Living the Simple Life

Solar Power

I was asked in a comment to explain about our solar system we use to power our home, here is a short non technical synopsis, the technical stuff I will leave to my husband.When we built our home out here 3 years ago, we wanted to be as self sufficient as possible. We did a lot of research into grey water systems, on demand hot water heaters, different options for heating and what it would take to set up a pv system (solar) We wanted to make all of the decisions before the house was built so that installing the systems we wanted could be incorporated into the design of the house, making it much easier to install. After looking at many different systems and talking to a few others who had systems we decided to go with this system Affordable SolarThe price was a bit cheaper 3 years ago than it is now we  paid around $10, 000.00 This system has enabled up to produce most of our own power out here the last 3 years, the highest electric bill we have had to date is $64.00 for the month of August in 2008. It gives us a sense of security knowing that even if an ice storm comes along in the winter or a tornado or strong thunderstorms knocks out power in the summer we will still be able to run the freezers, the refrigerators and have lights. We have been very satisfied with this system but we are in the process of putting up two more solar panels Solar Panel and adding 4 more batteries Deka Battery  to our system. When it is all said and done if all goes as planned we should be able to make the switch over to all solar power, cross your fingers for us. It takes some getting used to when you have to watch your energy consumption. I have learned more about wattages, amps and phantom loads in the past 3 years than I ever thought I would. It seems a bit overwhelming at first but little by little you get used to unplugging items and turning off power strips when certain items are not in use. It may seem like a lot of extra work, but in the long run the savings it well worth the effort.

If anyone has any questions please feel free to leave me a comment and if I cannot answer them, I will get an answer from my husband.

Preparedness, when properly pursued, is a way of life, not a sudden, spectacular program. -- Spencer W. Kimball, 1976

Building and planning a homestead, the journey continues.....

I was once told that a true test of a marriage is building a house together, and while I don’t think out marriage was ever in any big trouble building our home out here it was truly a test of patience. We both had our ideas of what we wanted in a home and we tried to mesh our ideas together but as the plans stated getting drawn we both got caught up in what I call cabin sprawl and we ended up with a larger version of the house we had envisioned. We knew we wanted a finished basement, complete with a kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and living area, the original idea was so that when my dad got older we would be able to take care of him here at home. Things never seem to turn out the way you think they will and we never thought dad would be gone so quickly and that our daughter would be married and have a child and a home of her home so quickly either. So here we are with 4 bedrooms, 2 full baths, 2 complete kitchens, a formal living room on the main floor and a family room in the basement, an office area, laundry room, sun porch and a prep/ safe room for 2 people. I love my home but there are several lessons we have learned along the way, the first being don’t let is get to big!

 We also knew as we were planning out home that we wanted to have more than one way to heat and power our home, even though we had lived in town we had be subject to power outages from severe storms that had lasted for a few days at a time. We wanted to have the means to run our home without being dependant on the power company. So solar power was one thing that we both knew we wanted to invest in. It takes a chunk of money to get started but if you have the money do it. Our highest power bill we have had since moving out her has been $52.00. I must admit I don’t understand all of the complicated working of our system but my husband does and it took some getting used to but it has been worth the investment. You have to take the time to turn off power strips and watch your consumption and learning about phantom loads was an education all unto its self.  It is a good feeling to know that come what may we will have electricity and heat.

Heating was another basic necessity we wanted to have more than one way to provide for our needs our.  LP gas is expensive and it seems to be getting more and more expensive as time goes by. My husband is a HVAC technician so his knowledge of different systems helped us figure out the best ways for us to use to heat our home. We heat with corn stoves, one on each level of the house when it is not to terribly cold, lows in the 20’s and highs in the 40‘s or so and when it gets colder than that we heat with an outside wood burner. We did have a traditional forced air LP furnace installed but we have only actually used it a handful of times in the two years we have been here and that was when we were going to be gone for extended periods of time. Some folk’s think we have gone to far in planning our homestead but we feel secure and safe here….. More later the journey continues!

Preparedness, when properly pursued, is a way of life, not a sudden, spectacular program. -- Spencer W. Kimball, 1976

A Quiet Sunday Morning

Good Sunday morning and blessings to all.  It has been a busy week here and right now seems to be the quietest part of it, my husband is at work and it is very quiet here at home. The chickens have been turned out into the yard, and the goats and Jessie (our Guernsey cow) have been milked. When we first moved out here in to the country, I thought I would never get used to the quiet, living into town it seems as if there was always some noise in the background. But out here when my husband was off to work and Summer was gone it was so quiet. I truly never thought I would bet used to only hearing the animals outside along with the hum of the crickets and frogs down in the pond.

Peace and quiet were one of the many things that factored into us making the move out here. My husband grew up on this very farm and he was used to the quiet. On the other hand I grew in town with friends and neighbors all around; there was always something going on somewhere that I thought I had to be in on or somewhere to go. As the years went on though, it seemed as if folks in town were getting down right rude. One neighbor we had hated dogs (he freely admitted this), one didn’t like my husband running his power tools in the garage (she said it disturbed her TV shows). The town I loved so much as a child had gotten to be way too noisy and the folks there way to self absorbed. Nothing we ever did was met with much approval and it become apparent it was time for us to go, but go where?

My husband was raised here on this farm, the old house sat where the mobile home now sits that Summer and her family live in now. This farm was passed down from my husband’s parents to him and before that it had been passed down by 3 other generations. When my mother in law and father in law passed way no one wanted to take over responsibility for this place, so Jeff my husband said he would buy the other siblings out and take over the taxes and such on it. At that time all I could do is hake my head and wonder what on earth we were going to do with a farm. Over the years we made weekly trips out her to check on things and we had to tear down the old house, it was falling in but at that time I never thought I would be living out here and loving it; situations change and people change and here I sit looking out the window watching the chickens run about in the yard and the cow and the goats munching way on some grass in the pasture. I anyone had told me 10 years ago this is where I would be right now, I would have laughed at them, now I would hug them!.

Have a blessed Sunday.

Preparedness, when properly pursued, is a way of life, not a sudden, spectacular program. -- Spencer W. Kimball, 1976

The journey continues............

After my husband got the news of the factory closing where he had worked since high school, we were numb for a couple of days. I knew this was going to change our lives but I had no idea just how many changes we were going to make. I was still working full time as a surgical nurse and even though things would be tight financially I knew we would be okay. There were so many decisions to be made, financial and life altering, did he want to accept another position at another factory or did he want to re- train for a new career. It took awhile and some convincing on my part to get him to get used to the idea of bring a student again. He thought he was to old to go back to school, he didn’t think he could do it, the other students would be younger and make fun of him, the list of excuses went on and on but after taking a few prep classes at a new by junior college and passing the math (with the help of our daughter) he finally decided to go back to school. It was going to be a long drive as the schools in our area did not offer the program he was wanting but after some extensive searching we finally found the right school for him.

So in the mornings I would go off to work and my husband off to school, it worked out well till I started to have some serious health issues and after fighting it for several months and having some medical procedures done that did not work the doctor told me I was not going to be able to continue working. I was one of the lucky that did not have to fight for my disability for months and months, I had a union lawyer that walked me thought the paperwork and proceedings, but for me being home was a whole new ball game. I had always worked outside the home and for the first few months I was at a loss at what to do with myself. Then one day I was in a bookstore and I picked up a couple of magazines with some interesting articles on how to grow your own food and become more self sufficient, that was the day that our lives really started to change! Backwoods Home Magazine and Countryside Small Stock Journal opened my eyes to a whole new way of looking at taking care of my family.

Preparedness, when properly pursued, is a way of life, not a sudden, spectacular program. -- Spencer W. Kimball, 1976

Changes

Good morning, the cows and goats have been milked the chicken, pigs, and cattle have all been fed, and the eggs have been collected so it is official the day has begun here in our little piece of the country. As I sit here and enjoy a cup of coffee I wonder at all of the changes out lives have taken in the pat 5 years; it is quite a list;

2003

In 2003 my husband was working a factory job, the same one he had since the day he walked out of high school, then one day he got the news the factory was closing.

I was working in the hospital as a surgical nurse happy with my life, or at least I thought I was but knew that we could live more simply but wasn’t quite sure how.

Summer our daughter had just completed the 8^th grade and was excited about moving on the high school.

We lived in town in a nice neighborhood but, we longed for the room for a larger garden and a different life, well we got one that is for sure.

2008

My husband after completing 2 years of training and year’s worth on internship is now working at the hospital where I used to work and is in charge of the heating, cooling and ventilation there.

After having some serious medical problems I am now a SAHM and tend to the gardens, house and animals instead of my patients.

Our daughter has been married for 14 months and is a brand new mother with a family of her own.

We now live 9 miles from town and have all the room we need to raise most of our own food and we now longer have neighbors, none very close anyway!

So many changes in only 5 years but it has all been worth it in so many ways I sit here and marvel at the number of changes we have made and how some might think these changes are way to drastic and would not want the work load upon them that we have taken on. More physical work yes defiantly, but the stress of so many other things is gone, no more dealings with neighbors over compost piles and the dog barking, no more wondering if we have enough money to buy the latest lawn mower of whatever the neighbors have brought home (yes I know that was crazy to begin with) .

I have sat down many times and wanted to write the story of how we have made so many changes in out lives and this is just the beginning of our story.

Have a great Saturday!

Preparedness, when properly pursued, is a way of life, not a sudden, spectacular program. -- Spencer W. Kimball, 1976