Never thought retirement would be like this

[Meanderer]

A group of Americans was travelling on a bus tour through France and were in the Loire Valley quite near to the town of Sancerre. They stopped at the nearby village of Chavignol and visited a cheese farm where the world famous 'Crottin de Chavignol' goat's cheese is made; their guide, who was the farmer's wife, led them through a process of cheese making, explaining how goat's milk was used.

Madame showed the group a picturesque hillside where many goats were grazing. These, she explained, were the older goats put out to pasture when they no longer produced.

Madame then asked, turning to the group, 'What do you do in the USA with your old goats that aren't producing?'

One spry and very quick elderly gentleman answered, 'They send us on bus tours.'

 

[NancyNGA]

Looks like it might upset your stomach!!!

I like to fry cabbage, carrots and onions for breakfast the day after a boiled dinner, sort of a lo cal hash.

Sounds good, Bea.

Yes, it might upset your stomach the first day if you're not used to it. You get used to it very quickly.

I get a big pot and boil the whole head of cabbage, keep adding a little to different things for a few days. For example, all these low calorie frozen dinners seem to have too much gravy for me, so I add a scoop to them.

Happen to have some raw carrots that need used up. Will try mixing some with it today.

Are you trying to cut back on calories too?

 

[Aunt Bea]

Sounds good, Bea.

Yes, it might upset your stomach the first day if you're not used to it. You get used to it very quickly.

I get a bit pot and boil the whole head of cabbage, keep adding a little to different things for a few days. For example, all these low calorie frozen dinners seem to have too much gravy for me, so I add a scoop to them.

Happen to have some raw carrots that need used up. Will try mixing some with it today.

Are you trying to cut back on calories too?

I was referring to the scary face on the plate when I mentioned the upset stomach.

I'm always watching calories and carbs due to diabetes.

I add a scoop of vegetables when I have a frozen entree or when I'm having canned soups to provide a little bulk to help fill me up.

One thing that has helped me with the cooked cabbage is adding an envelope of GOYA ham flavored concentrate to the cooking water, it is also a nice addition to a pot of soup beans.

Another great use for cabbage or sauerkraut is crack slaw. I use this egg roll filling recipe as a guide http://krautlook.com/recipe/chinese-sauerkraut-egg-rolls/ but if you give it a google you will find many variations. I change up the recipe to suit myself, sometimes I leave out or cut way back on the sausage, substitute a chopped BSCB or a chopped up pork chop. I also add a little toasted sesame seed oil.

 

[NancyNGA]

Madame then asked, turning to the group, 'What do you do in the USA with your old goats that aren't producing?'

One spry and very quick elderly gentleman answered, 'They send us on bus tours.'

Yes! But they prefer to ride on top in India.

 

[CeeCee]

I was referring to the scary face on the plate when I mentioned the upset stomach.

I'm always watching calories and carbs due to diabetes.

I add a scoop of vegetables when I have a frozen entree or when I'm having canned soups to provide a little bulk to help fill me up.

One thing that has helped me with the cooked cabbage is adding an envelope of GOYA ham flavored concentrate to the cooking water, it is also a nice addition to a pot of soup beans.

Another great use for cabbage or sauerkraut is crack slaw. I use this egg roll filling recipe as a guide http://krautlook.com/recipe/chinese-sauerkraut-egg-rolls/ but if you give it a google you will find many variations. I change up the recipe to suit myself, sometimes I leave out or cut way back on the sausage, substitute a chopped BSCB or a chopped up pork chop. I also add a little toasted sesame seed oil.

I do that also...add some veggies to a frozen entree. I eat the diet ones and they're not that filling so adding some veggies adds content but not too many calories.

 

[maggiemae]

I have never thought of frying cabbage. I like fried okra and squash. I might have to give this a try. Also, love the "owl" display. Too cute to eat! LOL

 

[NancyNGA]

Tried the cabbage with carrots tonight, Bea. It's good. No onions. I'm out of onions. After I get to the point I can ease up on the calories, I'll try it again with more oil and some pork or bacon. Today I had a fight with a 6 pack of Lance Crackers---sour cream and chive---and lost, so the tally for the day is going to be larger than usual.

maggiemae, if you fry the cabbage with enough oil, and keep turning it, the edges get brown. When that happens just right, it gives the cabbage a sweet taste. Hard to do if you don't use much oil. I prefer butter, but most people don't.

Sometimes I get it right and sometimes not. I think it's called caramelization (?)

 

[Meanderer]

Last week, we had our house painted gray. (was worn out white aluminum siding). It took two days and turned out great.

 

[RadishRose]

What a pretty house and lovely, peaceful setting!

 

[NancyNGA]

That's a pretty house, Jim. Paint color turned out real nice. I'm completely sold on 2-story (or 3?) houses. And no trees to fall on it. Yay!

Thank you for the pictures.

 

[Meanderer]

That's a pretty house, Jim. Paint color turned out real nice. I'm completely sold on 2-story (or 3?) houses. And no trees to fall on it. Yay!

Thank you for the pictures.

Thanks Nancy, we have a full attic, which is unfinished. We had two huge Catalpa trees. The one on the other side came down in a storm in 2001 and fell away from the house. We had the one near the road taken down in 2005. We lost all our wonderful shade, and were forced to add AC in 2007. I have been told the Catalpa tree (Toby) is used to make Grandmother clocks.

I forgot to add a 'before' picture of the house.....

 

[Pappy]

Sending some help on all those weeds, my friend.

 

[NancyNGA]

Thanks Nancy, we have a full attic, which is unfinished. We had two huge Catalpa trees. The one on the other side came down in a storm in 2001 and fell away from the house. We had the one near the road taken down in 2005. We lost all our wonderful shade, and were forced to add AC in 2007. I have been told the Catalpa tree (Toby) is used to make Grandmother clocks.

I forgot to add a 'before' picture of the house.....

Just to complete the picture, here is a grandmother clock. Were the trees catalpas or a catalmas, or one of each?

I've always heard Catalpa worms are good for bait, btw.

 

[Meanderer]

Just to complete the picture, here is a grandmother clock. Were the trees catalpas or a catalmas, or one of each?

I've always heard Catalpa worms are good for bait, btw.

They were both Catalpas. Large, heart shaped leaves with clusters of blossoms that resembled orchids, also "Indian" tobies hanging. They could really clog a rain gutter! When my two youngest daughters were little they called it the "popcorn" tree, when the white blossoms would begin to fall. There seemed to be one or two of these trees along the road, near farm houses. Most are gone,now.

The wood had an interesting grain and was easy to carve and work with, as I understand. Your picture reminds me of an old gent, that we knew, who had a miniature grandfather's"clock" about 8 inches high. The top was a round opening with slot on top, and it held his pocket watch when he was not carrying it. I was not fooled. I also heard that the worms made excellent bait.

 

[NancyNGA]

They were both Catalpas. Large, heart shaped leaves with clusters of blossoms that resembled orchids, also "Indian" tobies hanging. They could really clog a rain gutter! When my two youngest daughters were little they called it the "popcorn" tree, when the white blossoms would begin to fall. There seemed to be one or two of these trees along the road, near farm houses. Most are gone,now.

The wood had an interesting grain and was easy to carve and work with, as I understand. Your picture reminds me of an old gent, that we knew, who had a miniature grandfather's"clock" about 8 inches high. The top was a round opening with slot on top, and it held his pocket watch when he was not carrying it. I was not fooled. I also heard that the worms made excellent bait.

Oh I just learned something. Catalpas have both male and female parts (-pa and -ma ). I thought they were one or the other. Guess I was thinking of ginkgo trees. Sorry about that (and I even had a catalpa tree too ).

'
'
9/24: 1100 calories
9/25: 1080 ...."
9/26: 1200 ...."
9/27: ​..850 ...."
9/28: 1240 ...."

 

[NancyNGA]

The only picture I have of my great grandparents, mother's side. Stayed at their house in WV once when I was a little kid. I only remember two things about that. One was sleeping on a mattress on the floor with 3 cousins. We made the youngest sleep crosswise at the bottom with all the feet.:devil: The other was cats, lots of cats, and not very tame. They all ran under the house when you went near them. Too bad I don't remember anything important, but better than nothing, I guess.

 

[NancyNGA]

This morning I've been in a creepy place under the roof of the house above the downstairs bedroom. You enter this place through a secret hole in the upstairs bedroom closet, which I created with sledge hammer like techniques in order to do some rewiring. You have to balance on ceiling joists, else your foot will end up sticking through the ceiling downstairs, and those are buried under piles of old fashioned thrown in insulation.

Please excuse dust and old wasp nests. Don't get around to cleaning it much.

There are two reasons for getting in there. One is to scout out how much trouble it would be to rebuild the closet. This is the back side. Obviously just a quick job someone did long ago by putting up some slabs of plaster board. It looks like they removed a roof brace to do it. It should be diagonal at right angles against the roof.

The other is to try to track down a leak that showed up on the downstairs bedroom ceiling after hurricane Irma. In the morning when I woke up after she came through I could hear a drip, drip, drip on the ceiling, and should have run up there immediately, but was preoccupied with checking on the goats and coping with the power outage. The drip is at least a clue. This leak showed up once before long ago, and I always assumed it was from around the chimney, because it only happened when the wind came from the east (very rare here).

This is looking up alongside the chimney to the attic space. No evidence of water on it. The wet spot is about a foot away from the chimney.

This is looking down a hole, made because two of the 3 fireplaces in the house are set at an angle. I don't know why I'm posting this picture, but it would not be a good idea to drop the phone down there, or to stoop over and fall in head first.

Right now I'm puzzled, but I like puzzles. The best I can figure the water is running down a rafter, *then* dripping down, so it could still be from the chimney. I need to get up to see near the top of the chimney. Tried taking a picture, then zooming, but it isn't clear enough. I really need to get a ladder in there. Yikes!!!

 

[maggiemae]

You be careful up there! I hate trying to determine where a water leak is coming from because water tends to "travel" and it can be coming from somewhere you had no idea to look. Could you have a loose shingle on the roof?

 

[NancyNGA]

You be careful up there! I hate trying to determine where a water leak is coming from because water tends to "travel" and it can be coming from somewhere you had no idea to look. Could you have a loose shingle on the roof?

I was up late last night doing just that---tracking water stains. No need for a ladder. Three more pictures.

The camera with bright flash really helps. You can hold it way up over your head and find things you can't see from below with just a flashlight. Rafter with water marks ending exactly above the wet spot on the floor/ceiling.

Around the corner, 3 water stained boards and slightly warped sheathing, right where they meet the chimney, makes it pretty clear it's coming in from around the chimney. What I suspected all along. {sigh}

Chimney from outside east. I think water is either going behind the flashing or in around the bottom.

The last roofers (who I won't hire again) said it isn't hard to take down a chimney to below the roof line. At that time the old gas water heater and furnace were vented through the chimney (not allowed now). It might be time to consider just getting a new roof and solving several problems at the same time. Something to think about, anyway.

OTOH, I could just put a big wide bucket up in the attic, at least for the time being. LOL!

Btw, In the first picture, notice all the cross boards (purlins?) on top of the rafters. I just looked at new construction roof diagrams, and they have at most one or two on the whole roof, underneath. Many nails are missing them in mine. Not likely an accident. Much easier to just avoid nailing through the hard wood in old houses.

 

[maggiemae]

Yep, I would guess the flashing around the chimney needs to be resealed. Even the smallest area would cause water to leak. You do not want to get any "wood rot" inside from the water leaking over a period of time. Next time you get a big rain, go up there and actually see where it is dripping. But with our weather lately, and October is usually a very dry month, you might have to wait awhile! UGH! Or if you are a daring person, climb up there with a water hose and let her rip. Then check for leaks. I tend to go for the unconventional method of checking things! But that's just me! LOL

 

[NancyNGA]

.... Or if you are a daring person, climb up there with a water hose and let her rip. Then check for leaks. I tend to go for the unconventional method of checking things! But that's just me! LOL

Oh, don't tempt me. It's soooo easy to get up there with a step ladder off the deck. The problem is coming down. I'm afraid I'll kick the ladder over. Last 2 times I tied a rope on it and took the rope with me, just in case. And it's really steep right around the chimney. You have to keep from sliding while you're working. But there is a flat section at the bottom, so you won't slide completely off anyway.

Do you have any projects planned, or started already?

 

[Meanderer]

Nancy, it sounds like you are giving your old house a 'colonoscopy'? Make sure your phone is charged good, before entering the Oak Maze!

 

[maggiemae]

Oh my gosh, Meanderer, you made me laugh!

Finally, getting around to doing my Fall decorating. It was finally cool enough today to get outside without sweating!

 

[maggiemae]

Nancy, in answer to your question, I have a list of projects I need to do but have not got motivated to start any! See the front door in the picture above? See that little white circle to the right? That is where a carpenter bee bored a hole in the door. I did fill it with wood filler but I need to restain the door now. Also the door gets the late afternoon sun and it is looking rough. That is just one of many things that need to be addressed. It's an "old" house but it's our "old" house! If I can get around to all the little projects, so be it. If not, that's okay too! I ain't got noting but time! LOL

 

[NancyNGA]

What a beautiful porch, maggiemae! I really like that door with the side window panels. And you are worried about one little white spot? Want to see all my flaws? Yikes!!!! It would fill up my computer memory if I took pictures of all of them.

I didn't know there was such a thing as fall decoration. That's another thing to add to my to-do list? I'm lucky to get the leaves raked. That Cabot deck sealer I used last summer is not good. It is expensive too. No better than just mixing linseed oil and paint thinner.

It was just a perfect day today, wasn't it? I had planned to work on those trees on the fence but couldn't get the saw started. About 6 pm it started. Too late.

Looks like the hummingbirds might be gone. Only 2 females for the last week or so, now none. Glad they waited until after the hurricanes were gone.