31 More Frugality Measures at My House

For the last few weeks I have  been composing this post. I am too exhausted to do anything else in the way of writing, so this is it.

*dumpster diving, more in past and a little now
*using rags from clothing for cleaning cloths instead of paper towels
*use diapers bought in 1975 to dust
*use net produce bags tied in knot for a scrubby
*look through coupons in paper or online
*study all store ads several times
*try to match coupons with sales
*use straw broom instead of plastic
*use cotton mop to clean the floor
*use old-fashioned dust mop
*vinegar and water in spray bottle for car windows
*Shoe Goo for holes in shoes
*take shoes to cobbler for other repairs
*use table salt to scrub stuck spots in sink
*use dilute Clorox and broom for dingy, stained concrete
*sell excess belongings from kitchen
*put sock tops on canning jars to prevent dings
*use canvas bags at grocery store
*order free generic checks from bank
*use free pens from businesses
*use 34-yr-old vacuum that was expensive but worth it--Royal cannister
*do not smoke
*do not drink
*cook from scratch mostly
*use old toothbrushes for cleaning tool for dishes, bathroom, kitchen, car
*trade yard labor for use of my mower
*spray a very dilute Dawn solution to kill fruit flies
*trade school supply for loaf of bread at bread store
*use fund-raiser car washes to get car washed
*pick up pennies and occasionally a larger coin
*keep tires inflated

Planning for a Doctor visit (And it is done.)

One day next week, I have a doctor's appointment in Birmingham. Exbf will drive up to get me, drop me off, and wait in the car until I come out. (TODAY WAS/IS THE DAY)

He will come in and eat lunch unless I have him come just in time to pick me up. He can decide that.

It is hard for him to get into the office. He hates paying for valet service. And, I make the wait in the car quite comfortable.

I pack stuff for him. This week his little bag will have: bottle of cold water, Pepsi if he wants it, slices of cheese, crackers, grapes, cherries, sliced apple, jerky. (NO JERKY)I still have to buy a jerky stick for this week. And, I make sure he has a new Reader's Digest.  I never buy one, just get one from places that have stacks of free magazines. ( I gave him four because I could not remember what he had read.)

Sometimes, he takes a nap.

Before the trip, I will pack what he will take home for dinner. I make a list so I will not forget anything. I am too tired when I get home to remember what to take out to the car. He prefers to just let me come in and get the stuff and just leave. It is usually so late that I am exhausted, and he has a long drive. (I forgot the pie, so I will freeze it for him.)

I didn't get the meatloaf baked, but I will make that, cook the last of the carrots, and give him lettuce and tomato for a salad. He will probably eat the carrots and meat loaf and maybe a can of peas or green beans. He will probably save the salad for the next day with more meatloaf. Who know? I don't care.

(I gave him portion of pork loin and lettuce and tomato for a salad.)

When he does come into the doctor's office, I pack this bag that came from AARP when he or I joined. Everything fits, no matter how much I give him, even his water bottle and RD. He snacks in the waiting room. Remember, he has diabetes. What he does not eat for a snack, he eats for a snack on the way home..

I am too tired to even think, but I will talk about the dermatologist visit tomorrow. It was traumstic and I had to be naked and be poked and looked at closely.

Only the last paragraph and things in parenthesis were written tonight.

The effect of refrigerated and frozen storage on butter nutrients, flavor and texture

A few years ago, I read that freezing butter destroyed some of the nutrition. I decided I would investigate. What I found was an article from ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. When you go to the ARTICLE, you can see what the alphabet soup means.  Hint--National Library of Medicine and National Institute of Health. Plus, ".gov" makes me trust the information.

No. Refrigeration or freezing will not diminish the nutrition of butter. However, how you store it is crucial to taste. You cannot just toss the butter in the refrigerator or freezer. It needs to be airtight. I plan to freeze mine in foil and put it inside a freezer bag.

To the right of the abstract are several articles about butter.  Since this is just an abstract, there is more in the article. But, I cannot access that. Can you?

Now, if you find articles from credible institutions stating that freezing butter is detrimental to the nutritional value of butter, feel free to post it in a comment.

Your turn
Do you freeze butter? Can you tell if butter has changed once it is thawed? If so, how did you wrap it to freeze it?

Groceries July 22--28, 2018

eggs $1.28/doz.
3 bananas
mushrooms 2@$0.99
2 half-gallons a2milk, 2/$7
sour cream
cherries $1.49/lb
grapes $1.79/lb.
strawberries $0.99
blueberries 2@$0.99/lb.
jar of artichoke hearts
1 lb. butter $2.99
4 bananas
onion
bell pepper
Miracle Whip $2.99

My total this week was about $30. Butter was $2.99 at Sav A Lot. It's a brand I have never heard of, but it is mine now. I will check other stores to see if it is carried anywhere else and what is the price. Okay, I checked and the butter is Coburn Farms, a Sav A Lot brand. And, there is a coupon that will make it $1.99!!!

Tuesday was the last day of the a2milk at $7 for two half-gallons. I bought two last week. Even though I have two unopened cartons from last week, these last two have a date of August 23, 2018. As I was trying to juggle things in the refrigerator to fit two more cartons in, I made a happy discovery. There were two milk cartons that each were about 1/3 full. When I combined those, both the same date, things were much less crowded! I don't think I have EVER before had two cartons of milk open and in use at the same time.

Immediately, I opened the jar of artichoke hearts at home. I ate two, gagging and spitting out the corn husk like portion. I will be taking these back. They were nasty.

The blueberries went straight into the freezer. I had just scraped the last of my last jar of Miracle Whip from the jar.

There is dehydrated bell pepper in a pint jar, but I bought a fresh one. The last time I put dehydrated bp in meatloaf, I remarked to exbf that the bell pepper had been dehydrated last year. He said and made sure I understand that he was not complaining, that the bell pepper was hard as a rock. He kept saying it was okay because he could taste it in the meatloaf.  So, I have fresh bp for the meatloaf this time.

Two stores had great sales this week, Aldi and Save A Lot. Otherwise, I would not have bought so much fruit and mushrooms.

Do you have a Sav A Lot where you live? Have you ever used Coburn Farms Butter or any of their products?

Least Likable Bug?

My spaghetti coma lasted until six this morning. Then I napped until 9 am. I was still very tired. I had a horrible nightmare that depressed me, so I napped a bit more. Finally, at 2 pm, I got up for good.

Thinking my funk and stuffy head might be because I was hungry and dehydrated. I drank water, ate something not good for me...forgot what. Then, I got one chore done. ugh  Thinking some sardines might cause me to feel better, I opened a can only to find they tasted disgusting. But, I ate them, anyway.  What's with that?

Today, it was 85 F and beautiful. The humidity had to be fairly low because it was sooooo pleasant. I got little done today outdoors, but it was pleasant. Usually, I have broken a sweat by the time I get to the car. Not today.

I had the doors to the car open, so now it is filled with mosquitoes. If I could banish just one bug, it would be mosquitoes. Flies and roaches are nasty, but easier to avoid and kill. And, they are not trying to bite me.

I found out that a neighbor's lawnmower was stolen this last week. So, I went out to check and see if my stuff is still here. The mosquitoes found me. When I told my next door neighbor just to let him know about the theft, he just shrugged. I know he keeps his mower on the front porch as well as a tiny grill with a handle on top. It is not his mower, just one he uses that belongs to a friend.  He has one of those porches that is brick all around, so you cannot see stuff until you go on the porch.

Tonight, I will put a 3 lb package of ground beef in the crockpot for exbf. I make it in sort of a loaf. I will slice it and he can get one piece out and use it for a hamburger or whatever.  I might get really ambitious and make a meatloaf. We will see.

Nothing is happening here. Nothing has happened since spaghetti last night. I am here and frugal.

Your turn
If you could banish one bug/insect, what would it be?  My choice is mosquitoes.

Headed for a Spaghetti Coma

Tonight was the free dinner--spaghetti, Parmesan cheese, salad, dressing, garlic bread, unsweetened tea. I got seconds on spaghetti, cheese, and bread. I turned down cookies, ice cream, and chocolate syrup. Well, I did eat one bite of ice cream and took one cookie with me.

The meth addicts with whom I speak are funny, polite, and determined to do better for the future.

The people running the programs  are good company and interesting.

I got an invitation to a Cowboy Church. Yeehaw!

Now, I am home and watching Young Sheldon. Maybe I can fight off this coma for ten more minutes.

Tomorrow, I may go chicken shopping....much fun.  I went to Aldi's. More later.

I don't think I have ever had spaghetti I did not like if I had enough Kraft Parmesan Cheese in the green shaker bottle. How about you? Are you a fan of spaghetti?

Coupon that expires Dec. 31, 2018

As I purchased Daisy brand cottage cheese, a few days later I notice a pad of coupons for Daisy cottage cheese. The expiration date in Dec. 31, 2018. 

The reason I buy Daisy sour cream is because it has one ingredient: cultured cream. Check your favorite or cheap sour cream. Likewise, Daisy cottage cheese has fewer ingredients than the rest:  Cultured skim milk, cream and salt. 

I love to find a coupon with such a distant date. I am quite sure these will be on sale around the holidays. But, I doubt the coupons will be there for long. Maybe you can find this coupon, too. Maybe there will be a Daisy sour cream coupon, too, someday. 

Do you use sour cream? Maybe for dips? Cottage cheese?  Does the brand sour cream and cottage cheese you use have as few ingredients as Daisy? 

A Gift and A Lunch

Over the weekend, I received an email stating that one of my readers had sent a generous gift to my PayPal account. THANK YOU! I was stunned to receive anything.

I will either put it toward a water heater or a pair of much needed shoes.  I need both!

Today was one of the free Tuesday lunches. We had: hamburger or hotdog on a bun, lettuce, tomato, pickle, slaw, unsweetened tea, piece of cake. I was lucky and got two brownies instead of a piece of cake. Oh, we received one fig on our plate if we wished. .

The hamburger hurt my stomach almost immediately, so I did not finish it.

He ate dinner here and took enough home for two or three days: ham eaten here, sautéed zucchini, squash, potatoes cooked in the crockpot after the chicken came out. I had sautéed mushrooms, along with the chicken, potatoes, sautéed squashes and bell pepper.

We shared the chicken. He took home two leg-thighs. I kept the breasts. He also took home a loaf of bread and a gallon of milk and cherries.

All was cooked yesterday. I washed my hair this morning, went to lunch, bought milk at Publix, and heated dinner. But, I am so exhausted at this point, I cannot eat. As you can see, it takes little to exhaust me! I even had a little nap today.

The weather today was gorgeous--no rain, light winds, 85 F, 70% humidity.

Since I am out of butter, I need to find some cheap, on sale, or a coupon. I read where people get really cheap butter, and I find none here!

Where do you find cheap butter?

Frugal Cooking with the Holy Trinity

More about the succulent later in the post.

The weather will be a bit cooler this week. I will put a chicken In the crockpot along with celery, bell pepper, and onion--the holy trinity. I don't care what you say, the crockpot does heat up the kitchen once the temperatures rises! Of course, a "bit cooler" is like 89 F. But, I am taking that temperature gratefully.

I want everything to be cooked when exbf gets here this week. So far, those have been my plans for weeks, but I have yet to achieve that goal. Then, I am incredibly tired. The mushrooms, squash, zucchini, bell pepper combo has not gotten old since he only had it this last week. Along with the chicken and sautéed vegetables, I will make a salad.

Along with the eggs, I left potatoes in the car, but that is not a tragedy if I cook them soon. The eggs left in the car went into the trash. It is NOT frugal to waste food.

Rather than cooking Sunday night, I looked in the freezer and found a frozen piece of cheese pizza. I should have had a salad with the pizza.

On Sunday, I had only one slice of bread and the slice of pizza. Yay me.

Saturday night, I found two hotdogs in the freezer, not the ones I bought on sale, but  cheesey, spicey hot ones. I will be so glad to get some bits and pieces of things eaten from the freezer so I can store other things in there.

Monday plans:

Saute mushrooms, zucchini, yellow squash, bell pepper.

Try to hang a few clothes outside. maybe not

Drink more water to help flagging energy. doing it

Put chicken in crockpot. done

color hair

Computer weather says it is 81 F with 100% humidity. Oh, dear, I have to go out soon.

I wrote about getting the SUCCULENT in a post you may remember. It sat on a counter near a window but under a counter. One of the three fingers bit the dust. The other is turning white and getting hollow and hard at the end. So, I moved it to a window with shade all day but quite bright. The last "finger" is doing great. It seems to have a "baby" growing on the end as well as small "baby" things growing from the base.

Since the flower forms from the base, I am hoping this is what the things around the base are. Does anyone have an opinion on the dying finger? Has anyone seen this in person or the flower in person?

Groceries July 15--21, 2018 (UPDATED/COMPLETED)

I posted this before the week and shopping were finished. So, here it is again and complete.

* from Farmer's Market

3 bananas
mushrooms
4 zucchini
 4 yellow squash about $3.15 for zucchini and squash
bell pepper $.88
*tomatoes $6 Celebrity variety
*peaches $6
4 bananas
2 half-gals. a2milk 2 for $7 on sake
1/2 gal. orange juice
3 jarred sauces on clearance
Cherries
eggs, doz.

Given to me:
gal. milk
bread
2 lbs. yellow squash
2 lbs. potatoes

I spent about $35 this week.

The three jars of sauce were stock-up items. I think they were Prego, but they were varieties I might never try except for the price.

I have always eaten mushrooms, usually in salads or in spaghetti. But, the other day for the first time I decided to saute them in butter. I have eaten them sautéed before, just never did it myself.

The zucchini and yellow squash came from WM. I just did not feel like walking the market. Then, I decided I wanted tomatoes and went anyway. However, I know where my tomato man is and the peaches are right across from him. Exbf parked right behind guy's truck, so I did not have to walk over 15 feet. It still hurt.

I brought the sauces home today, Friday. They are still in the car. I think they are Prego. When I bring them in, I will post the brand and variety.

This method of keeping track of my purchases seems to work. I bring home the receipt and post here. So, it no longer matters that I cannot keep track of the receipt.

The eggs were bought about 1 pm on Saturday, yesterday, I just realized they have been in the blazing hot car all afternoon, overnight, and now 9:00 am. They will go straight in the trash as I will not eat eggs our in the heat for that long...sigh. So, add another dozen eggs at $1.28.

Have you left food in the car to spoil, rendering it inedible?

BP, lbs., MD, ac, etc.

When I went to the cardiologist on Thursday, the nurse was shocked at my bp--94/52. I was not. It has been lower in the past. The doctor mentioned it, too.

When I weighed at the doctor's, I was shocked that I apparently lost 7 lbs. in the last few weeks. I suppose that eating only two slices of bread each day has something to do with the loss. Today, I have only had one piece. Maybe I will not eat the second piece.

In order to see if his scales were same as ones I usually weigh on, I went to my doctor on Friday just to weigh, and I have lost 9 lbs.! Since I lost the last two pounds in one day, I will probably not lose anything for a day or so.

The doctor's diagnosis was atrial tachycardia. Apparently, it is not too serious as he wants to see me in a year.

I sold the old ac for $10. It will cool a smaller room adequately when the filter is cleaned. When the guy came with three others to pump water from the basement, I told them they could buy the ac for $10. The reason I mentioned it is someone had to move because it was in the way of the entrance to the basement. And, it was for sale.

Friday, I found a penny. In the last two weeks, I have found a dime, and 3 pennies, one each at three separate times. So, that is 14 cents altogether.

Full Moon Effect

Several months ago, as we were in the car, I noticed a huge puffy place on exbf's face. It was about 3/4 inch long and 1/4 inch wide. It was below the eye, to the side, right where under eye skin and face skin meet and on the bone.

As we were going somewhere Tuesday, June 26th, I noticed the swollen place and wondered aloud if it was full moon time. As it turned out, the full moon was the next day, June 27th.

When he was almost two-years-old, he was riding on his cousin's back, playing horsey. His cousin was bucking rambunctiously and bucked him off. He has no recollection of this but grew up with the story.

It seems the full moon causes the scar to rise and become puffy. Now, I am watching my only scar to see if it changes. Well, I have three small scars from hysterectomy, but I am not wrestling myself to find those and see them.

My only other scar is a thin, very narrow line. His is more of an area on the skin. Mine was stitched up by a doctor. His scar had a butterfly bandage. I wonder if the two methods of closing the wounds is why they look different.

He will be here Tuesday, so I will check the scar then to see if it is less puffy. Okay, I did check his scar. It is flat and would not be visible if I did not know it was there.

So, the effect of the full moon on his scar is quite dramatic. Do you have a scar that is more visible when the moon is full, becoming sort of puffy instead of flat? Have you ever noticed this full moon effect on anyone?

Raccoon! S'mores, A First for Me!

I caught a raccoon on Tuesday night. Animal Control is coming to take it away. It was a baby. Next, I will catch the mama. In one day last week, I saw 2 raccoons, 3 bunnies, one huge red ground squirrel, a ground hog and a possum,  Of course, I always see and hear hundreds of birds and squirrels. Okay, it is gone, now.

I made s'mores for breakfast. I cut a marshmallow in half, put it on half a sheet of graham crackers, put it in the oven on broil until the marshmallow started to brown. Then, I turned it over on half a Hershey bar on top of half a sheet of graham crackers.

It was pure heaven. I used regular-size marshmallows and it was too sweet. It melted all over my hand. Next time, I will use half a marshmallow. I could not have handled a giant marshmallow or the big square ones. I won't ever eat two. I will not ever eat it on an empty stomach.

I think I could have used chocolate chips that I have instead of investing in a candy bar.

Do you have a yard full of wild animals? Is there a common treat you have never had?

Tuesday Country Adventure

Tuesday, Exbf drove me to bank and then to WM. I had to go to Dollar Tree to get a comb or pick because the 8 or 10 I have disappeared. Of course, when I went back into the house, my best pick was where I had obviously walked over it.  I had left the house with wet, uncombed hair! Now, for $1 I have 12 more combs/picks.

Today was free lunch day at a church.  We had: hamburger on bun, pickles, lettuce, tomato, onion and baked beans. I gave my beans to exbf. I had no condiments, just lettuce and tomatoes. We both had unsweetened ice tea. When I went to get condiments, I did not get either of us the baggies of cookies for dessert.

We both got a to-go plate. I gave him my lettuce and tomatoes with his go plate because I have both here, plus he got my baked beans, and two tiny bags of chips, mine and his. I asked the lady to take the cookies out of the bag with to-go plates because I would eat them if I took them home. She agreed.

We took a ride in the country looking for a museum. There are many Civil War battle sites in this county. We did not want to go today, we just wanted to locate it for another day. We drove forever but finally found it and talked to the owner.

As we drove I took pictures as I plan to publish a book that includes pictures. It is picture-rich and has a theme. Well, if a publisher wants it or whatever.  Maybe self-publish?

While the country was green and peaceful, it also terrified me with its potential. There are wind-y roads, only numbers instead of road names. It would be very dark and isolated out there, especially at night. I have been known to stop and cry if I got lost in the country.

I have said it before--I hate country directions: go past three big stands of trees, or there are two big curves and a little curve. I get nervous when I hear things like that.

This afternoon, I sautéed a box of sliced mushrooms in real butter. He did not want any, so I emptied them all for me. Then, I sautéed zucchini, yellow squash, and bell pepper. I was too tired to slice the onions and was out of garlic. The pot was sort of too full, so I put a bit of water (1/4 c. ?)  to steam and soften. Then, I added olive oil. When there was no more water, there were two cups for him and a little more than a half cup for me.

He took home bagels, bread, and raisins from the food bank, huge tomato, 2 peaches, half box of nasty graham crackers, He only wanted one tomato and two peaches. I was willing to give him more. He got a burger and two small packs of chips, and both our baked beans, along with his hamburger. There were two cups of the sautéed vegetables.  forgot to give him a chicken breast.

He gave me the dental floss and a toothbrush cover from his dental visit on Friday--a small economy.

About 4 pm, he started home to miss rain headed this way. He headed south and the rain was coming from the north. He can eat at home today.

It was cloudy all day, so less heat and less humid, still not comfortable.

Does driving in the country make you uneasy? Do you enjoy visiting Civil War battlegrounds?

"I don't mean to be rude, but..."

Then, reader, you went on to be rude! I am tired of it, so I will be moderating  all comments.

Don't explain to me that if I had ever had good chocolate, I would know how awful that Hershey's chocolate is. I have had "good" chocolate! I like it. I love Hershey's. I grew up on it. It is easily found in this small town. If that makes me low class in your book, keep it to yourself.

And, you put down my love of Kraft cheese. So, it is rubbery. I like it. I like other cheeses, too.  So, it is rubbery.

It is your demeaning attitude that irks me. If you just disagreed with me, I could handle that!

You probably don't like a lot of foods that I love. I no longer care about you or what you like or dislike because of your high-falutin attitude! By the way, "highfalutin" means "pretentious."

You had to connect yourself to Queen Elizabeth, Givenchy, and implied that somehow made you...what?

Oh, and worst of all, you brought up race as though that is why I dislike Meghan Markle so much. How dare you??? You do not know enough about me, or you would not accuse me of being a racist! You wanted to stir up trouble and make others doubt me.

I could go on, showing how you try to elevate yourself at the expense of others. What does that do for you? How insecure are you? What is there in your life that you are trying to hide or cover up?

As far as I am concerned, you can never come back. You think that being Canadian is better than being from the American South? Think again. Fortunately, I do not judge all Canadians by you.

I despise moderating comments!!! So, you have gotten on my last nerve. And, I pity you. You seem to have little and want to be more than you are. So, you run down others by looking down your nose at them. Do you feel elevated yet?

And, you hide behind the anonymity of no email address to contact you. Your name probably isn't even the one you post under.

Groceries, July 8--14, 2018

Nothing was on sale or marked down.

graham crackers $3
marshmallows
2 Hershey bars
1 Oui
cole slaw mix
2 bananas
strawberries
graham crackers $3
2 half gallons a2milk@$4.49 each
4 bananas
2 kiwi --$.48 each
1 zucchini about $.50

I spent about $25. Too much was spent on smore ingredients.

I bought graham crackers I hated and then bought the originals. Exbf gets the ones I don't like. Someone ate the Hershey bars. I cannot be trusted!!

I specifically bought strawberries to catch two raccoons. Don't believe the people who suggest using tuna or sardines. If cats are around, you will catch cats if you use canned fish. Besides, dump out the fish for yourself and just use the can if you insist on using fish. Honestly, folks, do you think the raccoon or cat looks in and realizes the can is empty and decides to skip the fishy can?

If you put in the live trap one slice of strawberry, even the top of the strawberry with a bit of red, no cat will be tempted. However, raccoons are crazy for strawberries.

Of course, the majority of these strawberries are mine.

I meant to go to the Farmer's market on Saturday, but did not make it. I wanted more zucchini. It looked nasty in the store, so, I wll go Tuesday.

There is a receipt here somewhere that shows I was charged for two avocado @ $.88 instead of two kiwi@ $.40 each.  I certainly want to rectify that mistake. (I did.)

Busy Saturday

Saturday, I had a 12-hour day that left me exhausted. Plus, I had to endure the oppressive heat and humidity. When I went in to shop, I had to stay in Publix and Walmart until my hair dried. I just thought I would die if I did not cool off a bit. My hair in this weather just hangs in strings where sweat drips off, bangs too. I am a mess!

First, I went to Belk where I retroactively used a $10-off coupon on a $26 purchase I made last week. I think the woman loaded Ibotta on my phone while she loaded the coupon, not sure. I half-heartedly shopped for shoes, seriously shopped for a purse. I found one I liked and carried in the buggy for a bit. Well, it was 50% off, so I thought I might get it until I found out the original price was $99. It was not even a purse, just a wallet! I put it back immediately.

As I went home, I passed Auto Zone. Often there are carwashes at AZ. So, today I pulled in and got the car washed. I have put more pressure on a baby while washing it or applying lotion than one girl  did on the car. Her section had to be redone. They were sweet girls but not car washers. A mother there looked like she was going to pass out from the heat. The car looks so much better but lacking still. I gave them $5.

(The front seat was full of stuff--newspaper, empty water bottles, receipts, paper for trash, mail to bring in, mail to toss, just stuff.  After the car was washed and I had left, I swung back by.  I asked the girls at the carwash would someone stack it up and put it in a plastic bag for $2. One did. The mother came over and said, "All that?" as she gestured to back seat. I assured her it was just what was on the front passenger seat, nothing in front floor or back seat. They did not have a car to wash.)

I was going to sit in the car out of the heat and run the ac during the car wash. Yes, I was desperate. The ac quit working for some reason. I sat on their cooler. While I was sitting there about 1:15, a man was talking to them. I asked what he was selling. It turned out he was giving away hamburgers that did not sell at some church. Actually, they were sack lunches.

"May I have one. I have not had lunch. May I have two. I did not eat breakfast, either."  He brought me two sack lunches: hamburger on bun, wrapped in foil; cheese in the store wrapper; catsup packet; mustard packet; chips; two cookies in baggie. Multiple that by 2 since I have 2 lunches. I had just opened a Coke, so I was all set. I was busy and lazy and had decided to get a $1 burger When I left, I devoured one free hamburger plain.  So, another free lunch.

The cheese is in the refrigerator along with the condiments. Exbf will love the small chips. Nothing goes to waste here.

A food bank in the country was happening today, so I set out with my two lunches and ate the other hamburger on the way. I just knew the hamburgers would cause me to have problems and I would have to get back to my bathroom. No, I was lucky.

When I got there, I bought a piece of Mounds cake and did not have time to eat it! It was 50 cents, so I will not have lost much if I decide to toss it. It was just too sweet. You rarely hear me say that!

The large, whole hen is thawing in the refrigerator and the two ham slices are in the freezer. I gave away the donuts, dried beans, and a huge can of pork to a woman at a gas station who will take things.

Bread and bagels go with exbf since both are whole wheat. There is no choosing at this place. At one time, there were many people working and I could explain allergy and get different bread. Now, I just take what they give, especially when they were dying from the heat and so was I.

There are about 30 cans in the car that I need to bring in for me, leave in trunk for exbf, and give the rest to woman at gas station. She has boys, big ones, who bring lots of friends home, so they can eat lots.

Tonight, I returned a skirt to WM, and got an adjustment on another receipt. I bought two kiwis at $.48 cents each, but the receipt said it was two avocadoes at $.88 cents each. So, I got about $20 back tonight.

Sunday, the hen will go into the crockpot.  I am writing this on Saturday night.  I am quite sure I will suffer on Sunday from eating beef! I did!

My ac does not work right. There is a new compressor and Freon. However, it just quits blowing. It is so frustrating to have to push the button for ac and the one that causes the inside air to be used, all this while driving.

Exbf said it was like pushing through the air Saturday with all the humidity.  He was out, too.

Are you suffering in the humidity? Tewshooz, I know you are.

Graham Crackers and Peanut Butter and Son--so boring except for Son

The Graham crackers were bought for smores, but of course, I got into them. Dipping them in milk or  breaking them in pieces and dropping into milk is a great treat. However, I enjoyed them so much, I had reflux and pain for hours.

It turns out, these were not the ones I loved. So. I went out and bought the right ones. Now, I am happy and exbf gets the others.

Yesterday, as I ate graham crackers and milk, I noticed the peanut butter nearby. So, I slathered on peanut butter on graham crackers, way too much. As a teen I put on the thinnest bit of pb and topped it with another cracker. As I ate the ones with pb slathered on, it was like eating a whole spoon of pb with crumbs. I won't do that again. Today, I put the slightest bit of pb on the graham crackers and loved them.

As a teen I would eat pb on graham crackers or saltines, just a light spread. However, I cannot eat like I did as a teen because I ate much more than I do now.

When my son was in his first kindergarten, they fed them off brand graham crackers EVERY day, so he would not touch good ones for love nor money. He went to a second kindergarten the second half of the year, so that is how he went to two kindergartens. I wonder if he will eat a graham cracker now. I need to ask.

I still have not made smores. I have to go get more Hershey bars. No, I don't know who ate the first two.

Here is the history of graham crackers.

Do you like graham crackers? With pb? How?

Dental Stuff and Bread

Today, I had my teeth cleaned for $4 with dental insurance. I should have had the x-rays that are due and are $1. But, I have an appt for those this month.

The hygienist gave me mint floss--yuck, a Gum toothbrush, toothpaste that has a whitener in it. I won't use that. I will give away floss and toothpaste, maybe at the Free Food Pantry. I think it has been almost a year since I had my teeth cleaned because I was so ill in the winter and early spring. Still, she said my teeth had very little plaque. Great!

Since I am brushing my teeth away, the dentist told me to use a Gum toothbrush, Soft. It still feels hard to me. He had to put filling on one of my teeth, saying I can brush it hard because I cannot ruind the filling like I am doing to my tooth.  I had nothing to numb the tooth. He just put the filling on and smoothed it out. It did hurt just a bit when he drilled but not enough to get a shot. I hate those.

Now, my teeth are all shiny and feel smooth to my tongue. It is such a great feeling, a feeling of well-being. Their little fur coats are gone.

The dentist and I talked a bit about fluoride. I had a cavity that he was going to watch. It was a thin black line on the surface of a molar. Today, he said fluoride had caused the tooth to re-mineralize and seal the place that was once trying to make a cavity.  I thought in previous conversations that teeth cannot heal like that.

He is worried what taking fluoride out of water is doing to one county. It seems he sees few children with cavities now because of fluoride. Everyone is worrying about the children in this other county. It is a poor county so dental care will not be forthcoming.

Since my dentist office is near the Bread Store, I stopped to buy bread, $.89 for a loaf of bread with a best buy date of July 18.

From now until July 31, the bread store will give a loaf of bread for a school supply brought to the store. I called exbf and told him not to buy bread, that when he is here, we can get him a loaf of bread for one of the school supplies I have bought in years past. Good deal since I can get at least two more loaves this month and so can he. I have packages of notebook paper that I paid a dime to buy.

Since I have a library fine, I am hoping I can bring food or school supplies to wipe it out. That will be cheaper than the fine.

Until school starts, I will keep school supplies in the car since lots of places accept school supplies or canned goods for services.

Your turn
Do you love to get your teeth cleaned? Don't worry about flossing, just floss the ones you want to keep.  Are there any places in your town that collect school supplies or canned goods for services you receive?

Tuesday Exhaustion--Free meals Twice

It was all fun! This was the church with real plates and utensils. Red, white and blue decorated the tables. They used flag napkins, opened, as a base for the other decorations. It was all very festive.

Free Tuesday lunch and late patriotic program. We were told to wear our patriotic clothes. Exbf wore a red 4th of July t-shirt and a flag blue hat with sequins and lights with four modes. I wore white t-shirt and flag vest-like top. It is a rectangle, blue field and stars  on top half and red and white stripes on the bottom of the vest, red bracelet and nail polish. I could not find the nail paint to make fireworks. I am glad I only spent $1 on it. The vest was NOT a flag! He highly disapproved of my vest, saying I was wearing a flag. Oh poo!

Lunch:
pork on a bun
small container of BBQ sauce
potato salad
baked beans
slaw
homemade ice cream

As soon as his food was on the table, he passed off his potato salad bowl to me. He absolutely hates cold potatoes and peels on even hot potatoes. I scraped my baked beans onto his place. They serve the slaw and potato salad in little bowls. I suppose they dish those up and keep in the refrigerator until lunch.


I had more meat instead of ice cream. However, I ate about 1/4 cup of peach ice cream, maybe less.

He threw a very visible hissy fit. Something was wrong with his ice cream, so he just slammed the cup onto the table behind his plate with ice cream flying out the top and all over everything. He is very lucky it did not get on me. Then, he whined about his ice cream melting. If he had not complained so long about everything else wrong with his ice cream, it would not have a Tbsp of melted ice cream on top. So, he made a big deal of pouring off ice cream while he made a mean face at me. Total embarrassment.

Then, we went to bank so I could get money to take to a business and paid them. This is the place that took over 3 weeks to deposit a check. Then, when they straightened out their banking, I gave them a check that they deposited and it was sent to my bank. However, somehow it was lost for over two weeks. Neither bank could find it. So, I pay cash. The trouble is worth the peace of mind. Along the way we looked over all the businesses still repairing hail damage.

We went to the lake and drove around. A family was feeding the ducks and every duck on the lake converged. A little boy about two was running about amongst the ducks. The drake was nipping a boy about ten. But, this little two-year-old was never touched. The ducks came right to his face, and they never touched him. If my face were that low, a drake would have plucked my eyes out!

At home I PEELED about two pounds of potatoes for the crock pot that had cooked chicken yesterday. Those went into a plastic bag for him to take home. I made slaw in a gallon bag. I just dumped everything in the bag, stirred it twice with a fork, and then sealed the bag and massaged it to perfection. I didn't have to wash a bowl. He does not have to wash a bowl. WIN!

If I ever need to take slaw anywhere, I will make it in a bag. it would be easier to keep cold and would only need a bowl at the destination. Most places, I would take my own bowl.

THEN, we dressed like a cow and went to Chick-fil-A for free food. It is so much fun. Whole families come to this.  I have very good pictures if I can figure out how to get them out of phone and onto blog.

He took home a huge chicken breast, cherries, potatoes, slaw. If he eats  1/4 chicken breast each meal, he will have potatoes and slaw for those four days and more potatoes and slaw for other meals. Who knows what he eats when he gets it home...lol. There are enough cherries for four days, also.

I hope these two occasions never happen on the same day again. Too much fun is exhausting.

Your turn
Have you been attacked by ducks/geese wanting food NOW? Does a little melted ice cream cause you not to eat your ice cream at all or to complain loudly? Did anyone get a free Chic-fil-A? What is your opinion of "wearing a flag"?

Protect your key fob with aluminum foil!

I am too exhausted to compose or think. I find things like the article below and make them into a post when I am pooped or out of pocket. Today is that day.

This ARTICLE points out how a thief can access entry into your car by hacking into your key fob. While I don't have a key fob, I will keep this in mind.  Just think, a thief can get within ten feet of your keys, even if they are inside and hack your key fob. Scary!

Groceries--July 1--7, 2018

*sale items

*2 8-oz.Publix Parmesan Grated cheese (like Kraft) BOGO $4/2
*7 pkgs.Oscar Mayer bun length hot dogs, $.99
*9  Kraft Medium Cheddar Cheese Chunk, 8 oz., $2
*2 Kraft grated cheese, 8 oz., $2
1 can sardines, $.99
*Chicken Niblets ~$10
*celery sleeve $1.29
*cole slaw $.99
*Cool Whip $.99
*hot dog buns $.99
one huge tomato for BLTs
*qt. strawberries, $1.49
chips
4 bananas
*cherries, $2.98/lb
cottage cheese
4 bananas
boneless, skinless chicken breasts, ~$10

*sale items

I spent about $65. However, much of the amount spent is for stock-up items. I plan for the chunk cheese to last about two months, even longer for the hot dogs.

Hopefully, the Publix grated Parmesan will be tolerable if not good. The last time I bought a store brand of grated Parmesan cheese in a shaker was about 25 years ago. I could not abide it, so I went back to Kraft.

Two stores had OM hotdogs on sale for $.99. One of those stores had four different varieties, so I chose the bun length. Why not?

I regret the niblets...almost. The sardines were calling to me! I have not found my favorite brand in years--Possum.

The celery was cheaper than WM. I bought potatoes this past week and looked in a bag in the kitchen and have about 3 lbs. This is as good a time as any to make potato salad.

I shopped in four stores. Three had electric carts. Exbf drove me to carts at Aldi and picked me up there, so I did not have to trek to the car with a cart and then back to carts and then to car. These things really help me to conserve my ability to walk without so much pain..

A Neater Way to Shred + DQ Coma

When I have mail with my name all over it, I do not want it in the trash. A plastic bag served to put things with my social security number and address in. Sometimes, I can just cut or rip off the address, not often.

The plastic bag was unwieldy, often spilling because it was slippery. Then, I switched to a paper grocery bag. That was large. I was not happy with the situation. Friday, I found a neater way.

As I was going through recent junk mail and things from the pharmacy, I decided to use a pharmacy bag for storing paper that needed to be shredded. It is about a foot long and five inches wide, meant to hold meds from the WM pharmacy when I pick it up.

Envelopes fit neatly inside. There is a gusset that will allow expansion. I can also drop the bits of envelop with my name when the rest of the envelope goes in the regular trash. I did compost but now I don't. I should!

I know this is one tiny "thing," but in these few days, it has simplified my life. I can keep the pharmacy bag close which allows me to use it often. With the plastic bag and paper grocery bag, they had to be out of reach. The passenger seat in the car has envelopes I take from the mailbox and leave there. This way, I can keep another pharmacy bag in the front seat, and place sensitive information envelopes into in immediately after getting the mail. Most days, if I go out in the car, I stop and get the mail on the way out. I rarely carry junk mail into the house.

Since the last free shredding event, I have been working on having all the things that need to be shredded ready instead of having to search at the last minute for all the envelopes I had not put in the trash. Plus, I will no longer have my address on tiny scraps that slip to the floor.

I decided against a shredder. They seem to burn out too quickly. For the same price, I purchase on sale at Lowe's a fire pit. I really don't want to deal with fire because I fear fire since my house burned when I was four-years-old. I wanted exbf to burn things. He did not. I don't know why. But, I do not now trust his ability to deal with stray fire. He might fall into the pit with his limited mobility.

We cannot have a burn barrel or open fire in the city.

I predict less mess, less stress with this new method. Do you have a shredder or another means of dealing with sensitive information?

Sunday afternoon, I decided a small chocolate cup of ice cream from Dairy Queen was just what I needed. So, I went the mile there, paid my money and waited at the window to get my order. The woman leaned out smiling with something that was not chocolate ice cream. She asked me if I wanted a banana split, too. Wary, I said, "Yes, but why?" It seems the car before me had asked for no whipped cream and they had to remake the order.  I didn't want the whipped cream, either, so I dipped it off.

I sat in a parking space at a park on the way home and ate the banana split. At home, I got the melty stuff off the cup of chocolate ice cream and put it in the freezer for tomorrow.

Since I had not had my two slices of bread today, I decided I would skip them. The rest of the evening will be devoted to vegetables, mainly leafy green vegetables. As it is, I feel like I am slipping into an ice cream coma.  

Another small economy that is large

The yard was mowed today. When I pulled out money to pay the guy, he commented that his yard had not been mowed in a month and could he....I put the money away. So, he mowed my yard in exchange for using my mower on his grass. Works for me. He is an adult and promised to push it back today. I had him fill the gas tank here since I buy 100% gasoline for the sake of the motor.

I hope we can keep up this arrangement. This kind of arrangement was what I hoped for when I got the mower. Since I would have to hold a gun to anyone's head to get a person to rake, even for money, this mower with a bagger causes a lot less drama for me.

Do you or have you had this kind of arrangement with your mowing or another chore? Do you ever trade chores instead of paying money?

Baring it All

The garbage should have been picked up on Thursday, but the city workers had the 4th off and had to get their Wednesday garbage first. The garbage was still there Thursday night. No problem. Friday morning, I thought I would add to it by taking two boxes out about 6:30 am.

I walk down the driveway and about 20 feet along the street to get to the garbage. I used to cross the yard, but too many times I have stepped in dog poop or a slug. So, I go the street route.

When I reached out and slightly bent to put the boxes where I wanted them, I felt my gown tighten across my behind, but not in the usual way. As I got back in the yard, I felt my behind. My gown was hitched up and stuck, cotton nightgown to cotton panties!!! I had been sitting on the bed, and I supposed the wrinkles were set in the knit gown and just stayed there as I stood and even as I walked.

=====>Note to self. Check and see if you are decent before walking around in the yard or road! ugh

 My thighs are not the sight they were once upon a time. They are a different kind of sight. When I put my hand on my backside, I felt panties not nightgown.

I'm wondering how many people I blinded! It was early, so maybe not too many people passed by or were looking out the window.

The mower guy texted me and told me he wanted to mow on Saturday instead of Friday. Okay. But, I am not getting up two days in a row. He can call me and I will get up then, and only then.

I have set up everything to remake the earrings in the morning. I need lots of light for this little project.

Is there a new allergy season? All I have done today is sneeze huge sneezes. The doorways are filled with drying clothes. It has been so humid all day, I doubt they would dry outside. The ac is drying things really fast since the ac removes humidity from the house.

What is your most embarrassing wardrobe malfunction?

Small Economy--Two, No, Three

I love earrings. I especially love unique earrings. In the past most of my earrings were one-of a kind, ordered from the artist. Now? Not so much, not in the last 20 years. At any rate, I must order clip-on earrings or convert the ones I buy.

When I can, I browse earrings in every store. Lately I have not shopped for earrings at all. Rarely do I ever find anything I will wear. Sometimes, the earring cannot be converted. Often, the price is too steep. The sale rack is my favorite place in any store or department in the store. Walmart is not the best source of earrings for me.

Often, I would find earrings with an element I liked, but the whole earring I disliked. I would take the earring apart and make it to suit my taste. That was the case this time.

Last week, I hit the jackpot. at Walmart.  I found a $2 pair of sale earrings that I could convert to clip-ons after I remade the earrings. When I get the part of the earring off the original that I want to use, I will have enough to make another two pair with two other elements left over.

Since I put nail polish on my nails, I have to use polish remover and a cotton ball to remove it. As I pulled the cotton from a bottle of medicine, it occurred to me this was a free cotton ball. I cannot entirely eliminate the need to buy cotton balls, but the little bit of cotton in meds is a small economy.

Of course, I could quit wearing earrings or polishing my nails as an extreme economy. But, I probably won't.

Today, I found that flag paper plates, really sturdy one, were reduced. There were 10 plates for $1.47 marked down to $.25. That is 2.5 cents/plate or $2.50/100. In the regular aisle for paper goods, paper plates were $4.97/100 or 4.97 cents/plate. I think I bought about 250 plates with a flag on them. Half the plate was red and white stripes, and the other half was blue with stars. Additionally, these plates were much more sturdy than the ones I buy. Of course, they may get soft with food on them.

There were three packages left of 12 saucers, also marked to $0.25. I also bought two packages of the flag napkins. Surprisingly, they were much cheaper than the same quality napkins. Since I use cloth napkins, I suppose buying napkins is a bit of a splurge.

Your turn
Do you love earrings? Ever wear them at all? Do you wear clip-ons? Convert your own earrings? Remake earrings?

Do you reuse the cotton meds in place of bought cotton balls?

Do you ever buy marked down seasonal paper goods when they are cheaper than the regular paper plates?

4th of July and Chickens

For the Fourth, I had hot dogs, slaw, and chips.
Breakfast was banana and milk.
Snacks were boiled egg and cherries.

The BLT for dinner will be more of a salad since I will leave off the bread. If I ate two buns for lunch and two slices of bread for dinner, I would overshoot my self-imposed two slices of bread per day.

There was a box of sliced white mushrooms that I sautéed and put in a jar. In the same pan I sautéed onions and put in another jar. I love Ball jars. I think I may add the mushrooms and onions to a jar of spaghetti tomorrow.

It was a hot, humid day. My yard was supposed to be mowed. sigh

I count myself so lucky to have another day I feel well. For a while, I felt like I was slowly dying.

I am making plans for chickens again. I will not get chicks, but hens laying already. It won't be as much fun. The chickens won't know the ropes around here, so they will get less free range time. If they won't mind, they cannot have freedom once in a while. Besides, I had fun training the chicks.

If I get three hens, I can be assured of getting about 18 eggs each week. I won't eat that many, but you might be surprised how happy people are to get fresh eggs after helping me with something.

The flag at the head of the post will not enlarge or move to center.

Can music cause you to consume unhealthy choices?

It appears grocery stores and restaurant can cause people to buy and consume more calories from less healthy food choices.

Monday, Aldi, Ice Cream on a Stick, Nails, Etc.

After trying to determine which day this week was safest for exbf to drive up here, we decided on Monday. So, he picked me up and we went about doing a few things. He drove up to the lake here in town and we just looked about from the car. Even if we both walked just fine, it is hot and there are mosquitoes. I had him drive around a new building and explain things to me.

I walked into Aldi's to get chicken at a cheap price. But, there was none. The only thing I got was a huge tomato just in case my tomatoes had gone south. This trip, I managed to work the cart, getting it loose with my quarter and retrieving the quarter easily. Too many people had "helped" me the other times.

Remembering I needed shredded cheese, I went to a store where I shopped yesterday and got more hot dogs and cheese. At Walmart I tried to return my Flonase as it was recalled. Okay, just not this brand. I turned in prescriptions that needed a refill.

You will be proud of me. Although it almost killed me, I went into Dollar Tree. I wanted a pen to put fireworks on my nails. Well, the places I looked before today had nothing for nails that was under $7. I found a little $1 polish with a pointed brush for painting on nails. I don't think I am capable of drawing on my nails. Since I don't need fireworks on my nails until the 10th, I have time to practice.

Thinking I could at least draw straight lines, I was going for something simple like a burst of fireworks. It's hard to do and I make the lines too thick. I have never drawn on my nails before.

We had ice cream on a stick for $1 from the Dollar Tree. They are usually $2 in a service station, OR you have to buy a whole box at the grocery. I refuse to pay $2 or buy a whole box. For $2, someone has to drive a cute musical truck to my street.  I was hurting too badly to go around the store and look at more.

We had BLT for lunch. He loved the pre-cooked bacon and said at Sam's Club, boxes about 2' x 8" of cooked bacon were available.

Dinner was steak marinated in the Mesquite marinade along with potatoes cooked with it in a turkey bag. Carrots were cooked in the crock pot. I forgot to make slaw.  I had one bite of the steak and one-half of a potato.

I bought the 5 lb. bag of carrots a month ago and I STILL have carrots. Tonight, I will put the rest in the still warm crock pot and freeze some for him. Plus, I still have a 2 lb. bag I just got.

He took home: 4 pint freezer bags with steak and potatoes, huge bag of half-cooked carrots, orange, strawberries, rest of huge tomato, box of assorted Quaker assorted hot oat cereals, 4 huge pretzel rolls. There was not much steak in each bag, but I had asked him whether he would rather have lots 2 or just enough in 4 bags and showed him what I was giving him. He said he can open a can of peas and have plenty to eat.

After the next carrots are done, I have lots of chicken to put in the crockpot.

Since I actually had a good night's sleep last night, I don't feel so exhausted. For once, I actually turned off the light and could sleep.  Thankfully, I feel much better than I did several days last week.

Today has been a rainy day in Alabama, just not everywhere. It rained here for fifteen minutes. No complaints!

Do you still like ice cream on a stick? I love a chocolate eclair, fudgesicle, and banana Popsicle. What ice cream on a stick do you like?

A Rough Day

As I perused the ads, I realized there were great deals out there, things I definitely use and need at these low prices. So, I set out at 7:30 to find deals.

Well, I did know when the stores opened and researched the rest. I forgot to factor in Sunday. I knew it was Sunday!

So, at 7:35. I am sitting in front of a store that does not open until 10 am! I went to the next not to be discouraged.  On to the next that opened at 9 am/ Okay, one more AND it opened at 11am. grrr

Off to WM to get cool and buy a paper and look at coupons.

Then, I again started my rounds of stores. I was shocked at what I bought for so little money. It is all in a list to publish after the week is over.

By noon I was ready for a nap.

It was so hot today and all I bought needed to go into the refrigerator. Sooo. I came home four times The refrigerator sorely needed cleaning out and rearranging. That did not happen, so everything I stuffed into the already crowded refrigerator. ugh!

It is late, and I still have things to do.

Does the heat affect how you shop and how many times you come home to unload the car?  I know I could use a cooler, but then I would have to buy ice.