Midweek Ramblings

 

It seems as if winter does not want to loosen it's claws on Saskatchewan. We got rain last night and then woke up to snow, wind, blowing snow and at one point almost a mini blizzard. 

This is what it looked like at 8 this morning, before the wind came up and before more snow fell. Now things are melting once again. Who knows what next week will bring. 

It has been a quiet day on the Phillips homestead. Harvey has been fashioning a small stool with bits and bobs of his leftover wood in the workroom. He is also adding more grow lights to his shelving as Kris told him it would be better to have two lights on each shelf.

Me, well I got everything added that needed to be added for our taxes and have told Harvey we will need to take that to the accountant tomorrow. 

Got the pork and beans frozen and repackaged to put in the chest freezer. Did the usual Wednesday household tasks in record time and managed about 1 1/2 hours of weaving. I have even gotten a bit of mitten knitting done. I may need to go through my yarn stash and find a few more orphan balls that need using. I have also been watching/listening to Grace and Father Brown on BritBox. 

I am going to see how long I can last with what is in the house to make meals. I will be shopping but hopefully just for items on sale to be used perhaps months down the road. It has taken me a very long time to build up the freezers and pantries and what is in there would probably last us two or three months, so what I would purchase now meat wise, would not be used for at least three months or slightly longer. Especially since I am on another no waste, use it up year. 

At one point in time I wanted enough food in the house to last us a year or more, but really we do not have enough storage room for that, and having that much food to work my way through is kind of alarming. I did not want to be that much of a "prepper". We have enough in case of emergencies, and enough to help out our sons if need be.

The table is set, the casserole containing the leftovers from Monday is warming up to room temperature before I put it in the microwave to warm up, and I have the recipe for some biscuits to be made first thing tomorrow morning out and ready to go. 

Life is becoming a lot simpler, and the same can be said for most of our meals. Housekeeping is also becoming much easier as I work through decluttering things. I am almost at 200 items for this year. Still hoping to reach the 500 items leaving the house by the end of the year. 

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Midweek And A New Month

 

The months are whizzing past and here we are 1/4 of the way through 2026 already. My goodness. 

I went shopping today and will not make all of you suffer through pictures of what I purchased. I did pick up 2 tins of tuna at $0.93 each and 3 tins of smoked oysters at just under $2.00 each for the pantry. 

Stocked up on some meat, and bought the flour that was on sale. Still even watching and purchasing on sale items I went through almost half my monthly grocery budget. Mind you that included laundry items, some Kitty Litter,  and a new loaf pan so I can rid myself of the one that is 50 years old (got it as a shower gift) and which is not in the best of shape. Still I am shocked at how much things are costing from week to week. 

It took me almost 3 hours to do my shopping this morning. Of course I had to see people I knew who wanted to talk, and a nice gentleman and I had a lovely talk in the Co-op parking lot about Easter. I really need to hide when I am shopping so as to finish a bit earlier. Harvey asked how many people I had conversations with considering how long I was gone. I also took probably close to an hour to get things away and the meat packaged up for the freezer. 

This meant my back and hips were pretty much shot so most of the afternoon was spent watching video's on the computer. I did manage to wind one of the shuttles for weaving though, so all was not a complete loss. 

Tomorrow I will need to buckle down and get some baking done as well as work on those projects for this month.

Speaking of projects perhaps I should let you all know what is planned to be completed.

1.  Weave the scarves I want to give Kurt and Kris for Christmas.

2.  Knit mitts to use up more of the bits and bobs of yarn.

3.  Get my printed out craft projects from the last year put in binders.

4.  Same goes for those printed recipes I have been saving.

5.  Cut out some clothing patterns to sew next month.

6.  Make Thank you cards using my Cricut.

7.  Make some Birthday cards using the Cricut as well.

That's the plan, and I am so hoping to get things done.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Midweek Ramblings

Quiet days here on the Phillips homestead. Perfect for getting things completed around the house. 

I have been slowly getting a few seeds planted to go under the grow lights. I have finished off the flowers (at least I think I have) and tomorrow will see a few herbs started as well. The next time I go shopping I will pick up some bulbs for the perennial bed.

My menu plan for next month is pretty much completed. I am hoping for not too many changes, though we may take a trip up to visit with Kris near the end of April which could mean a couple of changes will take place. Just have to figure out what will change when the time comes. 

The weather has been up and down lately, and once again the forecast is calling for snow come the Easter weekend. Actually it is calling for rain and snow. Keeping my fingers crossed that this changes once again before that weekend.

I am up to 18 no spend days, including today for the month. Tomorrow I pay bills, do some banking and get my medication. I then hope to finish off the month with no more spending. 

This year I am going to really try hard to put money back into savings as I do not feel at all comfortable with what is in that account right now. I like to have enough to last us for almost a year if the worst happens, at this point in time we have enough to probably last us 2 months at the most. Depleted pretty badly when we paid for our trip. If I can manage to keep expenses down I should be able to build that account back up slowly. 

These are the books I am looking through to see what homemade cleaners suit our lifestyle. Hope to find a few to add to my frugal household. 

We have also been busy taking care of our usual infestation outside of Boxelder Bugs also known up here as Halloween Bugs.

They have decided to visit so much earlier this year.

Off to make supper, and perhaps visit with a few of you before we eat.

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Midweek

 

Bob has left the building and I have begun to clean a few of the areas that got a bit messy while he was visiting. Funnily enough he did not want to leave with them. It will be strange not to have him mewling at night and me going to sleep on the couch to keep him quiet. 

I did not let Kevin and Nancy all the things that Bob kind of destroyed during his visit. What good would it do other than make them feel bad? So nothing mentioned. Any way's I really like my pink keyboard.😊 

Middle of the last week of this month. My goodness, soon we will be into the last month of the first quarter of the year. My list of project plans is growing, even if I haven't written them down. My mind is spinning with ideas to use up my various stashes and ideas for gifts later on. Must stop that as I will never complete them all. I need to concentrate on just a few every month. 

Simplifying life is moving along. Really right now most of what is happening is decluttering and organizing. My organization is using what I have and trying not to bring extra items into the house to make things "match". I do have some rolls of wrapping paper that I can cover things with if I do want to "beautify" things. I may do so after things are tidy and well organized, but I really do not have to. 

I have been working on a few ways to save a bit more but still enjoy our current way of life. 

I am going to talk to Kurt and Kris and perhaps get Harvey a smarter TV for his mancave. I really would like to rid ourselves of our Max TV (what our tv is in Saskatchewan) and go with more streaming options which would more than likely work out to be less expensive in the long run. Saving money on television would be just awesome. There are lots of free streaming services as well that I believe he would love to take advantage of. He was looking at televisions when we were shopping. This is our only entertainment so spending a bit is worthwhile. 

There is also more room downstairs for some drying lines and I think I will get Harvey to put them up. Last spring, summer and fall the weather was so very strange I didn't get to use the outside lines as much as I would have liked. By having some more lines downstairs I could still manage to dry more without the use of the dryer on those rainy days, and last year it always seemed to rain on laundry day.

Pretty sure I will think of more ways to save as the days head into spring.

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless. 

Midweek Ramblings

 I have a feeling that this month is going to whiz right by. I have so much to accomplish and I know there is not enough month to get it all done. 

I thought for a change I would share my project goals for the month with you once again. It has been awhile since I did so.

So here goes,

1.  Weave the rug for Kris.

2.  Embroider the last of the blocks for a quilt.

3.  Sew the totes for the Silent Auction.

4.  Make the ornaments for the Silent Auction.

5.  Knit mittens.

6.  Cut the buttons off of the shirts Harvey got rid of that are not decent enough to donate.

7.  Separate the usable fabric from those shirts.

Things are taking a bit longer than I thought they would so I am slightly worried that not all will be done this month. I will however try my best to get most done. 

Tomorrow we will go and pay off the trip, and I will go shopping. This means that not as much will be accomplished around the house other than the usual household tasks. I have been lucky enough to find large enough bits and bobs to make the smallest size mitts however and that is helping me to use things up nicely. Slowly but surely things are being cleared out of my stashes and that is an excellent thing. No matter how long things take I will get my stashes down to something easily handled.

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Midweek and the Last Midweek of the Month

 I can not believe that it is the middle of the last week of the month. Once again days are flying by and I am not at all ready for the month to end.

I am trying to keep busy baking, cooking, prepping meals (soups) and working on my projects. All to keep from getting drawn into the chaos that people post. I made an error yesterday and got drawn into saying me piece on what a cousin had posted. Lord love me I really should have known better, and will know better next time around. Or at least I hope to have learned better. 

The weather is improving greatly, but as usual with the uptick in temperatures, snow is now being forecast. Not a lot for here or the city that youngest lives in so we will still be going. So looking forward to getting out and about in a bigger center. I think I will ask Harvey to stop at The Body Shop so I can pick up my favourite scrub and bath gel. I also want to look at their facial cleansing routines as well. 

Trying very hard not to waste anything, and I am getting better. This week I have had very little in that department. I am freezing anything leftover from our second meals and this should give us another meal from those leftovers. Neither Harvey or I can eat the same meal for days in a row. Tonight we will be having leftover beef stew, and from the looks of what is now in the pot to warm up there could be another meal had. The leftovers will be frozen and we will eat them later on. 

My project list for next month is made as is the monthly cleaning list. My menu plan is as well, subject of course to any changes that may occur due to trying to use things up. 

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Midweek Arrives/Question/Getting My Frugal On

 

Once again it is the middle of the week and actually getting very close to the middle of the month. That is only 8 days away!!!! Must work a bit harder on my projects. Some are at least started, and should not take long to complete. 

Got notification today about our electric and gas bills. Both rose one by just a few dollars the other by quite a bit more. I will be working on trying to lower both of those. Probably in a few ways that Harvey just may not like. I have a feeling the water bill will be higher as well since Kurt and Kris were home washing their clothes and having showers. 

I was asked if I will eat my entire freezer down and then begin to rebuild my stock. Right now with meat being so expensive I will probably not clear everything out. Instead I will use what I have a great deal of, or what is dated from months ago and look for bargains to refill those areas as they go down. 

We have lots of chicken breasts, pork chops and surprisingly pork roasts. Low on whole chickens for roasting, ground meat, beef roasts and no hams at all. I will be watching for sales on those as well as chicken wings, chicken thighs and hot dogs. All the while trying to lower the number of what we have a great deal of. 

Part of my frugal plans for this year is making more from scratch and not purchasing already prepared items like frozen fries, hash browns, hot dog buns, hamburger buns, pie crust, crackers and other such items. My yogurt maker can be used to make a soft cheese so I hope to be able to try that out as well. 

Costs keep rising and with the way things are in the world this just makes sense to me.

Today I made two bags of hash browns for our freezer. I only used 5 potatoes of the ones we have stored downstairs, but if it turns out we like them I will make more.

They are kind of in chunks but I was told in the directions I found they will come apart once you start cooking them. Thank heavens for food processors, as I don't think I would try this manually. 

This summer my ice cream maker will come out and I will be making my own ice cream once again, something I have been lax about doing. 

What ways are you going to get your frugal on this year?

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Midweek Yet Again

 

We had a few power flickers last night, but the power stayed on which was a very good thing as with the wind it was very cold. Today has been dark and gloomy, perfect for staying inside cleaning, baking and working on projects. Though I have been kind of scattered about the project part. 

Some of the peppers I purchased a week or so ago, were starting to get soft and wrinkled so I chopped them up and put them in the fridge freezer. 

Redid my menu plan to use up as much from the fridge freezer as possible before Kurt and Kris come home for Christmas, and I believe I will be hauling some containers out of the chest freezer downstairs to make some room for turkey and a few other items for over the holidays. I just cannot believe how much I have accumulated once again in both of those freezers. Not wasting anything sure adds up.

The book I am reading is titled 

minimalism

The Path to an Organized, Stress-free and Decluttered Life by Gwyneth Snow

Now I am not too sure I will totally embrace the concept, but there are definite areas in my life that I will be using some of the ideas in this book. I am about half way through and she keeps stressing that baby steps are what is necessary so as not to fall back on a life of consumerism. It is definitely baby steps happening here at this time. I am starting with the decluttering and working towards the organized. 

Part of my decluttering is using up what I already have. I spent good, hard earned cash and just will not give it all away. Especially if it can be used by me to make something to help others or give as gifts. 

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Midweek And No Panic This Month

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

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

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

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

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

1.  Sew pajama bottoms.

2.  Weave Kurt's rug.

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

4.  Knit some mitts.

5.  Embroider another block.

6.  Make spice/soup mixes for the baskets.

7.  Bake for Christmas.

8.  Stock up where possible.

9.  Keep on decluttering.

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

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

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Midweek Musings

 

I am not sure why my sleep has been off and on the past week and as the days mount up that my sleep has been interrupted I am becoming more and more exhausted by the end of the day. Today along with the feeling of tiredness I have developed a headache. I sure hope I manage a decent number of hours sleep tonight. 

The weather is warming up again and so we should be able to finish off cleaning up the yard this week as well as covering and moving the deck furniture. One more task finished before the winter hits. I do need Hubby to go and purchase some weather stripping and door sweeps to install. The older weather stripping and door sweeps are getting a bit worn. Must get things done before it turns cold once again. Which of course could happen here in less than a day. 

Most of today was spent making the Cabbage Bread, perhaps I should call them Cabbage Stuffed Buns. No soup tonight even though it is on the menu, instead we shall feast on some of the buns I have made. They really turned out very well for a change and I am very happy. Tomorrow we can have soup, and then we shall see what needs to be changed for the rest of the week. 

I am slowly picking up and putting away, making things to be used later on (using up what craft items I have in stock) and trying very hard to stretch our dollars out even more over the next few months of the year. It is surprising how quickly this year has passed by, and how much life is changing here on the old homestead. 

Things are slowing down, plans are changing and life is getting simpler as time goes on. 

I will share pictures of all that I have managed to get done this week. It isn't as much as I hoped but what will be will be.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Midweek, Midmonth, Oh My!

 

I not only have to keep calm that it is midweek already, but one my as well say it is the middle of the month as well. Time is slipping past on wings.

Last night we had a date night and went out to our live theater's second show of the season (also the last). It was hilarious. Loved every minute of it. The acting, the singing, the jokes were amazing. Now it is done for the summer.

Our next date night will be our trip. That is if we actually get to go as Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge are now probably going on strike. Air Canada Jazz is not included so we could get home from Montreal, just not get to Toronto for the start of our trip. I told Harvey that we may have to see if we can change our carrier. Could be slightly more expensive, but man we were so looking forward to it. 

I have been working in the garden and in the house, decluttering a bit, and downsizing my wardrobe. I am trying to move my clothing all into one area for a change. Back to trying to live with fewer clothes, and really watching what I purchase or make. Garden produce is being frozen or dehydrated. I did forage some apples this morning so I will try and get those made into pie filling tomorrow, after my dentist appointment. The blueberries have been frozen, as have seven green peppers. I may try to get some kohlrabi frozen as well. 

I have also finished the rug for Kris. I need to work in the ends of yarn, and block it. I might have to trim the fringe as well. Working on the next pair of mitts, and will pull out the first firepit quilt to work on tomorrow. 

I have heard through the grapevine, okay the news, that the weather this winter according to both Farmer's Almanac's is supposed to be very cold and lots of snow. So I am going to try and stock up as much as possible. I hate trying to get through lots of snow, almost as much as I hate driving on ice all winter. Of course I can get Harvey to drive but the less we have to travel on ugly roads the better I will like it.

I am also going to tell the boys to stock up a bit on a few canned goods so they don't have to face nasty weather. 

Just a bit of a heads up to other Canadians right now. My less expensive K cups from Walmart, just went up another $2.00. And don't ask how much chocolate chips have gone up. I almost fainted when I saw the price of the Co-op brand, never mind the brand name variety. Still I managed to get sweet and sour cut ribs on sale, a cryovac package of eye of round to cut into roasts on sale as well. Not much else meat wise was on sale except for some sandwich meat. I did get loads of veggies and fruit on sale. A few canned goods for the pantry as well. Bit by bit I will beat the cost of living going up.

I was asked about the fake crab. It is not shellfish. It is Pollock that has been flavoured a bit. Not sure if it really tastes like crab or lobster, but it really does not taste like fish.

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Midweek Thoughts and Ramblings

 

Spending time doing the smaller things that I have been putting off over the last few days. 

Today it was baking bread, making the mint salve, and pulling out the ham bones to make ham bone broth. The making of the broth cleared some more items out of the fridge freezer and while fishing those out I found a few bags of leftover meat which I will need to incorporate in meals next week. Another change in the monthly menu plan. I might end up just doing weekly plans from now on, though having one for the month does make life so much simpler for me most months. Perhaps I just need to slow down a bit more and check for leftovers a bit more carefully. Especially as I am trying very hard to waste little this year and use up all that I can. 

We had a bit of a storm last night, but no rain today as of yet. Tomorrow is supposed to be a deluge though, which I kind of hope happens. I want to throw open the windows and smell the rain. I do love the smell of rain. 

I have some small things I have put off that I would like to get finished tomorrow as well. I plan on getting out before the rain starts (keeping my fingers crossed) and pick more herbs. This time I am going to freeze them rather than dehydrate. Right now the only ones I plan on doing this with are thyme and oregano. I will pick sage, but that will be dehydrated as I don't have lots of that ready.

There are a few bags of food items that need to be put in their correct canisters. They are taking up room in the cupboard pantry that could be better used for something else. The dust bunnies under our bed need to be attacked this month, and a good tidy of the hall pantry should be undertaken. Heck truth be told the pantry cupboard in the kitchen could do with a good tidy as well. How do things get so mixed up? 

Projects will be worked on, new projects thought about, and perhaps an iced coffee or two drank during the afternoon. 

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Midweek Ramblings

 

Once again I can honestly say that this month is passing quickly by. It is already the middle of the second week. Only a few weeks left, and just a bit less than two months before we leave on our holiday. Can I manage to get all done that I hope to get completed? Only time will tell and since I am trying to slow down and enjoy the summer a bit more, things may just not get completed as quickly as I would like.

The temperature got very warm quickly today and so not all the outside work was completed. I did manage to gather herbs for dehydrating, and mint to steep and make mint jelly. Still the weeding was not completed and will need doing. 

Harvey did get out and cut some of the branches off the tree that hangs into our yard. He needs to cut a few more and will do that tomorrow. This was blocking the sun into the bed where we planted the Haskap bushes. They do need sun. 

Plans for tomorrow, along with the regular tasks are picking more rhubarb, more herbs for dehydrating, and trying to start the weeding (I want to get the various pots, baskets and large planters done). Watering needs to be done as well. 

Inside I plan on making the mint jelly, doing some baking (buns and a cake). All which will need to be done fairly early so as to keep the heat to a minimum during the afternoon. 

Project wise things are moving right along. Perhaps a little slower than I would like, but still things are being accomplished a bit at a time. I am probably halfway through the second tea towel and the embroidery is getting close. Mitt wise I am sure to finish the fourth pair tonight as I watch television.

The abundance around me makes me happy. The garden is beginning to produce. Nothing is ripe yet but things are flowering and growing. Lots of tiny cherry tomatoes on the deck plant, and a few larger ones growing in the garden. I even noticed a little cucumber (going to pick that before it gets too large). Life is good and the peace I am finding is one that heals my soul.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Midweek

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1. Dehydrate herbs for the winter.

2. Make infused oils and start the salve making.

3. Finish weaving the tea towels.

4. Weave a rug for Kris's kitchen. 

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

6. Knit 10 pairs of mitts.

7. Get the passport papers completed.

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

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

10. Sort patterns into binder. 

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

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

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Midweek Once Again

 

I noticed something on my last post. Strangely my type went from the black that I always wanted and can not seem to find, to the grey that it always shows up. I wonder what today will show. 

Once again the weather is cool and rainy. Things should be letting up later tonight and I could probably get the flowers out of my hallway tomorrow. It will still be cooler than normal, but plants do need to be hardened off a bit more. 

I thought I might answer a couple or questions today. 

First off, yes we did purchase our tickets for the Highland Gathering before on Eventbrite, but you could also pay at the gate. Really, $10 for a senior ticket was not bad at all for an entire day's entertainment. 

It was a bigger event than we thought, loads of people watching, and people from across the province and Manitoba taking part in the various events. Regina has been hosting this for I believe 35 years. Before that it kind of went back and forth between Regina and Moosejaw. 

Both Kurt and Kris love to garden, perhaps Kris a bit more than Kurt. Both have lots of garden raised beds, though Kris has more now. Kurt is more into herbs, but it seems like Kris is talking more about growing these as well. Kris is the one who grows veggies hydroponically during the winter in his basement. He also starts many of his own bedding plants. This year he concentrated on veggies and plans on purchasing more flowers or trying to grow from seed outside. 

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Midweek Ramblings

 

It is a cold and rainy day here on the old homestead. If what is being predicted is true our area of the province could get up to 115mm of rain (4.5 inches) by the end of the weekend. Not sure how much Regina will be getting, kind of frightened to look and see. At least the "s" word is taken off the forecast for now. 

I am very glad that I managed to get out and complete all the errands early this morning. At that point it was just a bit of a mist or as we sometimes say, "Just spitting out." Now it is coming down a bit harder and is supposed to continue that way for the rest of the evening. 

Poor Harvey, the grass that was growing so well last year does not seem to be growing this year at all. I think it is just too hot on the south side of the house. Perhaps a different approach to an curb appealing front will need to be done. That could be a task for next year. We are thinking that the back will be pretty much landscaped as much as we possibly can, or as much as Harvey will do. We do not have lovely paths or many flower beds as he does not like mowing around too many obstacles. This is why for years I have planted so many containers, but like I have been told it is time to cut back on those as well. 

Since we are going away this weekend I did not want the tortillas to go to waste so I made tortilla chips. They aren't bad, but the next time I make them I will add some salt to the Italian Seasoning I used to make these. They need a bit more taste, they are fine but a bit lacking. 

Tomorrow I plan on making a few more items to use up things before we go. Then take a few items up to Kris's to use while we are there. Sharing is good and keeps me from putting on even more weight. Many items are getting close to being near their use by date, and some even beyond that date, so best to use them and stock up when prices are good. 

I was checking out prices at Walmart and things have gone up again. According to StatsCan in some cases the tariffs have not hit us yet, but will be hitting us all again shortly. The price of beef is going to get much higher, but the price of pork is supposed to fall. We shall see. Coffee is going up and up. I will be looking for a couple of make your own k-cups that actually fit the machine I have. It is a bit different than any we have owned before so I will check out Amazon to see if there are any suitable.

Finished knitting the tank top and am sewing it up now. Halfway done that task, and I have made 3 blocks for the flimsy. Laid out 2 more to sew tomorrow. Hope to get at least 4 done tomorrow, if not more. I would like to be finished this by the middle of next week, when I will be planting my flowers for a couple of days after that. I am going to try and get as much done as possible so I can enjoy Kurt and Kris's visit at the beginning of June. Kurt is taking 2 personal days, something he has not done in 26 years of teaching. I want to sit outside during the day and sit by the firepit in the evening. Life is good.

Everybody have a wonderful day.

God bless. 

Midweek and End of the Month

 Last day of the month of April, and the middle of the week falling on the same day. Strange.

I did up the budget today and while we did not do as well as we could have, I still managed to cut the budget by $350.00. That will stay in the account and be the first payment towards the new dining room chairs. I hope to save more next month overall, mainly because I am going to use my envelope money to purchase my plants and Harvey's veggie plants when we go and pick up the haskap/honey berry trees or bushes. I wonder if I can convince him to purchase other fruit bearing bushes while at the greenhouse. 

Pulled a few more plants from the long boxes Harvey made for me many years ago. There are a couple to empty, but I will need Harvey's help in doing those. 

Project wise, I will only be carrying the jacket and knitting forward into May. I hope to finish one of them at least within a couple of days and get started on the new projects/goals for the month of May. 

So looking forward to getting my hands in the dirt once again and watching plants begin to grow. Hey, one of my delphiniums is starting to push its way through the soil. I hope to get a couple growing at least. My idea is to plant a few perennial seeds each year and get the center perennial garden looking lovely once again. I may dig up some of the columbines and give them to Kris or even Kurt to plant in their gardens. Those things spread quickly. 

As many of you have suggested I am going to put the word out that I am looking for any plants that they are separating this spring. Most people here do not give them away, rather they try and sell them, to make a bit of cash to purchase more plants and flowers.

Off to get supper started and then I will visit all of you.

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.

Midweek Musings

 Most people would think that once reaching the end of March, there would be no more worry about snow or freezing rain. Not so here on the prairies. It seems we may be hit with some more winter weather, even into the beginning of next month. I was telling Harvey we should uncover the plants we tried to protect over the winter, I think we just might leave the protection on for another week. 

Well, Canada (and other countries) have been hit with another tariff. This time the auto industry. A 25% tariff will be added to auto parts come April 2. This is going to cause major problems on both sides of the border. Many of the parts for vehicles sold in the U.S.A come from Canada, or cross the border numerous times before actually installed in a vehicle. There are also some components in those parts that can not be sourced in the U.S. I can see loss of jobs on both sides as the car companies can not build the necessary equipment to actually build an entire car on either side of the border. There is one truck that is made entirely in Canada, so perhaps we will all be driving that truck eventually. 

Right now, I am thinking we all better pull up our socks as things will get worse before they get better for both countries. There will be reciprocal tariffs added by Canada and I am pretty sure they will hit areas even harder. 

So grow and process all the food that you can, find ways to stretch your dollars and stretch the nickels as well (I would say pennies, but we no longer have those in Canada). Support your local businesses as they are going to need that support. Go to farmer's markets this spring, summer and fall. Find ways to help those who are less fortunate and keep your elbows up as we say in Canada. 

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless. 

Time Is Flying By

 

It just seems like yesterday I was doing a midweek post and here we are once again. Where on earth is the time going?

First, I will let you all know that I am not on blood thinners, and I am one of the people in Canada that does not have a GP right now and can't find one. That is another reason for moving as I just might be able to find one in the bigger city. I am hoping that the GP I did have passes the board inquiry with flying colours. I will say that 99% of the women that had him for a doctor (including me) have had no problems with him. Many of us figure someone has it out for him and is using the smallest of excuses to get him in front of the medical board. Right now he is allowed to refill my scripts and that is about it. 

The weather is freezing, but the sun is shining. I must remember to close the drapes a bit earlier tonight to see if that helps with stopping me from freezing as the sun goes down. I start adding layers and then taking them off once the furnace starts up once again. 

Got a bunch of grocery and store flyers today and much to my amazement most are posting where things are obtained from. Canadians are rallying behind our Prime Minister and purchasing Canadian Made, or Produced in Canada products. I belong to a Facebook page that lists Canadian products, and Canadian companies. That page in the matter of a couple of weeks is over 2 million strong and growing each day. Of course we won't be able to get everything here but many (add me in here) are purchasing from Mexico, Central or South America. 

I worked on cutting up some scrap fabric into suitable sized squares and only the tiniest of scraps are being tossed. I had thought of saving those for stuffing, but I no longer make toys. Worked on my embroidery and on my weaving. Tonight I will be working on my knitting. I so hope that I can manage to finish a few more of my goals this month. I really would like to be sewing next month (and of course knitting until the blanket is finished). My plans and goals for next month are already percolating through my brain. 

I hope to share some pictures with you all tomorrow of what is happening on the projects front. Perhaps even some finished or almost finished projects. Might be wishful thinking, but I am keeping my fingers crossed for at least two (one of which isn't on the list, but an addition to the list). 

No decluttering done yet this month. Kind of figured it would be more of a use it up month or a try and use up lots of the stashes month. So far that seems to be what is happening, and I have a feeling next month could be more of the same. I won't complain as every bit that is used and made into something that can be used by myself or others is a step forward in downsizing. Only thing is I have been looking at foot powered spinning wheels.... Do I need another hobby???? Probably not, but a friend is going to be raising sheep so......

It is also a step towards being just a tad more self-sufficient in a world that has gone slightly (okay perhaps more than slightly) bonkers. A world where bullies threaten, and all of us are left holding the bag. 

Off to visit with all of you and then get supper started. 

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.