Independence Days #9

Ms. Bunny supervising the blog posting.

Well, I'm on week nine having missed a week due to company and caring for the sick and injured ect...


1. Plant Something: Nope, just the root ends of the shallots from the grocery store when then grow more long green onions (still amazes me). One thing I need to learn is when to plant the second round for fall harvesting. It seems as if my summer crops will be bumping into the first freeze.

2. Harvest something: a few straggling lettuces.

3. Preserve Something: Oh, dear, No.

4. Prep. Something: After the hospital incidents we were motivated to review our First Aid Supplies. I was able to get Mr. Greenjeans interested in this project as he has taken first responder courses and done first aid kits for his employer, in the past. He put together a fresh basic medical/dental kit. The trick is going to be how to expand that into more than just the basics.

Before getting hurt, Ni Chan was working hard and pushing me to spend every spare minute on her quilt to take to school in the fall. Quilting is winter work and I don't like doing it with so much else going on but she has cut up old clothes, and made her own pattern and so I do want to support her in that. I also want the family she is going to to see that we make our own - to inspire these folks I had though were to green until I stayed with them.

An update on Ni Chan: She is having trouble controlling the pain of the steel rods drilled into her bone. This hurts much worse than the accident. Ironically she and I made the decision to discontinue the narcotic pain meds. The drug haze upset her so badly that she didn't have the mental capacity to manage her pain (decision made as she was laying on the cool tile of the bathroom floor with a sick stomach and mentally upset). She is on aspirin and Motrin and is at least sane. The pain is bad but seems not worse than drug hell. The narcotics are there by her sick bed if she want/needs them but even before bed last night she said 'no'. I feel better that she isn't just flat on her back moaning or sleeping, but engaged in her school work and conversations. Boy I miss her help with the chores.

We've started work on a project that I've wanted for four moves. I love New Mexico countryside and the bread and food that comes out of the ornos, or beehive ovens. Years ago Sunset magazine published a how-to on making one and I've carried those plans with me across the country and back. This last week we started on the project. I'll post as it goes along but here's the pad

- I anticipate it taking about four weeks to build and cure. This is what the finished product looks like in the magazine photo.


Cook Something New: Uh no, cooking is low on the list these hot days. I've got beans soaking and bread rising as I post but that's nothing new.

Manage Reserves: Here I've actually discovered that I've taken a large step backwards. The electricity to the freezer in the garage was interrupted and we lost a lot of home made soups and two turkey pot pies.

Work on Local Food Systems: The garden is tended most mornings and evenings. Sang praises of local, first time farmer's market at Rotary.

The volatility of the markets and the gas prices remind me that I need to pick up on this some more.