Sounds Like A...

 'God thing.'

If You Dig Deep Enough...

 Did your folks ever say this to you??

What Giraffes Are Really Thinking

 

Be sure to visit Bored Panda's other weird cartoons in this link...especially the Early Bird.

Do You Want to Be A Programmer...Or An Appraiser?

 

So I'm working on an appraisal report...it's almost finished. Good -- because it's midnight.

Oops, I got that spacing wrong. Resize a few photos -- fixed.

Caught a typo. Another oops.

Shouldn't I add some history in about that quilt style??  Another hour gone. 

Now it's 2 a.m. The Brick is making "go to bed "noises...and Ruby is blearily staring at me.

"Just a minute, Honey. Gotta fix this one spot."

And now the printer isn't working...

I finally crawl into bed about 3 a.m.

Do you want to be an appraiser?

Monday Stuff On the Way to Other Stuff: Still...

 ...doing repairs and work around the ranch. 

...finishing up reports.

...putting up with hot temperatures, though it's better. (We've had several rainstorms, which help so much.)

...looking for land/house possibilities. We're now pre-approved for $$ -- and know how much of a downpayment is possible, too.

...trying to make sense of the wacky developments regarding our politicians and government. This may be hopeless.

Life goes on. Walking (or trudging) on to the next step(s).

Yes, that's Bigfoot. He can come too, if he wants.

Meanwhile:

Yoko Ono's newest art installation, a bunch of trees planted in coffins ("Ex It"), had to be scrapped -- the trees were dead or dying. Go figure.

An incredible -- and large -- art collection is going up for auction at Sotheby's. Will this boost art prices generally -- or deflate them? (Remember: values are often based on "replacement of like and kind." In other words, how easily that item can be 'replaced.' Lots of similar pieces -- the price goes down.)

Subway was just sold to the same company that owns Dunkin' Donuts, Seattle's Best Coffee and Arby's.  Hmmmm....

A 104-year-old women attributes her long life to makeup, getting out of the house regularly...and a beer every night. Tell that to the U.S. beer czar, who's trying to decree that Americans should only have two alcoholic drinks a week. 

Mini copper 'pots' -- from pop cans?!?  An incredibly clever idea from Upcycle Design Lab. Here's how to make them look 'old:'

How to make small rooms look larger. including the importance of light -- and the 'groups of 3' idea. (From Ahna Fulmer)

More about the curator accused of taking many artifacts from the British Museum -- and the director (now outgoing) supervising him. Between 1500-2000 objects are thought to be missing. (The curator was selling them on Ebay!)

Some final scenes in movies -- that made all the difference. Plus, from Ranker:

What people ate to survive during the Dust Bowl. Actually, I LIKE popcorn and milk.

Body language from the Republican debate.  Fascinating.

Have you ever noticed how much blinking the White House press secretary does while answering questions? Did you know that excessive blinking is a common 'tell' for lying or dishonesty?

A puma has an albino cub...the first born in a central American zoo.

Vintage UK tea recipes, from scones and fruit loaf to sausage rolls.  (From Lavender & Lovage)

How to look richer than everyone else -- by someone who works in a country club. I thought this comment especially interesting...

'Money talks but wealth is silent,' she continued. 'When I see a woman walk in [wearing some] really high-quality, really well-made clothing, or very stylish pieces, and there's no logo or brand on anything, I know she's richer than everyone else.'

"Have you ever sabotaged food because someone else was stealing it?"  Quora people hold forth.

Ten truths for the 2024 campaign -- from one of the debate participants. If he really is committed to these...well, I'm impressed.

Some very funny 'men parodying women photos.'  Like this 'engagement ring' photo:

A Michigan farmer refuses to host same-sex weddings at his farm. (He makes it clear that they've been selling apples to ANYONE...and continue to do so.) So what's the big deal...right? There are certainly other venues to go to. Well, it took SEVEN YEARS for this man's case to be upheld. . Meanwhile, since his business has not been allowed to sell at their former venues, guess how much income he's lost?  More here, in case you're curious.

Life hacks that are a little strange -- but work.

Literary takedowns. A classic, but still funny -- unless it's you!

Chris Evens celebrates National Dog Day by visiting a shelter.  Plus... what he thinks about his dog, Dodger.  It's pretty obvious what Dodger thinks of him.

Wearing these Covid masks may well be exposing you to cancer-causing materials: a very unnerving NH study.

Moments that remind you there's still good out in this old world.

Collections!  What do you collect? (Mention it in comments -- the weirder, the better.)

 Repeated attempts at copyrighting AI artwork shot down -- because it's not technically human-made. Hmmm...

So -- are you going to the 'new' Fyre Festival??  It will only cost you $8000 or so.

Making a quilt with cheesecloth? Certainly distinctive...I'm just not sure how long it will last, however.

Top tips for getting wealthy, according to Mark Cuban of Shark Tank.

Natural beauty hacks that save money and time.

Reworked thrift shop paintings -- everything from Star Wars to dinosaurs. I LOVE these. Wish I had the talent to do them!

More here.  (Thank you, David Irvine.)

Some wonderful thrift shop textile finds, too.

A flash mob for the funeral? Sure, when they're hired by the deceased.

So much for blaming climate change for the Maui fires...it was downed powerlines. Oopsies.

The body of a teen is found after the Maui wildfires -- hugging his dog. One of many bodies -- sad.

Why did this house survive during the Maui wildfires?  Two reasons, the homeowners think: a new metal roof, and greenery trimmed away around the house. Colorado homeowners, are you listening?

More discovered about how Pompeii treated its slaves. These continuing excavations are fascinating. 

Some practical tips on how to stay safe -- especially for single women, but I plan to use some of these myself.

Catvideofest -- I am not making this up. 

Have a good week. Pet a kitty or two.

Frugal Hits & Misses: The August Report

 What a month.

Hot, dry and seemingly endless. We continue to look for land and/or a house and land -- so far, two of the houses we liked went way over our budget. What's left, so far, at least, probably won't work for us. So the search continues. [Oops, three now. But we're looking at a fourth.]

Financially, we're doing ok -- in great part due to God's grace and careful purchases. (We're not the only ones being careful right now, and for good reason.) I've had work too, which helps. But it all seems like trudging toward several goals. It's been difficult concentrating, because of the heat, fighting off allergies and near-bouts of flu. And fighting off the blues. But I am hopeful this will change soon. We did spend more this month than I'd planned, in part because of several sales on needed/useful items (tools especially, but books and fabric, too). And we paid a few September bills at the same time we paid for August. That, plus gas for our house hunting trips, all adds up.

 I am really looking forward to cooler temps and fall colors. 

FRUGAL HITS

*Judged for the Sheep Lead contest at the Douglas County Fair. No, I don't know much about sheep -- but I do know about the costumes the kids wore, to complement the sheep's accessories. (The other two judges were 'sheep-ish.') It was a lot of fun to see the sheep kick up their heels and prance around. Even more fun to watch the kids!

One feisty girlie -- Evelyn Maxcy and her sheep (Show photo)

*Didn't buy anything at the Fair. Funnel cakes for $12? Corn dogs for $20? I just couldn't...not even a drink. And it was hot as all getout, too.

*Managed NOT to take allergy medicine...so far, at least. Itchy, burning eyes were the worst part.

*Kept the hummingbird feeder full, just for the pleasure of seeing them. (Unfortunately, seeing them fight over it, as well.) They will be leaving very soon.

*Read several years' worth of my old blogger friend, The Prudent Homemaker. I do like Brandy's ingenuity and cheerful attitude, all on an extremely low budget. I always get some new ideas to try, too.

*Used fans and a portable cooler (all several years old, from the thrift shop) to minimize the air conditioning. 

*Some beautiful fabric found on Ebay -- some of it vintage, some for a quilt I'm working on: $6-9/yd. (Those prices are good nowadays.) Including this

This, too. I couldn't help it... just so whacky.

*Found a penny on the floor of the fifth-wheel. Whoo hoo,...

*Returned a bag of rolls and a bag of oranges -- they went bad too quickly.

*Ordered a present for myself -- and a girlie. Half off on Amazon, plus free shipping.

*Ordered some books a sister-in-law has been wanting for years. Bought myself some, too...all discounted, and all shipping for free (Ebay). Most were 2 for 1. (Yow!) Tell me -- why were books on sale like this in August??

*Went without at the library (sob) -- it's still closed .until the 26th, when it will FINALLY reopen. I will then return all the books and videos I've kept over the summer. Update: It did! I even stopped by the grand reopening...and put a boatload of items on hold. 

*Pulled a ham from the freezer, which covered a number of breakfasts and other meals, including some tasty beans seasoned with the hambone. (Slice ham, Swiss cheese and seed crackers -- our newest appetizer!) Used several other things from the freezer, rather than going to the grocery store, including milk and some of our free pizzas. Adapted recipes as needed, when I didn't have exactly what the recipe called for.  (It worked, by the way.) I also tried cooking some things on top of the stove, instead of baking them. (That wasn't so good. Cornbread 'muffins' don't translate to pancakes.)

*Thrift shop buys:  a bath mat, books (Christmas presents)...and a great New York City print.

*Met with our investment firm, Lord and Richards -- to double-check what we could afford for buying a house.

*Free Faith Day at the Rockies - thanks to L & R. We had a shady spot in one of the suites,  all the hot dogs, cheesesteak and chicken tenders we could eat, and a concert by Hillsong United afterwards. A fine day was had by all, even though it was really hot -- and the Rocks lost. (We did have to pay $20 for parking. They really gouge you down by Coors Field.)

    If you're looking for an honest investment firm, consider Lord & Richards. They've been careful with our money. True, we could have earned a bit more interest -- but at this point in our frazzled world, I'd rather they erred on the cautious side. 

*Got an invite to be an election judge this fall. That will be fun again. 

*We kept busy. I cleaned bathrooms, washed windows, washed clothes, dusted and scrubbed -- and kept trying to tidy up. The Brick repaired the lawnmower (again), mowed the lawn a few times (a monumental job, taking a very long day to finish), did some other repairs...and drove for Broken Tree. Sang on worship team for church a couple of weeks We dropped our friends off at the airport -- and picked them up. 

*Finished a boatload of reports.  A few more to go.

*Did prep work for Medicare -- and finances, so we know how much we can use as a downpayment on a house/land. 

*Our land-hunting trips were all very long days -- so no hotel needed. We ate frugally at places like McDonald's and Burger King, too.

*Hosted a fun birthday birthday party for our friends Jenny and Letha -- burgers, cake and pie, oh my!

*Bought a collection of novels by Grace Livingston Hill for Kindle -- 99 cents. (I also found a number of books on Project Gutenberg for "Gracie." (These are free, and can be downloaded or read online.) 'Gracie' is one of sister-in-law's and my favorite authors for relaxing reading. 

*25 pounds of jasmine rice at a reasonable price, thanks to Sam's Club. (Don't be surprised if rice prices double -- or even triple -- in the near future, thanks to India's decision in July to ban rice exports.) Ten pounds of pinto beans from the same spot -- 69 cents/lb.

*A number of photos purchased for future books and articles -- BUT I made offers (and was accepted) on every single one. I saved up to 50% of the asking price by doing this. After I paid postage for the first photo, shipping was free on the rest.  (Historic Images on Ebay) These are huge money-savers in the long run; it can cost up to $200 just to rent a single image for a book. (Ask me how I know!) 

*New energy-saving LED lightbulbs - brighter and not hot. This is a real blessing, since I almost set the fifth-wheel on fire, by propping a book against the reading lamp on my side of the bed. The book was charring and smoking when I just 'happened' to notice it.  (Thank you, God.)

*Received some Bigfoot presents from silly friends. They're great!

                                  (After all, they must have made it onto Noah's ark somehow...)

*Grocery buys: gallon whole milk x 2 ($1.97 each), free sour cream, half-priced eggs (Safeway). Free Pop-Tarts, 99-cent milk, peanut butter and bread (King Soopers). Kraft ranch dressing - big bottles for $1.97 each; $16.58 pkgs of Kona coffee (24 oz), boxes of animal crackers (for Christmas stockings & a friend's classroom), a little more than $1 each. (Amazon Warehouse).  Not many things were on sale this month -- and another price jump in most, including milk and meat products, is evident. I didn't even go to the grocery stores for a few weeks.

FRUGAL MISSES

*Some salad greens and diced tomato spoiled - due to free supper 'Spirit' week at church. (See the July report.) Plus a cube of butter. Ruby got some goodies before they spoiled -- same issue.  Bought my first full-priced gallon of milk in two years. (More sale-priced milk is in the freezer now.)

*Multiple trips to look for land/house. We're up to six, so far. Seven, counting the weeklong trip down to Arizona. We were careful on food purchases and didn't stay overnight, but paid for a lot of gas. 

*Struggles with our computers. Is it the heat that caused them to act up? 

*The garden: pretty much a total loss, unless you count a couple of marigolds, petunias and two small tomatoes. (The grasshoppers apparently couldn't make it up to the balcony, where the barrel planters were.) I didn't bother planting more, since 1) those stupid grasshoppers will probably live long enough to eat the baby plants, and 2) our first possible frost date is approaching.

    Here's an irony: I've been watering the pansy basket from spring...and thought it was a goner. It's starting to bloom again!  P.S. Don't tell THEM.

Grrrrr....

 I washed a hooked rug, and it disintegrated. Chinese-made, so I'm not heartbroken, but still... Hopefully the bath rug I got from the thrift shop will hold up better.

*No TABOR check this year. The Powers That Be are hoping that we'll pass a 'property tax relief' amendments in November's election...which will seriously affect how much we get. They have been trying to get rid of TABOR ever since we've lived in Colorado -- because it requires, after a certain amount of sales tax collected, to refund the overage to Colorado citizens. Which means less money to play with by the legislature. After all -- they know best. Right?? 

    Anyways, no checks until 2024. Maybe even 2025. 

*Paid for lunch at Big Bills NY Pizza in Littleton-- but we got the special, thanks to our friend. Amazing food. I also spent some fun moments gawking at possible-Mafia types. (But I really need to go back to Gaetano's for that. See my book, if you're curious.)

*Paid for the trailer license  -- less than $100, which was nice.

*Renewed our Sam's Club membership -- half price. Not as good as last year, but $25 still saved. 

*Sold all but one share of Red Robin. A recent report shows they only have a year's worth of expenses left. Also, it had negative earnings for the quarter. All of this makes me very uneasy. (I could have sold sooner for more. Ah well.) I did keep one share, as a sort of memory.

*Stocks went down. A lot. I did buy some extra at lower prices. A few dividends came in, too.

*Two packages of videos, to friends plus our darling nieces & nephews in Michigan, never made it past the Detroit shipping facility.  "I can understand one -- but BOTH?" the postmaster here in Colorado said. Yup. A third pkg  -- a CD I ordered for the Brick -- never arrived; at least the Amazon seller refunded that one. Maybe DHL and the Post Office have it in for me?

*Broke a plate. Chipped several mugs, but we're still using them. (sigh) 

*Still trying to use up items in cupboards.  (Not by breaking plates!!) We're going into the fifth year -- and we still have personal care items from before we moved. The curse of being a packrat. Or is this a HIT -- because we don't have to buy those things?

Seven years of writing Hits & Misses monthly reports!! Hard to believe. Here's last month's report.  Plus the August report for 2022 -- and the year before that.  What's next?!? At this point - who knows.

It's Raining!

 

This happens so infrequently around here in Colorado that any wet stuff is a celebration. (Plus it brings the temperature down.) 

     A movie and popcorn tonight to celebrate.

Get UP, Already!

 

Ruby sighs. Really loudly. If we forgot and left her collar on, she makes sure that jingles, as well. And she tries her darndest to open the sliding door between our 'upstairs' (where the bedroom is) and 'downstairs.'

When we were living in Michigan, we slept on a mattress on the floor. I would wake up many mornings with a doggie face inches away, staring at me. Not a fun way to start the day...

"Well, I gotta go OUT, Mommmm...."

Philip S. Miller Library Is Back On the Air!

 If you're in the Denver, CO area... the best library in Castle Rock and the world (!!!) is finally reopening on Saturday the 26th. Stop by from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. for shows, tours and goodies. Go here for more.

Even if you don't love books -- and I do -- we need to keep the librarians happy. Otherwise this might happen...

I can hardly wait...

Us vs Them

 

Countries, sure...but I wonder if this applies to Republicans and Democrats, too.

Naaahhhhh...

(Thanks, Tom Gauld, for the thought.)

For the Brick...

 ...who cooks for me every Monday night. 

Kind of.  (And I'm grateful!)

All Too True...

 

Monday Stuff On the Way to Other Stuff: Keeping On

    Or trudging, more like. But at least I'm making forward progress. 

Fall is definitely starting to creep into our valley: golden fields, wild sunflowers and bursts of high wind rustling the leaves. The grasshoppers are thinning out, thank God, but we still have Really Hot days. (Yesterday, in Denver for a Rockies game, it was 111 degrees by the time we left Coors Field.) An occasional storm keeps life bearable.

Meanwhile:

Doc and Jenny Veldt -- if you're reading this, know that we love you and are praying for strength and peace for you. 

Why Spam lasts seemingly forever.  There's a reason...and it isn't perfume.

I personally choose all my fragrances by whether they complement Spam.

A bazillionaire escapes by being stuffed in a three-foot box, then smuggled out of the country. Now he's refusing to pay his rescuers.

John Fielder died last week, from cancer. This wonderful landscape photographer was very important to Colorado - and the West.

    He did something amazing in January -- he donated his entire life's work to public domain (and History Colorado).

A very funny video of a leopard, who sees an easy snack in a troupe of baboons. (Let's say it this way -- they change his mind.)

Another interesting video -- of a tennis player at the U.S. Open, who refuses to continue to play until a woman in the stands stops imitating a bee! 

An unusual painting, featuring a slave teenager (who was overpainted for centuries) has been restored to its original self. Belizaire is once again on display.

Belizaire and the Frey Children, c.1837, attributed to Jacques Guillaume

He was the children's caretaker, according to family records

Belizaire -- before the painting's restoration

A suspected thief at the British Museum has been outed -- he's one of the senior curators in Greek and Roman art! Yowwww...

AI is being increasingly used to fake term papers for college students. Who's griping about it? The people who write those reports for them!

'Stamped' concrete -- a surprising way to do this!  (From My Thrift Store Addiction)

Did Trump really say, "I've done more for Christianity than Jesus?"  (The answer: no. But Christianity Today magazine thinks he should be booted out of politics, just the same.)

Weird 'mind-boggling' facts.  Are they? I know some of these are true. But not all.

The best opening line ever written.  Some surprising entries from Quora readers.

Hmmm... maybe BIG cats DO exist in the British countryside!

Things you never noticed before -- or did you? (I never noticed the bear on the Toblerone wrapper! Some interesting revelations about Disney's Goofy, too.)

People who never made a cent off their creations.  Including the guy who invested Smiley Face, one of the The Mama's favorite icons. (She loved Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh, as well. Makes no sense.)

Cheap meals for large groups. This may come in handy for your next family reunion.  (From Moneysaving Mom)

'What was a loophole you found -- and exploited to the max?'   Quorans hold forth.

One easy apron, four ways.  (From The Prudent Homemaker)

Have a good week. Keep on keeping on.

More Treasure Appears

 An incredible gold find -- by a guy who's only been metal detecting for a year. 

Peter Astley was participating in a 'lookee-loo' day for his club, the Midlands Detecting Days, at Ashcombe Park Hall in Staffordshire, England. Too many people were searching on the grounds for his taste, so he went nearby, instead.

"I spent three hours searching one field and decided to switch to another one because I hadn't found anything.

'I went to a field close to the hall and decided to search a couple of metres in front of the edge of the field as I thought lots of people would have looked there.

'I spotted some undulations on the surface so I decided to look there. I got a signal and dug down. A clump came out and I broke it up and there was a gold face of a hammered coin shining brightly in the sunlight.

'I realised they were actually two coins together and nothing had come between them in 500 years. I pulled them apart and just thought, "Wow". I checked the hole and got another signal and found another half-sovereign and then another one and then another one."

The final count: nine half-sovereigns, dating back to Henry VIII's reign. (That monarch loses more stuff!**) One, dated from Edward VI's reign, is especially rare. Estimated value: more than 30,000 pounds. Astley thinks they may have been a highwayman's loot, hidden quickly until he could come back and retrieve them. Who knows...

**Here --

    and here, too

The Catherine of Aragon pendant -- another 'lost-now-found' royal artifact. 

(See the first link above for more.)

Well....

 

Pavlov

 

Our Weimies LOVED to ride in the car -- and they knew we were making regular trips to the post office to ship books for Brickworks. So every time I got out the tape and shipping envelopes, they'd start panting & running back and forth, looking at the front door.

Yes, I'd trained them just like Pavlov -- to respond to shipping tape.

For Ruby, it's taking a shower - and putting on dressier clothes. She starts pacing by the door, and trying to get in the truck. 

Weird little dog.