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Project Discussions:  February ~ 2019  |
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Red Tractor Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
3520 Posts
Winnie
Gainesville
Fl
USA
3520 Posts |
 Posted - Feb 04 2019 : 5:03:28 PM
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We had a warm up today as well. Tomorrow goes into the low 70s and hopefully no more rain or mist. I was even able to open the windows this afternoon for awhile for some fresh air. Everything is so damp and wet from the past 4 days that I am counting on a dry spell to dry everything out.
Linda, you are having some roller coaster weather out there! Crazy swings between hi and low temps all in one week.
Sara, I wish I could grow beautiful roses, I just don't have the right amount of sun/shade and it stays so wet. I do have one little bush rose that did well and is still growing. I will try another color this year if it holds up. The roses are small and the plants just sort of grow into these little bushes. My neighbor has a bunch of them in a real sunny spot in her front yard and they do very well. I am going to keep trying.
Denise, I hope your family birthday celebrations were full of lots of fun and good times together. It sounds like a perfect way for the family to gather and celebrate!! |
Winnie Nielsen #3109
Red Tractor Girl
Farm Girl of the Year 2014-2015 |
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TexasGran
True Blue Farmgirl
5777 Posts
Marilyn
Stephenville
Texas
USA
5777 Posts |
Posted - Feb 04 2019 : 8:05:07 PM
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It was such a lovely winter day today, I actually got not trying to clean the barn up. I started giving my hens a little treat! Kibbles and bits dog food! I watched a lady who said they need some meat now and again. Of course the first day they were not sure...But when I threw out three hand file a!omg with the scratch today WOW! It was gone instantly.
Our water heater stopped making not water. So my husband hooked up a hose to drain it this morning.
Then we went to town.It still had not finished draining when we came home about lunch time. After lunch Robert took a nap and I went to water horses. Then I sat down to read and dozed off! He was replacing the elements when I regained my wits. After feeding my hens I was about to cook supper when he came in saying we still had NO hot water. After a bit of checking he said he heard a pop after he turned it on. Then he came through again and said he thought he blew the top element because the tank was not completely full when he turned it on. I felt sorry for him. So he had to drain the tank once more and replace the top element again. He is trying to finish up now. |
Texasgran |
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
2459 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
2459 Posts |
Posted - Feb 05 2019 : 03:23:07 AM
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| Marilyn I hate that sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach when something leaks are doesn't work. Being single I have to call in the pros. So far I have had good experiences with repair men and plumber here in Paris. But the $$$ does add up - they don't work cheap. On the other hand you couldn't pay me enough to crawl under my house to fix a leak or mess with electricity. |
FarmGirl Sister#6034 8/25/14
FGOTM Sept 2015 & Feb 2019
Lord put your arm around my shoulders and your hand over my mouth
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levisgrammy
Scattered Prairie Hen Honcho
9522 Posts
Denise
Ohio
USA
9522 Posts |
Posted - Feb 05 2019 : 05:51:31 AM
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Marilyn
We had to replace our water heater not to long ago. So I understand. Replacing it we didn't have to worry about water once it was in. We have to replace it about every 5 yrs or so because of the iron in the water here in Jersey. It is not uncommon here
On another note here is a photo of my Valentine tree.
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Denise~~
Sister #43
"I am a bookaholic with no desire to be cured."
"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path"
Psalm 119:105
www.ladybugsandlilacs.blogspot.com
www.torisgram.etsy.com |
Edited by - levisgrammy on Feb 05 2019 06:40:43 AM |
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TexasGran
True Blue Farmgirl
5777 Posts
Marilyn
Stephenville
Texas
USA
5777 Posts |
Posted - Feb 05 2019 : 06:20:42 AM
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This is only our second electric water heater. When we bought this house it had a propane water heater. When it went out,I suppose because after 60 years it was worn out, my husband came home with an electric one.
We have tried to fix most things ourselves, but when it came to crawling under the house three years ago, Robert asked the plumber guy that our son used to crawl under... And it cost a bit of $$. Our new roof was free. Our road work the last time was free. Our son is so good to help other people, and they in turn helped us out because of him. |
Texasgran |
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
2459 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
2459 Posts |
Posted - Feb 05 2019 : 06:26:11 AM
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| Denise your Valentine tree is beautiful. A perfect shape to show off your stair case. |
FarmGirl Sister#6034 8/25/14
FGOTM Sept 2015 & Feb 2019
Lord put your arm around my shoulders and your hand over my mouth
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TexasGran
True Blue Farmgirl
5777 Posts
Marilyn
Stephenville
Texas
USA
5777 Posts |
Posted - Feb 05 2019 : 06:42:19 AM
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| My friend, from college days lives about 15 miles from us. She called last night to warn me about burglars at work.They and two of their neighbors had been hit in the past five days. Now that raises my level of concern! From what she said they have bolt cutters to cut pad locks, drills with hole saws to drill into a wall, and certainly don't mind damaging a dwelling. They even opened a safe and took cash from one home. She said each house or camper trailer was about 1/4 mile from the highway, and not visible from the main road, due to trees and brush! |
Texasgran |
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levisgrammy
Scattered Prairie Hen Honcho
9522 Posts
Denise
Ohio
USA
9522 Posts |
Posted - Feb 05 2019 : 06:43:28 AM
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Sara,
Thanks! The stairs are getting replaced soon. We have had them on the list since we finished putting in the flooring in the front rooms but it keeps getting put on the back burner due to aforementioned hot water heater and also the septic system. So we have a few odds and ends to finish up before we tackle those.  |
Denise~~
Sister #43
"I am a bookaholic with no desire to be cured."
"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path"
Psalm 119:105
www.ladybugsandlilacs.blogspot.com
www.torisgram.etsy.com |
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Red Tractor Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
3520 Posts
Winnie
Gainesville
Fl
USA
3520 Posts |
Posted - Feb 05 2019 : 06:52:14 AM
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Denise, your little Valentine tree is so pretty and welcoming! Thanks for sharing!!
Yesterday, my daughter texted me because their water pump broke and she had no water. Her hubby is really good at fixing those sorts of things, but he was slammed busy at work. He told her what to get, she picked it up on the way home and when he got home, they discovered it wasn't the right thing so she went back to Home Depot, got the right one, and he finally got it working late last night. It still ended up costing $500 for all the parts! Oy, those sorts of unexpected home crisis always come at the wrong time!! Home repairs and renovations are NOT for the fein at heart!! There are ALWAYS unexpected twists and turns, delays, and higher costs than anticipated at the start. At least that has always been my experience here! |
Winnie Nielsen #3109
Red Tractor Girl
Farm Girl of the Year 2014-2015 |
Edited by - Red Tractor Girl on Feb 05 2019 06:52:26 AM |
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levisgrammy
Scattered Prairie Hen Honcho
9522 Posts
Denise
Ohio
USA
9522 Posts |
Posted - Feb 05 2019 : 07:26:07 AM
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Winnie,
You are so right. It's always good to have something put aside if possible for those types of things. Ah, homeownership. |
Denise~~
Sister #43
"I am a bookaholic with no desire to be cured."
"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path"
Psalm 119:105
www.ladybugsandlilacs.blogspot.com
www.torisgram.etsy.com |
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quiltee
True Blue Farmgirl
4742 Posts
Linda
Terrell
TX
USA
4742 Posts |
Posted - Feb 05 2019 : 09:15:32 AM
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So sorry to hear about your water heater problems, Marilyn. We had to replace my water heater last year, and Ed had to replace his last year, too, when we remodeled his bathroom. And Ed put his new water heater up in the attic - which took some manpower (not me!) to get it up there. His son helped him. Repairmen are NOT cheap.
I'm having my house repainted this year - they will be starting it as soon as the weather is over the weather changes. They have a lot of wood to replace, power washing and caulking to do. Ths is not cheap, either. |
Linda B
quiltee
Farmgirl #1919
FGOTM for August, 2015 and April, 2017
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TexasGran
True Blue Farmgirl
5777 Posts
Marilyn
Stephenville
Texas
USA
5777 Posts |
Posted - Feb 05 2019 : 12:31:15 PM
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| Wow! You are having a lot done. I just told my husband that I want my house to be yellow...not bright yellow, but my first summer vacation after I began teaching, I painted the little house we had bought. I found the color I liked in a magazine and a local painter mixed and mixed until he got my perfect color. Then I painted our little house. Then I made some shutters, painted them avocado green and my husband put them up for me. It was so cute! After we built the brick house someone else thought it was cute and wanted to buy my yellow house, and a big truck came to move it to its new home. I really hated to see it go. So now I will begin the search for the perfect colors, once again. Perhaps I will get a cute ye!low house again. We have asbestos siding, so it will need to be power washer too. Perhaps we will also power wash my son's Austin stone house which has something on each end of the house. I don't know what it is but I don't think it should be turning a darker color. |
Texasgran |
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TexasGran
True Blue Farmgirl
5777 Posts
Marilyn
Stephenville
Texas
USA
5777 Posts |
Posted - Feb 05 2019 : 12:38:28 PM
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| Winnie, water issues are expensive. We don't pay a water bill because we have a water well, but since living here we have had to replace the submersible pump and also put in a new pressure tank...down in the the old cellar. My husband is getting too old to do those chores so we need to begin putting some money aside for those kinds of repairs in the future. Each of those events were $500 +. |
Texasgran |
Edited by - TexasGran on Feb 05 2019 12:39:39 PM |
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quiltee
True Blue Farmgirl
4742 Posts
Linda
Terrell
TX
USA
4742 Posts |
Posted - Feb 05 2019 : 12:45:36 PM
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It needs painting. Last time was about 6 years ago and the weather elements here in Texas are brutal - from one extreme to another. They are going to power wash mine, too, but this house has vintage siding and they need to be careful because of it. The wood is solid still, but there is a LOT of caulking that has to be removed. I am going to paint it the same colors it is now - pale blue with white trim.
Is your yellow house still around where you can see it? |
Linda B
quiltee
Farmgirl #1919
FGOTM for August, 2015 and April, 2017
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TexasGran
True Blue Farmgirl
5777 Posts
Marilyn
Stephenville
Texas
USA
5777 Posts |
Posted - Feb 05 2019 : 9:14:16 PM
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I really don't know. It may have fallen apart by now.It was an old wooden house when I painted it almost fifty years ago!
Your house is pretty!
I have always loved the look of the colorful little houses up north, in Canada and Mexico, also on the beaches along parts of the East coast.. I've seen in pictures. They are quite close together...which is not my cup of tea.
The yellow I'm after is not bright but has some greenish tint to it. That is why avocado shutters and doors go well with it.
Uh oh I just thought about that new roof! I got the roof for free, but did not get to choose the color...Perhaps I will need a bit of accent, the roof is reddish brown. Oh well I'll see about that as I go along. |
Texasgran |
Edited by - TexasGran on Feb 05 2019 9:24:34 PM |
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quiltee
True Blue Farmgirl
4742 Posts
Linda
Terrell
TX
USA
4742 Posts |
Posted - Feb 05 2019 : 9:46:25 PM
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I thought you said you were in a brick house. was that an older house, too?
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Linda B
quiltee
Farmgirl #1919
FGOTM for August, 2015 and April, 2017
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TexasGran
True Blue Farmgirl
5777 Posts
Marilyn
Stephenville
Texas
USA
5777 Posts |
Posted - Feb 05 2019 : 9:56:01 PM
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| When I was 23 we bought five acres and the little house I painted yellow. When I was about 27 we built a brick house, and sold the little painted house. After four years we sold the brick house and moved to the Country! We were there for ten years! Later we rented a house near my new teaching job. after about three years we bought this place and moved here. That was about 26 or 27 years ago. My time gets away from me! |
Texasgran |
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
2459 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
2459 Posts |
Posted - Feb 06 2019 : 03:38:33 AM
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Love hearing stories about houses. My little frame house is white with yellow shutters. When I moved in almost 7 years ago the shutters were a pastel turquoise and the wrought iron porch posts were several different colors. One of the first things I did was paint the shutters a sunny yellow and the posts black. A couple of years ago when I had to replace the window frames on my Yellow Rose Cottage I had the new frames painted with the same yellow paint.
Yesterday Betty and I went to an antique shop. I found a crazy quilt pillow for $2; red bib apron $5; a herb cookbook $1. The owner buys what is left form estate sales they hold so at one of end of the large building they have what I call garage sale type things. We ate at Braums where I had the kid's meal cheeseburger combo. Trying to eat smaller portions I find choosing from the kid's meals is a good way to eat less. Before I ate the burger I took off the excess bun around the meat. Every little bite not eaten adds up to less calories for the day.
Thunderstorms in the forecast for today so I brought in my dehydrator from the cottage. On my second batch of carrots. Betty brought me 5# bag yesterday to dry. It will take me several days to get it done.
Hope to get back to working on Jubilee patchwork wool banner today. Have two done - three to go. |
FarmGirl Sister#6034 8/25/14
FGOTM Sept 2015 & Feb 2019
Lord put your arm around my shoulders and your hand over my mouth
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levisgrammy
Scattered Prairie Hen Honcho
9522 Posts
Denise
Ohio
USA
9522 Posts |
Posted - Feb 06 2019 : 03:52:27 AM
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I love hearing about houses too. Ours is yellow with white trim and green shutters. Our front door is also green. When we added on, the siding we have was not available so, we used cedar siding on that part. I'm not crazy about it and at least it's on the back. Someday it will all get replaced with the same type everywhere.
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Denise~~
Sister #43
"I am a bookaholic with no desire to be cured."
"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path"
Psalm 119:105
www.ladybugsandlilacs.blogspot.com
www.torisgram.etsy.com |
Edited by - levisgrammy on Feb 06 2019 03:55:53 AM |
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TexasGran
True Blue Farmgirl
5777 Posts
Marilyn
Stephenville
Texas
USA
5777 Posts |
Posted - Feb 06 2019 : 05:38:54 AM
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| Sara, how do you cut your carrots up? Do you use a mandoulin? |
Texasgran |
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TexasGran
True Blue Farmgirl
5777 Posts
Marilyn
Stephenville
Texas
USA
5777 Posts |
Posted - Feb 06 2019 : 05:43:20 AM
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| After you dehydrate the carrots, how do you store them? I recently tried some, and before I put them in I have a tiny quick shake of pink salt over the tray. They were good but the ones we did not enjoy that first two days began to taste like dirt, so the hens got a treat. |
Texasgran |
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
2459 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
2459 Posts |
Posted - Feb 06 2019 : 06:07:45 AM
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| Marilyn I cut the carrots up and process them in my food processor to a coarse dice - being careful not to turn them to mush. After drying I store them in air tight glass jars. If I have empty colored glass jars I use them. I only use the dried carrots in muffins. They're too sweet for me to use in soups/stews. |
FarmGirl Sister#6034 8/25/14
FGOTM Sept 2015 & Feb 2019
Lord put your arm around my shoulders and your hand over my mouth
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TexasGran
True Blue Farmgirl
5777 Posts
Marilyn
Stephenville
Texas
USA
5777 Posts |
Posted - Feb 06 2019 : 07:34:16 AM
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Thanks Sara.
Do you put oxygen absorbers in the jars? |
Texasgran |
Edited by - TexasGran on Feb 06 2019 07:35:07 AM |
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
2459 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
2459 Posts |
Posted - Feb 06 2019 : 07:59:12 AM
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| Marilyn haven't thought of it. None of my drying books mention it. Might be something I should look into. Do you use it? |
FarmGirl Sister#6034 8/25/14
FGOTM Sept 2015 & Feb 2019
Lord put your arm around my shoulders and your hand over my mouth
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TexasGran
True Blue Farmgirl
5777 Posts
Marilyn
Stephenville
Texas
USA
5777 Posts |
Posted - Feb 06 2019 : 12:49:02 PM
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I do have some. Problem is they are packed ten in a tightly sealed package and when you open the package, you need a place to put them all, quickly. I usually don't use them when the humidity is high. It will ruin them.
Do you vacuum seal your jars? |
Texasgran |
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Project Discussions: February ~ 2019 |
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February ~ 2019
