Friday, December 09, 2011

7 Quick Takes Friday: Expecting the Best, Preparing for the Worst

(1)
It finally snowed!  Okay, it had snowed already this season, then it warmed up and it rained, and all the snow melted and then it was just all brown and cold and dreary and not nearly as magical and Christmasy as it was the day we went to choose our tree.  But now it is a white winter-wonderland of post card magic again, and all is right with the world.  Hallelujah!
(2)
Anyway, I have just spent waaaaaaaaaaaaay to much time in this site: 27b/6.  I know all sorts of cool people have already been reading it since, like, 1997 or something, but let's not forget who we're dealing with, shall we?  I mean, I've never even seen Police Academy.  Yes, that's how out of touch I am.  As I was saying, read these 10 Complaints for a good laugh.  Holy cow....

(3)
In totally unrelated news, we're waiting impatiently for the following books to arrive from magical Amazon.com land:

How to Grow More Vegetables and Fruits (and Fruits, Nuts, Berries, Grains, and Other Crops) Than You Ever Thought Possible on Less Land Than You Can Imagine


p.s. Have you ever seen a longer title for a book?  I didn't think so

and:

The Forager's Harvest: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Plants


(4)
Here's the plain truth, folks.  Food is the #1 most expensive item in our budget.  We have no mortgage (I heart you, my dilapidated $27K house!) and only one car.  We buy everything used or if it's new, it's with discount codes and gift cards so that it costs us less than it would to buy it from Goodwill.  But food.  Well, that's a non-negotiable.  And with nary a job-offer in sight (although he does continue to apply), we're starting to play the "what if" game.

(5)
As in "What if we could grow and store a lot of our own food?".  Or "What if we could sell vegetables and fresh eggs and baked goods at the local farmers' markets?".  And "What if there's a lower property tax rate if we actually use our land for agricultural purposes?".

(6)
Because see, it'll be easy to know what to do if he gets a job, but not so easy to know what to do if he doesn't.  I always expect the best, but I'm not afraid to prepare for the worst.  And honestly, would it really be the worst?  If we can somehow make it from February to May (the time between unemployment benefits expiring and the first farmers' market of the season), maybe we could still make our work-from-home life happen.  Because given the choice between sending Tommy away for most of our children's waking hours and having him here, teaching them Latin and how to put in a rabbit fence, I'll take the latter every time.

(7)
And that's what's happening around the casa these days.  Happy with snow, laughing at internet silliness, planning for next year's abundance. 

Fingers crossed, my friends.  Fingers crossed.

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19 comments :

  1. I love your posts. You lift me up every single time! I'm praying that God leads you in the direction He wants you to take. If this is it -- that is AWESOME. I wish I lived near you so I could buy your produce!!!

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  2. Dude are those complaints real? I'm not sure which is funnier, the fact that David Thorne did those things or the way the guy complains! Literally LOL!

    BTW, good luck on the agriculture!

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  3. Man, I miss Michigan dirt. You just have to think about a plant while staring at the ground and VIOLA! there it is, fully formed and gorgeous.

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  4. Preparing for the worst and hoping for the best is always a smart thing, and y'all are a smart family. Good things will come your way, I just know it. I'm thinking of y'all and praying for money opportunities that let you stay together as a family and use the beautiful land that you own :)

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  5. You're always so positive, love that about you Dweej. I hope the vegetable growing works out for you (somehow I know it will)!

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  6. Gosh, how I love your amazing positivity. It shines through each and every post. Food is a HUGE chunk of the budget for us too....I would LOVE to grow my own veggies and herbs. You gotta keep us updated on that book with the longest title EVER and let us know if it's any good. Because if it is I'm buyin' it!

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  7. Thanks, friends! I'll definitely keep you posted. The book's gotten great reviews and is supposed to be REALLY specific. Like, specific to the point of making people's eyes go cross because they don't want to mess with math and measurements. Well if you want something to work, you'd better be ready to mess with math and measurements, that's what I say!

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  8. Yes, I also would be interested in your review of the book after you've read it! My grandfather used to have a garden on his property and he grew enough to feed his family (and two other families) through the winter! (not including meat and grains) Of course, he passed away 5 years ago before I ever thought to ask him how he did it!

    I have a friend who cooks meals from her home and sells them at a local bakery. It's a small-ish operation right now. She makes 8-15 meals per week and sells them for $20 for a full size meal and $12 for a half size meal. She makes things like Buffalo Chicken Alfredo, Mac & Cheese w/ Ham, Chicken Pot Pie & RIBS w/ Smashed Potatoes. I thought it sounded like a fabulous work-from home job that could be as small or big as you want it to be. Like it could grow and eventually be a full time job if you wanted it to be. She said it was hard at first, but she has streamlined the process and is pretty efficient now. She does this as a stay-at-home mom to 5 kids (the youngest is a baby) so it is apparently do-able!

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  9. Hi, me again. Can't get past the 27b/6 10 Complaints to even process the rest of your post. Just wondering if you clicked on the link under the "my hompage goes to some guy singing" complaint. I hope you didn't miss it. I missed it the first time, caught it the 2nd time, that's when I peed my pants!

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  10. Okay, I have to go back and watch that because I didn't click on it at first. Did you click on any of the other stuff on the left side-bar? The one about Missy looking for her missing cat is to die for!

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  11. I read the snowboard one and the permission slip and I was crying.....off to read Missy.

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  12. Girl, it is confirmed...you are CRAZY!

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  13. Can't wait for you to read the wild edibles book! All I ate was goosefoot, but I totally wanted to dig wapato out of the lake up at my parents cabin. never got around to it. Next year!

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  14. Eggs. I am yearning to be a urban farmer and get some coops. Plus, people pay a pretty penny for farm fresh eggs...

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  15. It's always good to prepare for the worst. Fingers crossed for your husband's job situation! We're praying for you!!

    Jamie
    For Love of Cupcakes

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  16. I love 27b/6. Missing Missy is the greatest!
    http://www.27bslash6.com/missy.html

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