To-Do Tuesday 4.25.17

This week's inside chores:  It's getting warmer and I have to sleep cool, so our room has a window unit, probably a bit overkill since we just had a new central air unit installed this fall.  Nonetheless, the window unit stays and I need to make sure the filter is clean and ready for night use.  This week I really want to get the sunroom area cleaned up so that we can continue to work in there: clean off scaffolding, move portable AC to kitchen, sweep and make sure hubby has everything he needs to mud and tape and prep for primer.  If it gets done I will prime the drywall this week.  I also need to clean up around the other side of the new wall to prep for insulation installation and hanging of the drywall-sounds like an Olympic event!  
I need to clean off my canned goods rack. We are down to a couple of tomatoes, a couple of sloppy joes, several canned chicken breasts and maybe even a taco sauce.  I think I have a strawberry jam left too.  I should probably consider making more since now is the season.  I need to declutter the empty jars that we have been using for milk storage.  I would like to make some goat milk yogurt this week as well, maybe add a little freshly picked strawberry to it.  Mmmm!  As mentioned Friday, I need to get some baked goods in the freezer.  My goal is a couple of extra batches of pancakes, 1 batch of buttermilk biscuits (which is about 20-22 biscuits), a couple of extra pizza doughs.  I also want to make sure hubby has his oats and everyone has trail mix for lunch boxes/bags. 

This week's outside chores:   It's that time of year where we need to be outside the most, so this list usually stays the longest.  Continue to work in the garden area: clean a section at a time, till as we go, lay black plastic in another area.  Sow a few more tomatoes and peppers for our extremely late garden.  Make sure the soaker hose is in good shape.  Repair the garden hose.  I will need to buy a repair kit at Home Depot (use my Christmas gift cards). We are going to start fencing an area that I originally planned to free range our chickens, but first we are going to let Mad Max clean it up a bit for us.  There is a lot of briers and honeysuckle vines and low hanging oak and cedar scrub that he will adore!  We have our corner posts in and need to purchase some T-posts and the 4x4 goat fence, 220 feet will work just fine, and we also need to install a gate.  How much of this can we accomplish this week in reality.  I am hoping that we can get the T-posts in and the gate purchased.  The bees need honey supers added NOW! As you know, the one chemical that I use on the place is fireant killer. We didn't get to this early and now we are paying the price, but it's time to get out the sprayer and poison and kill the little...Lord, forgive me my curse-word thoughts...

Now I just need to figure where we are going to get the time and money for all of these things-no problem, right? 
FINDING TIME:  First, everyone needs to walk away from the Netflix.  Put the remote down and back up slowly, hands up while I shut the TV cabinet (yes, I have one of those old-fashioned TV cabinets, okay!-you know I like to live in the past 100 years to about 1990 anyway).  TV is only for the winter!  Back, I say! Wait, not that far!  Put down that fishing pole!!  *sigh* 

Tuesday To-Do 7/28/15

This past week:  I washed the laundry outside two times, once alone and once with daughter.  It took about 90 minutes both times, but of course I got a whole extra line done when daughter helped.  I am washing large towels and jeans in the washer, but everything else will be done outside every couple of days.  (Oh, and the family clothes will be in the washer too.)  I made grease patties for the bees although I did not have any essential oils to add.  I finished making the infamous family clothes from the Goodwill buy, as well as a flannel bandana for this winter and some hankies or rags  for whatever.   Hubby chopped down another oak tree and got that split to add to our pile.  I got black plastic 6 mil to start revamping the garden.  I am going to try and kill off the centipede grass and morning glories that are going hog-wild, and start again next spring.  I got all of the posts and cages out of the garden, as the tomatoes were diseased and done.  I pulled all those up tossed those as I am not sure if the blight will affect the compost pile.  I got about 1/5 of the garden covered.  I still have some peppers and green beans and cucumbers that have a chance.  As usual, most of the week was spent in the kitchen preparing meals, lunch snacks and other goodies.  I did find an extra hummingbird feeder and got that an the other one filled. 

This next week:  Again, I plan to do laundry on Monday and Thursday outside, weather permitting, using my mobile washer and new washboard-YAY!.  I plan on buying some fabric and attempt making a couple of aprons.  I have had the It's so Easy Simplicity A1223 pattern for over a year, so I think its time to buck up and sew the apron, especially as much time as I spend in the kitchen!  Then maybe I can move up to the cute ruffled aprons eventually.  Baby steps.  I have got to move all of the split wood from down the hill up to the wood pile and get that stacked and drying.  We probably won't be able to use it this winter, but it will be a good start for the next year, God willing. Of course, if the horrible heat we have endured for the past two months continues, it will be dry and ready for the fireplace. This week is payday so a menu/grocery list needs to be created.  I may revert down to a two-week menu, but honestly, if I do that, I probably don't even need anything but fresh produce and milk. But, I gotta get my Sam's fix! Sooo...  I have got to get into the bees and see how things are going, but I will need a new smoker because they are just getting angrier by the week!  I have to do what I have to do to get things checked.  I am sure other To-Do's will occur on a daily basis.

Things I really need to invest in shortly:   New smoker for bees.  New dehydrator (since my lid is gone and discontinued!).  I am thinking I will invest about $65 for one.  My last one was cheaper and did okay, but it would be nice to have something with a little more temperature control.  Can't swing an Excaliber or anything like that though.  I have looked into a solar dehydrator, but they are quite bulky outside and I am not sure where I would put one where the goats wouldn't think it was a cool new climbing apparatus, so I am staying on the grid for dehydrating presently...someday.  Fabric, thread, bobbins, cutting mat and rotary cutter are all on my wish list too.  I think I should make myself a frock for the farm.  SANTA!  I have been a good girl! Really those things I would like to invest in by the end of the August.  I know that God will provide what we need, not necessarily what we want.