Feeling Better

I am feeling better. I don't know what comes over me. Here's a picture of one thing that is really making my life better. Yes, it's just a hose run through the window with a faucet on it. It has been YEARS since I've had actual running water. At times, I had to drive to the next town to fill water jugs, and then do it again the next day. Being able to just turn a faucet on to get water is thrilling! And in the afternoon, it's actually HOT water! That's the best time to do dishes.
The people I bought my old '69 Chateau camper from did some alterations and removed the water reservoir and cut water pipes. I do want to run a short pipe through the wall and make it a permanent and neater installation, but for now, I'm happy just to have running water! Thank you Universe!

I am still waiting to get my truck back though. It has been a week now....

A Spell of Depression

All I ever wanted is my own little cottage and a wee bit of land to go with it. A little bit to keep sheep in and a few chickens and a garden. Once I left home, or it left me, I lived in apartments. I even tried to live as cheaply as possible, in cabins without plumbing, in a 17 ft. trailer, in a barn with rats -  to try to save money to buy something, but it didn’t happen. So I went back to school to try to get a better job, more stability, to be able to buy a homestead. In fact, It did buy a house. I had it until I lost my good paying job.Now I just have an enormous debt I can't pay and I'm  66 and living in a trailer park. But that's a long story.

 I moved south hoping the lower cost of living and the milder winters would make things easier. I guess it has. But I’m starting to get depressed. It doesn’t look like I will ever get that little cottage again. I've given up everything that I loved - playing music, art, weaving, sheepdog trials -  I don’t know what I’m even living for. Thank heavens I have my two dogs. I have to take care of them. Without them, there would be nothing.

Wild Cats in Texas and the Black Panther Mystery

I just met someone who told me about seeing black panthers. I had to read up on this and discovered all sorts of wild cats in Texas that I didn't know about. I wrote an article on Wizzley about what I found out.

Fustic post moved

Opps. I posted a bit on dyeing with fustic. If you were looking for that post, it was supposed to go on my other blog "Cheap Twills." Please see it there and the following post on dyeing with copper.
Sorry if I've confused you.

Really Truckless

I may really be without a vehicle soon.

I had to register the truck last month and that took all my money that I would have used to make a truck payment. This month, the seals in the transmission went and I was scrambling trying to get it fixed. On top of that, my car insurance tripled this month because I had to raise the amount. And I have to get my driver's license renewed...

I still thought I might have enough to make a payment. Now I just get a message that they called my landlord (my phone doesn't work) and I have until the end of the week to send money or they're going to pick it up. AKC!!!! I just can't seem to win.

Recipe for Stuff on the Back Shelf

I was given some stuff from a woman who was moving and didn't want to take it all with her. It was some stuff that I'd rarely buy and seldom get at a food pantry. The items I had my inspiration from was a box of Shake and Bake, one jar of mushrooms (the Portabella ones that can taste kinda slimy) and  half a can of green beans from the food pantry. I have WAY too many cans of green beans taking up space. I'm not particularly fond of canned green beans.

It struck me that the mushrooms might be tasty if they were fried or otherwise made crisp-ier. I spotted the Shake and Bake in the back of the cabinet. I thought, Why Not? So I mixed everything together and put it in a frying pan with a little oil. I cooked it until it started to brown. I would have baked it but don't have a working oven.

\Viola.' It wasn't bad. It pretty much made a meal in itself. And I got to use up some things that tend to linger on the shelf.

By the way, I've updated my Wizzley article How to Live on $1.25 a Day. You might want to check it out.

Truckless

I've been without a vehicle this week. I went to the library and store last week and noticed a burning smell. Naturally I kept sniffing, hoping it was something I was just passing. When I pulled into the library, it was obvious - it was MY truck. White smoke was coming from under the hood. I lifted the hood and started checking fluids. No transmission fluid - at all.
Luckily I was two doors down from an auto parts store. I hoofed it over there and bought some fluid. I just got enough to limp home on.

I've been hitching rides with my next door neighbor since then. She talked to her son who can replace the seals for not much money. We just have to get the truck to him - about 25 miles away.

Keeping Sheep

I've never understood why someone would crank up a noisy machine belching fumes to mow a lawn when they could have .SHEEP.  I miss my sheep. Here's a little bit about them. Keeping Sheep.

I do miss my chickens....

Keeping Chickens

Nacogdoches and Home

I took a trip this week with my dad and step-mom to Nacogdoches. It was fun, but I came home exhausted.

Yesterday I made a quick trip to the library and, yep, that was my truck smoking and smelling like something burning. I checked under the hood and it was leaking (if that's the right word for "Pouring") out transmission fluid. I bought some and poured it in to try to limp home.
Later, safe at home, I heard a crash but didn't see anything. Realized later the shelf my refrigerator sits on had collapsed. So now my fridge is sitting in the drawer below....
Not such a great day.

Mushroom and Stuffing

I'm still experimenting with some recipes and thought to share the results with you. I was given a box of canned and boxed foods which were pretty close to what I would get at the pantry but some a little different. (Right now I'm eating noodles with Alfredo sauce. Much as I love tomato sauce, it's nice to have a change.)
One of the treats in the box was instant stuffing. I like it in moderation and can even almost eat it as a meal. I tried first adding mushrooms to it. That was a big mistake. It was too slimy. I don't recommend it.

Last night I tried adding cream of something soup. I don't think it matters much which cream of it is. It might have been cream of mushroom, my favorite. Anyway, that was pretty tasty. I'm thinking next time I have stuffing, I might just make soup and use the stuffing as sort of a crouton. I'll keep you posted.