I've been making and posting some videos on YouTube. I would love your feedback! Tell me what you like, what you don't like anything!

If you would:  follow me on YouTube and Instagram! I appreciate it!

 Purple peas! Finally blooming! Of the 4 seeds I received in an exchange this is the only one to make it this far.

My elderberry is preparing to flower!

The apple tree is happy and the tomatoe is as tall as it.

Progress on my picture book! A long way to completion but it's getting there.

I finished my sweater this morning. Kansas Woman's Sweater by DMC. I have determined that I am smaller then the average American woman. A lot smaller. This sweater is literally falling off me. Disappointing.

I'll have to keep that in mind when I design sweaters for other people.

Crush it!

3 rules:
Love your family.
Work super hard.
Live your passion.

So I have the 1st rule down. I left CML after over 15 years (not that I had a choice) to take care of my family. I freelance around my good wife life!

It's hard. Money is tight but it's manageable and I love taking care of my family. I'm finding ways to make it more streamlined and .... well easier.

Rule 2. I think I have that covered too. At least it goes hand in hand with loving my family! In my humble opinion.

Rule 3. Working on that. The stress of money does get in the way at times but I'm actively working on taking things 1 at a time. Working on 1 project a day. Follow my Instagram @patientfarmer for more active details!

I haven't gotten very far in the book, at bit of backstory to fill some pages.....I'm sure there's a point. For all I write like that I don't read very much of it....

It has convinced me to keep up with my vlogging.....so check that out on YouTube! Patient Farmer is my tag there as well. It's like the blog....my life on an urban homestead!

A for warning:  this post is a bit of a downer/rant....

I have so many ideas floating around in my head. All of them though take money to begin. Money and time. 2 things I have very little of....ok none of!

So I need to tend house, rear my tiny human .... and make money. Easy.....said no one ever! Our ancestors didn't do this alone. There was a whole family unit working together or servants. So I need a sister wife!

Some researching has born little fruit. Most of the stay at home ventures are:
1) surveys - I spent months taking surveys for hours a day only to be told I don't qualify for the paid surveys....waste of time!
2) blogging - this requires affiliated links (something to look into) and an interesting topic. My scatter brained blogging...yah not...

Elance now called upwork has finally given me 1 job. Dan might be right about that site. Like a craigslist for freelancing. People wanting a lot of work for very little pay. People who don't have all their documents ready or done correctly. They just don't know what they need before they post a job and hire someone. Sigh. I'm still applying for jobs on it but have only gotten the 1 job....that still isn't published because the artist doesn't wish to redo the work at the correct dimensions.

I've sorta got the saving money part down at least. I've saved close to 1k by making our curtains. (or half way if I compare them to cheap box store curtains). $126 a month in baby food by making it at home (assuming they are 1.50 a meal). $50 a sheet by mending the ones Georgia snags (so far $150). I make our soap now. Bars which we use for body and hands. We mix our own laundry soap. Sadly, small stuff. I can't figure out how to save larger. Tips? Leave a comment!

I've added a meal planner to my planner! It's kinda hard to fill out..... I'm so used to planning the day of because I fail at cooking. And shopping to be truthful! A work in progress!

I am starting to vlog in addition to this blog. Mostly garden stuff. We'll see how that flies. I don't expect monetary rewards from it so no sweat there!

Big sigh. Time to go clean the kitchen again, pick up toys and prepare for grocery shopping once Aidan wakes up from his morning nap.

Well the ball is rolling faster on my studio. It's empty now save the 2 desks for sale.

We're still tossing around color ideas and playing with some designs. It'll not be attached to the walls like initially planned but free standing, and cut up into a tilt drawing desk and flat top with shelves underneath. I'll post some sketches .... once I have some nice ones made rather then my sketchy sketches! 😏

While we finalize we'll be taking base molding off to clean up and repain and repair/paint the walls. Seal the window and rehang curtains. I am super excited about my repurposed "curtain rod"

Passive heat

Concrete floors have enough thermal mass to retain the heat from the sun for a day or two. The key is getting the sunshine to actually heat it up.

From my browsing of google on the subject, carpet & wood covering the concrete will hinder it's abilities to absorb heat.

So today I'm trying something new. It's sunny so I opened all east & south facing curtains and rolled back 1 rug. That leaves 2/3rds of the floor (roughly) exposed to the sun.

I have a tiny problem with frosted over windows though. Not sure how to prevent that without getting a dehumidifier which will run nonstop.

Garden update:  veggies are planted. I asked Heidi for a few seeds we didn't have. If she doesn't have them in her bank then the local nursery in spring will do. I'll plant the herbs directly in their pots in spring. I'll also start the pears here soon as well once I find an acceptable container for at least a 2 year growth.

And the jacket repair and modification begins!

A little info:  our wee Georgia ate out the pocket with some bubble gum when she was a puppy (like 2 years ago). I'm finally gonna fix that! Plus, I'll be adding a few more pockets! 1 specialty for concealed carry.

Dan had a professional fix the underarms because they dug into his pits.....he failed and just made it baggy under the arms. Not lowering the pit area at all. So I gotta fix that.

That same professional was supposed to modify the hump to hold a Camelback. With that I'll be cleaning up the area, reinforcing the opening and installing the bladder.

Patches need added.

All my work will be using the massive scars he left along the sides. Let's see if I can make this no longer made, expensive, leather jacket comfortable to wear!

I step out onto the patio first thing in the morning. Throw back the curtains and am greeted my a mass amount of condensation! So I tromp uostairs to get a towel or 2 and mop it all up. MOLD!

So I gotta fix this issue before me mold makes a home. Technically this is a whole house problem. Just not as bad as that room they slapped together.

So first the cause(s):

*poor insulation

*excess moisture via plants

*warmer then outside

*breathing

*cooking

*showers

Fixes:

*dehumidifier 

*remove plants

*charcoal

*insulate

*open windows

In reality the only think I can really do would be add charcoal to the room. Place them into a bowl. However, the doors get opened multiple times a day to let the dog out and being winter that just lets in more moisture. 

I would have to constantly empty a dehumidifier. We have one in the basement. It was a 2-3 times daily chore. It now empties into the subpump.....

Ultimately when we have to get a new furnace it will have a built in dehumidifier! 

Further research required. I still am giggling at JSB and all their proclamations! 

My winter garden is coming along nicely! Spinach and bok choy growing and looking so cute!

Woke up to my trees bowing to Mother Natures wrath! We are getting some heavy freezing rain here. I've been told that they will perk back up. That it's the older more solid limbs that snap under this weather....fingers crossed and begging the dryads to keep them safe.

We're finally moving along with the book shelves! Super excited! More images to come.

Sycamore so far prostrated you can't hardly see it!

Peach looking dejected!

It IS pretty!

Before (but after cleaning)

Feeling rather accomplished today. I think I'm getting better at all this domestic stuff! At least I'm knocking out projects.

I finished a curtain commission and Aidan's costume. Started alterations on Dan's dress pants and hemming the last 2 curtains for our patio. Which, with the cold weather finally making itself known, I should probably hurry.

That was all yesterday mind you. Today we walked to Krogers for some cream and came home to bake like crazy! Poor Aidan didn't make it home before the sandman got to him. Most of the way, but not quite. So I carried him up to his room, put away the groceries, nooked my coffee then pinned them hems I could.

With no more to do without my machine I cleaned the kitchen and began to mess it back up!

Biscotti made with my hickory nuts! Yah, those that I beat the squirrels to and then took forever digging out of their shells!

Pumpkin oat cookies! All vegan and gluten free goodness!

Banana cider bread! Definitely a recipe for Iron Shot Cafe! Seasonal but damn is it good! A bit pricy though.....

Tomorrow will be to finish up the curtains. If I get more done then yay! Recleaning the kitchen from our dinner of deep fried stake tacos doesn't count. Shoot! I gotta make biscuits for dinner tomorrow too...hmmm.

It's sad when you spend a lot of money on a dress and then have to fix the zipper so it's hidden. Such poor craftsmanship these days! David's bridal special! It's still pretty and really not that much work.

Helping mommy capture the hem length! 

Sadly I have to hem. Even wearing 3" heals.

Or should I keep it long! 🤨

Back detail is nice!

I finally feel accomplish. There have been other days where I have felt like this but it doesn't happen often.

Now that I have a child I find it hard to combat my depression. I can no longer just go out and run or hike. At least not in the places I would normally go. I think the main issue is that things keep piling up. House work, gardening, lack of job (thus income) and trying to start a business. It's a huge challenge.

I try to knock out the small stuff and pick at the larger things as I can. However, Aidan won't let me do much while he's awake. If I'm in the kitchen he must be held and "in" whatever I am working on. If I'm sitting (key is sitting) in the living room he'll play with his toys and books. This does allow me to work on sewing projects like mending or his Halloween costume. I use this time to knit and plan the garden. Make lists of tasks I would like to get done that day (almost pointless). I am not, however, permitted to work on any device. If it's out he must play with it!

I usually choose a small project that I can carry and work on so that I can follow him around the lower levels as he plays!

Poor Dan is doing almost everything around this house by himself. It makes me feel so worthless, which is just adding to my depression. It's frustrating for both of us! So at nap times I try to get larger projects done. Moving dirt, mowing the yard, pulling weeds. The outside was mine to start with so it's only fair I maintain it.

Then keeping up with feeding 2 boys! I might as well count myself in the category of eating us out of house!!! I'm always hungry!!!

Site Map

Raised bed layout

Nap time

Dried tomatoes

Aidan ended up with 2 birthday parties. We hadn't planned any. Just to have a quiet family day with a cake Dan made for him. My dad and Dan's mom thought it should be otherwise and chose that day to come over. Aidan's uncle, aunt and cousins came up from South Ohio as well.

A full house. We clearly need more in the way of dinner sets! We resorted to paper plates for cake. Yuck!

Then Tuesday we drove up North for some fun. Took Aidan to explore the lake shore and eat good Erie Perch! Even after getting shots he had a fun busy day.

Tuesday night we stayed with Dan's dad and spent a lazy day Wednesday till the great grandparents came over for a grill out....only to have it turn into another party. Too bad Aidan isn't old enough to remember all this action!

Yesterday during a lapse in the rain I planted a bunch of tiny garlic cloves. Crossing my fingers they take. The peach guild garlic sprouted, got nibbled then died back. I hope they come back next spring. We'll see.

Today has been a lazy one. Aidan once again refuses to nap more then 15min (or less) so I got Dan to mind him while I blanched and diced the tomatoes. Then ground some coffee beans while Dan organized the garage for the dehydrator.

Apparently the last owner thought it would be a smart idea to use caulk to patch a hole......

This weather is crazy! I'm loving the thunderstorms though!

My sycamore has a mold issue and those damn beetles are nomming it all up. I went through today and trimmed all the infected leaves off (hoping I didn't hurt it by doing that) and disposed of them via city yard waste.

Nothing to be done about the beetles until I get the grubs managed next spring.

Our patio garden is looking awesome! We had a nice storm just as we were gonna plant that filled all our holes. Thanks to the storms timing (right during Aidan's nap) Dan had to do all of it by himself. Poor daddy! I still got muddy planting 3 of the plants! 😏