The WE2's

I don't trust the CDC. Have a friend that had to take early retirement (like at 35?) because she worked for them and got exposed to "something"...that she can't talk about. Then my first husband passed away because the pneumonia shot he took wasn't the "current" kind. Now several of my friends and family are down with the flu because it's "a different strain" of flu than what the shot was to be for. Every year we see them battle this stuff...selling people on taking shots that prove to not be worth a dingle...and they want me to trust them for a shingles shot?

It's been raining most of the day but supposed to turn to snow later on. Calling for a couple of inches "maybe". We often don't get the weather they call for. We live in a little 10 mile radius "bubble".

We had to use that until our girl was about 2...just hard headed I guess! Still will chase a cat, squirrel, rabbit, deer...??? So we can't let her off leash very often. We now use a pinch collar, that's the only way I can handle her. Hubby has to put it on because it's too stiff for me to press the links apart. If I had to take her for an emergency, I'd have to use the Holt collar...which neither of us like. It's like a muzzle on her and her personality totally tanks.

Hubby finally got that stubborn joist to go in place! Next one will hopefully go in much easier. I put on some chicken and rice soup for lunch and made some cornbread "muffins" in my electric XTreme. I paid about 5$ for it several years ago at a garage sale, and I just love it for making four at a time biscuits or cornbread muffins. Don't need to fire up the big oven and four at a time is plenty for us. Just doesn't take that long to mix up the batter. When they're cooked on the bottom, I just give them a flip, lower the lid and unplug the appliance. They cook the rest of the way. A toothpick tells me if they're done all the way through. I just keep the lid down until we're ready to eat them...they stay a bit warmer that way. They aren't round but we absolutely could care less! It's been raining most of the day but supposed to turn to snow later on. Calling for a couple of inches "maybe". We often don't get the weather they call for. We live in a little 10 mile radius "bubble".

You are so bad!

What a wonderful ending/beginning to such a sad life for Storm. Such a beautiful fella!

Just plain COLD again today. The humidifier is on most of the time because the furnace keeps kicking on to keep the house warm...and that pulls the moisture out of the air. Our noses let us know we were too dry! I spent the day in a sweat suit and wool socks. In the mornings we turn on our EdenPur in the living room to knock the chill off. We keep our furnace set at 68 and sleep in long handles, a wool blanket between the mattress and sheet and a sheet and fleece blanket over us. I'm going to pull out another fleece tonight to make things warmer.

Hubby worked at homestead and I spent the day with Abby-girl. That's about the extent of it here. Had two girl friends call and it was so comforting to have them just "talk" about girly stuff and laugh. Sometimes actually hearing a friends voice is good for the soul! Bad weather supposed to move back in again so hubby may not get much done tomorrow afternoon...when it's supposed to start. One of my friends that called, called on her way to Louisiana. She left today to get ahead of the bad weather forecast for here. She had stopped for the night and said she hadn't encountered any bad weather. He daughter in law who just had a baby 2 weeks ago, came down with this "flu"? Her son has been breast pumping milk and trying to care for her and the baby...so she's going to spend a couple of weeks there helping. She's got her marching orders from me...to get some elderberry syrup and Echinacea for herself...even if DIL won't take it (she's nursing) she and her son can get started on it. I also suggested she wear a mask when she's around the DIL. A friend online contacted me and told me she has a "quilting ministry" and wanted to send my brother a quilt. The one she is sending has wolves on it...he loves wolves! Only God would know that! Anyway, he'll be able to sit in his comfy chair with this on his lap and his little puppy daschund (sp?) weiner dog! on his lap. They only adopted this sweet little puppy a couple of months ago and they're crazy about him. He's sure a cutie! Their old dog is a chow mix and they get along great even though both are males.

Hmmm...this post popped up still in the editor...so apparently it didn't get posted. So...here it is from yesterday...if it's a duplicate...please excuse! Needed to get out to go pay insurance bills on the Roost and this place (we have to pay it monthly for the time being), and it was snowing. Big, wet flakes and slicker than you know what! Almost got stranded at an intersection that has an incline...but hubby was able to maneuver the passenger side tires over onto new snow, and was able to inch our way forward until we could "get a grip" and go on. Everybody saw our situation and patiently waited for us...even though they had the lights. Prayed a blessing over every one of them peoples! Sure felt good to get home! We ended up with about 2 inches or so, but the city didn't plow anything. The state did the major thoroughfares and that's what we thought would be the safest. Well...everybody else was thinking just like us! That made the roads extremely slick, especially at the intersections. So...it was a hunker down day. I had defrosted a huge hen we bought last year, that I rescued from the meat freezer, and we had FRIED chicken! Tasted so good! That big hen (cost 7.46$) made us a huge amount of chicken. We each had two pieces for supper, with mashed potatoes (cost 40 cents), gravy (cost 25 cents) and green beans (40 cents) ...and a plate full for another meal plus...and I just pulled the last batch (had it in my cast iron casserole dish with oil) from the oven. I'll be put several pieces in baggies and into the freezer. Then I can defrost some, put it in my air fryer to heat it up, and we'll be having friend chicken again!" Pulled a couple of pieces of the chicken from last night (had it in my frig) and put it in my air fryer. Just as good tonight as last night!

Put two pieces of the breaded fried chicken from last night (which were in the frig) into the air fryer, and they warmed up very nicely and no burning. Love my unit!

Firm...but I keep all my other butter in the freezer so I need to keep a stick or two in the frig and one on my dishwasher top...it stays soft there.

Needed to get out to go pay insurance bills on the Roost and this place (we have to pay it monthly for the time being), and it was snowing. Big, wet flakes and slicker than you know what! Almost got stranded at an intersection that has an incline...but hubby was able to maneuver the passenger side tires over onto new snow, and was able to inch our way forward until we could "get a grip" and go on. Everybody saw our situation and patiently waited for us...even though they had the lights. Prayed a blessing over every one of them peoples! Sure felt good to get home! We ended up with about 2 inches or so, but the city didn't plow anything. The state did the major thoroughfares and that's what we thought would be the safest. Well...everybody else was thinking just like us! That made the roads extremely slick, especially at the intersections. So...it was a hunker down day.

It's COLD here! We dodged a bullet both times those storms moved through, but we didn't on the cold. With the high humidity it just chills you to the bone...and does it very quickly. Our city has a couple of warming shelters that have been keeping open for several days. All the snow and ice melted off right away because we didn't get much, but that was only a day's worth of above freezing and sunshine. But...our winter's are usually in late Dec, Jan and Feb. Sometimes in March.

We've been eating out of our freezers and pantries for 3 months now, and buying VERY little. Hubby's been off soda pop for Dec and Jan...and has lost about 2 inches from his waist...even though it was diet...it was still carbonation. He has been really surprised. We have bought his tortilla chips. He loves them! Been popping a lot of popcorn for evening snacks though! We are truly whittling down our freezers and pantries, getting ready to re-arrange them in the homestead's kitchen and don't want all that food in them. Probably won't do any canning until we get moved, other than doing some chili beans. We love them and eat a lot of them.

I use unsalted. I put a stick in a half pint canning jar, stick it in the micro wave on "defrost" for a few seconds, mash it down, put a canning lid on it and into my frig it goes. Keeps it ready to go. I just pull a jar out, put it on my "place" for butter and it really does last a long time. I also do some long term butter storage...rebel canning...and have about 5 cases in my extended pantry. I don't do Ghee...just don't like the texture.