Planting elderberry bare roots

Yesterday, Jeff and I planted ten elderberry bare roots that were given to us. We have seven more to plant but pooped out before we finished. I put the last seven in a wet paper towel in a baggie. I did not close the baggie. I think tomorrow the weather will be good enough that we can plant the rest of them.

Today I made a few masks. I keep making mistakes. I don’t seem to have the mindset for making these masks. I love to sew, so it’s odd that it’s been like this. Here are a few that I made today.

What are you doing to fill your time at home?

Until next time. 

Well that was easy...except for the mistake

Picking up the grocery order was somewhat easy except, they said that they substituted the pork rinds and asked if that was okay.  I said yes as long as they are plain and not flavored.  The guy said okay and then loaded the groceries into the car.  When we got home and we’re sanitizing the items before bringing them into the house, I discovered the silly pork rinds are bbq.  Shoot. I grind them up in my Tupperware power chef and make bread crumbs for meatloaf and such.   I don’t think the bbq ones will taste as good, maybe I can put bbq sauce as a topping and make them work. We are trying to eta low carb and the pork rinds can take the place of oatmeal or crackers in meatloaf.  I guess I’ll give it a try.

Today I’m meeting a lady who is giving me some elderberry starts.  I’m going to give her a wash cloth and scrubbie in exchange because she doesn’t want anything for the starts.  

I think I’ll also start cutting out the fabric for back packs for the OCC Operation Christmas Child Boxes today.  It’s a good way to use my fabric stash.  I love having a cause to create and craft for.

It’s supposed to get up to 51 degrees today but it’s windy so it will seem colder.  We enjoy having actual seasons in Kansas as opposed to hot and hotter in south Texas. I know many love that but I do enjoy having changing weather. Maybe because I grew up here.

It’s also nice living up the driveway from my mom.  We live on her farm. She comes over every day for lunch and then we have prayer, bible study, hymn study and then I read from a book.  We are reading about Theodore Roosevelt right now.  I’m very thankful that I have quite a few books to choose from.

Well, I’ll close for now.  I pray that you are all taking precautions, staying home as much as possible, not going to visit others and washing your hands.

Until next time...

Grocery pickup and crafts

After trying to place an order for eight to ten days I was able to put one in at Dillons. I’ve never used the Dillons pick up so I will learn how it’s done this morning. We still have food but there were a few little items we wanted.

I was contacted a while back by a board member of our local Operation Christmas Child boxes program. I decided to help by making items to put in the boxes. It’s been a great way to use my creativity during these days when it’s too cold to go outside and the evenings. Mom has joined me in making little purses too. So far we have made the little purses, hair bands with flowers, a few soap sacks and ponytail scrunchies. I’ll try to keep track so when we turn it all in we can have an idea of what all we have made. Just for e fun of knowing that.   Here are a few pictures of some of the items so far.

Finally found one I like

After several trial and errors I think I have finally hit on the pattern for a face mask that I like. I made it partially with the server and partially with my sewing machine. I’m not making these for anyone except my own family.
I wanted one that didn’t use elastic and I like this because it only has one continent tie so it’s easy to put on and adjust.
I know these won’t prevent the virus but they might help me not to touch my face when I’m forced to go out and not able to wash my hands.
Today I sanitized all the door knobs and light switches as well as the toilet flush lever.  
I hope you are all safe and staying home and away from people. May God bless and keep all of you.

Makin hankies

Since we are social distancing and the tissues are running low, as I said previous I made up some flannel hankie. I’m still deciding if I like flannel or if I’d rather have cotton. These are flannel in the picture. The purple ones are single layered and the light blue are double. I think I’m going to like the single layer. I can get more out of my flannel by using one layer and I’m also going to be using several a day so there is no need to have double. My grandpa carried one and used it over and over all day. I don’t think I need to do that. Plus his were about twice as big as the ones I made. I felt I didn’t need so large of ones if I was going to use several a day.

Monday day 7 of social distancing

Today I need to mail some letters and a package.  It’s a small package so I can print the postage here and just place it into the mailbox and not have to go to the post office.  I also have two checks I need to cash, I’m supposing that’s okay since the bank is drive through only anyway.

I wonder if I dare stop at the feed store to pick up soil so I can get some plants goin?

I’ve been looking for my journal that obviously I haven’t been writing in.  I thought it would be good to track my thoughts during this time in our county.  Since I can’t find it since the move I’ll use this blog as my journal so at least I’ll have something written down.

Yesterday Jeff popped two big bowls of popcorn.  I made one into Carmel corn for a sweet treat and the other just salted.  Before all this we had kind of gotten used to eating some candy bar in the evening. Now that we don’t go shopping we are doing alternative things.  It’s a good thing really and certainly much cheaper.

I have tried to place an online grocery pick up order for well over a week to no avail.  Fortunately we get eggs from a friend who has chickens so we should be okay there.

After online church yesterday and lunch and naps I made new kitchen curtains to match the new cloth napkins I had made a few days ago.  They look nice with my spring oil cloth i put on the table.  For fall and winter I have a black and white checked cloth and checked napkins and curtains.  The rest of the year I have a teal, green and yellow plaid cloth. The napkins and curtains are yellow.  I chose that color because that’s what I had in my fabric stash.  It’s a nice heavy duty fabric that almost feels like linen.  It brightens the place up for sure..

I also made more flannel hankies and I think I may make a few more today.  I just use two pieces of flannel about 9 inches square and surge around the edges.  I fold and stack them when they are clean and after I use them I put them in a net laundry bag so that they are easy to care for.  When the girls were small I made them hankies and I made some for the neighbor kids too.

We live not too far from the Hiway and I’ve noticed there is a lot less traffic then there used to be. I guess that means people are staying home.

I hope this virus isn’t as bad as they fear.  I do wish it would close the abortion clinics though.  So many lives would be saved if it did close them down.

Posting from my phone

Yesterday’s post was done on my iPad. With technology growing I thought I’d try posting from my phone. So far I haven’t figured out how to add pictures from the iPad so I want to see if I’m able to with the phone.

Well look at that. It looks like I can add from my phone pictures. That’s cool. This is a sample of the little purses my mom and I are crocheting for the operation Christmas child boxes. We will put a little something inside like a necklace, hair scrunchie or something like that. 

Well I’m glad to know I can post from my phone. Maybe that will help me post more often. 

That’s all for now. I’m going to try posting this and if it works I may be back later to write again. I’ve decided to use this platform more as a diary than an informational blog, at least for now. 

Later💕

Strange new world

It's a strange new world we are living in these past several days.  People are hoarding toilet paper and emptying store shelves. It makes no sense. And the battle cry is wash your hands you filthy pig.  Haven’t we always been washing our hands?  I guess not.

We’ve moved to my moms farm and I’m glad we are here.  Not only is there wide open spaces so staying away from others is easy, but we get to see my mother every day, several times a day usually. She comes over for lunch every day.  Then we have bible study and I read aloud from a book of choice.  We are on our sixth book I believe since we started this.  We are also studying about hymns.  Who wrote them and such. It’s quite interesting.  The book we are reading right now is about Theodore Roosevelt.

We hadn’t planned to have a garden this year.  We thought we would be traveling and camping.  Right now that doesn’t look promising so I’ve been planning the garden.  We decided not to plant potatoes this year because we don’t eat them very often, although I love them, because they are high in carbs.  I’m going to try growing tomatoes from seed.  I’ve never tried that before.  I’ve always purchased seedlings.  I’d like to also make another small hoop house like we had in Oklahoma.

We are getting along real good.  Jeff retired and so life is pretty slow.  Hannah called today and wanted to know how we were doing, then she laughed and said, probably not much has changed for us with the social distancing.  I said no it really hasn’t except we can’t order groceries from Walmart anymore, the orders won’t go through.

The girls are all doing well and other than being bored they are handling the situation very well.  They say they had good parents who taught them to survive.  Made me feel pretty good.

I’ll close for now and try to write more often.
Debbie

Long time no post

I didn't realize it has been over a year since my last post.  I'm very sorry about that.  I will try to update about what has happened since then.

My husband is much better.  He is able to walk and do a bit of work.  He was on disability for a year and then they just cut him off without any communication.  He is currently only working once in a while and waiting until he can draw social security.  It will have been a year with no income.

We are selling our house and moving to be closer to my mother.  That should be accomplished within the next couple of months.

I don't have time to post anything else.  My helper is here so I need to get to work.  I will try to not wait so long next time.

I hope all of you are doing great.  Take care.

Life changes

This is only May but already our lives have changed so much.  Jeff had the automobile wreck on the 25th of January which was the biggest change in our life.  We are thankful that he is now mobile and can walk with a cane.  He is even able to do a little outside work for a short period each day.  It pretty much wrecks him for the rest of the day but as opposed to being bed ridden we are genuinely thankful.  He did get put on long term disability so that means our income has been drastically cut.  Its something we have to learn to live with.  His retirement was only two years away so we had been planning for that somewhat.

The other big change is that Hannah is formally moving out and will have a different address for the first time.  Its been unusual for me because I have had a child at home for the last 39 years almost 40.  Good grief.  That's a long time.  That's two thirds of my life.  I was either a child growing up or briefly a young married woman for the first third of my life.  When I put it like that it seems incredible.  I wish Hannah great success and I know she will do fine just like the other four daughters are doing.  I raised them well if I do say so myself.

We suddenly realized the other day that we don't have to stay home all the time and that we can actually travel as much as Jeff's health allow.  That was a stunner.  We are so used to me doing the majority of the traveling and Jeff working that it was a surprise to realize we can both go places.  Now we just have to do it.  

Another change for me is I've learned to set my alarm if I am watering or need to go somewhere at a certain time.  I even set my alarm so I remember to read the Bible with Jeff each evening.  That's terrible that I would forget that.  But I guess a person learn to compensate.

I have been enjoying selling Tupperware and I love their products.  I have found out being a Tupperware Lady that pretty much everything goes on sale at some point.  And they do have real good sales.  If you would like to shop on my website just go to :  DebbieKOlson.my.tupperware.com or click on the link to the right of the screen.  It will take you right to my webpage.

I hope each of you has a great day and week and that God puts his hand on you and keeps you safe and healthy.

Hubby update

We appreciate everyone’s prayers. He has improved after the operation and then spinal pain shots, but he has to use a cane.  He doesn’t have as much pain, thank God.  But he has weakness and numbness.  We don’t know if that will come back so he is walking as much as he can stand. 
It’s amazing how one moment in time can change your life.
Thank you so much for praying for him and thinking about him.

I’m a Tupperware lady now

I’ve joined the Tupperware team.  I’m so excited.  I love Tupperware.  My website is:

DebbieKOlson.my.tupperware.com

I have held Facebook parties with customers 14 hours away from me and have one booked for my daughter who lives about 24 hours away from me.  I think that is so cool.  It’s also very nice to be able to see and touch the products at a home party.

If you book a party for April you get this refrigerator bowl with hang on spoon free.

The Thatsa Epic set is so nice.  I bought a set for myself.  It’s buy one set get one free so you can get with a friend and order a set each for just $75.50 each.  Be sure to look on the picture to see when the sale ends.  The color is Parrot and is beautiful.  Sales items must be ordered through me and not the web site.  You can email me at bootstrapdko@yahoo.com. Be sure to put Tupperware in the memo so I don’t think its spam.

Other sales going on right now are:









These lunch sets are so adorable and make great gifts.

Be sure to visit my website at: DebbieKOlson.my.tupperware.com

Im asking for prayer for my husband

Thursday, my husband had a wreck on his way to work.  He has had a cough for a few weeks and went to the doctor and it still hasn't gone away.  He was coughing and coming up to a T in the road and missed the stop sign.  He slammed on the brakes and held the steering wheel so tight that as he slammed into the ditch it bent the steering wheel and he stomped on the brakes so hard the light wouldn't go off once this was over.  Anyway, in the course of this slamming and banging through the ditch he managed to receive a compound fracture of  his L5 vertebrae.  This is an unusual vertebrae to break apparently.  Anyway, he went to the emergency room where they discovered the extent of his injury.  The next day we went to a spinal surgeon who will be doing a kyphoplasty surgery this coming Wednesday. He is in tremendous pain and can barely walk.  A friend loaned us a real nice walker without which I don't know how we would of made it to the doctors office.  Thank God for pain pills as he is in so much pain when they begin to wear off that it makes him cry.  Its very hard to see a big strong man cry from pain.

ky·pho·plas·ty

ˈkīfōˌplastē/

noun

1. the surgical filling of an injured or collapsed vertebra. This procedure restores original shape and configuration and relieves pain from spinal compression.

The procedure is very interesting and is supposed to relieve pain almost immediately.  He should be able to walk with out pain right away.  The healing time will be from the incisions which may be a little larger due to the fact that he is a large man.  We asked if there was a chance of the body rejecting the stuff they inject and were told that it will make that bone the strongest one in his body and he would not reject the composite stuff they inject.  That is good news.

When something like this happens it really makes you thankful for good health and a body that works.  

Missionary update

Bush Beat BlogF FROM "BUSH BUNNY BRENDA" DATE:  JANUARY 20, 2018 7 DAYS OF RAIN DOES NOT A HOPPY BUNNY MAKE Upon my return last Friday it was raining. By the time the sun appeared TODAY, 9+ inches of heavy rains had fallen in Balama in the last 7 days. Needless to say only essential work was done this week, and even that had to be done when the rains decreased to a light drizzle.   TODAY, the sun dawned bright for the first time since my return, and I am a VERY HOPPY BUNNY! Using the days drizzling rain to water their newly made bricks PASTOR JOAQUIM OVERSEES REBUILDING OF HIS RAIN DEMOLISHED HOME Being too muddy to even make bricks (our normal rainy season project), our team of brick layers made short work of getting the destroyed home’s “Pao-Peeky” (pow-peeky) walls built  in a matter of 2 days  (see photo).  The roofing has been delayed since Wednesday due to the cyclone-induced rains. Pastor Joaquim, gray shirt, directs builders of his new home Roof construction should begin this Monday if the weather man is correct for it is “supposed” to be dry until Thursday.  Only God knows, for the weather is very unpredictable.  But the Bush Bunny Construction Team arrives every morning, rain or not, ready for action. Morning devotions in the rain PASTOR FRED RECOVERING WELL WITH NEW CAST Pastor Fred is the member of the BBC Motorbike Team whose bike was hit by another motorbike on their way to give a Christmas Program in a nearby village on Christmas Eve.  Until he heals, Fred is staying in Balama with staff member, Pastor Armando, whose house has a concrete floor.  (Fred lives in a typical mud hut in the village of Rovuma which is deep in mud right now.) Pastor Fred enjoying a few rain free moments outside Trying to walk on crutches in deep mud is not the best environment for anyone with a plaster leg cast. The cast will “melt” if it gets wet. With this week’s horrendous rains, Fred slipped while hobbling to the outdoor bathroom on his crutches. Forced to put his casted foot into the mud to keep from falling, I found him last Saturday afternoon with a damp, muddy cast that had begun to melt on the bottom of the foot area. If you look closely at the photo you will see that WHITE GORILLA TAPE now covers the foot of the cast, making it more water resistant. (Texas Aggies know how to make repairs with what is available, and this seemed like the easiest solution.) My thanks to Dave Deboer of Michigan, who brought us several rolls of that tape from the USA.  Proves you can fix almost anything with DUCT TAPE! NOTE:  THE BBC MOTORBIKE TEAM will venture out tomorrow for the first time in 2018, provided it doesn’t rain tonight. Time to get God’s Word flowing through the villages once again. BLESSINGS FROM ALL OF US IN BALAMA. BUSH BUNNY BRENDA LANGE AND THE BALAMA STAFF

My favorite scripture

Romans 8:38-39King James Version (KJV)

³⁸ For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

³⁹ Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.