Before and After at the Tiny House

I was posting pictures like a madwoman when I first moved into the tiny house. Haven't done too many since then, but I thought you might want to see what I've been up to. Looking at these is making me tired.

Here's a bit of what I've done so far.

The first picture is what the garden looked like when I moved in. I filled the window boxes and the bare spaces with flowers. They are all in containers. All planters and holders were either donated or came with plants. Most plants were clearance. I made cushions for the "free" plastic chairs and I like them.

The next picture is my living room/front door. The reason I took a picture of just the door, is that other than a ratty old beat up sofa that I recovered in the second picture, there was NO furniture. Second picture, Ikea sheers, $70 clearance chair, donated and repainted curio, recovered sofa and pillows I made.

The side tables are mission style, dark wood. Two and a matching coffee table were $40 and I have one more brown chair that was $30. The ceramic elephant was my uncles, is very heavy and one of the few things I've been lugging around for years. Several elephants on the shelves too.

Finally a peek at my sewing area. I had a table and machines and some bolts. There were 2 shower rods, so I took the sturdiest one and put it in the nook to hold my bolts and spools. A few months later. a small storage unit holds a shelf for bolts and orders.

A cubby at the side holds tubes of fabric. There is a plank on the other side to hold the shelf and there are pegs in it to hold spools. The shower rod is still in use, holding threaded rods with nut ends for my spools of trims. The unit is completely freestanding and can come with me if I move.

I've done a lot more, but that's all I'll bore you with today. I still have much work to do in the dining room, but I'm really getting there.

My New Obsession - Homemade Soda

Yes you read that right. Homemade soda

I love to make homemade anything, so when I saw this pin on pinterest how to make Homemade Ginger Ale, I had to try it. It was as easy as the post said it was. I added all the ingredients to a 2 liter bottle, and in two days (and it was pretty cool) the soda was fermented and bubbly. So bubbly in fact that I had to keep opening the bottle a teeny bit to let the air out and re-close until it settled a little.

I loved it, but I think there is a bit too much lemon, and I'm sure there is too much sugar. So I searched websites and found lots of great recipes. There was also too many ginger chunks that had to be strained after. I didn't like that.

Alton Brown's Recipe is similar, but eliminating the chunks by simmering the Ginger, straining and adding the Ginger flavored Syrup. Alton Brown Ginger Ale This recipe will go in my next bottle. I'll let you know how it goes. I also want to try lime instead of lemon. And you can use powdered ginger too.

I started thinking, that if it's that easy to make Ginger Ale, what other soda's can I make. I searched and this was the best resource I found. Thank you Mother Earth News. I think the real trick is, very clean utensils, the right amount of sugar and the right amount of yeast.

I've purchased Root Beer extract. It's on the way. And I must try Grape Soda too. I'm going to try other things, like teas and herbs. How about Lime and Mint. Mojito soda. Awesome! I've also ordered champagne yeast. See if that makes a difference.

There are a few other tips I read if you want to try this at home. Although you CAN ferment in bottles, it's recommended that you first try plastic bottles. Two liter soda or gallon milk/water bottles. The fermentation can cause the bottles to explode if it goes too far, so better broken plastic, than broken glass, and the plastic does give a bit. Another tip was to feel the bottle when you first add all the ingredients. It should give a little. The process is finished when the bottle is firm and does not give. Remember to put in the fridge immediately to stop the fermentation process.

I'm so very excited about this. Hey, if I'm ever snowbound and out of soda, I can whip up a batch in 2 days. Cool. The best thing about this, is that it's supposed to be healthier. That is except for the sugar. But the thought is that you can maybe use less sugar and maybe stevia, or honey, or even agave syrup. I'm wondering how molasses or honey would taste with the Ginger Ale? I'll be trying everything and posting my best recipes for you. Keep watching :)

Have a Beer on Me - The Goose Laid a Golden Egg

Yes the SS Goose laid a Golden egg on me Finally.

After 60 years of bad luck sprinkled with a few miracles. I finally got a break. Of course with my Karma that means the next thing is bad health or more bad family news.

I think I was born with bad Karma from a past life. Had to be. Although I guess things could have been worse. Even though some things didn't seem so great, it's like I had a guardian angel to watch that I didn't totally crash and burn.

There were many times I could have died and didn't. Like the time I almost stepped off a 20 foot high platform because I wasn't paying attention (the ADD thing). And there were many more, like the accidental medicine overdose when I was 5.

I thought it was bad to have my parents divorced and live apart from my dad, but turns out he was not good to be around. And  that guy I had a crush on? Turns out he had a very very bad history too.

I've had a few miracles, like my son, who wasn't supposed to live past 20, and has received the most amazing surgeries and medical treatments to extend his life to who knows how long. He's almost 40 and still doing well. But not only the surgery, once he had heartbeats that were destroying his heart muscle, and there was nothing to be done about it. Then 6 months later they disappeared with absolutely no explanation.

I don't expect my life to be without event from now on. As a matter of fact, I expect the worse all the time, just to be safe. The past few years have been a financial struggle, forcing me to get some assistance at times. I hated that. I even had to declare bankruptcy a few years ago. Hated that too. But when you're an older woman, it's hard to get hired unless you're a politician, because everyone gets the same benefit package, no matter how old you get. Did you know that your employer has to pay double for your health insurance when you are 60 or over. Who wants to hire a 55 year old?

Enough rambling and whining. I have some money now.

It's thanks to my dear departed ex husband. I felt bad about it until this morning, and I remembered how I walked away and left him almost everything in the divorce settlement. He was supposed to split the possessions with me, but gave most of them away, a lot to his sister. Even personal property of mine that I was supposed to get when he got a place. He even burned or threw out some of my most precious things when we sold our house (which he got to live in for a few years before we sold it). So I guess I really do deserve what I'm getting. After all, no one else qualifies for it. Why not me?

Now, with my little business, I have enough to live fairly comfortably.  I'm not wealthy, by any means, but I don't have to worry about a roof over my head or my next meal. Thank you to all my friends who have wished me well. And thank you to my ex for working so hard for so many years that I could get a few years extra decent SS income that will make it possible for me to move out of our daughter's home. Maybe with the lack of stress, my BP will go back down and I can even live a few extra years.