Moving Towards Simplicity

 

Decluttering possessions is probably the easiest way to start living a simple life. Those possessions that keep us away from family or stop us from living a life based on our values, or in fact just deplete our bank accounts are not necessary. I do have many appliances, but most enable me to cut down cooking time and give me a chance to visit. 

I have also come to realize that I do not need two closets full of clothes and have been gradually ridding myself of those items that do not fit my body now and those that I just do not love. 

Slowly but surely I am removing myself from time commitments that also stop me from enjoying a slowed down life. I never realized how much time I spent doing things that did not fulfill me or enable me to take the time for a nice long walk or curling up with a good book.

Debt held us back from enjoying a simple life as well. We no longer have debt and that is so wonderfully freeing. Do what ever you can to lose that weight. 

It is amazing to me how much simple living incorporates frugal and thrifty living. I suppose one could have one without the other, but the stresses of a life full of things, of debt, of always trying to keep up with others really do not allow for a simple life. Letting go of those things or ridding ourselves of those things saves us money and allows us to rest.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Thrifty and Frugal Thursdays

Thrifty and Frugal 

Life got a bit less frugal today as I stocked up on sale meats, which I guess will turn out to be frugal in the long run, just not for total cost today.

I purchased 2 large cryovac eye of round roasts (approximately 9 lbs. each). One was cut into two roasts, the other cut into 8 steaks and two 1 1/2 packages of beef cubes for stew. The roasts were $5.99 a pound so all were a savings of at least another $5.00 to $15.00 a package.

I purchased a whole pork loin for $2.49 a lb. and made two large pork roasts. A savings of about $15.00 for each roast. The loin cost me $21.65 in total. 

I bought a Steelhead Trout fillet for $17.00 regularly $29.00 and it will furnish us with two meals each. 

Then I purchased 3lbs of ground beef that was also on sale. Eye watering sale, but sale non the less. 

All meat has been cut up, bagged and put in the freezer.

This should keep us in meat for a very long time, considering I have pork chops, ham steaks, lots of chicken and sausages. I also have burgers and hot dogs. 

I am hoping that all I will have to purchase in the way of meat next month is a turkey, and some canned meats and fish. That could mean my groceries for next month will be much lower.

I finished up a few bits and bobs of yarn making the smaller mittens, and now have pulled out some orphan balls and larger bits and bobs to make the next size of mittens. 

I am using up some Christmas yarn to make the runner for on top of the fake fireplace to brighten up that area. 

Used up all leftovers in lunches since we have been home.

Hung clothes on the lines downstairs to dry.

Will be making yogurt tonight. 

Found some partial spools of thread and wound them onto cards to use to sew on buttons or fix hems.

Changed the menu to use up items in the fridge freezer. 

Did a bit of decluttering, and removed things from the hall, and kitchen putting them where they belong.

Thanks for all the ideas in regards to make items more available to me in the pantry. I am going to see if I have any baskets that will fit, and I will keep a flashlight near to hand. 

My cupboards are in fact oak. The ones where my pantry are have been redone by Harvey and I want him to redo the others where my other kitchen items like plates, glasses and pots are held. That can be a job for him this winter as he can do them at his own pace. They need to be sanded, re-stained and a protective easy to wash coating put on them. 

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

 

Midweek Ramblings

It has been pretty cloudy today but at least we haven't had rain or snow as of yet the past couple of weeks. The longer things stay fairly decent the better it is for my driving in this city where people seem to forget how to drive during winter. Not that I don't like snow, and the moisture is necessary here for the proper seeding come the spring. I am just keeping my fingers crossed we don't get rain first.

I have spent some time trying to organize my kitchen pantry. The bad thing about this pantry is that the shelves go back so far. Did my best and now most items are in containers safe from any and all pests. 

I will still have to search for items at the back of the shelves, but at least things are well contained. I also got lots of my canning jars back for next year.

Next up is the pantry in the hall as well as my home canned goods and all my various spices and herbs. Those last are taking up room on my counter. I am actually thinking about putting the dehydrated items into the cupboard above and bringing out my teas so as to use them all this winter. The teas will take up less room and once the jars in the spice rack are empty and refilled I should be able to have a bit more counter space available.

Working on projects and getting a few things ready for the new year. My calendar pages are ready now for menu plans, and my 2026 book for the To Do list is ready to go. 

I have hung the new curtains in the sewing/craft room and folded the others up to see if Kris would like them for some area in his home. They are not as badly faded as I had thought and so he might be able to use them on his front window which would be great.

Even managed some decluttering this past week. Of course the decluttering was mostly paper and a couple of articles of clothing, but much better than nothing. 

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Tuesday Tidbits and Stuff

 I have stretched my shopping out and will not be going out until tomorrow to do that, or who knows perhaps I can stretch things out for another day. I can always make lemonade to drink at supper time. I just do not want to go over budget by a great deal. 

Our visit went very well and we actually got to see part of the cities Santa Claus Parade right past the doors of Kris's house. 

By the time we realized what was happening we could only get this photo. Lots in front and later on many behind. 

Eiko actually slept in the same room as me one night. Perhaps she is getting a bit more used to us coming and visiting for a period of time. 

Since getting home I have continued the organization of the kitchen pantry, did the laundry, and have been trying to figure out how to clean out the leftovers in the fridge freezer or the broth from the chest freezer made into soup. The planned menus starting next week are going to be changed for sure. 

I have just been spending most of the day catching up on work around the house. This means not much in the way of projects has been done. I did get the loom set up, but as far as mitten knitting just a little. I do hope to get this pair finished tonight and the last pair done tomorrow. If I don't get the next size completed before the end of the month, at least it is something I can work on by hand. After all by the end of this month I will need to get our trees and Christmas decor up. 

Things I have planned for tomorrow are hanging the curtains in the sewing/craft room, probably grocery shopping, and redoing the rest of the menus for this month. I even think some leftovers will be used at the beginning of December. 

I am finally sleeping a bit better, which is wonderful. I am slowly getting my energy back and happy to be working on things around the house. I am losing my ennui about projects and nesting around the old homestead. I pushed through at times and I think that is why I bounced so much between tasks. Now that I am sleeping better I find myself willing to finish something rather than work 15 minutes on one thing and then move to the next. Keeping my fingers crossed that more projects will be completed this month.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Menu Plan Monday

We are back home and I am doing laundry..... Harvey on the other hand is sound asleep. I really think I should wake him up or he won't be able to sleep tonight.

Menu's for this week are going to be moved around. 

Monday

Corned Beef Hash and peas.

Tuesday

Homemade pizza, perhaps some garlic bread.

Wednesday

Leftover hash and carrots.

Thursday

Hopefully leftover pizza, but if not that Soup and Sandwiches.

Friday

Tuna casserole and a salad.

Saturday

Lazy Cabbage Roll Casserole.

Sunday

I have some leftover brisket in the freezer that needs using so I will figure out something with the help of Google.

So there it is meals to help us get through the start of the cold weather, clear out the fridge and get some very healthy meals in our tummies. 

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Visiting

 We arrived at around 4:30 pm yesterday. Got the machine dropped off first and gave Kris the slips to pick the machine up when done. I will pay over the phone so no need to write a cheque to leave with Kris. 

Today we, well Kris and I went shopping and pulled up his carrots. I did some cleaning and will continue tomorrow. Just little things to make the house a tiny bit more presentable.

Kris is going to have lots of leftovers for the next while. He probably has enough Baked Spaghetti for two meals and Beef stew for another two. Who knows how many leftovers will happen tomorrow. 

I will visit with you all once I am back home.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

PS I thought I published this, but guess I did not hit the publish button.

Thrifty and Frugal Thursday

Thrifty and Frugal 

This past week I have once again been sticking pretty close to home. Meaning I am managing to get things completed, put away or decluttered. Which I am happy about. 

Frugally I have been trying to use up every bit of food in the fridge, cupboard, and freezer. That has been working out very well. Once again the fridge freezer is pretty much cleared out, and with the organization of the baking pantry, and pasta cupboard I am beginning to find things once again. 

I did go shopping today at Walmart, and of course spent more than planned. This was because I stocked up on some items. It has been a very long time since I have seen blocks of cheese for $4.88 a package, or coffee pods marked down by $6.00 a package. Large cans of creamed corn were on 4 for $6.00, and a big can of pineapple chunks was marked down to $1.27. I just could not pass those bargains up as well as the others I found. While this will more than likely put me over the grocery budget for this month, I feel the savings will be able to keep me under budget next month and into the new year. A big plus since prices keep going up. I may do a bit of a stock up next week on some meats as those are on sale right now as well. I do need beef products so the next trip early in the next week will add to the overage. 

Baked bread this week and today I made buns to take to Kris's. The leftover spaghetti and meat sauce tonight will be processed into a tray of Baked Spaghetti to be taken to Kris's as well. Probably the second meal will be something pulled from the freezer that I have already made. 

As far as craft stash, I am still working on using bits and bobs of yarn making the mittens. Those will come with me to Kris's so I can continue using up more yarn.

There is warp left on the loom and instead of wasting it, I am going to fashion a runner. I want to use up as much of that as possible this time around. I have been very wasteful with leftover warp lately.

I fixed the bottom of a zipper on one of my jackets early this week, darned another pair of socks, and saved some elastics and twist ties. 

I also found a quarter on the way to pick up the mail and that has been added to the change jar. 

Used up a small tube of hand cream after cutting it to get the last little bit out.

Rinsed out the dish soap to get another load of dishes handwashed and will be refilling them tonight.

That's all for this week, other than the usual things that are done every week.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Midweek and Almost Mid Month

 

The sun is shining, the temperature reached the double digits and all bills that are due midmonth are paid. We don't have to worry about being late paying things, and we still have quite a bit in the bank. 

I have found a sewing machine repair establishment close to where our son lives. According to the repair person it does not matter the age of my Baby Lock machine either. Also according to her it could take as little as two weeks to be repaired. I can work with my gift machine or my Mom's old machine until this one is fixed. Or even just not do any sewing until after the New Year, which at this time really does make more sense at this point.

I finished off the rug today. Just stuck with it until done. Now I need to block it and work in the loose ends. I will then sew the rubber backing on by hand. 

Next up I will be re-threading my machine and making a runner for the top of the fake fireplace/heater. An extra project, but I do not want to waste any of the warp. 

The rubber backing will be done when we return from Kris's place and until then I will work on mittens, and embroidery. Perhaps even managing to get more of those monthly projects completed. My knitting will come with me to Kris's, should be able to get a pair or two at least done there. 

Baking for the holidays will begin shortly. Probably cookies and shortbread first, and then some squares that we love. I still need to get almonds and white chocolate to make Almond Bark and peanuts to make Peanut Brittle. I really will be cutting back on sweet baking this year as it seems we eat less and less of these types of things. I might make some Kahlua and Irish Creme for the holidays as those could be given as a Hostess gift. 

This is what we missed seeing last night, but hope to get a glimpse of tonight.

I guess the Northern Lights were dancing in the sky last night and are supposed to happen again tonight. Keeping my fingers crossed that we can get to see them tonight.

Oh yeah, still waiting for my containers to be delivered, supposedly out for delivery now. This means a bit of a clean up of the pantry, I hope once they arrive and are washed.

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Tidbits and Stuff

Today I went to our Remembrance Day service and spent some time at the cenotaph and went for the lunch the Legion puts on here.

As usual the ceremony was very touching.

Once back home I got to work on my various projects. I can see a steadfast movement towards being completed by the end of the month. Knitting will take place tonight after supper. 

In fact I am off to work on supper right now and will visit with you all a bit later.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Menu Monday

This week I am going to be trying to use up bits and bobs from the fridge and the freezer. We will be heading to Kris's place on Friday so things need to be cleared up. Of course I will take a meal or two with us so that he does not have to feed us for three days. Thinking two meals would be about perfect.

Monday

A kind of cottage pie using the leftover mashed potatoes, some gravy, and a bag of chicken meat from the freezer. I also added some frozen veggies, some onion, and the last of the frozen peppers. There will be enough left for another meal.

Tuesday

Soup and sandwiches. I will pull out a container of soup from the big chest freezer and make some grilled cheese sandwiches. 

Wednesday

Leftovers from Monday.

Thursday

Spaghetti and meat sauce. I will make some peas to eat with this.

I will also put together a Baked Spaghetti to take up to Kris's for one of our meals. 

Friday

Gone

Saturday

Gone

Sunday

Gone. 

We should be back on Monday and I will either head out shopping right after unpacking, or wait until Tuesday and get a few things done around the house. 

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Sunday Ramblings

 This morning dawned foggy and very cold. In fact at -19.5C we could say that winter has arrived for sure, even though there is supposed to be a warm up over the next week. I will be driving on icy roads to take the car in to get the winter tires put on, something I really did not want to be doing. 

The fog was not an ordinary fog either, it was one the deposited hoar frost on all surfaces.

So beautiful, and yet so cold. The wind managed to take all of this decoration down just a bit after noon. At times one might have thought it was snowing once again. 

I contacted Kris last night and we will be going to Regina on the weekend. I plan on phoning the store that might be able to fix my machine, and hopefully drop it off there on Friday. While I probably won't be able to pick it up before we leave, I am sure Kris will be happy to do so for me, or we have another excuse to go up for a visit or even just a day's shopping (a visit would be better though 😊

Harvey wants to stay with Kris until after the Grey Cup game on Sunday. That will mean my to do lists for the week after that are going to be switched around a great deal. This could mean that I won't have as much time to work on my projects for the first part of the week. I do plan on taking the knitting with me and perhaps get most of that completed while there. 

The church was freezing today, and the children did not go downstairs for their special church as it was so cold. I guess there is something happening to the boilers and they just were not working correctly. Father kept his sermon a bit shorter than usual, but by the time we left my hands were like ice cubes. Hopefully, by keeping our coats on we will not have exasperated our colds. At the end of Mass we had a short ceremony for Remembrance Day. Ended Mass singing O Canada.

Harvey made us brunch today, and I cleaned up after. Any time I do not have to cook I am happy enough to clean up and really it was just a few items. 

Off to visit with all of you for a bit.

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Saturday Roundup

 

I really have not gotten that much done on my list this past week. Little bits done on many different things and only one thing completed that I could check off.

My gift jar soups are done and all the spice mixes, drink mixes, and soups are labeled and have the directions added. Just a couple more gifts for the baskets. Those are getting pretty full and I hope to finish them off very soon.

Weaving, embroidery, and knitting are happening and while the items are slowly but surely getting completed I really have nothing much to show for my efforts. I honestly think that sometimes I just try to do too much at one time and might be able to finish more if I worked on one project at a time. Now that would be slightly boring.

I have been working on getting the house ready for winter, new drapes have been purchased and others moved around to be used in another area. Still have a bit to do in this area, and now that we received snow (not a great deal), I will be concentrating a bit more in this area. 

Some easy knitting, sewing, quilting, and cross stitch patterns have been downloaded and printed. I am doing some research each day on good old fashioned cooking and looking for recipes to use beans more and not just in salads or baked. 

Decluttering is slowly taking place and I am finding it very true that once retired the wardrobe does not need to be so extensive. I no longer need to try and keep up with those who love to be dressed to the "nines" (and believe me I have a few SIL's that believe just that), and what I have is just fine.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Moving Towards Simplicity

 

My quest today on the way to simplicity was to get more room on my rather small kitchen counter. This was not an easy task as everything on it at this point in time is used or in the case of the jars of dehydrated herbs will be used whenever needed. 

I did manage to get a bit more room by moving the KitchenAid mixer on top of the portable dishwasher, and by getting all the spice mixes, and soups in a jar labeled and into the gift baskets. There is still way too much on one side, but slowly things will be used up and the area cleared. I really need to make my way through all my teas as that would clear up a great deal of room. I do wish that I could set up a coffee/tea station, but I just do not have the space for that. 

Next move towards a simpler life will be going through the drawers in the kitchen once again to see what I can declutter and perhaps make room for other items I have stored away and really do use almost every day.

Still more winterizing must be done inside. Nothing too expensive, but I do need to get those insulated curtains for my sewing/craft room and figure out what to do with the lace curtains I replaced. They are still in very good shape and I wonder if in the new year I could make some produce bags from them. I would love to hang some heavier curtains over the front and back doors to cut down even more drafts from entering the house, but those may have to wait until next year. 

Harvey had his truck into the dealership today for an oil change and a check of the block heater. Turned out to be a bit more costly than we thought as the truck needed a new block heater and a new plug in cord. Still we were quite happy that the total cost was a bit less than the one quoted, it was enough though. As Harvey says now we have a new battery and plugin on the SUV and a new block heater and cord on the truck, should be set for the winter for sure. That will definitely make life much easier and simpler over the winter. 

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Thrifty and Frugal Thursday

Thrifty and Frugal 

I am hoping for a really good thrifty and frugal November. Of course I do all the regular things that I do all the time, but I am hoping to find some new ways of saving those pennies.

1.  Making doubly sure that lights are turned off in rooms not in use.

2.  Asking myself more often is something is a want or a need. The curtains were actually a need as they keep the cold air out of the house. Just one more set to purchase and all windows will be covered with insulating curtains. 

3.  Looking up new recipes to expand on my winter meal plans. Using more beans and lentils. This will probably mean more batch cooking but that is a very good idea during the cold days of winter.

4.  I am back using my cloth wipes again when going to the bathroom and will be making a few more come the new year.

5.  Using up leftovers from the fridge freezer as well as the containers of soup I have in there.

6.  Still making my own yogurt and for the first time used some of my yogurt to start a new batch. It is the thickest yogurt I have ever made. So will make sure to keep 4 tbsp. to make the next batch.

7.  Darned 4 pairs of socks, did some seam repairs and fixed the zipper end on one of my coats (by hand). 

8.  Put my leftover allowance in the savings envelope.

9.  Printed out some free patterns for holiday crafts that I will do in December when I don't want to pull out a machine to work with.

So there are my thrifty and frugal practices for this week.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Midweek Ramblings

We are the middle of the first week in November already. I have a feeling that this month is going to pass by just as quickly as the previous months. Scary how fast the time is moving by.

My Chicken Quiche turned out very well yesterday, and was quite tasty. There will be a few tweaks to the recipe the next time I make it. 

These two pieces are in the fridge and should give us another meal each. Really not a whole bunch of cooked chicken went into this recipe either. We had some sliced veggies and dip as the side. 

I will be going through my cookbooks and finding more ways to stretch bits of leftover meat. Next up will be some leftover brisket that really can't be made into a pulled meat kind of meal. 

There are rumours that chicken prices will be rising due to the fact that more people here in Canada are choosing poultry as their meat. I find chicken to be pretty expensive right now and watch closely for sales. 

Because of rising meat prices I am looking into more lentil and bean recipes as a protein replacement. I am very glad that Harvey is willing to at least try my concoctions. The next lentil recipe I think I will try is Lentil Tacos or wraps. 

Still decluttering here, but right now it mostly seems to be my wardrobe. I tried on two tops today and hated the way they fit. Those hit the donation bag, however this is making me think that come January I am going to have to make some tunic tops or find some at a second hand store. The finding at a second hand store could be a problem as larger sizes really disappear quickly around here. Making could be the solution. I just have to wait and see how many I have left after trying things on and either donating or trying to figure out how I can refashion the items. 

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Tuesday Tidbits and Stuff

Today I managed to complete a few small tasks that have been lurking in the back of my mind for a number of days. 

When I went shopping this week I picked up a new liner for the bathroom shower curtain. Today, while catching up on household tasks that were missed yesterday I hung it up. The old one was badly stained and so was tossed, though now that I think about it, I might just have figured out another use for it. 

I, also bought some insulated drapes for our bedroom that actually go with the colour scheme. Those have been hung as well and the old ones that suit the hallway better will be hung tomorrow taking the place of the lace curtains that make me think of my Grandmother's house many years ago. Those will be saved and I will figure out another use for them. 

Attacked the open bags of baking supplies as well and got what I could into airtight containers. I could use a few more of those to really tidy the baking cupboards. 

Slowly but surely getting a bit more organized and clearing things out that need to be cleared. 

This has also been another day that I have stayed home and just enjoyed the simplicity of working on household tasks, nesting, and of course working on Christmas gifts. 

While I am still a bit anxious over what the world is heading for I am hopeful that all things will work out. I really think us frugal, thrifty people will be just fine, but I am not too sure about those who haven't learned to live withing their means. This includes some of our extended family, there are a few sister-in-laws that are very high maintenance and like to spend money.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Menu Monday

 

Only a few weeks left in this year. Time is flying by and soon enough a new year will begin with lots of chances for me to move to even more meatless meals, and even more ways to simplify our lives.

So here is the menu for this week.

Monday

Leftover Sweet and Sour Ribs, salad, and I decided not to make rice using up the leftover noodles and some potatoes to serve the ribs over.

Tuesday

Leftover Chicken made into a casserole. Will serve with leftover salad as there is bound to be some of that.

Wednesday

Soup and Sandwiches. I think I will use one of the containers of brown lentil soup and make some egg salad to go with.

Thursday

Leftover Chicken Casserole from Tuesday and carrots.

Friday

Perogies with fried onions and sour cream.

Saturday

Round Steaks in mushroom sauce, mashed potatoes, peas.

Sunday

Roast Ham, mashed potatoes, corn and perhaps fried cabbage though I could make the fried cabbage to go with Thursday's meal. 

So there is the menu for this week. Nothing really surprising and nothing that will tax my brain or sore hand (just a bit sore from the fall). 

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Sunday Ramblings

 

Strange weather today we started off at 10C, fell to 8C and rose again to 10C all within a few hours. The wind is howling and leaves are blowing all over the place. Inside the furnace has not cut in since early this morning, with the sun shining in our south facing picture window it is almost 24C inside the front half of our home. 

Harvey made us brunch today after Mass and it was wonderful, even if I had to do the clean up. Got that done quickly and actually pretty easily. 

I have been adding to the grocery list. I really have let the pantry go down over the last while. I have also let our meat go way down in some regards. The next while I will be looking for sales on beef as we have very little of that left in the meat freezer. Still have lots of chicken and pork, but I know Harvey will be wanting beef. Over the last few months I have been well under budget for groceries so I think a bit of a splurge will be okay this time around. 

Staying home more is enabling me to get things finished and work on those little things that will enable us to live a simple and organized life. It will allow me to work on things I enjoy that make our home one we are proud of. Fixing the little things so that selling when the time comes will be easy. I do know that eventually we will need to move and so downsizing and using up what we have is becoming so much more important.  I turn 70 in December and Harvey is already 75. Time is becoming a challenge to our staying in our home. 

More of a challenge than I would like as I once again fell today. This time in my home stepping down from the dining room. Nothing broken, and nothing bruised (or just a bit bruised) but something I need to watch out for. 

Off to get the table set, then visit a few of you before peeling potatoes and carrots to put in with the chicken. 

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Saturday Roundup

 

 

The first day of November started off below freezing, cloudy and windy. We have now managed to reach 10C, the sun is out and the wind has definitely gone down. Still I am glad I had nowhere to go today really and could stay home and work on projects.

Well, I was unable to get my good sewing machine working properly (by good I mean the expensive one) and so I pulled out the Walmart Brother machine that Kurt got me for Christmas one year. Yes!!! That one worked and so I managed to get Harvey's pajama bottoms sewn. One project already completed for the month. This needs washing and a bit of ironing before I take a picture, so expect that in next weeks round-up of projects.

So what did I get done this week?

I finished the 6th rose block and decided that to make a decent quilt I need nine of these blocks. Number seven was started yesterday.

The two double oven mitts were finished just before my machine decided to act up. These need a bit of ironing as well.

My orange cleaner was finished so I put it in a mason jar and will soon mix some of this with some water to see how well it cleans.

This is one of the small jars of mint extract that I got after decanting off the mint leaves. I managed to get four of these jars and a jam jar full. I need some of these smaller containers to finish this off. They are in the fridge and will stay there until all used up.

I did some work organizing and straightening out the baking pantry and pasta pantry shelves. I haven't taken a picture yet as the baking one needs some more work done. I hope to finish that off during the next week. 

Not a great deal done in the grand scheme of things, but enough that my project list for October was completed. 

Off to visit with you all, get supper started and then settle in with some knitting.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Happy Halloween

It is cold today, and I am not sure if we will get any visitors tonight. I am ready for them though.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Thrifty and Frugal Thursday

Thrifty and Frugal 

This has been pretty much what it was like all day. I did get out and put the remainder of the plant pots and stands away, but it hadn't started the drizzle as of yet. 

So what thrifty and frugal things have I been up to over the past week.

1.  Trying hard to add to the no spend days and I am happy to say by the end of the month I should reach 22 no spend days. I am going to see if I can get close to that next month. We do have some expenses that will need to be paid on days that I am not running errands unless I switch things around a little bit..... We shall see.

2.  Baked bread this week and am keeping my fingers crossed that the bread flour I use will be going on sale very soon. Man has that gone up in price.

3.  Using up all leftovers to make new meals or for our lunches.

4.  Hung 3 loads of washing on the lines downstairs to dry.

5.  Used an old flannel sheet for the material to make Harvey's pajama bottoms.

6.  Walking in the house, climbing stairs and a small ladder for exercise.

7.  Reading free books on my ereader. 

8.  Saved some small plastic bags to use for kitty litter patrol when the Grandcat comes for a visit.

9.  Planning some more meatless or very little meat meals for next month. I have added two more meatless which means I am up to 6 in a month. 

10.  Added a nickel I found on the floor by the washer to the change jar.

This rain we are getting is supposed to turn to snow so I am really thankful that I will once again be sticking very close to home. I will be out shopping on probably Monday or Tuesday but things should clear up and dry up by then.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Midweek And No Panic This Month

 It has been a lovely month. The beginning of the month was pretty warm, though it did cool off over Thanksgiving. It then seemed that the temperature went up and down. We had rain with the threat of snow that did not arrive, and lots of wind. 

A month to begin the nesting process, which has been moving along now that my arm is so much better. Yes, finally in the last week and a bit I have gained all the motion back, but will have to work on building up some strength in the wrist, hand and arm once again. It is lovely not to have to call Harvey to bring up the clean clothes, or open a can for me. I can even use a pen a bit better (well when the trigger finger does not act up). 

Since I have been staying home more I am managing to get more done. My hall is clean and tidy, the area around my desk is the same (the desk top is the neatest it has been in years) and I have started on straightening out my pantry a bit. Today I filled containers and over the next few weeks I hope to continue that process. A jar takes up way less room than a bag and has the added benefit of me being able to see what I have. I worked on the pasta cupboard and the baking cupboards today, and while there is more to be done things do look much better. 

I have even kept up with my goals and projects for this month and it actually looks like I will get them all done. Knock on wood. Got the pajama bottoms cut out and may even work on getting them sewn before next month. Well that is if my sewing machine decides to behave. I may be pulling the other one out to use. I am thankful every day that I have the number of machines I do.

Made my list of projects/goals for next month and will share them with you now.

1.  Sew pajama bottoms.

2.  Weave Kurt's rug.

3.  Sew rubber backing on the rugs to keep them from slipping.

4.  Knit some mitts.

5.  Embroider another block.

6.  Make spice/soup mixes for the baskets.

7.  Bake for Christmas.

8.  Stock up where possible.

9.  Keep on decluttering.

I plan on staying home much more this upcoming month, and so things should be completed. Many of my goals and projects are one day or less to do. 

I am hoping to stock up a great deal more, just in case we get a really nasty winter and take advantage of hopefully lower prices before the new tariffs hit.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Tuesday Tidbits and Stuff

 After promising myself I would stay home, I decided to go out for a quick cup of coffee. I don't know why I keep doing it to myself, but I went out for coffee to my friend's place. The one who likes to argue with me, and of course after being less argumentative has gone back to her usual angry self. I think I could say one thing and she would automatically say I was wrong even if she knew I was right. I think it is much better for my mental health right now if I just stay away for longer periods of time, that actually seems to help.

It stayed pretty cool today and the wind was fairly strong and has picked up as the day has progressed. Supposed to be even cooler tomorrow. We got a bit lazy today and decided to wait another day before heading out and doing the last of the leaves and putting away a few more pots and such. 

Worked on my projects today, and the sewing machine decided it was going to act up a bit. I could have gotten a bit more completed if I hadn't had to clean the throat plate out as often as I had to. Perhaps the machine needs a bit of a rest???? If that is the case I will perhaps cut out Harvey's pajama pants tomorrow and work more on the embroidery. Right now I am leaning more towards needing 9 embroidered blocks. Just to make the quilts wide enough to at least lay at the end of a bed. The rubber backing needs to be sewn on Kris's woven rug so I could get that done as well. Thus giving my machine a bit of a rest and me getting rid of some frustration over the cleaning of the throat plate. 

Could also make a few more spice mixes for the gift baskets, and figure out what to do with some rather tough kale. It is a bit hard to eat it in a salad, but today the last of that shall be eaten. 

Simplicity wise, my hall is nice and clean. Much easier to keep clean now as well. Next up is to work on what is under my desk. The top is pretty good as I did go through lots of the papers and removed or filed them away. The drawers could use another tidy as well.

Off to get supper started as Harvey needs to watch the ball game tonight. Hopefully the Blue Jays win this one, though after 18 innings last night both teams could be plenty tired. Hope to get some of you visited as well.

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Menu Monday

 

The last week in October and the beginning of November. Cold weather is beginning to settle in, or will be setting in very soon. Time to plan some rib sticking meals and time to stretch what I have in my pantry.

Monday

Lentil Curry served over rice and a kale salad as the side.

Tuesday

Leftover chili served over pasta. The leftover kale salad will be the side dish.

Wednesday

Hopefully there will be some leftover lentil curry and that will be served over leftover rice along with sliced cucumber. If there is not enough for a meal I will figure out another meatless meal.

Thursday

Chicken Veg Soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. 

Friday

Fish, mashed potatoes, and green beans. I will make coleslaw.

Saturday

Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs, peas, and rice. Probably the leftover coleslaw on the side.

Sunday

Roast Chicken, roasted potatoes, roasted carrots. Whatever meat that is left will be packaged up and frozen. The carcass will be frozen as well.

Will be checking the flyers this week closely and trying to get a couple of roasts either pork or beef if I can find some on at a really good price. 

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Sunday Ramblings

 Slowly but surely Harvey and I are getting the old homestead ready for the winter. There are still a few things to do as I got a bit carried away working on those last projects for the month and just getting the tasks done for today, leading into next week. 

I am actually quite happy with what I have accomplished on those projects today and foresee a finish to at least one of them before too long. 

I have been reading some of the family Facebook posts and I laugh at how hypocritical some of those who live in Alberta are. Let's put it this way. Many of them thought D. Smith was the best of all provincial Premiers. Talked about how great she is and were all gung-ho over how wonderful the things she was doing were. Fast forward to now and since one of them is a teacher (her entire family was Smith supporters) and things have changed. Our niece and her family can't stand the Premier now and it is mainly because L is a teacher and they are being legislated back to work come Monday. I just wonder how long this about face will last with this section of the family. We shall see. 

My hallway is almost completely cleared now just from picking things up and putting them in their proper places. The craft pile beside my chair is dwindling, and the sewing/craft room is clearing up nicely. A bit here and there makes a difference and surprisingly enough makes me very happy and contented. 

Yesterday I did the filing of recipes, and patterns and cleared out a great deal of paperwork that was very old. I also got rid of some very old appliance manuals. My desk area is almost as clean as I would like, just a bit more needs doing and that will also be completed this week. There are a few item to be gone through under the desk and put in their proper places as well. 

Enough of my rambling.

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

 

Saturday Roundup

 

Thought I would share what I have gotten done so far this past week.

Just one bag of the Cabbage bread I made this week.

The batch of lentil curry for the freezer, and the stew of which after having a meal the rest was put into the freezer.

Some dry mixes for the Christmas gift baskets.

The finished dishcloths to take the place of those I put in the Christmas gift baskets and those that replaced the ones I use for dishwashing.

The embroidery, and the beginnings of the double oven mitts. Well the first double oven mitt. I am hopeful of getting those two projects done by the end of the month. 

Forgot to add my new mantra for the rest of the year and probably into next year as well.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.