The WE2's

Had to not only replace a water heater at the homestead but the heat pump control board went out. That was a 300$ fix...but would have been much more expensive if it weren't for a friend who does that type of work! Had us up and running in less that 3 hours. The house stayed warm enough for him to get it back up...PTL! This has been a very expensive 2020 and early 2021 for us! It can stop now!

Was chatting with family today about the boxes full of puzzles we donated when Mother passed. We were al puzzler's but just didn't keep them. NOW? Sure wish we had. Would have loved to put them back together again. We have a huge library of our own so we've had plenty to read. The local library will pull your selections and set them outside the door for you to pick up, but you have to go to their online web site to make selections. Not a big deal. We also have our Kindles to read.

Weather has been a bear here. Wind chills have been between -20 and -28 for a long time. The furnace just couldn't keep up. So the bathtub drain froze up as well as the hot water on the shower. So, hubby ventured out to the homestead and brought back our big EdenPur and our Remington Propane Stove (18,000 btu). Have t keep the kitchen window cracked open for safety purposes for the Remington, but with it on low and the EdenPur we've managed to keep the temp at 60 with lots of covers as well as sleeping in sweat pants and sweat shirts. Unscrewed the panel to the shower faucet area and put a small ceramic heater in there, on low with another oil type heater in the laundry room (which is attached to the back side of the tub area) and we eventually got everything thawed. Felt might good to take a hot shower! Also brought a gallon of RV anti-freeze home and poured it down the tub drain after we shower. It's people safe! We currently have about 12 inches of snow on the ground but the crews have kept the snow routes fairly plowed. The homestead's street isn't on a snow route but hubby's been able to get in and out okay. Everything's safe there, but we don't have a bed there yet so we opted to hang out here. He's been working in the kitchen area getting my stove vent put up under the cabinet he hung...the gas stove will be under that. We had a stove vent that came with the used gas stove we bought, but found out it had a hole in the top ... and needed to be vented. POOP! So, we had to go buy one at Menard's...all they had was white (not almond) but it will just have to do! It's my kitchen right! LOL Once the stove is in, he'll put some wood across the top and I'll use the Microwave/Convection oven there until he can run the gas line. I have just about every kitchen appliance one would need to cook, so I'll be putting them to go use for sure. We did try to find some small 1# propane tanks for a little heater we have and they were no where in this city to be found! Sure glad we stocked up on the 20# for the Remington! We ran 2 days and 2 nights on one tank so it's very efficient. You can bet another one is on our shopping list "if" any stores (ie...Lowe's) get them back in stock! For several years I insisted to hubby ... "the propane is for keeping us warm...nothing else! I have lots of other ways to cook!" So we have quite a few set back. We'll have to re-stock for sure! Also had plenty of blankets etc. set back. We bought tons of them at garage sales these past years. Our bank's "core" server is located in TX...so guess what! We had to get a print out of our statement until they at least came online to show that. We still can't pay anything on line. Sure glad we stocked up last month on postage stamps and envelopes! We're alive and well folks, just staying warm, safe and fed. Asked neighbor fella (very young couple) "are you all staying warm"...he said "Yes, maam". Got plenty to eat? "Yes, maam". Good to check on neighbors regardless of age. Our city has a couple of warming shelters...that's good. Once facility is a food kitchen and serves a hot lunch every day but Sunday. They also let a couple of people park in their parking lot (one woman is in a class B camper and one couple in a small truck with a cap) and run cords to their vehicles to use ceramic heaters to keep warm. So many struggling...all across our nation. I ask myself ... "Where's FEMA, where's the Red Cross, where's the Salvation Army, where's the National Guard, where's the churches!" These people need help to keep them warm and fed, not a bunch of politicians blaming each other for what is happening. Nobody as listening when some were predicting a solar minimum. Just a bunch of tin foil hat people they called us. We're just glad we listened and were prepared...even though we had to go pick up stuff from the homestead. We could have stayed in our travel trailer if we had really felt we needed to, but letting this place freeze up was not an option and if we had to thaw it and keep it warm, we might as well stay hunkered down here.

Haven't been here for some time...dealing with a lot of weather related stuff...but was shocked to see Little Sister's hubby had graduated to heaven. Yes, we know he's in a safer place than what's going on in our world, but the grief is enormous...I can vouch for that. So...hang in there, know that everyone here cares what you have to say and the advice you offer.

Eating "unusual" meals...LOL...from the frig and from the freezer here. Son brought me a couple of boxes of food...so we're trying to get it eaten. He loves mushrooms so I ended up with 6 boxes...had to jar up some half pints. Tonight had soft tacos...actually just a big bowl each of taco salad with a ramikin of homemade taco sauce and some small soft tortillas. Dessert...some leftover fruit.

Ours is the stainless steel vintage and I love it. 'Nuff said!

Stopping in to say hello and let everyone know son was released from hospital and is to have the tooth removed around the 8th? He's still on high powered antibiotics though. Docs told him he skated on very thin ice. BP was stroke level, insulin level close to him going to sleep and not waking up and the poisoning in his blood would have killed him in just a few more hours. He's so "high risk"...but prayers worked! Today we took advantage of the bad weather () and made an Amish shopping run. It quite snowing heavy in about an hour and then was just a light misty rain the rest of the morning. All was cleared by the time we headed home...just cold! Needed to pick up some Melatonin, CoQ10 (?) and more Magnesium. It's just cheaper there and they carry the NOW brand which is the only ones I'll buy and use. Picked up several tubs of vanilla yogurt, some sliced ham for sandwiches and several bags of tortilla chips (99c a bag) for hubby. Did go to WM before we left town to pick up some Diet Thunder for hubby (they only had 3 twelve packs...yes...we bought all three!) to last us the month. I drink bottled green tea and I had plenty on hand. Put some dollars on our gift card and then filled up the van. Truck needs work so we're letting it sit until we have the dollars to get it worked on Glad everybody is hanging in there. This past year has been a tough one and this current one isn't looking too good right now. We're trying to stay stocked up by replacing everything we are using and adding an item or two as we look forward to "somebody" getting our country back in line with the constitution and Bible, but we all know government isn't the one who's going to save our country...it's going to be God! Just sayin... I was listening to a church service online and they were singing a song (can't remember the exact words) that said "I believe in miracles, I can see miracles, faith produces miracles...and they're looking for a home". I nearly jumped out of my skin! So anointed! It's been going around in my brain like a pea in a whistle and I'm loving every minutes of it!

Today was a "fuzzy pants" day. I have a couple of fuzzy flannel pants that are so soft, fluffy and warm that I call them my "fuzzy pants"! It's just plain cold outside. The furnace is doing a fairly good job of keeping the house warm at 68, but we have to dress warmly during the day and at night. I have a small ceramic heater in the living room that I turn on and face towards my chair and I slip on my heavy duty fleece jacket to enjoy my morning coffee and read my Bible and do some journaling. Hubby usually sleeps a little longer so it's my "quiet time". Tomorrow I need to start filling out the circuit breaker real estate tax refund. Used to get nearly all of it back but the current Gov cut it back first thing when he took office. He's R but truly a politician.

Thank all of you for the nice comments on the new bathroom. It's been a long time coming. I have been gradually taking things over to the homestead and putting them in the "area" where we'll be using them. Emptied the kitchen pantry and moved it away from the wall so hubby can re-wire the outlet. He'll run two, one for the upright freezer and one for the gas stove. The pantry will sit between them and would block the only outlet...and we don't want to run both of those on one receptacle. Once that's done I'll empty and defrost the upright and he can move it to the inner corner of the kitchen, near the back door (which opens into the laundry/mud room) where it will be out of the way. Won't be getting into it much, we use it only for storing meats.

Hubby still wrestling with the shower door but has it just about whipped. I jarred up 7 pints of chili beans. Have a large bag of red beans that need to be taken care of. I'll probably vacuum seal the rest in a half gallon jar. Bought them at the Amish store so there was a LOT of picking to get rid of half beans, crinkly beans etc., but no stones.

Hospital supposed to have released son this afternoon. Haven't heard from him yet either way, so I'm thinking he went home and went straight to bed. His aide is supposed to have taken him home, and will pick him up tomorrow to take him to the dental clinic to get the tooth pulled.

Anne...we got about 2 inches...want some?

The truck isn't running like it should, so we're having to use the va again. We removed the mattress and took it to the homestead and put it in the travel trailer. Brought all the bedding inside here for me to wash. Will get it dried and vacuum sealed in space bags and take it over to the travel trailer for storage...for the time being. This will give hubby a place to haul things if he needs to. We'll win! We serve a good God!

Had to take son to clinic yesterday. Had a terrible tooth ache all weekend. Turned out they would touch him. His bp was out of control, insulin level at dangerous level so they called an ambulance and transported him to hospital. The tooth was abscessed and had broken off, so poison got into his blood stream. He tested negative so they put him in isolation to keep him away from anyone else (other than docs and nurses...lol) that might be carriers of the cv. He's on heavy duty antibiotics and they're keeping him under a watchful eye. He's got a friend that volunteered to go take care of his dog. We just can't do that. We tried that a couple of times with my mom's dog and both of us ended up getting bitten...hubby really bad! So we don't take care of someone else's dog EVER. They don't know you and they're frightened so anything can happen. Besides, his dog is not very well trained so there's probably all kinds of poo etc., that will need to be cleaned up. NOT on our watch!

Spent most of the day at the homestead. Hubby's trying to get the shower door in. We bought a display model from a lumber place and it was a discontinued model (we didn't know that) so a lot of the parts were either missing or not the right lengths etc. BUT...he's just about got it! While he was working I did some major cleaning. I took some pics yesterday...before I cleaned...so have some mercy! He still needs to do some caulking and trim, but we can live with that Pics #6 and #7 (?) is the new cabinet with shelves underneath...it used to be the door to the 2nd bedroom. The picture with me peeking around the corner with the camera is the wall near the toilet that we put a huge wall mirror on. So...here's the reveal...

Touching base to let everyone know all is well here. Hubby's had to wait on some hardware for the new shower door at the homestead, and then the water heater needed to be replace. It was only 25 years old and a 30 gal to boot. When he fired it up, it started cooking...got up to 170 and still burning so figured it was too dangerous to use...so out it went! He put in a 40 gal unit, but it's taller and needed all new gas line and pipe exhaust etc. The old one sat on some bricks (they had them in!) so he had to chip those out and put in a new base for it to sit on. Perhaps I mentioned it, but we lost some very dear family members to CV that lived in TX. Started out with a cousin who developed a severe urinary tract infection. They took her to the hospital, and they put her on heavy duty antibiotics and after about a week, sent her home. She was home about 3 days and tested positive...and spread it throughout the whole family...about 20 of them...including her husband. We lost both her and her husband but the others have recovered. Then my step mum's brother had a heart attack and passed and then her daughter, son in law and their daughter tested positive which put step mum in quarantine. We haden't been in contact with her prior to that so we were safe. And of course, I lost my brother to cancer. Another couple of friends have been fighting all kinds of issues, but never testing positive. He just had a knee replaced and is experiencing a lot of pain, but keeps up with his exercises etc. So...we're being careful as we would for any flu season...other than wearing the diapers over our faces. None of the stores in our city will allow you in without one, except the Amish stores. We're still believing God to lead our country into His perfect will and put an end to killing innocents and other "stuff". Enough said.

Just staying low...too much going on. Took a trip in Miss B to go see step mum today. Forecast for tomorrow is blizzard type weather, so no need to even get out unless it's an emergency. We're both well and Abby-girl is also. We did change vets. Have to drive a bit, but it was a must. There are now only two vets in our town and both are really letting you know it! Went to get her heart worm for 3 months, and they said "we no longer sell anything less than a 6 month supply...nearly 100$! The wouldn't give us a prescription so we could take it to another vet (she was just tested in August!). Step mum referred us to a vet in her town. All we had to do was give them the date of her last test and they gave us our 3 month supply and saved us nearly 30$ for the 3 month supply! We'll be buttoning down the hatch for quite some time. Too much violence going on. Staying safe and well is our goal. If we have to escape to the homestead, we'll have no internet etc. That's okay...we have a nice library, lots of cd's and vcr's to watch, and our tiny little cell phones! LOL

Wintry mix today. Hubby waited until things melted a bit before going to homestead to work. I spent all day vacuum sealing our Amish grocery haul. Only have a couple more things to do, then it will be back to buttuh! Step mum notified us that her son-in-law and grand daughter came down with CV, and being treated at home by her daughter...so the daughter will probably have it shortly. So...step mum is isolating also because they were at her home Christmas eve. Only took 3 days to rear it's ugly head! But she started prepping up several months ago and is okay. She's got her vitamins, elderberry syrup and oregano oil. I suggested she double up on things....and she will. We take A LOT of stuff every morning and have for several months. We take any flu seriously and have for several years.

Was notified that hubby's cousin who just passed, that her husband is now in hospital with what appears to be a stroke. He was isolating at home with CV. They've been married for many, many, many years with Christ as their bond. We all knew he would not take her death very well. Several of us believe it's God's mercies that neither of them have to endure what may be ahead.

Needed a break and needed some canning jars...so we loaded up in Miss B and went to visit three of our favorite Amish stores. Got 2 cases of pints and 6 cases of half pints. Wanted extra half pints after I finish all the butter. Also wanted more Vit. C 1000 and B-complex. The one store carries only the NOW brands of vitamins etc., as well as essential oils. Also picked up some cream of tartar, egg solids (which we haven't seen for several years!) and a few other bulk dry goods. Also picked up a couple of containers of Red Clover (it's a natural estrogen) to make more tincture. I have one already brewing but wanted to make sure I had a lot more! I know Fennel is supposed to also have natural estrogen (?). As for the jars, we have a metal cabinet outdoors under the canopy at the homestead that is full of glass mayo jars etc., that were given to us at an estate sale. I'll clean them up and use them for vacuum sealing dry goods etc. The weather wasn't too bad. Cool but sunny until about 4 and then it really took a dive. We didn't notice it until we came out of our last Amish store stop...brrrr! Our Abby-girl was safe and warm in the motor home :-) She did take a bit of a tumble getting into the van when we made a potty stop for her at McD's...she just misjudged the first step (there are two) I think. Anyway...landed on her bottom. Scared both of us pretty bad, but didn't seem to hurt her...other than a surprised look on her face when she looked up at her human daddy. We watched her all afternoon and this evening and she seems no worse for the wear. No limping or anything. But again...really scared us.

Same today that I did yesterday...washed laundry for hubby to take with him to the homestead to dry while he worked. I jarred up 12 half pints of butter yesterday and 24 half pints today. Still have much more buttuh! We'll make a quick trip tomorrow to our favorite Amish store to pick up a few more cases of half pints. Didn't realize I was so short on them! Hubby's beloved cousin passed away today. Such a beautiful Christian lady. She's fought a long hard battle with leukemia, shingles, then a severe UTI infection that was bacteria resistant. The send her home thinking it could be taken care of with antibiotics..only to send her home with C19! Which spread like wild fire throughout the whole family. Then she was put back into the hospital in the C19 section...totally isolated from everybody who loved her. She's in her Savior's presence now...but oh what a time this family is going to have trying to care for her husband. They were totally bonded with Christ as their center so it will be very hard on him...but he's got lots of grands and great grands who need his godly influence in their lives. Hubby's got most of the install work done on the cabinet that we're putting in where a bedroom door used to be. The bathroom was a jack and jill type with doors to both bedrooms opening into it. We changed the bedroom to a pantry and this will give me even more storage in the bathroom. Under the cabinet he'll put a couple of open shelves for what ever. It's coming along! I want to get some pics when it's done and ready for the reveal! Been praying with Dutch Sheets' "Give Him 15" every morning and listening to Tim Sheets' church message on Sunday mornings. Clipped Abby-girl's nails and she still hates it! I clipped 3 feet but the last front one I had to just dremel. They just were getting to long to just dremel, so I took matters into my own hands...literally! She doesn't mind the dremel nearly as much because I hold the nail (not her foot or leg) and sand away while hubby holds her "in his embrace"...LOL Weather's been very nice but tomorrow is supposed to turn off cold again and then maybe some flurries/rain etc. for Tuesday and Wednesday.

We popped some popcorn, fixed some thermal glasses of hot chocolate and drove out to the country and watched it...like a couple of teenagers at a drive in...except we didn't do any necking! LOL

The flowers are always wrapped in clear cones (in really cold weather) and he knocks or rings the bell (masked up and wearing gloves) and waits for an answer. If there's no answer he took the arrangement back to the van, called the number listed and told them he was returning the flowers to the shop. If there was no phone answered, he filled out a "door hanger" telling them the flowers would be returned to the shop and they could call for a "re-delivery". That is the protocol for that shop so even though he doesn't work for them any more...I'm sure they still do it that way.

If I remember right, the CDC said they were not tracking "seasonal" flu...only CV19.

Jeepers, in response to my grandson...Craig's did what they could for him. Teaching him how to get himself in and out of his bed, in and out of a vehicle, how to maneuver his custom wheelchair etc. Generally learning to care for himself as much as possible. They are now back at their home. He'll be paralyzed from the waist down permanently. The bullet shattered one vertabrae and sent fragments in every direction. It rickocheted off one other vertabrae and messed it up beyond repair. They did have to go in and remove the bullet fragment a few weeks after his initial surgery. As for us...we're doing fine. Hubby quit his part time job delivering flowers. One of the owners, their daughter and her husband all tested positive and had to go into quarantine. They all worked in the florist shop, but not near hubby, but he just needed to not be around any of it. The dollars were so useful, but...God will provide. Another of his customers tested positive and had to quarantine...him in their basement so she just stayed upstairs as a precaution. Took them a quart of my homemade chili with some crackers and a couple packets of hot chocolate. They're all out of their isolation so all is well. Hubby's been working hard trying to get the homestead's bathroom functional. Thought everything was cool until today, noticed water on the floor under the toilet tank. Yuck! I guess he had used a package of tank assembly that he had bought a year or better ago. Probably the washer was dried out? Anyway...off to Menards tomorrow to get a complete new tank assembly. The mirrored 3-panel vanity chest that we bought at the Restore was much to long, so we made a trip to Menards to buy one a lot smaller...it will work. Just have so many inches to work with. The new one is the white finish (which the other was not) so he won't have to do any painting. Located the light bar that will go over the chest and it also is white. Everything is white except the walls and flooring. That's works for me! My step mum messaged me yesterday and said she found her brother deceased in his home. He lived just up the road from her. With this "junk" going around (and she's VERY at risk...breast cancer survivor) it's a tough time for her. I don't think she has any other siblings nor parents still living. She knows we stand ready if needed. We got a "dusting" of snow last night but most of it's already melted off. Abby-girl didn't even seem to notice! A couple of days ago we pulled 4 packages of Italian seasoned ground turkey from the meat freezer, defrosted it and I jarred it up...gorilla style. Today brought 18 pounds of ground beef home and am defrosting part of it so I can jar that up too. Just regular hamburger. Trying to get the big upright "meat freezer" empty so we can move it to it's appointed place in the homestead's kitchen. Hopefully it won't be long until I have a kitchen and bathroom there so we can go ahead and start moving in. There will still be tons of stuff that we'll need to do, but we'll "live around it" and work that way. We've been wall-to-wall here for years trying to get out properties sorted out so doing it there will not make any difference except we have more square footage downstairs and lots more storage in the upstairs apartment turned library etc. The hardest part will be having a much smaller bedroom. I'll be placing my antique oak dresser and armoir (?) in the dining room. I'll put dishes etc., on top as a display so nobody will know it's hiding my clothes in the drawers! LOL It's 8' long and I love it. The armoir is also solid oak with doors that close over the drawers, so again...it won't hurt a thing sitting in the dining room. After all...we're the ones who live there! LOL I guess I've pretty much touched base with everybody and wanted to say hello! Take care and stay safe!