The Garden Thread - February, 2025

February 1, 2025 | Diana in WI/Greeneyes in Memoriam

[FamiliarFace]

See this is what’s confusing. They’ve said he can’t read anything, with either eye, which is the part that precludes him from doing his job, or very nearly anything meaningful. I mean how much tv can you watch with your head down? So far, the instructions have been very confusing. The doctor told him a few weeks ago that he’d be up and around in a “couple of days”. Now, it doesn’t sound like they want him to move much at all.

So I’m not sure these folks are even on the same page.

It’s not adding up, that’s all I can tell you. We are preparing to have things be “askew” for a little while.

They said we won’t know until the surgery is over whether he will need to be face down, left facing, or right facing.

I really have the feeling that we are missing some vital piece of information.

I don’t like surprises if they aren’t necessary. I’ve read everything I can about this procedure, called a pars plana vitrectomy. Some of the descriptions don’t even include his situation as a reason to do it, though there are similarities.

Anyway, saying my prayers. For guided skillful hands, for the recovery to be straightforward, with no glitches.

The paperwork side of things seems to be coming along, so that’s a relief. I just hope everyone plays nice.

[FamiliarFace]

As others have said, it reminds me of a charcoal starter, very similar to the one my husband uses.

[Pollard]

I wouldn’t use it in water!! *ZOT*

The element itself is encased in metal alloy tubing, just like a water heater element or engine block heater. I wouldn't be sticking the handle in the water. I'll try it in a plastic tub of water first.

It was some of the junk I cleaned out from my neighbor's barn. The BIG deep freezer doesn't work. It's a Sears & Roebuck to give you an idea of how old it is. Oh well. I can use it for storage. Got a big 4k Onan RV generator that ran when parked. Might be worth something. Got a big wood stove. The type that's in a sheet metal box. Has a fan I haven't plugged in yet.

Got 10 sq bales of good hay so I'm tossing some to the goats every day. Also got a bale of compressed alfalfa hay. He hauled off the junk hay even though he knew I was going to mulch the garden with it. Might save some of the good stuff for that.

Started submitting job applications. Running out of sit on my butt money. Made it through most of the winter at least.

[MomwithHope]

I would not stick it in the water directly!! I would put it in a metal pal and then a metal bucket of water on top. So the iron piece had contact with the water bucket. I also would not have it on all the time. Probably not designed for continual use and it’s old too. Maybe a timer or just use it when it freezes until the water is thawed. Good luck!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I didn’t realize there was protection on those. I know you’re smart enough not to mix electricity and water!

“Oh well. I can use it for storage.”

We have four (non-functioning) chest freezers in the kennel shed and that’s where we store all the bags of dog food for the hunting dogs. Beau buys it by the pallet-load. It keeps it dry and keeps the mice OUT!

Good luck on the job hunting. How is the economy by you? What are your choices for employment? Maybe they fired the jerk that caused you to leave your last job? Seemed like you enjoyed it and the hours.

[Liz]

Apricot Glazed Chicken
So easy, prep-work literally takes a couple minutes.

Ing 3 chix breasts (boneless, skinless or bone-in) 1 cup Smuckers apricot preserves
1 cup Catalina salad dressing (or Russian) 2 tbl Dijon, 2 oz dried onion soup mix

Instructions Glaze: Mix well apricot preserves, Catalina dressing, onion soup mix, and Dijon. Place chicken in greased 9×13 b/dish. Pour apricot over evenly; bake 375 deg 40-45 min til chicken cooks thru. Do not crowd pan so chicken cooks evenly. Serve w/ green vegetable and a mound of flavored rice.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Catalina and Henry’s were always Dad’s favorite salad dressings. I was in charge of ‘The Side Salads’ for supper when I was growing up. And the Chocolate Chip Cookies. (The secret? A little peanut butter in there keeps them stay soft a long time!)

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/9830/peanut-butter-chocolate-chip-cookies-from-heaven/

I made a batch of homemade French the other day. It was OK, but I only had the Smoked Paprika on hand, so it had a slightly different taste.

I am letting bottled dressings run out around here and am going with homemade, thereafter. We love Blue Cheese dressing and that’s easy to make. So is Ranch, and Thousand Island is just mayo, ketchup and pickle relish! ;)

[Liz]

i love Catalina and Blue Cheese Dressing.

Whenever we had fish, Mom always made her incomparable tartar sauce using pickle relish.

[Pollard]

Tested in a cooler. Worked like a charm. 15 minutes from cold to warm so the ringer washer, probably half an hour. Washing nasty jeans in cold water just doesn’t cut it. I have a separate IBC tank just for the ringer washer. This way I won’t have to take hot water that comes from our house water tank. When I had the little front yard garden, water for that came from the house tank which drained it quick.

I have an extra water heater I thought about setting up outside for the ringer washer but then I’d need a pump. Right now, water from the IBC tank will gravity feed through a hose to the washer. The tank sits on a stack of pallets. I have 2x4s sticking out of the top pallet and have a double sink sitting on those and a spigot on the tank. I use it for cleaning when running the smoker or for rinsing/washing my hands. I keep GoJo hand cleaner sitting out there. Some of that off grid ingenuity.

[Pollard]

Jobs out here are convenient/grocery stores, retirement homes and factories. I dropped an app at the machine shop that does military aircraft parts and will upload a resume to Hubbell, a big electric component mfg. This location does transformers like home electric service type out on the electric pole.

Looking at the weekend shift, Fri-Sun, 3 - 12 hour days. Pays $22-23/hr - 36 hours, 6am-6:30pm so about $800/wk. They have day and night shifts too that are 4 - 10 hour days, Mon-Thurs. Night shift is $25-26/hr and $1,000/wk but 4:30pm to 3am - yuck. Day shift is $20-21/hr so it would still be about $800/wk for four more hours in four days compared to weekend. Weekend or days, either would work and give me at least one weekday off which is nice.

They’re a global company and have many locations across the US so the benefits ought to be decent.

I can handle 12 hours on my feet if it isn’t a bunch of walking which was my issue with the last place when I was a tech doing 12 hour shifts. Having four days off would be cool and leave plenty of time for gardening and projects around here. When I swapped to the office job, then I had no weekdays off which I hated.

The machine shop is considered thee place to work around here. I guess it’s a pretty easy pace - fedgov contracts. Highly precise work. They prefer younger people that they can train and have work there for decades which is understandable. They turned me down last time but I had zero recent work history and have a couple of years now so we’ll see. I did good on the mechanical aptitude test, probably better than most.

The factories are set up for processes broken down to simple repetitive tasks that are quick to train most anyone on, Henry Ford style, so they’ll take most anyone.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

What? No stream so you can beat your clothes on a rock? LOL!

I’m spoiled, but I DO hang laundry year ‘round and I’m not averse to cleaning myself up in the yard with the garden hose on a hot day. ;)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Ya gotta have that! :)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Sounds like you have some prospects, at least!

I always took Thursdays and Sundays off. I didn’t mind working a late shift to close on Friday, then open on Saturday. Saved me a lot of money that I didn’t spend running around with friends to movies or out to eat. It also kept my other Managers happy that they didn’t have to do it!

I did miss having a Fish Fry, though. I had one streak of three years without a Friday Night Fish Fry; that’s almost a Mortal Sin in these parts! ;)

[FamiliarFace]

My Mama used to make this exact recipe! Super yummy! We usually had rice as a side, along with a green veggie and/or salad, too, so the suggestions bring back fond memories!

[FamiliarFace]

In my homemade tartar sauce, I also use a teaspoon of chopped capers, besides the relish.

[Liz]

Good tip-—capers have such a unique flavor.

[Pollard]

I have a dryer. Used it once LOL.

Yeah, Hubbell has multiple positions and shifts available so I’ll get something.

[Qiviut]

I went to a small local market within a few minutes of the house. I wanted to check if they had eggs & if so, the prices.

They had local, brown eggs for $6 & ‘rainbow’ eggs from their own chickens for $7. I had been paying $5 for local eggs in various places, including a farm near our old house. I don’t mind the $6 price; however, I will be happy when I can arrange for my own chickens. My niece has offered to hatch some for me.

The eggs I bought had a label: “Butt Nuggets” .... I had to laugh.

[FamiliarFace]

Cute!

I pay our egg lady $6 for a dozen (delivered). She was only asking $4.50. My neighbor and I both thought we should offer her more. She lives about 30 minutes away. We hope $6 is a reasonable price. I will go higher if she wants. The grocery store asks that much for eggs that aren’t anywhere as close to as fresh as these are.

She and her husband have a farm and also three young children. I’d like to see them succeed.

[FamiliarFace]

They’re great in tartar sauce. Must be why I hate everybody else’s. Doesn’t compare, and I doubt any of them have capers in them.