Hello wonderful people!   After several days of gray skies, some sprinkles followed by a hailstorm and heavy rain we're finally sunny again!  The garden is starting to sprout, one of the barn cats is about to deliver and we are almost done with our school year....hooray!  As soon as school is out my plan is to work on my stockpile.  We've had to hit it recently and I need to replenish toilet paper and such, lol.  If you prep, how's it going for you?  Feeling overwhelmed, not sure where to start?  I get that way a lot, but I finally decided that I just really don't care what a lot of the "Professionals" have to say, lol!  I'm just trying to put back some beans, rice, emergency light sources, hygiene items and of course water.  We don't intend to bug out as we are prepping for a financial collapse, so we are just trying to learn how to live kinda well with less.  We always have a stock of books, cards, board games and the like for when we can no longer afford satellite.....oh snap, I can just feel the withdrawals now!  Anyway, more on that later.....math calls my name and I must answer....blessings to you all!

 Hello wonderful ones!  This week has been just ridiculous....how about yours?  I really need some organization in my life, lol, so any suggestions on keeping up with multiple endeavors would be greatly appreciated.  I take care of my disabled mom, homeschool, we have a small gym that we open in the evenings, have the beginnings of a small farm and 2 teenagers that are always needing a ride!  

On a better note....I just want to give a shout out to my friends.  We have been blessed in this year and a half of living in New Mexico to have made some amazing friendships...even the kind that you don't have to speak everyday, but you feel comfortable calling at any time, knowing that if you need them, they will be there.  We had so many people speak negatively about the area before we moved, and yes, I sure do miss green grass, but this isn't a horrible place to live.  In fact, unless you go to Wal-Mart, even the store clerks in just about every other place in town, will greet you with a smile.  Rock on Clovis!

This is Brutus, my constant companion.  Somedays

                                                                                I think there's a little inbreeding, lol, but he's a
                                                                                lovebug!  His birthday is a month away...he'll be
                                                                                the big 1!

Hiya all!  Or maybe just me, lol!  We've been trying to eat cleaner and better lately and it's quite the struggle to balance the budget, the time and everyone's tastes!  I ran across this blog post and just had to share...it's amazing!

http://realfoodforlessmoney.com/what-if-the-family-is-not-on-board-plus-a-bit-of-a-rant/

Well,  the deed is done.  It's not pretty, like the gardens my Granny used to have, but then again, that was Mississippi, not New Mexico!  I have discovered that here, no matter how unsightly, just about everyone has soaker hoses or water hoses and sprinklers out all the time....they are just a necessity! 

The raised beds were too small, so we just did a plot and bordered it with onions and marigolds :)  For now, it's just a sad little dirt section covered with soaker hoses plus 2 tires.  Yikes!  I did say tires!  One of the workers at the local nursery said that it would make for really good watermelons and cantaloupes to have them separate and off the ground a bit.  So, as redneck as it looks, we did it!  It was a lot of work, but I'm grateful for my husband and friends who helped out .....the first tiller went out of commission quickly and some friends hauled one across town!  Here's to hoping for a bumper crop!  What a way to spend Cinco de Mayo...and don't forget the Supermoon tonight!

Well, after soaking the ground for the garden beds for 24 hours, they are looking pretty ready to be worked.  Now, don't get me wrong, there are plenty of weeds still, but at least they are wet, lol!  A huge bonus for the area that we are going to use is that it's beside the horse barn, so lots of wonderful poopy straw blows over!  Hooray!  Free fertilizer, since it isn't our barn or horses!  Plus the barn makes a great wind-break as it seems like the wind never stops out here.  Hoping to till it up tomorrow......pictures to follow.

I got this for free!  Oh how I love free!  Sadly, along with this book, since I have someone willing and excited to teach me how to can......I guess I gotta can stuff :)

http://www.amazon.com/The-Ball-Blue-Book-Freezing/dp/B0032Q6ACG/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1336150962&sr=8-15

After last years good rain.

Dry and dusty, hard to plant.

A few of our rescue chickens!

WOOOOOOO!  Today is the day.  Okay, I guess maybe not "THE" day, lol.  But the frames for the raised beds are complete, seeds are here and my wonderful neighbor got his ancient tiller working and is letting us use it.  Such a great neighbor, he said he hasn't used it in about 6 years, but it cranked first pull!  So for today, I will get the sprinkler going, soak this sun-baked earth and prepare to till in 2 days.  Wish us luck!

I love this!

http://www.zazzle.com/noah_was_a_prepper_speckcase-176403775443188664

Living where we do means that there is something large to be aware of, prep for, besides a financial collapse.  The super volcano.  I know, I know..blah, blah, blah, whatever.  I'm hoping it doesn't erupt, but I sure as heck would rather have a knowledge base and at least be somewhat prepared.  I haven't as yet figured out how to keep the chickens safe, but I really need to.....love those eggs!

http://ipreping.blogspot.com/2012/05/survive-super-volcano-eruption.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhhXGF8hE20


Something we've been looking onto getting.  I made one, but had the dimensions off a bit, so I'll try again!

Welcome to Chillin' in the Desert!  It's about 100 degrees today as I start this blog, the Miller moth invasion is almost over and the pool is ready for a lazy day!  We've been living here in New Mexico for a little over a year now and we're still learning the ins and outs of life here, especially gardening!  The wind can be never-ending!  But we're working on it and we haven't killed our chickens yet, lol!  We are also working on prepping as we believe that we are headed for at least a financial crisis.  On that note, I'm going to be learning to can/preserve!  Hahahahaha...that is going to be a hoot!  I have learned to sew, do a little crocheting and can cook like nobody's business.  Also starting to learn about herbal remedies has been on my list, now if I could just find the herbs I need to plant!  Anyway, I hope you'll join us on this journey, it's gonna be a ride and a half!