The WE2's

Forgot to mention that we were able to watch the "Fly Over" of the Stealth bomber and the accompanying jets...in honor of the hospitals, nurses, doctors and first responders. 

Google it...it's quite a site!

A local restaurant was giving out free "Taco Box Lunches" from 1 to 2...so we got in line!  Wonderful meal...one soft taco, one hard shell taco, salsa and chips.  We were about 8th in a line of about 40!  

Did a WM run to replenish the tp and pt we have used, as well as pick up a renewed script for the thyroid pills I take.  Even though it's only been 3 weeks they went ahead and refilled it without me even insisting.  I called it in several days ago and they called and said it was ready for pickup.  VERY surprised...the script came from Germany...and was in three blister packs. Feeling better knowing that I am 3 months ahead. 

The WM here didn't have any limits on the number of shoppers but they had arrows in blue that let you know you could go either way, arrows in green that said "enter here" and read that said "do not enter here".  So...if you wanted something on the next aisle you had to go over 2 aisles to the next green arrow.  I kept telling hubby "follow the yellow brick road"!  There was one couple that walked the wrong way on the blue line...ignoring the words that said "6' social distancing" and neither had a mask.  Both of us did...so...I was a naughty and said "Guess you can't read?"  They totally ignored us.  Maybe they didn't speak English...just sayin'.  

While we were in WM hubby's customer called and said "it didn't rain, how about working"...so since we had a freeby lunch he went ahead and got the toy room raised up and leveled.  Now they'll wait on the sheet rock.

He finished fairly quickly so we went to the homestead and he worked doing some more mudding on the corners and I watered my tubs etc.  Watching for those little green leaves to start peeking up to the sun...excitement!  Didn't water the potato patches since it was supposed to rain...and DID IT!  Along with the thunder...which Abby despises.  When we got home I gave her something to quiet her down and put her big doggie pillow on hubby's side of the bed and she went to her hidie hole! 

Fixed up a paper bag with plastic bags inside to resemble a hornets nest and hung it on the front porch...wasp seem to not like hornets.  

Also checked on my Mason bee houses, they're pretty full.  The windmill has lovely Egyptian onions growing.  I haven't planted anything in the front porch hanging rail containers.  I'll probably just buy some flowers to put in them rather than plant seed.

Abby and I had been sitting on the front porch after I finished the gardening work but when it started thundering we went inside, and hubby cleaned up his tools and we came on here.

The Comfrey looked a bit "lilted" but it will take off soon.  It's just a bit of transplant shock which I expected.

We still have lot of garden work to do...planting the pole beans in the far west side of the property and the Okra in tubs on the south property line mainly.  Then we'll take a look at transplanting some of our berry bushes.  How do you like the "red neck" screens over the potato patches! 

We haven't put the ground cover under the patio set yet.  We'll do that much later when we know we have all the tubs taken care of.  The Elderberry bushes are on their own for the time being.

Ours isn't "put together" yet, but we pulled a sink, frig, gas stove/oven and other parts from an old RV we're salvaging parts from.  We plan to put it in a "kitchen nook" inside our machine/garage on the side where a car would park.  All these work on propane and we bought two 100# ones for just that purpose.  The other 2 bays are for storage and hubby's workshop.

1 minute ago, Jeepers said:

big enough

My larger one can hold quarts or several pints and double stack half pints.  The smaller one will hold pints and half pints.

Ours arrived today but the bank is holding them until the 30th...so they can draw interest? 

Love my Tattler's!  I use them for long term storage and the metal ones for shorter stuff.  I've found jars with the metal lids starting to "delaminate" after a longer term storage.  Also...when I gift something to somebody, they know to give me back my jar and ring or they won't get any more! 
Using Tatt's takes a bit of new learning curve.  I use the "poke the finger" method and then settle the ring on and give it a turn until the jar turns.  Then I tighten them down when I pull them from the canner, but I don't "wrench" them down.  I've noticed that when they're sealed, the red gasket material seems to protude a tiny little bit more from under the lid, than what you'd see when you first put them on.  Weird or am I just imagining it!? LOL  Oh...I have also used my Tatt's to vacuum seal..they work for that too.

What's the saying "Can what you can"?

6 minutes ago, Jeepers said:

spaghetti pot

I have two stainless steel ones and love them!  Not just for blanching either.  Mine have several different pieces so I'm able to steam with them or use them as a water bath...or for cooking foods down to be pressure canned.  Did I say I love them!

Got four more of the tubs completed yesterday.  Tired to the bone!  My ribs and fanny felt like they were "swollen" and very painful.  Rather than take OTC I tried my tube of Arnica Gel...rubbed my ribs liberally and my hips until it was totally soaked in.  NOW that made a difference!  Guess I'll have to check and see if CVS still carries it!  Would much rather use a muscle rub (that works) than OTC's.

It rained this morning but we went to the homestead anyway.  Hubby mudded the corners of the bathroom and I planted the new tubs with seed, then he came out and helped me cut the netting and then clip it in place.  Keeps the birds and cats out!  I watered in the new seeds but went ahead and filled the reservoir to let the planting medium settle down a bit.

The Comfrey, Chives, Mint and Thyme are looking great in their new transplanted home.  Went ahead and stuck a little "food" in their space to help them out.  Hubby accidentally broke the handle on my favorite potato fork helping me dig up a mess of the Chives.  He'll get it fixed.  The handle was just short enough for me...oh well.  It is what it is.  If there's any more digging out to do, he'll probably have to do it with a shovel or sharp shooter. Wouldn't do me much good to try and use the broad fork...I'm not heavy enough to force it into the ground without "jumping" on it.  And that's not something I want to even try.  My balance is better since the cataract surgery but still not "that" good! 

Hubby's needing to clear a couple of paths for our pole beans.  We're using the heavy ground cover and will burn holes every six inches, and then plant the bean in the hole.  Keeps us from having so many weeds grow up and we can mow on the outside area.

We'll use tubs in the old raised bed area (there's about 6 or them) to plant our Okra in.  Figure if we plant two in each tub and use three tubs, we'll have plenty for our needs.

Also want to use tubs to plant a couple of Blueberry bushes as well and some tubs for our Blackberry and Raspberry bushes. Watched Texas Prepper (?) and he's growing tons of blackberries and fruit trees in tubs...using the Gardening With Leon method...with a little alterations on the tubing.

It's a good thing I don't use a manicurist...my nails and cuticles are an absolute mess!  Even wearing gloves.  If they're not in water they're in soil medium or dirt! 

Fixed Lasagna using Egg Noodles, Cottage Cheese/Egg mix again tonight for our supper. I'll post a pic just for posterity.

Oh...we got the stimulus checks!  The bank is holding it until the 30th...figure?  Guess they like the interest they can draw .  I see a truck repair in our near future.

Hubby did get up to the Roost this afternoon to do a little mowing...it's just too wet.  He was only able to get part of it done, but at least it will keep the city off our backs?  That's the problem with some really small communities where everybody seems to want to be in your business.  Long post I know...but lots going on around our place(s).

50 minutes ago, Littlesister said:

Please keep DH in prayer

Done...

Another busy day.  Went to Menards to pay on his biz account, and then picked up some more of the items we need to finish up our mineral tubs.  He's got the water piping cut and ready and went to the Roost property and picked up 18' of the elephant hose to use (don't need it there yet) in our tubs. Also picked up 10 more bags of compost and some peat moss as well as some ground cover.  We bought the heavy duty stuff because I also want to put some under our patio table and chairs that sit out in the garden area.  We'll staple it down and then add mulch later, but this will keep us from having to move it and mow around it.  We love to sit out there when we're taking a break from gardening.

He did manage to lock himself out of the van the second time he was a Menards (needed a tarp to cover the bed area in the van from getting dirty) so he had to call Triple A...that's so worth it for us!  Haven't had to use it a lot but it's been a life saver when we've needed it!

He's got all the sheetrock up and most of the mudding done on the walls of the bathroom.  He'll do the corners and some sanding etc., and then he'll do the ceiling area.  One of the "short" walls we're going to put up mirror tiles so there won't be much wall areas. Checked the garden area earlier and things are doing just fine.  Did pick up a couple more packets of Beets...a friend gave me a bag of hers but I figured I'd better pick up some more.  I don't want to have to break into our 5 gallon seed "bank" just to check for packages of Beets.

Wanna see what our new bathroom is going to look like?  The shower area, then the vanity area, then the toilet area.  What was a teeny; tiny little bathroom that you couldn't even open the door because the vanity was in the way, is now going to give us quite a bit more room...and NO TUB to fall in!  Aging in place is important to us.

Americans are getting pretty tired of this stuff! I found a report from the "Health" yada yada yada, for our state.  Read the COMPLETE report, and the very last couple of paragraphs announced that there had been some "not accurate" information entered into our state's data banks...then the very last line stated that there was no surge.  

I read today that the Prez will no longer be holding briefings...that he's going to focus on rebuilding our economy.  Good for him!  Let those knuckle heads keep making up their stories...as usual.  He's got to get his head wrapped around what it's going to take to rebuild our country...in my opinion.

3 minutes ago, Homesteader said:

Thomas Jefferson is quoted as saying, "I prefer dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery."

An absolute! Our Gov is afraid of his shadow.  He's up for election and is trying to "suck up" to those in power.  

Sister in law messaged me on FB that she had to take my brother to the VA-ER about 7am this morning.  Was in tremendous pain that started about 3am and she wasn't able to control it with the meds they had given for him.  He was running a fever and in great abdominal pain.  When she got there, again, they would not let her go in so he grabbed the wheels of the wheelchair and refused to go in without her.  So the nurse grabbed the wheelchair and took off with him...and he was NOT a happy man!  I told her she could call me and I'd pray with her...she did.  I know a lot about what she's going through.  My first husband suffered greatly the last couple of years of his life (even though it wasn't cancer) by dementia etc.  Sometimes it's so very hard to turn things over to our Lord...and even though He loves us, He also loves the one who is ill and sometimes we have to accept (grudgingly) that our Father wants them home with Him more than we want them here with us.  That's the hardest part when you're wanting to believe in miracles.

Heard the Prez say something today during his daily briefing that he was being given a report on how many Americans had received and those that were going to receive...didn't make it really clear (to me anyway) enough to understand.  Sounded like some will receive direct deposit, some by check and some by debit card. Still waiting.

Yesterday...was a busy day for me.  Hubby worked at the homestead, came home for lunch, then took me and Abby-girl back to the homestead for me to work in the garden ... and work I did!  Potatoes are up in many places, so I man-handled the wire squares (2x4's in a square, and wire stapled to them) so I could put some bricks under the edges and get them raised up another few inches to let the plants grow on up a bit.  They seemed to have enjoyed God's watering!  Planted several pots of flowers.  Then planted some food in the two remaining mineral tubs.  Spaghetti Squash and Eggplant in one (I'll plant more squash later for a fall...just wanted to try and get some for this spring...who knows?) and then carrots and tomatoes in the other.  Checked on the Elderberry shoots.  Some looking pretty good, some not.  It really doesn't matter.  If we get 4 or 5 that will make a lot of berries, and when we trim them back for the winter, we'll cut more shoots.  We still have an open invite to come pick from our farmer friends' abundant supply.  They have over 100 bushes on the backside of their property.  These have not been cut back so they are actually "trees" now.  

Rained off an on a bit today so hubby wasn't able to work at the job site leveling the "toy room".  Ground just too soft.  So...he worked at the homestead.  He's got all the sheet rock on the walls but not the ceiling yet.  Got the seams mudded.  Progress!  

I stayed here with my girl, can't garden in the rain and I still need more tubs made up.  Hubby found a youtuber (Texas Prepper?) and he's using the self wicking method too.  Hubby has some of the drainage pipes at the Roost, so we'll go pick it up and get started.  I've asked him to cut the bottoms out of the red tubs so I can transplant my Comfrey.  It will be able to grown right into the real soil but be a bit more manageable.  Going to do the same with my Echinacea, Yarrow, Garlic Chives, and some others that are growing in the "wild thing" area.  Just need to clean that area out and let my ferns and Dock grow there.  It will be easier to manage come time to mow and weed.

Today I made up a quart of homemade DIY cream of chicken soup (dry)...and used a bit of it to make my chicken pot pie (using tortilla's like Living Traditions showed).  I've made it before but used commercially canned cream of chicken soup...mine is absolutely better! It was delicious!  Just ask hubby! LOL  Still have plenty to make more when I need it.  Can also turn it into cream of mushroom by adding some mushrooms to it...or dehydrated celery...or dehydrated broccoli...love having so many choices and not having to use up valuable shelf space.  Got the recipe from a lady youtuber...I've learned so much from her on making dry mixes for the pantry...Little Village Homestead is her channel.  I tried to link it here but couldn't.

Wanna see my supper?

Was supposed to rain early this afternoon so I didn't go to the homestead to work in the gardening...and it didn't start raining until about an hour ago...figures.  Anyway, it should be enough to fill the rain barrels and give my bell pepper tub a good soak and fill up the jugs under the soil and weed barrier.  The others on the mini green house should be fine.  I'm sure the 'taters will enjoy the watering too!

Hubby went ahead and took a load of laundry over with him to dry while he worked and then brought them back when he came here for lunch. 

As for me...just hung around with my Abby-girl!  She can be anywhere and I call "Where's my dog"...and here she comes.  That's a "special" name between myself and her...and she loves to come put her head in my lap.  Love my dog!  

4 hours ago, Jeepers said:

dogs and thunder storms don't mix well

How well we know that!  Our girl seems to have found some peace...on hubby's side of the bed (not mine!?)...where she can curl up between the bed, night stand and his dresser.

13 hours ago, Jeepers said:

My stimulus check hasn't been deposited yet

Nothing in ours either but I did go to the IRS.gov site several days ago and filled out the "mock" 2019 tax return so they'd be sure to have our direct deposit information. Then today Steve Manuchin (?) said "the stimulus payments are still being sent out"..I think that's what he said.  So...it's still a waiting game for us.  The site always says "Don't call"...

Our Governor just had a huge protest not only on the Capitol grounds but then a walk to the Governor's Mansion.  They say he was there because when the Governor is there, the flag is flying....it was flying...and several people said they saw him pull back a curtain and look out.  He's backed off somewhat, but the protest wasn't so much about the date but the mandatory testing and vaccines that he's a promoter of.  People drove for hundreds of miles to be there to let him know we're up to your tricks!  Also found out that the CDC said that Europe (?) refused a shipment of our swabs because they were found to be contaminated and weRE actually giving people the virus.  Then a report from a major media source (WSJ?) where Italy said that 99% of the deaths that were reported as c19, was false reporting.  And now they're telling us that "it might come back in the fall"?  I'm sorry folks, every day I'm beginning to think this is a manipulation of our country from the enemies of our country.  I know our President has no medical background and has tried to surround himself with experts...but since when do scientists know how to run a financial institution?  Since when do non-elected people dictate to the elected...and since when do any of them dictate to the American Citizen?  Sure glad he put a hold on immigration.  Rant over!

Took some laundry to put in the dryer at the homestead while we worked outside. Moved the mini-green houses out to our "rail" and tied them to secure them and took my planters out there so the seedlings could enjoy the weather...didn't cover them.  The only two things really worth messing with right now are the radishes and the tomato starts...my experiments!  Moved my wrought iron planter (it has arms) and put the containers in each arm.  They are so great for flowers and herbs.  There are six.  Then I have the ones that hang over the front rail of the front porch.  Lots of planting to do...but will have to buy more soil mixture. 

Hubby pulled out his concrete mixer and dumped some compost, some top soil and some vermiculite and gave it a good mix.  Filled three of our many mineral tubs...but ran out of the juice jugs after only 3 tubs.  So...it's going to have to be shopping at Menards for the black drain-type hoses or something similar.  Did get one tub planted with Bell Peppers...some just the green and some that are the colors.  I'll have to thin the mixed colors because I opened the top and the bottom had come loose so guess what...I got seeds all over that area of the tub!  Oh well...it is what it is. 

Hubby hooked the cold water up in the kitchen so that's such a relief!  I can fill jugs and carry them out if I want, or hook a hose up to the kitchen sink.  He put an adapter on it so I can do that.  I took a plastic dish pan that we had drilled three fairly large holes in (several years ago) and I lay that down, fill it with water and it distributes the water more evenly than trying to pour.  We'll get the pvc pipes pushed down into the tubs later...right now...it's time to plant!

Came home and fixed lunch and hubby headed off to the work site and I took care of dishes and washed some more clothes.  (the dryer here doesn't work very well...so I try not to use it if at all possible.  The gasket has to always be tucked back in around the drum to avoid catching clothes it) to take over tomorrow.  I will probably let him go work there in the morning on the bathroom and I'll get my stuff done, and then he can take me there on his way to work, and I'll spend the afternoon planting. Now that I have running water I'll be fine.  I've got plenty of food and drink there   as well as a place to wash my hands etc., my compost toilet and a nice front porch to sit and rest when I want. The porch is a wrap around.  Most facing north and a small section facing west.  There's almost always a wonderful breeze that makes sitting out there very relaxing.  Lovin' it!

3 minutes ago, Jeepers said:

She had black nails

Several of Abby's are black too.  The last time (about 6 months ago) that hubby clipped, he got too close and like you said...it really hit the fan.  I tried the stop bleed that we have for her but it just wouldn't work.  Every time she'd lick it off before it could do what it was supposed to do.  So I grabbed a sack of coconut flour, dumped it into a baggie and stuck her foot in it, and then wrapped it around the top of her foot with an ace-type tape.  Finally got it stopped.  Dremel is just the way we have to do it for our own sanity!

Today I pulled out my onion chopper and chopped up two bags of onions, and got them triple wrapped for the freezer. Got the vacuuming done and took the trash dumpster to the street (even though it's not due until Wednesday) since it's supposed to rain and hubby won't have to mess with it "if" it rains.

Yesterday I drained one of our rain barrels watering the potatoes and new Elderberry shoots that we planted, so getting some more rain will be welcomed.

Hubby's ready to hook me up some cold water in the homestead's kitchen.  That is good.  Step by step. 

Washing some laundry to take over to the homestead in the morning.  I'll dry them there while hubby's working on the bathroom project etc., and pittle around in the garden etc.  Need to get some stuff growing but I'll need hubby to drill holes in the new mineral containers and the juice jugs before I can get started.  I may have him do that in the morning instead of the bathroom work.

Last night ... forgot to mention it...we dremeled our girls toe nails.  We've been trimming them with cutters but all three of us wind up tighter than a spring.  We haven't used the dremel tool for about 2 years, but decided that we didn't want to mess with the cutters anymore.  She's still not crazy about it, but it's a lot easier on all three of us.  Also...we just didn't want to take a chance "if" something happened and we got to close and couldn't stop the bleeding we'd be in a mess trying to get hold of our vet and then have to leave her outside their building in a strange crate, while they came and took her inside.  Then they'd call us when they were done, we'd have to go back and pick her up out of the crate...after they have set it outside their building.  Not for our girl if we can humanely help it!

2 hours ago, Mt_Rider said:

premature on the season

One advantage that we found with the containers was that if we saw bad weather coming in, we were able to cover the containers (several of them in a row) with some clear plastic sheeting so that it was able to drape to the ground...then laid some bricks or stones ??? on the edges.  Saved our bacon more than one!  We have hoops for our raised beds and we do the same with them...cover with the clear plastic. Even got an unexpected snow several years ago, but our tomato plants didn't even know it was cold!  When we went out the next morning and uncovered them, there was moisture on the inside of the plastic.  Nice and toasty for them!