This crazy girl is getting sheep!

[Messybun]

Howdy.
It has been a while since I’ve posted here, and so much has changed. Hope everyone is well.

It’s nice being back on, catching up. Honestly I don’t know if I’ll belong on here too much longer. If God stays in it I’m going to be moving.

To post a (not so) brief catch up. I couldn’t find a suitable ram so my ewes haven’t been bred and are coming up on two years old. I looked all over, the only one I really found was a hair sheep that looked contagious. Better to not breed than to introduce whatever he had to me flock (I know hair sheep can look a bit ragged, but this dude was not okay) and I really didn’t want to cross a wool and hair anyways.

For my parent’s anniversary last year I hatched out goose eggs. The geese are doing well and now trying to hatch their own. I hope they do.

The biggest life changes have and are about to happen because of my friend though. We’ve known each other since middle school, then she moved to another town, and long story short she has thought one of her friends and I would get along since high school. She was right. On her birthday last year she introduced us. Let’s just say my plans on probably never getting married have changed. I never found a man who could keep up with me, or who wasn’t intimidated by my faith. Well, bingo. God brings blessings doesn’t He. And I pray God continues to bless this according to His will and His glory.

Which leaves us at me wanting to get married and move away (I did mention he decided to join the Navy right)?

Back to the farm. Now I need to prepare to move and get things set up so my parents can take care of their property. That’s going to be a challenge and I’d be lying to say I’m not stressed.

The plan right now, or at least what I’m thinking, is to give myself a deadline of next time my sailor is in town to get everything done by. Me prepped to leave. We don’t know when we’ll be able to get married, so it’s a bit in the air. But he graduates from school (his specialty within the navy, not bootcamp) in mid July. That gives me 50 some days to wrap up and clear a decade worth of projects. Not that much, but a lot of projects. I didn’t realize how much I’ve let things slide or pushed to later while in college. Now is later. I need the deadline. In that time I’m going to be taking odd jobs. Going to make some new flyers for farm/pet sitting. I want to try my hand at epoxy jewelry, we don’t have anyone making it around here, but I think tourists (and locals) will buy it. It’s also relatively low cost to start. Hoping it’s a good side hustle. Tutoring is a possibility.

I’m also one math class away from one degree. I’m two math classes (one is overlapping) and a science class from a second degree. This summer I want to get the credits for one math class. And I’m debating doing one more semester of college. If I did that would push the possible wedding date forward by a few months. Honestly it’s a bit of a balancing act right now. I’m not officially engaged (no ring) but that’s because he hasn’t been in town and wants to ask in person. So we know we want to get married, but when is tricky because of so many things. So at current I’m getting a basic plan and some basic things in place because I know that we may end up getting married on a long weekend. Or we may wait until the new year. Heaven help me I’m trying to be relaxed but it’s not working. We’ll know more about possible dates when he gets into his actual job and starts the fairly extensive on-site training.

Which brings us back to the current, I want to be ready for whenever (if ever, Christ is Lord and if He says no then it’s a no. He gets veto on marriage until we’re married) God opens the door. So, prepare and then wait and try to use the wait.

This has been a long post already and I’m signing off for now. Hope y’all have a wonderful Sunday. God bless.

 

[tortoise]

So much excitement in your life! Sounds fun if not stressful! Best of luck on completing your goals!

 

[FarmerJamie]

Unsolicited opinion.....get those degrees now. No matter what happens in your future (hoping for only great things for you), you will have those pieces of paper that noone can ever take from you. It might make a huge difference in future employment if you need/want it.

Wishing only the best!

 

[murphysranch]

Oh My Gosh!! This post made me smile!!

What FJ said....double triple times!!

 

[Messybun]

Your advice is more than welcome.
It’s not so much an if I get them but how. I do know it will likely be harder once married, but I also know without my current responsibilities I might go stir crazy (you can always find something to do though).
Which is why I’m in a which order does each thing go in.

Thanks y’all.

And glad you smiled.

 

[Messybun]

Worked a very little bit in the garden today. It’s a hot mess. And I’m sick. Only gave it about an hour before coming in. Some is better than none?

The real question I’m contemplating right now is what to do with my raised beds. They’re beautiful and have been nurtured for years. I don’t want to just take them out, but my parents can’t plant or take care of them. I’d thought of planting some things that will come back every year. Maybe put clover around those plants. I’ve never done something like that, so I have no clue what, if anything, would work. I know if I grow food I have a close friend who’d help with harvesting. I also have a line of tires, some with potatoes. After those get mulched I don’t even have to weed them. So I might set more of those up. If I’m about four hours away I should be able to come and plant those once a year. I honestly don’t know what life is going to look like. Decisions decisions.

 

[tortoise]

Worked a very little bit in the garden today. It’s a hot mess. And I’m sick. Only gave it about an hour before coming in. Some is better than none?

The real question I’m contemplating right now is what to do with my raised beds. They’re beautiful and have been nurtured for years. I don’t want to just take them out, but my parents can’t plant or take care of them. I’d thought of planting some things that will come back every year. Maybe put clover around those plants. I’ve never done something like that, so I have no clue what, if anything, would work. I know if I grow food I have a close friend who’d help with harvesting. I also have a line of tires, some with potatoes. After those get mulched I don’t even have to weed them. So I might set more of those up. If I’m about four hours away I should be able to come and plant those once a year. I honestly don’t know what life is going to look like. Decisions decisions.

Maybe perennial flowers in the raised beds?

 

[LaurenRitz]

Mixed herbs and flowers. Whatever your parents will use. Design it to keep weeds to a minimum by using perennial groundcovers that will still let the plants come up in the spring, or use foundation plants that don't die back to the root. You want minimum work, maximum production.

Nasturtiums will reseed themselves. Thyme makes a good groundcover but it won't allow anything to sprout through the mat.

Maybe nasturtiums, lemon balm, with rosemary and oregano as foundation plants. Garlic as grass.

Another bed with sage and lavender as foundation, with echinacea and chamomile. Chives as grass.

If you live in an area where it's possible, do one bed with turmeric or ginger. Beautiful aromatic plants. Chives or lemongrass, with mostly annuals since they'll be pulled out when the roots are harvested. Cumin, maybe.

SMH. I'm getting carried away. Best to stop there.

 

[Messybun]

Mixed herbs and flowers. Whatever your parents will use. Design it to keep weeds to a minimum by using perennial groundcovers that will still let the plants come up in the spring, or use foundation plants that don't die back to the root. You want minimum work, maximum production.

Nasturtiums will reseed themselves. Thyme makes a good groundcover but it won't allow anything to sprout through the mat.

Maybe nasturtiums, lemon balm, with rosemary and oregano as foundation plants. Garlic as grass.

Another bed with sage and lavender as foundation, with echinacea and chamomile. Chives as grass.

If you live in an area where it's possible, do one bed with turmeric or ginger. Beautiful aromatic plants. Chives or lemongrass, with mostly annuals since they'll be pulled out when the roots are harvested. Cumin, maybe.

SMH. I'm getting carried away. Best to stop there.

Oh, absolutely appreciated!
My family uses tons of herbs, it’s hard to imagine anything going to waste. And if I don’t I’ll probably know someone who will (or sell at the farmer’s market lol).
And if I came around right around when they’re ready to harvest I could bring them in and dry them. Maybe take some home too. I’m not looking forward to not having my own garden space in base housing lol. It will be worth it, but it feels so antithetical to what I’ve been doing for most of my life.

 

[tortoise]

I’m not looking forward to not having my own garden space in base housing lol. It will be worth it, but it feels so antithetical to what I’ve been doing for most of my life.

SS is a mindset, IMO. I regret my attitude when I lived in a city. I felt like I couldn't be SS enough without land and livestock. I delayed learning so many skills, like canning! I could have done a lot more then and felt more gratitude / less stress.