Greetings, All.
Muffy 1938: I hope your infection is now gone.
Little Sister: Best wishes for your husband and his swelling issues.
Old Mt. Woman: Little worse than having a cold shower except having one outside while camping during cold weather.
OMW: I too am still working through a few of the September Challenges. No reason not too to them, they were all excellent activities.
I checked in with Survival Moms for their weekend activity after “our” Prep month was done. While I needed to do one of the suggestions, I realized there is a big difference between them and us. They are just getting started, and we are already far down the road. Not to say that I cannot learn from their questions, it is just that I can answer most of their questions. Thank you Daisy! I love this page and all of you.
Entropy finally took control of our main floor laundry room and I started fighting back. This is where I stash stuff for a “short time” whenever we have company or need to clean off the kitchen surfaces. It is also where I keep the canning jars that I think I am going to need in the next week or so, or put them in boxes to take them to the basement. I have eliminated several bags of items. The bag that is left, on the floor, is one that was taken out of a drawer because mice had found the drawer – two years ago. I guess I don’t need anything in that bag. I’ll check that tomorrow. Just those few changes makes a big difference.
I had a serious cough for three months and it is finally gone. I got the steroid inhaler for $267! Yuck! After a few days, my voice pitch raised. I teased that I needed to teach Hubby Sign Language because he could not hear me. After a week the cough was mostly gone. Just a few days left and perhaps my voice will return to normal. Daughter says it was probably from all of the gardening since it started in August and did not go away. I am not willing to spend, or stock up on, inhalers that cost $267. Hopefully the cough does not come back. But if it is an allergy, or an asthma reaction, it will be something I need to understand and learn to deal with. I don’t have asthma as far as I know. This is/was the kind of constricting cough you might get when you go from heat to air conditioning, tough to breathe and impossible to talk. It is gone now.
My daughter had an issue at school and there is nothing I can do for her. She is getting her master’s degree in family clinical psychology and disagreed with a teacher in class. She is always willing to battle for what is right and question people when she thinks they have not proved their point. It became serious enough to be reported to the school for a review. There could be some serious repercussions from that encounter. She has a job, a residency so to speak, that she likes and could be permanent and I hope that the final decision does not interfere with it. At 47, it is her battle, career, and consequences. All I can do is giver her hugs and hope the resolution is one that she will benefit from. She needs her diploma and license. (Plus it will allow her to go from $15 an hour to $100 an hour of clinical time.)
Here at our 19 acres, we are inside. The gardens are done. I never did get the strawberries in because temps got to freezing. This week temos have been in high 30s to 40. We had one short-lived snowfall, and just a few flurries since. Hubby goes out to chop some wood with his trusty ax. I don’t know if he is still planning on fixing the log splitter. With the current mild temperatures we can keep up with the needed wood, but not so in January. He is always behind on the wood.
I purchased pork loins last month, and canned one this week: pork with sweet potato, parsnips, onion, celery, and apple in a cider broth with thyme, allspice, and sage. Six jars left; I had to eat one to make sure it was a good recipe. Needs more seasoning per jar, but otherwise, it is one that I will do again. I had too many onions sautéed, and more sweet potatoes and pork than would fit into the jars, so they all went into ½ pints. Just enough food in a ½ pint for one serving for the two of us. I need to do more.
I made French Onion Soup and it needs help. Tastes fine, but it just does not have that pizzazz. Perhaps some red wine and a clove of garlic when it is time to heat it and melt the cheese. Next time I will make sure I use different kinds of onions for more depth of flvor.
I have a lot more stuff in the freezer to can up and make shelf stable. Grated zucchini that I need to dehydrate and add to soups/stews. I bought a corned beef brisket and have never used one before. I will need some ideas of how to can that. I think I have two; and another pork loin. They will look great on the pantry shelf. Plus the homemade cranberry sauce to be made this week.
Winter goals: Morse Code, finish the mending and new clothes that have been in plain uncut fabric form for a year or two, finish controlling the laundry room entropy. Plus, inventory of our pantry/food storage/supplies, empty a freezer, send more things to the Salvation Army or off to children and grandchildren, and work on a proper canning recipe book for our favorites. We may be retired but there is much to do.
Hope you all have a good Thanksgiving with loved ones. Talk to you soon.