Weather weird and being frugal

 First it was warm, then the temperature dropped 20 degrees and started raining which was not in the forecast at all for us... Since it was 55℉ at noon we started this

I even cooked supper of corn beef hash and peas on it.  We found the wood we have this year produces a hotter fire and the outside temp also went back up some.

 So use less wood. This is what we were burning

Yes, just scraps of wood from the sawmill and from where Hubby cut wood to size for our stove. We have 12 of these containers full.

Hubby decided at 9:30 pm he was going to let it go out because the house was up to 85℉, he added the powder we have to fight cresote (we also have cresote logs) before letting it go out... it's going on 4 AM and it's still 77℉. 

The weather forecast has changed for this coming week. We were suppose to get below 32℉... not seeing that as of today in the forecast.

I still have 5 garden beds to clear, cherry tomatoes, tomatoes and bell peppers. Pumpkins will be harvested also. The last of the garlic I ordered to plant should be in Monday so that will be done also.

We have green tomatoes, so I plan to have fried green tomatoes this week. We have cabbage... so maybe cabbage steaks from middle of cabbage and fried cabbage with fried potatoes and cole slaw from the rest of the cabbage. 

Bellpeppers will be diced and put in freezer. I will make more tomato sauce as Son2 asked for help with groceries. He goes back to work Tuesday after being off work on medical for 2 months. He told his doctor if he didn't go back to work his mom and finacee was going to strangle him . He is such a negative person when he has no purpose. AND since he couldn't be with finacee due to covid, he couldn't even help her besides help with the bills and get her money for food so she could eat.

 Hubby has refilled the older beds with raised bed soil. We will have to save up again to buy more soil for the new garden raised beds.

I look at what we have fresh to eat, then what needs used up... those 2 thoughts have helped with meal planning. I can be honest neither of us is interested in anything with tomatoes as they have ran us over. This week of fried green tomatoes is okay as we haven't had them for awhile.

Nephew with transplanted lungs did his last round of IV steroids. He goes back in for pulmonary testing on the 21st to see if it was just a nasty bug in his lungs or if he is starting to reject the lungs. Praying it was a nasty bug.

Son 2's finacee's 5 yr old son has had 3 surgeries for brain bleeds and a herniated disk surgery from the whiplash in the accident. The surgeon is hoping that fixes it all. Son2 and momma are both broke financially. She has horrible insurance from work on top of being off work now for a solid month due to covid herself, covid for the child and now this accident. They were supposed to get married next month but have backed it off and will set date after child gets released.

His grandparents found out that the car that rear ended them had NO insurance as required by the state of Ohio. Grandfather is still off work and the grandmother has no car to get to work as it totalled hers so has been using her hubby's until he gets back to work. They are broke also since can't go to work. Lawyer will have to deal with the mess. 

Son 2 is cutting what he can, didn't realize he was nickle and diming himself. Saw a YouTube of Clara Cannucciari (died 2013) done by her grandson Christopher Cannucciari of Depression Cooking... he was going on and on about it until I sent him a photo of her cook book (Clara's Kitchen) and told him that he grew up with some of her meals LOL.

Hubby's uncle ended up in ER, thought he was passing blood in his stool, he's eating too high of iron diet and has the intestinal virus I had at beginning of year. We all were thankful that was all it was.

We put the deck furniture in the barn. Hubby prepped the pump house for winter.

I still need to finish fall cleaning but that will be done after garden and berry patch has been dealt with. Maybe next 2 wks.

Prayers for peace

Blessed Be

Saving money

 As tempting as it is to wipe out the savings and pay the truck repair and new hearing aids... I told Hubby I would try to just crunch the budget and see how much I can scrape up before pulling the savings. We will put it on a credit card  for the points and some time before it's due.

The furnace is on from 9 pm to 7 am at 72℉. From 7 AM to 9 PM it is off. We have used 1% of our propane for 3 wks. Hubby isn't going to turn on the pump house heater until it drops to 33 ℉. Right now the temperature in it is 57 ℉.  We used 20% less propane than we did last year. We will start the wood stove this weekend. 

We used Good RX Gold to cover medication that is tier 3 and tier 4 on our regular Part D. When the lady checking us out saw the cost of my one med her eyes widened, $389. Her mouth dropped open when she put the Good Rx number in and $29.99 was the costs. She decided to enroll her parents when she got home.  Between both our meds we saved $401.00 I moved that amount to savings I put back for medical as our Good RX Gold membership is due next month.

We got our eyes checked at Walmart, cheapest around here. Neither of us needed new glasses and I had found 3 sets in computer case I used to take to Son2's when he was going to Annual Training that I can't remember when I got them, must be over 7 yrs ago as Walmart didn't have them on my record but they are close enough to what I wear now I can use them also. She put stickies on the cases so I would know what was for computer and what was for reading. I used the credit card to pay for it even though that money is sitting in checking so I could get the points.

I used my points on credit cards to pay towards the card bill saving total of $22.00. 

Hubby needed some odds and ends from Amazon. I used my points to pay for it that was on my Amazon card.

Hubby got fuel at Kroger's. He had put the gas cans in the bed of the truck. Using my points from Kroger's and my Kroger credit card, he saved 75¢per gallon. That was $15.00 savings.

I didn't go to the store for anything. We will need milk. 

Hubby put his brake sensor repair and his oil change on his credit card. Called and asked me which one got the best points. LOL. 

I got a medical bill so paid it, then they came back and told me that they didn't catch that I had medigap and it paid it so they refunded my money to my credit card. Should cover the Advent candles I just ordered. 

I did comparison of what we have for Part D. We use AARP Medigap. I will be staying with WellCare. Hubby is changing to WellCare from Aetna as they increased from $5.30 to over $40. So that will be changed after Oct 15th.

I am off all of my prescription meds except 1 due to really bad side effects. One I was taking for bone health, it actually causes bones to break. My doctor was flipping over that news.  I am not saving there as my meds costs me nothing but I am not taking OTC meds for the pain that was being caused so I am saving on that part.

Charlotte in wanting me to go out with her. 
Prayers prayers and more prayers.

Blessed be

update on 2 of family and what we got done.

 Nephew was on antibotics for a week, now on day 2 of 3 days of IV steroids. In Nov they will check his lungs  to see if it's infection or if he is rejecting his transplant lungs.

5 yr Old is son 2's finacee son. He has had 3 seizures and a very light stroke. Went back into surgery late last night for the 3rd time, was back in ICU afterwards. Now he is coming off sedation very slowly but has started running a fever so they are worried he has sepsis since he had covid/flu/pneumonia 10 days before the accident. I talked to financee on the phone. She thanked us for helping her financially as we paid 2 copays for testing and sent her money so she can eat since she is stuck in the hospital. If she leaves she can't come back. She choose a cheap Affordable care plan and didn't think about it requiring her to pay co pay for all testing. Son2 is covering her cell phone and her car insurance and some of the testing. She is self employed. She is thankful. She was crying when she started talking to me but laughing when she hung up. She was passing nephew's name to the hospital preacher when he came in. A friend asked their preacher to also check on her and VA requested on Son's behalf that a local chaplain check on her. They can get in ICU if not been sick where we can't even though we haven't been sick. Son2 also was sick when grandson to be was sick and he is off work on medical. Hopes to get cleared today to go back to work (Finacee and us to as he is bored and driving everyone crazy).

We got the softener salt delivered. Should have enough salt to get us to spring. I told the guy he was our last fill for winter and he laughed and said he was taking his load home also and it was his as the wood is in. He has family in Tampa, St Pete  and Clearwater. Son 2 's friend has parents in Tampa and couldn't get out (needed ambulance to transport). They wrote their names, birthdays and next of kin phone number on their bodies so if they didn't make it, they still could be ID'd. Just makes me want to cry.

I canned 3 quarts of tomato juice from the bed we cleared the other day and the table at barn where tomatoes are finishing ripening. 

I filled the night time wood rack in house. Hubby finished spliting some night time wood so instead of taking to wood shed and then moving again, he just put it in the rack on front porch. So that rack is half full.

I filled one of the two wood racks for day wood (lighter weight, doesn't last as long as night wood) filled a 5 gallon bucket with small limbs Hubby cut up and filled a old plastic dish washing tub with scab wood that was mostly bark.

We will finish filling the racks today or tomorrow as we are expecting a scattered frost this morning and a good solid frost (might be killing frost) on Sunday morning.  So gardens will be finish being cleared by then unless I cover the bell peppers. Because it's messy to clear half frosted tomatoes plants.

I finished dehydrating the basil so I have enough for the year. 

Hubby turned 66 yesterday. He spent the morning getting the short in brake light fixed at dealership, got oil change etc. Decided to have them go over everything since winter was coming up soon. Good thing he did as the steering linkage (what turns the front wheels) was in need of replacement $4500... better to have found it before it broke when he was driving even though that is an OUCH on the finances. It's safe to drive for a bit. He scheduled it for the 16th. They should have all the parts in by then.

Then he went to get his hearing aids cleaned and tweaked as they were beeping in his ears... He needs to replace them by the end of the year as they are over 4 yrs old and are not staying charged more than 8 hours. $4200.... seems to be the magic number of OUCHs.

I will be going over the budget today, paying bills and figuring out next year's budget. 

Prayers Prayers and more Prayers

Blessed be

Frugalness done (since I am not sleeping)

 Hubby replaced some of the oil lamp wicks and filled all the lamps. E paid for our oil because Hubby pulled his wood wagon out of the ditch the other night. Horses slide on the wet payment the wagon went off the edge and down the ditch. It's not got a good berm in that area. 

E and his oldest son started replacing the wood shed roof. Got half done before the hurricane winds and rain came through (in Ohio so not as bad as down south). E told Hubby where to get the metal roofing from and it was half of what Hubby had priced at the lumber yard. They got some work to finish up (the kind that pays the bills) and then they will finish it. Wouldn't take any money for  it because we let them cut ice for their entire family from our pond for their ice houses and make blocks of ice in our freezer so they can make ice cream. 

The furnace is on only at night and at 70. It's too warm during the day to start the wood stove.We have 20% more propane in the tank than we did this time last year. Most likely to go to wood stove mid month. Right now the nights are cool enough but the days are in 70s so the house warms up.  

 We cleaned 10 more beds in the gardens. Only 8 more to go. I canned another 5 qrts of tomato sauce. I mentioned to Son2 that I had over a year's amount and wasn't sure where I could put what was coming in as ALL my shelves are full. He suggested in the corner of the pantry where the wood smoker chips used to be  and put the sauce jars back in canning jar boxes. I put a board down (I don't put jars on cement) and made sure the box would fit.  He mentioned he might need groceries as the medical bills are horrible. His fiancee has lousy insurance but it comes with her job. I would not be surprised if they move up when they are getting married as they were looking at a year from now just because of medical bills. 

I got the comparison for my part D... Wellcare. Still the best for me. 

Will be doing Hubby's today as he got frustrated with it and decided I could handle it (I usually do LOL)

We will continue with AARP medigap and Medicare as it was really good for us.

Front room has been deep cleaned and the winter curtains and throw blankets (I don't think we will use them with the wood stove) are in it. 

Hubby put a shelf up over his hanging clothes in bathroom for his Ham Radio odds and ends which was taking a good chunk of the floor and making it hard to sweep the floor. I also moved the garden seeds to south loft where I store them during the winter. I will finish sorting them during the winter. That cleared the one small table (used to be my desk with no drawers). Since Hubby moved his Ham radio extras stuff I was able to move the printer and table down enough for the hamper to put the extra furniture covers and throws in it and it not be in front of a window. I moved Daddy's chair to the bedroom and moved Mother's rocker from bedroom to front room.  Charlotte sleeps in both. Rocker took up less room so I could move my glider over and we brought in a barrel?pot? hummm think pot for a 5 yr old fruit tree... filled with odds and ends of wood for small fires or just to pop the heat up some to sit where the glider was. Then I was able to put the small stand that holds the ash bucket and welder sleeves (so we don't burn our arms as Hubby has little feeling in his forearms and legs) at the end of his desk where the glider was. Now we have plenty of room for the 3 racks we have for wood in house.  He did bring some up to the front porch for in case we need it before next week. We plan to load more of the wood inside and on front porch this week. 

I went through the meds, personal items, cleaning products including ridx for septic tank, paper goods, dog items, nonfood (foil, bags etc) and rechecked the inventory list of food. I need canned mushrooms.  I do buy fresh once a month but I use a lot of the canned kind the rest of the month. I checked my yeast in the freezer and my flours . I was low on dental sticks for Charlotte so I ordered them. Ordered the ridx pods, meds and bandages also. The rest is good for a year or longer. I don't think we will need filters for the humidifers

I made 5 gallons of laundry soap and then used part of it to scrub some rubbermaids that Hubby was given that were filthy. He is using them in the barn.

I checked to make sure we had the savings where we need it (always want more) and the budget is on target.  We start this month on the new budget. 

Prayers for 2 family members

 Nephew who had a double lung transplant 5 yrs ago is having issues. Tests have been ran and they are waiting for results. Has to go in 3 days in a row for steroid infusion treatment. Not sure if he has picked up an infection or if his body is now rejecting the lungs. At least OSU is making arrangements for the local hospital to do the treatments so they don't have to drive 2 1/2 hrs to do that and then pay for motel.

Son2's fiancee's 5 yr old austic son was in a car accident with his grandparents. Grandparents are recovering at home, he is in hospital with a brain bleed from hitting his head on the Ipad he was reading during the accident. Also has whiplash so a bruise on the brain on the back of brain also but it's not bleeding. Going in to surgery this morning. Because the entire family including Son2 just had covid (test negative now) only his mother can be with him and she can't even meet them in parking lot. Hospital has rule no visitors that had covid in last 30 days. So she is there with no support. Their internet sucks(which means she is off work as she works from home) and you can't get much signal on cell phone. Limited usuage of room phone is set by hours the child is supposed to be sleeping. SIGH. 

rosuvastatin side effects

 confusion, muscle and joint pain, headache, weakness, dizziness, stomache pain,nausa, constipation, diarrhea, (HA HA NOT),sore throat, joint pain, cough, fatigue, hives/itching (yep), indigestion, bloating,irregular heart beat (part of my heart failure) , diabetes with liver damage (already had hepititis as a child caught at a children's hospital so liver is already damaged)

Lisinopril/ Hydrochlorothiazide side effects

 nausa, weakness, dizziness, fatigue, shortness of breathe, trouble swallowing, 

heart arrhythmia (I already have heart failure) blurred vision, heart burn, fever, chest pain, diarrhea (I have Crohns), confusion, chest pain, constipation (isn't that nice?) small  sores rash that doesn't heal, cramps, back pain (have deformed spine from birth) 

Alendronate sodium side effects

 Alendronate sodium ... taken to help keep bones healthy..

side effects

Unusual thigh bone breaks (mine cracked then cracked my hip) 

Sever jaw bone issues (can't get a tooth inplant because of it) 

bone joint and muscle pain

Esophagus problems (I have trouble swallowing at times)

Low calcium levels (Low calcium levels, also known as hypocalcemia, can cause a number of health problems, including: 

• Neuromuscular irritability: Symptoms include tingling, numbness, and fatigue in the extremities and around the mouth. 
• Muscle spasms: Muscle cramps, spasms, and twitches can occur in the hands, fingers, face, throat, and arms. Spasms in the throat can make it hard to breathe. 
• Seizures: Usually only occur in severe cases of hypocalcemia. 
• Heart problems: Abnormal heart rhythms, fainting, and even heart failure can occur. Low calcium levels are also linked to an increased risk of sudden cardiac arrest. 
• Kidney problems: Kidney stones and kidney failure can occur. 
Poor oral health: Teeth can become more susceptible to decay and loosening. 
Cataracts: Calcium deficiency is a factor in the development of cataracts. 
Osteoporosis: Calcium deficiency is a factor in the development of osteoporosis, a condition that causes bones to become weak and brittle. 

LORD

Please be with the sick kids and ones that are struggling pay their bills especially since they are in Springfield OH and dealing with bomb threats and fear of bomb threats even after they have stopped. While at work and school. Schools should be a safe place to be. 

Please give us wisdom to manage the finances  and still continue to work towards being able to live our life out here. 

Give us the strength to finish getting the gardens in, clearing beds and planting the fall garlic. 

Give us the energy to get the deep cleaning and minor repairs done before winter hits.

Bless our Amish neighbors for coming over to redo the roof on the wood shed, making sure we were safe and had no flooding in the basement when the rain poured and sent over ice cream, pie and bread more than once. 

Be with those that are struggling, that are celebrating good times and all in between. 

Prayers for peace

Blessed Be 

 

Clearing the gardens... thoughts on meds

I cleared  18 (half of the 36) garden beds, Hubby prepped 5 of them that I marked for the garlic coming in to plant next week. Then cleared out the old potato beds since he was going to have a fire of scraps of tree limbs etc burning in the hole he dug to keep the fire contained. UNLIKE E's fire that came across and started to come in our yard. We caught it happening, Hubby dealt with it while I got E to come help. Two of his fence posts got burnt a little. I told him next time to say something to us so we could help keep an eye on it. He had to go up to his house as one of the kids had problems with calves. We had NO wind when he started it, 15 minutes later wind was close to 10 mph. We have fire extinguishers and water hose so we had it back under control instead of calling fire dept. He said he might have Hubby dig him a trash burn hole like Hubby did for us.

Winter squash and last of watermelon harvested.

Cabbages harvested before the bugs eat them.

Probably lost all of the brussels sprouts as the bugs went nuts over them even after we repeatedly treated them.

There's a little bit of broccoli ready and more bell peppers turning (I can't eat green which is unripe anyways (I did not know that). 

Pumpkins are still growing and slowly turning. Last count was 7 and they are huge. Won't need to grow them next year.

Tomatoes are starting to dry up and bugs are starting to eat the skin of them due to no rain and since I KNOW the deep well is getting low (we get an odor when it does and E told us 2 weeks ago he picked up the odor when filling his 1000 gallon tank for his horses and cattle (same underground spring).  I won't be watering gardens. I am watering the mums I have along with heart flower garden and the vegapod. Dog water is going on flowers pots that the hummingbirds are still eating from. 

I harvested tomato seeds for next year. 

I was making apple cider molasses when it blew up all over the stove. Glad it was off and had been for awhile but an air pocket must have developed and when I stirred it to help it cool down , it "exploded",it was nasty. Thankful I was not taking supper out of the oven when it happened. I had a deep fryer blow up on me when I was 18. Do NOT want to go through it again. I have one more burner to finish cleaning. I can say, I would rather scrub at grease than syrup.

I still need 5 pints of tomato sauce and instead of 8 qrts of pasta sauce I am going to do 16 pints instead for when we are having ravioli when I would not need as much sauce.

I bought potatoes from an Amish lady, they are small so I will still need to buy baking potatoes. Hubby mentioned wanting to try Hasselback potatoes and English Jacket potatoes.

I still want 2 acorn squashes, 1 large butternut for autumn stew *I grew baby butternut* and 2 spaghetti squash. That will give me 1 winter squash per week until March.

Son2 brought up a way to use extra buns. Hotdog buns can become garlic bread, hamburger buns and sub buns can become mini pizzas.  Last night we used the leftover sub buns for pizza using my pizza sauce (had 1 didn't seal). I need to focus on what I can use in another meal in a different way to lower waste or what gets shoved in freezer and forgotten.

I talked to my pharmacist about my meds when I got a warning of side effects from a med I have been taking for 25 yrs. It's suppose to help prevent bone breaks... it can cause thigh bone breaks along with bone along with jaw bone problems so I couldn't get a dental implant for the tooth I broke, joint and muscle pain and low calcium (which you need for strong bones). They looked up my other 2 meds , both cause bone, joint and muscle pain along with stomach/lower back pain. That pain triggers my Crohn's. 

Talked to my doctor, I understand he looks at what the meds does help but for now on I have to also ask what is the side effects. Meds that cause bone fractures and any kind of pain is not something I want to take. I am off those meds until I see him in 3 months. I have to now take my BP 3 times a day as he is wondering if the bouncing of my BP is coming from the side effects.

Need to go finish scrubbing the stove so I can get back to canning. 

Blessed Be

Prayers for peace and truths.  

UPDATE

 49 days to election !!!!!

I am going back to gardens to finish taking them down and get the last of it processed.

Neither of us is watching more than the weather. 

I have turned off my latest updates for my local news due to Lies from JD Vance and Trump... I am more upset with JD. 

SICK AND TIRED

 

I have been independant, Republican and Democratic...

I will NOT put a felon who thinks it's fine to grab women privates even when they don't want that touch. I will not put a felon that thinks it's okay to not pay his fair share of taxes or hides how he pays off his affair with a porn star. I feel for his wife and young son.

I will NOT vote for JD Vance that is our state senator that is supposed to be HELPING our state NOT LYING .. THEY ARE HERE LEGALLY JD . My grandson couldn't go to school due to bomb threats while you brag about not verifying your facts and willing to lie to get attention.

Like Jim Jordan who has never passes a single law he did on his own though he as cosponsored some that did  pass. He has repeatedly voted against the farming bill that would help OHIO farmers. 

I will add that they should have been required to take drivers training before getting behind a wheel on their own, but really..we have  folk doing drag racing through Columbus and the cops are trying to deal with that.

The Election wasn't stolen but Trump and his GANG are trying to steal it with lying NOW.

From NBC https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/baseless-rumors-haitian-immigrants-threaten-unravel-springfield-ohio-rcna170513

 From 12,000 to 15,000 Haitians who fled political turmoil and violence in their home country have landed in Springfield over the past five years, arriving in the U.S. under a federal humanitarian program for migrants, according to the city. Others are in the U.S. on tourist visas and green cards.

“Many of them were professionals, ​​medical doctors, attorneys, teachers, engineers, you name it,” said Sophia Pierrelus, an immigration advocate who left the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince nearly two decades ago. “Culture shock happens for both Americans and Haitians.”

In the gardens for storage

 We have 9 red kuri squash, 3 possibly 4 dickinson pumpkins, and 6 baby butternut. 

I want to pick up 2 spaghetti squashs and 2 acorn squashs.  That should cover us of 1 squash each week from October to March.

My onions are the size of golf balls. I said something to M and she asked if I really needed a big onion... I got to thinking about that. Not really unless I am using it in something that I am canning. I usually cut a big onion in a thick slice for my casseroles etc. SO a golf ball size one or a couple of them would work just fine. I need to check which ones are cured and deal with putting them in storage.

Hubby checked garlic that has been curing. It's ready for storage also.

I have room for 8 qrts of pasta sauce, 10 pints of tomato sauce, 16 pints of ketchup/catsup and 16 half pints of pizza sauce.Then all the shelves are full.I need to organize the herbs and spices but that can wait until winter.

I am dehydrating the cherry tomatoes that are coming in.

I have room for 7 more meals of half bell peppers for stuffing and 1 gallon on diced bell peppers and 6 more meals of eggplant in the freezers. Then the freezers are full until we quit making ice for M to make ice cream. In the past week we have received chocolate and strawberry ice cream... she used the flavoring for kids' milk to make the ice cream. Was good. I added small frozen strawberries in ours.

Seeds I planted for fall garden in the garden beds did not sprout. I think the birds got them as we have noticed a lot more birds on the electric wire at the road. The ones I planted in the vegopod are doing well. I also have 3 cabbage plants started that I hope will grow for this winter. They are 90 to 120 days from seed.

I've already bought my seeds for next year except for flowers. I am still debating on growing my own or buying from Amish. The one that died I used to buy from, the young lady she trained is going to run the greenhouse with her sister for the widower. The other Amish I bought from told Hubby that she was going to 3 days a week as she has no one to help her since school started and the oldest girl got married and moved away.

Be safe

Prayers for peace

Blessed be 

current home pics

 

We are going to redo the gardens(berries are on other side of driveway with asparagus) and thinking of adding a green house. The one Amish family built one and the wife told Hubby that the vents work nice that it didn't get over heated during the 100 heat index days but it would need heat if trying to grow through the winter if we get a cold winter.

From a distance you can't tell we have a ramp on the front porch.

We have the roofing supplies for the wood shed (small red building to right of house) E is going to put it on. It doesn't leak so if he don't get to it this fall, it's okay. He is finishing up his wife's wash house, his mother's wash house and his sawmill building while harvesting hay, planting cover crop and waiting for the feed corn to finish ripening. LOL

Aug 31st

 6 years ago we looked at this house. A lot has changed and I should update this photo. 

We bought it March of 2018, 3 years later I had paid off 20% so we refinianced to get rid of PMI and get a rate half of what we had.

Sept of 2021 was the start date for the new mortgage. We took 30 yr. loan as it had the best rate and payment. We have paid off 9 years in the 3 yrs we have had the loan. 

Hubby is okay with that rate, figuring we will have it paid off in 7 years.

I want to get it paid off in 5 yrs. I wrote out how to do it, what the budget would be and still cover repairs and a down payment for a new to us truck or SUV (I struggle to get out of a car).

I compared it to a slow pay bankruptcy, A chapter 13... but reality is we have no other loans BUT the mortgage. We have some odds and ends needing done for maintenance on the homestead. BUT they are things we can save up for.

I know the electric bill is going to be higher than normal for Aug due to AC running for a solid week (heat index over 100). Finally broke that heat wave, still NO RAIN . I already started pulling plants from the gardens. 

I would like to have 12 more pints of plain tomato sauce, 12 more quarts of pasta sauce and 16 pints of catsup. I would like to vacuum bag 7 more halves of bell peppers so I can have stuffed bell pepper once a month. I would like 6 more meals of eggplant in freezer to have it twice a month. Except for winter squash ( I have red kuri and small butternut, want to add acorn and spaghetti squash) those would cover main groceries for the year until next year's gardens. We need to buy apples also. 

I have Jan. king cabbages and Brussel sprouts in the gardens that will be ready after the first frost. The cabbages will hold until Jan/Feb with a row cover. The winter squash will be ready then also along with the Dickinson pumpkins.

We have the new garden beds to put together and the dirt needed to fill them. I have drip line to install... might need to add to it but we can work with that by saving for what we are short. I have seeds and seed starting soil already. I will need to pick up some flower seeds to grow for my hanging baskets since the Amish grower died I haven't found anyone that is as good as she was with baskets. 

I will have to get sweet potato starters, seed potatoes and onion sets. I have that in the budget.

I wrote it out for Hubby as he does better seeing it and it will help me track what we are spending. We have maintenance on the tractor and both lawnmowers and his truck this fall.

I just need to update the finance spread sheet.  Between canning and harvesting LOL.

Stay safe

Prayers for peace (counting down days until election and all that is over)

Blessed Be 

from the gardens

 I made tomato sauce, I thought I had some in the pantry, rechecked and found ZERO, I had double the amount of tomatoes and tomato juices though. There was very little "water" after running through the mill and letting it sit over night in the frig. I got 41 pints, both canners are on the stove as I play catch up on the computer. I will make catsup/ketchup next harvest.

I have froze eggplant, halved bell peppers for the sausage apple stuffing muffins I already have in the freezer, bell peppers diced (stir fries, 123 pasta, potatoes O'Brein, Philly steak subs and pizza), green beans the size of the width of my thumb to use in stirfries when I pulled the plants. I got some hamburger on sale and make patties, froze them then vacuum bagged them. Got hotdogs on sale, kept 2 packages whole, took the other 3 and broke down into 2 hotdogs vacuumed bagged as Hubby prefers brats (not me). So we can have what we prefer.

I got hotdog buns, hamburger buns and French bread on sale. Vacuum bagged them in amounts we would use and froze them. 

We pulled the all the cucumber vines and the onions are now curing. Onions didn't get very big (too wet, then too dry then too wet again) Since we are back into a dry spell I pulled them. Figured when I only need a little bit I could use them for that. Will look to Amish to see if anyone is selling some or buy from store as needed.

We have 2 canteloupe and 1 watermelon and 1 red kur winter squash harvested.

I need to find apples since ours rotten on the tree. Hubby got them off so that mess is dealt with.

We decided on 2 hams, 2 turkeys and 1 prime rib (Christmas Eve) is the only meat we need to buy.

I pulled up the current USDA food plans...for our age Thrify is $495.90, Low is $540.90, Moderate is $672.90 and Liberal is $803.80.

We pay for our eating out from the grocery budget (including tips) We come in between Low and Moderate.

We would like to be between Thrift and Low.

 We looked at what we order to go or eat out. Wendy's and Burger King so we now have frozen hamburgers and buns, I have raspberry lemonade mix and strawberry lemonade mix. We don't really care for regular French fries unless they are loaded. So I bought sweet potatoes to make them into French fries in the air fryer. 

We will be looking at the rest, some of it is we are out on appts. Others is both are worn out. I have canned more soups to help with that side. 

Stay safe

Prayers for peace

Blessed Be

Welcome to my insane world.

 I stepped up to the window and caught this

I am slowly (in my opinion) recovering. The work load crushed Hubby. I was pretty much sleeping on the bathroom floor for 3 days. I can't remember having the dry heaves so bad or the gas being like labor contractions. Hubby did take over to M what was coming in the garden and told her I was down. I only lost so peaches he forgot.... Really really not bad. 

I have canning, dehyrating and freezing to do. Forget housework at this point. I will clean the sinks and toilets. I did wash all my bedding as I ran a fever of 102(normal for me is 97.9) for 2 days. Took me all day as I dried it on the line then tossed in dryer to "heat" it for germs.

Hubby was going to finish cutting up the last of the wood E had brought up last year he gave us, when E stopped him and told him his brother needed someone to go get supplies for E's mom. Hubby went over and talked him, phone calls made so orders would be ready to be picked up... sounds easy right? HELL NO. 

What should have been a 2 hr. run became a 5 hr run. One company forgot to pull part of the order and they go had make the trip to go get it from other company. Then Hubby was listening to the Brother explain what he was trying to do in the new wash room when Hubby caught that how he was going to run the water wasn't going to work and they sat down with the store guy and worked that out (added an hour). Then as they were getting ready to come home found a message on Hubby's phone that the other brother had a piece of equipment they needed so not too much out of way to swing by and get it RIGHT?  It is when he was in the middle of a project himself USING IT.Being good brother and friend, they helped him finish it before hauling the equipment off. Hubby took 4 messages for E over pallets his is building. E charged the company $5 for each message they had Hubby take when he had Just TALKED TO THEM from our home phone.

SO last night after things quieted down he looked around and admitted he could not handle the house if he was by himself. I told him to not worry about it, he could have E fix the front bay when the orginial owner lived while he built the house for him and rent the rest for one of the Amish. Electric to barn is separate from house so the house could go off grid and the barn be on grid. I did tell him that he wouldn't need to garden. A few of the Amish have started doing some canning for elderly Englishers and I was sure M and the girls would do that for him.

I know what I should be doing today... I don't know what I will be doing today. 

Exhausted...sick

 The basement is dry and pretreated to keep any mold from happening.

BUT it's a wreck. We lost just under $1,000. of food and items. Didn't put claim on insurance. 

Will need to replace main drain tile (the one that connects to barn,pump house and house) and drains to pond as it couldn't handle that amount of rain (6.5 inches an hour, we got almost 4). Hubby talked to the plumber that lives 2 houses down. He has single ground level home, had water in the house and garage. E's had water in basement but his brother had it going through his barn like a creek and his dad had it in his work shop...they live up on a hill that doesn't even get flooded when the Scioto floods at the bottom of the hill.

Hubby ordered canning jar boxes from Uline as that was a big hit. He cleaned an area that he is moving all the extra jars to the barn as it didn't get any water what so ever. Pump house did and we had to replace the monitor there.

I have canned 36 quarts of pasta sauce... Stil need 16 qrts and 26 pints, plus plain sauce, tom juice and maybe some tomatoes... fire roasted if I have enough.

BUT I am down with food posioning...SIGH stale fritos, yeah I know they tasted stale but I was hungry and didn't want to stop what I was doing to fix something so now I am down anyways. Hubby said it reminded him of one of my really bad Crohn's attackes.... I said no where close as I am almost recovered if I REST for at least today and then only do  little starting tomorrow. He suggested I put canning jar boxes together LOL. 

I did pay the bills, paid extra on mortgage. Not as much as I wanted but considering what I had to replace in the flood it was still a good month.  Was not fun to run back and forth from computer to bathroom. 

Prayers for peace

Blessed Be

OH MY GOD Basement flooded

 I screamed at Hubby we have water coming in the basement...  I was in the bathroom and could hear the sound of rushing water . The thunderstorm had just started. Within 15 minutes we had the ENTIRE basement flood with water up to my ankles. Sump pump was working over time. We have 2 drains, one for the Amish put in for their washer and the other in bottom of basement ramp. Hubby opened the door to the ramp thinking the drain in the house was plugged and found water COMING UP the drain. The entire house and barn is on that drain line, it couldn't handle the rain coming down. He went to the pond to check the line and it was GUSHING. He grabbed the pond pump and started pumping water out of the basement, I used the broom, we finished it with the dry/wet vac and fans. Took an hour , water was out .  ...He pulled up the app he has on his phone with our home weather station. It was raining at the hardest point 6 1/2 inches per hour. We got almost 4 inches in 30 minutes. Window seal gave and he thinks the pipe he just put in blew. Took us an hour to get most of the water out.Our alarm to the pump house kept going off... water was back up there also. He is going to check the propane tank as it looked to be leaning some.

Poor Charlotte, she was in her "den" a bed tucked in between some of the shelving units against a door which water was coming through. I did put the laundry rubber mat and a blanket there after Hubby got the water sucked up and we "dried" that area for her as it was suppose to storm off and on all night. 

I was just finishing cleaning the pantry and only had the bucket room left to do...SIGH

Now I have to take everything out, treat to stop any mold from growing, make sure what is saved is good. My canning jars that were in boxes are going have to be pitched...boxes pitched not the jars. I will have to figure another way to store them or buy new boxes. Rugs and Charlotte's bed will need to be cleaned and dried.

E and M were not home, I am willing to bet since they had water the last storm when we had water in our basement (nothing like this and it was due to drain going bad), they came home to water in their basement. We were suppose to have went to a gathering and decided against it. It would have been a lot worse if we hadn't been home. 

SO this week is clean the basement and go through every single thing and moving 3 freezers and 2 frigs and several shelving units to clean under them while starting to can tomatoes. 

SIGH

Thank you July is over SIGH.

 I thought this past week would never end. Storms  at night rolled through (but not enough rain of course) and Charlotte paces, thundershirt helped but she still paced but didn't pant like she used to. As long as I sat in my rocking chair in the dining room she was fine, she go back to the basement to her "den" but if I got up even to go to the bathroom she was back up the stairs pacing. Hubby started laughing as he heard me tell her I was going to the potty and I would be right back as she was coming up the stairs. Like being up with a baby that has it's days and nights flipped.

Wood that still needs cut for this winter

BUT that is the last of it. 

The only thing left to do on the wood shed is the roof, E made it clear he would be helping with that. Hubby is going to thunk him this week since oats have been shocked and hay just finished. 

Hubby hauled hay for HB, his father in law gave Hubby a pane of glass for helping his family (HB paid Hubby) as he found out we have a broken pane. E said he would put it in as he is replacing one of his own and has the caulking anyways. 

I canned Roma green beans and 9 half pints of cherry syrup. We bought milk.

I am cleaning the pantry and trying to fill in the holes in the food storage.

Hubby decided he was keeping the treated lumber beds instead of burning them, he wants to stack them so they are deeper, me put liner in them and then fill them. Since I already bought metal beds to replace them I asked what he was going to grow in them. He told me to figure something out. 

I finished the seed order for next year (actually 2 yrs at least). I focused my usual spring planting, what I will grow (using grow cart) for summer and then fall planting. Adding what I can put in cold storage (aka root cellar) which will be more under stairs , attic, bottom of basement ramp etc. I ordered more winter squash as I know we can take the extra over to the produce auction.

Covid is going around so we are trying to stay home (kids run around and don't care if they get it but will warn us they have been exposed). We have a few medical appts so know to mask up and use hand sanitizer. Lysol the house on a regular bases.

Hope all is well and good.

Prayers

Blessed Be