Winter Storm Tips

Oh, those dreaded words from the weather man....Winter Storm possiblities.
In the Southern home that means a few things.....Do Not walk,Do not pass go,but haul ass to the local grocery store.You must buy milk and bread,even if you just did that yesterday.It also means that Schools will Close,as will everything else,b/c nobody can drive in winter weather.No,we dont have salt trucks,we do have tornado shelters and hurricane plans.But winter mess is another story.And No,we dont get the beautiful snow you see in ski ads,we get ice.and its bad.It sticks on power lines,cars,and roads.Schools will close at the mere mention of inclement weather.Im serious.Take today.Right now currently in West Tn,its a gloomy day.Chilly,windy,and rainy.BUT....the tempeartature will be dropping all day,and thus,since the potential is there,they closed the schools.I found it humerous when I checked the weather channel.com for my zip code and they had an illustration of ice hanign from trees on Monday and Tuesday,but by thursday break out your shorts again cuz the hi is 61.Ahhh,the midsouth,where if you dont like the weather,just give it a minute and it will change.YES,I have slept witht he heater on,turned on the air during the day and the heater again at night.And NO,we are not in the dessert where this is more common.
So in my 27 years Ive learned a few things about how to cope witht he threat of ice,adn its aftermath.Some dos and Donts.
DO:
hit the smoke shack and liquior store,STOCK UP.
Go get loaf of bread and milk,needed or not.Who am I to mess with moms of yesteryear.
Wash all the laundry,and dishes,case the power goes.
Make a big ole pot of somtehting that taste better 2 days later.Since your car can double as an extra fridge.
buy coca cola,and coffee,and Splenda.Cant have the kids on a sugar high,but you can have one.
Read online,before the power and cable goes about things to do to entertain children with no power.
buy maxi pads or tampons,you never know when mother nature will have a sick sence of humor.
go to the library and stock up.
Buy scented candles and smoke near a window...
Know someone who has gas heat and fireplace ,so hubby can drive you there in a 4 wheel drive,adn pay no heed to one of the donts below.
DONT:{this is most important}
Never take and adipex or speed BEFORE you know if work is closed and schools are too.you will be up cleaning your bathtub with a q-tip at midnight.Promise.
Never make salmon patties,or tuna salad,no matter how bad you want to.Wait a few days until its in the 60s again and you can fumagate your house.
never let your friends stay over.You dont know if they snore.Make it family time.
Never ask your neighbors if you or your kids can play on their hills on garbage can lids,sausers,or cardboard boxes.Someone will get knocked out.Been there.freaked my brother out,since he was the one shaking me back to life,but we didnt tell Mama.
Whatever you do,DONT LEAVE YOUR HOUSE!If you want to try to finally learn to drive on ice,think that there may be other ppl who feel the same way,and you never know when yall might pass each other!
THese are just some obervations Ive made throughout my life.I did survive the BIG ONE OF '94,but God knows how my parents did.

Trying to make Lemonade of life

THeres the cliche when it rains it pours.Theres what can go wrong,will go wrong.And then theres when life gives you lemons,make lemonade.You ever tried to make lemonade out of sour grapes?Right now things couldnt be more crazy for us.ANd this extends beyond my little Suzy Homemaker cocoon.THis is....overwhelming.It all started I say with the words of my brother when i was at his house."Im not coming east unless Memaw gets sick".been downhill ever since.I got off the plane to Memaw is sick.Then she got pretty much better and is still getting well.Took a while for her to get sick,and it will take a while for her to get better.THen the Sunday before Thanksgiving Neils Grandad got admitted into the hospital.And he never came home.He passed away Thanksgiving day.He had been sick off and on for a while,so it was pretty expected.Grandad and I had had several talks about him passing,so I had a peace about it.His brothers came from Alabama,whom most of us had never met.They were so nice!and they felt kinda wierd being the only 2 left of the clan their parents had begun all those years ago.No time like a family reunion like a funeral.Welp,him passing messed up plans for Neil to meet my own grandmother,my moms mom.I call her edith.SHe lives in South MS and had come up the day after thanksgiving to see our family who lives in North Ms.Grandads funeral was sad and dreary,but it it was what he would have wanted.A simple graveside service and him buried in his overalls.Ive never touvhed a dead person before,but I did him.I patted his chest,and i fixed some pokey hairs and i said goodbye to a wonderful man.Neil and his brother sang Ill Fly away at the funeral and it put everyones spirits up.His friends came,Neils,and they were there for him like Ive never seen before.THey dont know how much I personally appreciated them for being there at some fo his darkest hours.
So after being gone from home for 5 days,I called Memaw and said,We're finally going home.Yay.wrong.She asked me had I spoken to anyone in my family,as in my mom or Edith.I said No.She told me Ediths husband had died.She was in North Ms when it happend and thankfully he went to sleep and went to God.So off to South Ms Neil and I went.He was finally going to meet MY extended family on Moms side.Not the way I had it planned,but thats what happend.I reconnected with my first cousin,who after all this time still greives for our Pap.To date his 1998 death has beent he hardest for me to accept and move on from.Jake is named for him.I told my,now 18,year old cousin that I hoped the next itme we saw each other was not under these circumstances.It was nice for Neil to meet everyone.I was suprised when he offred to go with me,as I didnt think hed be able to get off work,yet more time,and emotionally handle it.But he did,and I think this has brought us closer together.
We've been home a week now and my house still looks like a tornado.We'd been invaded by bugs before we left and tried all the home stuff to get rid of them.Combat didnt work,so we had to call a bug inspector,as jake calls it.So I had to take all my dishes out of my cabinets,and part of the stuff out of my pantry.Its still in various piles around my house.Tomorrow is Jakes birthday party and Im overhwelmed about all the shit i have to do to get my house in order.Not only did we come home to bugs,but Neil got a horrible stomach virus on our Vicksburg trip.Him and most of my extended family too.So he had to miss another day of work.blah!
I dont want to sound like I cant cope.In fact,I think all this stress has caused me to go into mania a bit.Im not sleeping and my brain is running 90 to nothing.
THis too shall pass,and I know God is in control and He will get us through Christmas.Which will be small and practical around here,as Im sure it will be everywhere else.

HomeMade dishwasher detergent and fabric softener

In my domestic godess quest there have been trials and errors.But I think I finally have homemade dishwasher detergent right.As in Ive used it and we aint sick.I had to tweak the recipe a bit,and finally got streak free dishes for mere pennies.Yay for me today.Neil is proud too.
ingredients:
2 packs of lemon Kooliade {i use the dollar General cheap stuff}
1 cup borax
1 cup washing soda
2 drops essential oil.your choice{i used clove oil this batch since its the holidays}

In a bowl mix borax and washing soda.Combine well.
Add kooliade,stir well again.
then add 2-3 drops essential oil.
mix,then I put it into an airtight small tub,from yet again the dollar store.
Use 1/2 -1 tablespoon in the first comaprtment and 1 tablespoon in the bigger one.
* Be sure to use plain ole white vinegar in your jet dry dispenser.

This has worked great for us. I kept having trouble with streaks before I added the koolaide.When I googled it,someone suggested citric acid.and that koolaide would work in a pinch.Dont use any other flavor,unless you use that invisable stuff they have.and also,the vinegar not only saves money,but gives you a streak free shine too.

Hoemade fabirc softener is about the easiest first step you can make when trying to go greener and save money.
1/4-1/2 cup baking soda
1/2 cup white vinegar.
Thats it.
when adding detergent,{I use liquid},fill your cup up to the 2 line add to washer,then add baking soda.
then either fill your dispenser or downy ball just to the line.
Your clothes will NOT SMELL LIKE PICKLES
and thats it.
Im highly sensative to commerical brands.About the only one who does not break me out in hives is the Walamart liquid kind,and only then a particular scent,which in the store I never could rememeber.
So there ya have it.easy ways to help your home go greener and save money.