Another strange month for the Bricks, including a few weeks of dogsitting, a funeral trip...and a new project. But we continue on, including...
We just got new neighbors -- Daughter #2 and Son #1 moved in nearby. They reasoned that most of their shows for their business, Phenomenal Gems, were south of us. So why rent a cabin in Nederland, some four hours north, and keep trudging down to stock inventory and bring their dog Freya for babysitting? Their stuff is packed downstairs and in the barn until the shows ease up, and they can put things in order. But it's lovely to have them close -- but in their own place. We set up a Wednesday night supper, when we can all get together. And hopefully they'll stop by a lot, too.
FRUGAL HITS
(Some of these are from late April)
Five-in-one Jack London books -- an Ebay steal at $6 plus $4 shipping. (Used my allowance.) After devouring his Letters, I've been wanting to read The Road and People of the Abyss. And I get three more to enjoy, as well. If you haven't read London's Call of the Wild or White Fang... you should.
Planning for an upcoming trip - - we reserved a hotel at Gettysburg. Friend Tommy reserved an apartment in Washington, D.C. (We're going with the same friends who traveled to Europe with us last year.)
Homemade stuff: bread, chocolate chip cookie bars and peanut butter pie, plus the usual pancakes/waffles.
Mother's Day: a nice lunch at Calvillo's, our favorite Mexican spot, courtesy of Daughter #2 and Son #1. Plus a beautiful opal and a very pretty bunch of flowers. Thank you, Dears!
A beautiful oak rolltop desk -- a present from Adopted Son #1. He inherited it from his dad, and generously passed it on to me. Son #1 and Daughter #2 lugged it down from Arvada, then helped us set it up last night. It needs some work: some drawers are discolored and the fronts on two drawers are off. But I think it will be very nice. (In fact, I'm typing on it right now.)
While we were setting up, I felt something strange behind the drawers -- covered in plastic. Could it be cash? The Brick indulged me by unscrewing the top area. Lo and behold, it was a package of foam mouse pads, plus two old letters. They'll go back to Adopted Son #1...and I'll keep looking for treasure.
Sent a present to an online blogger -- one I've come to regard as a friend over the years. She collects metal embroidery hoops. Ironically, it cost more to ship the batch I found than what they cost in the first place! USPS mail costs have gone WAY up this year.
Went back to using the outdoor 'dryer.' I'll still use in the dryer indoors if it's important...but not very often.
Made a lot of iced tea. I'm just not a big water drinker. Iced tea is better. We got a Buy 3/Get 3 Free special on Coke, which has helped out a lot with dryness. Not to mention some nausea.
More appraisal reports done.
Helped out during a church work day.
The kids loaded their Netflix account on our tv. Most of the movies and series are meh, but we're enjoying some interesting ones, like The Night Agent. And a new(er) Godzilla! We also watched the Shooter series on Prime -- good stuff.
Aunt Ruth's funeral service, near Kansas City -- what a trip. I skipped supper the night before, and drove steadily, from morning until after 11 p.m. on Friday. Stayed at a cheap hotel, entertained by the Nigerian Debate Team. (At least I assume they were because they talked and argued often and loudly. Note: Do NOT stay at Kansas City's 'America's Best Value.' It's not.)
It was wonderful to see so many cousins again -- but none of the aunts and uncles weren't there. They had gone on ahead of us. (Aunt Ruth was the last person in the original "2 and a half-dozen" Cumings siblings and their spouses. The Mama was the youngest -- and the last of the original crew.) The family provided meals on Saturday after the service, the sweethearts. Sunday, I left for the trip home, accompanied by Cousin Phil. We ate at Subway (I paid) and Sonic (Cuz paid) -- and drove steadily, except for two stops to look at wagon wheel ruts left marking the original Santa Fe Trail. Three days, thousands of miles..and glad to be back home.
Cousin Phil came for a visit -- and expert help! He taught construction for decades at a trade school in Michigan...and we needed to build an extension and steps on our back deck. Phil worked like a champ all week, along with the Brick and Son #1, and the steps sans railings were done by the time he flew home on Friday. (I found an $80 ticket back to Michigan for him -- hooray!) We were soooo grateful.
Phil celebrated his birthday while with us: tacos and enchiladas. I had everything in pantry and kitchen, but romaine lettuce for the tacos. Plus all ingredients for his celebratory peanut butter pie!
Repairs: the Brick is amazing for this. He re-booted and repaired his computer; it had refused to start up. He also did some repairs on the truck, and changed the Highlander's oil. Currently he's working again on the back deck's step rails. What a guy.
Given a jar of pineapple-orange jam. We have plenty of jam right now, so I regifted it to friends -- who don't.
Found money: a dime on our friends' dryer top. (I wasn't sure if it was theirs or ours, so left it. I may be frugal, but I'm honest.) Plus a penny in a drawer. (Ditto.) Not one cent in any of the Coinstar machine returns...and I looked. Three crisp dollar bills from a Neilsen's survey helped ease the sting. (I know. Doesn't make sense. It's the thrill of the hunt -- not just the money.)
Ordered Bigfoot lawn ornaments for Cousin Phil's birthday -- plus a few for me. Also, a Gentle Reader sent me a free Bigfoot quilt pattern from Kalamazoo's Shop Hop in Michigan. Thank you, Marcy!
Planted lavender*, sage*, thyme*, basil, zucchini, coreopsis*, dianthus,* daisies*, dill, marigolds, tomatoes and roses*. Cut some of the rose blossoms for bouquets, both for church and home. So encouraging! Beans come next, once I fill up the side bed with soil.
*These can and hopefully will winter over. Our Brickhouse rose lived; so did a dianthus and a lavender plant. A friend gave me some plants last summer -- the hollyhocks made it, along with a plant (name?) I just bunged in at the last minute. Everything else died, including a just-purchased Thai basil plant.
Rosebush for Daughter #2 -- plus a few for me. Several quart-sized perennials (3 for $10 -- a steal), cherry tomatoes ($1.50 ea!) and four-packs of dianthus. Yes, it's a bit optimistic, considering the dry summer ahead...but I'm going to try. Good news: a blueberry bush stored in the garage over the winter is putting out tiny leaves!
Rose cuttings and baby plants, from the kind people at Alamosa's AirBnB, Holden House. These are 'Harison's Yellow,' otherwise known as 'The Yellow Rose of Texas,' mentioned in my book. (See below) I planted the babies, dipped the cuttings in hormone powder and planted them, too. In other news, the deck stairs meant that a few shovelfuls of my bunching onions had to move. The Brick helped me replant them, and add a sage and thyme plant to keep them company.
Had our young former piano student over for the day. She helped get the rose cuttings, played with the dogs and spent time on her tablet. Her mom gave us a loaf of banana bread, which was gone in a few days. Yum.
Dogsitting: We spent two weeks in late April and early May taking care of our friends' dogs while they were on vacation. This meant, incidentally, bringing Bo and Tiger along, as well as granddog Freya part of the time. (With permission.) We took Friends to the airport. One of us (usually both of us) then stayed at their house 24/7, with careful supervision of the dogs to make sure they got along. (And stopping it quickly when they didn't, which was extremely rare, thank God.) We got to pick and choose from the freezer (we weren't greedy), and used up several items from the fridge that wouldn't have lasted until Friends got home. I wore clothes more than one day. (Typical for the Brick, but not for me.) But if things got too stained or smelly, I was able to head home, if needed, for a shower and restocking. (Our doggie friends only live about a mile away from our place.) We kept the plants watered, then tidied up, including picking up dog poop, before picking our friends up at the airport -- then home.
Bo and Tiger patrolled the fenced backyard, and had several Chews and mock fights with Cooper, who loved it. (All three did, actually.) Prince, the older dog, was Above It All, but enjoyed barking at them. Particularly memorable: watching all five dogs in a straight line, yelling at clearly unimpressed deer on the other side of the fence. Silly pups. (Prince's new moniker, by the way, is "Your Highness." If he deigns to listen to us, that is.)
Thrift Shop Buys: A map of the U.S. for a buck; one dollar (each!) for dresses and a skirt, including formals loaded with iridescent crystals (guess who's picking them off?); a $7 pair of like-new jeans; BOGO necklaces and bracelets; several $1-2 books, including a volume of Jack London's letters; two vintage drinking glasses (50 cents each)...and some birthday presents (Nazarene Thrift Shop/Monte Vista). A painting of women having a coffee chat ($12.99) and $9.99 garden edging for the front flower bed (Savers). An armful of kids books (25 cents each) for the Little Free Library, plus a history book for my research shelf, and some videos -- half price. Plus some drinking glasses for $1-2 each; we've been running out (Treasures in the Park - Castle Rock). A visit to the 'bins' meant vintage teddy bears for resale, plus a ton of books for the Little Free Library, presents and my own reading -- 25 cents each! (Goodwill/Colorado Springs).
Thinking about buying more land here. I wrote two query notes, hoping to plant some seeds.
A free supper at The Fort in Morrison, for myself and a friend -- thanks to Lord and Richards.
Grocery deals: Half-gallon milk, $1.39 each; marked-down pkgs of popcorn chicken ($1.65, $2.30 - snacks for the KC trip), beer bratwurst (about $2/lb); extra discounts on corned beef hash (about $2.50) and Oscar Mayer hot dogs ($1.99 -- plus $1 off for buying two); a 40-pack of bottled water (10 cents/bottle); marked-down veg, beef chunks and chicken breast over Memorial Day, plus $5 off $25 of meat, and a 10% veterans discount; free slice of strawberry cake, plus a marked-down slice of cheesecake (City Market). half-gallons of milk, $1.40 each; pork chops for $1.69/lb; thin-sliced chuck steak approx. $4/lb -- when chuck roast was on sale for $6.99/lb; a bottle of chardonnay for $4 and change (Safeway).
True to form, City Market did NOT have the really good sale items in stock -- no $1.29/lb whole chicken, and no rainchecks. I had a digital coupon for the cake...but had to ask, in order to get CM (a King Soopers affiliate) to honor it. Strawberries were $2.75 a pound -- that's a 'sale price??'
Also true to form, Safeway shorted me on a $4 coupon (They made up for the $4 by giving me a $5 coupon for next visit.) They also got me for 65 cents by mis-charging celery, when it was on sale. (sigh) King Soopers did their part, as well, by charging full price for the $1.99 hotdogs. I'll fight that battle next time I stop by there.
FRUGAL MISSES
A hefty insurance bill, which came on top of property and income taxes just a few weeks earlier. Gee, I love April and May bills...
Wood, glass and other materials for the back deck steps. It wasn't cheap, but the Brick's careful purchases saved us a hundred here and a few hundred there. More costs to come.
The Brick got new glasses and sunglasses. Nearly triple what mine cost. Ah well.
Almost lost some of our new plants... because I didn't keep them watered properly. It's been hot early this year, and promises to stay that way all summer. I decided to focus on the garden bed next to the house, and let the one further out fallow. (It's in the sun 100% of the time. The house bed gets a little shade, at least.) This is a bit discouraging, but it's practical and makes sense.
Some cheese went green. I trimmed off the gunky parts and used it, anyways. Lost a bunch of cilantro, strawberries and leftover asparagus -- shame on me.
Tiger and Company had a little snack while we were dogsitting: a few lawn sprinkler heads. We apologized to our friends, and paid for them. Stinkers. (The dogs, not the friends.)
The hummingbirds came back in mid-April. But the recent cold spate in mid-May meant multiple trips out to fill the hummingbird feeder. We were the prime buffet in town, based on their enthusiastic slurping. (Either that...or they were just Staying Alive.)
I hope they appreciated my nectar facial (plus stained shirt and slippers), trying to fill the feeder in our brisk winds. I also trudged out evenings for nearly a week to cover plants.
Last month's report is here. Plus 2025's May report... and the year before.
Now on to really warm temps, and even less rain. We'll make it.
