The Brick has been putting in hours and hours on the new laptop, loading decades' worth of appraisal reports, plus my regular files. He has been a champ about this.
I am trying hard not to be impatient...but I do have reports just waiting until I can get back on. Meanwhile, I've been finishing up restoring a baby quilt that is years overdue. So that's good.
We got at least 7" of snow yesterday. (I think more, up to almost a foot.) That meant we weren't going anywhere -- which was probably a good thing.
I'll finish off the quilt today or tomorrow -- then it's back to finishing up the reports. Hang in there, clients!
November marks two years we've been living in the San Luis Valley. Two years? It feels like forever. We love this place and its peacefulness. However, I'm not a big fan of living three hours from our kids, and an hour or so from restaurants and stores we used to rely on when living in Sedalia and Castle Rock. Red Robin, Sam's Club or Costco? More than an hour's drive, or even further. My favorite thrift shop in Castle Rock? Two and a half hours. (My favorite one down here is in Monte Vista -- an hour away.) Even Alamosa, our nearest 'big town,' is 45 minutes drive. We do have a Walmart, plus Safeway and City Market. Even a Little Caesar's and a Chili's.
The plus side on this is that if we're going somewhere for one purpose, we tack on several errands -- like a stop at our favorite Amish grocery, only about 15-20 min. from Alamosa. And we don't go out to eat very much, which has saved a surprising amount of money. If milk becomes an important issue, the dollar store in Fort Garland (15 min. away) is just a hop, skip and jump away from the post office.
Our Mexican restaurants and everyday-type diners are terrific here, too.
I wrote a post about a trip to Utah to pick up our latest purchase -- a 2012 Highlander hybrid. Unfortunately, most of you never got to read it -- for some reason, Google thought I was... evil? Selling a Highlander? Making it up?? They deleted it. I have no idea why.
Finally, after months of saving, we've got a car that's comfortable, quiet and good at saving gas. (27-30 mpg, so far.) It was 7 1/2 hours each way to pick it up, but we saved nearly $1000 on the price we would have had to pay in the Denver area. Unfortunately, we also had to deal with some poopiing and vomit episodes, puppywise, in the truck on the way there-- and the truck needed a small repair before we could leave again. This meant staying overnight. We had enough to cover the hotel bill and meals...but no clean clothes. And the truck needed scrubbing out when we got home.
Tiger feels much better, by the way.
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(More photos will be added when I get my computer back)
FRUGAL HITS
*Son #2 got a buck! The venison will come in handy, and he has a beautiful European mount from the head.
*A one dollar pizza from Papa Murphy's, thanks to a free membership. Okay, I broke the Maximum Hollander award by putting a buck in the tip jar. (The pizza was delicious. Thank you, Katy from the Nonconsumer Advocate for mentioning this! The special might still be going -- you should check. Update: I did -- it expired 11/30. Sorry.)
*Loaded the woodrack several times. Our woodpile is gradually diminishing, but we have plenty more stacked behind the house. Heating with wood really helps us stretch our propane out. It's pleasant to have this cheerful glow and warmth at night, too. We bank it before going to bed, and the Brick builds a fire from the coals the next morning. It works for us, and is much better thanthe alternative.
*The candlelight concert was a success. We used last year's electric candles, and a friend loaned her set, as well. I bought a lit house/trees display at the Castle Rock thrift shop; it looked lovely, but not TOO Christmasy, considering it was Nov. 22.
Two bottles of apple juice became mulled cider. I made a batch of shortbread, and other friends contributed chocolate chip cookies and homemade chocolate pops. A good time was had by all.
*Free lunch after a meeting, and a thank-you supper with friends. (The Brick helped fix their washer.) I made chili (one hamburger patty, beans and tomatoes) for the church's monthly potluck -- and took some chips and a sale container of ice cream, as well.
*Found money: $1.13 from the truck's front seat, and another crisp dollar bill from Nielsen. Not one cent from the change machine at Safeway though, darn it.
*Got to borrow a skidsteer and trailer free of charge -- just a tankful of gas, and the time to go get it in Evergreen, about 4 hours away. (We needed it to move the fifth-wheel, after the truck got stuck. More on this shortly.)
*The Brickworks website is back up and running, thanks to Daughter #2. I am so grateful!
*Ordered a 10-ream box of paper, plus some markers -- and got a $15 discount. Thanks, Staples.
*The Brick found more ways to watch free Michigan football games -- hooray! When we couldn't see the game, we could at least listen to it. Youtube has 'full game highlights,' as well, after the game is done. Not that it helped Michigan, after losing 9-27 to Ohio State...
*The Brick cleaned out the stovepipe. He also fixed the printer, and restacked burnables by the woodstove (Good man.) A shop vac purchase (on sale) really helped with the flue cleanout.
*Furniture fix: I used a black marker, sketching lightly, then smearing with a finger, to hide marks on the sofa back. This works surprisingly well for darker wood. (I tried the 'normal' stuff for this, but it just wiped off.) A cushion on the sofa was also repaired. (See below.)
*Gave two final coats of paint to the Little Free Library, then filled it with books. (Yes, it's up and in business!) Planted a pack of daffodil bulbs underneath the sign, before the ground froze.
*A trip to Denver for multiple reasons: eye appointment; stocking up on flour, sugar and other essentials at Walmart; a Lord & Richards 'fahncy' night; and two appraisal sessions. I also spent time with Daughter #1 and Adopted Son #1, which was wonderful. Missed out on the Lord & Richards event (too much traffic), but the kids fed me -- which was even better. And dear friends bought me a burger at Red Robin. Thank you!
*Spent Thanksgiving with our kids -- all of them. At our house. This hasn't happened for years. Son #1 smoked one turkey, and deep-fried a second; Adopted Son #1 made stuffing, cranberry sauce, and Daughter #1 made a squash soup, as well as her traditional kale-beet salad. I contributed pay-kan and pumpkin pis, veggies plus appetizer, and last-minute mashed potatoes. We had a grand time, and spent the evening going through boxes of photos we'd brought back from The Mama's estate. We love our kids so much!
*Our Christmas decorations are gently used this year. The thrift shop in Monte Vista was full of wonderful Christmas stuff -- I had fun looking, but other than books, a few 25-cent cups and some dishtowels, I didn't get many holiday goodies. The Castle Rock thrift shop was much the same: Christmas videos and an armload of holiday paper napkins, plus a hanging, a few placemats...and a glass-covered display used for the candlelight concert. Lots of fun, and I spent about what I would have at Dollar Tree.
*Extra beefsteak and broccoli went into the freezer. (I stocked up, in case of poor weather.) Marked-down snow peas, spinach greens and cauliflower joined them, along with a free 40-oz pkg of chicken breast, thanks to Safeway's reward program.
*No books ordered on Ebay -- even if they were cheap. (This was difficult for me.) All the Christmas presents are purchased, too, including stocking stuffers.
*Renewed Brickworks' sales tax license. The Brick renewed his P.E. license, too.
*Pinto beans: $20 for 25 pounds...purchased locally from a farmer. I love doing this.
*Thrift shop bargains: kids Christmas books for 50 cents - dollar (for the Little Free Library; adult books for $1-2 each; holiday coffee cups, 25 cents each; holiday dishtowels, 75 cents - $1.50, plus a 5% discount for cash (Nazarene Thrift Shop/Monte Vista). Half-price kids and adult books and videos -- less even than Nazarene! Also a $38 dog kennel, a half-priced sweater and shirts. All for an additional 10% off (Treasures in the Park/Castle Rock).
*I finally found a half-slip! ($8.24 from Walmart.com) Do you know how difficult it is right now to find ANY kind of slip, unless you pay big bucks for it? Maybe I should take the Sydney Sweeney approach, instead.
*Walked away from a "free $10" voucher -- when Michael's larded on the shipping costs, instead.
*No discounts or free meals on Veterans Day -- the Brick changed the oil on the truck, instead. (He didn't feel well, anyways.)
*A set of bubble lights for each girlie/son's Christmas tree. I love these, but they're difficult to find. They also got some of the holiday dishtowels and an Advent calendar apiece.
*Now that the Highlander is part of our world, we were able to start saving again in our higher-interest (4.25%) account. We couldn't put a lot away -- the yearly insurance bill was due this month -- but it still felt great. Interestingly, the registration fees will be lower, because it's a 'used' vehicle. And instead of paying more for insurance, we actually saved about $600 yearly, because of the 'multiple vehicle' clause. (We'll keep the truck, but it's on liability only.)
A helpful note here: you can really save money if you purchase your vehicle in another state -- especially if yours, like Colorado, is expensive. It takes research, but it's worth it. We learned that with the truck.
*Ordered new business cards, plus a few signs and an envelope stamper -- 25% off. (Thanks, Vistaprint!) I also got a 3% boost from ordering them through my old pal, Swagbucks -- then used those extra points to order a giftcard for the Brick's Christmas stocking. (You can do this, too...just click on this link to get started.)
*Grocery deals: Onion bagels 6 for $1.25; hor dog buns for a quarter; a small cake for $2.40 (King Soopers/City Market). Marked-down kale (Walmart). Extra-large shrimp, about $6/lb; 99-cent/pound turkey; $1.27/lb ham; Marie Callender apple pie ($4.97); free turkey for spending $100+; free celery (Safeway). BOGO cranberry sauce (about 40 cents each); barbecue sauce and salad dressing, 99 cents each; mixed nuts $1.79 for 10 oz.; ground turkey, $1.57/lb; Lindt thin candy bars for 20 cents each (SLV Amish grocery). Campbell's Chunky chicken and dumplings soup, plus chicken potpie soup, for $1.02 each; KIND bars, 61 cents each; chicken a la king for $1.21 each...and tins of smoked sardines for a buck each! (Amazon, mostly Warehouse Deals)
True to form, Safeway shorted me considerably on the bill -- which meant a special trip back to Safeway to get my money refunded: nearly $45. (They charged full price for the 'free' turkey, among other things.)
*Used up leftovers, including turkey breast and our share of the Thanksgiving turkeys. (I'm doing better in this area, though there were a few misses, including a mushy pkg of carrots forgotten from the Utah trip.) Didn't always heat the house, even when it got down to the low 60s. (Sweaters work wonders. So does the woodstove.)
*Planted 400 more flower bulbs -- a 75% off-free-shipping special the Brick found. Adding thedaffodil bulbsI put in the ground last month, this makes 600 bulbs planted this fall... whew!
*A $10.06 Quora payment. and a $36.73 class action Facebook settlement.
*A few new appraisals. Mostly just working on current reports.
*Watched our granddog Freya, while her parents were working rock shows.
*Sold some books -- and gave away some, too.
FRUGAL MISSES
*$40 for keeping the dogs at the the hotel in Utah, $20 for each. (Fortunately, our part of the bill was reasonably priced --$50 and change == and included a good breakfast. Don't miss out staying at the Sleep Inn in Draper, UT; it's a bargain, not counting dog-related $$. And yes, they behaved themselves. (We did, too. I did nab a few cream cheese packets and some lovely-smelling body lotion samples.)
For some weird reason, the hotel refunded $20 a few weeks later -- apparently because we have Good Doggos?? Ahem.
*Paid the inevitable insurance bill for the new car...but at least it was lower than feared. Ditto for registration.
*More dents, scratches and bangs on the truck, after moving the fifth-wheel we used to live in. (resigned sigh) The back gate is hard to open, but we're dealing with it. At least it can rest some, since the Highlander is also in use. We still haven't figured out how to bring the dogs, except in the truck. Maybe a crate in the back of the Highlander, to protect it?
Freya redecorated a sofa cushion, but she wasn't the only one....Bo helped with other items. And, of course:
*Latest snacks for Tiger: one of the Brick's flannel shirts (a sleeve), a ball of string, heavy rubber glove, the coating on a pair of pliers, and a selection of winter and work gloves. (With one exception, always the right hand, not the left. Being lefthanded myself, this is intriguing.) Other than the Utah trip, no escape attempts (but some from Bo), a few pooping disasters...and only a few pee incidents. (He got scared.) So things are improving. Sort of. Then again, maybe not. ("Puppies are puppies," the Brick reminds me regularly.)
Note to you poor souls: black duct tape works wonders.
*Still learning the bells and whistles on the new car -- nearly caused an accident in Denver, because I didn't realize the headlights didn't go on automatically. (They do now, thanks to the Brick.)
*Bought myself a few things, including a flannel nightgown ($12), sweater ($3.50) and nice leather purse ($24, plus 10% senior discount on all). Yes, they were at the thrift store. Yes, they were WAY under what they would have cost on Amazon or elsewhere. (I checked. The nightgown's best price on Amazon: $28.) So why do I feel a little strange about this...and a bit guilty?
*Got a new laptop! And since we bought it on a Black Friday sale, we saved $300, with free shipping. Why isn't this in 'Hits,' rather than 'Misses?' Because we hadn't planned to do it. But when your screen cracks, you don't have much choice.
*No access to my e-mail and other websites, my photos, etc. And thanks to differences between the Brick's WORD and mine, reports are going a LOT slower. Frustrating. I've used the slow weeks to do other work, but still...
Week before last, a small crack developed on my laptop screen. "How in the world did that happen??" said the Brick. Truth is: I don't know. I've been traveling with it some, but didn't notice anything.
The crack lengthened. Next thing I noticed was the cursor, which seemed to have a mind of its own. It would zoom off in all directions, opening and closing pages...and driving me crazy, trying to finish up reports. (The 'firefly effect' was due to it being a touch screen, the Brick says.) First we considered buying a new screen -- but it would cost only about a hundred dollars less than the Best Buy laptop the Brick found, thanks to Black Friday.
It arrived last week, and the Brick has been installing on it ever since. Someday soon, I hope to have access to my Own Stuff, including photos, etc. The Brick graciously loaned me his laptop -- or you wouldn't be hearing anything from yours truly. Unfortunately, it does not do what I need it to.
Sigh. Not long now.
Meanwhile, we're trudging through the last of the Thanksgiving leftovers, and watching a winter storm roll in.
P.S. If you've e-mailed me, and I haven't answered -- I'm not ignoring you. I just don't have access to my e-mail account right now; the Brick's is in the way. I should be able to respond in the next few days.
And here are a few pieces of Stuff to consider, until my world gets back to normal.
From Wendy Holmes, an old neighbor, via the NEIGHBORHOOD app:
Hey gang! If you see a deer all decked out in solar meteor lights, don't let him tell you that he's being festive. He stole them from my tree! And.... they were hung at least 6ft off of the ground. Tore the heck out of my tree and I had Irish Spring soap hanging in places. So, that doesn't work.
The snow has stopped -- and it's already melting. That's what happens when you get a ton of sunshine, even on a chilly day.
My laptop screen developed a crack. (I still don't know how.) The second time I noticed it, the crack was longer...and my cursor, when it appeared at all, jumped all over the screen, opening and closing pages at will. Sigh....
I limped along for a while, trying to cope. Then we did the wise thing -- ordered a new laptop. Thanks to Black Friday specials, a new machine was only about $100 more than trying to fix the old laptop.
Thankfully, we had the money, too.
It arrives Friday. Meanwhile, the Brick has generously offered to let me use his laptop. That's great -- but it means learning on a new system, with his little quirks installed.
Fresh out of the candlelight concert, it started to snow. The mountains spend a lot of time hiding behind a mist of clouds, while we get light but steady flakes. Just glad we don't have to go anywhere until Tuesday.
The kids will be here Thursday for Thanksgiving -- the first time they've been at our place to celebrate in quite a number of years. Am I looking forward to it? You bet.
Bids for a Bob Ross painting are now past $1million. Why? The painting isn't that exciting -- BUT so few Ross paintings have been sold, at auction or otherwise. Three more Ross paintings sold in recent years for $600,000 combined...
John Corcoran, Ripley’s director of exhibits, said in a statement. “Our number one idea is to keep things free-flowing. Number two is making sure nothing gets clogged up and flushes away future possibilities. We will unroll some paper and start planning.”
Hey, Gentle Readers, I don't always write the wisecracks -- I just report 'em!
A huge amount of EBT fraud has been uncovered -- here are the states who got hit the worst. (186,000 DEAD PEOPLE are collecting foodstamps?!?) This is why I believe that not only should the system be overhauled -- everyone should reapply. Some family members disagree on this -- after all, the 'billionaires who don't pay tax' are cheating so much more. But to my mind, fraud is fraud. Prosecute the billionaires, too!
My take on 'being poor:' a classic from yours truly. I wrote this years before the current brouhaha on EBT and SNAP benefits.
It just sold at auction for $236.4 MILLION DOLLARS. Sotheby's auctioned off more than two dozen pieces from the estate of Estee Lauder's son Leonard. The painting, of Elizabeth Lederer, was done in 1916 -- Lauder bought it in the 1980s and kept it until his death earlier this year.
Gustav, like so many other artists (ahem - Picasso - cough), was not a nice person.
'Yes, I am a pig. But at least my cat likes me.'
The man painted beautifully. His 1907 Woman in Gold, also known as Lady [Dame] in Gold, tis still one of my favorites.
The painting was stolen by the Nazis, and ended up in an Austrian art gallery, the Galerie Belvedere. It only came back to the family after a 7-year legal battle.
I love southern Colorado. It's beautiful here, and very peaceful. But for a booklover, it's also a bit sparse. We have a great library in Alamosa -- but it's 45 minutes away. The Fort Garland library means well, but needs a little help.
So we did the next best thing: started up a New Little Library by Calvary Blanca Church. It's only a few miles away, in Blanca, CO at 607 Broadway...or use this map connection.
I have had so much fun, helping to stock it!
It was built from an old cabinet, as the starter. Various people, yours truly included, added the roof and shingled it, added the steeple, painted it and put on the charter number. Some extra wood trim needs to frame the windowglass, and a painted 'door' is planned for the side,
but that should happen in the next few weeks.
Friend Kathy is standing by it here, looking cute.
Here's the church it resembles: Calvary Blanca (607 Broadway). The LFL is right by the announcements sign. Currently, it's got a special group of kids' and adults' books on Christmas, as well as a number of other selections.
That's the Blanca Mountains behind it: known as "the girls" in our house.
Many thanks to Sandy, Lonnie, Ross, Rich and Dave for their hard work making this a reality.
Unfortunately, I've got some flu to match. (The Brick started the process last week, but is doing better.) We don't need to go anywhere this week. So glad.
Not as pretty as this... but nice, nonetheless.
Especially with a crackling fire, corn dogs and hot tea nearby.
We're still working on it - but at least you'll be able to see books close up, plus more information on teaching and appraising. (Be gentle with us; it's still in progress.)
Colorado has 697 different sides?? You mean it's not a perfect rectangle, as shown in maps?
Fifty unusual facts about the Centennial State -- a number of these are from southern Colorado, in our neck of the woods.
(You might want to ignore the umpteen wild dates just whipped around here... with no documentation, of course. The facts, though, are too intriguing to miss.)
The strange month, dreary and overcast much of the time. The waiting month.
Until Thanksgiving, that is.
Not much to say -- just the usual work. Driving in the 'new' car feels weird, but nice. No grubbiness? No duct-taped back seatsor cracked windshield? Does this little farm girl deserve such luxury?
A nearly two century-old decorative bracelet -- found at a church thrift store! (I did some research, and found out that travelers would buy decorative miniatures, painted and mosaics, as souvenirs. Then they'd hire jewelers to set them into necklaces, bracelets, even rings.)
...or threatened. Who knows if this situation will be fixed this month.
This is tough. It IS really difficult, when you've relied on this for years. Like these people --or these people:
This seems especially true, when the person speaking says they have huge families (6, 7 or more kids) -- or they've got serious disabilities (are certainly plain-speaking, and often look fine physically). Or, even worse, they come from generations of families who've relied on foodstamps to feed themselves. Besides the people announcing that they should be entitled to free food/rent (because they were 'them,' I guess), one mom was more honest than she realized:
"Now I gotta get used to budgeting, and buying things I really need."
Hmmm...
Having lived on $20,000 or less myself -- with two kids and a husband who went from mechanical engineer (and a much higher salary) to bus driver -- I KNOW you can get through this. Because we did, for a number of years.
It's time to change. Stop feeling sorry for yourself, badmouthing the government, and using "the kids will be starving" as an excuse. (Trust me -- they won't.)
First: Look at what you're buying. One video of a frightened couple-with-baby showed a near-empty refrigerator...and chicken nuggets, plus a shelf of Hamburger Helper-type mixes.
Sorry -- that's not going to work right now. Nor are buying chips and pop. (One mom actually complained about this, because now they'd have to stop buying 'snacks.')
Next: Go back to the old standards. Beans and rice. Mac and cheese. Bean tacos -- or even tastier, beans mixed with a small amount of ground beef. Oatmeal. Toast. Egg prices are down a little -- so scrambled eggs or quiche. Whole chicken -- even rotisserie -- gives you a few meals, and a few more soups. Use every bit of leftovers.
Proteins are especially important now: beans, cheese, milk, chicken -- and small amounts of beef and pork. Even a few hot dogs, sliced thin, give your dish heft. Like the Poorman's Meal:
Next: Don't forget flour -- it can stretch everything. (Tortillas come in a close second.) Bread, biscuits, dumplings, pie, cinnamon rolls. Serve this alongside a bowl of soup or stew for a filling meal. Or make pizza dough, and top it with any number of things. (Makes good calzones, as well.)
Next: Don't forget starches, either -- they also stretch things. Rice, potatoes, noodles work well. If you're missing french fries, cut your potatoes in 'sticks,' roll them in oil, salt and bake at high heat. Then top them with cheese, salsa or Elvis's favorite: gravy. These go well with other dishes, too.
For snacks, fries, homemade potato chips and popcorn.
Next: Don't skip the 'luxury' stuff like butter, mushrooms or bacon -- just use less. A few slices of bacon can be chopped up and added to eggs to keep them from sticking. A pat of real butter is outstanding on baked potatoes, homemade toast or even a burger.
Next: Save up for holiday foods. Buy items when they're on sale -- or marked down. (You can find them on Amazon's 'Warehouse Deals,' as well.)
And finally: your community is bound to have some sort of food pantry or program. You may have to work to find it -- but it's there. Ask friends, or call your local church or senior center; they'll know. Volunteer at your local thrift shop -- volunteers have access to free donated food, as well.
One clever person worked out a deal with a convenience store. They cleaned the bathrooms, swept the aisles,etc. in return for leftover food. They said it worked out well for both parties. Why not make this offer to one of your local restaurants or grocery stores?
Can you get some of your foodstamp dollars back by working 15 or 20 hours weekly? That's two days...and most of us put in much longer hours than that. Pleeassssseee...stop griping about having to work. It makes those of us who do work -- and don't get foodstamps -- very tired.
We never got foodstamps.Our housing wasn't subsidized. Our girls were eligible for free meals, but refused to use them because they were embarrassed. After age 14, they ended up working part-time themselves for extras. The Brick and I didn't think badly about this because 1) their grades stayed up, and 2) we did this ourselves as kids. Neither the Brick nor myself grew up in wealthy families. And with very rare exceptions, we never went into debt, even in the lean years.
(If your kids are griping about 'no snacks,' they can always get part-time jobs or do errands for others, and buy their own food. )
Don't bitch and moan... Congress is the one who's going to change this, not you. And there is also a good chance that these changes are going to be permanent. Or at least different. Learning to cope with them now will put you ahead in the long run.
Change feels scary at first. How can you and your family make it? Will you be out on the street? But you can adapt. Speaking from experience here.
The fall colors this season were heart-stopping. We didn't have really cold temps until late in the month-- right about when everything faded.
We were supposed to stay home all October -- but needed to go to Denver twice (once for a funeral) -- plus a quickie trip to Utah to pick up our new car.
I had a number of work items to finish up...and the Brick spent a lot of time fixing up, winterizing -- and finding the best deals. He's good at that.
Oct. 31st marks two years that we've been in Fort Garland. Weird...it feels like we've been here forever.
La Veta Pass this fall -- not far from Fort Garland. photo by Bert Bertrand
FRUGAL HITS
(A few of these are from late September)
*Gardening: A few more beans and zucchini blooms before the first frost on Oct. 16 killed pretty much everything. I stripped out the mushy vines; a few greens were growing, until Tiger and Bo decided to aerate my deckside garden beds. (sigh) I covered the rose plants with (go figure) dogfood bags for winter protection, and took the blueberry bush down to the garage. Hopefully it hibernates there til spring.
*Gardening results: not much. Used tomatoes, leftover bits of greens and green beans in soup. Some green tomatoes are still ripening.
*Listened to a concert at the Fort Garland museum-- a friend plays in a mariachi band. (Yes, there is a real fort in Fort Garland!) Did our own band stint at Lu's restaurant in Blanca. (The Brick played the keyboard; I sang, along with several friends from Worship team. Rock n' Roll rules!)
*Watched BLACK WOLF, an intriguing series a la THE UNIT. The Brick also found a way to pick up some Michigan football games and a Colorado Buffs game or two -- for free!
*Stocked up on charms, including dragonflies and antique-look keys, for Daughter #2's necklaces.
*Missed out on an Ebay auction! Why am I thrilled about this? Because, after putting in the bid (which I couldn't retract, by the way), I realized that I would be on the hook for a bunch of extra $$, thanks to tariffs. (I learned from last month's debacle.) Some 'fortunate' bidder topped my already-low bid just before the auction ended. Whew. I bought the same item from an American seller -- and got free shipping out of it, too.
*Free groceries from a friend who was cleaning out her pantry: sliced almonds, tomato soup, tomatoes. Thanks, SueAnn!
*Stocked up on chicken noodle and celery soups, tomatoes, green beans and green chilies from Amazon. Their prices were even better than Walmart.com -- and the Amish grocery. I paid a bit more for a case each of peach nectar and pineapple juice, but they'll come in handy for winter. Free shipping, of course, because I was careful about totals. And after ordering black olives ($1.06 each), Amazon got a wild hair and offered them at 90 cents each! So I bought some more, even though that price included a bit of shipping. You can take the girl out of Holland -- but you can't make her stop being a Hollander.
While I was at it, I restacked and sorted the items in our pantry area. I found several cans of chicken I didn't know was there, as well as other items -- like a jar of caviar I'd been hoarding. I like caviar. So sue me. (It was on sale.)
*Made bread, cake, almond pound cake, biscuits, blueberry muffins -- baked apples and apple crisp. Used up souring milk in the cake, bread, biscuits -- and some waffles.
*Nearly $10 in royalties from Crazy Quilts. Not too bad, onsidering it's only published now in e-book form. (Brickworks still has a few copies left -- contact me via the blog if you're interested.)
*A much more substantial amount of royalties from Arcadia, though. (Royalties come twice a year -- in the spring and again in the fall. Always welcome.)
*Held off on getting myself a new nightgown until I found one on sale. (Tiger chewed up the old one.) I did buy a postcard, a few quilt patterns and a few yards of millenium fabric on Ebay -- I tried a low Best Offer, and both were accepted! The patterns were 20% off, with free shipping.
*Made a special trip to Denver for a funeral. Bought roses ($17.50) to bring with, and a clear glass vase-- the service was outside in a park, or I would have had them delivered. Left soon after, to make the long trip home before it got too dark.
*A few delayed payments came in -- always nice. We have a big insurance payment coming due in early November; they'll help.
*William Morris reproduction fat quarters -- for $1.79 each, including shipping! This is a STEAL for these classic designs.
*Thrift shop buys: mason pint and quart jars, with rings/lids, for $1 each; an old mason jar filled with thimbles for $20 (just counted 89 in there!); a few series videos ($4 each); a soft curduroy Eddie Bauer shirt for the Brick ($7). Plus a 10% senior discount (Treasures in the Park/Castle Rock). A few more shirts, $5-7 each; three beautiful cobalt blue glass bowls (50 cents each); some rare quilting books ($2 each); and a good stockup of stationery and Christmas cards, (10 cents - $3); a few Christmas presents ($2 each). Plus a 5% disount for cash (Nazarene Thrift Shop).
*Made onion rings. (His look better.)
*Cut the Brick's hair. Again. Did a better job this time.
*Appraisals, appraisals, appraisals. I'm hoping that November will be much quieter, in this respect.
*Found a new Ebay seller, offering buy TWO, get 1 free, plus free shipping -- yow! I ordered a few Christmas presents, and padded out my research shelves. (Thank you, Your Online Bookstore Company) I also got some CDs (buy 3, get 1 free/free shipping), including The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's Bang Bang Bang. None were more than $2.99 each. (The best price on Amazon for BBB was $14.98. We sang a lot of songs out of it for the Lu's Diner gig.)
*Grocery deals: Several different Campbell's canned soups (99 cents ea), several imported/specialty items for 79-99 cents each, including hearts of palm and tahini (SLV Amish Grocery). Pasta, 88 cents/lb, reward free pounda of butter, $1.37 half-gallons of milk, $3.27 pkg of bacon, 6 doughtnuts ($1.50) and cans of buffalo cream of chicken soup (18 cents each), bags of snow peas ($1.57 ea), red-bagged fruit (5 apples, 3 multi-colored peppers, three avocados, a lemon plus limes) for $1.50 each, 8 pc. fried chicken for $5.28, and the best -- turkey breast for 99 cents a pound! (King SoopersCity Market). Produce discount ($3), gallons of whole milk for $2.77 each, apples at 97 cents/lb, blueberries $2.77 for 18 oz (Safeway). Lebkuchen (the best cookies in the world) for about $7 a large bag (about 1/3 the price as elsewhere) and free shipping. A Christmas favorite around here (Amazon).
*Found money: a shiny penny in Safeway's change machine; a penny on the sidewalk; two crisp dollar bills from Nielsen. On the way home from our Utah trip, I found a penny in the McDonalds parking lot -- so we weren't penniless, after our car purchase! (The Brick was not amused...but I was.)
*A birthday present of 100 daffodil bulbs was misdelivered by Fedex. (We got a photo as 'proof'...which wasn't our house.) A phone call by the Brick got a replacement order. Then weeks later -- the original box showed up! The company said we could keep it. Wow -- 200 bulbs to plant! Those went in the ground along our driveway. I also put some in the church's flower planter.
*A free birthday dessert at Chili's. A free burger at Red Robin.
*Sold a bunch of stock for a tidy profit. I have a feeling things are going to bottom out soon...but am keeping single shares, so I can watch to see what happens. Bought some more (Lending Club), which is moving up steadily. (The rest - except for a silver stock, not so much. One day, the silver stock went down 9.5% -- so I bought more! It's doing well. I also bought 10 shares of Lending Tree.)
*Bought a bird feeder that the bluejays won't empty in a day. In fact neither they or the squirrels have succeeded in emptying it at all. (Our local bluejays eat like pigs and kick out loads of seed while they're doing it -- something the local chipmunks appreciate, but we don't.)
Got it on sale, too, with free shipping. So far, it's working great, in spite of heavy winds. We had to grease the shepherd's crook pole, though, to keep the chipmunks at bay. They occasionally win anyways, but it's very funny to watch them sliiiiide down.
*Donated the fee for a talk at the Four Mile Historic Park -- but they did help out with mileage costs.
*A bouquet of yellow roses and baby's-breath: $2.80. A bunch of alstromeria: $3-plus each. I also bought some grocery store sushi for $6.25 -- bad girl. (It, and fried chicken, was supper on the way home from Denver. Delicious.)
*I did a bit of cleaning/putting away every day. After September's hustles, things have been looking a little messy around here. We had guests for dinner one Sunday, which meant a flurry of last-minute vacuuming and polishing. That helped, too.
*Nailed for a $10 tariff on Ebay books shipped from Canada. Fortunately, the seller reimbursed me. WARNING: This is going to happen more often until the tariff situation changes! Be sure to tailor your purchases to accommodate it.
*Got my hair cut -- first time since spring. Why does it have to be so dingdang expensive? I think I will let the Brick try his hand at it next time.
*Missed out on a $25 giftcard (from our Humana healthcare) because, instead of marking my visit as an "annual wellness review," the doctors office made it a "new customer" stop, instead. It was... but still! I also lost my primary care doctor -- and now the local medical center doesn't accept Humana. (Fortunately, another Medicare program is accepted, so we'll switch to that eventually.) When you live in a rural area, and have to drive 45 min. to the "local" hospital, this adds up.
*Bought two dressy blouses via Amazon. Yes, they were on sale, with free shipping. (This is hard for me -- buying stuff for myself that isn't from the thrift shop. But they're lovely.)
*A TWENTY-FIVE DOLLAR FEE for parking a few hours in Denver -- near the park that an important funeral service was held at. (There was literally nothing in sight, except the university lot.) Afterwards, Daughter #1 showed me some metered spaces -- in the next row over. "They were only $6.00," she said. I hadn't noticed them....nor were they an option at the kiosk. Aaarrgghghghghghghggh.
*Bad peaches! The three-pound bag from City Market went straight from unripe to mushy. I cut out the bad spots, discarded a goner, then salvaged the rest by blending them with sugar, milk and some leftover vanilla yogurt. Delicious.
*Tiger didn't just chew up my nightgown -- he also ate a pair of black flipflops and a leather glove. The next day, he got another glove -- but just around the edges. (I guess we're supposed to be grateful.)
Then both dogs decided to tear up part of the truck's back seat.I wish I was making this up.
(The seat is duct-taped for now; we'll look for a replacement at junkyards.)
"Buurppp..."
Add in his poop-and-puke incidents onthe trip to Utah, and it makes you wonder. Fortunately, he's cute..and somewhat apologetic when he messes up.
*Threw away some Very Old food items, dating from thefifth wheel period, including rock-hard gummies and a liter of Coke. Ah well.
*The Brick has been sick much of the month. Chest congestion is no fun. (I got some, too.)
* I did NOT bid on an auction of antique quilts I'd appraised. And boy, was that hard -- but it wouldn't have been ethical. Yes, I could have done it...and it probably would have been okay with the client. After all, I had nothing to do with the initial bid, or the ones after that. But it just didn't feel right.
*A gallon of milk started going bad early. I used it up in baking -- see 'Hits.' A veggie bowl ($4.50) kept me in snacks on the way to Utah, but several items started going. I saved the peppers in a stirfry at least. (Broccoli and cauliflower went in the freezer.)
*Two big poopy incidents for the pups -- and several escapes. We think we have this figured out now: let Bo out without Tiger, and she won't take off. And the reverse goes for Tiger even more. (He's still a bit of a weenie. Scare him, and he starts peeing.) And the diarrhea? Eating deer poop, we suspect. Or maybe it's a reaction to all the other things he's nibbled on.
* One Amazon order was never delivered -- but its label was.(I am not making this up.) Fortunately, the post officemaster saw the humor in the situation, and refused the order. Amazon later credited it.
*No elk or venison this year...for us, at least. The Brick didn't go. Son #1 did get a nice buck on nearly the last day of October.
Last month is here. Oct. 2024 is here, plus the year before.The dreariness of early winter is starting, true -- but the kids are coming here for Thanksgiving. Hooray!
'You know, life is sent to test us, as well. And being able to overcome that is what makes us who we are.' ----Prince William
