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Post by Granny Smith on Aug 14, 2021 6:15:09 GMT -5
Hi, Patty! I'm glad Harold is alright! Tractors are more dangerous than most people think. Glad your honey harvest is going good. I tried to have hives once, but bears destroyed them, so I gave up. I still have some supers and a box of those wax foundations.
We've had a few rain-free days, but they're calling for rain for at least the next week. It sounds like tonight will have the worst storms - nothing too bad, but some thunder and lightening and about 3" of rain.
I still haven't figured out what those vines are in the old chicken run. The run is so packed with plants that you can't see a lot of it. I assume that the weight of whatever is growing on the vines is pulling them to the ground where all the leaves are hiding them. It's not just the vines, but field corn and sumac or something that looks like it, too. The plants are so dense, even the cats are avoiding it now.
Speaking of cats, I got 5 more this week - a mother and 4 babies. Some guy was threatening to shoot them, so my daughter trapped them and brought them to me. She warned me that the mother cat was mean and would bite. As soon as I let it out of the cage, it laid its head in my hand and started purring. My daughter's jaw dropped. Of course, I couldn't quit laughing. It follows me everywhere.
My garden isn't producing much. I'm surprised that it's still alive. It doesn't help that I got it in so late. The tomatoes are growing like crazy, but no ripe ones yet. I need to tie them up again. I just did it a week ago, but they've grown at least a foot since then. I can't keep the raccoons out of the jalapenos. They ate all the fruits and leaves on the first plants, so I got more. They've eaten a few of the leaves off these, but have left the fruits alone, at least for now. They also picked and ate nearly all of my cherry tomatoes. I guess the cat food they eat wasn't enough variety for them. They wanted a salad, too.
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Post by upnorthlady2 on Aug 20, 2021 15:57:39 GMT -5
It is finally raining!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! First time since mid May. It might be too little too late, but I have to remember that God is in charge, not me. But at least it has cooled down to 75, which is a lot better than the 90's. Today I am making and canning applesauce. Our apple tree actually produced apples in spite of the drought, and I also bought some other apples from a lady at the farmer's market. I like to mix apples for applesauce. This time it is a combo of Cortland and Prairie Magic. I should end up with about 20 pints of sauce. Next on my canning agenda is to shred up my kraut cabbage and put that in the crock for canning in late September. The other day I canned tomatoes. If I get more tomatoes I will can a batch of seasoned tomatoes with peppers and onions, and make some spaghetti sauce. Not sure if I will get more tomatoes for that or not. Depends on if this rain helped out any.
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Post by Granny Smith on Aug 20, 2021 18:29:38 GMT -5
Your weather today sounds like mine since early spring. My raised beds flood nearly everyday. Today it was dry, at least so far. It flooded in town again yesterday.
I was supposed to babysit today, but the woman's mother did it instead. I childproofed the livingroom for no reason. Oh, well, it only amounted to moving a couple of things.
I've been working since 4:30 this morning. I don't know why I woke up so early, but I couldn't go back to sleep so I got up and started some bread. Now the bread is done, the house is clean, animals are taken care of, breakfast sandwiches are made, the dishes are still in the dishwasher (waiting for it to get done), and the trash is waiting for someone to take it out. That's the only job I don't do around here. I could, but I refuse. I might be a little stubborn.
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Post by upnorthlady2 on Sept 22, 2021 19:03:54 GMT -5
Gayle - I haven't been on here for a while and I just noticed your new photo! Very nice! You look great. Up here in the north our leaves are almost at peak right now and very beautiful. Lots of reds and oranges, which we didn't think we would have because of the lack of rain this summer. But the recent rains have brought out the colors. I just love fall. SO glad the hot summer is over. Canning is pretty much done. When the kraut is ready to can up next month, then I'll do that. And the only thing left to do is put carrots in the freezer. The pantry is well stocked now, and ready for winter.
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Post by Granny Smith on Sept 23, 2021 19:38:47 GMT -5
Thank you, Patty. I've had the same photo for around 15 years. I figured it was time for a new one.
I was given a big boxful of food today. There's all kinds of things in it - beans, rice, coffee beans, and I don't know what all. I've been really sleepy for about a month now, so things aren't getting done as fast as usual. I suspect I have covid. A couple other people in my family have the same thing.
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Post by upnorthlady2 on Sept 24, 2021 16:47:48 GMT -5
Hope you feel better soon! There seems to be a lot of that covid stuff going around, even up here. Wonder how come it's on the increase all of a sudden?
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Post by Granny Smith on Sept 24, 2021 18:31:04 GMT -5
I don't know that it's more common now or that they're more likely to diagnose it as covid. I suspect they've lowered the requirements to call it covid.
I'm not quite as sleepy today as I have been. I've laid down a few times, but never actually slept. My appetite is returning, too. I'm glad to see that. I've hardly eaten anything in nearly a week.
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Post by upnorthlady2 on Dec 11, 2021 10:52:08 GMT -5
Reading about the tornadoes in KY today. Gayle I hope you are ok! Please say yes!
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Post by Granny Smith on Dec 11, 2021 16:47:46 GMT -5
Thank you for asking, Patty. I'm fine. One bunch of bad weather went just north of us, the other just south. We got some rain and it got a little breezy, but that is all. It must be something in the way the mountains lie, but we shoot the gap pretty often.
I messaged all of my kids to be sure they were ok, since most are a little north of me, and all of them are fine, too.
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Post by upnorthlady2 on Dec 11, 2021 22:49:08 GMT -5
Oh good! I am so glad you're ok! I have been worried about you all day. I'm sure this tornado brought up bad recollections of that one that passed through your home neighborhood a few years back. I feel so bad for all the people hit by this monster storm. The pictures of the damage are horrifying. But thanks be to God that you are safe.
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Post by Granny Smith on Dec 12, 2021 6:25:34 GMT -5
I tried to look at the reports from yesterday's devastation, but I just can't. It brings back too many bad memories. We lost several friends in the one that hit us. We were very lucky, but we all still kind of freak out when it storms.
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Post by eyeofthestorm on Dec 13, 2021 15:16:28 GMT -5
Gayle, I was thinking about you, too, Friday and Saturday. Glad to read that you're safe.
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Post by Granny Smith on Dec 13, 2021 16:34:14 GMT -5
Thank you, Sandra. It was a relief that it missed us. I've tried to watch news reports about it, but they make me cry.
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Post by eyeofthestorm on Dec 14, 2021 11:41:32 GMT -5
I'm so bad about flitting through here periodically just to check but not posting. So, here I am (for a change). I wanted to share (and express thanks) for this recipe for Taco Soup. I'm making it for today's lunch (pretty much), and wondered how long ago it was you shared it, Gayle. 2008! I said "pretty much" because I've foudn this recipe SO forgiving for substitutions. Actually, the more I think about it, today's version at my house has differen - Leftover turky taco filling (made from previously leftover Thanksgiving turkey). About 2 cups. Maybe a smattering more
- 2 cans of corn
- 4 cups homemade (from dry) then frozen black beans.
- 2 cans diced tomatoes
- 2 cups vegetable stock.
- 1 T storebought taco seasoning
I skipped the peppers because 1, I don't have them and 2, this storebought taco seasoning has a serious kick. In fact, my family has rejected tacos made with it. So, I'm making my own taco seasoning when we have tacos, and finding other places to slip in it. Earlier, my two youngest (15 and turning 17 in two weeks) helped me get a big start on our oldest's (19 on Thursday) requested birthday cake. He wanted, "An ice cream cake made with PEPPERmint ice cream {very emphatic on the peppermint) with chocolate chips and chocolate sauce." Mercy, there is so much sugar in this house - a birthday last week, one this week. A friend sent home extra cupcakes from his birthday on Saturday, plus Christmas next week and another birthday the week after. So, this is a reduced sugar cake. I didn't want to spent time making ice cream, so I used store bough (with sugar). I made a base crust with butter and oreo-type cookies. On top of that, we layered ice cream (full stugar), stevia sweetened chocolate sauce and stevia sweetened chocolate chips. I topped it with some sugar free whipped cream. It's freezing hard in a spring form pan right now. I am hoping to release the ring and use more whipped cream on the sides... but that may be totally unecessary. That's most of what's happening here today. I have to work the last couple hours this afternoon, so dinner will just be heat and eat.
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Post by Granny Smith on Dec 15, 2021 6:35:27 GMT -5
Good to see you again, Sandra! I started to read your post yesterday, then someone called and I never had the chance to get back to the forum. Hopefully, today won't be so busy.
I still cook all the time, but never make regular meals anymore, except for holidays. With all the kids grown and most moved away, I just cook things and freeze them in manageable portions. leaving a small(ish) amount in the refrigerator. That way we can eat whatever sounds good right then and nothing goes to waste. The biggest drawback of doing that is keeping track of what's in the freezer.
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