WHATCHA DOING TODAY?

[Annarchy]

I agree with Mother.  I wish I still had my ‘65 VW, 6 volt, I rebuilt the engine, with the help of an aged pro, a couple of times.  When I re-injured my back, I couldn’t work the clutch… sold it… have never missed a vehicle as much.  I could push start it, by myself!  It really didn’t need the battery to run, just the lights and wipers….  Sigh.  Oldie but goodie….  

[Annarchy]

Post office run… then DH to an appointment & supposed to meet a friend of his…

[snapshotmiki]

Yesterday and today walked first, of course.

Yesterday was National Banana Bread day for me! Made about 40 loaves total-- a few were the mini loaves. Delivered what Banana breads that I could.
Did laundry.

 

Today, will be walking dogs, then making shortbread cookies and one of those fat free pineapple angel food cakes.

Tonight, I will go to Walmart around 5 and then next door to the Mall for Sunday School Christmas party.

The Christmas program that I went to Sunday with a friend was wonderful!
Lots of work but having lots of fun, too!

 

 

Edited December 14, 2021 by snapshotmiki

[Jeepers]

Annarchy, in the words of Tina Turner...'You're Simply The Best!'  

 

[Jeepers]

I'm going to ask what year son's truck is. I'm sure it isn't that old though. It's just a 'beater' of a truck. I think it was made in the 2000's. It had seen better days before he bought it. But it was affordable at the time. With that trade in and his Mil's newer Jeep, he should get a decent trade in price. Problem now is trying to find a good used truck. I've heard vehicles are hard to come by thanks to the shortages in parts. He was talking about a diesel truck but I think I got him steered away from that.  

[Jeepers]

Forgot to add, none of the parts have any electrical components to them. I did make a small-ish Faraday cage some years ago. Wal-Mart still has those small metal garbage cans with a separate lid. I THINK they are 10 gal. or maybe less. I lined it with heavy Amazon cardboard. It's big enough to hold an older laptop, a couple of small radios, thumb drives and Kindles with some room to spare. 

 

I've seen where people make them from a paint can. You can get new ones from Lowes, Home Depot etc. Would be nice for computer back ups that you could easily grab and go. Hummmm. 

[snapshotmiki]

Had a great time last night at Sunday School party!

 

This morning, walked first and walked dogs.
Have ham in the oven. Will slice and freeze later.
Prayer meeting at 6:30 and nothing else planned.

[snapshotmiki]

Walked first this morning.
Went to Kroger for local sales.
Dollar tree for stocking stuffers for DH and friend and me.
Passed out a few banana breads.
Have to slice the ham that I baked yesterday.
Bake one roll of cookie dough that is defrosted.

[Mt_Rider]

Sheeesh, I've been gone a week and I thot I'd have alllll sorts of stories told on this thread.  Pages to catch up on.  Where is everyone?  

 

Very good job on auto parts, Jeepers!  Hoping to get my truck back soon.  1985 Ford....not sure it that's old ENOUGH to have the EMP advantage.  Certainly not as many electronic parts tho....???

 

DH and I were owned by an "lemon" VW bug.  It was orange but should have been yellow!  Never did like the color orange!  How many times did I lift the "hood" {in the rear, of course} of that dratted thing....telling it again that the definition of a 'car' is a MOVING vehicle!      DH did rebuild that engine ....during the initial episode of his broken vertebrae.....after drunk driver ran the red light.  [ The collision that killed my 1975 beloved Ford truck, btw ]  I don't really know HOW he was able to do that rebuild...but I remember carrying a heavy box of machined parts on the bus and falling to my knees with the thing.  DH could only stand helplessly by...back braced so he couldn't bend to help me.     Was fun to drive ....when it did move.  But horrid-FREEZING in Minnesota winter!  I don't have the fond memories of VW like Annarchy. 

 

 

Never knew there was a "National Banana Bread day".....     Nice idea tho, Mkik.   

 

MtRider 

[Mt_Rider]

I was at my mom's ...unexpectedly...for this past week.  She 'went missing' on Saturday early evening.....sort of.  My brother calls her at that time most every day and she didn't pick up.  After checking with us to see if we had her out to dinner [nope]  we were all concerned.  I had been planning on staying with her a few days this past week anyway so I threw some things together and we drove in.  But ...she'd just been in the shower and didn't even think about it being time for Bro to call.  Safe....all's well. 

 

She's really wanted to get Christmas decorations up and cookies made.  Bro and niece will be coming this year [maybe last one with all of us?]  So my mom needed help.  DH and I got her tree up a few days before.  She and I strung up 4 strands of lights.     We like lights and the LEDs are bright and cute.  Next day we slowly put up the ornaments....one dating back to my kindergarten year.  Candles and garlands went up on mantle and elsewhere.  Etc!   Also watched a marathon of The Waltons.  We haven't had TV for decades so these are ones I hadn't seen.

On Monday DH came back into town after work.  His back sore so he stayed at the house.  I drove my mom and I around to handle business...pick up a specific light bulb, make another set of her front door key....in case we have to get in!  Then to Walmart with lists of cookie ingredients.  Found strands of LED lights for around her porch.  Couple gifts for Bro/niece.  And took forever to find all the cookie stuff.  I was grocery shopping for DH also.  Took the scenic route back to her place....Christmas lights!  She's rarely been out after dark in all these years so she enjoyed it.  DH went home with his groceries after resting and watching football. 

 

Cookies....she always has chocolate chip cookies made.  We made some red velvet chocolate cookies with vanilla chips.  They spread a bit much but are crispy and yum! 

Wednesday morning we made some of those powdered sugar mints...no bake......fortunately.

 

We attempted to put glass Christmas lights up along the garage door but it was getting windy and the forecast called for Severe Winds for CO on Wednesday.  So we quit and thot we'd try again on Thurs.  She really wants them above that door and around deck railing.  I'm trying to make her wishes happen this year. 

 

Wednesday:  I woke around 9am when the power went off and things started beeeeeping.  Oops....guess that wind storm is here.  .....if anyone is from the upper midwest, they know this "wind storm" actually arrived as a full-on DERECHO!   

 

Mother?  Did Illinois get this one?  You had one some time ago and I know you won't forget the mess it made. 

 

https://news.yahoo.com/rare-extreme-storm-slams-plains-161249364.html

 

In town, we were blessed.  Power was only out for 3 hrs....9-noon.  Warm sunny day.  Didn't see any trees down.  Might be the town is tucked up against the mountain just right for this????  But derecho winds are 70 to 100+ mph.  As much force as hurricane but straight-line wind......mostly straight.  Very buffeting.  Takes down lots of trees in a forested place like this.      ....and the trees take down the power lines and mash vehicles/homes/etc.  A royal mess!  Tens of thousands without power in the counties around us.  Thousands just in our county. 

 

So my mother has her "Boyscout Prepper" with her for this unexpectedly harsh crisis.  We began conserving the warm water in the water heater.  City water ...cold, continues so not worried about that.  NO way to warm water in THAT wind!    NOPE!  I covered some of the windows with light blankets.  Insulated window shades were left down except on sunny side.  We timed our type of cookies for that day well since the powdered sugar mints only dry after you form them.  No stove, lights, furnace, hot water heater, etc.  In three hours, we were fine of course.     So thankful I didn't have to figure out how to keep my very elderly mother WARM!

 

Meanwhile, further into the woods at our cabin, DH and dog were getting cold.  They did not have city water ..... water pumping from well was not working.  We do have stored water...lots.  Pellet stove and furnace were useless.  When the power was still off by evening, they were getting cold....and worried.  Water pipes could freeze that night and split.....then pour the melting ice water alllllll over EVERYWHERE when power/heat comes back on!   Also.....ya wanna know what cans and jars of preps will do if they expand while being frozen? 

And DH didn't know where the kerosene heater was.  Thot he knew where the kerosene is kept.  [ Guess who handles this stuff? ]  Since I've always kept the old fashioned Princess phone to use when power is out, we had communications. [ No cell service here. ]  But honestly I didn't know exactly where the heater was either.  I could have found it but sending DH on a wild goose chase of the basement [he didn't see it there], old goat house....I keep kerosene, propane tanks, lamp oil, etc in there.  [Flammable/accelerates NOT in basement.]  Might be in the hay shed down in barnyard? 

 

Yanno?  It's been in the 50s and 60s for weeks.  Not ready for Freeze Your Pipes crisis suddenly. 

 

He gave up.  Packed an overnight bag.....dog bed....dog feeding/watering station...dog ....and drove to spend the night with us in town. 

 

Power at our place was out for 24 hrs.  Kept updated by our uphill neighbor.  Then she called around noon on Thursday.  So excited to say that the power company trucks just pulled up our driveway.  A transformer may have blown but the cavalry had arrived.  DH packed up dog and stuff and went on out to see if we have bursting pipes. 

 

   Tho it got down in the teens that night, even the glass of water on the table was not frozen at all.  Fridge stuff remained cold.  Freezer stuff remained frozen.  50* inside when DH got there.  And the furnace had nicely restarted itself.  THAT was the main reason for rushing out...make sure furnace turned on.    Our property manager about had a heart attack when DH called to report no damage after 24 hrs without heat.  Theirs had come back on and she had no idea our place was under threat of a real mess!  ....hmm, next time we should call them.  Likely they have a spare heater or two.  Just thot of that right now!  {brilliant idea is a bit late for this round}

 

DH's back was not happy about all this driving and shivering.  He stayed home to rest on Thurs.  My mom and I did more cookies and such.  Watched Little House and Home Makeovers.  And after more trial/error on how to attach ANY string of lights on their deck railing, I finally succeeded by simply weaving the LED strands in and out of the vertical spindles.  Success...just as darkness and COLD arrived.     My helper elf was ready to give up the whole idea....and it was her idea to start with!  But we got it done .....PRETTY!  I love lights. 

 

Today I wrapped up my stay by washing bedding and remaking the spare bed.  My niece will use that bedroom next on Christmas day.  Lots of little things interspersed with talking, laughing, and TV.  And enjoying the lights and tree and poinsettia and ....cookies!   

 

  ...so VERY grateful that both my mom and our house was spared damage and that we had heat Wed nite!

 

MtRider      {can we be done with 2021????}

[Mother]

2 hours ago, Mt_Rider said:

Mother?  Did Illinois get this one? 

Thankfully we didn’t but many around us did.  Our lights blinked several different times but ultimately held. Many others weren’t so lucky. It was over seventy degrees that day but turned 40° colder by the next.  I’m grateful we didn’t have to deal with heating with wood but we were prepared for it.  It’s pretty hard to lose our heat sources considering both stoves are permanently attached to chimneys.   I wasn’t sure if the wood pile would be there though.  “ ToTo I don’t think we’re still in Kansas”.  

Mt_R, I noticed you were missing. Glad to know you were with your Mom and not ill.  

[snapshotmiki]

6 hours ago, Mt_Rider said:

a "National Banana Bread day"..... 

My National Banana Bread day!  LOL

 

5 hours ago, Mt_Rider said:

I love lights

Me too!

 

I'm so glad you had no damage, Mt Rider!  I'm off to help a friend today.  It's supposed to get up to 75 then down to 45 tonight.  Then cold (for us) after that for a few days. 

[Mt_Rider]

Yeah Miki....we can all make "National" days of our own.  Nov 11 is our Family Anniversary day.  The day are DDs arrived from Korea.  We celebrate in greater and lessor ways every year.  I like your Banana Bread Day! 

 

Wooooph....I'm low energy today.  Not surprising.  Happy Dog is delighted that her new pack is all together again.  I think she liked the sleepover at my mom's house.  She's a bit too wild to have the RUN of the house at "grandma's" tho.    Yeah, she'd be a whirlwind worse than the derecho. 

 

Glad you and yours were not badly affected by that WIND, Mother.  Your state had that horrific previous wind storm/tornado just days/week? before.    Anyone from MrsS down in KY and TN or other tornado-affected areas?  So sad ....  They've got a super-mess to sort thru and rebuild.   

 

MtRider  ...catching up on energy and computer stuff. 

[Mother]

I like lights too.  We drive around each year just to look at Christmas displays.  There weren’t as many last year but it was a way to get out and enjoy something without a Covid germ in sight! 

 

Miki,  I love your national banana bread day.  😋

[snapshotmiki]

Good morning, all!

 

Will have Church activities this morning.
Walk dogs.
Set up my vitamins for the month.
Hang out with my pack of pups (and DH).
It's a rough life but someone has to step up and do it!  LOL

[Mt_Rider]

Not surprising....I was   today.  Haven't been sleeping well for some time.    I kept falling asleep today tho. 

 

MtRider      ...... to sleep; perhaps to dream.....  I'd settle for just sleeping! 

[snapshotmiki]

Hope you catch up on some sleep, Mt Rider!  I had less than 5.5 hours a night for about 4 nights in a row.  Last night, 7.5.  Yay!

 

Did video first. Cold, windy and about to rain.
Started laundry.
Took ebay photos.
Walk dogs--maybe. See above.
Grill Chicken, pork chops and deer sausage. Breakfasts and dinner for the next few days.

[Mt_Rider]

    .....did not sleep well..... 

 

Hmmm....this is getting crazy.  Increase the Unisom tonite.    

 

Warm day...60* after getting close to ZERO last nite. 

 

MtRider    

[Jeepers]

I'm headed out for Indy tomorrow afternoon. Will probably be gone 6-7 days.

Wishing each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas!     

[Mother]

And a very merry Christmas to you too, Jeepers.  Stay safe but enjoy your Christmas with that cutie grandson of yours. 

[Littlesister]

Mt. Rider, Hope you start sleeping well soon.  I am having one of those nights tonight myself. Just can't sleep. Shoulder hurting.  This too will pass.

 

Jeepers have a safe and wonderful trip.  Don't spoil that grandson too much. 

 

Been a while since I have been on here.  Been really busy with grandkids living here for a while. They have been a big help.  Did some Christmas decoration but this year I have no room for the big Christmas tree. Had to move things around for the grandkids to have room for stuff and working on packing things up for the construction that starts next month. But do have the small tree up. I am really not into Christmas this year. And Christmas will be at my house again this year. Next year I will start going to NC to daughter's house, but not sure of what granddaughter and her DH will be doing yet as they will be 4 hours away from daughter's house. But will get it all figured out when the time comes. 

Got another load of stuff packed and sent to goodwill. So, garage is almost empty now. Still a lot to go through but will have to wait awhile. 

 

Hope everyone has a safe and wonderful Christmas. Anyone that is traveling, be safe and let us know when you are back home safe and sound.

 

Hope everyone was safe during the tornadoes.  Things were really bad for Kentucky.  Think they got the blunt of it in one city.  Haven't seen much about it on TV Though. 

 

Daughter and Son in Law will be coming in early Christmas morning.  They can't stay overnight because of the ferrets.  Two of them on meds and they don't do well traveling now. So they will be leaving Christmas to go back home to care for them. The one ferret is doing much better since the implant. fur is now starting to grow back and he is not scratching anymore.  Good sign he is doing better. 

 

 

[Mt_Rider]

Stay safe Jeepers!  Have fun. 

 

And everyone else traveling....Annarchys? 

 

MtRider   

[snapshotmiki]

Hope you have a safe drive and Merry Christmas, Jeepers!!!

 

I walked first - chilly!
Fed and walked dogs.
Swept house and dusted.
Cooked collard greens- turned out great for me (spicy)- not sure if DH will like them.
Made a few phone calls and I'm done for the day! Movie day!!!

[Annarchy]

17 hours ago, Mt_Rider said:

And everyone else traveling....Annarchys? 

Busy busy… house sitter and now we are safe in TX.

 

A long list of “ToDo’s”….

[snapshotmiki]

Walked early this morning.
Went with DH to Verizon to set up his new phone.
Stopped at Dollar Tree for reading glasses for DH.
Came home and walked dogs.
Next will be cleaning bathrooms. Fun!
Then I have rolls to bake--I pre- made them and froze. Will see how that works. And cookies to bake.
Otherwise, movie day!
And then Christmas Eve service at Church.