WHATCHA DOING TODAY?

[Annarchy]

Finally got our last tax form in and spent all day yesterday filling out our tax returns. State isn’t a return, it’s a payout.   I asked DH to change his dedications. 

 

I have to go to the store to get dog food, today. They go through 60 lbs. every 2 weeks.  

 

The hens have started laying again. Thanksgiving through January we only got a dozen. 

 

The winter migrating hummingbirds are back, they finish 2 feeders in a week. Last week, one was sitting while drinking, and DH’s friend touched it.   They let you stand next to the feeder & watch them. We have to watch out for the hummingbird wars, DH almost got impaled the other day, as he came out the door, two were zooming by. Missed him by less than an inch. 

 

Well, the birds are flocking in, time to scatter some seeds for them. (Worst case scenario, we would have bird to eat.). 

[snapshotmiki]

17 hours ago, Mt_Rider said:

I take one-half of a 25mg of a Doxylamine Succinate pill.

 

I had to google it.  Unisom, right?  I've never tried that one, so will keep it in mind for down' the road.  Thanks, Mt. Rider!

 

And I got 7.5 hours sleep last night!  Yay!  I took the whole 5 mg., not half.

Edited February 7, 2019 by snapshotmiki

[Jeepers]

Humming birds are so fun to watch. I used to watch a couple of web cams that were close ups of their nest. It was/is live and shows their little thimble size nest, from before the eggs were layed to fledgling. Another cam was focused on a couple of their (what are they called ) drinking fountains. You could hear their wings beat as they hovered around.

 

Yeah Miki. Hooray for sleep!!!  

 

The OTC meds are hit and miss for me and they all give me bad restless leg syndrome. Really bad. Except for melatonin. It just doesn't work for me. I'm not messing around any more. 

 

BTW, when I got mine a couple of years ago the standard dose starting out was 10 mg. Within the last year it has changed to 5 mg. 

[Mt_Rider]

Miki...I think that's the official name.  But generic from Walgreens or Walmart or Safeway ...all different names.  I'm doing generic with no discernible difference between any of those three.  That's why I use the main ingredient name... 

 

Side note:  Doxylamine Succinate is also one of 3 active ingredients in the NyQuil-type products....and purpose is listed as: antihistamine.    Antihistamines can make one drowsy.  Maybe I sleep better cuz I'm BREATHING better?   

 

MtRider   

[snapshotmiki]

Went to the salvage store for pumpkin to add to dog's food (and of course, a few other things). Hit one thrift store and got a pair of capri's and a pair of shorts (both jean). Stopped at doctor's to make a 2 month appt. as they had to lower my thyroid meds again today YAY!!! And then to Walmart for aloe juice for little dog with ulcer. Also, lettuce and grapes. Then to drug store for prescription and glad to be home now!

[Cowgirl]

Went into town to do some business. It was rainy and windy. Came home to a SHATTERED storm door. The latch on the door broke earlier this winter and apparently the wind caught the door. I cleaned up the broken glass. We have to replace the door soon. As storm damage goes that's not too awful. Still a PIA. Temps are supposed to drop down low to night. Brrrr.

 

Stay warm, all.

[Jeepers]

Telemarketers. Hate them. I'm on the do not call list so they should honor my request. They don't and that's number one reason why I don't like them. No honor among thieves I guess. 

 

What set me off today was i just got a call and it said on the caller ID it was from my pharmacy. It wasn't. It was a recorded call so I couldn't 'talk to them and tell them how I felt about them. And since the caller ID has my pharmacy name and phone number on it I can't report them on the do not call website. 

 

What really makes me uncomfortable is I had a lengthy  phone conversation with my pharmacy yesterday for a wellness type check concerning one of my meds. It just gives me a creepy feeling of being monitored. I guess they know who my pharmacist is.  

 

And why would they think I would want to 'extend' my non existent car maintenance coverage from my pharmacy. What I'm really mad about is that they tricked me into answering my phone. 

 

Seriously, I get at least 8-10 telemarketing calls every day. Every. Day. 

[The WE2's]

On 2/6/2019 at 3:16 PM, Mt_Rider said:

Doxylamine Succinate pill

 

Because it's an antihistamine doesn't it cause dryness of all mucous membranes (especially eyes & mouth)...and constipation?  Just looked it up.

[The WE2's]

3 hours ago, Jeepers said:

the do not call list

 

Most of these are not even based in the US...so they're not concerned about it.

[The WE2's]

Another day of being iced in, then some snow on top of that.  So...we found another bucket with some pasta's and beans  so got them vacuum sealed, as well as the wheat berries and some long grain white rice.  Did a load of laundry and got them put away, then changed bed linens etc. Weather was and is treacherous.

[The WE2's]

Did get the mixed veggies labeled and boxed up to go to the homestead extended pantry.  I love having them for soups.  Wanna see?   I buy the big frozen bags from the Mennonite store and then pressure can them.  So cheap...huge bag for less than 6$.

[Mt_Rider]

1 hour ago, The WE2's said:

 

Because it's an antihistamine doesn't it cause dryness of all mucous membranes (especially eyes & mouth)...and constipation?  Just looked it up.

 

   Who would know?  We're in the ARID WEST..   We drink water constantly!!!  Everyone does. 

 

MtRider  

[Jeepers]

Oh Lawsy. Those jars look delicious.  

Makes me really miss my home canned veggie soup.  

 

 

[Annarchy]

Went to the store yesterday. There was a vehicle stopped on the side of the road, still on the overpass, just before the stoplight, where my turn is. I didn’t pay much attention, I was more concerned about making my turn & traffic. About an hour later, on my way home, the vehicle was still there.  The driver, an older man, was slumped over his steering wheel. I got to the other side of the overpass, pulled over & called 911. The vehicle had been there over an hour, that I know of, and seeing his head on the steering wheel, just didn’t seem right. Hopefully, it wasn’t anything, but if it was...

 

Did little things around the house, then ended the day sitting around the fire pit chit chatting with DH & loving on the pups. 

[The WE2's]

Ann...You were either there in time or not...but you were there.

Edited February 9, 2019 by The WE2's

[The WE2's]

Day #4 ... still iced in.  Temp high was only 6 so nothing melted.  Only the "snow routes" are thawed but not much else.  Driveway, sidewalks, grass, side streets...all still iced over.  So...what did I do?  Not too much except some kissy face with hubby every now and then, had to take his glasses off so I didn't smudge his lenses .  Did watch some Youtube videos and watched with great dissatisfaction the drilling of our "acting" director of DOJ...  Mixed up a batch of KFC Knock Off biscuits to go with our supper...use 2 cups self rising flour, 2 tbls sugar, 1/4 cup mayo, and gradually add enough milk to leave dough pretty wet and spoon into muffin cup/tins.  Delish!

[kappydell]

MARY GOT HER DISABILTY!!!  70% (around 1400/mo tax free)  More importantly she got her back pay for 19 months.  I am so proud of her - and very flattered that she asked if it was alright, before she spent a chunk of it.  The story:

When we moved we gave our boat to a friend who had always yearned for one.  No biggie.  But Mary has always loved boats, so we resolved to buy one when we got to our new home.  But with the disastrous move, all our allocated funds got eaten away.  So when her back pay arrived, Mary wanted to get a used boat.  OK, no biggie.  She wanted to pay for it outright, so as to avoid more monthly bills.  OK with me, wise move.  Then we discussed the kind of boat.  Agreed on that too.  Now the teary-eyed part - our dear friends down here (always ready to help us, always have our backs without question - don't find friends like that anymore) had to sell their ski boat  because they needed funds for emergency medical bills.  They were hearbroken, and so were we - we could not help with the money.  Well, Mary asked them to come along while we looked at boats, due to their expertise (well, more experience than us, anyway) and they were delighted to do so.  We looked at pontoon boats - easier to handle, get on and off, and nicer to fish from.  They love pontoon boats.  So we picked one big enough to hold all of us.  It was nice to see how excited they were for us, and they also offered their now-empty boat house to keep it in, saving us putting it in and out every time we wanted to use it.  Then Mary sprung it on them (and me)...the boat was to be all of ours, to use as desired.  You should have seen their faces when she handed them a set of keys!  (I thought we were all going to cry.)

 

So today, Bass-Ackwards goes to her new home.  We are SOOOO excited!!        

A cardinal came by and sang to us, and D said (kinda emotionally for a guy) "That's Mom, coming to see the boat...she always wanted a pontoon but never got one"

Edited February 9, 2019 by kappydell

[Jeepers]

Now that's a boat! My SIL and her family had a pontoon and loved it. 

 

That's a beautiful story Kappy. Such a great circle of friendship. May you all enjoy many years aboard Ms. Bass-Ackwards. 

[Ambergris]

On 1/28/2019 at 9:10 PM, The WE2's said:

 

Is there any way to keep this box from automatically inserting one of my prior posts when I try to make a new post?  

 

 

[The WE2's]

36 minutes ago, Ambergris said:

Is there any way to keep this box from automatically inserting one of my prior posts when I try to make a new post?  

 

 

 

This has happened to me a couple of times...and down on the lower left of this...there's a label that says "clear editor" (I think)...anyway, just click it and it should clear it.  Sometimes I've had to do it twice to see that appear.  Hope this helps.

[The WE2's]

Lunch was a quart of chicken noodle soup that I jarred up in 2015...sooooo good! Enough of the ice melted off that we were able to get out of our back driveway (only one we have here is off an alley) and get to the homestead to pick up some things I want to pressure can.  Also to check the mail there.  Stopped by the store to pick up some 'nanners and some saltines (no salt on top) since we've been eating a lot of soups these days.  Fixed a yummy beef stew with ingredients from the pantry and ate the last 3 KFC muffins, and then baked some home made oatmeal raisin cookies.  Hubby loves them, nice and chewy.  Now hunkered down for this next winter storm that's supposed to come in.  Praying it stays up in the heavenly's..  Hubby said "there's just something about this ice that makes you just feel colder than when it's snow or even lower temps.  The high today was 23* ... not much wind but it's still very cold feeling.  We were bundled up so didn't feel the chill...until this evening when our body core seemed to not be catching up with the temp in the house.  So...we're bundled up and ate a couple of pieces of candied ginger.  I'll go in shortly and fix us both a cup of hot apple cider.  

Edited February 10, 2019 by The WE2's
forgot pics!

[kappydell]

Everybody has those things they save for when it gets cold.  For me it is baking - when it gets cold I start baking bread, then often go on to pies, cookies, and what have you, as well as making something in the crock pot for "instant" hot chow.  And hot chocolate, naturely!!  Those habits die hard.  I guess its my way of eating with the seasons.

[Homesteader]

We do the 'cold weather' cooking/eating too. Crackers are DH's favorite topping in his soup. I don't know why I have any liquid in the soup. DH soaks it all up with his crackers. 

 

It hit -38 F last week. It was close to a record. My mom keeps asking me what the windchill was. I don't follow windchill. Cold is cold to me, and I don't want to feel even colder.     The woodburner has been non-stop since mid-October. It's trying to heat an older house so we keep it going. Those REALLY COLD nights required feeding the wood monster several times during the night. DH and I took turns, depending on who was up for a potty stop.   

 

We stopped the lower level construction for a few days as we have a missionary family staying with us. The wife has morning sickness from her pregnancy so we're trying to make all the construction smells go away this week.     We did get the pantry doors installed and lights hung. The floor was swept and the dining room table dragged back into the room. The joys of living amongst the construction projects. Here's a pic of the barn doors and chandelier even though we still have some work to do in the doors. At least they hang straight.    The chandelier was a steal at the local Habitat for Humanity. I had DH go with me cause he's the electrician in the family.   I just try to keep from being electrocuted when helping him rewire the house.   

 

[Mt_Rider]

Wow Homesteader...those look so nice! 

 

For DH and I .....when it's cold and snowy....our routine is that we just try to save as much energy as we can.  And fix something we can come in quick to munch on....   Cuz we'll be out laboring at least twice a day to get access to, and feed/water animals.  We would rework the WHOLE fencing, sheds, pathways...iffen we had it to do over again.  We have to go according to all these practically-verticle hillsides AND where it will flood and gouge trenches...  But still...this set up is a big part of the problem.  'Course being 20 yrs younger, WE DIDN'T THINK OF THAT!   

 

I just used up a lot of energy ....but the horse water tank     is fullllll to the very brim.  Sunny....40* but very WINDY.  Lot of snow finally melting...even a lot of ice.       And I was able to skim off some dirt/grit with a shovel to toss in a spread across more of the ice near where we enter/exit car.    I always feel a lot better after sanding the ice where we must walk.  Then it draws the sunshine, melts thru, and I have to do it again....  

 

No Ambergris....we're defiitely not ready to be planting things 'round here yet.... 

 

MtRider     

 

 

[The WE2's]

Homesteader looks just great!  Don't ya just love the "Restore Store" (Habitat For Humanity)?  Such bargains!  So...we stayed in again today.  Just to "iffy" with the ice that's still remaining, especially in the back where we have to park the truck.  Hubby for the first time since I've known him, was fearful of falling on the ice!  He fell about 2 weeks ago by stumbling over some lumber he had stacked near the bathroom project.  Good thing I was there!  I told him "stay put until I get this stuff away from your feet!"  Bruised him up pretty good around his ankle, shin and knee.  I put some comfrey salve on the places so it helped a lot with the bruising, but it frightened him.  He said "I just don't bounce or heal like I used to"....well...welcome to reality loved one.  When you're at the 70+ mark you don't bounce or heal like you did when you were 30 or 40! 

So...what did I do?  I put up more butter.  Yeah, I know...but I've done it for years.  I use store butter that's already been pasturized etc., and I put my jars (always only half pints!) in my roaster to sterilize them, then put a stick of butter in each jar, put the lid on and turn the heat up to melt.  Then I remove them, wipe the rims with vinegar water, put on the lid and ring and back into my roaster with the lid over them, on 400 for 10 minutes.  Out on mat so hear them "ping" and then every 10 minutes I go give them a shake.  I still have some from 3 years ago and they're find.  But...do your own research.  I did and I am comfy with it...so no negatives okay?  Thanks!