Recycling...

shortly after the move to the new house, there will be a move of blogs.  For good.

I've thought about it for a while, even had one setup over at wordpress for a good long time...the latest fiasco with AdSense just gave the push I needed/wanted I guess.  With all the changes going on in our lives and such, a change in direction was inevitable.  The new blog will be as random as this but probably a lot less filled with politics (no, I'm not giving up on fighting the good fight) and the likes.  There will be more talking about life, food, in-town living, etc.

So I'll be going through and recycling some of my favorite posts and some of the most viewed posts on this blog over the next few weeks.  This blog will remain active (as in I won't be closing it) because frankly I'm lazy and have no desire to c/p a bunch of stuff over on to the new one.

You're welcome to travel over and take a look, stick around, follow, etc....there's only one post there at the moment because, again, I'm lazy AND 98% of my time over the next week will be taken with the move and all things it requires.

I'm not leaving the blogging world...just changing focus and changing the view.  And I'll still be giving away something to celebrate this blog's 6th Blogiversary.

Ch-ch-changes.....

a few on the blog...did you notice?

Pages are popping up...unfinished but there now to give you an idea of what is to come.  Of course, the nature of blogger means that I'll have to put up a post to let you know of additions.  But that's cool.  I like you lot.

Foodie Links is the most complete thus far, but that's due to the fact that we've been focusing pretty much on that while working on packing and prepping for the move.  Gimme time, k?

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Brief Self-Debate...

this morning....I had thought (very briefly) about switching to a different blogging setup (i.e. Wordpress, etc) and promptly discarded the idea.  Blogger is comfortable, and as my well worn yoga pants can attest I adore comfortable.

I played around with the Pages feature a bit (they are not currently showing, so don't go looking) in an attempt to combine the dietary/lifestyle change blog with this one....fail.  I don't want, nor do I have the patience, to maintain to separate blogs...so you lot will just have to deal with any KA-BOOM moments that I have on that front.  Deal I say!  Besides, it might be edumacational for some.  I'll be setting up a Linkage page (or two) to make that at least easier to hunt through.

On to happenings in mi casa....nada.  Tanker has us packed to the bare minimum (which makes cooking super fun...not) and we're in the just counting down days mode that we excel at.  32, for those that wonder.  Not soon enough.

Now, I'm off to enjoy a second cup of coffee to hopefully warm up from the chill of the rainy outdoors!


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Unofficial Confirmation...

Unofficial as in I've not been through a battery of blood tests and medical related go....confirmation as in I'm feeling it...bad.

Gluten is NOT my friend.

Today has been so solidly horrible in the gastric department after last night's short love affair with homemade pizza rolls.  They were delicious (oh so delicious)...they are the devil.  After going almost a full two weeks sans gluten, last night's splurge has shown me today exactly what gluten does to me.  It ain't pretty.

So there in lies yet another new obstacle to rebuilding the pantry.  Wheat and any product containing it is out.  Substitutes are in.  And since those substitutes are incredibly hard to find at decent prices locally, I get to turn to the interwebz in full to procure them.  It also means that shopping for long term storage meals just got a lot more interesting.

As much as the Screamers and Tanker loved the Chili Mac from Wise Foods (I did not partake...it was lunch for them the day I went and got some gum scraping done); they do not carry gluten-free goods.  There are other companies that do, however, and I will be researching what they carry.    In the meantime, I'll be working on a new pantry stock list.

So tell me....any special dietary issues you're having to deal with in regards to prepping?



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Are You Paying Attention....

to the goings on in Nevada?

Here's a Google search...pick an article.

I've been watching a lot of mud tossing from supporters of both sides play out on my FB (yes, I do have some incredibly liberal friends that fully believe the .gov is meant to be in charge of every aspect of our lives...I know, how?) feed.

Do I know the whole story?  No.

Do I care to know the whole story? Not really.

Why?  Because the only thing that is ringing my own personal alarm bell is the fact there are 200 ARMED agents locking the ranch down over some grazing cattle and a turtle species (oh, and a possible solar energy plant and fracking).

Why the alarm bells?  Because of so many reasons.  One being the overall acceptance that this is totally okay by an alarming number of my friends...another being that the MSM is only just NOW paying attention to a fight that's been going on for the better part of a decade (that's really no surprise though, neither is the spin being put out on it).

So, are you paying attention?




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Ever Get the Feeling...

that the whole world is sort of holding its breath right now?

Waiting to see what is going to happen next?  Wondering when, exactly, the other shoe will drop?

There is just so much going on across the globe that one can hardly keep up.  Naturally, MSM is failing to put the most important things at the top of the reporting list but that is nothing new.  Throw a bit of celebrity gossip at the masses and bury the stuff that will (rather: should) get the masses riled.  The ones that are waking up are edgy, angry that they've been kept (allowed themselves to be kept) in the dark for so long...but not angry enough yet to act.

The whole thing is just a tinderbox waiting to go up in flames.

Officially....

we are packed...as much as possible considering there is still a long stretch of 7 weeks or so before moving day.

Full, labeled, taped boxes are stuffed into a corner in the living room and the youngest screamer's ex-room is full up.  Spare room is pert near empty (it was our pantry/storage/crafting area) and everything is off the walls.  Nail/screw holes filled.  All that is left is to paint, pack up the few remaining necessities then load everything onto a truck and clean up.

This is going to be the longest 7 weeks.

Ah the trials of being married to an OCD "get it done ASAP" kind of guy.  Me, I would have waited until May to even start.  Him, he's been sneakily packing since we decided/understood that a move was going to have to happen (ahem...end of January, beginning of February).  I detest packing; he revels in it.  Consider us opposing magnets.  But it's done (mostly) and we wait.

In the wait time, we have been taking stock and making plans.  Considering we will be doubling our household square footage, we are shy on furniture.  So the deal is I get to yardsale for furniture that I can go all re-finishing crafty on...and that we will build what we know we can't afford to buy finished.  There are plans saved and dog-eared in magazines (only with plans attached) of large dining tables (our 4 seater will be woefully pitiful in the incredibly large dining room), bookcases, storage shelves and more.

The yard/garden area takes considerably more planning as I want it to be functional AND gorgeous.  A place that I can grow a "hidden" food garden while still being able to entertain family and friends.  A spot for us, the screamers and the dogs to frolic (I really don't frolic but ya know) and relax.  But also a place that will grow as much of our fruit and veg for the table as possible.  The ideas are there in my head...it's the translating to paper then yard that is a little more tricky when I'm not actually there looking at it yet.

Plus, the majority of planting opportunities for the year will be past by the time we're down there.  Trees can go in this fall and some late summer/fall crops.  But other than that, we're kinda stuck waiting for next spring.

We've gotten pretty good at waiting.

The Switch....

will be happening soon!

In other words, you get to tag along on a fantastical journey involving me, mine, working, school and all the usual inane insanity that involves us...only come July we'll be tossing in a bit of Urban Homesteading.

You see, I'll have a big, blank citified backyard that ordinances say I can have up to 10 hens in.  Now the hens may not be making an appearance until this Fall but I can dream and plan until then.  The garden, of course, will not likely be worth much of anything this year...if we can even get one in...but that doesn't stop me from sharing our (mis)adventures with you.

Since we're radically changing our diets (no beans, no flour...go on, follow along with that fun separately over at meandering mods) and we still need to have food on hand, you'll get to join along on my visits to local (and not really local but I like going for the flea market part too) Farmer's markets.  There will be frequent visits this year since (as I said above) a garden is highly unlikely.  I'll try to remember my camera as often as possible (especially since I'm working on building a portfolio) and share our little world.

So there you have it....one bit of guaranteed change.