1. We've been talking about getting an apartment near my mother-in-law so that we can be more available. She's 93 and in an assisted living facility about six hours away from us. We would all like to see more of each other, and Carey and I would like to be on hand so that his sister and brother-in-law, who live in the same town as m-i-l and have been carrying the entire load for a long time, can have more flexibility to see their kids, travel, and/or just have time for themselves.
We aren't ready to sell our current home, as we still want to be near our kids and grandkids as well. So we've been trying to figure out how to do something affordable.
One evening this week Carey's sister & b-i-l were walking in their neighborhood, which they had just moved into after downsizing. During the walk, they ran into an older couple who own a condo a block or so from them which was on the market. Within 24 hours sister & b-i-l had seen the condo, talked about it, prayed about it, put in an offer, and had the offer accepted. They should close in mid October.
My amazing s-i-l and b-i-l are buying a condo near them so that we can stay for extended periods, during which we will make a contribution toward the new property which will be more affordable than a completely independent rental, and way, WAY more frugal than the gas, hotel, and meals out that we spend on each trip. They also made sure that it was dog friendly, so we can have Rudy with us. When we are not staying in the condo, they will make it available to other siblings (on both her side and his) and to their children during visits.
This is blowing my mind. It may seem crazy to go into something like this when Carey's mom is 93. Her family has amazing longevity. The older she gets, the more precious the time we get to spend with her.
2. Again I've done well on cooking at home all week. Not sure what we are having tonight. I boned the leftover chicken from Wednesday, and I know I have celery, green onions, and dried cranberries, so I may make chicken salad. That would be cool and quick, and it sounds really yummy.
3. I had a medical test last week...zero out of pocket...YAY! Turns out that my port, which is eleven years old, needs to be replaced. I'm not scheduling the surgery yet. I've relayed questions and answers with my hematologist, but I have an annual check up with my primary care physician next week, and want to discuss it with her as well. So I'm kicking the can down the road a little.
4. Also had an off-schedule appointment with the optometrist. My right eye has been blurry off and on, and feels like there is something in it. She has amazing technology equipment, so she could point out exactly what she was seeing to me. Apparently it is two unrelated issues. She thinks the feeling of something in my eye is from the incredibly dry weather (drought) we have been having, so she gave me an eye drop sample. The blurry vision is due to a new floater, which is quite large and located near the center of my eye. As it floats around, I can see it which registers as blur. What is frugal about this? The issue fell under a medical exam rather than a vision exam, so Medicare covered...zero due.
5. Carey's birthday was this week. It was a big one. He almost always prefers home cooking to going out, so we stayed in, and I baked him his favorite Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie for which I had all the ingredients.
On the menu this week:
Saturday: leftovers
Sunday: supper with Kasey & Beau
Monday: turnips & greens with bacon, and cornbread
Tuesday: Fried Rice
Wednesday: No-Peek Chicken
Thursday: homemade hamburgers w sweet potato fries
Friday: Chicken Salad Sandwiches w/ chips
BONUS: I used dark meat chicken, celery, spring (green) onions, sweet pickle, dried cranberries, tarragon seed, and mayonnaise in my chicken salad.
BONUS QUESTION: What do YOU put in YOUR chicken salad?
That is wonderful you will have access to that condo near your MIL so you can visit more often and help out, rather than having a six hour drive.
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