The Grasshopper and the Ants Continued...

I am a worrier and a planner. So, I have always thought food storage was important and have wanted to get it all organized, etc. I just always put it on the back burner because we were students and living on a very fixed budget. However, in light of recent changes in the economy, I want to get our "house in order" and be prepared for possible economic downturn. In all of this, I have found that I have a major flaw. (yes, only one---o.k. maybe more than one) I am a panicky person. I recently had a conversation with my sister-in-law about food storage that went something like this:
K: blah, blah, blah, food storage, oh but since there is a shortage of wheat, it is really hard to get and getting expensive.
Me: uh-huh, uh-huh, WHAT? A shortage of wheat, oh no. AHHHH!!!
Then a different day, talking to Cam:
C: blah, blah, blah, food storage... a rice shortage so costco in California is rationing how much anyone can buy. The price is really going up.
Me: uh-huh, uh-huh--What? Rice shortage---costco is rationing! AHHHHH!!!

So you see, I don't keep up with global news very well, so I didn't know about the wheat and rice shortages. Then I start freaking out---"we need to drain our savings to buy food!!" So then I have to talk to Cam and calm myself down. I know, I'm kind of a freak. But that is just how it is. So now, the rational Suzanne, is still saying, we should probably cut out some other things so that we can build a little more in our food storage. (I think I will feel a lot better if we do that). SO I guess all in all---The Ants win! I will save and work for a rainy day. (Even if it is just to keep the psycho part of me quiet.)

The Grasshopper and the Ant

This is just random thoughts that I have had rolling around in my head for a few weeks. There is an Aesop fable called " The Grasshopper and the Ant" and basically the grasshopper plays all summer while the ants work hard to prepare for winter. Then come winter the grasshopper is hungery and cold and comes to the ants for help.

Austin was watching the disney version of this the other day and it made me think (no wisecracks here). The economic stimulus checks are going to be arriving to all of us pretty soon. Which, dang, free money, I love that. I want so many things--a couch, a bedroom set, pay off my car, clothes, etc. But as I thought about the Grasshopper, I don't want to be playing all summer then come to winter and have nothing to support my family on. Especially in light of the changes in the economy. If they have to send everyone money to stimulate the economy, I consider that a sign that the economy is going south. So we have decided to spend some of the money on things for our 72 hr kits or self reliance type stuff (maybe a wheat grinder, a tent, camping type stuff). Then the rest will go to the bank. I have always found a great amount of satisfaction by having some money put away, for a rainy day. Now I don't know what the rainy day will be but I would rather be like the ants on this one than the grasshopper. Maybe we will go have a fun family day with a little of the money to satisfy the grasshopper.

Easter

The pics are a little blurry but oh well.

Austin and James on Easter with their Easter shirts. Austin picked them out. Stating "pink is my favorite color" :)
I had Austin take a pic of me and Cam since I'm not ever in pictures anymore. He cut our heads off in the first one. This one isn't bad for a 4 year old ametur photog.

In over our heads

Well, we bought our house last summer and have had great plans for the back yard, so we have been working on it. First of all we took out a bunch of poorly placed cemet curbing tha was in the back. The next problem was the shed. It was built on the side of the house and blocked the wide gate (RV parking) that led to the rest of the yard. Plus the location of the garden ate up like 1/3 of the grassy area. So the plan was to just move the shed over to a different part of the yard, more out of the way. Then we want to move the garden to the "rv parking" and extend the grass in to the old garden area. No problem. Right. Fast forward to March. After much cosultation and brainstorming, the only way to move the shed is with large equipment.

Here is Cam and Bryce trying to get the shed up high enough to secure some 4x4s under the shed b/c it was not built with a very stable floor.

I had the hardest job---don't let it tip over!! (ok, ther may have been a support beam that I cropped out of the pic)
Next, with Cam driving the huge forklift, the shed is airborne. Oops--that is awfully close to the awning. Better stop and consult some more. "Can we get it around the porch without tearing off the cover??" Then Cam got back in the drivers seat and had my dad and Bryce coaching him on what to do (never mind that occasionally their directions were completely contradictory.)






Oh, whew. They made it around to the back. "uh, guys, why is the door facing the fence???"

Oh, well. So we got it moved. No real damage done. I do have a few large grooves in my yard from that huge maching but the shed is moved. Now it's time to paint it. :)