Non Electric Homestead McMinn County (food, trailer, oil)

[Pam& Bill]

Forest Breath,
I can feel the peace and contentment you are experiencing, coming threw your posts. I'm glad the house is coming together as well as your wood supply. I've got my fingers crossed you get your stove you want.
The wood floors are beautiful looking. I've been bragging here in NC about my friend who is building a house off the grid in Tn.
Keep up the good work, you'll be ready for winter never fear!
Pam

[Forest Breath]

There seems like so much to do the "to-do" list is just HUGE! Priorities are always changing as things happen that get bumped up on the list. Being ready for winter is important and to be honest, I am so looking forward to sitting by the stove (hopefully the one I want) and quilt while a nice stew is cooking for supper. I miss quilting, painting and sewing. But time will pass and before you know it, we will be in the middle of winter and I will see just how ready we are.

Above all....we are at peace. We are so happy and last night we got in bed and the owls started calling from the backwoods. The moon was just so bright and the property looked like a magickal kingdom of shadows, trees and our wonderful home. We are both so very happy with this choice and look forward to every day.

[Pam& Bill]

Forest Breath,
Awww, how sweet. I'm glad for you!
Pam

[Forest Breath]

Friday evening was just like every Friday evening for the past few months. Pay bills, get things needed, go by the bank, visit Jimmy and Hazel and go to bed at dark because we are so tired from the week. Very uneventful. Saturday we headed out with Shannon, Lakota and Devin to Hobby Lobby in Cleveland. Lakota had a science project and we had to buy materials for it. She had to make a model of a plant cell. Well she could choose between plant and animal, so she chose plant. We had a great time picking out things for her model and then we had a nice lunch together. Devin can eat more food than any 5 year old I have ever seen in my entire life. To be such a little thing I am just amazed! Back home Chris and I worked on cleaning house and then started putting the railing up on the porch. We decided to go with the cedar logs instead of 2x4’s, because it fits in better with the whole idea of what we want our home to look like and be. They work GREAT and we are going to use a little joinery to go in between the railings on the bottom, twisted and turned to fit in with the style. LOL I got a sudden idea in my head of a candle holder I wanted for the kitchen table, told Chris in within minutes we had it done, It is perfect and I love it. It is cedar as well, so smells doubly nice! Saturday night we were visiting Jimmy and ended up calling an ambulance. We spent 5 hours at the ER and he was admitted. They have changed his pain medication twice now and he seems to be resting some. I just called to check on him and he was up for a bit and is waiting for them to do a scan to see how far the cancer has spread. On the good news side, it started raining this morning some and was sprinkling when I got to work. We had yet been able to see how the front porch does in the rain and how our new water system holds out, because we have had no rain in over 3 weeks. Now this at least enlightens us to the fact that the 250 gallons of water we collected about a month or so ago actually lasted us for this long with daily baths, watering animals, doing laundry and dishes, etc. We had about 20 gallons left as of last night after my bath. I am so thankful we are getting rain today. It looks like we did a fantastic job in planning out the home to be self sustainable enough to provide us with water. The main rains have not even arrived yet, we got just some showers this morning and with those few showers, we have over 300 gallons of water collected. YES…you read that corrects and I did not put in too many zeros! THREE HUNDRED GALLONS! I am more thrilled than you can imagine. AND….we got the chance to see that the collection system works perfectly with the overflow pipe, as you can see in the pic below, the pipe overflows into moveable barrels and then eventually into a molded pond that we got from Lowes. Can we say….BATH! I can get in that thing and soak on hot days! LOL But all joking aside, the water system works PERFECTLY and we are so thrilled. Also, the water system on the outhouse and chicken coop worked perfect as well, so we have containers at both, with running water in the outhouse. I am really looking forward to going home today so I can play in the water!


Lakota's Plant Cell Model for a Science Project


Perrin went to the County Fair and had a blast!


Homemade candle holder....Well....I love it


Revised Bath Area


Railings started!



AND WE HAVE WATER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We are going Saturday to get insulation for the house. We are using Styrofoam Insulation because we can get it at a very good price. Does anyone have experience with this? I am asking because we had intended to cut and put the sheets on the inside between studs, but someone said it would be easier and just as good to put it on the outside of the house, then the weather protective plastic and then the board and batton. I am just curious what the preferred is and everyone's thoughts on this before we start installing the insulation.

[younglisa7]

I am so glad you got rain and your water system is working. It's great when things work out the way you hope. We all desperately needed the rain. For us thankfully it's a steady rain and not a downpour.

We have used the insulation once before on a cabin we built. It was very easy to use and cut. We used it under the floor and didn't have any problems with it. I'm not sure how it would be in the walls but I don't think it has a very high R value for the walls and ceiling. For your sake I hope I'm wrong because I know how it feels when you get a deal!

Lisa

[Forest Breath]

We are getting some 1 1/2 inch thick and some 3 inches thick. I got a deal on it in Alabama, enough to do the house twice over (I can double the pieces) for about 200 bucks. This includes the walls, floors and ceiling, the porch roof and still have some extra for other buildings or needs. Only thing is, I have to pick it up this coming Saturday and pay for it if I want it. I just wonder, if it is doubled how well that will work.

Thanks for the reply!

[Forest Breath]

For over 30 years I had molded a dream of what a Father would be for me, if I had one. That mold remained hidden in my heart for so very long. Of course, when I met my Father after 23 years, nothing about him fit into that mold. So, I just locked it away. There have been several older men in my life, that I have liked and cared for, but none as that Father figure. Jimmy came along and without my realizing it, he not only found that hidden mold, but slipped into it perfectly. I have never been so proud to call someone my Daddy. Although I had such a short time with him, it is everlasting. Any other man could spend a lifetime in that Fatherly role in my life and it would not be as fulfillling and meaningful as the short time I had with Jimmy. Something like that comes natural and is rare. You cannot MAKE it happen, it just is supposed to be....and was.

I knew Monday night that Jimmy was dying, because Jimmy knew Monday night he was dying. Our normal conversations when we were together had changed to what I need to do when he dies.

Tuesday I had Chris go to the hospital to sit with Hazel. (Thanks Shannon for watching Perrin). I am so glad he was there with her, it was a very long, hard day. I got to the hospital right after work and he was not doing well. Just the rattled breathing. By 7pm his O2 was 40%. Hazel remained by his side, holding his hand. He had spoken very few words all day. At about 830pm he reached his arms towards the ceiling and said “I see Mama”. He tried to take his oxygen off and I removed it for him. There was no O2 reading at about 9pm. I assured him Hazel was beside him and she would be taken care of. He smiled. He mouth “I love you” to Hazel and then said “Mama” again. I told him to relax and go on and that we loved him and would miss him. He let go at 9:20pm.

Hazel, Chris and I stayed and had our final goodbye at about 11pm. For those who have ever doubted: unconditional love can and does exist between humans, I witnessed it myself in the love Jimmy and Hazel share and the magick in the last kiss she gave him. She was at the door and had told him bye and turned and said, “let’s just kiss him one last time Cyndi”. I cannot imagine losing a love like that. I feel honored and my life has changed in just witnessing their presence in this world.

Chris and I spent the night with Hazel on Tuesday. It was a rough night for her. Yesterday I took her to the funeral home to sign papers for the cremation. Don, Jimmy’s brother, had already made a box for the ashes, out of cedar Jimmy had cut from the farm. We spent the entire day with Hazel and she made it clear she did not want us to leave her side. She got several visitors and I made her eat 3 meals. She is hanging in there, but told me she will not be too far behind Jimmy. I hope she is merely speaking out of grief, but I think she knows….just like he did. And I will be the one standing there saying I don’t know what I will do without them.

Jimmy’s ashes will be placed in the cedar box and there will be a graveside service on Sunday at 2pm. His ashes will be buried in the family cemetery on the farm.

Last week Chris was with Jimmy while I was at work. I got a pic message on my cell phone. It was a picture of Jimmy grinning, a huge green on his face, and a voice over that made my day. It was Jimmy saying “Cyndi, I love you”. I saved it on my phone and plan to transfer it to a disc. I want to keep it forever because….instead of it bringing me overwhelming grief and tears, it makes me smile, deep in my heart. And I have the memories, like when he introduced me to his nurse as his daughter and she asked if I was the only kid he had. He did not miss a beat when he told her “well she is the only one I need, she is perfect”.

[jkmewright]

Ah, I am sorry for your loss and grateful for your blessings...

[Pam& Bill]

Forest Breath,
I am sorry to hear about Jimmy. But you are right to celebrate his life and what he meant to you. It is rare and wonderful when someone is in our lives and means so much to us, not everyone can claim that experience now can they?
You are in my thoughts and hugs to you,
Pam

[Suzanne1945]

Forest Breath, your tribute to Jimmy and his wife is admirable.Your every word tells of the happiness he brought to you and your life. May you find some joy in the good memories while traveling through a sorrowful time.