Necie

That’s cuz ya can’t afford to fill more than a little cart at Meijers. I prefer Aldis, then WM, lastly Meijers. DS2 and DD both shop at Meijers primarily. 🤷‍♀️ Even when DD worked at WMDC, she still shopped at Meijers. 😬 Crazy girl!! Aldis and Meijers has comparable quality for produce... though Aldis may not have as much variety. Aldis beats them both for meats... quality and price. I usually go to Aldis first, and if there’s things still on my list that they don’t have, then I go to WM.

Mostly been sitting in my recliner this morning and smoking 🚬 my brains out. When I left my mom’s, I told her “I just wanna go home, sit in my recliner for 3 days, and smoke 18 packs of cigarettes.” After 11 days of reduced nicotine, I was starting to have panic attacks. 😬 Nicotine is a horrible thing... tell your kids!! I did get bills made out— only 1 is late. Gotta get some laundry done and repack my BOBs before going back to mom’s on Monday. Need to make a batch of lotion for a customer. Those are the only HAVE TO do’s for the weekend.

0 with -17 windchill at 9:00 this morning. One more day of this frigid crap. Tomorrow is supposed to be 18*. Maybe I can get home tomorrow or Thursday for a couple of days. No big rush. Just need a break. Mom does too. Her birthday is next week. Supposed to be 40* that day. Her home health aid will be here. Think I’ll get her out of the house and go shopping— she loves shopping as much as I hate it! 😂

I’m finding this interesting.. and wanting to join, but.. I don’t tend to plan meals/shop like any normal person. I hate shopping. In the winter, I tend to go once a month or less. In the summer I go much more often, generally because I have more money and tend to run the roads. 😂 But, even then, I shop sales/discount/bulk... only going to a *regular* store every 2-3 months. I’m not sure how I would keep track of spending ($20/wk/person) between my using stored items, buying a few needed items, buying prep items I may find on sale while shopping. 🤷‍♀️

Jeepers— not sure when you’re leaving, but... we’re supposed to get dumped on this weekend. 🥴 Northern Indiana and southwest/west Michigan. And high winds. It’s supposed to be a mess. Starting tomorrow morning. Going through Saturday. Frigid temps starting Sunday. Drive EXTREMELY careful!!

Welllll... definitely did more than “one and done” today. Crocheted this morning. After noon, got up and started pasta dinner (kinda like throw together lasagna). Figured while I was in the kitchen that I’d clean out the coat closet before putting Christmas stuff away. The cubby where I store Christmas stuff is a built in cubby in the back of the closet that goes over the front stairs to the basement. Got that all done, Christmas stuff put away, and dinner done by 3:00. Ate, sat down in my chair and thought I was done for the day... then DS1 called right before 4:00. He’s the one that has the trailer at mom and dad’s. Ask him how grandma and grandpa are doing... he says about the same, but that my Dsis#4 (his aunt) is really sick. She’s been at mom and dad’s since Sunday evening. So, I get off the phone with him and call mom... while we’re talking, dad’s phone rings and she gives her phone to my sis. I talked to her for less than a minute and said that I didn’t need to talk to mom again— I’m throwing my stuff in the van and will be there by 5:30. So, I’m at mom and dad’s again, probably until Sunday or Monday as I already planned to come back up on Friday for the weekend.

I’ve figured out that I’m at a “one and done” point. I can get one thing accomplished and then I’m wiped out for the day. Went to town today. Rural King was out of their spring water and their RK brand cheap jeans. Did get my mom her coffee and got mouse trap/bait for the cabin. Walmart was fine... picked up more Alka-Seltzer, Tussin, Imodium. Grabbed 3 gallons of milk, tp for here and at mom’s, a couple loaves of bread and some more liquid smoke (DS2 got 2 more does on New Year’s Eve day— they quartered them and tossed them in their freezer til I can get to them). Then decided to stop at Goodwill to see if I could find DH a pair of jeans there. While looking, he called and said not to rush home— they’re running fiber optic internet past our house and were gonna have both drives blocked for about an hour. So, I found him one pair of jeans... and then *shopped*. I found a NIB air purifier for $25 (normally ~$100) and a marble pastry board (16”x20”) for $15 that perfectly matches my marble rolling pins. (I <ahem> “collect” rolling pins.) Also found 4 pkgs pastry clothes and 6 pkgs cheesecloth for $1/each, so had to grab those. Told DH that it was his fault that I bought things that weren’t on my list!! Tomorrow, I’m doing nothing but crocheting and making pasta dinner— I haven’t cooked an actual meal since getting home from mom and dad’s 3 days ago. and Necie

Awwww.... y’all are WONDERFUL!! Sorry I’ve been MIA. It’s been kinda crazy and I’m trying to get a routine settled... always impossible and constantly changing anyhow. But my OCD (Organized Chaos by Denise) dictates that I must try. Dad was in the hospital from Dec 14-20th. Horrific is the best I can say about that. When he got home, I was there for 2 days. Went shopping the 22nd, had Christmas with the kids/grandkids here at our house the 23rd, then I got sick on the 24th. Fought that crap off for a week and made it back to mom and dad’s on the 30th. Spent a week there and just got home on Friday (5th). Still fighting off the crud— did nothing yesterday but sit and crochet. Today I made it to the basement and did some straightening up and made a batch of lotion— thought I was gonna hack up a lung before I finished it. So now I’m sitting on my @ss again catching up on reading here and watching Tom Seleck (Monty Walsh). 🥰 Am hoping to keep doing and improving more each day. Have to be back up to mom and dad’s on Friday. Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers and love from everyone!! So glad to be home! and Necie

Christmas here today. Gotta get busy finishing up a few things. Dad is home. The system is broken. What a fiasco. Sisters/brother and I and nieces/nephews are taking turns to have someone there around the clock with mom and DS1 that are always there. I spent the night Thursday and yesterday... got home about 8 last night after DD relieved me. Sis#4 is staying today. Brother and wife are bringing a hospital bed today and getting it set up (something the VA has failed to supply even after the hospital said it was required—yet discharged him before it was in place). 😡 He’s been home since Wednesday night at 6:30 and they finally sent a nurse out at 6:30 last night (hospital said he should have 24 hr care) after Mom gave them what for and hung up on them. The care in the hospital was just as horrific. They are short staffed—nurses caring for 15-20 patients. But still horrific. Sis#1 was actually escorted off premises by security at one point because it was after 8 (visiting hours) and she was giving them hell cuz he was ill positioned in a wet bed. I’m going back to mom’s tomorrow until further notice. I have nothing scheduled till who knows when. Sis#6 is off work til mid January, so she will be there a lot too.

Oooh, nooooo... not for the reasons you might think. He would EAT THAT UP!! Go into his whole “Jeremiah Johnson” routine. Then I’d have to kick him in the shins!! Nope... you can never let the “King” think that he’s being catered to.

Yup. I use tons of it and keep different variations for different uses. We (my kids and I) always say “There’s no such thing as too much butter or too much garlic.” I was absolutely floored when DH (D isn’t always for dear) told me there was too much garlic in my canned venison this year. Especially when it’s EXACTLY the same as any other year!

VENISON IS DONE!!

E&S has gone very *touristy*. There’s very few things that I get there anymore. There’s another store further up 5 in Shipshewana called Forks... not as much bulk, but, DANG, do they have sales!! It’s also where the locals do more of their shopping. There’s a discount store and an Amish store north of Sturgis, MI that I like too. I’m not familiar with anything west of 5, but I’m sure there are smaller Amish bulk stores around Middleberry, Millersburg, Elkhart, etc. that are much better priced also.

I learned this about beef stock/base doing venison. I always put a bouillon cube in quart jars. Doing pint jars, I decided to do beef base— 1/2 tsp. TOO STRONG! So I cut it to 1/4 tsp. Same with using garlic, which we use A LOT! So much difference in strength between fresh, jars of minced, paste, BTB, granulated, powder, etc.

I got most of the venison done yesterday. Canned 3 more 1/2 gallons of broth, weighed out and bagged 30# of jalapeño/onion/garlic burger, bagged up and froze 4- 1/2 gallons of cooked meat for soup, and got almost half of the 9# batch of snack sticks done. I think I’ll wait till tomorrow to finish it. Today I think I’ll clean up the kitchen— this is more like putting everything back where it belongs and figure out where to put things that have been brought in.... a place for everything, and everything in it’s place. There’s a reason my tag line used to be *organized chaos*. 🙄😂 I need to do some laundry and wrap some presents. And the pampered pooch needs a bath!! When I finished the broth, I set the pan under the table (like usual) until I could get it washed... well, the ditzy little goofball stuck her head in it to lick the side and got greasy residue on the top of her head and ears. Took me forever to figure out how she got her head all wet (well, it looked wet... just greasy). I hate her fur. She gets little tangles and knots, and if you don’t stay on top of it, then matts. I’d never choose a dog with this kind of coat! They finally moved dad out of the ER into a regular room. Trying to figure out a rehab to get him into. Mom is sick now, so didn’t go up yesterday or today. My oldest sis is close to the hospital, so has been there with him both days. Hopefully mom feels better tomorrow and can go. If not, my youngest sis that mom stayed with Thursday night said she could take a day off and be there with him.

Did NOT get the venison finished today. I forgot how much time is consumed playing with a spoiled dog. She’ll be 2 in May, so still very much a pup. I got 4- 1/2 gallons of venison broth canned and got the burger mixed (doing jalapeño/onion/garlic... makes awesome burgers and tacos) and the salami mixed for snack sticks. Hopefully tomorrow will get the rest of the broth canned, the burger bagged, and the sticks made and into the oven. Mom did go home tonight instead of staying at my sister’s closer to the hospital. Dad is still not doing well. He tested positive today for Covid. He’s got a nasty cough with yellow gunk and Mom said he woke up once today and said he had a horrible headache and was freezing. This could also explain his sudden excessive weakness. ?? They’re still doing tons of tests. The c-scan showed something on his brain and they want to do an MRI, but dad has a brain shunt that is controlled magnetically and can’t have one. I guess *they* wanted to argue with mom about it and she told them to argue with the surgeon that put it in! They’ve put an adult diaper on him since he’s immobile, but won’t even use a bedpan when he knows when he has to go. Say they’ll just clean him up... but he won’t *go* in the diaper. He’s not happy and doesn’t want to be there— that’s actually good. His dementia evaluation showed that he’s progressed considerably and they’re talking about going to rehab to gain strength once he’s well enough. Basically, everything is up in the air.

Jar prices just blow my mind!! I remember when I was a young mom (1980s-90s), I wouldn’t pay more than $1/doz at yard sales... and could find them all the time!! Now, even at yard sales (and on marketplace), they want $1 EACH!! That’s nearly full store price, and WITHOUT new lids/rings. Now, if I can find half gallons at that price, then YEAH!! They’re $19.99 a half dozen at the stores... over $3 each. I have bought 2 cases at that price. One at Walmart, one at a local hardware. I found them a couple weeks ago at an Amish store for $16.49 and bought 2 cases (dozen total). I don’t usually ever buy jars... twice this summer I posted on local groups (FB) looking for jars... would trade for my goat milk soap. Both times most responses were to just come and get them. I still gave them equal amounts of soap and ended up with a van full each time. And sometimes they’d throw in canning equipment. 😊 I will buy at yard sales for the right jars at the right price. DS1 and I stopped at an estate sale yesterday and I got one box of quarts (some large mouth—all older) for $5, and a garden basket of large mouth pints for $5. Came out to about 0.25c a jar and a free garden basket. 😁 I have plenty of jars, but the problem is that a lot of them are full... of goat milk... for soaping. Almost 600 qts worth (some also in 1/2 gallons and in pints). I got a heck of a deal this last winter on Meyenberg (~0.12c/qt) and spent 9 days from 9am to 2-3am canning it all.

I don’t think that’s exactly right. 80/90 is an interstate highway. I believe there are tolls only through Indiana and Ohio...?? As far as other interstates... (I69 in my area) each state that it runs through maintains it... with federal monies?? I believe if a state wanted to put a toll on it, it could be done. My BIL works for the county... they maintain county roads. The state maintains state roads (and interstates). Cities have their own crews.

Change of plans today. 🥴 Mom told me last night that she wasn’t comfortable leaving Dad to go shopping, so this morning I headed up there to get DS1 and take him to get his Christmas shopping done. On the way, Mom called and said they had called for the ambulance to take Dad to the hospital. He was pretty much immobile. Three of them tried to help him to the bathroom and he was no help... dead weight. They have him in the ER doing tests (no other rooms available 😳). When I got to the house, they had him in the ambulance, but hadn’t left. Mom was a wreck that her poor spoiled doggie was gonna have to stay in her crate for a couple hours... this pampered pooch has NEVER been left alone. I told her we’d only be gone a couple hours and when we got back, that I’d take her home with me. So, I’m babysitting the most spoiled little mutt in the world until further notice. 😁 Will continue with the venison tomorrow. Oh... and when DS1 and I were at Walmart, the guy in the sporting goods section said the store wasn’t taking any cash. Something was screwed up with getting their drawers at the registers, but they were working on it. I told DS1 that it was a good thing that he was using his debit card and also a good thing that I didn’t need anything cuz I only use cash. When we got up to the regular register, the gal said that they couldn’t take cash, but the self-checkouts could. 🤷‍♀️ Pic of said spoiled rotten, pampered little mutt currently curled up in my lap. 🙄

Yesterday I spent 6 hrs cutting the venison off the bones and separated the meat for canning or grinding. Started a big pot (20 qt, I think) of broth with some of the bones. Took those bones out this morning and put more in. I’ll use the meat off them for soup. Chopped and canned 24# (9 quarts and 6 pints), chopped and ground 30#, 24# will be used for burger (will make 27#) and 6# for more salami snack sticks (will make 9#)—the kids loved them!! Tomorrow my mom is coming down and we’re going shopping for a couple hours. Then when I get home, I’ll mix the burger and salami. DH will help bag up the burger. The salami will wait until I get the kitchenaid grinder/stuffer that I ordered. 😉 Should be here Friday. and Necie

Oh... and I canned venison today—9 quarts and 6 pints. 😁

Nesco and Carey have electric pressure canners. IIRC, they hold 4 qts. I see a lot of people using them that are *afraid* of regular pressure canners. They are also the “set and forget” types.

The toll road in Indiana (80/90) is foreign owned thanks to Mitch Daniels (FORMER governor). The only responsibility they have is the upkeep of THAT freeway. The rest is foreign profit. I refuse to use it. US 20 is kept up well... although full of semis, who also refuse to use Indiana 80/90.

Ran up to DS2’s yesterday evening to pick up the deer. He and DGD(12) had it almost skinned, so all we had to do was quarter it up. DGD loaded it in my van and I was off! It was COLD out. I dropped her off in town to go to the basketball game (jr high) and the little stinker got me for $20. 😂 She did say that she’d work it off. 🥰 Despite being a 9 point, the buck wasn’t real big. Probably a 2 yr old. We’ll see what I get off him. So, today and tomorrow, I’m canning and grinding.

Nah. It all gets split 4 ways. I feel behind. We normally do 8-10 deer a year. So far, only 3 (plus DGD(12)’s youth hunt doe). Only 3 wks to go, but DS2 has got his bucks, so he’ll start popping does. Might get 2 or 3 in one day. So far we’ve each got 5 qts canned, 7# burger, and 10# salami sticks and sausage. Haven’t started on soups yet. The rest will mostly get done in burger and canned.