kappydell

Mt Rider said: Finished New Madrid.   Oye....he did LOTS of research and .....     we all better hope that thing does not slip in our lifetimes.  

I researched it for an article I did several years ago.  It would reeeeealy mess things up if it decided to slip.  i recall a small tremor when I was a child, I felt it up in Wisconsin, and it was from the New Madrid complex of faults.  A big one could change geography over much of the Midwest.  

BTW,  I was amused to find out the local Native Americans blamed the then encroaching white man for it when it had its last big tremor.  I guess they had to blame someone....

Austrailia had earthquakes earlier in the week, and last I heard were under a tsunami warning.  I read one theory years ago that claimed when there was a tremor in one place to look on the opposite side of the globe for more quakes as the tectonic plates compensated for the first one.  I wonder what is on the opposite side of Australia?

Mary hauled quite a lot of fresh new compost-dfirt blend into our green house area.  I raked until I had to go get ready to go to physical therapy.  I only have a couple of sessions left, but I can stand (with effort and using hands for leverage) up straighter until I have only a 10 percent tilt.  Quite a change from when I started with a 40% telt!

Mary is feeling every one of those wheelbarrow loads tonight in her back, so I am trying to do the "jump up and let the dogs out....fetch some soda....etc" stuff.  Tonight I draw up garden planting plans for the greenhouse area.  It will be a change, as we will have to leave a walking space down the middle of the6 ft wide span.  We will probably mulch that part with cardboard since lumber is so expensive now.  Grandma used old boards from the farm lumber pile to walk on so her weight was distributed and not packing down the soil.  She was ahead of her time. 

The lumber company has been cutting to the north of us, and we can hear the coyotes howling tonight.  Sounds like a large bunch of them, probably displaced by the logging.  We are again taking the dogs out under armed escort.  I hope the neighbor with the chickens has them  well secured.  

Wow so much has happened since my last post.  Old Man winter took a bite out of Texas, and now the tornado season is starting.  I am glad our preppers got thru it better than most.  I bet generators are impossible to find in Texas nowdays.  Even here in GA we are seeing odd things missing from the grocery shelves.  The Walmart people say most resupply trucks are going to Texas first.  OK by us, they need things more than we do....

MtRider, your hawaiian lessons remind me of my on and off again morse code learning.  I still have to go outside to practice, because the parrot starts beeping in morse code and driving us crazy if she hears me practicing.  Her ears are excellent - I wear a headphone to practice but she still beeps away, in the exact pitch of my practice tapes, LOL.  Of course she beeps gibberish, I am still learning individual letters so am not making words yet.  I was amused to find out that is where the term "ditty-bopper" came from.  During WW II the radio operators were called ditty boppers because it was ALL in morse code.  Not because voice was all that bad, but because CW operation (morse code) is more reliaable for longer distances.  

We got greenhouse frame #2 up.  Then we worked on my adult tricycle which we have nearly completely assembled.  The derailler gave us problems for a while, the directions just said "attach derailler" but the pics were not very helpful in showing us how.  Then "thread the chain here, there, under this and over that and fasten together"  Which took more figuring out.  But all we have left to do is the brake cables and transmisison cable.  It looks nice and is a good size with a large basket on the back.  

THEN (with what was left of the income tax refund) we got a HUGE window air conditioner, because our in-house one keeps icing up.  We wanted a sizeable backup just in case we had techical problems in triple digit heat.  Now we have to build a support shelf for it, since it is heavy - but not a problem, we did it already once before with our little travel trailer, putting a window AC in the dining area window.  That we know how to do. 

Mary got a scooter, because she is starting to have real issues grocery shopping at Walmart.  The cripple carts are always taken, and she hurts very bad from all the walking.  So she found a reasonbly priced one at the scooter store online, and we paid outright for it.  They offered financing, but when we checked out the interest it would add another 50% to the cost, so I told her just buy it.  We will save the interest money to pay off one of her credit cards.  That is our next financial project...paying off our credit cards.  It is amusing because every time we pay down a card we get more offers for loans.  You know what they say....they want to loan you the money when you DONT need it.  We are wise to that BS.

We picked up another freezer - meat prices are still decent on sale, but other prices are going up, the meat will undoubtedly start soon.  I joke with Mary that if the rib-eye half sales keep coming she may have to suffer and eat steaks 2 or 3 times a week!  (Oh, the pain, LOL).  But as long as it is $6.95 a pound in the primal cut and $9.95 a pound in the money saver family pack, we keep cutting it up in the kitchen and freezing it.  When we go to get the lumber for the AC stand, I will pick up another hasp for a padlock. 

We have padlocks all keyed the same for the freezers.  The padlocks might be a little extreme, but if things get really bad, we may be grateful we locked the frozen foods up.  We now have a total of 19 cu feet worth of freezer space.  (Oh yes, we do get extra for our friends down the road....her DH just had a foot amputated, and she does not get social security, so they have a frighteningly lean budget.  Her DH wont go to the VA even though he could....his dad had bad experiences with them.  So we pick up extra sale items we know they use when we see them on sale.)  We have a running joke when we call them to tell them that "Frick and Frack Fucking Freaky Fast Free Freight Expediters have a delivery for them five minutes out"  It never fails to get a chuckle....Mary is Fiona Frick and I'm Francine Frack.  

Tonight we got a load of dirt to fill in the garden beds, then we will put the greenhouse covers over the frames.  So I am on notice...."make up the garden plan" ... because Mary likes to have a chart showing what we put where.  Summer is approaching, and with it our pace picks up.  Tonight a neighbor asked us if we wanted a piglet....flattering, but we have no place to put one.  Besides, I think Mary would not like butchering a critter she got to know personally...she would make it a pet.

I'm updating my collection of game recipes in odd moments.  Especially the local small game that has no season and liberal bag limits. You know things like pigeons, squirrels, rabbits, nutria, possum, raccoon, armadillo,  and the like.  There is an old name for that category of game....its "dinner".  Mary still says she won't eat it so lets hope it never becomes more than a hobby for me to collect those recipes.  I am amazed at what I learn....tonight I found out that squirrel fat can be rendered down into a cooking oil good for baking.  But Mary now says now she WILL go on a feral hog hunt next time the game wardens have one.  That should be fun.  

Littlesister I am truly sorry for your loss.  My DH also died after a time of suffering with congestive heart failure so parts of your journey were very familiar to me.  You are right to rejoice because the suffering is over.  It will indeed take time to get used to being single, and your emotions will be a little volatile for a time, but that is a normal adjustment.  We are here for you always, the walk is not as bad in the company of loving friends.  And when you get to heaven, you will have him waiting for you with a big ol' welcoming smile and bear hug.  The time you had together was a precious gift.  Rejoice that you found your soul mate; many never do.  And walking the final journey with you beloved is worth any sacrifice you made.  

working outdoors today on green houses...we are getting down to business as Chainsaw Mary came home with cabbage and lettuce transplants.  Collards are STILL going event after sub freezing nights and no cover.  

I taught myself to tat using a teach yourself needlework book,  I think its out of print now but it covered knitting, crochet, tatting and embroidery and had simple patterns.  My mother commnented once about wanting some tatted lace for a blouse but she did not know how to tat.  So that winter I taught myself and gave her 6 yards of tatted edging for her blouse.  I liked tatting because I could roll it up and stick it in my pocket at work, and work on it during odd times.  I just got some spare bobbins of thread (they are very small too) so I would not run out of materials.

You should try tatting. There are only a few stitches but they can be put together so many ways to create so many beautiful things.  I find it is easier on my arthritic hands than any other needlework because it is basically knotting which you can do with a looser thread, then snug it up.  Start with larger threads though, because if you need to pick it apart those fine threads are like OMG to un-do!!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS!  Many years ago I saw a pics of a farmer who used hog panels and plasticized feed bags (like tarps) to create waterproof shelters for his hogs and storage for his hay.  I had forgotten all about it until I saw this.  Yesssss!  Thank you!

4 hours ago, snapshotmiki said:

Tomorrow, I intend to dry can (pressure can) potatoes.  I have always added water but hear that the texture is better this way.  Will let you all know how it goes. I only have a 5 pound bag to play with, so I can't mess up too bad!

I just looked at some eommercially canned ones and they use calcium chloride to keep the texture nicer.  You know, the same stuff you get for pickles?  Maybe that would help...

The volatility of our lives now is VERY tiring.  I had been feeling kinda down and wondering why, but I just let 'er cook at the back of my mind a few days and BINGO my answer popped out (surprising how well the subconscious problem analyzer works...).  I had been mourning the loss of personal spontenaity.  You know, that thing where you can just pick up and go do something just because you want to, on the spur of the moment.  With my health history though, I cant just scoot out and do something wild and crazy for fun..  

 I have to consider if I will need to pack meds, CPAP, canes, extra water, food (restaurants are too high sodium and too  expensive now).  So every trip is now planned, and i missed that spur of the moment spontenaiety and the feeling of freedom it brought.  Funny thing, now that I put my finger on what was "bumming me out" it quit bothering me.  I just schedule more loosely to allow for some impulse gratification, too.  

May all troubles be so easily solved....

1 hour ago, Jeepers said:

 

 "Don't go around tonight.... It's bound to take your life".

 "Hope you got your things together.... Hope you are quite prepared to die". 

 

Yep. 

It started the day the election was 'certified' and has not let up since. Bugged me so much I looked up the lyrics, and wow.  I hope that wont be the soundtrack to 2021, but.....

Hello my friends!  Today was a typical day....the youngest dog woke me at 4 am....to go to bathroom.  He is accustomed to a doggie door so has not learned to hold it, so I am grateful he comes and gets me with enough time for me to get to the door...even at 4AM.  I am sleeping in my bed again (hooray!) thanks to physical therapy (I work my buns off).  But the body is complaining with aches and pains as it gets accusatomed to being immobile in the prone position again.  2 weeks  ago i could have sworn I passed some kidney stones.  Pains were in the proper place.  Called the insurance nurse and she told me what to watch out for as I am getting pretty tired of the hospital and I figured why sit around the ER all night and then get told it was something else?  Next morning the pains went away.  This last week the surprise of the week was shingles.  ACK!  Only 3 weeks ago my doc offered me a shinglesa vaccine and I said no.  Silly me.  They are nearly cleared up, and I REFUSED to stop going to PT or stop doing anything.  So I will be happy when they disappear totally.  

Chainsaw Marys back is getting quite bad.  It pains her considerably to shop at Walmart now.  After about 30 min the hard floors make her spine hurt.  So she found a mobility scooter online on sale for a ridiculously low price and bought one.  Then she went to her eye doc for a prescription for glasses and we ordered off internet again.  I had such good luck with Zenni optical that we used that.  She found a pair she liked, and bought 2 regular pairs, 2 sunglasses PLUS a clip on yellow lens for night driving.  All for $65 (comes to $16 a pair plus the clip ons were $5.  She can hardly wait for them to arrive as her old glasses do not work anymore.  For my birthday we ordered that 3 wheel bike I might have mentioned for Mary and I to ride on for exercise and for short hops to the local convenience store when she runs out of cigarettes or bait.  Come to think of it, it would go nicely down to the nearest fishing hole, too.  

I am looking for a local gym to go to when my physical therapy ends.  I am working my tail off and my therapists are not afraid to ask for my best effort.  I keep telling them if something is hard for me it means it is an exercise I NEED to do to get better.  But soon the PT will end, so I will go to the gym.  I looked at a bodyplex gym today that takes the silver slippers program (free gym membership thru medicare).  Not that I necessarily want to do classes, but I want to use the weight machines and cardio machines for working out, as they are safer at this point than free weights at home.  I do with they had a pool, but I will make do.  I only wish Mary could come along, but the VA does not offer the program.

I need to strengthen my bad shoulder as much as I can and start going to the range so I can learn to shoot from the hip as the left arm cant hold a rifle up very long.  We did buy a bipod support, I need to learn and practice with that too.  Just in case things get rough and we need to start eating wild meat.  I have considered contacting local farmers and asking if I can trap out the varmints (their choice...raccoon, possum, beavers, woodchucks, whatever...) to hone my trapping skills.  I would not do the fur processing - fur prices very low and quality in our warmer area is not as nice as northern furs - but many of the furbearers are edible, and it is another source of nutrition for hard times. (I read of one little old lady who got her beloved doggie (and her) thru the depression by trappin, cooking up, and canning mushkrats and squirrels.  Chickens will eat meat with relish too, so it might  be a viable option for feeding both man and beast.  Besides, if I can remove some varmints, I am more likely to get hunting permission. 

So, the working out has an additional reason.  I want to face whatever comes, as strong and fit as possible, so I can help Mary when she needs it.  

For some reason that old Creedence Clearwater Revival song still runs thru my brain...."I see a bad moon rising....I see trouble on the way....."  I'd rather prepare for, than fear the future, as I think we all would.  

Garden is still producing....kale, collards, and the cabbages even made it.  Carrots came up too, but they grow with very low rosettes of leaves in the cold, so they need digging rather than pulling.  Spring is coming....in march the first transplants will start arriving.  I can hardly wait.  

Today was an interesting day. We watched the swearing in and listened dto the speeches.  The usual....we must unite, I will represent every body, same old stuff as usual.  Baked 1 loaf of bread today.  The other loaf is frozen, waiting its turn.  Fed the yard cats, petted the friendly onoes and in general made sure everybody got something to eat.  Our across the street neighbor, an older lady named Doris, stopped by.  Her son in law is making repairs on her place (it is a summer cottage for them, she does not live there full time).  She saw our yard cats, and Mary told her they patrolled her yard too, hunting mice, squirrels and keeping snakes away.  She liked that, said she had a deep fear of mice so their presence was a good thing.  Heck, they even caught one of those pesky squirrels, leaving the tasty bits on the porch for us to sample (the head and tail).  We thanked them for their polite offer and declined the snack, LOL.  

Mary is out tilling the garden in the empty spots.  She came in with 4 huge sweet potatoes she discovered - there are always 1 or two we miss when we dig.  I told her to let me know when she was ready to till the greens patches, and I would pick all the greens and dehydrate them.  She does not eat them, but I have come to like them seasoned in what I am told is "southern style" with ham, a bit of vinegar, a bit of honey, chopped onions, garlic and a dash of hot sauce if I am in that kind of mood for an extra kick.  I like them fine without the hot sauce, so I usually omit it. I am saving the canning jars for meats, so dehydrating works fine for me.  Just simmer them extra time while they rehydrate and then cook soft.  I am a fan of the traditional southern cooking (soul food) and am fortunate to have a soul food restaurant in town for those days I want some collard greens (properly seasoned, of course), cornbread, fried chicken livers, and the like.  It was there I finally got to try fried green tomatoes.  I never met anybody that considered mac & cheese a vegetable til I moved to the deep south, LOL.  That and bacon as an extra food group (I kid you not). Bacon infused EVERYTHING including bourbon. Of ham.  I do like the ham flavored bouillon powder though. it really jazzes up a pot of beans when you have no ham or bacon on hand.   

I am trying to work more vegetables into our diet but Mary is content with just meat and potatoes/mac and cheese/cheesy rice, scalloped potatoes,.  Occasionally green beans and peas, but she has terrible gas pains which she has trouble expelling when she eats many of her lifelong favorites now.  Creamed cabbage, broccoli, caulilflower and other brassic require copious amounts of Gas-X on stand by.  Usually she declines them when they are on the menu.  I feel bad but she wont budge, saying the pain is too much for the short time of pleasure involved.  

Im digging thru my recipes to find the rolled ginger cookie one.  I want to make some valentine cookies for friends...I figure I can frost them with pink frosting, stick on a large conversation heart, and voila!  a fancy-pants cookie without having to get out the frosting piping tools.  Im saving my russian piping tips for easter cupcakes....

A friend of ours born sith spina bifida has modified his electric wheelchair for the outdoors.  Uses mountain bike tires on it instead of wheenchair ones.  Reinforced wheels again, based on mountain bikes.  He goes EVERYWHERE with it!  

Sorry for the loss of your little one Ambergris.  We lost two long time pets in less than a week just after Christmas.  Gone but certainly not forgotten.

I FINALLY got the last of the ham canned up.  We got 10 quarts from the 2 hams, plus 5 pints of split pea soup with ham with the schnibbles from the ham bone.  The little ham left over went into some jars of yellow-eye peas.  I had never seen them before but they taste similar to navy beans but cook up nicer.  No navy beans around so I canned yellow eyed peas,LOL.  I do love me somew legumes....all kinds..  That particular store chain I got them from is a southern chain, so they have many dried southern peas I had never tried before....crowder peas, lady peas, field peas, black eye peas, zipper peas, and the yellow eyes, of course.  The speckled butterpeas were tasty too.  I am having a bean blowout! 

We spent our stimulus checks on more preps, of course.  We ordered that adult trike (it will be good for getting around if gas prices go bananas).  We also purchased an electric dog fence - the kind you bury - because our dogs have taken to leaving the yard while we are outside working because they see something interesting on the other side of the road.  So we will teach them the yard borders again, using the fencing for reinforcement.  It came today.

Our garden was not so hot this winter.  I thought the cabbages had been killed by frost but they bounced back.  The collards are matutring nicely so it is time to pick and dehydrate those. I'm keeping my canning jars for things that do not dehydrate so well and for meats. The last 2 days I canned that ham, plus dehydrated 12 pounds of hash brown otatoes.  So the kitchen has been humming.  But I am getting tired, so I am glad to slow down a bit 

Tomorrow we put up the electronic fence, then, I guess some yard clean up, and after that start on those collards, because we will need to clean up the garden, put in some new compost, and start planting for spring soon.  Who said retirement was boring?  Aint got time for boring, LOL.  Physical therapy is working - my hip and back are getting stronger.  In time I hope to be nice and straight again, but I will take improvemewnt of any amount as long as it keeps coming.  

Seed saving.  Chainsaw Mary gets nice ones with screw on (not child proof) tops that I have forbidden her to throw away, as they are the right size (about 4 ounces) for many things.  

I found my prayer/quote in an out of print prayer book written in the days when one never divorced, no matter what.  It was a prayer written as a plea for coping with a nasty spouse.  But it resonated, not because my hubs was nasty, but because I liked the way it tacked inexcapable hardship.  

"Grant me Your grace to do what I must, then ask of me what You will."  It helps me focus on acceptance of what cannot be changed, and coping with it.  One foot in front of the other, ya know?

thank you midnight mom for the muzzle info.  We are making progress with Jack, keeping him separated from the dogs he has issues with.  Hopefully we can work on his reactivity, but it is hampered by other dogs' jealousy when we pay "too much" attention to Jack.  That is part of the issue, so we try to work with him one on one, separately.  He is a lover, and that chin rest training is right up his alley.  His calming thing is a chest rub - I can feel him just relax into it.  

Good riddance to 2020.  It ended sadly with two of our long time pets passing on the day after Christmas.  It was a sad time.    Now we are  getting ready to take in Christmas lights - we had cars stopping to take pictures, so we consider our yard a success.  But I will be glad to be able to use the dishwasher again, with the Christmas lights on using it blew fuses, LOL.  

We scored some cheap hams and pork loin roasts.  With the freezers all full, I am canning up pork loin and ham today.  I think I'll try to can up some pints of navy bean & ham soup with the bits from the ham bones.  Maybe split pea?  Are we still allowed to can that or is it "too dense"?  Thats OK, the split peas cook up so quick I usually make that fresh when I want it so canning it is a little redundant.  That Navy bean, on the other hand is a very long cooking soup.  I found some beautiful yellow eyed peas at my local southern grocery (it even carries hog jowls and chitterlings year around!) they are delicious and are used like navy beans.  I'll use those in the soup.  

Time to go out to the garden to give the cabbage heads a twist to snap some of their roots so they don't split from all the rain we are getting.  Besides, my pets are getting quite obnoxious - they are jealous of my computer time - the cats and dogs alike want to climb on the keyboard and MESS THINGS UP!!  So I think its time to stops typing and go do something.  Outside. while it is still light.....

Today was a typical on again, off again day.  Since my last hospitalization, Mary's back has been quite touchy, so she takes more breaks than usual.  I have to sit down a lot due to my hip replacement.  Recovery on this one is faster though because they went in from the side, not the rear, so I do not sit on my surgical incision.  Much less pain.  Much faster healing.  All our Christmas decorations are up and attracting the usual attention.  We used the same theme as last year, grouoping our display like the north pole factory, with "air freight" "rail freight" divisions, and of course a "naughty department" which is where we put our Grinch out.  Everyone laughs at that one.  We also are starting to expand into the larger back yard area with the a "resort" theme.  That is where the Christmas camper will go, the campfire display with Santa & reindeer roasting marshmallows, Santa in the fishing boat, etc.  All the alternative stuff will fit that theme.  

Our black lab puppy is getting a little wild so he is in "training mode" to teach him some better manners.  No jumping on people, for example unless he gets the come-on-up sighal (patting the chest).  He likes that one.  We are having to teach him what is OK to chew and what is not.  That will be aa little harder.  But he is bright, just uber-boisterous!

Jack the aussie is behaving better as we have determined what works with him and what does not.  He does not like changes in routine.  He LOVES his "new job: which is to make a perimeter check of our yard in the morning and again at dusk.  He loves checking things out, and heels very nicely as we walk.  We do, of course, allow him playing time as well.  We have discovered his food dish is  major conflict source, so nobody eats out of his bowl except him.  We listen when he barks...is it a complaining bark or a hostile one?  so we can take appropriate action.  So I think Mr Jack issues are pretty well handled.  We tried putting a muzzle on him, but he ate one (yup) and knows how to get out of the other one in about 1-0 seconds.  So we are using strict training with lots of praise for good work, and giving him jobs to keep him interested in being good, not making mischief.  A bit of a juggling issue sometimes, but worth the effort.  He is very protective of his pack, and worries when someone is missing (he had issues when I had surgery) but responds well to a phone call to talk to him, calming down considerably.   

We are now in Christmas Cookie Making mode so we can get them made, decorated and sent out to friends by Christmas.  Our freezers are full of meats (we have wonderful end of year sales here....January all the prices go up and sales quit untl May) so we are taking advantage of the sales.  We have to pack thoughtfully to fit everything in, but it is worth it.  The last sale we got steaks, pork loin roasts (we cut up into smaller roasts and thick boneless chops for grilling), ground chuck was half price if bought in bulk (so we did), and the spiral cut hams were so poplar we had to get a rain check.  We also got a turkey (69 cents a pound with a $20 purchase....easy with the sale meats....which I promptly roasted, boned, and froze, making stock from the carcass as well.  Our garden is growing nicely although we had to tarp it when we had some sub freezing weather.  We picked the last of the green bell peppers on Friday.  Picked the lettuce already; next upop will be collards and fresh cabbage (the heads are getting nice and big).  We also scored 2 for one prices on canned veggies, so we stocked uo on our usual ones (corn, green beans, yellow beans, carrots, and peas.  So our pantry is nicely full.

Once the Christmas stuff is done I will be setting up a compost area.  We are a bit aghast at all the trash (mostly superfluous packaging) we are accumulating, so we now have a three tier system....burnables, which we have a burn pit for now, compostables, which will be composted, and the stuff we will still have to take to the dump.  My latest wise crack is that I have no carbon footprint anymore, since all my surgeries my footprint is now titanium.  (the medical folks think that is hilarious).  We also joke about how I will have to leave all my prosthetic parts to Mary in my will so she can recycle all the metals I now have in my body.  My dad, bless him, sent a Christmas present of $15,000 (all he could send tax free) for me to put on the principal of the mortgage.  He says maybe we can re-finance while rates are still reasonable, since we are thinking things might get expensive in the future.  The bank tellers want him to adopt them as well. At 92 he is still a pretty cool Dad and gives excellent advice when I have a question for him.    So covid or not, life is good.  I am a hermit at heart so staying home suits me fine, and keeps us busy.

Chainsaw Mary & I are working like crazy ladies to get our christmas lights up on all the high places.  I complained to my doc about my left hip and yup it needs replacing - bone on bone - in November.  OK, we can handle that, I guess.  We also finally figured out what is the issue with our auusie, Jack.  He is just super jealous of other dogs paying attention to me.  I am HIS person.  That explains a lot.  And since I have changed my interactions with the other critters to less personal ones, Jack has calmed down and become his usual cheerful self.  That and food aggressiveness, can both be dealt with.  He loves his obedience training - and his short in-house leash has become his "necktie" and he seems to miss it if we don't put it on.  What a difference a few simple changes have made.  We do not free-feed anymore nor do the dogs share dishes.  That takes care of the food aggressive issues.  I make sure I do not pay more attention to other dogs than him.  Solves his problems with jealousy.  And I train with him often, he absolutely loves routine.  I guess there are worse things than having a canine "bodyguard".  I am teaching him to wear a muzzle (insurance if we travel or are in a strainge place).  If he takes to it as quickly as he took to the short intensive control indoor leash, he will probably dance with glee when I put it on, knowing a field trip is coming.  I was sooooo afraid we would have to put him down.  I am sooooooo relieved he is responding positively.  Welcome back, Whiskey Jack!  Good to have you back tp your old self.  

Grrrrrrrr

May maleeictions pursue it to the uttermost depths of world slime!!  So there.

today was a wonderful day.  got to my church, went to confession, took communion....I am high risk so I have to watch on live stream on Sundays.  I hate it.  Cant sing in the choir anymore, no nothing.  So being able to do a few church things was a real delight!!  There are times when this covid situation bugs me, and no church is one of them.  Dont mind the social distancing & not going anywhere because I tend to be a hermit anyway.  Our stock reply when someone asks how M and i are doing, is "we are doing fine, staying home, tending the garden and animals..."  So I guess you could say I did spiritual preps today.

Went to my semi annual cancer check up....the doc says my blood work is phenomenally good, no "cancer markers' and such stuff.  She always asks if I am still eating fresh from the garden daily, and when I say "of course, that is what its for" she chuckles. 

Am I a hopeless rube?  Dont know, dont care.  I wear comfortable clothes, even if they are hopelessly outdated.  My kitchen is 1050s retro.  I prefer hand tools to power tools.  I prefer to watch the old TV rerun channels rather than the new (and to me banal, stupid and sometimes offensive) new television programs.   

I have been messing with phone telemarketers, switching to another language when I answer those magic phone numbers that you cant call back.  It makes them hang up in a hurry.  Spanish they could probably handle, just turn it over to another person, but French or German messes with them.  I also like to fill out intrusive and un-asked for surveys with wierd answers....I especially like to tell them I am a quadraplegic recluse...with a six digit income...who speaks mandarin chinese as my primary language.   (So far I have never seen a law that requires you to tell the truth on those surveys, just on the census or court paperwork.)   Isnt it odd what amuses us old folks?   Might as well have a little fun before they get around to taxing or outlawing it.  On the plus side, I get some highly interesting junk mail after do that.  

We have locked outrfreezers ot in the car port, and we have been carring our "little friends" for some time now.  We piked up some small game cameras and have set them up so we can tweak their placement & aim to how we want it.  We want all in readiness by election day, just in case.

Our aussie, Jack has been undergoing some "respect" training this last week, and it is starting to make a difference in his behavior.  Basically he is not allowed to get away with ANYTHING, EVER.  We monitor and correct misbehavior at once, calmly and inexorably.  Surprisingly, the dog we were wondering about over whether his fits of anger were seizures or not, is changing. His outbursts (temper tantrums?) are fewer and more controlled by a calm but firm "no" and he shuts down the histrionics. The chihuahua we were told had been a bait dog tends to instigate things with Jack, staring at him, making "Snarly faces" and trying to act pushy & dominant.  (I had no idea a dog could have "short man syndrome", LOL.)  So we are dealing with that too, setting new boundaries for our entire pack-family.  Respect for others is the order of the day.  Wow what a difference it has made.  I guess it is true....strong willed dogs need the stricter structure.  Whatever it is, it seems to be working so far.  

Tomorrow is social security payday so I have to rearrange the freezer tomorrow morning.  There is a good sale on t-bone steaks, pork tenderloins, amd ground chuck and I have to make room so we can keep the freezers topped up in case of post election issues.  

Thank you for the reviews. Apparently I am not missing much by making my own.  I will stick to my own "instant" potato soup mix I learned to make in Girl Scouts years ago: 

INSTANT POTATO SOUP FOR CAMPING

1 3/4 cups instant mashed potatoes
 1 1/2 cups dried milk
 2 tablespoons instant chicken bouillon
 2 teaspoons dried minced onion
 1 teaspoon dried parsley
 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
 1/4 tsp onion powder (if no minced onion used)

1/8 tsp garlic powder 
Combine all ingredients in a bowl; mix well.
Put ingredients in a large zipper-type plastic bag and seal tightly.
To serve, place 1/2 cup mix in soup bowl; add 1 cup of boiling water; stir until smooth.  It will be quite HOT so let cool before scarfing it down.

Play with the seasonings until you get the combintion you like.  I add celery leaf flakes (saved & dehydrated) when I hav them (1/2 to 1 tsp).

This can be varied all kinds of ways to suit your taste. Best of all I can make it to suit special needs & wants - less salt by using low sodium bouillon; use turmeric (1/4 tsp) instead of the garlic (makes a mellow goldenc color); add bacon bits, or dried cheese.  Make as thick or thin as you want by adjusting amount of water & mix.  I have not tried with buttermilk powder but that also sounds darn tasty.  Who knows, you might discover a new recipe for instant loaded baked potato soup!

good idea;   I sure hope they are ok, there is a whole case of them 

I have a case of canning lids I ordered back in the olden days.....I presume I still boil those, if only to soften up the glue?  You know, the ones made in this country, a couple decades back