Monday Stuff On the Way to Other Stuff: Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Program

      Why do you have to go back to regular life, after the holidays are over?
      But you do.
      The Brick is back to driving field trips a few days a week. (He got a big kick out of a schoolbus figuring prominently in the finale of Independence Day: Resurgence.)

    Kind of a doofus movie, with plot holes big enough to drive a schoolbus through. No wonder it (the bus) was featured. (I couldn't resist.)

    The chickens are beginning to lay more eggs. We realized that they'd been sleeping without a heat lamp, and replaced the defective bulb. I'm hoping they lay even more now. 
     The Broncos aren't in the playoffs, even though they beat the Raiders in their last scheduled game. As a matter of fact, the Raiders aren't, either. Nor are the Lions. (Not that The Mama is particularly heartbroken about that. People in Michigan are used to the Lions not winning.)
     Colorado got beaten in its college football bowl game. So did Michigan. (sigh)
    We had some snow last week -- about 10 inches. Daughter #2 and Keith got much more in Nederland: about 3 feet. Whew. We have the strangest temps -- single digits or below zero at night, then up to the 50s during the day. Plays havoc with whatever white stuff we've got, not to mention adjusting, body temperature-wise.

Karma, Charley's buddette, investigating all that new white stuff.

    Which also plays havoc with fighting off the flu. The Mama brought the Michigan version with her, and the Brick and I are still dealing with it. Sometimes we feel great -- sometimes not. While we were playing during Worship Team this morning, things went awfully gray. I managed to stay upright, but needed to rest all day today to feel anything like normal again. Even the dogs are subdued versions of themselves. (Charley didn't even want any popcorn tonight -- a shocker!)
    So on to this week.

    I have a weighted quilt to finish up (which I'll explain how to make later), piano lessons to give. (All my students start up again.) Dog biscuits to bake. (A belated Christmas present for my doggy clients.) A new dogsitting job, some appraisals to finish up, and piles to tidy and put away. 

     I've got prep work for a Seniors Luncheon at church on Saturday -- which The Brick will take care of. Meanwhile that same day, I've got an appraisal day to do for Holly's Quilt Cabin Saturday, Jan. 14 in Littleton, CO. (There are still a few spots left -- the day goes from 9:30 - 6 p.m., but much of the time is already spoken for. Contact the people at Holly's if you're interested. More info here.)  
     The holidays have been fun...but it's time to go back to regular life. 
                   I guess.

It's a cat-and-mouse world out there.

How the Georgia Tech swim team dealt with snow.  Their meet got cancelled because of it...so why not?

An Alaskan bay that's produced its own tsuanamis...from the landward side? (From Damn Interesting)

The nice young 18-year-old who opened his own medical clinic in Florida... but 'forgot' to earn the credentials to go with it. ('I never said I was a medical doctor,' he protests.)

From the department of  'sweet revenge': now you get to pay 2 cents AN OUNCE extra for any sodas you buy in Boulder, Colorado. I'm not making this up. They're not the only ones, either: Philadelphia, San Francisco and other places have approved similar 'soda taxes.'  (From Len Penzo)
     What can you expect, from the state that loves to tax...

"What's the scariest thing that happened to you on a night shift?" My favorite: the animatronics that chased the security guard through the building. (They couldn't be turned off, or they wouldn't reboot properly. Think Chuck E. Cheese. From Quora)

A Christmas village for minimalists.  I only wish I'd found this a month ago...but am flirting with the idea of a wintertime village now.  (From The Nester) One of her easy-to-make creations:

Twelve practical tattoos. Ranging from a ruler to an "if lost, please call.." notice!  (From Oddee)

Six mug (i.e., microwaveable) cake recipes, from our buddette Betty Crocker. Confetti cake, shown below, is one of them.

Remember Rosemary Lehmberg, the Texas DA who got busted for a DWI in 2014? She was obnoxious both at the scene, and while being processed in jail. (See the video attached to the link.) She copped a guilty plea and served time -- but refused to resign. And she didn't! In fact, she went after Governor Rick Perry to try and get HIM indicted, for refusing to fund her office while she was still employed there. (Didn't work.)
     Did you realize Perry is Donald Trump's suggestion for Secretary of Energy? (Nope, I didn't, either.) 
     Normally, I would say this was some kind of made-up story...but it's true.Lehmberg just retired this past month, believe it or not. Gutsy...or knew enough dirt on all the right people in Travis County to stay in office?

Ten moments of of TV foreshadowing you may have missed. I sure did.  (From Mental Floss) While we're at it:

Ten things you may not know about Bill Murray. Love this guy's work.  (From Rolling Stones)

Six game show cheaters who were caught -- or confessed.  Some got to keep the money. (From Looper)

The benefits of frugal friends.  I would be a much poorer person without the influence of Jeff and Renee, Tim and Ellie, Tom and Chris and Jo.  (From Moneysaving Mom)

21 cats on bad behavior.  (From Pawsome.) You've seen some of these before on this site...but they're still funny. Like this one:





Have a great week.

Words to Learn By

I found mention of this in a Miss Read novel. It may have come from a nun in the 17th century -- or not. But the words strike true.

(thanks for sharing, uddhamsoto)

The Secret to Not Spending

     We've got about a foot of snow on the ground, with more expected tonight. School is cancelled, my piano students for today cancelled, and it's remarkably quiet around here, now The Mama has gone back to Michigan. This visit showed the mom I'd grown up with -- generous, thoughtful and very much aware of what was going on. (Even though she often pretended not to be.) She was definitely tired and struggling some with the altitude. But she also was walking a lot better by the end of her visit.
     Early last week, the Brick realized that the heat lamp bulb had burned out in the chicken coop. We knew that they'd had light in the evenings -- we could see it. But heat, as well? The chickens have only been laying a few eggs a day in the past month...perhaps that's why. We got the problem fixed just in time; below-zero temperatures are the norm for the next few weeks.
     We spent the morning eating a leisurely breakfast, watching A Coffee in Berlin (self-absorbed, but funny moments) in front of a warm woodstove, and resting. (The Mama brought the Michigan version of the flu with her -- and we've both been fighting it off.) In the afternoon, I took an armful off our rapidly-diminishing bookshelves, and listed some for sale. (The rest will go out for the ARC donation truck, along with a load of taken-down Christmas decorations.)

     While working this afternoon, one of the great secrets of not spending, when you don't have the money to spend, suddenly occurred to me. You wanna know it, too?

Stay away from the places where you're normally tempted to spend money. 

Or at least hold off 'until tomorrow.' 

     You know which places push your mental buttons. For me, it's Amazon, fabric stores (the bane of quilters everywhere), Tuesday Morning, any markdown bins...and I hate to admit it: the thrift shop.
     One friend, on the other hand, couldn't stay away from her local Starbucks -- and she usually got a sandwich or muffin to go with her drink. By my guess, she spent more than $100 monthly at that place.
     Another friend swore by our local Sprouts grocery store. I often ran into her there, in the vegetable section. (Granted, Sprouts' greens and fruits are much cheaper than the other grocery stores in our area.)
    Another friend goes out to eat when he's hungry -- whether he has money in hand or not. (After all, there's the credit card. No matter that he can't afford to pay it off for months now.)
      And I've seen plenty of people wandering around Wal-Mart. Just wandering

You know which places are your personal favorites. The ones you love to stop by, even when you don't need anything.

Well, don't. 

The longer you stay away, the more your money stays safely in your account -- or pocket.  If something is truly needed -- your socks are threadbare, there's no milk or coffee in the house -- wait 24 more hours. (After all,  you've probably already gone some time before even noticing you were short.) You might change your mind, figure out a substitution... or decide to mend your socks.

Maybe he needs a new pair, after all.

     (The Smallwoods wait 72 hours, instead of 24. They call it "the beauty of delayed gratification.")

      I'll do another variation on the spending hold, when it comes to Amazon. If I find an interesting book or movie, I'll put it on my 'list:' or even better, borrow it from our local library. If they don't have it, I request it -- and it's often available through one of the other libraries in the state. Or they'll actually purchase the item I want to see or read -- and I'm first on the hold list. (I just did this, with two movies previewed on the Coffee in Berlin DVD:  Ida and The Last Sentence.)
     Your state may well have a similar system in place...it's easy to find out.

     We've also used the  '24 hour rule' when considering larger purchases, like televisions -- only we'll wait 6 days. If the item's on sale, it's generally on sale for seven days. That gives you plenty of time to check your finances and consider whether you really want (or need) it. Sometimes you decide you don't!
     (If you do, see if you can pay via Paypal Credit: up to six months in payments -- and no interest if you finish on time.)

    If you do decide to hit the store: bring only enough change or dollar bills to get what you need. I learned this the hard way when I forgot my wallet the other day: no use checking out the marked-down bins at the grocery store.  (Though I still did!! Shamefaced grin) I had enough quarters for a gallon of milk-- gleaned from our parking meter stash in the car, That was all we truly needed.

      And that was all I got.

Things Learned from Mom

The Mama flew home this afternoon, at the start of a snowstorm. We've needed the moisture -- it was getting dry as dust around here. 
     I read these 'rules' to her -- and she laughed. You will, too.

True Stories From Our Doggy World

Charles (front and center) and Abs (in the back) would approve. 

The Brick thinks this is hilarious, but I can't seem to help myself. And those "no animals were harmed during the making of this movie" signs don't make it easier. (Don't beat up on the dog, either!)

Sigh...

Charley has perfected this skill -- do it in a closed car for maximum effect, then crouch in the furthest-back corner.

Especially if either of us uses the bathroom.

And finally...

Looking Forward to 2017 (Part II)

I already mentioned what happened to us in 2016. I had goals -- some were accomplished, some weren't. But we also did other things I'd hoped for:

*We paid all our bills. Replenished the emergency fund some. (It was getting a little sparse.) And we did it on a very strict budget. (Retirement pensions aren't that hefty for people under official retirement age.)

*I kept several blogs going strong. And this one? It passed 5000 hits monthly for the first time in November/December.  (Thanks especially to you. Facebook friends.)

NOW ON TO 2017:

*More exercise. Less food.  (Fortunately, we've got plenty of food in both the freezer and cupboards that needs to be used up. Eating less should stretch it even more.)

*Write even more -- on a variety of subjects. 

*Have blog visits increase to 7000 monthly. Are there others out there interested in saving money, lost treasures and Bigfoot? I hope you'll stop by regularly -- or even better, sign up to have blogposts delivered to your inbox.

*Travel more -- and here's the good part. We have a three-step plan in 2017:

            *Clean up and clear out the house.
            *Put it up for sale -- and sell it! 
            *Move into that 29-foot trailer sitting in our driveway. 

     Some of Brickworks' excess inventory will be put in storage, along with a few pieces of treasured furniture and some boxes of books. (I'll keep enough for 3 or so lectures' worth in the trailer.) We'll keep a Colorado address, and stay here, mostly -- after all, the girlies are still in residence. We'll restock on books and kits when needed. And now I have the freedom to bring our home (and the Brick, plus the dogs) with us when I have a teaching, judging or appraisal gig.

     If we want to head to Tucson for the citywide gem shows in February? 

     To northern Michigan for their incredible autumn colors?

     Or an extended trip to Florida and sandy beaches, when the snow starts? 

     Now -- or at least, very soon -- we can. 

who knows where this road will take us...

The drop in insurance prices for a trailer, versus a brick-and-mortar house, is great. Our utilities and heating costs will drop, too, not to mention all the little goodies that home ownership demands -- and trailer living does not.
      Yes, we'll be in a considerably smaller house. But I have learned three things over the years:

      *You only really live in a set amount of space, to begin with. The rest is just storage, or visited occasionally.
      *That space can get messy fast. But it's also tidied up quickly.
      *I don't need a lot of space to be happy. I just want to hang with the Brick and our 'kids.'
            (Fortunately for me, he feels the same way.)

     This upcoming change means saying goodby to some 'permanent' positions we've done for years, like playing and singing on Worship Team for our church every week. It means uprooting, at least temporarily, from dear friends. No chickens, and probably only planting boxes, instead of a garden.
      It doesn't mean losing touch, though. Wifi works just as well in the trailer; so do our cellphones. I plan to keep posting in the blogs, and gathering some new friends, as well as keeping the old ones.

     For some time now, the Brick and I have both felt that a special opportunity is headed our way-- but we needed the freedom to be able to take it when it comes. If we're careful, the house funds, combined with the retirement pension and IRAs (and eventually Social Security, hopefully), should be more than enough to keep us comfortably. We'll also continue to look for sales, pick up work here and there...and continue being Good Hollanders with our money.

     We're looking forward to it. 

   

         

Monday Stuff On the Way to Other Stuff: Starting Out Fresh

2017 opened with a little smile...and church.

We spent the day with The Mama. With the exception of some family drama in the evening, it was quiet and restful. Tomorrow is back to real life -- and a few more days before The Mama flies back to Michigan. The one thing I still need to get: a calendar. Nobody gave me one for Christmas!
     Meanwhile:

Star Wars sounds...during the Northern Lights?  Yes...in Sweden.

Cats in snow.

Wonders of Antarctica -- ten of them.  (From Listverse)

Retiring even earlier: independence can be achieved on a tight budget.  They're right -- we've done it. (From The Simple Dollar)

 A Texas mom falls to her death -- from a Colorado ski lift.

The priest, who argued until his death that he'd time-traveled. This is a weird one, folks.

My buddette at A Life By Design is in Amsterdam for the holidays. She's got several posts on Dutch museums, food and weather -- helpful advice for anyone thinking of visiting Holland.
     And if you can't travel right now? It's a great way to get away mentally.

Wanna go to Stalin World? This Lithuanian theme park features 86 statues of the Russian dictator, arranged in bucolic settings.

And two of my very favorite cartoon characters:  Bugs Bunny hangs out with a hairpin-tossing Witch Hazel. It's funnier than you think....especially the second one, Bewitched Bunny, wherein Bugs breaks the fourth wall, and talks directly to us, the audience. (You'll get a taste of fairy tale literature and some great mood music while you're at it.)

2017 is a fresh opportunity -- use it well.