Turkey, Christmas and Diapers

Hey y'all! It's been a while!! 

Since the last post I've since moved from the big city to a small country road,had my son 6 weeks earlier than planned, returned back to work and now have a 3 month old baby at home! Those are only some of the things keeping me busy besides a full time job, husband, family, needy fat cat etc. 

Moving was a blast pregnant! I honestly recommend it! Just not in the summer! Despite the fact of no one letting you move things (not that I'm complaining, ha!) summer time in these mountains can still be dauntingly hot and humid. But once we got settled and moved in things were going fairly smoothly. De-cluttered some, got rid of furniture we just weren't using anymore as well as a lot of other items. It was freeing to downsize to a smaller place. But hey, be it ever so humble there's no place like home!

So after getting settled into my new home I was getting settled into the last stretch of the last trimester of my pregnancy and around 34 weeks in I had terribly swollen feet (well...and everything else) and high BP. Went into the hospital  expecting bed rest only to come home a parent 6 weeks sooner than anticipated!! Talk about a surprise! My son didn't want to share birthdays I guess. With the surprise of my first son and the early birth his room hadn't been prepared so when I had to leave him in the NICU to grow a lite bigger and stronger I came home to a completed nursery from my friends and family. I cried, so thankful for the friends and family who cared enough to help me make our home a little cozier and nicer for our newest addition. It's wonderful to be loved by such wonderful people. 

So now Ethel and I have been planning our Christmas' with cookies, Christmas Eve boxes, candy making and other grand plans...again, it's great to be loved by such wonderful people. 

Ethel has big news of her own, but I will let her do some updating! We have been slackers but will get back on it soon! I hope to post a few recipes and Dollar Tree favorites for the holidays in my next post! Until next time....!

Love,

Lucy

Let's give em something to blog about!

It has been awhile since Lucy and I have checked in, but there is a lot to report on the homefront. Lucy is having her first DS! He will be joining our family in October and everyone is excited for his arrival. In other news, Lucy and her husband moved close to me and we have been busy moving them in and working on their cozy little home. What better time than now to hone our blogging skills and get some ideas out on the interwebs.

Now that things are lining up, expect to see the sharing of more Appalachia wisdom, ideas, crafts, money saving techniques and discussion about living a self sustaining lifestyle. Every day things happen that make me consider the "what ifs" in our uncertain society. I feel it is important to learn how to take care of yourself and try to pass this along to future generations.

I recently made a batch of lye soap. I followed the technique found on Becky's Homestead.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlUM_-7Nr_Y

It turned out well and I recommend it.

I have also been gathering pallets for various reasons. I have made a few benches and tables (pics to come) and this gift for a young lady who had a baby she named Oliver. This is my first attempt at a craft of this sort, so bear with me. Yes I know my letters got a little crooked!  I used two pieces of pallet wood. I painted it white and sanded, grey and sanded then dry brushed that teal color on. Here is what I learned on doing the letters. I printed the word Oliver (in mirror image) on a LASERJET printer. Yes, it needs to be laserjet. Luckily we have one at work, but the printer at our local library is also laserjet and they charge .10 a print. Cut out the text as close as you can to remove excess paper. Paint your board and paper lightly with Mod Podge. (I got this from amazon) Wait for it to dry at least 24 hours then gently use warm water and your fingertips (slowly and gently) to "wipe off" any paper, leaving the words. If you by chance rub a little too hard, fill in with a marker. I am always about the most inexpensive way to do things and this did the trick and looks pretty good. I added hooks from the hardware store and sawtooth hangers to the back. Viola! A unique gift.

Flea Markets

      Growing up in West Virginia, there were two things to do on a Sunday morning; Church and visit family or go to the flea market. Now I was lucky enough to get to do both because we went to church on Saturday evenings and had all day Sunday to explore the flea market world. As a child, it was a very fun and "cool" experience. I would wonder around with my grandma and grandpa,(occasionally my parents) and we would look at every booth and what it had to offer! And the flea markets had everything to offer you could think of and then some! My grandma and grandpa were very into wood working and other crafts were able to buy wood and wood crafting supplies while I was able to look at all of the toys! My grandma and I would then go from the toys and craft supplies to the used books. It was better than the library! Twenty-five cent Nancy Drew or The Baby-Sitters Club books for me to take home and read! I was in heaven!!
       It was such a fun experience I decided this past weekend to share it with my own siblings. First we adventured out of the house to go to a local hot dog shop to get chili dogs and then head up the road to Charleston's Capital Flea Market. The two younger brothers and my husband ventured on their own accord to look for vintage style video games and my little brother's latest hobby of trading cards. My sister and I wondered and took in the 70 degree sunshine and looked at the 'junk tables' that the early birds set up. That's the neat thing I've discovered since a child. Going to the flea market as a child meant you had to be up and out the door by 7 a.m. to be there by 8 to get to explore the whole place! Nowadays there's two sections, the early bird tables who set up from about 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Now they have a nicer set up on the insides of them where they're open til about 4 or 5 p.m. just like little boutiques!
     Now some shops will try relatively hard to keep a good appearance and others are just bursting full of products. Walking down you see the variety of people peering from the shops waiting for you to buy their goods. My favorite shops as I'm older are the ones with handmade products such as The Berry Patch in the Capital Flea Market. This adorable little shop has homemade candles, tarts, rustic/primitive furniture and home decor. It's amazing to see the heart and soul that goes into some of these shops and their products. Buying and selling is something that happens in our every day life, but the beauty of the flea market is your face to face with the creator or supplier, giving it a more personal feel. So the next time you're bored on a Saturday or Sunday why not venture out to a local (or not so local) flea market and check and see what kind of treasures you can find?

-----Lucy

West Virginia, Destination Beautiful

     

       West Virginia : Wild and Wonderful! greets you as soon as you cross that state line. Rolling mountains, winding roads and cascading rivers that flow into waterfalls or streams. You can almost hear the banjo's and fiddles play if you squint your eyes just right. Now, I know what you're thinking, mountains, dirt roads, rivers, banjos...we're in bat country, let's get out! Upon a closer inspection one will find that West Virginia has a plethora of hidden treasures that the friendly locals are more than willing to share if given the opportunity.

         Big city living getting mundane? Why not head down to Bulltown camping grounds right up past Flatwoods is a great place to start! An hour and a half outside of the heart of West Virginia, a little historical campground that stretches for a few miles. New to camping? Pull in the grounds in your camper or motor home. Anxious to try tent camping? You can also set up a tent in the lots. After you check in and set things up venture down to the beach only a couple miles down the road, or visit the hiking trails they have, or set up a chair by the river and go fishing!

Cass Scenic Railroad

The Peanut Shoppe, Capitol Street, Charleston WV

Capitol Building, Charleston WV

         Looking for a local retreat in the "big city" for a change of pace? Charleston, the state's capitol, has plenty of options to offer. If you're into history, take a tour of the cultural center and the state's capitol to get a sense of what our history is about. For instance, being the only sovereign state in the U.S.A. to be born from another and be completely separate from the state of Virginia! After you finish learning some history, then swing down Capitol Street for some local tastes such as The Peanut Shoppe for peanuts, candies and other old fashioned delights. As your snacking you'll be able to stop by and window shop in the local jewelry shop of Delfines Jewelry (actually where my own wedding set came from!) and get exceptional customer service and prices! Walk over a street or two to Quarrier and book an appointment at Uncork & Create for later that evening to relax and create your own work of art. Head back for more relaxation at Visions Day Spa and then after you have worked up an appetite then head on over to Adelphia's Sports Bar & Grille or Pies & Pints for some local gourmet cuisine!

                                                          Captiol Market, Charleston WV


As much flack as West Virginia gets, this small insight can show you the possibilities just in a small portion in Charleston alone, as well as surround attractions near and far to Charleston to the panhandles From the Casino in Cross Lanes, to Hawks Nest State Park in Anstead, from Cass Scenic Railroad to legendary Morgantown (Let's go....Mountaineers!!). It really is a wild and wonderful place to live being the best of both worlds.



             -Lucy

West Virginia Resilience

Recently a chemical spill in a local river took out the water supply for over 300,000 people. I have learned several things during this event, which has so far lasted a week (and counting). First and foremost, West Virginia is a great state to live in. Neighbors are still neighbors and the amount of support given to each other before outside help arrived was amazing. I was also impressed with the creativity of folks in the no water zone. This picture shows the area effected by the tainted water. In this picture, the zones in blue had been ok'd to start flushing their lines. As you can see, I was (not so) patiently waiting.

I have one of these and highly recommend keeping one on hand as I am sure they sold out quick! It typically is used for camping and sits in the sun until it warms up. Water can be heated on the stove and put in the shower bag. They run about $10 bucks and can be bought at Walmart.

A guy I work with told me that he went and bought one of these for an emergency shower. It cost him about $9 bucks.

My favorite has been a home made shower I saw that was made by Boone County resident Alan Wilson. This is just great!

Like I said, West Virginians have shown some real ingenuity. But the main purpose of this story is this... the water crisis has opened my eyes to a very important fact. WE ARE UNPREPARED. I am definitely not a doomsday prepper, but there is a wide range between prepper and totally unprepared for anything. I want to fall somewhere in the middle.



I was talking to my buddy Lucy about all of this. Lucy and I share coupons, deals, recipes, crafts, camping ideas, crazy stories among a plethora of thoughts that come into the minds of Appalachian women. During the discussion, the idea of this blog was born. Lucy and I agree that we are always learning. Sometimes the hard way, but the journey is all the fun! Please join us while we share what we have learned (or wish we had learned) along the way.