Watcha doing today?

[Littlesister]

Jeepers, I PM'd you.  It doesn't seem hard to do. I am going to use the older garden area for potatoes and sweet potatoes I also am looking around for a good area for asparagus. those will still be straight into the ground as well as tomatoes. Onions also will be straight into the ground.

[Jeepers]

Thank you Littlesister!

I'll check it out.   

[snapshotmiki]

Already found the recipe for what I will take to fellowship next Sunday-Funeral Potatoes.
Will walk in a few minutes.
Have to see my health insurance lady. I was told that our local hospital is in network, but insurance company says no. Need to change back to original company.
Already have laundry going.
Might decorate porch today, we will see.
May run to town if insurance lady is available. I need about 50 bananas for the mass quantities of Christmas banana bread I will make Thursday.

[Ambergris]

We used to make banana bread using persimmon instead of banana.  Such a lovely orange color, and nice to alternate slices on a platter.  Not something to do unless you have a tree-full of persimmons, of course.

 

I am laid up in bed with ice on my knee and arm from two fun little episodes with Bear this morning.  This afternoon we are taking H's itty bitty dog to a vet in Loja, the one she came from, because she was too quiet Sunday and has not eaten since early yesterday afternoon.  I also need to pay bills, meaning visiting the ATM in Loja, and buy canned cat food.

Edited December 4, 2023 by Ambergris

[Littlesister]

Ambergris, I hope you heal up soon. Bear needs some serious altitude adjustments. She is going to cause you to get seriously hurt and that is a big concern. I hope you can find someone good to train her soon. 

 

I am finishing up the decorating in dining room. Living room is on hold till that window is replaced. I am not doing a lot of decorating, so it won't take long to get the small tree up once the window is in. Windows were shipped out today so should have them in about a week. Then someone will come out and get them in for me. Then I will be home free to get a lot more done. 

 

Christmas gifts are starting to come in now. So, need to check e mail to see what is left. Don't think it is much more left. Just a couple of things for the baby and the things I got for DD and DGD. Then that is done. Going to start wrapping things hopefully this evening.  Need to find my shirt boxes though. I think they are still in the shed. 

[Jeepers]

Miki, glad you discovered a possible issue with your insurance network before you needed it. I've been hearing a lot of good things about funeral potatoes too.  

 

I'm not feeling great today. Upset stomach. I don't know if it's the virus going around here or the antibiotic I'm taking. Both symptoms are the same. I have 3 more days on the antibiotic. Virus and med will both run their course at the same time so who knows which is the culprit. 

 

I'm sticking close to the room today and should start wrapping presents this evening. I need it done but I really need to do it now so I can get them wrapped and in trash bags to be a little more out of sight. Sitting around in the room like this might be a little too tempting. What I bought will be the majority of G-sons Christmas so I need to guard it until I can get them over there and under his their tree. He called last night. I'm always amazed when he calls on his own. I'm pre dialed in his mom and dads phones. He played a song on his ukelele I got for him a couple of weeks ago. I have no idea what it was. Not even sure if it was a song. But of course it was a masterpiece.  

 

 

[Necie]

Got venison all mixed. 
10# jalapeño/cheddar brats

10# cheddar/onion brats

10# plain brats

All have garlic. DH (D isn’t always for Dear ) is being *picky* about garlic. He fussed that there was too much in my canned venison... it’s the SAME as I’ve ALWAYS done! He can either deal with it or cook for himself! 

Also got 5# of salami mixed to make snack sticks. 
Tomorrow am stuffing it in casings and *cooking* it. 

[Jeepers]

Congrats on all of your canning and deer processing this year Necie. Lots of hard work but worth it!

 

Got another "Sorry your delivery is delayed" again. Now it's pushed back to Dec.9th. And the package that was supposed to arrive today was pushed back to tomorrow except I got a notice from Amazon saying it had been delivered today. So I ended up going over to the house today anyway. Maybe I'll get these presents wrapped tomorrow.

 

The house is kind of a mess because they had to move my stuff around to do the flooring. I told them I'd do it if they cleaned out the garage so I could take it in there. But they didn't. Anyway, I'm not crazy about the flooring but I won't have to live with it. And it is starting to grow on me. I think it's because it's just different from what I'm used to. However, the carpet looks great. Thinner than what I would have chosen for myself but it's pretty and clean and most importantly, within budget. 

 

Not sure what they are going to do about the fridge. It doesn't fit in space allotted. Sigh. Not my issue because I had all of the appliances bought and delivered before they ordered the cabinetry. 

[Littlesister]

Jeepers, Hope you are feeling better soon. I also have been getting delays on Amazon gifts. It's been crazy. I am waiting another day to wrap GD's and the baby's gifts as some things are still not here yet. So, hopefully tomorrow night I can get those done. 

 

Went through all the Christmas tablecloths. A few that was for the old table I had I am thinking about taking to Goodwill. But then I thought about rather I can do some DIY projects with them. So will thank about it before taking them there. I am open for suggestions on that. 

 

Sat on couch to go through a few things a fell asleep. I don't do that often but must have been tired.  Fixed dinner, cleaned kitchen and here I am. And my hands are freezing and have been all day. Just put on my anthric gloves. They are fingerless so I can type and hope to warm up my hands. 

 

That is a lot of canning you got done today, Necie. Wish I had your energy. My energy is tanking again. Thyroid issues, I am sure. 

 

 

[snapshotmiki]

I used to  make  aprons  out of tablecloths @Littlesister. They turned out  nice. 

[Littlesister]

Thank you, Miki. I never thought about that, and I don't have any Christmas aprons anyway. Could make some for Christmas gifts for next year. 

[snapshotmiki]

@Littlesister, I made some out of plastic tablecloths for when I was washing bottles at the dairy.  Those worked really well.

 

Will walk first- early.
See if local grocery saved me any over ripe bananas- I need about 50 for banana bread on Thursday.
Pick up friend and go to appt. with health insurance agent to switch insurance back to humana.
Stop at thrift shop to donate and then look for fake Christmas flowers for porch hanging baskets.
Hit Walmart and Aldi for bananas and a few other needed items for National Banana Bread Day.
Come home and walk dogs.
Maybe get out some inside decorations- not many-, maybe not.

[Littlesister]

Went to bank this morning and off to pay taxes as well. They were due today. Don't know why I waited till the last-minute other than I am getting tired of real estate taxes going up so much every year. Need to move out of this area where the taxes aren't so bad. Suffolk is getting well known for high taxes on everything. Even personal property taxes on our cars went up. I thought that should have deprecated. Nope, not in Suffolk. They get you anyway they can. 

 

Going to finish up wrapping the Christmas gifts today. But still waiting on some to come in. Delivery is slow. Just one book for GS and gifts for both DD and DGD. Need to pick up one more gift card and that is finished. 

 

Will Pick up around the house and get a few things put away. Otherwise, I will be done for the day. Just a bit on the tired side today.  

[Jeepers]

 Still nauseous. I'm thinking it's the med. One more day. I don't think it's working though. 

 

I saw where Amazon is 3 stops away from my house so I might as well head on over there again. It's the corner shelf I ordered. Hopefully I won't demolish the wall again getting this one installed. Two holes bigger than my thumbs. Reminds me that I need to buy wall paint again. The last batch they sold me wasn't eggshell, or what ever it's called now. I over painted where I repaired the wall so it would blend in. Except the next day I noticed it is all shiny. It didn't blend in.    The more I work on things the worse they get. I still need to get the screws out of my kitchen cabinet door pulls. 'Someone' stripped the Philip heads. Might have to saw them off. Sigh. Still can't figure out how to hang up my paper towel holder in the recessed cabinet door.  I have tons of little things like that. Plus some major things too. I used to be handy. Don't know what happened. I'll bet Annarchy could knock everything out in day. Now that girl is handy!

[Littlesister]

Jeepers, hope you start feeling better soon. 

 

You need to find the studs if you can. Then use those plastic things that you put in the wall and then screw the shelf in.  Go on Pinterest and type in what you are doing, and it will take to places that show you how to do it. Sometimes it takes you to U Tube for directions. I use it for that all the time. 

Did you find any ideas for your back yard? There are hundreds of ideas on there. Just type in back yard ideas and it will take you to all those posts. 

Got dining room cleaned up and dusted today. Garland is now hung over top of the China hutch. So, decorating has now started. Just need to put the Christmas tablecloth on table but it has been packed up the past 4 years so want to wash it first.  Still a lot to get done but it is getting there.

[Jeepers]

 O.M.G. Littilesister, I can't escape Pinterest! I'm finding all sorts of ideas on all different things. I go from garden to crocheting to hot chocolate mixes to quilting and on and on. I click on one thing and see something else interesting and click on that and before I know it, I'm way far down the rabbit hole watching remodeling a house and urban survival. Did I mention all of the food storage ideas?  Crimony. It's worse than Google/Youtube. I'm set for winter watching. Thank You...I think.  

[Jeepers]

I'm going to be more careful about hanging this next shelf. If I mess up the first hole I'm going to stop and not repeat the same thing on the other side of the hanger. Duh! Not sure what I was thinking. But the holes kinda matched.    I have a stud finder but the studs aren't where I want the shelves. And the two hangers aren't where the any  stud would be. It seems like the pictures I hung are right between the studs. One tip I think is working for the heavy pictures though. I got some of that putty that you can hang kids papers on the wall. I think they use it in elementary schools. It might be called 'tacky' something. I got it at Hobby Lobby. Anyway, I put it on the back of the big frames. Three pieces on top and three pieces on the bottom. And three pieces on each side. About dime size stretched out. It helps hold the frame in place and it takes some of the weight off of the nails that support the frames.  

 

Some of Jeepers best handy work. Never ever hire me to hang a shelf!                                   Think anyone will notice?    

                          

[Littlesister]

For between the studs, you need get those medal things (can't think of what you call them) they open up and has a small spring on them. You put those into the wall and then screw the picture hook into them. I am not explaining that very well. But they are in the same area in hardware store as the nails and screws and such. 

 

Be very careful of Pinterest, it is abdicating. I love going on there and finding ideas, canning recipes, just general recipes for something I want to make for dinner, and so much more. It is a never-ending form of information on everything you can think of. I have to time myself on there or I might be on there all day. 

 

Been doing some cleaning and going through papers and getting those filed away. Getting ready to get some of the Christmas gifts wrapped. Need to get started on that now. So much to do and still haven't gotten to my sewing machine to make the curtains for bathroom. It just sits there looking at me. I need to get that done but at the rate I am going it might be after Christmas. 

[Necie]

Still working on the salami/sausage.

Up half the night. Still tired. 

Won’t do this big of a batch again. And will do things a bit different. 

 

Was hoping to go shopping tomorrow, but may have to wait till Friday. 

[Jeepers]

I just used the mollies that came with the shelf. I know what you are talking about though. I think they are called toggles. Kind of butterfly shaped that fan out when you put the screw in them. I need to get a few of those before I hang more shelves.  

[Littlesister]

That's what it is Jeepers, I couldn't think of it at the time I posted. My brain seems to be in a dozen different places at once these days.

 

I also need to get some of those. I really need to make a Lowe's or Home Depot trip for a few things but can wait till after Christmas.  

 

I ordered some storage boxes and things for my closet and for under my bed. The underbed storage containers I had won't fit under this bed as it has supports in the middle of bed. So, ordered 3 that will fit under there. When I said I need to organize and downsize I was not kidding but it has totally torn this house apart trying to get it all done. I have stuff piled everywhere it seems. And I don't need all the interruptions I keep getting. It has slowed me town a bit too much. Need to finish the Christmas wrapping also. 

 

It is a very damp cold here today.  So not much working outside today. Need to get GS to take the raised garden beds to shed till I can get them put together and in place early spring. Will get him to do that tomorrow. I said I wasn't going to do a garden next year but with the raised beds I can let areas where I have been gardening rest for a year or so. And now will have new areas for a garden. The raised bed gardening will make life so much easier. I am going to the farm markets for things I don't have room to grow like corn. I also need to fix the garage to have that room for the upright freezer as well. Wish I didn't have those 3 huge windows in garage as it would give me better room to put things. But don't want to totally block the windows with tall things as I won't be able to wash the windows. But I will get that figured out at some point. 

 

Moving things around and going through it. Yep, another box for Goodwill. It's going slowly but surely and at the same time I feel like I haven't put a dent in anything. But I think it is just the Un organization right now. GS left for work about 3 hours ago, so he is out of my way now, so mopped the den and kitchen floor. Nothing like mopping a floor just to have kids walking all over it before it dries. He can track in faster than I can clean up. He is only half living here now but may be moving in with a friend in January. Lord, please let that happen and that it works out for him. DD is now trying to get him to go into the shipyard. Not sure what happened to the Coast Guard yet. But he is still talking about it. Going in the Shipyard now for an apprentice is not the right time if he does Coast Guard. Just wish things would move along faster for him. He needs to get started in a career. 

[Littlesister]

Got all the Christmas shopping done as well as most of the Christmas cards. Still some to send to some homebound friends.  Still time for that. 

 

This year for first time I took advantage of the Black Friday deals and the Cyber Monday deals. Nope no TV yet.  I bought for 50 to 70 percent off a Wonder Mill grinder, A Ninja indoor grill, and an outdoor pizza oven. The pizza oven can bake bread and cook meats as well. It is a wood burning oven. Merry Christmas to me. I don't usually do that. But this year these were things I needed. Well, I probably   could have done without the indoor grill, but I like to grill and when it is very cold outside, I don't use that grill. Now I have the best of both worlds. But the other 2 items were on my prepping list. Two of those items were 70% off so couldn't pass that up. The Wonder mill I have been looking at for the past 6 years or so. I have a non-electric one but wanted this one because it is faster, and my arms won't fall off turning a handle. That was one of the 70% off items. The other was the pizza oven. As they say, hold out for the right time and the prices will drop like a bomb.  OK I am done shopping.  

 

Floor in kitchen and den is mopped and all clean again. Dusted the bedroom floors and dusted in den as well.  Now to start wrapping the gifts. Hope my hands hold out as some of those gifts are heavy. GS can help me with those. Might need to go back to dollar tree for more wrapping paper.  Tree will go up as soon as the front window is replaced. Hoping that will be done by first part of next week. Windows are on the way now.  

[Jeepers]

I got G-sons last present delivered today so tomorrow they WILL get everything wrapped. I have one more I might get for him locally. If I can't find it I'm not stressing. It isn't something he mentioned. I'm not ordering it. 

 

I went in the house to get the package. The fridge is waay too big for the area. I'm going to have to do something about it. It is horrible. It sticks out so far into the kitchen. It's really unacceptable. It's my fault. Sigh. There are a few other things that bothered me that isn't my fault. I didn't really look around yet but there is a big ding in the wall on the stairway. And I'm not sure if the bathroom fan works. If it does it's very quiet. They put in a regular light switch in the dinning room when it's supposed to be a dimmer switch. The kicker is they put the round towel rack in the half bathroom across from the toilet instead of next to the sink.   Everything is an easy fix except for that massive fridge. I wish I would have taken a picture of that bathroom towel ring but I didn't have my phone with me.  

 

[snapshotmiki]

Too busy to get on laptop yesterday. Still walked, of course. Had to be at health insurance agent's ofc. at 8:30 am. Tuesday she was sure that the new insurance was ok. Tuesday night she called her boss again and was told that the new insurance did not have a hospital anywhere in my area. So, I had to go back and switch back to previous plan after all. Had a few things to do in our little town, also. Calls to make, also etc.

 

Today, I will walk first.
Plant some snapdragons that I was given on Peanut's grave.
Make and package banana breads for the rest of the day.
It will be a long day, but that is what I give for Christmas gifts each year.

 

I hope all your fixes go smoothly @Jeepers!

I'm glad that you are getting somewhere @Littlesister!

17 hours ago, Necie said:

Still working on the salami/sausage.

I hope you get finished up today.  The multi day projects aren't a lot of fun, for sure.

[Littlesister]

Finally got my retirement money redone. Some money should hit my bank by either Friday or Monday. Then will pay off a bill and call the well guy about the well again. I really want to go ahead and get that project finished. Need to rip out the garage sink and counter and get a utility sink and see if well can be set up for that but thinking I will need to get the sink in first. Need to find a plumber that will switch that out for me. I also need to head out to Lowe's or Home Depot to look at the sinks to see what I want. Then going to order more wood but need to order another wood stacker. Maybe will need a couple of them. I have only had to use the wood stove twice this winter so far. Our weather has been a bit warmer than usual. So that is a good thing. But most of our really cold weather comes in January and February.  I have already figured out I can go through about a cord each winter if using it daily. 

Already cleaned wood stove out and cleaned up around it for next use. Need to find more uses for wood ash. Have used some in the garden but don't want to overdo it. 

 

Jeepers, Hope you can get everything fixed the right way. As for the fridge, can you return it for a smaller size? I would check it out to see if that is possible. If so, they hopefully will pick it up when they bring out the smaller one. Worth a try anyway.