WHATCHA DOING TODAY?

[Jeepers]

That's such a stressful situation Littlesister. If you have Amazon Prime they will ship for free. Used to be if you spent a certain amount ($50.00?) they would do free shipping. I don't know about now. I have noticed some of their packaging has been pretty flimsy lately though. And some things crushed. 

 

A good way to send flour is from the LDS store. You could have it sent directly to her. It is packed in a #10 can with an oxygen absorber. Their #10 cans are a lot cheaper than some of the other well known stores like Augason Farms and Thrive etc.

 

#10 can flour = 4 pounds  $2.75+shipping. 

Or maybe there is a center close to her where she could pick it up. 

 

Online order blank:  Home Storage Center Locations Map (churchofjesuschrist.org)

Home Storage Centers:   Home Storage Center Locations (churchofjesuschrist.org)

[Littlesister]

Jeepers, I didn't think about them. But I did also have some fruits and veggies from patriot's supply that they put on a sale to her. She should get that in about a week. She did go to the store and loaded up her freezers with meat, she got more dog and cat food as well. They got some fresh veggies and fruit also. So, with what sent her and what she bought, that should hopefully have her stocked enough that she can now just fill in the low spots. I am going to check out the LDS store for both her and I as well. Though I think I am in good shape for flour at this time. I do have the red and white wheat to grind that is long term which I am holding on to for the time being. But will be ordering for GD. Grandson gave her some money to help with the meat which helped them to get the freezers filled up. Normally he doesn't pay for groceries as she included that with the rent money for him since he is trying to get on his feet and get out on his own. But this time he pitched in as things are not looking good. Watching Fox news and it is going to get crazy. Now the corn will be in short supply so it will be a huge issue down the road. 

[kappydell]

Today was a good gardening day and Mary & I got some garden work done that needed doing.  We had replaced and expanded our garden fencing to make it more sturdy and were considering putting in a third long raised bed, since one of the neighbors mentioned that she might want to plant some things if we had garden space she could use..  So today we went out and dug away the soil in one raised bed to straighten up the side boards - they had develoed an outward lean.  It went amazingly quickly - an hour or so - with both of us digging, then levering it up straight and pounding in new retaining stakes.  Then Mary called that neighbor, but she had decided not to raise anything, so we did not have to put in an extra bed for her use (which was what we were considering).  Instead we can expand and revamp the strawberry bed as we do not think it likes its current location.  I can move in some pots for herbs instead - it keeps them from spreading and fighting each other to take over a big bed abd I can customize the soil blend for each herbs preferences  I like the half-barrel style planters, and have a lovely rosemary bush in one, so I'll be looking to move other ones into that unused fenced in area.  I have saved kitty litter pails for temp use as we develop our herb plantings.

 

We also discussed getting yet another wheelbarrow, but after some discussion decided to get a 450 lb load bearing garden wagon.  It is getting harder for us to manage a wheelbarrow (actually Mary, I cant handle one very much at all) and a 4 wheeled wagon would be much easer to move things in.  Of course payload is not as big but we are working around that part.  As Marys back deteriorates, it will be less painful for her to move things via wagon, too.  For larger loads we have a wagon that hitches on the riding mower - now that baby can hau l some STUFF!.  Plus we are mulling over putting in a side door to the garden enclosure so we can back the pickup truck in when we have compost or dirt or truck sized loads, and then we can unload where needed saving time and effort.  Tweaking things again...LOL!

 

 

 

  

 

[Jeepers]

Good idea being able to pull a truck in the garden to unload. I'm probably going to have to replace my wheelbarrow soon. It has a little hole in the bottom. I think it's fiberglass. It has two wheels. Much easier to manage that the usual one wheeled one that I kept tipping over on it's side. I can also pull it behind me. G'son's wagon will probably end up living at my house. 

[snapshotmiki]

I have a good garden wagon, but it needs wider tires.  It can be really hard to pull!  They are on my list to research.

 

Slow day for me, today.
Sunday School and then home. One day, I'll go into the issues I am having with my Church, but not today.
Walk dogs.
Write ebay drafts.

Start my muscadine seeds in ice cream cones inside.
Will probably be climbing the walls. Maybe do some organizing.  

[Jeepers]

I was trying to dump the load of cardboard still in the Jeep but they still haven't emptied the bin. And tomorrow is a holiday so it won't get done then either. I thought I had it figured out that they emptied in Fridays. Pfffft. Wrong again. 

 

So I stopped in Wal-Mart this evening. The shelves looked so-so. Except for the pasta shelf. Still nearly empty. They had about a dozen boxes of Great Value elbow macaroni and that was all. Some poor guy just stood there staring at it. I felt for him. I can't find instant barley even though the website says they have it in stock. I looked in the cereal, pasta and rice aisles. I Amazoned it and it will be here tomorrow. The bins that have the bags of generic cereal were nearly empty. If they don't get a shipment of coffee soon that aisle will be looking pretty bad too, including the K-cups. The cat food shelves are nearly empty still. I took some pictures but they don't even show up as being in my phone. Sigh. Maybe they are still in there developing. 

 

I did check out some of the meat. In the poultry case all they had was about 6 packs of chicken thighs. All of the open cases (don't know what they are called) were empty. Now the hamburger was odd. Nowhere on the packages was the price per pound or the price per package. Just the item, fat percentage and sell by date. The sell by date was a big separate sticker that said 'sell or freeze' by...  I checked both front and back of package. All of that might be normal. I haven't bought enough meat in quite awhile to notice. But the price should be obvious I'd think. 

 

Be sure to check your expiration dates! Something I have been too lax in doing. I think we are getting more and more old warehouse products on the shelves lately. I picked up a 12 pack box of mandarin orange cups and there was the same box on the shelf below. Something told me to check the dates. The original box I had put in the cart expired a full year before the other one. May not seem like a lot but they are going to the Indy house and g-son will get them when he goes out there which isn't that often. I need to get better at that. Might have to start carrying a magnifier glass with me. Some of those dates are hard to find and seem to blend in with the packaging. Old eyes syndrome.   

 

 

 

[snapshotmiki]

I downloaded a  magnifier app on my phone @Jeepers. 

Let us know when your photos  finish  developing. Lol

[snapshotmiki]

Have already walked and completed 2 loads of laundry.
Next is take ebay photos.
Make brownies for funeral dinner.
Go to Church and serve and clean up.
I'm already tired--just over 4 hours sleep last night.

[Mt_Rider]

Well, after a rest, this tiny computer is ......ah, working.  But it's best not to overtax it with more than one window open. 

 

I did get to see the C test...negative again.  Lab results this time, not the speedy kind.....at doc's insistence.  She counts my wheezy throat/coughing and extreme fatigue as potential symptoms.  True.  But not C, thankfully.  Everyone's a bit amazed that I didn't get it ...what with our tiny house and all. 

 

Also postponed seeing my dad after doctor....her suggestion to wait until we're SURE I'm negative.  Definitely.

 

So tomorrow we'll try again after another appt.  We'll also be depositing a check that will turn into a new computer soon. 

 

Best get off before it crashes.  So touchy these days...

 

MtRider   

[snapshotmiki]

Already walked and fed dogs.
Washed rugs and dog blankets.
Cleaned house.
Made a deposit at bank for Church.
Organized all paperwork in office.
Still have to walk dogs and that's it for the day.
Might start on inventory for one freezer.

[Littlesister]

Finished up taxes this morning.  Tilers came late today. But now the shower floor is in. Still a long way to go. Not sure if anyone is coming tomorrow or not. They are doing 2 or 3 jobs at one time. Seems he has spread his contractors out too far. I am starting to get a bit disgusted with not coming for a week and then they are here maybe one or two days a week to get this job done. I think he heard my frustration in my voice this morning. Will be going through some things this evening to pack up. Need to move a bookcase from hallway for the floor to go down hallway. This is the worst time to be doing this with war hanging over our heads and prices going way up. But it needed to be done. 

[Jeepers]

Glad your C-test was negative Mt. Rider. At least you won't have to worry about that long haulers, or what ever it's called. I used to think that a positive test, after the fact, wasn't such a bad thing. At least you got it over with. But now some people are getting it 2-3 times. Even the vaxxed. It's been a looong couple of years.   

[Littlesister]

It has been a long two years fighting this virus. Also, glad Mt. Rider's test was neg. I fear this isn't over yet. Things are about to get much worse. Keep your eyes and ears to the news and keep doing what you need to be doing. I have so many things I need to do and just don't have the energy to be able to keep up and get it all finished. I think all the dust from the construction is playing on my sinuses. I started taken allergy meds again. Hope it helps. 

[Jeepers]

I was in Meijers tonight. Doesn't it seem like I'm always in there?   Not really. It's just so close to my house that I'm always driving by when I'm out and about so I can drop in for 1-2 thing. I'm looking for one of those little screwdrivers to change a clock battery. Why do they screw those tiny battery doors in so tightly? Meijers had no screwdrivers at all. I picked up one of those little kits for eyeglass repair. Will try to use it tomorrow when the light is better. Sigh. Anyway...

 

I don't know if it has to do with the truckers convoy or what but I saw at least 30+ big utility carts FULL of merchandise back in the grocery section. They must have gotten more than one semi full of food. They had a number of floor workers on duty too. That's unusual for them too. Especially at night. I was on a mission looking for a screwdriver so I didn't notice much but I did see the water was in VERY short supply and limited. I noticed there was a whole freezer bin full of turkeys. That looked good.  

 

Darned recycle bin is still full. 

 

 

For future reference, the little screwdriver in the eyeglass repair kit is too small. Looks like Wal-Mart is in my future.  

 

Edited February 23, 2022 by Jeepers
Added Info

[Mt_Rider]

On 2/21/2022 at 2:28 PM, Mt_Rider said:

Also postponed seeing my dad after doctor....her suggestion to wait until we're SURE I'm negative.  Definitely.

 

 

Yeah, DH and I saw my dad yesterday.

 

Then got home [thru blinding snow] to an email message that my C test result was POSITIVE! 

 

  

 

 

   

 

THEN I read the NEXT MESSAGE:  "Ooops....my bad.  Your result is NEGATIVE!  REALLY!  I just pushed the button for the wrong template."

 

  For Petes Sake!  Scared me to death....for everyone in that nursing home!!!   

 

Yeah, so I'm negative.   Um...good.  Cuz I'm not sick and ....yeah, I'm negative.... 

 

MtRider  .....sheeeesh! 

[Littlesister]

Mt. Rider, I know that was scarry to see that you are neg. and then an e-mail that you are positive and then they goof and said it's neg.  Glad it really was neg. 

 

Granddaughter from CA texted last night to tell me I need to fill car with gas and any gas cans. Told her I already did. Now she says her brother is still in NC though she said she saw him on news get on plane to Poland. So not sure where he is at this point. She might have thought she saw him get on a plane. 

Went to the pawn shop today to look around. Found this cute small roaster and bought it. It fits perfectly in my small oven.  I can roast small meat portions in that. 

Granddaughter in Washington state also texted me last night again they are 3 hours behind me. So, I was back and forth with both of them till 2:30 this morning. But the guys did not come to work on house today, so I just slept in.  Felt good to sleep in this morning. Been getting up at 6 am every morning. Granddaughter in Washington is trying to prepare for a cyber-attack. I hope it doesn't happen, but then anything goes.  I think I have done all I can. To tired right now to do anything else.

I need to start getting garden ready for spring. Going to try to get to Lowe's tomorrow to price garden soil and things for garden.  

Took taxes to the post office to mail off to the CPA. Hoping next year, they won't be complicated, and I can go back to doing them myself.  Much cheaper. 

I need to start canning again. Want to get freezers emptied just in case. But don't know how I am going to get that done. Might try this weekend since they don't work on weekends. Get things together and ready for Sat. morning if I can.  I have 3 freezers full. So, time to get that done. I don't want to wait till these guys are done with construction. It's a lot to get canned. 

 

[Jeepers]

Ugh!  

 

I went to Wal-Mart last evening and found the little screwdriver to open a battery compartment. Woo-Hoo. I finally have a clock in the bedroom I can glance at without firing up the computer. Still need to figure out the alarm and radio. Nothing fancy but glad to have a clock. 

 

I did a little stocking up while at Wal-Mart and left the car in the driveway so it would be easier to unload with the doors wide open. Garage is a tad cramped for open doors.     I got the cold stuff inside and ran out of energy. I came in and messed with the clock battery, read the internet and fell asleep. Woke up and fiddled around. Went out this morning to unload the car and...it is frozen solid! Sometime while I was asleep and messing around, we had an ice storm. I had no idea it was coming. I saw a storm warning but thought they meant a snow storm warning. Now my car is stuck in the driveway loaded with 'stuff' and is a block of ice. The doors won't budge. It looks like about a half an inch of ice encasing the entire car. The high temps are only going to be in the 20's for the next four days. I read where hot water would help but I'm afraid I'll douse it with a pan of hot water and it will further freeze up and add more ice to the situation. Or hot water on the ice will crack a window or paint. I'm going to leave that one alone. I know my luck. Looks like it might set til March. Literally. Maybe the sun will have some mercy on me.

 

But wait there's more. I just heard where we are in a lake effect snow storm warning. Great. Now the snow plow guy won't be able to plow the driveway with the Jeep stuck out there. Ya know the funny part is that I never leave the car in the driveway over night. If I just hadn't fallen asleep... Crap, hope the battery don't die out there. 

 

On a side note the Better Homes and Gardens Flip Tite containers are not air tight! I bought two of them. One for instant oat meal packets and one for cream of wheat packets. The lid has a locking mechanism on it. It makes a small vacuum I suppose, but you can easily lift the lid off from the side of the container. I'll still use it for short term storage in the kitchen but not for long term storage. They are pretty but that's about it. And IMO over priced for what they are. I won't buy any more of them. Fortunately I got mine on sale. I'd return them but I don't have the receipt.  BTW, three boxes of the 8-pk instant oats, when folded over, fit perfectly in one 11.5 cup container.  

 

Better Homes & Gardens Flip-Tite Rectangular Food Storage Container, 11.5 Cups - Walmart.com

[euphrasyne]

Crazy week.  The heat went out and we are waiting on a new part to fix it.   We are using the fireplace in the meantime.   One of the freezers stopped working but it is under warranty.  The guy is here to fix it today.  I'm lucky that I'd been rotating pantry enough to squeeze everything into the other freezers.   

 

Today I rearranged my office and moved my cookbooks into this room. 

 

[Jeepers]

Very nice room Euphrasyne. I really like how you put the two bookcases side by side like that! I wouldn't have thought to do that.  

[Jeepers]

Bob is in the garage. I repeat...Bob is in the garage!

 

I Googled getting an ice stuck door opened. They said to body slam it. My heft was enough to crack the ice loose from the door frame and I got it pulled open. The other three doors are still stuck and it's still iced up but it's out of the driveway now. We are supposed to get more freezing rain and sleet tonight plus it's snowing again. 

 

BTW, Bob is the Jeep. Acronym Bucket Of Bolts.  Bob.  All of my vehicles have been named Bob. 

 

I feel better now.  

[kappydell]

Our income taxes came badk!  Hooray!  We had extra $$ to get thosethings we need but had kept putting off "til payday....maybe".  The inflation does not help that issue much, but we all know that.  

First thing we did was check the grocery store we always buy our meats at (they really do have the best meats in the whole county!)  They had whole rib-eye slabs on sale for $8.98 a pound.  They were gorgeious so we bought us some, then called our friends who asked us to grab them a couple too.  The Mr in that couple had been ospeaking wistfully about not having had a steak in "forever" so now he has a whole lotta steak.  I kept envisioning him standing in their kitchen, grinning away, while cutting up those rib eye slabs into steaks for their freezer.  We have a running joke with them...Mary and I called ourselves "Frick and Frack F--king Freaky Fast Freight and Delivery Service" one day while dropping off some things we had picked up at wal-mart for them.  It stuck.  The Mrs got us two T shirts and lettered them up with that name on the back, andl the names "Frick" and "Frack" on the front.  (I'm Frack).  We about busted a gut laughing.  They are the ones who warned us to fill our cars and gas cans when their son (stationed in North Carolina) saw gas prices shoot up by $2.50 a gallon overnight.  We filled up before the gas went up here, and passed the warning along.  We try to look out for each other - good friends and neighbors are harder to come by than they used to be.

 

Anyway, we stocked up on beef, some 5 lb bulk pkgs of chicken were on sale for $1 a pound (that is cheap nowdays for here). and the things we find there but no place else.  Over at Walmart we picked up extra basics for personal care (soap, deoderant, undies & sox) storage foods we use a lot of, and lots extra canned cat food - then went to the grand opening of Ollies (a discount store) and got bedding sets (upper & bottom sheets & pillowcases in each set) for $10 ea (she is queen size so we saved quite a piece there) some large size plush throws for $5 each, things like that.  Wish their towels had been cheaper...maybe next time.  

 

We ordered Hydromousse for Mary to use on the lawn and my anti-snail copper tape for me to put on the garden.  I ordered the walking onions and walking garlic sets, too.  All of which we had been wanting for some time, just trying to wiggle out the money to get them.  The inflation has hit everyone hard, us included.

 

With the uncertainties over war now, and folks talking about Putin mabe doing a cyber attack on internet or banks, things are going fast so our tax return came back at just the right time.  We got in, got our stuff, got out.  Then we drew out remaining money from the return in cash, leaving enough to pay bills in there.  More and more folks are doing this, hope it does not cause a "panic" in the financial sense, but I would not be surprised at anything anymore.  Putin and China are stirring the pot for all they are worth.  

Edited February 26, 2022 by kappydell

[Littlesister]

Jeepers, that is too much snow and ice for me. Glad you got Bob back in garage. 

 

Euphrasyne, your office looks great. I hope you get your furnace fixed soon. I've been the having to use the fireplace to keep warm before. It just doesn't keep the bedrooms warm. That's why I am doing a wood burning stove. Going to have a high BTU rating to heat the whole house. 

 

This has been a crazy day.  Contractors were going to take out the kitchen counter to put the new sink in so the counter guys could come out tomorrow to make the template for new counter. But when they opened the box, the sink was cracked. So now they have to reorder a new sink. Hope it doesn't take long to get it. So, they finished the last of the tiling in bathroom and put in the linen closet just to find out the shelves that came with it, was too short. So, they are going to make new shelves for the closet. So, I think I am free tomorrow. If so I am going to Lowe's and BJ's.  Going to get another propane tank and also maybe a couple of more gas cans and fill them up while I am there. They still haven't started on the fireplace yet. Still waiting for things to come in.

 

Kappy, sounds like you made out great. I haven't gotten my tax return back yet. But hoping soon.  Just not a lot that I need like you bought as I have a lot of canned meat and 3 full freezers.  Good on socks but might buy another pair of shoes or maybe a couple of pair. I want shoes that will last a long time. I am working on filling up all my water containers now. Getting ready to have the firewood delivered. Was going to only get half a cord but decided to get a full cord of wood. Going to get the wood racks together where I want them to stack the wood. need to get the covers for it when I go to Lowe's just hope they have some good tarps. Need to start getting more parts for car as well, belts, extra battery, filters and more oil. As well as air-condition filter. I have at least 3 years or more before I really need to buy tires. But wondering if I should buy 4 tires or not. Something to think about, but not sure yet if I want to go that far. 

Had dinner with my neighbor tonight. We all had a good time. her dryer went out, so she is using my dryer for now. She is concerned about how long it will take to get the part. But we always help each other out. So, she will be fine using my dryer for now. Her DH said he got several phone calls to fill all his trucks and gas cans as well. He is the one that did my driveway, walkway and front porch. He's the cement man. Does a wonderful job. He does mostly commercial work.

My grandson in Washington state is moving to Eugene, Oregon sometime in July. He said it was too expensive in Washington. This will be his first time on his own. I am concerned about him being so far away from family. He will be 5 hours from granddaughter he is living with now.  But she said if he needs something they will meet in the middle have lunch and she will get him what he needs. He is 20 years old, and it is really tough on kids like him trying to start out on their own.   He does well. Apts. are cheaper there than where he is now. Granddaughter is going to make sure he has plenty of food to carry with him to get started on building up supplies.

[Mt_Rider]

New laptop.  Trying to get back into all the sites I frequent.  Lots of passwords and such.    DH is glad to get his tiny laptop back.  It was starting to overload with both of us on it. 

 

Now to get all the stuff from my previous [now dead] laptop back where I can access it. 

 

MtRider  ...yeah, I like to have my data close-to-hand!   

 

 

[kappydell]

Today we decided it was time to do something about our west windows.  The living room, my bedroom, and Marys bedroom windows all face west, which faces the road.  

We tried putting curtains up for both privacy and to cut the heat.  No-go.  The cats swung from them like tarzan until they were shredded.

OK then, we tried venetian blinds.  That was worse.  In their quest to see outside so as to watch for passers by to bark at, the dogs wrecked those in short order, with the cats able assistance.

 

Last night we were brainstorming and I mentioned that as a child we had painted the windows with tempera paint, which is easily removed with water if one wants to., for Christmas.  So today we went to Walmart and bought the tempera paint in white, and 2 brushes.  Total cost, $3.84.  A whole lot cheaper than the usual window coverings.  Mary painted window #1 tonight, and it looks great!  It looks so much nicer than boarding them uip in desperation, LOL.

 

Our other mission accomplished was taking the Thompson hunting rifle I won to the local gun shop.  We fired a friends similar rifle, and the recoil was too much and the darn thing is HEAVY.  I had given it to Mary as a Christmas present, and she asked if we could trade it for something else she would like and could use.  She picked out a new SMITH & WESSON 9mm semi auto pistol, and we traded even up.  (Around here you can hunt with handguns, so what the heck.  I dont care if the meat in the pot was shot with a 9mm or a cannon.  As long as it is available for dinner, LOL.)  Mary is delighted, she loves it, her birthday comes up in March so I told her happy birthday.  The shop owner REALLY liked the rifle so he gave us a nice deal.  BUT..........We gotta quit all this gallivanting around though...housework is piling up!  

 

In the photos, one window is done, one is not.  Inside and outside views.  Notice the improvement?  I love it when we find a CHEAP solution!

Edited February 27, 2022 by kappydell

[Littlesister]

That is a great idea Kappy. Maybe would be a good idea for my 12 ft. picture window and dining room window. Both of course face the street. I have all the other windows taken care of. 

Went to Lowe's this morning to buy a tarp for the firewood. Will be getting that soon. Picked up a few other things as well.  Then went to T.J. Max to look for a couple of towels to make bathroom curtains for the small bathroom. They are thick and would work well for that. Came home and what housework I was able to do considering the construction going on. Working on the garden plans and going through garden seeds. I am going to do a much larger garden this year. Got things together for church tomorrow. 

My hands have been really hurting the past couple of days and getting stiff. I think the weather is playing on the arthritis.