Frugal Friday Wrap Up 8/1/25

   

   Jeff was finally ready to return to work 2 days a week.  He is working Monday and Wednesday and going to physical therapy on Tuesday and Thursday.  Wednesday they were especially happy to have him there since the other 2 people in his department were both out.  He ended up working a half an hour longer than normal so he could help close up the store at the end of the day.  He is coming home really tired, but I know that he is also happy seeing so many people he knows once again.  He does still plan on fully retiring this Fall though.

~We had our town wide yard sales on Saturday and Jeff and I decided to go to them.  We scored some good stuff.  We found a large tote on wheels for $10.  We had been looking for one to put in the back of our truck for when we go camping.  We also found the following all the following for $12: sterling silver earrings, another cute pair of earrings, a large 31 brand insulated bag (I had been wanting one since our last one broke), 2 Ruck for the Fallen shirts, 1 Ruck for the Fallen hoodie, a like new quilted flannel jacket for my hubby, a nice reversible leather belt for hubby, and one other item that I cannot remember at the moment.  

~We had some nice visits with our neighbors that day.  One of them is going to be retiring soon and had lots of questions and concerns about how to transition from working full time to being fully retired and how I managed it.

~Lots of raspberries were picked along with more tomatoes, blueberries and the barrel of potatoes was harvested with dismal results.  We think it was due to the heat and us being in a drought since everything was drying out so quickly.

~We ate lots of salads this week with lettuce and tomatoes from our garden.

~Jeff changed the alternator in our truck.  The battery is now holding a charge!

~Jeff cleaned out the chest freezer.  Wen found all kinds of stuff buried in there.  I need to keep a better eye on things.

~We had leftover pancakes for 2 more meals.

~I cooked up a pork loin for dinner one night and it gave us 2 dinners and 1 lunch

~Jeff picked up bananas at the grocery store while he was in town.

~More hummingbird food was made, and the feeder was refilled every 2 days.

~Jeff got one of our bigger bills payments changed to come out after his social security check comes in each month.

~We had several nice telephone calls with my parents.

~I found chicken thighs for $1.29 a pound and bought a family pack of them.  That gave us 8 thighs.  I had one and Jeff had the rest over several more meals.  He loves oven baked chicken!

~I have been trying to us up some of the mashed potato, rice and pasta mixes from the pantry as side dishes.  I do not want any of those things to go bad.

~I did break down and have Jeff bring home Panda for dinner on Wednesday.  It got up to 101 F on our back porch and I really do not do heat well.  The last thing I wanted to do was heat up the kitchen.  We had leftovers that I morphed into another meal adding a few veggies to it.

~I went through my buttons stash and found buttons to sew onto and fix 2 pairs of Jeff's shorts.  He is happy to have the shorts fixed again.

~I made a grilled cheese on sourdough with sliced tomatoes (from our garden) and Colby Jack cheese for lunch one of the days that Jeff was at work.  It was so good and the perfect comfort food.

~I have been enjoying listening to Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar on YouTube.  It reminds me of my childhood growing up in Hawaii and hearing it played at night at the resort my father managed. It is one of the things that I can always count on to calm my soul.

~I gave Jeff a haircut.

~We picked the summer apples off our tree.  So many were lost early due to the heat.

~We harvested the two remaining raised beds of potatoes and got about half of what we did the previous year.  Still, I am grateful for what we were able to harvest.

~I made a large venison meatloaf, and it gave us 3 meals with sides added.

~I uploaded Safeway's digital coupons to my card.

   We had to cancel having our Steven out on Friday to be with us for the day.  There is something going around at Jeff's work, which we did not want to expose him to.  That is the last thing Jaysn and Rachel need to worry about with her still recovering for her ACL surgery.  It turned out to be for the best anyways since the weather was a bit stormy and a very lovely cool temperature.  It was not however conducive to swimming at the pool.  Jeff and I spent the morning in the garden and rested in the afternoon.  I have discovered that this slower pace of life is starting to fit me better and better.  I am not feeling the pressure to get everything done at once and pacing myself helps with the pain levels.  I can always tell when I overdo it...my body just screams at me.  Stupid Fibromyalgia anyway.  

   So there we go.  That was our frugal week.  This next week will also be a frugal one.  I will not be going to the next town over town wide yard sales.  I will be baking bread, working on making applesauce with those apples and am hoping to be able to get one more picking of them if the wind does not shake them all down.  Jeff will be working on car repairs and he and I will work on some inside projects that desperately need to be done.  Be blessed!

Frugal Friday Wrap Up 7/25/25

 

~Jeff made a second compost bin with some of the pallets that we have here.  He also dug out the top layer of the other bin, put that on the bottom of the new bin, and now we can reach and use all the rich compost that is at the bottom of the old bin.  Oh how I love that man of mine and how handy he is!

~We harvested 6 gallon sized bags full of lettuce from the garden before it went bitter and to bolt.  I gave some of it away.

~Our tomato plants are blessings us each day with ripe and juicy little bursts of sunshine.  There is nothing like a warm from the sun tomato fresh out of the garden to eat.

~The raspberries continue to produce for us.  I have frozen a lot, given some away, snacked on them fresh like crazy, made 4 quarts of raspberry vodka and have more to go out and pick tonight.

~The blueberries have produced more this year than ever before.  I am enjoying them too.  Dinner Wednesday night was smoked breakfast sausages and pancakes, plan for Jeff and blueberry for me, with homemade syrup.

~We picked up fruit and a bottle of wine from the Farmer's Market on Saturday.  We also went to a few yard sales where I bought Bath and Body Works body sprays, a really cool puzzle/model (will be a gift), and 3 seasons of Last Man Standing on DVD.  Steven was given a toy glider that has its own motor.  He was thrilled! 

~Jeff and I hit a sale at Bath and Body works.  It was their semiannual sale.  I also had a coupon for a free product since it is my birthday month.  I walked out with a body spray and 2 yummy smelling liquid soaps for the kitchen and bathroom.  We bought these days before the yard sales where I found the other body sprays.  I am now set for years!

~I made homemade Fettuccini Alfredo since I had everything I needed on hand, and it is a favorite with Jeff and I.  It made 2 meals for each of us.  

~Green salads have been on the menu also.  Jeff and I each enjoy making them the way we want.  

~Jeff grilled up some sausages on the outdoor grill and I made homemade Sweet Potato Fries in the Air Fryer.  They were so good.  Jeff cooked up extra sausages and they have been a blessing with my fibro flares.

~Jeff worked on the pop up tent trailer.  Some of the hydraulic lifts were not working right so he built braces for the roof.

~One especially hot night, when I really did not want to cook, I quickly threw together cheese quesadillas and served them with salsa.  They were really good and so easy and quick to make.

~Steven helped me measure all the drawers and cabinets in the trailer so that I could find containers that were mouse proof that would fit in each of them.  I want to be able to store things in the trailer so that we are ready to go at a moment's notice. 

~We spent Friday afternoon at our town's swimming pool.  It is only $2 for a day pass per person.  The water felt amazing and I got to visit with some of my old students who now have families of their own.

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. ;)

   

Frugal Friday Wrap Up 06/20/25

   It has turned out to be another busy week.  I had tried to keep things calm and limited trips out of town, but that was not to be.  We did stay home over the weekend and that was a much-needed break from all that had happened the previous week.   Jeff just wanted a quiet day at home for Father's Day, so that is what we did.  I do believe there were naps involved both over the weekend and during the week for both of us. Four different doctors' appointments of four different days for Jeff, having Steven here Friday, going to get our concealed carry permits, still attempting to get Jeff's enhanced driver's license, and doing some grocery shopping again wore me out.  Did I mention that all but three of these things required us to drive to other towns?  Then there is also the gardening to make sure we take care of.  At least Jeff is able to help with some of that once again, which is lovely!

   Onto the Frugal Doings:

~I did a sheet-pan dinner with 5 Italian Sausages along with a cut up onion and a large cut up orange pepper seasoned with salt pepper and Italian seasonings.  I served these on hot dog buns.  YUM!  

~I took the 1 leftover sausage, along with the leftover onions and peppers and turned them into dinner for Sunday.  I cut up everything and then added it to frozen cheese ravioli and pasta sauce, which I baked in the oven covered at 425F for an hour.  I then added some Pecorino cheese, along with Monterey Jack Cheese (because I was too lazy to go and get the froze block of Mozzarella cheese out of the freezer and deal with all that) right before serving, stirred some of it in and also topped it with some and set it under broil.  These made lots of leftovers.  I also served a spinach salad (with spinach from our garden) with it.

~I made a HUGE salad with some Romaine from the store, along with spinach, other types of lettuce, and radishes from our garden.  Jeff and I each customized our salads with various dressings, croutons, and other add ins.  There were leftovers which made for a nice side salad later in the week.

~I pulled all the radishes and got those washed and put in the refrigerator for snacking and salad making.  I also pulled all the spinach out since it was just starting to bolt.  I made a delicious spinach and strawberry salad for me with some of it, along with strawberries from the garden.  I also picked more strawberries throughout the week for snacking on.

~I got the tomato plants all staked up.  I also found a few volunteer ones that I will add to other areas in the garden.

~The cucumbers and summer squash plants, that I started in the greenhouse from seed, were all put into the garden.

~I made more Hummingbird food for our tiny, feathered friends.  They bring me so much joy! :)

~We had a lovely chat with my parents over the weekend via Facebook.  They were both looking really good and it was an easy and much needed one.  My parents are such a great and loving support for all of us.

~Jeff got more shade cloth put up over the roof of our greenhouse so the plants inside did not get sunburned and roasted.  Luckily, we still had some on hand, so we did not have to go out and buy more.

~Homemade lemon thyme and chive butters were made with herbs from the garden and frozen for future use.

~I scraped out the bowls I made the homemade herb butters in and spread that on tangy slices of sourdough bread.  

~I got my sourdough starter fed again and used the discard to make some long fermentation cheese crackers.

~Jeff helped me get the homemade blackberry vodka and raspberry gin into proper bottles instead of canning jars.  This freed up room in my refrigerator also.

~I made some homemade scrapple.  It is one of our favorites and is a very frugal.  We can make 3 meals out of it.

   Steven spent Friday with us once again.  Jaysn blessed us with donuts when he dropped Steven off in the morning. Steven helped us tremendously with the garden.  He planted cucumbers with me and I planted the squash.  We had some leftover cucumber plants which Steven took next door to his beloved Auntie Shannon.  He helped harvest more strawberries and rhubarb.  Later in the evening, Chris stopped by on his way to work the Sprint Boat races the following day.  We sent him off with some cucumber plants (that I had promised him), a nice hoodie that I found at Goodwill that I thought he would like (he did!), and something to drink on the drive over to where he would be working the next day.  

   As you can see, it has been a busy week for us.  Be blessed all!

Frugal Friday Wrap Up 5/29/24

 

                                 When the kitty steals your new bed...

    Jeff is recovering from orthoscopic knee surgery and has to be off his leg for at least 3 weeks.  The first week was pretty rough, but we are now in the second week and the doctor prescribed some meds to help him relax so he can heal faster.  He is trying to help me with the household tasks and amazes me with what he can do without putting pressure on that leg.  That being said, I am still having to do the majority of the things he usually does around here.  With my own problem knees, back, hip and fibromyalgia, this has not been easy and I am exhausted but it has to be done.  Luckily our kids and neighbors are helping out with mowing the lawn, and doing other household tasks that I cannot do.  Prayers for my sweet hubby are appreciated and welcomed.

   This is a conglomeration of my frugal doings over the past month or so.  My memory is not the best, but I will try to list all I remember.  

~I'm back to making bread again.  I had taken a break for about 3 weeks, and both Jeff and I missed my homemade bread.

~Jeff got my back screened in porch furniture all take out of the shed and back where it belongs.  This was before his surgery.   I love sitting out here while I type up my blogs along with eating meals and having coffee (or cocktails depending on the time and the day).

~Jeff and I went to an estate sale and I found lots of nice quality named branded clothing in both my size and his, some were even new with tags.  I got us all stocked up for the colder weather months again.  I also bought a gorgeous crystal bud vase and a book.

~Yard sale finds included 2 sterling silver rings for $3 each and some more books.

~Thrift store finds were a caftan, some small shaker style jars to store seasonings in for the camper, and women's bible study book for me and a nice sweatshirt for Chris.  We also found some shorts and shoes for Jeff at a second store.

~I went to JoAnn Fabric on one of their last days and bought interior paint for the pop-up tent trailer at 80% off and also got bra extenders for under $1 per package.

~I put together my own hanging baskets of flowers for a fraction of the price of premade ones.

~We were able to use the ramp that goes over the back steps onto the porch that we use for pellets for Jeff to be able to use his walker to get into the house after his surgery.  I am so glad he built that thing and that we have wonderful friends and neighbors who got it set up for us before we got home.

~I found Hershey's chocolate candy for .79 cents a bar on clearance.  I bought 20 of them to use for making smores when we go camping (okay, there is one less chocolate bar now since Jeff and I split on a particularly frustrating day).

~We have a local to our town Farmers Market.  I went down to it for the first time this season on Sunday.  I bought some rhubarb blueberry jam and some homemade goat's milk soap for my hubby that a dear friend makes.  They were also giving out some food leftover from our town's commodities distribution.  I got a 4 bags of powdered milk, 2 bags of lentils, 2 bags of split peas, a bag of pears and a bag of apples for free.  This will really help with the food budget.

~The garden has been planted out with 5 tomato plants, radishes, spinach, lettuce, 2 1/2 beds of potatoes, 1 raised bed of beans, and I have cucumbers and zucchini started in the greenhouse.  Once the spinach and radishes are done, I will plant the cucumbers there and trellis them.  The zucchini will be planted out in another spot in the garden.

~Our new Home Depot opened and I was able to find 2 medium sized planters with pink Dalias in them for $8.00 each. They are now on either side of my bench in the front of the house walkway.

~I'm cherry picking the deals again at the grocery store and found pork loins for $3.00 each after my discount and the half off sticker.  This made 3 servings. I also found thinly sliced round steak that I turned into some delicious stroganoff with the addition of a package of sliced mushrooms.  This made 5 servings when served over baked potatoes.  I also got 2 more cans of baking chocolate so I can make homemade hot cocoa mix for Jeff to have in his coffee.  It is much cheaper for me to make it that buy the premade stuff.

~Our neighbors had bought a big watermelon and had too much for just the two of them so they gave us part of it.

~Our son Jaysn, along with our Rachel and grandson Steven came over and got the swamp cooler up and running for us.  This was really sweet of them since Jeff is in the second week of his recovery from knee surgery and still cannot put any weight on it or bend it.  We had pizza for dinner, along with some watermelon and had a wonderful visit with the 3 of them.

~I got the lighter weight quilts out that my mother made for the bed and the smaller ones for the living room to cuddle up under when the nights are cooler.  The heavier feather duvet got folded up and the duvet cover got washed and put away for the season.

~While making the guest bed (which is where I sleep), I put 4 hand embroidered pillowcases on my pillows.  These are ones that I found at previous yard and estate sales and compliment my mother's quilt that I put on the bed.

   Next week will be a rough one for our family with Jeff's siblings, his aunt, one of his cousins, and our kids and grandkids having a graveside service for both Jeff's parents.  Following that, we will be scattering his Aunt Helen's ashes up on the mountain where her parents' ashes are.  Given the family dynamics, well, we will see if everyone can just focus on paying our respects to our beloved family members who have passed.  We are looking forward to seeing Jeff's aunt and cousin and visiting with them, along with getting to spend a bit of time with our Josh who is coming up for the service.  As you all know if you have been reading this blog for awhile, family is our personal treasure here on earth.

   

   

Surgery for Hubby and Other Things

 

   Jeff was finally able to get his much-needed knee surgery.  There was more damage than they thought, but all in all it was the best outcome possible.  He is now having to keep his knee totally straight for two weeks and not put any pressure on it. Week three he can start to bend it and we will see at that point if he can start to put any pressure on it or not.  The doctor figured that he would be off work for about 6 weeks and then can go back but be careful with his knee for a bit more time.  Getting around the house with his walker (which he decided yesterday that he was done with and switched to crutches which he had me retrieve from Chris and Heather) was wearing him out, especially the getting up and down part.  I know he thought the crutches would be easier, but sadly, that is not the way it turned out.  Between the surgery on Tuesday and expending all that energy, he is exhausted and taking multiple naps a day.  We are staying up until 11p.m. for him to take his pain pill before bed, and then are back up at 5:15 a.m. for another pain pill.  Of course the fur babies all think that they are starving at that point, so I get all of them fed, coffee going for Jeff and I and then get him something to eat.  By 9 a.m., both of us head back to bed for a bit.   Now, if I were a normal and healthy person, this would not also be taking a toll on me so much, but you have to remember that I have fibromyalgia, along with hip and back problems.  I am doing my best at trying to take care of him, the house and yard, but let me just say this...some things are definitely slipping through the cracks.  I will be enlisting the help of my oldest grandson Bradley next week to mow the yard and possibly get Jaysn over here to work on the swamp cooler this long weekend since the temperatures are supposed to get up in the high 80's.  YUCK!

   Before Jeff's surgery, I tried to get as much done as I could and get stocked up on everything we needed grocery wise except for the fresh produce and dairy products.  I did get some apples, since the last longer, but Jeff loves to have a banana a day, so I will have to run into the grocery store at some point for that.  Since Jeff will be without a paycheck for about 6 weeks, I told him we are just practicing for when he fully retires.  I will be getting a very small SS check starting in July, but we are going to try and save half of it and use the rest to pay for windshield replacements on both Jeff's car and the truck, and get the rest of the things Jeff needs to fix some other things on his car.  We are waiting to see how much his Medicare/Medicaid will pick up in costs, since we will have to pay off his knee surgery also.  At this point he is saying he wants to retire this Fall, but he also wants to make sure we get these other things done and paid for first.  I get where he is coming from.

   We are hoping our garden does well this year.  I have spinach, radishes, lettuce and potatoes already coming up.  My tomato plants have been living in the greenhouse and will be planted out tomorrow.  I have 5 different plants of different varieties.  I wanted everything from cherry tomatoes to pear tomatoes and onto big slicers.  I didn't pick out any Roma plants this year or grow any from seed because I still have bags and bags of them frozen from last year that I still need to process.  I started zucchini and cucumbers last week in the greenhouse and am waiting for all of them to come up and get a bit more established before I get them planted out.  Beans will be directly seeded this coming week and I am hoping I get lots of them also.  Jeff and I love green and yellow beans, and I'd like to blanch and freeze at least 15 bags of them this year in addition to eating some fresh.

   There really is not much else going on around here at the moment.  Other than going to the doctor for Jeff's knee surgery checkups and doing the occasional grocery shopping, we will pretty much be home bodies for the next 6 weeks or so.  Steven will be joining us on Fridays in early June, so that will be a much needed and delightful distraction for both Jeff and I.  He just celebrated his 8th birthday and lucky for me, is still cuddly.  ;)

  

I hope you all have a nice Memorial Day weekend.  Please take a moment to remember the reason for this long weekend and send up good thoughts and prayers for the families of those who have lost loved ones who served.  Please also pray for those currently serving and for their families also.  With the way the world is right now, our brave men and women can be put in harms way at any moment.  This is coming from a mom who lives with this knowledge and possibility every single day.  Thank you and God Bless!

   

   

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.

   

 

   

   

Frugal Friday Wrap Up Over the Past Month

   I want to first thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers for my cousin Jeremy, Jeff's aunt Helen, and for us.  The loss of Jeremy has taken a huge toll on us emotionally.  We appreciate it and all of you so very much.  Jeff's aunt continues to have health struggles that we are trying to get to the bottom of and to get her the best care plan possible going forward.  We are also trying to get her trailer sold.  After a visit with my parents, we can see that my daddy is having some struggles with his balance, and we can see that he is definitely slowing down. It's hard to see him that way because he was always such a strong man physically.  He is in his late 80's now and I know just how blessed I am to still have him in my life.

   Below is a compilation of things that we tried to save money and some of the "curveballs" that life threw our way.  I know there are so many things that I missed, but given what all we were going through at the time, I'm sure that you will all understand.  I hope that you find something that will help you on your frugal journey in the post below.  

   

     Also four weeks ago:  Well, it is a good thing we did so well a few weeks ago with our frugality because we needed the money we saved to cover getting my car ready for long trips this summer.  New brake pads, fixing a rotor and a complete transmission flush was NOT cheap, but needed to be done.  Hopefully this is the end of car repairs and/or replacements for years to come.  UGH! This did not help with my fibromyalgia flare at all.

   Four weeks ago:

~I cut up and froze 4 pints of strawberries and 2 packages of Kalua Pig.

~Jeff built me a cucumber arch and I got cucumber seeds in and also planted more lettuce, spinach, and pok choi.

~Jeff got more well-rotted and aged chicken poop dug into more of the areas in the garden that I still need to plant out.

~ We had to go back up to work on Jeff's aunt's home, have a meeting with her care team and we also went to her physical therapy with her.  She did so well and really enjoyed having Jeff right there to help her.

~After our time with Jeff's aunt, we went out to lunch at Olive Garden.  We ordered off the lunch menu.  With our $25 gift card, we only ended up paying a little under $12 for lunch.  I did notice that they have changed their menu and there is way less on it now.

~Tuesday was a rough day for me after the really busy day before.  I ended up on the couch and in bed for most of the day.  I still managed to make dinner for us thanks to instant mashed potatoes, canned pears and chicken tenders quickly done in the air fryer.

~I fed my sourdough starter and made some sourdough discard crackers.

~The hummingbirds are back so I made some hummingbird food and filled then hung up the feeder outside for them.

~I called my cousin Jeremy and had a phone visit with him.  Please keep him in your prayers and pray for healing for him.

~We are getting our dates planned out for our trip to Utah to see Josh, Lauren, Tate and Peyton!  We will be down there for my birthday and I am so very excited.  We are already planning out things to do and see.  Josh reminded me that it will be really hot and he is being protective of me since I do not do heat well.  I think we will be going to the splash pads and the river near them.

~Jeff and I stopped into a Goodwill and found 2 brand new and fun t-shirts, some brand new tennis shoes in the exact size and brand that he wears ($7.99), a book, and some decorative ivy vines that I wanted for decorating.

~I continue to "cherry pick" the sales.  Oh my goodness, we all need to be on the lookout for deals and stock up when we see them.

~I called my dad on his birthday and we had a nice visit.

~I set up auto pay on our vehicle loan after the check we sent for a payment never made it to them.

   Three weeks ago:

Family emergency came up and we had to take a trip down to see my cousin Jeremy and pick up his dog.  We tried to be frugal on our trip, but it was still about $500 all included with gas, hotels costs, eating out, etc.  We now need to buckle down even more.

~Josh and Lauren graciously paid for our hotel room the first night of our trip.

~Instead of going out to eat all the time while on our trip, I packed snacks, we had burritos from the truck stop store on night and bought sandwiches several times. We did eat out at Applebee's one night with my cousin Andy and my Aunt Phyllis.  Andy made us breakfast one morning also.  

~The hotel that we stayed at on our way back home greeted its guests with a glass of wine.  Since there were two of us, we got two glasses of wine.  Jeff does not drink, so I had them both.  They also had a nice breakfast buffet that we took advantage of.  

~We spent one of the nights with my cousin Andy at the beautiful townhouse he rented.  I took full advantage of the big deep bathtub for a much-needed soak after a long drive.

~We took a side trip up to Crater Lake on our way home.  I asked about buying a National Park pass and they saw my handicapped parking placard. They handed me a form to fill out and I got a free lifetime pass because of my disability.

~Jeff and I stopped at 2 Goodwills, including 1 with a bins room.  I was able to find some nice and fun shirts, as well as some other home items that we had been looking for including a second pizza stone.

~I made a meatloaf one night for dinner and served it with some beans that I had grown and frozen last season, and some mashed potatoes.

~The next night I took the leftover meatloaf and made a macaroni , beef and cheese bake.  The sauce was a canned spaghetti sauce that had leftover red wine, more spices and cheese in it.

~I bought Maggie 3 large bones from our local meat shop here in town.  I gave her 1 and froze the other 2 for later. Talk about a happy dog.

~Maggie and I went for a walk around the neighborhood.

~Jeff fixed the lawnmower yet again.  He is a very handy hubby!

~We brought home food and canning jars from Jeremy's house.

~I've been talking to Jeremy every day and sending him pictures of Maggie and her adventures.  Being stuck in a hospital bed, he has really enjoyed seeing these pictures of her.

~My parents have offered to pay for our gas for our trip over to see them and all of our expenses will be covered while we stay with them also.  They have graciously agreed to let us bring Maggie with us too.

~I cashed in my points at Safeway for a free 2 lb brick of cheese.  I picked the most expensive item that we use on a regular basis to use my points on.

~I noticed that I have several volunteer tomato plants coming up in the front raised garden bed,  I think most of them are cherry tomatoes, but there is one that may be a Roma.  These will be transplanted to another spot.

~We had two nights of frost warnings so we covered up some of the raised garden beds with old sheets and a large tarp that went over the strawberry, rhubarb and blueberry patches.

~I picked, stripped, blanches and froze a 5-gallon bucket full of spinach that had overwintered.

~Heather, Chris, Bradley and Isaiah came over and brought dinner on Thursday night.  She made tacos with homemade sourdough tortillas (yum).  It was wonderful to have time with all of them.  Maggie (dog) enjoyed bounding around the backyard with the boys as they chased each other.

Three weeks ago:

~We took a trip over to see my parents and my brother in Montana.  Maggie came with us and Shannon took care of the cats.  It was so nice to be there with them and we got to visit with our friends Burl and Maggy also.

~While visiting my parents, we were invited to go to the dress rehearsal of the musical "Beauty and the Beast" at the Bigfork playhouse that was going to be opening to the paying public the next night.  It was absolutely wonderful and we were so blessed to have been in the right place at the right time to get the invite.

~Yes, you know it, we checked out the thrift store and I found a few things there.

~I called the hospital where Jeremy was at on Tuesday morning and got the sad news that he had passed away about an hour prior to my call.  Oh my heart hurt.  Since we were with my parents and brother, we all contacted family members to let them know.

~We stopped at the Care Center where Jeff's aunt is on our way home from Montana.  We took Maggie in to meet her and the staff and other residents there all spoiled Maggie rotten with treats and lots of petting.

~We ate out of the pantry, fridge and freezer upon our return home.  

~We ate out of the pantry, fridge and freezer upon our return home.

This past week:

~My new car, yes my new car, has developed transmission issues  UGH!!! Luckily we had bought a warranty for it and hopefully the cost, minus the $250 diagnostic test, should be covered.  Jeff, Steven and I took it down to Lewiston to the dealership.  Still waiting to hear what they come up with.

~I bought some shorts, a few shirts and soft summer dress at a few thrift stores.  I also bought some baskets and a few books.  Steven picked out a magic set.

~Steven helped me pick out a new collar for Maggie and we made her a nice new info tag (her jewelry) so if she gets lost, people can contact us.  We also picked up a huge 44 lb bag of dog food.  It was about half the price by unit than the smaller bags.

~I made a big tuna pasta salad.  It provided two meals for us.

~My doctor sent in a prescription for 3 month supplies of all my meds.

~Jeff brought home the leftover popcorn from the big popcorn machine on Saturday since they would be closed on Sunday.

~I made two loaves of bread.

~We got stocked up again on fruit and veggies since there was not a lot in our house.  I have been planning meals around them since we are trying to eat healthier.

~I picked my first strawberry off our new strawberry patch in the side garden.

~After getting a tetanus shot, I got really tired.  I don't know if there is a connection there because of my fibromyalgia or not.  I decided to take a nap and put off my afternoon plans of working in the garden. I later found out that it did the same thing to my grandson Bradley.

~I found a book that I had been looking for at a small little store across the street from my doctor's office.  I had been looking for a copy of "Five Little Peppers Grown Up" for years.  I found one there that was given as a gift from an aunt to their niece for Christmas of 1918.  How cool is that?  I love old books and was thrilled to find this treasure for just $12.

~I booked a hotel in Boise for our upcoming trip (it is the halfway point for us) through Priceline and got a great deal on a hotel with a pool and free breakfast.  I also was able to Use Rakutan, which will get me more money back.

~I chatted online with my cousin Andy (Jeremy's brother) for a bit.  He flew back over from Thailand to be with his mother and to spread Jeremy's ashes in a place that is special to my aunt.  Oh how my heart aches for them.  He asked about Maggie and I sent him a picture of her with her new collar and her chewing on a bone.

~ I found more volunteer tomato plants coming up in another raised bed where I grew them two years ago.

~We have been eating lots of leftovers for lunches.

~I finally got all my summer clothes and winter clothing switched out in my dresser.  I now have 3 bags full of clothes to try and sell at our yard sale.  I still have the closets to go through.

~Jeff and I broke down and bought some cantaloupe plants for the garden since only one of the seeds I planted came up.  We found two containers that had 3 plants in each of them so that saved us a ton of money right there.

   Life continues and we are adjusting to our new "normal" of having both Remi (Helen's cat) and Maggie (my cousin Jeremy's dog) living with us.  Maggie gets along well with all our cats, except Remi.  Remi is the cause of that though and she does not get along with any of the other cats either.  Maggie has also made friends with Whiskey, Shannon's youngest dog.  It is sweet to see both of them looking for each other when they are out in the back yard.  Please forgive me the lack of pictures.  I have not taken many lately.  Hopefully that will change with my next post.  Be blessed my sweet friends!

   

    

Frugal Friday Wrap Up 5/1/24 and 5/10/24

 

   Grammie brag!!! Our Isaiah is quite the hunter, he lined up his shot and got both turkeys with one bullet!  We are so proud of him.  His daddy also got a turkey so they now have 3 for the freezer. 😊  Isaiah is our hands on, outdoor loving kid who is happiest fishing and hunting.  I love that he shares this passion with his dad (our son Chris).

   Life once again got away from us.  We have been so busy both physically and mentally.  Many, many phone calls have been made concerning Jeff's aunt's trailer and her care. There was also a trip up there and another one coming up this Monday to hopefully finalize the Power of Attorney for Jeff's aunt and pick up the last of the items that she wants from her home.  A few will be going to her at the care center to help decorate her space.  I really hope that will help he feel more settled in.  This has been a rough journey for her, and for someone who has lived alone most of her life, a HUGE adjustment.

   

Week 1:

~We went to a dear friend and his son's birthday party over the weekend and had a wonderful time!

~Jeff installed the new toilet into our guest bathroom.

~I got the steaks I bought on sale repacked up, along with 1-pound blocks of Mozzarella cheese and food savered them, then froze them.

~I marinated steak tips in red wine and Montreal Steak Seasoning and the cooked those up with onions and sweet red bell peppers.  I served those with well-seasoned mashed potatoes.

~We made a last-minute trip up to see Jeff's aunt on Monday and cleared out more of her house for her. When we got home, I changed into pajamas and went to bed.  I was totally exhausted and hurting so badly.  Cleaning out houses when having fibromyalgia is not a good combination.

~Tuesday Jeff went to work, and I got up early, feeling an urgency to pray.  As I opened up Facebook, I found out why.  So many of my friends and family need prayer.  This became even more apparent later in the day also. Of course, this made my fibromyalgia flare even worse and I am so glad I had leftover pizza in the refrigerator that I could warm up for lunch.

~I spent most of Tuesday on the couch, in pain, and getting caught up on a few shows on TV.

~Dinner Tuesday night was cheese and crackers.  Jeff and I both thought that sounded good and it was very easy to pull together.

~I uploaded Safeway's digital coupons onto my card.  I will have Jeff pick me up some of the creamer that is on sale.

~We worked on many projects around the house.

Week 2:

~Jeff and I went "treasure hunting" at the apartment complexes that WSU students moved out of.  We found and collected the following: a fun t-shirt, an Eddie Bauer light down filled jacket (this is going to Chris and Isaiah), a heavy weight winter jacket, a fleece pullover, a lightweight hoodie, a Carhart jacket that fits Jeff, a round side table, 2 milk crates, and a large plastic tote (which was much needed).

~I cut a really big pork loin roast in half so it would fit in my largest crockpot and made Kalua Pig with it.  I added spinach from our garden shortly before it was done and after I shredded the meat and put it back in the juices and broth.

~Jeff and I worked on the gardens, and he got the tomato support and the bean arch done and in place.  He made these with pig panels and some t-posts.

~I got more things seeded in.  I also trimmed back plants that had gotten hit by the frost we had about 3 weeks ago.

~We shopped the loss leaders at the grocery stores.

~Our entertainment for the week was going to a very cold and windy baseball game to see Bradley and Isaiah play.  They both did great!  My biggest surprise and blessing was Steven seeing Jeff and I arrive there and running up to me yelling Grammie with a huge smile on his face!  We both has really missed each other.  It was so good to see Jaysn and Rachel too...it has been way too long with them and us having been super busy lately.  I have to give it to my family, they really do try to be there for one another as much as possible, and that makes my heart smile.

~We got to talk to Josh and Lauren about when would be best to come down and see them.  Jeff and I were both giggling listening to them both stop mid-sentence multiple times to tell the little ones something.  It brought back many memories of our boys growing up and us doing the same thing.

~I have been trying to use up things that have been in the freezer for a while.  I will need the space when the gardens start producing so I am getting ready now.

~Jeff and I watched a disaster movie on YouTube.  Yes, it is relaxing to me.  Strange I know.

~I got all of Jeff's aunt's summer clothing washed and ready to go up to her.  I am also throwing in some of my things that I no longer fit in, but I think she will since she has lost a lot of weight.  She was very happy with that idea.

~Since the weather has been much warmer, I hung the sheets and some of the other laundry out on the line to dry.

~For Mother's Day this year I asked for and got 2 green table grape vines.  I usually ask for rose bushes, but this year I changed things up a bit since I found the grape vines at a terrific price and I have always wanted some.  Now to figure out where to put them.

   Be blessed my sweet friends and may your days be filled with beauty, peace, and all things good!

 

Frugal Friday Wrap Up 3/8/24 and 3/15/24

 

 

   Our oldest grandson Bradley, pictured above, is now 12!  We are so very proud of our incredibly smart, creative, kind and yes, still sarcastic and quick witted young man.  He does not like seeing people left out of things and is our 6 year old grandson Steven's favorite cousin because he always goes out of his way to play with him.  Steven absolutely adores him!  He is a "country kid" and loves hiking, hunting, exploring, camping and playing baseball.  He also is getting really good at driving.  Again, country kid and it is very common around here for kids to learn to drive early to help out on farms and such.  He was and remains our favorite anniversary gift ever!

   Our car remains in the shop waiting to figure out all that is wrong with it and hopefully, it will be cheaper to fix it than have to buy a new (used) vehicle.  Good news is that Jeff's Social Security was finally approved and we had 2 checks deposited into our bank account!  We have no doubt that most, it not all, of it will be spent on the car repairs or purchase of a new to us vehicle.  We can live on just what Jeff makes at his part time job thankfully.  Now onto a 2 week Frugal Friday Wrap Up...

   

Week 1:

~I found some marked down fried chicken at Winco for half the regular price.  That made 4 meals for Jeff since he loves fried chicken. 

~I had a "feeling" that we needed to stop in at Goodwill because there would be something golf related there for Jeff that day.  There was, it was a brand new golf glove in his size.  We rarely see those there.  I also found a beautiful Fall themed throw blanket with a pumpkin and fox print on it.  So very pretty and will become part of my Fall decor since I keep a basket of blankets in the living room for anyone to grab and cuddle up under.

~Jeff and I have been binge watching the various "Traitors" shows from around the world on Peacock. It is interesting to see how people react to each other as they try to figure out who the traitors are.

~Pantry pulled meals are what is on the menu this week.  Jeff got a package of ham slices out of the freezer and I used half of it to make Fettuccini Alfredo with some of the dehydrated zucchini from our garden boiled along with the noodles.  Very yummy and made for 2 meals!

~Chris borrowed a trailer from another one of his friends to haul our car over to our mechanic.  He traded his truck for ours to haul the car and took the truck our home with him since he used our truck to tow the trailer with the car on it.  We will trade him back when we go over for Bradley's birthday dinner next week.  I gave him $50, which he reluctantly agreed to take.  I told him to buy the guy who he borrowed the trailer from some beer and use the rest to help pay for gas for his truck.

~I tried something new with the sourdough discard.  I made some everything bagel crackers and did a long ferment on them.  So GOOD!!!!

~More homemade washcloths and a scrubby pad were crocheted on Monday while I watched some television.

~Tuesday we had leftovers for dinner.  It had been one of those days when I just had to rest both physically and emotionally since my nervous system was overwhelmed.

~I had some leftover coffee at the end of the day so I made an iced coffee as a pick me up as my energy waned.

~Homemade biscuits and sausage gravy with a side of fresh pear slices was dinner on Wednesday.  Comfort foods at it's finest.

Week 2:

~Jeff and I celebrated our 39th wedding anniversary over the weekend.  We ended up going out for lunch (much cheaper than dinner).

~I found 3 feather pillows for the living room for $1.99 for the smaller one and $2.99 for the two larger ones.  I have been trying to change over all of our living room pillows to high quality feather ones. Yes, this was at the thrift store.  I also bought 2 shirts for .75 each.  Jeff found a pair of work pants for $5.99 also.

~Jeff chose teriyaki meatloaf, rice and corn as our anniversary dinner here at home.  I also scrubbed up some potatoes that needed to be used and baked those alongside the meatloaf.

~Six of the baked potatoes were used in a huge pot of veggie chowder.  This gave us many meals!

~Our family celebrated Bradley's 12th birthday on Tuesday.  Can you believe he is a "tween" now?  I started this blog when we found out that we were going to become grandparents for the first time.  We all had a wonderful time together!  Oh, Chris sent me home with 3 bottles of beer since he was not fond of them.

~While at Chris and Heather's for Bradley's birthday, we filled up a large garbage can with well-rotted chicken poop and bedding.  This is going into our garden beds and will be worked in well.  Free fertilizer is always welcome!

My best find of the week, hands down, was a Magic Mill food dehydrator.  It was $34.98 at Goodwill.  It looks brand new and has the silicone drying sheets and screens with it.  I price checked on Amazon and they are welling for around $200 there.  I had been wanting to replace one of my dehydrators that has seen better days.  I was so very happy to find this one!

~Jeff got all the fruit trees and the berry bushes pruned and cleaned out.  That man works so hard for us!

~Our dryer decided to make an awful noise!  Jeff took things apart and found out the squirrel cage had gone out again.  We picked up a replacement part for it and Jeff will be installing it this weekend.  Luckily for us, we have our clothesline so we were able to get all the sheets dried out there.

   So there you go, another 2 weeks' worth of savings, bargain hunting, trouble shooting, gardening, cooking and 2 very wonderful celebrations of in our family.  As always, family is our main focus, for family is the greatest treasure here on earth that God has ever blessed us with.  We also continue to try to build up and expand our gardens, our food preservation tools and our skills here at home.  Be blessed my dear friends.