Friday Update on a Thursday

ELECTRICITY:
This is a six day reading since I will be gone all day tomorrow. To try to keep it somewhat fair, I am breaking it down by day to get the percentage. This week’s reading: 92979
Usage: 770kwh
Average Daily: 128kwh putting us at 425% of the average American.
We have dropped again which makes me happy. Because it is still so high, I am wondering about the dishwasher. It is very convenient, don’t get me wrong. But I do wonder if using it isn’t using a lot of electricity. It is new (bought last year) and “energy efficient.” But how energy efficient can it be if it is using so much electricity? I know I have had discussions in the past with people about dishwashers and the cost/benefit ratio with water and electrical usage. Theoretically, dishwashers use less water than hand washing. But is that offset worth the electrical usage?
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IDC:
Plant: The peas have germinated and look wonderful. The beans and mint have shown nothing so I planted tomatoes and peppers. We’ll see how they do.
Harvest: Nothing.
Reduce waste/manage preserves: Made a trip to the recycling place and used the empty baskets at Aldi’s when I went shopping. It saved hunting for empty boxes. Also, with the recycling in full swing, the kitchen wastebasket (which houses all the garbage in the house) is not full and it’s been a week and a half.
Preparation/storage: We are still teaching our children how to use the cell phones and also making sure they know their address.
Build community food system: Nothing new going on here.
Eat the food (Try new recipes): I made a stir-fry and used the left-overs for stew. I also made a huge pot of cabbage soup. While nothing new, they are definite favorites and a great way to take advantage of left-overs and great deals at Farmer‘s Market.
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GASOLINE:
Filled up the van. 23 gallons and 16mpg. A part of that is letting the van warm up. Filled up the truck. Don’t know mpg because it was not filled from a full tank.
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MONEY:
$70 Outback for birthday dinner for Husband.
$197 to fix the truck. The water sensor was bad and the fuel pump was leaking.
$88 at Aldi’s.
$58 to fill the van.
$23 at Farmer’s Market
$6 at the bread store
$68 gas for truck
$321 feed (50 bags) for the animals
Total spent above and beyond utilities/mortgage: $831 (OUCH!)
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HOMESTEAD:
Everything has frozen again. It’s not supposed to warm up again for another week. When that happens, we will be doing pregnancy checks on the ladies.
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HOMESCHOOL:
Charlie has been so much more focused this week. I am very impressed with him. He seems to have worked through his block and has taken the initiative to get started without prompting. We did not go on the field trip this past week because I some how or other missed the whole It’s Four Hours Away aspect of it. So we will be going another time when we have the time during the day for eight hours of travel.
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OLD GOALS:
Plant more vegetables - DONE
Start cleaning front yard. (As long as the temperatures cooperate.) - DONE (Still more work to do.)
Get some bread baked. -I went to the bread store?
Start on garage. (Temperature dependent.) - Nope.
ROOSTERS and GOATS! (husband - hint, hint) - Husband fell and hurt himself bad. Plus he has kidney blockage again.
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NEW GOALS: (I am going to keep the same goals because they still need doing. Even the “done” ones.)
Plant more vegetables
Start cleaning front yard. (As long as the temperatures cooperate.)
Get some bread baked.
Start on garage. (Temperature dependent.)
ROOSTERS and GOATS!