7 Quick Takes – Written In Time But Totally Didn’t Get Published and Linked Up In Time – At Least Its On The Blog Edition 

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Can I just say that this whole “no internet and a laptop with a bad battery” is for the birds!  Seriously!  Since we have gotten back to a somewhat-normal-for-us life with building, the land, Church, groups, Teen Church, etc., we are like never anywhere with internet and a power plug.  U-g-h!  After questioning how long we should be somewhere before I ask about plugging in the laptop and for the wireless code, I have contemplated adding a hotspot to the phones just to upload the blog.  Is that bad?  I didn’t think so either.  Surly that’s better than mooching power and wi-fi from random places right?

We started clearing for the garden.  Oh. My. Word. Yall.  I will admit, it took 3 days for me to realize just how big of an undertaking this ¼ acre garden is going to be.  

  Yes, we grow rocks… and trees.  And after I tried, thankfully unsuccessfully, to burn the woods down, I learned a huge lesson.  That pile of branches that have some smoldering/smoking leaves underneath.  Yea, that one.  It turns into a raging inferno once it hits the evergreen branches that are in said pile.  And when that happens, it quickly ignites the entire pile and singes everything around – including the branches at the top of the trees… completely freaking me out!  

 Needless to say, the burn pile has been very, very, very small.  Consisting of a few branches at a time.  Yes it will take forever to burn this stuff, but the stress I endured in those 15 minutes totally trumps my desire to burn more/faster.  Maybe I will have a garden next year…

Debate has been going on now about the size of the canning building/guest house/sleep over house.  I was at first thinking 12×12 would be fine… now a 12×16 (the pink tape represents that size) or even a 16×24 is being discussed.  How exactly do our buildings always end up bigger than we originally anticipate?  I did however, draw the line.  No matter what anybody thinks – this one will not have “a small loft” that somehow morphs into “a full second story”!  Just.  Not.  Happening. 

Mr. is working crazy long hours.  And nights.  Mad props go out to the pioneers.  And anyone who lived before the advent of powered lights.  No, I’m not scared of the dark – I’m scared about what’s in the dark that I can’t see.  And it is wicked dark at night with no moon!  With coyotes that “sing” way to close, way to often.

Yall this was my first time on a roof – ever.  After the first layer of roofing paper I was a little more confident up there… until time to get down.   Yea, I am not a heights person anymore.  We are officially all ready for the metal now!  Come on Friday!

I did it.  I stuck my toes into the world of Essential Oils.  And am pleasantly surprised with our results so far!  I originally was interested because of Mr.’s back and knee pain, my massive migraines and our horrid tick problem.  I signed up as a customer and bought the small kit to try out… now I wish I would have gotten the larger box.  

First thing I did was mix up a Peppermint tick spray.  Day 1 of clearing the garden, sprayed myself after breakfast – I got 1 seed tick close to dinner.  The children helped move some logs Mr. had cut.  Total of 5 minutes in the woods, we pulled 3 off of them! So just to see, we put a tick in a little container with a drop of Peppermint and a drop of Lavender – no kidding, dead within 15 minutes!  Adding Lavender to my mix now!  (The Palto something or nother is supposed to be the best for fleas and ticks, but that didn’t come in the kit I ordered).   

Test #2 – Bou had the start of a migraine, complete with stomach upset – a drop of peppermint mixed with a few drops of coconut oil, rubbed on his temples and back of his neck – 15 minutes – gone!  Text #3 – Sore throat – 1 drop of Purifications rubbed on, gone!  Test #4 – Mr’s back has proved more difficult as we work out what amount work best for him.  Diluted Panaway on my hips – while not gone, the pain was dropped from “very noticeable” to “barely noticeable dull ache”.   

Other uses I have read about now – Lavender over my heart to help with being Tachy (rapid rate) and blood pressure.  Peace & Calming on the bottom of the children’s feet before bed.  Joy dropped on a cotton ball as aromatherapy (no electricity remember, can’t use a diffuser).  Can even use Lavender, Lemon and Peppermint for allergies!

 I’m now super excited about the possibilities!  And kinda felt like a chemist when I was premixing oils with coconut into small containers. 

Mr. Littlest and haircuts…  he’s not a fan.  Of haircuts or being shirtless.  I think he looks mighty cute!  Both ways.