Daughter 4's first week back to work

 Monday morning , actually it was more afternoon as she walked in her home, let the dogs out, left the back door open (yard is fenced in) fed and watered them, sat down to drink coffee and went to sleep... I sent text at 8 am when she should have been get home asking how it went... that afternoon the answer was EXHAUSTING. She played for 2 hrs. with the dogs in the early afternoon and then took another nap before work.

Tuesday afternoon as she figured I would be between medical tests and bored she sent that she had nearly got ran over by another scooter, that person got in trouble, she forgot to stop completely before getting off her scooter and twisted her knee, but finished the order and got it to packing before seeking medical and filing paperwork and got HERSELF IN TROUBLE as she was suppose to STOP and take care of HERSELF first not finish the order.

Wednesday afternoon... the manager in her came out ... They need to do a better job of training and more hands on training coming from the trainer to the trainee. She is good with the job, as she put all companies have issues. Loves the benefits and is glad I made her promise me to NOT sign up for over time if it was offered this week. She is EXHAUSTED. 

Glad she is working only 3 days a week and not the 5 she would have been at the old job.  I did tell her she would need those days to recover for a couple weeks.

Why I cancelled Sam's club and other memberships

 I am glad Sam asked. 

First when I look at taking a membership or subscription I ask myself these questions... does it save me money? does it save me time? Do I learn something from this? Is this helpful in any way, shape or form? (more of this at end)

Our Sam's club is 45 minutes away. 

 If we walk through the store we end up with 3 flat bed carts. We buy the OH LOOK AT THAT... stuff that should be OH WE DON'T NEED THAT  stuff. Junk food to be sold in other stores in my pantry LOL.

We did 2 curb side pick ups during pandemic. There was limits and somethings were out of stock.  SO basically I paid around $25 each trip as my membership is $50 about. At that point it was worth it to kept us out of the stores as neither of us was vaccinated. Our Walmart and Kroger's (Kroger's is now closed) didn't have anything of my list. I did use instant cart a couple times.

Membership renewal was coming up so I looked to see if it was worth having.

45 minutes away along with at least an hour and usually two shopping and then 45 minutes back. ADD the cost of gas/wear and tear of vehicle  to get there and back. My time is based on $5/ hr. with mileage to cover truck is $1.75 (yes that is more that gov't allows on tax return but it reflects the true cost for this area AKA $5000 for entire brake system of truck)

 I compared what I was buying:

25 lb. flour (bread and all purpose) was actually more at Sam's than Walmart or GFS (Gordan food service, no membership required, 30 minutes away).FIGURE THAT ONE OUT of Walmart cheaper than Sam's.

25lbs sugar ... same thing , more than Walmart's or GFS

Yeast at 1 lb. was a bit cheaper at Sam's but cheaper at Amazon and could not get at bulk store.

SO I started comparing... where is my money best spent... I was NOT saving enough to cover the cost of going there let alone the membership. 

The Amish bulk store 15 minutes from us has it but they are higher priced than Sam's club and limited on what they have. But I can pick up some items that most regular stores don't carry. Like gelatin in bulk that I can store in old canning jars. Especially peach gelatin that is hard to find. 

GFS , my brother's favorite place for getting stuff for family gatherings (he is a retired school principle) is closer (30 minutes) and lower prices, generic for most items. 

Walmart and Save A Lot are the only grocery stores here. Both with in 10 minutes. Save A Lot has decent meat. Both stores acknowledge that Amish shop there and have items in larger amounts that those families would need to buy. 

Then I priced Amazon. The amount of tv shows Hubby watches covers the cost of the membership against the cheapest satellite tv shows we could find as cable is not out here.   Add the fact I saved over $600 on shipping last year and get 5% back on my credit card. 

IF we had a Meijer's here I would shop there. But the closest is 50 minutes from us.

We shop Kroger's and Aldi's biweekly if needed when already there for doctor's appointments.

We shop Save A Lot and Walmart here. 

I order from Amazon and some spices (not much herbs as I pretty much grow what I use) from .

We have memberships or subscriptions with the following

Amazon, shows for Hubby who zones out in front of the tv (finally is setting a timer to turn it off) , unlimited kindle for me as I am a read-alcoholic , free delivery most times. 

Seed Savers not only can I find heirloom seeds but it's a tax deduction for the membership.

Real Simple magazine. Recipes, time saving tips and I pass this to Daughter 4 who passes it to her daughter who passes it to a friend etc. I do not do auto renewal. I wait a couple months to find a good deal on it.

Milk Street magazine. This is Hubby's. He watches the shows, loves the recipes and gotten a few more quick meals that were really good on the table.I think this is one of the few things he reads 

AARP... lots of tips, great brain puzzles, discounts not so much in this area but was great where we lived before . We are looking at going that way with our taxes. Keeps me up to date with changes in Medicare etc.

MS 365. I tried open office and several times could not get it to work with things coming from Hubby's employer. 

We are thinking strongly of Norton 360 with LifeLock as we have free AVG. Three of the kids have it and it has been a blessing. Since I just dealt with my credit card number being stolen I know how bad it can be. This would fall under peace of mind.

We thought about a membership to Anytime fitness or YMCA , that's all that is here. BUT we know we won't drive 15 minutes (both on west side in town and we are east of town). The price was on the high side. Wished there was a planet fitness as I would have done that. We decided we would just wait until we qualified for silver sneakers. I picked up a Fitbit which paid for it's self when it caught I was having heart issues(again, some more , what ever). I have a Fitbit Sense with membership. 

 

    

 

We have a GFS (Gordon Food Service , they also supply restaurants) that sells to public 30 minutes away, no membership required. T

savings last week

 All the bills paid on time, credit cards due paid off. 

I was going to go back to the grocery store and get dairy and some freezer stuff... I didn't.

We ate from the gardens... ours and other peoples that was giving us stuff like 3 butternut and 2 acorn squashes and filled in with the pantry. I am still harvesting peas, onions and tomatoes.

We bought local honey from Amish. We got discount as Hubby hauls for them off and on.

We bought 4 pumpkins and got a discount as Hubby hauls for them twice a week. After they spend some time as decorations I will cook and dehydrate, then grind that to powder.

The front porch is getting redone on Thursday. We cleared it and I painted the bottom face boards using white paint left over from when we painted the house. I also painted 4 posts. If they can't be used on front porch (we can't see if the posts is actually the bottom feet of the porch floor) then they will go to the kitchen porch which makes me ahead on that project.

I planted 36 different variety of seeds in the fall garden. Hubby already had the hoops for low tunnels over the boxes. Now it's wait and see what comes up.

Doc sent looked over our blood work and let us know we are low in some of our vitamin areas and what they were. He wants us to eat the food not pop a supplement. 

I canceled Sam's club membership.

We open windows in morning and again in the evening. If it's about 85 in afternoon we run the AC for Rascal. He is black and gets hot and then throws up... I guess we are doing it for us to not have to clean throw up. ;) Electric bill was still below budget.

Blessed be 

 

WE ARE EXCITED

 fingers crossed... jumping for joy 

DAUGHTER 4 STARTS WORK SUNDAY NIGHT.

NEGATIVE SIDE:

It's 3 miles farther from home then the other job was.

It's 50 cents less an hour on pay.

It's 4 hours less time.

POSITIVE SIDE!!!!

it's 3 days a week Sunday night/ Monday night/Tuesday night. SO she can use 4 days recovery since she hasn't worked full time in over a year.

Overtime is available on a regular bases, Bonus is available with certain criteria (she gets that list Sunday night) 

Orientation is the done on the first night of work. 

Pay raises at 30/60 and 90 days

Insurance/ 401K / and first paycheck on Oct 1st.

20% discount off products

It's at Chewy pet supplies warehouse. 

She will ride around in a scooter, scan things for the order. Take order (on scooter) to packing and drop it off. Then ride off to get the next order. 

She said the 20% on her dog food alone will save her more than what she is losing on the hourly earnings. 

Jokes are already being made of her in a scooter (she has bad knees) and should be able to work in her late 60 to 70s as scooters are for that age . She called it a lazy job. 

Daughter 4 update

 She got up at 4:30 this morning to go to orientation.... they didn't even let her sign in so no gas money coming back to her as they did a hiring freeze due to lack of parts and orders LAST WEEK but didn't bother to tell the 30 some people that was showing up today. 

She immediately texted me after she stopped crying about it. She is also applying for jobs on line and is willing to take part time just to get the money rolling in.

She had already changed her budget based on what she knew she would be earning (old job at old company so had that info). She has 2 utility bills that have to be paid off Nov.4th  since what she used was over what they had her on the budget for. 

I figured up what we have left in the budget for her... at least I know her divorce is paid for and the car is in good condition with repairs and maintenance. Even though that wiped out Nov and Dec budget. She figured she would be working full time. I just have to wait until MY money comes in to pay off her balances.

She knows we have $6000 of bills that have to be paid this month (truck brake system and the two porches) so I will cover her with my social security and my IRA.

We want house paid off before Medicare as a friend on the same meds as me has to pay out $6000/ month since she went on Medicare /Medicare gap. 

Extra payments on mortgage probably won't happen the rest of the year. I really hope I am wrong about that. Really hope she finds something. But even Son 2 said the airforce base is now at 25% of employees due to Delta covid.

Does this sound like a HERE WE GO AGAIN year???   

September... remembering Daddy

 Son 1(Hubby's) and Son 2 (Mine) turn 39. Their birthdays are 10 days apart. 

We have always said it was like raising two sets of twins as our girls (Daughter 3, Hubby's) and Daughter 4 (mine Hubby adopted when she was 9) are 9 1/2 months apart.

Daughter 1 hit her 15 yrs at Walmart .

Daughter 2 is pretty sure she has a new place to move to Oct 1st. She thinks she might even have other people to move her that doesn't require her 62 yr old parents to move heavy furniture. We are okay with using our truck and trailer if she can work around Hubby works schedule since he can't afford to take off now.

Daughter 3 is planning her wedding. They are eloping. They have not set the date... or at least have not told when. 

Daughter 4 starts work this week and gets her 2nd covid shot.

Hubby picked up a couple extra jobs to help pay for the brake job. Meant he worked Saturday and Labor Day. BUT the less he has to pull from his personal account to cover the business the better he will be.

I canned 14 pints of cole slaw, 4 pints of cole slaw dressing, 8 pints of ratatouille, 6 quarts of veggie soup and froze 2 more cups of peas. I harvested and pulled plants of black coco dry beans and small red beans. I still need to shell them.

We are running water from the pump house to the pond for 1 hour in the late evening. Pond is down to 3-4 feet instead of the 8 feet it is supposed to be. We watched E's horses walk across instead of swimming across the pond while they were over here. His pasture south of us is now connected (we removed fence with his blessing even though it was OUR fence) to the pond area. Saves E from carting water and we don't have to mow around the pond as the horses do a good job of "mowing" it. 

We are down to 46 % on propane tank, so we are on spot with not needing a fill for another month at least (fills are when tank is at 25-30 %). We usually only prepay winter heating season and summer fills are full price and cash. This year they allowed summer fill to be added to the prepay of winter season so I added it. If they get the fuel for less than the prepaid price we get the lower price BUT if it is more, we still get the lower price. It can go down but not up so we don't have to worry about if we have enough to pay for heat.

I cleaned all 3 refrigerators (which is why I canned ratatouille).  I pitched some out dated dairy. Last blood work showed we were low on calcium, doc was not happy with the comments of eating more ice cream (Hubby is trying to lose weight, he lost 8 lbs. in last 3 months but still is over by 38 lbs. Both his parents are over weight by 100 lbs. He doesn't want to follow that path). 

We spent last week talking out how bad our eating habits was (our go to snack... Reese cups anyone?) since we moved here. We used to eat healthy , rainbow diet of eating different colors daily, balanced carbs and protein, calcium...etc. 

What happened?

We bought this place and started working on it. With the drive we were 10 hrs. gone from home. We staggered when we left, drove separate so the dogs were not stuck inside that length of time. Bfast was McD's on the way here, lunch was Chinese or the local store that serves hot lunches but no veggies. Dinner was what ever sandwich or pizza we could pick up once we got home as the focus was to get the dogs out and give them play time. Do laundry etc. 

We did a brain dump of what meals we used to eat (think 1940s through 1970s because that is the food that is from our childhoods) and what salads we really like when we eat out, as salad at home isn't as well liked. Then we went to bfast which neither of us eat. Mine due to stomach issues and Hubby always ate supper for his bfast since he worked 3rd but he would be up a few hours before eating PLUS he doesn't like to eat much as outhouses are the only bathrooms available with his work. We even listed desserts for fruit and dairy.

He is now carrying more water  and cut back on the coffee (was a pot a day now to half pot like me) and has beef jerky and slim jims along with granola bars that he is putting in his old lunch box (small cooler) daily when he is working the full day on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

We decided to follow Daddy's eating pattern as he was a diabetic at age 60 and only took 1/2 metformin daily until he was 92. He was on insulin, lowest dosage for his final year of living. He was the healthiest of all of our parents.

Daddy ate bfast 2 hrs. after he got up. Bowl of raisin bran with extra raisins and 1/2 banana ( he wrapped the other half in saran wrap to eat the next day and washed the saran wrap to reuse), drank the 1 cup of milk he poured on it. YES HE MEASURED THE CEREAL AND MILK.  He rode his exercise bike the two hours before bfast while he drank his first 4 cups of coffee. He put a shelf on the bike so he could put his coffee cup on it. Watched the morning news while riding.

THEN he went for a 1 1/2 mile walk, rain, sleet, snow didn't matter.

Then he had his dessert... pie, cake, pudding. Sliver of pie about 2 inches wide at crust, 2 inch by 2 inch cake or brownie or 1 /2 cup of pudding. 

Then he did weight lifting for at least 30 minutes. He has free weights in the upstairs bedroom. 

At 11:30 he ate lunch. A slice of thin bologna sandwich with mustard (tomato if from garden) on whole wheat bread, 3 fig newtons, a small apple or 1/2 of large apple and another 2 cups of coffee. Then he walked 2 miles.

Snack was at 2 pm what ever dessert he had followed by 2 cups of coffee.

At 3-3:30 he took a nap of 20 minutes. I can't get to sleep in that time let alone take a nap. 

In winter time he would take 1 1/2 mile walk... when the sun was shining he would do it after dinner.

Drink more coffee

Dinner was at 5 pm but the menu was a floater until his final 2 years at home. Then it was navy bean soup with ham hock, fried golden potatoes, and corn bread. With  4-6 cups of coffee. Wasn't nothing for him to make 2-3 pots a day just for himself. It was how he was raised.

He was 90 when he couldn't take his walks any more. Bad knees even after surgery. He handed over the keys to the car without battle as he felt he wasn't safe for him to drive anymore. Balance was starting to go. When he burnt his brownies so bad he had to throw the pan away he stopped cooking and asked for help with meals. When he started having problems eating (he had throat cancer and the scar tissue from surgery was causing issues) . He went to the nursing home. Until he was 92, he was still active, walking his wheelchair, eating well, able to carry on conversation even with his dementia. The only time I ever saw my Daddy frown he was sleeping. He always had a smile. 

We want that life for our selves. I know how had my Daddy turned his life around at age 60 when his health started going down and he was 60 lbs. over weight. 

Right now it's "just talk" now we have to walk the walk. 

Neither of us watches the morning news. Hubby might watch noon news for weather if he is home. I only watch the evening news if that. I might start listening to our local new (which is actually our little town ) on the local radio station. I will check their website to see when that is broadcasted. 

We both know we have to change this NOW as Hubby's parents were doing silver sneakers at their YMCA right around the corner then decided to not go out when winter hit and it's been a downhill slide since. 

Are you changing anything to be healthier through your senior years?

In the pantry .. close enough ... garden coming in

 

Henderson lima beans to shell... 2 1/2 gallons of these to shell.

Italian cranberry beans ... have 2 1/2 gallons of these also to shell.

I have great northern beans to shell also about 2 gallons of them

I got 1 1/3rd cup of peas off 24 feet of garden beds SIGH. I need 2 2/3rds cups more to have enough for ONE meal a month. It wasn't a good year for peas. I am hoping I get enough as they are still blooming. But if not, we will make do.

I have 11 jars of peach pie filling to wipe down and move to basement.

I have 13 jars of rutabaga to wipe down and move to basement.

I have 2 jars of turnips to wipe down and move to basement.

I was given 3 cantaloupes that need cut and frozen.

I have 2 small watermelons that need cut and frozen. I might make pickled watermelon rind.

I was given cabbage so I will add that to what cabbage I have to can cole slaw. Will also make fried cabbage, New England boiled dinner using smoked sausage instead of corned beef and cole slaw with mayo dressing. 

I have apples,( some we bought but the second apple tree is almost ripe now) so that's apple pie filling. apple jam and apple sauce with cores and skins going into apple butter and jelly. Ham and apple Welsh rarebit (rabbit depending on who says it) is on the menu as Hubby's request.

Hubby got some extra $  so he bought 8 jars of 32 ounces mild hot pickled cauliflower. We go through a jar a month and I had 4. He called and asked how much I had. They were on sale for 25% off. The only condiments we are low on is Heinz 57 steak sauce and sweet and spicy mustard that I will get when I see a sale. 

We are at the point we can go a year with out worry. We have what we need or can make do with.  I follow Daddy's advice to have at least a year, eighteen months is better and two years worth is great for hard times. M found this out when 4 yrs ago she stopped canning and gave produce away or sold it at auction because she had 1 year's worth. The following year they lost their main garden, not once but 3 times to flooding. Lesson learned. That year she had to buy peas at the store in cans so they could have peas once a month.  

We still have garden coming in.

On the list to process:

tomato juice 

tomato paste

cherry tomatoes to dehydrate

cole slaw

veggie soup ( bought celery)

Italian (wide) green beans

apple pie filling

apple sauce

apple jam

apple butter

apple jelly

grape juice (not quite ripe yet)

grape jelly

grape mash jam

ratatouille (eggplant, tomatoes, onions, garlic, zucchini and golden zucchini from gardens)

dehydrate garlic.

finish curing onions.

Black coco beans to harvest and shell

Small red beans to harvest and shell

cucumber (down to just enough to eat fresh)

Cannellini beans to harvest and shell

Red kidney beans to harvest and shell

peas to freeze

carrots fresh eating

basil and sage. (other herbs need trimmed back)

Happy Anniversary

 I told Hubby that I texted JD and told him happy 21st birthday... And then I said "Happy Anniversary Hubby".. he looked at me like I lost my freaking mind. Our anniversary is Feb. 

Four years ago we moved in. YEP. We signed closing the day before our oldest grandson's birthday and moved in on his brother's birthday.

As of today we have 153 items to do on the punch list not including a greenhouse. 

We talked about how the area is more to the lifestyle we grew up with. How the Amish is our bubble and the struggle to fit in with family when we are at gatherings. His sister is Mennonite so she understands. Our kids just make sure we can keep things up without much help and keep busy as they know that is what best for us in the long run. 

 My brother when out here the last time mentioned we both seemed at peace and happy and he hadn't reached that yet. He is 10 yrs old than me , definitely a work alcoholic that can no longer work due to health issues. He had planned to work until he died. I suggested some on line tutoring. Part time in the mornings as he needs a reason to get out of bed. He is looking into that. Cracks me up that he will text me "hey I am planting lilac  bush , what color do you think I should get? ( I suggested he asked his wife).  Or when he sent me the pic of the mixed flowers he got to grow for him. His wife told him anything he plants he has to take care of. He is in the city so the yard isn't big so that might keep him in control but you never know with him. He is happy in the city but misses the quiet of the country. 

Where did the week go?

 First, M ended back in the hospital for a D&C  then back in for low potassium, came close to losing her, talk about a scary moment. Church is having a meeting this week to figure out how to help pay the bills. M is home and has a niece staying with them to help her run the home. M has been ordered to bed by her mother in law ( I offered to "sit" on her to help keep her in bed) and E's father ordered him to stay on the farm for 3 days as E was helping others when we had to go after him twice (that takes an hour to go and get him and him get home). The 5 older children have started school as of Monday so the oldest of the 4 still at home is 4 pushing 5 yrs old. M goes Sept 20th for a check up. We have spent 3 days of supporting them with these issues. Hubby has slept more than once in the truck in the hospital parking lot. I did remind him that his parents live right around the corner from the one hospital but he didn't want to go there since he wasn't sure if anyone had been around with covid. His niece came down with it 2 wks ago. Not vaccinated.

Daughter 2 is pretty sure she has a place to move to Oct 1st. . She is looking around for furniture that people want to just get rid of. Since it's just her and one son, they won't need much but she is making a list as she thinks it through. Ten bucks says she will ask for food and or kitchen stuff.

Daughter 4 is antsy.. she is so ready to go back to work. She figured out if she saves enough money by Feb she could look to buy a house instead of renting. Son 2 went that same route. He has already passed all the info he had when he bought his house to her. I did tell her she was more than welcome to come up and do the fall cleaning. I doubt if she will take me up on the offer 😜

Daughter 1 and 3 are working steady and staying well.

Son 1 is being over ran with IT work  LOL. He is going on vacation with some friends to go fishing and will be out of touch for a couple weeks. 

Son 2 has made a name for himself at his new job. Not sure it is a good name. He went over blue prints for the new building and found one room has no doors to get in it and the room that houses some training equipment that can't have windows in the room ?simulators? has windows on 2 sides of the room. There is a storage room but it can't be used for it is too small. 

He asked one manager what color he wanted his tent...the guy was like what? "You didn't respond to my email of how many people is in your department so you won't have an office for them in the new plans. SO what color do you want the tent that I will put up in the parking lot".  Guy starts flipping thinking his people is going to be all over him for his screw up. Son 2 quietly adds "wait until they have to use port a johns because they won't have scan cards to get in to use bathrooms since they are not housed in the building". When the guy turned white. Son 2 lets him know he could have everything if the information was on his desk in 30 minutes. After that it's back to the tents. Later at a meeting it was brought up that EVERYONE should answer his emails with in 24 hrs. of receiving as there is a program in place that shows when the emails come in. His own boss was not thrilled to find out that he hadn't even gave himself an office and he signed off the blueprints.  Son 2 laughed all the way home.

Hubby got his truck fixed after almost 2 weeks. He lost 12 jobs and paid $5000 for the truck to be fixed. While they were waiting for a part to come in they did the regular maintenance that was scheduled for last Monday. 

BUT he got things done around here. Tower with tv antenna and his HAM radio antenna is up. Hoops for row cover for winter garden is on one box, a second box is started and the third has hoops cut for it. He ran out of a couple things. Since we can't afford the green house this year, we are doing low tunnels ( http://www.motherofahubbard.com/category/winter-vegetable-gardening/low-tunnels/). 

I have seeds sorted that I want to try to grow. I ordered seeds that I was low on. I had to order from 8 different places to get 12 different seeds. I have some to notify me when the seeds can be ordered.  I will be doing the grow cart and grow light this year.

I harvested and cleared some of the garden beds. I added more green beans, turnips, tomato juice, peach pie filling and rutabaga to the pantry

We ended the month with in the black and paid extra on mortgage. Can't say the same for the business.

Blessed be.

 

Need prayers for Neighbor

 4 p.m. We rushed M and E to ER today. She was having a miscarriage AND her blood sugar had dropped AND her blood count was off AND she is passing massive blood clots. Hubby is an EMT so I drove while he called the hospital to let them know what was coming in. Getting a squad out here to pick her up would be a 20 min wait and that is if the squad was available as there is only 1. 

We went and got E's mom ( M's mom lives out of state). She went to take care of the grandkids and then she went to sit with M at hospital as E came home and did chores and now E is back to the hospital along with his mom to see if M is coming home or spending the night. Hubby is doing this round of sitting in the parking lot as there is a limit of who can be in the hospital due to delta covid. 

 We dropped E off where he had been working on a pole barn and left his buggy. We checked on the kids. The oldest two are old enough to babysit and even do the evening chores at that. 

7:30 pm Hospital called and asked for E to come back to hospital. Hubby picked up E, reminded kids I was just across the pasture if they needed something.

8:15 pm M is being transferred to another hospital 20 miles away. They are trying to make arrangements that E can ride with her. When they reduced meds she started bleeding again. SO sending her to get a scan, and most likely will have to have surgery. E's mom had mentioned D &C as she was M's midwife before she retired from being the midwife. She is hoping the uterus's has not torn. Daughter 2 had that happen with her 3rd son. Not good.

So Hubby waiting to make sure he is only bringing E's mom back to M and E's and not also taking E to hospital. 

Going to be a long night as we will get the call to go get E or both of them later. 

SIGH

 The brake system on the work truck is broke. This sucker has 6 tires and a brake system for what ever trailer Hubby is hauling. 

$5000 to fix.  He has already lost 8 days of work and will for at least the rest of this week as they couldn't get the parts until this coming Wednesday and said it usually comes in late afternoon and it's a 5 hour job so will be Thursday before they start on it. So a total of 12 days most likely of no work on top of wiping out what little net profit he did have.

He ran into another hauler that had wrecked several times so quit hauling. Said the man can hardly walk now because he just sits around like Hubby's parents started doing. Hubby said he doesn't want that to happen to us. Considering how much I walk around this house and around the perimeter I don't think it's going to be me.

We were supposed to move Daughter 2 but that's a no go now as she needed the livestock trailer for her stuff and my truck doesn't tow that trailer. Might end up being best as her son thinks he found an apartment (instead of her moving in with a friend )that will be ready to rent Oct 1st that is in her price range. 

Hubby was supposed to have a hearing aid appt last week. Doc was a no show and no call to cancel or explain. Receptionist called yesterday and apologized as she thought the doctor had called everyone as she had covid. She picked up the day after Hubby had been in. She got it at church. The whole church got it. My sister in law got hers at church and the whole church caught it a couple months ago. 

I was getting my blood work done when they were setting up the area for booster shots for covid. Said the Delta variant was hitting our area hard and to mask up even with being full vaccinated. It will help stop the spread to children and those not vaccinated. We also have RSV hitting kids and we have not had that happen in August before.

Daughter 4 got her 1st covid shot at her primary doctor's. She was going to have a check up for her lupus but when the insurance got the report the surgery and treatment was done and she is in remission. The insurance canceled her policy. Her notice that it was being canceled is in the mail GRR. Her doctor told her to keep doing what she was doing during her cancer (since she couldn't take her meds) and call him when she has her insurance from the job she starts Sept 8th. 

THEN she was driving home and heard a rattle under the car so took it straight to her mechanic. Bolt was loose but her other tie rod is going out... so it's back in today for a tie rod and a complete inspection because I KNOW something will happen when she starts work and we won't have an car to loan her to get to work while the jeep is being worked on.  THEN she got called from Columbia Gas that the program she was on before Covid had not renewed and she had an outstanding bill that had to be payed in full before Oct as it's the new heating season. They did take part of the amount off since they told her she was still on the program through the state. AND they were willing to take 3 payments. I told her to get the full amount for the bill and the car brought up for winter and text me the amount. Since she is going to work 3 months before she would be off our budget she can use that money to fix the car, get that debt off her back and start with a clean slate when she starts work. She was freaking that she would have to change her car ins and go back to door dash etc... I redid her budget and sent it to her and HER DAUGHTER said Daughter 4 wilted to the floor in relief.  

I did not tell her 3 of her siblings have already said door dash is doing poorly in the area. 

SO based on all that $$ going out, I am glad we spent the money on another half bushel of peaches and a full bushel of apples to finish the pantry. I am not sure I am getting corn for corn relish from M as half of her canning jars of corn came back open and spoiled. I told her to make sure she had what she needed as I was only making corn relish not a need but a want. 

I think September needs to be a NO SPEND month.

 

rough week

I got 5 loads of the last of the pasta sauce and both mild and hot salsa done Saturday. They need wiped off and taken to the basement. I still need whole tomatoes and tomato juice.

Sunday we went to great grandson's 5th birthday party at his other's sides grandparents home. It was a pool party even though it was on the cooler side (mid 70s) and we didn't take our suits for that reason. It was a really nice party, I told both grandparents we were thankful they invited us. We haven't seen this child in two years. He walked up to me and I introduce us... his daddy's grandma Nonna and his granddad. He gave me a hug and a kiss. His mom who we will always call our granddaughter came up to say something to him about who we were and he told her who we were before she could say anything. She said that both Taylor and her have made points of showing their boys pictures of us so they at least know what we look like. 

After we got home, since we ate supper at the birthday party ,I measured out dried beans to start canning this week. 

I canned 21 quarts of beans (7 of them were mixed beans) and 45 pints of different beans. Took me Monday and Tuesday to get them done. 

Tuesday we went to Lima to drop off Hubby's work truck for repair. Dash lights were flashing at him and the right front tire was squealing horribly. I followed him and neither of us thought about it when we left.... we drove right by where we had Wilbur put to sleep just 7days ago. I was bawling by time he started to get in the truck with me after dropping off his truck. I had already moved to the passenger side which I normally don't do.  I know it will get better with time.

We stopped and paid our mechanic. Our bill in full and Son 2's payment as he sent it to me as twice now he has had to put stop payments on checks that never arrived.  My personal checking and his are connected. SO that's another bill off the pay this month list.

We went to Wendy's for a lunch we split in our car.

We went to chiropractic. Doc told me to watch how I am sitting and standing as I am throwing my back out a lot.

We went to Menard's and got a new door handle/lock for the front door as the one had snapped off. We got white flex seal (gallon) to coat the top of the basement ramp instead of getting metal to cover it. I can use it around the basement windows also. We also got a new outlet/USB for the bfast bar as the one there quit working right. I got some additives I needed for the gardens so that's off the list also. We used all the Menards rebates so didn't have any out of pocket.

We went to Walmart. M had sent a list over as E had been to town and our Walmart had no sugar at all.  We got the last 3 bags that Walmart had. BUT I forgot her list and could only remember part of it (was half) and when we came home we grabbed the list and finished getting was what on it.  I got 25 lb. sugar, 25 lb. AP flour, 25 lb. bread flour and 12 pack of Vernor's ginger soda (only thing I can drink when sick). I picked up a gallon of milk when we stopped back at our Walmart after picking up M's list (which was laying where my purse was sitting SIGH) .

When we dropped off M's stuff to her she gave me tomatoes. Her tomatoes are bigger than soft balls. She gave me 5 and they filled my Dutch oven. I canned 4 qrts. of juice today. 

We did some errands for M and E after leaving there, ended up ordering 1/2 bushel peaches to come in this week. M's brother W is going to pick peaches for an orchard. We have been seeing them for $42/ half bushel and he only wanted $12. I can finish making pie filling and some peach chutney.

How has your week been?

Working in the pantry

 

I changed out some of the jars that I could use in canning and used Daddy's old jars in their place. I know when the harvest comes in I will most likely need a few small jars.  I put the beans in the north/south staircase to go upstairs. Hubby decided he liked them just like that as he could see which one he was looking for. 

He went to an Amish auction today as there was a couple things listed to be sold at that auction we have been looking for. He knows what they sell for new. The auction he was at on Wednesday was extremely on the high side when it came for what it sold for. UPDATE.  Was there from 8:30 to 4:30 and only got what E was looking for. Everything we wanted was going too high almost new prices.

As I was getting the mild salsa made to can, he asked if I knew how many loads I had to can to have the pantry were we wanted it. AND how much was water bath canner vs pressure canner.

Water bath canner 28 loads (7 jars/load)

Pressure canner 65 loads (7 jars/load) 

93 loads.... about 14 weeks as I don't can on Sundays usually. At least one load a day puts me at the middle of November to finish the canning... last year it was in December and it was tomatoes from N's hoop house.

END OF DAY... We harvest Italian green beans so I might have a quart of those. Cherry tomatoes that some will be dehydrated.. A couple regular tomatoes. A half a cup of strawberries, 3 watermelon and 2 muskmelons. 

I canned 14 pints of mild salsa (finished salsa) and 16 quarts and 1 pint of pasta sauce. With the 16 quarts and 1 pint I already have  the total comes to 32 ... 33 quarts as the two pints would be used together. I decided to make tomato juice that I will be out of when I make the next batch of veggie soup before I make any more pasta sauce. We can always go to every other week instead of every week for pasta sauce.

Have a great weekend everyone

Blessed Be

in the pantry... how we eat during the year.

 Daughter 2  and Daughter 4 asked how many jars of each things I canned or stored... then they changed it do what do I "put up" and how many of each.

I use old pickle, mayo jars and jars over 10 yrs. old (thank you to my late Daddy who kept his canning jars even when he quit canning for dry goods.

I have 36 of 5 gal buckets for different flours/sugar/oats /assorted rice and homemade noodles.

I have 12 quarts of different grains.

I have 6 quarts and 12 pints of different "sweeteners/syrups" such as maple syrup, fruit syrups, honey etc.

Fruits (anything I can get my hands on) 1095 pints

Dried fruits * if I buy and it's in plastic it goes in a jar* 104 quarts (old jars)

Pie filling  192 quarts  192 pints

Vegetables 24 quarts 1460 pints 365 pints in freezer bags and 52 quarts dehydrated (old jars)

Soup Chili 52 pints Veggie soup 14 quarts.

Broth Chicken/Turkey/ beef  21 quarts 42 pints

Tomatoes  pasta sauce 52 quarts

                 tomato sauce 52 pints

                enchilada sauce 26 pints

                pizza sauce 26 half pints

                whole tomatoes 52 quarts

                Roma roasted tomatoes 52 pints

                green tomatoes diced 52 pints

Jam/ jellies/ fruit butters 156 pints

Pickled anything 12 quarts *refrigerator pickles/ spicy squash pickles and 180 pints

Condiments  208 pints 104 half pints

Juice Apple and Grape... 48 quarts

I keep my dried beans in canning jars. I grow dried soup beans also. I have 56 quarts Plus what ever is coming in this fall from harvest. 

I keep my pasta in canning jars. I have 60 quarts in use right now.

I keep my home grown herbs and any spices that are not in glass (I buy bulk a lot) in canning jars. I have 80  quarts/ 40 pints/ 20 half pints in use right 

That totals come to close to 768 quarts (64 cases) 3600 pints ( 300 cases) 168 half pints(14 cases) that's 4536 jars I HAVE before this delivery came in

WHAT HUBBY WANTS TO ADD 

52 quarts of beef chunks

12 quarts beef pot pie filling

52 quarts of hamburger crumbles

12 pints of steak

52 pints of hamburger patties 

52 pints meatloaf patties

52 quarts of pork chunks

24 pints of boneless pork chops

52 quarts of sausage crumbles 

52 quarts of ground pork crumbles

52 pints of sausage patties

52 pints of ground pork patties

26 quarts chicken chunks

26 quarts turkey chunks 

24 pints of chicken soup( I will leave out noodles or rice as I can add them when reheating soup)

12 quarts of chicken pot pie filling 

12 quarts of canned meat sauce for pasta

12 quarts of canned meat balls and sauce for pasta

24 pints of canned sloppy joe

24 pints of canned taco meat

52 pints of canned bean soup

26 pints of pork broth.

12 pints of apple jam 

12 half pints of tomato paste

That is an additional 30 cases of quarts and 34 cases of pints and a case of half pints (I only have 2 half pints empty)

I'm sure since he is in "prepper" mode that will be more. At least he takes the time to hunt up good directions on how to can it safely. 

That's not touch the corn relish I am going to try for the first time pints or anything else that comes along. I have beans and tomatoes coming in(admit this is starting to run me over) and M has corn, tomatoes which is running her over.  B and A both have cabbage they want to give me. Or the pumpkin that will come in during the fall, maybe more beets? 

         

canning jars and lids

 Over 1500 and I messed up and didn't order enough quart wide mouth or pint regular mouth. I walked over to M before the semi driver had pulled away to let her know I had jars. That was at noon. By 4, two of the kids was over with the pull wagon to get 6 dozen of the regular mouth quarts. E had been to 3 places and got ZERO jars. 

 More than once I went to check on Wilbur. More than once out of habit for sure I would call "I am going out, Wilbur do you have to potty?" and then remember he isn't here. The tears still come, I just remind myself he is with his mom and being happy and free. Charlotte and Rascal hardly ate, Rascal clingy more than normal. Charlotte kept nosing Wilbur's collar so I put it on her and she settled down pretty good. She took it off her self(easy to do as his neck was bigger than hers) and laid in on his blanket that he always wadded up to sleep on during the day. I left it there. Probably won't mess with it until next week if then as I had just washed it a couple days before.

We got decent rain so I won't be watering. I will be canning. 

Wilbur is over the rainbow bridge

 back together with his mom

Weebels and his siblings as he was the last living of her litter. 

Born May 3rd 2008 on my Daddy's birthday. Died August 10th 2021. Exactly 1 yr and 1 month from Daddy dying.

Found a softball size lump on his neck last night that hadn't been there that morning as I check all my dogs for lumps.  Emergency vet said cancer and it was crushing his wind pipe and in his lymphoid.

Hard day today as Charlotte has never been without him. She kept nudging his collar so I put it on her , seemed to comfort her. She took in off herself a couple hours later. Rascal looked for him last night and this morning... 

Heart breaking through the entire family as he was originally Daughter 2's dog and from her older dog's litter. 

Blessed be everyone 

Finances

 I have been writing out what big bills are due for the month and taping it to the wall beside the budget. 

AUGUST 1st :

Basement ramp  J's bill . Paid, charged only for materials since there was issues with the labor's work. J gave estimate to do the two porches we have material on site for to do later this fall. The estimate for those are less than the money set back from the estimate he gave for the basement ramp. I will still have to do the painting unless I hire Amish ladies to come paint. 

Flex seal top of walls.

Basement ramp roof, Hubby is looking at ordering this later this month.

Tractor Repair, waiting for phone call to say it's done.

Fuel Tank pump bought on sale. In barn

Fuel Tank filled diesel (got estimate of price, waiting for propane to be paid off)

Items for low tunnels in gardens this fall. In and paid for bought on sale.

Seed Starting soil for this winter.(6 cubic feet) Ordered on sale

Vermiculite for garden boxes Hubby has a coupon that he can use after the 15th so getting at local store.

Liguid fertilizer for garden boxes Bought on sale.

Seeds for next year (actually 2 yrs is best.) Got half ordered and paid for. Found that getting some of my basic variety of seeds is like looking for wide mouth pints with lids. Hubby is in Holmes county Ohio today so he is stopping to see if the one greenhouse has it's catalog and has seeds I am looking for. 

Propane for coming heating season (I added summer fill also)Will order tomorrow and put on credit card so we get cash back.

Staying on budget so far. 

Blessed Be 

Needed in Pantry

I am still fighting bronchitis... it's better... lot better so I caught it before it got bad but regretfully the bronchitis meds gave me a migraine so limited on what I do today. 

To make :

Grape jelly (have ingredients)

Apple jelly (have ingredients)

Apple butter (need more apples)

Applesauce (need more apples)

Caramel apple pie filling (need more apples)

Pickled onions (have ingredients)

Pickled watermelon rind (1st watermelon ripe)

Mustard relish (need cucumber and dried mustard)

Italian green beans . My roma green beans didn't get very wide. I do have more Italian beans growing so I hope they are wider OR I will buy Allen Italian green beans in 32 oz. can

Canned cole slaw (need cabbage)

Hot salsa (need roma tomatoes)

Mild salsa (need roma tomatoes)

Pasta sauce (have ingredients)

Vegetable soup (have ingredients)

Canned rutabagas (Still growing)

Peas(to freeze, fall crop growing decent. Need 4 cups<I freeze in 1 cup in sandwich bag and then put in freezer bag> the least to get through the coming year)

Garlic powder (will wait until I plant the fall garlic, I grow hardneck and use my own garlic to plant in the fall. Then I will dehydrate and grind the garlic that I don't need for "fresh")

Canned taco meat (need lean ground beef)

Canned beef (need roasts)

Canned chicken (need 2 chickens)

To Buy:

Sauerkraut (in jar) 

Hot mild cauliflower (in jar)

Friday...

 We went to the garden and harvested.

tomatoes, basil and an onion Hubby wanted for sandwich

Handful of strawberries from second blooms, purple radishes and eggplant.

purple beans (turns green when cooked) , Roma bean (suppose to be a wide bean but not very wide this year) and cherry tomatoes.

Box full of carrots. I will can the carrots and dehydrate the tops to mix in my powdered greens jar.

2nd batch of onions to cure 

And how Hubby ended the day. Work Truck front right tire blew while driving on a back road with a full load on the 32 ft. trailer.  Said it didn't really pull to the right when it went and he had a decent spot that others could get around him on the road. Figured it was a good day since no one was hurt, no damage was done and the spare was good. He did call the shop that he gets his tires from to let them know he would be in Tuesday for replacement since he is going out of town with a couple Amish guys on Monday. 

Stop the Merry Go Round

 I do not want the brass ring ... I WANT OFF

There are times I think this family gets together to see if they can drive me crazy...they need to remember I do NOT HAVE TO SHIFT OUT OF PARK to get there. GEEZE.

Hubby has been watching doom's day Preppers on tv, now wants to be a homesteading prepper. I did ask why? Because  a known drug dealer from two counties away was murdered (shot to death beside the road) 2 miles from here. Amish heard the shot and had their English neighbor call it in. Englisher went down the road to see if it was an animal or what. Business at the end of the road has the sound of the shot and then a car racing pass on their security camera. I reminded him of the Grube murders in Fort Recovery OH that was close to where we lived at the time along with cattle and pig rustlers when he worked 3rd... now he is home during the night and worries about me during the day. He has taking to calling me while he is waiting on loads. I don't carry a phone when out side so he best just quit or he is going to worry himself to death.

Then Son 2 called to whine about being bored in his new job because he can't do all his stuff yet. I asked him how much more he was getting paid from his old job that just 3 wks ago he whined about having too much to do. His answer was too much to whine to them but not enough to not whine at me. I told him to call Daughter 2 and listen to her whine as payment to me since I had listened to her for 4 hrs. the other night as she whined over choices she made but isn't willing to do the work to correct the problems.

Daughter 3 texted to whine about her daughter wanting her to not get married (decent guy that is very supportive of Daughter 3) BECAUSE she wants her parents to get back together... I will commit Daughter 3 into the hospital for mental issues first and I told both granddaughter and her dad so. He finally admitted to his daughter that he put her mom in the hospital from beating on her and then landed in the hospital when he tried to do it a second time when she was with Daughter 2 when she blocked him from hitting Daughter 3 and then smacked her then she kicked his butt for him and then had the cops scrape him up. Granddaughter's asked if punching someone the norm for her dad's side (yes, it is).She has never saw her mom hit any one. 

Daughter 1 whined about her younger daughter not wanting to come around because Daughter 1 thinks she can tell her how to raise her baby and run her life. As that granddaughter had already told me why she wasn't going around her mom. Daughter 1 hung up when I reminded her that is why she wasn't in her own biological mother's life who tried the same crap with her.

Daughter 4 was doing good until some mortgage broker tried to talk her into taking one of his classes to get a down payment for a home in the county she lives in...She asked me for the money for the class (Her own daughter told her it was a scam) I had her call him on speaker phone, granddaughter called a cop and cop  listened in. Guy is now sitting in jail. Meantime Daughter 4 really thought after not working for 18 months she could just up and buy a $100,000 home and the bank would only want 3.5% down (not sure where she realized how much that was let alone the thought of where that was coming from) and she would get 3.753 % interest rate WITH A CREDIT SCORE of 500.... AND she has a collection against her from a credit bureau with she defaulted the payment 2 yrs ago when she was working a good job.

 Granddaughter had her send me her budget for when she starts working because Granddaughter thought it was missing things.  Both Granddaughter and I found several things missing from the budget and not enough in the grocery budget but plenty for extra like cigarettes etc. I got Daughter 4 talked into going to the same doctor Son 2 went to when he quit. I have no clue to why she started back up but Granddaughter said she was buying them with her door dash money. WHICH she is not doing now. I had Granddaughter show Daughter 4 that she would need to pay at $900 a month for that house with those guidelines. She can't afford that on the money she will bring home on her job. 

SO since I had 5 of the kids whining, I decided to text Son 1 (he works all sorts of hours so I didn't want to wake him if he was sleeping). He said he was fine, working steady and getting ready to go fishing for a week away from whiners at work.  LOL. 

I did update our budget. Updated the pantry inventory. Checked over Daughter's 4's budget and sent that back for her and Granddaughter to go back over. The laundry including all that Wilbur wet on (about half of what he did 2 days ago and he only has 1 more day of the meds that makes him pee... it should take a week for it to stop completely)  Rascal has to Monday and then texted Hubby I was taking the rest of the day as a MENTAL DAY.

 

Update Daughter 4

 Last Radiation and Chemo pill AUG 6.

Last check up with oncologist AUG 12th

FIRST DAY OF ORIENTATION SEPT 8th.. 3 days on 1st shift

SEPT 12th she starts FULL TIME 3rd shift at her OLD job with a $2/ HR raise from what she was making 18 months ago. 

She is working out with a personal trainer (so she doesn't over do it) 3 hrs. a day 5 days a week. Her goal is to be able to walk her dogs by herself  by the middle of the month (Jaxon is a tugger and weighs 80 lbs.).

She quit napping right after working out. Focused on staying up and moving 10 hrs. a day like she will when working. 

She is trying to set her own budget based on her bring home. Her goal is rebuild her credit score and buy her own home. Which requires saving which she is not good at doing. HER daughter told her that it's not "okay the bills are paid so I have this left to spend". IT's the bills are paid I have this for savings for my dream. 
When Daughter 4 asked her where she got that from (as her Dad is not a saver either), she answered Nonna... when I had custody of Daughter's 4 youngest, I would get the older two (half siblings) for the weekend once a month. We were saving to buy a home when Hubby retired. She paid attention.

Daughter 4 sent me her budget... I sent back she missed some things like vet bills, copays and medication. Repairs on car etc. Her daughter had caught she was way too low on groceries and would get sick again from not eating right. 

savings

 Hubby got 38% of a set of jeans at TSC.

I got 56% off my order at Hanes for pants for this winter. Son 2 had just bought some  and knew it was the style I prefer. More likely he didn't want me to swipe his and cut off the legs 😜. The old sweat pants will go to being PJs and the old PJs will be cut up for rags.

Garden budget: I made an order at Johnny seeds for items we need for the gardens for late fall and spring seeds saving 11%.

Garden budget: I made an order at Amazon to finish getting clips and half clamps for the hoops for the gardens to cover a few of them with row cover saving 5% and a $2 digital credit. 

Eating out budget finished the month with $28.42 in it. 

Grocery budget: Even after 2 "big" orders from Amazon (cheapest price and $2 digital credit) and 10 dozen ears of corn for freezer. We ended the money $229.51

We went to Menards to get more piping for hoops over the garden boxes. Hubby found an 100 ft roll for $10 cheaper that buying pipe. HE says he can make it work better and curve better and not bend into a triangle. He checked out and went to the truck while I finished shopping.

While there I checked the food and cleaning sections. Since I had my lists, with prices from Walmart and Kroger's I checked prices. Juices were $1 to $2 cheaper. I use a lot of apple juice for canning fruit instead of light syrup. I got cleaning supplies I was low(Lysol spray especially for work truck) on (or out AKA furniture oil). I save 49% (adding 11% rebate) on what I bought.

Then we went to Kroger's. I finished getting what was on my list except celery. They were out. I saved 29% with coupons and sales.

When we got home, M saw us pull in and sent young B over to give us a cantaloupe and asked if we could go get her celery. WORKED FOR ME as it meant Hubby would go get her and ME celery. She wanted to can vegetable soup and needed celery. I will dehydrate some of the celery and also be canning vegetable soup this week.

How is things going for you?

Frustrated.

 Can't get my reading list up on blogspot so I can not read everyone's post today.

 Been jumping hoops for over a  month to get my Humira refilled and was told that it is still pending and my injection due on Sunday and I am out. Stupid pharmacy told me to ask my doctor for a sample. I turned that person in to their boss. Clueless totally clueless. 

This one has been a battle for over a month. We didn't have a direct number to the company that manages our medication and does the approval. I do now as the Medical side gave it to me but they are doing battle now with why it's been pending since 7/10 and they did say if my doctor can't get it through to go back to HR from where Hubby retired and get them to put pressure on them. 

Freaking stress of trying to get my Humira approved after 2 yrs. of taking it, is going to trigger a flare up.

Rascal is now shaking his head like he has something in his ears. I washed them out and it seems like he is doing that less. I might wash them out again later today. If he is still doing it tomorrow morning we will be taking him to the vet by himself.

On the good side:

 I sent Hubby yesterday to TSC as he had a coupon for $10. that was expiring. Since he had got 4 pairs of pants the other day for $29.50 I told him to check if they had any more in his size and if not then get dog food. He got pants, they were $39.50 (none were on sale or clearance). The casher couldn't get them to ring up so she got the manager. The manager couldn't get them to ring up so she used a different pants that was $34.50 And he pointed that out to the manager and then she gave him the $10 off coupon he had and another $10 for standing in line for 10 minutes to get it to go through. We still have another coupon to use next week on dogfood.

Wilbur is coughing less and sleeping through the night again, voice comes and goes.  When he is sleeping he leaks SIGH. That's just his meds but he has 2 more weeks of it. I have protectors on the bed, couch and 3 chairs he will crawl up in. Thankful we have solid wood floors especially since he coughs up water (no food so that is good). He has more energy, not like he had before getting sick but he is walking pretty much the full perimeter again with me now at least twice a day. 

Have a good day.

Update on Wilbur

 He still has symptoms of bronchitis but his lungs (and heart) are clear. So Vet is thinking non bacterial as neither of the other dogs are sick. Meaning... he was breathing something that caused it... like the hazy smoke in the skies or the chemical spray the English farmer across the road sprayed. So another med was added to the first one since he is better but not well and still has next to no voice. At 87 lbs. he looks thin to us *he's always weighed around 95-100 and that was down 50 lbs. from living with Daughter 2* but the vet said that is his healthy weight especially for being 13 yrs only which is also not usual for his breed. 

He likes the one med... I have to hide the other one in a vitamin *which I get for meds only* but I have to give it to him in the morning as this med might cause him to potty in house. 

He is eating decent and willing to walk part way around the perimeter with me once a day.  

A complete change from last Tuesday when we thought we were losing him. Now if he got his energy back (better but not good) and his voice. I would be happier. 

what was frugal this week

 Hubby found work pants for $29, cheaper than the $35-$50 of normal range. He was able to try them on before buying that .. that is a big step for him as usually I have to get them, bring them home and then take them back half the time. 

We ate from pantry and gardens except for a friend's cook out we hadn't seen in 2 yrs. due to covid. We took what we had from the pantry instead of buying stuff at the store.

We used gas buddy to find the cheapest gas.

Hubby stopped at Save A Lot for milk instead of getting it at the gas station when he got fuel. He saved $2/gal. as he checked the price when he went in to get receipt. 

I put a post it note at the paper towels to use dish cloth. I found myself getting a paper towel (half sheet torn in two) to wipe jar edges with vinegar while canning. I used 6 half sheets last week. Zero this week.

I found some old PVC pipe in the garden shed under a bunch of pots that I am giving to an Amish lady.  I am using them in a couple of my garden beds to put row cover over for this winter. 

We  used the grill to keep the  main propane tank usage down to no more than 1 %. If we can keep it at that range we will be able to reduce our amount for the year by 1 tank (300 gals) saving at least $600. 

We paid off two loans that had 8% interest that will save us $60 a month. 

I moved some of the laundry (bedding , furniture throws, dog beds etc.) up from Friday/Saturday to do during the week as rain was to come in over the weekend. So I didn't have to use the dryer or only be able to do one thing a day due to having only 2 drying racks.

I updated the pantry inventory. Adjusted amounts of things still needed. 

I dehydrated basil, cilantro and carrot tops.

I harvested and canned purple beans, green beans, carrots.

I harvested onions to cure and mini eggplants, radishes, blackberries, green onions and cherry tomatoes.

I deadheaded the sunflower so it would grow more flowers and the zinnia that started as 4 plants.

We went over the budget line by line and made adjustments, waited 3 days and went back over it and made more adjustments. Goal is to get house paid off so we can live on Social Security only and use IRAs for medical and big items... like roof or different vehicle. 

How is your week going?

Budget.

 Deep breathe... we can do this... Deep breathe

First.

We refinanced the house on a lower interest rate and got rid of the PMI. A PMI is Private Mortgage insurance that you pay for so if something bad happens the mortgage gets paid off . You have to have 20 -22 % equity in your home before dropping this unless like us you have an FHA loan and then you have to pay off the loan.

Refinancing dropped the payment from $1600 to $1000. House ins. and property taxes increased by $50 a month.  Bill now $1450.02 including ins and taxes, was $2000.Still a good deal with the refinance. We decided to pay $2000 so extra is going on the principal. 

Second.

With monitoring we are making our propane last until winter fill(Which is late Sept) instead of getting a summer fill. Means more grilling and using canning stove (which is on a grill propane tank also). On the other side, to get a fill we have to be at 30% . I called the manager at the company we get our propane and he crunched numbers and called back. IF we can use only 1% a week and get to Dec we will have dropped another tank of fuel compared to last year. That's a savings of of almost $600. So every Sunday I go out and check the gauge. So far even with canning in the house, we are not using more than 1% and with good possibility  get clear into Dec.  

Third we paid off the following:

Cement for the basement ramp.

Hubby's life insurance loan.

My life insurance loan.

Hubby's hearing aids.

J is not willing to give a bill for the rest of the ramp until the ramp is up to his standard. BUT that might be mid to late Aug as he is finishing one home and trying to get hay and oats in. UPDATE, he is now laying foundation for his brother in law's barn that burned down Saturday afternoon. No one hurt. No animals hurt. First two crops of hay GONE up in fire. 

We went line by line of the budget... then waited 3 days and went back over line by line. We agreed it starts September 1st. First mortgage payment is due then.

Hubby mentioned there was no budget for clothes. I said nope, what we have starting September first is what we have for the until end of 2022. He went shopping by himself for jeans. He even tried them on at the store. Glad I was sitting down when he came in and showed me. He knew I had said the price for them was between $35 to $50 as he wears work jeans that are heavier material than regular jeans. He also wears carpenter style jeans which always runs a bit higher. He got 4 pairs. I just pitched 2 pairs that weren't any good for even rags( I sent the zippers to a friend) last week and have mended 2 more pairs three times this week.  He also got them at $29 as they were on clearance. He is still looking for a carhart coat and hood as this spring it got tossed. He is one to wear rags if you don't keep on him and it's not a good image for business.  I still need pants for winter. If I don't find any then I will be wearing sweat pants that need rolled at (maybe 2 rolls)waist band at home. I will wear thermal underwear under long dresses and dress slacks when going out if needed. 

What ever we don't spend due to not needing it etc. Gets set aside in a savings acct (mine) for when it's needed later.

Each month:

I deleted the misc. line completely. Hubby called it piddling money. When he earns extra (not business related) he can spend that. I get what ever I earn also.

Office supplies $25. 

Paper goods $10 

Personal items is $25.

Food processing is down to $25. I am stocked for enough jars, vacuum bags, freezer bags, canning lids, clear jel, pectin, etc.

Garden: $75. We will need some compost for sure. I need to check seeds for starting plants this winter.

Truck maintenance , Not work truck, the business pays that. $100. 

Home maintenance NOT big projects (that comes from savings) $25. We usually use the Menards rebates from buying the big project stuff for home maintenance but I do have to order humidifiers filters from Amazon.

Cleaning $10

Savings $200

Fuel for Truck $200. That is 2 tank fulls.

Dogs $150... that is an average. This month will be higher due to Wilbur being sick, April was higher due to Rascal's shots. Dec will be higher due to Charlotte and Wilbur shots. Jan is all 3 get dog tags. 

Christmas $110($25/person) 

Graduation $50

Birthdays $45

Kindle $11.

Amazon $12 (ending Sam's club membership)

My cell phone $55. Business pays Hubby's

Microsoft 365 $12. 

Health insurance $900

Health: out of pocket/deductible $500 (any not used goes to saving for when surgery etc. happens) 

OTC meds/ first aid etc $25

Family life ins . $111.

Vehicle ins $93 (farm ins and property taxes in escrow as required by mortgage)

Internet/ land line $90. We save $20/ month having the land line. They are the only company in this area.

Trash service $17 No recycling. We have to take recycling to the township hall once a month.

Water softener (hard well water) $65 salt delivered (and put in if we want. )

Electric $150 average.

Propane $200.

Daughter 4 $2242. (Ends Dec 31st) 

Mortgage. $1450.02. We decide to pay $2000 (what we were paying) to help get it paid off. We will look at paying more after we run this budget a few months. 

When Daughter 4 goes off our budget, that money is planned to go over on the mortgage unless we need to replace the truck. 

Groceries ... we set it at $500 even with how we eat cheese. I don't see it being that high with the way the garden is coming in. I updated my pantry inventory so I know exactly what I need to go a year.

Eating out is our entertainment. Set at $250. 

Fingers crossed 

 

 

Update on Wilbur

 

Vet said could be congestion heart failure or cancer or bronchitis... SO he is treating him for bronchitis and seeing if the meds work. He wasn't looking to have Wilbur go through all the testing at his age nor run up close over $1000 bill for us at his age that would have showed cancer or heart failure but the fact he got in and out of the truck on his own and actually dragged me in the vet's office (which he does NOT like to go to ) made us and Doc think bronchitis. 

 I took this when him and Charlotte (that's her foot at his face)were laying on the couch this morning. He still isn't eating dog food...lost 20 lbs., but that actually put him at the weight he should be for his size and age. But Vet wants him closer to 90-95 lbs.  He hasn't gotten sick but the only thing he has ate is his treats (which included his meds being used as one of his treats) and I got 1/3rd of a slice of crustless bread (Charlotte and Rascal got the crust sections) down him. Later I will try eggs, they are due for their eggs (helps with dry coats) anyways. He isn't snoring like he was and the cough is not as wet sounding.  He took his pill this morning without me faking him with a treat.

Vet said he should be closer to normal by late Thursday or Friday if it is bronchitis. 

what a week.

 Wednesday.

 I harvested more purple beans, cherry tomatoes, mini eggplant (patio eggplant from Burpee), carrots, last of the lettuce (now pulled), 2 green tomatoes, basil, 2 red raspberries and some blackberries. 

I planted  2 types of peas and 1 type of be for dried pea, navy beans, zucchini, cucumbers, 2 types of runner beans, Italian bush beans, and Cannellini beans.

We are supposed to get 1-3 inches of rain over the weekend so I held off on planting fall crops including lettuces and some of the winter crops that I will cover with a low tunnel since the green house isn't going to be done this fall due to having correction work done on basement ramp. 

At this point after E told J how bad J's workers did of building the forms for the ramp... the workers did not get paid. E "donated" his time as he knew we hired J on his recommendation and he felt that it's just neighbor helping neighbor like we do for them. J is coming over to E to get horseshoes and said he would stop over to look as what can be done to fix it right. Hubby thinks it just needs a finish coat except for one spot and that will need to be reframed and cement poured that a bag of cement would be more than enough to fix it. I am hoping Hubby is correct. I imagine J is hoping so also. UPDATE J stopped over, he is going to add a finish layer to all of the concrete and a sealer. The one area that needs reframed will be taken care off. J was really really upset.

We had leftover lasagna rolls with odds and ends of garden

Thursday

I got all the furniture throws and dogs beds washed along with the regular laundry.

I made the list up of what to finish planting for fall and what to plant for winter.

I rearranged somethings in the kitchen, pulled out things that I don't use ever for Son 2 to check and see if he wants since he is back to cooking. Made note of a couple things that needed replaced so ordered them after supper. 

Hubby was out delivering messages to some of the Amish and Land A stopped him to let me know my beets were ready to pick up Friday morning or I could wait 2 weeks and get the next batch if I was already busy with other things. I will go tomorrow and get them.

We had gas station pizza for $10 that Hubby got from delivering messages.

Friday

I picked up beets, KY wonder beans, zucchini, and a head of cabbage from A. M then sent over cucumbers, zucchini and yellow crookneck squash. 

I canned 6 pints of purple beans, 10 pints of KY wonder beans, 5 pints of plain beets. I made refrigerator pickles out of cucumbers and called it a day.

 We had braised beef from the freezer in tortilla wraps.

Saturday

Picked up a bug so nothing today, I had chicken noodle soup, Hubby fixed grilled cheese... at 11:50 pm got a call from Daughter 2 that had been ignoring our phone  calls and texts since Father's day when we delivered the bar and firewood rack that she was suppose to pay for on delivery and wasn't there. Her man only said she had issues she had to take care of. 

 Rule has always been not to call after 10 unless it's emergency, accident, or you are in jail (we have family and kids that are night owls that will call just to yack at 2 am and we get up at 4-6 am) . 

First words out of her mouth was "I was in jail". Last time she called me and told me she just got out of jail was because she called the cops on Daughter 3's ex that was trying to beat on both of them and she got hauled to jail also for non payment of her city taxes. ..(Daughter 4 holds the record for the most stupid reason of getting arrested; she didn't pay a $50 water bill and blew off court, got picked up when her friend got pulled over who got arrested for no license and then they verified who Daughter 4 was and off to jail she went also).   

 First offense OVI ( Daughter 2's first OVI, she bruised her own 

butt kicking herself)in Dec 2019 was license suspended 2 yrs  and 3 days in rehab *could have been jail* was postponed due to covid. It got postponed 3 times due to covid. She moved, made sure the court and her lawyer had her new address... they sent the summons to the old address. Her lawyer didn't call her when she was a no show. MEAN TIME, since she was under suspension she was getting rides to work. Her ride didn't show and instead of calling her son who could have came and got her and took her to work... she drove ... and got pulled over and then the cop let her know she had a warrant out for her also. So a week in jail, $1500 in fines and another year added to the suspension. AND still has the rehab to do. SIGH... she down loaded all the negative about everyone. After 3 hrs. of non stop complaining she made the mistake and asking what I thought... I quietly told her more than once through the years that the way she has treated us and her siblings was going to come back and bite her in the BUTT.  I really hope this" bite" changes how she is but I doubt it. I really do, she is so much like her biologic dad in how she treats people. He wasn't that way when we got married but after we lost the twins when I was 5 months along and his brother a year later , he changed . 

At 4 am she almost fell asleep talking to me so I got her to hang up as she said she was on the couch. She probably just slept there. 

UPDATE Just got the message from one of Daughter 2's son saying she was coming home from work not going to work and she got busted for another OVI. That she is NOT divorced like she has been telling everyone including the guy that she moved in with. He told her to find a place to move  but he wasn't going to put her on the streets. Grandson that was living with her moved to his Dad's and his stepmom is bitching about that. To her he is 18 so he should be on his own... he is a senior in high school. His older brother is trying to get a place for him to keep him in the school district as he is counting on a football scholarship to go to college.  We have offered to pay for her 1st month rent and deposit for her to get a place. She will have to figure out how to get to work. SIGH KIDS>>> 

BUT since I was no longer sleepy I got up, made coffee and at 5 Hubby got up (his usually time) and asked why I was talking to Son 2 or Brother at midnight... two of the night owls. Wrong night owl. SIGH. 

BEING SUNDAY 

I checked what I needed to finish the canning for this week. I am totally out of onions and what is in the garden isn't big enough yet. I made grocery list. We decided to step back and see what Daughter 2 does. We had take out at local restuarant.

Monday

I had doctor appt 2 hrs. away. Daughter 4 needed me to pick up canning jars and bring her bar soap and dill pickles. Her daughter needed the secretary desk we had for her baby's bedroom. So that all worked out as we just made a loop that didn't add any miles. While driving down to appt. Daughter 2 texted me that she needed a name of a lawyer to get her divorce and didn't want to text Son 2 who started his new job. I texted Daughter 4 a and got the info on her lawyer that she used for her divorce as he is in that area. SO MAYBE she is taking steps towards getting her life around??? One can only hope. 

Tuesday

It's going to be a rough day. Wilbur has stopped eating, I bribed him with treats to get something in him and then he was throwing up white foam through the night. His dementia is worse. He is not smiling, dancing for his treats , not walking the perimeter, barely goes out to potty. We are taking him (alone instead of all of them like planned for nails to be clipped) to the vet this morning. We don't expect to bring him home. This dog was Daughter 2's dog that I took because she was homeless and wasn't taking care of her sons let alone Wilbur and Charlotte. The first month we had them we spent over $3000 in surgeries and meds on the two of them. My grandkids grew up with him... the whole family is going to grieve hard. 

Frugal week

  We are sticking to our budget except for medical. Hubby's blood work bill just got in (just in time to get blood work again) and we had hour hearing tests. Hubby needs hearing aids (we figured he would). We were going to use our cash back card but the owner(small business in our area) gave us 5% discount if we paid by check and we could make payments, he just would not get the hearing aids until paid in full. I paid it out of my account (which is not in the budget but I've left Daddy's ins in it for just this bill and the basement instead of pulling for savings). It was $2660.50, based on his hearing loss, Bluetooth  and under warranty for 3 yrs with repairs possible instead of auto replacement like some places do. The doctor also let Hubby know he mumbles and twice did not even move his mouth when Hubby thought he answered. Glad to see I am not the only one he does that to. 

Hubby got fuel saving 50 cents/gal because he drove around the block due to an accident and realized the other gas station was cheaper. 

We went to Walmart after the hearing appts and got 50 lbs. of sugar. I was down 100 lbs. between us and M.( M sent 50 lbs. over last night)  I also picked up some ingredients for some dishes I want to try before I take them to a friends' annual cook out . It's been 2 yrs since we have seen them. There will be about 20 of us. Friends are providing the main dish. Their older son usually helps in that also. 

We didn't eat out like we usually do on Tuesdays. We had some leftovers with lettuce from the gardens.

Electric bill came in $19 under budget. 

IF we can make it 10 more weeks before needing the propane filled (water heater/cook stove is propane besides furnace) we will save around $550. We both checked the gauge which is at 50% on the tank. Refill is at 30% (or our stove has issues when it drops below that) SO I focus on not using more than 2 % a week. Since I am canning , I am using the air fryer or grill for our meals. Microwave if a reheat or veggie. Air fryer heats up the surrounding area by 10 degrees so it's in the mudroom away from the thermostat and where we are NOT much in. 

I started processing the garlic that had cured. Bulbs that are not going to hold will be dehydrated this probably starting on Sunday as that is when we aren't suppose to get rain and I dehydrate onions and garlic OUTSIDE..onion smell would make dogs sick and I don't want my house to smell like either for weeks. I use my oldest dehydrator for this. 

Blackberries and purple beans are going on. I hope the scarlet runner beans start making beans this week also. 

E talked( he blasted according to M) to his brother in law J whose workers had built the support for the concrete for the basement ramp. J asked for Hubby to stop over after 7 this week as E made it clear the work done was poor and because of that the finish of the concrete was not like is should have been. Several areas will need concrete to smooth it out. I would like J to come over and refinish it himself. Hubby wants to just do it himself and no pay for the work that was done. I told him time was money and then to pay E or J if he is doing it himself...NO workers. I know Hubby has tremors and that isn't good with doing finish concrete.

Weather wise... chance of rain every day... but only get it maybe every 3rd day and then barely enough.

Blessed Be Everyone

 

Calendars are in

 So I sat down and put in Aug and Sept. what to eat. Won't be necessarily the day it's written on but the thought it to cross off what we eat. 

Hubby asked if Daughter 4 had been up as it is definitely what she has done in the past. He did ask if we were going to start this month... I said no, we are going to east what is coming in from the gardens or what we pick up from Amish instead.

He then asked if I thought the grocery budget would go down and I brought up the eat out budget needed to go down first. 

I won't do the finance calendar until I get the paperwork from the new mortgage. Mortgage guy made sure the escrow was transferred since the farm ins is due in Sept. 

I pulled lasagna rolls from barn freezer for supper. Veggies and fruit will be what ever is ready in the gardens. 

Have a blessed day.