tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50355845738055169542024-03-14T02:10:29.788-06:00Two Girls Live HereA blog dedicated to naturalism and sustainability. Essays about homesteading, land development, country living, off-the-grid applications, home repairs, remodeling, solar power, rainwater harvesting, life hacks, and empowering people by sharing skills we've learned in our quest to be as self-sustaining as possible.Christy Claxtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09451739842121326056noreply@blogger.comBlogger69125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035584573805516954.post-26404525067760951722022-10-01T12:11:00.000-06:002022-10-01T12:11:04.132-06:00Busy Storm Season and a Heat Wave<i>This is something of a serious rebuttal to a video I saw on a website for urban men. It was instructing on how to create an emergency preparedness kit. What they instructed was something between a plane crash on a remote mountain and the household plumbing going out for a few hours. I feel bad for anyone who took it seriously because the producers did...</i><br />
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The weather folks are claiming we could have a brutal hurricane season. "Could." I realize this was mostly an attention grabbing headline. Something to whip up histrionics. We need more of that in our lives.<br />
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However, I will take it as a practical reminder for all of you that it is time to think about "disaster" season. Somehow we got past the usual Memorial Day flooding because it was replaced with a predicted mega-drought that still persists into October. It's still in the 90s here, but we're not past hurricane season, and a good snowstorm can bring on another kind of misery if utilities are knocked out.<br />
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A Generator is Never a Bad Thing to Own</h3>
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If you keep a generator at your home as a back up during power outages brought on my tropical storms, hurricanes and blizzards, it's time to do the maintenance. Generator engines get so hot that I'm going to guess they eat spark plugs. Load up. If you don't have a generator, you should consider getting one if you live in disaster prone territory. I'm still a fan of propane because it burns clean, does not require a carburetor, and if you're conservative with what you power, it will run for a about 12 hours on one 15 pound tank of fuel. For those who are not sure why I don't like carburetors, I'll tell you. It is a device that mixes air and gasoline to power an engine. Your car has one. They get gunky. They have to be cleaned. <div><br />
To be fair, though, I purchased the Sportsman GEN4000DF. It had 4,000 starting watts and ran at 3500 watts. That's enough to run a little AC. Or perhaps a freezer or a refrigerator. It ultimately was a hunk of junk. Although I like propane generators, we ultimately bought a Honda eu2200i and a Ryobi 2300. Neither has let us down; even during the most intense heatwaves. <br /><br />These little machines run anywhere from 6 - 11 hours on less than a tank of gas. Why the wide range of run times? If it's hot, and the AC needs to cycle more often, then less run time. If it's mild, longer run times. Pro tip: Only run high octane fuel in a generator, and keep oil on hand. You'll want to check the oil level every few cycles, and do the maintenance on both machines religiously.<br />
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Lighting and Fans</h3>
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You will not have enough power to run your whole house. Your power supply is limited by the size of the generator, the amount of fuel you have, and your power demand. Get some <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=as_li_ss_tl?url=search-alias=garden&field-keywords=battery+operated+led+table+lamp&sprefix=battery+operated+led+table+lamp,undefined,172&crid=1JADITNZID9O9&rh=n:1055398,k:battery+operated+led+table+lamp&linkCode=ll2&tag=twogirls-20&linkId=06f604675ee55fa740bd8eaeb8e1c07a" target="_blank">battery operated LED lights</a>. Why LED? They use very little power. They won't burn out as quickly as the old camp lantern you packed in your attic ten years ago. Don't forget extra batteries! You can also buy inexpensive solar lamps. In fact, we only use solar lamps. You can find them for under $10, and they will last years.<br />
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If you need to use your generator to keep the freezer or refrigerator running, you may not have AC. Sorry. You're going to be miserable. A fan or two can help. Just remember fans will tap into your generator power supply, so don't go nuts on it. A few for sleeping. That's all. As for a freeze disaster, it's important to know that electric heaters use a huge amount of power, so if you don't have gas for heating, then bundle up. A tiny desktop heater may be all you can power off of a generator. </div>
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Food and Water</h3>
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Don't wait until the day before landfall to get food and water. You can store canned goods and bottled water starting now. Think about it: 3 meals a day X number of people you need to feed. One gallon of water per person per day. I'd get at least a week's worth of supplies. If you don't have a camp stove, get one. They run on small propane canisters. Get 4 or 5 canisters. Academy and Walmart are loaded with these things. I don't see that Amazon has particularly good deals on them.<br />
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I shouldn't have to say this, but I'm not going to assume anything. BUY CANNED GOODS. No frozen or fresh food. Anything with a short expiration date is a waste of money. You need stuff you can store for a long time; just in case. You're not making gourmet meals. You're sitting out a hurricane or a bad storm. You do not need MREs. You do not need prepper buckets of freeze dried cereal. Skip that hype. Get canned goods. It won't kill you to eat them for a few days. Don't forget a manual can opener.<br />
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Paper Goods</h3>
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Toilet paper. Go to Costco.<br />
Paper Towels. Go to Costco.<br />
Paper Plates. Go to Costco.<br />
Plastic Ware. Go to Costco.<br />
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Plus hand sanitizer, band aides, Neosporin, hydrogen peroxide, bleach, bug spray.<br />
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Get a few flashlights.<br />
And a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Version-iRonsnow-Emergency-Weather-Flashlight/dp/B00WIF2T7C/ref=as_li_ss_tl?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1527533551&sr=1-4&keywords=weather+radio+emergency&linkCode=ll1&tag=twogirls-20&linkId=69ba1e59108d445b9dc6b795b6b1f802" target="_blank">hand crank weather radio</a> that can also charge your phone.<br />
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Finally, keep the gas tank of your car topped off. Usually, there's plenty of fuel. It just may be slow getting to affected regions. It's panicky humans that cause the shortage at the pumps. Panic is a powerful disaster of its own.<br />
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<br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thanks for reading! </div>Christy Claxtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09451739842121326056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035584573805516954.post-60406373240936036672022-09-29T11:05:00.000-06:002022-09-29T11:05:07.458-06:00Was it a Misspent Youth?<h2 style="text-align: center;"> Slow Living Because We Went Too Far</h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ4R5ociQOf8jL5vZd0GdDlGclLnAuAow6Ldo5miUl4o60ZDjreMT5RgMQkqNa9uMTaEF5-AVIyhmGZ5UhBJkYmwUrzor-Faqt4uemjDDsELWPArffs-l2pOoUrmspbQ0Wm_O2mtP9ZZbRG-FHIG5C84BxNpFu1aUHeGBWKEH645808T5XjwJoH5NVFw/s2048/Kerrville%201990.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1497" data-original-width="2048" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ4R5ociQOf8jL5vZd0GdDlGclLnAuAow6Ldo5miUl4o60ZDjreMT5RgMQkqNa9uMTaEF5-AVIyhmGZ5UhBJkYmwUrzor-Faqt4uemjDDsELWPArffs-l2pOoUrmspbQ0Wm_O2mtP9ZZbRG-FHIG5C84BxNpFu1aUHeGBWKEH645808T5XjwJoH5NVFw/w400-h293/Kerrville%201990.JPEG" title="Kerrville Folk Festival 1990" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">It wasn't that long ago when all the elements of "slow living" were just a way of being. I wrote half of my Master's Thesis on a typewriter. Hardly anyone had a home computer. Therefore, I wrote the other half on a Macintosh 128k that sat in a computer lab on the 6th floor of the Sterling C. Evans Library at Texas A&M University. I then printed it to a spooled printer where I waited my turn for my papers.<br /><br />Today, many students would lose their mind if they, one, had to print a thesis rather than share it via a google doc, and two, wait as much as 30 minutes for it to print. Kids would throw themselves off the 6th floor, in 2022, if they found a typo after all of that waiting. Because you know what? You had to go back to your reserved little Mac, put your floppy disc back in it, find the error, correct it, and wait another 30 minutes for your paper. No biggie to my generation. Life wasn't compressed into a blur like it often is today.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I found some old photos from those grad school days. If the above picture wasn't so faded, you might mistake the woman in the top right corner for an Instagram influencer. Flat hat, high waisted shorts, cropped blouse and trendy bag. Nopers. This is the Kerrville Folk Festival, May 1990. I'm sad that my jesus cruiser sandals haven't made a comeback. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">There's still time.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><h3 style="text-align: center;">It's Hard to Live Fast in the Country</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7wiMWXvoyGYhcmOlq4iSC-RrtgRdnvI1Yj5Er7wGgaJTUJyNABcTPdJRaZ9fySfqcqeZr6YfEQeUAOoHtYRpbmU51gRB5nGelrI_yWlccUAJMz9HY0XHI4pOVcr06XYaZmxu3czbKKvwb74AUgmeBlB5SpoeK-U-wB4DkD6XgMbPtd7nkG_bo1m9_CA/s2048/sunset.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7wiMWXvoyGYhcmOlq4iSC-RrtgRdnvI1Yj5Er7wGgaJTUJyNABcTPdJRaZ9fySfqcqeZr6YfEQeUAOoHtYRpbmU51gRB5nGelrI_yWlccUAJMz9HY0XHI4pOVcr06XYaZmxu3czbKKvwb74AUgmeBlB5SpoeK-U-wB4DkD6XgMbPtd7nkG_bo1m9_CA/w400-h300/sunset.jpeg" title="Fall Sunset" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>It's no secret that I love being at the cabin. I think I've pretty much outgrown the city. I need to slow down. Stop looking at computer screens and phones. Sit with myself and enjoy the natural world around me. Relax and feel a breeze. Take walks or bike rides. </div><div><br /></div><div>I have been spending more time at our country place. Caveat: technology allows me to work from there, so I am glad for that. <br /><br />I've already weened off my Netflix addiction. I really don't care when workmates talk about the latest streaming sensations. In this way, I've reverted to a youthful state of being. No television. I just had no interest when I was in my twenties. I lived for great literature, theater and music. I spent much of my time hanging out with musician friends, writing songs, singing harmonies, connecting to our common humanity.</div><div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy2Fxhg88MGYlhwKcWmUab9h_Yhr5bpBE5dmfX1kuvD-_RN9spajaYitLDa0IQr-1ItrXoI25Eu3ZRasODbxynvFDsAO039SsEdKbkoLGoraE0WeKUABmvRtQDFIc7nxd33bemHwUZDDq7tMh3ThHQ0pFQYg7LWQN71FiKsQTH6jVJec-rer6ObtGlkA/s2048/jam.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy2Fxhg88MGYlhwKcWmUab9h_Yhr5bpBE5dmfX1kuvD-_RN9spajaYitLDa0IQr-1ItrXoI25Eu3ZRasODbxynvFDsAO039SsEdKbkoLGoraE0WeKUABmvRtQDFIc7nxd33bemHwUZDDq7tMh3ThHQ0pFQYg7LWQN71FiKsQTH6jVJec-rer6ObtGlkA/w400-h300/jam.JPEG" title="Songwriters' circle" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div>How did that way of life drift away? It was not a misspent youth. I had a rich life. I think it's easy to put on the blinders of the times and to forget who we are at our very core. The core is eternal. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><h3 style="text-align: center;">The Economy is Nature's Henchman</h3><div>We're killing this planet. We're killing ourselves. We would go and go and go until something bigger than us makes it impossible to move. Covid was the spark. War is the fuel. So are worker and supply chain shortages. The world economy is in a freefall, it seems. Nature has been waiting for us to pay attention.</div><div><br /></div><div>A month ago, I was excited about building a proper house in Carmine. Then the housing market was forced to correct itself as interest rates began to rise. We had to pause and figure out what to do that wouldn't be a foolish move. I tend to move at the speed of light. I think 10 years of technology work has frozen my cruise control at 100 mph. Therefore, when the move I am completely ready to make gets stalled, I get into a serious existential crisis. </div><div><br /></div><div>I can either turn bitter and depressed, or I can slow down and find that slower pace in the now. I'm no master of the now, but hot diggity, I'm trying. I mean, look at me! I'm making my first blog entry in a year! I am taking the time to write. I love to write. I am not out spending money in an uncertain economy. No "meh" movie tickets. No fall shopping. Way less eating out. More time getting lost in my own thoughts. More time cooking. More time re-evaluating my today self against my student self. That grad student had a lot going for her. She knew how to relax, get outside and get dirty, connect with people, and by that, fully engage with her world. <br /><br />Thanks for engaging with my two dimensional format called a blog. Please walk away from it and give a nod to the planet you live on. It's full of natural beauty and some pretty cool people who never look at Instagram. </div><br /><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thanks for reading! </div>Christy Claxtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09451739842121326056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035584573805516954.post-90327685649988046672021-09-04T08:49:00.000-06:002021-09-04T08:49:02.665-06:00The Orchard<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bHdMyfLowes/YTN9zztqxrI/AAAAAAAABv0/sKN5PiwYNhgnwmLxfr3Ln8Un8AEppqX1QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/juniper%2Bberries.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bHdMyfLowes/YTN9zztqxrI/AAAAAAAABv0/sKN5PiwYNhgnwmLxfr3Ln8Un8AEppqX1QCLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/juniper%2Bberries.JPEG" title="Juniper Berries" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It's original name was Tornado Alley. The first time we discovered this scrappy acre of fallen cedar trees, scattered by some forgotten force, we gave it a name. I always thought it would be the most inexpensive acre to clear because it simply needed all of those dead trees pushed into a pile to burn.<br /><br />Over the years, we've opted for clearing and building on the first two acres of our place. Both took more effort to clean up, but now they are park-like in their beauty. Tornado Alley is the barrier that separates development from the wild. That barrier has grown and overgrown into an orchard.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Orchard is a wily place full of life that sprang from the death of trees. Wild roses create thorny hills and botanical caves for small wildlife to inhabit. The food sources gather there, too. The thorny, massive bushes offer up rose hips, as well as the perfect trellis for grapes and beauty berries to flourish. The Orchard wears a scarf that changes with the seasons. In the spring, it is the color of tannic water that flows through its threads and streams. As the water evaporates, the vibrant greens of mosses and grasses redesign the colors of summer. Pops of color dot the trees as birds come and go. By winter, the warm colors of decay take hold as they wait for the water to return, always pumping life into The Orchard.<br /><br />There are songs here. The symphony isn't so well heeled as the storied Festival Hill that is only a few miles away, but this orchestra is experienced in the song of the wilderness. The frogs trill like piccolos in a stave of notes and rhythms that are the beat of the symphony. Coyotes draw a bow across wild harmonious violins that crescendo as the night settles in. The big brass of trombones and baritones are performed by the cows as they call across the fields. As the arrangement decrescendos, a whippoorwill takes a solo. In The Orchard, the residents have perfected a masterpiece of song that has played nightly since before any human payed the price of ownership here. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><h4 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Abundance</h4><div><br /></div><div>A man will crush the dirt, rip it apart and plant a proper garden in his quest to survive. A man, and even two girls, will overlook something considered ugly and pesty. Whether it was the spirits of the earth or a delay in plans to eliminate it, The Orchard made a statement in late summer. It will remain. It will provide for the animals, the plants, the stream that borders it, and if its newest human residents wish to partake, it will allow it. The rules are its own, and that means it will not give itself up as easily as a well cultivated crop. It will challenge with scratches, tall grass, bees that bump away invaders, chiggers, and sometimes snakes. But if a person is willing to coexist by the rules of nature, the orchard will share its abundance.<br /><br />Juices, jams, teas and wines are waiting at a buffet provided by all the things we thought we didn't care for. When the truth is... The Orchard has been caring for us forever.</div><br /><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thanks for reading! </div>Christy Claxtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09451739842121326056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035584573805516954.post-87834581089687858892021-08-29T09:26:00.004-06:002021-08-29T09:26:57.588-06:00Building For Retirement on a Warming Planet<p> I believe in science 100%. Our ability to learn, explore, hypothesize, experiment, and grow our knowledge in ways that improve our lives is a gift from the universe, the source, God. I doubt many of you who read this would never go to a doctor for a dangerous illness. I bet many of you get a flu vaccine, and you vaccinate your kids to protect them from dangerous and sometimes deadly diseases. You have electricity. You drive cars. You have an abundance of food, shelter and clothing. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Qad7Tf2OMjA/YSudxV4yojI/AAAAAAAABto/EkUO6N2uKsQJVrltw5y0_ICfMdpdlfmUgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/barn%2Binterior.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Qad7Tf2OMjA/YSudxV4yojI/AAAAAAAABto/EkUO6N2uKsQJVrltw5y0_ICfMdpdlfmUgCLcBGAsYHQ/w300-h400/barn%2Binterior.JPEG" title="Metal Barn" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p><br /><br />It's all science. Humanity learned the facts of this planet, and humanity used those facts and findings to bring us to a place in time where I can write this blog entry at the very same time it races to a computing cloud and races to the masses on this science wonder called the internet. So yeah. We all benefit from high tech, but for years, I've been interested in naturalists and what they learned about the world around them. How simple observation of the natural world, and experimentation with what the earth provides got us to where we are today.<br /><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">What Does Naturalism Have to Do with Retirement?</h4><div><br /></div><div>I'll tell you. Aging is about adaptability. Whether it's your diet, your knees, your hearing (and mine is noticeably bad these days), your vanity, your income or the weather, as we age, we have to adapt. I think about this more than I probably should, and I share my thoughts with my readers. You're not going to agree with everything I think. I admit to existential anxiety about the future, and I have decided to admit it exists. </div><div><br /></div><div>Fact: The cost of living rises faster than the increase in wages. Return on savings is laughable. Social security will NOT cover our current lifestyle. Therefore, I give thanks for the ability to have our country place, and I give double thanks for the natural resources it hosts.<br /><br />Needless to say, I love experimenting with solar energy, rainwater catchment, foraging, wildlife observation, green building, and whatever else I observe in the natural world. I'm no Emerson or Thoreau, but quiet observation is an excellent investment in my retirement.</div><div><br /></div><div>While taking our time to enjoy and conscientiously develop our property, we're also building a future for retirement that will be sustainable both financially and environmentally. Our most recent endeavor was to finally erect a barn.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kqp9VN30gBE/YSucrN1ZqyI/AAAAAAAABtg/qFCdKR5HkSInRvaEU-UifbGWu-7sspEvgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/barn%2Bexterior.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kqp9VN30gBE/YSucrN1ZqyI/AAAAAAAABtg/qFCdKR5HkSInRvaEU-UifbGWu-7sspEvgCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/barn%2Bexterior.JPEG" title="24 X 35 Metal Building" width="400" /></a></div><p><br /></p>This thing is big enough to house both tractors, store whatever we have left in a storage unit we rent, and a spacious "workshop" for Tammy. It was surprisingly economical for its size. Eventually, we'll create a sitting area that allows us to watch the sunset and the wildlife comings and goings from the nearby creek. We hope the people we love to spend time with will enjoy our rugged little patio, too.<p></p><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">It's a Resource Balance </h4><div><br /></div><div>In the next 10 years, we hope to spend most of our days relaxing and enjoying a quiet country retreat. Part of reducing the stress of aging is thoughtfully managing our assets. Without knowing what the world will be like in our advanced years, I'm paying attention to today to be as prepared as possible for tomorrow. </div><div><br /></div><div>COVID isn't going anywhere. Hopefully, it eventually becomes no more than a whopping cold or mild flu as we build immunity. However, as mankind ventures into parts of nature better left unexplored, we'll continue to see new diseases that threaten our existence. It's also getting hotter, so more than microscopic life will evolve. I don't plan on foraging for food as our main source of sustenance, but I am very interested in the history of human cuisine and natural science.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CqHBlqm3GXM/YSufZuOqEfI/AAAAAAAABtw/Py5AfIGcv3AU0c9UAEV6mgPH-xSzVsv8QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/fenceline.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CqHBlqm3GXM/YSufZuOqEfI/AAAAAAAABtw/Py5AfIGcv3AU0c9UAEV6mgPH-xSzVsv8QCLcBGAsYHQ/w300-h400/fenceline.JPEG" title="Southern View" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>The above photo looks like a fence line in need of mowing, but it camouflages life sustaining food sources. Mostly for the wildlife, but a person could enjoy it, too. In fact, some of what you can't see here ends up on grocery specialty shelves as culinary treats. We plan on having some fun harvesting and creating some of those treats ourselves. </div><div><br /></div><div>Besides being an adventure in foraging, this is a lesson in natural adaptability. The hearty plant life that flourishes here reminded me that the things that create inconveniences for modern humans, are necessary for planetary life. I'm talking about that very alarming freeze back in February. There are fruits ripening in this photo that I had no idea were simply waiting for something as necessary as a freeze to appear in abundance.</div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Wild Rose Hips</h4><div><br /></div><div>I hate, hate, hate the very invasive wild rose bushes that absolutely conquer pastures around us. I shred the crap out of them, but as I was trying to figure out how to beat them back after their freeze induced growth spurt, I discovered Rose Hips. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ABB-dARZn10/YSuhevO-lfI/AAAAAAAABt8/1_TQuLlg49MpLq6P3-59W_ZfGC6-xK7-QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/hips%2Bon%2Bthe%2Bplant.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ABB-dARZn10/YSuhevO-lfI/AAAAAAAABt8/1_TQuLlg49MpLq6P3-59W_ZfGC6-xK7-QCLcBGAsYHQ/w300-h400/hips%2Bon%2Bthe%2Bplant.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I was actually looking for more possum grapes along the fence line when I saw the fruit.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6UdBE6REoqg/YSuhejYnCRI/AAAAAAAABt4/IANHkbkB-Dsh7OLGAhVKdoeZaJFPIGugACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/wild%2Brose%2Bhips.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6UdBE6REoqg/YSuhejYnCRI/AAAAAAAABt4/IANHkbkB-Dsh7OLGAhVKdoeZaJFPIGugACLcBGAsYHQ/w300-h400/wild%2Brose%2Bhips.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Sure enough, they have the same value as cultivated rose hips... Well, I'll be damned. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q8vAw_MFqhw/YSuib528huI/AAAAAAAABuQ/qv93D9P04vUAJvuTzlFxnPbBu-yJEC-7gCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/rose%2Bhips%2Bflesh.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q8vAw_MFqhw/YSuib528huI/AAAAAAAABuQ/qv93D9P04vUAJvuTzlFxnPbBu-yJEC-7gCLcBGAsYHQ/w300-h400/rose%2Bhips%2Bflesh.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>These weren't quite ripe. In fact, they were almost as hard as a nut, but I tasted them anyway, only to read that they can make your mouth itch. And as they travel your digestive tract, they make sure to make you itch on their way out of your body... There's a crude name for these little wonders. "Ass itchers." Fortunately, just tasting one with the tip of my tongue spared me the whole digestive experience. I only had a weird feeling in my mouth and slight burning in my stomach; which could have totally been psychological after I read how a raw one can affect the body. At any rate, with proper preparation, they're good for you!<br /><br />Here's the big retirement takeaway. Our land is clearly fertile, and I rather enjoy gardening. I'm not all that worried about food and healthy living. I am worried about the heat, and inconsistent rain. We had a lot this year, but who knows what next year will be like. So natural fruits are worth understanding and maybe cultivating at some point.<br /><br />Even wild roses.</div><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thanks for reading! </div>Christy Claxtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09451739842121326056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035584573805516954.post-61632652234658686022021-08-22T08:17:00.005-06:002021-08-26T07:34:46.145-06:00What are Possum Grapes and What Do I Do About Them?<p> Make wine. That's what I can do with them. From what I've read, they're going to take over my fence line and probably anything else they can climb. We're currently in a losing battle with wild roses, and as a result, these buckshot sized grapes have emerged. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HIfA9fBNxSY/YSJWvrnSzII/AAAAAAAABtI/DPXYlzzX-PUgRn3gt1MFsJNA2865W62nwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1920/Possum%2BGrapes.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HIfA9fBNxSY/YSJWvrnSzII/AAAAAAAABtI/DPXYlzzX-PUgRn3gt1MFsJNA2865W62nwCLcBGAsYHQ/w225-h400/Possum%2BGrapes.JPG" title="Possum Grapes" width="225" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>If I never post again, it's because I was wrong about what these tiny grapes really are, and I died of loose bowels. I have been around the internet trying to figure out what these are, and the most accurate answer I got came from a friend. Eddie narrowed down the photo I posted on Facebook to Possum Grapes. <br /><br />I found a Possum Grape recipe on a blog called <a href="https://notdabblinginnormal.wordpress.com/2010/09/03/winemaking-and-jelly-possum-grapes/" target="_blank">Not Dabbling in Normal.</a> If I can convince Tammy to try this recipe, I'm predicting we'll have a very sweet, musky wine that does a few things. Makes us drunk in a terrible kind of way, gives us a really bad hangover, and most likely, diarrhea. But you know? What not try it? I could be wrong. </p><h4 style="text-align: left;">For Your Viewing Pleasure...</h4><div><br /></div><div>I stumbled upon this video about foraging in South Texas. Try to forgive all the doomsday prepper/patriot crap advertisements, and focus on the video. It's about 30 minutes long, but I found it very educational. I suggest saving it as a reference, if your interested in what kinds of foods grow wild in Texas besides grapes.<br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/alOtkF30fE0" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thanks for reading! </div>Christy Claxtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09451739842121326056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035584573805516954.post-13659424040331265722021-08-21T11:12:00.003-06:002021-08-26T07:33:18.725-06:00Frog Toes<p> I once heard that we'll know the land is no longer sustainable when we stop hearing the frogs. I'm happy to say we have a very large and loud population of frogs and toads at the cabin. Last night, I met 4 toads who have taken up residence under the faucet on the rainwater tank. I haven't seen him lately, but there's a very loud and very green tree frog who lives under the trim on the cabin. He left his toe prints all over the window this morning.<br /><br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hzZW_TW4ycs/YSEqOwa_IGI/AAAAAAAABsg/GlLWE3Kf4kM1QE-GVhbTuNaqhrKraTiwgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Frog%2BToes.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hzZW_TW4ycs/YSEqOwa_IGI/AAAAAAAABsg/GlLWE3Kf4kM1QE-GVhbTuNaqhrKraTiwgCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/Frog%2BToes.JPEG" title="Frog toes on a window" width="400" /></a></div><br /><h4 style="text-align: left;">Starting a Garden in a Shady Yard</h4><div><br /></div><div>Global warming coupled with a pandemic seems like a recipe for a food crisis to me. Central Texas has been very rainy this summer. It's good for our area, but in some cases too much rain harms crops. So does drought and fire. I've decided not to take food for granted. I'm going to try to grow a vegetable garden in our very shady backyard in Austin. <br /><br />I've always avoided it because nothing really thrives besides the grass and trees (and the grass is spotty). But I've made up my mind to try. I took a couple of 12" rods and set them 4 feet apart where I <i>think </i>there is more sun. I need a few hours a day to grow spinach, and probably lettuce. I watched the sun move across the rods and added up how much time they were in full sun. I put the garden where the sun shines the longest. I need to talk to a local gardening expert to figure out if anything else will grow in that spot. And it's an odd, not visually symmetrical spot. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uEEgdX8I03E/YSEsT0cmyzI/AAAAAAAABso/M_p2O5MQBq0NStujmfddJBTCAtw_31mJgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/raised%2Bbe%2Bgarden.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uEEgdX8I03E/YSEsT0cmyzI/AAAAAAAABso/M_p2O5MQBq0NStujmfddJBTCAtw_31mJgCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/raised%2Bbe%2Bgarden.JPEG" title="Shady vegetable garden" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>You can see from the photo that the grass is struggling. I observed two things. First, I realized the dogs know exactly where to get the most sun in our yard. And guess, what? It's where the grass is thick and healthy. I got to work, cut my landscaping timbers in 4 foot sections, stacked, secured with 12" nails (they were a bitch to drive through the timbers with a framing hammer; even after I drilled starter holes), and filled it with organic dirt and compost. <br /><br />I'm not sure it's a success, but Birdie immediately started eating the compost. If the dog likes it, it must be good dirt! I'm going to work it for a few weeks, and sow seeds in September.</div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Is There a Seed Shortage?</h4><div><br /></div><div>The answer is no, but yes. Seeds are still cultivated, but packaging and shipping depends on a few things. </div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Workers - staffing shortages due to Covid slows the process for getting seeds to consumers.</li><li>Covid increased demand for seeds.</li><li>Seed suppliers have to predict demand a few years into the future. Nobody predicted Covid.</li></ul><div>Here's a quick read for Southern gardeners from the <span style="color: red;"><a href="https://scgrower.com/2021/03/01/is-there-a-shortage-of-vegetable-seed-this-spring/" target="_blank">South Carolina Grower</a> </span>blog. This is good stuff to know. Along with timing of supply replenishment, I also learned that seeds don't last forever. They typically only hold their efficacy for a year of two; depending on how they're stored. If you look at a seed envelope, you'll see something like this stamped on it:<br /><br />"For 2021"</div></div><div><br /></div><div>I was so excited when Tammy told me that we had a ton of seeds in a drawer. I found them, and I saw "For 2017" stamped on the packets. As soon as I saw that, I figured they were no good. Otherwise, why would they have that? Welp. I've learned why. </div><div><br /></div><div>Although I'm setting a goal for a fall/winter garden in my shady yard, it may be spring before I plant, due to the difficulty in finding seeds. I saw some seeds online that are supposed to be 15 - 40 different varieties, but I'm so skeptical, I think I'll buy them in-store. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thanks for reading! </div>Christy Claxtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09451739842121326056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035584573805516954.post-31643383523997072492021-08-15T11:15:00.010-06:002021-08-26T07:29:35.129-06:00I have existential reasons for reviving this blog<p> Is that not a crazy blog title or what? Truthfully, most of you are nodding your heads, and saying, "girl. I get it."<br />Did you ever think we'd be where we are as a planet so soon? Most non-scientists will say, "no."<br />Most hippy dippy types - kind of like me - are taking a deep breath and thinking we'd better get busy if we weren't already. We have one planet, one lifetime and long lives ahead of us. So it's time to think about sustainability and how to approach it again.<br /><br />Tammy and I have avoided Covid. We followed the science, and did what was recommended. Admittedly, I'm tired of being at home so much, but I'm also grateful for the country place so that we can get out and move around! We're also of the mind that along with human activity helping to speed global warming, it's human activity that unleashed the horseman called death. Therefore, we aren't putting on blinders while we sing, "la la la."<br /><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-c9gCiDOjgfw/YRlRhQmzBlI/AAAAAAAABrk/YaRHtMkTB2AzUPZ-hx_k_cfjdIDnPztDACLcBGAsYHQ/DSCF0011.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-c9gCiDOjgfw/YRlRhQmzBlI/AAAAAAAABrk/YaRHtMkTB2AzUPZ-hx_k_cfjdIDnPztDACLcBGAsYHQ/DSCF0011.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Backyard Garden in the Shade</h4><div>Over the last 5 years, we have not put in a vegetable garden in Austin because our yard is so shady. Any non-food plants I've planted are kind of wimpy. Most things need more sun. (But if you're looking for something scrappy for your yard - plant salvia. It seeds and pops up everywhere, and that means flowering plants galore - even in the shade.) As of this past week, I am going to try to put in a vegetable garden or two. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-dobP6cQtvGs/YRlSpLzt_3I/AAAAAAAABrs/IgwiTkuErYg6IjKhKU9AQMmKvYc2HQfkgCLcBGAsYHQ/DSCF0008.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-dobP6cQtvGs/YRlSpLzt_3I/AAAAAAAABrs/IgwiTkuErYg6IjKhKU9AQMmKvYc2HQfkgCLcBGAsYHQ/DSCF0008.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I hung out with my longtime friend <a href="https://kiyaheartwood.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ff00fe;">Kiya Heartwood</span></a> this past week, and she showed me her permaculture gardens. I was re-inspired that food plants are heartier than I thought. I'll be asking her a ton of questions as I try this myself. She is a small farm pro. This weekend, however, is about figuring out where to put the beds and then start breaking up this hard-ass Austin dirt.</div><div><br /></div><div>I think I can grow leafy vegetables, and I may try sweet potatoes. I'll try carrots and turnips, too (I'll be giving away turnips because I only want the greens). Then I need to figure out what kind of vertical food will grow in minimal shade. Maybe nothing, but I'd like to try something. I've studied the sun pattern in the backyard for years, and I never settled on the best spot to grow vegetables until I realized that there's a sort of deadish spot in the grass where the dogs like to sun. So.... guess where most of the sun lands? I'm feeling only slightly guilty about taking over their spot. I fully expect some retaliation.</div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Don't Take Food, Water and Health for Granted</h4><div>At the risk of sounding doomsday like, we are no longer taking our food, water and health for granted. Covid has been surreal. As a people, we could have slowed the spread, but politics and conspiracies got in the way. Supply chains will once again be disrupted. In fact, I read that wheat yields were down worldwide. What's next? </div><div><br /></div><div>Water. Not one thing on this planet can live without it. As the polar ice caps melt, the salinity of the ocean changes, and life in the seas will change, too. The coastlines are shrinking. People are moving inland. Housing costs are skyrocketing around migration. And droughts mean less water for more people. <br /><br />Needless to say, I'll be adding a cistern or two to the house in Austin. As much as possible, I'll use rainwater to water my garden. I should probably try <a href="https://www.diynatural.com/hugelkultur-raised-garden-beds/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ff00fe;">hill gardening</span></a> to reduce water usage. More to come on if I do that. I'm probably not that patient, though.<br /><br />And finally, solar. Y'all know I'm about the solar energy. I'll writes some entries on how my journey is going. More to come. In the meantime, if your yard is shady and you want a garden, leafy green vegetables are your best bet:</div><div>Spinach<br />Chard<br />Lettuces<br />Carrots - sort of<br />Turnips - sort of<br /><br />If you're in Texas, always refer to <a href="https://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ff00fe;">Texas AgriLife</span></a> for tips on what to plant and when to plant in your region. <br /><br />** I'm pretty sure Elizabeth took the photos in this blog entry, so credit goes to her.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thanks for reading! </div>Christy Claxtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09451739842121326056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035584573805516954.post-36122940025141692642019-06-16T08:53:00.001-06:002019-06-16T08:53:51.743-06:00Necessity is a MotherBoy howdy! Do we know how to start a country getaway.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lhWIyAA-fAA/XQZLOB62fwI/AAAAAAAABbQ/oU_pBSWTHiIzZO35mJnr97z0LGORrz5QACLcBGAs/s1600/carb%2Bstraw.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lhWIyAA-fAA/XQZLOB62fwI/AAAAAAAABbQ/oU_pBSWTHiIzZO35mJnr97z0LGORrz5QACLcBGAs/s400/carb%2Bstraw.JPEG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carburetor cleaner straw - Such a wicked apparatus</td></tr>
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Two things happened within 12 hours of each other.<br />
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<ol>
<li>Tammy got impatient and killed the lawn mower.</li>
<li>The glorious Sportsman generator verified that you get what you pay for.</li>
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We are on a one week vacation that is mostly centered around a relaxing getaway at the cabin. By all estimates, Tammy should have been able to come out here Thursday night, crank up the generator, turn on the AC, let the cabin cool off, and easily mow the lawn.<br /><br />It didn't go that way. </div>
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First of all, the generator died over the winter. It did it quietly. We didn't know about it until we pulled it out of the shed and tried to use it. If you're in Texas, you know it goes from Christmas to absolute, double digit hell overnight. So when we needed the generator we <i>NEEDED</i> the generator. It was so hot that we thought we killed the dog. Tammy started our vacation a day early to see if she could get the thing started. We knew it was a spark issue, but she is much more patient than me, and she thought she could solve the problem if I wasn't around.<br /><br />She got it started! I was amazed, and I planned to end my work week by packing up some clothes, cool drinks and dogs, and heading on out to the cabin. In the meantime, something else happened. The cabin lawnmower ran out of gas exactly 5 rows short of completely mowing the yard. Let me back up here and take responsibility for original fuel storage sin. Many years ago, I put diesel in a red gas can. Not a green one (which is the designated color for diesel cans). I wrote "diesel" on the can with a sharpie. The ink faded over the years. Tammy was in a hurry to finish mowing because hell was quickly approaching.<br /><br /><h3>
Always use super unleaded gas in a lawnmower. Not diesel</h3>
<br />Tammy accidentally put diesel in the lawnmower.<br />All you good ol' boys are rolling your eyes and laughing right now.<br />Don't be so judgy.<br />She went about the same things you boys would do to save the lawn mower.</div>
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Empty fuel tank.<br />Fill with super unleaded.<br />Run it.<br />Let it sputter and die.<br />Put a straw on the carburetor cleaner and spray into carburetor.</div>
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At which point, Tammy describes the straw as shooting into the carburetor and way into the engine. </div>
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I took the engine apart and retrieved the straw, but as of this writing, we still have 5 rows of grass that need to be mowed.<br />I pulled out another straw that actually belonged in the air filter intake. I can't get it back in there.<br />I'm not giving up, but I'm not naive. I know we're probably doomed.</div>
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That's the first thing that happened.<br />Now, back to the generator.</div>
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<h3>
You get what you pay for<br /></h3>
The generator did not keep running. In fact, it blew out 2 spark plugs. Blew them the hell out. Thus stripping the threads of the spark plug hole. I'm going to try to fix this, but I tell you, it was one hot night. </div>
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Tammy got up and went to Home Depot, at 5:30 AM, and bought the most amazing and basically expensive generator ever. But y'all. This little suitcase sized generator is the best!</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wUbmKzHrLX0/XQZRg_vYEuI/AAAAAAAABbs/ldEVIT6LfPkvT7Ga7EX8mRf1VohiNnSggCLcBGAs/s1600/Honnda.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="286" data-original-width="290" height="394" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wUbmKzHrLX0/XQZRg_vYEuI/AAAAAAAABbs/ldEVIT6LfPkvT7Ga7EX8mRf1VohiNnSggCLcBGAs/s400/Honnda.JPG" title="Honda EU2200i" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_id=114&ipn=icep&toolid=20004&campid=5338181212&mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fitm%2FHonda-EU2200i-2200-Watt-120-Volt-Super-Quiet-Portable-Inverter-Generator%2F382864248021%3Fepid%3D11031977082%26_trkparms%3Dispr%253D1%26hash%3Ditem59247cccd5%3Ag%3AWxkAAOSwcwhcmj~w%26enc%3DAQADAAAB4KX%252FKt4E1xf3SDqEdBclaYYKoBimYQEpGUyrvshfhvxppMD2yjq95agmgUQIG1ecxj%252FQgeid7ngqUEkv729yngeo8KXomy%252Fctn3crMvZkitEYO3q5SVEwA0eefvd5yxh4y1FX2DIAE9e%252FpsB5%252BNd%252Fpp%252F5G0n4mAFPuo7QrpUvJDogcLrb5064GV3GG77jeXmf1iGfFJPynpzsT1IdWTYKpqzeXXDsn6DAPGCPRZAYlL8XbpZZmNfEI9sa3%252BwMq%252BtltsQMvlmNEGYxHukvUTFO9YkvwC6gwlzifAnHrLeVZBzcy6kHYFcMMf7hOJQtsiCMP5xWHMrDvqLxLGPK2msgxZ%252FyfAcQt7GxpvEpLBVh%252FCsLtqht8dWys0DKGzs%252FpGxA3JcGQyGLnnlJS3k6NSyFR59w4W2ue0bp2kkrKoXPOEIEzCLIggEAedMY%252FW0jpHPjrqg%252FzIYNlREB8XkjWAQcR%252F%252F%252Bc8mdEZI1K8NV3YfuoqF5BUy9lQEAeWksh0Al%252BUF0CrHDBGiAameCrLy2vx7BjeAqvdihvb3Z%252FMgmtzs209zlhaOkJU05jc7vw0WYnEXupRlDlKSWzhdDa6APF4zRTYjPM2%252Bt9vvBY1EZ%252FvdpxRbggwRT3oVBe69EgDV15k6eQ%253D%253D%26checksum%3D382864248021dec4bd2028f4433ea59b1d5bb7b99e5d" target="_blank">Buy Here</a></div>
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First of all, its a Honda. Honda is just a better product. The Japanese don't skimp on quality. They don't throw it together, put a label on it, and sell it to some All-American company that loves to sell us on 'Merica.<br /><br />2200 watts is really only enough to power our AC, but that's fine. We have solar power for everything else. This little guy runs smooth, is very quiet, and here's the crazy part. The power inversion is so consistent that the AC actually runs better. It never got very cool on the Sportsman. That's because the Sportsman has a Chinese knockoff of a Honda engine. It does not invert power consistently; even though it has almost double the wattage output.<br /><br />The only drawback to the Honda EU 2200i is that it has a tiny fuel tank. It holds .95 gallons. Yep. A gallon minus 5 tenths of a percent. Weird. However, it's so efficient, that it will go for about 4 - 5 hours in extreme heat before refueling. That's fine. It keeps the cabin almost cold. On the converse, it ran 7 hours overnight. I didn't expect that. I though I'd be up at 3 AM to refuel. I woke up at 7 AM, and the thing was still running on one tank of fuel!<br /><br />Here's my recommendation. Don't cheap out. If you want to go off grid, pay for quality.<br />I haven't written in the last 6 months, but this little machine inspired me.<br />More to come, as I attempt to salvage the Sportsman to be used as a barn generator (yep! We're in the process of clearing a few more acres and adding a barn!).<br /><br />Stay tuned.</div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Thanks for reading! </div>Christy Claxtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09451739842121326056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035584573805516954.post-42239245830316006732018-12-30T11:11:00.001-06:002018-12-30T11:11:29.156-06:00Survival Beyond the City LimitsCity is key here. City. What once could be considered a big town is now a real city - Austin.<br />
I've somewhat fallen out of love with it.<br />Here's why - just because people say something doesn't make it so.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4SMvje5eGuI/XCj6HOUHPeI/AAAAAAAABX8/dRPhNiOtys0cK2plMtcvTQmLk7fnMxEwwCLcBGAs/s1600/lhs-Traffic-on-I-35-04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="639" data-original-width="960" height="266" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4SMvje5eGuI/XCj6HOUHPeI/AAAAAAAABX8/dRPhNiOtys0cK2plMtcvTQmLk7fnMxEwwCLcBGAs/s400/lhs-Traffic-on-I-35-04.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<h3>
Cool Things to Do That I Won't Do Anymore</h3>
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<ol>
<li><b>The Trail of Lights</b> - What a complete hassle. Crowded. Impossible to get to unless you find a bus lot and stand in line to wait for a bus that may or may not be able to take you there. </li>
<li> <b>SoCo</b> - Douchy at best. That's all I have to say about that.</li>
<li><b>Canoeing or kayaking on Town... err... Ladybird Lake</b> - People soup. What in the world is relaxing about a thousand people on SUPs or in kayaks?</li>
<li><b>Restaurant Institutions </b>- There are a handful of old school restaurants left in Austin. I don't know if the new competition has made it O.K to offer mediocre service and food, or if they're at the end of their lifespan. I'm not naming names, but I've lost my warm fuzzy with them.</li>
<li><b>Hiking the Greenbelt - </b>For starters, how do I find a parking space to do this? And if I can't park, how the heck many people are jabbering about on the trail? Nameste, y'all.</li>
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<h3>
Refining Small Town Life</h3>
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I started this blog because I love the country. I love our cabin. Frankly, I love Fayette County. It's rural, for sure, but there's something different about it. </div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nBX-ijVlrEI/XCj5GCC51DI/AAAAAAAABXs/1dR3_1GCMqcwIGJpO91Xv877UueOQSSrwCLcBGAs/s1600/FR7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nBX-ijVlrEI/XCj5GCC51DI/AAAAAAAABXs/1dR3_1GCMqcwIGJpO91Xv877UueOQSSrwCLcBGAs/s400/FR7.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<ol>
<li><b>Culture for my fancy self - </b>Festival Institute, Shakespeare at Winedale, The Painted Churches, and elegant shopping.</li>
<li><b>Kolaches - </b> Battling it out for the best kolaches anywhere! On the west side of the county and making a strong appearance on the very northeast corner of the county... <a href="https://www.weikels.com/" target="_blank">Weikels</a>! On the east side of the county, with a slight edge due to a speed limit drop to 55mph, <a href="http://www.hruskas-bakery.com/" target="_blank">Hruskas</a>! On the south side of the county, perfectly positioned to fortify tourist on the Painted Churches tour, <a href="http://www.kountrybakery.com/" target="_blank">Original Kountry Bakery</a>!</li>
<li><b>The Sunrise </b>- No alarm clock needed. Always spectacular.</li>
<li><b>The Sunset - </b>Shut your mouth. Put that phone up. </li>
<li><b>The People - </b>My mother used to say that the Czech people will open their door to anyone. They're welcoming and friendly. And that is true. They're progressive in their thinking, and that's why Fayette County is so vibrant and wonderful. </li>
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<h3>
Coming Soon</h3>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L83ceGYiots/XCj5jYGR_kI/AAAAAAAABX0/A5914mhUxlcuyRZFIhEkvQFkSTn2JXBVwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_4967-7.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L83ceGYiots/XCj5jYGR_kI/AAAAAAAABX0/A5914mhUxlcuyRZFIhEkvQFkSTn2JXBVwCLcBGAs/s400/IMG_4967-7.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div>
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In the spring, people will flood to Fayette County for the bi-annual Antique Fair. It will be crazy big to the point of input overload. Then the wildflowers will bloom. Then the MS150 bike tour will make an overnight at the fair grounds. </div>
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As summer sets in, Festival Institute will come alive with its summer classical music festival. Shakespear at Winedale will do plays for the people. The summer will come to a close with the Fayette County Fair.</div>
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I'm leaving so many festivals and cultural institutions out of this, but it's a blog, and people have a shorter attention span when reading a blog. </div>
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I'm looking forward to the day we can turn our cabin into a guesthouse because we have finally made the permanent move. </div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Thanks for reading! </div>Christy Claxtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09451739842121326056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035584573805516954.post-88735383840985819802018-04-29T13:20:00.000-06:002018-04-29T13:25:32.305-06:00The Gym Myth<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-98bJ2J5ffvE/WuUD9FNfF-I/AAAAAAAABUU/jGfgS3trdSMUKqU0I-Ldpf--UOnia6mBQCLcBGAs/s1600/vegetables.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="639" data-original-width="852" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-98bJ2J5ffvE/WuUD9FNfF-I/AAAAAAAABUU/jGfgS3trdSMUKqU0I-Ldpf--UOnia6mBQCLcBGAs/s400/vegetables.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Worth their weight in weight loss</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I tend to live in waves of fitness brought on by fatness. Basically. I live the healthy life for years, and then one day my mind overrides my habit and convinces me that I really don't feel like eating a salad, much less taking a bike ride.<br />
<br />
I had this mental ambush about three years ago. FINALLY I conquered it, but what I discovered is this. The gym didn't do diddly for me. The gym is a scam. I'm 53 years old, and months of well meaning workouts alone amount to nothing. My most recent victory over sloth brought this fact to light. And here's why.<br />
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<h3>
Sugar Sweet Talked Me Into 20 Pounds</h3>
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God, I love sugar. As my head slowly killed my motivation to move faster than a stroll to the bathroom, I convinced myself that 3 Oreos a day was nothing. Then I blanked out and never saw the other crap I was eating. I appreciate those movies where guys decide to eat crap diets for sixty days. You know why? Because they are right. That mental and physical decline is real. </div>
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If I felt bad, stressed or bored, I went for the sweets. I came home and agreed to taking a night off from cooking and had myself a greasy, fattening plate of restaurant food. A cooking break is welcomed by me, but the problem wasn't the break. It was what I ordered wherever I dined. Plus it became a frequent practice to split dessert.<br />
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I religiously made my way to the gym, and nothing happened. Nothing happened.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kZLx0egBbK8/WuYTMp4BtyI/AAAAAAAABU4/VJPEU7fcNy4Q1H1fJa6xD13y01IGW5J0QCLcBGAs/s1600/fat%2Bchristy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="624" data-original-width="231" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kZLx0egBbK8/WuYTMp4BtyI/AAAAAAAABU4/VJPEU7fcNy4Q1H1fJa6xD13y01IGW5J0QCLcBGAs/s400/fat%2Bchristy.JPG" width="147" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This fat Christy went to the gym daily</td></tr>
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<h3>
Step Back - She Could Be Dangerous</h3>
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<div>
If a person pays $50 a month to stay in shape and that person loses nothing but the $50, that person will finally accept the truth. It isn't how hard your work out, it's what you eat. And with that admission, I stopped eating sugar and gluten cold turkey. I abandoned the gym and went back to a simple nightly <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Flexibility-Techniques-Stretching-Strengthening/dp/154685102X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1524954097&sr=1-4&keywords=yoga+poses+book&&linkCode=ll1&tag=twogirls-20&linkId=f36ea88a5ad6a6f9cc55e7cad97ecb2d" target="_blank">yoga routine.</a> I took more walks on the very nice greenbelt at the end of our street.<br />
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I lost 5 pounds a week for 3 weeks. Then it slowed down just a bit and finally settled back to my normal weight - my healthy weight, and I never went to the gym. I should have been a total crank, but after about day 3 I was o.k. I then stopped dairy and corn. I was a little depressed by the food deprivation. But I survived. I stabilized and now I can think like a rational person and maintain a healthy diet, yoga, and even running in the greenbelt.<br />
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It is a mind game to do this. It requires will power. It requires resistance to peer pressure. No matter what you read, or what some celebrity promises you, it is not the workout as much as it is the food. If you accept that sugar and junk foods are demons, you'll be able to enjoy even the richest foods without guilt. Bacon has nothing on an Oreo cookie when it comes to weight gain.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tmuGtrvgVuE/WuUEwQHZe1I/AAAAAAAABUc/h6-4yPH6-dwZ692MvvCuMX0v8zRUuiwvQCLcBGAs/s1600/hoppin%2527%2Bjohn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tmuGtrvgVuE/WuUEwQHZe1I/AAAAAAAABUc/h6-4yPH6-dwZ692MvvCuMX0v8zRUuiwvQCLcBGAs/s400/hoppin%2527%2Bjohn.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hoppin' John made from scratch</td></tr>
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So let's do a little food budget analysis to see if I'm spending more money on whole foods than a quick, processed version of the same dinner. Option #1 has hidden fats, sugars, salt and preservatives. Option #2 is completely fresh and whole.<br />
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<h3>
A Weekday Dinner</h3>
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This is something most of us feel is impossible to cook, so we either skip cooking altogether or we pick something up on the way home. If you're like me, and you do cook dinner, you're probably looking for something fast and easy.<br />
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So I'm going to pick a meal and make it two ways, and compare:<br />
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Chicken, mashed potatoes and green beans.<br />
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<b>Option #1</b><br />
(Fast and maybe cheaper.)<br />
Heat & Eat Chicken Nuggets - $4.62 - bake for 20 minutes<br />
One boxed mash potatoes - $.91 - about 5 minutes<br />
Can of green beans - $.50 a can - about 5 minutes<br />
Total Cost & Time - $6.03 - Including prep time, 25 minutes tops.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Option #2</b><br />
(I'm assuming you have basic spices and butter/milk to season your meal.)<br />
Fresh Boneless Chicken Breasts - $4.27 - season and broil in about 15 minutes</div>
<div>
Fresh Russet Potatoes - $1.83 for 5 lb bag. Use 3, so really $.61 - 20 minutes<br />
Fresh green beans - $.75 - about 10 minutes</div>
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Total Cost & Time - $5.63 - Including prep time, 35 minutes tops.<br />
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<div>
Honestly, there isn't much difference here, so why choose processed foods over whole foods?<br />
To be fair, I can prep a meal pretty fast because I cook all the time, so it might take you 40 minutes the first few times, but the quality of the food and the control of calorie intake is worth it.<br />
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<b>Snacks:</b><br />
<br />
<b>Option #1</b> - Potato chips - $2 for 11 ounce bag - It says there are 11 servings per container, but come on. We know it's more like 5 servings; which adds up to 240 calories per honest serving.<br />
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<b>Option #2</b> - Apples - $2.98 for 3 lb. bag. There are about 15 small apples in a bag. Even if you eat 2 at a time, the apples are going to last longer than the chips and cost about the same amount per serving. A small apple is more like 70 calories, so two wouldn't be more than 140 calories.<br />
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It's the way you choose to think about your eating and exercising habits. You can tell yourself the whole food way is too difficult, but you can't tell yourself it's more expensive. If you're not a big fan of exercising, then the diet change alone will be of benefit, but it makes total sense to at least take a walk.<br />
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To sum it up, I can drop my gym membership and save $50 a month, and I won't have to use any of my savings to offset the cost of a healthy diet.<br />
It's nice to be back to my old self.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RsOi_NnlG34/WuYYc76zQ-I/AAAAAAAABVc/45C5WBCMPI49hyJWO7SrI7TFc7P4fcnfACLcBGAs/s1600/back%2Bto%2Bnormal.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="761" data-original-width="241" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RsOi_NnlG34/WuYYc76zQ-I/AAAAAAAABVc/45C5WBCMPI49hyJWO7SrI7TFc7P4fcnfACLcBGAs/s400/back%2Bto%2Bnormal.JPG" width="126" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back to normal</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Don't forget to check out our <a href="https://www.twogirlslivehere.com/p/two-girls-product-reviews-and.html" target="_blank">product recommendations and reviews</a> because you should keep the planet as healthy as your own body.<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Thanks for reading! </div>Christy Claxtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09451739842121326056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035584573805516954.post-83334695862039324892018-04-25T05:00:00.000-06:002018-04-25T05:00:00.870-06:00Brew Your Own KombuchaKombucha has become rather popular. This fermented tea has been around for centuries with many unsubstantiated claims to cure just about anything from cancer, to GERD to hangovers. Depending on what you read, you'll either get the hell scared out of you and avoid it, or you'll start draining your bank account on $3-$4 bottles of tea fizz.<br />
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An integrative medicine doctor recommended I start drinking the stuff to right the bacterial and yeast balance in my body, and hopefully calm my overactive thyroid. It did not cure my overactive thyroid, but it didn't kill me either. In fact, Tammy and I are somewhat addicted to the stuff. This same doctor told me to make my own to make it cost effective. So I do.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NsuBYUJ7G-A/WtzVP7lRUwI/AAAAAAAABSU/hN3uIwiQ2lUrEsUHj0QJGTEsefHf71pDACLcBGAs/s1600/kombucha.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NsuBYUJ7G-A/WtzVP7lRUwI/AAAAAAAABSU/hN3uIwiQ2lUrEsUHj0QJGTEsefHf71pDACLcBGAs/s400/kombucha.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<h3>
What is Kombucha?</h3>
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It is literally fermented tea. It ferments due to the addition of a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast. Also known as "mother" or "scoby." This thing looks like a big, flat, grayish brown booger. However, the scoby is the good bacteria and yeast our bodies need. One gallon of sweet tea will turn into fizzy kombucha in about 7 - 10 days. The scoby will grow until you have two scobies, and so forth. I'm currently up to 4 scobies and 4 gallons of kombucha. We have a lot of fizzy tea in the refrigerator.</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jJAJ4ewcc2I/WtzVieLCMdI/AAAAAAAABSc/cDYROeJ8XdwZJcSKG45uO_8mbdBRFJ2gACLcBGAs/s1600/kombucha%2Bjars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jJAJ4ewcc2I/WtzVieLCMdI/AAAAAAAABSc/cDYROeJ8XdwZJcSKG45uO_8mbdBRFJ2gACLcBGAs/s400/kombucha%2Bjars.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Whenever you grow any bacteria culture, you have to be very very sanitary. Although kombucha has been brewed since pre-sanitation days, it is entirely possible to grow yourself the wrong bugs and get super sick. So rule #1. Be very clean.</div>
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<h3 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
An Inexpensive Kombucha Recipe - Make Your Own Scoby</h3>
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I used a recipe from <a href="https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-kombucha-tea-at-home-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-173858" target="_blank">The Kitchn</a> because it was simple. I made a few modifications for cost and convenience sake.<br />
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There are a number of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=as_li_ss_tl?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=kombucha+recipes+book&sprefix=kombucha+recipes,aps,164&crid=1RWXWHDT1CBJB&linkCode=ll2&tag=twogirls-20&linkId=471f3cdf853ac66764d931d5e63c7196" target="_blank">recipe books</a> available; including ones you can download onto our kindle or phone (if you're a clutter free reader).</div>
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You will need the following:</div>
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<b>4 Family-sized tea bags</b> - I use 2 Lipton black tea and 2 Lipton green tea. You need some black tea to give the scoby and you some real nutritional benefits.</div>
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<b>One Cup of Sugar </b>- Again, I'm not going fancy. The scoby couldn't give a hoot whether your sugar is organic or fancy. I use HEB sugar.</div>
<b>One 16 oz bottle of plain Kombucha </b>- I use GT's Original. GT makes the very best kombucha, if you ask me.<br />
<b>3.5 Pints of Water </b>- Regular old water. I use tap water. There. I admit it. Not distilled. Not bottled. Not spring. Tap water. I'm practical like that.<br />
<b>Six 16 oz. Mason Jars </b>- I know it's trendy to bottle in those cool Grolsch-style flip top bottles, but they're expensive, and this is about saving money. You can get 24 mason jars for less than $9. You'll need the other 18 if your scoby grows and multiplies like mine has.<br />
<b>One Gallon Glass Jar </b>- Even a cookie jar will work if you really don't want spend $20 on a fancy jar with a spigot. In fact, the spigot will just get clogged with scoby and present a sanitation risk.<br />
<b>Tightly woven cloth and rubber band </b>- A bar towel or cup towel works well. Not the terrycloth kind, but the smoothly woven kind.<br />
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Here's how to make your own scoby:</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scoby in starter tea</td></tr>
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<ol>
<li>Bring 3.5 pints of water to a rolling boil.</li>
<li>Dissolve one cup of sugar in the water using a wooden spoon.</li>
<li>Turn off the heat and add your tea bags.</li>
<li>Let the tea brew to a preferred darkness. The longer it brews, the more nutrition for the scoby.</li>
<li>Let the tea cool to room temperature. I recommend brew at bedtime, and let it cool overnight.</li>
<li>Add your starter tea to the glass jar.</li>
<li>Pour in your sweet tea.</li>
<li>Tightly band the towel to the jar opening.</li>
<li>Place jar away from direct sunlight and keep it at about 70 degrees.</li>
<li>Let it sit until you form a scoby. It will take about 2 weeks.</li>
<li>When the scoby covers the surface of your tea, and is about 1/4 inch thick, remove from the jar.</li>
<li>Put the scoby in 16 oz of the tea and set aside.<br /></li>
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You're Ready to Brew Your First Batch of Kombucha</h3>
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This is short and sweet. Follow the above directions to make sweet tea. Then do this:</div>
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<ol>
<li>Pour one 16 oz bottle of original kombucha into the glass jar.</li>
<li>Pour in your cooled sweet tea.</li>
<li>Remove the scoby from it's tea and place it in the jar.</li>
<li>Your scoby may sink or float sideways. It's ok. </li>
<li>Cover with the towel and band it tight.</li>
<li>Set the jar aside out of direct sunlight, at 70 degrees (this is a recommended room temperature).</li>
<li>Let tea ferment for 7 - 10 days.</li>
<li>Start tasting at 7 days until its the right combination of sweet and tangy to suit you.</li>
<li>When you're satisfied, remove scoby and pour 16 oz of your tea over it. Set aside to start your next batch. At this point, the you can use this tea as your starter tea and free yourself from the $3 bottle of GT's.</li>
<li>Pour tea into Mason jars.</li>
<li>Set aside for 3 days.</li>
<li>On day 3, move to the refrigerator.</li>
<li>Don't drink more than one a day. </li>
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I like to zest ginger into my jars before I add the tea. It makes a fantastic flavor.</div>
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I've also added shredded apples. Add any fruit you want. It's really up to you at the bottling stage.</div>
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As you brew more tea, your scoby will get thick or make a separate offspring. When this happens, you can start a second batch.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fresh batch of kombucha ready to ferment</td></tr>
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Watch out for green or black bacteria growth. A healthy scoby is grayish, tannish or brown. Little stringy bits of it will also float in your tea. Boy howdy, you'll know if the bacteria's gone to the dark side because it will smell nasty and rank cheesy. Healthy kombucha smells vinegary.</div>
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<h3>
My Perceived Benefits</h3>
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I'm less hungry.<br />
My skin looks better.<br />
I'm maintaining a steady weight (because I got fat, y'all).</div>
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All of the above could also be attributed to knocking sugar and gluten out of my diet. I have a free day, but not every day. I also eat whole. I do not eat processed foods if at all possible. I drink a lot of water. I run, bike and do yoga. I lift a few weights. Therefore, I can't promise kombucha will do anything by itself. You'll need to make a 100% commitment to being healthy. </div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xaqfCaSKjPc/Wtzd8hbnr3I/AAAAAAAABS4/dP5BclJ4syMxi6d0zouo-IuWwJq2Zjw6QCLcBGAs/s1600/Coke-junk-food-Bouquet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="268" data-original-width="250" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xaqfCaSKjPc/Wtzd8hbnr3I/AAAAAAAABS4/dP5BclJ4syMxi6d0zouo-IuWwJq2Zjw6QCLcBGAs/s400/Coke-junk-food-Bouquet.jpg" width="373" /></a></div>
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As an anecdote, we do give it to our kid. She went on a junk food spree that included throwing away her healthy lunch and hustling up unbelievably massive amounts of chips and cookies. This was her primary diet. She was a monster. She was rumdum. She was in serious trouble. Currently, she's doing better and drinking kombucha. I WILL NOT SWEAR BY THIS. Any moment, she could decide to eat herself to death, but for now, kombucha is helping.<br />
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Try it. See what you think. </div>
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<a href="https://www.twogirlslivehere.com/p/two-girls-product-reviews-and.html" target="_blank">Check out our product reviews and recommendations here.</a></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Thanks for reading! </div>Christy Claxtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09451739842121326056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035584573805516954.post-20969060233870783552018-04-22T09:30:00.000-06:002018-04-22T09:44:47.456-06:00Water - Get It While It's FreeI heard on NPR that the "desert" has moved as far east as Ft. Worth. Climate change is real. Whether you believe it's a man made event or just the natural evolution of the planet, it's not to be ignored. Ranchers, farmers, gardeners, and naturalists pay attention to the seasons because natural resources are seasonal. We're in the water season, y'all. I'm taking this opportunity to get some free water.<br />
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Guess What We Use More Than Electricity</h3>
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Water.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BPnnA54ShCk/WtyZqPUyTBI/AAAAAAAABPM/dE1Agl5HAkAgFA7oGlRRsbWK4KSqKBS2gCLcBGAs/s1600/water%2Bchart.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="247" data-original-width="366" height="268" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BPnnA54ShCk/WtyZqPUyTBI/AAAAAAAABPM/dE1Agl5HAkAgFA7oGlRRsbWK4KSqKBS2gCLcBGAs/s400/water%2Bchart.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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That's our April utility bill. </div>
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I've pointed out that water and wastewater are the biggest consumption in this family of three women. If you check out the <a href="https://www.twogirlslivehere.com/p/two-girls-product-reviews-and.html" target="_blank">Product Recommendation</a> page, you'll see that I recommend you think about how much water your family uses everyday. Not only will you understand how valuable the resource is, but you'll probably get the urge to conserve.</div>
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Rainwater Collection Tank is Fully Operational</h3>
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We put a 500 gallon rainwater collection tank on the cabin. My goal is to keep it off the grid forever. We would have a water well rather than city water if we ditched the rainwater collection system, but a water well requires electricity. A water well is regulated, and here's a news flash. Water wells are not like personal holes in the ground. They are taps into the greater water table that everyone uses. So consumption is not controlled by you.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vyrxLP_a-JY/WtybFkt7-dI/AAAAAAAABPY/PURLrvCTWd0dI-HQS3dGk1zICxAYVehhwCLcBGAs/s1600/water%2Btank.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vyrxLP_a-JY/WtybFkt7-dI/AAAAAAAABPY/PURLrvCTWd0dI-HQS3dGk1zICxAYVehhwCLcBGAs/s400/water%2Btank.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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In the current set up, this tank catches water from half the roof, and that's about 168 square feet. With one inch of rain, I'll collect about 100 gallons. </div>
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How did I do that math? Simple. Write this down - Sq ft of roof x 60% for every inch of rain. </div>
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Rain is free. Rain is celebrated. This is the rainy season. </div>
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<h3>
Rainwater Showers are Divine</h3>
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Once the tank and gutters were in place, and I knew I had some water in it, I went about setting up a way to get water from the tank to our little outdoor shower/washing station. Basically, I set it up the same way one would set up an RV system. I used a Shurflo 4008 water pump, attached it to a small accumulator tank (aka pressure bladder), and mounted the set up on an old piece of 2x8 scrap board. Tammy always keeps her lumber scraps, and this is a smart thing to do.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U3lwA3T2B3c/WtycqFyPmuI/AAAAAAAABPw/PdBnjLtGEVEkcwBDMGOb9oEVTYHXWkAXwCLcBGAs/s1600/Shurflo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U3lwA3T2B3c/WtycqFyPmuI/AAAAAAAABPw/PdBnjLtGEVEkcwBDMGOb9oEVTYHXWkAXwCLcBGAs/s400/Shurflo.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=as_li_ss_tl?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=shurflow+4008-101-a65&sprefix=shurflow+,aps,172&crid=31N8OSZXSYGNH&linkCode=ll2&tag=twogirls-20&linkId=b00ada7330f3fb92ac634998f7756c68" target="_blank">Purchase both on Amazon for $110</a></td></tr>
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I also added a little pre-pump strainer to catch any debris that might come from the water tank.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PGK0ckF-z1w/Wtyddd2qbfI/AAAAAAAABQE/XvDerbTqMbA1_WhlBstzCsxKoYDzuRDkgCLcBGAs/s1600/water%2Bpump%2Bsetup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PGK0ckF-z1w/Wtyddd2qbfI/AAAAAAAABQE/XvDerbTqMbA1_WhlBstzCsxKoYDzuRDkgCLcBGAs/s320/water%2Bpump%2Bsetup.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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You'll also notice a light switch attached to the set up. This is super easy to do. It's DC (direct current) wiring. This means I will get my power from a battery rather than an electrical plug. The pump comes with a DC wiring configuration. You will need to buy extra black wiring and extra red wiring. Get it in the auto department at Walmart. Also buy some electrical tape because you need to splice your wires to get enough length to get to a battery. </div>
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The end result looks something like this.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h5MaA25h2d8/Wtyg79yu4VI/AAAAAAAABQc/oEIT04IqjGwd4HmqB9z0sOdfzuQwxj91gCLcBGAs/s1600/wiring%2Bimage.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="472" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h5MaA25h2d8/Wtyg79yu4VI/AAAAAAAABQc/oEIT04IqjGwd4HmqB9z0sOdfzuQwxj91gCLcBGAs/s320/wiring%2Bimage.JPG" width="203" /></a></div>
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Here's step by step instructions:</div>
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<ol>
<li>From the pump, securely attach the red wire to the light switch. Secure the wire under one screw. </li>
<li>Secure the rest of the wire to the other screw in the switch. This wire will go to your battery.</li>
<li>A 10 amp fuse is recommended between the switch and the battery. I couldn't find that size fuse, so I skipped it. Don't be a fool like me. Find the little fuse, and wire as it is in the image.</li>
<li>Extend the length of your black wire so that it is long enough to make it to the battery. I have my battery a few feet away from the pump.</li>
<li>Purchase battery connector clamps, and attach them to the ends of your wires. You can find these at Walmart or any auto parts store. They are smaller versions of the clamps on your jumper cables. </li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TyPbtKV4aWY/WtyiV8-o8KI/AAAAAAAABQo/v2gpwC7aIl8WyegHfVznf85wBqzg-qW0QCLcBGAs/s1600/water%2Bpump%2Bsetup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TyPbtKV4aWY/WtyiV8-o8KI/AAAAAAAABQo/v2gpwC7aIl8WyegHfVznf85wBqzg-qW0QCLcBGAs/s320/water%2Bpump%2Bsetup.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pump Wiring<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ldKHKZlJ0mY/Wtyig_PpNeI/AAAAAAAABQs/rOBvPFYl3WslvfQ_9h20O5x65xWThyWHwCEwYBhgL/s1600/battery%2Bconnectors%2Bfor%2Bpump.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ldKHKZlJ0mY/Wtyig_PpNeI/AAAAAAAABQs/rOBvPFYl3WslvfQ_9h20O5x65xWThyWHwCEwYBhgL/s320/battery%2Bconnectors%2Bfor%2Bpump.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
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If you are unsure of how to wire this pump, take it to an auto parts store or local hardware store. Go local. The people at the box stores probably don't know how to really help you. Your local store has someone who really wants to help you. Or ask for my help in the comments. I'll PM you on Facebook.<br />
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I did not permanently install this pump set up because it's not weather proof. I set it up each time we go to the country. I push it under the cabin and set the switch up on a floor beam to keep it from getting wet and shorting out.</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h6B14TfLfcw/Wtyj3Zf1PcI/AAAAAAAABRI/Br6rTo7efHY1Re3mpqZ09GPeZZUnbBKdACLcBGAs/s1600/switch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h6B14TfLfcw/Wtyj3Zf1PcI/AAAAAAAABRI/Br6rTo7efHY1Re3mpqZ09GPeZZUnbBKdACLcBGAs/s320/switch.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Finally, I have a water hose from the tank to the inflow side of the pump, and a water hose from the outflow side of the pump bladder. That hose has a hand controlled sprayer. That means extreme control of the water. We don't need much because that little pump and bladder make incredible pressure. Short blasts work great, and we greatly conserve water; which will be pretty scarce after June. </div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LpPF8mv9a3s/WtykwM6yjsI/AAAAAAAABRc/trXD7CmCYUIXBKI-1OIcKx_wnlqJUpgzgCLcBGAs/s1600/pump%2Bset%2Bup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LpPF8mv9a3s/WtykwM6yjsI/AAAAAAAABRc/trXD7CmCYUIXBKI-1OIcKx_wnlqJUpgzgCLcBGAs/s320/pump%2Bset%2Bup.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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All of this lo-fi plumbing and electric are powered by a lawn mower battery. It's such a small amount of power that I don't need a big juicy deep cycle battery. We only flip the switch to "On" when we use the water. Otherwise, it's off to avoid a short or fire or unwanted shock. </div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lfgbOAqF4eo/WtypxNyKRRI/AAAAAAAABR4/gB8HfMI1wJMi2XjBh-n7DmeURE7ZBv2AgCLcBGAs/s1600/pump%2Bbattery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lfgbOAqF4eo/WtypxNyKRRI/AAAAAAAABR4/gB8HfMI1wJMi2XjBh-n7DmeURE7ZBv2AgCLcBGAs/s320/pump%2Bbattery.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Finally, I connected a propane on-demand hot water heater that can be purchased at any store that sells camping equipment. I purchased an <a href="https://www.walmart.com/ip/Eccotemp-L5-Portable-Outdoor-Tankless-Water-Heater/49317402" target="_blank">EcoTemp L5 Portable Tankless Propane Water Heater</a> from Walmart. </div>
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I've had a few rainwater showers.</div>
OMG<br />
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My skin and hair.</div>
OMG<br />
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This was a lengthy post, but well worth it.</div>
If you are thinking about rainwater catchment, now is the time to set it up.<br />
If you're in Texas, get it in place by Memorial Day. We historically have big rain storms around that weekend.<br />
And finally, don't drink the water. It's not safe due to debris that invariably gets in the tank. If I find an effective way to filter it, I'll share my recommendations.<br />
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<a href="https://www.twogirlslivehere.com/p/two-girls-product-reviews-and.html" target="_blank">Check out our product reviews and recommendations here!</a><br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thanks for reading! </div>Christy Claxtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09451739842121326056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035584573805516954.post-29467279259157173582018-04-15T15:40:00.000-06:002018-04-18T19:27:57.205-06:00How to Remove a Bedroom Door and a Bad AttitudeWhat is it with adolescent girls?<br />
Is that a rhetorical question?<br />
Why do I feel like we're the only parents who suffer?<br />
Is threatening to substitute ROTC for Theater electives too mean?<br />
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Always Keep Your Promises</h3>
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Y'all. I just followed through on Tammy's threat. I was sitting here in the office, working on this website, and I heard, "I will take your door off..." And then I heard a tone in Mama's voice that told me that a certain teenage girl didn't think that would happen.<br />
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Always keep your promises.</div>
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<a href="https://www.itstactical.com/intellicom/mindset/how-to-break-down-a-door/" target="_blank"><img alt=" Make an impact when you enter your kid's bedroom" border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="739" height="340" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oKAzGQzBamk/WtO-wcs8uII/AAAAAAAABOA/2HAnPB9H8QwLzail1ZaHHWjuVfQC_EzNwCEwYBhgL/s400/kick%2Bin%2Ba%2Bdoor.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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As I write this, we are minus one bedroom door. </div>
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Moms Can Remove Doors with Ease</h3>
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It's not hard to remove a bedroom door. All you need is a phillips screwdriver and a helper. I had Tammy as a helper, but if you really want to make a statement, have said sassy teenager be your helper. </div>
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1. You can remove the pins. In this case, you'll need a hammer, too. There are two pins holding the door in place, and they allow it to swing open and shut. If you choose to knock out the pins, place the screwdriver under a pin and start tapping it out. Repeat. I personally find this to be a pain because you don't have much clearance at the lower pin.</div>
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2. Unscrew to door from it's plates (which are connected by the pin). I prefer this method. Tammy held the door steady, and I removed the screws from the plates.</div>
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3. Hide the door. Do not underestimate the determination of a teenager. Hide the door. </div>
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If you're unsure about the hinge and it's pin and plates, I'm including a photo. See how lining up that pin can be a hassle when you decide to replace the door?</div>
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Be Prepared for Disciplinary Emergencies</h3>
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Bad attitudes don't come with a warning. There are no attitude bomb shelters. They show up with the potential to ruin all other home inhabitants' day. Therefore, as a mother, it is imperative that you have a tool kit and know how to use it.</div>
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I really like the Stanley 94-248 65-Piece Homeowner's Took Kit. It has all the necessaries, including that phillps screwdriver and a hammer. However, it also has pliers, allen wrenches, carpet knife, a measuring tape, small socket wrench set, a level, and a screwdriver with 30 different head types. I'm telling you. You will use every bit of this set.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Stanley-94-248-65-Piece-Homeowners-Tool/dp/B000UHMITE/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&qid=1523827505&sr=8-3&keywords=stanley+94-248+65-piece+homeowner%27s+tool+kit&linkCode=ll1&tag=twogirls-20&linkId=de01956babaf478043533675bacbd972" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="720" height="340" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2RAYoyzy_wg/WtPE9t9BPWI/AAAAAAAABOw/t8X6UMUH9bE2b5MNBB5mNxC2ZmTW5kMlQCLcBGAs/s400/tool%2Bkit.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Stanley-94-248-65-Piece-Homeowners-Tool/dp/B000UHMITE/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&qid=1523827505&sr=8-3&keywords=stanley+94-248+65-piece+homeowner%27s+tool+kit&linkCode=ll1&tag=twogirls-20&linkId=de01956babaf478043533675bacbd972" target="_blank">Stanley 94-248 65-Piece Homeowner's Tool Kit</a></td></tr>
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Folks, don't be afraid to use your toolkit to shut down the back talking. As for removing doors, it's not hard to do, and it doesn't take more than 5 minutes, so it's not like your kid will be gloating while you struggle.<br />
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I'm no parenting expert, so door removal may not be right for you. However, I think keeping promises is right for every parent; whether it's a promise to take your children to the movies or a promise to remove a door if they're disrespectful. More than anything. Keep your promises. </div>
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<a href="https://www.twogirlslivehere.com/p/two-girls-product-reviews-and.html" target="_blank">Check out our product reviews and recommendations here!</a></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Thanks for reading! </div>Christy Claxtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09451739842121326056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035584573805516954.post-51678409746204635732018-04-14T13:08:00.001-06:002018-04-14T13:08:21.923-06:00We Can Do It<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Lately, some women at my job have been organizing a Women's Leadership Program. I'm not actively involved for a number of reasons.<br />
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Program</h3>
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The word "program" implies we need to be trained and mentored into leadership. I don't like that word. No one else seems to see it that way from what I can tell. I would imagine the very male leadership has no problem with a program. It's not a threatening thing. It's like on the job training that doesn't promise you anything but a better skill set. But what do these women do with their newfound skills once they've graduated from the program? Probably not a whole lot.<br /><br />Sorry for the cynicism, but truly; not a whole lot.</div>
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Playing into Stereotypes</h3>
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I think "program" feels stereotypical. As if most women need to know how to lead. Women do the heavy lifting just as much as men. We make the important decisions. We mentor men. We problem solve. We have broad skill sets that make a difference. However, we're women. So we allow ourselves to believe we need a program to teach us how to be leaders. So stereotypical to allow men that fantasy.<br /><br />We host parties and set up fun contests around sporting events. We discuss self-care and stress relief activities. We solidify that idea that women are best as caregivers.<br /><br />The dudes dismiss us again. ...but thanks for the cookies and massage.</div>
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We seek mentorship from men. (Because no one knows better than a man how to give a girl a leg up?) Are we perhaps intimidated by powerful women who might tell us something we're not ready to hear?<br /><br /><h3>
Work Like a Man</h3>
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That doesn't mean men work harder. In my experience, they're slower and less capable of multi-tasking. So, work like a woman when it comes to the act of actually working. However, do a man's job and do it well. </div>
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Maybe that sets up an antagonistic atmosphere. I don't know. And definitely it won't guarantee a woman equal pay. So think of it this way.<br /><br />Become self sufficient in ways typically applied to men. Then work within a woman economy and support network. This blog is all about teaching women to do things that have typically been reserved for men.<br /><br />Any woman can do the things I write about. Any woman can figure out how to create a solar power system, or build a structure, or negotiate with a contractor. Women just have to do it.<br /><br /><h3>
Try it Like This</h3>
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I heard a woman say to another woman something that is so very correct and valuable. She said,<br />"I know it's hard to do, but you just have to start doing it. It will open up new pathways, and you'll change the way think and master something you can teach to others."</div>
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I knew nothing about solar power; much less the basics of electricity. I mastered it. <br />I'm not a mechanic or plumber, but I mastered installing a water pump on my rainwater tank. I also mastered on-demand hot water, and effectively created an off the grid cabin that has electricity and water for free.<br /><br />I share these things with you. You're with me as I open new pathways, and you get to try it for yourself.<br /><br />Maybe off-the-grid doesn't mean anything to you. Just don't forget we're about to start natural disaster season. When the lights go out for a few day, my blog entries will be here. The men in your neighborhood probably won't be able to help you create a small solar power system.</div>
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Confidence Builder</h3>
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Although much of what I write about may seem useless to you, think of these subjects as confidence builders that don't require a program to master. </div>
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Years ago, I thought about starting a non-profit that taught women who had left violent relationships how to do the the things they thought they needed a man to do for them. Things like changing the oil in their car, using a chainsaw, replacing a toilet, replacing a light fixture, building a campfire, catching a fish, etc. I'm older and wiser now, and I don't want that responsibility. However, I must subconsciously want to build on that theme. </div>
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So, browse through all the entries and try something new and useful. I'll have new entries pretty soon that discuss how I set up my rainwater catchment system, as well as the inevitable struggles I'll have keeping our country place comfortable on a budget. I'll do my best to encourage Tammy to create some entries on "How to Lay a Laminate Floor" since she's doing that right now.<br /><br />Think of this blog as place where girls do "boy" things because there's really no such thing as "boy" things.</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Thanks for reading! </div>Christy Claxtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09451739842121326056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035584573805516954.post-50234893279248653082017-12-02T09:29:00.000-06:002017-12-02T09:29:24.950-06:00Another Man's Junk...I got my alkaline battery charger, and it works! It takes 4+ hours to charge. The time will vary from battery to battery, so in my case, one AA battery charged in a couple of hours, and then the rest took as long as a day. When I say it took a day, it's because I unplugged the charger when I wasn't home. The work hours I keep mean I'm only home and awake about 3 hours a day. Regardless. The thing works and I am pleased!<br /><br />I'm taking the sustainable project a step further. I have acquired a handful of very useful, battery operated LED lights that have some imperfections in their design. They retail for $35 or more. At that price, imperfections are not O.K. to the buyer. Therefore my company chose not to promote them. I asked where these imperfect samples were going, and was told pretty much nowhere. I translate that to mean they'll end up in a dumpster or maybe Goodwill.<br />
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I had no idea if these lights even worked, but I took them anyway. One is a motion sensor light that can be attached under a cabinet or on a wall where you need sudden light. I'm thinking cabin porch or shower area.<br />
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Guess what?! It runs on AA batteries, and I had recharged alkaline batteries! They worked, and this little light definitely works. It was rejected for promotion because the back of the light won't close securely, thus exposing the batteries. In my opinion, this is a matter of positioning. If hung correctly, the weight of the light will keep the back secure.<br />
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Without question, I have turned into my Gramps. He would be so proud of me. I have recharged "disposable" batteries and used them to power a defective motion light.</div>
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I also have this great LED light that can be hung - like in an outdoor shower - or inserted into a wobbly (therefore defective) stand. It's super bright because it uses four AAA batteries. A great case for recharging and reusing. Otherwise, it can be used to light a night shower, or be hung in a tree to light the outdoor space, or be carried as a flashlight, or even gently inserted into its stand to be used as a table lamp. This might be the best free thing I've ever picked up.</div>
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Here's another good idea! It could be used as a light saber in a homemade Star Wars costume. Anyway, I think it's very cool. </div>
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Does Christy wander the streets putting questionable junk in a stolen shopping cart?</h3>
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No. I do not. </div>
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I'm not sure what's up with me. I guess I'm getting old enough to dream about the fixed income retirement I'll enjoy, and I want to be resourceful. The other possibility is that I am just sick of the disposable society I live in. People throw away the remnants of convenience. People have this lightening fast market called the Internet. It is mostly ruled by Amazon and countless "deal" websites that sell the very things I picked up for free. If these products are returned to the seller, I want to believe they end up somewhere besides the warehouse dumpster. Most of you know blind faith is not indicative of my personality, so...</div>
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I don't have to hustle slightly defective products to survive, but it sure is fun to conquer the disposable spoiled beast that is fed by the equally spoiled American shopper.<br /><br /></div>
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thanks for reading! </div>Christy Claxtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09451739842121326056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035584573805516954.post-41949219977815960472017-11-23T13:31:00.000-06:002017-11-23T13:31:29.395-06:00Extending the Life of Alkaline BatteriesA good number of households have a <i>huge</i> energy suck. It eats double helpings of food, turns on every light in the house in the middle of the day, has a Wii, parks its ass in front of the television with the remote nearby, and has no problem saying,<br /><br />"Hey Christy! I need new batteries for (fill in the blank)."<br />
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Batteries are in endless supply in this energy eater's mind. Electricity is a mysterious wonder that never fails. Money is limitless and as reliable as the sunrise.<br /><br />It's Thanksgiving Day. Tomorrow all of us with this thing will start buying it more stuff to use for eating more energy. I'm telling you! The battery companies worship this being like a god.<br />
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Today, I decided to win one little victory over the teenager. When I was handed 4 "dead" AA batteries yesterday, it occurred to me that these should be as rechargeable as my deep cycle batteries at the cabin. I did some googling and came across two useful ways to squeeze the life out of the Energizer company.<br />
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There are a number of YouTube videos that recommend <a href="https://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_id=114&ipn=icep&toolid=20004&campid=5338181212&mpre=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fbhp%2Funiversal-alkaline-battery-charger%3F_trksid%3Dp2045573.m2388" target="_blank">Universal Alkaline Battery Chargers</a>. Lickity split! I bought one. I'm going to wrap it and put it under the tree for me. A good charger should work for AAA, AA, and 9V batteries. I'm highly doubtful I'll get the batteries back to full charge, but if I can recharge them for even 3 extra uses, I'll be pretty happy.<br /><br />I also saw a video demonstration of someone using old batteries to power <a href="https://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_id=114&ipn=icep&toolid=20004&campid=5338181212&mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fsch%2Fi.html%3F_from%3DR40%26_trksid%3Dp2322090.m570.l1313.TR3.TRC2.A0.H0.XAA%2BLED%2Blight.TRS0%26_nkw%3DAA%2BLED%2Blight%26_sacat%3D0" target="_blank">LED lights</a>. He powered little night lights, lamps and flashlights. LED bulbs use less power, and they require less voltage to light up. Many modern devices will stop working once the battery had discharged below 1.5 volts. Usually around 1.3 volts, death of the fun will happen. LED lights don't need that much power to work. I had no idea.<br /><br />As a society, we're spoiled and wasteful. We don't think twice about energy and how we get it. Many people with a reliable and good income constantly complain about "not having enough money." I admit it. I do it sometimes, too. This renewable and sustainable project of mine is not only teaching me new and interesting science, it's making me much more aware and appreciative of my resources. Everyday, I am mindful and consciously thinking about energy, where it comes from and how to respect it.<br /><br />Now that I've discovered the lasing truth about alkaline batteries, I would like to give thanks for the cheapo guys out there that have figured out how to extend the life of these little energy staples.<br /></div>
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thanks for reading! </div>Christy Claxtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09451739842121326056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035584573805516954.post-46188747552614769802017-11-19T12:16:00.002-06:002017-11-19T12:16:48.444-06:00Finding Joy in Work and Play - Building a Shower Stall with PalletsStrange title. I know. Tammy and I had the weekend to ourselves, and I told her early in the week that I really wanted to take a walk through our woods. It syncs my body, relaxes me, and frankly, feels like home. She readily agreed for the same reasons. She also suggested we get a couple of huge pallets I picked up at my office (after they installed new bathroom stalls) out of the garage and use them to create privacy walls around the outdoor shower.<br /><br />We would work a little and play a little. It also gave me a chance to use the power I've been producing from the solar set up. Before I get started on the shower build, here's a cute picture of one of our neighbors. She's very kissy and friendly. She definitely loves Tammy.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-su9IOFyIIms/WhG6ol-OeZI/AAAAAAAABIQ/I_RLLCpyKeU2eRzj0fgZRtUGQctA5-Y8gCEwYBhgL/s1600/Sugar%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-su9IOFyIIms/WhG6ol-OeZI/AAAAAAAABIQ/I_RLLCpyKeU2eRzj0fgZRtUGQctA5-Y8gCEwYBhgL/s400/Sugar%2B2.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Until we have a chance to ask her owner what her real name is, we're calling her Sugar because she's white and gives lots of sugar. Her breath smells like a hay bale, but the kisses are sweet.</div>
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Building Shower Walls with Pallets</h3>
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Since part of this country experiment is about sustainability, we've been collecting pallets whenever we can find them. I found two 5X8 pallets in the parking lot at work. The building remodeled the bathrooms, and the stalls came on huge pallets. I got a couple of guys to help me load them up, and they've been sitting in the garage for a few months. We had an idea we'd use them to frame walls, but hadn't decided which walls they would become.</div>
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Saturday was cool and beautiful, so we decided to split the country trip into half work and half play. We loaded up the pallets and a jigsaw (my circular saw rusted in the constantly flooding condo garage; which make me mad), stopped by Home Depot for some 4x4s and cinder blocks, and headed to the cabin.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YpWK7-eFzKc/WhG9CILFL7I/AAAAAAAABIo/4zky_M8KS-oEbBMhaTn25lNnnPUmyObcgCLcBGAs/s1600/pallet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YpWK7-eFzKc/WhG9CILFL7I/AAAAAAAABIo/4zky_M8KS-oEbBMhaTn25lNnnPUmyObcgCLcBGAs/s400/pallet.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The pallets were a little longer than we needed, so we decided to cut off one section. We'd set the 4x4 posts in the cinder blocks, fill them with pond clay, and then attach the pallets to the posts. This way the walls are portable/movable. None of this outdoor stuff feels permanent. At some point, we'll put in a small bathroom with plumbing, but we need to get the rainwater catchment system set up first. Then we can add a small septic system and retire the famous composing toilet.</div>
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Sizing the pallets gave me the chance to use a little solar electricity. It worked great. In fact, I highly recommend this <a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/Eco-Solar-Kit-100W-Watts-Solar-Panel-Off-Grid-12V-RV-Boat-Home-Solar-System/251504829506?_trkparms=aid%3D555018%26algo%3DPL.SIM%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D49477%26meid%3D0598c8595bbe4fda953a8e5843e8a3f9%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D6%26mehot%3Dpp%26sd%3D232537480005&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m2219" target="_blank">portable system</a> to anyone who has to do any off grid construction. </div>
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<br />It was crazy windy because a cool front was blowing in, and that's good. We would not have stabilized the walls if the wind hadn't knocked over the first one we built. The original plan was to slip the pallets over the 4x4s so that the walls could be taken apart as easily as they were constructed. That didn't work. There's nothing square about a pallet. We had to remove the back slats and nail the pallets to the posts.<br />
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Then the wind knocked one over. We ended up using the removed back slats as stabilizers. The whole set up stood on it's own as we took our walk through the woods. As far as we know, it's still standing. We'll add metal siding the next trip out. I also ran out of nails because I didn't think I would need extra nails since the original plan was to slip the pallets over the posts. It's nailed together in all the right places, but I need to add a second nail at every attachment.<br />
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We'll also finish up a footpath into the stall next go round. We'll need to terrace the slope a bit to make walking around with wet feet less treacherous. The next big project will be installing a gutter that drains into a collection barrel next to the stall. I'll add a solar powered pump, and we'll have a nice, easy shower set up. My aunt suggested a <a href="https://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_id=114&ipn=icep&toolid=20004&campid=5338181212&mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fsch%2Fi.html%3F_from%3DR40%26_trksid%3Dp2380057.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.Xpropane%2Bportable%2Bhot%2Bwater%2Bheater.TRS0%26_nkw%3Dpropane%2Bportable%2Bhot%2Bwater%2Bheater%26_sacat%3D0" target="_blank">propane, on demand water heater</a>, and indeed! They make them for just this kind of setting. Off grid is getting pretty comfortable!</div>
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Rewarding Ourselves with a Walk in the Woods</h3>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TCcoLpoTMJo/WhHCJc-XeKI/AAAAAAAABJo/s5-46Va2VkMm6xTdeZxlXiC_3ZBHIE4mACLcBGAs/s1600/sugar%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TCcoLpoTMJo/WhHCJc-XeKI/AAAAAAAABJo/s5-46Va2VkMm6xTdeZxlXiC_3ZBHIE4mACLcBGAs/s400/sugar%2B1.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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With an hour of sunlight to spare, we took a walk. First, Tammy had a visit with Sugar, then we headed into the woods to look around.<br /><br />I showed Tammy the other neighbor's deer stand, built partly our property, to shoot deer that bed down right there. That will get the sledge hammer next visit. Following the sledge hammer, I'll let that individual know he and his sons get a visit from the game warden if I catch that shit in action. We encountered one of the deer that live back there. We did some rock hunting in one of the wet weather creeks. We crawled through the under brush to the very back, remote corner of our place. The original stone used to mark the Northeast corner of the property, 100 years ago, is still there. </div>
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We'll definitely leave several acres "raw" for wildlife and privacy, but slowly, we'll build a really beautiful country home. </div>
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Note: Sustainable living is a "serious" hobby for me. If my blog posts about "off grid" living pique your interest, start with a book or two. Have fun experimenting wherever you live. You might be surprised at how self reliant you really are! I <a href="https://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_id=114&ipn=icep&toolid=20004&campid=5338181212&mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fsch%2Fi.html%3F_from%3DR40%26_trksid%3Dp2047675.m570.l1313.TR1.TRC0.A0.H0.XSolar%2Bpower%2Bbooks.TRS0%26_nkw%3DSolar%2Bpower%2Bbooks%26_sacat%3D0" target="_blank">started with a book</a> and a whole lot of internet searches.</div>
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thanks for reading! </div>Christy Claxtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09451739842121326056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035584573805516954.post-57592533504891803422017-11-16T18:32:00.000-06:002017-11-19T10:51:55.706-06:00Let's Get Back on Track - Creating a Rural Getaway<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Let's get back to talk about the sun.</div>
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I get off the subject quite often. I originally created this blog to share our country getaway experience. I often feel that I don't have much to share. Actually, there are plenty of things to write about when we make an effort to actually <i>GO</i> to the country. I've been making a few trips lately. I love this time of year. While there, I successfully created a small solar power system!<br />
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This looks pretty trashy, but I'm not one to go all out and spend a bunch of money on something until I know it's actually going to work. </div>
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1. This set up includes one <a href="https://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_id=114&ipn=icep&toolid=20004&campid=5338181212&mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fitm%2FRenogy-100W-Watts-12V-Monocrystalline-Solar-Panel-Off-Grid-Kit-for-RV-Boat%2F271211938333%3Fepid%3D9003303033%26hash%3Ditem3f257dc21d%3Ag%3ANpAAAOSwVqlZ-XUg" target="_blank">100W 12V monocrystaline solar panel</a>. Monocrystaline panels are more efficient than polycrystaline. However, they are bit more expensive, and maybe not necessary for a weekend set up. </div>
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2. Two <a href="https://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_id=114&ipn=icep&toolid=20004&campid=5338181212&mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fsch%2Fi.html%3F_from%3DR40%26_trksid%3Dp2380057.m570.l1311.R7.TR12.TRC2.A0.H1.Xdeep%2Bcycle%2B.TRS0%26_nkw%3Ddeep%2Bcycle%2Bbattery%2B12v%26_sacat%3D0" target="_blank">75AH deep cycle batteries</a>. They're inside the cooler to keep the temperature constant, and to protect them. They are lead acid batteries, and they do require maintenance. Some schools of thought say they last longer. The upside to maintaining them is price. They cost less than gel batteries.</div>
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3. 30 Amp charge controller. It's inside the cooler, too. I attached it to the side. It's connected to the solar panel, and the batteries. The batteries are wired in parallel (I'll get into that in a later post). The charge controller regulates the flow of power from the solar panel. Once the batteries are charged, it goes into a "float" mode and acts to trickle charge the batteries and keep them topped off. </div>
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4. 1,100 watt <a href="https://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_id=114&ipn=icep&toolid=20004&campid=5338181212&mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fsch%2Fi.html%3F_from%3DR40%26_trksid%3Dp2047675.m570.l1311.R1.TR12.TRC2.A0.H0.Xpower%2Binverter.TRS0%26_nkw%3Dpower%2Binverter%26_sacat%3D0" target="_blank">power inverter</a>. I connect this to the batteries when I'm ready for power. It converts direct current power to alternating current. Your household electric is alternating current. So DC to AC power. The inverter has two places to plug in an extension cord. I run that from the cabin to the cooler, and viola! Power!</div>
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5. A cheap cooler makes a great place to store batteries. You don't have to feel bad about drilling holes in it to run your cables. Mine has wheels because I might want to move this system around, and the batteries weight about 48 pounds a piece. So, you could call my little system "portable."</div>
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Realistic Power Expectations</h3>
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Let me say up front that this system is not a final solution to having the comforts of all things electric. It runs a box fan all night. I would probably run a small heater, but I think I'll stick to propane heaters for now. It runs lights, keeps a computer powered, and charges phones.<br />
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It will not run the window unit. It will not reliably run a small refrigerator. To do these things, I need more batteries. Extra panels would charge more batteries faster. Right now, I don't need all that. I just like the idea of having some quick power and a few comforts.<br />
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Turnkey cost of this system is around $500. The panel and charge controller cost around $175. The inverter was close to $100. Batteries run around $95 a piece (on the cheap side). The cooler was $40. Heavy gauge extension cords are $50. I also have my backup generator. A night of air conditioning costs around $20 in propane. The generator will run the window unit. However, Tammy is right when she says this is all still cheaper than a hotel.<br />
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And I'm learning something new. Heck. I'm even thinking of going to a prepper convention to see what other neat things I can try. Rainwater collection is definitely in my future.<br />
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Also, I have a sanitary, smell free composting toilet set up, too. I use old ash from campfires or brush burns, and I mix it with hay and wood shavings. Works pretty well along with a little outdoor washing station. I'm telling you. A 2-gallon sprayer will give an efficient and effective shower while saving lots of water. And I have water left over for hand washing and washing dishes.</div>
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Our plan is to get out to the land this weekend and try out some of my handy work. </div>
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thanks for reading! </div>Christy Claxtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09451739842121326056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035584573805516954.post-24436743680292347382017-10-22T09:02:00.000-06:002017-10-22T10:24:25.863-06:00Sexual Hypocrisy in the WorkplaceSexism and sexual inappropriateness in the workplace. Ubiquitous. Happens to all of us. Who can afford to lose her job to stand up to it? Who gives up and just counts the days until retirement? Who buys a lotto ticket two times a week on a long shot to infinity; hoping this one will be the winner and she can quit her job?<br />
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Who uses her sex to manipulate men in the workplace? Who finds her power there? Who doesn't care how it affects other women? Who was taught sex and desirability is really where a woman's power lies?<br />
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Hypocrisy. Ladies, you all know what I'm talking about. We live in a culture that still pushes sex as power. Here's an example:<br />
<b><br />Dynamite Clothing - The Rise of WorkLeisure</b><br />
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If this doesn't drip with sick irresponsibility, I don't know what does. This marketing campaign shows a gorgeous woman of mixed race lounging seductively, tucking her chin coquettishly, swaying her hips through the boardroom, modeling off the shoulder tunics, backless blouses, and form fitting leather skirts as a campaign for blending the lines between work and happy hour.<br />
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I'm going to tell you with complete authority and 25 years of management experience that everything about this campaign is a bad idea. Girls don't do it. Mothers, tell your young professional daughters, "don't do it." I'm not being prudish. Women should feel good, beautiful and powerful. Women should then be successful based on work merit and ethics. I'm completely certain that an ad campaign that gives a style for every day of the week, and calls Thursday's style "Trophy Thursday" is not concerned with a woman's intellectual abilities.<br />
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Don't do it.<br />
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This campaign drips with disaster. Even if sexualizing her work power works, eventually it will ruin the woman who does it. Unwanted sexual advances, sexual assault and pariah status are probably a given possibility, but the underbelly of this kind of approach to work is a deep, slow burning self hate. Loneliness. Broken Trust. Lack of meaningful connection. Spiritual decay. Decay.<br />
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This is harsh, but I'm going to say it straight - A piece of meat decays.<br />
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I think if you ask around, you'll find that most people in an office don't trust the "dynamite" girl. She may be perfectly wonderful, interesting and smart, but who wants to sit with her at happy hour? Not her female peers. Not the men who know better. Don't do it.<br />
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Part 2 - My Own Hypocricy</h3>
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I once attended a company meeting where a senior leader popped off a sexually inappropriate joke about women. It was sandwiched between his frequent use of the F-word; which is probably his favorite superlative. The female VP of Human Resources was there. She murmured a weak protest, and then let it go.<br />
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"He's a good guy. You know how they are. They're just different than us."<br />
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True statement from a workmate in my office.<br />
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A few hours later, I met with the VP or Human Resources. My goal was focused. Better training tools and systematic ways to document progress. I went in and pitched for my staff. For ways to showcase their gifts and talents. Ways to help them advance based on skills and merit. I did not mention the earlier gross behavior. </div>
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Why?<br />
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Did I let that go because I didn't want to hurt mine or my staff's ability to promote and succeed? Had I justified the comments because good guys like him are just that way; when I don't believe that bullshit excuse anyway? Most definitely, it was self preservation in a very male dominant company.</div>
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I'm a 50 something woman. God. I won't even get into that one. I have a family. I have a home, a car, a 401k, rural property. I also have a long successful work history as an operations manager. I have a Master's Degree. In my current job, I manage one of the largest teams in the company. I manage multiple projects. I am the poster child for a mother in the workplace. I do it all, y'all. I know a lot, and I am valued by my peers. There are about 5 layers of managers above me. Only two know my name. The rest have a vague idea that my department can make or break the whole business. Yet, I'd probably react the same way today if a similar situation happened. I'd self-preserve.</div>
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So, how do respected, successful women change this culture? Much like teaching young girls self respect falls on the parent, it may be that teaching professional self respect falls on the leader. That's me. It may be you.<br />
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I try to keep my eye to appearances wide shut when interviewing job candidates. If looks become a distraction, I talk about it with a trusted peer so that she can help me shake that and make a good hiring decision based on merit. I don't shy away from different. I do have my ways of peeling back the interview facade to take a look at social beliefs and views of the world. I have to do this because I can't tolerate backwards social thinking. I can't hire hidden misogyny. </div>
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What's left to do? I have to believe that I am so critical to the mission that I can stand up to sexual inappropriateness without fear of repercussion. I'll let y'all know how it goes if the situation arises again.</div>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thanks for reading! </div>Christy Claxtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09451739842121326056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035584573805516954.post-51811206693653415592017-09-24T09:47:00.001-06:002017-09-24T09:47:35.721-06:00It's Never EnoughI'm curious. At what age does someone care more about retiring than working? I feel like I'm teetering on that time. God knows we're nowhere near retirement. We have many, many years of work to look forward to. I'm not sure if mine is a symptom of introversion - because I'm not crazy about people all around me - or a sense of defeat that says it's not going to get much better than this. i.e. I won't be retiring as a multi-millionaire.<br />
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I want to chuck it all and go live in the country, but old age would be pretty scary. No doubt, we'll live a long time, and that means outlive our means. Maybe Trump and Kim will destroy the world as we know it with sophomoric mouthiness gone bad, and then we'll be richer than most because we have a nice little patch of land.<br /><br />We happily talk about what to do next. Put new floors in the Austin house? Clear another acre in the country? Landscape the backyard? None of those things will happen for at least a year. Why? We just got a whole new HVAC in the Austin house. I knew it was going to happen because the existing system was failing when we bought this house. Some freon and a new capacitor gave it a few more years of function, and then reality came a callin'. I guess we can call the new HVAC our first major improvement to this house.</div>
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I'm pretty sure we're living the real American Dream. You know. The one where we race forward at breakneck speed while sliding backwards an inch for every mile. Lately, I've been trying to figure out how to get the inch back.<br /><br />A side hustle that doesn't wear me out more than I already am each week. A side hustle I can do by myself because my wife is beyond worn out each week. I haven't figured it out yet. I thought I'd add a few commissionable links to this blog, but it's the wrong kind of blog. Small readership. Older. Not particularly swayed by the impulse buy. Not reading this for advice. So, that's not the solution.<br /><br />Spend less money. Let me tell you. I am not a frivolous person. Neither of us are spendthrifts. HVAC. That's where the extra money goes.<br /><br />Save more money. HVAC.</div>
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All in all, I KNOW how blessed we are. It's my personality- my close resemblance to a goat - that makes me want to achieve just a little bit more. Make things happen a little bit faster. Climb a little bit further. Because in my mind, that next financial plateau is what makes retirement come sooner rather than later. </div>
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thanks for reading! </div>Christy Claxtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09451739842121326056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035584573805516954.post-5723470414366095102017-09-16T19:18:00.000-06:002017-09-16T19:26:29.103-06:00That Cheap, Old, Awesome Dinnerware and Glassware That Never DiesO.K. I'm back to the Antique Week chatter. Now that summer has blown away, and fall is kicking in, your favorite home decor retailers are revving up the holiday tableware sales pitch. The cheap old stuff your granny passed along to whoever would take it is actually a better buy, if you ask me.<br />
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Frankly, I love the old Depression Glass and cheap Green Stamps tableware my mother gave me. It transcends its cheap and slightly tacky look to be retro urban cool beyond anything the big retailers can offer. Although I don't actively collect depression glass or other vintage glassware anymore, I think it adds a nice touch to everyday dining or the occasional dinner party. So we do pull it out sometimes.<br />
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I have a collection of Avon Ruby wine goblets and port glasses, I have plates and glasses of various size in the Depression Glass pink Sharon pattern, along with other random pink pieces, and a sizable collection of Sterling China (Japan) that my mother gave me. I recall this stack of dinner plates, saucers and tea cups coming from the Minimax in Edna, Texas. I think she collected stamps to get them. They were our everyday plates before the introduction of the microwave. After that, she boxed it all up because they have decorative metal rings that sparked. Now I use them with my family, but usage comes with strict instructions not to put them in the microwave.</div>
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Something I love about the Sterling plates and my Depression Glass plates is that we eat less. The pink plates are only about 9 inches in diameter, and the Sterling has about that much eating surface, with the rest of the plate dedicated to the outer pattern. </div>
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Now that I've shown off my shabby collection of cheap glass, I want to encourage you to buy the old stuff. It's actually cheaper than the new replicas, and the old stuff has soul. Somebody else ate and drank off of this cheap dinnerware. They collected colored glass out of oatmeal boxes, or at the movie theater, or like my mother, at the grocery store. We still earn the "free gift" today, but our contemporary freebies won't last for generations.<br />
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If you're headed to Antique Week, look for some cool old glassware. Make it the star of your Thanksgiving dinner party. Brighten up the holidays with nostalgia. That's what we'll do. We'll put up the every day Sterling plates and set the table with the pink stuff. It will be fun, and it will feel like our history.<br />
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Final bit of advice. <a href="https://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=4&toolid=11800&pub=5575330762&campid=5338181212&mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fb%2FDepression-Glassware%2F1002%2Fbn_16562562" target="_blank">Check eBay</a> for these old table relics. I did some quick comparison, and I found that websites dedicated to the 3 different collections I own were more expensive. I really don't know what the prices at Antique Week will be. Here are three easy links to the glass I own:<br />
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Check out the other Depression Glass colors, too. I love the greens and blues, and my sister has a big collection of <a href="https://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=4&toolid=11800&pub=5575330762&campid=5338181212&mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fsch%2Fi.html%3F_nkw%3Dmilk-glass" target="_blank">milk glass</a> she inherited from our grandmother. It's heavy and ugly to the point of being cool. </div>
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Whatever style you like, buy up enough to set a table, and have some fun with holiday dinner parties.<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Thanks for reading! </div>Christy Claxtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09451739842121326056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035584573805516954.post-42427971906509160612017-09-13T20:09:00.000-06:002017-09-13T20:16:27.214-06:00The Twelve Year Disaster SeasonThe last 25 years have produced devastating hurricanes in my part of the country. 1992 is stained with the destruction of Andrew; a category 5 storm that destroyed Florida. 13 years later, Katrina became the monster that not only killed people, but it also exposed the shortcomings of the American government when it came to the country's most vulnerable population. 12 years later, Harvey leveled sleepy coastal Texas towns before drowning Houston, La Grange, and the Golden Triangle. We couldn't even take a breath, and now Florida is in the midst of another disaster of Andrew proportions.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">La Grange neighborhood destroyed by flooding from Harvey</td></tr>
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Basically, about every 12 years, hurricanes destroy parts of the Southeastern United States. That's just long enough for most people to forget what it really means to suffer. Honestly, I feel a little guilty chattering away in my last post about something as luxurious as Antique Week. This trendy event is taking place 20 miles from the devastation in La Grange. While the antiquers shop, some folks in the county will rebuild. It happened, it's Texas, people muscle up and start rebuilding.<br />
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Tammy, Elizabeth and I met up with my brother, a couple of workmates and a friend to help do some demo work in La Grange. It's a whole different thing to see this kind of destruction in person rather than see it in photos and newscasts. To feel the emptiness and loss is to give these kinds of natural disasters a hopeless respect that, frankly, shouldn't be forgotten for 12 to 13 years.<br />
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I don't need to wax on about the devastation. Nor should I have to encourage anyone to make donations of work or money or goods. You should do that on your own, if you can. What I do think deserves some blog time is preparedness. Even if your emergency supplies sit for 12 years, <a href="https://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=4&toolid=11800&pub=5575330762&campid=5338181212&mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Frpp%2Femergency-preparedness%3F_trkparms%3D%2526clkid%253D7485675077373588762" target="_blank">get prepared.</a></div>
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5 Things We Own That You Should Own</h4>
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<li>A <a href="https://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=4&toolid=11800&pub=5575330762&campid=5338181212&mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fb%2FGenerators%2F33082%2Fbn_2311037" target="_blank">generator</a>. We have a 4,000 watt generator that runs on gasoline and propane. I run propane because it's cleaner. This little gem will keep a refrigerator, freezer and fan running while the electricity is out. It will also run a 10,000 BTU window unit for cool nights and a few lights. </li>
<li>Emergency radio. The kind you can power by hand cranking. These gadgets usually have a feature that allows you charge a phone, too. Super handy if you don't have a generator.</li>
<li>Emergency lighting. Flashlights, camp lights, lanterns, and even solar charged lights. </li>
<li>First aid kit. Not just the band aids and tylenol, but include an emergency blanket, bug spray, and soap. Throw in toothpaste, too. </li>
<li><a href="https://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=4&toolid=11800&pub=5575330762&campid=5338181212&mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fsch%2FFood-Beverages%2F14308%2Fbn_1642947%2Fi.html%3F_nkw%3Demergency" target="_blank">Emergency food supply</a>. You do not need doomsday prepper food buckets. Stock up on canned goods. Don't forget the can opener. Throw in a camp stove, or at least one propane burner. And food does you no good without water. Fill up those 5 gallon jugs, and put a hand pump on the one you're using. Have two or three on hand. </li>
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The same stuff one needs for an emergency situation is the stuff we use to "live" in the cabin. We are prepared by default. Fortunately, we didn't need any of these items for "survival," but it was comforting to know we had it. </div>
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We have a few more months of hurricane season, and if 12 year weather cycles hold their course, we'll likely have a good freeze this year, if not in the next couple of years. A hard freeze can knock out electricity, so you want to be prepared for that, as well. <br />
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I can't speak for folks to north and west of us, but if you're in our parts, be as prepared as you can be. If you don't need your supplies, maybe someone else near you will need them.<br />
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Just like the good ol' boys in their bass boats who saved flood victims, be prepared to help your neighbor, too. I heard a reporter say that he asked every good ol' boy he interviewed why he was risking his boat and himself to save total strangers. Every single person gave the same 3 word answer. This is Texas.</div>
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thanks for reading! </div>Christy Claxtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09451739842121326056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035584573805516954.post-47135053137241273562017-09-11T17:34:00.001-06:002017-09-12T19:38:55.465-06:00Antique Week is Coming to a Field Near the CabinOh, lordy.<br />
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That phenomenon known as Antique Week is already moving into Round Top. It will creep its way towards Carmine in the next week or so, and then it will explode all over Northeast Fayette County. I have yet to convince Tammy she needs to experience it. It just isn't happening.<br />
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However, many of you love the idea of a day in the country, wandering through cow pastures of... stuff. Some of it is antique, but most is... stuff. Shabby decor. Fun little finds. Think <a href="https://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=4&toolid=11800&pub=5575330762&campid=5338181212&mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fsch%2Fi.html%3F_from%3DR40%26_trksid%3Dp2380057.m570.l1311.R1.TR9.TRC2.A0.H0.XJunk%2BGypsy.TRS0%26_nkw%3Djunk%2Bgypsy%26_sacat%3D0" target="_blank">Junk Gypsy</a> pointy-toed boots, sassy tees, and conversation piece pillows. The stuff you find at Pottery Barn, but with an outlaw flair. <i>That's</i> what you will find a LOT of.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=4&toolid=11800&pub=5575330762&campid=5338181212&mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fsch%2Fi.html%3F_odkw%3Ddeperssion%2Bglass%26_osacat%3D0%26_from%3DR40%26_trksid%3Dp2045573.m570.l1311.R1.TR3.TRC1.A0.H0.Xjunk%2Bgypsy%2Bboo.TRS0%26_nkw%3Djunk%2Bgypsy%2Bboots%26_sacat%3D0" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="387" data-original-width="567" height="271" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TEMidX3_e_A/WbcZwj3m0RI/AAAAAAAABCA/Kv30DTrjiykz43HpZgKd_taYjaKK68PgACLcBGAs/s400/boots.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buy your boots before you get there, and get a better deal.</td></tr>
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Once upon a time; like 30 years ago, I loved this antique fair. In fact, I still have furniture I bought out there. However, I was just as likely to walk into any random antique shop on any random day and buy something cool. I used to collect depression glass, so that was my justification for stopping to shop. For years, my plates and glasses have stayed tucked away in some forgotten cabinet. In the last few years, Tammy and I have started to use the plates because they are a more reasonable size than the modern dinner plate. So we're shabby cool and health conscious.<br />
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Here are my thoughts and tips for Antique Week Fall 2017:</h4>
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1. Make a plan. It's too big not to. You need to have some idea of what you like/want, and then find the general area for shopping. I mean, this thing is miles long. It's huge. Try this site for planning - <a href="https://antiqueweekend.com/" target="_blank">https://antiqueweekend.com/</a></div>
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2. Try your best to find lodging, but don't hold your breath at this late date. However, I once found a room in La Grange, during Antique Week. Someone cancelled at the last minute, and viola!<br />
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3. Wear comfortable shoes. I know you want to look super boho, but make sure the shoes are comfortable. You will walk through cow pastures. You will feel dusty and gross after a day of shopping.<br />
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4. A wagon with a cooler of drinks is a good idea. Drink water. Drink water. Drink water. The booze is plentiful, but drink water. You're outside, and it can be pretty warm.<br />
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5. That being said, expect it to rain and be very muddy. See #3. Don't ruin your cute shoes.<br />
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6. Go a few weeks early. Go as the vendors are setting up. Or go the Monday after the final weekend. Actually, the Monday after is great for making deals because these dealers come from all over the world, and the less they have to haul away, the better. They'll make a deal.<br />
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7. Final (or the big) weekend is the first weekend in October.<br />
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8. The traffic jam follows you to Antique Week, so be patient. These are two lane roads, and it is bumper to bumper traffic moving slowly to avoid pedestrians.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AWhqkeijAik/Wbcb17t4bTI/AAAAAAAABCU/8UugpJVrBVcJ2coNtZOEu_r9lH29PRs9wCLcBGAs/s1600/wagon.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="615" data-original-width="937" height="210" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AWhqkeijAik/Wbcb17t4bTI/AAAAAAAABCU/8UugpJVrBVcJ2coNtZOEu_r9lH29PRs9wCLcBGAs/s320/wagon.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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That's just a few thoughts off the top of my head. I guess I would say as a final bit of advice - do not think that people in Round Top and the area are like the antique week community. Some are like that, but most are quiet, hard working, family oriented folks who resemble pretty much any good folks from rural communities. Round Top has notoriety because of Junk Gypsies, Antique Week, and such, but most days, it's just a nice little spot along the road.<br />
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Here's a little more detail from folks who know more about it than me.<br />
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<a href="http://www.thevintageroundtop.com/guide-to-round-top-antiques-week/" target="_blank">http://www.thevintageroundtop.com/guide-to-round-top-antiques-week/</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Thanks for reading! </div>Christy Claxtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09451739842121326056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035584573805516954.post-64070356330820084822017-05-20T11:43:00.000-06:002017-05-20T17:37:53.929-06:00How to Lie About Yourself in a PhotoIt's rainy and soggy, and by Texas weather trends, the likelihood of thunderstorms is high until after Memorial Day. So no country visits this weekend. Instead, I have this urge to write about a pet peeve of mine. Pictures that lie.<br />
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I work in marketing. Most of the companies I manage, on our websites, are clothing companies from all over the world. Many allow their customers to "share" photos of themselves wearing the clothing they purchased at said company. It's free advertising. And I'm o.k. with that. What I'm not o.k. with is the cliche of stock poses people use to look "modelesque." For all of its many poisonous symptoms, this week's social media bug is the way people lie about themselves in photos. <br />
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Here's the rub. Most of us are perfectly perfect the way we are, but we live in a global society that says we have to be skinny with luxurious, long locks, if we're female, and ripped and prison rugged if we're male. Even though I know this is pure social pressure b.s., I find myself being way too hard on my 52-year old body. So maybe a little rant will serve as a personal pep talk for me.<br />
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Three Cliche Poses that Reveal Insecurity</h3>
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As I wade through hundreds of websites and images a week, I have come up with the three most common social media poses designed to make a girl look hot without facing the insecure truth.<br />
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<b>Head Slightly Turned</b></div>
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Adriana Lima looks pretty here, and she is demonstrating one of the most common poses of everyday women's face selfies. They don't look directly at the camera. They slightly turn the head. It's also good to slightly tuck the chin. Is this slimming? Or is this some little lie meant to subconsciously hide insecurities about who she really is? I never trust a face shot like this. In my mind, somebody's lying about something. Probably to themselves more than me.</div>
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<b>One Arm Raised Above the Head</b><br />
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Oh, Leryn Franco. You have a great body because you are an Olympian! Why do you feel compelled to raise that arm and make yourself look more lean than you already are? Women all over the social media world imitate this pose to look ummm.... carefree? relaxed? skinny? I hate this pose. I imagine that the regular, perfectly fine anonymous women who do this pose must hear "The Girl from Ipanema" in their minds, suggesting a sexy Rio de Jeneiro lifestyle. Folks, Brazil is a broken place. Brazil doesn't lie about it. They know they have some ugly, but they also know it doesn't take away their timeless beauty. Let's all think of ourselves as Brazil. We don't need to stretch an elbow to the sky to be beautiful.<br />
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<b>The Staggering Strut</b></div>
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When I do this, I fall down. Another variation is that knock-kneed, casual stroll with the arm raised above the head while dragging a designer purse in the other hand look. You have no idea how often I see everyday women doing this pose. I kind of get mad at Ashley Stewart for posing their models this way. The above woman is an Ashley Stewart model. Why are they ashamed of their plus-size style? That's one gorgeous lady, without making her trip over her own feet. </div>
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Rant Over - Try This Instead</h3>
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I'm done. This little rant's been building in me for years, but it's swimsuit season. Tammy and I are taking a beach vacation in a few months, and I thought that writing about my own body image issues might help me along, and maybe it will help some of you, too. So with that, I want to leave you with a nice, honest image of a model. Full frontal, straight on pose. And she's still a stunner...</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kitty Underhill Angel, London - Photo by Darren Johnson</td></tr>
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(I know these are models. It's not my prerogative to post private, personal photos. I posted photos from the public domain, of people who get paid to pose.)<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Thanks for reading! </div>Christy Claxtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09451739842121326056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035584573805516954.post-27507874673369891982017-05-16T19:14:00.000-06:002017-05-16T19:14:01.190-06:00Two Girls and the American BreakdownI don't know if we're just getting old and tired, or if the world really is getting more and more chaotic and demanding. If I think about history, I am certain there are times in the evolution of Western Civilization that folks had it pretty darn bad.<br /><br />But damn.<br />
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Adolescents and social fantasy make parenting tactics anachronistic</h3>
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That is true. Any parent over the age of 40 who is parenting an adolescent knows that is true. What is an anachronism? </div>
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<br />Anachronism - My mother's well played fear and guilt tactics that made me behave due to an irrational fear of public shame and sudden death by an out-of-control fly swatter.<br /><br />That shit worked.<br /><br />Not so much today.<br /><br />Tammy and I did not have the ethereal support of social media, smart phones, and well-connected friends. We were certain to have long periods of social isolation when we walked through the front door, after school. We never really got a private chat in because Dad was going to pick up the phone in the kitchen and listen just long enough to embarrass before yelling, "Get off the phone!"</div>
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Today is fast, suggestive, driven by 6 seconds of fame, and things no kid needs to experience before the age of gainfully employed. Currently, our kid thinks she's a roommate rather than a captive ward of the house, and she's really, really lucky our fly swatter only swats flies. <br /><br />We're not really cool parents. We're exhausted parents who work too hard to spend much time enjoying the things we've earned in life. Our kid tries to reach us via a Pandora station for 80's Country, but friends, Tammy and I are hopelessly lost in the grind.<br /><br /><h3>
Digital Marketing Job + Bilingual Healthcare Job = A Sartre Quote</h3>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jean-Paul Sartre</td></tr>
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I'm thinking about Jean-Paul Sartre because an NPR commentator, during my morning commute, was talking about his girlfriend, Simone de Beauvoir, who was an existential feminist of sorts. Frankly, I'm not even sure Simone could handle mine and Tammy's workload. With that, I quote the great philosopher himself.<br /><br />"Everything has been figured out, except how to live."</div>
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There are two girls who have committed to the long game to get one kid through school, while remaining debt free, plus building our assets, so we can retire and live simply and comfortably. These two girls get up every morning, before sunrise, and battle Austin traffic to go to jobs that feel like mental sprints. These two girls come home and look at each other with this strange empty exhaustion that longs for a moment to slow down and "just be." </div>
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Tammy says that. "Just be." But I swear, I have no idea how to do that. I cannot figure out how to live anymore. So what is it? What changed? Have we slowly amped up the expectations of American life to the point that we can barely keep up with it? We're both really good at our jobs, but to what cost? My brain moves too fast. It always has. And I am extremely systematic and compartmentalized. Until just recently, systematic compartmentalization was working. Last week, I had to fight back the urge to lay on the horn while racing down the breakdown lane while cussing at traffic while trying to get home in under an hour.<br /><br />That's crazy.<br /><br />My mind was shot from managing a large corporation's multiple website commerce needs. My patience was long gone for being pleasant about it. Austin traffic did me in.<br /><br />Tammy is shot from 10 hours a day of patients who have never had their teeth cleaned, so their teeth are falling out, and they don't speak English, and they bring screaming kids to the appointment because they're too poor for child care. She battles the same insane traffic, and it makes her late more often than not.<br /><br /><h3>
I'll stop whining now and say this...</h3>
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We think we have to live this way. We think we've got it figured out. Except the part about living. So with that thought hanging out there, let me end with one more Sartre quote:<br /><br />"Man is not the sum of what he has already, but rather the sum of what he does not yet have, of what he could have."</div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Thanks for reading! </div>Christy Claxtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09451739842121326056noreply@blogger.com0