Greetings, All.
Thank you all for the kudos for my Grandson, Max. He is one special kid. He is open and ready to help anyone, and is generous with his hugs. (In addition to being smart as a whip, of course.) He and his brothers attend a charter school that is more minority than white. The students speak their native languages in addition to English. He is in 5<sup>th</sup> year Latin. The school is rigorous with their college prep classes and college credit! Students that have higher GPAs than he does are going to Ivy League schools. He is choosing to stay close to home.
Molly Malone, (Little Sister): Good for you. I think your degree will be vital for our futures. And, keep up your necessary brain relaxing exercises with your operas.
It is challenging but you can do it. My daughter is in grad school at the age of 46. Plus working, etc., I hardly see her. Then she intends to go on to a doctoral program. I, too, went back to college when I was 35. I was two classes and a thesis away from a master before I quit. My M.Ed. was no longer needed.
Old Mt. Woman: I hope your property, and you, survived the ravages of this storm.
Muffy1938: I am looking forward to hearing about your raised beds. I’d love to lift ours to make it easier for the older backs. Thinking of just adding boards to our already defined beds and filling them.
Little Sister: I understand the carbs for the A1c. Cannot get Hubby to see that. He is still borderline.
I hope your Grandson gets his Cyber-Security degree soon. We will need it.
Columbia River: Love those books – education at your fingertips.
Face Masks: How do the ones you chose work with glasses? I cannot see without my glasses, and wearing a facemask, my glasses fog up.
Canned Turkey: I am constantly surprised at how “little” I get from a turkey. This 13-pound turkey gave us two dinners before I canned it. I have 7 pints of plain meat in broth. I made a turkey soup with a Chinese flare, from the bone pickings and, and after eating one serving, I canned 4 quarts, 1 pint, and one of leftover soup broth. Filled in canner space with canning of beans. One-half cup of dry beans, rinsed, filled with boiling water, then canned in pint jars. For the soup, I raided the freezer – zucchini, peas, pea pods, parsnips and bok choy from last year’s garden; frozen mushrooms and fresh onion, ginger, and garlic. Little-by-little the freezer contents are being used. No tetrazzini this time.
Flooding: We were hoping to spend the weekend with our Hungarian Student, but cannot. First the driveway was sheer ice. Then with the rains and 40-degree weather the last few days, the snow is melting and flooding the basement. Our house was built in stages. The original basement, built 150 years ago from local stone, plus several additions, the most recent in ’88 with proper cinderblock. The old part which we do not use, has lost some of its chinking and it looks as if some stone blocks have moved, that is where the water is pouring in. This has happened before, but not to the extent that it flowed over the sill block (six inches high) into the new part of the basement that we actually use. Fortunately, with a shop vac (we did not realize how vital this shop vac would be for a prepper!)
we can vacuum up the water and dump it in the sump pump in the new part. A friend, and also my sister-in-law, have flooded basements. Tough timing for my sister-in-law’s family right now, since her daughter, my Godchild, is getting married in two weeks. That morning, also, his car was hit on the side by someone running a red light and then smashed from the back. Totaled car and he is in pain. Insurance will not cover the flooding, and only partly cover the brand new car, so darling Godchild set up a GoFUndMe account for them. Ah, the vagaries of life. We just roll with it. At least everyone is healthy.
So, we are stuck here at home, due to the flooded basement and icy drive. No need to worry since we have plenty o flood and things to do. Now, I am going to talk to Hubby about Jose’s last article about no electricity in Venezuela. I think that should be our next step: solar, wind, batteries, etc.
Take care, everyone. Be safe.