Ghost Chicken

Ghost Chicken

9:30 pm

 

While I was in the yard taking pictures, I wondered where my metal chicken was. It was too cold and the snow was too deep to go look. When I came in and was looking at the pictures on my computer, there was the chicken, metal chicken that holds a plant. I cannot believe that I could not see it. As I cropped, the chicken became larger and more visible. However, it also had less resolution. But, I do like the effect, especially after I decided it was a ghost chicken.

 

Not much pen floor left

2:30 pm

 

Patsy Cline and Thelma were standing in this portion of their pen. They are not chickens that like snow.  The rest of the pen had snow covering the ground. Remember two years ago when I had to carry them into the house and back out into their pen because they refused to leave the porch after spending the night in a cage indoors? Maybe I can find that post for newcomers.

 

They stayed in their pen all day because there was snow on the ground. I just locked the door so nothing would trap them in the pen with nowhere to go. At least on the outside they have a chance of flying into a tree or over the fence.

 

The water container did not freeze all day with one 40 watt bulb in the homemade water heater. 

 

 

icy

 

As I went out this afternoon, I notice there was half an inch of icy water in the wagon. It rained here this morning. I decided this would be where I could scoop snow for snow ice cream.  I figured it would fill with snow, too. Nope, did not as I looked tonight.



 

 

snowflakes

 

As I stood on the side porch, I turned to the right, toward the back yard. This is a beautiful sight in the yard. The low hanging limbs give me some indication of what might be happening to limbs hanging over power lines, limbs laden with snow. 

 

 

 

looking straight ahead as I stand on side porch

 

This is the picture where I cropped out the Ghost Chicken. See it? To the right of the shepherd's hook?  The wagon does not have enough snow to scoop and make snow ice cream. See the table at the left? That has more than 4 inches of snow, plenty for me to eat. 

 

looking straight ahead off the porch and up a bit

 

The flood light to the left illuminated the heavy snow on this hickory tree limb. The less brilliant tree on the right is the tree in the other pictures.

 

It is like a fairy land out doors. There are 5 inches of snow in several places, more than we usually see. It's still snowing.

 

I know you snow people think this is nothing special. But, to me it is. It will be fading fast tomorrow as it will be 45 tomorrow, 54 on Friday, and 62 on Saturday.

 

 

Tomorrow, I will post my snow cream recipe. Well, my laptop is fading fast, so I may be without a laptop tomorrow. It took me 3 or four hours to recover my blog today!

 

Your turn

Do you get so little snow that it excites you still? I know I will be sick of it by Friday.

Abundance of Inserts + raccoons + ceiling down

over 150 newspaper coupon inserts

same stack, different angle

These are two different inserts, so there is no way I could use all the few that I wanted. These stacks were much straighter when I received them. See the strap? That strap was around part of these, just like they came from a printer.

I gave many of these away. People responded mostly positively. One guy said he did not want any. Then, he looked over my shoulder and acted sort of funny. He stammered and said, "Maybe you should ask her." His wife said to him, "NEVER turn down coupons." She took the three inserts and said to me, "I will meet you here next Saturday night."

Somehow, I made a mistake and sent coupons to people who did not say they wanted them. Maybe I did not send to people who wanted them. Sorry for the goof. At least it cost no one but me!

I have faced five stressful days with another raccoon breaking through the ceiling, frightening me, and then I spent a cold, frightening night in the den with no sleep. I dared not go to bed. She fell through the ceiling but caught herself and climbed back up.

Just a little update here: When the raccoon broke through and the ceiling section fell, I screamed a long, very loud, and shrill scream. I was terrified the raccoon would attack me or go to some corner and hide and be here living with me. If anyone had been awake at 1:30 am, I could have been heard. Thankfully, no one called the police.

Than Charlie came to help, was very abusive talking, yelling about how he was fixing it. yelling about my not having what he needed. I figured he would tell me what he needed and I would purchase it. He said he had screws and brought 2 inch sheet rock screws instead of the 3-4 inch screws I said he needed.

THEN, he wandered over to a man working next door and was bumming screws from him. I have told him to quit bothering neighbors of mine. So, that was a big fight. People, I know the people on this street, and I will not be imposing myself on them.  Besides, before you know it, Charlie has crossed all sorts of boundaries with other people.

I offered to sew up his ripped work coat that had stuffing falling out. He threw the coat at me and told me to fix it now and quit watching him. Really, you have to watch him! He did not put the ceiling piece back straight, just screwed it up crooked where more insulation and dust and dirt can sift out. So, I offered but did not say I was going to mend it right now.

He yelled because I dropped the only two needles I had. They slipped out of the package, something that has never happened to me before. It could be all the yelling at me. at that point, I did not get up and go get the other three packages of needles in the other room. The two needles slid down the side of the chair where I will have to move the chair and slid into a lot of coupons. Sooo, it will be an ordeal to get them.

The ceiling is 7 ft here in the den even though the ceiling is 10 ft in the original house. Charlie is about 5' 8" and refused to use a ladder or even a foot stool. So, he could not really reach the ceiling but insisted he could. That made the job harder and made him complain. He could barely push on the drill and left three screws just barely in the ceiling because he said it was really hard wood. So, he yelled lots about how hard it was, too hard for him, and getting a foot closer would be of no use.

At Walmart, I paid $0.53 for a properly colored scrap that I knew I did not have in order to mend his coat and make it look nice. Before he left, he demanded the scrap and we argued about that. He is a man that makes you take stands. Otherwise, he pushes harder next time.

All last week I was fighting a sore throat and sinus problems, but the  stress threw me over into a worse condition. So, it is freezing. I am walking in snow to get to the hens, and feverish with an earache and sore throat.

No, I cannot afford to fix the ceiling properly. No, the raccoon cannot be closed out unless the ceiling comes down. This is a complicated, many times altered old house. I know there is no way to keep them out except at great cost and reconstruction. Not going to happen. Do not suggest getting help from a church. They do not care.

I just heard the weather. Trees to the west in MS are losing limbs to icy rain. And, it is headed this direction! UGH. The weather is 34F and will drop tomorrow afternoon, so we could lose power to falling limbs. I hope not.

Your turn
Have you ever been given sooo many inserts? How is the weather where you are? And, include your vague location. Have you ever had a friend that you felt you had to always push back to keep him or her from running right over you?

 

Getting Lucky

mmmmm

As of now, 3:30 a.m., My county in Alabama is the most affected by ice in the state. And, my city is the area in the county with the most ice on streets and highways.

No, I did not mean that kind of lucky. Besides, I was being sarcastic.

Your turn
Is the weather icy or turning worse? Have you seen these pretty M&Ms? A bag was my Valentine's this year, not a sad thing, just a fact...lol.

Bread Store Surprise

For now and the freezer

 

 

Occasionally, I buy bread from the Thrift Bread Store and freeze it. These four loaves of bread, package of buns, cheddar Cheese Sauce Mix, and Tasty Kakes cost $7.16. The chocolate Tasty Kakes were a quarter. The bread products were $1.19. The Cheese sauce was $1.09. I won't buy Cheese Sauce here again because I can get it elsewhere for $1.

 

Bread products I bought have no hfcs, no preservatives and are all 100% whole wheat. I wonder where I hid the cupcakes from myself.

 

I was expressing amazement to the clerk that the store was so empty of products. The worker told me that it was because of the storm the week before. All the bread was purchased and the grocery stores took all the bread products the trucks had. She had to call the plant and tell them the thrift store had no merchandise. She was sent bread fresh from the bakers. All these loaves had Feb 11, 2014. I purchased them on Feb 4th!!! Everything was super fresh in the Thrift Bread Store. They went into the freezer as soon as I brought it home.

 

Then, I got bad news.

 

 

 

 I love this old sign outside the store.

 

I also love the old store, "Thrift" sign, handmade signs. Am I getting old? This is way beyond sentimental, right? Loving a bread store?

 

new store

 

 

This is the brand-spanking-new store. The "Thrift" is left out of the name! That seemed so quaint and odd to me. I mean, they have used bread, donated bread to sell? It amused me.

 

The new store is on the worst intersection in town. I just hate it and will turn early to avoid this intersection. Okay, when I took exbf by to show him the new location, I realized I could enter this little shopping center one block before the intersection, entering the parking lot from the side street. At the old one, I took my life in my hands entering and exiting the tiny spaces for four cars at the front of the old store, right smack dab on the road.  PLUS, the new store is  two miles closer than the old store. The old store really enlarged my shopping loop. So, I will try to be happy about losing the old location.

 

At any rate, I have the freezer stocked with bread. Since I cannot get to the other freezer, I was unaware of the two loaves already in that freezer! Well, I suspected they were there, but wanted bread now. Exbf had not gotten any out for me in three weeks, and I refuse to pay full price.

 

The bread from the big freezer was transferred to the refrigerator freezer in the kitchen. My bread never gets too old in the freezer or freezer burned because not only do I use it in order it was baked, I put it in plastic bags. Two-gallon freezer bags hold two loaves of bread. This day, I had to store the bread one loaf to a bag, sort of catty cornered.

 

I bought a different size loaf, so today only one would fit. When I get a loaf from the freezer, I mash all the air from the freezer bag, close the Ziploc zipper, roll up the bag and put it on the freezer door, ready to reuse for bread. Since only bread goes into the two-gallon freezer bags, I have no qualms about reusing them over and over without washing. That way, I can afford the Ziploc bags which I think are essential to storing bread in the freezer and having  the bread emerging fresh tasting.

 

By buying bread at the thrift store and freezing it, I can save 50% to 66% on the price of bread.

 

Your turn

Do you have a bread store where you can buy bread for less? Do you regularly take advantage of it? Do you have a freezer to take advantage of the savings?

Walgreen Sunday For Me

10 Degree x $0.50
Saving $5 in Walgreens
??? savings over price elsewhere

In my normal large volume of junk mail, finally one piece is actually worth something. I received a card from Walgreens, saying something about getting prescriptions with Medicare Part D at the same possibly $0 copay. Instructions said to come in and discuss it with the pharmacist. I have never had a $0 copay, so I was skeptical. On the card was a coupon for $5 off next $10 non-prescription purchase. 

 

I went in, browsed a bit and found a bin of Degree for Women and Men in a bin marked $1. I cannot with certainty say how much this 1.6 oz. costs, but I do know it is more than $1. This is the brand and type my daughter uses--sheer powder. So, we both can use this at $0.50 each. I didn't have my coupons, but I can still use the coupons and reduce this cost per container to less than fifty cents.

 

Then, the pharmacist and I talked. It appears I can get the reduced prices on prescriptions even though I don't have Medicare Part D. I have one prescription that I have not moved to Walmart, so I may try that one and see if Walgreens' plan is as good as they say.

This bin was in the middle of the Valentine aisle, I think. Your Walgreen may not have the same clearance/special. But, it is worth a look. Oh, there were also containers of men's Degree stick deodorant. Oh, I said that...lol.

So, saving $5 was good for me. Getting cheap deodorant was good for me, also.

Your turn
Did you find this deodorant bin in Walgreens? Have you gotten prescriptions at Walgreens and had a $0 or a very low copay? Who got the same card I did?

 



Kicking Addictions

I just did not like having to have something. Then, there was the all-important health issue that drove me to quit.

So, you have many reasons to quit smoking or drinking caffeine or (fill in the blank). You want to improve your health or live longer, save money, or just don't want to be in the grips of any addiction? This advice will work for many vices, not all. If you are addicted to meth or heroin, this advice will not help.

Tom, my boss and friend had to leave meetings, cut them short, skimp on training sessions and succumb to his smoking habit quite a few times each day. After I had known him for four years, he decided to quit smoking. We only saw each other ten months out of the year, so I was not aware of his summer progress. One day in the fall after school started, he had to go smoke. I was stunned because he had told me he was quitting six months earlier.

Tom explained his process: Every morning, the first thing he did was put his feet on the floor and light a cigarette. He explained that his feet had to be on the floor to avoid going back to sleep with a cigarette in his mouth. He said he was so eager to smoke that he reached for the cigarettes and lighter as he was sitting up. Every morning when he started quitting, he smoked. He noted the time he smoked the first day. Let's say 5:18 am. The next day he had to wait until after 5:18 to have the first cigarette of the day. He waited longer if he could but did not try to wait hours, just minutes to have the first cigarette of the day. The second day his first cigarette was at 5:20. The third day at 5:21. He continued his very slow progress, minutes at a time. He was able to wait more minutes each day, sometimes less. So, slowly but surely, he started his smoking day later and later, spending more hours not smoking.

The day I talked to him after school started, he said he had to wait until 2:14 pm for his first cigarette of the day. He said when the day came that his first cigarette of the day was just before bedtime, he would have successfully and painlessly quit. As far as I know, he never started smoking again.

This goes against everything we know about the first day of a new habit or the first day of quitting a habit. We all get up in the morning, weak of body after our fast. We have set our minds to forcing our body and mind to do our will. How many people have quit smoking multiple times only to fall back in our old habit within hours?

I was having anxiety attacks, I thought. I suffered, I was trying to go to grad school, work, drive 2 hours to campus, and generally care for myself, my car, my house, and study. Caffeine fortified me. Caffeine cleared my head when I was muddled. Caffeine caused my heart rate to hover right around 110 all the time. I was alert. I excelled in school. Finally, my heart was racing and irregular.

Then, the day came that the pounding in my chest frightened me. The decision to give up caffeine was easy. But, how? I would almost go to sleep driving if I needed caffeine. I had a real problem. But, I remembered how Tom quit smoking and never went back.

I planned this carefully. I started my quitting on a day when I did not have papers due soon. I did not have a heavy driving schedule. Starting on the perfect day was part of my success.

When I awoke each morning, I had a routine: go to bathroom, start a bath, get a Coke out of the refrigerator, get in the steaming tub, lie back and drink my Coke. It was a ritual I enjoyed and needed.

The day I started quitting there were Diet Cokes and Caffeine Free Diet Cokes in the refrigerator. That first day I had my Coke first thing in the morning. Then, I had one around noon, another at 3 pm or thereabouts. Another was necessary around 7 or so. Often, I would have another at midnight.

Yes, that Coke at midnight caused me to awake many times during the night to go to the bathroom. Often, I would have chest pains along with the elevated heart rate. So, I knew it was time for a change. I was wearing out my heart!

The first day, I had all but the last Coke at 7 pm. Now, I was drinking from 2 liter Cokes, so there was not just a glass of Coke imbibed. The last drink of the first day was a Diet Coke. There were no headaches or jitters.

The second day, I had all the Coke I wanted until it was time for the late afternoon/dinner Coke. The rest of the day I drank Diet Coke Caffeine Free. No problems

The third day, I opened my last Coke at around noon. I drank Diet Coke Caffeine Free Coke for the rest of the day. No regrets.

The fourth day, I had only a morning Coke, the last with caffeine. Diet Coke Caffeine Free satisfied me the rest of the fourth day. I was free. No headaches plagued me.

The fifth day, I only had Diet Coke Caffeine Free. It was several years before I even had the occasional Coke with caffeine.

Now, I should give up Coke altogether.

Everyone assured me before I started giving up Coke I would be plagued with headaches because of the volume of Coke I consumed, all full of caffeine.

I have always drunk tea without sugar or any artificial sweetener. I actually like the taste of tea. However, a few years before I gave up Coke, I gave up caffeinated tea. I use Lipton Decaffeinated Instant Tea now. Yes, I know, but it is an acquired taste. When I divorced, I could not drink all the tea I brewed, cannot stand refrigerated tea, and will not drink tea left out on the counter. So, I make it a glass at a time.

I try not to eat so much chocolate that my heart races as before.  Chocolate is where I get my caffeine these days.

You can adapt Tom's and now my method of beating addiction. You may have noticed that he did without at the beginning of the day, and did without at the end of my day. You can adapt it to most addictions.

Your turn
Do you have a habit that you think can be adapted to this method of quitting habits? What addiction plagues you? Which addictions have you quit?

Raffle Blanket--to Help a Friend

I cannot do much, but I can help to advertise for a friend in need. Go here for the raffle.