Good Morning Everyfriend!  It got down into the high 30s overnight.  I checked out all my plants this morning and they all look healthy.  It's supposed to get into the high 50s today.  That's not bad but I'd prefer the 60s.  I'm ready to put away the rest of the winter clothes and hand the jackets in the closet.  I'm sick to death of my winter duds!

AMY, you must have (literally) a TON of wood by now.  I seem to remember seeing a wood stove in one of the pictures you posted.  Is that what you use for cooking?

The only things on my list this morning are to finish weeding around the Rose of Sharon bushes that line the driveway, stop in to see my son to get the answers to some questions and clean out the fridge.  Oh yes, I have to make dog food, too.  And I'm sure some other chores will raise their little heads.

It's almost time for the boinger so I'll be on my way.  I wish you all a good day...better than yesterday but not as good as tomorrow!

Jane, this is only the second load and we will get one if not two more. Each load holds over 4 cords. We used to get it in log length and cut and slip it ourselves but as we age we find some things are better left to the younger ones.  I do cook on it  ,great to put soup on to simmer away . I use the electric stove but do prefer the wood stove. The stove also heats the house and sometimes the outside if I get it too hot in here.

Have you tried your canned potatoes in your air fryer? I did some the other day, drained ,washed  pat dry then coat with a bit of oil and spices..I used maple bacon and oh my they are good!!

For JaneS

https://www.seniorsandfriends.org/index.php?topic=11.msg197740#msg197740

Good morning, it's 44 this morning in the Interior, cooler with some passing showers today and tomorrow. It has greened up overnight, so it's nicer out there.

The only looks I get from Farrah are pitying. I have a feeling that she doesn't feel I'm doing my best. 

Amy, while I heated and cooked on wood stoves in Kentucky and Tennessee, I've only seen electric ones here. Or propane in cabins along the rivers and lakes. When I was growing up, we had coal, generally stored in the basement in a room with an outside shoot. We changed over to oil in 1964. In the outlying areas, they still burn wood, and also, many have fireplaces.

Good Afternoon,

Janie, your plantings look lovely.    #1 son/dil have been trying to get mine in the ground and pots for several weeks.
 If they're available, the weather is awful and on nice days, they're busy.  Fingers crossed that they'll be able to do so tomorrow.

Shirley, I saw your comment about unsuccessful planting of dogwood trees in Wichita.  Same here - although eastern Oklahoma is covered with them.  The owner of a plant place spoke to the Newcomers Club when we first moved here.  He said there's as much difference for dogwood between OKC and Muskogee (known for its Dogwood and Redbud Festival) as there is between OKC and Memphis. In other words...don't bother!

Jenny,  Miss Ellen was routed through Denver on her flight back to NYC this morning and I was concerned about the snow you mentioned.  However, flight from OKC actually left a bit early (everyone was on board) and Flight Tracker says they left Denver on time.  I texted her asking how the weather was and she replied, "COLD!"  She hadn't brought very warm clothes and it was a very chilly weekend here, too. Couldn't believe I was wearing a sweatshirt on Mother's Day.

Yes, I saw that the Burro had changed hands.  I suspect the current population has very different tastes in many areas from what we remember.  I enjoyed the Slovakian recipes.  Have you ever made potica?  I tried once or twice but never could get the dough rolled out as thin as the "experts" did.

There was a wood stove as well as an electric stove in the kitchen when I was a child.  The wood stove was taken out when we remodeled in 1947.  Living room and dining room were heated by a coal stove and I remember burning my fingers by standing with my hands behind me and "rocking" back and forth in front of it. Guess I thought I looked "adult"  .  Bedrooms weren't heated at all until we got butane gas stoves.

I got up before 5:00 am so ready to hit the sack. Had time to close my eyes before the AC man showed up this afternoon but that didn't last but a few minutes. Can't tell you how many times I went up & down those steps today but the shoe laces just laid down & gave up! Going to have half of one of those big double chocolate muffins from Sam's Club with a cup of coffee & turn in.

Callie, one place we rented when living in England had electric bar heat built into the wall. The one in the living/family room was about double the size of a floor vent.... so every item of clothes I had ended up with scorch marks on the rear from backing up to get warm. Never so cold in my life, being anemic & damp cold that chilled to the bone. Sounds like your grands are getting back to a normal life, growing up & "doing their thing".

We had a wood burning stove when my parents bought a house right after the end of WWII. Dad found a place on the edge of the city limits, the house sat on 2 lots with 6 more to one side and 2 across the street. No other houses in sight except in winter when trees were bare you could see a couple houses 2 blocks away. Dad had to do some fancy talking to convince Mom to move in.... it was the original farm house for that area, no gas, electricity, water or sewer. Dad came up with a generator that ran on batteries for basic lights, put a motor on the well pump, sewer took a while (if I remember) & they paid to have utilities brought down to our house & was supposed to get paid back as other houses built. That didn't happen. Anyway, we had a "Warm Morning" stove in the kitchen that always had a kettle of warm water for whatever. I do not remember the stove. Strange...

In my gr-mother's house she had a new wood burning stove to cook/bake on that was in the dining room area, it had the warming rack over the stove. It was in a corner with long table & beautiful carved hutch that filled the room. The cooking room/kitchen had another wood burning stove and one that used some kind of gas or kerosene... it was yellow & green. There was another "summer kitchen" you walked through from the back door, it had a large pie safe, cabinets and on one wall was a long table like where Grandma did "the dirty work"... planting seeds or cleaning veggies/meat, etc., on the east wall where there was plenty light from windows. They had that house built when Dad was a teenager (he was the oldest), cut the timber from the farm (oak & walnut) but Dad always marveled that "they had that beautiful Ponderosa pine for the beems!" He was telling us all about the building, how it had "full 14inch walnut headers". I expect Lloyd will know about that. The builder became well know in that part of the state.

Off to bed. Sweet dreams & God Bless. Love y'all.........Shirley

Interesting stories about the "old times".  I love reading them.  They remind me of my younger days.  My grandmother had a wood stove and that's all she ever cooked on.  I uses to like to sit in the corner next to the wall with my feet under the stove and watch her or the the rest of the action in the kitchen.  And as she took the last item to the table she'd always say, "C'mon HonJane or we'll eat without you!  I especially liked that spot after we'd been out sled riding on the hill long enough to be chilled to the bone and wet through!

CALLIE, you have such a good relationship with your Grandkids!  That's so nice!

SHIRLEY, what nice memories of your family....the house and all the things they did to make it livable.  Things were sure different in those days!

I'm ready for the haystack too.  I think the weekend and the stuff I did yesterday caught up with me today and my eyes went into slamshut right after Frankie picked up Cooper around 7:30.  I have to be up early tomorrow....lots to do tomorrow.  And some of it is doing errands.  That wears me out these days! 

I wish you all a peaceful night's sleep and a happy Spring day tomorrow.  Make it your own in every way!

Good morning ...on the run catch you later.
Enoy your day stay safe.

Hmmm now I am talking to myself..
We have been out piling wood..weather is perfect ,not too hot and a light breeze blowing and no bugs!!

Just stopped for a tea and then we are back at it..

Good morning from an Interior at 48° and a partly cloudy high of 63°. There is not much going on here except for an Amazon spice order due and more kitchen organizing waiting on me. I lead such an exciting life these days!

We still have new Covid cases, and now we're getting some local deaths where before cases were decreasing, and the state's deaths weren't local or people in their twenties. And now they're talking about vaccination boosters this winter. Remember that curse about living in interesting times?

I think if I hurry, I can still say "Good Morning Everyfriend"  And what a busy one it is!  Lunch time and then some errands to do and Frankie just called and asked me to do a quick one for her!  I'm off!  Enjoy your day!

We celebrated Mom's Day all weekend.  Our granddaughter stayed overnight and then on Monday morning left to return office equipment as she is with a new company next week.  Huge upgrade in pay - she deserves it with her background and energy.

We have critters in the attic again.  The noise scared me last night while I was in the hallway - it is either another racoon or - I spotted a huge squirrel on the fence yesterday.  So discouraged as the other critter cost so much with the payment to "save" the precious animal or be fined for interfering (am I the one interfering?) 

Jenny:  Prayers for you and your family.   

The wood is piled, this load now onto the next.
Carol if you Google getting rid of racoons or squirrels you will find some answers. One is loud rock music in the attic and others are hot pepper  to peppermint oil. There is a lot of items you can use to get rid of the unwanted critters.


www.pestpointers .com

Wonder if mothballs would smell all through the house if put in the attic?  I really don't know, but I wouldn't be too concerned about the critter's welfare, they can get out the way they got in. After all, critter was uninvited and not paying rent, right?  I said my piece and kind of lets you know how MY day went.   

If I get a good night of sleep I'll play nice tomorrow. 

Good Night everyone. quiet here to day, maybe tomorrow will be better.

Lloyd

 Shirley now be nice and friendly. good night and sweet dreams.

Lloyd

I'm about ready to head for the haystack, too!  I just kept moving all day...one thing after another.  I had no plan, just stuff kept jumping out.  The yard looks so nice after Christy's efforts that I needed to work on the porches and sidewalks and even the driveway.  Have any of you had any experience with that new "JETNozzle" thing that is supposed to be so good at cleaning concrete?

Also, I found an upright freezer that will fit in the space where my chest freezer is.  I really dislike the chest freezer because I've always had upright ones.  Back in the olden days when we decided that we needed a freezer, one fell off the truck as it was being loaded for delivery and it got a big dent in the side.  Since it was going into the basement, they just left it on the truck and delivered it to my house.  And I've had uprights every since until I needed one to fit the space in this house and all the uprights were too big.  Now they make a smaller one.  So I'm selling mine and getting the upright.

I wish you all a peaceful nights sleep and a better tomorrow.  And may God bless us, every one1

Well JaneS we Have both chest and upright and a side by side. so I gauss we have all three. and they are all full. except for bread, Milk and eggs we can go at least two or three years with out going to the grocery store. we also have lot's of home canned foods of all sorts. frozen and canned. you name it and we have it. you can also look at our waste lines and see for Shure. Have a good day. I am going to try to go back to bed and see if I can go to sleep.

Lloyd

Good morning

Day is starting off chilly 30° and it is nice and sunny out. Blood work first thing this morning and I want to pick up some parsnip seeds and golden beet seeds at the feed mill then home to bake and if time permits  planting some seeds.

Jane we have the chest freezer and after it konks out an upright will be put in. Now more bending over and teeter totter on the edge!

Lloyd, you have a lot of work ahead of you packing all your canning items to take with you..take it easy and rest when you can.

Shirley, hope today is a better day for you. I also thought of Zest soap too  that has a smell that they may dislike.

Phyllis, Gloria and Joy pop in and say hello when you can.

Enjoy your day and stay safe.

Good Morning Everyfriend!  I'm going to try to hit the showers before breakfast so I'll be ready for anything by the time Cooper arrives.  I mentioned to Frankie that I'd be advertising my freezer for sale and getting a new upright and she asked me if I wanted her to post an ad on some website that she frequents through her phone.  I told her I'd think about it and let her know.  She said there's lots of stuff posted there and it usually sells well.  I think I'll have her access it on my phone so I can look at some of the ads and get an idea how to word mine.

AMY, I'm just so tired of having to root around in that chest freezer after spending my life wit with uprights and I've been looking but they were all too big for the place I have to put it.  But yesterday, when I stopped in the store to talk to my son, he was on the phone and I walked back and there was a very compact small freezer.  He gave me the dimensions and it'll fit!  He also quoted me a very good price and I think he intended to cover the price himself because he looked surprised when I told him that whatever I get for my chest freezer is his! 

I better get moving or I won't get my shower in before breakfast.  I wish you all a good day...better than yesterday (ESPECIALLY YOU, SHIRLEY) but not as good a tomorrow!

I'm here and finally it is a sunny day, but chilly.  We set a low temperature record this morning.  It was 39 deg. when I got up.  Yesterday it was a cold, dreary, rainy day so I spent most of the day huddled under a blanket and feeling cranky. 

I prefer an upright freezer, too.  It just is easier to find things, I think.  Still need to rearrange it from time to time and weed out the old stuff.  I'll have to do that in the next few days since I'll be getting a new frozen food delivery next week.

Take care, All.

I know you have a son to get your freezer from, Jane, and do understand your point of view. When we moved to the KC area the new house didn't have a space for my monster upright freezer & it was one of those things NOT IMPORTANT to Cas, so I sold it. Did without in KC but back here in 2 years and decided I HAD to have a freezer again. I found a small upright from Sears & keep it packed full. Lately I've noticed that Sam's Club has small upright as well as chest type freezers at such a low price I would be tempted to get one but no place in my kitchen or garage for it. Don't need another downstairs! I do have a little more space in my last frig/freezer since I got one without the ice maker! I've replaced several refrigerators the last 15 years because the ice makers ran water all through the freezer sections & ruined them. After using ice cube trays in the RV freezer I decided I could do the same in the house since only me.

My glasses aren't in so I called the yard guys & they will be here between noon & 2:00pm... must get to the store & back to unlock gates so off & running. The pool still has the cover on but it isn't one that would hold the weight of a human so can't leave gates unlocked, that's why I have to be here for yard guys. Got my grocery list made up but need to put in my purse... won't do me any good if I leave it on the table! Happy Days to ALL.... Shirley

Good morning, a cool, partly cloudy day ay 42° this morning with an expected high of 66°. I didn't get many of the bigger items on my list finished as I was caught up in some smaller ones. My green peppercorns and white peppercorns arrived via Amazon, and I did several calls regarding my insurance questions and Farrah's needed dental appointments.

 Senior assistance programs are still backlogged, so receiving subsidized cleaning services seem undoable at this time. And VanTran requires a current full physical, which is impossible when Covid has medical needs on an emergency-only basis. We had two more deaths yesterday of men in their twenties.

This morning, we leave our fire extinguishers outside by our doors, and they will come by and exchange them for new ones. And tomorrow I need to pick up some fruit and other groceries, so it's still the little things taking up time.

I've had chest freezers in the past, including a small one in my last apartment. In this one, it's only a large refrigerator, freezer full of my Ziplock frozen baggies. I don't believe I'd have as much space using containers. I've stopped doing the prepping I did in the past, making meals for just one or using up what's already there. If I get it cleaned out, I may go back to a smaller amount of prepping. Preserving, canning, and prepping don't make as much sense for me as it's done in the past.

Michele is working very hard to get strong enough to be able to get home.  Thy are hoping this can happen Monday.  Of course she wants to go home NOW🙏🙏🙏

I think fondly of wood burning stoves for cooking and keeping our homes warm years ago.  We never had one but I NEVER wanted one of the type of furnaces that had one grate n the floor...generally central location of the home . The air would blow up from the lower area and they grate would get hot enough to burn your feet on! 

Having four sons required me to have a BIG freezer!  When we first moved into this home, our youngest son and his wife were moving to London.  One of many items we were gifted was a small chest freezer.....I did not like that thing at all.  Hard to find what you are looking for.  It did not last long here.  Now I have a single refrigerator and a single side by side freezer that are counter depth and I love them!  So easy to find what you are looking for.

CAROL, sorry you are having issues with critters in your attic again this year.  I would try anything to get them out of there!

Have a good evening.

Jenny

Now the day is over.....

I'm ready for the haystack!  I finished everything on my list today.  I even remembered to put the garbage can out for tomorrow morning.  I even did a couple things that weren't on my list and I'm glad they are all done. 

JENNY, prayers continue for Michele!  She sure is a special part of all our lives these days.  I think of her often and when she comes to mind a prayer follows!

PHYLLIS, I hate rooting around in the chest freezer and I'm wasting freezer space because I keep an upside down plastic crate in the bottom because I simply can't reach the bottom.

I wish you all a peaceful night's sleep and a happy Spring day tomorrow!  And may God bless us, every one.

Good Morning everyone. it is in the upper 50's here and clear now but supposed to have thunder storms and rain move in soon. Have a good day everyone.

Lloyd

Good Morning, Lloyd & all. We have a storm going through, lightning is fierce & wind bending trees every direction. SO upset with myself for not getting the largest tomato plant tied to the stake, it will probably break off. Tom & Callie stayed out last night, Callie was waiting at the door but since I could hear the thunder way off in the distance, I knew Tom would be hunkered down where ever his safe place is outside. He is terrified of storms and can hear them long before I do, so he won't be home till it is over and he will be dry. When in the house he hides in the hallway (must have heard the warnings of safest place)..... He doesn't like to be in the basement unless I am there with him. Tiger stayed inside & sticking close to me. Callie ate her salmon & wanted out in HER garage with heated bed, food & water. She is not afraid of storms, one tough little cat.

Guess I'd better post before the power goes out. Starting to get a little light out but think it is time to have candles & matches ready. I have flashlights everywhere but easier to fix breakfast by candle light. I have a gas stove but must use a match to light when power out. I will hurry & make me a cup of instant coffee, hey, might as well enjoy the change of weather!

Good morning..

Going to be another awesome day....sun shining and a temp of 39°.
Need to pick a few things at the country store then home to plant some seeds and potatoes.

Shirley, how is your garden growing?

Enjoy your day and stay sasfe.

Good Morning Everyfriend!  Right now, it's 46º and sunny and heading for a high of 72.  My kind of day!

Today I'm heading for my weekly trip to Davy's.  They're having a meat sale today and I'm already on a search for rhubarb.  I have a recipe I want to try.  I have to get my list coordinated.  Right now, it's in three different places. 

Yesterday I had some leftover pasta and I decided to make a paata salad with whatever was in the fridge.  It ended up being some of AMY'S pickled onions and radishes, pasta, a mixture of mayo and Italian dressing, some salt and pepper and a couple left over cherry tomatoes.  It turned out pretty good!

I think Frankie and Cooper are spending the night here tonight.  She has to be to work at 6 a.m. and it will work out best for her if she doesn't have to make a special trip to drop off Cooper in the morning. 

I better get on my horse and get moving or I won't be ready for my trip to Davy's  I hope you all have a good day...bettr than yesterday but not as good as tomorrow. 

P.S.  SHIRLEY, I hope your tomato plant toughed it out and is still standing!

Good morning every one, yes I can still type a bit. Thought I better get here before you all thought I was gone. Cannot get rid of me that easy.
Two days ago we got into the upper  60's and when I pulled up the shades the cars wer e covered in frost. Crazy weather, today supposed to be in low 70's.  Maybe I will get the energy  t o go ou t and sit on  the porch later. They got the chairs out a few days ago. Witch said it they are moved at all they go back in storage. Wonder if she even measured the distance and will check every day.
We are going to lose our maintenance man next month. He is 67 now and has a bad back that is getting worse. We will all miss him. He is a nice man and has beem here since this place opened. There will be a hard job replacing him.
No one here spends much time out of t heir apartments but on Wednesday's the library on t he main floor is opened for a couple of hours so Wednesday Yve tte and I went down there so I could get a book. Talked to the lady in charge and asked where a few people are, I have noticed there has been no lights on in their apartments. One was in the hospital and is now at her daughter's home and one is in the hospital, one with a daughter in upper NY is now living with the daughter. Also some on the back side of this building are either in the hospital or a nursing home. Nice to talk to someone other than Yvette for a change. My #1 son calls and the o ther visits every Saturday morning and of course there is my daughter every day on Skype.
There are new  tenants in t  hose apartments and I would not know them as I seldom get  ou t of mine. With the masks on it is hard to see if they are new or old tenants.

Better get a move on, Yvet te will be here soon and I wan t to get dressed for t he day before she is here.
Have a good day wi th nice warm days ahead.
Stay safe.