Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Wednesday, Life is just peachy

     Well I got the little demons to leave me alone yesterday and I forced myself to finish and start many things in the shop.  I have to spend the majority of my day in there today.  It is staring to get over crowded especially with Wedding dresses.  I am just very, very busy.

     We can't find mom's car keys and her car needs to be moved or it will be towed.  Just one aggravation after another.  We moved the car over to the church parking lot where Lil sis lives.  Don't know what we will do if we can't find either set of keys.  Mom insists Lil sis took them to keep her from driving.  Lil sis says she doesn't have them. Now mom is all up in arms. Ain't life fun?

     After my rant yesterday, I hurried an straightened the upstairs.  It still needs some love but it will do for now.  The peaches I had planned to can Saturday were ready, ready.  So at about 3 in the afternoon I went up and mom and hub's and I canned 27 quarts of fruit.  Hub's did the outdoor pressure canner, mom did the best she could, with my constant reminding her.  As in:  "Those don't have any syrup yet!"  Don't put the seal on I haven't wiped that off yet!"  Because she cannot see she was really limited to putting peaches I had sliced into jars.  But she was trying to do other things and even though I would remind her over and over she could not keep the process straight. What a mess.  She slopped peachy citric acid water all down the front of the cupboards and there was a river of sticky goo all over the floor.  But she was thrilled to be helping, so I just let it go.

     My feet swelled up yesterday as it was 110 in our neighborhood, and with teaching for three hours the night before I think it flared my arthritis.  I was really limping about dinner time (6 pm) and we had taco salad as it was easy.I did not get the kitchen cleaned up until about 10 pm.  It took forever to clean up the mess.  My feet are better today but I will not be running any marathons this week.

   Today it will be sewing, sewing, sewing. Because I needs the money to get out of debt and I am on a roll.  I have kicked the demons to the curb for today,

Have a great and productive day staying positive while you are in the negative.

Kim

Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Tuesday, Where do I begin?

     Do you ever feel over whelmed?  I know at times I am overwhelmed with my feelings about our debt.  There is nothing I can do instantly about it.  It is not like I can snap your fingers and have it gone.  There is no unknown relative out there to( out of the blue) leave you a fortune.  You will not win the lottery because you do not play.  How does one overcome the little monster in your head that tells you that you will never get out?  He usually visits you late at night when you should be sleeping.  Or he paralyzes you while you are trying to pay your bills.

     However he is your good buddy when is comes time to shop. He usually encourages you to shop or spend because you deserve it.  He whispers sweet nothings in your ear at the grocery store.  You get on line to just look because it calms your soul and he whispers, " you can afford this."  He convinces you that the price is so good you should not pass it up.  You waste valuable time dreaming of things you don't need and don't really want to begin with.

     Now maybe those of you out there don't have a debt monster like I do.  Some times my debt monster and my inner brat get together to party.  My inner brat is lazy.  She knows there is plenty of work to do and the house is a mess.  She knows that I need to plan dinner and get meat out of the freezer, but she swoops in and I find myself unprepared so the debt monster whispers," go out".  My inner brat keeps me occupied as my debt monster paralyzes me.  Together they cause me to waste time.  Time I could use to get things done , to earn money, to improve my situation.  These situations, are financial, mental and physical.

     When these two buddies get together, the house is a wreck, the beds are unmade, dinner is not cooked, the shop becomes overfull, I waste time doing things I don't need to do.  I stop caring about myself.  My self esteem and confidence go out the window.  Debt monster, tells me I will never get out.  Inner brat tells me that trying to get out by working and staying organized is just to much work. I start to feel helpless and hopeless.

      One of the runner rugs in the hallway upstairs has been turned over on top of the other so I can start cleaning the floors and sweep the hall.  Why am I telling you this?  Because  I started the hall 3 weeks ago.  So we have been tripping over this rug since the second week in August.  Inner brat loves this and every day that passes she gets stronger.  So where do I begin?

     Hmmmmmm.  This is a tough one.  If I move the rug inner brat will get nervous and start to growl.  She might even wake up debt monster.  

     The only thing I have found to beat these two good buddies, is to make a list.  Inner brat hates lists.  She might even go hide if I make one.  She might take debt monster with her.

SO.......I will go pull a lb of burger out of the freezer and start the list.

     1. clean myself up ( as in get out of pj's, brush teeth, get dressed and put on some makeup and maybe brush hair)
     2. Make bed and straighten master bed and bath
     3. clean spare room and bath
     4. Move rug that has sat for three weeks and also move it's partner to the front room and sweep and vacuum.
     5. feed the mother while I do the above.
     6. get my butt into the shop and get to work.

     Inner brat hates a clean environment ad debt monster does not want me to earn money.  I am going to convince them to take a vacation together.  IT might be just for today.  But as they teach you in those 12 step programs just for today counts.  Just for today is enough.

Have a great and productive day, stay positive while you are in the negative.

Kim

Monday, August 28, 2017

Monday,Money Saving Madness

     So rather than canning peaches I spent the weekend tearing wallpaper off walls.  Two of the walls were double papered.  What a mess.  But another room is done in my sister's house.  Now we only have two more to go.  We have fun and work well together.  Now if we could get my twin in the mix we could really break sail, but we would probably spend so much time laughing nothing would get done.  Like watching Lil sis put away a bed frame get in a fight with it and lose. Imagine Carol Burnett on steroids.

     We have been eating peach pie and it is so good.  I put myself on a diet now as I have eaten myself into not fitting into some clothes and I will not buy new ones so there.   No more pie for me. sniff, weep, I loves me some pie and I loves me some bakery treats.  Ask Sluggy she will verify.

     I have tow wedding dresses to finish up today, and a pile of pants to shorten.  It never ends.  I have already had 4 phone calls, and three customers here before 11.

     Also new studio owner called and needs me down there at 4 so I can teach while she deals with new parents and students.  She was going to teach and I said no you be the boss and I will play with the kids:)

  Money saving Madness:

1. Tried to not eat out at all on this last trip.  We did eat out once so we saved there.
2. Managed to drive an 11 hour day so as not to pay for a hotel.
3.Cooked all meals from scratch at home.
4. Picked and canned 4 more quarts of tomatoes.
5.  Made a huge stir fry all from garden veggies and ate on it for 3 days
6. Fed all table scraps and veggie peels to chickens.
7.Touched up my own roots with a kit purchased the Sluggy way for pennies.
8. Bargain shopped to replace rug by the back door.
9. Used coupons at Joanns and did not let temptation get to me on fabric.
10.  When picking up fruit to can found grassfed ground beef 1 lb. packages marked down to 1.99 a pound.  Usually 7.99 bought all they had and froze.
11.I love taking a package of boneless, skinless chicken out of the freezer that I paid 3.46 for and making 5 meals.  It just really pays to buy on sale and plan ahead.
12.  Used up several spools of thread that was given to me on mending rather than using thread I have purchased.
13.reused cottage cheese and sour cream containers exclusively as I am trying to cut down on the plastic I buy.
14.Pulled mini loaves of banana bread out of freezer when mom wanted a snack.
15.  Hung moms bedding out to save on dryer time.  (yes I washed her bedding AGAIN don't ask)
16.  Tried to be more conscience about turning off lights when I leave a room
17.  Hub's changed the oil in our pickup himself saving us $35.00.


Well I had better get busy as I have so much to do today before I go to the studio.  Like maybe set my hair and put on my makeup so as not to scare the children.

Have a great and productive day and remember: " be positive while you are in the negative"

Kim

Saturday, August 26, 2017

Saturday, Fruit failure:(

     I went with hubs and bought 3 lugs of fruit.  2 boxes of peaches and 1 of nectarines. I brought them home and they are too green to can.  I realize orchards pick fruit early to prevent bruising.  I really like to pick my fruit myself, but the neighbors peach tree did not do well this year.  Mom really likes canned peaches and other fruit.  I can make it with a light syrup for her.  I know you can buy canned fruit but it is not nearly as good as mine.  You can eat the nectarines  and they are sweet the peaches need a bit of time.

     I got up this morning after sleeping later than usual which was so nice.  I made up a double batch of light syrup and loaded 20 quart jars into the dishwasher on sterilize.  I started a large pot of water boiling to remove skins.  After struggling with the first 5 pieces of fruit I told mom we needed to wait a week.  So  put baggies over my sterilized jars and put the syrup in a gallon jar in the fridge.  I took the peaches I had peeled and also took the last peach pie filling I made out of the freezer.  I made up 8 pie crusts and made two peach pies.  Then I froze the remaining 4 crusts to use later.  I love having crusts in the freezer; it is so easy to pull out a crust a whip up a pie or a tart.

     I have all the jars on a corner cupboard waiting for later. Sis talked to my cousin and my Uncle is in the final stages.  He is not eating and his breathing is labored.  It is time.  I have not said anything to mom.  I had a little weep earlier this afternoon.  I want Uncle to go.  I don't want to deal with mom.  She will have no siblings left and it is so sad.  She does have a younger sister that was adopted from an Aunt that had her out of wedlock.  But mom has never been super close to her. I am hoping maybe mom and she will reconnect at the Funeral.

     I am going over to Lil sis's house to help peel off wallpaper off another bedroom.  Yippee!  So fun, sweaty, messy work.  Kind of like canning peaches.

     Have a great and productive day!

Kim

Friday, August 25, 2017

Friday, staying positive when you are in the negative

     The bill for the sprinkler system problem came in finally and we owe, $1426.00.  So there goes my hard work to save $1500.00. ARGHHHHHH!

     It makes me want to throw up my hands and call it quits, but that is not going to happen.  I am going to count my blessings and get on with life.

     First of all, I have the money to pay the bill. I am not scrambling and getting hysterical which has happened in the past. I will be able to get more money in savings soon.  The shop is busy and I am living in frugal ways to try and save money.  Every little bit helps.

   Second,you will see by my totals that my debts are going down and at the first of next month I will drop below a 1000 mark in two of my big categories.  Doing that always gives me a  mental boost.

    Third,for the last several years I have had to borrow money in the summer to pay studio bills.  No matter how hard I tried to save I was always short by August.   Some years I was short the whole summer. Summer was miserable trying to pay an extra $1500.00 minimum a month in bills with no money.  I would just go and borrow $5000.00 and pay it off. Last year it was the studio and the kitchen. This summer I have had no studio bills and I have also had $1000.00 a month from the sale of the studio come in every month to pay left over bills.  Now that the Lock loan is gone I can concentrate on the Studio Credit card.  That sucker is going down.  It has to be gone by September of next year.  Hopefully I will be able to bump down the interest rate this fall.

   Fourth, I was actually able to save money this summer instead of borrow money.  What a concept?  Now the saved money was taken by Murphy but at least I was able to save.  We have paid off enough smaller bills to have bigger chunks of money to attack other bills. Slowly but surely they are getting paid off.

     There I have listed 5 really great blessings.  Things are getting better.  They will continue to get better, I am working hard, saving where I can, praying constantly for help and strength and trying to remember to be grateful.

     I am not going further into debt, even with my vacations and travel I am paying cash as I go.  I realize I could take this money and put it on a bill, but sorry life is meant to be enjoyed and I have spent the last 38 years broke, in debt, and working my butt off.  It is time for Hub's and I to enjoy our kids and travel a little.  We have long term savings for major trips.

     Stay positive, even if you are n the negative.  My new mantra:)

Have a great and productive day.

Kim
    

Thursday, August 24, 2017

Thursday, slowing down is great!

     The garden was so full of produce that I spent most of my day just trying to get ahead of that mess.  Canned 4 quarts of tomatoes.  Picked 5 large cabbages.  Made a huge batch of stir fry to use up veggies.  I also made a huge batch of coleslaw with one of the cabbages.  Mom and I went to get groceries this evening.  She is much slower than she was a few weeks ago and she has trouble getting her words and thoughts out.

     She seems to be happy so I will take that.  She managed to dump a package of sweet cherries all over the store as we were checking out.  She just goes from one mess to another.

 I have not done any laundry but have it down stairs and ready to go.  I plan on starting a load after this post.  The shop took in a lot of work today but I did very little sewing.  I really have to get busy today.

     Mom is not doing the ironing any more so I have been trying to go through the pile and get a few pieces done.  I feel overwhelmed with the after affect of vacation and the work  it involves right now.  Am I just getting old or am I  just not able to handle the mess anymore?  I can't figure it out.

     Mom has a doctor appointment today at 10:00 am and then she has a perm appointment at noon.  I will be able to get sewing done while she is getting her hair done.  I think......

     I cannot believe it is almost the end of summer.  The kids in our town started back to school today.  I am so grateful that my kids are grown and my life is not so hectic.  I remember for years and years, I had all three in school and I was coaching at 6 a.m. then home to get kids off to school, and sew and teach dance, or coach drama and then clean at night as well as take care of the house and meals and garden and everything else.

     Our season always started August 15th and I started teaching for the University about the 18th.  We had to be ready for the Rodeo parade every Fall the first week of September, and Nutcracker auditions were always on the same day as the Parade.  So Parade at 10:30 and up to auditions at 1 p.m.  It was exhausting.  Since I have been blogging, I have given up coaching drama, and cleaning every night.  I also sold the studio but continued to teach and this year I am not teaching regularly.  For over 35 years I have always taught at least a couple of nights a week.  The funny thing is, I am not dreading the fall season coming.  I would get sick to my stomach the first of August knowing what I had to do to make ends meet and get my kids where they needed to be every day.

   After my first left home and went to college, I had one at a university for 17 straight years. I gave up early morning coaching, but took on much more work from the University teaching dance and then accepted school district work in drama from the two Jr. Highs.  I was doing 10 shows a year, but the kids were involved and with me most of the time.  Hub's and I would come home from whatever theater we were at and get the kids to bed and then go clean.  I look back at those years with a blur and wonder how we did it all.

     Now I just have the shop to worry about and mom and that is enough.  I will still help at the studio when needed.  But the dread of Fall is gone

  Hub's is playing the viola in Wicked and his first rehearsal is tonight.  He has never played this show before so I expect to hear much more practicing.  He is also playing the cello in his quartet now and he really spends a lot of time on that instrument.

     Actually come to think of it, fall is my favorite time of year and now I can really enjoy it.

Have a great and productive day!

Kim

Wednesday, August 23, 2017

Wednesday, Back in the saddle, or backwards in the saddle?

     The eclipse was a wonderful experience and made all the better as it was experienced with family.  All of us out on the front lawn of my sister in laws ranch house sitting on chairs and looking at the sky with our silly glasses.  The cattle started to settle down long before the sun went out.  The chickens roosted, the crickets came out, it got very cold and the breeze stopped.  The large flocks of birds that swarm the spilled grain on the roads all went into the trees and it became very quite.  My brother in law stopped harvesting as soon as the relative humidity sensor went off indicating too much moisture in the hay.  It is funny all the things that the sun gives us and how it affects us even when only a little bit of it is showing.

     Hub's and I left about 5 hours after the eclipse to come home as we thought the traffic would be gone.  Boy were we wrong!  It took us 3 ours to drive 7 miles and we turned around and went back to the ranch.  So yesterday was a long 11 hour day of driving.  I picked up mom last night and she was so glad I was home and so was Lil sis..  Lil sis has been more than a trooper and needs a break.  The first thing mom did after I got her unpacked was to spill her entire soda all over her bedspread and quilts.  I love my life.  I have really missed this.

     Mom also ended up in the hospital again when I was gone.  Poor Lil sis.  Mom was in rare form as usual and now we have a social worker calling on us to check and see if she/we are okay.  I don't think they are suspicious of anything, just routine.  They realize mom is off her rocker and is not abused.  But I really need to see what I can do about this going into the hospital every time I leave.

     I have tomatoes to can and I need to do peaches also.  The shop is going to be very busy today and I have a lot to do.  So I have to get back in my saddle.

     When I come back from being gone for a week, I feel disoriented.  I did not get any house work done before I left so everything is a dusty mess. The shop is really bad.  I sewed frantically on 4 bridesmaid dresses right up until we left and I cleaned up nothing.  I have laundry to do and I need to clean out the fridge.  Have no idea what to cook for dinner, but will figure it out soon.

     If I turn backwards in my saddle I don't have to see the mess, or the work.  I think I will stay here for a while.

Have a great and productive day!

Kim 

    

Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Tuesday, getting ready....

     I sewed until late last night and I am still not done.  My stress level is high because of money.  Here we are going again and it will cost money and we have the sprinkler bill looming and I just found out I will only get 1/2 what I usually get from the studio this month.  So my money savings is out the window.  We will be okay and I am certainly in a much better situation than I have been in the past, it is just discouraging when I work so hard.

     I can't do anything about the situation but work and figure things out.  Cut my coat to fit my cloth so to speak.  Things will turn around again next month and I will get back in the saddle.

     I just have to be grateful and count my blessings.  When you have debt and a tight budget it is easy to feel sorry for yourself and start to spiral into anger and doubt.  Or to start beating yourself up over past behavior.  I need to look on the bright side and see that I will be okay.  I don't need to panic.  Just ride this out and start over.

     I have enough to eat, clothes to wear, a roof over my head, money constantly coming in and my health seems to have stabilized. I have a family that loves me, good friends that I need who need me and whole beautiful world to enjoy.

     I get to go an see my grandsons again and travel to a beautiful part of the world and watch and amazing solar experience.  The universe is grand and so is my life.  Things are better, maybe not today or this hour, but overall they are better.  A bump in the road will not derail me.

Have a great and productive day!

Kim

Monday, August 14, 2017

Monday, Saving Madness!

     Yikes!  I have so much to do before we leave AGAIN on Wednesday.  Four bridesmaid dresses, one zipper replacement and a suit to alter.  That is all I will do unless someone has an emergency.  Someone always has an emergency.

     I have house work and laundry up the ying, yang.  What is a ying, yang?  I know what a ying and yang symbol looks like and what it means, the expression?

     I can tell Hub's mom and dad are excited to go as we are getting texts from them every 4 hours. It is kind of cute.

     I cooked a huge dinner yesterday after my Sunday nap.  I had put a big ham in the oven after church on low, then I napped and got up and dug potatoes from the garden.  I made corn bread, an apple sauce cake, fresh veggies from the garden, ham gravy.  Yum. Everyone ate and ate and tonight we will have leftovers.

     I have cooked so much this week.  Big meals at least three times.  Then laid out left overs and added dishes to feed the hoard the other nights.  Lil sis had them for pizza at a work function one night and then took them out to Tacos on Saturday while I was in Moscow.

     But as I have been messing around having fun with little one and working on B's apartment my house has suffered and here I am trying to leave town AGAIN.

on to Money saving Madness

1.  Did not go to the store at all this week for any kind of groceries. Ate out of garden and pantry.
2.  Fed all 6 of us great meals without any money lay out
3. Gave my youngest daughter a wonderful birthday present, by redoing some old furniture and helping her with her apartment.  It was fun.
4. Went to second hand stores with daughter to pick up things for her apartment. Curtain rods, a mirror, lamp shade.
5. Pulled all the corn from the garden and froze what we could not eat.
6. Canned my first 5 quarts of tomatoes
7. fed all scrapes to chickens 
8. Used coupons for Joann buys
9. reused plastic containers ( cottage cheese for leftovers)  This really works. trying not to use store bought containers.
10.Washed out good quality freezer bags to reuse
11. froze over ripe bananas for bread later.
12. Got a lot of free exercise in the garden. ( now if I could quite eating late at night)

So I feel that I have done what I could or what I wanted to to save money.

How did you do?

Have a great and productive day!

Kim

Saturday, August 12, 2017

Saturday, Finally!

     Blogger has been having some problems I guess.  I again have not been able to post the last two days. 

     I have been busy with the girls and sewing.  All the painting is done for B's apartment and most of the things are up there already.  I still have a hutch that must go up and some sewing of curtains left to do, but other than that the project is almost over.  It will be nice to get it out of the way.

     It was 106 here yesterday and the smoke is very dense.  I have seen it much worse and I hone it does not get that way this year.

     I will have everyone here for dinner tomorrow, and my house is a wreck.  That is what I get for using all my time to sew and then working on B's place.

     There are still 3 bridesmaid dresses and a suit to alter on Monday.  It just never ends around here.

     Lil sis was supposed to take the girls home today but upon calling our Aunt and our cousin it was determined that they should stay until next Friday.  This will fall heavily on Lil sis as I will be leaving Wednesday morning.  But she says she is up to it.  Uncle is getting worse, and Auntie is stressed, our cousin is trying to work full time and drive 45 minutes one way to come and help with her dad when she is not at work.  She has not been able to find a new baby sitter yet for her grand daughter, so we are an option.  This little girl is sweet and fairly well behaved.  But she is 6 and 6 year olds can run your legs off.  Families are forever.

     Hub's and I will drive to Nampa on Wednesday morning and pick up his folks and take them with us to Daughter #1.  We will stay there a couple of days as daughter has some sewing that needs to be done.  Alterations on suits and curtains and things for the new house.  Hub's mom and dad have not been to the new place.  Then we will all take off for the ranch in Ashton to join family and watch the eclipse.  Hub's and I will leave mom and dad as they will ride home with another grandchild and we will take the same trip up to Missoula and back home.  We just made this same loop with Sluggy and her Hubby the first of the month.  But now we get to do it in the smokey haze.:)

I am very tired.

Kim

Thursday, August 10, 2017

Thursday, Blogger on the fritz

     I could not post to save my soul yesterday.  Blogger would not let me.  Such an aggravation.  I am busy and don't need to mess around with a computer that won't behave.

     It is very, very hot here.  Over 100 for a week now and will last at least another 3 days.  I love the heat, but eventually it can become oppressive.

     The girls are keeping busy, with crafts, cartoons, swimming, baking and tonight we are taking them to a children's performance of Peter Pan.  Sis has them in the evening, and I during the day.  This gives me time to catch up on things I cannot get done when they are here.

     The shop is very busy and I have so much to do.  Many many bridesmaid dresses and men's suits to alter. I just seem to go, go, go and although things are getting done, I feel like I am always behind.  I guess this is better than having no work.  I will call myself blessed.

     We still have not received the sprinkler bill and I have not been able to put any money in savings this month.  But then I have not sewn much this month.  An  item here and item there.  Yesterday I really got back in the saddle so to speak.  As we are leaving again next Wednesday for 6 days I need to get money and things caught up.

     Right now I have the driveway full of old furniture I am repainting for our youngest daughter's new apartment.  I love redoing old things.  I have several old small tables of my mothers, and old dressers.  Also and old sewing machine table to make into a dressing table.  The apartment is much larger and everything in it is a give away item.  Remember those days? Scratched and beaten up things get a good sanding and a new coat of paint.  Hub's and I went up Monday night after I got home from Missoula and we picked up a car full of old and ugly college furniture and I will return it shiny and new (well almost).  I would love to go into the refurbishing business but alas don't have the space of time.  (thank goodness and a collective sigh from Hubs)

     So in between sewing and fetching Popsicles I have been going out to the driveway to give things a coat of paint.  I should finish two dressers today and a couple of tables.  Then onto another dresses and the makeup table.  I have an old table over at Sis's to redo and a couple of dining chairs. I want to get this off my list before we leave next week but I don't know if that is possible.  We will see.

     If you have nothing to do today come to my house.

Let's see, water plants, pick produce, pull things for dinner, check the chickens, paint, sew, cook dinner, entertain, yikes!

Have a great and productive day!

Kim

Tuesday, August 8, 2017

Tuesday, Let's see....

     So much has happened or is happening, I just don't know where to begin.

     I feel like I have been nothing but gone.  Gone is a good thing, but not for earning a living, or keeping a garden going, or a house clean.

     Back from Missoula with all the fires and smoke.  It is very smokey here also.

     Mom was happy to see her brother and all her smaller grand kids and great grand kids.  In fact we brought two little ones home with us.  My drug addict brother's son has a girl who is 11 and my mom adores her and has always wanted to bring her here.  She is a sweet simple thing due to her parentage. Mom did raise the son but as she enables all men he is not the greatest but a far cry from my brother.  After we decided to bring Olly home we stopped at Uncles and picked up another GGdaughter of my Aunts who is also being raised by her mother due to drugs.  You would think my whole family is in the mad house, but actually we are all fairly sane and educated hard workers.  Sara is 6 and bored stiff with this very sick old man and a mom that works and a  great grandma that is flustered.  So we added her to the mix and now we have a daycare!

     Really this was to help out my Aunt and give her a break from caring for a sick husband and a young child.  So thinks will be a little busy here for the next few days.  That is what families are for right?

     In the mean time, I have still not made the bed from when Sluggy left.  I have not un packed or done any laundry.  I need to earn money to pay bills.  I need to get meals organized for more people.  Thanks goodness for my previous weeks cooking and the garden, and the chickens.

     I have a broken finger.  It was a surprise.  I guess I broke it when I smashed it with a rock a few weeks ago.  It really hurt when I played the piano at my sister in laws, but other than that I really have not noticed it.  I just don't use it.  Now it is splinted and such a pain.  Doctor found it during a routine xray for my arthritis.  It is tender where the fracture is, but if you don't squeeze it or manipulate it (DOCTOR) it doesn't hurt.

     Well I have a TON of work to do today.  I love my fellow blogger that said yard work was free exercise.  What a great way to look at work.

Have a a great and productive day!

Kim

Friday, August 4, 2017

Friday, does it pay to have savings?

     I am starting to think it does not pay to have money saved up as there is a little money sucker fairy that lives to come and take it.  Our sprinkling system (it is always water with us) has developed a crack in a many pipe leading off the city line and has to be dug up and replaced.  The part alone is $800.00 let alone the labor to dig it up.  By hand if course.  Hub's is out working on it, but we all know how slow he is, and I am just grateful he is trying at least.  So the money I saved will be gone and I will have to start over.  WAAAAAHHHH!!!!!. 

     Okay lecture me now on how this is a blessing and this is the way it should be.  But why? Why can't it just stay in there for a month or a day or a year?  Why?

     Okay I am over that, I could keep going for a long while but I have learned it won't change anything.  I worked way to darned hard yesterday and my back is killing me.  My lower right side has a stiff knife in it, and I am going to try and stretch it out after this post.

    I did get 4 pasta dishes made yesterday, large pan of lasagna, large pan of stuffed shells, large pan of manicotti, and one large pan of mixed manicotti, and shells.  I made three loaves of homemade french bread, and used up the broccoli in fridge to make a broccoli salad.  Also used up the old apples to make two apple cobblers.  Hubs will be fed while I am gone and my friend got a great meal.  I also shredded an over grown zucchini to make a cake but ran out of steam so I froze it for later. I was able  to freeze two large pans of pasta for later.

     I will be canning tomatoes when I get home from this weekend.  I have only done a minimal of sewing, but the phone has rung off the hook with new business which I have put off until next week.

     Mom has been awful.  That is the only way I can put it nicely.  She is very mad at me and I really jumped on her and was very over the top firm and nasty about it.  Something I rarely do as I have too much respect for my mother and think it is wrong, but her undermining ways and favoritism to others who care little for her just gets to me.  She will do anything for attention.  Believe me I pay attention to her all  the time.  She does not want my attention she wants other and that is fine just don't start taking back things that are mine. Thank goodness I have my sister to help me.  We are on board together through her fits.

     Her dementia is getting so bad and she is very cranky when she does not get her way.  This is so hard on me, this whole process is much harder than I thought it would be. I keep wondering what I am supposed to learn from it.  To be more patient, or kind, or giving?  To learn to stand up for myself?  I just don't know, but it is very, very hard.

     The neighbors have got  bad leak in their water line which cannot be fixed until next week so we are running a hose out to their house so they can flush toilets and cook.  They have a 5 month old baby, so they can do laundry over here.  I feel for them as that is a very expensive fix and they just bought that house.

     Hubs must water the garden and everything by hand right now until the sprinkler is fixed.  What a chore.  We are so spoiled with convenience.

Well I am of to storm the castle if my back will let me.

Have a great and productive day!

Kim
     

Thursday, August 3, 2017

Thursday, Facing reality

     If you will notice, I almost made my goal of saving $1500.00 in July, but alas did not arrive home to bank until August.  I actually came home with $118.00 in cash so $100.00 went to savings, and I also was able to put another $400.00 in savings from paycheck.  I would love to be able to save another $1500.00 this month but we will be gone so much and we have to pay to travel.  I have to pay back CC I used to travel last week.  We only had one night in a hotel and a few meals out so other than gas we did really well.  It is nice to travel with people who have your same goals in mind.  Well with the exception of eating way too much pastry (my fault).

     So the goal this month is to save $500.00 and even that may be tight.  We will see and I will do my darnedest to make that higher.  I just have to really watch my pennies. 

     It is hard  to come back from a great vacation and get back into the swing of things.  I did not sew much yesterday and I need to produce today.  I needed to help at the studio as the new owner is down with the crud.  So I was there last night costuming and rehearsing for a performance tonight that I will have to attend and help with.  I am also going out to dinner tonight with my sister and mom and my sister's foster /child as it is her birthday.  Money out, money out.  Dang and I want money in, money in.

     Our sprinkling system has developed a leak at it's source and water is SOOOO expensive here so we have had the city and the sprinkler company out here and they will come again.  I don't want to see next months water bill or the company bill.  Great!  Have you noticed that it is always water with us?

     I am going to make dinner for my dance studio owner as she has 5 kids and a husband and is going through a rough time with her health.  So between trying to clean, sew, cook, bathe and watch dancers and go out to dinner this evening it will be a busy.

     Mom, Lil sis and I are going back to Missoula tomorrow for the weekend to let mom see her brother.  We will stay with a friend and that will help with expenses.  Mom will pay for gas.  I will just have meals and snacks. I will try and keep it cheap.  We will come home Monday.

     Well I had better get busy as the work does not do itself.  Darn!

Have a great and productive day!

Kim
    

Wednesday, August 2, 2017

Wednesday,Sluggy is gone and I miss her:(

     Well let me tell you I have had a great time this last week.  It was a go, go, go week and I am tired.  Slug and I actually took it pretty easy yesterday as I had a stomach ache and she just needed to rest.  Driving and going constantly is nerve racking and just too much sometimes.  The men went out to museums and Slug and I went to Rite Aid and Big Lots.  It was just so much fun to be with her.   We laughed and laughed.  Sluggy will surely detail this trip and I don't want to ruin her posts for you, but I am telling you we saw our lives flash before our eyes a few times this last week.  It will be a trip to remember.

     I dislike coming home from a vacation because you have to get back into work and the production schedule.I still have to unpack and do laundry.  The garden needs attention and I have to go through the fridge and organize a menu.  Also have to take stock of the shop and see what I need to do first.  Make a grocery list, pay bills and just catch up in general.

     Mom has many errands for me to run today and I need to spend some time with just her. The rest of the month is jam packed with short travel trips and projects.  This weekend we will run back to Missoula so mom can see her brother who is failing fast.  Then on the weekend of the 12th I will help D#3 move into her new apartment.  We will leave for the ranch on Wednesday the 16th to pick up Hub's mom and dad and then onto Twin Falls again to get some sewing done for daughter and then onto Ashton for the Solar eclipses.  Then home and we may end up going to a family reunion in Minnesota over labor day.

     Now I have to be able to produce work and save money while I do this and I am not sure if that is possible. At least it is weekends that I am gone.  I will really have to produce when I am home.  All I can say is UGH!

     I miss my Sluggy.  I have to get to work, blah!  But in tomorrows post I will expect a big hurrah from all of you!

Have a great and productive day!

Kim