Goals for 2021 part of a rant at a grandchild

 I have a grandchild that went on a rant about how hard older generations have made it for her generation... planet dying, things based on test scores , It was the older generations job to make things easier for them ... she and her girlfriend stepped a bit on my toes so to say. I stomped back on theirs. I am not sure but I think I might have kicked butt to a couple of my own kids. 

Plant has always been dying since it's birth, it is just like a human. DUH and how much are they recycling? (none) Eating out with throw away containers?(a lot) Mending clothes? (no way)Did you vote (they did not) are you involved with your local government (No).

SO the granddaughter thinking she would be a smart butt asked me what I did. Her mom and two aunts replied with the word MOAN on her post and her mother said you asked for it.

I know who my Ohio house of representatives and Ohio senator are. I pay attention to how they vote on things. I know who is my US house of representatives and US senators are. I know who are on my township board.  I know what they are voting on and how they vote. I do give input and write letters BUT I make sure I am not whining. I do vote ALWAYS. I research the issues being voted on.

I have went from 6 bags of trash a week (for 2, think tin cans, boxes, take out) to 1-2 a week. The 5 R's of zero waste is refuse , reduce, reuse, recycle and rot. Goal is to be like Daddy of using a grocery plastic bag for his weekly trash. Brother said most of the recycling was cardboard and cans.

Our township was recycling and then stopped. I will be checking to see if they are going to start back up. We do not have a recycling center in the area... closest one is an hour away.SO if they are not going to start back up then I need to focus more on REFUSE # 1 of zero waste

#2 of zero waste REDUCE

I will be focusing on reducing our use of propane (fossil fuel). Goal is to lower it by 1 tankful this year (already lowered it one tankful last heating season).

I will be focusing lowering electric (fossil fuel) Average amt this year was $150/ month for 2020. My goal is to average $125 for 2021.

I don't have a water bill but we have lowered that by adding rain gutters to the barn that is goes in a drain to the pond and rerouting 2/3rds of the house gutters to drain to the pond. SO we won't be trying to put water in the pond with a garden hose. SMILING.

We will limit take out to once a month and think about what containers it comes in. Chinese has reusable and recyclable plastic, pizza and calzone has card board. We burn our card board and paper and the ashes goes on the garden. Wood like limbs goes to E for him to burn when he heats water to make milk for the calves. 

I refill, I add water to shampoo, conditioner, soap, dish soap. etc. I make my own laundry soap in the same 5 gallon bucket.

#3 REPAIR.

We do this a lot but we could do better.

#4 Recycle 

We do not have recycling in this area but we do recycle within our home. I reuse a lot of stuff. Such as the plastic grocery bags that we get *when I can't use cloth bags* goes to Amish that sell produce during the growing season.

#5 Rot

We compost. The leaves that come off the tree is left to rot. 

There are other areas that slowing are going to be put in place. 

frugal ???

 Not sure but I have been unplugging inside Christmas lights at 8 pm. I plug them back in when I get up and then unplug when there it light out around 8 am. I plug them in at 4:30 when we sit down for supper.

I put a ham bone, 2 packages of ham chunks and 5 cups of ham (gel) broth in the freezer.

Hubby got a small prime rib roast for half price at the butcher shop. It was Saturday and they were closing and they were going to put it in the freezer since they aren't open on Sunday. 

Hubby thought he found some store bought bread cheaper than I could bake. It was 5 cents an ounce. He figured up my home made bread . It was 3 cents an ounce. It's hard to judge the cost of fuel to bake it as I never bake just a loaf of bread. 

Hubby made the snickerdoodles (requested by daughter 4 and her daughter) since they can actually tell who made them by the taste (really, we have repeatedly tried to fool them, they know) I did the baking and vacuum packing. I have already done the choc chips and the peanut butter cookies. Thirty six dozen cookies takes it's toll for sure. Have sugar cookies, oatmeal with King Arthur fruit blend and buckeyes left to do . 

We have used new recipes for some of the cookies and found that the recipe either yields less or a lot more than stated even with using the correct measure for the size. I don't know if I should be thankful I have extra supplies or upset.

We have ate from the pantry. Quick meals that can be done in 20 minutes otherwise I might collapse on the floor in exhaustion. 

I mended Hubby's work pants, a dish towel and a button my pants.

TIS the season

Another covid and wedding postponed

 Due to the bride's grandma getting covid, the kids postponed their wedding... then the bride's boss came down with it. Now she's worried she had it and did not know it.

Grandson from Army base, at this point is still suppose to be coming home. But he said it's a wait and see how covid is at this point for him.

Meantime I am making cookie dough one day then baking and vacuum packing the next.

And Hubby is trying to stay out of my way but is bored out of his mind since he has no work to speak of and most of his outside work is done. I told him to go rake the stones out of the grass was left from him plowing snow. Tomorrow he is making snickerdoodles for the kids so I am not in the kitchen LOL

Frugal week

 Our Amish neighbor E gave us 12 lbs of pork loin when they were butchering. No one wanted it. I got 3 roasts and 4 meals of chops.

I got ground sirloin for half price to use on the chili I canned *32 pints*

I got St Louis style ribs for half price so got 2. One we will smoke for New Year's eve/day. The other might get BBQ sauce.

I got 2 half hams that were sliced that was marked down 30%. Another 14 meals in the freezer.

I got on sale Christmas pretzels, buy 2 get 1 for dipping in choc for gifts for the kids and grandkids. I got 3 bags.

I got store brand peanut butter for the peanut butter cookies. I will use the "good" stuff for the buckeyes. That was a savings of 15%.

I got 5 dzn eggs for $3.50 less than if I had bought them by the dozen. They were out of the 18 eggs size. Even M is having to buy eggs, her 50 chickens are not laying enough.

I already have plates and vacuum bags to package the cookies and candy.

I mended the work pants Hubby tore when he fell sliding on ice coming from the barn.

This weekend I cooked our meals in the oven and added a couple extra dishes to just warm up in the microwave when I start baking the cookies 

Cookies is 81 dozen of each varieties ,5 varieties. Candy will be of 4 varieties. I have most of everything except maybe needing more eggs.  

We ran errands with doctor appts and dropping off prescriptions to be filled with grocery shopping. 

We shut off the inside Christmas lights at 8 and the outside go off at 10. Our English neighbor to the side and back a bit, our one set of lights can be seen from their bedroom. They just asked if we could have them go off by 10 when they go to bed Sunday through Thursday. No problem for us at all. Also they like them on Christmas eve and Christmas night and if we still have them up New Year's eve and Day

On the sad side, Son 2 lost another friend (older than us) to covid and my cousin lost her husband age 59 to covid, he had just recovered from fighting cancer. No funerals for either. 

Blessed be

2021 punch list goals, groceries and food to the pantry

 Punch list is a construction term of "to do" to finish project. 

As of Nov 1st we had 140.5 jobs listed. I remember when it was over 1000 when we bought this house.

Dec 1st, we were down to 128.5 . Since we moved in we have been averaging 4-6 a month until Nov.

I listed 30 things off the punch list and 10 things we know needs done this coming year. We have supplies for 19 of them and 14 are "work" only. That leaves 7 that will need supplies as we can afford to get them.

My list is 12 items

Hubby's list is 13 items

Our list of what will take both of us is 15.

He still has air barrier in north attic and I still have winter curtains to finish for 5 windows and the French doors for December. I start cookies Monday(tomorrow) and candy next Monday for the Christmas gifts. Grandson's wedding is still on for the 20th , masks, social distancing, stay in your bubbles out side mini greet from the bride and groom. Said for me to bring the Christmas stuff then so we aren't sharing cooties repeatedly and saving gas for us and time of me not sitting (which locks up my hip when over hour) so long in a car. We have 1 child that won't be at the wedding as her grandparents on her biofather's dad is not well and she's seeing them, she thinks they won't make it to next year.

We went to the store, was out doing errands and dropping off prescriptions and decided to do the grocery shopping now and take the dogs to the vet on Tuesday when we have doc appt and pick up meds. 

SO in the pantry I have added... 3 roasts and 4 meals of pork chops from the loin E gave us, 2 meals of ribs (one for New Year's eve/day), 14 meals of sliced ham and 32 pints of chili. I am dog tired and hip is aching.

Decided against another bone in ham. BUT if Hubby finds a small prime rib roast he said he is getting it.

I placed an order to Amazon going through The Prudent Homemaker site for some things my doctor now wants in my diet. I can beets, but I have been sharing my beets with Daughter 4. My doctor wants me to either eat beets or do a beet supplement daily. Same goes for grapes. 1 1/2 cups of fresh grapes (not happening) or a supplement. I can use raisins but I don't usually eat a lot of dried fruit. 

I had to order green tea, almost out and not sure if my son is getting me any for Christmas. Plus I ordered a multi flavor pack and I know I don't like 2 of them, he is getting them for Christmas as he drinks green tea LOL.

Unsulfured Black strap molasses. I've used this for years for my heart but now for my bones also. It's hard to find unsulfured in this area. 

That is it. I told Hubby, if he finds a small roast and specified what I thought was small with bones and without bones, it's okay. Other wise we are down to dairy only. MAYBE a salad. I will not be getting another bone in ham, one: do not have the room for it, two: do not need it since I have 14 meals of sliced ham and the one I am cooking today will do us for beans and such. I will do lamb chops (have them in freezer) for Easter. 

I think are saying for next year is going to be

2021 get the decluttering done. 

Blessed be

November Done and December to do list

 Done from Nov.

green tomatoes

Brussels sprouts

kale

insulator board on attic doors and crawl spaces

perimeter fencing

Nano 

Back injections

I got a bone in ham (would like another bone in) and 5 lbs of sweet potatoes. 

**** Hubby hauled 2 stoves and a dryer (Daughter 4s), a frig (original owner here) , fencing, 2 metal clothes line poles (about 4 ft tall) and an old flat bed trailer to scrap yard. The money he got goes into the fund for projects. E is taking the old dog house and some pieces of metal roofing and the fence around it can be used on a spot that the dogs could go through when the dog house is moved. Getting rid of the trailer (everything has been sitting on it) cleared a good area so Hubby could move things around to make it easier for him to park his work trailers and his truck.

STILL LEFT TO DO 

2 hot sauces 

red tomatoes 

north attic.

DECEMBER done already

appt for primary doctor. Weight stable and blood work good for me. Hubby lost two pounds and his blood work was great like always.

First vein procedure of left leg done. Next one is Dec 29th if injections are needed to finish closing vein down. 

Appt with ortho , had MRI of both hips and lumbar (wished I had the back injections afterwards as it took me 3 days to walk right ) Had follow up for results of MRI. Arthritis in every joint (duh) and the right hip will need replaced but hopefully it will last a bit over 3 more years as Doc said Medicare pays better for it than my health insurance. In Jan I will see what that estimate costs through our ins and get it put aside.

House, inside and outside is decorated. 

What is still needing done

Starting the  7th I will be making cookies for 50 people.

Starting  the 14th I will be making candy for 50 people 

The 20th we will be at grandson's wedding( Army in AZ and bride here in Ohio). Masks required. Families sit in their bubbles. Church used to be a roller rink.  They asked to include Christmas exchanges (yes they know all are getting cookies and candy from us)Thought it would help with gas costs and social distancing. Having a nonalcoholic "cocktail" outside (heaters will be there) while there will be a bride and groom dance, and mother and son /father and daughter dance. Nothing else. Soon to be granddaughter said they would be greeting each and everyone.  

The 8th we have chiro and vet for the dogs

We added some things to the grocery list: hamburger to make more chili, Hubby has ate a lot of it as a dip. Ribs for New Year's eve. IF I can find a small rib roast I will get that other wise is will be steaks E gave us a couple months ago for Christmas eve.  We still need a boneless ham to slice and another bone in. Milk.  We didn't spend all of Nov's money so I am okay with it within reason.

E sent over 10 lbs of pork loin I cut into 3 roasts and 8 chops to flash freeze. I will vacuum seal tomorrow.

I need to finish the last 2 hot sauces.

I need to finish canning the last of the red tomatoes 

I need to bake, puree, dehydrate and grind 5 pie pumpkins

I need to can dried beans (first time to ever do)

I need to transfer stuff to the 2021 calendar 

I need to set the goals for 2021. Household and personal. Hubby won't do any goal setting... that is his goal...not setting any goals. 

Snow

 we had a light snow Nov 1st

We got 5 inches in the last 48 hrs. 

I snapped this last night

Hubby asked for it to be the Christmas card next year.

Off to appt of the primary doctor. 

Blessed Be

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