Prep Genrl Weekly Prep Thread: April 12-April 18, 2026

A

anna43

Veteran Member
Sunny and 79º here with high forecast as 81º. We're also dry. We've had rain but also a lot of wind which dries things out. It's windy now but just 18 mph so not bad. Tomorrow is supposed to be high winds. Fire trucks went north this morning, not just ours but also from a neighboring community. No idea what was happening so prayed for everyone's safety and will wait for gossip to catch me up. I live across from gossip central a/k/a the senior apartment complex!!

I pulled rhubarb and made my grandmother's Rhubarb Pudding recipe. Rhubarb is on my forbidden foods list, so I only do this once per year and love every bite of it. I cut enough asparagus for one meal. Since it's also on the forbidden list, I'll wait for tomorrow to eat it. My late dh would have been perfectly happy with my forbidden list because he didn't like veggies, but I love them and really miss eating them. Of course, when I cheat and eat them, I do pay the penalty.

I mixed up a meat loaf for supper and peeled and chopped potatoes and carrots to cook with it. I have to put out my trash this evening for early morning pickup tomorrow and I wanted the ground beef wrapping and gloves I use to mix it in the trash and not sitting around for a week so mixed it and put it in the fridge.

I just went to the basement to check if I'd turned on the grow light and I hadn't. My poor plants had 48 hours of light a couple days ago and now 20 hours without light with one cycle of normal in-between. I started to go down earlier but got a phone call then forgot. At least I remembered my physical therapy and got it done today after forgetting yesterday.

I sorted out a pattern and fabric to make a new apron and have half the bias tape I need. The pattern called for making bias tape but that is something I do not like doing so prefer to buy it. Hobby Lobby often has it half price and to me it's worth it. I mended my favorite apron, but I really need a couple new ones. I have three that I can wear but only one that I like and since I wear one often, I think I should have something I like. Sewing is the only option as I'm not about to give $15 to $25 to buy one!
 
SouthernBreeze

SouthernBreeze

TB Fanatic
anna43 said:
Sunny and 79º here with high forecast as 81º. We're also dry. We've had rain but also a lot of wind which dries things out. It's windy now but just 18 mph so not bad. Tomorrow is supposed to be high winds. Fire trucks went north this morning, not just ours but also from a neighboring community. No idea what was happening so prayed for everyone's safety and will wait for gossip to catch me up. I live across from gossip central a/k/a the senior apartment complex!!

I pulled rhubarb and made my grandmother's Rhubarb Pudding recipe. Rhubarb is on my forbidden foods list, so I only do this once per year and love every bite of it. I cut enough asparagus for one meal. Since it's also on the forbidden list, I'll wait for tomorrow to eat it. My late dh would have been perfectly happy with my forbidden list because he didn't like veggies, but I love them and really miss eating them. Of course, when I cheat and eat them, I do pay the penalty.

I mixed up a meat loaf for supper and peeled and chopped potatoes and carrots to cook with it. I have to put out my trash this evening for early morning pickup tomorrow and I wanted the ground beef wrapping and gloves I use to mix it in the trash and not sitting around for a week so mixed it and put it in the fridge.

I just went to the basement to check if I'd turned on the grow light and I hadn't. My poor plants had 48 hours of light a couple days ago and now 20 hours without light with one cycle of normal in-between. I started to go down earlier but got a phone call then forgot. At least I remembered my physical therapy and got it done today after forgetting yesterday.

I sorted out a pattern and fabric to make a new apron and have half the bias tape I need. The pattern called for making bias tape but that is something I do not like doing so prefer to buy it. Hobby Lobby often has it half price and to me it's worth it. I mended my favorite apron, but I really need a couple new ones. I have three that I can wear but only one that I like and since I wear one often, I think I should have something I like. Sewing is the only option as I'm not about to give $15 to $25 to buy one!
Click to expand...

We're supposed to hit a record for high temp tomorrow. 90 degrees. It was warm enough today for Cary to bring out our floor fan, and turn it on. The humidity is pretty high, too.

You just reminded me to put plastic gloves on my Sam's list that will be sent out tomorrow. Thank You! I kept forgetting to do it. I hate mixing up meatloaf without gloves.

I never have been one to wear aprons. My maternal grandmother always had an apron on. I guess the only time she didn't wear one was when she went to bed, town, or to church. When she passed, Mom gave all of her aprons to me. They were all handmade by Grandma.

I wear jeans year around. I went through all of them, today, to throw out all that were worn to the point tiny holes were coming in them. I'll take those for every day wear, and buy new ones to replace them. I wear old jeans around the house, until they turn to rags.
 
A

anna43

Veteran Member
If I don't wear a full apron, I ruin shirts with stains every day. My maternal grandmother always wore an apron. I learned long ago that I needed to wear one or get used to wearing stained shirts. I mostly wear sweatpants and sweatshirts in the winter and jeans or jean shorts in the summer. It's the knit shirts and sweatshirts that always end up stained which I hate and its simple enough solution to prevent by wearing a full apron. It's also frugal because you can wear the same shirt a couple of days if you cover with an apron, it means less laundry and replacing less shirts. I'm big on less work and less spending!!
 
W

Wildwood

Veteran Member
I love an apron in the garden but have never warmed up to wearing one in the house...I should. What I do for a living can be messy so I have a ton of worn out t-shirts that I wear around here every day. My main reason for the garden apron has to do with protection but I find myself putting other things in it too, my phone being another important item plus all kinds of garden needs.

I heard and felt my first humming bird earlier this week...should have already had my feeders out. I ran and got a couple feeders filled and sure enough, an hour or two later, I got a look at them. I need to take one to the garden. I was standing right under one of the spots where I usually hang one when it happened. It's hard to believe those tiny little fragile things can come back to the exact spot but they do. My four o'clocks have also sprouted...spring has sprung.

Speaking of gardens lol, all those tomato seedlings I fretted over had an explosion of growth the last couple days and they are almost ready to plant. I'd like to wait a couple of weeks but don't know if I can. It seems every year, they go from tiny seedling to half grown over night.

I'm hoping we can get the fence up this weekend. One of our neighbors has some extra time and can help DH work on some of our vehicles. He's so busy nowdays, he has trouble getting to everything. If that happens, I may have to wait. It will be worth it though. I want to sell the big diesel furniture truck. DH and I will never do the shows again...it's just too much pressure and physical work for two nearly seventy year olds. Granted DH is more able bodied than the young guys he works with but I don't want to ruin our health at this age. We both work too hard already and the pressure is the worst part of it.
 
J

JasmineAndLace

Senior Member
I had to have my back porch re-built--the original one was about 22 years old and was getting pretty weak in places. The new porch is beautiful and has inspired me to put out new hanging planters and table and chairs. My daughter took me to Menards a couple of days ago to buy plants for the new hangers and I was surprised to see honey bees swarming around the flowering plants. The bees finally seem to be making a come back here. I also saw our first humming birds a couple days ago, so I have my feeders out now.
 
D

Digger

Veteran Member
It's been a good week so far. I took down all my cattle panels in the new garden and pulled the t post. Next I need to mow so I can till it. I am moving the panels to a different spot to rotate where things grow. I am behind on getting this done. I do what I can; when I can. My bedding plant tomatoes have really grown the last couple of days. I can plant them any time now.

Two of my turkey eggs have hatched in the incubator. I only had 4 that were fertilized. Hopefully at least one more will hatch. I have 2 hen turkeys setting on eggs in the pens. These are heritage Bourbon Reds. I was very excited that we got my old round metal incubator working. We bought it years ago from Sears. I used to get much better hatches from it than the newer one I have from the farm store.

We also got the frame built and set over our original well so we can manually draw water if we need it. The well doesn't have a high volume so we drilled a new well. We used it off and on until lightning took out the pump. But I always wanted to be able to access that water. I grew up drawing water from a well for drinking and cooking. We have the pulley, bucket, and a rope. I want to replace the rope with chain. We have to get a measurement on how much we need because it's over a dollar a foot. That has been a big goal of mine to get access to water that doesn't require electricity.

We had storms Wednesday night. We got 1 3/10 inches of much needed rain. We are still in a drought though. More rain is expected on Saturday night.

Time to get busy. Have a blessed day and weekend.
 
SouthernBreeze

SouthernBreeze

TB Fanatic
90 degrees for us, today, which will be record breaking. The humidity will be going up, too. We still have an inch of rain in the forecast for tomorrow, but we'll see. It seems like every time rain is given, it never develops, or we just get a pittance. Surely, not enough to break our drought.

Another day to work outside. More work in my flowers, mostly the roses. Cary plans to mow and put out fire ant poison. We're already seeing hills develop. I still have yesterday's laundry to fold and put away. Other household chores.

We have a pair of tiny bluebirds that have built a nest in one of my running roses. We're enjoying their presence. Lots of birds at our bird feeder, too. 2 woodpeckers were out there the other day. That was a treat. Our family of deer still come around. Cary took some over ripe apples out there for them. They (apples) were gone the next morning. The family has grown in size, since they first started coming up. We're up to 8 now. They don't have any fear of us, either.
 
patriotgal

patriotgal

Veteran Member
My new chair mat arrived rolled into a box. Left it under heavy stuff for a couple days to flatten it out. Got the old one out and gave my office a good vacuuming. Put away the tax contract notes until next year. Cleared and cleaned my desk. Tech setup for next contract was easy. I enjoy doing contracts with this company. Support is just an email away and it doesn't matter what level of the hierarchy you talk to. Everyone is very nice. They don't put up with morons either.

A lady in our remote work group at another company is training for a Disney contract. She is having an experience much like my granddaughter's. Two days of unpaid training just to end up with much of class wasted because students still needed help just logging in to class! Today the instructor showed up ridiculously drunk.

Burned a lot of old papers today when the rain stopped. Grand brought us a most delicious, much appreciated supper yesterday evening.

Today we have an unexpected big decision to make so will be putting our thoughts and prayers into that today.
 
M

moldy

Has No Life - Lives on TB
DH and I have some decisions to make, too. Praying for some clarity and wisdom in that. I have an open house today for one of my side gigs, then I'm not sure if I will go finish up cleaning a house I promised to do, or come home and do that tomorrow. Depends on the weather. We are supposed to have rain and snow, but I see sun and wind out the window.
 
Meemur

Meemur

Voice on the Prairie
Calm right now but wind and hail are predicted for later. My starts are out on the patio but I'll wheel them in before I go do paying work. TGIF! I need a week just to focus on outside work.

Added: next year will be different! I'm retiring soon . . .
 
Last edited:
SouthernBreeze

SouthernBreeze

TB Fanatic
I'm finished with my roses. I walked outside to get started, and I met Cary coming around the corner of the house with a big beautiful bouquet of roses he had cut for me! I love that man! I brought them in and put them in a vase for the dining table. Before long, the whole house will smell like roses!

Folded and put away the laundry from yesterday, too. I also chopped three large bags of green and red bell peppers I bought when we went shopping. 2 gallons in the freezer, now. I also have 2 gallons of red and yellow bell pepper strips I've cut up and frozen to use in my stir fries. Bell peppers, onions, and garlic are staples in my house. I use them in almost everything.

Taking a lunch break right now.

I plan to bake a BBQ smoked boneless ham (3 1/2 lb.), butter beans, boiled potatoes, and cornbread for supper, tonight. Bread and Butter pickles on the side.
 
Last edited:
SouthernBreeze

SouthernBreeze

TB Fanatic
Meemur said:
I love roses, especially the old-fashioned ones with the delightful scents.
Click to expand...

I have assorted color tea roses, and 4 different color climbing roses. There were some small sapling oak trees trying to grow through some of them, so that's what I had to get rid of this morning. Got scratched up pretty good doing it, too. I don't have as many roses as I once had. Drought and disease got some of them over the years, and I've never replaced them. I still have plenty to care for, though.
 
feralferret

feralferret

Veteran Member
In both a flood watch and a tornado watch. Forecast is calling for 3" of rain with high winds, large hail, and a risk of tornadoes. Latest Storm Prediction Center outlook upgraded us from elevated risk of severe weather to moderate risk.

Pre-Op went well. Waiting for results of blood work.

McDonald's screwed up my sandwiches again this morning, fourth sandwich order in a row. Again I ordered steak and egg McMuffins and they gave me steak and egg bagels even though the grill ticket on the sandwiches was correct. They replaced them with the correct sandwiches, one of which I ate and the other went into the fridge for tomorrow. I use the buy one get one free deal in the app. On the plus side I got two free sandwiches that I put in the freezer for another day. The person making the sandwiches needs to learn to read. What's funny is that they always get the no cheese or onions right, just the wrong type of bread on the breakfast sandwiches. Go figure.

I get frozen hash browns from the grocery store that are identical to the ones that McDonald's serves. I pop them in the air fryer and they come out perfect. Reheat the sandwich and voila!
 
W

WanderLore

Veteran Member
Left this morning to run errands and go to my chiropractor. One of the horses was down in the pasture and wouldn't get up. I gave it to the Lord and prayed and prayed and prayed my sister prayed. Horse was okay when I got home praise the Lord.
Got all my errands and stuff done only to get home to find that I had left the one burner on geez.
 
A

anna43

Veteran Member
It has been windy all day. First from south then north. No watches or warning for me so far anyway. Temps below freezing tonight 28º, so I brought purchased flowers in from garage.

I spent most of the day at eye doctor getting tested, evaluated and waiting and waiting in preparation for cataract surgery May 7. Still need to get a pre-surgery physical. My eyes are still dilatated so dark and cloudy was good. I need to see if my dd wants to take me for surgery or if I need to find someone else to take me. A friend was my driver today and I took her for a late lunch afterwards. I'm trying to recall if there are limitations after surgery and how long they last. Mid-May to first of June is garden planting time for me.

My light fixture in main bath has four bulbs. One popped today so I replaced it and now the other three look wimpy. I am not going to replace the others until they burn out so will just have to ignore the obvious discrepancy.
 
Meemur

Meemur

Voice on the Prairie
I'm fine. I was at my paying job, which is in a cement building, and I would've walked downstairs to the basement offices. We're just getting pop-up storms, now. I'm home.

Congrats, Kyrsyan! That's such a relief!

images
 
W

Wildwood

Veteran Member
Digger said:
It's been a good week so far. I took down all my cattle panels in the new garden and pulled the t post. Next I need to mow so I can till it. I am moving the panels to a different spot to rotate where things grow. I am behind on getting this done. I do what I can; when I can. My bedding plant tomatoes have really grown the last couple of days. I can plant them any time now.

Two of my turkey eggs have hatched in the incubator. I only had 4 that were fertilized. Hopefully at least one more will hatch. I have 2 hen turkeys setting on eggs in the pens. These are heritage Bourbon Reds. I was very excited that we got my old round metal incubator working. We bought it years ago from Sears. I used to get much better hatches from it than the newer one I have from the farm store.

We also got the frame built and set over our original well so we can manually draw water if we need it. The well doesn't have a high volume so we drilled a new well. We used it off and on until lightning took out the pump. But I always wanted to be able to access that water. I grew up drawing water from a well for drinking and cooking. We have the pulley, bucket, and a rope. I want to replace the rope with chain. We have to get a measurement on how much we need because it's over a dollar a foot. That has been a big goal of mine to get access to water that doesn't require electricity.

We had storms Wednesday night. We got 1 3/10 inches of much needed rain. We are still in a drought though. More rain is expected on Saturday night.

Time to get busy. Have a blessed day and weekend.
Click to expand...
It sounds like you have gotten a lot done!

I also have an extra well that I'd like to do the same with. We've never figured out why the people we bought this place from were trying to dig a third well, when our main one is so good...pretty sure it's artesian and there was already a back up. They had gotten very deep with it too, digging it by hand.
 
Last edited:
D

Digger

Veteran Member
Wildwood, at my parents place past your house, we had a hand dug well. That water was so good. We actually filtered creek water for the bathrooms and laundry. But after all the kids left home, Dad had a well drilled. They still drew their drinking water from the hand dug well. The new well water felt like you could never get the soap off when you took a bath. But it was dependable. And the creek would nearly go dry in places some summers. There is nothing like that cold well water when it's 100* and drinking a dipper full right at the well. Turning on a faucet just isn't the same.
 
A

anna43

Veteran Member
patriotgal

patriotgal

Veteran Member
Congrats @kyrsyan. Glad that is settled and off your plate.
Enjoy the new tower. Replaced mine recently. Only thing I have left to replace now is my chair and that will have to come from somewhere I can sit in it before buying. Really happy with my work setup now.

Mowed this afternoon in light wind with everything in bloom. Only did so because I knew hubs would try doing it. Riding mower. Sneezed, snotted, coughed, eyes running but I got the front yard done.

Flowers blooming and trees budding. My last rose bush died. Getting cuttings from grandma's.
 
feralferret

feralferret

Veteran Member
Daughter just got home from work. She works about 30 miles NE of home. She had to drive through a lot of ponding on the road. There was also a lot of debris on the road in many places. Mainly leaves and small branches, but some larger debris. She said some of it looked like insulation and maybe roof tiles.
 
M

mecoastie

Has No Life - Lives on TB
I am in overdrive. Have never felt the push so hard to prep. Getting things ordered now for projects over the next year. We are getting things like my son’s computer for school now. Spare boots and work clothes.

My daughter is teaching me how to use her 3D printer and setting up a cad program that isn’t internet reliant in case we need to make parts for repair. Ordered enough material and parts to keep it going for a while. In addition to plussing up replacement parts and spares. Where I usually keep 1, I am trying to get 2 or 3 deep.

Looking at getting spare tires for the 2 vehicles that are at half tread. They will be in the garage when the time comes for replacement. And a dozen other things like that.

My wallet and budget are getting hammered but most all of it is something we will use eventually.
 
W

WanderLore

Veteran Member
Anna, Scot had his lenses replaced from terrible cataracts years ago I don't know if this is the same thing? This was done in a same day surgery suite like a doctor's office. It was a 10-minute procedure. He had each eye done I think a week or two apart and he was fine they didn't sedate him, he just got a numbing shot or something I wasn't allowed to be in there.
 
SouthernBreeze

SouthernBreeze

TB Fanatic
Only 75 degrees and cloudy for today's forecast. Patchy rain and a few thunderstorms, too. They have really backed off our rain chances. We might get some, and we might not. It's dark outside, so maybe, we'll get at least a little. No plans to work outside either way.

I don't have much to do, today. I've caught up on everything. No home fellowship tomorrow, so we plan a nice and quiet weekend.
 
SouthernBreeze

SouthernBreeze

TB Fanatic
When I last did my grocery shopping, I bought a 3.5 lb. bag of frozen broccoli florets, a 3.5 lb. bag of cauliflower florets, and a large bag of frozen sliced mushrooms. I just finished using all of that, plus, some of my frozen red and yellow bell pepper strips from my freezer, and my own onions to make individual servings of stir fry veggies. I got 10 bags. I did it this way, because it's a lot easier than trying to take out of each individual large bag every time I wanted to make a stir fry. I don't know if I saved any money doing it this way, but those individual serving size bags of frozen stir fry veggies are expensive. I'm happy with it. The large bags of frozen stir fry veggies at the grocery store always have veggies in it that I don't care for. So, I made my own.
 
M

moldy

Has No Life - Lives on TB
@SouthernBreeze , but you saved TIME!! And time is money!

Heading out shortly to go finish cleaning the house. How i get talked into these things i don't know. Probably because I want to keep all my opportunities for extra work open. I plan to bang it out and get back home ASAP (and maybe stop by Krispy Kreme on the way back).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top