The Crabs' Homestead: Recent Episodes
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Why did we end bus life? What was bus life like during the initial pandemic? why did we move from az to tx and buy a house?###### Hey yall, it has been a while! Lots has happened. Much like LIFE…we move on and do new things per the circumstances and situations we are in. YOu just keep going, adapting, overcoming, and growing. that is life.
What Happened?We bought a house May 2020 after COVID caused people to lose their shit! If you remember, we were in Sierra Vista, AZ staying with some people we met via Instagram (fellow skoolie builders) and our workamping gig (they saw us parked in town at the pumpkin patch/tree lot). After the US declared COVID a pandemic, a neighbor complained that we were there and said 2 families are not allowed in one lot. We had a permit from the county for 6 months to be there, and they told us due to the pandemic they would be auto extending it. She complained/threatened our hosts enough they asked if we would be mad if they asked us to leave. Mind you, RV parks, BLM land, everything was closed down. We had been invited by this couple to stay the year til our next gig started in October. This was about March 2020, right after my birthday.We had a plan with this other family to raise chickens and garden (like a few days/a week or so before this all happened) just in case this lasted a while, because we had no idea what the future would hold. Hence, our 10 white leghorns that lived with us back then and the garden we posted about starting. We put over $1500 in amendments, soil, plants, and trees on our “side” of this yard we were renting. We had our 2 children, our dog, our cat, 10 chickens, our bus, and what we thought was a safe place to stay. We were now being squeezed. I don’t know about other people, but I don’t like feeling trapped. We definitely were no longer welcome.
As people who have been independent since 18, always had a plan, ready for anything….we acted. We had already been loking for land to purchase where we were, but we hadn’t found anything that we called to us. We decided we needed a place with some water, and I missed soft grass without stickers. I mean, I love to barefoot sooooo:). We started looking back in TX. People always kept to themselves where we lived and didn’t come on your property to tell you what to do. TX has a different mind set, at least from my experience. They aren’t completely “free” and I have not enjoyed their recent abortion laws, or the fact that they don’t let people consume cannabis, BUT people are proud of their state, they have a good mentality in Central TX, and eventually we will get to a truly FREE state, and in the moment of thinking where do we want to go now that Shit Has Hit The Fan….We both thought, Texas. No, We don’t have family here. We had met a lot of good people, and had some good friends in the different areas scattered about. I guess you could say we felt more at “Home” here. I NEVER thought we would come back here. I actually thought we would have found a place on the road somewhere or fall in love with another state. 5 years prior when we began to build the bus (August 2015) I thought, We will be in Alaska or Idaho or Washington and homesteading up there. But I had no idea what we would find, or where. The types of people in the different places. How safe or unsafe I felt in different parts of the country. You don’t know until you try.
So, our friend (also a real estate realtor/broker, Rick Ott) started traveling all over TX and showing us houses via Facebook Messenger Facetime. We put in 5 offers on 5 different houses and were beat out by over bidding, cash offers, and bad inspections. This would have been our 4th home we bought and I NEVER had such a hard time buying a house. Finally, another one popped up. It had a pool, out of the city so we could have our chickens and bus, in a small 2 street subdivision which I NEVER thought we would move to again, but never say never (as I always tell my kids), and it wasn’t 20 acres, 10, 5, even 2. It’s almost an acre. But we had the money for it, it was 14 years old so we could fix and upgrade stuff as needed, and it had enough space. It seemed like a good investment considering the housing prices were on their way up. In 2 weeks, May 2020, we closed on the home. 48 hours after signing the docs via mobile notary, we were packed up (including our storage unit of picks and tools and solar panels we acquired while in AZ and a plastic tote of chicks about 12 wks old at this point), and had already sold most of anything we didn’t need to bring with us, some stuff we had to throw away. It was a bit hectic but orchestrated. We were thrown, again, into a new situation.
The girls were 14 and 12. They had been expressing they were ready for a home again the last year, which is why we picked up our search for a homestead and became even less mobile in bus life. The eldest was starting to outgrow her bunk (she is tall yall! LOL), and they were both used to sharing spaces, adapting to wherever we went next, and living “road life”. But, even they were ready for some home school group consistency, local classes, etc for more than a few months. COVID was a hard time to find normalcy in socializing situations, of course lol, bad timing, BUT when things started to taper off it was good for them to get out and see the same faces and even have sleep overs with their old friends from near our area.
Food Storage SituationOur prepper experience and mentality definitely kicked in. Everything we did on the homestead was converted to tiny/bus life. Since Crab was investing pretty heavily in the stock market, he was constantly ears on the ground and tapped into what was going on in the world. He was watching WorldStar Hip Hop, which we have joked on our podcast before about, but it really does give info a lot faster than the regular mainstream media. He was reading the Drudge Report. We watched Yahoo Finance!, every CDC announcement and talk, every Trump, Fauci, etc speech. They always tell us what they are going to do, you just have to learn to act appropriately to what they say. In January we started buying medicine, kleenex, some bleach, cans of soup, large orders of fruit cocktail, dried goods like sugar, flour, beans. and putting it in our basement boxes in the bus, under the couches, under the beds….all the storage spots were being stuffed. In February China was talking about masks, so we started buying 3M N95 masks from the home depots we would visit (after researching which are the best for infection prevention/spreading). We also bought hand sanitizers, wipes, things to make our own hand sanitizer, rehydration packets, pedialyte popsicles, and even Thieves oil from young Living. In March, I think was when Australia was knife fighting for toilet paper, so we started buying some TP and Paper Towels and trashbags becuse that is how I cleaned the compost toilet every 3 days. That all had to got into our storage unit, but at that point I was so HAPPY we had that unit to put those bulkier items we needed in. We even bought a Amazon bag of rags for just in case we ran out of the paper stuff. We upped our frozen and canned meats. With a RV freezer there isn’t much room for a lot, so we were going to the store every 4 days or so to restock. This was also the same time the food supply chain was being talked about being disrupted, and that’s when we got the chickens. Chickens-eggs + meat. Protein for as long as you can have baby chicks being born.
We did it. You CAN do it. You CAN survive the empty shelves AZ faced (very odd to see coming from the south where everyone had a lot of food in case of hurricanes and tornados. The water shelves were usually cleared down south, but nothing like I saw in AZ.) and types of challenges COVID presented on a traveler and to someone living on a tiny scale. But once your home is threatened or where you park it, there isn’t much you can do if you don’t own the spot…..even with all of the TP and food in the world, lol.
Some people would think that buying all of that stuff was over kill. But we aren’t the people to go fight for food if you don’t have to. Or fight over TP or PT. Or bleach. You have car insurance. You have home insurance. Life insurance maybe. Health insurance definitely. Why not other insurances? You are the only one who can provide for your family. You have to be prepared for when people act like people. Stay one step ahead when you can because you can’t trust how people will react when their livelihoods are changed. If they lose their jobs. People in their family die from this. Humans are humans. We didn’t want to be the parents of a sick child who can’t get a bed because of the overflow at hospitals, and can’t find medicine in the store because it is all gone. We were ready for all 4 of us to get sick and not have to leave the bus unless we had to.
By the time we made it to Central Texas (18 hours of driving, straight through only stopping at Gas Stations) and into our new home, when I put all of the food into the pantry it FILLED it. I did not realize how stocked we were. But I was so proud of us. I felt like I really was ready and prepared for my family, despite being in a bus on the road.
Rule of Thumb:ACTION ALLEVIATES ANXIETY. If you freak out about something, do something about it. Be proactive with what you can control. Then you will feel prepared and less anxious. Good facts people. Write it down. And then it was over…..Bus life…..the universe….the world, it felt like….. was telling us it was our time to move on. Regardless of the situation we were put in, or found ourselves in, or even put ourselves in…there is always a time where you have to move with life, no matter what you want your plans to be, or if you are ready or not. Life is coming and happening. We used the experience for what it was worth and we learned more than words could ever explain. We learned about ourselves, our relationships, how to do everything we wanted to do or find the tools and resources to learn it, the confidence to just do something, try something new, be weird, be comfortable being uncomfortable….and so much more.
There is so much I miss about Chitty Bang and living in her. The freedom to leave a place (until something like COVID made it harder). The freedom from so much money having to be had to live and enjoy life. The problems were different. The views were always different. But the happiness of being with my family was what made wherever we went home. I just want to be where they are. Period. Big lesson learned throughout my life that has stayed consistent in my time on Earth.
MORE MOVING……Not only did we move from AZ, but we had to go back to West Texas and get all of our homesteading and household items we stored in 2015 to bring to our home. AND to EAST TX to my parents to get our lawn mowers and some solar panels we stored there. and TEXAS is BIG. 4.5 hours one way and back, and 5 hours another way and back. In a week, we had all of our shit in our home and it was like Christmas lol. AND I GOT SHIN SPLINTS from all of the walking of packing and unpacking, going up and down attic and bus stairs.. YES! Transitioning from a tiny bus to a house will give you shin splints LMAO. Something you don’t even expect to happen.
Just Like That. She Is Gone.Yes, we sold the bus in June 2022. We listed her in Summer 2021. I think by that time we realized we weren’t going to be hitting the road again any time soon. And we were finally ready to let go. Her new owners came in from Oregon and drove her back. They are remodeling and fixing her up for their travels, and even had some small adventures on their way home with Chitty Bang’s wiring that had been wiggling lose apparently over the years! We were so sad to see her go, but also happy that she would not be sitting and rusting in the yard. She deserves more adventures. More happiness found and shared. More travels and memories. And she deserves someone who can change her, add to her, and make her their own.
She looks like a bus. Something thrown away by Mesa Verde AZ Independent School District. Used up. Smelled like rubber and all things school bus. But we stripped her and created a beautiful tiny home for our family. A way to see the country our veteran went to war to protect and serve. A way to be with our kids all of the time and be in charge of their education and how they viewed the world. Be there to answer questions and give them real and honest answers. TO appreciate nature. To enjoy life and take advantage of the good times. To roll with the punches. To adapt. To overcome. To be patient. To be kind. To give. To fix things. To know you can do anything you put your mind to. To teach them what we were learning. To show them how to make money when they need it. To work hard. To work during the holidays and give back to people. To be with your family and work as a team. To depend on each other. To love one another. TO BE Together. To Trust. Chitty Bang was our classroom of life. Of the world.
I will never forget “That time we lived in a bus.”
The National Poison Hotline is 800-222-1222.
One of the reasons I started looking into what is in CBD tinctures and other cannabis products is because I had witnessed first hand a person who smoked a joint of marijuana flower produced by a large name company break out in hives, have shortness of breath, nausea right after inhaling. She had the symptoms of heavy metal and pesticide poisoning. The joint was tested and the results were off the charts. The levels of heavy metals, pesticides, and even the residual solvents used were extremely high. I have seen flower with black mold on it being sold in stores in recreational legal states. I have seen no testing for anything done in medical legal states. The Vape cartridges for cannabis had been tested high for heavy metals recently, and I believe California is now testing those for their state. It is amazing. So, here I am. Learning and sharing. And This is what I discovered why Heavy Metals are a no-no.
There are many Heavy Metals that are all around us in life. Arsenic, Lead, Mercury, Iron, and others are all around us and when exposed in high levels can even make you sick. However, small amounts of certain metals, like Copper, Zinc, and Iron, are needed for normal body functions. There are Trace Elements of Heavy Metals in almost everything, but we can be more vigilant and aware of the amounts we allow on and in our bodies just by using trustworthy and open companies.
Heavy metal poisoning isn’t very common in the US and occurs when the body’s soft tissue absorbs too much of a particular metal. Heavy Metal Poisoning could happen if you use herbal medicines that have heavy metals in them, food pollution, air pollution, water pollution, eat fish caught with high levels of mercury, food containers with improper coating, breathe in old lead paint dust when you fix up your home, or work in a factory that uses heavy metals (Ratini, 2018).
Symptoms of Heavy Metal Poisoning
“The Most common metals that the human body can absorb in toxic amounts are: mercury, lead, cadmium, arsenic,” (Gotter, 2018). Some the listed general symptoms by the HealthLine article referenced below are;
- Diarrhea
- Nausea
- abdominal pain
- weakness
- chills
- tingling in hands and feet, vomiting
- more depending on the specific metal.
There are 2 Types of Heavy Metal Poisoning, Acute and Chronic, and then the other variable is the specific metal itself.
“Acute poisoning. This happens if you get a high dose at one time, like in a chemical accident in a factory or after a child swallows a toy made with lead,” (Ratini, 2018). If you have acute poisoning;
- you will immediately feel bad
- possibly become nauseous and vomit
- go numb
- feel confused
- even pass out.
If a person were exposed to a low dose of heavy metal over a long period of time, that is called Chronic Poisoning and these symptoms creep up on people.
- Fatigue
- Achy joints and muscles
- Headaches
- Constipation
(Ratini, 2018).
Now that you have an idea about Heavy Metals in general, let’s get specific. Let’s talk about LEAD.
Allowable Amounts of LEAD Ingestion per FDA Standards
The Interim References Level (IRL) is a daily maximum intake for lead set by the FDA after they asses “whether the amount of lead in a food product is high enough to raise a person’s blood lead level to a point of concern,” (FDA, 2019). The established IRL of blood lead levels for children is 3 ug and 12.5 ug for adults. The level for adult child bearing women is very important, as well as infants’ exposure during nursing (FDA, 2019). The FDA conducts the Total Diet Study (TDS) several times a year and also test for pesticide residues, industrial and other toxic chemicals, and nutrient elements in food.
So, yes, the FDA knows there will be lead in things we consume. The most important thing though is knowing how much is too much to the point we start feeling bad and getting sick? Well how do you know if the products you use are not tested for it? More importantly, what about your health products you use? Are they tested? The FDA does surprise sampling of multiple types of products, but with all of these new CBD companies popping up, how can you be sure the item you have is up to par with the allowable amounts? Well you don’t if they do not test for it. It is very important that you do your research when purchasing CBD products. Make sure they have a heavy metals test.
Causes and Effects of Lead Poisoning
Lead poisoning may be caused by exposure, such as ingesting or chewing, but also via being in firing ranges, using kohl cosmetics, certain hair dyes, calcium products, and more. It was also the metal found most commonly in tinctures that were tested and some of those symptoms are subtle to extreme. They include:
- loss of appetite
- sleep problems
- irritability
- memory loss
- constipation
- aggressive behavior
- high blood pressure
- anemia
- fatigue
- loss of developmental skills in children
(Gotter, 2018).
Testing to Determine if You Have Heavy Metal Poisoning
A blood test is usually where most doctors will start if you have symptoms of heavy metal poisoning. But these tests are not in your routine full panel yearly. You would have to talk to your doctor about specifically testing for it if you are concerned. However, if your blood tests show low amounts, they may dive into more:
- kidney/liver function tests
- X-rays
- electroardiagrams
- fingernail, hair, urine analysis
(Gotter, 2018). Don’t try the at-home tests for this as there is no hard evidence that they work or to even tell you if you are sick or need treatment.
Treatment
If it is determined that Heavy Metal Poisoning occurred, the doctor will usually prescribe medication (chelators) via pill or needle that will bind to the heavy metals and send them out of your body in the form of waste. Sometimes this type of therapy can be dangerous and is not successful with all heavy metals. They may prescribe that the person’s stomach be pumped.
Overview
I could list all of the heavy metals and symptoms and such here, but I only wanted to stick with the broad spectrum of them and Lead, since that one turns up more often in the tests I have seen. Like the beginning of the article stated, there are Heavy Metals in everything and there are ways to be more vigilant and aware of the Cannabis/Hemp/CBD products that we use, as well as requesting that Lab Report from the companies. If they are an open, honest, and trustworthy company, they will happily share their results from Heavy Metal, Pesticides, Residual Solvents, Microbials, and Cannabinoid Potency. If they do not offer that testing I would not give that company my money. Make sure you know what is in your products, and follow us for more related articles and company’s lab reports for their products that I research!
References
FDA. 19 February 2019. “Lead in Food, Foodwares, and Dietary SUpplements”. FDA Monitoring and Testing of Lead in Food, Including Dietary Supplements and Foodwares. https://www.fda.gov/food/metals/lead-food-foodwares-and-dietary-supplements.
Gotter, Anna & Murrell, Daniel, M.D. 13 December 2018. “HealthLine”. Heavy Metal Poisoning. https://www.healthline.com/health/heavy-metal-poisoning.
Ratini, Malinda DO, MS. 09 January 2018. “WebMD Medical Reference”. What is Heavy Metal Poisoning. https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/what-is-heavy-metal-poisoning#1.
OFF GRID TINY HOUSE SKOOLIE FOR SALE $65,000 AS IS SERIOUS OFFERS ONLY (Only people with Class B or C Licenses can test drive the bus, per TX state Law) Our family of 4 converted our school bus Chitty Bang into a tiny house from October 2015 until November 2016 with other enhancements, changes, and … Continue reading FOR SALE -$65,000 AS IS
OFF GRID TINY HOUSE SKOOLIE FOR SALE $65,000 AS IS SERIOUS OFFERS ONLY (Only people with Class B or C Licenses can test drive the bus, per TX state Law) Our family of 4 converted our school bus Chitty Bang into a tiny house from October 2015 until November 2016 with other enhancements, changes, and … Continue reading FOR SALE -$65,000 AS IS
I have been informed the TESOL has since changed in 2021 and these answers may not be relevant and hitting the “x” to continue and change your answers without having to start over may not be an option anymore. I do not have access to the new one so I can not help with this. … Continue reading Pass the VIPKID TESOLOld Version 2020*
I have been informed the TESOL has since changed in 2021 and these answers may not be relevant and hitting the “x” to continue and change your answers without having to start over may not be an option anymore. I do not have access to the new one so I can not help with this. … Continue reading Pass the VIPKID TESOLOld Version 2020*
Welcome to Ep#25! Wow there is a lot going on in today’s world! We went live on youtube yesterday to get this news out so people can also start taking advantage of the down economy. We give you some basics to get started, people to follow, news sources to check, and our tips on what … Continue reading Ep.#25: How We Make Money in a Down Market, CoronaVirus, and a Chat with Rob Johnson
Welcome to Ep#25! Wow there is a lot going on in today’s world! We went live on youtube yesterday to get this news out so people can also start taking advantage of the down economy. We give you some basics to get started, people to follow, news sources to check, and our tips on what … Continue reading Ep.#25: How We Make Money in a Down Market, CoronaVirus, and a Chat with Rob Johnson
Check out my introduction video I have for my bio with VIPKid. Need help on yours? Maybe mine will give you some ideas! I have used this video since Day 1 and I made $2k my first month with the company! I think it made an impression..or not…but if you need some help getting bookings, … Continue reading My introduction Video for VIPKID
Check out my introduction video I have for my bio with VIPKid. Need help on yours? Maybe mine will give you some ideas! I have used this video since Day 1 and I made $2k my first month with the company! I think it made an impression..or not…but if you need some help getting bookings, … Continue reading My introduction Video for VIPKID
I am putting it all out there you guys! I actually share my VERY FIRST MOCK class! This mock class is 5 minutes long. I had some initial questions that I had to answer (All on the basic info you fill out before scheduling the class) and then we jumped into the mock class, which … Continue reading My First mock class with vipkid
I am putting it all out there you guys! I actually share my VERY FIRST MOCK class! This mock class is 5 minutes long. I had some initial questions that I had to answer (All on the basic info you fill out before scheduling the class) and then we jumped into the mock class, which … Continue reading My First mock class with vipkid
Making money from home is something that I have been looking for forever! We have plenty of side hustles that we created from our own blood, sweat, and tears…..but in an effort it fund future investments and properties, I decided to get a job as an independent contractor….not selling pumpkins or trees or fireworks…but working … Continue reading Top 10 Tips on how i got hired in 5 days with vipkid
New Episode Out! #24 a Chat with Marine Veteran Bruce Laird with Avra Valley Growers. We talk military experience, how farming can heal, industrialized hemp, and project for veterans! Dont miss this episode! Check it out!! Listen HERE ON PODBEAN! Listen on YOUTUBE! Check out his sites and social medias for more info! http://www.avravalleygrowers.com http://www.facebook.com/avravalleygrowers … Continue reading Ep.#24: Bruce Laird with Avra Valley Growers
Listen Here on Podbean! or YouTube Here! This episode we talk about the history of humans…yeah nerd talk..but we laughed and had a good time anyway! Ryon is reading the book called “Sapiens” and we talk about that and different theories. We also talk about some current events, as well as some new business ideas … Continue reading Ep. #23-Human History & New Business Ideas
Listen Here Or on YouTube Here (uploading!) This podcast we dive into the lives of Jackie and Matt with Bicycle Motor Works. They are a small, family run business and you know how we love supporting those businesses! We purchased our motorized bicycle kits from their website and wanted to make sure we told people … Continue reading Ep. #22: Jackie and Matt with Bicycle Motor Works
Ep # 21: Update on Motorized Bikes, New Podcast, Our Next Move Listen HERE Or On YouTube Here I give an update on our motorized bike progress, we talk about who our next podcast is with, and where we are headed next! This one is quick, so don’t miss it! Shop our store www.thecrabshomestead.com/shop And … Continue reading Ep. # 21: Update on Motorized Bikes, New Podcast, Our Next Move