Lloyd, I didn't offer much help because I was having trouble getting in here & also my computer was acting up and Google wouldn't open. Shut it down a while & all's well again.

Phyllis, I can only imagine the nightmares those parents must have, not knowing how long their children suffered in the water, what if they were still alive and suffering??? My heart goes out to them.

It has been a very long day with no nap and I am worn out. Sweet dreams and God Bless. Shirley

Good Morning everyone. well Shirley thanks and at least you Gave Granddaughter enough help she could get us where we so fare can get on line in soda shop and post. I had a fair amount of good sleep. at least until I can get to the couch and watch a movie on you tube. and Maybe after she get's home after work we can get the weather app loaded to see what the weather guesser has to say. Have a great day everyone.

Lloyd

Good morning everyone...

Going to be a nice day in the neighbourhood, yesterday it rained that hard it was bouncing off the roads. Think the clouds wrung themselves out for the time being.

Today is to get to the grocery store for a sale on butter..would like to stock  for Christmas baking. Will pick up red and green peppers to do another batch of pickles and get them ready. If timing is right we will meet up with friends.

Phyllis, I can't imagine what the Mom is going through. Saw a photo on the internet and hoped that the youngster is ok..

Jane, on the bright side..those are jobs you don't have to do later. You do deserve a goof off day though..

Lloyd, hope you can find some zzs to catch up on your sleep.

Enjoy your day everyone.

Good morning everyone, did not make it here yesterday, slept about  10 hours and had to rush to get ready for the day and Yvette getting here. On Tuesday my older son brought me a bag full of tomatoes, Yesterday I washed  them all and put the most  firm ones aside to eat and blanched the rest. Her and I had a good system going to peel and cut them. We do work good  together. Had her get my big slow cooker out and making sauce out of them. Turned it on low before going to bed and woke to the aroma. All I have to do now is make meatballs for it.  Have the cover off now so it will simmer down more.
I was really worn out last night and did not sleep more than a couple of hours. After standing so much you can inagine how my back felt. Before she left she massaged my back with the Hempvana and it started feeling better. That stuff really is amazing how fast it relieves pain.  I think I might be able to check email today. My daughter and I had a short visit on Skype yesterday. She and I were both yawning and needed a nap.
We had light  rain all day yesterday and when I pulled up the shades this morning saw that we still have the light rain, soaking right into the earth.

Better get a move on and get the meatballs made. I wan t to try and get the sauce into containers  to put in the freezer before Yvetter leaves today. I would not be able to get the crock lifted out and washed. Another time I get mad at myself because I can no longer do that.

Have a good day everyone and stay safe,

Good Morning Everyfriend!  I really had a good night's sleep last night.  I went to bed around 10:30, woke up once shortly before 4 and then slept until Mickie jumped down at 5 minutes before 7.  I think that might be my best sleep in more than a year!  Let's hope it becomes a habit.

AMY, I'll take a "goof off" day when you do!

Today is carrot soup day.  I want one more good batch to get me through the winter.  Then I'm concentrating on tomatoes.  I need some for the vegetable soup and some to make spaghetti sauce.  I think Frankie eats more of both of those than I do.  Sometimes, when she stops to pick up Cooper after work and she looks tired, I'll aske her if she had supper.  She usually hasn't and on those days, she usually goes home with a jar of veggie soup or a jar of spaghetti sauce and whatever pasta I have left in the box.

GLORIA, I never thought of cooking down the tomatoes in the crock pot.  Thanks for the idea!

Well, I hear the boinger and that means it's time for our breakfast and then a walk and then the carrot soup. So I wish you all a good day.  Make it your own in every way!  And don't forget to share with your friends in the Soda Shoppe.

They keep teasing us with cooler weather on the way but it won't be today.  It was in the upper 70's when I got up at 5:30 and is supposed to go to 95 and "feel like" 105 today.  I don't think this summer is going to ever end.

They found the little girl's body yesterday but still are searching for the little boy.  No hope that he is still alive.  I think that is the last I'll say about it.  It is too upseting along with everything else that is going on.

David will pick up groceries today.  I hope he feels like it.  He was not feeling up to par yesterday and it worries me.  He rarely ever mentions not feeling well.

I must get some breakfast.  Take care, All.

Phyllis, I do hope they find his body soon so there is closure. As a parent I think I would be looking at every child for the rest of my life, to see if it could possibly be the one I lost. Please do let us know if the body or wishful thinking, he is found alive. We are supposed to get a cold front move down to take us out of the 90s for a few days, but summer is not over.

Jane, I have not seen a single sign for home grown tomatoes for sale YET this year. Hope to go to the Farmer's Market on Sat. Parking is awful so depends on how hot it is. I send my sons off with food when I get a chance, nice to feed family, make them happy, isn't it?

Gloria, I'm sure you will appreciate the meatballs & sauce this winter. I haven't used my big crock pot for a long time but do love the aroma to wake up to. Got out the little OLD pressure cooker to steam a pot of potatoes for potato salad. I've been on a hunger for it & put in several hard boiled eggs as well as fresh celery, onions & enough pickle relish to almost make a meal out of it. The brisket from Sam's was too dry, so will cover the rest with BBQ sauce. I have never been able to fix brisket like my sister & sister-in-law, even using their recipes. After so many failures I declared it was not for me to make but to enjoy. What I bought at Sam's was pre-cooked.

Lloyd, I have 2 different weather stations bookmarked on my computer and they never agree, only the radar can't be wrong! We had fog this morning but already steamy. Hope that cool front gets here quick. I still hope to make a trip to MO but will wait until the trees start turning. I guess I will have to make a reservation to stay at my favorite campground, so their site says. But I will call before leaving the house & hope it works, maybe they don't keep a host at the gate anymore. I don't think it is very far from you so maybe you & Nancy can drive over to visit, we an safely sit around the picnic table and won't have to wear a mask! I stay at a Corp of Engineer campground called Long Shoal between Clinton & Warsaw, right on highway #7. Don't have to drive all around those lake roads to find. I don't plan anything very far ahead, all depends on weather!

Amy, I picked up 5 pounds of butter yesterday for the freezer. I cook with butter a lot & since this is corn on the cob season, use a lot. Have you noticed beef shortage in your area? The meat department in most stores around here pushing more pork than beef. I see plenty of cattle on the Flint Hills and in the feed lots of western Kansas, not sure why the high prices & shortage. Someone told me that bacon is no longer cured like we think, goes in & out in one day. Used to love driving through Tennessee & Kentucky in the fall, could smell the hams being smoked. Different world today but probably 10 years since we made that drive.

Better get busy, haven't had breakfast yet & lots to do. Shirley

I've got 8 pints of Carrot Soup in the canner and another pint+ in the fridge to eat.  As soon as they're ready to come off the heat I'm taking a shower.  It's only 77 here but I think it's about 250 in my kitchen even with the fans on! 

The guy called that my car is done so my son will take me to pick it up after he closes the store.

Keep on keeping on!

Mercy yes , it is hot. Just finished the pickles and 17 pints to add to Kyles stash....he really likes this pickle and that is the 5th and last one I am doing this year. Came home with 25 lbs of plum/Roma tomatoes and will deal with them tomorrow.

Shirley, no shortage of meat but lots of shortages with canning /pickling supplies. I happen to luck out this morning and picked up 2 containers of Wipes for the neighbour but not easy to find them either.Butter was on sale for 2.97 instead of near 6.00.  No idea of how this all will end.

Jane, I am so ready for a goof off day.....but since I had too many things to do I had fun on a phone call.

HE said in a language that was hard to understand. I am calling from the technical company
Me...You are going to tickle me?? That is what he sounded to say...Kyle was right beside me. Gosh where are you going to tickle me???

HE No MOM, I am calling from the technical company to fix your computer....

First of all I didn't give birth to him and second...you interrupted my pickling....

The conversation went on with me asking where he is Minnesota was the answer.. Hmmm

Carried on the conversation with turn your computer on....I think you all know the drill from these crooks....and I was giving him the gears right back .....till he hung up on me???

Do you think he is on his way to tickle me?   
 

Here is a picture of my wife, Nancy, and her Sunflowers. No message is associated with this attachment.

hope you all seen Nancy and her sun flowers. she is sure proud of them. that will make some eating for the birds. I got my hearing aids re tubed today I can hear some better. Have a good rest of the day.

Lloyd

Lloyd, wow., those are tall!! Beautiful photo of Nancy too!! Thank you for sharing..

Going to shut down the computer Rain pounding on the roof at the moment with a hum dinger of a storm to follow...

Have a good night....

Love the sunflowers, Lloyd & Nancy.  I'm surprised the birds aren't already checking them out. I had some two different years and the birds destroyed the ones like that before I could even get a photo. Somewhere I have photos of the others, they were different colors! You are looking great, Nancy!

Amy, my butter was on sale for 2 pounds for $5..... usually I get it on sale for $2. a pound but everything is higher right now.  I've had those  "Hello, Grandma".. phone calls, you'd think the dumb kids would think of something new. When Cas was alive he strung along one kid for quite a while, being sympathetic and "let me know where to send money".... until..... I just tell them (any human on the line), to "get an honest job" & hang up. My friend actually got caught with one that wanted her to buy gift cards & they would call back. Have no idea why she would fall for it, but her bank took care of it (she bought the cards with her credit card), think it was only a few hundred but they caught her when in a rush & she wasn't thinking. I get angry at the charities that call for donations and just tell them all that "I don't donate by phone at all"... and hang up. For starters I won't press any button they suggest for any reason.

Been to the river & now to eat. Have some left over spaghetti so will put a handfull of shredded cheese on top & some bread & butter, had veggies, potato salad & brisket for lunch. I am disappointed in the brisket, even with BBQ sauce it was dry. Fair warning, pre cooked from Sam's but expect all the other stores sell the same thing.

Wish we had your rain/storm, Amy. The river bank needs a cleaning out & the hill going down is bone dry.

I'm all in by my shoestrings tonight.  So I'm going to close out just in case I go to sleep.  I missed my nap today!

Frankie dropped off Cooper this morning. The garage called that my car was ready. My son and his wife went out and picked it up and then visited a while.  My sister called and we talked over an hour.  I think she's really lonely after her loss.  Then Frankie picked up Cooper and now I'm all in but my shoestrings. 

I wish you all a peaceful night's sleep and a happy, healthy tomorrow and may God bless us, every one.

Shirley your story reminded me of several years back we were getting a lot of calls wanting to sell us siding. one day I decided to string them along, so just would ok that relay sounds good, after quit a while I said question how would that look Like on my all new brick sided home. they hung up and that was last call of that type I ever got. but we are getting lot of scam calls lately so we just hang up or un less we don;t know the area cod or prefix not answer.
Good night and sweet dreams.

Lloyd

A super good afternoon to EVERYFRIEND 💐

I am not logged in as I am sitting in my car at Grandson Matt's Tennis Match playoffs.  Right now he is not playing so I will sit here until his match starts. 

We got up this morning to find the contract that we have been waiting for days for to arrive.  Shock of all shocks🤪 No one will ever believe the fiasco this has all been....the two brokers had to get together and two more agents on their side were assigned to our offer and finally it happened.  We had pretty much said we were done with them, but after looking at everything else available we felt this place is the best for us, so onward and upward😘😘 Because of Covid, no one was allowed in to see this home until a signed contract was in hand, so tomorrow our agent will and view the home for us on FaceTime and we can actually see anything we want to look at close.  Of course there are wonderful pictures on the web site and in addition we owned this exact floor plan 16 years ago so we are very familiar with it.
My childhood friend owns a place very near to this home and she has offered for us to stay at her home when we go down to see it next week.  They winter down there and are in Wyoming now and not using it.  This way we will not have to stay at my Dads place as we are a bit concerned about staying in close contact with them due to the virus.  We will see him as much as possible of course.  I have to admit I am getting super excited now about this new event in our lives. 

Michele had chemo yesterday and today she said she feels like a Mack truck took her,out, but it is way better than before when she could not function the few following days after.  She is thankful for this and so are we😘

I did not get this posted earlier as I was not online.  We got home to find a call telling that one of my male cousins passed away this afternoon...by the time I called other family members, including my dad, and got some dinner fixed I just got back to this and I am shot....so will post and get back to the later posts today later.

Mark just called and he is 100 miles from home....it is dark and he is so tired, but he will be there soon.....he said the Grape Vine was awful with all the glare from other vehicles and so many trucks to deal with.
EDIT: got the cart before the horse.....
Mark flew out of Ontario CA to Sacramento this morning....he picked up a rental truck and drove to a storage place to pick up their worldly possessions and then headed South for their new home....

Sweet dreams to EVERYFRIEND.

Jenny

Good morning everyone..

Sitting here listening to the geese honk . in the still of the morning their sound echoes across the lake.

Will tackle  either the tomatoes or the beef canning today.

This is a long weekend here and the highways will be crazy, good place to stay off of.

Shirley, I used to just say no thank you but they don't accept that so now.....like Cas I have fun with them. I will keep them on the line  or just lay the phone down and let them jabber on.

Jane, you had a busy day yesterday. Nice to have your wheels back even if you don't need to go anywhere.

Jenny, Happy to read your deal went through and it is one you want. Chemo is hard on a person, no matter which way  one takes it. Michelle is a trooper and bouncing back the next day is good. Condolences to you and your family on you cousin passing.

Phyllis , I hope they have now found the boy....rough times ahead for the family.

Gloria, I bet your home smelled so good with the sauce cooking  all night. Nice that you and Yvette work together, you get things done faster that way. we always say more hands ,light work. If everyone pitches in they all can rest.

Joy, hope all is well  in your neck of the woods..

Better get going here

Enjoy your day everyone.
 

Good morning everyone. After a few cooler days we are going into the high 80's today, not wanted. Oh well we take what we get, right? My spaghetti sauce came out yummy. We both had some yesterday and Yvette said how much better it is than what is bought in jars. She never had any made from scratch. I have 12 meals worth of it in the freezer. My back is letting me know I was on my feet too long.

JANE  I no longer have a pan big enough to get all those tomatoes in and the only item I have is my big slow cooker. Just about to the top of it. I did take the cover off of it in the morning so it would cook down and thicken. My younger son always makes his spaghetti sauce in his slow cooker but this is the first time I have done it that way. Easy, do not have to keep checking that it is not sticking to the pan.

PHYLLIS  sad about those children. Hope your David is OK today. No matter how old our kids get we still worry about them.

SHIRLEY  I am lookig forward to having the mid 70's for a high and then it keeps dropping and we have to put a jacket on. I never cooked a brisket. Don't think I ever saw them in the markets here.

AMY  wow  that was some phone call. He was going  to tickle you while you turned on the PC and stole  all your information. A new scam starting up?

LLOYD  wow those are tall and big sunflowers. Nancy must be proud of those. She is looking great in the picture.

AMY  as soon as I hear thunder I shut off the computer and the TV.
When I get a call now I let the machine get it, surprising now many hang ups I get.If I know the number I pick it up.

Have a good day and stay safe.

Good Morning Everyriend!  I slept until almost 7 this morning with only one wake up during the night!  It sure feels good!  It was 64º when I woke up and it's only up to 66 now.  We're heading for a high of 80.  I can take more days like this.  And I think there are more coming!

JENNY, I'm happy that things are working out for you and I'm especially happy for Michele.  As AMY said, she's a real trooper and she doesn't let the situation get her down.  Sorry about your Cousin.

GLORIA, I think the spaghetti sauce is next on my agenda.  I'm not looking forward to preparing all those tomatoes but I'm sure looking forward to eating the sauce.

AMY, I can hear the geese on the pond when I'm out with the dogs but the thing I'm really loving is when we're out walking and I can hear the high school band practicing.  The school is just one road over from me and if the breeze is blowing my way I can hear them practicing for the football games.  It's kind of neat!

The boinger just went off so I better go feed Mickie....also me.  Then my day begins. I wish you all a lovely day!  Make it your own in every way!  And don't forget to share it with you friends in the Soda Shoppe!

good Morning everyone. I slept in this Morning just got up about 10 min, ago. going to kitchen and eating cold cereal for morning meal. well thanks and you can see part of our all brick home i was talking about in the about the siding salesman. sun is bright here today. and 57º and saying going for 81 today. Have a great day.

Lloyd

It is forecast to be another hot day but then we will be getting some of what Jane up in Penn. is getting.  I can hardly wait.  Cool, dry weather.  I may have forgotten how it feels.

They found the little boy's body yesterday.  I won't say that now the family can find closure because I don't think you ever find closure from something like this. 

Amy, we've had difficulty getting meat here for some time now.  I ordered cooked baby back ribs (pork) with bourbon sauce from the grocery yesterday and they called me that they didn't have what I wanted.  When I said I would take a substitute as long as it was cooked they sent me some with a different kind of sauce.  Some sort of beer based sauce.  At least, it is ribs and I might like the sauce even better.  We'll find out.  I was pleased to get any kind of meat because it is hard to get right now.  And, I'm still having touble getting in-store baked bread.  I just can't tolerate commercial bread so I always buy the fresh baked and it is nearly always in low supply.  It's been much too hot to bake bread here at home.

It is a long weekend here and already the traffic is streaming.  The officials are pleading with people to stay out of crowds but we'll see if they listen or just go on their stubborn, selfish way.  The big universities had to close back down and send most of the students back home.....UNC, NCState, etc.  I'm not sure about Duke.  Some of the smaller colleges are still trying to make it go.  My county, Wake County, still has very high virus rates but the percentage seems to be flattening.  We'll see what happens after the Labor Day weekend.

Take care, All.

First of all, Jenny, sorry about your cousin and I do mean that. My cousins have "disappeared" from my life so fast the last few years my heart melts when I think of them. Even though we had not seen a lot of them over the years, pieces of history have faded and gone. I am thrilled you are getting the new place and sounds like will be near your father. All the best for the rest of the journey. Big plus is you will be nearer to little Jonah to come visit? 

Phyllis, my mouth is watering thinking of your ribs..... yum. I am finding bread has a different texture so wondering what "they" are substituting in what I usually buy. For the family of the children (not just parents) I do hope finding his body will give them some peace.

Our weather guessers keep pushing the cool down ahead... next week instead of this week end.         Wishing every friend a rainbow today. Hugs... Shirley

Today has been a tad busy. Managed to get the  eye of round canned and the tomatoes too! There are 19 jars of tomatoes and 8 beef. Only beets left to do and JANIES carrot soup.

Saying goodnight .

It's been a busy day here, too but not with canning.  I've been running around doing errands and hanging on the phone trying to find more jars.  The only one's I found were half-pints and 4 oz ones.  I really NEED pints.  But it looks like I'm going to be out of luck.  I called every store in this county and some in the next one that carry jars and no one has them.  One guy told me his supplier won't fill his orders unless he's willing to take 4 times as many as he usually gets.  He said he tried to bargain for 2 times as many and they wouldn't do it.

I was also looking for paint chips to bring home to get some idea for the kitchen.  Do you know that the paint sellers all have 2,322,408 different swatches in their stores?  And are you aware that 1,188,103 of them are some form of "off-white".  I'm just about ready to give up!  I got tired just looking at them.  And the ones I brought home are not at all what I want.  I don't know if it's the lighting in the stores or just my bad eyes....or maybe a combination of both!  Anyway, I've almost decided not to paint.

I bought tomatoes today and I'll be canning them in quart jars for soup.  When it's time to make the veggie soup, I don't know what I'll do because a pint is just about enough for a meal and that's the size I like to give Frankie.  I mentioned to the one guy on the phone that the jar scarcity is just as bad as the TP one was at the beginning of all this.  He said, "It's probably worse because there's no alternative for the jars."  He was right on!

I think I'll play Scarlett O'Hara and "think about all this tomorrow".  I'm too tired to think about it any more today!

I wish you all a peaceful night's sleep and a happy. healthy tomorrow.  And may God bless us, every one!

G' MORNING ALL. While checking through for another Armchair Walk i came across this that might be of interest to you ?, an American buys a narrow Boat and tours the Canals and Waterways of the UK, hope you find this interesting. enjoy..
                                        CHEERS.  ROLEY.
CLICK HERE.

Good morning everyone, 54 now and it feels so good. The humidity was way down yesterday and it felt great. Today will be the same. As long as the temperature does not  get into the 80's  will be happy. Will be nice to get outside every day.

JANE  while Yvette ane I were getting the tomatoes blanched and peeled I was remembering the bushels of tomatoes I canned all alone. Now I needed her help with about half a bushel. She was surprised at the different taste  compared with what she buys in jars. Cheer up, just think of the flavor in the middle of a snow storm and all that work will be worth it.

LLOYD  that siding man was crazy to think you would want to use siding instead of that beautiful brick on your home. 

PHYLLIS  cooler weather with no AC running and windows open feel wonderful at last here the last couple of days. I have been wondering how many new cases of the virus will show up after this week end. Stupid people think they will never get the virus and will get it and spread it. I hace aeezer fu ll of chicken right now but nothing else, no pork or beef. Of course I have meatballs and Italian sausage in my spaghetti sauce.

SHIRLEY  I eat very little bread lately. Read the labels and there is so many different preservatives in it now it can sit there a month and still not get moldy. Some marke ts here still make their Italian loves that you have to cut yourself and gets stale fast.

AMY do you pickle your beets?

JANE  looks like you bet ter start asking the people you gave jars to to start returning them of the do not get anything more.

ROLEY-PETER  that is an enjoyable video. Must be nice to travel along in a boat like that and meet people from all over. Thanks so much for sharing it with us.

Have a good day and stay safe.

Good morning everyone...

Love the cooler mornings 39° here at the moment.

A day of trying to get caught up on chores that didn't get dome while canning today. Laundry ,can go on the line as I don't think we are in for more rain.

Jane, we have no jars here, I found some in a little town south of us but they too are used up. My friend's daughter tried in her big city and no they are all sold out. She then phone a town her hubby was working  in and they had some so he is picking them up for me. Anything pertaining to canning is in short supply here. I was so pleased to be able to get the last pressure canner and as you know have put it to good use. I would definitely can more meat along with soups.

Gloria, the plum tomatoes that I peeled yesterday were easy to do......sometimes they can be a stinker to do but the skins came off these ok......some I did have to give them another little bath but not many. Yes, I pickle beets and we both decided that the pints were not big enough. Kyle really loves beets pickles and in two days a pint will be gone.

Peter, thank you for the video.....my way to travel. Will enough the trip with a cuppa tea later.

Phyllis, I am glad they found the little boy. Now you have me wanting ribs and I do know we have some in the freezer to cook. today may be the day!

Joy, good morning if you peek in..

Enjoy your day everyone...stay safe.

Bubbles, computer died and she will be back on line as soon as it can be fixed.
Of course it couldn't die during the week ,it had to be a weekend!

Today when I got up the temp was 54º and it's only supposed to get to 78!  My kind of day!

Today is a cleaning day for me, too!  I dropped a glass and broke it all over the kitchen floor and after I swept up all the pieces with a dust pan and brush, I got out the sweeper and went over the area and under things with the vacuum.  Then I decided to just let it sit and use it today just in case there's more glass and also because the rest of the house needs it.

AMY, I always do my beets in a quart jar but I leave space to put hard boiled eggs in to pickle them.  Pickled eggs are one of my favorite foods and they're so easy to do.

The boinger just went so I better get on the ball!  Lots to do today!  I wish you all a lovely day!  Make it your own in every way!  And don't forget to share it with your friends in the Soda Shoppe!