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

[hd5574]

Digger..
Mine doesn't like to ride either ..I turn the music up too loud for him to comment

He even told a kid he worked that I couldn't drive...he about fell over when he saw me driving...

that's funny..because for years..I did out county real estate title work for the law firm I worked for...I was on the road everyday...driving to 13 different counties..more miles a day than he drove

And years ago we owned an 18 wheeler rock hauler an old one with stick shift and I was licensed to drive it in 2 states..lol
Men

 

[Wildwood]

We made it back from Little Rock. Hubby's back injection went well. It's to early to tell how much good it did. Right now it's still numb from the lidocaine. We stopped for brunch in Russellville then came on home. Hubby doesn't like having to be the passenger but he survived the ride.

I am going to putter around and try not to take a nap. Hubby needs a nap though.

I hope the injection helps him. DH is the same way about driving. He thinks men should always do the driving even though neither of our parents had that attitude. I blame his attitude a little bit on my driving issues mentioned above.

 

[ginnie6]

I just went and checked my cabbage plants. Yesterday they were looking kinda puny so I put a little of my compost tea on them. Boy they look much better today! So it will be a time consuming process but that’s how I’ll fertilize everything this year. For the corn I’ll just go a little stronger on the chicken manure. We may try to get some stuff planted this weekend. The low Sunday is 36 and then 40-50’s at night.

Dh made it in tonight. I wasn’t sure he would so I haven’t cooked so we’re just going to do sandwiches. I’ve got sandwich stuff ds didn’t use before his trip and I don’t want to waste it.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

We went for our walk. Afterwards, Cary wanted to try and stack more firewood. He did more than I expected him to do. I don't think it hurt him any, since I haven't heard him complain about his shoulder. He also sprayed our driveway with weed killer. He broke the nozzle on the sprayer, so another one will be bought next time we're in town. He said it was time, since the one he broke was about 30 yrs. old. We have other sprayers, but each is used for different thing.

Early supper, tonight. We had bacon, scrambled eggs, hash browns, and biscuits with butter and apple jelly. I've just finished washing the dishes and cleaning up the kitchen. There are still some apple turnovers left from yesterday. Cary can have those, later.

It's getting dry. 2 counties just north of us are already in a "burn ban" alert. We are under a "no burn" advisory.

I'm feeling much better this afternoon. I've only had 2 Vistaril, today.

 

[summerthyme]

Sherree...just FYI, but you can buy generic Vistaril (hydroxyzine) at alldaychemist.com...

Summerthyme

 

[SouthernBreeze]

Sherree...just FYI, but you can buy generic Vistaril (hydroxyzine) at alldaychemist.com...

Summerthyme

My medications are free under our insurance plan. I have at least a year's worth stocked already, since I get automatic refills every 3 months, but don't need to use them that often. I've saved them. I only get one refill a year on the Valium. I have some of those saved too, and use them when I have dental work done. Usually, the Vistaril does the job without the Valium.

 

[anna43]

Got the food box and everything put away. Ten pounds of chicken hind quarters so I will have to use my roaster oven unless I thaw the "chunk" first. I have so much home canned chicken that I will probably cook, pick off and freeze in smaller amounts. We got a dozen eggs which were not on the list. The carrots are 5# bag so I may end up canning them. At least they will keep until I decide. Ordinarily I do the chicken right away, but I will be gone all day on Saturday for the funeral so I will wait. I had enough room in the deep freeze for it so it can wait too.

I'd wanted to work outside today but it is windy and chilly. We're under a fire watch through 9:00 p.m. Saturday so still cannot burn my pile. It was just upgraded from advisory. Last year I ended up having it hauled so probably should just do that and get it over with. Just hate to pay for that plus the ground is too soft to back the pickup to the pile so I'd have to haul it all to the front of the house which is a pain. We get so few days without wind here.

Supper will be leftovers, so no thought has to go into food this evening.

 

[WanderLore]

Oh boy we had a humdinger of a storms last night. I had Ryan on and people were checking in on his live chat, from our little area villages.
Son just went to work for a 48 and it's just getting daylight so I haven't been out to see what kind of damage we might have had. We did have some leaking in the house but it was right at the edge and I think it's because the wind was so strong it was blowing underneath the roof.
Coffee..

 

[WanderLore]

I did get the gladiolus planted around Scot's memorial and I found a big bag of seeds in the pantry wow so.. I'll go ahead and put out the cold weather stuff for now. Just not up to doing a huge garden but I will plant things that I have and also that everybody likes to eat. Hope everybody has a a good day today

 

[ginnie6]

We're under red flag alerts too so no burning here. It looks to be hot here but there's a small chance of rain tonight.

Not sure what I'm doing today. I woke up about 4 this morning with intense stomach cramps and following trips to the bathroom. I went ahead and just got up at 5 so I didn't wake dh. Feel some better now but still just some bad cramps every so often. Not sure if its a bug or the tuna I ate last night. Needless to say the chickens get the rest of that! I'm sure those little dinosaurs won't mind it.

We had planned to work on getting this garden dirt moved but he has to do some work work this morning and this afternoon it will be too hot in the garden area to shovel dirt. I don't want to go get plants until we have the area ready. We'll be buying tomatoes and his peppers. Everything else we can start from seeds.

The dogs have been worked up this morning too. It must be the neighborhood ferals cutting up. It is spring after all.

Talked with dd last night. She's having a rough time with her mil and the 5 month old. Mil thinks she should just be able to take him all day despite the fact that he has refused a bottle for awhile now, and dd thinks she tried to give him formula last week. And she thinks he is either lactose intolerant or has a milk protein allergy. She's been trying a lactose free milk and he is not a happy camper right now. There is some lactose intolerance in the family so I wouldn't be shocked over either. But I told her to calm down, take the dairy out of her diet, and give it 48 hours to see if he seems to be feeling better. She's probably going to the pediatrician today though lol. I told her if she did have him write her mil a note that she or the baby cab't do the dairy. There's some passive aggressive stuff going on with the mil. I hate they're so far away and I can't physically help her.

 

[WanderLore]

Good Lord what is it with these types? Poor Mom and baby.
If he isn't breastfeeding she could try maybe some goat milk. It's sold in the store if she can't get some local. Several of my kids were like that. I did breastfeed but eventually two of them I had to give goat's milk for a while. My twin and I were on it when we were babies. It's the fat globules or something that are bigger and regular dairy and goat milk is not like that so it's easier to digest.

 

[ginnie6]

Good Lord what is it with these types? Poor Mom and baby.
If he isn't breastfeeding she could try maybe some goat milk. It's sold in the store if she can't get some local. Several of my kids were like that. I did breastfeed but eventually two of them I had to give goat's milk for a while. My twin and I were on it when we were babies. It's the fat globules or something that are bigger and regular dairy and goat milk is not like that so it's easier to digest.

I don't know....she took the older two that same day and got them ice cream, outside and then to the park, without their coats. The high there was 36 that day and she had her coat on. She said she just "forgot" and now dgd is sick. I've told dd that I'm ready at any given minute to drive up there, and take care of this for her lol. But I know it would just make things worse. The other dil in this scenario divorced the bil this past year and now dd is under constant bombardment she feels like. But I'm not worried, she is my daughter and when she gets enough it will be stopped.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

It's going to be cooler, today, with cloudy skies. 75 for our high and 39 for our low. We might get a shower, but not likely. We're still under a "no burn" advisory through tomorrow. If no rain, tonight, I'm sure it will be extended, or it could turn into a "burn ban".

I don't have much to do, today. I'll go out with Cary, once he starts stacking wood this morning. Go for our walk. This afternoon, he wants to get out the lawn mower to oil and grease. He plans to mow, tomorrow. The whole yard needs it. Not just in patches this time.

Hamburger Helper copycat meal with homemade fries, tonight.

I don't feel like I need anymore Vistaril, today. I feel much calmer, and I got a good night's sleep.

 

[anna43]

ginnie6 - your dd does not have a m-i-l problem, she has a dh problem. She is his mother and he needs to set her straight. NO you cannot take the baby, NO you cannot take the older kids, NO you cannot have them without supervision and if you keep pushing my wife, you will not see them at all. BTDT and fortunately my dh had the backbone to stand up to his mom. In later years I had a very close relationship with m-i-l but at the first as a young mom she made my life he!!. Even her mother called her on it!!

My youngest was on soy formula due to milk allergy. When she went off formula, we moved her to goat's milk i.e. bought a $15 Toggenburg goat and had milk for the entire family. When the doctor found out I was feeding her raw goat's milk he pitched a fit ... so I changed doctors. We had other goats later but that first one was absolutely the best in taste of milk, long lactation and ease of milking.

All the "no king's" protests tomorrow ordinarily would not bother me, but I will be in Ames (college/liberal city) for my great-nephew's funeral so will likely have to deal with the idiots. Burial will be in Des Moines at a later date.

Temp is 49º and sunny/feels like 32º. We are now under two fire alerts, a warning and an advisory. I think the only difference is the time frame for each. It's pretty windy out of the NW so it is not going to be a comfortable day to work outside. Tomorrow is supposed to get up to 60º and sunny but still windy.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

Well, it turned out to be quite a busy morning for me. We got more than half the cord of firewood all stacked. Cary's shoulder began hurting, so we stopped. Went for my walk, cleaned and scrubbed the bathroom, got the house dusted, and made 2 chocolate chess pies. One to eat now, and one for the freezer.

We've been issued "red flag warnings". It's abnormally dry here, with high winds today and tomorrow. Also, a "burn ban" notice.

 

[Meemur]

Anna, the rally is at O'Neil Park, sort of in Central Ames, near 3rd and 4th, something like that. I hope that the funeral isn't near there!

Unless they send in rats from Chicago, the rally probably won't be more than a bunch of neon-colored hair freaks chanting and waving signs, a little loud but nothing violent. That's what I'm expecting in Des Moines.

I won't be going near either protest.

I'm going to run out in a bit and pick up a few more things for the weekend, and then I'm not going anywhere, other than the trails. I've never seen any commie freaks protesting out there. It's people biking, walking, and fishing in the lake, mostly locals at this time of the year. I recognize a lot of the users, even if I don't know all of their names.

 

[feralferret]

My wife's youngest son was lactose intolerant. The goat's milk in her area was expensive so she started her own dairy goat herd. This was 55 years ago in Tennessee.

After we were married in 1990, we found a farm nearby that sold goat's milk. I tried it and found that it settled better on my stomach and tasted just fine. We hated having to give up on the goat's milk when we moved to Missouri. No place nearby selling it.

 

[anna43]

Meemur, the address for the funeral home is 502 Douglas Ave. I have no idea where that is, the only streets I'm familiar with are Duff and Grand and Mary Greeley Hospital whatever that address is at. My dd has gps on her phone so I'll let her deal with finding it. The last times I've been to Ames we came in on 30 to Duff and then to the hospital.

Looks like most of Nebraska and Iowa are now under red flag fire alert. Not as scary now as it is in the fall when crops are in the field and provide fuel for fires.

 

[Meemur]

Anna, you should be fine! That funeral home is near the library and downtown, a safe area. The park is out to the west, towards the Iowa DOT and the west HyVee. You'll be near the Great Harvest Bakery, about two blocks over on 502 Burnett Ave. They have good coffee, too. They are open until 2 pm.

I went into Ankeny, mailed the remainder of my Easter cards, and picked up a few items at HyVee that have been out at the local Fareway, namely grapefruits and oranges. I've been trying to eat both an apple and a small orange (or similar) each day. Yeah, it's getting expensive, but I don't drink pop or eat processed snacks.

 

[Wildwood]

We're under red flag alerts too so no burning here. It looks to be hot here but there's a small chance of rain tonight.

Not sure what I'm doing today. I woke up about 4 this morning with intense stomach cramps and following trips to the bathroom. I went ahead and just got up at 5 so I didn't wake dh. Feel some better now but still just some bad cramps every so often. Not sure if its a bug or the tuna I ate last night. Needless to say the chickens get the rest of that! I'm sure those little dinosaurs won't mind it.

We had planned to work on getting this garden dirt moved but he has to do some work work this morning and this afternoon it will be too hot in the garden area to shovel dirt. I don't want to go get plants until we have the area ready. We'll be buying tomatoes and his peppers. Everything else we can start from seeds.

The dogs have been worked up this morning too. It must be the neighborhood ferals cutting up. It is spring after all.

Talked with dd last night. She's having a rough time with her mil and the 5 month old. Mil thinks she should just be able to take him all day despite the fact that he has refused a bottle for awhile now, and dd thinks she tried to give him formula last week. And she thinks he is either lactose intolerant or has a milk protein allergy. She's been trying a lactose free milk and he is not a happy camper right now. There is some lactose intolerance in the family so I wouldn't be shocked over either. But I told her to calm down, take the dairy out of her diet, and give it 48 hours to see if he seems to be feeling better. She's probably going to the pediatrician today though lol. I told her if she did have him write her mil a note that she or the baby cab't do the dairy. There's some passive aggressive stuff going on with the mil. I hate they're so far away and I can't physically help her.

Prayers for your DD in this situation...brings back a lot of traumatic memories for me. I don't know how I survived it to be honest, or my marriage. I use to be the sweetest person but there is a bully everywhere you go and somewhere along the way, I lost my ability to tolerate them. Yep, your SIL needs to step in.

 

[WanderLore]

I'll tell you something strange about me so nobody feels bad. This happened when I was pregnant with my first child. He is 43 now.
I could not lay anything over a picture of a child like a magazine or anything. Like setting a cup or book over the picture because I had an irrational fear that the child would suffocate.
Now this was just a picture or magazine with a child on it. It has stayed with me through today. And it progressed to where I can't cover any human or animal face on anything.
I have no explanation for it whatsoever.

 

[Wildwood]

I'll tell you something strange about me so nobody feels bad. This happened when I was pregnant with my first child. He is 43 now.
I could not lay anything over a picture of a child like a magazine or anything. Like setting a cup or book over the picture because I had an irrational fear that the child would suffocate.
Now this was just a picture or magazine with a child on it. It has stayed with me through today. And it progressed to where I can't cover any human or animal face on anything.
I have no explanation for it whatsoever.

I completely understand.

 

[WanderLore]

I don't know why it is but it's some kind of OCD or something I guess

 

[WanderLore]

I'm just having one more cup of coffee and then I'm going to run to the village and do some errands.
After this I have two bags of coal left and that's it I'm done yeah yeah!!!!
Horses are starting to eat the grass still munching on to hay that's left but when that runs out that's it I'm done!!!

 

[SouthernBreeze]

Only reaching 65 for us, today. Sunny skies. It was 39 when we got up this morning. We'll probably be burning our propane heater, tonight, and most of today. We have good chances of rain coming in on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Grocery shopping, Wednesday, and doctor appointment for myself on Thursday. We need the rain, so I'm not going to complain about having to be out in it those days.

Don't know, yet, what all I'll be doing, today. Cary plans to mow. Right now, I need more coffee.

 

[patriotgal]

Finishing taxes today. I took a tax contract that will have me working 7th thru 15th, pretty much 7 am to 10p, with scattered breaks. We will head to the kids cabin on the 17th and just get away til Sunday. I will be back to normal work hours after that. If I don't finish our taxes today, there's no way I will have time later. Hoping the time off coincides with the crappie biting. Could use a fresh round of fish and taters.

 

[Meemur]

Sunny and in the 40s. I went for a short bike ride and a walk this morning. I'm a little concerned about my tree: other honey locusts are getting visible buds. I don't see any swelling on mine. I'll give it another week, but there were visible buds on March 30th last year.

I think I might go with a native crab apple if I need to replace it.

 

[moldy]

It's been an odd week and kinda hard. I don't know. I'm having a hard time getting going today.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

I'm having a hard time getting going today.

Me, too. All I've done today is swept the floors. I just finished making up a double batch of spaghetti sauce for supper. I'll freeze the rest for another meal later on. Cary is feeling it, too. He backed out of mowing, today.

 

[WanderLore]

Feral: how are you doing since it's been a day or two since your procedure?

 

[anna43]

Just got back from Ames and the funeral. A Catholic priest did the service, and don't know why a Priest since as far as I know the mother wasn't Catholic and my nephew isn't and the grand nephew who passed wasn't. Whatever it was a very nice service.

Two family funerals in one week is definitely one too many. I don't know exactly why but both were not as smoothly managed as we do at my church or at the church where my parents funerals were held. Our local funeral home also does a smoother job. The funeral home today would only put the service online for an extra $615. I find that outrageous especially considering how much they already charge. My church puts the service online if the family requests plus providing DVDs to anyone who wants one at no charge.

I'm beyond tired, already in pajamas and robe ready to relax and get to bed early.

 

[Meemur]

Glad you got back okay, Anna. Yes, some funeral homes charge the moon and the stars. That is odd about the Catholic priest. Perhaps there wasn't anyone else available to do the service?

I agree: I'd much rather let the church handle the funeral. I also know the families of several people who've died within the last two years, and they skipped having any sort of service. It just wasn't within their means or ability to pull anything together, and I suspect that will happen more and more in the coming years if the deceased doesn't have a church family.

 

[Wildwood]

Glad you got back okay, Anna. Yes, some funeral homes charge the moon and the stars. That is odd about the Catholic priest. Perhaps there wasn't anyone else available to do the service?

I agree: I'd much rather let the church handle the funeral. I also know the families of several people who've died within the last two years, and they skipped having any sort of service. It just wasn't within their means or ability to pull anything together, and I suspect that will happen more and more in the coming years if the deceased doesn't have a church family.

I'm seeing more and more of it here, church family or not. People are finally realizing they don't have to put themselves through the torture or expense. I've instructed my family, no service. I made that decision years ago. The funerals and visitations of my loved ones were such torture for me that I decided to decline. DH wants a service and that is fine with me. I don't. They do have permission to make the final decision if they just can't bear it. I want my ashes sprinkled in my favorite places and some on each of my loved ones graves.

I'd much rather use a little of that money and have all my loved ones meet at a good restaurant, eat a nice meal and pass around a few pictures of my life and maybe share a few remembrances of me. That would do me just fine. So many people have disappointed me that I don't want those folks gathering and saying fake nice things about me...I only want those who truly love me.

 

[feralferret]

Feral: how are you doing since it's been a day or two since your procedure?

Procedure went well and seems to have been effective. Hospital experience was another matter.

After being repeated brought the wrong food which I couldn't eat due to my digestive issues, them trying to strong arm me into taking medications that I know better than to take, and being repeatedly lied to about when I would be released, I checked myself out. My youngest step-son was there to pick me up as I was supposed to be released at that time. It's not like I am living in Kansas City anymore and can just take the OATS bus to get home. I told them that I was not kidding about leaving as scheduled since my ride was there from out of town. I freaked them out when I went to the bathroom by myself and changed into my clothes. They went ahead and removed both my IV's which weren't hooked up to anything anyway. I signed myself out and they wheeled me out to the entrance where my son was waiting.

Three meals, all screwed up. They screwed up all of the meals when I was in that hospital (Research Medical) before for the heart catheter procedure that caused the blood clots in my right. I do not intend to ever go there again. I will have a big fight with the insurance company first. If I ever finally have the bypass surgery, it definitely will NOT be there.

I have spent a lot of time sleeping both there and since I got home. My hand is doing better in the pain department since I have made some changes to how I am treating it. These changes are allowing it to drain instead of build up pressure which causes it to hurt much worse. A pain level of three to four I can sleep through. A pain level of seven to nine I cannot.

Sabbath service went well. Looking forward to the New Testament Passover service Monday evening. Since there is no Hy-Vee here I had to order my unleavened read from Amazon for the Days of Unleavened Bread that follow Passover. See Leviticus 23. Note that is says that these are God's Holy Days. it does NOT say that these are the Jews Holy Days. The Apostles continued to keep them after Christ' death and ascension as documented in Acts. A fact that many choose to ignore. I read my Bible and go by what I read, not by what others tell me that it says.

We are each responsible for our own salvation, just as we are with other aspects of our lives. As with everything else in life, there are many who will just repeat what they hear, or worse yet deceive for gain. Just like listening to the news you need to do your homework and fact check what you are told Don't just take my word or anyone else's word for anything. Hopefully I haven't offended anyone with my post.