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.

One of the Good Ones has Passed

 I was today informed by one of my readers that one of my favorite bloggers has gone on to his Heavenly Reward.  Gorge Smythe of "Gorge's Grouse" fame has passed.

I have followed Gorges for a number of years, commenting on his blog and he, commenting on mine, with an occasional email thrown in for good measure.

He described himself as an opinionated curmedgeon.  He was.  And he also had a sense of humor second to none.  His antics often brought not only a smile to my face, but laughter as well.

I never knew what his dog's real name was, for he always referred to her as "The Mighty Dachshund."  But within his writings was the love he felt for the long bodied, short legged pooch.

Gorges shared his family with us, as well as the beauty of his home state of West Virginia.  Through his porch sitting posts, he brought his world to us.  And I am forever grateful to him for that.

I will miss him.

 

Pay Attention

 Patara at "Appalacia's Homestead With Patara" posted a video today.  She says exactly what many of us have been thinking.  I urge you to watch this video.  And then, if you aren't already, Get Busy!

🦇 You Live in Gotham Now 🦇 - YouTube

Behind the Scenes

 Earlier this evening I watched a video from "Appalachia's Homestead with Patara."  Here is the link:

Texas Trucker Convoy & "Patriots" Bullying other Patriots? (youtube.com)

Patara makes a good point.  Why are there efforts NOW to slow down the invasion crossing our southern border?  Why not 1 - 2 - 3 years ago?  The border crossings were just as illegal back then as now.  So why wait so long before taking a stand?

I'm not bashing Texas.  I am grateful that someone is at least doing something to help alleviate the situation.  But what I wonder is - while all eyes are on Texas and while eyes are on the cross country Trucker's Convoy taking place - what are politicians trying to sneak past us?  You know they are.  Why else would they be working on a new law when there are already laws on the books regulating immigration.   

Me...I don't trust a single politician any further than I can toss them. 

I'm thinking that if we haven't been spending time in prayer, perhaps now is the time.  This whole situation does not bode well for the average citizen.  The only help we are going to get will come from above.

Question?

 Yesterday I saw a news article about Congress working on a bill to fix the problem of illegals crossing our border.

If memory serves, don't we already have laws concerning immigration?  And wouldn't it be a simple matter to enforce those existing laws rather than trying to come up with new laws?

Politics at its finest!  Why bother to follow our laws when politicians can royally screw things up instead!  I am so done with the lot of them.

Memories

 I got a call from my son a few days ago.  Actually, it was a FaceTime call.  He showed me what he was cooking for supper and he showed me a cyst on their dog's tail that will be removed soon and he showed me his lovely wife so I could wave and say 'Hello.'

But mostly the call was to let me know that he would be stopping by to see me Friday morning.

His oldest daughter had given her Mom and Dad each a book.  The books are filled with questions about their early lives.  And then my Granddaughter decided that she knows about her ancestors, but knows very little about her Grandma's early life.  So my son brought me one of the books to fill out.  I hope my memory still works.  It should.  I couldn't tell you what I had for supper two nights ago, but I pretty much remember the 50's and 60's!!

This book is not something to be filled out in an evening.  This will take time.  It asks questions beginning with my birth, through childhood an on to young adulthood.  I actually think this is a great way to preserve family memories.  The website for the book is:

www.questionsaboutme.com

There are a couple of questions In the book I'm not sure I can or will answer due to the answers being very personal.  But a lot of the questions trigger memories.  One is asking which parent as a toddler I liked spending the most time with.  That reminded me of my Dad telling me that I liked to "help" when he was working on his car.  While he was working under the hood, I was busy at the other end bashing the tail light with a rock.  :)

I'm glad that my Granddaughter wants to know more about her Grandma.  I wish I knew more about my parents and grandparents early lives.  It is a good thing to keep family memories and traditions.  So many seem to be lost just now.  Nothing is as important as family and faith.

From The Past

 I was digging around in my computer files, unsuccessfully trying to organize old pictures and genealogy documents, when I stumbled upon this old blog post.  Since I have had a number of 2 AM sleepless nights lately and because I still have odd thoughts skipping about in my brain at that time, I thought perhaps my kids and some of the rest of you might find the following either interesting or amusing.  Take your pick.  :)

2 AM Musings

One should never fall asleep around suppertime and wake up after 9 PM.  It really wrecks going to bed at a decent hour.

And to make it worse, strange thoughts float around in one's head at 2 AM.  Well, to be perfectly honest, strange thoughts aren't really all that unusual for me, but I digress.

I was wondering, at 2 AM, why my parent's generation was so terribly worried about what people would think.  Like the time when my Mother's doctor prescribed a shot of brandy at night to help her sleep.  Mother made Dad get the brandy from the druggist rather than the liquor store, even though he paid twice the price at the drug store for brandy in a prescription bottle, because she was afraid of what people would say if they saw him coming out of the liquor store.

As a kid, I went through a stage where I wore mostly jeans and my Dad's old flannel shirts.  I lived in the country.  I played in the woods.  I grubbed around in the garden.  I did yard work.  I sat up in apple trees and read books.  I liked jeans and old comfy flannel shirts.  But Mother was always after me to change clothes because what would people say if we got company and they saw me dressed like that.

My 4-H softball team practiced on Sunday afternoons.  I loved playing softball.  I was a pretty fair shortstop.  But Mother was worried about what people would say if they knew that I was playing ball on Sunday, which was a day of rest.

I always wondered who "They" were.  Who were these people who were just waiting for my family to do something out of the ordinary so they could say whatever it was that they were going to say.  I probably, in retrospect, shouldn't have posed this question to Mom, for, as I recall, it got me a week of living in my bedroom and a month of Wednesday night Prayer Meetings at the church, no doubt to pray for the state of my rebellious soul.  I think that having a daughter who was, at that time, a bit of a free spirit, must have been a trial for her.

Odd, the things one remembers at 2 AM.

AWOL

 Yes, I know it has been a while since my last post.  I sorta got busy.  No excuse.  Just fact.

I began canning again this week.  I was running low on chicken canned in half pint jars, so 16 of them were processed this afternoon.  Tomorrow - 4 lbs. of carrots.  After that - 18 lbs. of hamburger.

I have several unfinished projects - mostly quilts - that need to be finished.  Should have been done by now.  Especially since snow and then below zero temps are on the way for Minnesota.

I have discovered there are a vast number of people who are clueless about the state of affairs here in the USA.  Some doctors are among those.  Had a phone appointment with mine last week.  It has been my experience over the years that at nearly every appointment, there are suggestions for changes in my diet.  Apparently, Cheetos and Oreo cookies are not on the favored list. This time fresh fruits and vegetables along with lean meats were suggested.  Also I was to eliminate pasta and bread.

He got sort of grumpy when I reminded him of the price of groceries and suggested that if he expected me to dine on fresh food, perhaps he would be willing to foot the bill.  And because I had the good sense to stock up on flour and yeast, bread was one item I could afford to make.

Anybody else failing to recognize our country any more?  I just don't get it.  When exactly did much of the population become stupid?  Why do so many think it is OK to chop off body parts and pretend that men are women and that women can become men.  When did so many of the younger generation decide that socialism is a good thing.  And why, in the name of all that is holy, did patriotism beome a bad thing!

I don't know where all of this foolishness is leading, but my tendency is toward non-compliance.  I am a grumpy old woman, after all!  There is not one single person in any form of government who knows better than me how to live my life.   But they continue to try.  It is called control.  Nope.  Not buying into it.

I can't change much.  But I can continue to prepare.  Seems like now, more than ever, the importance of stacking it to the rafters is essential.  So is prayer.  Often.

Take good care, my friends.  I think that cliff is dead ahead and close.