where June goals stand, garden, deck and air fryer.

JUNE DONE
Hubby
fishing trip
property mowed completely (first time to get it done before the rain)
gravel for deck down

It will be 16 ft wide by 20 ft long. I'm going to have to put a blind in the bathroom as if you are standing on that end of the deck you will be looking in.

Dad's stuff is to Daughter 4 and Son 2 AND odd jobs at Son 2 is done.

Hubby's not done list
dog house removed, mudroom gate on fence, spouting at the cubby hole, tower/antenna put up, fence line straightened and the smoker has not been put together.

We chose to not join Anytime fitness as they don't give discounts at the one that just opened. We will join the YMCA AFTER Hubby's parents join again as they do silver sneakers. At this time we are getting our work outs done in the yard and gardens and Hubby lifting concrete blocks with E and E's brother.

Speaking of gardens .... we went from flood to so dry the ground is cracking within days. Roots are shallow on all the plants due to flood so they are just dying now. I watered one time, but won't be doing much of it as we have 10,890 square feet of garden (1/4 acre) and 1 inch of water for that is 6,853 gallons. We have a well  so we are only paying for the electric to run the pump but with dry weather I don't want to drop our water level that much. We put in 3 square foot gardens and I planted 1 with fall beans. Mid week I will plant the next one with fall peas and the 3rd will be greens etc the following week or even closer to Aug.I have gotten 1 zucchini (yes only 1) and 1 yellow squash and 1 green onion. I should have leaf lettuce (it's in the shade during the heat of the day) and green onions today or tomorrow. BUT we do have this

There is over 50 squash vines, potatoes and onions growing out of the compost pile so Hubby said we weren't using it due to it might be the only food we grow for the pantry. I don't know how onions got in my compost as I don't toss them there. I had 4-5 squashes that went bad in the spring, Delicata , kaboocha, jack be little pumpkin, pie pumpkin and maybe something else. Last fall we had  pumpkins in the compost from the Amish family that lived here LOL. Since I grow mostly heirloom they should produce the same.

With the heat on I've been cooking on the grill or air fryer. This was the last thing I cooked in the air fryer. Results, I need to pull food sooner. Wasn't over cooked and was very tender for flank steak. Used pesto, roasted red bell peppers slices and provolone cheese .

When this airfryer dies... I will buy another one just like it. I love being able to put a variety in and not wait for each to be done before starting the next.Hubby loves having onion rings that are crisp and not heating up the kitchen.

My June goals done
got well enough to start biologic.
I changed the kitchen to suit the changes in our eating and I now how the new frig set up

We like this, it's suppose to be black, the sides are but the front with the fingerprint less looks more like gray. Magnets won't stick to it either so I had to move the grocery list to the side.Negative is the ice maker is too small and I ended up with a bin in the freezer anyways which I was trying to get away from.I need to buy small condiments bottles to fit in the door.

I got the finances set for the new budget.

We had the energy audit. Should have the report this week as it's already a week late.

I did the test paint and it worked so our contractor now has a solution for the paint.

I cleaned 1/2 shelf of the pantry.

I DID NOT DO
computer desk as the old kitchen frig is now sitting there until Hubby has time to remove the cover to the basement ramp and move the old.

I didn't get the garden shed cleared as we still have some thing I need moved from the front of the barn.

I still  have 1 shelf left to clean in the pantry and I didn't get to the deep freezers thanks to having to shove the frozen stuff from the frig into them.

We got a total of 10 things done on the punch list of the house.

more rain, roller coaster ride of life.

Monday night
we came home after our meeting with our financial guy. We had already decided on what could be cut if we don't have enough $$$ AND where the money that is saved goes . Half goes to the household savings, the other half goes in to Ally where I am saving when we need money for health ins.

E and his boys, brother EL. and his Dad came over to fish our pond (have too many and we have enough fish in the freezer now) and invited us over for their fish fry. We didn't go, a bit tired of fish at the moment LOL

Hubby went over to where he was to pick up a load for hauling on Tuesday , that road was flooded Monday morning. It was down enough he went and got the load since we were expecting more rain.

I put the budget on a spread sheet and found we had a $200 mistake in the budget ... it's okay...it was $200 MORE than we needed... SO that $200 will be split and go directly into medical savings and household savings accounts.

I made laundry soap which I should have made Saturday so I could have done a load of laundry this morning and put it on the drying rack as it's RAINING and I haven't done laundry in 6 days.

I went through Brandy's web site The Prudent Homemaker to Amazon (she gets a very small amount when someone that does that no money out) and ordered red clover tea good for congestion, red clover salve, Mother used to sell this, we used it for skin issues, echinacea tea good for immune system also honey lemon echinacea cough drops, geranium oil( I mix with safflower oil or coconut oil for muscle pains,really did well when I had shoulder surgery), garlic ear drop oil (suggested by Brandy), some eye droppers, lavender oil( for bath, etc but also for the garlic salve I am going to make that is for congestion also that E mother gave me the recipe), 1 round 6 inch cake pan, 1 square 6 inch cake pan (the size we bake now), 3 books on herbal/holistic due to 2 of my kids walking off with my books and then losing them,some camisoles and tank tops that I needed to replace this year and they were on sale for 50% off ,(Hubby will need socks this fall). AND a book for me that I have wanted for years and finally found at the price I can afford... exactly the credit I had sitting at Amazon... Diana  Phipp's Affordable Splendor...  Some of it was on sale, some even had coupons.

Tuesday
I straightened the dry goods cabinet in the basement and realized I have NO choc frosting.  Since I am almost out of powdered sugar also I will either buy one or the other, depending on what is cheapest and if I can find it at the discount store we are stopping by today. M needs mayo/salad dressing and asked if we were passing by it when we go to the chiro and doctor appt (praying I will be healthy enough to start my biologics)

I canceled the auto refill of the water filter($50) for the frig that is going to the basement as there is no water line there. I priced the new frig water filter and the supplier wanted $50 for one, the very same filter is on Amazon for 3 for $32. Filter is changed every 6 months so I am getting over a year's supply for less than 1 of the old filter. Since the budget was set on the old filter that's money to be saved.

I washed clothes, drying rack is full, 2 sock dryers are full and so are both shower rods. I have 3 loads left I will wash WHEN the others dry. It's RAINING.

Tuesday night
We stopped at discount store and got White Lily flour for us (99 cents for 5 lb bag, their only bag) and 12 jars of mayo,1 cake mix, 2 box of ho ho's  and 2 bottles of Ranch dressing for M. She also keeps a running list like I do.

At Aldi's I got choc frosting and powdered sugar and a case of green beans. We got M 4 Ranch dressings, 4 loaves of bread (last her a day), and 2 more cakes mixes for the total she was wanting.

At Walmart we got the baby formula M requested and some cupcakes that was discounted since discount store didn't have any. For us I got an Angel food cake baked in a loaf pan, 4 shortcakes for the strawberries we have and a discounted mixed slices of cream cake.

We went to Chiro... nothing like laying down on the table and the doctor telling you it's bad before he really starts checking things. My chiro used an Activator so there is not twisting of the body. Hubby was in as bad as shape, probably from the fishing trip as he has been saying his hip was bothering him since he headed back home.

We went to doctor appt. Hubby blood work good, sugar at 100 (that's his normal even though doc would like to see it in the 80s)lost 3 lbs.. My weight was up 3 lbs, I must have found Hubby's and forgot to give them to him 😁. Blood work was good except my cholesterol was up , doc figures steroids. Gave me the option of going back on my statin 3 days  a week or waiting to see what it is without the steroids. I chose to wait.

We stopped and got a pre-bake pizza from our favorite pizza shop for dinner.The only place we get pizza from around here is the gas station.

 Doc cleared me to start biologics BUT strongly suggested I only start with the first dosage and wait an hour to make sure I don't have a reaction.He had talked to my GI and they agreed I should take 80 mg (2 shots) the first day, 80 mg the next day and then 1 wk later take 80 mg and then 1 wk later 40 and then go every 2 wks.   So I started. I don't do well with giving myself the shot, I tried twice and ended up with 4 sticks of the needle Hubby was cracking up laughing as he thought I hadn't realized I had already stuck myself as I did the "jerk" so quick... Hubby is doing Wednesday.

Side effects... my hands quit hurting and got warm, I felt like I had a buzz like I had a couple glasses of wine without food and too close together and I was sleepy.No soreness in legs and there is no way I am doing that in my stomach, one I have tons of scars and stretch marks which they say don't hit but any shot that hurts like that will cause my Crohn's to crap up. Been there and done that and had to have morphine to stop the craps.

Wednesday
Still sleepy, got up at 6 with Hubby as he has a full day of being gone running around with an elder gentleman who wanted to go see some friends on the other side of the state and had no one to take him. I went back to bed when Hubby left at 7 and woke up at 10.... Still sleepy but up and moving. Took all the clothes that was still damp from yesterday out to the kitchen clothesline as the yard is still a pond . Started washing what I did not get to and will finish that hopefully before the rain comes in that is expected around 3 pm.

Canceled a magazine renewal saving $49.99.

M sent over leaf lettuce and a head of lettuce from their gardens (it was the one behind them and didn't get flooded , has spring "crop" in it and a loaf of bread as thank you for going after the groceries and formula for her. She sent a note that E her Hubby said of we wanted manure(with straw) to bring the trailer or truck over and he would help Hubby fill it so we could start putting it where nothing is planted to help the gardens improve for next year.

I dehydrated garlic chives.

GI called they changed the plan... I am to take 2nd round of biologic this weekend and the last 80 MG on Tuesday. The following Tuesday 40 mg to start the every other week schedule. Worried because I usually have an attack from beginning of Sept to late Oct.

Raining again but all the laundry except 2 pairs of jeans was dry.

Hubby got in late, he ripped his pants from his pocket to mid thigh loading equipment. He picked up a job for tomorrow morning. Guy was flooded and thought he best  get his load out while the river was down. We had left over pizza.

Thursday
Hubby did the delivery and got a flat tire on the trailer. He ended up buying a new tire at the local trailer place instead of the tire place. Still wasn't a bad price of $120 for a 10 ply tire. He has a spare for it but with hauling blocks for the neighbor tomorrow wanted to have that new tire.

Paid last of the bills for June and July mortgage.Caught a over charge on one of the bills and got that corrected.

Got a notice through email that the socks and underwear Hubby prefers was on sale, plus I found a coupon so since I had the extra $200 (no I didn't spend $200) I ordered him a year's supply.He also needs new pair of steel toe boots and asked if I would start checking prices as he can order them on line.

Canceled a second magazine that originally started paid by our health ins. Saved $9.00 as now we would have to pay for it.

Patched a pair of jeans for Hubby.

Did a load of laundry of new shirts that came in and hung of drying rack.

I dehydrated garlic scapes ... first time doing this  so not sure if this will actually work decent.

I vacuumed bag the bfast pork chops, bfast steaks and dinner pork chops I had flash froze. I had wrapped them in plastic wrap and wanted better long term protection. I sliced the angel food cake I bought and put the last of the cream cake and the shortcakes in the freezer to be vacuumed bagged tomorrow.

We had rolled up stuffed flank steak with roasted red bell peppers, pistachio pesto and provolone, and hash browns. Ice cream for dessert.


Friday
Hubby and E going after building blocks today so he packed his lunch, a snack and a thermos of coffee. Texted me around 10 and said they were going to be more work than was thought and it would be late before he got home.To go ahead and eat without him.

M asked me to go get her mother in law to help her with the kids while M worked in the gardens. So I let mother in law know the men were going to be later than they thought so she could tell M (E is her Hubby)

I did a couple loads of laundry and hung them on the kitchen clothes line. A small pond is at the yard clothes line.Charlotte is having fun running through it splashing the muddy water as both Wilbur and Rascal can show as they are now covered with splatters from her doing it.

Both Hubby's socks and underwear was on sale and I got a discount code so I ordered them now instead of waiting for until this fall. They were 50% off and I got free shipping. He is going to need a new pair of boots as I noticed the toe of his one boot is cut on top. Should last him until fall.

Daughter 4 asked if we had any full size sheets, blankets, bath towels or kitchen towels. Her's is worn through that she bought from yard sales and thrift shops. So I am going through some stuff in the barn to see what I do have. I do have a couple sets of sheets from Dad's that she can have.

M came over and asked if I could take her and baby to urgent care. She got a babysitter for the kids and had her mother in law go with us. Three month old has walking pneumonia. Regretfully the meds the doctor ordered was not available any where in town so I took mother and baby home. Grandma went and borrowed nebulizer and I took her home to get Grandpa and their buggy while I drove 1 hr to another store to get the meds. AND an hr back to give them to them. I also kept Hubby updated so Daddy E could stay in the loop of info.

ON top of the neither woman had MONEY, Their hubbys had all the cash. M had the check book but the pharmacy wouldn't take her check because she does not have an ID. I paid for everything. They struggled more with that not only because they didn't have the money, never thought to have money on them but they felt they failed on taking care of the little one. I brought up the Bible verse of carrying each others burdens. Grandma started rattling off all the verses of helping one another and then M joined in. 

A very long day, both exhausted so I decide to take my biologic tomorrow.

Saturday, we had to load the trailer with the furniture that we had planned to load the day before that was going to Daughter 4 and Son 2. Forgot the pans I was giving Daughter 3 so I will mail them.AND forgot the picnic table we was giving Son 2. Daughter 1 asked if I had her box of stuff around but I didn't because I am still finding stuff that is going to her.

Got stuff to Daughter 4, her 2 boys helped unload their stuff.

Got to stuff Son 2, he helped unload his stuff, Hubby did the repairs he had agreed to do and then reloaded the trailer with 2 furniture in serious need of repairs, 2 cement drain things for down spouts , 4 metal picnic table chairs , a trash can of limbs he forgot to give Daughter 2 but she's moved so we didn't have to drop them off to her because she doesn't have a fire pit now, and the basket ball hoop that was at his driveway when he bought the house 4 yrs ago that he finally decided to get rid of since no one wanted it.

On way home we side tracked and picked up the new frig.

AND stopped and ate dinner since it was already 7 pm.

We did use the tractor to bring the new frig in , loaded on the forks and put it through the French doors. We uncrated it and I cleaned it. It's sitting in the corner of the front room.

At  9 and we  showered and went to bed. NO injections. AT 10 pm E was knocking on the door with the news the person they borrowed nebulizer from needed it back Monday night because they were leaving town and wanted to take it with them. PANIC was all over his face as baby needs it another 10 days. I text foster sister as her son has been on one all his 33 yrs (lungs damaged due to pure oxygen at birth) and asked where to go and let me know Sunday.

Sunday 8 AM... foster sister calls, she has an extra one (3rd hand) . It works (she tested it) and she was sanitizing it and her Hubby and son was gathering what ever equipment they could find to go with it. Son has a new one and supplies. Made him feel good to help another as he is disabled (all his life) and not been able to do much for others in his own eyes. SO I went over at 10 and let the family know one was on it's way and would be there in the afternoon after lunch... Hard to see E cry with relief. He is going tomorrow with M and baby (Hubby is taking them and sitting in on appt with doctor at their request) and he is getting a prescription for a new one... I made a dozen phone calls to find a place that has one in stock or could get in within 24 hrs. Walmart had a 4 day wait.Rite Aid has it in stock and could get one from a hospital supply store in 24 hrs of they are sold out.  Sis got down here at 1 , Hubby took it over just as the grandparents were arriving from church so it went well as he not only showed the parents how to use it but the grandparents. He also shared some things to help Baby A when she is coughing. Their daughter L mentioned I told them to hold the baby a different way and that opened the door to cupping Baby A back also to help break things up. Hubby also stressed that even though help was coming to stay with them (E stopped on way home Friday and made those arrangements) that E needed to not be gone 12 hrs a day until Baby A was better. From a few comments made it sound like grandparents felt the same. Without a cell phone and only a buggy or not even that if he rides with some other Amish to a job a few hours away, getting him home in an emergency isn't going to happen..



8:30 pm INJECTIONS... wasn't the best I had hoped for but not the worse either.

Bed, definitely bed.



How did your week go?

10 day busy

OK, hubby got home from fishing, we went the next day and picked out the new frig. Saved 1/3 of costs... for the first time when something quit working the replacement was on sale.

E came over with his older 6 children and fished for an hour and got over 30 fish. They had 2 meals from it.

We have had rain 5 days out of the last 7 and expect to have 6 days of rain out of the next 7. Gardens are under water, not sure if anything will survive.

Hubby picked up 4 last minute jobs last week ...good thing because 2 jobs got canceled this week as the Amish can't get out and we can't get in due to flooding of the Scioto River.

We multi tasked our errands on Monday and Tuesday including going to the grocery store and replacing what we lost. I did "OK" I got the same things but also go meat for  buy one get one... I made sure the price point was still with in my range. Hubby got his truck maintenance done and thought to ask what brakes was going to cost him as he will most likely need that in 3-6 mos.

 Thursday we had the energy audit. Glad I had it done even though Hubby thought it was a waste. The windows we thought needed replaced don't need replaced.. it's not the windows but the actual frames around them that is leaking air. Our side attics is the worst of letting cold air in, as the person who put the insulation in didn't know it needed to have air barrier ( told us since that it's not an moisture issue we could just nail card board and it would be fine)also as when wind blows directly on insulation, it reduces the R value to next to nothing.Also suggested we do interior "storm" windows like they do with church's stain glass windows ... AND we can make our own... I need a LOT of caulking ... he said to ask if we could get a discount for buying a case of caulking at our local store. He made it clear we do great on keeping our electric down and thought the propane was reasonable until he went through the audit and then thought we did a GREAT job as he would have figured at least 2000 gals used NOT counting summer fill.... we did 1600 and 350 of that is what was the summer fill I just got it at the end of May instead of beginning of June.

I was well enough to go visit my Daddy on Father's Dad... we sat on his bed and held each other. I can't remember the last time he held me like that. A memory that will last. He is getting weaker and starting to take more naps. AND EATS LIKE A HORSE  :)!!!! I took him strawberries from our neighbor for Father's day gift. No card, he no longer reads or like to look at things with writing on them.

We stopped at Hubby's parents and gave his dad a outdoor.indoor thermometer that says this place is for the birds... they are bird watchers and have several feeders. They were feeling better also.

We worked the budget, then reworked the budget and then did it again one more time. Went to our financial guy, he went over the budget, checked our IRAs and then went over the budget again. It's how it is going to be... not where any of us wanted as things are about twice as expensive as we had budgeted originally but it is what it is. I have supplements(holistic)  I have to take that I need to check out prices. I want quality items. M is checking with her mother in law that knows all about that kind of stuff.

I have several things I need to change of how I am doing things first for my health to rebuild my immunity system and second to help get some things paid off, savings built back up and still eat healthy. With watching the garden drown... I know I have to work out a back up plan NOW.

In the kitchen. Mirepoix etc WARNING FRIG TOOK A CRAP

I enjoy the way my kitchen is laid out. It works well unless we both are at the coffee pots which both are at the corner where the silverware drawer is also. Since Hubby goes to that drawer automatically for silverware I put it there even though I wanted it at the end closer to the table. He usually sets the table so I let it be his choice.

We are having more waste then either of us like. Not that any waste is okay but things are getting shoved to the back of the kitchen frig and not being used. I do pretty decent with the basement frig .Hubby admitted he asked me where something was the other night and I told him where I put it but since he couldn't find it he didn't use  it up and I found it yesterday and it's not good.

SO today is change the kitchen (and my cooking practices) to not waste, be able to find what we are looking for without digging through the frig and have my different mirepoix where I can use it. To get back to cooking healthy flavorful foods.

Okay... let's start with yes I am a chef, a personal/private chef. I do have some culinary education/training not cordon bleu.

I am going through both frigs today. Combining condiments, tossing what isn't being used and organizing things. I will be grouping things together that are used together. AND finding room for my Mirepoix

I was raised by parents that grew up during the Great Depression with a great grandmother that was Cherokee, the other Amish and my Nonna (great uncle's mother in law that adopted me)was from Northern Italy. Between them and my culinary classes I use a lot of different mirepoix ...

Mirepoix is what you start the dish you are making with and it doesn't matter what the dish is.

French mirepoix is 2 parts onions, 1 part celery and 1 part carrot.

Cajun Holy Trinity is 2 parts onions 1 part celery 1 part green bell pepper

Cuban/Latin (chef I worked for testing recipes and helping when she taught culinary classes) call it sofrito... Spanish onion, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, garlic, cumin, oregano, and Sazon without achiote seasoning

Spanish call it sofrito also but use olive oil to cook the onion, garlic, bell peppers and tomatoes

Suppengrun is Germany... my granddaughter speaks German fluently and her uncle on her Dad's side lives in Switzerland so she passed this to me as it's carrots,celeriac and leek

Nonna from Northern Italy (at base of Alps is all she would ever say) always started EVERYTHING with a battuto ... onions, carrots, celery,rosemary, garlic, thyme, parsley and a little of bacon or Canadian bacon to replace the pancetta, prosciutto or speck she used when in Italy. When this blend is COOKED it's called soffrito.  Really it didn't matter what she was cooking... eggs, it's in there, fried potatoes, it was in there. When she fried chicken she would brown it in the skillet then put it in the oven, add the battuto to the skillet and make sauce/gravy of what was there.

SO I want in containers prepped onions, bell peppers, celery, and carrots  I will also prep mushrooms and black olives, I often toss in also,  so I can grab and toss in the pan. I figure prepping twice a week as I don't want anything to go bad.

I organized the cheese drawer. Hubby is bad about using something up and not mentioning it's needed and also opening more than one of the same thing.SO I keep extra cheese in the freezer.

The kitchen frig is good now so I can prep mirepoix.

The basement frig is making noises again... so it needs dealt with..of course Hubby isn't home so appliances act up. Tuesday it was my coffee pot. Wednesday was my Toshiba laptop and the plug to my Kindle.

OH CRAP..... basement frig took a crap... yes I know it's 10 yrs old, Yes I know we have had it worked on repeatedly to the point the repairman (a friend of my kids) actually showed me how to get it running again and again and again. It's the bigger of the two frigs and really nice for holding produce from the garden while I can or sale items. Condiments, extra dairy so I am not running to the store every week... We went without a second frig for about a year a couple years ago... that was a big pain as I ended up using a cooler and ice a lot during the garden season and then apples in the fall.

Thankfully the freezer in the barn only had ice in it so all the frozen stuff that was still frozen solid is there. I have the dairy and the fruit I just bought in the kitchen frig now. I still have condiments, cabbage etc that is okay and in a cooler with ice.

I lost the produce SIGH... I unplugged the frig, let it set over night and we'll see if it will start working again (have done this more than once) but now is the time to get a new frig to replace this. Hubby said when he got home we would check out what I was wanting and see about getting it.

We both want French doors, freezer on bottom. At least 26 cu ft. Which is part of the problem with the one we have in the kitchen is it is too small.  You would think after all these years we would know better than to buy a smaller frig.Son 2 is still reminding me of what I told him when he bought his, better to have a little bigger than a too small frig.

Son 2 did some research at his go to review sites while I checked mine.  I am leaning heavy towards LG LFXS38968D (black stainless steel) 27.9 cu ft... for the kitchen and moving the kitchen frig to the basement. I think Hubby will like it as he gets a bit tired bending over to get ice and this one has it on the door

Frig working... but I don't trust it, so what goes in it is condiments etc. NO produce or dairy. I am glad it's working. I hope it holds until we get a new one.

Got to go clean the home, Hubby on his way.... 13 hrs before he will be here... the first 4 hrs he is the passenger so he is cat napping.

a quiet morning after storms

after a night of storms and tornadoes going north of us ,it's a quiet morning. I have dragging butt syndrome with only 3 hrs of sleep while still coughing and hacking ...not as bad but still SIGH.

The yard is a soggy mess that I would have to wear muck boots to get the yard clothesline so laundry is on the kitchen porch clothesline.

For the first time ever, Charlotte hid from the storms. It was the one that produced tornadoes so that's something for us to keep in mind when she heads to the basement. I am glad I had no glass jars on that shelf as it was,she moved a 5 gal bucket of rice to get back in there.

 Usually it's Rascal trying to crawl under me and hide his face.

But instead he decided to hid his face in the dried fruit shelf.

Wilbur has no care in the world no matter how bad it storms or how many guns are being shot ... we have a hunting club within a couple miles of us and they have skeet shooting around once a month. He can snooze through the whole thing.He didn't even look up when I closed the door during the first storm or opened it back up.Just kept snoring away like he had no cares.


I did go out and put the flowers back up first thing this morning that I had placed down so they could get a good drink of rain water last night.

This is the rose bush my sister of my heart gave me. I didn't figure it would bloom any if at all when it being the first year it's planted.

Laundry is drying on the line so I can mark that off.

I won't be in the garden and I don't think it will dry out enough before Hubby gets home from fishing for me to get the rest of the garden in. I was hoping that I could get it done so it was just maintain after he got home.

I won't spray for the bugs/ants outside the house either.

I'll do the home blessing tomorrow so the house is nice and clean for him to come home to. Do the laundry of bedding and throw blankets also tomorrow, should be able to walk to the yard clothes line by then if we don't get any more rain.

Guess I will go play in the kitchen

Frugal moments and this week's plans as Hubby fishes

Hubby is deep sea fishing in Florida. We live in Ohio. His Alabama buddy and him went last year as I paid Hubby's share of the trip as a retirement gift for him. This year his(our) buddy retired so another deep sea fishing trip. I can see this becoming a once a year thing as they have been good friends as close as brothers for over a decade.  They are being frugal with how they are doing this.

Hubby turned his Bunn coffee pot off since he won't be here making his coffee. That type of coffee pot is always left on to keep the water hot to make coffee in 3-4 min.

Hubby drove my car (25 mpg and not his truck which is 10 mpg). They are driving Buddy's truck (S10 truck 20 mpg) from his home in AL to cut the costs for Hubby. Hubby is using Gas buddy app find best prices for gas. He took coffee, water, apples and hand pies I made for him to eat while traveling. He drove through the night, less traffic, no rush hours of stop and go and very little construction. His buddy and him are eating bfast at Buddy's local restuarant that gives seniors a break on bfast.

Buddy has a "membership" to a hotel (a lot of his work he has to stay in hotels) and got a midweek discount. The $150 room  was gotten for $85 including taxes for them to split the costs. They are staying 3 nights. Included in the hotel price , is bfast including protein so they won't have to go somewhere else and pay $10 for bfast as Hubby would just skip the meal but buddy is a diabetic. There is a gym (buddy works out twice a day to keep control of his diabetes) and a hot tub (Hubby will definitely be in that).

Also they got a discount on the fishing boat by RSVPing before the open booking date. Saving $15 each on each of the 2 trips they booked.

Buddy took the fishing equipment so Hubby doesn't have to rent any.

Hubby took a "lunch" cooler and a big cooler. Big cooler will be for any fish brought home. Lunch cooler is they go to the store and buy their lunch and snacks. They will eat their dinners at a couple places that does senior citizen discounts on some of the meals.

They will be checking out the Market stands selling fresh produce on the way home.

We took the 3 dogs to the vet's. Wilbur had been limping last week, we thought just a pull or maybe arthritis.He has lost 10 lbs over the spring GO WILBUR. He is almost down to where he should be for his size but the vet was very happy with where he is. He was 150 lbs when daughter 2 had him. It was just a pull but does have arthritis.

Rascal had been limping, another pull plus he now has a fatty tumor (common and not cancer). He is holding steady on his weight but needs to be a little less as he is no spring chicken. He got his annual shots.

The "boys" need to remember they are not spring chicks like Charlotte and can't be jumping off the kitchen porch or out the French doors(since the deck isn't there yet) and run like all get out to see what she is running after or barking at.

Charlotte is good. A little underweight but that might always be due to Daughter 2 not getting her dewormed as a pup. GRR.

BEST of it ... I asked for 6 months heart and flea/tick meds as Wilbur and Charlotte aren't due for shots for 6 months. I figure we can cut toe nails ourselves saving $10 each dog (that's $180 savings total not counting gas taking them). The young lady took the time to figure out how many free ones I could get as it was buy this amt and get this free. She saved us $90 PLUS filled out and sent in for a rebate for us for $12 for us. They also waved the $25 office fee for each of the dogs because we got their nails clipped($10 each) Saving us $75. THE local vet here charges $46 per dog for office visit and $32 for toe nail per dog on top of the office visit AND the same meds were over $5 more per package. Well worth our drive back over to the old vet. PLUS here they only give 1 year rabies and our vet does 3 yr rabies for the same price as 1 yr. In 6 months I will have the money saved up again to buy another 6 months of meds and visit. NEXT time all 3 will have heart worm tests, Wilbur and Charlotte get their annual shots. Young lady gave me the costs of that so I would know what I needed to save up.

Hubby was given 2 gift cards for helping couple of neighbors that we used to eat out.

We decided to not go to the store this past weekend. I am going to chiro this afternoon and will pass right by a discount store that I want to check out first. Last time I saved over half of what I would have spent at Aldi's or Save A Lot.

I harvested garlic scapes. the only radishes that grew and basil from the gardens.

Plans for the rest of this week by myself

going to chiro and stopping at discount store.

planting more in the garden.

clean and repaint old desk to put in front room for my computer so clear the bfast counter.

change how the kitchen is set up to function better.

do the test paint in the mudroom

go through at least 2 boxes of stuff from barn.

AND do some cleaning and organizing.

How are you all doing?