Monday, June 23, 2014

$3000 A Year. Ten Times.

I have had a brilliant idea.  I know, another one, it never ends.      I can't work, not at a real job anyway, not where I would be expected to show up every day and actually finish something...And husband has a bad back, he might have another 10 years in him but his boss could get more fed up and pull the pin on his business at any time.  Lots of boss' do so there are no guarantees.  And husband getting another job might not be easy, he will be at that age and has no formal qualifications.  He is smart and strong and a brilliant worker but none of that seems to count now in days of resumes and bits of paper saying you did this course or that.   So, how would we then have an income?  He wouldn't be pension age and by the time he is there may not be pensions being paid out anyway.  So we need a plan and I have what could be the perfect one.  

He is a casual worker and gets what some would see as a pretty good daily pay but...he only gets that when there is work on the day.   He has 3, maybe 4 days work this week but he has just had 4 weeks at home with no income at all.   Last Winter there was no work, no money coming in, for near on 4 months.   So the good daily pay over 12 months...not so good.   When I first came up with this brilliant plan I said to him we needed ways to make $4000 a year 10 times to get close to his wage now. He says we could probably manage on $30000 so there we are.  I/We need 10 ways to make $3000.   That doesn't sound hard at all does it.

The hard part seems to be me coming up with these 10 viable, legal things.  I have been asking around and gosh, there are some clever and creative people out there and so many ideas.   I am in the process of collecting ideas and will put up the list later on this week knowing that it will be added to as I ask more people.

Once the list is up I will then need to come up with ways to get the process started and then...actually get the process started.  It will be fun!

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Black Sheep.

The most horrible movie that I have watched in a long time.   Whoever made this is warped in the head.   As I must be for sitting here and watching the stupid horrible thing.  Thanks for leaving the DVD here T.


It's ridiculous, kinda funny, horrible...finished.    Baaa!

Saturday, June 21, 2014

June Happenings.

Gosh, how can I keep not coming here and writing about my all exciting life!   I really do need to get into the habit of visiting myself every day. 

So, what's up here in Barbs Backyard?   I have finally got some garlic planted, did that last week and it is already a few inches high.  I used to always plant it around Winter Solstice which is now, and pull it up during the summer   Last year I forgot that rule and whether that was the reason that I had a very poor harvest or the fact that half of it rotted in the ground, we didn't get much at all.  I had to resort to accepting a big bag from the father in law...how sad.  I have always been the one to share the produce and now I am the receiver...I really need to lift my game.   I'm thankful that he did though, his garlic was big, tasty, and he gave me enough that I had enough left over to plant.  Last week.

The brassicas are doing well, I am eating so tasty beans straight from the garden, still have heaps of chokos, capsicum, sweet potato...still not buying much at all.   Oranges are being picked and eaten from the tree.   I can not believe that we used to like the shop bought ones.  Really there is no comparison and we will never eat *those* ones again.   There are still apples to pick but not many left now.  Enough for us.    I lost a whole fridge garden of potatoes due to not checking them when the last lot of rain hit us.  Seems the drainage holes blocked and the fridge filled with water and they all drowned.  Rotted.  Not there anymore.  We have others elsewhere but that was a bit of a bummer.

Chooks still aren't laying so husband has permission to do what needs to be done and we will have chicken soup instead of eggs.    They do have a bit of Scaley leg mite and I am oiling them for that but they haven't laid for near on 7 months so I can't blame that or the cold or heat or stress or lack of food or too much food.  They are just useless chooks that should do better.

The bees are still doing what bees do, I have finally fixed the zip in the overalls, both pair, how good am I, and am now waiting for a nice day when I am home so I can do an inspection.  Or, truth be told, I will go out looking the part, take the lid off, have a look, maybe pull out a frame or two, close it back up and suggest to the husband when he gets home that they are looking OK, what does he think and we will go out together and he will tell me what I should know by now without him.  That's how we work here.  I'm the wannabe and he is the is.

The monthly lunch with Mum and a sister was a couple of days ago.  This time we went up to Collie.  Had a look around the town, lunch in a cafĂ© then drove around some of the streets.  Mum used to live there, many many years ago and it was interesting hearing things she had to say about her time there.   Hmmm, I never did have a think about the places that we have been to so far and make a list like I said I was going to, really must get onto that.

I dog sat for a week so earned some money towards my *$3000 a year from the yard* money making scheme.   Only $2900 to go with that one.    Not really, I have had him a few times now but still have a long long way to go.  I don't think that I will get rich through dog-sitting.    I have plans to pot up some plants to take to our next markets but if I don't get a move on with that they wont be ready in time and there wont be anything extra to add to the kitty.    The chokos are nearly finished so even the small amount I get from selling them will soon end.    It sounded easy when I was thinking about it, $3000 a year, 10 times, enough for us to live on when husband can no longer work...It's still a good idea but I think I need to come up with a proper plan.   Or 10 plans...

My back is starting to hurt again.  I though that the pills the doctor gave me were doing their job but a few days ago the pain started coming back.   I have about another weeks worth and he said that if it wasn't better by the time the pills were gone he would look into it more.  I hate how they give out pills to treat the symptoms instead of finding the cause and fixing that.   I need to get some blood tests done again before I go back to him too.  They need to be fasting ones and I have had a month now to get them done but I always get up and first thing have a coffee.  It's not until I am halfway through that that I remember that I am not supposed to have anything and need to wait till next day.  And again and again.  I have now written myself a reminder note so hoping Monday will be the day.

Daughter L is in town this weekend.  It was  FreeMarket day this afternoon but she was here this morning before we left gabbing on about those super green smoothie drinks that we should all be having.  The ones I was going to have every day and did start to except they were more brown than green...Anyway, this time she was saying that we should make one and add some Aloe Vera to it as it would be fantastic and solve all our ills....So we did.  It had orange, banana, aloe vera, comphrey, green leaves from the garden...it wasn't awful.  It was green.    A very pretty green and much more healthy looking than the brown ones mine always tend to be.  I think mine are less green because I add carrots.   And I think I will start having them every day again.  Husband has been off work for 4 weeks now and I always eat too much crappy food when he is home.   He has a few days work next week so it will be green smoothie and vegie soup meals while he is away with no white crappy carbs at all.  And I'm not going to mention the hot chips we had for tea tonight to L as she might make me drink some other concoction...

We have had the wood fire going for the last week, the house is toasty warm and the kettle is always hot.   So nice at this time of year.    Tomorrow I am going to cook up a big pot of soup, there are a few manky things in the fridge that can be added and it will make me feel better that I used them and didn't need to subject the poor chooks to them.    Yum, manky food soup.  Who's coming for lunch...
 



Friday, June 6, 2014

Market Update.

The markets in Pinjarra last Sunday were not a success, they were in fact a dismal failure.  I thought they wouldn't be as great as the organisers said but did think that they'd be better than they were.   It was a lovely day, no rain during the morning while the markets were on but that weekend was also the Pinjarra Festival, held in the grounds of Edenvale, over the river from where we were.  Our area was used as parking though and there would have been hundreds of people passing through but they were festival goers and not many were interested in us market stallers.  We gave it a try and know better for next year.   We have more markets this Sunday, they are new and this will be there 2nd go so we will go and see what they are like.   Can't be any worse than last weeks.

There are a few things that I need to do before the car is repacked on Sat, I need to melt more beeswax, relabel a few jars of honey that somehow got damp and the labels have smudged.  If we get into selling at markets more I will have to invest in a proper printer, one that doesn't have smudgey ink.  I also want to repack some of the stuff we sell into smaller boxes so it is easier on my back getting them in and out of the car.  The back is improving but lifting heavy and awkward boxes doesn't help it much.

What I'd like is a big shed where I can store all my boxes and *stuff*, out of the way of other peoples stuff.  Somewhere where I can spread it out and not have it bother people.   I need a few successful market days though before I think about forking out more money.  I have a 5 year plan though so plenty of time...

Best be off, I am dogsitting a couple of dogs and need to go give them their breakfast so I don't feel mean while I have mine...





Sunday, June 1, 2014

Market Day Morning.

I am up early so I can have coffee and breakfast before I leave for the markets.   I have not been getting up as early as I like lately so this morning was a nice change.   It means I have time for coffee and breakfast before having to leave and I have some meat on cooking so half of tonight's tea will be sorted already.  Bonus!

The car is all packed but I need to call in and buy petrol on the way, I have food packed so I wont want to buy anything, need to remember to grab a bottle of water...Ha, that's done too now, how good am I...

Finish breakfast, have tablet and be off...I love being organised.  So much so that it always surprises me when I let things get in such a state that it is hard to be so...Maybe I should make June the month to get some things under control...OK, we all know I should the thing is...will I...

OK, now I am off, hopefully to make a dollar or two more than $50....