Now THAT Makes More Sense!

 

More of People who were ridiculed and worse-- but had a reason all along. 

And many times, they were right!

National Coffee Day -- and Coffee Things I Don't Understand

Hopefully you're going to be thirsty on Sept. 29 -- because it's National Coffee Day!  And coffee shops everywhere will be celebrating. 

Here's Denver, CO's version -- check with your local shop to see what they're offering.

Meanwhile, some fun photos and memes celebrating that wonderful stuff. (You know I enjoy talking about this.) 

But I'll take the Brick's coffee anytime. We ate the last caramel apples with his most recent batch -- it was wonderful.

"Norm!"

and finally...

She needs to try the Brick's...

If You're Moving - No Doubt You Can Relate

 

Frugal Hits & Misses: September Report

 “Two sounds of autumn are unmistakable...the hurrying rustle of crisp leaves blown along the street...by a gusty wind, and the gabble of a flock of migrating geese.”

― Hal Borland

    My favorite season of the year is just beginning. Thankfully, the past few weeks of September have had warm days, but cooler nights -- perfect sleeping weather. We could have a frost any time (it dipped into the low 40s the past few nights) -- but there's nothing left in the garden to freeze. I thought about buying flowers, but considering that they might get nailed any time, it's not worth it. Hanging baskets were $36.99 at Lowe's -- outrageous! 

     Last month, we spent more than we'd planned. No doubt, it had something to do with all those trips looking at houses and land. I've been so grateful that the truck has been powering along; we haven't had any major repairs, bodywise, either. The Brick will take the truck for hunting season in mid-October...which means I'll spend a few days at home with Ruby. Quickie meals, lots of movies and time to work. Won't that be lovely!

    Time to start thinking about Christmas presents; this post from The Prudent Homemaker helps. I've had some happy moments mentally planning how to decorate our new house. But we have a whole month of things that need to get done first. And I really don't want to rush through this season. It's too lovely not to slow down and enjoy.

Fall...happy sigh.

FRUGAL HITS

(Some of these are from late August -- yes, this is a bit early, but we head for Vegas Wednesday, so I can do some appraising there)

*Finally eligible for Medicare! This brought all sorts of bonuses, including $75 credit for personal items every three months (the Brick gets $40), dental insurance...and help for my gimpy knee. All for pretty much the cost of my regular insurance. Soooo grateful for this. Speaking of:

*Earned a $10 giftcard for listening to a Medicare proposal. October and November are prime months for changing your plan, by the way, if you're 65-plus. 

*Furniture offers from dear friends for our new place. Also a free set of dishes. (They have to hang onto these things until we move, though -- no place to store them right now.)

*Photos for future articles -- bought on discount from Ebay. A few postcards, too. The quilt photo prices were way less than I usually see. Like this one, c.1900:

*The Brick drove for Broken Tree, our local church for people with disabilities, ran several errands and did some computer work for them. (He fixed our computer, too, after several grueling hours -- though the printer is still misbehaving.) We sang on Worship Team a few weeks for our church. 

*The Brick also did several chores around the ranch, including mowing the lawn -- and the field. (The latter took about 20 hours.) He helped our friend work on the tractor and washing machine. I re-inked their welcome sign and tidied up a bit, in addition to chores needed in the fifth-wheel.

* Red roses -- a dozen for $1.75. Some for me, a dozen for a friend.

*The Brick got a credit for 1 1/2 years' worth on his hunting app -- free -- after it kept malfunctioning. (It seems to be fixed now.) We also used it while househunting, to analyze land.

*A free dinner at Hickory House in Parker (Medicare workshop)...and friends went with us. We have another one coming in October.

*Free birthday supper at the local Chinese buffet - which features unlimited sushi. (Thank you for covering Dad's meal, Daughter #1!) The Brick got me a jar of Seville orange marmalade (yum) and a cookbook of Irish pub food. Yum for him, too!

*Had some paperwork notarized for free, thanks to our local credit union. Dumped in a jar of change, while I was at it. No charge for that, either.

*Sold a bunch of stock - after dividends were posted. This will go to the house payment.

*Managed to sidestep several items that the title company was going to charge us for, including mortgage insurance and an appraisal. (We are paying for an inspection and a radon check, however.)

*Got an election job! Usually I'm hired for only Election Day, but this year I got 1 1/2 weeks worth. Long hours, and meh pay -- but you can also bring other things to work on. It means staying a little past the house closing...but not much. 

*Had my teeth cleaned and checked -- free under Medicare! And no cavities. (whew)

*Found a penny on the fifth-wheel steps. A second one in the washer.

*Castle Rock's library is open again-- hooray!  I used it for several appraisal appointments (thank you, study rooms). The booksale room produced a number of kids' books for gifts, plus filling a box for our nieces and nephews in Michigan. A few videos, too. They've offered BOGO coupons, and I have several to use in October...whoo hoo! 

*Birthday presents: flowers and a hutch for our new house (I'd admired it at Daughter #1's house, and she gave it to me!), some wonderful cards, a lovely pair of fleece-lined slippers (thank you, Daughter #2 and Son #1) ...and salami. (Actually, it was ingredients for a charcuterie board.)

*Bought groceries every other week -- and then generally sale items, or what we needed. Used up items out of the freezer. (Then we won't have to lug as much.) I plan to do this all through October, as well, so we can have the maximum cash for furniture purchases, as well as the house payment. Same goes for household items -- only what's necessary. 

*I Did NOT buy sale chicken.  (Trying to work freezer space down...both for moving and hopefully for elk meat.) But it was hard...I did cave on King Soopers' butterfly shrimp ($7.99/2 lbs). I also got a $4 credit at King Soopers, and double reward points (for my birth month) at Safeway.

*Fixed two King Soopers mistakes -- one to the tune of $2.49 pound for peaches that were on sale for 99 cents. Too bad they no longer give you the item(s) free, if theirs is the mistake. (And it was, in both cases.) One friend had the same thing happen with her peaches -- and since she had other things to do, went home. I wonder how much extra profit KS makes from 'mistakes' like this.

*Caramel apples: 3-packs for $1.20 and singles for 45 cents. (King Soopers) I always thought of these, as well as Pop-Tarts, as 'rich people snacks.' (You can tell how often I got them as a kid.) Ate a bunch, gave some to our kids, and some to our friend, a teacher, for her class. (And her hungry husband)

*Grocery buys: Gallons of milk ($1.97 ea), Palisade peaches (97 cents/lb), 15 pounds of potatoes ($5), bagels (6 for 99 cents) Safeway. Apple pies, $1.98 each, Buy 2 Get 2 Coke and Barq's, 33-cent dented-box Rice A Ronis, more Palisade peaches (99 cents/lb), 2-pound bags of tomatoes, 3-peppers, 2-cuke bags (99 cents each); cans of enchilada sauce ($1.24 and $1.28), a dozen baked goods ($1.80), half-gallon milk 99 cents, King Soopers. cans of Ortega green chilies (67 cents each), Amazon Warehouse.

 .

*Free appetizer ($12.99!), plus a birthday burger at Red Robin. We both have a free burger waiting for us, as well. (They had a quickie 20% off sale on gift cards -- I bought a bunch, for us and presents.)

*Lunch with a lawyer friend - who not only covered it, but ordered a brownie-to-go for the Brick, as well as her husband. What a nice gesture!

*More meals with friends -- their treat -- for my birthday. So kind of them.

*Listened to football games, rather than going to a restaurant to watch them. (We haven't had cable for nearly a decade now.)

*Halloween ceramic pumpkins for the girlies, from the thrift shop. I also found a potholder ($1), one of my favorite novels ($1) and two shirts ($5 & $7) -- all at 20 percent off that amount.

*A discount coupon for a haircut -- I needed it, too.

*Finished a big batch of appraisal reports. More to go...

*Sent Advent calendars early to our great-nieces and nephews...they were on sale. (I asked our niece to stash them away for use, starting Dec. 1st. It will come soon enough.) Also sent Curious George and Berenstain Bears movie collections -- Amazon had them heavily marked down, plus free shipping. (30 episodes of Curious George was just $5.00!) The kids will love these. 

*Got a pair of 'ruby' slippers and matching hat for our newest great-niece. I'll tuck something in for her big brother, as well.

*Got pre-approved for a house or land buy.  

*Bought a house! Now we'll have more space for our money, including counter space, cooking area -- and storage. Lovely, lovely storage.

FRUGAL MISSES

*Used a lot of air conditioning -- a good share of the month was still hot. So glad it's cooled down.

*Replenished propane for the fifth-wheel. We made a tank last all summer -- unusual for us. (We need to make sure the propane tank at the new house has enough for winter, too.)

*Used a lot of gas driving on househunting trips. (We were pretty careful on food, though.)

*Shipped the rearview mirror back for replacement on the truck -- it was getting cloudy. The Brick also repaired the lights in the front seat, and replaced the lightbulbs.

*Bought a house! Now we'll have extra utilities, property taxes and loan payments to make. Let the fun begin.

*My office chair broke. I still am using it anyways, in spite of the occasional poke. But it's definitely doomed.

*No trip to Palisade to get peaches -- we just didn't have time or energy. I made do with sale peaches at the grocery stores -- and let a few spoil.  Aaarrrghghghghgghgh. At least I did get five bags' worth in the freezer.

*Put my $2.98 apple pies in the freezer, turned around to put peaches in...and a pie flew out and smashed on the floor. Ruby had an impromptu snack, and the rest got thrown away. So much for that bargain. Thankfully, one pie stayed put.

*Missed out on the National Cheeseburger Day specials -- but just felt better staying at home. 

*Spent more than we'd planned in August.   Did we do better in Sept? I haven't run the monthly numbers yet.

   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *

For last month's report, see here.  For last year's September report, here it is. 2021's version is here, too. A lot of things to get done in October. Here we go!

Sunday (er, Monday) Stuff on the Way to Other Stuff: Senior Citizenry, Here We Come

    It was my birthday last week. I now know the joys of turning 65 and being eligible for Medicare. Unfortunately, that also means umpteen phone calls, commercials, etc. trying to persuade me to sign up with them for Medicare D. The Brick, being older, has been deluged with it for years. Now I know the great joy of listening to people who unleash a barrage of numbers, figures, etc...then expect me to wilt.

    They don't know this girl very well. She may have barely passed math in high school -- but is still capable of making up her own mind. Fellow Medicare-ers...don't let yourself get talked into anything you don't exactly understand. 

And thank you, Gentle Readers, a number of whom wished me Happy Birthday wishes on Facebook. 

Jim Smith sent me this very funny video on Facebook.  (Thanks, Jim!)

And Daughter #1 thoughtfully passed on an opera featuring dancing chickens. (Thanks, Lovey!) 

No, I am not making this up. This is what heredity gets you. Pass on the quirky genes...and they eventually return. 

Oh my.

P.S. Michigan's Wolverines stomped their opponents. (Rutgers)

 Colorado's Buffs, on the other hand, got stomped by their opponents (Oregon). 

                      So much for the college ball report.

Meanwhile:

Some very interesting -- and thoughtful hotel innovations.   Does this mean they actually value their customers??

A journalist apologizes for screwing up -- and he's right!  Good for him. Other journalists, are you listening? 

Was Ray Epps a planted FBI informant? Now he's pled guilty to a misdemeanor connected to Jan. 6. What seems odd is that he was filmed being much more involved than a number of people who've actually gone to jail for their actions that day. Hmmm...

A Michigan toddler wanders off into the woods...found hours later sleeping peacefully, using one family dog as a pillow. The other dog snuggled up next to her.  Good dogs!!!

The Denver Art Museum removes a high-end donor's (and "esteemed scholar") name from the museum...because turns out she was involved in moving some looted Cambodian artifacts. (Hmmmm....in case you're wondering, they returned some of the artifacts, too. But not all of them. Yet.)

Here's Part I of her story. It's not a pretty one. A much longer article about the whole affair. (This does make me wonder if DAM struck some kind of deal with the feds, so they couldn't be sued for being a fence for Bunker and her dealer friend, Latchford. Both are conveniently dead, by the way.)

First date stories. 

Firecracker and Wanderer had a baby! These financial bloggers also have an interesting travel series.

Balmain collection originals -- hijacked and stolen on their way to a Paris fashion show.

Photos from drones.  Some strange ones, too.

Arrested -- and finally cleared -- for 'silently praying' outside an abortion clinic. It took SIX months for the investigation to finish -- but hey, she got an apology from the police.  Incredible.

A copycat recipe for Cracker Barrel's famous hashbrown casserole. Yum.

Fourteen times movies affected popular culture... in odd little ways.

HOA horror stories.   Most of the properties around Fort Garland had HOAs connected to them -- many connected with Forbes Ranch. We were soooo grateful to find a place that was HOA-free. 

A fascinating (and long) look at Errol Flynn and his various quirks and foibles.

A clever calculator that lets you see how long it will take to repay your mortgage. (Found it, thanks to Brandy at The Prudent Homemaker.)

Valuable things -- worth millions! -- found in abandoned places. Including a step-by-step story on the discovery of one safe.

A Colorado 'parental evaluator' tries desperately to hide some very large closet skeletons. (It's not working, Honey. Word is spreading.)

Steven Sund, former chief of Capital police during the Jan. 6 event, testifies before the House committee. And he has some very interesting things to say. 

D-I-V-O-R-C-E.  A classic from yours truly.

She finally got her designer creations back -- literally years after Sam Brinton stole them!

An interesting classic, funny but with a sting -- Ray Stevens' Obama (er, Biden) Budget Plan.

Was the program 'Ancient Aliens' actually right?  These accounts suggest it was. (Or might be, at least.)

UFO reports -- from pilots and astronauts. Unsettling.

Weird things found at the bottom of the Great Lakes.  A 1910 locomotive??

Spend with Pennies, an interesting budget blog I just stumbled on. It includes frugal tips, recipes and such.

The oldest foods ever discovered -- are some still edible?

Amazing historical places and artifacts -- now destroyed, thanks for terrorists.

A Danish artist has to pay back his fee -- after he submits BLANK CANVASES to the museum.  Shades of John Cage, who sat at the piano during a performance -- never played a note -- then took a bow. People actually clapped!

Have a good week.

Our New House!

 Some Gentle Readers have been asking me about our move to Fort Garland, from the Sedalia ranch we've been living at in the fifth wheel. So here you go -- more about our soon-to-be home there. 

You probably have guessed that Fort Garland is named for a military installation. A fort was established in 1858 in the San Luis Valley to protect settlers, travelers and deal with Indian battles (the Utes, specifically.)  Here it is -- plain, practical and pretty typical for Western forts. 

After the Utes were moved to reservations (not a bright chapter in the West's history), the fort was eventually abandoned in 1883. It's now a museum.

Most people don't have a clue where Fort Garland is -- simply because it's a mere spit in the road, compared to its much larger neighbors, La Veta, Walsenburg and Alamosa. It probably would have remained that way, had Malcolm Forbes not entered the picture. He bought up thousands of acres of land and built a lavish ranch for his family. Eventually the Forbes family started selling lots on 'Forbes Ranch,' turning the area into a gated community for upscalers. Many of these people used their cabins as a summer spot, with plenty of open space for hunting, as well as fishing at the nearby reservoir. 

(The HOAs in this area, by the way, are pretty stiff, although the Forbes Ranch version at least covers road maintenance and garbage pickup. Lots of rules, too -- and our fifth-wheel was NOT welcome, except for limited periods. But prices for the lots, many which still show damage from an extensive fire in 2018, are reasonable. Many, particularly on the lots where homes burned, also include well access and septic tanks. )

Forbes, Inc. also developed the Sangre de Cristo Ranches, and began selling lots in the early 1970s. They stopped in 2000, not long before 'our' house was built in 2003. Many of the houses, ours included, were brought in fully manufactured -- ours was put on a foundation, and a full basement added. (Also unusual in this area, based on the many properties we looked at. Usually it's just a crawlspace -- or a cement slab.) Our house does NOT have an HOA, which pleases us both. (HOAs, as many people have found out, can increase their rates and charge what they please -- and you have to pay it. This bothered us big-time, and definitely kept us from buying one of the Forbes Ranch properties.)

Bear in mind: we've been living in a 32-foot fifth wheel now for approx. 4 1/2 years. (We sold the Collins house in late September 2019.) Although it's been quite comfortable, and has let us go where we needed to (like Michigan and Arizona), a constant problem has been the lack of storage space. We don't have to worry about that any longer --

This place has three bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, a study, upstairs and downstairs living areas, with a kitchen and deck upstairs. Downstairs, there's access to a two-car garage area, plus a third that opens up to a workshop. (No more working on the car outside in the cold!) Several storage areas, PLUS a separate small barn that has storage in a crawlspace, as well as a full attic. 

Oh my. I am already drooling. 

                And a library!

The house and shed sit on a bit more than ten acres of trees and sage: typical Colorado landscape. (We've already gotten several jokes about shooting the annual deer/elk right off the deck. We could!) It's dry here, and the previous owner wasn't much for xeriscaping or sturdy perennials. (That's ok -- I know what to grow, and the Brick has promised me a greenhouse, eventually.)  It's dry and sandy, also typical for Colorado. Even better -- the house is surrounded by an open area. (Fire damage stays at a minimum - and insurance costs are less.) But forest is close by, as you can see from the photos. And it's topped with a lovely view of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range.

The back deck -- and easily a 60-mile or so view

We have our own well and septic field. Propane, which we intend to stretch -- since we also have a woodstove, plus a few cords ready for use. (We also plan to install a solar array.) Our neighbors aren't that far away, though not close by. (Okay with us.) The road is gravel, but it's regularly maintained by Costilla County. (Also okay.) It's only 10 min. drive down to the valley and Fort Garland (post office, realty, a dollar store -- a few restaurants, a small grocery), and another 20 miles to Alamosa, which pretty much has everything you'd desire, including a thrift shop (!!!) and Walmart.

Our kids are still in the Denver area. So is much of my work, and our friends from Castle Rock and parts nearby. Fortunately, Fort Garland is up to 3-4 hours away,  but not that much of a drive, considering it's mostly I-25 highway. My guess is that we'll be up north every 3 weeks or so, if not more. Which is about what we do now for trips to Denver, plus seeing our kids, anyways. 

            Master bedroom

The Brick and I have literally prayed this decision into being. We'd tried and tried with other houses to make it happen -- and the door kept slamming in our faces. The opposite happened to this house. To our surprise, we closed the contract --and had enough funds (and a good credit score) to make it work. I think this is where we're supposed to be next. 

We'll move in mid-November. Now, some photos. We'll be starting over as far as furniture goes -- but there are some nice bargains out there. We just have to wait until we have somewhere to store them. Fortunately, we have good friends who offered us furniture pieces...and are willing to wait a month for us to pick them up. 

Kitchen...

And the living room leading to the kitchen and dining area

Living room upstairs...

...and downstairs.