Watcha doing today?

[Littlesister]

Miki, this cold is cramping everyone's style. Things outside I need to get done is not going to be done in this cold weather. 

Working on my bedroom today. Pantry is clean and finished.  Need to make a couple of changes on furniture placement also in bedroom. But that will come after I figure out and get some things organized in there. So that is my whole day today. Just working on one room at a time. Was hoping to move some things to shed today but way too cold to get out to shed. So that's off the table for now. We need a heat wave.

 

Jeepers stay safe heading back home from home. Need you back in Ohio before the next storm hits. Hope it is the last one. 

[Jeepers]

Thanks everyone! I reported back in the winter vortex thread. It was a good trip with no real issues. I'm glad to be back though! 

 

On the way back a cousin texted me that the wife of one of our other cousin's had died today. It reminded me that it was this time of year that my mom died (Jan. 21st.) and it isn't easy having a funeral in this weather. It sleeted through my mom's funeral (Jan. 24th.) and it was a mess trying to walk around the cemetery. Fortunately the pastor had the sense to keep the graveside part of the service short.     It was pretty, but also treacherous. 

[Littlesister]

My next-door neighbor just did have the funeral for her DH just before this mess happened with the weather. It was cold but not this cold. When my DH passed it was freezing cold and the air felt like ice. We had already had several days of freezing rain and after the funeral it was still a week later before my DH could be buried. The ground at the cemetery had water standing in some areas that covered some of the graves under water. Where my DH was buried it wasn't flooded, but the ground was so wet, and it was so cold they couldn't dig the graves. We had the grave side in the mausoleum instead of at the grave side.

[mommato3boys]

Today I planned out the garden spaces and researched how many plants are needed per person. I need to walk off the back yard to get an idea of how much square footage we actually have. We also need to collect pallets to make a pallet fence to protect the garden. We have a storm shelter right in the middle of the yard so I have to work around that. The front yard is going to be herbs and the back yard veggies. The front yard is the size of a postage stamp so I will be using mostly containers for herbs and maybe blueberries and strawberries. 

[Mt_Rider]

Glad you have a storm shelter, Mommato3!  Tornadoes, etc are too common down there!  Can it be a root cellar too? 

 

We had to warm up both vehicles this morning and take the car to get the electrical system fixed.  Our mech is only a couple miles away and does electrical work...just in his shop.  My old truck is a bit slow to change out of first gear in the cold. (automatic)  Had to make sure it was warmed enough when we got to the driveway -- his is steeper than ours!  Made it fine and had DH drive down the hill.....but only because I keep too much stuff on the floor of passenger side.  He wouldn't have fit. 

 

Sun was out tho....bright!    We had to go into the hamlet and run down the highway a bit.  Had to get out and manually unlock the front wheel hubs from 4-wheel before heading out to the highway.  And lock them again before climbing out driveway that's mostly packed down glacier snow by now.  Warmed up the truck nicely and got that errand done.  Forgot to pick up the Lehman's well bucket that's at the P.O. tho. 

 

Yeah...did another load of clothes....which I'm just remembering now.    They're down the (outside) stairs in the washer.  Not. Going. Out. Now.  Cold and dark. 

 

We got up to 40* and the wind came up tonite but today was really nice comparing what we've had!    

 

MtRider     

[Littlesister]

Right now, it is 38* and sunny and no wind.  It is going to get up to 48* by 2:00. So much better than it has been. Not starting the wood stove up today as I need to clean it out. So figured today would be a good time since the weather is better and a bit warmer. 

Giving kitchen a good cleaning today and getting things ready to start canning again. Need to get out more jars and get them washed and ready to go. The canners are sitting on dining room table. I didn't put those away since I would be using them again. 

Got the fan out of garage and put in the foyer. It did make a difference blowing some of the heat out of den down into the bedrooms more. Bedrooms were still cool enough that I slept good last night. It also kept the den from being too hot. So, works out much better. 

Still working on boxes out of bedroom closet. Lots of stuff going to Good Will. Just don't think I am going to keep all this stuff no matter how hard it might be to get things later down the road. I will be able to make do. 

[mommato3boys]

9 hours ago, Mt_Rider said:

Glad you have a storm shelter, Mommato3!  Tornadoes, etc are too common down there!  Can it be a root cellar too

Mt_Rider we hope use use it as a root cellar ... maybe... We are trying to decided if it can be used to store propane and gasoline as well. I had rather store those things in there if we have to choose. The closest gas station is about 15 miles away so we need to have extra stored but don't have a locking garage to store it in. We may end up investing in one of those garden tool sheds and store the propane/gas in there. There is so much to be done and moving has set us back and helped also. The to do list keeps getting longer and I am not marking off "got 'er done" fast enough. It seems for each marked off item I am adding 4 or 5 to dos.

[mommato3boys]

Today is grocery shopping day. We are going to go ahead and start our $20 week challenge since we really need to get moving on a few projects and plug some major holes in the pantry since the move. It is going to be a little more than $40 this week since I have to buy coffee. I can't believe I ran out of coffee. I thought I had at least another bag but I can't find it. I think one of the kids went shopping in the storage pantry and the coffee was on there list . Kids gotta love them. I will also pick up an extra couple of sweet potatoes and sprout them. I can't get sweet potato sprouts here, actually seed potatoes are hard to get here also. I am on the hunt for organic potatoes today also just in case I can't find seed potatoes. I am going by Tractor Supply to see if they have this seed and fruit trees selection out yet. I want blueberry and blackberry bushes this year. Plus a few more seeds I am looking for, I have checked all the suppliers I trust online and they are out of most of the ones I want so now I have to hope and pray locals stores will have some.

[Jeepers]

MT3B I'd like to get a small garden shed to store flammables in too. Mine are in a second garage that is a mere 5-ish feet from the house. I'd like that stuff a little farther away from my bedroom.  And lists...I haz em:

 

To-Do now, To-Do soon. To-Do later, To-Do sometime, To-Do this summer, To-Do by a handyman, To-Think about.  To-Do canning, To-Do freezer cooking. To-Do breathing. Plus that never ending To-Do shopping list.  

 

That reminds me, I need to start looking at the garden centers around here for some seeds. Mine got wet. It's okay though. I didn't have a lot and I can start with new ones again. I need to make a list of must haves soon. It's still early up here though. 

 

 

Littlesister, it was hard for me to get rid of some stuff too. At least most of mine was ruined so I didn't have to think about it too much. But the good stuff I pitched was a hard decision. But I found after I donated it all, I never really thought about it again. Out of sight, out of mind really was a thing. I've never missed it. Truth be told, right now I can't even remember what most of it was. 

[Jeepers]

I think it's going to take me longer to get caught back up than I thought. I'm really not ignoring anyone!  

 

I tried to load a couple of pictures of my dinning room from the phone but since it's new, it says I need to 'update my devise settings' and I don't know how to do that. I hate new things. 

 

I did happen to find this one so I think I'm getting close to finding the others.

 

The Amish seem to follow me everywhere. I spotted a herd them in a rest stop. I think I was in Ohio. 

 

 

[Littlesister]

When you see the Amish, you know they have a store somewhere. Wish we had one around here. Stores are rated for whatever area they are in.  If it's an area with high priced houses and such the A stores are there. Bigger and better. My area gets the B stores smaller less choices. And then the C stores which I don't see to many off around here are the ones that are smaller than the B stores but much less product to choose from. When we had the Sears store years ago. We always went to Newport news to that one. It was a two-story huge place. Better sales and much more to choose from. 

Worked on clearing out my closet today.  Trying to organize it better and figure out places to put things other than my closet.  Closet is a small walk in and not a lot of room once clothes are hanging in it. 2 shelves all the way around the closet but doesn't take much to fill those up. And I hate going through clothes to see what fits and what doesn't. It takes time and I am in a hurry to get it all done.  I need to find a good place to put my first aid stuff. It is all together in a huge suitcase. Might change that out and put in rolling bin under the bed. The suitcase will not fit under the bed.  Might be easier to organize it better to find things when needed also. 

[Jeepers]

Usually when you see the Amish out like that they are traveling someplace quite a distance away. Especially when you see them in a group. There were 4-5 more ladies behind me. They hire vans to take them places. Sometimes funerals and this time of year...weddings. I imagine the driver had to stop for gas and potty breaks. I was on the toll road but I don't remember if I was in Ohio or Indiana.

 

The first rest stop I came to after leaving Indiana is called Knute Rockne. Anyway, that isn't important. I mention it because there were flashing signs when approaching it that said. "The diesel pumps are down. Please find an alternative route."  Glad I wasn't a trucker. I assume they were helping each other out on their CB's to find diesel. I don't know if the pumps were frozen or if they were out of diesel. Not good either way. At least I wasn't seeing the "Limited food" signs like I saw all last summer.

 

Also coming back I noticed gas signs.  Someplace in Indiana closer to Ohio, I saw a gas sign as I was going east. It said regular $2.99. Right directly across the road going west it said regular $3.39.  Right across the road.   

[Littlesister]

Sounds like a bit of price hiking going on. It happens here. 

 

Was talking with my DD a bit ago and she trigeminal neuralgia. It is very painful. It is causing pain in jaw up to her ear.  She's on medication for it now but will be having a CT scan. It is a compression of the nerve by a blood vessel near the brain stem. Hopefully they can do something for it. 

[Jeepers]

I finally got two pictures off the phone. My new phone takes lousy pictures! Everything is so dark. The floor isn't nearly that dark and neither is the table. The table has one leaf in it and another one in the garage. I think I might need another chair or two. Much later.

 

Other than curtains, the dining room is mostly done. I need to get a quilt on the quilt rack by the window yet. That thing in the corner is a quilt stand for a quilt to loop in. But, the hat and shawl fit nicely on it so I'm just going to leave it that way. And I'm running out of walls. The thing behind the spinning wheel is fake cotton bolls. I have a basket of real cotton, some thread spindles and a little shelf sitting lamb for that corner...someplace. 

 

      

 

 

Looking the other direction. I'm not sold on the way those bonnets look up there. Sigh. Probably more holes in the wall I'll need to fix. I'm debating on whether to hang that picture up over the bench in the foyer or to hang a quilt on that wall. I'm leaning toward the picture because I'm running out of walls. 

[Littlesister]

I love that table. The color is perfect.  But no room for a wood stove in there.  Your foyer is like mine. A closet near the end of it. Only difference is that your dining room would be mine formal living room and on the other end of living room is my dining room. 

Edited January 19 by Littlesister
Added info on foyer

[Jeepers]

All of the rooms are small except for my bedroom. And the great room which is one big open room.  

[Mother]

I love that room and that table is beautiful.   I belong to a Facebook blog set up by friends of mine.  It is called Marc and Linda’s Amish Blog.  We have a growing Amish community here and the blog is intended to help people understand the Amish lifestyle. They often have pictures and articles about the Amish, some from Pennsylvania, some from Ohio, some from elsewhere. The pictures of the interiors of Amish homes is a lot like your dining room. The exception is the hats and bonnets are not used as wall decor but are usually on hooks or on a shelf.  I really like your decor.  

Will you be near any Amish communities in Indiana?  DH and I have traveled to a few there, in Illinois, and in Iowa and are pleased we have a growing community of Amish in our neck of the woods.  They already have a small order only Home bakery and a small bulk food store though I haven’t been to either.  I’m told I might be able to order some bulk foods and have them picked up but they don’t have a list of available foods yet.  Someday perhaps. 
 

Thanks for the pictures.  I like your new home.  
 

 

[Jeepers]

Thanks. That's my favorite room. Except for the table and chairs, I have been collecting everything in there for up to 50 years. One piece at a time. Even the pottery was bought 1-2 pieces at a time over the years in Pennsylvania.  It probably took 10 years to get the hats I wanted. They are all different and I remember where I got each one of them. Lots of memories in that room.

 

Another Amish story. I always wanted a brown bonnet because there is only one place where the women wear the brown ones. I took a few trips over there and I looked all over to find one. Finally, I was in a little Amish quilt store and I asked a woman where I could possibly buy one. She asked a couple of girls in the shop and they had no idea either. So, I told the woman that I'd gladly buy hers. I told her the truth. It was because I collected bonnets from other states and areas but I couldn't find a brown one. She was concerned because hers was old and used. I told her I'd pay her what ever it was worth to her. She didn't want to say. Finally she sort of whispered $10.00? I knew what new bonnets cost in stores at the time. I gave her $30.00 and we were both very happy. It's the one in the lower picture kind of under the picture sitting on the little cabinet. When I get a bigger stand I'll move it over to the honey hutch where the black Indiana bonnet is. 

 

BTW, the rest of the house doesn't look like that.   

 

I will be about 2 hours from Shipshewana. But it won't be the same. Over here there are more and better Amish stores and I have a couple of Amish friends down there that I visit. Sigh. And I won't be able to make it to Pennsylvania in one day. I don't romanticize about the Amish. I know their dirt from infidelity, alcoholism, drugs and even murder. 

 

I took a picture for my cousin of my half finished music area.  I'm moving my grandpa's flag over to an end table and putting my stereo there. And when I can pry my guitar from my son's house, it will sit in the stand. 

 

 

[snapshotmiki]

I love the dulcimer @Jeepers!

 

Ended up with a fourth busted water pipe, yesterday. Haven't had hot water since Monday and no water for the last two days. Good thing I store water in gallon jugs for hurricanes. This too, will pass.
 

All pipes fixed at this point.

Will walk first.
Get finger printed for possible part time job.
Walk dogs.
Clean house a little.
Make phone calls for concrete fix for driveway.
Call plumbers about re-plumbing under house with pex piping.
Do some inventory in shed to bring canned goods list up to date.
Thaw shrimp and sausage to make gumbo tomorrow.

Three more nights of cold and then back to mid 30's to 50's for lows.

[Mother]

Jeepers, have you thought about riting down the story of the ants, bonnets, pottery nd things and putting them inside or someho attaching them to the object?  DH’s mom did that as well as kept records and pictures of the item in a book.  She had dementia and couldn’t tell them herself but it was such fun for us to go through her things and read the stories. History, even yours, can form the future. 
 

I love the instruments and how you display them.  I always wanted a Zither. Do you have music sheets to place under the strings? 

[Jeepers]

What a great idea Mother. I'm going to do that! You know I have stories.  LOL

 

I think I'll get a tambourine to hang on the side of the shelf. G-son will love that.

 

I do have the card things to put under the strings. I have about 40 of them. I bought them the same place I bought the zither in Shipshewana. They sell them in packets. I have two packets that are Christmas songs, two that are children's songs and two that are hymns. I bought a cheaper one for G-son to play with and when I get a printer going, I'm going to copy them and give him a copy of the sets. They are done on card stock so it should be easy. I got the dulcimer about 30 years ago at the same place I bought the zither. They offer free tuning for the life of the instruments they sell. Fun story, Shipshe has a K-9 police officer named Yogi. The music store (Simple Sounds) fell in love with him and bought him his first bulletproof vest.  

 

Son always wanted a Mandolin. About 20 years ago he was going through a tough time and I told him I'd get him one. We looked on line and found an inexpensive one. I ordered it. A couple weeks later we received 6 of them! I called the company and told them if they would send me a return label I'd send 5 of them back. They told me to just keep them. So I have one, he has two, he gave one away and I sold two.  

 

Again, I've been collecting things for decades. The dulcimer is 30 years old, the mandolin is 20 years old. the zither is about 10 years old and the guitar is a couple of months old. Tambourine...to be announced.  

[Jeepers]

Oh my Miki, I'm sorry about your pipes! No hot water isn't fun but no water at all is awful. 

I'm glad they got them fixed. Hope they stay that way! Spring can't come soon enough.

 

Best of luck on getting a part time job!  

 

 

[Jeepers]

It is snowing like crazy here this morning. At least it is the light fluffy stuff and easy to brush off of the cars. Of course this is the day I chose to go to the doctor. I just bit the bullet and went to 'that' clinic. At 8:15 I was the only one in there. Good timing. Also thankful for the 4 wheel drive as the clinic sets up on a big hill and I could feel the Jeep start to slide coming down it. I pulled up on the lever and it straightened right out. Second time I had to use it this year. 

 

As suspected I have bronchitis again. She ordered some cough medicine and some Doxycycline. The Doxy is one of the meds that is hard to get ahold of right now. But I just got a notice that my pharmacy has filled it and it's ready for pick up. It is snowing so hard that I'll wait a few hours to go get it. I've waited this long that a little while longer won't hurt.  In the end, it's good to know that Doxycycline is recommended for bronchitis because I have a feeling I'm going to go through the same thing every winter from now on. Whether or not it works is another question. I'll see I guess. And I have a stash of the stuff from you know where. 

[Littlesister]

Jeepers, seems it is never ending for you. Hope you start feeling better soon. GS just got over bronchitis. He was also on Doxycycline. He got over it in just a few days, so hopefully it will clear you up fast. 

I can see why you love your dining room the best. You have it set up really nice. I love all the furniture and the table turned out really nice and matches well with all the other furniture. 

I agree with Mother, take pictures and tell a story about each item for your son and GS. I think years from now they would enjoy reading about your adventures. 

 

Went to heart doctor this morning. Both the EKG and the stress test was really good. Only thing was the heart muscle is stiff. But a lot of walking will fix that. But I don't walk in this freezing weather. So, will do some exercises in house and walk on the warmer days. I told him about my shoulder on the left side. It has been very painful right under the shoulder blade. He checked it and said it was muscle to use a heating pad and take Advil or Aleve. I have muscle relaxers so will take one tonight as the pain kept me up all night.  He also changed some of my medications. The Norvasc caused me to gain weight as well as the Actos the endo doctor put me on. So, off the Actos and on Farxiga and on a combination of a fluid pill and blood pressure pill. He wants me to go on a mediterranean diet. I am already using that diet though. I was a little bit mad as I gained over 10lbs due to the Norvasc and Actos. And because of hypothyroid it is hard to get that off. So here I go again. Hopefully the Farxiga will get that weight off like he said it would. 

So just taking it easy today with heating pad for shoulder. Will work on some things later today. Waiting for pharmacy to call to pick up the RX's. 

[mommato3boys]

16 minutes ago, Littlesister said:

Hopefully the Farxiga will get that weight off like he said it would

Littlesister, I hope that works for you. It did not work for me, if anything it increased my appetite. I didn't loose any but I didn't gain any either. 

 

Since it cold again today my outside plans have been postponed. Today has offically turned into meal prep day for the meals over the next few weeks. 

 

Things that will be prepped today:

 

Breakfast burritos - will go ahead and make up about a dozen and get them in the freezer.

Marina sauce - this will probably cook overnight in the crock pot since I am using both of my crock pots now. 

Dry beans - the black beans are already in the crock pot. Pintos have just gone in the other crock pot so they will be ready tonight to bag up and freeze.

Chicken - the chicken is cooking now for the taquitos. I plan on making about 2 dozen and freezing them - this is hubby's go to for snacks

Today is "feed the starter" day so I will make pizza dough with the discard and freeze it.

Enchilda sauce like the marina sauce this will need to simmer for a while, the long the better. I have a pot simmering now since we are having enchilda casserole for dinner. The rest will be froze in ice trays and stored for later use. 

That will just leave slicing up some onions. I try to keep one or two in the refrig sliced and diced to make it easier when cooking, the onions I have are old and trying to sprout so they will all be sliced and diced and froze.