Hello to all and happy day to you all. Hope this finds you well.
My goodness, here we are at the end of another month. On Tuesday we start the beginning of the 'ber' months - which generally means fall and cooler temperatures. We have had a wonderful week this past week weatherwise, but that will soon be changing. It is going to get HOT for the whole week! Looks to be the dog days of summer as they say. We are to be in the 90's all week and high humidity. Oh fun - not!
Some call September 1 the beginning of fall - others are starting their spring. I generally go by the equinox (9/22), not so much the beginning of the month.
It is cloudy here this morning and was 69* when I got up. Going to almost 90 today. Kind of hope it stays cloudy - well, the sun is now out some.
- Mowed and trimmed the entire yard earlier in the week. Cleaned the mower well
- Cleared out the storm drain out front again - it was full and no one else does it
- Got to have the AC off a lot this past week, and fresh air in the house
- HARVEST - lots and lots of tomatoes and peppers - cukes have slowed and zucchini is done
- I did order from Chewy this week - things I can't find around here (rec. in 3 days)
- Using water from rain barrels to water
- Picked the rest of the grapes for the most part and have them frozen
- I decided to go out and get gas before end of month to use my points - saved .40/gal
- Of course, the station is in Kroger lot - so I just went in to look around. Didn't plan on buying anything - well, the meat manager knows me and how I shop - and he got my attention and said look at what I just marked down.
- While out I got gas, ran in Kroger, and stopped at the P.O. Then my car died! I mean totally - nothing, not even a click. I could have walked home no problem, but I hated to leave the car. Called my handy neighbor and bless his heart he was getting ready to go to a funeral home, and he ran down to check on me. He looked and saw a loose battery cable. He held it in place and the car started. PTL. I got home fine. He was out all day and evening, so I didn't bother him anymore. Well, Sat. morning I figured I could tighten it. I go out to Glen's 'taller than me' mechanic toolbox - open the first drawer I could look in from standing on the floor - it all looked wrong. Next drawer spotted this little rachet type driver, and it just screamed "use me". So, I tried and worked perfectly. It was small to fit in the area and did the trick. That had to be what it was for. I do believe G's angel was looking over me to know what to use. I also checked and filled what needed to be touched up on fluids while under the hood.
- Cleaned lots of wild stuff (mainly ground cherry) from my perennial bed out back. Cleaned the back fence row and got the garden weeded again
- Hummy feed and refill
- Washing windows inside (nose kisses)
- Did a lot of 'shopping' from home. Shampoo, TP and dish soap refills, freezer - found a 2lb. bag of fish in freezer (froze all together) and I had forgotten it. So thawed and grilled it all for different meals. Trying to use things I have on hand
Budget friendly meals this past week:
Zucchini boats (from freezer), garlic toast and sliced tomatoes
Cheeseburger and a big salad
'Sloppy Joe' style lil smokies, thick sliced fried pots, tomatoes
Fried zucchini and fried green tomatoes
Grilled fish, garlic toast and salad
Pizza style potato bites and a plain burger and tomatoes
Fish tacos
SNACKS: fruit, yogurt, PB sandwich, tomatoes
That is about it for me. I did do some porch sitting and neighbor chatting as well. Life is full of surprises (good and bad) and we just never know what a day will bring - we need to learn to just plod ahead.
How was your week? Did you get any deals or are you still getting fresh garden good? What is on your mind? I know there are a couple of you from north of me and I haven't heard from you - hope you are ok from all the flooding. Prayers for all.
Blessings to you and yours from me at my humble little home. Wishing you all a blessed week.
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Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing; thou hast loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness, that my soul may praise thee and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to thee for ever.
Psalms 30:11-12
Thank You Lord for all our blessings. Thank You for helping us each know You and know that we are guided and helped each and every day. We are so blessed. I pray we can all go forward and continue to spread Your word to others and be grateful to do it. AMEN
AMEN
Three weeks ago after getting my daughter started on meal planning & how to prep food ahead of time, I decided to do the same. It's been years. So far for 3 weeks I have been able to meal plan using what I have already in the freezer or pantry. That includes 1 meal a week for family coming over. Yesterday was hubby's bday and except for the fancy hamburger buns ( I decided not to use the cheap ones in the freezer) I had everything on hand already including the buttermilk I used for the cake!
ReplyDeleteI do stop in the store once a week to look for bargains. My husband asked yesterday how much did you pay for this coffee? I said it was less than $5 on clearance at Kroger. Normally it's north of $15. He wanted to get some donuts for his buddies at work but when he found out a dozen was $17 he changed his mind! He had no idea. I've treated him to donuts when I can get a dozen for less than $2.50. They go in the freezer.
Good for you on meal planning. I don't know that I call what I do by that name - but I do try to use what I have. I look and figure what needs to be used - so if that is planning, I guess I do.
DeleteGood for you on even doing family dinners.
Donuts at Kroger here are $5 0r $6 a dozen. $17 would be a NO for me.
I only stop in when I am close by or am in the parking lot (gas). Some weeks I stay home. This week will be one of the stay home ones.
$2.50 is wonderful on donuts!!!!
Have a great week.
I forgot to add that around here people tend to think of Labor Day as the last day of summer and fall starts the next day. Starting the 1st weekend after Labor Day there's a noticeable decline in people outdoors even though the weather stays nice for weeks. Perfect for going to recreational areas and not having to deal with crowds!
ReplyDeleteOur wedding anniversary is Aug 31 precisely because I wanted a summer wedding and that was the only date available or have it in the fall. Haha
People do the same here. Labor Day is the mark of fall for many - summer's last hoorah. It is smart to wait until the crowds ease! That is cute on your anniversary.
DeleteExcellent devotional! We are abundantly blessed! "Showers of blessings!" I would say your messenger is looking after you. You are a very resourceful cookie! Bless your neighbor for getting you home.
ReplyDeleteThat is a good buy on the hamburger patties. It does pay to make friends with the employees, a manager especially.
It will be hot this week. Summer is not ready to go away just yet. we still have peppers and tomatoes. The Farmer got about the last of his blackberries. We were able to freeze quite a few red raspberries and blackberries. The sweet potatoes are not ready to harvest, nor the last container of potatoes. Have a small patch of green beans which are not ready yet, either. Soon it will be cleanup time.
I stripped the bed and have washed the comforter, pillow shams, and the topper for the bed and hung them on the line. A completely fresh bed will be lovely. IMHO, a clothesline is non-negotiable! The Farmer hangs his sweaty gardening clothes on the line until it is time to actually launder them. We have a privacy fence so there is no indecency to scandalize the neighbors! ha!
See you on Tuesday!
Blessed indeed. My hubby taught me a lot of car stuff and other mechanicals - and I always watched dad - so I learned a few things.
DeleteI was amazed - where can you get ground beef or any meat for less than $2 a pound??
Love a fresh bed.
That is smart of your hubs - discreet, yet get those nasties off. Lets them dry and air a bit too.
Have a lovely week.
Glad you got home safely and that Glen had such a well-stocked tool box. Car trouble can be really frightening.
ReplyDeleteI had a couple of things that I thought were problems turn out not to be so this week. The first was a couple of lesions (nothing nasty, thank goodness) that I had removed by my doctor a couple of weeks ago. The sites where they were removed from had both become rather sore and I was worried that they were infected, but one day I woke up and could see that a corner had been turned and the soreness had died down. The other was a freezer which appeared not be working properly, but the problem turned out merely to be that the door had accidentally been left open a crack. Nothing was spoiled, so that was an added bonus.
Thanks - he was a mechanic by trade - so you name it, I have it. Most I don't know what to do with, but some I know.
DeleteGlad the lesion places are healing and it was nothing worse. You might want to get a freezer lock or an alarm. That can be devastating if you would lose a bunch. Glad all the food was ok.
Have a special week.
Hi Cheryl. I rarely post, but felt compelled this morning to say hello :) I have some family in Bargersville, in Fishers, and in Indianapolis, so your weather updates keep me informed. I am thinking you live in Indianapolis. (which side?) We also have a dear family friend who lives in Carmel,and on the White River. Totally flooded out---lost everything including 4 cars. They have 2 college age sons. So sad for sure. All we could do was send $ in a go fund me account.
ReplyDeleteGreat devotional, as always. Hugs...Jane
Glad to have you check in. Yes, I do live in Indianapolis, closer to the southside. Between Fountain Square and Beech Grove, if you are familiar. Just south of downtown. I am glad the reports helped you stay on top of things. I am sooooo sorry for your friend. I cannot even imagine the heartache and horror that had to be. I have seen so many reports of people that lost it all - it just hurts my heart for them.
DeleteHave a blessed week.
Water in basement pumped out after son in law discovered it, e ad to work on the sump pump because it needed corrosion removed. First time the sump pump hasn't been needed in years. Of course it should have been checked earlier but no one thought of it, lesson learned.
ReplyDeleteThis morning I used about 1 and a half pints of half and half to make butter in my blender. DD2 brought 13 quart bottles to me because it was going out of date after being marked down. I removed some from each bottle and froze for later use. I thawed one this morning to see if I could make butter and I can. I saved the buttermilk for pies, biscuits or breading whatever. I love trying to new stuff.
Defrosted and cleaned both freezers this week, repaired the lid on the chest freezer.
Yardwork done off and on because of the mosquitoes, they are terrible right now.
Canning and freezing, getting ready for the "ber" months .
JC
Glad to know you are ok. It is amazing the things we forget to check. So glad you didn't have worse - I have wondered about you.
DeleteWow, great use of the half and half. You sure found good ways to store and use it. I am the same - love different things - always learning.
You got me - I need to do the big freezer. That is always a much needed 'to do' and such a relief to have done. Good job.
Yep, those skeeters finally got here too - darned old water/rain.
Glad to have you check in and to know all is good and you are preparing for the fall/winter.
Have a fantastic week.