Oh Christmas tree...and catching up...

 

We've been having a reading contest at work this year, so I just had to assemble a Christmas tree that fit the theme of the year.  

Carey brought all these books to the office for me from home.  I've constructed a smaller version for our home dining table a couple of times for prior Christmases.  This time I used an occasional table as the base; from floor to tip it stands about 5 1/2 feet tall.  Every morning when I open the office door, I expect to see that the table has collapsed under the weight, but so far, so good.

I'll kind of be sad when it's time to come down.

It's been a couple of months since I've written here.  It's been a crazy couple of months.

We went on vacation in late October, heading to the northeast.  We were in Pennsylvania on my birthday.  When we stopped to fill the car with gasoline, I got out to stretch my legs.  I tripped.  My head hit the pavement.  Ambulance trip to the hospital.  Nine stitches on forehead.  Broken left arm.  End of vacation.  Headed home with pain killers.  Missed a month of work.

The break was pretty simple...no surgery...I'm now doing physical therapy and am back at work.  Things like picking up the laptop and typing are much easier now.

The scar on my forehead is only noticeable if I point it out.  It curves right above my left eyebrow.

All told, I am very thankful that I got off as light as I did.  

Thankful, grateful, blessed...

 

I don't get great phone reception on my cell phone at the office, so today I was standing near the window to get better reception as I was speaking with Carey.  Very suddenly I saw smoke start near the highway, and very quickly it spread in the vacant lots around the QT convenience store which is across the highway from our office.

I started snapping photos, and in hardly any time at all, it looked like the building was on fire.  It wasn't, but the flames were rising high above the brush behind the store.

The firemen were on the scene almost immediately, and I thought they did an amazing job of getting it under control.

It is really, really dry in the area.  Feeling especially thankful for firemen today!

There's an app for that...

 Rudy has had an irritated tummy.  Don't ask me how we figured out why.  

Carey somehow narrowed down the culprit and spent time cutting back plants from hanging over the fence and dropping their fruit where Rudy can get to them and eat them.  He also has gone over the back yard with a fine tooth comb to remove any of the fruit that could be found.

I tried looking online to figure out what they were and if they were toxic, and didn't have a lot of luck.  Then I remembered hearing about apps that you can upload a plant photo and get an instant answer.  A quick search and download, and I had success.

Diospyros texana...Texas persimmon.  Not toxic per se, but the seeds can cause problems for dogs.  The fruit these bear on our property are about the size of a very large grape, but the seeds are quite a bit bigger than a grape seed and there are three per fruit.

The app I installed on my android phone is called LeafSnap.  I don't see myself needing this app often, but it was handy today, so I will probably keep it for any future needs.  I won't buy the paid version, since I don't see an ad in a once-in-a-while use being a big inconvenience to me.

Laborious Labor Day...

So I have gotten several things marked off my to-do list for this long weekend.  I've also done a few things that weren't on the list. But the A#1 thing I wanted to get done was to get my bathroom sink working again.  

Carey hasn't questioned why I haven't been using the sink on "my" side of the bathroom.  It wasn't a big change, as "his" sink is the one with the drawers next to it, so that's where we keep the toothbrushes and toothpaste, so it just got to be a habit to use it more often.  The only thing I really use "my" sink for is while I am getting ready for work in the morning, and I have just gotten used to it being more trouble than it was worth to use it.

So after getting the countertop cleaned off yesterday, I tested the sink, and it sprayed me and across the counter I had just cleared.  Ugh!  So I say to Carey, the sink just sprayed across the counter; I think it just needs the screen cleaned.  He says, ok, I'll get to it.

Now I am the first to admit that I am COMPLETELY spoiled by his jump-into-action ways.  I have never had to nag in our entire marriage, as he is a firm believer in the do-it-now principle.  (Opposites DO attract.)

But this time he didn't.

No sweat.  I could wait.  But I really couldn't put any of the countertop items back until I knew that he wouldn't just need me to move them again as he worked.  So this morning, I say, do you think you will work on the faucett today?  He says, I don't know, I have to go get parts, and I don't know what it's going to take or if I can find them.  

I said, I don't think it is going to need that at all.  And in his most patronizing tone, he said, 'You don't understand.'

Truly, I didn't really understand the problem, as most times I just soak the screen aerator in vinegar, and it get's rid of the mineral build up and can be put right back on.  Plus it really pisses me off when he talks MAN SPEAK to me.  So rather than disturb him further, I went to the sink and tried to remove the aerator myself.  It was truly calcified on with the mineral build up, so I couldn't budge it barehanded.  

I turn to my stash of tools that I keep in the laundry room, and pick out a couple of wrenches and a pair of pliers to try...neither of which worked.  So I turned to something I absolutely KNEW would work.  I used the wrench to smack the aerator.  I knew that would work because A) it would either knock the minerals loose enough to be able to twist it off; or B) Carey would hear me and run in there to stop me...which he did.

What are you doing? he says.  I'm trying to get the screen off to soak it in vinegar.  He said, Why?  I said, Because that is what the problem is.  

That's it?  he says.  Yes, I say.  Oh, he says, I thought you were talking about the hot-water handle on the bathtub.

Huh?

At NO time did I say 'hot,' 'water,' 'handle,' or 'BATHTUB!'  

MEN!  

Oh, well.  The aerator is now soaking in vinegar.

That's a wrap...

 

Yes, that's a wrap too, but I was talking about the week ending and a three-day weekend ahead!  YAY!  

We've had some rain recently, so the temperatures have been a little lower.  Both were very  welcome!

It's time to start getting ready for my annual performance review.  

Do you hear crickets too?  That's about how I feel about reviews.  The only good thing is that it will be done before I leave on vacation, so I can enjoy being away without it hanging over my head.  And it's not like my boss is an ogre, it's more that I hate the forced self assessment leading up to it.  :(

I have not felt the least bit frugal lately.  I have been doing some research about a budgetary issue that is coming up.  Hoping we make the right choice.

Carey has been very frugal, as he has finished painting the house exterior all on his own, except for some dormer windows that need special skills and equipment to replace some wood decay and paint.  We can't seem to find a tradesman who will call us back, so we are stuck just waiting and asking people if they have any recommendations..  While he waits for a callback, he is ready to get started painting the front and side doors, and I think I have decided on a color.  Excited to see how it turns out.

The house STILL has a bit of skunky odor, but for the most part it is gone.  Last night I dreamed Rudy had another close encounter of the skunky kind.  Woke up very relieved to know it was just a bad dream.  :)

I had my annual doctor visit this week.  I LOVE my doctor.  I have been seeing her since about 2006.  She spends so much time with her patients.  You never feel like you are in a revolving door, or just another chart.  

Work has been somewhat busy.  Yesterday I felt like I had a productive day without a lot of phones to answer and distractions.  I was able to get a project ready to go out next week without the pressure of having it filling up time right up till the last day.  I love that feeling.

So that's about it for my week.  I am SO excited about the extra day off this weekend!  No big plans, just hanging around the house.  Carey and Jared are going to a minor league baseball game tomorrow, so I'll have the house to myself (unusual these days).  

I hope to:  

• wash clothes
• make a large batch of baked oatmeal and individually wrap to stock the freezer with work breakfasts also made brownies for Sunday family supper
• dust
• clean and organize my bathroom vanity and drawers
• clean off the kitchen and dining room tables
• make some cards and get them ready to mail
• go through craft supplies to organize and/or donate
• and read a little

That doesn't sound like much does it?

The Lost Family: How DNA Testing is Upending Who We Are by Libby Copeland

This is what I'm currently reading.  Pretty interesting!  About the trend of so many of us getting our DNA tested.  I admit that I have had mine done...out of curiousity.  Have you had yours tested and had any interesting or unexpected results?

What I'm reading Wednesday...

 

This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger

In our office reading challenge this year, we get to choose one book for the other participant to read.   Paul had just finished reading This Tender Land on his lunch hour one day last week, and he came back to the office and said, "This is the one.  You have to read this one!"

I had enjoyed other books by the author, so I figured I was pretty safe.  I finished it over the weekend.  It was very good!

The Lantern Men by Elly Griffiths

Now I am back to the Ruth Galloway Mysteries.  This one is #12.  I love this series so much!  The mysteries are good, but it's the characters that make me pick up the next one!  There are only three left in the series, the last of which won't be released till April of 2023.  I've already preordered it!

What's happening at our house...

Chloe (right) sweet 16 with her 'big' sister Caitlyn (left)

...after two months away from blogging.

I've read nine books.

We went to visit my mother-in-law.  Took my sewing machine along and made her two new walker caddies while we were there.

Carey has completed painting the house exterior except for the hard-to-reach dormers which he is going to try to hire someone to do.

I worked at gathering up a decent-sized donation of craft/hobby supplies to donate to a creative thrift store.  (Think Goodwill but it's all craft supplies!) In the last batch of donatables, I had intended to give away all of my jewelry supplies.  I found I couldn't do it, and while I did give away a lot, I ended up keeping more than I felt good about.  I gave myself an ultimatum...if I haven't used it by the next donation appointment,  I will let it all go without looking back.  (At this particular store, they have limits on appointed days/hours that donations can be made, as well as the size of donations...4 banker boxes.  I set myself a reminder to book an appointment on the first day that they opened up their calendar, and I have made my next donation appointment for August 20.)  I am now working on my next collection of donation items.  

So far I have also made 3 necklaces to add to my work wardrobe.

I've made quite a few cards.

I have reorganized my crafting desk and card-making supplies using organizers I had on hand.

Summer is birthday season around here.  Caitlyn turned 17 in June, and is now a high school senior.  Bobby had a July birthday, as did Jared and Beau.   

And Chloe, our baby, our littlest grandgirl, turned 16.  Where have the years gone?  Yesterday she was the little firecracker of the family, and then I blinked my eyes and she's a 16-year-old high school junior!  Still a firecracker, though.  I happened across a perfect tee-shirt for her in my Amazon suggested products...I think Alexa has been listening in again.

Rudy had his annual vet appointment.

I had 3 Fridays off in July: one pre-planned and approved vacation day, one sick day when I was suffering with muscle spasms in my back and a little loopy from the muscle relaxers, and  Friday the 29th I took an emergency personal day when, at midnight Friday, Rudy encountered a skunk in our backyard and took a direct hit to the right side of his face, neck, and shoulder.  Thank goodness he came immediately when I called him, because I did not want there to be bloodshed; of course, that meant that the full force of the smell came in with him.  I bathed him immediately.  Then I bathed me.  Then I phoned the office and left a voicemail saying that I would not be in at 8 a.m.  When the boss got into the office, he very sweetly...or in self preservation...told me to just stay home.  LOL  And now here it is August 10th and the house is better, but still not completely free of the skunk odor.  I kind of feel like I'm in a Seinfeld episode...remember the one where his car, and every thing and person who is even momentarily in it, smells of the smell that won't go away?

My mother-in-law fell and broke her hip, and has been in rehab center, but tomorrow she gets to return to her assisted living facility.  Carey went up to help out right after her fall, so he missed the immediate chaos of the great skunk debacle!

We are so far surviving the heat (ugh!).  We need RAIN.  It is dangerously dry.

I am counting the days till our autumn vacation.  It is still SO far away.

What I'm reading Wednesday...

The Hoarder's Widow by Allie Cresswell

Monday night I finished The Hoarder's Widow.  I enjoyed it more than I expected to.   Likable characters, and it made me want to clean my house.  :)

Little Souls by Sandra Dallas

This is Sandra Dallas' newest book.  I've enjoyed her other work, so when I saw a blurb about this one, I immediately got on the reserve list at the library.  I picked it up yesterday afternoon, started it last night, and got about halfway through it.   This one is about the 1918 pandemic.

Frugal Friday File 2022, week 22...

 

1.  Ugh!  I missed the free shipping on meal subscription this week.  That's what I get for not checking my email daily.  But I did have enough loyalty points to get $10 off.

2.  Credit card hackers struck again.  This time it was Carey's gasoline card.  I got the call this morning asking if either of us charged $124 in a coastal city this morning.  Uh, no.  So they canceled his card and will expedite delivery of the replacement.  Thankful that they nipped it in the bud before any more was charged.

3.  My road trip last weekend was a long (8 hours one way), boring (barely any radio reception) drive.  But the time that I was at my destination made it all worthwhile.  Loved seeing my friend and my sister and nephew.  I had attempted to download an audio book for the trip, but wasn't able to for some reason.  My hosts fed me fabulous meals, and my friend even made me a bag of snacks for the trip home.  Sweet!  As for entertainment, we stayed in and made cards...stamping with a friend is so much fun!  So while the gasoline was expensive, the experience was priceless!

4.  And of course the weekend included an extra day thanks to the Memorial Day paid holiday.  The trip home was very moving as small towns all along the way had decked out their cemeteries to honor their veterans buried there.

5.  We are saving the ticket theater price and NOT going to see Top Gun.  We never saw the first one, so don't feel like we are missing anything.

Frugal Friday File 2022, week 21...

 

1.  Packed lunches to work or came home all week.

2.  Forgot to place meal order for this week in time, so have been cooking at home.  Not sure it was a great savings over the subscription, but it was a savings over eating out which we did not resort to.

3.  Carey rotated my tires, and gave my car a good once over in anticipation of my road trip this weekend.  He may be an amazing jack of all trades, but his very first trade was car mechanic, so he is amazing to keep around.  :)  I'm driving seven hours alone to visit a friend and my sister.  Very exciting.

4.  Because we cooked at home this week, there are left overs to hold Carey over while I'm out of town.

5.  Jared has been in Chicago for two weeks for some work training, and left his car here rather than long-term parking.  Carey will pick him up at the airport later today and park in the free cell-phone lot where you can park and wait for the passenger to call you after they are through baggage claim and waiting at the curb to be picked up.  I love that they added that lot  and keep it free.

Frugal Friday File 2022, week 20...

 

I was even scarcer than usual around here this week.  I had an out-of-town work meeting that threw me off.  So here is my frugal file for this week.

1.  We have already had temperatures over 100⁰.  Last weekend Carey noticed something was up with our 27-year-old air conditioner.  He took the cover off of the unit and found that the insulation surrounding three wires had worn away due to their constant vibration against each other over the years, and once the now uninsulated wires were in contact with each other they became, for lack of a better description, welded together and a real danger.  My fabulous husband, who was outdoors painting on the house, not only immediately noticed the change in sound coming from the air conditioner, he was able to diagnose, replace, and repair all in about 3 hours.  No waiting days in the stifling heat and humidity for an a/c tech to get to us, no bill, the house didn't even heat up much in that time.  I know I say this all the time, but his skills are amazing, and marrying him was my best frugal decision EVER! 

2.  A coworker at another branch offered to drive a group of us to the work meeting which was about three hours away.  She will be reimbursed for mileage, so we didn't have to share the expense (though I will be sending her a thank you with a little something tucked inside).

3.  My company paid for a nice, and very comfortable, hotel room for of each of us.  A king-size bed all to myself is something I haven't had since Carey retired.  :)

4.  We went out for one meal before the meeting officially began, for which we requested separate checks.  After we got home, the driver of my group emailed each of us instructions to submit the receipts for reimbursement, which I promptly completed.

5.  I thought about going to a book festival this weekend in the city.  It would have been nice as there were lots of authors there for small group talks.  However I know I would have purchased books that I hadn't budgeted for.  So since I was really tired, and wanted to get some things done around here this weekend (as I will be gone next weekend for a rather long solo road trip), I decided to give it a miss.

Frugal Friday File 2022, week 19...

1.  I cancelled a subscription that wasn't as I had hoped.

2.  I finished my library book just a few days into the borrow, so I passed it on to Carey who is now reading it.  Doubling up the free entertainment.

3.  Enjoying playing The New York Times' Wordle on my phone.  There's something nice about a game that doesn't suck me into huge blocks of wasted time.  This one limits me to one short game a day, and it's free.  And I love that my granddaughter recommended insisted I try it.

4.  Continuing to learn about Medicare plans before I have to make selections.

5.  Made it through another week of work!  (Strains of Huey Lewis' Workin' for a Livin' running through my head.)  

What I'm reading Wednesday...

Ghost Ship: The Mysterious True Story of the Mary Celeste and Her Missing Crew by Brian Hicks

 Pretty sure that I've mentioned that my boss and I are both readers and are having a bit of a competition this year.  He outpaced me early, when I started out the year with an 800 pager, but I have since caught up.  

He came into the office with this book last week, and it sounded so interesting.  If you've not heard of the Mary Celeste, it was an American cargo ship that was found floating near the Azores in December of 1872.  There was no one on board; all the crew, along with the captain's wife and two-year-old daughter who were sailing with him, were nowhere to be found, and no hints as to what had happened.

Paul is willing to let me borrow it when he finishes, but I had just finished my last book, and checked the library website and found they had the hard copy available.  I started reading it on Saturday, and it is so hard to put down.  

I haven't told Paul I am already reading it yet.  

Lucky me...

This arrived in Saturday's mail...

My husband used to ask me quite often, "Why haven't you..." to be filled in by any number of things imagineable.  My answer was always, "I just haven't got around to it!"

Guess that answer will no longer fly.

 

Frugal Friday File 2022, week 18...

 

1.  I haven't finished my library book yet...less than 10% to go...and the borrow expired yesterday.  Rather than get back on the reserve list and wait a month or more, and rather than paying $14.99 for the ebook from Amazon to finish it, I remembered on Wednesday to move the borrow to my old Kindle on which I can turn off the wifi.  With the wifi off, the old Kindle can't communicate with Amazon, so the book stays on it and is readable.  It may sound like cheating, but the borrowed ebook is returned from my Amazon account to the library where it can be checked out by the next reader.

2.  Took my lunch to work every day.

3.  In anticipation of my 65th birthday in the fall, I asked around to see if there is someone local who could help us figure out the confusing Medicare plans and supplemental insurance options.  We met with someone who was recommended this week, and it was very helpful.  We haven't made a final decision, and we may continue to research the options, but I feel proud of myself for not waiting till the last minute, and arming us with information that will help us make good choices.

If anyone has any suggestions that you have found helpful, please let me know.

4.  The electric bill arrived, and it is the lowest of the year so far.  I will pay this one with pleasure, as I have a feeling there won't be any low ones going forward.  The forecast is for 100° temperatures both Saturday and Sunday, and mid to high 90s all next week.  The Texas summer is upon us.

5.  I finally placed the Amazon order for essentials only...removing one item which I found more affordable locally.  I made a "Congratulations Graduate" card using the recipient's school colors.  Switching my work wardrobe to the summer choices, and not buying anything new.  Was notified this week that our company is increasing starting wages to stay competitive in the hiring market; so will also be giving current employees a pay increase to compensate.  Made dessert for Sunday family supper last week incorporating Easter candy so it didn't go to waste.

What I'm reading Wednesday...

 

Small World by Jonathan Evison

I'm over halfway through the 480 pages of this library ebook.  I don't generally like books that travel back and forward in time repeatedly, and/or have each chapter in the voice of a different character.  This one does both, and for multiple members of multiple families, as it follows characters from the 19th century through present day.

And yet the story is good enough that I have trouble putting it down.

Frugal Friday File 2022, week 17...

 

1.  Carey has begun painting the house exterior.  The paint is not cheap, but I can't even begin to guess how much more it would cost to hire it out.  Any job, big or small, Carey is a whiz to have around!

2.  I have been pretty successful at taking my lunch to work with me the past couple of weeks.  Cheaper, yes.  But also it means I have more time to read since there is no driving time required.  Which, bonus, means I'm also not using as much gasoline.  :)

3.  Free shipping this week on the meal subscription.  Yay!

4.  No impulse purchases this week.  I have some things in my Amazon cart, but they are pretty much necessities that have been in there for at least a week waiting for a dire need to hit the buy button and get them on their way.

5.  Taking a mental health day today, and a mini getaway.  Today we are driving to the coast just to get out of the house and away from the office.  As 'vacations' go, it will be very frugal.

What I'm Reading Wednesday...

 I must have missed posting WIRW for a week, because I have three finishes.

A Room Full of Bones (#4 of the Ruth Galloway Mysteries) by Elly Griffiths

A Dying Fall (#5 of the Ruth Galloway Mysteries) by Ellie Griffiths

The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion

This last one (above) was an audio book checked out from the library, which I listened to while I made a big batch of stamped cards last weekend.  I loved its predecessor The Rosie Project.  The Rosie Effect was very enjoyable as well.

And currently I am on...

Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris

This (above) is also an audiobook checked out from the library.  I had to break down and check out a couple of audiobooks so that I could get something done besides just reading.  I am listening to this one currently while I'm doing otherwise mindless chores.  As a compilation of essays, it is easy to break it up to fit the job at hand.

And...

The Outcast Dead (#6 of the Ruth Galloway Mysteries) by Ellie Griffiths

I have never been an avid reader of series books until last year when I started reading the quilting mysteries by Mary Marks.  (I think I still have one or two of those left to finish.)  Now I am blowing through the Ruth Galloway Mysteries by Ellie Griffiths, because a) I told my friend Joan she could borrow them when I'm done, and b) I've come to really like the characters and want to know what they're up to.

Not even REMOTELY Frugal Friday File...

There was a lot of impulse purchases this week.  

What I'm reading Wednesday...

The Sentence by Louise Erdrich

I've already showed this book cover, but thought I would show it again as a reader asked for a follow up after I finished it.  I don't want to give away any spoilers, but I will say that it was not what I was expecting, and I enjoyed it a great deal.  It is very current in subject.

 

Hooked:  How Crafting Saved My Life by Sutton Foster

I'm not really big on celebrity memoirs, but this title demaned I read it.  I read practically straight through it this past weekend.  It felt very honest regarding her family's disfunction and mental health.  

The House at Sea's End by Elly Griffiths

Now with those two library books completed, I can get back to the Dr. Ruth Galloway mystery series.  This one is the third in the series.  

Frugal Friday File 2022, week 14...

 

1.  Our meal subscription service offered free shipping again this week saving me $17.

2.  Having great luck seeing new books on Amazon, checking the library instead of buying, they actually have it, and I'm first in line to reserve!

3.  My car is still running beautifully after the accident with no repair necessary (knock on wood).  No, the tow truck to get it unstuck wasn't really a bargain, but repairs and a rental car could have been a lot worse.  Carey gave it a thorough once over, so we are feeling optimistic that we got off light.  (Carey says, "What's this we s&%t?")

4.  I gifted two Corning pie plates to Kasey (back from the days when I used to bake lots of pies at a time for church suppers etc.)  She was baking chicken pot pie, and sharing my extras was a simple thing when she feeds us every single Sunday.

5.  I am SO looking forward to the weekend.  Just to stay home and read my library books...aahhhhh!

The Sentence by Louise Erdrich

 A bookstore is haunted by the ghost of its most annoying customer.

I had trouble with the start of the book, but I have enjoyed this author in the past, so I persevered.  It seems a teeny bit autobiographical.  The bookstore in the novel is in Minneapolis and specializes in indigenous books and authors; the author owns a bookstore in Minneapolis that specializes in indigenous books and authors.

I'm not very far into it yet, but looking forward to more time to spend with it.

I'm an April fool...

Friday.  April 1, 2022.  12:28 p.m. CDT.  

I was on my lunch hour.  I ran by the library to pick up a book I had reserved.  I have entered and exited the library hundreds of times.  But this time as I was exiting I looked away for just a second.  My front passenger-side tire hit the curb and went over, and my undercarriage high centered on the curb.  You may or may not be able to tell from the photo that the driveway has a fairly steep angle of descent.

I was stuck but good!  I phoned Carey, and proceeded to wait.  

The library is a busy place, as is the Home Depot store whose driveway sits directly opposite the library drive.  Every single person entering and exiting the library rolled down their window to inquire if I needed assistance, as did numerous Home Depot customers.  The first fourteen times were very welcome.  The next twenty-two times were pretty embarrassing.  But the last hundred and thirteen times were just downright humiliating.  

Once Carey arrived and looked over the situation, we called AAA to ask for a tow truck.  Several hours and multiple calls later, I told them I would be calling for my own tow truck and submitting the bill for reimbursement.  Finally a tow-truck arrived, and the driver and Carey were able to fairly quickly get all four tires back on the ground, and after a quick once over I was amazingly able to drive it home!  All told, we were there for around five hours.  I never did make it back to work.

Carey gave it a closer examination once we were home, and he said that aside from a few small scratches to the under carriage, everything looked fine.

I am amazed and SO thankful!

Frugal Friday File 2022, week 13

 

1.  Sunday family dinner's dessert is so often decided by what I have on hand.  Yellow cake mix: check.  Instant vanilla pudding: check.  Eggs: check  Rum: check.  Pecans: check.  Butter, oil, water: check, check, check.  I didn't have quite enough rum, and I had a hardened bag of brown sugar that needed using up, so I subbed the glaze a bit. Turned out really yummy.

2.  Carey is painting the house trim, and rain gutters.  Then he will reinstall the gutters, which he took down before the new roof was put on.  He will paint the exterior walls as well eventually; that may have to wait for fall temperatures, however.  I'm just so thankful that he is willing and able to do these kinds of jobs that are expensive when hired out.

3.  I had accumulated enough 'points' to use for $10 off of next week's meal subscription order.

4.  I just finished a book that I really enjoyed:  The Crossing Places by Ellie Griffiths.  It's about a professor in forensic archaeology in a fictional English town who assists local police with a found skeleton.  It is the first in a series called The Ruth Galloway Mysteries, and I checked out the ebook from the library.  Unfortunately, it was the only one of the series the library had.  The subsequent books in the series are a little pricey as Kindle ebooks, and they are pricier still in paperback...I checked on Amazon and Ebay.  But then I realized that the boxed set of the first 10 books in the series broke down to less than buying them individually as either print or ebooks.  There are 14 books in the series.  As I work my way through the boxed set, I will watch (and keep my fingers crossed) for the last books at special 'deal' prices.

5.  And that's about it for frugality as it just didn't seem to be the priority this week.  We travelled to our hometown for a family funeral.  I sent flowers for the funeral and for my mother-in-law's birthday.  I've been eating lunch out entirely too often.

Frugal Friday File 2022, week 12...

 

1.  I worked some overtime this week.  Unheard of!  My self-reliant boss is on crutches this week and has needed just a bit of additional help.

2.  We had leftover taco soup (which is a lot like chili) a few days ago.  I also had a half package of ground beef, a package of tortillas, and some grated cheese that needed using up.  So I decided to combine everything into a an easy enchilada casserole.

3.  I think I've mentioned this before, but here goes.  When Carey retired in December, he had enough vacation built up to be on his employer's books till the end of the year.  But without warning, they did not do things that way.  They paid him for his vacation time (eventually after  much argument on Carey's part that it was due him), and they also ended our medical insurance, without any mention to us, as of the 10th of the month.  I only learned about it when a medical provider called me to tell me a claim had been rejected, and that coverage ended on the 10th which he advised me was extremely unusual.  I was, of course, squeezing in appointmets before year's end, so panicked.  That particular provider told me that we were not at fault, so they would be writing off the charges for the 3 visits (God bless them!).  That still left another specialist's charges.  

Thankfully, I phoned my employer's HR Dept for advice on how to approach the situation.  Since I had signed up for medical insurance through them to start in January, and Carey was within their number of days since his life-change event (retirement), they made our medical retroactive to December 14.  

The specialist invoice arrived last week.  Several hundred dollars was billed, but the insurance decreased that to just $58, which I happily paid on Friday.  

And, in case you are curious, I did phone the other provider and gave them the new insurance information to resubmit; but was assured again that it wasn't my fault, they plan for a certain percentage of loss, and since it had already been written off, they were not resubmitting.  (God bless them!)

4.  Finished my library books.

5.  I was late for a doctor appointment on Friday and got pulled over for speeding.   I pulled over in a safe spot for him to exit his vehicle and approach mine, and I had my license and registration ready to hand him.  The officer asked me if I knew how fast I was driving, 'Fifty plus miles per hour.'  Did I know what the posted speed limit was? 'Thirty-five.'   He thanked me for my honesty, and gave me a warning.  (God bless him!)

Frugal Friday 2022, week 11...

 

1.  We are still ordering three meals a week from our subscription service.  I admit that it is a convenience, but it also keeps us from eating out when I am exhausted after work, so it still feels like a frugal win.  We use Front Porch Pantry which is a Texas company which only delivers within the state...actually I think they are just starting Oklahoma delivery as well.  One day last week they offered free shipping if you purchased a certain dollar amount.  Definitely grabbed that deal!  Saved about $18.

2.  The Amazon Firestick that we had on our living room television was no longer functioning.  Carey suggested that I order a new one.  I was looking at them online when it occurred to me that we very rarely use the Firestick to view programs on the bedroom television, so we just unplugged that one and moved it to the living room.  Twenty to forty dollars saved by not buying unneccessarily.

3.  Staying home this weekend and conserving pricey gasoline.  I have a list of chores to progress through.  I really filled it up so I could prioritize what I feel like working on once I get started, and I won't worry about trying to scratch everything off the list.  

4.  Now that we have a working Firestick on the TV, I am using my library's Kanopy service to watch a couple of documentaries this weekend.  I get up to 5 shows/movies a month free.

5.  I found some old 32¢ stamps.  I used two of them to mail a letter to a friend who has also used odd combinations of old postage on her mail to me.  I can't remember the last time I actually licked a stamp to affix it to an envelope!

Frugal Friday File 2022, week 9...

 

1.  Still working on the freezer and pantry meals.  I found some chicken thighs in the freezer over the weekend; bell pepper, onion, and carrots in the fridge; Trader Joe's curry sauce in the pantry.  Yummy curry and rice on a chilly night

2.  Kasey brought us over a box of beautiful ripe tomatoes that were left over from a meal at Beau's workplace that he was responsible for organizing.  I used about half of them to make a Tomatoe Pie.  The last onion had gone into the curry, so I used dehydrated onion flakes sprinkled over the layers of tomatoes instead of fresh.  And I used up all the little bits of random shredded cheeses from the cheese drawer to make the topping.

3.  I wear my seat belt.  Tickets are not frugal.  Neither are ambulance trips nor emergency rooms.  And then there was that time it saved my life.

4.  My trips to Sonic have decreased in frequency.  When I do go, I use the app to get half-price drinks.  

5.  Library.  Nuff said.

Saturday snail mail...

Not all from THIS Saturday mind you.  This is all the ones that have been on my camera for a few months.  Just want to get them on the blog; there won't be much description.

This is a fun fold card...see below for how it opens.

Also a fun fold, but this opens differently.  No interior photo.

Another fun fold; see below for open view.

And my oven timer is going off.  Gotta go get my pie out of the oven!