# August 2014 Prep Journal and To-Do List



## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

It's August and time for a new monthly prep thread. What's on your to-do list this month? Are you making progress toward your prep goals? Share your lists, your challenges and accomplishments, even your good finds at the grocery store, farmer's market or garage sales.


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

My list for August:

1. Finish rebuilding pump house.
2. Fix plumbing problems in house and get running water back on.
3. Sharpen lawnmower and re-mow lawns, mow pastures.
4. Pull rest of tansy and thistles, dispose of before it goes to seed.
5. Plant the rest of the flowers, continue working on rehabbing flower beds and garden, keep everything watered.
6. Build new steps and small deck to front door.
7. Bring home more sand, sift it and finish re-setting the patio bricks by back door.
8. Clean out the rest of the water barrels and 275 gallon totes, fill with potable water.
9. Stock up on solar salt for the water softener system.
10. Get saw chain back on chain saw and cut more wood for this winter.
11. Enjoy the sunshine and the pool!

Okay, that's my ongoing list for August and the rest of the summer. What's on your list?


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## brendafawn (Oct 15, 2013)

My list for August:

1. Finish room addition to cabin, floor Is down, putting up walls this weekend
2. Get cabin organized.
3. Start fall garden. 
4. Clean out rock garden in front of Cabin and turn it into herb garden.
5.add to rabbit hutch. 
6. Make more time for family. 

Well that's enough for now. More will probably pop up as the month goes by.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

1. get a spam can of Russian ammo.....with O's latest swing of his pen, he is stopping more Russian gun imports......so we need to get our Russian ammo while we still can 'cause we bet that's next.

2. look into/buy that deck re-newing paint. Paint our deck. Aug is traditionally dry here....so we've been waiting.

3. READ!! Only 1 more week for Momma' Fluff reading, then school starts. Then I only have time to read the books we need for school.

4. Peaches will be in week of Aug 11.....so I'll have 2/3 of a bushel to can. I'd love to have ordered more....but space is running out.

5. Need to get and can corn. Think I'll get it from one of the "100% of the proceeds go to our college education" tents here in town. They get it from one of the local farmers.

6. DH is working on getting his arm back in shape for bow hunting....starts the end of Sept

7. Get firewood

8. Split firewood we brought home from FIL's

Off to slow roast a roast in the oven. Saw where you can cook it on a rack with a cast iron skillet full of potatoes underneath to catch the drippings while they roast. Sounds amazing, so that's dinner


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

Happy August! 

Great lists all, I need to think about mine and make it doable 

DH worked long after dark last night with the neighbors and the water is back! Everything looks good today. 

Smoke is starting to pour in from all the fires, hope it doesn't get too bad, last year we were wearing our N-95 masks outside - they worked great, but I don't like not being able to breathe! Big helicopter is scooping water out of the river below us as I type this so I suspect there are few more fires closer than I realize. They only report the big ones. 

The store was having one of their tent & meat sales today which I'd forgotten. No need for veggies but I did get a 9 lb cross rib roast. I'l cut it into pot roasts and can a bunch of it. I could have had them cut it up but just wanted to get home.


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

*Vosey*, did you get thunderstorms last night? If so, any fires started from it? It cut loose about 4am here - thunder and lightning felt like it was right overhead, and it poured rain for over an hour. Hopefully the rain was enough to put out any lightning strike fires. I haven't heard of any new fires started from the storm, but it's really hard to get news coverage on our area on TV. After I post here, I plan to do some internet searching for info.
*Jen*, what are you reading for "fluff"? I love mysteries - just finished reading through all the J. A. Jance "Sheriff Joanna Brady" and "Ali Reynolds" books in my collection. I'm missing a few, but they're on my garage saling list!
*brenda*, nice list! Sounds like you're making really good progress on your new place. 

I didn't sleep well last night, so I was awake for the storm. Probably would have slept through it otherwise, and then wondered why my swimsuit didn't dry outside overnight, lol. I still couldn't sleep this morning, so I finally gave up and got up. 

I tackled more of the garden today. I managed to pound nails through a couple "hard as nails" 2x6s so I could finally get the frame around the blueberry bed. I finally had to drill pilot holes for the nails! Shoveled more soil into the bed and managed to pretty well settle the frame into the ground enough to keep water from running out the bottom. I also did more digging in the asparagus bed, got the raised bed frame nailed back together there and leveled out the soil in that bed. Planted a zucchini plant that followed me home from the fair. Set up the sprinkler to run for a while on the orchard and garden - even after a drenching downpour, the ground was still dry and dusty. Shoveled another wheelbarrow load of bedding out of the chicken house and spread it on the flowerbed along the front of the house. Cut a bunch of the lemon balm that has taken over the bed on the north side of the front door - prepping to dig out that bed and rehabbing it.

All that gardening worked up a sweat! After running through the sprinkler a few times and running a hose all over myself to clean off, I hit the pool for a good swim. If I rest my head on that blow-up ring at the top of the pool, I can swim in place and get in some good exercise. I guess you could call it ******* water aerobics, lol! :hysterical:

I didn't make it down to the river to shovel sand yesterday, since my bff came over for a visit instead, so I'm heading out in a few minutes with buckets, totes and a shovel. Then I think I'd better try to get some sleep. I think I'm either going garage saling or driving to the beach to get Aladdin parts, mantles and extra chimneys tomorrow. Either way, I'll need some beauty sleep before I do. 

eta: Made it to the river and came home with a large round tub and a couple buckets of sand. It'll need to dry enough to screen, which shouldn't take long, and then I can start work on the patio.


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

Okay, I need accountability, so I'm posting my to-do list for the day here:

Pull tansy and dig thistles, put head down in plastic feed sack so they can't go to seed and spread.
Spread the sand I brought home last night on a tarp to dry and then screen it.
Move my wringer washer to the barn (it's in the way of my patio expansion). 
Water the garden and orchard. 
Pull out more of the old raised bed boards and build more new frames.
Cut more cross pieces for tomato supports and place them.
Cut and hang catnip plants to dry.
Take a stab at the chain saw - I hate trying to get the chain back on when it flips off.

Maybe if I post a daily list, I'll stick to the game plan a little better. I tend to think about something I want to do, start in to work on it, and then get sidetracked over and over until I'm off doing something entirely different from where I started out!


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

The garden is fully fruited.....harvesting and preserving this month!


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

OK, gotta get going as I slept in this morning (felt like I could have slept forever!). This weekend's goals:

Pick the last of the bush beans and the just popping yellow beans
Dehydrate zucchini and maybe beans
Pick the last of the beets and see what we have. Hopefully enough to can
Rescue the huge beets from the downstairs fridge I forgot about and cook them up
Can beef I don't find something in the garden to can
Thin and weed beets and rutabagas
Help DH get our fall seedlings going on the porch where hopefully we can keep them from drying out

I hope it's not so smokey I can't hang the laundry out. Need to go take down what hung overnight and see if they smell like a campfire! 

MGM - we had huge lightening storms tuesday through Thursday night with no rain. One night there were 2,500 strikes in Southern Oregon.

Oh, DH just came in and said there's ash on the garden. It did smell like a wet, put out campfire in the middle of the night.


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

Worked on the dreaded hedge again this morning and then worked on our privit hedge cutting the larger stuff with loppers. Hopefully what's left I can get with the hedge trimmers. I have three large piles of stuff that I need to cut down to manageable size for hauling away. Dh would burn everything, but I don't think that's a good idea with neighbors so close. No need to pollute the air or offend anyone.

Yesterday we made a trip to town to take dd her birthday gift plus some cucumbers from the garden. She LOVES cucumbers. 

I ordered a new pair of shoes on sale $15 off which made them under $100 so they qualified for the back to school tax holiday. Saved $23.80 altogether. Since I wear 4A width the shoes had to be ordered, but by paying for them yesterday I got the savings. The shoe store owner always recognises me when I walk in ... not my name just recalls my narrow foot! He has always been great about ordering shoes for me and, if they don't work, doesn't make me feel bad for not taking them.

Dug three hills of potatoes last night. Nice potatoes but not as many as I would have liked to see.


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## jessimeredith (Sep 12, 2004)

August to do:

~Another trip to MO to pickup fabric, furniture, Tupperware and any other goods from Mom's "clearing out."
~Organize fabric goodies and start planning quilts/gifts for the holidays.
~Buy and build shed for DH's tools (MUST get this stuff OUT of the house).
~Keep an eye out for good deals on twin beds/bunks for the spare room.
~Start foster care classes.

There will be more, I'm sure, once I get back from the MO trip...we're debating on whether or not to get the wood to build our custom 12ft dining table this month so it's here and we can build at our leisure, lol.


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

*Ann*, my xh wore (wears) a 13AAA or AAAA, so I know what you mean about finding shoes that fit - what a pain! I, on the other hand, have a short fat box of a foot, 6.5 wide, so it's hard to find dress shoes that fit comfortably, but at least I can wear most athletic shoes.
*Vosey*, yikes, ash falling isn't good. 

I love seeing everyone's lists. We are an industrious bunch, aren't we?  I did fairly well on my list today, but didn't finish it. I did, however, get in a good 4 hour nap, lol! After not sleeping well for the last few nights, it was nice to catch up a bit on the zzzs. I also weeded part of the garden and set a couple of raised bed frames more securely in the ground, and I swam for an hour this evening. I can tell I'm firming up my muscles with the swimming and gardening.

Pull tansy and dig thistles, put head down in plastic feed sack so they can't go to seed and spread. *Done and it about did me in - took over 2 hours.*
Spread the sand I brought home last night on a tarp to dry and then screen it.
Move my wringer washer to the barn (it's in the way of my patio expansion). 
Water the garden and orchard. *Done.*
Pull out more of the old raised bed boards *Done.* and build more new frames.
Cut more cross pieces for tomato supports and place them.
Cut and hang catnip plants to dry. *Done.*
Take a stab at the chain saw - I hate trying to get the chain back on when it flips off.

I guess I'll have to work on the rest of the list tomorrow.


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

Good morning. Today is my B-Day and I feel like I am 100 years old! PLEASE, PLEASE pass the Ben - Gay.

DH & I spent the entire day at the new farm......I painted he taped the trim and then he mowed the "yard". There has been a ton of rain there and the grass is happy, happy, happy.

We went to TSC for feed...then to Ace Hardware for paint trays. To my surprise, That Ace carries AMMO. ALLLLLRIGHT!! (fist pump)!!!

Anywho, we had a nice day....but we are both very sore.

We saw a Doe and her fawn, a couple of Cotton Tails......They are cute.....but a garden hazard. :facepalm:

I have to water the orchard today... We have had no measurable rain here.

Work is a true nightmare.....I landed on an ok team.....but I do not want to do what they do. UGH. Oh well.....I just pray I can stand it long enough to get the things done I need to do.

Have a blessed day, all.


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## Cindy in NY (May 10, 2002)

Happy Birthday TDD!! :happy::clap::nanner::nanner::happy2::nanner::bouncy::clap:


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## brendafawn (Oct 15, 2013)

Happy birthday, TDD. Have a wonderful day.


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

Happy Birthday TDD!!!

I have a few goals for August, the first being the overriding priority:

1. Stay on top of harvesting the garden and putting up food.
2. Organize canned goods and get them rotated (I don't have one place they all fit, so organization is a mess).
3. Get an inventory of the freezer.
4. Order our pig for November (harder than it sounds, involves buying printer ink!)
5. Gently push DH to get a new hot water heater
6. Try to be more accepting that I just have to work for now and enjoy the parts of my work that I enjoy.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Happy B-Day *TDD*!!

*MGM* - I read inspirational fictions, usually with a historical or Amish theme. Usually by 1/3 of the way through the book I know where it's going.....I just keep reading to find out how it gets there.

Span cans ordered so my #1 is done. It was easy, I just sat back and said "yes, dear" and DH did all the work, lol.......wish I could get a few other things done that way 

FIL will be here this afternoon, he wants to go to the range to sight in his new gun. SO....we are going to go and work on sighting in our new one. Front sight is way off....so....if FIL bring's his bore sighter, we can get ours to a least shoot into the same county we are aiming at!

Had to plan lunches for this week. DD is at day camp (movie making....same one DS did and loved) so we need to pack her lunches. That is a strain on our brain....we don't do sandwiches often, lol. But I think she has it worked out. She boiled up a few eggs today for egg salad, we have a bit of meat and cheese still from what I picked up for DH (he sometimes want' super simple no fuss when he's jet-lagged......or wants to eat at odd hours), she want's tuna salad one day. She'll toss in a PB&J one day and cover it. The museum brings in pizza for the kids for the last day. I'll have to go scout around in the storage room to round out the meals.....apple chips, cracker, etc.

Set DD out to start filling buckets to water the garden. Better go catch up with her and get watering. Popcorn's tasseled and starting to "silk". DD give me a silk count every other day or so. I think we are up to 17 ears.....with may more "on the verge". Looks like it is going to be a successful experiment.


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

Taking a quick break as DH is in the kitchen making his lunch. We have a very small kitchen  Got sidetracked this morning harvesting onions, they are crazy monsters! But found a thread I'd read last year on carmelizing them in the crockpot, so few are on the deck in a crockpot, I'm very excited for them. Pickling beets is coming right up. DH just planted our fall veggies without my help - :bow:

Thanks for the egg salad idea OD, I was just drawing a blank for my lunches. I prefer leftovers, but in the summer we eat a lot of salad, not much for leftover salad.


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

TDD - Happy birthday. Just a thought on your job -- is it worth the stress? Could you rearrange/change your plans enough to accommodate your quitting now? It might be worth giving up some plans to maintain your health and sanity!

I've got laundry on the line, dusting done (finally!) and that's about it. I picked a double handful of green beans and a cucumber for my neighbor and stayed to visit with her awhile. Her dh died in June and she hasn't been eating right. Weighs less than 100 lbs. She said she guessed she'd fix some chicken breast and green beans for lunch. I asked her is she'd like some sweet potato to go with and came home and got her a couple. I'm fixing turkey and noodles for supper so will take a bowl of that over later.

I need to pick beans and cut up some hedge trimmings later if I find the energy. I'm really having a "slow" day.


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## beegrowing (Apr 1, 2014)

Inspect top bar bee hives for possible last honey harvest this year

Quarterly grocery store trip to stock the "commercial" items we've used; to refill pantry,home supplies, and some of the freezer (happening any day)

Grape Harvest to make raisins in the dehydrator (in about 2-3 weeks)
Finish up preserving home made sauer kraut (any day) and plums
Blackberry harvest ,eating and freezing(in a week or 2)
Ongoing zucchini bread and kale harvesting for vacuum packing and freezing 

"Put to sleep" by turning and adding compost and covering the bed used for garlic this year (and any bed that empties this month.Like my drying-beans that had a lot of blossom failure.Pooh. Doing all the beds at once in the late Fall is too much for me so I keep up with it!)

Braid the dried garlic and spend a few hours peeling-to-pickle the tiny ones that I hate dealing with when I'm cooking dinners

Plant some quick Fall vegies,like more carrots.

Much more fun! ,but my tomatoes are awfully small and slow this year (tribulations of trying Mostly a new variety) and I can't tell what stage a few things are at.......


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

Ann - bless you for keeping an eye on your neighbor, there's not enough of that in our culture. 

Beegrowing - my goal is quarterly grocery store trips! But it'll be awhile, I need to get to part time work first and we'd have to start making beer  Wine I could probably stock enough and there are lots of vineyards in our area.


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

*TDD*, Happy Birthday, sweetie!!!! Gifting you some virtual Ben-Gay. 
*beegrowing*, what part of OR do you call home? If you're near the Rainier area, we're nearly neighbors! Lovely list, that. 
*Ann*, I agree, thank you for looking out for your neighbor. :angel: Enjoy your slow day - I'm off to a slow start today myself.
*Jen*, congrats on the ammo. You had me giggling with trying to get the gun to shoot straight...I always say the reason I don't shoot my 9mm is because I couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with it....from the INSIDE!!!!!
*Vosey*, give us a report on how the onions turn out. How do you plan to use them? Fingers crossed that the fires stay away from you. I saw a pic of the haze over Crater Lake - I guess I won't be visiting there this month after all. Yosemite is out, too. Fires in N Central WA have that area out of bounds, too. Maybe that's my cue to stay home and work on the garden? 

I slept in this morning, and I've been working on the fair premium book, so I'm stalling on getting outside. My hands are sore from pulling tansy yesterday, so I'm not sure how much I'll be able to use them today, but I'm going to try. 

Today's List:
Dry and Screen sand.
Cut and install tomato crosspieces.
Move wringer washer.
Water the rest of the garden and orchard area.
Spread more chicken bedding on garden beds and fill one bed.
Dig my chives and disassemble that bed for moving it.
Put sprinkler on main pasture for at least an hour.
Work on fair premium book wording (okay, I cheated there - did it this morning, lol)
Water aerobics for at least 30 minutes straight, preferably more. 
Laundry day!
Sharpen mower blade.


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

Thank you, all.

Ann - The stress level is why I am not going to stay any longer than I have to! I'll be alright for a while longer. I just have to keep my eye on my goal.......which is in sight. 

Dh took me to brunch and I came home and took a much needed nap.

I went out and watered the orchard and that is about it for the whole day.

MGM - Virtual Ben-Gay accepted... Actually, I am about to schemer my self with ICY Hot. Both knees and low back....owwwie!


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## beegrowing (Apr 1, 2014)

Got the "quarterly" grocieries done today. We DO go to the small market(s) 1 or 8 miles from here, for "fill in" merlot,snacks,and fresh produce I don't grow though. At least we do other things at the same time and it's never for staples I suddenly need cooking, so I don't feel like the gas is wasted. 3 years ago I got a closet pantry filled and a chest freezer filled and Wow,we've driven a lot less since the rotating and growing went into full swing.

manygoatsnmore-We're in southern Oregon but on the redwood highway. I didn't research Vosey to see just where they are but sounds quite close!
Our town 8 miles away is Cave Junction..."big town" Grants Pass.

Hot as H the last 2 years and although I have 2 drip lines I Still spend an hour hose watering in the early eves every other day .Most of my exercise is gardening but I like this sort of "retirement", he/he. I lived around Portland years ago and do miss Your climate tho- ! Yeah I have to get "fed up" to do a frenzied weed day and then I always hurt afterwards....sigh. I try to be organic and use natural remedies but that sort of work points me to "Aleve"! 

The smoke Finally found us just today too but it's rather high up.Woke to an orange sun but couldn't smell it for hours. Last year we were Smothered for over a month at ground level.I worried for our 3 hens. Very grateful it's mostly passed us by This year!


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

beegrowing - we're in the cascades on the eastern side of Jackson county. An hour from Medford. A little cooler up here, much cooler at night than the valley and we actually get ice and snow! We used to live in Medford, the only thing I miss is being closer to the coast. It seems a little too far now, especially with gardens and chickens to take care of. 

Onions are still cooking down. I suspect DH will put them on everything he eats for the next few days, hopefully leaving some for burgers on Tuesday! 

I took a picture of our monstrous onions, I'll post it in a bit, they're crazy. Right now they are curing in the garage, but I think I'll need to dehydrate some soon as some have a few soft spots. 

I did everything on my weekend to do list except dehydrate the zucchini. Couldn't find time to sit down and cut them up! All the beets are canned or pickled or cooked and in the fridge, ready to eat this week.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Today's to'do's...

Get the girl to day camp
Go to the Girl Scout store and get the girls badge books (we are going with an independent style this year....IE they are working on things at home, so they need their own books)
Cut grass (ok, grass isn't growing at all.....but the weeds are and they need cut )
Laundry - hang outside 
Vacuum 
Get jars set up in kitchen for "Canning day" this week
Clean kitchen so there is a place to have "Canning day", lol.
Pick up girl from day camp
Girl scout leaders meeting tonight


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## NBC3Mom (May 14, 2005)

My word for the year is Commitment. Haven't been doing very well since my cracked ribs and bout of shingles left me feeling tired and lazy. I tried to get back on track this weekend. 
Made 2 loaves of bread
Canned dill pickles
Picked extra zucchini, cucumbers, pole beans for the food pantry and to share with neighbors
Took a 2 mile walk on Saturday
Planned shopping trip around sale items and coupons
Stopped at Dollar General to buy birthday and anniversary cards for August/September (beautiful cards for $1 or less)
Hung laundry on the line
Completed forms and mailed rebates from Menards and HVAC installation
Paid bills and updated budget for the rest of the year

This week I want to keep up with the exercising, eat from the garden and out of the freezer to make room for more produce, hang laundry outside, bake & freeze healthy zucchini bread made with applesauce and whole wheat flour.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

LOL, found a disadvantage to posting my to-do list for today here on HT. Every time I finish something I sit back down to turn HT on so I can look my list over to see what I should do next. Then I lose 20 or so minutes.....because I start reading other things!


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

I spent 2 hours cutting up hedge trimmings into managable size for hauling away Sunday evening. Then I spent another hour this morning and finished it. Once that's hauled away I will start back on trimming both hedges. I have cuts, scrapes, bruises and abrasions all over me from the hedge fighting back.

I dug more potatoes, pulled my pitiful onion harvest, hung a load of laundry and picked green beans and cucumbers this morning. I came in at noon exhausted and very hot and sweaty so I went straight into the shower. Dh is working on cutting the tips and tails from the beans and when he's done I will can them. I'm thinking another 9 pints. Fortunately, I have leftovers I can warm up for supper. By then I'll probably be ready to fall asleep in my plate. Right now I'm heading to the basement for jars to wash ready for the beans.


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## brendafawn (Oct 15, 2013)

Planting above ground crops this afternoon. Today is the last day until the end of the month. My list is long so not sure if it will all go in. 

Collards
Summer squash -since we still have a few month left of summer here in Texas.
Winter squash
Bush beans
Potatoes- hopefully I get a few.

My tomatoes look good. I actually got a late start on them but their putting on loss of little ones. Got a couple of cut worms off of them.
I think that's enough for now.


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## Mutti (Sep 7, 2002)

The predicted rise in coffee prices has hit Walmart...the Folgers Columbian went from $7.68 to $9.98 in two week period...the larger size red plastic can. Unfortunately I have used up most of my stores so it is back to grinding beans for us. Grocery store selling the half-size can for $5.98. Pa and I have decided no more 3 pot days around here. Butter is up to $4.48 a lb here and haven't seen a sale in months.

Know many feeding families are really struggling with rising prices but being on a fixed income is bad,too. I already make everything possible from scratch. Frugal is my middle name. Up to meat meals only 2x weekly to stretch what is left in the freezer, Our local processing plant quoted us $850-$1000 for a HALF beef!!!! 

New patch of beans ready for picking now. Still doing tomatoes every other day. Got over #40 beautiful onions, Super Star and Candy varieties, most extra large. Still have the red torpedo ones to harvest. If we could only get some rain here I'd get turnips,late beets, spinach planted. Put the soaker hose on the strawberries all day yesterday as looking way dry. Sure don't want to loose 150 plants. Today on the winter squash. First time we've been able to beat the bugs...spray every other day with Dawn/water. Best part is being able to see the beasties die in front of your eyes! Have 9 gorgeous Buttercups growing; don't want to loose them. A friend said try a certain yellow squash from Baker Creek as the bugs don't like it. She was right and we've been able to harvest many meals already.

Hoping for predicted rain later this week. ...while others are flooding away or burning up. Don't know how anyone can say the weather/climate isn't changing radically.

Our to-do list includes cleaning out chicken house to spread on lower garden, watching as the apples ripen and we can make applesauce, keeping up with supering the bees, and I found enough paint to do the gingerbread porch. Waiting on the fella to deliver a couple of loads firewood. Have 4 cords left but that won't be enough if winter is as cold as last year. Right now...wash more jars for the 2-5 gal. buckets of 'maters I picked this am.

Reading on the net some people having trouble with jars not sealing using Ball lids they purchased this year. I've only had one jar failure and on investigation had a little chip on the rim that I missed.


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

brendafawn said:


> Planting above ground crops this afternoon. Today is the last day until the end of the month. My list is long so not sure if it will all go in.
> 
> Collards
> Summer squash -since we still have a few month left of summer here in Texas.
> ...


You must plant by the moon as well, DH is a stickler about it! Our above grounds are in flats on the deck as I think it'll be impossible to keep them moist in the garden. 

Mutti - I opened 2 pressure canned jars last night, canned in April with new Ball lids. They opened so easily it was scary! They were sealed though. I've been thinking the Ball lids are a little thinner on the sealant. I often get Kerr's and they are better, even though they're both made by Jarden.


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

Canned another 12 pints of beans this afternoon. 

Got another dreaded phone call this afternoon from my sister that my cousin's son had died in a car accident. They accident with pictures was on the news this evening, but his name has not yet been released. He'd been battling cancer for the last 2 years and just recently was able to return to work.


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

Oh, Ann, I am so very sorry.

Spent yesterday in training....Actually, I worked 18 loans for someone who was "training" me. They got the credit for my "production"......:hair

Mutti - I have been buying $100 of coffee for several months now, just to stave off the price increases. You are right, the prices are on the move much higher.

Dh got in touch with the metal building folks....they will meet with him on the property, later this week. Things should move along from there.

Not much else new going on.

Have a blessed day.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Hugs Ann!!

I got everything on my to-do list for yesterday done. But, to increase my productivity today I am NOT going to post today's list, lol.


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

Pictures of our monster onions! Many are so large I'm concerned they won't store well and a few have soft spots. So time to move the dehydrator to the back porch this weekend. I wasted onions last year by using dehydrated ones instead of stored ones, pure laziness (well, how about time management?) as it's faster to throw some dehydrated onions in a soup than cut up a fresh one. And I don't think these monsters will even fit on our storage racks.


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## moldy (Mar 5, 2004)

Those would make some yummy caramelized onions! Slice a bunch into a roaster, add a couple sticks of butter and a glop of bacon grease. Cook overnight on low (I'm drooling thinking about this), then seal up in jars and pressure can at 10# for 90 minutes. I use this on sandwiches and to make French onion soup in a pinch.


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

jealous of the onions! Mine never grow very big.....

plugging away at the garden....and the wood...we had some very large oaks in the pile...20 inch plus diameter that were super heavy that needed to be split and separated from other wood....it takes 6 months longer to dry than other hardwoods in the pile....just a few more left to muscle around.

We had 6 more accidental buns....

Vosey....did you can the rabbits bone in(raw pack or cooked?) or cook and can just meat.....I'm looking at 20 or so that need to be done in! Normally I just freeze but our bull will be taking up freezer space soon.


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## brendafawn (Oct 15, 2013)

Vosey- yes I garden by the moon. I Can tell you there is a difference. The first couple of years my garden was terrible and I would see my neighbors garden and it was beautiful, so I asked him how he did it and he showed me an almanac and how to used it. It's the most read book in my home after the bible. I also know I can just watch the changing moon but love all the little tidbits n the almanac.
Ann-so sorry for your loss, hugs and prayers.
Vosey- those are beautiful onions.


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## Mutti (Sep 7, 2002)

Vosey....nice onion crop. I do most of my planting by the moon and I think it truely works. This year I tried to get my tomatoes going early in the ghouse without thinking about the signs and NOT a one germinated!!!! Had to replant them all. Do you prefer a certain book or almanac?

I like to dehydrate the smaller ones and make onion powder. I also did a whole bunch of freezer bags with cut up onions/celery so when I want to make soup they are ready to go in the crockpot!! 

Trick to big onions is planting where you can easily water daily. The more water the bigger the tops which means bigger onions. Mine are always planted closest to our pump house faucet and have permanent soaker hose in the rows. With our limited rainfall in July/August we wouldn't get the crop we do without irrigation.

Our local TV show has a market gardener on every Wed. Last weeks tip about storing onions was interesting....he says to store in boxes with the stem side down. Then if they aren't completely dry the moisture will drain away from onion. I put my onions in produce boxes stem side down with newspaper between each layer. Rarely loose more than a couple over the winter. Store them in spare bedroom.

TDD..the price on my subscribe and save coffee beans at Amazon went up, too. So I doubled my ordered to get some stashed.

Ann..so sorry to hear of another loss in your family. Prayers for all.


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## moldy (Mar 5, 2004)

I've stored my onions in pantyhose in the cellar, but I lost quite a few this last year (more humidity, maybe?). I could store them in the crawl space, but I"'m afraid it would make my whole house smell like onions.

Hit the hardware store for some masks, and found they have pint jars on sale for $7/case - great price. I will have to see if I truly need any. Picked up about 12# of over-ripe apricots; will make apricot-jalapeno jam and apricot bavarian cream preserves this afternoon. I also picked up 4 laundry baskets of apple drops this morning for the pigs - they will be happy campers! Still need to run to the pasture to check steers. Will take the pistol this time as DH killed a rattler on Saturday up there - yikes! Need to pick up slop at the restaurant, too. Better get busy!


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

*beegrowing*, you live in a beautiful area. My youngest dd and I took a road trip through the Redwoods 5-7 years ago (can't remember exactly), and enjoyed exploring the Cave Junction area. The Smith River Canyon is awesome, if not the easiest drive. 
*Vosey*, beautiful onions! Maybe I'd better start planting by moon signs, if that's the kind of results I'd get. 
*Ann*, I'm so sorry to hear of your loss. This hasn't been a good year for your family. 
*Jen*, I know what you mean about losing time on HT while checking your list.

How I did on my last list:
Dry and Screen sand. *Nearly done*
Cut and install tomato crosspieces.
Move wringer washer.*Done*
Water the rest of the garden and orchard area.*Done*
Spread more chicken bedding on garden beds and fill one bed.*Done*
Dig my chives and disassemble that bed for moving it. *Done*
Put sprinkler on main pasture for at least an hour.
Work on fair premium book wording (okay, I cheated there - did it this morning, lol)
Water aerobics for at least 30 minutes straight, preferably more. *Done*
Laundry day! *Done*
Sharpen mower blade.

It took me 2 days to get this done - I didn't have a good day Sunday, headache from the heat, I think. All I really did that day was water and take apart the chives bed, moving chives and dirt to another raised bed. So yesterday I really hit the laundry and worked on the site prep for the patio, watering the garden, and organizing the front yard. I filled all my water jugs and a bunch of 5 gallon buckets. Did a lot of sweeping and straightening in the house, along with mopping the utility room after I forgot the hose while filling what would have been the final rinse on the final load. Had to drop all my just washed towels all over the floor and under the machines to sop up all the water, so that made another couple loads of laundry. :grumble: I was hurting last night by the time I got done. My turn for the Ben Gay and some muscle relaxants. I'm still a little sore this morning, but I know I'll loosen up once I get moving. I've lazed around on the computer and reading a book this morning, but it's about time to get off my tuchus and do something *INDUSTRIOUS*, my word for the year.

Oh, yes, before I forget...I also finally took the bread tabs and duct tape to the tomato patch. I tape the bread tab and the plant tag together and then hang it on the rebar mesh fencing next to each plant. I hate not being able to get to the tag at the base of the plant after the plant has grown. This way, it's hanging right in plain sight, and if I need to move the tag, the bread tab snaps off and on the wire easily, while staying put in wind. Still need to cut a bunch more supports to hook across from one side's rebar mesh to the other. That's got to be high up the to-do list for today!

Don't know if I should post a list today, but I'm going to take the risk one more time, lol:
Cut and place tomato supports.
Sharpen mower blade and mow lawn.
Water part of pasture and lawn.
Finish cleaning out the chicken house and spread fresh shavings.
Finish screening the sand.
Finish filling new chive and walking onion bed with compost, chicken bedding and soil.
Water aerobics!
Straighten up in the barn - getting messy.
Move incubators, shoplights and rack to shipping container.

I'm writing down my list on a slip of paper so I'm not tempted back onto the computer.


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

*mpillow* - I simmered the rabbit in my big stock pot (fits 3-4) with some herbs, onion, the usual things thrown in. Then cut the meat off and canned it the next day after reheating with a large can or two of tomatoes. I love rabbit stewed in tomatoes and garlic with rice or polenta. Thought I'd save a step 

As for the planting by the moon DH has a couple of websites he references. I have turned all the gardening over to him. He's home, I work, so that's an obvious choice! But it's hard, I was the gardener all the years we lived in Maine, then we had years living in town in between. I've had to learn to keep my mouth shut. I certainly still work in the garden and help and plan with him, but it's his baby. But I have the joy of putting it all up! 

Thanks for all the onion tips, think I'll try the box and newspaper idea. And I did make caramelized onions in the crockpot - were delicious on burgers tonight! I have canning more in my future.


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

*MGM* - Cyber Ben Gay passed back to ya!!

My word for the year is still..........

Weather has turned HOT......pushing 100's again. Muggy, Muggy, Muggy.

Must water the orchard , again.

*Vosey* - Beautiful Onions.

*Mutti* - Yes ma'am. I have been watching Amazon coffee, too.......Price has increased.

Off to begin my...(clearing throat) work day.

You guys keep up the good work.


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## Cindy in NY (May 10, 2002)

Vosey - now you have me curious! Can you post the websites that your husband uses for his moon planting? Thanks!


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## NBC3Mom (May 14, 2005)

TDD - I am with you on the work issue. A lot of talk about consolidating 2 hospitals in the system or closing the hospital where I work altogether. But the countdown is on - I plan to retire August 1, 2015 - Nothing will be decided before then I am sure.

Grandkids started school today (pre-K and 2nd grade) They called me yesterday to ask for more zucchini bread, strawberry jam and pickles for their breakfast and school lunches. DH picked zucchini and cucumbers yesterday and there are strawberries in the freezer. Those requests go to the top of my to-do list! Have to do some watering in the garden tonight, too. 

Weather is perfect so I got my walk in last night. Mixed up my special blend and fertilized the potted fig trees. No figs at all this year, but lots of new growth. Did a load of laundry and hung outside to dry overnight. Had zucchini and tomatoes for dinner. DH and I are both losing weight on our summer veggie diet! 

Have a good day, Everyone!


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## Cindy in NY (May 10, 2002)

NBC - I was surprised to read that the kids are going back to school already! Up here, they still operate on a farm and tourism schedule and don't go back until after Labor Day!

My DH is in a similar situation to you. His plant is scheduled to close but the date keeps getting pushed back. He will probably be there until the doors close unless it goes past Feb of 2017. Doubt that though. At that point, he could officially retire!

I'm watering the garden this morning. Only about the third time I've had to this year. We've had lots of water but only now have gotten some hot temps and things are finally starting to ripen. Finally picked a ripe tomato the other day! I've already canned zucchini relish and canned salsa to use up my freezer tomatoes. Cukes are just starting to come in in abundance so pickles will be up next. I can't grow onions but the next time they go on sale I'll have to make the caramelized onions. They sound yummy!!

Need to do laundry but won't be able to hang it out. The butternut tree branches have grown out over the lines and the squirrels eat out there and drop the pieces. If any drop on the clothes and you don't wash it immediately, it's stained forever!!  Pretty soon all the nuts from there will be gone and I can start hanging outside again. These trees are huge (probably at least 35') and the branches are too high up for us to trim. I don't want to spend the $2000 to have all the trees trimmed right now. Esp since DH has car fever!! Well, his car is 14 years old. But mine is 18!


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

Cindy in NY said:


> Vosey - now you have me curious! Can you post the websites that your husband uses for his moon planting? Thanks!


All of this started when I picked up a Farmer's Almanac and subscribed to their email list as that's what my dad always planted by. 

He uses http://lunaf.com/english/moon-phases/lunar-calendar-2013/05/18/ and then goes to http://www.astrologyoflight.com/currentastrology-info/astro-gardening/
with the info from the first site. 

Our big onions are probably due to planting them very early as the sets arrived way early, then being lucky we had a long mild spring, not too hot and frost free. We get no rain from May through September so watering is always on a schedule, no waiting for mother nature!


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## brendafawn (Oct 15, 2013)

Cindy in NY- the old Farmers almanac comes out each year and gives all the info on planting by the moon, plus a wealth of other info. You can pick them up any where. 

I got four boxes of bush bean planted, one tub of butternut squash, and the sweet potatoes. 

Cleaned out the fridge and put up a pineapple I had in the back. Will make pineapple preserves.. Found to peaches that had gotten soft and mushy, the chickens loved them. 
I will be working on the pantry shelves today.

Hope everyone has a great day.


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## Cindy in NY (May 10, 2002)

Thanks Vosey and Brenda! I buy the almanac every year for the forecast and don't look at much else. I guess I'll have to pay more attention to it !! :doh:


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

Its raining today. Started before dawn with a very gentle rain and has continued with brief periods of heavier rain. Its a perfect slow rain that will soak in and we need it. 

I've been working in my office cleaning and consolidating files. I now have paperwork down to one 2-drawer file cabinet. I'm trying to decide if I want to get rid of the other cabinet or repurpose it for storing something else. It has the shredder on top of it so I'll have to find a new home for that if I get rid of it. I had a stack of folders to donate and decided to go thru them one more time to make sure they were empty. It was a good thing I did because I found some papers with account numbers and my f-i-l's death certificate. 

Spent some time going thru the newspaper grocery ads and made a shopping list. Dh has a doctor's appointment in town tomorrow so I'll go along and do my shopping. My son, 2 grandsons and g-granddaughter are supposed to be over Sat. for a picnic so I need to shop for that. My dd had an employee quit so she has to work and won't be able to come. I'm still waiting to here when cousin's son's funeral is so I may need to postpone the picnic if its Sat. 

While cleaning out the file cabinet I came across an envelope with "Ancient" squash seeds that were sent to me by a man in Ohio in several years ago. I'd forgotten about them and have no idea how they ended up in a file cabinet! Anyway, I'm going to put them with the rest of my seeds and try them next year. These are huge squash so not really something I'd ordinarily grow, but I'll give them a try. I have no idea where the man in Ohio got my name and address.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Big sigh....DS is home, well for a few hours, lol. We got him all moved out and back home. They were there for 10 days this last time.....boy does his laundry STINK! :sob: I don't know how guys can get so smelly! Anyways, he is chilly out while his laundry washes.....then he packs up and goes with his Troop on High Adventure tomorrow morning, lol. Sunday when he gets home is truly MINE again, lol.....well, till next summer  He had a gret summer, has his application for next year already and really wants to fill it out tonight and mail it tomorrow. I'm going to make him wait till next week... Something tells me I will be seeing changes in that boy next week......I'm sure he's done a bunch of growing up and maturing this summer while working. His conversations with me about his summer matured as the summer when on.....does that make sense?

Tomorrows canning day is on hold. One of the ladies, the one we are teaching, had a family emergency come up late night. So she need to focus on that for now. My guess is it will get re-scheduled in the next few weeks. Till then....at least the house is clean (not counting the mess we just brought in from camp eep: ), I'll enjoy that! I think I will pick up a bit more cabbage (on sale this week) and some corn and can tomorrow anyways....


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## NBC3Mom (May 14, 2005)

Cindy in NY - Most of the schools in Central IN are on a modified or year-round schedule. School started the last week of July or 1st week of August in the area. One of my sons & my daughter-in-law are teachers and they love it. 

On the Farmers' Almanac website you can see the Daily calendar for "Gardening by the moon" and "Best day to .." and sign up for their weekly email newsletter. 

If we don't get some rain today, will have to water the garden tonight, first time this summer.


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## Mutti (Sep 7, 2002)

whew...just home from a major Aldi shop. Happy to see butter still $2.99/lb there....not the $4.48 our local Walmart wants. Bought 12# and stuck in freezer. Sure don't wanna abuse my homemade bread with margarine! Cases of pears, pineapple, tomato sauce. canned chicken breast. $146 worth which nearly gave Pa heart failure but right off the bat I could account for over $50 savings from our local over-priced stores. 50# flour and same of sugar. They are building a much much bigger Aldi store. Thursday seems to be a good day to go; hardly anybody there. Working on list for a Sept. trip.

Our wood guy says he'll bring us two loads next week. Got the propane filled so feel like we're making steady progress on winter preps. Finally got the storm door glass fixed. So nice to be able to use that door again. Found out he also installs windows and we want to replace the one over kitchen sink; very leaky and had to cover with plastic last winter. Also will get a couple of screens fixed. Washed all the downstairs windows...so much brighter in here! Pa is frisky enough to do extension ladders so says he'll do the upstairs when we pull the air conditioners.

Happiness is waking up to light rain with rain predicted thru the weekend. Might get as much as 2". The crunchy grass sure could use it. Gathered the crew and pulled the rest of the onion crop after supper in hopes we'd get this rain--another 35# of Talon 1 and Red Torpedo. This puts us over 100# harvested this year. The tomatoes keep coming and coming.....running out of shelf room.

Schools here go back Aug.13th. In Michigan we never went back until after Labor Day. School basically all year long seems sensible though as so many families have both parents working.


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

Dh went to diabetic clinic today and is majorily unhappy because they urged him to reduce food intake. Duh - I've been telling him for ages that since he's unable to do anything he needed to eat less. So he's mad at me too. 

I did what I hope is a 2 week grocery shopping trip and spent $90.29. HyVee had some super specials 4# of sugar for 99Â¢, Greek yogurt 77Â¢, frozen dinners 90Â¢ (I keep 4 in the freezer for quick meals and to avoid ordering $20 pizza!), blueberries 77Â¢ a pint and cantaloupe 88Â¢. I didn't buy much beyond the specials. Coupon on the back of the receipt for a free Subway cookie. Fareway had Georgia peaches for 78Â¢ lb. and bananas 38Â¢ and I also got 2 butterfly porkchops for $3.72. Again I just shopped specials and coupon on back of receipt for 33% off at place that does my computer work. Plus I did the usual Aldis shopping. My dentist has been after me to get a sonic tooth brush so I finally bought one today. $39.99 minus $15.00 coupon minus 90Â¢ for using Target credit card minus $7.09 remaining on a gift card so my final cost $19.74. My final stop was at my favorite thrift shop for black slacks for the funeral. I found dh a brand new shirt, myself the black slacks, a pair of green slacks and a pair of jeans. Slacks and jeans were $3 each and shirt $2.50. Also found a new crocheted dish cloth 50Â¢, crocheted hot pad 25Â¢ and 4 linen napkins 50Â¢ for a total of grand total of $12.25. 

Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to shop without thinking about money. Going into an actual clothing store and buying new clothes. Getting steak at the meat counter. Going out for a meal where you want to go not where you can afford to go. I really don't think it would make my life one bit better as I usually don't like the "new" clothes in stores and we hardly ever want to eat out -- the steak at the meat counter does appeal tho!!!!!!!!

Its been cloudy and misty today and we had 1 3/4" of rain yesterday so its still too wet to work outside. I still have more hedge trimmings to pick up and stack ready to be hauled, but I got most of them done before it rained.

I have another 12 pints of green beans jars to wash and store. I'm not sure where they will go as my shelves in the basement are full. Time for some rearranging! Actually we have an old hunking big TV on a shelf that I'd like gone then I could put my beans there. Trouble is the thing is big and heavy and ds, dh and dd's partner all have back problems. Maybe my dgs will shift it for me Saturday if I ask nicely. The TV works so I'd gladly give it to anyone who would shift it!


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

5 gallon buckets - finally! I have been very jealous of all the posts on HT of great finds on used food grade buckets. We don't live near any stores or bakeries that would be getting rid of the. Meanwhile I've bought a few with gamma lids, but they are so pricey it offends my frugal self. Then DH saw a listing on Craigslist, .25 a piece with lids. He picked up 50! Guess I'll be cleaning a few this weekend. 

Other good news, we are finally going to get working on our garage, which is in the house in classic 70's style. Someone made a mess of a support beam putting in an oversized door, we're taking it out, getting the house supported again and turning it into a workshop and storage room. That's right, a storage room! For all my canned goods, supplies, and those buckets above. Pretty decent size. DH is working with a friend to do it, hopefully they know what they're doing....


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

We have hit or broken 100F for the last several days...102F today....no foreseeable end ....come-on Fall.

Dh spent the night at the farm, after he took a big truck and trailer load. He said you could hear a pin drop at night.

I'll go do some painting this weekend. More and more, our "farm hands" are placed in charge of this place. We have some really trust-worthy, honest people working for us.

Bought 3 more bags of Coffee...That was all they had in the strength I enjoy.:thumb:

Picked up 3 Pickle buckets at the BBQ place yesterday. Filled them with water and bleach.....sitting in the sun today. ( Pee U ).

That's about it here.

You guys keep up the good work and have a blessed day.


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## NBC3Mom (May 14, 2005)

My son started a non-profit organization 2 years ago in memory of my dad. He was a farmer all of his life and at his funeral we met many young men who spoke of him as a mentor and a friend. Among other projects, our non-profit has a garden with 100% of the produce donated to local food banks. Our total donated so far in this our second year is 1029 pounds. Combined with last year's total, we have donated over a ton of food. Our goal is to offer cooking from scratch and preserving classes. So many people have no idea how to cook fresh green beans or what to do with a zucchini. Also a good way to help families eat better and start a pantry - preppers in the making!


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## Mutti (Sep 7, 2002)

NBC3Mom...For years when we lived in MI we hauled a neighbors cull potatoes to a food bank. These were lumpy bumpies he couldn't sell but perfect otherwise. A lot of people need to get over their "fear" of imperfect food...when you garden yourself you know how much has a bug bite out of it! What a great way to honor your father.

Ann...we like the Aldi pork chops. In the crockpot with a pint of homemade sauerkraut. Yum. A pkg. is 3 meals for us. Paid $4.44 for 7. Reasonable in light of today's outrageous prices. We like their brats, too and also stocked up on the canned chicken. Great in casseroles. We have 10 hens heading to stew pot land when it cools.

We were lucky, also and got 1-3/4" of rain last night. Sure will help the grape crop and now I can do some fall planting.


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

Still overcast and cool here. My tomato vines are lush and loaded with tomatoes that are not ripening. After the record cool July we need some HOT August weather. I am anxious to get back into the garden as I know cucumbers and green beans need picked, lettuce and chard needs cutting, weeds need pulled and melon vines need to be cut back before they take over the world.

TDD - when do you anticipate moving 100% to the new place? Sounds like it will be a wonderful homeplace for you.

My grandson called a few weeks ago and said he'd like to do a family get together BBQ and could we do it here. I thought that was a great idea and suggested we do potluck so that he doesn't have to do it all. Anyway we scheduled it for tomorrow, but tomorrow ds and I will be traveling to Des Moines for cousins funeral so we switched it to Sunday. Of course, everyone else's plans are thrown into disarray by the change!

On the topic of cooler weather, the long range forecast for our area for this winter is colder than normal with higher than normal precipitation. I always try to stay prepped PERIOD and I always ramp up preps for winter so there's not much I can think of I need to do different, but its still food for thought.


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## beegrowing (Apr 1, 2014)

Went "robbing" the bees and got 8.5 pounds(almost a gallon) of honey from one of my top bar hives. Top bar hives do Not typically produce a LOT (box-type Lang-hives yield many gallons),so that IS a good harvest! Very Happy!

Other finished stuff:
All I have is a dozen raised beds so Please don't laugh at my tiny canning efforts! 

Got the garlic hastily braided (lazy,NOT artistic), small (makes me grumpy)and only 6 lbs this year, and the porch all swept where it had been drying on a rack and shedding for 6 weeks! 

Saved dry pak choi and radish seed for next year.

Covered 3 raised beds no longer in use and pulled down old pea strings and wires. Is anyone else idiot enough to spend half an hour in 100 degrees(shade though) untangling and winding old strings? gads....... I'm not That poor,I just "want" to reuse it until it falls apart....HAHA

Four 1/2 pints of pickled garlic and 3 pints of plum sauce canned. 4 quarts of sauerkraut half canned in pints and half in the fridge to be used "fresh". 2 Gallons of blackberries frozen whole to think about Later.

Emptied mostly "failed" potato gro-bags that dried out too often and made about one pound per bag. If I'm going to do potatoes at all I MUST get them in the ground where they can hold moisture! sheesh. 

The Great Joy of the week is eating from my little bed of sweet corn! OH YUMMM! 

Note to self: Experiment less (I have a very good idea of what I'd do for SHTF gardening after 4 years of intensive "figuring") and use limited space for food that you just LOVE next year.


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## Cindy in NY (May 10, 2002)

Mutti - I was thinking about grocery store food vs homegrown the other day when I was canning my far-less-than-perfect frozen tomatoes. There is no way I would have "paid" for those ugly things! 

beegrowing - I also have a tiny garden compared to a lot of folks but I pack it full! Here's a pic of it and a pic of the two jars of pickled garlic scapes that I forgot to post a couple weeks ago. Had enough brine left over so also did a pint of pickled beans.


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

beegrowing - our potato bags failed miserably when we lived in Medford, way too hot. We dig trenches now for potatoes and that seems to keep them much cooler. They don't grow as well as in Maine, but we get enough to feed 2 of us for a year (we eat more pasta than potatoes!). But the bags do great with peppers, bush beans, leeks, chard, lettuce so far. 

Got 8 lbs of cherries today at a roadside stand! Sweet surprise. They are so good! So after a swim today think I'll start pitting cherries to can! Brandied cherries on ice cream anyone? Haven't made them before but my sister just did and sounds awfully good. 

Butter was $5.56 a lb today at the store and I am low, ugh. Just bought 1 lb. But I did get more vinegar and sugar, I get anxious when I use any preserving stores.


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## beegrowing (Apr 1, 2014)

Pretty garden pic Cindy! Looks familiar except my raised beds are surrounded by clover (now dried up) and wild flowers and natural "weeds" and rocks as a sort of "habitat" for the lizards and bumblebees,etc. In other words mine is not tidy except IN the intensive beds. :grin: Glad I'm not alone in canning a pint or 2 of something! My annual harvest adds up with many quarts of tomatoes and apples that last us a year, but the rest of the shelves are alllllll those little diverse pints. 

Vosey-Ah,yes,I can see how the peppers wouldn't mind those bags (my biggest crop Last year when the heat wave started a month sooner) and I'm glad to know bush beans are OK in them too! I'm putting that note on my garden map/list for next year! I don't know Why I tried it again but I did have one Big crop the coolest summer we had out here,2011 or ??? when the plants lived til Sept. Trenches make perfect sense for semi-drought potatoe plants though;thank you for that suggestion. 

Hey to all of you writing that I don't name and thank or comment to (I'm So lazy!), I want to say I love reading the posts and a lot of you give me ideas or make me feel "at home"! I'm out here cheering on Everyone that cares about being prepared in any way they can!:clap:


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

I got back outside this afternoon and picked a dish pan of cucumbers. Gave several to my neighbor then made 8 pints of kosher dills spears. I've never had any luck with dill pickles -- they are never crisp -- so I bought a package of Ball kosher dill mix and tried that today. 

I need to pick beans but ran out of time. I did pick enough for supper and even the older plants are still producing nice beans. The two new rows are loaded with beautiful beans which are going to be too mature before I get to them. Tomorrow is the funeral in Des Moines which is 2Â½ hour drive then probably another 45 minutes in the city to get where we need to go. Sunday we're having a family picnic in the evening so I'll be cooking/preparing food most of the day. Monday I hope to I pick beans.


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## moldy (Mar 5, 2004)

Been a busy week - on Wednesday I worked 1.5 hours away from home and it was a 12 hour shift - made for a really long day. Thursday, I canned most of the day: 16 quarts of bread and butter pickles with jalapenos, 9 half-pints of apricot-jalapeno jam, 14 jelly jars of apricot Bavarian cream jam, 4 pints of dilly beans.

Yesterday, I picked a little more in the garden, then went to a friend's orchard and picked up drops for the pigs and cows. Our cows just love apples! Didn't get too much else done, except making a pasta with pesto and sauteed veggies dish for dinner - it was so good!


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## Cindy in NY (May 10, 2002)

moldy - your B&B pickles sound intriguing!! How much jalapeno do you add per quart? Is everything else the same?


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## Homesteader (Jul 13, 2002)

moldy, what is the cream part of your bavarian cream apricot jam?


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## moldy (Mar 5, 2004)

For the pickles, I add about 1/5 as much jalapenos, but I take the seeds and membranes out of half the peppers (otherwise it's too hot for me). So for 5 quarts of cukes, I add a quart of sliced peppers (with half of the seeds removed).

The jam has LorAnn oils in it (just a tiny tiny bit). I use the Bavarian cream and amaretto oils and just a tiny bit of nutmeg. This stuff is so good, though. I really like it stirred into my yogurt.


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

Taking a break, about to cut up peaches for the dehydrator. Canned cherries this morning and the rest are in the dehydrator. Realized most the peaches are so imperfect or have soft spots already that canning may be out. I honestly don't have the energy for jam. Gotta love the dehydrator for quick 'putting up' of food. 

Moldy - I've never heard of LorAnn oils. Sound interesting. Just about every jam and canned fruit I do is really just yogurt flavoring! I never worry if my jam doesn't set, it'll be great in yogurt


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## brendafawn (Oct 15, 2013)

Well my to do list is coming along pretty well.
Got a start on the fall garden. My beans are up, will be planting some more before the end of the month. The walls on the room addition are coming along good. We use alot of reclaimed materials so I spent the day cleaning two by fours. We will be more particular on the roof and the floors. So it is coming along nicely. Started organizing the cabin and it is looking good. It's hard to do when you live in one room. Most of our stuff is in storage and a lot is set up for the flea market. What we sell will be put into our place.


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

Waiting for DH to get home to make dinner, so I'm wasting time on HT  

Discovered a bunch of our pole beans have beans! Last night DH said we had a few Cherokee Trail of Tears and picked some for dinner. They were huge and a little stringy. I went out this afternoon, there are tons everywhere! I swear that man is blind. And for some odd reason I was waiting for him to tell me the beans were ready. the beans are sort of his thing. So lots of beans picked. Tomorrow I'll can and dry some. I'm thinking I should just can lots of the early beans and all the later ones can go to neighbors. I have a co-worker who counts on me fro beans every year. If I get it over with then it'll be no stress later when DH is picking 5 gallon buckets.


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

The trip to Des Moines took longer than anticipated due to waiting on a pilot car and slowing for road construction. The funeral started at 11:00 and we arrived at 11:00. It was an absolutely lovely service. The deceased's son and daughter called it a celebration of his life and it was exactly that. Although they do not have positive proof, its thought that he was dead before he hit the bridge probably due to a heart attack.

I decided to pick green beans as soon as I got home so changed my clothes and started picking. They the lady that mows our yard came to mow so I helped with that. She does our yard and our neighbors and bags the clippings all of which we use as mulch. I now have 4 to 6 inches of mulch on the strawberry/raspberry bed hoping to improve the soil. The raspberries are loving the mulch and the rain we got last week and even the two remaining strawberry plants are looking good with one putting out several runners. I mulched one flower bed which, of course, required me to pull weeds and grass before I could mulch. I ended up working until it was dark. Tomorrow I have another pile of grass clippings to spread around the rhubarb and asparagus. I mulched them last week but want to add another layer tomorow. 

I keep saying I'm done canning beans then I pick and they are so nice that I keep canning. I think what I picked today will be another 12 pints. I have done 53 pints so far so 12 more will get me to my goal of 60. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day as I want to can the beans early before I start cooking for the picnic we're having Sunday evening plus I need to pick up the house and clean the bathrooms.

I went to pick sweet corn and found the raccoons had gotten every single ear. We lost over 50% to hail then the @#$* raccoons finished it off. I guess if we're going to have sweet corn I'll have to buy some.


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## Mutti (Sep 7, 2002)

Vosey...Pa can't pick beans either. If I do get him to help I start him on a row and follow behind! Think it could be partially d/t his cataracts which he,stubbornly, won't get fixed. 

The Fortex pole beans are producing heavily now and Pa can see them....12" long beans hard to miss! They are such a tasty variety. Think I've recommended them before. After putting the soaker hose on them the rain came...why didn't I try that before? Or wash the car? Hang out the wash?

A hint for any peach jam makers...cinnamon makes your jam so much better. I often stir some in when I open a jar of peaches,too. The peaches I got this year were really really delicious and very juicy.

Moldy....we never butchered our steers until the orchard was done for the year. All the drops the deer didn't get first went to finishing this years' steer and we always get very good meat. Couldn't afford a steer this year but son/DIL already scouting deer.

Son did so well at last Army shooting competition that he got invited to be on the State team so off to Nebraska( I think) this week. He is always on the go with his Army job . DIL happy to be home from Guatemala and able to putter around on their new homestead. Only there a couple of weeks before she left on tour.

Ann...was it Provider green beans you said you grew? Getting a wonderful harvest from your planting.


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

Good morning all! Lightening storms with all the rain evaporating before it hits the ground are called for for the next 3 days. Now at 100% chance instead of 20%  So I'm going to recheck our camper, get more dog food in it and finally make a written list of the few things I want DH to take if I'm at work and he needs to go. My grandmother's candlesticks and paintings are really the only things that are irreplaceable.


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

Vosey, I have a friend in Florida who had to evacuate due to fires 3 times one summer. She had a grandfather clock that she'd inherited and that clock was moved 3 times along with the usual pictures and a few other irreplaceable items.

I got 9 pints of beans canned today. I also got started on food for this evening. I made the deviled eggs before I started canning. When I finished canning I moved house plants out of the living room before 2Â½ yo great granddaughter arrives. She will not leave the plants alone and her dad never makes her. He tells her no, but doesn't physically stop her when she doesn't listen. She would really benefit from a swat on the backside, but I'm not the one that needs to do it. Her mom thinks it funny that ggd is "naughty" and is constantly posting on Facebook how "naughty" ggd is. She already has a couple of out of control teenagers so I'd think she'd learned but obviously not.

This second death of a young family member has really affected my mother's health. Actually, the death of the 17 yo in June aged her 10 years overnight then the accident Monday affected her terribly. When you're nearly 93, aging 10 years overnight is not a good thing. Yesterday at the church my sister had mom in a wheelchair. Six months ago mom would have flatly refused to get into a wheelchair.


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

So the camper really is almost ready to go (I discovered it wasn't as ready as I thought when I got out there today!). All that is left is disinfecting the water containers, gave DH directions on what to do tomorrow. I realized we had no "ready to go" foods except home canned goods which don't want to live in the camper. Made up a box and labelled it for Fire Evacuation. It's next to the duffel bag full of clothes etc. 

Canned 8 pints of green beans I picked this morning, found a bunch of plants with a few first beans. Cherries have been in the dehydrator forever, peaches are done. 

Off to work again tomorrow. Next weekend I have 4 days off. I'm thinking maybe we should go camping for a night just to use the camper! Then we can make sure everything is there.


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

Wow ladies... Ya'll have been really busy.

Went to the new farm on Saturday, I painted. There is so much wood work...painting is tedious.......especially the floor! I sat and scooted, and scooted, and scooted and scooted. I could hardly stand up yesterday!!! Really. My low back said ....:nono:.

Dh mowed with the new tractor. I had a good chuckle..... He was whining about mowing.....I looked out.... he was cruising along listening to music in the AC of the tractor......WAAAH! No sympathy from me!!!!:umno:
I saw a Doe and a very small fawn, on the edge of the back yard......There is fencing, but , I can tell, gardening is going to come with wildlife challenges.

I have a Diagnostic Mammogram this morning......Prayers always appreciated.

Yesterday, we licked our wounds most of the day...Using Icy hot like crazy. 
We got out dh had breakfast, I had lunch and then we went back the tile store..... still can't make up our minds.

*Ann* - There is no eta to move.....We own both places outright.... we can take our time. And believe me.....It is going to take some time to move this place!!
Plus, I will stay here and work for a while. I hope to have Christmas there..... we'll see.

Have a great day.....Off to my appt and work.


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## NBC3Mom (May 14, 2005)

We had almost 1" of rain yesterday and more due today. Our biggest rain barrel was almost emptied from watering the garden but it should be filled back up by now.
I baked a ham that was in the freezer since Easter - I like to buy turkey and ham when they are on sale for the holidays. I needed the room in the freezer for zucchini and tomatoes. All of the sides for dinner were from the garden, mashed potatoes, green beans, zucchini bread, and tomato and cucumber salad. Eating this well makes all of the hard work worth it.

Shredded more zucchini for the freezer and baked and froze zucchini bread. Yesterday we caught a rabbit eatting one of the almost ripened tomatoes! After we chased him off, we picked all of the tomatoes that were the least bit pink. I would much rather wait for them to ripen on the vine, but we don't have a lot this year and I don't want to share them with Peter Rabbit. Next year, the entire garden will be fenced in. 

Ann - my dill pickles were never crisp either until I tried my neighbor's recipe for Clausen dills.
They are refrigerator pickles but are crisp and have an excellent taste. I am going to try to make another batch before I have to resort to canning the rest. The refrigerator doesn't have enough room for more than a few more jars. I will post the recipe if anyone is interested. There is no cooking involved, besides boiling water. 

TDD - good luck with your mammogram.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Prayers *TDD*...those mammo's are a whole lot scarier now 

Stress is dripping out of all my pours. DH and I went Friday to look at sport coats for interviewing! He worked on his resume yesterday!! He says "don't worry....it could take months to move". Easy for him to say!! That because if he gets a new job, he goes to it. I stay home with the kids, pack, and try to sell the house! Yeah, he'll be back here on weekends, like THAT'S any help, lol. He says he doesn't want to talk about it with me because I want to make plans. UM...that's what adults do :grumble: Anyways....the next few weeks/months could be rather interesting. He says I should go ahead and get corn to can......but.....we already have 600 or so jars of food we would have to move.....should I really add more?? Apples season isn't for a few more weeks (for me....I don't start till Sept on apples, it's a sanity thing, lol) I'll have to sit back and see how this plays out, right now I'm leaning towards not doing any apples this year.

Nice thing about stress.....makes me want to get rid of "stuff", which is rather productive when one might be moving.

Thanks for letting me vent. I'm trying not to let my "freak out" bother the kids. I have told them what DH's is up too, he was posturing this way last year, but my cancer put that on the back burned....not a good time to change insurances or move. Told them we need to push fast through school right now in case we are "down" later. Since today is the first day, it's easy to double up on lessons now....when everything in their curriculum is moving slow through review.


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

Ohio, I think I would go ahead and can the corn. If you move, it will be addditional to pack, if you don't you're golden. BTW if you have a liquor store nearby, the boxes they receive bottles in are perfect for packing canning jars as they have dividers. Otherwise, sliding pieces of cut up cardboard in-between jars works for boxes without dividers. I moved many boxes of jars to Wyoming and then back to Iowa without any breaking.

TDD - prayers said.

Our weather is staying cool. In the low 70's today. I have my clothes lines full and there is just enough breeze for them to dry perfectly. 

Dh had a sleep study a couple weeks ago and flunked. He goes back tonight for a study with a mask to see if it helps. I hope it does. He seems to sleep good, but wakes up tired. I've known for many years that he needed to do this but until the heart doctor told him to do so he wouldn't.

My grandson carried the old TV out of the basement and put it in his dad's car for disposal. YEAH. Now dh and I are going to rework the old entertainment center for shelving for home canned foods. It needs a lot of re-enforcement, squaring up and additional shelves. It will be cobbled together from what dh has available plus I'm going to the local hardware store shortly for some L brackets for the corners which should be the only cost. It won't even get painted. That's the nice thing about an unfinished basement -- who cares as long as it works.

I have chard that has gotten huge that I need to cut, blanch and freeze or dehydrate. I went out to do that and somehow ended up digging a row of potatoes instead. Side track!


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

I was cruising right along...picked high bush blue berries Fri and wild ones Sun while visiting and doing chores for my folks....came home and froze the berries...on trays individually and then into bags.....canned 7q green beans....salt on cukes for Bread and butters this morning.....looking at a mtn of zucchini to make mock pineapple with and some relish....cut wood on Saturday.
Then the boy called and said he needed DR ASAP as his throat was closing! AHHHH! no fever, no bee stings, no food allergies....negative for strep but he is on a 5 day Arethromyacin?? course. He was fine last night when I saw him.....he's camping on the couch with the dog. I suggested he start french kissing the dog so he wouldnt pick up so many nasty germs.....he did not laugh.:help:

The bull goes to butcher in 2 weeks and the calf has gone to his new home...I missed my morning "mooo" this morning when he calls for his breakfast.....time for a new baby? maybe!

Have fun!


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

I must admit, venting did make me feel better  I came home with 6 dozen ears of corn ($3 a dozen) I asked about peaches.....they want a $30 for a 30# box....that's a $0.30 a pound savings. I'm debating that... I have 2/3 of a bushel of peaches coming next week for $28.......I'm betting that's the same as a 30# box. I may....just may....go back for a box of peaches tomorrow afternoon once the corn is canned. We are down to one qt of peaches and about 5 qt of peach pie filling. We don't do peach pies often, so this year everything will just be straight peaches as the 5 qts will do us for another year.

*Ann* - Liquor store boxes!! The grocery store up the street has our town's liquor store. I'll have to stop in and ask every time I'm up there (unless they say no the first time, lol). I can start tossing them in the attic of the garage for "when". Thanks

*mpillow* - you're a hoot! French kiss the dog :hysterical:. Sounds like something I'd say


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

Jen...odd socks also work great for cushioning he canning jars! Prayers for you guys!

TDD....hope your appt went well....you have too much to do to be sick!

I think my mom has resigned herself to staying the winter b4 moving but she is getting rid of stuff....like canning jars which I happen to have room for!ig:


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

NBC3Mom - I'd love your pickle recipe. Ours are so slow this year I'm only going to have enough to do a few jars at once. My canned ones are not so great anyway.


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

I'd like the refrigerator pickle recipe too. Hopefully I could do those crisp!


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

Good morning.

Mammo was good!! (fist pump). If there is no problem with my labs.....My Oncologist apt week after next, should be a breeze. (fingers crossed).

Just trudging thru....

Have a blessed day!


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Feeling corny today  Dh came home last night and we spent 30 minutes shucking then cutting the corn off 6 dozen ears. Canned up 7 qts of corn.......I have 22 more pints ready to go. Now my dilemma, only 20 pints fit in the caner.....I think the last two will get used fresh. Not sure I want to spend an hour, plus and hour of propane caning 2 pints, lol.

Decided against the extra peaches. Time and sanity just won't allow for it.


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## Cindy in NY (May 10, 2002)

Ann - I saw on Tightwad Tips that you were dehydrating. What kind of dehydrator do you have? Anyone else have a recommendation?


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

My dehydrator was made by my son in shop class (he graduated in 1979!) from plans printed in Mother Earth News. It has 7 screen/trays and the heat source is 4 light bulbs in the bottom. I use 40 watt bulbs and sometimes have to unscrew one as it gets too warm. There is no fan so I have to switch the trays around. I'd love an Excalibur but this one works and its paid for! When ds brought it home he apologized to me because he hadn't had the money to buy a knob for the door. I glued a wooden spool on as a temporary fix and its still there. I did replace the fiberglass screens on the trays about 5 years ago.

It was afternoon before I started drying the chard and 3 trays are dry and crumbled into a quart jar. I'm going to check it again before I go to bed and maybe unplug it until morning. I sort of hate leaving any heat type unit going overnight.

I bought one of the smaller round dehydrators with a fan and found that the bottom tray was always too hot so had to switch those too. It was so small it wasn't worth my effort so I donated it.


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

Good morning.

Picked up my $100 of coffee......I feel like a hoarder!!!.........NOT!

Came home and baked a BIG Birthday cake that was last minute ordered.... I'll frost it tonight. I hated to turn the ovens on and heat up the house.

Paid bills this morning.
That's about it!

Have blessed one!!


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## NBC3Mom (May 14, 2005)

55* this morning! Feels like late September instead of mid-August. I heard on the news that Purdue is predicting record corn and soybean crops because the weather has been so good this summer. All I know is, my tomatoes and green peppers do not like it this cool. No shortage of zucchini or cucumbers, though. Donated 27 pounds from our garden to the food pantry last night. Weeded strawberries and pulled out the pole beans, basil, and cilantro that were dying. 

Here is my Clausen Kosher Dill Pickles recipe:

2 dill flowers 
2 garlic cloves, peeled & halved
1 1/4pounds (8-10) pickling cucumbers
6 long sprigs fresh dill
1 Tbsp coarse kosher salt
1/2 cup white vinegar

Put dill flower and garlic in bottom of mason jar; add the cukes, put sprigs of dill in center of cukes , add salt, vinegar, and fill jar with boiled water, that is now cool, to within 1/8th of top. Put on seal and ring, shake to dissolve salt, set upside down on counter away from sunlight and heat. Let sit 4-5 days flipping the jar either upright or upside down each day. Let sit upright 2 more days then refrigerate. 

Enjoy the day!


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

Thanks for the pickle recipe!

As for dehydrators, I have an Excalibur and wouldn't want anything else. Although I gather Cabela's has a good one as well. My sister has had her excalibur for a million years with no issues. Pricey, but if it lasts forever and you use it all the time it's worth it. No having to move shelves around like with the round plastic ones. And my friend with a round one says they take forever to dry anything. 

Off to work. Scary wildfire threatening homes 2 towns over (22 miles), small fire, couple hundred acres, but in a populated area. Today is the last day of thunderstorms for a bit.


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## Mutti (Sep 7, 2002)

I second the Excalibur. I love mine and glad I saved up to buy it. Had a Ronco my neighbor gave me but always had to shift trays to properly dry things. 

Happiness is having son and DIL report using my recipe to can 18 qts. of grape juice from the vines on their new homestead. Then they sent pics!They were so proud. Expect they'll have a big garden next year when she isn't on tour. Know greenhouse is in her plans.

Finally finished sorting onions. 105# total!!! Sorted out the smaller ones to make more onion powder and we'll have to use up the red torpedo ones that won't keep long but surely this will get us thru the winter. Harvested last row of beets. Fortex beans going crazy after the 2" of rain and the Provider ones I planted starting to blossom. Side-dressed with composted chicken manure in hopes of getting enough to can. Everyone says this variety is very productive.

Pa and I will check the bees this pm. Probably in need of more supers and full ones we can take off. Better wash up some jars.

$100 dollars in coffee seems like a lot. I doubled my subscribe and save order for coffee beans and got it to 5 items for the 15% discount. Squirrel nature coming out with the cooler weather.....


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

I have a load of clothes on the line and all my curtains in the wash. I hate heavy window coverings so minimum curtains everywhere. I need to vacuum the mini blinds and wash windows. I'll start in the living room and see how far I get before my hands give out. The bedroom windows not being clean doesn't bother me as I don't see them!!  The windows are behind mini blinds 99% of the time.

I picked beans again yesterday but think I'm going to cook up a large batch for us to eat off of for a week rather than process half a canner load. When things dry off a bit I need to pick cucumbers again, pull out the snap peas and replant with something. Maybe turnips, radishes and lettuce.

I agree our weather seems more like late September. In the 50's at night and 70's during the day. We should be seeing 90Âº days/70Âº nights.


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

5 pints of dill stackers, goat cheese curds, vacuuming and febreezing the dog sleeping spots, Walmart order put away, doe (deer) tags lottery entered, waste buckets from the pantry picked up, rutting buck goat separated...so far today.

Was given a box (about 35#) of fingerling potatoes just with tiny sprouts(as animal feed!) and still very firm....so we've given some away to neighbors and my sister and hope to can some...eating lots of taters (french fries) this week! The animals are only getting the peelings!

Have a banana box full of our zukes from the past 3 days....liked the mock pineapple...now I think I'll make the kool-aid candy....plus the goats like it!


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

Y'all have been busy! I've been off line for a while - internet having issues. Finally turned off the power strip and left it for an hour, then turned it back on and voila' - I have working internet again. :sing: Don't know what the issue was, but a reset seems to have fixed it. Fingers crossed that it stays fixed - I've missed all of you!!! 

I've got news! My youngest dd, Abby, is coming home Monday. She'll start out staying at my house, as long as she follows the house rules. Neat and tidy, gets her driver's license and GED, goes job hunting, pitches in on projects, etc. The goal is to get her to the point of living independently, if possible. Being on the autism spectrum makes some things a real challenge for her, including making the flight home. She has to switch planes in Denver. I told her she'd need to let the flight attendants know she'll need assistance to get from one flight to the other...I hope she does. I don't know how much help Frontier Airlines gives, but I'm sure if she asks, they will get her where she needs to go somehow. 

I've been garage saling again - found some wonderful buys Friday and Saturday, both, including finding the queen bed frame I've been looking for - only $5. I bought a small 2 burner wood cookstove - the kind I've heard called a "trashburner" for $20, and by the time I picked it up on Sunday, a lady had left her name and number and offered me $50 for it, lol. I'm keeping it, though. I can see it in a summer kitchen eventually, or in my future shop for winter heat. I also found a router, complete with table and a complete case of bits for $106. That's my Christmas present to myself. A router was next on my woodshop list. Now I need a planer! Always something. Let's see, I got another really nice girls' bike for $5 - now there won't be any arguing over who wants to ride the pink bikes at Gramma's house. Spent $40 on a small tiller, $5 on another manual meat grinder, $5 on a double bit ax, a total of $7 for a rubber mallet, a plastic mallet, and a fiberglass handled short metal maul, $5 for an eliptical trainer, $15 for a Lego table (Christmas for my dgs), and lots more. Found a good winter coat for myself for $3, jeans for Abby for $1, a whole bunch of shirts, shorts, pjs, washcloths and towels for .10 to .25 each, and a nice, like new pair of Adidas athletic shoes for $2. I had a lot of fun shopping with my bff both days.

I've been continuing to swim nearly every day - it felt especially good a few days ago when it hit 101 here! Of course, the next day it dropped to the 70's and stormed - and it's been cool and showery ever since. Supposed to warm up by the weekend, though, just in time to start bridge construction with the neighborhood. 

My broody hen came off the nest with only 5 live chicks - one pipped, but dead, one dead after hatching, and 6 eggs still in the nest, including one pipped and working on hatching out. I put the eggs in the Excalibur with wet towels under them and pans of water in the bottom for humidity. No signs of life yet from the other 5 eggs, but that one little chick is determined to hatch. I hope he makes it and can be given to his momma.


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

Mutti - I wish I had a big scale to weigh my onions, what do you think 2 wheelbarrows full is? DH loaded up our storage racks this week, but I had been hoping to go through them first to see which ones needed to be dehydrated. Oh well. I'm going to stink up the whole neighborhood dehydrating onions this weekend. 

Hadn't been out to the garden after work for a few days because of the storms, whoops, there were some BIG zucchini and cukes! Sometimes I feel we just grow them for the chickens.

Ann - I bet we all wish you'd come clean our windows and blinds!


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

I vote on EXCALIBER also. I have two 9 trays and would not trade them for anything.

Finished up my big cake last night, will deliver it today.

Mutti - $100, is the amount of money, I allot for coffee each month. It is going in LTS mostly. I only drink a couple of cups a day.... in the warm months. It's my personal guilty vice.

MGM- Awsome scores!

I am so glad it is YOU GUYS, who have all those beans and zukes to process! LOL!! I did all my canning early this year. Hope to do some more this fall.

BTW - Zucchini Chips are great..... Slice thin, season, dehydrate... enjoy! They won't last long!!

Well gotta run.

Have a Blessed and busy day!!


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## Mutti (Sep 7, 2002)

TDD...bet Pa and I could drink our way thru $100 worth of good coffee beans a month! Our only addiction other than chocolate! Funny, Pa never used to eat candy but in the past couple of years he has developed a hankering for it.

Vosey....I have an old timey produce scale and I use dollar dishpans to weigh my produce (and for picking). Works for me. More trips but a 5 gal. pail of produce is too heavy for me to tote. All the tubs I use for picking have their wt. in magic marker on the bottom. Two wheelbarrows of onions is an impressive harvest.

Yesterday I cleared a good share of the garden; pulled the rest of the beets (a surprise 37#). Sorted good from chicken feed and the best are now cooking. Planted more Provider beans, yellow turnips, spinach. Pa has worked up the lower part of the garden and we'll plant vetch to plow under in the spring. Predicting rain this weekend; sure hope we get some...hopefully not the deluge people are getting on the East coast.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

I have been spiraling down hill the past few weeks (likely longer). I only notice it because I was so UP a few months ago. What's changed......I have been forgetting to take my Vit D :bash: I'm starting to feel "normal" which is not a good thing...normal for me is sluggish and uninterested. SO...I'm going to have to work at remembering it and see if I feel better in a week. I see my Oncologist next week.....I bet she will be doing a "D check" with my blood.

I did drag my self off the couch and bleached out the fridge. It's needed it, and since it's contents are low at the moment it was logical. Kids are cutting the grass, we have finished Day 4 of school, and at 2:00 we are meeting friends at the park to fly kites. 

Tomorrow is a stock up trip. I haven't done much of that with so many people gone this summer. Nothing is too low.....but almost everything needs topped off. Need to check the flour and sugar levels before I go......I haven't bought any of those in months. Better check and see how much Vit D I have....might need to get a few bottles of that, too.

Might buy coffee just because.....don't really need any, I have 2 maybe 3 yrs worth at the rate I drink it. Although I have been drinking more then normal lately.....must be the cooler summer. Usually I drink 1-2 cups a week in the summer.....I think I've still been at my winter 2-3 cups a day level this year. But with TDD's $100 purchase and everyone saying how much the price is going up......it makes a prepper want more, lol.


ETA: all right all...what did I miss?? I have edited this 3 times now to fix typo's. I'm sure I missed something, lol. I'm having one of "those" days at the keyboard


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

Went to town today for a doctor's appointment and as usual crammed errands. I have kidney stones and I'm now on year 6 of good reports/clear x-rays so I've been released. Yeah. Its worth not drinking tea and watching my diet to avoid that pain. Also, any health improvement is a good prep.

We didn't need many groceries so I went to Walmart and bought first aid supplies. I was going to buy a tub to put them in but decided to use a bucket instead. I already have the bucket with a gama lid so why not use it? Dh put a gama lid on a non-food grade bucket so I'll repurpose it for first aid supplies. HyVee had eggs for 99Â¢ a dozen so I got 2 dozen, bananas 38Â¢ lb., frozen peas 69Â¢ a bag and vinegar $2.19 a gallon which is about all I bought. 

I didn't get windows washed or blinds dusted yesterday -- I'll get to them eventually!! I did get all the curtains starched and ironed. The dining room curtains are getting quite faded so I'm thinking about what to make to replace them. So far my thoughts run towards off white muslin with feed sack reproduction fabric ruffle. Or maybe just bands of feed sack fabric as I really hate ironing ruffles! I like my curtains flat panels that are gathered on the rod and are easy to iron.


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

Got really sick at work today, came home and in a few hours felt OK again. So I managed to get all the zucchini and summer squash from the fridge into the dehydrator along with some beans. Felt like I made good use of the day. 

We are unfortunately coffee snobs and drink too much of it. We get 5 lbs of beans every month on Amazon subscribe & save, it's been going up $2 every month. I only have a few extra bags put aside. I also stock up at Trader Joes as their canisters have far out expiration dates. 

Oh, and we finally got a new water heater. Our electric bills went sky high the past few months, finally figured out it was the old water heater. It had a foot of sediment in the bottom this time (part of our water issues). And the best part, we should be able to have 2 showers within 2 hours of each other! Can't believe we've put up with it for so long. You can only replace coils so many times. 

Sorry you're feeling so low energy OD - I hate that feeling.


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

*Jen*, I didn't find a single typo, darn it! I needed a giggle, girl.  Yup, in the winter, I HAVE to supplement heavily with Vit D or I'm a total slug. I've been out in the sun all summer and am feeling pretty good, but I know winter's coming.
*Vosey*, I hate to think how much sediment is still in the bottom of my water heater. It'll have to be replaced eventually, but I have a lot of other plumbing to fix first.
*TDD*, hang in there - it's almost the weekend! Hope you don't have to work and can get some down time (or what YOU call down time, lol).

I had a nice day off today - one of my high school friends who now lives in Alaska was back in town and 4 of us from hs met up with her for lunch and a good gab fest. 

Before I could drive in, I had to unload the new trash burner. I wrestled it into the pump house after I got back - not its permanent home, but at least it's dry storage for the immediate future.

While I was in town, I did run past Lowe's to pick up the plumbing repair parts for my kitchen sink, solar salt for the water system, and all the hose menders they had in stock. Got home and unloaded, only to find I was charged for 7 bags of salt and only came home with 6. Guess I'll be stopping by on my next trip to town to get the other bag, as well as more to have on hand. The 6 bags filled the water softener with only 1 bag left over. I want to have plenty on hand. At less than $5 a 40# bag, it's cheap to stock up on it, and it's not gonna go bad!

I've been reading Kathy from FL's fiction, as recommended on Calico Katie's thread. I stayed up way too late last night reading This is Me Surviving and am heading back to read a bit more tonight. Excellent story! I am planning to garage sale with my bff in the morning, so I can't read long - I need my beauty sleep.


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

Mutti - My Dh does not drink coffee at all......So, the expense is all on me!! LOL!!

Jen - I know how you are feeling{{{HUGS}}}}......I think I am low on Vita - D, also.....Bloodwork Monday for me. The heat, and stress and etc....is wearing me out.

I am nursing a back spasm..... I really need it to go away..... I have a lot of painting to get done. WAAAAH!

I took a few minutes and peeked at Jackie Clay's blog..... Her garden is a marvel.

Ace Hardware has canning jars on sale and then there is a 20% all you can get into a bucket sale this weekend..... So, I think I will partake in a few. 

I hope to get some Apples put up later this year. Jen - May I please borrow your Apple Peelers????

Well, gotta boogy.......Have a Blessed one!


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

For those of us feeling low...pass the Vit D bottle  Maybe if we take enough Vit D we'll start needing that Ben-Gay passed around again, lol.

I am feeling better today....I really should after all the sleep I've gotten, so I have made a nice long list of to-do's for today. I'm being reaslilistic, thoug, and will not beat myself up if I don't get it all done...

Laundry hung to dry
Shopping - big stock up day
Bill (done)
Get to the bank and "deal" with DS's acct
School the kids


Sure doesn't seem long, but all of those things take a bunch of time. School the kids is last for a reason.....I'll skip that if energy doesn't allow. I have one sick kid, so she's on "light school" anyways. DS has a few things he can do online towards school that don't involve me, those he'll do


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## NBC3Mom (May 14, 2005)

Back pain here, too, TDD. Picked veggies for today's food pantry delivery and helped lift 60#s of produce into the back of the van. Tomatoes are finally starting to ripen, but it was 46* this morning. I hope to can bread and butter pickles this weekend, cucumbers are great this year. Need to shred more zucchini for the freezer, too. 

DH is semi-retired and fixes a full pot of coffee to drink at home or take to work in a thermos. Lucky for me, the coffee service for our department is in my office so I get to drink 'free' coffee at work. We grind our own beans at home and DH noticed that the bags have gotten smaller in the past few months while the price is going up. We did buy more beans at Sam's the last time we were there. Good coffee, good beer, and good wine....our only vices.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Okay coffee drinkers, anyone buy green coffee beans?? I've been wanting to try this as they store longer, then roast then in a cast iron pan as needed. I have looked online a few times, but there are TOO many options! I am not a coffee snob, I don't want "fancy" beans....just general "run of the mill" beans, lol.

Home from shopping and the laundry is going (all hung....dryer items are in the dryer). That's normally 3-4 loads on the line and one load through the dryer, nice odds  DH is picky on towels....they have to go through the dryer, so I add in socks and underwear since it's running anyways (as they are labor intensive putting on the line). I seem to have more energy today....but DD is sick. Now I'm wondering if my exhaustion the past 3 days was fighting a "bug". Maybe I gave it to her.... Either way, I did remember my Vit D today.....so I'm being good, and it won't hurt anything.

Ok...off to put away all that food...


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

It has been raining here since about 3 a.m. It has mostly been fairly light with occasional downpours. Its supposed to continue thru tomorrow. I need to pick beans and dig potatoes both of which are no go now for a couple days at least. 

We worked on the entertainment center that we're trying to turn into shelving for canned goods. Its a piece of junk so its taking more work than its probably worth. Dh can only work for a few minutes at a time so it going to take awhile! I know we've put together whole shelving units from scratch easier than this project is turning out. Guess we're exchanging our time and effort to avoid spending money. At this point I'm not sure its worth it!!!!!!!!

Dh got a phone call from the pain center yesterday telling him Medicare is refusing to pay for the refill of his morphine pump. I'm terrified what that means dollarwise in paying for the June fill plus any future fills. This is another Obama care cut for Medicare. We're waiting for the bill before we begin battling with Medicare. I foresee letters to Senators and Representatives in our future. We live on social security and our budget already is $600 a month for medical so any additional is going to be VERY STRESSFUL.


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## Mutti (Sep 7, 2002)

OD First, I'm not a coffee snob in any way so if you have a fav coffee got for it. But we've found that the 8 O'clock Columbian coffee beans in the 33 oz. vacumn pkg from Amazon is to our taste and still reasonably priced...and available for subscribe and save. We have the hand crank coffee grinder our family used at our cottage so over 50 years old. 1/3rd cup coffee beans is a 12 cup percolater for us. Doubled my order to get more stashed. We store in freezer in original packaging with added heavy duty bags. Guess if times were that bad I'd drink anything resembling coffee anyhow!! Think TDD knows more about coffee and finding deals than I do!

Ann...sure hope than rain migrates our way. Weather gal keeps promising it will be here Sunday. We're gonna put the vetch on anyhow and hope for the best. Seems every year we've tried growing more than a few potatoes we get rainy spell and they don't get harvest before they are ruined.I love digging 'taters. Used to help out on neighbors sorting line for potatoes...can't let the rocks go thru!! When we wanted to buy our winter 200#'s he dig a row and let us pick them up. Golden Bakes so big you'd need two hands....he had to sort as consumers prefer more uniform product.

Son has done some experimenting with roasting coffee. If you search on this site there are numerous posts on this plus places people get their beans.


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## Mutti (Sep 7, 2002)

Jackie Clay makes me tired!!!!!!!


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## Jan in CO (May 10, 2002)

Ann, I wouldn't wait til you get bills to start complaining to your senators and reps and medicare. My sister had a problem getting her social security (I know, different thing) and all it took was one visit to her state representative to fix it. She had been trying and trying on her own. By the time you wait, then contact someone, you might end up being sent to collection. This STINKS that people's meds get cut!


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

OD - I've also been wanting to stock green coffee beans, but am pretty sure I'd burn them to a crisp in a cast iron pan! I should look into again. 

Ann - I'd do a little more footwork before waiting for the bill. Does your husband have an implanted pump? Is it Medicare D or B that is covering the morphine solution? I see so many mess-ups with billing Medicare. I can't tell you how many times we are told that someone's meds need a prior authorization and then find out, oops, no it doesn't. Almost all narcotics need a yearly prior authorization if under a Medicare D Rx plan. Also, Medicare B may supposed to be paying, but someone sees morphine, thinks it's oral morphine and says, no that needs to go through the part D plan. 

If the pain clinic is saying "medicare won't pay" you need to get all the details. It really could just be an frustrating error that someone smart in their office could figure out.


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

Mutti -"Jackie Clay makes me tired!!!!!!!" I know, RIGHT.....I look at what she gets done and I feel like a complete flop/failure. Holy Smokes! I wonder what kind a Vitamins she takes!!!

Jen - I am not brave enough to try roasting my own coffee beans. And I am a....ahem...Coffee Snob. I like good silky rich taste... without any bite or bitterness.
So I am of no help there!

BTW - I started back on my Calcium/Vit D's also today. But I am using ICY HOT like there is no tomorrow.

Picked up more paint at Ace and ordered 20 cases of canning jars. They will be in next week.

Busy at the new farm this week end. Farm hands here are wrapping up Haying.
It's hot here 104F with terrible humidity.

Ya'll take care... This farm girl is ready for bedtime!!


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

*Mutti and TDD*, Jackie Clay makes me tired, too, lol! She and her hubby do SO much - like Energizer Bunnies, they are. 
*Jen*, I debate about buying green coffee beans, too. I have a ton of Folger's on my pantry shelves, and it keeps really well, but it would be nice to add beans for LTS.
*Ann*, I'm seconding* Jan* and *Vosey*'s advice...don't wait! Check to see if it's a coding error and can your congressman. Oh, and I can so totally relate to your attempts to turn an entertainment center into storage - I've done that several times. What worked for me was to drill holes in the sides and stick those shelf pins in the holes, then cut boards to the right length to sit on the pins. Basically making adjustable shelves to fill in the part where the TV would have gone. I did the same thing with bookcases to add extra shelves to store my paperback collection.

My older dd is going to ride along when I go to the airport Monday to pick up Abby, and then she is bringing her kids up and having a sleepover at my house. I can't wait! It's going to be so much fun to have both my girls home, not to mention 2 of my grands overnight and all day Tuesday. :sing: I know the kids are going to love the pool and bikes, and Trina will be thrilled to have Abby home to saddle up Winnie for her to ride. Something tells me Winnie is NOT going to enjoy coming out of retirement, lol.

Tomorrow morning I will be taking my work gloves and tools down the road to meet up with the neighbors for a bridge rebuilding party. It's going to take about a week to do the job. That should give me some good opportunities to work on networking, assessing which neighbors might be good ones to depend on for SHTF mutual aid, find out if anyone would be interested in having a neighborhood-wide garage sale, and feeling out any interest in future work parties to help each other with projects that take more than one person. I'd really like to be a more active community member now that I'm home most of the time.

I ended up opting out of garage saling this morning. I got to reading and just couldn't quit - I'm up to chapter 88. I finally fell asleep for a few hours at 0700. I don't know how many more chapters this story has, but I'm sure enjoying it. This gal can write some good PAW fiction! She throws in recipes, too.

Since I stayed home, and since the family is coming to swim in a few days, I spent some time cleaning the pool this afternoon. I found a filter at WM that hooks to a garden hose and sucks the pool water through a net bag. I got a ton of tree needles and bugs off the pool bottom, skimmed plenty more that were floating, added bleach, and did water aerobics to mix the bleach in and aerate the water. It's looking good. I really expected the pool to be more work than it has been. It's only taken a few minutes a day as long as I do it every day.

I also pulled the cardboard off one of my raised beds (been smothering weeds in that bed for a month or more), pulled out the weeds that got missed, and ran the electric Mantis through most of the bed. Going back out in a bit to do the rest of it. 

I also cut more tomato supports and got the rest of my tomato jungle tamed. I can check that one off my list. While I was at it, I took some cuttings off some of my tomatoes and put them in water to root. The plan is to plant up some big pots with tomatoes to over-winter in the house under lights. Hopefully, that will give me enough toms to get me through the winter without having to even think about buying nasty ones at the store.

I have black caps (black raspberries) sending out new shoots. They are searching for ground to spread (propagate by tips), to I dug compost, filled 1 gallon pots and pinned the shoot tips to the soil. I should be able to more than double my patch this way. 

My red and gold raspberries have spread all over the garden to the point they have become a nuisance - time to dig and amend their beds and transplant the ones I actually want to keep back where they belong. The support posts have rotted off (treated posts, even), so I need to dig out those posts and pound in T-posts instead, then wire cattle panels to the T-posts to support the canes.

I keep thinking up all these projects, and I haven't even made a dent in my August list yet. Maybe having Abby home will help me get some of these jobs finished.


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

Until we get some paperwork we don't know exactly what the issue is. I plan to point out that Medicare paid for the implantation of the pump so it seems counterproductive that they won't pay for filling the pump. The morphine itself costs only about $40, however, the procedure to fill the pump is over $1,000. Don't recall exactly how much over but maybe $2,000 or more. Its an office procedure but semi-surgical since they have to find the port, insert a needle to empty the pump and then refill it. 

Our Representative is King, Senators are Grassley and Harkin. All are all over the state campaigning at present.


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

*Ann*, even better - it's an election year! They have staffers that do the actual work, and they (elected officials) are motivated to get you results in an election year so they can brag on what they do for their constituents. 

Looking at my to-do list, I think I'm further along on it than I thought. Good thing, cause I went back out to work on my raised bed again, and pooped out before I finished it. Rats...I was hoping to plant my fall pea crop before things get hectic this week. The skeeters were getting bad, too, so I rinsed off, swam enough to cool off and am going to call it a night.


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

Ann - that does sound messy, I didn't realize it was also the procedure. But I bet with some work you can get it covered, sorry you have to go through this. 

Today is the start of 4 days off! I originally took the time off to deal with putting up the garden, but we're still a little late this year. I have lots to do though! I also have a few obligations that are going to eat up too much time. 

And our water is being turned off for 2 days to do maintenance on the water system. We don't trust them not to screw it up so are planning on putting aside a lot of water. Our tank will last us 2 days if we're careful. 

So, today, plant the fall/winter root crops. Get the zucchini and green beans out of the dehydrator. Pull the last of the leeks and get them in the dehydrator. Instead of feeding all the cherry tomatoes to the chickens, try dehydrating them! Then we need to go make an appearance at the Hillbilly jamboree and Timber Carnival , our town's big event of the year.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Cleaned the inside of my windshield this morning...boy was it in need. Also scrubber my windshield wipers.....they were filthy!!

Walked to the library with DH to pick up a B rated movie he's in the mood to watch....Outland

Met up with one of DS's scout master at the range so he could shoot. He's a member but has never shot there (hasn't shot much the past few years) so he wanted us there to walk him through how we do things at our range. For a ex-cop you'd think he'd be more comfortable on a range. Anyways, guess he wants us there next time too......if we are available.

Going to meet up with friends tonight to watch fireworks....Constitution Day Festival this weekend. Not sure why they moved the festival to Aug.....Constitution Day is in September and that's when the parade still is. They moved it sometime while were lived in Europe.....my guess is it has something to do with the kids not being in school now.... They use to do a nice hot air balloon target contest and night glow, but they haven't done that since it got grounded in 2001 (due to 9/11 - it was still in Sept then). They took off from one of the field to the north, then had to drop a bean bag on an X on the festival grounds, then land just to the south. It was great fun to watch! At least we can walk there (about a mile) as parking is a nightmare, unless you go for the day. Carney rides and fair food aren't that interesting to us.

I guess a bit of shooting and celebrating the Constitution is as "preppy" as I got today.

Well, better get the zucchini cut so I can grill it and the pizza's for dinner.


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

*Vosey* - Have you ever heard of a Water Bob for water storage?

They are huge plastic bladders..... 100+ gallon capacity. They are about 20 bucks....simply put them in your bathtub and fill. You might check it out. I have 4.

I think Jen (OD) has several, also.

We worked like preverbal dogs yesterday.....I was so exhausted, I hardly slept.

We have a very light rain falling.....It won't add up to much..... but, we are glad to have it. And, for a short while, it is cooling our outlandish temps.

I am considering buying a Gator.... or some type of side x side to use at the new place. DH, doesn't want one......but, I sure do.......I may look for a good used one.

I met a new neighbor yesterday.......She is a nosey Nellie.........I'll have to be very careful of what she sees........She is a blabber mouth......I already know stuff about people I have never... or, may never meet...I'm sure they would not appreciate the invasion. There is no trouble quite like a busy body neighbor!

*MGM* - You WILL need the Ben Gay, if you pound in T-Posts.....OMGoodness.......That always just whips my fanny! And kills my hands and wrists.

Glad you are getting to spend some quality time with your family.


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

TDD - uh oh, a Nosie Nellie :gossip::gossip: , nothing worse, hopefully they can all be one-sided conversation with her stalled at the door! When went to a yard sale down the street a few weeks (months?) ago there was a woman just hanging out at the sale. DH went back the next day, she was there again and had figured out who were were, where we lived etc in 24 hrs. I will look into a bladder, I've heard of them. 

All my weekend goals have been derailed. My dad is going in for emergency quadruple bypass tomorrow. I spent all day on the phone yesterday with my family. My mom is going through this alone, well, my brother is there, but not to sounds sexist but it's not the same as having one of her daughters there. She doesn't think she needs anyone there, but I disagree. But, I can't get back to Maine right now. Luckily they were just out here. If surgery doesn't go well I will go back. I don't like being this far away from them and it's making us think maybe we should move back to be there for them and my in-laws, but it's a big, expensive difficult move. 

Anyway, today is beef canning day. I have a huge cross rib roast I'm going to can a bunch of and cook the rest. Yesterday I discovered a ton of new blackberries on our irrigation run-off ditch at the wetter end. It was a great find as our usual patch had died in the drought. Canned 6 pints yesterday.


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

Oh my gosh...where to start!

Fri morn. chores---bull had busted the door to the milking parlor---the eye and hook latches were bent and door was off the roller guide at the top....goats upstairs into the hay!:bash:....bent all the hooks and eyes back to useable condition, got the door back on track....fed, milked and blocked the door so no bull can enter! (He goes to freezerville next wkd)

Inside straining milk...my mom calls having a meltdown concerning the house and my fathers mental health....I told her it was time for Power of Atty.

Took my frustration out on the mower, until DH got home. He made me smile! "Girls I got you a treat in my lunch pail...." Apparently when he went to eat lunch they did so by the RR tracks with a huge bunch of blackberries....he picked us a bunch on his lunch break and brought them home for us!

Then about 7pm Fri son calls "I crashed my bike and the police are here" not far from sisters....it was wet from the rain and someone backed a van onto the road and so when he dumped his motorbike he just slid on the wet grss and he wasnt going fast so just a sore shoulder and some repairs to the bike....the van driver will pay for. He will live to be 20 after all!

Sat. it was INCREDIBLY busy at the pantry. I ended up bringing home 6 boxes of strawberries...we salvaged 40 cups! This morning I canned off some more green/yellow beans and have milk waiting to be canned.

My brother in WA (NW) called me...hadnt heard from him in months. He has been making the most of "homesteading" his new place. The goat he took from my herd is still producing kids and milk 6 years later.


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

mpillow -- I'm glad your ds is okay. While 20 will definitely be good 60 would be better.

I picked a bucket of cucumbers and need to find someone to give them to as I'm not making any more pickles. Ordinarily my neighbor will take half a bucket -- she makes slaw from cucumbers -- but she's in AZ for 10 days. I should get her recipe when she's back. Also, picked a dishpan of green beans that I need to can or give away. Dh says can so I guess I'll can. I've canned 71 pints already! Also, picked a dishpan of tomatoes half of which have been eaten on by something. Picked some slugs off of one so maybe that's what's eating them. Hate the slimy things. Got one green pepper that is half sunburned but half still usable.

I pulled out the peas with intent to plant something else there but the sweet potatoes and cantaloupe are vining all over so I guess anything I plant would be overuun.


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

Labs today. Then.... work.:bored: I SOOOOO don't want to go.....But, I must for a while longer.

Boy, my back is giving me fits. Sitting here with a heat pack right now. SWEATING!!!
I did a lot of painting, up on tall ladders and I am definitely paying for it.

I think I have a case of the Mondays.

Kroger has my coffee on sale, so I plan to run by there this evening. Three dollars less than I have been paying for it.:huh:
Also, need to go to Lowes or Home Depot for Cedar closet lining. I can't wait to see what that costs.

There is a closet at the farm, that is semi cedar lined.....I bought a can of Cedar Oil OMG.....$$$$. But, I am going to lightly sand what is there and oil it up, then finish it out. I love the aroma of a nice cedar closet.

Vosey, Yep, I am going to have to be careful of that lady!! My heart sank a bit when I realized she could be trouble. I just really don't want or care to deal with that stuff.

Prayers for your Poppa.

Well... Off I go.... have a blessed day.


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## NBC3Mom (May 14, 2005)

Did not get to the canning this weekend, but worked on preps of a different sort. On Saturday DS and some volunteers planted 11 fruit trees in the orchard at the non-profit farm while I went to Tactical Firearms Training. It was a great day - the morning was in the classroom with a very interesting instructor who is also a 2nd Amendment lawyer. Learned a lot about gun safety and operation and some state and federal laws. He told us about some of his more interesting clients and cases. We spent the afternoon on the firing range. We also received an NRA Personal Protection Handbook and other resources. Definitely a very useful prep day.
On Sunday we worked on the cattle fence preparing for the 3 steers that will be coming in the next 4-6 weeks. 
We had a heavy fog today, the first one in August. According to local lore, the first frost will be on October 18. Don't even want to think of that, we might have our first 90* day of the summer this coming weekend. 
DH is doing some consulting on a project for his old company. He hopes to make enough money to buy a heavy duty tiller for the non-profit garden, then we can bring ours back home!


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

:bored: Ummmmm...ahhhhhh....I played hookey today. I went and got my labs done.... and I came back home.

I walked straight to my kitchen, made a Beef Shepards Pie, a Chicken Pot Pie, and got Chicken ready for Chicken Parm later this week.
Dh is going to spend some time at the new farm this week.....so, I made extra's for him to take.

Then I did a quick rinse on all my cast iron and re- seasoned them. Scrubbed a couple of counters and did 3 loads of laundry.

It cost me over $200 to miss a day..... but, I just didn't care. 

I bought a couple of "cases" of Fat Wood for the new fireplace. After we get settled, I'll scout around, find some and split my own......until then.

NBC3 - I have had tactical firearms training....... quite an experience... is it not? I took it in the HOT summer time and I had dirt, grass and sweat in places I didn't even know I had. I really enjoyed it......Once it was over.:lonergr: It was intense and could be very useful.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Hookey!! Taking a day for yourself is worth more the $200....good job *TDD*!!!

3 loads of laundry done and hung

Kids schooled. Added the subject Literary Analysis, today (this is a short class....5-6 weeks, unless they move faster, then done for the year). We likely won't add another subject mid-week.....I have a load of peaches coming on Wed afternoon, those will need processed  Next week we'll add Foreign Language and Science or Writing.

Cleaned up a "dumping grounds" in the basement. Rotated a shelving unit to create more walk space. Had to unload (then re-load) two shelving units to do that. Took out a trash can full of trash (the big wheeled kind you are loaned/issued by the trash hauler). Mostly empty boxes, bags, insulation, primers, etc. Swept.....haven't swept that area other then a bit of touch up in 5 yrs! Re-organized and corralled some loose stuff. Looks nicer. I see a few things I'd like to get rid of, but they are things I need DH's input on. But at least we CAN see them now!

Think I'm going to sit back and watch the new episode of Farm Kings, I just caught that my DVR recorded it Friday.....so the new season started


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

I canned green beans using the AllAmerican canner. Not good. That thing leaks steam no matter how hard I clamp it down. Always in the same spot. I called the company today and she suggested I try a couple things tonight and call her back tomorrow. Tried one -- still leaked. Will try with dh tightening the clamps once it cools down. I'm thinking I'm going to have to contact Amazon about returning it. Very disappointing as I'd saved a long time to buy it. Yesterday with 10 pints of beans in the canner on the burner on high for 30 minutes it never got up to 15 lbs. It never jiggled at all. I watched the gauge and had 30 minutes at 14 lbs. so I called the beans good. They only needed 20 minutes at 11 lbs. With my Presto canners I have to turn the burner to low shortly after getting to pressure or the thing would blow up. Guess I'll be buying a new seal for my 18 pint/7 quart Presto. I've been using the smaller 9 pint/7 quart Presto when I have only 9 pints as it goes much faster than using the bigger canners.

Today I have 3 loads of laundry on the lines and baked 3 loaves of bread. Its a mystery to me why when I use the same recipe the dough can be so different. Of course, today I accidently grabbed 3/4 cup measure instead of 1 cup which definitely affected the whole process! I dumped extra flour in when I realized what I'd done, but the dough was still very different today. Dh is diabetic and cuts the bread way too thick for the amount of carbs he should have so I'm now using the same recipe for 2 loaves and baking it as 3 loaves.

The issues with the AllAmerican have me thinking about the book Your Money Your Life. I thought for years having the AllAmerican would make my canning easier as I have a hard time locking and unlocking the lids on the Presto canners. Yet here I am out the money and have a canner that doesn't work. I'm frustrated. Hindsight says I would have been better off dealing with the Presto issues and saving the money I spent on the AllAmerican. I'm thankful that I didn't go ahead and sell the Presto!


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## Mutti (Sep 7, 2002)

TDD...good for you. Sometimes you just gotta play hookey!! 

Kids came over and picked a zillion Concord grapes so we got it on and canned up 21 qts. juice. They picked them all over; the worst part of the job. Now they are mowing the orchard! 3 loafs oatmeal bread almost ready to bake as if it isn't hot enough in the kitchen! Made pasta salad early this am so supper is covered. 

Worked up 3-#10 cans oat groats in our little flaker machine. Pa eats oatmeal summer and winter so should keep him for awhile. Put aside a 2 qt. jar for me for baking.

Used to catch Farm Kings...what channel is it on? If I don't sit and veg with some TV in the evening I never get to my knitting. Just finished 3rd pr. of socks this month....turquoise and for me this time! Next will be some spiral tube socks for son. Found an old timey pattern for these. Gotta be more interesting than ribbing. Hate ribbing.

Got 6-66qts. Sterlite tubs from Amazon and finally got my yarn stash corralled. Saw Granny Miller stores her empty canning jars in them and thought that was an excellent idea as mine are in a dusty shed and always have spider friends in them or the boxes get damp. This old farm house is not closet blessed.....

Well, we got zip zero of the rain that came thru the Midwest so back to soaker hoses trying to save my late planted green bean crop. Pruned back a row of tomatoes seriously in hopes a rain will encourage them to set late fruit. Has worked in the past. Should get more organized and start more tomato plants for later planting. The Opalaka paste tomatoes have suddenly gone wild. Lumpy bumpy oddly shaped but really tasty.

Pa and son worked up and planted vetch in bottom part of garden; not as productive as the other half so if it ever rains we'll hopefully get a crop to till under. Tried rye one year but it comes back and really hard to get pulled out.

There goes timer for last 7 jars...


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

I store my canning jars upside down in boxes. Eliminates dirt, spiders and bugs in the jars. Put a newspaper in the bottom of the box if its open on the bottom. Jars stored this way are pretty clean even after a number of years.

Jackie Clay stores potatoes in those bins. I'm going to try it this year.


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## Mutti (Sep 7, 2002)

Unfortunately my jars are stored in a shed and even closed boxes get dirty and spiders, mouse leavings, etc. At least the cats are doing a better job of rodent patrol. Mama Cat had two kittens and I see them with prey almost every day....didn't get that black snake that eased into the crawl space...saw something out of the corner of my eye while watering my ferns at the faucet as it slithered in. Creepy. I'm not a snake/mouse freak but they do tend to startle a person.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Mutti said:


> Used to catch Farm Kings...what channel is it on?



GAC - Great American Country (I think)

Friend stopped by and dropped off her $ for peaches. I live "on the way home" of the lady that's doing the pick-up, so she's dropping mine and our other friends off on her way home. While talking to M she mentioned that she had a friend that wanted to learn to can. So tomorrow they are getting together to can corn. She was off to the store to buy new gauages for her pressure canners. I told her about the weight set you can get from Presto for her Presto caner so she doesn't have to babysit the gauge. She was VERY intrigued. So I loaned her my caner so she could try it out tomorrow. She can bring it back when she picks up her peaches. I only need to water bath this week. Back to pressure canning next week - acorn squash.

We have been very productive in the school department....but I don't feel like doing anything else, now. I am so a morning person.....after lunch I have no gumption  Need to at least do some tidying up....


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

Finally got the paperwork on the Medicare refusal to pay. Fortunately, its only the medication for the pain pump not the procedure so $40. Still I'm going to be sending e-mails to King, Grassley and Harkin. Over 26% of our income goes for medical expenses each month so the $40 gets added to that. Then each year insurance premiums go up and up and up. Since we are on Medicare we each pay $104.90 for that, plus we each have a supplement so an additional $176.20 for dh and $109.11 for me and then each have RX insurance $31.50 for dh and $12.60 for me. Then there are the co-pays and deductibles to pay and all the non-covered medical expenses like dental and eyes. The billing company sent a hardship application and we'd probably qualify, but we object to providing the information requested in order to cover $40 and, although its painful, we can pay.

Although we will not apply for the hardship, its nice to know that my record keeping is such that I have the information readily available. I know to the dollar what we spend each month in each category. I firmly believe that good bookkeeping is one of the keys to financial freedom. If you don't know where your money is going you can't find the problem areas or figure out how to save. Another key is having an emergency fund.


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## Mutti (Sep 7, 2002)

OD...thanks. Now I remember it being on GAC; don't watch that channel much. Do like RFD-TV a lot. 

Today we took off honey...first year for these two colonies but they have been super strong from the start after a minor problem with robbing. Got two gallons from the one and will do the other in another week. Working on goldenrod and star thistle now plus always busy in my flower garden. Hopefully we will be able to split these colonies in the spring. Screaming hot today so didn't take long to extract and sure pleased with the new stainless steel extractor we indulged in and never got to use since the bear attack. The set of 3 nylon strainers from Mann Lake make a very nice finished product with all the healthy benefits intact. 

Pa went out and found his box of 1# squeeze bottles so did up a few of them for special people we always give honey to. Can't believe he could locate them in our garage; what a disaster area. When we get cool weather that is A#1 job. Son has gotten most of his stuff moved out to the storage shed he built.

Peach season over here, grapes done but now the apples are coming on....does anyone have the old timey recipe for apple salad with chopped apple,celery,grapes,mayo? Pa says his mama used to make it although I don't remember ever having it.

Ann--glad to hear you didn't have to pay for all the pain pump refill. We had a number of people with pumps in the nursing home and it was always covered. Guess we are very fortunate in having good health so far but know that could change at any time.


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

Ann - I can't believe you are still having trouble with that AA Canner. I own 7 of them, and I have NEVER had any trouble at all. 
I'm sure Amazon/ AA will make good.

Came home and peeled and diced 30lbs of Tomato's for Salsa. Then got busy on the onion/garlic/ peppers. They are simmering now..... will try to can them tomorrow evening. 
Also have a big pot of Butter Beans with diced ham cooking away.

Work was hectic and a bit nerve racking.... but, I lived!

It feels good to be doing some cooking.... I have been so out of my element for the last few months.

It's crazy hot and humid again.... so, the kitchen is a sauna......I am soaked with perspiration and steam!! Color me wilted!!


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

For many years we've had a large flower bed between our house and the neighbor to the west. The peonies are the focus of the bed at present with a few lillies, baby breath and cone flowers. The iris have been overtaken and choked out with grass as have the tulips and daffodils. In fact, the whole bed is overrun with grass and creeping charlie. So today I went out and started clearing around the peonies, laid down cardboard and then when the lady came to mow I had her dump all grass clippings from our lawn and our neighbors on that area. I had her mow off everything else in the flower bed and now consider only the mulched area as flower bed. I'm going to have someone till and then sow grass seed in the rest of the bed. I can't keep up with the whole thing so its best to just give up on it and concentrate on the the area around the peonies. I absolutely HATE creeping charlie. There is no way to get rid of it without poisoning the ground for everything so I pull and burn, pull and burn and then do it all over again.

My dd fell down her basement steps and has two major black eyes so can't work until they heal. She also hurt her tail bone but fortunately no bones broken anywhere. At the ER they kept asking her if someone beat her up and the medical people were very surprised no bones were broken in her face. It may sound strange but dd had some very good news, her oldest son was arrested. He's heavy into meth so if he's in jail he can't continue using meth until he's dead. We're praying that he stays in jail for awhile.


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## brendafawn (Oct 15, 2013)

Ann, tough love, he will probably beg her to bail him out and it will be so hard for her to say no but she will have to stand her ground, I went through it years ago and it broke my heart, first it was I love you mom I promise no more, and then it was I hate you ,your not my mom, I never won't to see you again. They got her into a drug program and I'm not going to say it was easy, there were so many us and downs but one thing that came from it is she's alive and a beautiful young woman now. Tell your daughter not to give up


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

2 out of 3 pets got "vetted" today. 3rd goes tomorrow....he's a pill, so I need to take him alone. I paid for all 3, though, so I don't have to mess with that part tomorrow.

Kids schooled themselves while I was gone!!! This Easy Peasy curriculum is amazing....they actually CAN do it without me breathing down their necks, lol. They still need me for some subjects, but it's nice they are independent on some.

My peaches should be arriving this afternoon - I'm so spoiled, they are delivered to my door! So this evening will be a sticky mess. Think I'll chill on the sofa with the kids this afternoon. Last night was storms all night long - our trash can lid was off, looks like 6" or more in the bottom of the can this morning- so sleep was not as sound as one would like it. I think we all deserve a "movie" afternoon to save up our energy for evening canning....assuming the peaches are ripe enough to can tonight  So I guess we'll head to the library and look through the classic movies and see what we can find. I love introducing my kids to iconic movies!!


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

We had light rains overnight and this a.m. so no outside work today. Dh wants to go to town this p.m. to check on dd. She's a daddy's girl so I'm sure she'll be happy to see him (us?). She's cool about her ds being in jail. There is absolutely no way she would bail him out and if anyone else does she'll be all over them in an unpleasant way. 

I guess I can use a day off outside work. I'm going to the library while in town. We have a local library that is quite good, but I like the larger library -- I go to both! I have two library bags and keep each library's books separate to avoid confusion. Actually, if I want to I can return larger library's books at our local library, but I've never done so. I'll deliver cucumbers and tomatoes to dd and then do a bit of shopping. I have two free cookie coupons for Subway for an afternoon treat.


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

Ann - my AA canner sputtered from the sides the first few times I used it (which the manual said it might do), but not getting up to pressure? It's got to be defective. You shouldn't need your husband to tighten the clamp/screws. My hands are very weak, often numb and tingly and I have no problems with it. 

My co-workers plums are finally ready!!! And best of all, she makes her teenage kids pick them all and then brings them to me : ) Plum sauce and chutney on the to do list for the weekend. I may try canning them in halves as well. Brought home some soft ones today, the chickens loved them. It's almost a month late from last year. 

Was just out in the garden, the pole beans are finally coming out. I already canned lots of bush beans, 18 or so more pints should be more than enough, we haven't eaten all of lasts years yet. Have a feeling we'll be giving lots away. Canning for 2, even for 2 years, is not that much food!


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Vet part 2, lol. Vet is about 4 min away, got gas (listening to my cat cuss me out the entire time), to the vet and back home....in 20 min! Yes, my cat is SUCH a pain it takes them less then 5 min to do a physical and shot....any longer and someone will be bit, lol. He is totally quiet (and shaking from the adrenaline dump) all the way home though.....

Second load of peaches in the caner......I'm running to McD's to get lunch eep:. After we eat we'll do a load of peach salsa.....then onto box #2. Hope we get it all done today.


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

LOL my mom stopped by with McD's for lunch!:kiss:

I canned more milk, finally made some phone calls to have boy's xrays and blood tests submitted to new ins. co. ....$500 in bills just to work for 60 days on the cruise ship...UGH! I will be collecting from him!!!!
Another $300 for DD breast ultrasound....she has no job...so we pay. She goes back to dr tomorrow.....the deductible should be met soon enough!

Feeling stressed and not ambitious the past week but I must get on with things as they will not do themselves or fix themselves.....and getting them done will make ME feel better.


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## beegrowing (Apr 1, 2014)

Been chopping off dried "weeds" around my raised beds and the outside-of-garden deer fence line, that I leave for natural local "habitat" and local pollinators until they start to die off.Mulching areas in garden I want Clear with cardboard covered with straw, Already because a few beds died early or didn't bear! (usually do this in Sept,Oct). Eating from the garden's cuces and early tomatoes (for our dinners ;not to can or dry)and other summer squash and random handfulls of blackberries-although some are getting frozen. Doing both quiche(our hens eggs) and zucchini bread "marathons" .. for freezer ...like 3 at at a time or whatever. SO sad the sweet corn is done....I have limited space but think I'll plant 2 beds next year about 2 weeks apart so that joy lasts longer!!!
Grapes are still not ready for raisin drying...."testing,testing" :happy2:

Dang it's getting to be the time of year I want a Vacation! :bored: All I need is 2 or 3 days to swim or be in a tent or motel or SOMEthing DIFFERENT.....then I'm fine again for a year. But this time of year I get weary and get wanderlust!!!! More later! Love you all!


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## lindamarie (Jul 9, 2013)

hi everyone, I hope you guys are all doing great. 

MGM....check your inbox. 

this is all I can manage now.


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## jessimeredith (Sep 12, 2004)

Just popping in to read up and let you all know I'm still kicking. Late garden is starting to come in, still sifting through the small fabric store I brought home from MO and planning projects.

LM~ Good to see you pop in as well....inbox is always open!


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

HI Linda Marie!! {{{HUGS Sweetie}}} Take good care and come back when you can.

Dh back from the new farm. I will go down and paint again.
Hot, hot, hot, here. With air you can wear. UGH!

Still need to can Salsa..... holding in the fridge..... maybe Sunday. 

They ( my job) are working us like Egyptian Stone Carvers..... I'm doing my best to hang in.

Watched DD Preppers last night. I have not caught an episode in a good while. They have changed the format..... I like it better. I always learn a little something.


You guys take care...... and have a Blessed one!


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

LM & JM - thanks for checking in!! 

Got 6 loads of peaches done yesterday  Today, I un-sticky the kitchen....


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## NBC3Mom (May 14, 2005)

Twenty-five scouts and their leaders are volunteering at the farm tomorrow. They are going to stake and mulch the new trees in the orchard and help string barbed wire around 2 acres of cattle pasture. I plan to stay home in the morning to clean, can pickles, shred zucchini to freeze, and bake zucchini bread. I will go over to help with lunch. Hottest day of the year tomorrow, of course. 

DGD, age 4, had an appointment at the children's hospital today for tests and blood work, DS and DH took her. The children's hospital is connected to the adult hospital where I work so I was able to walk over for her exam and after her tests. Preliminary diagnosis is asthma. I will be wearing one of her Frozen stickers on my jacket for the rest of the day, "Grandma, don't take that off!" 

Gardens are still producing well. We picked 12 pounds of beans, 22 pounds of cucumbers, and 19 pounds of zucchini last night for the food pantry. Had quite a bit of rain lately and with the heat, the fall plantings are taking off. 

Everyone have a nice day and weekend!


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

Today is hot and so muggy its hard to breathe. I hung a load of towels but have a feeling they aren't going to get dry. A/c is on. I have tomatoes peeled and jars washed waiting for me to fill and process. I usually just can tomato juice because dh won't eat anything he "see" a tomato in, but I decided I wanted tomatoes for myself. 

A crop duster is circling overhead as he makes his turns. Unnerving to say the least. Sure hope he keeps his spray well away from my garden!

My zinnas are so beautiful this year. Some are over 4' tall and the butterflies have arrived to enjoy them. I planted these from saved seed and plan to save again this fall.

I'm going to brave the heat/humidity and pick green beans once I'm done canning my tomatoes. Supper is going to be pizza (I think) with second half of crust I made a couple weeks ago. I use the recipe in the More-With-Less Cookbook and freeze half. I'm going to use a package of frozen breakfast sausage that we don't care for -- I will doctor it up for the pizza.


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

Went to the jungle grocery and picked tomatoes, green/yellow beans, zukes, cukes, corn, lettuce and chard....an apple from the orchard and squished 3 hornworms:clap:


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

I ended up putting laundry in the dryer. Too humid and cloudy to dry. I canned 12 pints of tomatoes and all sealed. We really need to get that entertainment center to shelving unit conversion finished. I have the table in the basement full of canned goods without a home. I picked beans again and really don't want to can more, but they are so-o-o nice I hate to waste them. I'll be glad when my neighbor gets home from AZ to I can take my extras to her. 

We're supposed to have thunderstorms tonight and tomorrow and rain most of the weekend. Digging potatoes will have to wait.


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## 3ravens (Mar 16, 2006)

Haven't posted here in many months, but I have a very important question. WHERE IS RADIOFISH? :huh:


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

15 lbs of plums, more to come next weekend. We love the plum sauce in the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving. Not like any plum sauce I've ever eaten, more like a smooth chutney, but is great with pork roasts and grilled meats. 

Tomatoes are just starting to come in. Lots of little tomatoes to dehydrate. Amish paste are getting huge but not yet ripe. 

I had forgotten I have a work picnic tomorrow, cuts in to my canning time!! But ate least I can just bring some great salads from the garden, no need to go to the store. I'm marinating zucchini and summer squash to grill and then a cucumber salad and maybe a green bean salad. I work with a lot of vegetarians, vegans, no gluten, no corn etc, potlucks are tough!! 

September is coming, it's close to dark at 8 and dark when I get up in the morning! Soon we'll be worrying about frost and tomatoes....I can feel it in the air


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

3ravens said:


> Haven't posted here in many months, but I have a very important question. WHERE IS RADIOFISH? :huh:


last activity 4/11/14.....
I was thinking about him the other day too....hope all is well on his mtn.


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## Mutti (Sep 7, 2002)

Ann...please send that rain down to MO....we really really need it. They are saying, maybe rain on Tues. Yesterday 102 here. Today to be even hotter. Soaker hoses on both bean patches. One blossoming and one 2 weeks behind. Planted so I could can beans in Sept after the tomato/peach/juice rush done. 

Tomatoes about done for. 50+ qts. canned; we really don't eat a lot of tomato dishes. Apple crop will be next thing to tackle. We do eat lots of sauce and with a variety of apples we can make it to our taste. Still have a lot left from last year but having had years with late frost and no crop I know I need to use as much of the fruit as I can in the good years. Does anyone else like to go to the grocery store and check the price on stuff you canned and silently gloat? Plus you know what's in your product and glass jars last longer than cans.

Finished another pr. socks for Pa this time. Dusted all the bookshelves and said, hey, I could put canned goods on those bottom deep shelves that are not easily accessible. So now the 21 qts. grape juice and 75 pints peaches have a new home and I've freed up some much needed cupboard space. Vacumned our bedroom thoroughly and put all the cases of water under the bed. On a roll! Too hot to do anything outside but melt....

Son and DIL got two goats...they are so excited. Millie to be future milker and the other meat...doubt that as Cass is making pets of them quickly!

W


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## Jan in CO (May 10, 2002)

MGM, Abby is coming back?! Wow, bet she'll be different and I hope gets along better and will be helpful. Our gd has told me how sorry she is to have been such a brat when she lived with us. Guess it takes the a while to appreciate us!

Just been canning and organizing, trying to get the place spiffed up before bad weather. DH has been cutting up firewood, way more is needed, but it's a start. Saw the Farmer's Almanac is predicting a cold winter, so we'd better be prepared. 

I sure have to remember I'm not 20 years old any more and pace myself. Decided to give up one of my volunteer activities that has gotten to be more of a pain than a pleasure to do, and it's like a weight has been lifted off me.

Those gators would be great to check fences, and haul feed, too. I think about it, but sure can't afford one now.


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## wottahuzzee (Jul 7, 2006)

mpillow said:


> last activity 4/11/14.....
> I was thinking about him the other day too....hope all is well on his mtn.


 I hope all is well with RF. I know someone here had contacted him by email last time he went missing. Maybe they can do that again. I sure do miss the dumb deer reports.


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

We got nearly 2" of rain last night late and early this morning. After 3Â½ years of drought the lush green is amazing. Southern Iowa got 6" or more in some areas and a couple counties are under flood watch. Saturday was hot and muggy and Sunday is forecast to be even hotter. I'm thankful for a/c because dh cannot tolerate heat or muggy.


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

Last time I checked with RF... he was fine, just busy and taking a break. I am a little concerned about that earthquake this morning.....I think he is somewhere around that area. I will try to contact him.

I woke up to an e-mail from my bank.....unusual charges....AGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH! They are right....

Dh & I went to the new farm .....we worked like crazy.

Canning Salsa, I simmered the other day. Water is coming up to temp. Need to go squeeze the Lemons. 101F here today, so I need to make short work out of this!!

Better get to it.... have a blessed day!


Update: 48 pints of Salsa in the Canners!:bouncy:


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

I braved the heat and hung out 2 loads of wash then picked tomatoes, peppers, pinto beans and dug a small basket of potatoes. Whew its HOT. I was late (1:30) getting the last load on the line but I thought with the heat and breeze they should dry. Of course, about the time I finished hanging I noticed clouds building in the west. We're supposed to have thunderstorms but not until this evening. Hope it holds off -- although I think I just heard thunder so that isn't likely.


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## Jan in CO (May 10, 2002)

LindaMarie, So glad you are still alive and kicking. I know how it is, sometimes life like we have is overwhelming. Just check in with us when you have a minute here and there and know that we've got your back!

Jungle grocery--I love that! It is nice to see how much a can of this or that costs at the 'real' store and know it cost you only the lid and fuel to process the jar. No counting your time, as that is just priceless!

Just piddled today, put corn out to dry for chickens for winter, scrubbed off some of the dried cobs into buckets until we need it. Haven't had anything from the veggie stand for a few days, so working up all I have. I think it's wise to can what you have even if you think you have 'enough', as this year we have not ONE apple on our trees due to a late freeze. You never know what life is going to hand you.


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

We finished our remodel/conversion of the old entertainment center into shelving for canned goods. The last thing I did was screw the whole unit to the wall. I hope I remember that 5 years from now when I try to move it!! Total cost of the remodel was $8.20 for some L brackets. I also purchased some drill bits, but those were not just for this project although I did use a couple of them. I have to say the end result is extremely sturdy and extemely ugly. We used all sorts of mismatched boards for shelving. 

It so nice to have empty spaces on shelves instead of trying to find a place for the jars. I have 11 pints of tomatoes that need to be washed and then hauled to the basement and I have a place waiting for them. Yea!


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

I managed to turn 12 lbs of plums into plum sauce and canned plums, but I felt like I just went in circles all weekend. Always getting distracted with something else than what I set out to do. I did get more tomatoes dehydrated, but the list of what I didn't get done is long! 

The work picnic was nice, discovered that we have yet another really nice park not that far from us.


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

Oncologist today....Prayers please.

Got my canning finished up.
Ann - That's the part of canning I dread..... Washing and cleaning up those bands..ugh.

Picking up my canning jar order at Ace this evening.

Have a Birthday Cake order this week.

More sunshine and more heat......What I'd give for some decent rain. 103F today.

Just another day in paradise! Have a Blessed one.


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## NBC3Mom (May 14, 2005)

Very hot and humid here, too. I had a hard time just being outside this weekend, the air felt so thick and heavy, and my ragweed allergy is starting. I did hang the laundry out but had to put the towels in the dryer for a few minutes, with no wind they were stiff and scratchy. 

Shredded more zucchini for the freezer, made 2 zucchini bread, canned 7 pints of pickles, and left bags of cukes, zukes, and tomatoes on my neighbors' porches. 

Organized my pantry yesterday and started a grocery list to replenish. I am down to the last 2 jars of strawberry jam so I will turn the 15 quarts of frozen strawberries into jam this week. Our tomatoes are coming very slowly so I will freeze them until there are enough to can salsa. 

Praying for you, TDD.


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## Cindy in NY (May 10, 2002)

Praying that your dr visit goes well TDD! My Mama is a 21 year survivor.


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

Tdd praying all goes well and you get a good report.

We got another 1/2" of rain in the night. Its hot and muggy again today but there is a nice breeze. I went out to hang laundry and it was so nice I stayed out and pulled weeds and grass from the fence around the garden. I made two mistakes -- first no gloves and second I over did use of my right hand and am in PAIN. I'd already cleaned and scrubbed both bathrooms before I went out and then came in an started running the vacuum. I had to quit vacuuming.

Dh took ds for an appointment at the pain clinic this morning. He just called that ds cannot drive home and ds's car is here so we'll be driving two cars to take him home. There is an ACE Hardware in the town where he lives so I'm going to stop in and have a look around. I need a couple of things including some tiny nails for a picture frame.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Hugs - TDD - may your appointment be very uneventful. I had mine last week...all went well.

I don't think I got anything "prep" related done over the weekend. It's late Aug here....and the ragweed has got ahold of me  I have finally found a use for Acetaminophen (I don't like the stuff and have never found it to help with anything in the past)....it takes just enough edge off the allergy headache to be able to see straight. Nothing else has touched it. Oh well...only 4 more weeks of ragweed season.

I did chop up two huge heads of red cabbage and put them in salt today. I didn't realize it would take 24 hours in salt then 6 hr drying before I could pickle then can it. Guess I should have read through the directions a bit sooner, lol. That's okay, I can finish it and can it tomorrow.

Oh wait, we went to the range this weekend.....that's prep related! Shot pistols and tested my shotgun. DH's got the lock-tight in the right spot....it can be shot again! Leaned that I can't shoot "light" loads in my hand gun. They work fine for DH, but some combination of the light load and my grip don't get along. My pistol won't cycle....it will for DH, so it's not the gun. Funny that the girl needs a heavier load, lol. We bought the light ones because they were cheap hallow points (defensive ammo). Only 85 grains....I need at least 115! Took the kids out with the slingshots we got them for Christmas. DH and DS did much better then DD or I. Not sure if DD or I could hit the broad side of a barn! BUT it is something else we can to together as a family.


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## Mutti (Sep 7, 2002)

Sent three hens to freezer camp. One had over 1/2# fat in her....she was a "caught in the act" egg eater. Use my Presto pressure cooker and they came out very tender. More girls to go as our pullets come on the job. Got three blue baby eggs today so far. Still haven't found my ideal hen but Americaunas come close as they are good layers and quiet in the hen house. The white Mo Eggers have been excellent producers but not much in the personality dept. and the Black Sex Link are just piggies and poor layers. Would be so nice to be able to free range but too many hungry coyotes around.

BIL called from MI to complain about all the rain ruining his garden...I settle for enough rain to lay the dust. Still moving the soaker hoses keeping late beans alive plus a planting of turnips,beets,spinach I ventured out to do. Humidity might be low but 100 is still HOT! Takes my breath away plus goldenrod is blooming and it's back to Zyrtec to feel half-human. When the oak leaves start falling it will be even worse. The old elm tree is loosing leaves too early. Fear its days are numbered as spread further apart even with the pruning work done by arborist. If it fell would take out chicken house and garage plus lots of fence. Not good.

Got in on the Honeyville 15% off plue 10% more for ordereing 6 cans. Black beans, rice, and barley. Can use this size for daily and keep my 5 gal. pails for long term use. Been trying different foods with pressure cooker and beans turn out really well so will do more and freeze in meal size bags.

Tried the Aldi canned chicken and will definitely buy more next trip. A lot of work to home can chicken and we didn't like canned hamburger at all. Will do venison if we get lucky; see same group of 4 daily in our field....probably in the orchard at night the way the Pyrenees barks all night.


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

Lots of ideas for me today.....I have some old hens, perhaps I SHOULD pressure cook them....
And the goldenrod has me sneezing like crazy as well....I even had an asthma spell which are very rare for me....I thought I was going to choke to death and got myself all worked up....I drank a coke and took some benedryl. Need to get an inhaler....mine were all 10 years old!

The August heat has finally made an appearance..high 80's the next few days.

Babysitting a couple of kiddos for a couple hours tomorrow so I cleaned up my sun room and got preps organized and undercover....(I dont know the family that well and dont want to "explain" or be talked about!) I did leave the box of zuchinni uncovered as I'm happy to share...

The bull didnt get done this weekend....maybe this week? We wait for the butcher to get another cow in so he's not wasting electric to hang/age meat.


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## Oma2three (May 5, 2012)

TDD,praying you got a good report today.Things like that can be scary.


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## beegrowing (Apr 1, 2014)

TDD my thoughts are with you as well! My Daddy died of colon cancer so that's my maintenance routine. I got arthritis from my mom who had big red swollen knuckles from age 40 on and all kinds of pain. I'm 60 and today's supplements like glucosamine and herbal blends from "pros" have warded off and even healed any lumps that started on my hands. I get stiff but no pain at all and that's one blessing from these modern times when we have choices for darn near everything if only we seek them out.

Spent an hour stripping tape off half a years worth of cardboard boxes.I confess! We do amazon!hahahahaha We recycle the little tapey boxes but any that look like they'd cover ground go into my mulch supplies.
Enjoying cucumbers daily and am finally going to dehydrate cherry tomatoes. I love my own tomatoes in winter stew,soup and quiche(well mine isn't Light like a real quiche...it's an omelette pie! I was amazed that home made freeze very Well for a few weeks.)

I'm doing zuchinni bread marathons too!hahaha Arn't we all! One chest freezer really isn't enough for a prepper,but at least mine is always stuffed and there are only us two old folks. :grin:

The grapes seem a little tart still. I want to do those raisins! Dehydrating brings all the sugar out though,so maybe I'll get going on that;I may be overthinking it. .........added with edit........... To quote homer simpson DOH! I'm doing cherry tomatoes Anyway and have a huge grape crop so I decided to do a "tester" with one of my vacant trays! gosh I'm slow sometimes...even if not real sweet nobody will notice in the zuchinni bread! ha.

My lab-heeler mix has a lame foot and I finally made a vet appt. Darn it all there's no swelling or cut or anything I can see at all. I left it two weeks thinking she'd be fine but it's not getting better. DARN. Well,onward...............


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## Homesteader (Jul 13, 2002)

Twenty Nine Dollars. TWENTY NINE DOLLARS!

Venting. That was for one beef roast at Sam's Club. I got another one too, 27 some odd dollars. Sheesh. Big ones, over 5 lbs. each, but still. I cannot cannot cannot wrap my mind around 29 dollars for a roast.

Anyway, I've slipped in for a hello! I enjoy this forum, love your posts but often don't feel I'm all that prep-y, though I try!

I will can up the roasts. This does stretch it, but still, it's over 4.00 for meat for one dinner (at 7 pints per roast) that serves 2. Sometimes we just get so tired of chicken.

Got some raspberries today, a real splurge for me, that are huge, like strawberry size. I don't believe I have ever seen rb this big ever. Good too.

I need to get a bunch of beans canned up again. So good and they go as one of our "meats". 

Figured up how many cans (and I consider a pint home canned jar a "can"), to do a three month supply. Wow. 13 weeks worth, it would be (2 of us), 130 cans meats, 182 fruits, 182 veggies.

Plus, pasta, rice, tomato products, all baking products, oils. I truly don't think I have room in this little 2 BR trailer to store that many cans of food.

Especially since I already have about 99 jars of potatoes put up. There is no under the bed as we have a waterbed, can't go outside (way too extremes of temps here). I was quite surprised at how much space it would take. Kind of frustrated there.

However, we sure do have a lot more food put up that a lot of people do (well, not counting you alls!).

I bought some beet seeds to put in around the almost finished onions, where the carrots were. I think we might get a nice little harvest of those, especially since you can harvest them really small if need be. Our first frost is Oct. 15 th here so I think there's plenty of time.

Well, hope all is okay TDD, and to each of you - keep posting we lurkers love ya'!


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## Cindy in NY (May 10, 2002)

Trying to get canning done but DH does not like the mess! He certainly likes the results. I guess he thinks the canning fairy comes in and presents me with home canned food!! :grumble:

I got stung by some kind of bee or wasp yesterday. My arm is swollen, red, and hot to the touch. It also is itching like crazy. I'm putting prescription cream on it and taking benedryl every 4 hours. Hoping I'll be past the worst of it by tomorrow.


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

mpillow - I hadn't needed my asthma inhaler for a long time so didn't replace it. Then I had an attack that came out of nowhere. Dh had an inhaler laying on the counter that he'd been prescribed then only used a couple of time so I grabbed that an used it. When I could breathe again I immediately called the doctor and asked her to call an RX for me. I now have an inhaler in my purse and another in reserve. I much prefer the $35 to buy an inhaler than risking another attack without one at hand. I know an inhaler is good for quite awhile beyond the expiration date but I think not 10 years!


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## brendafawn (Oct 15, 2013)

Cindy in NY, my quick remedy is slice and onion and hold it on the bite for thirty minutes. I am highly allergic, not the life threatening but the swelling and redness and it takes weeks for it to go away. It worked wonders for me since I hate to take Benadryl.


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

Hey, all, didja miss me?   Sorry I've been AWOL...been busy getting Abby settled in again and adjusting to life not-empty-nesting. 

*LM* has asked me to let y'all you that she is still kicking, but is having some trouble coping with life at the moment. I'm sure she'd appreciate all the prayers, positive thoughts and pixie dust we can send her way. She just doesn't feel up to posting right now.
*TDD*, hope you got a clean bill of health at your onc appt today. And playing hooky once in a while is therapeutic! I believe it's called a "mental health day". 

I've been working on keeping the garden watered and rehabbing raised beds. Abby's been helping with that. It's soooo dry. I can pour water to the orchard and garden and it's still bone dry a few inches down. My Jerusalem artichokes are wilting regularly, and several of my fruit trees look like they've given up the ghost. I hope they can bounce back when the rains come back, but an apple and my 4 in 1 plum have dry, crunchy leaves.  

The chickens found my tomatoes, so all of them are wrapped in sheers now (the tomatoes, not the chickens, lol), and I was able to ripen some of the pecked maters on the kitchen counter, so it wasn't a total loss. The plants are covered with green toms, but they don't seem to ripen unless I pick them and bring them inside. :shrug: Might be because it's in the 80's most days, but dips to the 40's at night. It was 47* this morning, and 88* at 2pm. I don't think the tomatoes like the wild temp swings.

Other than the garden, I haven't been doing much...trying to get the tangles out of Abby's hair - she came home with "dreds" all over her head, although her hair is waist length. Swimming, pool cleaning and laundry rounded out the day today.

Take care, all!


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

Spent the ENTIRE day at the Oncologist. Went in for my Dr. face to face...."We have to talk about something".......YIKES!! So... my iron is past vapors and they are going to start infusions.... Ok. They take three hours, etc. OK.......If it can get me out of work!...... Well, after much paperwork and approvals.....we get started.. Things are going fine......then.... I started to itch.........They gave me Claritin...... since I'm not supposed to have Benadryl.......Not helping....... eyes swelling and beet red..... they started IV Benadryl this time and a steroid. Benadryl hypes me up.....have jumping around in the chair.... couldn't keep still...... they gave me Ativan by IV. Half mil did nothing.... and second calmed me and I actually dropped off for about and hour.
(BTW) new boss called me twice while I was there... to see if I was coming in.):grit: AH.....that would be a big red "NO"

After 8 solid hours.... I groggily made it home with a Dose pak. Good news....I slept great for about 6 hours!!! 
Bad news......I have 2 more treatments. Maybe I can sleep thru those, too!!

Talked to the Bank.... they blocked my CCRD for fraud.... I'll get another.
Must bake Strawberry cake tonight.
Other than that.....I can't remember much!!

Have a blessed one.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

For those of us looking for/ missing RadioFish....he posted a quick update on the earthquake thread: 
http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/sp...523077-another-earthquake-near-radiofish.html

I'll stop back later and read what everyone has been up to. I have a kid breathing down my neck as she wants to get her Spelling done, lol.


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## Homesteader (Jul 13, 2002)

Cindy, another thing that might help, take straight vinegar onto a cotton ball or paper towel and hold it onto the bite. Takes the pain and itching away immediately.


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## Cindy in NY (May 10, 2002)

Thanks homesteader & brendafawn! I'll try both of those next time but hoping there is no next time!! It is better today, less swelling, less painful but still itchy and it looks like a got sunburn. It had to have been a wasp of some sort. I got stung by a honeybee a couple of weeks ago and it felt like a mosquito bite.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Cindy, once you find those canning fairies, would you send them my way...please rincess:

2 boxes came today, both partial orders. From Amazon I received the new 299 Day book (book 9), from Wal-Mart my non-latex gloves showed up. Rest of Amazon should be here tomorrow....Wal-Mart will get here when it gets here, lol.

I have 6 qts of pickled red cabbage sitting on the counter cooling. Why is it a recipe makes 6 quarts of cabbage but only enough brine for 4 qts gre:. I dumped some white and apple cider vinegar back into the pot to simmer up to make more. Glad I hadn't emptied out the spice bag already! I didn't measure the extra vinegar or sugar-I just added a hand full, lol. Guess these old eyeballs are good....I have about 1/4 c left over once the jars were full.

I just put a chicken, cut-up, in the smoker. Should make a nice summer-y supper. I think I may make some cornbread to go with it......maybe open a quart of green beans. I have some bacon leftover from yesterday's lunch (BLT's).....that would be good warmed up in the green beans :happy:


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

I use a mud pack or baking soda pack on stings....first I get a credit card and scrape to remove stinger! then pack, then benadryl....I swell terribly.

The kids were very well behaved today....I was pleasantly surprised!

Picked in the garden, had lunch (pbj's with apples and raisins) and mowed and then popsicles! Visited with their adoptive mom (grandmother actually) for a good while... it was nice to have some female companionship time!!! 

My sister has an inhaler for me ....yay!


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

I'm allergic to bee stings and used to carry an epi pen. Since we seldom see a honey bee these days I no longer have the epi pen. They expire and they are expensive. My doctor told me if stung to use my inhaler and take benedryl immediately and have someone drive me to doctor or if having a reaction call 911. Its been over 10 years since I had a sting so hopefully if I have another the initial reaction will not be drastic. Calling 911 can have up to 20 minute response time so that's not my first choice. If local EMT's are available response time is 10 minutes or less, but if they aren't the response team comes from 18 miles away.

Temps have cooled so a/c is off and windows are open. We had another 1/4" of rain overnight and more forecast each day till Saturday. I hope we dry off for a week or two soon so I can get my potatoes dug. I baked brownies this a.m. and made up a supply of whole wheat waffles for the freezer. I don't care for waffles or pancakes but dh loves them so I make and freeze batches for him. The brownies however are all MINE. Dh is diabetic.

Yesterday at the thrift shop the lady had a box of summer squash marked free. Dh won't eat it (no surprise there) so I don't grow it, but I took a free one and cooked it for my lunch with tomatoes, onions and peppers - yummy! Have enough for lunch two more days.

Tdd - you sure went to a lot of trouble to get a day off!!!!!!!!!! Hope you're feeling better soon.


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## beegrowing (Apr 1, 2014)

Got 3 quiches in the freezer.

Cut down corn stalks,used them as mulch in a foot wide space between deer fence and a raised bed where I don't want grass next year.I have lots of flowering weeds and clover I "let go" for the bees but the darn grass gives me hay fever. I tried SO hard to seed clover when I started but grassy areas have snuck in. Loosened the corn roots with a shovel to shake out and bury in the bottom of a raised bed tomorrow. 

Other ongoing raised bed clean up and watering rotations.I have 4 rotations in summer,usually a day apart(or 6-8 hours), or our well hits bottom!

Cut down most of the catnip and hung it to dry.Left a few flowering stalks for the bees.
Need to check one hive because it doesn't seem active enough....worried....may need to buy a new queen. 

For Pete's sake my dog decided to use her lame foot Finally;the day after I gave up. Cancelled vet appt I'd just made,since she isn't due for shots until Oct.

Raisins are good! (not done yet due to slow "live food" setting, but I tasted anyway) Will be dehydrating enough grapes in a couple of days for a whole year's worth of baking.Other than garlic and apples (and stewed tomatoes in a "good" year) I hardly get a year's worth of anything so I'm happy. 

The "bad" pears are falling now. Hadn't thought about them yet except for admiring the most I've seen! Due to the little tree maturing I'll be canning some for the first time.

I'm going to take a bubble bath!!!


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

My evening has consisted of baking a 6 layer Strawberry Cake...... last two layers are in the oven. And, then I demolished a couple of chickens to simmer for Stock, Broth and Doggie Delight. I may have to freeze it until I can get enough time to can it up.

I'll frost it early in the morning and get it delivered.

Thanks for all the good wishes and prayers..... They are so much appreciated.

Ran by WM, picked up my $100 worth of coffee and some small canning lid flats. I somehow found myself scrounging for small lids during this past weekend's Salsa event. I know I have more....somewhere!!!! They had a case on the shelf... I may go back tomorrow and pick up the whole thing.

Well, better get back to the kitchen!! Have a nice nite!!!


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Hey *TDD*....do you have a decent icing recipe?? DD's b-day is this weekend and I make awful icing, lol. (I seem to have gotten good at the cake part, though) We like a "less sweet" kind, everything I make ends up tasting "greasy" for lack of a better term or is so soft/wet it falls off.


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

*TDD*, sounds like an awful day - you must REALLY hate your job, lol. So glad to hear that the "we need to talk" was anemia and not Ca.  Oh, and I hope you're frosting the cake in the morning, and not the dog food, lol! :hysterical:
*Jen*, I saw that RF had posted on the earthquake thread - sounds like he's got his hands full and not much time to be on line. Last I heard, he still had dial-up internet, and it takes forever to do anything on line with that. I was happy that he dropped by and updated us. 

Had a quiet day today - it was 91* so after I cleaned the pool and swam for a while, I came in and took a siesta. Abby and I worked on her hair a bunch - making progress, but oh, it is a chore. Then tonight, after it cooled down, she shoveled and hauled a barrow load of compost to the raised bed we're renovating and I tilled. Nothing like watching clouds of dust in the glare of a shop light! After that, I needed another swim to cool off and rinse the garden off me! 

I also filled water bottles and put a bunch of them in the freezer for cooler ice packs, packed up a bunch of Easter candy that's been in the pantry and moved it into the freezer, and moved about 2 dozen eggs-worth of egg salad filling into the freezer. That's an experiment to see if the texture is okay when I thaw it back out. Dinner was rotisserie chicken and the last of the only ripe tomato left in the kitchen. I sure hope a few more start turning color - I love my tomatoes. Yum, yum. 

Now I'm watching the new season preview for Yukon Men, one of my favorite shows. Then I plan to watch the last couple movies from the WWII series "Why We Fight", directed by Frank Capra. I watched a few of them on YouTube last night - it's really interesting to see how they describe the Russians. As a kid who grew up with the Cold War, Evil Empire Russia, it's a whole different take to see the Russians treated as our friends and allies. After that, it's a good night's sleep, I hope, and back in the garden early before it heats up.


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

*MGM*- Yep, I frosted the cake .....but the dogs did have a few licks!! LOL

*Jen* - Yes, I have wonderful frosting recipes.....I am a professional....remember!!!! HA HA HA!!
Also, glad you are keeping your "Gun -Shui" in harmony..... at the range!! 

PM me and let me know what flavor frosting you are looking for and we will fix her right up!!

I was REALLY glad to hear from RF......He has a lot going on for sure!!

Well, off I go to meet my day!
Have a Blessed one!


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Thank TDD!! I sent you a PM. I knew you were a professional baker, but it didn't hit me that you might hold the keys to my problem till I saw your post about cakes when I have baking one looming over my head. Sometimes I need to be smacked in the head before I see things, lol.


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## NBC3Mom (May 14, 2005)

Been very busy getting everything ready for the 3 calves which are coming on Saturday. They were supposed to be at 400#s in October but the farmer called and said they are over that weight now and he wants to get them moved this weekend! They will be raised on DS's farm for our family's non-profit. DH and DS stretched the last of the barbed wire fencing while my daughter-in-law and I attached it to the metal posts with wire clips. 90* with 80% humidity, thunder and lightning in the distance, but we got it finished. :happy:

TDD - sorry to hear about your tough day at the oncologists. At least they will know what to expect for your next visit and you will be prepared. 

We will be dog-sitting DD's Weimaraner this weekend. They live 2 hours away so DH will drive halfway this morning to pick her up. She is huge - only 1.5 years old but it is like having a deer living in your house! 

I have to make 2 desserts for picnics this weekend.....zucchini cake, zucchini brownies, zucchini cookies....Haha.


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## Oma2three (May 5, 2012)

manygoatsnmore,my goodness how do you get the dreds out?I asked a person once and she said as close it is to the scalp that's where it needs to be cut since it's felted like.Maybe a lot of hair conditioner will help.


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

Oh my, what a week! Very glad it's wednesday, only 2 more days of work before a 3 day weekend! Enjoyed all your posts, well maybe not TDD's horrible iron infusion, but maybe that explains being so tired TDD, don't know how you've been doing it all!

Our small Italian drying tomatoes are really coming on, lots of dehydrating to do this weekend. Somehow the garage fridge is full of leeks! How did we grow so many leeks in just 2 grow bags? I haven't picked green beans in days as it's too hot when I get off work. They are going to be monsters. A few green peppers are starting to turn, but we have so fewer peppers than last year. Ate the first of the corn! 

Part of my stress is being so far away from my parents who are aging and are going to need help soon. DH's mom is younger but we will want to be there for her in the future. We've decided to move back to Maine in a few years, sooner if something happens. But that's a HUGE move! And we have too many animals and preps and and and... and then I just take a deep breath and say it's a ways off. 

Oh, and we're getting 1/2 a cow raised nearby. Then I think, what if we need to move? I feel slightly schizophrenic.


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

*TDD*, lol, your dogs are as spoiled as The Muttley Wonder. 
*Oma*, yes, her hair is dredded clear down close to the scalp - you pull on one side and the whole mass wiggles!  I've been working a bit at a time, teasing hair loose from the matted lumps. We tried hair conditioner, but it didn't really help. Time and patience, and a lot of broken hair, but it's better than having to shave my girl's head! I'd say we've untangled about 1/4 of it so far. I take the hair that is untangled clear to the scalp and braid it so it can't get tangled again. She works on pulling tangles apart in between sessions with Mom.
*Vosey*, I'm envious of your ripe tomatoes! Still not getting ripe here. If you have to move, will it be a cross-country drive with a U-Haul type truck? If so, I think you could take that beef along in the freezer. Plug it in every night when you stop and let it freeze overnight, keep blankets over it while you drive through the day, and I'd bet you'd get there with frozen beef. Just make sure you load the freezer last, and don't tip it when you load and unload it.
*NBC*, lol, zucchini! I love zucchini bread, cake, etc. I DON'T like it plain. Unfortunately, my zucchini plant is just sitting there sulking in my garden. I don't think it liked being potted up in the fairground garden, then moved to my house and allowed to wilt a couple times before I got it planted in real garden soil. What can I say, I'm a terrible plant mommy. :shrug: 
*Jen*, let us know how the cake turns out. I didn't think to ask TDD for frosting advice, either!

Abby and I worked in the garden again today - I watered all the trees in the chicken yard and cleaned up several garden areas where we'd been throwing weeds and root wads. She hauled more compost and helped clean out weed roots from the raised bed we've been working on. I think tomorrow I'll be able to transplant the rest of the chives and walking onions into that bed. I also covered a fallow raised bed with cardboard and boards to hold it down. It should be ready to plant next spring without any more work than just pulling off the coverings. 

I had to prop up my Chehalis apple tree, too - it's so loaded on one side as opposed to the other that it was actually tipping the tree. The apples are nearly ripe. In fact, I had to pick a couple of heat/sun damaged apples before they rotted on the tree. Another reason for propping up the tree? It gets the apples further from the ground and hopefully will discourage my chickens. Have you ever seen a hen fly into an apple tree and pick her own apple? If she wasn't one of my best layers, she'd have been SOUP!!!!!

Abby's been much more responsible since she moved home - she does the animal and other chores without reminding, cooks dinner most nights, and has been very helpful overall. I know it's early days yet, but she really does seem to have matured a lot in the last 3 years. I know she appreciates what she has here after living where she did in TN. She's also very open to things like cloth TP, gardening and canning, and wants to learn to use the power tools needed to build things like saddle racks.

I need to look at my to-do list and see what I have left to accomplish in the next 4 days. Can ya believe it? August is almost over - time to work on September's to-do list. Yikes!


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

*MGM* - Wow - I can't believe Abby was gone so long. I am so glad you and she are getting to enjoy each other.

My dogs don't think they are spoiled enough. I have a friend that told me that when she dies.... she wants to come back, as one of my pets. She says " I don't care which one.....I just want to belong to you."

Dh went to the new farm late yesterday... still mowing.:smack

Bank examiners will be on our floor today.....I just can't wait.

*Vosey* - The Dr. said I may not feel more energetic, even after all the infusions. My blood will be happier!

*Jen- Sent you a PM.*

Off I go..... have a Blessed day!


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## Cindy in NY (May 10, 2002)

MGM - hope the honeymoon period with Abby lasts a long time!

TDD - hope the visit with the examiners goes well!

To Everyone - I have been taking about 400 mg of magnesium for a while now and can not believe the amount of increased energy I have!! If you do some research, you'll find that most folks are deficient in magnesium and that it affects how your body works in lots of ways. So off my soapbox but it might be worth a try!! 

Still pickin and canning here. Want to try and do some more dills this morning. I am not processing them to keep them crunchy. Just put hot brine into hot jars, screw on the lids and leave them upside down for a couple days to seal. Easy peasy!!

DH has car fever! We're picking up his new car on Friday morning. First car buying we've done in 14 years! Will post a pic of his "flashy" car soon.


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## moldy (Mar 5, 2004)

DH is wanting to buy a new vehicle for me, too. Was looking last night and an F=350 with 130K miles still has an asking price of over $30,000. Yikes! I think I'll keep what I've got for quite a while longer!

Need to get out in the garden, but I'm waiting for it to dry a little. We had rain overnight - started with it so hard you couldn't hardly see out the window, then gentled off for the rest of the night. Glad I got most of my outside stuff done yesterday.

I plan on canning chicken today, and doing some baking. I might make jelly later if the humidity isn't too bad.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Thanks *Cindy*, I'll look into magnesium. 

I got my blood work back from the oncologist. My Vit D is up, but not far enough. She want's 40, I'm up to 24 (from 12). So I'm doubling up....2000 iu's a day. I did a bit a research online the day before they called, so I was already expecting that I would need to double up, in fact I started doubling up the day before they called.

*TDD* - are you feeling any better with your iron levels up? I figured it would take a few days before you'd start feeling it. 

Need to do some harvesting....tomatoes, green beans and potatoes need brought in. I'm sure I'll find more once I'm out there....


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

Tdd - my dd's blood dropped so low her doctor sent her immediately to the hospital for infusion. It took several months for things to even out and her blood to return to normal.

Regarding moving a deep freeze -- we did that with a drop cord attached to the freezer and plugging it in each night. It worked great. If your freezer isn't full, fill milk cartons with water and freeze to fill the empty spots. A full freezer stays cold longer. Also, I took everything out of the freezer and packed it back into the freezer in boxes so when it was time to move the freezer it could quickly be emptied and then refilled.

It is raining here again off and on. Its amazing how fast I get sick of gloomy weather! I've been cleaning and dusting and want to vacuum, but dh is parked in front of the TV and will be unhappy with the noise. I don't quite understand how a program can be so important when he's sleeping thru it, but I guess its all part of MMS (macho moron syndrome) as my dad was the same way.

I've spent time putting things away i.e. shifting from place to place and I think I should be shifting more of them into the donation box. I hate clutter so I put things away then when I don't "see" them I forget about them or can't remember where I put them. Senior moments seem to be increasing drastically.


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

*Jen* - No, not feeling any difference yet. My B-12 was super low also....so I have increased it also. The Dr. said I might not feel any difference... at all.
Sent you a recipe for frosting.

Bathed the Border Collies last night... what a job!

Work to some sprinkles falling.... please rain.....please.

The examiners seemed happy enough. Thank goodness!


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

TDD - thanks so much for the recipe!!! Rat's I was hoping the iron would be "super charging" you by now.

Well, I felt better yesterday....but...um....I took the wrong meds too late in the day . I have to be careful as the non-drowsy stuff works very well in me....keeps me up all nightgre:. Finally wore off about 3:30...so I got a few hours of sleep....after 6 hours of flip flopping all over the place. So this morning is the only time I have to get things done....

- Kids are done with school (we did school light....since mom's "doesn't have a brain cell left" as my daughter said this morning, lol. And she's right!)
- DD's cake is baked
- researched the details DH needs to get price quote for my new gun - Mossberg 930 autoloader:happy:. We have "buddies" that buy guns and sell them at cost...no mark-up. They do it so they can get their own guns cheaper :dance:
- TDD's recipe for frostings are printed and we are running out the door to get the one item we don't have. (FYI TDD - she picked the cream cheese frosting)
- Going to drop dill seed off at a friends so she can make dilly beans
- Doing fast food lunch....no way I'm cooking in this condition
- Clean the house up for tomorrows party - only ones coming are family and friends that DON'T care how the house looks....so as long as we vac up the dog hair we will pass inspection.
- Last...but not least...NAP!


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

More rain overnight although not heavy. Heavy is forecast for later today. Definitely soggy outside this week. 

My tomatoes are still not ripening like they should. I pick a few here and there. Bugs are starting to be an issue. Vines are lush and green which is not typical for me. Usually by now blight has vines dying. Same is true of melons and cucumbers. Usually by now the vines are dying back. I've had several people comment on how "unusual" this growing season has been. Perhaps it has something to do with coming off a 3Â½ year drought. I sure don't know!


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

FYI - TDD's frosting is great stuff!!!


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

TDD - talk them into giving you a shot of B12, they'll tell you that sublingual B12 should be just fine, but you might feel a lot better with a shot. 

Thanks for the freezer advice guys, but I'm not sure I can handle it with 3 dogs and a cat that don't get along! The very flexible plan is to get rid of as much as possible : ) (great for someone with a prepper nature), sell the camper we have and get a truck camper. Get our stuff shiped in a Pod or somethng similar. We have done the UHaul way too many times, up and down the East Coast, Maine to Chicago, we're done. 

The plan is this next summer depending on dad's health and my job or spring 2016 otherwise. We can eat the cow and preps by spring 2016 and save a lot of money doing so! But it makes me anxious to think of a period without preps so I think the answer is dehydrating, light weight, easy to move.


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

Drat! I was about to post my reply and lost the whole thing. I guess that's the cosmos' way of telling me I was long-winded, as usual, lol. I guess I'll just post what Abby and I got done in the garden the last couple days and have done.

The onion and chive bed is finished - Abby tilled the rest of the compost into it today and I transplanted in the clumps of chives. Tomorrow's plan is to move all of the walking onions that I can find into their new home. The weather is going to be typical for Labor Day Weekend - cool and showery. Terrible for picnics, but great for transplanting!

I finished digging the asparagus (and one lone zucchini) bed today, fitted it out with soaker hoses, and left the water on to saturate the bed overnight. Tomorrow I can had a layer of paper over it all and add garden fencing to try and keep the chickens from digging there. While finishing that bed and the paths around it, I dug a lot of Fall Gold raspberry starts. They are waiting in a bucket of muddy water for transplantation to a fallow bed tomorrow.

I finished digging all the weeds and grass from around the Black Republican cherry tree and the raised beds around that area yesterday and was able to get everything thoroughly watered there. I'm still pouring water to my 4-in-1 plum, but only seeing growth from the ground, no fresh leaves from the crown. My apple tree, which I think is also a multi-grafted tree (lost the tag and need to look it up on my garden map), is also still looking dead. 

Looking at my to-do list, I need to work on the plumbing leaks, front steps and back patio, as well as continuing the garden work. Only 2 days left in the month and a lot of unfinished list!


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Here's the finished product


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

Wow OD! Love it! 

I'm up, have had my coffee. Time to tackle 10 lbs of plums, a fridge full of leeks, a kitchen full of big bowls of little tomatoes, a counter covered in zucchini, a garden FULL of green beans suddenly and DH just came in and said he thinks there might be enough corn to try canning creamed corn. 

Home canned creamed corn is my dream. We have never been able to grow corn successfully, this is the first year. Keep your fingers crossed. 

Oh, and did I mention I need to go online for a few hours today and finish work I left undone before the end of the month? argh. 

But it's COOL, 70's for 2 days so no distractions like going to the lake


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## jessimeredith (Sep 12, 2004)

Feeling achy, creaky and old this a.m. but that would be due to moving in a large buffet (excellent condition, huge and only $75) into the house...then moving a bazillion tons of wood onto the porch and beginning a table/bench build with DH. Couldn't find a table at a reasonable price big enough for the super sized dining room (and family gatherings) so we're building (and way cheaper) one. Table is built...today is sanding, painting and staining. Benches next! Busy long weekend here, lol.


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## Mutti (Sep 7, 2002)

Orders here already from Honeyville, EE, and Tropical Traditions. I, for one, don't know how I'd be able to prep so easily without the internet. 40 miles to the nearest place to buy anything in bulk and they are often out of stock. We'll make that trek this week to get 100# rice and, hopefully, new potatoes instead of these awful ones the grocery has been selling lately. Black thru the middle. Uck.

Is the Old Farmers' Almanac the best to buy for planting by the signs? I like to study the one in Countryside; very informative and weather predictions often spot on. Trees here already loosing their leaves. Got a whopping half minute of rain yesterday but power off for 2 hrs. Wind dropped a tree branch on a line some where, I hear.

Overcast here and rain predicted again. Ha. Believe it when I see it. Pa and I finally got the onions sorted. Bumper crop. Son and DIL over so sent onions and honey home with them...in return he re-assembled the staple gun Pa tried fixing. Knew he could figure it out; armorer for his unit and good at putting many small parts back properly! He did inventory on his ammo stash and made a list. Guess he thinks we don't have enough yet. 

Got their deer tags as now they are landowners so 2 each and we'll get ours this week so another 4. Plus we could all get another deer in bow season. They just started shooting bows. That would take care of meat situation! Deer over-running our area. No one seems to hunt around here anymore but us. 1/2 beef for $850-1000 dollars doesn't fit our budget, for sure.


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

Still raining every night and off and on during the day here. Enough already!! Hate to say that after 3Â½ years of drought proper moisture from the heavens is wonderful. I finally gave in and did 2 loads of laundry and used the dryer. 

We finally got ahold of the guy that does handyman work for us (after 2 years of trying) and he's sort of promised to come and discuss work in another 3 weeks. We'll see. In the meantime ds and a friend from church may come and paint the trim, clean evespouts and help clean out garage. Dh and I started on the garage yesterday but after an hour dh was wiped out and is still in pain from the little that we did. Of course, until it stops raining nothing can be done outside.


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

Mutti - I'm right there with you! I had no idea Amazon had so much stuff (and Subscribe & Save!) until we moved out here. It's an hour from here to a reasonably priced store. That's the original reason I started prepping


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

*Jen*, that cake is really cute! I'm sure your dd is thrilled with it. Cream cream icing....mmmmm!
*Vosey*, being 40 minutes from the nearest decent shopping really makes me plan every trip to town with care, too. Makes me appreciate having a well stocked pantry, for sure. Not what made me into a prepper, but it's a wonderful benefit to being one! Cooler weather is here for us, too...makes me a lot more energetic about working outside. Those swims are a bit more invigorating, though. Brr!
*Mutti*, you must be so happy to have a son and dil that are so in tune with the homesteading way of life and so close/able to help. I know just having Abby home and able to help me with 2 person jobs is taking a weight off my shoulders I didn't even realize was there.  Oh, can you call ahead to the bulk place to make sure they have what you need in stock? I'd hate to make that long drive only to find out they were out of potatoes!
*Ann*, I hope your son and church friend are able to help with those chores...it's heck getting older and less able to just get out and do for yourself. I sure wouldn't be depending on that handyman...he doesn't sound very motivated to work!
*Jess*, I'd love to hear more about the table and benches you're building - pics a plus! Is it a trestle style?

Okay, I've stalled long enough - time to get under my sink and try to get the plumbing leak solved. Wish me luck!


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

Today I've been busy....chores early, got some hay because of our road being closed next week for culvert replacement, gassed up for same reason....mowed until the mower broke, volunteered at pantry, canned milk, got a load of tomatoes plus a goodbunch of my own 10 half pints for my parents and 7q so far for us....another 14q? left to jar up....

DH is gone until noon tomorrow so I'm trying to get the canning done w/o him underfoot and wanting a 5 course/5 star portion meal! I need a coffee!


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

Talked to my mom today, she was seriously giddy that we were going to move back to Maine. it has finally sunk in with her that they are getting older (they're 80). She was so happy that we have decided to move next June. 

This turns my life UPSIDE DOWN  But I am very happy to do be doing this and DH is right there with me. And we do miss "home"  He was just as frustrated as me to not be there for my parents when my dad just had a triple bypass. 

Now I have to backwards prep. I will take some stuff with us, especially all my Honeyville #10 cans! But overall we need to eat up everything, give away more and start over in Maine. For example, I decided to not make more plum chutney today and just feed the chickens the plums. No need to plant garlic, we can just eat it all. 

DH has made good friends with a neighbor a bit down the road. He and his wife and 3 young daughters are trying to homestead. They're getting there but struggling. I will definitely have a home for canning jars and any food leftover in freezers. He may want the worms. Our closest neighbor will get our raised beds and soil etc. What goes around comes around...


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

Vosey said:


> Happy Birthday TDD!!!
> 
> I have a few goals for August, the first being the overriding priority:
> 
> ...


Thought I'd see how I did on goals for August. 

1. Did a great job on the garden. 
2. Have been messing with my canned goods all month, not sure that counts for organization, but at least I know what's there!
3. Ha, no freezer inventory and now we'll just be in eat it up mode. 
4. Luckily never ordered the pig. 
5. DH got a hot water heater without being nagged!
6. I did pretty well with changing my attitude towards work. 

I only got a smidge done yesterday as we lost our water again!!! Grrr. Crazy hillbilly water system we have. Only got the tomatoes in the dehydrator before our neighbor came over about water.


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## Ann-NWIowa (Sep 28, 2002)

My August goal was to survive -- I made it. Its been a rough month emotionally and physically. I'm glad its now history and hopefully September will be more friendly.


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

*Ann*, (((hugs))), friend. I hope September is better for you, too.
*Vosey*, wow, another coast to coast move....better you than me, lol. I totally understand wanting to move back home, close to family again, though. I'd love to move just 15 miles away, back to my home town and all my family being close again. We should have a WA/OR preppers' coffee klatch before you leave the West coast! 
*mpillow*, you've been so busy it wore me out reading your post, lol! :goodjob:

Update on my list for August:

1. Finish rebuilding pump house. *Will need to go on Sept's list...*
2. Fix plumbing problems in house and get running water back on. *I did it, I did it!* :bouncy: :bouncy:
3. Sharpen lawnmower and re-mow lawns, mow pastures. *Horse has done the mowing, mower still needs sharpened.*
4. Pull rest of tansy and thistles, dispose of before it goes to seed. *Done!*
5. Plant the rest of the flowers, continue working on rehabbing flower beds and garden, keep everything watered. *Watering has been an ongoing struggle as it's been so dry all month. Abby's been a great help with the gardening - several more raised beds are done and more in progress.*
6. Build new steps and small deck to front door.*Got too busy on the garden to get to this yet - onto Sept's list.*
7. Bring home more sand, sift it and finish re-setting the patio bricks by back door. *Sand is home and sifted, but the bricks will be on Sept's list*
8. Clean out the rest of the water barrels and 275 gallon totes, fill with potable water. *Too busy watering gardens to have extra water for this job - on to Sept!*
9. Stock up on solar salt for the water softener system. *Bought enough bags to totally fill the system plus 2 bags left over, but I can see that I'll need to buy a lot more bags to build a stockpile. Will add to my "town list" for each trip until I have a 6 month stockpile ahead.*
10. Get saw chain back on chain saw and cut more wood for this winter. *I really need to get on this one in Sept - winter will be here before I know it and I want to get more wood under cover before the rains set in.*
11. Enjoy the sunshine and the pool! *Now THIS goal was totally met all month long! *

I finally got the cold water line under the kitchen sink fixed - I had to totally replace the shut off valve, but it's done. I was able to turn the water back on to the house, and cleared all the cold water lines. I'm still getting the thick iron sediment out of the toilet tanks, but at least I have a flush toilet again! The hot water tank is still full of sediment, too - time to hook the hose up to the bottom of the tank and run it until it's finally cleaned out. Can't turn on the hot water heater until I do. So, we still don't have HOT running water, but cold running water, being able to just turn on the washing machine, and flush toilets are nothing to sneeze at after so long without! 

I transplanted many, many walking onion bulbs and bulbils today and started digging out the raised bed they were in. I was tickled to find garlic still growing in that bed - many small bulbs that I've dug out and will plant back either in that bed or the new onion and chive bed. I'll also plant them throughout the flower and garden beds as bug deterrents. I really slowed down on the weeding when I hit the garlic..I'd hoped to finish the whole bed today, but only got about half the bed dug. Hope to get the rest done tomorrow.

I'm on jury duty, so I had to call the jury line today - no trials, so I don't have to call back until Monday, Sept 8th, after 5pm. I'm only on jury duty until the 12th, so it looks like I probably won't get to serve. I'd actually really like to sit on a jury, so I'm moderately bummed.

I'll post the new Sept Prep Journal and To-Do list thread tonight, so be thinking on your lists! What do you need to get done before summer is over?


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

New thread is up!


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