WHATCHA DOING TODAY?

[TheCG]

18 minutes ago, Annarchy said:

My sentiments exactly after this week.

[Jeepers]

3 hours ago, Annarchy said:

I didn’t expect her to want to come. 

 

Oh Dear.

Hope she brings food.  

 

 

And toilet paper!

 

Edited March 21, 2020 by Jeepers
Added a very important statement. LOL

[Jeepers]

Don't trust the hours of operation in websites. It happened to me when K-marts were closing and now again. Our 24 hour Wal-Mart and 24 hour grocery stores are now 7am til 8pm. There's an hour I'll never get back.  

[Mt_Rider]

Walmart stores will have SENIOR HOUR from 6-7AM on Tuesdays.  [best to check on your area]  Go in when the store is freshly sanitized.  If anyone is UP at that hour.

 

ANNARCHY!  I was wondering about MIL....if things locked down, how she would do without you?  This is good, right?  I mean, out of her comfort zone and into your home.  Hmmm....     But worrying about her long distance would be bad.  I'm worried my folks will "jump the fence" and go out to get something they "need".  I keep telling my mom, "we can go in stores with masks.  You two stay home!" 

 

But.....it will be a huge CHANGE.  Is it just for this COVID emergency?   God, give Annarchy all the calm and direction she needs to prepare for this dear lady's arrival.   

 

MtRider     I'm thinking we're all going to have surprises in the coming days...weeks...?

[Ambergris]

DS1 does not get the canning either.  I have eight empty jars in a flat in the shop, so I don't need to buy a new flat.  Period.  And there's no room in the car anyway.  Which there isn't because he hasn't cleaned it out since my office moved from one building to another over a month ago.  Oh, and we do not need ducklings, and there's no place to keep them.  (True.  I gave the cage materials to DS2 and would have to get it all back.  But ducklings would live in the bathroom and then on the porch for the first few weeks anyway.)

[Homesteader]

9 hours ago, Annarchy said:

 

I heard a song on the way back from the city in the car radio a few months ago, and it really hit the spot.  "Breathe" by Jonny Diaz. Really hit the spot.  My mom is in a lock-down right now due to a diarrhea outbreak at her retirement center. She can't leave her apartment (which she didn't do much anyway), and the meals are brought to her (which she seldom went to the cafeteria anyway). But being told SHE CAN'T do these things has her in a downward spiral with her depression. The ban should be lifted by Monday but with all the knee-jerk regs coming from our socialist governor at the moment, he'll probably close all the main roads.    We may have to decide to bring my mom home with us but the 2-story house will give her less room than she currently has. When this is all over, she may want to get to know her neighbors and go to the cafeteria and socialize with them. 

 

The City of Madison wants residents to turn in their neighbors if there's a gathering of 10 or more in one place. There's an online form that can be filled out and submitted, and authorities will then take over.  

 

 

[kappydell]

Homesteader, my condolences on your governor.  Politics was one of the reasons we left Wis...it always tended to lean left, now it is veering hard in that direction and the taxes were skyrocketing to pay for it all as well. Then I was living in a city as well and they had their own politicians with the same leanings.  There is much I miss about Wisconsin but not the politics.  

 

Today our littlest kitten died - not unexpectedly, she has not grown in a month at all.  Something was wrong with her I suspect.  But she was a sweetie while she was here and will be missed.  The safelight man is coming to fix our windshield chip, and the insurance waived out deductible so we will pay nothing.  That is a relief.  How I hate auto insurance, necessary as it is.  Decudtibles, and their insistence on finding a driver at partial fault just for being present and getting crashed in to - it is NOT a normal world in auto-insurance-land.  Better to stay far, far, away from ever needing it.  i set up so I can order groceries from Kroger and they will bring to the car at the appointed time - takes a little planning ahead, since there is a 3 day wait between ordering & getting...but it is safer than walking around WalMart.    My police dept contacts down here tell me about all the incidents we don't see on the news anymore....and Walmart parking lot is not safe.  People are being followed home then assaulted by home invaders looking for money.  One recently killed was a 90 yr old father on a walker - they followed his daughter home when she got groceries.  Other assaults in parking lots, to steal their goods.  For some reason toilet paper is more precious than gold here.  I know I mentioned it before, but we are armed and situational awareness is 360 degrees once we go outside - even in the yard.  

 

cold and gray here.  good day to sleep.  

[Jeepers]

Thanks for the video Homesteader. It was right on the money. I understand how your mom feels. I don't mind staying in. It's just the order to that gives me the uneasy feeling. Thankfully I'm not the social butterfly type. 

 

I'm sorry to hear about your kitty Kappy. 

 

I was thinking about safety issues last night as I came home from closed down stores. I hate that I had things delivered to the house in their original boxes and not protected by a packing box. Who knew they would do that. Oh well, I have nothing else ordered except the canning jars from Wal-Mart and they are due to arrive today. At least Wal-Mart has them in boxes so you can't see what they are. 

 

It reminds me of the lessons we learned during the Y2K drill. Don't let people see you bringing supplies to your house. Pull in the garage and close the door before you unload or if you don't have a garage, unload the car late at night or early morning. This situation is worse because we can't easily team up and go out together. 

 

I have protection. S&W 38 special. Time to dust it off. I'm reminded of a Dwight Yoakam song line..."Smith and Wesson juries, hold a real mean and nasty court. And the verdict that they pass is never slow".

 

I just remembered Gordon Food Services. They have things in bulk. I'd like some #10 cans of tomatoes to recan. I don't want to even think about going to Sam's Club. I'm going to try GFS today then maybe Sam's Monday if I can't find any thing else. No big deal if I strike out though. 

 

I keep feeling like I need to go out just one more time to get things...again, while I still can. I hate the feeling of not knowing what's really going on.

 

Trump always looks so sad and worried. Sometimes I'm glad I don't know what he knows. Other times I wish I knew more. Like him or not really doesn't matter, he is our president and will lead us regardless. As I've done many times in the past...at least respect the office. Please pray for him, his health and the decisions he has to makes in these very difficult times. 

 

 

[out_of_the_ordinary]

Kappy, I'm sorry about your kitty.

 

Ann, 

 

 

[Cowgirl]

Ran to CVS early, to pick up a back-ordered prescription that came in. They have hand sanitizer out for use, along with signs about social distancing. 

 

Came home and started up a turkey vegetable stew in the slow cooker. It should be healthy and tasty, and we’ll be eating it all week, every other day. I love having leftover turkey in the freezer - so many ways to use it.

 

Doing a bit of cleaning today also. Trying to get caught back up.  

 

DH is napping so I am trying to be quiet at the moment — Catching up on the news online and very glad to be home safe. 

[Littlesister]

Kappy so sorry to hear about your kitty.  

 

Ann take a deep breath and just take it a day at a time.  I think we are all going to have to make many changes in our lives as this virus progresses and then what is going to follow.  Sooner or later the piper is going to want their money back.  Higher taxes are in our future and it won't be pretty. It will not surprise me if they even cut our social security even if a lot of seniors have their retirement wiped out from this. 

 

I have heard about people following people home and then robbing them. Just never thought about something like that getting even worse. But this may be the way of life for a long while.  One of the things I do is go home in a different direction each time. I have 2 ways into my neighborhood with one being through the neighborhood next to ours.  They have 3 other ways into their neighborhood not counting cutting through our neighborhood.  So I go though their neighborhood chosen a different street each time. Guess now I will be careful to look at who is following me into the neighborhood from any direction. 

 

We also are carrying when we go out. I have CCW. So very legal to carry.  Also have a baton that is a bad but stun gun. I can be a foot from a person and let him or her have it. Would give me time to get away. 

[snapshotmiki]

Sorry about your little kitty, Kappy!  Doesn't matter the age or how long they are here, I hate to see them go!

 

Had to go to DG and local grocery so went early this morning and found everything I wanted-DH needed.  Came home and sanitized doors, purse, wallet, bags, items, counters, etc.

 

Will be making rice to add to dog food and oatmeal for us.  Also a chick pea salad with carrots, corn, onion, bell pepper and whatever else I find with a BBQ style dressing.

 

For the first time in over 2 years, a cop stopped and asked me where I was going while on my walk.  I explained and he said fine.  He doesn't think we will be locked down but...

[Mt_Rider]

  Kappy.....THANK YOU for reporting on the crime inside story.    I'll be telling DH about this and ....doing what we need to do.  I guess not all of us are pulling together.....not that it's ever that way.  Not being urban, I haven't seen another person except just one or two walking the road since.... two weeks ago.  I hadn't noticed because SIP normal for me.  But we usually see more folks walking dogs on road.  

 

'Course there was that blizzard.  S came to plow us out today.  So I DID briefly talk to him from 2nd story porch.  The cold air made me start coughing tho.  Sun beginning to melt things, until the clouds returned for an encore.  Just a tease of snow but     SHOO!  Go away already! 

 

MtRider  ....Social Distancing is going to make us all sound like we're hard of hearing:  SHOUT!

Edited March 21, 2020 by Mt_Rider

[Jeepers]

I was going to go to Gordon Food Service today but decided not to go on a weekend. Wal-Mart, GFS and Sam's Club are all right in the same area so I'll go on Monday unless mandated to stay home. I'm okay either way. I down loaded some more books to the Kindle and put a bunch more videos in my 'to watch' list on Prime. All free so what the heck.

 

If you are relying on Kindle ebooks for entertainment, make sure they are actually actually loaded on your device and not just parked in the cloud. You can't access the books, if they aren't downloaded in, if you don't have the internet. BTDT   ,

 

I'm going to pop some corn and watch some Prime stuff the rest of the night. Hope all is well.   

[Annarchy]

Cleaned house today.  Converted our bedroom for mom.  Emptied drawers, bagged winter cloths, laundry for hours. Sheets dried quicker on the line, than, in the dryer.  Puppies didn’t like being outside all day. IDK, with customers scheduled all next week, I really can’t re-arrange the living room to accommodate Mom, but after the rush, and when we are sold out of the inventory coming in, it should be easier.  
 

Yesterday, I made French bread & a batch of cinnamon rolls, 1/2 for DH & mom, 1/2 for the elderly neighbor lady.  She came over to the fence & asked if all was well with us.  We chatted a bit and she expressed her concerns.  Because I’ve made them for her, in the past, and she couldn’t find any, I gave her 1/2 the batch.  She helps at the church food bank, and said, they are filling boxes & handing them thru car windows, to avoid contact.  I also gave her some of the hand sanitizer I had made.  She went shopping yesterday and was frightened how bare the shelves were.  I dug up some camomile & mint & put it in a pot for her, and told her how to boil it for tea.  Good stuff to relax. Especially with all the panic going on.

 

DH found flour in TX.  Today he has been busy packing Mom up.  He’s bringing a lot of her supplies.  I’m very concerned.  
 

I planted some butternut squash seeds today, that had soaked a couple of days.  DH ordered more fava beans, which should be in by Wednesday.  I have room for 3 rows. He really likes them.  Yesterday, I also planted a row of black eyed peas.  One zucchini has sprouted.  I’ll plant more if the other seeds don’t sprout. The tomatoes are doing good, 3 tomatoes on the vine already growing,   The Mexican oregano is growing again too!    Hopefully, the basil will come back, or all the seeds I scattered in that area will sprout, if not, we still have the plant in the kitchen that is doing well.  The celery, beets, carrots, & cabbage are all growing great. PTL. DH loves them.  AZ is too hot for lettuce.... might plant it in the winter, next year.  We’ll see.  It only last so long in the frig, so... there’s that too.  
 

Whacked down the weeds outside the yard, city put a notice they will fine us for any weeds over 6” tall. Really?  DH’s friend asked if I’d let him poison them...”only on the outside of the yard.”  I have never used poison inside the yard.  Don’t wanna eat it.  Still, every year the city sprays, it kills our lawn, about 3 foot in, after the monsoon floods.   It is what it is.  Can’t tell the city “don’t” At least they quit doing the alley next to the garden.  One year, I stopped them.  Gave them a couple ripe tomatoes, that they had over sprayed.  I smiled politely and said ‘enjoy’.  I always take extra time to whack down those weeds now.  Lol.

 

Gotta go set up the air mattress for us...  sighTold DH, if Moms gonna stay longer, we need to get another bed. I can handle that.  
 

 

[The WE2's]

9 hours ago, Jeepers said:

Please pray for him, his health and the decisions he has to makes in these very difficult times. 

Ditto...

[The WE2's]

Looks like everybody's got a full plate!  Today we got an SOS call from my son...he was out of TP and couldn't order it online from WM...traded me a small bag of red potatoes.  Could I have just given it to him..yeah...but after what I've been through with him and his hatred/lies I'm not opening myself up to that ever again.  I gave him a 4-roll package of tp that we had bought several years ago at Aldi's when it was 65 cents for the package, and took a partial roll of paper towels and cut it in half.  Stuck it all in a bag and delivered it.  Hubby told him "you'd better be glad you got a momma to bail your fat out of the fire!"    Hubby got a nice check for his work last week so we topped off the gas tank again in the truck and then went Amish shopping.  They were packed!  Did find some paper towels and napkins, but didn't hoard.  Just took 6 rolls of the paper towels and 4 packs of the napkins.  Also picked up a bulk bag of Winter White wheat berries.  I have the winter red, but it doesn't make a good light loaf of bread and certainly not for cookies or cakes.  Out of the whole store...only 2 packages of sugar.  I DID take them both!  Also picked some more green beans and some cases of #10 cans of fruit medley, carrots and ??? (can't remember the other).  Another bag of dog food for our girl.  Some ground turkey, some bologna, and a couple of butters.  Then to another store for bulk seeds, and picked up 4 more boxes of Tattler lids.  Been using them on the Hamburger Stew and the Chili that I jarred up.  Pulled a large sleeve of the regular lids from the homestead and will use them for foods that I plan to use soon...or have to share.  I won't give anybody my jars...but if they have their own container I "might" give them some soups...ie...son?  He's got a girlfriend who is living with him??? so I'm not feeding them.  He's got no excuse for not setting foods back.  He's on food stamps, Medicare, Medicaid, has 2 pantry's that he gets food from, subsidized rent and I'm sure she has her income.  Anyway...lots better off than we are financially. 

Thinking about what you said Jeepers about nosey neighbors.  When we got the homestead to unload, the neighbor across the road, her teenage son and young daughter, her mother, and 2 or 3 other teenagers were all out on their tiny front porch and part of the yard.  So...we only unloaded a few items and then came on back here and backed the truck in under the carport.  We'll get up early in the morning and see if we can't get it into the house unseen.  They're usually gone on Sundays to their grandmother's...and since the grandmother was there, they obviously aren't concerned about taking any virus to her.  

And...hubby bought the parts to hook up a kitchen sprayer to our toilet...our own Bidet!  We're also going to put one on the new toilet at the homestead.  Just sayin'....laugh if you want, but we like the idea.  We have a regular Bidet "somewhere" in the shed at the Roost property, but it's very difficult to install and has a lot of metal hanging around on the toilet bowl.  A handheld will work much better.

 

[The WE2's]

Tomorrow I'm planning to put some radishes and lettuce in some soil.  Next week we're hoping the recycler from the city will be open and we can get a truck load of compost to get the garden containers started.  So much cheaper than having to buy it from the stores.  

[Cowgirl]

In an effort to feel “normal” I am making a full Sunday dinner for tonight. We will have salmon, rice pilaf, broccoli, rolls, and we’ll finish it off with a cherry pie. The pie is cooling off now. Cooking de-stresses me, so I have been doing a bit of it today!

[snapshotmiki]

Did 2 exercise videos this morning. Made sugar free pudding for DH and sugar free jello for me. Next going to sweep and dust house. That may be it for the day!

[kappydell]

Went to Ingle;s to check out their meat.  Supposed to have a sale on beef & pork.  Asked our prep neighbor if she needed anything.  Just parchment paper, sweet tea, hamburger and pork chops..  OK.  Debated geting up at 6AM for the granny and resistance impaired shopping hour but decided to go in after but still in the morning.  Big mistake.  Only chicken breasts left (nice ones tho - got some.  Also fpund shredded hash browns and got a couple pkgs also because WM has always been out of those lately.  All in all about what we expected. Mary told me it was OK for me to go to the granny/impaired shopping hour if I wanted but she would not because she did not want to get up that early.  Finally got the tea and a few other things we needed but not thrilled.  No hamburger or pork chops anywhere but prep neighbor liked the chicken - nice big breasts.  Swapped our empty propane tank for a filled one.  Noticed a truck that turned into our lane after we passed.....was just sitting there before....just kept an eye on him until he turned off.  ;

 

I just remembered where I had read about people waiting at or following someone home then doing a home invasion....it was in an old post by Ferfal, written about 

argentina's economic crash and how society changed dramatically and not for the better.  Hope we are not headed there it was an ugly scenario, if highly interesting.  I do not want to have to deal with black market barter bazaars, getting rid of tailing vehicles, watch dogs being poisoned, nor home invasions.....I only kept a copy of that to read when I wanted reminding about how bad it COULD get, but never want to experience it.  Friends robbing each other.  Ugh.  Our local meth house is back in operation - another prep neighbor lives next door with his family.  that is why he keeps 4 pit bulls and carries concealed at all times.  Nice guy, nice family.  Told him if we hear shooting or dogs sounding off we will come back him up.  More incentive to get as strong and agile as I can.  PT workouts are improving my mobility already 8 weeks post surgery.  Stepping things up a bit recovery wise.  

[Jeepers]

I sort of worry about the "granny hours" for shopping. Elderly are easy pickings and vulnerable in parking lots.

[Cowgirl]

The good news about early morning granny hours is that very, very few criminal types are awake at 7 or 8 am.

[Littlesister]

Our stores are now starting tomorrow with the 6 am thing for the seniors.  They do it early morning because they have a staff that has to go through and clean down everything. Baskets, doors, floors, keypads at registers and everything else. They said they are doing it that early because that is when the store is the cleanest and sanitized. Then there is one hour in between the seniors time and the younger crowd. They take that hour to wipe down everything again. But it is not the cleaning they do each night after closing. Just door handles, keypads, etc. that they can get done in a hour. 

 

This morning I had Bible reading and praying. No Church for next 2 weeks starting today. Don't know yet after that. 

Canned the cabbage soup  and then some more reading while it was in the canner. Then got kitchen cleaned up again. Tomorrow I might go ahead and can some more water.  If I am going to have a lot of empty canning jars for the summer then for now I can water and then I can always use that water in the canning..   I always pressure can my water for 15 minutes as it will last for years that way. All you have to do is shake it up before you open to get the oxygen back in it and it is good to drink without having to put through a filter. I bought several more canning jars over the last 3 weeks, So now I have to get them all washed.  I have 3 dozen quart jars and need more but hard to find now and 6 doz. pint size jars.  When I do go to get the RX's, I am going to check to see if they got more jars in. If so I am getting all the quart jars they have this time.  Just don't like the idea of going out that one last time for even the RX's but got to do it. So I might as well take advantage of the situation. DH will be staying home. I will be wearing gloves again and taking my Clorox wipes with me anyway though they said the baskets will be sanitized. Taken all precautions and then some.

[Jeepers]

I have some water I pressure canned too. I figured I could use it as sterile water in case of wounds or an eye wash.