Happy Thanksgiving!

 

The Power of Repetition

 

This could be done with fabric, too...Nice.

"Doesn't apply to me... right?"

 

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Oh, That It Looked Like This Here...

 

Colorado's back to its standard fall/winter colors:

Blue

White

Tan

Brown

Oops... forgot Gray.

Monday Stuff On the Way to Other Stuff: Thanksgiving Approacheth

 What a month...how can it almsot be over?

     A storm's coming in. Fortunately it doesn't look too bad here -- because we've got a truck to take to the repair shop. After parting with a good many dollars, it should be on the road again. (Thank God.)

     I have pies to bake -- pumpkin, pecan and some Dutch Envelopes. (Recipe's coming.) We did a smart thing by inviting friends over on Sunday, which forced us to tidy up and finish several small jobs. Not only does it look better -- but the wood rack's filled!

     More work to do, but gradually we're doing it. Hopefully you are, too.

A classic for you Pilgrim descendants -- me too.

Funny comments from the Irish point of view.

Ten humans and animals who survived being frozen alive. 

This one's just as strange -- a woman caught on video during an anti-Israel protest, taunting bystanders and giving a Nazi-style salute, has been unmasked as the OWNER of two kosher cafes in a Jewish hospital in Montreal!  Needless to say, she is no longer serving in that capacity...

What King Tut's grandmother may have looked like.

Christopher Walken dancing in Weapon of Choice...love this!

Ten times the Scots and the English pitched into battle.  Sometimes the Brits won -- sometimes not. 

Seven (more) pieces of evidnece that Jesus Christ really existed. But then, millions of Christians, myself included, have known that for a long, long time.

Has the real D.B. Cooper finally been found out?

Seven things wealthy people don't have to worry about -- and seven things they do!  (From White Coat Investor)

Jerry Lewis does the jitterbug. Yow...the girl's kind of weird, though.

Pets who survived national disasters -- and often protected other animals.

The weird case of Matthew Martoma -- convicted of a huge insider trading scam. But a decade before that, he forged his grades at Harvard. 

Al Sharpton gets a $500,000 'donation' from the Harris campaign for his 'nonprofit' -- then 2 1/2 weeks later, a mushy interview. Huh??

A Memphis wedding florist announces she won't be doing business with Trump voters...then gets flack for it. Frankly, I don't care -- business is business. She can do whatever we wants. Will there be consequences? Of course...but that's her choice. Same as with the Denver baker.

Plot twists you'd never see coming.

A couple buys a hoarder's home... and what do they find?  (Be sure to visit their Tiktok or Instagram accounts, as well.)

More from the 'Polling Nostradamus' who was wrong about Trump's election.

The phone call that made Dave Ramsey resolve to get out of debt. Himself.

Costco forced to recall 80,000 pounds of butter -- because it neglected to mention it includes dairy products on the package. This is just ridiculous.

Travel tips for winter.

Have a good week. If you'll be on the road... safe travels.

Figures...

 

Can I Sign With A Pawprint?

 

"I'll try very hard to stay under the speed limit next time, Officer."

Squeaker Hall of Fame

 

If your dog does this... you'll understand. Our granddog Karma would not be satisfied until she ripped out the squeaker from her toys. Every. Single. One.  

Ruby waits a little -- but the squeaker is Always Doomed in the end.

"Just checking -- are we invited for Thanksgiving, too?"

 

I have always wondered about the end story on this.

For more Bored Panda neighborly stuff, go here.

Monday Stuff On the Way to Other Stuff: Maintaining (Sort Of)

 Another week in the hopper. Work for both of us -- plus a quick trip to Castle Rock to see friends. 

Nothing exciting... but some reports are done, and the garage door is working. (But the truck is not.) Life goes on. And another storm, plus wind, is on its way. 

Meanwhile:

We're all wrong -- Oprah didn't get a million-dollar fee to host Kamala Harris's singalong. Nope --her production company didn't, either. They got nearly $2.5 million, instead.

"I admit I was wrong:" Allan Lichtman's stunning admission on why he missed predicting Trump would win. (I'm being sarcastic here, Gentle Readers Know why he was wrong? "Fox News and conservative media." Oh, and X, too..)

Was King Tut's gold mask (and maybe his tomb) actually meant for someone else??

Cooking on a Budget/Extreme Cheapskates:

...and celebrating Christmas, Extreme Cheapskate style:

Colorado's Buffaloes are doing an amazing job -- at 49-24, they beat the pop out of Utah, whose defense is considered the best in the country. (Well, not anymore.) So in celebration, a look at their mascot, Ralphie.

Go, Buffs!

And have a great week.

I Believe This, Too

 

Take Him At His Word

 

Now I've Heard of Everything...

 Walmart.com is selling 'saint candles' of Donald Trump.

I am not making this up.

Along with St. Christopher, Jude and other saint candles...you'll find everything from Saint Obama to Beyonce. Saint Kamala Harris isn't slighted, either. You'll need to be extra-dedicated for these personages, though: they're $24.95 or more each, versus the usual $1.57 for everyday saints.

Megan Thee Stallion...well, I don't get it. 

(But Li'l Wayne is one of the other choices.)

Stormy Daniels. A saint? Really??

And 'Soul Sticks,' whatever the heck that is. Go here and take a look. 

Or cut to the chase, and go right to 'celebrity prayer candles.'

I have a special place in my heart for the Virgin of Guadalupe,

after visitng her cathedral at Puerto Vallarta.

--------------------------------------------

Update:  The Brick enjoys listening to the Patriot Channel on Sirius. Now they're advertising Trump cologne -- 'Fight Fight Fight.' I am also not making this up. 

"Crafted for those who stand tall, this bold scent delivers rich, robust notes that leave a lasting impression. It’s not just a cologne—it’s a symbol of resilience. Inspired by Trump’s relentless drive, wear it with pride and confidence."

Shouldn't it smell a little sweaty too, then?  Just pondering here. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Happy Veteran's Day

 Thank you for your service.

WWI veterans in uniform

Monday Stuff On the Way to Other Stuff: Dead Beat and Plum Tuckered Out

We had a true blizzard last week -- three solid days of snow and high wind. The final count: around 37 inches. But that's nothing -- our friends in Forbes Park, only 5 or so miles away, got FOUR FEET of snow. On the other hand, San Isabel, which is a bit north of us, got 54.9 inches. Oh my.

     I was very grateful that the truly bad weather didn't start until late Tuesday night. It would have made a very, very long Election day that much harder. The Brick managed to get the truck unstuck and down to a ranch we can temporarily park it at. But it definitely needs a fix on a coolant leak, and most probably an assembly replaced. (The four wheel drive is inoperative.) If you're thinking, "Ouch, that's probably going to cost a lot"... you're right  So much for any money I made, doing a long 2 1/2 weeks of Election work. 

     Does November always have to be like this??

      There was a note of cheer when we finally dug out -- and treated ourselves to the Mexican buffet at Calvillo's in Alamosa.  (A dear friend loaned us his Jeep.) We tacked on a few errands...then went to church this morning. Surprisingly, a lot of people were there. (Cabin fever?) Then I fell into bed and slept for four hours. That helped, too. 

    This week marks a full year we've lived in Fort Garland.  Yes, I would love to see our Castle Rock friends and our kids more often -- but frankly, we didn't see them much more when we lived only 45 min. away, in Sedalia. We have made a new and peaceful life here, with some good friends. I think we're going to be okay! 

      Now on to the week. Lots of work to get done; another snowstorm is due next Sunday.

Meanwhile:

Veteran's Day is Monday, Nov. 11!  Special deals and discounts. More here.

A Civil War soldier is finally honored, thanks to the relatives who tracked down his unmarked grave. Good for you, family!

Oprah didn't do a show with Kamala Harris out of the goodness of her heart -- her company was paid a million dollars. Other celebrities did quite well, $$-wise, too.

Eating for $1 A Day: could you do it?

The columnist Martha Stewart said was dead -- and gloated about it -- isn't. Oops.

New discoveries, thanks to DNA, about the bodies found in Pompeii. Fascinating.

Pecan pie bars, thanks to TheKitchn. I might have to make these!

How the passage of time can affect objects. This one's fascinating.

An ancient Egyptian priestess's coffin is discovered -- and it's gorgeous.

Have a good week.

What's Really Important?

 The world's richest man is dying. He's made peace with that. But what bothers him is no one in the afterlife will even know it.

Here he's a self-made man who created this huge fortune from scratch,but he can't take it with him. Not that he could spend it,of course, but just to SHOW everyone what a great success the poor boy had become.

He broods over this so that his guardian angel is worried. One night the angel flies to Heaven to consult Jesus. Jesus says “Well, you know earthly wealth has no place here"

The angel replies “I know Lord, but he's been such a good man. Did a lot for charity ,ran his business honestly. He's only human. He can't help having this little quirk. Isn't there something we can do to ease his mind?

Jesus thinks a moment. “”All right. Let's look him up in the Book of Life" The Book is like a film of this man's life and seeing his struggles , Jesus is moved.

He tells the guardian angel “Wake him and tell him I will allow him to bring one suitcase-only one,mind you. And he can fill it with whatever wealth he chooses. At the moment he of his death it will be brought to heaven with him.”

The angel goes down and gives the message .The guy is happy but what should he bring? Our money would mean nothing to people from another time,jewels could be faked,stocks and bonds could not be traded so they'd be so much paper. Finally it dawn's on him . Gold. Gold has been valued throughout history.

He sends out for the biggest suitcase he can find,fills it with gold bars,and sets it beside his bed. Now he can die in peace,and he does.

True to the promise he arrives at the Pearly Gates,suitcase in hand. St.Peter greets him warmly and says “All right. Let's see what was so important to you that eternal life and bliss wasn't enough"

The man proudly opens the suitcase,stuffed with row after row of little gold bars.

St.Peter stares at it,puzzled, and says “You brought pavement?”

From a Quora contributor...makes a great point!

Still Snowing...

 Day #3. 

   Colorado takes its blizzards seriously... sort of.

Dignity... Always Dignity

     Many Democrats are showing grace and resiliance after Donald Trump's prez win.

     Others are not.

     There's the usual rush of celebrities announcing that they're leaving the country now. Including one clueless soul who's planning on moving to England. (I have a feeling she'll be back, once she finds out how much they charge in taxes.)

Perhaps Canada would be a better choice.

     Is this the way to handle disagreements? Didn't some of these people make the same pronouncement years ago...and never followed through? Hmmm...at least Bette Midler didn't follow through on her threat, either. I'd prefer champagne to Drano any day.

   

     I have some advice to these gentle souls...especially Cardi B, who can swear like a longshoreman and turn on her followers at a moment's notice.

    wish them well.

     Help them pack.

   And thanks to Madonna -- let them eat cake.

A Cleveland area billboard eight years ago. Sound familiar?

So There You Go...

 

Exhausted

    Early this morning, Donald Trump won the election for President. 

 Yesterday, I worked from 6:45 a.m. - 10: 15 p.m.

     And that came after a month of busyness --  more than two weeks of working elections, hosting a houseful of hunters and a bunch of other stuff. 

     We woke up to a blizzard. It's supposed to be here for at least two, maybe three days. 

     That puts back a planned trip to Michigan to pick up the storage trailer. So -- now what? 

     While we ponder this, I'll stay by the woodstove, have some hot coffee...and work on reports and a restoration. I also have some comments about Trump's win...but that can wait. 

Take care of yourselves. Back very soon. 

Monday Stuff on the Way to Other Stuff: VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE

     Voting in this election is soooo important! 

It doesn't matter whether someone calls you garbage, or accuses you of being 'anti-women' and 'anti-America' -- the important thing is that you have the right, as an American citizen, to decide who leads your country, your state and your county. How can you do this, if you don't make the trip to the election office, or drop off your ballot? And just as important: don't vote, based on commercials. DO YOUR HOMEWORK. Double-check quotes...did they really say that? As one of my Gentle Readers pointed out: VOTE INFORMED. Don't just vote, based on soundbites, or a biased source.**

Please vote -- for your sake, our sake and our country's sake. Don't mail your ballot -- in most areas, it will be too late. But you'll have time to use a local ballot box -- or visit a voting spot near you. Don't put it off -- you only have through Tuesday evening. 

     I'll be headed to Costilla County's headquarters, to work my last few days as an election judge. Then it's on to continuing to work on other deadlines. Nothing exciting -- just work.

**I read at least three 'news' sites -- and often try for five. But I pick sources from the left, as well as the right. It helps me balance and double-check what that person really said. 

And I'm not even a registered Republican! 

But I do think of myself as a conservative, and for good reason, considering all the messes our country has been in lately.

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

Only a few entries this week -- I'll do better next time. 

A British submarine, on a secret mission, disappeared during WWII. Now HMS Trooper has been found, off the coast of Greece.

A 2000-year-old Roman dam saves a Spanish town, when all the modern 'improvements' failed. Says something for the Romans, doesn't it...

Lippy, funny comments that only improved on the original post. 

Jack Links Chili -- buy 1, get 4 free! See this link for more.

What's currently the best bargain in fast food meal deals? According to this survey -- it's Taco Bell.

Have a good week. And please...get out there, so you can say:

Frugal Hits & Misses: The October Report

     What a month. 

     It's felt like a very slow treadmill -- not difficult day to day, but relentless. We kept up with it (sort of), doing chores for winter and reports for appraisals -- but the Brick has enjoyed a week of hunting with his buddies while I trudged off to Elections in nearby San Luis. I came home at night, took a short break, then cooked supper for the guys (plus our friend Sharon). After the dishes were cleared and the dishwasher filled, I could hardly keep my eyes open. Since the guys were heading out around 5:30 a.m. every morning, we went to bed early, anyways. 

    The last hunter went home this afternoon, and second hunting season is over. The Brick celebrated it by getting the truck stuck on a mountain road -- and some people got stuck right behind him. They managed to get their vehicle out, and gave the Brick a ride home. We'll head up there in the morning to pull ihe truck out, then take me to work. (We borrowed a friend's Jeep during hunting, so will use that. The truck is normally our only transportation.) 

    The trees are rapidly shedding their gold now, and temperatures are dropping. We had our first hard freeze about the 28th, but my garden boxes were pretty much quiet, anyways, with a few exceptions. We had our first scrape of snow about the same time...but the Blanca girls have had their winter coats on for a few weeks now.

     A quick bout of flu took some of the steam out of both of us. So has doing Worship Team week after week. I have next Mon, then Election Day to work...and that's done. I need to catch up on a few tasks, too...like writing this report.

There the Blanca 'girls' are -- with their grouchy boy cousin, Mt. Lindsey, on the right.

FRUGAL HITS

     (some of these were from late September)

*The last check  from the tire claim arrived -- finally!

*An offer to appraise again during July's Black Canyon Quilt Show in Montrose, CO next year. Hooray!

*Rinsed, scrubbed then rinsed again the vintage 8x12 Karastan rug Daughter #2 and Son #1 gave us. It's on the floor in the dining room right now -- and looking great.

*The Brick finished 'screwing around' on the roof. (Yay!) Now the metal plates will hold firm during the winter winds.The garage door spring is next, now that hunting season is over. He also replaced a headlight on the truck. (The earlier one was bad.)

*Pulled tomato plants, and experimented at getting them to root in water.  Weird discovery: not only did a few grow roots -- but they developed small tomatoes from blossoms, too! (Our lemon plant also has a blossom.) I'll plant them inside this week, and hope for the best.

 *Hunting friends gave me a lovely bouquet of fall flowers. So nice of them!

*Free iridescent plastic tablecloths. These were used at a birthday party, and were headed for the trash before I asked if I could have them. They're a bit sheer, but two layers will make great wrapping paper.

*Stayed home from a trip to Castle Rock -- to take care of the dogs,  and work on deadlines. (See Misses)

*Quilt tops at incredible prices -- $28.88 each (two star quilts), $17.50 (another star quilt), $8.00. Even the shipping costs didn't ratchet up totals too much. Used my allowance money for some of this.

*Still cutting back on electrical and propane use (especially the clothes dryer), and keeping lights turned off when we don't need them. It has been warm enough this fall that we've needed an occasional fire primarily to keep the paper items from piling up (cardboard, etc.). A time or two, the heat came on propane-wise -- otherwise, we've relied on the woodstove. Our Excel electric bill this month: $28.33.

*More books bought -- but at least they're under $6 each, buy 3, get 1 free (which bumps the price down to $3.60 each) -- and shipping is free. Several are Christmas presents. (Thanks, Second Sale on Ebay!) Weirdly, they also included a book I hadn't ordered...but got to keep. Another Ebay seller sold me some DVDs for Christmas presents -- buy 2, get 1 free, and free shipping. I like that sort of math!

I also got a antique Cooking for Profit tearoom how-to that I thiiink is eventually going to be an article: $13.88, free shipping. 

*Did a few appraisals in person. Worked on a few others, via extraordinary assumption. (That means I can appraise them, using extensive photos, plus interviews with the owners -- via ASA.) Finished a big batch of reports -- but more to go.

*Served/serving as an Elections judge in Costilla County. (Two more days to go.) I worked 8 hour days, plus a 4-hour day on Saturday. We've had free snacks and a very nice spagheetti lunch, thanks to our bosses. I completed the online training, too. In some ways, it's very much like the Election judge work I've done in past years for Douglas County.

*My Money Diary was published!

*A very interesting t-shirt, from friends for my birthday:

*Fun meals:  our monthly church potluck -- plus a birthday party for my piano student, supper with friends, and the Brick's meals in Castle Rock with friends. Friend Sharon gave me a break, and made supper one night for the hunters -- and it was delicious.

*Grocery bargains:  two free containers of cottage cheese (rewards), 99-cent specials for bread, cream cheese, bacon, Cheez-Its and 10 pounds of potatoes (darn, only 1 allowed of each), whole chicken (87 cents lb) (Safeway). A free package of bacon, half-gallon milk (1.29), 99-cent pie pumpkins. (City Market) Coffee beans ($3.29/12 oz) and large containers of fresh salsa - 79 cents each  (SLV Amish grocery).

*A $30 credit for my first pickup order from Safeway. (True to form, I had to call customer service to get it.) 

*Free produce:  pumpkins, green bell peppers, zucchini, turnip greens, yellow and spaghetti squash from friends at church.

*A nice surprise package from an old friend:  hankies, quilt squares (from Gertrude Brick's estate in NJ -- go figure!), fabrics...and a Hanky Panky quilt she made, pictured in my very first book. Thank you!

*Found money:  four nickels from a VFW mailing, three crisp dollar bills from Nielsen surveys, plus two dimes in one of the bags I was emptying at the house. Also: two dimes and a penny in the washing machine. (Still counts, right?)

*Several free books from the San Luis Library -- one went gratefully into my permanent stash, and the others are destined for the Little Free Library establishing in Blanca. (Look for more about that in November.)

*Took care of Freya, our granddog, pretty much all month. Why is this a hit? Because it saves Daughter #2 and Son #1 SEVENTY-FIVE DOLLARS a day. Plus, we love this wriggly rubber band girl. Even Ruby's grown fond of her; the Brick calls them "the Honyock sisters."

*Froze more tomatoes -- and some squash. Plus some of the bargain salsa. Started collecting seafood for the Seven Fish Dishes.

*Tidied up -- tried to unpack two bags/boxes a day. I brought in firewood, and the Brick split some for kindling; we'll have to do this regularly from now on.

*Started a clothes donation bag -- it will get dropped off in mid-month.

*Three snowflake-patterned metal candelaria, with battery-powered candles inside -- for $5. These will look lovely outside our church in December. I plan to borrow them during the week, as well, for our place. 

*Another reproduction coverlet for my collection -- Bicentennial era. This one was a lot more reasonably priced, thanks to a Best Offer on Ebay, and some dickering.

*Royalties for Arcadia book sales...a bit less than the last payment, but still helpful.

*Planted the mum plant that's been decorating our front porch.  Took out the other plants. A few kale and lettuce seedings came up in the planter on the deck. (I put a glass cover on top, to keep them growing.)

*Bought a few pumpkins for decorating. Just three: 99 cents each. (I just couldn't afford any lavish decorating at $5.99 a pop. Mavis, you must be a bazillionaire.... or you lucked into some real steals on those 50 or so. P.S. They're gorgeous.)

*Continued to play and sing on Worship Team at church. The Brick coordinated two of those Sundays.

*Thrift shop goodies:  a number of 50-cent and dollar items for Operation Christmas Child boxes; a few dollar books, quilting and Native American collectibles (worth WAY more); a new Henley shirt ($7); several 'clear glass' items (on sale for 75% off),, and two badly needed suitcases, high-end brand ($20 & $25) -- Nazarene Thrift Shop. 

*A promo package of Christmas cards, notepaper and a music CD - free!  (The charity also sent a small check -- weird -- but we burned it in the woodstove, a la Molly Brown. They sent a second one, which I'm currently using as a bookmark.)

FRUGAL MISSES

*I drove all the way to the county building for an Elections training session. Got there, to find out it had been cancelled. (Two of my fellow judges also did the same thing.)

The 'w' key is sticking on my keyboard   -- again. It seems to have refixed itself in the past few days...but I'm skeptical.

*More truck repairs: $1140 and change. (sigh) Plus the time and effort the Bruck used up, driving roundtrip to Castle Rock for the work. (I stayed home. See above.)

*We hit a deer. Poor little doe -- she slid right under our front bumper. Thankfully, she died quickly. She's hung, cleaned and skinned, for a week to season the meat. We should get some venison burger for the freezer... at least something good came out of this sad incident. (The truck was fine.) 

*WAY overspent my budget on Ebay goodies in September. (Darn those Best Offers!)  At least I got several Christmas presents while doing it. But still...

*Used up a lot of meat from the freezer for feeding the hunters, including two packages of steak. On the other hand, they left some groceries I can use during November, including canned chili, milk and eggs. (I ate the potato chips!) Another plus: I have more space in the freezer.

Last month's report is here.  October 2023 is here -- and October from the year before is here. I'll be finishing up several things...and doing my best to keep the black dog at bay. We'll be close to paying off the house loan, so we can start looking for a second vehicle. A gas-efficient smaller car this time. Hope springs eternal -- 

Me Too, Buddy... Me Too