Hello all and happy Sunday. I hope this finds you all well and safe.
It is a cool morn here. It is 53*F right at the moment going to low 70's today. Perfection for me!!
Never fear, hot weather will return by the end of the week. It is supposed to be in the upper 80's by the end of week and next weekend. Definitely a 2 season week.
I noticed Maebeme mention this week, the big hit in views on her blog. I hadn't looked in a long time, and something has changed. I checked mine, and in the past week or so, my views have dramatically increased. I wonder what is causing that? AI, changes in Microsoft or Google, being listed in more search engines? Something has changed. Have any of you noticed your blog having a lot more views as well?
This week, every evening and early morning the crickets are singing a chorus like crazy. They are so loud.
The moon this morning was just so bright and full and it was gorgeous - I was in bed last night, so didn't see till morning.
My sparrows have sure been enjoying the birdbath this week. No more robins taking over and the Jays don't seem too interested and the sparrows and fluttering and taking baths like crazy. So cute.
I want to walk there! Looks so pretty and quiet.
My frugal week:
- Did a bunch of walks - going for longer ones. Free exercise
- Picked wildflowers in the alley on one of my morning walks
- I cut single roses twice for my vase
- Picked a bunch of produce again - tomatoes 35 lbs.+, and peppers
- Put together new bottles of shampoo and dish soap
- My neighbor from India, brought me over a small dish of his fried green tomatoes. Done totally different from what I am used to - but they were very tasty
- Mowed everything this week front to back.
- Received more cukes from neighbor
- Canned pizza sauce this week (a years' worth)
- Used scalding canning water in the rock out front to kill weeds
- Worked in the basement clearing out a lot of stuff
- Laundry - used dehumidifier water in laundry and air dried
- Made homemade hot pockets (pizza). My small batch of crust mix made 4 nice ones - 2 in freezer
- Cleaned out the refrigerator
- Thawed and cooked a pound of sausage in various forms (refroze most)
- I did do an errand day finally - bank, PO, feed, Ollies and super Kroger (all close together). **If you have an Ollies, they have Del Monte canned veggies and fruit - reg. size - for .79 each. (they do have all sizes). All kinds of things on buyout. I ran to super Kroger to get baby shower gift. They have lots of Carter brand and good things
- Did another partial day of deep pantry organization - I keep moving things!
- Made the patty pan squash I rec. a week or so ago, into stuffed squash (yum)
- Changed out ALL bedding - put a quilt on the bed to change up look
- My neighbor/friend that is going to move (they did sell), brought me a gift. Her hubs made me a huge planter (kind like a wishing well) with hanging brackets and a solar light. He does wonderful work. I just need to paint. So very kind of him to think of me.
- Made more nectar - those hummies are drinking it down like crazy!
- No AC or heat - lots of fresh air
Meals this past week:
Nachos - topped with lots of fresh veggies
Scrambled eggs and leftovers
Brat/bun, asparagus from freezer, and cuke and tom salad
Veggie fried rice
Pizza Hot Pockets (homemade)
BLT and leftover rice
Jalapeno cheeseburger, stuffed squash and cuke & tom salad
SNACKS - lots of fresh toms and cukes, fruit, apple & PB
I am so enjoying eating a lot of whole, real foods! I just feel better. Love this season.
What did you do this week to stay frugal? Have you been canning or harvesting? Any good deals?
We always look forward to hearing from you and getting new ideas.
Have a wonderful week ahead. Stay well, safe and happy.
Blessings to you and yours from me at my humble little home.
***********************
This seems appropriate
For everything there is a season, and a time for everything under heaven;
a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
a time to read, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time of war, and a time for peace.
Ecclesiastics 3:1-8
Lord, please help us each cope through the different seasons of our lives. Let us know our capabilities and our passions. Thank You for our many blessings. AMEN
Up way too early this morning, for me anyway....woke at 5:12 !
ReplyDeleteIt was 45 degrees for us this morning and that is too chilly for me. House was 63 and as much as I didn't want to, I did cycle the heat for a bit.
The sun is up and it will warm up a bit. By the end of the week we will be back into the 80's. I will be able to open widows once again. Because I live rural and in a woods the shade will make it almost perfect for me.
Picked grapes and made juice/drink. Tomatoes are slowing down but we continue to pick, clean and freeze for salsa. Peppers are also being picked and frozen.
Son in law mowed what was needed yesterday, so I need to run the weed eater a bit. Annuals are withering and I will replace with some mums, but not as many as usual as they are too expensive.
Found homes for several pots of spider plants and other house plant starts that I had planted from trimmings. I have so many spider plants that I use them as filler in the outdoor pots with annuals. It cuts down the costs of filling with all annuals.
Went to a farmers market but being end of season it was sparse...but I did enjoy looking around.
Need to clean and scrub windows again, pantry has been cleaned and changed around for the year. Freezers are full and soup season is coming....first soup will be veggie soup.
JC
It was chillier for you than myself. It was cool in the house, but I put on my half robe and was fine this morning.
DeleteYes, it will be getting hotter again.
Sounds like you are getting all the goodies ready to go and the freezers and the pantry set. I am so ready for chili - that will probably be my first 'soup'.
Mums are quite costly this year. I have looked at them, and just kept walking! Glad you found homes for your plants.
Our markets around here go through Oct. sometime - usually just apples and squash by that point.
Hope you have a wonderful week.
Sounds like a fabulous peaceful week with you. Such joy in using and relishing what we have.
ReplyDeleteHubster has been on a restricted eating plan since mid-June prior to major surgery the end of this month. So I'm going through freezer pantry and gifting to our FB neighborhood group what needs to be consumed soon. Off went 2 Easter ham bones for another family to have. We're not decreasing the veggies stored so a family who's garden was a big fail, came this week and harvested tomatoes and lemon cucumbers so she could begin her winter storage. I already have 30 pints of salsa canned and 17 quarts of Ratatouille frozen so why not share? I asked her to NOT be shy and harvest like it was her own.
I've continued my walking and logged 42 miles this week :-) We're starting to cool down out of the high 90s and I'm so happy to be able to walk later in the morning without getting overheated.,
Life is lowkey these days as we're protecting hubster's health and not exposing him to groups/crowds. We are grateful that we can.
Have a terrific week everyone!
I understand being super careful before major surgery. Best of luck to your husband.
DeleteHow wonderful to share with neighbors and friends. They will surely get good from it, and you feel satisfied it didn't go to waste. Love that. I keep giving peppers and tomatoes away, and still have a bunch! I agree - why not?
DeleteGlad it is getting cooler for you to walk. I have no idea of the miles walked, but it sure makes me feel better.
Yes mam, take good care of your hubby to all extent! Keeping him healthy and surgery ready is priority one. Hope all goes well with the procedure.
Have a lovely week.
Went to a local hymn singing, a very fine one! We had visitors from away and boy, did they know how to sing - really invigorated our little group. Hope they come back. :)
ReplyDeleteLove that Ecclesiastes reading, it hits the spot. Often makes me weep, it is so beautiful.
MaryB
Sounds like a lovely singing. It is always nice to introduce someone new to the group - great incentive!
DeleteIt is one of my favorite readings. It just says everything about life, and how er need to understand.
Have a blessed week.
The days were a bit off for me all week with Sept 1 being a holiday. I returned home from my son's 4 hrs away where I enjoyed the inaugural Red Deer folk fest. I also visited with a friend who had moved to that area 4 yrs ago. More hot, dry weather w/ temps ~25C but the nights cool off considerably. Some folks experienced frost this past wk. Tonight we'll all be under the same full moon. My niece is getting married in 3 wks & 2 of us aunties planned the morning after bkft w/ my SIL. I attended my BIL's annual corn roast complete with live music & dancing. Such fun. I only wish I could sleep in after a late night. The beets were processed into borscht for the freezer & lazy beet leaf holupchi. A case of peaches were canned & some reserved for the peach crisp I took to the corn roast. In the kitchen: Italian sausage skillet, egg salad, BLT, cucumber & cheese sandwich, banana loaves x 2 for the freezer. Love Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
ReplyDeleteYou gals all seem to have the best things to go to! They all sound like such fun. The breakfast sounds like a neat thing to do.
DeleteYour canning, freezing and meals all sound so good.
You have been busy girl!
Have a super week.
Cheryl, you certainly got a lot done! With the economy being so unsettled, I’m buying nothing that isn’t absolutely necessary.
ReplyDeleteIt is still hot here but somewhat cooler in the morning. I’m glad that the potential storm in the Caribbean does not look like it will intensify. We had torrential rain on two days.
This week I made two trips to Salvation Army. Yesterday the donation was two media bookcases that I barely got into the car but I did it.
Rolled $5 in dimes and stopped at the bank to get a $5 bill.
My local grocery store gives a half gallon of ice cream or frozen yoghurt or a bar cake for birthdays. I got the frozen yoghurt. At the same store I spent $3.19 on one other item and that was my only grocery spending for the week. (I saw last night that another store where I sometimes shop also gives ice cream or frozen yoghurt to rewards members on birthdays, so I’ll get that before the end of the month.)
Three friends visited another friend who has moved about 25 miles away with her new husband. We all drove together (friend drove) and we chipped in for gas and the bridge toll.
I hate waste - so try and use everything in some way. I always use the leftovers one way or another.
DeleteCooler morning helps - soon it will be cool all day!
Neat on the free ice cream and such. Never heard of that. I bought some seedless grapes this week, the only food I got at Kroger. The rest was all baby stuff.
Nice that you and your friends got to go for a visit. I bet that was a fun ride!
Have a lovely week.
Sounds like a really good week for you, Cheryl. How nice of the neighbors to gift you with the planter with solar light. I hadn't noticed a change in pageviews, but I rarely look at those, but I will now. I like that scalding water trick. It's so frugal. I hope you have another good week and a great Sunday.
ReplyDeleteThanks, it wads a really nice week. They are such kind neighbors and I sure will miss them when they leave. Once painted I will post a picture of it. It is pretty cool.
DeleteI hardly ever look, but after Maebeme mentioned it, I checked, holy cow - it was up!
It doesn't waste the water - and that scalding water kills weed lickety split (just be careful).
Have a wonderful week.
Wonderful devotional! I just finished with my study of Ecclesiastes and learned much from Shlomo's writing. We all have different seasons in our lives as well as the weather.
ReplyDeleteYou live in a very neighbor-friendly area. So nice of the fellow to make that planter for you. Lots going on at your homestead this week. Wildflowers are always a pleasure to have in the home. I thought about planting Queen Ann's Lace but didn't know if it would be invasive. BTW, are your Autumn Joy sedums upright or do they splay out in the garden? Mine are all spread out and I don't know what to do with them other than corralling them with twine and a post. They are all sprawled out like they own the place.
I noticed the moon when I let the dogs out during the night. It seems as we age the dogs and I both make more nocturnal visits to the loo. ha!
We are still harvesting some veg but have pulled all the green beans. I made kohlrabi slaw and have more kohlrabi to use later. Beets are ready for harvest. Found some older stew meat in the freezer so it is in the slow cooker now. I will cut up a rutabaga to be cooked and probably mashed to go with it. We had French toast made with challah this morning with a strawberry topping. Yum!
This kind of weather is so nice after the heat and humidity of summer. Don't mind the higher temps now as it is cool at night, and usually with less humidity.
Enjoy your day! I discovered a new-to-me author and have a book to finish.
I live with such kind and thoughtful neighbors. Everyone watches out for each other and we share things and us gals love to sit a chat together.
DeleteI think these are some kind of flower - but they seem to be growing wild, so I picked them! There are tons back there. My sedum is all standing upright. It sure is busy right now with bees and butterflies.
All your cooking sounds yummy. great ideas on using things up. Love French Toast!
This weather is perfect in my book.
Have a beautiful week.
You've been very busy as usual! Glad the weather was perfect for no a/c, no heat needed. We had frost overnight the last two nights - I'm just heading out to uncover the veg containers. We're on an upward trend with no frost expected in the next week or two, but the portulaca flowers are done. I didn't cover them, knowing they'd likely take a hit, it gives me one less pot to water.
ReplyDeleteI suspect the extra activity is bots trolling for personal information. If they want to read about my generally boring daily life, they're welcome to it. There are things though that I will be careful about posting from now on.
Frost - yikes! I am not ready for that yet. Hope you managed to keep your veggies.
DeleteMy portulaca always came back year after year - for a long while.
Could be bots! It just seems weird that it started all at once. I can see the dates when it started. My life isn't exciting - just plain and simple. Not sure what they might get from that.
Have a great week.
Maybe with the economy sputtering, more people are looking for frugal tips.
DeleteI ran to Ollie's this week. The only canned vegetables I got were two 4 packs of 8oz Del Monte tomato sauce. It works out to .37 a can and I usually buy Walmart brand at .46 a can. Not a huge savings, but every little bit adds up.
ReplyDeleteGot 10 packs of 24 count Crayola crayons for .10 each. My kids will be stocked for a bit and I'll use a couple to add to Christmas presents for some young ones.
Found some good deals at a yard sale, including a free baby doll my youngest has been playing with. We used some of his old preemie clothes for it.
Worked on decluttering a lot of things. At this point I just want less stuff, easier to clean, less stuff to deal with.
Oh crayons are always on the Christmas list! .09 a can isn't shabby - like you say - it all adds up. They had a lot of fruit at mine and potatoes and all kinds of tomato stuff. I didn't get anything - but the prices were decent.
DeletePreemie clothes for a baby doll - great idea. Free is super.
Oh I hear you, less stuff - best idea ever!
Have a great week.
It sounds like you had a really nice week Cheryl.
ReplyDeleteThe moon was gorgeous last night and I'm sure it will be again tonight.
We have an Ollie's opening up here in the next couple of weeks. I've never been to one so I may check it out. I don't buy canned veggies, but I've heard they have good deals on books too.
Enjoy your Sunday!!
It was a good week for sure.
DeleteYES, they have great book prices - basically the only place I buy books. I mean really good prices. They are kind of like Big Lots and have a bit of everything. I find it a fun visit each time, just seeing what they have. Lots of seasonal too!
Have a lovely week.
We woke up to a really cool morning as well! But, like you, it will be much hotter as the week wears on. The moon was gorgeous last night! So big, full, and bright! I have noticed a little increase in blog traffic, but I think it's just some traffic from people looking for reading fair project ideas, posts I made many years ago as a librarian. Like you, I'm happy and I'll take it! Haha! People may be googling for frugal ideas and help and finding your blog. You always have such great ideas and just good, common sense advice on living within your means.
ReplyDeleteThe cool mornings have been so ice. Tat moon was something.
DeleteI hope like you and Barbara said - maybe just people looking for more ideas in these times. I find that cool - not that it gets me anything, but I just want to help others.
Thanks, sweet words.
Have a super week.
Used the $5 off $25 DG coupon. I made a crustless cabbage quiche based on the recipe in The Tighwad Gazette, my favorite book! I also made coleslaw. I also made tomato cracker salad. I cannot remember what else, but I do know I ate all meals at home or they were sandwiches I made and took to work. For this week I have made a mustard green crustless quiche from mustard greens in my yard. That is for breakfast for a new days. I also baked potatoes and carrots. I can’t eat raw carrots without getting sick but can eat them baked! I will probably eat spinach salads, potato dishes, and carrot dishes along with a cabbage dish. I will probably eat a tomato, onion, and cheese sandwich also. I have chicken so it may appear with some of the above.
ReplyDeleteCindy in the South
Good using the coupon.
DeleteYum, it all sounds so good. Odd how people can eat something cooked but not raw. I know several like that.
I talked with my niece today and we were talking about eating tomato sandwiches, and she mentioned tomato and onion - we both like them. Sometimes I do tomato and cuke too.
So much to be said about all those yummy summer veggies!
Have a lovely week.
You certainly keep busy! I did not have a frugal week but I am happy about that. I went through all my clothes, shoes and linen as well, found some things I hadn't considered for years. Made a big case to donate as some things I can't see myself wearing or using again, like how many purses do you need?! But I did see a few gaps and ordered some targeted clothes and shoes online to fill them. I feel good as I am sorted for the next few/many years, and won't have to buy anything.
ReplyDeleteGood for you. It sure feels good to get rid of that unwanted or unneeded stuff. I have things I haven't seen or used for years as well - and they are slowly going.
DeleteHope you filled the gaps well.
Have a good week.