This Spring has brought much unrest and sadness in the eastern side of the world. What happens there, though, affects the rest of the world. Yemen, Baharain, Tunisia, Iran, Libya…. all have problems with political unrest or civil war. Their people are finally fed up with their dictators. The UN decided that allies needed to get involved in Libya, so now we have a 3rd war we are involved in. The price of oil has climbed, over fears of oil disruption. So gas is over $3.50 a gallon here. THAT HURTS! The Arab nations are very powerful over there, and hold a huge portion of our oil supply. The last thing the world needs is those people mad at US, or mad at each other.. oh wait, they are always mad at each other. Dictatorship is probably the only kind of government those people can handle, since they can’t even get along with the tribes INSIDE their own country… a democratic government requires peace and compromise… something most of those people know nothing about, or have ever seemed to exhibit in their history.
Then Japan, oh poor Japan, they had a HUGE earthquake, followed by a HUGE tsunami that wiped out over 20,000 people. THEN, their nuclear power plant, which was damaged in the disaster, began to melt down and emit radiation into the atmosphere. It is terrible over their in the northern half of the country. My heart just breaks for them. 
Some jackass family, the Dervaes, decided they could legally trademark the term, “Urban Homesteading” and “Sustainable Homesteading” or living or something. People who practice any urban homesteading, or sustainable lviing, are fighting the Dervaes family legally. I hope they win.
The price of food is rising. Head luttuce is over $1. Tomatoes push $3 a lb packaged goods are shrinking, but the price isn’t. Meat, beef in particular, is getting more and more expensive. Steak, or roasts are not something we have in this house on a regular basis anymore. The prices of food is related to the corn, wheat, soybean, oil, gas prices. These commidities rise in price, and so does the cost of making and distributing the food. This has spurred on more people to begin or expand their urban homesteading. Growing our own food is cheaper than buying it. The growing unrest in the world adds more fervor to the sustainable living movement as well. Being able to sustain your family, without so much of the world’s help is showing importance. Relying less on electricity, growing your own food, buying from local farmers, local business instead of corportations is becoming increasingly more important to people. I haven’t vegetable garden in a few years, but I am this year. As soon as my friends who have chickens produce enough eggs, I will be buying my eggs from them. If I can scrape the money together, I want to go back to the Dam Ranch and order a 1/8 of a grass fed cow. The price over all is better than store prices, and the beef is leaner and better than corn fed lot beef. Thus starts my journey into urban homesteading and sustainability, slowly but surely
I withdrew from Ashford University. I couldn’t handle the stress of the classes, and the deliverance of material did not match my learning style. I was very relieved to finally get out. I owe them almost $700, and until the are paid they keep my transcripts. My transfer papers are at Edison. I hope that I can get everything squared away and start school in the fall. In the meantime, I have begun ASL classes at the local deaf center. I am dragging Nathan with me. I so love ASL. What a terrific language it is.
We have been in Lehigh for 5 months now. I really like it out here. I love Stacey’s house. I like my neighbor, Amanda. The area is relatively quite. The wildlife is interesting. The plant life is… well… scary. Sharp point weeds that hurt when you step on em barefoot. The only downside to living out here is the incredible amount of driving I have to do. It is at least a half hour to anywhere involving friends or school activities. The amount of gas I go through is killing me. Not to many people want to come to me, which I understand. I have to start controlling how often we go out anymore. Even meeting their friends at the halfway point to swap, is time consuming and eats up gas for all of us. However, the boys NEED their friends. It is important. They shouldn’t have to suffer because I chose to move 22 miles away from friends and family. I was hoping the homeschool group out here was active, allowing the boys to make friends, but it is not. Sigh. I don’t get to see my BFF very often either. I am a grown up and can handle it. I miss her though. I miss just running off at a whim. Now it has to be a planned event, and we have to meet somewhere in Fort Myers. Being out here is supposed to be worth it, and it is.. financially. I love the peace, and rural feel of it. So different from the Cape.
Todd got his driver’s permit in December. He is a good driver. He drives every Thursday over to the Cape for Japanese, and Nathan’s drum lessons. Then we visit Grandma and Grandpa. Sometimes he drives us back. I am proud of him. He is hoping to get a job next. Now he is 16, and can work. He recently joined a group of people in an organization called Amtgard. Live role playing games at a local park in NFM, complete with padded weapons and rudimentary costumes. (yea) He loves it. He gets more socialization that way and exercise too! Participants range from 14 to grown adults.
Nathan is gonna be 12 shortly. He is a ball of fire and energy. I gotta find something for him to do!!!!! Problem is he won’t join any groups of people he doesn’t know. He is shy under all that attitude. He did decide that he wants to work at the Nature Center. But, he has to be 13 preferrably. I think I will try and scrape money together and send him to a summer camp there.
Thus ends this update. Life is still good. We are still healthy and happy. Red, Rosie and Rumsey are still with us. We added 2 gerbils to our crew. The boys named them Japanese words that I can’t even begin to type. We have a boy and a girl. Eventually we will add a rat to our menagerie. FUN
