Life and saving

 Hubby closed business credit card (took 2 weeks to get it done). They sent him a check for his cash back since there was nothing owed on the credit card. That is the final closure for the business.

Went to pay the hospital bill and it wasn't matching what was on our insurance. I requested information. Explained it wasn't matching what was listed as paid on the insurance (they showed insurance had paid). I think they sent separate bills to insurance but put it all together for 1 bill for us as the doctor did that but he made note that he had combined ALL of his billing into one for us and separate for insurance.

I made 5 gallons laundry soap.

It's going to be in mid 70s the rest of the week, so Hubby put creosote log in wood stove last night and let it burn instead of wood to let stove go out so I can clean it today or tomorrow. Furnace is set at 68. I doubt if it gets that cold as I just looked at it and it's still 73 in house. 

I put in pantry  7 meals of ground beef crumbles, 10 meals of taco meat, 5 meals of chicken (leftover from roasts),  6 meals of brats(gave to us), and 2 meals of lil smokies. 

I have chicken/broth to can, beef/broth to can, still working on apples for apple jam and using skins and cores for apple butter and still working on tomatoes for pasta sauce. I have flash freezing smoked brats and smoked sausage.

Hubby found an Amish selling sweet potatoes (most grow them but don't usually sell them in this area). She told him to stop back this week as they would be finishing digging the rest after he bought 12. One of her sweet potatoes makes 2 meals for both of us. She gave him a couple small ones for me to use to starts for us next spring.  He noticed she had potatoes on her sale board yesterday. We will be checking it out, if she has big ones like the sweet potatoes I won't have to buy baking potatoes at the store. I have small purple, small red and small Yukon potatoes that I grew myself. I have some small russets. 

Hubby started clearing the gardens yesterday. We plan to have it done by Thursday when the rain comes in. We had a killing frost yesterday. I hope to get the weeds dealt with in the berry vines also. I need to pull the onions in the next week or two which means I need to deal with the cured onions. I will cut some of the onion tops to dehydrate.

Hubby ordered a tarp for the basement ramp from local Amish man. There is an area of about 10 ft by 10 ft at bottom of ramp. We put a nice roof over it making sure there was ventilation. I want to use it as a food storage area using the coolers to keep the winter squash in as Hubby just harvest another 8 golden acorns (neither of us remember ever growing them but they grew this year in the compost pile). I also have pumpkin, butternut, green acorn squash and one spaghetti squash. The Amish at the tarp shop asked where he was putting the tarp. When Hubby told him, he suggested he make us a "tarp" door  with 2 screens and told Hubby how to frame it so it wouldn't flop and tear up and then showed Hubby he had one on his own basement ramp. His wife said she first thought she would hate it but she really likes it. She uses the area for their winter squash and potatoes.

Today I will cut the mint back away from the house and deal with the north flower garden, probably about 3 hrs. of the day. Hubby plans to wash the siding this week or next so I want to get the plants off the siding of the house.

Following advice of two of our daughters . We got a Gold Good RX acct. Hubby takes two HEART meds that aren't covered well by insurance (what he has is best covered by what insurance he has plus our pharmacy gave him another discount) What we pay ANNUALLY for the Gold is what we will save in 2 months for the meds. I also ordered through Amazon (for free as I used my points) his aspirin 81 mg. Got him, as insurance doesn't pay for that and I see no reason for spending $2.12 for 30 aspirin when I got 500 for less than $8 (free with using the points). His nitro is good for a year, but the hospital cardiologist  ordered it to be filled every month. Hubby called our primary since they are friends also for advice. Primary backed us as it's a waste but told him to bring it up when he goes this Friday along with buying aspirin from Amazon. He already called his ENT about the cost of the nose spray (also good for a year). She told him that Gold Good Rx is great, Good Rx is good and to get a couple at least into storage but to use it daily through autumn. Also said to check out Mark Cuban Pharmacy. Which my pain doctor uses himself. Back in the day he would have just paid the price and not try to find a cheaper way to get the same thing.

I did my Medicare part D. After looking at several sites for top 5 Part D's . I chose Well Care zero premium , zero on meds (gap coverage is $1.20 for all 4 a month) and $545 deductible that I shouldn't meet all year. We rechecked Hubby's D which is Silverscript. That's the best for him at $5.30/ month and $280 deductible. He will only pay $12 a month if he uses the Gold Good Rx for his nitro and nose spray. I can get my inhaler through Gold Good Rx for 1/3rd of my insurance so I didn't even list it on my meds.

I have went from Humira to Visbiome (original formula of VSL#3 prior to 2016) Even with "help" from the company it was going to be over $1,000 a month. As I have very bad veins and can't do infusions which would have been covered under part B.  Visbiome is $62 a month (I order for 2 months amount to get that price) plus IT WORKS. I used it before 2016 and was having no flare ups for 2 years. Company sold and new owners changed to cheaper ingredients BUT didn't acknowledge it and it quit working. There is a stronger amount but I would have to have my GI send them the script straight to the company. I don't think I need stronger when this is working but it's nice to know that option is there.  

I added green tea capsules to both of us. Neither of us would drink enough of it as tea. I searched for top 5... Zenwise came up in several searches. Cardiologist backed it also as a good for cholesterol, blood sugar, inflammation and metabolic syndrome.

Hubby stopped at Amish and got local honey and some puffed speltz. I took 1/2 cup, added turmeric, black pepper and cinnamon. Really worked for the nasty sore throat I got from the head/chest cold. I will continue to take it through the winter. 

I started oil of oregano. I have a child nagging. Started like the other kid suggest. One drop in a shot of tomato juice for 3 days, increase 1 drop every 3 days, don't do more than 5 drops. Nagging child makes her own so she's walk me through when I go to make my own since I grow oregano.

I have elderberry syrup that I put on my Greek yogurt. A friend gifted me elderberry mixed with local honey as they were allowed to pick elderberries from another friend's home. 

I have been taking resveratrol for years for my cholesterol with a 5 mg statin... I have heart failure/disfunction birth defect along with having a stroke due to accident. 

We can't do coconut oil as it sent our triglycerides through the roof. Not good for heart patients. Daughter 4 uses it as a mouth wash (had infected tooth and her dentist suggested it) and grandchild uses it for skin care. So it won't go to waste.

I best get at the day's work

Blessed be 

Prayers for peace 

First Hard Freeze warning

 for tonight. We haven't had a frost to harm anything. I will need to cover my onions up and move my radishes that are in pots into the barn. Supposed to warm back up to the 60s even close to 70 the rest of the week. SO covering them will allow them to have another week or so of growth before I start pulling them. I will have to bring the apples in that are sitting on the porch. I have 4 plants still blooming so I will bring them in also. A lot to do on a Sunday.

I did 21 pints of applesauce. I have room for 15 more it I triple stack them which I really don't like doing. Hubby told me to do the apple jam which we are low on  and then apple butter (I usually only use cores and peels to do) for the rest of the apples. I use apple butter as the "frosting" on spice cakes or carrot cakes beside just putting on bread and rolls. That should use up the last of those apples. I need to put the rest of the honey crisp apples in the freezer room frig.

I got 5 qrts. of pasta sauce canned out of 2 gallons of juice.

We moved the last of the Yukon gold potatoes, russet potatoes, and sweet potatoes to the basement. I put an apple with each crate as I had a couple Amish tell me it helps keeps them from sprouting. 

Hubby measured basement ramp opening (4 ft wide). He wants to put a clear tarp (Amish made) there so I can use that area for root veggies and squashes.

I froze and bagged apple brats, beer brats and original brats.

I froze and bagged chicken thighs.

I roasted 2 whole chickens, had roasted chicken, mashed potatoes and corn (starchy meal) and an apple custard with meringue sent over from M. We then had baby carrots and celery as a snack. Hubby also had an apple with peanut butter later. 

Hubby stacked more day time, night time and what he now calls cook time fire wood in house and on porch. Almost ran me over around the stove with all the wood but I realized that the cook time firewood is pretty helpful. It's small and burns quick. I needed to bump up the "temp" to roast the chicken but not for 3 hrs. like day time wood would burn. M showed him the other day when he was over to talk to E her cook time fire wood.

Monday's work 

Pay the hospital bill that came in for Hubby's heart attack. I have to keep repeating we have the money back for those bills to him as it sends him into a panic when he gets them.

I will be taking chicken off the bone and separating it for meals and bagging it for the freezer. Then I will cook the bones to make broth and can it.  ACTUALLY I will take it off the bone today when I make supper and do bone broth on Monday.

I have hamburger to cook to make taco meat (bagged in 1 cup servings) and ground beef crumbles for freezer. That's for Monday also.

I have smoke sausage links (size of hotdogs) to repackage, bag and put in freezer.

I try to do most of "nasty trash stuff" like meat packages etc. on Monday because trash goes to the road Monday night. Our trash is picked up between 4 and 6 AM  Monday morning. 

Cook more tomatoes for juice to make pasta sauce . I leave the juice sit over night to let the water come to the top, remove it and then slow cook the sauce all day. Let it sit over night (to make sure all the "water" is out) and can the next day.  Hubby said when I was done with onions and tomatoes he would "stir" the compost pile and then have E put manure over it.

E said he thinks he will be over to mow around pond and the asparagus ferns this coming week. He made it clear to Hubby that Hubby was NOT to be up on the roof of the wood shed replacing the roof. He would do that for us. Hubby said he had patched it so it doesn't leak before his heart attack but he had offered that he would ask one of the other Amish to help as E really is overloaded with work that needs done since his family day to help him with his wash house did not happen so M's wash house is still not done. He also got really cheap materials to build a saw mill so he could work no matter what the weather. His saw is sitting in the open close to our property where the berries are at. He is moving it closer to his own driveway to help trucks from getting stuck in the mud when unloading logs. Three times last spring Hubby had to pull trucks out that got stuck. BUT he made it clear Hubby was NOT to have someone else come do it or be up there himself. I laughed when Hubby said he wasn't going to tick off the neighbor... we might not get any more free eggs and desserts LOL.

I had to buy clothes. I hate shopping for clothes and ALWAYS question two of my girls and one granddaughter where the sales are and what they are wearing as their style is more like mine and they are close to my size.  I looked at 4 different thrift shops and found nothing. I have lost 20 lbs. from being sick and the weight is not coming back on. I hate shopping for bras. But I was lucky that granddaughter who is just close to my size told me what she wears and because we were at Hubby's ENT appt. (no cancer, no tumors, nothing to be concerned about, doc figures he is losing his voice do to allergy reaction from wildfire smoke. So will have that dealt with and some voice therapy as he has always been a little "gravelly" in speaking) Hubby wanted to stop at Meijer's We don't have one close to us but the kids do. Not only did they carry the bra granddaughter wears (fits great), they were on sale for half price. I also go 2 pairs of every day spandex pants for half price and 3 shawl like vests with hood also half price. I don't have any "dress" jackets and the hoodie I wear at home is definitely seen better days. I texted a friend (she's my size) and let her know they had a sale going on. She texted me back to stop and try on the "dress" pants she just bought. They were lovely. Hubby told me to order some also as I have NO dress pants. She gave me a code she was given to share (so she gets another discount) and I was able to hit their sale and ended up getting 4 pairs for the price of 2 AND free shipping.  THEN a Facebook "friend" let me know she had just bought boots from Amazon that were warm and fit well. She wear's same size as me. I checked it out and ordered 2, one at ankle and one above ankle, both on sale.

BEST PART... even with buying so much I am still under budget for clothing. Hubby even picked up another pair of boots, one with steel toes and rubber coating over the toes for 25% off. He is still under budget for clothing. I also just put what is too big for me now back into storage in barn. 

Hubby thought we should cut that budget some... I am not going to do that as he still has 30 lbs. to lose. He's lost 30 lbs. this year. I've taken darts in all his pants. BUT I know if he loses the other 30 he will need new pants. I do have some put back that got too small for him that were still good. I can see him dropping in shirt size also. He used to wear 3 x large. His long sleeve shirts are x lg. his tee shirts are lg. His pants were 56 waist, now are 44 waist. He'll probably need a new belt also. 

On the nice side we inputted the RRA (retiree reimbursement acct.)acct. that Hubby got from work. When he was retiring they told him that they had did away with that. Found out that he got it due to the years he had in. They gave him the amount we would be getting. I figured out that it will cover the cost of our dental and eyeglasses ... maybe if those stay on the low side, cover his hearing aids when he has to replace them. Anything not used in one year is ROLLED OVER to the next year.

Our primary used to be " no" to anything holistic... his daughter went to Africa (she's a doctor) came home and told what they use there... he no longer is a no to holistic. IN FACT, we were talking (as we are friends also) and he mentioned his Daughter was telling her patients with metabolic syndrome to use green tea (capsules or tea) to help along with those that have IBD and IBS...He checked it out and felt it would be good for both of us. BUT mentioned it lowers the iron and I would need to watch that part as I struggle with low iron (always have).  I have green tea (tea and capsules) for other reasons but we decided to start that immediately to see if it helps. I actually wished his Daughter was working in the area as she does both traditional medical and holistic. 

Menu for the week:

Today: Bacon and tomato wraps, salad blend, M's dessert

Monday: chicken and noodles, mashed potatoes, cole slaw

Tuesday: steak, baked potato, salad, rolls

Wednesday: mackerel patties, boiled potatoes with butter, peas

Thursday: One pot green beans, ham and potatoes with corn bread (pick up more salad and milk if needed after doc appt)

Friday: fried cabbage with sausage, fried potatoes and onions, left over corn bread

Saturday: stuffed shells , meatballs, salad and garlic toast.

Hubby has asked for me to bake bread, make granola, bake monster cookies, bake custard pie (pie crust optional) and make ice cream to go between the cookies. He is thinking on ice cream sandwich (cookie) would be a good sweet that would limit him instead of a bowl of ice cream. He used to eat half gallon of ice cream at a time, then he went to a quart. Then it was a pint. He has found that he can get a ice cream sundae at the gas station (where we get $11 pizza at times) and it's enough. It's 1/2 cup.... I reframed from dancing in joy.

How has your week being going?

Prayers for peace

Blessed Be

After almost 5 weeks

 We went to the store. I am thankful the only thing we had to pick up was a gallon of milk while sick.

I spent $379.37 at Kroger's with $108.71 savings (5 % cash back) plus $9.50 in Fresh Mode rewards. 

I spent $47.90 at Country Variety Store on 1 1/2 bushels of apples and 6 pears. *check or cash only* Saved $6

I spent $106.90 at Save A Lot with savings of $6.82 (3 % cash back)

We have enough to go 6 weeks (not counting anything I already have in freezers) with only picking up fresh produce and milk.

I got chuck roast on sale, made it last night with red potatoes (from garden) orange carrots (we already ate all of ours) and white onion from B (add $10 for 15 lbs. of candy onions from B). I will be canning 3 qrts. of beef and broth and 1 qrt. of just broth. 

Tonight's supper will be roasted chicken. I have 2 that will be cooked same time in wood stove. I will then pick off the pieces for other meals and make broth and can it.

At Kroger's I also go a pork shoulder( in freezer), skinless boneless chicken thighs * to be vacuumed bagged and frozen, beef hotdogs bagged and frozen(me only) mini sausage links (Hubby requested pigs in blanket), shrimp, hamburger (make taco meat and cooked ground beef) and a turkey ON SALE. I got 3 salads, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, carrots (big) and mushrooms. I replaced the Sprite and Coke I went through while sick. I got yogurt as my yogurt maker is on order, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, goat cheese, Vit D milk, heavy cream, half and half and buttermilk.

 I did very well at writing my list in the way I shop (non perishables first, produce, meat then dairy) so I did NO backtracking. I wore a mask. LORD I was done by time we put it in the truck and worried I was going to be sick from getting too hot. But Hubby cranked the AC up and rolled my window down. By time we got to Country Variety store I was fine.

I got apples for fresh eating (Hubby is trying to eat apple with peanut butter instead of almond chocolate bar with peanut butter for his bedtime snack) and apples for applesauce.  I got 6 pears for fresh eating. They charged bushel price for the applesauce apples instead of the 1/2 bushel since I bought 2 of them saving me $6.

At Save A Lot ,I got baby carrots (Kroger's looked bad) smoke sausage links (size of bun size hotdog) brat patties, and brats to be rebagged and frozen. I got 2 T-bone steaks as Hubby mentioned he missed getting his steak dinner at Lock 16 for his birthday. He does NOT want to go out to eat. So this weekend I will fix him a steak dinner as close as I can to what he would order.  I got pizza rolls for our lunch and I bought the size of bag that would ONLY be lunch instead of us pit stopping for a sandwich (saving about half of what the sandwiches would have been).

I wrote out the meals I was going to serve: Leftover beef brisket from Sunday is going to be fajitas

Beef roast with veggies, beef stew, beef and noodle, beef pot pie

Roasted chicken, autumn stew, chicken pot pie, and chicken and noodles

Mock Lock 16 Steak dinner

Pork shoulder roast, mock Brunswick stew, Cuban pork, pork and cabbage casserole

Pigs in Blanket

Chicken Shrimp stir fry

Shrimp scampi 

Smoked sausage

Brat patties

Brats

I also have potstickers and egg rolls, pepperoni and sausage for pizza, stuffed shells, stuffed manicotti, lasagna rolls, penne and spaghetti, Swedish meat balls, meat loaf, Salisbury steak, tacos, crispy bean burritos, breaded pork tenderloin, BLT (while I have fresh tomatoes) grilled cheese with tomato soup, fried bologna, fried ham slices, Philly steak subs, Gordan air fryer fish,  mackerel patties, salmon patties, tuna noodle casserole, fried cabbage (from garden) with fried potatoes (garden) with sausage or ham, one pot green beans, potatoes and ham,  pancakes, waffles , French toast and eggs.  Crepes, I want to learn to make crepes. 

We should be able to only need dairy and fresh produce until Dec if not Jan. 

I spent $549.17.... if we don't go back to store for 4 wks. that is  $137.30 a week

IF we can go 6 weeks (only getting dairy, celery and carrots) that is $91.53 a week. 

I have 5 meals listed so that is 7.8 weeks that's $73.22 a week... SO I am looking at not going back for at least 7 weeks, that's the beginning of Dec. Which is why I went ahead and got the turkey for 99 cents a lb. 

Not counting soups and casseroles from scraps. I know I have more brisket, 2 pork tenderloins and plenty of bacon and sausage. I am low of pork chops though. 

Blessed Be 

Off to deal with more tomatoes

tomatoes

 He was working on the trimmer. He did finally after 4 days get the property trimmed and mowed except around the pond. He will do that so E can mow at the edge with his hay mower which is to the side instead of straight with the horses. 

 I have 29 qrts. of tomatoes to wipe down and take down. Not sure where I am going to be putting the rest of it. But am going to cook it down to can sauce and not over do it.

Blessed be

Prayers for peace

Yep I am up

 

I have no clue to what she wants. I let her out, in , out and back in. She just sat there. Finally she went and laid on the couch. She's probably wondering when I am going to stop coughing. 

I fed the stove, good thing I was up as it would have been completely out by morning.

I am coughing still, it's a bad cough but not as often. Our Nurse called Tuesday to get Hubby's Medicare info as we have a phone appt on Wed and I coughed while he was giving her the info... she actually sighed. But it's better, it doesn't hurt to cough as much or every time. Morning and evening are the worse, it's not rattling and things are still breaking up. No fever, icky crap is clear so no infection. The meds will start messing with my Crohn's (never ending circle) in a couple days so I am backing off a little of that before that happens.  Doc called. One day of work, one day of rest. Hubby to take rest breaks and remember this cold winter will affect him differently. He definitely didn't get the same ickes I got

Electric bill is in at $126. There was AC on that bill so it's not bad. I am using the dryer for bedding and throw blankets. My co op figured if I do 3 hrs. a week in the dryer, my electric will raise about $25. SO I need to try to limit use of other electric to balance that out. 

Hubby got his surgery bill... He owes nothing of the $65,000 bill. BECAUSE he maxed out his out of pocket in Urgent care, ER and the ambulance  to transported him to the other hospital for surgery. Those bills are still out there.  One bill our health insurance flagged as a surprise billing and for us to NOT pay it until we called them as they were negotiating with the company over the bill. The ambulance was not provider under our insurance. It's not like we get to chose who transported him... DUH.

I bought a high yield 9 month CD from Ally. Added enough to both of our savings to be back up to what we want in regular bank. Paid 1 month extra to mortgage and added enough to Money market to cover most of 2024 out of pocket medical. 

I asked 4 different financial advisors about car loan. Every single one said to follow the 20/4/7 rule (couple kids said they saw the same with Rocket mortgage) 20% down, only for 4 yrs (48 months) and no more than 7% of gross yearly income. Which is almost what I felt we should only pay and Son 2 is looking at the same.

Blessed Be

Prayers for peace

 

When you wake up coughing hard enough to give yourself a nose bleed

 you might need to think that you are still sick. SIGH I am now carrying Bleed Cease in my pocket. 

Doc has me taking my temp 3 times a days to make sure I am not running a fever. SO far nothing. 

Echinacea tea, honey tea, ginger tea and elderberry honey in my white tea is helping. 

I ate chili last night, boy did that break some crud loose. My tummy wasn't happy with me but I could BREATHE. Doc did add bronkaid and Mucinex DM and cooked onion, ordered to drink the juice LOL. What ever I am to cough up I am to spit out or it will trigger my Crohn's.... guess he doesn't understand it raging anyways. Drainage does that.

Hubby is now holding his fingers in a cross when I come near him to ward off my "evil" cooties. I try not to be close. Lysol twice a day now instead of once. Windows are open with the wood stove so we do have fresh air all the time. Humidifier in front room is on 60. I will be turning the hallway one on today.

Hubby took a trip down memory lane something he doesn't do much.

I remember, he started, when you had 3 surgeries in 3 months... Oct/ Nov/ Dec. 1995. We had 3 kids with serious mental issues and you was juggling "women" issues your self. 

Yep right after we got married and he spoiled the kids by baking snickerdoodles for Thanksgiving dinner along with no bake double layer pumpkin pie and I sat curled up in a chair in the dining room. 

Then it was 

I remember, you have 3 different pneumonias  Oct/Nov/ Dec.

Yep, 2008 we lost both houses, moved Daughter 2 and her family of 9 and then us from a 3500 sq ft home to a 800 sq ft rental and had 5 storage units  and filed bankruptcy when he went to 3 days a week work instead of 7 days a week work. Talk about income dropping.

Then since Brother was texting Hubby (he was with uncle in hospital is doing a lot better and aunt don't look like she's going to fall over) And BROTHER texts

I remember coming home from college for Thanksgiving and finding she had not even started school.

5th grade, rheumatic fever. Sept through Dec. I did work at home, teacher stopped to give Mom my work daily and started back in January.   

THEN my Aunt said, she remembered Daddy saying I was Aunt Hazel who caught everything and anything within a ten mile radius. 

SO I finally asked... what is the point you are trying to make?

YOU get really sick in the fall of the year when YOU am under a lot of stress...

Brother was NO.... she's allergic to mold and that's fall... TRUE... beans coming off, hay, corn isn't as bad with it because E takes out rows in middle to allow air flow to help dry his corn. But yeah, it's the mold. I can't walk in a barn that has hay in the mow. I can't take penicillin for that reason. It nearly killed me, Hubby could remember nearly losing me, they sent me home to die. But he couldn't remember what caused it. They gave me a medication that had penicillin in it and it didn't red flag it at the hospital but did at CVS. WHO immediately called Hubby and my doctor to tell them what was happening. 

But looking back at the cycle... fall is my stress time on top of when my allergies are their worse. I getting the crops in to feed us through the winter, getting the home battened down for the winter and facing bills going up due to winter. 

NOW, I can see the pattern... how can I change it? I can't do anything about mold season as Brother who is allergic everything said.  BUT what can I change ? 

IF you have any thoughts please comment as I know this change won't be easy for me. I am a creature of habit. 

talking finances with Hubby

 I am thankful we have decent health insurance. The medical bills from Hubby's heart attack, my Crohn's and UTI and then covid is starting to come in. We put them on the credit cards (all have cash back).

Hubby asked me yesterday what I was doing. He thought I said I paid the bills until after our SS comes in. I did say that, I did do that.

He is doing better to stay focused and process what we are talking about but with mild dementia I do have to repeat myself. He is not good at finances and never has been as he grew up on farm loans that got rolled over it they couldn't pay them off.

I was checking what was on the credit cards. They all have cash back. We use certain cards for certain stores/ things to get the most back. 

So I broke it down for him.

I have one card that is for utilities and automatic payments like our umbrella ins that is due once a year. Since that is all that goes on it, it's easy to see if there is any fraud charges.

Hubby has 2 that is just his and one we both are on. His cell phone and Sirius  are on his, the other one is business and he's shutting it down but our bank offered to issue him a new card for personal. He is going to go in and talk to them, see the lady that has handled mine as she's really into , this would give you this but cost you that but this one would do the same for more for your effort kind of person. Knowing him, it's going to be cash back on what he would use it for. I suggested auto repairs and fuel. That's where it goes now. We'll figure that one out after he goes in at the end of the week.

 TSC is for the farm so we are both on it. We put groceries on it also. 

It's easy to see on his cards or TSC if there is fraud. 

I watch Chase as it's my Amazon card and eating out . I make sure the only thing being charged is what should be. They have caught a couple fraud attempts and denied the charges so that's good.  I canceled all my auto shipments. I have us stocked for 2 years if we don't share with a single kid or grandkid. I had one OTC med that Hubby is no longer taking since his heart surgery. I put it out to the kids and it was gone in a week since I write the price on it I knew what to have the kids pay me. One said that price had doubled in the past 3 months as she was trying to stock up for her and her daughter. They now have enough to go 6 months. 

I checked out the last credit card, it had all the medical on it and it was NOT a pretty sight. I paid it off . I NEVER carry a balance that will be charged interest. 

I told Hubby the credit cards are up to high (when you haven't went anywhere for almost a month you might wonder what is going on) then added the medical bills are coming in. I have the money in the money market and savings. I try to always have the next year's out of pocket/dental/ eye costs saved by Nov for the following year so we never stress about paying medical bills (something he did while farming until he went to work in the factory and I always did being self employed) BUT if I use the money market to pay the incoming bills we won't have enough to cover next year's out of pocket/dental/ eye...

So I did the shuffle (he rolls his eyes when I say that). We have 4 CD's maturing. They will be in before the rest of the bills will be in. I am going to take them to pay off the medical add what is left to the Money market and we will have enough to cover 2024's out of pocket. I even using the estimate for part D added enough to cover our routine meds. Added enough to pay for 1 set of glasses through Walmart and dental including x rays for us for the whole year. 

I still need to do Christmas cash and 2024 bday money but that comes out of my annuity I get monthly.  

He sat looking at me. I waited then asked... what are you thinking?

SO....(he is worse than the kids using that word), we can use the maturing CD's for this year's medical. Roll what is left over onto the money market and have 2024's medical pretty much covered. YES since we both have Medigap policies that should cover it.  

We have 2 yrs of OTC meds. YES, I do have some holistic (dandelion root tea for his gout) also just not 2 years. 

We have propane for the year (cook stove and water heater) and part of the wood with a wagon load (3 cords) to come from the sawmill in next month.  YES

He was able to cut some wood up yesterday. E was out picking corn from 15 acres behind us by hand for his beef cattle and had the boys spend about an hour helping Hubby get some wood cut up. E helped him set up the buzz saw and splitter. So we have a good solid month already cut and ready. E said it's set now that Hubby can use the tractor to move the wood to the saw or splitter and not him trying to lift it. E and the boys will be checking the wood supply when they are picking corn which will be ALL winter. E said there is about 4 months of wood sitting here . He knows Hubby still have 2 trees to pull up from the woods and the 3 cords coming from the sawmill would take us another month. That should take us to Feb. and he told Hubby that. We can put in at the sawmill we want another wagon and it would come in about that time and take us through Feb/ March. 

So we have heat... I added.... We have full freezers, full pantry when I finish tomatoes and applesauce. Even if I add fresh veggies we can keep the grocery bill down below $200. I just harvested sage to dehydrate and grind which was the last of what I needed. I MIGHT need to pick up garlic bulbs but I do have garlic powder. Lysol was the last thing I needed for cleaning as I make my own laundry soap. 

We don't need clothes, shoes or boots. I might replace muck boots if they go on sale, right now they are sprayed with flexseal to keep from getting my feet wet. 

We shop Amish bulk, Mennonite bulk, small business specialty stores.  

THEN he said finally what was worrying him. We aren't going to get the house paid off in 5 yrs. and we need to replace the Silverado in 2024.  

Probably not on the mortgage. I am still checking the dealership I bought the Silverado from  BUT right now I can earn twice as much interest on a CD than I would save paying extra on the mortgage. SO the shuffle it earn the interest, let the interest pay the extra on the mortgage. I figured a $600 car payment to go into savings/ short term CD monthly. Go at least until June before replacing Silverado and I already have half the down payment if we got a loan (rather not). 

He sat looking at me.... then said OKAY you are being your Dad, let the investments pay the bills when you roll them over.  I can handle that. IT was like watching a mountain fall off his shoulders. 

Then I pointed out if I cashed out and paid through the nose on taxes I could pay OFF the house if something bad happened just from my inheritance from my Dad. AND I would still have enough money to live on monthly with his SS check without any investments. 

He did say he wants to get the business closed this coming week and then after his ENT appt. for what ever is causing him to lose his voice every afternoon. He wants to have an appt for the lawyer to update will etc. That appt. is usually a battle but since the heart attack he's realized that side of things need to be kept updated. 

I did not tell him I was already making an extra payment every month on the mortgage. Basically turning the 30 yr mortgage into a 15 yr mortgage. In the past 24 months I have made 72 payments. IF I can only make 1 extra payment a month average we will still have the house paid off in 12 yrs. He would be 77. IF I can continue to make 3 payments a month, it will be 8 yrs making him 73. 

We will see. 

Anne Grandfather clock. Sam's club and conversation with Amish

 We have had it worked on 3 times. The glass actually broke in half, then it quit chiming, then it chimed wrong . FR complained to the company that made the "sound" system. They gave him money back over it and he gave it back to us. It does keep good time. It's not an issue to get fixed as FR can do it himself and he just pit stops when over using the phone or talking to E about stuff. The kids argue who gets it when we die until we told them it was going to auction. Then it was nope, Amish will out bid us LOL. 

First fire rolling. Right now it's 40 outside with windchill of 35 and it's to be colder by tomorrow. Damp for sure but not rain which we need. 

We used to do Sam's club, but it's not worth the price of membership nor do we use that size of items any more. Twice I have had fraud charges from the local Sam's club also. Plus it's a good 45 minutes from us... 

If I was over in Marion visiting in laws we could stop at GFS like my brother does. 

Having an IBS or IBD (mine is Crohn's) extremely limits fresh/raw anything. I am lucky if I can get a 2 cup side salad without spending 2 days in bathroom from doing so. Been there and done that still eating the 2 cup side salad but figuring out if I can spend 2 days running to the bathroom.

I did talk to A, she has Crohn's also. Asked her how she was handling it especially being Amish. She's eating fermented and pickled foods and found by doing so daily, she doesn't have as bad as time when she eats something raw. Still only eats maybe 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup raw at a time and not more than once a day. But insisted I start eating more fermented and pickled foods. This young woman is the age of my girls, I bet Hubby she will stop over in the next month and ask what I have ate that was fermented or pickled. She also said she has taken to eating some kind of apple daily. Daddy did that also. She makes her own cottage cheese and has it twice a week. I got twenty questions over what fruit I was putting on the table daily. Yeah, she'll be over here questioning me SMILING.

I can tell you one of the years of next to NONE flare ups of Crohn's was when I was taking VSL#3 ORIGINAL formula (now called Visbiome which I have in frig to start for when I am done with this ickes) and eating pickles or pickled beets 5 days a week with applesauce and cottage cheese. Had it for lunch almost daily with pizza rolls on Saturday LOL. I don't think the pizza rolls helped anything other than my inter child. 

 My inner child got a nap on the kitchen porch floor in the sunshine with Charlotte yesterday. Hubby said since I had a pillow he wasn't worried but the Amish that used the phone stopped at the wood shed to tell him I was down. He let him know I was napping with the dog and getting our vitamin D. Said the guy first frowned and then said that actually made sense. 

I went down to the basement and looked... what do I have fermented.

I have canned :  fermented kraut, coleslaw, cucumber pickles, pickled asparagus, pickled beets, pickled cauliflower with turmeric, green olives stuffed with garlic, pickled peppers with turmeric. pickled onions with turmeric and salad peppers.  

I am low (very low) on applesauce. Hubby said we would pick up apples this coming week. I have enough apple pie filling (home canned with little sugar), I have dehydrated apple slices. 

I told Hubby I wanted to get that on the table. So this weekend (while I now have a either a head cold or allergies are full blown) we will be changing what is in the kitchen frig to have those items go on the table. MIL suggested pulling one thing every meal, she rotates daily which one she puts on the table. 

OKAY... goals for October

I NEED to ask myself daily... how can I save money today?  What can I change to stretch those dollars. 

 Hubby started Medicare this month. He chose to stay with what he picked for these last 3 months for next year. 

We will be updating the will after closing business. Lawyer said to wait 30 days after business is closed. About half the kids are ticked, the other half agree with our choice, he gets it or I get it ( they all agree with that)and if both are gone, it goes to auction. I calmed a few down with tell me what you are wanting and I will work it out you get it BEFORE I die. Especially when I am decluttering anyways. I got one moving in a year, she plans to get a place that she can have the old cabinet that was my great great uncles. I will keep that aside for her, Might even see if the one Amish grandpa could repair it during this winter. He likes to have something to do and has fixed a couple other things for me. Another wants a trunk and stand, I use the stand, but it will be listed as hers.  It's kind of WORK with not AGAINST me. 

I still need to pick Part D. I am still deciding between 3 of them. One has no premium, no charge for my regular meds but a $545 deductible... HUM ... seems funny to me. The other one is what Hubby has $5.30 premium, $4 for one med the rest are 0 and $280 deductible. The other one is $78.90, meds are 0 and no deductible. 

CLOSE business checking. Hubby went to close it, his insurance let him know he had 2 checks coming in the mail for the business... so he waited. THEN he was going to go the other day before he had the heart attack and got another check from the bank that had the truck loan as they had a secondary insurance on that loan so he got money back from that. MAYBE he will be able to close it at the end of this week as Doc said that with negative test (we finally tested negative) and no fever, we could go out after the 11th BUT we must wear a mask. So no eating out. Okay, we did take out last night, first time in 3 wks. We loaded up with Chinese and actually ate a decent amount for the first time. Still visiting the bathroom more than normal.  Hubby has lost 10 lbs. and I have lost 17lbs.  

Hubby listed 8 things he would like to have done by end of October. Couple repair jobs, over half are jobs that would take him about an hour. Keeps him moving and yet not over doing anything. He has a couple Amish that have him move trailers around for them maybe a couple times a month if that often to give him some spending money.309 sawmill will have him use their loader to move some wood around for them. 

 Wood cut was not on the list. He figures he will be cutting wood until end of Nov. E told him that there is a couple trees he cut down that Hubby can get to with the tractor to pull up over here that can be be burned this year. 309 Sawmill told him they would have a wagon load of cut pieces for him late Oct or early Nov, those we usually don't have to cut down to size. He plans to move wagon out of barn, set up buzz saw and cut what we have down to correct size. If nothing else, he has learned to mark the freaking saw like E has of the length and quit guessing as he cut 2 cords of wood 2 inches too long and they won't go in the stove. Good thing I don't mind tossing small blocks of wood in during the day. I did suggest he just cut them in half, still on small size but not as big as pain to store as small blocks go in large pots... the size 5 yr. old trees come in and we can actually rack them if they are cut in half. 

We get through this cold spell and he can do some cutting but I think he is going to finish the wood shed first. E will have to help him do the roof but he can always go over and help E work on the wash house to help that way.  I definitely am making sure he does take rest breaks and drinks water... okay, man drinks water without being told but he won't drink the water if he doesn't take the break. 

Household, put things away that came in while sick. I haven't touched anything and am walking around stacks and need to split some packages with Daughter 4. Hubby asked if we needed to stock anything else... I said Lysol spray. He thought I was joking. I used 24 cans in 1 year. No I am not joking, between the house and both trucks, carried it with us to the kids houses to spray before we walked in. MIL used 12 herself and didn't think to spray her car... she is now as their grandsons whole church came down with covid over the weekend.

 I need to straighten the pantry, move shelving in the freezer room (no more window leaking) and deal with organization and a very good cleaning.  I have taken to opening windows for 30 minutes daily and spraying with Lysol like I did when Covid hit the first time. Bathrooms cleaned daily. My kitchen sink is cleaned nightly when I run the dishwasher. Laundry done every morning (except Sunday) 

I will continue to declutter the house and the barn. I started a donation box and a kids box. Kid's box is stored in barn so when we go down or one comes up we can take it then but it's not in the way. 

I have listed seeds I need to order for next year. I plan to start growing my own plants. 

We are saving $133. 34 a month with Hubby going on Medicare. I want to split that money between the mortgage and the savings.  We will save more when I go on it in Jan.

Hubby got the internet/phone lowered by $10. That will be split also. 

Our insurance guy did some looking and found another discount for us on car insurance dropping the bill $125.19 a month and changed billing cycle . That will be split in two.

All refunds or savings like Fresh mode, etc. will be split the same way. I've done this before but have let it slide.

Doc wants us to eat a fresh salad twice a week, 3 times is better. It doesn't have to be a lettuce salad, just fresh veggies. I asked if just serving carrots, celery sticks, fresh apples, cabbage as I have that in frig also etc. would be okay... he said yes but wanted some colorful greens in there once a week.  I have some carrots in frig. I need to cut the celery today anyways in the gardens. I am NOT going to the store until after the 11th. I am not sure what lettuces the local Save A Lot carries but I will check it out after the 11th. WITH MASK LOL.

I want to go to store once a month (Amish elder suggested it) with a dairy run two weeks later. Said she saved over $100 by that simple changed, used up what she had and made different foods than her normal routine meals. One suggested pantry soup for supper every single night with a meat, potato and veggie lunch, one suggested lunch leftovers become soup or casserole. (M laughed when I told her and asked what was leftovers because she definitely doesn't have those any meal unless someone is sick)  Helps keep the weight down. I am glad they feel comfortable to offer advice. I will take all the advice I can get on saving money and being healthy. 

 We are are 2 yrs into our mortgage (refinanced to get PI off and lower interest) We are on payment 72. I know that's 36 payments in 12 months. I would like to do BETTER but reality is I will be lucky to do that much with a drop of 50 % income. 

By using the grill for the tomatoes I keep that off the propane tank for the furnace. Hubby debated last night between the wood stove or furnace. He decided neither at 10 pm when the house was still 75. I got it closed up and curtains shut before it cooled down. It's still 73 so we won't be starting the wood stove or furnace. 

 Probably going to go take a nap. Been up since 12:30 when my sugar work me up being low.

Happy October. Hubby turns 65 on the 9th

I asked him what he wanted to do for his birthday... he looked and me and said

LIVE. 

This is my favorite photo of him. He was on the tractor and had just turned it off to see what I wanted. He wasn't thrilled to have his picture taken. Never is. 

Oh yeah I can understand that comment. 

 Our oldest (late hubby's daughter) turned 51 yesterday. She's put on more than one application that Hubby is her step dad. Makes him feel good that she knows he is there for her. 

Brother is 74 today, though he refuses to celebrate that age he tolerates his sister reminding him.

We have 2 grandkids birthdays and Daughter 4's birthday. October is a busy month. 

I got this last night with the comment I am still having chest pains

Yes he knows I am sharing. I was like... where are you, who is with you, wait, that's normal BP , that's anxiety, wait until I get ahold of you. I ratted him out to his sister who ratted him out to his ex about scaring me like that... His doctor that was in the room told him to quit messing with his mom. He was having testing done to make sure he did not have brain damage from explosions while in Iraq 2 years...Doc said NONE, it's in his medical file but I am telling you I think he had it BEFORE then LOL.I can say we shared the GOOD news. It will calm some of his worries about whether he will be not able to work another 20 yrs. He already has 20 in the Army, wants 20 in Airforce civilian, maybe 25 and then plans to travel if he is physically able. BUT he also knows his house is not handicap accessible. He thought about changing it (close to what he paid for the house to do it) His sister told him to wait, everyone was going to move here and he could have a room since he would be retired he wouldn't have to worry about finding a job in this area.  GEEZE

I sent Daughter 2 the annual photo of her Halloween pumpkin... he is getting saggy faced from being so old. She tossed it in 2008 as the lights had died. I changed the lights and bug her each year over it. 

   He's peaking around at E's kids when they come up on the porch. They got a kick out of seeing it.

We got the tarp up that we had made for the end of the porch. Several Amish have this on their porches to keep fire wood dry or the wives to be able to dry laundry on the porch in the winter. 

I love the fact it has a built in screen that can be opened or closed so we don't have to take it down in the summer, we can just open the screen. It's not hard to take down either as it had special hooks that Hubby said he just slid the hole over and turned it and it was fastened. E checked it out when he was checking out what Hubby was doing with fire wood(used tractor bucket to carry it and then we slowly filled the racks) Took 2 days to get them filled and the two in the house filled but it will take 3 days to use what wood is there up or more depending on how long it stays cold. He thinks M would like to have one when they build the new porch next year. He is going to have her check it out some time. 

Rest of wood

 All summer curtains, clothes, bedding and throws are washed, dried and put in barn storage.

All winter curtains are up on clean windows,(the only thing I have cleaned beside johns) winter bedding and throws are washed and on beds and furniture and winter clothes are in the drawers. 

I still need to pick tomatoes today before the nasty 40 degree crap hits with possible frost. I already set up the area at the barn at the grill so it's pick the tomatoes, take to grill at barn. Hubby will put large canner (19 quart... reg quart not wide mouth) on the stove and I can haul through the tomatoes. Core them, grill them, skin them, can them. I can do what ever with them later. I plan on more soups and casseroles this winter anyways. 

I won't take down the garden. We can do that next week when it gets back up to the 60s. We got some rain, no where near enough but at least some. 

October 5th

 This hawk has been here daily for a week now. We know he has caught several mice usually from the compost pile. 

Our oldest *my late husband's daughter that we were raising when he died* turns 51 today. I told her she had to stop having birthdays. I am NOT that old myself. She just laughed. She has a lot of health issues that she inherited from her mother's side and it's been a really rough year for her.

Hubby is better... not got the hacking cough nightly. Been working on 1 thing each day with lots of breaks. E came over and helped him run the apple cider press. They even took my applesauce apples so I will have to replace those. Kids got to climb the widow's apple tree then help press those apples. Local press is running 2 wks. behind. Made 500 gallons over the weekend. That's huge.

Hubby was able to get the tarp up on the end of the front porch (pics coming later this week) and even put a little bit of fire wood up on the roll cart.

I got the potatoes washed and crated. And a good part of winter bedding, winter curtains and winter clothes washed and in house. I should be able to finish it today. 

I NEED to get the tomatoes picked as we have warning of a frost this weekend which will ruin them. I will core them, toss on grill to char, let them cool and peel them then can them. Not making sauce or juice at this time. Quick and simple. I can store picked ones in the barn as I get through them. 

Still nauseated, still have bathroom issues, but no fever or cough. Makes my good tasting water even from the garden hose taste like crap. 

GOD PLEASE

 give me the strength and the right words to say since I can't give my family hugs and be there for them  while  I have covid.

On a good note, Little E asked his mom if he could help bake chocolate chip cookies for us so we would feel better. He remembered I gave them a ice cream bucket of chocolate chips a while back. We got too many and had no storage left for them. He loaded the chips in as she let him put what he felt was right in. So we got 2 dozen cookies from Little E (might let him take more food if it gets us cookies like that) and 3 dozen eggs as they know we feed eggs to Charlotte for her allergies and we have been able to handle eating that also. 

The kids definitely have found how much they lean on me instead of their dad (who can't be there either) since 5 out of six is NOT married or in relationship. I told the ones that have adult kids that responsibility has to be moved down which means we still deal with the 2 sons. Son1 just went and signed papers for two of his close friends that live close to him to sign papers for him in health emergency. Son2 is counting on Daughter 2 and 4. Daughter 3 does not drive so could not go to hospital to sign. Daughter 1 lives farther away from him then we do

I don't usually get on line on Sunday's.  Day 5 or 6 as we think the "cold" Hubby thought he was getting was actually Covid. We just decided when we finish the meds we would take the 2nd test then because we definitely missed a dosage , me morning and hubby night.  We actually ate a meal last night, kept it down but then both of us spent the evening in the johns. 

We had an Amish neighbor around the corner call us to ask if we needed anything from town, even meds as he was going in and thought since we had covid we wouldn't be able to go to town. He dropped off a loaf of bread that his wife baked so I wouldn't have to when Hubby said bread as he is eating toast to keep his stomach settled. Then M sent a loaf over also. So he has plenty of toast.

9th person in family in crisis within 8 wks. Daddy's baby sister's husband in critical condition with heart. Mid 80s. Laid in ER for over 8 hrs. They couldn't find a bed for him at a hospital that does heart surgery. So her son called my brother. As they live in southern Ohio and brother lives in north eastern. My brother called me. I told him to call his own Cardiologist and have him find something and to point out uncle is ARMY RETIRED VET. He was transferred within a hour. I made sure I sent a message to brother's cardiologist thanking  him. Covid has taking a lot of beds AGAIN, STILL, SOMEMORE.  This aunt is 10 yrs older than my brother, my Daddy was 10 yrs older than her so brother and her feel more like siblings. He was the same way with Mother's youngest two twin sisters as they were 5 yrs older than my brother.  He was really struggling but knew I had just went through the NO BEDS with Hubby's heart surgery, hated that he had to even call me since he know what I am struggling with.   Instead of going to a family reunion next Sunday we might be going to a funeral instead. Aunt said we could come in last, sit in the back to the side with mask and leave first. Probably would just make a trip later to see her if this doesn't take her too as she's not been well for the past 3 yrs since Daddy died.

Then my calm, keep it  based on fact brother went off on a rant over politics and lies and media keep spreading the lies and courts allowing it to continue... when he got done I asked him what part of our parents saying ,politicians are liars did he miss? They tell you what they think you want to hear to get voted in and then do what ever suits them best when they get in. All at one time or another does good work but in reality, they aren't just putting stuff in for those of us that elected them, they are doing it for ALL of our country. What is best of OHIO might be the worst thing for Indiana. SO they have things that they are dealing with that we don't really see  or understand.  I have gotten to the point I watch the weather. Hubby let me know the house passed a 45 day clean and Biden signed it. I haven't even watched the weather, I checked my phone for it. Not like I am going to be out in the gardens. ( I can get back in gardens on Monday and canning is limited to 14 jars a day, BOY does Doc know me)

SON 2 is on the waiting list for getting into a Cardiologist for his heart follow up(another Army retired  vet working as civilian for Air Force. Air Force is now involved trying to find a doctor to take him in), Hubby's offered but he isn't in their network for insurance.  But did tell him to make arrangements for his cats and car and to have a packed bag with him at all times. His ex girlfriend has agreed to take care of cats (was bad break up but they are decent friends and lives 5 minutes away) and Daughter 2 in on call for transport and being next of kin until I can take back up that issue. She said she might just stay in that position until unless they do surgery at some point as she's 15 minutes from him and he could return the favor even though her 4 sons are adults, they don't live as close as he does.

Covid is defiantly taking it's good old time going away. Both of our fevers broke Saturday morning... that's a good sign right but Doc said 48 hrs. I still am down this morning so there is hope except I have Crohn's so run a fever over 50 % of the time anyways. SO hard telling. Doc told me to judge by Hubby's symptoms, he has a nasty cough that only happens at night. It's better also. But I have nothing but the fever and diarrhea that I have with Crohns. . Would not have tested if Doc hadn't had Hubby test due to cough.  Makes you wonder how many have this crap and not know it as it is the same as other crap they have.

Great Granddaughter is having another surgery. Shunt was not working at removing fluid off brain so they removed it and the VAD, Moved the catheter from the shunt to the fluid bag on the other side of brain. Will be putting a new shunt on that side I think Monday. Becka wasn't sure, they are going more of when baby is stable instead of "let's do surgery this day" trying to keep her from struggling with all the surgeries. Daughter 4 (grandma) is holding on by finger tips working 3rd shift (her car blew the engine)  saving for new car, homeschooling the teenager, having the older teenager hate being an adult and having to work (LOL) and not in the field he went to vocational school for and babysitting Becka's older daughter so her and Daddy can be at hospital. The neat thing they have now is there is a camara at baby's crib so her big sister can see her and talk to her every day. When Mommy and Daddy go visit her, Daughter 4 will call them and they let baby hear big sister's voice so she will recognize the voice when she does get to come home. Daughter 4 videoed big sister singing to baby sister and Mommy and Daddy show her every time they go to see her.

I am going to have to toss food I bought 3 wks. Some of the apples are rotting that I will have to deal with. I hate it but as Hubby put it , we can still buy more apples and make do with what we end up with. I told him we were pulling the gardens for the year as I finish harvesting tomatoes probably within a week or two. As there are still some green. I've canned enough of green ones. I sat down yesterday and wrote out the new to do list for both of  us so if someone asks if we need help with something we can check the list and say YES. E's oldest came over and looked at floor of wood shed. It needs replaced in the one section. He tore out the rotten wood and cleaned it up a bit and said if we had plyboard we could just lay it down over that spot and deal with fixing it next summer when we would clean it out for fresh wood. Hubby has about half of the siding on, E thinks they could put the roof on during one good afternoon as it's not rotted just metal got a hole in it when the tree limb went through it. Hubby has new metal roofing pretty much cut to fit so it's take off the old and screw on the new. I told Hubby I thought we could take it off ourselves but have E or couple of his boys help put it on. They are trying to get M's wash house finished for winter and the out house finished at the same time. 

Their 1000 gallon cistern went dry. First time in 10 years, we pointed out half his rain spouting is down due to wash house construction and it has not rained in 3 wks. to amount to much. In fact we have gotten more moisture from fog than we have rain and it's not much even with as thick as it is. 

I told Hubby I wasn't putting water in the pond, if it got much lower, the Amish was going to have to have a fish fry to keep us from having a fish kill. He told E that when E checked on us the other day. E went out and check and said right now it's okay but he also had his brother who put the pond in check it. He okayed it also but did leave a marker that I can see from the house so E or him can see the level and know when it hits too low and to go fishing. 

I think I am going to take a nap.  I know I will be running to the bathroom 

 

I am glad we have 3 bathrooms day 4 of covid

 two in house and a two holer out house because Hubby was coming from the barn and had to pit stop in the out house LOL. One of us will say, got to go and the other will yell thanks as we both head to the bathrooms.

Hubby thought I was dumb for ordering 10 boxes of Imodium from Amazon until last night when he went through the box by himself (Doc okayed it when you are going like a water faucet turned all the way on)

He complained of being nauseated. I handed him meds and he asked what it was, it's throw up pills shut up and take it. He came back with I don't get motion sickness ( I do) The look I gave him he said was not friendly so he shut up and took them. Ten minutes later told me thank you it helped. Said this is reminding him on my bad crohn's attack... how do I know if its covid or crohn's. It's both combined. I just got to make sure I don't dehydrate to stay out of hospital.

We are snacking instead of eating. All 6 kids and several grandkids told us to not try to eat regular meals but snack and drink every hour. That is working, Hubby is using apple cider to keep the sour metallic taste out of his mouth, I am using lemon cough drops. I did point out the apple cider might be helping him having to go more to the the outhouse (SNICKERING). Said it was worth it to kill the taste.  Must be bad because this man doesn't have much taste buds to begin with.

Usually day 3 is the worst... not for covid or at least not for me. Day 4 started at midnight right along of sleeping on the toilet. SIGH. Glad the hospital gave me baby diaper cream LOL.

Won't be doing anything today....

oh well I will be living in the bathroom today. Guess that is doing something... what it's not doing is living in a hospital room like my foster sister did for a week when she got this.

 

Here we go

 Daughter 2 spent yesterday in the ER... with Son 2 as we couldn't be there as his next of kin. Son 2 said it was worse to see her sit and cry as she is terrified of her baby brother dying and dealing with her dad nearly dying and afraid I will die of heart failure or crohns. He did get her to make appt with her shrink while sitting with him and then stuck her with making HIS follow up appts with all his doctors and HIS Shrink.

Daughter 4 (who would have handle it better )was babysitting granddaughter so her daughter could be with her baby girl as she was having surgery again. Premature birth, fluid on brain, VAD and shunt was not working so changing which side of brain shunt is on. Granddaughter didn't tell us because we put out Son 2 was in ER. Her line of thinks was we are already praying daily for this child and there is nothing else we can do. As we already paid their rent. What we could do. 

Son 2 was again having heart event. Not heart attack. He had tons of tests (just like his Dad did) and in now in the follow up appt hoops along with seeing his civilian and VA primary doctors and getting refers to Cardiologist and GI for fatty liver (Tylenol and drinking , but he quit both over a month ago so he's not dealing with withdraw now). 

Daughter 2 was in ER over weekend for sever sprained ankle. Now in boot and crutches. She explained we couldn't be there because we both had covid for the first time. 

Doc said even though it's safe for food to be canned while having covid, he knows me and doing 14 to 21 jars plus is too much the first 5 days. I am to rest (I struggle to rest on Sundays) On Day 6 (because Day 5 is Sunday) I can do 14 jars a day for a week. THEN mentioned so CAN HUBBY.As Doc does the canning (in fact we have another couple that the man does the canning) so he figures Hubby can do it also. My line of thinking , I'll do the canning (put jars in , take jars out) and he can process the food to the jars... which is a lot more work. Guess we could flip who does what (that is not happening at all as I know my Hubby), he will take jars out and take jars to basement.

A friend told me trouble comes in 3s. SO Hubby's dad cancerous bowel tumor, Hubby's heart attack and great grandbaby born too early was the first 3, Hubby's covid, grandson in Army came out due to damaged knee, daughter 2's ankle is second 3. My covid, Son 2 heart event ... we are missing one and I am okay with that. GEEZE.

Do we get to count M's brother getting electrocuted and it past through his hands and feet?? Since we were the one to get the message... fun trying to pass phone calls to Amish while you have covid. I now have a sign on door not answering due to covid. My UPS guy honked until I stepped out and told me he put us on his church prayer chain AGAIN. No one around here can find out what he was doing around electricity to begin. It's not something they are usually around even when working construction site they ask the electric not be on until they are done.  

I need to pay bills

Snickering

 M sent the 3 little ones over. They each has acorn squash. We were thinking she got ran over... hummm nope. Little E "harvested" our compost and took them home for dinner. They explained they were ours and he was stealing food from us which made him cry. Hubby thanked him for harvesting them for us, just to ask the next time before he picks them. Actually we had missed them when harvesting pumpkins. Which Little E let him know the rest of the pumpkins are ready also. They have to enforce not stealing strongly.  E told us later that Little E said he should have asked his Dad first if it was okay to ask us if it was okay to pick them. I struggled at first to follow that statement LOL. 

We both were a little upset that they came down so strong but we understand their faith isn't tolerant of it at that age. He is old enough to know it's on our property so it's ours as he is 6. M was upset with E because the child crossed the FENCE to get to our compost pile AKA Hubby's garden as it seems every year something grows in it.  And E didn't realize the kids were not with him. He has them help clean up the saw mill (not near the actual saw). SO E got in trouble also.

THEN the widow on the other side thought the birds had ate all her cherry tomatoes and come over and asked if she could harvest some of ours No problem as they ran us over. Hubby asked if the little ones (what we call E's kids that aren't in school) had been over to see her as they think of her as a grandparent. YES they had. We told her about Little E and the squash. She stopped and asked Little E if he had ate her little tomatoes and he told her that the 3 of them did. M sighed. Widow told her she's not feeding them enough if they are looking for food else where. M came over and told me what was said and I backed widow. I also pointed out that they are looking for veggies so she needs to increase that serving for them.  E stopped two days later and said the kids are eating twice as much as she was serving them and they both told them that if they are still hungry to say something. I told him that when they see the pan is empty they think there is no more food so they might offer to make something. She's went to having raw veggies in the spring house for snacks. Told E that the kids ate through 3 large zucchini she has cut up like cucumbers like I suggested in one day (she was happy the zucchini was ate as her's is still coming on) She harvest her potatoes early just to have another veggie on the table. They have watermelon and cantaloupe daily   She already puts bread on the table every meal and has some kind of dessert. I told E best buy more material as M was going to need bigger clothes as that means they are growing. He sighed. Widow said she was there when he passed that message on and M sighed also but walked over and made a list to send with the oldest to school as the school teacher's mother does the fabric for the community. LOL  I was like ..she doesn't have to go shopping (isn't that nice)for material as they all wear the same fabric and basic colors. Boys pants are blue, wear brown, green, gray or blue shirts. White shirts for boys in summer or church. Girls dresses are brown, gray, green, and blue Church pants and dresses are black. It came home yesterday as the kids in the back of the buggy waved it at me as they passed.  LORD only knows when she is going to get more time to get more clothes made. She's already up at 3 now getting laundry done so she can start canning after that. I can see her lamp on in the wash room. I should have asked when they hold church, if she's lucky it will be Nov and the ladies all come over to help do a deep cleaning of the home for church so she won't be doing it with just the kids over the weekend when the kids are home to help.

We all told them to not feel bad, their kids should know they can say they are hungry to them. M said she told the kids to pick their tomatoes to eat, I told her they could come over and pick our cherry tomatoes as we have more than plenty. I notice she had the older kids come over after school and pick a basket of cherry tomatoes. We got a dozen eggs and a pie sitting on the porch for us. 

Maple tree forecast

 I have noticed the last few years that the east maple tree starts turning about 4 to 6 wks. before the 1st snow. It started turning 2 weeks ago.

She's watching to see if I come up through E's pasture. 

This year it's turning faster than last year. 

I need to get the stove cleaned and ready and the front porch set up for wood. Hubby is allowed to move wood (with breaks) starting next week. Since it's load the tractor bucket and move it we should be able to handle it with breaks. 

Tomatoes need picked LOL. I did get 14 quarts of pears canned, am making pear sauce of what is left.

This week... back to ER

Thursday:

We ate the last of the leftovers except biscuits

I got green beans done. 

I planted 6 varieties of garlic so that took 6 garden beds out from spring planting.

We bought a very old apple press. Hubby is bored. Right now we have E's kids pick the apples, E takes them to the cider press guy and we pay to have apple cider. E paid for the cider this year so we only got 1 gallon. His oldest boy went with Hubby to get the press (he made sure Hubby wasn't lifting). Hubby showed him where the Scioto river starts as it's runs past his grandpa and uncle's home. We will have to learn how to use this press. It takes about 40 apples to make a gallon of cider.

Friday:

Appts are time suckers. 

Worse when you already don't feel well and your great PA( I've watched him take on his own boss to back me) decides to become a wall and not listen. He thinks I should suck it up and get rid of what ever to pay for biologics when I am on Medicare. I finally told him I would when he paid my mortgage for the farm, the taxes and the insurance. He frowned at me over that. Doesn't want me to go back on the OTC meds I was on that worked before the company was sold and the idiots that bought it changed the formula to be worthless. Wanted me to have blood work done to find out if my biologic is not working (really? Like having break throughs every other time doesn't tell you that? and Not having that done either because I am not paying $250 for it) and was not happy when I said I would ONLY if I didn't have to pay out of pocket. One of the nurses told the doctor he is under and HE called me. He told me to pay the mortgage, do what ever holistic I needed to do and take the old formula (his wife takes it also). He grew up poor, he understands, knows he grandparents had to go without meds due to costs, has watched his parents at times do the same and even though he is a doctor, he is not a rich one and knows at some time he will make the same choices. What he does see is the ones that never had to make that sacrifice, or their parents hide that from them.... are clueless and are really going to struggle when they get older.

We stopped on way home at Hurley's Farm. We know they sell a variety  of winter squash. They even had the baby butternut so Hubby got 3 of them, we picked up 2 more Acorn squash (A's wife B  had a couple) I picked up 1 spaghetti squash. It's a so and so on our like list but it's another veggie on the table. We also got carrot cake, pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting and fry pies, pumpkin, blackberry and buckeye (we have no freaking clue but hope for peanut butter and chocolate)

We went and got my meds the PA insisted I have even though the ER put me on antibiotics.  Doc told me to NOT take that strength To take half (pharmacy back that as Doc called them to fix that order) and I can't take it while on antibiotics. 

We had sausage gravy over the leftover biscuits. Both of us is calling it an early night.

Saturday, Hubby was doing odd jobs in the yard and E come ask me if Hubby was allowed to do that before he stopped him. GOOD NEIGHBOR. Yes he is allowed. As of Saturday the 5 lb. weight limit was lifted though I noticed he still put the brace on the wrist that they used to enter his artery. He did some small odd jobs that has been on the list forever. Got the info to fix the solar pump then had to find old computer as the new one doesn't do ethernet cable and you have to have that to program it. He is going to let the company know they need to update how to program it. 

THEN  we were back to ER... this time not for us but Son 2 who is single was in ER. HE was vomiting, shaking, and BP was high. They thought heart attack. ER called and told me as he couldn't hold phone due to shaking. I told them his BP runs high, his old doctor refused to put him on meds because he was active duty and he is retired. ASK HIM when he last drank water instead of pop.... he couldn't remember... yeah. He was dehydrated. His VA doc and civilian doc now know he has a problem. His follow ups are this week. He also knows to lay off drinking pop when he is working a family day at the VFW or at least drink water every other time as they have bottle water. 

Not only that STUPID drove himself instead of calling the squad AND went to an ER that isn't connected to a hospital so would have had to transfer him to the hospital that was actually closer to him that the squad would have taken him to. HE got that lecture from the ER doctor and then another about having his parents who both had been in the ER in the past week drive 2 hrs. to come get his car and drive him home. 

Wait until Daughter 2 gets ahold of him as she is only 15 minutes from him and could have took him to the ER (attached to hospital) if he was that freaking concerned about squad bill. We thought he had called her and she wasn't able to go get his car and him... 

OF COURSE, that retriggered my Crohn's and Hubby's BP was up so we sat around on Sunday enjoying the decent weather. Hubby brought up how stupid it was for Son2 to drive himself to the ER with a possible heart attack. I said he is his father's son since he just was going to drive himself to Urgent care and WAS having a heart attack. 

I do have to order mesh bags for the apple press. Hubby wanted a ladder to use to get things out of his tool box on the back of the truck. I told him to use the freaking steps built in the end of the truck. He was not happy with me but I made it clear he was just being lazy and if getting into the bed of his truck using those steps was too much he needed to sell that big truck and get something smaller he could manage. 

Then he said something about buying another vehicle... NOT now, we have hospital bills to pay off and the next vehicle we buy I am picking out as it will be the one I drive the most. I am not just going after something that isn't a good fit and definitely not when I know there are bills in the thousands to be paid off. He got nasty mouthed (which is not his norm, well wasn't his norm until the dementia started that they know think was caused by his heart issues). I can handle nasty mean mouth. Mother was the champ in that contest. He came back two hours later and said he was sorry and figured he made the Crohn's worse... I asked for his BP... it was up also. HE sighed. Made note on his phone of talking over with his Cardiologist about his blow ups as he put it. I told him he was a grenade not a bomb if that would help. Got a laugh out of him but he was quiet the rest of the night which was peaceful. 

I know we don't NEED another car at this point. He is not working so we can balance doctor appts BUT I also know the work truck costs more to run as it's diesel.

He is struggling with what is a want vs a need. 

He can start on the wood shed this coming week. 

I have to laugh.

 Hubby just got up to go to potty... I was thinking he was up so I went to go lay down... before I get back to the bedroom I hear him tell Charlotte to go lay down he was going back to sleep... AND HE IS already back to sleep. He has NEVER been able to go right back to sleep.

 I got her to curl up on the couch across from his chair he is sleeping in, Tucked her in since she has her nose up her butt means she is cold. I noticed Hubby has an extra blanket so I turned the furnace up 2 degrees... the front room will be 70. 

I can see the widow on the other side of E is up and outside with her dog in the dark as she has a flashlight and is following the dog with it. It's a little dog that had been her late mom's and then her late husband. 

The widow on our other side is out on her deck... H's dog is over there and she is shooing it home. He is the Amish that property comes up to the side of ours. Even though his lane is on the other road it's nothing for his kids or dogs to "visit" coming around the other pond at the other's neighbors.  

E and the kids are out doing chores, flash light all over the place. Kerosene light in the barn so the girls are milking in the back stall.  

I think about if I had lost him.  Our wills etc. need update. That phone call is for Monday as that lawyer is on vacation. Our old will would stand but still we need to update as Ohio changed the inheritance rules.   

He made a comment about I needed help to do a couple things, E pointed out in front of me that if I can't do it NOW while he is alive, means I need to change it as he wouldn't be here if he was dead. I was glad he said it before I did. 

BUT it is a fact. 

I need to be able to back the 350 (aka work truck) and back it with our small trailer and the wood wagon. 

 I need to know who to call for maintenance for that tractor. I know who does the 350, the Silverado and the zero turn lawnmower. I can call the widow to our south to find out who works on her mower for our other mower we used for spraying the lane. I would need name of good tow truck if the truck went down. 

I need to be comfortable with tractor and changing equipment Daughter 2 told me to youtube it. Daughter 4 backed that, seems both do it for household repairs even though they both rent. I can do household repairs but I don't do anything connected to propane. I have the number of appliance repair guy, son of an old classmate. 

I wouldn't need to cut my own wood as I could get scrap wood from sawmills (we have 4-6) that sell that. I would need a truck or suv to pull that wagon. If I got to car I would need to have someone deliver it to me. Might not save enough doing that. 

I need to be comfortable with running the chainsaw and wood splitter.

I would need to remove all the phone numbers off his phone and put on mine as he makes the calls to the repairs guys. 

BUT could I do the work here?  

Yes, I wouldn't raise as much garden unless I was selling it at auction (possible thought as income would drop by 25 %)That would also be a way to stay connected to community and have purpose to get out of house. Maybe grow plants for just one person and sell little sets of different plants "1 or 2 person" as I definitely didn't need 4 to 6 of each variety I got. 

But all the rest. Yes I can do it, I can age in place. He just has to quit hogging the tractor etc. LOL  

SO far behind. ... LANA I have question

Lana, what was the holistic site you suggested?.... my GI  and a couple friends (one has RA and can't afford her 3 biologics) would like to look at it. 

I did get the tomatoes that was picked canned as pasta sauce. But I haven't been to the gardens.

The garlic is in to plant for next year's garlic. That will be today. 

 I got one more round of zucchini to go in dehydrators. Still have a few for a fresh dish. 

I still need to wash potatoes and put them in storage. 

I need to deal with watermelon. I need to reorganize the frigs as there is a lot of fresh produce that needs ate NOW.

I told Hubby we are having pork, sweet potato, brussels sprouts and carrot cake Saturday... he looked at me and then laughed. First day of Autumn . 

I still need to do the fall cleaning including the wood stove and winter curtains as it sounds to be a doozy coming at us and maybe earlier than late Nov. which is usual for us.

Primary Doc is a friend, he told Hubby, he can cut wood with chain saw but not lift wood to buzz saw. He is to have the Amish neighbor kids pick the wood up and stack it or I can. He can use the gas motor splitter but not by hand. As his doctor he can advise, as his friend of decades he can put his foot up his butt. Since even his friend from where he worked as been on him, the friend that Hubby saved his life doing chest compressions when he dropped from heart attack at work... he is listening. HE had a doctor appt yesterday.. just a lot of paperwork but it was an 2 hr. drive to it. He told the nurse he was going to set his phone alarm for 30 mins. and take a nap in the corner of their waiting room before he drove him. They took him back to their break room so he could lay down on the couch. She called to let me know he was taking a nap before heading home and their head nurse was going to listen to his heart before he would leave to make sure nothing was going on. They are medical for his brain. Definitely a good office to care beyond their specialty. 

I need to look for part D for myself. LOL I know I am doing straight Medicare (already talked to all my doctors) and I will get Medigap from AARP (been member for 10 yrs) so Part D is the last part. I've looked a bit but need to finalize that so on Oct 1st I can just slap that on and have it set for Jan 1st (I turn 65 in Jan) 

Hubby has had the doctors he is seeing now to take both his medical cards so it's 1 time of doing paperwork. He just has to remind them to remove the other insurance next month. The one was so excited as it removes the preapproval crap (their word to Hubby). 

Hubby's new Cardo doctor that works here in town besides over to the hospital one town over. Made a point of going past our house. Took one look at the gardens in front of the house. She asked if we grew dried beans. Not this year as we have 150 lbs.  of them in storage. Said put them in the rotation of eating 3 to 4 times a week. Hubby shook his head, nope wife has Crohns. So she said once a week for me and four for him. Then he told her I canned part of them so we could have a quick meal. No sense buying canned refried beans when I can open a jar I canned for the same thing. I can eat a little of beans at a time, but not back to back days. Refried doesn't bother me at all... or hasn't yet.

 Since Hubby has been in hospital , Charlotte has been waking me up at 2 and as long as I am here in dining room until Hubby wakes up she will leave him alone and she sleeps. I think she is "nurse on duty" until 2 and I get the next shift. I am okay with it. I can go back to sleep.