Checking in once again...

   Hello once again.  I know that I have been horrible about keeping up with posting here.  It seems to be a trend with me and I wish it was not so.  I have been MIA for multiple reasons.  I wish I could say that it is because we have just been extremely busy (which we have been).  I wish I could say it is because Fibromylagia has been kicking my behind (yep, it has).  But the truth is that our family suffered another loss with the death of my Uncle Ed, and it hit me hard, harder than I thought it would. 

   My Uncle Ed was so much fun, and I enjoyed many moments of intense laughter, the kind that makes your stomach hurt, with this dear man. He was an outdoorsman and took his family camping for a good portion of each Summer while his sons were growing up.  He helped them learn about the flora of the 48 lower states as they visited each and every one.  They also visited Canada from what I remember.  He was one of my dad's close friends in college and it was through my dad they he met my Aunt Lucy, my mom's sister.  Love bloomed and they got married and had 2 sons, my cousins Mark and Tim.  As Jeff and I grew our own family years later, they would stop and see us at our home, or we would meet them at my parent's place in Montana.  My boys got to know them and Josh especially became close with them and with my cousin Tim.  It was wonderful watching my own kids and my grandkids getting to know my aunt and uncle.  He was such a special person to me and to them.

   This week I had every intention of getting a bunch of things done and then I got a message that another friend died.  Randy was a sweat soul who I have such fond memories of.  He was one of my little brothers through the fraternity where I was a Little Sister.  I was also close with his older brothers Chris and Kevin.  The last time I saw Randy was at one of my best friend's husband's funeral last year.  It threw me for another loop and bam...huge fibro flare.  I know I am at that age where friends and family are passing away, but man, this has been a hard year and a half for our family.  

   Jeff is in physical therapy and going twice a week.  He is doing really well and making great progress.  His range of motion is coming back quicker than we thought it would.  He has a doctor's appointment tomorrow, along with his physical therapy and he is hoping he can get the go ahead to be able to return to work starting in August.  He has already spoken to his boss who has agreed to let him work 2 days a week instead of 2 one week and 3 the next.  This will allow him to continue physical therapy if needed.  I am hoping he will be done by then because his health insurance is not covering any of it and it is expensive!  Oh, our Rachel also had her knee surgery and is now home recovering.  There have been some rough moments for her with this recovery, and I would really appreciate your prayer for both her and Jeff.  Thank you!

   Anyway, we will keep plugging along and then getting the medical bills, along with some other things needed before Fall paid off.  We have one more rough month financially before my Social Security kicks in now that I am 62.  We are working on projects around the house and harvesting things from the garden.  I am trying to be mindful of what we have in our gardens, freezer, fridge and pantry and not waste anything while being creative with meals.  Some days I am better at it than others. ;)

   

Thoughts, Thrifting and the Start of Healing

 

   Yes, I am finally popping my head back into my sweet blog.  It seems that this blog has been a long journey of emotions for 13 years now.  There have been such highs as we added our beautiful girls to our family and were blessed with 5 amazing, funny, smart and loving grandchildren.  If you have been reading my blog for any amount of time, you already know what the lows are and how that took a huge toll emotionally and even financially on our family and health-wise also for me. Throughout it all, our kid, grandkids, my brother Fritz and my parents grew even closer.  We were so blessed to have had my sister come for a visit several years ago, which meant everything to both she and I.  Now that she is battling cancer once more, it means even more to us.  We have strengthened our relationship and she has been blessed with a beautiful daughter who married into her family and a adorable granddaughter of her own.  She is now experiencing the same joy that I have been for all these years.  Grandchildren are the best!

   I am starting to finally let go of the pain of losing both Jeff's parents, his aunt Helen, and my cousin Jeremy.  There are still moments when I see something and hear something that reminds me of my dear cousin and I want to pick up the phone and call him.  I know that is not possible, so I remind myself that I get to enjoy it for the both of us and that he would want me to have that giggle, stare in awe at a beautiful piece of art soaking it all in and continue to love on and enjoy the antics of Maggie Mae.  It has taken me a long time to get to this point and to also not shed a tear when I think of our one-of-a-kind Aunt Helen.  I am so very thankful for that short time we had with her.  As for Jeff's parents...I realized that I had been so worried about my husband and kids losing them that I had not taken the time to personally grieve for both his parents.  Jeff and I had many long talks, and I realized that I needed closure.  I think I finally got it by going to his grandparents' gravesite where his parents' ashes will be interned.  I had not been there is over 40 years, but I made a promise to his mom that I would make sure that Jeff and the kids would always know where it was.  It helped me to let go of the hurt and anger that I had towards them and let the love and good memories (and there were many of them) take their place within my heart.  It feels like a huge weight had been lifted off of me.

   Jeff and I have done some thrifting lately and have found many cool things.  We found the pair of pillows pictured above that will be a perfect birthday gift for our fishing and hunting crazy grandson Isaiah.  His room is decorated in that style, and I checked with Heather and she told me she thought he would love them.  So they shall be his!!!!  We also found some really good kneepads for Jeff, a brand new large soft and fuzzy throw blanket, a blender, a large coffee maker to keep in the tent trailer, a gorgeous planter, some clothing, a pretty basket, some picnic plate holders (again for the tent trailer), a small lantern that puts out a tremendous amount of light and an Ethan Allen decorating book.  I really enjoy that style and I think it may be genetic since that seems to have been something that even my great-grandmother loved.

   Jeff and I have been talking about how he wants to fully retire within the next few years, as soon as he can get his full retirement amount.  I have to look into when I can also start taking retirement and what time that will be to make the most of it.  We talked about what full retirement will look like and ways that we can save even more money as to make it possible sooner.  We have been thinking of side hustles, how to make the most of our garden and help it be more productive.  All of these things are very important for us.  We are getting better about not eating out at much.  I'm trying to make sure that we have some quick to make meals here on the ready at home.  Today I made two loaves of bread and took some homemade chicken noodle out of the freezer to make for dinner.  I also threw an acorn squash in the oven too bake so that I have that ready for another meal.  There are two bags of raspberries from our garden thawing on the counter and I will use them to make some raspberry infused gin (a huge favorite of mine and Chris').  It also makes great gifts for loved ones.  I had bought the bottles for it from Amazon awhile back and have also been collecting larger bottles with stoppers on them for keeping it in here at home.  I still have lots of fruit to use in this manner for both gin and vodka.  I would like to get it all made and ready for this year.  Between the blackberries and raspberry stash I have in the freezers, I should be able to make enough for a while year for myself and others.

   I hope that things are going well for all of you who read my ramblings.  As you can see, I am in a much better headspace now.  It has been a long time coming, but the sweet relief now that it is here is incredible.  Thank you to Jesus for your healing and to my amazing family and friend for loving me through it.  Be blessed all.                   

   

   

Clearing Out the Smoke, Rain and Other Blessings!

   I'm currently sitting out on my back screened in porch listening to the rain come down while soft piano jazz music is playing in the background. The rain is so welcomed as it scrubs the heavy smoke from wildfires out of the air.  I can breath again!  I am praying that the rain makes its way up to the Spokane area and beyond as they have had devastating fires up that way with many losing their homes and with 2 deaths between 3 different fires.   My neighbor's co-worker lost her home and I am waiting to hear how we can help her rebuild.

   My garden and yard desperately needed this good soaking rain.  Everything has been so dry and despite our constant watering, it seems the plants can never get enough and have been struggling in the horrible heat.  I am so very thankful for a much cooler day and rain, as I can feel it refreshing my soul once again.  It is much needed before the heat comes back on later in the week, just in time for our Josh, Lauren, Tate and Peyton's visit.  They are used to the heat and kind of like it...I know...how can Josh be my kid and like the heat?  LOL!  Going to a little splash pad in in the plans for this coming Sunday and we will be celebrating the twins, Josh and Chris's birthday with that and a baseball game with friends and family.  I will happily be in the splash pad area with the little ones while the game is going on. 😉 I can't wait to have Josh and family home again.  They will be staying at a hotel with a pool due to the erratic sleep habits of my two youngest grandbabies.  The pool is a nice bonus and one that I plan on taking advantage of while enjoying it the grandkids.

   As you know, Jeff and I have been planning for him to be able to work part time and take early retirement.  Well part of that plan involves replacing things that need to be replaced and fixing other things, as well on stocking up on needed items.  It has also been learning new skills that will save us money, and/or enrich our lives.  I'm a firm believer that God will guide you to those needed or desired items, and He has once again come through for me in a big way.  My poor little immersion blender has seen lots of use and was one it's way out.  I had been wanting to replace it.  Well I found one at Goodwill for $5.99 and it had the blender and the milk frother attachments.  Now I needed a new immersion blender and I had been wanting a milk frother also.  Now I have both!  On that trip I also was blessed with a Home Dairy book on how to make cheese, yogurt, butter and more.  I already know how to do the yogurt, butter and a simple cheese, but I wanted to learn how to make other types of cheese as well.  My find of the day though has been something that I have wanted for a very long time.  I wanted a nice basket with handles that I can use in the garden to gather produce and I wanted it to have a washable and waterproof liner.  The only baskets that I knew about that had these attributes were Longaberger baskets, and those are way out of my price range.  Imagine my surprise and happiness when they wheeled out a new trolley of merchandise and there it was, the basket of my dreams (with the illusive liner) for $3.99!  I carefully flipped it over to see if there were any brand marks on the bottom because it was so well made and much to my delight, it was indeed and Longaberger basket.  Oh Happy Day!!!  On that trip I also found a hand blown wine glass from Italy (which is now being washed) and a movie.  Yes, it was indeed a great trip to the thrift for me!

  Our garden continues to bless us (even though the heat has definitely slowed things down) with Sungold cherry tomatoes, squash and apples.  The blackberries are just ripening and I ate the first 2 last night...I had forgotten how good they are.  I've been busy making applesauce and I need to freeze some of the tomatoes since I am getting more than I thought I would from just the 2 largest bushes and the other red cherry tomato buses are setting fruit, as are the Black Crim and Romas.  The green beans are just starting to get big enough to pick and I am sure we will have a lot of them once they really get going.  I have been sharing with my neighbor and she is anxiously awaiting for the pears to be ready to picked.  We are going to have a lot of them this year, and yes, I will be sharing them with her and with the rest of our family that lives nearby, as well as trying to put some up for Jeff.

   Well I suppose I should go and work on my "to do" list for a bit.  I have taken most of the day off to relax since Jeff and I did so much around and in the house over the weekend.  Between all that, the fires up north of us, as well as one just a few miles from us earlier last week, and just the general day to day trying to keep up on the gardens, it has left me exhausted and in lots of pain.  I have not been sleeping well, but last night, I was finally able to get into a deep sleep and slept until 9 a.m.  My body must have really needed it and I am not going to argue with that.  Be blessed my friends who are reading this and keep stocking up on those things that you need, and yes, even some nice "surprises" along the way.

   

   

Sometimes We All Need A Little Help

      Yes, that is my middle grandson Steven above.  He apparently needed his kitty to help him play one of his games on his tablet.  I looked over to see him like this and quickly snapped a picture before he noticed. 😉 I think it perfectly sums up what I have been thinking about lately and that is that we all need a little help in many areas of our lives.

   Jeff and I have been trying to get ourselves set up the best we can to weather the hard economic times that we find ourselves in.  As you know, our family works together to try to find the best deals, share our garden produce and share what is gotten while hunting and fishing.  Jeff and I are now trying to extend that to also shopping locally here in town at our Farmer's Market.

   Above is a dinner I cooked last week.  It is elk backstrap steaks with rice pilaf.  We also had apple slices with it.  The elk backstrap steaks were from our kids Chris and Heather and we are so very grateful for them.  The steaks were absolutely delicious!  I had found the rice pilaf mix on sale and had stocked up on it.  The apples were sale priced items too.  

   Yesterday we went to Jeff's company picnic down on the river in Lewiston, Idaho.  It was a really fun time and the food was amazing.  We had never been to Hell's Gate Park before, so we checked out the camping area and the visitors center.  On our way out of town, Rachel called and said they were going to Costco and did we want then to pick up some razor blade refills for Jeff.  I told her we were in Lewiston also, so we met them there at Costco.  It turns out that they were also at the park at the opposite end of the day use area with their church group. 😀

Anyway, we got the razors and had a good look around the clothing area.  I had Jeff try on some of their Sketcher shoes that were on sale, but they did not fit his foot correctly.  Bummer.  Anyway, thanks to Jaysn and Rachel, we now have over a years' worth of razor blades for Jeff for half the price if we had bought them anywhere else.  

   Backtracking even further, Saturday was our family birthday party for Isaiah.  He requested that I make his favorite homemade macaroni and cheese, which I happily obliged.  The minute we arrived at his house, he came running out, checked under the lid of the crockpot to see the said macaroni and cheese and then picked up the crockpot and carried it inside.  Heather made some homemade pizzas to go with it and the most delicious "Death by Chocolate" dessert because, according to Isaiah "G-pa likes it too"...  Why yes he does and he was thrilled to have it.  Chris and Heather had a surprise early birthday present in store for Jeff also.  Chris was feeling bad that his father had to wash all our dishes by hand since our dishwasher broke.  Some friends of his were remodeling their kitchen and were selling their older but still in good working condition, dishwasher.  He bought it for his daddy. Jeff was so very moved by this generous gift!

    Continuing the theme of moving backwards, we come to the next money saving, while helping out our community and family moments.  Friday we went down to our local in town Farmer's market.  It is very small with just a few vendors.  We bought pickling cucumbers from one vendor and 2 small baskets of the sweetest apricots.  We also bought dinner from the "Tipsy Heifer" (yes, that is the name of their company) who was selling tacos.  I have no idea what they marinate their chicken in, but my oh my was it good!  Jeff and I rarely eat out anymore, but had heard so many good things about the tacos and at 2/$5, we thought it was a pretty good deal.  Plus we were supporting a local business (who's owner is also one of the EMTs that responded when we had to call the ambulance for Jeff about 2 months ago) and some local farmers.  No gas was spent going out of town either so it was a win/win all around.

   

   Other money saving things we have done recently were participate in our town wide yard sale where we made $121.00 and donated all the leftovers items (with the exception of three things) to a Christian thrift store that helps people who are recovering from drug and alcohol addictions.  Isaiah sold huckle berries that he had picked and gave me the extra bag that did not sell.  He is so sweet!  Heather made huckleberry cinnamon rolls and they sold out quickly!  She made $61 on those alone.  

   Jeff made a deal with his boss at work to buy out some of the excess stock of nails, screws, bolts, etc. that they had sitting around from when they bought the business from the previous owner.  All of this was on a large pallet and shrink wrapped.  It is a huge amount of inventory and Jeff was able to get it all for $50.  The boss also asked him if he wanted one of the old wooden and metal spin around and sectioned off holders for storage of those items...my hubby said yes!  I don't know what the price on that will be, if any, but Jeff got a place all cleared out in the garage next to his workbench for it. (turns out it was $100 and it was so worth it)  Our kids and neighbors will not need to go shopping for some of these items now since we will have them on hand and happily share them.  Jeff is also planning on starting a side business once he retires of fixing furniture and then selling it.

   

      Our garden continues to bless us.  Above is the last of the raspberries.  I had them on cereal along with some very juicy and sweet blueberries.  It made for a lovely breakfast.  Steven and I dug out the last of the potatoes and he helped me harvest tomatoes and squash.  I made my favorite squash casserole and cut up some of the sweet Sungold cherry tomatoes to put on quesadillas.  Yum!  They added the burst of freshness that just took those quesadillas up over the top!  The beans are putting on their blossoms in the front garden bed and the tomatoes are growing like weeds.  I have had to trim branches on the plants so they can have their energy go toward making fruit and need to finish staking up the Black Crim tomatoes.

   I stocked up on a 50 pound bag of flour and a 20 pound bag of rice.  Prices continue to go up, so I am hedging my bets a bit and trying to buy at the lower prices.  More canned pineapple was added to my pantry since Jaysn took some home with him the other day.  Yes, I let my kids shop my pantry...that is what is  there for, our family to use.  As prices continue to rise, I take advantage of sales when I see them and I am also forgoing certain items because the prices have gone too high for my liking. I know that many of my friends and family are doing the same.

   I had better end this here.  Between this energetic boy and a very busy weekend, I have very little voice left and am dead tired.  My heart is full though and I am so very grateful for all God has blessed us with, including an answer to prayer concerning my oldest son Josh and a change to where he will now be deploying to.  I need to now go and finish the laundry, make some bread and get a elk roast going in the crockpot for dinner.  The rest of my list can wait until tomorrow.  A much needed nap sounds so much better than completing my list. 😌

   Be blessed my friends who are reading this post.  I pray that you all are safe, keeping cool, or warm (depending on where in this big world of ours that you are reading this from), and that you are stocking your pantries with food, medical needs and whatever else you may need.  Don't forget to stock up on clothing needs too!  Now is the time in my part of the world to do so. 

   

   
 

Homemade Turkey Soup and Monday Musings 4/3/23

 

   I did not do a Frugal Friday Wrap Up for this past week.  It was a really bad week for me pain wise due to my Fibromyalgia acting up with all the weather changes and my back continuing to bug the $%#& out of me.  I spent a good deal of time in bed and was so happy when I was actually able to sleep through the pain.  Even with that though, Jeff and I were able to get some things done around here. 

   I went down and got commodities from our local food giveaway.  They had so much food there and were telling people to take as much fresh produce as they wanted.  I ended up with pears, apples, tangerines, tons of oranges, potatoes, onions, garlic and carrots from the produce table.  I also brought home lots of cereals, canned meats, veggies and fruits, rice, dehydrated potato flakes, dried milk, beans, peanut butter, frozen meats and fish, HBA items, bakery items and some other things that are slipping my mind at the moment.  Jeff and I got that all sorted out and put away. I left a package of frozen pork stew meat out to thaw in the refrigerator and made a nice creamy pork stew with that and served it over mashed potatoes the following night.  The items that I got there allowed me to cross all but 3 items off my shopping list.  It's a good thing too, because Jeff went out this morning to take my car to work and the battery was dead.  He had to buy a new one today to replace the dead one.  I was able to just shift some of the money in our budget to take care of that expense since I did not need much for groceries.  The other HUGE hit to the budget was having to file our Federal and Idaho taxes and owing way more than we had imagined on our Federal taxes.  That is all filed now and taken care of also.  Next big hit will be the property taxes.  It sometimes feels like we are just bleeding money.  I did make a very frugal dinner after all of that with the last of the Yaki Soba noodles and sauce that I had in the refrigerator.  I added veggies and some ham to it and had a nice glass of wine with it.  The wine was from my neighbor/hanai sister Shannon.

   Over the weekend, I made a very nice turkey dinner for Jeff and I.  I needed the room in the big chest freezer so I put the turkey in a cooler on the back porch to thaw.  It took 4 days to defrost that sucker!  And yes, the space that the turkey had occupied was quickly filled up with some wonderful fish, hamburger and pork chops, along with some of the taco soup I made last week and froze.  The turkey was a little over 11 pounds, but out of that, we will get many meals.  In addition to the turkey dinner with the trimmings, we also have turkey slices for sandwiches, turkey cubed up for enchiladas and a casserole (these will be frozen to make later), and a HUGE pot of turkey noodle soup.  I am really looking forward to having some of it tonight, some later in the week and freezing some for another meal at a later date.

   I finally got some good news, my echocardiogram was finally approved!  It has only taken about 6 months, multiple attempts and switching health insurance companies (which means we had to start all over again) to get this thing going. My appointment is for this coming Saturday and Jeff can be in there with me holding my hand.  I have terrible PTSD from having to do most of the tests, imaging, and bloodwork, along with getting super painful penicillin shots monthy all alone as a child due to heart issues then as well.  It left me scarred emotionally for life.  I have had therapy to help me deal with those issues, but I still need to have Jeff with me.  I am praying that whatever is going on, that it is just something minor that we can just monitor or is an easy fix (and is not going to be too expensive).  I would hate to add another large medical bill to our debt.  If it is going to be a big expense, then I will apply for some help through the hospital's financial aid program.

   Anyway, that is where we are right now.  I am hoping that our weather will get better so that I can finally get some things started in the greenhouse.  It has been snowing here today, but I am so grateful that we are not experiences the horrendous storms that some of my friends and family are getting hit with.  My hearts go out to everyone who has lost loved ones, homes, businesses and been affected by all of this.  My prayers are with you also.

   

Work Smarter and Harder

 

      I think most of us have heard the expression "Work Smarter, Not Harder".  I have lived by that for most of my life, however I now believe that we all must be working harder as well.  Everyone I know is facing some kind of financial hardship or uncertainty.  For Jeff and I, we were hit with some unexpected costs including medical bills, higher taxes owed, car repairs, and of course, inflation causing the costs of everything we buy to go up in price.  Here are some examples of why we need to work smarter and harder that Jeff and I have been dealing with and doing for a few days now...

   

   Well, our weekend was eye opening, busy, and not at all frugal. UGH! 😟  Jeff's car is proving to be a huge pain in the tushy, a major time sucker and a money pit.  He was not able to get things fixed like he wanted after two weeks of trying, bought new tools to work on it, broke tools while he was trying and hurt himself numerous times.  The skills and tools needed to fix that thing are not in his "wheelhouse".  That thing is a money pit and I finally had enough of it and told him so. He reluctantly jerry rigged the thing back together and told me he would just drive it until it dies.  (He was able to return the new parts he bought back to the store, so we did get that amount refunded to our debit card at least.)

   After the car debacle and me finally losing it, he got busy in the gardens finishing some projects that he had on his list of things to get done.  The fruit trees are now fully pruned and that was a huge job.  We have 2 pear trees, a huge of cherry tree, a very old apple tree, and 3 newer plum trees.  He also cleared out the raspberry patch of the old canes and worked on the raised beds.  We are trying to grow more this year to preserve, eat fresh and to share with others.

  Sunday we worked on the taxes. 😧  We got a very unwelcome surprise in how much we owed the Federal Government. The only "bright point" is that we are getting back $22 from Idaho.  That will not even make a dent in what we owe to the Federal government.

   With all of the added expenses it is time to buckle down even more.  While Jeff has been tackling getting the garden ready for this coming growing season, I have been doing my part as well.

   I decided that despite the fickle Spring weather, I would start hanging out the laundry on the line again.  Lugging the heavy laundry baskets full of wet items though is really painful for my back and neck.  Jeff suggested that I use the heavy duty garden wagon to haul the laundry baskets.  Wow, not only does it help to not have to carry them myself, but it also puts them up higher so that I do not have to bend over as far to get the items to hang on the line.  Yes, I do freeze my fingers off in the morning hanging things out, but I get to take them back down later in the day when they are all dried. I do love the smell of line dried clothing, sheets and bath rugs.

   I went through the big chest freezer and found a gallon sized bag of cook pork taco meat.  I used 1/3 of it to make a thick and hearty taco soup.  It is a favorite of ours.  Jeff and I were able to get 3 meals out of it and still freeze some for a future meal.  Next, I went through our refrigerator, got it organized and prioritized what needed to be used up ASAP.  Lastly, while in the pantry, I made a list of the items that we needed to restock.  I am amazed at how quickly we are going through canned veggies, but at this time of year, I guess that is to be expected. Now to menu plan based on what we have and what needs to be used up.

   The free food grade buckets that we have been getting from Safeway were all washed and dried.  I emptied some packages of sugar and a big bag of flour into them so that they would not get "buggy".  Flour is something that we go through rather quickly since I make most of our bread and I will be needed lots of sugar for jams, jellies, syrups and pickles come this Summer.  I don't want to have to run out to get some or pay the ever-increasing prices that I am seeing each time I am at the grocery store.

   My project for this afternoon is going to be planning out the garden beds and making a list of what seeds I need to get started in the green house at what time and which will just need to be directly sown into the garden beds when the weather is warmer.  I know I want to get those tomatoes started in the green house soon so that I can have larger plants that will yield fruit sooner and longer.  Later in the week, if the weather allows, I will be washing out all of my pots and hanging baskets so they are ready to be planted up. 

   I am realizing more and more that with my increasing pain levels and limitations due to all the health issues that I have, I still have to work smarter and harder.  I cannot and will not let this stop me from doing what is needed.  Jeff is also dealing with increasing pain from his own health issues.  He feels the same way that I do about getting things done.  We need to find work arounds and ask for help when needed IF we cannot do it ourselves.  I told our kids flat out that we are getting older and are going to be needing their help getting some projects done around here.  Luckily for us, they are all amazing people and are willing to help with just about anything.  Our oldest 3 grandkids also pitch in and help where they can.  We are so very blessed!

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

 

Staying Home and Saving Money

   Well, the start of this week was a bit scary, but it all turned out to be okay.  Jeff had been having pain in his upper leg and with the family history of blood clots,  he and I both thought it would be best to get it checked out.  They ruled out a blot clot, but thought it might be a hernia.  Since he had taken a fall at work, they also did an extra, which did not show a break thank goodness.  Then, they did an ultrasound later in the afternoon, and found nothing there either.  So it was decided that it was just a severe strain.  Thank the Lord above!  He is feeling a bit better and is back at work and doing heat treatments on it in the morning and when he comes home.

   While he was getting all of the things done at the doctor, I was home taking inventory of just about everything.  I wanted to make sure that no matter what, we would be fine if he had to take time off from work if surgery was required.  This was after he told me they thought it might be a hernia, but had not had the ultrasound done yet. I also decided that I would not be going anywhere in my car unless absolutely needed, or had a prior commitment.  I need to save money on gas anyway.

   Since I have so much time on my hands, I am trying to get some projects done around here.  I mended a seam in the loveseat before it got any bigger.  Thank goodness I have a huge array of colors of thread so that I can match just about anything. I started to seriously work on getting the pantry organized.  This is an ongoing project.  I've been trying to keep track on the temperature in the greenhouse.  It should be really interesting given that we will be going into the below zero temps at night here soon again.  

   I've been baking our usual sandwich bread and am go back to making our own mock sourdough bread again.  It is a recipe that I have used before in my bread maker.  I think I will do the English Muffin bread again too.  Homemade tortillas are on the list also to try next week.  

   While going through the pantry and cleaning out the refrigerator, I found things that needed to be used up.  I made a menu based on that and lasagna is now baking in the oven.  I will also be baking up a ham this weekend complete with mashed potatoes and green bean casserole since those are some of Jeff and my favorite sides to go with ham.  The meat sticks and cheese from Hickory Farms that my baby brother sent us are now put away in the "goody and treats" area of our pantry.  Those are so nice to have on hand to make a movie night into something special here at home.  They also come in handy if we have company.

   Hopefully this week Jeff and I will be able to get each other's hair cut.  We are both looking a bit "shaggy".  We had planned on doing it a few weeks ago, but Jeff got sick and then he hurt himself.  We are going to Bradley and Isaiah's dance recital on Saturday night and want to look nice for that.  Either before or after the dance recital, we will pick up some of the grocery items we need and try to see if we can get more free buckets from Safeway.  I use those buckets for so many things, both inside and outside of the house.  This will be my one trip outside the house this week and I want to make sure to get everything done that I am able to fit in before either Jeff or I get too tuckered out.

   Well, I should go and check on the lasagna.  It is smelling divine and I want to also get a fresh salad or something made to go with it.  Be blessed my friends and keep stocking your pantries with those sale items and keep your homes cozy and inviting.

   

   

   

Holy Cow! Have You Gone Grocery Shopping Lately?

 

   Oh my goodness!  I went grocery shopping yesterday and was shocked at how much prices are going up.  Eggs were $3.68 for a dozen large eggs.  Milk has gone up (I left it there and we will be using some powdered milk I have in the pantry instead), and butter prices were totally ridiculous!  Winco finally got their tortellini back in the bulk section.  I filled up about 3/4 of a produce bag and it cost me $26 for that alone!  YIKES!  I needed to restock that in my pantry and will now consider it a luxury item to be used sparingly.  I noticed that all the prices have gone up on flour, sugar, oats, and other baking supplies.  I did buy a 25 pound bag of flour to put back for later because I can see that there are going to be further increases in cost for that. Since I make all our bread, I need to make sure that I have a good supply on hand.  Canned veggies have gone way up in price and I am so glad that I bought cases of them when they were just .50 a can.

   I did manage to find some marked down meats, frozen foods and fresh veggies.  All of these were found at the Moscow, Idaho Walmart.  Italian sausages were marked down to $3.68.  I found a 12 pack of them at that price.  The rest of the packages were 6 count.  I think the person marking things down made a mistake marking it at the same price.  However, I am not going to complain.  I repacked the sausages into bags with 4 each and then froze them.  I found frozen pizzas for $3.98 each.  I bought 2 of them and cooked one up when I got home and then packed the pizza slices into 2 bags for Jeff to take for some of his lunches at work this week.  I also found apple dessert pizzas for $1 each.  They are now in my freezer for a nice treat later.  The 2 packages of marked down stir fry veggies will be used in a nice Yaki Soba dinner brimming with veggies for dinner tomorrow.

   Lasagna is on the menu this week.  I could not justify buying Mozzarella cheese at the high prices, so I am going to substitute some Colby Jack cheese that I already have instead.  It will change the taste, but I'm sure it will still be delicious.  I did pick up some mushrooms and will be using them in a chicken stroganoff.  I have everything else here that is needed and the sour cream in my refrigerator needs to be used up.  Since I will be using mushrooms in this dish, I will only be using one boneless, skinless chicken breast.  The mushrooms will really bulk things up.  I may throw some fresh spinach in it also right at the end of the cooking time.  I bought a bag full of that too.

   I am realizing that there are many things that we will not be buying in the near future due to prices increasing.  We live on a single income that by all accounts in very low.  If we had to pay a mortgage (or rent) right now, we would be applying for assistance for heating, food, and other things.  We actually qualified for heating assistance, but did not take advantage of it since there is a limited amount of money to go around in that fund, and we knew there were people that needed it more than we did.

   Going forward, our plans are to double the amount of food we grow in our garden and put even more of it up this coming harvest season.  We will continue to provide berries from our garden to our family and friends.  I will not be growing plants that take up a huge amount of space and provide little in return.  Our greenhouse will be put into use as soon as Spring arrives to start and even grow early crops in.  I have been monitoring the temperatures in it even now to see if it would be possible to grow things in there during the Winter.  So far it is a no go.  

   I am curious to hear how others are faring with the increases in costs of grocery items.  My heart goes out to all that are really struggling right now and I know that many more of us may be in that same position soon.

Frugal Friday Wrap Up 10/22/21

 

   I forgot to do my daily documentation yet again so here is a list of the things that I can remember.  I'm sure that many things will be left off because I am in a bad fibro flare today and am just doing the best I can to try to go back in time in my memory, which we all know is not the greatest even on the best of days.  LOL!

~Jeff and I gave each other haircuts.

~I had a TeleMed appointment with my doctor and we decided to up my pregabalin prescription to see if I can get even better results.  It has helped a bit and we are hoping it will help even more at a higher dose.

~Jeff and I took a trip down to Walla Walla last Saturday and stopped at 2 thrift stores.  I found some beautiful brand new sweaters that someone must have bought via QVC and then donated.  I found many new items from QVC there with tags still attached.  I also found some books and some BBQ tools there.

~We stopped to have lunch at a taco truck down there near the edge of town (away from the touristy area) that had many local and Hispanic people eating there.  Oh my goodness, it was amazing and the prices were really reasonable too.  I tend to look for places that locals go to rather than more tourist oriented places.

~Having talked about eating out, the rest of our meals were prepared here at home.  I made teriyaki chicken bowls, a taco and noodle casserole (I know, sounds strange, but it was good), potato cheese soup, did breakfast for dinner one night and made tomato gravy with tomatoes from our garden.  The homemade biscuits were also a huge hit with hubby and I made sure to make a double batch of those.

~The tomatoes and cantaloupe I harvested earlier from the garden are all ripening slowly and we have been enjoying them.

~I did spend some more money on groceries, but I stayed at $8 total and I got a lot of things for that amount including more sweet potatoes. Gotta love Grocery Outlet for their deals there.

~Chris called to let us know that they are giving us a whole deer's worth of meat in mid November.  They have 4 tags to fill so they are spreading the joy in the family, giving us, along with Jaysn and Rachel, a deer each.  Heather already got a large elk so between that and the other 2 deer they can harvest, they will have plenty of meat for their family and to share with their friends.  We will be set for the entire year and beyond!  We are so blessed!

~I collected parsley seeds from our plants.  I was able to get so much and will be sharing them with the kids for their gardens in the Spring.

~There was a major frugal fail as well.  I had planned on bringing my rosemary plant in the house over the Winter so I could have fresh rosemary on hand.  I quickly discovered however that Patchy cat goes after it like it's catnip!  I need to just plant in in the garden and pray it makes it I suppose.  It is currently in a pot and I know it will not survive in that over the Winter.

~I talked to my friend/neighbor/hanai sister and she and her daughter are going to housesit for us over Thanksgiving when we go to visit family. It is wonderful to be able to help each other out.

~Rummaging through the refrigerator, I found some cooked bacon from earlier in the week.  I made a BLT sandwich for lunch with 3 of the bacon strips and will crumble the rest up for a topping on the potato cheese soup.

~Here is something that may sound strange, but actually helps calm me.  I have been watching the live feeds of the volcano eruption on La Palma in the Canary Isles.  Maybe it harkens back to my childhood when we would go and watch Kilauea erupt and falling asleep watching it from the safety of my hotel room overlooking the caldera.

~It has been great fun rediscovering all my favorite cold weather clothing and being able to snuggle up in them again.  It's now leggings, soft long sleeved shirts, jackets and sweaters weather again. Oh and let's not forget the soft fuzzy house slippers and socks either.

~We had Jaysn, Rachel and Steven come over for dinner of Friday.  Even when I'm in a fibro flare, there is no greater joy than having my family come for a visit and getting to spend time with them.  It's the best "medicine" for my soul and just lifts my spirits way up there!

~I called my mom on a rainy and gray day and we had a wonderful visit and made plans for our time over there with them next month.  I may be in my late 50's, but I still need those precious chats with my mom. Since I have a flat rate on my cell phone, I can make as many calls as I want each month.

~I made a double batch of chocolate chip muffins.

   I know I am a few days late in posting again.  We had a busy weekend helping my cousin and getting some things done around the house.  Today I am "foggy" and out of it, but I am taking things slowly and still getting a few things done around the house. Praying for all my friends and family dealing with these storms.

Frugal Friday Wrap Up 10/15/21

       

   It was a busy week around here trying to get things done and get ahead of rising food costs.  And yes, I am still keeping within my $200 food budget challenge for October.  So far I am up to $165.33 and most of that is for my pantry stock up items.  I really should not need to pick up much more unless I see a phenomenal deal on something.  I have been slowly picking up items that we need to have on hand for the upcoming holiday meals like cranberry sauce, fresh cranberries (which I froze), olives, cream of mushroom soup, fried onions and mulling spices.  I do not want to be caught without these things because they are part of our traditional foods this time of year. I'm also picking up gift items as I find them for family.  This holiday season will be different because we are spending Thanksgiving with my parents, brother, Josh, Lauren and Tate in Montana...something that I am very much looking forward to!  I can't wait to be with all of them and hopefully Tate will be walking by then.  Christmas will be a mixed bag of emotions because my cousin Jeremy is in the process of moving to Oregon and I am sure that he will be spending it with his mom this year.  We are all going to miss him terribly!  He has become more like a brother to both Jeff and I and is just a wonderful "uncle" to our kids and grandkids. He and I like so many of the same foods and wines, and love to try out new things.  It has been so nice to have someone to do that with.  Christmas and other family gatherings will not be the same without my sweet cousin here to share them with. 

Weekend:

~Jaysn, Rachel and Steven came to pick me up and took me to their house on Saturday.  Jeff joined us there after he got off work. They treated us to a Chinese food dinner that Jaysn picked up and brought home.  It was wonderful to spend time with them!

~Sunday found us at home for the day with Jeff working in the garden trying to get it all cleaned out.  

~I made two loaves of bread and worked on laundry.

~We hot tubbed.

~Zuppa Toscana for dinner along with pears from the garden.

Monday:

~I met Chris and Heather, along with Bradley and Isaiah in town at Goodwill.  It was senior discount day and Chris needed some new dress clothes for a leadership training class he is taking.  We found him a nice shirt and some pants, the boys got a snowboard to share (they have a great hill across the street from their house to snowboard on), the boys also got some clothes, I got a Wedgewood china Peter Rabbit child's bowl and cup along with a nice wool shawl and Bradley and I found a mug for his Daddy for Christmas that I will keep here and then get it wrapped up from Bradley to his Dad.

~I also went to Marshall's and got a nice winter coat for myself.  It was exactly what I have been wanting for years now and it was normally $100 and I got it for $29.00.  I also picked up some Christmas towels with the country red and blue trucks for the guest bathroom.  I had a gift card for $25 so I only ended up spending $11 at Marshall's out of pocket.

~I did stop at Winco and picked up a few things there, along with a take and bake pizza from the deli for dinner.  By this time I was just exhausted having done the shopping and driving.

Tuesday:

~Jeff took the leftover pizza for lunch.

~We had Zuppa Toscana for dinner along with hot crescent rolls.

~I cut, blanched and froze the Swiss chard that I had picked before the big killing frost hit the garden.  I also cut up and dehydrated the stalks and will use those in soups like you would celery.  I was incredibly sore after two hours of doing this.

~I peeled and cubed a large zucchini and froze that to use in soups or casseroles later.

~Three loads of laundry were done.

~I pulled some homemade applesauce out of the freezer to thaw.

~Jeff brought home another ton of pellets and he was also given a piece of lumber that the store could not sell due to a huge knot in it.

~We got a Lego magazine in the mail for Bradley and Isaiah.

Wednesday:

~We got our first snow of the season (very early I might add).  I knew we needed a belly and body warming meal so I made cheese tortellini with a pesto sauce that included tomatoes and sweet peppers.  So good!

~I froze the rest of the Zuppa Toscana for future meals.

~The cost of orange juice is astronomical right now but if you get it frozen and concentrated, much less so.  I mixed up a pitcher of it from concentrate.

~The Berkey water filter was refilled.  I have been noticing a heavy smell of chlorine in our water coming out of the tap lately and the Berkey filters that out.

~I uploaded Safeway digital coupons into my Safeway card.

Thursday:

~The weather is playing havoc with my sinuses, which in turn leads to nightmares, so I did not get up until nearly 11 a.m..  I had a HUGE cup of coffee and got caught up on the news while I slowly sipped my coffee.  I used a mug that I found at Goodwill that is part of Disney's Winnie the Pooh series that says "some days are more tumbly than others" because it reflects exactly how I am feeling today.  I know it might sounds strange, but I do pick my coffee mugs out according to how I feel each day.

~In need of "comfort food", I cooked up some rice and made some chili with beans to go with it.  Growing up in Hawaii, this was a very common combo and you could find it on menus of most local drive ins.  I had lots leftover for more meals for me.  Jeff is not a chili fan at all, so I rarely have it anymore.

~Jeff picked up 2 bags of cranberries for me while they were on sale and in stock.  I realized that the bags are now 12 oz. instead of 16 oz.  Downsizing but the price is still the same as it was for the 16 oz. bags last year.

~Jeff found caramel sauce for $1.71 per bottle.  That is a great price!  He picked up two bottles.

Friday:

~I got all the cold water/hand washing done.  It feels good to get that all done.

~The quilts/throws that my mother made for Jeff and I all got washed too.

~Turkey bacon was taken out of the freezer to thaw so I can cook it up this weekend.

~I made a HUGE mistake by heading into Pullman to pick up a few things.  It was Family Weekend at WSU and it was absolutely nuts in town!  I was almost rear ended, side swiped and T-boned in my car.  What is wrong with people?  Anyway, I am thankful that at least one of us was paying attention and avoided an accident.

~I stopped at the thrift store and picked up season 2, 3 and 4 of Alias brand new, along with the move Urban Cowboy.  I also found a beautiful Christmas tray with cardinals on it, some plate or book display racks, a few books, and a clothing item.

~A stop at the Dollar Tree led to a great find!  I have always loved the movie "The Sign of the Beaver" and knew that my oldest two grandboys would also love it.  They had the movie there, so I bought it and it will be part of their Christmas present this year.  I picked up a few food items too.

~Of course I hit the Grocery Outlet and picked up some things there.  I did notice that their prices are going up.  Salads at now .50 more than they were even a week ago and soup prices are also on the rise.  I got things there that we will use now and some for our pantry for use in the months ahead.

~I was totally exhausted and sore after shopping, but I still resisted the urge to just have Jeff pick up dinner on his way home.  Instead I got 2 russet potatoes and 1 sweet potato going in the microwave and then got some popcorn chicken out of the freezer and got that going in the air fryer.  It made for a nice meal and it saved a ton of money.  We did have some leftover chicken for a future meal.

   I just wanted to encourage anyone reading this that having someone in the home full time is a huge blessing to a family, whether it be one with kids at home or not.  Your work as a homemaker is important and should be highly valued.  Having someone there to cook delicious meals, tend to the garden, seek out bargains, keep up with the laundry, etc. is a full time job in itself.  I am blessed to be able to do the job I do here at home and am so thankful that Jeff and I are in a position where I can do so despite my Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and other health issues.  I may not be able to work outside the home and bring in income anymore, but I can do things within the home to stretch the income Jeff brings in.  I can also make sure that he comes home most nights to the wonderful smells of a delicious dinner waiting for him, has fresh homemade bread made for sandwiches and toast, has clean clothing to wear and freshly washed sheets to crawl in between at night and has a wife that is not stressed out beyond belief from having to deal with the outside working world on a regular basis.  I can be there to love and support him and listen to him after his long day at work and make sure that he is able to relax and decompress.  That is a gift that I can give to him.  Be encouraged homemakers...your job is important and you are making a difference!

Frugal Friday Wrap Up 10/8/21

 Weekend:

~We worked in that gardens and picked another 2 quarts of blackberries.  I froze them.

~Sunday found us out on the boat with Chris.  I took snacks and drinks with us.  I also took lots of pictures.  It was a wonderful day despite almost getting swamped by the wake of a cruise boat coming up the river who did not slow down.  I was left really bruised and swollen on my "seat end" from the pounding I took going over the wake waves.  Amazingly I stayed calm the entire time while Chris and Jeff got really concerned.  I knew Chris had enough experience and knew how to hit those waves head on and when to speed up to avoid getting swamps.  Chris is an amazing fisherman too and caught lots of perch to take home and threw about the same amount back in the water because they were smaller.  He ended up with 15 fish!  We will be going over for fish tacos in the near future.

~All the sheets were washed and hung up on the line to dry.  I also put the feather bed on the guest bed.  Boy did that feel good given how bruised and swollen I ended up on Sunday and of course there is nothing better than crawling into lined dried bed linens at night.

~I made a Teriyaki meatloaf and served it with rice and a side of pear slices from our garden along with some baby carrots.

~We stopped in to see my cousin Jeremy and his super sweet pittie dog Maggy.  He gave me the dehydrator he picked up for me (he ended up getting it for free).  He also said the he did not want to take his 5x8 foot enclosed trailer with him when he moves, so he is giving it to us.  What a blessing for our whole family to use.  We are also going to be trading living room furniture.  He is taking our brown loveseat and newer brown recliner (they are both lighter in weight than his are) and we are taking his tan colored reclining couch and loveseat.  I am really going to miss him but I know that he is someone who really does not like to stay put in one place too long and he has been here longer than he has been in most places.  We are still within a days drive from each other and I do look forward to going to visit him and being able to go to the Oregon coast.

Monday:

~Jeff got the front flower garden bed all trimmed back since we are expecting killing frost on Wednesday.

~I worked in the gardens harvesting basil, sage rosemary, green onions, tomatoes, squash and beans.  The herbs were all put in the dehydrator, along with some of the green onions.  They will be wonderful for seasoning meals!

~We had not had Scrapple for a long time so I made some using turkey sausage since it is much lower in fat.  I used some sage that I had previously harvested and dehydrated in it.

~I took all the green onions that I harvested from the garden and cut them up.  I ended up with 4 1/2 cups of cut up green onions.  I'm thinking I may dehydrate them once the other herbs are done in the dehydrator rather than freezing them.  It will take up less space that way.

Tuesday: (we are expecting a killing frost Wednesday)

~I picked all the tomatoes that were a good size but still green off the plants to ripen slowly inside the house.

~All the Swiss chard was harvested.  

~I picked all the cucumbers, green peppers that we good sized, cantaloupe that were close to ripeness (hopefully they will still be good) and squash.

~I also picked all the ripe blackberries.

~This is the last warm day so I spent time outside enjoying it before we drop into the 50's for daytime highs.

~Leftover Scrapple and 2 cups of coffee were my breakfast today before I started harvesting stuff.

~I pulled out most of the tomato, cucumber, and all the bean plants out.

~For dinner I made a stroganoff with caramelized onions and 4 slices of roast beef from the deli.  I served it over mashed potatoes.

Wednesday:

~I had leftovers for lunch.

~I was getting that "nudging" again to go and get the shopping done before prices go up again.  I was shocked to see some of the prices on meat had gone up, even at Grocery Outlet.  I did pick up things like cereal, more spices, a big jug of olive oil (I use olive oil as my primary cooking oil here), a few frozen items, canned tomato products, egg noodles, and both beef and chicken stock.  These items came from both Grocery Outlet and Dollar Tree combined.  I also picked up some HBA items at Dollar Tree like two 3 packs of toothbrushes, face wipes and I also found the movie "Caddie Woodlawn" there.  The author of the book the movie was based on lived in Moscow, Idaho where my husband was born. Oh I picked up some house slippers too!

~The thrift store is my go to place for magazines and books, home décor and some clothing items.  I picked up a nice J Jill sweater, a new sports bra, some Fall decorations, Country Woman magazines and 3 books.  One of the books was a cookbook put together in 1979 by the ladies on my little farming community.  It is so much fun to look through it and see so many familiar names and realize that I ate some of the food that the recipes were so generously shared in this cookbook.  Most of the people are now in heaven, but I treasure having this "tie" to them.

~I knew the frost was coming so I had Jeff move the potted herb plants to the hot tub area.  I also did one last picking of things.

~Dinner was baked sausage and cheese balls, a salad and we each had half of a small cantaloupe from the garden.

~I cooked up the Italian Sausage that I had thawed out so it would not go bad.  I will use it Friday to make Zuppa Toscana.  I'll make a big pot of it since Jaysn, Rachel and Steven are coming out Saturday to pick apples at the orchard and we can have it for lunch.  I know both Jaysn and Rachel love it and I can always make Steven and peanut butter sandwich if he would prefer that.

Thursday:

~I was right, the gardens were hit hard by frost.  Luckily the blackberries still seem ok and are still producing.  Everything else, except for the kale, is a goner.  Looks like it is time to finish cleaning out the garden so it is ready for next Spring.

~I packaged up the dehydrated herbs and got half of the green onions I sliced up earlier in the week going.

~The other half of of the green onions were frozen. 

~The last batch of blackberries I picked were made into 2 pints of blackberry jelly.

~Jeff is gone bowling on Thursday nights so I treat myself to a nice meal that he does not care for but I like.  Tonight it was lobster ravioli that I found for $4.99 at the Grocery Outlet.  I had a glass of wine, some pear slices (from our pears from our trees) and some sourdough  toast with it.  YUMMY!

Friday:

~Not a frugal day at all!  I took some medication to help with my anxiety and it knocked me out.  Jeff ended up bringing home dinner for us.

Frugal Friday Wrap 6/25/21

   

  Late posting again...the heat is on here and it is making me melt.  I am thankful for a home that is staying coollish thanks to the swamp cooler.  My heart goes out to everyone who is having trouble with this heat and has no way to cool down.

Weekend:

~Jeff had to work on Saturday until 2 p.m..  Once he got home we made a trip into town to pick up things like kitty litter, bananas and a few other items.  I found grapes on sale at Walmart for .98 a pound!  We did notice that there were lots of gaps on the food shelves including huge ones in produce and dairy.  Hopefully this is not going to become the new "normal" for awhile.

~Rite Aid had their plants all marked down to 75% off.  I found some rather scraggly looking tomato plants and bought them.  I figured $1 for 4 plants was worth the risk.  We also bought 8 sweet pepper plants at another place.  The price of peppers had been outrageous lately so I wanted to try and grow some of our own.

~I harvested most of the spinach and planted the scraggly tomatoes in their place.  They are looking so good now and seem to love it.  I knew they just needed some TLC. 😉 

~The  pepper plants were planted in the front garden raised bed and seem to like it there also.

~Oh I found a 24 pack of Yoplait yogurt at the Grocery Outlet for $1.97.  Snacks and breakfasts for me!

~The strawberries are doing well and each day I seem to be able to harvest more and more.  YUM!

~For Father's Day I marinated some venison steaks in red wine and herb salts and served that with cheesy julienned potatoes and a salad made from kale and spinach from the garden.  Jeff had his salad with homemade croutons and thousand island dressing while I made a strawberry and spinach salad with homemade dressing.  It was all so delicious!

~We watched several movies on the Disney Channel.

~We talked to all the boys on Father's Day.  How did Jeff and I get so blessed to be their  dad and mom? 💓

~We put a lattice trellis up over the radishes and some of the lettuce hoping to keep them from burning in the hot sun.

Monday:

~Sheets were washed and hung out on the line to dry.  Jeff was a sweetheart and made the beds with the freshly washed and dried sheets in the evening while I was out doing the watering in the gardens.

~I harvested more strawberries from the garden.

~Venison burgers and corn on the cob, along with salad from the garden, for dinner.  Rhubarb cake was dessert.

~I've been reading my "Cooking with Stored Foods" cookbook to get more ideas to use with my food storage items.  No, I am not Mormon, but I am prudent and believe in food security after having gone through some very rough times in the past.

~Later in the day I harvested a bunch of radishes and snacked on those.

~It has been over a year since I went to our town library.  I went down today and found two interesting books to read.

Tuesday:

~Leftovers for lunch.

~I harvested lettuce and more strawberries from the garden.

~I spent some time watching gardening videos on how to increase my yield of tomatoes and peppers.

~The squash plants got a leaf trimming so the bees can find the flowers more easily.

~It is hard for me to remember to drink water and I really have to force myself to do so.  Grapes however, I love!  They are loaded with lots of juice so I make a deal with myself that I can eat those IF I will drink water after doing so.  I know, it may seem silly, but I had to find a way to actually get myself to drink more water.

~The temperatures are climbing higher and higher.  It was 90F out on the covered back porch even with the blinds blocking the sun at 2 p.m..  I have started closing up the house earlier and earlier before the temperatures get too hot so that it remains cooler in the house for a longer period of time before I have to turn on the swamp cooler.  I am also taking cooler showers mid-day to help cool my core body temperature down and I let my hair dry naturally.  We are supposed to be up in the 100's this weekend.  UGH!

~I used to love reading Laine's Letters and printed off a bunch of them.  I'm going back to reread them once more because I found them calming, inspiring and it helped me to appreciate all that I have been blessed with and not fretting about the budget so much.

Wednesday:

~It was cloudy and overcast, so it kept the temps down into the 80's.  Since it was a bit cooler, Jeff and I decided to go to our oldest two grandsons PeeWee game in the evening.  When I had Heather ask Isaiah if we could come or not (I knew he would be excited!) he replied "Why would I ever say no?"  Oh how I love that kiddo!

~I picked more roses and greenery from the garden and made 2 flower arrangements.

~The citrus mint was trimmed back from the newer Clematis plants.  I took all the trimmings and dried the leaves for tea.

~I made chicken meatballs in BBQ sauce and homemade mac and cheese for dinner.  A definite hubby pleaser. 😋 It may not be the healthiest of meals but dang is it good.

~I got the hot tub all filled back up with water (the level went down due to evaporation) and the chemicals refilled also.  With the heat coming I know that we will be using it kind of like a plunge pool to cool off in.

~I was able to help a few friends that are going through a rough time...sometimes all you need to do is be there to listen and love them.

~We had some very happy grandsons, Isaiah and Bradley, to have their Grammie and G-pa at the game.  They won!  Is there anything better than hugs and "I love yous" from your grandkids?  I think not. 💗

Thursday:

~I cleaned out the refrigerator and the pantry.  I was able to consolidate a lot of things so there is more room in the pantry now.

~Strawberries were picked, sliced and frozen for future toppings for pound cake, pancakes and waffles.

~I also picked most of the radishes that we left in the garden and got those topped and stems off so they are ready to add to salads.

~The laundry was done and most (except for Jeff's work shirts) was hung out on the line to dry.  Jeff's shirts dry really quickly in the dryer so very little energy used there.  I dry them in there because they need to be wrinkle free.

~Jeff took leftovers for lunch.

~The mint I dried the previous day was all packaged up and ready to give to someone for tea.

~We got commodities today and I am so very thankful!  In addition to the food (I only got about half of what they had since many of the items were not ones that we would use (canned ravioli, canned carrots) or items that we already had a surplus of, so I left them for someone who would, they gave out $40 gift cards to local grocery stores.  I have only seen them do this one time in the past and that was in the Christmas baskets that we gave out years ago when I was running this community blessing.  Such a huge surprise and one that was much appreciated and will help us tremendously!

~While in the garden this morning, I was able to see that the Cos lettuce is doing very well under the shade of the zucchini leaves. YAY!!!

~I was so tired and hot after going to get commodities and working in the yard that I just pulled a homemade frozen meal out of the freezer to heat up for dinner.  Chicken fajita and rice served with salad from the garden is what is for dinner.

~I have one of the whole chickens we got from commodities thawing in the freezer.  This will be cooked up Friday in the crockpot so I can make various meals, including soup that I will freeze for a future meal when it is cooler.

Friday:

~I harvested more lettuce and strawberries from the garden.

~Two hours were spent trying to get my health insurance stuff all uploaded and documented.  UGH!  Very stressful and my body reacted accordingly.

~The bathroom rugs and towels were washed and hung out on the line to dry.

~Two more loaves of bread were made.  I also cut up a loaf of sourdough bread and stuck it in the refrigerator so it will not go bad in this heat.

~The chicken was cooked in the crockpot until it fell off the bones.  Serving this with mashed potatoes and a big green salad.

~I had to take Patchy cat to the vet...yes, I drove because Jeff was at work and the kids are either at work or out of town.  At least I had my free Kitty Carrier to take her in so she would not be roaming the car the whole time.  The HomeoPet seemed to be working but it got worse again today so we went.  Turns out she does have a urinary tract infection and stones (big ones) that will have to be removed surgically.  Her surgery is set for Tuesday. 😢  Another hit to the finances, but we had no choice...she is our fur baby.

~I brought in both of the fans from the garage and am using them to help circulate the cooler air in the house.

   Here's to staying out of the heat for the rest of this coming week!