Prep Genrl Weekly Prep Thread: September 24~30, 2023

[SouthernBreeze]

A few comments -- by fluke I found out a way to get ahead on RX. I changed plans. I'd received a 90 supply in December under the old plan and ordered 90-day supply under the new plan right after January 1. I'd assumed that they would not fill it for 90 days, but I got it right away. I've done this twice. I changed plans a third time but didn't change pharmacy so they didn't refill it. Thinking back, I think they would fill it had if I'd told them the insurance company would approve. I did not change plans for this, it was as I said a fluke.

If/when it becomes necessary to live from our pantries, we would be wise to start immediately with frugal meals. Have a special meal and dessert occasionally along the way but in general keep things frugal. When I was growing up, meals through the week were mundane and Sunday was a special meal including a dessert and rolls. Maybe a chicken or a beef roast. Meals for the next few days would be made from the leftovers. Come to think of it, Sundays were treated as a special day with best clothes for church and Sunday school and then home or to grandparents for a special meal. Usually that was also a day for visitors, and I was blessed to meet my great-aunts (uncles were around but I don't remember them!) regularly at my grandparents. We usually went to church with grandparents and then home with them. My parents would usually show up in time to eat.

Currently when I make salmon patties, I make 4 from one can plus ingredients. When we were a family of 5 or 6, the patties were smaller so we each had one...more crackers and another egg.

Jello can be a good stretcher with a can of fruit added. My mom used to make lemon Jello with shredded carrots and crushed pineapple. My grandmothers was cherry Jello plus a can of fruit cocktail. Cookbooks from the 50's are loaded with Jello recipes.

Adding an extra amount of pasta or rice to a casserole and using less meat will never be noticed. Chili gets an extra can of beans and again never noticed.

My mother used to make a mix similar to meat loaf for hamburger patties to stretch it for our family. They were very good, but she stopped doing that when dad's income improved so I don't recall exactly what she added. Using the "correct" size for a serving of meat it is the size of a deck of cards -- something else to remember.

As far as dipping into savings for food, that might not be a bad idea because with prices continuing to go up so fast, it would actually save you money. I'm talking about stocking your pantry now, not on a weekly basis.

I buy most of my books from the Friends of the Library bookstore or one of their semi-annual sales. Lately I've been reading cozy mysteries. If I read a romance or mystery that I really enjoy, I keep the book because I know I'll enjoy reading it again in a year or so. I have a shelf of sewing books, two shelves of Bibles and Bible related books another of books on frugal living and more cookbooks than ten people need. Lately, I've been thinking of what to keep and what to get rid of when I have to downsize regarding books especially cookbooks. I know I'll be keeping Betty Crocker and Better Homes and Garden circa 1960, several church/organizations cookbooks and then copying recipes from books where I only use one or two recipes. Paperbacks I take across the street to the senior apartments and share with my sister. However, my sister usually brings me as many as I give her!! Besides the stacks of books in the bedroom and guest room, I have several totes full. I also have numerous decks of cards. I thought most were new, but when investigating I discovered most are not, so I plan to add a couple new decks to my preps. I have checkers and board and card games but no one to play them with, but I still hang on to them because one never knows.

All great points, Anna!

 

[kyrsyan]

I normally order son's melatonin from Sam's Club and have it shipped. But for some reason availability is in store only right now. So I popped on Amazon. I actually found a better deal there.

It arrived today. Now I have an idea why Sam's isn't shipping them. I could scent them as soon as I picked up the bag. And that was despite the shipper having used an ice pack and insulated wrap.

They will be on the order for this weekend's pickup. But now I have a nice size flexible ice pack to add to the collection. And a nice size piece of insulating material to tuck in the coolers.

Well, the bleeding stopped today. But my energy levels absolutely dropped. It was a serious fight to get myself out of bed this morning. I have the energy to feel like I could do something useful. Until I go to do it. Today was just a van ride to a place less than 15 minutes from the house to grab some shade cloth. I was flat out wiped when I got home.

Venison wrapped in bacon tonight. We both need some red meat.

 

[summerthyme]

Kyrsyan... have you had a comprehensive blood panel done for hormone levels? Yes, some of what you're experiencing can be normal for perimenopause... but maybe not. Also, if you kn9w for sure whether you are high or low on estrogen, progesterone, etc, it would give you a better baseline to figure out what supplements or herbs could help, and which to avoid.

Summerthyme

 

[kyrsyan]

Kyrsyan... have you had a comprehensive blood panel done for hormone levels? Yes, some of what you're experiencing can be normal for perimenopause... but maybe not. Also, if you kn9w for sure whether you are high or low on estrogen, progesterone, etc, it would give you a better baseline to figure out what supplements or herbs could help, and which to avoid.

Summerthyme

Once, much earlier this year. I figure the OB GYN will do one. If she doesn't suggest it, I will.

Honestly, a chunk of it is likely from the sheer blood loss. I got a reminder of that when I cleaned the bathroom for trash last night. And then whatever my body's hormones did to my uterus.

Talked to two of the other females in my family. It looks like my Mom's problems after her hysterectomy may have been badly exacerbated by her thyroid issues. Aunt had a radical and only needed hormones for a year, at low dose. Cousin had a partial and hasn't needed hormones at all. And she did it for exactly the reason I did will be doing it. She's still a little peeved that the doctors had her husband sign paperwork giving permission.

Dinner is cooking. Son has migraine meds and I'm just chilling. Oh, and Fall is here. The migration attempts of the mice have started. Good thing traps were already down.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

Oh, and Fall is here. The migration attempts of the mice have started. Good thing traps were already down.

We are being invaded by stink bugs! Yeah, "Winter is Coming", LOL.

 

[connie]

Great ideas Anna!
Betty Crocker and joy of cooking are 2 of the few cookbooks I kept. I think I have culled my books as far as I am comfortable. Hubby has lots of books on a variety of subjects. I also enjoy Sudoko puzzles in winter. I get those at Dollar Tree. Do wordle, quordle and spider solitude online. We too have lots of cards and games.

 

[anna43]

krysyan -- my mother had similar issues. She had a D&C which took care of it completely.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

We have several decks of cards, but no board games. I'll let Cary decide which of those to get, soon. I've never played many board games, so I don't have a clue as to what's available. I mentioned getting board games to him this morning, and he said that he would.

I do have lots of cookbooks that I never use. I've gone through all of them and copied off all the recipes we like from each one. I could get rid of those, I guess, but hesitate to do so, because other recipes in them could be useful later on. I like to keep my recipes simple with simple ingredients that I don't have to order from somewhere else. Those ingredients might become unavailable later on. I cook and eat what's available in our local area and am fully stocked for years on different spices. I think our children will inherit them, once I'm gone, LOL. One thing I do have to get more of on my next shopping run is salt. I only have 3-4 of those round cardboard boxes on the shelf.

I've been ironing all morning while Cary is working on the woodpile. 91 for today's high. We are in severe drought conditions, now. Burn ban is in place. I don't see any rain at all in our forecast for the next 10 days. Each day that passes sees our drought conditions worsen. I'm doing all I can to keep everything watered that has to be watered. I hate to see our next water bill. We never use more than our limit, but when you have to use extra water for watering, it causes it to go over. We get charged out the wazzoo for every gallon we use over the limit. I'm not going to complain, since we had such a rainy spring and start to the summer. Forecast for our area this winter is to be very wet and cold.

 

[patriotgal]

I just culled cookbooks and will be tossing many of the board games this week. Will Google lens them to see if any are valuable enuf to easy or eBay. Will donate otherwise. As a family we prefer cards or dominoes. Younger grands like the condensed Life game and scrabble. Have to pick up the exploding kittens card game. They love that one. Definitely keeping jurassic park monopoly. What's not to love about a T Rex following you around the board, lol.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

I just culled cookbooks and will be tossing many of the board games this week. Will Google lens them to see if any are valuable enuf to easy or eBay. Will donate otherwise. As a family we prefer cards or dominoes. Younger grands like the condensed Life game and scrabble. Have to pick up the exploding kittens card game. They love that one. Definitely keeping jurassic park monopoly. What's not to love about a T Rex following you around the board, lol.

It's just the 2 of us. We don't have any grandchildren. That's why we don't have any board games around. Our boys outgrew them, and they got tossed early on when they moved out. Cary prefers cards over board games, but he's thought of a couple we will get. I've never even heard of them, LOL. The only board game I know of is monopoly.

 

[John Deere Girl]

I'm not quite so shocked about the grocery prices but I do see them going up. Although I was shocked when the price of my bread went up more than a dollar. I bought a loaf anyway. And the coconut oil I use has gone up 50%. I was in walmart just a couple of days ago and didn't notice empty shelves. I was doing a pick up so I didn't go down all the isles. I did notice that all the beauty products were in a more secure area than usual.

I told DH this morning that I couldn't get all the way back on my diet until I got the kitchen clean. He laughed, but I have to last laugh, its almost done. Although he may not be happy that I took all the pans and stuff he uses to process out of the kitchen and dropped them in a rain barrel out side. That was part of the mess in the kitchen. I've got a package of venison simmering with a package of shredded cabbage for dinner. This is on my diet and I have not eaten off today, so there.

I think the grocery price increases are more obvious to my DH and I because we have a big family. Our meals often feed 7-10 family members. We still have young children and teens at home. We do grow a lot of what we eat, but the grocery bill is crazy.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

I think the grocery price increases are more obvious to my DH and I because we have a big family. Our meals often feed 7-10 family members. We still have young children and teens at home. We do grow a lot of what we eat, but the grocery bill is crazy.

We're on a fixed income. As long as I can continue getting my regular monthly household budget allowance, including groceries in that, the prices are what they are. It's when prices get so high that I can't buy food and other supplies out of my budget is what's going to do us in. Right now, we're just staying afloat, and that's with me cutting out a lot of wants that aren't necessarily needs. I've already started stretching our meals out for 2 and maybe 3 meals off of one cooking. Eating lots of leftovers, until there is nothing left.

 

[summerthyme]

We're on a fixed income. As long as I can continue getting my regular monthly household budget allowance, including groceries in that, the prices are what they are. It's when prices get so high that I can't buy food and other supplies out of my budget is what's going to do us in. Right now, we're just staying afloat, and that's with me cutting out a lot of wants that aren't necessarily needs. I've already started stretching our meals out for 2 and maybe 3 meals off of one cooking. Eating lots of leftovers, until there is nothing left.

Far better to start economizing now, then waiting until it's a must. I'm a bit worried about DS and DDIL. She insists everything MUST be organic, and despite everything we grow here, their food bills must be astronomical... she also refuses to buy canned fruits, and buys fresh fruit and veggies all winter.

I agree, it's a great way to eat, but it's a damned expensive way! DS knows how to live poor... she doesn't.

Summerthyme

 

[John Deere Girl]

We're on a fixed income. As long as I can continue getting my regular monthly household budget allowance, including groceries in that, the prices are what they are. It's when prices get so high that I can't buy food and other supplies out of my budget is what's going to do us in. Right now, we're just staying afloat, and that's with me cutting out a lot of wants that aren't necessarily needs. I've already started stretching our meals out for 2 and maybe 3 meals off of one cooking. Eating lots of leftovers, until there is nothing left.

I understand! My DH is a disabled veteran, so we now live on a fixed income as well. I'm thankful we were wise in our financial planning and debt free.

 

[John Deere Girl]

Far better to start economizing now, then waiting until it's a must. I'm a bit worried about DS and DDIL. She insists everything MUST be organic, and despite everything we grow here, their food bills must be astronomical... she also refuses to buy canned fruits, and buys fresh fruit and veggies all winter.

I agree, it's a great way to eat, but it's a damned expensive way! DS knows how to live poor... she doesn't.

Summerthyme

Would she eat fruit and veggies that are home canned?

 

[SouthernBreeze]

Far better to start economizing now, then waiting until it's a must. I'm a bit worried about DS and DDIL. She insists everything MUST be organic, and despite everything we grow here, their food bills must be astronomical... she also refuses to buy canned fruits, and buys fresh fruit and veggies all winter.

I agree, it's a great way to eat, but it's a damned expensive way! DS knows how to live poor... she doesn't.

Summerthyme

It's exactly the same way with our DDIL. Eating all organic and absolutely nothing from a can. She's on another one of her health binges and is actually giving some of her hard earned storage food away, because she doesn't want to eat it anymore. I just sit in silence as I watch what she does. I think all of her health binges will come to an abrupt halt when SHTF and her belly gets hungry.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

I understand! My DH is a disabled veteran, so we now live on a fixed income as well. I'm thankful we were wise in our financial planning and debt free.

Me, too! When we got married, Cary opened a savings account at our bank. That savings has been building all this time. We started out living very frugally, so he could put a large chunk of each paycheck into that savings. We pay cash for everything, so we have no debt, either. Only our few utilities each month. We still live very frugally. My monthly household budget allowance is our largest monthly bill. If push comes to shove, a few of our monthly utility bills can be done away with.

 

[nomifyle]

I've always been thrifty when it comes to most anything, including food and clothing. I sewed my own clothes for years until I discovered thrift stores. I did buy some nice things when I worked but they were on sale.

As for food, I like organic but it doesn't have to be organic. I can still eat healthy without it. I avoid things that are highly sprayed. I've avoided GMO, its possible to do that on a budget. Now I have to look at things that have bioengineered foods in them. I bought a couple of cans of walmart brand chicken noodle soup that has bioengineered ingredients in it in a pick up so it was too late to put it back. I won't be buying that anymore. I'll have to check out the campbells to see if it is the same.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

I've always been thrifty when it comes to most anything, including food and clothing. I sewed my own clothes for years until I discovered thrift stores. I did buy some nice things when I worked but they were on sale.

As for food, I like organic but it doesn't have to be organic. I can still eat healthy without it. I avoid things that are highly sprayed. I've avoided GMO, its possible to do that on a budget. Now I have to look at things that have bioengineered foods in them. I bought a couple of cans of walmart brand chicken noodle soup that has bioengineered ingredients in it in a pick up so it was too late to put it back. I won't be buying that anymore. I'll have to check out the campbells to see if it is the same.

I have no problem whatsoever with what DDIL eats. My concern is that she gets on these wild health trips from time to time and gives a lot of her and DS's storage food away. She's not replacing it with things she will eat. I get the feeling that she's getting bored with all of this prepping stuff. The SHTF hasn't happened yet, so she spends lots of money on vanity, instead on continuing to prep. She's a city girl and is only 30 yrs. old. Go figure.

 

[patriotgal]

Our nearest salvation army thrift store is priced ridiculously high on some things. That said, I will support them over all others because they go out of their way to help people. They supply anything from beds to car seats to food and clothing and can be contacted after hours. Stopped by there yesterday cuz we were in vicinity. MIL needed new recliner and nursing home requires leather. (Would not want to try to clean a cloth covered chair in there. Aaack.) We found a $600 one for less than $200. Praise the Lord. They had some gorgeous tops for cheap. My favorite jacket cost me $ .50 in there last year.

 

[summerthyme]

Would she eat fruit and veggies that are home canned?

Nope... she actually canned applesauce a couple of years ago... hubby and I are eating it, because it's just been sitting on the shelf!

I do think it will change if things get much harder, but she has serious objections to the sugar you *need* to add if you want fruit to keep acceptable texture and color.

And the girls love our home canned beans, but she'd rather they ate fresh. Dumb!

Summerthyme

 

[kyrsyan]

I don't add near as much sugar as the recipes call for. Well, didn't when I was still using sugar. I just make sure to add some Vit C. And I honestly just don't expect bright colors. If it tastes good, I'm happy.

Now I tend to use no sugar added fruit juices as syrups. If it needs a hair more sweetener, I use stevia and monk fruit.

At some point this weekend I'm hoping to do a test batch of salted caramel pear butter.

 

[anna43]

I've canned peaches and applesauce without sugar and always use the lowest syrup when I do add sugar to any home canned fruit.

Your son should insist your d-i-l not get rid of stored food. It appears she lacks any common sense which is in rather short supply these days. Your d-i-l is probably very typical of people today who live for the day without a thought for the future. She's the type of person with which no one wants to share a SHTF times and the type to die because they refuse to eat what's available.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

I've canned peaches and applesauce without sugar and always use the lowest syrup when I do add sugar to any home canned fruit.

Your son should insist your d-i-l not get rid of stored food. It appears she lacks any common sense which is in rather short supply these days. Your d-i-l is probably very typical of people today who live for the day without a thought for the future. She's the type of person with which no one wants to share a SHTF times and the type to die because they refuse to eat what's available.

If it's not considered Keto friendly, non-GMO, non-MSG, gluten free, no sugar, and all organic, nothing from a can, and very little frozen stuff, plus who knows what else, she's getting rid of it. How do you have a food storage pantry for any length of time with only fresh organic produce, organic meat, and dairy? DS tells us that he doesn't want to rock the boat in order to keep peace between them, so he lets her have her way. He'll eat anything, and I do believe that he will stop her, before she just gets unrealistic with it as far as giving most of their food storage away.

Yeah. She's young and is really quite naive about the world and has been very sheltered all her life. She has absolutely no idea of what hardship is like or the hardships we're all about to face, even though, she has been taught what is coming. She will learn quickly when the time comes. DS is a survivalist and will do just fine. If she is starving, I'll give her some rice and pasta and some canned sauces and gravy, and I'm sure she will be grateful. The famine I think is coming is going to be so bad that people will get over their pickiness and health food pettiness fairly quickly. Everyone will be glad they have a bowl of rice and won't be worried about gaining a few pounds, either.

ETA. She believes that anything from a can causes cancer, and God never intended for humans to consume cow's/goat's milk.

 

[hd5574]

Prices here are going through the roof here in Central Virginia.
..... just like everywhere.... things are even worse in AZ where a close cousin lives....their gas is nearly a dollar and a half more than ours.
We are very fortunate because we own our place and have no debt... we use credit cards all the time....for the last three months we have received 5% cash back on gasoline...that is equivalent to about a $0.17 savings per gallon...plus we have Costco and they average about $0.30 cheaper per gallon..so we are saving nearly $0.50 per gallon...gas is the only thing we use that card for and we pay in full when we get the bill.... October to December it will give us 5% cash back at wholesale clubs...we use 2 Costco and BJ's

All our credit cards are cash back and we pay in full when the bill arrives...the cash back goes into a small interest bearing checking account...and emergency account..of sorts

We are both in our seventies..dh waited until full retirement age to take his social security and he continues to work full time...I am older than DH and took mine at age 62....since he made enough to pay the bills ....we put mine in a money market account and saved it ..now his goes to the money market...when he retired we went to the social security office and I received a second claim...a. spousal claim against his account..it basically returned the 25% I lost for taking it early.. something we didn't know about.

So we are very lucky to be in good health...we garden, can and do all the stuff..so we have a base fixed income..but without debt DHs earnings make all the difference in staying comfortable I'm sure in time the inflation will sting but thank the Lord not so far.

For a number of years DH and I helped a friend who is a truck farmer at the farmers market by us for free...so we get free produce from them...in addition to what we grow

 

[SouthernBreeze]

We are both in our seventies..dh waited until full retirement age to take his social security and he continues to work full time...I am older than DH and took mine at age 62....since he made enough to pay the bills ....we put mine in a money market account and saved it ..now his goes to the money market...when he retired we went to the social security office and I received a second claim...a. spousal claim against his account..it basically returned the 25% I lost for taking it early.. something we didn't know about.

Cary took early retirement because of health reasons. It didn't hurt him any, because he was already at the max limit one could receive from SS when he retired. Once, I turned 62, I started drawing SS off of him. My SS checks go directly into our savings account. We live off of what he receives, plus, his company retirement check he also receives each month. At the end of each month, whatever is left in our checking account gets transferred into our savings, too.

So, without any debt, we do very well, but like you, inflation is sure to be eating at us more and more as time passes.

 

[philkar]

The moon is gorgeous tonight in our neck of the woods. We are tidying yard and garden for winter. For the garden we apply chicken litter and leaves or years old hay and for the yard we will clean fence line one more time! I have used some of those 12 foot corn stalks to decorate! Got to have some beauty right? Found a field full of garlic. Dug a 5 gal bucket of bulbs after checking with owner who didn’t even know what he had. Will not order garlic this year! Should dig the rest of the peanuts next week. Hubs is working on improving our root cellar. Here in the Deep South we are constantly trying to improve our cellar storage! If it works I will share the ideas but no need until we know it is successful!
Also found jewel weed. Still trying to figure out how to use it. Tincture or dry or transplant to my yard! Anyone know?

 

[anna43]

ETA. She believes that anything from a can causes cancer, and God never intended for humans to consume cow's/goat's milk.

My mother made it to 100 years of age eating canned foods and drinking 2 to 3 gallons of milk a week. Never had cancer and basically was healthy until a stroke which took her life within 5 days.

I gave my tomatoes a huge trimming this afternoon. There are still some very nice tomatoes on the plants but too much foliage. Also, indeterminate plants do not need to be blooming this late in the season. Cucumber vines seem to be shutting down. I was disappointed to find a large cantaloupe cracked, rotted and full of bugs because I'd missed it. The weather is supposed to be much warmer the next few days so hopefully remaining tomatoes, watermelon and cantaloupe will ripen. Peppers are finally producing.

My sweet potatoes have been curing in the garage for a while so I hauled them to the basement this afternoon.

A friend is coming over tomorrow to spot me on the ladder so I can wash windows. I've washed insides of most windows just need to do the outsides of living room and storm windows in kitchen and dining rooms. I have to climb into the sink to reach the inside of the kitchen window so still need to do that one. Not a fun process!

My sister is planning to come up next week, so I've been doing a major clean of the guest room. Still need to mop the floor and then put the bed back together which won't take long.

 

[John Deere Girl]

If it's not considered Keto friendly, non-GMO, non-MSG, gluten free, no sugar, and all organic, nothing from a can, and very little frozen stuff, plus who knows what else, she's getting rid of it. How do you have a food storage pantry for any length of time with only fresh organic produce, organic meat, and dairy? DS tells us that he doesn't want to rock the boat in order to keep peace between them, so he lets her have her way. He'll eat anything, and I do believe that he will stop her, before she just gets unrealistic with it as far as giving most of their food storage away.

Yeah. She's young and is really quite naive about the world and has been very sheltered all her life. She has absolutely no idea of what hardship is like or the hardships we're all about to face, even though, she has been taught what is coming. She will learn quickly when the time comes. DS is a survivalist and will do just fine. If she is starving, I'll give her some rice and pasta and some canned sauces and gravy, and I'm sure she will be grateful. The famine I think is coming is going to be so bad that people will get over their pickiness and health food pettiness fairly quickly. Everyone will be glad they have a bowl of rice and won't be worried about gaining a few pounds, either.

ETA. She believes that anything from a can causes cancer, and God never intended for humans to consume cow's/goat's milk.

It talks about drinking goats milk and eating cheese in the Bible.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

It talks about drinking goats milk and eating cheese in the Bible.

And bread, too, of which she sees as poison. Most of what she believes, she's read somewhere on the internet, so it has to be true.........yada, yada, yada. I see it as being mostly hogwash and pure silliness. I just stay quiet. I figure it's DS's place to step in if he feels it's necessary. The only problem I have with what she does is when she can't help herself trying to push her eating habits on everyone, including me.

 

[John Deere Girl]

And bread, too, of which she sees as poison. Most of what she believes, she's read somewhere on the internet, so it has to be true.........yada, yada, yada. I see it as being mostly hogwash and pure silliness. I just stay quiet. I figure it's DS's place to step in if he feels it's necessary. The only problem I have with what she does is when she can't help herself trying to push her eating habits on everyone, including me.

Jesus said He is the bread of life!

Yeah, that would bother me enough to say something if someone tried to push their well meaning but very misguided beliefs on me. I'm sorry you deal with that!

 

[SouthernBreeze]

Jesus said He is the bread of life!

Yeah, that would bother me enough to say something if someone tried to push their well meaning but very misguided beliefs on me. I'm sorry you deal with that!

DS and DIL have been married 3 1/2 years. All I've heard is how bad this and how bad that is for you and the supposedly reasons why. Mostly, I just ignore what she says about food, now. If that's the way she wants to eat, fine with me, even though, I believe most of what she believes is very misguided. It would do her a lot of good to stay away from so many youtube videos and stop reading so many health guru books.

I'm all for eating healthy, but what I deem healthy might not agree with others, and I don't go around telling others that the way I eat is the only right way.

 

[kyrsyan]

For some it is their way of trying to show that they care for you. I just keep that POV, smile nicely, and ignore. But I've got lots of experience with that as a forever mom. I tend to manage it well unless someone expresses ideas that might harm my son and I. Those people find out, politely, just how idiotic I find them. It was bad a few years ago when there was this trend of giving autistic children very, very hot bathes to "help" them. I finally reached the point of asking the people who volunteered such ideas if I should just go ahead and call Family and Children services and report them for an investigation since they thought something so harmful would be safe to do to children or other people. That seemed to pop their brains. And then they'd do the "oh no, I'd never do that to my kids. But their not..." To which they got a glare that normally gave their brain a jumpstart into truly thinking about what came out of their mouths and what was going through their minds.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

For some it is their way of trying to show that they care for you. I just keep that POV, smile nicely, and ignore. But I've got lots of experience with that as a forever mom. I tend to manage it well unless someone expresses ideas that might harm my son and I. Those people find out, politely, just how idiotic I find them. It was bad a few years ago when there was this trend of giving autistic children very, very hot bathes to "help" them. I finally reached the point of asking the people who volunteered such ideas if I should just go ahead and call Family and Children services and report them for an investigation since they thought something so harmful would be safe to do to children or other people. That seemed to pop their brains. And then they'd do the "oh no, I'd never do that to my kids. But their not..." To which they got a glare that normally gave their brain a jumpstart into truly thinking about what came out of their mouths and what was going through their minds.

I do ignore her after all this time, but it's hard when she is constantly filling up my e-mail with youtube videos of what's good to eat and what isn't! I don't want to hurt her feelings, but enough!

I'm really touchy now about people trying to tell me what's good for me and what's not and why. I wish I had an "ignore" function for real life, LOL.

 

[philkar]

I do ignore her after all this time, but it's hard when she is constantly filling up my e-mail with youtube videos of what's good to eat and what isn't! I don't want to hurt her feelings, but enough!

I'm really touchy now about people trying to tell me what's good for me and what's not and why. I wish I had an "ignore" function for real life, LOL.

What a novel idea…an ignore button for real life!! Where do I sign up???!

 

[nomifyle]

I

Jesus said He is the bread of life!

Yeah, that would bother me enough to say something if someone tried to push their well meaning but very misguided beliefs on me. I'm sorry you deal with that!

I'm learning to keep my mouth shut about the types of food I prefer, although to some extent I agree with the DIL. I do have canned food stored, but not just anything. I raised my family on mostly meat and canned foods. I never used the boxed foods for the most part. Someone asked me years ago if I wanted to live forever and of course I said no, I just don't want to live sick. Unfortunately I do have arthritis and it gives me daily grief. And the allergies that I was born with also give me grief. My mother had good health too, but also had arthritis. Although she smoked causing her to have COPD.

 

[kyrsyan]

Tired. I went to meet someone to get knits and denim at really good prices. It was only 20 minutes away. I feel like I drove for over an hour, each way. Thank heavens I am done work for the day.

Son will be getting either two more tubes or two muumuus based of the one he keeps stealing from me. I'm leaning towards the murmurs.

Compression sheets are a fail. Compression tubes, of almost all knit materials, are a win. And are actually really easy to make. I'm debating making some tubes that can go in the car around his seat. A way he can use them when not at home with his tubes handy. If I could find 4 way stretch knit in a soft micro fleece, he'd be in heaven for winter.

I tried an experiment with charcoal pieces and essential oils to get rid of mice. They laughed at me. The charcoal was absorbing and getting rid of the scent. I'm going to try again with pumice stone.

I order the Grandpa Gus pellets to chase out an attic invader. And the spray to deal with a couple of areas where it's not practical to drop packets. Fingers crossed.

I put a camera put in the garage. I needed to see of it would connect with the wifi, and stay connected, at the farthest point. It does. So now a mounting bracket for that one inside. And eventually two outside. I also need to know how to set the router so that the cameras do not have internet access unless I specifically give it. I know that they have to do a "call home" whenever they reboot. But they're supposed to be able to function without it otherwise.

New car insurance paperwork arrived. What a headache. They made a pile of policy changes. It looks like most of them are directed at rideshare and food delivery services. I hope people are paying attention.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

I

I'm learning to keep my mouth shut about the types of food I prefer, although to some extent I agree with the DIL. I do have canned food stored, but not just anything. I raised my family on mostly meat and canned foods. I never used the boxed foods for the most part. Someone asked me years ago if I wanted to live forever and of course I said no, I just don't want to live sick. Unfortunately I do have arthritis and it gives me daily grief. And the allergies that I was born with also give me grief. My mother had good health too, but also had arthritis. Although she smoked causing her to have COPD.

Even after all of her food antics, she's still just as sick as anyone. Goes to the doctor all the time for one thing or another, and won't take the med's that are prescribed when diagnosed, cause they're all poison, too. Now, does any of that make sense? Why bother going to the doctor?

I don't think she's very healthy at all. No energy to do anything and is very overweight with chronic migraines. She's only 30 yrs. old.

I don't rule out the possibility that heredity and bad genes play a big role in the health of a person. Not so much the food they eat or don't eat, although food can be a part of it.

I just keep my mouth shut and sit back and observe.

 

[John Deere Girl]

I

I'm learning to keep my mouth shut about the types of food I prefer, although to some extent I agree with the DIL. I do have canned food stored, but not just anything. I raised my family on mostly meat and canned foods. I never used the boxed foods for the most part. Someone asked me years ago if I wanted to live forever and of course I said no, I just don't want to live sick. Unfortunately I do have arthritis and it gives me daily grief. And the allergies that I was born with also give me grief. My mother had good health too, but also had arthritis. Although she smoked causing her to have COPD.

We eat pretty clean, organic as much as possible. We are grinding organic wheat for bread, pastries, making sourdough, dye free as much as possible, and raise as much as we can. I preserve a lot of our food, cook from scratch, make soap, cheese, butter. Our kids know where real food comes from, and help produce and make it. However, not everyone has that option. I know there's a big homestead/homeschooling movement and I think it's awesome, but there's a lot of families struggling just to buy groceries, and can't afford to eat healthy. It's heartbreaking. I've been there, and I understand. It's not my business to judge how others eat, and I don't tolerate others telling me how to eat either.

 

[anna43]

SouthernBreeze -- it sounds like your d-i-l may have some mental health issues going. Overly concerned about her health and then refusing to follow doctor's instructions. Likely more influenced by what she's seeing in vlogs and various other Internet sources. Guess all you can do is keep praying for her and your son and maybe put a bee in his ear about her needing a mental health evaluation.

My living room, kitchen and dining room windows are washed. Amazing how much more light is coming in!!

I had planned on going to town this week to shop (and also last week) but something has come up each day to prohibit my doing so. I just remembered I'd prayed for guidance about shopping so suddenly feel like the Holy Spirit is what has been stopping me. I was considering going tomorrow even though I hate to shop on Saturday, but again something has come up preventing me going. Don't know why but will trust there is a good reason to stay home.