We wait all fall and a lot of the winter until our new seed catalog comes out in anticipation of filling lots of seed orders for folks. Well, the catalog came out later than we’d figured, while Will was down in Illinois, helping daughter Jenna, get her sewer fixed. (Yes, he did get it done and it was easier than he’d figured it would be.) The day he left, I came down with a monster cold. I’m sure I got it from son Bill, as I knew he was sick when I offered to drive down with him and Randie, then back to his place, 4 plus hours. I knew, being in a closed-in car with his germs that I’d probably get it. But moms do what they can do to help their kids, germs or not!
So I cough, take honey and lemon, take cold pills, and blow my nose constantly while I pack orders, using lots of hand sanitizer in between. Will got home, very tired from all the driving, and went right at it, helping me pack seed orders for the next day. We pride ourselves on sending out orders the very next day after we receive them, after all.
Yesterday, grandson, Drew, showed up with a carload of his stuff to take to the other house, where he’ll stay. Grandpa helped him figure out what he’d need to live comfortably off grid. Today, Drew helped us by packing seeds into seed envelopes and picking orders from the bins. It was a big help, for sure!
The weather’s been nice, up into the low 20’s and even hit 30 yesterday. A little snow fell, but not enough to plow. It’s nice to have Will home! And I’ll sure be glad when this blankety-blank cold is done with. I haven’t been sick since before COVID 19! — Jackie
Last time we talked about cold spells and you noted that you don’t have January thaws. Parts of Alaska does. -47 last week and +37 with rain at our house now. The two passes on the main on the Richardson hwy are closed by snow and avalanches. All roads for a hundred or more miles are very difficult or hazardous. Big storm came in from the Pacific. You are further from the ocean!
Yes we are, thank God. But we live just west of four of the great lakes. Sometimes they gift us with some humdinger snow falls. Wow, 37 degrees!! But the rain makes it colder feeling. It sounds like it’s not a good idea to go traveling in Alaska right now. Time to hunker down with a good book and some chili.
Spring is here in far north California. Jackie, do you have experience with using elderberry for health prevention?
I don’t, personally, although I’ve sure read about how good it is. We don’t have black elderberries here, which I wish we did. Enjoy spring! We won’t be seeing it for several months yet.
Jackie I hope you are starting to feel better with the cold. I have had it for 10 days so far. Went to the Dr. today she ordered meds and had an xray.
I am glad Will is home with you and the grandson helped with the seeds.
Try and rest when you can….thinking of you. This is a nasty cold going around.
Sue
Yes, it is nasty! And yes, I still am coughing and blowing my nose like mad. Ugh!! I’m going on a full week but everyone says it lasts for 2 weeks. Yea….
They diagnosed my swab and called today and said it was RSV.
Good Luck and get to feeling better.
Been drinking my dried oregano for tea and a spoonful Honey Fire.
Sue
You take care of yourself with that cold! Easy to catch and hard to get rid of. Maybe make up some of that Cowboy cough syrup that was in the latest Backwoods Home issue. If it doesn’t work on coughs it sure will help you sleep good. :) We get both BH and Self Reliance. Super duper magazines!
Got your seeds yesterday which was a relief as the postal service here has been roughshod lately. Our usual carrier is out with surgery and replacements were poor for a while. We went without mail delivery for three days twice in three weeks before we finally got a good sub worth her salt.
It will dip down to 18 tomorrow morning, our coldest so far this winter. Today I need to add more mulch to the garlic that’s up 10″ and put the plastic cover over the fabric cover that’s already over the rows.
This weekend I’m going to start one of your newly arrived Tanana tomato seeds for growing indoors in a pot with a grow light. Then in late February/early March when low temps are in the upper 40’s I’ll put it outside as I read where Tanana can actually set fruit in temps as low as 45. A fun experiment!
Let me know how the Tanana does at 45 degrees. Wow, your garlic is up 10″? Mine is sleeping under a thick layer of snow and mulch.
My doctor suggested Flonase and Afrin, as per particular instructions. I’m using elderberry from now on! Think it best, to work on prevention, instead of suffering.
That sounds like a good idea.
The seeds and book (Growing & Canning Your Own Food) came the other day, I’m sure enjoying reading it! Especially the little stories you have with some of your recipes. Just good, basic recipes, that’s the way I cook too. I’ve wanted to try canning some ready to go soups and am looking forward to trying those.
We had the colds over the holidays and both ended up at the doctors because we both have some lung issues. Sure hope you are getting better and your family too. Rest well, Peace to all!
Hi, Vicki, I’ve enjoyed Jackie’s books for years, and consult the canning one often. So much knowledge and experience in them. I’ve made and canned soups in pints for small servings. So convenient. Even done chicken/mushroom, favorites of my hubby is beef vegetable! I’ve done lots of cream soup, and a bell pepper/tomato. Very good.
I’m so glad you like the canning book! I take it out every time I go to can something. It’s so easy to make a mistake in time or miss an ingredient. Fortunately, I’ve got good lungs and my cough is very productive. Nasty!
Hi Jackie, have you sent out all your seed catalogs? I did not get one and would like to. Hope you get better soon and no sending colds through the mail with the seeds. That’s not how you get rid of it.
Yes, the catalogs all bulk mailed from the printer. If you didn’t get one, give me your address and I’ll mail one right off for you. I’m sorry. No, I use hand sanitizer and try my best not to mail my cold with the seeds. : )
Dear Jackie, take care of yourself and get well soon! I made chicken soup one time with chicken shaped pasta. It was a big hit, and I think the laughter made them get well faster. If that doesn’t work, maybe Grandma’s whiskey toddy remedy will do the trick. If it doesn’t make you well, at least you don’t care!
That’s for sure Jan. My grandmothers were teetotalers, so I don’t have their recipe anyway. I love the chicken soup with chicken shaped pasta. I’ll have to try that!
Oh no! Colds are never at a good time. Will gone (so glad he’s home and got that plumbing issue fixed!) Seed orders to fill( probably one was mine.Sorry added to your work) Hubby been down with the new version of flu. Yep vaccinated but still caught it. Was just reading your answers in the Backwoods Home issue’ Will n I v not had a cold since covid’ THEN I m reading your latest post’got a cold from son who I was in close car 4 hours’ thought ( hope she knocked on wood when she wrote that) obviously you didn’t. Take care and remember grandma was right home made chicken noodle soup is GOOD for a cold . Last time I butchered a hen I cooked carcass down and made a big batch of soup. In the freezer. It sure is delicious and handy.Don’t over work. I m sure I speak for everyone, our order s can wait a bit. It’s Winter and not to many of us are gardening,,,yet though I did spruce up the green house yesterday. Inside was76 outside 44.can’t wait to get seeds started!
No sweat, I just blow my nose, use hand sanitizer and pack seeds away. I knew when I climbed in the car with Bill and Randie (in the back seat), then rode home with him, right next to me, I’d probably come down with it.
Yep, chicken soup works miracles. I’m going to whip up a batch and get rid of this thing!! Seventy six in the greenhouse? I’d be stark naked and soaking up the sun. (And praying we didn’t get an unexpected visitor.)
‘Unexpected visitor’ Made me laugh out loud! 2week cold, hopefully it not the nasty flu(similar symptoms) every one every where is experiencing. Thankfully Randi escaped this!
I hope that you’re feeling better soon Jackie! Glad to hear that things are moving forward for Drew to be living near you two. Looking forward to our order. Always so fun to see your seeds arrive!
Getting seeds in your hands is like a promise of spring. That’s why I love packing them up, thinking of all the yummy food people will be growing.
Got my cold for Christmas present! Yuk! Hope you are feeling much better soon. I got my seeds! I love looking at them and dreaming of Spring and planting time!!!
What a Christmas present! Was it from the Grinch? I know this cold will get over and I sure can’t wait. I hate being sick!!!
So odd here. This morning 43F in town, elevation 530 feet above sea level. But here on Johnson mountain, 1,500 ft level, it was 63F!! What a temperate zone-banana belt, indeed.
When we lived at 7,600 feet in Montana, I always expected it to be colder than down in the valley. But, instead, it was at least 10 degrees warmer all winter.
Feel better soon!
Thank you Ginger!! I’m doing my best to get rid of the bugger.
All our snow has melted and it was 52 here today, it will barely get down to freezing tonight. Temps will start to drop however. All you can do is dress appropriately and have plenty of firewood and food.
So far no blood has been drawn between the kittens and the established cat. Even before the passing of established cat’s best buddy, she owned the basement. So she’s not unhappy to spend down there away from the kittens. There is one spot we need to “block” (kitten(s) between walls is not good) before they’ll get to go down there (it will be a while before they are “too big” to fit). Plus it is established cat’s safe haven.
Ensuring no kerfuffles/teaching kittens house rules will have me in spring clean-up/planting shape in no time lol. It is 79 days until Good Friday so we’ll see if the family tradition of planting that day continues its 100 years plus tradition. I’m not sure if seed starting and kittens will work out lol.
If I don’t fully come June, I’ll only be working 2-3 days per week (read: if on my terms). I watched two sets of grandparents struggle living on social security alone (and both sets gardened and canned). When I was 21, I had a banker tell me I was too young to worry about retirement. I bluntly told him I was not.
Businesses who do well have excellent customer service. Which sad to say is in short supply these days. In our experience, it is small and/or local businesses that know customer service is important.
Does Drew have propane heat at the house (I can’t remember)? Shelter, heat, and water are paramount.
I remember when the kids were young, better half caught every cold they did – I did not. Odd that Bill got a cold virus neither of you had. Did Randie catch it too?
Bill caught the cold from his lovely kids, who are in school, the germ pit. No, Randie was in the back seat and only was exposed for 2 hours, where I was in the front and got the full 4 plus hours.
There’s propane heat at the house and he and Grandpa are going to install the wood stove David had planned on hooking up also. He’ll be hauling water from here, like David did. There are at least 460 gallons of storage in the house though.