Travel at a Moments Notice

If the Wanderer turned to me and said "Lets go on an adventure" I could be ready to leave in less than an hour. This stems from my childhood filled with spur of the moment trips. My parents travel philosophy of if we have the time and money we went. As a result of this I have developed little tips, tricks, and hacks to make spur of the moment adventures possible.

Tip 1: Invest in a well stocked toiletry bag. In my cabinet I keep a fully stocked bag of necessary toiletry items, mini size shampoos, conditioners, toothpaste, full size toothbrush, tweezers, face wash. Anything and everything I find necessary for getting ready on an average day. This bag is solely for travel. I don't dip into this stash if I run out of a full size. When I get home from a trip, I restock this bag.

Tip 2: Keep a well organized makeup drawer. I don't have a collection or an organization system as intense as some Youtubers, but I do keep my items organized and in their proper spot. This makes tossing the basics into a makeup quick and easy.

Tip 3: Keep a partially packed bag ready to go. Some things stay in my bag year round. Extra feminine products, a flash light, a back up wall charger for my phone, a seamless comb. Things that may slip my mind while I am packing to leave in a hurry.

Tip 4: Organize that closet! Same as above, a well organized closet will make packing for a last minute trip easy. I like to organize mine my type and fabric weight. My sister organizes her's by type and color. Mr. Wanderful leaves the closet organizing up to me. I also fold and place clothing in drawers in a way that I can easily see everything in the drawer.



Tip 5: Proper and routine vehicle maintenance will not only extend the life of your car, but also make last minute getaways possible.

Tip 6: Keep your car stocked. A GPS, maps, all those little things you appreciate when you travel. I personally like to keep a pair of fuzzy socks in the glove box for times when I am riding shot gun and letting Mr. Wanderful drive.

Budgeting for Life

Budgets are important, especially for those of us who love to travel. Methods of budgeted vary from family to family, situation to situation. Several years ago a friend of mine was in financial straights. Her family was hemorrhaging money and she didn't know how to stop. I asked her about her budget. Not only did she not have a budget, she didn't know what or how to budget. She is a well educated professional woman! We spent the better part of the day discussing methods of budgeting, and later led to a tough conversation between her and her husband. 

I have used a few different budgeting methods over the years. The most important thing is finding what works for you.

The Envelope System:

I was first introduced to the envelope system years ago on a blog, sadly I can't quite remember whose blog. She had posted links to cash envelopes on Etsy. You divide your income up between different envelopes, each envelope is a different part of your budget (Insurance, Rent, Groceries, Gas) once the money in that particular envelope is gone, that is it, no stealing from other envelopes.

Last Months Money Budget
This budget requires you to plan ahead. This probably isn't a budget you can jump into straight away. You save your monthly income, and from that you build your budget for the next month. You live off of whatever you took in from the previous month. No borrowing from incoming funds, those get saved to be used for the following months budget. 

Spread Sheet
This works best for those who know exactly how much they bring in every month. Using either budgeting software, Excel or pen and paper break down your spending into categories with an estimate of how much you spend in each category. Its best to be a bit generous with your estimation and plan for the unexpected.

Its important to have a grasp on how much you bring in, and how much you spend in a month. Some categories are more important than others. Budget your mandatory expenses first, mortgage/rent, utilities, groceries, transportation. After you have budgeted your mandatory expenses you can plan how you will spend your left over discretionary funds. Plan and spend well with an eye toward the future.

In need of an ark!

March came roaring into my little part of Kentucky like a lion. Snow and rain this week sent the river over its banks in several spots, that coupled with the snow and ice blocking another road left me stranded. Thankfully the water has receded leaving everything a muddy mess. 

Several cars in this area became trapped in flood water, and while thankfully no one died as a result I cannot let this issue go without giving a warning. Don't drive through flood water, you have no guarantee that the road under the water is still intact. A swift current can easier push your car off the road and into deeper water. That very thing happened to my great uncle last spring. He was driving home after having spent the night at the hospital with his ailing wife. He was tired, and that clouded his judgement. He drove across a flooded bridge. The water pushed his car off the bridge and several yards down stream. It took rescuers days before they found him. Its not worth the risk, turn around and wait until the water has receded. I also have friends who are swift water rescuers, don't make them risk their lives to save yours.

Warnings an gloom aside my sister finally convinced me to start selling my hair pins and accessories on Etsy. I may include vintage items also, I am a collector/hoarder, and its past time I pair down and part with some items. 

3/2/2012

We don't get many tornadoes in this part of the world. So earlier in the day when a friend from Kansas sent me a message warning me about storm bearing down on us that had potential for tornadoes I dismissed it. By the time I made it home from work we were in the gripes of a major thunderstorm. The power was out at my house so I made the decision to get dinner and ride out the storm in a safer area. I went to get dinner in a town about an hour south of me. I texted my sister along the way warning her the storm would be there shortly. She was staying at her boyfriends house in a small town about 40 minutes from me. Two days before, that town, West Liberty was hit by a very small tornado. What was the likelihood that it would be hit again? We so rarely got tornados, surely we wouldn't have 2 in the course of a few days?

The steakhouse was packed, and loud, but the waitresses had turned the TV's on to watch the news. You see things like this play out in movies, not in real life. The fork stopped half way to my mouth, my first bite hanging in the air. A news clip showed a huge wall of clouds and what would later be categorizes as an EF-3 tornado a half mile from where my sister was, and it was tracking straight for her. 

Phones were out and I couldn't get a call through to my sister. The blood in my veins felt as cold as ice as I asked the waitress to box up my meal. I made the 2 hour trip to West Liberty in record time, and all I saw along the way was destruction and chaos. I was one of the last cars to pass through the town on Salyersville and down the Mountain Parkway that night, before they closed the roads. A small community near my home was completely underwater.

 I made it to West Liberty. My sister's boyfriend lived high on a ridge overlooking the city, trees blocked the

roads leading to his house, but I managed to make it to the parking lot of the towns hospital, a quarter mile from his house on the same ridge-line. I continuous line of ambulances streamed up the hill to the hospital (I was in a completely separate part of the parking lot and not in their way at all). The hospital had lost its rough and ambulance crews from all over had volunteered to transport patients to other facilities. I got my first look at downtown from this vantage point. The little town were I held my first job, were every fall a group of us would gather to host a Living History, the town was no more. 

Stories of bravery in the face of certain death came pouring out of West Liberty, the girls who locked themselves in the freezer of the little walk up dairy-bar. Cops who ushered people to safety. A woman whose car was ripped away by the tornado just as her hand reached for the door handle. In all this little town of 3,000 people would only lose 6 residents. Most of their buildings would be a loss, either directly knocked down by the storm, or declared structurally unsafe. It would take 2 years for the elementary school to reopen, two years for the youth center to reopen. Just a few weeks ago that Methodist church that had long stood as a landmark at the crossroads in town hoisted the steeple into place atop their new building. 

In all this tornado outbreak spawned 70 tornados, took 41 lives and caused over 3 billion dollars in damage.

And my sister? They survived, despite the tornado going directly over their house not even a trashcan was moved. Her, her boyfriend and her dog hid in a closet in the center of the house until well after the storm had passed. 

The Very Worst Thing

Today is an anniversary, but not a happy one. I grew up hearing about this day, all school children in my area knows this story. A dear family friend survived this day, but rarely does he speak of it. February 28, 1958 a Floyd County Kentucky school bus slid off the road after clipping the rear of a

tow truck that had pulled into its path. It would end up being the worse school bus disaster in US history. A record we all hope is never broken. Of the 49 passengers on Bus 27 that day only 22 would make it off the bus alive. Floyd county didn't have a rescue squad at the time, divers from the US Navy searched the swollen current of the Big Sandy River. It took 3 days to find the bus and haul it out of the muddy river. It took even longer, 40 days, before the body of the last child, 13 year old Katie Jarrell of Sugar Loaf would be recovered. She was found 7 miles downstream.

Three Families lost all of their children that cold February morning. The family friend was at the back of the bus, he was one of the first off, and helped pull others to safety. In a matter of a few short minutes the bus went under. Survivors recall seeing the hands and arms of their friends and classmates sticking from the bus windows as it went under. The swift current of the flooded river swept the bus 250 yards from the point it entered the water. This was the very worst thing.

As a result of this tragedy Floyd countians formed together to build a rescue squad, they train swift water rescuers. While we all hope a disaster like this never happens again, Floyd county has prepared themselves.

Many schools in this area have missed 2 weeks as a result of the snow and ice storm. Schools have started using online resources so students don’t fall behind while out for weather. We don’t take chances with the safety of students.

Doris Faye Burchett, 15, of Emma

James Edison Carey, 9, of Emma

Glenda May Cisco, 17, of Sugar Loaf,

Kenneth Forest Cisco, 14, of Sugar Loaf

Sandra Faye Cline, 8, of Lancer

Paulette Cline, 9, of Lancer

Imogene Darby, 17, of Cow Creek

Linda Darby, 14 of Cow Creek

John Alex DeRossett, 17, of Water Gap

James Edward Goble, 12, of Emma

John Spencer Goble, 11, of Emma

Anna Laura Goble, 9, of Emma

Jane Carol Harris, 14, of Emma

John Harlan Hughes Jr., 13, of Emma

Margaret Louise Hunt, 15, of Cow Creek

Bucky Ray Jarrell, 14, of Sugar Loaf

Katie Carol Jarrell, 13, of Sugar Loaf

Marcella Jervis, 14, of Emma

Montaine Jervis, 15, of Endicott

Thomas Roosevelt Jervis, 13, of Buffalo Creek

Katherine Justice, 15, of Endicott

Nannie Joyce McPeek, 17, of Lancer

Joyce Ann Matney, 14, of Lancer

Rita Cheryl Matney, 8, of Lancer

James L. Meade Jr., 9, of Lancer

James Thomas Ousley, 15, of Lancer

Randy Scott Wallen, 17, of Lancer

The Passing of TIme

The days seem to crawl by much slower when you count them in minutes. 

Things are not Wonderful here at the Wandering in the Wonderful farm. But things will get better, each passing day brings us closer to the end of this rough patch and closer to fulfilling the life goals we set in motion some months back. 

Things are slowly thawing out, my sweet little chickens ventured out from their coop yesterday. This was their first time in the run in over a week due to snow and ice. My poor car is trapped in the icy driveway and may thaw out until mid spring. I am not going to complain, this means I get to steal the Wanderers car. His is AWD, unlike mine. 

Currently working on a more concrete blogging schedule, I would like to post new content at least 3 days a week. 

Blogs, Youtubers, and Podcasts we LOVE.

Blogs, Youtubers, and Podcasts we LOVE.

Damon and Jo

We are both in the process of learning Portuguese. I turned to Youtube for helpful videos to aid in proper pronunciation and grammar. What I found was these to fresh, enthusiastic souls. They teach the important lessons like how to say Dude in Portuguese. They turn the cameras on for their adventures on a budget around the world.  

The Art of Wrestling with Colt Cabana

Some of you may have heard about this podcast over Thanksgiving Weekend 2014 when Colt and his good friend CM Punk “broke the internet”. We have been listening to this wrestling podcast for a while now. Colt interviews a good mix of old school and new school wrestlers. The Wanderer and I both have fond childhood memories involving Professional Wrestling.

This is Homesteady

We have been following this podcast for a few months now. His podcasts break down homesteading tasks, giving you the pros and cons of different ways to do things. His friend and accountant chimes in toward the end of the podcast to give you a financial breakdown of the task.

Caveman Keto

The Wanderer has lost close to 100 pounds following the Ketogenic diet. We get so many recipes. We get so many ideas, and helpful tricks from the Caveman Keto website and Youtube channel.

Sew Mama Sew

Sew mama sew offers tips, tricks, patterns and ideas for sewing projects of all kinds. Sewing is a skill I plan on working at and becoming more proficient with. The resources at Sew Mama Sew has proven to be invaluable. 

A Beautiful Mess

When I need to get my creative juices flowing I head over to A Beautiful Mess. Simple as that. Want to learn how to make homemade pasta? A Beautiful Mess has you covered. Looking for tips and inspiration for redecorating you bedroom? A Beautiful Mess is your source book. Want tips on weekend adventures? Turn to A Beautiful Mess. 

Pinterest

At this point, everyone has heard of Pinterest, the worlds cork-board. Like most people I turn to Pinterest for inspiration and ideas from everything from tending the chickens to Sunday dinner. 

She Reads Truth

At the beginning of the year I downloaded this ap on my phone. I make it a point every morning to read a bit on one of the many plans I have downloaded on the ap. After each section you can swipe left and chat with others about what you just read. 

12 things you want to know...

1) What is your current health related goal? Goal for both of us is losing weight.

2) What is your biggest irrational fear? For me, bridges, terrified of bridges. Mr. Wanderer has an irrational fear of a mouse popping out from the storage drawer under the stove.

3) Do you enjoy wrapping presents?

Nope. I am horrible at wrapping presents, so is Mr. Wanderer. My sister is amazing at wrapping, her presents are color/pattern coordinated, usually with unique handmade tags.

4) What’s your favorite Etsy shop?
Totally loving the sweet styles of LaPlumeNoir and PeacockVintageJewels

5) If I came to visit you, what would we do?

Explore some of Kentucky's amazing hiking trails, take the pooches to the trail at my favorite lake. Or hit the bourbon trail to sample some of the worlds best bourbon.

6) 2 weeks off and plane tickets anywhere … Where to?

Brazil!

7) Do you have a pet or pets? If so, what kind and what are their names?

We have two Shih Tzus, Miss Scarlet and Inigo Montoya.

8) What were you in highschool: prom queen, nerd, cheerleader, jock, valedictorian, band geek, loner, artist, prep?

We were both definitely nerds.

9) You MUST eat a fast food meal … Which restaurant do you choose and what is your order?

We don’t have much to choose from in our small town. We love hitting Subway for either a chopped salad or a club sandwich.

10) Have you ever met a celebrity?

Yes, many times, a lot of famous actors and musicians come from Kentucky. A few years ago William Shatner opened the door for my nieces and I while we are heading into Jo-Beth Booksellers in Lexington, Ky. He has a house in Versailles, Ky.

11) If you could choose a “do-over” career, what would it be?

We are both working on developing our “do-over” careers right now, we will keep you posted.

12) What skill do you lack?

I have very basic sewing skills, but I would love to learn to sew my own clothing. We have chickens, this year we plan on learned to butcher chickens.

Kentucky Roots

Kentucky produces a lot of talent. Loretta Lynn has always been very vocal about growing up in Kentucky. Muhammad Ali unveiled a a museum and cultural center in his hometown of Louisville in 2005. Ashley Judd has dipped her toe in Kentucky politics and has been a vocal supporter of University of Kentucky sports.

Hunter S. Thompson

A groundbreaking journalist and author, Thompson is know as the founder of “gonzo” journalism. He was born in Louisville, Ky 1937. Thompson lived life by his own rules. Upon his death in 2005 his good friend, and fellow Kentuckian Johnny Depp went through with Thompsons' final wish. 300 people watched as Thompson's ashes were fired from a cannon.

Jim Varney

Somewhere along the way I had forgotten the Varney was a fellow Kentuckian. One day while wandering around the Lexington Cemetery I stumbled upon his grave. He lent his voice to the Toy Story franchise of movies, acting in numerous TV and movies, he was best known as his character Ernest P Worrell.

Grandpa Jones

Born Louis Marshall Jones he called Niagara, KY home until his teen years when he uprooted to Akron, Oh. It was in Akron that Jones began his career in gospel and country music singing on air at WJW. Jones was a charter cast member of Hee Haw. Jones gave key testimony that lead to the conviction of  John A. Brown and Marvin Douglas Brown. On November 10, 1973 the Browns murdered Jones’ neighbor, and fellow Kentuckian and Hee Haw cast member David "Stringbean" Akeman.

Mildred &Patty Hill

You may not recognize the name at first, but I am certain at some point in time you have sang their song. These Louisville sisters wrote Happy Birthday to You.

Silas House

To day this Lily, Ky native has wrote 5 novels and 5 plays. House is also a contributing editor to No Depression magazine. House has joined other native Kentucky authors  Wendell Berry, Bobbie Ann Mason and Maurice Manning in a controversial stance against Mountaintop removal mining.

Helen Thomas

Born in Winchester, Ky in 1920. Thomas was a trailblazer in the world of journalism. She covered administrations from Eisenhower to Obama. Starting as a correspondent she climbed the ranks to become the first female president of White House Correspondents' Association. Thomas was know for asking tough, controversial questions. She has been quoted as saying “I don't think a tough question is disrespectful.”

Roadtripping Tips and Tricks

My sister recently sprung the idea of a road trip on me. I road trip often, and I have taken her two daughters with me several times. The girlies are veteran road-trippers. My sister? Not so much. The last road trip I remember my sister taking was a whirlwind trip we took to Nashville to see Hayseed Dixie play at the Exit/In. (If you haven't heard of Hayseed then get yourself to Youtube now!). She fell asleep on the table at Waffle House.

My tips for road-trip success.

Tip 1. Don't put all your money in one spot. Do not rely just on your banks debit card. Many people do this, and if their card is lost or stolen they find themselves broke. I was in a situation several years ago were the bank frozen my account while I was a thousand miles from home. Thankfully I had cash, so the trip continued as planned while the bank worked through their issues. Split your cards and cash up, keep them in separate pockets, keep some locked up in the car. If someone steals your purse, or pick pockets you, you will still have money. 

Tip 2. Bring a physical map. We rely way to much on our GPS's and google maps. Buy a map, learn to read a map, and if technology fails you, your map will come to the rescue.

Tip 3. Pack Snacks. Or full on meals. When I travel I always have a cooler full of drinks, and another cooler with food. You can use divided containers and make individual "bento" style meals for everyone in the car. Prep as much of the food as possible before you leave. Cut up fruit and veggies, preportion dips in lidded sauce cups, make sandwich. Free water bottles to act as ice.

Tip 4. Dress comfortable. You will be sitting in a car for hours on end, dress for comfort not style. Everyone has their own version of "comfortable" clothes. Wear what works for you.

Tip 5. You will need Gas. If you like doing the bulk of your driving at night, like I do, you will need to plot where you will get gas. Some stretches of road may not have an open gas station for many many miles (I am looking at you West Virginia). So find sizable cities and top off the tank when you pass through. 

Tip 6. When the car stops, everyone goes potty. This has been a family rule as long as I can remember. On road trips, if the car stops for gas, or we stop for food, everyone gets out and goes to the bathroom. Go even if you don't think you have to, you don't want to find yourself in a Tip. 5 situation with a full bladder and no bathroom. 

Tip. 7 Use zippered pouches to store things you may need during the trip, chargers, extra batteries, etc. When you need it, it will be easy to locate. 

Tip 8. Pack a decent 1st aid kit, full of supplies you may need in an emergency. Tweezers, nail clippers, bandaids, advil, antacids, small scissors, etc. This could be a list all on its own.

Tip 9. Don't make your itenerary so tight that you miss things. If you are rolling down the highway and see a sign for something that looks awesome( Mister Ed's Elephant Museum), stop, make memories. American has thousands, probably millions of interesting roadside attractions. 

Tip 10. If booking a hotel room, book directly with the hotel/company. Several times I have arrived at my hotel only to learn they had way overbooked, and only people who had booked directly with the hotel was getting rooms. This may not be everyone experience, and if you are not traveling to a big event it may not be an issue for you. Its happened enough for me to want to warn everyone of the possibility. If you must book through a 3rd party site, call the hotel and confirm your reservation.

~The Wonderful

Hurt So Good

Road crews were out in force across my area today, attempting to dig us out from under a foot of snow. We are expected to get another 4 inches of snow tonight. I know some areas of the country get much more snow than this. I have friends in the Boston area that wish they only had a foot of snow to deal with. The last snow of this size my little part of the world received was way back in 1994. We were without power for weeks, school was out for a month. My father was snowed in a work leaving my mom, sister and I at home to brave the weather.

We dragged our mattresses into the living room, closed off every non essential room and spent our days playing board games by candle light. In the evenings we used the precious battery operated radio to tune into a request show. All of our local stations had been kick off-air by the storm, we never learned where this station was from, always seeming to miss the FCC required station ID’s.

One caller stood out, and to this day, 21 years later we still mimic her call, bring her up in conversation, and wonder aloud what ever became of her.

The request was simple. The lady, who sounded middle age, with a thick country accent wanted to hear John Mellencamps “Hurt So Good”. The DJ asked if she would like to dedicate the song to someone special and she said “My man loves it when I dance on our 3 legged table, and when I fall off it HURTS SO GOOD”

Here’s to snow days, three legged tables, and making memories.

Snow days

Snow started falling around 3am, by the time we ventured out to the chickens 5 inches covered the ground. Kentucky doesn't do snow. When in advance of the storm the weather station called this a "potentially historic snowfall" people flocked to the stores. Shelves were emptied. An arctic front is dropping into our area, temperatures will be near or below freezing for the next week.

The Wonder Dogs have been out to play and potty. They are now curled up on heated beds enjoying a lazy Monday.

I see left over feijoada, hot chocolate, and snuggling in the future.

Snow provokes responses that reach right back to childhood.~Andy Goldsworthy

In the vein people in Louisville, Ky attempted to organize a massive snowball fight at Waterfront park. The event was shut down, for one reason or another. 

The Wonderful Garden

Sometime last winter while snuggling up with the dog wonders and a cup of Nutella hot chocolate I mentioned to the Wanderer that I would like to plant a few tomatoes in the back yard. This idea blossomed well beyond a some Roma's. By spring our a couple acres of side yard had been tilled up and planted with a myriad of veggies and melons, yes even my precious tomatoes. An old shed had been emptied and was slowly being converted into a coop. Two brooders in my kitchen housed tiny little chicks. The Wanderer and I had thrown ourselves full force into farm life.



I have gardened off an on since childhood, and have tended chickens on occasion. The Wanderer, despite owning a pair of bibbed overalls had never farmed. A nice neighbor from up the road used his tractor break the ground for our garden. This is a great perk of living in farm country, neighbors are willing to lend a hand and offer helpful advice and guidance.

This winter we have been plotting and planning our garden, huddling up with our Baker Creek catalog trying to decide what we want to plant next. I see at least one variety of Pepper Tomatoes in our future.







~The Wonderful

The Paths We Take

Somebody should tell us, right at the start of our lives, that we are dying...Whatever you want to do, do it now! There are only so many tomorrows. ~Pope Paul VI

 I have made mistakes, stumbled down the wrong path only to come crawling back again. Now I am finding contentment in the simple things in life. Fluffy chickens in the yard, a garden full of fruit and veggies, snugly dogs sleeping at my feet while I write. I am a person trying hard not to let the mistakes of my past dominate my future. I am not where I thought I would be at this age, but I think I am right where I need to be.



For many years I have been an avid blog reader, my bookmarks is filled with links to blogs on various subjects. Recently the Wanderer has introduced me to the world of Podcasts. The motivation for this blog came from the changes the Wanderer and I have been going though, the journey we have chose to be on.

I am creative and crafty, don't be surprised if you see an occasional craft project pop up on this page. I love to cook, and bake, expect recipes. I live for a good roadtrip, expect adventures.





~The Wonderful

Serendipity, or ways we change over time.

When you wake up, and everything has changed.

You know, if current me ran into a wayward futuristic time traveller, and time traveled to 2005 and told old me "Hey, you know something, you will WANT to garden, you will WANT to raise chickens, you will WANT to live off the land..."  I would have laughed at that version of me.  

Until recently (last 3-4 years) I could have cared less about my impact on this world.  I could have cared less if a crew would have came in and clear cut the forest behind my house.  Or that I feel it was perfectly normal to hop in a vehicle and drive 20 minutes each direction to get food.  I would have thought it ludicrous to want to sit outside around a fire at night, lay in a hammock by day.

I would have not appreciated the hard work involved in taking a seed, water it daily if it was dry, and working it to harvest.  I know I could have did better with that garden this year.  Two surgeries based on my former lifestyle proved to be a major hinderance.  If you would have told me after reading all the books on raising chickens, I could somehow keep 10 chicks alive until maturity... Oh what a year it's been.

Hello,  I am just a Wanderer.  A Wanderer of the world, a Wanderer of life, a Wanderer in the most literal sense.  I am in the middle of a life changing transition.  I'm working to get healthy.  I am working for a change.  In my life.  In your life.  In the world.  We take life too seriously, to sit back and enjoy WHAT we have.  Whether you believe in a higher being, deity, power, or subscribe to a host of other theories... You cannot deny, even the plainest things on earth, have an inherent beauty to it.  I hope to show you this blog, and be able to look back upon these works myself when I am older, a journey through life.  A journey of discovery.  I love to cook, I love to grow (gardening, planting, mentally, and skills), and love to create.

The Wanderer is how I shall be known.  Because honestly, that's all I am.