The Old Folks Home

[getaclue]

the schools are shutting here now. The fall out will be huge unless they can sort alternative child care pronto. Many working adults have kids, and one or both of them will need to stay home to look after them. Poor kids who get free school meals might now go hungry. And kids from chaotic homes will lose the stability and relative tranquility schools offer.

After the normal spring break, the schools here will have grab & go breakfasts, and lunches for the kids that get free school meals. They are even considering having the bus drivers take the meals to the bus stops, since the gas budget has already been allotted, and distributing the food that way.

I know we pay the emergency fund, but there are too many that really need it right now. Going 2 or more weeks without income, while trying to keep groceries supplied, and keep the lights on, will be really difficult for quite a few people. Most live paycheck to paycheck.

 

[pennyJo1960]

I know the guy sitting there cares not a lick for anyone making minimum wage

 

[getaclue]

I took the new HP all-in-one back. HP has an eco program on their machines. Not only does it go into sleep mode (which would be fine), BUT it has an auto shut off as well. The max it will stay on is 8 hours. There are no settings for the user to disable any of the eco programs. When you plug in a landline, it is to automatically turn off the auto shut off. Well, it doesn't shut off, but you can't get it to wake up out of sleep mode, past the shut off time, either. It locks up. Every few hours, you have to manually shut it off, and restart it. When it shuts off, EVERYTHING shuts down. Fax machine, and all. I thought maybe I was the one that was too stupid to get it set up correctly. HP techs couldn't do it either. Finally, they told me it's a known issue, and it probably would not meet my expectations. Whether I decided to return it to the place of purchase, or not, was entirely up to me.

I now have a Brother MFC-L3770CDW. The eco mode can be turned off by the user, it stays on continuously, although it does go into sleep mode. I keep checking to make sure it wakes up. So far, it does. I'll give it a rest for a few hours, and check again.

 

[microchick]

We just had our first virus related death in Missouri.

I am so glad we are living in the sticks!

 

[bruceha2000]

Wow... with all of the crazy... I am surprised the airports are open

Well I'm glad they are!!!! I don't know how many other people are trying to get home but I'll bet there aren't many trying to leave home. Flight from LGB to JFK was maybe 15% full. Waiting now for the flight to BTV.

I here politicians of all stripes talking about the stimulus money they are going to be handing out. Where is that going to come from ?

Income taxes!! Oh, wait, that could be a problem. Heard on the radio the head of the Fed said the unemployment rate might go to 20%!

 

[CapricornFarm]

Good morning all. we are fine here at the stockade...that's what it feels like right now, anyway and we are glad to have property far enough from civilization that we can isolate without difficulty. Our spring allergies are giving us fits and I'm avoiding contact even on the radio unless it's an emergency as I'm sure if I cough, clear my throat and sound hoarse somebody is going to be calling the health dept on me for real.

I went on line this morning and hit all my favorite stock up haunts. Scary amazing how everything is sold out.

I just told DH that all we have to do is hang in there for spring to hit in earnest. I'm a forager. I have my survival book on what you can eat from gleaning your back yard and fields/woods and the possibilities are endless. You just have to be super careful and identify what you find with pictures and discriptions.

For instance, plantain is a great medicinal plant for minor cuts, rashes, insect bites, etc. You can make a poultice out of it or simply chew it into a pulp and put it on the bite or cut to ease pain and protect from infection. Yeah, I know, chew is kinda gross but.....plantain is also delicious in a salad using the tender new leaves or you can cook it like a green.

The big question for the morning around here is "do we need to up security for our chickens?"

Has anyone started to lock up their birds?

Not yet, but I think we should lock the gate at night. Padlocks add up fast, and it would make chores take longer.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Cute! Did they try to eat the flower?

No, when I set them down they just sat there!

 

[CapricornFarm]

I here politicians of all stripes talking about the stimulus money they are going to be handing out. Where is that going to come from ?

Exactly.

 

[pennyJo1960]

We have had two vehicles we do not know going slow young kids certain in the one
think from the sounds of rap coming out of the other they did not want me getting their car license number either glad we have the dogs

 

[CapricornFarm]

Yeah, people are terrified of our Shepherd. She barks loud.