The Plan Man, Still No Moola But Fun

Tortuga Thursday

In 2012, on the plains of Northern Arizona, two families joined forces and began the trials and tribulations of building a small family farm with nothing in the bank but love.

When I started this blog, I didn't intend on it to be entirely about farming. From May to October, that's what consumes us. Farming is Lance's endeavor, and we're along for the ride. But it's a great deal of work, too much for one man, so we'll be mightily involved until he's self-sufficient. It's what we want to do. We went into this communal living project to combine our talents and still be able to pursue our individual goals. I have to say, growing and eating our own food is rewarding. We're looking ahead to year three, and there are still a lot of things we need for the farm. We're lucky we have neighbors that are happy to loan Lance the attachment for the tractor. He can keep it for days at a time. We're lucky we were able to get a two year no interest loan that enabled us to get the material for the watering system and greenhouse. In fact, we have enough to build the second greenhouse and add on to the drip system. But the list of needs is still long. We'll eek it out somehow. I'll clue you in on how we do as this next year progresses.

Pirate Pickles and Relish - gourmet

Pirate Pickling Co. is part of the plan. We have the product. We have the "look". There are a lot more hurdles to get over in order to sell our product on a larger commercial basis. This is just a test year while we get all the needed licenses and certification. But we can sell it direct and we're working on that. Found the table for the markets, had a banner and business cards made, and this weekend Lance will be putting it out there locally.

Now that harvesting and pickling are done, Frank and I can get away occasionally as finances allow. As I write, we're at an RV park in Laughlin, NV, actually, a ways from the main area and on the reservation at a casino called the AVI. I told Frank I would take him to a movie and dinner for his birthday here. There wasn't a movie we wanted to see. We checked out the dinner restaurant and choked on the prices. We ended up at the casual restaurant and had prime rib for $9.99. It was okay. I gave him $10 to put in the slots, he turned it into $70 and we headed back to the RV to watch a movie on TV. I couldn't get him to play his winnings. He's saving it for our next trip.

One short health note: still thankful for the Indian Medical Center since we can't afford insurance. The dermatologist found two spots to biopsy. They were benign but showed evidence of pre-cancer cells. He gave me a cream to put on twice a day for four weeks that will inhibit these bad cells from growing. I'm to put it on all sun exposed areas over the next few months (small areas at a time). It can react on my skin like I've been burned. I can handle that if it prevents future problems. Thanks again to my great grandparents for getting on the Indian roster that allows me this care. 

"Docos"

I promised to start posting recipes we use on Tortuga Flats Farm. The first one is what not to cook. As part of our goal to be self-sustaining, Lance is hunting and occasionally dragging Frank along. They came up with the idea to make Docos (dove tacos). Dove is gamey tasting and it seemed like a good idea. DON'T try it. We ended up feeding them to the dogs!

Doctors, Splotches and Snow

2012 On the plains in Northern Arizona, two families joined forces and began the trials and tribulations of building a small family farm with nothing in the bank but love.

This Tortuga Thursday should be called Tortuga Thursday Thoughts. Still in winter's throes, it's a little of this and a little of that going on.

More seeds are on order. Last week, we received our "bucket of seeds" but there are other things we plan to grow that weren't included. Lance toiled over the web site but got them ordered.

I had my regular three-month check up (because of past melanoma issues) at the Indian Medical Center in Phoenix with a new dermatologist a few weeks ago. This one didn't look in certain female places either. I thought the last guy was just shy, but this doctor said that the regulations of the center didn't allow it. Sort of seems like going to a nose and throat doctor who can only look at the outside of your nose. He had me make an appointment with the eye clinic and the women's clinic. The doctor who looked at my eyes was mystified why he needed to do so. Very unlikely anything there. My thought was so what - if it ever happens, then just do it. The gynecologist was even more mystified. He didn't say much but shook his head when I told him the dermatologist couldn't remove all of my clothes to check all of my skin. Three doctors later, I'm free and clear.

I received a jury duty summons, but the trial was canceled. I've never gotten to actually serve so hope I do some day. It's possible I could get called for Cottonwood. I'm not hoping for that since the drive would take me about an hour and a half.

I'd like to get my end of the house painted before planting season. Frank and I have the kitchen and one wall in the living room done. I always have a difficult time picking color. Those small jars of samples Home Depot sells are a blessing or a curse, depending on how I look at it. They've saved me from making some awful mistakes in color choices but then again, I seem to take longer making up my mind. I've had three different splotches on the remaining living room walls, two on the bathroom and four in the bedroom. I got sick of my indecisiveness in the bedroom and bought a gallon yesterday of a color I had not splotched on. Not sure I'm happy but I'm not going to waste another $30. The first color I bought I didn't bother testing, and it turned out to be the color of baby poop on the wall. Had to eat that $30.

Speaking of painting, Frank and I painted the baby's room. Excitement is building.

Rusty loves the snow

We had snow yesterday but the sun and heavy wind took care of that today. 

A last financial note since I promised to share it all on this experiment. We've finally put aside the RV dream for now. After crunching numbers, it seems best not to lock into a payment if there's a chance we'd have the RV but no funds to use it. We're going more commercial with the farm this year and who knows what that will bring. Yes, the farm is pretty much Lance's project, but we're partial owners in it and want to see it succeed. By next week I should be able to unveil our first crop adventure into the wholesale market.

And a P.S. on snow - the San Francisco Peaks are calling. From here they look solid white. Even though it's Tortuga Thursday, we're heading out to play in some real deep snow about an hour and a half away. I'll be back in the afternoon so I welcome your comments and will respond then. One great thing about where we live is that we're close to many different types of free entertainment like a drive and play in the snow!

All of Me, Please Look at All of Me! #42

Last week I had my regular three month dermatology full body check at the Indian Hospital in Phoenix. Always a treat. My dermatologist is leaving. No great loss. I liked the guy, very friendly and talkative but not very thorough. I think I mentioned before he avoids my private areas. What I don't want is a shy doctor! And it's hard to understand how the man got through med school being shy. So he didn't want to be a gynecologist, but surely he knew we have skin under our underwear. He really skimmed my body this time. I'm looking forward to the new guy because I'm going to set the record on what I expect on the very first visit. All of me, why not look at all of me?

There are things to save money on and then there are things...

Total blonde early on

Take for instance, hair. I've colored my hair since I was fifteen years old. There was a brief period in my early twenties I let it grow, au naturale, down to the middle of my back. Wore it straight for a while and then permed it. That only lasted a couple of years when I started having it foiled.

So last week, with my son's wedding only three weeks away, I decided to do my own hair. I didn't try the streaking thing - went for the all over color. It's okay. Not sure how many times I can do it without losing the multi-colors. For now it's not bad. Then I decided I'd cut it. I trimmed a bit on the different layers. Not liking it so much. If I didn't care if it shortened, I'd really go for it and whack away - it's only hair. But with the wedding coming up and wedding pictures? I think I'll have to get a real trim this week. I certainly can't go to Ulta in Phoenix anymore, so wish me luck finding someone to trim it at a reasonable cost who knows what they're doing.

My real color back when...

Meanwhile, my son's wedding is getting so close! When I went to Phoenix for my dermatology appointment, I shopped for a dress with mom and sister in tow. They know their way around Arrowhead Mall like their own homes. At Dillards, I found a long, rust colored sheath with great texture - simple and not too dressy. I managed to stay under $120 which I thought was fantastic. But it's sleeveless. Heber, AZ will be cooler, plus I'm not cool with exposing  my aging arms except in the garden. Ah, vanity. I couldn't find a shrug at a decent price. Paying more than half of what the dress cost seemed stupid. But a few days later, I scoured Prescott for something more reasonably priced. After five stores, I ended up at a store I hate - Ross. But I found a shrug so ridiculously cheap that I won't even tell you. It's black. Black and rust are not really "my" colors but hopefully I can pull them off - if I get a decent hair cut!

And a bit of writing news - I have an agent!!  Now someone can do the shopping for a publisher for my latest novel, The Art of Love and Murder. I want to try a bigger publisher this time and only an agent can get in those doors. She's in New York and been in the business a long time. I'm pretty psyched about this.

I Can't Take the Credit #27

Rose bush

What's been totally uplifting in the last few weeks are all the blooms and plants popping up that we didn't plant. I've wanted to go out and spends hundreds on bushes, trees and perennials but there's not money in the budget for that. To go out in the mornings and find something new is exciting.

Miniature rose bush

I needed that because I found another spot on my arm. This kind of bloom I can do without. The good thing is I was 99% sure it wasn't melanoma again. I called the Indian Medical Center and they moved my already scheduled appointment up a week. My doctor even called me back. Every three months I have a full body check. He took a biopsy and scheduled me to come back in two weeks for the result and my full body check. I wondered, if this spot had been very suspicious would it still have taken two weeks for the results. I hope not. But the news was good - only pre-cancerous. Nothing more had to be done. I like this doctor. He's very personable but awfully shy for a doctor.Not a good thing. His full body checks skim over certain areas. He's obviously uncomfortable. But really? I've never met a doctor with this problem. I'm a little concerned about that.

Climbing rose

Some sort of desert bloom

Almost think maybe once a year I should see a civilian doctor for a thorough go-over and pay the price. I'm going to think on that one.

We've had some ups and downs with our own plantings. But I'll go into that in another blog. I've been scurrying to get my edits done on my latest book, The Art of Love and Murder, so I could get it off to a couple of agents before I take off for a few days to a conference. I'm heading out tomorrow which is why this blog is brief. This should be a fun conference since it's for readers - authors to meet, Jimmy Thomas in the flesh (he-he) and a male model contest. A few days away from the farm will be hard, though. I've gotten really accustomed to waking up here to see the progress in the garden and at the end of the day sitting on the patio to watch the sun go to bed. Maybe the male model contest will take my mind off of what I'm missing at Tortuga Flats Farm!

Snap Dragon I think

Okay-it's a weed but isn't it pretty?

We're Not Here for a Long Time; We're Here for a Good Time #11

I ran across a plaque with that sentiment while unpacking. It was given to me by a close friend who died of cancer. She had such a great attitude that she changed and enriched me. It sits on my desk, clamped to my basket of pens and pencils (I still find need of those every once in a while), where it stays in my peripheral vision.

That state of mind is important when we have a dust/tumbleweed storm one day and a snowfall the next. Those two days together equal mud by noon on the second day. Snow doesn't seem to last long and the ground soaks it up. Frank came in sputtering that he didn't even step in the mud but had it caked on his shoes. It took me a full-size bath towel to get Rusty's paws de-mudded. Gee - I can't wait until there are 3 dogs running in and out.

Also a good state of mind to keep when the doctor bills from last October that insurance I had didn't cover come rolling in with pay up or else notes on them. There was one good one among them that offered to write it off if I filled out some paperwork. No guarantees but it could happen.

I seem to be walking differently. My jokes about being a prairie chick must have something to do with it. I've always had a little hitch in my saunter, more than likely due to the way I'm shaped. My derriere could give J-Lo's extensive backside a run for her money. I found myself kind of clomping like a farmer instead of swaying like Marilyn as I walked across the yard. Must be gazing out on the orchard and garden or the neighbors horses that does it. Just wait until I get my Ariats! These boots were made for walkin'!

Lance and Christie will be all moved in by the weekend. They've brought one load, two to go. I saw a post by him on Facebook telling some friends to stay tuned for the first barbecue. That sounds like fun. Hope we have grass in the yard by then. No, I won't even think about the mud factor.

I'm here for a good time for as long as I have.

Nothing in the Bank But Love #10

If you read my first post in this moving to the prairie series, you'll remember I said we were retiring with nothing in the bank but love. (well Frank retired - I work hard at writing) Anyway, a bit more on that.

Health care cost is a huge consideration when anyone thinks of quitting their job for a different lifestyle, especially if you aren't old enough to get medicare. I've been told by quite a few people that they would love to retire or do something different but can't afford to because of their health insurance. This is how we are lucky: Frank has VA and I have Indian Health Care. This works much better for Frank than for me. His care is free due to his hearing disability. And it follows him everywhere, sort of like health insurance. There are quite a few VA facilities, but he can also be seen at any medical center, if needed. If we should be traveling and he gets sick, he can see any doctor. All he has to do is notify VA within a certain amount of time, and they will take care of the cost. This is not how it works for Indian Health Care. I don't have insurance or health care coverage. If I get sick and can't get to the Indian facilities in Camp Verde or Phoenix, I'm on my own. It's something I just have to deal with. We can't afford the $465 a month I was paying for major medical. That's the policy I had when I got melanoma last year. I still owe over $5,000 in doctor bills.

How to hide a hole in a door

I now pay attention to peak use hours for electricity. Lance intends on installing solar, but in the meantime I'm a clock watcher for clothes washing, dish washer time and bathing. This is pretty easy. We have to avoid high use of electricity from noon until 7 p.m. Pretty much a piece of cake. Turn off lights when they aren't necessary and have the thermostat on a program.

When I was a teenager, buying used clothing was very cool. Wannabee hippy that I was. I remember a suede jacket I bought for a few bucks that cost my mother a pretty penny to get cleaned. LOL I'm back to used item stores now for monetary reasons. We needed different bed frames for our beds. Okay, personal information here you may not need but hey, I promised in that first post to spill. Frank and I like to spread out when we sleep. He has a full size bed and I have a queen. Our bedroom is big enough to accommodate both but not with the old decorative frames. We needed plain metal frames. I found the most wonderful used furniture store in Chino Valley, Mary's Cozy Home Furnishings. We got two metal frames, a wood-framed mirror and a teak salad bowl for $100. I was thrilled. I'm hooked on used.

It's coming together

All the boxes are unpacked. Pictures are on the walls. Nic-nacs are heaped on every available surface. This move is different. We've had to buy a couple of semi-decorative things - needed curtains on the Arcadia door and wood blinds on the living room windows. But as far as shopping for those things that are the right color or size to decorate - not going to happen. Considering we've gone from a 2 1/2 story, 3 bedroom, 3 bath with separate living room and family room to one story, one bedroom, one bath and no family room (remember the rest of the house is Lance and Christie's area), you'd think there would be no problem finding just the right picture for that space. Right? Nah. Not for me. But my new motto is make it work. I'm not acquiring anymore "stuff". What doesn't work is left for Lance and Christie to go through and if they don't want, I'll see if any other family members do.

Love our kitchen

The next task is to get this place painted. All the walls are white and dirty and driving me nuts. But that will happen in due time. I need to write now. My romantic mystery has been stalled. I have a publisher appointment in April - eekkk!!! I intended to have this book done at the end of this month in order to get the editing done before the appointment. Not sure how I'm going to make this happen.

Leave you with a few random thoughts:
Does it seem a bit weird that the animal hospital is next door to the taxidermist in Chino Valley?
We can burn our paper trash out here - this is a new experience and oh so convenient.
The Paulden post office is open 9-noon and 1-4. Closed on Saturdays.

Remember the mirrors around my tub? I look better after I get out than when I get in - red skin vs pasty white.

Size Does Matter! Post #9

Too short, no mail!

And the mail continues to be an issue. I find this pretty amusing. The first day we had our new mailbox up, we received one piece of paper in the box. It was a notice from the mailman. Our box is too short! Frank used an existing post (how nice of someone to leave it behind!) and mounted our box on it. But the mailman says all boxes must be the same height. We now have a post office box - at least for the next six months. Frank will wait for Lance to help him tackle burying a post at the right height.

We're taking all kinds of measures to cut costs. Living on a fixed income is a strange phrase - unless you're a salesman who receives varied amounts of commission or in a field where royalties are part of your income, aren't most people living on a fixed income? We've always been on a budget. For years, I've been able to tell you exactly how much we spent in any given month on food, gas, utilities, clothes, hair, fun and several other categories. The only difference is now we have much less to spend. The other difference is that Frank is taking a more active part.

Frank found the Safeway Store site. Safeway is the big grocery store in Chino Valley. He plans to do some price comparisons to see if it's worth the gas to drive into Prescott Valley to go to Fry's. Fry's is usually touted as the store with lower prices. The Safeway site lists all their specials and has coupons you can print off.

I've been paying attention to gas prices. This never concerned me before. A penny or two from one station to the next - who cared? Now I care. The best price I saw yesterday was $3.43 at the Safeway Store gas station. A few blocks down the road it was $3.68. Plus, both Safeway and Fry's give cents off their gas with each shopping trip.

Another cost issue is health insurance. Frank has the VA. They are wonderful! I dropped my insurance and am now taking advantage of my Native American heritage. This will save us about $500 a month.

I am a member of the Choctaw Nation. I'm actually Choctaw, Chickasaw and Cherokee. But my great grandparents chose Choctaw for registration. Because I am a direct blood descendant of someone on the Final Rolls of Citizens and Freedmen of the Five Civilized Tribes in Indian Territory (commonly called the Dawes Commission Roll), I am eligible to receive medical care at the Indian Hospital in Phoenix. Between the years of 1898 and 1906, Indians that registered their families secured some benefits for their ancestors. Thank you, Great Grandpa and Grandma!

As I understand it, most doctors at the hospital are working off medical loans or are doing stints for other reasons. My first visit yesterday was with a dermatologist. I have to be seen every three months because of the melanoma I had removed last October in Minnesota. I learned a bit about him as well as how the system works. We had a rousing political discussion in regards to the state of health care and the political climate. There have been many cutbacks with the Indian health care system and there are rumored to be more. He doesn't have his own office, a nurse or a secretary. He typed all my info into the system as we talked. He skirted the normal appointment procedure to ensure I get my visit in three month. I liked him (even if we are not politically aligned). He's in his thirties and I breathed easier when he told me he has another three years at the hospital. My mother has a friend who's only medical care is at the Indian hospital and she has nothing but positive words. Here's hoping my experiences with clinic care will be as good.

On the way to Flagstaff

We celebrated Lance's birthday by taking him and Christie to dinner in Flagstaff. We joked it would probably be the last time at the Outback but it may be more truth than joke. Had a great time as always. Looking forward to their move here next month. Maybe we'll be adapted to our new surroundings just in time to get adapted to sharing the space!

Are You Ever So Happy You Cry?

I have something to get off my mind. I spend my days writing fiction, but right now I'd like to write something real that happened to me.

So...are you ever so happy you cry? I did just today. I've gone through a scary time, and I don't mean the Halloween kind of scary. Last month, the pathology from a mole on my arm came back positive for melanoma. And the doctor added to that lovely piece of news, that it was in the second layer of skin which causes additional concern. I discovered how I react to this kind of news. Don't we all ask ourselves "how would I react"? Thankful I wasn't alone when I got this news, I collapsed in a crying fit of fear huddled in my husband's arms.  I stayed there for most of the next couple of days. I spent a great deal of time on the telephone during those days, too - family, dermatologist, oncologist, surgeon and ophthalmologist. That last one puzzled me. Did you know you can have moles on the backside of your eyes? The overall doctor speak I got was my original biopsy pointed to a good resolution, but to be sure they needed to remove more of my arm and a lymph node.

As positive as I tried to stay, I still broke down in fearful tears at any given time during the day. I told as few people as I could. It seemed the fewer who knew, the less real my cancer. And I didn't want to talk about it anymore than I had to. I'm no good at nurse-maiding others (ask my poor husband), and I certainly didn't relish that role for myself. I made all the appointments with the various doctors and went on a holding pattern for the surgery. At times I was angry with myself for being so scared. But try as I might, no matter how many times I told myself - "I'll be okay, I"ll be okay" - dread would wash over me and I'd cry.

One evening, a few days before my surgery, I was staring at the television in an attempt to forget for awhile, and a calmness starting somewhere in the vicinity of my head settled in me and spread like a warm elixir throughout my body. I would be okay. No matter what the results of the surgery, I would be okay. I don't know where the feeling came from or why, but it was damn near euphoric. I felt near elated for the next twenty four hours. As the surgery grew closer and for the four days after waiting for the results, I was anxious. As much as I felt I'd be okay, I needed to hear it from the doctor. And I did. They found nothing else.

And so I cried off and on all that day with tears of relief. That was three days ago. Today, out of the blue, I cried again. This time with joy. I've had several friends and family members succumb to cancer in the last few years. The C word is very scary. I never used it for myself. I always said melanoma. Just didn't sound as scary as cancer. Melanoma has an 86% cure rate. I'm very happy to be in the 86%.

This whole episode started with a routine dermatology visit. Having been raised in Arizona with all that sun, I like to have my skin checked every couple of years. My word of advice for the day - you do the same. If there is something to find, find it early.