Catastrophic Development

I came back from the reunion and was ill. After going to the doctor and getting medicine, I just needed rest and peace and sleep.

Wednesday is the dinner at the church, so I was getting ready to go. Only a drip came from the faucet. I called a plumber. Only a cup of water was in both faucets. So, I used that to brush my teeth and wash my face.

Jumping in the car, I turned the key and NOTHING. The plumber found me sitting in the car, thinking. When I turned the key, I could hear a click, so I knew the switch/starter part at the key was okay. I never grind and grind, trying to start the car. But, I turned the key and held it just for a bit. The motor was trying to turn over. Good deal. He heard it too, and agreed that was good news. He turned off the water at the road.

Auto Zone's telephone number is programmed into my phone. They brought me out a new battery. There went most of my money for Christmas presents. I think I got like $29 credit and paid $95 for the balance. There was an 8-yer warranty, but the new one has a five-year warranty.

Three plumbers returned this morning from the same company to determine what happened, where the system failed.. It seems I need a new water line from street to house. "How much will this cost me?" $3500

 

 

Seriously, I almost fainted, reeling around about to sag to the ground. One of the guys reached or me and they all wanted to know if I were okay. No, not really. I was so stunned I could not even cry.

 

The galvanized pipes coming to the house have been here about a hundred years.

 

I don't know what to do. I feel numb.

 

All my laundry is waiting and I have nothing else to wear. Remember, I was ill for a week before I went to the reunion, so things were not kept clean. There is not enough money here to even go to laundramat!

 

Your turn

I am drained and coughing my lungs out.

Chicken Games

not leftovers

 

I don't know what my chickens are up to. Do they? What are they thinking?

Last Friday, I fed the three hens before I left. Food for Saturday morning and Sunday morning was supplied. My neighbor, Tony, agreed to feed them those mornings. The following foods are for two days.

I gave him a box of food:
two cans of whole kernel corn
two sandwich bags of Quaker Oatmeal
two mellow apples
4 sweet potatoes
two bags of leftovers from the church dinner (meat, slaw, baked potato, baked beans)

Tony said he would smash the pumpkin on Saturday morning. Now, chickens love pumpkin seeds. You see all the pumpkin seeds? They love sweet potatoes! But, they are still there.

Only the corn and oatmeal are gone, plus the church leftovers. The hens don't even seem to like me anymore. I put oatmeal in every morning and they look at me and the oatmeal warily. Only after I leave will they eat.

Nothing in their lives has changed. They pretty much are friendly now with Maggie May instead of chasing her around and pecking her. I do keep them locked up more, but this attitude has been present before the more pen-time happened.

Since my swing broke, I am not very present for them. I have a bench nearer to them. I usually sit there to talk to them. But, exbf took some rotten wood from their pen about a month ago and stacked it NEATLY on my bench. I don't get what he does some days. I hate to complain to him all the time. Then, he carried the plastic chair far away, and I forget to put it back. So, I hang onto the chain link, swaying, trying to wait out their slow entrance into their pen so I can lock them up for the night.

I have given up on their laying again this year, so I bought some expensive eggs. The carton purports to hold cage free and free range eggs. Then, the carton states they are fed vegetarian feed. But, I am going to go with it because I have not had an egg for seven weeks. When I opened the carton and looked at them, I was impressed with the appearance. They are of varying shades of brown and slightly different sizes. I may just eat three for breakfast with bacon. And orange juice. And milk.

Your turn
Do chickens ever go feral after being so friendly? Okay, not feral, just wary of me. Do they ignore their food? They are not moulting, so that is not the answer. 

Not a Mint on My Pillow, But Better! Ghiradelli!

Ghiradelli on top of box



Can you believe this Ghiradelli Chocolate was on top of the box of goodies? Of course, I ate it first, like before I went through the box! I needed fortification for the exciting task. THEN, there was some Pedialyte that I drank for...well, just because. At the very bottom of the box was an identical chocolate. How clever is Slugmama?

Everything in the box was usable for me, either for myself or as gifts. Oh, I always need tweezers since I lose them so often. I do find them--under a chair cushion, in the floor of the car, just anywhere a tiny item can fall and be lost easily. thankyouthankyouthankyou for the chance to win this box! Now, I am going through the box again.

And, Slugmama has not seen the lamp I found for her and posted yesterday.

Your turn
See, you should enter her boring box giveaways! nonono That would lower my chances of winning! Do you love giveaways? What would your favorite giveaway include? Go ahead and give me your fantasy if you cannot think of anything reasonable...LOL.

Friday Night 50th HS Reunion

Norma, Ginger, Linda

 



Never, ever sit the closest to the camera because it makes you look larger! Ginger wore her hair long at our 45th reunion. She had very little gray hair. She absolutely looks young. This is my hair without washing. The curling iron was useless and teasing it was not possible. Okay, I could tease it, but it was all wadded looking. AND, I tried for weeks to get an appointment to have my hair cut, and then she cut it like I had never had it cut. ???  In almost every way possible, this was not a good event. But, I tried to smile through feeling dirty-headed and greasy and stinky.

 

 

Elvis and wife

 



 

After a while the "dancing girls" came out led by the wife of our Elvis. Several of the girls in our class were recruited to "just follow me." You can imagine how funny this dancing was. 

 

 

Our class president, Frankie

 



I think Elvis was singing Teddy Bear as all these dancing girls wrapped their scarves around him and hugged him and ruffled his hair. From the first reunion, Frankie has presided in all black with long hair. I think this is the first year his hair has been short. He is an icon.  Since this was Friday night, not the formal night, he wore a navy blue shirt.

green lamp

 



Back in my motel, I spied this lamp and took a picture of it just for sluggy. This would go perfectly in her house. I could not carry it. I tried. just kidding!

The Friday night part of our reunion was just to mostly hang out and visit. There were pictures of our class reunions enlarged and on easels. You can see those behind the picture of  my friends and me.

I slept eight hours on Friday night, got up to eat breakfast and could not. So, I took food to the room and slept until noon with a low fever.

The pictures I took were few and not taken from a good vantage point. I have no problem blocking the view momentarily as others did. I just did not feel well at all.

There was an open bar and hors d'oeuvres. I only got two strawberries, grapes, and pineapple. I did not see one vegetable, but there were huge chicken fingers and Swedish meatballs and many cheeses and cheese balls. . What looked like some Mexican finger foods were left. I had a Coke from the open bar in our rented hall of the Convention Center. .

Your turn
So, that was the first night of the reunion. Does your hs class have reunions?

The King; The Judge; The Water

 

The King

The Judge, yes.

He is a judge in Memphis!

I got into Olive Branch, MS at my motel about 4pm instead of 3 pm as I planned. When I went to the restroom in the lobby, the commode did not flush. After I checked in, I was told there was low water pressure because of construction.

Upstairs, I lay down for 30 minutes. Then, I removed the chipped polish and went to wash my hands. No water--not even a drip. I called downstairs and was thoroughly disgusted. The woman explained to me, like she was reading Goldilocks and the Three Bears to a little child. "You see, there is no water because construction crews cut the water lines across the street, so we will have no water."

I went ballistic. I have not seen some of these people in fifty years and I must go with a stinky bottom and dirty hair? No, not acceptable. I need water. Bring it from wherever because I just used nail polish remover and need to wash that off.

"We can send the maintenance man and see if he can find water in your room." ??? I don't need a maintenance man to "find" water in my room!!!!"  Grab some bottled water that I refuse to pay for since the room should come with water. Send it now!!

In ten minutes the maintenance man came and told me he could get two little cups, yes, that is what he said as he measured about 4 inches with each hand, and he said he could try to find water for those. I suggested a pitcher. He said it would take longer to search for a pitcher. I demanded water and slammed the door.

He brought ONE bottle of water for me to use. I washed nails with soap and nail brush. I poured some on a wash cloth and wiped my face. Then, I poured more water and used a soppy, ice cold wash cloth with no soap on my underarms and bottom. It was frigid and hurt. Nothing like going relaxed to my reunion.

I called customer care who called 30 minutes later and said they could move me two miles to Residences, a hotel that took my friend's points. I said I would move at midnight, but they insisted I move DURING the reunion. They would send someone to pack me and move my luggage since I told them I could not, would not, be able to do that in a hurry.

Finally, I slammed down the phone, rushed to get ready and barely made it.

Okay, I got the room complaint done, so tomorrow, I will continue with the fun stuff. The picture above is a hint.

Today, at six pm I went to the doctor, got a Zpak and cortisone shot in the hip.

Yes, I will complain about the water and their obvious lack of concern.

Your turn
How would you fancy going to see people for the first time in 50 years (some 5 years ago) without a shower of hair washing?  I am even tempered until someone just pushes all my buttons at once. I don't curse or call names or accuse. I try to put the person in my shoes.

50th High School Reunion

In the tub



When I first saw this, I was tired from driving and very sick, so it took me just a moment to realize it was a seat to bathe.  However, there was not one drop of water at this Marriott! So, I went to my reunion, seeing some people for the first time in 50-years with no bath/shower and with dirty hair. I had to force the hotel to even give me a bottle of water for bare necessities. I got in bed to take my nail polish off and could not apply more until I washed with soap and water the residue! Icy water is not good for necessity washing...brrr.

I love grab bars!

So handy

 

 

With the seat down, bathing and hair washing was so much easier and more leisurely. Usually, I have to rush because I cannot stand for long. Plus, I stagger about and have no grab bars. I have been meaning to ask the doctor for a prescription for a bath chair.

 

Last Tuesday, I went to the doctor because the previous ear infection was not clear and both ears hurt! Remember, October is the month allergies keep me ill. Wednesday, I felt like I was better. When I left Friday morning, I felt pretty ill and feverish a bit. By the time the whole shebang was over on Saturday night, my fever was peaking and dropping. So, I barely slept Saturday night and asked for a 1pm checkout.

 

There will be more pleasant/fun posts and pictures and stories.

 

NOTE: We are all old!

 

Your turn

Have you ever seen a bath seat like this? Note how it extends for transfers. Is there a bath seat or chair you would recommend? Do you ever stay in the Handicap Accessible rooms? 



For Your Halloween Enjoyment--Creepy Labels, Nipples, Poop, Organs, Fingernails

For a large Halloween party I was attending, I made these labels to be applied to various foods. Use the roundish dipping chips for the first nipple thing. Use triangular chips for the fingernails. Various dips can be used for the dip names. Use olives for the eyes. Some of these labels were applied in different ways. I used large old bowl type jars or bowls for the dips. Paper bags and cloth bags folded and sewn were used for the chips. Use your imagination and what you have for any or all of the selections.

You will notice the items are not aligned. I don't know how that happened in the last 13 years and though transfers through three other computers/laptops. Whatever.

DRIED WITCH NIPPLES

Organicically grown

Air-dried in 1400

......... 

 

GUANO

(Bat Poop)

aged in a witch's cradle

 ............................................

Pureed Pig Spleen

Use by the witching hour

................................ 

Eye of Newt

Freshly plucked, pureed with organic owl bile

 

................................................................... 

 

LeStadt Fingernails

Unearthed

From London Opera house

Curiously, some are fresh

 

 

Your turn
I would be interested in knowing how you use these and will post a link to your blog or a picture of what you did. You will be given all credit.

Some of my newly-made acquaintances thought I was demented. My old friends were thrilled with my creativity.

The Apple Man

 

More perfect than they look

As I was leaving the Wednesday night church dinner with scrap food for my hens to last three days, I crossed paths with a man. He was carrying a bag that appeared to be holding apples. He nodded and I commented, "You look like the apple man." He stopped and said he had tomatoes. I laughed, kept limping along and said, "Oh." He said, "Would you like some?" "Oh, sure, but you don't have to." He offered to follow me to the car as I had my hands full.

Once at the car, he asked how many I wanted--"one, two, three, four, or five?" I laughed and said that any amount sounded good, that one would be okay. He was trying to keep things in place, commenting they were rolling around. I gave him a bag and he gave me five tomatoes. Boy, was I ever thrilled?

They look like they are blemished in the picture. I checked after I saw the picture. One little one is a bit soft. Of course, none of these could be called "little."

Hens are happy. I am happy. I could handle another Wednesday like this every Wednesday.

Your turn
How was your Wednesday? Any free produce?

What to Sell Right Now!

source

Do you want to make a bit of money off your belongings or finds? Some things are hotter right now than after Christmas when they are actually almost nonexistent.

Having sold antiques and shopped for them, I learned a little something about what people want to buy from now until New Year's Eve. Plus, each antique-shop friend repeated their same wants.If you sell certain things right now and until Christmas/New Year's Eve, you will have more money for Christmas gifts or food. If you want to sell the same items after the first of the year, demand will be low as will the price you can get and the effort it takes to sell the items.

Tables
People look for tables--almost any kind. They are decorating for Thanksgiving Dinner or Christmas holiday parties--sprucing up the house a bit. Small tables are more in demand than dining tables. You can sell a porch table that is shabby from outdoor use. Fine antiques are not the only thing people want. Now, people take tables that are sad and make them happy with a coat of white paint. They are not trying to camouflage with paint. They make the painted tables works of art. If the antique dealer tells you the table is in rough shape, you can gently remind them people work miracles with paint and stains. "AND, I DON'T PAINT. Stand your ground.

If the bones are good, any junky table will sell! I even curb shop and stop at the next antique or junk store to unload it for a profit. Remember--if it is free to you, anything is a profit. Don't be greedy, but don't sell something really nice for a few pennies.

If you have tools and spare lumber of any kind, make a rustic table. Primitives are always hot. Sand it well on saw cuts, maybe paint it white. People like a white table to sell for the front porch Christmas display. I have had several items of the same type for sale. You might even advertise at a venue with free ads.

I did make a $6 ad sell ten items. Let's say "tables is" the item. I advertise once and mention only one table for a set price. Then, I give people a choice of tables and use the same ad to sell multiple items without re-advertising. Do NOT put a lot of effort into these tables! If you do, get a good price.

Serving Utensils
Customers are looking for serving utensils, preferably silver. Yes, I have lots of that lying around. NOT! However, the salad forks are always popular in any material. I picked up salad hands and serving spoons at yard sales and at least doubled my money.

Bowls
Serving bowls, large and small, are the one thing antique dealer friends have said they can never find enough of to satisfy customer demand. Since they knew I liked yard sales, estate sales, and junk stores. I was ordered to pick up anything I could for them. I like cut glass and pressed glass the most, although there are other bowls I have bought. I found hand-painted candy dishes at a yard sale, priced a quarter, and bought them for daughters at Christmas. Then, I decided they might not like them. Besides, I wanted them. Pressed glass or cut glass candy dishes go over big at antique shops. Even less ornate ones are a big draw. I always kept what I found and liked!

Ancient and now antique wedding gifts
I received things for my wedding showers in 1966 that just did not suit my style. About 25 years later, I got rid of those things at antique stores.  Of course, now over 20 years later, I see the identical things in antique stores and wish I had them back. Okay, not really. Yes, I do. See? I am so ambivalent about getting rid of things. It is done, so I am good with it. They still are not my style. But, I have honed my sense of style.

Your turn
Do you now have an idea of things you might be able to sell for Christmas money? Can you make tables and paint them white or red? Can you search your cupboards or closets for old but nice gifts you have received? 

Artsy Chickens' Carving

The chickens carved/pecked their own jack o' lantern.



They tried. How many chickens do you know that would take on an art project? I can see some of you rolling your eyes! You know who you are.

I bought this for $1.99 last week, just for the hens. It was price-matched at WM from Aldi's. It rolled nicely out of the car into my red wagon. When I rolled it to the back yard, I rolled it out near the back door and could not pick it up again. I was telling this to the exbf yesterday. He left to go home but without telling me he made a detour to take this to the hens and put it in their pen. He has a soft spot for them. You cannot tell but their pumpkin is about 18" tall and 16" across.

Maybe they will peck out a mouth tomorrow. I don't trust them with knives, so their pointy little chicken beaks will work tomorrow, just like they did today.

This is their fauve period. They will learn to use paint brushes in their mouths next. Fauve? "wild animals" Yes, that is what they are.

I just want to kiss my precious and precocious chickens all over! Sadly, they aren't big on hugs.



Some pumpkin info
Pumpkin in the can is usually squash of some sort. Hubbard and Blue Hubbard are two of the squashes used for pumpkin products. So, if you don't have pumpkin, use one of these squashes.

Check THIS  site for more information..

Cheese: It was fully stocked this morning in WM.



Your turn
Do your chickens make art? Do any of your animals make art except for blueberry poop. Yes, mine do that, too. yuck

Just tell me how my chickens are geniuses! Just kidding!

It works! No More Bags

YES!

 



For at least thirty-years, I have read about and heard the rumors about the alternate use of PreparationH. We all know the use on our bottom parts--for hemorrhoids.

Since I am preparing for my 50 high school reunion, I have done everything but lose weight, something I need to do for my health. Yep, I have the makeup. But, nothing could cure the puffy under-eyes. There are many products on the shelves, cosmetics that promise to work. But, they were all so costly.

For years I have heard that PreparationH relieves puffiness under the eyes. So, as opposed to a costly product that no one I knew or asked had ever tried, I decided to go with a cheaper product that I have heard good things about its efficacy.

I put the Preparation H under my left eye on Saturday night, leaving the right eye for my control. The next morning the results were dramatic! The skin under my eyes has not been so smooth and flat since I was in my thirties, it seems. Yes, I have allergies and rub my eyes lots. I was in WM Sunday morning and showed it to women I talk with often. They were horrified and asked me what happened to my right eye--the untreated one.

The under eye puffiness had extended to the area over the bone, not just in the eye socket. Today, I will apply this to the area over my eye and onto my eyelids. There is not an obvious problem, but it is a bit puffy now that I have solved the under eye problem. I just need to get more regular sleep. Salt consumption is not the problem here.

Exbf was coming around noon. I applied the PreparationH and wiped it off so he could see the difference. unfortunately, that 15 minutes of application worked soon, so he could not see the full effect of improvement. He was still impressed with the lack of puffiness of the left eye.

In order to use the PreparationH, apply a portion that is the size of a grain of rice. Yes, it takes that little to work. It is a bit damp or greasy looking, so use a tissue to remove it before you go out. It  obviously still keeps working after it is wiped away.

It does work, but it is not approved by the medical community. The ingredient that works so well in PreparationH is phenylephrine, the substitute for pseudoephedrine use for nasal congestion.

Cosmetics $20+
PreparationH $3.47, I think

Your turn
Have you ever used PreparationH under your eyes for puffiness? What was your experience? Have you used a cosmetic for puffiness under your eyes, bags?

Surprises and Fails

empty shelves

 

 

 

more empty shelves

 

 

There is a bit of overlap if you look and see the three shining gold

packages of cheese to the left of this photo

and the middle of the first photo. 

 

Walmart Fail: Empty Shelves

Sure, it was late on Saturday night. But, there is no excuse for empty shelves all week! I wanted Kraft Medium Cheddar Cheese Chunk, 8 oz. There was none this week at Walmart. Tonight, I was angry when I saw the empty shelves. I asked a young guy for the manager over the food department. Well, he is gone until Monday. However, the young guy said they ordered cheese and WalMart in Arkansas denied the order.

Once before, I could not find my cheese of choice because they only order 12 at a time of what I wanted and sold out before I could get there at night. I asked him with a bit of edge and sarcasm if he did not think it might be a good idea to order 12 (or whatever amount) for a store this large that was out of that cheese about 16 hours each day. They ordered 4 times as much and although the cheese runs low, it is never this low.

This is the largest Walmart Supercenter, or so I hear, in North Alabama. We have a tire and car repair center, a huge grocery center, and a garden center that has three sections. So, why can't I have cheese?

Face plant
(Written three weeks ago.) About  7:30 Thursday morning I was walking fast to go and feed the hens. As I rounded the corner of the house and was ducking to go under the clothesline, I caught a glimpse of a huge spider web. I ducked a little further and off to one side, trying to sidestep a 3 foot spider web. I heard the web when I split it. As I continued to the hens, I fought the web on my arms, nightgown, and face.

After I fed the hens, I tried to get the sticky web off my glasses and hair. The web had completely enveloped my hair that was freshly washed but dry. I also spent a good deal of time trying to flick the spider off my hair and off my gown. Well, it could have been on me!

Once in the house, for hours I could feel the spider crawling over me. You know how that goes. I was a nervous wreck. About four hours later when I tried to comb my hair, it was as though I had sprayed it with hairspray. Nasty. At least I was going to wash it again tonight!

It will take me months to get over looking for a spider between the clothes line and the bushes. Maybe the third time I crashed into it discouraged him, as it is no longer in that location. I did warn exbf that it was over the entrance to the steps leading to the basement.

My money
(Written two weeks ago) At this point, it appears I lost $180. Keep your fingers crossed that I find it. OOOPS! No, I found it in the console where I put it because I had it in my pocket! That was 18 hours of my searching every nook and cranny of my purse and places I might have put it in the house...whew.

Your turn
Have you had your share of surprises, fails, and near fails. Entertain me. Anyone want a spider?

Cell Phone Soaked and Lost; "Battery Got Wet" Indicator

 

cell phone taken apart


Do you know how to tell if your cellphone has gotten wet and how to dry it ? Do you know how to tell if the battery has gotten wet? First off all, a phone sitting in water is a good indication. Last Monday,  exbf came here to help me. Because of both of our problems with walking, we use our cell phones to ask anything or summon the other. "When you need me, just call, and I will come." "When you are through, I will start serving dinner."

 

He just lays his anywhere,  anytime and we have to search for it by calling it with my cell while we both wander to the car, all over the yard and the house. It is frustrating. But, in all fairness, I do the same thing. No, I rarely put my phone down and totally lose it, needing help. Usually, it has slid somewhere. He will call me from outside and walk six feet to put it down instead of putting it in his pocket. He takes his cell and wallet from his pocket, and goes to the bathroom to change clothes. He comes out of the bathroom, puts his wallet in his pocket and leaves the phone here. ugh

 

Once, when I first had a cell phone, I was getting it from my purse as I drove. I managed to flip it out of my hand and heard it skittering away. It was dark and I could not find it. I stopped at a convenience store and asked a young woman working there to dial my number. However, it affects no one but me. Sometimes, I email Charlie to call my phone and keep calling until I answer. But, no one is on a prolonged search in the dark and rain.

 

Now that I have MagicJack, I just use it to call my phone.

 

When he left here on Monday, he called on his landline like he always does to say he is home. I worry, so he does this for me. He said he could not find his phone that day. I looked. I looked and listened with my phone ringing his. I would dial his number as I went all over the yard and the house. Nothing.

 

On Tuesday morning I fed the hens and went to the mailbox. I was going to put the bowl on the table outdoors before going for the mail. There was the cell. It had moisture under the screen. I was panicked. I dialed it and it worked. I called it from my cell and it worked. However, moisture will ruin a cell I figured, now or later.

 

When I took it apart, it was sooo wet that there were puddles. I shook it downwards to drive out all I could. A dry wash cloth got rid of more.

 

I removed the battery and SIM card and put it in a bowl of brown rice. The white rice was not to be seen, but it was right where I left it. Today, I found just lying right on the shelf!

 

 

cell phone battery

 

 

 On the cell phone battery above, the copper contacts are on the right. See the white rectangle? That is the indicator for moisture. If this has been exposed to water, the rectangle turns red. A cell phone tech said people bring back phones that have been exposed to water and swear the phone has been bone dry, but opening the phone tells the truth.

 

Supposedly, there is a second "the phone got wet" indicator. I am not sure if the phone has to be dismantled by a technician to see that or not. However, there is one little red square on the inside of the phone where the battery goes. At any rate, the phone does not have moisture behind the screen and it still works. I have heard that humid conditions can cause the indicator to turn the battery indicator to red. But, I don't know.

 

For several years I had heard rice works to dry a phone. I did put the rice in Tupperware and put the tight lid on. I did not  put the battery, back cover, and SIM card in the rice. However, all that needs to be removed.

 

The phone survived a four-hour thunderstorm with violent winds blowing rain, and an all-night drizzle. It sat for over 24 hours in a little skim water, not quite a puddle, of water. Thus far, it works. Patting myself on the back. Yeah, I know it was the rice that saved the battery and phone.

At any rate I saved the cost of a new cell phone.

 

Your turn

Have you heard about drying a cell phone with rice? Have you used it yourself? Did you know there were "I got wet" indicators?  Have you ever lost a cell phone to water damage, and how did you manage to get it wet?

Coke Rewards Points Are Doubled--Today Only

Through Oct. 17, 2014, Coke will give double points for codes from 12-packs of Coke, Coke, Zero, or Diet Coke.

I used Diet Coke Caffeine Free, and it worked. I only had two codes, but there is a 12-pack of Diet Coke Caffeine Free in the car that I will get later and enter before midnight tonight.

It seems as though 12-packs are the only products that offer double points. From now on I will save those and wait until there is another double points offer.

Today, I redeemed points for a coupon for $3 off a 12-pack. Like last year, I will just wait until there is a sale of 12-packs, making them $3 each and redeem the coupon. That makes free Cokes.

Some of you are posting the codes, so hurry and  enter your codes.

Tire Problems Again; Chicken Sweaterguard

chicken sweater guards

First, this was a Christmas gift from a blog follower, Stephanie. I could not find this picture at all until today. Thanks again.

A few weeks ago, I bought two new tires and had an alignment done. The owner said not to wait any longer than the end of the year to get two rear tires. On the way home, I thought the car was not right. The next day, the car was bouncing along like a basketball being dribble low and fast. The car pulled to the right. So, I went along for a week thinking this was just impossible. Since exbf had put this on his cc for me to pay back, I wanted him there. So, when he was here this week, we went back. I explained how the car drove, thinking it was the alignment or the tires were not balanced.

An hour later, the guy called and said I had a right rear tire with a bump in the tread, that I needed a new tire. So, I told him to put two new ones on and change the oil. Now, I am in a very large financial hole I need to dig out of somehow. At least I will be safe driving to Memphis for my 50th hs reunion.

Prior to buying this Malibu, I always bought Michelin tires. The tire store owner is a friend and allowed me to charge them. One time when I went in to purchase new tires, he noted how many miles I had gotten out of the tires. Workers in the vicinity of the waiting room and customers gasped. It seems I had gotten more miles out of Michelins than anyone had ever heard. The tires were not worn bald and raggedy. I had done everything by the rules as far as rotation, alignments, and tire pressure. As a matter of fact, the dealer said that there were still miles left on the tires.

I am quite sure they resold those tires. Even if tires are not roadworthy, the farm pickups that never see a public road use old tires. When I have put tires on the curb, lots of people have scolded me because the city trash collectors will not pick up tires. I have never had a tire sit on the curb longer than three days. Usually, tires disappear overnight. I always presume the tires are used for spares or put on a farm truck. We have lots of chicken farms in this county for Tyson and Goldenrod.

Did you know that farm trucks, ones kept strictly for driving across fields or farm roads do not have to be inspected, may not have lights, signal lights, mirrors, and usually have poorly performing brakes? One guy told me in jest that he just puts his foot out the door and stops his farm truck that way, sort of Flintstone-style.

Oh, I digress. When I bought my Malibu LS, I was told I that a Michelin would only last 20K miles, or something really low, on this car. I still don't understand that.

I have had three blow-outs in my life. The night before I gave birth to my first child, I had a blowout while driving alone. I trusted my husband to care for the car. Nope, I was driving on bald tires. Another time, I was single and driving on second-hand tires. Then, when I had Michelins, I awoke to a flat tire. I took it back to the Michelin place after my neighbor put on my spare. It appeared I had a blowout as I turned in my driveway It was definitely a blowout, but I never heard or felt it. The tire had been cut by something on the road and then just blew as the car lurched into my driveway..

The only thing that I really worry about is the serpentine belt.

Your turn
Do you keep up with your car's tire care? Or, does someone else? Do you have a preferred brand? Or, do you buy cheap tires or ones on sale? Have you had a scary blowout?

Halloween Selfie

This is so hard. I kept taking pictures and none of them showed my cat ears. These were at WM. I was standing/rolling by as an employee opened a box and took these out. There was only one headband. The headband was silver-looking. The ears are metal with rhinestones on the front and a black back. I know my roots are showing. That is why I was in WM.

Oh, yeah, you want one, too. Right?

Slugmama's Great Boring Box Giveaway.

You are really going to love THIS GIVEAWAY.  I see Christmas presents in there--nail polish. I see red nail polish that I want! Just go on over there and try to win some good stuff. Show her I have a great group of readers. Yes, this is all about me. And, I got two extra entries for this effort of informing you all.

Makeup for Reunion

 

foundation and lipstick

Even though I am not Black, I looked for foundation that a Black person would use. Yeah, you want to know why. I have a whitish spot above each eyelid. Each is cholesterol, but my cholesterol was not high the last time it was checked. And, my arteries are clear.

So, the foundation will go only on those two spots. I hope it works out. My lids are darker than most people's lids. So, it seems to work to cover the white spots.

This summer, I bought the first coral item of clothing that I have had since the 60s. I flat refused to buy coral lipstick for one blouse.

You must know by now that I was digging in the reduced makeup bin. I was. Each of these cost $0.25. I'm not even wearing the coral blouse for the reunion, but I have coral lipstick for next year.

We have reunions every five years. So, every five years I buy a  bottle of foundation. In the 5-year interim I might use foundation five times. So, I throw out the last bottle I bought and buy a new one. Well, I am just so smart and independent. I refused to be forced by societal expectations to wear makeup for the 45th. I put on a bit of lipstick. Well, I am so washed out in the official picture of our class and in the photos on our website.

Not this year! My goal has been to find foundation and other makeup that looks good and is not apparent. I suppose that sounds counterproductive.

A makeup story--in seventh grade the other girls were commenting on my wearing eye shadow and I felt shamed. No, actually, the girls were shaming me without asking if I had on eye shadow on. This went on for several weeks until they finally believed m. In 1957, only hookers wore eye shadow in the daytime.

Your turn,
Do you wear makeup? What do you use--lipstick only like I do? Full makeup? How old were you when your mother allowed you to wear makeup? Do you hate mascara as much as I do.

List Method for Price-Match

list for price-matching

 

For this I took most of my ads and sat down to see where the deals were and record them. I used a green pen to make this because it was at hand. I deliberately changed to red when I was shopping. The red pen marks are made in the store to record the price at Walmart price for the item I recorded from another store ad. Marked-through in red means either the price was cheaper at WM or another store, or I changed my mind about the purchase. At any rate, the red-lined items just means not to pay attention to that item again. This act of marking through just whittles down the list a bit. Everything I bought this day at WM with price-matching from other stores.

Here is an example. You can see that at WDG turkey is $.88/lb. But, at WM it is the same price, so there is no hurry to buy it that day. I did not buy it at all, as it turns out.

S&S grocery had sugar at a price that made me decide not to get it. Actually, I more than plenty on hand. Do you remember when I found sugar marked down and a coupon for the same sugar, making my sugar $0.25/lb. ($1.25 for 5 lbs.)

Hopper's turned out to be a good deal all around. I bought oj, pineapple, and cheese with their prices matched at WM.

TSC is Tractor Supply. I don't remember what "stuff" was.

Piggly Wiggly is where I found cheap apples, but nothing else I wanted, even after making a list of items I might buy. That is all I bought from the list of things there.

Save A Lot--changed my mind.

Win Dixie was best price on onions. Bought some.

Dollar General and Target--did not need more flour. And, it was too high.

K Mart--decided I did not want or need black beans because I have a few cans. I don't eat that many black beans.

The only stores on this list that are right in town are Piggly Wiggly, K Mart, Dollar General, Save A Lot, WM, and Aldi.  Actually, Piggly Wiggly is just 5 miles in the wrong direction, sort of out of the way. Target is 40 miles away and Winn Dixie and Publix are 50 miles away. Hopper's and  S & S are 15 and 20 miles away, respectively. Sometimes, I get an ad from Kroger's (25 miles), but I can go online for that ad.

That day I bought from this list: oj, Dole's Pineapple, Kraft Cheddar, apples, oranges, onions, celery.  I might have bought milk or something not on the price-match list, maybe not. I shopped at only Walmart and got prices from four stores.  My lack of ability to get in and out of the car easily causes me to just go ahead and do all my shopping at WM. The real problem is the walking into the store and maybe finding that the two carts in a smaller store are in use.

I did not get a poinsettia and never got to KMart, both on my list. I was not going to buy a reindeer. I will explain that some day.

This list might look like a lot of trouble, but if I search through ads while sitting in the electric cart in the store, I block traffic. It is also easy to check out because some clerks demand to see the price in the ad.  Searching through ads at the register takes longer than getting coupons in order. I used only one coupon on this trip--Dole canned pineapple.

So, that is how I shop every week. Some weeks, I am not so super-organized or really cannot afford the deals. If I only buy 1) price-matched items, 2) items on sale, 3) items on sale at WM,  or 4) items at clearance prices, or 5) use a coupon on top of 1-4, I never have to buy anything and pay full price.

I have an in-my-head allotment of money for groceries and toiletries. If the end of the month is coming soon, like in a week, I check to see if I have enough money for milk and bananas. Then, it doesn't matter if I want something or it is reduced/sale-priced because I don't get it. One week, I may spend $50 and the next I spend $6, depending on whether there is nothing on sale that I want or I just have no more money.

Your turn
Do you make this kind of list to price-match? Or, do you make the list and stop in at multiple stores? There is no judgment. I do too, sometimes, but not the ones out of town. What does your list look like?

My Eye Patch

Can you see it?

 

No one told me about this. My friend told me it would be an eye patch. Someone told me I would have to wear an eye patch that the doctor would give me, but I thought I would look like a pirate.

This is what the surgeon had for me after surgery. Actually, I woke with this on my right eye.They gave me a little zippered pouch with another patch/cover for the eye that had the cataract removed. It keeps me from sticking my finger in my eye and rubbing. It also keeps me from pressing my eye into my hand as I lie. Well, that is what they said, but I never lay my face on my hand and never have.

I have a bit of trouble walking with this on my eye, held on by inch-wide paper tape. So, I leave the tape and patch in my bed and tape the patch on after I am in bed.

Notice the little slits on each end of the patch. It appears a person can us this like a pirate's patch by tying a piece of cloth through the slits. There are also little holes. I suppose an eye has to breathe. These holes must be eye nostrils.

Your turn
I want to know a few things. Did your surgeon/nurses give you a little zippered pouch for your cataract surgery and recovery supplies? This one had places on each end to attach a strap. Did you get eye drops, tape, and two patches? I am wondering if this is a universal practice.

Free Food from a Surprise Source

 

Surprise offering to me!
 

When I went to KMart to return a skirt and look at makeup, one of the managers and I were talking and laughing. I was telling her about going to my 50th reunion.

As I went up to the service desk, she did too, and we continued our banter. All of a sudden, she said, "Do you like peppers?" I was not sure if she was talking to me or not, so I hesitated. Above is what she gave me. I have never had eggplant cooked where I like it, but I am going to try. It looks as though I will either have hot pepper jelly or dried peppers.

My friend cooked eggplant and mutton in a tomato sauce, sort of thick stew. I gagged it down.  I hate mutton and eggplant in tomato sauce.

Are the peppers at 1 o'clock, cayenne? At 6 o'clock, jalapeno?

I can only eat cayenne and then in pepper jelly on cream cheese and crackers. Hot food is not for me.  None of my three children can eat hot peppers, either.

Your turn
Dehydrating? What are ideas of how to prepare the peppers beyond jelly or jam?  How do you cook eggplant that is not in tomato sauce, like a soup? Would cheese kill the taste so I can eat it? I can find recipes on the internet, but I want an idea you have tried. These look like they need cooking on Sunday or at least Monday. Oh, exbf is coming Monday, so I really need a recipe for the eggplants.

The Great Depression and Little Boys

See the spire above the little turret?

 

 

My best friend for twenty years was born in 1933. By the time he was in first grade, the Depression was ending. Every day he walked home from school with other little boys. They walked past this house on their way home. He laughed as he told me how they discussed what would happen if a man fell from an airplane and landed on the spire. Would it kill him? How long would it take for him to die? How badly would it hurt? Right in the stomach was how they pictured him landing. He said they discussed this every day. They had all sorts of scenarios of how the man might miss the spire and live. He chuckled as I was confused how this conversation could last several years. It turns out that there would be a new kid and one would drop out occasionally, with an ever changing bunch of little boys, but still with a core.

John would pick me up for something we were going to do and I would find myself in front of this house and driving slowly, sometimes circling the block. I knew him for twenty years and heard this story at least four times each year.

One day, he was bored as his mother was visiting a friend who was fixing her hair. So, he just wandered off to see his father. Since this was before TVA, the city produced their own electricity. He did not see his father as he entered the gate, so he just looked at different things as he walked around. Remember, he was only six.  He remembers seeing something like a handle, just above his reach. It appeared to him like it might turn. So, he struggled to reach it and pulled. John knew he was in trouble as he heard machinery quit working, then lots of yelling. .

The whole city lost electricity. He had single-handedly shut down EVERYTHING in the city. Men came running from offices and other places around the power plant. His father reached him and pulled him away, very angry but mostly embarrassed. He was forbidden to ever set foot in the plant again. It still is outside town. John would tell me about this at least twice a year, maybe more. More laughs ensued.

John liked that I laughed at his antics and questioned him each time like I had never heard the story. Actually, I did not remember all the details from one time to another at first. Then, I had it down pat.

The power plant did secure the switch so that could never happen again. Weren't we a trusting bunch of people 75 years ago?

No one had any money at the time. Oh, some could afford a few toys, but they could not. He bemoaned the fact that he and his friends could not afford fire crackers. Would your mother approve of you having firecrackers? "Oh, Hell NO!" He went on to relate how they had to settle for dynamite. It seems that some people who were using it for construction excavation or stump removal would give the boys some sticks of dynamite. What would your mother say if she knew you had dynamite? He assured me he would never be allowed outside the yard again.

He was so poor that he could not afford the little balsa wood airplane kits at the Five & Dime. So, he and this group of boys would search for broken wooden apple boxes that had very thin wood. Then, they had to use a knife to cut out their own planes. It seems the boys did this for many years. The store owners would have pity and help them by saving broken boxes. John went on the be a Wild Weasel in Vietnam.

When he was about seven-years-old, he and his mother went somewhere in the family car. I forget the details, but his mother managed to break the door off the car because he was getting into the car as she was backing out of the garage. Since they were afraid of what his father would say or do, they dragged the heavy door into the house and hid it behind the sofa. His father ate dinner and sat on the sofa, never seeing the car door and never noticing the car had no door.

I was a little horrified because his mother could have killed him. John said she was not worried about that, just that her husband would be furious. As it turns out, his father was told after dinner and after John went to bed. His father was not very mad. I think John said he laughed at her for years, telling his friends what she did. .

John's mother like to go fast in a car. She even got on her nephew's motorcycle as he drove, urging him to go faster. John's father took John for rides on his own motorcycle but would not take his wife. He disapproved. So, John grew up to fly in one of  the fastest planes of the time, flying for his life over Vietnam as the navigator and as a Wild Weasel.

Once, there was a party being held in the country and they all went. At some point, John's mother decided to take the beer truck sitting out front for a spin because she had never driven a big truck before. She managed to give about six little boys a ride, too. No one missed them at first, and she managed to get back in one piece before the guy driving the beer truck returned.

 I wrote about John here.

Kids found their own things to do back then. John and his friends certainly did. I believe their environment fostered imagination, self-directing activities, and a respect for the forces in the world and natural phenomenon. He had to learn as an adult how to stay alive in the jungle and in the desert. I think his childhood toughened him up, made him resilient in ways children today have not had a chance to develop.

Your turn
Did your parents or grandparents tell you of things they did for fun as kids during the Great Depression? Is anyone old enough to remember kids playing with dynamite or cutting their little airplanes from boxes?

Crockpot Breakfast Recipe

I found this recipe and want to try it. Sorry, but I don't know where I saw this.

• 12 eggs
• 1 (32-ounce) bag frozen hash browns
• 1 pound bacon, cut into small pieces, cooked and drained
• ½ cup onion, diced
• ¾ pound shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup milk
• ½ teaspoon dry mustard
• Pepper
• Salt

Directions: Layer the ingredients in your crock pot. Start with ½ of the hash browns on the bottom, followed by ½ of the bacon, ½ of the onions, and ½ of the cheese. Then layer in the rest of the hash browns, bacon, onions, and cheese. Beat the eggs, milk, mustard, salt, and pepper together. Pour this over the whole mixture. Cook on low for 10-12 hours.

Now, I want to cook bacon!

Your turn
Have you ever made a recipe like this? I don't want the eggs to be rubbery. Will this work? Do you have a crockpot breakfast recipe that is NOT oatmeal?

For Posterity and Horrid Fence Construction

 

Two entries and two ribbons

I had to make this photo for posterity. I take  a group picture of my entries with the ribbons when I enter the fair.  Sooo, here is the other.

 

$5 for dehydrated food + $3 for photo= $8

 

 

Apparently, I looked at the wrong entries in the fair information. I do have the vegetables to eat and that leaves me still at a deficit of about $10. But, it was fun and feeds my ego or assures me I still have it...lol. .

 

Now, for the fence. Well, the nail does not show. Stay right here while I go take another picture of just the fence. I want to show you something.



 

this is the top rail of the fence. See the nails that missed that 2x4 rail?

This fence was erected by a guy whose son owned the house and was horrid to me. He was flipping the house. See the nails? One day, the guy was working, nailing up the fence and left. As soon as he left, one of the boards fell down to the ground. For a week the guy came back every day and nailed up his fence--a board here and a board there as they fell down. They have the pretty side of the fence facing their yard. That seems like wearing your clothes wrong side out.

Plus, an insurance friend and a professional who builds these fences says this is an insurance liability. The woman next door said she could not imagine how a child could get up that high or really want to get up there. One day, a kid on the other side of her ran like a maniac to catch his cat. He jumped on my table by the fence, clambered over the fence using the top rail as his next step, vaulting over the fence. So, that is why and how a child would and can come into contact with all those nails that are the length of the fence between our yards.

Stay right here while I go take another picture of just the fence. I want to show you something.

 

huge crack between warped boards

 

largest crack along the fence where a hen could slip through

The woman who bought the house was adamant that this was built right. The 2x4s are lying down on their broad side. I think they should lie on the narrow side. That certainly keeps the horizontal board from warping. The people who had a professional build their fence certainly did not construct it this way. Isn't there supposed to be a 2x4 at the bottom? That would keep the fence from warping. Also, aren't screws supposed to be used for the fence construction?

Now, after much fussing, she wants permission to come into my yard and put a bottom board that will be screwed together.

Update:
Just to clarify, this is not my fence. It is in the ground less than one foot with a very little bit of concrete. The man doing this job was following his son's instructions. The son flips houses. And, they guy used a nail gun to do the nailing.

Your turn
Is that fence built right? Do you see anything else that is wrong with it? I am not an expert, but I have lived with one at the back of my house for about 25 years.

Tomatoes Now? No Eggs?

4 tomatoes

 

When I half bent to get the picture of the third tomato the tomato plant has now, I did not see the fourth little tomato. It is hiding above the tomato on the right. This tomato plant has been there for months. Why now? Not one thing has bitten it. There are no weeds.

I have a possum, ground hog, and raccoon that now call or have called my basement HOME SWEET HOME. I suspect they like tomatoes, especially when tomatoes are ripe.

If the plant had not had this tomato cage placed over it, the chickens would have scratched it up. They love spending time in this 4 x 4 sq. ft. area. When I put the cage there, I had no idea there was a tomato plant.

Speaking of chickens, mine quit laying.

Maggie May might be Mighty Mack for all I know. But, she spends hours during the day sitting in the bottom box, the egg laying place. She does not seem overly aggressive to the hens. She is younger, so I suppose that is why she is always first everywhere. Besides, she is the size of Thelma and towers over Patsy Cline.

Patsy Cline quit laying the day I put Maggie May and her two little sisters in a cage in the hen pen. It is as though she turned all her energy to torturing Maggie May and the other two little ones. She is only about 18 months old, far too young to quit laying.

Thelma quit laying when she was doing poorly. She has been back to normal for about four weeks. So, what is the problem?

There was not one egg in September. During August, Thelma had given me about 5 eggs each week since March, even at her advanced age of 5.5 years.

Every day, I look three or four times into the nest. There is never an egg. I check for eggshells to determine if I have another snake or someone is pecking eggs. Beak inspection is done surreptitiously. But, I have no suspects as of yet.

When I suspected Thelma and Patsy Cline might be laying in my yard, rather than search the yard, I just left them locked up until three hours before sundown. Nothing!

I feel I might throw up if I have to eat a store egg.

This is a mystery. Well, Maggie May might not be old enough. Thelma may be too old. But, Patsy Cline has no excuse.

I called my chicken friend and asked if I should buy laying food or cat or dog food. He said what I fed my chickens was much better than the garbage in the store. He no longer works there. When he did work there, he recommended it to me. He blamed this on the time of the year.

Four eggs each week would make me happy. Right now, I am not happy!

Your turn
Have you ever had a tomato plant start producing so late in the year? Does anyone have an idea why none of my hens lay, especially Patsy Cline?

Pinecone Wants You!

I can refer people to Pinecone NOW. If you want to get a referral, put your email address in the comments below. If you do not want to reveal your email address, tell me so in the comments below. Then, send me your email address to me via email. But, tell me below you are sending me your email address. I don't want to search for emails that I don't know are going to be in my email.

No, I cannot just tell you to sign up. I must refer you. There is no remuneration to me for signing you up.

Hurry!

Another thing. Don't just email me  because Yahoo makes it difficult for me to see the email address. Put your email inside the body of the email. I need to copy and paste. Otherwise, I won't be able to refer. The addresses are so faint I cannot easily type out an address using pencil and paper. I need to send you the referral letter I got. I cannot just send it to you.

subject line: PINECONE in large cap to get my attention.
body: your email address

Thanks. I hate to be so ticky.

Another Cheap Find, Something I Need

make-do wristlet

Back in September, my favorite kind of change purse broke. Okay, the zipper broke. Instead of going out and buying a new one, I took out a little change purse that I brought for one of the g-daughters. It only cost a quarter on sale at WM, so no big deal. It is hot pink cloth and will do until I find what I really want and need.

Yesterday, I found this $12 WM wallet marked down to $0.50. It is plastic and will tear up and look all scratched easily and soon. I hate low-quality items. HATE! But, I cannot get to Macy's or Dillard's in Huntsville to get what I really want and is more expensive than $0.50 and still less than $12 the cheap wristlet would have cost if it were not marked down. I have bought nothing there in years, but they did carry what I wanted about ten years ago.

Belk seems to have quit stocking what I want. The value is better in Belk and Dillards. I can use dozens of this cheap wallet in the time it takes to break in a more expensive and smaller leather one.  Maybe Belk will stock what I really want, pictured below, since it is stocking the store for Christmas now.

The strap clips off this easily. /The wristlet without the strap will take the place of the little, cheap hot pink change/bill purse and another little "wallet" that holds all the cards--gift cards for WM and Pinecone, one credit card, insurance cards, driver's license, all the tiny store cards, and a very few scraps of paper with notes. This will never be carried alone, but it will always reside in my purse.

I have not loaded it up with my stuff yet. I will before I go to 50th hs class reunion. The change purse I want will not hold all my cards, just coins and paper money. Like I said, this will be inside my shoulder bag.

It is not what I want or like, but I don't have money for a leather one that costs $50-$100. Yes, I have looked at them. Even if I could afford a leather one, I do not like the style above. Plus, that much leather would be too heavy.

 

leather, lined, small, simple, and with broken zipper

Maybe Belk has their brand of this style in the store now that Christmas is near. the last little purse is only about 4x6 inches. The other is much larger. On Monday I will take this to the cobbler to see if he can fix it. It has life in it still.  He will probably clean it for me. I just hope I don't have to find the zipper. Hopefully, he will know how to cut a longer zipper to fit. I can do it, but can he? Maybe he has a place to order the right size zipper. (I am losing my mind because I just diagrammed that sentence in my head. Then, I made a tree diagram in my head!)

So, that is my fifty-cent find at WM. I found lots of birthday gifts for 50 cents on sale far back in the central section of WM. This and all I got could have been easily missed. There were 50 cents bras, tights, $2 Hello Kitty backpacks, and beach bag type bags.

Bottom line: When this cheap fifty-cent wallet tears up, I will not be sad and think about money wasted. If I paid $12 for it, I would be disappointed and sad I spent that much money.

Your turn
Do you ever buy a cheap version and not-quite-right version when what you want is not to be found but the cheapo version will be replaced when you find what is right? Don't you hate to buy a cheap something that tears up soon because it was poor quality merchandise?