Saying Goodbye...

Mei Mei, a photo by faerytreecreations on Flickr.

Mourning the loss of a little friend who passed unexpectedly at midnight.

You will be greatly missed, MeiMei. ❤

Kiss My Quiche!

I forgot to pull something for dinner out of the freezer, so when I got home I had NO clue what to make. Eggs and toast, salad, tomato soup...none of it sounded appetizing. So what do you do when you've got an abundance of fresh eggs, frozen broccoli, mushrooms and asiago cheese? Mix it together with a little heavy cream and make a quiche!

This is a crustless quiche, thrown together without measuring. I think I used 8 eggs, maybe 3/4 of a cup of cream, half a bag of broccoli, and a few sliced mushrooms. I mixed in some seasoned salt, pepper, onion powder and ginger. Then topped with asiago cheese. 

I baked it in a 425 degree oven for 15 mins, then turned down the oven to 330 for 30 mins. Talk about yumminess!

Without Morning TV

Here it is, day one without cable. I know, it sounds like I'm starting my prison diary or something. And I know many, many people live without such a luxury, whether by choice or financial situation. It's just a big change, like the breaking of a bad habit. It's going to take some getting used to.

This morning, before making breakfast, I unearthed my kitchen table. Did you know, if you don't have a ton of stuff piled on it, you can actually sit and eat at your table? Novel concept, I know! I really can't remember when I last sat and ate at the table rather than using it as a catch-all.

I can house the workings of the house clearly; the furnace, the fridge, the washer. Then there are the sounds of bantam Brahma cross chickens in the basement, Ellie purring as she lounges before me, Sadie breathing deeply in sleep on the living room rug. I can actually hear myself think!

Now that I've had my quiet morning to contemplate, it's time to get a jump start on the list before me of all those chores that pile up during the week.

Saying Farewell to Cable

Today I made the conscious decision to give up my cable.  It's something that I've been debating for many months now.  This will be my second go 'round without cable. About 10 years ago, I gave up cable (before the digital conversion) and had a rotary antennae on the roof of my old house that gave me local channels. Back then it was primarily a cost issue.  I just couldn't afford cable or satellite, so I went without.  Eventually, as my situation got better and 3 years later I was able to afford the luxury of cable. And I loved it!  I was addicted to home and garden shows, cooking shows, cartoons, Law & Order and CSI reruns...and slowly I became addicted to just having the TV on as company.

It never got any better. Actually, it got worse. I went from 70 channels to over 200! I ate breakfast on the couch while watching the morning news.  I ate dinner while watching evening shows.  I left it on all day during the weekend as background noise, drifting in and out as a program caught my attention. And I never felt like I was accomplishing anything.

I've been paying $145 a month to let myself be glued to the tube...with internet on the side!

When I didn't have cable, I did a lot more around my house. My house was clean all the time; I crafted more; I gardened more; I read voraciously! It was great!

And that is why I'm returning the DVR tomorrow. I'm keeping the internet, of course, but saying goodbye to 200+ channels that hardly ever had anything on!

But I Don't Want A Cow

It seems like every book and article that I read about homesteading or farming on a small plot, they assume that we will be acquiring, if not already have, a "The Family Cow," because The Family Cow will give you unadulterated milk. I like that idea...in theory. Fresh milk every day, knowing exactly what is in this milk and where it came from...absolutely awesome! Getting free compost for my garden...fantastic! Milking a cow every day, shoveling manure, dealing with bovine maintenance in subzero Maine winters? Not so awesome nor fantastic.

I love that winter gives you the opportunity to research the romanticized notions in your head before you act on them!  I contemplated a cow.  No, seriously!  I contemplated it for all the reasons I just listed, but reality hit almost instantly the morning I awoke to -13 degree weather and a frozen drinker in the coop (despite the heater below).

Then there was the article I read that said something to the effect that if you don't plan on going anywhere for more than a day, ever, or unless you have a friend/family member who is willing to come milk your cow for you every morning that you're away, that a cow is a great idea. That has to be a very good friend/family member to come to your house at the ass crack of dawn and milk your cow!

The article also said that the whey that you would get from The Family Cow would be beneficial for the chickens and the pigs. Wait a minute, when did I get pigs? I don't want pigs - pigs are messy and stinky. I don't have a place for pigs and good lord, I can't imagine my dog and pigs! She's not a roller, but with my luck, she would roll in the pig pen. Ugh, just the thought is gross!!

In the early years of their journey toward sustainable living, Scott & Helen Nearing believed that keeping animals was akin to slavery, as all living creatures are independent souls that should be treated as such. Therefore they kept no farm animals, no dog, not even a house cat. I agree that all animals are independent souls, but I also believe that I'm giving my dog, my cats and even the chickens a better existence than if they were left to fend for themselves. And I do want to add animals to my little plot o' land, but it may have to wait until it's more than just me caring for them. Not that I'm not up for the hard work, but the time and money extra animals require is a little more than my plate can handle, I think...at least right now.

Okay, so no pigs, scratch the cow...I'll just stick with chickens for now (rhyming fool I tell ya!). They're relatively easy, especially to clean up after. In fact, cleaning up after them is less labor intensive than cleaning the cat boxes.

And that is where I'll leave you for today.

Fabric Flowers

When Mother Nature gives you below zero temperatures, why not sit and sew!

I've been working on a batik quilt top that has a tree in the center (that I'm still not 100% certain I want there), but I was stuck as to what else to put on it...I think these just might be it!

Water water everywhere

I've been thinking a lot about grey water. I recently stopped buying commercial laundry detergent and started making my own, thanks to a recipe I found over on Soule Mama's blog (on her Tutorials page). I broke down the cost per load and it figured out to 12¢ each! It works just as well and is better for the environment...so why not figure out how to collect my washing machine water for use in my garden?

I have this idea that incorporates a rain barrel, buried PVC pipe and PEX Tubing as a drip line...provided PEX doesn't freeze if you put holes in it. Obviously right now its just a thought swirling in my head as I watch the snow fall outside my window. Its something that will require a conversation with my brother, the commercial plumber, who will know if putting tiny holes in PEX will compromise its integrity when buried or he will have alternative suggestions to my ideas.

While this snow is pretty, its kind of killing my gardening buzz! Though its not like I can do much garden related outside until the ground thaws, might as well think about breaking out the snowshoes.

Settled in

Here it is, the eve of the first snow storm of the year!  We're looking at anywhere from 6 to 10 inches of snow and I'm finally all settled in for the night.  The chickens have been tended to, the cover on the chickens' pen has been removed (a lesson learned from a previous snow storm that collapsed the fencing), water buckets have been filled (in case we lose power), the cell phone is charging and a quick trip to the 4 Corner Store has been made to get the gallon of milk that I should have picked up on the way home from work.

On the way back from the store, I stopped to pick up the mail and got a happy surprise - my books were in!  Well, most of them.  I kind of went a little order happy on Amazon this past weekend.  With winter FINALLY starting to arrive, I figured I needed something to read on the cold and snowy nights, because I knew that eventually we'd get some snow...I mean this is Maine for the love of Mike!

Here is what will be adorning my bedside and coffee table:

Do you see a pattern emerging?  I can't wait to delve into these books! Especially the one about the Nearings.  I'm fascinated by them!  My mother has an old magazine - I don't recall which, but it was from 1983 - in which Helen wrote a lovely piece about Scott's passing and it was just endearing.  It made me want to learn more about these seemingly fearless, hardy individuals and their way of life.  I'm inspired by people who live a sustainable life, who rely on hard work and have a do-it-yourself attitude. I'm also very big on doing things myself.  I have all of these ideas in my head for creating things...I just need to do them!  

Well tonight its all about the reading...and wishing for a snow day so the reading can continue tomorrow and sewing.  Hmmm, a snowy day to sew - that would be nice!

Trying...again

It's been nearly 2 years and much has happened that has detered me from writing, though I don't know why. I think had I been writing, I might have felt better. Within 6 months of buying my house, I lost my job. Thankfully I was only unemployed for a month, but the job I took was for considerable less money, forcing me to wipe out my retirement to pay off my credit card debt. Essentially I had started over, wiped the slate clean and began to rethink my spending habits.

It was during this nearly 2 year period of time that I began to think more about sustainable living. I tried to practice it at my old house, but it was difficult with the limited space, the really close neighbors and other things that just seemed to work against me. Now, with the feeling of wide open spaces and almost an acre of land at my disposal, I'm trying again. I was given a child's old dollhouse that I converted into a great chicken coop and 5 baby chicks back in June, a rooster not long later and now 5 more bantams. Raising chickens these last 8 months has taught me so much, not just about chickens, but about myself and what I'm capable of. The hard work of insulating the coop, making a locking chicken door, making nesting boxes and a roost, putting up fencing, fixing said fencing after a heavy snowfall, cleaning the coop, lugging 40 lb bags of feed and gallons of water, the endless reading, the worry that they're not warm enough, happy enough or safe enough...I've surprised myself!

It's all been worth it, its all part of the balance that I've been seeking. And collecting those eggs each day, watching my girls and my cranky rooster "Cogburn" (yes, named for the John Wayne character in True Grit), it's been fun! It's also made me want more...to plant my fruits and vegetables, to build the things I need, to create more and waste less.

I've read about homesteading, a lot, and something about it clicks inside me. I don't mean no electricity, cooking on a camp stove, trying to milk a cow in -30 degree weather. I mean starting small, doing what I can to sustain myself and adding on from there. This is the start of my journey. I'm trying...again.