Tuesday Tidbits and Stuff

 

The day started off sunny, but fairly cool. Now it is grey, windy, and even though the temperature is decent, it feels so much cooler. 

I managed to get most of my Tuesday household tasks completed, but haven't gotten the fridge wiped down. I decided to wait until it was slightly more empty before trying to do so. Instead I got my nightgown finished and by the time that was done the clouds had rolled in. No more sewing done, though I may yet do some hand sewing on the jacket cuff. That would finish off one sleeve before the step of putting it into the armhole. 

Tonight I will continue knitting, I am almost finished the back of the second knitted tank. This means only two projects carried over into May, and since I have a good start on them they should both be finished fairly early in the month. 

Harvey has been outside working in the garden. He has rototilled about 1/4, put up the chicken wire around the cucumber area, and planted his potatoes. On Friday we will be traveling east to a small town greenhouse to pick up our Haskap (Honeyberry) plants and hopefully get those into the ground by early next week. Slowly but surely planting will continue over the next while. The tender plants and veggies will not be planted until after our long weekend. 

Budget work needs to be done tomorrow, and I am keeping my fingers crossed that I will be able to have a good portion saved for the chair pay back. It would be great if I managed to put that back into savings in just a couple of months. I am also hoping to save some money on plants this year and do some container planting of veggies. That will add green to various areas if not pretty flowers. I do know Kris has planted some flowers so I will probably collect some from him. 

Off to visit you all before I have to make the dumplings. 

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Menu Monday

 

It has been fairly cool most mornings here and a few days have stayed pretty cool as well. We are in for a change on the weekend if the weather pundits are correct.

Monday

Chili and toast.

Tuesday

Leftover Beef Stew probably served with dumplings.

Wednesday

Leftover chili served over pasta and a salad.

Thursday

Veggie soup and sandwiches. Probably grilled cheese.

Friday

Fish fillets, onion rings, and salad.

Saturday

Leftover ham warmed up along with leftover salad, and probably mixed veggies. 

Sunday

Roast chicken, roasted potatoes, and roasted carrots. I will make another salad to go with this. Just not sure if it will be a lettuce salad or my version of a Greek Salad.

We are already 1/3 the way through the year. My goodness time is flying by at breakneck speed. 

Everyone have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Sunday Ramblings

 

Mass was a touch longer than usual, but considering it was Divine Mercy Sunday, and we had special prayers for Pope Francis it could have ended up being so much longer. 

Father talked about mercy and how we can share mercy among each other. He said Pope Francis was big on sharing mercy to others. I can see that as so many dignitaries from other faiths came to show their respect for him. Many people are saying that we need to continue with his social justice as the cardinals elect a new pope. He also stated many times that the power of the Catholic church does not reside in the Vatican, rather it resides in the laity of the church. He did stop at allowing females to become priest, but he did give us more power in the universal church.

I was asked how I store and look after my tinkle cloths. I have the nicely folded and clean ones sitting beside the toilet. When I use one I will put it in what could be considered a diaper pail that has water and some bleach in it. Then when it comes time to wash them, I drain most of the water into the toilet, take my container downstairs and put them in the washer with detergent. Since I have edge stitched the sides, putting them in the dryer is not a big problem. 

I started this jacket sewing project thinking it would be very simple and have learned it really isn't simple at all. I am only up to step 14 of 33 steps (need to check that out as it could be more steps) and most of the remaining steps are very complicated. I may work on getting the nightgown sewn and then get back to this. The nightgown will only take a day or so to put together now that it is cut out and ready to be sewn. That would at least put me a bit closer to getting all the projects finished for this month. In no way will I be able to finish the jacket, so that will be a carry over. 

I have found that if I make a mistake and get that mistake corrected while sewing, I need to take a complete break and do something else. I get so frustrated that all I do is make more mistakes, and considering how complicated this simple no collar pattern has become I am pretty sure I will need to take more breaks. 

Everyone have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Saturday Roundup

 

Well, I only have one room left to spring clean and should be able to get that done tomorrow. I still have all the drapery to do, but hopefully the weather co-operates and I can get it done over the next week. The day started off beautifully, but the temperature started to fall, the wind came up and it got cloudy. Then the rain came. Not complaining though as things could be much worse. 

First off I thought I would share a picture of how well Kris's arm has healed.

So very much better and you can actually see how close he was to hitting tendons. One very lucky accident prone person there.

Kurt is back in London in the UK and will be catching a plane home with the students and other chaperones early tomorrow morning. They should be home around 6 tomorrow night and back to school and other jobs tomorrow.

Now on to other things I have managed to complete this month.

More tinkle cloths made. I got another 20 done of various flannelette fabric scraps I found in my 4 and 6 inch cut squares.

One of the two flimsy's I made to use up some of the 4" squares I have collected over the years.

The first flimsy I got made using a regular 9 patch kind of pattern.

I am hoping to have pictures of the finished jacket, and the finished nightgown next week. Things have been moving along slowly, mostly because of the spring cleaning. 

Also made up the menu for next month, the extra cleaning list of things I do once a month, and started the project goal list for May as well. 

Decluttering is moving along, and while not everything is a big item, there are many small items being donated. I guess I could try and raise some cash using our online Garage Sale sites, but sometimes that is way more work than just giving things away. 

Off to set the table and then visit all of you.

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Simplify Fridays

 

We have been blessed today with gorgeous weather. The sun is shining, the temperature is rising, more of our perennials are poking their noses through the soil. All is well here on the old Phillips homestead. 

While I didn't get the dining room finished its big clean, I do feel that I am managing to make my life a bit simpler. I have filled two boxes with items that were in the kitchen cupboards, the hutch and buffet. Soon I will be filling more boxes with other items that are no longer useful to me or the life I am hoping to live in the future. 

I have been shopping my fabric and yarn stocks and have figured out what I am going to make for Christmas gifts this year. I love the project bags I made as they contain the projects I hope to work on in a very pretty manner. Need to make more for the silent auction and for storing more projects as I put them together. 

I do find one thing getting a bit more complicated though, and that is shopping. 

Costs keep rising (well except for fuel that has been falling) and shopping for Canadian items is getting tough. Mind you today's shopping trip was only 2 hours and that included picking up prescriptions and doing some banking. Much better than the three hours I was gone the last time I was shopping. I only bought items that were on sale and on the list. However I found some instant coffee at Walmart for $2.00 a tin. I only bought one as I am not too sure I will enjoy it. I figured if I need a pick me up mid afternoon a cup of instant coffee would be much less expensive than a K cup. 

Our prescriptions have gone up as well. Now I am not sure if that is because of the tariffs, but it seems pretty likely. 

I did some sewing this afternoon. Yes!!! I managed to get the sewing machine working like a charm. I made sure the bobbin I was using was one for my machine and not one for the Brother machine, used the same thread on the bobbin as on top, cleaned the area around the bobbin of dust bunnies, and topped the tension up a tad. This seems to have worked. I got the undercollar stitched, the pockets in, the side seams done, and part of the sleeves done. Then I made a mistake, once corrected I put the sewing aside until tomorrow. Once I make a mistake, I begin to get frustrated and things go horribly wrong. I will pick up tomorrow and get the sleeves done and in. I may get the upper collar started as well. Sleeves always seem to cause me problems though, so I will be glad to get those done if that is all. One more item using up some fabric that has been in my stash for a couple of years.

I am up to 20 no spend days so far this month and I think there will only be one more spend day (church envelope) this month. This will really help pay back the money for the chairs. Hope to have those paid back into the account in a couple of months. Then I can work my way through the other pay backs. 

Off to visit you all before I get supper started.

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Thrifty and Frugal Thursdays

Thrifty and Frugal  

A few frugal and thrifty happenings here, along with all the old ways of being a frugalista.

1.  I planted some delphinium seeds using soil left from planting last year. To start them off I planted in an egg carton. The remaining seeds I gave to Kris to plant in his yard.

2.  Using saved water to water the plants inside.

3.  Walking more for exercise now that the snow is gone and the weather is warming.

4.  Filled two boxes with items to donate, which enabled me to move my baking pans into my kitchen cabinets.

5.  Hoping to find some new and interesting money or time saving ideas in the book that I really am having trouble getting through.

So those are some of the additions to my thrifty and frugal life right now. Still, I am very sure there are some ideas out there that I have never even thought of. After going to my friends for coffee, I wonder how they are going to make the month. Between getting new cupboards (their son's fiancé's brother is doing them and there are lots of errors that even I can pick out) and while they are working on them they go out and eat three times a day. I do know that eventually D will be complaining that they are broke and can't make it through the upcoming month. That has been a constant refrain from her ever since I have known her. She also asks me how to save, but never takes my advice. Not going to give that any longer.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Midweek Ramblings

 

Yep, definitely trying to keep calm this Wednesday. I just realized that there is only one week left this month. Wow, where did the time go???? I still have lots to get completed before the end. 

The jacket was started today and things were going very well. At least until my sewing machine decided to leave those lovely "bird nests" as I call them on the bottom of my seams. So I cleaned my machine (lots of dust bunnies hiding in crannies) re threaded the machine and tried once again. Nope. So now I have decided that I was using two different thread weights and will do up another bobbin of the correct weight. I have already changed to a different heavier needle. Keeping my fingers crossed that this works. 

The grocery list has been made and I will more than likely be shopping tomorrow or Friday. That will be the day all the errands done on that day. I will also pick up our end of the month allowances so as I won't have to do so at the end of April. Done this lots of times, I just put the cash away until the last day. This time I think I will take enough cash out so I can fill the envelope for the collection plate over the next month as well. Cheques are getting very expensive so when I can use cash I will.

Decluttering is continuing as I spring clean. Today the hutch and buffet were cleaned in the dining room. Removed another 9 items and put them in the donation box. Tomorrow I will do the curio cabinet and the one cupboard I didn't do a very good job of clearing. Planning to move my baking stuff (pans etc.) into a cupboard closer to the oven. I am getting a bit tired of rummaging through the shelves in the bedroom closet looking for what I need. 

Papers were also organized and some trashed. Mostly recipes that we tried and did not enjoy. The organization part today was to get some patterns put into a binder. So many patterns to try. Along with probably almost a lifetime of yarn, I probably have enough knitting patterns to last forever as well. Not to mention cross stitch patterns and crafty type patterns. One of these days I will get going through all of those as well. This downsizing is making me crazy!!! 

Off to see how many of you I can visit before supper is ready.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Tuesday Tidbits and Stuff

 It has been a dark and dreary day here on the old homestead. I got up this morning to a covering of snow on the grass and vehicles parked on the road or in driveways with no garage. It finally changed over to rain, but who knows what I will wake up to tomorrow morning. 

No sunshine so no real sewing. I did iron the interfacing onto the pieces of my jacket that needed it, and pulled out the flannelette for the nightgown I hope to get cut and sewn before the end of the month. 

Even though I did not feel at all like spring cleaning, I did get the living room done. Happy about that. I still have to go through some patterns and papers in the bookcase. Pretty sure there are a few I can rid the house of. 

There was also a tiny bit of cleaning done in the sewing/craft room. At least now I can see most of the floor, if not the counter space. I will work on that next. 

I am enjoying the quiet times, and using up all that I can to stretch our meals and our enjoyment of our days. Before Kris left to go home I gave him some puffed wheat cake, two pieces of pumpkin pie, some turkey and some Birokes (what we call Cabbage Buns or Bread), just a bit to help him out with food during tough times. 

Harvey spent part of today bottling some white wine. Tomorrow he will do the raspberry wine (or perhaps the day after that). Kris got him some beer kits at Christmas and he will more than likely start those very soon. Keeps him busy and I really think enjoys making his own beer and wine from the kits either he purchases or Kris gets him for Christmas. Both are much less expensive than purchasing from a shop. 

I am trying something different with my yogurt today. I started it this morning, will put it in the fridge to cool for three hours after supper and then let it drain overnight. Hopefully it will be nice and thick tomorrow morning. I really like thick Greek yogurt so hopefully this batch will be the thickest yet. 

Still reading a book that really isn't catching my fancy, but me, being me (slightly OCD) I need to finish it. Still many chapters to get through. One interesting thing is that each chapter is actually only 3 or at the most 4 pages.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Menu Monday

 

I hope everyone has had a wonderful Easter with their families, and friends.

A new week and some new menus. Well not really "new", but new to this week and a couple of new ideas as well.

Monday

Leftover Sweet and Sour Ribs, leftover rice and leftover green beans. Should clear things out a bit.

Tuesday

Leftover turkey made into tetrazzini, coleslaw, and perhaps some mixed veggies.

Wednesday

Leftovers from last night.

Thursday

I have a bag of cubed pork that I am going to try a new recipe with. It's something called Mexican Pork Cubes. Should also clear a bit out of my fridge as well. 

Friday

The pancakes I did not make on Good Friday.

Saturday

Beef stew to use up some frozen carrots, some more potatoes, and any other veggie I need to get used up.

Sunday

Finish off the stuffed chicken breasts, mashed potatoes, and carrots. 

Sharing with you all how well Kris's wound is healing. Looks pretty good really. 

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Easter Sunday

 

Wishing you all a very Happy Easter.

God bless.

Good Friday

Wishing you a blessed day. 

Kris is here so I am busy visiting right now, and checking out his wounds. 

Will have a longer post tomorrow.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Thrifty and Frugal Thursday

Thrifty and Frugal  

It has been a week of strangely satisfying savings after the surprise tax payment. Still things will be worked on even more to make back the cash spent on the new dining room chairs, the new range, and the nasty tax bill. Pretty sure collecting the money back on those items is going to take until the end of the year. I am just hoping that there are no other surprise costs around the corner. 

1.  Using up items in the fridge and freezer.

2.  Only purchasing items like groceries on sale.

3.  Went to one dollar store for the first time in probably two years and picked up the spice jars, SOS pads and looked at the baskets for Kurt's and Kris's Christmas gifts. Man those baskets are way less expensive. I can probably get two of them for way less cost than purchasing them at Walmart.

4.  Using up more of the 4" squares and 2 1/2" strips making quilt tops. 

5.  The weather has been nice enough for me to get out walking most days. Boy am I out of shape. 

6.  Watching videos of new methods of storing food.

7.  Finding yarn to knit myself a few summer tanks. 

8.  Hanging clothes up on the lines downstairs.

9.  Made a few more tinkle cloths so that hopefully I can extend the amount of time before having to wash them. 

10.  I am reading a book on my Kobo ereader called 925 Ways to Save. So far the first two chapters relate more to teaching your children how to save. Hopefully that will change. 

Harvey has been doing some work outside, but since it is still pretty cold or at least pretty cool he is taking his time getting things done.

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Midweek

 

While it was cooler today the sun was shining, I found the office of my new doctor, and I managed to get in and out of the over crowded stores in record time. 

Just as I finished typing this the doctor's office called to set up an appointment. Shocked me greatly as I was under the impression I would need to phone there. I just might enjoy this doctor, even if we don't quite hit it off, I will make the best of it. 

Household tasks were done in a flash, and I spent most of the afternoon waiting for my pumpkin puree to thaw. However I did not waste that time, I worked on my quilt top and when the shoulders started to ache (and the back had a few twinges) I went to my chair after a bit of a walk and began to do some knitting. I am hoping to finish the quilt top tomorrow and start on another sewing project. This was an extra quilt top project to use up more of those fabric squares I already had out.

The house finches are back, as are the nut hatches. I have even seen and heard many robins. I now have some oranges for the orioles who will be arriving very soon as well. 

The only problem with spring is the infestation of box elder bugs we seem to be having. Spraying does keep them under control (we use soapy water), but man when the grass is covered with a moving blanket of them things are getting pretty darn bad. So far today, we haven't had to kill any in the house. 

These are box elder bugs. They crawl around on silent feet, and one never knows when one will be crawling on you. They kind of give me the creeps.

It has been a lovely day, full of quiet joys, and surprises. This time though the surprise was a good one.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Tuesday Tidbits and Stuff

 

It turned into a lovely sunny and pretty warm day today. A few more days like this and I will be able to wash and hang all the curtains outside. 

In fact it was so nice that Harvey did some caulking outside, and moved the furniture around on the deck. I will probably be doing some other moving, but it was a big help. Placement of my large plant pots will take place in a few weeks. Planting will take place about mid May. 

Soon enough we will be spending more time enjoying the backyard, or as some across the pond call the area, our garden. There will be more planting and garden building this year as well. We have fruit trees to plant, and I want to set up some raspberry bushes in the front of the house. Any ideas on what veggies or fruits prefer the shade would be appreciated as well. I have a fairly wide area on both sides of our home that need some plantings.

I am leaving off the spring cleaning for a while and turn to getting ready for Easter. Baking needs to be done, and a few areas just kind of picked up a bit so that our grandcat Eiko has space to play. 

Working on another quilt top as there were soooo many squares left. This is just kind of a fence rail type so it isn't going to take long at all to put together. I should with any luck be finished it by Thursday afternoon. I will then start to work on the jacket so as the table is cleared off and I can cut out my nightgown to sew for next winter. 

Our hospital had an ad online that gave people a number to call if they were searching for a doctor.... I phoned and am now matched with a physician. The lovely lady said to wait a few days so the paperwork would be put through and then make an appointment. I feel so much better knowing I have a doctor once again. My old doctor can still only take male patients, though he can fulfill scripts via phone call from the pharmacy. I do hope I like this doctor, but I suppose considering our shortage of physicians I will make do. 

Off to visit you all now.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Menu Monday

 

Holy week has arrived and what will be a very busy week of cooking and preparing meals, treats, and getting ready for Kris to arrive. This will be the first time in two years that Kurt isn't here for the holiday. I do hope he enjoys his trip with his students.

Monday

Chicken Cordon Swiss, leftover potatoes made into 2 patties, leftover mixed veggies, and leftover coleslaw. Trying to keep the fridge as clear as possible.

Tuesday

The last package of leftover pork roast made into a casserole. Served with a salad.

Wednesday

The last of the battered fish, fries, and leftover salad. 

Thursday

Leftover pork casserole, but if not enough of that I have a container of potato soup and will make some sandwiches to go with.

Friday

Breakfast for supper. We will have pancakes.

Now the next two days will be kind of mixed up. It all depends when Kris will be heading home. If he plans on leaving on Sunday our Easter meal will be on Saturday. If he is going to leave on Monday our Easter meal will be on Sunday.

Easter Meal will be Turkey, stuffing, mashed or riced potatoes, gravy, salad, peas, pickles, cranberry sauce, and some cheese. Dessert will be pie of some sort.

The meal we will have when we don't have the Easter meal will be Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs, rice, and salad. 

So there you have our meals for another week. 

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Sunday Ramblings

 

Since the Passion was read at Mass today, it was a longer service, not really much longer though as one thing about this priest is that he always starts on time. 

I think the church was a bit warmish today as I started sweating, and got really dizzy. Holy week has started and so the Masses (except for Good Friday) will be longer than usual. I don't know if I will be able to attend like I always have. Good Friday there is a Way of the Cross outside put on by various mainline Christian churches so I think I will attend that for a change. Outside, walking and taking part in an interfaith service is right up my alley. 

Today has been very rainy. Which is a good thing. The ground needs the moisture and the cleaning effects. Love a good rain as it will fill up the rain barrel as well. 

Day of no spring cleaning just working on projects and enjoying the quiet. I did plan out next weeks daily tasks and my spring cleaning tasks. It will not be finished for Easter, but not too long after. I will probably get two areas cleaned, but the last two will need to wait. There is baking to do, visiting, and just plain being with family over the week. 

While Kurt will not be home, Kris will so I am going to check out his injury (well actually two as now he realizes that he did a job on his knee as well). He had to do some repairs on his covered deck and Harvey of course gave him some ideas. One support pole is up, and he will do the next couple probably next month. The heavy snow Regina got this year did a bit of a number on it. 

Home is quickly becoming our sanctuary, not sure when we will move, as the losses in our investment need to be made up and I have so many plans for making our yard produce more veggies and fruit. That is something we can not do in a condo. I can continue to declutter and downsize. I can make our home an oasis of peace and beauty. We can learn from the frugal habits of our parents and grandparents and perhaps pass on a few new ideas to our sons. We can enjoy our backyard more (what those in the UK call their gardens), and take the time to sit and talk with family around the firepit or deck. 

I also think that some drives to forage berries will be in order this year as well. I miss having chokecherry jelly and syrup in the pantry. Kind of an outdoor date with benefits. Hopefully the ticks will all be gone by the time berry picking takes place, I am kind of a tick magnet. I hate having to remove them from my body. 

While life can change, I am going to definitely make the best of those changes and live each day with joy and confidence in what is going to happen in our lives. We have our family, we have a mortgage free home, we have skills and habits that will see us through any and all of lives ups and downs.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Saturday Roundup

 

I actually managed to get a few projects either finished or at least started this past week. Spring cleaning is taking up most of my spare time.

Here is my reclaimed yarn. I think I may have one more item that I can reclaim the yarn from and will do that probably next month as when I trade my wardrobe around I may actually find a few more items. I only reclaim yarn from items I have knit as I have found it very difficult to reclaim the yarn from things I have purchased in a store.

This is my boat necked tank top. It needs to be washed and blocked once again. I have cast on another knitted tank to use up some more yarn and keep my hands busy during the evening.

A few quilt blocks have been made, and I will probably be able to show you those next week once I get things assembled into a flimsy. Hopefully my nightgown will be cut out and sewn as well. 

Last project will be the jacket/coat as that is going to take some concentration to put together. 

I have also been searching the internet for recipes for the various beans and lentils I have in the pantry. Hoping to add more meatless meals over the next while. 

There are three areas left to spring clean in the house. One small area will be done after Mass tomorrow and the other two will hopefully be done on Tuesday. I want Monday and Wednesday to do some baking along with regular household tasks.

I may even do Harvey's mancave after Easter as it really needs a very good cleaning and I will send him outside to work in the yard. Sounds like a good deal to me. 

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Lovely Weather, Working On The House

 

So my challenge over the next few weeks is to get the house spring cleaned. This olden body is having trouble keeping going. Today I managed the bathroom and hallway. Tomorrow I plan on getting the spare bedroom done, and our room as well. Then I will take Sunday off and just get ready for the next week. Monday I will work on the living room, and Tuesday the dining room. Wednesday will be a baking and cooking day. Thursday I will work on the stairwell to the basement. Friday, Saturday and Sunday I will be busy at church and visiting with Kris. Hoping to get anything not completed done the week of the 21st. 

Then I will move outside and get things cleaned up out there. Lots of small sticks to pick up, stones to pull out of the front yard, and a clothesline to clean. I might even get the furniture set up on the deck by the end of the month.

Rising costs are another challenge I am going to meet head on. There always seems to be something that jumps in price, so to meet that I have been looking up bean and lentil meals. Time to work on eating a bit less meat, and planning a garden that helps cover prices that are getting ridiculous. I do love me a challenge. One thing I have noticed is we are having a bit more waste for some reason. So in order to combat this after having a couple of meals from something I am going to freeze most of the leftovers just leaving a bit for a lunch or two. Then perhaps in a few weeks I could pull out a smorg type meal.

I haven't really done much shopping at either of our two Dollar type stores, but I went to see if I could find some replacement spice jars and was very surprised at the items we can get at a really reduced price. I will be shopping those a bit more often. Perhaps even for some food items. Our stores here in Saskatchewan are not like the stores in the U.S. There is no fresh or frozen items and many a time the dates of use by are way out. 

While some of this is necessary (our investments are really taking a beating), I think I can make this fun and something Harvey can get behind as well. Must get him involved or my ideas will probably fail. 

Off to visit you all as supper is cooking in the oven.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Thrifty and Frugal Thursday

Thrifty and Frugal  

 It has been a beautiful day, sunshine and pretty darn high temperatures for this time of year. It has reached 19.5C, which is pretty warm. 

Now what frugal things have I been up to this week.

1.  The usual lights off in rooms not in use, hanging some of my laundry on the lines downstairs, using up the bits and bobs in the fridge and in the fridge freezer, and of course walking for free exercise.

2.  Today I went shopping and really stuck to the list I had made. Even so the prices, even sale prices, seem to be forever climbing. I do have everything I need for Easter, but may just have to run in to pick up some salad things. 

3.  Collecting the scraps of fabric and putting them away to be used for scrappy sewing. 

4.  Using up yarn that I have had in the stash for a number of years. Hoping to get some items made for myself, before I search out the yarn for another blanket for a friend of Kurt's. 

5.  Reclaimed yarn from some vests that I knit and no longer wear. Not sure what it will be used for, perhaps I can get started a bit early on mitts for children this year.

6.  Planning our garden, herbs, flowers and a few veggies. Looking at what I already have that can be used for container gardening. 

Well that's pretty much it. I have decided that I am going to work on saving the money we spent on the chairs first, then the new range, then Harvey's partial plate. Lastly will be the taxes. Starting with the smallest amount and working towards the largest. That way I can actually see the money making a difference a bit quicker and that will keep me working toward getting it all saved.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Midweek And Too Many Surprises

 The keep calm thing is really speaking to me today. Probably because we got a really bad surprise after getting the income tax papers back from our accountant. Not going to pull punches here as for the first time in a very long time we will not be getting anything back. We owe a great deal, and that was a complete shock. Our investments did very well last year, which is probably why we owe so much. This will make quite a dent in our savings, something that just might be very difficult to replace. I will certainly make a concerted try in doing so. 

So far this year has been very spendy. Things that needed replacing, things that needed repair, things that are made in Canada to fight the tariffs, and of course regular bills with prices rising. 

I have gotten the kitchen spring cleaned and the ceiling in the bathroom dusted off. I needed to stop after that as I was just too sore to continue. Getting older and not being able to do as much as I am used to is going to be something I need to work on. Another reason to try and keep calm. 

The sun was shining after some lovely rain. Now the sky is darkening once again, and hopefully more rain will fall to wash away the mold and dirt of the winter. It will also give moisture to the ground which definitely needs it. 

I found a seed on the end table where Harvey sits and I am wondering if it is an orange seed. Must ask and then plant it if so. I see very few orange seeds any longer, so finding one is awesome. Hopefully I or he can find a second one. 

My donation box for this month is almost full. I will have to look out for a second box. While moving seems to be getting put off for a bit, I will continue to downsize and declutter as much as I can. The more we remove the better off we will be when the time comes. I am surprised at how much I have pulled out of the kitchen cupboards today, and there is probably much more I will be able to rid us of as time passes. 

I am going shopping tomorrow, mainly because I need to do the payment for taxes, take back some papers for the accountant as well. I will always combine errands so as not to waste fuel. This probably means very little spring cleaning tomorrow, but I will continue the quest to get things done again on Friday and Saturday. 

Off to set the table, and then use up some items in the fridge to make our supper. No wasting has become even more important as we try and manage our budget this year.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.                                              God bless.

Tuesday Tidbits and Stuff

 

The day started off with plenty of sunshine, and while the temperature has risen, the sky has clouded over. According to the forecast we are supposed to get some rain. That would be nice to wash away the grime of winter. 

Harvey decided that he would check the kiwi vine to see how much had perhaps died off in our very cold winter this year. We did cover the roots, but it would have been impossible to cover the vines. Surprisingly enough the vines seem to still be alive, which is just awesome. Perhaps in another year or two we will have some small kiwi fruit to process. These do not grow much larger than a large grape, but if we get enough I could perhaps make jam with the fruit.

Today was the beginning of my spring cleaning. Needless to say, I am no longer a "spring chicken" myself so only managed to get about 3/4 of the kitchen done. Tomorrow I will clean off the top of the fridge, and scrub down the cupboards. I hope to be able to finish those tasks and then add the bathroom done as well. Slowly but surely the rooms will be nice and clean. Drapery will need to wait for warmer weather so as to hang them outside. 

After reading some news today (really I shouldn't do so as it just upsets me) I saw that the EU is bowing down, of course the Orange menace has now stated the tariffs against them will stay until they promise to purchase $350 billion of energy from the U.S. Really they should all know that he can not be trusted to keep his word. I guess it will be just Canada standing up to a tyrant. It probably means more tariffs against us and more losses on our investments. Retirement could be problematic now, time to pull up my frugal panties and tighten the frugal belt. 

I have found a few more containers to plant in this year and am trying to find a few more. I talked to Harvey about planting lettuce in a container, instead of the garden, thus freeing up a bit of room for another vegetable. I think I might even try to plant some carrots in a container as well. Once again we will corral the cucumbers so they do not take over the garden, pole beans will be planted as usual, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, some rutabaga, potatoes, maybe some pie pumpkins as well. I think I will do a squash plant or two this year as well. 

Herbs will be planted in containers, and flowers that can be made into salves will also be planted. 

More twigs and small branches will be collected to be used in the fire pit. Harvey might see me dragging home larger branches from my walks. 

Foraging berries and plants will be taking place, and I am hoping that my cherry trees produce lots of berries this year for jam, drying, and making pie filling. 

We are planting some Haskap (Honeyberry plants) this year and I am looking forward to making jam in a couple of years. I would love to plant some raspberries across the back of the fence, but the people behind us seem to love getting extremely close to my back fence. There is a bit of an area out front that we could perhaps use. 

I will be adding a few cans or bags of dried beans, rice, pasta to my shopping as well. 

Making more of my own cleaning supplies once the ones I have run out. There are a few I will continue to purchase, but this year and for the following at least 3 years making cleaning solutions will take place. 

I have some more frugal ideas but I need to figure out if they are able to be accomplished. Really don't want to bite off more than I can do in reality.

I am sorry for those who are getting close to retirement age and have seen their savings wiped out. Many are now wondering if they will be able to retire at all. My suggestions might help them see a way forward. I would also tell them to get rid of as much debt as they possibly can. Keep track of all you spend, I mean every cent and decide where you can make cuts. Learn to mend, sew and knit if possible. Watch for sales or as some say loss leaders. If you are lucky and have great coupons use them if possible. Buy what you use, don't purchase items just to try. Work on shopping at home, before heading out and purchasing something. Make your own mixes, cook from scratch, and find the little ways to save pennies, because those pennies become dollars.

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Menu Monday

 

Clear and sunny today, but a bit on the chilly side compared to yesterday. 

Menus are still fairly hearty as it really isn't warm enough for main dish salads yet.

Monday

Corn Crab Soup, grilled cheese sandwiches. 

Tuesday

Leftover pork made into a casserole, leftover salad.

Wednesday

Battered fish, leftover rice, and more salad.

Thursday

Leftovers from Tuesday. Not sure if there will be salad left so if there isn't I will make green beans.

Friday

Perogies, sour cream, onions.

Saturday

Smoked sausages, pasta, mixed veggies.

Sunday

Pork chops, mashed potatoes, carrots.

So I am now trying to get some of the older items out of the upright freezer now. I will still add sale meat to the mix, but there are items that need to be used up.

Lunches will be leftovers from our meals through the week, or sandwiches.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Sunday Ramblings

 

I phoned Kris just before noon today to see how he is doing. He did not get much sleep last night due to the pain in his arm. Hopefully he gets more tonight. As he said all he did was get off the couch to feed Eiko, and himself or go to the facilities. Tonight he is going to have a shower and rebandage his arm. The doctor told him that as long as he did not soak the wound he could have a shower. 

I also asked him if he wanted us to come up to his place for Easter and he said he would rather come home to visit. It will be very nice to have him home and make sure all is going well with his healing. 

Today has been very quiet. I got the few tasks completed that needed doing, and have done some knitting. I just can't seem to concentrate for very long at all. 

Harvey has been busy spraying the boxelder bugs. It seems like a never ending task this year. They seem to keep right on appearing. Perhaps by the end of spring we can get them under control.

Every morning I get to watch the Canada geese fly across our sky. 

Flock after flock are heading north. 

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Saturday Roundup

 

The only round-up I have is that I got the knitted vests taken apart and the yarn wound up to be used in other knitting projects once the yarn relaxes a bit. 

The other news is about our youngest son Kris. The one that broke his hip.... The boy has no luck at all when it comes to accidents. This morning while coming up from his basement, he tripped, fell and hit his wrist on some of the fins in the hot water radiator which isn't covered correctly. This is what happened.

He sliced open his wrist and ended up in the hospital for two hours getting stitched back together. While this picture looks pretty gross, he said that before it was stitched he could see the bone. Eight stitches later he was sent home, where he told me he was going to sit on the couch for the rest of the day. 

I almost missed phoning my brother but remembered about an hour later. So not much done at all today other than the few things I managed to get completed before noon. 

Hopefully next week I will actually have some not so gross photos to share with you of things I have actually managed to complete.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Thrifty and Frugal Thursday

Thrifty and Frugal  

While this probably has not been the thriftiest or most frugal of weeks, we still managed a bit of savings.

1.  By purchasing the range before the tariffs we saved money.

2.  We have been eating from fridge, fridge freezer and pantry this week as usual.

3.  All meals have been made here at home.

4.  Back to baking bread once again, which considering how much bread now costs is a big savings. I do have two loaves of rye bread in the chest freezer that will need using over the next while.

5.  Leftovers being made into another meal, or eaten for our lunches.

6.  Hanging clothes to dry on the lines downstairs.

7.  Today I began another one of my goals/projects/plans for the month. I am reclaiming yarn from some vests I made while working. The ones I pulled today I know no longer fit. The yarn will be used for other projects during the course of the rest of the year. 

8. Came in under budget for groceries this month. Not as much under as I would have liked, but rising prices and purchasing Canadian does add a bit.

9.  Saved some plastic bags to use for kitty litter patrol when the grandcat is here over Easter.

10.  Saved the large elastic bands from the asparagus purchase. 

No mending this week, which is very strange. Can't believe I have managed to catch up on that.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Mid week Ramblings

 It was and still is another cloudy day. We did have some rain overnight and a bit of a drizzle around noon. I haven't looked at the forecast for the rest of the week, but I sure hope there is some sun in there.

I am definitely trying to keep calm. Canada and Mexico did not get hit with "reciprocal tariffs" this time around as far as I can gather. However those tariffs that had been postponed are now in effect. So glad we got the range before the steel and aluminum tariffs were started up once again. I do know that this is going to cause hardship for many companies in Canada. Hopefully not too much and we find other places to trade with. The hardest hit will be the automotive plants. 

If you all remember when we went to visit Kris we ordered some new chairs for the dining room as the old ones were just too dilapidated to repair, or if we could get them repaired the cost would have been more than new chairs. 

Well, they arrived today, a full two weeks before expected. Harvey says he hopes we are done spending for a length of time. I then reminded him of the partial plate payment coming up.

The big containers seen in the picture are Harvey's wine making. Yep my dining room sometimes becomes a distillery. This will continue for probably another 5 or 6 weeks. 

I baked bread today, and I think the oven bakes a bit cooler than the shown temperature so I may have to recalibrate it. I will try to bake a few other items to get a good reading and then decide what to do. 

Finished one project I carried over from last month. I got the recipes copied that I wanted and the two cookbooks are now residing in the box for this month's donations. Hope to add a great many more items to the box before the end of the month. I seem to be falling behind in the decluttering department. 

Off to visit with you all and then get the leftover casserole into the oven to warm up.

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.