I'm here. Sort of.
Still working, at least...but a planned trip to Boulder had to be cancelled. I can't be too far away from certain rooms in the house before I'm reminded again how important they are. (ahem)
At least it's cold enough to make staying in bed longer a pleasure.
More tomorrow.
Nothing exciting. Snow off and on -- even when the sun is shining, it's COLD.
Flu is still hanging on. I'll feel better for a day or two, then back to the usual. I often just want to sleep. But part of me is tired of staying home, and wants to go wander, as well.
The Brick got the tractor started. (But says it's still not running smoothly. He's put in hours of work on the bearings, refilling oil, etc. etc.) Our new mattress seems to be working out.
More working on reports. Watching documentaries. We just finished a season of Deep Wreck Mysteries -- fascinating. Here's a taste:
Gripe, moan, complain. (Shame.) There are truly times I feel this way:
Haunted stories (and mummies) from Mammoth Cave. Intriguing.
Ten cases of documented 'time slips.' Also intriguing.
Bones from Waterloo -- found in an attic. (Wait til you find out why no bodies have been unearthed on the Waterloo battlefield... gross.)
Nacho cheese 'Doritos' -- you make yourself! (From Strength and Sunshine)
Possible substitutes for eggs in cooking and baking.
Meals to make when there's 'nothing' in the house.
Frugal meals -- for when you feel broke! (From TupennysFireplace)
Tyre Nichols' mom hates that it was '5 black men who did this.' Mrs. Nichols, I hate that it was 5 men -- period.
Here we go again -- Masterpiece Cake Shop loses at the Colorado Court of Appeals.
"This case started the day the Supreme Court decided they were going to hear our case. It was a very busy, very crazy day at the shop," Phillips told Fox News exclusively in March. "In the middle of all of this chaos, we got a phone call from an attorney in Denver asking us to create a cake pink on the inside with blue icing on the outside."
I wonder if the timing was on purpose??
Weird stories of astronauts and their experiences. Not sure where to go on this...
The California Effect -- as viewed by Mr. Money Mustache.
Thinking about moving to the Virgin Islands? Here's a heads-up, from someone who did. (Actually, it sounds like a lovely place.)
Before-and-much-later photos of old places and nature spots. Fascinating.
Mystery of an ancient ship, found in the Russian permafrost, loaded with animal carcasses. But it doesn't fit the timeline...
Five things you may not know about the Challenger explosion. I remember this vividly...I saw it in the Daily Camera newsroom in Boulder.
The 'Palmwood Wreck:' a Dutch ship crammed with luxury items, including two gorgeous 17th century dresses! (Textile-lovers, be sure to take a look.)
How to stop feeling guilty about having money. (From the Financial Samurai)
Coffee cake -- in cookie form?
An effective shower cleaner -- from two ingredients!
The 'Jennifer Aniston salad' -- actually a kind of combined Cobb/tabbouleh version. Yum.
'Tavern sandwiches' -- another name for 'loose meat' sandwiches. Easy -- and frugal. (Frfom Little House Living)
The classic Kentucky Hot Brown -- and how to make it!
An early Van Dyck painting is found in a farm shed, covered with bird droppings. Hmmm....
A dozen classified documents are found at Mike Pence's home. Granted, he initiated the search. His lawyers gave the documents to the FBI. But still...
An easy way to copy the Big Mac's sauce -- three ingredients!
"Greens -- what could go wrong?" A closer look at green dyes by Barbara Brackman's Material Culture.
Answers to some quirky travel mysteries -- by the pilots involved in them. (Example: where do you store the body of a passenger who dies mid-flight?
Want to visit Croatia? Take a trip, thanks to Millenial Revolution.
I always enjoy what's happening to Kevin and Ruth on their blog, Travel with Kevin and Ruth. They just left Morocco for a stay in Mauritania.
Holocaust Memorial Day was last week. It's important not to forget these events...the people with the strongest memories are now in their 80s and 90s. Some memories here.
It's easy to get bogged down in the cold dreariness that is often January. (Having flu hasn't helped any, either.) But I also remember:
Have a good week.
It hardly seems possible that The Mama has been gone a year.. until it starts snowing, and I try to call her to sing "Jingle Bells." (An odd tradition in our family.) Or I finish up an appraising job -- then plan to call her on the way home. Or...the "Poor and Needy" business. If someone in the family gets an especially good bargain, or a raise, or some kind of financial windfall, you call the others and brag about it. Then your callees start moaning about how they're so "poor and needy." (My big strong dad started this whole thing, and used a tiny squeaky voice while claiming that he "needed help.") The caller then promises to send money: a penny, a nickel, a dime...even a dollar, if they're feeling extra generous.
I know. Weird. But it's what we do.
I'm told this urge-to-call goes away, eventually. But it's still there in the case of my dad, who has been gone since 2009. Perhaps that is how you remember people you love, in spite of their absence. I miss you, Mom and Dad. See you soon.
This month was a quiet one. It's not uncommon for us -- we often 'hunker down' this month, and travel in February. (Besides, I had some flu toward the end of the month, as well.) But this winter, we're staying put on our friends' ranch -- but in the main house, rather than the fifth-wheel. (They're spending the winter in Phoenix.) We continue to clean, repair and tidy up. Ruby does her part by chasing away those pesky deer, chewing out the neighbor dogs, and strutting around the place.
FRUGAL HITS
(Some of these are from late December)
*A $5 Michael's coupon -- used it toward a present. (On clearance!)
*Got a $150 Amazon giftcard for opening a credit card. Hooray for bonuses like this!
*Bought some Valentine's presents -- plus discounted containers of olive oil, nutmeg and cinnamon online. Free shipping. (Amazon Warehouse).
*Watched a LOT of movies. And documentaries. And political diatribes. It's messy out there right now.
*Ordered funeral flowers via Sam's Club, for a much-loved aunt who died early in January. Boy, these are expensive...but Sam's includes free shipping, at least. And because I ordered via Swagbucks, credits were given. I can use those toward a 'free' giftcard soon!
Swagbucks is one of the easiest ways to accumulate points toward giftcards and more -- just by using it for your searches, taking a daily poll...and going through it for bigger purchases. (Even Walmart and Home Depot). None of these actions are required -- they're all voluntary. And joining up is free. If you haven't done so, you should consider it. (Yes, I'll get a little 'boost' if you do this. But that's not why I'm recommending it. It really is worth it.)
*Put away holiday items and tidied up. The Brick got my new planter/speaker to working. It was christened with this fine song:
*Bought extra stamps -- before the price went up.
*A package from United Health Care -- $40 every three months to spend on things like Pepto-Bismol, bandages, allergy meds, etc.
*The Brick's latest present to me -- I love it!
*Bought hardly any Christmas markdowns, except a few bags of candy and some 90%-off candles. I just didn't see anything we really needed. Tried desperately to stay away from Amazon Warehouse and other clearance sites... and largely succeeded.
*Another huge chunk of an order cancelled. I don't think I'll be ordering much from World Market anytime soon, after this recurring debacle. They were the ones who approved -- then cancelled -- much of last month's orders. Amazon Warehouse has done it to me this month, too.
*Used up leftovers. Put some in the freezer for later. Made a batch of pea soup, plus Hoppin' John, using one of the hambones, that the Brick said was my best yet. Used an old tube of marzipan for a delicious pound cake. (I'm baking a lot more lately, since our local thrift shop stopped offering free bread.)
*Driveway was plowed. (After a horrendous trip home during a big snowstorm.) The Brick worked on the tractor, replaced a water filter, fixed the refrigerator and some other repairs. We did some household chores, as well, to keep things tidy.
*Bought kids' gifts for the Mexican orphanage ahead of time -- it is getting increasingly difficult to find inexpensive gifts when they're needed. Our friends (who take the gifts down) have a storage room -- I put them in there. One less thing to do in the future.
*More books from the library's used booksale room. A few items from the thrift shop, at 20% seniors discount. Nothing huge.
*Shirley Temple, in cobalt blue. $2.99. I love these antique collectibles.
*Started funding my 401K again... index funds. I plan to do this, bit by bit, every month, instead of making one big contribution. That way, any changes (I'm worried more about the negative ones) happen less-- and more gradually.
*Used a blank journal from the present box for my 2023 calendar -- and added an extra notebook ($1.25 from the dollar store) for the financials.
*Filled up a shopping cart with 'sale' postcards on Ebay -- then closed it and cancelled the order. I did buy a birthday present for the Brick, plus charms and a photo. (See below.)
*$5.35 donation to Wikipedia.
*Watched the Michigan/TCU game at Red Robin -- paid for by gift card. Sold a batch of Red Robin stock - purchased when it went rock-bottom last month -- and made a nice little profit. (Then again, if I'd hung onto it for at least another week, I would have made more. Oh well.)
*Free meals at Rodizio Grill, plus wine, thanks to a contest I won in November. All we paid for was the tip -- and the parking. Note to self: smuggling out the half-bottle of leftover wine under your jacket was kind of fun, too.
*Grocery buys: $2.27 gallon milk, chicken breasts, 97 cents/lb, 1.27/lb spiral-cut smoked ham...all straight into the freezer. Also: 2 free cucumbers, from the rewards program. (Safeway) Half-gallon milk - 99 cents (mostly in the freezer), sirloins $3.97/lb, coupons for $5 off. I haven't been shopping there much in recent months -- so the latter is probably a bribe. Oops- I mean 'incentive.' (King Soopers)
*Flowers for 99 cents, ($2.99 discount - $2 coupon) I also got a $3.99 plant - half-price.
*Two pizzas, leftover from a church event. (One went into the freezer for a supper later; we had the other for breakfast the next morning.)
*Found two pennies! In 2022, I found a total of $2.32, including that stunning $1.10 in April, from a Coinstar return slot. As the Brick gleefully enjoys pointing out, it isn't much -- but it is something, (The Mama squirreled change and bills all over the house -- by the time the dust cleared, we'd found $111-plus. And I heard about another cache, above the sink, that Niece & Nephew will excavate when they renovate the bathroom.) One of my blogger friends says: pay attention to the pennies, and the dollars will take care of themselves.
*Holding WAY back on the use of eggs: we have 1 or 2, instead of 3 for breakfast now. (Confession: I never liked eggs that much, to begin with, so this is no great sacrifice. I basically make them for the Brick, or reserve them for baking.)
*Said no to $60 symphony tickets. (Yes, I would have liked to have gone.)
*Split the 'Seven Fish Dishes' responsibilities with two sets of kids. (I just checked the pantry -- what am I going to do with all those cans of crab??)
*Kept the heat low in the house. (The fifth-wheel is largely winterized. Only a few items left in the garage, except for storage in the loft.)
*Attended our friends' wedding...and gave them the "Mawage" mugs, plus a candle and some silverware I'd picked up on clearance at Tuesday Morning. Oh yes, a video, too.
We had a great time. What a lovely wedding.
*Picked up some teaching/appraising gigs for 2023. Business is picking up again. Whoo hoo!
*A small raise in Social Security -- and the Brick's monthly pension check. Always welcome.
FRUGAL MISSES
*Ran month's-end numbers for December -- and 2022. Also figured up expenses and income from The Mama's estate, and copied in the amounts we paid (or received) for items like the fifth-wheel, our house sale, etc. This is not fun, but it's necessary -- and surprising -- to see the income and outgo for each month.
We did ok for December, but spent much more than planned for 2022, thanks in great part to having to buy a storage trailer in Michigan. (Which is now parked on our nephew and niece's farm -- formerly The Mama's.) Very little income (for me, because of the Michigan stay) and two long trips, back and forth from Michigan and Arizona, didn't help matters any. We also had to make several large payments in December for 2023 commitments. (Like the upcoming cruise.)
*Still no income tax refund from the 2021 taxes. Are we going to get it before April?
*Milk went sour after we didn't use it as much -- because of our new cream schtick for our coffee. I salvaged it, though, with biscuits and other goodies. No other leftovers went bad, fortunately, although some bread got mighty old.
*Had to ask to get all the Red Robin bonus cards. (We only got one, which I gave to a friend. Five more are due.)
*Ordered charms. No, we didn't need them. Yes, I can use them in the near future for gigs. Yes, I got a good price on them. Including this celtic cross charm.
*Huge tussle with the medical company about covering eardrops for the Brick. Also, some dental expenses added to the fun -- $1800. (sigh)
*Bigfoot went begging. I'd gotten Bigfoot push toys and cutouts on purpose to use during the Seven Fish Dishes dinner. Did I remember them, enough though they were in the truck? Noooo... I can't feel too bad, though. We also forgot to use the Christmas crackers Daughter #1 had found in her stuff.
*Bags are extra now in Colorado, as of 1/1/2023. If you don't bring your own, it's 10 cents for a flimsy plastic bag. Fortunately, we have lots of tote bags. I have noticed that most people aren't buying bags either, even if they forgot their totes. They just pile their buys in the cart, and load the car from there. (Thanks, Sam's Club, for teaching us that we can do it that way.)
*Twice now, I've had to argue my case at grocery store customer service spots -- about being charged full price for items on sale. I've always made my point and had the money refunded. But before this, I was always taken at my word, too. (The second person was apologetic -- she said they'd had a bunch of 'scammers' lately, insisting on groceries they said they were supposed to get for free. "Do I look like a scammer?" I asked. She shook her head.)
*Bought a blue and white coverlet -- dated 1858, and in terrific shape. I did manage to negotiate a small discount, plus free shipping.
*Got a Baby Doe Tabor photo I don't need... yet. But I honestly think it will come in handy in the future. Baby Doe is one of my buddettes -- she appears in the Ghosts & Legends book, but I plan to write more about her in the future. And the total price wasn't toooo bad.
Last month's report is here. January 2022's report is here -- and the year before that.
We'll continue to stay put in February -- but I'm looking forward to cozy evenings, hot soup...and time with my best friend. Here we go.
More sibling interaction here, thanks to my buddy Bored Panda. (Sorry, little brother. And I'm STILL standing up inside. :)
Yesterday, the 22nd, marks the year anniversary of The Mama's death.
It has been a little hard to bear, on the heels of our dear auntie's funeral earlier this week. But God knows -- and cares -- when we lose the people we love.
This song was part of our aunt's funeral service. It is difficult, and encouraging at the same time. I wanted you to hear it, Gentle Readers, if you, like my blogger friend Jeannie, have lost someone you care about in recent months -- or years.
I cannot listen to it without weeping now -- but that will pass. Hopefully this will comfort and encourage you, too.
Love you, Ma. Love you, Pa. See you soon.
The Denver Stock Show finished up this weekend.
I should be embarrassed to admit that we have never in nearly 40 years of living in Colorado, gone to the Stock Show. Sometime I hope to.
There is one very interesting event -- the Grand Champion Steers are invited into the Brown Palace, a very snooty hotel, for afternoon tea. Yes, you got it -- gracious music, fine linen, tiny sandwiches, teapots...and two very hairy Black Angus puffing away in a small corral, not far from the Christmas tree. Seventy-seven years for this Colorado tradition!
Another quiet week. The Brick put in a lot of work on the tractor. (We need it to keep the driveway plowed, out here in the boonies.) I did some appraisals, cooked some, read some -- and slept a lot after flu reared its ugly head. We also got more than a foot of snow. More is expected.
19 ways your income tax credits -- and taxes -- are going to change for 2022. Time to start working on these, if you haven't done so already.
The oldest-known surviving books in the world.
So much for the Florida 'hurricane-proof' dome homes on the ocean -- Hurricane Ian finished them off last September.
A lost diver miraculously found in the middle of the ocean -- by his family, who went out to search for him. Nearly four hours and two miles later. Yay, God!
Decisions that unexpectedly made you a lot of money. I love these Quora confessionals.
Kim Kardashian buys a 'Diana' necklace. And pays big bucks for it, too...
The lights haven't gone off for more than a year at a Massachusetts school -- because the software program set up to run them failed. And no one's figured out how to turn the software off!
How to make a tomato pincushion...a fun quickie craft--and present for a dull winter's day. (From One Hundred Dollars A Month)
The turned, twisted and fascinating story of Benedict Cumberbatch's slave-owning ancestors. Remarkably, some of them were ex-slaves themselves. (Now what do you do with the reparations debate, in this case??)
All the things you didn't know about redheads -- that were true.
A Sunday tea tray supper -- recipes included. (From Lavender and Lovage)
If you're into Star Wars memorabilia -- an auction to watch.
A very nice off-grid cabin -- explained in detail.
Ten medieval era recipes you can actually make!
Ten ghost stories from above the Arctic Circle.
'Arctic zombies' -- and more scary stories yanked from Canada's history.
GoFundMe campaigns you DON'T want to give to.
A 17th-century baby portrait -- found on the back of a door.
This is a weird one -- artist Peter Doig finally gets a gallery to stop forcing him to acknowledge making a painting -- that Peter DOIGE, not Doig, painted! (The gallery gets penalized financially, too.) I've been following this story for some time -- the painting's owner has been insisting that it was Doig's work, and trying to sell it under that name. Doig kept saying it wasn't.
Here's another odd-but-true one: after 5 years by himself, a lion is learning to roar again.
Have a good week.
More interesting responses to entitled people here. (Thanks, Bored Panda.)
* * * * * * * * * *
About 10 inches or so of snow on the ground, as of tonight. And much colder. The tractor is still being repaired, and we were wondering how to get out tomorrow morning. And lo and behold, a friend stopped by and plowed the driveway! (Thank you so much, Terry.)
We watched the Michigan funeral service for our dear aunt, Maxine Cumings. I am so grateful for this opportunity on Youtube.
She didn't have an entitled bone in her body. A gracious, kind lady -- and a devoted Christian.
Mr. Flu stopped by, and dispensed a scratchy throat and achiness all over. I medicated myself with hot soup, homemade bread (Mavis' recipe), tea, the Brick's wonderful coffee, lots of sleep -- and 6 Godzilla movies. (Hey, you do it your way -- I'll do it mine.)
Hopefully tomorrow will be better.
Cold weather (but sunny). The Brick has been out in the garage, working on the tractor. (It broke down during the last big snowstorm, and we had to tow it back. He worries that we'll get stuck here when the next storm arrives. It's expected in a few days.)
I've been doing reports, signing contracts and other Stuff. (That's why this report is a day early. Deadlines to meet.)
We had a lovely belated anniversary dinner at the Rodizio Grill. But that's been about it, excitement-wise. I'm trying hard not to spend too much on either groceries or other 'needed' items -- we had to pay off a cruise we'll be taking later this year, plus insurance, PLUS my ASA appraiser's membership. And the $$ will hit the fan shortly. We've got the cash...if I behave myself.
Oh yes -- yet another batch of classified documents has magically turned up in various Biden estalishments. But no big deal. At least that's what our revered President (and his press secretary) are saying. He locks his garage (where some docs were), after all, because his Corvette is in there. (I feel so much better, knowing this.)
Hey, the enchantment never ends.
Meanwhile:
Celebrities -- 24 of them -- who went from lavish to broke. (And sometimes back to rich again.)
Fifteen liars and catfishers -- who were eventually found out.
Ten historical figures who just plain disappeared. Some were most probably kidnapped and/or killed, based on the circumstances. For others, though, there's no clue what happened. Also...
Ten historical figures famous for one thing -- who actually made contributions for something else.
Speaking of historical figures, one of the strangest films ever -- an inventor whose 'flying parachute costume' didn't exactly work. (1912)
America's highest chairlift officially opens -- in Breckenridge, CO!
Some very big fossil bones found near Colorado's Royal Gorge. The discoverer just stumbled onto them...
Thanks to neutron imaging, we knew there ARE relics inside this German medieval pendant! (We just don't know for sure who those 'tiny bone splinters' belonged to.)
Charlie Munger's advice on how to invest in stocks and real estate.
A 12-foot snake... in a hotel swimming pool?? It happened in Thailand, and the bemused tourist who filmed it being removed said the hotel staff 'stroked its head' to calm it down as they took it away.
How a janitor built an $8 MILLION dollar fortune. Sylvia Bloom, a career secretary, was another secret millionaire. More here. And a bunch more here. Plus:
The parking lot attendant who's debt-free, and saved more than $500,000... on a salary that was never more than $20,000.
I love these stories. They give you hope, and are a gentle reminder that patience, persistence and research are the key to getting ahead.
Did you ever wonder what the 'Wilhelm Scream' really was? Well, here it is -- named for the character who first did it!
DNA proves it -- Julia Roberts isn't really a Roberts! For those of us with 'secrets' revealed by DNA in our pasts (like me), this is fascinating.
Strangest things caught on home security cameras.
A blue-and-white postage stamp quilt tutorial. It's a pretty one, too. (From One Hundred Dollars A Month)
A Canadian school decides it might just want to change its dress code policy. About time, too.
Letting a baby continue to live, after the abortion attempt failed? That's "extreme," according to our revered Vice President.
Thousands of employees laid off from Goldman-Sachs. Interesting...and a bit scary. I'm wary, though -- not terrified.
A California ski resort had to close for a day -- too much snow! (441 inches, so far.)
Overnight cinnamon rolls -- yum.
Ten female swindlers from the Gilded Age.
Ice mummies. Weird -- but fascinating.
They look alike. They have the same name -- and job. So were these twin brothers, separated at birth? The DNA results are telling.
Powdered doughnuts -- that are baked!
Beans, beans, the musical fruit -- once a week. (From Donna Freedman) Plus a recipe that was a favorite at the state capitol building in Lansing, Michigan:
A huge chunk of highway... just falls down a California cliff.
Have an exciting week.
I 'hired' our great-nephews and nieces to look for cash in The Mama's house. (She had a habit of squirreling money in cans and caches all over. Fortunately, she told me about it -- several times -- before she died.) They found more than $100 before we gave up looking The kids each got $5 for their trouble; the rest of the cash went into the estate.
I have wondered if this will have any influence on their longterm careers and/or hobby choices... like finding a megalodon tooth!
Dozens of really wonderful archeological discoveries are here. Maybe that's how these people got started.
-- this may take a minute to process, unless you're a Red Green fan.
(Yes, it's a billboard. Clever.)
Did you notice who said it?
(More here, thanks to Bored Panda. This very funny site is one of my favorite stops, especially during dark and/or discouraging days.)
I have pretty much given up on New Year's resolutions. For one thing, I don't always follow through. For another, Things Happen that prevent them. And I have enough misses, procrastination and failures to feel bad about, already. But I do make plans and reminders and note them in my appointment book -- especially on month-end notes. This helps keep me on track. For example: renew Brickworks' LLC before it expires, and send in my recertification to keep my AQS credentials current. But I mention deadlines like this at least 1-2 months ahead. Maybe these are actually resolutions -- but they're doable that way.
Another goodie from the Brickworks files: Stephanie over at "A Year of Slow Cooking" has made it her goal to use the crockpot e...
