Christ is Risen...

 He is risen indeed.

And He did.

Happy Easter!

Good Friday

 

You Go, Kids!

 

More great 'wholesome' posts via Bored Panda...

Frugal Hits & Misses: March Report

 This has been a tighter month than most -- due in great part to some unexpected truck expenses. Last month's property tax payment sucked up the extra cushion we normally have, and left us scraping bottom. We made it through, but not without dipping into the emergency fund. Hey --that's what emergency funds are for! 

It has snowed a lot this month. The first was more than 2 feet. Another snowstorm was 'only' a foot. But thanks to our bright sun, it's melting fast. Typical for Colorado. (And typical for March in Colorado.) Whenever I get tired of gray and white, I read Brandy's blog at The Prudent Homemaker -- her garden photos are wonderful, and she makes a gracious life for herself and family on a miniscule budget.

Spring, you are coming back... right?

FRUGAL HITS

(Some of these are from late February)

*We went to our first local auction -- with many of our attendees Amish and Hispanic. (I had trouble not staring at one swaggering vaquero, complete with cowboy hat and pistol on one hip, tucked in a leather holster.) When the dust cleared, we'd spent only $65 for a floor jack.  (The cup or two of dust consumed was free.)

*Finished the USPAP update class paid for in January. (Expensive, but I had no choice.) This is required every third year -- so now I'm good through 2026.

*Made a quadruple payment on the house loan.  It stretched us more than a bit, but we made it. (Would I have done this, if I'd known about the truck expenses? Will we regret it in the long run? )

*Used surprisingly little propane for heat, thanks to our trusty woodstove, large windows with southern exposure... and a generous supply of cut and split wood. (Thank you, Mr. Hawkins!) I'm looking forward to warmer weather, when I can stop using the dryer and hang clothes out, instead. That will cut our propane use even more. 

*Red Robin gift cards - at 20% off!  We'll use these for presents, as well as ourselves.

*Used up some peppermint lotion by adding a little water. (It was too thick, anyways.) I cleaned out several other bottles of Stuff this way.

*Found a wad of $2 bills while cleaning in the fifth-wheel: $110! (I'm getting as bad as The Mama, stashing money in places, then forgetting where it is.)

*Friends are coming for Easter dinner...I'll be serving several things from the freezer, including ham, frozen peaches (smoothies, maybe?) and apple tart. No colored eggs, though.

*Bought 8 frugal living/finance books on Ebay -- for the price of 6! Most paid was $6.50 - the rest were $5.50 or less.. I grouped the more expensive books together in one order, so the 'buy 3, get 1 free' applied to a higher price. (The third order of 4 was cancelled - and money refunded. See below.) Went back and bought 8 more, with 2 free -- this time, mostly on Great Lakes shipwrecks and lost treasure -- plus two copies of an especially good frugal book, How to Survive Without A Salary. Two more books, one heavily discounted to $3.99 from $14.95, from Amazon. Free shipping on all the books. (Not being close to a library really wears on this booklover. And yes, I used my allowance.)

These are incredibly helpful for frugal savings and wise investments. 

Look for the seller 'Second Sale' on Ebay -- they might still be running the special.

*We waited to go to the local hot springs -- then got the senior discount. Less than $25 for two, which is a real steal here in Colorado. This was our 'vacation' -- one of the few years we haven't gone somewhere in Feb. (for the Brick's birthday) or March. (We'll make up for it a bit in April.)

*St. Patrick's Day corned beef hash -- made from canned corned beef in the pantry, onions and local potatoes. (we are in the middle of a huge potato-growing area.) The leftover corned beef was combined with a box of Kraft macaroni & cheese -- surprisingly delicious.

*Made two gallons of milk stretch for almost three weeks. Didn't visit the grocery store much, either, though the Brick got me a gallon of milk while running errands. Even paying a little more for milk pays off if you don't get anything else. 

*Expanded one burger to feed both of us -- by adding a can of kidney beans and barbecue sauce to the crumbled-up burger. Voila: sloppy joes! I could have made the mixture go even further by serving it IN the bun, instead of on top, openface-style. (It was good, too.)

*A free pizza from Daughter #2 and Son #1...who also stopped and picked up some extra groceries (milk! eggs! steak!) on their way here to visit. (And wouldn't let me pay, the sweethearts.)

*The Brick fixed a clogged toilet and a leak under the kitchen sink. A handy man is wonderful to have around.

*Ate down the freezer -- because we needed to. Among other things, we made roast beef, peach smoothies, beef pad thai (tiny piece of beef), orange chicken, one (small) chicken potpie, a leftover cinnamon roll, 'freezer' chili (tomatoes, roasted green chilis, leftover salsa -- and a few hamburger patties), pea soup and Korean dumplings. (What a burden -- limp hand to forehead.) I do NOT want to find myself in the position of the Collins house -- when we dumped the barely functioning freezer with food still in it.

*Planted basil, onions and chives. Jerusalem artichokes are next, when the snow melts.

*Binge watched Person of Interest. We both love this series -- just finishing up three seasons.

*Dollar Tree buys:  bought seeds (4 for $1), plus a few 'reward' gifts for my piano student, and a paperback from one of my favorite authors, Jenny Colgan. $1.25 each!

*A friend at church gave me a series of beginner piano books for my student. Saffyra is playing out of the first one now.  (Thank you, Karen!) My student's mom paid with a loaf of challah and some tamales. (Thank you, Rebekah -- yum!)

*Royalties from the Crazy Quilts e-book. Also a small check from Quora. Every bit helps!

*Did you know you can freeze mandarin oranges? (Peel, then freeze separated sections on a cookie sheet. Store in a plastic bag.)  They'll be a refreshing treat this summer.

*Gave a book away. Did a few appraisals... and finished up several reports.

*Played and sang on the worship team at church.

*Visited Sunshine Salvage Country Store during their inventory reduction sale. This bare bones Amish place not only has all sorts of things in bulk, but offers a range of discounted/salvage items similar to my beloved but past tense Friday/Saturday Store. 

     We trotted out of there with two huge boxes stuffed full of goods, everything from chocolates to cereal to teriyaki sauce, for less than $60. The Brick found reasonably-priced LED bulbs, and I snagged several items from the 'free box' for Ruby. I also found dollar bags of chewbones for her. We took a friend who had never visited there; it was a pleasure to watch him digging excitedly through boxes, and exclaiming when he found a treasure. 

*Heart-shaped waffle makers -- for even less than the one I ordered at discount a few years ago! 

*Several birthday, St. Patrick's and Easter cards went out. 

*Grocery buys:  25-cent containers of Progresso soup-in-a-cup and boxes of Keebler cookies; dollar boxes of Ferrero Rocher and Russell Stover chocolates; boxes of stuffing mix (2 for $1)...and a variety of other sauces, soups, cereal, etc. for 50 cents to a dollar each. Yoww! (Sunshine Salvage). Free pizza; $3.97/lb sirloin steak (same price as sausage and pork chops? And only 50 cents more than regular hamburger? Really??), half-gallons of milk, $1.17 each; 1.5 qts of ice cream, $2.77 each; a pound of ricotta cheese for $2; mushrooms in bulk, $2.55/lb. (Safeway)

*Got an 'iffy' package of bratwurst from Safeway -- and returned it for credit. And yes, had to stop and fix yet another mischarge. (Why is it always in the store's favor??) 

FRUGAL MISSES

*LOTS of truck-related expenses: tools, labor and parts. (We're past $1500, and headed for a cool $2000 now.) The Brick saved a great deal by doing some of the repairs himself.

*Paid full price for groceries -- milk and eggs. We needed them. (Yes, I know this sounds silly. But I do pride myself on buying even necessities on sale, if at all possible.)

*Got a bad book from the Ebay order -- not only was it grubby, with a garage sale sticker, but the back cover was half torn off. But something surprising happened -- the third 'cancelled' order of books, showed up, anyways! The seller graciously let me keep the 'cancelled' books. A nice bonus.

*Some of the Progresso cup-of-soup toppings were stale. (The soup, on the other hand, was fine.) And of course, I had to serve it on the same day our breakfast sausages also tasted 'iffy.' Sigh...

*Spent a lot more on gas than usual. Between our friend's therapy appointments and truck parts and maintenance, several trips to Alamosa were needed. We did not go to Denver at all this month.

*Trouble with my 'w' key again, which spread to the '2' key. Then suddenly cleared itself up...

*No found money this month -- though I looked. (Well, except for the $2 bills.) Darn it.

Here's last month's report. March 2023 is here...and March 2022 is here. 

Upward and onward.

Somebody That I Used to Know

 

Just came across this wonderfully quirky dance team -- accompanied by 'Somebody I Used to Know' by Gotye. Think ballet -- and puppets.

Enjoy...

Been There, Done That

 

Monday Stuff on the Way to Other Stuff: Where Are the Flowers??

     The older man we bought this property from was nice -- but a bit crusty. His wife had died a few years earlier, which was evident in the choice of room decor and emphasis on tools and Guy Stuff. Very masculine.  

     I had hoped that Wife would have planted some perennials, especially flower bulbs. After all, our Collins house will have daffodils, tulips and hyacinths blooming about now. 

     Have I seen any?  Not a sprout. Kind of makes me feel a bit upside-down, what with the recent snow and all. It IS Spring... isn't it?

     Guess this is going to be a fall project. Meanwhile, I started some onion and chives seed. Jerusalem artichokes are next. 

Update:  Never mind -- for now. We woke up to a foot of snow on the ground, and more coming down.

Meanwhile:

Want to be trendy? Eat spam sushi!

An Italian skier survives 23 hours buried in an avalanche -- with only a few minor issues.  Wow!

This is silly -- and I know it. But I really enjoy these videos about budget meals from the dollar store. Walmart's okay, too. Witness:

Easter dinner from Dollar Tree  (some of this actually looks good)

And... Easter dinner, the Walmart version. 

Gives you ideas, anyways.

Or go the other direction, where the sky's the limit: A boatload of Easter dinner ideas from Bon Appetit.

Turning store-bought refried beans into something that tastes more like the real thing.  (From thekitchn)

'I'm drowning in debt:' five stories from student loan debtors. I'm trying to be sympathetic here -- but in every single case, the person sems to have tried to ignore their level of debt...until they couldn't any longer. And few worked during college. (The Brick and I both worked our brains out, trying to minimize this. And we still ended up with a $10,000 debt -- which we paid off, month by month, year by year. So yes, it can be done.)

Oops, Shaun King -- next time, you'd better wait at least a week for announcing you'd converted to Islam -- then the NEXT DAY, announcing a $1000/ticket speaking tour based on your momentous decision. Yep, it was definitely because of the "people of Gaza"... sure. P.S. How much of that money will actually be donated to them? King says 100% -- and he's doing it for the cause, not his own profit and/or notoriety. Just like he's handled other fundraisers and causes.

A Brazilian lady carries her fetus inside for 56 YEARS before anyone notices.   Then its removal contributes to her death...

3500 miles... just so you could go to school.  Would you do it?

A family returns 22 looted artifacts from Okinawa in WWII -- found in their deceased father's attic. Here's the weird part: Dad was a WWII veteran -- but was never in the Pacific theater! (A letter found with the items is said to explain it -- I wish I knew what that letter said.)

Wealthy Dallas residents give the money tips that helped them.

Justice Jackson, do you really understand why the First Amendment was put in place?  Apparently not.

How to avoid being sucked in by AI-generated deepfakes.

Fifty great buys from thrift shops and more.

Did a couple of British officers betray the men depicted in The Great Escape? This survivor thinks so.

A Brazilian lady carries her fetus inside for 56 YEARS before anyone notices.   Then its removal contributes to her death...

3500 miles... just so you could go to school.  Would you do it?

A family returns 22 looted artifacts from Okinawa in WWII -- found in their deceased father's attic. Here's the weird part: Dad was a WWII veteran -- but was never in the Pacific theater! (A letter found with the items is said to explain it -- I wish I knew what that letter said.)

The Princess of Wales explains her long silence -- she has cancer. Best wishes to this brave and elegant woman. 

Have a good week...rightside-up.

Kids...

 

And usually dancing...

or dumping half their food on the floor to share with the dog.

but what can you do, when they're so cute about it...

Women, Unite!

 I didn't think this was that funny. The Brick, who has lived decades in a houseful of females (3 to be exact, plus a dog or two), thought it was hilarious. 

Harrumph...

More parenting memes here -- courtesy of Bored Panda.

Simply Brilliant

 

Sasi Priyadharshini shared this 'hilarious but effective military tactic' on Quora. What a great idea!!

The fake epidemic tactic!

World War II. People were fighting with artillery and ammunition. This one man single handedly drove away the Nazis without a single weapon and saved the lives of some 8,000 people. Eugene Lazowski, as the name goes, was a military doctor in the Polish army. The German army had quite a thirst to invade and conquer the Polish town of Rozwadow. That's when our hero rang the much needed awareness alarm for an epidemic that did not exist in the first place. Lazowski's friend had just made a scientific discovery that if a person is injected with a dead strain of typhus vaccine, he would test positive for typhus without actually being infected. Lazowski vaccinated a considerable number of the inhabitants of Rozwadow and presented their blood samples to the German government. The Nazis were literally taken aback by the threat of a rapidly spreading epidemic and immediately ordered strict quarantine to be observed within Rozwadow. Neither were the inhabitants of Rozwadow allowed to leave the town nor were the Nazis allowed to enter the town. This enabled an estimated 8,000 people to sleep peacefully under the blanket of a fake epidemic. And that's the story of an unsung hero who risked his life to execute a hilarious yet effective military tactic.

A 300-Year-Old Thimble... Discovered in Wales!

 Here it is, excavated from under an oak in a field near the 13th century Carew Castle in Pembrokeshire, Wales. Perhaps its wearer was embroidering something on a warm summer's day. If so, she must have felt horrible when she lost it.

From the post:

"The date of the thimble’s creation has been placed between 1682 and 1740. The treasure was built in two pieces and has six transverse bands in a zig-zag, over the top of a basket-weave pattern. This is a typical design for 17th-century thimbles in England and Wales, and it was the pattern that alerted Edwards that the heavy silver thimble was indeed “something special.”

Around the base of the posy thimble, engraved in capitalized Roman script, are the words “LYKE STIL AND LOVE EVER,” meaning “like enduringly, love forever.” Short inscriptions on “posy” items—particularly popular as rings in the 15th through 17th centuries in Britain and France—typically expressed affection and regard between lovers. A spokesperson for the National Museum Cardiff postulated that “perhaps thimbles, worn on the finger during needlework, were considered an intimate (and therefore romantic) possession, suitable as a gift between lovers.”"

It's been officially declared 'treasure.' Go here for more.

Sharks Got Computers!

 Something's fishy here...

This Thing Came Out Of My Printer And No One Who Has Access To The Printer Says They Printed It.

Arf!

 

This Man Has Rescued And Adopted Dogs Who Have Lost The Use Of Their Back Legs, And Every Day He Walks Them To The Dog Park, Where He Reattaches Their 'Wheels,' So They Can Play.

for more: see Bored Panda's 'bizarre and beautiful' photos

Monday Stuff On the way to Other Stuff: Meltdown

     The nice thing about Colorado is that we have these horrendous snowstorms -- and within a few days, they're melting off -- fast. Although the woodpile and trees still show a good amount of white stuff, our deck and driveway are fairly dry. I used to plant spinach on St. Patrick's Day in Castle Rock (6250 ft elevation). However, if I did it here (8600 ft.), I would have had to shovel snow off the planting beds. Guess that needs to wait for a week or two.

     It may be sunny during the day, but is still cold after sunset. Time for another log on the fire.

Meanwhile:

The secret to the 'castle' formation in Castle Rock, Colorado -- opal and chalcedony!

A Roman bust emerges during a construction project in Great Britain...where did it come from, and why? (Theories are included.)

Joann's has filed for bankruptcy... sewers everywhere are mourning. (Fortunately, the stores are still open.)

'we bought a 1700's home with lots of charm...and maybe a ghost.'

Grandma's secret for great lasagna was... cinnamon and sugar? Yes, according to this foodie. (From thekitchn) 

The Brooklyn Museum is selling off four of its 'period' rooms -- including antique furniture. They say they need the room for 'new collections.'  Hmmm...

Five different ways to commit art fraud.  I'm not sure I'd brag about this, but...at least it's a warning what to look for.

Look into this class action settlement for walmart customers -- if you shop there, you should be eligible!

Absentmindedness. Sheer absentmindedness. I'm sure that's it...

Or just plain forgetful. Yeah, that's the ticket.

The 'unsolvable' Harry winston diamond heists...the mastermind behind them may still be a free man.

"Ten ways to add joy to your life, even when you don't have a penny to spare." I know I've mentioned this post from The Prudent Homemaker before, but it's so important.

Stuffed 'carrot' crescent rolls for Easter? (No, carrots are not in the stuffing.)

Robert Downey Jr. pays tribute to his wife's help while at the Oscars. I'll bet she was thrilled.

Dozens of outstanding 'parent hacks' -- that work for us child-free people, too.

A nice Irish coffee recipe. 

"All the posts since the beginning of time" -- from a great FIRE blogger, Mr. Money Mustache.

Another black eye for Harvard -- its Professor of Honesty apparently cheated on her research. And Harvard admits it. Ouch.

Have a good week. 

Bigfoot Terrariums - the Redux

I had to send this classic post back to "Draft-Land," to keep hackers from piggybacking onto it. But I thought you might enjoy another look at a very silly subject. (Hee hee!)

P.S. we got more than two feet of snow in the latest storm...but it's melting fast. Typical of Colorado.

===============================

 I don't know about you, Gentle Readers. 

I write about saving money, shipwrecks (a new one's coming shortly), politics, food, quilts and oddball mysteries...

I figured you'd want more of that. So what are requests coming in for?

How to make Bigfoot terrariums. 

Zany.

This beauty on Etsy got my attention. What a striking piece.



Then the miniature version caught my eye.
 There are a surprising number of BF terrariums out there -- even kits.

Why not make one (or two) Bigfoot terrariums, for the girlies?

So I did.

Or terrarium...

Here's what I used:

*A large wide-mouth glass jar or decanter
      I used a pedestal jar shaped like a brandy snifter, and a covered  jar--
                 both for a buck or two each from the local thrift shop.

*Planting soil  
      One bag will be more than enough. I was feeling frugal, so went out and dug some well-fertilized dirt from the chickenyard.

*At least three or four small plants
       I used a jade plant, ivy and two others. Look for smaller-sized plants with colored details or interesting leaf shapes. Get a specimen that has more than one plant in it -- then make more than one terrarium.

*Assorted rocks and gravel -- preferably decorative, but use what you've got.

*A Bigfoot figurine. I used the two Sasquatch from this set. (Anybody need a giant Kraken, coelacanth or jackalope for their aquarium or terrarium? A friend fell in love with the fur-bearing trout, so that's gone. I'm keeping Nessie.)

Now comes the fun part.

Step One:  Clean and wipe dry your glass. (Yes, you can spend big bucks on a fancy terrarium -- but large jars, fishbowls and other decorative pieces are just fine, provided they have wide mouths. You'll see why soon.)

Step Two:  Start with a thin layer of stones, decorative pebbles or gravel.

Step Three:  Add planting soil --  at least a few inches thick. (I think mine was 3" in the glass jar, and 2" in the snifter.)

Step Four:  Separate your plants into seedlings. Arrange them around the inside of your glass, gently pushing the roots down into the dirt. I covered three sides, but kept the fourth side unplanted. Aren't you glad now that you gave yourself room to move these around inside the glass, thanks to the large mouth?

Step Five:  Add your Bigfoot. Put it on the fourth side, inside, of the glass, so it's peeking out.

Step Six:  Add something else to give your large buddy perspective. Decorative rocks? (That's what I used in the glass jar above.) Perhaps some artificial trees? (That's what the large Etsy bowl used.) A decorative piece of wood, a chunk of amethyst, whatever -- but it should be something that gives your terrarium a more realistic look and adds visual interest.

This one used a large piece of white quartz, to balance out the effect of the white BF.
(The jar is actually sitting on top of its own lid, by the way.)

That's it. Water lightly, and your Bigfoot terrarium is ready to amaze.

Keep it healthy by watering once a week, when the soil looks dry, and misting occasionally.

These both took me about a half-hour to construct -- but I was busy fooling around with plant combinations and rock arrangements. Yours could be done in just a few minutes.

I was surprised and pleased that the girlies liked them so much.

For more help, go here... or here. 

Have fun.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

 

Yes, It's A Storm...

     we were lucky yesterday -- only a few inches of white stuff. But neighbors just a few miles from us got a foot of snow.

     Today, we're making up for it -- at least a couple feet...and more's coming down. Our friends in Castle Rock say the same thing. At least it's an equal-opportunity storm!

     That's Colorado in the spring for you.

Another Great One Is Gone: Joann Montgomery

     Some years ago, I was teaching at an extension center in Denver when I got a call. A lady said she had some trims and fabric to sell -- was I interested? That was my first contact with Joann Montgomery.

    Joann not only had 'some' items to sell -- she had a whole garage crammed full. Her partner's deceased wife was a shopaholic who enjoyed buying all sorts of craft items -- but never sewed or did anything else with them. I must have purchased hundreds of yards of lace, fancy trims and dozens of yards of vintage fabric...something my quilting students especially loved. I wrote dozens of pages of appraisal reports for donation and insurance values, which I swapped for more trims, fabrics and patterns.

    But the best bargain of all was the friendship that grew between Joann and myself. Over the years, I stopped regularly at her home to have a cup of coffee (I brought the doughnuts) and tell her about Stuff. A family picnic included an invitation for us, too. Gradually, Joann's health began to deteriorate. Every visit, I felt would probably be the last. 

    My visits stopped in 2019, as we were elsewhere with commitments.... and gradually our paths diverged from each other. After The Mama's death and our return to Colorado in the spring of 2021, I realized I had not heard from Joann for some time. And of course, there was a reason for it. 

     She didn't write books. She wasn't a quilter. (when I knew her, at least.) She didn't do anything spectacular that I know of. But she was funny, earthy and fascinating, with an opinion about everything. She loved her family and Al, her partner. And she showed me so much kindness and affection.

     I loved her back...and still miss her. This belated obituary celebrates this wonderful woman.

From the internet:

Joann Montgomery was born July 15, 1938 in McCook, Nebraska. She made her transition peacefully on November 12, 2020 .

Those who helped welcome her to heaven include her parents, second husband, one brother, one son, and two daughters along with a host of other family members. Survived by those who will miss her dearly including her longtime companion Al, two siblings and her other children, grand, great grand and great great grandchilden. As well many nieces, nephews, and longtime family friends.

Moved to Denver, CO in 1941 at age of 3, with parents Gerald Shorey and Agnes Shorey and 3 siblings. Moved to Lakewood, CO in 1946 when parents purchased a home on a large lot. She worked part time in HI school at the Chicken Inn on W Colfax as a carhop Attended Lakewood Public Schools where she was active as a cheerleader in 8th grade, was on the drill team as a senior, and sang at school assemblies and was in many school plays. She graduated in June 1956.

Married Gerald "Gary" Bramwell on February 28, 1957. They had 3 children, Kimileen Gae, Liane Rae, and Jeffrey G. After several other posts, when Gary was in the service, they lived in San Francisco - stationed at Presidio Army Base. Returned to Denver for a couple of years, then to Culbertson NE for a year or so until returning to Colorado when he got the job on the Denver Fire Dept. During their marriage they enjoyed camping, square dancing and spending time with extended family. Divorced in 1966

She met and married Everett "Monty" Montgomery. He was a single father with 5 children, Kathy, Jeff, Alan, Michael, and Janet. Joann moved to Aurora, CO with her 3 children and proudly became MOM to 8 children. Monty also had 3 children from a previous marriage who lived in Illinois that became part of the family, Gail, Gary and Sue Ann. They were both very active; Monty as a Scoutmaster with Boy Scouts, Joann as co leader with Camp Fire Girls; as well as just keeping up with raising 8 children! Joann had to learn to cook big meals, would often sing during ironing (Marty Robbins song Big Iron), enjoyed many sewing projects including making quilts with her mom and taught us all many life lessons including working hard, patience, listening, following the rules, being responsible and the importance of helping others.

The family of 10 did a lot of camping with Grandma and Grandad Shorey, mostly in the mountains of Colorado. They traveled to Wisconsin almost every summer to visit Monty's kin on the farm, that they all enjoyed. She referred to her family fondly as “The Montgomery Mob” and would often sign cards this way.

The children had daily chores, collected newspapers to recycle, worked at the body shop for extra money and assisted at home. They learned to work together and play together for the good of all. Joann worked for Arapahoe County in licensing department in Aurora from Jan 1985-May 1997. Monty passed away on May 12, 1999

Joann started square dancing lessons and became acquainted with a neighbor, Al Wright, who was dancing also. They started dancing and traveling together, and became life partners. They traveled to Georgia, Tennessee and Maine to visit both sets of relatives as well as many sightseeing adventures. They also discovered that they had a common interest in coin collecting. They have been together for 17 years and have been a blessing for each other. The family is appreciative of Al being there with Joann during her final illness; giving her loving care, sense of humor and understanding.

Even though we will miss her so much we are so grateful for the times, memories and love that we were blessed to share with her and will look forward to the reunion still to come . . . .

. Rest in peace, dear friend. Next time -- I'll make the coffee.

It''s Okay if This Happened Today...

 

So you messed up -- you'll do better tomorrow. 

Monday Stuff on the Way to Other Stuff: SCAMMED -- Almost!

      'You have some extra charges on your card,' the caller said, identifying herself as from our credit card company. Someone had charged more than $1000 on AirCanada, among other things -- and she was just checking 'as a courtesy.'

      She asked for the last four digits of our Social Security -- then, when questioned, read off an OLD CARD NUMBER. She obviously thought it was a current one. 

     Alarm bells went off immediately. Why would the credit card company use an old card number? 

     A check of our account showed nothing amiss. A further call to the credit card company cemented it -- this was definitely a scammer. Meanwhile, after hanging up on her, she called back 22 times in 30 minutes. Obviously, she thought she had a live one!

     Whew.

     Just in case, the company sent a replacement card (yes, with a new number). And we'll be checking our account regularly. But this woman was very convincing. To make things worse, the number that came up on the phone was one of the credit card company's real toll-free numbers. (They can easily fake this sort of thing.) And we have had it happen a few times that the company would question a charge -- and text to find out. 

    Don't make the mistake we nearly did -- don't panic. Don't believe what they're saying. CALL THE COMPANY DIRECT. 

    Work is progressing -- but there's more to do. A 'big' storm came in last weekend -- everyone around us got 4-12 inches of snow, but Fort Garland had barely an inch. Supposedly we'll have stormy weather nearly all week, with plenty of white stuff. I'm a bit skeptical...but we've got 'mare's tail' clouds out there -- a harbinger of bad weather. Time to reload the wood rack and make some chili, just in case.

P.S. If you've been reading any of my Really Old posts (like 2008-2009), and wonder why they're disappearing --

    Someone has been hacking my oldest posts, and using them for something -- I'm not sure what. But the visits to the blog have been blowing up, ever since this started happening. If I return the old pasts to 'draft' form, it seems to slow them down some. Sorry about that.

    It does seem weird to realize I've been blogging since Dec. 2007 -- more than sixteen years!

The Oscar winners list.  Think 'love theme for Oppenheimer.' Or Poor Things... take your pick.

People who've DECLINED major awards. Including Dolly Parton and the Presidential Medal of Freedom -- twice!

A beautiful antique portrait slashed and sprayed with paint -- by pro-Palestine protestors. Gee, I am sick of this...

A trip down the river to the Tam Coc caves in Vietnam.  (Travel with Kevin and Ruth has been visiting Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam lately.)

Thirteen expenses you can take off your budget right away.  (From One Hundred Dollas A Month)

Things you saw personally -- but couldn't prove. Some weird ones here.

Gina Lollibrigida's last words.... at her death, aged 95. And if you enjoyed that...

Ten peoples' ironic deaths. Including the general who declared, "They couldn't hit an elephant at that distance" -- just before Confederate snipers cut him down.

The "gold-filled" burial just discovered in Cocle Province, Panama -- and the chief was buried face-down!

The abandoned (and haunted, they say) school in the "San Luis Valley" that's being renovated for ne use.  This is near us! I suspect it's a building I noticed in San Luis, about 20 miles away -- but have to find out.

Some very funny "impeckable" bird photobombs and divebombs. 

The woman who started her career at McDonald's scrubbing toilets...and now owns TWELVE McDonald's restaurants.  Good for her!

Just before everything went crazy...

Have a good week. 

How Did They Recruit for This?

 And, as one commenter pointed out, "What happens when it rains?"

Interruptions

 

Seven Tips That Don't Make Sense

 ..but actually work. 

Some really go against the majority of expert opinions. "It must be done this way" pronouncements don't always have to be that way!  Remember the fuss about coffee or eggs being bad for you?  (Now, suddenly, they aren't.) It applies to other things too, like the million-plus dollars you'll need for retirement (you won't)...or   Suze Orman's abrupt flipflop about paying off credit cards.

Some may not work for you. (Husband, the Brick, seriously disagrees with tip #1 -- he says he couldn't do it.)  But they may save far more money, time and energy than the conventional way. Try them...and see.

#1.  Sleep less. Bill Cullen, the author of It's A Long Way From Penny Apples, and the longtime owner of Ireland's Renault franchises, grew up a poor kid in Dublin. He credits his successes to determination, consistency...and sleeping no more than 5 hours a night. His suggestion: cut 15 or so minutes off your usual hours every week, to get used to it more gradually. Within a month or so, you'll be sleeping less -- and accomplishing more.

#2.  Buy cheaper luggage. Paying more gets you sturdier luggage...right? Not always. I travel a lot in my "other" job, as a teacher and speaker. A colleague on the teaching circuit got tired of spending big bucks for luggage -- so she tried an experiment. The first year, she paid premium price for the best-reviewed luggage on the market. The second year, she bought sturdy luggage that was bargain-priced, and used it, instead.
     The results? The cheaper luggage held up just as well as the more expensive kind. Unfortunately, hardly any luggage can stand up to the abuse dealt out today by airline baggage handlers. (My own experiments in this field, by the way, were consistent with my colleague's.)

#3. Don't get the latest version. Electronics and vehicles are the star examples here. Not only do 2014 models cost more -- they don't always have the bugs worked out yet. Look for models that are at least a few years old; they'll be less expensive (often on sale!), and any problems generally solved, as well.
     I feel the same way about bestselling books and movies -- we'll often wait for shows at the dollar theatre, or view them on DVD. We also make use of our local library. (You can often request your favorites, or have them put on hold.) That means waiting for a while...but with rare exceptions, we've benefitted from the anticipation.

#4.  Losing weight may be less about the food than you think.  Dieters tend to focus on the menu when regular exercise would do more good. Also, try a simple trick -- use a smaller plate. You'll get the visual cue "I'm full," and still eat less.  Or start with a bowl of good soup. (Okay, lean meat and lots of fruit and vegetables have something to do with it, too.)

#5.  Getting engaged? Don't buy a diamond. This faceted stone has been the traditional choice ever since the 1800s, when the DeBeers cemented their monopoly on diamond mines. That made diamonds more accessible...and allowed the syndicate to keep prices high. There still are plenty of diamonds out there - but thanks to the DeBeers, they're still expensive.
     Antique rings featured diamonds -- but three-stone rings were popular, as well, using birthstones. Popular gems: rubies, sapphires (Princess Diana's engagement ring was a blue sapphire surrounded by diamonds), emeralds, garnets and opals.
      Or choose a gemstone that's truly rare, like Larimar. This lovely stone varies from green to white to blue. It's found only in the Dominican Republic, in mines that are rapidly depleting.

#6. Don't throw out your garbage -- not right away, anyways. Leftover vegetable peelings, meat bones and such make wonderful broth. (Also known delicately as "garbage soup.")  They can also accent your pet's diet -- or use these leftovers to help feed other protein sources, like fish, chickens and pigs.
     It's not just food, either. Newspapers can be converted into fire logs, starters or bricks for your fireplace or campfire. Use your glass and plastic to help store food or organize. (Buy staples like flour or oatmeal in bulk, and you'll have even fewer containers to get rid of.) Recycling before you put materials out makes for less waste. It also cuts back on garbage pickups -- and lets you brag about how "green" you are.

#7.  Communicate slower. Text messages, Facebook shout-outs and e-mails are fast and effective. They also have the lifespan of a fruit fly. When it's important, take time to make a phone call, send a card, or write a letter. (Hand-write it, for even more impact.) The people you care about will appreciate your gesture even more.

Huffpost photo

This classic was a guest post on another website...but it still applies today.