Computer Issues, Cooking and Trying to Keep Up

   

My poor neglected blog...yes, I still love you but Grammie has been overwhelmed lately.  My computer has been slowly dying (and extremely slow running), I've been cooking up applesauce from our trees like a mad woman and I have been trying to keep up with the rest of the garden produce also.  I've also been busy enjoying my kids an grandkids.  All, except the dying computer, are good things but trying to do it all has left this old lady exhausted!

   I knew that my computer was slowly dying.  It took 15 minutes just to load up today.  UGH!  Jeff and I did buy me a new one while they were on sale at Walmart about a week ago.  We even got an additional discount on it since we drove in to get one after checking online to make sure they had it in stock, only to find out once we got there that they were out of stock.  They had more coming in and set one aside for us so we drove back in 3 days later and they gave us a $25 discount for our trouble.  I need to get the new computer all updated, configured, protected and transfer some of my files to it, but I have not had a whole day or the attention span needed to do so.  The fibro fog has been thick lately and I really need to be able to concentrate fully to do it.

   My two huge crockpots have been getting a workout as they cook up batches and batches of homemade applesauce from our summer apple tree's abundance this year.  Luckily these apples have a very thin skin that breaks down as they cook so I do not need to peel them.  Jeff and I have harvested huge amounts of these apples and have had Heather and the boys come and harvest some too.  My guest bathroom's bathtub is full of apples at the moment (it is the coolest place in the house) that still need to be processed into either applesauce or dehydrated.  I already have about 24 2 cup containers of applesauce in the freezer so far and will be adding to that.  In addition to that, I have been cutting up and wild freezing plums that I foraged along with trying to take care of a glut of tomatoes, squash, cucumbers and beans from our garden.  The blackberries are starting to ripen, so I have also been harvesting them every other day.

   Jeff and I have been busy trying to get other things done around here also.  He has been really busy trying to keep up with the yard along with doing a few projects.  I have been busy purging years of things that we no longer need and getting things donated to thrift stores.  We still need Jaysn and Rachel to come and get Jaysn's twin bed from his old bedroom for Steven and then I can rearrange things in there and have that as a combination pantry/storage and sewing/crafting room.  I would like to get back into using my sewing machine again for mending and to make some simple things like cobbler style aprons since those are so hard to find and I love them.  The colder weather will be here soon so I will need indoor projects to keep me busy and also keep me from going stir crazy.

   In addition to all the home processing we have been doing, I have been slowly adding to my pantry and freezer.  Winco has amazing prices on canned veggies so I have been picking up a case at a time of corn, green beans and tomato products.  I am also adding canned tuna, cream of mushroom soup, calm chowder, and other things as I find them on sale.  Chicken has been on sale, so I am stocking our freezer full of that too. These are all products that we, our kids and our neighbors use and I like to have them on hand in abundance so that I/they don't need to run to the store to get them or, if money is tight, can make a meal from.  I'm back to cooking in bulk so that I can stock our freezer with ready made meals or components of meals. This week I cooked up a bunch of venison burger and seasoned it with taco seasoning.  We made taco salad with some and I am using the rest of it to make two pans of enchiladas.  One will go into the freezer and the other will be eaten this week.  Yesterday I made a huge pot full of potato and corn chowder using some hashbrowns that had been lingering in my freezer.  Some of that will be frozen for at least 2 future meals.  I really find that having these on hand is very frugal and gives me huge peace of mind, especially on days where I cannot manage to cook a meal from scratch.

   Trying to "do it all" had left me exhausted.  I push myself to get things done that need to be done and then find myself collapsing.  I have spent more time in bed and napping and/or unable to walk unless I hold onto the walls for support or Jeff helps me, than I care to admit to.  There have been many nights when my pain levels were so high (I always have pain, but these are above and beyond my "normal") that I cannot sleep and fight back the tears.  There have also been moments when I have considered going to the hospital just to be able to get some pain meds that will cut the pain levels so I can sleep.  I have a super high pain tolerance level so even considering that tells you how bad it has been.  Life with Fibromyalgia in NOT fun and it takes everything I have just to make it through the really tough days when my body has totally broken down.  Yes, I know I need to pace myself, but fresh produce will not wait and needs to be processed before it goes bad.  Jeff does help as much as possible, but he has his own health issues and is in pain also.  What a pair we make. 😜  At least we can understand how the other one is feeling, so that is a plus.

   I'd better end this here.  I am out on the back porch and it is heating up quickly.  I can feel a flare coming on due to the heat and the changing barometric pressure.  We have a high weather front moving in and I can feel it in every fiber of my body, even my hair follicles on top of my head.  I need to get a few more things done this morning before my body will not allow me to do any more.  Be blessed!