Happy New Year!

I was planning to write a long overdue post today, but this wasn't the one I was planning. Got a little something to get off my chest!

I got a phone call from the local police today. They asked me if I would please ship those socks to that guy in BC.

{brief pause for astonishment, and then laughter}

"No, sir, I won't be shipping those socks to that guy. We only learned yesterday afternoon that his check finally cleared, and will send him a refund on Monday. I would have sent it sooner, but wasn't sure if I would be sending free money for nothing."

The officer seemed really confused as to why the guy would call the police.

So the guy called me about 10 or 20 minutes later. He wanted to rip me up and down. I listened. I made it very plain that the check didn't clear the bank until YESTERDAY, that THIS was the cause of the problem, and that it was quite unreasonable that he should expect me to front the purchase of the yarn for customized socks, put all that labor into knitting the socks, and then mail them based on his promise that the check was good. And that I felt a great big red flag over the fact that the check was dated November 3rd, but mailed December 4th, and that it took so long to "arrive", along with the fact that he was in so much of a hurry for the socks to be shipped, which made me wonder why he sat on that check for a month if he was in such a hurry to receive the items, and that this looked like mail fraud or some kind of con to me.

He didn't like that. He argued, he threatened calling the Better Business Bureau because he has documentation of all calls. I said "So do I. On my answering machine." He said he'd call the postal service and charge ME with mail fraud. I reminded him that I had not actually received payment until yesterday. He went off in so many different directions, including even trying the racial thing with me. HE said "I realize that I'm in Canada, and with a name like Raj, you'd be suspicious." I didn't take that bait; I didn't say a word. I went through each step of this transaction IN GOOD FAITH, fronting my own money and labor for this custom order, and it wasn't until the bizarre check arrived that I began to have real doubts about this transaction and that I might have been conned with a fraudulent check.

So, after all this, he still wanted the socks. I said no. I was no longer interested in doing business with him, and would refund his money. He then said "I can see that you are not a reputable business."

It was at that point that I just hung up on him.

I know he said it to make me angry and/or hurt my feelings. I'm trying not to let it, because I know that's what he wanted.

But damn!

So... where's the chocolate? Need lots of chocolate, and need to upload some new photos on my website and farm blog of our Grandpa ram.... he's so handsome and has such incredible horns, and I'd been waiting for some dry days to photograph him before Jon butchers him. We used him for breeding last year and the year before, so it's not like we need him anymore. He was only here to decorate the farm this past year! And he sure did! But we've got some more handsome rams coming up behind him, and I'm sure they will be duking it out to determine who is the Head Honcho once the big guy is gone.

Happy New Year!

It's a New Year! Whew!

I am entering this year even more hopeful than the last. We still have our home, we still have an outside income, we still have our health, and we are learning even more ways to be frugal despite having grown up in the most thrifty of families.

Our wonderful Cascade Farmstead sheep, designed to be economical, are doing fine. Breeding season seems to be over; our littlest ewe lamb was bred this week, and the countdown begins for lambing season. Woo Hoo! I'm collecting names for lambs, which is always fun.

I finished another pair of thick wool socks; this pair customized for a woman who wears a size 8 shoe. Lovely pearl gray with soft plum and aqua; photo coming. I'm working on a handsome color combination to fit a man's foot, having just turned the heel and am on the home stretch toward the toe. This pair of socks can still be customized for foot length at this time, and a photo of this sock-in-progress is on my website. I'm working on another color combination that I'm really excited about; you will have to check back to see this one!

And the stockings were shipped to a soldier with care...

I donated the socks shown below to one of our fine soldiers. AnySoldier.com is a wonderful organization that makes it easy to support our men and women serving our country. If you utilize this organization, be sure to read the FAQ thoroughly before doing anything. With the large number of deployments coming up, it's important to get on board and do what we can.

Christmas was simple and lean this year, and we took this opportunity to shake things up a bit to make it memorable. Instead of spending money we don't have on turkey and all the trimmings, we ate salmon caught last summer from the banks of local rivers, cooked in a new-to-us way, blackberry cobbler from our own berries picked in August, etc. It was wonderful!

Ronda's Real Socks

I have one pair of socks ready to mail right now; fits a woman who wears a size 9 or 10 shoe. Amethyst, sapphire and emerald on navy as shown. Custom socks for women and men in more colors available now, as well as gift certificates.

I create hand knitted wool socks warm enough for hunting in the woods, working on the farm, and padding around on wood floors in winter, yet soft, sturdy and smooth-fitting inside boots.

These socks are knitted double thick, using two strands of the highest quality superwashed wool yarn. They are very soft, washable and durable, with a reinforced heel and toe, and they do not shrink!

If you have read any of our farming web pages, you know that we are all about practical farming and frugal living. Slow fashion is the current term for clothing with a long life. My 5-year-old socks are still soft, warm, comfy and sturdy. I believe that you get what you pay for, and my family is worth every penny.

Move Over, I Want To Back Up To The Fire, Too!

When you have to jostle with the dogs for position in front on the wood stove, you know it's cold in the house. And that it's time to keep the home fires burning, so to speak, pretty much round the clock from now through early spring.

Yes, we heat with wood.

We have plenty of seasoned firewood stacked and ready to use, whereas we do not have plenty of dollars to pay an exorbitant electricity bill during winter. And it's nice to have heat when (not if) the electricity goes out during cold winter storms.

I saw an article in some publication in the U.K. asking which form of heat was least harmful to our air and most renewable. The answer is supposed to come out next week, but thus far they showed that burning seasoned wood is on top of the list. I'll drink a cup of hot cocoa to that! Especially considering that our local hydro power dam is causing the wild salmon to die off in increasing numbers. We are not allowed to keep wild salmon; they must be tossed back and hope that they survive. We can only keep the hatchery-produced salmon. Produced at what cost?

But I digress. The house is warming up, and I need to make sure all of our wool socks and flannel jammies are accounted for and ready-to-use in the rooms furthest from the wood stove. Layer up!