[Just Susan]

Strange as it sounds, I would put tapping for & making maple syrup on my "bucket list" It has always sounded intriguing to me. I guess I like the simple things in life best.

[chelsea24]

Has anyone heard of Aunt Jemima? LOLOL Sam, you're way sounds wayyyyy to delicious.

[renielarson]

I have often thought about what I would do if I could start over. This is what I came up with (sorry ending with a preposition).

I would:

Settle some place where I could be self sufficient...grow my own veggies and raise animals for my own meat/milk. Well, maybe grow soybeans and learn how to make textured vegetable protein...lol

Only eat what I grew and/or raised

Rely on solar power/wind power or some other source of alternative energy

Learn to sew in order to make clothes and other household items

Not that I would want to be estranged from the outside world...oh no...not by any means...would still want a city nearby offering culture and a night life

However, if I could start over...I'd like to be more self sustaining.

[Just Susan]

Oh my goodness Bright, do you know my daughter?

Bright keep away from the tapped maple tree drinking, you are scaring me. Hi Susan&Tom, are you getting closer? Did you list yet?

[Just Susan]

Hi Johnny,
We are so close and so far away. We are probably a week to 10 days away from list. It seems like I have been saying that forever. Most of the goals have been reached now though. But, it is that last stretch that kills you. I'm tired.

Good thing is either the house will sell really fast because of its upgraded condition, or we will live in a house that is totally finished....that will be a first for us...I have always been redesigning & remodeling every house we have lived in from the day we bought, up to the day we sold...live in a finished house?? Wow, hope not for long...what will I do?

[renielarson]

Hope to meet your daughter some day Susan. And...your son, too.

[Just Susan]

You will my dear, they will love you as do I.

[KathieI]

Originally Posted by Susan&Tom

But, it is that last stretch that kills you. I'm tired.

Susan, take it from me, my house has been listed since last weekend and it is the last stretch that is horrible. Open houses, making the place look pristine and wonderful, forget the green apples and sunflowers, the realtors want NO furniture in the house. I had to move everything into the garage all by myself, and I am really, really tired. Open house again today for the realtor caravan, trying to find a place where I can bring the 3 dogs while there all here, running around making sure the poop is all cleaned up. Gosh can't wait until this is all over. Then I have to get 3 dogs, a 91 year old blind man and myself to TV? Wonder if its too late to change my mind? (only kidding)

[Hyacinth Bucket]

Kathie glad to hear you are just kidding.

HB

[Just Susan]

Oh Kathie, I feel your pain. I am too old for all this. Now I know why people become frogs when they get to TV. I don't ever want to do this again. We moved here from CA in 2000, seems like I just finished doing this and here I am doing it again.

I also want to know what possessed me to buy so much stuff? Why, why, why?? Pack it, dump it, sell it, stage it. Pack it, dump it, sell it, stage it. Pack it, ... you get my point and understand cause you just finished doing it too. When we get to TV I want a little house that you can pack up in a day or two, just in case... (ya, right)

I do sympathize with the dogs and Dad responsibilities that you have taken on. I think you are probably capable of handling anything you set your mind to, and will succeed in this venture as well.

We will do this Kathie, yes we will!!! (Won't we?)

[Hyacinth Bucket]

Bright, being self sustaining is not an easy thing but a goal I had for us many years ago. We belong to an organic farm project where we get our veggies from June to about mid-October. It is hard to keep up with the weeds and all the other tasks involved in having a farm.

One of our son's also wants to live a life where he "lives off the land" he was able to catch nearly all the fish he needed for about 6 - 8 months, meat for quite a few months but was unable to catch any turkeys. He uses a bow and arrow to catch wild game.

I like the idea of being self sustaining, don't think I would make my own clothing though. I do not like that living here in TV you are not allowed to have a vegetable garden. In the village that we are in, we can only grow veggies in flower pots. I have been thinking of ways to grow veggies here that would fulfill our obligations to TV and at the same time fulfill my needs.

I wish they had plots of land we could rent where we could plant veggies, flowers or what ever we would like. We have that in the next town over and it is extremely popular. The town tills the land and provides mulch and gardening tools to work with. The site they chose is a beautiful one. With all the buffs gone perhaps we could use that land to create our own space.

HB

[Hyacinth Bucket]

Nonie, Kathie, Barefoot, Susan and every one else who is packing, sorting, throwing out, and down sizing you can all come and help me cull 30 years of collecting. I have given many items to our favorite auctioneer, have sold many items through fund raising yard sales, given stuff away on Freecycle yet there is still so much more.

I do not even feel like I have made a dent in what I have to go through. i enjoyed all the collecting and had a lot of fun doing it, but never gave a second thought to what I would do with it if we moved.

None of our children want the stuff - which would make my life easier. They offer to get me a large container to put garbage into.

Well tomorrow we will tackle a new area.

HB

[Just Susan]

At least we are all sharing in the pain...somehow that helps doesn't it.

[Hyacinth Bucket]

Susan I would like the camaraderie. I think as I go through stuff with someone else it would make the process less of a chore. Perhaps if someone questioned why I needed a smurf that I had for two decades I would delete it from my category of stuff not ready to let go of.

HB