Littlesister

Just got the bad news about my neighbor. They are working on putting him in hospice. He is in hospital and on feeding tube, 3 antibiotics and has pneumonia. He said this was his last trip to a hospital. So, he seems to have now given up. He has been through a lot over the past 5 years and was facing surgery to rebuild the bones in his jaw as the cancer had eating away at those. He had throat cancer over 5 years ago and had surrey for that, but it has taken its toll on him. I figured this was coming but was hoping he would hold out till at least after the first of year for the family's sake.

Working on what food I am going to have for Christmas eve since everyone will be at my house then. So will need to make another grocery store trip for a few fresh things, chips, and drinks. Otherwise, I have everything else I will need. Still looking for a turkey breast on sale. Only thing so far is $1.69 a Lb on sale. Hoping to find one cheaper. The new sales start tomorrow. So, hoping to get everything I need on sale this time. Yep, I am being cheap about it. I like sales only stuff. Jeepers, it sounds like you made a good haul. After the first of year, I am going to a total revamp of my pantry though most of it is in good shape. But I have a lot of stuff just sitting around piled in places I don't want them at. Also, will start canning beans as well. I have a few items I need to repackage for longer term. As soon as GS is out of house, I am going to start painting and then buying furniture. The way my living room/dining room and then the kitchen/den is with one wall down middle of the house separating the living room from den. I am turning the den into a dining room and the living room into my den. The dining room will become a sitting room though I will put my sewing machine in there and have a couple of swivel rockers in there where I can sit and read. I like my sewing machine under that dining room window where the most sun light is. And I prefer to be at front of house when I am doing things rather than the back of house. But not doing any of that till GS is in boot camp or I boot him out of my driveway before he totally drives me crazy, and I go off on him again. His dirty handprints are all over my hallway walls. Glad I decided not to paint that yet. Contractor just left a bit ago as I had a couple of warranty things to be fixed. So that is now done. GD will be over with the baby in a couple of hours for me to babysit. She has a meeting for her job. Hard to believe she is almost 3 months old already. And is already out growing a lot of her clothes. Nextdoor neighbor must still be hanging in there. His wife left real early this morning heading to hospital. She will stay there till tonight. So not sure how he is doing yet. But he always seems to pull through but never by much. He is so weak I am surprised they got him to walk down the hall at home to the front door when the ambulance got there. But he couldn't go any further and they put him on a stretcher to the ambulance.

I haven't seen the smooth jars here yet but only been looking at them in the grocery stores. Will check that out on next trip to store. I can see why they would be hard to grab hold of from canner. With my hands I would have dropped one.

GD came by a while ago and said the baby had to have a tongue tie but with her the lip was also involved. She wasn't latching good and causing her to get air which caused a lot of gas and an unhappy baby. So that explains the crying all the time. She is doing better now. But still healing. My GS went through that, but the lip was not involved. I am babysitting tomorrow as GD has a meeting for work tomorrow. That is going to be a fun time. I will enjoy it for sure. Just spoil her a bit more. They took my next-door neighbor to ER just a while ago. He is nothing but skin and bone. Things are not looking good right now for him. Though he has managed to pull through several times before when we all thought this was the end. The ambulance was quick to get him in there and off to ER. So just waiting to see what happens. Prayers for him to pull through. For the sake of the family, I don't want to see anything happen at this time of year. He has not eaten or drink anything in several days. That is not a good sign. Keeping him and family in prayer.

Necie, still keeping your family in prayer. Hopefully he can come home soon if rehab goes well. Went to Church early this morning as we had breakfast at church and then church service. No Sunday School this morning. Came home and turned my phone back on to see GD had text me to say they were coming over around 4pm as they had a rough night last night as baby didn't sleep. Yep, she will fight it. So, they are going to a Christmas party at her church this afternoon. and coming by either before or right after church. Had a talk with GS about his labs. He WILL get it done Tuesday or else. Mother I think he is planning to move in with his friend and his friend's sister sometime in January to share the rent and utilities between the 3 of them. Well good luck with that as GS is not good at paying his bills as it is. I don't even want to see his credit score now. It is more than in the 200's if not less. But he knows how to fix the issue. Making plans for a brunch for Christmas Eve. DD and SIL are heading back to NC Sunday night. SIL has to work on Tuesday. GS has to work Christmas Eve. But off on Christmas day. Going to give kitchen a good cleaning and get things put away. And I dare GS to pile my counters up again. He's good for it. Putting my foot down on him in more ways than one if he messes my kitchen up again.

My DH's recipe though this is for 6 bushels. I am in process of breaking this down. But not there yet. Wash collards 3 times. This is Market policy. Cook the jowl meat while collards are cooking. Remove the fat from the meat but save the drippings. Bring pot of water to boil. Add collards and cook until almost tender. Add the jowl meat, not the fat. And the liquid from the meat into pot of collards. Let cool down. Then add Minors chicken base (can be bought at BJ's wholesale club). Add salt to taste and add just enough tabasco sauce but not enough to taste it in the collards. Finish cooking down the collards till done. All this is done by taste. The secret ingredient is the tabasco sauce. So now my DH will have to kill me for giving out the secret ingredient. Yep, he told that to anyone wanting to know how he cooked them. The Market sold them by the quart. And those quarts added up to cooking well over 300 bushels of collards for Thanksgiving alone. Couldn't keep them in the store. The jowl meat was weighed out to 6lbs. per 6 bushels of collards. So only 1 lb. needed for 1 bushel of collards the rest I am working out for one bushel. The chicken base was 2 and 1/2 containers per 6 bushels. Chicken base is not the same as chicken stock. It is a much stronger taste to it.

Necie, praying for your dad to get better and for your mom, sister and you. I know this will be hard on family. for him to recover and able to be back home soon. Seems you have a very spoiled pup to keep you busy on top of the canning. Not doing a lot today. Going out later to stores to look for some sales for things I want for Christmas. Still working on plans for food. Normally I would have had all this taken care of but plans kept getting changed. I am getting there though. Done with the gift shopping. Just waiting on one for GS. Got him a back seat mattress for his car. Yep, he still sleeps in car in my driveway. Ordered it from Temu. Great price on them and they seem to have some great products cheap. Yep, it is all China town stuff but great for some things that I want and not have to pay double the price. He didn't get that lab done again yesterday and hung out with his friend all day. He really needs to get it done for Coast Guard. I think he is holding out going in. If he doesn't get it done on next day off. I am going to put the fear of God into him. Finished up on end of year things and working a little on my office. Found the things for my printer and going to remove it from the computer and then reboot it back on to see if I can get it to work again. If not, then a new printer is in order. Seems everything around here is breaking down.

Midnightmom we don't have a Saveway. Wish we did though. I have a few stores I am keeping an eye on. They put the whole turkeys on sale, but I am wanting a turkey breast. Harder to find those on sale. If I can't find one, then I will just go with the whole turkey. That is great euphrasyne. Nothing like real local honey. I used to get it at the Bennett's creek market and now will have to find a new source. I think Fenley's in Carrollton has it locally. Need to check it out but right now I have plenty.

Yes, prayers for Jeepers traveling, Mt. Rider, Annarchy, Necie's dad and others that are in need of prayer. Mother healing from her fall also. Today GS helped with the wood pile. Bought more wood up to the house and got that covered. Then he went with me to fill up the 4 gas cans I bought. That gives me enough emergency gas to fill up both our cars at least one time. Got the stabilizer in them also. Right now, gas prices have dropped but I keep hearing the prices in gas are going to soar again if we go to war. Though it seems to me we are already in the war in some ways. Got a few things I need to get done but will wait till early spring, I hope. If not, GS hopefully will still be here to help me with that issue. Thinking of having electric run to the shed. But only the one shed near driveway. I am going to put a small air conditioner in the back window and a light. Hard to see up in the loft areas. Plans are in the making. Got all the Christmas bins back out into garage as the decorating was a late start but is done. Glad those 2 windows are now done. Just need to figure out what I want to fix for Christmas Eve Lunch. Christmas day will just be me and GS. Don't know if DGD and her DH will stop by or not as they are spending Christmas day with his parents. Though I think they will be here Christmas Eve. Paid off bills and ordered checks. They went up in price again so this time I ordered 4 boxes. That will last me about a year or more. Then going to bank to take out some cash. Bought a large ham that will be used for Christmas and the leftovers I will use for canning beans. Just have to cut the ham in very small pieces.

Wondering about I64 and 664. They are as far as I know state interstate roads. Not the best at keeping up on potholes. Last time I was on I664 I was dodging potholes like crazy. One of the reasons I won't drive on them if I can help it. So, hoping that has improved over the last time I was on them.

That turkey soup looks really good Midnightmom. I am going to go ahead and get another turkey if I can find them on sale to make turkey soup. The last 4 I canned was for meat only. Lots of things I can do with that. Necie, I too would like to know how many jars of deer meat you got when all is said and done. You are so lucky to have hunters in the family. My canning will begin again right after the first of the year. Can't wait to get back to it.

Necie, prayers for your dad. I know how it is to have to lift dead weight. I was doing that with my DH. His leg would suddenly go out from under him, and he couldn't walk. Had to call friends to help me with him as well as the non-emergency number for ambulance to come help me. Bought them lunch a few times for the help. Finished all the decorating that I am going to do. Will get GS to help me get the boxes back out of house into shed tomorrow and to bring in wood for stove. He wants to be the one in charge of the wood stove. He loves it. Just a few things to do last minute before Christmas eve and also figure out food. That will not be much as everyone is leaving the same day. But they won't starve. Hid the candy and such from GS or there won't be any left for Christmas. Might run up to Kroger tomorrow but haven't decided on that yet. Might be too early yet I am looking for sales for food for Christmas. I did buy a ham but that is about it so far. Wanting to get a turkey breast but haven't found any on sale yet.

Have a safe trip Jeepers. And have some fun while you are there. Got a few things done around house early this morning and then took off to the Dollar General store. They had some great sales, and I was able to get a few things much cheaper than grocery store or the pharmacy. Found some tree tea oil that I had been looking for. Only had 2 bottles left so I bought both of them. They sell the old Rexall brand of a lot of things. The products so far have been good ones. Then left there and went to Finley's. That is a gift shop and is loaded with neat stuff. Picked up a few things there as well and then came home. GS was getting ready for work, so he is about to leave now. Need to get back to work on some things in office. Some end of year things I want to get a head start on.

Snowmom, hope you get well and stay well. I know that is hard on anyone. Hope to see you on here more often.

Wonder how many foreign roads there are in this country. If possible, I would avoid all of them. Just wonder how we can find that info out.

Good answer Jeeper. That is tooooo cute.

The things we go through for our grandkids. I remember when the kids were small, and my DD said she couldn't find a horse barn for the kids. Sort of like a doll house but a horse barn instead. The girls were into the horses at the time. We belonged to Costco then. We called them and they had one left. Said they would hold it for us and hid it in the paper towel section. So, we took off to Costco and got it. It was just before closing when we got there. The employees back then were so nice and would do things for you. Not today though. Those kids loved that thing. Went through that a few times for the kids. Now it will be my daughter's turn to do that if something can't be found for her grandchild and she finds it where she lives. Yeah, we did some crazy things back then. Jeepers, you are right. I think we have both been through a lot, but I never expected my GS to be like he is. But I have been backing off of him more and more and watching to see what he does. Yes, he got paid and paid his bills or most of them anyway. And he got his car insurance back as well. Hopefully he will understand that bills always come before the things you want. Then put a little aside for emergencies and then if there is something you want you can buy it then and only then.

Necie, you have really been busy. I just bought a ham today for 99 cents a pound. Got it for Christmas dinner. Going to take the leftovers for canning beans. Will just cut into very small pieces and freeze till right after the first of year. Then I am going to start canning a lot of things. Just finished decorating for Christmas. Did about all I am going to do. Did a bit more than I was going to but seems Christmas is at my house this year but on Christmas eve instead of Christmas day. So far no one has a change of plans. Next year my GS should be out of house all the way and I will be better able to travel. So that hopefully will make things easier for me. But then that is a year away. I think I am just tired or maybe just overwhelmed with so much to get done. Just need to get the Christmas tablecloth on table but was waiting for GS's gifts he bought to come in so he could use the dining room table to wrap them. But I think I will just put all the wrapping paper in a box, and he can use the kitchen counter. Don't think he has a lot to wrap. So won't be that bad. I had big stuff to wrap as well as some of it was heavy. Need to hide the Christmas candy and a few other things from GS. If I don't it will be gone before Christmas. Kids are so fun. Still having to hide things from a 22-year-old. No resistance.

We have a number to call for pothole patrol when we see potholes. As far as I know that still goes on. Just call the city or whoever, give the location and they are supposed to go fix it. But that doesn't always happen.

Euphrasyne, you don't want to know where that money goes. It might make you mad. But it doesn't seem to be for road repair. I am over the potholes. That money is supposed to be for upkeep for the roads and such. Not all of it is going for that.

Haven't seen the instant pot max but do have an instant pot. I have never canned in it and not sure if I can or not. Will need to check this out. It would be great for canning a small number of things. I usually just use my pressure canners.

Those butterflies are so cute. Might have to get some for next year when GGD is a bit older. She will be 14 months old next Christmas. Been going through the bookcase in den and dusting. And doing some other things. Moving the storage bins, I bought for closet shelves out of Livingroom into the bedroom to work on closet after Christmas. Just trying now to get things into the right rooms to put away. After Christmas I will go full throttle on the house to go through more stuff and finish the decluttering. Then I can work on getting rest of house painted. Then in the spring I will get the windows washed That hasn't been done in a year or more. So that is a must do. They aren't too bad but needs a good cleaning. Just working on my plans for the house and what to keep and what to ditch. Hopefully by then I can buy new furniture. I am going to let the dining room suit go also. That furniture is some very heavy furniture and the reason I had to have the floor jacked up. Will try to sell it if possible. Going to make some changes in the house. Will turn the den which is part of the kitchen into the dining room. Will get a farmhouse table for that. Then the living room will become my den and the dining room which is also part of the living room will become my sewing room, but I will still keep my sewing supplies and material in the office where I have it all stored now. It will also be like a sitting room where I can sit and read or do hand sewing or whatever. Been thinking about this for a few years but never really got around to changing things up. Then maybe in a couple of years I can decide on moving to NC. Though that will depend on if DD is still living there or not. Her DH could get transferred again. So that is a wait and see situation at this point and this is not the time to buy or sell a house. Interest rates are not the best right now.

Jeepers, glad you got the butterflies taken care of. And glad you are getting so close to moving back into the house. Hopefully before end of year. Windows are now in, and the tree is up. Still some things to get done but at least now I can move things back into place and clean up. Jeepers, I am so hoping that GS will get that lab done on his next day off and get the results to the recruiter. I am so ready for him to totally move out of house. He knows I am not helping him any longer and no longer feeding him. He has what he needs now to take care of himself. How he chooses those options is now up to him. Hopefully he will be in boot camp sometime in January.

Jeepers, do you have an EZ pass? With that you don't stop, just drive through and it reads your plates. I have one for the tunnels around here.

The guy that was replacing the windows called and said he had a cancelation and could be here in 30 minutes. Yep, come on over. He had them in fast and out. So now that job is done. Just hope I don't have any more windows to lose the Aragon gas in them. Though the front picture window was also cracked. So really glad to have that one replaced. Now I can clean up and get the tree up. Just taking a break right now as I twisted my knee the wrong way. It will stop hurting shortly. Will finish cleaning the windows in living room and then get tree up. GS has already left for work so no help this evening, but I can get it done. Will have other things for him to help me with later.