Littlesister

Mt. Rider, Hope all goes well with the new doctor. Prayers going out. It's hard to find good doctors anymore.  Hope you get your energy back soon. I know how that can be.  I have no energy this afternoon after having to take DH to doctor, then pick up RX, and do a little grocery shopping.  Now I am done for. 

The WE2's  That is a nice roof DH is putting on. I like the metal roofs. Just stay safe. 

DH has a full blown sinus infection so on antibiotic. Fluid in ears as well.  Also working on this other problem he has and so is on a liquid diet today and tomorrow and is to resume his blood thinner tomorrow. They think he may have popped a small vessel in lower part stomach most likely from being on both asprin and blood thinner for many years. But they are going to check it out. Also his dermotologist called and his biopsy showed a basil cell carcanoma. So off to see the surgon for removal. It is on his cheek. Small so shouldn't be to bad.  He has been mostly sleeping since got back from his family doctor. He also got an injection for fluid as he has fluid in his right lung. No wonder he has had problems with his breathing. The fluid pills had not been working very well. Gotta love generics. 

Went to market with him yesterday to help him cook the 6 bushels of collards for them to cover for the Thanksgiving orders. They have frozen quarts of them over the past 2 months to make sure they have enough,  but he will still be cooking right up to 2 days before Thanksgiving.  They usually sell about 800 or more quarts for the Thanksgiving holidays and then at Christmas and New Years as well. So need to get him back in good health for all this cooking.  I got to watch the manager cooking brunswick stew. He has a pot that holds about 80 gals.  He cooks up a batch three times a week.  He gets anywhere from 100 to 128 quarts in one batch. That is a lot of stew that goes out of there. It is so good.

Busy day today.  Took DH to dermotology today and he had a biopsy on side of face for skin cancer.  Then when he came home his balance got worse. Seems he is bleeding from somewhere so now a trip to family doctor and then just take it from there. Hope nothing serious. He's been through enough. But I know there will be test coming. They are adding more test to his labs on Wed.  Prayers needed as his health is not good.   Also, came home from doctor and got all the clothes, sheets and towels all washed up. So that is done and now I hope to get back to getting things cleaned up around here. I feel I am finally making some headway on storage. Got all my spices out of the big box in closet and in the cubbie in office.  Just need to make the small curtains for each of the 4 areas that I have them in to keep them in a darker space.  What I really need is a hidding room for all the stuff that I have stored for hard times. But it is what it is. Just really don't want people coming in and seeing just how much I do have. But when you know you will be feeding a family of 10 down the road, it does add up. 

All you guys with doggies make me miss mine.  We used to have 2 dogs and 2 cats. But after the last kitty passed at age 21, we decided not to get anymore dogs and cats. But we do have grand dogs, cats and farretts. Does that count?

Well off to get a few more things done and then off to bed.  Need to be up by 5 am to go with DH to market to help him cook collards. He has had a hard time last 2 times he cooked handling those large pots. So I am going to go help him tomorrow. 

Thanks for the maintance Annarchy. You do a great job. 

Homesteader,  I love those doors.  Wish I had a place in this house to convert somewhere for a pantry.  But it is what it is. 

Thanks to all of you about my question on the food in den bookcase.  I kept it in the small bedroom. Went through all the cookbooks and don't ask how I ended up with so many. I packed up the ones I really don't use and put the ones I do use along with all my canning books back in the bookcase, but in much better order. I have my nick nacks placed on the shelves in different places as well. I had so much room left over that I took the books that I am reading and moved them from bookcase in office to the bookcase in den. Now I have a place to store my spices. going to make a curtain to go on the bookcase like I did for the 2 bookcases in small bedroom that house a lot of my canned goods.  I use top sheets to make the curtains and it works out really great. Keeps the food hidden and in a dark cool area. Under my 2 beds are already full of canned food. I did a great deal of canning last summer but a bit less this summer. I was thinking about not canning next year other than meat as I really don't have enough of that canned. But with the way this country is going I may rethink that idea. Only because I know I will have family members coming here to stay. Things would be much better with more than just DH and myself.  Safety in numbers. 

Mt. Rider, I hope things turn around for you soon and you will be feeling much better. One of my neighbors has MS. Good days and bad days. 

DH has been disabled for several years. Haven't had any gov't interference yet. Right now he is in bed asleep. The conjestive heart failure I fear is getting a bit worse. Going to see doctor next week. He went to market to cook collards for them and he needed help. He can't lift the 35 gal. pot they cook them in to put it on the burner. Nor could he bend over to pick up the collards to get them to the sinks. This has happened the last 2 times. He looses his breath so easy when he bends over due to the fluid that keeps building around his stomach. Plus his feet swell up so bad his shoes don't fit.  As it is I have to now put his shoes and socks on him. I am really starting to get very concerned about him. 

Sometimes I wonder why we are trying to prep, if that is what you want to call it.  I sort of call it keeping ahead of inflation. I think I am just getting tired out and need a break.  It's funny that my daughter wants to sell her house and down size. She still has two kids at home though one is 24 and still in college plus works full time and has a dog sitting business. The youngest just turned 18 yesterday and was over here earlier today helping me a bit.  My house is small and I don't have enough room. I think it is the way the house was built. No flow to it. But the house came with DH as he already had this house when I met him 38 years ago. And it is paid for. So not going anywhere.  I will make it work and find solutions to the storage problems and next spring start going through a lot more stuff to get rid of.  I think we have just acumalated a great deal over the years and it is time for it to all go. Spring cleaning in a few months and daughter and I can have a nice big yard sale. 

Ambergris, hoping you as well will be doing much better.   

I know how it is to having those down days.  Right now my back and neck is hurting.  Guess I was lugging to many books at one time. Think I need to have a yard sale next spring. 

Thank you both for the input on this. So I will just leave the canned foods in back bedroom. I do have a lot under the bed in that room and can't get another jar under there.  I was only going to put out the oldest to use first but after what the two of you said, I will just keep bookcase for cook books and nick nacks. Though more than half of those books are going to get packed up. I have several I don't use like I used to. I guess old age and changes in diet due to salt restrictions and diabitics. But still don't want to get rid of them either. I am thinking of passing them on to all the grandkids to go through and pick out what they want at a later date. 

I have a question and need to know what would you do.   My kitchen and den are one room. There is a wall between the fridge and the book case that is on the den side of kitchen.  I just got through pulling all the nick nacks and I swear over a 100 cook books that I am going through and pack up a great many of them. Just keep out my canning books and the few that I use all the time. 

So I am thinking of taking a lot of the food I canned and putting it in that book shelf. Though everyone that comes to house would see it.  Not that it matters, but I know my granddaughter that lives in another state would be here and pack a big box to take back with her. I don't mind her doing that, but she is getting ready to get transfered across the other side of the state and I won't be getting my canning jars back. Which half the time I don't get them back anyway. And her DH threw away some of my tattle lids. GD found it out and fussed at him. So can't afford for that to happen again.  So what would you do. Store your food you canned on book shelf where everyone coming in would see it or leave it in bedroom in closet and underbeds?

thank you ahead of time on help with this issue.

Kappy, we are having the same problem with canning jars as well.  I am beginning to think that because so many people have either gone back to canning and gardening as well as learning to do the lost art of canning that the demand has increased. Also I think either ball or one of the other companies that make them come out of China. So could be a tarriff issue. We are paying for those tarriffs through increased pricing.  I agree with Homesteader. Check out yardsales as well as charity places. I am going to head to CHKD which is the Children's hospital.  They have a large one about a 30 minute drive from us. And I can check out other places while I am in that area. 

They haven't had the dented can sales here in ages.  I think they are now giving it to the food banks.  Right now we have a huge sale on turkeys but limited. Just to get 3, I need to go to 2 different stores. One for 27 cents with a fourty dollar purchase and the other one for 28  cents limit of 2.  I am getting some to can. So I think if I get 3 of them, I will be canning for the next 2 to 3 days. Not sure I will do it as Thanksgiving is just 10 days away and then Christmas and I am still trying to get a lot of heavy cleaning done. Though I did finish the kitchen. That was the worse. So now I am working on the den.  So turkeys may or may not wait. I am watching on that one and trying to figure out a plan. maybe only get one to can.  Fresh fruit and veggies are up around here as well. But sweet potatoes should be going on sale here soon.  I am going to get some of those to can as well. When I went to pick up my RX, which is inside Harris Teeter, I went through the store to see if I could find any bargans. The shelves were picked clean. Don't know if it is because of Thanksgiving or they just haven't gotten a delivery.  But it just seems strange that these stores are always having so many bare shelves. I have a bad feeling that the USA is about to feel the pinch of the wild fires, flooding, to much rain, extreme hot weather, and now freezing temps. Other countries are already feeling the pinch and I fear we are about to as well. 

Kappy, keeping you in prayer that your surgery goes well with no issues. 

Grandson's 18th birthday today. So going to daughter's tomorrow evening for his party.  Haven't done a whole lot today. Went to store to pick up an RX.  Then came home and started pulling everything off book shelves in den to get everything dusted. I really need to go through cook books. I have way to many. Those are one thing that's hard to part with. So will see how it goes. Maybe just box up some that I don't use as much and put on shelf in garage where I can get to them if need be.   

My 2 butane stoves came today.. They are nice.  Hope to get to try them out in the next week or so. Waiting on the butane now. It will be coming in a few days.  I think these will work out good for what I want. 

Mt Rider, sorry you are having deer problems with keeping your garden to yourself. Guess they like to eat to.  We had planted cabbage one time and the rabbits would get in and eat half a head and leave the other side.  So nice of the rabbits to leave us just a little bit of our cabbage.  We only got one head that year.  

This is an old one, but with what I am reading from this for 2011, has anyone noticed the prices today of food. Gas right now is down though at 2.19 a gal. to 2.29 depending on where you go.  I have been noticing some price hikes on mayo, peanut butter, flour, meats, mostly pork, and even can goods.  I help out and buy food for our church food ministry as well. and I have been using kraft mac and cheese for a price watch at lidel's. They are about the same as Aldi's.  They started off with a price of .25 cents, then up to 45 cents and now 69 cents.  That is just a refence as to what is happening around here.  their can goods use to be anywhere from 27 cents to 45 cents and now creeping up into the 60 cents and above price range.  

How are things going where you guys live?

Not canning yet today, but we have 2 stores with turkeys on sale. One is 27 cents a lb. with a 40 dollar purchase. Limit of one.  The other has them for 28 cents a lb with a limit of 2.  Looks like I might have some canning in the very near future. Will have to time it as I have no room in my freezer for even one turkey right now. So will have to buy and can within a couple of days. 

Jeepers I will have to give canning chili a try.  And as for ketchup,  I have always added that to my chilli. Gives it a much better taste. 

Kappy, that is good to know about all the different fish. Though some of them I might not be able to get around here.   My youngest grandson lives for fish.

Seems I will need to make a Habor Freight trip.  Lots you can do with those blankets. 

Kappy,   in order for you to feel better. 

I have been putting food such as oatmeal, grits, pancake mix, etc. in mylar bags with O2 absorbers. At least it will keep a couple of years if not longer past the due date. My gut feeling of adding more food and working harder to get things I needed turned out to be to just take the food I got and get it into mylar bags and the buckets. That feeling is gone now. 

Though I have been thinking about how I could cook indoors if things went south and we lost current for more that the 2 weeks we were without. Did fine for 2 weeks.  but an EMP type of thing is another story. Have lots of ways to cook outside but inside was the issue. Was on Amazon this morning for a bit and found 2 butane burners.  One is Camp chef mountain series one burner stove and the other one is Gas one GS-1000. 7,650 BTU portable butane burner.  First one was 16.95 and the second one was about 39.00  On sale. Also got 12 Butane fuel canisters on sale for 24.79..  When all was said and done,  All came to 80.74 plus tax and free shipping.  I used my prime points that have been building up and got it all for 23.00.  That was to good to pass up.  the stoves both had high ratings but we will see when I try them out. Then it was back to stuffing mylar bags.

Yep, that explains it.  Good one. 

Kappydell, the only fish I find that can be canned is tuna and salmon.  Both great for tuna salad and fried salmon cakes.  I don't know of any other fish that can be canned without being mushy.  Maybe mackel. You can also make mackel cakes as well. these are alot like making crab cakes and done the same way. 

The We2, how do you make your chilli to can?  That is one thing I have never canned.  I always make it the day we are going to have it for dinner. 

I am going to dig into canning everything in my freezer after the 1st of year.  Also going to buy a much frozen veggies on sale as I can and deydrate them.  I am going to start to do more deydrating next year as well. 

I am having this bad feeling again today that I need to get more and more done and stock more food and non food items. Normally I can shake it off, but something has been nagging at me all day.  Need to go pray about it as to what I need to be doing.  When I get like this, I feel a need to be praying about it.  Hopefully my answer will come.  Though I cannot afford to do much till after the first of year due to the driveway and walkway.  But glad it is behind me.  But the fireplace is now next on the list of needs. So saving up now to get that done. 

Kappydale, I have never heard of anyone canning leftovers.  I wish we had turkeys for 69 cent a pound. So far only ones on sale is 99 cents a pound. DH does not want me to get any to can, but I have 3 turkey breast and 2 hams in freezer I am going to can after first of year when I have more time.  The only thing I can think of for leftovers is making Turkey soup and canning it. Would be great to know what they do. Interesting. 

Kappydale, I did not know you were having a lot of medical issues.  Will be keeping you in my prayers.  My DH is on elequis.  It is one of the only two that if you are injured they have something to stop the bleeding.  If you have surgery, you will have to come off of it for 5 to 7 days. That will give it time to get out of your system.  It is a good blood thinner.  Don't be afraid to take it. Only thing is that a small scratch will bleed like you really cut yourself.  If you go to the drug store just look for the bleed stop. I keep a lot of it here. So far only had to use it about three times over the years DH has been on the blood thinners

I posted earlier in another section while readling up on the economic collaspe that the Deep state Dems. don't get Trump impeached, they will collaspe the country to keep him from winning a second term.. Also got an e-mail from USA alerts that Tel Aviv Israel is under rocket attack following IDF killing of Islamic Jihad Commander Baha Abu El-ata. Public bomb shelters are open. This is surly the end of days as the Bible predicts. Israel may deem this as an all out war.  The Bible says keep your eye on Israel. So just watching for the signs of the end times and trying to prepare as best I can. But I always try to follow God's will as to how I should prep. More long term food that I am looking at but cannot buy till after first of year.  And looking at ways to cook without gas nor electric indoors. That one is harder than I though it would be.  I did buy some sterno cans a few days ago. So that is a start but need to head to Sam's club and BJs wholesale club soon as well.  I like BJ's as they take any coupon with their coupons and I can coupon them to death. Big savings when I do that. 

Looks like we are going to get our first bout of really cold weather.  They are saying we could get some snow but ground to warm for it to stick. Glad of that.  Got the outside faucets covered so they won't freeze this winter and since we had to disconnet the well pump for the new driveway to be put in as it is just outside of the garage door. I am not going to hook it back up till early spring. 

I have been thinking about a bigger canner than the one I have, but would be to tall for stove because of vent hood. I can only can 7 quarts or 8 pints at one time.  I am thinking about getting out the outside propane burner to use it on and sort of setting up a small outdoor kitchen just for canning. But could only use it during the summer months.  Winter time I could only can indoors. I really want to make sure that old burner still works. Might have to get DH to clean it up for me and check it out.

Jeepers,  I agree with everyone here. You need to get moved and soon. One floor is all you need. No steps. 

those goose neck faucets are great. I have one on my kitchen sink.. Also having a sprayer on the sink will help in filling up those large pots.  I use that a lot when canning.  I can just set the large pot on counter next to sink and use the spayer. Much easier getting the pan of water to stove than lifting it out of the sink each time.

I have been really busy with kitchen still. Got all the cabnets cleaned out with new shelve paper down.  Got clothes washed today and cleaned more of the cement dust out of garage. Now I am 3/4 of the way done with getting that cleaned up. It is a two car gargage and full of cleaning items and DH tools and such, plus our huge freezer, washer and dryer also is out there. So it has been a hard mess to clean up.  Will be cleaning down the outside of the cabnet doors in kitchen tomorrow and washing the kitchen curtains.  Will be glad when that is all done and I can get into the bathrooms to give them a good scrubbing. Wish I had the speed I used to have. Old age is not for sissies. Have really slowed down a lot in the last 3 or 4 years. And my back is killing me right now from all the cleaning but must keep going.  

I am beginning to wonder if this has anything to do with the fact, they want to do away with us eating meat because cows,  polute the air.  So they say. I say bull on that one. Might be why they are coming out with soy meat. Or as I call it fake meat.  I can't eat soy products nor can anyone with Thyroid issues.

Never heard of that brand nor have I seen it in the stores..  But I do buy my sausage at farmers market where they make it on site. It is really good. 

Could you put a brick in the grill and put the sterno on that to raise it? Depending on how deep maybe even 2 bricks one on top of the other.  Might be worth a try.

This morning I went to the 3-L club at church. It is for seniors to get together and have lunch and they have a group come in a play christian music. Very relaxing and a good time with my friends at church as well as another group that comes from another church. 

Then I came home to check on DH as he was not feeling well today so did not go with me. And he enjoys going to those 3-L lunchings. Made it to Walmart this afternoon to get my shelf paper and walked though the sales. Got 12 sterno cans.  Picked up some cranberry sauce and stuffing for the food ministery.  Then went through and picked up a few cans of things that I was low on as I don't go to walmart very often. 

I am now going to slow down the food buying as I am well stocked and caught up on the things I was low on. Now I am going to concentrate on ways to heat home and cook.  I will be looking into solar as well.  

There is a company that i am looking at for solar called 4 Patriots.com.   They sell the solar generators but not cheap. They can run as much as $4.000, but are the real deal. I think they do have cheaper ones as well and I think you can make payments. Now that driveway is done and paid for, I am going to start saving for one. I think you can make payments on it each month, but not sure on that. I think the $4000 one is on sale at 1/2 price right now.  It would be worth checking into. And I think you can add solar screens to it for longer use.  

I know things are lining up and war is going to happen at some point. Russia, Iran and Turkey are our enemies and they want to destroy Isaeli. But we are their alleys and Russia feels we need to be out of the picture before they can attack Isaeli. So Russia already has the weapon that will take us out.  It will cause a country wide EMP and destroy our military and kill millions of people. This is what I am trying to prepare for now.  All this is in the Bible as to what is going to take place in the end times. Isaiah 9:10 John 8,  Acts, Ezekiel 37, isaiah 17, jeremiah 49,  Russia is Maggog accordain to Ezekiel 38:15 and 39:2 maggogs army has many allies, Persia, which is now Iran, That changed to Iran in 1935. Damasus will be a burning heap and we will be out of the picture as Russia will sent that weapon to cause an EMP.    So much of my Bible prophecy study is really beginning to make since.  

So please be ready as the end is very close now. I just hope I can get fully prepared within the next year. As we really don't know if Trump will win or what is going to happen. But I don't think things are looking good for the USA right now. And yes I am over this impeachment mess as it is covering up what is really going on in this world. 

Mt Rider, you are right on. Just got an e-mail about it. Seems there is some medal in it.  This is really getting out of hand. What is the problem with the FDA?  Have they just stopped checking our food and drugs? Failed system for sure.

I was going to go to walmart today to pick up some more shelve paper to finish the kitchen cabnets after I took car in for inspection. As it turned out, I called the place we take it to and they said it would be a couple of hours.  No big deal, I could do that and then go to walmart. When I got there they said it would be several hours. So I was going to leave and a man that just picked his car up asked where we live and I told him the neighborhood and he said he is from the fire department right down the street and he would take us home. So we did that.  So I got to meet one of our firemen. Very nice guy. We talked about all the construction going on and found out we are getting another hotel, another 7 eleven on other side of street and so much more.  He said they are building another fire station as the 2 we have can't handle the growth. It;s going to be bad and I am so ready to get out of VA. If only I could. He said our roads and schools cannot handle the overload. We couldn't pick car up till after 4 pm and I was not going to walmart and end up in there after dark. Not the best place to be after dark.  So will try to finish up tomorrow. So I ironed clothes and did a few small things that needed to be done. 

Jeepers hope you are doing better today. 

Mt. Rider I would love to mark my kitchen off as completed.  But today held that job up. May tomorrow be a better day.

Jeepers, I'm glad you are ok. Those falls can be bad. 

 I do know how the neck problems can be.  I have a plate with 4 screws and godiva bone from C4 to C7.  It can be painful and radiate into the shoulders and arms.  Have you checked with doctor about getting an MRI.  Mine showed the bones had collasped on the spinal cord and was causing all my pain. And if you ever have to have surgery for something like that, always go to a neruologist, never an orthopedic.  Spinal cord is nothing to play around with. 

I have enough of my own canned veggies to last me a year. So I am good. the only thing is corn. We do not have enough room in back yard to plant that.  But we do have green beans, butterbeans,, squash, tomatoes, to hold us. All this is from my garden. So should be ok. Hoping nothing else gets recalled but I am sure something will.  The FDA is a failed system.