Catspjamas Everhart

The above quote is from Robert A. Heinlein, a sci-fi author. I have never read any of his work, but I love his quote. I have five cats, and yes, they do as they please. I was born on the coast of NC, and until 2007 had lived no where else. Except for 6 months in California when I was 2, but I don't count that, as I don't remember it. I now live in the mountains of East TN. Didn't plan on leaving NC, but the property values were cheaper here. I'm only 6 miles from the State line. Sometimes I think about returning to NC, and being closer to my family. But, I look at how the world is going, and I think I'm in a pretty good location should the shtf. I've got a little bit of property, where I can have a garden, and grow my own food. I hope to have raised beds for the garden by next summer, and have enough veggies that I am able to can the excess. I'd love to be totally self-reliant/sustaining, but with a mortgage, that's not feasible. I love my little house, it's a cinder block building with stucco, painted white. I'd like to paint it lavendar. I call it "Boneidle Cottage", and think of it as my beach cottage in the mountains. This summer I've been redoing my kitchen. I took a wall down between the kitchen and what used to be a bedroom. Both rooms were small, and with the appliances and the three units I got to use as cabinets, the kitchen was very crowded. I wish I had done this years ago. I enjoying living in the mountains, and especially love the fact that I don't need A/C. I'm at 2500', and while it can get warm, it's usually for a couple of weeks in August. It gets down right cold in the winter, though I haven't seen it below zero yet. I heat with a wood stove, and have a kerosene monitor heater for backup. That was something, learning how to use a woodstove. The first winter, I used the monitor heater, more than the woodstove. But kerosene is expensive, so the second winter I used the woodstove, almost exclusively. I've learned on the nicer days, get as much wood as possible on the back porch, and in the house, so when it's 4 degrees, I don't have to go out to the woodshed to get firewood. I like cold weather and love snow. I just don't like getting up in the morning when the house is cold, because the fire went out. That's why the kerosene is nice, I can have it set at 65-70 degrees, and if the fire goes out, it will keep the house warmish. I know when the fire has gone out, because all five cats will be on the bed.