WHATCHA DOING TODAY?

[Jeepers]

Oh Miki, that is terrible.  

[Annarchy]

Boy, do I have a story to tell.

 

Yesterday, we decided to stay home and enjoy a quiet fire pit night. Made cinnamon rolls, for the hen Lady and French bread for our French dips.  Around dusk, I lit the pit.  DH came out a few minutes later and mentioned, the structure the neighbor across the alley built, was a chimney, and they had a fire going.  We are skeptical, because we watched him, stand up 2x4s, wrapped in tarpaper, chicken wire, and stucco....  erm... not very fireproof, maybe.  Ok, so, we are tending our little fire, and keeping an eye on his chimney, when the next door neighbor girls, older teens(?) go into the back yard and chattering.  No biggie.  Until.... I noticed they lit a fire too.  Maybe, 3 foot away from their back porch awning. Up went the flames and back down.  About 7-8 times before it finally stayed lit... but..  they put pallets on it... the fire went way up!  We heard them commenting, ‘it’s hitting the awning’... !?!!?!  Ok... we were considering getting our garden hose ready to save our house, if their house caught fire, but it calmed down a bit.  The other neighbors kids climbed up on their brick wall, laughing and watching the fire.  Their Mom & dad made them get off.  The girls got louder and louder as the night progressed, until their landlord came over, their voices got subdued and we could hear him raking the rocks around the fire.  I went to bed around 10 pm.  I’m assuming it was midnight when fireworks went off.  
 

DH said I missed the fun stuff.  The girls ended up in the road, laughing and talking loudly, until they were yelled at by another neighbor, “.... I told you to get the f*** out of here”. Oh, my, I’m glad I missed that.  And our other neighbor, it was his birthday and they had silly string wars in the street.  Lol.  The road is covered in bright fluorescent streaks. 
 

This morning I peeked through the fence at the girls yard, red solo cups scattered in the yard and the pvc pipes for their misting system was slightly melted. Oops.. 
 

Today... got up, went to get my coffee, and noticed my socks didn’t slide on the floor by the water dispenser.  Turned on the light....    the dog didn’t go out!!!  My eyes weren’t open yet!  I hadn’t even had a chance to sip my coffee!  Got my bucket and cleaned up the mess.  Except, it had soaked the box my meat slicer came in.  Sigh.  Cleaned the slicer after I threw the dog and box outside.  Drank my cup of coffee and brooded.  Stupid dog.... freaks out on fireworks and has separation anxiety....  harumph. I made him stay out all day and chastised him for scratching at the door, because he was insisting on coming back in. Not!  I wasn’t a happy camper. 

 

I made menudo for lunch, then, hickory smoked a ham, while cooking black eyed peas for dinner. Sliced the ham and Vacuum sealed 16 packages. 
 

Tomorrow, hopefully, DH will get his retirement, or I’m gonna have a fit, and be making a very upset phone call.  Time to crash....  

[Ambergris]

Wow~That could have gone bad fast.

[snapshotmiki]

On 1/1/2020 at 1:21 AM, Jeepers said:

Oh Miki, that is terrible. 

 

It's ok.  I have Microsoft One Drive so they are still on my lap top!  

 

Yesterday, I switched out all eBay and personal files.  reorganized a few to make it easier on myself this year and then printed all info for accountant.  Other than that, nothing!  Great day!

 

This morning did exercise video right away and next will go with DH to doc appt.  After that, who knows, maybe stop at Lowe's for bag of gravel for mud hole at bottom of back steps.

[Jeepers]

Glad you had them saved elsewhere Miki. I do the redundancy thing too. 

 

Lucky your whole neighborhood didn't go poof Annarchy. Poor structures, fire, awnings, fireworks, silly string (highly flamable) and who knows what else. Sounds like alcohol was involved too. And not the rubbing kind. Those teen to forty+ year olds can be a terror. My neighbor is 60-ish and still acts like a jacka$$.   

[The WE2's]

On 12/31/2019 at 4:07 PM, Jeepers said:

fit in the Jeep

 

When we bought our queen sized memory foam, we only had a van.  We had them load it on top, strong some ropes over the top in three places, tucked the rope ends inside the doors and closed the doors...and off we went!

[Mt_Rider]

Glad you had the pics saved elsewhere, Miki!!!!

 

NYE celebrations near the Annarchy's sound soooo dangerous!  {probably why I'm a hermit and don't like idiot neighbors! Hmph!} 

 

DH and I got up EARLY ....I got to sleep about 2AM.  He drove the car to the mechanic for it's "little" steering fluid problem.  I was supposed to follow...bring him home.  I did but first I had to get my brain working      And scrape frost off all truck windows.  Move bunch of stuff I keep on passenger side of seat.  THEN start that old vehicle and sit in 0* while it slowly, reluctantly warms up.  Thankful I had put a couple of almost-used chemical heat packs in my snow coveralls.  Cuz right hand fingers were FREEZING.  Too many things to do with dexterity - glove off.  Seeeee.....I save EVERYTHING.  As my signature line used to say:  PACKRAT WITH A PURPOSE!!   

 

Decided NOT to take the lonely back way.  I prefer not driving at highway speeds but ....ZERO DEGREES + lonely gravel roads with twists/turns/steeeep up and down/by myself.....     I have a gravel cut-off so I minimize highway travel the other way to mechanic.  It worked fine and DH drove us home....stopping to fill truck tank on the way. 

 

Warmed up to 20+* later.  Stayed inside.  We both took long naps to make up for lost sleep.  Hope he gets car done tomorrow....mechanic closed on Sat/Sun.  DH works Sun/Mon/Tues.    

 

MtRider 

[The WE2's]

On 12/30/2019 at 3:20 PM, Littlesister said:

cong. heart failure

 

My step dad and my mom both lived with this...until they didn't.

[Mt_Rider]

My mom has congestive heart and my dad has a similar thing: pulmonary hypertension.  AND we live at very high altitude.  Yet....tho my dad is now on full time O2....and my mom uses O2 at nite....they are still with us.    

 

MtRider  ...we go when God says:  Come HOME.   

[The WE2's]

On 12/31/2019 at 4:52 PM, Mt_Rider said:

Get some poison for the garage

 

Farmer friends of ours showed us how they take empty water bottles, put the DeKon (?) pellets in it, and lay it on it's side somewhere that is safe from pets and kids...the mice WILL find it!  So...that's what we've done here and at the homestead place.  I've also put out Irish Spring soap ALL OVER the homestead pantry and we've found a few nibbles on the soap but it seems the mice really do NOT like it...and we've not found any problems.  Just sharing.

[Littlesister]

This type of thing does run in families. DH's father had it.  I also had family members that passed from cong. heart failure.  The good Lord has been very good to DH. No male in his family has lived to see 70 years of age. His brother passed from melinoma at 69 years. My DH is now 82 years young.  With God's good grace he has beat the odds. I am going to try to keep him around as long as I can. But when the good Lord says time is up then I will at least know he is in a better place and not suffering. Today he has had a much better day. Fluid is down a lot.  .  God is great. 

Today I finished getting all the Christmas stuff into the shed. So all that is put up. Now I can get car back into the garage.  No more going out to scrape frost off car and getting it warmed up. 

Been cleaning and getting furniture that I had to move for Christmas decorations back in place. Getting things together for dehydrating and canning from freezer. That got put on hold, now I think I will be able to get it done. 

Checking out seed cat. so I can order some seeds. I am working on getting some raised beds in this spring.  Hubby won't be able to helpp but he can watch. 

[The WE2's]

New Years Eve I fixed a scrumptuous pot roast (still eating from our pantry's and freezers) with potatoes, celery, carrots and onions.  Oh my...saved half for New Years Day meal. Watched a movie and then put on an old Ray Price song "You're The Best Thing That's Ever Happened To Me"...and danced into our new year!

[The WE2's]

New Years Day...had a wonderful breakfast then packed a picnic lunch and took Miss B to our favorite state park for a LONG walk and lunch.  Then home to watch the Rose Parade and then supper which was left over roast beef, fried potatoes with onions and Basil, black eyed peas with rice, mushroom gravy, hot biscuits and peaches for dessert. Wonderful weather...in the low 60's but very windy and of course, the park was shady in a lot of places.  Wonderful way to start our new year! 

 

 

 

 

[snapshotmiki]

10 hours ago, Mt_Rider said:

Warmed up to 20+* later.

 

 

We were at 75 degrees yesterday!  A more normal 63 today.

 

Do you have an electric throw or blanket?  It's a lifesaver for me!

[Jeepers]

Miki, those electric throws are so nice. I bought another one at Christmas time for the other house. They warm you up so nicely. They do double duty on warming up a bed for a single person too. I also rely on a large heating pad. Carlene, the dog lady, keeps a blow dryer on her desk all winter. A quick shot down the shirt warms you up fast.

 

We2, I'm going to have to measure the Jeep inside with the back seats down. I really don't care how many pieces I have. It's just to keep the mattress from falling through the slats of becoming weak on the bottom. Getting a mattress out there won't be a problem (famous last words). I'm going to get one of the "mattress in a box" kind. A queen size SHOULD fit in the Jeep. Son has a work van but it's probably full of tools and equipment. Love the pictures. Nice to see Miss B back on the road.  I'm going to try the poison in a bottle trick. At least I can sort of keep it contained. G'son isn't out there in the winter but I'll warn his parents anyway. Thanks for the tip! Last time I was in Wal-Mart a guy was training a service dog and she looked a lot like Abby girl. She didn't have the white toes or yellow eyes and she was smaller (younger?) But my first thought was of Abby. 

 

Littlesister, I'm glad your hubby has good days mixed in with the not so good ones. Even if he can't help with the garden, the fresh air and change of scenery will lift his spirits. Plus he will have the important job of keeping you company! 

[TheCG]

We just ordered a short queen memory foam mattress for our camper, and I'm pretty certain that it would fit in the back of my Kia Soul if necessary...until we open the box.

[Jeepers]

I saw a queen size mattress box at Wal-Mart and I was pretty sure it would fit in the back with the seat down. Kind of long but not very wide or tall. Will remember to open it in the bedroom when I get one. 

 

Lots of high end mattresses come in a box now. I have a mattress parked in Amazon. I was hoping it would come down in price. It hasn't. 

 

I'd like to wait now until I get rid of the mouse problem before I get one. I don't want to share my bed with them. Shudder. 

[Littlesister]

DH still doing well and fluid and swelling is still under control. Praying this will continue to do well. 

Seems everyone is having a mattress sell. Hope you find a good one. 

Went to Sam's club today. DH stayed home. Bought 45 lbs of rice that I now need to get into mylar and the 5 gal. bucket. Finished off the 50 lbs. we had. Took 3 years to finish it off. So now I know how much we need for meals. Picked up some cleaning supplies we needed as well. Used almost all of that up so had to replenish it.  Then went to Big Lots. They used to have great sells, but now you have to pick through everything. Did find a few bargans like freeze dried fruit and red hill veggi soup mix.  Also found something new called Frontier soups these are also freezedried. They are put out by Anderson House. Seem to be from VA Blue Ridge. Only 20 mg. of salt so DH can eat this. Bought all they had for $1.00 each. Only had about 10 of them. they are non GMO, nothing artificial and no added salt. So hoping they will be good.  Came home got everything put away and started cleaning the house. mopping floors and getting everything from Christmas cleaned up. All the boxes and decorations being up made it a bit hard to dust in some places. So all that is now out of the way and back to the normal house work. 

Bought 10 lbs of red potatoes as well to can and also some chicken that Sam's had reduced. So will have a busy couple of days. 

Made a space to keep my deydrator.  So I am going to have that running for a while as I deydrate some frozen veggies. Might make somemore veg. beef soup as well to can. 

[The WE2's]

Hubby worked for a customer until about 2, then worked at the homestead.  He's cutting "flashing" to put in between the crawl space part of the homestead and where the basement/root cellar is.  They left a huge gap there where rodents and bugs can enter the basement from the crawl space (which is under the house).  Love it!  I know it's taking a lot of time but we just have to make sure the place is safe and comfortable as we can.  We don't plan to ever move again once this is over!  

As for me...it was bake bread day (my loaf got too big! LOL...but it's still good for sandwiches)..we really don't eat a lot of bread because we eat a lot of pasta, also baked a carrot cake and made caramel/coconut icing, then sliced up sweet potato wedges for my Abby-girl...put a gallon bag in the freezer and a quart bag in frig.  She gets a nice big wedge for her evening snack (instead of the commercially bagged greeny type treats).  She loves her 'taters!  She's not getting any yogurt now because we're eating oatmeal (still eating from our pantry's and freezers) with our breakfast.  For her lunch she gets a dribble of kibble and one scrambled egg.  She's keeping her weight down very well ... especially for her age.  We have to keep her under 100# and so far we've succeeded.  She's just a big barreled girl with a little butt...gotta keep those hind quarters in good shape!  Also found a case of Oreo chocolate cookie wedges...yummy!  They were hiding in the homestead's frig freezer! LOL  Also filled my coffee jar with coffee.  Early this year we bought a case of 42 packets for 10.99 at the Mennonite store.  One pkt is about 2 and a half scoops for my French Press which is too strong for me, so I empty them into my coffee jar and just use 2 scoops.  Also used the rest of my flour that I had here for my bread, so hubby brought me home a bag of flour which I had (and have several more) in the big upright freezer at the homestead.  Would you believe...it's a 5# bag!  LOL  

 

[Jeepers]

I don't blame you We2. Do it right the first time. It's easier, cheaper and safer in the long run. Think of all you are saving on labor. Usually more expensive than the materials. And prices aren't coming down. 

 

Awesome pictures. Ya know, if you ever decide to do a YouTube channel on cooking or shopping hauls, you would be the very first channel I'd subscribe to. 

[Mt_Rider]

  You would not believe the blessing we got today!  

 

You've been hearing about the estimates for finding leak and repair of steering fluid in our car.  Big O put the upper estimate - depending how much they had to tear apart to FIND the leak- at $1,700.   Our regular guy worked on it today and called us.  It's under his warranty cuz he did a lot of expensive suspension/brake work for us last spring.  RackandPinion...whatever that is....shocks, etc.   Anyway, he said he found the leak and it's done and we owe.... ZERO.

 

   REALLY?           

 

Wow. 

 

Another really odd thing has been going on with out tiny church.  Yeah, most members are older but we've had a real rash of things happening!

 

G had a ladder go down with him.... from two floors up.  [thot of MrWE2 and his safety things.   G had himself hitched but it PULLED LOOSE!]  He's been walking etc but had to have surgery Christmas night to remove a crushed lumbar vertebrae and fuse L2 and L4 together.  He's older but in terrific shape with running marathons, etc.  They live within walking distance of us in summer.  See him running by all the time.

 

Then T,  the dh of my neighbor-friend, went into hospital with pneumonia.  He's outlived his type of cancer for 40 years...  He's had it all this time but has gone on with life and didn't die.  Multiple meylenoma...something like that.  He's been a real anomaly. 

 

Then D, who drove my DH hours to the airport to say goodbye to his mom in hospice back in Feb....and picked him up - - - he was taken by ambulance last evening with severe pain.  Related to his recent heart ablation or not???  Breathing issues...

 

Today I sent out Prayer Updates: 

G and wife are cleared to leave on the [already planned/paid for] vacation to Hawaii.  

T is out of hospital and home. 

D is having respiratory therapy and doing better.  Might be home tomorrow.       

 

THEN P, a lady who was seeing her doc the same time DH was seeing his.  She had cold/flu bug at that time before Christmas.  After her doc appt today, she was sent for tests at ER....then sent to bigger hospital in city.    Seems to be okay tonite but...needs to see cardio doc.   

 

I don't think I've ever had so many at once!  I had to label the prayer request for P  "A New One"  so they wouldn't think it was a repeat.  Our pastor must be quite BUSY! 

 

Oddly, with all our snow/ice.....none have been about that yet.

 

MtRider  .....been a long couple days!   

Edited January 4, 2020 by Mt_Rider
spelling

[Mt_Rider]

17 hours ago, snapshotmiki said:

Do you have an electric throw or blanket?  It's a lifesaver for me!

 

We do turn furnace down to sleep.  But I check the outside temp before bed.  If it's going below zero, the furnace stays up a bit.  I don't usually sleep with much except a couple blankets.  I have a heavy down comforter at-the-ready tho.  I also dress for success:  sox, flannel stretchy pants, tank-Tshirt-sweatshirt.  And a pair of long tube sox draped over my eyes.  .....   .....I can't seem to find a real sleep mask and any ...ANY....light wakes me up.  Guess it keeps my face warm too.   

 

I also have a secret weapon...in case I get chilled for some reason...day or night.  Heating pad right along the side of my bed.  Pull it over and hit the button.    

 

MtRider  ...y'all flatlanders would freeze up here, yeah?     Maui is going to be SOOOOO different!   

[Homesteader]

12 hours ago, The WE2's said:

 Love it!  I know it's taking a lot of time but we just have to make sure the place is safe and comfortable as we can.  We don't plan to ever move again once this is over!  

 

 

Famous last words for us.    We're running out of energy on this last project and SWEAR this is the last place for us.  We called in reinforcements last week, a finish carpenter from church. We've hired him before and love his work. He and DH just tore out the stairs to the second floor so we can build an open staircase for the woodburner heat to rise. We don't have forced air so any air movement helps. We've both fallen down the stairs in the three years we've lived here, so the old steep ones are gone. To add depth to the stair treads and build a larger landing, the guys had to cut into the second floor structure. The wood floor has been stripped back and we now climb into bed at night via an aluminum ladder.  Reminds me of 40 years ago when we built a garage first and lived out of it while we built the house. Some things never change.  

[Jeepers]

Wow. You really are roughing it in. Going to be beautiful one of these days soon. I've got a ' to-do'  list a mile long but it's all on me to get it done.I'll try my best to do it but before I kill myself on it I'll hire some one to help. I'm afraid of falling too. I fell going up the stairs already...twice. New house will have no interior steps. I just can't do them anymore.  I'm not even looking at gas or electricity. They scare me.

 

I'm having restless leg syndrome now. I used to only have it at night in bed. Driving me crazy. (short trip...I know). It's in both knees now. If it isn't my neck it's my back or hips. Throw in an inflamed sciatica nerve and a migraine and you have my typical day. 

 

I wish they would invent a drug that is non habit forming and only works on pain so you won't get high. I'm tired of being punished because some people can't control themselves because of their habit. 

 

My heating pad is my best friend for ever. 

 

[kappydell]

Homesteader, an open stairway will make a wonderful convection warming corridor.  The old farmhouse (1896) I rented had only a space heater in the living room, and the stairway took the air up to upstairs the bedrooms nicely.   Unfortunately the landlord carpeted over the holes the original owners had cut in the floor (remember those old cast iron grates in the floor?  I used to listen at them to the grownups talking after I was supposed to be in bed asleep, LOL).  You might try that if you need more warm air upstairs (and dont have a carpet or dont mind putting a hole in one).  You just close them with a lever on the side when you don't need the air flow.  

In our old house we would open the upstairs window closest to the open stairwell and put a fan in the window, blowing air out, as the warmer air rose up the steps.  Mostly at night, it cooled things down nicely when the weather was hot.