From My Home to Yours: 3/13/26

 From My Home to Yours

3/13/26

~  yard and garden work and the elephant in the room ... ~

We did the first 'mow the yard' of 2026 last Saturday.  That first mow of the year also includes de-wintering the yard ... you know ... picking up all the debris that collects on the yard during the winter months.  We did that as well as removed an apple tree that had died along with removing a couple of small trees that were growing in places we didn't want them growing, like in the middle of our grape vines, etc!!

We purchased a 6 pack tray of cabbage plants (there were actually 7 plants in the tray) and I planted them in one of our raised beds.  After planting them and watering them in, I covered each plant with these wire baskets.  We battle rabbits and squirrels every year and we're gradually learning out to outsmart them ... this is how we protect our cabbage until they get big enough to not need the protection.  Sidenote:  We made the decision to buy these first plants and then start seeds of our own for a second planting.  We did that this week too!  

Along all four edges of the raised bed, I planted red onion plants and in and around all the baskets I scattered radish seeds.  We call this intense planting.   All 3 of these, cabbage, onions and radishes grow well together ... that's important!

We have a much smaller garden this year, but we are hoping to grow close to the amount we normally do with intense planting and succession planting!  All of our gardening this year is in raised beds and containers ... where there is a will, there is a way!

Another intensively planted raised bed!  On the outside edge are yellow onions.  In the center are two rows of potatoes.  The inner side where the arch is is not planted at the moment, but at the end of the month we will plant some type of pole bean that will utilize the arch.  All three of these grow well together ... again that's important!

I also planted little marvel green peas in five 25 gallon size containers.  I also caged them.  The peas are a bush variety, but the cages will keep them off the soil and air flowing through them.

In two other containers, I planted a new variety of carrots that's supposed to tolerate heat better.  I hope so and I hope they are tasty as well!

Look at this ... the first nettles harvest of the year!  I air-dried these and added them to my pantry.

Look what I found wintering over in the garden!  We enjoyed both separately in two different meals this week.  They were both delicious!

... and now, let's talk about the elephant in the room!

The gas prices in our area have increased $.75 per gallon in a little over a week.  The trickle down effect of this is going to be felt in lots of different ways and places.  (This is not meant to be political and any comments making it so, will not be approved.  I am not into politics, but I am into preparing as best I can for whatever comes our way.)

As a result ...

We are brainstorming and planning ...

We are tightening our financial belts ...

We are going back to basics ...

We are looking to the future and making appropriate decisions ...

We are sharpening our 'sales' shopping efforts ...

We are focusing on keeping our pantry well-stocked ...

and finally, we are willing to do the work that all of these things require.

Have fuel cost risen in your area?  How are you dealing with the trickle down affect?

I continued reading book 5 in the Bregdan Chronicles, The Last Long Night by Ginny Dye.   I also listened to The Gown by Jennifer Robison during my daily exercise routine.  I'm enjoying listening to this book so much, I want to exercise longer so I can listen longer!!!  That doesn't happen very often!!  I have a love/hate relationship with exercising.  I hate exercising, but love the benefits and the way my body feels as a result.

I completed the 7th block in my patriotic quilt this week.  You can read about it HERE along with seeing what else I got up to in my little sewing nook!

Ladies, the fifth lesson in our Bible study on Naomi has been posted.  You can find it HERE!

And now let's turn to our preparedness case study for last week  ... 

Preparedness Case Study for week #4 ...

In this scenario ...

the family consists of a husband and wife in their mid 40's with 2 children, 8 and 10 years old ...

both of the children have ongoing respiratory issues that are affected by their environment ...

the temp outside is fluctuating between 95 - 100 degrees daily ...

the HVAC unit has gone out ...

after calling the repair person, they were told that parts would have to be ordered ...

They were given a time frame of 5 days before parts would arrive and then another 2 days before the repairs could be made ...

With the unexpected HVAC repairs, this family doesn't have the funds to go stay in a hotel ...

In fact, staying with anyone has to be looked at closely due to their children's respiratory issues ...

money is an issue ...

What would you advise this family to do?  How can they make it easier to tolerate the heat, keep their family fed and their children's respiratory issues controlled?  What can we learn from this scenario to help us be better prepared?

Here's what you advised ...

Find places that have air conditioning like the library, shopping mall, church, etc.

Stay in the coolest part of the home using fans to circulate air.

Drink lots of cold liquids.

Make sure the children’s stock of inhalers are in good supply.

Take cool showers.

Put a sheet on the couch or chairs to make them “feel” cooler to the skin.

Ask around to see if anyone could loan them a window unit until the repair is completed, don’t forget to ask the HVAC company as well.  They may have a loaner program.

Focus on keeping one room cool for the children.

Put a tray of ice in front of a fan and to blow cold at the kids, keep in mind though that it is wet air.

Run the AC in an automobile for a place to cool down.

Let children go outside in the shade and play with toys, read books or play games. They might need to wear masks to help with any possible pollen.

Try to keep children calm.

 For future preparedness: 

Save for a small window unit or portable a/c to go in one room.

Try to get children slowly better acclimated to difficult temperatures.

~ ~ ~ 

We've looked at 4 preparedness case studies and I tried to include several different elements that could be applied to all of us.

We looked at families/individuals who ...

had a budget amount they could spend on emergency preparedness ...

had a newborn ...

had children with health issues ...

were senior citizens ...

had no budget to work with ...

were healthy and able ...

were middle aged ...

who were new parents ...

who sometimes acted on impulse and without thinking ...

In each of the scenario's we looked at we saw that health, age, mobility and finances played a huge factor in their abilities to weather an unexpected emergency.  What I want all of us to take away from these preparedness case studies is that we need to look at our individual circumstances and prepare accordingly.  I hope you'll do that and I hope that what we've done as a team/group will give all of us ideas on how to be better prepared for the next time we find ourselves in an unexpected and unplanned situation.  I hope you've enjoyed these preparedness case studies and that they have made you think and maybe even prepare a little bit better!

That's it for this week, I hope you've found something in my ramblings that will help and or encourage you in the upcoming week.

Until the next time ...  

mrs. patsi @ A Working Pantry  

~ quietly holding the home front ~

She looketh well to the ways of her household … Proverbs 31:27 

Other Places You Can Find Me ...

Grandma's Got a Sewing Machine 

From This Heart of Mine  

Mrs. Patsi on Instagram

Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links.  This means that if you click on the link and place an order, etc I earn a small fee at no increased cost to you. Thank you for your support through these means. 

Thank you for using my Amazon affiliate link when placing your Amazon orders. I earn a small percentage that doesn't increase what you pay.

If you are encouraged by what you read here, please consider supporting my work via one of the following ways. Your expressions of appreciation help me keep my pantry well-stocked and me motivated to keep on keeping on with my attempts to inspire and encourage you (Titus 2:3-5) through my writings!

From My Home to Yours: 3/6/26

  From My Home to Yours

3/6/26

~   In the garden and pantry ... ~

It's been a week of temps in the upper 60's and 70's and I've spent quite a bit of time outside doing garden prep and a little planting ...

I worked on cleaning out each raised bed and container ... I didn't get them all done, but I'm over half way finished ...

I made more gardening plans, deciding what I was going to plant where ...

I up-potted the seedlings I started last week ...

In all my pantry reorganizing, inventorying and cleaning, I discovered I that we are almost out of home-canned pinto beans and navy beans.  So, I pulled some of both (they were still in their dried state, of course) from my pantry and canned them up.

Hubby was given a big pan of home-made baklava at work.  He brought it home and I knew I had to do something with it fast because baklava is very tempting to me!  I divided it up into 6 piece serving sizes and immediately froze them.  There was one piece left and I felt good about enjoying it to the last crumb!  Maintaining a big weight loss is just as hard as losing it; I have to always be on guard trying to find the balance between enjoying yummy decadent foods and over indulging in them.

I completed another block in my patriotic quilt, worked on a repurposed item that needed a bit of tweaking and finished another cross-stitch mini pillow that was in my pile of unfinished projects.  You can check out all of these HERE!

I continued reading book 5 in the Bregdan Chronicles, The Last Long Night by Ginny Dye.  

Ladies, the fourth lesson in our Bible study on Naomi has been posted.  You can find it HERE!

And now let's turn to our preparedness case study for last week  ... Preparedness Case Study for week #3 ...

here's the scenario from last week ...

(it's 92 degrees outside and the weather is clear)

This time we have a woman in her mid 50's in relatively good health and shape ...

She spent the morning helping a friend that lives about 20 miles from her home ...

On her way back home, about 10 miles from her house, she hears something hit her vehicle and pulls over to check it out ...

She leaves her vehicle running with the door open and quickly does a once over check of the outside of her vehicle ...

Everything seems to be in order and she goes to get back in her vehicle ...

The door has swung shut and much to her dismay she discovers that the door is locked ...

All the doors are locked ...

Her purse, cell phone and emergency bag are in the vehicle ...

She is on an interstate highway and the nearest exit is 3 miles away ...

What would you advise this woman to do? Keep in mind that she is alone and safety is a factor.  How would you advise her to be better prepared for a similar event in the future?  What can we learn from this scenario to help us be better prepared?

Here's what you advised ...

If it is in a high danger area, break the back door window and open front door. safe option but costs to fix back window.

I would advise the woman to look for a rock, wrap her arm up in whatever she can (take her top off if needed) and give one of the windows a good whack. Hopefully it will shatter into pieces, and she will be able to access the vehicle and drive away. It's not ideal and will result in a cost to replace the window, but I think that any attempt to walk for help would expose her to more danger and leaving the car to do so might result in someone coming along, and stealing her vehicle.

Unless a police officer came by and stopped which they don't always do, she might have to try to get someone to stop and help her or at least use that person's phone to call for help. I would feel very unsafe, but sometimes we need the kindness of strangers.

Go back to main road which is 3 miles and an easy walk, but only you know your area as to if it is safe.

Walk to a neighbor’s house you know.

For future preparedness: Make sure to buy a spare key and attach it to the undercarriage of car for emergencies. Only get the key that opens the door, not the key that is coded to starting the car.

Before ever getting out of the vehicle, ask yourself if the vehicle is steering oddly or making odd sounds before you decide to even pull over. Second, never get out and leave the vehicle running. Next, roll the window down as you get out and take your keys, phone and purse. It doesn’t take long for someone to stop and grab your purse from the front seat. If the vehicle is damaged and can’t go on move away from it, many people have been hit by other distracted drivers while waiting for help in or near their cars and call the police.

What we learn from this is to take your key with you when you get out of the car, but what to do is a big question. It is 92 and 3 miles from the exit so walking would not be an option for me. I hope someone else has a better answer.

I would advise her to look at her vehicle's manual and see if there is a setting she could activate to stop that happening on hers or even talk to whoever she takes her vehicle for servicing to and see if they could advise her. Failing that, I would tell her to make it a routine to remove the keys and hold them in her hand whenever she exits the vehicle, even if she is just getting out to unlock her garage. If it becomes routine she is unlikely to get caught out again.

I hope you've found something in this imaginary scenario that will help you in your real life preparedness preparations, that's the goal of this series.

Here's our Preparedness Case Study for week #4 ...

In this scenario ...

the family consists of a husband and wife in their mid 40's with 2 children, 8 and 10 years old ...

both of the children have ongoing respiratory issues that are affected by their environment ...

the temp outside is fluctuating between 95 - 100 degrees daily ...

the HVAC unit has gone out ...

after calling the repair person, they were told that parts would have to be ordered ...

They were given a time frame of 5 days before parts would arrive and then another 2 days before the repairs could be made ...

With the unexpected HVAC repairs, this family doesn't have the funds to go stay in a hotel ...

In fact, staying with anyone has to be looked at closely due to their children's respiratory issues ...

money is an issue ...

What would you advise this family to do?  How can they make it easier to tolerate the heat, keep their family fed and their children's respiratory issues controlled?  What can we learn from this scenario to help us be better prepared?

That's it for this week, I hope you've found something in my ramblings that will help and or encourage you in the upcoming week.

Until the next time ...  

mrs. patsi @ A Working Pantry  

~ quietly holding the home front ~

She looketh well to the ways of her household … Proverbs 31:27 

Other Places You Can Find Me ...

Grandma's Got a Sewing Machine 

From This Heart of Mine  

Mrs. Patsi on Instagram

Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links.  This means that if you click on the link and place an order, etc I earn a small fee at no increased cost to you. Thank you for your support through these means. 

Thank you for using my Amazon affiliate link when placing your Amazon orders. I earn a small percentage that doesn't increase what you pay.

If you are encouraged by what you read here, please consider supporting my work via one of the following ways. Your expressions of appreciation help me keep my pantry well-stocked and me motivated to keep on keeping on with my attempts to inspire and encourage you (Titus 2:3-5) through my writings!

From My Home to Yours: 2/27/26

  From My Home to Yours

2/27/26

~  Where did February go ... ~

What a month of weather swings ...

 a week of snow and frigid temperatures ...

a week of 60 - 80 degree temperatures ...

then more cold weather followed by more warm weather ...

nature is confused and I am too!

In the midst of all these weather swings, I officially kicked off our 2026 gardening season by starting the first set of seeds!

I made a mini greenhouse for each type of seeds by planting them in a clear plastic cup, putting a labeled marker in the cup and then setting the whole thing inside a zip lock bag. At one time I had 7 varieties of seeds in cups sitting in an aluminum pan on the hearth. The warmth from the wood stove kept them toasty warm and allowed for condensation on the inside of the bag keeping the soil moist but not too wet. As soon as the seeds started popping through the soil I removed them from the hearth and placed them on a window seal that gets lots of afternoon sunlight. When they get about 1-2 inches tall I'll transplant them into individual containers giving each seedling it's own cup. Currently, I have 4 varieties of tomatoes and 3 herbs with plans to start more seeds next week.

Side note: I like to use clear plastic cups to start my plants and seedlings in because I can tell when they're getting root bound and or when they have a well established root system in place.

I also chatted our potatoes hoping to get them planted in one of our raised beds within the next couple of weeks. (These potatoes were left from last fall's harvest, mine as well as another home grown source.)

I added something to my pantry this week!

Remember those Boston butts on a 3-day sale I mentioned last week ...

and remember those shrimp on a BOGO sale ...

Well, we bought some of each and they are now in our freezer!  We bought the Boston Butts for an upcoming church event at one location of the chain store that was having the sale.   There happens to be a second location of the same chain store in our town, so we went there as we needed more than the limit.  They were out, so we got a rain check.  We'll go back and get more, this time to finish out the amount we need for for church event and a couple for me to can as pulled pork.  It's just so very convenient to pull a jar of pulled pork off the pantry shelf, add bbq sauce, buns and a couple of sides and you have a meal!

We did the same thing with the shrimp as one store had them and the other location did not.  

I'm trying a new format for my sewing blog, Grandma's Got a Sewing Machine. You can check it out HERE!  

I finished reading Dark Chaos, by Ginny Dye, book 4 in the Bregdan Chronicles and listened to Our Darkest Night by Jennifer Robson on Libby.  Again this week, I had more listening time than reading time.   I also started reading book 5 in the Bregdan Chronicles, The Last Long Night by Ginny Dye.

Ladies, the third lesson in our Bible study on Naomi has been posted.  You can find it HERE!

Before we finish off this post with visiting our imaginary family in our preparedness case study series, I just have to show you a picture I took of a sunrise at our house one morning this week.  The picture doesn't do it justice, but maybe you can get some idea of it's beauty ...

It didn't last long, but it was breath taking while it was there!

Okay on to our preparedness case study ...

Here's the one from last week and the advice you gave ...

Preparedness Case Study #2  ...

(we're staying in the winter season for this one as well)

a family of 2 senior citizens (husband and wife) in their mid 70's ...

the temperature outside is 23 degrees and dropping, there is also a breezy wind blowing and it's starting to rain ...

they are out in their automobile and run over an object in the road giving them two flat tires ...

they have a quarter tank of gasoline ...

their cell phone service is sketchy with hit and miss reception

no water or food in the automobile ...

they are about 2 miles from nearest civilization ...

no blankets in the automobile, but each does have a warm coat ...

Here's what you advised this imaginary couple to do during the crisis and afterwards to be better prepared ...

Keep trying to get cell service.  Set auto-flashers on.  Keep coats on and use auto heat sparingly.  Get in the backseat and use both coats like a blanket and wait for help.  Stay with the vehicle.  One person get out of the car to try for better cell phone reception.  Try calling 911.  As a last resort, drive very slowly on the flat tires (yes, this will damage the rims, that’s why it’s a last resort) to the nearest place of help.

 For future reference, you said:

Keep a winter plastic tube in the vehicle with water, snacks, hand/foot warmers, change of clothing, source of light, extra socks, a space blanket for each person, regular blankets, flairs, fix a flat for at least 2 tires, walking footwear, jumper cables, air compressor and charger for cell phones. 

Check to see if phone has satellite capabilities if there is no cellular service available.   If health allows, make walking a part of your daily fitness regimen.  Keep fuel level at least half full.  Have a check-in routine with someone such as telling a family member or friend where they are going, when they expect to get there and perhaps promise to give them a quick ring to let them know they have arrived safely. If they don't ring, someone will then know there is a problem.

I hope you've found something in this imaginary scenario that will help you in your real life preparedness preparations, that's the goal of this series.

Here's our Preparedness Case Study for week #3 ...

(it's 92 degrees outside and the weather is clear)

This time we have a woman in her mid 50's in relatively good health and shape ...

She spent the morning helping a friend that lives about 20 miles from her home ...

On her way back home, about 10 miles from her house, she hears something hit her vehicle and pulls over to check it out ...

She leaves her vehicle running with the door open and quickly does a once over check of the outside of her vehicle ...

Everything seems to be in order and she goes to get back in her vehicle ...

The door has swung shut and much to her dismay she discovers that the door is locked ...

All the doors are locked ...

Her purse, cell phone and emergency bag are in the vehicle ...

She is on an interstate highway and the nearest exit is 3 miles away ...

What would you advise this woman to do? Keep in mind that she is alone and safety is a factor.  How would you advise her to be better prepared for a similar event in the future?  What can we learn from this scenario to help us be better prepared?

That's it for this week, I hope you've found something in my ramblings that will help and or encourage you in the upcoming week.

Until the next time ...

mrs. patsi @ A Working Pantry

~ quietly holding the home front ~

She looketh well to the ways of her household … Proverbs 31:27 

Other Places You Can Find Me ...

Grandma's Got a Sewing Machine 

From This Heart of Mine  

Mrs. Patsi on Instagram

Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links.  This means that if you click on the link and place an order, etc I earn a small fee at no increased cost to you. Thank you for your support through these means. 

Thank you for using my Amazon affiliate link when placing your Amazon orders. I earn a small percentage that doesn't increase what you pay.

If you are encouraged by what you read here, please consider supporting my work via one of the following ways. Your expressions of appreciation help me keep my pantry well-stocked and me motivated to keep on keeping on with my attempts to inspire and encourage you (Titus 2:3-5) through my writings!

From My Home to Yours: 2/20/26

 From My Home to Yours

2/20/26

~  Two weeks ago ... ~

... we were dealing with frigid temperatures and 12 inches of snow!  Today, our high is supposed to top out at 80 degrees!  This week our temps have ranged from the low 60's to today's high of 80.  It's what we call a 'false spring.'

The fruit trees in the orchard are starting to bud out with tiny leaves, our elderberry bushes are doing the same.  The forsythia, not to be left out of the 'spring' business of waking up is following suit!

False springs are typical for us and I've been taking advantage of it by continuing my deep house cleaning and decluttering project.  A house that's getting a spring cleaning coupled with warm spring temperatures is a combination that lifts the spirits after a bout of cold bitter winter weather.

Another sign of spring ... our chickens have started laying again!!!  This year we timed it about right with the number of eggs we would need to put back for our use from the time they started molting/stopped laying and when they started laying again.  It's hit and miss every year!

We're still eating out of our pantry and not adding anything to it ... although I did notice in this weeks local grocery store ad that they had shrimp on a BOGO sale and Boston butts on sale for $.99/lb.  I need to check my canned pulled pork and see if I need to restock.  If I do, I'll purchase a Boston butt and can it up for the pantry.  That's how we keep our pantry well-stocked ... we look for those sales and then get to work!  Now about that shrimp, yes ma'am, I plan to add some of that to the freezer part of my pantry as well!  Shrimp is a special treat at our house!

I stitched up another block in my patriot quilt project.  You can take a peek at it HERE along with the other 3 I've completed.

I continued reading Dark Chaos, by Ginny Dye, book 4 in the Bregdan Chronicles and listened to Finding Us by Tracie Peterson on Libby.  I had more listening time this week than I had reading time.  Sometimes that's the way it works out!

Ladies, the second lesson in our Bible study on Naomi has been posted.  You can find it HERE!

Let's finish off this post with visiting our imaginary family in our preparedness case study series  ...

Here's the one from last week ...

(this power outage occurs in the winter)

a family of 3 (father, mother and a new born)

no disabilities and in good health

they do have a well-stocked pantry

they are renting their home

they have a budget of $300 to spend

they do not have an alternate source of heat

they do not have an alternate lighting source other than flashlights and candles

they do not have an alternate way of cooking

Here's the advice you gave this couple ...

for heating purposes, a Mr. Buddy Heater or Kerosene Heater for a heat source,

purchase fuel for which each source of heat chosen ...

for lighting purposes, battery operated push lights or solar lights that can be put outside to recharge during the daylight hours or set in a window ...

for emotional support, candles and a battery operated radio ...

for cooking and boiling water purposes, a small camp stove approved for indoor use, or a small grill for outside use.  Fuel for each of these options should also be factored in as part of the cost...

for bed or 'pallet' warming, fill hot water bottles with hot water, wrap in some kind of cloth and place in bedding to warm area, or warm bricks, wrap in some kind of cloth and use in the same way ...

for having warm beverages, quality thermos bottles ...

additional advice given: (1) curtain off or close door of one room and make it your main living quarters, (2) insulate windows with cardboard, newspaper or plastic wrap in your closed off room, (3) cover windows with heavy coverings, (4) set cooler outside and use for refrigeration purposes and (5) use Vaseline or something similar on lips to prevent chapping.

The care and protection from the cold of a newborn would require close attention.  Baby wearing might be an option to consider.

I hope you've found something in this imaginary scenario that will help you in your real life preparedness preparations, that's the goal of this series.

Now that we've helped imaginary family #1, let's move on to our next imaginary family situation ...

Preparedness Case Study #2 looks like this ...

(we're staying in the winter season for this one as well)

a family of 2 senior citizens (husband and wife) in their mid 70's ...

the temperature outside is 23 degrees and dropping, there is also a breezy wind blowing and it's starting to rain ...

they are out in their automobile and run over an object in the road giving them two flat tires ...

they have a quarter tank of gasoline ...

their cell phone service is sketchy with hit and miss reception

no water or food in the automobile ...

they are about 2 miles from nearest civilization ...

no blankets in the automobile, but each does have a warm coat ...

What would you advise this couple to do?  How would you advise them to be better prepared for a similar event in the future?  What can we learn from this scenario to help us be better prepared?

That's it for this week, I hope you've found something in my ramblings that will help and or encourage you in the upcoming week.

Until the next time ...

mrs. patsi @ A Working Pantry

~ quietly holding the home front ~

She looketh well to the ways of her household … Proverbs 31:27 

Other Places You Can Find Me ...

Grandma's Got a Sewing Machine 

From This Heart of Mine  

Mrs. Patsi on Instagram

Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links.  This means that if you click on the link and place an order, etc I earn a small fee at no increased cost to you. Thank you for your support through these means. 

Thank you for using my Amazon affiliate link when placing your Amazon orders. I earn a small percentage that doesn't increase what you pay.

If you are encouraged by what you read here, please consider supporting my work via one of the following ways. Your expressions of appreciation help me keep my pantry well-stocked and me motivated to keep on keeping on with my attempts to inspire and encourage you (Titus 2:3-5) through my writings!