Yardsale Find

The yard sale was one block from my house. Plus, all the items were close to the road in a small front yard. I was going to pass it by, but I saw something I wanted--a pet carrier. I parked and walked all over before going to the yellow plastic carrier. Actually, I walked for a minute...lol. The price was $5.

I asked the woman to pick it up from the ground for me. She did. When I inquired as to what she would take for the carrier, she thought and said--$4. It was just too hot to play games, so I dug out two bills and a handful of change. She put the carrier in the trunk for me.

Walking to look at other items first was so she would not know the true thing that interested me. If I had walked straight from the car to the pet carrier, I am not so sure she would sell it for less than the $5 sticker. Strategy, folks, strategy.

The thing I used for three grown hens would be comfortable for my one hen. This one is smaller and not tall enough for Dominique to stand. However, this is just in case I need to carry her anywhere. Just the week before I had decided to renew my search for a pet carrier.

It is a very bright yellow and I think it is old. The only problem would be brittle hinges or latch.  If I come across one a little taller, I will get it and sell this one. This one would be very good to hold young chicks. However, I would never bring home day-old chicks since the small ventilation holes would be too much air for chicks that came from under a heat lamp even if I hurried home.

When going to yard sales, I never carry big bills. However, this was truly all I had to my name! There were so few people there, shopping, that I did not fear someone would snatch up the yellow carrier.

Your turn
Do you use strategies when going to yard sales? Or, do you jump out of the car and grab what you want immediately?

Not Much Here

I slept two hours last night, and then just lay here. Since I was going to the doctor and had to wash my hair, I could not rest well last night. I know that sounds silly to some.

Finally, I sat up and cut coupons. There are some really good ones in this paper. Four sets of coupons yielded about $50 for things I absolutely use each week or month. That was 12 inserts and I only paid for one paper. I have another paper but have not cut those yet. So, I suppose that would be about $60 from the June 4 paper that was less than $2.

Being up so early had one advantage today as I got to see much of the coverage of the shooting aftermath in Virginia. It made me cry. The world has gone mad.

My doctor's appointment was at 11 am. At 11:30, I was on the way out the door. That does not happen often or ever. And, the office was less than ten minutes from my door.

It is almost 5 pm, and I am going to put this away and just let sleep take me away.

Your turn
What is on your mind?

Adult VBS

At one of the free church lunches, we had adult VBS, just a one-day deal. We made a craft--nails stuck into a piece of Styrofoam in the shape of a star with tiny rubber bands of all colors over the nail heads.

First, there were three young women leading the singing. These were all new VBS songs. I hope the kids got to sing things like "This Little Light of Mine."

Half of us did the craft while the other half had a lesson and game. I had a circle of paper like a halo on my head and tried to guess the clues given to me by my team. If the team had spoken up, maybe I could have heard them. Only two people really gave clues, so our team got 5 and the other team got 6 points. Okay, but I could have spelled all the names of books of the Bible!

Lunch was great: hot dogs, slaw, baked beans, chips. The table for condiments had everything that was ever put on a hot dog! The theme to this VBS was something about space, so the food was appropriately named, like stellar slaw. I can think of none of the other names of the mundane food that all had special names.

We eat from glass plates and have regular cutlery! No plastic. This church goes all out to make visitors and members feel welcome and valued. Their kitchen is  not the ordinary church kitchen! Their is a soda fountain!  We did have little Styrofoam bowls for the beans and slaw. That was welcome since I did not have to fish my bun out of liquid.

The dessert was premade and fresh from the freezer. There must have been a cup of ice cream in a bowl. The ice cream was not the cheapest thing from WM. It had vanilla beans in it. Then, there was chocolate sauce over that. Three roasted marshmallows topped this with a half a Moon Pie stuck in at an angle. A rocket ship on a straw topped the dessert with a space name.

I reconnected to a woman who was once a colleague of mine. We were in different offices of the same business, but in different capacities. I complimented her on her outfit and she said it was yard sale and thrift store. Isn't it great to meet well-dressed professionals who are frugal and confidant to admit the frugal sources?

Next month, the theme is patriotism with an emphasis on members of the military. A year round national guard is located in this town, so they will be presenting a program.

Then, I had to go to the doctor. His office called me in to discuss my head injury and ongoing problems with that and pain in wide, hard part of my nose. UGH! Not fun because I was just exhausted after food and fun.

Then, I got more $0.99/lb. grapes because this is the last day of the ad. There were other things I needed but had no money for those things. However, since I have not used any of the cabbage, I really should tend to that and eat stuff I have already.

From the lunch I brought lots of slaw and baked beans to Dominique with shredded Brussels sprouts and oats on top. The leftovers will last at least four more days. Tomorrow, she will get her oats in tuna juice along with the leftovers. Oh, bananas and apple core are on her menu tomorrow.

The next two Tuesdays are free lunch occasions, too.

Your turn
This is my first knowledge of adult VBS. Have you ever heard of this? It seems to be a trend. Are your church kitchens so well-appointed?

MRI and freebies

I just returned from an MRI, a repeat of the one I had last week. I have to have an open MRI. The doctor did not want me to go to the one here, so I have to make a road trip to get it done.

In the waiting room there was a woman with a baby. She must have been the grandmother. She kept saying sharply to the eight-month-old boy to "settle down!" "Now!" She kept stuffing a bottle in his mouth and trying to cover him up with a fleece blanket. All the time, he fought the bottle and blanket, she was bouncing him up and down.

He wanted to smile at me, but I did not want to encourage him not to sleep. The only thing I said to her was, "How old is he?" She snapped out the answer. Then, she smacked his bottom half a dozen times. Two teens came in and she got up and stomped around. Then, she said, "Let me get out of here before I explode! I will just sit in the truck in the heat!" As she left she was mumbling something about how "she was the rudest person ever." Since I was the only person there, I was puzzled. I barely looked up from my magazine, but since she was in a chair facing me in a very small waiting room, I could not help but see her actions and hear her impatient voice.

Maybe my resting face was a bitch-face. Beats me. I was hurting too much to put on a show of delight for her. Should I have smiled at the magazine? She was acting all angry with the baby as I stood at the window to sign in.

This is not my first MRI, just the windiest. The cold air was not a problem, but I was about to sneeze. That would have disrupted the MRI and made it last longer. It was going to be a big sneeze, so I would probably have hit my head in the machine. I mentioned all this when the MRI was over, and she said she had a fan on me.

They gave me a Coke as I left, saying they were free when I took out money to pay. They have a bowl of snacks, too. So, I left with a Coke, snack, and $10 Walmart card. Sweeeet!

Last Monday, J and I were leaving WM and saw a sign under a tent that said, Free Drinks. You know we stopped by. This was still in the WM parking lot. I drove up to the tent and asked for a free drink for us. The woman said sure but would I do them a favor.  We filled out a form for a credit check to get a credit card for Kay Jewelers. I figured I would not get it and so did J. My credit card for Kay Jewelers arrived today. I probably have a $10 credit limit. Okay, on a hot day, I received a can of Mt. Dew on a very hot day.  I drink few Mt. Dews, but I have never had one in a can. And, I will not be charging jewelry!

Something must be getting Dominique's egg.  I haven't gotten one in a week. She has made a nest in  box on the ground, so I am not sure if she lays in there and a snake gets it before I can. It was only yesterday that it dawned on me to check the box on the ground. That happened a couple of years ago. I just went out four or five times a day and made sure I never left an egg overnight. I saw the huge snake, but I think it left after there were no eggs for it to eat. I am out of her eggs, so I need to get on top of this.

Your turn
If you have gotten an MRI, do you get closed or open MRI? Do you get money and food for doing so? Did you have a fan turned on you, blowing air up your pants? Does anyone have a jewelry store cc?

Something I have never done before

Weeds are inevitable. So, I just go with it. However, there are two people who let their weeds go rampant, never cutting the grass until the grass/overgrowth is out of control.

Thorns started invading my yard about 30 years ago, all from one untended spot. I pulled them up rather than poison. Bad mistake. After years of going to school nonstop and working many days each week, the thorns were all the way to the front yard. Then, I eventually could not wrangle thorns. When I first starting pulling the thorns, the roots were about the size of a finger and six feet long, growing underground. I struggled and finally came to a surprise--a root about 3 inches in diameter and six inches long. It was horrifying!

Then, I purchased Roundup and used the foam setting to spray only the leaves, no other plants. I was so careful. I made the statement last fall that I had never used poison in my yard. Correction: just the foam setting on the leaves of thorn plants.

Then, my St. Augustine Grass was taken over by all sorts of things, all weeds. This last winter some sort of grass similar to St. Augustine Grass grew very green all winter. Now, it is dead and the St. Augustine grass is back. However, weeds that are too tall and invasive can come back in two days. I took action.

I used Image with Atrazine in one small spot of the backyard and ON the St. Augustine grass that had been cut last week. NOW, the tall weeds are back. I am not sure I did anything but put poison down! Image kills everything but St. Augustine grass.

The other thing I did was to buy brush killer, cut the wisteria as it comes from the wall where it grows and only spray the ends. Soon, I will be able to post pictures of the vines. J was shocked at how they grow and cause trip hazards that are the size of a finger, not just the little tendrils that tripped me.

When I went to the free lunch at the one church that has programs, the county agent was there just for a question and answer session. He suggested to me the treating of the cut end of the wisteria. So, I did. I was not willing to spray the yards and yards of fence it was enveloping. This way, less poison is sprayed. If done right, the spray foam only touches the plant cuts.

I am not looking for a picture perfect lawn, just a safe one! St. Augustine grass that is not cut often enough is just lush looking. I cut it at the highest setting on the lawn mower and it covers my ankles when I walk in it. Friends comment how deep it is. After all, the purpose of mowing is to make the grass even, not cut it so low the grass is shocked. However, when St. Augustine grass is full of onions and all sorts of weeds that grow a foot overnight, I am unhappy.

J's mission this summer is to eliminate wisteria tendrils growing across my lawn. Well, that is my mission for her. We will see. I found a hickory tree growing in the backyard, so I put the brushkiller on that after I cut it at the dirt line.

Oh, I am eating free corn today. I gave one ear to Dominique as I pulled off the husk and silk. She will peck in the silk as little insects land there.

Your turn
Have you ever used Image with Atrazine and meant to be used on St. Augustine and centipede grass on your lawn without killing the good grasses?  How do you handle thorns?

Saturday : Free Lunch, Market, My Version of Meal Planning

Okay, so it was just a hotdog and Coke at Customer Appreciation Day where I get my car fixed. And, it was a Pepsi...yuck.  You do know that in the South we say we want a Coke and the person asks what kind we want. We do that.

White or green grapes were $0.99/lb. Of course, I price-matched at Walmart and got a little more than two pounds. On Tuesday I will get more. I eat apples plain. I eat banana/apple/grape with Miracle Whip on it. I grate red delicious apple into my tuna salad. My mother made it that way sometimes.

At the Farmer's Market at the Festhalle,  I bought a cabbage that was 5 lbs. for $2.  Eight squash were $2. Six large potatoes were $2. I will make coleslaw and freeze some to experiment. Cabbage and potatoes will be another meal. Cabbage and yellow squash sounds good. Just plain cabbage and Vidalia onions might finish off the cabbage.

I think I will cook the four sale pork chops and save two for our lunch when exbf comes. He will love the squash and cabbage and onion mixture.

Sluggy, that is how I plan.

Including the Farmer's Market and the $0.50/lb Vidalias and the $2 for the pork chops, cheap grapes and expensive apples and expensive milk, I will have spent about $20 to eat this next week. I paid $2.82 for three perfect Red Delicious apples. I will eat a half apple each day.

The cabbage is called Dutch Baby Flat Cabbage or something like that. It is so flat. I told the farmer to quit sitting on them.

Your turn
Does anyone plan meals as loosely as I plan? Have you seen a 5 pound cabbage? Have you ever seen the flat baby Dutch cabbage?

Store Returns/Cautionary Tale

You remember I price-match at Walmart, getting the best prices from lots of stores? On Tuesday I always do a final shop or sometimes my only shop before the ads change on Wednesday. Exbf was here, and took me as we had other things to do that day.

As I finished shopping, I remembered I had no more checks in my check book and a cursory search the night before turned up no check books. So, I called exbf and asked him to drive his credit card to the door at WM. I parked and hobbled out and got the cc.

Since the lines were so long, I went to a checker I had never used before. I kept having to tell her the prices, and the checking event went slowly! Exbf got his cc immediately and his money, $26+, a little later after we went to the bank.

After he left that evening, I was looking over the receipt, congratulating myself on the good deals I got. Then, I noticed I had paid the full price of the Miracle Whip and the price match. When I got to the bottom of the receipt, I was very frustrated!

The customer service person listened and refunded over $11 to his cc! The way it went, I paid more for groceries than I would have even without price-matching.

Even though I am usually aware of what is being rung up and how much I should pay, this day was different. I was eager to get things out of the house done before J came over to do some things for an hour. However, I did check my receipt eventually. I will never go back through her line! I must admit this is the worst problem I have ever had with the wrong price on the receipts.

Being flustered with no checks, exbf waiting in the heat, my needing his help, and needing to get home for J to come over caused me to be less vigilant than I usually am. Usually, I check prices as they are rung or after the transaction and before I leave the store.

Often, I wait for the checker I want, even if she has four or five full carts of groceries. Tuesday's incident just shows me two things: go to a trusted checker and always check receipts!

Always check receipts!

Your turn

Have you ever had so many mistakes made on one receipt? Do you check your receipts after you get home even if you did not check it in the store?