2019-OCTOBER Prepping Updates

Ran generators, topped them off with gas, cleaned spark plugs and wiped them down. Cleaned the solar panels also.

Rotated 10 gallon of gas, cut the grass, raked leaves, garden is ready to plant the garlic and winter onions.

Took the younger granddaughter (9yo) groundhog hunting last night with my dad's old 22 hornet, she missed two, but had a good time.

Early to bed tonight, tomorrow is the first day of archery, the grandson, granddaughter and son in law are spending the night so we can get an early start in the morning.

I'm having trouble doing ANYTHING. Hubby is semi-retired, now. Home more than ever before. He has me SO confused with being around so much, lol! He's NOT in a prep-mindset, so he would rather just clean out the garage and get rid of just about EVERYTHING

Simi-retired? I knida envy him. (But of course, I don't know the whole story.)

I don't normally post in these kinda threads, since my projects are usually micro-incremental. I don't work on a month by month improvement. Now, if you looked at my improvements from a year ago, you could see some change

But in the weeks since I posted (21 and 23 July) that I was going to push forwards on my preps before the end of the year, I rearranged my storage. I usually don't work on this stuff more than a couple hours a week, but I put in several hours yesterday, and overhauled some of my inventory system. About half done on that system.  

I had been using a spread sheet, and turned it into a pseudo database. (I haven't done real database work since Borland dB-iii in the 90's) I am going to a system where one sheet is a list of items and the locations where they are stored. A separate sheet lists, for each storage location, what items are in it, the quantity, and earliest expiration data. (That would be a "many to many" relationship in dBase speak.)

a friend needed a ride to a town 30 miles away.in which we stopped at yard sales on the way back home

4 wooden spoon's at one

1 rectangular tupperware container at another.

1metal oil lamp.

all of that for less then $3 dollars.

Split a mess of firewood. Back porch is full, enough for a month. Rotated out 5 gallon of diesel fuel and 10 gallon of gas.

Sowed 15 acres with winter rye, just waiting for the corn to dry enough to cut and chop, that probably won't be until the end of this month or early November.

Maple and apple trees have shed all their leaves now, so it's time to get out the leaf raker, a lot easier then raking.

The daughter brought over some apple sauce she made from the apples she stole from us, not bad, she's learning.

Went to camp and started bringing items back home, generator, solar  panels, batteries, gas, 4 wheeler, etc. Cleaned up the solar panels at home and cut the grass, hopefully for the last time.

Got all the field corn cut and stored, now to put out the poison for the critters that want to eat it. Going to plant some winter rye where the corn was, make good fertilizer in the spring when you til it under.

Chickens don't seem to be producing like they had, must be the cold snaps we're having, chickens don't like that.

ReadyMom - getting used to the Husband being around 24/7 takes some adjusting. It helps if he has a man-cave...just saying.

The neighbor gave us about 20 pounds of venison. We ate the tenderloin for dinner last night. I also cut up about 3 pounds for stew meat.

This afternoon, Husband and I took the rest and ground it up, then made venison sausage. So, 17 pounds of venison, and I added 8 pounds of pork and seasonings.

We had some of the venison sausage and eggs for dinner tonight - pretty tasty.

Today was grocery shopping and yard sales.

Grocery shopping:

Restocked what we used
2 grow lights for the tropicals that will be in the garage for the winter.

LTS:

6 packages of Propel electrolyte drink mix (replacing 10 year old supply)
2 bottles of Ultra Dawn

I scored big at the yardsales:

1 antique PYREX dish with lid (the tempered glass) - $3

A bag that held 33 packs bias tape, 1 brass denim zipper, 2 packs velcro, 4 packs elastic, 1 pack of 3-colors pom-poms - $1.00

100s of yards of about 20 kinds of lace - $2.00

27 yards of muslin - $2.00

3 1/2 yards Christmas fabric - 50 cents

Plastic multi-drawer chest for holding nails and screws - $10.00

Inside the chest - 4 packs bias tape, 4 different packs of beads, 1 pack glitter, 3 bags of jingle bells, 4 packs pom-poms, about 6 rolls of ribbon, 3 packs mini-clothespins, 1 pack of wooden thread spools, 5 packs elastic, 1 pack of machine needles, 1 pack of darning needles, 1 pack of doll needles, 1 pack of wooden stars, 1 pack of flower stamens, 1 pack of googly eyes, 1 tassel, and some other assorted stuff I can't remember.

1 quilted pillow - $4

2 quilted wall-hangings - $10

Everything looked brand-new...never used. I know I keep saying I'm downsizing my sewing stash, so a lot of this will go to the niece who is learning to sew.

AND AN EDIT: The firewood supplier just showed up with another cord of seasoned firewood for winter.

ad to go get 1 gallon of milk and a loaf of bread at the dollar general the other day.decided to get some dish soap.got to the aisle and found a sale on the 52 ounce on sale.buy 2 at 2.75 each get 3rd free.so stocked on 3 of them.already had a 14 ounce on the counter top.

TRex2 wrote:... and overhauled some of my inventory system. About half done on that system.  

I had been using a spread sheet, and turned it into a pseudo database. (I haven't done real database work since Borland dB-iii in the 90's) I am going to a system where one sheet is a list of items and the locations where they are stored. A separate sheet lists, for each storage location, what items are in it, the quantity, and earliest expiration data. (That would be a "many to many" relationship in dBase speak.)

Had my first use of my new inventory system today. Works well. I have a spread sheet which has columns for: Item, quantity, first location, second location, and grocery store location.

I post a copy of the pages that have all the food stuff inside my kitchen pantry (typically, first location) sorted by item name. (I have separate pages for non food and pharmaceutical items)

I did a sort for the first location, and a sort for second location. I make my grocery list from the first location, and fill that from my second location (in my basement). I do a minor adjustment to the list as I "shop" in my second location (which I call my "store"). By using the one sorted for first location, it was easy to make my shopping list, and since the grocerystore location is right there, I can make my shopping list in order by where it is located in the grocer.

Obviously, the idea is to make inventory and shopping efficient, and so far it has worked.
(I also created a "deep larder" but that is a topic for a different day.)