked out his oak beams, restacked his wood, and is now making some cuts. This Saturday we'll be raising the beams! Hopefully with some people power, but if we don't get enough people to show up, we'll have to pull it up by car and pullies. Well, Jason's got it figured out, even if I don't understand it. (That's our neighbor's new addition behind our slab.)

Here's some extra info about it though:
Link to a movie showing what we'll do before lunch:
http://www.socketsys.com/content/files/Movie.wmv

If your interested in the whole assembly and how it's done you can go to:
http://www.socketsys.com/

Oh, yeah, my main job is to make lunch, which will be a pressure cooked corned beef and veggies, and Irish meal in honor of St. Paddy's, and really easy to make!

Looks like the weather is going to be nice this week, with a little rain on Wednesday. I couldn't believe we got quarter sized hail this past Saturday, it was so surreal! Well, just a few more dents to add to the Jetta.

Thoughts on Fall Garden 2007

Well, after everything I planted, the survivors were, Mesclun (no surprise there), Turnips (handles the winter marvelously), and Garlic (easy cheezy).

I picked a salad today for our guest, Jason's aunt and uncle from New Hampshire. Aunt Carol was delightfully impressed as I picked it just before lunch. This made me happy.

So, I wanted to try an Early Spring Garden this year, but managed only to plant sugar snap peas, broccoli, parsely, and onions. I did not even prepare the soil, just punched holes in the ground with a stick and stuck in pea and broccoli seeds. Who knows if anything will pop up. I am hoping this rain we just had filled in the holes better with soil as I only scratched over them with my hand rake. I have to say, that this pregnancy is pooping me out.

I do want to have a garden this year, but it will have to be a small one. I am actually going to The Farm for the month of April to apprentice in organic gardening and permaculture. I am really hoping to learn alot, so I can apply it to my home garden, and share my knowledge with my garden friends. I am also taking a trip in May to visit family up north, then will return home to begin a summer garden--oh, and get ready for labor, hehe!

I am thinking that I will purchase a load of compost manure this month (March) and spread it over my garden to let rest until the end of May till I can get to double digging. It is an expense that I would not usually make, but I feel like I need to nurture my soil this year since it's been a couple years since my last addition of manure. I will probably spread some more leaves, too (we did cover with leaves in the Fall).

Right now I plan to do companion gardening like last year. I loved all the colors, and attracting all the honey bees! I've actually seen my first honey bees of the year buzzing around the purple flowered ground cover (clover?). Their heads were a fuzzy bright pink. I wish to plant a bee garden just for them...

I have many plans for the garden, but the hardest part is keeping it simple. I will just have to take it day by day, and allow the garden to arise of its own accord. In the very least, I will revamp my garden with my acquired knowledge from the April apprenticeship. Perhaps, even, start from scratch.

Dark Chocolate Visions of a Simplified Home

Lately I've been going through alot of my stuff in the house, trying to weed out and organized things that I've had for a while and stuff that is newly coming into our home.

I ask myself,"Why is it important to me to have this all organized?"

Besides making my house a chaotic mess, I have many answers in my head to support my conviction. One is the peace of mind I get from having a place to put my things. Ahhh, it's as if I ate a piece of dark chocolate. I can see it now, sitting back on my sofa, with nothing to clean up because it's all in its place. Nothing left to do but dream up projects... and...um... do them!

Hmm... I may be closer to the truth... I have a bit of a guilt complex when it comes to focusing on projects when there are dishes, laundry, cooking, shopping, cleaning to be done. I know, this is normal life in a home, but I keep trying to rebel against it. With a baby brewing, I realize my chores will only increase...
But....
I will continue my search for solace in organization and simplification.

So far, I have built all the bookshelves in the living room area that are needed, and am now ready to enter the bedrooms. First, our bedroom, then, the guest room.

The Problem/Mess #1
My guest room is mimicking a storage/closet/baby/sewing room.

The Plan
Build wardrobe in master bedroom to move my closet (and some of Jason's) into, thereby creating a place for sewing/craft supplies (all the stuff on the bed).

Thoughts
This will not entirely solve my problem, but move some stuff to a permanent place, and other stuff to a purgatory of sorts.

On the Bright Side
As these structures come to life, I find that the chaos is slowly disappearing. Maybe it's all the chocolate I've been eating... but I'm starting to see some blue skies.

Hints
When I decided to fight The Mess, I found that putting things in piles helped to make organizing more manageable. After widdling down to 6 piles, we invested in plastic storage boxes, which are easy to stack and carry.

Some Difficult Things to Weed
Clothing: I have gotten rid of many items, but still have alot (in my opinion, but I've seen worse). As I buy new clothes, I purchase more "sportive" pieces that are interchangeable, breathable, and well made. During pregnancy I have benefited from my old "big" clothes, and the thrift store. I do have a few pieces that I wear maybe once a year, but that is my choice, and I'd rather keep them than wish I had them...

Photos: Many of our photos are in digital these days, but I do have 2 huge boxes that are filled with photographs. I haven't started this project, yet, but I plan to stuff all the photos in albums unprejudiced, stick them on a shelf, then later, organize them. We'll see what actually comes about...

Knick knacks: We don't have too many, but we do have them. I often imagine leading the life of a traveler... I could only have a few bare essentials... However, we do live in house, so it is not such a big deal to have a few miscellaneous things lying around. I do want to get rid of what is not important to us, as I feel we don't have room for such things, and they actually take up precious time and space.

AquaHelix - the 1/2 Gallon per Minute Showerhead

Jason had the idea that since I love to take long hot showers, that it would in our best interest to find a low flow shower head. "Sure, I don't care. My sister and I grew up using one," I said.

Well, little did I know the search Jason was to embark on. I figured he'd find a generic nozzle, but instead, he found a unique super low flow nozzle... the AquaHelix

So, Jason ordered it directly from the inventor (even chatted with him on the phone). We got it in the mail yesterday (superfast). Jason installed it promptly (must have been easy to install), and well, took a shower. He was so curious to see if I liked it (plus we only have a couple weeks to return it if we don't like it); I took a shower next.

My commentary:
It works! And it tingles. It was strong enough for me on the low setting (I haven't tried the high setting yet, but don't think I want a stronger tingle yet). What I mean is, that there is a slight zippy stinging at first, compared to our old nozzle. What amazes me is that the AquaHelix is as small as a microphone, shoots out one stream of water, yet, because it is spiraling, looks and feels like one spray. The farther from the nozzle you stand, the lighter the feel (almost misting). It truly was strong enough to wash the soap from my hair (stonger than our old showerhead, even). And the irony for me is, I can take a nice hot shower for as long as I want, yet, because the stream is stronger and cleans off the soap quickly, I don't know if I want to shower for too long, even if it is 1/2 gallon a minute. Ha!

Jason plans to keep both nozzles hooked up with a valve to switch flow to either one. Our other nozzle is a handheld, and is really useful for washing out screens (for when I'm making t-shirts), etc... I will definitely use the AquaHelix for my showers, and look forward to getting use to this new feeling, wow!

Jason Puts Up a Wall

Our Library is on its way to completion. Jason put up a wall near the entryway just before he came down with the stomach flu, Yuck! Poor thing... So, now I just need to put together the final bookshelf for the living room to finish our library.

Other things:

J built the compost bin higher

I am sewing more and more, mostly baby stuff and maternity items

Composting Toilet is still working out great, although J did switch to the city toilet during his illness. We are about to store the peat moss in a covered trash can to protect it from rain (not necessary, just something to make me feel better--I don't like the wet peat moss at the bottom of the bag)

The Garden is going pitifully well. There is still mesclun to pick. Turnips survived without any protection, although I didn't eat too many. J pruned the fruit trees a couple weeks back. I have started my Spring/Summer garden plans. They will be nice a simple to accomodate my pregnant state. I'm thinking, potatoes, sweet potatoes, peppers, radish, and beans, lots of marigolds and cosmos, and, if I feel up to it, some other things.

I've started started laundering my baby stuff. We are starting to implement a greywater environment, meaning, switching to greywater friendly soaps. First is the laundry detergeant. We found a recipe to base a liquid soap made from our bio-deisel supplies. We need to do a couple of experiments, but it looks easy enough.

Bio-Deisel, by the way, is going fine. Production is much slower in the wintertime, saved for warm weekends. We use 70% bio-deisel, 30% regular deisel in the winter, but we drive less too (summer we use 100% bio-D).
So, still, overall, throughout the year, we emit 10% of what we were with our old Nissan gasoline Stanza.

Well, I can't think of any other homesteading updates. I'm just taking it day by day with this pregnancy thing, and nesting when I feel like it. Housecleaning is kept to a minimum, but I am having bouts of deep cleaning too, which is always fun. "J, can I get rid of this? or J, can I build this?"

Oh, forgot to say, drying laundry outside on the clothesline still going fine. I just have to remember, watch the weather, although rain-washed baby clothes are great! (We've had our line for 2 years, now? and probably for the last year I have been using is regularly. I've only used the dryer 4 times in the past year...)

Hold on, Let me get some more firewood...

Another cold morning. We use the fireplace most days. On days where I am out running errands we use the thermostat, and if the outside temp in high fifties or about, the windows and screen door is opened (like yesterday, awe, fresh air).
Using the fireplace makes the house more dry, so it is perfect for drying some laundry.
No matter how we're heating the house, if the sun is shining, the front door is open to let the warming sunshine in through the glass door.

So this past month I built 3 floor to ceiling bookshelves, and have plans to do one more in the living room, and a wardrobe in the bedroom. All this is in preparation for baby due at the end of June. Since we are going to use cloth diapers, I am diligently researching and designing a diaper station, diaper bag layout, and everything else that goes with a baby. I guess diapers are a big one in my mind. HA!

Jason has been crazy busy at work so he hasn't been able to work on many of his projects, although, since it is cold out, I've noticed he's been doing more computer and paperwork stuff. We did start our taxes last week, but have yet to wrap that up. Maybe this weekend. Jason did get his lumber, and it has been drying for the past month. He plans to put up his beams mid February, weather permitting. I'm so excited to think he'll have a workshop soon! Okay, well I am also thinking that, finally, I will get my metal roof, front porch, and garden shed not far afterwards, but, now I won't feel so bad. Hehe!

I actually stuck to my grocery budget this month, yay! We are using the old envelope system, which helps me not to overspend, and thus, keeps us on track to pay off our house this year. Mortgage burning party? I think so. Looks like somewhere between August and October depending on whatever life brings us.