Onto # 8, which puts me right where I want to be. It is much harder to put away money with groceries and gas becoming so high, but we try and not waste trips and are living off what we have and cooking from scratch even more than before. The grocer adds were dismal again except for Hams are on sale so I will go and get the one I am limited to. You can get a lot of meals from one ham.
I actually turned the thermostat down a month ago from 72 to 68 and our bill went down to below $100 for the house. Yes, I have been a little chilled at times, but I just put on a sweater or get a blanket to put over my legs.
I have been stopping every morning to cut alfalfa that grows wild beside the road. I get a good armful in the back of the pickup and then give it to the chickens. They love it and it saves on feed.
I love bacopa in my flowers pots and it is so easy to propagate. I did 24 starts, and they are doing well. So, buying 6 plants allowed me to have 30 plants. I will give some to Lil sis for her pots.
Yesterday, I was able to get the three wedding dresses done by 2 in the afternoon and then picked two more, one of which I finished except for cutting the top layers, which I need the bride in the dress to do this. Then I started on another, which I had to pick the lace off in order to alter. It was yards off the bottom in order to move up and hem. This kind of work is fatiguing. I was getting a crick in my back so I took some Aleve and the decided that I was done for the day and that I would not do the ironing.
I just did not want to push myself, although I was very proud of the amount of work I got done. Today I will do what I can to finish that wedding dress and call for a fitting. I also have two dresses getting picked up today and I have a small pile of things that came in yesterday and the two prom dresses I did not get to finish yesterday. If I can get this much done, I will be pleased as that leaves me two days for the Native American skirts.
I need to make a large dessert for a funeral on Saturday. I am going to make a trifle. Berries are not the best price, but they are on sale, and I have the whip creme, cake mix, and pudding mix, plus I have milk that needs to be used up. I will layer it in a large bowl and take it to the church.
I have to get up and feed the chickens every day, and I am grateful for a husband who takes care of this work for me. Dragging the hose or carrying the heavy large water container. He also waters the newly planted things and the seedlings. I forgot to take the garbage out last night. All three cans were to go this week. Garbage, recycling, and yard waste could all be put out. The yard waste can was full and really needed to go. But my kind neighbor saw that our cans were not out and did it for me. I know hubs always does her cans for her and it was so nice of her to see that they were not done and step in for me, as I just don't think of these things in time. Hubs also makes sure that the animals large watering containers are full. So, I had both the dog and the cats to fill up. This is hard to do with arthritic hands.
Eldest daughter just called and said James took off on his scooter ahead of Hubs while they were taking a walk. He has done this before with his other grandmother, so he does know better. But I think he thought he would pull one over on Grandpa. Hubs could not find him and finally went home thinking he had headed for home. He then called daughter and her entire office grabbed keys and headed out to look for him. So, several attorneys and staff all out looking. In the meantime, Hubs was out in the car looking for him. A woman spotted this little boy at a very busy intersection far from the house and stopped and called the police, who then took James home.
James was able to tell his name and address and the officer knew right away whose kid he was. Anyway, Hubs was really upset, as he should be, James is in trouble and daughter took him to her husband's office where he has to sit quietly for the afternoon, when he could be home playing with grandpa. I don't think he will do this again as he actually got lost this time. Fun! Never a dull moment I tell you.
Have any of you ever lost a child, or a grand kid on your watch? It is a scary moment I tell you. I am so glad hubs did not call me and I heard about it after he was found. I don't need that kind of stress.
Well, I am off to get some work done. Maybe I can get the ironing done tonight.
Have a great and productive day staying positive while you are in the negative.
Kim
When son was three, he went home from church with another child who knew how to get to his own house. They did hold hands. However, the other child was only two, so son thought the kid who was a year younger and a head taller was an older child. We almost had a fit. They left the church one Sunday morning after church. So, there were plenty of people to search. Of the three children, he was the only one I had to search to find. One time, he was in Mama's pantry eating bananas. We were running to the big streets, thinking he was in traffic. He gave me heart attacks. The two girls? they never wandered.
ReplyDeleteI remember how my kids used to scare me when they were little.
DeleteI get tired reading your posts. Man you keep busy.
ReplyDeleteScary with James, but I bet he learned a huge lesson - especially with the police involved. Let's hope he did. Glad all ended well.
How nice of your neighbor to help with your trash.
Well, I hope so too. Very embarrassing for Eldest as she knows all the police on a first name basis. But all's well that ends well.
DeleteWell done on another chart Kim. We had a similar situation with DS shortly after moving here. I had gone to the shop to tell DH something and didn't close back door completely. I was gone about 5 minutes and when I went to the house, saw the door open and noticed DS (toddler) happily strolling down the street (our street gets lots of traffic. Thankfully this was during a quiet part of the morning). I ran down to get him and as I got to him, a cop car pulled up. Oh great. Cop asked where we lived and when I pointed out the house, he mentioned DH (thankfully they know him). Showed the cop our IDs when we got back to the house and all was well. That incident scared the living daylights out of me, so I can just imagine how your hubs must've felt. I'm glad James is safe though.
ReplyDeleteWell he has a stubborn streak and he did this to his other grandma, but she never lost sight of him. HE was just so far ahead on his scooter and would not listen. I bet he listens now.
DeleteGlad everything turned out well with James. That is scary and hopefully he learned. 68 is what I keep our furnace on all winter. I like it a little cooler.
ReplyDeleteHave a great day!!
I am always cold, I even have a hard time eating outside if it is cooler.
DeleteI had anxiety reading about James. My son did this at a beach. There was a human chain to walk in the water, but he was at the area near us playing on the playground equipment. I hope all this work doesn't leave you in too much pain. We forget the bins about every 8 weeks!
ReplyDeleteKids know exactly how to get our hearts racing.
DeleteMy 2 y.o. son and I were shopping at a store in the mall and he was having fun hiding under the circular rack of clothes I was looking through. So I thought I knew where he was. At one point I called for him and he did not answer or come out. I searched the store frantically--no kid. I left the store and looked around--there he was, several storefronts beyond, walking with a mall cop who was having a friendly conversation with him. I was so relieved I almost passed out. I was so afraid he had been snatched!
ReplyDeleteThis also happened to me with my eldest years ago. I wanted to throttle her, but I was so relieved.
DeleteGreat work on another chart! I once got a text message from my nanny that Sam never came home from school. I was in Korea, in a meeting with CEOs. Stepped out, panicked, called my husband & every parent I knew in the neighborhood. He'd just randomly gone home with another kid, walking & talking & then couldn't find his way back home. We had fairly recently moved to the neighborhood. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteSo glad everything was fine with James!
I can't imagine being that far away and feeling so helpless. My mother had a little girl in her kindergarten class that was not picked up from the after-school program on a Friday night. They could not get ahold of either parent as they were out of the country. Mom went to the office and called a Grandparent, who turned out to be Jessica Tandy, the grandfather was Hue Crome. Any way social services was to be called to pick up child, so mom just arranged with Jessica that the plan always was for mom to take girl home with her. She stayed the weekend, until parents could get home. Turned out nanny had just up and quit.
ReplyDeleteYes, get a ham!!! You know how I feel about them! LOL
ReplyDelete