Nov 30th. I am thankful

 We are both well.

I am thankful for food in the pantry. Even with holes in some areas. 

I am thankful for medical insurance as I face 4 medical appts in the next 8 days. 

I am thankful Hubby is able to shift work around so he can take me to the appts. 

I am thankful there is money in the checking to pay most of December's bill though it will be squeaky as we are not counting on SS or my IRA payments to make the bills.  

I am thankful the company that makes my biologic its putting enough on my acct to cover a good part of my co pay for my meds as in Jan my ins goes from $50 for 3 months to $125 EACH month.

I am thankful I heard the brakes on the work truck squeaking, Hubby had a low tire . He got it fixed today, had a screw in it. Brakes are fine.  He was told by the repair guy that truck will have brakes squeak when the tires are low. Nice to know even though Hubby checks his tires before he hauls, he did not check them when we left Daughter 4's after dropping of frig and stove.

I am thankful we are not having to go to appts today as the weather is crappy, rain turned to snow with temps dropping below freezing so that means black ice on the back roads if not salted.

My Amish neighbors are home from the funeral in Indiana and they said they were thankful for a safe trip, the masks we gave them to keep them safe and that the weather has turned so cold. They are butchering this week, means they won't need as much ice from us to help keep meat cold.

Menu to Dec 8th

 Hubby loves Wendy's baconator sandwich and fries. I have what is needed to fix it for him tonight as he finishing putting up the outside decorations before the nasty cold and snow comes in.

Monday. We have a bag of tortilla chips that is down to the "crumbs" I have some tomatoes (still) we can use and I have taco meat from the freezer, so taco casserole(from my kids public school days over 20 yrs ago).

Tuesday. In Sidney (1 hr one way drive)Primary doc appts for both of us. I will get the lecture (again) for my bad cholesterol again, some more, what ever. Both parents ran over 200 WITH MEDS. BUT anyways we will be in Sidney so decided our Christmas present to each other would be a Al's combo pizza and two chef salads from Al's pizza. 

Wednesday In Sidney (1 hr one way drive) My procedure on my veins in left leg. Left over pizza and the second salad (we split one between us... I will boil some eggs as they only put one per salad.)

Thursday, In Sidney (1 hr one way drive) My appt to go over results of MRI of right leg/hip.  Leftover one pot green beans, potatoes and ham and cornbread from freezer

Friday HOME .... HOME  Leftover potpie in freezer.

Saturday Home ..Tuna noodle or fish patties, boiled potatoes with peas in a cream sauce.  Both meals are something Mother would fix the first part of Dec.

Sunday Pork Tapas (Milk Street recipe) veggie tray and snacky food. 

Monday 123 pasta (1 onion, 2 cups protein and 3 cups veggies with 12 oz to 16 oz pasta)

Tuesday IN Sidney for chiro. Leftover broccoli cheddar soup in freezer with rolls or bread.

Note, I need nothing from the store for any of these meals. IF we don't get the pizza and salad from Al's in Sidney we can get a different one from the local pizza place as we grew up with the pizza restuarant (the original sold to this one) so it's like having our childhood pizza. 

Last week of Nov Frugal

 We spent $17 at the grocery store, 1 gal of milk, 2 cartons of sour cream, 1 carton of cottage cheese, a 3 pack of colored bell peppers, 1 bunch of celery,1 pack of white mushrooms, and 1 pack of portabella mushrooms. That should last us for two weeks.

We ate from the pantry except for a gas station $10 pizza the night we didn't get home until 7 due to waiting for appts an hour away from us. We have been combining appts so we are making less trips. The last one that day was running an hour behind and then took an hour. SIGH.

Daughter 4 had a company give her some money to help her buy her frig and stove. She passed that money to us to put on that bill. Now it's down to the same as if I have bought the frig on sale. Stove is now "free". Considering her old frig froze her milk, the new one is up and running just in time and she was baking a cheesecake in the new stove.

We decided to Not buy a live tree this year. but use the old little tree we had when we lived in the 800 sq ft rental. I bought a light tree instead

for less money than the live trees would have costs. We buy two, one for front porch and one for inside . I haven't decided how to decorate the deck yet. I should say I haven't found anything in the decorations to put on the deck yet.

The holiday dinner we usually attend for HAM radio was canceled so I did not buy anything for it as it would have been this coming week.

thankful

 hard right now with our friend dying and his sister fighting covid

but my soon to be granddaughter asked me what I was thankful for. 

I am thankful her and my grandson have one another. 

I am thankful that my vein surgery has not been canceled, it is NOT cosmetic. 

I am thankful that I was able to hang my laundry including all the Christmas towels, table linen etc out of the yard line.

I am thankful a company stepped in and gave us money to help pay for Daughter 4s stove and frig (which she is going to pay us back for it and all the money we use to support her).She had mentioned us buying it for her while at treatment. It's now down to the same amount of buying her just the frig with is being on sale.

PLEASE STOP AND THINK

 I know we are all tired of the covid and politics.  I've had a brother in law, 2 sister in laws, and nephews already go through this. They got off lightly.

BUT

I just lost a good friend... his sister tested negative for Covid and so did he. They spent the day together in his apartment as he is disabled. 

The next day she had "allergy"coughing, her doctor tested her. She was positive( 2 day turn around on results), She called her brother, he was already in ICU as of that morning. He did not make it. She is in ICU on ventilator. We worry she won't fight it because of his death. 

From internet ...

If you continue to have no symptoms, you can be with others after 10 days have passed since you had a positive viral test for COVID-19. Oct 27, 2020

Just because the test is negative does 

not mean you do not have it. You canhave it and not had it long enough to test positive or are n

not showing signs of it.

False negatives — that is, a test that says you don't have the virus when you actually do have the virus — may occur. The reported rate of false negatives is as low as 2% and as high as 37%.

 But the infected person doesn't begin producing antibodies immediately. It can take as long as three weeks for a blood antibody test to turn positive.Nov 20, 2020 Harvard edu.

If you have symptoms, there is a 70 per cent the disease will be detected with a positive result, said Cheng, who recently wrote a scientific article summarizing research so far on COVID-19 testing. On average, symptoms develop five to six days after exposure, but it can take two to 14 days.

Son2 said a lot of people including MEDICAL do not realized they have it. He had a soldier in ICU on ventilator because his doctor thought it was bronchitis and did not send him to be tested for covid. YOU will most likely test positive until 5 to 6 day after exposure .My son has been guarantied for 2 wks due to others having it around him. He is NEGATIVE but still staying away most except at work as he has to go to work  and he is now wearing his mask even alone due to the heating system runs the whole building NOT just his office. The ones that were positive around my son, had NO symptoms. , except the one that was told he had bronchitis, which he gets often.

My kids told me they could not live with themselves if I got it because of them and put on oxygen the rest of my life because of it or died. I definitely know I could not handle giving it to my children, grandchildren or great grandchildren...

COULD YOU? 

My grandchild whose wedding for next month is at "we will see"  said her florist who works from her home is now moving it to the garage due to her Hubby's health as he has Parkinson's and the CDC told her that the in home business was putting him at a higher risk even though she requires mask and has hand sanitizer.

Because of covid shedding. 

• It’s when an infected person releases virus particles into the environment
• Viral shedding is highest when COVID-19 symptoms are getting worse
• It’s possible for asymptomatic people to shed the virus, as well

Upon infection, a virus multiplies inside the body, and when that person sneezes, coughs, or (in extreme cases) speaks, it has the potential to be released into the person’s environment. According to WebMD, this occurrence is called viral shedding.

Knowing how viral shedding happens is beneficial in understanding how COVID-19 spreads, and it helps scientists figure out the point when a person with the coronavirus is the most infectious. Researchers reportedly use terms like “low” and “high” to describe levels of viral shedding. 

you can shed for up to 20 days on the average.  There was a woman in Washington that did it for 70 days. Makes me wonder if she was what they call a long hauler of covid.

CDC and the companies making the vaccine have repeatedly said even after taking the vaccine (TWICE, it is TWO shots not one) you will still need to wear a mask and socially distance. SIGH.

I really looking forward to cookies and candy for the kids and grandkids but worried about spreading germs. Grandsons and daughter working in culinary field said I could do it still, the only change I would have to do is wear a mask. 

Happy Thanksgiving

 Enjoy the day. 

Store shelves empty again

 All six kids warned me that shelves were bare of essentials... my essentials is COFFEE and DOG FOOD. 

Our Amish neighbor has been hunting for deer slugs for a month so he can hunt deer over Thanksgiving. Said he finally found some that he is sharing with 4 other families. Factories making it was shut down due to Covid. He was glad he had gotten a couple deer during bow season.

Things you take for granted as not available like they used to be. 

I have 8 spots on shelves that have nothing. Between us and Daughter 4 we have cleared those spots. That is 120 pints of food. In one month gone. Not counting anything from freezers or fresh. Thirty pounds of sweet potatoes gone. I have two for Tday and Daughter is out. I usually buy 50 lbs bags of potatoes for everyone. Can't even order them. Out of 60 lbs of red onions I have maybe one pound left. Had 30 lbs yellow onions , they are gone. 

Can you tell we eat? 

It will be interesting to see what we run out of completely and what we still have when garden starts coming in. I know I did not get any peas to grow this year so that is a BIG need to grow next spring and again in fall. Hope the garden season is better than it was this year.

Do you have a pantry? Are you stocked for the winter? How are the grocery store shelves in your area?

Thankful 21st through morning of 24th.

 Sister in law and her family recovered from Covid. Brother in law and his family down with it now but staying home... 

Son 2 was tested Monday... said he has no symptoms but every single person that has been around him in last 3 weeks has it. He waited until day 7 to be tested.

MRI of hip done, struggling to walk thanks to it.

 Food supplies to daughter 4 along with some old magazines for her to read. She sent back 2 cases of canning jars.

Have chiro this afternoon. Which I hope with easy some of the pain of the MRI of having my legs in one position for 30 mins. . 

Daughter 4 oven had quite working, she bought her self a roaster, then a burner went out (glass top stove that is 20yrs old) so she gave me a heads up to look for used stove. HER daughter texted me that Daughter 4's frig has been freezing things on the frig side with no rhyme or reason and she had lost some of her fresh veggies she had just bought. SO I check out used appliances came up with the cost that was equal to brand new when on sale. Hit a sale of a stove with coil burners and knobs along with a decent size frig for the total price LESS then the two USED. We are picking up the stove tomorrow and we will haul the old away. Frig is coming in next week. Daughter 4 decided to keep the old frig as second freezer and is having her kids move it to the other room. Said she can keep water bottles and stuff that doesn't matter if it freezes in it.  Thankful granddaughter got ahold me and that I hit a great sale. 

I am thankful the election is moving forward 

I am thankful the vaccine is moving forward

I am thankful for the tomatoes in the grow cart turning red so I can finish canning them this week.

I am thankful Hubby has picked up some work between our appts as he is working on paying Dec bills for the business.

I am thankful that all the kids are staying in their "bubbles" for Thanksgiving. We were invited with the note that we had to wear gloves, masks, glasses  and sit in the dining room by ourselves LOL. Daughter 2 was going to be serving everyone, mask and gloves. 

We will just stay home. I have medical procedure next Wednesday and Grandson's wedding Dec 20th is still on with 7 ft social distancing from each "bubble". 

Blessed be 

Frugal Friday

I reused the inserts in cold cereal, bisquick and such boxes. In fact I am still using ones that Daddy had used that are over 3 yrs old. I wash them, dry them, roll them up and reuse. They hold up better in freezer when flash freezing than parchment or wax paper. 

Hubby reused the foil off the lasagna he washed (SHOCK) and put it on the brownies, then used it to cover the pot pie after he washed it again. Said last night it was beyond washing as it fell apart in his hands. Believe me it took wanting to pay the mortgage off early to get him on board of washing foil and plastic food bags

I washed freezer bags and sandwich bags and hung them on the kitchen porch line to dry. I used silicone covers on some containers that do not have lids. I put them on the clothes line to dry also. I've been known to use a saucer on a bowl and a plate over a serving bowl also.

I froze brussels sprouts, caramelized onions and hamburger rolls. I am still canning tomatoes that are ripening in the grow cart trays. I am tired of tomatoes LOL

We did not go to the store even though Hubby thought we should check out the sales.

I saved the crumbs from a box of cold cereal to put in the fruit crisp that is on the menu next week 

I  put 1 meal of leftover broccoli cheddar soup and 1 meal of chicken pot pie to go with the leftover green beans, ham and potatoes that are already there. Those are on the menu for first week of Dec due to 3 medical appts back to back. 

We set the budget for buying Christmas decorations and live trees. Hubby pulled the decorations down from the barn loft so I don't have to climb up and down stairs to carry them down. I can start looking at one container each day. This is the first year of decorating the deck.

I have combined 2 blood works, 1 MRI, 3 vet appts and our chiro appts into 2 days this coming week as they are an hour away from us. 

Except for Thanksgiving, meals will be simple with plan overs (instead of leftovers) . For Thanksgiving we are smoking a turkey breast (cutting legs and wings off whole turkey as Hubby was not paying that price triple of a whole turkey just for a breast and roasting them for another meal and bones for broth). Home grown sweet potatoes, home grown brussels sprouts, Amish grown pumpkin into pie and homemade bread or rolls.  Extra smoked turkey will be froze to make what I call blue plate special... turkey over bread dressing (rolls or bread if not dressing) or mashed potatoes, green beans or corn gravy over all of it and cole slaw and some dessert. 

Thankful 20th

 I am thankful I have extra stock that I can take to Daughter 4 ( no one else needs anything) 

I am thankful that I have more tomatoes ripening and being canned, even though I am tired of seeing tomatoes.

I am thankful of another small harvest of volunteer kale and mustard. I wonder what it will take to kill since we have had a couple freezes.

I am thankful that due to the colder weather, M won't need as much ice and I will have room for at least two hams in that freezer. 

I am thankful my health ins is doing a 3 day turn around on approval of medical testing so I can get it done this year when it's not costing me anything since I have maxed my out of pocket

Blessed be

I am thankful and worried

 I am thankful that neither Hubby or I have gotten Covid...yet.

I am thankful our kids have not gotten Covid...yet. 

Why the yet? Because other family has it and when it is in the family, it's going to spread through the family.  AND I've been through a couple doctor's offices. Hubby even though he is careful when working is always at a low risk. Most are staying away. One Amish canceled a haul because he as coughing... he has bronchitis... but still held off being around anyone. The tests are not always right in negative or positive according to him (including what we are seeing on the news) 

I am thankful it was warm today even with the high winds. I was making hot sauce (yep, got 2 more to do from the father's day gift thank you daughter 4) and it had enough fumes both Hubby and I were coughing. Can't wait to do the Ghost pepper one tomorrow SIGH. We did tell her if we die from her gift she does not get an inheritance. 😏 

Hubby got the last of the plants pots dumped and put away and a couple holes out in the yard filled in with dirt. 

I got 2 of the hot sauces done , cooked 2 trays of tomatoes to strain for juice to can tomorrow . Decluttered the small desk behind Hubby's desk that he was doing "over flow" on top of and paid the bills for this week. Put broccoli cheddar soup, brussels sprouts and caramelized onions in the freezer along with 2 servings of potpie for next week when I run from appt to appt.

Blessing on everyone, stay safe and stay well

New Budget for 2021

 Now that all the kids and a few grandkids have had their input on our budget. LOL 😄

Daughter 4 has made my basic grocery list with the only thing I am allowed to stock up for is ham for the year * I buy 4* at Christmas. Hubby got a turkey to smoke, I will cut off the legs and wings to roast and he will just smoke the breast for Thanksgiving ... Just the two of us.  And I have several packages already of turkey in the freezers

We had a talk about him picking extra thing up at the grocery store , spent $61, when Daughter 4 has cut the budget for groceries to $50 A MONTH with NO stock up. He asked if she gave us a grace period and I said, yes but it is firm starting Dec 21st.

She listed the following. Did price points also so we would know if it is higher something else is not going to get bought. 

3 gal of vitamin D milk , I use 1 gal every 2 wks, 3rd gal is for yogurt that I have been told I need to make my self. I will use the whey in baking so it's not wasted.

2 dozen eggs... even our Amish neighbor had to buy store bought eggs this week. She got so mad at her 50 chickens for not laying enough even in a week that she butchered them and canned them. New batch came in but won't be laying for about a month.

2 large curd cottage cheese.

1 sour cream

1 Dean's chip dip though I have been strongly encouraged to change to dill dip and make my own as it will save me 50 cents since I grow my own dill weed and seed and just buy sour cream.

1 qrt half and half. I was reminded I could mix heavy cream with milk for this until she checked prices and decided that the price of making it would be more than the price of buying it.

1 qrt heavy cream.

16 oz. of white mushrooms * half of my normal amt.*

16 oz. of portabella mushrooms *half of my normal amt.*

1 package of tricolor bell peppers * half of my normal amt.* I can't eat the green ones

1 bunch of celery 

2 lbs. of regular carrots 

3lbs. onions* Not going to be needed for a good month or two* 

Baking potatoes or sweet potatoes are limited by price of $4.* I have some sweet potatoes we grew. They didn't get very big and I have some small fresh white potatoes we grew. I would have to bake enough to make a serving. I might get sweet potatoes when I pick up the ham to have enough to late spring.

$ 8 is left for cheese or something else like extra sweet potatoes or frozen peas or broccoli if we shop Kroger's (after chiro as ours closed)or Walmart 5 miles from us.

$17 is left for cheese or something else if we shop Aldi's after chiro appts. There is two things they don't carry we would have to get else where or go with out.

$20 is left for cheese or something else if we shop Save A Lot which is 6 miles from us . There is 1 thing they don't carry that would be picked up else where. 

We know one of the gals. of milk will be through the month so what ever is not bought on the main shopping can be bought then. 

Daughter 1 who works in a grocery store as a manager told us to do our grocery shopping  AFTER the second Wed (social security starts their payments ) and the last week of the month, more clearance of what is Best used by date at that time. 

We are not going to starve for sure . I am canning more tomatoes this week and look to finish the last 4 hot sauces.

Goals... 

that by end of 2021 Daughter 4 is back on her feet from fighting cancer and can start making payments back. AND can buy my car that she drives most the time anyways. I really don't like how small it is but it was what was available at the right price when the other died.

That we have the huge  mortgage, back loans and the work truck (business usually pays unless don't make enough) paid in full... in five years so we only need Social security for living and the Ira be for medical coverage as needed. LIKE my Daddy had been doing. That is $350,000 in 5 yrs. We know we can do it in 8 even if she can't pay us back as fast as she hopes to. But I know we have paid far more off in the same amount of time with 1/4th less income. We can do it again.

I am thankful

 that no one of my children and one grandson worry about offending me over anything.  

I have treaded lightly with my own parents when they were alive. Hubby does it now with his own. 

But our kids and one grandson have decided that treading lightly doesn't always get the job done. 

After dealing with Mother's negative estate, having to sell everything to try to pay things off and Pop having to move in with his son. We share exactly where we are at financial and medical wise with all 6 kids and the grandkids who are in their teens and twenties. They all know who will be in charge of the estate(they actually talked it over between them and chose Son2) if we both die, they all know exactly were things stand.

With in the past week I have all 6 kids tell me our budget is whacked out and made suggestions, reasonable suggestions that was put in place saving us $500 a month. The biggest savings was when Daughter 1 told me to go back and see how much went to out of pocket medical and since I maxed out (we have a limit on oop) to check what would have also had to go out if I hadn't met my limit. Our co pay to doctors is counted towards our OOP. Unusual I am told but it is how it is with our insurance. I still have to call Humira with my insurance change for prescriptions but they are still going to work with me.

 Daughter 4 who was the last one to go through the budget and figured out that she would rather do $400/ wk like a pay day than $2000 a month as we put in . Her budget is $1800 a month IF she doesn't have to pay for any meds and no increase in food or diapers.(She is thankful I insisted she take a package home because the radiation triggered her in the middle of the night. Her daughter's boyfriend went and got her more this morning) BUT she wants to focus on working while she can part time and putting that money back to cover the rest knowing she can ask if she really is in need. She plans to be back to work full time Oct 22 2021(her 27th birthday if no problem working with this pandemic) 

Our grandson against his mother's advice told me to go back to the old recipe of Buckeye candy , not what I used last time as every single one of them pitched them in the trash as he had asked. Then he asked if they said anything to me, nope. We don't eat them so I did not know what they tasted like. I thanked him for being truthful, When his mom heard him tell me she flat out said I told you to keep your mouth shut. HE  come back with he wants buckeyes and not me wasting my time and money. I didn't need to do that. I backed him on that.  AND she admitted she went into the mode of not saying anything about the gift because MY MOTHER would had been a terror over it when she gave them food they did not eat and she told Mother that they didn't eat it. 

He was not rude, just plain spoken. He was proud of saying his is his Nonna's child LOL.

I am thankful that we realized we had an air leak in the upstairs east and/or west loft when I noticed the curtain hung in the staircase (no door) moving. Furnace was not on, not even the ceiling fans as it had been a decent start to the day of warmth  (not now 30 mph plus winds and cold front dropped us 20 degrees). I found both small windows leaking air even though they were locked and have decent insulation. That means the outside needs caulked as the inside already is. I covered the entire window with plastic and then made sure the insulated curtain covered the window.

I am thankful Charlotte let us know we had a mouse in the basement. It ate the corner off the organic whole wheat flour (thankful it was a 2 lb bag not a 5 lb) I had just took down to the basement. That Hubby was going to put in the freezer when he put the turkey in... two hours later. We know exactly where it came in (drain pipe it ate through the cover. SO now there is metal cover with weight on on. THEN we heard it in the vent run that goes to the east loft while we was sitting at the table. So I went the basement to see if it could be the one that got in from the pipe... Yep, found evidence were it chewed the drywall to get from the freezer room (I keep that door shut to keep the heat from the frigs and freezer out of the pantry part) into the mechanical room because Hubby had shut that door and then where it went through the insulation board Hubby had just installed over the crawl space opening. Hubby put out poison since it would be where the dogs couldn't get to it and fixed the insulation board. I can tell you it is dead from the odor in the east loft. Glad that is not a room we use much during the winter. Odor will probably be there 3 days. 

Blessed be  

Thankful 13th

Dropped off box of stuff to Daughter 4 on her porch , keeping both of us safe even though we missed the hugs. 

Dropped off bed frame to Son 2 on his patio. Not going in his house or garage since I would be touching his door knobs and he has several come down with covid in the last week. 

Had follow up with back doctor. Told me even if things get shut down to call him if I am in pain and he can ordered me meds through the pharmacy if he can't give me an injection.

Traffic was crazy, should have expected it as it was Friday the 13th.

Got home safe but stressed and Hubby had to help me in the house because my right leg was having fits of the long 2 hr drive even though I took a 10 min break every hour.

Repair guy got the stove working but said the regulator is acting up and its' on back order. SO Hubby went out and put the canning stove together we bought and figured out he needed one part to be able to hook it up. Since it's in the barn and we can open the big door to keep carbon issues down if needed  It should be fine as back up.  I am thankful it is working and I have options if it goes back down.

Nov 12 th Thankful

 That my appliance repairman can squeeze me in on Friday (Hubby staying home as I have an appt) to fix my cookstove that is completely broke down. The regulator that controls oxygen and propane went out. Can't use it due to carbon monoxide issues. So glad I was finish caramelizing the onions for the freezer when it started acting up. But since it did act up I just tossed the ripe tomatoes in the freezer to deal with later.

Thankful for the acknowledgement of a classmate that said his wife and him have been watching our FB and this blog to decide it they want to move to the country when they retire in 3 yrs. I did give him a heads up of things he really needs to check out ,like health coverage in that area, as he is moving out of state. Since he lived in Las Vegas for 8 yrs he understands high utility bills.

I am thankful Son2 warned me not to come in his home. His local VFW where he is an officer had a "river" of covid, one of them caught it working at the school and then they sponsored a toy run for bikers so over 1000 in tracing to begin with. SIGH.  He does not have any signs of it but why take a chance. If I am in the area I usually stop for the bathroom and kitty fix... okay mostly for the kitty fix but since I am there might as well use the bathroom Right? 

I am thankful I have a day that I can spending cleaning without trying to juggle other things in between. We have a phone conference with our one financial guy, the son is taking over the business and he just wants to touch base of where we are, what we need and how we want to continue. .

Blessed Be

Veterans day

 I am thankful for the Veterans. Even if you don't agree with military, they serve to give you the right to disagree. 

I am thankful for Daughter 2 as it's her birthday. Daddy said when she was born, she was the best Veteran's day gift he ever got.

I am thankful for being an USA citizen.

I am thankful I can chose my own faith and how I practice that faith. 

I am thankful when E asked if we were putting the wreath back up on the barn. Since it faces his house I thought OOPS... I asked if it bothered them? He said no, the kids liked it but asked if it was just a pretty or if it had meaning.  I told him the evergreen is to represents everlasting life through Jesus and the circle is for GOD with no beginning or ending. He really liked it had meaning that relates to their own faith.

Great Saphenous vein surgery

 on left leg due to damage from a blood clot (not DVT OR EB) . Procedure 1 will be fiber optic laser on Dec 2nd. Procedure 2 will be injection two weeks later. Good news is my body still makes veins.. it shows in the ultra sound and the right leg has good veins. Better news is due to it NOT being cosmetic surgery, it causing my bp to drop when I stand up or sit up in bed AND it raises my BP when I walk. Guess it can't make up it's mind ? 

 I am thankful that the doctor decided to bill it all including follow up appts as one amount so everything would be covered under this year's insurance which I have already maxed my out of pocket and co pays.

I do have to have blood work down but they agreed it could be done the week before when  I get my other blood work done.

Bad news is I have to go back to the ortho because the ultra sound of the right leg showed nothing from the veins so it has to be a muscle problem...That appt is now Monday at noon since they had a cancelation . BUT thankful they got me in now so it's on this year's ins

Good news is... the brussels sprout plants are pulled YEA!!!! I got 4 gallons of sprouts now in the freezer.   I still have 5 trays of green tomatoes.... well it's 4 trays as one is almost completely ripe and will be canned in next couple days.

 

Thankful 9th and menu for busy week

 I am thankful my cousin's hubby is okay. He had a light stroke. She is in poor health also. Only a few years older than me but as nurse she did NOT follow advice of losing the weight (over 100 lbs OVER weight) went into diabetes and still eats everything and anything and does no exercise. SIGH. Does the I take a shot so I can eat what ever I want.  

Our grandson lost his great grandmother on his late Dad's side. He said he was thankful she went in her sleep and she didn't have covid. She was in her late 80s.

Hubby said the old fence lost ... it's the one that "bit" him. I am thankful he is an EMT and makes sure we have a full supply of first Aid. I get the OTC meds but he does bandages etc.

Rascal (black) and Charlotte (white) checking out the new fence. Charlotte loves putting her head through it to smell the grass on the other side. We decided to replace the white wood fence with pipe next year if money is available. That will match E's side ours connects to at his pasture south of us. It is also a lot less maintenance.

I have to prop my feet up above my heart 3 times a day. I say nap and all 3 dogs head to the bed. Yesterday I didn't say anything out loud. Just texted Hubby I was going to do the legs prop.. 

Rascal is usually the one that follows me everywhere . But Wilbur realized what I was doing and wanted me to hold him. 

I froze 1 gal of brussels sprouts. Last 2 plants will be harvested today.

I canned 2 1/2 pints of tomato juice from tomatoes that finally turned. I have another tray that is almost red enough to can mid week.

I roasted 2 chickens, ate 3 meals from them, deboned (got 2 bags that have 3 cups of meat for potpie) and 4 1/2 pints of broth canned.

I made the menu

Today we have to take the work truck in for a repair that is tomorrow morning the dealership said to bring it in today and then we can pick it up after our appts. It's a 4 hr job.  That's 2 1/2 hours of today on the road to drop off and come back home. The repair is under warranty so has to be done by dealership.

I am doing regular Monday laundry, clean frigs, trash to road stuff. Hubby wants to burn a stump he has been trying to burn all week. Clear the old dog stuff and work on getting concrete off the metal clothes line poles as I am nagging about this old trailer and crap on it that was supposed to go to junk yard two years ago.

Tuesday... last warm day over 70 for the year most likely. I have appt with vein doc which is 75 min from here. He is going to tell me what the results are from ultra sound, he thought they should know how much the insurance would cover as it is affecting my heart failure and schedule the surgery. Then Hubby and I both have chiro appts. Hubby is taking a return to UPS for Amazon of what was sent wasn't what I ordered. We need to stop at Aldi's and Krogers. Looking for turkey breast for Tday and gal of milk (will have cooler and ice packs) THEN  we will stop on way home to pick up the work truck. 

Wednesday This day is suppose to be back into the 50s . I plan to do some sewing but we will see. Probably canning another tray of red tomatoes.

Thursday... home but Hubby's financial guy is calling  to do our yearly "meeting" . His office is still only doing phone or Zoom. We don't do Zoom. We already have figured out the budget. We are still debating about one check to cover my surgery and Daughter 4. Going to depend on the costs of the surgery.

Friday I have follow up appt for my back injections. That's 2 hr 15 min one way ride. We will pit stop at Daughter 4s. if she needs anything dropped off or picked up (aka empty jars). That pretty much wipes out the day for us.

Saturday will be catch up on the housework, etc.

Blessed Be 

Thankful 7th and 8th

I am thankful I got a lot of work done yesterday even though that meant I didn't blog. I have 2 brussels sprout  plants to harvest still after harvesting 3 plants... probably about a quart of sprouts between the two as we've ate off both plants through the season. I canned 2 1/2 pints of tomato juice. Looks like I will have a tray of red tomatoes mid week. I deboned chicken and made broth. 

I am thankful that when Hubby ran a metal fastener from the old fence through 2 of his fingers that he had a tetanus shot and it only went through meat of his index and middle finger. He pulled it back out himself and I washed and bandage. The one could have used 1 or 2 stitches...no sense wasting my breathe as I know he wouldn't go get that done so I taped it. Looked good when I checked it last night .

I am thankful the last of the old fence is down. That leaves the old dog house that has metal roofing and it's fence and the old clothesline poles we pulled out (they were 4 ft off the ground. Pretty worthless for anything buy small items) that need concrete beat off them and he can haul the old trailer and all the crap on it like old appliances the kids couldn't get hauled away to the junk yard and get a bit of cash from it.

I am thankful I have stayed away from family. Even though it ticked off Hubby's parents. His sister's son has covid, he has been in and out of the grandparents home since he goes to school around the corner from them so NOW they understand as they have to turn friends and family away and stay home themselves. Couple grandsons are taking turns picking up groceries and leaving it on the front porch. 

I pray they all get well and stay well as His sister has no spleen. 

Stay safe, be kind 

Thankful 6th

 I am thankful for the wonderful Indian summer week we are getting. One more time of drying the bedding out on the line right down to the mattress protector has been wonderful. 

I am thankful I am bagging the second gallon of brussels sprouts today and harvesting off three more plants. ( I think there are 6 left)

I am thankful I had a set of Christmas LED lights to put inside the Halloween pumpkin (I turn it around so the face doesn't show in Nov) as the one set died. I set pics to Daughter 2 as it was the one she was going to throw away in 2007 and I took it home. Said it was the best $2 she ever spent.

I am thankful that Daughter 3 and her two oldest were not hurt worse when a car pulled out in front of them. Kids were not hurt at all. Daughter 3 broke her heel and is bruised and "burnt" on her arm from the air bag. She was pinned in the seat. Not surprised as she's only 4ft 10 and sits almost on top the of steering wheel. She was in a SUV. If she had been in the small car she would have been crushed according to the officer that was there.  I am thankful her employer will work with her limits of being on her foot. 

Thankful 5th

 Hubby is thankful that the company that does maintenance on his work truck was able to get him right in today and told him they were going to do winter check on it and he could stay in the one office to wait as we live an hour away. SO I don't have to follow, bring him home and then take him back. Not losing 3 hrs of my time or the costs of running the dog truck doing that.

I am thankful for the warm partly sunny day so I can wash all the bedding and furniture throws and hang them on the yard clothesline instead of one by one on a drying rack like it will be during the winter or freeze drying them on the line. 

I am thankful I figured out the laundry room window was not latching and allowing cold air to blow in. Some of the felt weather stripping had shifted and it was making it look like it was latched but wasn't. I shifted it so it would latch and tucked the weather stripping back in place. Windows are still on the punch list.

I am thankful I was able to transfer "paycheck" as Daughter 4 now calls the money we send her for her bills this morning before she leaves for treatment so she could pay her rent this morning. It's due tomorrow but her treatment is tonight and she definitely won't be up to going tomorrow as her landlord does cash only. 

Blessed Be everyone

Thankful 4th

 I am thankful for our mechanic that not only changed the oil and checked the fluids but went over the dog truck to make sure it was ready for winter with us out in the county.

I am thankful that the weather has been nice so Hubby could finish putting up the new fence and burn the last old stump.

I am thankful for E coming across to check on us when he hadn't seen the dog truck for a couple days and wondered if something he could help with. He thought maybe I was with Daughter 4.

I am thankful that Daughter 4 is dealing better than expected with the radiation.

I am thankful we live in a country where we VOTE and just don't get told who was going to run the country. 

Blessed Be

Menu Monday, Frugal Choices.

 

I sat down Sunday night and made the menu. We then decided to freeze the Brussels sprouts so I figured I would pull out the last roasting chicken this morning to make room for the sprouts.

There was 2 roasting chickens. I think one was Son 2's as its smaller than I buy. I told Hubby I was roasting both. They will take less room with the bones out of them and I can make the pot pie and a pot of soup from the birds after a meal of roasted chicken. They are in the downstairs frig thawing.  SO a change in the menu already.

I am definitely ready to be done with the green tomatoes. What ever is left after I can another 16 pints is going to be left to turn red... if they don't turn, sometimes paste tomatoes don't, then they can just go to the compost. No one else wants them.

I called Hubby's finance guy (since we now each have one) and asked it we could meet with him on the same day I have an appt within his area. He is two hours from us so this would save us a lot of time and money if he can. They are doing appt only and he was at an appt outside the office so we have to wait until the secretary gets a hold of him to find out. JUST an update, they decided due to our age and my surgery pending that we would do a phone conference. They offered ZOOM but we don't have that good of internet here for that. 

I've hung clothes on the drying rack and clothes line. 

Hubby went to the store for milk and heavy cream and brought home rolls and French bread that had been marked down. He felt since I couldn't bend over due to back injections that I didn't need to worry about making bread. They were priced lower than my cost of making them would have been.

I put the clean oil lamp wicks I used last year in the windows again to stuff in the windows were there was a draft. Hubby turned the ceiling fans to rotate the other way for winter. I closed the ceiling vent in the front room so heat would not go up to that loft and put a heavy curtain in the stairway to stop heat from going up that way. 

Hubby went out and worked on replacing the old fence. He now has the south section done completely. That leaves the east section. He also mowed the yard mulching the leaves as he went. Two for one.

I used the leftover apple tomato soup to make sauce (added homemade sauce) and made pasta for supper along with meatballs that I made and froze. Sliced some of the French bread and made it into garlic bread.

I paid all our bills that was in or on auto pay (deducted, I just will check to make sure they go through). We have 1 bill still out, that is electric. Our propane company called as we had a winter fill at this time last year and asked if we needed propane... it's fine I have been turning temp down during the day and when we are gone. So that helps. PLUS Hubby got some air gaps closed up so that helps also.

Back to work for me as I am now taking the brussels sprouts down and freezing them 

Nov 3rd Thankful

  I am thankful for our forever home that we designed for wheelchair as I talked to an older friend last night that has to walk the furniture as she can't get her walker through her home. Her youngest added railing so she can get out the back door from her bedroom if she needs to get out of the house from the bedroom. 

I am thankful for the sunshine as it's always a better day with sunshine.

I am thankful the Amish man that put up a new rain gutter on the barn and hooked it to the field tile to the pond , checked the rest of the rain gutters and fixed ones he found not working right without add more to the bill. Now we have another section of rain gutter hooked to the field tile for the pond and the cubby hole gutters are one section instead of three and drain out the gravel of the driveway not under the front room and front porch. He also left a note that the birds had a nest in the north gutter but it was starting to down pour so he didn't mess with it. Hubby took care of it the next day along with putting screen in to stop it from nesting there. We had leaf covers installed when we put the gutters on... should have spent the money and got the one piece rain gutters. 

I am thankful that I have my pantry over filled, having to store cases of home canned goods in the upstairs loft as it will allow me to pass organic food to Daughter 4 as she fights cancer.

I am thankful we can vote for our leader,we have a voice in who does win unlike other countries.

What are you thankful for?

Thankful Each Day

Following Brandy over at the Prudent Homemaker who is posting what she is thankful each day of this month..

Nov. 1st. I was thankful that it was just snow flurries and a cold blowing wind and not worse as my soon to be granddaughter's bridal shower was yesterday. I am thankful she thought of me and texted me before the shower as I couldn't go due to needing to "stay at home" to keep safe from Covid because of upcoming surgery. I am thankful for the pint of tomatoes I canned and the 3 apples I had made the soup for dinner and the 75 cent loaf of bread Hubby picked up since I wasn't allowed to bend over after back injections made a nice addition to the soup with it grilled and cheese melted on top.

Nov 2nd I am thankful that an old friend of my parents that is from the old neighborhood called me today to let me know she loved me and if she dies before my birthday she wanted me to know she would be singing to me then. She's not very well and only her one son is in and out of her home.  I am thankful my in laws texted instead of just showing up, not thinking about they shouldn't be in our home especially since they go out and not wear a mask  when I am waiting for surgery (veins in legs affecting my heart). I am thankful we can afford Hubby to turn down some jobs that would open the door to him getting covid and bringing it home to me. I am thankful, even though tired of it, of the green tomatoes I am still running through the food processer to can. Going to have to stop after today as I do not want to run out of canning lids.

What are you thankful for?