HELP!!

So I was given an Oster bread machine. Walley is trying to do his first batch and the entire thing sounds like its going to explode now, its in the mixing mode. Is this normal?

***UPDATE**** Found out the problem was the pan wasn't pushed down all the way. Crisis averted! I will do a proper post on Walley's and my bread adventure shortly after I get the photos uploaded

I Fell Off the Face of the Earth

Well let's see.....long time no speak.  I'm thinking that I need to pick this writing thing back up.  The depression has been kicking my butt since my last post.  I'm trying to get out of the funk but things have been suffering since it got worse.  I do have a working car now. It's working out pretty good. While I'm writing a small storm is rolling over, just thunder so far not any extra rain.  We got plenty yesterday here in De Soto and oh gods did we need it! Southern Illinois, like most of the rest of the midwest, is dealing with being in the drought.  The fields here are the worst that I can remember. I tried to garden but my yard flooded again at one point and it was a major loss, then I let the whole thing go to weeds.  I had sectioned a spot out to do a fall garden but they are saying the drought may last til Halloween!!  So what I've decided to do is make the plot smaller, work on getting the rain barrels functional again and plant late Aug.  If I do that then I can start stuff indoors to have ready by then.

Let's see what else is new? I had to find a new home for Tater, which was sad but for the best.  He is very happy with his new home and owners and he has another dog to play with.  Jodie is off to basic and I am looking for a new roommate. Walley is still here and still a gods-send with helping me around the house.  Sister Zim and I are getting ready to delve into making soaps of all kinds and house cleaners. She is looking to get into selling things, I like to make stuff but I am not good at the business part of things so we'll just see.

Outside of that not much doing.  I have a LOT of catching up to do with other peoples' blogs

Works in progress

Well the end of January kinda sucked. My Alero died, the engine was shot. It was going to cost me $1350 to get a newer engine put in. The car wasn't even worth 1/4 of that. So I am currently without a car. The money I got scrapping her has gone into my savings account as I start saving for a down payment on a new car. I went to the banks but my credit took quite a hit and they won't finance me unless I have a co-signer. The dealerships were the same. I am lucky that the roommates and friends don't mind taking me into town for work and shopping etc.

In good news I was offered a workshare position over at Frontwards Farm.  I'm very honored to be thought well enough of to be offered this opportunity to work with something on this scale. Me, working in a hoop house and a high tunnel...and they have chickens!! Another reason to get the car thing taken care of asap.

Im grabbing my seeds and starting inventory for this year's garden. I have decided I will set up garden space for other people in my backyard. I have 2 people already on board. I will have to get the areas measured and twined off for them. I think I may rent a big tiller to work the beds this time. My front tine tiller needs some maintenance done. Im looking forward to the growing season.

Plagues and names and such

I'm still here! I've been recovering from a bout of "plague" which basically caused me to be off almost a week from work and almost threatened to go to pneumonia but it was a bluff. Though my doctor was poised to through my butt on antibiotics I managed to avoid it. I'm feeling much better. Unfortunately the rest of Sister Zim (excluding her and Baby) are now in various stages of sick (but they are presenting different so it might not have been me).

We (Sister Zim and I) went over the entries for the naming contest. We really liked them but none seemed to really set to us, instead they set us off on tangents and fused with other names. In the end it ended up being a mash up of a couple entries and several of you had the same word used in your entries so 4 people are getting seeds.

So my garden is now called......."The Arkham Acres Funny Farm" and I would have to remember all the tangents, make a flow chart, explain how Bedlam and Anachronistic turned into Arkham but yeah I'm lazy and not going to.  So Judy, Catherine, Lamb and Annie M....send me an email (link is on my profile) with the address for me to send your seeds :)

Reminder!

Tomorrow is the last day to get in on the naming contest!

Naming Contest

Ok I need a new name for my homestead. Rules are simple you have til January 1st to submit names. Then I will gather them up and we will sort them out choosing the one we deem best fitting. The winner gets highlighted on my website and they also will get a packet of my heirloom "black cherry" cherry tomatoe seeds as well as a suprise gift. And yes, you may submit more than one name.

New Year. New Cast. New Name?

The new year is almost upon us. I am looking forward to it, but then again I usually do.  This year was a particularly wonky mix of awesome and pain and as much as I'm glad it's going to be over with I'm thankful for it as well. My life has gone through some drastic cast changes but the stage is the same for now. I will say though that there are plans on the table for a move in a couple of years. While I love southern Illinois I'm finding a growing urge to go elsewhere. However, like I said, it's a few years off still. Many things need to be done to get me to the point where I can leave (mainly house repairs/improvements/selling) Until I get to that point I'm doing my best to enjoy my life here. So without further ado I introduce you to the current cast of characters:


Me: You've been with me for a couple years now but for the new people Im Stephanie, a 33 y/o pagan who located to Southern Illinois from Central Illinois about 6 years ago. I got married, I got divorced and now I own a house in a tiny town outside of Carbondale where I live with my roommates, cats and  a pitbull. Besides urban homesteading I like to participate in a sport called Dagorhir and also becoming active in the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism).


Cool Roomie(Walley):  He's been my roommate for over a year now! He's currently a metalsmith student here at SIUC, he also participates in SCA and Dagorhir and is a gnome. He tinkers and fixes and creates.  I have even trusted him with a torch under my house and he only set fire to the beam once or twice ;)


Cool Roomie 2- Aka Jodie. I've lived with her off and on since I first moved down here. She's a forestry graduate who is getting ready to go off to basic training and tech school for the Air Force Guard. It's going to be different not having her around.


Sister Zim and her menagerie: Doom, doom, doom! She's not one that I've talked much about before, she is a friend who has become a sister in my heart.  When I'm not home I am at her house a lot with her, her husband and their roommates, Monkey and Basement Troll. They have been instrumental in keeping me from going completely destructive over the past year. They are my immediate family down here now. My mother has accepted them as family as well. Sister Zim held my hand while I went through hell and at court to get my divorce, her husband and I held hers while she brought the most gorgeous child into the world. Baby is the apple of all of our eyes and I am thoroughly enjoying being Auntie Stephie. Sister Zim is an awesome crafter and has been encouraging me in cross-stitch and crochet and has offered to teach me knitting if I get the urge to learn it. She also is a baker of epic cookies and muffins.


Brenna: You've already met the Brenna during the great cheese fiasco. Another sister of my heart, we are actually both from the Central IL area. She's in love with goats and is a fan of the fiber arts. She is usually my partner in crime for most of the homesteading activities/schemes and we often are found at one of her jobs daydreaming over gardening, chickens and (for her) goats. She's mainly a vegetarian and she loves to bake and cook ethnic foods.


So those are the people you may hear about or even see on this blog. Now on to other news......


I need a new name for my place.  My ex had dubbed it "McNelly City Farm" but that no longer is applicable. Hrmmm maybe make it a contest? Besides fame I'm sure I have something here to sweeten the pot.