Depression

We have had several deaths and serious illnesses in the family since Oct. I got diagnosed with Crohn's and have to change what and how I eat and how to deal with stress.

Our insurance changed and my treatments for my birth defect are no longer covered. So the choice it go without treatments and be in pain and not able to function in daily life or cut the grocery budget to cover the cost of the treatments.

Grocery budget is getting cut. I do plant a large garden plus 8 4 ft x 4 ft square foot gardens each spring. Right now I have one of those growing lettuces while covered with a tee pee of plastic to make a mini hot house.

So we have made the following choices

#1 we have made is to make sure that we eat daily foods that help lower inflammation and increase our immunity.

#2 that we don't waste food. I have found when I am not able to cook that the veggies in the frig get bad because hubby doesn't do fresh veggies.

#3 that we focus on eating out of the pantry which is huge as I have a year's supply of entrees in it and about 3-4 months of side dishes.

#4 that what foods we do buy are in season for our area.

My 2 deep freezers (one upright that I have a love hate relationship with) and a small chest type are full. Both refrigerators freezers are full also.

Tomorrow I will go through the 2 refrigerators and check what needs used up or if something needs pitched since trash(refuse/garbage, what every you want to call it) goes to the road Monday night for Tuesday morning pick up.

Prayers for all...
Blessed Be

September

I love this time of year. I remember the smell of burning leaves, cool crisp mornings while walking to school and warm afternoons of carrying the jacket or sweater I had to wear that morning.I love the colors of the turning leaves. I love taking down the summer decorations and lighter weight and color of table linen,curtains, blankets etc. and putting up the ones to celebrate this coming season.

This time of year also is the busiest for me. Harvest coming in,planting some fall cool weather crops, fall cleaning (yes I wash walls and woodwork, one room a week which is one wall a day), starting to put the food together for Thanksgiving and cookie dough for Operation Thank You (sends things to deployed troops) and cookie dough for Christmas in to the deep freezer to keep the work load down to manageable.

I hated seeing summer end when the kids were little, I always enjoyed being with them and the relaxed summer schedule we had BUT I enjoyed the shopping for school clothes and supplies because it meant I got some new things also.

I enjoy the foods of fall more than summer, hearty soups and sandwiches, casseroles and roasts.I even plan to go back to baking my own bread.We don't eat much sliced bread for sandwiches anyways, more of tortilla wraps, sub buns and thin bagels.

So here is to the next season coming in and this one going out.

Blessed Be

Rascal

From this at 5 weeks to this at 5 months.

We picked him up at a shelter, thinking a puppy would be good for our older dog that was starting to get a bit lazy as she hit 7. Figured she could help with the potty training and boundaries. That part has worked great. I didn't remember the amount of time a pup takes as it's been over 12 years since I've had one but it does come back. No chew, no jump, outside toy(weeds,sticks, steer crap) inside toy (stuffed toys),down, sit, stay (HA HA) etc. He has learned to beg pretty but I think that is because Kira our other dog already did it when we got her and she begs pretty.Right now he is about 20 pounds lighter than her but her size. It's amazing to watch him grow and learn and some times hard to remember he is still only a puppy when he is standing side by side to her.

I did not die

but I have been fighting my health.My son in law asked how I was doing, I told him I woke up breathing, he said that was a good thing.I told him it depends on the day. He didn't think I was funny.

I am starting the hoop jumping for what I hope is the final surgery for YEARS. I have issues with my sinus cavities being broken and not healed correctly that I have put off getting fixed for about 30 yrs. I had part of the surgery done when the youngest was one. She bashed my face the day after surgery with her hand when she was trying to crawl up on me while I laid on the couch recovering and it hurt so bad that I didn't go back and have the rest of the surgery. I know that is a really bad excuse but it's the truth. It's okay, go ahead and laugh, I do.Since it now hurts all the time like a really bad toothache, I figure I can deal with it.

In the mist of everything else, I talked hubby into letting me get a puppy with the line our older dog would help potty train it. Rascal was only 6 wks when we got him. His mom was pregnant and abandoned, starving so much she didn't have any milk to feed her 11 babies when they were born. ALL of them are fine now and His Extended Hands Sanctuary in St Paris OH has done a great job.  .Rascal has adjusted better and faster than we thought he would...as long as he sleeps against me. Since he doesn't stay "dry" all night, I have taken to sleeping on the front room floor or couch with him. I wake up faster and get him out side (saying the words repeatedly potty outside, business outside, like he understands that)hopefully in time to not have to clean the carpet. I should have stock in carpet cleaning products and steam cleaners.Our older dog, Kira has done very well with him.She's never had a litter and has spent most of her life in a shelter but has shown motherly actions towards him....until he takes her food or chews on her too much or won't let her sleep ...then she takes a FIRM stand. Oh wait that is also being a mother....SMILE. Her and I cuddle together when he finally passes out for a nap and coo over him like we are new parents. LOL.

Meantime, the garden needs to be put in (repeatedly as Rascal digs up what ever he sees me plant).There is work to do on the house, walls to paint, woodwork to refinish, more weatherization (have caulk gun, will travel) to bring those heat bills down more.

AND

I have decided I waste too much in the kitchen and the grocery budget was up to over $600 (food,non-food, and eating out) and that to me was unacceptable.

I think $225 should be good, especially with my pantry and the garden.

We will see.

Blessed Be

square foot gardens

 Dark, dreary and cold...the weather suits my mood and attitude to a tea. Even with ordering my garden supplies and planning this spring's planting.

The last year has been a roller coaster and usually that is my favorite ride but for right now I would love the ferris wheel so I can see off into the distance and see what is coming at me.I think the merry go round would remind me too much of my current recovery process.

Hubby's work was down, then up and then back down causing all sorts of financial issues.Lesson learned, saving the kids might mean drowning yourself.

I had my gallbladder removed. I've had digestion issues since birth only to figure out that 90% of them must have been tied to my gallbladder because they went completely AWAY.

My Mom had shingles with a lot of pain.

Then Dad had shingles with a lot of pain.

AND yes I went and got a shingles shot at the advice of my dad.

My step dad's mail order med company that he uses sent the wrong insulin and almost killed him. AND he was driving when the insulin kicked in and he hit several other cars before coming to a stop. Luckily no one else was hurt and his insurance covered it and the mail order company settled out of court.

Then my brother had surgery on his knee and if he doesn't continue the therapy for the rest of his life,he will lose the ability to walk.Having knee issues in your 60s is on the normal side but when you have a 12 yr old daughter, you need to keep things in good condition.

Then my cerebral palsy and fibromyalgia flared up together mimicking the symptoms of  MS and causing me to struggle to walk.So of to physical therapy that wasn't getting correcting the whole issue so I was sent to a surgeon to see if it was my knee ( both my dad and brother have knee issues)...nope, then they x-rayed my lower back, pelvic, hip and entire leg.Vertebra deformed in lumbar and unknown masses in the bladder area so a CT scan was scheduled to see if I had cancer.

I called my dad to tell him I was going for a CT scan to see if I had cancer only for him to tell me he was going in for hernia surgery.SO I kept my mouth shut about my own issues. He has recovered and changed his diet.Considering he has had throat cancer and is a survivor and has been a diabetic for over 20 yrs and has not taken more that 1 pill a day for it and most of that time 1/2 of a pill, walks 5 miles a day (even after knee surgery), rides an indoor bike, lifts weights and eat 3 balanced and healthy meals and over 35 g of fiber into his age of mid 80's...I didn't ask what he changed.He lectures enough on my eating habits and lack of exercise as it is.

I called my mom to tell her I was going in for a CT scan only for her to tell me before I told her my news that she had a mass and was going to have a CT scan to see if it was cancer.So I kept my mouth shut again.

I did tell my kids and asked that they not tell anyone else until we got mom's results and dad got thru surgery.

Yes, my dad, step dad and mom have ripped off my head for keeping my mouth shut when I did tell them.

Mom has multiple melanoma, she went in for radiation but no chemo of her own choice. Two months later she is in remission and not taking radiation. The last CT scan couldn't find any cancer. She will be taking meds for another 3 yrs.

During that time, step dad had to go on meds for his Alzheimer's caused by agent orange from when he was in Nam.

I went in for surgery to remove the masses from my bladder(no cancer) and to sling it. My doctor asked permission to fix anything he found needing repair while there. Works for me...and it really did work for me, first the shock he got was in the 6 weeks from finding the masses by x-ray to the CT scan the masses had went from the size of a pea to the size of a quarter so when surgery was 4 wks after that( I wasn't having surgery during the holidays) he figured it was going to be worse. They were GONE. Though he end up repairing my bowel while in there instead of making me go through another surgery(and more money spent).That surgery turned out a lot better than any of us planned.

Still, with a acknowledgement of the miracles that have came our way (several times a day) I struggle to recover my strength. Struggle to shake the depression and emptiness that is with in me.I read the Serenity Prayer (all verses) several times a day (okay, I taped in on the wall across from the throne) to keep myself focus that the hard times including my health are just part of the path not the whole path.

Prayers for you and yours, prayers for myself and mine.

Blessed Be Juls

Healing Hearts by Beth Wiseman

Healing Hearts by Beth Wiseman
Beth Wiseman's Amish novellas are available for the first time in one collection—Healing Hearts.
This is the first Ebook I have read and I feel it affected how I felt about the book.
Beth Wiseman did a good job writing each story. I did feel that there was a lot of mundane day to day related and not enough emotions and private thoughts from her characters.
I would suggest this book to a young reader but not anyone that is familiar with the Amish and their way of life.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

getting ready for winter and saving yourself money

Even though I am a flybaby (www.flylady.net) I still do fall and spring cleaning.I just no longer try to do it in a weekend or even a week.

I do my weatherization along with my fall cleaning. While wiping down the woodwork I see where there are cracks for air to come through so I caulk. I check window seals when I wash the windows. Dirt will destroy anything if it's on it very long.

Wipe off switch plates and outlet covers, check to make sure you have foam insulators behind them, especially if they are on outside walls.

Check your attics especially if you have a chimney or attic fan.Not only for air but water leaking in.

Check your basement and crawl spaces for air and water leaks, deal with them now before winter or before you have a major expense due to damage.

In the winter,on bare floors I add throw rugs or area rugs, layer the curtains/drapes at the windows even if the drapes are insulated or lined.Move furniture to inside walls including the bed.

SEE guys, we do move the furniture around for a reason.

Add flannel sheets to the bed, layer on the blankets( preferable thermal) and thick comforter.Pull out the flannel or brushed cotton pjs.

Use the oven for entire meals to warm the kitchen.

Open curtains when the sun is shining( where the sun is shining in) to help warm the house.

Program the thermostat. Right now even though it's cool outside and the house drops to mid 60s thru the night.I don't have the furnace on yet.We changed the filter and kicked it on to make sure it worked. I cleaned out the vents while doing the fall cleaning.

Covered the central air conditioning unit and took the window AC out.

Storm door is back on the front door (we get most of the wind from that direction).I will wait awhile before I remove the back screen door.One because when it's warm the kitchen bakes and two, the dog has a opening in the screen(we put it there when Sammy came to live with us) to let herself in and out in to the mudroom.

put on a sweater, long sleeve shirt, long pants etc. instead of running around your home in warm weather clothes and complaining about being cold or cranking the heat up.Yes, daughter of mine I am thinking of you. Put on socks and shoes that are not sandels or crocs or mules and your feet will stay warmer.

If you want more ideas, just ask your parents or grandparents (or some one of those age brackets) how they kept warm in the winter.You will most likely get an ear full.

Saving money as a habit

I do it with out much thought for they have became habits through time.Others I am working on.Saving money is a habit that any one can learn. Takes more practice with some of us than others but still is doable.

It's late summer right now, the garden is producing ( not as much as I would like but every tomato counts) and the sun is starting to rise a bit later each day and set earlier.Walking the garden daily to make sure the ripe produce is picked and dealt with is a habit that I get into easily enough. Washing the produce...okay I struggle to remember to wash the onions , everything else is automatic, but to use the peelings for veggie broth, you need to wash those onion skins, they turn your veggie broth into a nice golden color.

I have a calendar that has when my bills are due.I move the due date up by 7 days so nothing is paid late thus saving late charges( and your credit score). I also put on the calendar when my library books are due a few days ahead of time, once again saving late charges. I round up in my check book register any bills paid automatically, when I balance my register with the bank, I transfer the difference to my savings.I also have an automatic transfer ever month from my checking to my savings on a certain date. This practice also saves me the cost of the checking account. I don't order my checks from the bank. So far I have found them else where for about half the price.

I only clip coupons for things I use. Not something just because it sounds or looks good.

I go to Dollar General, then Save-A-Lot, then Aldi's, then Walmart, then Kroger's and ONLY after I have looked at fliers, checked the coupons and looked on line. This line up of stores is good also for my gas mileage even though I actually pass by Kroger's and Walmart to get to Aldi's. It's not enough, a parking lot of Walmart, to make enough difference.

During the Farmer's markets I shop for veggies and fruit there. Usually cheaper, a lot healthier and keeps my money in my community.

When I shop I use a list. Okay I use 2 lists. One for food only and the other is for non-food. It isn't unusual for me to do the shopping on separate days.I only shop for non-food once a month sometimes it's 6 wks or more apart. my big shopping for food is once a month and I fill end then when I am already in town or hubby is once a week or every other week. The less you are in the store, the less you will spend.

I don't cook from boxes ( most the time that is, I do have some for hubby for when I am not there). It's simple to toss cooked ground beef with noodles or rice and a sauce with seasoning instead of hamburger helper with it's high sodium and preservatives. Or even use a can of soup instead of a sauce.Gravy is nothing more than fat ( of any kind except margarine ) and flour,salt and pepper and then water, milk or broth.I skim my fats from my meats when I am cooking and freeze it in ice cube trays I use only for this.Then bag them. One good cube of fat is enough to make 1/2 cup of gravy. If there is only 2 of you like there is of us...this is enough gravy for a meal, unless you LOVE gravy and use mash potatoes for the excuse of having gravy.

Soups and casseroles are easy and can be made out of leftovers. I make a couple soups that you can make the basic soup and then pull out a little of it each day, add a couple things and change what it is.Casseroles can start with a strained soup or can have water,broth or milk to turn into soup.

I don't by name brand because it's name brand nor do I buy cheap because it's cheap. I buy the BEST for my DOLLAR.

I don't keep the house lit up, I turn down the thermostat( use a programmable one) for the furnace and only use a window AC (instead of the central air) in the bedroom during the day when Hubby is sleeping. I use ceiling fans yr around and other fans when I am in the room except the front room, that is where the dog lays a lot when she is in the house so I keep a fan running on low for her.I have computers, stereos and the televisions and all it's gadgets like the cable box, dvd player etc on power strips that I turn OFF when they are not in use.

I checked the insulation, duct work should be insulated, you can lose 10-30 % of your heat or cooling through your duct work. Pipes and water heater should be insulated right along with caulking windows and doors.Before you even think to yourself, I rent and its the landlords problem...yes he should do it and pay for it but it's YOUR MONEY that is being wasted.Would you throw 1/3 rd of your heat bill in cash out the door or window? NO. You can take steps yourself to save YOUR money even when the landlord won't. I am lucky my landlord ( heaven Bless him) cares about his property and about us.

next ...getting ready for winter and saving yourself money.

Needing a pantry

Most say they don't need a pantry because they can go to the store or call for take out or go to a restaurant...reality does hit occasionally and then those options go away very fast.Ice storms, blizzards and tornados just to name a couple.

I always strongly suggest (my children will tell you I threaten)you to have at least 7 days of meals in your pantry. Complete meals,including breakfast, lunch, dinner and 2 snacks for each day. Have some that you can cook and some that needs nothing more than to be opened.

Cold cereal can be eaten with or without milk for a meal or a snack.

I keep popcorn that I can pop on the stove or over a grill (microwave popcorn is high in triglycerides).

I have dried fruit.Some I buy and some I dehydrate myself.

I keep assorted nuts in the freezer and we usually have sunflower seeds because I make granola bars for hubby's lunch.

I always have eggs,beans,flour,corn meal, yeast,evaporate milk, dried milk,assorted pasta and rice and some cans of meat such as tuna,chicken etc.Potatoes if you eat them regularly is also good. With these items you can make dumplings, noodles, bread,biscuits, gravy, cream sauce for pasta or rice.

My parents ate bean soup 2-3 times a day most of their childhoods.Both are in their 80s and can give the MY grandkids a run for their money on being active,I won't mention they put me to shame also.

To survive a time without income or the ability to go to the store or fast food joint you first have to have a pantry.

Next post....meals from the pantry

Great Depression II What is there left to do?

You have no cable, no phone, no internet and no gas for the car. If you are in the city you can still walk the city and window shop or to friends or family or both and visit...yes really, visit in person, talk face to face...it's amazing...snicker.

If you are in the country, it's harder, family might not be close (we are an hour away from everyone due to hubby's work) and neighbors might be a couple miles and you might not even know them.It can be very lonely.

I still write letters and send them by mail.I still read and reread books ( I buy a lot of books at thrift shops and rotate them through my girls). I play solitaire with a deck of cards. I walk around the edge of the yard and play with the dog.If you have electric you can still play games already loaded on your computer if you have one. I do crafts with things around the house or spend time reading cookbooks (I read them like a regular book especially if they are old).

Do I get "cabin fever"? Yes, but not often.Do I get lonely? Sometimes,but since I like myself and enjoy my own company it's not so bad.

Can you survive a Great Depression???

Great Depression II Utilities

A parents fear is not having enough money to keep the heat on or water. Basic utilities is something a lot of us take for granted. Lack of running water, electric and heat is quite common in other countries.Sometimes even in this country when jobs disappeared and benefits ran out.

I've been there, might be there again some day. I can offer this advice only.

Keep the roof over your head as long as you can without going under.BEFORE you get to that point, ask for help, moving in with friends, family, even strangers was common during the Great Depression.

You don't have to have internet, most libraries now have this service if it's your only way of connecting to family and friends. You can also apply from jobs there if needed.

You don't have to have cable(satellite) television.You can go digital or even without completely and just borrow DVDs/videos (yes I just showed my age). I didn't have a television for over a year when my children were young,drove my parents and brother nuts over it , later in years they realized a side effect of this. My children love to read and they can use their imaginations. If your children need to watch something on television for school(let their teacher know you don't have cable, believe me you are not alone) then ask a schoolmate or friend, family member if they can watch it at their place.

You don't have to have a cell phone and you can get a house(or a cell) phone for 911 calls only for very cheap.There are a few cell phone companies now offering limited services for very affordable prices so if you are spend $$$ you should check in to this now.We cut our cell phone bill by 2/3rds and have the same things we were using with the old service.

You do have to have water and sewage.You do have to have refuse (trash) hauled away. You do have to have electric (especially if you are in the country and have a well that uses a electric pump).You do have to have heat, not necessarily propane, nature gas or electric...but some kind of heat that is SAFE. Using your oven or toaster oven for heat is NOT SAFE.I will admit I have used the oven...to a point, cook a meal in the oven and leave the door cracked open to cool down in the morning or night or both.I have also cooked on top of a kerosene heater (with a window cracked at all times).

One of the running jokes (which regretfully did happen) in our family is there is no sense paying the cable/internet or the heat bill if you don't pay the electric to run the items( like the computer,television or furnace in the winter) to begin with. There is no sense planning on flushing the toilet or taking a shower if you don't pay the water bill. Try cooking without water for a couple days and you will understand.

Want to understand better what I am talking about, turn your main breaker off and go a few hours.I have done this once every season to make sure I am prepared for outages or storms that can wipe the basic utilities out.

Next..what is there left to do?

Meals from the pantry

You can find recipes in books, magazines and on the internet. So I won't go that route with you. I will offer suggestions

Meat patties using canned salmon or mackerel or tuna or mashed beans( toss in a tortilla wrap and you have a burrito)

Corned beef hash (you can put an egg in the middle of it) and serve it with bread ( I prefer toast)I've made hamburger hash and added carrots and celery to the mix.

I also use canned corn beef topped with 1,000 salad dressing, kraut and Swiss cheese in my crock pot for a good casserole (it can be nuked instead) that the left overs is served the next day on sub buns with more Swiss cheese.

Couscous, risotto, paella,pastas,fried rice.

Beans over rice, beans and pasta( pasta e fagioli) or as my Nonna did, beans( a pound of beans for each person) soup on Monday.Add mixed veggies on Tuesday and more water.Add small pasta on Wed and more water. Add stale bread or serve over the stale bread on Thursday and more water. Friday bake bread and have fried bread instead of the soup and be grateful. Saturday was pizza night and Sunday was always pasta and some kind of roast most times it was a chicken.

Dried beef (Or any canned meat) and milk gravy over bread/biscuits( remember that flour and yeast I mentioned...okay go ahead and get the bisquick ALSO)

Cornmeal can make porridge, polenta(when you add cheese) fried mush(which is porridge that has cooled)corn bread and tamales.

Hand me a can of green beans and a can of potatoes and I will toss it together for a one pot meal.Add corn bread or other bread to fill you up and you have a meal.

Cabbage, potatoes and some bacon or ham (or just their grease...sorry but it doesn't raise our cholesterol)

I usually have some squashes and cabbages in my basement during the late fall, winter into early spring. Usually some apples also. Crisps are good keepers if you keep them dry and cool. Cook them together add pasta, rice or bread and you will fill those tummy's up

Toss canned meat with your pasta or rice and make a white sauce with your evaporated milk . Or serve rice with red sauce(commonly called spaghetti sauce)

Casseroles are forgiving and easy. You can even nuke them and make them quickly.
I have tossed stale bread, odds and ends of cheese and diced up veggies together with an egg or even just milk and baked for a casserole.Sometimes I will serve it with gravy I make from the leftover meat grease I keep when cooking meat and freeze it.

Stuffing or dressing combined with meat and or with veggies is easy also.Whether you start with fresh bread or boxed mixes.

Go look in your cabinets and pull out what you could make your next 2 meals from. You might even get carried away and find out you have more meals than you think you do shoved in those cabinets.


Next: saving money as a habit

Great Depression II Clothes

I can sew. I can take a pattern, cut material and sew it on my machine...or by hand.

More...I can make a pattern either from laying another item down and tracing it or the person I am sewing for on paper and make the pattern.

I can mend,alter and remake old clothes.

I haven't had to spin my own thread or weave my own fabric.It's time consuming and hard work but I could do it.

I keep buttons,snaps and zippers off of clothes that are to the point of being used for rags.I have used old clothes for patches of clothes still being worn and my girls have all had jean purses made from jeans their own children couldn't wear and was no longer "worth" passing down.

I've made dresses, night gowns, shirts etc from cotton sheets. Towels, old blankets etc have gone into quilts instead of buying batting.

I have had shoes repaired, repaired them myself (glue, sew, are duct tape)or stuffed card board in them to keep them going.

Add it on, take it off,turn it inside out, tear it apart and put it back together. Anything to keep clothes on the body, keep warm( or in this hot weather cool) and still look good.

Next Utilities

Great Depression II...could you survive?

Someone asked me this the other day and their jaw fell open when I answered yes. I then spent over 30 min telling them why I thought I could.

I started with food because in reality, we will go with out the cable,phones, and internet but we have to eat even when we have no income.

First is I have a pantry, a huge pantry that I slowly built over time. I will shove can goods under couches, love seats, beds, behind doors, in the closets and even make a end table out of them and cover them with a cloth.I have enough food right now to go at least 6 months,I usually keep a year's supply of food basics.I'm low because the garden isn't doing so well and I am waiting for the crops to come in.

Second, we are not picky eaters. We don't have to have meat every night, we like vegetables and having what most consider breakfast food for our evening meal isn't a big deal.It's not like people don't eat steak or pork chops for breakfast...duh.

Third, I know how to and do most times cook from scratch. Not out of a box, freezer bag, or can. I can make condensed soup from dried milk(Thank you Amy Dacyczyn Tightwad Gazette 1) I can make catsup, mayo, salad dressing and a lot of things we automatically buy without thought.

Fourth, I make food from scraps...I wash my vegetables before I clean them and throw the peelings in to a pot of water to make vegetable stock. Bones, skin and fat from meat and poultry go in a pot of water to make broth. I don't do so much with seafood because it's not affordable in my area and my hubby doesn't fish (he drowns plastic worms).I make new dishes from old foods.This seems to be my best talent in the kitchen.

When my children first left home and went out on their own calling and saying telling me they had nothing left to eat happened more than once. I would play 20 questions of what is left in the cabinets, what is left in the freezer, and what is left in the refrigerator and most times come up with several more meals. Might not be balanced but it would fill their bellies.

During the Great Depression, it wasn't about eating healthy and eating balanced. It was about having something to put in your stomach and not going hungry.Picking greens out of the yard was good, and if you don't use pesticides and such items you still could.

Growing lettuce on a window sill was common.

Coming next CLOTHES

The Liturgical Year

The Liturgical Year
The Ancient Practices Series
By Joan Chittister, Phyllis Tickle
Published by Thomas Nelson

I spent some time reading this book. I usually read through a book of this size within a few hours. The Liturgical Year was mind provoking. Not all churches of Christian faith have this liturgical line up of celebrations and such. With the exception of the Catholic Church, in my years of exploring different faiths, none have practiced this liturgical year especially to the extent talked about in this book. Maybe we all should.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

getting ready for winter

Yes,I said winter.

The weather hasn't work with me over the garden, figure it is going to bite us in the butt this winter.

I walked through the house, even the upstairs that we don't use so much with just being the two of us and made a list of things to take care of this summer making a deadline of being done by the end of August as my focus will shift to my older daughter's wedding(I am doing the catering).

Cauking the windows inside and out was number one followed by actually hanging heavy curtains instead of just sheers across the windows.Some of the windows need new seals.

Insulating the duct work to the furnance( you can lose 10-30% of your heat with out insulation on the duct work) and water pipes along with sealing the gaps in the basement windows and where the foundation meets the house will be a hugh project.

I still have to check the insulation in the attics.

Putting insulation foam behind all the outlets and switches.

Moving furniture this fall so where we sit the most is actually the warmest part of the room.

Things I have done so many times in the past that wasn't on my mind when we moved in this old farm house at Christmas.

Right along with preserving the bounty of my garden and what ever else I get my hands on.

Have a Blessed day

Happy Father's day

Happy Father's day to all the daddy's out there. Happy Father's day to the ones that filled in for the daddy that wasn't there...whether you be a man or a woman.

Enjoy the day.

Blessed Be
Juls

To those going thru bad weather

My prayers are for you.

I got some calls this morning, asking advice about freezers with power being out.What to do with the food etc.

Freezers thaw from the top down so your most important meat/veggies should be on the bottom.Don't open the door unless you need to and do so as little as possible. Cover the freezer with a blanketto help keep it coolunless it's winter and it's below 32 where the freezer is.I have actually had to cover up my freezer to keep the motor from freezing up when it was in the garage.

If you know you are going to be losing food, pass it along to others that need food to eat NOW.IF you can't find anyone, get ahold of who ever is running the shelter and such around you and see if they can use it or know who you can give it to.Sometimes the soup kitchens and churchs will take it.

Be safe everyone.

cleaning home and self

While down I have taken a hard look at what I am buying at the store.

Food wise the amount is less than $150 a month but still there is more than plenty going in the trash. Definitely need to up the left over night and more plan over meals.It's the attitude of "hubby will take it for lunch to work or I will eat it for lunch or a snack" that is causing things to get dumped in the trash can instead.If nothing else, it needs to be packaged for the freezer especially with garden season coming in.

Non-food is killing the budget.

I've tried several cleaning products always on the look out for something that eases the cleaning and makes the house smell good at the same time.So I spent some time looking back through my notes of interviews with elders and came up with the following list.

Olive oil,safflower oil,baking soda,white vinegar,apple cider vinegar, and lemon juice. Not only are these food products but they are usable to clean your home and yourself( clean and skin care) and can be use to medical also.

Castor oil (can stain material), mineral oil,vaseline,rubbing alcohol,and witch hazel can help clean and are medical items

Castile soap, naptha soap, washing soda,borax and glycerine will clean the home and yourself along with skin care.

examples of the above could make: furniture polish, window cleaner, toilet cleaner, all purpose cleaner, oven cleaner, scouring powder, dish soap,laundry soap, laundry stain remover,laundry fabric softener, shampoo, conditioner, liquid body soap,skin moisturizer,lotion to ease body aches, insommia,sleeplessness,reduce inflammation, laxative, stomach issues,fungal infections,acne, ringworm and etc.

Instead of me joining the throw away society I can spend a few minutes and make my own cleaners out of "greener" products that I either already have or can easily get and spend less money, be healthier and reuse containers.

Now if I could just get them to clean the house on their own Lol.

on my feet

Just when I thought I was getting back to my feet...my gallbladder kicked them out from under me.

Not used to sitting around and resting, I thought of tons of things I needed to get done once I uncurled from the fetal position. Anyone that has had gallbladder issues can tell you recover just isn't that fast.

So out of boredom...

I made a list of 25 meals from the pantry that can be put together and on the table in 30 minutes.

I made a master grocery list reflecting the new way I have to eat.

I made a list of homemade cleaning products and their recipes so I can quit having asthma attackes from my cleaning products and cut the non-food portion of the grocery bill down. We spend twice the amount on non-food that we do on food.

I made a list of homemade personal care products.

I made a list of my garden stuff needed to be bought, started and etc.

I made a new budget for the finances

I made a list of the projects that need to lower heat bill to be done before winter hits.I know it will take me all summer to get them done.

I bounced doctor appointments and tests( last one tomorrow crossing my fingers. At least the second medication is working.

Now with sunshine, warmer weather and taking care of myself I should be able to be back to feet and be organize...if I don't lose the lists. SMILE

have a blessed day!!