Candi & Bel Insulated & Drywalled

Well, there is a small amount of hope for the pantry.
The insulating and drywalling has been started. It's definitely a warmer room.
Now we need to finish all the walls and devise a storage system.

Too Busy for a Friend...

One day a teacher asked her students to list the names of the other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each name.

Then she told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down.


It took the remainder of the class period to finish their assignment, and as the students left the room, each one handed in the papers.
That Saturday, the teacher wrote down the name of each student on a separate sheet of paper, and listed what everyone else had said about that individual.

On Monday she gave each student his or her list. Before long, the entire class was smiling. 'Really?' she heard whispered. 'I never knew that I meant anything to anyone!' and, 'I didn't know others liked me so much,' were most of the comments.


No one ever mentioned those papers in class again. She never knew if they discussed them after class or with their parents, but it didn't matter. The exercise had accomplished its purpose. The students were happy with themselves and one another. That group of students moved on.




Several years later, one of the students was killed in

Vietnam and his teacher attended the funeral of that special student. She had never seen a serviceman in a military coffin before. He looked so handsome, so mature.


The church was packed with his friends. One by one those who loved him took a last walk by the coffin. The teacher was the last one to bless the coffin.


As she stood there, one of the soldiers who acted as pallbearer came up to her. 'Were you Mark's math teacher?' he asked. She nodded: 'yes.' Then he said: 'Mark talked about you a lot.'


After the funeral, most of Mark's former classmates went together to a luncheon. Mark's mother and father were there, obviously waiting to speak with his teacher.


'We want to show you something,' his father said, taking a wallet out of his pocket 'They found this on Mark when he was killed. We thought you might recognize it.'


Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many times. The teacher knew without looking that the papers were the ones on which she had listed all the good things each of Mark's classmates had said about him.


'Thank you so much for doing that,' Mark's mother said. 'As you can see, Mark treasured it.'


All of Mark's former classmates started to gather around. Charlie smiled rather sheepishly and said, 'I still have my list. It's in the top drawer of my desk at home.'


Chuck's wife said, 'Chuck asked me to put his in our wedding album.'


'I have mine too,' Marilyn said. 'It's in my diary'


Then Vicki, another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out her wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. 'I carry this with me at all times,' Vicki said and without batting an eyelash, she continued: 'I think we all saved our lists'


That's when the teacher finally sat down and cried. She cried for Mark and for all his friends who would never see him again.
The density of people in society is so thick that we forget that life will end one day. And we don't know when that one day will be.

So please, tell the people you love and care for, that they are special and important. Tell them, before it is too late.


And One Way To Accomplish This Is: Forward this message on. If you do not send it, you will have, once again passed up the wonderful opportunity to do something nice and beautiful.


What if we all sent each person we know a note about what we like about them?

Matthew Working Again

Matt hauling more scrap he bagged today. A little effort every day and he'll be ready for another trip to the scrap yard!

$29.99 for a Wood Stove?!

I found this at Menards.

It's, obviously, not a complete wood stove, but a kit to build your own.
With the economy the way it is, I'm truly surprised there were any left on the shelves!

Free heat for the industrious!!!

Mini Pizzas~ Fresh & Hot!

Time to dish up!

Mini Pizza Idea

This was a quick impromptu attempt to make our evening special.
First I sprayed the pan with cooking spray and dropped in the biscuits.
Second I topped each with two tablespoons spaghetti sauce, parmesian cheese and slices of summer sausage.
Finally, I baked following the directions on the biscuit package.

Served Fresh & Hot!

Served up hot on a fresh flour tortilla!

Running Wild With Breakfast!

This morning I went a little wild! Our breakfast bake has 1 cup chorizo sausage, 1 can green beans, 5 eggs, 6 ounces colby cheese, 6 ounces cream cheese, chipolte seasoning and garlic and pepper seasoning. Now we sit and wait for it to bake. Waiting for it is almost traumatic!!!

Is Your Perimitter Secure?

Well, I already knew I needed to finish fencing our land as soon as the ground thawed. That was pretty much a given with the current status of the world. So, as I looked out the window to this early morning scene, I was renewed in my fervor.
Now I have an improved plan. I will still use seven foot steel and concrete posts every four feet, but now plan to suppliment with four foot posts half way between. This way the posts will stop the vehicles as they slide on the ice in the alley!
Also, I am thinking that I can keep the fence about two feet back from the propert line. Then I'll put in landscape blocks for a raised bed with robinhood and rugosa roses. The landscape blocks should act as a curb and, once the roses are fully grown, they will be inpenetrable.

The back of our land will be secure and beautiful!

Evacuate Immediately?

Where would you go in the event you are advised to evacuate?

Do you have a subteranium site that is very stable? A distant location to hide out for a few weeks?

How thoroughly have you checked out this plan?

I don't have a plan yet. I started one last year and realized how difficult it would be to get out of Joliet. Between broken down draw bridges and roads that flood, getting out did not look like much of a possibility! I either need to dig a serious bomb shelter or find a couple little used back roads.

What will you do?

"When you do for the least of these..."

Doesn't He want us to love and care for those who've been abandoned?

Warm Hats to Share

More Hats

I need to run over to Morning Star and drop off more hats tonight!

Will the Snow Stop?

You can still see Candi's footprints, but the tire tracks are gone. Still snowing!

Heat Wave?!

My wipers went on strike! Had to break down and buy sub-zero wiper fluid! Could the mini ice age be starting already? The outdoor temp at work today got all the way up to 14.4 degrees F. It was like a heat wave!!!

More Snow?

It's still snowing!

We Found It!

The car has been spotted! We need to load the trunk and try to drive home.

Find a white car in the snow!

Where did we put that car?

More Snow...

Apparently the skies opened up while we were shopping! Maybe there will be enough to make snow cones!?

We Love Snow!

The snow started! Yea, snow!! A little slippery with ice under it, but easily do-able.

Hugs not Money

As I sit all snuggled up warm in my bed watching TV and knitting yet another hat, I wonder... Would you hug someone who appeared homeless?

Invite them over for your Christmas buffet and allow them to serve themselves?

Isn't this the time of year to open our hearts?

Please, close your wallet and give of yourself.

Put Christ back in Christmas!

Don't Forget About Cleaning!

As we consider the concept of stocking up, it's easy to forget personal hygiene and cleaning supplies.

How long would these bars of soap last your family?

Where would the average family store all the items necessary to be completely self-sufficient for an extended period of time?

It boggles the mind!

Safe Cookware

I broke down and started buying new pots and pans so I can throw out ALL my pyrex.

I found these at Certified on Jackson St.

The price was right and they contain no glass or aluminum, so I figure we're fairly safe until they post what we should use at www.howitreallyis4me.blogspot.com.

What did you decide to use?

Sleeping Outside in an Ice Storm

Another hat for Morning Star Mission...

A deep freeze is coming behind this ice storm.

I can't even imagine sleeping out in this weather~ can you?

What can you do for them?

My Poor Pitiful Pantry

Well, I have to admit that this is my pantry.

There was a leak, so I pulled apart the outside wall! Then I pulled the 'plastic' trailer-like wall covering and drywall off the inside walls.

Now I have addressed the leak and can insulate, redrywall, rewire and put up the cedar! After that we can install shelving.

It will be SO nice to get it finished so I can sort my groceries and finally begin to stockpile!

Collecting $$$ From Scrap

Matt waiting to be paid for his aluminum!

The price dropped from $.40 to $.35/lb., but he still walked out with $12.50.

That's money for him to buy Christmas presents for friends and family.

Still Working in Today's Economy!

Matt is working again!

He's unloaded the aluminum at the scrap yard and is carrying the bags to the scale shed to be weighed.

It's a lot of work for a little money, but teaches financial independence and a strong work ethic~ two things today's young people are missing.

Weighing the Scrap

Matt at the scale shed.

A man's work is never done!

A Few Weeks of Collecting Scrap!

Many bags of scrap to be weighed!

Italian Turkey

Turkey in spaghetti sauce, on the dehydrator tray waiting to go in.

Maybe I'll make turkey parmesan one night!

Turkey B-B-Q

The turkey in b-b-q sauce, all ready to dehydrate!

Think of the casseroles we'll be concocting!

Marinating Turkey

Turkey marinating in spaghetti sauce.

This will lend so many possibilities to future suppers!

Excalibur Dehydrator

I have an amazing 5 shelf Excalibur dehydrator (www.excalibur.com).

These are the suggested temperature settings for it.

Although a more expensive model than those available in stores, it is the Cadillac of dehydrators and worth every penny!

Dehydrated Bar-B-Qued Turkey

I am marinating turkey in bar-b-que sauce in preparation to dehydrate!

The shelf life of dehydrated meat has been wonderful and the meat is unbelievably tender when cooked slowly.

This will only give us a few meals, but will help to fill a bare pantry.

Mini Ice Age= Coffee Shortage?

Do you love coffee?

I can't start my day without it!

But, do you have enough for 6 months?

A year?

What happens if we enter a mini ice age again?

I wonder if I could grow coffee in a green house?

Food Shortages~ Stockpiling for Your Future

How much $$$ will this small amount of vegetables be worth in the future?

Every week you should buy whatever fresh food is on sale and dehydrate or can it.

You are going to have to decide if you want to live!

Using Food Crops as Bio-Fuel?!?!

Dehydrated corn and other vegetables.

With farmers turning their corn into bio-fuel, will there be corn on your table?

My new Cat box that Actually Works!

This cat box is the nicest one I've had!

It's ultra sturdy with high sides so my kitty can't kick litter all over.

As you can see, I use shredded wood for litter.

It is ecologically sound and can even be composted!

Favorite Seasonings

Currently, these are my two favorite seasonings.

Our Community Christmas Tree

Michael bought a lighted village and a train set for under the sitting room tree.

He really has the Christmas Spirit!

Homeless PEOPLE vs a Building

Today there was a disturbing article in the Joliet Herald News stating that the leaders of Joliet have decided to cut all gambling profit monies for Morning Star Mission and Daybreak Shelter but continue the same monies for the Rialto Square Theater!

So... the City of Joliet feels that a building is more important than keeping PEOPLE fed and sheltered?

How do they sleep at night?

What will become of all the people loosing their jobs and their homes?

Will Joliet's children be sleeping under a bridge this winter?

A few knitted hats can't solve this.

What

Would

Jesus

Do?

What should we do as a community?

A Senior Citizen Sleeping Out in the Cold??!

More hats for Morning Star Mission!

There was an article recently, in the Herald, about Morning Star mentioning an older man living under a bridge. Today it is 30.3 degrees fahrenheit outside.

It would be so nice to know they all have new warm hats.