Happy Sunday to everyone. Here it is October and getting closer and closer to the end of this year. It is just amazing to me how fast the year has gone by.
I hope this post finds you all well, rested and safe.
Cool, gloomy and damp morning here. They have called for rain several times this week and very, very little has been received. It is so dry - and we have several counties that now have burn bans.
We did get a spot of rain last Sunday and then again a VERY brief shower during the week and that one contained hail!! Crazy.
We had the driest September ever recorded and it isn't looking good for October either.
My house is doing good good maintaining warmth. On the coolest morning so far, in the house, as been 67*. Not bad. It warms up pretty quickly.
We have had some night in low 40's - tonight may get upper 30's. So far no frost here. It is going to warm up after today, all is good.
I noticed this week that my water heater has a little leak - UGH. I am going to have to have that replaced very soon. Thinking back, I am sure this one is probably 20+ years old. Now to find a good plumber!
My week:
- Cleaned out some storage cabinets in the laundry area - a mess!
- Found some way past "best" date cinnamon rolls (roll) in the frig and baked them. Tasty
- Picked 2 bouquets of New England asters and the last rose of the season
- Cut hair
- Picked ALL the tomatoes left on the vines (just in case of frost)
- Worked and worked in the basement - decluttering and straightening. OH MY! I made a lot of trash and have 2 boxes of donations ready to go again - still much more to go through. I also have some larger items for donation as well. If not needed - out it goes.
- Did some more dead heading of flowers and bit more yard work
- Inventoried all my DRY goods - pasta, beans, rice, bulk goods, etc.
- Chopped and sliced peppers for freezer (gifted peppers)
- Received the FREE book many have been receiving - Great Controversy. Haven't read any of it yet. It is a full book of 473 pages. Many in our area have received it. (I believe it is about religion over the years in this country)
- Found some recipes I have been hunting for for canning and making for gifts
- I ran to Kroger simply to check clearance. I got 2 different itemsGot this pasta for my sister. She makes stuffed shells for her family a lot. Kroger is discontinuing selling these. Dated 2023 - I got all 4 boxes they had for part of her Christmas bag!
32 ounce bottles (big) on clearance 1.49. Got 2. Not my usual brand - but for that price I don't care. It is all good!!!! I am probably set, with what else I have, for a couple years at least.
Meals this past week:
Open face sloppy Joe sandwich (scratch made) and fries
Lasagna (from freezer) and salad
Taco salad
Green beans w/potatoes, bread w garlic butter and sliced tomatoes Oh my - so good!!!! (no meat day)
Leftovers - green beans/potatoes and taco meat over bread
Hamburger stroganoff and sliced tomatoes
Cup of chili (from freezer) and grilled cheese sandwich
I learned this week while de-cluttering and inventorying I have so much of many things. This girl will not buy Christmas paper, boxes, bags or tissue paper probably forever!!!!
I will not starve it it all hits the fan. My goodness I have so many more dry goods than I thought.
What has everyone been up to this week? How are you providing for your home, pantry or gift closet? Any great deals? I always look forward to hearing from you all.
May you all stay safe and healthy in this coming week. PLEASE pray for our President, his family and our nation. It doesn't matter your political views - we need to pray for all afflicted. Never wish ill on anyone. EVER!!!
Blessings from my humble little home to yours.
Fear not, for I am with you, be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.
Isaiah 41:10
I have been searching for jumbo pasta shells or manicotti shells for the last month or two. I just used my last box this week. I wonder if they've all been discontinued. Can't imagine why.
ReplyDeleteI don't know - the lady at Kroger said they were going to quit handling them. I never saw them very often before - but that sure surprised me.
DeleteHope you can find some.
"The Great Controversy" is used in the evangelization efforts of the Seventh Day Adventist church and was written by on of its founders.
ReplyDeleteOK - thanks for that information. Everyone here in town has been receiving them in the mail. No where on flier or outside of book does it say who sent it.
DeleteYour week sound similar to mine. Frost was forecast for Friday night, so I put the three potted tomato plants in the shed and picked the rests of the tomatoes and peppers. We are also enjoying a bouquet of the last of the roses and another of zinnias. Supposed to warm up into the 70s this coming weekend, and I'll clean out the garden then. A little rain is forecast for tonight. My second planting of edible pod peas is producing nicely.
ReplyDeleteMy freezer arrived Wednesday. Not much in it for now, but I did thin out the refrigerator freezer and found a couple of things I didn't know I had. I'm making the quarterly WalMart run tomorrow and will add a few things to the big freezer.
I picked up my new glasses Friday. It is such a pleasure to be able to see again! Unfortunately, the left lens has developed a series of hairline cracks radiating from the edge toward the center, so they will have to be sent back to have the lens replaced.
We are enjoying our bird feeding station very much. I think we've had about 10 different species visit so far. My mother sent me a nice check for my upcoming birthday this week, so I splurged on a finch feeder and hanger for the deck and will be getting the supplies to make a platform feeder. I'm turning into a Crazy Bird Lady!
No real frugal finds this week, though the freezer will go a long way toward preparedness.
Meals this week will be meatloaf & mashed potatoes and salmon burgers. I always requested meatloaf and mashed potatoes for my birthday dinner when I was a kid. My dessert will be lemon cheesecake pie, and Husband gets brownies, since he doesn't care for the pie.
Books I'm reading are from the Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell. They're about a British soldier during the Napoleonic wars. My 3gr-grandfather is supposed to have fought under Napoleon as a Prussian conscript, so these books are interesting to me.
No special plans for my 60th birthday. I tend to celebrate my birthday in little ways as opportunities arise, just doing or buying little (and inexpensive) treats for myself. Husband always gives me money, so I can spend without feeling guilty.
Hope everyone has a safe and frugal week! Prayers for the President and First Lady and everyone else suffering from the virus.
Birthday month for both of us! You are not quite as old as me though. Have a wonderful celebration, when you do celebrate.
DeleteWelcome to the club of 'bird lady"!!!! They are just such a joy to watch. You are hooked now!
Glad you got your freezer. What a blessing that will be.
My Momma always made us what we wanted for our birthday and my request was pineapple upside down cake. I sure do miss her cakes. Well I miss everything.
Stay safe and healthy!
You can have some of our rain. We are fed up with it. We had a week away and it was the hottest September day on record. We were in the sea. We came back 10 days ago and it had changed to strong winds and rain. This weekend a storm hit the UK with rain and wind. Not that cold though, just miserable. Your tomatoes are amazing.
ReplyDeleteWe sure do need the rain. We haven't had much to speak of since early in August.
DeleteI hope you had a nice visit while away.
Thanks - I will have tomatoes for a while!
Isaiah 41:10 has become a favorite verse. A couple of years ago when I was dealing with health issues that seemed to have no answers, the Lord gave me that verse. I say it often throughout my day as we go through these uncertain times.
ReplyDeleteI think it kind of sums up everything. No need to fret and worry about the going ons in the world - He has us in His hands.
DeleteYes prepare for harder times - but really God takes care of us. Just listen.
Your posts are always so interesting! You seem to definitely accomplish lots in a week.
ReplyDeleteThis week's meals in no particular order:
Hoosier Chili Soup...yes it includes spaghetti
Taco Salad
Stir fry over rice
Leftovers of the Above
Pork Loin, turnips, carrots and lettuce saiad
Smoked sausage, kraut, potatoes, baked beans, cottage cheese and
pumpkin roll for dessert
One other meal I can't recall.
We are needing rain badly here in southern IN...no killing frost yet. Still picking tomatoes and peppers. Fresh lettuce from late sowing...yum!
Thanks again and blessings to you and all your readers!
Thank you Linda. Hopefully they are right and it warms a bit this week. Rain sure has been hard to come by this fall.
DeleteYour meals all sound good. I have always been a macaroni in chili girl (how Momma made it) and Glen never understood. Said it just took up room - YES - it extends it! LOL
I have used spaghetti too.
Thanks so much
If Palmolive dish detergent isn't your usual brand, you're in for a good surprise. It is my favorite.
ReplyDeleteI have used it and have had no problem. I usually get Dawn because I use it for so many things. But this is just fine for me.
DeleteThanks
I've been cleaning, stocking up meals for when my surgery happens, and getting a few projects completed.
ReplyDeleteTuesday saw me dumping a few plants, and working on getting Harvey's Christmas gift.
So really just a regular week here on the old homestead.
God bless.
Sounds like you have a great plan for a down time. Hope it all works out well.
DeleteRegular weeks can be the most productive.
Blessings
How amazing, Cheryl...the Lord gave me this same verse just yesterday! I love hearing about your cool weather! A football friend of my husband's lives in Anderson, IN and said they're expecting frost there tonight. We're at 100 again today after a week of the same. That's Fall for where we live.
ReplyDeleteI love your food basket gift ideas! How fun to put together, how practical and how useful! Win/win :D.
Good for you going thru your years of accumulation. It's dirty work, but so great that somebody will benefit from your clear-out.
Take good care of yourself and your kitties =^.^=
Mary in San Diego
Oh Mary, so sorry you don't get cooler weather. I don't like the winter stuff, but I am happy we have 4 seasons. Some areas did get frost - we had a frost warning, but got none.
DeleteExactly - getting rid of things is work, but necessary and a blessing for others.
I just get things people will use and need for those baskets. FREE food is always a plus!
Have a good one
Today was so beautiful that we went for a little drive. We went to a small air field and watched the little planes come and go. We stopped for an ice cream cone and I was so disappointed that the didn't have pumpkin yet. That's my favorite seasonal ice cream. Anyway, it was a perfect weather day to be out in.
ReplyDeleteMy accomplishments, aside from normal cleaning...
*I finished my dollhouse. When the fundraising auction comes back, it's all theirs. I hope it raises some $$.
*Made another donation scarf. I love that little loom!
*I scoured the large appliances. I'm talking toothpicks, toothbrushes, etc. I am seeing some scary stuff up close in my wheelchair!! New angle. My friends are laughing at my horror lol.
They say I can't roll into their kitchens!!
*I Made 12 greeting cards for different occasions.
*I decorated for Halloween.
Meals were:
-Hamburgers with diced sweet potato rd
-baked pork chops and baked taters
-Green chile enchiladas
-Shepherd's pie
-Tuna melts
-Leftovers
-Sandwiches and chips
We do eat veggies, I swear! Mostly steamed and frozen.
Busy week coming up. We'll see how much I get done.
Cheryl, all your tomatoes!! I think we might have a week or 2 left before we clean them out.
Congrats on the basement. I shudder at it all. I so distinctly remember my neighbor looking around our giant empty basement and sighing. She said she wished hers looked like it. I expressed wonder at what people could possibly put down there that could fill it up!! She said to consider myself warned but that it magically fills up.
Abracadabra!! 16 yrs. later, I get it!!
You sure do get a lot accomplished from that wheel chair!! Hope you are able to get up and about sometime soon. Healing prayers.
DeleteYour meals sound great to me.
Oh so much more to do. At least I got started. It is totally AMAZING how much accumulates over the years. Amazing and scary!!!!!
Take care
We're having lovely fall weather, no serious frost yet and no rain either. I'm enjoying these days.
ReplyDeleteI need to do another round of decluttering - I did one about 2 years ago when I retired, but I know I've gathered up more stuff since then. I recall I enjoyed the process - like you say, you find things you have multiples of and realize that sales of wrapping paper aren't needed any more. :)
Take care and stay well!
Fall weather is really lovely.
DeleteI think de-cluttering can be an ongoing thing! At least here!!
Yeah, some things add up and you just don't realize it. I think I have a popcorn tin full of holiday cards as well - haven't dug those out yet. Yep, I am good. LOL
Take care
You have lots of tomatoes! I think about all ours are gone. We don't really know what we have until we take an inventory. I plan on working on the shelves in the garage to sort through canned goods. Have been saying that for weeks but probably need to set a date to accomplish just that and stick to it. After all, if you worked for someone, you wouldn't be allowed to put off your job(s).
ReplyDeletePraying for our President, his family and our country. I certainly wouldn't want to be in the shoes of those who are destroying our country, both physically and politically on Judgment Day.
Yes mam - you also work for you and your family - so take that time to know what is there. It will surely save you time and money in the long run.
DeleteI am with you - someday everyone has to answer - and I wouldn't want to be some people.
Stay well.
Sounds like a busy week. You found some great deals. So sorry about the water heater, but glad you noticed it. Hope you are able to get it fixed or replaced before it gets worse.
ReplyDeletePraying for all those affected by the virus. Maybe this will be a wake-up call for people to take the virus seriously.
I've been reading the Mitford series of books, and I wish I had a Father Tim. I've been praying the prayer that never fails, and it gives me some peace... "Thy will be done".
Hope you have a good week.
I will get it fixed or replaced soon.
DeleteThat is the prayer that says it all. His will is what WILL be done no matter what. He is in control.
Have a good week
You are always such a busy person! With our numbers starting to rise again I will be even more diligent about who I interact with and for how long. 62% of our cases are in those under 40 so that is very frustrating and hospitals are starting to feel the impact.
ReplyDeleteI am now well stocked so any time I am out I try to pick up things like dairy or fruit & veg - just to keep those at a good level.
While I would never wish this virus on anyone and sincerely hope that your president recovers - I think I will save my prayers for those administrator, cleaners, wait staff etc. who have no choice but to go into work and who have been put at serious risk because of the callous and deliberate disregard for health regulations that have been demonstrated by this administration. It is truly appalling and very, very sad for so many people. A true tragedy.
Not as busy as I should be!
DeleteGlad you stay stocked. Good to be prepared.
I pray for everyone every where. None of us know what may happen no matter where we go.
Have a good day
Isn't it amazing when you start, cleaning out a basement how much stuff you forgot you had?
ReplyDeleteYou are not kidding. So much stuff!
DeleteMy tomatoes are done for...I will not, I repeat notbe planting mountain fresh again.. might be my soil..might have been cause I got them in late, but not hardly worth picking.
ReplyDeleteso sorry you had another bad year. I did pretty good. I have never heard of Mountain Fresh before.
Delete