another summer day

Hot....humid... and very limited on activities.

Grandkids had swimming lessons this morning. The older ones had a good time as they are diving now. The youngest doesn't like it that he has to put his head in the water, more he has to stop talking or he gets water in his mouth.

The kids are learning to be quiet because Hubby sleeps days from 12 to 5. Not a long time but he does take a nap before going to work at night.  Youngest thinks he needs to run everything and everyone...even though he is 7 and we just got custody of him, it's like a newborn that can get into everything and talk the whole time. We thought he would be better since he was in school but found out the teacher he had treated him as teacher's pet and pretty much allowed him to run the show and do what ever he wanted ...sigh...this next year is going to be rough with a different school system that will be expecting more out of him.

Tstorms in the forecast today so I am not getting out the sprinkler. They are tired of the videos, legos and games...the preteen is missing her friends and her own pool.

Tomorrow is the last day for the older 2 to be here...Sorry to see them go, I'd keep them forever...but I know they have had enough.

Blessed be

Sunday

After Hubby spent the day mowing ,I spent the day planting the gardens south of the grainary  and Patrick spent the day in the sand box, we gathered together at the end of the day on the front porch with our two dogs.

Not much time left of the day but enough to share our day, play ball with the pup (who is actually 2 but will be the pup for ever) and give rubs to the older dog.

This day as it rains and is on the cool side, we are taking the day of Rest and Renew our Spirit.

Blessed be you and yours

Taking a moment

Okay , really it's Saturday morning.

 I need to figure out what work is the priority for this week off the to do list.

 I need to make a basic weekly grocery list so I don't miss toilet paper and sour cream again.

I need to start working on winter bedding and curtains.

I need to start working on preparing the house for winter to keep the costs down.

  The upstairs is electric baseboard heat while the down stairs is propane. The first year here we spent almost $500 a month trying to hold those rooms at 68°. Then we figured out the house wasn't insulated like the new landlord was told (bought house from family member) and the windows were not as new as he thought either or caulked. My answer last winter was to just close it off since it was just the two of us and the dogs. Meant I didn't work on many crafts since that room is upstairs....sad but worth the price in saving on heat.

But this year we will have to heat it. Patrick is now living with us and his bedroom is upstairs. I grew up in a house that only had a space heater in the front room, with my brother's and my rooms upstairs. My own kids grew up in a house that had no heat upstairs, my oldest raised her kids there for awhile and now lives in a house with no heat upstairs either.
                                                                                                             SO why the panic attack?This child is used to having the heat of 68 ° or more in his bedroom, running around in shorts and thin shirt all winter.

 He had done well at adjusting to culture shock between city living,(going to shop daily, fast food,high speed internet, something to do all with the time not spent on xbox or tv,etc) BUT he is constantly cold.

It's summer and yet the house is on the cool side. Great when it's 80 something outside but not so much when it's only 65 ° and breezy.

Landlord is going to caulk the outside of the windows. I am making a comforter of old jeans, might have enough for curtains. My oldest daughter passed flannel pj bottoms down but didn't have any warm pj tops so I need to find thermal shirts for him. Might have to use adults found at the thrift shop to make some for him.

It's a worry with what all ready we having going on and the budget is getting tighter with Hubby looking at having some days laid off of work through the rest of the year. So this morning I am making a list of the priority of the work week, basic grocery list, winter prep and winter needs for Patrick...the time spent planning and organizing will make it easier to do and less likely chance of me forgetting something important ...like toilet paper ...but hey at least we are not OUT, just lower than I like.

How are you doing ?

Blessed Be

It's been awhile

Since I have had time to sit down and write. Several things have happened, a cold spring that stopped us from getting the spring gardens in, a backed up drain in our basement that flooded the pantry,emergency custody of our grandson due to his mom (our youngest) having issues with her health complicated with other things and a cold beginning of summer with rain pretty often to screw with getting the summer garden in topped with messing my back up to the point medications don't help and struggle to get up and down. Already had a xray which confirmed my deformed disk in my lumbar and scoliosis (duh, I already knew that and had it from birth) and go for a MRI next...sigh...

I can say after using 5 hrs of driving grandson daily to his school so he could finish the year out there....I was so far behind in my spring/summer to do list I didn't think I would ever even get close and the budget was whacked out with paying for the gas to get him to school, of course it went UP instead of DOWN.

To keep food on the table and cash for the fuel to get him to school I immediately pulled up The Prudent Pantry(theprudentpantryblog.blogspot.com).
 and followed Brandy's advice more that I usually do.

Hubby came in last night and told me that he ran the rotor tiller in the large in garden and I had lost about 1/3rd of my tomatoes, probably from the family of bunnies that are still running around the house even with 2 large dogs constantly chasing after them. Hubby doesn't hunt or care for wild meat or they would be on the dining table by the weekend.

I remind myself daily that GOD is giving me no more than I can handle and the strength to handle what comes my way.

Meantime since I have to clean out the pantry I decided to change how it is laid out. Hope my back hangs in there long enough to get it done.

Later....Blessed be

Happy Mother's Day

Glad you are not suffering and in Heaven with your sons that had went ahead of you....but Momma I wished for you.

 Happy Mother's day to all of my daughters.

Happy Mother's day to all the women in the world.

Over a month

And it's been a rough one. Even the two weeks I spent with friends welcoming home a couple (she will be 93 next week and he will be 83 beginning of May)was still a rough one...why?

Because while out of state doing such...I broke my molar...I got sick...laid in bed for almost a week wondering if I was every going to be well again...and then did too much when I did get well and messed up my body to the point the the massage therapist was praying over me as I moaned with pain. Physical Therapy was a wash out, my ins won't pay for the chiropractor because I have a deformed lumbar so they don't see any point in me going to the chiro even for pain mgt....that is what pill popping is for which is NOT what my medical doctor wants for me.

ANYWAYS...mean time...winter refuses to go away and STAY away so I won't be planting any spring crops.....sigh....I miss my spring crops.

But I do have a good start of my summer crops growing...as you can see I have a 3 ft by 6 ft card table covered with healthy squashes and cucumbers plus a few others that are not in the picture. In fact there are a couple tomato plants I brought back for my Dad as he likes Mr. Stripey and has problems finding plants for his garden. I also have a 6 ft counter top covered with "hot house full of seeds and 2 trays under a 4 ft grow light of seedlings for the gardens.

Now if only Mother Nature and my body would get their act together.

We have been eating from the pantry until 1 wk ago.I bought bacon. We hadn't had any for over 3 months. I also got a lot of fresh veggies and fruit, the salad disappeared in 2 days. We ate out, smoked ribs that we hadn't had for awhile but still kept well in our $400 budget including non food which is our biggest expense

Now it's back to eating out of the pantry, not only because of the tight budget (we have paid off 3 major bills and gained 2 thanks to my health) but because I will need to clean the deep freezers, frig freezers and pantry for the incoming harvest...if Mother Nature works with me.

Meantime my to do list has grown to over 2200 items I want done by the end of May....that includes appts. and other things that are not in my normal day. I just keep ticking things off...except on Sundays

Sunday is the day of rest, renew my spirit and organize and plan for the coming week.

Blessed be

It's SPRING

It's SPRING... I don't care what the weather says...I have had enough of winter so I have declared it to be SPRING!!!!

The local weather station is calling for Spring here to be colder than normal with most of that being in March.

I will cut back on what I plant for Spring harvest, start more Summer crops and then increase the Fall harvest to make up for the lack in the Spring.

This is a picture of the seeds I planted today...the empty spot is where the okra will go when I plant it tomorrow. I forgot the seed had to soak 24 hrs.

I prayed over these little lives as I planted them, prayed my black thumb (up to the elbow) didn't kill them off and if it did it was a quick and painless death. I really need to be able to grow the crops from my own seeds as I am to the point of buying very little veggies from the stores.

As for my "flying" today as in FLYLADY ( www.flylady.net)

I fluttered a little...we had went shopping this morning for some things that I need to make a couple gifts plus I found some material for a skirt that will work all year around. All of it was on sale so it was a good day that way.

Still by time we got back, ate lunch, played with the pup who is now 2 yrs old today, walked with the older dog that puts up with all of us and started on the seeds...I didn't get much done beside the laundry.
As I was doing laundry I day dreamed of hanging clothes on the clothes line...need to get that fixed.

The to do list is longer than my arm...okay longer than my car because I am short LOL

Blessed Be

Sunday the Day of Rest

We didn't get the big bad snow/sleet/freezing rain storm that they were forecasting for our area so it was nice to wake up to just a nice snow fall.

I usually clean the master bedroom on Friday or Saturday depending on which day works better with Hubby's work schedule. He didn't have to work this weekend so we were out of the house most of the time for the last two days. The bedroom didn't get done.

So as soon as I woke up I stripped the bed and started washing the bedding and remaking the bed. Surprising what a simple thing can do to cheer you up...a nice clean bed to crawl into.

I decide that even though today is the Day of Rest and I really try to stay focused on that otherwise my health goes down from the lack of rest. BUT since the last 2 days I have spent basically not doing anything around the house and visiting with friends. I figure I can do an odd job or two and still rest.

Have  Blessed Day

makes me smile

There is a story behind this toy. When ever I hear it play or see it even though it has lost most the parts of his body I have to smile.

 When my first grandson was a toddler, this was his. I was driving behind his mom, my daughter , and every time she turned or stop and started I would hear this music coming from her trunk so I pulled up beside her and got her to pull over.

"What?" she demanded.

"There is music coming from your trunk."

"I know, it's the freakin toy that annoys me every time it plays so I am taking it to Goodwill."

"Give it to me."

"Are you kidding me?"

"Nope, he can play with it at my house and it won't annoy you."

So I got the toy...and it annoyed her anyways because instead of him playing with it, I would send it playing when she would walk in the door.Pay back for all  the noise makers she banged on  that my mom got her.

Now days the grandkids will send it playing and most of them are in their teens...my daughter laughs right along with me.

February glitch,eating from the pantry , 365 declutter

I am calling it a glitch because with a little effort we can get back on track.

We have had a lot of running around, moving furniture for kids etc and appointments in the evening...and slid right in to eating out and not eating healthy. So even though the amount being spent eating out comes out of the grocery money (and we are under budget so far) it's important to get back to eating at home and eating healthy....read fruits and veggies.

Update from the eating from the pantry...I have the mudroom frig freezer almost empty. My goal is to stop using using this frig completely.Right now it holds drinks, condiments, and some of the root produce.The freezer gets leftovers and the lunch items. I will take the money I get from the sale of this frig to buy a bigger chest deep freezer. That's my goal anyways. I have 3 whole pantry shelves empty. Each shelf is 17"wide and 35" long and usually stacked 2 jars (or cans) high so it usually is holding 100 jars per shelf.So that is around 300 jars of food used up.

I had my sewing machine tuned-up :) and purchased new needles so I can get back in to sewing. I am making warm weather curtains for several of the rooms and going back to making most of my clothes. I am short and a lot of time have to buy children's clothes which is fine for jeans and tees but not so much for casual dress or other clothes. I hate paying for styles that I do not like, do not fit me properly and decided I would rather spend the time and make custom fitting clothes (like the rich and famous LOL) and know I will wear it for a long time. It helps when I search fabric.com and our local fabric shop and find fabric I LOVE for sale or clearance.

I also am going to start seeds for the garden this week. Pray for the little seeds because my green thumb is a dark brown. Once I get the plants in the garden I can usually get them to survive their existence. Poor things.

On the front line of Decluttering.... I have been pitching at least once a day at least one thing...usually more. Yesterday we passed a kitchen corner cabinet that has been floating around our home and our daughters home for over 15 yrs. Our son asked for it for their kitchen. He also asked for a bed Hubby had made for our girls when they were in their teens that has passed around through the grandkids for their oldest son. I also took him his childhood toy box but I will be making another one of those this summer.

Have a good day

Blessed Be

The Other Day

My son called me to tell me that Aldi's had their 5 LB. tubes of hamburger on sale and that it was averaging out at $1.80/lb..

 Normally I don't buy tubes of hamburger but he eats this all the time so I knew it was decent (he is my picky child).

Out of the 5 lbs.I made

6 Salisbury steaks

6 mock country fried steaks

12 meatballs the size of golf balls

and tonight's meal...meatloaf.

That averages out to $2.25 for the meat per meal...BUT we only ate 3 of the Salisbury steaks and I put the other 3 back(already cooked) in the freezer...so that is now 5 meals making the meat $1.80/meal.

IF we only eat 3 of the mock country fried steaks (same size as the Salisbury so that is a good sign we will) then that will make 6 meals making the meat $1.50/ meal.

We like meatballs too much and meatloaf too much to make a second meal of it when I only used a little bit over 1 lb. to begin with.

I now understand why Mom always had oatmeal and crackers but we very seldom ate them. I don't remember ever eating oatmeal for breakfast, that was Cream of Wheat (ground semolina flour) or CoCo wheat (ground corn grits flavored with cocoa). I preferred Cream of Wheat, Brother preferred Coco Wheat.

Have a Blessed Day

January grocery budget

After looking at last year's budget and comparing it to what we were actually spending  We were spending $900 or more including eating out. We also realized we were eating out about every 5 days.

SO January's budget was $400 and eating from the pantry.

How did that go?

I can say the first 16 days it went fine.

 On day 16 we were craving our favorite pizza and chef salad. We compromised by getting it as a take n bake and got 2 chef salads instead of one so it made 4 meals instead of just 2.We eat the salad BEFORE we eat any pizza.

On the 18th which was my birthday we were coming back from our kids and Hubby decided to stop at Wendy's so I wouldn't be fixing dinner.

On the 30th we went to our favorite local restaurant and got their chicken dinner.It was the special that night so we saved a few bucks.

Also at the end of the month I was informed my Vit. D was so low I had the Rickets and my cholesterol was through the roof. I had given up dairy to lower my cholesterol, guess that wasn't what was sending it up to begin with.

So armed with list of foods that help raise Vit. D and lower cholesterol  we went to the store and loaded up.You have to be careful as a lot of low fat foods are high sugar and a lot of low sugar foods are high fat.

I don't eat a lot of process foods at home so helps.I have added some veggies to grow in the garden this year that I normally don't grow.

Being so the wrap of the January costs was

$489.92 including the eating out AND I can tell you for fact the 89.92 is exactly what we paid that I had to add to my diet.

Blessed Be

365 items in 365 Days

Did a second round of decluttering today because I was bored.

Got Hubby's computer decluttered. Got the bathroom declutter along with the make up drawer. Even though the landlord plowed us out today, we won't be going anywhere besides Hubby going to work.

So I did the laundry, played outside with the dogs, decluttered the butler's pantry and then came in a spent some time decluttering odd and ends out of my garden seed...was thinking that Spring was just around the corner...instead what is around the corner is a possible blizzard.

So I am battening down the hatches to prepare for possibilities and hope it comes to nothing. I am real tired of this winter.

Blessed be

Thought I had the crud

But didn't...Doc took one look at my blood work and then announced he knew what I had...RICKETS. I had stopped drinking milk, wasn't eating much cheese of any kind and stopped eating yogurt.

I was thinking this would keep my cholesterol down.

First my bad cholesterol is up...way up. SO giving up dairy didn't help at all.

Second I now have a Vit. D deficiency that caused me to slide in to Rickets.

Some with some searching of the pantry and freezers. I made a grocery list adding things I need to be eating regularly to lower the cholesterol and raise the Vit D.

We spent $93 on food when we went to the store. A good half of it will last to mid Feb. if not longer. The rest was perishables for the coming week.

That is still keeping us in the budget AND I am still cooking from the pantry except for 2 days, one was for my birthday from my son (Wendy's) and the other was a take and bake pizza and chef salad that Hubby brought home the day of my birthday.

Got to go, weather is horrible here and the pup wants out.I go out with him and keep an eye on him.

Blessed Be

365 decluttering

After talking last night, I figure out that Hubby feels that if he lets go of all the stuff he won't be able to replace it if we need it. We talked about our different faiths and how we each deal with that. I did point out to him that he refused to give a toy he had as a child to a grandson that asked for it to only leave in a dirty box. I asked him if he even knew where that box was...of course not. I do as I had unearthed it looking for something else.

We decided TOGETHER, key words there. That I will do the decluttering and if it is something of his, he has to make a decision of what to do with it within a week, if he don't then it's my choice of what to do with it.

Also, everything that needs to be burned (yes we have open burning here) gets burned asap (not when we have winds that will blow it to the barns) and not set aside in the garage, like I found 3 boxes.

Everything I put in the trash goes to the end of the lane on Tuesday morning for pick up. I will put this sack in a different place because Hubby is tempted to put it aside when he knows there is not bad food in it.

Everything that goes to the thrift shop goes on Thursday when we run errands into town. We try very hard to limit our runs to town to save on gas and spending.

Okay...being that said...it's one "item" each day, I decided that I don't care if it's only one item or 27 items. ONCE a day I will declutter something.

I plan to post on Thursdays what I decluttered for the week.

Blessed be

Pantry eating

Saturday Hubby asked for chili, worked for me since I had canned several jars of chili last November.

Sunday we have pumpkin soup (I was finishing putting pumpkin in the dehydrator only have another 2 to deal with) and BBQ pulled pork in tortilla wraps. Another pantry meal.

Don't know what we are having tonight as I have the crud and Hubby is on dinner duty.You can never tell with him.

Be safe, be warm, be well.

Blessed be

365 items in 365 days

I had to really think about this and I can see a couple of you scratching your heads wondering what is there to think about.

I have been trying to declutter for the past 10 years. That is when we moved from the old homestead, in town, of over 2000 sq ft, a full basement and a 2 1/2 car garage that Hubby had packed with so much you had to move things to get in. Every spring I would rent a dumpster and toss the "trash" and donate the rest. He would go to auctions and yard sales and dumpster diving and fill it back up by the following spring.

In 2004 we moved to the country and an 1200 sq ft house with only a garden shed with a lean to.Hubby got a large storage unit and older daughter kept some of the stuff with her at the old homestead.

 In 2008 we moved to an 800 sq ft house with a one car garage , Hubby got 3 storage units because older daughter was starting to declutter stuff in the garage.

In 2010 we moved here with 2000 sq ft house,2 car garage  and the use of a farrowing house and pig house for storage (no pigs) SO Hubby got rid of the storage units.

I THOUGHT I was doing good, we weren't paying out for the storage units any more AND I was sorting through boxes and sacks getting rid of stuff...except what I thought was going to the local thrift shop was actually going out to the farrowing house being put under other things so I wouldn't know they were still there.

But hey, guess what, I have a couple kids that decided Hubby and I could store their stuff also and mentioned it at Christmas that they thought they had sent that with him instead of keeping it, would I please look....OH YEAH.... I looked (no, their stuff wasn't there ) but the stuff that was suppose to be gone was.

SO with this 365 challenge also has to come with rules.

Tuesday is our trash day, so anything needing pitched has to be in the trash can by that morning.

Thursday is our errand day, it will now be the day of drop off to the thrift shop.

Those two things have been added to my weekly routines.

Hubby and I had an open discussion of hoarding and why things need to go. I feel dealing with other family member's hoarding has made him realize he doesn't want our kids to go through what we and the family that had to deal with it has.

THEN I had a discussion with the ones that we are storing things for. They have until the end of June to have their stuff removed from here.I don't mind storing furniture that came from us or the family if they don't have a place to use it (4 out of 5 moved this year) until they decide to either move (3 are already talking of moving) or not keep it any more.BUT other than that, they are going to deal with it.


SO yeah, I had to think about making this a priority.

Blessed Be

Frugal items done

I mended my socks. That's a biggie for me because even though I will mend anything else, socks is something I don't do but Hubby does.

I made apple butter and apple Jelly from the apples given to us from a friend of a friend.

Hubby cut up a 65 lb pumpkin for me to roast and then dehydrate, the last of it will be in the dehydrator this evening. AND I have a couple more that is equal to 50 lbs.

We have ate from the pantry every day.

I ordered heirloom seeds for my garden so I can start saving my own seeds and not spending the money.

Not a big list...or I should say not as big as I would like to see. I think the goal of doing one frugal thing a day will help that.

Blessed be

Saturday..in the kitchen

This is 2/3rds of the 65 lb pumpkin that cost us $1 this past fall.Hubby whacked into pieces for me this morning. The first 3rd is already in the oven roasting. I already roasted the seeds, got about 1 quart, for Hubby to snack on. When the pumpkin comes out of the oven I will put the pulp into the dehydrators and but another section in the oven. I have found that even though it takes more time to do pumpkins this way, I save more room in the pantry, save on the amount of canning jars I have to use and don't waste pumpkin because I had to open a half pint when I only needed a couple tablespoons for something. The last batch of pumpkins was 50 lbs total and I ended up with 1 1/2 quarts of powdered pumpkin when I was done. WHICH is now gone.I have another 50 lbs of pumpkin in the butler's pantry to do also. Another $1 buy that will provide many meals.

I finished the last of the apples we had stored from fall, they are now apple butter and apple jelly that I made from the peels and cores of the apples.

With the price of food going up and our budget for food going down. I am really going to have to put extra effort in stretching it as far as it can go.Not just focus of using from the pantry but stretching that pantry farther than I originally planned.

When I am preserving from our gardens I figure for it to last 2 years, just in case the next year is a bad harvest. Have dealt with that before.After a talk with my Dad, I have decided to focus more on 3 years and using heirloom seeds to gather my own seeds and not have to spend so much money on seeds. I don't do very well on raising plants. Still going to try to do some of the seeds. I don't have a place that is warm and gets a lot of light and can't afford to run the electric bill up to grow seeds. I do have a produce auction that also sells plants through the spring to late summer so I will put money back for that.

I ordered seeds for spring planting, checked out all the places I ordered and the best deals and then ordered for the spring planting. I can do the summer seeds order when I get the money up. I listed prices so I know how much I need to save up.

I am have selected more of the veggies that was in the Victory Gardens in this area.

Last night we had tuna noodle casserole with peas for dinner and homemade rolls.

I was going to have baked acorn squash stuffed with sausage but with the pumpkin still taking up the whole oven for a few more hours I am going to pancakes,eggs and bacon and Hubby can take leftovers to work for his lunch.

Meantime it's back to the pumpkin as the timer is buzzing to let me know to put the next part in.

Blessed be

DUH moment with Pantry challenge

It's Thursday, this is our errand day, go to the bank,post office (got extra stamps as they are going up in price) and store and what ever else is on that list.

It was nice to get out of the house that we are no longer 30 to 45 below with the wind chills. Our dogs loved going for a ride in the truck also.The older one would live in the truck if we would let her.

I did mention to Hubby that I was sticking with cash for our groceries while on the pantry challenge (I set the amount at $400 a month) but I was going to buy some things for Operation Thank You to send to our deployed soldiers that would come out of my checking account.

Good thing I had that cash because ...DUH.... I forgot the check book and my credit card in my other purse so had to pay for it out of my grocery cash. SIGH....

Even for a DUH moment...it worked out okay. I only spent $33.46 on food and $82.70 for non-food so I had more than plenty to spend on OTY. I combined sales with the coupons I had and did very well all the way around. I still have $283.84 left in the grocery budget.

Last night I made sweet and sour pork out of leftover pork roast and used up some veggies that were getting ready to go bad and served it over the last of the instant rice that was out of my son's pantry.

Tonight I am frying chicken as I am craving the local restaurant's fried chicken (it won't measure up any where close), making mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans,corn, home made bread and apple crisp and vanilla bean ice cream. Maybe the apple crisp will calm the craving...probably not.

Another  DUH moment was when I put the chicken for tonight to soak in buttermilk that I should have bought buttermilk. It went on the list for the next time I go to the store which I don't plan on doing for 2 more weeks if not longer. If I need more than the 1 cup I have left I will have to make it myself with regular milk and lemon juice or apple cider vinegar.

Blessed Be