Annarchy

Aug. 25…, “…..a month & an half ago…”. June is when I started it…. Every single day, I have poured off the dark liquid, added flour and water. No growth, what so ever. It kinda smells like yeast, sort of, the container I’ve been using for the leftovers, smells great, but, it was an uncleaned Gatorade container I’m pitching. Today, I poured off the dark liquid, changed the jar to a pint wide mouth, added the flour & water, to make an half cup… figuring to put it into the fridge while I go to TX, until Sunday afternoon, when I get back. Ooh my goodness! The pint jar is now an inch below the top….and still rising! Murphy’s law for me. I’ve been trying all this time to get it to rise, nothing….. and today, I don’t have the time to make bread…. I will stick it in the frig…and hope it’s still good when I get back home. I have sincerely tried….

AZ lizards….but, I didn’t see Spike in those pics…. I will keep looking, because it’s becoming a pet….for DH…. Found it…. Desert Spiny Lizard…. You just have to scroll down a bit. We have, at least, 10-20 of the lizards listed in both those links, in our yard. 3-5 geckos on the porch screens at night and uncountable amounts under our front porch light…not including the tiny babies we have to put back outside…. “Oh, BTW, there’s a gecko in the…________…room”. I like them because they eat bugs…. I hope they multiply….

(Video… 2 sec of a little dog & tacos…). Maybe “Spike” will like tacos when it gets bigger.

OMG…..little!?!? Dude weighs 145 lbs! Vet wants him on a diet!!! He takes up the whole area in the hallway…. He stands 3 1/2 ‘ tall! At least! I use him as a cane, when I’m having trouble walking, he stiffens and supports me……. Good boy……..Coon hound…mixed…. We call it ‘hop-scotching’ the dog…….

Absolutely a good call…don’t forget….if you do, I’ll try to remind you…. Other than that, I got a call from the cardio…. The hospital tried to call… they used DH’s prefix & my land line number…. Good grief… I called them…. The authorization expires by Friday….. I leave Wednesday for TX. be back on Sunday evening . (MIL needs bean soup, she called saying she only had a couple left. This week, I made her 34 bags, 1 1/2 cup bags. Dated & frozen. Plus the rest of the stuff I need to bring.). The cardio will try to get an extension on the authorization, and I will wait for the appointment call. Went to get DH’s meds, on Friday, the pharmacy was on lock down…. Went today, and asked why…an escapee was in the area. Meh…typical for our area….. 8 prisons in our town….we get notifications, a LOT…. I could tell some stories…but won’t….

Tonight….. History first…. We went to the lake. Gunner was swimming out to DH, a honey bee was buzzing him and he snapped at it…dogs do that. Except, it stung him under his lip. I was sitting on the bank and he was struggling trying to spit it out, while running out of the water, coming to me. I found the stinger still attached, removed it, but his lip, jaw, and his whole side of his face began to swell…. I called for DH, ‘we needed to go home’. He got out of the water, we packed up and left. It took a couple of days for all the swelling to go away. Now, Gunner is terrified by honeybees… …back to yesterday…. We were only able to find and kill 2 flies for ‘Spot’. It hung around for a while, before searching for ants & heading for bed. ….today….. I found a few, this morning, smacked them, put them under a saucer. By the time, ‘Spot’ comes out, from wherever he’s been, I had managed to collect 7 flies. I was cooking dinner, no lizard, BBQ Top Serloin & salad. DH goes out, and there’s Spot. He began feeding it. The flies I had whacked and others he found outside. I came back out and he said he fed him 11 flies and one mosquito. The little lizard was just laying there with a full tummy. DH went in to eat, while I was sitting there, Gunner went to get a drink of water, backed off, because there was a “spicy fly” (honey bee) on the edge of his water dish. I whacked it, Gunner got a drink…. but ‘spot’ was still waiting for more. I whacked the bee again, it stung the flyswatter, and I dropped it by ‘Spot’. Told DH…. He says his name is now “Spike”. If he’ll eat bees, he needs a name that represents his attitude…..

Jeepers, https://www.electricgeneratorsdirect.com/power/generac-generators.html?msclkid=e5a405678cc11f27411b606f7a794a7c&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Brand - Generac&utm_term=generac&utm_content=Generac Generac can be installed and run monthly, on its own, to maintain its consistency, then, when power goes out, it automatically kicks in…. depending upon the size & install you get. I think Littlesister said she has one that does that, also. Good investment for when power cuts off for long periods of time. We have a smaller portable Generac, it will keep our frig, freezer & portable AC unit running, if we need ….God willing we will never ‘need’ it.

I brought a book with me. DH got me there an hour early! Household Encyclopedia.. Copyrighted 1953. OMG…yup, cleaning, dusting daily, turn the bedding back, while serving breakfast…. It’s a classic….how to clean, just about anything.. My Mom’s ‘new’ book…back then…. Correct table settings….. (Hard to hold the book open to get the picture, lol) And the only reason I brought the book, was because, all I ever see anymore is people on their phones, talking with people or surfing the net…. Yeah, I’m old school….I couldn’t believe how many people stared at me. Lol.

Becca… try… as my mom harped on me for years! Yes, it works, but is slightly uncomfortable…. Hot shower, 15 minutes, or bath tub….mmmmm… then cold water…. Cooler than body temperature, 15 minutes….then, hot for 15 minutes…always end on hot. I like to make a poultice, wrapped in cheesecloth…. Crushed clove, cayenne pepper, & peppermint. (I like to add a touch of olive oil to help my skin…DH hates the slippery bathtub, now I just put some on my skin after my ‘therapy’). Let it diffuse in my hot tub bath…..rub the poultice on the hurtful areas, while I soak, then, a cool shower, (I don’t actually wait 15 minutes….brrrrrrr….), then, turn on the heat, until I warm back up. IDK, maybe that will help.

Mono? Littlesister? Who did he kiss? Jeese,! Yeah, I know you can get it other ways, but still…. At least he has meds. Make sure you wash all his utensils, plates, glasses in bleach water and his toothbrush too. Yikes! Had my Heart sonogram today…. Still waiting for the iodine test to be scheduled. I keep telling him, it’s just my messed up back & degenerative discs…. But DH wants to be sure… ouch… our deductible is way to high this year…. His digestive Dr called, rescheduled his appointment for Oct. 30th, ‘because the Dr is no longer there’. Sheesh. DH moved wrong, something popped in his lower back…he can hardly walk… Tonight, I will attempt to ‘adjust’ him…like I was taught by a chiro I worked for in the early ‘80’s. Using the knowledge my mother & grandparents taught me…. God willing it will work. He’s got sciatica bad, barely able to walk and groaning in his sleep. Breaks my heart to hear that. I’ve dealt with back pain since I crushed my back in the ‘70’s. High tolerance for that type of pain. He’s never had to. I don’t need him being that way…. He’s gotta take care of me! Not the other way…. Time to get dinner going…picked up a rotisserie chicken, made some Uncle Ben’s long grain & wild rice, & re-heat some beet greens….. Tomorrow, is house cleaning………

Early August, DH found a “deal” on the forum he’s part of. Home Depot had a sale on tillers. Just under $200. for an $800. tiller. He, and a lot of others bought them…. Around the end of August, he received a confirmation it was going to be delivered. Bank account was charged…but no delivery. The first of September, he called inquiring about it. They said they could cancel the order, he said “NO!” We wanted the tiller. 2 days later, he got an email saying they canceled the order. He was quite angry, and called them again. I love my DH…. He was so sweet and nice, explaining the circumstances, and found out, the order was not supposed to be cancelled, for at least, a full month after our first inquiry. The agent, was so apologetic and decided to make every thing better….. they were both on line, she’d tell him where to look, and they agreed on a different tiller. Mainly because, they had received over 10,000 orders for the one that was on sale, and were struggling to fill the orders. Long story short, he got a Troy-Bilt $1,300. tiller, for $300. It was delivered Tuesday. Yesterday afternoon, he began to put it together. For quite some time this year, a little ring necked lizard has been eating sugar ants and harvester ants that wander on the porch. DH started smacking flies and feeding it about a few weeks ago. It isn’t very big yet. Last year I saw a larger one several times. About 6” long. Anyway, here came “Spot”, straight up to DH, where he was sitting, assembling the tiller, with the fly swatter and other tools. I started laughing and told him Spot was climbing up the chair leg, leaning out, looking up at him. He swatted a fly, tossed it to Spot, while I got my camera. Spot hung out under his chair, eating any ant that wandered too near, and the flies DH was smacking. He swatted another fly, but we couldn’t find it….. Spot did…..lol… The tiller is HUGE! It will take 4 rows to completely till my tiny garden.

Midnightmom, it was a true challenge…. MountainMommy did her best, then, I had to take over. Something got messed up before I took over. I tried to fix it, but our provider, at the time, wasn’t cooperative at all… always wanting $1,000’s to make it right. I bulked, so did Darlene. Sigh… We lost a lot…. I tried to re-capture our data base, but, the provider had already erased too much! Why?!? I never got an answer…. Never! I ragged them, got, “We are sorry, but we can’t fix what has been destroyed by an employee who no longer works for us.” “…I’m sorry…” doesn’t undo the crap they did to our forum. That’s the reason we are where we are now. A secure data base, and they constantly make sure we are online and secure. The only ‘mishaps’ we’ve had, has been our own fault…. Getting into the programming and altering something. Yes, I would love to bring back all the old stuff from the 1990’s, proper user names, exact content, but, my memory cannot remember everything from before Darlene took over MrsS.

Good Morning, everyone. I just caught up reading here. Nice to see things are beginning to get better for everyone. The sky is just beginning to lighten. It cooled off last week, I actually had to wear my flannel shirt, the other day, I was chilled, but the thermometer said it was only 68°. Lol. DH said it’s supposed to be back over 100° today. The hummingbirds are back, I’m trying to count how many are fighting over the feeders…. 8 or 9, maybe more… This is a fun, informative video about the hummingbirds… MIL really liked it also…. I have been busy, as usual. First of the month paperwork and bookkeeping. Shopping and putting things away. In my house that’s a challenge, because DH keeps ordering prep foods. Got my eyes tested, new lenses should be here today, God willing. DH went with me, and wandered around the store. By the time I was done and found him, the shopping cart was half full, but nothing from my list. I will pick up a few supplies that need to be replaced, when I get my lenses. I’ve been mending clothes, by hand, replacing elastic in his shorts, because he has lost so much weight. Can’t wait for the tests to find out what the problem is. He’s unable to eat much, without his stomach hurting, causing his heart to stress. Tuesday, I had to trim back the front bush. IDK what it is, but the bush/hedge has been growing since the 1950’s. One time, it was as tall as our house. I’d trim the sidewalk sides, but not the height. Then, I whacked it back, to about 2’. It’s now about 4’ and I try to keep it that way…. “Try” being the key word. Wednesday, DH and I decided to move the old freezer into the shed. I had spent days, cleaning the shed to making room for it. The door needed to be removed… that done, we pushed and pulled…. Nope…. Crow bar, removed the door frame…. Push, pull, ….. Nope! The bricks aren’t plum! The bottom would have slid right in, but the top was 1” too thin…. The freezer is now pushed up against the outside wall, the frame is back in place, and the door is re-attached…. I’m wondering if I can store dry goods in it, or if it would still be too hot. I need to put my thermometer in and check that. Yesterday, I decided to mow the front lawn. It really needed it. Uncovered the electric mower, un-raveled the 100’ electric cord, and went to attach the bag. (My yard man gave it to me, one of his customers was throwing it away, so it’s used and older.). Anyway, the plastic parts, of the bag, are heat stroked, crumbling and cracked. I’ve duct taped them, then, used Gorilla tape, however, even the tape was stroked and pealing off. I spent an hour applying more tape. I wanted the clippings for the mulch bin. I tipped the mower over, cleaned off the dried, stuck on old grass, from the last time I used it. Tested the blade to see if it would spin. WD40 time. Last time I used it, the blade was frozen. It took quite a while before it would spin, so, I knew it might give me trouble again. Sprayed it, turned, sprayed it again, turn…. sprayed it again, for good measure. Took it out to the front, plugged it in and, nothing. Hum of the motor only. Went back to get the WD40. Sprayed, turn the blade, several times, yes, I did unplug it first…. Lol. It worked! I was happy. Mowed 2 short rows and the bag needed to be emptied. Dumped it in my mulch bin. Reattached the bag, turned it on…and nothing. Back to the back yard for the spray. Repeat…. This time I left the can in front. 2 more passes, empty the bag….and nothing…. Spray…turned the blade, until it moved better by hand, plugged and go…. Empty the bag… that time, I saw geckos, digging up to the top of the pile, as I dumped the bag. They like the bugs…. Ended up having to tip the mower, spray the blade, turning it, 5 times, before I finally finished. I kept my hand on the handle, to keep the mower running, while stopping to pick up pine cones, tossing them at the house, to get them out of the way. I don’t like to step on them and the mower doesn’t like them either. I think my neighbors were laughing at me. Then, changed to the weed eater, then, the blower. With that done, I was beat…. DH was a sweetheart and made ramen soup for dinner… Mine… mild… His extra spicy hot….

(((((((Miki))))))).

DH mentioned that too. However, if I don’t freeze the flour first, for only 24 hours, I get bugs, within a few weeks. Those little brown or black tiny beetles are terrible. However, I keep my yeast in the freezer, it still works fantastic…every time I use it, and it’s over 8 years old! It has never failed…PTL! I am trying to make honest, original, sourdough. No store bought yeast, no ‘bread flour’, just the original old fashioned sourdough. Mainly, because DH is having problems with various ‘loaf’ breads from the stores. I’d like to see if basic, historical bread, has the same effect on him…. Except, the dough hasn’t been cooperative…..yet. Lol

Oh, I’m using non GMO unbleached flour….

Alright, I’ve asked a couple people about sour dough…. They each have advised me…..then posted their baked bread! Now, I really feel bad……….really really bad! Makes me think of the Israelites leaving Egypt…unleavened bread because they didn’t have time to make yeast bread. My jar, pint, I fed daily, putting the excess into a quart jar. I gained 1/8”, maybe a day. Mother, you mentioned heat…. Our house is set at 73°. My friend mentioned too cool…. I set my jars outside, early in the morning, 78-100°. I actually got 1/2 inch increase and a slight odor of yeast. I’m hopeful…. Feed them everyday…. 2021 flour, frozen, to kill bugs, then jarred in 1/2 gallon jars with oxygen absorbers. I feed them every day, around the same time… nothing…. A few bubbles….. but… thanks a lot to my friends for sending me pictures of their sourdough overwhelmingly bubbling! I am NOT getting that! A few small bubbles…. Then, they sent me pictures of their bread! Talk about complete disappointment……. Nuf said….. I feel so inadequate….. I decided to pour out the starter into bowls…covered with cheesecloth. I’ve been feeding it daily… I have to pull off 1/4” of a crust on top, before I can mix more flour& water!?! I have taken it outside in the morning, let it get whatever it needs to, and warm up a touch……until our temps exceed 100°. Yeah, it’s still hot here…. Today, I had to get another jar of flour…. Sigh…. As I removed stacks of jars, a whole-wheat 1/2 gallon jar was broken, along the bottom seam, with oxygen absorbers in it . Cleaned the mess, pulled the last 2020 jar of flour and the other jar of whole wheat flour. Decided to feed my starter with whole wheat….nothing else seems to be working…The bowl that kinda smells slightly like yeast….started bubbling immediately….! I’m putting the bowls in the oven with the light on…. Warner then the counter…. I’m still trying… If’n I ever get a starter that works….I’m gonna guard it with my life!

Sweetie, go back in this thread, copy & paste all that you have posted, if you can print it out, before “AI” wipes us clean. You need to have an accurate account, including dates, of what has been happening. You may not remember the exact names of the people you talked with, but having dates and the general conversations, will save you a lot of money, in the long run. PM me if’n you need me to do it. Not a problem…Just don’t let me scream at the ins ppl…. Please….you’d probably get both places paid in full and a residual for retirement….

Personally, I would go back in this thread, copy, paste every single post, from day one, when you discovered the mess the frozen pipes had caused, and the conversations with the insurance company and their reps, to document everything you have had to endure. Every little thing. It may seem trivial to you, but a lawyer would be amused and definitely take interest in the fact, they are dragging their heels and charging you such exuberant amounts. Just my 2¢

Jeepers, take pictures, document any and all conversation, even if they calm your fears, it doesn’t matter, it will stand up in court. If you don’t have Word, put it in another word type document, if you can. Document every contact, with the bank, names, dates, and what they said. I’m so tired of all the people trying to rip-off people that have a real claim, and the ins co. trying to shirk their responsibility. BTDT. That’s why I am trying to advise you to take pics and doc everything anyone of them say to you… believe me, it could cost you less, in the long run and get your house fixed to sell at market value. I worked insurance claims, 10 years…. Pics, & documented conversations with names, dates and times, proved to be a game changer. They always had to pay, promptly!

Jeepers, you are definitely much more patient than I would be…. Good grief. I’d be in their office, screaming like a banshee. That’s what I did with MIL’s house, when her neighbors house burned down and burned her side of her home next to his. Oh, the adjuster tried to say it wasn’t that bad, paint it over & it would be fine…. I took multiple pics, showing the Ac unit had melted, windows..glass melted and crystallized, smoke damage, darkened inside the rooms, curtains inside were charred, window frames deformed and falling apart, the sprinkler system I put in her yard.. hoses and the sprinklers were melted! I still have one melted, JIC.. IDK, I should pitch it… lol. Her roof was melted, 10 ft. And her rafters were charred. And dripping tar, her electric wires, cable, etc., were melted, with bare wires showing….. I took pics, printed them out & walked into the ins. agency, asking if they were trying to kill her. Boy did that put a fire under their act. She’s over 90! I even called the city senior services to get them involved. 100° mid day, no AC, and not returning any of our calls. I went ballistic on them, saying, at least the gas company showed up at 7 am, just as I got there, early in the day after the fire, to cut the leaking gas and replace the melted gas meter…it was melted….. I could smell gas as I drove up, and they allowed me to document the meltdown…. So, the moral of my story is, take pictures, start a word doc, detailing each event, including pictures, then accuse them of trying to kill you. And document the meeting! There is no reason, whatsoever, other than trying to scam you, that they haven’t fixed your situation…. ……. Everyone is trying to escape their responsibility……… Sorry for the rant, but, I definitely wouldn’t be as patient as you are….

Heat…makes sense… we have been awfully hot the last few months. I will keep trying….

I’m beginning to think there is no yeast in my house. Yeah, I clean it every week, as spotless as I can. However, I started a batch of starter, a month & an half ago. Two weeks later it finally overflowed my jar. I followed the recipe to make bread….it was a disaster… it didn’t rise, even after 4 days! Baked it, but uncooked dough in the center….birds got it. So I started a new batch, barely even any bubbles, before I went to TX, fed it, stuck it in the fridge. Got home, took it out, fed & watered it, and it still hasn’t done anything!!! I have rubber bands marking the levels on both jars, but nothing is happening! What an I doing wrong? The first jar was extremely aromatic..yeasty…but, didn’t rise when I prepped it for baking…

Absolutely! It is definitely God’s hand in his healing…