Sunday Ramblings

 

The day once again started of a bit cloudy and pretty darn cold, but it has warmed up a bit and the sun is shining. We are in for a couple of days of cold weather and then a warm up until the end of the month. I am keeping my fingers crossed that the nice weather will last until Kris has been home for Easter, and Kurt gets off on his journey with his students to France and the visits to the Canadian beach, and graveyards of our fallen hero's.

Me, well the next few days being cold I will be staying home, working on the usual household tasks, and of course my projects. 

I should, in fact, finish the flimsy tomorrow and perhaps even get all the necessary items together to work on the ornaments. Those will be another item to add to the silent auction. The more that we have to bid on, the less likely we will need to pay for anything like the Friday night meal or the Saturday larger meal and rental of the building. 

There is also hope that I will be finished the rug for Kris before he comes home. I am about halfway finished the one border. 

Still I have many projects (well a number of them) on my list that I haven't even started yet......

The mini computer for my television has been ordered. Kris looked at the specs I sent him and said it would work perfectly for what I want. I also told him about my email problem and he is going to see if he can fix that as well. Hmm, I think I should have told him about the pictures on Gallery problem as well. Oh well I can manage with the old digital camera just fine for the next while though the camera on the phone takes much better photos. 

Work continues on the decluttering front and my hope to have a much simpler life by the time I am done. Perhaps by doing so we will be able to stay in our home longer as in looking at what the monthly condo fees are and the property taxes on said condos we would actually go through our cash reserves quite quickly..... I think it might be less expensive to rent an apartment in the city.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

This Will Suit Me Perfectly

 

Thanks for posting this Juhli. I am a mystery/true crime nut for novels and this challenge will be loads of fun. I can actually get into this one.

The day has passed by and I am not even tired. Can it be that whatever virus or bacteria I managed to pick up has worked its way through my system? I certainly hope so. I do not like feeling so exhausted by midafternoon that I just can not function properly. 

Once again my movement towards simplicity has been one of decluttering and organizing. Perhaps more decluttering than organizing, and perhaps more using up than decluttering. 

One thing I am beginning to realize is that we collect more "stuff" then we really need or in fact want. Or perhaps that is the problem, at the time the items appeared in our homes we actually wanted them, but didn't need them. 

In a way I didn't realize at the time, we were actually trying to keep up with the neighbours... At times I believe we fall back into that mindset. Not as often now, but the urge is still there. One needs to remember that nothing is simple if it adds "stuff" to your life.

Harvey informed me today that he ordered grow lights and I wondered why..... Turns out he was thinking that we could possibly grow our own lettuce, radish and onion during the winter months and save a bit of cash doing so. Kris does this every year and in fact his set up even grows tomatoes and peppers. He says the cost of running the lights is minimal really, so perhaps things will work out and we will manage to save on produce over the those cold winter months. I don't think that is moving towards a simpler life, but perhaps towards a more frugal life. And having Harvey even thinking in a frugal manner is perhaps a big plus. I really think taking him shopping was a major eye opener for him. 

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Tuesday Tidbits and Stuff

 

Life got away from me yesterday and I did not get a post up. I suppose that happens.

Part of the reason was I really wanted to get the loom warped and that actually took more time than I thought. Plus I was trying to get all the laundry and cleaning done as well. Funny how much laundry we have when neither of us work outside the house any longer. Or perhaps the going up and down the stairs takes longer. Who knows, I sure don't. 

Today will be our last fairly decent day of the week. Things are going to get colder. Much colder in fact. This does mean no trip to the city to visit with Kris, but he is supposed to phone me tonight and we will set up another weekend to visit. I am actually hoping for the last weekend of this month. We would go up at a time that we would arrive when he got off work, and probably stay until either mid Sunday or early Monday. Just hope that will be okay. 

Other than the usual housework and getting my loom set up once again, the days have passed by with the usual regularity. Things get done, things get postponed until later in the week.

I am working on decluttering by using things up to make items that are useful, if not to me to someone else. I do hope that counts as I used three skeins/balls of yarn warping my loom for the rug. I hope to use up much more on this project. The little bits of yarn I have in a chest of drawers are being used up to knit the mitts. Soon I hope to be working on using up more fabric and clearing more of that out. I have now reached 120 items gone from storage in the house. The mitts and rug will be leaving at some point, and some of the fabric will also be made into items that will be leaving the house as well. 

The weather was nasty on Sunday, but after Mass I went shopping. Only to our local Co-op which is only a couple of blocks away and managed to get almost all I needed. There were a few item that were not available and I did have to spend a bit more, but I am satisfied and if I don't have what I need to make the meals, I will substitute something else. I have also been busy using things up in the fridge which is a big plus. 

Off to get supper on the table, and then it will be time for a visit with all of you.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Frigid weather, at least gets things done around the house. 

A Simpler Life

 

As the world around us seems to sink into chaos, it is up to us to try and simplify what we can. We can simplify our lives, even though at times it could seem very complicated, or at least time consuming. 

Yet, since I have retired, I notice that I have a great deal of time. Time to make lots of items from scratch, time to learn new hobbies, time to enjoy the small things like a beautiful sunrise or sunset, and time to actually work towards a simpler life. 

Right now our movement towards that is more one of using things up, and decluttering. Still living in a decluttered home really does declutter the mind as well. That leaves room for the learning of new things and enjoying what we already own. 

I am enjoying making food from scratch, or at least I am so far. Today I made hotdog buns, and while they are not perfect they are not too bad. I know with practice I will get so much better at making them. I will be adding things as I need them to this learning curve. 

Both Harvey and I are working very hard on decluttering. He more than I in this new year. This is something I have been trying to get him interested in for a number of years. So many nails, screws, tools that no longer function and bits of lumber. Though those bits of lumber keep him occupied many a day. Kind of like my bits and bobs of leftover yarn keep me occupied finding ways to use them up. 

Step by step, inch by inch we are moving towards a life where we can always stop and smell the roses.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Midweek Ramblings

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Midweek Ramblings

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Sunday Ramblings

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

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

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

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

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

Enough of my rambling.

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

 

Shhhh

I don't want to jynx myself but I seem to be actually getting things completed this month. Shocking, I know, but I am pretty sure it is because I did not list quite as many projects as I usually do.

There are only two items left on my project list and those could hopefully be completed over the next week. This would be the first time in I cannot remember how long that this could happen. I may just have to limit projects for awhile and if I actually finish one add another to the list. Kind of did that this time with the dishcloths.

I am also very happy at how tidy things are becoming here with just an "Oh that does not belong here, let's put it where it does." attitude is going. When I head out of a room I glance around and if there is something out of place I grab it and take it to the room it belongs in. Then while in that room I see if there is anything I can put away or move to where it belongs. Some items automatically end up in the donation bag, or in the case of papers the recycle bin. 

Really the only slightly untidy area in the main part of the house is the area beside my chair as that is where all my project bits and bobs reside. As I finish them what is left over is taken and put away so gradually the pile disappears. I have even gotten to the point when I enter the sewing/craft room with the leftovers from said projects I put them away immediately. 

The sewing/craft room is coming along. As things are used up and items put away I can actually walk around the room. No more little piles all over the place, and as things are used up there will be even more room to move around. 

I am still trying to devise a way to have more counter space as that is very limited in my kitchen. Makes cooking difficult at times, but does make me clean up after baking or cooking so as to have some room for the next batch of whatever I make. I really miss all the counter space I had in the mobile home we first lived in. 

I am trying to hit more no spend days this month and next month to make up for the rather spendy September and August. I do not spend more on the days I do spend. Spend days are groceries, allowance day, gas/fuel, and bill paying and I really try not to overspend on those days. I found out they are raising the cost of banking (not too sure as of yet how it will affect us) so I have talked to Harvey about instead of using the debit card so often, he should use his credit card as that is only one payment out of the account. I really don't think it will sink in until he actually sees how much it's usage is costing us. 

Life is getting much more expensive for everyone.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Tuesday Tidbits and Stuff

 

The days have been cloudy and cool, the long range forecast does not seem to see an improvement in weather conditions. I guess fall and the lead up to winter is truly here now. 

We still have lots to do in the yard, and I hope to get more done tomorrow after Kurt leaves for home. 

Even while Kurt and Kris were home I worked on decluttering, finishing off projects that in turn are using things up from my various stashes. This will make life simpler in the long run which is definitely what I am striving for. The less clutter and the less "stuff" in the house will definitely give us more room and definitely less stress. 

We will be getting our flu and Covid shots this week. Thus making sure we will be healthy for the winter. I do know there are some that do not agree with the Covid vaccine, but really considering the millions that have had the shots, and continue to receive them I think the chances of dying from them are pretty small contrary to what some post.

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

  

Saturday Roundup

 

Slowly but surely completing those monthly projects and the gardening harvest. Though, what on earth am I going to do with all the cucumbers we are getting? 

I got all the blueberries frozen for use over the winter. Of course I also got lots of herbs dehydrated and into the jars as well as some frozen. 

The mint extract has been started, and put into a dark/cool cupboard for the next month or so. Picture of that once it is ready to be put into the containers.

Some of the peppers that I washed and put one to a bag after dicing or slicing for the freezer. Lots more to pick over the next few weeks.

Cherry tomatoes are being picked even if not completely ripe. One of the branches has broken off as it was so heavily laden and I have been picking many more off that branch as they begin to ripen.

Kris's rug just before I wet it down to block and get the weave to close up a bit.

One of the smaller of the four firepit quilts has now had a bit of hand quilting done on it. I have pulled the next one that is about this same size and I hope to get that one hand quilted by the end of next week. 

Next week will be filled with more harvesting from the garden, finishing up the tea towels, trimming the fringe on Kris's rug, and sewing the binding on the two quilts. I will also be able to finish up the mittens as well. I am working on pair number 10 for this month and tomorrow will start sewing up the side seam. 

Next week will also be filled with making lists of what needs to be accomplished before we go on our trip. It actually seems like that might actually happen as the Federal government is forcing the attendants back to work and both sides to binding arbitration. Keeping my fingers crossed that things still go according to plan. But there is so much that I need to finish before we leave. I am so looking forward to this holiday even though we could actually have traveled through most of Europe for much less cost. We have such beauty here in Canada and it really isn't fair that it costs as much as it does to see our own country. 

Slowly but surely downsizing of the wardrobe is happening. I really don't need as much in the way of clothing any longer and have made the decision that if I bring an article in or make an article, something needs to leave.

As I am trying to organize and declutter the sewing/craft room I have realized that I have enough yarn to last for years, and enough fabric to see me through at least a year. I need to use as much of those items up as is possible over the remainder of this year and as far as yarn into next year. There are a few projects running through my mind to use up both in the new year. Lots of weaving projects in store as well as simple knitting projects like dish cloths. 

I must admit that I think I could be a craft supply hoarder!

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Simple Living

 

My extra cleaning today has consisted of whittling down my wardrobe of sweaters. I am trying to get back to the way things were when we were first married and I had all my clothes to hand for every season. Just have to go through my dresses and such for fall and winter. I will try and put them all in our bedroom closet and then as I wear them or at least try them on and decide whether to keep them or not. I am really simplifying my wardrobe this summer. 

The next thing I plan on doing is simplifying my sewing/craft room by adding storage to the closet once it is emptied. Having storage, or rather the correct storage will really help me know where all is located. 

It has been a very slow and simple day. I froze some small turnips, the kohlrabi, dehydrated oregano and sage, picked in the garden, went for a very short walk, baked bread and picked in the garden. Got in a little visit with a bush bunny that has taken up residence in the backyard as well.

Harvey finished cutting the free firewood we got last year and it now resides with my help in the woodshed. Hopefully we get to have another fire in the firepit very soon. 

Doing slow stitching as well. I am almost finished hand quilting the small quilt. I might be able to finish that tomorrow and pull out the second one to start. Simple quilting happening here, nothing fancy at all. 

There is going to be a change in the menu tonight. I will make the pasta salad tomorrow, tonight I will use a gift card that I was given as a gift and purchase a pizza. Easy supper as I still have things that need to be completed and am tiring out. Even though I have started to slow things down a bit, there are still things that need to be done for the smooth running of the homestead. 

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Thrifty and Frugal Thursday

Thrifty and Frugal 

I have been staying close to home over the last week. We are however having a date night tomorrow. A little more expensive than we are used to, but so looking forward to a night at the live theater we have in our city. I was surprised at home much the tickets have gone up, but I guess all prices are rising.

So what frugal and thrifty things have we been up to this week.

1.  Hubby cut down some branches which we will chop up to use as kindling next year.

2.  Hung all our clothing on the lines outside. Even managed to get the sheets hung up as well.

3.  Reading free books that I downloaded onto my ereader.

4.  Using things up from the freezer. This week it has been my practice to use up some apple sauce, and I will be using the frozen tomatoes from last year to make sauce and clear out room for the harvest this year. No wasting allowed.

5.  At the end of last week I added $85.00 to the savings envelope, and 85 cents to the change jars.

6.  Picked and dehydrated various herbs for use this winter.

7.  Made yogurt.

8.  Decluttered more recipes that we did not enjoy.

9.  Worked on using up more yarn in both the mitten knitting and the weaving. 

10. Lights off for most of the day pretty much all week. Only keeping a few lights on (the one above my chair) during the evening.

11. Using the samples of hand lotion I have gotten over the years.

12. Using samples of bath gel I have gotten over the years. 

13. Copied some patterns to use up more scraps of fabric to make small Christmas gifts.

14. Did some surveys and scanned in my shopping for points to use towards gift cards.

Those are the few that I can remember, probably more that my old brain can not bring to the forefront right now. 

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Friday Simplifying

 

As I begin to search ever more earnestly for simplicity, I realize how not simple life has become over the years. Aging really makes a difference in what is simple and what isn't. 

Aging adds a level that one never thinks of when younger and in much better shape. Take our home for instant. We have lots of steps. There is a step up or down to move from our hallway and the same to get into the dining room or my office area. Then there is a fairly steep staircase down to the basement where our laundry room and freezers are. To get into the house there is a four stair porch in the front and in the back there is a step down to the deck, and then three steps down to the firepit and BBQ area. At times as I struggle up and down stairs with laundry, I think how wonderful it would be to have one of those chairs that zip upstairs and downstairs. I can still get around the rest of the house, inside and outside with relative ease. 

We have a soaker tub with jets, which is lovely, don't get me wrong. Those jets sure help with sore muscles when I have done too much work inside or outside. Problem is that it is pretty darn deep, and very hard to get in and out of. One of these days I feel I may catch my foot and fall flat on my face, or perhaps be unable to get up from the tub. I do love my baths, I am not a shower person at all. I often think of one of those tubs with a door that seals, and a built in seat. 

Now for the toilet. We bought a low profile one as one of our boys was just a young one when we moved in and having a low profile toilet made sense as he could use it easier. Now, with bad knees, hips and back getting up and down from it sees me using the bathtub as a lever. Do we replace it with something taller or leave it in case the next family has youngsters?

I am beginning to think that simple living just might mean something different as one ages. One might actually need more help as one gets older and that might mean adding things to make life more manageable and enable people to stay in their homes longer. 

It also means one needs less other "stuff". Does one need 6 cookie sheets, 8 casserole dishes, or more clothing than you can wear in forever? Or how about all the nick knacks one collects over a lifetime of living?

So I will work on getting rid of those items I probably no longer need, and perhaps adding those things that I really do need to make life easier and enable us to stay in our home just a bit longer.

I also need to get out and enjoy my garden and yard a bit more. Kind of a take the time to smell the flowers and enjoy the wild life. Life is too short not to enjoy what it has to offer.

Everybody 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.

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.

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.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

Midweek Musings and Doings

 

The day started out cold but sunny, now the clouds have rolled in and more snow is forecast for today. Winter seems to want to stick around for awhile longer. 

Household tasks were completed very early, mainly because I didn't have that many on my list today. This meant that while the sun shone I managed to get more embroidery completed and then when my eyes stared to cross and the fingers cramp up, I moved on to another project. I sewed the remaining patchwork fronts to some totes. However I think this is just a way for me to put off sewing the jacket. Must at least start that tomorrow. 

Hopefully there will be pictures come Saturday of some finished or almost finished projects. Got to keep working on those this month. 

I did a bit more decluttering today and actually now have added 3 more items to be donated. I also told Harvey he would have to start doing the same very soon. This decluttering does not include items I am making for gifts, or to use things up in the sewing/craft room. 

There was a very slight back off on tariffs, but not much to make a difference in anything other than the automotive industry. It is only for 30 days. The stock market is in freefall so who knows how peoples investments are coping. Pretty sure things will get worse before they get better. Time for all of us to practice frugality as hard as we possibly can I believe.

Off to set the table and get supper made.

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Tuesday Tidbits and Stuff

 Day one of the tariffs, just waiting to see what happens. 

Thank you for the reminder of Ash Wednesday Cheryl. I have switched some meals around. Strange thing I had just mentioned to Harvey how we would need to go to one of the Masses just before I did my Blog post. 

It has been cloudy and we have actually had a bit of snow off and on today. Nothing that really amounted to much, but it shows how strange the weather is in March. By the weekend we are supposed to be sunny and above freezing once again. This type of weather plays my aches and pains like a violin. 

Not much happening here on the old homestead. I did some extra cleaning, attended the Great Create at the Art Room and since the light is great in that room I managed to get some embroidery done. Once home and all the household tasks were completed I managed to get one front of a patchwork tote done plus half of the second one. I figure I will be able to finish those off tomorrow. One item half way to being completed on my list. 

Decluttering is happening slowly. I have managed to rid or at least put in the donation bag another 4 items. Hoping to continue even if it is only one item a day. Small bites of a rather large elephant. 

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Simple Living

 

As I slowly declutter my house, I often wonder why on earth I bought what I am delegating to the donation piles (or in my case bags). At the time it must have appealed to me in some manner, but no longer. Time to continue to remove those items I no longer want or use. 

The last couple of days I have been going through my jewelry. Necklaces and bracelets of the fashion type have been added to the pile. There are a few items that have a great deal of sentimental value or are gifts from Kurt and Kris over the years. Pretty sure those will not be hitting the donation bags for awhile yet.

I plan on taking another gander through my recipe books to see if there are more that can be donated. 

I have tossed a few well worn items as well. Which won't be replaced in my wardrobe for a very long time.

I put some bread on to bake in my toaster oven and sat down to do some weaving.

As I moved the shuttle back and forth lifting or dropping the the reed as necessary, I realized how peaceful and meditative the process really is. My weaving isn't crooked, as in measuring, both sides are of equal length. 

Weaving actually gives me time to think and decide on how to move forward in my quest to live a life where I have more time to do the things I really enjoy. To take the time to enjoy what I am doing and immerse myself in whatever that is.

I do know that when I think about my Mom and remember what clothing she had there were the clothes she wore to work around the house, the slightly dressier items she would change into before Dad got home from work and a few very dressy items that she would wear out or to a party in our home. Dad actually took up much more of the closet with his suits for work, dress shirts, ties, and work around the house clothes. People managed with much less and yet seemed very contented. I think my Mom would be shaking her head over what is in my closet.

Food was simple, I really can't remember having a pizza delivered or eating fast food, unless I spent some of my allowance on the way home from high school. Mom cooked every meal and there was no dishwasher in the house (other than her and sometimes myself if I did not have a sports practice). 

However, Mom always found the time to go out and plant flowers, weed those flower beds and have a pot of tea with a few cookies every day around 3pm. She also always managed to watch her favourite soap opera.... As The World Turns. Then there were the monthly meetings with her church ladies group for bible study, and the once a month meeting at the church to roll cancer dressings. 

Dad always had the time to build something, or do renovations on our home. If he ended up having to work on a Saturday, he would usually take one or two of us to the office with him. We got to play on the secretaries typewriters or sometimes visit with other office workers that were there as well. 

I really need to remember that simple living is just enjoying where you are now, and perhaps the getting rid of what is no longer necessary for that enjoyment is the beginning.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Back Once More

 

My quest towards simpler living took another step forward this week. I actually cleared out some of the cookbooks I purchased over the many years we have lived in this house. Some I have never even opened. There are a few that I need to copy some recipes out of, especially one of my mother's books that have some of her favourite handwritten recipes in. In actual fact I don't really think she used this cookbook for much else.

How am I doing this Plastic Free July?

Well not too badly actually. What plastic bags I have been using are reused for something else, I have moved my dried herbs this year from bags to glass jars, and I am working on trying not to use as many garbage bags.... Harvey has even bought some large paper bags for his grass cuttings. I think that each year I manage to cut another layer of plastic from use around the house. Now if I could only do the same for tinfoil!!

A couple of days ago, Kurt and I went foraging and I picked echinacea to dry and make tea this winter. This will be a good way of knowing if this is something I wish to continue. After washing and partially drying I have tied them into little bunches and have them hanging from the curtain rod in the sewing/craft room.

The guys are at the football game by now, and I have done a bit of cleaning here at Kris's. Pretty sure after a bit of rest I will do some more.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.