WHATCHA DOING TODAY?

[Mt_Rider]

OW...Jeepers!  I hate headaches of any sort.  Some just make my brain buzzy.     Some make me fully disabled   I had a string of them last week....ending with one yesterday that came from base of skull and piercing out my left eyeball.  OW!   DH adjusted me on Sat AND Sunday.  With that and Nuprin, the pierce-eyeball one finally went away.  I've been clear today.    Hope yours clears up.  (((Jeep)))

 

Annarchy...'moving back in' after being gone a while is at least as busy as packing up!  I'm sure you MIL appreciates the effort you both give to have family time with her. 

 

.... my folks strung lights on their deck and Babysteps is decorating and Miki is done with cards (!!!).... must be time for Christmas

 

Meanwhile, the vote is around here that we NEED at least 30 more days of fall...like today!  Perfect weather today.  Friends with hay that they can't use, came to deliver today.  [as opposed to tomorrow when snow is in the forecast]   Took J longer to maneuver his loooong rig into the slot towards the hay shed than it did for those two men  ....and me pushing bales to the edge of the flatbed for them....to unload 25 bales.  Free and delivered!    That's quite a blessing when DH and I are both just climbing out of a hole.  We're both getting better but have little stamina. 

 

DH was working today so the guys put the fencing back in....we could still dig dirt [wooden post in hole]  in late November!!!  Most times we're locked in-frozen by now.  Helped me put gate for hay barn back on hinge-pins.  A real bear to do with one person!  Not easy with 2 people.       

 

I fed early and walked dog.  FELL AGAIN  [about the 4th time] in that hole she dug near the propane tank...and can't see cuz of long grass.  So I grabbed a shovel and made sure that's the last time I do a face-plant there!  Sheeesh.  Had the shovel in my hand, taking it back to hay shed when I fell so FINALLY I took care of that danger.  Hmph! 

 

Also flattened some discard boxes outside the Circus Tent that have been blowing around.  I'm FINALLY able to begin doing stuff [after the face surgery] and it's all just waiting for me, of course!  Then I compressed the reduced mess into one large trash bag and one discard box.  That area is now cleared.   

 

Then I could safely walk to the "lean-to" [on the north end of the Circus Tent...extra tarp on that end].  I had laid down an interior door on some wood and put our 8 pieces of glass back there during the electrical issue.  The glass is from old storm doors/ heavy glass from who knows what...and is used for things like goat house/duck house/gardening cold frames/etc.  They were free and they've been safe in the same spot in garage for all these years........right under the electrical outlet that the electrician had to fix.    One dropped tool and there would be a mess.  So outside they went and FINALLY I was able to get them back in before some stupid snowstorm buried them for the winter. 

 

  .......a day when it was legal for me to ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING! 

 

MtRider ....reading and resting is necessary and nice....but I do dearly love accomplishing things/crossing things off LISTS! 

Edited November 28, 2017 by Mt_Rider

[Homesteader]

Is it Christmas time already?  We didn't do much last year because of the move back to Wisconsin, and a BONK on the head by a 2x4 falling off a shed during construction. I suppose I don't have much of an excuse this year. I need to find those totes with the cards and decorations. 

 

DH finished my garden fence just in time for my birthday yesterday. He's been working on it off-and-on for weeks. We used lots of scraps lying around the homestead. The utility poles were the hardest to move, cut, and set into the corner holes. Most of the wire was left by the former owner. He probably thought "what would they ever do with all that junk." Well, the junk is installed and the deer, raccoons, and rabbits need to find another food plot to ravage.  

 

[Annarchy]

Happy belated birthday Homesteader!  Your fence looks great. 

 

Nice to hear you are feeling better and getting things accomplished MtR. 

 

Christmas cards, decorations and such, sounds nice. I pulled down a couple of boxes from the shed rafters, to see what we have. Not much, it’s been years since we were able to have Christmas here. *Sigh*. I’ll put a faded jingle bell wreath on the front door, arrange the oranaments from our Ornament Exchange in front of the TV with two tiny Christmas stockings and that’s about it. I am still looking for the small porcelain nativity scene, I think it found the “black hole” that things hide in around here.   

 

MIL’s tree and decorations were put up the day after Thanksgiving. She spent that day decorating the tree, with Gunny’s help. He just had to smell every one and watch her put them on the tree.  

 

Today, I am getting ready to cook some cinnamon rolls with my neighbor. She wants to learn how to make them. 

 

Then, off to the vet to get Gunny his shots and licenses. 

 

I hope everyone has a beautiful day.  

[Mt_Rider]

  Happy B-day Homesteader!

 

Wow...that's fencing!  That's how we've got to fence around here too....to keep deer/elk out.  Still doesn't do anything for the voles. 

 

Cinnamon rolls.  DH makes some that are unbelievable.  Raise so high and completely done in the center.  Becoming a traditional gift for my folks.  Even my mom...who doesn't have a sweet tooth.  {she couldn't have given me THAT gene?} 

 

Hmmm.....I woke up FLATTENED today.  Might have done a bit tooooooo much yesterday?    Oh well.  This too shall pass. 

 

MtRider 

[kappydell]

I helped my wonderful brother remove the washer & dryer from our basement.   Packed, toted and packed. Tomorrow we leave for GA.  It has been a traumatic time - the movers came early, made a terrible hash of things, and ended up charging us twice as much as they had bid for the moving job.  We are soooooo PO'ed.  Mobile home is NOT ready, not even on the lot yet.  So our stuff has to go in storage and we will live in motor home until things are ready.  Moving company 'helpfully' offered to store our stuff for the nominal fee of $3700 a month (no prorating for the mere week we expect to need), PLUS 1500 reload fee (we declined).  Thankfully, our dear friends down in GA helped us get a much cheaper unit for storage, and the mobile home co will pay for the expense of having movers come in and re-load back into our new home.  Then we had to figure out how to get $10,000 down to GA to pay for the first move (or no household goods would be released). We have pulled so many strings and rabbits out of our hats we should be on TV as a magical marionette show!!!  BUT we are done tomorrow.  I am so glad I stayed to help - it is surprising how much I was able to do from helping Mary handle the stress, to fetching ice, cooking, cleaning, etc.   Still and all I feel extremely grateful for all my friends' help....aaaand I finally figured out how to get unique gag Christmas gifts for our friends. 

 

Our running joke this last few months has been about us snow country dwellers all wearing fur lined undies to keep warm, and we have been challenged to prove that such things even exist!  Of course they do, but as prohibitively priced specialty items.  But I know how to sew so guess what will be among their gag gifts from us this year....yeppers, a  fur lined athletic bra  for her, and a fur lined athletic supporter for him, each with cell phone pockets.  (We will NOT be opening those with children around, needless to say.)  

Edited November 29, 2017 by kappydell

[Mt_Rider]

  for Kappy and Mary's move!!!

 

MtRider   ...whooooo, what a mess that can get into! 

[snapshotmiki]

Got all Christmas cards mailed out to family, etc and a small package to Christy across the pond.  Made a truckload of white chocolate chip pecan cookies which DH says are the best cookies in the world.  I use Mapleine instead of vanilla extract and it changes the whole cookie flavor.  My girl goats are in heat and beating the snot out of each other.  Hope that's over soon!  Naida Mae has escaped twice but I think we found her escape route and fixed it.  No exits in two days now.  We seem to have a cat hanging around with a very short tail.  It's a calico and friendly towards me but DH still hasn't even seen it.  I made a sleeping area out of a dog carrier and put it in the carport with food and water, of course.  I've never been a cat person and have no idea if it is housebroken or not and, oh yeah, we have dogs!  I guess it might make their life more interesting!

[kappydell]

We are FINALLY on our way.  We got out of the house at 3:30 PM after renting an additional U-Haul pull behind trailer (2 cars, 2 trailers) in order to fit everything remaining in.  By that time we simply headed to a nearby Motel 6 (pets allowed) rather than drive at night thru rush hour Chicago traffic.  Tomorrow we set out and head for Claksville, TN. We are SOOOOO0O glad to be off at last!  Of course, due to more construction difficulties, our mobile home will not be ready when we get there, so we will have to live in the RV for a while.  We will put the things in the U-Hauls in the same storage we arranged for our other household goods.  We are on the home stretch, I HOPE.  It has been a long haul, and we are all tired;  I just want to go back to 'just' fighting cancer.

[Mt_Rider]

We'll pray you thru this voyage, Kappy! 

 

Goats in heat, Miki......do they sing bad opera like mine used to??? 

 

We got a major project done today.  Involved DH going waay over to the city.  Done now! 

 

Gorgeous day again.  The snow predicted earlier this week did not arrive...just colder for a day.  This is early Oct weather...not nearly Dec.  AND I AIN'T COMPLAINING!     Picking at the Circus Tent project.  Slowly clearing stuff tossed outside.  That really WILL disappear under snow some day  {soon...hope not}.  Discovered that there is one thing [at least] that should not have been in the Circus Tent ...due to freezing the contents.  Shoot!  Thot we'd been careful of that.  Aw well...   At least I'm building stamina again....slowly.

 

MtRider       Been re-reading the Deep Winter series of books.  I have early, unedited,  [free] versions. 

 

 

 

 

[snapshotmiki]

My goats sing bad rap, Mt. Rider!  That's what it sounds like.  LOL  Today, after some light cleaning, I will attempt to make a dog sweater for the newest little dog from the sleeve of a velour sweat shirt I got from the thrift shop for a dollar.  I got 2 shirts, 1 lighter and 1 heavier, so I have 4 tries to get it right.  

 

Was going to cut the roses back a lot today, but it's raining.  Yay!  We need it!  The goats don't agree.  DH cut the drawers and such out of an old dresser he got for free.  He made a little bedroom for the goats.  They were already off the concrete in their little shed but now they are up a little more with sides, top and even a front drop and lots of hay.  That's it for my day.  Going to take a few cookies to the Church office and run by the groc store for some vegies.

[babysteps]

What a mess, Kappy! At least you're in the home stretch.

 

Goat rap! I love it Miki, that's what ours used to sound like, too!! 

 

Mt Rider... I LOVE that series... I have it on kindle as well as paperback. We have friends and family who live in that area of Washington -- we've been there several times. It makes it feel just a little more real. 

 

Just little bits of regular life around here. DH is back to work this morning after having 5 days off in a row -- it was so nice! DS came over a couple times to "help" with the Thanksgiving leftovers, lol. DD18 is studying for college finals and stressing over her Writing 121 class, she doesn't think she's going to finish with an A. DD14 is back to her running 4 days a week schedule after taking a week off for the holiday. DDs13 and 11 are back to piano lessons. DD4 learned how to make paper snowflakes this week, so there's bits of paper EVERYWHERE. And I've picked up my knitting projects again... I tend to knit all winter long, and then not touch yarn from April to November. 

 

 

[Annarchy]

Gunny was extremely well behaved at the vets office. He looked so worried we were gonna get rid of him, he crushed against me the whole time. After we got home, he has been very loving, hardly letting us out of his site. 

 

The cinnamon rolls came out great, she freaked out how big they rose, and how soft they were. Her DH was impressed and she said she will be making them for him soon. 

 

Today it is 70 and overcast, the weather predictions said no rain, but the air quality is bad...no burn warnings. 

 

The fava beans are flowering but not producing anything yet. The beets and zucchini seem to like the cooler weather. Only two carrot seeds sprouted and none of the seeds I replanted did.  

 

I hope all turns out well with your move, Kappydell.  Lol, fur lined undies. 

 

.....goat rap....

 

Babysteps, I downloaded several books on knitting, hoping to learn. I can crochet easily, but I only know how to cast on and the basic stitch for knitting. 

 

Time for me to get motivated.  I hope everyone has a wonderful day. 

[kappydell]

We are finally on our way.  There were no motel rooms available in Clarksville, TN, nor in Paducah, so we headed for Mt Vernon, IL. 350 miles (more or less) for our first day of driving.  Our wonderful friends from GA met the movers, paid them off, had them off load the stuff into storage. Why were we not surprised to discover that they lost our Baofeng radios (8 of them, with a programming cable, and my ham frequencies book in a metal canister) by leaving them in the cab of a truck that broke down and had to go for repairs.

Nor could they find our box of firearms, or my spouses cremation urn (may maledictions pursue them to the depths of uttermost slime!) which they packed into boxes and into the moving van.  Needless to say we are extremely mad at them, and we have 3 months to file loss claims. Our friends will help us sue the pants off them if we do not find them - they know several aggressive lawyers who do that sort of litigation.  

 

Tomorrow we head down to Gadsden, AL which will be a slightly longer drive, but we want to visit friends there before finishing up with the last leg to Georgia.  I will be lucky to have any hair left by the time we get there...its almost funny how fast it is 'shedding'.  I look like I have a severe case of male pattern baldness right now.  I always a hat person anyway, but I never realized how cold my head could get without hair.  It will certainly be very interesting to be bald. I have my hats, AND SPF 50 sunblock ready to handle it whatever the weather!

 

 

Edited December 1, 2017 by kappydell

[Mt_Rider]

I hate to hear stories of LIARS, THIEVES, CHEATS!          

Seems like a common story with moving companies........

 

I've heard of this before.....

 

God takes particular offense to wrong done to widows/orphans.  He will repay. 

 

MtRider  ....still praying  

Edited December 1, 2017 by Mt_Rider

[snapshotmiki]

I'm so sorry about your moving experiences, Kappy!   And praying for your health!

Quote

 

I am taking DH to hospital today for liver ultrasound because of possible side effects from all medicines he is taking since they don't know what is wrong after 3 years.  Should be routine, I hope!  I made one of the dog sweaters for the new dog and it turned out cute.  She didn't even mind putting it on!  This week is warm, next week a lot cooler.  Have a good day you all!

[kappydell]

BREAKE OUT THE SHORTS!  We are in Alabama.  Today I woke up in the motel and went to turn down the heat, only to discover it wasn't ON.  Turned on the AC on low instead.  For us snowbirds it was warm.

 

I made the mistake of running into a Walmart restroom without my hat and startled a gaggle of giggling teenagers into running out of the room.  I had to GOOOO really bad, so I was navigating with my cane, hunched over, wearing my working clothes (a mans chambray shirt...I like the pockets).  All they could see was this bent over person with what looks like the male pattern baldness thing rushing into the restroom stall area.  Well, when I cane out, a clerks was there, watching intently, to see if I was a he or a she (LOL).  Then Mary breezed in and asked "Ya doing OK, Kathy?" so I could answer in a girlier than usual voice "Yep, forgot my chemo hat though". (Huuuge sigh of relief from the clerk.) I hadn't scared anyone out of a restroom for many years, when I would go into one in my police uniform (before women police were as common as they are now).  I had to chuckle..

Deb made me a pretty cap to wear while we were staying in motels in-transit.  (Deb lives in AL, we flew her up to help drive).  Now all I need to do is decide...ears out, or ears in...I'm leaning towards ears out myself.  That and I have to find a Christmas ornament for the top....

[Mt_Rider]

     THEY MADE IT!     

 

So sorry you're going thru this chemo thing WHILE enduring the UNEXPECTED incidents of a major relocation.  It's good to hear you keeping a sense of humor...tho it's got to be tough at times.  The bathroom thing is a pretty funny story tho.  And it's MUCH BETTER to have a laugh.  I have those moments with MS too.  Times when my adaptive equipment fails  [canes, wheelchair, in-store scooters, ice packs, etc]  Or my body does something unexpected.....    You can scream with exacerbation.  But laughing is therapeutic. 

 

I think I told the story of using an rickety old wheelchair provided by a store....the dumb thing would hardly move and was quickly wearing out my arms AND legs.  Pushing off backwards is the easiest motion and uses the largest leg muscles.  So I resorted to going thru the store backwards.    I actually got some good momentum going down an aisle!  I passed a shopper in another aisle and he did a double-take.  I threw a comment back to him as I kept going.  " Transmission problems!"  After a couple seconds, I heard him burst out laughing. 

 

Same store...same day.... I was picking up some item to look at and my fingers fumbled.  I swear the thing squirted out of my hands and rose three feet before arcing over towards a different fellow shopper.  Right at him and he caught it.  Ah sheeeeesh!  Sorry!  He laughed and handed it back.         It was just one of THOSE days!!! 

 

You just get thru this exhausting, difficult time as best you can, Kappy!     We're behind you and it sounds like you have people right with you for support too.  Good for them!!!   

 

LIKE the hat....it definitely looks very good!    {Don't forget and sunburn your scalp!}   

 

 

DH and I are floating along...doing what we can.  Good mild weather is holding.  My energy is found periodically through out the day....night.  Not a regular thing right now tho.    I'd love to power-out and finish the garage.....     Not quite happening that way.    Sometimes I have to crawl to get to the bathroom first (hurried) thing in the morning.  Then later I'm  pretty much ok. 

 

You can play the cards you're dealt....but you can't deal them.    But God "deals the cards" and He loves us so it will be okay. 

 

MtRider    ....and I meant to ask....where's Jeepers???  Haven't heard a peep outta her in several days.... 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 2, 2017 by Mt_Rider

[Ambergris]

7 hours ago, kappydell said:

BREAKE OUT THE SHORTS!  We are in Alabama.  Today I woke up in the motel and went to turn down the heat, only to discover it wasn't ON.  Turned on the AC on low instead.  For us snowbirds it was warm.

 

I made the mistake of running into a Walmart restroom without my hat and startled a gaggle of giggling teenagers into running out of the room.  I had to GOOOO really bad, so I was navigating with my cane, hunched over, wearing my working clothes (a mans chambray shirt...I like the pockets).  All they could see was this bent over person with what looks like the male pattern baldness thing rushing into the restroom stall area.  Well, when I cane out, a clerks was there, watching intently, to see if I was a he or a she (LOL).  Then Mary breezed in and asked "Ya doing OK, Kathy?" so I could answer in a girlier than usual voice "Yep, forgot my chemo hat though". (Huuuge sigh of relief from the clerk.) I hadn't scared anyone out of a restroom for many years, when I would go into one in my police uniform (before women police were as common as they are now).  I had to chuckle..

Deb made me a pretty cap to wear while we were staying in motels in-transit.  (Deb lives in AL, we flew her up to help drive).  Now all I need to do is decide...ears out, or ears in...I'm leaning towards ears out myself.  That and I have to find a Christmas ornament for the top....

 

[Ambergris]

Ears in when the cold wind blows. 

[snapshotmiki]

You look good Kappy!  I pray you will get through the chemo and the move smoothly and more quickly than you expect to!  

 

I made and pressure canned 12 pints of dog food today.  That lasts a month or more the way we mix it with dry food.  Costs about the same as buying canned but my little Peanut Butter doesn't get seizures from preservatives or chemicals.  Also cooked chicken for tiny treats and made no-bake pumpkin treats.  Today was all about the dogs!  They also get baby carrots.  I try to keep them as natural as I can, (since I have some time now) and they seem to have way less health problems.

[Ambergris]

Ears in when the cold wind blows. 

[Ambergris]

So I picked a house and e-signed an offer letter that was then emailed to the seller's agent.  The seller has until 5 p.m. tomorrow to accept.  If the seller accepts, I will have 15 days to say "never mind."

 

I'm so nervous, although I don't have a tangible reason to be.  It's not a bad deal, but if it falls through, patience and luck could get me a better one.  It's just I live on the west edge of the county and work pretty near the east edge, and I want to be living on the east side just as soon as I can.  This house is east of work: eleven minutes by one road and twelve by another.  It has some wood rot, like virtually every wooden house in Florida, that the seller would be responsible for fixing, some siding issues caused by the wood rot, what looks like a backflow problem that installing a backflow prevention valve should fix, underground utilities, gas water heater, a septic system instead of a sewage bill, Talquin water (I like Talquin water), a layout that with two small modifications would be unusually defensible, a garage, excellent solar potential, and half an acre on a cul de sac.

 

The topo map should be here in a week, week and a half.  It covers the entire area I'm looking to buy in, so it will be useful regardless of whether this sale goes through.

[Mt_Rider]

  New house!  Change is always part exciting and part terrifying.  Voyaging into The New!    Sounds like it's got a lot of positive potential.     Praying you will find the best for you, Ambergris!

 

 

I'm resting today...so far.  Yesterday was a bit rough but we pushed thru and accomplished somethings that were dangling around our necks.  Wish my brain still worked better.  Whew!  That whole project is nearly done.  But at the expense of EVERYthing else.....such as the Circus Tent project.   

 

MtRider  

[Jeepers]

Great to be back and reading about everyone's life!  Miserable migraine had me sidelined for a few day. Nothing was helping. As soon as I thought it was going away, it would return with a vengeance. I think I'm over the worst of it now though.

 

I've slept so much this past week that I have no idea what is going on around here. I did a little reading and a lot of Youtube watching.  I'm just glad to be upright again. Suppose I should do my Christmas cards this week.

[snapshotmiki]

I'm glad you are feeling a bit better, Jeepers!  Hope you're back to "normal?" soon!