Midweek

 

Kurt left just after lunch today and promised to phone or text either when he reaches Regina (if he goes to the used bookstore), or when he reaches his friends about 30 minutes or so north of the city. I think I should have warned him that there is lots of construction on the street he will be traveling on in the city. 

I am staying calm, and working methodically through the projects and goals for this month. Now the question of whether or not I will finish them all is another story entirely. Still, I think that by working my way through them one or two or three at a time most will be done. 

Once again we are very warm, right now we are 31C in the city, and so outside work is being done as early as possible in the mornings. That means Jackie gets to fight off hoards of mosquitoes as well as spiders, and other insects. I did most of the weeding this morning, just need to do the center upper level of the perennial garden tomorrow morning. I also got all my baskets and pots watered. 

I hope to get out and enjoy a fire in the firepit tonight, that would be the first one for the year. Very late really. Our neighbour on one side has gone camping and on the other side the house is empty and the owners will be cleaning it and either renting or trying to sell it once again. 

Slowly but surely I am emptying the chest freezer, getting ready for the next harvest. Frozen carrots are gone, one package of frozen beans are left, and I am not too sure how many packages of frozen tomatoes are left. I will be working on those next. Perhaps some tomato sauce will be made one of these days. 

I am enjoying the peace of staying home and getting little things done. The joy that being able to open a cupboard, the fridge or my freezers and making a meal for us fills me with contentment. 

Me, reaching towards actually being me and not caring how others see me is something that I am working on daily. I have always realized that who and what I am is not to everyone's taste. Harvey and I live simply (or as simply as possible in this world) and have never really tried to keep up with others in the family. I sometimes think that is why his sisters treat me the way that they do. While it hurts at times, I am learning that this is their problem not mine. 

Life is to be enjoyed and one can't do that if you are always trying to impress others. Being false to yourself causes nothing but problems. 

It has been awhile since I actually posted my goals for the month so here is July's challenges to myself.

1. Dehydrate herbs for the winter.

2. Make infused oils and start the salve making.

3. Finish weaving the tea towels.

4. Weave a rug for Kris's kitchen. 

5. Finish embroidering the rose quilt square and start another.

6. Knit 10 pairs of mitts.

7. Get the passport papers completed.

8. Keep organizing and tidying/decluttering sewing/craft room.

9. Copy recipes, probably another 20 and get rid of those we don't like.

10. Sort patterns into binder. 

11. Sandwich quilts (there are 4 of them). 

Hopefully most will be completed by the end of the month. 

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Tidbits And Stuff

 

It has been a treat to have Kurt home so soon after his last visit. He has helped in the yard (and will do some more today), enjoyed talking with us, helped Harvey bottle the beer, and even washed dishes by hand. He leaves at some point tomorrow and we probably won't see him again until Thanksgiving.

I did not get all my projects and goals finished in June. I have carried over the weaving, and embroidery. I also did not get the fries ready for the freezer either. Still I did manage to cut the pieces of chunky/bulky yarn to be used in a future project, declutter, work on clearing out and organizing the sewing/craft room, knit 10 pairs of mittens, get some infused oils started, and a couple of small projects that I added on done as well. 

July will hopefully see me finish the weaving, finish the one block and start another, sandwich the 4 quilt tops, copy out another 20 or so recipes, get some patterns organized and in a binder, dehydrate more herbs, knit some more mittens in the next size, and start Kris's woven rug. Looks like another very busy month. I should be able to make some of the herbal salves as well. 

I did up the budget today for the month of June and surprisingly we were under budget once again. I had hoped that I would do better with the grocery line, considering we had company twice that month being about $250 under budget was quite good. The savings on the grocery budget for the last few months have paid back what we spent on the new dining room chairs, and has actually given me $50 towards the cost of the new range. I should have the range paid off in about 4 or 5 months. What we save on other budget lines is helping pay off Harvey's two partial plates. 

After a big loss on our investments in the first quarter, things are starting to rebound this quarter. We have almost made the losses back, just a bit more to go. I am keeping my fingers crossed on that front, with various tariffs it is hard to know what will happen. 

Using up lots of bits and bobs from the fridge, freezers, and pantry. This saves on the grocery budget a great deal. Perhaps not as much as I would like, but enough to make a difference, even if just a slight one. 

Foraging will be taking place over the next while. My BIL says I can come out any time and pick chokecherries from their bushes. Probably will be doing so in the next few weeks. I see jelly and syrup in the future stocked in the pantry. In a week or two I will also be picking mint to make mint jelly. I will dry some for tea after the jelly making. 

Weeding and watering will also be taking place much more frequently as it is warming up so much. Also because of the warm up the mosquitos are out and biting early in the mornings or if I am in the shade. 

Life is about to get much more complicated especially as I want to get as much done as humanly possible before the end of the year. Add in Christmas gift making, harvesting/processing and I am going to be a very busy person the next while.

Next week I get a phone appointment with my doctor and the Echocardiogram at the end of the week. Of course, there will be another phone appointment with the doctor after that. My dental appointment for a cleaning has been moved until August. That is probably a good thing in my mind. Too many appointments drive me crazy. 

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Menu Monday

 

Oh my goodness, we are half way through the year already. Time sure flies.

Monday

Soup and sandwiches. I will be using up a container of soup from the fridge and stretching it with a bit more broth, some chicken pieces, and probably a bit of rice. Sandwiches are going to be grilled cheese.

Tuesday

A bag of leftover ham made into a casserole, and hopefully the remainder of the salad. Kurt leaves tomorrow so I think I just might make some appetizers for before the meal.

Wednesday

Stuffed chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans and sliced raw veggies or perhaps coleslaw. 

Thursday

Smoked hamburgers on homemade buns with coleslaw, pickles, and probably mini hash brown patties. Unless there are lots of leftover ham casserole then that plus the coleslaw will be the meal.

Friday

Perogies, fried onions and some sour cream.

Saturday

If we eat leftover ham casserole on Thursday, today will be the hamburger meal, if not I will pull a container of chili out of the freezer for supper. Serve it over macaroni.

Sunday

Roast beef, roasted potatoes, roasted carrots. The old roast meal. I may make gravy if there are enough drippings.

So I am hoping to make a few main dish salads for the month of July. Things will be getting very warm, and hopefully we will have some garden produce coming in.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Sunday Ramblings

 

As another week draws to an end and the month closes down, I am working on getting a few things completed, or started, and trying my best to not feel abused and left out by Harvey's female portion of the extended family. It seems like the females (even the in-law portion other than myself) keep in constant touch. That really makes it tough to feel a part of this family. I do try, but get shot down most of the time. This weekend really showed how much this happens. After the first round of hugs I was either totally ignored or talked down to. Something I should be used to but every so often feels like a kick in the teeth. 

I am so glad that I have nieces, nephews and their spouses that make up for this lack of family feeling. They are just so wonderful to me at all times. 

So I will share a few pictures of the celebration with all of you.

Harvey's two cousins that lived on a farm only a few miles from them are included in this photo.

All the family was there which of course surprised pretty much the entire village. 

These pictures were taken in one of the BIL's yards. 

Now some pictures of old vehicles that paraded around the village. I heard there were close to 100 in the car show.

Just a few of the older vehicles that toured the village in a parade later in the afternoon. 

That first photo is pretty special to me. An old friend has many old vehicles that he has restored over the years. Not too sure what year this Model T (he has three he has restored) is, but I got a ride in it after the parade. I was the only one after his wife (also a friend) who got to go around the town. That was so nice of them. The ride was a bit rough, but my back managed just fine. His wife was pretty disappointed that she didn't get a picture of me in the vehicle. I said that was perfectly okay.

We also attended the polka Mass (not my favourite of Mass types) so as we could use the online Mass this morning.

More pictures of the program and the live concert the Johner Brothers/Boys later that night coming tomorrow or perhaps the next day.

We didn't stay for the whole concert, but came home before it got too dark.

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Catch Up Friday

 

It's been a quiet day of getting a few things done around the house. I did a bit of decluttering, worked on tidying and organizing the sewing/craft room. I picked herbs to dry (need to put the comfrey in the dehydrator), walked around the garden and backyard making a few plans for next year. Pretty sure more food will be planted and I am thinking of getting one of those tower Aerogrow things. In order to try and save a bit on greens this winter. I will need to price that out.

I will do a bit more organizing in the sewing/craft room in a bit since supper is made and the table set. We are both now waiting for Kurt to arrive and then after he has rested a bit, supper will be served. 

We got almost half an inch of rain last night, so the rhubarb patch was a bit wet this morning. No rain today, even though we had some pretty black sky this afternoon so I am kind of hopeful of getting some picked a bit later or first thing tomorrow morning. 

I, sort of hate that we have the Torquay Village 100th Celebration tomorrow. It means we will be leaving Kurt by himself, and missing out on a days visit with him. Considering he is only here for 5 nights and 4 days this time around I find it hard to not want to spend as much of that time as possible visiting. 

The lists for next month's extra cleaning and goals/projects has been completed as well. Monthly menus are done and whenever there is a cooler day, batch cooking will be happening. More main dish salads are going to be made as well. Of course my menu plans are pretty interchangeable and as long as all I have planned to make is actually made, it really does not matter what day it is made on. Things need to be used up, of course, but most of my recipes or menus do enable me to use up what needs to be used. 

Life is actually getting simpler as I realize that organizing, decluttering, having menu plans, cleaning lists, projects, and garden harvesting can not be as complicated as I made it. Sure it is work, but work for the most part that I enjoy.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Thrifty and Frugal Thursdays

Thrifty and Frugal

Made a slight mistake via credit card. Hopefully the payment and the payment from us goes through okay. Man I guess I didn't read things correctly. Not a frugal or thrifty thing to do at all as we could be charged interest on the overage. 

I did have some thrifty and frugal happenings here though. 

1. Decluttered a few more items and gained some space in a couple of areas.

2. Been using up various food and non food items. Ended up not having an entirely wasteless week as a small piece of cheese had gotten pushed to the back of the fridge and dried out (mainly because Harvey forgot to close the bag).

3. Picked sage, oregano, and thyme to dehydrate. Used some of the older dehydrated leaves to make infused oils (sage and oregano). 

4. Hung clothing on the lines to dry.

5. Working on turning off lights which most of the time is going great.

6. Harvey making beer from a kit he got from Kris for Christmas. It can be said it is almost free (except we needed to buy filtered water).

7. Darned a pair of socks.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Midweek

 

I am really needing to stay calm since this is the last full week of the month, and of course as is usual I gave myself way too many projects to try and finish. Most of the projects this month have been fairly large and there is hope that I will get a few more of the smaller ones completed yet.

It has been awhile since I shared any thrifty and frugal tips with all of you so I decided to share a few that I don't think (though one never knows as my mind seems to forget things) I have shared before. 

Here goes.

1. Never buy anything at full price if at all possible. When it comes to big ticket items, we never pay full price. Always wait for a sale if possible. Now, saying that, I always end up paying full price for my milk and a few other basics. This is because in Canada milk prices (at least where I live) never go on sale, and bread flour rarely. 

2.  Invest your money into quality items that you use all the time. While I did get many of my appliances on sale, I bought the best that I possibly could. My bread maker was fairly expensive when I purchased it 10 years ago to replace a less costly one (that one broke down in 4 years) and use it at least 3 days a week. Same can be said for the toaster oven and other such items. My hand mixer is probably 30 years old, and I am thinking finally might need to be replaced so I am looking at sales to get the best quality possible for the lowest cost.

3. Avoid purchasing convenience food. By batch cooking one can have homemade convenience food.

4. Use any credit cards for the points and pay the card off every month.

5. I also use old technology as long as I possibly can. This is especially true with our phones. Heck as long as they work who cares if they don't have all the bells and whistles of the new ones.

6. It isn't that I love working on my budget, but I have found that paying attention to it and tweaking it where I can makes a difference.

7. Save your change, and any change you find on your walks. I do this and what we have saved does pay for our family reunion every two years.

Hope those help and there are a few new ideas.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Tidbits and Stuff

 

My new pear tree is in the ground, just a bit of work needed to fill in the hole with some wood chips as the landscape fabric is tacked in already. Now hopefully with this tree we will be lucky and get some pears very soon. 

Harvey mentioned that there were plum trees and apple trees at the beginning of the season as well. I told him that perhaps we should make an orchard of the backyard (or back garden as people in the UK call this area). Still working on moving things around and putting things together properly. That tree overhanging our yard will be getting a clipping very soon. 

We will be trying to cut down on lawn filled areas, but this is a big area to control. 

My sister stopped in for a visit and it was wonderful to catch up before the celebrations in the village Harvey comes from and she still lives in. It is really not a place that I have called home, and I don't think our oldest son does either. This is even though he spent the first 3 years of his life there. I have a feeling Estevan and perhaps Shaunavon feel more like home to him. Youngest really would only remember Estevan as being home. 

Kurt will be back here sometime on Friday so we will need to figure out some way for him to get into the house as we won't be home until fairly late (well late for me in any case). I think just using the code lock on the door would be our best choice. Just have to give him the code and I am pretty sure he knows how to work that type of lock. 

No dehydrating done the past couple of days. I will pick oregano tomorrow morning and get that started before I head out to do some errands. One of which is to pay for our trip. I couldn't do that today as the travel agent was not at work, it was her day off. So paying that and getting some groceries will be done tomorrow. 

Off to visit, and then get supper started. 

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Menu Monday

 

Time to post my menus for the week and once again to note how quickly the month is passing by.

Monday

Baked spaghetti, corn on the cob and the leftover salad.

Tuesday

Soup and egg salad sandwiches.

Wednesday

Leftover Baked Spaghetti, corn on the cob and salad.

Thursday

The container of chili from the freezer downstair (brought it up already). Served with toast.

Friday

Tuna Pasta salad.

Saturday 

Eating at the celebration in Torquay.

Sunday

Either leftovers from Friday (unless Kurt has eaten most of what was left) or BBQ hot dogs, coleslaw and either onion rings or fries.

So that is what our meals will be this week. I have actually changed things around a few times in order to use things up. Not too sure if the corn goes with the meals, but we need to use those 4 cobs up as well.

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Sunday Ramblings

 It has been a quiet and rainy day here on the old homestead. I got up after a very restless night, and some aches and pains. It made sitting in a pew at Mass very difficult. I told Harvey no going out for brunch, I just wanted to get home and put some heat on my back. 

I sat at the loom with the heating pad for an hour. I am actually within a few inches of getting the first tea towel completed. I will use the new way I found of finishing the ends so they will not fray or move around on the warp. Once done the item will be removed and the warp retied for the second one. Hopefully this second one goes a bit quicker and I may have enough for a third but that will need to wait for a bit.

I have also worked on the embroidery for a little while. I hope to get back to that now that supper is started and cooking very slowly in the oven. Pretty sure there will be enough for another meal later this week. Simplifying my meal prep is going to be next on my journey to a simple balanced life. Warming items up and picking sides takes no time at all in comparison to making whole new meals almost every day. I do love to cook, but it does get a bit tiring at times, and Harvey does not mind leftovers at all as long as they are not served two days in a row. 

Off to visit with you all a bit, and then back to embroidery and then cutting pieces for the rug project that I have planned for later.

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Weekly Roundup

 

It has been cloudy and windy all day, but the forecasted rain keeps missing us. Seems the clouds go to either the east or west of the city. We really do need some rain, and need it quickly. 

So what have I been up to this week that I can share with all of you. 

Over the week I have added many inches to the first tea towel.

I will need to add another 12 inches to the whole thing before I can finish off this first one.

Then I finished 10 pairs of mitts.

These are the smallest size I have a pattern for, and I will do the next size up next month. Probably another 10.

These are the bags of chunky/bulky yarn I have cut in readiness for the rug project once I start that.

Working on the rose embroidered quilt squares once again. I am getting a bit faster at these now.

I planted the two orange seeds that Hubby found in his seedless oranges. Not sure if they will grow, but there is no harm in trying.

The beginning of the sage infused oil. Hopefully by the beginning of August I will have some sage salve to show all of you. 

I think dehydrating will be taking place this month. This is a bit early but the thyme, and oregano have pretty much gone a bit crazy. I will probably have enough to refill my spice jars and make some oregano salve, must check and see if there is a thyme salve as well. 

I hope to share pictures of my flowers next week, things are starting to happen in that area. Wish that things were larger and fuller but what will be, will be.

Off to set the table, make a salad and then spend some time visiting with all of you. 

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Moving To A Simpler Life

 As I work towards a more simple life, I am finding that I can enjoy things much more. I was out picking sage a bit ago and for the first time in a very long time I could actually take the time to breathe in the scent and imagine what I was going to do after dehydrating it. I know the house will be smelling just wonderfully as the sage dries. 

My steps this week were more decluttering of clothing, using up bits and bobs of yarn and making plans to use up more yarn. I measured my table and will probably make a tablecloth once I find the perfect fabric in my stash. I learned my table is a very strange size so purchasing one would just not work. 

As I sit and weave on the loom, plans for what to do with the harvest this year go through my mind, as well as the knowledge that I need to use up what is already canned and frozen before making more. I do know salsa is gone, and by the time tomatoes are ready I will need to freeze more and perhaps even make tomato sauce. 

Meals are using up bits and bobs from fridge, freezer and pantry. Of course I will eventually need to restock, but right now the only things I am purchasing are on sale, or replacements for personal care items (toothpaste, and such). 

Slowly but surely we are both figuring ways to cut down on yard work, and maintenance of the house. I am looking forward to being outside next month painting some doors and then painting the trim around those doors. 

I have also discovered that being organized and having a place for everything really does help one achieve a level of simplicity. Knowing where to find something saves time and in my case gives me a sense of joy. So many times I have put something away and forgotten where on earth I put it. This causes me to worry and wonder if I should purchase another. All I would need is another dehydrator, or Instant Pot. 

I am even looking forward to the trip to Hubby's little village he grew up in. I don't know if we will spend the entire weekend there, but I am pretty sure Hubby will be happy to see any friends that have made it back to the 100th Anniversary of the village. While I have never really felt a part of the village life I will get to visit with my sister who still lives there. I do get to go to the province and city I grew up in when we travel east for our vacation. Ontario and Toronto, here we come. This Scarborough girl is coming home for a bit.

I have decided that life can be as simple or as complicated as I make it. The complications in reaching a simpler life are just something that one needs to go through in order to get to the final outcome.

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Thrifty And Frugal Thursday

 Thrifty and Frugal

It is a very hot day here on the old homestead and we are under severe thunderstorm warnings. However the dark clouds seem to be passing more to the north of us once again. The wind has risen though and that could signal a change in our weather.

So what frugal and thrifty things have been happening around the homestead this week.

1.  The usual hanging clothes on the outside lines, watching our water usage (which is getting a bit more difficult as the rain barrel is almost empty), using leftovers up to make new meals, using bread I baked and put in the freezer while the boys were home and decluttering where I can.

2.  I have saved elastics from various vegetables I have purchased this week.

3.  Paid bills online and combined errands with the car.

4.  Purchased some spray bottles from our Dollar Tree here in town to make some of my own cleaning supplies. Checked food prices and some are much less expensive than the regular price at my favourite grocery store. 

5.  Following my grocery list. Got a few items for the pantry that we were running lower than I like on. 

6.  Turning off lights in rooms not in use with more regularity. There have been too many times I have forgotten to do so.

7.  Spending time working on projects and taking 15 minute breaks walking around the house for exercise. 

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Midweek Musings

 

I slept very well last night and didn't wake until 5:30 this morning. Meant a quick walk/hobble to the facilities. Then I decided to lay on the couch and fell asleep for another hour. I was very well rested. 

However, Jackie did something she swore she would not do ever again, and that was head out shopping before having something, anything to eat. By the time I was done, I felt weak, nauseous, and headachy. All I wanted to do by the time groceries were put away was have something to eat, drink and perhaps work on projects for a bit. Other household tasks were put on hold until I started to feel a bit better. Paying the remainder of the trip was on the list, but I will do so tomorrow. I did do the online bill paying and the transferring of money from the savings account to the chequing account. I will be using the credit card to pay the next installment and then paying that off totally when it shows up on the card. Probably in a week or so. 

The feeling better did not happen until just a bit ago. It was a darn good thing most of the household tasks were completed before I went out. I just got back in from watering my plants. It is a good thing that all I need to make is the sandwiches to go with the Lentil Soup tonight as I still feel slightly lightheaded and headachy. 

I am so amazed that grocery prices keep right on going up. Beef is getting really expensive, even on sale. When you have a big beef eater like Harvey this could be a problem. I did manage to get some steaks on sale (price was still crazy) and a rather large and costly beef brisket (it was on sale as well). The brisket has been cut in half and each half will do us many meals after smoking. I am really trying to get the most bang that I can from our grocery budget and figuring out ways to stretch a pound of meat into 3 or 4 more meals for the two of us. 

I worry about those just starting out, or in low paying service jobs. While saving money is important to us after years of doing just that, we really are okay and could in fact probably let up on the frugal endeavors. I think they are too ingrained to stop though. Many people have no choice and really need to cut back and sometimes the cutting back is on medical, heat, light, air conditioning. Those things could in fact cause death or failing health leading to other complications. 

Things are getting scary out in the world. Wars, allies no longer allies, and those we thought of as friends we sometimes find out really are not our friends. 

It is starting to thunder out, so I had better end this. It was beginning to be too much of a downer as well.

Hopefully some project pictures coming up very soon and more talk about trying to simplify our lives here on the old homestead. 

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless. 

 

Tuesday Tidbits And Stuff

 The heart monitor is gone and I am pretty sure I will be able to sleep through the night, or at least go back to sleep quickly after the midnight run to the facilities. The results will be sent to the doctor in 2-3 weeks. I expect a call from her, as that seems to be what she does after getting results. 

I was out early this morning and did some more weeding of the pots, and some deadheading of flowers as well. Tomorrow I will do some watering unless we are getting rain. 

I have done some decluttering and am really cutting down on clothing. There are a few items I plan on trying to upcycle into something else, and a few to cut into squares for quilting or making some more totes. 

Harvey is outside making the first batch of beer. Now my dining room will smell like a brewery, but that will be okay. This keeps him happy and gives him a rest from yard work and maintenance projects. 

I saved some seeds from the yellow and orange peppers.

These will be put away until next year and we will see what happens when we plant them. 

My parents owned a motel in Northern Manitoba and one year Dad brought us some bars of soap... Okay he brought my sister and I two cases of soap. Now this was probably 25 years ago, and after trying it in the bath, I noticed a pretty bad soap scum. So I put it in storage and forgot all about it.

Now in my quest to save some expenditures I have pulled out the first package of 5 bars. I am going to try the for handwashing and see how that works out. 

I was asked what the difference between Sweet and Sour Ribs and BBQ Ribs is. My Sweet and Sour ribs are cut and cooked in a homemade sweet and sour sauce in a casserole in the oven. Now while I do cut up the ribs for the BBQ they are not cut in single ribs, rather portions. I also boil them for a bit to rid them of some of the fat content and brushed with BBQ sauce while cooking. I hope that answers your question JC. 

Off to visit with you all for a bit and then get the table set and supper started.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Menu Monday

 Another week has arrived, bringing with it new challenges on how to use things up and how I am going to stand this heart monitor for 24 hours. It has only been on my body for 4 hours and already I want to rip it off.

Here are the menus for this week.

Monday

Chicken Breasts, noodles and sliced cucumbers and dip. 

Tuesday

Leftover ham. I am not sure what kind of casserole I will make, but it will be something to continue the clear out of the fridge and fridge freezer. 

Wednesday

Soup and sandwiches. I brought up a container of lentil soup to use up, and I figure perhaps bologna sandwiches would be neat (got some of that sandwich meat that needs to be used). 

Thursday

Leftovers from Tuesday. 

Friday

Salmon fillets, rice, and green beans.

Saturday 

Hamburgers on the BBQ, along with tinfoil potatoes, onions and carrots. Though if I can find some corn on the cob reasonably priced when I go grocery shopping that could find it's way onto the menus.

Sunday

Pork ribs, not sure if they will be baked, BBQ, or made into sweet and sour. They will be served with rice (leftover from Friday) and peas. 

So that is one more week this month gone, along with a few more items from the fridge, pantry and freezer. 

Off to get supper on the table and to fill in this stupid diary thing they make you use. Then I will visit with all of you for a bit.

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Sunday Ramblings

 

Quiet day on the old homestead. Mass and working around the house and yard. 

I have weeded a few areas, Harvey has sprayed for the never ending boxelder bugs and I have worked on projects. I am still trying to find the pair of mittens that I seem to have misplaced and am halfway through another pair, which I should finish tonight. 

Kris has phoned Harvey to wish him a Happy Father's Day, and I think Kurt will probably be phoning soon. I asked if Harv would like a dessert made for his special ham meal but he said no. So I did not make a dessert. I will do some baking next week for no real reason. 

Spent some time trying to figure out ways to cut other expenses until at least the end of the year. Did a bit of decluttering and pulled some things to upcycle next month (well at least I hope to upcycle them). 

I have decided to get as much cleared out as possible over the next few months. I think that will probably be more along the lines of craft supplies. Pretty sure making a list (big list maker here) of what needs to be gone or made into gifts will be a big help in this area. I want as much gone as possible over the next 6 or so months. 

Margie, I would love to be able to come and stay with you, but the tour we are on does not give us that much time between bus trips. I really wanted to drive to the various places, but at 75 and a prairie boy, Harvey said he would not feel comfortable driving to the various places I want him to see. We have actually met a few blogging and forum friends over the years and meeting you would be awesome.

Off to visit all of you and then get the meal on the table. Things are smelling just awesome.

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Saturday Roundup

 

There really are not many completed items to share with all of you this week. It has been more a week of trying to get things done or at least worked on. 

I have been knitting mittens and am on the 7th pair. My fingers are not as nimble as they used to be and one of them keeps locking up on me at the worst possible times. I have pulled lots of partial balls and skeins to use up on this project and it really seems to be working quite well on getting things cleared out. I am of course saving some of the leftovers from this project, to cut up for the rug project. 

Weaving is moving along, I probably have 7 1/2 inches of the first tea towel done. I need to measure one of the ones in my drawer to see how long I should make these. 

The rest of the week I have been watering plants outside, weeding, doing laundry, regular household tasks and harvesting rhubarb. 

I should have one more harvest of rhubarb this year. I have also been looking at some of the chokecherry trees near my home. I am hopeful that as long as a really strong wind does not appear I should be able to forage enough to make some jelly. 

Harvey was going to do a beer kit today, but it is really windy out now that he has decided not to use my new range. He does not want to "Break it". He is a bit worried about the weight of the water on the surface of the range. He does need to use a great deal of water. Now he will use the side burner on the BBQ to boil everything. 

The neighbour to the west of me has pretty much moved out of the house that she was renting. However her brother seems to still be in the house. I find that very strange as pretty much everything has been moved out and he was never on the rental agreement in the first place. He also does not seem to have a job, or if he does it is very part time. Perhaps he is only staying there until the end of the month. Only time will tell. I probably know the brother better than his sister as he was one of my students when I was an EA. 

On our trip we will not be entering the United States at all. We are on the Canadian side during the trip to Niagara Falls, and will in fact be spending the night in a hotel on that side. I believe we get to take a trip on the boat to the bottom of the falls, and if the weather is not conducive to that we get to go through the tunnels. I think that there is a bit of free time, and I really would love to see some of the places we visited when I was a child.

I am off to set the table and get some veggies started for our supper.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Simplifying Life

 

My quest for simplicity in life is heading more towards decluttering and using up. It is also beginning to be more of "What can I make for myself instead of purchasing." I know there is a great deal more I can do in the way of cleaning products, baking, and growing. I am not sure when or if we will be moving from here for awhile, so I think growing as much as I possibly can would get me out and enjoying my yard much more than I do now. 

Slowly but surely things are leaving the house. Of course a few things have come in but nothing that is not necessary or something we could pass on to one of our sons when the time comes. 

I have been removing clothing bit by bit from my drawers. Nothing this week as I have concentrated on using up things from my craft/sewing room. 

I have also tried to be a bit more focused on using things up in the fridge and my freezers. With the costs of items going up getting the most out of what we have is a priority. Leftovers are being made into new meals or eaten for our lunches. Nothing is going to waste if at all possible. 

Harvey has been getting ready to make one of the beer kits that Kris gave him for Christmas. He plans on doing that tomorrow. I hope he has enough caps for the process. 

There are a few house projects I would like done over the summer and I have made a list of those. Painting the inside doors, some of the trim, and some of the drawers in the kitchen need a bit of repair. 

Our deck needs some work, mostly painting and I should actually make some new cushions for the chairs (buying some for one of them would be cost prohibitive). A bench needs painting and of course there is always weeding that needs doing. 

Hmmm, that really does not sound like I am simplifying my life at all. Yet in reality, getting all those things completed will in fact do so. I will be able to enjoy the simplicity of working outside, working with what I have and enjoying life to the fullest, knowing that our sons will not have a mess to clear up. Pretty sure that would be a wonderful thing. 

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Thrifty and Frugal Thursday

Thrifty and Frugal

I will first answer the question on where we are heading for our 9 day holiday.

Harvey has never really been to Eastern Canada. I think the farthest east he has traveled was a small town near Sault Saint Marie. We did take a trip to Nova Scotia for a wedding going a few days before the wedding and staying a few days after. But as far as Ontario and Quebec... nope. So this tour will take in Toronto, Niagara Falls, Lockport, The Thousand Islands, Ottawa, Quebec City, and Montreal. I am really looking forward to seeing Quebec City and both extra tours we will be taking are there. The first is a tour of the Hotel Frontenac in the late morning, and then a trip to a redone flour mill for dinner in the evening. That is pretty much the only place I have never been. Must brush up on my French I guess.

On to frugal and thrifty endeavors this past week.

1.  I picked rhubarb and got it washed sliced and in the freezer. From the looks of the plants I need to get out and pick more.

2.  Clothes were hung on the outside lines. Thank heavens there was no smoke on Monday.

3.  Lights are being turned off with more regularity now. Trying to keep the electric bill low.

4.  Darned a pair of socks.

5.  Found more scraps to make a few more tinkle cloths. I am really hoping to be able to not have to wash those quite as often. 

6.  Cut up some t-shirts that were unsuitable for donating into cleaning rags. 

7.  Using up all leftovers in other meals either for dinner or lunches. I am also finishing up a few bags of frozen odds and ends like egg rolls.

8.  Weeded the gardens for exercise and walked to get the mail. 

9.  Using up yarn from my stash. 

10.  Using up the lotions and potions I received as gifts over the years. Using up bath gel as well.

11.  I am using appliances for cooking where and when I can.

Pretty sure there are more, but my mind is drawing a blank. 

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.  

Midweek Musings

 

Late post today, mainly because most of our afternoon was spent at the travel agent's desk and checking for emails from her. Plus then I needed to catch up on a bit of the household tasks. Still did not get them all completed so it is a good thing I put "do unfinished" on the list each day. Sometimes there are unfinished tasks to complete.

Why is it so darn expensive to travel in Canada???? We could probably have gone on a tour in Europe for less than the Canadian tour is going to end up costing us. Flights are very expensive as well, even booking months in advance. Our agent did manage to get us a good deal on those, but then because we are arriving the night before the tour begins we needed to pay extra for the hotel. Still between the savings on the tour, and the savings on the flight we will be able to pay the insurance fees and the hotel room and still be slightly ahead. 

I did no weaving today, which is a pity because I would have been that much closer to finishing off the dark grey stripe and perhaps getting ready to begin the lighter grey stripe. This weaving is going to be tea towels, but because the yarn is so thin it is going to take a goodly amount of time. I am hoping to get at least 2 made for myself. If lucky I may get a third, but I kind of doubt it. I am really happy with how even the weaving is this time around. 

Knitting, well I finished the first mitt of the 4th pair and have cast on the second mitt. This probably will not be finished tonight though. Man, I need to stay home and concentrate on getting things done. As there will be no more out of the house things happening this week pretty sure I will be able to complete a few more pairs of mittens and a goodly portion of the first tea towel as well. 

A bit of weeding was done, but more is necessary. We have some elms quite close to us and with the winds we have been having lots of the seeds were blown into the pots and baskets. Now, many little elms are growing and they definitely need to be pulled out. Pretty sure there are lots in the perennial bed as well. Tomorrow, at least 20 minutes will be spent getting rid of them, plus working on the perennial bed once again. 

It seems as if we just might have gotten rid of those Asian lily beetles as I don't see any more munching of leaves. Last year they were horrendous, this year I just might have started fighting them at the right time. Both Harvey and I were very worried that they had actually destroyed them and they would never grow again. 

Now, there is worry about the delphinium I planted. It looks like something decided to munch on the leaves. There is only one left now. Can't see anything crawling on it, but perhaps one of the sweet little bush bunnies is having a munching fest. 

I will visit you all tomorrow morning, right now it is back out to finish watering the plants.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Tuesday Tidbits And Stuff

 I had hoped to do a tour of my garden, but things are not growing very well, and I am afraid my weeding leaves a great deal to be desired. Hopefully next week or the week after. 

While the weather has been decent, it hasn't been the best due to the smoke filled sky to get out and work in the yard. It is sometimes hard to breathe and even just watering plants is a bigger task than usual.

Instead I will share a few of the items I have been working on. I did not get a photo of the finished knitted blanket before sending it on its way, but I do have some project pictures to share with you all.

The twenty finished recipe cards from the stack of saved recipes. These are ones we enjoy, and as I hit the ones we didn't they are hitting the recycle bin.

My weaving of the tea towels. I have actually added in the darker grey now. I have also found the green yarn to make the rug that youngest has requested for in front of his kitchen sink.

Mittens have been started to use up some more of the leftover yarn. I am hoping to get 10 pairs done of this smallest size and then move on to another project for the month. 

And another box to take for donation. I have been busy decluttering and downsizing clothing the last while. Still lots to do, but I am slowly getting things done. This box contains 5 pairs of pants, and 6 tops. Next on the list is shorts and perhaps some more tops.

Spending time shopping my pantry, fridge and freezer. I am trying to come up with new meals or at least clear things out a bit more. Seems like as soon as I get things under control, boom I keep adding more leftovers to the fridge freezer, or I find things that were pushed to the back of the pantry or fridge. Since I am trying to cut down on grocery and household expenses I need to keep better control. 

Off to visit you all, after getting the table set.

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.