Feather your Nest Friday, 3rd December. 2021.

It is December and also the start of summer for us.   It was a good and busy week.

In all this time our community and local towns have never had a case of Covid.   So we have been very lucky.  But this week the states opened up and within a couple days all of our towns were listed as "exposure sites" ie someone had stopped at the road house, hotel, supermarket... presumably that later tested positive.  And so just like that things changed.  I figured it won't be long and there will be local cases.

We do all the preventative things.  Now I decided maybe I need to do some things to be ready in case any of us do get sick.  Amongst Bluebirds, friends and bloggers I follow I did a bit of a survey and information gathering.  We already know that Zinc and vitamin D are two things we can do in our favour.  I already added an oximeter to our medical cabinet along with cough expectorants and so on and so forth.  

Everyone largely told me the same things.  It is rather helpful that some of my good friends already had covid go through their households.  Who better to ask?   I got the same answers over and over.  They were to have everything you need for a few weeks on hand.  Have good healthy meals in the freezer and lots and lots of nourishing soup and drinks.  I got a lot of medical tips too.

I feel much better with a plan.  I decided to review how we shop and deal with everything that comes into the house.  Packaged stuff that can sit out in the sun does so.  Everything else is wiped over or washed.

So... in town I bought myself a turkey.  I stocked up on fruit juices and lemonade.   Then I spent Tuesday cooking veggies in the air frier and oven and cooked the turkey that evening.   This gave us a pretty splendid dinner!   After dinner I plated up another roast dinner for us.  This gave me Thursday night off.   A big dinner for Chloe and Luke.  That gave Chloe the night off.   Then I plated up roast dinners to freeze.

I got these lovely containers from Kmart.  You can use them over and over.  I like them as they stack nicely in the freezer.




I also had cold meat to make up a bunch of rolls which I also froze.

The next night I used turkey meat to make wraps.

Then the turkey went into my biggest pot to make stock.  The next day I started a good Chicken antibiotic soup... only with turkey! 

I am really happy with the soup.  Loads of garlic, onion, bay leaf and germ busters and it tastes just beautiful.   So happy with it.   Now it is in the freezer in 2 serves per container.


I had half a celery left over so I chopped and froze that for future soup also.


The leaves are the best bit. Nothing makes stock like celery leaves.

I blanched carrots to freeze.



Mum came over so I made her some GF scones and sent most of them home with her.


I have some guys staying in the cabin.   They are so nice.  They arrived with two boxes of veggies for me and came to the door earlier with deer meat and meat for the dogs.   Win/win situation! 


I have portioned the meat for the dogs and frozen batches.   

I invested in some Ball Canning jars... with one eye on the pears and apples coming on.

So really it was a week of food and cooking.  I am glad to have good meals and soup added to the freezer though.  If your family has been through Covid feel free to add your advice.  

How did you build up your home,  add to your pantry,  garden etc this week?   These weeks leading up to Christmas are always busy.  But it is really starting to feel a lot like Christmas and I am setting off to get my tree.  I want fairy lights so that in the night it feels magical to walk through the house.    It has been a year of challenges for everyone... the magic of Christmas is just what we need.   So lets think of some extra ways to spend joy to the world. xxx




Comments

  1. All your cooking sounds so good. How nice of the guys to bring all that food for your family. It is just mind blowing to me that there had not been any virus in your areas. Hopefully all clears soon,
    Have a lovely weekend.

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    1. Thank you Cheryl. I am working through the food we were given its been just beautiful. We are pretty much at the bottom of the world here. Stuff takes a long time to reach us. But it looks upon us now. Still, we are out in the open fresh air and very blessed.xxx

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  2. Annabel you really are getting your family well stocked for any disasters. This week I purchased some fowlers vacola jars. I have my eye on the mangoes and lychees that are coming on.
    The kids household goods and furniture arrived at 6am this morning. They have been busy getting everything sorted so that it all fits in our shed. I stayed in the house with the little girls and kept them busy and out of their parents hair. I must have done OK as both of them ended up sound asleep for a couple of hours. The only problem was that they didnt have their sleeps at the same time.
    The tree went up on Wednesday. The little girls had so much fun decorating it. Today they added more when their Mum found their Christmas decorations box. Tilly is keeping a countdown of sleeps until Christmas. She has a little Santa blackboard that she is writing the number on. It is all very exciting.
    Katie and I are a bit late with our Christmas Pudding making this year. We have set days for next week to get this done. I will make mine on Tuesday and she will come over for making hers on Thursday.
    Our State opens in a couple of weeks. I can see Covid making itself known around Christmas and New Year. We have plenty of food ready to go if things get rough. Stay safe
    Life is good,

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    1. Dear Jane, The day we put up the Christmas tree was so exciting when I was little. Just the best! Good that the furniture and household goods all arrived safely.
      Enjoy pudding making with Katie tomorrow. I remember when you did this last year. You have a lot to celebrate this year! With love Annabel.xxx

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  3. Dear Annabel,
    To me there is nothing more delicious than a turkey dinner and the bone broth made from the leftovers. Hopefully you won't need them for any illness but will enjoy them in good health. It has been a busy few weeks here as well with cooking and food preparation. Although it's winter here I still have sweet potatoes curing that will need to be stored very soon and butternut squash to be frozen. I also added to my medical supplies by purchasing the face shields that medical personnel wear for extra protection for us when we have doctor's appointments. In our state it is being suggested that you not be indoors with anyone who you are not living with as a precaution to a surge in the virus and the new variant. Signs have gone back up at the entrance to stores and other public places that a mask must be worn regardless of vaccination status.

    After Thanksgiving I added 5 turkey meals and 3 quarts of bone broth to the freezer pantry, as well as many packages of frozen vegetables. I baked two Impossible Pumpkin Pies for the freezer. i baked JES's Autumn crazy cake in mini loaf pans and was able to have 3 mini loaves from one recipe which got frozen and will be used for giving. I also baked several apple crisps for the freezer.
    I started making our Christmas cards earlier this week. Wishing you and all the Bluebirds and good week ahead. Blessings, Cookie

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    1. Dear Cookie,
      I have never grown sweet potatoes, I would love to try. We are doing the same things with the turkey meals! You added heaps to the freezer and everything sounds delicious.
      Thanks for the info on your state. I am glad you are well prepared and well stocked up and pray you stay well! With much love Annabel.xxx

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  4. You have had a spectacular week with making pre-made meals for your freezer, pull out and heat, so good to have when one is ill or one is busy.
    Love the produce you received, it all looks so fresh.

    I added to my pantry this week, we spent way over our average at Aldi and definitely at our grocery store. Price have gone up on everything, I keep trying to fight the acceleration in cost by buying sale items and adding coupons, by checking all clearance areas in store, we only buy marked down meats, marked down bakery, and I always check mark down grocery, but it is far and few between now.
    We did splurge this week and purchased 2 bottles of 50.9 oz bottles of olive oil for the pantry, it was on sale for buy/get and I had 2, $1 coupons. Even though we had some, it made sense to purchase at the price.
    I worked on Christmas cards and sent off all except a few family ones I have to add a letter in. A big accomplishment for me. I cleaned our family room in expectation of the Christmas tree being set up. It felt like more than Fall cleaning.
    So little by little we are preparing for the Christmas Season and adding little by little to our pantry when we can. We did splurge and purchased specialty crackers, peppers and cheese for Christmas Dinner. If we buy a little each week it won't hurt our budget as badly.
    Prayers for all Bluebirds!

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    1. Dear Rubies, Yes it seems the price rises are world wide... in groceries and fuel also.
      It does mean we need to use all the tactics we have! Slice oil here is around $8 a bottle upwards. I watch for the half price specials.
      You are getting there with the Christmas preparations and it is exciting! As you say if we do a bit each week it spreads out the cost too. Hope your week is going well, with love Annabel.xxx

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  5. We have had Covid and many friends have had it and I have treated them. Lavender essential oil on the bottoms of the feet will kill it just like it does the common cold since they re both a coronavirus. The absolute key to getting better seems to be to drink enough water to flush the dead virus out of the body. You also have to move and not just lay around. The lymph system has to work in order to get rid of it and it will not do it's job if you are laying in bed. Close friends had it a few months ago and I went over and worked with them and finally just told them to drink three gallons of water each and that was the key to them getting better. Interestingly their little girls who are 2 and 3 did not get it and never even had so much as a runny nose even though they were all in contact all day long every day. It also proved that my immunity is indeed very strong from having it myself since I did not catch it from them.

    Your week with the turkey sounds just like Thanksgiving week here! That is beautiful produce in those boxes! What a blessing. Grocery prices continue to rise here. Aldi seemed to be holding their prices down but all of the sudden they are way up. I am considering increasing my grocery budget even though I would really like the money to go to other things. It seems that I may not have a choice since more was needed in November than I have spent in a month in many years. I am rethinking some items that I used to buy like a cheese spread that I like to have around for holidays. It is $5 at the grocery store but I looked online and found a recipe for it and it will be about $1.50 to make my own and I am sure it will taste better. Likewise with hummus. So inexpensive to make at home and pricey in the stores. These kinds of changes will save me a lot of money. I used to make theses things from scratch but one by one they crept into my grocery cart and I took the easy way out. Time to go back to basics. I see so many in the stores purchasing items like muffins that can be made for pennies in comparison to buying them. Making these things ourselves will likely be the best way to hold down the grocery budget.

    Have a great first summer weekend!

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    1. Dear Lana,
      I had heard about the advice to keep moving- even a little walk or sitting outside on the porch to take in fresh air and get some vitD. I had not heard about Lavender though. I do put a few drops in my bath. Would you apply the Lavender neat to the feet? And how many drops?
      I have high vit C and zinc lozenges in the cupboard along with the usual cough and sore throat medicines and paracetamol.
      Blessings, Heidi x

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    2. Yes, apply the Lavender neat. Do five drops between your two feet and then put on socks to keep the oil warm and absorbing into the body. Apply it three times a day for three days. Drink lots and lots of water during that time and for a few days after. For a common cold one dose of Lavender is all you need.

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    3. Obviously not Lana, but when she told me the same a few weeks ago while I had a cold, I did apply it neat to my feet and my cold symptoms decreased considerably within two applications (evening and morning). When my grandson who is 2 got sick the next week, I tried same on him. Lana suggested 3 drops in a carrier oil put and then apply a little to a toddler's feet. But I'm sure Lana will reply to you with far better info than I've given. I've learned to just pay attention and ask questions whenever she gives me essential oil advice because it always works!

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    4. Dear Lana, Firstly admiration how you helped your friends and risked yourself! You have taught me so much about oils. I did not know this!! What information! I have good essential oil lavender on hand, more than one brand. I understand how the bottoms of the feet seems to be amazing and will use Germ Fighter or Plague Defence on my feet before bed. But I didnt know about Lavender! I agree about going back to basics from which we can make many things. Our grocery prices are the same... short on many things but all gone up and keep on doing so. Thank you so much for this information it is something I can do and I didnt know at all! With love Annabel.xxx

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    5. Thank you all for your kind words.

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  6. Our family is on round two of COVID. We have not had any hospitalizations. It has been a lot of fatigue, coughing and headaches. Oh and the loss of taste and smell! I could only taste salt for two weeks and trying to eat meat turned my stomach. I tried Gatorade and had to spit it out it tasted so bad. No one has been hungry so meals have been simple, toast, cheese and crackers, cereal etc. nobody really wanting meals as everyone’s taste has been messed up. Good luck to you!

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    1. Dear Just Got to Eat,
      Thank you for your info. I think hearing it from someone who has been through it is the best guide. I hope you are all feeling better! Going through it twice is rough! Many thanks, Love Annabel.xxx

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  7. We used to get colds and the flu multiple times a year until we started taking a teaspoon of honey mixed with cinnamon every day,it really helps with allergies also.Just mix 1 cup of local unpasteurized honey with 1 heaping Tbsp. of cinnamon and keep in a container and take 1 Tsp. per day.

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    1. Thank you for this! I have farm honey and I like cinnamon so this will be easy for me. xxx

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  8. Great preparations Annabel!

    We had a friend come stay with us in May and a week after she got here she came down with Covid. It affected her lungs and upper respiratory, but it also hit her the hardest with vomiting and diarrhea. I cared for her for over 6 weeks as she was so, so sick. It took her months to fully recover.
    But none of us got sick, glory be to God. And there are six of us in our household besides her. I went through a couple hundred Lysol wipes during that time, especially in the bathroom as we all shared one bathroom.

    I think most importantly (apart from God's mercy) we took a regime of: Elemental Zinc 25mg, 5000 IU Vitamin D, 1000 mg Vitamin C, and Quercetin 500 mg all once per day. IF Quercetin is unavailable then use Epigallocatechin-gallate (EGCG) 1 time per day instead.

    You can read more about this protocol at vladimirzelenkomd.com.

    I don't think we could have been more exposed to Covid than this. It was aerosolized and spread everywhere by the acts of vomiting and flushing the toilet. BUT I was so diligent about wiping down every single surface multiple times a day with the Lysol wipes. I must have used 10-15 of them in the bathroom alone any time she went in there. The walls, the cabinet, the sink, handles, the door, the floor, and the entire toilet. Inside and out.

    My friend is 62 and came through it. I am the poster child for "high-risk", but I also believe that God's grace is sufficient for me. He is so faithful, and I trusted that He brought her here for us to care for her.

    Covid is so bad because the things that fight it are being hidden. But there are many things that do work to fight it.

    Blessings!
    Colleen

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    1. We follow Dr. Z protocol as well. None of us have gotten Covid, despite being around people with it. My daughter did the Covid Testing at her Clinic. She is the only person in her facility that has not got Covid. None of us are vaccinated.

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    2. Dear Colleen, You are a wonderful friend how you looked after your guest and it is amazing none of you got it. Thank you so much for this information! I have already ordered Quercetin and I have everything else. I will go to the website. I know here also the things that are effective are either banned or not spoken of. mmm
      Thank you so much! Love Annabel.xxx

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  9. Dear Annabel,
    How fortunate you have been to have no had a local case of Covid. I have been wiping groceries with Lysol wipes since early spring of 2020. Certain things like that are just second nature and a part of life now. Masks have been a part of home decor in that at least two or three disposable one hang from the inside deadlock on my front door and garage door at all points in time. A container of Lysol wipes sits in each car and one on the corner of the front porch. I can attest that Cold-EEZE does knock down a common cold in a day or two for me, so I have many packages on hand and take one daily as a precaution, also Vitamin D and C.
    At the grocery I always have a list by store aisle order and race through. i also use self check out so I can decide what goes into each bag and to avoid one more person touching my stuff.
    Those containers from KMart are nice. Pre-made meals are so helpful. I lucky have a good supply on canning jars as I always have used them for storage/freezing and buy them whenever they were on sale.
    Fairy lights sound wonderful;. I think they are basically the same, but I have white rice lights that are at least 12 years old they I can program to glow slowly off and on or twinkle etc. There not LED because they are too old.
    Since you mentioned your air fryer, may I ask what brand you purchased and I assume you really like it? That is something I would like to have as a healthier way to make donuts etc that my family loves, but I don't want to make with all that deep frying. I usually make the baked versions of donuts and french fries.Thank you. Blessings, Laura

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    1. Dear Laura, Thank you for telling me about Cold-EEZE.
      I first had an air frier from Kmart as a try. Everyone was raving about them. Well I completely loved it. Best chips, best roasts, dont get me started on the pork belly. And saves oven cleaning and also running the oven and heat up time. I used it almost daily for a couple of years. Now I wanted bigger to be able to do bigger roasts so I ordered one that looks more like a mini oven with a door. It is from Kogan. I am just getting the hang of it as it is quite different but Im loving it. I havent even had a deep fryer and dont deep fry anything to compare but it really makes things crisp and good.
      Hope your week is going well! With love Annabel.xxx

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  10. Dear Annabel, I found your post comforting and inspiring. I get the same feeling looking at a pile of wood or a stack of hay bales! It's that prepared feeling isn't it. I've had an upside down week with DD coming down with a cold. After a negative covid test she will hopefully be back to school Monday. I too have been listening and learning off others as to what would be useful to have in the medicine cabinet. Quite a few things came in handy this week with DDs cold. I did manage to continue working on my pile of dish cloths and got another 46 done. I wrap two at a time into the shape of bon bons for everyone at Christmas, I put them in a big basket and they choose one, they like it because it is a lucky dip type idea, you don't know what pattern you will get. I think your idea about making Christmas Magical is a good and important one. Prior to this year I had been downsizing our Christmas decorations. We hadn't had lights in the tree for a few years since the ones that came with it died. We bought a string of coloured lights last season. This year our tree went up early with the lights and I must say I have really enjoyed having the lights on the tree and have found it comforting to have them twinkling away. So full of inspiration from todays post I am off into the garden to pull up some carrots to blanch and freeze. Thankyou, love Clare

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    1. Dear Clare, We are the same! I love a woodpile, a stack of hay, jars of food on shelves... all beautiful to me!
      46 dish cloths!! Well done! They are so nice and useful! It is awesome o be producing something.
      I do think Christmas lights give that magical feeling. Especially if you are up late or in the night walk out and it is like a beautiful moment to see them. It is great you have carrots to harvest! I have some too, not very big though but my best success so far!
      I hope you have a good new week and also that M is much better! With love Annabel.xxx

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  11. All your food looks so delicious and it's great to stock up in your freezer like that.
    I hope you never get Covid and you stay safe and well. Sounds like you have a great start with the vitamins.
    I heard that they have Covid Camps in Australia..is that so? I'm not so sure I can believe that.
    I thought I would ask you and you would straighten it out for me.

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    1. Dear Vickie,
      Thank you! Well this is hard to answer. In the Northern Territory they have a quarantine camp. In Queensland they have built a camp... presumably for quarantine. If what we have seen it looks like a prison... it certainly would be impossible to escape from... like a hardcore prison. Yes this scares me. In another state they have changed the laws so indeed people can be arrested and jailed for anything really because the laws are completely outside the constitution. This is very scary. We certainly have lost our freedoms. I would not have believed it. So that is as much as I know right now. It isn't looking good in my opinion. With love Annabel.xxx

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    2. Funny. I'm in favour of the camps. When you look at how many people died in the US and UK, as well as in other parts of the world, the closed borders and the quarantine times are what has kept we Aussies safe so far.
      If we'd had proper quarantine camps instead of relying on hotel quarantine, we'd probably still be largely covid-free. I think the Northern Territory needs the camp up there - they have such a vulnerable population.

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    3. Oh my Annabelle, I just couldn't believe it when I watched on YouTube. That's very scary indeed. Praying for us all.

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  12. Dear Annabel and beautiful Bluebirds!!

    There is helpful information online via Dr Ardis. Simply put, one effective medicine is made from a wormwood plant; another is made from the skins of fruits; and people can be very much helped with apple pectin powder. ...... I have been enjoying real juices from a roadside stall! My new favourite is apple, ginger and turmeric!

    May we all walk with the Almighty and, through His atonement for us all, may no weapon formed against us prosper!!!!!


    Rachel

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    1. Dear Rachel, I like Dr Ardis! Your road side stalls sound beautiful. Keep some of that juice on hand. And Amen to that! With love Annabel.xxx

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  13. I assume you are all vaccinated, as that is the best preparation. Agree with others here, with any virus lots of water and other liquids like soup.
    Jane

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    1. Hi Jane, Im noticing the countries with his vaccination rates like Israel and Uk arent doing better they seem to be doing worse. So I am not sure how this is going to pan out. Also if the shots are only effective for a few months it means a life of continuous boosters. Im not sure I will go down that road. A lot to think on. And then we have friends who nearly died from the vax itself. There seems to be some good results from anti virals coming in and that really gives me hope. It seems girls like us who are always in the sunshine gardening have an edge with good vitamin D! I think of this everyday as I work outside. My soup tastes so good, I will make another kind next week. Love Annabel.xxx

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  14. Lovely meals! Thank you, Annabel, I am so inspired to do the same. Also I am so thankful to all you Bluebirds who have shared their remedies. My best friend has Covid right now, I will pass this info. on to her.
    My week has been full of making lots of broth. Both ham and turkey. I freeze most of my broth and store one quart in the fridge. So handy for rice, pasta, noodles, and soup. Catching up on my regular bread baking as I type this. My husband and I have saved $$ by shopping thrift stores and sales for our children's Christmas gifts. So blessed to be able to do this.

    Blessings to you all!

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    1. Dear Leslie,
      Thank you! Everyone has shared such useful info. Overall it is very positive. I hope your friend is doing ok.
      Good job on the broth! Very good to have. Many uses as you say, its a lot of extra flour and nutrition.
      Also good job on the thrift shopping! I find so many new or as new things and it just amazes me! I am glad you have done so well with it! With love Annabel.xxx

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  15. I had an upset tummy this week, a very rare occurrence for me but it made me aware that something like adult diapers might be good to have to keep yourself and surroundings clean if you are very ill.

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    1. Dear Diana, I hope you are feeling better. I also think of how lots of spare towels and linen are important. Lots of people want minimal supplies but when there is sickness in the house we can go through so many sheets and towels! Many thanks, Annabel.xxx

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  16. Dear Annabel,
    The protocol below is called the Zelenko Covid-19 Prophylaxis Protocol. Many people have used this and gotten over Covid safely.
    Vitamin D3 5,000 IU one time per day
    Vitamin C 1000 mg one time per day
    Zinc 25 mg one time per day
    Quercetin 500 mg one time per day
    Drink lots of water and walk around your home as much as coughing or fatigue allows.
    Be aware that Covid can cause blood clots. My daughter has a history of blood clots and now has another from Covid. One of my friends ended up with several blood clots in her lungs after getting C.
    All of your cooking looks amazing. I love the celery leaves in soup, also. You had a very productive week, my friend.
    With love,
    Glenda

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    1. Dear Glenda,
      Thank you very much for this. I ordered the Quercetin and it has arrived. Previous to Covid I had not heard of it. So now I have everything on the list.
      Thank you for the info. I feel better when I am armed with info and an action plan! With much love, Annabel.xxx

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    2. Be very careful taking quercetin if you are on Warfarin - it will interact badly (I work for cardiothoracic doctors!) The information on places like the UK and Israel with vaccinations is interesting because while they started vaccinating early they haven't got higher than 70% vax rates. Israel also has a high population of children (nearly 28%) under the age of 12 so were unable to be vaccinated. Don't believe all the "stats" you read!

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  17. I read about earthclinic.com in a reply to you some months back. I have found it to have valuable information on helping with Covid symptoms. I have personally taken Vitamin C, D, And Zinc everyday since this virus started. My niece is a travel nurse that has been caring for Covid Patients since the virus appeared and suggested these vitamins. they are part of many US hospital protocols. I also used the Melatonin 10mg protocol discussed on the Earth Clinic website, along with Mucinex Expectorant to treat my sister at home a few months back. The Melatonin protocol is used by a Texas doctor and used in the Philippines with success.

    Your site is a blessing to many. Thank you for the light you bring to the world each week.

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    1. I cooked a turkey on Thanksgiving thinking we might need it for our visitors if nothing else. It never got touched, so the whole turkey was broken down into breast meat/thigh meat/legs and wings/ frame. On Sunday I had an unexpected day to work in my kitchen (no babysitting required) and I made three casseroles and a turkey pot pie from the breast meat as well as supper for myself and John, and gave Katie enough for three. John and I had already eaten sandwiches from it twice. On Tuesday I put the wings and legs/frame on to cook slowly all night with all the veggie ends I'd been saving (celery end and leaves, onion and carrot tops and tails). I made a big pan of turkey rice soup on Wednesday and put up 8 quarts of broth and picked off 6 cups of meat. I put two cups in the rice soup and the rest into 2 cup packets for the freezer. I still have the meat of the two thighs to use.
      On Thursday we took a gifted sum of money we were given and purchased meats to fill or freezer. John and I chose to buy the same things we'd buy ourselves usually, didn't go for splurge cuts. I counted up 42 meal packets of meat when I separated and put in the freezer.
      The one thing I'd really wanted was steaks but I said "No, this is the better way to go."

      I had grain mites (my first time ever) in some flour in my pantry. Thankfully I seal it separately in a hermetically sealed bin and it was all contained to just that flour. I dumped it outdoors in the trash and cleaned the bin well. I'd just gotten my gamma seal lids for my new buckets which is why I discovered the grain mites in the first place.

      When I was doing the big shop for meats, I forgot to buy flour which I'd meant to get as well, so we went over to the next town to buy enough to carry me until I can buy in bulk once more. I always walk over a store whenever I'm shopping looking to see if they have sales or clearance items that will go in my pantry. I happened to go by the meat case and though they were not on sale they had big beef steaks that weighed two pounds each, cut very thick. I haven't seen meat like that in YEARS. Shockingly the price per pound was less than the chicken wings I'd priced the day before and put back and each steak cost less than any other meat in the case. I picked up two of them. They will serve 4-8 persons I think each so it is a nice splurge meal to have on hand.

      I stocked up on medications at the beginning of the year, going by what doctors were recommending I bought expectorant, decongestant, pain relievers and vitamins in bulk then. I need tissues and spray and wipes though so I'll add those to my list to be bought shortly.

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    2. Dear Anon, I am sorry I dont know your name but thank you so much. I think the insider info of what the nurses know is valuable thank you!

      Dear Terri, Wow you did so much with that Turkey. It was really handy getting a free day to do it too. Well you put it to good use!
      I always check out the whole store too including the freezer department! You had a great find with the steaks.
      I stocked up on expectorant as that was something I lacked. You had a very productive week! With love Annabel.xxx

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  18. I’m surprised that you’ve not had COVID vases there yet. Hopefully you all will be able to avoid catching it. We do all the things that you mentioned. One of the teachers here feeds her students pumpkin seeds as they are high in zinc. Stay safe.

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    1. Dear Belinda, Thank you. The cities have had cases but never any of the towns down here. It had to happen sometime. Yes Zinc is good for sure that is a kind teacher! With love Annabel.xxx

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  19. Annabelle, I’ve been following your blog for years, and it has always been a source of great help, comfort, encouragement, and guidance, especially over the past two years. I think I found Laine’s Letters through you, and I have that bookmarked in the way back machine and reread her article as well. Anyhow, somehow I didn’t realize you haven’t had Covid cases near you yet. This post made me realize how “normal” the things you wrote about today have become where I live in the US...the Covid cases are everywhere near us now and have been for some time. Wiping down groceries continues, as well as trying to keep stocked up on things. It all felt so incredibly stressful and overwhelming when it began, especially when everything was shut down the first time. I continued to check here at that time and most, if not all, of my preparedness during the pandemic came from you and your readers. I’m so thankful! Your blog is a place I can find encouragement and rest, and you have always given advice that shows me how to take steps forward to be and stay prepared. I can’t tell you how much this blesses me and consequently my family. I enjoy your pictures and I’m encouraged by your productivity. Reading your blog each Friday or Saturday is a treat and something I look forward to each week! We’ve never met and aren’t likely to, but my husband tells people I have a friend in Australia. Praying for you and your family. Marie

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    1. Marie thank you for telling me this. You do have a friend in Australia! I am so glad you have been prepared and well stocked up. Well we are very far south... things take a long time to get here. If you loo at the world map Australia looks so far south. We are south east in South Australia. So pretty much we are at the bottom of the world!
      When my girls were little I looked forward to a letter from Laine so much. I felt encouraged and energised after reading her letter. And I learned so much. I can truly say she made a difference to all our lives. I am not comparing myself to Laine but I did learn that the ordinary things, the care of children and building up our home are so important and there arent always many voices tell us so. There is so much we can do that Maes a big difference in the lives of our families and others too. I really appreciate you commenting it made my day. With love Annabel.xxx

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  20. Living on my own I do worry about getting ill. I always try to have HM meals in the freezer plus thing like HM and canned soup and crackers plus juice and tea to keep my liquids up.

    I take vitamin D all year round as people in Canada (and other northern countries) do tend to have lower levels (I have been tested and am lower than recommended so the Vit. D is under doctor's orders). I also take Vit. C as I'm allergic to oranges and can't take grapefruit because it counter acts some med - plus I take some Zinc as it can't hurt. :-)

    Even though I live in a city that is almost at 90% fully vaccinated we still must wear masks in all public areas and transit, social distancing is still encouraged and other restrictions are in place. I follow all guidelines, wash my hands constantly and use Lysol on a regular basis.

    I will be eligible for my booster (third shot) on Dec. 15th and will feel better once that is sorted - between Covid, flu shots & pneumonia shots I'm beginning to feel a bit like a pin cushion! :-)

    Stay safe and well.

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    1. Dear Margie,
      It is good to be really prepared especially with living alone. It is great you already take the D, C and Zinc. We just need to keep as fit and healthy as we can. With love Annabel.xxx

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  21. I got Covid on Sept. 5th and my husband on Sept. 6th. I never had a fever but my husband did at night for a few nights. We coughed and were extremely tired. I lost my sense of taste for only one day and my sense of smell for 4 days (that was odd to not even be able to smell vinegar or anything!) A little achy at first like a light case of the flu or a heavier cold. I was over it in about 10 days but we stayed home for a month. My husband got better in about 2 weeks. Never lost his sense of smell or taste. My best advice would be to to sleep as much as you need to. Some days I took 2 naps. Drink fluids like hot water or tea or whatever makes you feel better. I was a tired on and off for a total of 6 weeks but after the first two weeks not to bad. Just listen to your body. Getting an oximeter is the way to go. Our O2 levels never fell below 92 and usually ran 95 to 100. Watch for big drops in O2. I practiced (and still do) deep breathing on and off during the day and when I was going to sleep or waking up. 10 - 15 times breathing in deep through your nose, hold it a few seconds and exhale through your mouth until you get all the air out you can. I think that helped my O2 levels to stay up. The biggest help was having everything here we needed so we didn't have to go anywhere for a month. My husband works online and he was able to continue to work with a little extra in rest periods. He is big on vitamins like zinc and Vit D and Vit C so we took those. I know some people get it worse but it really was easier than having the flu. Take care.

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    1. Dear Crystal, Thank you for sharing your experience. This is great advice and reassuring. It is sounding to me that those who take all the vitamins are doing better. You case is another.
      Thank you so much and Im glad you both came out of it so well. With love Annabel.xxx

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  22. Dear Annabel

    Well DD11 has now graduated from Primary School and is on her big day out today bowling and skating.
    Teachers and staff presents have been handed out. DD helped make a table runner and placemats for the teacher and placemats for the Chaplin which were greatly received and Principle, Deputy and 2 office staff were gifted gift vouchers for a local coffee shop as they often stop for a coffee or have it delivered to them.

    Tomorrow I will post the last few gifts that need to go and then a few more gifts to wrap except for our gifts.

    I am really looking forward to the school holidays and we will be sewing, a painting workshop booked in for DD next week, lots of board games.

    Annabel I have not really seen much news lately and hope that things have settled down for where you are. It would be terrifying. Our boarders are opening on Monday but we will be staying fairly well away from places again. I heard just a short time ago that the new strain has entered QLD so think we will literally have a "staycation" at our house. Jigsaw puzzles, movies, walk around to look at Christmas lights, coffee by the river as there is an expanse of this not to be near people, gardening and cooking.

    Love the containers for the frozen meals. I can not say I have seen in them in our local Kmart but things there do sell out very quickly. I may take a trip into town of Friday with DD to get some school supplies and go and have a look for these.

    Hope everyone is safe and well

    Take Care
    Aly

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    1. Dear Aly, Oh my goodness you are going to have a high school girl!
      And you have her sewing, these are beautiful presents and I can just imagine how pleased and impressed the teacher and Chaplin were. Your school holidays sound like they will be fantastic. It is great you have so many nice things to do at home.
      I mainly order from Kmart online and that is how I got the containers... they have a couple of variations. I like how they stack neatly in the freezer. The week is almost over once again! With love Annabel.xxx

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  23. We have had covid in our house and I am the only one who hasn’t had it! I got some anti bacterial spray (I usually use homemade cleaner but I thought covid might need something stronger). With each case in our house I have made it a twice daily routine to wipe over light switches, door knobs and so on. Thankfully no one in our home was poorly with it. I did make smoothie bags for the freezer so they could have a cool nourishing drink as they had lost their appetite. Thankfully they were not needed but I did put small hospital bags together just in case.

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    1. Dear Anon, You did well not to get sick! I am so glad everyone was ok. Thank you for sharing your experience and tips, I do appreciate that very much. With love Annabel.xxx

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    2. Anonymous

      Thank you for sharing this information with us. I also use homemade cleaners and often wondered if this would be enough if Covid was in the house.

      I wish you and your family all the very best

      Take Care
      Aly xxx

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