What's everybody doing today?

[Amish Heart]

The first time I ever made gravy was hilarious. I was a young and newly married and ended up adding to it because it didn't look right, and ended up with a huge pot of goo that I had to throw out. I can make a good gravy and a decent pie crust.

 

[Grimm]

Today was a lazy day. K stacked wood on the rack and I started my post winter declutter. Being stuck at home all the time is driving me nuts. I have a trash bag set up in my room and I am going through the craft storage totes I have stored in there. I try to get one sorted while I feed the cats twice a day.

I made our usual holiday rice krispie treats this evening. I couldn't find the normal recipe I use so I had to pin a new one! I saved it as a pdf on my laptop and printed a copy for my binder. I am prepping tomorrow's dinner- Jewish penicillin. Matzo ball soup with chicken and veggies.

Researching herbal educations. I know a little from personal research over the years but a bit of a more 'formal' education on the subject would put K's mind at ease when trying my 'concoctions'. Any recommendations?

 

[Grimm]

I want to add I am watching The Stand right now. Not the new one on CBS but the one with Gary Sinise and Molly Ringwald. Blu ray. I like the story. I have a leather bound copy of the book on my bookshelves.

I tease K and call Covid Capt'n Tripps. Super flu it ain't.

 

[zannej]

My uncle (my dad's brother) called today to check on us. We discussed the Spanish Flu. He brought up politics and my mom hung up (she later said it wasn't about the politics but how he tends to talk to her like she's stupid and is condescending & won't listen-- I didn't "hear" it in his tone, but she perceives it that way). I was still on the other line so we kept talking & then my brother joined in. It was good to hear from him.

Btw, alcohol and bleach don't do much to kill Covid-- lipids like in soap will kill it. Dawn dish detergent, anything with fats in it, etc will be a good cleaner. I think they said the virus can live 26 days on hard surfaces.

Had another lazy day. Didn't feel productive and was tired again. I did clean the toilet and cooked a potato in the microwave for mom (in a steamer bag). My brother made pork chops and pork ribs in the pressure cooker so I didn't have to cook anything else yet. I'm sure she'll be hungry again soon. Although, I probably shouldn't feed her after midnight or let water spill on her.

I just discovered that if you have an image on your clipboard you can paste it and it will load as an attachment. So, I checked and saw what vanity lamp we got for the guest bathroom (I was wrong about it only having 2 lights). So, it's this one that we got on clearance for like $20 https://www.lowes.com/pd/Portfolio-3-Light-Chrome-Modern-Contemporary-Vanity-Light/1000002924

and here is my sketch for my drawings

 

[phideaux]

We are still ok.
No symptoms whatsoever.
Her primary care doc still wants her to go for the infusion.

Gotta be at hospital at 11:00am.

I still am not totally convinced she has it. But the infusion won't hurt , it's a preventative measure they say.

So I get to go sit in the parking lot for 2 hours, of which I have extensive experience.... Hobby Lobby, Walmart, etc ,etc,

I wish they would test her again.

Jim

 

[MoBookworm1957]

@UrbanHunter I still have not planned our Christmas meals. What are you having? I'm looking for ideas.

I'm not Urban Hunter, but we're having lasgna

 

[dademoss]

easy day, blood draw this afternoon for sodium level, then more naps. I really dislike winter.

 

[MoBookworm1957]

I can make gravy just fine, but my downfall is pie crust ( from scratch). It just never turns out exactly right and I have tried with butter, lard, shortening, and combination of it. And I am generally a very good baker. But pie crust....forget it!

really ice cold water.

 

[MoBookworm1957]

Went Wal*Mart yesterday to pick up few things.
Eating popcorn now.
Sleeping alot for some reason.
Strawberry has been walked.
Took 3 tries for the microwave to pop the popcorn.
Not only are my presents wrapped.
But been wrapping presents for various other people too.
They call, make arrangements to drop presents n front porch.
They bring everything I need to wrap.
When wrapped, I call them, they pick up from front porch.
Gives me something new to do. for a few days.
Made enough cash of wrapping presents, I bought groceries, junk food.

 

[Meerkat]

really ice cold water.

@sonya123 Or no water at all.MoBook we use vodka in place of waterand our crust is great.

How To Make a Vodka Pie Crust

 

[Amish Heart]

Here's mine:
3 1/2 c flour, 1 1/4 cups crisco, 2/3 cup milk, pinch of salt. For a large pie, double crust (top and bottom). Roll out with rolling pin between wax paper. Only use the wax paper for one roll out.

 

[zannej]

I've never liked pie crust unless it's graham cracker or oreo cookie type crust. For some reason that reminded me of my dad relating how he got a hostess cupcake from a vending machine and was eating it when a friend told him he wasn't supposed to eat the paper underneath with it. He pulled off the paper and said "Oh, it tasted like my grandmother's pie crust." LOL.

Spotted my friend enough $ to pay his electric bill bc power company sent him a shutoff notice if he didn't pay by tomorrow. His battery on his truck went dead barely a month after the warranty expired so I helped him replace the battery.

Went grocery shopping and now I'm resting before I go tackle the litterboxes.

 

[sonya123]

Here's mine:
3 1/2 c flour, 1 1/4 cups crisco, 2/3 cup milk, pinch of salt. For a large pie, double crust (top and bottom). Roll out with rolling pin between wax paper. Only use the wax paper for one roll out.

Very unusual crusts here! Vodka in it, milk...never tried either of those ingredients! Thanks , will try both and see what works better!

 

[snappy1]

I'm not Urban Hunter, but we're having lasgna

Me too!

 

[Meerkat]

Very unusual crusts here! Vodka in it, milk...never tried either of those ingredients! Thanks , will try both and see what works better!

We never used milk in any of our pie crust but some people do and I'm sure it is good too. Only used water till a few years ago and saw this vodka recipe.

 

[snappy1]

Ran around a lot this morning.
My doc office for printed labs and to drop off a banana bread for doc.
Kroger for sales- butter, eggs and got a ham also at .99 pound for butt.
Another local grocery for onions and celery.
Finally caught up with ladies from animal shelter to return live trap.
Dropped off another few banana breads.
Bought gas and came home.
Not doing anything this afternoon.

 

[phideaux]

Well, the wife had the antibody IV infusion today,
Took about 2 1/2 hours.
Went good.

I went to County health dept this afternoon, they used a .22 caliber rifle cleaning rod to do the covid test on me...they cleaned my nasal bore really good, and the inside of the back of my brain.

I'll know in 24 hours if I have covid.

Resting now.

Jim

 

[hiwall]

Worked on one of our raised beds. It had bowed way out on one side and now that is fixed so it is nice and straight again.

 

[UrbanHunter]

I went to County health dept this afternoon, they used a .22 caliber rifle cleaning rod to do the covid test on me...they cleaned my nasal bore really good, and the inside of the back of my brain.

I'll know in 24 hours if I have covid.

Did they use the wire brush too?

 

[phideaux]

Did they use the wire brush too?

Brass one.

Jim m

 

[UrbanHunter]

Today was a nice day, my wife wanted a special something for the kitchen the other day and I told her she had too much stuff and no place to put it; she accepted the NO... It arrived today, when she unpacked it she cried... I felt so good.

This morning I ran arrands for the wife and stopped at HD, picked up a couple of buckets and a few seeds. After work I added soil to my potatoes and tomatoes. The potatoes are now about 6" above the top of the bucket and the soil is up to the top of the bucket. So they are at the just let them grow stage... I have 6 plants who's seeds didn't sprout after I planted them in November, so I replanted all of them tonight (in the same containers) to keep things simple.

 

[Bacpacker]

Still working from home, had to go in and get tested again. Girl that did it today was really good. Not too bad at all. Amazing how much difference there is between the people doing the swabs. Stopped by the store on the way back home and picked up several things, mostly some fresh fruit and a few other odds and ends.. Everything I looked at was in pretty good stock.
Wife is still really run down, just very little energy.
Went outside about dark and watch the Jupiter/Saturn conjunction till it set. Got the telescope out, but it was so low in the sky it was in the trees and hard to line up on right. The moon, at about 1st quarter, did look good thru the scope. Going out in a little while to check out Orion thru the scope on the other side of the house.

 

[LadyLocust]

Today was a lazy day. K stacked wood on the rack and I started my post winter declutter. Being stuck at home all the time is driving me nuts. I have a trash bag set up in my room and I am going through the craft storage totes I have stored in there. I try to get one sorted while I feed the cats twice a day.

I made our usual holiday rice krispie treats this evening. I couldn't find the normal recipe I use so I had to pin a new one! I saved it as a pdf on my laptop and printed a copy for my binder. I am prepping tomorrow's dinner- Jewish penicillin. Matzo ball soup with chicken and veggies.

Researching herbal educations. I know a little from personal research over the years but a bit of a more 'formal' education on the subject would put K's mind at ease when trying my 'concoctions'. Any recommendations?

Heidi at Healing Harvest Homestead can tell you which ones are worth it. She also has a lot of info on her blog.

Ran around a lot this morning.
My doc office for printed labs and to drop off a banana bread for doc.
Kroger for sales- butter, eggs and got a ham also at .99 pound for butt.
Another local grocery for onions and celery.
Finally caught up with ladies from animal shelter to return live trap.
Dropped off another few banana breads.
Bought gas and came home.
Not doing anything this afternoon.

Sooo what you're saying is you went bananas ?

Did you all see the Star of Bethlehem this evening? Might sound funny to some, but I feel honored to see it. It's been 800 years since it's last been seen.
Received my Baker Seed Catelog yesterday so need to peruse it. Went up to the river house and readied some things for workers to do their thing. We had drained hot water heaters and cleared lines. If they need a bathroom, they are a long ways from anywhere. So we got it so they have water in the shop since that bathroom is easier to heat than a whole house. We came back down and went up the other side of the mountain so Hubby could make sure there were no fish in that River - there weren't. Had a fabulous dinner and came home. Back at the grindstone today but a short week. Blessings abound

 

[Patchouli]

I forgot all about the astronomical event until it was too late. I'm glad yall saw it, LadyL and Bacp.

 

[phideaux]

@Bacpacker , hope your test is negative.
I should know tomorrow.

The lady that did mine was merciless.

She rooted around each side for 10 full seconds.

Jim

 

[SheepDog]

If they test me, they better take blood because I will.

 

[zannej]

The first time my best friend got tested the lady doing the test was mad so she was really rough on him. He said subsequent tests weren't that bad. I watched my Mom get a Covid test and the nurse was very gentle.

I cleaned the litterboxes. Cat could not wait to get back into it-- poor thing was holding it in while her box was out being cleaned and as soon as there was litter in it she jumped in. She was digging and I saw she was staring to go but she scooted forward so it would land in the box instead of on the side. Good little kitty.

My poor best friend continues to have bad luck with vehicles and relationships. His gf called me all confused bc she's infatuated with a younger guy who tells her what she wants to hear, agrees with her on everything (at least verbally to her face- but disagrees behind her back), and is very immature. There is no way this guy will stick with her longterm once he gets to see her at her worst and bear the brunt of some of her manic episodes. She wants to leave my friend for him now that my friend can't financially support her anymore due to his health. He'd be a lot better off financially right now if not for her. He spent a lot of $ on her trying to keep her from leaving him out of desperation bc he's afraid to be single. On one hand, I think it would be better for him in the long run if she left. But, I know it will devastate him. And she doesn't seem to realize that if she goes with this other guy & it doesn't work out that there's no going back. He's not going to play the game again like he did with his ex where she would leave him for her ex-husband and then come back to him. Poor guy never had a good example of a healthy relationship. He was raised by his grandparents and his grandfather cheated on the grandmother, accused her of cheating, beat her, beat his sons, and treated other people around him like garbage. His grandmother was a doormat so he learned to be a doormat. His own mother was physically abusive and neglectful bc she was on drugs (and still is) and his father was also on drugs so neither one of them were there for him.

Whatever happens, my family will be there for our friend though.

 

[Patchouli]

I'm not Urban Hunter, but we're having lasgna

We have had lasagna in years past but now have two with sensitivity to dairy, me too, so three.
I am open to others making the decisions about Christmas this year, I'm done. My brain, my feels, I just did Turkey Day, not up for a month later of more of the same, etc. It's just not the same and I don't expect many to understand that.

 

[Amish Heart]

Finished the Christmas shopping and dropped off cookies and toilet paper to mom. She had a big box ready for me, she saves her newspaper and lg plastic juice containers for us. She drinks alot of juice. I clean them out and store beans in them, and the newspaper is for the wood burning stove. The Amish neighbors came by a little while ago with a plate of Christmas cookies. They have two little girls that are adorable. We have Christmas lights on our porch, so they were very amazed. Husband still is very, very tired. I checked on my nephew in OK, and he is managing. Was put on steroids this weekend to breathe better with the covid, and now he's tapering down and is in a mood. But that's expected. He'll be fine.

 

[Weedygarden]

We have had lasagna in years past but now have two with sensitivity to dairy, me too, so three.
I am open to others making the decisions about Christmas this year, I'm done. My brain, my feels, I just did Turkey Day, not up for a month later of more of the same, etc. It's just not the same and I don't expect many to understand that.

I told daughter I wanted to keep it simple. I would be willing to have pizza. She thought about it and suggested tamales. Yes! The place we like to get them always sells out before Christmas. I suggested I could get some and put them in the freezer. "No, they aren't as good after they are frozen." I went by on Friday and there was a long line, so I left. Put a folding chair in my trunk and went back on Saturday, later, ready to wait with my chair to sit on so I wouldn't have to crawl out. They were out of green tamales, but they had red. We usually do a mix, some green, some red. Called daughter, yes. Girl said they would still be good on Christmas. I bought three dozen and dropped a dozen off for a friend. I was trying to figure out how to do it anonymously but they live on a busy street and they would be there waiting for someone to take (and they would have them stolen), so I knocked, handed the bag to her son-in-law, "Merry Christmas" and left. He doesn't know me. Later she asked me if I dropped them off. "Yes."