Harvest time

So as you know I've moved out to the sticks.  Well it's time to gather all the goodies that were planted in the spring.  Not to mention making the wine!!!!!

I've picked 1 1/2 hectares of corn.  And cut about 1 hectare of corn stalks.  Still got another 1/2 hectare to cut & bundle.  Corn gathering is hard work and takes all day.  But my chickens have food, I've got cornmeal, and fuel for fire.

This week I'm helping 2 neighbors pick their grapes, then they'll help me with mine.  Then I get to be Lucy from the episode where she went to Italy .....you know what I'm talking about.  Must have CLEAN feet!!!!

Anyway here's a few picks of my corn crib and the corn I've still got to put in the crib!!!

Country Livin'

So as I mentioned a while ago, we purchased a house and some land out in the country here in Romania.  The house is located in a small village about 21 km outside of the thriving "metropolis" that is Tulcea.  The village is called Bestepe - which incidentally is a Turkish name.  Bes (besh) means 5, and Tepe means mountains/hills.  Yes.  I'm living at the foot of 5 mountains. 

  My house is up on a small hill in the center of the village.  And from my property you can see the Danube river and some of the small ponds around the river.  It's really quite beautiful even in the dead of winter when everything is grayish in color.  But now that spring is coming the green is starting to creep in.  I've got all kinds of fruit trees on my property and lots of grapes.  Yes I have a vineyard; now all I've gotta do is learn how to make wine.  :/

  The only problem I have is that because my house is up on the hill and the roads up there are heinous, I can't get internet because the companies haven't run any lines up there.  Seriously the roads are just dirt lanes with some rocks. The mayor there won't fix them.  No one is asking for asphalt, just to level out the earth and put in some rocks so that we can drive directly to our houses, or walk our kids to school without needing rubber boots all the time.

  I've been all moved in for a month now and I've lost about 10-15 pounds.  It's about a mile from our house to the school, so I get to walk a total of 4 miles everyday.  I walk the kids to school, then walk back home.  Then of course I have to walk back down to the school to pick them up and walk them back home.  Also I've gotten pretty good at splitting wood with my little hatchet.  ;)

  My cat caught 2 mice so far.  Yeah, I know.  I bought poison, but I think these mice have evolved or something - cause they ain't eating it.

  I've taken some photos of the house, land, etc., but I forgot to bring my camera with me.  I'm in Tulcea at a friends house using her computer and high speed internet!  Next time, I promise the next blog will be nothing but pics.

Why Lord?

As I mentioned a while back we bought a house with land.

Well I was planning on moving this week but God has decided otherwise.

our house is not easy to get to under normal weather conditions, its up on a hill

where thw one lane roads are just dirt and rocks. well it finally. decided to start snowing and raining This week. couldn't snow for Christmas or new year. Nope, had to wait till I need to move. Grrrrrrrrrrr :-Q

Friday The 13th.....

So obviously this post is going to be about that superstitious day.

So Friday morning I get up early, feed the kids wash the dishes so I can get out and go pick up a friend who is going to replace my front doors in my new house..... Oh yeah we bought a house with land earlier in the week. I'll post pics later in another post after I move in.

So anyway. I get to my car and what do I see? The lock in the driver side door is sitting at an angle. I touch it and half of it falls off. Some punks tried to break in, I'm assuming to steal the car since there was nothing of value in it. But they broke the lock and couldn't get in.

So I manage to get the passenger door unlocked si I can get into the car. I pick up my friend. He goes with me to a parts store. They tell me I can't buy just one lock I have to buy a set, which will cost me 1,000 lei, about $400-500! Forget that! So we go see about an alarm system. That will only be 450 lei which includes installation. So I'll be able to lock and unlock the doors plus have an alarm.

I could wring those punks necks!! So glad that I'll be moving to the country soon!! The teens around here are getting too ballsy!!!!

So we get up to the property. I turn on the water to the house. All the spigots and hoses going to the sinks, toilet, bidet (yes a bidet), shower stall and water heater are all leaky and need to be replaced. My bathroom floor is covered in water. I bought all the parts at a price of 200 Lei. Now I gotta pay the local plumber there in town and the man who was taking care of the property to install it all. If Marius was here he'd do it. But he had to go back to work.

So that was my Friday the 13th. But on the bright side, by Thursday the doors should be replaced. The water/plumbing issues taken care of, and then I can start buying furniture and moving it in, so that me and the kids can start living in our OWN home out in the country where I'll be growing all my own food and raising chickens. ;)

And....I'm viral....

In my last post, I mentioned Raoul Pop.  He has interviewed me for his viral series entitled "Romania Through Their Eyes".  He finally finished editing it and published it just after New Year.  So here it is, my World Wide Web video debut.  ;p

Enjoy!  And please make sure to check out the other ex-pats that Raoul has interviewed as well as his wife, Ligia's videos on YouTube:  "Ligia's Kitchen".