My Weblog

Yesterday was grocery day; today is......

Do you know how that title ends? If you guessed produce day, you get the big green banana. Congratulations!

I have been working on filling one quart jar with dehydrated celery. I can no longer tell you how many bunches of celery that has already taken and my jar is just over half full. Celery is very high in water content. So, when it's dehydrated, you end up with tiny little chunks. It takes a lot of tiny little chunks to fill a quart jar. But, I'm going for it again today. Yep, I got another bunch of celery delivered yesterday. Today, I am chopping it and getting it into the dehydrator. I'm sick and tired of needing chopped celery for something I'm making only to find out the celery I thought I had is brown and mushy. Produce day is a better option, particularly considering my budget!

Next order of business is broccoli. Yes, you can dehydrate broccoli. But, in my opinion, it's really kinda nasty when it's been dehydrated and I'm not a fan of how it rehydrates. So, my broccoli mission will be cutting it up, blanching it, cooling it down in cold water, flash freezing it, and, finally (phew!) bagging it up and freezing it. Broccoli is one of my favorite veggies and my local Kroger affiliate advertised broccoli crowns for $.68 a pound. Compare that price to the cost of a 10 or 12 oz bag of pre-frozen broccoli. Quite a savings. I tried to buy 5 pounds of it, but they were out so they substituted not a bunch of broccoli, but somewhere between a bunch and the broccoli crowns they advertised. So, I do have some stems to deal with. I will just chop the stems, dehydrate and grind into an addition to my jar of "green powder". The stems are less fun to eat, but as green powder, they'll still add some nutrition to soups, stews, sauces, and maybe even casseroles. Or, I could fill some capsules with broccoli powder and use those capsules as supplements to my not so great diet.

I'm still sort of betwixt and between on the broccoli. I hate to start boiling large pots of water in the heat of the day. That will do nothing but make my HVAC system work harder. But, it's sort of a long drawn out process and I really don't want to still be working on it at midnight or beyond. 

I also am the proud owner of some spinach that is going in the dehydrator. Dehydrated spinach rescues my menu plan over and over. Spinach spoils rather quickly. I keep a stash of pre-made frozen entrees in the freezer for all those days I "just don't feel like cooking". So much easier to nuke something pre-made than having to do the whole big production of making dinner from scratch. And just a few days of putting it off and I've got spoiled fresh spinach on hand. It sure helps to have some of the dehydrated stuff around. Spinach, too, can be ground into powder and added to the green powder jar. But, spinach is much more acceptable when dehydrated, in my opinion, than broccoli.

I am amazed to report that Instacart actually got my order right yesterday. Sure, there were substitutions, but they didn't do anything stupid and costly. So, kudos to them this time. Last time I received a pack of corn tortillas and a loaf of bread for free. This kind of thing--free stuff--has happened before and I've attempted to give the stuff back to the store or to have them add the additional cost to my bill. They don't want to be bothered. So, these days, if it happens, not knowing what else to do, I just thank the Lord for the blessing. 

Speaking of my not so great diet, I have been working hard on upping my game. I have been eating blueberries every day for about 2 months now. I love when I can get them on sale. I've learned, however, that I am eating 1/2 cup a day and a "serving" is actually a full cup. I have to marry a well-off, well-preserved gentleman before I can indulge myself in that many blueberries a day. They were on sale this week at $.99 for a 6oz package. I bought 3 but I should have bought 20!

Well, that's it for now. Miles to go before I sleep..........

putting it off til tomorrow

It has been ghastly hot in Nevada for several weeks. We had a full week of "Extreme Heat" warnings. It is finally cooling off a little today. Can you imagine--a high in two digits? Hard to fathom given recent experience. While I will grant you that 97 beats 107, it's still hot. And getting my van going is a challenge. It sits in the sun and is thoroughly oven-like for a good `15 minutes once the A/C starts pumping. So, today the high was 97. But, tomorrow it's only supposed to be 90! I need to pick up a prescription, but I think I will wait one more day. 

Also, I figure I have one more day's work on the "devil tree". That should enable me to take it down all the way to the ground. That darned thing is on the west side of the house so there's no shade to be found. I think I will wait 'til tomorrow on that as well. Then I will drown the stump in vinegar, hoping to kill it completely. If that doesn't work, I know there is some sort of stump-killer poison I can get at a nursery or even at Lowe's. Then, I will go back to work on the hedge along the entryway which is, fortunately, in the shade most of the afternoon. 

I have complained here in the past about the trash guys mishandling my weekly pick-up. Because I am certified as "disabled", I am eligible to have them get the trash bins from the front of the house, empty them, and return them to the front of the house. It took me 6 months and several phone calls to the route supervisor but they are finally getting it right. Because of the "devil tree" project, I have a 3rd trash bin out there which I am using for cuttings off that evil tree. I line the bin with a contractor's bag and use binder clips to hold the bag in place. This keeps the bag from slipping down and, therefore, I don't have to risk bloody holes in my arms from fishing for the top of a bag that has slipped down. These guys who took 7 months to get the basics down have been pulling the bags out of that bin and getting rid of them for several weeks now. I'm really grateful for that as sometimes it gets quite heavy. My complaint is that they keep taking my binder clips. I suppose I could have complained about that too, but I decided that since they are going the extra mile, I would just buy more binder clips for me to use and them to subsequently enjoy, LOL.

I have been working on doing a COMPLETE fridge cleanout. I'm coming along pretty well considering that bending is pretty painful so I can't accomplish a whole lot in any one session. I've ditched some green and black science experiments and come to the conclusion that I am well-stocked on pasta sauce, salsa, and better-than-bouillon. It's an old fridge but it seems to remember how to sparkle. It makes me very happy as well to have more order in there as I've reorganized everything as I go along. It's lovely how much more room is in there when one eliminates the science experiments and organizes the contents. 

Summary for the day: I am definitely no speed-demon, but I am making progress! Thank you, Lord.

Proud of me

Remember the "devil tree"? I have continued to work on that nasty thing. It's been so hot here--we've been under an "excessive heat warning" for more than a week. So, I have to wait til after it cools down a bit, after 7PM, to go out. And , of course, I only spend about 10 minutes at a time out there. But, a bit at a time, I am getting that tree gone~ I figure I should have it down to ground level with just 2-3 more days' work. Then, I guess, I start on some of the other very unwelcome desert vegetation that's growing up around here. I'm aware I'll never get it all taken care of, but maybe I can get to the place where I can keep pace with it..........

I have been dealing with Mt. Washmore here in the house. I've done 5 loads in the last few days. I figure I've got about 2 more loads to do and I can ease off on laundry for a while. I still have a backlog of things to put away though. All of that laundry has been hung to dry on my little drying rack. No dryer/no boost to the gas bill for me!

My back is doing better. I am attributing that to the potassium/magnesium supplements with which I dose myself every day. For years now I've been taking 2 tablets of each every day. A few weeks ago I upped that to 3 of each a day and that seems to have made a difference. I still hurt in the mornings, but, by afternoon, I can walk upright without pain. Unfortunately, I'm still hurting when I bend which is a barrier to my "gardening" work. But, just being able to walk from one place to another without pain is a blessing. I'm also getting additional potassium/magnesium from moringa which I've added back into my daily routine. I'm also making an effort to eat some fruit daily. Mainly, I'm trying to eat 1/2 cup serving of blueberries every day. 

I just got my car insurance bill for the next six months. Darn if they didn't raise it another $20 a month. I figured it out the other day--It's increased 79% within the last year. That's insane if you ask me. It's especially insane in that I drive no more than about 20 miles a month. I have one errand I run every tow weeks. That's about 5 miles round trip. And then, I do have to go to the drugstore to pick up prescriptions 4 times a quarter. Each of those trips is about 5 miles round trip. So, I'm being generous then i say I'm driving about 20 miles a month. And still the cost goes up!

 

Some small achievements

Small, but still important to me. I have taken Moringa for years, primarily because of its nutritional punch. Lately, however, I have found myself buying this supplement and that supplement, and that has gotten pricey. Simultaneously, I was frustrated with trying to make my moringa capsules. I had ordered capsules from a company called capsuline. With the capsules, I also got a little thing to help me make the capsules. The little "thing" was not functioning well. It was "eating" capsules. And, besides, it would only make 24 capsules at a time. I want to take 2 a day, at least, and with only 24 at a time, I'll be spending a lot of time getting everything out, set up, used, and put away. And too boot, I won't be happy with the results as this thing tends to break numerous capsules.

I saw an ad on the internet for a new and different capsule maker by a company called Herb Affair. I didn't love the price, but I'm thinking enough moringa may substitute for some of the other supplements I'm taking. That would quickly make up for the expenditure. Anyway, this piece of equipment makes 100 at a time, a vast improvement over 24. However, it has multiple pieces to be used in the process. To tell you the truth, I didn't even want to try to make it work. But, they send detailed instructions with very clear pictures. Long story short, I now have 100 Moringa capsules ready to go. I had 3 capsules that didn't turn out right. Quick solution to that problem: swallowed them quickly before I lost the powdery substance inside. 

Today must be my day for walking out "with God, all things are possible". Sometime ago I bought one of those Saker mini saws. My idea was to use it to clean up my yard a bit. I tried it once and scared myself. (I probably had some help in that scary thing from Satan). I have been working out there since January, but pretty much what remains is not going to be taken care of with pruners. So, I had to face it: It was time to break out the Saker. Well, the first thing I learned is that I either have very small or very weak hands. I knew my left hand wasn't up to snuff, but I thought my right hand would do okay. However, in order to make that thing run, you have to push a button with your thumb, and squeeze a trigger with the rest of the hand. I can't do that. I think I could make it work if I could get the pad of my thumb on the button and still reach the trigger well enough to squeeze it, but I can't reach.  So, very carefully, calling on God for help, I pushed the button with my left hand and squeezed the trigger with my right. I sawed off 6-8 branches or pieces of branches and got everything into the trashcan. In that I am being very careful, it will take me maybe a week, but I should soon have that nasty, thorn-ridden thing down to the ground level. I'll be so glad when it's gone. Those thorns are sharp and long, and all over that thing. Nasty!

So, 2 achievements today and I am proud of myself. And, of course, very grateful to the good Lord for His help..........

 

old dog, new tricks

Slowly I get a little smarter as I go along. I've been trying to dehydrate a bunch of celery. I never seem to use celery while it's still good and when I want to use celery in something I'm cooking, I don't have any that is usable. I decided to work on this project a couple of days ago. Of course, about 1/3 of what I had went straight into the compost pile as it was too far gone to use. I did manage to save some, thank goodness. Hey folks, I do NOT have the money to be throwing away food. Yesterday, I got groceries delivered including more celery. Today I got it all chopped up and into the dehydrator. It finally occurred to me this is the way to go. I do not eat celery just to eat celery. I only ever use it in cooking--usually when I make soup. So, it makes sense to chop up the celery ASAP. I do not need celery stalks in the fridge! Lesson learned.

I had solar panels installed on a sort of lease program last year. They went live in November. At the time I signed up, I was guaranteed 100% coverage. In other words, I should be receiving credits, not bills, from Nevada Energy. But, I just paid a $66.50 bill. A few days ago, I called the power company again to make sure I understood their internet reporting. So, yesterday I called the company that bills me for the system. I called for half an hour and couldn't get through. So, I logged onto their website and took advantage of their live chat feature. I was connected with a very helpful, very friendly young lady. She looked at my account and immediately saw a problem. She got me all the information I'd requested. Additionally, she got their tech people on the phone and had them take a look and they agreed there seems to be a problem. Long story short, I should have the company that installed the system crawling around on my roof next week. They will find and fix the problem and my contract guarantees remuneration for the charges I've been experiencing. Phew! What a relief.

I've been monitoring the craziness going on in our "justice" system. I've paid particular attention to the NY fiasco. When I heard the verdict, I was disheartened, for so many reasons. I mean, I've prayed over this thing. Everything I've heard indicated to me that a juror of average intelligence would thumb their nose at the prosecution. But, a conviction? Never considered it. I firmly believe that God has anointed Trump to right this country. When the 2020 election happened, many of us began to pray that God would reveal the evil. Well, we've had 4 years of "revelation" and we're suffering the consequences now. But, I believed that perhaps we were done with revelation. I kept telling myself that the Bible says "touch not my anointed". Well, I'm just glad I'm not related to any New York attorneys or judges. If I were, after this I sure wouldn't hang around them......... Anyway, I turned to the Victory Channel to watch Flashpoint. They always bring us back to God's Word and God's promises. I was listening when I heard, within myself, "It ain't over 'til it's over." That's been rattling around in my head ever since. No, no one wrote it on my wall. And, no I didn't hear an audible voice. But, I firmly believe God dropped that into my spirit to comfort me. But, do I have to tell you, I want it to be OVER!