If we get hit with a 3 foot snow storm or a pandemic, I’m your girl. But last night my oldest son surprised us with a visit from his new girlfriend, a lovely Ukrainian economics professor whom I had never met. I was woefully unprepared. I had a laundry basket in the kitchen, my cross stitch project on the living room sofa, nothing to eat but chicken and biscuits and I could have really used a shower. They showed up laden with lovely gifts and fresh as daisies. I could have smacked him for not calling. Thank goodness for the Creamery. They went there for dinner and brought back a pie for dessert. We spent a very nice evening discussing international economies and customs while V… (I can’t remember her name) apologized for her English. She’s fluent in three languages and is apologizing for what she refers to as primitive sentence structure.
The visit came just when I was planning to download yesterday’s pictures. I’ll try to get to it later as I want to show off my citrus trees and my mushroom culture. The trees have a lot of fruit. I was expecting them to be nothing but conversation pieces, novelty items but those little sticks that Neddy sent me for Mother’s Day 5 years ago are producing real food. They spend the summer outside and sit in front of the glass sliders to the deck in the winter. I give them a mist of water each day and a bit of fertilizer once a month, water once or twice a week and I get lemons, limes and little oranges for my trouble. I got Bruce a portabellas mushroom kit for Christmas and we have mushrooms. Again, a real harvest. They’re still small now but I’m betting on several pounds out of this one box. The sawdust will go in the garden and the plastic bag dome can be reused so there is little waste. This is my kind of gift.
I have a busy day ahead. A friend gave me a Pilates session as a gift so I’m headed there this morning then returning home to pack up for the NOFA Conference in the morning. I’ll be brining a notebook and pencil for John Jeavon’s keynote. I could use some inspiration. I think I’m going to can stew beef in red wine sauce for my demonstration and open a can when we get home as it will be late and we’ll be starving by then. I do love fast food.
Speaking of canning. I visited a website called markdown.com yesterday. They have one deal each day and keep it running until the items are gone. They had Tattler lids yesterday. I got 100 lids and rings for 40% off and no shipping. It came to about $87.00. That’s a lot fo money but for something that can be used shared, bartered or given as gifts, I think it’s a deal. I think the deal is still running if you’re interested.
I spent a long time on phone yesterday making medical appointments. By the end of February we will all be caught up with eye doctor, dentists, physicals and couple of little medical issues will be addressed. I think that medical preparedness is so important. All things are easier if you feel well.
January 13, 2012 at 8:22 am
My canning group (on facebook) told me about the markdown.com lids. I have never used tattlers, but decided at that price it was worth it. BUT, you didn’t just get 100 rings & lids, you should have gotten 100 regular lids & rings AND 100 wide mouth rings & lids. AND, apparently, you might have to go back to markdown.com and “spend” your voucher to get them to ship – I have never used that website before, so I am not sure how it works. There is a note up there now that the tattlers were sold out in record time – twice! They ended up doubling the quantities available because they sold so quickly. Also, there is a note up that they have other preparedness products – and the next one starts Monday the 16th! Can’t wait to see what it is!
January 13, 2012 at 8:44 am
You were not unprepared at all, just a normal Mom on a normal day as it should be! I am so going to check out that site for tattered lids next month when our No/Low spend challenge is over, I would love some Tattler lids. I was up way into the night last night finishing the book you recommended “Things That Keep Us Here” thanks for the suggestion it was great!! I plan on rereading it soon to get any insight on holes we might have in our own preparedness. Good luck at NOFA this weekend
January 13, 2012 at 9:09 am
when company comes, I start popping jar lids! Like you say, there’s nothing like “fast food”. Have fun at the conference!
January 13, 2012 at 9:29 am
Pre-coffee post. It is 200 lids. You only need to use the voucher on some deals. Not this one I think.
January 13, 2012 at 2:14 pm
Mushrooms: I am not big into eating mushrooms. I wish I was because I think they are very cool. However, I like growing and have belonged to our local mycological organization. They have awesome lectures about all the healing in mushrooms. They heal burn areas. The burnt fallen timber is great for some varieties.
Did you know you can create mushroom gardens in your yard? You can build up an area with wood chips, etc. and then seed it by putting mature mushrooms you have purchased. I have a friend with a very large yard and he has developed a few mushroom areas in his yard. I don’t think it is quite like planting cucumbers in the spring and then you harvest them during the summer, I think it takes certain conditions. I know you can buy the kits to grow them.
January 13, 2012 at 5:29 pm
I have a prime mushroom yard – I’ve seen 4 varieties grow here, and that’s the untrained eye. I have no idea if what is growing here is edible. But each time I’ve started looking into cultivating my own, I keep being told by various sources that it’s expensive to start up, so I get discouraged.
I don’t see the Tattler lids on Markdown anymore, that’s a bummer. 200 sets for $89; that’s 45 cents each, putting them pretty close to a non-bulk price for disposables ($4.00 for 12 lids, about 33 cents each).
January 13, 2012 at 6:55 pm
The Tattler deal is over. I grow and gather a lot of mushrooms. It’s fairly easy to find a society that will provide training on harvesting the common types. Oysters, morels and several others are common and have no poisonous look-alikes. I have grown from kits. I just paid $12.99 for a button kit and $16.99 for portabellas. I think that is not so bad as I’ll harvest quite a lot and it’s really entertaining. If money is an options, learning to identify is a good option. Spawm that is used to innoculate logs is less expensive and will provide mushrooms for years.