A rainy Monday...

Today is a rare rainy August day.  And even more rare is the fact that the temperature only reached 80° F (27° C)...way more like spring than late summer!  It put me in the mood for something really fresh and light.  

Mixed greens, fresh strawberries and blackberries, mushrooms, avocado, feta cheese, tossed in a homemade honey and Dijon dressing and topped with a gorgeous, perfectly cooked salmon filet.  Yum!  

Carey isn't a fan of salmon.  He'll eat it, but I know he doesn't really enjoy it.  And as high as the price is, I figure why force it on somebody who doesn't like it.  So I usually make it when Jared and I are on our own.  We both LOVE it.  And we both thoroughly enjoyed our salad.

I had an appointment with a chiropractor today.  My left shoulder is still causing lots of pain.  I went to him for the first time last week.  He's young, well trained, and I have hopes that we will be able to get the shoulder back to normal.  The muscle spasms in my back that were also plaguing me for the past month or more are already gone for the most part, and since the last visit, I have enjoyed three days of more energy than I've had since I can't remember when.  I love the chiropractor I've been going to for the past twenty years, but she is over an hour away from where I live now.  And I think there is something to be said for young doctors coming out of school with new methods and treatments.  I am feeling very hopeful.

Here's a photo of Rudy in his new vest...we had to go up a size.  He makes us laugh a lot.  Right now he is racing around the house at warp speed.  That means that in a few minutes he will be begging to crawl up into my lap to be held until he falls asleep.  Baby!  :)

  

Frugal Friday File, week 32...

Successes:
1.  Finally used $75 gift card that I got as a result of emailing corporate office of restaurant where we we had a miserable dining experience back in May.  We took our grandson (who coincidentally was with me at the bad meal in May).  Three meals, two iced teas, one water, and two desserts-to-go (desserts ordered to get as close to the card value as possible).  Tab came to $74.  All we owed was a nice tip.

2.  I returned a pet water bottle to PetSmart that wouldn't fit on Rudy's kennel door.  Twenty dollars back in our pocket.  Proud of myself for keeping the bottle and receipt together for a month till I could return it.

3.  Worked yesterday and today, and booked three days of work for October.

4.  Used my Amazon credit (from the Apple ebooks antitrust settlement) on a bottle of BioFreeze topical pain spray for my shoulder.  Brought the price down from $28 to $4, so I had pain relief of a sort before they even sent my purchase.  :)

5.  Thought about getting my hair cut early this week (I didn't want to wear a ponytail to work) but I put it off again, still, so I French braided it for work instead.

Keep Tryings:
I bought a child gate so that I could take it to my daughter for when she puppy sits.  I spent extra for an extra wide one...fits doors from 31 to 50 inches...so that I could use it in an interior passage archway at my home also.  Tried it out tonight.  It seems my archway is approximately 51 inches wide.  :(  

Frugal From the Kitchen This Week:
Saturday:  frugal dinner out, see #1
Sunday:  Sunday family dinner at Kasey's
Monday:  salmon patties, Macaroni & Cheese Deluxe, broccoli
Tuesday:  *Schlotzky sandwiches
Wednesday:  meatloaf, twice-baked potatoes
Thursday:  *pizza
Friday:  *Chinese takeout

(*not-frugal takeout or dinner out)

Chloe's ten...

This one turned ten last week while I was gone.  Last year she gave me specific criteria for her present (a particular style and size of Beanie Boo), and I was still off a little.  She was very sweet about it, but this year, she asked for the same thing she had asked for last year, so I figured it must be pretty important to her.  So I suggested that we should go shopping for it together.

Last night she spent the night, and we hit the road this morning on the hunt.  It took six stores, but she came home happy.  

I tried to buy her the gray wool fedora while we were out.  She has a perfect face for hats.  I know this because I look ridiculous in hats...always have.

She reminded me that she already has a fedora (below).  

I countered that the one she has is a summer hat, and today's find is a winter hat.  She couldn't be swayed, which was a frugal decision.  

It made me look through the old photos I have of her in hats, and I ask your patience while I share some taken through the years.

Her 'newsie' look.

 

Her beret gives her a bit of the Hyacinth Bucket vibe.

Love the demi veil.

Hamming it up in a hand-knit.

A real Kentucky Derby fascinator from the other Kathleen.

And when it comes to sleeping caps, she has a style all her own.   *Ü*

Frugal Friday File, week 31...

Successes:
1.  Paid grandson to puppy sit at our home while I was gone for four days.  He loves dogs, and took great care of Rudy.  I paid him a pretty fair daily fee, because he had to clean up after a puppy, after all, and he kept training and feeding consistent.  

2.  I don't think I've spent any money this week other than puppy sitting...thinking...thinking...  I have pretty much been staying home since returning from retreat.  I did pick up an ice tea last night on my way to the airport to pick up Kasey.  Oh, I bought takeout for dinner on Wednesday.  But as far as buying a 'thing,' I think the closest I have come is placing a board game in my Amazon 'cart' which I am considering buying for our Sunday night after-dinner games...haven't made a final decision on it yet.

3.  Making use of the library this week.  Finished my borrowed actual book.  Started my borrowed ebook.  Picked up books for the kids that Kasey had reserved before going out of town...delivered to kids at noon on Wednesday...Diego texted me at 5:54 that he had finished his already.  Love that kid!

4.  Made tuna casserole last night for supper.  One of those meals that I almost always have everything in the pantry and can throw it together in a blink.

5.  Carey just left to donate blood, and will probably come home with another free t-shirt.  I think I will make homemade pizza for dinner tonight since all ingredients are on hand.  And I scheduled two days of work for next week.  

Keep Tryings:
I forgot to turn the ceiling fan off in my bedroom when I left for retreat.  Fan ran needlessly for four days.  Sshhhhhh...don't tell Carey.

Frugal From the Kitchen This Week:
Saturday:  retreat eats
Sunday:  retreat eats
Monday:  retreat eats
Tuesday:  retreat eats
Wednesday:  *barbecue
Thursday:  tuna casserole
Friday:  homemade pizza

(*not-frugal takeout or dinner out)

What I'm reading Wednesday...

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

I put this one on What I'm Reading Wednesday last week.  I finished it this morning.  I took it with me to the quilt retreat, and snuck away for a little reading time now and then.  OH, HOW I LOVE THIS BOOK!  A big thank you goes to Peggy at A Primitive Plot for recommending it to me.  I will definitely be looking for other books by this author in the future.  I believe this was his first one, and I even loved the acknowledgments...one of the sweetest tributes to a parent I can imagine.

I guess I will now start my other library book blogged about last week.  Probably good that it sounds to be totally different from this one.

Frugal Friday File, week 30...

Somehow in the rush of packing and projects on Friday, I didn't get this posted.

Successes:
1.  Having a sewing machine and knowing how to use it can really  save the day!

2.  Having frugal friends.  Quilting friends all chip in to pack and prepare meals for retreat instead of splurging on expensive retreats that provide meals or going out.

3.  Using supplies from the craft room.

4.  Using my forty-year-old sewing machine.  I toy with the idea of a new one, but the one I have works for now (though you can't get new parts for it, so its days may be numbered).

5.  Carey was able to get his truck's air conditioning repaired for $200+.  We thought it might be much more, so he put it off as long as he could stand it.  So nice to have a trusty and economical mechanic for jobs hubs can't take care of himself.


Frugal From the Kitchen This Week:
Saturday:  sandwiches and chips
Sunday:  Sunday family dinner at Kasey's
Monday:  *dinner out
Tuesday:  pork chops, rice, three bean salad
Wednesday:  Shrimp Pasta Salad
Thursday:  leftovers
Friday:  *burger out

(*not-frugal takeout or dinner out)

Just home from summer quilt retreat...

Quick post as I have a lot of catching up to do.

Left on Saturday for our summer quilt retreat.  Our usual retreat location had an air conditioning malfunction!  We were miserable.  The repairman came, and he got it limping along, but he didn't seem to be very optimistic.  We gave it a whole day without getting hardly any work done, as it was just so uncomfortable.  Then we decided we just couldn't spend the night.  

At the very last minute, we called another nearby retreat center that a couple of us had visited, and they didn't have any guests booked, so they let us come.  It was wonderful that we were able to save the retreat and get into someplace that had working AC.

We've made jelly roll race quilts in our group before, but never as a competitive endeavor.  This time we actually had a time keeper and a prize.  Suffice to say I didn't win.  But am happy with the blue and white quilt top I finished.

I didn't get photos of everyone's quilts, but did get a couple of my favorites.  The one above is Caroline's Pink Perfection.  I just love it.  So sweet!

This one is Susan's Stained Glass.  She sat right next to me, so I got to watch her progress on it.  I think it really turned out pretty.

And I came home with a yearning for one of their ironing tables!  SO sturdy and big.  The owner told us how they made them, and I think I may just have to get this done!  She had a secret that makes it really easy, so if and when I accomplish this, I will share here.