Weekly Wrap-Up 8/23

Good morning everyone.  New week and an opportunity for new blessings and challenges.
Hope everyone is well.
This week I started out with decent cooler temperatures.  We had rain on Monday and Tuesday - which was needed.  Got to have the windows open and the AC off for a good bit.  That was nice.  It is now heating back up and the humidity is coming back for a while.  I am not going to complain - as fall/winter will be here soon.  I am not a 'cold' person!

I got the opportunity to see a bit of nature this week that I had never seen before.  I was standing outside just looking at flowers and noticed what I thought was a tiny hummingbird at the phlox.  I was hoping Fluffy wouldn't see it and go after it - it looked so small.
I walked over, figuring it would fly off and it didn't.  It wasn't a hummingbird!  I watched it for a long while and came in a researched.  It was Common Clear Winged Hummingbird Moth!  I never saw such a thing - it was so totally cool.

This is NOT my picture but a stock picture.  That is exactly what it looked like.  Had the long snout and tongue and fluttered like a hummy.  Just the neatest thing.  Here I am 65 and still getting to see new things in nature.  I love it.

My week:

• I pulled out all the onions planted early in spring.  They had gotten nice size and then I planted more onion sets
• Working on more yard clean-up.  Dead headed a ton of Coreopsis flowers and cut back a lot of stuff in the perennial bed.  So much to do whenever it is cool outside!
• Picking lots of tomatoes.  Cherry tomatoes have gone wild!!!!

This is a serving dish and I picked these on Monday.  I did this amount or more 2 more times this week!!

• Cleaned out the refrigerator and the frig freezer.  I found a very small head of cabbage at the back of frig I had forgot about and a single hotdog size smoked sausage in freezer.  Got both out and used them up.
• Finished up gallon of milk this week that was dated best 7/30 - still tasted fresh!
• Both rain barrels are full
• Mowed and trimmed the yard
• Not necessarily a frugal thing - but a calming thing I 'UNFOLLOWED' a couple of people this week on FB (not unfriended).  They post dozens of political things everyday  - NOT seeing those posts has calmed my world so much!!!!  Decluttering my mind!  Feel happier for sure!
• Did a HUGE stock-up this week.  I added 5 more cases of canned cat food, got 6 pairs of new socks and 6 of undies, a carbonator for Soda Stream, some extra foody gifts for holiday baskets, cheese (always get), bologna, Stevia, bought 3 pork loins (on sale .99/lb.) and I found canning lids!!!!  I got 6  packs of lids.  Meijer had all kinds of canning supplies - jars and lids and even canners.  I think I am DONE with the big stock-ups - for a while!

• I tore apart the living room!  Deep cleaned like crazy.  I took everything off the wall of shelves and cleaned and dusted.  I have boxed up 2 banana boxes of knick-knacks that I will be donating.   They just collect dust and they no longer bring me joy!  Nothing sentimental - just things I have gotten at sales/thrift over the years.  I moved furniture, cleaned register vents, moved the TV armoire and cleaned under (I think I found fur for a doz. cats!), redid all the shelves and then vacuumed all the floors on main level.    More to do - but boy did I wear myself out!
• Just doing all the regular stuff - laundry in cold, line drying, eating from home, using what I have, etc.

Meals this week:

Egg rolls - from freezer

Cabbage, sausage, zucchini stir fry

Mexican chili mac

Leftover chili mac and salad

Cowboy skillet* and a cuke/onion/tomato side salad

Cowboy skillet leftover and grilled cheese

Bologna/tomato/lettuce sandwich - I was tired!

*Cowboy skillet - my invention!  Ground beef, onion, back eyed peas, jalapeno zucc., salsa and a bit of rice, taco seasoning =  YUMMY!

Just an UPDATE - remember a while back I chopped zucchini and added to my big jar of jalapenos?  Well it worked.  Dang they got hot.  I can use the zucchini  bits in anything I want a bit of spice added to.

I managed to keep busy this week and I really feel refreshed.  Hiding some of FB and accomplishing a good deep clean - really worked wonders for me.  Working outside in the mornings as weather allows is also invigorating.  My home is well stocked and I should be good to go for a long, long while.  

I will be concentrating on more yard work, cleaning and canning this week!  I suddenly feel like I have a huge burst energy and I am taking advantage of it!

How was your week?  Did you add to stockpile?  How are the gardens doing?  Any canning/freezing/dehydrating?  Let us know what is going on your world.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Let us all work on being a better human being, a better friend, a better citizen and a better family member.  The world needs to see our best NOW and always.  Every little positive we put into the world is pure energy and a blessing. 
Blessings from my humble little home to yours.