Still Here

 No, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth.

Just now I have been working on putting together albums of old family photos.  When I am gone, I want my kids and grands to know who the people in the photos were.  And I am trying to add the stories behind the photos.  

I found a picture of my Dad holding me when I was about 2 years old.  If I don't include the stories, how will my family ever know that the coat and bonnet I am wearing then was sewn by my Mother.  And they would have no way of knowing that because money was tight back then, Mother took an old coat of hers, took it apart and made my coat and bonnet from the pieces of coat fabric.

When I do take a break, I have been trying to catch up on what is happening in the world around us.  Not an easy task.  Seems like the world situation sort of resembles the tea party scene in Alice in Wonderland.  And those currently in charge look like the Mad Hatter to me.

We are going to war.  We are not going to war.  Ukraine is getting more billions of dollars to fund their war with Russia.  There are folks in the path of the last hurricane who are still living in tents with little access to the fundamentals of life.  Many of our seniors find themselves in the position of having to decide between paying for meds or groceries.  And of course, we now know for sure that laws only apply to the people and not for the political crackheads.  And on and on it goes.

I can't change anything.  But I can say a prayer or two directed to the one who can.  Right now, I pray that those currently in charge don't completely wreck our country before January 20.  I'm not saying that the next administration will work miracles.  I just have the hope that changes can be made to at least give us some sense of the country we seem to have lost.

Posting will likely be sporadic while I am in the middle of this project.  I tend to lose myself in whatever I am working on.  And I really believe it is important to let my family know about their history.  I am old.  Time is short.  I wish I had thought to do this sooner.

Take care, my friends.  Stay as safe as is possible.  Stack and pray.  But mostly pray.

Busy

 The past several days have been spent organizing my various projects to work on after the holiday.  There are photos to organize into albums, quilts to contiue sewing, crocheted afghans to finish.  And because I have a request for family stories, those get written when my memory recalls them.

And then there are the Susie Homemaker chores to attend to, since they tend go unnoticed while working on other stuff.

I sort of feel like time is running out, and even though I am as old as dirt, it isn't an age thing that concerns me.  It is those who want war.  Those who will benefit financially from war.  Those who will send our children and grandchildren to fight a war that the rest of us do not want, while they sit in their mansions with their families who are not only safe but getting more wealthy by the day.

I hope I am wrong.  I hope that the many who see a war on the near horizon are wrong.  And I pray daily that common sense will surface and this insanity will disappear.

It is not all gloom and doom.  There is a holiday this week that traditionally brings families together.  May each of you find peace on Thanksgiving Day.  And may God truly bless and keep each of you.

Family

 If I am going to stay honest, I have to admit to enjoying watching the head explosions on the Left, concerning the election.  Sitting in cars, screaming like banshees.  Women shaving their heads and swearing off intimate relations with their husbands for the next four years.  Main Stream Media throwing 3-year-old style tantrums at each announcement of Cabinet positions in the upcoming administration.  Really?  I have seen elementary school playground fights that make more sense.

So, putting politics aside for now, I find that there are some other things that need my attention and are far more important to my family than the bs that passes for news these days.

My evenings and a day or two in the average week are spent organizing the genealogy information I have found online.  And searching for more.  Most of my family finds this dry as dust, but I would hope that eventually some of them might like to know where their ancestors came from.

In that same vein, my son asked me to write down the family stories that I had related to him as well as any others I remembered.  Some are rather serious like my paternal grandmother refusing to marry my grandfather until he signed a paper stating that he would abstain from drinking liquor.  He signed.  They married and went on to become parents of nine children.  Grandma was serious about this because sadly, her father was drunk a good share of the time.

Other stories are my memories of many of my parents and grandparents as well as my aunts and uncles who have all passed on.  I enjoy sharing my memories with my kids, especially since my family has many stories that are funny.  Like when my Dad and his brothers decided it might be fun to hoist the new car of the local banker, who was bragging about that car ad nauseum, onto the roof of his garage. (Keeping in mind that some sporty kinds of cars back in the 1920's weighed considerably less than they might now.)  Dad said the look on the banker's face when he realized where his car was, was worth it all!  We were blessed with good senses of humor in my family.  

Years ago, my Dad gave me a rather large cardboard box full of old photos.  I have since sorted them into large manila envelopes, one for each person and for family groups.  But most have no notation as to who the people in the photos are or what occasion the picture was taken for in the first place.  It occurred to me that when I am gone, my family will have no idea who is in many of the photos.

So this week I am digging out my scrapbooking supplies.  I am not talented enough in the craft of scrapbooking to fashion my own albums from scratch.  So, I am going the easy route.  Background papers will be cut to the size of 8.5 x 11.  Photos, descriptions and maybe a little bit of fru fru can go on each page, which will then fit inside a sheet protector and be organized in large 3-ring binders.  Hopefully, this will give my kids and grands something to show them who all of those relatives were.

I know that I maybe should be adding to the deep pantry stash, but I feel like there is a need to show the younger generation where they came from.  Some won't care.  But some might.  And for those who have an interest, the efforts on my part could just inspire someone to continue on with our family history.

I hope so.

Too Quiet

When my kids were still kids, they liked to tease and squabble and even on rare occasions, fight.  They were a noisy group.  But when things in my house got quiet, that's when I worried.  And rushed to see what shenanigans they were up to.

Before the election there was a lot of noise.  Campaign signs for Trump were wrecked or stolen.  The 'Never Trumpers' were loud and long winded.  Everywhere we looked, there was someone declaring that Trump was all sorts of bad things.

He won anyway.

And all of a sudden, it is quiet.

We were wrong about riots occurring after Trump won, including me.  I, along with many others were sure that cities would burn.  We thought there would be protests and violence in the streets.

Didn't happen.  And now I am worried.

There have been a bunch of criminal lawsuits.  And a couple of impeachments, including one when Trump was no longer in office.  And assassination attempts.  Do any of us believe those in power have given up on getting rid of Mr. Trump?

Nope.

Time to get serious about praying.  For the safety of the President Elect and his family.  For our beloved country, for there are still those who want to wreck what we have.  For those of us who, to quote Obama, "cling to our religion and our guns."

As Mr. Trump has said, "They're coming after you --- and I'm just standing in their way." 

 I just cannot shake the feeling that something wicked this way comes.  Pray.  Pray without ceasing.  

Hope Renewed

 But with caution.  I can't believe that the left will quietly accept the results of yesterday's election.  Considering how many times they have tried and failed to get rid of Mr. Trump, I have no reason to believe they won't try again.

For now, I have hope that the country I love may be saved.  I have hope that all of the things we have been told divide us will fade away.  I even have hope that common sense might have a fighting chance to appear again.

Today I will ignore politics.  And politicians.  Today I will do some quilting or some reading or something else I enjoy.

And I will be spending time giving thanks to our God who answers our prayers.

This and That

 Anybody else looking forward to the campaign ads going away?  There are some I wouldn't vote for based on just how annoying their ads are. Between the ads and the spam phone calls (Of course you are from Medicare and I'm positive you are calling just to help me out.)  I think I have invented several brand new swear words!

There are ads for a local judge.  Seems he is the most wonderful human being ever.  I kind of want to give him a well-placed kick.  Yeah.  There.

And then there is the Daylight Savings thing.  In the words of Pooh Bear, "Oh, bother."

So, to get away from all things crazy, I spent the last couple of days working on freezer meals for one.  I have several cases of meals in jars but thought it would be good to have some in the freezer as well.

I combined chicken that had been cooked, the meat removed from the bones and then diced.  Added three small bags of diced onions I found in my freezer, and a couple of bags each of frozen corn and peas.  Peeled, sliced and cooked 6 lbs. of carrots.  Sliced and cooked three bunches of celery.

Dumped all of it into a plastic dishpan.  Filled it nearly to the top.  Stirred it all together and then filled quart sized Ziploc bags with two heaping cups of the mixture per bag.  Into the freezer went 26 chicken-based meals.

To use the meals, I will thaw, add either water or broth and seasonings and heat for soup, thicken and serve over biscuits or make a pot pie.  There are other uses for these meals, but those are what I mostly use them for.

There is a reason for wanting easy to fix meals available.  I am old.  I live alone.  I have arthritis.  Some days I just don't feel like standing by my stove, stirring food from scratch in pans.  Or heating up my apartment with the oven.  There comes a time when, even if we are healthy, that we just want to make life a bit easier.  The meals help.

A couple of days ago I watched some white, fluffy stuff falling from the sky.  This is not unheard of in Minnesota.  A number of years ago there was a blizzard on Halloween.  But this time, by morning the snow was gone.  

Part of my son's job is supervising several snow removal crews.  Every fall he asks me to pray for snow so he can keep his crews busy.  And he has a kid in college.  He sent me a photo of the rain gauge in his backyard, telling me that if the amount of water in the rain gauge had fallen as snow, there would be about 36 inches of the white stuff on the ground.  

That message was followed by this.  🙏

One of my greatest blessings is having children with great senses of humor!!

Take care, friends.  And keep an eye on what happens this week.  I don't know for sure what will happen, but I'm thinking it might not be very good, depending on the outcome of the election.

Stay safe.  God bless and keep each and every one of you.

Well, Friends...

 I have been busy trying to stay calm until at least after the election.  It has become easier now that I automatically shut down the annoying political commercials.  Won't miss those at all!

I think what amazes me the most is that so many running for office seem to think that the ones who might vote for them are dumb as a box of rocks.  Which tells me politics has nothing to do with the care of citizens and everything to do with money and power.

So, until the votes are counted (Does anyone actually believe elections are fair anymore?) my time is filled with things that make me happy.

I just love retirement.  After years of working jobs, sometimes more than one - kids need to eat so we do what we need to do - I am enjoying this time immensely.  No alarm clock.  No spending time doing things I dislike.  OK - there is still mopping floors and laundry.  But I get to decide how to spend my time.

Right now, my kitchen table is covered with file folders and manila envelopes full of genealogy paperwork.  Found my mother's high school diploma from 1942 and a postcard written by my dad to his mother in the middle of the Depression of the 1930's, letting her know that he and his brother had found work picking up potatoes from a field in Montana.  When work in northern Minnesota couldn't be found, they rode freight trains west in search of a way to make money for the family.  Found a letter written by my paternal grandmother, describing her encounter with a black bear while in the woods picking blueberries.  (She ignored the bear and exited the woods slowly and quietly.  Me... probably would have run away, screaming!)

Many would find this activity dry as dust, but I love the research about ancestors.  I find that my adult children seem to be a bit interested as well.  And a granddaughter was asking about this, so I have hope that my family will find it interesting.  They should know where they come from.

I haven't abandoned preparing.  Earlier this week I cooked up some odds and ends of poultry and pork that were languishing in my freezer.  My grocery order for next week includes veggies to add to the meat to make 'meals in a jar.'  I love having the jar meals on hand so I can just heat up the contents and dinner is served.  Think this time I will cook the contents together, cool and freeze in quart freezer bags.  I am pretty much out of shelf space for jars.

And I have rambled on long enough.  Sometimes these posts are more like emails between friends.  Take good care.  Stay safe.  Things might just get crazier when the election results are in.  And may God place a veil of protection over all of you.

Finding Peace

Seems like everywhere I turn, there are those who are convinced the world will end the day after our election.  They say that we are in trouble if our supply of beans and bandaids isn't full to overflowing.  They offer little in the way of hope and much in the way of fear.

I realize that I have been guilty of those very things.  And I feel like it may be time for a change.

I look around and see that my storage shelves are full of home canned foods.  So are the boxes and tubs and buckets that hold all the rest of my food and supplies.  As is a closet full of sugar and flour and other baking supplies.  As is my chest freezer.  Unless the grocery stores close forever, my family will be OK.

I will still keep an eye on what is happening in the world around me.  I see too many that are blissfully ignorant of the problems we all face.  And the combination of ignorance and lack of any preparaton whatsoever is a deadly combination.

But I need a break from the constant worry and fear that we all have been living with for the past few years.  And frankly, I am sick to death of all the political bs.  Everywhere I look, I find politicians tossing insults at one another like third graders on the playground.  When all is said and done, they all are going to do whatever they want, regardless of what those who elected them think.  

I have things to do that make me happy.  I have a large box of old photos to get into albums so my kids and grands will know who some of those ancestors are.  I have quilts and crocheted afghans to finish.  And I think perhaps a batch of chocolate chip cookies might just be in my near future.

We are responsible for our own frames of mind.  We can choose to be angry or fearful or worried.  Right now, while I am still relatively sane, I choose peace.

Bjorn Andreas Bull-Hanse

Aftermath

First and foremost...our friend Patrick, who is in Florida, added a comment last evening letting us know that although there was considerable damage in his area, the power is back on and he is OK.  So prayers of thanks are ongoing today.

I'm thinking that for many, the past two hurricanes may have served as a wake-up call.  I know that seeing reports of what happened to those in the path of the storms gave me pause to reconsider some of the preparedness things I am doing.

I am not going to list what I think everyone should be doing.  Each situation is different from the next.  Each family has its own list of needs.  Foods that your family loves, another family wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole!  I have a list of medical supplies needed for the care of my legs.  Others may need totally different supplies.  Each person needs to decide what items make sense to store for their family.  

Nor will I try to tell anyone what supplies, gadgets, etc. everyone "has to have or they will die."  There are some who feature iterms that can be helpful in emergency situations.  Those I will consider.  It is the ones who insist I will not survive without their product that I avoid like the plague.

The point is...being as prepared as possible for whatever happens is the smart thing to do.   I have seen reports and videos and even comments here, telling us what worked for their families when things went from bad to worse.  It is my hope and prayer that some of those who were convinced the government would save them have realized that is pure fantasy.  

We know that bad things can happen, sometimes without warnng.  Folks may survive.  But the survival is much easier if some preparations have been made in advance.

Those Boy Scouts - the ones with the moitto "Be Prepared" had the right idea.

Pray for Florida

 By all reports, a devastating hurricane is due to hit the family and friends of this silly little blog.  Florida is in the crosshairs of the most powerful storm within memory of most.  We can't stop it.  We can only watch it as it destroys.

What we can do is pray.  Pray for those who will undoubtedly lose their homes, their businesses, their lives.  

Today is a day of prayer for those who are in danger.  Please add your prayers to mine.

Really?

 Let me see if I have this right.

Southern states are in the middle of a weather-related crisis bigger than anyone can remember.  Folks still don't have food, drinkable water, supplies, power or even homes.  What they do have are the clothes on their backs and little else in the hardest hit areas.

And another hurricane is heading directly to the mainland of Florida.

FEMA is nowhere to be seen with one exception.  They are trying to tell civilians who are getting donations and filling trucks full of necessities for the victims that they can't do that without government authorization.

Kick rocks, you bastards.  You sent the emergency funds to the criminals who crossed our borders illegally.  Firing isn't good enough for you.  I'm thinking the methods of dealing with the bad guys in the old West might be more appropriate.

On top of all of the suffering of Americans, our illustrious vice president tells us that 157 million dollars of taxpayer's cash is on the way to Lebanon.  That's the country of Lebanon.  Because the problems of yet another country are far more important than the suffering of our own.

I do believe I now understand fully why the Second Amendment is so important.  It is there so citizens have the ability to protect themselves from a tyrannical government.  Any government that would treat its own citizens so badly has earned the title.  

I have to wonder just how much more abuse we can take before we do something about it.

When Government insults - not helps.

 People have watched their houses collapse or float on down the river.  Vehicles are trashed.  And let's not forget how many have died due to this storm.  And how many have disappeared.  Entire towns are just gone.  Businesses that served the people for years no longer exist.  Many folks are still stranded in the mountains due to roads that have washed away.

Can someone please explain to me why our government thinks a $750 per person is generous?  Billions to Ukraine is generous.  Free housing, food, medical care and cell phones plus cash or credit cards given to illegal aliens is generous.  $750 is an insult.

And where the bloody hell is our government during all of this?  Nowhere to be found.  A couple of written statements given in 15-minute photo opps mean nothing.  

I understand that there is a considerable amount of bs on the internet, mostly to provide clicks to self-serving idiots.  I have been following those who are actually doing something to help.  Pinball and Patara as well as others have had boots on the ground, personally bringing badly needed food, water and supplies to those in desperate need, as well as working to organize semi-trucks of goods that at this point are nothing if not lifesaving.

The cackling hen is today campaigning with her buddy, Barack.  Lord only knows where pudding for brains is.

Many of us cannot do much about the situation in the southern part of our beloved country.  Many of us are having a hard time paying the bills and keeping food on the table.  

But we can pray.  Pray that those in need will get help.  That those who no longer have homes will find a place to rest.  That those who have lost loved ones might be comforted by God's grace.  

I don't care what anybody says.  There is power in prayer.

For the love of God, pray for those poor souls.

Trolls

 It isn't very often that I am bothered by trolls.  But just for future reference, here's how things work here.

I don't mind opposing opinions.  Polite conversation is a good thing.  I am so glad that some who comment here will have conversations with others.  That's how we learn.  That's how ideas and information is shared for the benefit of all.  That's a very good thing.

What is not a good thing is rude behavior to other commentors.  Name calling will not be allowed.  Although I have nothing against calling a troll a dumb ass.  If you are dumb enough to attempt to insult others or try to pick a fight, the name of dumb ass is appropriate.

I find that the older I get, the less patience I have for stupid.  So, I am done with warnings.  I have a 'delete' button and I know how to use it.

For everyone else, you are absolutely welcome here.  I am so very grateful to those who comment...who add to the conversation.  We are all in this together.

Keep stacking.  Keep praying.  Especially praying for the folks who are dealing with the aftermath of the hurricane.  God help them.  Please!

We're from the government and we're here to help

The devastation from the latest hurricane is incredibly horrible.  Lives were lost.  Homes were destroyed.  Millions are without power.  In some areas there is no food - no water.  The people who live in the path of the storm have had their lives changed, and not for the good.

Our government that is supposed to take care of its citizens, especially in a time of need, is silent.  Guess who is stepping up to the plate.  Yep.  Those crazy preppers!

Pinball of "Pinball Preparedness" YouTube channel tells the story much better than I can.  Especially since he is up to his neck in trying to help those impacted by the storm.  The link below is well worth a watch.

"I'm From The Government And I'm Here To Help" - Kiss My Ass - YouTube

Minnesota doesn't have hurricanes.  Instead, we get tornadoes in the summer and blizzards in the winter.  So if our citizens have a shred of common sense left, they prepare.  Food.  Water.  A source of heat to keep us from freezing to death when a blizzard knocks out the power.  Can't do much when a tornado blows your house into the next county, but if supplies are divided and stored in a couple of places, we at least have a fighting chance for survival.

I would hope that the plight of the hurricane survivors would open the eyes of those who think it foolish to buy an extra can of beans or more bottles of water.  But I don't think I will hold my breath waiting for that to happen.  There are way too many who think those of us who prepare are nothing more than crazy conspiracy theorists. 

I will remember that when my family is eating good, stomach filling food and the naysayers are digging in dumpsters.  Mean of me?  Perhaps.  But I am totally out of patience with those who believe nothing bad will ever happen in their back yard.  I would hope this last storm might serve as a wakeup call.  Lives depend on it.

I know I don't need to remind all of you to keep stacking.  Or to keep praying.  Prayers heavenward for those poor souls affected by the storm.  May they get the help they need.

Another Day in Paradise

 Ya ever have one of those days where you might have been better off just staying in bed?

Back story:  I have two computers.  One is a desktop with a humongous monitor screen.  It has a humongous monitor screen because my Granddaughter helped my son pick it out for me and she thought Grandma would like the large screen.  She does.

The other computer is a laptop that is used mostly for genealogy related stuff and photos.  

Yesterday I managed to spill a half a glass of cherry Kool Aide all over the desktop keyboard.  Apparently, the liquid shorted something out, because the keyboard no longer works.  Can't say I am surprised!  The mouse works though, so all is not lost.

This morning, I decided to print out some genealogy related stuff.  The very first thing I did was (I really don't know how) I managed to wind up with a piece of paper stuck inside the printer.  After a considerable amount of digging around in the bowels of the printer, spiced up with one or two choice words, I managed to get the printer unstuck.  By that time, I didn't want to print anything anymore!

On to this afternoon, when I got one of those robo calls from my pharmacy telling me I have prescriptions ready to pick up.  Since I am housebound and since my kids and older grands all have jobs, I have had my meds mailed to me for the past two or three years.  But the pharmacy won't automatically stick them in the mail.  I have to call and request the service each time.

I wouldn't mind, but now time is wasted waiting for that auto call to run through the many options.  I used to be able to talk to a real person at the end of all that foolishness.  Not anymore.  Now I need to leave a message, and they promise to return my call within an hour.  It has been 8 hours and no return call.

Sigh.

Life was so much simpler when we wrote everything out by hand.  And when we could easily talk to a real person.  Anybody know where I can find a time machine that will shoot me back to the 60's?

Gonna find me a movie and go snuggle up in my recliner.  I have had all the fun I can stand for one day!  :)

This and That

Potatoes, chicken legs and pork are canned, jars washed, labeled and on the shelf.  I am amazed at the amount of peace this gives me while living in a world of chaos.

And because the era of the "spring chicken" has long since passed for me, yesterday was spent on genealogy research that is mostly done by sitting at the computer.  And quietly regaining strength.

I know that many find pouring over census, birth and death records as dry as dust, but for me it is sort of like putting together a jigsaw puzzle.  And it has the added benefit of showing the younger generations that they spring from God fearing, hardworking, salt of the earth good people, with a few rogues and reprobates thrown in for good measure!  And that is worth every minute of time spent on this endeavor.

Fall has arrived, but here in Minnesota, Mother Nature seems to have not received the memo.  Still hot.  Still humid.  I realize that "hot" in Minnesota isn't nearly like "hot" in other parts of the country.  But we are weather wimps.  We tend to melt at anything more than 80 degrees!

In between the food preservation and wading in my gene pool, I find I have several partially finished quilt tops that need my attention.  And because eventually I will see lots of snow outside my windows, I had better get busy and finish them.  Nothing better on a cold winter day than to snuggle under a warm, handmade quilt.  Each of my Grands and Great-Grands have a quilt I made.  And since finding out that there is another Great-Grand due to arrive in early Spring, I need to work on that as well.

Someone once told me that I would be bored upon retirement.  They were dead wrong.  

Keep stacking.  Keep praying.  The world around us is looking sketchy at best.  

Upcoming Canning Marathon

 Here we go!  Groceries were delivered earlier today.  Everything I ordered arrived.  I have noticed that only occasionally so far, an item ordered is out of stock.  More often there are substitutions in brands, but so far, we are not experiencing the food shortages reported elsewhere.  High prices - Yes.  Shortages - not so much.

There are 4 family packs of chicken drumsticks (68 cents per lb.) waiting to be packed into wide mouth quart jars and canned.  I use these several ways, but the best way for me is in a chicken and dumplings meal.

Seasoned pork loin was on sale - buy 1 get 2 more.  I got 6 loins total - 4 seasoned and 2 plain.  Decided to can the two plain loins as I am not sure if the seasonings in the flavored ones will can without turning bitter.  Cut the seasoned loins into meal for one sized portions and froze them, except for 2 that will be supper for me over the weekend.

I'm also going to try canning potatoes without liquid in the jars.  This is because the potatoes I canned in water a while back have turned sort of mealy and gray in color.  They might be OK, but I seriously doubt I could get anyone in my family to eat them.  Especially when I am reluctant to do so.

It is really easy to look around and decide there is enough stuff stored.  Easy to tell myself I don't have to do any more canning or dehydrating or stockpiling.  That would be a lie.

Just in case we haven't noticed, things all around us are whirling out of control at mind numbing speed.  Just this week I mentioned something that had been talked about on several news channels, to someone who was here in my home.  Their reply was that they never paid attention to any news because they didn't want to think about bad things!

So...when 'bad things' show up in her neighborhood and threaten her family, do you suppose she might just pay attention then?

Now is not the time to slack off.  Keep stacking.  Pay attention.  Keep praying!!

What's Next

They have tried to get rid of Trump.  Every way they can think of.  Including an attempt on his life and now another.  And the man is still standing.

Nobody will be able to convince me that God doesn't have a hand in keeping this man alive.

And nobody will get me to believe that evil forces are not at work across our land.  Just look around.

Now it is a matter of waiting to see what happens next.  Those in power simply can not abide anyone in control who works for the people.  Who believes that American citizens should come first. 

I talked with a friend this morning.  We agreed that if we could find a time machine that worked, we would send ourselves back in time to a place where kids could play in the park without being kidnapped, where neighbors visited over coffee and cookies on the porch of a summer evening, where it was still safe to go grocery shopping unarmed, that is if we could still afford groceries and where we could let Rover or Kitty outside without worrying they would  become someone's dinner.

My family has ancestors who fought in the Revolutionary War.   They made sure their descendants could live lives free from tyranny.  I believe they would be sorely disappointed that now the fight is over which bathroom to use and which pronoun is acceptable!

Those who are still "woke" and those who reside in the land of unicorns and fairy dust where nothing bad ever happens really need to wake up.  I'm not saying that the next election has the potential to solve all of our problems.  But if we continue down the path of destruction we find ourselves on now, it is all over except the crying.

Canning to Preserve Food

 Canning is my favorite method of preserving food.  My mother taught me this skill when I was still a child and I am forever grateful.  There are those who look on this activity as a hobby, but for me, it is a lifestyle.

Many years ago, my oldest son gifted me a large Presto pressure canner big enough to hold two layers of pint jars for a total of 16 jars per load.  I couldn't begin to count how many jars of food have been run through it.  Lately and for the first time, I have run into problems.  The last couple of large loads of jars I have canned in it ended up with the jar lids on about half the jars not sealing.  

First I thought the problem might be that the newer jar lids weren't as good as the older lids.  Then I thought it might be operator error.  Turns out I need a new seal for the canner lid and there is a button on the lid that pops up when pressure is reached and drops down when pressure drops.  That button isn't working.  So I need to fix the problems.

In the meantime, I tried something new.  A couple of years ago a friend bought one of those electric instant pot appliances.  She loves it and uses it often.  So I did a little research and found information about the Nesco Digital Canner that can be used for cooking and canning.  Ordered one.  Stuck it in the closet and promptly forgot about it.  Sometimes I have the attention span of a gnat!

Dragged the Nesco from the closet and set it up on my kitchen table.  Found it would hold 4 pint jars or 4 quart jars at a time.  Canned a total of 30 pints of my 'meals in a jar.'  (More about those later.)  Every single jar lid sealed.

If you are canning for a large family, it would take forever and a day to can enough food using this appliance.  But I am finding that it works well for me.

I have physical limitations.  It is much easier to fill 4 jars at a time than it is 16 jars.  Removing 4 jars from the Nesco is easier than unloading a large pressure canner.  My pressure canner heats up my entire apartment when used in the summer.  That doesn't happen with the Nesco.  And at this stage of my life, anything that can make life a bit more tolerable is welcome.

I'm not telling you to run out and buy a Nesco.  Don't you just hate those blogs or channels that tell you to buy this widget or that gadget or you will surely die?  Not doing that.  This appliance is a bit expensive unless you find one at a garage sale or thrift shop.  Just saying it solves a couple of problems for me.  And it works!

Whatever food preservation method you use, keep at it!  The way things are going, we may need every last crumb!

She's Back

 My son was right.  He told me that my head would probably explode if I didn't have a place to vent once in a while.  I realize that most of my readers have moved on.  But for the two or three who still check in, here you go!  (Thanks, Jennifer!)

I need a home nursing service to change the wraps on my lower legs three days a week.  The wraps help keep fluid from collecting.  If fluid builds up, pretty soon it will break the skin from the inside out, resulting in infection and probable hospital stays.  I avoid that outcome at all costs.

I don't always see the same nurse.  This past couple of months I have had a new to me nurse.  Nice gal.  Does a good job.  Lives in the land of unicorns and fairy dust.

One day a couple of weeks ago, I was repackaging some pasta and rice for storage when she arrived.  She wanted to know what I was going to do with so much food.  I told her that I have a large family, and the pasta and rice was to be stored so family would not go hungry in an emergency situation.  I asked what she planned to feed her family should something bad happen.  Her answer - "Oh, they can eat peanut butter sandwiches."

Last week I did some canning.  A dozen pints of chicken/veggie soup and another 16 pints of hamburger/veggie soup were the result.  Love these meals in a jar.  So many uses.

Nurse saw the jars sitting on my kitchen table, waiting to be labeled and put on the shelf.    She wanted to know what the jars contained.  I told her.  And then because I am completely out of patience with those who think that in bad times the government will take care of them, I added that while her family was scraping the bottom of the peanut butter jar, my family would be dining on homemade soup or stew or maybe pot pies.

I know.  I am bad.  Live with it.

I went on to explain that a person doesn't need to home can.  Just by buying a few extra food items when grocery shopping, one can soon build up a pantry that will be ready to keep loved ones alive when the world blows up in our faces.  And that time is close.

Take good care, friends.  Keep stacking to the rafters.  And most important, keep praying.  We need Jesus now more than ever!

Choices

There sometimes comes a time when choices need to be made.  I find I have reached that place in my life.

Those who have been kind enough to follow this little blog are aware of the physical limitations I deal with daily.  I find these days it takes me much longer to do the tasks that need to be done.  I jokingly call it 'working at the pace of a herd of turtles.'  And as a dear friend who also has limitations likes to say, "Turtles of the world, unite!"

This is by no means a 'poor, pitiful me' post.  I do not feel sorry for myself, and I would never want anyone else to feel that way.  I say these things to give you, my faithful readers, an explanation as to why chances are pretty good there will be no more posts.

Right or wrong, I believe our beloved country is in serious trouble.  And it is also my belief that there is damn little I can do about it.  I know of few politicians, local, state or federal, who give a rodents behind what those who elected them think.  Letters, phone calls, emails have no effect on what they do or how they vote.  For the most part, they are in it for the ill-gotten gains and the power.

As much as I want to believe that all will be well if only the upcoming election goes a certain way, that is not the truth.  We may have those who wish to correct all the damage that has been done to this nation, but it will take more than one election to bail us out.  And no matter what anyone says, there is only one Savior and He is not running for office.

Because it takes me so long to do what needs to be done, I will be concentrating on preparing.  My family comes first.  Always.  And in the past 14 years that this blog has been in existence, I may have imparted all the wisdom I have.  I really am having trouble coming up with new posts.  And quite frankly, I feel like time may be running out.  My attention needs to be elsewhere other than this blog.

I sincerely thank all of you for sticking with me through thick and thin.  Keep stacking it to the rafters.  Stay safe.  And may God truly bless each of you.

Vicki

No...

 When did the American people forget how to use this small, two letter, one syllable word?

I hear about governmental regulations telling people they can't grow a garden.  There are all sorts of reasons given, mostly pulled from thin air under the guise of "save the planet."

We have states where farmers are told they can not water their crops.  The same ridiculous reasons are given for this stupidity.

And then there are the continuing efforts to disarm us all.  What part of "shall not be infringed" do they not understand.

This stomping all over our rights is nothing new.  A friend told me about when he was a kid, some 50 years ago.  There was a small tree growing in the yard of the family house.  The roots were causing problems.  The city said the family could not cut down the tree.  So in the middle of the night, the kid and a hand saw took care of the problem.  Fines were levied.  Citations were written.  There was a judge involved.  All over a very small tree in a yard the homeowner had paid for.

The stupidity has grown by leaps and bounds since that time.  

We now have rules and regulations covering every aspect of our lives.  And what I find astounding is that so many are OK with that.  Have we become so lazy that we no longer care that we are living under the thumbs of politicians?

Should a bureaucrat have had the audacity to tell my ancestors how they should be growing the crops in their fields or even hinted that they weren't allowed to grow food to feed their families, I'm thinking that unfortunate soul would have been frog-marched off my ancestor's land with the promise of what would happen should that person be stupid enough to try that again. 

Spines need to be grown.  And we need to remember not only how to say "No," but how to say "Hell, No" and mean it.

Time Out and Tired of Politicians

 So, the past week has found me in Blogger time-out more than once.  I was working on my method of putting the various branches of my family tree online without having to pay genealogy websites' monthly fees.  That involves making new blogs off of this one. (These can be seen by clicking on "View my complete profile" on the right side of this page.)  Each page contains one Family Group Sheet for each ancestor.  I have lots of ancestors.  Blogger gets its panties in a twist when I add lots of pages at one time.  So, they slap my hands and set me in a corner until they are over their snit.  Sigh.

So while in time-out, I have been spending time sewing quilts together.  This is Minnesota.  Winters are usually mind numbing cold.  A good supply of blankets and quilts is a good idea.  Our winters often include blizzards.  Blizzards can knock out electricity.  Cold is no fun at all.

Seems like my days are filled with all things preparedness.  I find myself convinced that these efforts are necessary.  I don't know what the future holds, but none of it looks really good.

There is one thing I have all but eliminated from my daily routine.  I have stopped paying attention to the latest "slings and arrows" being thrown around by politicians seeking election or re-election.  I am tired of the foolishness.  I am tired of the stupidity.  And mostly I am tired of both sides thinking that we are so ignorant that we will actually believe the lies.

I might actually listen if the solutions to problems were discussed instead of the personal picadilloes of opponents, real or imagined. I don't care.  What I do care about is the fact that in my last grocery order, I paid $4.99 for one pound of butter.  So it now costs me $1.25 per stick - that's per stick - and I have to weigh whether or not I really want butter on my popcorn.

That may seem like a small thing to some, but to many of us, the increases in the price of not only groceries but in so many other goods and services are a big deal.  Toss in the threats of war that are being talked about lately and all of the other issues we hear about, and it is easy to become fearful and overwhelmed.

So I stick to sewing quilts and canning food and dehydrating food and storing all the other supplies that may be needed.  Gives me focus.  Keeps me sane - or as sane as I can be these days.  And I know I cannot change the behemoth our government has become.  But I can do everything in my power to make sure that no matter what happens, my family will be alright.

And that is far more important than anything any politicians could say.  As far as government goes.....I just wish they would leave me alone.

Successful Experiment

When I get involved in a project and mealtime rolls around, I go for quick and easy.  And that generally comes in a jar of home canned food.

While scanning my shelves for something that looked good, I found, hiding back in a corner, a jar of sausage patties.  I remembered having a large quantity of bulk sausage some time back and canning patties was the experiment of the day.

The date on the jar was August 2019.  I popped the lid, took a sniff and concluded the patties looked and smelled OK.

Dropped the meat into a small cake pan.  Dug in the freezer and found some Tater Tots.  Threw in a couple of handfuls of those.  Into the oven the pan went at 400 degrees.  Let them heat until the sausage looked browned on top - about a half hour.

Fried up a couple of eggs and dinner was served.

Tasted great.  An experiment that actually worked!  Not too often that happens, at least for me.

If anyone is interested, the sausage was formed into patties that fit in a wide mouth pint jar.  Water was added to cover, and the patties were canned at 10 lbs. pressure (for my area) for 75 minutes.  Even while experimenting, following the basic rules of canning is not only important, it is necessary.

I have a bunch of hamburger in the freezer and I'm thinking I might try this with the beef.  Also plan to buy more bulk sausage if it ever goes on sale.

Doesn't hurt to branch out and try new things.  Might actually come up with a winner.  :)

Caroline and Alberta

For a while now I have been noticing that people in general are becoming cranky.  And rude.  And sometimes, downright mean.  Not everyone, but it is out there.  I no longer go out among the population.  But I live next door to a bar.  Used to be this neighborhood bar was kind of like the TV show "Cheers."  It was a rare Saturday night that I would hear a fight in the alley between my building and the bar.  I mostly heard folks talking and laughing and enjoying an adult beverage and the company of friends.  But now I can pretty much count on a ruckus in the street on a weekend.

Some of those who come into my apartment tell me about ornery people they have run across out in the world.  Say it is becoming more common.  Didn't used to be that way.

Enter Caroline and Alberta.

Caroline is a nurse.  A darned good one.  She has been taking care of my legs for several years.  She isn't just a nurse.  She is a friend.

Some time back her sister had a garage sale where she sold her excess fabric and lots of other stuff.  Caroline knows I sew.  She brought me three pieces of plaid flannel, each at least 3 yards long, plus a couple of other cotton pieces about the same size.

Alberta was my next-door neighbor in my building a few years ago.  She was a hard-working farm wife until her husband died.  She would stop in every now and then - not really often.  Or we would talk if we saw each other outside.  Under her rough exterior was a sense of humor and a heart of gold.

She showed up one afternoon, carrying a box about the size of a banker's box, filled with large denim yardages.  She knew I sewed, and she thought I might like to have the denim for a project.

Her remark as she sat by my kitchen table was, "I wanted to see you and I wanted you to have this fabric before I die."  

And because we had joked with each other in the past, I said, "Oh, Alberta.  You are too ornery to die any time soon."

Less than a week later she was carried down the stairs in a body bag.  I still miss her.

This past week while digging through some boxes I have stored, looking for I can't remember what, I ran across the flannel and denim.  Both are now cut into 7 inch squares.  I am in the process of sewing everything together to make two lightweight rag quilts.  I will post a picture when they are finished - maybe in a week or a little more.

And when I rest under the quilts, they will remind me of my nurse who is also my friend and of a friend since departed who had a rough exterior and a kind heart.

Would that people stop fussing at each other and go back to a world of friendships and kindness.  To a world where being offended wasn't like an occupation.  And a world where "woke" meant literally "not asleep."

Please.

Reasons for Paranoia

Anybody else having nagging feelings about being watched.  Being listened to.  Being recorded.  All of the above?

There was a time when I would have been happy to show people my shelves of home canned and dehydrated food.   Not to brag...well, OK.  Maybe a little bit.  We do have the right to be proud of the results of hard work.  But mostly as an incentive to prepare.  As in, "See?   You can do this, too.  And if you want help, just let me know."

That's how things used to be.  Now...not so much.

As an example, not all that long ago I had a new to me nurse come by to deal with my legs.  Now, the exit door in my apartment and the door to the room where most of my food is stored are close to one another.   Perhaps it was an honest mistake.  Perhaps not.  But when she opened the wrong door when leaving, her remarks were:  "My God, but you have a lot of food in  there.  I know where I will come if anything bad happens."

At that point I informed her that this was for my family should an emergency arise.  And then I wanted to know which one of my grandchildren should go without so she could eat.  And then I called the nursing office to let them know that this particular nurse would not be allowed in my apartment again.  Never.

It's not like we aren't being watched nearly every minute of the day.  Grocery store parking lots have a camera on every light pole.  Buying stamps at the Post Office?  Cameras whirring there.  Cameras at every busy intersection, recording where you are at any given time.

A while back I asked my son in a phone conversation to please pick up a battery operated can opener for me.  Within a couple of hours the ads popping up on my computer were for battery operated can openers.  And I don't even own a cell phone.  Those phones that are notorious for gathering private information and tracking the users.

My daughter was here a few days ago.  We talked about her upcoming trip to Montana.  In a conversation with another family member, it was mentioned that one of my grands had just finished her first year at a Wisconsin college.  Want to take a wild guess as to the subjects of the vacation ads now visible on my computers?

I don't believe the Russians will come marching down my street.  I doubt that the marauding hordes will overtake my neighborhood.  And I am not buying into the fearmongering of many of the YouTube channels, as in "Buy this gadget or you will surely die!"

However, I have 16 people in my immediate family to worry about.  With that in mind, as much as I would like to help those outside my family in an emergency situation, that's not happening.   Family first.  Always.

And I believe that those who will come knocking on the door looking for a handout are the same people who went on vacation and who feel the need to dress in the latest fashion and who have money to spend on pedicures but failed to see the need to stock up on food and water.  And now expect someone else to feed them because they didn't bother preparing.

So I am doing whatever necessary to downplay my preparedness efforts to those locally.   But I do admit to being somewhat paranoid about those who I don't really trust.  Nevertheless, the stacking and praying continues.  Hope you all are busy doing the same.

Looking Back...

One of my granddaughters gave each of her parents a book.  The pages are filled with questions ranging from birth to the present.  Then she decided that Grandma needed a book to fill out as well.  Her reasoning, "I know about my ancestors.  But I don't know hardly anything about your life."

So, I am slowly filling in the blanks.  And the process brings back some long-forgotten memories.  Not sure if that is a good thing always.

While working on the part dealing with childhood, it occurred to me that kid's lives years ago would cause apoplexy in some today.

(Apoplexy, informal definition:  incapacity or speechlessness caused by extreme anger)

Sports drinks came from the garden hose.  Drinking water came from a tap in the kitchen.  We would have considered it a foolish waste of money to buy bottles of drinking water.  

My kids rode in the back of my pickup truck.  Side note:  We once chased a black bear down the road by our rural house, until he veered off into the woods.  Kids waving and shouting like mad, enjoying the sight.

Some of my kids were involved in sports.  When they lost a game, they tried harder to improve.  They were not awarded a 'participation trophy.'  Another side note:  My grandson's team lost in a tournament.  Grandson asked his coach where his trophy was.  Coach replied that if he wanted a trophy, he had better earn it. A rare coach these days.

"Play Dates."  Really?  Scheduled play was unheard of.  We went outside.  In the summer there was bike riding and sidewalk roller skating (remember skate keys on a shoelace hanging around every kid's neck?) and exploring any grove of trees within a couple of miles from home.  And building forts in among the trees.

Winter was the time for us in the North to get our snow sleds out of the garage and slide down the hill at the end of the block, watching for street traffic.  And when the skating rink at the elementary school was frozen over and the little warming house with the small wood stove inside blazing away, we pretended to be Olympic speed skaters or figure skaters.  Except for me.  Never did learn to skate backwards.  :)

Moving to the country brought new adventures.  Wading in the creek running at the end of the bean field.  Catching frogs and crawdads.  Feasting on wild plums and raspberries.

Walking the mile and a half to school, spring and fall.  Couldn't claim both ways were uphill and snowdrift deep.  My kids knew the roads.  And the hills.  And that plows cleared off the snow.  :)

The fun of me and my cousins being dragged behind a car by my Dad and Uncle.  They hooked up with sturdy ropes, an old car hood, smooth side down, to Dad's car, set us kids on blankets in the hood and away we went, sliding along on the frozen lake.  

Seems to me that today's kids are growing up without knowing what real freedom is.  My generation and that of my kids had rules.  "Come in when the streetlights come on."  "It is your turn to wash the supper dishes."  "Stop teasing your sister."  

But we didn't have someone watching our every move or planning our play.  We learned to think for ourselves and to make hopefully, good decisions.  I doubt today's kids will learn what real freedom is.

Judging by current events, I'm not so sure any of us will keep the freedoms we now enjoy.

As always - keep stacking it to the rafters.  Keep praying.  We need all the help we can get.

Homemade Mixes

Any of you who have been hanging around here for a while are aware of the fact that I have a medical condition involving my lower legs.  They have to be wrapped 24/7 to keep them from filling with fluid that could result in open wounds and infection.  I see home health care nurses three times a week.  These angels have kept me wound free and infection free for several years.

I now see a new nurse.  She is not only excellent in doing her job, she is also like-minded.  I know you all are aware of how few and far between like-minded people are.  It is a joy to be able to talk about current issues and preparedness.

We were talking about grocery prices.  I mentioned that I liked having those packets of brown gravy mix on hand for various uses, but I no longer order them because I refuse to pay the price now asked for them.  Instead, I am making my own gravy mixes from scratch and find I like them just as well or better than the packaged mixes.  And I know there are no nasty ingredients in them. 

My new nurse / friend asked for recipes.  I was going to just print out several recipes for mixes, but I am kind of low on printer paper at the moment, so I decided to post them here and anyone who could use them can just copy and paste.  I may have posted some of these before, but if so, I think they are worth repeating.

I have, over the years, collected tons of recipes from the internet and I have no clue where I found them.  These are just a few that I use regularly.  Enjoy.

Homemade Beef Gravy Mix  (About 2-2/3 cups mix)

1-1/3 cups powdered milk                    3/4 cup flour

3 tablespoons beef bouillon                  

1/8 teaspoon thyme or celery powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder                   

1/8 teaspoon sage or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Mix well and store in an airtight container.

TO USE: Pour 1 cup cold water in saucepan, using a whisk to blend, stir in 1/2 cup mix.

Stir constantly over medium heat until gravy is smooth and slightly thickened, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Makes 1 cup gravy.

------------------------

Homemade Chicken Gravy Mix   (Makes about 2 cups of mix.)

1-1/3 cups powdered milk                       3/4 cup flour

3 tablespoons chicken bouillon               1/4 teaspoon sage

1/8 teaspoon thyme or 1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/8 teaspoon pepper or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

or 1/8 teaspoon paprika

Mix well and store in an airtight container.

TO USE: Pour 1 cup cold water in saucepan, using a whisk to blend, stir in 1/2 cup mix.

Stir constantly over medium heat until gravy is smooth and slightly thickened, about 2-3 minutes.

Makes 1 cup gravy.

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Chicken or Beef Gravy

3/4 cup all-purpose flour                       1 tsp ground black pepper

3 tablespoons of chicken or beef bullion

Country Gravy

3/4 cup all-purpose flour                     1/2 tsp salt

1 -2 teaspoons of ground black pepper

1 teaspoon of minced, dehydrated or freeze-dried chopped onion

This batch will make you 8 cups of gravy.

To make 1 cup of gravy

Melt 1 Tablespoon of butter, lard or oil in a pan and mix with 2 tablespoons of gravy mix. Once all combined, add 1 cup of cold water and whisk until smooth. Stir until it thickens.

------------------------

Spaghetti Sauce Mix

1/4 cup cornstarch                          1/4 cup dried onions, minced

1/4 cup dried parsley flakes

3 tablespoons dried vegetable flakes or 3 tablespoons sweet pepper flakes

2 tablespoons Italian seasoning                   4 teaspoons salt

4 teaspoons sugar                                        

2 teaspoons dried garlic, minced

To Use:  1 lb. ground beef,  2 cups water,  1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

Directions: Combine the first eight ingredients. Store in an airtight container in a cool dry place up to 1 year. 

To use: Stir in 1/4 cup spaghetti sauce mix, water and tomato paste. Bring to a boil; boil and stir for 2 minutes. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

---------------------------

Spaghetti Sauce Spice Blend

1/4 c. celery salt           1 T. dried basil             1 T. dried oregano

1 T. dried parsley         1 T. garlic powder        1 T. onion salt

1 T. sugar                     1 T. pepper

Mix ingredients together, place in an airtight container. Shake before using. Attach instructions. Makes about 3/4 cup. Instructions: To make spaghetti sauce, whisk an 8-ounce can tomatoes with 1/4 cup spice blend in a saucepan; simmer for 30 minutes. Pour over an 8-ounce package prepared pasta. Serves 4.

----------------------

HOT COCOA MIX

5 cups nonfat dry powdered milk                    3 cups powdered sugar

1 1/2 cups dry cocoa                            1 cup nondairy coffee creamer

pinch of salt

Mix powdered milk, creamer, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Sift in cocoa and powdered sugar. Mix well. Store in a airtight container.

When ready to use, add approximately 1/3 cup to a mug of boiling water. Stir until cool enough to drink.

-----------------------

Malted Hot Cocoa Mix

1 (25.6 ounce) box nonfat dry milk powder

1 (16 ounce) container instant chocolate milk mix

1 (13 ounce) jar malted milk powder

1 cup sifted confectioners' sugar

1 (6 ounce) jar powdered nondairy creamer

1/2 teaspoon salt

In large bowl, combine all ingredients and stir until well blended. Store in an airtight container. Keep in a cool place.

To serve: In mug, pour 6 ounces of hot water over 1/3 cup cocoa mix, and stir until well blended.

-----------------------

The above are a few of the mixes I regularly use.  I find that in addition to doing more pressure canning lately, I am making more homemade convenience foods rather than pay the insane prices that continue to go skyward.  I still believe that the more we can do for ourselves, the better off we will be.

Keep stacking, my friends.  Keep praying!

Here we are...

 We have known this time was coming.  We really hoped that our beloved country would be spared.  No such luck.

This really isn't about Donald Trump.  He is just the tool the corrupt left is using to stay in power.  

When you can bring bogus charges against your opponent, tie him up in court during the campaign process and use corrupt prosecutors, judge and jury to convict him, you have fallen about as far down as is possible.  Morals?  Nope.  Caring for those you have taken an oath to protect?  Not happening.  Using every foul means to win an election?  Absolutely.

If you think for one little, bitty minute that all of this has nothing to do with you, you are sadly mistaken.

Where do they go from here.  They have already allowed millions of illegal aliens into our country.  Who do you suppose is paying for all of their benefits - housing, food, medical, etc.  How many killers, rapists, terrorists and disease and drug carrying people are here now.  Nobody knows.  And if the left gets their way, there will be no end to that particular madness.

How about the billions of dollars sent to finance a war that is none of our business.  Perhaps our homeless vets could make good use of some of that.

Your grocery bill gone down any?  How about the price of the gas in your car?  Anything else you buy cost less now?  I doubt it.

I am not a huge fan of Trump.  There are things I don't like about him.  And I don't, even for a second, believe he is our savior.  But I do think he loves our country and would do his level best to save this nation, where it sure does look like the opposition is doing everything they can think of to wreck the country we love so much.

Keep preparing.  Watch what is happening around you - stay safe.  And above all else, pray.  Pray for us, our families, our nation.

As a good friend says...powder dry, larder full, Bible open.

Squirrel!

 I worked for a while on organizing my family tree for printing.  Seems like having hard copies for many digital documents might be a good thing.

Then I found a couple of boxes of forgotten denim and flannel.  So now there are boxes of denim and flannel squares, ready to be sewn into quilts.

And tomorrow my grocery order includes pork that is on sale ($2.29 / lb.), cabbage, carrots and onions.  More "meals in jars" will be canned over the weekend, this time in quart jars instead of the pints I have been using.  A few packages of ham are thawing to use along with the pork.

So, when my son asked what I had been doing, and when I told him, he remarked I have the attention span of his dog, Oreo, who loses her mind over squirrels and bunnies.  :)

I know he is right.  I have always had many more interests than any one person could possibly manage.  But now I'm not so sure that's a bad thing.

Anybody but me having that feeling like the proverbial second shoe is about to drop?

For you youngsters - The idiom "wait for the other shoe to drop" is a common expression that refers to the feeling of anticipation or anxiety when waiting for something, usually negative, to happen.

And when that shoe does hit the floor - and we all know, deep down, even if we will not voice it, the shoe is now mere inches off the floor and the crash is on the way.  So perhaps a variety of interests could just serve us well.  The more we know how to do for ourselves, the better off we will be.  

I'm not talking about the folks who are busy practicing their Paul Bunyon woodsy skills or are all excited about 'living off the land.'  I wish them well with that fantasy.  I'm talking about knowing how to garden, preserve food, fill their annual deer license for meat in the freezer, raise hogs for meat and chickens for meat and eggs, keep a milk cow.  And if you can't do those things - kinda doubt my landlord would be happy to find a pig in my living room and chickens in the kitchen - figure out how to adapt.

Watch the grocery sales.  Find a good deal?  Buy as much as possible.  (I do not leave some for the next person.  If the next person wanted what is on sale, they should have been at the store sooner.)  Grocery store meat may be canned.  So can frozen vegetables.  They last longer in jars than in the freezer.  Buy flour.  Freeze the bags for a couple of days to kill any creepy crawlies and their eggs.  Bake bread.  Leave expensive packaged cookies on the shelf and find Mama's recipe for chocolate chip or ginger snap cookies.

Do whatever you can for yourself.

Nobody is coming to help.  In fact, those who are supposed to care about "we the people" are the very ones promoting this mess we are in, to say nothing of doing their level best to send our kids into battle.

I think the phrase I will practice is, "NO!  I WILL NOT COMPLY!"

Stack and pray.  We're gonna need it all.

Odds and Ends

 I'm sort of between major projects just now.  My grocery order arrives Thursday afternoon.  I have ordered nothing that needs to be processed except for frozen shredded hashbrowns to dehydrate.  Love having those on hand.  I just soak them for maybe 10 minutes,  drain and fry them up.  Taste just like fresh.

This time I am filling in the gaps in my storage.  More rice.  Instant dry milk.  Canned apricots because I sort of depleted my supply because I ate them.  And more peanut butter because I am a sucker for microwave peanut butter fudge.

Microwave 1 cup sugar, 2 Tbsp. butter and 1/3 cup milk for 3 minutes.  Stir to blend and then stir in 1 cup peanut butter.  Pour into a buttered 8 or 9 inch pan.  Chill until firm.  Easy to make when the sweet tooth is screaming to be satisfied.

I have been spending time working on getting my family tree ready for printing.  I keep hearing about threats on our electric grid as well as threats of internet problems.  I have spent more years than I care to think about gathering information on my ancestors.  It would break my heart to lose it all, especially since I hope someday my kids and grands may have an interest in where they come from.

And speaking of Grands, I have two in college.  And I worry about them.  I don't know if the insanity going on in many universities has hit the school of one of them, but I see where there are riots at the school where my other granddaughter is due to graduate within a couple of weeks.  How does this happen?  Why are students allowed to riot against those of the Jewish faith?  And didn't we have something similar happen in the late 1930's and early 1940's?  This isn't just "freedom of speech or freedom of assembly."  If this abomination isn't stopped, history may very well repeat itself.  

In talking with a friend, the topic came up about the lack of skills within the younger ones in our society.  They seem to have all sorts of smarts when it comes to anything electronic but tell them to bake a loaf of bread or change a car tire or have a cup of coffee that didn't come from Starbucks, and they are lost.  Don't suppose it is entirely their fault if nobody ever bothered to teach them the skills that are important for survival.  Sad, really.  When push comes to shove, they are mostly doomed.

I would prefer to keep a good attitude going, but lately I find that somewhat difficult to do.  Every day there is something else in the world surrounding us to be concerned about.  So I continue to do what I feel is important to me and my family.  Sometimes all I can do is order more canned apricots, so order them I do.  If nothing else, my family will have food.

Stack it and pray, my friends.  Stack it and pray.

Down Time Well Spent

 Apparently, Blogger decided I needed to spend a few days in "time out."  I couldn't post or comment.  Then after a couple of days, my comment telling you all what was happening, appeared, followed in another couple of days with full access to this blog.  Still have no clue as to why this happened.  But on the bright side, the time in blogger jail wasn't wasted!

I have found that the items in the grocery store sale ads are usually stuff I don't want or need.  But this past week I lucked out.

Pork, chicken and hamburger were all on sale.  I ordered them all.

Pork and chicken breast are now canned.  I have 32 more pints of meals in a jar and 24 more half pints of plain chicken breast.  16 rather large chicken leg quarters and 20 lbs. of hamburger are in the freezer.  Leftover onions, carrots and corn are in the dehydrators.

At the astonishing pace food prices are increasing, any time I can get a deal I take it.  

I saw from a couple of trusted sources that more egg laying chickens have been slaughtered with the excuse of "bird flu" as a reason.  We aren't talking hundreds or even thousands.  More like millions.  As a result, I fully expect the price of eggs to skyrocket.  Might be a good time to dehydrate more eggs while I can still afford to buy them.

I have to wonder just how long the general public is going to stand for the government crapping all over them on a daily basis.  When Congress can send billions to other countries but refuses to spend a dime on protecting our borders, perhaps a major change is in order.

Until that happens, we continue to do what we can to care for our families.  Pretty sure nobody who represents us in the halls of Congress is going to help.  I long since gave up on trusting any of them.  My trust lies with God.  May He watch over each and every one of you.

Back At It...

 I have spent time in the past couple of weeks working on sharing my genealogy research with my family.  I feel it is important for my kids and grands to know their heritage.  But if they have nothing to eat, it isn't going to matter where they came from.

My twice monthly grocery order goes in on Monday.  I find I really like the pint size chicken meals in a jar that I canned a short time ago.  Especially when I am really busy and just don't want to cook, by using a jar meal, I can have a relatively healthy supper in mere minutes.  

I already have lots of food combinations for soups and stews in quart jars.  And that is great when cooking for multiple people.  Just this week I made beef stew using my canned beef stew base in a quart jar and adding a pint of beef cubes.  It tasted really good, but there is just me here in this apartment and I really am not fond of eating the same food three days in a row.  I also don't like waste.  Yes, I could freeze the leftovers, but I tend to freeze and then forget. So, for me, (and my fading memory), the pint size jar meals work well. 

I have lots of hamburger in the freezer, so I'm thinking pints of chili.  And I am ordering a variety of fresh and frozen veggies to go with whatever meat is on sale next week.  

This is just something that I find works for me.  The point is that it really doesn't matter how we are stocking up on food, it is the stocking up part that is important.

High prices - border invasion - corrupt politicians on all levels.  That's where we are, and I don't see things changing for the better any time soon. 

Do what you can.  Full larder, dry powder, open Bible.  And pray.  

Tee Hee - Ha, Ha, Ha

 The sound of laughter.  Don't you miss it?

I grew up in an extended family of happy people.  My Dad was famous for telling "Dad" jokes that made everyone around him groan.  And his eight siblings all had the same, rather dry sense of humor.

Even the family of my very strait-laced mother knew how to laugh.  The giggles emanating from her siblings when they all got together was music to the ears.

My children inherited a well-developed sense of humor from both sides of their families.  I remember their Dad laughing so hard at some silly thing or other that his face turned beet red and he nearly lost his breath. 

My kids loved to try to make me laugh.  There was the time when our old farmhouse had about an inch of water on the basement floor from the snow melt leaking in.  One of my daughters descended the stairs from her bedroom, dressed in swimwear, complete with flippers on her feet.  Her remark:  "Will you please light the wood stove in the basement?  I invited my friends over for a pool party and I promised them the water would be warm."

Another daughter would call me from school on her lunch hour to tell me the joke of the day.

I still hear laughter generated by my kids.  My son loves to tell me about funny things his kids have said or done or about his dog being on high alert for mailmen, Amazon delivery drivers, neighbors out walking and especially about the presence of bunnies and squirrels.  All of which is guaranteed to bring a smile to my face.

Some of my best memories of my oldest son are those times he made me laugh.  Like walking into my kitchen, empty coffee mug in hand, saying, "Just give me coffee and nobody has to get hurt."

But I have to wonder what happened to most of the rest of the world around me.  

Granted, the world is a hot mess.  There is so much going on in our country alone that there isn't room to list all of it here.  But beyond that, so many are now "offended" at any reference to anything they don't like that I think they have forgotten how to laugh.  

We need to remember how to laugh at the silliness and especially at the absurdity of things we see and hear.  A good friend of this blog said that if we don't laugh, we will end up screaming!

True, that.

I find it funny...

that after all the dire warnings and hysterical hype over today's eclipse, the only folks who will actually be able to see anything are those in Maine.  The rest of the country is under cloud cover.

Don't ever try to tell me that God doesn't have a sense of humor!

She's Back...

 Yeah.  I know.  AWOL again.  I'm sorry.

Hasn't been a waste of time, however.  Dehydrated broccoli, green beans and onions.  Canned chicken legs and thighs.  Cut up and froze two spiral cut hams that were on sale.

As much as I am reluctant to admit it, age seems to be catching up to me.  My sister had the right idea when she told me she was simply counting the years backwards at each birthday.  I wasn't that smart.  And to top it off, unlike those who have the good grace to be aging like fine wine, I seem to be aging more like milk.  :)

As the result of all those birthdays, standing at the stove to cook a meal doesn't work all that well some days.  So, I decided to can some meals in a jar.  I've got lots of soups canned, but this is a bit different.  Into wide mouth pint jars I put a handful of chicken breast chunks.  Topped that with layers of chopped celery and onions, sliced carrots and either peas, green beans or corn.  Tossed two chicken bouillon cubes on top and added water to within an inch of the top of the jar.  Pressure canned the jars at 10 lbs. pressure (for my altitude) for 75 minutes.  Two canners full gave me 32 meals.

And they taste good.  Found I can eat as a soup or thicken for a stew or consume just as a chicken dinner.  Two minutes in the microwave and dinner is served.  I may do more using different meats - whatever is on sale.

In the meantime, I have been working on making access to my Family Trees a bit easier for my family who might be interested.  Being a grumpy old woman who is also a cheapskate, paying a monthly fee to put my family data online irritated me.

So, I figured out how to do it, using this blog.  Earlier I had made more blogs under the umbrella of Mom's Scribbles.  One held writings by ancestors and another I used for some old pictures.  This time I made a new blog for each branch of my Family Tree - five in all, including the ancestors of my kid's Dad.

Adding links is a pain in the posterior to accomplish.  I am not that computer savy.  So, I gave each person in my direct line a separate Family Group Sheet.  Each page has a label listed in the side bar.  The object is to choose a person you know to start with.  From there the labels can be used to move on to other ancestors.

To my kids...the Matheny Family Tree is complete except for photos.  Go to Mom's Scribbles.  On the right side, click on "View my complete profile" and then click on Matheny Family Tree.  I will add photos later.

My grocery order went in today and I ordered nothing that needs processing.  I am kind of on a roll with the ancestors and want to finish that project.  Personally, I believe it is important to know our heritage.  I want my kids and grands to realize they spring from some pretty good people.  Oh, we have our share of rogues and reprobates, but for the most part they were hard-working, God-fearing folks who make me proud to be counted among them.

And with that, I am off to wade in my gene pool.

Things around us don't appear to be getting better.  Keep stacking.  Keep praying.  Stay safe.

The Old Ways

 I have been a bit under the weather the last week or so.  Nothing serious.  It is "flu season," after all and this probably was just a mild case of the garden variety flu.  I expect that before long, the flu will suddenly become another horrible virus requiring several doses of whatever so called vaccine our government deems necessary, along with keeping folks indoors, wearing face diapers and all of the silly rules presented by those in power last time.

Unless we have learned anything at all from that debacle.

Since I haven't felt much like doing anything and because I have never been one to just sit and stare at the walls, I have been using the down time to work on my family tree.  While wading through my gene pool, it occured to me that if we pay attention, we have a lot to learn from those who have gone before.

My grandparents were Preppers.  They just didn't know it.

One of my grandfathers kept a roof over the heads of his family of six kids and food on the table during the Great Depression by finding and keeping a job that was necessary in his area.  He was for many years a depot agent for the railroad in the small northern Minnesota town where they lived.  In addition, his family kept a huge garden to help feed them.

My other grandparents raised a family of nine children on a small farm in the same area of Minnesota.  My Dad, the youngest kid, learned to love gardening while helping his mother raise food to feed their family.  They raised a litter of hogs every year, milked a few cows and raised chickens.  They were hunters who kept venison on the table along with the home raised pork and chicken.  Grandma canned as much food as possible, including the wild blueberries and raspberries that grew in that area.  

These activities were not anything special.  They were a way of life.

Unlike so many today, my ancestors didn't head for the Doctor's office or the Emergency Room of the hospital when they had a headache or a case of the sniffles.  When growing up, in my house an upset tummy was treated with Pepto Bismol and a bottle of 7-Up.  The common cold was dealt with using Vicks VapoRub.  And we all survived!

There is a blog that is chock full of all things preparedness.  I highly recommend it for references to so many aspects of preparing.   Jennifer has done much of the research so we don't have to.  Here is the link and her blog can be accessed using my sidebar.

Prep School Daily

Things aren't looking all that great these days.  I barely recognize the country I grew up in.  And it is more and more apparent that we as citizens are on our own.  Remembering how our ancestors lived and researching all aspects of being prepared for whatever cliff the elites decide to push us off is necessary for our survival.

As a friend of this blog is fond of saying:

"Larder full, powder dry and Bible open."

Attention Prayer Warriors...

 A friend of ours, B. W. Bandy, who runs the blog "Everybody Has To Be Somewhere," is in the hospital following a bad car accident.  He has given us much pleasure with the photos of rural Canada that he posts.  Perhaps we could return the favor with our wishes and prayers for his recovery.  Details are in his post today.  

The view from here (everybodyhastobesomewhere.blogspot.com)

Time Flies By

 Anyone else feeling like time is running out for us?

I look around and see so much that would have been condemned by my parents and the preachers who preached in small churches across our nation.  In my opinion, Mega Church preachers fall in the same category as politicians.  

I'm not going to dwell on the horror that is now my homeland.  You all know what is happening.  Contrary to the belief of those in charge, we the people are not - for the most part - stupid.  Stupid is when we believe everything we are told by our "betters."

Those in charge do not give a rat's ass about any of us.  They care about getting reelected so they can continue to line their pockets with their ill-gotten gains.  

I find that the bad news has become overwhelming.  I don't even try to keep up with it all anymore.  I scan headlines so I am aware if the hoards are headed into my neighborhood.  I can do absolutely nothing about the rest.

What I can do is make sure my family is taken care of when the inevitable happens.  And that is how I spend my time.  And that's where I have been.

Grocery prices are still heading skyward.  But I am still buying what I need to make sure my storage area is as full as possible, knowing that food will cost more next month than it does now.

Quarts of beef stew base (veggies and seasonings to heat, thicken and add canned beef cubes to for a quick meal), more chicken and the leftover stew veggies were all canned last week.  This week my grocery order includes frozen hash browns, broccoli and green beans to dehydrate.   In between the food processing sessions, I have been putting together and packaging dry soup mixes, flavored rice mixes and other dry mixes.  They are handy to just dump into a crock pot for an easy meal.

I have been spending evenings either crocheting an afghan or putting together quilt tops.  This winter has been unusually warm for Minnesota.  Today it is 43 degrees here in the Minneapolis area.  Mid-February normally finds us shivering in sub-zero, snow blowing, frozen slippery roads weather.  Still important to finish the quilts.  This heat wave could turn icy in a flash.

No election will save us.  No politician cares what happens to us.  Only a miracle can change things back to the place they should be.

Our only Savior is Jesus.  If we forget that part, we really are doomed.