It's a New Year! Time to get out enjoy life!

2 Wise Women with a Little One in Training

It's been a while since my last post.

 The holidays have come and gone and it's a New Year. 

I'm counting my blessings and making plans and looking forward to new adventures with my daughter, granddaughter. Together we are 2 Wise Women with a Little One in Training.  My granddaughter has only been here on earth for just a little while; I can't  imagine my world without her.  She is filled with laugher and joy; wakes up and greets the new day with a smile. My daughter has grown into a confident woman who likes to learn new things and thinks like the original model.  (LOL!)  I can still see the little girl who in her and polka dot dresses and black little Mary Jane shoes. 

How Time Marches on....

Anyway back to here and now......😅

I'm currently researching different kinds of housing options  such as the tiny home community, mobile and prefab homes, the Golden Girl home sharing, how to buy or rent land with a little bit of money and possible areas of the country to relocate. There are so many things to consider when thinking of relocating.  One is to be able to maintain a close relationship family who will remain where they're currently.  Also, looking for part-time employment that will help to extend ones retirement income.  Lastly, just taking time to joy life for our time here on earth is all too short.

In the last few months there have been several neighbors and church members that I have known who are no longer with us... There is just a little sadness in my heart right now.  It just a little reminder to spend time with those who have touched your life and heart while you can!

 There's a Bible verse comes to mind - to be content in whatsoever state I'm in....  In other words  be happy and share your joy with those around you.

Using Low Technology And Other Solar Powered Gadets In Your Country Home

A few weeks ago, I read about an article in Country Home Magazine that suggested about mixing your homestead with high and some low technology.  The author gave an example of a bad storm in his area; his neighbor didn’t have heat or lights or water; but the author had a well in which to draw water from; a wood burning stove and fire places for heat, had a compost toilet, and also has solar for electric.  This article got me thinking about in what ways I could use low technology in suburbs.

Solar power seems to be everywhere these days.  Here are a few of the more innovative and inspiring solar products that you can really use for camping, on the go or around your home.

Solar backpacks and tote bags:  Small solar-power generators, equipped with a lithium battery, are incorporated into the backpacks to power cell phones, MP3 players and other small electronic devices anywhere, anytime.

Solar cell phones & chargers: Solar touchscreens makes them accessible even after the battery has died. For ordinary phones, dozens of cases are available with solar-charging cells built in.

Solar laptops: Two hours in the sun can supply these laptops with 10 hours of battery lift.  External mini solar panels can provide life to ordinary laptops, too.

Solar sun Shades:  Umbrellas, beach covers, blinds, and porch covers all have solar cells built-in.  Why not? By design, these are intended to face the hot sun.

Solar roof tiles: Made to look like old-world blue tile roofs, these are solar with style.  Similar technology has been incorporated into a huge array of micro-lighting and charging devices.

Solar decorative lighting: From Mason jar lids to tiny solar “leaves” on solar-charging tree, solar has been incorporated into huge array of micro-lighting and charging devices.

Solar window outlets: Plug your power cord into the window.  These devices suction right onto the glass to provide a low-level of power for everything from charging devices to powering small lamps, hot plates, and clocks.

Solar camping gear:  If you’re car camper, you might enjoy having your tent powered up during the day, so you can plug into it at night, features that are useful for charging cell phones, lighting, and other small gadgets.  Also try solar reading lights, solar water heaters, solar flashlights and solar generators.

Illuminating Paint – This is not a solar item but can be used to illuminating walkways, walls in the garage or basement of your home.

More You Tube Video!

                 Single Women Living in the Countryside

 

The video below was done by Lady Grace single women living in the UK Countryside.  I found this video encouraging that these women didn't let the fact they are single stop them from making the move to the country.  What a powerful testimony!

Country Living with Pastor Doug 

Pastor Doug's words: There's a reason that in the beginning God put man in the garden. There's something about the country that gives you serenity. When you are in the city, the things around you can cause you more stress, but in the country you are at peace. So, whether you’re environmentally green conscious, geographically  

Practical Information on Coutry Living By POTS Ministries

Hello!

In this post, I will share two You Tube videos on Country Living in - guest where - the county side of Scotland!  In the videos this family shared object lessons and wisdom about living simply and quietly in the county.

It's my hope you will find this information encouraging and useful as you move forward with your move to the country.  I have a few more videos and my interviews to share so stay tune!

Country Living | Practical Steps || POTS Ministries

Women: Let us uplift and not tear down each other.......

Sisterhood is being in one accord to uplift and not tear down each other!

As women who have chosen to follow the light of truth by faith and as folks of color having a long difficult history….  

Let us be more humble and understanding of one another.  Let not one speak about another unless it is to uplift your sister. 

Surely, if the disciples could come together and be of one accord we as women of color can do the same.  

Opening a new door



One of the things I wish to pursue is my writing of poetry, antidotes; what I like to call "Words of Wisdom from a Wise Women".   I have decided that when the desire to write comes over to me to just stop what I'm doing and write it all down.  Who knows I may be I will self-publish a book too!
I see the approach of retirement and empty nest as a door opening up to new possibilities.

Homemade Pizza In 5 Easy Steps

From the Dollar Store

Add my special sauce

Add favorite toppings

And don't forget the cheese!

Place in the oven until ready - about 15 minutes - EAT & ENJOY!

De-cluttering

It has been awhile since my last post, but I have been busy de-cluttering the cottage and making repairs, painting, to ready myself to "move forward" with putting the cottage on the market. It's amazingly how much stuff I had accumulate in my little cottage home. It took about 5 trips to the local thrift shop to donate clothes, shoes, pots\pans, dishes, cutlery, Christmas decorations, small kitchen appliances, and so many books!  Also the trips to the dump to get rid of junk that was stored in the basement.  I still need to get rid of beds, dresser, and few other large items.that no longer fit my new downsize life. Hope to be able to call the junk man to get this stuff outa here!

The repairs that need to be done on the cottage are mostly cosmetic - painting, patching a hole in a closet, replacing interior and exterior doors, upgrading bathroom fixtures and flooring.  That's just the short list -LOL! Lets not forget about crub appeal- cleaning out the flower beds. Although I'm little worried about 3 of the bushes out front are looking a little sad. Maybe it's time to replace the bushes?  I'm really glad that I didn't rush to put the cottage on the market this year.  There is just so much that you must do before you can move!

Salmon Gumbo

Today Marcel kindly shared his lunch with me and another        
co-worker.  We enjoyed Marcel’s “Fish Stew” or Low Country folk called it  “Gumbo”.  This Gumbo was made with Salmon, spinach, carrots, mushrooms and I don’t know what all else – It was very tasty!

This amazing Fish Stew/Gumbo can be served as a soup or over some rice – OK –  let’s have Marcel tell you in his own words how it's done.....

In Africa the cooking is mostly what you will call adaptive cooking. That is there  nothing such as using weight but a lots of tasting. The goal is that the end result must be very sweet and delicious and as you cook you add spices, tomato, pepper, onions, mushrooms, in quantities to meet that goal depending on the size of the family. You can therefore have many variations of the same food. Since I cannot find the same ingredients as in Africa, I have to use alternatives. Remember cooking in Africa takes a long time. For instance there a type of food I can cook with meat and tomatoes and other ingredient that can last about a month without being refrigerated bit It takes hours to cook. Though Africa is characterized as a starving continent people know taste and dislike food that are not delicious.

For this salmon stew/sauce it’s a recipe I came up with ad hoc something very common in Africa

1. Clean it well with lemon/lemon juice and Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar.
2. I baked it to avoid the fish disintegrating during the long cooking
3. Put a little oil in the pan and add onions to remove what is called the crude taste of the oil
4. Progressively add fish, water, two types of sauces onion, mushrooms, ginger, garlic and other sweetening spices. No salt or pepper used in this case (just me)
5. Spinach at end

I can talk more about this later but above is the main.

Going To A County Retreat In The Mountains.....

The excitement of going to the mountains for a weekend getaway for me is….

The Preparations;

• Chores: must be done so we come back to a clean house
• Packing:  Did you pack the Roma, Where is radio; Do we have any batteries for the flashlights? Where is the bug spray!?
• The Car:  Need to get an oil change and fill up on gas. 

The Journey;

• We travel the crowed 6 lanes from Federal Highways until we make the first turn off on to a two lane State highway.  Then we go up a hill and back down and around until we turn off onto a 1 lane county road as we go just a little ways down winding road to the cabin.

AND THEN WE ARE HERE!

• We get out of the car I notice that it’s quiet, the air seem to be fresher.  As I turn around there are trees, mountains, flowers and birds signing.  Then unpack the car and open up the cabin and so the weekend begins!

The Joy of being at the Cabin...

• Here I don’t think about those every day stressors, but enjoy this moment with family, friends; and time to rest & enjoy the peace; and making memories that will last a life time! 

Summer Time and Bug Bites!

What I enjoy the most about the summer is the warm weather, watching my garden grow, meals cooked outside on the grill. Lastly, just spending time with family and friend sitting around talking as the sun sets.
But what I don't like are bug bites!  There are a lot of sprays you can buy, but they seem to leave your skin sticky and smelly.  Here are a few home remedies I have tried.
Insect Repellents:

•  Skin Soft by Avon - Wonderful - Love the Smell
• Place a Bounce Dryer Sheet in your pockets - Its ok but the bugs just moved to biting my ankles.
• Johnson's Baby Oil - this to work for a short time. So you will need to put more Johnson's Baby Oil on.
• Vicks Vapor Rub - now who is even going to want to get near you?  Folks will think you have a summer cold.

Taking care of insect bites:

• Ivory Soap: wet a bar and gently rub it over the insect bites to relive the itchiness.
• Listerine -  Saturate cotton ball and dab it on the bites.  When I don't have any Listerine I use peroxide.

Note:  Some folks may have a reaction to bug bites if this is you seek medical attention ASAP!

Living Well Even On A Budget You Can Eat Healthy

Small Bell Peppers from the Maryland Food Bank.

I am looking for ways to save money by cutting my food budget. At the same time it is also important to eat healthy.  In this post and the next few posts I will share tips for saving money. Hope you find this information useful.

Currently, I'm keeping a record of what are my spending habits and the kinds of purchases I make on a monthly basics such as:

• The kinds food I enjoy eating;
• Keep all receipts for food purchase to find the cost;
• Create a price book of the items I buy and the stores I shop;
• This includes the food that I eat at work;
• breakfast, lunch and snack

From this information I hope to gathered, what are items can be cut out or substitute a least expensive?

When I visit some of my favor stores, the first thing I like to do is check out the mark down section. I have found out of season items, household cleaners, personal care products that I use mark down 50 to 75 percent.  And I also look for the monthly store brand items on sale if the item is out of stock I get a rain check from the customer service desk.

Next, I keep a running shopping and errand list and labels from hard to find items and coupons in a Ziploc bag in my car. On my travel to and from work I do my shopping and run errands as many of these places are on my route. This “Big List” helps to keep me on track and focus on what I need to get and serve as reminder I don’t need to buy everything I see at Wal-Mart! (LOL!)  Writing out a meal plan for 2 weeks at a time, checking my cabinets to see what it on hand and what is needed from the food store is also helpful. Now that my children are grown I no longer need to cook every day, so when I do cook I try to make enough for another meal. It is also helpful to shop at smaller stores such as ALDI’s Savers Food Store, even the Dollar Store and Big Lots. The draw back to shopping in these  smaller discount stores is that these stores may not accept coupons. 

That’s all for now!  More later!

 

There are still Secret Gardens…

On the commuter train before dawn;
Reading my morning devotional;
Looking out the window;
As I think on the Word of God and;
Watching the sun rise;
Welcoming the new day!

Then all of a sudden, there it is!
Near a group of trees is a small garden!
Who is the owner of this Secret Garden?
Maybe this Secret Garden belongs;
To a homeless Person ....

It warms my heart to see that someone;
Has planted this Secret Garden in
The middle of nowhere!

This garden represents Hope,
Faith - with just a few seeds, soil, rain
And sunshine there will soon be
Food to eat!

A New Journey

 

 

 

I'm looking forward to beginning a new chapter of my life journey

and sharing it's joys and adventures with those in my circle! 

 

Living my dream......

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 



Thank you Grant Thompson of Cornell University!

Thank you, Grant L. Thompson, PhD Graduate Student at Cornell University for the wonder gift Garden bag and your kind note. 

What is this all about?

I’m currently participating in the Ecosystem Lawn Study; this study will find out the effects of grass clipping management on soil quality from a small group of households from across my community. The research gather will be used as a model, share with other communities in achieving more sustainable urban centers. The research is on going from 2015, 2016 and 2017.

Grant has provide me information about surrounding community that was built in the early 1940s and was developed on formerly agricultural land.  At the conclusion of the research I will be provide with report of soil conditions in my yard and how to improve the soil.  This information is always useful to a back yard gardener!   

Thanks again Grant and I will see you next fall!

Taking Advantage of Homeownships - www.Blackenterprise.com - April/May 2013 Edited by Latoya M. Smith@LATOYAReports

This post is not a reprint of the mention article, but I wanted to provide as much information as I could so that you can located the article to read for yourself.  In this post I would like to provide a summary of the information I have found to be most helpful to me at this stage of my life.

The article was about Rufus and Jenny Triplett the smart moves they made that has set them on a good financial footing.  Rufus took advantage of the VA loan to purchased a home has some problems with refinancing but they stuck it out until they found a bank that would help them.  The couple also has a home base business and use the federal tax law and they were able to debut 28 percent of their mortgage payment, depreciation, property taxes, insurance, utilities and expenses for household maintenance, repairs, or improvements. ( See the irs.gov website for more information or take an income tax preparing course. To take a Income Tax Preparing training at HR Block is about $200 I believe it will give me a clear understanding of the Federal Income Tax Laws. Maybe I can find a course that is online this maybe easier in my not car situation. (LOL!)  The couple has some problems along the way but were able to refinance and payoff their home loan and payoff credit card bill too.  Now that's what I'm talking about!

"How they did it..."

1. Consider using your home to operate a business.  They started their business in a spare bedroom not knowing if it the business would succeed or fail. As mention above it is possible to save over 28% on your over all mortgage.

2. Take advantage of homeownership programs.  They were able to cut $200 off the mortgage though persistent research and by contacting a federal agency via www.Helpwithmybank.gov  . Although the bank told us we were ineligible, we persisted and got their loan refinanced.  Discount programs such as homestead exemptions are out there for homeowners, as are programs that specifically target minorities. Organizations such as NACA, or the Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America, assist trouble homeowners.

3. Read your statements.  Don't just get a bill and pay it.  Take time to look through it. and don't be afraid to question anything out of the ordinary or you don't understand. If you stop miscellaneous charges or corporate fees on your statement, send a registered certified letter to your lender asking for an explanation.  The couple was charged excessive and unnecessary service fees.  It was just plain fraudulent.  Being proactive and persistent saved them a lot of money.


Here are their 10 Wealth for Life Principles - This is what I really wanted to share as this is the key to the whole article!


1. I will live within my means.
2. I will maximize my income potential through education and training.
3. I will effectively manage my budget, credit, debt, and tax obligations.
4. I will save at least 10 percent of my income. ( From each check!)
5. I will use homeownership as a foundation for building wealth by starting a home business.
6. I will devise an investment plan for my retirement needs and children's education.
7. I will ensure that my entire family adheres to sensible money management principles.
8.  I will support the creation and growth of minority-owned businesses.
9. I will guarantee my wealth is passed on to future generations through proper insurance and estate planning.
10.  I will strengthen my community through philanthropy.

Looking For Just The Right Country Home.......

Above are photos of a country home currently for sale on Zillow.com on an acre of land  located down a dirt road in Southern Maryland.  It’s a foreclosure that is in of needs some work.  When I first saw these pictures I knew that this was the type of home I have been looking for, as I looked at these pictures I began to dream how I would improve the home and land to make it my own.

I have put together a vision book of how I would like my country home to be inside and outside; included in my vision book is  information about where items can be purchase either new or from a reuse/salvage stores.  While the deco and a garden is important there are some other items that needs some thought such as crime rate in the area, home security, home loans, grants to assist with home renovations.  Also deciding whether the area I wish to live will meet my needs, to make this decision I will need to get a map of the area and then making several visits to get the lay of the land.  This will help me to visualize where the stores, hospital, police and fire station, library, schools, community college, churches are located.

All of that’s the easy part I feel, but what am having a hard time is to prepare the old house for sale. Currently there are over 400 homes for sale and 11 rental homes.  The market for selling a home in my current area is not the best.  I continue making repairs and small updates as funds are available to do so. By God’s grace, I hope to be able to sell my current home in the near future as I am ready for a new adventure in my life!

 

 

Sprouting Seeds

I have read how seed sprouts are easy to grow as well as rich in vitamins and proteins. After doing a little research I found out that it would only take a little less than a week a ¼ cup of sprouting seeds would produce 1 to 2 cups of sprouts which is about 4 servings. I decided to use lentil seeds for my sprouting seeds project. From the local health food store in my area I purchase as package of “Hand Pantry’s” 8 oz bag of Curnchy Lentil Fest Salad Mix along with a large wide mouth jar with wire mesh screw on lid.  Here are the directions for sprouting seeds.

      1.       Place ¼ cup of lentil seeds in the jar, place wire mess lid back on the jar.

2.      Add cool water to thoroughly rinse the seeds and invert the jar (without removing the lid) to drain the water out. 

3.       Next add 4 cups of cool water to cover the seeds in the jar to soak overnight.

4.      In the morning, drain water out of the jar.  The seeds should be kept moist not wet or the seeds will rot.

5.     Place the sprouting jar at an angle of approximately 45 degrees inside a large bowl to allow excess moisture to drain from sprouts between each daily rinse.  The sprouts will need to be kept damp wet and allow air to reach the seeds to grow.

According the directions if sprouts are kept at room temperature 60 to 80 degrees and moist.  By the end of the week I will be eating sprouts on my salad and sandwiches.

                                                 Look at those sprouts they are growing so fast!

Our Journey Down Life's Road

There are people that you met on your journey in life that add value to  your life. 

Then over time as our lives move in different directions you lose touch with these special people. 

But you don't forget them just keep them in your heart and prayers. 

As you too move on.

A Little Taste Of Off-grid To Self-Reliance

If you have questions about living off-grid as I do then you may enjoy reading "A Widow's Walk Off-Grid To Self-Reliance" by Annie Dodds; you can order a copy from www.Amazon.com.   Annie's story begins with the passing of her beloved husband which open the door for her to live her dream of a little home in the country living off-grid and self-reliance skills.

This experience off-grid seem to shape Annie for other future situations she was soon to face. I found Annie's story frank and to the point that provided me with much to think about. For one thing I'm more of a Cottage Girl - I like everything to look cute like what you would find in the pages of  Country Living. LOL!  Lastly, just because one has moved to the country to seek a peaceful life doesn't mean that the problems found in the suburbs and cities can also be found in the country too!

This book held my attention to the point I stop reading another book so I could find out what was to happen next in the story. I hope you will take some time out to give this book a good read!

Homemade Cherokee Succotash

Succotash is a Cherokee side dish that was made with lima beans, corn cut fresh from the cob, dry lima beans, wild onions, bacon fat, smoked ham hock and other time pumpkin or bell peppers or okra.   Here is my meatless version of Succotash.

 Here is what you need:

1 Bag of frozen lima beans (cook according to direction on bag.)
2 Large ears of corn on cob (cooked and cut off cob)
1 Small onion finely chopped
1 Small Can cut tomato and green Chile
To taste fresh garlic and non-salt or herbs and butter (New Balance) or olive oil[

Here is what you do:
In a serving bowl mix all of the ingredients together. Service this dish hot with corn bread.