sassenach

I was able to get Shades of Gray and the Peanut Butter chocolate cookbook downloaded. Reading another book that was free yesterday I think, just now though, or through the day between tasks.... Much Ado about Madams , it is called. Rather humorous read but may not suit some here. I have heard Shades of Gray is a real classic type of book, a very good read so really looking forward to it....... and, hey, anything to do with peanut butter and chocolate, well Im willing to try some of it out! LOL.

Happy Birthday Reb! Happy Birthday Mimi54! :happyBD: :happyBD: :happyBD: :happyBD:

If you have a porch or garage and can dehydrate out there it won't overpower the house with the garlic smell and won't heat it up as much. Peel , slice and dry.

oh, masks for yard work , lawn mowing, weed eating , digging... too when you need to do outside chores. Any livestock care ,also , masked because it stirs up dust and dirt, allergens

that little gal had that thang up til she realized what it was! If she had held steady she would have brought it in but I probably would have done the same thing.... it made me laugh when I watched it. Pretty funny.

Awwww. I was just thinking of my great grandma Esther, she was 98 yrs old when she passed. I looked at my newest doc today and said I hoped I would at least live another 20 or so years.... heck I don't know if I want to live til 100 or so if this nation and world don't settle back down some! Maybe she enjoying some of the best bacon there is right now, once again. I guess she must have loved her bacon. Despite the fact that she must have been restricted so much in the past couple years or so, it sounds like you probably have some good memories of her and she was a steady part of your life and its important to cherish that.

Medical supply sites and shops carry the formed N95 masks by the box. I have one of 20 per box . I think I ordered the medium size, small is good for children. I keep one handy in the bathroom to grab and put on . I tend to be very choosy about shampoos and cleaners that are scented , more and more. Found I was getting more and more sensitive. This place creates more dust than I think the desert did, here! LOL. I know how it goes. and I tend to get distracted and not vacuum as much and dust as frequently as I used to , so I know how that goes. Trying to get to things better now , so know how it can be when you discover some neglected spot and it takes 3 times what it would have a while back to get it clean and yea it does stir up stuff! Car exaust and sitting woodsmoke is bad too. ( I would be in trouble if I run into another forest fire evac situation as I dont have a gas mask with good filters for that! I need my boots next on my preps. ). oh, and more inhalers are on order now with the VA as of today although I have extras still. Doc said it sounded like the regimen which is still pretty simple is working for me. Yea its probably why I like my coffee in the morning.or one reason, other than waking up better.... but am glad to say my O2 levels were doing ok today and I don't even know why? I didn't change anything . Oh, and one of the nurses suggested I figure out the gel soles for my shoes to help my feet. Some of those cost as much as a pair of shoes, lol. But there are all types and they do have a variety, just not the machine that you step on to figure it out faster, at our local drug store. good suggestion. The body was actually willing and with a snack and some water along the way which I carry I had the energy to walk it,,,,,, and it is 5 whole miles each way evidently that I walked last week , Monday. Just the bottoms of my feet want to scream and there were some blisters which have healed. But am willing to try the gel soles. Might be the only way to deal with the amount of pain when I do have to walk at times like that. If it can help prevent that Im for it, so will see about it as soon as I can. Cause that is crazy and wipes my feet out for about three days afterwards and thats not good in an emergency and I couldnt walk even normal pace or fast once it started to be painful. Very bad situation when it comes down to it. I find that as critical as you being able to make sure you got your inhalers, but yea the dust mask is a good preventative for you as well . Either situation is serious. So I will try to get the smarter stuff to take better care of my feet if you get your inhalers and some dust masks for cleaning, ok? They need to be priorities.

Happy Birthday, Canning Nerd!

ok, its noon, I wonder if they extinguished it yet? You would think the freight trains would be set up when it comes to moving chemicals and flammables to have several cars of inert stuff between two such materials????? Did they even consider that might help avoid such things when there are accidental derailments or other damage to the cars? UPDATE, 12:06pm they just started evacuations....

Went to VA doc and they don't carry the vaccine for whooping cough, just flu shots? So I will check with public health.

Yep, got to have inhalers at the ready, but also yes both the cleaning solutions and the dust and such kicked up into the air will affect asthma, its very common irritants. Do you have any formed N95 masks to wear? You should use those now anytime you are doing inside chores that are about cleaning dirt or surface stuff, dust and such. See if they help when you use cleaning solutions or you may actually require gas mask ( chemical filters) level protection to get your cleaning done. Or switch to non irritant cleaners like vinegar and baking soda mixes, stuff like that. I know there are folks here that have natural recipes for cleaning various things. Most cleaning solutions and sprays are super bad when it comes to chemicals that are all toxic and irritating to such sensitivities. In other words your sensitivity levels treat them as sheer poison immediately now. Simple vinegar is antibacterial. The smell evaporates when it dries a while. I became more sensitive as time went on btw. Rather than improving. Also putting a fan in a window facing outward in the room you are cleaning or even vacuuming will help take out miniscule dust and matter stirred up by the cleaning , when you are cleaning from now on. After 30 mins, remove fan and shut the window again after cleaning and fan has worked 30 mins since you cleaned. It should help reduce vapors and dust , etc. Treat that stage as part of cleaning as well. One other emergency treatment you can do at home is to step into a warm shower and breathe the 'wet' air in the shower if you have nothing else like an inhaler and must wait to get treatment at a hospital. It also might not have hurt to wash down because of the chemicals used in the cleaning solutions and the dust that got in your hair and on your skin from the earlier cleaning session in your daughters room. Its like a breathing treatment in a sense. Wash off everything and your hair and turn it so its creating steam to breathe in too, that adds moisture. It may help at least some to help you not go into distress so badly. Obviously it might not. Also drink a strong cup of coffee, this helps often enough for asthma..... even though it will probably keep you awake. But I would rather be awake a couple more hours than usual as long as I knew my breathing was better. These are two minor things most of us have available, that do often helped if applied. But yes, you do need inhalers available at all times.

Yep, been following this, another fairly large city is going bankrupt . Sign of the times? I guess their unemployment checks will be larger ? I feel badly for those affected since services are definitely affected but it seems the harshness of the event affects has to go through its paces before things get straightened out and municipalities can manage adjustments. Pretty much if any of us live in such situations it is up to us now, private citizens to cover our own spots.

glad you came out and said 'hey'. We are ok. If you have been watching us this long you know we usually don't bite, or too hard. There is soooo much information here gathered over the years and somebody always has an answer to something if its a new concept or you need a refresher course. Some of us are such characters, me being one for sure, lol.... but this place has been a real life line for me in so many ways. I am so grateful. I keep learning something new just about every day or can review something and try to come up with stuff in my own spirited way. Each of us is in different circumstances. For us to figure out how to adapt and be innovative, well , we all show examples in various circumstances and I can see how prepping reasonably is a big help to so many of us and we observe others who suddenly face things, like that derecho weather or flooding or fire and we all learn different little things we can apply and my my the recipes and food storage ideas and other stuff, its great and I would say most of its simply wisdom and common sense and learning skills that really were put aside. I come from two generations that although they could stretch a dollar had left the farm life if their parents were farmers, or longer generations that were more city folks for whatever reasons, so I learn alot, although Ive been interested in modern homesteading all of my adult life. I see practical applications done here and appreciate the information the serious farmers and ranchers also put out, like about the corn crop or the beef industry with last years droughts, and this year that stuff is continuing, although I am glad to see the rain cycles starting to improve slightly this week. I had to hold my toungue with the landlady yesterday. I think the guy doing the ceiling plaster work and fixed the toilet, well half way and has to come back and replace the whole kitchen sink fixture all because today they make a lousy connector pipe and fittings for the rinser thingy that has a now constant link and will pull loose if I run the taps more than a third of force ( pain in the kazoo and now as its older has caused a steady drip too)... but she sailed right in. I have a feeling shes sweet on the guy.... she even offered me a cooky cause she bought some for him...... but then pulled one of her crabby themes with me. I wanted to pull my short summer hair cut out at that point but just didn't say much in reply but was fuming.... just trying to manage medical and food just now . One of those Leave me alone moods again..... Got some information and will pray I start actually getting my VA disability soon. It would surely help....... help me catch up and if its a higher percentage and Ive been told I rank 100%.... just saw the 2011 amounts. Boy, that would make things so much easier and I could MOVE to a better place and have a vehicle affordably. Move and then build a proper desk for myself and my laptop and printer. ETC. Right now I am making do. ...... and if things really fell apart in our nation, I am out the door anyhow...so I am doing what is priority as my health needs improving or nothing else is going to matter these days! Also just got over a phone appt with a nurse I needed to talk to and got some other help that I can do on the computer which should smooth more stuff out and make that aspect easier for me routine wise. She's really nice and definitely understood my complaints were valid for the last year or so. Hopefully she can help get those things in better shape, because I know I'm not the only vet affected by it of course. So now I am puttering with stuff..... trying to settle it better, as was the plan anyway. Regular theme around here. Every little bit helps and also need to go clear up some paperwork ..... one might be done by a phone call, the other is doing the paper work and walking it up the hill to the correct office and that straightens out two vital things and gets it on track.... so I have things to do. Very glad you spoke up she. Take care and if you do have any questions and need answers there is always someone that can help you find out something or what you need.

Had to have plumbing work and ceiling plaster worked on today. My cat just slips into the closet and sleeps or sits there wondering who is that strange fellow with tools and stuff ..... or hides when the door gets opened. Well if the kitty is inside, then its doing fine. I got the impression it was always outside still. . At least it has shelter and its cooler inside some? They just go to ground when its hot anyway. That is natural for felines of any size.

AH I have been seeing a few bags of local McCortland apples being sold here in town. But they are more expensive than I have ever seen them, as is everything if its fresh.

That is some good news! I hope whereever the bees are coming from its a safe micro environment for them so they can keep thriving!

No garden here but even the store here does not carry beets, I believe. I will have to make a point of studying the produce section again. I love beets! I tend to not buy canned veggies anymore because for some reason with the sodium, being sensitive to it, its too much or the added preservatives in commercially canned..... I don't have the same reaction when its homecanned??? I wish I could get a bushel of them and can some up!

Turns out the adult version of the whooping cough is what my neighbor had, and it went on for over a 100 days before some friend must have visited over night and realized , with the neighbor I have as little to do with as is possible. He must have gotten treatment finally because he no longer coughs like that. yes it has been going around out here. The official reports are not accurate though, its much more pervasive already than we are led to think. Guess I will ask for a vaccine update for it. I know the last one had to have been done when I was in the service...... way too long I guess! Might be able to get it Wednesday as I see the doc anyhow. And yea, the neighbor probably just thought it was from his smoking, but its unlike a smokers cough , that is for sure.

Just keep her food available daily and check her water, the ice cubes are a great idea... and everyone listen for kitty meows in distress in case she got stuck somewhere, as you go about your business and are outside occassionally. If she is within earshot and stuck in a pipe or something she would want help then. But it sounds like she is probably really laying low and probably has a spot or two that are much cooler than the yard may seem right now with all the heat.

Have fun!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday!!!!!!!!!! :happyBD: :happyBD: :happyBD:

I have been watching this drought situation. The Beef industry is also struggling, and I am sure other livestock meat is also suffering due to last year's affects of drought and fires, as hay is affected and they culled the herds and have not recovered, so this year with the heat, its ongoing, and might as well consider next year too..... Do what you can to gather your corn products and meats and preserve them as much as you can if you eat these foods, is my thinking on the matter. It's already very expensive for me to buy meat and I only have myself to feed here. It will be worse before it gets better. Early in the year in following the solar flare activity, I found out it has a lot to do with how we are affected weatherwise because it is affecting the Jet Stream / Gulf Stream over the continent here. It makes it do really tight zigzags, and also was affecting the hot cold mix of fronts we are getting that are so different than normal too. The next couple of months are expected to be hot and drier than normal for the season. It's sad whats happening, but we were warned about times like this in the Good Book.... so do what you can to help yourselves as much as you can. This is not over by a long shot!

Hugs for ya, Annarchy. It's not easy to say good bye, especially with all this other stuff ... you sound like you and her were really close, so cherish that. Shes going to be relieved of all her pain soon and yes, eventually you will be with her again. And yea, thats why we are here too, to listen to you. I never had a sister and none of my brothers and I are close at all, so that's pretty special. I do miss some of the friends I have known here though, who have passed on. I miss being able to talk with them or see them. I was closer to them by far than many in my own kin. It is hard to replace that but you have had that with her so cherish it. She will be able to listen better when she is no longer so ill , relieved of these burdens. She will hear you from where she will be. I have faith in that. You have done right by her, and that is what matters.

Um, me? nope, no garden. My attempt at window garlic in pots created a black thumb situation, sir....... and my chives also died/got fried by the sun.