Mississippi has been good for all of us, but for the first time in years I can add myself to that list. Since we have made the move and gotten settled in I have noticed some subtle yet substantial changes in myself.
To begin with, I have started losing inches...not just pounds but inches. Which means I have been toning up as well as watching what I'm eating and the portion size. I have been cooking more from scratch as well as drinking more water. I have more energy and my sleep schedule is more "normal." I am feeling better and looking better as well. My face is also responding to the extra vitamin D and is clearing up to the point that I am surprised. I have been off of the blood pressure and antibiotics for 2 months now and this is the clearest I have been since Tennessee.
I have also been getting outside a LOT more. We have a 15' x 42" pool we have been using to cool off and to give the kids something to stave off the boredom of summer. I have been going out and floating relaxing in it during the day. The result has been that not only do I have color for the first time in years, but I feel a LOT less grumpy and confined. I also have a tan that looks pretty damn good! LOL
I have been researching ways of cutting costs on things we use a LOT and ran across ways of making some of our most commonly used things. I made our first batch of laundry detergent. I am also going to make our own liquid hand soap. I also bought a bread machine and have been baking bread on a daily basis. I love how soft the bread is and how much cheaper it is! I have been looking up recipes for bread machines and am looking forward to making them. Christi says that she's "going to make a prepper out of me yet." I don't know about that, but making things versus buying them definitely gives me a sense of self pride I haven't had in many years.
We are also in the process of paying off a loan Gary got against his 401K a couple of years ago for the electric bill. Gary has said that once he gets that paid off (in 2 more paychecks) he is going to take out another one so that we can move closer to Oxford. I would love to stay out here, but the mileage and bugs are making it damn near impossible to save any money. The house we are in was empty for a year before we moved in and the yard had not been treated in god knows how long. The kids love being out here in the country and I have to admit that I really like it too, but I also miss living in town just for the convenience of being able to run down the road to pick up something that we need. We are in Oxford 5 out of 7 days a week and if we were to move there, the gas would go down. It would also give Ash a better chance of finding and keeping a job. She's going to be 18 this summer and is anxious to move out on her own. Moving into Oxford would give her a better chance for success than having to find a way into work every day that she works as well as do well in school. We're hoping to be moved by the end of summer so the kids can get settled by the time school starts.
It hasn't completely sunk in yet that we are here to stay. There's a part of me that thinks of this as "home" but there's another part that still can't believe we're here for good. Yes, we're going to visit friends and family up north when we can, but we're not planning on going back. I guess it just has to do with not having been here long enough to familiarize myself with the area. I'm getting there, but it's just going to take some time. It's beautiful down here. I'm finally getting used to the road signs and differences in ways to measure distance. I am also finally getting a mental picture of surrounding areas. Like I said, it's going to take time. When Gary moved to Kirksville so many years ago, I remember him feeling lost and wondering how he could feel lost in a small town like Kirksville. I guess now I know. By the time we left, that lost feeling had been gone for many years. I am sure that will happen here too. I just hate feeling unprepared and "out of place."
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