Saturday afternoon...nap time

This week has went by in a blur. 

Monday Hubby took H and B to their doctor appt. I went to mine... MRI needed... but can't see doctor to go over MRI until July 23rd...sigh, now have a soft brace to wear when the knee is giving me trouble or I am going to be walking a lot. Monday late evening Hubby got an emergency call that  another hauler blew his engine and couldn't go get a load of equipment in TN. SO Hubby left at 1 am Tuesday morning.

I have been having problems with calluses  on feet due to knee shifting how I walk. I was told to use equal parts of Listerine (no other mouth wash will work)apple cider vinegar and warm water and soak my feet for 15 minutes then use wash cloth to "wipe" my feet. THIS WORKS. and it didn't do anything to the skin that wasn't callused. I will have to do it a few more times for the one callus on my heel but at least my feet are not hurting or bleeding due to calluses.  

Tuesday I had to go get my truck from Son 2 and give him the jeep as his car was going to be in the shop longer and I need the truck to take dogs to vet. Total day was gone by time I got back as my knee was killing me...can't drive or sit in car with brace as it binds up on the back of my knee and causes MORE issues. I argued with myself about stopping for drive thru or fixing something when I got home.Drive thru won because I know myself well and know I wouldn't bother to fix anything at all.

Wednesday,I actually got crap done, several herbs in the dehydrators, laundry including bedding, furniture throws and extra stuff was washed, dried on clothes line... it was a nice day. Hubby got in worn out and after he ate he was asleep in his recliner before 5 pm.Repair guy called to change appt due to his grandmother dying. 

Thursday Reloaded dehydrators with more herbs, mints are going a bit nuts, glad they are in pots. Chiro went well, dropped of some things that are son 2's into his car at the shop as he was going to be picking it up with in an hour. Mechanic is keeping our jeep Son 2 was driving to do oil change, tire repair etc. Did not go to vet as our finance guy called early and needed to move up our conference. Repair man ran late. 

Friday took all 3 dogs to vet. Charlotte got her nails done and allergy shot. Wilbur got his nails done and now has surgery to remove a growth on his eye lid July 22nd. He now has to have an antibiotic gel put in his eye 3-4 times a day. I found if I reach from behind him and put a bit on his top eyelid he will not fight me over it and he blinks enough to get it into his eye.I put it to the side according to vet's directions. Rascal got his annual shot,nails clipped and has a torn ACL. They don't treat that type of injury and wanted to send us over to OSU in over an hour away..I found an orthopedic vet right here that the Amish use and will be making an appt for him through them. Not sure we can afford the surgery as I was warned it was expensive but he might be able to use a brace . He is not in any pain and that is the big one for me. He has good days (like today) and bad days (like I do). Both Wilbur and Rascal need to take a supplement for their joints. Good thing I had already got some on sale through PetJoy.com

When we got home we spent 2 hrs gathering stuff to take to the township clean up... think 1 car garage of crap (1 layer not stacked) going . LORD Hubby had kept broken small appliances from when we lived at the old place.Said he thought to throw it in the dumpster when we first had it here     and forgot.We pulled enough cardboard to finish the air barrier in the last 2 attics and got rid of the rest.We had odds and ends for dinner and called it a night

Saturday , took the stuff to the township clean up, was in and out and thanked that we had things as organized as we did on the trailer. Since it was our trash company Hubby asked what we just saved since this was free for as the township was paying for it...$250. So thankful our township does this. They usually do it spring and fall but not sure what they will do...this one was to replace the spring one.

Hubby had a hauling job that was suppose to be in afternoon, he got it moved up and was done with it by 11 right as the storms started in...so we called it a day. Didn't really have anything other than checking the gardens(rather have the rain so I don't need to water) today anyways. 

I put the dried herbs away out of the dehydrators, straightened some of the pantry...never ending job. Checked the non food and ordered frig filters, water filter (main line of water into the house) and furnace filters that we will be out of next round. Found them on sale on Amazon so ordered them and got enough to go a year. Maybe Covid will be done running around so much by then. 

A couple weeks ago ,I had ordered 12 bottles of Clorox toilet cleaner , the big bottle... found at less than $2 a bottle,figured that covered us and any kids... well the company selling them didn't have the size I ordered so sent  me 24 of the size below what I ordered (no extra charge) My kids were just cracking up over it...figured they would get some as Christmas presents. 

I pulled hamburger patties to go with lettuce and green onions from our gardens, tomato from N's garden and the leftover onion rings, with possible cheese sticks .

M sent over peas she had just picked (she's not had baby yet...week 41) I plan to have a few of them tonight and freeze the rest or make pea salad.... Hubby likes pea salad. Maybe I will just make him pea salad.

We are both tired. I hurt from so many car rides and the storms rolling through just makes it worse... best news is I have nice wide walking paths through the piles of crap in the barn. Next section to clear is the area where the broken old chest freezer is that E wants to use as an ice "house". Hubby pulled some tires and tossed them in the back of the old truck that he is getting rid of this week. THEN maybe he will finish getting the rest of the scrap metal out of  here after that. LOL

How did your week go?

Busy week ahead

Daily work of course, meals, dishes, laundry, dust mop so the dogs don't bury us in fur and gather things together for the township clean up day that is Saturday. It's for things that costs extra with your regular trash... they usually have a clean up day twice a year but they aren't sure about the fall one right now.Maintaining the gardens and harvesting what ever. Right now it's lettuce, radishes, green onions and herb... a few strawberries here and there. Township clean up is Saturday.

Tomorrow I have to be up at 5 am to leave at 6:30 to be at a doctor appt for my knee that I messed up over 4 weeks ago falling on Rascal. Hubby is taking H and B to the doctor in the opposite direction so I am driving myself. When I get home the to do list is as long as the legal notebook paper it's written on. I have some chicken salad made for lunch and some odds and ends that might be a stir fry for supper.

Tuesday it's work on what ever didn't get done on Monday. E and his older 3 boys helped Hubby move the metal frame we are using for the hoop house to where we decided to put it. I dug out some of the pots we are going to use.I need to get the cover out of the box and let it "relax" before trying to put it up on the frame. I think casserole or pasta would be good.Because with the rain and heat we are getting I know the weeds will be up in the gardens

Wednesday ... the part for the clothes washer is in so the repairman is coming Wed morning, he did offer to come late morning so I could get my laundry washed before he works on it. We measured the area we need cardboard for in the attic for air barrier... I will be breaking down card board boxes and seeing if we have enough. I think we do,, But I don't want to start using the bigger boxes for pathways in the gardens and find we needed it for the air barrier.

Thursday... We have a chiropractic appt (YEAH) first time from March and my back is definitely telling me about. I stepped AGAIN in the dip and messed up my back over the weekend. Hubby FINALLY after 2 yrs of nagging went around the property filling in holes. He also turned the compost pile since he was on the tractor. THEN after our appt all 3 dogs have appts with the vet... saves gas since the Chiro and vet are an hour away and only about 15 mins apart. Lots of shots, nails clipped (no office call charge with we get  a nail clip) and talk of Wilbur's surgery to remove growth on eye lid, Charlotte's allergies and Rascal's struggle to walk (back legs. I think he has hip dysplasia like our dog Tashy did. Right now he can get around decent on most days. He is falling on stairs so we have been letting him out on the deck which is ramped. Doesn't seem to get it that he doesn't need to go up and down the stairs since he thinks he has to follow me right now.He has gotten so he goes up or down the stairs (main living and bedroom 1st floor)with Wilbur or me. Wilbur is heavier and bigger than him so can stop him from falling far. I just sit on my butt and go down with him. If he is going up I have my hands so I can lift his back feet if needed. Today was a good day, no problems at all and even ran to chase the horses at the pond. 

Friday is focus on getting as much as possible to go to the township clean up on Saturday morning

We have an old 27 cubic chest deep freezer that got dropped and ruined when we moved here. E looked at is and said when we were to the place to move it, he would take it to use as a ice chest as it has a drain that he could attach a hose to and drain the water when his ice melts so M wouldn't have to bail it out by hand. We have some oven racks that don't work for our stove that he will get also as he can prop them up on old bricks so everything would sit above the water from melted ice. 

Hubby moved some gravel so he only has 3 and a partial left to move around.

Next project to get done is the hoop house... SO I am hoping by next week that is done.

What does your week look like?

Blessed Be

FRUGAL

My brother called (always know it's bad when he calls instead of texts) Daddy was not breathing well and the nursing home sent him to the hospital... Covid test came back NEGATIVE. He has a UTI and pneumonia, still bad for a 93 yr old man. He improved to the point he could talk (which he doesn't do much of anyways) without losing his breath and hasn't improved in the last 5 days. Hubby and I are getting a text once a day of the status he is at.

I reused canning lids for dry goods, I write a capital D on it in magic marker.

I bought Tattler canning lids, I was told to practice canning water first as it has a learning curve as you can't fill the jars as much and be careful of how tight the metal band is.I am canning tomato sauce this week so I figure to do a couple different size jars with water and see how it goes. I had a person who is going into assistant living give me her canning jars. I gave the regular mouth quarts to M and kept the wide mouth (M doesn't use them) for myself.

I reused a piece of foil 5 times. I used silicone covers for my bowls instead of plastic wrap. 

Son 2 needs to borrow the truck (Red is now it's name) while his car is in the shop... he is trying to get it scheduled so it works with my doc appt in the same area to save both of us money.

Son 2 left his change bag in my car when he gave it back. He finally told me to keep it as he didn't want to brother to change it in at the machine in the grocery store. I bought 3 food saver bag rolls, 3 lbs of Almond flour and a miracle grow universal feeder for the pump house hose from his change. I have 2 cents left LOL. It was over $75. Daughter 4 told Son 2 next time to meet her when she picks up her son at school and she will take it to the store and give him back half. I told him to ask the VFW that he is an officer for if they wanted to buy the change.

I now wrap the green onions I harvest in a dish towel instead of a paper towel. I pick what we are eating each day. 

I turned ceiling fans and floor fans on where Wilbur lays when the house is at 80 (he is old and can't handle the heat, Rascal is a year younger and black but he hunts for shaded spots instead of the sun like Wilbur)and not turn the AC. Cheaper to run 110*fans* that 220*AC*I also close curtains that are on the side of the sun.If it's to be hot 75 and above in the mornings, I don't open the east curtains,I'll open the west instead. and then around 1 pm when the sun gets to the west side I close them and open the east side. That way I am not turning on lights or using the oil lamp to see.

Last night and tonight the night temps are in the high 40s or low 50s. The furnace was turned on when I went to bed and Hubby turned it off at 7 when the outside was up to 60. We will do the same tonight.IF we get the house up to 75 with sun light during the day, it will hold around 62-65 thru the night without the furnace.

Our electric bill was down $25.

Our summer fill of propane was 50 cents/gal cheaper.(300 gals for 1 tank.) We buy a set amount at a certain price each fall. If its higher we still don't pay more but if it's cheaper we get the cheaper price at the time of the fill. We have enough credit for 2 tanks to be filled... but it was a really warm winter for us. So we will ordered the set amount again (4 tanks or 2000 gals)and use the credit to help pay for it.

E came over and helped put up barb wire (he gave us the wire in exchange for watering his 2 horses) He also gave us some clips to fix the wire fence we have along the pond side of the land.I told Hubby to pick up some plastic zip ties for the rest of that fence. Cheaper than metal straps and it holds the dogs in.

I submitted a claim on the RRA medical acct we still have from Hubby's old employer. By the end of this year we will have that closed as there isn't much left in it. 

A friend lost my PH/moist/light meter and replaced it finally. I now can check to see if something needs watered BEFORE I water. Saves water and my time.

I told Hubby we were out of carrots, celery, heavy cream,half and half, buttermilk, almost milk, fresh fruit (H another Amish neighbor gave us some strawberries). I asked Hubby if I should use what we have stored in pantry as canned, dried or frozen and he thought about it for 2 days and decided we would not eat it because he fears of a second and possible third round of the virus and loss of income as this month he has not made enough to pay the out go and had to use saving to cover it. July will be the same (it's the "down" month along with the time between Thanksgiving and New Year's day). 

M is giving me head lettuce and I have leaf lettuce coming in. I have radishes, turnips and green onions coming in. Kale,baby spinach are also coming in. The Swiss chard did not grow 😕😞

Yesterday morning we went to the store. Those that didn't have mask were making sure they were practicing social distance. The store didn't have arrows (said it didn't work anyways as most forgot to follow them). Kids told me to plan on 2 hrs in store. We spent 1 1/2 hrs. I had to walk slower than normal to stay at social distance even though I had a mask on.

I went through and got veggies and fruit. I had several coupons and things were on sale. Hubby checked out with that cart while I did the meat and dairy.I had coupons for all the meat and it was on sale. Dairy, I focused on expiration dates at least 3 wks out even if it meant I paid more. Means I won't have to go back except for a gal of milk and I won't have something going bad within a week.

I bought my tomatoes from N who we bought the house from. He has a green house that he uses to start his plants and then opens it up when it gets warm. His plants are IN GROUND. His tomatoes were a bit more than the store but I try to buy from the Amish as first I know where it's grown and how and two is supports the community.

Still we saved 25% almost 26% on the total and have points for fuel. Hubby uses the fuel points for Red (Chevy truck) and Jeep. 

I prepped produce for salads including fruit salads.

I will prep meat Monday(tomorrow) so the packages they came in go straight out to the road with the trash. That will pretty much stop the running to town for something because I side tracked and forgot to thaw something and put in marinade and then put it on to cook.

I have made a list of 30 different salads and we have all the ingredients to make them. I started the list with the salads we eat at our favorite restaurants or fast food places. Added a few of the "bistro" salads that I have ate at Son 2's. Watch about 2 wks from now we will run out of lettuce since the storm destroyed what I had planted for next month.I need to find a different pot to put lettuce and one to start Swiss chard in.

 I made a list of different meals we can eat that I can have at least half prepped if not all the way prepped.

We have a township clean up day in a couple weeks. I told Hubby we have some things he was going to take to the dump that we needed to gather them and take them on the clean up day for free. We also will have scrap metal to go to the scrap yard, we won't get much out of that but better than paying for it to be taken away.

I have 8 medical bills coming in with another 5 within 3 months and a large vet bill within a week or so... money is very tight.

How are things on your end?

Last of the garden plants

I ran out of room in the gardens, and I ran out of soil but Hubby finally found some after looking at 5 other places. 

This is the one that lost it's soil during the storm yesterday. I had moved it from here to the north side of the house... should had just left it here. I had planted different leaf lettuce in it. Now I have the walking onions laying over on it they were flattened on to the sidewalk from the storm.

my over flow is mostly herbs. I was going to put this table in the south gardens to wash the veggies before I bring them in. I will have to figure something else out 

More potted plants here, most are different mints...Next project is the railing for this deck. We have the stuff here, just need to paint posts and get it up.

Wilbur and Rascal love this ramp,they would love it if I let them in and out of this door in the winter but I don't. 

These plants get watered every other day unless there is a heavy dew or rain.

Now I can start planning on it all coming in .

South gardens

These will get watered every 3-4 day depending on rain fall. I am looking at drip lines or PVC piping when I put it in.

This is the annual plantings. I do have a herb that will stay in this area. 

what is not showing is 16 grow bags (25 qrt) of sweet potato plants...they would be to the left of this picture along with 2 patches of sweet corn. I tried 3 varieties this year to see if we could find one we liked for the freezer. I don't want a small kernel for my freezer corn. If none of these work I will grow the "canning" corn that the Amish grow for canning (they use white or bicolor for sweet corn eating) for my freezer corn next year.

I companion plant. There are a lot of runner beans for dried beans between the 50 some tomato plants. There are also bush beans for dried beans in there also.

These "big" boxes are just under 12 inches deep. 

This is the herbs that will remain in this garden. I have some chives and garlic chives I will move from the north garden over to this area next spring. 

My Brussels sprouts have taken off with this last rain... you can see the unpainted box (treated lumber leftover from house remodel) that has the red candy onions and petunias 

Grow bags are potatoes, there are 3 varieties we bought and 2 varieties of what sprouted in the pantry so I planted them.

the unpainted box on this side has white candy onions and petunias. The big box has the same as the other one, tomatoes, Brussels, lettuce, carrots, radishes, spinach etc. The lettuce is about done, maybe with luck and this cooler weather I will get enough for another 10 days. The storm we got yesterday blew all the dirt out of the pot I have planted the next lettuce batch in... and it was on the north side of the house in a protected area.

Gardens are mostly in... North garden

I still need to plant runner beans (they are dried soup beans) with the four patches of corn and have about a dozen herbs to pot and the flower pots are root bound and need redone also... BUT for the most part it's in 

Asparagus is mostly ferns now, it's on the right of this pic. Some herbs are on both sides of the weed barrier. This fall I will move them to the south side The red pot has artisan lilies.

the weed barrier on the left is the first row of raspberries... Hubby will be cutting grass when the heat breaks on Friday. I one handedly pulled weeds from around the actual plants. He is planning of some different mulch to help with that issue.

There are some runner beans between the raspberry bushes on the first 2 rows as they are just starting to get leaves and the beans will be done before they come up the trellis

The black pot is a maple tree we started from SEED from the old maple tree of the old farm, terra cot pot is a lilac start that actually bloomed this year so I will be finding a place to put it in the spring. The trellis to the left is the blackberry vines... they are covered with blooms so if I get to them before the birds do we should have a decent harvest. The brown bare dirt is popcorn and sweet corn and zucchini, yellow squash and cantaloupe.

red pots are blueberry bushes... first year to even get blueberries and we thought we wouldn't because the freeze hit after they had blooms. I would like a couple more bushes,  Two of the green buckets have bay laurels trees  and the other green and white one have wintergreen in them.  There are 6 boxes of 6 different strawberries ...They will be transplanted to the south gardens next spring. There are some onions (being pulled daily) and lettuces in with them. This is the first year for them and they are filling out the boxes faster than I expected since they also got hit with the freeze right after I planted them.There is rhubarb along the left side that blends into the tree line. It's red rhubarb and didn't do well this year, no one's has either. I am transplanting them next spring but not sure if over to the south gardens or towards the east end closer to where the popcorn is.

 close up of one of the boxes.

I spent 3 hrs today fertilizing and watering everything. So irrigation system is a going to be a must by next spring.  

Gratitude...

I have read more than a few bloggers and some FB friends that are struggling with gratitude. 

When I start feeling ungrateful I remind myself of the followings

I wasn't suppose to live from birth... I am alive...as my parents put it I am a miracle.

I wasn't suppose to crawl ... I didn't ...I walked which I definitely wasn't suppose to be able to do.

I had horrible speech problem... I don't now after years of speech therapy

I have went without food as a child and teen ... I don't go without now (and neither do my kids unless they don't say something since they no longer live at home).

I went without decent clothes, I was a girl and in how my parents were raised girls were not important as they didn't carry on the name, they were workers in the home and that was all. Daddy stopped be that way when  I had my first as she was a girl. Mother never got over Brother not having children until he was 50 and then it was a girl and he made sure there wasn't going to be any more (he has a step son). Mother before she got cancer ,even offered to pay for him to adopt a boy as my brother is the last on Daddy's side.

I have been homeless while trying to go to college, been homeless when I had part of my kids. I am not now and neither or they as they all know they can come home if needed.

I have been abused , emotionally, verbally and physically by family ... I am not now.My parents were raised abused... they started breaking that cycle with my brother and me, I would love to say we have broke it even more as not only do we not abuse...we don't take abuse either.

My late husband died from a heart attack at age 39 leaving me with our 6 kids, no health ins, no life ins and no will. Lots of back utilities bills (he handled the money). I had just given up my part time job to be with the kids as a babysitter was more than I was earning. I had no money coming in. We made it, I paid the bills off, worked jobs when the kids were in school or not at home, sold things we could go without. Made clothes from other clothes or what other people said were rags like ripped sheets.

 Daddy was raised by an Amish grandmother (his mom was an invalid) and his Dad was Old German Baptist. Mom's family were non believers and Spiritualist(her great grandma was Native American). I still remember the fight Mother had with Daddy when he bought a huge Bible for me when I was 7 yrs old.She didn't want it in her home and it was the first time Daddy ever ruled the home. Brother got one when he graduated the same year as me but he had been allowed to go to the local church because he went with friends and connected him to those he played sports with... the image Mother wanted for her son. 

Still, raised in that home I had my faith and I hold that faith tight with gratitude as it is what gets me through those times. I try to remember to learn the lessons even if it's I don't ever want to go through this again lesson. 

When the gardens don't produce enough more than a meal I am grateful as I had the chance to raise the gardens unlike the city folk surrounded by concrete with no where try to grow food.

When you are feeling ungrateful, count the hard times you have made it through, count the family and friends you have, the four legged ones also. Count the things you have , home, a way to get to places, medical care, food (I lived in a food desert). 

What you are wanting or not wanting ... might not be the plan that is for you at this time... what ever your faith is... be silent and listen... you can't hear if you are not silent.  Time will bring what is best if you keep doing what is good.  

If you read the Bible... JOB and RUTH are two good books to read when you struggle with gratitude.

Blessed Be