Weekly Wrap-Up 9/29

Good day everyone.  Here we are at the end of another month.  My goodness.
I have been reading about snow and frost in areas closer to the coasts - and here we are still hot and dry.  September has been one of the warmest and driest on record for years.
We did have some cooler and low humidity days earlier in the week and they were lovely.  I got to open windows and air the house.
We are back to warmer days 80's/90's for a few more days (and humidity) and then back to more normal temps by the end of the week.  Friday from morning to evening the temperature increased 40*!!
First day of October is supposed to be 92*!!!

This getting older stuff is so aggravating with robo calls!!!!!!  I will be 65 in October and I have been getting a minimum of 10 robo calls per DAY from insurance places.  I do not answer, and they don't give up!  Good grief you would think they would realize if you don't answer the first 3 times in a row that you probably won't answer the forth time either!!!  I know it is a computer - but still.  It sure is aggravating and intrusive!

This has been a sadder week here on the home front.  It was 5 months since my sweetie left for heaven and it was also his birthday on the 24th.  Well, let me tell you I tried to work my bum off and kept busy.  Got to do things that occupy the mind and tire the body.  I miss him soooooo much.  Not looking for sympathy - just stating a fact because it really is hard.

The birds and squirrels still are not as plentiful as before.  I have been seeing only 3-4 squirrels versus 10-12.  Maybe some of the older ones have passed on.  I know they don't live a lot of years.  Birds seem to come and go. We'll see how it goes this winter.  I enjoy them all so much.   Hummingbirds are gone now.

My week:

• I did make a run to Rural King last Sunday (oh my - it was busy) for critter feed and canned cat food stock up
• I cleaned all the bird feeders for fall/winter
• Also cleaned out the metal trash can/bins I use for critter feed storage
• Washed windows inside (seems weekly - kitty kisses!)
• I cleaned out the storage area under the basement stairs.  Geesh what a mess.  I got rid of lots of stuff - have no idea why I had kept it.  FOUND  an unopened case of jelly jars and 1 unopened case of pint jars!!!!!!  WOOHOO.  ALSO found 7 gallon glass jars with lids and one half gallon glass jar with lid.  That area is all cleaned an organized now.
• Put lots of plastic in recycle bin
• Got to turn off AC a few days and open windows
• Spent a couple nice mornings outside trying to do some fall clean-up.  I ended up with 3 huge black bags of rubbish for the natural green pick-up by the city
• Picked a few tomatoes
• Picked a bouquet of New England asters

• I have worked on moving more store bought food storage upstairs
• I straightened the upstairs pantry and organized better (AGAIN) and started some new storage for canned good overstock

Yes this is after!  It may look like total chaos to others - but I know what is where.  Soups together, veggies together, fruit, baking items, spices, condiments, bulk, etc.  This is the daily use pantry.  It contains basically ALL my food - kitchen cabinets contain dishes, canisters, and pots and pans. (small kitchen)

This is the 'new' area for overstock on canned goods I came up with.  Cookbooks are below.  I donated a ton of books (no longer interested in) and moved many to other locations in the house - to free this space.  I will be putting curtains over it in time.  Still more to move and do.

See why I don't need to go to grocery?  It is just me and that's a lot of food.  I will helping anyone that needs help as well.

• Colored hair at home
• I worked on de-cluttering a bunch more.  So many things I have no idea whey we kept.
• I took an huge load of items to the church thrift store.  (Back seats down in Blazer and loaded to the back end).
• I got a loaf of FREE bread from thrift store
• No grocery store
• Brought the bread maker upstairs for handy storage - plan on making homemade for holiday baskets
• Using rain barrel water for plants.  I think this may be a year that I use all the water collected
• I have a Wondering Jew plant that was my Momma's.  She passed in 2001 and had it for years before that.  It just got so nasty and spindly looking - SO I trimmed off starts and have them in water to root.  I plan on giving it a new and healthy start.
• Using what I have, cooking from scratch, used the soda stream this week for sparkling water, laundry cold, line dried, working on organization and watched some You-Tube videos, just doing all the normal things.

My meals this past week:

Fried diced potatoes topped with beef and cheese - sliced tomato

Grilled ham & cheese

Easy chili mac - 2X

Pork chop, green beans (from freezer/cooked) and sliced tomato

Black bean/beef nachos

Tacos

Easy Chili Mac - I browned ground beef with onion, added a can of chili beans and chili seasoning - served over macaroni.  Topped with shredded cheese.  Easy and tasty.

This coming week I plan of getting all my home canned goods a lot more organized and I want to inventory and organize (again) the upright freezer.  

I also have more dried goods stored downstairs that needs to be organized.

More paperwork to take care of.

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😋😋😋👍

I want to let you know, a relative/friend reached out to me (privately) and told me she made the Amish peanut butter that I listed recipe for - and that they loved it! Just to let you know - it is yummy and will be a hit if you decide to try it!  I think she plans on using it for gift baskets as well this year.  Thanks for letting me know Becky!

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How was your week?  Did you get any deals?  So many of you impress me with all your freebies that I read about on your blogs!  You gals rock!

Are you still getting garden goodies/canning or is yours coming to an end?

Prayers for you and your families.  I hope you have health, happiness and thrift in the coming week.

Blessings from my humble little home to yours.