We Did It !

     We finally did something we have been needing to do for years! I have been wishing for a new cellar for years. The old one is probably 100 years old or close to it. Nice big roomy but the middle of the ceiling is sagging low. Pitiful I know but it worked for a hidy hole. First tornado that seemed to be heading this way this year and hubby had a fit. NO! NOT GOING DOWN IN THAT THING! I CAN'T GET DOWN IN IT OR OUT OF IT WHEN IT'S TIME ! Very adamant for sure. I laughed and told him he could butt bump down the steps like kids do on stairs. When it came time we could tow him out with the tractor ! He didn't think that was funny either. LOL Something about Parkinson's that just changes everything.
    So we found a above ground cellar called a safe room. https://www.biggsbackhoe.com/concrete-safe-room-2
We got the one with Pitched roof with floor and decorative stamping  7’ x 9’ that was $6600 delivered and set up.
It is really nice. We had it put next to the cement on the driveway and all we have to do is step out of the garage and walk a few steps to get in it. Next year I hope we can find the money to put a carport covering to match the copper roof of the house that will cover it and the 2 trucks that don't fit in the garage that was built at a time before crew cabs. It will really be nice then! Won't even get wet going to the cellar!
     It was fun and amazing watching the kind of equipment it took to handle 24,000 lbs. of cement box!

    


They backed right up to my garlic / horseradish weed bed and could actually pick it up over the mess and place it where needed

  
You could tell they have done this a few 100 times! They made it look so easy!


One of the hydrolic levelers they used.
This is hard clay ground. It was under so much pressure it sunk down at least a foot to get everything balnaced good.

These are 32" long anchors. They screwed in 3 on the long sides and and 2 on the short sides. These aren't required for government FEMA rules but the company does it just because.


Look at this ! Just inches away from the cement and perfectly evenly spaced.
( I told them I'm one of those folks that straightens pictured when you walk into a room so even please)

    This is what it looks like inside. The vent on the lower door mice could get into so I cut some hardware with tiny squares in it so we could still get ventilation but no mice. There are also 2 vents on top. One is like those things that turn on top of a house. The cool part is it has staggered levels of metal inside so debris can't come in and hurt you.

    Hubby is having a good time making it comfy inside. I ordered indoor outdoor carpet and metal shelf for inside. We rounded up folding chairs and a old style sturdy card table for the inside. Will send pictures of that soon.
    I know it feels weird with a cellar above ground. This is FEMA tested and approved. The company has been in business long enough they can name at least 5 big tornadoes up to a F5 their safe rooms have not only been in but had direct hits and everything turned out great. I can't imagine the fun those folks went through! We are lucky enough we are in a area here with 100 year old houses still standing showing that generally speaking so far tornadoes have not touched down here.

Love
Ranchmama
 

Bad Teeth

  

    I would have shown you pictures of actual bad teeth but you would have lost your meal looking at them! They were really nasty!

5 medications that may be causing your teeth to decay
Bad teeth.. the Story
Other google searches
Osteoporosis
How to repair or improve your teeth
Nutrients Our GP Doctor told us to take
Results
What foods are highest in calcium?
A Guide to Calcium-Rich Foods

Bad teeth.. the Story
   I was speaking with someone recently and they were telling me some of the problems they were having with their teeth being cracked. As a person that had her share of bad teeth and abscess issues I know how not fun it can be and the other issues we may not even see bad teeth cause. For me I learned all this AFTER I got dentures so I figured I would put this info out there for anyone that also has problems.
   People think bad teeth are from not brushing or going to the dentist when needed or just eating too many sweets. Not necessarily. My husband brushed his teeth everyday. Had perfect teeth never had cavities even. One day he had a toothache but we couldn't see a problem. Went to the dentist and found he not only had a cavity that was unseen under the gums but also had several other places with the same issue! How in the heck can that happen?!  You know that old phrase you would hear about a persons age and how they are getting long in the tooth? That also goes along with that look of the long teeth when you see someone. It is the gums receding causing that look. Somehow bacteria gets under the gums an causes this. Evidently bacteria had gotten under the gums and was causing cavities! Where it comes from I don't know.
  Hubby gets his teeth cleaned every 4 months or so now and was told to use Listerine by the dentist because he felt like that was the best one for the job among all the other brands. Yucky stuff, takes my breath away! Sensodine toothpaste and Biotene (for dry mouth) twice a day Eventually he will lose some teeth but we will prolong that from happening. They have actually improved with the bone supplements he's using also!
    Another way you can have teeth problems is with some of these medicines folks are prescribed now days! Go to the doctor to get fixed up and you wind up damaging your teeth?! Yup happens all the time, one way or the other. There are many different meds and ways of actually damaging the teeth. Some happens sooner than others.

I would send the link but for some reason it didn't work
5 medications that may be causing your teeth to decay (medications that cause dry mouth also)

    Dry mouth. ...  ( my husband snored this may have been his problem)
    Antacids. ...
    Pain medications that may cause tooth decay. ...
    Antihistamines and decongestants. ...
    Blood pressure medication. ...
    Antidepressants. ...

Other google searches ....
Medications can cause gum problems such as inflammation, bleeding or ulceration. Diseased gums can lead to other dental problems, including tooth loss.

Now if you happen to know of someone that has a drug abuse problem ...
 Consumers of “meth” or “crystal meth” have decayed lateral teeth and wear in the gum areas
I can't help those folks so we will just talk about the everyday folks we come in contact with in the family.

Other than drugs our diet can make a big difference in the health of our teeth.
Those foods you eat that give you a acid feeling? Acid reflux can wear away the enamel on the inside surfaces of your teeth, as well as the chewing surfaces.

Osteoporosis --- isn't just a old lady thing. Men get it also. This is caused from lack of calcium in our diet mainly. I'm sure there are other reasons. I had them check my husband for osteoporosis because his mother had the problem also. Sure enough. His bones were actually brittle! You would never know by looking at him or me either for that reason. Some of those aches and pains we call old age are actually our bones not having enough of what it needs to stay healthy.
How does that have anything to do with teeth? One of the first places your body goes to retrieve calcium when it doesn't have enough for it's needs is your teeth. If you have bad teeth maybe it is being robbed of nutrients to help the rest of your body?
   I have researched peoples meds for them before to see what the different meds they were taking was depleting from their body. I was surprised to see how many different medicines depleted calcium from our bodies! So every time you take medicine to get well or to control a medical issue your also taking something away that is damaging something else. All those commercials on tv that talk about the side effects of their medicine they are advertising you don't hear about calcium loss or tooth decay I don't think.
How to repair or improve your teeth
     Well first start with the dentist to repair what you can. They can also tell you the best products to use when brushing. If you have meds you know that cause teeth problems it would be wonderful if your doctor could say don't take them of course but if nothing else ask the Dr. if there is something less damaging.

Nutrients Our GP Doctor told us to take
Vit D 5000 IU Daily
Calcium -- 400 - 500 mg daily
with Magnesium 200 mg daily
Boron 3 mg daily
Strontium 227 mg 2@ night (but not with calcium)
Vitamin K ---This one we can't do with blood clotting problems.
  Not everyone can take these nutrients. Talk to your dr. If your sensitive like me just add one at a time taking it for a week or so before adding another one. Watch out for upset tummy's, urination problems, etc. in general everyone is different an can be effected in different ways if sensitive.
    Check your other supplements to make sure your not doubling up and getting too much of something.
Results --- after a year my husband was retested for Osteoporosis and no longer has "brittle bones" but still needs building up and continuing these particular supplements.
    He was not a milk drinker before but he does daily now. A lot of women I know don't even like milk and never drink it. I know some folks say humans don't need cows milk but believe me if you can drink it that is the easiest way to get your calcium I know of.
   If your allergic to milk like me you can use a alternative like coconut milk or if you know what veggies to eat chow down on more of them.
What foods are highest in calcium?
The best sources of calcium are dairy products, including milk, yogurt, cheese, and calcium-fortified beverages such as almond and soy milk. Calcium is also found in dark-green leafy vegetables, dried peas and beans, fish with bones, and calcium-fortified juices and cereals.
A Guide to Calcium-Rich Foods
https://www.nof.org/patients/treatment/calciumvitamin-d/a-guide-to-calcium-rich-foods/
This gives you a list of detailed items with the calcium amounts to add into your diet.

Love
Ranchmama

I Love Easter

   

                

        Easter is a good holiday. Other than the religious significance to Christians it's a nice spring holiday. Not nearly as crazy as Christmas time with holiday decorating, shopping and budgeting!
    I remember growing up my mama always made sure I had a new Easter Dress. Do they even try to wear dresses any longer?  We would go to the different stores like walmart or Kmart or Pennys or Ben Franklin 5 and Dime, or down on Main street Van Buren ,Ar go to W.B. Smiths which was locally owned, not only shopping old school stores that are long gone now but also actually going to the stores and trying them on! I don't know how available funds were, I imagine it was tight on money but I would never know it. Mama just did it somehow.
   Many years we would have the whole family there with my maternal grandparents and aunts and uncles. I don't remember people actually bringing food to the dinner like you see people do now days but they would get in the kitchen and help get things together and out on the table. I imagine mama did all the cooking. She didn't really have recipes usually it was something she saw in Woman's Day Magazine or something maybe in the recipes folder in here memory bank she learned years ago. I remember one year in a great big 2 story house with 13 rooms 2 screened in porches and a attic and had at least 15 foot ceilings. This house is one of those old ones with the transom window you opened over the doors to let cool air in we had a great big dinner there.
   She would  get several tables together and use clean sheets for table cloths not necessarily all white or the same color either they may have been solid color or bright almost neon green and flowered sheets. Chairs were whatever you could find wherever you could find them. That year my Uncle Coy was there with his teenage kids from a blended family (back then we just said step kids) there were sleeping bags and people sleeping on couches all over the place! LOL You had to watch your step or trip trying to walk around! LOL
   We only had one working bathroom I believe, I don't remember if the one upstairs worked or not at the time. Once the sleeping bags were up someone assembled about 3 or 4 long tables together in that great big huge living room and we had a sit down dinner or lunch with with all kinds of food being passed around the table from person to person. If we were lucky we had it all together and all the food was going the same direction! LOL Every now and then you would have food going the other way around and crossing the table making it a mixed up mess as to who got what. Folks were refilling dishes and taking away the empty ones to make room on the table.
    I miss those days. Now days we have either run out of family or so scattered apart it's hard to do even without a plandemic going on.
    Now maybe you can see why I always look forward to holidays. They were always good!
    Fourth of July was good with fireworks and maybe not a big gathering but fun. My brother Terry raised all kinds of !!!@@# on that one. LOL
        Well anyway. If hubby feels good enough we will be going to Nikki's Aunts house for Easter. It is a shame people have to even think about masks or warning people that haven't had a shot about going. She said that about 70% of the family has their shots or at least the first one and said they won't be wearing masks. She knows we aren't doing the shots and wanted us to know if we are going to go that we may be taking our chances. We would like to go but will see how hubby feels. His Parkinson's is going haywire and we are having a devil of a time getting it lined out. As far as the virus goes we are both taking plaquenil like the president took and there have been a lot of doctors using it that not only has not lost a patient but many people didn't even get it. That doesn't mean you want to go jump into a crowd of people but your odds are better. For that matter they say if you have your shots they still want you to wear a mask and social distance which I am sure most people aren't doing even with the shots. Makes you wonder why you have to do all that still if the shots are supposed to work. I see now that 100 people with all their shots have gotten Covid. Oh well, we just keep plugging.
   It has been hard to get ANYTHING done around here with all the helping hubby up and down and getting shirts and coats on and even a trip to the ER last week. We are also finally getting a new above ground cellar and having to get a new a/c and heating unit estimates etc. but I did manage to get some baking done. I can actually relax and get way from craziness when I bake.
For those of your still cooking and baking and planning here is what I have going on or would like to get to and do.
 
Bunny Chow    ( this was fun and easy just couldn't find Easter candy colors around here !)
https://www.shugarysweets.com/bunny-chow/

Easter Fudge  ( This was a really good soft tasty fudge!)
https://www.shugarysweets.com/easter-fudge/

The Best Coconut Cake Recipe  ( Haven't tried this yet. I would like to try it as plain vanilla since I don't have a good recipe for that yet)
https://www.shugarysweets.com/coconut-cake/comment-page-5/#comments

Eggless Easter Sugar Cookie Cake ( This looks fun but don't know if I will have time to do. )
https://mommyshomecooking.com/eggless-easter-sugar-cookie-cake/

( I Haven't tried these eggs but it is a nice twist from plain ol )
Deviled Eggs | 3 Ways
https://kentrollins.com/deviled-eggs-3-ways/

Here it is on you tube if you want to watch instead of read
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmoQX8dSBZQ

***************************************
Pimiento Cheese & Bacon Deviled Egg Recipe
https://www.pauladeenmagazine.com/pimiento-cheese-bacon-deviled-farm-eggs/

Here it is on You tube if you want to watch instead of read.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0bguHPemp0