Wages...

Sorry for the rant, folks but I have got to get this off my chest.

Many people are upset about the proposal for the $9 an hour minimum wage, I see both sides.  I see the side of the small business that can't afford to pay their employees that much.  I also see the struggling employees trying to make it at $7.35 an hour.  A lot of people say that people raising a family shouldn't be working for minimum wages - they should go to school and learn a trade/get a degree.  Obama last summer slipped a new law in regarding financial aid, reading - the Pell Grant.  In the past a person could receive the Pell Grant for 18 semesters- which to some read as 9 years - you think that is a lot, but if you are raising a family then it is really hard to go to school full time.  Now Obama has made it where you can only get it for 12 semesters or 6 years.  Some people's reply is to get a loan, these people that need to go to school cannot afford to get a loan.  They are trying to raise a family, and are probably already living paycheck to paycheck, even after they get done with school they most likely will be living from pay check to pay check.

For an example me.  I went to college right out of high school for 3 semesters.  Ended up getting married and starting a family.  After my son was born I quit my part time job at the bank to raise him.  At that time in 2007 I was making 8.00 an hour and couldn't afford to pay daycare and fuel to and from work.  So after discussion it was decided that I was going to stay home.  I babysat for supplement income for about a year.  In the fall of 2008 I became pregnant with our 2nd child.  I babysat until just before our daughter was born.  After Sophia was born I decided to go back to school.  So in the fall of 2009 I started back to school, part time.  Technically I have only recieved the Pell Grant for 10 semesters, but this spring they denied it because I have spent too much time at a 2 year college.  So they are telling me that the only way I can go back to school is to pay for it myself with loans if I can't afford out of pocket.  I already owe approx. $20k in student loans.  I imagine it would be at least quadruple that if I went on to the University.  And then I would have zero promise of making a decent living after that.  So I am now just a stay at home mom.  I do however have enough credit hours I can substitute teach, and plan on doing that after the kids are both in school.

As for my husband, he is skilled in HVAC, but the competition is just a lot- not to mention the rising prices of freon and equipment.  He is skilled in working on heavy machinery as well - he has worked for the county road and bridge dept for over 5 years now.  He has his CDL- he drives a dump truck and now is running one of the brush cutters.  He was "promoted" to assistant shop mechanic, but that usually comes with a pay raise... the county commissioners said he wasn't going to get a raise, so he is brush cutting now.  He makes under $11 an hour and hasn't had a raise in over 3 years.  But if he stays there 2 more years he will be able to draw retirement, and their retirement is pretty good.

So... here we are, family of 4, living on around $1200 a month - 2 kids not in school yet.  If I was to get a part time job, it would probably be for minimum wage - $7.35 an hour... if I worked 20 hours a week I might make an extra $600 a month, putting us at $2000 a month... but then I would have daycare - 2 kids at $25 a day each, so 10 days a month that would be $500 a month... and would probably spend more than $100 in fuel.  Life just isn't fair is it?  If I made $9 - I might break even.  I can't go back to school... nothing.

We barely make ends meet, and often when we think the ends are actually going to meet - someone or something moves those ends.  Luckily if we need to we have cattle/calves we can sell, we can scrap (just opened a scrap yard about 3 miles from our house - so it really does pay to do so now), we cut cedar logs when needed (did that last week) and I know how to ration.

A lot of the reason we make it is because we supply a lot of our own food, we don't shop at the places most people shop - even WM is too high for us most of the time.

Okay sorry for the rant - but I am sure we all have these from time to time.

I know I must have faith in our Heavenly Father, and I lean on Him often.  I know that there are others living without Him in their lives and are doing far worse than we.  I also know that every month when we have to scrap or cut cedar that He is providing us with the supplements.  This world takes all kinds to make it go round, just wish we had a bit more sometimes.  It is hard for me to tell my kids no, because we don't have the money when they ask for certain things.  My son has been needing some new boots for quite some time... but we just haven't been able to afford them just yet.  I could buy him tennis shoes from WM, but they wouldn't last and it would be a fight every time he put them on.  Boots last so long, and are just more practical here on the farm.  We are waiting on our tax return to buy him some.  Also the kids are going to get bunk beds (they don't know that yet)-- but waiting on this return is so nerve racking!  We filed the last week in January, and the return is to be direct deposited, but they said it could be the end of March...

Ahhh government.

This ^^^^^ is all why I don't like politics on my page.  It is stressful and gets everyone upset.  But I do feel better after I got this off my chest.



So...

We have been hit with Storm Q or ThunderSleet Storm as we call it.  Ice and sleet all morning, making it very nasty out there.  We don't have any snow, but just ice.  We need the precipitation, just wish it was rain and warmer.

I started another braided rug last night.  I braided 75 bags together so far, and am now trying to sew it together instead of melting it.  I am making this one oval.

Television and other things

I enjoy watching some television.  I enjoy shows on the History channel, food network, hallmark, and PBS.  Those are about the only channels we really watch.  I get so irked when commercials come on that use words that I would not say in everyday life and I really don't want my kids to say them.  I should not have to divert questions from my 5 year old son what Kotex are or what Sexy means.  Why has these words and products become everyday things?

I remember when I was younger hearing preaching that television was the devil - I used to think they were just crazy and didn't really know anything.  Now that I am a mom and am seeing these things through my kids' eyes... well I am not pleased at all.  Even the cartoons that are supposed to be for children are not appropriate - whose children are they appropriate for?  We watch the cartoons on PBS and then the kids have VHS tapes that I have picked out.  I know my kids are young and are already being exposed to peer pressure - my 5 year old comes home from Pre-K talking about transformers and other things like that.  I   Santa actually gave in and bought him a transformer for Christmas - he played with it maybe twice and much prefers the wooden semi truck that we found for him at a thrift store... enough said.

Also at my son's pre-k on Fridays they have show and tell.  My son usually takes his favorite truck, book, or lately he has taken his John Deere Pillow that grandma made him.  He wanted to take his jeans that I patched for him!! He was so proud, but I talked him into changing his mind about that.  :) The other boys take action figures that I have never even heard of and many bring video games.  I detest video games.  I have seen the results of kids that play video games all the time.  I don't like it.  Kids should play outside!  Go on walks, enjoy life!  Some people seem to think that a kid has to be taken to the park to play or has to have a ton of outside toys.  My kids have their tricycles and some shovels... they have had other toys but rarely used them.  They have a swing set, but again barely use it.  They would rather be digging in the dirt - looking for gold as they say.  Or tractor pulling - tying something behind their trikes and having contests.  They also enjoy making mud pies, going exploring behind the house, looking for dinosaur prints, or just plain being outside.

As far as I am concerned this house will not have video games- I would like to do away with the TV but I don't think my husband would like that idea.  He doesn't watch much tv, but does enjoy the little that he does watch.

I know there are other things that we do that are not good for us.  Like the internet for example, I use Facebook a LOT and I know I shouldn't.  There are so many things that have a devilish influence in life, but there are so many ways to turn that around and persuade others to better paths.

I have heard many people say that I should not be on Facebook - that everyone that uses facebook blah blah blah.  Doesn't the Bible say to go out into the highways and the hedges? That we shouldn't judge people?  I try to surround myself with Godly people and express my feelings of these areas as often as I can.

Braided Rugs Can be made from ANYTHING!

I have seen rugs made from plastic bags and the thought intrigued me, but hadn't thought much past that.  I always thought - I am not crafty I can't do that.  Well today for some reason I started searching tutorials on how to make braided rugs.  My great-grandmother Lina made some really awesome braided rugs that our family still has today.  She died in the early 80's.  She would go to auctions and buy old wool coats and cut them into strips and braid into HUGE area rugs. So I guess it comes to me naturally to want to do something with my hands.

When I was younger I LOVED to make bracelets and bookmarks using braids and knots with embroidery thread, I really enjoyed it and could spend hours doing so.

Back to the plastic bags... Most of the tutorials I found mention crocheting - I can't crochet, at least not yet.  I have the DVD and beginners kit and I have watched the video a LOT and still don't really get it.  I can cast on but after that I am LOST lol.  My grandmother knits and crochets, I hope to some day learn how to do that.  Well I started searching for NO sew braided rugs and came up with ones made from plastic bags.  I read this tutorial - http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-a-Rug-from-Plastic-Grocery-Bags/  So when hubby came home he found me in the middle of the living room floor cutting up plastic bags.  He thought I had lost it! But then I showed him what I was doing.  He too thought it was awesome.  I soon ran out of plastic bags though, these things take a LOT of bags.  This is where I got to with my bags:

So while I had ground beef thawing for supper I went over to my mom's house (she lives about a mile away) to see if she had any bags.  She had lots!  I cleaned out her bag drawer and she still has bags... lol  I worked on it awhile after supper, and got a bit more done.

I still have a lot of bags.  I went ahead and cut them so they are ready to be braided in.  I like the way it is turning out.  I am not doing any specific pattern, most of my bags are WalMart and Woods bags.  I wish I had more colored bags.  I really liked the dark red and the blue bags.  I gotta get my hands on some Dollar General bags - they are YELLOW! That would be pretty!

I am going to try to do another one with bread bags too... I keep hearing people say they knew so and so that made these out of bread bags - very colorful.  There is a lady who is going to send me a bunch of bread bags for me to work with (how nice is she!?)

I really have never been crafty at all.  It is like I am finally growing up and feel that I need to learn a skill besides canning/cooking.  What is a homemaker that can't sew?  I bought a sewing machine last week.

I have no prior sewing machine experience.  My mom never taught me how to use one and while I had a Home Ec class, we didn't learn sewing, only cooking and family health.  It was more of a health class than anything.  My husband who had to take Home Ec at his school help me set it up and get it threaded.  He showed me some stuff too.

My first project (and only project so far) was a potholder.  I made it with 3 layers of denim cut and layered inside, with pretty cotton on the outsides, so technically there are 5 layers in all.  I tried using bias tape - need more practice with that.  But here it is, my very first sewing project at age 27 years.  (You have to start somewhere right?)

It serves its purpose though.  I will cherish it always.  It is about 9x9 and not too stiff, but thick enough to protect my hands.  Plus I used a pair of hubby's work jeans that he had ripped out beyond repair.

Well it is 12:15 am so I guess I better get to bed.  Tomorrow (well today) is Valentine's Day.  I am making hubby and the kids and I - tri tip steak, baked potatoes, oven roasted veggies, salad, and a heart shaped red velvet cake with homemade cream cheese icing. Good night all!

Dreams

Where would we be without dreams?

I have so many dreams, dreams for next week, dreams for next year, dreams for retirement, and dreams that I know will probably never happen.  Barefootingly Simple is based on a dream that will probably never happen, but the more encouragement I get the more it seems like it might someday become real.  I could daydream all day about it.  In my dreams Barefootingly Simple is this:

A community.  A large farm, raising vegetables, fruits and animals.  A restaurant serving only locally grown, mostly on the farm products. A general mercantile.  Think the Oleson's from Little House on the Prairie.  Yep that kind of store- dry good, fresh eggs, books, hardware, cloth, supplies, feed, etc.  Also I want a fully functioning kitchen where I can bake and can items to sell.  I want the building to resemble and old barn, but huge.  Restaurant will be separate from the store.  The restaurant will be built like an old farm house, 2 story with big working fireplaces.  In the upstairs of the restaurant I will have meeting rooms where I can give classes on canning and preserving.  I have the blue prints in my head and they are forever changing.  For the farm, I will give tours and hayrides.  Have festivals and live music.  Have an outdoor gazebo with picnic tables for picnics.  Provide plenty of jobs for the communities around.  There are so many things I could do, if only I had the money to make it all happen.

In the restaurant the floors would be hardwood, the tables - old farmhouse kitchen style, the decor would be antiques and pictures of the community.  Meals would be family style, where instead of everyone getting a side of greenbeans the table would get green beans served in a serving bowl.  A platter of fried chicken would be set so the people at the table could pick their favorite pieces, a basket of homemade rolls, a platter of corn on the cob, a whole cobbler etc. I wouldn't have a ton of things on a menu - each day would change with the harvest. Would only serve in season things, but would have to have a greenhouse for off season veggies.  Homemade cobblers and homemade ice cream.  Farm fresh beef, chicken, turkey, rabbit, and other things as well.

A friend of mine once told me that she and her husband would like to open up a butcher shop/meat counter - how awesome would it be to have that on the farm as well? FRESH meat never left the farm served to you.

I really think I could make a go with it, but it would take money to get it started.

In the store I would also like to sell local items.  I have friends that are great seamstresses, they could sell their products, or do custom orders.  There are many woodworkers, candle makers, artists, that could their work.  I would do anything to help out the community.

In the store I would have checker tables set up so people could come in just to play or talk, I would want it to become a community gathering place.  Free coffee and cookies offered everyday.  Old timers sitting around talking about the good old days.  Bring life back to the community.

So many people are so busy all the time, people need to be with each other.

I could talk forever about this...

When I do My thinking...

Last night while laying in bed wide awake... I kept brainstorming on what to do with my yard. (this is what I always do when I can't sleep HA!) Been thinking a lot about where to put the new clothesline, and my backyard is pretty much FULL! So... decided that when we get the pig butchered I am going to pull the pens out and relocate the 8x12 chicken house (now being used to house the pig). Where the pig is now, we never could do much with the area because of all the metal in the ground and rocks, but the pig has pretty much rooted all that up. There used to be a calf barn there and a dump pile for many years. It will take some work to get the ground level, but it will be worth it.   

We have 2 pens there - 1 is the pig pen and the other was my tomato garden last year.  I would still like to do some gardening in some of that area, but I think I want to make a flower garden back there.  I never get to have flowers because I used to always have chickens roaming all about.  I want to get some more chickens, but I don't want to let them free range.  Free ranging chickens is almost like having 10-15 puppies all the time.  They tear up the garden and eat the garden, tear up flowers, poop EVERYWHERE (mostly on the sidewalk and the front porch...) etc.  I want an ENCLOSED run so the chickens cannot get out.  I know that means more feed and such, but I am done trying to do the best thing for the chickens - I want to do the best for all of us.  We have another area in the barnyard where we used to have a BIG barn.  It blew away in 2009.  I am thinking about relocating the chicken house over there and making an enclosed run with cattle pannels covered in wire. greenhouse style.

Also while laying there... Decided that next week I am going to start taking down the farrowing pens along the numerous farrowing houses we have in the lots. We have quite a few hog panels that are not being used and I might possibly be able to sell them. It will take a lot of work because there is a lot of brush grown up around them, but since I now have a chainsaw... <insert evil laughter here> :D It will do me good to get out of the house.  I know it will be cooler, but I work better when it is cooler.  Gotta get me some leather gloves though - Chris took my last ones.

I tried to brainstorm on how to make a couple chicken tractors with the supplies I already have, but gave up when I got to the wheel parts.... I am not that handy. But we do have a lot of cage wire left from making rabbit cages, and I have some of that really tough plastic chicken wire, and some welded wire (horse fence).  I have leftover wood from the house as well...

and then I finally went to sleep. lol

We are selling 2 heifers today, fingers crossed that they bring well.  We filed our taxes on Tuesday but because I had school stuff we won't be getting our return until mid March! You know that saying, don't count your chickens before they hatch? Well we didn't listen.  We were planning on that money to pay some bills.  Oh well, I guess our heifers are like walking savings accounts, right? Still kinda sucks though because we could get 1 of the ones we wanted to sell caught, she went under a portable corral pannel and bent the bottom two bars up... and then we got back in the corral and she cleared the 6ft fence like a flying reindeer.  She is NOT going to make a good cow.  We ended up giving up because she took off like a bullet across the pasture... So the 2 we ended up taking were a couple of our best.

Later this afternoon we are going to go split wood.  I secretly LOVE to split wood.  It makes me feel so good to run the splitter, and I know I am really not doing anything but there is just something about being outdoors and working along side my husband.  And the kids playing in the field with the cattle all standing around us looking at us.

I just looked up and out my patio door I saw 3 red squirrels in the pasture... may have to talk hubby into going squirrel hunting this afternoon.  I have been wanting some more squirrel!!  I love the young ones fried, and the older ones with homemade noodles!

First Post!

Hello all, many people have been wanting me to do a separate blog from the Facebook Page.  I used to maintain a different blog but after some people started stealing my photos and such I shut it down.  It is a shame what some people get enjoyment out of.  So I am going to try this again with a brand new page! Hope you like it.  This blog will be much like the facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Barefootingly-Simple/288816844482880 random and cluttered!  I mostly post things that I find interesting, my thoughts, hopes, and dreams.  Things that apply to my daily life and such.  Hope I can make a go at this. *smile*