1232 replies to this topic

[CrabGrassAcres]

Gorgeous scarf, Purdy! Love the color.

[windmorn]

Made/canned 4 pints of chocolate strawberry syrup/jelly a couple of days ago. Gonna work on chocolate banana preserves today and hopefully finally get out to pick some more blackberries.

[Purdy Bear]

CGA Thanks. Iv started a similar one in violet. I think it might try doing some cable in it, so I can get up to speed for the shawl I want to make.



I've started to sort the top shelves for books. I just need to take down stacks of vcr tapes to make space for them all. I need to stand at the top of the steps to reach them so Im only doing a few a day.

Theres been a tornado warning put out in the UK yesterday, due to the weird weather, so when we had hail stones today I went and looked at the clouds. It did look like it could have turned but luckily nothing came of it. Apparently we get more tornadoes here then any other country (source BBC) but because of our usual weather they rarely touch down.

[Poohbear]

This was my lucky week for finding bargains! In addition to the other stuff I found at the beginning of the week, I picked up a towel/clothes wringer with the stand on eBay for $95. I was the only bidder so I won it for the starting price. If you order these online they are $119 for the wringer and $99 for the stand plus tax. I figure I saved about 60% off retail. I've been wanting this set up for awhile. This was the last thing I needed for good off grid laundry duty.

[Jeepers]

Great find Poohbear!

[arby]

I have been shocked at the cost of wringers. I was thinking of trying to figure out some DIY project to make one. I am glad you were able to get a good deal on yours Poohbear, what a find!

[Poohbear]

Arby - You might want to check out auto detailing supply businesses. The wringer I bought is supposed to be for towels/chamois. Alot of car washes buy these to wring out their towels when washing cars but they are perfect for wringing out clothes too. They will attach to a bucket or tub or you can get the stand to mount them on. I wanted the stand to lessen the amount of bending over I'd have to do when doing laundry. The brand I got is Dyna-Jet and they are much less bulky and lighter than regular crank "clothes" wringers.

CGA said they also sell them at WiseMenTrading.com

[arby]

Awesome, yes that would be quite helpful and portable!

ok.... starting to work on making fishing and tiny bob supplies surival kits ......

Spray painting the tins I have for this this afternoon ..... thinking about what would fit and be useful. First phase is just a white primer. I may color code them but at least they won't be what they were. Some were just annoying colors and stripes or it covered the printing so its less distracting and a label I really need can now go on it later when I am done prepping all the tins.

I have an assortment , including one tobacco chewing can, and some small cookie tins that are round and would carry about as much as the survival kit in a pencil box I assume. Others are slimmer rectangular tins more like altoids cans and some others I bought at Michaels the last time I was able to get there. Decent lids all.

I can also use one for a tinder fire starter kit for the BOB, so they will serve a few different purposes. It will also help me use some of the things I mean to put in them and sort out that bunch of stuff on the craft table! ( Big Hurrah there!).


a few of them may just be organizers for the BOB or GHB ( day pack) because there are some things like tiny fish hooks by the hundred that I have gotten and they need a sturdy protective container.

[windmorn]

I got a cell phone/mp3/small electronics charger that runs off 4 D batteries. It was just delivered a couple of hours ago. It's slowly, but surely charging dd's mp3 player. She had it turned on, so we turned it off to see if it charges faster. It's supposed to charge a dead cell phone 20 times. The only draw back I see so far is it's really heavy, but if we're in a bug out situation, I doubt it would be needed anyway. I'm thinking about getting a second one for when the kids go on trips with scouts and there's a carload of kids fighting over the outlets in the cars.

http://www.amazon.co...s00_i00_details

[Purdy Bear]

I did some more organising in the bedroom. I'v got the top of the wardrobe sorted out and that was a major eyesore. The books are now all on the shelving with a pile of tapes to go through.

I'v continued my small dog research and I really like the Shih Tzu. I know its designated as a lap dog but it was originally a watch dog in the temples. It gave a warning bark to get the bigger dogs out there. I've also seen one squirreling, so me thinks they might be good with rats. My main throught is that they dont have fur but hair which continually grows so could be made into a wool and then knitted.


I've already got a good grooming kit and the clippers are in the post to me, so hopefully the next move is to practice more with my current dog (Cairn x ? (staffy/shih tzu)) and see where it goes from there.


My Cairn reserach showed that yes they were reasonably compatitble with me but were highly active and thus this could lead to being distructive if bored (that happens to any dog though), they also like to chew things that werent toys etc. I'm really not a highly active person so unless that changes that would move the breed over to my wants list joining the German Sherpard and the Jack Russell. These are gorgious dogs but really dont fit in with my life style, where the Shih Tzu seems to be more adaptable as far as exercise is concerned.


I've still got a few others on my list to research and plenty of time to do it, so theres no rush.

[arby]

Purdy Bear, My parents last dogs for companionship were s**t zhus.
they remained healthy long into their later teens, 17 yrs old or so as well. Pleasant, sweet dogs.
Just need some brushing and a little attention to keep them happy and walks you can manage since they are not big heavy dogs. good with people and children.

One of the things that also made it easy was a simple diet of frozen, ground meat, rice and frozen veggies mixed and cooked , then frozen and portioned out each day was plenty to keep them in generally good condition for basic diet. One of the reasons they did this , on vets reccomendation is the first one ended up being so inbred from her breeder that her gall bladder did not exist and ground turkey was fine because it was so minimal in animal fat for her basic food intake.

It probably helped her generally stay alot healthier to keep her on such a diet and is easy to produce from our own typical human foods we can eat and probably have access to.

they would cook up a batch and freeze it and thaw enough each day for them to eat.

Great little dogs that do not tend to be all that nervous or yappy although they do bark in greeting or warning but easily trained to stop this with some attention. Tend to have very good dispositions. But they do need grooming since they are long haired , more often than shorter haired dogs.

[CrabGrassAcres]

There is a great deal of variation within breeds too. You may find a breed you like for everything except temperament, but still find one within that breed that has a temperament to suit you. For instance, Great Pyrenees are supposed to be laid back with a slow metabolism, but not mine. I have 3 and they are all very active.

[Purdy Bear]

Arby and CGA thanks for the advice. Im doing the research for the next five years or so until my current dog heads for the Rainbow Bridge and then I will make my final decision. I've got plenty of time LOL! I'm thinking of a smaller dog as it would be easier for me to walk, carry etc but we shall see. I'll probably go to the rescue center and end up with a Saint Bernard.



I got a Wahl Professional dog grooming kit today which includes the clippers. I want to be able to give my current dog (cairn) an occasional trim etc.

[arby]

have been repackaging bulk stuff into plastic jars for transport or usage that was in paper or plastic bags that can get a hole super quick ( or already did, lol.) Or into plastic coffee jars I have or dehydrated cans with lids if they are now empty.
Want to can some beans tomorrow for eating and stocking my shelf in the kitchen.

found the dehydrated cheese! Been trying to find that for over a week!

will work on tortilla making skills and try to have a clear head enough to break down that huge tortilla recipe down to what I can use for a few days worth instead..... no big family here to feed!


also found that elusive 10 lbs or more of flour... it was already stowed in empty big cans... somewhere else...

Edited by arby, 20 April 2012 - 12:47 PM.

[arby]

Can anyone come up with the list that breaks down the measurements of cups, fractions of cups and tablespoons per 1/3c ? My brain hates trying to figure that out. I sure would appreciate it.

[CrabGrassAcres]

4 tablespoons is 1/4 cup. That is, to me, the easiest one to remember. So 16 tablespoons per cup divided by 3 is 5 tablespoons and 1 teaspoon per 1/3 cup.

[arby]

Thankyou!

[mom2one]

Made and tested a homemade sterno can (tuna can, cardboard, wax and birthday candle for wick). It worked...Yay!

Second, discovered I can substitute Carnation Instant Breakfast and Infant formula for DS PediaSure. This is if the SHTF.

Also, learned to make a paracord belt. Will be modifying it for a pull strap for DS BOB bag. I'm using his duffle on wheels that we take when visiting doctors, family, etc.

Lastly, devised a logical, easily inventoried Prep list for BOBs. I was totally overwhelmed on this. I tend to take more than needed on vacations or any trip where we'll be gone from home more than 24 hours.

Thank you all again for this site - your wisdom, compassion and extreme knowledge make my journey much more bearable!

[CrabGrassAcres]

You can buy both whey powder and powdered milk. I would also get powdered whole eggs and store sugar, vitamins, coconut oil (healthiest oil and keeps the longest) or olive oil and a bulk laxative like house brand Metamucil. It is not difficult to come up with a formula recipe. All these items will store long term for you. If you have trouble figuring out the recipe, ask here and I will help you. Before the proprietary formulas came out, we used to mix tube feeding formulas in house. I think they were healthier. You can also puree most foods to go in a tube. I've done that to improve health for tube fed patients that I was doing home health for.

[Purdy Bear]

I had a very strange prep. today, you will never guess. I put a box in our outside bin by the street and found two glasses, one being a normal 1/2 pint glass the other a stunning goblet type wine glass for the same amount. They have been washed and are in my cupboard. It would be impossible to track the public house they came from as we have about 11 in a one mile radius of us. A nice gift none the same. People quite often dump their rubbish in our bins but i'ts the first time I've got something useful.


I stopped knitting the violet scarf it was two narrow and began knitting a large shawl. I wanted it to by wide and long in a rib so I chose 4mm needles in long, Robin double knit wool, and used a rib of 2 (row 1 k2, p2 row 2 p2 k2 and repeat). I've been doing it for about 4-5 days and have just finished the first ball of 100 gms which measures exactly 12 ". I have 5 balls of black wool, so that will give me a 60 " scarf but I've also got another 5 in the post if I want to make it longer which I probably will. A nice 120 " shawl sounds very yummy, plus its very soft wool. I'm just doing a few rows a day so its coming along nicely and doesnt give me RSI.