Frugal Hits & Misses: May Report

    As usual, in the strange life of the Bricks, we did not spend a day of this month in Colorado. Yet we were home -- living in the fifth-wheel. Part of the month was spent traveling to get to The Mama's farm in Michigan, in time for Mother's Day...plus the rest of the month. We'll spend Memorial Day in Michigan, leave for a quickie vacation in Shipshewana, Indiana, with dear cousins -- then head for home in our home. If that makes any sense.

                                                     Happy Memorial Day!

 Colorado, we'll be home soon! I've sure missed you...and our family and friends. 

FRUGAL HITS

*Finished up taxes. The federal refund will immediately be swallowed up by tire and printer costs -- but hey, at least we GOT a refund. 

*Picked flowers, for both The Mama and ourselves, rather than purchasing them: lilacs, lilies of the valley, tulips. Ummm, those lovely smells. Also, a couple of petunia baskets (WAY less at Walmart, than other places) for The Mama's patio. (I did have to move them inside a couple of nights, due to frost warnings.) 

*Free trip through Holland's tulips -- we went to the local park, instead of paying to enter the "official" gardens. (We got to see family, too.) Our only cost: the gas to get there and back. 

*Bought fabric, including several yards of Bigfoot-themed prints, for a new website I'll be starting soon: Bigfoot Bureau. Got a 25% discount. (But had to pay shipping - ouch.)

*Bought a toile valance piece, c.1815, for lectures. (I would have liked to pay less, but it IS a nice piece, and worth more than I paid for it. Free shipping, at least.)

*Instead of $90 tickets to see Jeff Foxworthy during our upcoming trip to Shipshewana -- a Foxworthy video, instead. Plus two others: $5.  (I also picked up a $3.99 Due North series video.) Not to mention several birthday and Christmas presents; some great books, including Jeffrey Archer's Cat O'Nine Tales (50 cents for kids' books, $1.20 for hardcover, 99 cents for paperback); two shirts each for the Brick and me, as well as a pair of pants for him; as well as a beautiful silk strapless top and stole I'll be 'autopsying,' so to speak. (The matching stole will survive its mate, sacrificed for the equally beautiful lace and pearl motifs.) 

 *More thrift store purchases: some birthday presents, a $1.99 t-shirt and $5.99 dress for yours truly. I saved money one week by NOT visiting during Senior Discount Day. (It's too tempting not to buy stuff then...especially books.) Also bought several rolls of beautiful metallic giftwrap.

*Wrapped up birthday and Christmas presents in sort-of neutral pine tree paper, using up a Christmas roll bought two years ago. (On sale, of course!) The Christmas presents, using the same paper, will be left in Michigan for family. (The Mama will keep them upstairs until that time comes. She doesn't know that some of the present will be for her birthday celebration in August.) 

*I will certainly miss my beloved Daily Deals, including snagging 99-cent hot dogs and chopped ham bits (15 and 16 oz, respectively). (Really delicious pepperoni and provolone snack trays: 50 cents each.) I don't know about your neck of the woods, but meat prices in general have really skyrocketed here. Sirloin steak -- one of the tougher cuts -- was going for $6.99/lb on Memorial Day Weekend -- on sale.

*Greens for less this time at Daily Deals: 50 and 79 cents for spring greens and organic lettuce heads. A buck for a two-pound bag of white onions. Some marked-down mushrooms were sauteed immediately and put in the freezer. (They were starting to "go.") Stuff like that.

*Ate up several items about to go stale or bad. (Missed out on a couple items I'd forgotten were in our fridge -- we share cooking duties, but generally have been eating over at The Mama's.) Cleared out several cans of soup and vegetables, giving us extra room in the 'basement.' Tip: Even if they look just fine, don't generally bother with fruit out of season -- the clementines I purchased turned rock-hard, and were only edible by sucking on them.  

*An armful of free books for our nieces and nephews -- from a church library giving away its stuff.

*The Brick scrubbed the color right off our bathroom sink handles. That's bad, right? Nope -- they turned a beautiful shade of copper!

*New sheets -- half off -- to replace some that came with the trailer...and are wearing out. (The Brick's comment: "You were just waiting for a sale, weren't you?" He's right!)

*The Brick fixed a cousin's headlight -- twice. I did some chores for The Mama, including painting trim and repainting her garden sculpture, "Calfie." 

Rembrandt, I am not.

*Three tickets for an evening dinner cruise via paddlewheel boat. The Mama loves paddlewheels and has wanted to take a longer cruise, but her health has not made it possible. Tickets for this one were a lot cheaper than a multi-day one: $60 each (a big purchase for us), but worth it. (The cruise people double-charged us. Fortunately, the Brick caught it, and I got it fixed. Always check.)

*The Brick got the area he requested for a hunting license! It's much closer to home, and there's a second season, in case you don't get an animal the first time.

                                               Our family takes this sport seriously.

FRUGAL MISSES

We got some real stingers this month, on top of our fun expenses LAST month. Some were expected -- some weren't.

*We got haircuts: our first since November of last year.  And paid extra for them. (The Brick paid for his -- then unknowingly I paid for his cut, as well as mine. But it was a friend, who could use the extra $$.) Or should this, because we went un-cut for so long, be considered a hit, instead? 

*Our printer broke. The Brick did his best, but it can't be fixed. Anyone need a very large paperweight?

*The kitchen sink is, well... sinking. More work to prop it up and re-seal around the edges.  

*The trailer's brakes need replacing -- very soon. As in more than $1000 again. Getting new tires (and you know how THAT turned out) was supposed to help with this. 

*We paid for insurance on the fifth-wheel and the truck -- six months' worth. OUCH -- but no extra fees, at least.

*I invested in several items for upcoming business -- including Bigfoot fabric (see above). We'll also have extra costs for finishing up renovating the Brickworks website...and starting up another one. 

More on this soon.

For last month's report, go here. And for last year's report, fresh from our quarantine after being out and about in the world -- go here, instead.  Now on to the warm (and warmer) days of summer. 

Happy Memorial Day

 It's a great time to spend with family...

    but let's not forget the many soldiers who gave of themselves so we could do just this.

Thank you, every one of you, for your service. 

The Lost Adams Diggings: Part II

 (Be sure to read Part I of this story, before you head further.)

    Adams (history has obscured his first name) and a group of men are busy collecting gold from a secret canyon...but they're running out of food. The supply party, led by John Brewer, is overdue. And in spite of warnings by the local Apache chief, Nana, men from Adams' party have gone up and over the waterfall to collect gold nuggets. 

     Adams is worried. 

     Finally, he and another man, Davidson, climb up out of the canyon to the 'secret door' entrance. And there they find the men sent to get food -- dead, and their things scattered. (All of them, Adams thinks...but he's wrong.) Adam and Davidson headed back to the camp, only to hear Indians whooping as they kill the rest of the men. The two quickly hide; at nightfall, thirst drives them down to the stream to drink. They try to access the gold under the hearth, but the Indians have set the cabin on fire. The stone is too hot to move. 

     Adams and Davidson see another dark figure nearby -- it must be one of the Apaches, there to finish them off. (Events later suggest it was actually John Brewer -- see below.) Adams and Davidson panic and flee up the canyon, then out on the desert. They're found, exhausted and near death, nearly two weeks later by soldiers from Fort Apache.

     Adams recovers. (Davidson does not.) His only proof of his story is the large hen's-fruit nugget he's managed to carry. For the rest of Adams' life, he searches for the lost diggings he remembers, often bringing along people who've funded the expeditions, hoping for treasure. Adams searches in different directions, but usually starts his search from Reserve, NM. He never finds what he's looking for.

     But Adams isn't the only one to have survived the massacre. 

     One of the men who went out with John Brewer, "the German," calls it good, once the men reach the fort, takes his gold (he'd kept it separate from the others), and buys a ranch. He's later murdered by Indians in the Prescott, AZ area.

     The other one is John Brewer himself. Brewer is wounded, but manages to hide while the others are finished off. (He also goes down to get a drink of water, and see two figures 'skulking about' -- Adams and Davidson, no doubt.) Brewer struggles out onto the desert, then is rescued and nursed back to health. He returns years later with his family, to continue the search. (Another story has him returning every year, then leaving with saddlebags full of gold, before he's finally wiped out by Indians.)

But did he? Is at least some of the gold still there, waiting to be found? Hundreds of people think so...ourselves included. The only problem: where do you start?

These people think the Diggings are in Arizona. 

Richard French's Four Days from Fort Wingate was the book we started with. And he makes an interesting argument for Fort Wingate being the fort along the "well-traveled road" that the Brewer party visited. (The map shown above is from his later book, Return to the Adams Diggings.) 

French isn't alone. W.C. Jameson's Lost Canyon of Gold argues that the Diggings are indeed in Arizona -- but they've been stripped fairly clean from later mining. (He panned a few flecks of gold.)

French (and Hale), by the way, has a totally different spot picked out from Jameson's. And each is equally certain that theirs is the right place. 

So why were we in New Mexico?

You'll have to wait for Part III to find out.

Things I Don't Understand: The 'Spring Cleaning' Version

 Well, Gentle Readers, I'm full of it.

A whole bunch of weird things I don't understand, in a wide variety of subjects. Can you handle a buffet approach, rather than one specific subject? 

I hope so -- because that's what you're getting this time around. Enjoy.

"Caught me slippin" -- by far, one of my very favorite memes. And it's really gained traction -- the phrase now means a deliberate 'pretend sleeping' selfie. (This girl says she did it 'as a joke,' though I don't think she originally meant it that way.)

    You got it, right? (I didn't, at first.) Look in the mirror in the photo background. 

And here's the 'original' that supposedly started this whole silliness. 

Now for the rest:

You laugh -- but The Mama can't understand why we're not rolling out bright and early at 7 or 8 a.m. every morning. Of course, she goes to bed around 9:30 or 10 p.m....while we stay up several hours more. Hmmm.

Ruby gets this look sometimes. 

Really?? Sign me up!

That'll give you nightmares during a midnight raid...

Don't you wonder about the backstory on this? (I'm pretty sure it's not faked.)

And in keeping with this:

Maybe later...

Well, at least you'll run faster.

Now you know. (And you're welcome.)

Playing with your food, perhaps?

That chick, with her paw 'hugging' it, has a death wish.

Another favorite:

And finally:

Hey, let's ALL dress like Johnny Depp!

Looking for Treasure...In All the Right Places?

    Did you ever wonder why we suddenly stopped to spend a few days in a quirky Arrey RV park in New Mexico?

Because we were looking for something: the location of the Lost Adams Diggings. 

In 1864, both Arizona and New Mexico were still part of the Western territories. (Both did not become states until nearly 50 years later, in 1912.) They were still fresh from the war with Mexico, and some tangles with Confederate/Union sympathizers were making life a bit uneasy -- particularly if you were on the side of the South.

A teamster named Adams had his wagons burned by Indians, though he managed to salvage his horses. He met up with a group of men looking for gold...and a Mexican who'd been living with the Apache, named Gotch Ear for his deformed, knotty-looking ear. Gotch Ear promised to take the men to a location full of gold -- but they needed horses. Adams' timely arrival earned him a place in the expedition.

    Gotch Ear was true to his word. After weeks of travel, he guided them to a secret opening behind a large rock that in turn led to a tiny "zigzag" canyon. Adams described it as being so narrow that one could touch either side of the rock walls as he rode. Eventually the men reached a flatter area with a stream winding through it, and a waterfall above forming a pool. And as promised, it was rich with gold.

    The men paid Gotch Ear off: a 50-dollar gold piece, a horse, equipment...and a bandanna one of the men was wearing. The Mexican rode off -- and out of the story. (Later, it is said, an Apache warrior was spotted riding Gotch Ear's horse.) While they were celebrating, they realized that they were not alone -- Chief Nana was watching them, along with a group of Indian braves. 

    At this point in history, the Indians used gold to occasionally make jewelry, but did not particularly value it. They were a little puzzled by the white men's fuss over it, but Nana said they could stay -- IF they stayed below the waterfall.

    The men did...for a while. They panned gold from the stream, and stored the nuggets in an Indian olla, or jug, hidden under the hearth of a fireplace they built in a cabin. Days went by, and in spite of hunting game, they were running low on provisions. Adams sent John Brewer and some of the men to a fort to buy more supplies. (Gotch Ear had pointed out a 'well-traveled road,' saying it led to a fort a few days away.) 

     Meanwhile, a horse had gotten loose -- and one of the men chased it, going above the waterfall. He presented Adams with a gold nugget the size of a hen's egg. Later, others snuck up there, as well, and filled a coffeepot with nuggets. 

     But John Brewer's party still had not returned. 

PART II:  What the heck happened?

This is the book that intrigued us.

Monday Stuff On the Way to Other Stuff: Getting Things Finished Up

 I am amazed. The days seem to go slowly, but the weeks are just zooming by. We have a few more weeks here at The Mama's farm. The cleaning jobs are done; now it's on to fun things like replacing brakes. The printer complicated life by breaking down -- but the Brick thinks he can fix it. I hope so; I need that printer to finish off my work.

Meanwhile:

Did Covid-19 originate in a Wuhan, China lab? Evidence is mounting...

When WAS the Cerne Giant created? Now archeologists are agreeing it might have been much earlier than the 1600s, the previous "for sure" date. (P.S. He's wearing a mask now.) If you're into ancient sex stuff -- 

Dozens of penises are discovered, hidden in the Bayeux Tapestry. Hey, I don't make this stuff up.

Lucille Ball's sexy past. Hoo boy.

A 'Six Figure' interview -- ESIMoney has a series of interviews with various people, including retirement and millionaire subjects, that are both interesting and helpful. This one focuses on some important points:

I saw this great quote the other day and it’s so true. “The person who does more than they are paid for will soon be paid for more than they do.”

If you truly want to grow your income, you have to be willing to do things other people won’t and you have to be really good at your job while also taking on more.

Another great quote that I’ve tried to live by is ““There are no shortcuts. You have to work hard, and try to put yourself in a position where if luck strikes, you can see the opportunity and take advantage of it.”

President Biden's tax returns have been released. As the reviewer points out, they're pretty boring -- with the exception of $1.8 million in cash, just sitting in a credit union account. There are two interesting items, however:

     *At least $6 million in annuities was purchased just before Biden went into office.

     *Biden earned at least $20 MILLION between 2017-2019. Yet his company, which supposedly processes his speaking fees, has about $15,000 in assets.

     No huge donations. No huge expenditures, either. Where did all that money go? 

Get a camper van...or not? Build it yourself...or buy it ready-done?  (From I Retired Young)

Colorado will be paying unemployed residents up to $1600 to get them to go back to work. (I am not making this up. Really.)

Facts about Have Gun, Will Travel that you may not have known.

Umm, Madame Vice President -- didn't you pledge NOT to hide your assets and transactions in a trust? Better call your accountant...because you are.

One person's eviction moratorium story. (She hasn't paid rent for more than a year now.) Here's another one, as well, from both the landlord and the renter's viewpoints.

Corrections on the 1619 Project -- but some are too little, too late, historians argue.

Governor Twinkletoes is at it again.  (Fellow Michiganders, you can relate to this.) Shouldn't she be held to the same standards she asks (no, demands) from everyone else?

Kids from a famous WWII Nazi death train photo are identified...they survived! Also:

Twins are reunited with their childhood playmate -- whose father paid for their railroad tickets on the last train out before restrictions shut access down. His generosity saved their lives.

Zucchini fritters -- plenty of other zucchini recipes, as well.  (Thanks, Hillbilly Housewife)

A real murder -- written almost like a detective novel -- about Ezra McCandless.

Crustless quiche -- made bacon-cheddar style in a 9 x 13 pan.  (From Betty Crocker)

Also -- creme brulee cheesecake bars, a 2019 prizewinner.

What to do when a colleague takes credit for your work. Some good ideas here, though they have to be carried out ASAP to do much...

Lemon curd tart. Cool and refreshing.  (From One Hundred Dollars A Month)

Princess Diana's most 'inappropriate' outfits. Not by American standards! And definitely not the gorgeous 'revenge' dress.

A Navy pilot who's seen more than a few UFOS. And even scarier:

Former President Obama confirms a number of "unexplainable flight patterns." (But not the aliens at Area 51.)

Hacks who passed off other people's work as their own -- and generally got away with it. (From Listverse)

The weird fight over Bob Ross's estate -- more than 25 years after the painter's death. This includes a Mountain Dew commercial he's hawking -- thanks to CGI, long after he permanently stopped drinking anything!

Have a great week. Get stuff done!

And Now For Something Completely Different

 ...Something you hardly ever see.

An early French sewing basket? Ok, you've probably seen a sewing basket before. Maybe not an early one, though.

But one that includes a 'sewing doll?'

This one's from Kestner. Notice her apron -- you would use it for pins, needles and such.

 

She's bisque with mohair hair; c.1900, I would say. This little darling is less than 4" tall. (The basket is only 5" wide, anyways.)

Go here for more. 

Kestner was a German company famous for its dolls -- particularly the bisque versions, often with composition bodies. but bisque heads, like the sewing doll above.

Here's a Kestner half-sewing bisque doll, for comparison. She has jointed arms -- unusual for a piece of this type. 

I don't think she's quite as old as the first piece, but still early 1900s. Notice the fine detail on her fingers? 

Go here for more on that piece. 

Kestner was known for its care and fine quality in doll designs -- it is thought to have started in the 1820s, but made dolls through the 1930s. (I cannot seem to find when they ended production, but it appears to be 1938.) Their earlier dolls had wooden and papier mache heads; later on, they focused on bisque, like these girls. 

Thus endeth a quick lesson on sewing dolls! 

You're welcome.

Thanks, Pharrell...

 I needed this. Hopefully you do too, this weekend. Enjoy. 

They Wish...

In honor of the soon-to-be ending school year. 

 

Still Here...

...and starting to catch up. 

Taxes are finished. (Yayyyy!)

The absolute-final-this-is-it edit for Colorado Curiosities is done. (Sigh of relief)

I got a financial report done. Not much sleep lately, though. (When I can sleep, I can't sleep. If you've ever gone through periods like this, you know exactly what I mean.)

We started out to do trailer chores today, only to have two cousins stop by for long, extended chats. 

So we went to the thrift shop and Menard's, instead. Seemed like a good idea. (We got some great bargains, too.)

But did that get my work done? 

 

Maybe tomorrow.

Monday Stuff On the Way to Other Stuff: WHEW

 The taxes are done. Thank God. And we even got a refund!  Sparta's post office only stays open until 5 p.m. But Colorado's tax return MUST be snail mailed (or pay an extra fee). I dropped the envelope in the lobby deposit box, with 15 whole minutes to spare.

     What a relief. I'm sure you enjoy this task just as much as we do. 

This week it's back to working on the fifth-wheel, doing some jobs around The Mama's farm (we're still in Michigan) and hopefully catching up on some posts I've promised you, Gentle Readers. Plus -- I really, really want to get two quilt restorations finished. Their owners have been patiently waiting for them all winter. 

Just wondering -- after all the brouhaha about the East Coast Colonial Pipeline being hacked --

How does the President feel about his executive order cancelling the Keystone Pipeline now?

                                         photos from a recent trip to see Holland's tulips 

Meanwhile:

If you move into a better neighborhood, are you still considered lower-income? (From Pretending to be Poor)

Governor Twinkletoes is forced to explain her flight to Florida. (And it ain't pretty.) I am constantly entertained by what Governor Gretchen Whitmer is up to -- our Michigan relatives are less amused about it. (Keep it up, Madame Governor. I don't think you'll be reelected next year, at the rate you're going.)

An interesting guide to doing light painting photography.  (Plus you get free stuff for signing up.)

A self-driving car goes rogue.

Now we know why this BLM founder was buying all those million-dollar homes...she's combatting white supremacy! (I am not making this up. I wish I was.)

'Ice Road Truckers' was cancelled in 2017. What are the best-known members doing since then? (I was amazed to find that Lisa Kelly, one of the veterans, had attended Cornerstone University in Michigan, one of my alma maters.) Plus:

A bunch of things the 'Ice Road Truckers' producers didn't tell us. (And some they did.)

Ten people -- ten amazing archeological discoveries, some of them totally by accident. Did you know that the Rosetta Stone was being used as a building block when it was discovered? (Yes, it's Listverse)

A Boston journalist covering a dog theft catches the thief -- because he walked the dog right by her while she was filming. (He matched the surveillance camera shots, and didn't bother to remove the dog's personalized collar. The idiot.)

Ten misconceptions about slavery in America.  (From Listverse) Also: Ten slaves who should be more famous.

Now you need THREE MILLION DOLLARS in order to be considered a 'millionaire,' (That's Financial Samurai's opinion, anyways.)

The baby who lived a full 10 hours after his abortion. And the mom who says she thinks she made a mistake now...

A rare Charles Ingalls letter is uncovered. (In case you're wondering, he was Laura Ingalls Wilder's father.)

A very cool science development for batteries -- and it just happened in recent years!

A very interesting background story on Rebakah Jones, and her claims that Florida Covid numbers were fudged. (Actually, blatantly changed, she says.) Lest you dismiss this as "well, the New York Post said it," check out the Brits' Daily Mail's version, which is even more damning.

"You can go back 100,000 years to a cave that will be discovered by archeologists. What do you write on the wall to mess with them?"   Some very funny answers via Reddit.

All the people shot during the Ballymurphy Massacre in 1971 are declared innocent and cleared of charges -- 50 years later. Hey, at least Boris apologized...right?

Cake hacks! Making a purchased cake your personal creation.

A fifth-floor leap...and it's ok. That's one black cat that's lucky.

Have you ever regretted doing something good for someone?  Another gem from Quora.

The most popular color for front doors -- as based on Google searches.

    (From the comments section, typos and all: "I've sold residential real estate for 15 years now, and I can assure you that the color of your front door has absolutely no value. No buyer is going to buy or not buy your home because of the color of the door. Or pay more because its one color or another. Its such an easy and cheap thing to change if they dont like the color. It also doesnt figure in at all to realtor or appraisers valuations of homes.")

Airline CEOs beg Biden and Boris to reopen the air routes. (Great Britain did, to some degree. Not sure about the U.S.)

Homemade donuts with blackberry jam and custard? Sign me up...

Historical figures that may or may not be real.

A 400-year-old butterfly discovered inside an equally-old book. 

Celebs who can no longer afford their lavish lifestyles. I don't know why I enjoy reading about this -- but I do. Maybe a case of "nanny-nanny-boo-boo?" In keeping with this:

Top ten celebrities who died broke. Some overlap here, but at least you can read it all at once.  (From Listverse)

Hungry for onion rings? Here's one great recipe -- and another for old-fashioned onion rings. 

A professor fired for simply reading a printed word -- the n---- word in one of Mark Twain's books. Out loud. (Not making this up either, sad to say. I know that words have power -- but this is ridiculous.)

What's real -- and what's faked on Instagram? An interesting comparison by one blogger.

And finally, just because it's so wonderfully feisty --

                                                Audio Adrenaline's BIG HOUSE

Have a great week. 

I Want to Scream

 We are neck-deep in Taxtime right now. ..and having Such Fun. Anyone else feeling this way?

                                                            From AskDrSears.com

Or maybe do this, instead... It might be more socially acceptable than crouching in a corner and whimpering. 

Textile Romance

 

Sod Houses in the 1880s -- South Dakota

 I am always on the lookout for unusual pioneer era prints and such. Since my dad grew up on a dryland farm in Corsica, South Dakota-related items have always held a special fascination.

Lo and behold, these two prints just came up on Ebay:

Go here for more on this print.

Go here for more on this print. (Same seller, by the way.)

Here's what they say about these prints by WV (William Valentine) Herancourt. 

For offer, a nice old litho print! Fresh from a prominent estate in Upstate NY. Never offered on the market until now. 

Extremely rare - I could not locate this print anywhere, and could find very few other prints by this artist. He was from Kansas, and known to have worked in South Dakota, and captured some very important historical scenes.

Fascinating. And based on the 1885 date for one (c.1880 for the other), probably based on real homes. Going for a rare price, too -- but that's to be expected.