WHATCHA DOING TODAY?

[The WE2's]

Today was a day to get some things done "here" :-) MrWE2 put a new plug in the "little red" mower and gave it a shot of starter fluid and it fired right up, so now we don't have to haul mowers around between the three properties. Sure be glad when we can divest ourselves of at least two of them...but they need work done on them :-( While he mowed I got caught up on some of the housework. Been keeping things to a minimum while we were away. Still can't find my canning books :-( Thought I knew where they were...not. A client called this afternoon and needs MrWE2 to help him for a few hours so I'll get some more things done (and hopefully caught up) tomorrow. Made my pot of coffee so all I need to do in the morning is heat a cup or two up along with his cup of hot chocolate. Still aggravated at Miss B. Needs the tranny re-built :-( But...it's still a lot cheaper than buying another vehicle that we know nothing about :-( Gonna be saving some dollars for sure. Used most of our savings to get the fuel pump put in...and now this :-( Can't use any more $$$ 'cause it's for real estate taxes.

[Jeepers]

I think I'm starting to feel a little bit better. I got a little burst of energy last night so I used it to do some straightening around my bedroom. It didn't last long but it was more than I've had for a week.

 

Thanks for the reminder WE2. My quarterly taxes are due again.

[Ambergris]

Planning a trip up north (as in a little north of Atlanta) with my father next week to meet my younger brother, his wife, some nieces and nephews, and maybe other relatives. I was threatening to drive so I could pick up a load at Breadbecker's, but driving from here to south of Orlando to pick up my dad and then driving with him up past Atlanta wouldn't leave me enough time or energy to enjoy a side trip.

[Mt_Rider]

Is that wet storm system going to affect your area, Ambergris?

 

MtRider

[The WE2's]

Washed the jars, removed the rings and labeled 7 quarts of yellow neck squash that I canned up Thursday. The squash plants are just about done. Shredded one small one into our spinach omelet this morning for breakfast :-) These will be nice to have this winter when I want to fix up a casserole or "something". Then we stopped at a few yard sales and I picked up some more yarn pretty cheaply. Then headed for the Roost to return library books and pick up some more for MrWE2 to read this long weekend. Not sure what we'll be doing but we'll not be camping. We stay off the roads as much as we can during high traffic holidays. Nice being retired...we camp when others don't :-) Funny thing (not really) that the customer who called MrWE2 to do a small job ended up being a pretty large job. He wanted a tile replaced in one of the bathrooms. When MrWE2 started to remove the broken one, there was a hole behind it and ants were feasting on the wet sheetrock (?). Anyway...he's having the whole bathroom re-tired starting with new green-rock and tile. That will help get some repairs done to the truck and free up some other dollars to repair the tranny in Miss B.

[The WE2's]

Picked another batch of Okra, some tomatoes, a nice sized green bell pepper and dusted the garden and surrounding area with DE. The speghetti squash is coming on strong and I saw some funny looking bugs on one :-( Took a drive to the Roost to pick up and pay the water bill and then took a short drive through the area. Also stopped at Menards and used some rebate checks to help buy a big canopy thing (20x24?) that we can put up at the back door of the Roost so MrWE2 can start pulling some things out, sorting it and loading some to bring to the Homestead, and looking for a couple of items he hasn't been able to find. Hope the last time it was broke into, that they didn't cart them off :-( Been broke into twice so it's stable now, but he couldn't find a very important tool and work bench. Also not able to locate one his big safety cord reels that he needs and uses a lot. Has two, but one is missing :-( But it went missing this past month or so, from either the Homestead or ???

[The WE2's]

Taking things a bit easy today. Worked with MrWE2 at the Roost Monday and pulled a rib (or muscle) while lifting the canopy up over the back end of the truck when we got ready to leave. The "First Up" canopy makes a nice shade area for working outside. We also have a nice 10x20 but this one is 10x10 and we take it with us camping a lot. MrWE2 picked more Okra (only he can readh it!) and I picked some tomatoes, a small speghetti squash (that had a broken stem) and another crook neck yellow. I'll shred the squash in the morning for breakfast, mixed with some instant potatoes to hold it together for frying.

[Mt_Rider]

All your garden stuff sounds so yummy, WE2!

 

MtRider

[Jeepers]

I got up two days in a row with the thought of mowing and both days it had rained. It really needs cut bad. It was 94 degrees today so hopefully it's all dried up and won't rain in the night again.

[Mt_Rider]

So are you over whatever hit you, Jeepers?

 

MtRider

[Jeepers]

Yes, I think so. Still a little stuffy but no big deal. It was pretty miserable last week. Thanks for asking.

 

Son sent this today:

 

 

 

 

[Mt_Rider]

Oh! Little darling! And such a miracle since they married so much later. They done good to make you a Grma!!!

 

MtRider ....I'm feeling some congestion in upper lung or more probably, bronchial. 'Tis fall allergy season for us.

[The WE2's]

Glad your son loves you and is considerate to send you pics!

[The WE2's]

Keeping my finger bandaged. A couple of days ago I managed to stick my finger down in a pan of hot coconut oil while frying (should have used prongs or fork!) and then knocked the blister off while walking through a doorway :-( Ribs are feeling better. Me thinks me has abused my body! Glad we had supplies to take care of things...except I still can't find my rib brace :-(

[Jeepers]

Thanks ladies. I think we'll keep him. He sure looks different now than he did a few months ago. I was really worried about the little man. Son is pretty good about sending pictures. They are always huge and turned sideways but a quick trip through 'paint' and they are just right again. I don't say anything because I don't want him to stop sending them.

 

Ouch, ouch, ouch on the burn We2. Hope you start feeling better soon too!

[Mt_Rider]

Yes OW, WE2. That's so easy to do, miss exactly where that level is. And hot oil clings more than hot boiling water. [think: hot oil poured over the ramparts on the enemy invaders - yikes]

 

I just posted First Aid for burns in RURR forum. Watch for infection cuz burns are more prone for it.

 

Looks like another lovely fall day. Up here we got rain at the wrong time for at least some of our aspens. Instead of turning glowing golden, they are turning simply dead. This is such a delight to "come up and see the aspens" in September. We all talk of "peak weekend" and the roads are clogged with local folks from slightly lower altitudes and even those of us living in the 'low-oxygen zones'. We tour around our own areas cuz it is quite a sight ...acres and acres of gold against whole mountain sides of dark green conifers. It looks like the later-turning trees will have the golden touch this year. Whew, I'd hate to miss this aspects of beauty in God's creation.

 

MtRider

[Daylily]

DD and I are filling the dehydrator with cherry romas, Principe Bourghese, and Sungold cherry tomatoes. I have to Thai Pink Egg tomatoes to can, hopefully. They are dark pink, plum-sized and more tart that usual tomatoes. Okra to fix, zucchini and yellow squash to try in Mom's George Foreman grill. A friend made some and DH said it was really good. He doesn't even like summer squash so I'm eager to try that and some eggplant.

[Jeepers]

I bit the bullet and mowed today. I really didn't want to and kept looking at the clock and putting it off. It looked like rain so I did a rush job on it. As soon as I was finished I hopped in the car to go to the fruit market. Just as I was getting to the corner of my street it started pouring down rain. I couldn't have timed it any better. Five more minutes and I wouldn't have been able to finish the yard. That kind of luck rarely happens to me.

[The WE2's]

Getting a much needed rain Supposed to rain tomorrow also. Not doing much of anything except being lazy Customer who is having bathroom re-tiled found out today (via MrWE2 trying to put up the new stuff) that the 30 year old tile is 1/8th of an inch bigger than the new tile. So...MrWE2 will have to remove all of the old stuff, go up one more layer, re-surface the "fuxxy" finish on the old wall, re-texture and paint and THEN put the new tile in. The homeowner knows the bath was very dated...glad they have two others to use! When MrWE2 is finished he wants a rental property painted inside so he can get it sold. Appreciate the work

[Jeepers]

I went to donate some food today.

I’m trying to clean out my pantry a little at a time. I’m eating out of it to help. I buy the regular size cans of veggies but I usually end up eating them as a snack or just something quick. I know I’m weird but I like veggies. But one of those cans is really too much so I’ve started buying the smaller single serving cans. I went through the pantry and found a case of corn, a case of green beans and a case of peas I still have left of the big cans. I also had some other canned goods to clear out.

I decided to donate them to our local food bank. I really need the room and I’m tired of wasting half a can or finishing a can when I really don't want it. I went to the place and it had moved so I went to where the sign said to go. It had moved again so I had to go to a third place to do the drop off. No big deal because it was all within a couple of miles.

They wouldn’t take the cans because they expired…in July and August. Of this year. Yep, 1-2 months over the date. I was really livid but I kept my cool because it is their ‘policy’. I talked about how a hungry child wouldn’t mind a can of veggies being a month out of date. Or a mother needing food for her hungry child would be glad for it. They understood and said I was right but it was their ‘policy’. One woman sort of rolled her eyes and said, “Can you imagine if someone wanted to raise a stink by saying, they gave my child expired food!” Yes, I can imagine it along with a lawsuit. People are ‘cutting their nose off to spite their own face’ in this lawsuit country.

The woman said I could go to downtown Cleveland and donate it to the Mission, they’d take it. Over an hour driving…locating the Mission…downtown Cleveland…in the “iffy” part of town…old woman…alone. Wasn't gonna happen today.

I didn’t want to bring all of that food home and I didn’t know who to give it to. So I went over to the Salvation Army and sat in the parking lot. The first elderly couple I saw I approached. I explained my situation and told them it was expired by a couple of months. They were over the moon excited and very thankful. The lady gave me a hug. Did my heart good too! I would have given it to a mom with kids too.

The canned veggies were still in the unopened cases with the date stamped on the box and were Del Monte from Sam’s Club; they weren’t brand X. I’ve donated to our food bank before. Never again. I’m going straight to the person the way I do with the dog site I give to. And I’ll still give to the Salvation Army because, well, it’s things I no longer want and I get a tax break.

Oh, and I gave the food bank lady a suggestion. Have a table of newly expired food set out with a sign clearly stating that it was newly expired and to take whatever you want. She said it was a great idea but they don’t get a lot of ‘foot traffic.’ Sigh. It’s canned goods not tomatoes or cucumbers. It isn’t going to go bad in a couple of days. They will be begging for food again at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Thanks for reading. I feel better. I really needed to vent.

[The WE2's]

Jeeps...have you considered halfing the cans when you open them, eating one half and then vacuum sealing the other half in a vacuum sealable quart size bag and then putting it in the freezer? Then when you get ready for a nice stew or soup, grab all your bags, add some 'taters etc., and you got a nice meal :-) Fiddlesticks to the pplz who are so pc :-(

[The WE2's]

Finished the laundry, changed the bedding and then when MrWE2 got home we headed for the garden ... for what? You got it! To pick Okra! Squash bugs were all over my speghetti squash and they devistated several vines, so...even though I didn't want to, I mixed up the Neem oil and gave them a good spray. The squash was doing so beautifully and now several vines look terrible. Don't know if they'll snap out of it or not...grrrrrrr! Never had such a problem with bugs as we have had this year...so much rain then so much heat? Maybe since everyone else has turned their gardens under they decided to come find ours?

[The WE2's]

MrWE2 surprised me at lunch! Local bank was a having a "feed" so he stopped and picked up two meals for our lunch :-) BBQ ham sandwich, baked beans, mac & cheese and a piece of carrot cake...and a pepsi with a coozie :-) Nice since I was doing laundry and changing bed linens :-)

[Mt_Rider]

Jeepers, I think you were someone's answer to prayer today.....even if it took you on a treasure hunt to find them.

 

 

Yea to MrWE2....grabbing a lunch and giving hardworking spouse a break!

 

I kept busy throwing food out to eat ...at our totally weird feeding times. Getting rid of some leftovers. We don't usually have any. DH doesn't mind, nor do I. Less cooking =

 

We're thankfully getting back to some rain. DH, Koa, and I got soaked last evening cuz it had been looking like rain all day but didn't come down until we went to feed. MtRider does not get fooled by weather very often.

 

But we needed to keep the autumn drying plants moist. Fall is another fire danger time for us.

 

MtRider

[Jeepers]

I thought about freezing them but by the time I would get to them they would probably be mush. And I am out of freezer space. If I ever get moved I'd love to get an upright freezer.

 

It can be a real challenge cooking for one. Freezer space would be a blessing because I could make casseroles etc. and freeze it in thirds or fourths. I could also make up some of those Steam Fresh type of veggies like they have in grocery stores and freeze those. I know Food Saver has some of those special bags. I don't remember if they are for microwaving or for boiling-in-a-bag though.

 

I was rooting around in the pantry again tonight and noticed a four pack of Eagle Brand Condensed Milk has leaked. Expiration date is 2015. I thought it would have lasted longer. Glad I found it now though.

 

Jeepers ------->

Not even close. I was just mad and was bound and determined to give that food to someone.