Summer 2015

Summer 2015 at Peaceful Forest Homestead

Summers at Peaceful Forest are always nice. Even if the weather is not cooperating with my idea of summer time weather. It has been pretty cool at night. With our temperatures going down to the forties. Not real good for the garden. I made a big mistake and didn't plant as many green and wax beans as usual. I figured I would plant other vegetables, since my shelves are packed with various winter squashes and beans. At least those plants would be producing, even if it is not as much as normal.

Georgie Girl is not crazy about bugs either.

What has been abundant is the bugs! It is hard to even take the laundry down from the clotheslines. My poor husband has chores to do outside most of the day. He is pretty strong to put up with them all day long. I start to do something outside and I chicken out and come back inside. I have found that putting some peppermint essential oil diluted down in a carrier oil, keeps them away from me. I use that when I must be out in the garden. It works every time.

Stairs from root cellar to the pantry.

Since I am not working outside too much, I am getting a lot of work done on my root cellar. It is finally ready to be used again! I have waited something like five years for the foundation to be repaired and back together. You know us, we do our projects little by little, so that we pay for them instead of taking out a loan. Now it is fixed. I worked down there cleaning it out real good last week.

Containers of canned foods, as well as others.

All of my canned foods and empty jars have been in Rubbermaid ™ containers upstairs. That keeps the mice and bugs from getting on them. It might not look as pretty as other homesteaders' pantries, but I like it better that way. I had read about soda cans that were stored, spreading diseases from mice urine being on the tops of the cans. Yuck! I don't want to take that kind of chance, after all the work I do growing and canning it.

Original bin for apple storage built in 1850 in root cellar.

I hope to get the root cellar, pantry, kitchen and upstairs organized before winter. It is a long hard job for me since my knees cause me so much pain. I am doing a Candida cleanse diet and hoping it will take care of some of the health issues I have been having. It does make you feel better, if you can stay off ice cream during the summer!

Copyright © 2015 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2015 Kathleen G. Lupole
Update 2018

Selling On eBay IS A REAL Business Not A Yard Sale

I am happy as can be selling in an eBay store again! I really enjoy the whole process. From locating the products to sell, to listing, to seeing my items sell and shipping it out. I am sometimes as excited as I hope the buyer is to receive it. Over the years, I have seen so many whiners and complainers about eBay and Paypal. No matter what they do, it will never please the masses. That is just the way it is. Many times that is why a seller gives up.

I saw a comment on the eBay for Business Facebook page that said, it is lying if you say you have free shipping, and you include the shipping costs in the price of the item. What deserted island has she been living on for the last thirty years? Why do buyers expect a seller to not include the price of shipping in their price? What about shipping supplies? What about Paypal and eBay fees? What about your time???

If someone thinks the price they pay at Walmart or any store locally, does not include the freight or shipping cost of their products on their shelves..........then you are crazy! Anyone in business gets that shipping cost back through the sale of their products. A real business has to pay for other things besides buying that item at wholesale. She thought sellers should say the shipping isn't free, but included in the price. Okay, my shipping costs are pretty low as my items usually aren't very heavy.

So according to this person, I should say my price on this item includes:

1.   My time to locate this item.
2.   My cost of buying this item.
3.   My time to clean it up to sell.
4.   My time to research it for price and description.
5.   My time to take good photos of the item from every angle.
6.   My time to list the product.
7.   My time to keep my listings updated.
8.   My cost of storage of this item.
9.   My cost of relisting it if it didn't sell yet.
10. My cost of an eBay store.
11. My cost of ink and paper for printing out the packing slip after it sold.
12. My cost of printing the label to ship it.
13. My cost of bubble wrap to wrap it in.
14. My cost of the box or bubble mailer to send it in.
15. My cost of the postage I paid to ship or mail it with.
16. My transaction fee from Paypal.
17. My final value fee for selling it from eBay.
18. My time to package this item and get it sent quickly.
19. My time to give you positive feedback.
20. My cost of an accountant to do my business taxes on my eBay store.
21. The cost of my internet connection.
22. The cost of the electric to run my office equipment.
23. The cost of my camera, battery and storage data card.
24. The cost of my computer to keep it updated, virus free and working to run daily.

I am sure with more time, I could think of much more. What do you think? Do you think sellers should buy items and pay to ship them to you for free? How long do you think a seller would stay in business that way? One reason I like free shipping for the items I sell on eBay is because nobody complains that I could have shipped it a cheaper way. It is one way for me to control my feedback because they cannot say I didn't ship when I said I did. If you sell on eBay how do you manage the shipping options?

Copyright © 2015 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2015 Kathleen G. Lupole
Updated 2018