All About Her

Last weekend I was able to spend most of my time out in the shop doing this or that. At one point I was done with everything and trying to find something to do.
That kind of thing usually does not happen because I have a list a mile long with detailed projects that need to be done. I guess I really didn't want to start on any of them and just wanted to tinker in the shop.

I finished the trophies for the at home chili cook off we are having next weekend and I think they turned out okay. I would have rather of had a better selection of stains but you use what you got.  
Tip of the day, when you are at Lowe's or Homodepot, stop by the paint section and look at their "Oops" section. They will have a shelve full of items mixed wrong and will sell for a fraction of the retail cost. A gallon of $32.00 paint mixed in the wrong color will sell for $5 and same with the stains.

This weekend will be all about the wife, she turns 41 on Saturday. I have a real nice evening planned for her and I hope everything turns out good. The reason I say that is because me and fancy places really don't mix.
The last time I took her somewhere fancy, a little Japanese Geisha girl brought me a beverage that was on fire. The are some things you just don't mix all at one time and that night it was a fancy place, a redneck, alcohol and fire.
I don't know if they still have my picture up at the front door with the words banned written across it in big bold letters or not, but damn that was fun.


Only a few more days till the T-Shirt giveaway so if you have not already, scroll down and enter to win one either for yourself or for someone else. It's not hard.           

Get In the Zone

 Being back on track and with a new focus, I find myself once again flooded with new ideas. If I don't watch it, I will right back in the same pit of stress I just crawled out of.

 Add in my new past time of Competition Chili Cooking and now things are busier than they were before. Plus all the work I neglected over the summer and couple that with repeatedly being told everything I do is wrong and it's all my fault has the stress levels on the rise again. But fear not, there is hope and I call it Refuge.   

Do you ever get into a zone? You know what I'm talking about, kinda like that thousand yard stare sort of thing, but while your doing something. I guess the best way to describe it is like being lost in your own world and everything around you does not exist or even matter until you snap out of whatever it is you are doing. It's a zone where hunger pains do not exist, where you could go for hours without eating and only until you stop do you realize you are in need of a drink, food or even sleep as far as that goes. In that total state of "doing" you are free. Free of all the worries and problems you might be going through. It's a calming place where you and only you exist and time has no meaning.
So have I freaked you out yet? No really, I bet everyone reading this can relate one way or another to what I am saying either by doing gardening, reading, wood working and so on.

Recently I bought a shop, no I did not build it but bought it. It's the first shop I have had for several years and the first real fully functioning one ever. I had the building delivered and that day I went to work on building shelves and work benches. It has already made things easier and it was well worth the money. That shop is my refuge. When I walk in there all worries stay at the door. That is where I get in that zone I described above.

This past couple of weeks I have been building stuff for our Chili Booth. October 6th we will be doing our first trial run at setting up the booth and cooking our chilies for judges, a mock run so to speak. The judges will consist of around fifteen family and friends. This will help us out and get us ready for our first real event the following weekend.
Even though it's a mock event, the top three winning chilies still needs some kind of recognition so last night after work I walked in and zoned out.
It has been a really long time since I built anything small. My wood working tools are old and rusted, sandpaper that is so old it crumbles when used and most of the blades are twenty years old or older but still cut. I found out real quick I don't have as steady of a hand as I once did nor do I have the best eye sight I once had.
But in the end I really don't think that it matters that much. As long as I found my happy place and enjoyed what I was doing stress free.


Not a bad job I don't think for some scrap wood and a bunch of old tools. I still need to complete the ones for second and third places and then put some sort of finish on them. I haven't decided on paint or stain yet.

 I don't guess I have a moral for the story but I can tell ya this, get up and find something to do and when you are feeling stressed, get in the zone.



Thanks to all that entered the T-Shirt giveaway and if you haven't done so it's easy. Just go to the post below and leave a comment that you want one. The drawing will be in less than two weeks so hurry.

Reality Check

With all the things happening around the world and even here on the home front this past week, it has been an eye opening reality check for me.

As y'all know for over the past couple of months I have lived without a plan and free from worry. Doing what I want, when I want and going where I want without really any care in the world. This has been the first time in my adult life I have done such a thing. Using the words "Oh, what the hell, lets go" became the new normal around the house and to tell you the truth, I liked it a lot.
Not worrying about how many pounds of corn mill or how many cans of freeze dried fruit I had on hand was nice. Not giving a second thought on animal production and sells was even nicer. We even half heartily planted a fall garden, but soon forgot about it and nothing even sprouted, but that's okay. When you doctor looks you eye to eye and says if you don't change something quick and stop worrying so much you will not be around to enjoy your grand babies. She went on to say if I keep going the way I am it would not be long. When something like that is said to you, you tend to start second guessing if what you are doing is really so important and if it's even worth it.

I can see how easy it is to get caught up in normal people's lifestyle. (I use that term only because they think they are the normal ones and we are the whack jobs). Only thinking about doing fun things and not caring if the sun comes up tomorrow gets addicting. Buying only the food you need for that night is actually really fun. Eating without a plan is like a getting a surprise every night, you never know what you might get. Going places without times, purpose and care was thought to be pointless before has now turned into a great time just being out with he family.

 Before the doctor (BTD) my personality and mental disorders made it where everything had to have a plan and be organized. Even if something was spontaneous, I usually started making the schedule and plans while walking to the truck and by the time we arrived, it was all planned out. I had to be, nothing else would do.
For a little over two months now I have not had to do that, but then this last week something changed.

When the attacks happened on our Embassy and the events that followed, emotions started building and something triggered in my brain, I found myself starting to worry again. I suddenly thought about the last time I did inventory on my food storage and I couldn't remember. I wondered how many months I have left of food since we stopped putting up. I wondered why I shut the bathhouse off and have not used it for over two months now. I could not figure out why I took my "get home" bag out of my truck. I could not understand why I have not used my hand powered washing machine in months and I felt depressed and the onslaught of panic started setting in when I remembered there was nothing growing in the gardens. I also felt sad because I don't have any animals left to care for and sustain me if need be.
Instead of looking out over the Mini Farm and seeing freedom from all the work like I have been doing all summer, all I could see now was emptiness and a lost dream.                   

The first opportunity I had Friday after work I grabbed the wife and went to Sam's. Then to Walmart, followed by a couple more quick stops on the way home. I am happy to say the storage room is stocked back up to where it needs to be. A few more things and it will be like this laps in judgement I had never happen.
Next on the list to get done was repacking my BOB and GHB for winter use. I picked up some new 72 hours kits from Wise foods a while back and finally got them packed. Plus I added some warm wear to the bags just in case.
It's not too late to get the green house replanted so tonight I plan to get the lettuce, carrots and whatever else I can think of planted for a winter garden. As far as the animals, I do not plan to get anymore until spring and when I do it will be nothing like what I had. I am not going to mass market and sell this next year near as much as I have done in the past, maybe a few dozen at best mainly for personal use.
I am also happy to say the bathhouse and washing machine are up and running again and are being used. Even though it was only a short time, I have forgotten how nice a 100% free hot shower felt until this last weekend.

Here's what's different this time around. I have now learned not to stress out over it all. If it can't get done it won't and if it's not getting done in a timely manner then that's okay. BTD, I was wound as tight as fishing line around a tree branch. Now ATD, I can now control my worries to what matters and I learned how to have fun again, everything is good. I have lost over 30 pounds, my blood pressure is almost back to normal and I feel great.

Homesteading, prepping and surviving is my focus and my way of life, but I have to take care of me so I can enjoy it. The cool thing is, I don't care if that is selfish.

     
 

It's That Time Of Year Again

October will kick off a new year in the Competition Chili Cook Offs and it should be a good one.

Last weekend our team judged at the Oklahoma State Chili Competition in Durant and had a great time. We got some good ideas on what we want our booth to look like this year and met some really nice folks with some even being past world champions themselves.

October 13th will be our first one of the year held in a little town just to our West then in November on to a town to the East.  I hope to get to cook for at least ten competitions this year to gain enough points to get invited to the big one. I know it's a long shot and I am really not planning on it, but it's worth a shot.

Our pots at the house have already been fired up to make sure our chili meets the standards. Every little change causes big differences in the taste and no pot is ever the exact same twice. Just changing the brand of chili powder can make a huge difference. It will take several more pots and the rest of this month to prefect the chili we intend to turn in. 

I personally do not like competition chili because it's only juice and meat. I like mine thick with some substance, but the judges don't so I make it their way.
The wife makes hers with a little more bite than mine and the other team mates go a little outside the box with theirs. I want mine to be simple, smooth and with a slight aftertaste.

The weekend before our first competition we will be having a chili tasting here at the house for all the friends and family to come by and give us some feedback. We will go through the whole set up with our booth and act like it's the real deal for the "at home advent", a trial run so to speak. That way we can see how our booth looks and make any adjustments if needed to the set up. We have four cooks in a 12x12 booth at the same time and things will need to be arranged so we do not step over one another and get in each others way. Plus the honesty of the tasters will help in deciding if we need to make any final adjustments to the recipe just in case it is too salty or anything else they come up with.  

This also gives us the chance to make sure our carts are stocked with everything we will need. It is easy to cook in the house with a well stocked kitchen, but there is nothing worse than finding out you forgot something when you are away from it. A fully equipped cart is the backbone to having a great time. 
        
It's going to be a good year and It's also going to be fun. I will post pictures when we have the booth all set up for you to judge how it looks. Plus I am sure I will share or trials and tribulations along the way.

Until next time,   

At Last! At Last!

For twenty years the wife and I have been on the search for a wood burning cook range.
We have found several though the years ranging from the best of the best to the worst of the worst.

The closest I came to actually affording one of these stoves was a few months ago when a lady had one stashed away in a barn and was asking $400 for it. This was the cheapest I have seen so I was excited. It turned out it was all rusted out and missing several parts so I reluctantly passed on it, but glad I did. I really did try to talk myself into it. Most of the stoves I have seen for sell around these parts are priced from $1500 to $5000, way too rich for my blood.
Every friend, every family member and every stranger that would listen knew I was looking for one. Every consignment and antique store for miles around has my number and is instructed to call me if they hear of anything that comes up.
 If one came up for sell anywhere around I knew about it, but yet I could never find one I could afford.

A buddy of mine picked up his stove up a couple of years ago. He found it in a barn and bought it for $100. He got a beautiful, solid, antique range in great shape that could easily go for three grand on the market. He actually unloaded his truck right in the lady's yard so he could load the stove and get it home before she changed her mind. To say I was jealous is an understatement. Even though I was happy for him, I was sick to my stomach for not being able to find it first.

That same buddy called me this last week and asked me if I was still looking for a wood fired range. I simply answered that I was. He said he knew where one was if I wanted it. Being I have been through this several times before and the deal only ending in disappointment, I played along and I asked where and how much. He said it was in his front yard and to just come get it.
Okay, now he had my full attention to say the least. Being the skeptic that I am, I could only imagine the condition this thing could be in for my buddy to give this stove to me for little to nothing. At the most I figured it was just going to be more junk I would have to pile in the barn to maybe later restore somehow.

This is what I picked up last night.  

I can't believe after all these years I finally have my very own wood burning cook stove.
Right now it sits in the house just for decoration. After I get the outdoor kitchen done then it's final resting place will be there. I plan to do most of my cooking on the old Queen for many years to come.
I am giddy.
            

Reuse, Recycle, Repeat. It will save you money in the long run

"Good God Boy! You have got the junk in here"
That was what my dad said on one of his visits to my barn.

Yes I am, I admit it. I am a pack rat, a hoarder and a junk collector. He told me one time that if I keep going, by the time I get his age I will need fifty acres to hold all my junk.

You have got to have a junk pile or two or three and maybe even four. If not, you have to buy every little thing you need. I don't know how or understand why people throw away the stuff they do. If I throw it away you can bet your bottom dollar it needs to be thrown away. My trash has been used and used well. 

Here is one example why I have junk piles,
A few months ago I bought a greenhouse kit. No I didn't build it, I bought it. I thought it would be better that way by saving me time and money so I just did it. The first big storm blew through and blew out several of the plastic panels to the roof and walls of the new green house. I was only able to find three of the seven that were missing. I knew those cheap clips were not going to hold those panels in place for long with this wind out here, but I tried to have faith that the Engineers knew what they doing when they designed the thing and so I went with it. I should have listened to myself better and screwed them the first time.

I priced some new replacement panels and quickly found they cost more than the original greenhouse as a whole. Talk about a marketing scam, it would have been cheaper if I just bought a whole new greenhouse kit rather than buy the replacement panels. They don't sell just a few panels at a time. You have to buy all of them that came with the kit. I guess the Engineers did know what they were doing when they designed it. They found a way to make more money after the greenhouse was sold.

When I lived in town me and the girls built the wife a small greenhouse off the side of the back porch for Mothers day one year and when we moved I took it apart and saved the lumber and all the clear sheeting it had on it. I almost didn't take it, but like always I thought I might need this stuff sometime down the road so I took it and stored it.

The wife had already planted the fall/winter crops in the green house last week and I thought it was kinda sad she was working in a greenhouse that was missing panels so last night I found those old, used plastic sheeting panels and screwed them in place. It's not pretty but it works. 
The clear sheeting has been sitting for three years and turned a little yellow but it fits, kinda. With a little "Southern Engineering" it is good or better than new now.

By saving the sheeting and storing them all this time saved me $500.00
So I am okay with being a pack rat, hoarder and a junk collector. I have a functional greenhouse again and it didn't cost me a dime.

The moral of the story, think twice before you toss it and if you still want to get rid of it ask someone else if they want it before you trash it.          

Weekend Getaway

Most people when they want to get away from it all go to the more popular places like Cancun, The Bahamas or even Hawaii. The more upper class of folks may vacation in Rome, Martha's Vineyard, Bora Bora or some other place spending several thousand dollars to have a good time and relax for a few days. Me, I go to little ol' Jefferson Texas.


This weekend was my 22nd year to be married to my lovely wife. I thought we needed to at least do something nice, just the two of us. Being we spent all summer spending time and catered to the kids, taking them everywhere we could and being a family, a romantic getaway was in the cards so we did it.

I can say is was worth it. If you are within 4 to 6 hours of the little town I would go. Being that I am a history buff, but more so on Texas history this was the place for me. We took several tours and even did a ghost tour. Yes, believe me if you want too, this place is haunted and I can tell you one thing, they aren't lying.
The town is set up just for tourists with around 50 bed and breakfasts in old Plantation homes, dozens of antique shops in the historic downtown, bayou boat tours, romantic carriage rides and at least four museums. Needless to say we couldn't see it all in one weekend. It was a Texas getaway with a touch of South Louisiana thrown in, loved it.

Now back to everyday grind for a while. The kids started school today, the oldest has been back to collage for a week now, the house is quite once again.

        

   

Redneck Hypocrite

This is the dialog at the latest RH meeting I attended; 
"Hello, my name is MDR and I'm a Redneck Hypocrite."
"Hi MDR and welcome"

My shop has taken a back seat now for almost three years. In that time I have built everything here at the Mini Farm by hand except the green house and we all know how that turned out.

Giving a idea your blood, sweat, tears and even some of your religion here and there is what it's all about. Using your own skills and intellect to build that same idea into a structure, plus having the feeling of accomplishment after the project is done gives a man a high not many drugs could match. Then, the everyday self worth when you look out and see what your own two hands have built is something that can never be outdone or taken away. Yes it is a man thing and yes it's what drive me on.

My shop has been designed in my head at least a hundred times and then drawn out even more, but that is as far as it gets. Lumber and materials have been gathered, but always used for something else more pressing.  When the work shop reaches the top of the ever changing priority list it's only there a short while until knocked back down to a more lesser spot. At this rate the shop was never going to get done and everything tends to be more important, even the smallest of things.   

Over the past three years I have worked out of a little yellow wagon, pulling or dragging it along flat tires and all to the next bigger and better idea that had to built. The small wagon is so full that every time I hit a bump I have to stop and pick up whatever fell off. When it reaches it's final destination I unload the cart onto tables spreading the tools out so I can efficiently find what I need when the time comes. At night I cover the tables in tarps to keep the dew off my used up equipment and bungee them down so the high winds will not expose the tools to the same.
When the project is completed, I repeat the process in reverse by packing up my little yellow garden cart and storing it away until the next project develops.           

 A couple of years ago my buddy Dave bought a complete, turn key shop building that he had delivered and set up. They handed him the keys, said "Here you go" and that was it, an instant shop.
Of course in my manly way, I thought that was an atrocity to mankind.
I made fun of him for not building his own shop with his own bare hands and I even posted about it for all to read. I think I even used the words, "Well, I would never"

A shop to a man is like a bathroom to a woman, it's where the magic happens. It's where you transform a raw piece of material into something stunning and beautiful.
I am sure I will get some hate mail on that one, but stay with me here.
In most cases you woman have the majority say in everything about the house decor to the flower gardens. You may be shaking your heads no but look around, did we really care what you planted in your flower beds we built or the girly way you fixed up our master bath? No we didn't because if you are happy, we are happy. But a shop is our land, our last frontier to having testosterone we can call our own.
In our shops we feel two pounds heavier from our new growth and can beat our chests giving out the deepest Tarzan yell we can muster. I am man, hear me roar!
It was really hard to do that when I was pulling around a little yellow garden wagon.

Enough is enough, I decided to move forward with my shop so I did.
After much consideration and eating a little crow, I figured my buddy Dave did not have a bad idea after all. I had it delivered yesterday. Call me a hypocrite, it's okay.
So what if someone else built it for me. I still have to build all the shelves and storage spaces. I still have to design and build all the work benches and add all my own touches. I still get to decorate it to what I had pictured in my head so many times before. I will still stain the floor with my sweat and my blood and I can almost bet I will still loose a little of my religion here and there when needed.
I am not worried, with confidence I can say I am still a man. A Hypocritical Redneck maybe.

     
         
Inside my new shop sits my little yellow wagon. Her name is "Getty Up Go"
She was a brute when she was new, top of line and ready to work. 
With all she has done, her duty is almost over, just one more project left. She has seen a lot of use, been abused and even broke a time or two, but she has been there through it all and even held me up when I was too tired to stand on my own. She it hard to pull now so we had to carry her inside, tools and all. I tell ya, we have been through it and I almost hate to see her go but I will always remember the times we had, me and Getty Up Go.

       

Overdue Update

I know this update is well overdue, but I am just now finding the time to share.

Saturday morning found me giddy as a teenage school girl on her first date. I have been waiting and counting the days for the Self Reliance Expo to come to a city near me and it finally did.
I have seen my fair share of gun shows, but I have never seen anything like this and was excited to be in a huge building full of like minded folks all doing the same thing I do.

Whatever label you put on yourselves being a prepper, a survivalist, a radical, a homesteader or whatever you call yourself if anything at all, you are a minority doing what you do. It is hard to find people that think the same much less do the same thing and this was an opportunity to be surrounded by just those kind of people.

This is where the disappointment sets in. In my mind I pictured this to be a gun show on crack with booths and booths of tactical gear, survival surplus and everything you could think of that dealt with homesteading and living off the grid. I am not saying it was bad, what I am saying is that it was not what I had pictured.
Every other booth was selling freeze dried food, no guns and very little to no survival gear with the biggest item sold being the Life Straw and other water filters.
There were a few Homesteading booths selling mostly stuff for canning and one General Store type, but the Expo was mainly set up for the inner city prepper.
The two really cool things they had were the huge bunker set up outside you could tour and Jackie Clay from Backwoods Home Magnetize. She is an inspiration to all the Homesteading community and I got the chance to shake her hand tell her so.

I had fun and enjoyed being out and talking with the people that I talked to. I think I would rather stick to the Gun shows though.
Speaking of, there is one next month right down the road from me I might just have to attend.

I did pick up an old Mosin 91/30 this weekend and ran a box through it on Sunday. That thing kicks like a mule.

Until next time,
MDR              

A Unspoken Bond

"Just pull them up" the wife says.
"I just can't do it" I replied back.

Every year we go through he same cycle of Planting, Harvesting and Putting By. Then we start the whole thing over again.
There is one point in the circle of garden plant life I hate. It's when I have to pull up a food producing plant.

"It's just a PLANT!" the wife would tell me, but in my heart these plants have sustained life for me, given their all so I can live.
Yes, I know this sounds a little stupid and corney, but it is something I struggle with. The plants have to come out for the Fall gardens to be planted. We already have way to much food and the plants still keep giving. I am at the point where we are giving everything harvested away just so I do not have to stand in the Kitchen all day canning more.
The shelves are full with jars and jars of canned or dried foods. The freezer is over flowing with bags of produce. There is no more room. I will not be able to eat it all now.

Most of the plants are at the end of their life cycle anyway. Remember, I planted way early this year by about three months on some things and it paid off. As it is right now I don't know if I need to plant a Fall garden. I don't know where I would put it all.
I will at least do some lettuce. 

The hard part will be separating that special bond between the plant and the garden keeper, but I am sure I will get over it.       

Prepping The Soul

As far as the idea to prepare ourselves for what is to come, most of us are on the same page and are like minded to the fact we do it all to survive.
We spent countless hours stocking food, stacking ammo and learning new skills to insure we are the ones left standing when whatever happens, happens.
We raise animals and gardens for food, prepare our homesteads to be self sustainable and teach our children how to live right and work hard, all for the greater good of the family and the hard times to come.
We have food for when there will not be any, emergency packs to live out of when forced out, lights for when the electricity is no more, water for when it can't be pumped, weapons and ammo to keep us safe, bags of silver and gold for currency when our dollar fails and we even have predetermined locations for refuge if need be. 
 We do all this because we do not want to be caught unprepared for whatever is to come. Even with all the prepping, working and learning to be sure we will survive, we are still not sure on what and when it will happen. We can speculate, debate and discuss about politics, global warming and the collapsing economy all day, but in the end we still do not know for sure.
All we think or know is that something will happen and we have to be prepared for it.

The one thing you can count on is that yes something will happen, you are going to die. I hate to be the one to break it to you but it is the cold hard truth. There is no way around it no matter how much you prepare against it, it will happen.
You spent your whole life prepping for what is to come and how you can survive it, but what have you done to prepare your soul for the inevitable?
What good is a pantry full of food or a bug out location set up to sustain you for two months when you will not be around to use it? What good is that secret stash of silver you have buried out back when you don't make it back home from work one day? What do you think will happen to that beautiful self functioning Homestead you have spent a lifetime building when a drunk driver runs a red light and you are hit and killed this weekend?   

If you spent your whole life working on what might come instead of what you know will come then it is all for not and you just wasted it all. If you are not one hundred percent sure you are prepared for the real "IT" then you might want to take a step back and do just that.

From now on when I am asked what is the first thing one should do to be prepared, I will simply tell them, "First and foremost, take time to prepare your soul and get right with him, the rest really doesn't matter."


FYI:
I did not want to write this post. It was put on my heart for some reason or another so I had to.           

Weekend Warriors

My Boppie

We spent the weekend out on the Lake. The place where we were at had their 4th celebration going on and it was a blast. The fireworks show lasted three hours with the band and other festivities were still going on when I threw in the towel at midnight and headed for the camper.  

Can you believe our ugly little wet dog won Cutest dog in the dog show. I should say, she was all dressed up for it though. Here she is in her bathing suit.  

 The girls found a fishing dock they decided they just had to jump off. They are too tired to clean their rooms but will jump off this thing for hours.


Yup, that's me on the left sitting in the shade with a cold drank and watching the show. That is BEB on the right.

It was about a ten foot jump. The wife wanted to but chickened out on the rail.

Look at that nasty camp food. It was so hard to eat. I might have to keep cooking it over and over until I get it right.
What a shame. 











Why is it that while I was camping I was up at 5:00 AM ready to go have fun without the alarm. This morning when the alarm went off at 5:00 AM, I had to drag my big butt out of bed to go to work.

This week, party at Mom and Dad's on Tuesday.
This weekend, fishing. The next weekend, camping again. For the rest of the summer just repeat what I just wrote.
What a horrible way to spend the summer. I just don't know how I am going to get through it.