Mother

Are you perhaps thinking of self charging light bulbs? You can find them on Amazon. Sometimes called rechargeable emergency led bulbs. I’ve been looking at them myself.

Even though it has been down graded it is still a huge and dangerous storm. 300,000 evacuated. I am adding my prayers.

MT3B. Get to writing. We might as well at least be ready when it does happen.

Happy birthday Anewme! I hope you are doing okay. 🎂🎊🍦

First picking of yellow beans from four tubs in the new garden area. Lots more coming on and edible pod peas soon. Tomatoes just starting to ripen and cukes just starting to form. Deck plants just starting to come back with the cooler weather and now it’s a race to see what produces first, plants or Mother Nature. We have the blankets and sheets ready for the first few frosts and then might have some nice days for produce to mature. Sorry about the pic. size. All other sizes wanted to be upside down!

Oh, yeah…..riiiiiiight!

MT3B, Are you sure you want Mt_Rider to give us a new “Without Warning”? You KNOW what always happens when she does, don’t you? Be verrrrrrry careful what you wish for….

That is too pretty to eat but it sure looks appetizing. 😋

Happy Birthday my dear friend. I hope your day is filled with all the good things life has to offer.

Happy birthday both of you.

Has anyone heard anything about Sassenach, formally Arby? In January 2019 she was waiting to get internet. I was just wondering if, like others, she wasn’t able to get back into the site.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Sassenach. I miss you!

Annarchy, a nice underground water storage container would be a great place to store all that extra water. 👍

Oh so true, Midnightmom!! 👍. There is SO much knowledge and wisdom housed here at Mrs S. And so much more within our members.

I have so many bugs eating the plants on my deck I’m at a loss. I used the same soil the greenhouse uses so shouldn’t be infested or they wouldn’t use it. .??? Here is a picture (taken from the deck ) of our new garden area. So far so good there. Same soil used as filler in those tubs.

MT3B, of course you can come in. The challenge usually requires preplanning and we want to hear about those too.

If I read all of Annarchy’s recipe they are sealing jam or jelly, right? I noticed the instructions call for bringing the product to a full rolling boil (one that cannot be stopped while stirring continually on high heat). And you are talking fruit and sugar. It specifically says NOT to reduce the amount of sugar OR use sugar substitutes. The sugar is the preservative in this recipe. The sealing is more to keep the product clean and more easily stored without spilling. “In the past”,,,,, (and I AM talking sugar and fruit, not veggies or artificial sweeteners) If this combination of fruit and sugar were to set on the counter without sealing it would eventually ferment and become old fashioned ‘tutti fruitti’ which would eventually become alcoholic. Both fermentation and alcohol are forms of preserving. Also in the past jellies and jams were sealed with melted wax poured on the top of the product and allowed to harden. The jar was then covered with a paper or a lid to keep it clean. If the top of the wax became moldy the wax and any mold on the top of the product was simply skimmed off and the jelly eaten. The wax would be washed, stored, and remelted to be used on subsequent jars of jam or jelly. An alternative to melting the wax was to thinly shave wax into the bottom of the jar before pouring in the boiling jam or jelly. The wax would melt, float to the top, and then harden as the jelly cooled to seal the jelly or jam in the jar. I am not saying these are USA government approved ways to seal jam or jelly. But I believe you will find that it is an approved method in many many other countries still today and it is an alternative that might be needed if the and another method cannot be found. MM, I have not made jelly from artificially sweetened juice. You might check your low sugar pectin recipes to see if that’s possible. I have seen recipes that use agar or gelatin to make jelly from unsweetened juice. Those I’ve seen were refrigerator stored though and not “canned”. I always make my own no sugar jello that way from unsweetened juice. I also know that home made apple juice, made with the peel intact (the peels are pectin rich) with NO sugar can be “boiled down” to make a thick jell that can be waterbath canned to preserve it. Apple peels were often used to produce pectin for ‘making’ jams and jellies in the past when store bought was not available. None of us wants to risk food poisoning but I believe it would be a good idea, an especially interesting one, to learn the different methods of preserving foods, not only in our grandparent’s day but also those used in other countries today. After all, canning, and especially home canning, is a relatively new method.

There was a book signing and I missed it???

Dogmom, I have tried both in my shady area on the deck. They come up and just sit there at a few inches. They are both growing beautifully (from the same packages of seed) in DH’s tub garden which is in the sun. When the leaves come off the tree that is shading the area perhaps they will take off and do something as they are both cold hearty. I have a small amount of different lettuces there now and will see how they do. The begonias and impatiens love it there though so not all is lost. So far the deck growing has definitely been a challenging and a learning experience but I am grateful to learn what does and doesn’t work now there instead of during a emergency. On a similar note I am working on our inside greenhouse area to get it set up for fall planting. I need to start now with some of the plants for indoors winter harvest. Gardening at our house is pretty much a year round practice in one form or another. 😁

Jeepers, Zinc deficiency can trigger a loss of taste and smell.

It seems to be working correctly for me. I can see the contents of all the quotes.

Wow WE2’s. Those are SUPER pictures. That looks like soooooo much fun. DH and I used to dance but neither of us has the ability now. We still love watching others and tapping our feet. Dear sweet Abby girl. It is hard when they age faster than we do but the love they give in their shorter time is great enough to last with us forever. It’s easy to see she’s been loved in return. I’m so glad you stopped in.

Mt_Rider you have definitely had your share of problems this year. Thank heavens there’s some protection from wild fires in your downpours. Perhaps the silver lining in the cloud. I agree, porch plants are much easier to care for.

MM….