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.

Menu Monday

 

I am starting the first full week of my clean out the fridge freezer challenge to my self. Of course today I am using up the leftovers from our Saturday meal made from the bag of frozen ham I pulled out.

Monday

Leftover Ham Pasties and leftover salad from Sunday.

Tuesday

Vegetable soup and egg salad sandwiches.

Wednesday

The bag of frozen chicken meat made into a casserole. Serving with leftover salad and some asparagus.

Thursday

A package of the leftover pork roast made into another casserole. If the salad is all gone by this time I will make coleslaw. Also serving asparagus with this I hope.

Friday

Tuna patties, coleslaw and perhaps one of the noodle mixes that need using up.

Saturday

Leftover Chicken casserole, salad.

Sunday

The leftover Baked Spaghetti and probably coleslaw (lots of cabbage that needs using).

I am almost tempted to go and visit with Kris this weekend instead of next as the weather might be a bit snowy that weekend. This would however mean changing menu plans for a couple of days. Not a bad thing, but one that would probably mean not using things up as quickly as I would like. We shall see, I may talk to Harvey about this idea in a couple of days.

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Sunday Ramblings

 

Sunny but fairly cool today. I don't think winter has left this tiny corner of Saskatchewan as of yet. 

Woke up to extreme back pain, which is nothing really new when the weather has these fairly large changes. I will be rubbing some of my mint salve into the back and hips tonight.

I might have bit off a bit more than I can do with my goals and plans this month, but all I can do is try and complete as many of them as is possible. It actually takes my mind off what a crap show the world is becoming.

Knowing we can only control what we can control is really not helping. The worry of family members perhaps losing jobs, inflation rising, perhaps a recession hitting my country, is nothing if not nerve wracking. 

Lots of articles on how to stretch your retirement savings are seemingly coming out of no where. Do we have enough to make it through our old age, when the necessary amount seems to be rising exponentially? How can we manage on our savings when now the number crunchers are saying perhaps we need more?

I worry about Kurt and Kris. How are they going to manage this down turn? 

Yet life goes on. There is still beauty in the world. I got to see 5 mule deer on our street this morning.

Life can still be wonderful, we just have to weather the bad stuff.

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Saturday Roundup

 Well today I thought that I would see how well I did with the goals and plans this month. 

1.  Declutter/Use Up. This is on going but I did manage to use up some thread, use up some 4" squares, and some embroidery skeins as well.

2.  Weave the placemats. Done.

3.  Embroider quilt block. Ongoing, but should manage to get it done well before the end of the month.

4.  Knit blanket. Done.

5.  Cut more fabric scraps into 4" and 2" squares. Done.

6.  Use leftover coat fabric to make a blanket for the car. Done.

7.  Sew patchwork tote bag. Done.

8.  Make one tablecloth. Done.

Not a bad month at all though I was concerned at one point when things were taking a bit longer than I thought the projects were going to take.

Now on to this months Goals.

I might have bitten off more than I can get done this month.

1. Knit tank top.

2. Finish embroidering quilt block and start the next one.

3. Sew cut out jacket.

4. Sew two totes at least.

5. Cut any scrap fabric into 4 and 2 inch squares.

6. Declutter/Use up

7. Start hand tied rug.

8. Drop off donations.

9. Copy recipes from 3 books. 

10. Make one quilt top.

Let's see how far I get on this one.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

No Spend Days

 

Every month since I can remember I try and have as many no spend days as possible. I will never consider what I do to be a no spend month even though my spending is usually limited to bill paying, groceries, repairs, appointments, and fuel for the vehicle. I still consider any money, even for those items, that come out of our account as spending. 

Our allowances are usually used to purchase clothing, or saved to get a bigger item (my loom for one). Everything is budgeted for and receipts are kept so I can input all in the spreadsheet for each month.

This month, I really hoped to have 20 or more no spend days. It did not work out that way since Harvey and I both had dental appointments, and the car needed a new battery. I did end up having 19 no spend days though and that is good enough, not the best I have ever done, but good enough. 

Next month will be a challenge as well. Harvey decided to get the work done that is necessary for his second partial plate. Meaning there will be and extra spend day or two. We also want to go and visit Kris so there will be an extra fuel fill up day and perhaps the purchase of some new chairs for the dining room set (we have saved for that). 

We shall see how well I do.

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Thrifty and Frugal Thursdays

Thrifty and Frugal  

There were the usual frugal and thrifty things happening here on the old homestead. It sometimes seems like I manage no new ideas or habits. However I have a feeling some things are so ingrained that I do them automatically without thinking about what I am doing.

1.  I used up most of three spools of yarn working on various mending and sewing. What was left on the spools I wound onto small cardboard rectangles and will use that to sew on buttons.

2.  Really happy that I can under budget for this month. Yes I know there is one more day, but we need nothing and so won't be spending anything.

3.  Found a couple more items of clothing that I hope to refashion or upcycle next month as one of my goals.

4.  Pulled some more 4" squares to make three totes next month, though I may only have enough interfacing to make 2. I will use my gift card to purchase interfacing when we make the trip to visit Kris in a couple of weeks.

5.  We have used all leftovers in other meals. However I did have to freeze some Baked Spaghetti as we had enough for another meal. This after a meal of spaghetti and meat sauce and 2 meals of baked spaghetti (this was meals for each of us). I don't think we have had that many meals from a pound of ground beef in a very long time.

6.  Still using appliances to cook with, hopefully that cuts bills down a bit. When it was cold and dark our electrical bill was still high this month. Should be lower this month, keeping my fingers crossed.

7.  Used up a tube of hand cream, this after cutting it open and getting almost another week out of the tube. 

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.