Watcha doing today?

[Littlesister]

Haven't done much of anything today. Just taking it easy and trying to stay off my knee. I have been favoring it and the other knee isn't liking it.  So just cleaned kitchen this morning and then sat down with a cup of coffee and read my Bible. Since the doctor said no driving, I haven't been going to Church as that is over 20 minutes away. And that drive has both my shoulder and knee killing me. 

GS is off work tomorrow, so hoping he will work on wood pile tomorrow. But not getting my hopes up. He got lazy on me the past 2 days off. 

Not planning on anything tomorrow but on GS's next day off, I will get him to drive me to a couple of places I need to go. They are a bit further than I want to drive right now. Why couldn't it have been my left knee and shoulder instead of the right knee and shoulder? It would have made things a little easier for me. 

 

Jeepers, glad you are doing better with B/p and getting some much-needed canning done. 

 

Mt. Rider, glad you are starting to feel better also. Seems we are all falling apart these days with something. 

[Jeepers]

Hope you start feeling better too Littlesister! I cut my med back and I'm doing much better. 

 

I took the day off today. I cleaned off the kitchen countertop but that's about it. 

 

I forgot all about gassing up the Jeep this weekend for the big show tomorrow. So now I have to get dressed and go do that. They are warning us of a major influx of people from all over the world. I'm not going out but I want to be able to get out of Dodge if I want to. One tank of gas can get me to the other house if I drive slowly, AKA speed limit.   

 

[Becca_Anne]

Spent my day relaxing, did get out and trimmed the boxwood hedges along the front sidewalk they had grown a lot and looked like they might be encroaching too much for the postal delivery and package deliveries to get through easily. Then we had a tornado warning so had to go down to the basement. DH brought chinese food and carrot cake for my birthday dinner and flowers which was nice. Then had a fun video call with my daughter and grandson and 2 of my husband's  sisters, our 3 nieces and mom who were visiting them which was lovely. I also treated myself to some more plants. Ordered 2 more pecan trees (so I'll have a total of 4), 3 bush cherries, 1 lilac bush, 1 apple tree and more strawberries. So that was fun.

[Mt_Rider]

Happy Birthday, Becca Anne!     Sounds like it was nice -   except that tornado warning part.  But all's well that ends well.  

 

Yeah, Jeepers.....I follow my dad in nicely low BP.  My mom's high BP might   be due to my dad's method of keeping his low.  LOL   

 

As for tinnitus.....  uh, for decades I've had TINITUS!!!   Never found out what causes that but I've always got hissssssing in my ears.  Both!  And the volume of it does vary.  I usually don't "hear" it - normalized.  But what I was experiencing was SO MUCH louder and with that "extra pulse/surge" included....     Every time I turned my head, it sounded like it was grating over sand. Or oyster shell.   Every time I tried to do something, it was HISSSSING!  One does not bend over ....keep head and neck level and rather immobilized.   So DH kept saying, you're fighting something off.....viral/bacterial.  I kept taking the herbal stuff that wards off any number of icky things.  We've used it for years.  Never had it take so long tho.  10 days.  And I'm still taking it - til it's verifiably gone! 

 

I still have a bit louder hisss.  Even a couple of those surges.  But I'm feeling much more normal.  Even walked the dog today......CUZ the WIND stopped.  In the news they said our area of KS, NM, ...some other SW states were getting hit with severe winds!  Which led to fires!  All over the place.  THAT'S when those of us who labored to move FEET of snow, were so very grateful to God for that same snow!!     While areas that didn't get that last huge pile of snow are dry/WINDY/ fire risk....we're mostly fine.  It's blowing so hard that if something isn't nailed down, it's blown off and blowing who-knows-where. 

 

We do get wind like this now and then.  Haven't had this strong for quite some time!  I didn't even go outside these past days of WIND.  Shakes even this log cabin.  But the news was saying that it was hurricane force winds in some places.  Not sure we got that hard but maybe.  This valley does throw wind smack up against the house. 

 

https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/06/weather/southwest-weather-wind-storm/index.html

Quote: 

Wind alerts are in effect for nearly 18 million people from Texas to North Dakota.

The greatest threat of 100 mph winds will be near the base of the Rocky Mountain Foothills and will include areas near Boulder and Fort Collins, Colorado, according to the National Weather Service in Denver.

End Quoting

 

 

But even if it rips down tree limbs with electric wires....or even just the electric wires....we're still quite WET from the melting of those huge snow piles.  Waterways are running high.  I didn't hear of any fires in our county but elsewhere in these SW states....lots and lots of fires.   

 

So I hope to go into the next days with no excess ear hissssing and no excess Wind Blowing things all over!   Or fires......hate fires!  Today was pleasant.    So...I could walk dog again.  Normal. 

 

MtRider ..... "normal" can be quite underrated! 

[snapshotmiki]

Normal certainly is underrated @Mt_Rider!

 

Already walked.
Changed and washed bed linens.
Going to town to get a sputum cup for DH and hopefully he can turn it in today at hospital lab.
Pay on my hospital bill.
Go to bank and put POD on accounts for daughter.
Set up DH's pills for the month.
Put up the canned food that my friend gave me when her daughter cleaned out pantry. They get rid of anything even near -best by date. It doesn't scare me. I have a lot to put up!  LOL

[Jeepers]

Well, I was wrong.

 

The eclipse was pretty amazing after all. 

 

I learned that the sun doesn't appear that big in the special glasses. Actually I had to hunt around to find it the first time. It looks a whole lot bigger with the naked eye.  Second was with just a little sliver of the sun showing it was still very light outside. I mean a tiny sliver. It looked like an overcast rainy day. When it was totally eclipsed, it got dark. But it was the kind of dark you get from when it is storming really badly. Not totally dark like the night. My outside light didn't even come on. 

 

So even with a total eclipse, there is still some lightness involved. 

 

Watching it was pretty awesome. I can understand how panic and superstitions would happen in the old old days. I've feel that way about people seeing the northern lights and not knowing what they are. 

 

I chanced taking a couple of pictures. Not much to see through the camera. Mostly a big white blur. One picture I took has a bunch of chemtrails in front of the sun. 

 

I found out what all the hub-bub was about in downtown Cleveland. Today is also the opening day for our baseball team. Sheesh. I'll bet it was/is a madhouse down there. 

 

Glad I got to see it but glad the talk of it is over. 

 

 

[Becca_Anne]

We were in the path of the totality as well. Got to watch in the backyard. Was a memorable experience for all. My Camera didn't have a polarized lens so I didn't take any photos but we did take a video of what the daylight looked like. It got cooler and the streetlight came on. Pretty neat and made for a fun homeschool day where we talked about the different types of eclipses. 

[Jeepers]

Miki, doing a POD/TOD for my son has really eased my mind.  I have him on all of my banking accounts, houses and even the Jeep.

 

There was an article I read a week or so ago talking about food expiration dates. The FDA or some other agency, I can't remember which, was talking about changing the rules on how food is labeled. It seems there is no standard rules. Each company can lable however they choose. Some say expires by, or use by, or best by etc. They were saying as long as the food looks and smells good and the packaging hasn't been compromised, then the food is good. Said we are wasting millions of dollars a year throwing good food away. I agree. My cousin used to drive me crazy by throwing food away that was a day away from "expiring".  Like it was a law she couldn't eat it. And our food bank won't accept food that is one month past expiration date. BTDT.

 

Mt. Rider, my tinnitus comes and goes too. I think it's always there but sometimes I don't notice it anymore. Unless I think about it.

 

I saw where CO. Was getting heavy winds. Some poles were down causing power outages and fires. I was hoping it was missing you. 

 

[Littlesister]

Becca, glad you had a wonderful birthday.  But didn't need the tornado warnings. Glad all went well. 

 

Mt. Rider, I have tinnitus but it's not a hissing sound. It does at times get loud. They say it is not the ears but the brain that is causing the noise. Wish they had a cure for it. But glad you are feeling better and no fires to worry about. 

 

I have eating canned food had been 2 years out of date with no issues. So yes, a lot of it is still good. My GS is very wasteful with food. It makes me mad, but he still throws out food that he wanted and then decides it's not what he wants and dumps it in trash to get something else to eat. 

 

We had a partial solar eclipse. I just looked like it was getting later in the day as like the sun going down some but that was it. I watched the full eclipse on TV. A couple of states said they could see the stars and it got really dark and the streetlights all came on. It showed the eclipse but didn't see any stars in what they were showing on tv. 

 

I went through some more boxes and cleaned out the China hutch. GS was off today and worked on the wood pile for a bit and washed his clothes. Then cleaned up his bathroom. 

Little by little I am getting the house back together. 

GS goes to Mepps for his test and to check the kidneys to make sure he doesn't have any more kidney stones. Then if he passes the test this time, he is off to boot camp. 

[Jeepers]

My G'son is kind of wasteful with food too.  I sort of blame his mom though. I think she fills his plate too full. When I was a kid   I could put anything on my own plate but I had to eat it all. That taught me about portion control real fast. 

 

Becca-Anne, that was a very educational school day. Great way to teach. G-sons school had glasses for all the kids which was nice. Around here the kids were out of school. IMO they would have been safer in a classroom and not be tempted to look at the sun without the glasses.  Especially the little ones. And a missed teaching opportunity. 

[Mt_Rider]

Hmph!  Today was difficult.  Nothing huge, but like being pecked to death by ducks.     No, not my ducks.

I missed "seeing" the partial eclipse that we had.  I punched a hole in a card and held a white piece of paper to look at the sun shining thru the hole - sun behind me.  I went out to check several times.  But I'd forgotten that the thing is over in just minutes.  I must have missed it.  Been a long time since I've been in an eclipse area.  I did see the ...what I call "ashen" look to everything out the window.  So that's probably when it would have shown a chunk missing on my paper.  Can't remember how much eclipse happened in Iowa or on Maui.  But this is the 3rd one I've had at least a part of. 

 

DH came home with heavy bags for groceries....he goes with his client to shop on Mondays.  Gets some things for us and saves a trip into town.  I was about to get in shower/wash hair when ***BLINK***   Electric is out.     Then came on.  ....Then went out and stayed off.  Gaah!  We went thru the whole "hurricane winds" for days and kept power.  The past 2 days are calm.....what happened?   

 

I go down to put ducks away for the night...with dog walk and driveway walk.......IN THE SNOW!     Yes, really!  Meanwhile DH is putting away groceries and trying to ease nasty spasms in his back.  But.....at least he was able to start the pellet stove  by connecting it to the power station (SUCH a good investment!)  and it was running warm by the time dog and I got the birds in and walked up the hill again.  In the snow....sweeping steps as we went up. 

 

Walked in house and ....the lights are on!        Okaay...  So I rush in to shower/wash hair.  I dry it near the pellet stove heat so I JUST have to get washed/rinsed before the crazy electric might go back off again.  But.....at this point, we're back on regular electric.  So far.  This has been a day when the sun don't shine and the electricity don't run.  About 'par' for my weird days.  

 

I was reading where the lack of solar energy pumping into the [TX] state's or national power grid made a moderately significant difference in power available.  But...don't cloudy days do more than a brief darkening?   

 

Ears are roaring right now....above normal decibels, so I think my neck is needing to shift position!   I'm sitting in front of pellet stove on a milk crate and typing with laptop on a chair.  Need to do Hawaiian before the power (thus our router) goes off again.  Not really expecting it ....but who ever does? 

 

MtRider  ...a somewhat unsatisfying day but not really a bad day....   

[Necie]

I missed yesterday... Was busy all day, but didn’t seem to really get much done. Didn’t get to cross anything off my list!!  Mostly just piddled around the kitchen. Did get the 40# of sugar jarred up and in the basement. Loaded stuff that needed to go to the cabin or farm in the van. Took a break for awhile and DH and I went to see a nephew’s new house. DSIL (DH’s youngest sister) and DBIL were there helping him fix things and clean before moving in. Will be a really nice place when he gets it all done. 
DH and I both have big families... 7 kids in each. I have 1 brother and 5 sisters, DH has 2 brothers and 4 sisters. Both of us are #4 and each family has 14 nieces/nephews (odd, huh?). I’d have to get out paper and pencil to figure out how many great nieces/nephews. And the siblings in each family are really close... despite the occasional squabbles. 😂 

 

Today was FARM DAY!!  Picked up DS1 and dropped some stuff off at the cabin. Went to the farm and mostly worked on organizing the camper. Got my new fuzzy-wuzzy blankies from Ollie’s put on the bed. Found some old chicken wire to put over a couple of new (2 yrs) lilac bushes that the deer keep devouring. Was going to clean out the fridge in the camper, but when we turned the water on in the house the last time we were there, we didn’t turn the hot water heater on. FREEZING water. So I brought the parts out of the fridge home with me to clean. 

Tomorrow am going to Shipshewana to work in the booth at the flea market for awhile. I’m taking full advantage of these nice days. 73 today and supposed to be 68 tomorrow. 
 

and 

Necie

[snapshotmiki]

I didn't think about the jeeps @Jeepers.  One is 1998 and the other is 2001.  They have lots of miles!

 

Already walked.
Have to fold and put away bedding.
Make copies of POD and safe deposit box info for DD.
Unload potting soil to shed.
Unload food in shed.
Walk Aninja.
Shovel City gutters before next rain.
I love -home- days!

[Littlesister]

Went online this morning to the news to find out there was a 2.1 magnitude earthquake that struck in central VA. late Monday night. It happened just North of Glen Allen at 10:46 pm. We didn't feel anything around here on this one. 

 

Cleaning out the boxes in the living room and dining room. Getting ready to move the Christmas boxes to shed to put back up on the loft.  Moving a few things around to get that out of the dining room. Need to also finish putting a highchair together. I keep trying to get rid of stuff and have seemed to have replaced it with a playpen, highchair, toys and other things for the baby. Funny how all that worked out. But it's for my GGD. So worth the switch from junk to baby things. GD and her DH are still looking for a house. I feel like as long as they need me to help with the baby and as long as GSIL doesn't get transferred for a while I will stay put for now. But after they get transferred, I will start again thinking of moving closer to daughter if she decides to stay put and not move again. She's one to want to move every five years. 

[Jeepers]

Miki, my Jeep is old too. 2005 with well over a hundred miles and some rust and dings. I don't think son will want it personally, but when I die it will automatically be in his name so he will be able to trade it off without having to retitle it etc. Or chance probate. $$$

 

Littlesister, how will it work out if your grands buy a house and then he gets transfered?

 

I got my banking squared away and will write out the checks for my taxes. I owe sooo much so I'm waiting to send in the checks. I'm going to go to the post office so they won't chance getting lost. It has happened in this town. They even had to change the style of drop off boxes there. I don't want any issues with the government. But I'm also in no hurry for them to use my money for interest. 

 

I've got 24 half pints of green beans in the canner. Next on the list will be carrots. Then I'm taking a break. I'm very tired. I think the only other veggie I want in the half pints will be pickled beets. Ugh, they are a mess and time consuming. Not looking forward to those. I do want some veggies canned in pint jars though. Mainly french green beans. Also potatoes and carrots canned together. Not looking forward to pealing potatoes either...back issues. I'm half tempted to get some of those little white baby potatoes and skip the peeling. Probably wouldn't prudent though.  I need an assistant.  

 

 

[Littlesister]

Jeepers, I know what you mean by needed an assistant. GS is no help in a kitchen. He prefers to do work outside other than washing his clothes and cleaning his bathroom, he is no help. He slowed down on the wood pile, and I had to say something. All I got was I'm tired and not working on it. So, told him fine, I will finish it myself. That was the only reason he got off his duff and went out yesterday and worked on it. He doesn't want me to do it. Guess I have to give him credit for that. 

 

What my GD and her DH are doing is buying a house that they will live in till he gets transferred. Then they are going to rent the house out and not sell it. So, I am just going to continue to downsize the house and then get the rest of house painted and the outside lights replaced and call it a day and put on market to move closer to my DD in NC. It might be a couple of years before he gets transferred. He has to go to school in NC for 4 months, but GD is going to stay here, and he is going to commute back and forth. She said it is about a 45-minute drive each way to where he has to go in NC. So that gives me a couple of years to get things done. 

 

So far today, have washed clothes and cleaned my bathroom.  Went through a few more boxes and trying to figure out where to put all the empty plastic tubs for storage for the time being. Don't want to get rid of them as I can use them to pack up when and if I get to move from here.  I need to go spend a few days with DD and drive around different areas to get an idea of where I want to move. 

[Mt_Rider]

2 hours ago, Littlesister said:

2.1 magnitude earthquake that struck in central VA. late Monday night.

ACK....I didn't hear about that.  All my people are in northern VA.....Ashburn and D.C. etc.  But....     Mom's on 3rd floor of Assisted Living.  Hope they don't shake/rattle/roll!  2 hip fractures in one lifetime is enough! 

 

MtRider  ....hmm, wrote this...got distracted....didn't hit 'send'   

 

 

[Jeepers]

New Jersey is having them too. They had a 4.8 last week and a small one (after shock?) during the eclipse. 

[Jeepers]

OMG. Guess what my Walmart had? I'm so excited, I just can't hide it.  

 

 

 

I'll tell ya. Kerr canning jars. They are the wide mouth half pints. I don't like the wide mouth half pints because they are really too short. I like their regular mouth jars because they are tall instead of short. 

 

But wait, there's more.

 

Those squatty little jars will be perfect for salsa and Bar-B-Q sauce etc. Just right for a one person dipper. I might even try recanning a little bit of sauerkraut in some. I'm a rebel. Don't judge. I didn't have any of those jars. I have 6 cases now. ALL KERR JARS. 

 

Yes I have a canning jar obsession. All the same kind of jars all full and lined up. Kerr emblem facing forward with the writing on the lids all centered facing the front...sigh.  OCD wurks fer me. 

 

Some days it don't take much.

Ya know. 

 

 

 

[Mother]

1 hour ago, Mt_Rider said:

my people are in northern VA.....Ashburn and D.C. etc

Not far from DGD in Colonial Beach. 

[Littlesister]

Don't think that earthquake in VA did much if any damage. So good there. I knew about the one in New Jersey and in New York. Seems they are getting more frequent now.

 

Not doing a lot right now. Just trying to wind down. Cooked dinner and put GSs in fridge for when he gets home.  Been reading up about this digital dollar. Things are not looking good in that respect.  I also did just a small amount of weeding. Weather pending, I might do more weeding of the flower beds. I need to get mulch soon also. Just wondering how much I can get into my car. I would get bags as I think I can handle that better. I gave up on my grass guy. Seems all he wants to do is cut grass, edge and blow off the walkway. I'm tired of talking to him about it. So, going to start looking for someone else about taking over the whole yard. It is getting harder for me. And with GS possibly going into coast guard next month if he passes his test this time. I will not have any help for a while. GD and her DH would help but they will soon be moving. Yep, they got a house, but inspection is on Friday. So, will see how things go from there. The house is 2 streets over from my sister-in-law. 

[Jeepers]

Congrats on your GD house! As much as you do for your GD, I'm sure they will be there to help you. Your GGD will be getting more active soon and needing more of your time. And then maybe another one. 

[Midnightmom]

5 hours ago, Jeepers said:

I'll tell ya. Kerr canning jars. They are the wide mouth half pints. I don't like the wide mouth half pints because they are really too short. I like their regular mouth jars because they are tall instead of short. 

 

I'll have to check MY WMart to see if they have those jars. I like the idea of them being used as individual "salsa dipping jars."

BTW @Jeepers How much did your jars cost at your WMart? Mine were $14.63 for a case - website said "Normally $24.99. Not in my world would I ever pay that much for jars!!! And, when on the website you have to be careful that you are ordering curbside delivery because the same jars purchased "online" are at least double the "normal" store price!!!

Edited April 10 by Midnightmom

[Littlesister]

Jeepers, I think they will get transferred in a couple of years. She was talking about trying for baby #2 in June but haven't heard anything more about it. So that is a wait and see. It will be hard for me to keep up with a toddler. But will see how that goes when the time comes. She's not crawling yet. But sitting up good and rolling over. She is one chubby baby. But a cute chubby baby. I think once she starts crawling and then walking, she will slim down. 

[Jeepers]

I was so excited that I just happened to have taken a picture of them. LOL. I got the price on the edge of the shelf in the picture.  I was going to post it but still can't. I just now looked at it. They are $14.63 a dozen in my store too. 

 

I wouldn't pay $24.99 for those little bitty jars either! Actually I never would have ordered them online because I didn't think I'd like them. But after I saw them in person I thought about salsa etc. I'm the only one that eats it at my house so a bigger jar would gum up in the fridge befor I could finish it. And one jar means I won't over eat. Theoretically. 

 

I was surprised to see them east of the Mississippi. 

 

Oh, maybe can some cucumbers and onions in vinegar. I love those bombs. I eat them til my upper lip starts to sweat. A few other things that I thought of but can't remember now. I need a list. 

 

BtW, I bought some litmus paper to decide the acid content in food to determine waterbath safety. I haven't used any of it yet but I will on some tomato or vinegary foods.

 

I saw carrots at Meijers for 97c a pound baby carrots washed and pealed. I'll probably go pick up a few bags tomorrow. They are sold in 2 pound bags.