Wednesday, Some grocery bargains, finally and Fire gear!

 When Hubs first started fighting fire, you supplied your own gear.  The only thing we made sure of was that all clothing was 100% cotton.  Cotton has a slow burn ratio.  You also made sure to have leather soled boots as anything with plastic would melt as you walked across the land on which you were fighting. The government then arrived on a uniform of fire retardant clothing.  A yellow, shirt and green pants, with an orange pack and red helmet. Every state had its logo on the front of the helmet.  You were usually issued two sets of clothing. Full timers were issued permanent clothing.  If you were just in for the season you gave the clothing back.  Firefighting is a filthy business and clothes were worn for days at a time.  Those that fought on a regular basis would pack at least 10 pairs of underclothing and hope to get in a wash at least every ten days, but even that was not possible.  There was a lot of creek washing and hanging to dry where ever you were camped.

Hubs always had 10 pairs of socks and under clothes in his pack.  If the fire was close enough for me to drive to which most often was not the case, I would go and get his gear and wash it in a laundry mat.  Often I would take the gear of several men and spend the day just washing at what ever laundry was close.  The men would be sleeping as much as possible.

 I remember one fire camps in Grangeville Idaho the men were put up in a huge potato cellar type building.  It was so hot and that building provided some relief from the heat.  I had driven up with the girls and told the camp boss I needed to speak to Hubs.  Soon this bleary eyed man came out into the sunlight in his underwear and barefoot. (hubs) I remember him taking me into the dark building and my eyes adjusting to the lack of light.  There was row after row of sleeping men on cots.  Most softly snoring and oblivious to the world. The cellar smelled  musty but was much cooler than the outdoors. We packed out duffel bags of laundry and then other firefighters who were awake helped load it into our trunk.  The girls and I washed clothes most of the day.  We had no idea whose was whose, but they could figure that out themselves.  It was almost impossible to get whites clean, they just turned an awful grey, but at least they were clean enough to be comfortable. When hubs retired and cleaned out his fire pack those underthings were thrown away, he just kept them for fire fighting.

Because bathing, and water were sometimes not overly available on fire, you were given enough to drink and then you lived in dirty clothes.  Heat rash, foot fungus were rampant.  Due to sweat, and wet feet from hose drip off, you were often hot as he!! but had wet socks all day. Experienced fire fighters, carried dry socks, and fungus spray, lip balm, burn ointment, lots of band aids, aspirin, sunscreen when it became available. You had to be able to treat yourself. It was a rough life, and small creature comforts were a must.   As hubs would tell his crew, sleep in the raw TMI on top of your bag inside your pup tent when you did get sleep.  Expose your skin to dry air whenever you could.  Hubs always carried a pair of thongs so he could get out of his boots when in camp to air out your feet.  This reduced fungus and blisters and infection.

In order to fight fire you have to pass a very strenuous pack test.  Come January every forester was thinking about passing the test.  It consisted of walking three miles in less than 45 minutes with a 40 lb pack on your back.  This is a tough test for most and hubs was able to pass it until his 63 year.  I think he could probably still pass it now, but with his hearing going so bad he was just done with fire.

Hubs fire hat issued and worn for at least 28 years.  IT hangs in our back room as a reminder of the old days.

After fighting fire for several years, you were given a crew of your own.  These were usually younger state employees, or civilians and students or more recently prisoners from local prisons.  Hubs had crews for several years.  You were then a crew boss and you were responsible for your crew.

More tomorrow.

Since this week is the 4th we  have planned a big potluck BBQ at our place.  It is a great place to view the city fireworks as it over looks the river valley. I thought that they were going to cancel the annual works because of the heat, but they are not.  SO I have some major cooking ahead of me.  If this heat holds I don't think it will be that well attended.

Yesterday it got to 118 here although they reported 115 at the airport.  My car registered 116 at 7 o clock last night and that thermometer is very accurate.  It is supposed to be hotter today.  We will see.  Hubs and I went out to Taco time with a gift card last night.  We ate inside and their air unit could not keep up and it was hot in the restaurant. The employees were all melting.  The kids could not play outside but they were happy to be with us and were very easy to care for.  I was able to get a bit of ripping done.

Today I need to take in 6 pair of missionary pants I got ripped yesterday and I need to alter 2 bridesmaid dresses.  I already altered one dress this morning for someone out of town who wanted a same day pick up.

There are some decent sales for 4th of July but they have limits on them. I can get 2 butters for 1.77, 8 ears of corn 4/100, hamburger and hot dog buns .89 no limit, I have some coupons for crackers, that will triple with in store, cut out of paper and ibotta making them more than free, so I will stock up.

I need to sit down and plan a menu for SUNDAY AND MAKE SURE I have what I need. I should have most things on hand for pies, blueberry,apple, cherry, strawberry rhubarb.  Will have to buy strawberries. One of the stores has ice cream 2/4.00 so I will go there and get several boxes, as that is a killer deal. I will be making several salads, shrimp pasta, potato,broccoli slaw, acini d peppi fruit salad, hubs wants to make his tabbouleh salad.  We will have hamburgers and  hot dogs with the fixings, I am also going to make up some crock pot BBQ just to get rid of a large bag of chicken quarters that need to be used. Then others are bring in chips and who knows what else. Later in the evening we will have smores!

Are any of you doing anything fun for the 4th?  DO you cook special things? Or do you have any traditions?

I need to go water my flowers and get into the shop.  

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

Kim

Tuesday, Babies, Littles , extreme heat, fire

 Kelsa spent the night last night and right now she and grandpa are both napping under a fan in the spare bedroom.  The littles were so excited to come today and they are fascinated by the baby. Playing outside is out of the question with the heat.  It was 98 here at 8 this morning so we know it will well into the triple digits by noon.  It was recorded 111 here but as I have said before our temp is taken at the airport at the top of the tower.  So it will be cooler up in the heights. We registered 113 here and the normal hill area was 117, and downtown which is below sea level  was 121.  

I might get hubs to pull out the baby pool later and put it under an umbrella.  This was the kids can cool off and stay in the shade.  I still have to go out and water the pots.  We had friends call who said they lost a couple of chickens to the heat.  I took out a large bag of frozen peas and scattered them throughout the coop. This was expensive chicken feed, but seemed to perk them up.  We also changed their water for cold several times and put up more shade for them. 

I was able to get two wedding dresses done yesterday and I hope to be able to get 6 pair of missionary pants done today and a couple of wedding dresses.  The littles are so grown up now, it is hard to believe that when we first started watching them the eldest was not a year old and her brother was three weeks old.  Oh how mom loved the days the babies came.  They were her favorite.  She would get up early and sit in her recliner and rock the baby and feed him and boss me around all day.  I did not know a thing about taking care of a baby :).  They would nap together and she spent hours rocking and patting his back.  Good memories. I think she felt useful and who doesn't love a precious baby.

Hubs was fighting fire for several seasons before we married.  He has a degree in fire management.  He actually wrote his senior thesis on fire in the urban interface.  This was almost  50 years ago.  It was also before wildfires started to invade the urban areas.  His dean wanted it published as he could see that this is what the future held.  As more and more federal land was not cut and managed for over growth, fuels would come to an all time high. This is what is causing the problems we have now.  Nature will always take back it's own and fire is a natural part of landscape control.  In fact some trees cannot seed themselves without fire. But I digress.

Most fires are not caused by man as they would like you to believe, but by lightening.  WHEN A FOREST IS OLD AND OVERGROWN IT WILL NATURALLY BURN.  Man cannot stop it, we can try and control where we can, but we will never stop wild fire.

Firefighting, is dirty, nasty, very hard, hot, dangerous work. ( it can also be very cold at night)  These crews years ago could spend 20 hour days with a Pulaski ( a grub how with a hatchet on the other side) digging fire line.

  You dig until your arms give out and then wait a few minutes and start again.  Your hands blister and you wrap them in bandages and keep going.  You are fighting nature and she is a mean woman. 

My first memory with hubs, occurred when our eldest was about 5 months old.  Hubs was on a fire crew in the Seeley/Swan ranger district in Montana.  He had a small trailer that he staying in next to the fire station.  Fire fighters are gone for weeks at a time and back then there were no rules about how long or how many days they could be out.  I remember he finally got a break and called me long distance to come up for the weekend.  It was about 80 miles from Missoula where we were living.  I was packing up baby gear and got another phone call and I could here choppers in the back ground.  So no day off he was getting picked up to be dropped into the Bob Marshall wilderness.  He was gone 20 days and as it was wilderness they could be dropped in but not picked up unless it was for medical reasons.  They had to hike out.  Wilderness is protected by noise ordinances. This hike out about killed all of them.  I can't imagine working that hard and then having to hike 40 miles to get to a road to be picked up.  He still talks about it.

That same summer I managed to get up to see him and of course as soon as I got there with the baby the choppers were sounding.  It was like a scene from MASH. Men in  half gear running every where trying to make sure they had all their stuff packed and loaded.  Many had fire clothes still  on the lines and there was snatching and flurried packing as they headed out.  I will always remember how noisy those helicopters were, our oldest did not like loud noises. We only had one car so I had my dad take me up and I was stuck there unless I wanted to leave Hubs with no car, which I could have but while I was making the decision, bus loads of dirty men started pouring into camp.  There was a huge industrial kitchen there but no cook.  The big boss came to my trailer  and asked me to go check out the kitchen as they were desperate to feed the incoming men.  

Luckily I had grown up with a grandmother that owned restaurants and had worked in them.  I remember making stew and biscuits and coffee far into the night.  The baby was fine as she was passed around from fire fighter to fire fighter and always in my sight.  Then it was hotcakes, coffee, scrambled eggs and sausage the next morning.  I packed sack lunches for hours.  It became obvious that this was going to become a high incident fire.  I was asked to go get supplies as there was no one else to call.  The secretary at the land office watched the baby and I took a huge truck (the biggest I have ever driven) into Kalispell and it was loaded with groceries to the brim and then back to the fire station.  A new incident commander was flown in and there I was a 23 year old woman and a 5 month old baby in a huge kitchen surrounded by supplies. I stayed and cooked for 3 more days until a proper cook could be obtained.   I then stayed on as an assistant cook, and step and fetch it.  I cannot tell you how much laundry I did and how many loads I pegged out on wash lines to dry in the few weeks I was there. Men were sleeping out on the lawn in the shade of trees just happy to get some rest.  They would sleep and sleep for hours so exhausted. They would not wake up for meals, and they could sleep through the helicopters coming in.

 I did not see my husband for another month. HE was so surprised when he rolled into camp and I was still there. They added my hours to Hub's paycheck.  This was something that would never happen today.  They are much more organized at fighting fire now. 

It was a real eye opener for me, to see what these men went through.  It was good money, very good money.  Hubs was not employed most of the year those first 10 years of marraige, but he always was able to fight fire in the summer. I think he enjoyed it.  I think most long term firefighters love there work, as back breaking, dirty and dangerous as it can be.  Hubs never really told me any danger stories until after he retired.  I think he knew better.  More tomorrow.

I do think we have to appreciate these men and woman who go out and fight fire, it is an awful job and becomes more dangerous every year.

I have work to do and I had better get started.

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

Kim

 

Monday,Garden surprise, Hot here.

 

It was 108 yesterday and supposed to be 113 today.  Hubs watered in the morning and found the plants wilting in the garden.  We have a very hot wind here and it is using up water almost as fast as we apply it.  But I have been looking for zucchini and not finding any of it.  The yellow squash are producing like crazy and they usually come on after zucchini. When hubs was watering he noticed 4 zucchini among the wilted leaves. Those little buggers hide so well.  It is easy to see the yellow but almost impossible to see the green.  He picked 4 and two are larger than I like but still edible, I just like to pick them smaller.  When they get huge all you can do is grate them and use them in cooking.  So now we have two kinds of squash, green peppers and onions and a few green beans.

There is leftover steak, chicken, some rice for dinner and I will fry up some squash, so I really don't have to cook today!  Yippi!

Hubs and I went this morning early to pay for a generator.  With the excessive heat we are more worried about freezers.  There have been outages due to temperatures.  Eventually we will hire and electrician to wire this directly into our fuse box.  We can always shut one room off and use a space heater for warmth, frozen food can be put outside in the cold.  But heat is another matter.  We have ways to cook and stay warm.

We are taking the littles again tomorrow, as there regular sitter is out for the month.  I am anxiuos to see them.  Hubs understands that he will  bear the brunt of the work, but they are both over 4 now so much easier to watch.  We also have Kelsa and William on Thursday.  I put both of the car seats in the car so Hubs can pick up the littles in the morning.

Lots of wedding dresses and a few piles to go out this week.  I hope to finish at least 4-5 dresses and get them out.  All are due for July 10th. Right now I am going to run over to an elderly widow's house as she called me and said she had to go into surgery on Friday.  She loves Mc D's diet cokes so I will stop and get us each one and go enjoy a good gossip.  I really should be sewing right now, but I don't want to put this off as it is so hot and I want to check on her.

This excessive heat and the wind amplify the fire danger. Hubs feels sorry for anyone having to fight at these temperatures. Hubs and I had a remembering session about his fire career over the weekend.  Some of the stories I did not even remember.  Would any of you be interested in hearing about them?  Some are funny and some are down right terrifying.He fought wild fire for over 40 years and would be gone for months at a time.

Well I am off for a visit and then home to put my nose to the grindstone.  I am so happy about the garden starting to produce.  Do any of you get a thrill out of your garden?

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

Kim

Saturday, Quite day, so nice.

 

I finally cleaned the shop.  Son in law was bringing the kids down and I just set a timer for 15 minutes, and kept resetting it. Kelsa sat in the hall in her bouncer and watched me. It actually only took me 1.5 hours to straighten the whole house, sweep and vacuum and clean the shop. I still have to mop floors and clean bathrooms, but I can do that later today or this evening.

I enjoyed the grand kids and Schmills and I went to wal-mart after Hubs got home to get a lego set he thought he needed.  HE and I love to put together lego kits.

I should have been working on a wedding dress, but I will do that on Monday.

Today hubs and I went to get a diet coke, we stopped by the Albertsons pharmacy to get prescriptions refilled. I wanted to buy some steaks to grill tomorrow and came upon a mother lode of marked down beef (50%).  I bought it all as I had a $7.00 off beef coupon I had earned  through points.  So we are stocked up on beef for a while. Plenty of steaks and a nice roast. I had not bought groceries last week or this week so that gave me extra money for this.

Hubs thinks we need a generator, so we are going to look for one this afternoon. We have talked about it for some time.  Our old house had two fireplaces so we could keep warm if we lost power.  Up here we have no source.  We have lost power in this area for days at a time due to storms (ice). The neighborhood we live in is more prone to power grid shut downs.

We have two missionaries tomorrow for dinner.  I am doing a rice pilaf, grill your own steak, yellow squash from the garden, corn on the cob, tossed salad and some kind of dessert, don't know what yet but I will find something in the freezer. I really should make a cake as I have mixes that I need to use.

It is so nice to have a day with no real plans. Hubs bought a new small tent yesterday as the one he took camping, that he had used for years fire fighting had only one stake with it and a broken zipper.  I am sure one of the kids used it about 7 or 8 years ago and this is the condition it was returned in.  Hubs has been retired for 6 years and had not been out on fire for about 2 years when he retired.So it sat like this.  When we camp we have taken the big family tent. When I was Wal mart last night I bought 10 heavy tent stakes.  He was thrilled.  Those little pieces of metal they give you with tents often won't go into the ground.  Anyway when I woke up this morning (I slept late) he had his new tent set up in the back yard.  Roscoe did not like it and barked at it until he took it down.  I think he thought it was a blue cow or something.

We also need to go look at block to build a wall for our blueberry bed.

Well I am off to putz around and enjoy my day.  What are you guys doing?

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

Kim

Friday, Hubs home and cleaning

 Hubs got home late yesterday afternoon and he destroyed the kitchen and master bedroom unpacking.  HE was so dirty.  I don't know if I will get the outdoor khakis he was wearing clean.  He got right in the shower and I sprayed the pants down with spray and wash and let them sit over night.  They are now soaking in the wash machine with BIZ for an hour or two.

The bed is covered with???? and the closet is tore apart, I just might have to supervise his put away strategy.  Right now he is up in Moscow with Oliver.  He called and said that when he got to the apartment at 6:45 no one would answer the door.  SURE ENOUGH Dan was in the shower.  So when he finally answered Hubs turned around to get something out of his truck and locked the keys in the car.  He was finally able to get the door open with a tape off an extension that Dan had.  Remember that if you find yourself in this mess, that one of those stiff rolling tapes can easily be slid down into a door they are pliable but also stiff enough to hold shape.

Anyway that left me the chickens and the watering again this morning.  Here is what I picked from the garden.  Just a handful of beans left from the deer and yellow squash, which I will cook up this weekend.

You are not going to believe that yesterday,  I was able to hem, take in a three layer wedding dress and bustle it, then hem, and corset back three bridesmaid dresses in the same amount of time it took me to do the stupid red dress and those skirts the day before. I mean really?  Some days are just good and yesterday was a good day.

Nathan is bringing the kids down in the next hour as he has to work and D#2 is still in Spokane working for a dental surgery clinic.  She will be home later tonight, I don't know if she plans on picking up the kids or just getting some rest. 

I went through wedding dresses yesterday and I have 7 due out on the 10th of July plus many bridesmaid dresses.  Next week along with a few piles will be busy.  But I do feel like I got myself on even keel this week.  SO I can concentrate a little on the house.  The floors have not been done since before we left for Hubs folks and they are bad.  But having the grand kids today,may not be the best time to do them.  I will see. If I can get Kelsa down for a nap I plan on altering a couple of bridesmaid dresses and at least getting one wedding dress cut and ready to sew.  I also need to clean the shop.  Probably will do that first.

 We are in a  heat wave here, which does not bother me at all.  But it is supposed to be 117 downtown.  The hottest it ever got here while I have lived here is 121. Although I love the heat, that is too hot and I am thankful for air conditioning which I usually don't like. 

We have no big plans for the weekend, other than cleaning and putting away and then the missionaries (ONLY 2) for dinner on Sunday.  Do you have anything special going on this weekend?

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

Kim

Thursday, another chart, Thrifty Thursday

Finished another chart yesterday, but the day was kind of a bust.  The red dress was a pain and I knew it would be, then it was too small still so I had to rip it out and redo part of it.  I hate that kind of work, as the dress was not worth it, but the client wanted it. Finally got the sucker done.  Then the 4 skirts that needed new elastic were also a pain.  Did not have two kinds of elastic I needed and had to go to Joanns, which interrupts my day. 

I felt like I struggled and sewed all day to only get a few things done.  I realize that not everyday can be a bang up day, but yesterday was just frustrating. Lil sis had a bad day also, so I went over to her house in the late evening to talk her down.  So we all have those days.

Today I have to get a Wedding dress done by this afternoon and a bridesmaid dress.  So it is pressure today. I hope things go well.  We have all talked about how we put things off that really don't take time we just make it up in our heads.  Well the red dress and the skirts had been put off because I knew they would be a pain and they were time consuming.  SO sometimes we put things off because we just know.....

I have a full day ahead of me.  It was over 100 here yesterday and the chickens are going through water like crazy.  Also the garden (which we don't have on the sprinkler system) needs to be watered two times a day now.  But I do love the heat.  

Lil sis is putting in a pool and they start digging next week.  I am so excited. We can go over in the evening and cool off from the day. Also the grand kids are going to love this.

Thrifty Thursday:

1. saved all my spare change

2. saved all my $5 bills now $1310.00

3. saved a $1,$5,$10,$20 bill

4. saved money in two of my 100 envelope challenge

5. paid my real estate taxes with money earned in the shop and saved since January.

6. used coupons at Joanns

7. did not have to use any meat out of freezers for the last 3 days as hubs is gone.

8. still have plenty of fresh veg as hubs has been gone

9. eating squash and onions from the garden and few green beans dang deer.

10. Found .54 in spare change

11. Used a gift card to get some filler plants and stakes at Home depot

12. used a gift card to get a salad at Taco time while hubs was gone No cooking!

13. Went to thrift stores and bought nothing!

Well I need to go get to work, that wedding dress won't do itself.

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

Kim

Wednesday,Working the list

 Kim did get to work yesterday ticking things off her list and she cleaned up so many piles.  We should be proud of her. She also ate captain crunch for dinner and it was lovely. Sluggy called and we had a great chat. I watched more Downton Abby.  I missed so many episodes when it first came out, so it is fun to see those.  The weeds I sprayed are looking sicker than ever.  SO hurrah!

I have to water and take care of chickens. I forgot to take out the garbage, so I hope we can get through next week without overfilling the can.  When we moved to this house we had the smallest can the city allows and we never changed it to a larger can.  One more way to save money. But you do have to be careful. 

Roscoe was sick last night, but seems to be better today, I don't know if he got into something, or it is the heat. Of course he had to get sick on the carpet in the formal front room as usual. I mean why not throw up on the laminate floor?  He still seems a little off today, so I am watching him a little closer than usual.

I was able to get the sleeves and lace off a wedding dress yesterday while I visited with Slugs.  That bride is coming in today, but I forgot what time.  I will have to do a little bit of a redesign for her. There are many things due out Friday and I need to really stay in the shop today.  But I was so encouraged by what I got done yesterday and that will keep me motivated.

The grocery sales came out today and not one thing that I want  or need.  Not one loss leader, boy have grocery adds been crappy. Usually there is one item to stock up on, but zip, nothing, nada. With hub's gone I did not go through the produce that I normally go through so I see no shopping this week.  We do have two missionaries for dinner on Sunday, so maybe I will spring for some steaks to grill.

Well I am off to finish the list I did not get done yesterday and then some I hope.

1. remodel red dress

2. alter bridesmaid dress

3. put new elastic in four skirts

4. alter another bridesmaid dress

5. take in and hem a wedding dress for Thursday pick up.

6. maybe get to a third bridesmaid dress? It seems I have another due out I had better find it.

Kim is on a roll and she is getting that shop cleared out.  Well not really as it comes in as fast as it goes out, but at least I don't have piles of jeans and pants all round my machine.

Have any of you noticed that the grocery adds are dismal?

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

Kim

Tuesday, Kim's day off, really!

 Well I had wonderful plans for yesterday and I talked to Sissie when she called and she was accusing me of napping all day or the potential to nap all day and of course I denied it.

After I blogged I went into my shop which is such a disaster and turned around and went outside and picked up two particular weeds that are overtaking the rockery and then hot footed it to the farm store with weeds in hand. I knew one of them was spurge but I wanted them to see what I wanted to kill.

I bought $40.00 worth of product and came home and sprayed for a couple of hours.  It was 94 and lovely.  By the way all the weeds look like they are on their way out this morning so I was right Hub's is not mixing his spray correctly, or it is past its effectiveness. Then I came in the house and I binge watched Downton Abby.  I actually laid on the bed (no I did not nap) and I watched TV and did nothing and it was lovely.  Don't know when the last time was that I wasted that much time doing nothing.

I did get in another wedding dress and another bridesmaid dress and the shop has been busy all day, and I am going to get in there and I am not leaving until I have gotten rid of many, many piles. Several dresses are due out this Friday and now I think I have 4 wedding dresses that need to go out. I will probably regret my lazy day by Thursday, but boy was it nice.

SO here is my list, maybe if I make a list I will convince myself to do something?  ANYTHING besides eat oreos?

1. mend three pair missionary pants

2. alter 4 pair of missionary pants

3. hem a pair of jeans

4. hem a pair of jeans

5. patch a pair of jeans

6. hem a pair of camo pants

7. hem two jeans

8. fix pocket on 3 pants

9. hem shirt and mend pillow case

10. hem jeans

11. alter red dress

12. replace elastic in 4 skirts

13. hem at least two bridesmaid dresses

14. rip 2 wedding dress one for try on tomorrow Got one done

15. hem three pairs ladies dress pants

Okay I think that is enough, long list but many items are fast jobs so let's see what Kim can knock out shall we?

Still need to sit down and write out checks, and I will not allow myself to watch anymore TV until that is done.

Do any of you procrastinate?  What do you procrastinate the most?

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

Kim

Monday, Couple days off and exhausted.

 Can't say why but this is how I feel.  Haven't blogged for a couple days, just took the weekend off because I was too busy!  Hold it weekend's are for me right?  Wrong....

Started out with two bridesmaid dresses that had to be fixed by Saturday morning and a Saturday morning Bridal fitting for an out of town bride.  Got those things done on very little sleep mind you as Kelsa had a bad cough and was up late.  She was trying to sleep and never opened her eyes but threw herself around and cried pitifully off an on.  So grammy stayed up watched TV and held her.  She was much better on Sunday.  Saturday afternoon I got a call from a desperate client needing a suit altered and pressed for a 9 o clock job interview today.  That was done and picked up after church on Sunday.  I swear pressing that things that had been wadded up in a bag was harder than the alteration.

After church I came home to a mess and made 12 dozen Swedish meatballs, and roasted some garden squash with cauliflower and then made up a strawberry, rhubarb pie. I had brought rhubarb home from my in laws, so it along with the pie crusts were in the freezer.  We took dinner up to Daughters and then Nate was able to come and eat on his lunch break as he was on patrol that day.  I was able to use up a small bag of potentates that were sprouting and I froze 8 dozen meatballs for dinner later.

Hubs spent the weekend packing for a 4 day camping trip with a buddy.  SO happy he can do this, but he could not remember where he had put anything and about drove me crazy.  I don't put away his things and I have no idea where he puts his stuff.  I helped where I could, but I was happy to see him take off.  I don't have to cook for the next 4 days yippee!  Cold cereal dinners here I come. I am going to insist he put all the camping things he needs in one spot when he gets home.  Don't want to live through that again.

The piles in the shop are out of control and that will be my concentration today. Plus I am going to clean and give it a good vacuum.  It is time. Not having to cook dinner and getting to control the TV means I can sew into the night.  I have checked the chickens and will have to water this evening.  I noticed that Hubs was over watering some of my pots so I am going to take back that duty.  Geraniums (the deer won't eat those) like to be soaked and then allowed to dry out completely, he has not allowed them to dry out and they are losing their blooms. It has been nice having him water but not at the cost of the plants. I am also going to spray weed while he is gone as nothing has died and he insists that they are on their way out and they are bigger and badder than ever!

We are having a big get together on the 4th and I want the weeds gone!!!!!! He has sprayed twice now and no results.  I cannot go out and hand weed all these rock beds.  I hand weeded all the flower beds in our old place but here they must be sprayed. I woman with a mission. Do any of you have missions this week?  If so what are they?

Well I am off to get tome swing done.  Wish me luck I so need it.

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

Kim

Friday, Not going as planned, make you bed!

 Not my house, but how nice if it was...

   Loved Rhitter's post today about making your bed to be more productive.  In fact as I sat here reading blogs in my cloffice I noticed that the bed was unmade.  The new lamp shades that I bought 3 weeks ago were still not on the lamps, the tables were dusty and the trash cans were full.  Everyday I come into this room and ignore these things, as I hurry to the tasks I think are more important. Like wasting 25 minutes on youtube watching sheep farming.

  So while I was watching the video( Rhitter's not sheep farming) she put in her blog, I quickly made the bed, changed the pillow slips for new, and replaced lamp shades, dusted and emptied trash.  I am back to typing and this took less than 5 minutes. I feel so much better.  There is also a method to my madness.

D#2 came home from a camping trip with two sick kids. Both Schmills and Kelsa have bad colds again.  Remember those years when you littles went from one cold to the next?  Anyway Daughter thinks she tore her rotater cuff two weeks ago while tubing behind the boat.  She has been to the doctor twice and no difference on the pain.  SO hubs was to go up and watch the kids late this afternoon so she could go back to doctor.  Well she called this morning and said that Schmill had come into their bedroom last night and threw up all over the bed, and Kelsa coughed and cried most of the night.  Nate got no sleep and had to go to a twelve hour shift.  She was exhausted.  So Hubs just left to drive up and get the kids, she will come down and spend the night here.  This way Nate can come home and sleep before his next shift and she can get some rest.  Which means we will get no sleep. You see how that works don't you?  But Hubs and I can split shifts.  I thought she should have a nice clean room to come into and now I am trying to figure out how I am going to get my sewing done.

I had a bride here this morning and I have to do a little more to her dress which she will pick up this afternoon.  I also have another wedding dress to fix that will be picked up tomorrow. Plus I did not get to attack the piles yesterday. Although I did sew hard for several hours. 

So my plan today is to quickly and efficiently  go into each room in my house and spend 15 minutes just getting things done and some rooms won't even take 15 minutes. I know this will make me feel better and I will be able to sew with a good conscience.  See how much reading blogs can help?  We have a such a great community to draw inspiration from.

I am missing my Sissie dreadfully today and my heart is with My Slugster, I wish we could just get together and have a good laugh or a good cry.

Well I am off to set the world on fire after I watch a vlog about sheep.....:)

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

Kim

Thursday, busy and Thrifty Thursday

 I am just chained to my sewing machine here and more work keeps coming in.  I have all the wedding dresses for June done and out, and in the last 24 hours I have had two calls for July dresses.  SO I have pulled them and I really need to concentrate on those as some of them are for the 10th of July which is coming right up.  Ugh! It just never ends.  I really need Sissie here to keep me on track.

I have three bridesmaid dresses, cut, serged and ready to hem and steam waiting for me in the shop.  I have to complete a wedding dress today for pickup tomorrow at ten and then I swear I have to attack the piles they are getting out of control and that makes me buggy.

Hubs took off for the mountains today.  He was getting antsy with not enough to do.  I wish that were me, but then I would be cleaning or doing laundry. Speaking of laundry need to go switch it over. Yeah one more thing done but alas the ironing basket grows by leaps and bounds.

Daughter just called (eldest) and has an opportunity to go to Hawaii, but her hubby can't go so she wanted to know if I would go with.  It is a beach house for two families and the other family  invited her when they had a cancellation.  So free beach house?  I said I would be glad to go. There will be a total of 7 kids and 4 adults, so I can be chief cook and bottle washer, but I don't mind as I get to go to Hawaii!  It will be in November. Boy Kim is just going to be a traveling granny soon.

I need to run out and pay the taxes today, can't forget that.

THRIFTY THURSDAY:

1. saved all my spare change

2. saved a $1,$5,$10,$20 bill.

3. saved money in my 100 envelope challenge

4. saved all my $5 bills now up to  $1255.00

5. picked up change numerous times in Mc d's drive though and found money while shopping, total for the week, $2.71 cents it was a good week.

6. did not buy groceries last week as no loss leaders and we would be gone.

7. ate our first harvest from the garden (summer yellow squash)

8. Bought Hubby new suits and sport coats all on good sales, CLOTHES HE DID NEED

9. used a $20.00 off coupon at Talbots for clothes I DID NOT NEED!

10. Used lace I already had to fix a bride dress and made money on it!

11. had the air turned off while we were gone and will have to turn it on today

12. touched up my roots with kits that were gifted by Sluggy (I haven't had to buy hair dye for several years now thanks to Slugs right aid fetish)

13.cooked at home from stock all meals I could finally used up the peppers that were starting to turn in fajitas last night.

14. Picked up a few free items at Albertsons, mostly crackers but free is free

15. made my own mixes like taco, fajita and shake and bake, so simple and much tastier and cheaper.

16. daughter brought over produce that she knew they would not eat and we ate it.

 What things did you do to save money this last week?  Any good ideas? Some of you have said that you are going to start to think about not putting off travel and fun for a later date.  What have you decided to do to enjoy life and not wait for the perfect time?  The perfect time never comes my friends.

Say a prayer for Slugs as she drives to her cousins funeral.

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

Kim

 

Wednesday, thoughts

 Thanks so much for all of your great advice and thoughts about this situation I am in with Hubs folks.  I have decided that we will only take them as a last resort.  And I mean last.  It is just not good for Hubs and they have the money for alternative sources.  Now Hubs mother would be fine, she is a sweet gentle soul.  Hubs father does not have long left, but who can predict?  He is very swollen, his feet and abdomen.  All I can do is pray it is soon.

The deer are eating our garden and I don't know what to do to stop the little buggers.  My beans are all chewed down and they were just beginning to produce.  My cabbages and lettuce are gone again.  SO I guess we just plant what they won't eat.  The only other choice we have is to put up an electric fence and personally I don't trust my grandsons, not to mess with it.

Hubs was out early this morning moving a metal wheel chair ramp for the city. They had a good crew so it took much less time than he thought it would.  Then he mowed the lawn, which takes him about 20 minutes.  Now if we could just get the weed killer he sprays to kill the weeds.  I think I will have to take matters into my own hands.

The shop was crazy yesterday with at least 15 people in here.  I did get a wedding dress done yesterday, but alas another came in to replace it.  I will finish up a mother of the bride dress and then I have to attack the piles and hem at least one dress and three other bridesmaid dresses, oh and another bridesmaid dress.  Anyway it will be a good long day in the shop.

Some good news is that we had a great rainstorm yesterday, which we desperate needed in this area. Now if we could just get another within the week that would be great.

I mentioned in a comment on Slug's blog that I was ready to go on a cruise to Alaska, and she had it planned and in the bank in less than 24 hours. So one of my bucket list trips is in the making.  I am so happy and feel so good about this decision. I know we will have a ball.  Stupid is as stupid does.....

I just put a small roast in the microwave to thaw and I will make fajitas tonight with some of it as I have peppers that need to be used up. No real sales in the paper that I want, but I do need to get a few items at the store as far as produce is concerned. We ate yellow squash out of the garden last night and a handful of string beans the deer happened to miss, drat their hides.

I need to do laundry and clean up every room in this house, but that will be after I get sewing done for the day. My oh my am I busy.  But I feel at peace right now about my depression  concerning Hubs folks and about our taking the time to start traveling a little.  This weekend although very scary, was a good lesson for me.

Do any of you learn life lessons the hard way?

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

Kim

Tuesday, Back and nothing good to report

 Well I am happy I went but boy are things rough right now.  Hubs had offered to go down by himself, but I knew that was not a good idea, as he would just be one more burden to his mom and he would have been as the first thing he wanted when we got down there was to be taken care of, as in will you make me something to eat? I wanted to strangle him.

There was no food in the house to just grab and eat.  She (my mother in law) has lots of meat and things to cook with but really can't seem to cook anymore. They are living on homemade bread (which she is having trouble making) and eggs. She is still buying the cheapest least expensive  food stuffs she can find. This is going to lead into another discovery that has me really upset and there is nothing we can do about it.

We sat down with her financial advisor and found out that mom and dad are worth over 1/2 a million dollars and are living on far less than they take in every month.  She pinches every penny she can to the point of eating rotten food.  She has done this all her life and has not needed to.  Why so you can leave you kids money?  I was so shocked and in tears. I have watched this woman live in penury for 43 years and it is just ridiculous. But we are not going to change her.

She had a list of things to be done, and hubs slowly did them.  He was waiting for me to take charge and I refused, as it is not my place to get involved in the money matters. He sprayed fruit trees, went a bought chemicals for her trees and berry bushes, fixed something on the car, brought wheat up form the basement.  I cooked meals which she ate well at so she will eat if someone cooks, but she is down to a size 2 now and says she just doesn't enjoy food anymore.  Well who would when you eat rotten food to save money?

Dad is much worse although he can still walk very slowly with alot of grunting and groaning.  HE can still talk, but does not make much sense most of the time.  He is very demanding and stubborn and hard for mom to handle. HE seemed to get worse the longer we were there, so I think company is hard for him.  But something must be done now as it is dangerous for mom to care for him and she has grown so weak.  They ( meaning hub's and his siblings) have to face this fact. Either dad goes into a care facility or they have to live with one of us until dad goes.

We are willing to take them.  Hubs does not handle his dad well at all and I saw this first hand as his way of dealing with his dad's dementia is to start yelling.  Not helping.  I can deal with them both better than hubs can. " A soft answer turneth away wrath."  I don't know what the future will hold but it scares me.

One thing I did learn on this trip is that I am going to enjoy what time hubs and I have left.

Segue: Hubs and I always talked and planned on going on a mission for our church. We also planned on buying a small piece of property in the woods, to put a small cabin on.  Someplace for our family to gather and have fun.  We planned to travel.  Going down to hubs folks and looking at the money they have saved and now they have no way of spending it, has made me realize this will not happen to me.

Well sad to say my future and much sooner than I ever thought is going to be much like my mother in laws.  I just want to cry typing this.  In fact I have been in tears off and on all weekend.  Hubs health as far as physical is much better with his weight loss, but his mind is not. Between his hearing loss, and his tremors and medications, his mind is not good and only getting worse.  This is leading to fits of temper (so far only around family).  He is suffering from crippling anxiety because his memory is so bad.  We have given up going on a mission, and we have given up the cabin idea.  He just cannot fulfill these two dreams.

Now he can still do many things. Unless you lived with him you would not notice the changes I am observing, but reality bites  The combination of hearing loss and the essential tremors leads to early onset dementia. This is so hard. All I could see at my in laws house was my future and we will not be in our 90's when this happens.

I have decided we need to start doing a little more traveling and not put off till tomorrow what we can do now.  The future is not really that bright.  I will not be stupid with money, but I will not scrimp and save like my mother in law.  It is just stupid. We still have to pay off the house, and we will, but we have plenty to do things with and we are going to do them. 

Sorry for the long post, but what is your opinion on this information? or I should say this update?

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

Kim

Thursday, fast turn around, Thrifty Thursday

 

This is by far the fastest I have ever had a turn around on one of my savings charts.  But with all those sewing things people had not picked up for weeks, and not buying any groceries this week and no car payment look what I was able to do?  Amazing!  I have enough cash to pay our real estate taxes without hitting the savings account. Taxes due on the 20th $1397.63.  I had been saving for these all year and now I don't have to touch that money.  Score!

Daughter brought the babies down yesterday so they could go boating.  We had both Oliver and Kelsa.  Hubs came home later in the afternoon and he was beat so I took Oliver and he took Kelsa and we both napped in separate rooms.  I only got the swimsuit done but I don't care, babies are more fun and more important. Both daughters and Husbands came home freezing. B left in my clothes and I was laughing at her as the pants she had on were way too short, she just looked silly.

I did get the ironing done which was so nice.  I actually have clothes to choose from.  I was really getting down to the nitty gritty. We are leaving here within the hour as we lose and hour going south with a time change and we need to meet with Mom and dad's financial advisor at 7:00. It takes about 5 hours to get to Nampa.

I will meet eldest daughter and her MIL in Boise on Saturday.  We will go to lunch and I will take Hub's mom out with me so she has a chance to get away.  Hubs can stay with his dad and spray fruit trees.  Friday I have to take hub's to get a couple of new sport coats, some dress pants and a couple of suits for church.  Everything he owned was donated months ago.  He has kept the 45 lbs he lost off for over a year now.  He has nothing to wear to church.

Thrifty Thursday:

1. If you are saving a penny a day put $50.11 away for June I out that in my penny can

2. saved all my $5.00 bills now have $1190.00 saved

3. saved all my change in my pig bank

4. saved a $1,$5,$10,$20 bill

5. saved money in one of my 100 envelope  challenge

6. found $1.31 at different Mc'ds (I had to work for it, but a dime was in  Wal mart parking lot)

7. Cooked all meals from scratch  and did not eat out at all.

8. Used a coupon at Joanns for items needed

9. Used lace on a wedding dress saved from an old dress and charged client going rate.

10. kept air conditioner off during this cooler weather.

 Well I need to get going Hubs is home from walking the dog.

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

Kim

Wednesday, Slow down and take notes

 My of my have I been busy.  Having someone in the shop the last two days was so nice, as it did lift the load of little things I had to do.  It allowed me to concentrate on the big jobs. I am happy to say I only have one more wedding dress due out for the month of June.  I have at least 8 left for July, and I am not allowing August dresses in until I get back.

I slept hard and late this morning which I needed after two long intensive days of sewing.  But it was worth it, as I feel like I can breathe again. I was able to get out last night and replant lettuce and plant some pole beans and a couple of eggplant I found on sale. The yard is finally coming together, just a few more things that need to be done.

Hubs is out building a wheel chair ramp for a couple.  They really needed it but could not get a contractor.  They did not qualify for the free program with the city, but Hubs made arrangements for them to make a donation in place of the cost of materials.  He met with officials yesterday for permission. 

I feel caught up somewhat, but have a pretty bad headache today. Probably from over sleeping.:) There are 4 things I really need to get done today so tomorrow is free to blog, pack and leave. 

1. alter a swimsuit (Ugh)

2. finish a mother of the bride

3. alter the last June wedding dress.

4. get my ironing done it is taking over and I have very little to choose from to wear.

I made major phone calls the last 2 days about picking up dresses that have been here for weeks.  I used the excuse and not really an excuse but a fact that my father in law is failing and we have to leave town and really have no control until he passes on when I will be in town.  So if they wanted to have a dress they had better come and get it.  That seemed to work.  But any new dresses coming in, in the future will have to sign a clause on a three day pickup or a storage charge.

It is a very short list so why am I sitting here saying, I don't want to do it? Maybe I need a fire under my A$$ to move or be motivated?

Anyway, grateful to be some what caught up and to have things picked up!

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

 

Kim

Tuesday, Crying Uncle!

Completed another chart yesterday and I am onto #10.  So things are rolling around here pretty fast. It was nice having some help in the shop yesterday even though I in no way am what I would call caught up, it did take the edge off, maybe... although I had so much more work come in that I don't think it really did help.  Okay that last sentence makes no sense, but that is where I am. 

Hubs got the weeds sprayed again yesterday, hopefully this will do the trick, as they are getting bad.  Our garden is doing great, as we work hard to keep the critters out. I am starting more lettuce on the back deck, but hubs is building a cage to enclose the pot, so we can keep the deer out.  Hubs is at a meeting with the city to build another couple of wheel chair ramps. I think he will be bringing home the wood and build one here in the garage.

I sewed about 5 hours yesterday and then my back rebelled.  So I laid down for a couple hours late afternoon. We were having leftovers for dinner, so I did not have to cook and slept until 6:00 then did some garden work with hubs.

In the evening I watched a movie and repaired my grandmothers crocheted table cloth.  It took over 3 hours to recrochet and attach all the places where it was weak or coming apart. But I like to have something to do when I am watching tv.  Do you guys do any hand work when you are watching tv?

 I love this table cloth and I have had to repair it several times.  But you cannot buy these. I did crochet a table cloth for Hub's mom probably 35 years ago and she uses it every day.  It is the one thing I do want when they both go.  It took me over 2 years to make.  These are treasures. Of course Roscoe wanted to get in the picture.

I had two more wedding dresses picked up and I have a couple I want to get done today.  Plus there is a huge pile of things to do.  My helper is coming in again today again so that is nice.

All I can do is take a deep breath and keep going. I am reaching the point of crying Uncle and it is only June.  I know Anne in the kitchen, said I would reach this point, i just didn't realize it would be so soon.

Just had another bride call and I told her to call again in July.  My shop was too full.

Okay I am off to work.

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

Kim

Monday,Another week in Wedding Hell

 I am so hoping to kick through a pile of dresses this week.  I have help coming in today and I am thinking or hoping that this will give me a leg up.  We will see?

Dinner went well yesterday and the boys ate almost everything I put in front of them.  Boy can they eat.  Like 32 baking powder biscuts. Amazing, I am always amazed.  Having raised only girls I am not used to what boys can eat.

Today this is what Kim hopes to accomplish:

1. take in, hem and put straps on a bridesmaid dress

2. attach a bustle loop to wedding dress

3. finish up the hand work on a wedding dress, straps, bustle

4. redo and put a lace up on a mother of the bride dress

5. hem mother of the bride dress

6. put 4 patches on a leather vest

7. put 7 patches on a leather vest

8. do a lace up back on a bridesmaid dress

9. alter and top in the shoulders, and shorten straps on three bags

10. fix straps on two tops

11. hem a bridesmaid dress

12. hem and straps  and take in another bridesmaid dress

13. alter and hem a wedding dress

14. steam and antique wedding dress.

15. Figure out what else needs to be done before we leave on Thursday

16. Dinner?  leftovers Hurrah!

Do you think I can get this done with help?  Let's see....

Go Kim, go, go, go.

I am back to my old primers.

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

Kim

p.s. if you are saving a penny day you will need to put  $50.11 away for June. :)

Sunday, Feeding the crew

 I did nothing useful yesterday, but I did have two wedding dresses picked up.  I had 6 scheduled pickup's on Friday and not one showed, so I am going to tell brides and bridesmaid dresses that they have 3 days after the call or I charge a storage fee.  I am making little cards and having them sign them and attaching them to the dresses.

I normally do not take clients on Saturday, but when they were willing to pick up I let them.  Both were ball gown type dresses and very large, so I was happy to get them out of the shop. Then I perused second hand stores and just pooped around the rest of the day.  It was lovely.

I have the missionaries eating here at 4.  SO I am doing a roast, garlic mashed tomatoes, roast carrots and onion, gravy, and a yummy fruit salad.  We will have smores for dessert.  I am keeping that easy. I think I will do up a double batch of biscuits.

Kelsa and Schmills and daughter are here.  Daughter thoroughly vacuumed and mopped  my whole house for me and I am so grateful.  Kelsa took a nap with grandpa and now daughter is napping and Kelsa is hollering so I had better go see what she wants.

I have a very busy week ahead of me in the shop and I have a friend coming to help me tomorrow, so I can catch up on the piles. Hubs and I want to take off for Nampa Thursday at noon and I have so much to get out of the shop before I leave.  I think I only have 3 more wedding dresses due out for June maybe 4.  I want those all done if possible.

It is so nice to have the house cleaned it just takes a load off my mind.

Have a restful and peaceful Sabbath.

Kim

Friday, National donut day!

 Just so everyone knows, Kim took all her money to the bank yesterday and will be making weekly deposits from now on.  I was actually scared when I sat down and emptied the envelopes and counted all that money.  Then I took it to the bank in a plastic grocery bag and assured the teller I was not selling drugs. You know they are always finding drug money in plastic grocery bags. Luckily it was one of my former students, and she knows perfectly well what a dingbat I am.  She was like "Oh Miss Kim".

Today is national donut day not that I need a day set aside for donuts, but it is nice to celebrate. Don't know how I am going to do that as I had a 10:00 bride, an 11:00 pickup, I have a noon bride,I have a 2:00 bride, I have a 4:00 bride and a 5:00 bride.  I need a donut delivery service and I don't think there is one.  Which I find just tragic.

Hubs is up helping daughter with the babies today and they are at Schmills field day.  I have the dogs and I am telling you sometimes the babies are easier. Last night after a very long, hard, frustrating day in the shop, D#2 brought dogs down and the little shits immediately take off while Hubs and I are watering. Her new puppy is a runner and the older dog just follows for fun.  This is the second time we have had to hunt them down.  I was tired, and I needed to get to the grocery store for a few things and my nerves were so frazzled. I know it was Hubs that let them out as he pays attention to nothing, but I did not accuse, I just melted down and told him I was going to have a stroke.  After we drove around and found them,  I told hubs he was driving and he was going to take care of me.  I needed taken care of, I just could not stand one more bit of stress.  I think I scared him, because I take care of him and he has no thought about my state of mind.  So he drove right to MCd's and got me a soda and an icecream cone:)

Anyway we got groceries, and even though we just picked up fruit, and salad things, and a few loss leaders, like butter, we still spent our $60.00 food budget for the week.  I did buy two good sized roasts as we are feeding 6 missionaries on Sunday, and they had roasts for $3.29 a pound. I have found that meat and potatoes, gravy, biscuts and a simple dessert are what they want and this is the cheapest way to feed them.

I have 6 wedding dresses in the shop that need to be picked up, and I have 19 in the shop total.  I am frustrated with people not picking up their dresses. I don't have the room and it just gets dang overwhelming to have this much stuff in a small room.  Hopefully I will get a couple out today. It makes me feel overwhelmed and I don't do well with that feeling, as it triggers my ADHD and I start to get nothing done.

This is looking into the shop.  Look at that rack.  I have no where to put things.

The entire wall, it is crazy.  Now look at the closet where I usually hang things that are done, but it is now full of both because I have no room. Which gets confusing.

I have dresses hung in the closet as I have no place else to put them which is why I need people to pick up.  I think I am going to start a storage fee if dresses are not picked up with in a week of a call.

I feel like I am sewing in wedding hell.  I am so grateful to be busy, but it is frustrating when people don't pick up. Amy suggestions in how to solve this problem without sounding bitchy?

I mean I have to work in this environment.  Would you be overwhelmed?

Okay enough of Kim complaining, as it is not solving anything and she needs to get to work, so she can go out tonight and get a donut.  I hope there are some left.  Now I have something else to worry about......

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

Kim

Thursday, dang deer!, Thrifty Thursday

 When I was making Hub's salad last night I used the last head of lettuce and was telling myself that I was not going to need to buy anymore as I had at least 10 heads of romaine that were ready to pick for future salads.  Well that was before the deer got to is last night, they did not leave much.

I am telling you this move has been really hard on our gardening skills, or maybe it has made us learn new ones. Like I will not plant petunias anymore.  I love wave petunias but so do the deer and they chop off every blossom they come to.

So the scare crow seems to be doing his job in the garden, although when I am out watering I see him out of the corner of my eye and I think it is hubs as he is in hubs old clothes.  But we have no lights or scarecrow by the back deck so the deer have a salad bar.

Hubs is almost done with the second layer of snake fence, so Roscoe will not be able to get out of the back area to the snakes.  Hubs has plugged all holes in the lower fence. He now will have to build a style as we cannot climb over anymore and there are times when we will have to get over.  Like when a mother cow has a baby that escapes, which seems to happen with frequency. She stands there mooing as loudly as she can, and the calf just calmly chews on the longer grass with gusto.

I have major sewing to get done today. I cannot believe the volume of work I have.  I am so blessed.  I was able to figure out what I want to get done in the next 10 days and it is a lot with more coming in by the hour. The Native American store called and wants as many skirts as she can get by July.  Yeah I am just laughing about it right now....

Thrifty Thursday:

1. saved all my change

2. saved $1,$5,$10,$20 bill now have 22 weeks so $792

3. saved all $5 bills now have $1125.00

4. saved money in my 100 envelope challenge now have $2,182.00

5. Cooked all meals at home with company except for one where we went out.

6. used up many things from the freezer while company was here to make large meals

7. used coupons at Joanns for product.

8. used stock I had in the shop rather than buying things to repair items and then charged client

9. bought many items on sale as loss leaders before the kids came to save money

10. Recovered thrifted pillows for back deck and yard chairs.

11. downloaded receipts to fetch 

Hubs wants me to take all the money I have saved to the bank.  He does not feel safe with this much cash in the house.  I want to wait until the end of the year, but I am already well over $4,000.  What do you think?  Bank? or just keep saving here?

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

Kim

Wednesday, back in the saddle a day early

 The kids are gone and all the remnants of company are still here, but I don't care I will ignore them for a time. I need to get back in the shop a day earlier than expected due to some things happening around here.

Hub's mom called and said that a doctor visited the house and spent a good hour with Dad and his time is near.  Water is building up around the liver and the swelling from his congestive heart failure would soon not allow him to walk.  Hospice will be called in and more help will arrive.  I know with my dad (step) once he reached the unable to walk phase he only lasted three days.  So we are planning a trip to Nampa in about 10 days.  I want to have all dresses due out for June done,just in case we have to leave unexpectedly.  I don't want brides going off the deep end.

I had a call yesterday from a client, who said she needed a little alternation on her wedding dress (which to me means alot) her reception dress (which means she is over the top) her mother's dress, her maid of honors dress.  SO I asked when the wedding was.  June 19th!  I told her she should have been in here two months a go.  She said she would call someone else.  I told her there was no one else who would do weddings. (Now shaking my head)  So she is due in here today at 4:00 with her group, then I have to run Roscoe to the vet for a rattlesnake vaccine, and then back to greet another bride at 5:30.

Hubs is at the high school tonight and has been at someones house all morning helping install bathtub handles, for the elderly.  Snort, like we aren't elderly.  He does this for the city aging society, along with building steps and wheel chair ramps.I had him scheduled to take Roscoe in but he was called into the school, one more thing for Kim's old schedule. Kim plans God laughs.

I think we have finally eaten up most of the leftovers, with just a few bits and bobs going to the chickens.  SO no waste which makes me happy.

Things to get done today:

1. go to bank

2. go to wal-mart

3. finish back porch cushions

4. figure out what has to be done in shop to get everything out in the next week for June!!!!!

5. What is for dinner?

6. sew something anything...

Well I am off to see what chaos I can quell.  Hey Quelling Chaos is a great blog name.

Did you all have a nice memorial day weekend? What did you do?

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

Kim

Tuesday, still crazy here

 You are probably sick of Kelsa pictures, but she is so stinken cute. This is a 6 month outfit and she is 9 months old. My house may never be the same, but I sure have enjoyed having the kids here.  Nate just came down and took the kids out on the boat and Hubs and I are home with Kelsa.

Eldest and her two are leaving later today and this house is going to be so quiet when they are all gone. I have had several calls today for the shop but I am putting everyone off until Thursday as I just want to enjoy my time left with the kids and a day to recover.  I also think I have Kelsa tomorrow for some reason and I can't remember why.

We had a nice dinner with all the kids at a restaurant in Moscow last night and it was so nice to leave the cleanup to someone else.  We left a large tip as the cleanup was a little extensive with two babies and 3 other boys.  There was no Roscoe to clean up the floor.

I need to shorten a pair of pants for my daughter and I want to get the cushions finished for outside and some flowers planted in pots I have picked up, maybe if I can get Kelsa down for a nap I can get those things done.

It is turning very hot here as in record breaking heat.  Now I don't mind as I love the heat, but I am worried about the fire season.  We just really need rain here. Yesterday as I was leaving town I got a call from Lil sis who was up on the prairie and was worried about her plants, so I turned around and went to water her things before I left.

Gas is up to $3.13 here although you can still find it for $2.90 if you look.  What is gas where you live now? 

I filled my savings envelopes this morning and I am trying to get the kids to eat all the leftovers before they leave.  Sent several snacks we had bought earlier in the week out on the boat, hoping to get rid of them.

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

Kim