Mid-Month Frugal and Other Updates

 

      Jeff and I are missing our youngest grandbabies so much.  They recently got snow at their home in Utah and the kids were so excited!  They went out and made snowmen and played in the snow.  Josh said they were very happy little campers. :)  Chris and Heather invited us over for dinner last week and we had a wonderful time with them and the oldest grandboys.  We did try to get together with Jaysn, Rachel and Steven, but they were out of town at her cousin Doug's birthday.  Hopefully we will get to see them soon. 😊

     Jeff went up and closed out Helen's bank account and then headed up to Sandpoint to pay for her cremation.  His cousin very generously sent us a check to help with the expenses but we still spent over $1,000 out of our own pocket to cover her final expenses.  We will scatter her ashes up on the mountain where she wanted them.

   Jeff and I both got the crud making the rounds and are still recovering from it.  We both already had doctor's appointments scheduled for other reasons and luckily our lungs were clear.  Jeff had to get an x-ray on his knee and they found lots of arthritis there.  He now has another upcoming appointment with the orthopedist to see if he is going to need surgery since his knee has really been bothering him.  

   Now onto the frugal doings.  I am going to try to remember everything, but we all know how well my memory is.  LOL!

~I found more of the poinsettia garland at the thrift store and bought all that they had.  I also found some more Christmas decor including some old glass ornaments like I had on my childhood Christmas tree and 2 more bags of balls for Maggie.  Spoiled puppy!

~I am always on the lookout for more Christmas china.  I was so excited to find some of the Pottery Barn retired reindeer pattern dinner and salad plates.  I got the 4 salad plates for $1.99 each and the 4 dinner plates for $2.99.  

~Jeff found a pair of jeans on clearance at Walmart.  He needed a new pair for work.

~I made a huge pot of spaghetti sauce with the last of the tomatoes that had been ripening in our house.  I'm freezing it for future meals.

~Jeff and I went out to eat and we both brought home half of our lunch since the portions were so huge.  That made for 2 meals for each of us.

~Shannon was so sweet and brought us home a street taco kit from Costco on one of the days that Jeff was still feeling ill.  that made for 2 meals with leftover tortillas, salsa and cilantro lime dressing.

~I found some beautiful decorator Santa plates at. you guessed it, the thrift store for $1.99 each.  They are now hanging up in our kitchen by the sink and bring a smile to my face each time I see them.

~More bread was finally made.  It had been a long time since I made bread.  I sent one of the loaves home with Shannon as a thank you for all she does for us.  I also sent home some of the last of the tomatoes with her.

~Jeff finished off the wood trim for Shannon's new kitchen door.  Luckily, we had some extra wood here at home that he could use since they ran a bit short.

~We popped up some popcorn and watched the movie "Twister" on TV.  It was really good!

~Jeff and I both found some nice clothing at Goodwill.  I found jammie pants and some shirts.  Jeff found some slacks and a nice WSU jacket.

~Chris and Heather surprised us big time by giving us their pop up tent trailer.  We had offered to buy it in the past, but they said it needed some repairs and they did not want us to have to do them.  We had told them that we could make the repairs since most of it was replacing some flooring and dry rot.  Jeff can easily do that.  Still, they had not wanted us to have to do any of that.  Thus how surprised we were when they surprised us with such a kind and generous gift.  We are storing the trailer in their shop since it will keep it undercover.  In the Spring, we will bring it home here so Jeff can replace the flooring and we can paint the interior to give it a fresh look.  We are looking forward to many years of family camping trips and fun!

~I've been switching out the artwork on the walls with more winter and Christmas stuff.

~I went through Helen's Christmas decorations tote and found some beautiful and meaningful things in there.  One of the items was a fabric Christmas tree that Jeff's mother had made for Helen years ago.  I recognized it immediately since Jeff's mom had the same one in her home and had told me that she had made it.  I know this might sound strange, but I am finally able to appreciate things from Jeff's mother again.  There were years when I could not due to all the heartache she put Jeff, our kids and me through.  I'm still healing but am moving in the right direction.

   So that is all that I can remember right now.  My plans for this week are to get the house decorated for Christmas.  I really am needing the joy that the season brings.  It has been a rough year for us and this Christmas will be bittersweet.  There are daily reminders of our loss of my cousin Jeremy and Jeff's Aunt Helen since we have Maggie and Remmie with us.  I will say that Maggie and Remmie bring us comfort and comic relief.  I am so glad that they are now ours. I am going to try and focus on the good memories and building new ones.  Be blessed my sweet friends.

Frugal Friday Wrap Up (including the past month) 11/1/24

 

      Thank you all again for your patience with me.  Lots and lots still going on dealing with Aunt Helen's death and the aftermath of all the legal stuff that we are still dealing with.  Now I know what you may be thinking...what does the picture above have to do with frugal living...well I will tell you.  Our son Chris is receiving an award for going above and beyond in helping evacuate people and coordinating saving lives in a recent fast-moving fire.  Since he is also a firefighter, he knew exactly what to do and how to coordinate agencies.  We are so very proud of him!  Now here is where the frugal living comes in.  Chris was homeschooled as many of you know.  We lived on a small single income for many years to make this possible.  It allowed all of our boys to get the best education possible and for them to pursue their individual interests.  Chris happened to love firefighting and being an EMT.  Fast forward to today, Chris and Heather are living on a single income (his), homeschooling their boys, both are volunteer EMTs for their community and Chris is also a volunteer firefighter.  Heather helps to bring in some "fun money" by selling delicious homemade treats.  It allows them the freedom to go fishing, hunting, hiking, camping and to travel to see family when time allows.  They grew a very productive garden this year and Heather blanched a froze lots and lots of beans.  They also had tomatoes, squash, pumpkins, and all kinds of other things.  Using well-rotted chicken poop, tilled into their garden, made things grown quickly.  The chicken poop was from their chickens.    Now that is what I call frugal and I could not be more proud of them.  Oh yes, Isaiah (our grandson #2) shot a deer the other night when he and Chris went out hunting.  More meat for all of the family!

   Now here are some of the things that I have been doing over the past month in no particular order:

~Steven and I went to an estate sale here in town and I found a beautiful brand-new tote bag with a watercolor picture of a hummingbird on it.  My mother loves hummingbirds and this will be part of her Christmas gift.

~Other finds from the state sale were two cookbooks, one a local community cookbook from 1983 that has recipes in it from so many of the people that welcomes us with open arms and hearts when we first moved here, and the other a sourdough cookbook.  My other fun find was a handmade broach with a beautiful slice of agate.

~I have been going to the thrift stores and finding Christmas and Fall decor for pennies on the dollar.  Some of my finds include 2 ceramic partridges, some high-end poinsettia garland, a cute straw deer that Steven absolutely loves, and some crystal vases along with a few Christmas mugs. I also picked up a bag of tennis balls for Maggie since she loves them and destroys them pretty quickly.

~I found a brand new with tags jacket for $5.99 and used a 20% off coupon to bring the price down even further.  I found out that it retails for $100.  Score!

~Jeff and I love lamb chops, but they are so expensive.  I found 3 packages marked at half price at Safeway.  I got all they had and repacked them with my Food Saver.  These will be delicious that coming holidays!  What a treat!  I also found ground beef on sale there for $2.97 a pound so I bought 3 pounds of it and repacked it for the freezer.

~The ice built up in our upright freezer and forced the door open.  Luckily we caught it and only lost a few things from the shelves on the door.  Jeff unpacked the whole freezer and defrosted it, the repacked it all.

~We have been enjoying pears and tomatoes that we grew as they ripen up in the house.  I am freezing lots of tomatoes too!

~Jeff and I have slowly been going through Helen's belongings and found lots of unopened health related products like mouthwash, dental flossing picks, toothbrushes, etc., that we are adding to our HBA cabinet.  It is hard to be going through her things as we still are mourning her.

~I'm still cherry picking the sales at the stores to stock up our pantry.

~We have been watching lots of movies lately thanks to Paramount, Disney, Peacock and YouTube. Have you seen the prices of movie tickets at the theater lately?  Even with our senior discount, we would still be paying a lot.  I'd rather be in my recliner at home watching them.

~Jeff and I both did a major purge of our clothing that we no longer use and donated it to Goodwill.  We shop there a lot so it is easy to just drop it off there and run into the store.  On one of those trips, I found an item that has been on my wish list for over 30 years.  I found a Fenton flow blue plate.  Luckily, they had just brought out a cart of new items and I snagged that and a tiny Victorian style ring box.  Right place at the right time I would say!

~Rachel's mom moved up closer to us all.  It was so nice to see her on Friday when I stopped by with Steven.  Steven had made her a turkey decoration earlier in the day at our house.  I am looking forward to spending more time with her.

~Jeff and I met with a court advocate who helped us fill out forms that we need to be able to access Helen's account so we can use that money towards her cremation. She also called some other advocates to help us figure out if we could get some financial assistance with Helen's cremation costs. Apparently, the county she died in will give you a loan, not a grant as we had been led to believe.  Jeff and I now have to foot the bill for the rest of the cost beyond what is in her account.  We are talking close to $2000.  UGH!  We will have to put it on our credit card and then pay that off in 3 payments with Jeff's checks from work.  If he was not still working part time, this would sink us financially.

~I trimmed my bangs as they were getting too long.

~Jeff and I have been trying to mostly eat out of our pantry and freezers.  There are times however that we still grab something to eat that is ready made from the grocery store.  It is still cheaper than going out to eat.

~Maggie has been a nervous wreck since she got home from the kennel.  I ordered her some CBD oil to see it that helps calm her down.  I feel so bad for her.  I think she may have thought that we were abandoning her.

   I think I will end this post here.  With all the stress of setting Helen's affairs, trying to get ready for the cold weather months, purging the house of so many things and the weather changes, my fibromyalgia and arthritis are acting up big time.  My sleep habits have been thrown into a tizzy also.  Not a good combination.  However, life must be lived to the fullest.  I have grandkids to love on, along with our kids, friends and other family members.  I'm looking forward to getting back into some kind of routine again and having more sleepovers here with the oldest three grandboys.  Steven spent Thursday night with us and it was so much fun!  There are also upcoming fishing trips with Chris who is buying a bigger boat from a friend.  I love to go fishing, so this will be a lot of fun for all of us!  

   Be blessed my friends and I pray that there will not be any more unrest or acting out in our country with the upcoming election this Tuesday.  We experienced first-hand some shady stuff in our county with the post office in Spokane processing our ballots, and sending them out, yet only a few made it to our town, ours's were not among those few.  Our county auditor has launched a full-on investigation with the postal service over this and we were able to get replacement ballots.  Much love to you all, be safe!

So much to share...

 

   I sadly share that our dear Aunt Helen passed away a few days before we left for our planned trip down to Utah to see our son Josh, our Lauren and our grandkids Tate and Peyton.  These last few months have been a real whirlwind of emotions for us all with Helen's rapidly declining health, her passing and all the legal hoops we are now having to jump through to gain access to her checking account so we can pay some of her final expenses.  Her social security checks got messed up for the last few months also, so we are hoping that gets straightened out so the wonderful care center that she was at gets paid and hopefully there will be some money left over to help cover the other part of her final expenses.  Even if it does, we will still have to come up with some money of our own to help and be able to claim her ashes. We still have not had time to grieve our beloved aunt and have learned just what a mess death is when there is no will and final expenses have not been prepaid.  Jeff and I have not made a will yet, and are definitely getting it done soon.  We do not want our kids to have to deal with all of this when we pass.

   Our trip to see our kids and grandkids was a L>>>O>>>>N>>>>>G drive, over 10 hours and we did it both down and back in one day each.  Jeff and I both did surprisingly well. We got there in the evening and took the next day to rest and do some shopping before the kids and grandkids got home from work and daycare.  The next 2 days we had the grandkids with us all day while their parents worked and that time bonded us so deeply with them.  Josh took Jeff, Lauren and Tate golfing on Saturday while Peyton and I had some "girl time".  She fell asleep on my chest at her nap time and I soaked it all in, knowing that this was a moment in time that was so special and I would most likely not have again with her since she is growing up so quickly.  She definitely is a Gpa's girl though. ;)  Tate on the other hand is a total Grammie's boy.  He was right there with me most of the time and we had so much fun together!  That is not to say that all of us did not deeply bond because we did and on the way home I wanted to turn back around and go back to my youngest grandkids. ;)  Josh and Lauren spoiled us rotten while we were there taking us to see some wonderful things like the aerospace museum, a really cool sporting goods store that has a Ferris wheel, aquarium, restaurant, candy store, cool animal mounts and lots of guns in it.  They also took us on a beautiful drive to see the fall colors and to see Bridalveil Falls. Josh also smoked a pork butt and made pulled pork for us that was beyond delicious! Jeff and Josh got building project done and I made homemade mac and cheese and got a stuffed whale that my mom made for the kids mended since they had "loved" it a lot. :)  We squeezed a lot into a week and it went way too quickly for all of us.  Jeff and I both cherish every moment we spent with all of them and they made us feel so loved the whole time we were there.

   We have been trying to be "frugal", but our trip did cost us a  pretty penny and it was so worth it!  It is because we are so frugal that we were able to do this.  Between gas, boarding the dog, paying for someone to come in to take care of our home for part of the time (Shannon stepped in to cover the other part that our house sitter was unable to do), some fun money for the trip, and doing some frugal shopping while there, the costs definitely added up.  We hit some thrift stores, a Mormon food store and a Big Deals Outlet where we found some amazing deals!  I came home with a brand-new down pillow, clothing for both Jeff and I, some holiday decor, Sambucol for the cold and flu season, and many food items to add to our pantry.  I menu planned based on what we have in our pantry and freezers on the way home, and we will be sticking to that for the most part for awhile so that we can bank some money to add back to our savings.  

   Thank you all for being so kind and patient with me...it really is a huge blessing that does not go unnoticed.  Be blessed!

Yes, I am still here...

 

  We finally have Jeff's Aunt Helen all moved up and settled into her new home.  Her new care center sent down a lovely man named Jeff to transport her up in their van.  Jeff and I arrived about an hour before the big move to get her all packed up and reassure her that we were coming up to get her situated and to meet with the staff there.  Everyone who worked there greeted her by name from the time we arrived.  They all knew she was coming and were doing their very best to make her feel welcomed.  We got her unpacked and then met with her new social worker and signed a bunch of paperwork.  We also deposited some money into her account there and got her signed up for getting pampered with a new haircut.  I went over some things with her nurses too about her likes and dislikes.  We got set up to do Google Meet every Monday at 4 p.m. and that has been a blessing.  

   Two weeks later, we went up again to see her and surprised her with some new clothes for the cooler months.  I had great fun making sure that I coordinated her 2 new shirts and 2 new soft sweatshirts with a new cardigan so they could all mix and match.  I also took up the soft sweatpants and a nice pair of dressier pants for her.  Jeff painted her small shelf that she had in her home and we took it up and put it next to her bed.  I also surprised her with a new soft mauve colored coverlet for her bed  and a really fun purple throw blanket to cuddle up with.  She said she felt like a princess. 😊 I later told Jeff that I am now on the lookout for a tiara for her to complete the "princess" theme.  I think she will get a huge kick out of it.  We will be going back up within the next 2-3 weeks to see her again once she gets over her cold.  I feel much more reassured that she will be getting the care she needs there.

   After the past few months that we have had, I took a good look around our home and realized just how out of control the clutter has become and how much of a deep clean it needs.  I am trying to do a few small projects every week now and I can see that I am making some progress, although it is slow going.  I don't want to push myself or Jeff too much though because we are both trying to recover from the physical and mental toll everything has taken on us.  We both have been pushed beyond our energy and emotional limits and it has affected us.  Self-care is much needed as we try to heal and to finally get a chance to grieve the loss of my cousin and the deal with the losses that we are seeing as our dear Helen battles with dementia.  I hate seeing another loved one slip away slowly day by day as this horrible disease takes her away from us.   I know all too well what is coming having gone through this with our beloved Aunt Norma and Uncle Bob.

   Well Jeff just got home and I need to get our dinner ready and take care of our Maggie Mae who is dealing with an infection that needs twice daily cleaning and medications.  Be blessed my sweet friends.

 

   

   

A "Thankful" Post

 

   Aww...Maggie Mae brings me such joy and laughter.  She is a silly dog and I frequently find her sleeping in such weird positions.  On this particular day it was hot and she had her paws up in the air to cool off.  She is learning "manners" now like sitting and waiting for her food until I tell her she can eat it instead of trying to knock me over to get to it. 😉 We are still working on trying to get her to not be right behind us when we are in the kitchen so that she does not trip us.  She was used to being right beside my cousin Jeremy at all times and being the center of attention, so being with us and having to share attention with the 4 cats is a big adjustment.  There is not a day that goes by when I don't look at her and think of my dear cousin.  I will forever be thankful for all the time we did have together, the laughter we shared, and being able to reconnect our family once again.

   Jeff's aunt Helen will be moving to another care facility.  There is just not the staffing needed to give her the care that she deserves and requires where she is now.  She has met with some of the people that run that facility and she seems to like them.  Next Tuesday Jeff and I will be going up to help her get moved up and settled into her new "home".  It is further away from us, but we will continue to make every effort to get up to see her as often as possible and they are going to be setting up Zoom calls for us so that she can still see us and talk to us on a regular basis.  We bought her a Squishmallow to hug and hold onto.  We wanted her to have something soft and cuddly.  We are seeing more and more moments of her mind slipping away to somewhere else so we are more and more thankful for the times when she is totally "present" with us.  We are so very blessed to have her in our lives again and we cherish every moment we do have with her.

   Our garden is starting to grace us with cucumbers, squash, the first of the tomatoes and I can see that we have many cantaloupes coming on.   The blackberries are starting to ripen and the apples will need picking in the next few days to make into applesauce.  The raspberries and blueberries are about done, but the strawberries are giving us a second cropping.  I used some of the last of the raspberries to make another batch of raspberry gin since I gave my last bottle that I made to Chris.  I need to pick and dry some of the herbs from the garden and I need to process all the squash.  Some of the squash will be shredded and dehydrated and some with be peeled, chopped up and then frozen to add to stews, soups and other dished throughout the Fall and Winter months.  Of course I am also using some of it now in different dishes and breads.  I'm thinking that this first batch of cucumbers will be eaten in salads and some will be made into quick refrigerator pickles.  I'm needing to prune back the tomatoes to give them more airflow between the plants and I need to tie up some of the branches to get them up off the ground.  The garden and its bounty are keeping me pretty busy these days.

   I went through my clothing for the upcoming colder months and realized that I needed more soft and cuddly things to wear while at home.  I went to my usual sources (thrift stores) and found some nice loungewear type pants and some jersey material sweaters in gray and black.  Gray and black are my go-to colors, especially gray as it looks good on me.  I find that the older I get, the more that I just want soft and comfortable clothing and supportive shoes.  I still want nice purses though and it continues to be a weakness of mine.   Speaking of purses, I hit the motherload at Goodwill the other day.  Someone working in the back and pricing things really had no idea what they had and put out a beautiful blackberry shade small crossbody purse that looks to be brand new for $5.99.  They also put out a Kate Spade green zippered pouch type bag for $3.99 and a B Makowski black purse for $5.99.  I bought all three and will be keeping the first bag and most likely selling the other two.  Some of the other treasures that I found were an old advertising yardstick for a bank in Idaho (I will use this as part of my kitchen decor) and some beautiful decorative plates that I also use for kitchen decor, some small Thomas Kinkade framed prints, and a pretty and much needed picture frame.  Some books also made it into my basket...no surprise there. All of these things make me very happy and do not cost much at all, in fact some will make me more than enough money to pay for all of the other items.

   Heather, Rachel and I had a "girls' day" lunch date last Sunday and the guys all had "male bonding time".  The girls and I went to Applebee's and then did a bit of shopping while the guys had a BBQ and played some outdoor games at Chris and Heather's house.  When the girls and I got back to the house, we all headed out to see their garden and Isaiah, my garden loving grandson, sent me home with some rather large squash for both myself and for Shannon next door.  I almost forgot, I gave the girls some really cute house slippers that I found on sale and they loved them.  It was a "just because" gift.    It has now become a "thing" for the girls and I to go out to lunch together and just have some time without the distractions of the kids and husbands. 😊  It is something that we all look forward to and the guys really enjoy their "male bonding" time too.  I wish that Josh, Lauren and the littles lived here too so they could have joined in the fun.

   I had better get going and get a few things done before the heat of the day sets in.  Be blessed my friends and try to find some "calm and beauty" in the middle of the storms of life.  There really is so much to be thankful for and sometimes it is the simple things like a beautiful flower in the garden, a hug from a loved one, the silly antics of a pet or the hummingbirds flitting around the garden and stopping for a moment right in front of you as to say "thank you" for the food that you provide for them in the hummingbird feeder.  For me this morning it was having hot cup of  coffee while there was a cool breeze on my back porch. I settled in on my recently bought comfy outdoor chairs bought at an estate sale while a cat cuddled up on my lap.  It was a beautiful and peaceful way to start my day.  Yes my sweet friends, you can find pockets of calm and beauty if you just seek them out every single day.

   

   

   

   

   

And Yet Another Long Overdue Post

 

   The picture above is of my paternal grandparents on their wedding day.  I absolutely love my grandmother's wedding dress and veil.  She died when I was very young and only had one time getting to know me when I was about 2 years old.  I have no memory whatsoever of her and that is something that really makes me sad.

   This leads me into some other thoughts.  I cherish my time with my grandchildren and get to spend lots of time with the 3 older boys who live close, Bradley 12, Isaiah 11, and Steven 7.  I so wish we lived closer to our two youngest grandchildren Tate and Peyton.  Jeff and I are trying to figure out when we can go and visit them that works for both us and for them.  Since we had to cancel our trip earlier this Summer, this is something that we really feel we need to do soon.  Praying we can find a way to make it work for all of us.

   Life has been beyond busy here and time seems to just fly by.  We have been determined to keep the gardens alive with this horrible heat.  We had one soaking rain come through is the past 3 months.  The thirsty ground took it all in and I could see that the plants were happier for a day or so before the heat again took its toll on them.  I frequently have to water twice a day.  The heat is also taking a toll on the hummingbirds who are drinking up all the nectar I put out for them.  I have to refill the hummingbird feeder every 3 days now.  It used to be once a week.

   I have been harvesting squash, potatoes, raspberries, strawberries and blueberries from the garden.  Our tomato plants are starting to set fruit, as are the cantaloupe plants.  The cucumber plants are starting to produce tiny little cucumbers.  The pole beans are struggling, and I don't know if we will get anything off them.  Our apple tree and pear tree seem to be struggling and producing little sized fruit.  I believe this is due to the heat and lack of water.  I need to get better at making sure they stay well-watered.

   Jeff and I spent about 2 weeks getting ready for our townwide yard sales.  We did sell a bunch of stuff and made about $100 for us, $38 for Jeff's aunt and Heather also made money selling her delicious homemade huckleberry cinnamon rolls.  We had lots of stuff left over so we took the sheets, blankets and bedspreads to the Red Cross Shelter that had been set up for victims of a big fire burning south of us.  We met a sweet mother and daughter there who had left with only the clothing on their backs and asked if we had any sweaters since it got cold in the shelter at night.  Jeff gave them a big bag full of sweaters from our yard sale and they were so grateful.  I really do pray they have a home to return to.  The rest of the items were donated to one of our local thrift stores that keeps the money in our community to help people get back on their feet again.

   We have made many trips up to see Jeff's aunt and will be going up to see her once again tomorrow.  We will deposit the money from the yard sale from the sale of some of her things into her account at the care center for her to use as she pleases.  I really do enjoy our visits with her and am so glad that we are in each other's lives again.  She is always pleased to hear how her cat Remmie is doing and this time I get to tell her how Remmie now cuddles with me at night and sometimes even during the day.

    While in town tomorrow to visit Jeff's aunt, we will also be going to an appointment with a Medicare broker since Jeff will be 65 next month.  Is it just me or is this whole Medicare thing confusing?  Hopefully I will understand more after tomorrow.  My reward for sitting through all of that is being able to go to a few thrift stores.  The Goodwill up there has been newly redone and the items there are really nice.  I have a few more things that I would like to pick up like some soft cotton lounge pants and I am hoping to find some either there or at another store.  The last time we were there I found some needed things and some nice artwork.

   Speaking of thrift stores, I found a really nice cuddly blanket that is perfect for this Winter and Christmas time.  I also found a knome, a decorative plate, a shirt, and a few other items.  The stores are putting out more Fall decor now and I am here for it!  Today I actually went through the Fall decor I have on hand here at home.  Most of it came from thrift stores.  Very few items were bought new, as I find great stuff at the thrift stores, and I can't stand to pay retail for anything if possible.

   I had better end this post here.  I need to get a few things done before Chris comes to pick me up.  We are having a birthday party for Isaiah at the skating rink (no, I will NOT be skating), followed by dinner at Panda Express.  Jeff is working today so he has my car and he will just meet us at the party.  This way I only have one car in town, and it gives me a chance to have some one on one time with Chris.  We rarely get that chance anymore and both and I enjoy our visits.

    Be blessed my friends and keep praying, staying strong and keeping your eyes and ears open.  So much is going on in this crazy world and we need to be able to separate the truth from the lies.  Make sure to also take time to relax, unplug and enjoy life to the fullest.  We all need that balance to keep us sane.

   

 

   

   

A Long Overdue Catch Up

 

   Well here I am again, after another long break from blogging.  Just when I thought we could breathe again, we had more horse poo thrown our way.  UGH!  After nearly a month of sitting down at the dealership, and several days AFTER we were supposed to go to Utah, we finally found out that there was nothing that could be done about our car since it was not throwing a code.  They told us to just drive it until the transmission goes out and then it could be replaced under warranty. I was seriously ticked off since we had to cancel our trip to see our son Josh and family, and the hotel I booked was nonrefundable.  So we did not get to see our youngest grandkids, I am out over $100 and my car transmission is still acting up. Oh, and did I forget to mention that we ended up owing the IRS about $1,400 dollars?  Yep...so tightening our frugal belts is beyond needed at this point.  On another note, my computer is not uploading photos from my memory card from the camera.  Therefore, there are no photos to share at the moment unless I figure something out.  

   Sadly, we also lost another dear friend to cancer.  He had been fighting it for years and would go into remission and then it would come roaring back.  This last time, it ravaged his body, and he could no longer fight it.  Tyke was an amazing, kind and loving husband, father, papa, and friend.  He married one of my best friends, Robyn, and I was part of their wedding party, and she was part of mine.  We remained close over all these years and celebrated family weddings, births of grandchildren and I became very close with two of their daughters.  One of their granddaughters is also a friend of our grandson Steven and they are in the same class at school.  Jeff and I went to Tyke's funeral and saw so many old friends there that I had not seen since graduating from college.  It really is sad that the only time you see old friends is at weddings and funerals. 😢Tyke will be dearly missed by so many people that loved him.

   With everything that has happened, I am just exhausted.  I feel like every time I think I can start to breathe again, something happens to knock the wind right out of me.  With the heat of the summer hitting, I am also feeling the effects of that on my body and it is no joke.  Fibromyalgia is kicking my behind and I am doing all I can to just try to stay cool at the moment.  At least this part is something that I experience every year so I know how it will affect me.  

   Okay, enough of the bad stuff, let's try to turn our focus to the things that Jeff and I have been trying to do to save money and some of the good deals we have found lately.  Sound good?  

~Jeff and I dug up 2 of the volunteer potato plants in one of the garden beds.  They were getting to be way too big for the space that we needed for other things, so out the came.  We got about 2 pounds of small all purple potatoes.  Hey, I'll take that. 😉

~Before the heat really set in, we were harvesting lots of lettuce and some of the smaller spinach before it went to bolt. We also were harvesting strawberries (and still are), so I was enjoying fresh salads with strawberries and balsamic vinegar salad dressings.  Pure bliss!

~Our raspberry plants are starting to produce, much to mine and Shannon's delight.  Yes, I had been sharing with her.

~Jeff and I harvested all the bok choi and the huge spinach plants.  I blanched and froze 5 bags of bok choi and 3 bags of spinach.

~Safeway had an amazing deal on steaks, so I bought a package of 4 and froze 2 of them for a future meal.  I also found some round steak marked down to half price, so I cut that in half and then froze both halves.

~With the 2 steaks that I kept out, Jeff grilled them and I served them with a nice salad, corn on the cob and rice pilaf.  Oh my goodness, it was delicious and a real treat!  We decided that it was my early birthday dinner.  

~I found a small cheesecake and some donuts marked down.  You know those came home with us too.

~I had been looking for another clothes basket and some shade cloth.  I found a collapsing laundry basket and a shade sail at Goodwill.  Jeff found something he wanted while we were there and I also found a beautiful Lenox bowl that retails for $32...I paid $3.99 for it, and I found a DVD that I had been looking for.

~Jeff had been given a $25 gift card for selling a large amount of Trex decking at work.  We used that card to go out to eat at one of our favorite burger places (this is what Jeff wanted to use the card for).  It ended up being free for us since we used the card and we still have some money left on the card too.

~We finally got everything from inside the greenhouse planted.  We will have tomatoes coming out our ears when they all start coming in.  I have about 49 plants.

~I noticed that I have a tiny yellow squash forming on one of my squash plants.  I am beyond excited!

~Meal planning and cooking ahead have definitely become a need, especially with the heat and the fact that we are living on a very tight budget since we owe the IRS money and that took a good part of our monthly income.  

~I used up some of the random leftover pasta from other meals and made a big tuna pasta salad with veggies in it.  I did this twice within the past few weeks and it fed us for several meals.

~Grocery Outlet had their fresh family sized pastas on sale.  I had been buying them and freezing at least one package and then cooking up the other.  I also found coleslaw mix marked down to .49 a bag, so I bought 2 of them.  One bag was made into coleslaw, and the other was used in Yaki Soba.

~We have been watering the gardens in the evening so that the water does not evaporate so quickly.

~I have been having some computer issues and our neighbor was able to help me trouble shoot what was going on and how to work around it.

~I continue to feed the hummingbirds with homemade hummingbird food and I try to keep the front birdbath full of water for them too.

~Jeff and I went to an estate sale on the 2nd day of it when they were willing to make good deals on things.  I found a set of 6 really well-made outdoor chairs with cushions and got them for $30 for all of them!  Jeff and I are giving the ones that came with our table to Chris and Heather and are now using the ones we got at the sale out on our back screened in porch.  I also found some good cookbooks and food storage books there, along with a beautiful painting.

~Jaysn came over and helped us rearrange our living room since Jeff's neck had been bothering him and he wanted to move the recliner to a different spot so he did not have to turn his neck as much. Jaysn ended up taking us into the ready care clinic since Jeff's neck kept getting worse.  They did not take our insurance but finding out what was going on with Jeff's neck and getting him some relief was worth it.  He had strained a neck muscle so he got a shot and then started taking muscle relaxers to help it heal.  We are so grateful to Jaysn for dropping his plans for the day and taking care of us.  We did take him out to lunch as a thank you.

~Jaysn and Rachel picked up 2 more bags of tortilla chips from Costco for us.  It's nice that our kids have Costco cards and can pick things up there for us.

~I am keeping the bamboo sun shades down on the back porch to keep the sun from heating that space up so quickly and it also helps to keep the house cooler.

~We finally were able to take the 3 older grandboys to the trampoline place.  It was part of their Christmas present.  Since Heather is a first responder, we got them in for half price.  After they bounced for an hour, we went to a park for a picnic and Rachel joined us there after she got off work.

~Jeff and I cut each other's hair.

~We finally got new neighbors in Uncle Bob's old house.  They are a really nice young couple who are expecting their first child in August.  We are giving them our pack and play that we no longer need, along with our stroller and, if they want, our highchair. 

~The 4th of July fireworks were absolutely amazing in our small town this year and we enjoyed watching everyone's display that we did not have to pay for. Jeff and I both commented of how much money must have been spent collectively in our town on all the fireworks that literally go up in smoke.

   That is about all I can remember about the frugal doings lately.  We still have a long list of things that we want to get done that will save us more time and money.  Jeff is off until next Friday, so I am hoping to get a few more big projects done around here.  Be blessed my sweet friends.