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Post by CountryGuy on Dec 17, 2023 8:41:45 GMT -6
Liking this story Cashless! Can't wait to read MOAR!!
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Post by cashless1 on Dec 17, 2023 15:55:44 GMT -6
CHAPTER 6
When I came out of the bathroom, she was already in bed in the spare bedroom. I told her goodnight and went to my room and got out of those dammed pajamas, I always had hated pajamas.
The next morning her only comment was that mattress is horrible. I told her, it is a spare room, and seldom used. She looked at me and said if it had a decent mattress, it might get used more often. I said I would think about it. Over the next week she mentioned the mattress several times. I finally agreed to go look next weekend. She ask why I had never moved into the master bedroom? I told her that I did not think I could, after I found gram in that bed. She went in and looked around and said, the furniture is old and outdated, you could get all new modern things and donate the old stuff to goodwill. Saturday, we went looking, I was just looking, but she was in buying mode. She ask if she could buy the mattress herself, for her room, if I wouldn’t?
Before we left the store I had a new king size bed a dresser, vanity with mirror new bedside tables and lamps, plus a new set of mattress and box springs for the spare room. It would be delivered tomorrow. Next, we had to stop at Bed Bath and Beyond. All new pillows, 2 sets of sheets for each bedroom and bedspreads. She had hinted about moving in here, not moving in with me, but moving in here. I told her she would have to put up with the lumpy mattress for one more night. She had other plans, she wanted me to go and meet her mother, and she would stay at home tonight. Her mother was friendly, and made coffee and cookies for us. I called her dad Mr. Miles and he said, Fred not MR. and this is Gabby. We were at both of your grandparents’ funerals. and it was a shame, they were good people. Jan told them about our shopping trip, and the delivery’s coming tomorrow. Fred said if I needed any help moving the old stuff out to call him and he would help. Jan told him there is no need to call, he could help when he hauled her things over in the morning. This woman can be bossy. I excused myself, because I had chores to do and had to get the things in the drawers boxed up and out of the way.
Jan and her dad arrived early the next morning, he even brought his enclosed trailer, so we had a place to put the old furniture, I had the bed dismantled and everything was ready. I just boxed up all their clothes, to take to good will along with the furniture. Fred brought a furniture dolly and that really made things easier. Soon, the room was empty, and everything was loaded and tied down, on the trailer. Fred offered to take it to Goodwill for me. And I thanked him. That was quick, now Jan wants to clean, we washed the windows, vacuumed, and dusted the woodwork. She ask why part of the floor was tile and the rest was carpet I showed her the flu cover and told her it was for a wood burner. But it made the room too hot to sleep, so gramps took it out. We got her things put away and were waiting on the delivery. I told Jan I thought her parents acted like they did not care, if she moved in with me. She said they cared but trusted her to do the right thing. They had raised her to be a free spirit. If you treat me right, there is no problem. If you don’t, Dad can be very vengeful. I ask is that a threat. She said no, that is just the way it is.
Jan had washed the bedding and hung it on the line to dry so they would smell good. The delivery people came and assembled the bed and vanity, and left with a nice tip from me. We made the bed and got everything put just where she wanted it. I am beginning to think she is going to take it for herself. I was wrong again. She did like her new mattress.
It seems strange to be in the big bedroom, but the new bed is nice. We got up and I fixed breakfast while she got ready for work, she ask what are you going to do today? I thought for a minute and told her I have some ideas to think about and some plans to work out.
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Post by gipsy on Dec 17, 2023 16:25:38 GMT -6
Takin bets on a jewelry store visit soon. Thanks for the update.
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Post by cashless1 on Dec 17, 2023 16:42:36 GMT -6
gipsy quit looking over my shoulder
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Post by ydderf on Dec 17, 2023 19:22:35 GMT -6
Thanks,eh.
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Post by gipsy on Dec 17, 2023 20:12:12 GMT -6
Just went in for my eye check. Them newfangled plastic eyes give me 20/15
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Post by feralferret on Dec 17, 2023 21:27:38 GMT -6
Just went in for my eye check. Them newfangled plastic eyes give me 20/15 Wonderful news!
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Post by techsar on Dec 18, 2023 10:08:15 GMT -6
Starting to dislike Jan a bit, wasting money because furniture is "old and outdated." Hell, it probably would last longer than most new, up-to-date furniture! Good story - thank you!
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Post by cedarlake on Dec 18, 2023 11:47:40 GMT -6
Great story. So, how are the new ideas and plans working out?
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Post by cashless1 on Dec 18, 2023 15:37:29 GMT -6
maybe Jan has plans for a bigger bed.
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Post by techsar on Dec 18, 2023 15:40:10 GMT -6
maybe Jan has plans for a bigger bed. Could be...I didn't see the old one.
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Post by cashless1 on Dec 18, 2023 16:02:32 GMT -6
CHAPTER 7
I did buy a new computer, I had things I needed to look up. I ordered dish TV, and Verizon internet too, and while I was at it, I bought a ring for Jan, for when I get up the nerve to ask.
It would be a lot of work for both of us, with the livestock, garden, and orchard. It would take both of staying home to do it. I could run a few head of beef cattle, like gramps did and sell excess hay. There are things we would have to buy, but if you buy in bulk things are cheaper. I think $10,000.00 outside income would cover everything. Plus, any excess we produce, we could sell. I will run this by Jan when she gets home tonight and see what she thinks. I am sure I have missed some things, and Jan might have totally different ideas.
I got my notes and went over all my ideas with her. I told her if we are going to put in a bigger garden, and can enough for a year, along with everything else it would take both of us all summer. If either one is working full time, whoever stayed home would never be able to do it all, without hating it. Then she said she could work from late fall, until early spring and take the summer off. I told her I have enough money that nobody needs work, if we don’t want to. She said she has money too. But she likes her job and will work until spring and go from there. I told her I would do a complete inventory and we will fill in the blanks, to carry us for 3 months, that would give us an idea of what we needed for a year. Checking and counting every can box and bag, stashed throughout the house, was a nightmare. I did not include partial bags or boxes. There were buckets with screw on lids that held sugar, flour, salt, noodles, and other dry goods. It is a long list. Jan can go over it and see what she wants to delete or add. I listed the seasonings, spices, and herbs but not the quantities. She went over the inventory I had done, now she wants to go shopping she agreed on buying case lots of everything we could and multiples of everything else. I had grams SAMS card, and she borrowed her mom’s COSCO card, we will get our own cards later. We took my old pickup with the topper on it. I questioned the amounts of everything she picked up, is that enough for 3 months, or why don’t we get 2 and so on. With the toilet paper, paper towels and Kleenex plus cases of food we had a truck full, and headed home to unload and put it all away, before going over our list to see what else we needed. Next weekend we will go to COSCO. The pantry shelves as looking good, and a lot of extras are piling up in the storage spaces. I cannot even imagine what a years’ worth will look like. We found the best prices at a restaurant supply store, And the containers were bigger.
We did Buy a half beef from a local farmer. He took it to the butcher shop for us. We will pick it up when they call. I got the garden plowed earlier before winter set in, and it looks huge. She says it is about the size of her mom’s. We let the neighbors come in and pick the orchard last fall. We were not ready to tackle that yet, Jan is still working. It takes forever for one person to do something, and it is three times faster with two of us working on it together. We did eat a lot of fresh fruit, but two people can only eat so much.
We got up this morning and after breakfast and chores, I told Jan I had bought something for her to wear, she said she had all the clothes she needed. I went and got the ring and put it in a shoe box and handed it to her. And told her to guess what it was, she shook it several times and said it could be anything, then she opened the box, at first, she thought it was empty, then she spotted the ring, and stared at it before asking are you messing with me, Or what? I said I have been in love with you all along but did not want to ruin a good partnership. But you did ask what more I could ask for? Well, I am asking for YOU. Will you marry me? There were tears running down her face when she said YES, YES, YES. then launched herself into my arms.
She had to call her mom with the news, and they talked for an hour. THEY decided we would get married at the courthouse as soon as Jan could make the arrangements. After she got off the phone, she filled me in on the details. I was beginning to think they had forgot to include me.
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Post by gipsy on Dec 18, 2023 16:48:41 GMT -6
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Post by cashless1 on Dec 19, 2023 15:33:48 GMT -6
CHAPTER 8
Being married is working out pretty good. I sure do not have any complaints, and if she does, she has not said anything yet. I showed Jan the secret room behind the closet wall, it had 2 safes one for guns and one for papers and old coins.
Mom never did come to get the car, so I called Best and he said he would send a registered letter giving them 30 days to get or it would be sold. Jan was looking on the computer, and found heirloom seeds, her mom had always saved seeds, but not all the variety’s available, and herb and spices too, she ordered a lot of each, they came with instructions for planting, and instructions for saving more seeds for future use. I showed Jan the pump room, it is where the pressure tanks for the water, and filtration system are located, it includes a sand and gravel filter, charcoal filter, and chlorinator, then a water softener. It is a complete water system, set up it pumped from the lake and went through the whole system. the water tests good, and it is safe to drink. There is a reverse osmosis filter under the kitchen sink to remove any bad taste.
It was lonely being by myself, while she is at work, there was not much for me to do except taking care of the animals and cooking supper. It was always a joy to see her walk in the door. She planed what to plant in the garden, and I went to a few livestock auctions, but I was just checking prices, but not buying, yet. I did find a litter of free puppy’s and could not help myself. I got one. I called Jan at work, and ask if she could stop at TRACTOR SUPPLY and pick up a mineral block for the cows, oh and while you are there can you pick up a bag of puppy chow and a small dog collar? Not giving her a chance to respond I hung up.
When she got home with everything, she tried to act mad, but failed miserably. She wanted to know what his name was, I had not named him yet. And she wouldn’t help me. She said take your new buddy outside. I said come on Trouble, and it stuck, his name is Trouble.
It is cold and windy, and the snow is blowing this morning, I offered to take Jan to work, but she said her little Jeep did good in the snow, and she would be fine. She has a pack in her Jeep, but I still worried until she called and said she was at work. I did my chores, and got back inside where it was warm, I straightener up the house, manly just following Trouble around and undoing his destruction. I had a pot of stew simmering on the stove. When Jan got home, she was irritable, I ask what was wrong? She said I don’t know things at work were different, things were just not the same. I told her to tell them to stuff it, you do not have to work. But she wouldn’t. She would drag herself to work every morning and was not cheerful when she got home at night. That went on for 2 weeks.
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Post by feralferret on Dec 19, 2023 15:56:34 GMT -6
Wonder what is going on at Jan's work.
Thank you, cashless1.
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Post by gipsy on Dec 19, 2023 18:06:09 GMT -6
Fine update. Thanks
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Post by prepguy on Dec 19, 2023 22:04:15 GMT -6
Sounds like a big change is coming
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Post by cashless1 on Dec 20, 2023 15:11:08 GMT -6
9
Then, she came home, and had a bag with her, I ask what she had in the bag? And she said, my personal belongings, I QUIT my job. I ask why, and crying, she said they put me on night shift, midnight to 8am, with split days off. Tuesday and Friday. I wanted to know why they would do something like that. She said an upper staff member had been hitting on her, until she flashed her new ring at him, and he has not said a word to her since. And a lot of other people’s attitude towards her had changed too. I told her to call the lawyer and ask him about this, I think you could sue their socks off. She said we do not need the money, or the hassles involved in a lawsuit. He never said or did anything out in the open. He did ask me out several times, but that was all, it is over and done with. I grabbed her in a hug and said GOOD. It took a week, but my old Jan is back. Happy and energetic.
As the weather got better, not warm but better, we went to the auctions together, we had talked it over, we had plenty of hay left from last year. Most people were waiting for the pastures to green up before they bought, so the prices were low. We did bid on a couple of bunches, but it was the third one before we scored. Evidently the other bidders had got all they wanted, there were 14 head of mixed steers and Heffers. I know we have enough hay to carry them until the pastures are ready for them.
Jan called Fred and in her sweetest voice and said, DADDY, we bought some cattle at the sale barn in Fairview. Do you know who we can get to haul them home for us? He wanted to know how many and how big and to give him an hour and he would be here. That worked out fine we had them run through the vet pen to get a 7-way vaccination, whatever that was. He showed up with 2 livestock trailers pulled by his neighbors. The calves are in their pen with hay and water and appear to be settling in ok.
Jans mother has been coming over quite often planning the garden, and other women’s talk. They have ordered seed starting supplies, and plan to help each other on the gardens. They are rushing things but that is ok. I went over the tractor, and did an oil change, and lubed it up. The disk looks ok, old but ok. I have done a couple of tune ups on neighbors’ tractors, I only charge them for needed parts, it helps them, and they appreciate it. Fred and Gabby came over this morning, we visited over coffee for a while, then Fred said if you are going to have more livestock you will need a stock trailer. I ask if he had any ideas where to look, he said he saw one on the other side of town, and would show me where, if I wanted to go look.
Now I have a trailer, it is too big to fit in the lean-to on the side of the barn, so it will have to stay outside, it is aluminum, so it will be ok. It is time to start the garden plants and the women have seed trays and potting mix already to go. The racks are set up in the glass enclosed porch, it is already warm out there. The porch is a room, all glass south wall, and a glass roof, in front of the north wall up against the interior wall is a raised garden bed, and the floor is made of red brick. I check and feed the cattle every morning and they are getting used to me. Another month and they will be out on the pasture.
I ran the disk over the garden. The calves are in the pasture along with the dry milk cow.
The two other farmers I am sharing crops with wanted to know if we could get heirloom corn seed, and if it would work? It would be cheaper.
George said it would probably cut down on yield, but if that is what we wanted, he is willing if he can find the seed. The oats and wheat will be ok for seed. The fertilizer is expensive enough, but necessary. Don sold me a hog, at a reasonable price.
The garden is planted, and I had the brooder already set up for chickens, so all we had to do was, fill the waterer and feed trough and turn on the heat lamp. The chicks are ordered and should be here next week. It is starting to look like a farm. Not a paying farm but a farm none the less. When the garden starts to produce, we will be very busy. They have it all planed out Gabby will help Jan here one day and Jan will help her the next day. I know Fred and I will get roped into helping, but we both like to eat, so that is ok. The chicks came this morning in the mail, and the mail man sure was glad to get them out of his truck, they do stink.
Jill and I go shopping every couple of weeks stocking up more, I think she just wants to see how much the storage areas will hold. But it will not go to waste, we will use it eventually. Every morning when I check on the chicks, I take one out and let Trouble smell it, and I keep telling him, it is a baby, not a chew toy. He lost interested in them after a few days.
Jan and Gabby, if they are not canning, they are shopping. I know we have a years’ worth of everything we buy, Jan came home yesterday with a grain mill, and a food dehydrator. Last week it was an electric meat slicer, and case of jar lids and rings the shelf is starting to look like a store display. She ordered an incubator that holds 42 eggs. Fred and I are working on a pig pen. I figure I can get 3 or 4 feeder pigs and feed them out to butcher weight and sell all but one. That should give us free pork and a little profit. Jan does not like the idea, because pigs stink.
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Post by gipsy on Dec 20, 2023 15:59:23 GMT -6
Fine update. Thanks
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Post by feralferret on Dec 20, 2023 17:21:58 GMT -6
Cashless1, thanks!
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Post by cashless1 on Dec 21, 2023 16:08:33 GMT -6
CHAPTER 10
She did agree to try it for one year and see how it works out, if they do not stink too bad. The cow had a calf last night, it was up and nursing this morning. That covers beef, pork, chickens, eggs, and milk. Plus, fish from the lake.
Along with the garden and orchard, and field crops, we should be in good shape. For very little money spent. It all looks good on paper, we will see. We have already built storage bins in the barn for the wheat and oats, they are lined with steel barn siding to keep out mice. I want to get a barn cat or two that should help with any mouse problems. George picked the wheat this week so I have my share of the wheat in the bin, and it is only half full. After I got the straw raked Don and Randy rode the rack when I did the bailing, that saved us from hiring kids to do it. It is amazing the things 3 people can do if they work together, and there are no labor costs. We all help each other.
Jan is looking for a meat grinder, Maby she is going to open a butcher shop. I do not have room to complain I built storage facilities for crops I did not have to store at the time.
It is about time to bail hay again; this cutting will just about fill the loft. Nobody volunteered to ride the racks, so Fred drove the tractor and I stacked the hay on the racks. I do not need a fourth cutting this year, if I do get it, I will sell it to the horse people they love good alfalfa hay and pay a premium for it. Fred is good help, he has to watch what he does, he had a mild heart attack a couple of years ago but does ok. He sold his insurance agency but still works part time for the new owner, so he is here more than he is at home, and I do appreciate the help.
The girls have just about all the canning done, Next will be fruit.
The apples are ready to pick, we only pick a bucket or two at a time. Jan and Gabby are drying apple slices and making apple butter, Dee and Les, Don and Randy’s wives come over and get apples by the bucket full, to do their processing at home. The peaches did not have a bumper crop this year, but it was still more than we wanted. We now have peach jam and canned peaches, plums and apple pie filling, the pears are not ready yet. Gabby brings a couple cases of empty jars every time she comes over, next will be apple sauce, and pears. I do not know how many jars of tomatoes and tomato sauce they put up. Fred and I did help pick the tomatoes and green beans but did not stick around for the canning. The coons got in the sweet corn patch and what they didn’t eat they destroyed. So, Jan bought frozen corn at the store. Next year I will have an electric fence around the garden. We stay busy, the garlic braids are drying in the pole building and the onions are spread out drying, next week will be carrots and potatoes and there are still more green peppers to do. Fred and I already did the sweet potatoes. It will not be long before I plow the garden and I will be glad when it is over. George got the oats picked and put in my bin and is going to do the corn next.
Randy sold his wheat and oats; he does not have livestock. I weaned the calf, and one of us has to milk once a day, I let the calf in with her after I milk of a morning and lock him out overnight. The girls want a butter churn and Jan still wants a meat grinder I told her to order them online, we do not have time to run all overlooking for them. She also ordered a vacuum sealer and a couple cases of sealer bag rolls, and another dehydrator.
I need to get more bailer twine and mineral blocks and salt blocks, the next time I go to town., I will have Jan order 6 gal. food grade buckets from Emergency essentials, I can get the gamma seal lids locally.
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Post by workhorse on Dec 21, 2023 17:36:35 GMT -6
Love this story please keep it coming.
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Post by gipsy on Dec 21, 2023 19:00:31 GMT -6
Fine update.
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Post by feralferret on Dec 21, 2023 20:05:11 GMT -6
Another fine chapter, cashless1. Thank you!
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Post by ydderf on Dec 22, 2023 16:06:06 GMT -6
Thanks for sharing your story
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