2025 Frugal Friday File, December 19...

1.  Absolutely nothing frugal happening around here.

2.  Absolutely nothing frugal happening around here.

3.  Absolutely nothing frugal happening around here.

4.  Absolutely nothing frugal happening around here.

5.  Absolutely nothing frugal happening around here.

What we ate this past week:

Saturday:  Saturday family supper at Kasey & Beau's

Sunday:  Chili

Monday:  Chicken Curry w/ Rice (which did NOT boil over)

Tuesday:  Enchilada Casserole (using leftover chili)

Wednesday:  takeout burgers

Thursday:  leftovers

Friday:  grazed

**designates meatless meal

What I'm reading Wednesday...

The Lost Heiress by Elizabeth Klehfoth

This was just released this month.  I got it for free (thank goodness).  Forced myself to read 30% before giving up on it yesterday.  Then I deleted it from my Kindle, and also from my Amazon account.  Didn't want to forget about it and start reading it again.  

All the things I hate.  Dual time settings.  Different points of view from different characters in different chapters.  And can I just say that if you put a tarantula under a pillow, it would escape if it could.  If it couldn't it would mean it had been maimed or killed by the weight of the pillow.  It would not be patiently waiting to frighten the person that moves the pillow.

I haven't started another book yet.  I have cookies to bake and a quilt block to sew.

This and That...

 

Nice weather, but not too predictable.  I'm still wearing sandals.  The only time my feet are cold is when I elevate them.  I wear wool socks to bed; they usually get shed sometime during the night.

I went to pick up some ingredients and clear bags for packaging edible gifts today.  Gotta get started.

I am filled with angst over recent events.  That is all.

2025 Frugal Friday File, December 12...

 

I'm not going to kid you, the past month or so has not been very frugal (hence I missed a couple of Frugal Friday File posts).  Holidays, extra gasoline used, wedding duds, additions to fabric collection, etc.  But moving on...

1.  In another effort to use up what was in the fridge, I threw together some random ingredients for supper last night.  A head of cabbage, some smoked  sausage, and some carrots and beets from the garden (each of which were oddly shaped and stunted...as in the beets were the size of radishes 😂).  It would have been fine, if I hadn't over salted it, and scorched it a tiny bit.  But it was relatively healthy, frugal, and filling.  

Carey reminded me that excess salt is not a friend to my inner ears.

2.  Making a menu and grocery list.  Adding in edible gift ingredients and cookie exchange ingredients.

3.  Making a batch of Rudy food today.

4.  Switched over to thick, cozy, flannel sheets for the winter.  They are the thick/chunky flannel ones that we have had for years and will probably last forever.

5.  Our tree has been dressed with sentimental fragile ornaments; I still have small handmade and/or non-breakable ornaments to add to it before it is done.  Kasey wanted the small collection of snow village buildings and accessories, so I dropped two medium bins containing it off to live at her house. I can still enjoy seeing it at their house, but I'm happy to let her set it up, repack, and store it.  :)   I recently weeded out the decorations that weren't sentimental or hadn't been used for awhile intending to donate them.  Before I took it to Goodwill, Bobby (#1 grandson) stopped by and was happy to take it all home to use at his apartment...a large bin of garlands, ribbon, wreath and other assorted decorations went home with him (no backsies!)  I could probably pare it down more, but I'm happy with the space I've gained. 

Snow village in its new home.

What we ate this past week:

Saturday:  family supper at Kasey & Beau's

Sunday:   leftovers

Monday:  pot pies

Tuesday:  takeout sandwiches

Wednesday:  burgers out

Thursday:  Cabbage Sausage Skillet

Friday:  Breakfast for Supper

**designates meatless mealS

What I'm reading Wednesday...

The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker

This book has been on my mini reading table beside my bathtub for five years or so.  I started it, and just have constantly prioritized other books ahead of it.  Since this is the year of reading books that have been on my TBR list for too long, I thought I'd pick it back up.  

I haven't finished last week's book yet.  Since it is a large hardback library book, I didn't want to risk it falling in the bathwater, so I picked The Dreamers back up for my nice long soak.  It deals with an unknown virus spreading among a town...which is really interesting since the book was released in 2019...before we were all dealing with a real spreading virus.

So now I'm reading The Dreamers during my baths, and Clara and the Sun the rest of time I have available; I have to hurry, my library book is due this weekend.

Today was the second of our two library book sales.  We were there from 9:00 a.m. till 4:00 p.m., so I am exhausted, and ready to crawl under the covers with Clara to try to make some progress.  I've still got lots of Christmas presents to work on.  I also have my quilt block of the month to cut out and sew before this month's class, and a cookie exchange, both of which are next week.  Oy vey, we only have two weeks till Christmas!

A wedding in the family...

 

our wrist corsage and boutonniere

Our eldest sweet grandson married his beautiful bride yesterday evening.  It was lovely and love filled.  They are such a good match.

Carey and I left right after the ceremony, skipping the meal and dance.  The venue was really nice, but it had stairs and uneven limestone-paver walkways, and the sun was setting.  Cinderella's magic may disappear at midnight, but my magic (and balance) disappear at sundown, at least when the light gets low and I'm on an uneven surface.  (Thank you Meniere's disease for this residual effect of that vertigo episode that lasted weeks.) 

The experience was worth the angst I had over what to wear.  I finished hemming my dress just two hours before we had to leave the house.  Why, yes, I am a master procrastinator!

Thanks, Juhli, for reminding me what a joy and a priviledge it is to attend a grandchild's wedding.  It got me thinking that my grandparents were not able to attend mine, nor were my parents able to attend Kasey's.  I am filled with gratitude that we are healthy and mobile enough to still share special experiences with our grands! 

What I'm reading Wednesday...

The Art Thief: 

A True Story of Love, Crime,and a Dangerous Obsession

by Michael Finkel

This one is our December book club selection.  It was pretty interesting and not terribly long (242 pages).  The true story of a prodigious art thief and his girlfriend accomplice in northern Europe.  They never sold anything, as the thief did it for the love of the art, and the accomplice did it for the love of the thief.

I thought it was pretty good.  His family dynamics were pretty strange, and lead to the question 'which comes first, the relationship malfunction, or the personality disorder of the child?'

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

This one is January's  book club selection.  I've found that reading a month or two ahead is not ideal for remembering details for discussion, but this one became available at the library, so i figured I would read it while I could without having to buy a copy.  I just started it today.