Coffee Chat

 

Let's sit with our coffee and chat a bit. There's so much to visit about; I'm just not even sure where to begin.  Between person issues and global issues, the vast conversation could go in a million directions. Let's get started and see where it rolls!

I want to start on something I believe many women in my age group are dealing with. The "next phase" of our lives. I know for about 8 years of dealing with this, I believe to be in final stretch...finally! I really don't think many people understand this phase. It's not really taboo, but just not discussed. Whether that be due to the variations or just "part of life." Let me tell from my own experiences, "just part of life," is not cutting it! Not only are we dealing with changes within our bodies, but hormonal changes, attitude changes, and being less likely to put up with other people's shit! That being said, if I hear one more that my "attitude" must be because of this phase, I MAY lose my shit! Whether you have children or not, you WILL experience this shift. I am fortunate enough to have a very trusted friend and a very trusted natural doctor, to help make sense of many of these changes. However, because we are all different, we may all feel/experience different "symptoms." I hate that word, because we are not ill, just progressing in our lives. Anyway, yes we are experiencing hormonal/chemical changes in our bodies. We are progressing from the motherhood roles into our mature lives. It can make you feel crazy at times, and SOME very unwise folks will bravely tell you, you are acting crazy. Let me say this, after 30+ years of a menstrual cycle, you have earned the right to be crazy for a period. Seriously, you are NOT crazy. Your entire body is making a transition. Things that we have tolerated, dealt with, and even believed for a few decades changes. It happens. Even men experience a form of "mid-life crisis/phase." Now, I am not saying going out and find someone half your age, buy a sportscar/motorcycle and ditch your responsibilities; however, I am saying that we do change. The key, in my eyes, is learning to make changes responsibly. If you are in a serious relationship, make changes and grow together. If not, make changes that allow you to learn, grow and better yourself. In my world, I find myself changing my thoughts, and my mind regularly. My attitude has gotten pretty harsh. My tolerance level has become non-existent. And, oh, the cluttered rooms in my home, are about to make me go postal! Simple things like: changing the toilet paper roll, doing dishes AND wiping down counters/stove, emptying the trash, being observant to things that need done/picked up - these do drive me instantly batty!! The whole idea of being observant to your surroundings makes sense to me, but obviously not to everyone. Simple things like being respectful of letting me know you will be late so I don't worry, doing what you say you will do, not being on technology during a family meal/not having the noise box blaring, paying attention to conversations happening around you...you know, simple things that SHOW respect. Honestly, I think if I hear "well, you are going through the change of life, so that's why you are behaving the way you are," one more time....it won't be pretty. 

Ok, I could talk on that subject for DAYS! So, let's roll on. We are just days from the final 2 months of 2022. Hard to believe, I know! I truly despise Halloween, on a normal year, but this year...I am more fearful for our children. With so many candies being called into concern being laced with Fentanyl, I am more hesitant than ever. I don't understand how parents are not more concerned with allowing their children to take candy from strangers, and not being in huge concern of handing out candy that could kill our children! My daughter wants to hand out candy in our nearby town this year, and I am seriously concerned about being involved at all. I know it's fun to dress up. I've done it since I was kid, but we didn't have the issues we have had the past 20 years. Kids ending up kidnapped, candies laced with needles/razors, now deadly drugs. Unfortunately, I have a child that actually likes this "holiday." I would bypass it altogether if it were me. So, the back and forth continues. What's the right way to handle this? I wish I knew. We've had dress up dance parties at our home the past couple of years to avoid the weather and that extra nonsense, but what's the best solution? 

I typically turn Halloween into a "pretty" time, but putting up my Christmas decorations. This "tradition" started because my husband didn't want to dig through the attic to find the fall/halloween stuff when the Christmas stuff was right in the front. He has been pretty grinchy most of our marriage. I can't tell you how many years I heard "it's just another day." It is, but the entire season for me, is beautiful. It's not about gifts for me, and hasn't been since I was young. It's about the warmth, kindness usually found during these months, and the times spent with loved ones. Those to me, are the BEST gifts. In 2012, we started hosting an annual Christmas Open House. We invited neighbors, family and friends to our home in December, for a few hours of visiting, some traditional Christmas treats and fellowship. We have had this all but the 2 years we spent away from our farm. Each year this has grown. I have already scheduled it again this year. For me, this is such a great gift! It's a lot of work preparing, baking and cooking all week long; but the outcome has been as many as 52 people coming to celebrate friendship/fellowship. It is our gift to "our community." It is typically our neighbors, family and a few friends will come occasionally, but it's those that never miss or rarely miss it, that are our closest circle. It's not formal, just a casual family setting with kids running through all the adults. Lots of food, goodies, coffee and lots of visiting. It is one of my favorite parts of the year. 

Since 2020, so many things have just been messed up. People so afraid of dying that they won't live. Out-of-control government intrusion. Illegal and unConstitutional means to destroy our economy, our livelihoods and our communities. It's truly scary how conforming so many have become. I am not going to get into politics today. I am just truly concerned with my own communities well being, as our economy continues to tank and more people are facing some real economic and financial hardships. I think we need to focus on more kindness, forgiveness and community support right now. 

I have stressed and worried about our own projects so much this year. I have finally put my garden to rest, with the help of my husband and son. I have gotten new bedding out for my critters. I got the deck closed back in, except now...I have to redo part of it with the crazy winds. With the help of those crazy winds, the pool is down. My husband got the sheep lots cleaned out, and the manure spread, but we still have the cattle lot to finish. We have fencing that will need work again in the spring. We had a bad drought this year, so we are having to buy hay, which is killing the savings...not to mention having to also replace a fridge that decided to go out, AND all the food that went to waste in it. We are returning to some pretty tight budgeting due to the strains being seen in the economy. With all the supply chain issues, parts and equipment shortfalls, increased prices, and the fears of job losses...it's become evident that pinching pennies is required. While this is not really something new, it is becoming necessary. It is necessary to start "rationing" of sorts. It's not buying anything frivolously, not wasting anything unnecessarily. Waste not, want not. It's going back to reusing what you can instead of just buying new - which you can't find half of it anymore, and the other half is sky high. I know 2008 was tough for a lot of people, and times now are becoming even more lean. Even my own Christmas shopping this year, has been necessities, useful things, with only a single, small frivolous gift. Our Christmas will be noticeably smaller this year, but we also won't have a bunch of clutter sitting around in a few months of gifts they "had" to have and will forget about by March. I am hoping to make some positive changes for the current times, but also for the future with my kids and future grandkids. 

As much as I am personally struggling this year, I am pushing myself to keep moving forward...even if it is babysteps. It's so easy to get wrapped up in other people's drama, the disaster of our economic times, our own health issues, or any number of areas; that some days are just down right depressing. It's difficult to find commonality with many folks anymore. It doesn't make anyone anymore or less than the other, it is just we are all on different paths with different goals. I am a pretty simple person, in the terms of: I value the old fashioned family unit, I value friendships, I value my family - husband and kids, I value God/Family and Country. I do not buy into brimstone and fire, nor do I buy into "one size fits all." I believe in live and let live. To each their own, just shove your beliefs on me. I don't believe the world needs to know every move we make, or that our mindless tv/activity habits are doing us any favors. So many have gotten so up in arms over the different beliefs of others, that they have become exactly who they claim to dislike. Extremism is extremism no matter what the cause. Constitutionally, it is our right, per our Constitutional Republic, to Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Period. No where in there, does it state that we all have to pursue the same goal. I think we really need to remember this. While I have my own very opinionated beliefs; who am I to judge someone else's life style?! I do NOT have to answer to God for what others choose to do....THEY do!

On that note, I'm going to sign off for today. I hope you have a great day, make it great! Small steps forward, are still forward moving!!! Keep going!!

Salli

 

 

Times of trial breed strength

 

Prepare, plan, work, worry, and repeat. 

 

This is the world I live in today. I am grateful to family & friends that remind me to unplug and unwind, but it's usually not so simple. Unplugging from technology works usually, aside from constant messages blowing up my phone. Or people getting their panties in a bunch when I can not take calls or deal with technology/phones instantly because my life is busy. My time online, is typically my breaks from the actual life I live, the chores I constantly do, and right now...from projects I have to get finished before winter weather sets in. I've said it before, but apparently needs to be said again, this life is one that if you don't live it...you can not possibly understand it. That is not to be condescending, but you can't understand the amount of time that is required to take care of things around here. We are not wealthy, so we do not have farm hands, helpers or even modern equipment. We work with what we can "afford" and that means a lot of upkeep, a lot of improvising, and a lot of redneck ingenuity. 

The days around here get kinda nutty from time-to-time. If they actually ran smoothly or didn't have a bump somewhere...I would be concerned. The off-the-farm jobs, teaching, winter preparations, livestock care, Fall lambing, chickens/ducks/goats, housework, meal prep, groceries, financials for farm & business, long term preparations, vehicle/farm equipment repairs, household repairs; are just a portion of my daily life. Each of those areas have "sub-areas" that get a little tangled at times. Throw in any injuries or illness and you have a recipe for complete, unorganized chaos, in a hurry. 

I am beginning a weekend of mostly unplugged. Since so much seems to involve technology anymore, having a truly unplugged time is tough. I have a ton of outdoor projects that have got to get finished this weekend. The weather is supposed to be warmer, and my blood is too thin for doing a lot of this in the cold. Things like: putting all new plastic on the deck enclosure panels, closing in under the deck, getting the ducks/chickens/goats areas ready for winter with new straw and putting away some of the outdoor stuff they use all summer, getting new Christmas lights hung before it's cold, getting yard decorations put up, getting the remainder of the pool stuff put away, cleaning out the garden. This is stuff that usually starts in September, but it didn't this year, so I am running a month behind and have a weekend to get it done. We also had a drought this summer, so our hay production was small. That means having to purchase the high dollar hay and straw. Which also needs to get done, starting this weekend. 

I can tell you, my days would remind most of a squirrel. Racing from one thing to the next, then back to the first, then starting the third...I probably walk/run 5 miles a day just to get half of about a million projects done. It makes my mind as cluttered as my house currently is. It's not good! I do not handle clutter OR unfinished projects well. 

As I try to keep up with world news, and no I do not watch tv(it's been more than 10 years since I did), I read and research to know the actual truth. I have realized that so much of what we are told is complete crap. If I had to put numbers on things, I would say about 95% of all elected leaders are corrupt to the core, have illegally benefited from insider trading, have sold American secrets/resources, and are dumb as the day is long. Sadly, there are a lot still buying the lies. I get tired of hearing, "well, that's just the way it is. We can't change it." I am calling complete bullshit on that! WE ARE THE RIGHTFUL MASTERS OF THIS COUNTRY, WE HAVE GOTTEN LAZY!!! Those people have neglected their oaths, they have neglected the people of this great nation for decades, and We the people have allowed these indiscretions to continue through complacency. When 50% of this country can not take a blank map, and write in the states, you know they don't have the slightest knowledge of our Constitution, our Bill Of Rights or even the FACT that they have been in debt slavery since 1871. For those that have to be ignorant, and claim they don't need a history lesson... You are VERY wrong! THAT is EXACTLY what a lot of people need!! Our freedoms, our liberties, and our very way of life is not guaranteed. We have to fight for it, through every single generation. An Australian journalist said it right, "hard times produce strong men, strong men create relaxed times, relaxed time creates weak men." This is the exact progression.Many of our grandparents/great-grandparents lived through world war 1 & 2, and the Great Depression. They struggled to support their families, they knew how to raise/grow their own food, they learned to live their lives frugally, and they worked hard. The boomer generation had it a little easier. They had the Vietnam War, but think about how those soldiers returning were treated. Then there was my generation, Generation X - I believe, we grew up easy for the most part. We had Dessert Storm, but as children, we had the inventions of video games, tv was a regular fixture in our homes, the convenience of fast/boxed foods. Then there was the Millennials. The Generation X'ers children. Sure many were alive for 9/11, but most were young. They had constant connectivity of the internet, they have had very easy lives in that everything was at their fingertips 24/7. They never had to wonder where or when their next was, they never had to struggle with much of anything. We basically made their lives "easy" because that what generations do. We try to make our children's lives easier than ours were. We ended up creating a generation of entitled, self-absorbed, lazy and ungrateful young people. NOW, UNDERSTAND I AM ONLY GENERALIZING!!! I AM IN NO WAY SAYING IT IS EVERY ONE OF THESE PEOPLE IN THESE GENERATIONS. Then we have the youngest of generations. They are in limbo. They have seen the torment of being muzzled, being ill, seeing their parents lose jobs for standing up for their rights, and questioning what they are hearing - even if they can be self-absorbed. Is this younger generation going to be the generation that sees the hardest times of any one that is alive today? Maybe. When I talk to my teenager, and she is trying to understand why we are experiencing nuclear threats, why our government is not protecting Americans, why the news reports do not match what she researches, and why the grocery shelves are not only thin or bare but also so much higher...it is difficult for a young person to grasp. 

We have reached a point that words mean nothing, nothing is as it appears to be, very few understand or even know what the law of our land says, people believe that doctors/lawyers/politicians will do what's right, and having a conversation about the "hard" stuff is considered conspiracy. It's no wonder our young people are struggling with mental health. They can not ask questions, have conversations or even "socialize" because of the mind wash they are being taught...not just in schools but on television and internet too. It's a running joke in my household every time I get "Facebook jailed" because something I post goes against a narrative, yet the information is readily found on any government or military web site. The "fact checkers" do not want you to question what they say, so whenever something is "fact checked" you know it is correct and you better be looking into it. 

We do not have to agree on everything, that would be super boring! However, we should agree that the very basics of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is the very foundation of this nations founding. Moral decisions are not up to governments, nor anyone outside of the decisions being made. The only ones that will have to answer for their choices, are the ones that make those choices. The push of LifeLog/Facebook, has opened a door to airing dirty laundry for the world to see, for being disrespectful without repercussions, and allowed a whole host of mental illnesses to be viewed as "normal." A lie does not become the truth just because many believe, it's still a lie. 

We are just 18 days from a midterm election. I do not remember ever seeing so much corruption on display in full sight, and so much manipulation of laws being pushed for even more. We are in the 3rd quarter for economic downturn. Folks, we have long surpassed a recession, and are on a collision course with a depression that will make 1929 and 1987 look like a child's play. Looking at the numbers, January of 2021, inflation was at 1.4%, in September it was 8.2%. This was even after the Federal Reserve claimed to be fixing that with the increase of baseline rate increases. The Consumer Price Index is the highest it has been in 40 years. The Wholesale Prices have increased ten-fold. The housing market is beginning to fall and will continue to do so as current mortgage rates continue to rise and it becomes harder to get mortgages. When the Federal Reserve publicly states that they need to raise the rates AND raise unemployment in order to get inflation under control...you know they have NO clue! Inflation comes in when you are printing more money than you have assets to back. When the U.S. is pushing $32 TRILLION in debt, however they are still sending billions to Ukraine, as well as other countries; plus the are depleting the SPR to its lowest levels since 1987. We have a MAJOR spending to debt problem. The SPR is there for emergencies, and for use by our military during times of war. Once that is gone, this administration has sent a large portion of our military equipment to Ukraine, where exactly is that going to leave our military for defending America? Congratulations to this Administration, you are officially destroying our country from within, better than a foreign invasion ever could. You know why? Because there are still nit-wits out there that think this dementia ridden, mafia crime organization is doing good. Good at what? Destroying America and her values. 

When we have 8 million children, worldwide that go missing, every year - and absolutely no accountability for trying to stop this. Our own Department of Defense admitting to have 336 worldwide bio-weapon labs, many of them benefiting from gain-of-function and creating the exact viruses we have dealt with for 2 years. We have an invasion at our southern border that is allowing the worst of the worst to walk into our country, while those going through the legal means sit for YEARS to try to come in legally. When our own citizens do not realize that our country is operating under maritime law, being run by the foreign territory of D.C., by many administrations that have been in bankruptcies since 1871, that the latest bankruptcy was actioned in 2018, and the U.S. Treasury said LAST YEAR that America was out of money. That the stock market is being propped up by falsified numbers and the buying and selling of American's debt - like buying and selling cattle. That the number of doctors, politicians, lawyers, judges, teachers, and CEO's that have been arrested and charged with sex crimes against MINORS, in the past 5 years was thanks to President Trump's fight to protect our children. 

You want to know what's happening with our supply chain, human trafficking, elections, and military...go study Trump's executive orders. I will recommend starting with E.O. 13919, E.O. 13885, E.O. 13848, E.O. 13958. Look up Noah Law 1991, Jade Helm, Law of War manual, 47 U.S. Code 606, Common Wealth Act No. 671, UCMJ, Military Law, Military Codes and Regulations. 

I'm off for a weekend of knocking out winterizing projects. I hope you will all educate yourselves, make sure you vote, and keep stocking up!

Coffee Chat

 

It always feels like I have so much to share with you all. I honestly try not to overwhelm everyone with information, but I want you all to know what I find too. It's a pretty fine line and I apologize if it gets to be overwhelming. 

Let's jump right in today. 22 years ago today, then President Bill Clinton signed into law the NESARA act, the National Economic And Recovery Act. I first learned of this about 4 years ago, and am still learning more today. This act, was to reverse the most devastating fraud ever inflicted on the American People - the Federal Reserve Act of 1913. The latter, created many hardships for the American people, and was never legally ratified through the Congress, but pushed through by several very powerful individuals. The Federal Reserve Act in turn, created the IRS, Taxes, and illegal banking practices. This resulted in the the 1970's-90's federal land bank forclosures, trillions of dollars of stolen gold, unconstitutional interest percentages, the creation of taxes/interest/banking fees, the removal of the U.S. monetary supply from precious metal backed to a string of IOU's, and 108 years of fraud/treason/corruption within all branches of our government. NESARA implementation was to be as follows: 1. zeros out all credit cards, mortgages and other bank debt due to illegal banking and government activities. This is the federal reserves worst nightmare.  2. abolishes the income tax. 3. abolishes the IRS, employees of the IRS will be transferred to the US Treasury national sales tax area. 4. Creates a 14% flat rate non-essential new items only sales tax revenue for the government. In other words, food and medicine will not be taxed, nor will used items such as old homes. 5. increases benefits to senior citizens. 6. returns Constitutional Law to all courts and legal matters. 7. Reinstates the original title of nobility amendment. 8. establishes new presidential and congressional elections within 120 days after NESARA's announcement. The interim government will cancel all national emergencies and return us back to constitutional law. 9. monitors elections to prevent illegal election activities of special interest groups. 10. creates a new US Treasury rainbow currency backed by gold, silver, and platinum precious metals, ending the bankruptcy of the United States initiated by Franklin Roosevelt in 1933. 11. Forbids the sale of American birth certificate records as chattel property bonds by the US Department of Transportation.12. Initiates new US Treasury bank system. During the transition period the Federal Reserve will be allowed to operate side by side of the US Treasury for one year in order to remove all federal reserve notes from the money supply. 14. restores financial privacy. 15. retrains all judges and attorneys in Constitutional Law. 16. Ceases all aggressive, US government military actions worldwide. 17. establishes peace throughout the world. 18. Releases enormous sums of money for humanitarian purposes. 19. enables the release of over 6,000 patents of suppressed technologies that are being withheld from the public under the guise of national security, including free energy devices, antigravity, and sonic healing machines. 

 

Many democrats and republicans have fought tooth and nail to bury this law. This would remove all current elected people, and bring in military to oversee an uncorrupt election. Something to think about, this NESARA act was set to be instituted, by military command, September 11, 2001. At 10 am, Alan Greenspan was scheduled to make this announcement publicly. Incredibly, the computers that were to make the transition were in the twin towers, and the Naval Command Center in the Pentagon that were coordinating the activities supporting NESARA. Everyone that knew anything about NESARA was placed under a gag order via the US Supreme Court. A Minnesota Senator, Paul Wellstone was about to break that order when the small plane he, his wife, and his daughter crashed, killing them all. There is a lot of disimformation on the search engines regarding this act. The fact that not one Democrat NOR Republican, has forced this implementation should be seriously upsetting to ALL AMERICAN CITIZENS!!!  This is more than 2 decades of dodging a law, not implementing a law, by both parties, all 3 branches of government and high up military.

Next up is Military Law. This is a newer area for me. I am not going to dive into this, as it would take me HOURS of talking and days to write! I want you all to do your own research. Look into:

Title 10, 10 US Code Ch. 1209, Executive Order 12148/13912/13919, 47 US Code 606, Stafford Act, National Emergencies Act.  

Diving into those few areas will tell you exactly where we stand!!

Here's another tidbit of chaos. Have you heard of the snowball effect? In a basic explanation, the analogy is that a snowball starts very small, as in accelerates down hill, it gains momentum and snow, and before long that tiny little snowball becomes this massive snow object. This is what is happening in our country and probably worldwide today. Since the illness mess of 2020, many things were shut down. Whether that shut down lasted a few weeks, multiple weeks or even ended up shutting businesses completely forever. All those shut downs, resulted in a serious supply chain disruption. Manufactured items, raw materials, and many other supplies were hindered by the draconian shutdowns, and lockdowns. That meant the imports and exports were shuttered, or severely delayed. Remember the "great toilet paper shortage of 2020?" Think about this on the grander scale. Many people lost their jobs, many were laid off indefinitely, and many businesses shuttered. Our ports crawled, mandates requiring experimental vax or required 2 week isolations, governmental handouts allowed many people to take unemployment and the bonus of that to stop working altogether. This halted what little manufacturing was left in the US. Since that chaos, the labor market has all but disappeared, we can't materials or products imported, and thus...we begin the snowball effect. As I shared on social media, a story about the farming community: a farmer needed to repair a few pieces on his combine, to make it usable for this harvest. The 2 remaining pieces for one part available in the entire country were 1900 miles away, one part was located nearly 60 miles away, he was told to get another piece from about 90 miles away. Well, needless to say, this farmer got one part, drove 1900 miles to get 2 more pieces, found out those 2 pieces were not complete so he had to drive around 90 more miles only to find out they were the wrong parts, then had to drive around another 100 miles to get the right ones as well as replace 1 part that was damaged. Folks, let me explain a little more. We are in the heart of harvest in my area. This means the combines, tractors, grain carts, grain trucks and many times pickup trucks all come out to get the crops out. Farmers are typically in contracts for their grain, they operate on farm plans that allows them to consolidate the annual repair/need/operating expenses at the end of harvest, plus they have their regular bills to pay. As of yesterday, soybeans were over $13 a bushel, and corn was over $6. This may not sound detrimental, but consider this:  the national average for 2020 bushel per acre for - soybeans = 51.4, and corn = 171. So, on a small scale 500 acre example, this would be soybeans - 27,050 bushels, corn - 85,500 bushels. Where do you think our farmers are going to be sitting with those numbers? This was just on a small scale, imagine being a large scale farm with thousands of acres. Getting back to the snowball. When the imports are not coming in, meaning materials and raw materials, that means factories/industry in the US is not able to produce anything. That means business closures, that means job losses, and that means finished products are not coming out of those factories/industries. That means getting replacement parts, equipment, vehicles, tractors, combines, grain platforms/heads, belts, tires, basically any operating part of any piece of equipment from ag related to vehicles to appliances; are not being produced. That means, if something breaks, you're screwed! That farmer story above, the one piece he got, is used on about 90% of combines currently in use...and there are NO MORE left in the US. That means any other farmer that has an issue with that part, will not be able to replace it, which will result in not being able to get their crops out, not being able to fulfill their contracts, not being able to repay their farm plans, and not being able to pay their bills or feed their families. That also means the food supply for the coming year is looking even more bleak as many farmers across the US are now facing the lack of replacement parts and having to leave their crops standing in fields. This is really bad news for us, folks. 

Home builders and the auto industry are in the same boat. They can not get the needed materials/supplies to finish their jobs. Home builders are now struggling with increased interest rates, not being able to get appliances, increased cost of materials they can get, and unemployment is rearing its head. Auto industry hasn't been able to get the chips to finish cars for a couple years. Other raw materials are either not available, or not affordable. Many of the factories have forced indefinite layoffs, or closures, again leading to more unemployment. Just look around you. Look how many "now hiring" signs you see where you live. When the minimum wage increased to $12-$15 hour, leaving skilled workers in the market at $20-$30, it was a slap in the face to those skilled when someone flipping burgers was making nearly as much as they were. Now, fast food can't keep help. Retail can't keep help. The skilled trades are struggling to keep their jobs because of the supply chain chaos. 

Even if you choose to live your life like all is right in the world, I really hope you are doing some preparing. Because when the wolf comes knocking at your door, it's going to be a pretty big shocker that your government has sold you out to the highest bidder. For those paying attention, now is NOT the time to give up or stop preparing! Keep going, my friends. As this shit show keeps rolling downhill, gaining momentum, I fear the culmination is about to come to a head, in just a few short weeks. 

I have so much I want to share, but I need to get some things done today. Pay attention to what's happening friends, keep preparing. Make sure you fill your pantries, your pet needs, your children's needs, have plenty of water on hand, have some emergency cash on hand, have a means of protection. 

This is NOT for the faint of heart/mind!

 

 

Coffee and thoughts.

 

Today is the 10th of October. 

 

Where do I even begin?! I am seriously dealing with a whirlwind of thoughts and opinions(shocker, I know). I know there will be some upset or disturbed by this blog today, but for those that are...I want you to question WHY you are. Not just because my opinions may be different from yours. That's how our Constitutional Republic works. So, with that warning in place, let's run with this.

 

I'm going to start with my own first hand knowledge. As a researcher, and someone who has learned to not take most things at face value, why is it so difficult for people to see the mess our country, as well as, the entire world are in? Is it cognitive dissonance? Is it ignorance? Is it that all the desensitizing that has happened for decades has people blind? Obviously, I have my own opinions. The difficult part for me, comes in within my own family. I have seen what fear of change, complete disconnect, and even severe cognitive dissonance looks like. I spend many days feeling like it would be more productive to talk to the walls! However, as I said, I am a researcher...and 4 plus years of research, much grief for personal gut feelings spanning close to 20 years, and I can tell you...buying into anything for me, is not going to happen. I read a quote this morning, and I'm going to change it a bit to fit me! "You were never hard to love, you were hard to manipulate." 

You see, I have had plenty of experiences in 47+ plus years to have a pretty good handle on misdirection/manipulation/misguided input from others. I've dealt with my own "blind faith," decisions and outcomes. I've dealt with lies, deceit,  guilt trips, and being told I was hard to love. I've been forced to "try" to blend in, fit in, or be with the "right" crowd. Seriously, I don't have the tolerance to "try" to be anything I'm not! I am NOT for everyone, and that's ok by me! I've loved and lost, I've trudged through muddy waters to get where I am. My experiences, both good and bad, have given me an inner strength that can't be grounded for long. Here's the thing, and I don't think many others think about this, but I could be wrong - women who reach a certain maturity, reach a different point of consciousnesses. They are less tolerant of bullshit, they are less concerned with fitting in, less concerned with large groups of friends, and at least for me, are less tolerant of disrespect. I've spent years hearing about "mid-life crisis." Sadly, I actually thought I understood what this meant, and actually thought it was just a guy thing. I actually grew up hearing this when my parents divorced. You know the stereo type - "cool car, girlfriend half their age, and no time for the family they had already created." Being closer to 50 now, I am seeing things a lot differently than I did as a teenager, in my 20's, in my 30's and even into my 40's. 

 

Let me elaborate a little more. I know the stereo type does happen. However, for men and women alike, I am seeing a trend. No one tells you how difficult the transition is from raising kids, to becoming "empty nesters." No one tells you how difficult it is when women go into menopause and the emotional/mental shift that takes place. No one tells you the real, ugly truths about your body changes that will happen as you age. No one talks about how severed communication and connections between spouses happen - let alone how to fix them. No one talks about the strain on marriages when you need to care for or help your parents - let alone having multiple sets of parents. No one talks about the vibes/energy effects from people. We hear constantly about body aches, illnesses, doctor appointments, and even have family that insists on knowing your medical history. I get this to some degree, but at the same time...my medical information is no one else's business. Period! Rarely will I ever talk about illness/aches/medical issues with anyone besides my direct family or inner circle of friends. Let me explain a little as to why. All these things are just symptoms of a bigger issue. Whether that be years of abuse - physical, medical, substance, etc. Getting older is not something everyone gets to experience. So, why do we spend so much time focusing on negative issues, instead of focusing on the fact that for today, we opened our eyes...so we should be incredibly grateful?! 

If you are not completely blind, you know that our health care system is fueled by money. You know if they actually CURE our symptoms, they will lose billions. That is common sense. If you are willing to look with an open mind, when these drugs they prescribe have a mile long list of side effects(including death), or you end up needing 3 other meds to fix a problem from the first med, there is a massive issue. This in my eyes is a giant string of medical malpractice. All this stuff about hereditary disease, sure it's possible. That too is common sense, but it not a blanket diagnostic for the prescription pad! Sadly, through several decades of questioning everything, I have found that when you start diving into the rabbit holes...you better start with following the money! All these organizations that claim to taking donations for "research" into diseases, you better go see how much every dollar, actually goes towards research and how much actually goes to "administrative." 

Ok, I had a squirrel moment. That was not the direction I intended to go today! As the insane censorship continues to grow in a supposed free country, I can't help but think, "when the lies no longer hold water, the censorship grows." So, what exactly, are we not supposed to have conversations about? We can't talk about Covid, we can't talk about election fraud, we can't talk about potato head or his administration, we can't question the motive in Ukraine, we can't question the 56 bio-labs in Ukraine, we can't question border security, we can't say recession/inflation, we can't talk about another housing crisis, we can't demand accountability for all the tax payer money being spent. We aren't supposed to question the media, which has been caught in lies. So, what CAN we talk about? Some stupid celeb that has been married and divorced a hundred times? Some celeb that can't seem to control their alcohol/drug abuse. The 96 year old queen, 96 people...she was old! We all die sometime! We are spoon fed crap about rifts with the royals, the pedo-king, world leaders that are being arrested/assassinated, lockdowns in China. We are being warned of nuclear Armageddon, by career politicians that are, in FACT, war mongers! It appears that all these life long politicians, on both sides, warned that Trump would cause a nuclear war....it's kinda strange how they were just broadcasting what their plans were. If you go back through History, and actually learned anything, every single war happened when our country was in a heap of debt! So where do we stand currently on the debt clock? $31.134 trillion and growing, literally by the second!! Our most debt ever. So, think about it: the Civil War, the Revolutionary war, WW1, WW2, and even 9/11. Do any of you even remember that on September 10, 2001, Donald Rumsfeld appearing on MSM telling America that there was $2.3 trillion missing from the Pentagon budget? That is a LOT of money to be "missing." Then, it just so happened the very next morning, our country experienced one of the most catastrophic tragedies on American soil in history. Then, miraculously, the "terrorists" that could barely fly cessnas flew hijacked commercial airliners(which they hijacked with box cutters), into towers that were made of steal. Not to mention that the steal supports that held those towers up, were in the interiors of those buildings. Also, the fact that a bird can take down a commercial plane...yet, they took down the towers, Tower 7 of the WTC fell all on its own, there was no fuselages found in PA or at the Pentagon. A supposed passport for one of the "terrorists" was supposedly found. It just seems a bit ironic that when OUR money, that we the tax payers are forced to pay, is being spent faster than our government can take it; suddenly we are going to war. Then it's OUR loved ones that sent in to fight and many times die for our country, yet our country ends up forgetting about the very soldiers and veterans that have come home injured. Is anyone else seeing this pattern?

So, we have seen New York AND New Jersey, issue press releases about how to prepare and survive a nuclear attack. Seriously? So, if this is such an expected event, why isn't every state putting forward their own directives? Have these crooked, good for nothing, piles of steaming manure, made plans to attack NY and NJ? Just exactly WHO is going to start this nuclear war? You've got the President in Ukraine screaming at NATO to do preemptive strikes on Russia. You've our own Resident potatohead, running away from reporters attempting to get info on nuclear strikes. You've got the crazy, drunken witch of Congress stirring the shit pot while alienating 3/4 of American citizens - just to better her own portfolio and/or that of her kid. You've the RINO's talking a big game, but it appears there isn't a single backbone within the entire 2 chambers of elected officials - FROM EITHER PARTY! 

With all this being said, what are you doing? Have you been so desensitized that you are just going about your days not thinking beyond the moment? OR, are planning? What are you preparing? Have you thought of an emergency plan for if the power goes out, cell phones don't work, etc.? Yes, I know there are going to be people that believe even thinking about preparing is crazy. I've heard it first hand. Here's my thought on all of this: Here in Missouri, we are coming up on our Winter season. For my little farm, this means it could be cold, it could snow, we could have ice, or we could be out playing bags in sweatshirts on Christmas day. While most farmers follow the almanac predictions, we also know they along with the weather folks...usually are not right. So, we prepare for the worst and pray for the best. That being said, we can usually count on our first snowfall around Halloween and typically from November to April, we are going to have snow & ice, or mud. Any or all of which make life on a farm pretty difficult. So, we prepare. We try to keep enough food and supplies on hand, for the animals and the people, for no less than 4-6 months. This is a pretty costly supply, on a good year; and truly atrocious this year! Many items, we won't know if they work or need replaced until we have to use them. Normally, this isn't an issue, we just run to the farm store. This year, we are already finding serious gaps in supplies, serious price increases and the quality of everything is sub-par. A great example...we purchased a re-manufactured fridge about 6 months ago. It was guaranteed to work for 30 days. It was about a quarter the cost of buying new. Well, over the past month, we couldn't figure out why food was going to hell so quickly. The compressor has decided to only in spurts. We bought an add-on part that should help...it didn't. So, it now appears we have to go searching for another fridge. Y'all, a fridge is truly a need...not a want. It is also very well known that appliances are now made to be disposable within 7 years. So, a $2000 fridge, is pretty well going to be junk in that time frame. I don't know about anyone else, but I don't have 2 grand to throw around. Needless to say, it's also tax and property tax season here in Missouri. After receiving the notice earlier in the year, that our taxes would increase, it is unknown how much those are going up. Not to mention, Christmas is just a few weeks away, and the price of EVERYTHING has increased so much. It's reached a breaking point, at least for me. I am so tired of the kool-aid drinkers claiming that everything is so much better, when anyone with half a brain knows otherwise. 

So, I am seriously on a tangent! I am so tired of watching people behave in a matter that everything is normal, and things are better. THEY ARE NOT!! Food prices in most cases, have doubled. Fuel/Diesel prices are stupid high. Utility costs are on the rise. Anything grain related is higher. Supply chain issues are so much bigger than being discussed. The MSM is spoon feeding everyone so much crap, they are either being paid to be this incredibly stupid or truly are. We have MASSIVE corruption in our elected positions, from local to state, clear to the federal government. We have an insane amount of disconnect between politicians and the American people. Our Constitution is being used to wipe the asses of these corrupt idiots. Our country has been in a recession for almost a year, and are bordering on a depression. Our stock market has has the worst losing streak this year, since the 70's. Our housing markets are tanking just as they did in 2006/2007, right before the crash of 2008. Our inflation is the highest it's been in more than 40 years. Our wages are pushing a 30% decline in spending power over the past year and half. We are being censored at the highest levels in American history. Laws are being broken - HIPPA does not alllow public access to personal medical records, yet people are willingly sharing all the health information publicly and through social media. Jobs are not illegally requiring experimental vaccines, or you get fired...or you are required to prove medically you don't have a made up illness in order to go back to work. People you better open your eyes, and starting using your head for more than a hat rack!

We have experienced a color revolution right here in the states. We are seeing the biggest, most extensive military operation - IN MY OPINION, ever! When you start digging for information, when you have researched thousands of hours, when you watch and learn flight radars and what/who can authorize FEDERALIZING the National Guard, when you learn military law - and that military law TRUMPS every other law, you will not only see the writing on the wall...you will know how imperative it is to make sure you are prepared to the teeth for anything that may come up. 

I don't care if you have a spouse, children, or other relatives that believe you are crazy or a "conspiracy theorists," you do what you believe to be the right thing. You may have to seek out other like minded people to help get through the negative energy you are getting from those people, but DO NOT GIVE UP! Keep preparing!! Pray!!! Prepare as best as you can!! Stay peaceful but don't put up crap!! Research and learn military law!! Before you open your mouth, make sure you know facts!

Coffee Chat and Farm News

 

As usual, my coffee chats always entail "more."  This one is no different. September was such a trying month for me, and October has begun, only to bring me to a point of exhaustion again. There is always so much to do on a homestead, as a parent, and in life as a general overview.

Last month, my mother-in-law passed away. This is a lady that has been a pretty strong influence in my life for 24 years. Getting through the shock of a sudden passing, all the plan/prepare work that was not done, and the services themselves was emotionally trying. Especially since I don't deal with them well to start with. That progressed to the guilt of not being able to celebrate my boys 22nd birthday due to the services being held on their actual birthday. Then came the final 2 weeks of the month that had me teaching my girl and running/preparing the final plans for our annual veteran hunt. The month ended with that veteran, and even with some hiccups...it was truly an incredible end to such heart breaking month. October has begun with a flurry of projects that have to be finished before it gets cold and/or starts snowing. Living a "simple" life, by NO means, means living an easy life. It's a hell of a lot of work that results in 24 hours some days, but typically is no less than 14 hour days. 

Let's get started with our annual veteran hunt. This is the 4th year we have hosted/welcomed veterans to our farm for this event. Even with the chaos of September, and the 3 am tornado - just 2 days before the event...I believe this was the best one yet! We had 5 awesome veterans that made this event so much fun. They enjoyed the conversations, fishing and hunting, as well as, the bonfires. Most nights it was midnight to 2 am, before everyone turned in for the night. They decided to fish in the mornings and hunt in the afternoons, which meant I did not have to be up at 3 am, fixing breakfast. That was truly an amazing blessing! Everyone was back at the farm for lunch, then went hunting until dark. Then everyone came back in for the evening meal, bonfires, and the Friday night DJ is always a great addition. We had several donations this year that made the event amazing, and allowed for next year's event and canopy sides. A crocheted afghan was donated and raffled to the veterans. Our oldest veteran won that. One of our planning committee members brought in gift bags for each veteran, and another member brought each veteran and volunteer a loaf of homemade bread. Our partner group, who has been incredible for all 4 years, had t-shirts made to give to each veteran and volunteer. Our farm is putting together photo albums for each veteran and hunter as well...this just takes a little more time since everything has to be ordered. We are excited to have received use of more land, donated for use by the landowners, for next year already. We are also excited and humbled to have a decent list of veterans that want to come back or attend for the 1st time; already compiling. It will be having to come down to a luck of the draw, and keeping the number of attendees at a manageable level for the volunteers we have to work with. It's a remarkable position to be in. When you can see and feel the gratitude and humbleness of the veterans that attend, and you have the chance to hear their stories - aside from being a parent, there is truly nothing more rewarding and humbling for me. 

On to farm news. What a crazy year we have had! What started as a wet year, turned dry rather quickly. Once it started drying out, it turned to drought very quickly. We didn't have excessive heat, even though we had a few weeks, during the summer, that were hot...it was not a normal summer. The hay was baled on time, but then it dried up and we weren't able to get more than a single cutting. That has left us short on hay for the winter. The garden went into a kind of hibernation/stalled production. I was able to get several things canned, but had a heck of time getting things to grow, several seeds didn't germinate, and then September rolled around and all hell broke loose. From September 4th to about the 14th, we had about 6" of rain...much needed. Then a week later, we had the wild experience of a late season EF1 tornado just 2 days before our veteran hunt. We were fortunate to avoid any major damage...just having to do a lot of clean up and reset the giant canopy that had the poles drove a foot to three foot into the ground. So, now that we are in the start of October, we have all the usual September/October preparations to finish, in half the time. The 1st, I started trimming trees around the house. Many of them I hadn't gotten pruned for a couple years, as time ran out and they weren't a huge priority. This year, they had to be done. The trees within the yard fence had grown so much, they were either pushing on the fence or growing through it, and the willows had grown kinda messy with side branches causing it to be really difficult to mow and trim around. The trees outside the fence, needed cleaned up and trimmed in hopes of helping them keep growing too. I just have the orchard trees left, but my arms/hands/back, needed a break. I believe my mowing on Sunday will be the last one for this year. This is always sad for me, I love to mow and enjoy the sun and quiet time it provides. We have started our first year of fall lambing. This really is a trial by fire, to see how they do. So far, we've had one little lamb born with the expectation of many more in the coming weeks. This is also the first year ever, we have had the run in with pink eye in our cows. After some pretty hefty vet expenses, we are hoping to be about done with this experience. With the drought this year, we are having to purchase hay for the first time in about 10 years. Of course, this is the year that everyone else is too. So, you all know how supply & demand work. We also found last year, that it saved some money to purchase logs to burn in our furnace, as opposed to having to find trees to cut, drive around the countryside, and drag the equipment everywhere. So, last year we bought a load of logs that the boys were able to have here, and cut up when needed. Trying to get logs this year had been a challenge, until today. We finally found a load, they will be here tomorrow, and for a bit less than last year. That is a win in my book. During my walk last night, I found a good amount of produce that had grown in my garden since the last time I'd taken time to walk through it. So, today my daughter and I will be working up bell peppers, banana peppers, and jalapeno peppers. I'm hopeful to get them all finished today. I still need to finish working up potatoes, and I found more tomatoes last night too. This weekend, I am pulling plants, putting away cages/panels, for winter. This is always a sad time of the year for me, when it comes to my garden. I have been reminded twice about how much I let go, but being only one person and trying to get through everything I do on a daily basis...I have to just be ok with it. What used to be a family affair of working up all the produce, has become a "me" job. That's ok but I can only do so much...no matter how much I try, there's only 24 hours in a day and as I have gotten older and had a couple of medical issues...it's slowed me down some, as much as I hate to admit it. 

With our annual winter prep, I have followed several stories over the past nearly 4 years. Watching the C-19 mess, the supply chain woes, the inflation and so many recessionary issues pop up...I am preparing a little more than normal this year. It is typical on our farm, to prepare and plan, for winter, for about 6 months. Typically, that means 6 months(November - May), of needed items on hand. This is nothing new for us. Having lived in a rural environment for most of 23 years, this has been at the forefront. We haven't always had livestock to worry about, but the past 11 years we have. This planning includes: water tank warmers, feed, grain, mineral, hay, vet supplies for each breed of animal, straw for bedding, wood for the furnace(or propane when we had propane heat), making sure we have heat lights and that they work, closing in part of the barn for the cold months, putting plastic on the deck and under the deck to block some of the cold coming in the front door, getting the a/c's put up for winter, getting windows cleaned up, checking all the heat vents/inside blower, making sure the small propane bottles are full in case(or if we just want to) cook on the grill/griddle/smoker, putting away bird feeders, making sure to have a minimum of 4 months of food/water/medical supplies/pet foods/necessities on hand(working on 6 months this year), making sure there is extra fuel & diesel on hand for tractors/log splitter, and cleaning up anything in the yard that can be put away to preserve for future use. The list looks pretty small until you really dig into each area or find areas that need fixed/replaced. None of that includes the fall cleaning inside, putting away all the canning supplies for the year, and putting away anything that was used for the spring/summer months that does not need to be out for the rest of the year. 

It's incredible when you dive into the preparation mode. There are things you don't think about, take for granted. Just think about the great toilet paper shortage of 2020. Imagine that mess but in the way of not only toilet paper, but food, bottled water, Tylenol, or even feminine products. Imagine that mess at Thanksgiving or Christmas. I don't like surprises, at least not those kind of surprises! Something that I think few think about when it comes to preparations, is clothing. Around here, having insulated bibs, heavy coats, insulated boots, hats, gloves, scarves, and long underwear are necessities. When you are out everyday, despite the weather, you have to be prepared for staying warm. Animal care is year round, no matter what the weather is....110 in the shade or 50 below with winds howling. The colder the days in the winter, the more often you have to make sure water tanks are not froze over. Sadly, even with tank heaters, sometimes they still freeze. So, having warm clothing, extra gloves are needed. Not to mention, we usually have a round of lambs born in January/February. That adds another aspect of being prepared. We have kept fleece blankets to put on new lambs when the temps are just to cold. This year, preparation has taken on new meaning and new life. I began Christmas shopping in June. I know, that is really early...even for me! However, with the price increases, the supply chain issues...I didn't want to be caught without gifts under the tree for my kids. We have never done big gifts or technological gifts for Christmas. We have always tried to stick with a couple of wants, a few needs and something educational. We have an annual tradition of opening a gift on Christmas Eve, which is usually new PJ's, some hot cocoa mix, their favorite candy and sometimes includes a movie. I have just about finished shopping and hope to complete that task in the next couple of weeks. Typically, the prices increase in November, so they can "lower" them in time for Black Friday shopping. This year, the prices have been on the rise all year. I can tell you, one item I have purchased was $14.99 last year. This year, the exact same item was now $22.99. That may not seem like a lot to some, but if you figure that in over about 10 gifts...the knocks $80 off a budget in a hurry. When you stick to a pretty strict budget, that difference is pretty big. 

Most years, aside from the 2 we were in Southern Missouri, we have an annual Christmas Open House. I spend a week baking, making candies, fudge, homemade breads, cookies, cakes, and soups. We open our home to neighbors, family and friends for an evening of fellowship and friendship to celebrate the season. To me, this is the best gift ever! Everyone gets together to share the season, spend quality time, and there's not a gift included...just sharing life. I worried for a bit, that I might not be able to do this, this year, for many reasons. However, I have decided that I am going to make it happen, one way or another. That seems to make Christmas, even better for me. You see, this open house, isn't about who can spend more money or buy the biggest gifts...it's about spending time and making memories that last a lifetime. It's about the friendships, the kinship, and keeping a forgotten tradition alive. It's not about the materialistic means that Christmas has become. Even though a lot of work goes into the planning, baking, cooking and preparations...it is worth more than gold to me!!

I have a massive list to knock out in the next 27 days, but I'm having to remind myself that I can only squeeze so much into a single day. So, with that being said, I will be diligently working on the list, teaching my daughter and dealing with all the changes that entails, attempting to keep up with laundry, dishes, typical fall cleaning, meals, grocery shopping, paying bills, taking time out to enjoy a bonfire or two, and taking care of myself along the way. I've gotten the reminder loud & clear, about how short life can be, and how quickly that can change. Even on days that I wake up tired and grouchy, I'm grateful for another day. Sometimes, it's easy to take for granted the time and people in our lives; until they are no longer there. Whether that be due to passing or separation, it may just be human spirit or ego, but we need to remember that items are meant to be used, not people. 

Our house is looking to be pretty quiet this winter. My future daughter-in-law, won't be here this winter, and my adopted son has bought a home and moved out as well. It's pretty strange with just 4 of us here again. I am used to my house bursting at the seams with people and it's a big adjustment. I will be making use of having some extra space...won't be a bedroom anymore. It's being turned into my daughter's sewing/art room and my husband's gun/hunting room. Maybe, just maybe, as I get through my list, I will find some organization again. That's the plan anyway! I will close out this month, and if all goes as planned, November 1st will bring out the Christmas decor. I want to enjoy the beauty of Christmas as long as possible! The uptick of baking and winter type meals is already nipping at my heals. 

I will this today with a few thoughts. Take time every morning, to count your blessings, say a prayer and appreciate those love. Don't assume anything. Don't take people for granted - cherish those that you love. We are all human, and have days that just suck! Don't let those bad days overshadow your blessings.