Thrifty Tuesday

 

Summer brings other expenses, but I have managed to keep spending on yard items to a minimum so far this year. We could use another umbrella on the deck, but that might have to wait for another year or until I can find one on our online garage sale sites. We shall see what happens. 

Thrifty happenings here this past week have been small but mighty.

I made sugar scrub as I have gone through the scrubs I have made previously.

Windows open at night when it has cooled off. 

Using up items in my fridge and pantry well.

Getting rhubarb harvested in the garden and either freezing for use later in the year or using up now. I would love to try and make rhubarb vodka or brandy. Need to get on that with the next harvest.

Making sweets for later in the summer when it gets too hot to bake very much. 

Cut up some t-shirts to use for rags. 

Tried out my new wet mop pads, and will need to tweak them a bit.

Not using the stove or oven as much, finding different ways of cooking our meals. This keeps the house cooler.

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Menu Monday

 Good evening friends, time has been getting away from me. Working in the yard, doing cleaning jobs inside that have been put off for much too long. Plus of course working on my various projects trying to get as many done as possible.

Here are my menus for this week.

Monday

Crab (imitation crab) Pasta Salad.

Tuesday

Leftover ham, probably just warmed up in the microwave. Serving it with broccoli and rice.

Wednesday

Clean out the fridge night (we have lots of leftover Crab Pasta Salad).

Thursday

Vegetable curry (a new recipe and new idea hope it turns out).

Friday

Lazy perogies since I did not make them last week.

Saturday

Leftover roast beef. I foresee another main dish salad if it stays hot.

Sunday

Roast chicken which just may be done on the BBQ. Served with rice, and mixed veggies as well as a salad.

So there are my meals for the week.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Friday Update

 I have now informed all the family as to what I found out during my visit to the Alan Blair Cancer Clinic on Wednesday so I guess it is time to update all my blogging friends.

We traveled to Regina on Wednesday for my appointment and the construction on the highways was crazy. We left 3 hours before my appointment and just made it. Harvey and I were both very stressed by the time we arrived. 

Got in pretty much immediately, but my stress level went even higher when they gave me a "My Treatment Journey" journal almost as soon as I arrived.

The oncologist said that the area of concern was in fact cancer, but it was stage 1A which is the very least that they measure and it seemed from what he read on the report that no more treatment would be necessary (lowered my stress level almost immediately). However he would not say I was 100% cured as they never do so.

I had an examination to make sure those sneaky cancer cells had not reached my colon and was told that for the rest of my life I would need to be checked once a year by my OB/GYN. That was a surprise.

He also told me that any change at all in my health, unexpected loss of weight, bloating or pain I was to get in to see a doctor immediately, and I was to be tested, scanned and any other tests my doctors figured necessary done and the results sent to the Alan Blair clinic. I was not to be put off with a shrug. He would be sending those recommendations to both the OB/GYN and my GP here in Estevan.

They were very disturbed that it took me almost 2 years to have my surgery and are checking into that. The oncologist said that should never have happened. Hopefully that changes how quickly others are able to have their surgery in the future. He said if it had been done earlier the pre cancerous cells probably would not have become cancer.

So there you have it. Good news over all and it is wonderful to know that they will be keeping a close eye on me. 

I also want to say that everyone who works at the clinic are wonderful and very caring. 

I will hopefully get to visit you all tonight, but forgive me if it takes a couple of days to get into the swing of things once again.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Thrifty Tuesday

 

I haven't really been concentrating too hard on being thrifty since Friday but there have been some thrifty things happening.

I picked rhubarb in the later part of last week and today managed to get my pie made. I used up the pie crust in the freezer. Time to make more crusts.

I hope to make some rhubarb crisps (aka crumbles) tonight and perhaps a cake all for the freezer.

Clothes were all hung on the lines outside.

What little rain we have had has been collected into the rain barrel.

Walking for exercise, and I brought up the 5 pound weights to start doing some exercises with those at some point.

Windows open at night and then closed once the heat starts to build up inside. 

Leftovers being used up (though I did have to toss some roasted potatoes from when Kris was home and some rice from the same time period). Trying to keep things where I can see them and use them up is becoming difficult.

Fixed a skirt seam, and repaired a zipper that was coming loose.

Made some steam mop covers to use. Hopefully they work well as they can be washed and used again and again. I am tired of the disposable, highly expensive types. I will improve the pattern if they do work.

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Menu Monday

 

Wow, the second week of the month. It isn't as hot here as it has been, but still no rain which means hand watering the garden and all my boxes, and baskets. I got them all done early this morning and even managed a bit of a walk. Not as far as I usually go, but far enough to get a decent step count for the day. I am pacing a bit as well, which adds to the count. 

Monday

Leftover Taco salad. I am sure there will be enough for lunches tomorrow and the following day. I may be all taco saladed out by the time it is done. Now at least I know to cut the recipe in half.

Tuesday

Leftover roast beef. I think I will thinly slice the slices, and cook in a gravy with some mushrooms and sautéed onion added. Served over slices of homemade bread.

Wednesday 

This is the trip to the oncologist day. I am not sure what time all the tests will be completed and/or the consult. Perhaps it will be a pick up something through a drive thru day. Or if we are home early enough and I feel up to it soup and sandwiches.

Thursday

Supposed to be a clean out the fridge night. Probably will have some of the roast beef in gravy left. If not there is bound to be soup leftover.

Friday

Fish Sticks/fillets/cakes along with a salad and homemade fries.

Saturday

Sausages done on the BBQ along with the remains of the salad and brown beans.

Sunday

Ham, mashed potatoes, corn and perhaps coleslaw.

So there is the weekly menu. No real changes unless Wednesday goes topsy turvey on me.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Sunday Ramblings

 

Another beautiful day, a bit cooler which is wonderful considering how hot it has been. We even managed a teeny tiny bit of rain overnight. 

So I have kind of processed my news. I always thought that the Cancer Clinic would phone, but that it would be a conversation over the phone with an oncologist saying "No everything is fine, you will not need any more treatment. Just keep going to your OB/GYN for the next (fill in the year) years to make sure all is okay.

Instead the call I got on Friday was to set up an appointment for a consultation as to where my journey will take me next. Hmmm, hopefully they are just being thorough, but the way my luck has been going lately, there is just that little bit of niggling doubt and worry that I will need more treatments. If so, I hope that all moves along smartly and considering how quickly the clinic phoned (about a week and a half later), I am pretty sure that if my worst fears are realized my treatments will start rapidly after my consultation (and another Pap smear, and another strange to me doctor). I just can't seem to win for trying lately.

So that's my news for now. I am busy working on those goals and slowly making my way through them. The pants were all hemmed, another 4 inches of a scarf done, and at least 200 stitches in the counted cross stitch (though that looks like nothing has been added to it). 

I will be trying to get as much done as possible just in case!!!

In other news are shots caused us to feel very fatigued, and my arm is sore and very red around the injection site. The redness is fading, but the fatigue and slight headache (me only not Harvey) is still with me. I have not been doing my walking over the last couple of days but hope to do a bit tomorrow.

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Frugal Friday

 Well, we got our second jabs this afternoon and it feels wonderful to be fully vaccinated!!! Now if just a few more people will get the jab things could be back to a sort of normal sooner than we thought in my province.

So what are my frugal 5 for this week.

1.  Using rain water to water my plants outside.

2. Used up all leftovers this week making meals.

3.  Only used the stove one day this week, thus saving on electrical costs. Good thing as it has been so hot this past week that the AC is running almost continuously (especially today).

4.  Combined errands again this week.

5.  Got a free service job and car wash at the dealers this week.

There is a bit of scary news, but I need a bit of time to process it. I will let you all know how I feel about said news tomorrow.

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.