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Another chilly morning here yesterday so we started off the morning with getting the fire going again but fortunately it still had a lot of coals in it. From the weather forecast we had a morning of 1 oc with a wind chill factor bringing it to -2 oc and maximum of 16 which was with windchill factor 13 oc. We sat and had a few cups of hot chocolate to ease in the morning . I then swept around the fireplace to clean ash and wood chips.

We then folded up 4 loads of clean laundry and put it away. I also sorted my clothing wardrobe a bit and threw out 5 skirts that were threadbare and the elastic had gone in. Just ordered some more new ones to replace them but I did get over 10 years wear out of those so I consider that good going :) .

Then we got a phone call from a friend who checks on us each Sunday and we all had a good chat to catch up with one another. DH sharpened the chainsaw ready for tomorrow.

We then moved onto DH washing the dishes, cleaning the benches and I wiped them and put them away. Both of us then had lunch.

DH blessed and passed the sacrament to us both and we sang a hymn together and prayers.

Both of us then had a nice warm shower and headed down to the RSL club to meet up with a few friends and it was a nice afternoon. We had a few sausage sizzles each and a couple of soft drinks each. It is nice to see the locals really supporting the club since it opened :) .

Got home and ordered a few things we needed for the home on the internet and then we studied a scripture lesson together which was lovely.

We called our sausage sizzle dinner again last night.

Today so far I have put on a loaf of bread in the bread making machine, watered the potted fruit trees and DH has got the fireplace going again to warm up the home a bit.

Then we are off to do some more firewood cutting but this time it will be smaller logs and a bit easier going loading and cutting than on Wednesday. Think the ground is dry enough here now to take the trailer over it with firewood in the trailer without it sinking like the Titanic.
 
@Sewingcreations15 it is easily forgotten for me that you are heading into cooler weather, while we've seen it up in the 90s here already. Hoping for a cooler summer.
I am trying to scale down on belongings. Not easy for me, I keep hitting mental roadblocks on many many things, including gardening.
One of my sons and his wife came over dressed for church and he blessed and passed sacrament for us after we sang a hymn too. They are leaving the area soon so it was nice to have him helping us in this way. We discussed the lesson for this past week as well and I think we all learned a lot.
It is cloudy here today, we had a thunderstorm again last night, not much rain with it.
I have tried to make masks, cut out fabric for ten, but I can't seem to get the folding correct with the width and of course I am stubborn and try to do it as easy and quick as possible without printing the pattern out in color, not applying lines with fabric marker on the fabric and clearly I do not understand instructions and rarely do. It is in perfect American English and I do not understand! It is the pattern with a little pocket box for the pipe cleaner to go in at the top to form to the nose. UGH. This may be a necessary addition to my appearance for new job duties.
 
Frodo said:
$100.00 each and i am on a fixed income
If i could afford it i would
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Man, I wish it was only $100 here. It's practically that much just for an office visit now.
Patchouli said:
I understand. A couple times a year some vets work with local shelters to provide low cost spaying and neutering clinics. I have seen it in TX and back east in many areas. We went from being told up to $300 for getting our dog spayed by a vet, down to $45 at a lower cost shelter.
Maybe you could check with nearest big box pet supply stores. They also help advertise that at times. Check Craigslist.
Some vets are concerned enough to offer it free in some places. I have seen that.
🐱
Check with shelters and vets within 40-50 miles. You might get a lead on something.
Click to expand...
I wish we had something where I live. No shelters in my Parish even deal with cats at all. Shelters outside the Parish want to see ID & proof that you live in that parish to even take an animal. People abandon their animals all the time. There are some FB groups for getting pets adopted & sometimes that helps, but not always. I think there was a vet over an hour from me that had reduced rates on certain days, but it's too far & I think they are closed now. I'm still going to look around & see if we can find something. Wish my brother would take initiative and try to call, but all he does is play video games or sleep.
People don't dump them as much as they used to, but they used to dump dogs & cats out by us all the time. Mostly dogs. All of my dogs were abandoned ones that we rescued. Fortunately, my father's death benefits retirement pay is enough to pay for feeding our pets. I'm very lucky in that respect. Mom is about to start getting social security which will also help with the bills.
I was going to hit Samsclub today for groceries & water but Mom wanted to go with me. She wanted me to wait for her. She fell asleep & then I fell asleep. Woke up too late to go (since it closes at 6pm today & it takes an hour to get there). It takes her 30min to an hour to get ready. I don't know how the hell it can take someone that long. Barring being stuck on the porcelain throne for an extended period of time, I'm ready to go in 5 minutes or less. I can put on deodorant, powder up if need be (on hot days), get dressed, & be ready to head out the door. My hair is very thin so I don't mess with it much. Sometimes run my fingers through it instead of a brush. I keep it shorter so it doesn't tangle. I don't wear makeup so that saves time. Mom spends a lot of time brushing her hair, putting it up in a bun, & putting a head rag over her hair. For awhile I used to have to help her put her shoes & socks on but she lost some weight so she can do it herself now.
 
I have no idea where you (or Frodo) live, but I found this as an example. Please note, it says they provide on a sliding scale and if you can't afford it they are willing to work with you to make it affordable.
Low-Cost Spay & Neuter — Spay Baton Rouge
Are you looking to spay or neuter your cat or dog? Spay Baton Rouge can help! We provide low-cost spay and neuter services to qualified pet owners.

Why low-cost?
Spaying and neutering is the most humane and logical long-term solution to helping decrease the number of unwanted and homeless cats and dogs within a community, and lowering the euthanasia rate of healthy, adoptable animals. It is Spay Baton Rouge’s goal to make sure that spay and neuter services are affordable for all loving pet owners in East Baton Rouge Parish.

How “low” is low-cost?
Our co-pay is on a sliding scale, based on a client’s income and need. Spay Baton Rouge suggests the following co-pays, but if the prices still sound a little high, apply anyway! We really want to help have your pet spayed or neutered.

Cats: $40 | Dogs: $100
 
Did you ever get a deal on something so good you needed a shower afterwards… like you’d stolen it? That happened to me today.

Last night during a storm/power outage my 11-year-old 5K watt generator had fuel flow problem, repairable. I repeatedly closed and opened the fuel valve under the plastic fuel tank trouble shooting the issue. While doing so the plastic fuel tank cracked at the valve and started leaking fuel, also repairable. It’d take me a week or so to repair or replace the tank and get fuel flow working correctly. Normally this is what I would do.

Thing aren’t normal… with more storms expected and 2 invalid parents to care for…

I called around this morning searching for a quality generator at a good price. I found a bunch of no-name generators but only one of quality, a Generac 5.5K for $799 at a big box store. It didn’t have electric start and only 2 110v plugs. It was at the top end of my budget soooo…

I get to the store. I see an 8000-watt generac out of the box on the floor. It was marked down from $1129 to $900. It had been used 11hours then returned, sent to generac by the store for service/checked out.

It was more than I wanted to pay but… it had 4 110v outlet and one 230v outlet. It also had electric start.

An employee walked by, older guy, I asked a few questions. He then said he needed to help a lady with a grill but would come back. I figured it was the last time I’d see him.

Surprise, he came back. I asked a few more questions then said I’d called about the 5.5K model for $799. He said “I’ll let you have this one for $800”. I asked if his boss would go for it. He said he was the store manager!!! Another surprise!

I agreed to the deal. We walked up to the service desk… he okayed the mark down. The girl at the counter entered my name etc. I was in their system, return customer. The manager noticed I was military. He told the girl to enter my military discount, 10%. The system accepted it to his surprise. He said “must be because of the holiday, usually doesn’t apply a service discount to a marked down item”.

So, the $800 generator was now $720. To my surprise the city had suspended their 9% sales tax because of covid. So, my $720 8K generac was still $720! All discounts combined… marked down a total of $409… A quality name brand generator barely used with a full warranty. 3K more power than I intended to get with electric start and 2 more outlets…

Yes, I felt like I needed a shower! I was due for a break… I got a good one.:)
 
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I think I went to Baton Rouge a couple years ago. Long trip & GPS kept dropping signal. Frodo is in another state.
I did find some other resources Need Help With Vet Bills or Pet Food? There ARE Resources Available! - The Dogington Post
https://www.k9ofmine.com/free-dog-food-for-low-income-families/None of the spay/neuter ones are near my area, sadly. There used to be a place in Alexandria with lower prices but I think it shut down.
@Frodo, do you have any hunter friends who would be willing to give you some meat that you could share with the pets so they will at least be fed? The kitties can help keep mice away & are good company. You might also see if a local vet or animal shelter is willing to help out or if you can get food donations for them. I hate to think of them all having to die.
@Peanut I'm very glad you got a good discount & a generator. I remember when our Generac went out during hurricane Rita. We took it to the authorized repair place & the guy said he was only selling new ones & refused to fix any. We mentioned he was the authorized repair & we couldn't afford new (particularly bc he tripled prices) & he told us to go f* our selves. We ended up talking to a guy working at HomeDepot who knew how to fix stuff. We were looking at prices on new ones & told him about the rude guy at the authorized place. He asked to take a look at ours & got it working again (for free). Wish I'd remembered his name. Wrote a "thank you" letter to HomeDepot and sent a complaint to the BBB & to Generac about the guy who was screwing people at the other store. Generac stopped doing business with him.
 
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Peanut said:
Did you ever get a deal on something so good you needed a shower afterwards… like you’d stolen it? That happened to me today.

Last night during a storm/power outage my 11-year-old 5K watt generator had fuel flow problem, repairable. I repeatedly closed and opened the fuel valve under the plastic fuel tank trouble shooting the issue. During this the plastic fuel tank cracked at the valve and started leaking fuel, also repairable. It’d take me a week or so to repair or replace the tank and get fuel flow working correctly. Normally this is what I would do.

Thing aren’t normal… with more storms expected and 2 invalid parents to care for…

I called around this morning searching for a quality generator at a good price. I found a bunch of no-name generators but only one of quality, a Generac 5.5K for $799 at a big box store. It didn’t have electric start and only 2 110v plugs. It was at the top end of my budget soooo…

I get to the store. I see an 8000-watt generac out of the box on the floor. It was marked down from $1129 to $900. It had been used 11hours then returned, sent to generac by the store and serviced/checked out.

It was more than I wanted to pay but… it had 4 110v outlet and one 230v outlet. It also had electric start.

An employee walked by, older guy, I asked a few questions. He then said he needed to help a lady with a grill but would come back. I figured it was the last time I’d see him.

Surprise, he came back. I asked a few more questions then said I’d called about the 5.5K model for $799. He said “I’ll let you have this one for $800”. I asked if his boss would go for it. He said he was the store manager!!! Another surprise!

I agreed to the deal. We walked up to the service desk… he okayed the mark down. The girl at the counter entered my name etc. The manager noticed I was military. He told the girl to enter my military discount, 10%. The system accepted it to his surprise. He said “must be because of the holiday, usually doesn’t apply a service discount to a marked down item”.

So, the $800 generator was now $720. To my surprise the city had suspended their 9% sales tax because of covid. So, my $720 8K generac was still $720! All discounts combined… marked down a total of $409… A quality name brand generator barely used with a full warranty. 3K more power than I intended to get with electric start and 2 more outlets…

Yes, I felt like I needed a shower! I was due for a break… I got a good one.:)
Click to expand...


:thumbs::great: you really did get a deal !
 
Patchouli said:
My wish: that cats would be spayed and neutered instead of freely populating the countryside, getting hit, fighting it out in the streets, spreading disease, providing chow for coyotes and vicious dogs.
Yes, kittens are adorable. There are over 100 kittens and mommies in the local no-kill shelter. I can't imagine how many are euthanized every day.
Getting them fixed is not that expensive.
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Or if we were in many other countries have them for supper. I’ve had mountain lion but not house cat. I would think it would be similar to rabbit.
 
The morning started off a bit warmer this morning although we still did have the fire on to take the nip out of the air. We had our usual hot chocolates to ease in the day .

I started the day with putting on a loaf of bread in the bread making machine. DH did some work on one of the chainsaws that was cutting crooked and sharpened the chain on it. I waited for the bread to finish and turned it out of the loaf pan on a cutting board to cool and turned off the bread making machine.

We put everything in the car needed for the days firewood cutting and headed off. When we got there we cut for 2 hours and filled up another trailer load of about 1.5 cubic metres of firewood and I cleaned up the area while DH was cutting.

Once all the firewood I helped load it on the trailer and stacked it in there and we managed to fit in the other 6 large 65 cm logs we cut in half earlier in the back of the load :).

Drove home and unpacked everything and DH had a sleep. While he was sleeping I collected all the bark down the back in the lean-to shed and threw it in the bin and emptied the kitchen bin and put it in the wheelie bin. When DH woke up he brought up another wheelbarrow full of dry firewood from the shed for the fire for the next few days and watered the vegetable garden and potted fruit trees.

Tonight's dinner was rump steak and steamed vegetables followed by a couple of mint chocolate biscuits for dessert.

Shortly DH will empty the recyclables into the wheelie bin and we will take them out for collection for tomorrow.

All in all we are happy with our day and with the firewood cut today we now have enough to fill 1/3 of the lean-to firewood shed once the firewood is split when it is drier :) .

Today's iron bark firewood we cut -

25th may firewood.JPG
 
Got up early, got ready, met up with our oldest and her husband, went to the war memorial, then we all went out for breakfast for the first time in many years. After that I came home and am now just playing on the internet while the wife does a little work from home stuff. All of our younger daughters are at the oldest daughter's home for the day and our oldest son is moving into his new apartment. So the means today is just the Mrs., me, and our baby boy who is actively running around the yard playing soccer with the Rotties. Looks like we might get some rain so I am thinking we will watch a movie and maybe play some board games.
 
Thinking about giving be the Vette a bath.
After all the cruising Saturday , it is dusty and a few bugs.
It is black.
Got a new antenna mast, and all new black chrome lug nuts ordered , be here this week

Weather is starting to be stay inside type for me ...90 and high humidity.

New meds are really working on my energy level.

May just rest today.

Jim
 
I'm up, dressed.
Had a pot of coffee already today.
Strawberry has been outside the required amount of times this morning.
Washed, dried, hung up or fold and put away 2 loads of laundry this morning.
Washer and dryer are leaving my apartment on Thursday.
Oldest son was gracious enough to let me borrow his washer and dryer for awhile.
But atlas he and grand daughter have moved into their own place last month.
And he would like them returned to him.
Okay, works for me.
Wash machine is making sickening metal on metal grinding sound.
Dryer sounds like it needs new belt.
Would rather they quit on him than me.
And if they go to his house it will save me $10 a month on water bill at my apartment.
Then the $10 goes into savings too.
So I'm saving money to purchase a smaller washer/dryer combo.
And while I save my money, I can still use his washer and dryer the one weekend a month I watch the grand daughter at his house. Otherwise I will just go to laundry mat, no big deal either way.
Just got to finish up the dishes.
Get some apples ready for the dehydrator only got about 8 pounds.
Need to snap green beans(5 pounds) get some ready to cook.
Fresh green beans, bacon,new baby potatoes, onions to die for.
I have 2 more payments on my student loan($5500 approx) then that will be paid off in full.
Only been working on that little bill for 3 years.
Then that money will go into savings.
Been reading reports, cross stitching on children's quilt blocks.
Just an ordinary day.
 
I'm having a very slow day. My blood pressure has dropped( 103/59) today for some reason. I can't tilt my head down or back before everything starts swimming around. So needless to say I'm not getting much done today. Hate when this happens. Usually after a good sleep I'm okay. We'll see in the morning

Hubby is working on the deck putting up the posts he needs for the railing so he can start on the decking this week. He's off all week. Right now he's trying to get some more pine branches cut back from the one garage. Hate for them to come down in a storm and into the garage. That we don't need

I had plans of mulching more of the garden and planting a couple of rows of green beans but thats not happening.

New people moved into the cabin thats been empty for a couple of years. They have little girls and hubby has already seen one out on the lane when he was coming home saturday. She ran back onto their property but now we have to keep an eye out for them.

Other neighbors who haven't been observing the Stay Home/Safer at Home orders for our state are having a pool party today.Traffic up and down the lane ( oh goody...not)

It used to be fairly quiet here now we have to keep the windows and doors closed because of screaming kids and barking dogs.
I hate neighbors. We never seem to get good ones *sigh*
 
Amish Heart said:
Why does it take so long to buy a vehicle?
Click to expand...

More opportunity to sell you add ons, like extended warranties.

And congrats. The truck brand thing is never ending at my department, with little factions of Ford, Chevy, Dodge, Honda, and Toyota fans. In the end they all seem to be pretty much the same thing made by a different company.
 
WVDragonlady said:
I'm having a very slow day. My blood pressure has dropped( 103/59) today for some reason. I can't tilt my head down or back before everything starts swimming around. So needless to say I'm not getting much done today. Hate when this happens. Usually after a good sleep I'm okay. We'll see in the morning

Hubby is working on the deck putting up the posts he needs for the railing so he can start on the decking this week. He's off all week. Right now he's trying to get some more pine branches cut back from the one garage. Hate for them to come down in a storm and into the garage. That we don't need

I had plans of mulching more of the garden and planting a couple of rows of green beans but thats not happening.

New people moved into the cabin thats been empty for a couple of years. They have little girls and hubby has already seen one out on the lane when he was coming home saturday. She ran back onto their property but now we have to keep an eye out for them.

Other neighbors who haven't been observing the Stay Home/Safer at Home orders for our state are having a pool party today.Traffic up and down the lane ( oh goody...not)

It used to be fairly quiet here now we have to keep the windows and doors closed because of screaming kids and barking dogs.
I hate neighbors. We never seem to get good ones *sigh*
Click to expand...
Hmm!
Must be something in the air?
Mine was lower than that last week when I took a little trip to the ER at the VA.
But that is right in range of my new blood pressure too.(97/59 ish).
Hope you get to feeling better.
 
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