Well, I am sidelined for the summer at least....

[Terri]

So I cannot start any new projects! VERY annoying!

That means I cannot get the culvert in, and there is CERTAINLY no point in trying to put in a foot bridge over the creek! Even if there WAS one, I have as much as I can physically do on the near side.

The multiple sclerosis is BITING me, and I barely have the stamina to keep up the house and do a few minutes of yard work.

Now, I ENJOY the yardwork, and there will be berries to pick soon, but I am BORED! BORED! $$$$$BORED$$$$$

So, since I cannot do my OWN new projects.....will you folks share what new projects YOU are working on?

PLEASE??

[Jerngen]

Hiya! Sorry to hear about your troubles! My wife and I compromised on moving (with our 9 month old son) to the northeast corner of Michigan (we currently live in the southwest corner near grand rapids) to create our "homestead". We will be moving in 2 weeks and don't have a spot yet so it looks like we'll be tent camping for a few weeks. My wife is actually accepting a transfer and I'm a stay-at-home dad by day and college student by night (nursing program, I was able to transfer as well). Our main goal for our "beginner" homestead is not to be totally self sufficient but to live totally off the grid. One site that has been very beneficial to me in this goal is www.12Vman.com . Our main concern is selling our current house. If we can't sell it, we'll go bankrupt but we're not giving up our dreams. We will not raise our son surrounded be commercialism and consurmerism, with no repect for our mother earth! Anyhow for Fathers day I recieved a solar panel 12V charger and a battery to play around with. It's actually quite fun running a lamp, radio and speakers totally off the grid knowing you aren't contributing to the problem. Well, don't know if this is what you were looking for but thought I would share anyways! Best regards, Jerngen.

[Terri]

Well, if you are going to camp out in Michigan, summer is DEFINATELY the way to go! Spring might be cooler and so better, but if it were the Fall you would be on a MAJOR schedule!

In time we hope to have a building on our 5 acres, (I live in an oversized lot in town), and I had considered going solar. But, the descriptions are always complicated, and I have decided to not get TOO deep into it before a building is up.

I envision, basically, one of the handsomer shed kits from Lowes, medium sized, with a solar light and a fan. I would use it as a combination office and storage area for my bee stuff.

An extractor also would be lovely, but I suspect that it would pull too much power for solar.

Mind, I have no idea how much power an extractor needs and I do not have one yet, it just seems like machinery of that sort and solar are not a good match.

I am a registered nurse, by the way.

Just so you know,most of my classmates who got the jobs that they wanted started looking for jobs just BEFORE they graduated, and the rest of us got what was left....

A word to the wise. When do you graduate?

[Washkeeton]

From another nurse, there is always jobs to be had. Hospital work is invaluable but then there is home health, nursing home, assisted living, schools, clinics, like up here in ak, there is also work for nurses on the slope, prisons, and so on. There is so many opportunities to work as a nurse and nurses are a very mobile group, they burn out in an area and leave jobs open. If you dont like what you are doing change. Been in the field since 1986. I have been in many of the above areas.

[Jerngen]

Hello again. As far as the nursing program I haven't actually started it yet. I have all of my prereq's done and have been on the waiting list at this college for a year. I was number 237 on the list and they only accept 40 into the program every fall so it would probably be 3 years (accounting for the ones who drop off the list) before I got in (it's like that at all the nursing schools around here). I spoke with the nursing advisor at the area college where we are moving to and she said there is no reason that I shouldn't be able to start next fall. I have to take 2 classes before then but that is no biggie! They require a higher level algebra class and I have to take Chemistry again because it's been too many years by the time I get into their program.
I am interested in keeping bees someday but that won't be until after I get my degree and we move onto our regular homestead wherever that might be. My wife and I are honey fanatics and MUCH prefer the honey from the beekeeper north of town here. It fascinates me how the taste of the honey variates depending on which hive he pulled it from. He has them "spread about here and there" (his words). I think he's afraid of theft and vandalism. Aaach! It's late, must get some sleep :-)

[Terri]

Jerngen, as a matter of LAST resort, you might try one of those companies that buy houses from "motivated" sellers. I imagine they will not pay what it is worth, but if you MUST get those mortage payments off your back, it might make a "plan B".

You know, the foks that advertize "we buy ugly houses", and such.

Good luck with your move.

[Jerngen]

We are back "home" after our first week up north. Tent camping in the hot sun with a baby who is teething is not much fun! My wife found out that her new position will require 10 - 15 hours of overtime a week which she was not expecting and not happy about but it needs to be done in order to get the place organized and shipshape. We are looking into buying a travel trailer which should make life a bit easier. Found a wonderful cheap campground that isn't too far from her work so she can come home a lunch, hold the baby, and complain about her job to me! :-) Our funds are running low quicker then planned (don't they always!) so our plan is to buy a trailer and live in it unitl next spring when we'll buy some land (our house shouldn't take more then a few months to sell but hopefully it does!!!), move the trailer out there, then work on building our "beginner" cabin. Anyhow thought I would post an update before we head back up there Sunday. Take care everyone!

[Terri]

YIKES!

I hope that the travel trailers up North have more insulation than those down here!

But, happy travels this Sunday!