Whatcha doing today?

[Jeepers]

  HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAPPY!  

[Mt_Rider]

   Awwwww.... Luigi is SO CUTE!  I miss my Nigies.  Even the grown ones are darling....{brats}    Happy Bday Kappy!    As for egg layers....DO we need to put locks on our pens and coops?     Who's to say someone won't decide eggs are valuable enough to steal?  I've thot of ours...down in the barnyard a good ways from the house.  ????  Our male goose might just be a defender...tho he hasn't reached the hormone of springtime yet tho.  

 

 

Can't believe the trouble with meds you're having, Jeepers!  Awful.  Litigation society does not do any of us any good.  [ How do you earn your money?  Oh, I just sue everyone!  It's quite profitable!$!$! ]  Some folks are so out-of-line that a lawsuit is needed, of course.  Hmph!

 

Everyone needs an informed medical advocate like you, LittleSister!!   

 

Rest day for me.  Legs not stable most of the time.  Cane day.....or 2 canes for a while.  Need to see if I can ride this Saturday.  45* predicted.   

 

MtRider   

 

 

[snapshotmiki]

11 hours ago, Littlesister said:

 take live 52 every day. 

What is live 52?

 

9 hours ago, kappydell said:

Luigi likes laps.

 

We went out to IHOP for my birthday

Happy Birthday, Kappy and Luigi is darling!

 

Already washing rugs and dog blankets.
Will walk next.
Have some cooking to do for company coming this afternoon.
Visit and relax!

DH's IV antibiotics are going well. Should be done tomorrow.  He says he feels better than he has in months!

Edited February 3, 2023 by snapshotmiki

[Littlesister]

Miki, Glad your DH is doing much better.   The live 52 is a daily livercare product. It boosts liver performance and detox. It is now under the name Himalaya Livercare but is still Live 52.  It came out in the 1930's so it is an old one. It is a vegetarian Herbal supplement.  I started using it over 15 years ago due to fatty liver. It corrected that. I take 2 twice a day but that is by my doctor's orders. It works very well. My liver counts have been back where they should be for a very long time now and no more fatty liver. 

 

Tired today, my shoulder and arm just wouldn't stop hurting last night so not a lot of sleep. Will be seeing the doctor later this month and will talk to him about that. Don't want frozen shoulder again.   

I am canning more water today. Will use most of my qt. jars up for that but will keep about 3 doz. jars for other things. I can store the water under the beds. It keeps forever as long as they stay sealed. So, I won't need to pull food out from under beds to find what I need. Moving the water, I had canned 3 or 4 years ago from pantry and putting that under the beds also. It will give me more room for the food I am canning now.

 

Jeepers, I hope that info will help you with your decisions on your meds. 

[Littlesister]

I still have one more turkey in freezer that we never used for Thanksgiving last year. Went to daughter's house and she had bought one so am getting it out of freezer to thaw and will be canning that. It should hopefully put a bigger dent in freezer.  Got more jars ready to can water also. Will get that canned up on Monday morning. Will also be canning up succotash as well as sautéed okra. After that I will be taken inventory of the rest of the freezer foods.

[snapshotmiki]

Already did DH's first IV antibiotics.
Will walk next when it warms up a little.
Going to lunch and getting a haircut with my friend who is visiting for the weekend. Girl's day!
Nothing else on my list but relaxing and visiting!

[Littlesister]

Got a phone call real early this morning from a dear friend. She has some issues going on but is working on getting that straightened out. She just has to change the locks on her doors now. Family issue. Sad times indeed. 

 

So, since I was up so early, I made coffee and started in on canning the water. This batch is about ready to turn off to cool and I am getting the next batch ready to go in a few minutes. 

Turkey is in fridge to thaw for canning on Monday. That was in the fridge freezer in garage. Will go through the chest freezer later today to hunt down alll the hamburger to can next after the turkey is done. That takes longer as I need to brown it first. But I do need to can more hamburger as I only have a couple of jars left. Hope I have enough to make spaghetti sauce with hamburger also. If not, I can always add hamburger to what I have when I fix it for dinner. I do my spaghetti sauce both with meat and without meat. 

 

I have had the wood stove going for 5 days straight now and the whole house smells of smoke. yuk. Need to figure out how to get that smell out of house. But right now, it is up to 30* right now and that stove has helped to keep my gas bill way down. I bought a nonelectric fan that sits on top of the stove even though the stove has an electric on it. That nonelectric fan works better as it is taken the heat down the hall better towards the bedrooms. Bedrooms are still a little cooler than kitchen, den and living room but I prefer the bedrooms to be a little on the cooler side for sleeping anyway.

 

I am going to need to take a break from canning and cleaning kitchen for the next canning load as I need to dust this house. Wood stoves do make a lot of dust. But right now, with how things are lining up I need to get the freezers fully empty. 

 

Miki, I am so glad your DH is doing much better. I know that has been a struggle for both of you.

 

My shoulder is doing much better today. heating pad, Advil and muscle relaxer seems to have helped. 

 

Forgot to mention that clean it supply online has a sell on paper products and free shipping. I took advantage of the sale and ordered 2 cases of TP and 3 of paper towels. With GS here, I go through both of those a bit faster. So was time to order again.

Edited February 4, 2023 by Littlesister
Clean it supply

[Littlesister]

Got 56 quarts of water all canned. I am beat. That is the easiest thing to can but it did tire me out. But that should hold me for drinking water for a long while. At least I have leftovers in fridge for dinner. I was going to have breakfast for dinner, but I will do the leftovers tonight and tomorrow will have breakfast for dinner. Going to bed early tonight. Church tomorrow. and then will come home to make sure turkey is thawing good for Monday. Once that is out of the way, I should be home free for the rest of the chest freezer. Lots of things in there to get canned. I will be glad when those freezers are empty. 

[Mt_Rider]

On 2/3/2023 at 6:20 AM, snapshotmiki said:

He says he feels better than he has in months!

 

           

 

Wow....that's really good to hear, Miki. 

 

LittleSister...what will you do when freezers are empty?  Fill again?  But yeah, safer in jars than something electric dependent!     

 

Today was filled with STRANGE THINGS and a HUGE WONDERFUL BLESSING. 

 

Strange:  Last evening, I found our phone line got cut ...completely severed...up by where the driveway rises up to the road.  Initially I thot it had just happened due to the UPS driver turning a sharp right out of our driveway.  Back last summer, our driveway was ripped apart by torrents of water - drastic erosion.  So B/J [property managers] had the telephone guy come out and move the phone line...which was located in the ditch along side the driveway.  B then worked the backhoe and loads of new soil to really repair  the driveway.  [it's been grande ever since]     But since he'd be doing a lot of dirtwork on the side of the driveway where the phone line was running underground, it needed to be moved.  The phone guy took it from the back of the house...up and around the goat dog fencing.... down the ravine to the pond and across along the duckhouse and then the IDIOT shorted the line by crossing over the area we use to turn around  AND draped it across the driveway entrance [a hill] to the telephone box in the ditch.      Just laid it on top of that steep driveway section to the road.

 

Both J and I tried to bury the part crossing the driveway.  But there wasn't enough slack.  So the right side didn't quite get buried.  We usually turn left and have been careful when we need to turn right.  Freeze to Winter.  I'm walking dog and groaned when I saw the two unconnected ends laying there.  Realized we've lost our phone line.  [CELL DOES NOT WORK HERE] 

 

DH and I had to run over and get our repaired car so while I was up on the ridge, I used cell to call our house.    I got our answering machine AND left this message: "huh? why is this working?"  Got home and was able to call out.  Curiouser and Curiouser!    Called B/J and told the story.  Of course she asked if I was sure the line was cut.  Yep...held in my two hands....and yet, we're talking on this phone line. 

 

It's kind of a joke about things that have happened all these decades at this old log cabin and property.  J has been a property manager for many decades and I told her she should write a book.  Some homes in these OLD MT towns....are a bit....unique!     Add another chapter.  Can any of you guess what has actually happened? 

 

J called today and by then DH and I had come to the same conclusion.  .....The phone company never shut off the original line  AND  somehow B never clipped it with his dirt work!  ONLY explanation!!!    So we still have a phone...but owners PAID to have the different line put in...and never got turned on?  Or do we have two working lines.  OR had.  One is definitely CAN'T be working now. 

 

 

AND second event today...........  Praise The LORD!   I finally called a second horse place today.  I've only ridden ....3 times? ....in the past 2 months.  No ride this week either.  After talking to the owner of the 2nd place, she make me an offer.  I can ride free if I can help their new horses get exercise and get used to the trail they'll be on with guests all summer.  I'd be going out with 2 wranglers but if I need help mounting/dismounting, Dan will do that.      She asked me about my riding.  I told her of the MS...kinda goes up and down.  As for skill level: riding most all of my life.  I had a horse "sit on me" last summer ....no, he really just tipped over into a steep hill but I had to scoot my leg out from under him.   Another time he did a rodeo bucking cuz a small stupid dog was trying to climb his leg.....  and....  She got the idea.  It's not that I can't fall off....or under.  But yeah, with the exception of highly unusual circumstances....I stay on.    [ didn't mention MY life is fillllled with highly unusual circumstances...] 

 

MtRider   ...so we'll go out there tomorrow.      Cuz this might be half of my current low-functioning problem. 

[euphrasyne]

I'm going through a bit of a rough patch, but things will turn out just fine.   We've been eating out a lot and eating the easier things because I have had zero motivation to cook which is completely unlike me.   I have a hematoma from the surgery, but it is a minor complication and mostly involves pain and itching, so I'm still doing well from that.  

 

The new legislation states that TSP can only be used to buy into specific 'green companies' so we've already lost a lot out of retirement and all the companies they want are doing very badly.  They are killing our retirement.  It is depressing watching it disappear and knowing there is nothing we can do.  Cross referencing our statements with the current exchange and predicted outcomes....  seriously depressing.  I am extremely unhappy with our government.  

 

I've been doing some diamond painting because it doesn't hurt my wrist and gives it mobility exercises.   I've also been watching a lot of Korean drama on Netflix.  Not much prepping going on, but sometimes you just have to get past the funk.   

[snapshotmiki]

I'm so sorry about your rough patch, @euphrasyne!  That does sound depressing and I hope things will turn around soon!

I look forward to hearing the outcome about your phone lines, @Mt_Rider and am so happy aobut your alternative riding arrangements!

 

Will make chili in crock pot first.
Walk dogs.
Friends are still here, so just hang out and visit.

[Jeepers]

Euphrasyne, I've been wondering how you have been doing since your surgery. 

 

I understand about losing out on retirement funds. I have lost a bundle in my stock portfolio. I inherited them from a divorce. Fortunately, they are good solid stocks but seeing them go up a little and way down is scary. That's where most of my present income comes from. Dividends. I let them roll over for a few months then take out a chunk. So far I've only sold a few, that were involved in a split off, to use as a down payment on the Indy house. I'm going to hold on to them as long as I can because they generate income. But it's hard when all of the 'internet gurus' say sell and get out NOW! Cash them in and have to pay huge capital gains tax is counter productive IMO. The same ones who say to take all of your money out of the bank NOW! Then what? I'm just trying not to panic and make a mistake because once you sell...they are gone. 

 

These are depressing and scary times for sure. Probably the worst I've gone through in my 70 years. But don't let it defeat you. Get whatever help you need to feel better. Just don't let 'them' win.  

 

It will get better. I don't know how or when but I do know that it always does! Hang in there. 

 

Crimony girl, I haven't had running water or a toilet in over a month. Part of my downstairs ceilings are missing and some of my walls are about to come down. Some of my carpets are still wet. And the real demolition hasn't even started yet. But I do have heat now...finally. See, it got better.  

 

[Littlesister]

Euphrasyne, Sorry to hear you are having issues. Prayers for you to heal and get better soon. 

 

Wow Mt. Rider, You have some crazy stuff going on with a phone line that led to nowhere so far. Wonder if they will get it figured out soon. But at least you have a phone that works. 

 

Sorry to hear about your stocks. I also live on my stocks. DH pulled out of Columbia Gas stock and has it in something much safer. I don't think that is safe any longer, but we stayed very conservative with it, and it held up during the 2008 crash. My financial advisor is supposed to meet with me sometime this week and I am going to start pulling money out on a monthly basis. It won't be a lot as like you I live off of that. But just enough that I can get a few more things done around here without taking out a loan. I am hoping and praying that the stocks will go up again even it not to where they were. 

 

As for my freezers, once the chest freezer is empty, I am going to defrost it, unplug it and not use it anymore. It is just me. So really don't need it now. I won't get rid of it as if things go south, I can fill it with water if need be. Things are getting worse in this world, and we really don't know what will happen. I will only be using the 2 fridge freezers. One for premade meal and bread, etc. and the other for maybe some meats and veggies that come out of garden till I can them if I don't have time to do it right away. 

Came home and checked the turkey and it is still frozen but, on the outside, it is thawing. Right now, I have it sitting in cold water to dethaw the rest of it. Will can it first thing in morning. 

Slow day today. Just taking it easy as starting back into full canning tomorrow. Hope to have freezer emptied at least by end of week. I have bacon in there that I will move to the fridge freezer soon. 

[Midnightmom]

14 hours ago, Mt_Rider said:

[ didn't mention MY life is fillllled with highly unusual circumstances...] 

[Momo]

The sun finally came out.  It is still windy and chilly though. Only 58 degrees now.

 

I felt like cooking so I made some homemade chicken parmesan and oatmeal cookies.  I haven't made either one in years.  Without DH to enjoy it cooking just isn't worth it as often.  Now I have a messy kitchen to clean up.

 

There's a cute new show on Peacock plus.  It's not great but it is good.  I like it because it is less than an hour and is well written.  It's called Poker Face and it's about a girl on the lam who keeps stopping at towns where crimes are going on.  She is alot like Columbo because she notices little things that bug her.  It is a bit different. The last episode had Judith Light as an aging hippy.  What a hoot. It does use bad language so I wouldn't let little ones watch.

 

I am looking for another handyman/yard work guy for this  upcoming spring. Every time I find one they only last about a year. The last one got laid off for a bit so he was available for the summer.  He just got a new job so he won't be back.

 

Hope ya'll have a good week.

[snapshotmiki]

Company left yesterday afternoon. What a great visit! My girlfriend and I got a haircut and went to lunch. All within our little town. Didn't do a lot, just visit. Good friends mean a lot more, the older one gets!

Today, I will walk first.
Do laundry.
Purge cup and glasses cabinet.
Organize and bag all plastic cutlery, plates and cups so that it is easier to get them when needed. We rarely use them.

Nurse should be here this morning to draw blood for labs and remove mid-line from DH's arm. Yay!

[Littlesister]

Momo, I know what you are saying about your DH not being there to enjoy what you cook. I am going through the same thing. But I also know my DH would want me to continue with the garden and canning.  Before he passed, he told me to keep the gardens going. Past 2 years I did but not as big. So, with that comes cooking. I try to think about what he would want me to do. 

Maybe that would help you to get back into cooking a bit more.  I don't cook as much as I once did. But I cook almost on a daily basis. I was never one for going out to eat much. Hope that makes sense.

 

I have had that stupid turkey thawing for 2 days. It is almost 15lbs.  It is still frozen to a point I can't cut it up yet. So now soaking in cold water. I should have had it in the canners hours ago.  This is putting a damper on my day of things to get done. But it is what it is. Going through freezer soon to get things out to dehydrate. Still some frozen veggies and fruit in there to get done. 

[Littlesister]

Turkey finally thawed out. I have it on now but am doing it the way Whippoorwill Holler did it on U Tupe. So, it will take several hours to get done. She cut up the turkey and put in pot, bones and all. Then celery, carrots, onions and the seasonings. Then it cooks on the stove for about 4 hours. Then you remove the turkey from pot and remove all the bones. Then she takes her stick blender and blends all the carrots and celery and stuff in the broth till it comes out smooth. Then she fills the canning jars with turkey meat and adds broth. She had enough turkey broth to can just the broth as well. So, hoping mine will come out like that. I used the same seasonings as she did as well.  

 

It's going to be a long night. Unless I just finish cooking and then put in fridge till morning. Then I can just heat up and can it. Will see how long I last.

[snapshotmiki]

I will walk first.
Walk dogs.
I made lists of areas to purge in office and my bathroom. Did that while watching shows with DH last night. Will do one area this afternoon.
Sweep house.

 

Hope you all have a good day!

[Jeepers]

Electrician came yesterday. Of all my outlets, only 5-6 are broken and all but one are in the same area. He was here a long time flipping switches at the breaker box etc. 

 

They are going to fix the switches and install a new breaker box. Good because the breaker box is ancient. Like about 40 years old in a damp basement old. 

 

Later that night I discovered I couldn't get internet. I went on to bed. It was starting to get a little chilly in here. You guessed it, no heat. Sigh. The next morning I discovered there was also no power in the family room. No lights and no cable TV. 

 

No internet, no TV and no heat. It was 50 degrees in here. I called the contractor who called the electrician. He had left two of the switches at the breaker box flipped. He had me go to the dreaded basement and flip the switches back on. Amazing. The furnace roared back to life and a light came on in the family room. But still no internet nor cable. Very long story...I had to call ATT and have them remotely fix everything. It took almost two hours on the phone to fix first the internet and then the cable. 

 

They are supposed to come in a couple of weeks to do the electric repairs. Am I going to have to go through this all over again when they flip the switches to do the repair work? Probably.  

 

I'm starting to get disgruntled. 

 

The other day I noticed the last plumber that was here sawing through the closet wall to get to the pipes, had sawed through the bathroom wall on the other side of the closet. Oops. Looks like that wall is coming down now too. If they have to remove the vanity, I'm going to put a new one in. It's big and ugly and a new one will help with resale value. I'm going to make out a budget of things I am willing to replace on my own. Especially if I have the free demo here to do that part. 

 

I need a new garbage disposal and faucet for the kitchen which I already bought a long time ago. I will have them install them...at my expense. The fridge went out so I think I'll buy a matching stove too. None of those were flood related. And if the house doesn't sell fast, I might get some paint and slap on some beige or gray paint to make it neutral. I'll be repairing nail holes anyway. I could knock out a couple of rooms in a week if they are empty. I'm just thinking out loud. I need a budget first. 

 

 

[euphrasyne]

When it rains, it pours.  

 

My mother called me on Sunday with bad news.   She lives in western Mississippi and my grandmother (mamaw) lives in central Mississippi.  Apparently, Mamaw fell in the shower on Friday, crawled to the kitchen and was trapped on the floor there for almost 2 days before my aunt got someone to check on her because she was not answering her phone.   She is currently in the hospital with broken ribs and pneumonia. 

 

Mamaw is in her late 80s with several health issues and is an extremely small woman, so it goes downhill fast.   She has been very resistant to having someone in to help her.  She will be going to  rehab after the hospital so we have a few weeks to figure everything out.  Everyone just keeps saying....she doesn't want this or that and no one wants to be the bad guy.   I may have to go down there to sort things out since I'm fine telling everyone to suck it up and deal with reality.   My cousin is supposed to move in with her in July, so hopefully we just need to figure out what to do between rehab and July.  Her mother lived to be 99 so we need to factor possible longevity into it if we can get past the current issues.  

 

Also my niece totaled her car and went to hospital via ambulance during the weekend.  I'm told that she is shaken but fine with a bump on her head.  

 

I'm currently waiting for the 3rd thing.   Bad things always come in 3s.  

[Jeepers]

This is turning out to be a stellar year, huh Euphrasyne. 

They say in like a lion...out like a lamb. Lets hope that holds true! 

[Becca_Anne]

Super behind. Hugs to all who need them. Too much going on at work, will be taking a work trip to go to a conference for 3 days in 2 wks which will be in WA D.C. Put in my garden order super excited about it but also feeling I bought way more than I need. I will use my old seeds up first, and save some of these for next year as well. I decided to start on adding my perennial plants this year so I get them established. 25 Raspberries, 100 strawberry plants, 25 Aparagus plants, 10 Blueberry bushes. If that's all I really get planted other than a few rows of vegi's I'll be happy. I need to put together my greenhouse so I can try to start seeds. I have had no luck doing that inside and most plants I am going to direct seed but I do want to try to learn to do this so I will attempt to start tomatoes and peppers. If I do well with that great, otherwise I'll buy some starts. 

Got my reservations to go visit my daughter for 3 weeks when the baby arrives at the end of May. We will drive out which will be 4 days there and back. We will try this time to stop along the way to do some homeschool field trips. Going to take our time and I will work and we will sightsee a bit along the way. 

[Jeepers]

I saw 3 robins today!   

[Ambergris]

It's not too much. It's an investment.  Seed prices never go down.

 

I've been in bed all day.  I ate some fruit from the market without the usual thorough vinegar/water wash several days ago, and got the squirts.  Haven't been able to shake this and have been getting weaker and weaker.  Usually I don't go for the pink liquid because I want stuff ejected from my system, but four days is enough.  I took the pink stuff today and stayed in bed.  Things have been getting behind (no pun) over the last few days, and I need to get over this before the critters get out of hand too.