Saturday, July 26, 2014

Farm Sale Update...To Jinx or Not to Jinx




South Pork Ranch Banner
Inventory item #45
Well folks...as of this am, we have an offer.
It's a nice offer, not too low, not too high (is there such a thing?)

But of course attorneys must be involved, contingencies must be written, inventory must be finalized ,yes they would like the calf hutches, but no they do not need the livestock trailer, that kind of stuff.

Details, details and more details.

So we must wait for financing to be approved and attorneys to return from vacations (the nerve!) We must put serious thought into the possibility that if all goes through we may be moving in a short amount of time. Do you all have the slightest inkling of what this all means?

It means we may be getting what we asked for, a very simple life, on a very simple piece of land to be run by (wait for it) a couple of simpletons. Good thing we actually planted a garden this year and even better that I got over my inane fear of pressure canners and started putting up the food we'll need to survive.

Including 7 pounds of cabbage soaking in brine as I write, since I decided no decent homestead should be without homemade sauerkraut. If it fails I plan to consume it as cabbage wine, I'm not about to throw out several hours of work you know. Who else wants a glass?

So we wait and watch the wheels of Real Estate Purchase Contracts turn at a slower rate than we would like while feeling it's all spinning faster than we'll be able to keep up. We'll need to seriously downsize our belongings due to the tiny detail we have no new house to move into. Will we buy a trailer? Move a barn onto the property and build a small apartment in between the cow and pig stalls? Or will we try to build a tire house in the few short months we'll have before winter?

I am not kidding about the tire house.

Will we have a big garage sale or just donate all the extra stuff?
Will we buy a yurt to live in just for this fall and winter?
Will we get tired of going in circles if we live in a yurt?
Will there be enough $ left over to homestead full time?
Will we get tired of eating all that sauerkraut?
Will I remember to go to school?

SCHOOL?!? Whose bleepin' idea was it to return to college anyway?

We are excited and scared witless. What if the offer is withdrawn? But more importantly,what if it isn't and this really is the beginning of that last great chapter of our lives?

23 comments:

  1. Changes, what we want or think we do :O) what is best or is it... its what makes life exciting!
    If your cabbage doesn't make sauerkraut for you I have a no fail recipe for sauerkraut. It makes in the jar! Its not hot water bath or pressured canned it simply krauts in the jar... so keeps all that good live fermentation. Its sooo yummy... I am curious what did you return to school for? I get that bug off and on and seem to have it now. :O). I think its the 337 jars of canned goods I have done since the beginning of June! LOL our garden was very good this year! :O)

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    1. Wow. Who knew so many ways to make kraut. Would love your recipe if you feel like sending it to me in another reply. And I am going back to school for a degree in Creative Writing. Fortunately the university accepted many of my pre-nursing school classes so I can start as a Junior and then I plan to go right on for my Masters.

      Really ? 337 canned goods since June? I am so impressed. I am up to...drum roll please...27. I think I'm in big trouble.

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  2. Congrats.....on the sauerkraut. I'd congratulate you on the "other" thing, but don't wanna jinx ya. :)
    Crossing fingers and toes and lighting whatever insense I can find that brings "Sale of Farm" good vibes towards your place.

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    1. Really I think jinx schminx. If I could change the course of things just by writing about them...I'd write about a whole lot more important things than kraut. I'd write about how haiku for example.

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  3. We buy our sauerkraut 'loose', from big tubs. I'm sure if I tried to make my own I'd poison myself. I'm not sure about tyre houses, hay bale houses are much more energy efficient, and much easier to build. Alternatively why not go for my original suggestion of a 747; painted up it'd look great.

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    1. Like they would ever allow THAT in the USA. Kraut without individual nutrition labels? HA! And how funny are you mushroom man who eats any fungus you can find but are afraid to make sauerkraut. Come on I dare you. I double dog dare you.

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  4. Pssst, I got tires! LOL :) YEAH YEAH YEAH !!!
    ~ Maggie

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  5. Fingers crossed and prayers sent ... and school will be just fine! :)

    You will rock this!

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    1. You are the best cheerleader ever. Lets get matching pink and purple pleated skirts shall we? Oh, by the way got my first invitation to a sorority "recruitment." Guess they don't "rush" the new girls like they used to.

      Big sissies.

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  6. Paws, claws, feathers and fingers are all crossed for good luck on the sale of the farm. Sourkraut wine, it could be a new taste sensation! Best wishes!!

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    1. Thank you Martha, we're take your wishes of good luck and raise you 10 peacock feathers.

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  7. wow. my stomach is in knots FOR you. thankfully, this sounds like - either way - this will be over soon. and i hope it is so you can move forward. eating sauerkraut in a yurt. :)

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    1. You nailed it TexWis..it will be over soon, if we can just keep breathing until then is the question.

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  8. What good news...fingers and all crossed for you. I love yurts, such a neat idea. Haven't heard of a tire house but hay bales I've seen a couple in person and they are indeed impressive. You could go geodesic dome (always wanted one of those, ha). It will all work out as it's supposed to!!

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    1. 1st man, I'll be doing a post soon about the tire house which is technically called an earthship. They are very popular in Taos, New Mexico and some part of Europe. Much of the home will be covered and insulated with dirt. Just you wait and see!

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  9. Great News about the farm! We also love fresh sauerkraut. We make it in 2 quart mason jars to eat fresh, last a long time in the fridge after fermentation, and 5 gallon crocks to pressure can.

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    1. Sure now you tell me. And here we thought WE were the big homesteaders!

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  10. I so excited for you guys! But, Hell comes with the details of moving! However, moving makes you take inventory of your life and either get rid of it, put it in a box for "later," or keep a permanent place for it. By the end of the move, you are just throwing the straggler things into the last boxes with an "I don't CARE" kind of attitude, you just try to reach the move-out deadline. Lol.

    Good luck! We are thrilled for the possible changes that are coming. Life is never boring!

    Lana

    Lana

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    1. When we moved here, well about ten years after we were here and I saw all the inventory my hubbie had I told him "we are never moving from here because I am not moving all YOUR stuff." Well...seems like wifey has accumulated a large amount of her own inventory to sort though. Yikes.

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  11. I dont know how you can stand the waiting, it so exciting. Great to be able to take this roller coaster ride with you but im getting a bit giddy. Everything is crossed but its not luck you need its a bloody loan to go through! To be on the safe side, id start packing non essentials. Anything not intended for use on the next place is for sale! Find some young thing and give them an incentive to sell it all on Ebay. There will be plenty of them around at school.

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    1. Lynda, deciding what to take and what to dispose of is indeed difficult. Because it is our plan to live on very little we worry that if we give something away we might need later we'll regret it as we won't be able to afford to buy it again. But if we keep it, and don't need it just takes up space we won't have for storage. I believe the only solution is a total lobotomy so we won't have to think at all !

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