Jam

It is time for jam again. Too many jars are empty and I am down to the last jar of nectarine jam in the cabinet. I have 4 bags of raspberries and 3 bags of rhubarb in the freezer from the neighbor's garden, so raspberry rhubarb it shall be. I love the bright color of this particular blend. I'll put pics up if I remember.


I haven't bought jam in the store for over 2 years now. I found out how easy it was to make your own at home and how much yummier it is.


I don't have an orchard. I have one small raspberry cane, planted last year and a couple strawberry plants but neither did very well. I still find it cheaper and yummier to buy a bunch of fruit at Costco and make jam in batches. I think the small ones favorites are either pineapple or cranberry pear. I wonder what would happen if I made pineapple-raspberry-rhubarb? Find out on Saturday?

Brief thoughts on a homestead winter

This isn't a very active time of the year as far as survivalist stuff goes, but at the same time it is more survival now than any other time. Winter is the time to hole up, food is stored away and preserved, work is done. Winter becomes a time for introspection. Which is extremely survival related because introspection and self awareness are critical to becoming and remaining a functional and moral human on this planet of ours. It's also a time for planning. My plans are made. Now.........I wait. For the ground to thaw and the world to be green again. One more month until it's seedling time.

On friendship

I have lived most of my life in varying degrees of isolation. As a child, or in my family, in my jobs. I am an outgoing person but there have only been short bursts of life where I 'played the part'. It has been several years now since I really had regular contact with friends. At this stage, I think I have 2 adults, non-related who I can consider a friend and I only see them very rarely.


I miss people. Everyone moved, died,  or we drifted apart and the hole was not replaced. Not only do I miss people, but I am jealous. Jealousy is a feeling I am not prone too and I don't like. I am jealous when my husband goes to spend time with friends. I am jealous when I hear about other people gathering together with their friends. I am jealous when family members gather together. The more jealous I feel the more alone I feel and the more jealous I become. I am afraid I am growing into a bitter old lady.


How does a person make friends? I've never understood that. It seems like some weird subterfuge. Make friends. Make. Every friendship I've had has spontaneously developed r/t proximity or mutual interests. And I don't know how one 'makes' that happen.


Maybe this is just what happens when you are an adult with children. It's isolating. And I know very few people who I share interests with.


How do you 'make' friends?

Road-Side scrounge

I remember my first road-side scrounge. It was a child sized recliner that I found a couple blocks down the street. I picked it up and carried it home for my youngest brother. I must've been around 15 or so.


I love road-side scrounge. Up until last week, every piece of furniture we owned was found as someone else's garbage, excepting the kitchen table which came from a thrift shop. Our green sectional couch was on the curb and I helped lift that thing in a truck 7-months pregnant with SOTSO. We only had room for one piece at a time so my husband left me sitting on the other piece, claiming it in case someone else came to try to nab it first. Torn up in a few places, recliners that were partially broken, but otherwise very serviceable. We had that thing for 5 years. The last piece has finally been replaced. And........we purchased our first piece of new furniture. Something called a 'gaming couch' which converts to an ottoman, (whatever that is) and has storage inside. It is very small, yet seats 3 children or 2 adults comfortably. And, I can recline on it. A rare event for me, but should I decide to start that may be nice.


I'm not planning on making a habit of purchasing furniture, because there is just so much to be found laying around homeless. But the best part of this gaming couch is the tiny amount of floor space it takes up. The trailer just seems to keep getting smaller and I am trying to clear up room. We're gonna be here awhile yet and I need to find a way to make this work for now.


Depending on how much longer, I'd like to rig up some extra counters, a breakfast bar, and another bedroom in the kitchen. Nothing I'd throw a lot of money at. More likely something cobbled together with scraps and a little ingenuity. Huh. Sort of sounds like my life. Maybe this trailer and I were made for each other.

being judged

I hate being in a melancholy state of mind. Everything I write becomes something that I would never want any one to read. Not because it's bad. But because it is not uplifting or positive. At best it may be slight informative. In any event, the thoughts are not things I would like to project on anyone else's mind......


So I won't.


Do not communicate unless it is helpful or kind. Do not complain about a subject unless the following requirements are met.


1) You are educated about said subject.
2) It directly and negatively affects you or humanity at large. AKA: It is a problem.
3) You have a solution to the thing you are complaining about.


Based on this criteria, there are several topics I could complain about and pose solutions to. But due to my current mood, doing so will likely take more energy than I am willing to expend at this juncture.


So I won't do that either.


How's that for a blog post?