Watcha doing today?

[Mother]

36 minutes ago, Mt_Rider said:

Uh oh.  DH just came in to announce:  Israel just sent bombs over to Iran's nuke facilities.

Not a lot of info known yet.  ABC seems to have reported it first in a breaking news report but a couple others are picking up on it now.  One report out of Iran says there were noises heard but it was some drones they shot down.???  Something to watch.  

[Jeepers]

@Becca_Anne, glad everything is fine in your neck of the woods. its nice that you have a basement to go to. Poor Ben, its hard to leave a pet behind, even for adults. But hopefully the dry runs will help him understand better. 

 

Oh Dear, I didn't hear about the new bombing.  

 

Thanks Mt. Rider and Mother. 

[Littlesister]

 for Israel. 

 

Mt. Rider hope all goes well with the riding tomorrow. 

 

Jeepers, hope you can get a ride back home and back to the garage when they fix your car. 

 

Mother, using some of that wood for the raised beds is what I am planning. GS has a pile of smaller pieces of wood stacked for me plus I saved all the branches that GS cut off the fence. That is also in that pile. As soon as we get the rest of the firewood stacked, I will be pulling out the raised beds to put in. GS has been looking at my plans. Just hope we can get it all done before they call him into boot camp. Otherwise, my DGSIL will be helping when he can. He's on duty with Coast Guard all this week so can't even go home this week. But it will get done one way or the other. 

Still working on flower beds also. Need to cut back the rosemary as it is taken over the flower bed on other side of porch.  The basil has grown into a bush and getting bigger. Need to cut that back as well. And on the other side of the basil, there is another herb growing and taken over and needs to be pulled up as I can't remember what it is. No smell to it yet. I'm thinking oregano. but not sure. Need to pull out my book to identify it.  

Going to be dehydrating a few herbs and giving away a lot of it as well.

[Necie]

Well, planning doesn’t always work.  Still not in the mood to work on more soup. 

 

Crocheted this morning. 
Then I felt like being outside.

Unloaded the rocks from my van and got them placed. Still need a few more. 

Unloaded topsoil and got containers set to plant some potatoes. (Posted about in Challenge thread in Urban Homesteading). 
<<<Storm is just starting. 😬 >>>
Planted the tulips and daffodils that I bought a couple weeks ago. 
Dug up some worms!! 🐛  That’s one good thing about all this rain... brings them up to the top. Just had to flip a couple rounds of wood over that DH hasn’t split yet. 
 

I *kinda* heard about Israel/Iran tonight. At the very end of our local news they said it was just in that Iran was closing their western airports due to explosions, but no word on what the explosions were yet. No mention of Israel, but... 1+1... 

 

DH’s new reel was delivered today, so he wants to go to the tackle store tomorrow and have them put line on it.   Not sure what else I’ll get into. 

 

and 

Necie

[Littlesister]

I am running in slow motion this morning. Working in the house today as it is cold outside. Though might warm up a bit later. If it does, I will stack more wood. 

Still need to finish getting the highchair put together and finish getting the empty plastic tubs into the attic and out of the living room. Then go through what little bit is left in there and get all of that out and then I can move that living room suit back into the living room and move the dining room table into the den. This was the plan but with new furniture but put the new furniture on hold due to the economy right now. Just don't want to spend the money till I see how things are going to go. Just buying the things for garden beds and the longer screws and hinges for the front door. The ones that are on there now are worn out. I was told that during construction when one of the guys was at that door seeing that it had dropped on the hinge side and told me what was wrong. It was nice of him to tell me, but it wasn't in the list of construction things so he couldn't. add it on. But I have someone that can do it for me anyway. Just haven't gotten around to doing it. I think now is the time to get the new hinges and get that done. 

[snapshotmiki]

Well, all y'all are busy!  Me too.

Still trying to catch up on here.

Yesterday, we tried to deal with DH's IV antibiotics, but his culture came back with something not seen before so he had to repeat it. We are hoping that it will come back and IV antibiotics can be arranged before he ends up in the hospital.

Walked first this morning.
Went to salvage grocery store and then quick doc appt. follow up for me.
Came back and worked at my friend's little cafe for a couple of hours.
Taking it easy the rest of the day.

[Littlesister]

Miki, praying that they get your DH straightened out soon.  

 

Almost have the Living room emptied other than the empty plastic storage bins that need to go into the attic. I have the furniture that will stay in there sat in place. But not sure yet when I can get the couch and loveseat back into the living room as GS is my help and he will not have a day off next week nor this weekend.  His day off he will be at mepp's for coast guard. Praying he will pass his test this time around and that the physical for the kidney stone goes will. Though there shouldn't be an issue with the kidney stone he had last year. There haven't been any more issues from that. 

 

Need to make a new list of things to do for tomorrow. Don't know yet what the weather will be but thinking warm then work on wood pile. If cold again tomorrow, will be going up into the attic to put things away. 

[Mt_Rider]

       

 

It was SUMMER (nearly) at our house so I dressed warm but not WINTER gear.  I got into the village and began to see FROST on the pine trees - which happens when we have clouds at a certain low temperature.  I had put on the silk long underwear, under jeans.  I had thick wool sox in my larger (Dad's) boots.  I had a knit hat but it doesn't cover my ears and couldn't find the ear band (found later).  But I should have had the down vest along with the jacket and wool shirt/tank top.  Shheeeeeeeeesh it was FREEZING!  Literally but ...    So damp too.  Big issue was my hands.  Wimpy UNlined leather gloves.  Not the usual insulated work gloves.  It was SUMMER at our house, she wailed. 

 

I hate being cold!!! 

 

I survived but I was paying more attention to my hands, rubbing them along my jeans so the friction warmed them - thru the thin leather.  Nose was cold so I put on a cloth "the C" mask that I have in back pocket for dust protection on the rides.  No dust but warmer nose.     I've ridden there in ALL kinds of weather but I'm careful of how I dress.  This caught me completely by surprise.  I've never been that cold - even in summer rain/hail storms....(raining little ice cubes).  Took me a long time to get warm when we got home.  Of course by the time we did arrive home, "summer" had fled and the COLD FRONT had moved in on us too.    Oh well.  I hope I got 'the riding effect' I pay to get.  

 

Tonite I began to tear apart the many bags/knapsacks/etc I have on a ledge near the door.  They are there so we can "throw them over the rail and get them in the car if we EVAC".  They have a variety of B.O. items.  I try to keep my "best-est stuff" in one or two that wouldn't be thrown over the edge.  We also have the pulley set there.   But I'm specifically looking for a small battery pack to recharge a cell phone....what do you call those?  It has 4 small solar panels to recharge itself.  I want to bring to Maui....and WHERE oh WHERE did I put that?     It wasn't cheap!

 

That pile on the ledge needed some serious clearing!    Oye...it can get messed up every time I'm in a hurry and can't find something.  So ...it's still all over.  There's a walkway to the door.  I found some things, including the ear band.   A few I didn't remember I had.     Sheeesh!  Cleared/trashed an entire drawer of junk and filled it with all my various hats/scarfs/ear wrap - winter head gear.  I have size XL head and so much does not fit me.  Larger than DH!  So I'm still looking for one of those wrap things - a "buff" that can wrap in various ways.  But every time I buy one, it doesn't stretch enough to fit me.    My mom made me one ages ago - even before the Survival show made them popular.  I wore it out.  Even my ear band is a bit too tight - especially with my hearing aids in!  Might have to stitch my own if I could find some stretchy material.  There are zero places to buy just cloth anywhere around here.  

 

But I am encouraged to be sorting that whole ledge.  I'm only half done but hope to finish tomorrow.  However...I have not found the battery bank in any of the bags.  Rats.  

 

 

MtRider   ....still feel a bit chilled so going to bed   where it's WARM! 

[Littlesister]

Mt. Rider, glad your ride went well even if you were freezing. Hope you got warmed up after you got home. 

 

Washed clothes and given kitchen a deep cleaning.  Looking like rain today. It rained last night, and the flower beds are too wet to work in today. Though it is nice. Maybe later if it doesn't start raining, I will stack wood.  That was a LOT of wood. The tree guy gave me 3 cords instead of two. But that's a good thing. Only had to pay for two. 

[Jeepers]

Mt. Rider, glad you got a ride in but not with the cold weather. I usually feel a little bit warmer if my ears are covered up too. And my hands and especially feet always suffer in the cold. I get pins and needle sensations in my toes when they get cold. Hurts. I have that syndrome that affects the hands and feet when they get cold. Of course I can't think of the name of it right now. 

 

Littlesister, you sure have had a time of it with that wood. But it's good you have it and at such a good price! Will be worth it.  

 

Miki, I hope your DH can get a clear culture soon and get off if his antibiotics. That can't be fun for him.  

 

I have no plans this weekend except to send back some canning jars to Amazon. I bought 2 cases of regular mouth Kerr jars for soafhetti sayce (that's spaghetti sauce. I hate yiu autocrap.) making. Pints. They sent me 2 cases of Ball Smooth Sided jars. I don't like those jars and that's not what I paid for. Luckily I don't need them right away. The nerve! I'm going to order them from Wal-Mart next time. I'm a Kerr jar snob. 

 

 

Raynaud. That's the word I couldn't think of. It usually comes to me eventually. 

 

Edited April 20 by Jeepers
Remembered the word.

[Mt_Rider]

    sheeeesh!  It just began pouring down RAIN!   With bits of groupel.  First rain of the season.  THANKFUL I'm not out on the mountain on a horse right now! 

 

Of COURSE DH left the window down in the car....

 

MtRider  .....even up here we're trying to change the season...          

[Littlesister]

It's been cool here also but not as cold as you are getting Mt. Rider. Got rain last night and the night before. Been cloudy here all day but no rain today. 

 

My daughter has Raynaud disease. Not good. 

 

Washed clothes, deep cleaned the kitchen and then stacked some wood. It's getting closer to being finished. waiting for GS to finish digging the holes to drop the cinder blocks down to level the wood racks. I might end up finishing that up myself as it could be about 2 weeks before he can finish it up. He just does a better job and really doesn't want me to be working on it. But it has to get done. I'm tired of looking at that tarp that is covering the huge pile of wood laying all over the ground behind the shed. 

GS is at work so won't see him till around midnight.  He will warm up his supper and then head to bed. Doesn't always stay up to late after he gets home these days. He's doesn't look as tired as he was the past few days. I think he has had a bit more help stocking the past couple of days. 

I want to see that 70* weather we had for a few days. 

[Necie]

Missed yesterday... 

Crocheted in the morning. Finished off my stack of towels, so got another bag out to poke holes in the tops. 163. Poked holes last night and this morning, so another stack ready to crochet. 
Went to the tackle store. DH ended up just buying line and putting it on his reel himself. I didn’t buy anything. 

Stopped at a friend’s house to get an anchor for DS(j)’s new boat. They’re having a yard sale next weekend, so let us go through stuff they already have pulled out. I got 2 Coleman camp chairs, 3 hotdog sticks, a small ceramic heater, a small fan, and the anchor for $25. 

 

Today... went to Mom’s. I took my bags of towels that I’ve been buying for the last year. Had 312. We pulled out the towels that she’d been buying and sorted, split and folded. I do crochet toppers and she does potholder toppers. I got the ones I wanted all folded and stacked. Mom sews the tops of them for me... cuz I don’t sew.  

DSIS(6) and her DH were there with one of their granddaughters(7) and DD stopped for awhile. So got to have a good visit too. 
 

Tomorrow I’m making lotion. Got an order for 2 batches, so that’ll take me most of the afternoon. 
 

and 

Necie

 

 

[Becca_Anne]

Littlesister funny that your basil is so big mine just got planted today  One of my favorite garden plants. I recently discovered basil tea it's lovely

Jeepers have fun canning!

Miki hope your Dh's infection clears with the new treatment

Mt Rider hope you find your charger that always drives me crazy when I can't find something. These days it's a 50/50 chance if I even still own the item...sigh

I had a really productive day, ran to the post office, the library and donated the stuff in the back of my car to goodwill that's been accumulating there for a year. Every time I tried they wouldn't be open or no one was able to help offload it so it took me a few tries but today was my lucky day. Worked on my tornado kit too. Weeded my strawberry patch, planted 3 types of basil- cinnamon, culinary and Tulsi today. Went to Walmart and picked up small first aid kit, plates, cups, water bottles and snacks for the tornado kit. That's mostly together now, just a few more items from upstairs to remember to bring down. 

[themartianchick]

Good morning!

It is nice to see that so many of you have been busy and productive. Here on Mars, things came to a screeching standstill when a major catastrophe hit! My husband has a cold.

 

Admittedly, he doesn't get sick often and the last illness was 2 1/2 years ago when he got COVID. This time, he says that it isn't as bad as COVID was, but he is coughing and congested. I had always hoped that his reaction to illness would improve with age. Instead, it is kind of like having a sick 8-year-old. (You can only imagine the whining.) I have been tucking him into his recliner, massaging his back, and bringing him things to eat and drink since Thursday evening. Fortunately for him, he is generally the polar opposite when he is healthy. I guess that I can cut him a little slack!

 

Today, I am going out to Dad's house to straighten up and wait for a nurse to show up. They want to use a recording pulse oximeter on him to check his oxygen levels when he sleeps. His hearing is pretty bad, so I want to make sure that he understands everything.

 

I love seeing all of the photos that have been posted of pretty spring flowers. The flowers seem to be a bit slow here in NY, but the trees are blooming a ton of pollen into the air and stirring up respiratory issues in people who don't usually have those problems. My double tulips are just starting to peek out and my mini daffodils & grape hyacinths have managed to survive 6 years of incredibly neglectful gardening. This year, I am going to focus on the existing perennial flower & food beds and only plant annual foods that I cannot source locally at the farmer's market. There will definitely be herbs, though. I love basil and treat it like a vegetable, not a seasoning. In the past, I grew a purple or a Chen variety. I'm not sure which one I will select this year. Today's morning activities will include sorting through my seeds to select the varieties. 

 

Have a great day, everyone!

 

 

[Littlesister]

Jeepers, I hope you were able to find a way to get your Jeep into shop for the air conditioner. 

 

Becca Anne, I planted the Basil about 4 years ago.  I really need to cut back the rosemary also. It is taken over part of the flower bed and over into the yard.  The basil really needs to be cut back also. There is another herb on the other side of the basil that I don't know what it is but it is spreading all over the place. I had a marker for what it was, and I guess it is buried underneath everything. It's not mint but smells a little like it. I am thinking it might be oregano. That one might get pulled up and put in a pot as it is spreading everywhere. Need to get it under control. 

Woke up early to rain this morning and took me a while to get up. My knee wasn't having it this morning. 

I see the orthopedic on Wednesday, so will find out what is going on. As for my shoulder, I already know what it is. Just need to get rid of the bursitis. 

With the rain today, not sure when I can get back outside to work, so working on my bedroom again. Trying to figure out how to organize a lot of stuff. Meds, batteries, solar chargers and everything else you can think of was in that closet. I really did just shove things in there before the remodel and construction started. Even found a huge pack of TP in the very back of closet. 

So today, will mop kitchen floor since I didn't get that part done yesterday, wash a load of towels, and work on the bedroom.  What I really wanted to do is get back to church, but I am limited with knee. That is a long drive, and the doctor said no driving and stay off that leg. I don't drive far as it hurts that knee being the right one. And I still have work around here to do. I'm very slow at getting it done but it's going to get done. 

[themartianchick]

32 minutes ago, Littlesister said:

 

So today, will mop kitchen floor since I didn't get that part done yesterday, wash a load of towels, and work on the bedroom.  What I really wanted to do is get back to church, but I am limited with knee. That is a long drive, and the doctor said no driving and stay off that leg. I don't drive far as it hurts that knee being the right one. And I still have work around here to do. I'm very slow at getting it done but it's going to get done. 

Slow and steady wins the race, Littlesister!

[Becca_Anne]

Themartianchick hope your hubby feels better soon. Pretty much every person of the male persuasion I know reverts to childhood when their sick, but glad yours is not usually like that I'm sure he'll bounce back

 

Necie what pretty pictures of your yard! My iris bloomed too I love them so much.

 

I went out this morning and dug a 3 ft deep hole and planted that 2nd pecan tree. Very happy I was able to get it done and hopefully the tree will live. The other two I ordered as pollinators are only 1 1/2 ft high so the holes should be easier to dig. I'm expecting them soon, along with a plum tree. I'm going to order 2 more plum trees in the fall and then I'll be done and out of room for trees  It will be a few years before I get any fruit or nuts but the raspberries and blueberries and strawberries and mulberries are something  And someday in 4-8 yrs I'll hopefully have pecans. I can be patient 

 

Cleared 1 more square foot of the brick path trying to do a little every time I go out. Weeded around the plants I do have in the garden and my potatoes are growing, even have a few volunteers where the potato bed was last year so I'm happy about that. I have some more prep to do but I'm just doing what I can every day and the vegi starts aren't ready to go out just yet so I still have time. I did find out today my electric co has a free wood chip delivery available so I'm going to call this week and request some wood chips. I want to put some in my raspberry patch and around all the trees and in my flower bed by the street. I have a few bleeding hearts there and some peony bushes under the mulberry tree. 

[Jeepers]

@themartianchick Hope your hubby feels better soon! I always said I'd rather be sick myself than my DH or son. Note, both are males. 

 

I'm loving all of the pictures too. 

 

@Becca_Anne That's awesome that you are planting so many trees. I want to map out my yard to figure out where to plant some too. I'm always afraid I'll make a mistake so I want to buy a program to help visualize. I had one but it is old and no longer compatible with my computer. But it was a help. Thanks for the reminder about free wood chips. I think my sons town offers them at the yard recycle place. He can take his pickup truck there for me and get some. I'm not sure if it's just for the city or entire county. 

 

Today I'm catching up on some canning. I did some corn and peas in Indy but I want some more. After today I'll have 40 half pints of peas and 40 half pints of corn. Then 40 half pints of green beans. I already have 50 half pints of carrots. I think I have 36 half pints of asparagus. I'd throw a couple more jars in the canner but it's out of season now. Last week I saw some for $3.00 a pound. Yikes. I only paid $1.00 a pound. Unless I see some again in Amish country, I'll pass.

 

I started early today so I'm sitting down a lot so I don't pass out. I'm half tempted to go buy a smaller canner. That way I can do a few smaller loads at a time. I can also use it when I do major soup canning along with my bigger canner. Would be nice for those little squatty halh pint jars too. It seems like everything I can takes different times. I have one in Indiana but I could really use one over here right now.  Sigh. I think I'm gonna do it. 

 

[Littlesister]

All the flowers are pretty. I need to get some for my flower beds if I can finish getting them cleaned out. 

Got the towels done and kitchen floor mopped, then worked on the bedroom. Got a few more things organized and ready to put away.  Then worked in the living room. Got what furniture is in there placed where I wanted it and moved all of GS's boxes and his clothes out as well. He has stuff everywhere.  Just need to get GS and GSIL over here to move the couch and love seat to the living room and the couch table and dining room table to the den.  Once that is done by using the old furniture for a while will tell me if disposing of having a dining room, living room and a den will work out. I think it will. And I will actually use the Living room and dining room.  The den and kitchen are all one long room and the dining room and living room are all one long room. 

 

Themartinchick, hope your DH starts feeling better soon.  

 

 

[Mt_Rider]

Thanks for the tip on Amazon, Jeepers.  I'm still counting on finding the battery bank I have....somewhere.  It's SUPPOSED to be Front and Center!  In one of the GoBags.  I spent time today clearing the last of the STUFF that piles itself onto the shelf by the door.  Hmph!  Rearranged.  Vacuumed.  Put stuff back and .....it's STILL HARD to fit everything into that space.  And no Battery Bank in any of them!  WHERE O WHERE did I put that???   

 

I really love organizing.  Love the organized effect too.  Really pushing energy to do all that tho. 

 

LOVE looking at all those flowers, Necie!  Those don't really grow here...what with our short season of "Springsummer" .  Only July is usually safe from frost. 

 

Martian...Hope your dh gets over his cold quickly - for both your sakes.  lol 

 

I'd love to be stable at on location (we've been here decades but always with one foot nearly out the door)  and could plant such things as you are, BeccaAnne.  Not a lot of fruit/nut producing things grow here.  Except currents.  Lots of those - the type with a multitude of stickers! 

 

Little Sister, your doctor is gonna tell you to stay off the knee.  lol  Like that's gonna happen.  But I'd do the same.  I hope you can slow down and get that thing healed up tho.    It's hard when you've got things-to-do!!

 

MtRider  ...late again tonite...     But no where to go tomorrow....

[snapshotmiki]

Lovely flower photos!!!  A lot of work!

I'm glad that you got things done in your garden @Becca_Anne!

@themartianchick,  I hope your dh feels better now!

Slow down @Littlesister!  LOL

You are doing so much canning @Jeepers!  I have to get back to that again.

 

Bo got his first bath yesterday. At least from me. He is not a fan, but got through it well enough.

Going to walk in a few minutes.
Do laundry.
Spray weeds in back yard again.
Find something to cook for dinner, tomorrow.

[Jeepers]

I spent most of the day canning yesterday. It isn't easy around here. I've found that I need to sit down often to keep from passing out. I think it isn't so much as a blood pressure situation as a it is a posture thing. Which affects my blood pressure causing it to bottom out. Sitting helps. However, I only have one chair in entire the house. A hard wooden dinningroom chair that doesn't reach the sink. And I have to keep an eye on the canner as it's building up steam and then pressure. Wouldn't it be nice if I had a recliner in front of the kitchen stove?  Such problems.    I really am thankful to be putting food in jars. 

 

I've been canning for a month now with no problems at all. Every single lid sealed. I did 3 canner loads yesterday and had about 6-8 jars didn't seal. What the heck! That has never happened before. And so many. All of the lids are the ones that came with the jars. Jars were new. So back to the drawing board today because you know I'm nuts (OCD) and I'm trying to get at least 40 jars of each veggie.   I'm in the 30's on the corn and peas. I have 50 of the carrots and green beans. Lets hope i don't extend that number out to the corn and peas. I have number issues.      But they are all going to look nice on a shelf. That matters in my world too. I'm going to need some short shelves for all of these blasted half pint jars. I don't like to stack if I don't have to. I drive myself nuts. I wonder... uh- oh...if you stack a jar half on one jar and half on the jar beside it, sort of like straddling the two jars, if that would be a safe way to store them? I suppose a layer of cardboard between the layers would work too. But that's still weight on the bottom jar. 

 

Oh, and I bought another small canner. 16 quarts. I'm loving it for smaller batches. It exhausts and builds up pressure so much faster. It doesn't stack so I'll still use the 23 quart one most of the time but it will be nice for smaller loads or to accompany the 23 qt. when I'm doing marathon canning. 

 

I'm stalling...

 

 

[Jeepers]

@Mt_Rider. I always check Amazon first before I order something I find somewhere else. It's not that I like Amazon better. I don't. But with Prime I get free shipping which can save a couple of bucks and stuff arrives so much faster. Sometimes the same day. I ordered two of them and they arrived the next morning. I'm going to give one to sons. So, thank you for mentioning them. 

[Mt_Rider]

         I FOUND the battery bank device!!! 

 

Oye!  If I hadn't been digging out ALL those spare corners where "STUFF" gets piled in a house with virtually no closets.....  I'd sorted thru EVERY bag and box on one side yesterday.  Began on the other side this morning.  I just found it.  WHY on earth I ever stuck it back in that "hole"...  Probably to get it away from the potent sunshine from the window.  But sheeeesh! 

 

All wrapped nicely in a safe bag made of air tubes for shipping.  Well, now I've got stuff outta that "hole" and I really am wasting precious space with this arrangement.  Going to be sitting here and walking around over there....and pondering for a while.  HOW can I rearrange to better maximize that portion of this tiny "living room" space. 

 

Ugh....I forgot to post this when I typed it out 2-3 hrs ago.  Since then I have further reorganized the Living room.  Slid a small child's antique school desk into The Hole.  Cuts off most access to the desk's book shelf under the top.    I can put stuff in there that I don't need often.  (note to self....never gonna remember something is in there - outta sight/outta MY mind!)    Oh well.  It opened up more space to get thru the "living room walkway".  Puts the dog's Water/Food dishes On Top of dog food Tote thing more out of the way.  Everyone will be pleased about that.    Lots of half gallon and gallon stored water now out of the way under that desk.  Took me the longest time to figure out a new configuration but this works.  

 

MtRider  ...sitting down!  Eating!