WHATCHA DOING TODAY?

[snapshotmiki]

8 hours ago, Mt_Rider said:

What's your recipe for seasoned salt, Miki?

 

 

http://www.budgetsavvydiva.com/2012/05/homemade-seasoned-salt-recipe/

 

Here is the link for the recipe I used.

[kappydell]

no but those sure are pretty

 

[Mt_Rider]

10 hours ago, kappydell said:

(It would not be bank-like.) 

 

Ya got that right, Kappy.  Me thinks all this unnecessary complexity is to cause things like this to their benefit.  Like sending bills too late to pay on time... $$$$ late fees.      Averaging your seasonal propane use incorrectly so you've paid WAY ahead by March...   

 

That's a very pretty flower, Ambergris.  What are they?

 

Ah....springtime is just around the corner in our high country.  Yesterday I was sweeping, shoveling and dumping 7" of SNOW   off the Circus Tent tarp. 

 

Today....ALL snow has melted.  And then.....it RAINED....ALL DAY.  Still raining!  Beautiful sound when it's been months since you've heard it.    Nice soft rain...not deluge like we get in summer storms. 

 

MtRider  ....still have to dump it off the Circus Tent tarp tho...   

 

 

Edited April 8, 2018 by Mt_Rider

[Mt_Rider]

Thanks, Miki. 

 

Is it spicey hot with all those "pepper" things in it?  My mouth doesn't do 'hot'. 

 

MtRider  .....   Looking more for the Lowry's taste...

[snapshotmiki]

20 hours ago, Mt_Rider said:

Is it spicey hot with all those "pepper" things in it?

 

 

Those pepper flakes are optional anyway.  I added a few but not many!

[Ambergris]

The pink ones I posted are tung-nut blooms.  Tung-nut oil was cultivated in WWII--one of those things they expected to be BIG.  But the industry never developed.

[snapshotmiki]

I think we are moving forward in dh's health adventure.  Went to local va clinic and finally got the right nurse!  You know, the one that will actually listen!  DH has to go to Jackson (89 miles away) but it has to be done.  Thursday he is getting a Chest CT.  The nurse heard crackling in his right lung and I know that's not good.  I really hope that they don't put him in hospital up there, though.  Much rather have him in our town or close if he has to go.  I am hopeful that he will finally get to see a pulmonologist after the CT.

 

I have done very little today besides set up my vitamins for the month and make more cold brew decaf.  DH decided he likes it!  I've also had little sleep again last night.  It's just so hard hearing him struggle to breathe and cough!  We are moving forward, though!

 

[kappydell]

Surprise!  The bank was actually reasonable and will send me a check for the overpayment!  I was dumbfounded, much to the customer service person's amusement.  All I had to do was e-mail them a copy of the bank statement showing that it was taken out twice - no problem with that - and send a signed letter asking them to return the overpayment.  Certainly no problem there.  Of course, it took me all day to get the printer to scan the forms they wanted so I could e-mail them, but that's normal for my printer.  Ask it to go from color printing to grayscale, and it will take all day to re-program it!  But I managed, without losing my temper.

 

Yesterday we went to eat again at our latest local restaurant discovery.  Its a slightly run-down 'country kitchen' with a small buffet, but WHAT a buffet!  All my favorite Southern specialties - fried chicken, collard greens, sweet potatoes, rutabagas, butter beans, fried green tomatoes, sweet coleslaw & mac salad, even some decadently cheesy mac & cheese.  OK, some reviewers said it was small, but hey...they had chicken 2 ways, meat loaf, Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes and gravy and all those other things, plus a lettuce salad bar & a couple desserts (cobbler, cheese cake, strawberry cake, banana pudding, melon slices or orange slices....that was enough for me. 

Best of all the coffee was decent, not that one-pot-poured-into-another-coffee that develops a bitter tar taste after it cooks down all day.  That to me is the real test of a restaurant.  The price was super, too $7.50 apiece for all you can eat.  I don't need a six table buffet, this little one suits me fine.  

 

I am kind of getting used to the new apap, even the high pressure air flow pushing my mouth open and cheeks puffing out like a chipmunk.  Experimenting with mask positioning (a little higher or lower, bus not so much that it leaks) to try to narrow down mask options.  maybe I'll get used to it altogether....maybe.  Meanwhile I'll keep that humidifier tank full so I don't wake up with cotton-mouth from that stiff breeze.

 

The rain let up and let us plant our last 4 fruit trees yesterday - it was soft enough to dign down in the clay, and then we filled the hole with garden soil.  Put in 1 apple, a peach, a pear and a plum tree, all dwarfs.  Still waiting on raspberries with bated breath.  Thursday the man comes to put soil over the clay in the front yard so we can put down some grass seed, and maybe contour that land a bit to control rain erosion.  So much is getting done this week, which is good, because next week is all doctor's appointments, both mine and M's.  But that is another week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Mt_Rider]

Ambergris...looks kinda like an orchid.  Curious so I looked it up:

 

" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tung_oil

Tung oil or China wood oil is a drying oil obtained by pressing the seed from the nut of the tung tree (Vernicia fordii). Tung oil hardens upon exposure to air, and the resulting coating is transparent and has a deep, almost wet look. Used mostly for finishing/protecting wood, after numerous coats the finish can even look  even look plastic-like. Related drying oils include linseed, safflower, poppy and soybean oils.^[1]The oil and its use are believed to have originated in ancient China and appear in the writings of Confucius from about 400 B.C. "

 

Miki.....I'll bet it's hard to sleep when you want your dh FIXED RIGHT NOW!  I did same last summer.     

 

WOW, Kappy.  That bank's a keeper!  Your experience with printers is mine exactly.  I hate staplers, copy machines, and printers....and apparently, they hate me back.        Your buffet sounds just right for me!    We haven't been out to eat in......months.  [Except Wendy's between hospital issues]  Toooo many medical issues going on in the family. 

 

My folks are trying to adapt to a new reality...with her O2, etc.  I'm not feeling well today....definitely swollen glands again.  Apparently we no longer have a working thermometer [put on Walmart list].  Been Freezing and now I'm    [Mebbe need to turn down furnace a wee bit.....] Soooo, I went back on our "Whatever It Is..Don't Catch It" herbs.  Due to those, I have to stop the formula for ridding the body of an unwanted polyp until off the Don'tCatchIt herbs.  I need to be on the formula for 6-8 months but can't get completely over whatever's been trying to make me sick.      

 

And with anything contagious in my system, I can't visit my folks....

 

MtRider    

[Annarchy]

Oh my,  for Mt_R’s and Miki’s. 

 

Kappy, sounds like things are running smoothly. 

 

I used to have a grand fight with my printers, regardless of the brand. This last time, we got a Cannon (printer/scanner/fax). It makes my life happy again.  All of our devices connect to it, WiFi. It prints quickly (set on draft print to save ink), does envelopes and photographs.  Rarely have I had a machine that didn’t fight me all the time. The only ‘glitch’ it seems to have, it wants me to register my paper?  But only when my computer is on and I want a copy. I just turn off/on my computer or the printer, both of which turn on very quickly. Compared to the 5 minute wait with older technology. Lol. 

 

The crested yellow belly flycatchers have returned. They are one of the first birds to sing in the morning. This year they have taken to sitting on the power lines next to the house, then, flutter around catching bugs, then back to the line. 

We have 2 tomatoes so far, still small but growing. I planted 8 in pots last October and transferred them to the garden in February. Our neighbor gave us 2 store bought plants that I planted in the front yard. They are the ones that have the baby tomatoes. 

The garlic is beginning to sprout, that I planted in the block holes. The dog dug a few up and I think he ate one. He acted pretty lethargic for a couple of days afterwards. He still acts like a puppy. He dug a hole in the middle of the yard at night- got in trouble in the morning because of it. 

Spent yesterday morning working on the foot board. Cut it, and had to adjust my measurements because the cut splintered badly. Lost a 6 inch by 1 inch piece off the edge. Luckily, being a 10’ long board, I was able to salvage it. Then, went from 50 grit to 80, then to 120.  When DH gets up, I will ask him if he wants it perfectly smooth or if a little “character” will be fine. There is a lot of knots in it, giving it a colorful patina, I don’t think a tiny dent or two will make much of a difference. The dents are from the factory when they cut the boards. 

Stopped by True Value for a skill saw blade. The one I used yesterday morning burnt the wood when it cut. Which made for extra sanding on the edges to smooth it out. I actually accounted for needing to sand them, so the board is still about the right size. Plus, I remeasured the size, length and width (6 foot wide and 7 foot 1 inch long). Because I am making a headboard too, (9 inches deep) I need to add it to my sideboard length. I certainly hope it comes out like I would like it to. Oh, and DH likes the patina. I will finish with the 320 grain, just to put an extra smoothness on it. Then, comes the fun, cleaning the dust off, staining it and lacquer.

Time for me to get motivated, the sun is up and I want to get as much as I can before it gets over 90*. Forecasters are saying, possibly 100*. 

[snapshotmiki]

2 hours ago, Annarchy said:

we got a Cannon (printer/scanner/fax)

 

We have a canon MX922.  Got it last year or year before and it has worked great!  Most printers won't feed the shipping labels or if they do it doesn't work for long.  Sometimes we have issues but mainly with connectivity or operator error.  LOL

 

Today, I'm making toothpaste, doing laundry, moving grain from car to shed, making cheesy garlic bread to take to game day at Church this afternoon, and maybe some eBay in there somewhere.

 

And would love to go to a Southern Buffet like Kappy's!

Edited April 10, 2018 by snapshotmiki

[Jeepers]

I made it home tired but happy. G'son is a hoot. When he hugs you he pats you on the back with his little hand....melt.

 

I got all of my needed paper work all together and in my tote all ready for the bank the night before I left. Of course, I walked right out the door and left it here at the house. I can't believe I did that. Anyway, I got my checking account all set up and ready for the big Social Security checks to start rolling in! LOL.  She went ahead and took my word for my assets to start a pre-mortgage application. I just have to email her the correct information and she will finalize it. So, she went ahead and ran the numbers for me. Sigh.

 

I'm in the ballpark as far as the price range I can look at. Even a little higher if I want. I don't! I have to have the standard 20% down which I expected. But, because of my age and because I have no active income, I have to have 5 years worth of house payments in a liquid bank account.  Crimony!  Looks like I'm going to have to get creative and also cash in the old stock fund. Sigh. And the estimated closing costs are going to be killer too. Might be time to tighten down the old guilt screws on the D-ex.   But, what are ya going to do? Stay here and be alone or go be with my baby? Baby will win hands down.  DIL was talking about growing some of our own food and putting it up so my original plan of big yard over nice house still stands. Not sure how I'm going to pull it all off but I'm determined. God will provide me with what I need not necessarily what I want.

 

 

[Annarchy]

I am sooooooooo jealous..... 

 

Congratulations  Jeepers!

[Homesteader]

2 hours ago, Jeepers said:

I'm in the ballpark as far as the price range I can look at. Even a little higher if I want. I don't! I have to have the standard 20% down which I expected. But, because of my age and because I have no active income, I have to have 5 years worth of house payments in a liquid bank account.  Crimony!  Looks like I'm going to have to get creative and also cash in the old stock fund. Sigh. And the estimated closing costs are going to be killer too. Might be time to tighten down the old guilt screws on the D-ex.   But, what are ya going to do? Stay here and be alone or go be with my baby? Baby will win hands down.  DIL was talking about growing some of our own food and putting it up so my original plan of big yard over nice house still stands. Not sure how I'm going to pull it all off but I'm determined. God will provide me with what I need not necessarily what I want.

 

 

 

Have you tried credit unions? We're with the second largest one in Wisconsin. They easy to work with. Could you get a 'bridge' loan?  We bought a house before our old one even went on the market. We got an equity loan on the old one and made the first few payments on the new place. When our place sold, the equity loan was paid off first. Creative financing can be enjoyable, especially if you have your sights on a new place.  

[Annarchy]

Watched dawn break today, then got at it. Measured and remeasured, marking my cuts. Changed the blade and cut. I guess finger tight + 1/8th turn is different than someone stronger than me. Lol. The blade stopped, again, 3/4 of the way through. I tightened it more and it finally worked right.  Sanded with 80 and 120 grain. Used the leaf blower to clean all the sawdust out. 

 

Doing laundry today to try to get a head start on the weekend. Forecast says 40-60 mph winds starting tomorrow evening, in front of a cold front coming in from the coast. Supposedly, the temps are supposed to drop down 20 degrees. 

 

DH wants to take the dogs to the lake tomorrow, trying to beat the wind and cool off. The puppies need a good soak to help us remove their undercoat from winter. It’s been a bear cleaning all the fur floating around the house. Fills the vacuum 3 times a week. Such is life in the desert. 

 

Dinner tonight... DH is having left over Chinese. I’m doing a salad:  lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese; from the garden: spinach leaves, beet leaves, celery, onion, Chinese garlic, carrots, fava beans, a little bit of the oxalis that grows wild, and an egg from the chickens, and some black walnuts the neighbor gave me, with vinegar & olive oil dressing.  Numnumnum......I really like salad.

 

Time to get back at it, watering the lawn and DH wants to watch a movie tonight, Tad the Explorer II, if he can get the Dragon Box to show it. Sometimes it works great sometimes it glitches. Technology, go figure. Lol

 

[The WE2's]

Yesterday while hubby worked bath remodel I washed our small Berkey and got it ready to box up for the time being.  Bought a Big Berkey from a retiring friend so washed it up and it's now our drinking water source.  Much larger capacity...which is good since we don't drink tap water. Today stuck around the house...hubby pulled back muscles this morning and went into spasms...hurry to cabinet, grab Arnica Oil for quick massage, grab Valerian caps, grab tens machine, grab Ibuprofen and then put on tens pads...took a nap and he's feeling pretty much back to himself.  So, no work on homestead today for sure.  Check on van...it's 7 months in the shop now...and forecast is probably another month waiting for additional parts.  Where have I read that tribulation works patience? 

Edited April 11, 2018 by The WE2's
added content

[Jeepers]

Homesteader, I don't think I qualify for any of the credit unions. There aren't a lot of banks in the town I want to go to. BUT, a home equity loan is a fantastic idea. I think I could borrow on this place and bank that money and pay it back when this house sells. I'll keep that in mind. THANK YOU!

 

When I was trying to puff up the fact that the only debt I have is this house she wasn't impressed. She said it didn't matter what I owe but it was the fact that I have little coming in and that I don't work.  And of course my age. I'm not sure I agree with that but it isn't up to me.

[Mt_Rider]

6 hours ago, Jeepers said:

But, because of my age and because I have no active income, I have to have 5 years worth of house payments in a liquid bank account

 

 

Wait...what?  SS is active income.  Forcing you to have a HUGE bank account so THEY get to use YOUR money?  Use the same money and pay down the house!  Something besides AGE DISCRIMINATION smells very fishy!   

 

MtRider  ...hope you can get a better deal than that!   

[Jeepers]

My Social Security isn't effective yet so I can't declare it as income as of yet. I'm going to go sign up tomorrow. If I do this, I will get a CD or something so I can get at least a little bit of interest on it.

 

I 'only' owe $26,000.00 on this house. I can pay it off easily when I sell it.  She said I can do a free re-fi anytime so what ever is left over from selling this house I can put on the principle of the new house with no penalty.

 

Yeah, being old means my earning potential is limited. Sucks but it's true. Too little time and too little stamina. Even a 15 year mortgage puts me at 81 years old when it's paid off. I'm not exactly a hot commodity.

[kappydell]

Today we finished cutting up that ol' gum tree.  Rather than lug the mini-logs (about 18 inches long and 16 inches diameter is all we can handle singly) I rolled them downhill to the edge of the drop off down to the creek.  Its showing some signs of erosion so I set the log-ettes on their ends in a row, stockade fence style.  Hopefully that will break the force of the water while still letting it run through the gaps and down into the creek.   It looks nice too, and rolling logs down hill beats lugging them up hill!  

 

We cut up some smaller branches for our crafty friend and about 1 dozen "cookies" from the large end.  I saved one for a cutting board - just sand it down well, drill a hanging hole for a thong, and oil it.  We left a couple pieces out in the yard standing on end for work surfaces (cutting, drilling, hammering and the like) as we find they are much handier than flimsy store bought saw horses.  We're getting lots of  mileage from that tree!

 

The garden is coming up nicely,  and tomorrow the dirt man will come and we can seed a lawn at  last!  The neighbors are complementary on our shaping up yard, and its starting to feel more like HOME!

[Ambergris]

I tried to get a home equity loan on my paid-off house so I could pay off the mortgage on the new place, and have any risk put on the old place.  They said I could not get a home equity loan unless it is my current home.  Be careful.

[kappydell]

Different lenders and kinds of loans have different requirements.  I tried to get  home equity loan on my old house to buy one in GA for a 'winter house' and they told me I could not do that, either even though I wanted originally to keep the first house.  Kinda why I ended up selling & moving my primary residence to GA, even tho I originally wanted to have both.  Oh well, they have some odd 'rules'.  After all, 'they' don't want things to be too easy.....otherwise everybody would just be buying houses willy-nilly!

[Homesteader]

4 hours ago, Ambergris said:

I tried to get a home equity loan on my paid-off house so I could pay off the mortgage on the new place, and have any risk put on the old place.  They said I could not get a home equity loan unless it is my current home.  Be careful.

 

The credit union gave us the loan on our paid-off house. They put a lien against the house and were the first to be paid when we sold that house and bought the new place in a different state. The equity loan was used to make a huge downpayment on the new place, thereby dropping the annual interest rate down to 3.1%. 

Edited April 12, 2018 by Homesteader

[Jeepers]

My credit report came back squeaky clean so that helped. I won't know the interest rate until I actually find a house because they can change daily but she said I should be in the 3-4 percent range. Also no points. And they will take off a half of a percent because I'll have an auto payment account set up. 

 

I'm still having trouble finding a place I want. Not that I'm that picky! It's just that there is not much available over there right now. I'm pretty sure things will start opening up this summer. If I'm still not seeing anything I'll get with a realtor.

[Jeepers]

Ugh. I can't believe I typed this whole thing out and then lost it. One more time.

I got signed up for Social Security. They weren't very helpful though. 

 

He was bound and determined I should take S.S. now so I could get 1 extra check. I tried to get across to him that if I accepted it now I would be locked into this rate and not my maximum rate at full retirement age. He kept pushing that I'd get an extra check. Yeah, 1 extra check now but for the rest of my life I'd be stuck at that amount. We are talking about 1 month early. I've been waiting for 4 years to get the maximum amount and I sure wasn't going to blow it for 1 check. I know that the percentage isn't that much but what if I live another 20+ years. And I've waited 4 years to get my maximum amount. I could have started at age 62 at the lowest rate. Also, I'm filing on D-ex S.S. so my amount is already reduced.

 

He kept making faces like he couldn't believe I didn't want to start right now. That was getting old real fast. He said, "Yeah but you will have to wait for 5 years to make up for that missing check amount." I said, "What if I live for 6 more years? I'll then be locked in to this rate instead of the higher amount, What if I live for 20 more years?" He said, "Well, we never know."  He sat me in front of a computer and left to wait on someone else. I could hear them talking (but not what they were saying) in the next booth.

 

I filled in the info into the computer hoping I did it correctly and he came back in and made a sad face and asked if I was sure before he hit the 'enter' button. Sigh. I was sure.  Crimony.  Then he left.

 

A lady walked by wondering why I was still there. I asked if I was finished and she said yes and walked off. I had a few questions I wanted to ask but no one was there. I was already beyond p*ssed so I knew it was best I just leave. I was passed my limit of civility.

 

I wondered:

Will my Part A and Part B of Medicare be automatically deducted. I think so but wanted to verify it.

If so, when should I stop paying it myself and since I'm paying 3 months ahead, will they owe me money

What will the amount of my check actually be after Medicare deductions

How do I get my supplemental plan auto deducted

What about my prescription plan. Is it auto deductible too

Is my amount showing the 2018 rate increase. Has it happened yet

I thought checks were deposited on the 1st. Mine isn't until the 25th. Because my b'day is the 6th. Maybe

 

Now I need to reset my computer calendar alert thingy to July 25th.  103 more days baby....103 more days.

 

It seems nothing is ever easy for me.