While You're At It...

 Don't forget an apology to the fiancee, as well.

Bored Panda, you naughty thing, you.

Frugal Hits & Misses: The January Report

 Brrr.... it's been cold. I am so grateful for the cheerful crackling of the woodstove, even if it means we have to haul in a wheelbarrow load or two every week. Thanks to the previous owner's industry, we still have plenty of cut-and-split logs. The Brick found a woodworking company where we can get a pickup-load of aspen for less than $75, if we load it ourselves. (See below for that adventure.) It burns easily, so makes a good firestarter.

     I also inventoried the contents of both our freezer and storage -- and felt a lot better. We have plenty of food to get by just fine. All we need are milk, eggs and an occasional pound of butter. Maybe eggs won't be on the list soon -- we're looking at getting chickens! 

    Our version of winter days really isn't that bad, compared to what I grew up with in Michigan. We have our share of storms, but plenty of sunny, crispy cold weather in between. However, today (the 30th), we got slammed with nearly two feet of light, fluffy snow...the most since we moved here Nov. 2023. Yow. Is this a sign for the rest of winter??

FRUGAL HITS

*Under budget for the month! Considering that December was bloated with truck repair expenses, this was a real relief. (Property taxes are coming due in February, too.)

*Five pairs of knitted mittens for our dear nieces and nephews. It gave them a useful present -- and the friend who knitted them some extra income. I ordered three more adult pairs -- including one for me.  

*Put away the Christmas decorations -- and some more boxes and bags originally from the fifth-wheel. (Yes, we're still unpacking...but making progress.)

*Earned a free $25 Amazon giftcard - for the equivalent of $22 in Swagbucks points! I still use this for searches and occasional shopping -- it's free, and easy to earn points. Yes, you can do it, too.

*A Verizon claim settlement came through -- $14.81.

*The monthly electric bill went back down...whew, less than $90. (The Brick confessed that he'd been heating the workshop downstairs for an extended period the month before. Now we know.)

*The mandarin oranges bought in December have really held their own! The ones kept in cold storage, that is, by the steps down to the garage. (The ones by the woodstove hardened right up, and had to be squeezed.) I have been eating at least three a day, and will peel the rest and put them in the freezer. After all, I don't want to get... you know.

*Found money:  squat, so far, for 2025. (I did find two half-dollars stashed away in my old purse bug, but that doesn't really count.)

*Sold some books. Did some appraisals, too. Always nice! Finished up some appraisal reports that clients have been waiting patiently for. (Thank you so much.)

*Purchases made this month included TurboTax.  I bought some books for my research shelf, plus some history books, from Ebay sellers -- buy 2, get 1 free; as well as buy 3, get 1 free, and 25% off for 2 or more. (Free shipping, too.) Some of these will be birthday presents. (Held off on an additional order because I couldn't find that essential fourth book. Maybe later.)

*A book on Arizona oddities, sent by friends "because it reminded us of you." !!! (Thanks, Dears.)

*Some wonderful quilt-related photos for future articles, at extremely reasonable Ebay prices. Including this one:

*Ate up a LOT of leftovers from the Fish Dishes and Christmas baking. Some of it went in the freezer when we couldn't finish it all up. We also made a nice dent in our canned and dry goods and sauces. 

*Finished up the Christmas ham -- with pea soup, made with scraps and the hambone, coming up as a finale.

*The Brick made the trip to Denver's capital for his veteran's group. They met some legislators, and lobbied on behalf of Convention of the States. He was mighty frugal on the trip, and  basically spent money for gas, a parking spot -- and supper with our friends at Red Robin. (He got a free appetizer, too.) I was going to go, but this flu business just kept me down and exhausted. 

*Kept the woodstove supplied -- and temps cool in the house, so we didn't use propane much for heat. I did, however, use the dryer a lot. (It uses propane, too.)

*Stitched up the Brick's wool hunting pants... and worked on restoring an antique crib quilt.

*Some beautiful antique wire name pins, plus a handful of Victorian era bar pins -- all for about $1-3 each, plus shipping.

Here are the bar pins... lovely.

*The Social Security Fairness Act was signed into law! This should mean a good-sized increase in our SS income, since the "double-dipping penalty" is now abolished. (Good riddance.) To add a little frosting on top, we also got a 2.5% cost-of-living raise on our usual amounts. Always nice. Unfortunately, it looks like we'll have to wait up to a year to get the increase and back pay. As Arlo Guthrie says, "Well, thass America..."

*Made a double payment on the house loan again. We had to do a single payment in December, due to truck repairs.

*Singing again at church. We missed a big chunk of late December and early January, due to the flu.

*Kept our darling granddog Freya, while Son #1 and Daughter #2 man a booth at Tucson's monthly Jan/Feb gem show. (It's great -- go take a look!)

*Several postcards and stamp covers, for use in future articles and books. The most expensive was here, at a modest $15. The rest were less than $3 each, and mostly less than $2, a real steal for illustrations. Including this California Gold Rush piece:

*Thrift Shop Buys:  sweaters for A DOLLAR each, notecards for $1-2 (10-25 cards), fabric for $2-5/yd...and a wonderful artist's manual on color for a buck. (Nazarene Thrift Shop)

*We now have a birdfeeder cam. They haven't found it quite yet, but I'm looking forward to the avian parade when they do. (Thank you, Dear Brick, for installing it!)

*Got my business card drawn at Fogo de Chao! This snazzy place is a lot like Rodizio Grill, with waitstaff running around with skewers of meat, as much as you want. I never got the first card, and had to request a replacement. But it arrived. Daughter #2 got one, too...

*Loaded the truck with aspen scrap wood for ourselves, plus a load for a friend. It's been cooooolllld around here. We loaded on a day of single-digit temps; it was so windy that the pieces kept flying out of the back while we were trying to throw them in. Chilled to the bone by the time we finished. (Foolish, foolish.) See below.

*Grocery buys:  Brown eggs, $3.99/dozen (a steal right now in CO); pork sausage, approx. $1.70/lb; Italy-made spaghetti sauce $1.29 each; walnut pieces, approx. $3/lb; pecan pieces, approx. $4/lb; packages of Keebler cookies, $1.29 each; 2 pounds of espresso coffee beans, $6 and change (SLV Amish grocery). $1.27 half-gallons of milk (City Market).  P.F. Chang honey chicken ($3 each), 50-cent loaves of French and Italian bread, 97-cent garlic bread and a huge package of stuffed dumplings called bulogi - $6. (Walmart)  Don't even ask about eggs...IF you find them, prices are up. Again.

    The P.F. Chang chicken was nearly tasteless, sadly. So I called, and they're sending replacement coupons. We also got an odd-tasting package of crumbly tatertots -- got a giftcard for that. (Thanks, Walmart!)

FRUGAL MISSES

*A few produce items spoiled...most, however, were eaten up before they got too rubbery. (Lots of salads this month. We needed them, anyways.)

*Wrote a check for the year's sale tax for Brickworks. A necessary evil.

*Behind on reports. I hope to make that up. (Hey, we're definitely not going anywhere the next few days.)

*Spent more than I'd planned to on Ebay. Sure, I got a lot of 'extremely reasonable' deals -- but those $10, $15 and $20+ charges add up. Amazon purchases were more balanced.

*Bought some quilt tops! Granted, they were reasonably priced...but I am a bad kitty. Bulk batting and fabric backing, purchased earlier, will help turn them into something.

*And bought myself a vintage poster of Breakheart Pass. Very reasonable price -- does a 40+% off discount count? No matter...I love this movie.

An action Western, lots of Significant Looks, plot twists and a cute guy... 

what more can you ask for.

*ALMOST lost some ribeye steaks. We got them out for holiday guests that didn't stay for supper...and I kind of forgot they were there. By the time the Brick rescued them, they were starting to get a bit gamy. (Thank God for teriyaki sauce.) Ruby took care of the bones.

*A dead battery on the truck. So grateful for a friend who came over and jumpstarted it. Our 'truck guys' in Alamosa checked, and confirmed that the batteries were a bit rundown -- but should be fine. And the truck continued to run, until...

*The wind blew a piece of wood into the back truck window -- and broke it -- while we were loading aspen. Oh goody. To make things worse, we ended up at Alamosa's Walmart with a dead battery the same day. AGAIN. Thank God for jumper cables and two nice guys who helped get the truck started again. So...

*New batteries were purchased for the truck -- about $389. At least the truck starts regularly when you turn the ignition key. (You have no idea how much you take this for granted, until it doesn't happen anymore.)

*Bought the 2024 version of TurboTax for us and the business. Yow, it's expensive this year! (I guess I should be grateful we got it for 40% off, at least. Check Amazon -- the special may still be running.)

*Why do we pick up flu regularly this time of year? I read through previous January reports, and it's a frequent refrain. Maybe it's the cold -- or busy schedule in December. Is it stress from the holidays? (We do end up singing and playing a lot.) Fatigue? Just seems weird. At least we're feeling a lot better now.

Last month's report is here.  January 2024 is here. And 2023's version is here. Off we go, into February.  As soon as we shovel out, that is.

A Critical Subject in Winter

 

It's critical right now here... we've got at least three inches, and it's still snowing...brrrr.

We play it in Colorado, too...

Welcome to the Year of the Snake!

 

Wikipedia

Wednesday, Jan. 29, begins Chinese New Year...and lasts through Feb. 12.

So what does it mean for people born in the Year of the Snake?  Here's USA Today's explanation (which is good):

The Chinese zodiac, or Sheng Xiao (生肖), is a repeating 12-year cycle of animal signs and their attributes, based on the lunar calendar.

The Lunar New Year marks the transition from one animal to another. The Year of the Dragon, which began on Feb. 10, 2024, ends on Tuesday. Wednesday begins the Year of the Snake. The Year of the Snake last came in 2013.

'Snake' people are said to be intelligent, wise...and just a bit mysterious. (whoo)

One way to celebrate: eat a bowl of snake soup!  (The sort-of recipe is explained here, by a woman known as the 'Snake Queen.') If you've got access to some slither... it won't be that hard to make. Snake "tastes like chicken;" I've tried some, and other than being a bit chewy, it actually does! 

 

Wake Up!

 This is for Selena Gomez and all those feeling sorry for poor -------                              (insert whatever word you like).

There are better ways to help than trashing, stealing and arson.

DO SOMETHING.

That's What Friends Are For

 (Ummm...I'm on the right. Unfortunately.)

Monday Stuff On the Way to Other Stuff: The Fog Is Lifting

     Ater weeks of flu -- I"m finally feeling better!

     Now, if I could only go without getting tired so quickly. It will come, it will come...

Meanwhile:

Five famous hackers -- and where they are today.

The sinister story behind the shot-down Chinese spy balloon.

'What does a frugal person eat?'  A classic from The Frugalwoods. (Sadly, she is no longer posting for us peasants...just her paying clients, I'd guess. I miss her.)

A roof-mounted sprinkler system... who woulda thought of that?? Obviously RFK Jr. did, since his house survived...

Boundary stones just discovered that show the neighborhoods of people in Jesus' era. 

Some new developments in the decades-old fight about fencing in the San Luis Valley -- from a centuries old agreement to let locals hunt, fish and gather wood on the land.

A poor little puppy stuck overnight on a Colorado mountain peak-- is rescued.

The ten most fascinating UFO sightings of all time -- including a memorable 2006 incident at Chicago's O'Hare airport.

A bus driver is praised for coolly handling a dangerous snowy street. Good for her! (The Brick was a bus driver for nearly two decades - it's not an easy job.)

The ten funkiest bass lines of all time. 

A wonderful designer -- who uses thrift shop blankets, tablecloths and such for her clothes. (I wish she would sell patterns.)

The secret message stitched into Melania Trump's and Jill Biden's inauguration outfits.

A Chinese billionaire gifts the hometown villagers who paid for his schooling decades ago...so kind. 

Have a great week. 

Alexa Said So...

 

Poor Baby...

 

At least someone (or something) feels sorry for her...

Now, THAT'S Weird...

 

A skull discovered in David Attenborough’s back garden belonged to the victim of a gruesome Victorian murderr, a coroner has ruled.
Widow Julia Martha Thomas, 55, was attacked in 1879 by her maid Kate Webster who pushed her down the stairs, then strangled her, chopped up her body, boiled it and gave the dripping to local children to eat.
Webster was tried and sent to the gallows but the skull lay undiscovered until October last year when workmen at TV naturalist Sir David’s £1.5million home dug it up while building an extension.

Thanks for that intriguing bit of history, Bored Panda. (erp)

I really shouldn't point fingers -- after all, one of my recent book orders included a copy of SCURVY by Jonathan Lamb... a very complete history of this unusual disease. I entertained the Brick with a few of the more disgusting symptoms, including having to pare away your gums when they got black and swollen. He winced, said "Gross," and changed the subject.

      Weenie.

     How did I get interested in this? Polar explorers, including my buddies on the Franklin Expedition, were always dealing with it. No citrus, few canned vegetables -- though seal liver has enough Vitamin C to help. (Polar bear liver has way too much -- and will poison, instead of heal you.) Yes, scurvy comes from an extreme lack of C. (A and D too, as I remember.)

    Guess I'd better go eat some mandarin oranges while I keep reading. 

Or To Your Dog...

 

Monday Stuff On the Way to Other Stuff: President #47 Takes the Stage

     Like some of you, we watched President Trump's inauguration message in the Rotunda -- and noticed President Biden's and VP Harris' expressions -- or you could say lack of expression. Trump certainly has an ego...but if he can accomplish some of the things he's advocating, it might just be a better country, after all. We have some time to find out. 

    I do think that Trump's assassination attempt has made him a bit more humble -- and grateful. May God help him -- and us. 

One small, but extremely classy gesture at the inauguration -- Donald and Melania's son Barron took time to shake both President Biden's and VP Harris's hands and speak to them politely. Now that's good breeding!

And in other important (ahem) news, Notre Dame lost the college football championship to... the Buckeyes. Yes, that State That Will Not Be Named -- the new champions had already been beat by the Michigan Wolverines. Go Blue!  (Sorry, VP Vance.)

     It's been incredibly cold here, with a dusting of snow. (True to form, our friends only five miles away in Forbes Park couldn't even get out, due to snow and wind.) We dragged ourselves to church; we had to. The people who were supposed to be playing Sunday had their driveways drifted shut! A long nap in the afternoon helped us recover. 

    Lots of small jobs this week, plus reports...and lunch/thrift shopping with friends on Friday. I'd better get my work done first. 

    Meanwhile:

More pardons from President Biden, announced at the very last minute. (I wonder why??) Now, at least, his family is protected - (way to keep your promises yet again, Mr. President). They haven't been charged with anything, after all. Other fancy dancers in the pardon cha-cha include Dr. Fauci and congressional members of the Jan. 6 committee.

    In other last-minute news, Biden announced he was personally ratifying the 28th Amendment, and making it "the law of the land". The archivist informed him otherwise -- this has to be done by ALL the states, not just 38 -- and definitely not by the President. But it didn't seem to matter...at least to Mr. Biden.

Hamas released Israeli hostages -- THREE of them -- and had the temerity to give them parting 'gift bags.' Three? Only three???

Six planets will align in the sky, starting this week -- seven by the end of February. This 'planet parade' hasn't happened until 2022.

Joann's files for bankruptcy. Oh boy.

A historic Paris theatre is packed with illegal migrants who won't go away. How did they get there? The theater invited them! But they refused to leave after the conference was over. Hmmm...

Mama dog brings a sick puppy to the vet's for help. 

A tasty-looking (and easy) tamale casserole. Good for cold nights.

Some Really Interesting (and unusual) images of the RMS Titanic.

'Now that my home is destroyed, what are the liberal California leaders I voted for going to do about it?' One columnist is thinking about becoming a conservative.

Watch one California house go up in flames -- just like its owner did, via door cam..

A young bald eagle is rescued -- and released -- in Alaska.

Starbucks tricks and hacks -- from people who work there. Includes a link to Starbucks' 'secret' drink menu.

Brrr...looks more like long underwear to me:

The ten most memorable commercials of all time. (And yes, Coke's "I'd like to teach the world to sing" is one of them.)

And finally -- Trump's first ten executive orders...at least according to the Babylon Bee. including:

An executive order granting himself unlimited executive orders: How has no one else thought of this?   (Or pardons)

So there you go. Have a good week.

Another Reviewer Hits the Streets...

 

Do They Vote, Too??

 

Using machine learning, researchers have been able to decode what fruit bats are saying--surprisingly, they mostly argue with one another.

Another pearl of wisdom from Bored Panda.

How They've Grown...

 

More then-and-now family photos here, thanks to Bored Panda.

I'll bet Mom and Dad are proud.

The Gentle Approach

 Of course, politics were much kinder centuries ago... right?

Monday Stuff On the Way to Other Stuff: January Recovery

     After weeks of flu...am I feeling better? I think maybe I am! But we both can get really tired, with just a little effort.

     (No, it's not Covid.)

     A little snow. A lot of cold. A good recipe for soup, staying inside...and working on reports. 

Meanwhile:

'Cheap but impressive' recipes.

'The cabbage' -- from Barbara Brackman!

Frugal hacks for grocery shopping -- 

Submarine incidents -- 1960s style.

Things done 'just to be safe' -- that paid off.

Top flavors in Pop-Tarts, as least according to The Kitchn.

Trisha Yearwood's Sloppy Joes.

"I would rather play chicken with my bills, than with my savings."  (From Budgets Are Sexy)

Have a great week. 

Quacked Up

 

Rats...

An Australian garrison in Tobruk during WWII that became infamous during an 8 month siege against an armored German/Italian Afrika corps.

The tactics of the soldiers surprised the Germans in that usually when the lines are pieced by armored forces the enemy retreats. Not so the Tobruk Garrison, who instead advanced and attacked the infantry running behind the tanks while letting the armored division over-extend itself without support.

>" I cannot understand you Australians. In Poland , France and Belgium once the tanks got through the soldiers took it for granted they were beaten. But you are like demons. The tanks break through and your infantry keeps fighting."

Eventually they got a Nazi war propaganda specialist to broadcast radio messages in Radio Berlin in an attempt to lower morale and deride the defenders, calling the soldiers in Tobruk 'cornered rats' because of their tactics in using tunnel networks to flank and steal supplies, and their supply ships 'floating scrap iron'.

But rather than be demoralized the Australian's started calling themselves Rats and their supply ships 'the scrap iron flotilla'. Because in typical Australian dry humor they figured it was more insulting to the Germans to be beaten back by a bunch of rats. They gave themselves unofficial rat medals with metal from a scrapped German bomber shot down with stolen German guns.

"I like to think it was a long 8 months of Australians and their allies holding a giant middle finger to the Axis."

My guess:  now we know how the tv series 'Rat Patrol' got its name. Other feisty moments from history are here.

Close the Door... Were You Born in a Barn??

 No doubt somebody's mom said it about this one, too.

President Carter's State Funeral in Washington, DC Today

 ...including the caissons and horse-drawn carriage up to the Capitol steps. Today's service was for Congress and the Supreme Court. And other than a few people, plus some family members, they stood the entire time. 

Thursday morning, the final service will be at Washington National Cathedral, with Presidents and other dignitaries. Then Carter's body returns to Georgia.

Rest in peace.

Monday Stuff On the Way to Other Stuff: It's Over

    The holidays, I mean. 

    I loved having our kids, and some friends, over. I did not love having the flu while they were here -- but we wouldn't have seen them for a while, otherwise. 

    We missed a second Sunday of church, but are hopeful we'll be in better shape later this week.

Just found this postcard on Ebay -- it's going into our next book.

Ten things entering the public domain this year -- including Popeye!

Weird news from 2024. And some of it's mighty strange...

Fun, funny and downright weird family traditions.  Including the Werewolf Seat!

Best texts of 2024.

'Amish amoxicillin' -- a natural blend that helps cure the flu. Plus another version - this one from the writer's abulela.

Who will be attending President Carter's funeral -- and what's the schedule? 

Another intriguing look at how multiple Presidents handle being seated by each other at events. Especially funerals.

The 14 predictions for 2024 that didn't come true -- and the 10 that did.

BIG rockslide in Colorado Jan. 2 -- it closed two highways in Custer County.

Sarah and her husband enjoy three months in Europe -- for only $6000!  A classic from One Hundred Dollars A Month.

A Christmas gift is hidden in the wall for 46 years -- found by the guy it was originally addressed to.

Oldest pubs in the United Kingdom -- and Europe. The grandaddy of them all dates to 560 AD, according to legend.

President Biden signed the Social Security Fairness Act!  This will help us so much.

And Kamala Harris presided over the Electoral College certification to finish election results. A class act -- good for her.

Have a great week.

Mee-YOW!

I have no idea why this guy enjoys belting out opera and popular songs -- 

          while his cat shows his obvious displeasure. 

It's funny, anyways. 

(If you like this, there's plenty more on his Youtube channel.)

We're Working on This for Ruby...

 

Frugal Hits & Misses: The December Report

 Well.  A more cheerful month than the past few, in spite of a horrendous truck repair bill, and plenty of cold weather. We somehow kept our bills paid, thanks to God's grace and the emergency fund. But it's time to pull our belts in and replenish that fund. I have a stuffed-full freezer, fridge and storage area, which will help with food. Our firewood pile is still going well. And I've got plenty of new books to read, thanks to a wonderful Christmas. 

    We had visits from both sets of kids -- but not at the same time. Which meant TWO 'Seven Fish Dishes,' which was a little freaky. Dear friends from Castle Rock finally made it here for a visit, which was lovely. And we're finally starting to feel better, after a week of flu. All good things. 

    Upward and onward for the new year. Here's hoping it's a happy one!!

FRUGAL HITS

(a few of these are from late November)

*Processed the 'harvested' doe. Ground up pork roast for taco meat, while we were at it.

*Cleaned and returned the Jeep (and meat grinder) our friend graciously loaned us. 

*Made Christmas cake,  Sachertorte, sugar cookies, 7-layer cookies (a favorite of the Brick's mom) and pecan tarts. I've been baking at high altitude for decades now, but 8600 feet is still quite a bit different than our previous 6500. A friend here recommended using a bundt pan...which was a big help. So has been using even more flour than I had before. So 'one cup of flour' is really 'one REALLY heaping cup.' Cooling the dough in the fridge for a while also helps.

*Appraisal reports worked on -- and a few new ones. 

*An 8.5 foot Christmas tree -- cut from our property. It's a bit sparse in the ornaments department; the bulk of our holiday decorations are still in the Michigan storage trailer. But lots of lights and some tinsel make up for it. 

*$20 coupon from Oriental Trading Company:  used for candy,  ornaments and some Valentine projects. Plus free shipping.

*Found money:  a quarter the Brick found in the church parking lot, and 81 cents, plus Mexican peso and 50 centavo coins, at the City Market change machine in Alamosa. A second visit, on the last day of 2024, yielded 24 cents. Whoo hoo!

    This makes $13.47 total for the year -- way more than 2023's ($1.54) and 2022's ($2.32) totals. Plus: a 20-cent Euro; 20 Chinese 'something;' 20 and 50 British pence, respectively; a Canadian quarter; 2 pesos and 50 centavos; a Russian ruble...and a bunch of old Mexican currency found in the 5th-wheel. Plus two tokens. And this total doesn't include $13.50 in half-dollars and $45 in bills found cleaning the fifth-wheel...plus a $20 bill that floated out of the dryer. I feel rich.

*Post-Christmas buys:  Candy, cookies, Pez, Christmas decorations and some future presents -- all at 75% off. (Wal-mart) Virgin of Guadalupe candles (60 cents each) and dollar pine-scented large candles, regularly $8.99 each. (City Market)

*Thrift Shop Buys:  some wonderful books and videos ($2.50-3.50 each), a pretty patchwork hanging ($4.00), Christmas velvet ribbon ($3.00 for 30 yards), coffee mugs ($2-6) -- all at a 20% seniors discount -- then 50% off most of that. Hooray! Also -- more Christmas CDs (including Elvis and Frank Sinatra - $1.50 ea) and heavy rolls of Christmas paper, some which can be used year-round, for a buck each (Treasures in the Park).  A new Wilton bundt pan ($3.99), drinking glasses ($2.99 each), a Texas Starbucks mug ($2.99), some new heavy crystal Bohemian wineglasses ($1.99 ea), a designer cape ($7.99), and a large print of an Irish seashore - $7.99. (Goodwill).

*Half an order sent, instead of a complete one -- but cheerfully refunded. (Thank you, Amazon.) I also found some History Channel documentaries at an excellent price, a present for friends in Michigan.

We both love history...and tend to collect friends that do, as well.

*Tried to make the most of our Medicare benefits before the year ended. I refilled meds (no charge), cleaned out my Over The Counter allowance ($500 -- but missed out on a dollar), and got a $25 giftcard before year-end. (If we don't use the funds -- they disappear.) The Brick got a $20 giftcard and cleaned out his OTC fund, as well.

*My big decorating splurge: used the ribbon from the thrift shop ($1.50 for 30 yards!) to decorate a wreath for the front door -- and a ribbon bow by the driveway.

*More Ebay books, buy 3, get 1 free, plus free shipping. (I got refunded on one book, but received the three I wanted the most.)  Late in the month, I also got a buy 2, get 1 free special, also free shipping.

This was one purchase - a wonderful book.

*Started supporting a new missionary in the Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF).

*Making a monthly payment, instead of an annual one, for my ASA membership has been a real blessing. (No extra fees or interest, either.)

*Messiah tickets to the local symphony and choir: $10 each. Really enjoyed it.

*Out to eat at Lu's, a local diner - and had our lunch paid. (Thank you, Steve!).  Also used the McDonald's $5.00 special after the Messiah concert, plus a hot fudge sundae -- and got a 50-cent double cheeseburger, too. (It's in the freezer.) And a 3-for-me deal at Chili's got us great burgers, with leftovers enough for breakfast. (Hey, you eat your breakfast choices -- I eat mine.)

Safeway savings: I barely saved my monthly points from disappearing (45 min. to go!)...and got a free bag of carrots out of it. (Tip: if your reward points are expiring, put in for something -- quick. It is still usable the next month.)     Then I earned $10 off my $50-plus purchase, plus 10x points because I spent more than $100 on that shopping trip. (On bargains, but don't tell Safeway that.) Those accumulated points were enough to shave off 60 CENTS per gallon on our next fillup. At 24 gallons, that really adds up. 

Grocery buys:  less than $1.30/lb pork roast (I plan to grind it up for 'burger'), triple romaine heads, plus three salad kits ($1.99 each), a package of salad greens I got paid 80 cents to buy (!!!), gallons of milk ($2.47 ea), two-pound pkgs of cheese ($5.77 each -- and a $1.50 coupon off one, as well), BOGO petit sirloins, a bunch of 50%-off frozen goods and five pound bag of black beans, 2-for-one Marie Callender pies, with a free Reddi-whip thrown in (Safeway). The only bad part this month: the wonderful meat deals advertised at Christmas disappeared in the blink of an eye. No rainchecks, either.

A surprise check (for leading and playing music at a church in Monument). Much appreciated.

Except for the Nativity figures, some thrift shop greenery and ribbon and one ornament, no extra purchases for Christmas decorations. I did buy extra butter (on sale) and eggs (not on sale) for holiday baking. Eggs, when you can find them, are up in price again: the cheapest was $4.99/dozen for mediums. Egg prices here in Colorado haven't stabilized -- and the cold cases were nearly empty.

*My big decorating splurge: used the ribbon from the thrift shop ($1.50 for 30 yards) to decorate a wreath for the front door -- and a ribbon bow by the driveway.

*Candlelight concert. We used tiny electric candles I'd gotten months earlier (on sale). The band included our good friend Bert, who helped out on guitar. It got jazzier than I'd thought...but went well. 

*Some wonderful presents, including books on Navajo rugs, Baby Doe Tabor -- and Michigan's Dogman! A beautiful scarf from Prague, a tiny Nativity (Czech Republic), goodies and a tiny cuckoo clock (Germany) from Daughter #2 and Son #1. (They spent a month in Europe on their honeymoon this fall.) Heavy whiskey glasses and a decanter from Daughter #1 and Adopted Son #2, as well as a photo frame. (The Brick will have fun with this one.) Teabags, cookies, mugs and some 'solar dancers' from the Black Sheep party at church. Rummikub and Ticket to Ride games from friends. Plenty more, too. 

FRUGAL MISSES

*My 'w' and '2' keys have been out of commission (except occasional use) for weeks. The Brick ordered a keyboard to fix the computer...wrong size. This week, he got a replacement keyboard...still wrong size. Aaarrrghgghghghghghgh. This has meant relearning a new computer -- and precious little access to previous reports, photos, etc. I try not to complain -- because the Brick is frustrated, too.

*Wrote a letter to Experian, after they decided to bill us every month for a so-called 'free' credit report. Still waiting for their answer.

*Some food spoiled, particularly produce. I was just too out of it to preserve them -- shame on me.

*The truck's latest repair bill:  $2200 and change. Double aarrgghgghghghg.

*Didn't use our Medicare dental/vision allowance for the year. I stopped by Walmart's Vision Clinic on Dec. 31, hoping they'd fit me in -- no dice. It's my fault; I should have done this weeks or months ago. Turns out the Brick hadn't used his allowance, either. We are bad kitties.

*Will the Social Security Fairness bill be signed?? This would restore lost income that has been punishing the Brick for working in the public sector -- he put in 'only' 28 years in the private sector, instead of 30. To his surprise, the bill passed in both the Senate and House. Now it's waiting for President Biden's signature. It would mean a substantial boost in income for us -- and many others.

Last month's report is here; last year's December report is here. Plus the year before...

A very, very Happy New Year to you.