Moni, the best place I have stored sweet potatoes is in the bottom of a closet on an outside wall. I live in a mobile home, so the floor and wall did not receive any heat except the radiant heat that came through the bathroom, and bedroom walls. The reason I dont use that area anymore is because there is just not enough room. I need to make an area to store sweet potatoes. This year we just put them in boxes and placed them in a spare bedroom because we dont get down under the bed anymore. We have so much JUNK piled everywhere that is hard to fine room to store anything.

I am not a happy camper today. The renter that rents my pasture is not good about feeding the 4 donkeys and cow and calf in the pasture. The snow yesterday has covered the little grass left after he shaved the ground to get all the hay he could. I am not a fan of abusing man or beast. I have been buying range cubes to feed the animals, if I can start my tractor that has a hay spike on it I will take a round bale of hay and place in the pasture.

I will stop my rant before I have a stroke, and burn your ears.

Larry... could it be time to evict that bad renter?

Utility room , unheated.

Garage will work as long as they don't freeze.

Rick

Yeah, Rick, I think that is where they will have to go. The room they are in wasn't convenient anyhow.

Thanks

Moni

Moni, the guys lease is paid till the end of August. There is no contract, other than the paper he gave me in 2014, stating what he would do as far as taking care of the place, which I think he has fallen short. I think he is a good man, with a good family, but, things will have to change or this August is going to be his last month here.

I will be willing to buy back any unused lease if he wants to terminate early.

Moni, my utility room is somewhat cold (although it has HVAC with one vent). In the utility room is a closet that houses our well and hot water tank. My sweet potatoes are in that closet. It works somewhat nicely.

The downside is the utility room (and closet) are warmer than the rest of the house in the summer.

The attached garage works great for us, assuming we don't have any during the summer. As with HJ's utility room, nothing can really be stored there in the summer.

How's everyone today? I was trading messages with Amy and Danny earlier today. And I've been reading all day. Time for breakfast-for-dinner now though. I'm done with seed-ordering. Mostly cabbage, broccolini, lettuce, collards, and more kale. No flowers. I still have plenty of those seeds.

Is someone going to start a tomato list and a pepper list and a flowers list? :) GO!

No gardening today. Zoom church, then groceries, then meet & greet with a new client. Now time for a rest. Tomorrow is a holiday for us so I hope it's warm enough to go outside for more than a few minutes.

Well I am down with the flu. Hopefully I will recover as quickly as my daughter and granddaughter

They gave me coffee to put my tea bag in. And did another Covid swab. No real word on what is going on. The steroids I'm on were the culprit for my jittery mood. That and them not getting breakfast orders right.

I hope you get better fast, Kim!

I was going to garden plan yesterday, didn't happen. Maybe today.

Kim, and Amy, I hope you both get to feeling better soon. I feel great, I was able to get put for a while yesterday, which helped, but my hands got so cold they were numb and throbbing at the same time, and really hurt when they begin thawing.

I got a tractor started with Madge's help and went for a bale of hay. Madge said that the cattle were still eating on that hay this morning, so I guess I will go after another bale of hay today, plus buy a few bags of range cubes. I hate to see animals neglected.

I think I will try to pick up a couple more bags of potting soil when I am in town, along with another bucket of motor oil and hydraulic fluid. The inventory seems to be low on the things I need, I am not sure if it is supply chain or because in is inventory and tax time.

Well, it was cold this morning...I'm hoping it will thaw out today. I want to go get groceries before it chills on Wed (16?).

Danny, I hope you enjoy your ice, it is now 52 degrees here (3:45 ), the high for the day, almost all snow is gone. I think we are to get down 20 and 18 degrees on Wed. and Thur., and rain in the day. It that happens we could have some unpleasant weather.

I did not go get another bale of hay, with the short winter grass showing through, the livestock are finding a little to eat. I did not think Madge wanted to get out in the mud to pull the tractor to start it anyway.

It pretty much disappeared here too. The car thawed (after I swept snow off of it). I went to the grocery store where about half the few items I wanted to restock were out of stock (biscuits, pickled eggs (yes), and frozen breakfast pizzas). There were a fair amount of empty grocery shelves over all.

Tomorrow it should reach into the mid 50s here too, then sharply down as you mentioned, Larry. Maybe I'll try to go to Wal-Mart tomorrow and see if they have what Harps was out of. Heck, I can do that online...tonight I suppose. If they have enough I'll do an online order and pick up.

Danny I hope you got an online order... and I hope, they will still have everything you want when they fill it.

No snow here, no rain here... still so darn dry. Honestly I wish we had either.

But, since it was nice, always warmer in my fenced in back yard... I spent some time digging out BG, and I weeded some. How come weeds grow, and everything else doesn't? Not fair.

Amy I hope breakfast today came as ordered... and Kim, I hope you don't feel to crummy.

Larry I picked up some potting soil last time I was out and about in my car too. Will need it for seed starting and up potting before long. :)

Moni

I actually went to the Harps Grocery beside their general office (the biggest one) and they had everything I was looking for (but the pickled eggs). I remembered more things since yesterday and got those. I did forget that my cayenne pepper was getting low, but that's not urgent.

I'm thankful for the elevated temperatures but know it won't last. I have about four or five things in pots that I bring in when it gets below 20, so I guess I better get to hauling tomorrow (or this evening for more pleasant hauling). Hope they enjoy their stay on the back porch till Sunday.

Lol, Moni, the only answer is to eat the weeds..then they stop growing because you now want them. I don't think I want to eat BG though...tough and stringy.

Wow.

That's awesome, HJ! Vine ripe tomatoes in January would be amazing.

I have never had a tomato ripe in Jan.

Jen , I never saw any more about your tractor, Did you buy a tractor, rent a tractor, or borrow a tractor? I had to use my small tractor to unload the car this morning, but first had to air up two tires.

May there wont be a supply issue this year. I noticed that Tractor supply had a shipment of hydraulic fluid sitting on the floor today. I will buy a few more filters,and maybe have enough tractor supplies to go a year or two, except I will have to buy a battery or two because I know Madge is going to get tired of pulling tractors to start them.

We have one ordered. It's currently in Mississippi, so they have to go pick it up. Shouldbe getting it next week if all goes . I told Cliff it cost more than every car I've owned combined.

Jen sounds like a good tractor.

Jen, I can relate about the cost. My wife and daughter have been on me for a couple of years to buy a new tractor and quit fooling around with all the junk that I have, and maybe a couple of years ago I could have afforded one, but they have gone up just like everything else.

Jen, I hope you will post pictures, and tell the specs on your new tractor. You may think I am joking, but I bet Cliff will have a hard time keeping you off of it. You will enjoy all the things you can do with a small tractor and some matching implements.

Sure I'll post pics & all that. We got one with climate control since Cliff can't take heat very well, & the finance lady said "all the women love that model, it's just like driving a car."

Jen, that is fancy. I would love to have one like that, but I work mine like a prison mule and would have all the windows broken and the doors beat off in less than a year. A lot of the guys around here like the cab models to help with their allergies, and of course protection from the weather.

The last time I was working with one of my tractors my hands got so cold they hurting, ever with me stopping every now and then and holding my hands around the exhaust pipe.

Wow, Jen! And Wow, Jennifer! Tomatoes and tractors. Hard to beat that.

We've been MIA, both with our noses buried in books.

Though I ordered my seeds from SESE and Pinetree, I haven't been thinking about it. Well, got my SESE order today. Took the seeds out and WHAT? Cayenne Long Red on top. I thought, "That's crazy--I have about six of those packets already; SESE must be sending a freebie." Then I saw the rest of the order--Big Red Ripper peas; Carwile's Virginia peanuts, Edisto 47 muskmelon, Jade Okra, and Ashe County Pimento. Nothing remotely close to my order. . . got a good laugh. They sent these seeds, who should have gone to a gentleman in Madison CT. Wonder if he got mine! LOL I'm really suprised this doesn't happen more often, actually. At any rate, the lady at SESE was so nice--and we both got a laugh. She'll send mine out right away (the greens and brassica) and told me she hoped I could use the others. Hilarious.

And I messed up today, too. We went into town to get our pickup order from Walmart, between 9-10. Checked into the app, and they had us scheduled for 9-10 PM. SO. I changed the pickup time from night time to-3-4pm, and can go to town for the second time today.

Sheesh.

I see HJ got in here before I posted.

Also. I've been reading up on digital notebooks and just ordered one to see how it goes. Do any of you have one? Reviews?

Sounds like an awesome tractor, Jen!

Yes, Mom is pretty proud of her tomato plant. I wonder how it will taste. There's a few more fruit on it that are beginning to break color.

Nancy last year I got double order of seeds and called immediately to remedy situation. Apparently it happened to quite a few people. The one garden group I’m in people were bragging about all the free seeds. No one else called in. I felt that was the best way to handle it. Same company this year sent me seeds marked for 2020. I emailed that they need to fix the printer. Other people might be upset but to me it’s no big deal.

I found a temporary job but it’s in the panhandle. I will going there for the month of February. Everything came together so easily. My great niece will water plants dog is going to visit sister. It will be good.

I had a little bit of down time and decided to pop in to see what everyone was up to. The nice weather early in the week and the MLK holiday provided me the opportunity to get outside and finally shred the leaves I've collected from neighbors. I didn't get done, but got quite a bit done. I did give up on the cypress needles. The finished product is very nice after going through my shredder but quite the effort because they tend to clog it. So those bags were dumped as mulch on a part of the yard that needs a lot of organic material. In a couple years, that shouldn't be the case anymore!

I planned my garden in October. The peasant style planting I do makes it a lot like doing a puzzle and my garlic has to go in exactly the right place or there will be hiccups in the spring. I do start imagining squeezing more into the nooks and crannies - there are few and they're tiny - with every seed catalog that rolls in. I have decided to try growing watermelon in the rain garden this year. It will either work or it won't. It won't be something I lose sleep over either way. If it works, I'll have the bonus of watermelon.

My sweet potatoes go in a bucket in my stand alone bathtub that's not often used. IMO it doesn't matter all that much where they're stored as long as it is mostly dark and stays at or slightly below room temperature. At least that's the experience I've had.

Enough from here. I hope everyone who is under the weather gets above it soon.

Megan, I think keeping sweet potatoes in a bath tub is a wonderful idea. Ours is now in boxes in a spare bedroom under, which use to work well, but we now use that room for Madge's music room and have the vent open to keep the room warmer. We could have more storage space if we would just get rid of some of the junk we have stacked everywhere.

Madge started taking music lessons when she was 80 or 81 years old, which I am very proud of her for that, but it sure messed up a good potato storage room.

Does anyone else seem to just have junk follow them home as they get older? We sure do, and we have less need for it now that we did when we were younger.

Larry I have had junk follow me home all my life. Like that commercial give it to Mikey. Will my family is gone it to Kim she’ll use it take store it hoard it. Ugh. I have been in process for over a month to purge everything that is not being used or family Heirloom. So far I have loaded 12 trash bags and boxes full for donation and over 15 loads to trash. It feels so great to get roots off it all and someday there will be an end in sight. I won’t have much time to get this done before planting time this year since I am leaving soon. My goal is to have completely done by October.

Gardening I have winter sown a few containers. They will be fine while I am gone. So it’s a good system.

I like the bathtub idea... but I only have one... and it is used for showering as well. LOL, 1 bathroom house.

It was good to talk to you Kim! I am excited for you.

Moni

Moni what about the bottom of the cabinet to the left of the frig

Zoomed with Dr, and have an antibiotic waiting to pick up. She agreed, sinus infection.

Edit: Picked up sulfamethazone (antibiotic) and flonase.

Yay! Danny!

Great about the job kim!

My husband picks up stuff people put at the curb, but then I don't throw things put.

Good news about the tractor, Jen. You need climate control and lights.

Latest update is one more day for tests and go home tomorrow. I assume that's if we don't FIND anything on tests. But...dare I hope they find the cause of my chronic lung condition? If not I go home with oxygen when walking.

Amy we were just talking about you and how it is time for you to get home to some real food and comfort.

Amy. . . . good news and bad news, eh. I pray you can go home tomorrow. Danny, so glad you have the antbiotics.

Heh, have to report that my first dose of sulfa drugs probably went out to the ocean. Dr and pharmacist recommended to take with food. I had a few spoonfuls of banana pudding (yes I finally made it Nancy) and thought good. Two hours later, I hurled it all.

Today I will hope the results are better with a 'full' meal.

Let's hope you can keep the antibiotics down, Danny. And I hope Amy gets to go home today.

I got the Rocketbook. Let's see if I'm smart enough to get my documents transferred to where I want them--or figure out where I DO want them to be stored. The pen and notebook are very much like a real notebook and pen. The pages are a little glossier than regular notebook paper, but not noticeably.

Look forward to seeing photos of the tractor, Jen.

The rest of you all--stay warm! I'm cold, stomach upset and head aches. I need a nap, I guess.

Danny good luck with the meds

Amy I hope you are on the way home

Nancy I hope you feel better

ALL, STAY WARM!

Moni

Interested in hearing your thoughts on the notebook, Nancy.

I am excited, Jen! I'm figuring it out. Learned enough to scan a page to my PC's OneNote. So it not only scans and sends the page where you want it sent, but then it turns your writing into text. I wasn't writing very neatly, so had some corrections to make. haha. Next page of notes, I'll try to write more neatly. I bet it won't do well with cursive! :) . (Danny had predicted it might have problems turning writing into text. . .)

Well, breakfast yesterday came with nausea (but I avoided vomiting). Strangely, the supper dose didn't affect me at all. Looking fwd to breakfast (if I can figure out why I want) to test out how it goes this morning.

I'm hopeful that I might be able to take Jasper to the dog park tomorrow (55F). It's been about a month since we've been out, and he needs some exercise for sure.

I threw up one of my antibiotics, too, Danny. I'm in a pickle, we were on my 7th IV site but I threw up the oral. I waited all day for the doctor yesterday, finally get told I'm being released and felt ignored from there on out. At 7:30 I piled all my stuff in the wheel chair and headed down the hall. Tech said where you going I said loudly I'm going home. They found my paperwork in a hurry. It was still too late to hit the pharmacy before it closed. I got home around 8:30. I'm not even ready to talk about most of it. The last night someone was screaming let me out of here. I could relate.

came home, went to sleep in the recliner, wide awake at 6 am.

TTFN

Amy, and Danny, I am glad both of you are doing better. Amy, I am sorry your hospital stay was not more pleasant. I have never had an unpleasant hospital stay, but, on the other hand I have never had a pleasant hospital stay either, I am always glad to get home.

I wore a heart monitor for 72 hours about 10 days ago, the doctor called Madge yesterday to tell her about the report, and said I could call back talk if I wanted to, but to come in for a stress test on the 3rd anyway. I may call next week, but I have a pretty good idea what she is going to say, I have been dealing with this problem for a long time. My heart seems to be worse, but I am almost 35 years older.

Its been cold here, was 14 this mornings. I went out to feed my renters livestock, this is getting old, and expensive. If I am going to feed livestock, they may as well be mine, but I feel sorry for them, and if I dont feed them they will be getting out on the highway.

Larry, I love your heart for animals. I would be the same way. When the neighbors' animals come up to our fence (or our backdoor) even if I'm running late to work, I'll stop to give them treats and/or feed them. And I also LOVE that Madge started music lessons at 80. She is quite the woman. Very inspiring.

Amy, I'm glad you're home and hope you're feeling better too.

I don't like a lot of clutter, so don't save everything BUT there's certain things that I do tend to hoard--weird things. It does feel good to clean out doesn't it, Kim? Feels fresh and ready for something new. Again, congrats on your job. (I know we talked on messenger, but I feel like saying it here too!) I'm glad you'll get a day of cuddles with your grandkids on your day off.

Nancy, I don't even know what a Rocketbook is. haha.

Jen, can't wait to see this tractor. I'm still absolutely excited for you...for your property and tractor and new adventures.

Megan, love it when you check in here. I like reading about your garden plans. I'll have to research peasant gardens.

I can't store sweet potatoes in the bathtub. I use my bathtub every night. We got a new soaker tub last year and love it so much. I know a lot of people aren't soakers and a bathtub is just wasted space. Glad that it's being used for something productive.

Moni, did you ever find a place for your sweet potatoes?

I've been around, just busy with life. I was sick a couple of weeks ago. Everyone around me had the virus, so there's no reason to think that I didn't have it. Not bad. Just fever for a couple of days and fatigue.

Not much gardening really. Just harvesting from the greens bed for daily salads. Rick is still puling turnips and rutabaga from the SG. We had a bit of broccoli to harvest and I'm still eating on it. Usually put it on the salads. The turnips too.

The sauerkraut turned out lovely. I didn't get much, but I'm happy to have what we got. I just put cucumbers in the crock today to practice with fermenting pickles. Obviously, I purchased these cukes.

Oh! I saw a seed rack at Walmart. They are beginning to get their seed starting stuff in. I bought a new seed tray with peat pellets. It holds 72, so I'll do half cabbage/broccoli and half lettuce/kale. That's probably all I'll do for the spring,, other than onions (and Rick will do potatoes and peas in the SG).

Last night, I got all my seeds ordered for the year. Our budget is really tight right now, so I had to wait. Seems like the cost of everything went up last year.

I am excited to get those seeds ordered, though.

It's only 6. I should get those greens and brassicas started!

I can't find this week's thread! All I get is here. Can someone help? LOL

It is there. I just got it up

I mean I just got it to come up