Refunds

 The biggie of the day was getting $49 back on online orders. Now, I only have one more to fix. 

I was awake all night--26 hours and then could only sleep for four hours. I had a bit of tuna salad on sandwich while waiting for dinner to cook--chicken, mixed greens. I will have an apple in a bit. 

When I awoke, my heart was doing something weird for about five hours. Neither the oximeter or blood pressure cuff gave me clues. Finally, things in my chest settled down. 

Just now, I found out the eggs have been boiling for over two hours because "you did not tell me to take them off." sigh He is so good at this cooking, but sometimes....

I also tried Thredup for clothing, and no luck. Well, maybe what I want is there, but the way things were listed, it was hard to find things. Besides, there seemed to be a million things even though I had narrowed my search. 

Tommy and I were enthralled by a PBS special about wild horses. There was a book I thought Tommy would like for $84. After checking Amazon, I found it could be purchased new for $23. I am amazed. It was not here a week later. Finally, I decided maybe I did not order it, just thought I did. No, it was ordered and won't be here until the middle of October. Have you ever purchased anything from Amazon and had to wait so long? 

Cleaner is coming again tomorrow. 

When I decided people were in offices, I started making phone calls. In fifteen minutes, I had completed my business at 5 places, all on the phone. Then, I tried once again to sleep. Of course, as I said, no luck in sleeping department. 

After the doctor tweaking Tommy's medicine, his Dexcom G7 rarely alerts us to high or low blood sugar. Maybe I said that before. 

Sitting here, I saw something flit right by my head. I was a little horrified and tried to find what it was, thinking it might be close by still. Silly me, a floater scared me! I had not seen one in ages. 

Do you have floaters? Has one ever frightened you? 

Have you had any Amazon order take a month? 

Do you see books sold on PBS that are sold more cheaply online? 

It's midnight, and I am fading. Maybe I can sleep.

What's on the Porch? Places to Read

 Tommy received a box of the monitors to stick on his arm with one of the receivers.  Cost for three months' supply? --$53.  A three-month supply gotten one at a time would cost $1350.00. The cost for three months will be something like $53, much better price than $450.00 for one month he has already paid.  

Not going to the rodeo is still disappointing. We would have missed mower if we had gone. He was coming in the afternoon until he checked the heat forecast for this afternoon. It is dangerous out there with heat index over 100F. 

My friend who has suffered some debilitating injuries from falling has a son who is very ingenious and helpful to her. Her son Macgyvered a way for her to get to bathroom without falling. He attached a rope about 2" thick to one side of her bed and pulled it taut and attached it beside her commode. She said she has no trouble staying on her feet. Maybe he should patent these. Yes, she said the rope looked like something to be used on a ship. 

Decluttering has begun again. It is just never-ending, especially when I never finish and have to sort of start all over. 

It is 7:30 and 87F. Yuck. I went outdoors, and the heat was oppressive.

I have a stack of books that is growing. I will not move it. When I get new glasses, I can read. I have the prescription, just need to fill it. But, the book pile grows! At my house, I had three places to read a book in progress each place.  

Do you have a make-do way of staying on your feet or safe from any hazard? 

How many places do you read? Is there a book at each place? Do you read more than one book at a time? 

Is the heat dangerous where you live?

Books, Shredding, Paper

The one thing I enjoy better than a book is a free book. I found a cache of them, all meant for consumption by seniors. They are donated to the senior centers/locations around town. From the few titles I was able to see, I really doubt there will be anything to interest me. I cannot think of any of the titles right now. When I go back to look, I will list a few titles/authors. I did notice there are multiple copies of some titles. The books can be returned or kept. They had a sign on the door saying they would accept no more book donations.

I went to the library and checked out two books and finished one on Friday night. I read 275 pages today. The Sound of Gravel by Ruth Wariner is a true story, memoir, of living in a polygamous community in Mexico. The book starts when Ruthie is five-years-old and ends when she is thirty-seven-years old. I will tell you no more. I highly recommend this book.

That makes two books I have read in 3.5 days. I am really enjoying being able to read without eyestrain.

Earlier tonight, exbf said maybe reading more would help me to go to sleep. I am the last person to ever get drowsy with a book, even a boring book. I have been known to read all night. As the night wears on and I read a book, I become more alert.

Tomorrow will be exciting. The Chamber or someone is sponsoring a Free Shred day. I have about a brown paper trash bag of items to be shredded. This last week should have been a push to sort older items to shred most of them. But, this antibiotic makes me feel ill.

Since I did not want to own a shredder, I bought a fire pit, thinking exbf could burn them. Maybe another time we could use wood and make smores. No, he did not want to. He never said so, he just never did it.

Paper is my nemesis. I found a plastic file folder of cancelled checks from 1990. One account was a personal account and the other was my business account. All were labeled. I resisted the urge to look at them for weeks, fearing I would find something I needed to keep. Finally, I opened one envelope and found a check I wanted to keep and a number of a place I ordered material wholesale. The check has been saved and the number written down in a permanent place and the original paper with the number was put into the shred bag. I do not dare open another envelope of cancelled checks because I fear I will keep something else. It is done.

The only thing I bought today was two Roma tomatoes. I think my wants will be less when I can read.

Your turn
Are you also a voracious reader of books? Does reading make you drowsy or more alert? Do you shred or burn? Do Senior Centers near you have donated books to give away? Do you find that paper overwhelms you?

~~How I Lure Men~~

And, it is done, all but the mopping up. I am exhausted, can barely walk, and feel sooo sleeeepy. It has been a good afternoon, long afternoon. He is gone now.

WHAAAT??

NOT that! Silly goose.

I have seven bookcases. I managed to clean out a whole one, and parts of three others, where I can reach the books. Two years ago, I sold about 10 books to a used book store and gave away 790 for a total of 800 books that left my home. I had vowed to get rid of 10 books a day and gave out at 800 books.

The thrift store where I donated books had shelves of my books. I had really strange feelings of loss and violation of my space as I looked at them. I wanted to rescue them. I resisted. One time, I took in stacks of books, donated them, looked at the stack and asked if I could have one back. The woman readily agreed.

Mark likes books. He is only a few classes away from have a BA in English. Sooo, use what charms I have--books. He agreed to remove all the books from one bookcase and I would give him all books I did not want to pack.  There is 10 feet of shelf space plus the top of the bookcase he emptied. Plus, I stack books crosswise, laying them on the upright books. My other ploy to ease overcrowding is to slip some books behind the rows of books. I would say that added another 3 feet, making making 13 feet of books. Then, he carried and emptied a whole milk crate of books onto the table.

He put 12 or fifteen boxes of books in the car. A table full of books is staring at me! He might come back by, so I cannot take a much needed nap, just in case he will carry more books to the car for me. I cannot handle a large box of books, so sometimes there are only 6-8 very small books in a box.

Update: Some boxes had a dozen books because the smaller boxes would not hold larger books! I gave him 15 books. He put 18 boxes in my car.

Gee, I may have to up the ante and cook a meal for him....sheesh.

Your turn
Do you find that people help when there is a reward for them?  I cannot afford to pay for help, so this is as good as it gets in the "help" department.

Books for a Certain Lifestyle: Part II

Alternate titles--

Books for a Parsimonious Lifestyle

Books for Creative Living

Books to Feed the Soul

You know that I love books, right? I love books gotten inexpensively. None of these were full-price, and I assure you that none cost me over a dollar. Some may have been a quarter or free.

Book of Herbs

This book has identification pictures, history, herb garden photos, recipes and more. The cover is brilliantly colored, but tonight, I had little luck with pictures.

Back To Basics

"How to Learn and Enjoy Traditional American Skills"  I don't know how many editions of this book were released. This is the 1981 edition, presumably the first.

The Complete Book of Herbs

A practical guide to growing and using herbs

The title does not lie. There are many pictures for id, recipes, medicinal uses, pictures of dishes made with herbs. potpourri and dying. The color is beautiful.

You might think that with all the books on herbs that I possess that I would be capable of identifying herbs.  I feel clueless except for mint and basil. I read these and enjoy them. The first group of books are the ones I am most familiar with.  I told my friends in Birmingham that herbs put me to sleep each night. When they asked, and  I explained that I went to bed with a book of pretty pictures and lay in bed for a bit before sleep, they laughed. I no longer do that. sigh. I do know a bit, but not as much as others.

On the table beside me were books in a stack. On the bookshelf nearby more of these herb and lifestyle books were shelved. A friend looked at the stack and then at my shelf.

"I am going to have to come back some day and borrow a few of your herb books, so I can learn more."

I laughed. That night all herb books were taken to the mantle in my bedroom. She never mentioned it again. 

Your turn

Have you had the pleasure of enjoying these books? What are some of your favorite herb/plants/lifestyle books?

 

Books for a Certain Lifestyle

Alternate titles--

Books for a Parsimonious Lifestyle

Books for Creative Living

Books to Feed the Soul

I love learning new skills. Learning new skills has little to do with parsimony sometimes. Saving money cannot be the focus of a life. It can sure help to keep hands and minds busy. The end results from using creativity can be bliss. I think, "I made that myself." Some skills I will never actually perform hands-on, but I will make a good "helper" or "supervisor." ...lol.

Just Junk~~just my style!

Since I am very parsimonious, this book about making over old things is not a new concept to me. It is a great inspiration. It is a yard sale book. I know it cost no more than $1,  most likely, less.

YUM

Reading The Christmas Kitchen will make you salivate!  I had been to a Christmas Village Craft Show and had tasted lemon curd. I really wanted a recipe to make it. But no one knew my desires. My friend, Gwyn, owned an antique shop. She gave me this for Christmas that year, AND the recipe for lemon curd was right there! She had found this in an estate sale or at auction in a box or at a yard sale. It cost her practically nothing to delight me! This is one of the best gifts I have ever received, and I don't collect recipe books. Besides this one, I only own two others recipe books. 

I don't know where I acquired Victoria at Table. Yard sale?

Yes, I read the whole book! No, I will not take up this trade!

Rodale's Illustrated Encylopedia of Herbs

has beautiful pictures with which to identify herbs

My favorite herb book, the most trustworthy. Dr. Tyler's information is all the result of research or folklore. References for all information is with each herb discussed. He is selling nothing and does not put himself to the forefront with his superior knowledge, claiming to know what is best for a single individual or groups. If an herb is dangerous, he says so. If the claims from others are or are not substantiated, he notes that also.

When I was in grad school, I used this as a reference book when we studied The Country of the Pointed Firs. The main character grew herbs and women came for this one herb in particular. I looked in The Honest Herbal and discovered she was tending and distributing abortifacients. Even the doctor sent women to her. The professor was stunned because he had been teaching the book for years and had never seen what I saw.

When I hear talk of an herb, I check to see if Dr. Tyler recommends not using the herb. There is a list of references at the end of each herb description that he gives.

I can do needlepoint already, but this must have been a dime or it was free.

I won this one: Housewife Superstar: The Very Best of Marjorie Bligh

Published in 1971

You just know this has some goodies! I have had this book for several years and have not read all of it. It came from a yard sale that the Catholic Church has in conjunction with Oktoberfest.

99 Ways to a Simple Lifestyle has ideas that here, forty-years later, seem revolutionary to some. It has the name or the owner, a nun, and her order.

Revolutionary example: there are ways to substitute electrical devices for non-electrical options. Most of the answers to an electrical device like a electric mixer or electric can opener is just "use a good strong arm."  The solution to not using a vibrator is lots of exercise. 

These are only a few of the books  I own that are instructions on do-it-yourself or simplicity.

Your turn

Do you use any of these books? Do any of these especially intrigue you?