Watcha doing today?

[Necie]

Crocheted this morning. 
Made soap. 
Finished getting soap inventory on the porch set up. Printed and cut another 7 sheets of labels, but didn’t get any soap wrapped... maybe tomorrow.

Cleaned out 3rd flower bed and burned the pile of stuff from all 3 beds. 
 

@Jeepers... the video.. ?? Covering hot jars with a towel? I do that. Always have. Is there some new reason not to?

 

@Littlesister... I do some rebel canning, but still can’t bring myself to dry pack. Headspace... vacuum... just can’t wrap my brain around it. 

[Jeepers]

Your MIL sure keeps you on your toes. 

 

I got most of my errands run today. I didn't think I was going to because it was storming. I braved the elements. 

 

Got a boat load of paper stuff to the recycle dumpster. Took 6 bags of trash to a different dumpster. Then deposited the last insurance check that got signed.

 

I sent off my car insurance bill. As much as I dislike State Farm, my car insurance is pretty cheap. Granted I'm a senior and the Jeep is old and I have a squeaky clean record, my bill is $216. for 6 months. Full coverage. I heard other people saying their auto bill was going up so I wanted to get mine paid before they raised my rate. It isn't due til April so I have 7+ more months at that rate.

 

Went to Wal-Mart and got some more food and cleaning supplies. They were pretty well stocked up. The freezer cases were fuller than they have been in a long time. Kinda surprised me. I forgot to check out the med aisle. But our Dollar Tree stores around here are well supplied on meds. Nothing else though. 

 

Tomorrow I need to go to Costco to see when my membership runs out. I never use it but DIL does. I hope it hasn't expired. DIL would not like that surprise. I'm more of a Sam's Club shopper. Especially since Costco doesn't accept Master Card. Then over to Best Buy to get a laptop...hopefully. I want to swing by Att to see about canceling my cable. I never watch TV any more. And if I can't figure out how to rehook up my internet, they might have to come out and do that.  

[Jeepers]

Sorry Nicie. We were posting at the same time. 

 

It isn't new. Just something the oldtimers used to do. You need to let the jars cool down naturally. It's the same reason you don't leave your jars in a canner over night. It can cause something in your food called Flat Sour. It won't kill you but flat sour will make your food taste sour. Prolonging the cooling down process is what causes it. Just let the jars cool down naturally when you take them out of the canner. 

[Necie]

Ah, gotcha. Yeah, I commented about flat-sour in Ambergris’ post about the 3 day *canning*/sterilization method. I’ve never had a problem with a light kitchen dish towel. When I was young, my mom used linen tea towels. The reasoning to cover was that the house was always chilly and in the winter with everyone running in and out, there would be downright cold drafts/wind coming in. If that cold hits hot jars, then you can get thermal shock. BOOM! I saw the bottom blow off a jar once as my mom was lifting out of the canner and almost had it set on the table and was yelling at my sister to “SHUT THAT D@MN DOOR!!” as she came in the house. Kidney beans everywhere!! 

[Littlesister]

I remember something about covering the jars with a towel. I used to do that as well until I read something about not doing it. So, I stopped. But can't remember now what it was they said about it. But I haven't had any issues either way. 

 

I have done some rebel canning, just not on the potatoes and never dry canning. But it looks good, and I want to give it a try. If it doesn't work out, it won't be much of a loss as the potatoes were free. 

 

Annarchy, sounds like you are going to be very busy for a while. Never a dull moment trying to get things ready for guest. Just remember to rest up also. 

 

I should be in bed asleep. Got to get up early and here I am wide awake. I'll give myself about half an hour and try to go to sleep. 

[Mt_Rider]

Really.....I'm going to bed!  Not going to look at anything more in the Internet!!!!!!!

 

But it's been fun reading what y'all are up to.  BUSY...everyone!  Stay safe...no exploding canning jars or anything else! 

 

MtRider    

[snapshotmiki]

Already walked.
Taking DH for CT scan of head and some bloodwork for his new neurologist.
Lowes for a shower part for DH's bath.
Thrift stores looking for couch.
Home Health store for nebulizer cups.

[Jeepers]

It's going to be a very long day for me. Probably won't get much done.

 

Son passed out and ended up in the hospital all night. Blood pressure issues. Probably got it from me. Although his was mostly low. 

 

He is going to be fine. Praise the Lord! But it was a scary night for his momma. Anyway, we texted each other all night. I'm not sure if he was more afraid or just lonely. I'm thinking lonely. We can talk for hours so it was not a problem. 

 

According to the tests, his heart and everything is within the normal range. That was my main concern. They ran all kinds of tests which was a good thing. Hopefully he will get to come home today. 

 

So far all the doctor advised was to lay off the coffee. He hasn't had any complaints about the hospital that I've been hearing about. Will pump him for info when he gets home. One thing that surprised me was they let his 7 year old in to see him at 10:00pm. He sent a picture of them. Used to be a kid had to be 14 (I think) to visit because they are little germ factories. 

 

I'm going to try to stay awake so maybe I can sleep tonight. Assuming they discharge him

 

[Littlesister]

Wow! Jeepers, you have had a rough night. Glad all turned out ok for your DS. 

 

I was at doctor's office all morning. Thought I would give my primary doctor a second chance. Nope Natta, he's got to go. Told him about my knee and shoulder again. This time he checked it out and said he wasn't sure what was going on with the knee but thinks I have tendinitis in the shoulder. I sat there waiting for the x-rays for 2 hours as the tec had not gotten there yet and was late. When she did call me back, she said she had no orders for the x-rays. So, I came home. Just got a call to turn around and go all the way back to the office for those x-rays. I am so mad right now that my perfect blood pressure this morning just might be at the boiling point. And now that gas just went up from 3.09 to 3.29, I am really ticked off about this situation. New family doctor is now in order. No more chances. 

Babysitting tomorrow so hoping maybe later today I can get something done in this house. It's getting crazy.  GS left for the Coast Guard base this morning and it was pouring down rain. I hope he gets to the other side of Petersburg safe. people out there drive like crazy people right down to a drunk school bus driver that flipped a bus full of kids. And a bomb threat at a school.  So, when I get home you know where I will be.  It's safer behind the blue couch. Eui, I need to dust back here. 

[Littlesister]

Just got back a few minutes ago from getting X-Rays.  Will be two weeks before I get results. 

 

GS made it to the base safely.  I just hope he does well on that test. He should pass the physical with no issues. He will be back sometime tomorrow evening and then the waiting game for boot camp is on. He found out the reason for all the delays was that the recruiting officer kept putting in the wrong info and forgot to put in his driver's license. Go figure. He could have already been in boot camp by now. 

 

Just trying to relax a bit and then get to work on things. Baby sitting tomorrow. So, Friday is canning day. Then I will put canning on back burner till I get more stuff gone through and off to Godwill.  Need to put car in shop also but not sure how I will work that out yet. Just routine Maintenace. 

[Midnightmom]

One of the  most concerning things for me about "dry packing" potatoes for canning is that you coat them with some form of a fat prior to processing. So, in addition to not having a liquid in the jars to evenly distribute the heat to ALL of the contents (especially those in the center of the jar) you are adding an ingredient (fat) that is not shelf stable for an extended period of time, as fat can go rancid. A little bit of fat at the top of a jar when canning, say ground beef, is not the same as each item in the jar being coated with it. Just my 2¢  

[Littlesister]

Midnightmom, I do agree with that about coating the potatoes. I am just wondering if you really have to coat them. But I am only doing 2 or 3 jars like that but will use those up within 3 months' time. I am looking into it more. Before I start canning on Friday.

 

Jeepers, I hope your son is doing much better and was able to come home.

 

[Becca_Anne]

You all have been busy! No catching up on this thread 

My routines are still all getting tangled up, but gradually we're settling into a new normal whatever that is. Working too much but that's nothing new. I had wanted to get my seeds started this week but still need to set up the grow lights. Will hopefully get that done this weekend.

 

[Necie]

Cut soap this morning.

Crocheted for about an hour. 
Made 2 batches of lotion. I have 3/5 totes ready for flea market.

Wrapped 90 bars of soap for porch inventory. 
Worked on the porch and upstairs just trying to get everything (soaps/lotions) organized and inventory figured out. Somehow I found 30 soaps that I thought I was out of... the label fell off the box.  And I can’t, for the life of me, figure out how I have 2 identical stacks of soap curing..???? Both are Coconut Lime (75 bars each), and both say I made them on February 23rd.  I remember making Coconut Lime. I thought I still needed to make another batch. It’s absolutely impossible that I made them on the same day... I only have enough molds for one batch. Mom says it’s because it was only 3 days after Dad’s funeral. Maybe I put the wrong date on one of them... I did have a 3 day hangover. 🤕 Maybe I have a soap fairy making soap for me. 🧚‍♀️ Whatever. One less batch that I have to still make. I also found enough soaps of two other kinds that I can cross them off my *to make* list. 
 

Mom and I are going back to town tomorrow. She needs to go back to the Verizon store. Maybe this time I can get everything that’s on my list... since I’ve since wrote it down on the SAME list. 

 

I’m tired... And I hope my sourdough starter doesn’t die of neglect. 

 

and 

Necie

[Mt_Rider]

You're being blessed, Necie.  And you need it after the past few months.   

But it's a bit distressing when you're sure something is one way and yet.....not!  Don't worry.  Your brain will settle back in place as your heart begins to heal. 

 

  for Jeepers' son!  Sounds like he'll be okay but is that a wake-up call?    for Jeepers to get sleep on the right side of the clock...{not that I should talk but I KNOW how hard it is to wrench is back into the right schedule!!}   

 

Becca Anne....you're house must seem like an airB&B with so many folks there.  How's your mom and friend doing?  So good the house is big enough for the hospitality that you offer.    You're wanting to start seeds and we're.....

 

.........We're getting more snow....possibly lots of it.  Weather folks are not sure yet.   In this season, always a chance for breaking overloaded branches - downed power lines - loss of electricity.  This year we've got the battery back up and the pellet stove is repaired!  Yay!  We'll have some heat.  Temperatures in this part of winter are usually  not below-zero-dangerous.  Tho in my life, it seems that ANYTHING can happen.     So far the entire driveway has melted.  Only the flat top/parking/maneuvering has "glacier-packed snow".    LOL  As the UPS driver discovered.  He's ok...knows this driveway.  I told him to run his chains back and forth to chop up this glacier!

 

Please pray for a situation DH is in the middle of right now.  He's protecting the older woman he does Home Health Care for twice a week.  A relative of her's that lives close by and the other Health Care Aide seem to be running a racket to get her put into a locked care unit somewhere instead of living at her home with 8 hrs / 7 days a week assistance.  She doesn't wander.  There is money involved.  Isn't there always?     Thankfully, adult protective services is now involved and she'll soon have a guardian ad litem.  Meanwhile, DH is trying to ensure that she's safe from the shenanigans ....including being put on a dementia drug that agitated her terribly. (proving she "needs" a locked unite)     NOT!   DH's keeping Adult Protective Service worker updated.  But this is a strain because he has no real authority.  It helps that he's a retired Dr. of Chiropractic.  Give him some status in this affair.  A kind neighbor friend is also trying to watch out for her too.  Real drama and ....we're too old for a part on The Family Feud!!    

MtRider      ....mebbe. 

[Jeepers]

Son is home from the hospital. He is doing okay. Not much was done for him. That is not a complaint. I don't think there was much they could do under the circumstances. They have run a lot of tests so that will be a good thing. Assuming he isn't keeping anything from me. Mom's worry. 

 

That is a sad situation Mt. Rider.  She is fortunate to have your husband looking out for her.  I'm sure it preys upon his mind though.  

 

 

I dozed off yesterday, or was it today. Anyway I got a call. The plumber was in the driveway. I had no idea he was coming.  Sigh. So I got dressed and let him in. All he needed to do was put a collar thing at the bottom of one of the pipes coming up through the floor under a bathroom sink. It was cosmetic. Anyway the poor guy cut his finger really bad on it. He bled like a stuck hog. Luckily, I had some bactine and some old bandaids and got him fixed up. He is a young guy so was amenable to having momma take over.    Anyway, the bandaids were pretty old and had been through a very damp house (pipe broken fiasco) and were still really good. Lots of sticky left on them and they were the stretchy kind.  It surprised me. They are Curad brand. I'm going to restock some of those. That stretch helped to make a compression to hold the cut together and made it stop bleeding.  I told him about the importance of having a tetanus shot especially in his line of work...plumber. He said his company offered them for free every 10 years to their employees. Awesome. That is the only vaccine I highly recommend. Especially for people who work with their hands like farmers and tradesmen. 

 

I found a few more things that need repaired like a big seam on the corner of a wall that is coming apart. Dang. More workmen in here. But this needs to be fixed. It's about a 6 inch long scar looking thing. At least they are eager to get things fixed and get it done. Plus it further delays a lien on the house. I still haven't heard if State Farm is going to pay the rest of the money owed to the construction company. I think it's around $40,,000 now...I think.

 

So now I've been up since 2:00am and raring to go. My days and nights are definitely turned around again. I'm going to demand the doctor give me some ambien to get me straighten out. We'll see how that works out for me.    Probably can't get any of it anyway now days. 

[Littlesister]

Jeepers, I  they get your DS straight with the low blood pressure. And that all the tests come back good. 

 

Necie, you will get it all together. You have been through a lot. Give yourself time to heal. 

 

Becca Anne, you also will get it together. You have a lot going on right now. 

 

GD will be bringing the baby to me between 11am and 12noon.  Got all the trash out to the street, cleaned out the fridge and put away all he meat I canned the other day. Now I am just sitting here reading and drinking coffee while listening to preaching.  

I have been enjoying not having my GS here yesterday and so far, today. Didn't have to clean up behind him this morning. That was nice. Got up to a clean kitchen and no mess all over the floor to clean up. I just hope they call him into boot camp soon. My GD said it could be months before they call him in. But hoping since the worst of the bad weather is over, they will just call him in within the next month or two. 

After the baby goes home, I will start back again on packing up things to go to Good Will. I have 2 piles now. One to get put where it belongs and one to go. 

 

[Jeepers]

It will probably be 2 weeks before son hears back from most of the tests. They have him hooked up to a heart monitor for the next 2 weeks. He isn't a happy camper. 

 

Good luck with your GS passing his tests and getting in boot camp. There isn't any chance of him being deployed out of the country is there? 

[snapshotmiki]

15 hours ago, Littlesister said:

Midnightmom, I do agree with that about coating the potatoes. I am just wondering if you really have to coat them. But I am only doing 2 or 3 jars like that but will use those up within 3 months' time. I am looking into it more. Before I start canning on Friday.

 

Jeepers, I hope your son is doing much better and was able to come home.

 

When I do dry pack, I don't coat anything.  I put a small pat of butter in bottom of quart  jar with salt and spices.  Or I just put the salt and spices.

 

Not much here, today.
Already walked.
Going to pick up trash at Church parking lot by road.
Walk dogs.
Bible study tonight.

[Littlesister]

Jeepers, I  they get your DS straight with the low blood pressure. And that all the tests come back good. 

 

Necie, you will get it all together. You have been through a lot. Give yourself time to heal. 

 

Becca Anne, you also will get it together. You have a lot going on right now. 

 

GD will be bringing the baby to me between 11am and 12noon.  Got all the trash out to the street, cleaned out the fridge and put away all he meat I canned the other day. Now I am just sitting here reading and drinking coffee while listening to preaching.  

I have been enjoying not having my GS here yesterday and so far, today. Didn't have to clean up behind him this morning. That was nice. Got up to a clean kitchen and no mess all over the floor to clean up. I just hope they call him into boot camp soon. My GD said it could be months before they call him in. But hoping since the worst of the bad weather is over, they will just call him in within the next month or two. 

After the baby goes home, I will start back again on packing up things to go to Good Will. I have 2 piles now. One to get put where it belongs and one to go. 

 

Miki, thank you for that info about dry canning. I will try that. And put the seasonings in as well. 

[Jeepers]

The guy came today to power wash the patio. It looked like either paint or spackle was spilled all around a bucket. Turned out it was from the first power washing they did. The area was actually a clean spot where he had placed the bucket of chemicals. The rest of the patio was just dirty around the clean spot. So he washed it and now it's nice. When he saw it when he was here the first time, why didn't he just power wash the patio around the mess he made. ...    Both the contractor and project manager and I thought it was either a paint or spackle stain. Glad it was an easy fix. 

 

I found a really bad place on one of the walls. It's like it is separating at the corner. You know how they put a metal corner strip where walls join and spackle over it. It looks like about a 6 inch raised scar. It's pretty bad.  Anyway, they are coming out at 8:00 in the morning to fix it. Gonna have to set my alarm for that one. Crimony. I have a feeling it will take two trips. One to remove the area and spackle and let it dry. And another day to sand and paint. Not sure. At least this time they called. The owner of the company called me this time. Not sure what they are thinking that I'm thinking about them. Probably not good. But I really don't have an issue with them. They always fix things and quickly. Stuff happens. What ever it is, is better than it was, that's for sure. The plumber and the power washer guys just showed up. I knew they were coming but not when. Just lucky I was home both times. The power wash guy didn't have a hose with him. Come to power wash...no hose. Sigh. Just luckily I had one left in the garage. The company is about 2 hours away. You'd think they would be prepared. Not prepared is a bad thing around here, huh ladies. 

 

Every issue has been fixable and very quickly but I'm really really really over this house. I got another bedroom nearly cleared out. All the floor space empty. Just a closet to go through in there and get it packed up. Another bedroom is about the same. By the end of this weekend hopefully 2 of the 4 bedrooms will be done. Hopefully. Then clean the dinning room and hang curtains in there and in the living room and they will be done too. That will make half of the house cleared out except for what I need to live here. Then the dreaded garage and attic. Crimony. At least the weather is warming up so I can get out there without freezing. 

[Littlesister]

Baby went home a while ago. I am babysitting again tomorrow. So not getting potatoes done before Saturday. I am so over having to put things off but who can say no to such a cute baby. 

GS is getting ready to leave the Coast Guard base. Will find out how it went when he gets home. 

So, all I got done today was to clean out the fridge and clean kitchen. Babies take up so much time when all they want is you to play with them, walk them and go for a stroll. She's not spoiled at all.  

I will be working hard on Saturday to get caught up as much as possible. I should go ahead and cut up the potatoes, but I am tired now. Baby didn't take a nap today. 

[Littlesister]

GS made it home safe. He will have to take the test over again because he missed the points he needed by 2 points. On the physical they want him to take 5 wavers. One being because of the kidney stone he had last July. So, he is talking to his recruiter about that. The others didn't even pertain to him which is why he wants to know why he has to agree to 5 wavers. He pasted that kidney stone a long time ago and has not had any more issues. But it is what it is. So, another trip for the test at some point and then will find out about the wavers. This mess is taking too long.  I was really hoping this would be it and he was out of house and off to boot camp. So, a bit of disappointment there. 

[Jeepers]

I know what a waiver is, but what will taking a waiver mean to him personally? And 5 of them? Darn. 

 

Maybe they are considering kidney stones could be a reoccurring issue? 

 

Regardless, it's disappointing. 

[mommato3boys]

Many are asking about us since the fire. I sort of went radio silent but not because of the fires. I just started a new job this past Monday 3/4 and I have been off work for a 15 months playing grandma. So I am getting back into the routine of getting up with the chickens and going to bed with the chickens. Becuase this old chickie is worn plum out by 5pm. 

 

I will try to do better but with work, garden, baby chicks coming soon I am not sure how often that will be. I think I picked the wrong time to go back to work but this job was a God send and it literally fell into my lap. So I could not turn it down. It is a temp job work for the state. My contract will end 8/31/2025. I am hoping they will extend it two years which will take me up three months shy of retirement age.