This is REALLY Important

     Normally, Gentle Readers, I have a Monday Stuff column to entertain you tonight...and it's coming. But there's something much more essential looming in Americans' life, and that's voting in Tuesday's election.

Your vote can change things. Don't forget to do it by Tuesday evening (7 p.m.). Yes, you can sign up then too, with proper I.D.

    Please vote!!

Oliver B's sticker for Chatham County, NC voters

Just Curious...

 

So what are you then?!?

The Future??

 

Shades of the 'award-winning' psychic who just died -- by falling down stairs.

Shouldn't she have seen this coming??

Frugal Hits & Misses: October Report

     We began October with a 'normal' rainfall count -- the extra made up for our parched summer. Then it started to rain -- and rain -- and rain. Or in the case of the mountains, snow. 

Whoa. 

The Sangre de Cristos -- 'our' mountains' buds. Basically, we live above a huge 'bowl' of plains surrounded by several mountain ranges. The Blancas are closest.

Facebook photo by Kenny Lydon

In three years of living here, we have never seen so much moisture. But it is helping to fill up the depleted reservoirs. Our landscape looks a lot greener, too. Although the 'girls' (the Blancas, to you honyackers) have sported white robes for weeks now, we're due to get our share of the white stuff this weekend. Maybe.

Welcome to Colorado, where you're never quite sure what's going to happen. 

    A good-sized chunk of time this month went to resting up and feeling better. Some flu interfered with our plans, but we generally fought it off. (Sort of.) We made two trips up to Denver and the Springs and a stock-up trip to Alamosa, but other than church, generally stayed home. Which was okay with both of us.

THRIFTY HITS

(some of these are from late September)

A digital year of The Denver Post -- for a buck.

Found money:  a nickel, two pennies and dime from the truck's drink cup (kids' leftovers again); a penny from the washing machine.

And you thought snakes weren't the saving type...

Just one book purchased on Ebay -- all month. (Yes, it was a Best Offer.) I did purchase other books, but they were all bin or thrift shop buys. (See that note below.) Money not spent contributed to one of the lowest credit card bills we've had all year....that, plus little was needed for car or truck repairs. I held off quite a bit on grocery stocking up, too.

     That savings let me buy a few Christmas presents early. (Two were heavily discounted.)

Had to give up a trip to the Mt. Princeton Hot Springs -- because I didn't get my work done in time. In late September, Daughter #2, a friend and I went to our friend's funeral up north in our old stomping grounds, Castle Rock. Otherwise, two trips for business.

Birthday supper at Chili's -- free molten-lava cake. Used a $10 reward up at Red Robin.

Continued shelling pinon nuts. It took a while, but we got about a pound -- from our own pines! Next year, I'll know better what to do.

Thrift shop deals:  Blue canning jars for 50 cents each; Scrabble game, $2.00; another Clive Cussler novel for 50 cents -- plus 15% senior discount (Treasures in the Park, Castle Rock). 

     Trips to Goodwill's bin outlet in Colorado Springs yielded flannel shirts for the Brick, plus sandals, slippers and an Irish-style cable sweater for me (approx. $1-2 each); cookie sheets and a Pampered Chef ceramic pan (about $1 each); a handful of higher-end pens (5-10 cents ea); 18 hardcover cookbooks and kids books, plus a few stuffed toys for the dogs to chew on (25 cents ea). Wow! The kids got bargains, too, including a heavy-duty coat for Son #1 and several merino sweaters for Daughter #2. Cost? $1.99/lb. I did mess up by proudly buying a diaper cover -- which was actually a doggie diaper. Oops.

Birthday presents:  Lavender lotion (the high-end stuff) from the Brick; slate drink coasters from Daughter #2 and Son #1. (Thank you, Dears!) Kind wishes and presents from others, too, including a painting with glow-in-the-dark elements.

Free preview on Paramount Plus:  so we could see the Michigan-Iowa football game, and Star Trek: Brave New Worlds. (I'd heard good things about the latter, but it seemed way too vague and touchy-feely, though there were good moments. And the Gorn are WAY too weird.)  We cancelled before the preview ended, but bought another month's worth so we could watch the Penn State/Michigan game. (It was worth it.) Other free stuff:  a container of sour cream and two indoor planties from the kids. (Thank you!)

Royalties from Arcadia for the Colorado books...a little less than hoped for, but they're still coming. Want one of these for presents...or your own perusal? They're $17 plus $5 shipping, with a free bonus book included. Just write me at this addy.  

    We have some copies of Crazy Quilts and Golden West left. These are a bit more -- but they're also out of print.

My office is one of the coldest rooms in the house. So what did my husband do? Set up a space heater underneath my desk, so my legs and feet would stay warm. And he did it quietly, waiting to see if I would notice. What a lovely man.

The Brick's potato harvesting job yielded several checks...which promptly got deposited. (Thank you for working so hard, Sweet Baby!) The extra $$ will help! (We used some of it to treat a friend to lunch at Lu's.)

     We also were (finally) reimbursed by Devoted for several medical expenses in the summer. And yes, used up our grocery allowance, as well.

Free potatoes:  approx. 20 pounds loose, from the Brick's potato harvesting foray. He also brought home two 20-pound bags, plus a colander-full of yellow potatoes. (We shared some with friends and the girlies.)  Also free:  a dress, a beautiful gray silk scarf and a few fabric remnants Son #1 and Daughter #2 found at the Goodwill bins.

Ordered birdseed from Wal-Mart, and had it delivered.  This is saving?? Yes, because 1) I didn't have to make a 45 min. trip to Walmart to lug 60 pounds of seed; 2) it was the same price as if I'd purchased it in-house, and 2) delivery was FREE. How Wally's can afford to do this, I can't imagine -- but it sure helps. I used empty detergent bins and leftover jars to store the birdseed, and filled the feeders, as well.

 Worked on clearing up the firewood pile outside. With a thin layer of exceptions, it's stacked and ready for use. We also filled the rack by the woodstove. 

Plenty of warmth for the winter ahead

Cut way back on eggs. (Our friends' chickens have been molting, so they have none to sell right now.) Fortunately, supermarket eggs are cheaper this month. Why?  I have no idea...

Red Robin gift cards -- at 20% off. Plus, our credit card gives 5% back. Win win.

Meals out:  our regular church potluck, plus supper with friends, and a few lunches with friends. A $4.00 McDonald's breakfast. (Did you know they're doing this??) I also won free food at McD's.

Finished off a bunch of appraisal reports -- and made a two-day trip to Granby for a very long appraisal session, plus a day trip to Colorado Springs for another group session. (Those reports are still in-progress.) I also gave away a few books to clients, as well.

Grocery deals:  Extra-crunchy Utz and Tim's potato chips ($1.25 ea); ground chicken, 10 lb for $11 (same as last month); $1/lb pork chops and ground pork (not making this up!); apple pies (which I used for church snacks, too) for $1.25 ea; Little Debbie apple pies -- 12 for $1.50; high-end bread (99 cents ea); two free pkgs of Rudi's hotdog/hamburger buns, plus $4 and $5 discounts overall (My Bargain Mart, Colorado Springs). Mushrooms ($2.54 lb),  Spring rolls, about 40 cents each (Restaurant Depot, Colorado Springs). Two free pounds of butter; 18 eggs for $1.96; veggie platter ($3.01) two pounds of bratwurst ($3.47 -- really!). Plus more bratwurst (Smithfield) for $2.47/lb and a number of red-bagged vegetables ($1.50 ea) plus $2.70/lb portobello mushrooms; 24 oz. of marinated pork chops for $2.47; marked-down half-gallons of milk for $1.17 ea  (City Market/King Soopers, Alamosa). Pound-sized blocks of chili (99 cents, reg. $7.99); $5 sushi (the Friday special), frozen burritos, 50 cents each; 6 oz of blueberries and raspberries for $2, plus 18 oz of blueberries for $3.99 (Safeway). True to form, the chili, which was obviously on clearance, rang up at full price. However, the Safeway person cheerfully refunded the overage. They even rounded it up to the next dollar -- thank you! 

Foods made (other than the usual):  homemade turkey soup; wurst und kraut; apple crisp; peach & jalapeno jam (which finished off the Palisade peaches, boooo); crack chicken (leftovers appeared as "Sloppy Chicks" on buns); potato soup and other potato dishes; fried zucchini; slow cooker pork chops and potatoes; green chili; Mavis's Dutch Oven Bread; blueberry pancakes and muffins; goulash (to celebrate National Pasta Day).

Doggie care nearly all month: Our granddog Freya was a permanent fixture for weeks, while the kids were working and on vacation -- something Bo and Tiger loved.

         "Maybe ore than bones, mom!"

Watched a BUNCH of classic horror movies: including House of Dracula, House of Horrors, The Incredible Shrinking Man, The Wolf Man and House of Frankenstein, all 40s-50s movies. Most were woofers, but one, Curse of the Undead, a sort of vampire gunslinger Western, really stood out. We also watched Michigan and CU football games, which can contain their own unique brand of horror.

I love these creepy movies. The Brick... not so much.

Fixed a sweater and a shirt. Restitched some loosening threads on a pillow, bought at the thrift shop ($3.00). Rehemmed a pair of jeans for Daughter #2. 

Got some teaching jobs for next year -- for the August American Quilters Society conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I'm hoping to appraise for that show, as well.

THRIFTY MISSES

Had some food spoil-- but rescued most of it by cutting off the bad spots. I lost half a loaf of 'fauncy' California bread when it molded, plus a hamburger bun. Pretty darn quick, too. Some roast turkey was meant for broth, but I didn't do it soon enough. A 12-pk of Coke started to go flat, so we drank it it quickly. (Must have been one of the old ones.) A few old items got tossed, as well, including a small jar of mayo (expired in 2023!), oranges and some peaches. (I forgot the latter were there -- but they went directly from unripe to spoiled.) sigh...

Bought some slip-on boots. I made do last year with suede clog-style slippers, but really needed something classier. I tried on suede boots at the thrift shop, but got stuck -- and had to ask a little girl to help me get the boot off. (Moral of the story: asking may be necessary -- but boy, is it embarrassing.) 

     These boots were slightly discounted on Amazon -- and I ordered them a full size larger than usual. That helped immensely...let me wear heavier socks with them, too.

     And they don't look like slippers.

Used the clothes dryer -- a LOT. Rainy days made it essential. (I haven't had to write that for years.)

Last month's report is here.  And October 2025.  And just for fun, October 2016, now that I've been writing this section for more than a decade. (The blog itself started in late 2007. Weird.) Blog readers continue to expand -- thanks so much for getting the word out!

And please, don't forget to vote. It's important.

Great Ones Gone: Walter Koenig and Patrick Stewart

 Walter Koenig died recently. He was 90.

Don't recognize the name? He was ensign Chekov on the first StarTrek...and many movies afterward. (Yes, his parents really were Russian Jewish immigrants. He came by the accent naturally.)

Unlike most of his fellow actors in the Star Trek universe, Koenig never seemed to take himself quite as seriously, He was refreshingly fun. He didn't seem to mind teasing, or looking a little foolish. He may not have been the tallest member in the cast -- but more than held his weight against bigger ego-driven stars, literally and figuratively. 

Koenig wasn't even sure he'd gotten the part of Chekov at first. After he tried out, he was told to wait in a sideroom. A few hours later, a wardrobe assistant came in:

“He drops on his knees in front of me,” Koenig recalled. “[He] takes my crotch in his hand, and I’m saying, ‘What are you doing?!’ I didn’t see the tape-measuring ruler in his other hand, and he was measuring from my crotch to my cuff to decide how long my pants should be. He says, ‘You do have to have a costume, don’t you?'”

“And that’s the auspicious way I learned I was on “Star Trek” and it was going to change my life,” Koenig continued.

Another Star Trek icon, Patrick Stewart (or 'Captain Picard,' as we Trekkies knew him), also died this week. His restrained, thoughful work extended beyond Star Trek to other fields, including Shakespeare and Dickens. Here's his final interview, before Alzheimer's began to affect him. 

Rest well, gentlemen. We'll miss you.

True, True...

 

Or underestimate me, either!

Monday Stuff on the Way to Other Stuff: We're Still Here

      In case you're wondering: we have had a BOATLOAD of rain in the past few weeks. As our Shepherd at church said -- we've been praying for rain all summer. Now we've got it, God can feel free to stop!

      The dirt roads around our place are rutted and slippery -- they don't look too bad, but you can slide all over at a moment's notice. And there are unpleasant dropoffs. (Ask me how I know. Even better, don't.) If you can make it to the paved roads, you're generally ok. 

      We are fortunate in that our house sits up on a plaeau. The Brick put a lot of effort in reinforcing the roof last year, which has really paid off -- we haven't had one leak. And he put weathersealing around the garage doors, which also leaked the past few years. Some friends have 'dry' creeks that are roaring. No problems that can't be dealt with...providing you can stay on the road.

      We're snug. But plenty of people in the San Luis Valley have struggled with leaks and flooding. And out of the Valley, it's even worse, especially in Durango and Pagosa Springs, a few hours away. The passes have largely been closed -- the mountains got a huge amount of snow. Our Blancas have had their fair share, too.

     So far for us, though, it's just rain.  

                          (Not that I'm not grateful -- we needed it so badly.)

Oh, and by the way -- both Michigan and the CU Buffs lost their games on Saturday. (sigh)

Meanwhile: 

Our cousin Ken Cumings died.  He was one of the oldest, and I did not grow up knowing him well. But The Mama was very fond of him...and he served the same King that she -- and we -- do. Rest well, Cuz. See you soon.

Cheapskate meal prep:

Classic tv stars who bankrupted themselves -- generally out of stupidity. (But not always.)

Another batch of same:

Lucky finds that made people rich:

The story of the locomotive lost in a Colorado creek - this is mentioned in my Ghosts & Legends book, by the way...

Returning theft with kindness. Good for this bakery worker!

Cyclone Josephine is forming on the East Coast.   My friend Jo would have found this very funny.

Did Johnny Carson really save a farm at a foreclosure auction in Nebraska?  You decide....but the fear shown here was very, very real. (I think he probably did.)

Acts of kindness -- including a "how to do your kid's hair" class for dads!

Otis Redding's family legacy. He would have been proud. 

Ten buildings, hundreds if not thousands of years old, that are still in use today.

Mariah Carey didn't steal the lyrics for "All I Want for Christmas Is You." So the judge says. (Aren't you tired of lawsuits like this??)

And a classic from the Brickworks files: What the Brick and I learned, after living five years in a fifth-wheel. 

      I've been thinking more on this, since Halloween marks the third-year anniversary of buying this home in Fort Garland. Did we make the right decision?

I think so.  Have a good week.

"Fill the feeder, doggonit!!"

Swan Lake -- Done Weird!

 

Don't you feel more cultured now??

George Washington - Library Scofflaw

 

That's the Point

 

Writing does too, by the way. Makes me feel I am talking to you.

Heads Up!

 

The Four-dollar meals are okay...but there's a catch about the $1 offering. Go here to find out more.

Monday (er, Sunday) Stuff on the Way to Other Stuff: Forward We Go

      Life goes on. 

     I've been saying (and feeling) this pretty much all month -- but it's true. We both had some flu-ish days, but have kept going ... the Brick, until the potato harvest was done, and me on a two-day trip to Granby. Five hours drive each way, and one very long day while there (10:30 a.m. - 10 p.m., with breaks in between). It was worth it...but boy, was I tired getting home. 

     This week: getting ready for winter, and concentrating on work. We had threatening clouds and rain last week, and the Blancas got snow -- but the roads stayed surprisingly dry. Castle Rock, Denver and so on, up to Empire, were a different story -- scary amounts of rain, and Berthoud Pass was full of snow. But thankfully, the roads on the pass and afterwards weren't too bad. I'm grateful -- driving in the rain was pretty iffy. 

     In spite of the wind and rain, we still have some fall color, though it's largely the deep goldens and rusty browns that signal the end is coming soon. Ah well. It had to happen eventually.

By the way -- I am not sure why, but visitors to the blog have gone up substantially! Welcome, new friends -- and faithful Gentle Readers. Glad you're here. 

Meanwhile, I'm sending this on a day early, so I can get some other fires put out.

Buy a rare Keith Haring mural -- and get a free Tribeca loft with it! The mural was found accidently under layers of drywall...and the owner says more could be there, too. Price: a measly $25 million.

The secret life of an Oompa-Loompa:  Past, present and future.

Fifty invaluable dumpster finds. Maybe not all are priceless -- but they're certainly interesting.

More thrift shop/dumpster discoveries...

And while we're at it -- Crazy Things found in people's houses.

Cheap meals - from cheapskates.  Some interesting ideas here!  (But not all. Some are a bit *ahem.*)

Have a good week. Are you ready for winter??

Here's the link, if you're curious!

It's All Relative...

 

A Storm's Coming!

     We've got one moving in... the wind's grumbling around the house, and temperatures have been dropping for hours.

     I got one rosebush and a struggling blueberry bush out of their pots, and planted. One more rosebush to go -- then I'll put empty dogfood bags on them for the winter. (That's how the Brickhouse rose survived last winter.)

And what's playing -- a 'first winterish storm' tradition:

Dvorak's New World Symphony. Performed dramatically.

The dogs are snuggled by any heat source they can find, including yours truly, with an occasional sigh because the music is so loud. Poor babies.

The mountains have had snow off and on for days. Maybe it's our turn next. Even if it's just rain, we can use the moisture.

Here it comes.

Yep...

 

Who needs to breathe, anyways...

Ummm...

 

And I thought telling her to quit scrubbing my face with a licked handkerchief was bad...

Monday Stuff On the Way to Other Stuff: Moving On

      We're here, but that's about it.

*The Brick finished his driving gig for the potato harvest. Just in time, too, because temperatures have dropped and the wind's picked up. Eating dust while you're driving is no fun. His long hours have paid off in some welcome paychecks -- and potatoes.

*We went out for a drive to see the fall colors -- just before the wind picked up. Some of the paths still had our yellow aspens -- but so many leaves blanketed the ground that the roads looked golden.

*Still plugging along on work. I have three reports to go out to the post office...and more to come. Fighting off some sort of flu, but can't take much medication because it makes me groggy. 

Only one goodie to share with you:

Meghan Markle's one-pot pasta.

I know... whoop-tee-do.  More soon. Have a good week.

Walk Like A Zombie

 If you're a fan of silliness, zombie-style, you'll love this. 

Monday (er, Wednesday) Stuff on the Way to Other Stuff: A Friend Gone, Moving On

      It hasn't been an easy few weeks.

     The Brick has been putting in long hours, harvesting potatoes. During this period, I lost a very dear friend...and almost missed her funeral. (We were left off the text group -- and no one mentioned it on elsewhere, until another dear friend asked if I was going to the service.) 

I was incredibly grateful that we were able to visit before she stopped talking -- it was a God thing. We just happened to be going to Denver to hang out with another friend in the hospital -- and heard that Jo was going on hospice. We saw her on a Friday; she died the next Wednesday. 

Put all this together, plus reports that I'm supposed to be finishing up -- and life has been a little bleak. I've needed to take care of several things, because of the Brick's working hours. And I've had to jam in extra trips, as well. 

     Just a bit longer...and life will calm back down again. But I still miss my friend.

The leaves are finally starting to turn, though not as lavish as in this photo.

 We're in the high desert of San Luis Valley, after all.

The mountains have had their first snow. We haven't -- yet.

Meanwhile:

Some terrific (and easy) oven dinners anyone can make.

A centuries-old sculpture -- found in a salvage yard. 

This is one of the strangest-ever Instagram events: a full apology from a woman who tried very hard to destroy Tanya Zuckerbrot and her brand, F-Factor. Yes, this person will pay money, too...but I'm wondering. What in the world possessed to do this -- and keep it up over SIX YEARS?!?

Contestants who cheated -- and got caught doing it.

A famous Hawaiian landmark collapses.

St. Elmo's Fire -- it still happens!  You read about this historically, but rarely today. 

Kurt Russell reported seeing UFOs -- the famous Phoenix Lights. I thought about this while watching him in The Thing.

Cookie baking tips from the School Lunch Lady.

Marcos Rodriguez Pantoja -- raised by wolves.

Betrayed by your brothers, to the tune of 12 MILLION DOLLARS.  But incredibly supported by your wife. 

How to keep hallway runners and small rugs from slipping.  (Thanks, The Spruce.)

So not wearing nail polish is white supremacy??  That's what this columnist for the BBC said -- until the article quietly disappeared. I am sick and tired of people trying to read racism into every detail possible.

Hopefully you're having a good (or at least a better) week.

So Many Things Happening in Life Right Now...