Future theft

Consider this, in a balanced ecosystem there are inputs and outputs.  When I tended my garden I also composted the waste and then added back the rich soil I produced.  I also learned to cut off the dead plants at the roots and leave the roots in the ground to add nutrients to the soil. 

In a book Brother is reading called Native American Animal Stories there is a story about a child learning to hunt.  Many animals pass the hunters in the woods but they ultimately take the life of the old animal, letting the young pass by so that they might reproduce and serve their purpose on this planet before becoming human food.  Many other stories in this book talk about the balance of life and how the Native Peoples cooperated with Nature in a give and take relationship.

Enter Western civilization and the view that nature is something to be dominated, ruled, exploited, blown up, mined, polluted, harvested, and ultimately changed from its original form.  It is beyond arrogant to think that there are not consequences for this disrespectful, non-reciprocal, and violent method of life.  

In reality our conquistador ancestors and their ruling/owning/exploiting descendants have stolen,and continue to steal, the resources intended for future generations so that they can live lives of such opulence would don't even have words to describe it.  If we could observe the full extent of the riches of the owner class we would surely be disgusted and appalled by their extreme greed.  

And what is the benefit for "consumers" of having our current systems of exchange and commerce? debt? endless desire in a world where everything is destined for a landfill? malaise? hating our jobs? division and conflict over the idea of scarcity?  We have forgotten how to take care of ourselves!  We are forced to rely on systems we mistrust.  Our leaders have no interest in serving people over profits.  All natural resources are threatened.  We are scared and feel powerless.  The forces are dark and looming and we are swimming with all our might just to keep from drowning      ....sounds like we are getting the shit end of that stick.  

What are we giving back to the earth to replenish that which we have taken?  Nothing.  We consume, we do not grow or tend or nurture.  Most of us have virtually no survival skills, can't grow, can't build, can't fix, can't mend.  

When oil, created over millions of years, is pumped to the surface to be burned up by billions of needy consumers during one lifetime we rob our descendants of ingredients necessary to their life.  We are burning up the air our own children will need.  We are cutting down the trees that would have produced the air for our grandchildren!

Our way of life is killing us.  For the first time in a long time life expectancy is in decline.  Why? So the Sackler family can deal the equivalent of opium legally and amass untold riches while facing no repercussions?  Because we refuse to acknowledge the systematic poverty and disenfranchisement this system creates?  Because children are killing themselves rather than live in this world we create each day. We are stealing the hopes and dreams of children in addition to their right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  

We are wiping out all other species at an alarming rate - our choices and beliefs are a plague to this beautiful planet.  We could choose to return to a reciprocal relationship with nature.  But we have to do it on a planetary scale.  If we do nothing we steal the future, from our descendants, and knowingly commit the crime of stealing the future away from those who have yet to come.  

We can't bury our head in the sand and pretend this isn't happening.  Listen to your inner voice - the one that is discontent - instead of stuffing it with food, purchases or drugs.  Decide what you are going to do about it. 

The Land - recent past to present

So now let me bring you up to speed with the most recent RSQ progress.  After the events of 2006-2007 not much happened except that we had rolls of insulation delivered and we stored them in the garage for many years.  We both were working stressful full-time jobs and didn't have the energy to devote to the homestead.  Then we started our family.  I gave birth to two babies out of five pregnancies between 2008-2014 (miscarriages as a result of uterine fibroids).  I share this because I spent a lot of time thinking about being pregnant, being pregnant, and recovering from being pregnant during the intervening years.  After Sister was born in 2014 I was positive that I did not want to go through any more pregnancies.  Due to continued medical issues I ended up having a hysterectomy in 2016... I give this bit of background because it reinforced the fact that health is a necessary precondition to any project.  My health, and having small children, are the main reasons why RSQ was on the back burner for a while. 

We visited the land in 2015 when Sister was seven months old.  We did some organization, stacked up the rolls of insulation that were taking up the main floor space of the garage and even put up one roll just to see how it would go. 

Insulation rolls in blue bags stacked

First roll of insulation on the wall

We purchased the insulation when we thought this building would be a garage with a bathroom.  Now we want to make it into a fully functional tiny house.  Another way to insulate the building would be to frame up the inside and put insulation behind the drywall. Our plan does include some framing, but not just for the sake of cosmetics.  Also, we want to use everything that we already purchased and we have a plan to decorate so that the insulation is not very noticeable.  So we proceeded with hanging the insulation, but realized quickly that we couldn't hang insulation with a baby in tow.  First there is the dust that the kids should not breath and secondly these suckers are heavy!  It is a two-person job and one of them can't be holding a kiddo. 

The next time we worked on the building was in 2016-2017 when Sister was two years old.  We rented scaffolding from the big box store on two occasions.  It took several trips over eight months to get the job done...

Husband on the scaffolding attaching insulation to the building

The first step in attaching the insulation was to lay it out and we used the scaffolding
and a ladder to raise it up.  The top of the building is 12' tall.

Yes, it's currently a big padded room. 

Our tent has been set up inside the building for a while.  We have a futon mattress
and all of our sleeping bags inside ready to use when we visit. 

We do have a bit more insulation to use on the end walls, but we need to get the framing for the lofts and rooms up before the insulation goes in.  In a future post I will try to share the floor plan we have drawn up.  

The current state of affairs is that we are storing our remaining possessions there so the building is very full.  I hope that on our next trip we can organize things and start to plan the next steps in this adventure.

Hideout living 18 months later...

It's crazy, but I am kind of in love with living in this tiny space now that the weather is good.  While I am not going to deny that there are things I miss (like some decent counter space in the kitchen), the pros to this life far outweigh the cons.  I think the biggest reason I don't want to move from the Hideout is the cost of living.  Lot rent is cheap, the Hideout is paid off, and living in a small space limits how much stuff we can buy.  In the meantime our savings is growing which means we will continue to live free of debt far into the future.

In the past month we rearranged the kids' bunks.  We ditched the flat full sized mattresses that came with the Hideout and bought two twin foam mattresses from IKEA.  We also bought IKEA bins that fit between the mattress and the wall to better contain their toys and clothes.  They both like the new organization and said it is easier to find things.  They also have been spending more time in their spaces - which is the biggest proof that they like the changes we made.  We've talked to Brother about whether he missed having his own room - it seems he misses some of the things that were in the room that we can't fit in the Hideout, not necessarily the room itself.  I don't think Sister cares too much.  18 months of her four years have been spent in the Hideout - this is home for her.

Did I mention Brother broke his arm three weeks ago?  He was playing outside and riding a scooter that is too small for him....he tripped, fell off of it, and caught himself with his right arm.  He has a buckle fracture of both the radius and ulna.  He is now halfway through his time in the cast (assuming he does not need a second cast). 

He's had to learn to use his left had more.  He had a bit of trouble climbing up to his top bunk at first, but has adapted.  Bathing is a bit of an adventure....we've been focusing on school work that does not require handwriting.  He's been reading a lot of fiction in place of video games as the controllers present challenges.  Thankfully he is not in any pain.  He has many well-wishes and signatures on the cast. 

The last day of classes for fall semester is November 30.  During the winter break I have a lot of work to do to get my classes ready for the spring semester, but I will mostly work from home.  Husband switched to an online program so starting in the spring he will not need to commute to campus.  We think that is going to work out better.  Sister can now count to 100 by ones and tens!  She also knows almost all of the sounds of the letters and can sound out two and three letter words.  She's as bright as her brother.  Brother is doing really well in fourth grade.  He just finished a lesson on fractions and decimals and made us proud with his progress. 

In September we had to have the motor in our air conditioner replaced.  Thankfully it was under warranty.  We didn't mess with the dealership - I doubt we will ever go there again - we just called a company that came to our lot and did the repairs on site.  We had to pay for the service call but the parts were under warranty.  This week we turned on the furnace for the first time.  We are in that crazy time of year in AZ where the air conditioner is needed during the warmest part of the day and we have to turn on the furnace at night.  I can't remember when we filled the propane last, but it was a long time ago....before Michigan...so June?  We've been running on the same 30 gallon tank since then - but now, since we are using the furnace it will probably run out soon.  We had a couple of high electric bills since we've been back the highest was $180 and the next one dropped to $130.  Now that we are not running the air conditioner so much it will be low again. 

Finally, we are planning on setting up service with a high-speed internet provider while we are stationary.  We have been using our T-Mobile service/hotspot for the past 18 months and it's been ok, but we want something faster and more reliable.  Century Link is the only provider in our area - I think we will set that up this month. 

Well, those are the updates - we are busy when we are stationary!  We are looking forward to a wonderful weekend in the mountains at Rancho Status Quo next weekend - though it will probably be cold and we will have to look through boxes to find our winter clothes!

The Land - cool, clear water...

We've learned a lot about what not to do...  The pump is rather small.  It is submersible and hangs approximately 180' from the well cap.  The last time we pulled it out we took a few pictures.

Connected to the top of the pump are the electrical cord, the hose through which the water travels, and a rope which supports all of the weight.

After we first dropped the pump in 1999 it remained for many years with very little protection from the elements around the well cap.  What little protection we tried to implement failed in keeping out the elements and the pests.  As a result the rope started to look weak and frayed.  I would panic about the condition of that rope.   In 2007 we were ready to install a second pump - we had installed 6" well casing so that there could be two pumps in the well.  When we were ready to install the second pump we pulled the first to replace the rope and ensure it was secure.

The second pump is a manual backup - the Simple Pump allows us to draw water when the sun is not out.  After completing the drop of the solar pump we then dropped the Simple Pump 10' length of pipe by 10' length of pipe nearly 200 feet to the static water level.  We then plumbed up an elaborate system of bypasses so that we could move the water to a storage tank or to an outdoor faucet as needed.  We sanitized the well and then sealed up the cap to ensure that the water quality remained uncontaminated.

We then built the most permanent shed to date - though woefully inadequate in retrospect...

A while after we made these decisions we ended up having to face the mistakes we made.  #1 - in sealing the cap of the well we effectively cut off the water because the air cannot enter the well for displacement.  In other words, we sealed it too well!  For the past 10 years we have not been able to use the well.  #2 - in building the shed we created a harbor for rodents who took the place over.  In an effort to reclaim the shed in 2016 Husband took on a mighty project of creating a concrete trench complete with a metal mesh barrier that circles and attaches to the plywood floor of the shed.  Since then we are confident there is no new rodent activity, but we still have to tear it down.  We also need to remedy the sealed cap issue - which is no small task.  The weight hanging from the cap is significant and we will have to engineer a solution to lifting it....(we have some ideas).  We then have to build yet another building - this time one that will keep out the pests.

On the plus side we are confident the well was not contaminated by the rodents because the cap is sealed so tightly!

Though we made these mistakes in 2007 we have not been able to fix them.  Brother was born in 2009 and we have had different priorities. It has been difficult to work on projects while at the same time keeping an eye on little people.  Getting the water flowing is a priority - to have the water flowing again will help push us and this project to where it needs to be.

The Land - the middle years...

It was 2006 when we took the next big steps to build Rancho Status Quo.  We'd been camping for years and were wishing for a place to store things so that we didn't have to haul everything for every trip.  Additionally we were dreaming of a flushing toilet and a sink....We considered our budget and our abilities and decided to build a steel building.

As a part of the improvements of 2006 we also improved our "driveway" which is actually the easement between our parcel and the next.  On a very memorable and soggy camping trip with friends we both got our trucks stuck in the mud and had to push each other out....it wasn't the first time we had problems with the "road" or lack of roads - so we decided to hire a backhoe guy to spread some gravel and install a culvert.  In the end the road was much improved!

As a side note, over 10 years later the road needs a bit of work.  The water has found a way to flow across the road instead of through the culvert and we need a ditch to funnel the water away from the road and to the culvert.  This is on the list of things that need to be done.

Our original plan was to build a garage with running water and bathroom.  We got a permit from the county and then installed a proper septic tank/field.

Septic tank in the ground and trench to septic field

Septic field installation

We also had a foundation poured for the building and we hired a plumber to install the rough plumbing for the building.  We got a permit for the construction and had the necessary inspections.

Set up for foundation

It was really cool to have a cement truck on the land!  We are really happy with the foundation.  To this day it has served us well with only minor cracks.  

While all of this contract work was being done we had the steel building delivered.  We actually got a full-blown 18-wheeler back to the land!  Although the driver took one turn a little sharp and broke one of the lights on the back of the truck on one of the juniper trees.

The driver was pissed when he parked, not only because of the broken light, he expected more people to help with the unloading of the building parts.  But Husband and I worked hard and fast to unload the pieces and he seemed pleasantly surprised when we had the job done quite quickly.  It doesn't look like much when it is laying on the ground - but it is a hell of a solid structure when put together.  From this point forward we did all the work between the two of us.

Next step was drilling holes into the cured foundation so we could anchor bolt the base plates to the foundation.  

We rented a hammer drill from the big box home improvement store and went to work...that is me drilling concrete like a total bad a$$.

Once the holes were all drilled the base plates were bolted to the foundation.  Next comes the fun part - raising arches!  The whole things goes together with a LOT of nuts and bolts.  These buckets were full at the beginning...I didn't think of taking a picture until near the end!

The first couple of arches are a bit tricky because they stabilize as they are connected to each other.  In this picture we have raised three arches and they are bolted to each other.  The first one is the most flimsy, but as you add the second and then the third they gain strength from each other.  If it is windy you can't let the first arch hang out by itself for long or it could twist and bend and get damaged.  It is windy at our land and so we had to work quickly to get these three together before I could stop and take a picture.  We had to rent scaffolding as well because we had to be able to reach to tighten the nuts at the highest point which is 12'.  Also when raising the arch you need to be on a firm surface so you can pull, it would not work with a ladder.

Eventually we got all of the arches together.  The dimensions of the building are 26' x 20'.  We opted for one standard door on the "back" and a single car garage door on the "front."  The end walls are a little different from the arches.  We had to cut some of the steel panels to accommodate the frames for the doors. 

Once the frames were in place we purchased a garage door and standard door from the big box and had them installed by a professional.

Having a secure building has been excellent.  We actually have our tent with a futon mattress set up inside, which keeps the bedding free of dust so we don't have to set up and take down the tent every time we visit.  

The land is a beautiful place and one that we have been connected to for the past 20 years.  We are really getting excited about spending more time there.  In the next post I will bring you up to speed with where we are at with the plumbing - which is a bit of a story.

The Land - the early years...

We bought the land in the late 90s.  It is slightly less than 40 acres and is located in the NE part of AZ in Apache County.  For many years we used it as a camping location.  It is off of county maintained roads and difficult to get to when it rains because of that fact.  The area is high desert and sits at an elevation of approx 5000 feet.  The soil is sandy and there are many juniper trees around.  A wash along the western edge of the land leads to the Little Colorado River.  There is evidence of prehistoric settlement on our land.  We have found pottery shards, spear points, and other artifacts.

The first improvement we made to the land occurred in 1999.  We paid $10,000 to have a well dug.  The water table is at 500' but once tapped the static water level sits at around 180'.  We decided early on that we wanted to be off grid, so we purchased a SureFlo submersible solar pump and two 75 watt solar panels.  With flowing water we were able to camp quite comfortably for many years.

The well

Originally we were planning on building an Earthship until we realized that we were not able to do the labor ourselves.  Pounding tires is really hard work and with two bad backs in the family it was too much.  That's not to say that we didn't try...

But we soon realized that we had to be more realistic about our abilities.  All of the preconceived notions you have about what you think you want eventually are to be adjusted to fit your time, abilities, budget and goals.  It took many years before we took the next big steps in improving The Land....to be continued...

Thankfulness and the future...

Sometimes you have to sit back and count your blessings.  Be present in the moment and list all of the things you are thankful for.  This can really help in controlling anxiety, worry, and doubt.  Life throws us curves - this is the method I have found to be the most effective in overcoming negative emotions.

I took a break from blogging for a month to sit back and reflect upon what is most important, where my priorities are, and to consider the future.  First and foremost I am thankful for my health and the health of my family.  I am thankful for having time with Husband and the kids.  I am thankful that we have a roof over our heads, food in the fridge, reliable transportation, a rewarding career, and a supportive social network.  I am also thankful for the opportunity to travel with our family and explore new parts of this beautiful country. 

When I think about those things that most concern me about the future (issues that are far bigger than me), I hate feeling hopeless or that my fate lies in the hands of others.  I, like many, want to secure the future for my children.  I want to build upon the positive choices we have made.  We have taken steps to get out of debt, save money, obtain skills and education - but how can we take control of our future?  What can we build that will endure?  What can we teach our kids that will serve them in their future?  Our travels showed us the majesty of this great country - how can we be part of the solution in protecting it?

Twenty-some years ago we had a vision of building a homestead. We purchased an unimproved property and very slowly we have made improvements.  Our shifting priorities over the years distracted us from the value of investing our time and money into developing the homestead, but now, as I consider the paths available, this option burns brightly.   Using this resource and developing a sustainable, off-grid homestead we can develop a life of interdependence with the natural world and one that we can be proud to leave to the next generation. 

Creating a homestead from a vacant piece of land is difficult, costly, and time consuming.  Though we have made progress over the years, we have a lot more to do before we can call it home.  We were able to visit Rancho Status Quo a couple of weekends ago.  Each time we visit we start to dream of a livable home with infrastructure improvements to the roads and so forth...We always leave with an idea of what needs to happen next. 

Living in the Hideout is teaching us much about what we need.  We are very comfortable in 200 square feet - and we know that a very nice living space can be crafted with just a bit more.  We recently walked through IKEA to look at their tiny home floor plans -  500 square feet seems like so much space now!  If Rancho Status Quo was livable it would be a very low cost place to live (taxes are the single reoccuring expense)...

Well those are my most recent thoughts...stay tuned for a history of the work we have done to improve the land over the past 20 years and an inventory of the projects that are still outstanding.  What is the take away point?  This year is going to be less about travel and more about closing this open loop in our life.  Rancho Status Quo is going to become a reality.

Stigma

What's good for the rich is not necessarily what is good for your family.  Unfortunately the values of the ruling class are those that are contained in every commercial, TV show, news article, etc...it's called cultural hegemony and people have understood and talked about this since the early 20th century.

To understand the hegemonic influence of the wealthy, most people need look no further than to examine their views of a family living in a trailer.  Do you feel that it is just not right or trashy or low class or some other negative judgement?  If so, you may be internalizing the values of the wealthy as opposed to the values of the working class.

Working class values stand in stark contrast to those of the wealthy.  Here are a couple of examples:

1.  The rich like to show off how much money they have by engaging in conspicuous consumption.  Rich consumers are concerned with the way they are perceived as a result of the crap that they own.  It's not enough to have a car, it has to be a sports car...At best the working class can only engage in crass consumerism - where they try to one-up their friends and family through their consumerism.  It is a messy game and the end result is debt.
2. The rich are invested in the current systems of energy and war.  They spent a great deal of money marketing the military to the working class.  The military,in turn, pursues foreign oil interests funded and staffed by the working class.  Americans who are extremely patriotic are buying the advertising being sold.  War is not good for the working class because we are the ones dying for the interests of power.  With very few exceptions rich people do not send their kids to war.  
3. The rich believe in socialism of risk, but not in socialism for the greater good.  For instance when the banks crashed in 2008 the working class paid to bail out the banks even when home forclosure was at an all time high.  The working class socialized the risk to the bankers, but did not socialize the greater good of home ownership.  The same thing happens when Amazon and Walmart underpay their employees and the working class taxes end up paying for the welfare benefits for those underemployed workers.  The rich keep their labor costs low thereby minimizing the risk to their investors and keeping profits high.  Meanwhile the working class has to prop up those workers who don't make enough to survive.

I could go on and on...the criminal justice system comes to mind as another disgusting example...healthcare/pharma....food subsidies...environment....damn, the whole meat and dairy industry...its a bad deal for the working class these days.

Let's clarify the values that will help the working class.

1. Valuing relationships, leisure, and your time over things.  
2. Valuing savings over spending
3. Valuing love over war
4. Valuing a clean and healthy environment over pollution
5. Valuing freedom over being a wage slave
6. Valuing health over the toxic shit being advertised

So....if you live by these values you may end up living in a very small house, apartment or RV - the goal would be to maximize savings over the cost of housing.  Will you face stigma?  Yes, because the cultural hegemony is so strong.

So much money is being spent on advertising and trying to convince everyone that the values of the rich should be the values of everyone - but that is bullshit.  You know it, I know it.  Working class people from the conservative or liberal side have infinitely more in common with each other than they do with the 1%.  It's time we stopped turning on each other and judging each other and instead worked together to figure out how to set this system up with our values in the center.  A first step is to ignore the stigma and embrace the values of the working class.  Your parents and grandparents were in the same boat as you and your kids will be there too - why not try and make this country work for us and for the next generation?  Imagine media messages crafted with working class values; imagine laws written to support workers not the idle rich - what a wonderful world it would be.

Benefits of living with less...

Today I am really thankful for our simple life.  It's a hard truth to understand until you live it - buying more stuff will not make you happy.  I'm doing laundry today.  We do laundry once a week and it takes a couple of hours because we use multiple machines at the laundry facility in our community.  When I owned a house I had a laundry room.  I used to ALWAYS have laundry to be done.  I never got caught up.  I owned more clothing, bedding, towels, etc than I needed so I could let the laundry pile up and still have more clothes to wear, towels to use, etc.  These days I donate anything that I don't wear.  If I buy a new piece of clothing I get rid of another.  As the kids outgrow things I donate and replace.  We own about a weeks worth of clothing each - it is plenty.

Our family of four has one tiny cupboard for dishes.  We have four bowls and four plates that we use as our main dishes.  We have some storage containers and three glass mixing bowls of different sizes that come in handy.  We have a few cups, but we mostly just use our water bottles all of the time.  Doing dishes is easy because we have so few things to wash.  We can't make a mess on top of a mess because we don't even own duplicates of anything.  It is so simple, basic and easy.

We don't waste food.  We are limited by our small fridge and our pantry size.  We buy exactly what we will eat and then when it is gone we shop again.  We don't throw away food like we used to - we don't lose things in the back of the fridge.  Our space is precious and we can't use it to store things we are not going to eat. We make salads and canned soup and things on the grill.  I make crockpot meals.  It is easy and simple.  We eat vegetables, fruits and greens every day.  It is a healthy way of living and I feel good about using up the food we buy.

The kids play with their toys.  They don't have many.  Brother likes Legos and Sister likes dinosaurs and dragons.  When their screen time is done, they play with their toys.  They don't have too many to overwhelm them.  It is easy to put them away because they each have one bin which holds all of their toys.  I don't have to stress about toys everywhere - I remember what a disaster the toy situation was in our big house.  Toys are valued here, the ones that are not played with are donated.  It's a good system.

When your space is free of all the clutter so is your mind.  Whatever the future holds I know that I will always value a simple life and a small house.  It's the most liberating feeling to be free of all that stuff.

Speaking of liberation: Since we have been back from our summer adventure we have been clearing out our 5x5 storage space.  We had three boxes left of our leather bound book collection and Husband has been selling them on ebay.  We sold most of the books in lots by collection, but these are the few that didn't fit into any collection or were unique in some way.  In a couple weeks he has already collected $1000 for some of these items.  Overall it seems we recouped about 2/3rd of the cost of all those books - with many collections you're lucky to get back 1/3 of the value, so we are very happy about that.  We've put about $12,000 into savings from the sale of all the books.  It's been a royal pain selling them and it had taken a lot of time, but we are finally down to the last box.  This experience has been a lesson in the truth that it is much easier to acquire things than to get rid of them.

Finally, speaking of savings - I love having savings.  With no debt and low expenses, even with our summer trip, we have been able to grow our savings significantly over the past year.  Of course selling things has helped increase the savings, but there is a portion of my paycheck that has been going to savings for over a year and we have not had to use it. In a country where 40% of our fellow Americans can't afford a $400 emergency without selling something or borrowing money it is a good feeling to have cash in the bank.  Currently we have the bulk of our savings in CDs bought at different times and with different maturity dates.  This investment strategy works for us and is also simple.  There is little stress, it is straightforward, has a guaranteed return, and allows us the option to change our strategy at regular intervals.  Watching the savings grow is joyful and allows us the freedom to consider various options for the future.  Most significantly we have freedom - we own ourselves and our things without any obligations to a bank or a lender.

There are so many benefits of living with less.  I partially attribute my improve health to the reduced stress and the increased sense of control I feel.  I no longer binge drink or eat - I am not even tempted.  Choosing to live simply includes making good choices for yourself and your family.  There is an added sense of mindfulness and peace associated with it. There is also an increased sense of thankfulness for what we have - especially each other and our health - perhaps that is the best aspect of living with less.

"...I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference."
-Robert Frost

Schooling, learning, and teaching

We are very focused on education around here!  Each day we have a number of educational obligations, not least of which includes Brother completing fourth grade.  There is some irony on the homeschooling road.  We have been very concerned about ensuring that he keeps pace with the public schools and his peers.  The irony is that when he was in public schools we felt he was not sufficiently challenged. We are continually ensuring that he is challenged and as a result he is undoubtedly much further along than his peers.  For example, we have only been "in school" for approximately three weeks, but in that time he has covered over half of a math workbook that is supposed to last the year!  Clearly we will have to keep moving ahead to keep him challenged.  Likewise, with language arts, science and social studies (which are all integrated through the Moving Beyond the Page curriculum), we find that our summer adventures have really added a depth to the material.  He has first-hand knowledge of geology, fossils, and volcanoes from National Parks and museums so studying rocks and minerals was a breeze and actually rather superficial compared to what we have already learned.  We also explored a number of archaeological sites and learned about American history while traveling.  These experiences give us a great deal to draw upon when reading Little House in the Big Wood or Sign of the Beaver.  Husband is directing his education and working with him each day; I take the lead on teaching him piano and building upon the formal lessons he took in second grade.  When he surpasses me, I will have to find him a new piano teacher.  By the way, the piano leans up against the wall by my side of the bed.  The stand folds up behind my bedroom door.  When we play we set it up in front of the couch...it's a minor inconvenience, but it works in this tiny house!

School for Husband is going well - he is 2/3 of the way through his degree and is finally taking all the difficult upper division computer science classes.  I am settling into my classes this semester.  I was told that the third time you teach an on-ground class is the time you finally find your footing and I see the truth in that now.  I am more comfortable than I was last year.  

Sister is growing up so fast!  She is more interested in learning her letters and numbers as of late.  She loves doing her preschool workbook and reading books.  There were times past where she would get all frustrated with us trying to teach her letters or numbers.  Now she is asking about words and letters she sees.  She still has her own way of writing and she pretends to write stories in her own little cute script.  It's adorable....see?  

Unfortunately the weather has remained very hot and we are still packed inside the Hideout.  As a result the biggest challenge is allowing Brother the space and quiet to concentrate and complete his tasks without interruptions from Sister.  

I've been figuring out how to cook outside and with the appliances again.  It's a way of thinking that I had to remember from last summer and come to terms with (I've been rebelling and hoping it would cool off).   However I am sick of trying to find something decent when eating out and I want my own healthy food.  Tonight I made a wonderful salad with a frozen/steamer/microwaved bag of veggies on top.  It was awesome - I ate it too fast to take a picture!  

I am a thankful wife and mama.  Life is good, we've settled back into life in the Phoenix area and have found our routine for the school year.  

The adventure...

I didn't realize this until I was in my 20s and I didn't internalize it until I was in my 40s - each day you chose your adventure.  We are all caught in a web of our own making.  Sure, there are seemingly random events which we have to deal with - sometimes these events seem to illustrate the will of a Thou.  But much of today is a result of the choices of yesterday and tomorrow will follow from today.  Every single moment we have a chance to create a new adventure.  Doors are opening and closing almost every moment and if we step through one we may open ourselves to disappointment, love, excitement or something entirely new.  

The path less traveled - a road of discovery

Happiness, to me, is being present in the moment and observing the past as well as the currents that you are caught in.  To be content, to say to oneself, "I want everything that I have at this moment," is fulfilling, enjoyable, and peaceful.  If you find that you are not content with everything in this moment, how can you make different choices to ensure that you will be content in the future?  Right now I feel that I created my life, I willed it into existence, I signaled my intentions to the Universe and Thou responded.  You could put these statements into Christian terms "I had faith and God answered my prayers," but I like to try and capture a sentiment using words that are not particular to one dogma. When I reflect (or meditate or pray) I like to consider how beautifully this past year has unfolded as a result of deliberate intention.  

Reflection

When I examine the present I am content and thankful and then I think about what comes next.  In many ways I have already signaled my intent and desire to the Universe and I have already received a response.  One never knows exactly how the future will unfold, but you can visualize the next destination or goal.  I remember how badly I wanted to graduate with my doctorate - I had no idea how long it would take, but I knew that I would eventually finish it.  The Universe responded by ensuring I had the time and money to complete it, though the circumstances were beyond my imagination.  This has happened to me so many times, and I feel that there are patterns to the way these things unfold.  I feel like we are living through an inhalation but that soon there will be an exhalation and we will be blown to the next time and place.  

The Heard Museum

We checked out a culture pass from the library for the Heard Museum.  It saved us $36 in admission costs.  Sister was free, it cost $7.50 for Brother.  The culture pass is an excellent program - I am surprised how few people know about it!  What an amazing critical exhibit by Nicholas Galanin - Dear Listener.  There is little I can add to what he so masterfully illustrates.  If you get a chance you should go see it yourself.  Here are only a few of the pieces that really spoke to me.

We Dreamt Death

God Complex

The American Dream is Alie and Well

You are indisneyland

Space Invaders

There was so much to see and feel.  It was hard to explain these pieces to Brother who was interested and asked wonderful questions.  I am proud of him for being engaged.  It is a shameful history, but one that must be reckoned with, acknowledged and heard.  Another piece we spent some time with were the dual pieces "Kill the Indian" and "Save the Man."  The chipped mask was an excellent illustration/metaphor for the devastation of native cultures.  Of course the titles come from the words of Capt Richard H Pratt in 1892, a founder of boarding schools. 

RVegan success

I recently visited the doctor for a yearly physical, blood work and so forth. The last time I went was back in the spring of 2017, so it has been over a year since my last visit.  Before I report on the outcomes let me recap the significant changes I have made to my diet during the intervening time.

1. Dairy-free for over a year (July of 2017)
2. Teetotaller for almost 8 months (Jan of 2018)
3. "Mostly" vegan for over a year - though I lost my habit tracker data when I got a new phone I estimate that at least 75% of my meals are vegan (conservative estimate).  When they are not it is because I ate fish or poultry.  

In the past eight years (since Brother was born) I have been told I was pre-diabetic, I have had high cholesterol, and I was treated for high blood pressure with medications for a short time.

Today I found out my HgA1C is 5.1!!!  That is in the healthy range for the first time in a long time (last physical I was considered pre-diabetic).  My blood pressure continues to be normal as it has been for a few years and I have lost 20 pounds since my last physical!  My BMI is still in the overweight range at 28 - but I have been as high as 34.  I have to lose 23 pounds more for my BMI to be under 25 and in the normal range.  My cholesterol is in the healthy range as well.  

We were more active over the summer - we did a fair bit of hiking and I am sure that helped, but I really think that my improved health is a result of my changed diet.  I have not been trying to lose weight, I have just noticed my clothes getting bigger.  This is a big first in my life. It is very gratifying to be able to go clothes shopping for smaller pants!

I am feeling proud of my health.  Considering that prioritizing our health was at the top of our list of reasons for changing our lifestyle I am gratified that I am seeing some really great results (on top of feeling better on a daily basis). Also, I am not on a diet - I have changed my lifestyle and habits.  I want to eat Whole Food Plant Based meals, I don't want to eat the junk I used to eat/drink.  I think this aspect of any lifestyle change is really important - when dieting we are in a state of deprivation - but I don't feel like that at all.  I am so thankful that I have my health and that I can adventure with my kids - I plan on continuing to take care of myself so that I can enjoy these adventures for as long as possible.

What's next?

According to the National Park Foundation there are 417 National Park Sites in the United States.  Before we went on this adventure I knew there were National Parks and National Monuments, but I didn't realize there were National Lakeshores, Memorials, Battlefields, Parkways, Historic Sites, Wild and Scenic Rivers....and the list goes on!  

There are 59 Sites that have "National Park" as part of their official name.  Though I ordered this poster before we left, we didn't receive it until after our trip.  This is a scratch-off National Parks map.  The green trees are the ones we have visited so far - but now I wish I would have searched for a more comprehensive map showing more of the National Park Service sites!

To tell you the absolute truth, returning to the Phoenix area during this extreme heat has been depressing.  When it is so hot we have to put the reflectix and sun shades in the windows and reflectix in the sky light to block out the sun.  We run the air conditioning 24/7.  I can't use the stove inside because the air conditioner is already working hard to keep it 30 degrees cooler than the outdoor temps (it was in the 100-teens the first week we were back and now in the 100s).  If it is 108 outside, we have to minimize the number of times we open the front door during the day to keep the Hideout at 78.  Today it reached 109 and inside we were at 82 degrees (due to going in and out, running the coffee pot and there just being four bodies inside giving off heat).  Cooking outside on the grill is possible - but then again it increases the number of times we have to open the door.  We have been eating lots of cheap bean burritos from fast food places when it is this hot.  I long for the days of open windows and kids playing outside.  Right now we are trapped inside as if it was a Midwestern winter!

With that said the thing that excites me and allows me to look past this moment is the next trip!  While we are happy with our spot in Mesa it is not especially scenic or exciting.  It is the best and most cost effective place we have found that allows us a short commute to the light rail and to ASU, but we have caught the road bug and I am counting down the weeks until we can roll out again.  Thankfully we have a couple of weeks over winter break (during which time I work remotely)!  Of course Arizona is the place to be in the winter - we don't want to go too far away from the winter weather!  Looking at the National Park map inspired me - we will see Big Bend, Guadalupe Mountains and Carlsbad Caverns on our winter trip!  I really can't think of a better holiday experience than being in a National Park with great weather hiking and enjoying the peace and serenity of nature.  

We have been asked if we are going to buy a house now...the answer is no (though in this heat I am missing having a house).  This "house" is so economical and we are able to spend so much time together as a family - there would have to be a trade-off if we purchased a house.  For now we want to maximize our adventures with our kids while I have the flexibility with my job.  Also, I am sort of excited about collecting more Junior Ranger Badges and National Park stickers for the Hideout! So fun!

Back to school

We have started our school year - Brother is in 4th grade, Sister in preschool, Husband continues his studies at the University and I begin my second year as an instructor.  These days our life is about travel and school - we learn in everything we do!  We continue to use Moving Beyond the Page for the bulk of homeschooling and we like the fact that the curriculum is all planned out.   This year we are also using Singapore Math in conjunction with Khan Academy.  Certainly the Junior Ranger programs through the National Park Service are valuable science and social studies lessons.  When we are traveling, completing these lessons makes our trip even more educational.

Brother also uses duolingo to learn Spanish.  One thing we failed to do last year is continue Brother's piano lessons, so that is high on the priority list this year. We also will continue physical activity - swimming, hiking, bike riding and basketball.  We live in too small of a space to be indoors all the time - it's good to get out and move whenever possible!  Also we were given a Wii from a family member this summer; this will give us some indoor physical activity options as well. 

Brother really wants to continue homeschooling and we love the flexibility.  He is a great student and he really tries.  While it is challenging for us at times we are getting better at setting the schedule, understanding the curriculum and leading him through it.  We are trying to set up get-togethers with friends on a regular basis to ensure he and Sister have time to play with other kids. 

In the meantime the priority is to clean out our storage unit (eliminating a monthly expense) and determine what we can keep and what we can part with of our remaining stuff.  Our other huge goal for this year is to make progress on our building project on The Land.  It looks like we will take a trip up there in the next month to start planning our moves. 

 

How much did it cost?

It's the moment of truth - in the end there was a price tag - what was it?

First, let me say that $80 spent for an America the Beautiful National Park pass was TOTALLY worth it!  I almost felt guilty entering the parks without paying time and time again.  We visited 18 National Park Service parks and we didn't pay admission to any of them.  I did however buy collectible stickers and/or patches at each of the gift shops to show my support for the parks, make my kiddos look cool, and collect a souvenir.

We were on the road for 12 weeks (84 nights).  Campground fees ranged from a high of around $65/night in California to free when we boondocked at Walmarts, truck stops, Cabellas, or with family.  Overall we spent an average of $27/night for a grand total of $2,263.  I was disappointed by that number, but then again I didn't plan out all of our stops before we left.  We did have a free week in Michigan when we were at my parents' land and at my aunt's house...but we did have many $30 nights as well.  If I was going to do it all over I would search out more state campgrounds which are generally under $20/night.  We also need to seek out the good weather so that we don't need our air conditioning during the summer.  That would help.  With some changes to our rig and solar system combined with more attention to where the weather is good we could manage better in primitive campgrounds.

Gas costs were high.  We knew our circle across the country was around 6,000 miles, but we ended up driving well over 7,000 miles when you take into account day trips.  We spent $2,472 on gas for the entire trip.  While pulling the rig we averaged between 10-12 mpg.  The cost of gas ranged from a high of $5/gallon near Yosemite to $2.35/gallon in the middle of the country.  Generally it was around $3/gallon. It is an obscene amount of money to spend on gas.  It's an obscene amount of gas to use.  However we are very glad we made the trek with our 6-cylinder Tacoma instead of a larger vehicle.  When we spoke to other travelers hauling RVs we found they generally were getting 8 mpg or less and were impressed by our 10-12 mpg average.  We have seriously debated buying a larger truck, but this is the single biggest reason why we are going to stick with the Tacoma. We will get a cash back reward from our credit card - it so happened that gas stations were one of the 5% back establishments during the current quarter.

We spent almost exactly $1,000 on admissions and other entertaining events such as Universal Studios in California, Evans Plunge in South Dakota, 1880 Train in South Dakota, Mackinac Island, museums, movies, and tours.  Looking back over the list of fun things I have to say that some of the most expensive were not the most fun - some of the least expensive (such as the guided cave tours) were very exciting...you just never know!  I don't think this budget item is too high, but I would, in the future, opt out of the more expensive venues.

In terms of food and dining, we were living as if we were on vacation.  We spent $800/month on groceries and $400/month dining.  Clearly this is an area where we could do a lot better.  When I look back over previous years, when we were both working and living in the McMansion we were doing much worse in terms of the budget and our food choices.  Our goal is to spend $800/month on food total.  We have made that goal in the past, but not consistently.  We have noticed that not buying alcohol has impacted our budget positively.

Because I was teaching online during the second half of the summer we supplemented our income and it was good that we had those additional funds for this first adventure.  The down side was that we had to be sure that we stayed in areas where I would have cell service and data.  That was not a problem - we planned and stayed in major cities for the most part.  When we didn't I drove to a city to get service.  The most significant time that happened was in rural Michigan - I had to take a drive into town each day and work from a McDonald's.  The up side was that they had a cute sitting space with a Michigan table.  The marjority of the time I was able to log onto the class at least twice a day, respond to questions and concerns, and complete the grading and other work associated with the class.

The main expenses that could have been curbed and should be curbed in future outings are gas and food.  We probably should have planned a shorter route and had less drive-through states.  We could have stayed in some of the choices places for longer.  Our food budget should be under $800/month and we should not be eating out regularly.  Secondly we could do better planning our campsites and now that we are more comfortable with dry camping, we can go to cheaper campgrounds.

It was our first big adventure and it was a success.  It could have been cheaper, but it was worth every penny.  I still marvel at all the places we visited.