WHATCHA DOING TODAY?

[Mt_Rider]

Wow....so traumatic for all of you, Annarchy.    Koa is just a big terrified baby when she goes in the vet office.  Refuses to go in the back rooms.  We use a hind-end lifter and slide her across the floor.  I get on the floor with her and she lets me put the muzzle on.  She'd bite if she felt that threatened.  But so far, okay.  Embarrassing tho...cuz not only are we sliding her but she's howling!  Singin' the blues....loudly.    

 

Last time DH stopped by to pick up a sedative for her.  Gave it before the appt but it's affect was miscalculated.  She got very drowsy as we were leaving the vet.  Barely got her up the stairs at home.  So we called back and reported this so they could correct the timing in her chart.  Must give earlier.  [you might want to test that, Annarchy]

 

She used to have a home visit vet.  We'd have her in the back yard and the vet was so cheery and Koa loved her.  If she had to have a shot, I shoved treats in the front end while vet did whatever in the back end.  It was never traumatic for her. 

 

BUT....as some of you will remember.... as a small pup, Koa was verrrry sick when we were at the MrsS Gathering at Darlene's.  She was at the vet with I.V. for 2-3 days.  Then still had to have sub-Q fluids [needle just under the skin] for a week or more after we got her back to Darlene's.  She would WAIL AND SCREECH like we were killing her each time.  So I think the vet office environment is just throwing her into that puppyhood trauma.     The outside environment didn't do that. 

 

But that vet group is now only doing "large animals" and tho she's as big as goats....they aren't doing dogs now.  So we had to switch vets.  Wonder if these guys could come outside to do her shots....I think they do with COVID protocols.  That might work better?  I liked the gal that was there the first time.  Not impressed with the guy we've had since tho.  He's informative to us but just about ignores Koa.    Not afraid of her tho....so that's something.  120#

 

MtRider  .....no way to know what trauma Storm had to set him off in terror like that.   

[snapshotmiki]

Good morning! Will walk at some point and walk dogs.
Thawing chicken to make roaster of dog food this evening.
Will slice sweet potatoes and carrots for dog food sometime today.
Going to visit with father-in-law later this morning
And take half feral cat--who finally went into the live trap--to it's new owners! So glad this will be done!
This evening will make the dog food in roaster and slow cooker to cook overnight.

Will PC it tomorrow and that is done for the next couple of months.
Never even looked at my closet yesterday--maybe today or tomorrow.

[Littlesister]

Got up this morning and got the barbeque put away.  Dryer went out yesterday and today I went to Lowes and ordered a new one. It will be here next Thursday and to my surprise they had chest freezers.  i cam so close to buying a small one. But after having to buy a dryer, thought I would wait in hopes they will still have some later. 

Came home and strung up 3 more clotheslines in garage. So washing clothes and hanging them in garage. It has looked like rain all day but no rain. just dreary and cool. I need to restring my outside clothes line as one line broke and the other ones have rotted over the years. I bought the line for it but haven't had a chance to go out and restring it yet. Indoors is good anyway. Being in garage it is out of way. Just have to leave car outside though. DH did very well when I went to Lowes.  Was gone for 2 hours. When I left him to get car inspected that was 4 hours, so I might start leaving him for at least that 4 hour time table to go to other mom and pop places I would like to go to. I don't really want to do a Sam's run because I am to a point I prefer to use mom and pop with things going on to keep them in business. But they do sell much larger quanity of things that I need to get. Mostly non food type things. TP, paper towels, napkins, plastic silverware,  foil, etc. With phase 2 of this virus and lock downs beginning to hit, I want to make that big run. Will be looking more for things I can get DH to eat as far as food goes. Oatmeal, grits, cheerios and fruit. Also want to look at what they have in the fresh veggie section. 

[Homesteader]

Went to ALDI yesterday while DH watched mom. I was really surprised to see how empty the veggie aisle was. They restock starting on Tues night. I guess the truck didn't come. Lots of fruits, just short on veggies.

 

DH read an article that said that paper products will be in short supply again. I think we're caught up, but will save some old newspapers, just in case. 

[Littlesister]

Have not heard about the short supply of paper products again, not that it has improved here that much yet. I really need to make a Sam's club run but got a lot going on. 

Lowe's pulled a fast one on the dryer. Didn't tell me when I bought it that to install it I have to have a permit and city inspection. That was bull. DH worked for the Gas Co. We have friends that work for the gas co.  It is not a new install,  it is a replacement from old one to new one. She was not happy when she found out DH worked for the gas co. because she knew I was right. So she said it is Lowe's policy. I said fine. Refund me the labor charge and just deliver the dryer.  DH's friend was out today to remove the old dryer and put on street. And will be back to install the new one when it is delivered. 

He is also going to have someone come over and put a handrail on the garage steps so DH can get in house easier. So two more things taken care of. 

Got clothes off line in garage and put those away and then started get a few other things done. Cleaned up in garage as spiders and such do get in there. So cleaned up, swept it all out and sprayed the 1 year bug spray around the walls of garage. That usually works out for a year. Then I have to do it again.

DH has given me orders to sit down for a while. Funny he should say that. But he was right. I have been at it since 7:30 this morning and I am a bit tired. So here I am. 

[snapshotmiki]

Will do a video in a bit and take care of pups.
Already have jars heating and PCs on stove.
Should get 20 to 24 quarts of dog food.
Then need to pick greens
And pull out craft totes from closet, maybe more.
Just making tuna salad sandwiches for dinner.

The kitty is in her new home and out from under the couch where she hid when released. She seems very happy to be indoors which we could not do.

 

Crap!  New stove is hotter than old one.  Warped one of my Pressure canners!

[TheCG]

I baked ahead a bit today, from a new keto cookbook.  Chocolate peanut butter cheesecake brownies (mostly put into the freezer) and a recipe for rolls that I did in a muffin top pan to use as hamburger buns later one.  They're tasty split in half with butter as well.  

[The WE2's]

On 11/12/2020 at 5:42 PM, Littlesister said:

Tooth is doing better today

 

Xylitol (sp?) makes a wonderful mouth wash.  We use it for that but also brush with it at lease once a day.

[The WE2's]

On 11/9/2020 at 9:32 PM, Littlesister said:

brake bleeders

We bought ours at Harbor Freight.

[Littlesister]

WE2, which one is best. to use.  There are so many different brake bleeders out there, I'm not sure which one to buy.

[Mt_Rider]

LOL Homesteader.  We really do save old phone books.  Esp the small town/county ones.  Cheap paper can be mashed/crinkled, then smoothed out again to make it soft...er.   I have a friend who is experimenting with "the family cloth".  She lives alone and is trying the diaper pail thing.  Long ago had counted on burning the refuse but decades of drought in the SW has us wondering it that can even happen?  Hate to have headlines in local paper:  Pioneer Weirdos Set Forest Fire While Burning Alternate T.P.      Ooops.

 

woooooeee... I haven't had a lot of energy these past 2 days.  I've still been sorting thru things in LR....just a bit here and there.  Slow but progress.  I did walk dog ...tho tonite might not have been such a good idea.  Nearly dark when I got out there.  Koa wears a VERY reflective vest and I have headlamp.  But I had planned to wash/dry hair tonite.  That takes energy too....almost more than walking dog cuz of standing still with hair drying.  So I did wash hair anyway and dried a lot of it sitting down.  It worked but I was glad it's much shorter now.  Was very tired.....a bit like blacking out....after that.  Hand tremors tell me I have to slack back a bit.      BUT I LIKE getting things accomplished! 

 

MtRider     Read about the history of the Boers in S. Africa.  People, not the goats.  Interesting. 

[TheCG]

If you have Amazon Prime, watch Pioneer Quest.  It's fabulous.  They basically send 2 couples into Manitoba to build a homestead and survive for a year.

[Littlesister]

The CG, will check it out. as I do have Amazon Prime. Went into shed this morning and started going through things. I see a lot of stuff going out to good will or maybe hold for a spring yard sale. Which depends on the virus. 2 plastic containers of nothing but jeans we can't wear and some old coats. They have been in there I think a couple of years. Also some dishes I haven't uses in ages. Going to down size on the Christmas stuff, so a lot of that is going out as well. Just not going to do all that decorating like I have been. A wreath on front door and the Christmas tree is enough. That is about all I can handle with taken care of DH. Daughter and I have Thanksgiving all planned out now and dinner will be just heat it up. Pick that up the day before Thanksgiving. Granddaughter moves into her apartment the weekend after Thanksgiving.  So very busy times indeed.  

DH has his surgery tomorrow to remove those cancers with one that will require a graft.  They are going to put him under just enough to keep him calm and not feel anything. I will have to have son in law come help me get him into the house when we get back home. 

Today is Grandson's birthday, Hard to believe he is now 19 years old. He is the youngest of the grandchildren. 

[snapshotmiki]

Today, after walking and pet chores, I am making sweet potato treats for dogs.
Will write 3 more eBay drafts.
Will pick mustard greens and radish greens (for me this time) and cook.
Will make hot water cornbread.
Will finish last bag of clothes in closet--switching summer for winter-ish.
That is probably it

 

Guess I will get another pressure canner as PCing dog food would take two days with just one. DH will try to hammer it flat again with a towel and a 2 x 4 but the metal has been compromised - is what I have been told.  At least I can use it for water bath and stockpot!  I have two months to save money for a new one as I won't use the money for chest freezer. Money...

Edited November 17, 2020 by snapshotmiki

[Annarchy]

Day 2 having our roof replaced....  wham, bang, thud, thump.... dust everywhere....  but, expected... lol.

[Littlesister]

Annarchy, I know what you mean. I had that done 3 years ago. I had put tarps over everything in attic to keep the dust off. it did help as those tarps were nasty after they got done.  

took DH to hospital yesterday to have the cancers removed from leg. arm and head. 6 stitches in head and the ones on arm were either scraped or burned off.  As for the leg, that was the bad one. It was cut out deep and wide and then skin taken from the upper thigh area for the skin graft. They got a clean marker. It was a squamous cell carcinoma.  He said you don't play around with those that form that fast. So he has most of that leg wrapped and an ace bandage around it.  He cannot shower till he sees doctor on the 23ed. He will be removing the bandages. I only have to clean up the ones on arm and head. I have to now help him to get sponge baths as he can't do it by himself. But we have been down that road before. Just that I am a lot older this time and makes it harder when he can barely walk. He is having a hard time because the cancer was on his right leg and it is sore, so he can't get up as easy as before. I have to pull him up.  Gotta love those belts. I am thinking of looking into wheelchairs for him. As sometimes I think one is so needed. It would have to be lightweight and so I can get it into trunk of car. The left leg is the one we are working to get muscle back and now with the right leg out of commission, it is really tough on him.  

I was so tired today for some reason. Not sure what is wrong but just haven't had any energy to do much. So we had subway for dinner. Got 2 footlongs so half of them is in fridge for tomorrow's lunch. 

Got the bills paid and now going to swear off of using the charge cards. Though I pay them off as they come in, I am going to have to build up my emergency money again.  So slowing down the prepping for a long while. I think we are good on everything but kleenex. DH goes through them. Just eggs, milk and bread or I could just make the bread. That and the RX's is going to be it for next few months.  I really do miss DH not being able to cook collards at the Bennett's Creek market now. That money was our emergency money and money for Christmas gifts. I am thinking his days of doing the collard cooking is over. I just don't see him getting his strength back like before. But we will get past these trying times and move on.

[Mt_Rider]

7 hours ago, Littlesister said:

I was so tired today for some reason. Not sure what is wrong but just haven't had any energy to do much.

 

Sheeeesh, LittleSister!  You're doing so much!  Being nursing aid to your dh and running around to do shopping   and

cooking   and canning     and cleaning      and.......  you're not sure why you're tired? 

 

Good heavens, lady!  Go   or   or    or even     You're going to collapse if your body says "TIRED" and

 

you aren't adding up all the ways you are spending yourself out.  Sit down and count all that you end up doing for yourself and your dh.  Gotta take care of yourself tooooo!       [and I think you've told a few of us that tooooooo!]   

 

 

My DH did   for my folks today.  Convinced them that neither should be carrying bags of groceries up those stairs.....not ever again!  Shop if you want but don't buy more than 2 bags to carry!  My mom agrees....then she forgets and buys more than a few things....  

 

DH flushed out the radiator system in car yesterday and added more antifreeze today after circulating it for a while.  We've had WARM and SUNNY.     Chilly at night of course.  But we have WINTER periodically too.  I'm pushing to do a bit of sorting, rearranging, or cleaning each day.  Might be a long process but it is progress.  Walking most evenings....with N95 cuz dust is 'choke' again.  Florida is drowning and we NEED moisture!

 

MtRider 

[TheCG]

4 hours ago, Mt_Rider said:

My DH did   for my folks today.  Convinced them that neither should be carrying bags of groceries up those stairs.....not ever again!  Shop if you want but don't buy more than 2 bags to carry!  My mom agrees....then she forgets and buys more than a few things....  

Back when I rode a scooter and had to limit the amount of stuff I could buy, I’d pop the basket off the back and take it in with me and use it as the shopping basket.  If it didn’t go in, it couldn’t go with me.  Would maybe having a designated bag (or basket if that would be easier for her) that she takes with her, sets in the cart, and uses for the amount she can get work?

[TheCG]

I know some of y’all have been having trouble finding lids.  I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m not canning anytime soon.  Do any of y’all need a couple packs of just the little disc part of the lid?  They were all bought pre-COVID, so not much worry of them being the Chinese fakes.

 

Offer open to anybody who’s an active poster here - If more than one person says they want them by, let’s say Sunday afternoon, 3pm Central, then I’ll try to just divvy them up between y’all.  If I’m not going to recognize your name...don’t bother.

 

If you’d like some, send me a private message.  I have some wide and some regular.  Maybe 4-6 packs, depending on if there’s anything else hiding in the cupboard.

[Homesteader]

Today, I had a meeting at church with a another lady on my mission's committee. We were commenting about being tired all the time. Yes, much of it is physical but we both touched on the mental stress we're all under these days. It's almost impossible to process how quickly everything is coming at us. I think we get a little touch of what soldiers go through, only they get no break during a war.  

 

I know I spend much more time in the Bible and prayer these days. Only God knows the beginning from the end and none of this surprises Him. Hopefully, we each grow spiritually through these trying times. There's nothing new under the sun.   

[snapshotmiki]

Went to local grocery stores today for sales

Then bread store

Thrift stores.

Didn't spend too much so good day!

Walked myself and dogs.

Done!

[Littlesister]

Mt. Rider, Guess I should take my own advice.  Got no sleep last night as DH is really having a hard time getting comfortable in bed in order to get some sleep. He was up and down all night and I had to get up to help him up.  Seems all the therapy he had has gone down river. He is having a hard time walking and getting up again. Didn't think the surgery was going to do this to him, but it is his right leg and it is sore and a bit painful and his left leg is the one he has no muscle in to speak of.  He cannot take a shower and I am now helping him to get a sponge bath. That belt I have to help him up and down is getting a work out.  He has slept off and on all day. So I am going to double his melatonin tonight to 20mg. He is taking 10mg and he did not sleep last night. He is using a condom cath. so he won't have to get up to go to bathroom. Makes it so much easier on both of us when he is like this

 

The CG, thank you for such a kind offer for us all.  I am good on lids now as I was able to get the tattler lids and GD1 got me some to send me in CA. They say canning jars should be back in stock sometime in March. I sure hope so. I still need those wide mouth pints. I have 23 of them left and getting ready to clean out the chest freezer to do more canning.  Got some plastic freezer totes to help organize it also.  Big chest freezers can be a pain to organize. But i think I will have a handle on it with these totes.  

 

Homesteader,  glad to hear you are in missions. It is a very rewarding job.  I have been finding myself more and more into my Bible and praying about everything that has been going on.  God is in control and I know Trump will win this election.  Just my gut feeling but also God is in control of all of it. That is what keeps me going. I stopped thinking about the corvid virus and all the political stuff. Told DH he can watch the local news but I do not want to hear any of the fox news, cnn or any other news on what is happening as it is fake news. So he has been watching cowboys and indian and star trek between naps all day. 

 

Picked up Rx today and went down and paid the taxes for house and car. Then came home and got lunch fixed and went out to dig the sweet potatoes. This was the first time growing them. I didn't get many but I planted them to late in the season and now we could have frost. But did get enough for a couple of meals out of it. I am going to plant again but this time in the spring. Didn't do as much today as far as housework. Just picked up around the house and put some things away. Dinner is done and dishes are in dishwasher. So I decided I am done for the day.

[Jeepers]

I've been thinking about problems with carrying in heavy groceries too. I load up my arms and carry as many as I can to reduce trips. Not smart in the long run. By the time I get to the door I'm spent. Then I have to go up three steps. One is a half step, but still a step. I usually just take the cold stuff in and let the other stuff wait. But with winter here stuff could possibly freeze even in the garage. 

 

When I get moved   I'm going to get one of those collapsible pull grocery carts to help carry groceries in. I'm thinking of a way to build a side ramp onto the step for the cart. I'd still want to be able to use the step for...stepping. I need that step replaced anyway. It's wooden, not sturdy and most of all it's short; even for my size 7 shoes. Son wears a mens 11 and I think DIL wears a 10 womens. They are probably on tip-toes stepping in the house from the garage on that step. I'm going with cement. Either poured or blocks. 

 

I think a grab bar on the side of the wall by the door would be handy too. I just thought of that. I was thinking of a railing of some sort but I don't want to totally block off the side of the step. The other side is against the garage wall BUT on the opposite side of where the door opens. Sometimes I need something to touch to get my balance straightened out without really putting much weight on it. 

[euphrasyne]

I have an old crop n style (scrapbook tote) that is basically a small square suitcase that rolls with a handle.  I use it to carry things in from the car sometimes.  It rolls up steps just fine without a ramp.  A ramp would be nice, but it still works quite well with just steps.  I use it like you would a furniture dolly when using it.   If I don't have kids to haul everything back and forth, I use that.  

 

This is exactly what mine looks like down to the pixels, but I've had mine about 15 years and I think I paid $50 for it.  I think most of the grocery carts are similar without the extra flaps and small parts.  

https://www.joann.com/crop-in-style-xxl-totes/6772131.html

[Annarchy]

Out roof is done!   2 men, 3 days, including replacing some boards.  

 

Now, the cleaning the dust & such, begins full force.  They did a wonderful job cleaning outside, but, all the thump & bump on the roof.... well, you know.  

 

Jeepers, I have a nice sized box in the vehicle, I put most my groceries in.  When I get home, I slide it out the door onto my hand truck, unless it’s too heavy to move, then, I transfer everything to a milk carton crate on my hand truck.  I’ve been using it and a small luggage cart for years & years.  Being ordered not to lift or carry anything over 5 lbs., since I was 13, I have always tried to find ways to get a job done, regardless of the weight.