Prep Genrl Weekly Prep Thread: March 22 to March 28, 2026

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feralferret

feralferret

Veteran Member
Just finished watching the last movie that Chuck Norris made, Agent Recon. It was released in 2024. A fairly minor role. Sad to see his death. My wife actually met him many years ago when she was competing in martial arts tournaments. He came over to talk with her after she won her match (against a man).

Cardiac ablation procedure is scheduled for Wednesday morning. Prayers appreciated. Daughter will be driving me so that is a load off of my mind. I am not at all comfortable driving at night due to severe cataract in my good eye. Maybe I can get the cataract handled soon. I was supposed to have cataract surgery three years ago but other issues interfered.

High of 94 Saturday. Expecting a high of 81 today and 56 Monday. Weather whiplash. I hope all have a calm and peaceful week.
 
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WanderLore

Veteran Member
Feral, I'll have you in prayer for the ablation. But, everyone I ever talked to who has one, says it was truly a lifesaver.
Doc explained that once they run the dye in, they trace all the bad electrical trails and fix them.
Everyone I talked to said theirs was still holding years later. A neighbor had it done over 20 years ago and he is still going like gangbusters at 80.
 
SouthernBreeze

SouthernBreeze

TB Fanatic
A good Sunday morning to All.

Another beautiful day on hand for today. 88 degrees, today, and back down to 70, tomorrow. I'll get my walk in, but that's about it for us, today.

I don't know if it was too much sun, or something else, but I developed the old standard Lupus "butterfly rash" on my face late yesterday afternoon. It's some better this morning. Prednisone to the rescue. At one point, I would also develop lesions along with the rash, but not anymore. My fingers are slightly swollen and stiff, too. It's hard to work/type with stiff fingers.
 
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nomifyle

nomifyle

TB Fanatic
supposed to get up to 87 today, another record high.

I'm getting the cleaning bug, can't do much for very long, but I'm chipping away at a few things. i unboxed my new ocedar mop and bucket at 1:00 am. I get a burst of energy at odd times so I'm trying to get a little done here and there. This mop makes a good wall and ceiling duster.
 
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moldy

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Carry over from last week's thread: There is a big difference between cow poo and chicken poo. I wear a mask when cleaning the chicken house, and did while cleaning the house yesterday too. And covered my hair! The family owned 2 houses - they sold the one next door to the one I was cleaning. it had about 4 inches of cat poo throughout the house.

When my house gets too cluttered, I watch 'Hoarders' for inspiration!

This week will be busy, but OK. I need to finish typing about 20 pages of notes today for the lecture I give Wednesday. And I need to go check on DH who is doing some work with the backhoe, and spray my front yard around the raised beds for weeds
 
SouthernBreeze

SouthernBreeze

TB Fanatic
The couple that we bought our house and property from were hoarders. Their house was a house of filth and cat poo. I was appalled when the old woman passed awaya nd the old man hired someone to come ina nd clean up the house. She told us horor stories about what she found. The old woman hadd so many cats that she couldn't count them all. She had put a huge cardboard box (like what a refrigerator comes in) in the sun room for her cats to potty in. Instead of cleaning out the box, before she put new litter in, she would just dump new litter in on top of the old. When the cleaning lady was cleaning that out, she found dead cat skeletons buried in the layers and layers of litter. Her DH had to move it out with a tractor and lift from the basement. The house was so bad that you couldn't walk through it without tripping over piles of old newspapers, and items the old women didn't even know she had, or had forgotten what she had. Stuff piled everywhere that was filthy. The old man was just as bad. Their yard looked like a junk yard. After getting to know these people and their habits, I vowed to never let my house get in such a bad shape, even if it meant hiring someone to clean it for me once a week. Cary agreed. IIRC, we only went into their house 3 times over the years that we have lived here. The house finally burned to the ground after they both passed. I said good riddance! No one was living there at the time.
 
patriotgal

patriotgal

Veteran Member
We are loving the ice machine we got ourselves for our anniversary. It's a countertop one with the extra water container on the side. Will hook it up direct once distiller hooked up. It's name is Opal, according to the paperwork. Opal is very efficient and runs all day since we use a lot of ice. The paperwork warns she has a wide variety of sounds. Mostly, to me, she just sounds like my can opener :) She makes the small ice the great grands love.

Finishing the last of the training modules. I used AI to make a couple of process cheatsheets. I hate to be stuck at a desk when it is 90 deg outside but am grateful for the income.

A bunch of fat robins have joined the deer in the yard. Neighbor down the road has lost 3 of her Pekin ducks from her yard. She puts them up at night but unfortunately we share a neighbor who can't keep her dogs home and those dogs kill ducks and chickens. After years of dogs not coming home the owner is finally investing in a fence. Sad. It's amazing how far away we have seen her dogs.
 
patriotgal

patriotgal

Veteran Member
The woman who trashed the 2 houses we cleaned had been a hoarder for a long time. When she was married, her husband kept it in check. When they divorced, there was no stopping it. She would fill a house and then a yard. She actually lived with us for a short time but wasn't allowed to bring anything in. She never could see what the issue was. Couldn't throw away trash. Another friend was helping her clean once and she told the friend to leave with the trash or she would bring it right back in. So sad but very much a mental issue for her.

A man died in a hoarder cabin out here in the boonies. Wasn't found right away. It took his family quite some time and a good sum of money to find a hazmat team that would take it on.

For all their messiness growing up, all of our kids keep spotless homes. Mine would be spotless too if I didn't live on the farm place.
 
SouthernBreeze

SouthernBreeze

TB Fanatic
patriotgal said:
The woman who trashed the 2 houses we cleaned had been a hoarder for a long time. When she was married, her husband kept it in check. When they divorced, there was no stopping it. She would fill a house and then a yard. She actually lived with us for a short time but wasn't allowed to bring anything in. She never could see what the issue was. Couldn't throw away trash. Another friend was helping her clean once and she told the friend to leave with the trash or she would bring it right back in. So sad but very much a mental issue for her.

A man died in a hoarder cabin out here in the boonies. Wasn't found right away. It took his family quite some time and a good sum of money to find a hazmat team that would take it on.

For all their messiness growing up, all of our kids keep spotless homes. Mine would be spotless too if I didn't live on the farm place.
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Not being able to throw anything away or getting rid of junk is one reason the couple I mentioned became hoarders. The had a full basement in their house and 2 large barns. All were filled to the brim to where thee was only a makeshift path where you could walk in them. They lived on a hill, and one side of the hill was where they collected and threw out old 5 gal. plastic buckets with lids the she would get at Walmart that cake frosting came in. Then, on the other side of the hill, there was a mountain of old glass jars that she just souldn't throw away.

When the couple passed, the place and 80 acres were left to his first cousin and her DH. All they could do was to hire a bulldozer and backhoe to come in and clean all that mess up after the house burned.

As I get older, I'm not as picky about my house and cleaning as I once was, but I can't ever imagine myself being that nasty.
 
Meemur

Meemur

Voice on the Prairie
As Mac on Midwest Magic Cleaning points out, it's a mental disorder in most of the cases he films. Someone has died or the person has had some other horrible experience.

In my experience of extreme cleaning, it was an elderly person on meds or with mobility problems who left the house get away from her. That's a slightly different problem. The house will be dusty/dirty with piles of mail and clothing, but there's not quite as much trash lying around on surfaces (some effort has been made to use the trash can, even if the bags are stacked up in the kitchen or on the porch) plus I've never seen a problem with animal waste. I wouldn't have taken the job if it had been that bad! And I did have other companies I could refer messes like that to, long before those cleaning shows ever made it on TV.

But it is a specialized type of cleaning. You can't just go in with a shovel and toss everything away. Landlords and family members will do that, but if the person is still alive, that method generally creates more problems than it solves.
 
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Digger

Veteran Member
I have a sister that is a hoarder or maybe just a shopping addict or a bit of both. Her appartment just has trails through it. The last time I helped her move, we moved boxes that were never unpacked from the last move. She buys stuff and never takes it out of the box or bag. She bought canning equipment about 25 years ago even though she doesn't can. Boxes we moved had a layer of cat fur that looked like felt it was so thick. She has a couple of non working washers and dryers that she can't get through the trail to tash them. She bought a new set 8 or so years ago. It's still in the living room because you can't get it into place. She has to go to the laundry. She has no kids and never married. I haven't been in her apartment in years. But I could see roaches the last time she opened her door when I brought her some eggs. Her door doesn't even open up all the way because of the stuff. Her car is the same way. Stuff stacked to the hatch back window. It's a one seater car now. All the rest are piled high with her shopping. And she has a rented storage unit. She is older than me. I really don't know what to do if she passes or has to go to a nursing home. I know a lot will just be trash because of the bugs. She is still working as of now and drawing Social security.

I moved some of my plants to the porch. I am glad to have them out of the dinning room. I also got the cover on my green house so I could move my one flat of bedding plants out. They were sprouting and needed the outside sun. Our weather is downright hot the last couple of days. I need to get busy on the garden now that I am feeling better.

We got my job done. I was starting to stress about it. I was running out of month in a hurry. We just need to go to the transfer station and dump trash. I also have to do my invoices for my pay.

Have a blessed week everyone.
 
SouthernBreeze

SouthernBreeze

TB Fanatic
Cary helped me move the rest of my houseplants out onto the front porch. I'll need to buy bedding plants for the planters that are out there. I don't think we're going to have anymore freezing weather. He also helped me mix up a chicken casserole for supper. I'll put it in the oven, later. My fingers are working, but they do hurt. He's always such a big help to me. I hope they are lots better, tomorrow, because I want to open the rest of the curtains in the house and clean the inside of the windows.

I haven't gone for my walk, yet. I'm waiting for the direct sun to get off my walking path.
 
SouthernBreeze

SouthernBreeze

TB Fanatic
Meemur said:
That's also why I have weekly step quotas instead of daily ones because things happen and the weekly quota circumvents the "all or nothing" portion of my brain that makes me feel guilty when I don't reach my goals.
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I'll be going for my walk, later, after eating and cleaning up the kitchen. My walking path will be more in the shade by then. I got too much sun, I think, doing it in the middle of the day for the past 2 days.

I don't keep track of my walking steps. I just walk for about 30 mins. each day.
 
Meemur

Meemur

Voice on the Prairie
I keep track of mine because I want to get it up to 8 - 10 miles a day if I end up going to Europe. It's between 2 - 3 right now. I have a ways to go! But my physical therapist is happy with my progress: I was struggling to walk a half mile all at once when I started.
 
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anna43

Veteran Member
Digger, if your sister's home is so bad the door will not open completely, it is a dangerous potential deathtrap for her. A call to your local county health department for a welfare check might be in order. It's sounds like it has reached life and death situation. So sad.

My former neighbor took an infestation of fleas into a senior center which led to county health getting involved. I'd tried before but she would not open the door for them, and they could not or would not force the issue with a warrant. My neighbor's home was condemned and the county brought in a hazmat team for cleanup.

My dd has three house cats and when you walk into her house you do not smell cats. She has three litter boxes so each cat has its own which she scoops several times each day. I don't know how often she changes the litter, but it must be timely or it would smell.

I walked to church this a.m. when it was 40º which would not have been bad, but a strong north wind made it freezing. The kids served a pancake breakfast after church. It's mostly dad's working with them in the kitchen and they do this twice each year and each time they do a better job. They served us at our tables and cleared afterwards. One little girl of 6 "helped" who wasn't supposed to but other than some spilled juice did fine. She reminds me of my grandson who from age 4 when asked always told people he was 12. I didn't sleep good last night so took a long nap and that was pretty much the day for me.
 
feralferret

feralferret

Veteran Member
I got the longest period of sleep this morning that I have had in at least a month. Seven and a half hours total of actual sleep. Took eight and a half to get it.

:eleph:

When I was ten, I was a newspaper carrier (paperboy). I had one customer who was an older couple. They had umpteen cats and fed additional strays outside. You could smell their place 25 feet UPWIND. I absolutely hated having to go there and collect their subscription every month.
 
ginnie6

ginnie6

Veteran Member
patriotgal said:
We are loving the ice machine we got ourselves for our anniversary. It's a countertop one with the extra water container on the side. Will hook it up direct once distiller hooked up. It's name is Opal, according to the paperwork. Opal is very efficient and runs all day since we use a lot of ice. The paperwork warns she has a wide variety of sounds. Mostly, to me, she just sounds like my can opener :) She makes the small ice the great grands love.
Click to expand...
We LOVE our icemaker! When we remodeled our kitchen one thing I wanted was a commercial fridge and dh wanted a dedicated icemaker, not one of those in the door ones. So he got online and found us both what we wanted. He found me a HUGE fridge with metal shelves (I hate plastic ones) and glass sliding doors and he got an under the counter icemaker. We have to pull it out every so often and clean the hoses in it out because of our hard water but man I do love it. It keeps up with how much ice we use too. Although since he gave up sweet tea he doesn't use as much.

And on the hoarding, my Grannie grew up dirt poor and lived through the great depression. She saved stuff because she might need them one day. Styrofoam cups and meat trays were washed, with bleach, and put under the sink, then in a cabinet. Fabric she got from the cotton mill she worked at her whole life was kept. She just hated to throw anything away just in case. And those styrofoam cups? She grew flowers and vegetables in them and sold them at the auction up the road from her. she had the greenest thumb I've ever seen. I'm looking at my revamped garden space and thinking "oh how she would love to play in that dirt!"

My big load of dirt is coming today! Then the fun of spreading it out lol. By tonight I will be so dirty and need my shower but I will sleep good. I also need this week to get a new shelter built for my chicks to get them outside. Their heat plate can go out also but they can now get out of their tub so out they need to go! I'm finally getting enough eggs for us and dd and family. We went in on the chickens together because they want fresh eggs but she doesn't have time or desire to mess with chickens. I enjoy it so this works for both of our families. They contribute food and I contribute time and labor. Plus I get my favorite....sitting outside and watching "chicken tv" in the afternoons.
 
ginnie6

ginnie6

Veteran Member
It really does work well for us. I got the new house for the chicks built but in looking at the weather we have two days of rain and two 35 degree nights coming up so I think I’m going to wait to put them outside after that. At least everything will be ready for them.
Now I’m sitting here relaxing. For a little bit at least. I’ve got a ton of dishes to do today. Ds cleaned his car out this weekend. I now know where every single cup was….. at least he filled them up with water to soak.
 
Meemur

Meemur

Voice on the Prairie
It's in the upper 30s here and sunny. I'm returning to paying work this week. I'm thankful that it's not in the 20s with icy roads.

I'm trying not to worry about my little tree. It is a late boomer. Last year, it bloomed at the end of March, but there's no evidence of the buds swelling at all right now. I'll just try to be patient. I have a Plan B if it died. I need to have a tree in that spot.
 
SouthernBreeze

SouthernBreeze

TB Fanatic
Fingers are lots better this morning. I've been taking down curtains in order to wash windows. Doing all that laundry, now. I have other household chores to do right now, but will get the windows washed and cleaned this afternoon while Cary is outside working on the yard.

Only 68 for our high, today, windy, but sunny skies. Mom told me this morning that she thinks this is the last cold spell we'll have. Only in the 60's and low 70's for the rest of the week. Blackberries are in full bloom right now, and we Southerners call it our "Blackberry Winter". It's the last cold spell we have, before more summerlike temps begin. I can hardly wait!
 
SouthernBreeze

SouthernBreeze

TB Fanatic
Windows all washed and curtains cleaned and rehung. Floors swept and mopped. The rest of my house plants moved outside on the porch. Cary and I went for a short drive around in the community, since we haven't done that in a while. I'm tired.

Leftovers for supper, tonight. I plan to rest the rest of the afternoon, but will take my walk after supper.
 
sssarawolf

sssarawolf

We're just plugging along.
We have been going through our food storage. Has to be done once in a while. We try to keep the newest in certain places. But sometimes things end up where they shouldn't be. Dh rearranges things from time to time and a few things get lost. I have the darndest time finding things then. We worked on it 2 days last week and then around 6 hours today. I gringe when he says he is going to work on the storage lol. Today I was able to be with him.
 
ginnie6

ginnie6

Veteran Member
Well its cold this morning compared to yesterday! It's currently 45 with a high of 58, yesterday we hit the upper 80's. Got my load of dirt finally yesterday. It came at 5pm. They said they were running behind from weekend. Driver was super nice though and I am now ready to start spreading it. Just have to work up the motivation lol. Dh is saying wait since we can't plant for a week or two.

Definitely waiting to put my babies out now. I've got too much money and time invested to put them out before they're able to handle the cooler nights. I need to clean their tub today and that should be fun.

I think I'm going for a walk in a bit. Rufus could use one and I'm just not in the mood to do much today. I've got quilts I need to get finished so that might be on the agenda. That may just be what I spend the next two days doing since tomorrow is cooler too.
 
SouthernBreeze

SouthernBreeze

TB Fanatic
We only made it up to 68 degrees, yesterday. A bit warmer today at 72. These will be our temps for the rest of the week into the weekend. 60's and low 70's. We have a slight chance of a stray shower this afternoon.

Not doing much, today. More laundry, since I had curtains to do, yesterday. I'm expecting the first shipment of my Sam's order, today. I think I'll get the rest of it delivered, tomorrow, according to tracking.

We were supposed to take Mom to visit Dad's family cemetery, today, but she called to cancel. She wants to wait, until one day next week hoping it will be warmer. It's been years, since we have been there. I think it was when my grandmother passed away that we were there last. It's a very old cemetery that goes back generations on both my grandfather and grandmother's side of the family.
 
W

WanderLore

Veteran Member
Morning all. Slept in till 630. It was 21 when I did chores and son went out and nailed siding and gutters back up.
Plus we got the new dog back home. He goes in the morning to get snipped.
My oldest grandson is 18 today, wow where did the time go.
Temps will go back up starting tomorrow.
I truly can't wait for me and son to get in the road this fall. Will be scouting for a little spot down south. It will be home base for the winter. All off grid.
Just going to read a bit and have more coffee.
 
D

Digger

Veteran Member
I got a small portion of the garden broke yesterday. I moved some mullein plants so I can till another area. I want to plant my cabbage today and maybe some potatoes. My bedding plants are doing good in the little green house. It's still a month before they can go in the ground.

Our friend came up and took the wheels off the semi trailer that we are going to use for storage. I am glad that's done. We have to fix the end where the freezer unit used to be and build shelves.

I bought 2 more tin cat mouse traps. I saw a mouse in the turkey pen. I figure there are some in the hen house too. We keep one under our house all the time. We never had mice under the house in over 30 years until this last year. And the mice seem plentiful outside. My one cat is not doing his job or maybe he is out numbered.
 
Meemur

Meemur

Voice on the Prairie
I haven't seen any mice for awhile. The hawks tend to keep the outside population down, and my kitty gets any that get in, but I go around the outside of the house in the fall with my can of spray foam and look for openings. If I'd stop leaving the porch door open, they probably wouldn't get in at all.

Busy day here! I'm just now getting to the news. I attended online weather spotter training through the NWS in Des Moines. If you live where there are tornadoes, I encourage you to take the free training course as part of your preps. It's offered by the National Weather Service all over the country, and since this is weather awareness week, you might still be able to work it in. Check your local NWS page if interested.

I found the slides very helpful. I've grown up with tornadoes but it doesn't hurt to learn about some of the new research, like the newer models.

And, no, AI isn't going to replace boots-on-the-ground spotting, not for a long time. Rain-wrapped tornadoes are still difficult for the radar to see, and that's where spotters come in. Anyone can be a spotter! You don't have to "chase" them, like Reed Timmer does. Just looking out your front door is fine. A lot of the training is about staying safe and what details to include in your report.

Added: There's NO obligation! You can just take the training and do with it what you will. No one will email or phone you to "check up." LOL! One of my neighbors won't take it because she doesn't want to be on a "list."
 
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feralferret

feralferret

Veteran Member
This year the Kansas City NWS office is offering the spotter training class online. No in person presence required.

I first took the basic spotter training back in the mid 80s when I got my amateur radio license. I've had the advanced training several times, the last of which was in 1994. It was taught by the two men who had just rewritten the course, Chuck Doswell and Alan Moller. I feel very blessed to have been able to have that opportunity. They were the leading experts at the time.

After I get past my medical procedure, I plan to recertify with the online class. I used to be an assistant emergency coordinator in both ARES and RACES back in Amarillo and used to help the NWS people put on several the classes every spring for the various amateur radio groups around the area. I occasionally got to be out in the field if I wasn't stuck in the EOC running an amateur radio spotter net from there.
 
Meemur

Meemur

Voice on the Prairie
Yes! I was grateful for the online opportunity: it fit in a lot better with my schedule, and I was able to wear sweats. I turned my camera on long enough to wave at the chat moderator, and then turned it and my mic back off. Perfect! My cat hung out with me, and I got to drink tea.

That's the best way to do seminars that aren't down the street at the library. This one would've required more driving and better clothing (jeans and a polo shirt).
 
A

anna43

Veteran Member
My tomato seeds are up about an inch in all but one pod. It will be amazing if my plants survive between forgetting to turn the lights on or off. They have gone 24 hours without light and 24 with light. They will be very confused when they get outside with a normal light/dark cycle IF they survive my forgetfulness!

Cousin's funeral was this morning. Great-nephew's funeral is on Saturday. Sad week.

Last week I opened a pint of home canned pork loin and made bbq pulled pork sandwich. There was only about a 4th of the pint left without bbq sauce and this evening I made a white sauce and put the remaining pork in it. Then I made a batch of biscuits and put the gravy over them. It was yummy and I have enough for another meal. I have quite a bit of home canned meat that needs to be used which should help greatly with the budget as I work through it. Chicken, turkey, pork loin, venison/ground beef and a few jars of ham. I'm not crazy about the canned ham but it will work in a casserole.

Got the list for Thursday's mobile food box and the ones with the xx I will pass on to someone else. The guy that picks up for me will likely give me his frosting, baking mix and maybe cinnamon roll dough. If he wants the mac & cheese I'll give him that too as I have plenty and seldom use it. In fact, I decided yesterday to start making a box of it each week and using it for lunch. Free lunch is good ... even if the boxed mac & cheese isn't! One time we got carrots, and it was a 5# bag so I canned them. The hygiene kit is a big question, and I may pass it on as I'm typically allergic to most stuff so am very careful what I use and, if scented, even allow in the house.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
Carrots
Chicken Leg Quarters
Shredded Cheese
All Purpose Baking Mix
Black Beans xx
Peanut Butter xx
Spaghetti Sauce
Cinnamon Roll Dough
Mayonnaise
Strawberry Fruit Spread
Spaghetti Rings xx
Deodorant Stick xx
Spaghetti
Macaroni & Cheese
Mixed Vegetables
Eggs
Great Northern Beans xx
Hygiene Kit Box
Frozen Peach Cups
 
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