Watcha doing today?

[Littlesister]

Can't get a picture of the rain barrels on here, but this is what I bought.  

Amazon:  FCMP outdoor RC4000-BRN 50 Gal. BPA free.  Flat back, color brown. They are 127.27 each. If you go on Amazon to rain barrels. You will see them.  Don't let the flat backs fool you. They are totally round on the inside. But the flat part on back is rounded inside. They also have screens on top.  You can't dip a bucket in the top the way they are made but the hose works great.

[Littlesister]

GD will be here with the baby around noon. I will be keeping her for a while so GD can run errands today.  Don't know how long I will have her but don't think more than 4 or 5 hours. 

 

Just cleaning and finishing up on the wood racks today. Not sure what else I will be doing yet. 

 

Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter.  Mine was quiet and peaceful. Listened to preaching a lot of the day and watched some Easter shows and read. Then cooked dinner. So, a very easy day yesterday. 

 

GS had to go into work early so he could get off early but still didn't get home before 10pm last night. He bought groceries yesterday while at the store.  So, after 10pm last night we were putting away groceries and then he heated up his dinner and ate, then he went to bed. He is working again tonight and then after 7 straight days of working, he will be off tomorrow. He really looks tired. 

He is also proud of his little pouch of a stomach. Can't count his ribs anymore. He made it up to 130lbs.  He needed that weight. 

[Littlesister]

Baby went home just after 4 and then I got ready to head to the hardware store. Needed some spray paint for the small wood rack. It is old and starting to rust. So got the rust oleum paint and got part of it painted when I got back home. Will finish that up in the morning so GS can work on the wood pile. Still have one more wood rack to put together. And will get that done also before the baby gets here. I am keeping her from 2 till 5 tomorrow so they can go look at a couple of houses. They are planning to buy a house. I really liked the one GD showed me. It was totally redone and really nice huge back yard all fenced in. It also had a really nice shed in back as well. Nice neighborhood also and I am familiar with the area. Closer to her DH's work at the Coast Guard base. So that would be a plus. 

 

Need to get bills paid and a few other things as well inside the house before the baby gets here. So early start for me in the morning. 

[Necie]

Got behind... busy weekend.
 

Got DGD(13) Friday evening and she ended up staying til Sunday. We tried 🎣 Saturday afternoon (she doesn’t get up til noon lol). Just off shore in a couple places and didn’t get a bite.  She had wanted pot pies for dinner, but when I asked— how about I fry up some bluegill and make mac & cheese?? — well, that helped the mood.  

Then we went to DG to do Easter baskets for the littles— DGS(6) and DGD(4). I let her pick the baskets and all the stuff to go in them... and one for herself, of course. 

 

Yesterday, DS2 and DDIL and kids came down and we all had fun grilling and cooking and playing in the yard. It ended up being nicer out than we thought it was going to be.

 

Crocheted this morning. 
Ran to Shipshewana and dropped off soaps/lotions at flea market, then to E&S (big Amish bulk store) to get some soaping supplies. Then to a small Amish store on the way home to fill lp tanks for the camper and found large mouth Pur canning lids for $1.69/doz— got 10 of them. 
Leftovers for dinner and crocheted some more tonight.

 

Tomorrow am making soap and lotion and working on more venison.

 

and 

Necie

[Littlesister]

Becca Anne, were you able to find the rain barrels on Amazon with the info I gave? So far, they are really working out for me. 

 

Finished up on the small wood rack and finished getting it painted. Hopefully that will make it last much longer.  Got the other 3 wood racks put together for grandson to work on today. Don't think he can get it all finished today but at least most of it. 

 

Babysitting again this afternoon so GD and her DH can go look at a couple of houses. I really hope and pray they get the one they want. I saw pictures of this one and it is really nice. Totally remodeled and all one floor like GD wants. 

 

Going to start back on my bedroom closet this evening after everyone has gone home. To many interruptions around here and I should have already had this house back together. But if it's not one thing it's the other.  And on top of that I have a guy that keeps calling and wanting me to put all my retirement in gold. Hopefully I took care of that. He is really pushy and this time to get him off the phone I pushed back. I can only block so many numbers on my landline and it is full right now. The blocked calls are pollical calls. If I unblock them right now to block this guy's number, then I will have the pollical calls again. So won't clear it till after the elections.  I will just have to make sure I look to see who is calling before I pick up the phone. But hopefully he won't call back now. 

 

 

[Jeepers]

I thought we were supposed to get storms today so I got up early and pulled the Jeep out of the garage incase the power went off and I couldn't get out. Not a drop of rain in sight today. Now they're saying we might get storms tomorrow. Bad storms. But I don't have anywhere to go. 

 

I had to get my echocardiogram done today. They said it would probably take an hour. I was in and out in a half an hour. Even so, she did take her time and took a lot of snapshots. And today I'm half way through the heart monitor. Heart doctor on the 25th. I feel very lucky to be getting all of this done so fast. I know a lot of people are waiting for months and months to get anything done. Especially when it comes to specialists.  Son is still waiting for his colon test. Colonoscopy.

 

I was supposed to get an email two weeks ago about turning in my ATT equipment from the cable TV. Nothing. But today I got a letter saying to just recycle it. I have 3 cable boxes. Wonder if it has anything to do with the big hack they just went through?    Lots of customer info was stolen. Probably mine too.

 

I stopped in JoAnn fabrics for some curtain tie back ribbon stuff. I found some I think will work. It's a good thing because they didn't have very much. I hate going in there because I always end up in the tee shirt aisle. Happened again. But I found a powder blue shirt that I don't have and a really pretty light Heather gray shirt. It's almost white. 3 for $12.00. I got 2 of each. Plus 1 navy blue and 1 red. I didn't need any more.  Sigh. Very nice tee shirts in a lot of pretty colors for $4.00 each.  I might go back tomorrow if I think of it. They are having 15% off if you buy a bolt of material. I could use a bolt of black and one of beige. I hate to move more stuff though. 

 

 

 

[Becca_Anne]

Yes thank you Littlesister! I put them on my household wish list. Will have to consider how to put one in, I might look into a gutter for the shed, and put one there, the main house is so exposed it might stick out too much and be obvious whereas the shed it could be hidden under the bushes more and also help re-direct the water to the garden.

We had a big storm come through last night so it's all fresh and green outside. Noticed we have a dead tree though. It needed to come out anyways it's too close to the house so we'll have to plan that out soon.

[Jeepers]

Becca-Anne, my neighbor made a very nice enclosure around his water barrels. He elevated the barrels on cement blocks then built a wooden enclosure around them. He painted the enclosure the same color as his house. If you wouldn't know what was in there, you wouldn't guess there were barrels inside. It's right up against his house and just a few feet from his garden.  I think he made a door on it. I can't remember. 

 

A small storage shed, painted and surrounding the barrels would be nice too. If you've ever seen a little structure built on the side of new houses where people have a gas fireplace, that's what it looks like. I'd like something like that too. It looks nice and hides the barrels. 

[Littlesister]

Didn't get back to the bedroom closet after the baby went home. I decided to pay bills instead. Was going to do that the end of the week. But the interruptions are crazy, and I wanted to get that behind me. Taxes are all paid as well. So that is a huge relieve off of my shoulders. IRS won't catch me off guard next year.  

 

Tomorrow I won't be babysitting, and GS has to work. It is supposed to be raining tomorrow so good day to work on bedroom closet.  I will be working in there all day in hopes to have it finished by days end. 

 

GS did work on the wood pile today but didn't get it finished. But a lot of stuff got done. He will work on it again on Thursday, weather permitting. Hopefully he will have it finished next time. He still thinks I will need a couple more wood racks, but I am hoping not. I do need to buy some covers for the last 3 though. Will do that soon. 

 

My next-door neighbor and I was talking, and she said she would love to get wood for a wood stove. She has a fireplace and one with an insert for wood. She said she loves them but just doesn't want to mess with stacking wood and such. Told her that one day that might be our only source of heat and that I don't like stacking wood either but there might not be another option one day. I look at it as insurance and exercise. After this year stacking wood won't be an issue. It's just getting the wood racks level and situated for the wood and with good covers on them.  Speaking of covers it looks like a squirrel or something scratched though the cover on my grill. That cover wasn't that old and not dry rotted either. So, need to buy a new one soon. 

 

[Necie]

Weather has turned crappy again. Started yesterday.. damp, chilly, windy. Had a couple small thunderstorms yesterday evening and last night. Cold, wet, and windy today. Rain off and on. Tomorrow we are supposed to get snow. I think the ground is too warm for it to stick though. Chilly and more rain for the rest of the week and weekend. Yuck!!

 

Crocheted 🧶 this morning.

I got my fragrance and essential oils Saturday and yesterday. I only had .5-1oz of Cherry Almond fragrance oil left before I ordered. So today I made a double batch of Cherry Almond soap and a batch of Cherry Almond lotion. 
Got the venison out to work on, but it’s still froze. So I shredded scrap soap instead. I have a ZERO waste policy.  It gets rebatched into a discount soap. 
Crocheted 🧶 some more tonight. 
 

Tomorrow... more soap, more lotion... venison. 
 

I finally flipped my date book to April today and transferred everything left on my *to do* list. Realized I’m not really getting much done off it... and I keep adding to it.  I need to work on that harder. Market starts in less than a month— April 30th. After that, it’s really a struggle to get anything done. 
 

and 

Necie

[Jeepers]

Less than 24 hours from my echocardiogram and I already have the results. I got a detailed report but I have no idea what it all means. But, I don't think there is anything major on it. Nothing stood out except for a mild valve something or another. The word 'regurgitation' was used. And a thickening on one side. Dr. Google mentioned a possible valve replacement or a diuretic med. I'm not leaning toward a diuretic because of the blood pressure. Obviously I don't know what I'm talking about but I didn't see anything that mentioned the words 'critical' or 'severe' and a doctor didn't call me, so I'm taking it as a positive.  Two more weeks on the monitor and three more weeks to see the cardiologist. My GP is on vacation this week so they probably won't call.  I'm glad I got the test done and I'm hopeful that the high blood pressure isn't damaging the heart too much. I'm also very hopeful my insurance steps up!!! 

 

 

Just got a text from my doctor. The results were within the normal range. That was fast. Still less than 24 hours from the test. 

 

Edited April 3 by Jeepers
Added Info

[Littlesister]

Jeepers, glad the test was in normal range.  Now to wait on the monitor. Hoping all goes well there also. 

 

Necie, you have been really busy with getting things together for the Market. I'm sure you will have it all together and then able to take a much-needed rest. 

 

Went to post office this morning to mail some bills. we have a new mail man, and he doesn't seem to being hitting the mailboxes very good. He runs back and forth where he forgets to put all the mail in someone's box and mail goes in anyone's box. Not always my mail. So, I no longer put the mail in box to go out. Safer to take down the road to put in the mailbox there. They have one inside that I can drop it off at.

After the post office I decided to go to Lidle's. I have been wanting to get enough hamburger to can. I am almost out of my canned hamburger. They had it on sale and only had 2 packs left, so was able to get just under 6lbs. At least that is a start.  Picked up some frozen flounder on sale also and a few other things but not a lot. Came home and got everything put away and hopefully will find hamburger on sale at Food Lion or Harris Teeter. Might go there later this evening. Need to check the sale papers on hamburger. Also watching out for a Boston butt. Hoping they will be on sale also. Wanting to make some barbeque. 

 

[Jeepers]

I'm having such a good day I decided to go get my hair cut. Almost 14 inches of the scraggly mess gone! It still brushes my shoulders. She told me to be aware that I'm going to be using a lot less shampoo now and will be saving a lot of money. LOL A girl after my own heart. But she is right. It feels so much better too. 

 

There was a method to my madness though. My hair falls out easily and sometimes gets stuck on the back of my shirt. Even with my hair done up, I still find loose hairs. Canning season is coming up and I don't want to get a stray hair in any food. That REALLY grosses me out. Especially a foot long hair. I gag even if it is my own hair. I plan to do quite a bit of canning this year regardless of where I'm at, so the hair had to go. My hair grows fast so by winter it will be down my back again if I let it. I hope my curling iron is at this house. 

 

While getting it cut, the pharmacy, in the same shopping plaza thingy, texted that my thyroid med was ready. How convenient. So now I'm covered for thyroid for about 4 months. 

 

I should probably play the lottery today. 

 

Getting taxes done tomorrow morning. . Hope my luck holds up. If I'm not too devastated I might head out to Amish country. 

 

[Littlesister]

Went up to Food Lion and they had a manager's special on the hamburger. Only had 4 left so got all 4 of them. I now have 10lbs of hamburger to can. Will get that done tomorrow morning.  No Boston Butts on sale. So that is for another day. 

 

Wind is picking up here and we are under a tornado watch. Such fun.  

 

My next-door neighbor found a huge rat that has been living on her back porch.  Dog Food issues.  Told her to get a medal trash can for the dog food. Terminix came out to set a trap and also put down those sticky strips. They couldn't find it but then she has so much junk on that back screened in porch it is hard to tell where it was. Hope they catch it. I don't want it over here. 

 

So tomorrow will be canning hamburger and working on bedroom closet. That is almost done so just packing stuff into boxes for Goodwill and going through some clothes.

 

[Becca_Anne]

Ugh rats! Hope they don't come your way Littlesister! 

Jeepers glad you got your hair cut I really need to do the same. My hair is halfway down my back and I haven't had it that long since I was 12. I just keep forgetting to make an apt...

Necie that cherry almond soap sounds lovely I can see those scents would go very well together.

 

It is super chilly here today high in the 40's, huge swing from the other day when it was mid 70's. I have been cold all day and headachey now so hoping I'm not coming down with something. I aggravated my hip (bursitis) so I'm a big whiney mess today. So I'm babying myself and took some ibuprofen and calling it a day. Seedlings got checked on but that's the only homestead stuff I got to do today. It was too cold and wet out anyways to do anything. Can't wait for when it warms back up again and dries out. I really want to get my blueberry bushes in the ground so I can repurpose the pots for my basil and flowers.

[mommato3boys]

Oh my stars, how did I do this for 40 something years? I am totally out of "work" mode that is for sure. This past month has been rough. 17 more months to go LOL. I can do this, and I thought chasing a 2 year old and 4 year old was rough. At least they took naps 

[Mt_Rider]

Wow..."life" does just keep happening to all of us, right?  Take care, everyone. 

 

I've finally gotten to the stage, after the past week of "preliminary symptoms",.... I think I'm sick.  Fighting it but no idea what the 'it' actually is.   I've had a week of hissssing in the ears with surges of louder hissing in 2-3 bursts.  Then returns to the solid hisssssssss. 

 

   What is it?!?   Temp is up one degree from my normal.  Fatigue is up several 'degrees' from my normal.    And I seemed to have strained a back muscle a little while trying to sit in living room chair with spine STRAIGHT up, cuz then the hissing is less.  But ow!  Arnica helps that tho.  Nothing seems to stop the hisssing.  I have a degree of ear noise anyway but nothing like this!    Especially the surges.  And as DH said:  Looks like your body is trying to  fight off something.  "But I don't feel sick....just plagued with NOISE and fatigue.  

 

Today, yeah.  I actually do feel "sick"......whatever that means.  I've been taking all the things we take herbally and nutritionally for a week now.  I'm about ready to stop and let it happen!  Then again, if there is this much build-up.....      mebbe not the best idea, right?   

 

This afternoon, I was out on the porch in the very warm sunshine {snow drifts still wherever the sun can't get to them} and talked to two friends on the phone.  Vit D from the best source. Then broke out in a sweat.....       um, was that good or bad?  Dunno.  ....now DH is sneezing.  I haven't sneezed ....wasn't me!     Kim Chee Ramen cures him tho. 

 

MtRider ...rambling, I know.   

[Becca_Anne]

Mt Rider Does your DH have a stethescope to listen to your neck? Does he know how to listen to your carotid artery? Sometimes people have what is called a cardiac bruit and are hearing the sound of blood in the vessels due to a partially blocked artery, just want to be sure you don't have something like that going on, or super high BP right now causing the noise. You might want to get it checked out I am worried for you.

[Littlesister]

Mt. Rider, Becca Anne is right. You need to have the carotid arteries checked out. If your DH can get him to listen to the carotid arteries. If not, you really need to get that checked out. A blockage can cause a stroke. 

 

Got everything ready to can hamburger tomorrow as soon as I get back from Harris Teeter to pick up RX and check on Boston Butts. I don't think anyone has them on sale this week. So will just keep watching out for them. 

 

 

Edited April 4 by Littlesister
hit the save button save button again to soon.

[themartianchick]

I've been busy for the past few days, but I wanted to stop by to say, "Hi!"

 

Tomorrow, I have to get blood drawn and plan to spend some time rounding up items to sell on eBay and Poshmark. I am determined to downsize my closet and have decided that it is ridiculous to hold onto so many clothes that will never fit again. (Somewhere in my closet is a pair of size 2 jeans from the mid-1980s. I had to skip breakfast and lay on the floor to s-q-e-e-z-e into them in high school. )  I have some Priority Mail shipping boxes and bags arriving in the next few days to get ready for that. We've seen some rain today from the big storm, but no snow...yet! We are expecting some, so I plan to just stay at home and focus on my to-do list.

 

Mt_Rider - That noise sounds really scary! The sheer fact that it is disrupting your life is a sign that it could also send your blood pressure through the roof. Anything that interferes with your sleep and/or causes pain can also push your blood pressure up. Do you have a blood pressure cuff? I use an inexpensive wrist one that I purchased from Amazon. I hope that you will be feeling better soon!

[Jeepers]

Sounds like a lot of us are downsizing this year. I was holding on to a really cute pair of pink cutoff shorts in a size 4.  .  I haven't seen a size 4 in decades and there is no way I'll ever get to that size again. I wouldn't even want to now. And I'd look ridiculous in them. They went out the door this year. Finally. 

 

Mt. Rider, I agree with everyone else. You need to get your neck and blood pressure checked. I've never had a hissing sound in my ears but I have heard my heart beat in my ears with my high blood pressure. My doctor told me to get one of those upper arm cuffs.  I got one from Walmart and it is really close to the one at the doctors office. I use it all the time. I think it was around $30.00. 

 

[Mt_Rider]

   Thanks Becca Anne, Little Sister, and Martian!  DH did check my neck pulse several days ago when this started.  He checked again just now with his stethoscope.   All is well for that.  Whew!   The surging hiss is overlaid on the constant hisssss.  It's not on any kind of pattern.    

 

EVERY thing disturbs my sleep.    Only pain is from awkward position sitting sideways in chair last nite.  Very low back/sacral area is not happy.   Arnica shuts that up.  But it's not that bad today.  Just an annoying addition to the hissssing thing!   The hisssing has diminished from the days before now.  In volume and frequency of the surging.  

 

O2 is 93  which is fine.  Average for me.  - REMEMBER I'm at 8,400k altitude.  We have way more red blood cells.  Lowest someone should get up here is around 88. 

 

pulse rate around the high 60s low 70s.  Also normal for me.  

 

Temp is up about 1 degree from my normal which is 97.5*  So I'm registering 98.6* or so.  It's fluctuating. LOL   Nearly got sunburned in our 70* (In The Sun) weather late afternoon today.  But we're still able to get down in the 20s at night.  Snow all over in areas under forest and other places the sun doesn't reach.   

 

I do have a LONG history of neck issues...old karate injury back in mid 70s.    But I think I mentioned, it's been a looong time since I've had trouble with that.  But things always crackle a bit when I turn my neck.  I don't have a headache....haven't at any time this week.

 

I'm a bit exasperated with 'modern medical science' right now.  After a whole year of every kind of test the neurologist could put me thru....   ....they still don't know exactly what I have.  MS is the closest.  Symptoms match but they can't find the demyelination.  Anywhere.  Quite normal blood tests.  (except B6 which went off the chart)  But I did hear that even the MRI really can't SEE everything.  So mild MS is what I'm claiming til someone can come up with something more definitive. 

 

However if this much louder hisssing with surges continues much longer, I think I'll go see what's what.  DH believes I'm fighting something off right now.  Some illness type thing.  In chiropractic, if one finds the very top vertebrae pulling out of place, that's what it indicates.  He's pushed it back in place X3 in this past week.  The lymph glands front and back of neck have been swollen.   So we're going on that theory.  Mess with the top vertebrae....or any of MY neck...and you'll get the hisssing.  Know that from my long acquaintance with a neck collar...long ago.

 

MtRider ....  appreciate your concern tho!!!    

[Necie]

Today is (was) Wednesday. Tomorrow is Thursday.  Sorry... just trying to keep track. Everything seems to be running together.  I need *summer* (schedule). 
 

Crocheted this morning.

Cut soap and made another double batch of Cherry Almond. Cherry Almond is one of my best sellers. Smells like the old Jergen’s lotion. The lotion sells really well... the soap sells better. 
Got the venison cut up and ready to can. DH helped. Last time we cut up 2 hind quarters and I got 10 qts. This time was 2 front quarters, part of a hind quarter (?), and some rib meat. I’m going to do it Mississippi pot roast style and think I should get about the same amount. Will can it Friday.

“Free for all” for dinner. I had an everything bagel with cream cheese and tortillas with queso. DH had a cheese toastie and bowl of mini wheats. lol 

Shredded more scrap soap. 
 

Tomorrow I’m running to town. Rural King, Goodwill, Aldis and Ollies. Also need to stop at a local meat market and get DS2 a gift card for his birthday. 
 

Today was (as the local weatherman said) an UGLY spring day. Tomorrow is supposed to be the same. It warms up Sunday (50s), but still rain. But Monday-Wednesday sounds like they’re going to be GORGEOUS. Upper 60s. Trying to decide what to do which day— Shipshewana, farm, mom’s/cabin... maybe just go fishing. 🎣 I know that I definitely WON’T be in the basement making soap/lotion!! 

 

and 

Necie

[snapshotmiki]

I don't have time to respond to everyone right now.  Will have to get back to it.

 

Been busy the last few days with family visiting. They went home yesterday on the train. Today, have 2 doc appts. for dh, then stop at Aldi for sale on hamburger.
Walked first, of course.
Come home and clean baths and dust house for new company (friends) coming tomorrow.
Bible study tonight.

[Becca_Anne]

Glad your DH could rule out that problem Mt Rider I hope you feel better soon. 

Miki glad you got to visit with family

Jeepers and theMartianChick, good call on letting the things go that aren't for you anymore. I chuckle at myself when I go through my closet sometimes, wondering what I was thinking when I thought I should keep some item. Lots in my closet need to go I don't wear them and won't so they should benefit someone else.

Littlesister hope you got some good deals at the store!

Necie hope your soap all sells well!

 

Today just work, take mom to OT/PT, and seedling care, no real plans to do anything else today