Hey, Miss J!

Before it goes any further… no.

That said, I’ve been trying to evaluate my life… looking at what I want to do versus what I am doing.

I’ve been subscribing to a bunch of those gardening channels, and I’m starting to look at homesteading. I like off-grid videos… and I dream of what it would be like to do what they do. Even though I know there are hard parts to it.

Building your home from the ground up. Collecting water and building systems to properly handle it. Setting up the hope to use solar energy to power it all. Growing and/or raising their own food. Some have cows, some have chickens. Some have cows, chickens and goats… maybe ducks as well. I’ve seen some homesteaders do that and more.

One I saw was doing laundry, but she was using a very unusual piece of equipment to do it. She had a wringer attached. As someone who has done laundry by hand… it is hard to wash the clothes, then use the wringer, then try to dry them.

Since I have some new machinery, I don’t have to wash my clothes by hand anymore.

Though for a bit, I didn’t have access to a washing machine and a dryer. I’d have to wash my clothes in the basement, then haul it upstairs and hang everything in the bathroom on a laundry rack and have the fan blowing on them. The clothesline in the basement is broken… unfortunately.

It would take hours and hours for my clothes to dry.

I would get so sweaty… and then I’d have to scrub up in the sink, while waiting for the clothes to get moderately damp so I could temporarily move them to take a shower.

Well… Considering how sick I am… I can’t do all of it, but I do enjoy making my own foods. I’m not yet able to set up my garden… because I need the equipment, but I can make my own bread and preserves.

Instead of buying butter, I am able to make butter… that is if I want to.

I’ve even made something that looked like cool whip.

I’ve learned that making meringue is fun.

Next time I make banana pudding, I’ll make the cookies along with the custard. It really was a lot of work, if I’m being honest. And the final result was 32 ounces of sweet deliciousness.

But as most know… banana pudding doesn’t last much past the first 12 hours.

So, once I was done, I had to portion all of it up and freeze it.

I have an assignment and some reading to attempt to complete tonight.

I am close to getting on top of things. Hopefully… soon I can resume writing.

I did play the Sims today. It was fun. It was a family farm. They collected solar, collected their own water… They were taking care of chickens and cow. And they were horse breeders.

I’ve already sold 3 of the stallions that were raised from the ground up. I’m going to try to mold the brand-new colts into racing champions.

Oh! And this couple is also raising an adorable baby. That’s a lot of work, I know. The cow has gone and one of the hens… and I think they’ll not buy anymore birds for the time being. They have a fridge full of eggs, so the wife’s been working overtime to make mayonnaise and all sorts of things to preserve the eggs and milk she has.

She also needs to make concessions with her meals because her husband is lactose intolerant.

I wish they had an option for her to make a customizable pizza.

I hope their daughter can start riding as a kid.

~J. Lyst

The peace and quiet… I’m getting used to it. I don’t think I called anyone at all today. Or even texted.