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I have prayed for Charles and it’s wonderful to hear things are going well. Oh I remember petti pants and the pretty colors and trims. Stay well

I am so glad that Charles's pain is less after his surgery! Modern medicine can be so wonderful. He seems to be getting around amazingly well. I am so impressed by changing the faucet by yourself. We just replaced our kitchen faucet too, but went from a modern one to an old-fashioned one. We had the plumber put it in after our experience with the bathroom faucets. Without the tall curve of the modern one, I got the use of my small windowsill back. I was very happy about that. 

Balance is such a good subject. We have been doing so much transforming of our house this year that I am exhausted. It will be worth it when it is done because then I will have created balance. Work and rest, both in comfortable amounts. One of our present projects is taking the front birdbath bowl and putting it in the ground (not on the ground) on the shady side of the house for a mini bird pond, and I just ordered crocus bulbs on a fall pre-sale to naturalize around it in the lawn. It got too hot in the front for the bird bath. I'm going to have to change where my hummingbird feeder is too. We finally got a hummingbird regular and a visitor. My son's room gets hotter than the rest of the house. It got cooler from the attic fan, but with the three-digit temps, it was still warming up a lot. We finally ordered a portable room AC when we analyzed how the sun hits his room from two sides, and that's what keeps it so hot all day long. The way our house is designed has his room sticking out from the rest of the house. We are going to test using the solar generators to run the AC unit when it's installed. 

I am sure Charles will improve a lot! I am so glad to hear the things went well. :)

I've been wondering how Charles was doing. I'm so very, very happy to hear how well he is doing!  

I've replaced 3 sink faucets. Our laundry room was easy, but our kitchen is difficult because there's no room. It requires quite the physical contortion.  The wood in the center to close the doors makes it so the cabinet areas are very narrow and between the plumbing trap on one side and the disposal on the other side it's extremely difficult to get in there. I have thought to remove the center wood and brace the sides inside. Easier yet a curtain, but we have dogs and I don't want them under there. But that isn't the biggest problem, the problem is it's usually trying to remove the old faucets due to corrosion or what not. So HUGE kudos to you for being able to do this!!!   And truth be told, things always go bad when the husbands are indisposed! The last was our septic leaking on the way to taking my husband to his heart ablation surgery. Afterwards he's not able to do that physical work. That was a huge stressor as my back isn't able to shovel and NO Company would unearth it even for a fee.

Heat is NOT my thing. In AZ it's ridiculously hot. Next week to be in the 100's again and is wreaking havoc with not have the dogs exercised enough - 2 large ones. I just don't have the energy as the heat sucks me dry and they won't go out. That means nocturnal dog activity, early rising for me (a few times it was 3:40 which is ridiculous) - just a season of constant fatigue. I'm living in the wrong area for sure. When monsoon is over, it'll be hot as blazes still through October, but the nights will be cooler.  

Right now I'm searching for somewhere else to get all my vitamins and supplements. I've had it with Amazon. They stopped delivering to my address, yet still deliver to some people in the neighborhood, I can make one order and they all come separate which is a monetary nightmare, it's never, ever on time, some orders they won't deliver here at all (which is a highway lockbox), so I have to adjust where, and if I have them deliver to my husband's work they never read the delivery instructions and throw it on the porch on a friday evening and it's a business... so it's usually stolen.  Their service has gone way, way down the tubes and I refuse to pay anymore for the horrible service.

For now, I've been listening to a lot of music from my childhood and going back to CD's an DVD's. I'm so done with subscriptions and nonsense and it's fun to boot!  Simple too!!!

It is wonderful that Charles has done so well. He has an exceptional caregiver.

Balance is so important and hard to do, sometimes. As we get into our 70's and 80's extra "stuff" can seem overwhelming. You are an inspiration, gDonna.

We have always gone by the old adage that "two is one and one is none." That has saved us money and stress many times. Everything has become so expensive.

You are very creative with the plumbing. I never thought of having a flat, long car dolly for projects that are hard for people with arthritic bending, squatting and back issues. It is nice to learn so much from this blog.

Many blessings to everyone.

I am so glad to hear how well Charles is doing! How wonderful!

I recently had a lesson in proper preparedness. I was visiting my mother when the Spokane fires began, and we had to evacuate. This isn’t something she nor I had ever considered, since she lives well within town. Yet, there we were, with visible flames burning as we loaded the car! Deciding what to take within the 10 minute window we had between learning of the fire and the evacuation order was difficult, and mistakes were definitely made. We did luck out, as her part of the neighborhood was untouched, but the fire burned to within 8 blocks of her, but they got it out at the sports fields at the end of her street. The evacuation orders seemed Willy-nilly at the time, and we later learned that they were because the fire spread so quickly and they were trying to keep it from burning down the river valley and into downtown. 

My mother is nearly 80, and although strong and active, we realized that she needed a plan for evacuations. Before I left, we put together a couple of plastic tubs holding copies of her important documents, and her most beloved photo albums, and a few other irreplaceable things. One tub is almost empty, but we wrote a list on the lid of things to grab and throw in if there is time. That way she doesn’t have to think, as we learned there is no time to think during an evacuation order. The tubs live in her mudroom between the house and garage, so it would only take a moment to load them into her car and go. We made sure they weren’t too heavy so that she could lift them easily. 

With our changing world, it is important to think of emergency preparedness. You might not have to evacuate because of wildfires, but hurricanes and other reasons may mean one does. Being prepared, and making sure you prepare in a way to fit your age and abilities, is so important

I'm so glad to hear that Charles is doing well after his surgery.  My brother in law had that same type of hip surgery and his recuperation went well.  It's good to know, from someone with the real experience with this type,  that this is the better option to choose.  It's amazing how soon he is up and walking around unaided.  Sorry that so many things around the house have gone askew right when you need normal as much as possible.  Your preparedness and earlier hospital work has certainly helped make things go more smoothly for both of you.

It's good to know that Charles is on the mend.  Take care and rest when you can.

Hello Donna, I very happy that Charles is going better. He had a very good nurse !!

Here in France the summer is very hot, and températures is over 38* dégrées someday. So I try to work early in the morning, and after lunch, we stay calm at home under the fan. Please take care of you and your family.???? Angie.

I use iherb dot com for my supplements. They have free shipping over $25 and sell a lot of things besides supplements. 

Grandma Donna, thanks for the update on Charles. It is so wonderful to read a new post from you. I also appreciate the photo of what you prepared for before the surgery. Good to see what is needed and already laid out. My husband had hernia surgery a month ago and he didn't need as much care as Charles, but it was still an adjustment. I don't have any experience caring for Ill or recovering people as we don't have children and I've lived away from any family for over 30 years, so I didn't have my parents near me to care for when they were Ill. I learn a lot from you and others here on the forum which I'm thankful for.

The heat and humidity here in Tennessee is brutal at the moment and we have a lawncare business so we are out in this weather mowing. I got heatstroke on Thursday and it was really awful so we've adjusted the times we go out. So everyone take heed when the heat advisory says to stay in doors! 

Grandma Donna,

I am so relieved to hear that Charles is recuperating well. You may not be getting any younger, but you and Charles are still going strong! I just turned 49, and you both are such an inspiration. I love your positive, yet realistic view on life and aging. Keep it up! A faucet change? You never cease to amaze me!

I live outside of Charleston, SC, in the Low Country. The heat index is 118 today. I don't do well in the heat due to health issues. Thank goodness for central AC! I never had it before this house, and it's done wonders for my asthma and allergies. I can't breathe well when it's humid. I know it's not something everyone has, so it makes me that much more grateful to have. 

I have also struggled with my wardrobe this summer. I can only really do cotton and lighter linen. Most other fabrics irritate my skin. I find Fresh Produce clothing items on Ebay. The company caters to an over 40 clientele, all their items are made in the USA, and the colors are so much fun. Their items usually last forever as well. I can't afford their full price items, so I always try to find a good sale. The pettipants sound like a great idea! I bet you can use them year round.

So happy to see this post and to know how well Charles and you are doing. You did a great job prepping and repairing things. Great job on the sink! 

I have been spending time going thru closets and clothes. I cannot wear the unnatural fabrics anymore, I get itchy skin and, in this heat, and humidity I don't need more reason to itch. While many others are having drought and wildfires we are being flooded. Thankfully not me personally but even the country roads around me have been covered. I am pretty sure the houses along these roads have water in their basement.

I have been busy pickling and cleaning/sorting when it is too wet to be outside.  Gardens are wet and we need to be digging potatoes, we may have to dig in mud. 

Still adjusting my home to reflex my current needs and hopefully more like the 1940's.  I have let the news creep back into my life and I know I need to get that under control again.

I hope you remain safe in your neck of the woods. We have friends in Indiana, which has suffered greatly recently due to flooding. Climate change is certainly wreaking havoc in so many places, unfortunately. 

Oh, the news. I understand! I've been trying to watch less and less on social media and TV. It's very difficult since the US midterms are coming up. I feel like we're inundated with information on a daily basis which isn't healthy for us. Instead, I put on BritBox and watch Keeping Up Appearances or a good British mystery. 

I'm glad I'm not alone in my quest for better natural fabrics to wear. It's tough but so worth it when you get rid of all those synthetic clothes!

great to hear your husband is healing well!!!

I was wondering why you said you need a neutral color sweater when going out. Is that because it can match any number of outfits?

love your blog

Lee Ann 

I'm very glad to hear things are going well.  I felt fairly sure that Charles would be up quickly.  I'm so happy for you both!  The friend of my family who had his knee replaced last week is also recovering quickly, and like Charles, says the surgery pain is minor compared to the pain he had before it.  He had a rod to hold his leg together and it had bowed, which hurt, plus he had broken screws all inside his leg by the time they got to his surgery.  He had to wait until it was clear the cadaver bone replacing his femur would work and "take," before they could give him back a knee.

I have not changed a faucet, although I often helped.  DH always changed them until he no longer could, then I got a plumber.  I have, however, changed out a complete toilet and can repair or replace toilet valves and their associated parts.  Funny story - I worked for years in an office of men only, except for me of course, and when the handle and valve broke on the toilet in the men's bathroom, I fixed it for them.  Not one of them knew how, which amazed me.  They were all college educated engineers.

I am getting ready to have my kitchen re-modeled.  I will have all roll outs and drawers on the bottom cabinets and the upper cabinets will be lower to the countertop than my current ones, which were set too high on the wall. The cabinet fronts will be what is called "slab" front; meaning there will be no trim around the doors, no sunken or protruding panels or carvings; nothing that will easily catch grease and dirt. They are simply plain, flat doors, with scrubbable paint finish, much like the old days.  I have to use a stepladder almost daily in my current kitchen and getting down and hunting in the back of the bottom cabinets, as noted here, is hard to do as I get older.  The remodel is prompting a complete going-through of what I keep in my kitchen, and I've already given away a number of things to friends and family.  What I don't give to people directly will be given to the hospice house charity shop.  The shop supports the hospice house that took such tender care of DH in his last days.   

Living in hurricane country and having endured three in 13 months 2 years ago, I am pretty much always prepared for hurricanes now.  For me, at least, while I keep some copies or originals of documents at the bank, much of my documentation is now available online at any time.  

Now, however, I am preparing for aging in place, as they call it.  A lot of that is indeed getting rid of things I used to use but now don't, and finding out what things I will need that I don't now.  I'm trying to think - what would I do if I was mobility challenged?  If my sight was a problem?  If the family curse of arthritis limits my movements?  I have some ideas, due to caring for DH, thankfully, but I still think this will be a rather long process.

I've worn linen underwear for years. They usually wear out in the seat. When the first one wore through, I saved it. When the second one wore through, I used the first one to reinforce the second one after I mended it, and kept doing that as they all started to wear, saving out whole worn ones to cut up for patching when I needed more material. Sometimes I get new pairs for Christmas to keep my stock going. Pretty soon I had completely "recovered" underwear, and then the elastic started to go. I decided to use some of my patching material to put a drawstring on the ones where the elastic had pooped out. Just a few loops to hold the string here and there does it. Flat cloth tape works best, but plain string will do. I machine wash them, but always hang them to dry.

Great to read that you're both doing so well! I admire your ingenuity and teamwork in replacing the faucet, Grandma Donna!

Agree completely about contemporary clothing; Elastane is included to make things stretchy and it does seem to either break down, or lose its stretch, turning the fabric into a rippling, saggy heap.

I wonder whether it's partly because close-fitting clothes are popular, and people can't/won't pay for well cut clothes in natural fibres so elastane does the job of a skilled patternmaker...except it doesn't!

My medication makes me heat up and perspire a lot. Synthetic fibres make this worse, so I'm always on the lookout for 100% cotton, linen or woollen garments. It's  surprising how hard they are to find in thrift shops. Target always seems to have a good selection of linen garments, and I found a 100% wool cardigan there this winter at a very reasonable price.

Thankyou for the thought about linen underwear. I have some 100% wool jersey fabric that I bought a few years ago to make something for my daughter, but I haven't even cut the fabric. Now I have some ideas for myself! Saying that, Aldi had 100% merino wool thermals this year,  so I donated my synthetic ones and bought two sets of the wool. With careful washing and storing, I feel confident they'll last well.

Yes, we are in winter here in Australia and I feel for you all in the USA, UK and Europe. It's been an unusually mild season, and already feels like spring here. The birds were early with their spring behaviours. I am not looking forward to summer. We need to prepare now for bushfire season, which starts officially in about six weeks. 

Best wishes for continued good recovery by Charles and that you can maintain your wonderful creativity and energy, Grandma Donna!

THRILLED for this positive update.   I’m not surprised but am so happy that his recovery is going so well.  The new procedures make an amazing difference in the recovery process

But all the house mishaps ????. But aren’t you the amazing one to fix the sink!!  My daughter is handy that way.  I’m very proud to have a daughter who can both operate AND weld ????  

if you google there is quite a bit about who mosquitos love best. Maybe scents and color changes could help.  The heat is just brutal this year.  We were recently in Denver and CA and everything is parched.  Cincinnati, Chicago and Indy have had incredible storms and flooding.  
If you happen to think of it (while in the shower or something) could you direct me to the section that teaches how to wash clothing by hand. The bigger laundry like pants and shirts.  I’m ready to tackle something new to learn. I’m looking forward to hearing about your wardrobe renovations. I definitely need to go thru my closet and purge and let some things find happiness with another woman.

I have been tweaking my kitchen; most of my efforts have been to get rid of things missing parts or have damage. My mom passed 2.5 years ago and she gave me so many beautiful things and I’m finding it hard to part with them   Do many of you “entertain” and have people for dinner often   We’ve been retired for awhile now so I don’t understand why we don’t   I guess I partly do:  while I can intensely focus on many thing, I’ve become too multitasked in the kitchen and make mistakes   
We did enjoy a delightful tomato tart yesterday though ????????????

Lots of hugs to you and Charles  

So glad to learn Charles is doing well. 

I am so glad to hear that Charles is doing well! I am glad that he won't have the pain he had before, and he will probably be able to do much more physically than before. I know that neither one of you is the type to lie around and take it easy.

I'm impressed that you were able to fix the faucet yourself like that. I grew up in a family where girls weren't taught how to fix anything or even drive a car. Thus, I spent my whole life thinking that men fix things. Recently, my lawnmower broke down. For a couple of weeks, I looked for another one on Facebook Marketplace, and I briefly thought about getting a new one. However, at 67 years old, I decided I would learn to fix it myself. I asked ChatGPT what to do, and it also gave me a YouTube video. I changed the spark plug and air filter and gave it an oil change, and it is working once again! I found it very empowering to do it myself. Now I am looking around my house for all of the other things that need to be fixed.

Have A Great Day Y'All!

Becky Sue

Margaret, I'm so glad you're trying Fresh Produce! I find their midweight and heavier weight cotton items the best bang for your buck. Some of their items are slub cotton, which is soft but never lasts long.

I have been watching a lot of food history videos and have noticed many time periods had their biggest meal at midday. I suffer from digestion issues and am considering trying this meal method. Being a home maker, this shouldn't be too difficult. Maybe I'll just make a smaller portion of dinner for myself and eat it earlier. Have any of you tried having your biggest meal midday? I'm hoping it will help my stomach aches.

Melissa S = for some years now we've been eating our main meal at lunch time instead of in the evening.  It's much better for your digestion and metabolism and doesn't put the burden on your system to try to digest a full stomach at almost bedtime.  Night time we just have a light supper, perhaps something on toast or a sandwich - we don't need more than that.

I don't know why this just struck me, but my father worked in a tire shop as a young man, where they also worked on brakes and such.  He always called those rolling things to get under cars, "creepers."  He made his own for use at home.   As a kid I sometimes rode it around like an oversized skateboard.

Donna, I too am a mosquito magnet. I’ve tried all the things. Years ago I even asked my doctor about it. He said it was my O positive blood. Mosquitos love it the most. Don’t know if that’s science or old wives take, but I do know my type A bbrothers and my hubby never get bit and I am scratching from head to toe 

I'm so happy to hear your Charles is doing so well!  it's truly amazing how that surgery can change lives!  

Replacing the kitchen faucet???  you are amazing!  even if it hadn't worked out, the fact you got down there in that awful awkward space on your back is So impressive and very empowering!  Great job!!

Mosquitoes and heat are oppressive here as well.   I must wear long sleeves,  pants and socks to go into my garden,  and then they just bite me around my face.  Hopefully we are nearing the end of summer and can think about fall coming soon.  

I'm working on my meal plans too. One year day I hope to finish them. :) I have digestive issues too and have found that, for me, homemade food and not too much wheat or sugar works best. I've been fascinated with the medieval diet lately. They ate sourdough bread, fermented ale, live cheeses with enzymes at work, and other fermented foods, every day. Making ale looks very hard (first you sprout the barley for three days, then dry it just right in an oven...), but I've been inspired to make a sourdough starter. I'm trying to have my pottage (soup) on hand everyday too. This week it's beef barley. 

We've had a very wet spring and summer. I've tried going outside in my thickest sweat pants and sweatshirt but the mosquitos still get me. I just stay indoors now. I bought a water wiggle for the birdbath we are setting in the ground so that the mosquitos don't lay eggs there. Since we're putting the bird pond in the shade, I bought a battery operated water wiggle instead of a solar one. I got a special birdbath with a solar fountain for the hummies. My hummies from last year finally came back. Climate change isn't going to get any better, so I want to help my birds survive it. Our barn swallows that nest on top of our front porch light laid two sets of eggs this year. My other birds are very mad at me right now. I buy a large carton of birdseed for them every month but they started running through almost two cartons a month. I can't afford that! Now I measure out the seed so that we stay within the one carton a month, and now they are mad that the all you can eat buffet closed. 

Stephanie, I am also obsessed with the medieval diet! I buy sourdough bread every week and freeze it. I make pottage (soup) every week. I give half to my 75 year old mom and 87 year old stepdad. They love getting soup and I love giving them quality nutrition. 

This week's pottage was escarole and bean with a little spicy sausage and ditalini pasta. My mom and I grew up in NJ where Italian ingredients like escarole greens are used all the time. It's my favorite cooking green.

It's been one week since I cut out sugar and white flour. Maybe it's my imagination but I feel better.

I would like to eat my biggest meal at lunch since that is my 1st meal of the day. But with other family at lunch that's just not possible right now. 

I'm now finishing dinner at least 3 hours before bed with no snacks later. If my husband works late I go ahead and eat and sit with him while he eats later. 

Melissa S Sausage and bean soup sounds so delicious! So savory. :)

So glad to hear Charles' recovery is going so well.  

Ann E.  - while you have your septic tank dug up, consider putting a riser over the clean out so next time you won't need to dig.  

My dad was in the hospital 52 days before he passed.  During that time, I developed a hospital go-bag containing a white, tan or black cardigan, two bottles of water, two breakfast bars, two paperback books and supplies for knitting dish cloths.  He has been gone since 2001 and I'm still working my way through the dish cloths.  My late dh had several surgeries, numerous hospitalizations, and all that goes with that and I guess during those years I added quite a few more dish cloths to my stash.  

As far as an emergency go-bag, making a list and pre-positioning is smart.  I have a fireproof safe in the basement, and I keep a briefcase nearby to move everything into to take as I cannot lift the safe.  Beyond the usual things you'd think to pack, add a couple wash cloths and a towel.  I always include a bar of soap, shampoo and rinse because I'm allergic to scented products.  After our tornado, I went several days before I was able to wash my face or other body parts.  The Red Cross gave us a bag containing several hygiene items and that wash cloth and towel topped my list.  Water should always be included along with some nutrition bars and cans (pull top or include can opener) of food that can be eaten directly from the can without heating.  

Stephanie G. - mending panties is something that I have done mainly to make sure it would work.  Currently I'm able to afford new, but it's good to know I can mend if necessary.  I save fabric from panties I'm discarding in a bag for future mending.  I was made fun of for mending panties when I mentioned it (because I was proud it worked!) so never mention it to anyone again.

I wear cotton knit tops from thrift shops with shorts or jeans in the summer and turtlenecks under sweatshirts in the winter.  I have three drawers of summer shirts one is not so good, one better and one best.  The not so good often have stains or are stretched out and are for grubby days, the better for when I have errands outside the house and best for church or other look my best days.  I haven't shopped retain for summer shirts since Sears closed!  I am very picky and often look through several racks of thrifted clothing to find new or like new shirts.  

The question on washing clothing by hand is interesting.  I sincerely hope I never have to do so again but I can tell you the wringing out is the hardest part especially with heavy items.  Back in the day I used a galvanized tub on the kitchen floor and was on hands and knees washing diapers.  I had friends who used bathtubs.  One would put clothes to soak overnight in the tub and then wash the next day.  I was fortunate that I was able to take everything to laundromat (if $'s available) or to parents or in-laws to wash but diapers had to be done in-between.  I did wash baby sheets as I only had two and ds barfed constantly so those had to be washed as well as his clothing.  I have a double tub on legs in my basement that I picked up at an auction thinking if I ever have to handwash again at least, I won't be on my hands and knees!

How lovely to have an update post and to hear that Charles is recovering well, what a relief it must be for him not to be in such pain. As others have said he has a good nurse who also turns out to be a successful plumber as well :)

It’s been so hot here in the UK and we’ve had no rain for weeks here in the east of the country, hosepipes have been banned and we are now officially in drought. My garden is hanging on by the skin of its teeth and only the tomatoes plus Mediterranean herbs are thriving. I water by hand watering can every day which if nothing else is at least keeping my arms strong! The high temperatures mean that the few cotton & linen clothes I own are on a continuous cycle so will be looking to increase how many I have in my wardrobe, I know which brands etc are long lasting and suit me so keep have those searches saved on EBay etc.

Lovely to hear of others dumping the music subscriptions and listening to CD’s again, can I admit to keeping all my old vinyl records and then was kindly gifted a record player for my 60th birthday by my husband so I play those or listen to a free music station.

hosepipes have been banned and we are now officially in drought. My garden is hanging on by the skin of its teeth and only the tomatoes plus Mediterranean herbs are thriving. I water by hand watering can every day which if nothing else is at least keeping my arms strong

LaineyT_2, I'm sorry to hear you're  in drought and have restrictions on watering the garden. You may already be doing this, but if not, maybe consider capturing your grey water (not from washing up in the kitchen sink, but from the washing machine) to give plants a drink. I don't believe it's officially recommended to use grey water on edibles. It would be a good idea to look up the local advice if you decide to do this.

We kept our garden going for years through the "Millenial Drought" in Australia using grey water, water that had been captured after being used to wash produce, rinse water from handwashing of clothes...any safe source of water we could collect. 

Shade cloth (or any shade; umbrellas, sheets draped over frames) also reduces temperatures around plants and reduces evaporation, as does mulching.

Apologies if you already know this. I'm  sure Grandma Donna had covered this stuff as well, in the past. 

I hope you get rain soon. 

So happy to hear you both weathered this latest hurdle and are on the road to healing! May God continue to give you strength and blessings! 

I love the way you both truly work as a team. So many marriages fail, methinks, due to a lack of generosity and willingness to put self last instead of first.

Melissa S - I have chased many years of stomach ailments, esp after eating almost anything. What I have finally found to be a life changer, in my situation, are digestive enzymes. I initially took one with each meal, but now I only take them with my largest meal. I never thought I could be normal again, but for now it has been working. I still have my gallbladder, just in case anyone was wondering, as digestive enzymes are often recommended to those who no longer do, although over the years mine has been cranky at times.

Prayers continue for a complete healing and that you don't have to learn any new home skills anytime soon! Much love.

Thank you Kellie for your kind reply, luckily over recent years I’ve swapped many of the more needy flowering plants for drought tolerant ones so salvias, lavenders, grasses etc so that side of things isn’t too bad although I love my roses and they are a must have in my cottage garden. It’s mainly my food produce that is suffering which, as you say, can’t really have that much grey water but we do use what we can. 
Our water butt was emptied a long time ago so on my radar for next year is a second but that of course is reliant on us having a decent rainfall over winter.

That all said I pulled up a decent crop of second early potatoes at the weekend and keeping everything crossed for our main one which usually sees us through most of the colder months.

Our apple tree has already dropped a lot of fruit but as Monty D said on Gardeners World the other day that’s just the trees way of prioritising it’s use of water

I am so happy for your Charles! And prayers coming for the baby.
I am a pretty new reader but so enjoy your posts. I hope you aren't in Florida! I am and the heat is so intense! Ugh.
I have found myself doing more and more things (and learning) to do myself. It is just so expensive to get someone out to do it and the big problem is getting them to do it. They are SO busy all the time. My brother is not very handy and there is a part of me that feels that learning helps keep me young too! The brain is active! Not to mention the pride of doing something myself!
Take care and keep blogging. I so enjoy your updates!

Thanks Stephanie G. I will look into it!

Ann W, We ended up doing that very thing on the one we need to rinse the filter on when they came out. (Big sigh on that gross job).  Due to cost, the other one, we put sand over it for an easier dig. Maybe  next time it requires pumping, we'll pay for that one to have a riser as well.

I'm glad Charles is recovering so well after the hip surgery.

And thank you for passing along the update on baby Jacob.

Grandma Donna, so glad for the good news about Charles and the surgery, recovery and progress.  
i wanted to tell you that I have been wearing cotton “bloomers”, long petit pants, under my dresses. I have several pair and would like to send you a pair.  If you like them, keep them.  You could also take them apart and design a better pattern fit your comfort.  I can private message you or give you my email address and you could send me your mailing address.  I wash everything before I wear it because of the chemical preservatives in the cotton fabric.  
Your climate sounds like mine here in middle Tennessee.  It’s been a horrible summer for me.

Best regards,

Sara

Hi Everyone, thank you for the prayers and well wishes, I am so thankful that Charles surgery has gone well.  I see from the comments that many places besides the United States is having weather issues and disasters.    Seems like we must keep adjusting because I feel that so much is extreme.   I now have a two rolling bags, one at the foot of our bed and one at the back door just in case we need to evacuate from some kind of event or trip to the hospital.  I feel it is better to do this than not so I can check that off my worry list.  

Lee D, I carry a neutral color sweater just so it will go with any color I wear for doctor office, hospital or grocery.  Sometimes I leave it in the car.  

Barbara D, I am glad you found us here and happy that you are commenting here in the forum. :) You are so right about it being difficult to get someone out to do repairs and it is so expensive now.  I miss the days when neighbors would help each other fix things.  

Ann E, I feel your frustrations, I think many of us have experienced what you have.  I keep thinking that at some point things will get normal again but I am starting to wonder if this is just the way it is and if it is I am ready to live underground to stay cooler.  Also I have the wood in the center under my kitchen sink cabinet as well and I went into the one on the right and shifted my upper body over to the left, well that was from looking from the outside. Anyway that gave me some arm room, it wasn't easy for sure.  

Grandma Donna

We're just two years out of a seven-year drought that ended up being nine years.  What I would do is put a dishpan in the sink I used to rinse dishes, rinse veggies, rinse my hands, etc. and then take that water to the garden.  I mostly watered tomatoes and peppers because it is easy to do individual plants.  Our drought seems to be over although we did have a long dry spell earlier this summer, but our water is so expensive I cannot afford to water outside.  Plus, every drop of water through the meter is also charged a sewer fee.  In the past, we would shred leaves in the fall and use them for garden mulch the next summer.  All my trees are now gone so I've not been able to mulch and I see a huge difference especially with my tomatoes. 

I'm so glad to hear that Charles's surgery went well. He must have been in tremendous pain beforehand to feel immediately so much better. 

Things always seem to go wrong at the most inconvenient times. You did a great job on the tap. I don't know that I would have had the confidence. 

We have had an action packed couple of months with accidents, emergency surgeries and a new baby in the family.

 As a result of all of that, I've packed a small bag to leave in the car with toiletries, bottled water, snacks, a pen and a puzzle book. When things go wrong in a hurry you don't always get time to pack a bag. 

I've really enjoyed all of the comments today. I'm not looking forward to the heat heading our way this summer. For those in Australia there is a free app called Heatwatch put out by the faculty of medicine and health at the University of Sydney. You enter your location, age and any health conditions and it will give you personalised recommendations to avoid heat related illness on any given day. It is very good to use in hot weather. I do a lot of gardening and use it to work out what times I need to get my jobs done by in the mornings. 

P. S. Edited to add that I'm also really frustrated about not being able to find clothes that aren't plastic. Whenever I come across cotton or linen shirts or dresses in the style I like at op shops or markets for a couple of dollars I have been buying them and putting them away. That way when a shirt or dress wears out I replace it from my stash. 

To all my fellow fabric scrutinizers lol, I forgot to mention that Walmart has several 100% cotton options for women these days. So does Costco. I understand not everyone shops at Walmart for moral and ethical reasons, but you really can't beat the prices. I have many simple dresses and tops that are all cotton from there. I also just bought long sleeve all cotton tees at Costco. I seem to find many basics from these stores and they both have decent return policies if needed.

Greetings!  I am very impressed with the work that you are doing.  Great job on the faucet replacement.  You did very well with the preparations to save yourself a broken neck and back.  LOL!  It gives me the shivers to think of replacing a faucet.  But, with your creative thinking skills, you did so well.  And, of course, Charles' help.  I am going to remember those things in case I ever have to do that.  Of course, I have cancer and rheumatoid arthritis, so I doubt if I will ever be able to do that.  I also love to read about all the wonderful ways you go about your homemaking.  Keep up the good work.  Great homes are the foundation of the land.

Grandma Donna wrote,  Virginia M, welcome to the forum, I am happy that you joined in on the conversations.  You have some serious concerns to deal with, Charles and I will add you to our daily prayers.  Cancer can be cured or go away, my first cousin has beat his cancer which was all over his body and he did have a difficult time but the cancer is gone now going on six years.  I am happy that you enjoy reading my blog.  Hugs and Love, Donna

Awe, blessings all around. Glad to hear Charles is recovering so well. 
Also prayers for baby Jacob and knowledge and wisdom to those who love and care for him. 

for most people in Germany, the main meal of the day is lunch. Those who are at home at midday eat there. Many schools, kindergartens, and workplaces have canteens where you can buy or eat a hot lunch. These canteens are generally open only around midday to provide people with their main meal.
Canteens usually offer a choice of dishes, and the meal almost always consists of a starter (soup or salad), a main course, and a dessert—making it a three-course meal.
If I don't have a hot meal at midday, my digestive system gets thrown off balance. It is simply a matter of habit.

Since I am no longer working, I prepare all my meals myself; if I am out and about at lunchtime, I take a hot meal with me. This is what it looks like

So good to hear from you, g Donna, and to hear that Charles is doing so well.  You are a wonder woman not only in replacing the faucet but also in figuring out how to do it without injuring yourself.  Good job!  

It has been very hot here also, with occasional afternoon thunderstorms.  It is still so dry and the wildfires continue to burn.  I mostly stay in as I don't cope well with the heat.  I take my little dog out twice a day and run errands as needed but then I'm inside.  The electric company started a new thing the first of June to run until the end of September - between the hours of 5pm and 9pm, the rates are more than doubled!  I try to use my AC, washer, stove etc before 5pm and I turn off the AC then.  So far I've been able to keep the bill at a manageable point.  Has anyone else's electricity company done this?  My house plants are not doing so well even though I water them frequently.  It's just too hot.  I don't know what the gardens are doing this summer as I live in an apartment and don't have a garden,

Lately I've been going through previous posts having to do with living like 1942/3.  The other day I came upon a post showing little soap balls to use in the sink or dishwasher.  I went to our local craft thrift store - Who Gives a Scrap - and bought 2 candy molds (for 67c) and plan to make some this weekend.  Do you still use those for washing dishes?  I don't use the dishwasher in the apartment and have been using Zote flakes for dishes.

Last night I watched this  wonderful video on YouTube.  The channel is called Sleepy History with Oliver and the episode is The Quiet History of a 1940's Housewife.  It is long, almost 3 hours, but you can watch it a little at a time,if you wish.  It was so good!  I learned many things about that era that I had not known.  I plan to watch it again.  There are other similar channels on YT, such as  Soft Sleep Tales with Edward, those are mostly 30 -90 minutes.  Someone commented earlier about missing the old time radio programs/plays.  Check out Chesterton Radio Theatre on YT.

Some of my other favorites are :

Vintage Life in the USA - many old -time recipes and household tips 

Real Vintage Dolls House - a young woman in England living like the 1940's

The Kitchen Scrap - a young man in England who lived on WW2 rations for a year.  Lots of recipes 

And of course, Great Depression Cooking with Clara.  She's a gem, sadly she's passed away but her videos are still available.

There are also several channels that show vintage movies from the '30's, 40's and 50's and beyond.  Some of the channels are Stream City, DK Classics, DK Classics II, III and X.  

I hope these might help some people get in the 1940's mood.  

Thanks again, Donna for all you do.

Jackie