Thrifty Tuesday

How was I thrifty over the last week? 

Really each week I seem to get a bit more into a more thrifty mindset. With the constant increase or limitations on the purchase of meat, I am finding new and interesting ways to take a small amount of meat and fashion a meal that my carnivore of a husband enjoys.

Extra meat is packed away to be used in another meal or three when I make a roast or a chicken.

Today I made a tank top from fabric I bought for at a church rummage sale. Actually they were going to give me all the fabric I picked up for free, but I thought a donation would only be right. So for around a dollar and a bit of work I now am the proud owner of a rather dressy tank top. The scraps were collected and may end up being the edging of another top or perhaps a skirt.

I darned a pair of my socks today, and a pair that was too worn I cut into ties to use in the garden.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Menu Monday

It is almost the end of April. Time, even in this uncertain period seems to whiz by most days. I had to do up my menus for next month in order to post a full weeks worth today.

Monday

Chili and toast.

Tuesday

Soup and Sandwiches. I will pull a container of beef soup from the chest freezer.

Wednesday

Leftover chili. This time over pasta.

Thursday

A package of Lazy Cabbage Rolls from the chest freezer.

Friday 

Cod fillets, salad, and homemade fries.

Saturday

Ribs, cooked on the BBQ hopefully, tinfoil potatoes and carrots.

Sunday

Roast chicken, roasted potatoes and mixed veggies. We will probably finish off the salad as well.

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Sunday Ramblings

I found this picture in Google images, it is from a Facebook account, but I can't find who to credit with the picture. 

It has been a very busy weekend. I did manage to clean up Kris's apartment and get him out of it for an hour or so. I have never seen him move so quickly on those crutches once he saw his car. As he settled into the passenger seat, Kris looked at me and said "I haven't sat in my car since February 12th, this is absolutely fantastic." The windows were rolled down, the music turned up and we were off. Filled the tank with gas, drove through the car wash, and stopped to pick up an adult beverage for him. I know he enjoyed the short trip outside.

Then it was home today, after telling him that his Dad and I will be back up on May 6th. He has an appointment with his specialist that day. Since Harvey is coming up as well (I think he missed me while I was gone) he can take Kris to this appointment and I will clean the apartment while they are gone. We will probably only stay one night, but hopefully Kris will finally be able to put a bit of weight on his leg and will become a bit more mobile. Keeping our fingers crossed for that.

While I am happy that things will be loosening up a bit I am still slightly worried about the consequences of perhaps opening things up too quickly. There is a small greenhouse south of Regina on highway 6 that I noticed being open on my way to the city. There did not seem to be many people taking advantage of this, so I though that perhaps on the way home I would pop in and pick up a few bedding plants. Well, as I slowed down to make the turn I noticed wall to wall vehicles. I doubt very much social distancing was happening. I carried on with my journey to the southeast corner of my province. I will figure out something to make the yard look pretty this year.

Kurt has been busy setting up his raised garden beds. From the way he speaks I even wonder if we will get a chance to see him this summer. This is hurting my heart even though I know it is to help 

prevent the spread of the virus. Still family is important to most of the people I know and to not be able to actually be within touching distance or in his case visual distance is tough.

I do not know when we will be able to attend Mass again. I have been watching it live streamed from one of the churches in Regina. I really miss my community, which considering the questions and feelings I have shared previously surprises me. I think through this I have discovered that my faith is not tied to the priest but to the community. Makes me feel so much better.

There are three sewing projects left to complete this month and I am keeping my fingers crossed that at least two will be done and the third one began. Keeping busy is helping me to keep sane, even us introverts need human contact once in awhile.

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Frugal Friday

I am up in Regina at Kris's and I have managed to get a few things completed. Tomorrow I will be finishing off what needs to be done, and I plan on getting Kris out of the apartment for a bit of an outing.

Now on to the frugal happenings this week.

1.  I packaged up the leftover roast pork to use in meals later.

2.  Used one package of the leftover pork to make a stir fry one night.

3.  Harvey got a bit carried away making hamburgers for supper and made enough for two meals.

4.  Baked bread twice this week.

5. Kept the furnace off most days and heated the house with the solar energy coming through the front windows.

My tablet looses power quickly so I will try and catch up with all of you as power permits.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Tour Part Two

I thought I would share a few more pictures with all of you of my city.

First off some of the Historical homes that are still standing.

There are many more, and if I can find the pictures I will post them another time.

Woodlawn Regional Park is a place we spent many a happy week camping in the past. This little campground is just south of the city.

It is also the home of the Souris Valley Theater. A place Harvey and I visit twice a summer for the two live theater events.

This building started it's life as the Jewish Synagogue here. Then when the Jewish community left the city they sold it to the city and it became our Public Library. Later when the new library was built a dance studio bought it and still owns it as of today.

This is the Leisure Complex, the home of our indoor pool, gym, two rinks (one of which is larger and used for other events as well) the weight room, a multipurpose room, and our library. 

Our main street (also known as 4th Street) looking west.

When I get back from Kris's I will hopefully be able to continue the tour.

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

A Tour

Since each day seems to flow into the next with nothing really new or exciting happening around the old homestead I thought I might use a couple of posts to show you my city.

I live in a small prairie city renown for coal, oil, and farming. Estevan is in the southeast corner of the province of Saskatchewan. Only 9 miles from the Canadian/United States border.

This was our old sign as you came into the city.

Here is our new one.

We are known as the Energy city because of the oil wells and coal mines that surround us. We are also known as the Sunshine Capital of Canada as we have more hours of sunshine here than any other city in Canada. Or at least we did have more.

Coal is mined by open pit here with huge drag lines. 

Loaded into these huge trucks and taken to one of our two power plants.

The oldest power plant in the city is just south west of us on Long Creek and is known as Boundary Dam.

The newer one is to the east of the city and is the Shand Power Station. It also has a green house attached to it where people can purchase trees suitable for prairie planting.

These two power plants supply power to southern Saskatchewan, some parts of Western Manitoba, and even some of North Dakota, and South Dakota. Both plants are due to be phased out in the coming years.

Many oil companies have offices here in the city, though with the price of oil right now I don't know how long they can survive. Harvey worked in the "patch" for 35 years and we have seen many ups and downs. Nothing this long or bad though.

Most of the farmers haul their grain to large terminals like this one on the west edge of the city. The smaller elevators in the various small towns around us have been torn down over the past ten or so years. Farmers no longer use small grain trucks either. Usually they are large semi trailers hauling grain. Harvey calls them v trains...whatever that means.

This photo shows our courthouse in the forefront and part of the oldest section of the city, which is where I live.

I will leave off here before I make you all fall asleep from boredom. Promise to carry on tomorrow with more of the tour.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Thrifty Tuesday

It has been a pretty thrifty week.

I have baked bread (yea for my bread machine).

Mended one of Harvey's shirts.

Unpacked all the old sheets that Kris gave me to use as backing for quilts (kind of tricked him into cleaning out the hall closet, but I did get enough backing to probably make 7 or 8 quilts).

Got my umbrella clothesline set up. Now that the weather is improving I am going to wash it down and hopefully next week start hanging all the clothes outside.

Started my plants and will save a great deal of cash if they all come up.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.