Looking for a Mortgage/Loan

Well, we're getting down to the wire looking for a private mortgage so we can buy property here in Nova Scotia. I've got a lot of research and more calls to make, we'll see if we can work something out. Basically the land we want to buy is $40,000. Worth more than that but we talked them down. We have $30,000 coming from the gov't in July (they now say) and of course we can make monthly payments. We do have the required income but with the legal wrangling going on between Steve's ex wife and Family Maintenance over payments, we don't qualify for a regular mortgage. All that over $600, can you believe it? It's getting sorted out in a couple of weeks but by then the land will have been sold to another guy.

**Note: it looks like the court stuff is sorted out now and we're just waiting on a Judges signature. Hooray!**

So we're faced with the dilemma...try and get a private mortgage at almost criminal interest rates? One guy quoted us 18%...we said No Thanks. Or wait and see if something else comes along later in the year? Any thoughts?

We've got a super busy day again today. The new car is in the garage and today will lose it's rust, have a plate welded into the floor and receive a spa treatment of mesh, bondo and red oxide primer. Steve got it all washed down yesterday outside on the driveway and it looked so odd to see him out in the dark with a flashlight in the rain washing a car. He wanted to get all the grime and salt off and unfortunately our garage slopes so that water runs and pools inside and doesn't drain out, so washing outside was necessary, if comical. Now it's a matter of fixing the rust and building up the new fender panels from mesh and body filler (Bondo).

Also on the docket for today are to get the legal papers from the ex. Church. Family time with a movie and junk food (but it's Fast Sunday so we're not eating until supper time) and of course I've got to make a dinner everyone will eat because we're fasting (not eating or drinking) until supper time. I'm thinking pork chops. Here's my recipe from a US Newspaper years ago:

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup soy sauce lite

2 tablespoons ketchup

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

Basically you take your pork chops and brown them on both sides. Place them in a casserole or covered baking dish. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over the top. Cover and bake for an hour (or 30-40 mins for thin chops). Keep covered so they don't dry out while cooking and rest on the counter for 10 mins after baking before serving. We're having ours with mashed potatoes and peas. No gravy necessary. Oh, and this recipe is for 8 pork chops so you can halve it if you need to. We use less sodium soy sauce and you can also use fresh garlic in place of the garlic salt if you're watching your salt intake. You can also use fresh ginger if you grate it finely. The flavours have enough time in the oven to blend together. Oh boy, now I'm hungry!

Well it's time to get up and at 'em. Church starts in an hour.

I'll have pics to post of the new to us car and we're going to tap our maple trees this afternoon too. Hope you all have a wonderful day.