The WE2's

We spent most of the day cleaning out Miss B. We're taking a few days to go visit a friend and camp beside her house. Tried to turn on the Fantastic Fan and for some reason it wouldn't run...so hubby spent the rest of the afternoon trying to run down the problem. I watered the tubes a little even though I knew it was "supposed" to rain...and it did! Also found the Japanese Beetles are back so sprayed with Neem oil ... even though it was supposed to rain. I'll probably dust with Sevin tomorrow. Hate those dumb things! We're the only ones that have berry bushes that I know of in our whole area. Even found some on my potato beds and the Raspberry plants are just south of the potato beds, along the fence! First noticed them on my blooming Elderberry bush... If it weren't for them we'd be pretty much organic...even though I buy the organic Neem oil concentrate I still hate to have to do anything other than plant mint and lay comfrey leaves in the beds etc. Waiting for some laundry to finish so I can hang them out in the morning...it's NOT supposed to rain. Made our Mennonite haul a couple of days ago to replenish some of the foods we've eaten...plus just put back a bit more. Sausage crumbles, sausage patties, a ham, some breaded beef fritters, four bags of instant potatoes, 4 jars of Tartar sauce, a case of strawberry/kiwi 100% juice, two large tubs of strawberry yogurt (won't be making my own for a bit), more granola, two tubs of Echinacea herbs (I want to make my own tincture) as well as a small bottle of the Echinacea in liquid form. Some other odds and ends as well. Went to Aldis and again...left so frustrated! Went ahead and picked up paper towels and tp, some freezer bags, some paper plates and bowls and some okastuc forks. They're still limiting canned goods etc...trying to stop "hoarding". We won't go back unless we just absolutely have to! I'll pay the extra few cents and go to Sav-a-lot (which we did...and bought cases of the things Aldis would only let us buy 4 of!) or even the dreaded WM. The poor elderly man in front of us was "flagged" by the cashier and she said "I can't sell you that many sir"...and set everything of the limit to the side of her register! This was a very elderly man and obviously alone since most men don't go shopping by themselves unless they're single. I'm done with that store and their junk. There is a difference between hoarding and prepping. Hoarding is things you'll never use or don't need. Food doesn't qualify! Rant over.

Hubby finished up step mum's job and came home...just in time to run into a terrific storm. Only lasted a few minutes though. Here...Abby-girl went directly to her "hide" place. She's doing really very well since we realized that placing a thin mattress over some of her human daddy's shoes gives her the "safe" place that she seeks. Wonderful for all three of us! I had towels hanging on my lines when it started storming here, so had to make a dash to get them in my basket and back in the house. They're just damp so I'll take them to the homestead in the morning and dry them in the dryer. It's supposed to rain tomorrow so hanging them out will be a waste of time. Really got a blessing for the poison ivy on hubby's arms etc. Dr. Axe has an anti-itch potion for all types of skin problems, especially poison ivy, and it certainly works! I mixed some up this morning, put the paste on the spots and by the time he got home there was a MAJOR difference! I think he'll be over this stupid stuff very soon. He's been using all kinds of creams, sprays and even prescription stuff...and it helps...a little. But this is almost a miracle! I used 1 tsp. Baking Soda, 2 tps. Bentonite Clay, 1 Tblsp. Apple Cider Vinegar, 2 Tbsp.Witch Hazel, 10 drops Lavender Essential oil, 5 drops of Peppermint Essential oil, 2 drops of T-Tree Oil and I added some Aloe gel. Just be aware that when the Apple Cider Vinegar hits the Baking Soda it will fizz! LOL I did have to add a bit more Witch Hazel to thin the paste down a bit. If yours is too thin just add more Bentonite Clay.

Happy Anniversary Micki!

Went with hubby to run some errands and then picked up our "free lunch" of turkey casserole, green beans, fruit medley and a sweet bread. The "tv" dinner was chicken nuggets, corn, and fruit. Having this "Kitchen" serving hot meals etc., is so wonderful. We see a lot of other's enjoying the service as well. I don't feel badly. We work hard and when I don't have to cook or clean up it's an EZ on the cook day...and let's our local restaurants know we're enjoying their donations of GOOD food...especially Panera! LOL After lunch hubby went to finish up the drywall work at his customer's toy shed and then finished the mowing at the homestead. I did a couple of loads of laundry and hung them up on my "under the carport" clothes lines (I now have 4) to dry. Hubby's still fighting with the poison ivy, but we may have found a prescription strength medication (that we had and keep stored) and he says it's really made a difference. Because it's prescription strength and only available by prescription I can't mention it here. Would you all believe we have another kitty that's showed up on our front porch here? Seems to be fairly young and looked awfully scrubby and gaunt, so yes...I fed it and it let me give it some lovin! Really enjoyed my petting and couldn't pry itself away from my leg! LOL It can stay, but I won't feed it on a regular basis. If it stays it has to hunt. Dremeled Abby's toe nails tonight and gave her monthly heart worm pill and then put the liquid flea and tick down her back so she's doing a "mohawk". The chewable pills for flea and tick are absolutely riduculously priced! Twice the price of the heart worm pill! Guess this weekend we'll clean up the van and get ready for our "mini vacation" toward the end of this month.

Watched another video today from another gardener that doesn't even live near Danny...and his garden plants began to shrivel up and die also...from the same issue. Using the hay and straw from fields sprayed with GrazOn, but also mentioned two other's that are well known...just can't remember which two now.

But does anybody that is receiving "unemployment" check(s) pay taxes on the monies they're receiving? Just thinking out loud.

Put down the ground cover this morning and moved the patio table and chairs over on it. We put one side of it right up to side of the raised beds with the potato plants. That way there's no mowing there! We'll lay down another strip maybe two and leave just a "mower" width that runs in front of our rain catchment barrels. So not much mowing in that whole area. I plan to also run a strip down between the two rows of tubs so there will be no mowing there either...just a bit of weed eating around the outer perimeters of the tubs, on three sides. It doesn't look like we'll get any pole beans or Okra in this year. Just two many irons in the fire. June is about the last month we'd want to plant the beans and Okra for them to make. Watched an almost awful video from Deep South Homestead on what he's found out about a chemical nearly all farmers spray on their fields for hay etc. I think he called it "Graze-On"...anyway...when you feed it to your farm animals, then then use their manure in your compost piles...your plants die out for no reason. He is really spreading the word...and says that "grass fed beef" is a joke and pretty much a lie because they use this stuff on the "grass" the animals eat. So friends...it may not be your seeds or plants at all! It may be the compost or manure you're using in your gardens! We're planning to take a couple of days off the last part of this month to go spend some time with a friend. Our 11th anniversary is coming up in July but we'll celebrate it early because his cousin is going to be in that area for their vacation and we seldom get to see them...they live in Texas. So coming to our state is a treat for them and for us...IF we can get things together with them. We're pretty flexible but haven't heard back from them on any specific day or time we might be able to share a meal and then continue on our way to our friends place where we can park our Miss B. When we're there we only sleep in Miss B because she and I cook the meals (we take food) inside etc. and visit etc.

We work harder now than we ever have! I think it's because we are governors of our time! LOL

Forgot that she also had cherry tomatoes in the salad!

Accomplished our goal! Moved the microwave cabinet upstairs into that kitchen area. I use it to store my essential oil etc. They were on a plastic shelving unit...this will be so much nicer. Then moved the pantry we bought a couple of years ago, into the main kitchen. It's 8' tall and has lots of shelves with doors. I'm gonna love it! Paid 35$ for it. Very nice wood. Probably pine but me no care! It's purty! I'll clean it up with some Murphy's oil soap (?) and it should look quite nice. Hubby's going to add more shelves to the lower part so that I can have two shelves (in each one that's currently there) to put my EZ reach canned goods and the other shelves I'll put my half gallon jars of granola, pasta etc. on them. The very top shelf will be for the "booze". Gave the garden tub tubes a good fill. I've got a bloom on my Zuchinni! The Canteloupe and Yellow Squash are looking great also. I put tomato cages around them to train them upward. The little sparkly spin wheels seem to be helping keep moths away as well as having mint growing in the tub also, and fermented comfrey leaves laying on top. Some how or another my little plant stand that holds my flower starts etc., got blown over. Not sure how? Anyway...I set it in another place and guess whatever lives will live. Gave each pot a good watering. The two potato beds are flourishing and some have blooms. I think the blooms are so pretty. When the plants dies back I'll start hand digging for potatoes. Our state is to be officially "open" Tuesday. We noticed Golden Corral was now open as well as Denny's and several other restaurants in town. We're glad to see them opening up...especially Golden Corral. It's one of our favorite places when we do eat out. Guess sister in law got some negative feed back from both friends and family about "deactivating" her facebook account...so she's still there. Can't figure it out though...why is she posting a lot of her stuff if she doesn't want anybody commenting? I just read and scroll on by. Hubby's still treating the poison ivy. I told him "listen to me" and he started washing the areas on his arms with pine tar soup and then we went to CVS and got a spray that soothes and stops the itching. Gotta go...time to change the bed sheets and grab my book. This body looks forward to laying down and reading after a hard days work.

Minties...small/medium size...we buy them at Menards.

We do too!

Forgot the cherry tomatoes!

Took care of step mum's "list" today...except he didn't have the right size of 2x that he needed to put on the bottom edge of her garage door. So...he'll need to go back again...later. But she's got her electricity sockets and her motion sensor lights on her screened in deck are all working now. The ones who are going to re-screen her deck are to be there tomorrow. That was a job she wanted hubby to do but he really doesn't have the time to do it, plus driving back and forth for his "wage" doesn't make him much, so he's not sad at all. She and I admired her little garden (sooo glad she planted something!) and then talked about a few things she might want to invest in (since she's feeling like most of us) mainly a solar oven (my preference is the All American Sun Oven...we love ours), a portable butane burner to cook on as well as the cylinders for it. Watched a video and she was astounded...had never heard of them! She lives on a lake so in my opinion a Berkey would be high on her list since she wouldn't have to store water like most of us do. She fixed us an absolutely wonderful "Fiesta Salad" before we left. So very tasty! Then sent us home with the "remains" and we had another meal of it for our supper. Recipe: Shopped up Romaine lettuce, red beans, black beans, shredded cheese, Frito's and Classic Catalina dressing...a long with toasted garlic bread and...brownies w/walnuts! I think we're both still in the recovery mode from all the mowing yesterday though. I've already spruced up for the night and in my night dress! Will read a bit and scoot off to sleep. Tomorrow we had planned to start re-arranging things in the kitchens at the homestead...did I say "planned"? Hubby has a bit of a headache (which he never has!) so he took some Ibuprofen and is relaxing. Took his blood pressure to make sure that was decent. Abby-girl is waiting patiently for her "bone" treat...a mint chewy! LOL Called the vet to get her heart worm meds for 3 months and was told it would take a few hours because they were so backed up! Give me a break! Told them we were headed out of town and I'd call them next week. If they weren't so good we'd just go to PetSmart here in town for it. May end up doing that anyway. They're into this "dollar you death" mode I'm afraid. Hundreds of dollars for teeth cleaning, biopsy's on every little bump (which we know are fatty tumors...and small) ... and we already had them biopsied! She's too old to be putting to sleep for teeth cleaning...in our opinion. We're heard of too many people losing their pets when they're put to sleep/anestia when they're aged. We give her the dental chewy every evening for her treat, and brush her teeth when she'll let us...talk about a jaw clencher! LOL

Hubby mowed the front half of the yard at the homestead and I mowed the garden area. Told him "the longer I mowed, the bigger the yard seemed to get!" But...it's done. He'll finish up the east half of the property. He managed to get a dose of poison ivy on the lower part of his arms so he's using the clear calamine on it. A friend of ours got into it and was having a tough time getting rid of it. Her family told her to use Zantel (?) it's an OTC wash and she says it's getting better. I may have to make a paste out of my pine tar soap for him to use if the calamine stuff doesn't work. He thinks his yard work shirt (and his jeans?) had it on them and he came in contact with it. He wears long sleeves etc., when he's pulling brush and mowing (we both do) so it stands to reason that he came into contact with it that way because his arms were covered. Going to step mums tomorrow so he can do her odd jobs. I'll go along and visit for a couple of hours. Hubby seems a lot happier knowing he'll be keeping his truck...and I'm a lot happier knowing I'll be keeping my "home on wheels"! Too old to be making all these drastic changes!