WHATCHA DOING TODAY?

[TheCG]

*hugs LittleSister* (Digital hugs are socially distanced!)

[Mother]

I am so sorry for your loss, Little Sister.  There are really no words to fill that empty place so I won't try but God will fill that place when you need it and are ready for it.  

 and 

 

[snapshotmiki]

I'm so sorry, Littlesister!  I know it will be hard and take time, but I believe you will be ok.  I am thankful that your grand daughter lives near.  Please feel free to talk, share and vent with us here, at any time.

[snapshotmiki]

Will do a video shortly.
Research for generators on internet.
Cut up cheese and carrots for dogs.
Sweep house.
Make a couple of calls.

 

Supposed to get up to 38 today. No more rain or snow in forecast. Hope everything melts!

[out_of_the_ordinary]

Little Sister, I am so very sorry for your loss.   I'm praying for you.  

[euphrasyne]

I'm so sorry for your loss, Littlesister.  I know your husband is in a better place.  

[Homesteader]

I was shocked to hear that he had passed when I came online this morning. I have been rooting for you guys all along, especially as I deal with my mom on Hospice.   Take your time with grieving. Step-by-step as you sort through emotion,s and memories of DH everywhere you turn. Because of your medical background, you kept him going so much longer than any one else. We've ended up with a medical system that falls so short for those who have long-term care needs. You are a champ to us and a wonderful example of the love of a woman for her husband. 

[pauline]

Littlesister I am so sorry that you have lost your husband but celebrate his graduation to a better place and having his health back please let me know if there is anyway i can help you from here

[The WE2's]

Haven't been here for some time...dealing with a lot of weather related stuff...but was shocked to see Little Sister's hubby had graduated to heaven.  Yes, we know he's in a safer place than what's going on in our world, but the grief is enormous...I can vouch for that.  So...hang in there, know that everyone here cares what you have to say and the advice you offer.  

[The WE2's]

Weather has been a bear here.  Wind chills have been between -20 and -28 for a long time.  The furnace just couldn't keep up.  So the bathtub drain froze up as well as the hot water on the shower.  So, hubby ventured out to the homestead and brought back our big EdenPur and our Remington Propane Stove (18,000 btu).  Have t keep the kitchen window cracked open for safety purposes for the Remington, but with it on low and the EdenPur we've managed to keep the temp at 60 with lots of covers as well as sleeping in sweat pants and sweat shirts.  Unscrewed the panel to the shower faucet area and put a small ceramic heater in there, on low with another oil type heater in the laundry room (which is attached to the back side of the tub area) and we eventually got everything thawed.  Felt might good to take a hot shower!  Also brought a gallon of RV anti-freeze home and poured it down the tub drain after we shower.  It's people safe!  We currently have about 12 inches of snow on the ground but the crews have kept the snow routes fairly plowed.  The homestead's street isn't on a snow route but hubby's been able to get in and out okay.  Everything's safe there, but we don't have a bed there yet so we opted to hang out here.  He's been working in the kitchen area getting my stove vent put up under the cabinet he hung...the gas stove will be under that.  We had a stove vent that came with the used gas stove we bought, but found out it had a hole in the top ... and needed to be vented.  POOP!  So, we had to go buy one at Menard's...all they had was white (not almond) but it will just have to do!  It's my kitchen right! LOL  Once the stove is in, he'll put some wood across the top and I'll use the Microwave/Convection oven there until he can run the gas line.  I have just about every kitchen appliance one would need to cook, so I'll be putting them to go use for sure.

We did try to find some small 1# propane tanks for a little heater we have and they were no where in this city to be found!  Sure glad we stocked up on the 20# for the Remington!  We ran 2 days and 2 nights on one tank so it's very efficient.  You can bet another one is on our shopping list "if" any stores (ie...Lowe's) get them back in stock!  

For several years I insisted to hubby ... "the propane is for keeping us warm...nothing else!  I have lots of other ways to cook!"  So we have quite a few set back.  We'll have to re-stock for sure!  

Also had plenty of blankets etc. set back.  We bought tons of them at garage sales these past years.

Our bank's "core" server is located in TX...so guess what!  We had to get a print out of our statement until they at least came online to show that.  We still can't pay anything on line.  Sure glad we stocked up last month on postage stamps and envelopes!

We're alive and well folks, just staying warm, safe and fed. Asked neighbor fella (very young couple) "are you all staying warm"...he said "Yes, maam".  Got plenty to eat?  "Yes, maam".  Good to check on neighbors regardless of age.

Our city has a couple of warming shelters...that's good.  Once facility is a food kitchen and serves a hot lunch every day but Sunday.  They also let a couple of people park in their parking lot (one woman is in a class B camper and one couple in a small truck with a cap) and run cords to their vehicles to use ceramic heaters to keep warm.  So many struggling...all across our nation.

I ask myself ... "Where's FEMA,  where's the Red Cross, where's the Salvation Army, where's the National Guard, where's the churches!"  These people need help to keep them warm and fed, not a bunch of politicians blaming each other for what is happening.  Nobody as listening when some were predicting a solar minimum.  Just a bunch of tin foil hat people they called us. 

We're just glad we listened and were prepared...even though we had to go pick up stuff from the homestead.  We could have stayed in our travel trailer if we had really felt we needed to, but letting this place freeze up was not an option and if we had to thaw it and keep it warm, we might as well stay hunkered down here. 

 

 

[The WE2's]

Had to not only replace a water heater at the homestead but the heat pump control board went out.  That was a 300$ fix...but would have been much more expensive if it weren't for a friend who does that type of work!  Had us up and running in less that 3 hours.  The house stayed warm enough for him to get it back up...PTL!

This has been a very expensive 2020 and early 2021 for us!  It can stop now!

[Mt_Rider]

5 hours ago, Homesteader said:

You are a champ to us and a wonderful example of the love of a woman for her husband. 

I think we've all seen that, Little Sister.     I'd noticed you hadn't been here for several days and wondered.  So sorry for you, to hear your other half is now waiting at the feet of Jesus ...waiting for you to join him someday.  The time will be long for you....especially in these next weeks/months.  But for him, I think it will be an instant.  Do you think he can take his eyes off God long enough to give you a tour of Heavenly Home?  We can only imagine..... 

 

Now is the time to take real good care of yourself.  You've been pushing hard and with COVID and whatnot....take time to just REST!  And now WEATHER!    I have kin in northern VA and you all have been having rotten weather, repeatedly!  You'll be more distracted - drive carefully if you MUST go out.  Glad you still have GDD close by.  And the support of all your long-distance kin via phone/etc.  And you have us here. 

 

MtRider  .... praying for you, friend.   

Edited February 19, 2021 by Mt_Rider

[Annarchy]

I got to TX safely.  Checked in here as soon as I got things settled.

 

Littlesister, I am very heartbroken hearing you lost your husband.  Many hugs & tears.  I can’t imagine how you feel, but please know, you are in my prayers, God knows!  May He give you ‘peace that passes understanding’ as you deal with all the emotions and processes that need to be dealt with.  I am so very sorry.  You are so much stronger than I could be.,

 

 I lost my Dad in Oct.  My DH drives me crazy with concern, because he has SVT’s way too often, and won’t go to the Dr.  I listen for his snoring, just because I am scared of loosing him..... nuf said.
 

MIL is still weeping, 10 years later.  I still don’t know how to ‘really’ comfort her.  Her60 year anniversary was a couple of days ago.  

 

Time to get some sleep, gotta take my vehicle in to get its service in the morning.  
 

Be safe everyone, the cold has been vicious.  Keeping everyone in my prayers.............. God knows!

[TheCG]

9 hours ago, The WE2's said:

Had to not only replace a water heater at the homestead but the heat pump control board went out.  That was a 300$ fix...but would have been much more expensive if it weren't for a friend who does that type of work!  Had us up and running in less that 3 hours.  The house stayed warm enough for him to get it back up...PTL!

This has been a very expensive 2020 and early 2021 for us!  It can stop now!

I saw something going around that said

 

2020: The Year of Hell

2021: Hell Freezes Over

[Virginia]

Little Sister, you are such a wonderful example of a good and faithful wife.  A few years ago I was in my car with radio on.  A song came on that basically said, if I get to heaven before you, don't look for me at the pearly gates, don't look for me on the street of gold, don't look for my mansion.  You will find me sitting at the feet of Jesus, worshiping Him.

I cried and cried right there in the car.

[snapshotmiki]

Did video first thing this morning.
Went to hardware stores looking for 7.5 gallon propane tank. Have one located at local hardware. It is supposed to be on the truck today. We will see.  So now we will have a 7.5 gal tank and a large 2 burner stove.  Will be on lookout for generator (pawn shops--thanks Cg)  and a small cookstove,
Went to Kroger for local sales. Ha! They were out of many, many items.  They said they haven't gotten a truck all week!
Came home and had telephone doctor visit for trigger thumb.
Hope to not do anything else today.

[Jeepers]

Well aren't I the special one.

 

I went downstairs awhile ago and found a message on the machine. It seems it was the second message I had missed from the police department. Doing a wellness check. The reason? Boxes on my porch. Seems like they have been out there over a week. And if I don't call back within 24 hours they will send someone out to check on me. I know they were here because he said they were boxes from Amazon. He also said there was snow across the sidewalk which was illegal.  

 

I called them tonight. I told her that I knew the boxes were out there. They contain grain and they are out there to freeze out any bugs that might be in them. She had no idea what I was talking about. Good. Actually the couple of boxes out there aren't grain but whatever. 

 

Then I told her what he said about the snow. I told her I was a senior citizen, yes I played the 'S' card, and told her the name of my snow plow company. She said to not worry about it. Don't worry, I'm not worried.  

 

Wonder which neighbor reported that one? Could it have been El Jimbo the buttho.    

Aw, he misses me. I'll bet his first call in was on Valentines Day. It adds up. 

[Annarchy]

Got my vehicle serviced.  They had to do a software update, the side doors would close on me occasionally.  Horrible feeling when you have your hands full.  “Software” in a vehicle, I miss good old fashioned reliable vehicles, like the ‘67 VW I used to have.  One time, the accelerator cable broke in the middle of an intersection, I pushed the car to the side of the road, walked home with the piece, drilled a hole thru it, brought it back, bent the end of the cable into a hook, reattach and was on my way.  It’s 6 V battery did have trouble with the headlights, until I figured out, the previous owner had installed a 12 V lightbulb.  

Storm is doing exceptionally well.  Still being my Velcro tail, most of the time.  

We went to Sherwin Williams for a small can of paint MIL wanted and found some boxes of medical grade Nitrile gloves.    I use them regularly around our house.  Our dust and dirt tends to split my fingertips.  I hadn’t been able to find any all last year.

 

The temps here aren’t bad.  28° at night to 50° during the day.  All the snow was melted, except on the mountain tops.  Pretty.  We rarely see any snow, where we are in AZ.

 

Today, I will be focusing on my ToDo list.  Yard work, hedge trimming, and general maintenance.  
 

Oh, and MIL mentioned she might go to AZ next month... Need to re-arrange my office... again....  I’ve had my sewing out, making new upholstery for our living room furniture & making a new skirt, plus, all the paper boxes, for reports and taxes....  and DH keeps adding thing to my room from his office...  

[Homesteader]

54 minutes ago, Annarchy said:

Need to re-arrange my office... again....

 

Having company keeps your housecleaning toes on the move.  I like company in the 8 months that aren't arctic.  It makes me pick-up our little 'projects' around the house. 

[Annarchy]

2 hours ago, Annarchy said:

hedge trimming

 

DH said mom wanted me to bring the hedge trimmers... so I’m outside at dawn trying to figure out what needed trimming.  Filled her rolloff dumpster with frozen lantana. 
 

Mom got up, we were chit chatting over coffee and she asked if I brought the trimmers.  Yup, told her what I had already been done, and she started laughing.  She asked him to have me bring the HAIR trimmers.

 

[snapshotmiki]

An understandable misunderstanding, Annarchy!  LOL

 

Already did a video and taking a break before walking dogs.
Will do some laundry.
Sweep house.
Want to bake something, not sure what yet, maybe Red Lobster bread.
Work on a list or two.
Make sausage out of some ground pork that I got for free from a friend.

[TheCG]

Today is cleaning up the mess in the camper.  Blech.

[Mt_Rider]

10 hours ago, Homesteader said:

Having company keeps your housecleaning toes on the move.  I like company in the 8 months that aren't arctic.  It makes me pick-up our little 'projects' around the house.

 

    Unless it's family, for me it's:  Katy bar the door!!!

 

MtRider  ....still ...the Clutter Clearing by One Square Foot seems to be working.....SLOWLY...

[snapshotmiki]

Church first-- no video today.
Make rotel dip for ladies Church get together.
Work on updating list that I keep putting off.
Group party at 2:30

 

Hope you all have a good Sunday!  

[Jeepers]

I hope The Rolling Stones are okay. Last night a framed poster I have of them on my fireplace mantle fell down onto the fireplace insert.  It wasn't hanging but it was propped up against the brick wall so nothing gave away. it also fell at an angle, not face down. And there was a little, about 4 inches tall, Rolling Stones teddy bear propped up against the frame and it's still sitting there. Son gave that to me. They have been up there since 2005. I was asleep upstairs with the door closed and it woke me up. The frame is just one of those cheap plastic poster frames. The name of the poster is Bigger Bang.

 

A few nights ago I dreamed of Sean Hannity? Crimony. I don't watch him or listen to him. I have no idea why I was dreaming about him. I kept saying he needs to step up and take over. The next day Rush Limbaugh died. I did not listen to Rush unless I was in the Jeep when he was on the radio. 

 

My D-ex bought the poster for me. Hope he is okay too. I'm not very superstitious. And I don't have prophetic dreams. But as TheCG said, hell has frozen over this year so I'm apt to believe anything this year. 

 

Two nights ago I had a vivid dream that I was covered in lice and had flea bites all over my legs. I think I'm dreaming a lot because I'm in the throughs of a migraine and it's disturbing my sleep. 

 

The Stones had better be okay this year. A person can only take so much.