HAPPY 4TH of JULY!
Category Archives: Uncategorized
How the prepper pantry is going.
I haven’t bought anything in the last few weeks. But our last Costco trip @2 weeks ago did add some stuff.
On that trip, I bought the 2 pack of vinegar, baking soda, dish soap, and TP, plus I was lucky enough to walk by the cleaning area and there were a few Clorox wipes still there.
So these restaurant shelves are out in our barn. Some stuff in the bins has been vacuumed sealed and placed in there for safekeeping. We have the other set of restaurant shelves in the kitchen actually and once we get the Ikea pantry, that will go out to the barn as well.
Under the kitchen workbench, I have some wine crates with misc items too. I’ve been crazy about these Far Niente crates. So now I have 4.They fit under the shelves and the work bench.
I went down to our local fruit stand, Ikeda’s, and bought corn to freeze. Here it is blanching. Then I cut it off the cob and froze.
Then I made sourdough bread in the bread maker. But I always bake it in a regular pan.
Tomorrow I’m going to make some strawberry jam with some berries I got at Ikeda’s. If you’re ever in Northern Ca and going up I-80 stop at Ikeda’s. It is been there for many years. And Danielle Steel has written about it in one of her romance novels.
Simple Sunday
Well, back to my regular programming here:)
Wow, our weather changed on a dime yesterday and now it is breezy and cool and just lovely. The high is supposed to be 82 degrees so really nice.
It was a busy sort of week with the dentist and oncology doctor but it all went well. My crown copay turned out less than I thought at $550. So that was good. The crown seems pretty sensitive to hot/cold so not sure if that will pass or ?
We ordered pizza out and that was pricey. I’ll go back to making my own pizzas next week. It was very hot Friday so it was convenient but too expensive just for pizza. ( well in my estimation)
Yesterday, I made zucchini lasagnas. I plan on cooking them tonight as it will be cooler and I can use the oven. We’re just getting lots of zucchini from the garden, so I thought I’d try it. Then I had a lot of sauce leftover so I made a regular noodle lasagna and then I ran out of lasagna noodles so I just threw some flat noodles in a pan topped with sauce and cheese and called it good. Those I put in the freezer.
The FlyLady zone this week is the Living room and then on July 1st, the entryway.
I’m debating going down to the big stores this week to shop. But, I think I might try and wait a week and just get milk and cream and a few things down at our Holiday Market. I have plenty of stuff to use from the pantry. There are a few more prepper pantry things I’d like to stock up on but there’s no hurry at this point. I usually like to wait till we need coffee or TP to go to Costco so that’s still a few weeks out at this point.
I found a really great cooking blog called Just one Cookbook,
She is Japanese and her recipes are pretty good. I’ve made the yakisoba twice already. Her YouTube is good also. I’m kinda on another Japanese kick right now. I’ve ordered a vintage Tenugui to use as a window covering. And also from eBay, a furoshiki to use as a window covering too. I’ve been looking at some Japanese fabric to make some pillows but haven’t found what I want yet.
This is the west side of our house and it gets very sunny in that window. You can see the window cooler which is a lifesaver in our bedroom. It is removed in the fall.
Frugal as in necessary vs frugal millionaire because it’s hip.
This is my blog and my opinions. If you don’t want to read my rant about frugal necessity vs it being a luxury for millionaires( or asset millionaires) don’t read it then.
Recently, I followed a blog trail and ended up at someone’s site that was dedicated to being very frugal and ways to save a buck. Some of it was weird and using really cheap food stocks. ( think the blue box of mac and cheese and Krusteaz pancake mix). Ok, perhaps they’re not all bad but still.
Anyway, then this blogger is writing about being debt free and their monthly expenses. I was still on board here at this point. Then they go on to talk about net worth and assets. So she says, well our net worth went up $69,000 from the stock market taking our net worth to over @ $2,000,000. I just about threw up. Why are you even taking about trying so damn hard to be a cheapskate when you have that much money to draw from if you need it.
So then I started really thinking about this in relation to some other bloggers that do the same thing. The most famous is probably Frugalwoods. She wrote a book about how being frugal lead them to be FIRE and independently wealthy. What she doesn’t say is that her husband has continued to work from their home for an IT company whose salary is over $250,000 a year and benefits on top of that. Her salary comes from her blog, book and some independent consulting.
You know what? It’s easy to save 75% of your salary when it’s that big. Or even 50%. Honestly, it really seems to me pretentious and dishonest. Yes, it’s terrific you can grow kale on your 66 acre farm in Vermont to save money. And you eat the same thing for lunch every day. But it’s another thing is that YOU DON”T HAVE TOO> You have the savings to fall back on but what about the people that don’t.
How many low-income people eat beans/rice/pasta while struggling to pay the rent. They can hardly make ends meet and being frugal is a necessity. They have no savings, retirement, etc. They live paycheck to paycheck. We’ve been there.
Even now, we have Social Security and a small amount in retirement that we started way too late. Yes, that’s our fault but remember when you have no money to save because your bills/income are the same, ( actually bills out numbered income) so there is NO wiggle room.
PS. We still have a mortgage so that didn’t create the asset!
There are a few other bloggers like that, that I’ve just stopped reading because it’s ridiculous to read about trying to sell stuff on eBay to make a few bucks when you own multiple homes worth millions. Why not just donate that stuff to Cancer thrift or something?
Now they whole Frugal thing is so popular right now and I totally support it especially ones that really do give genuine advice because they are NEEDING to be frugal. I remember Frugal Queen in the UK. She had a terrific blog and had to be frugal.
I don’t know… clearly this is a rant of mine which I take full responsibility for and that it clearly hits a nerve.
I think it is important to be frugal and careful with money and really everything including ones resources. But it’s another thing to have a blog about being frugal when all the while it is just white privileged rich people needing to pretend they need to save a buck because that’s how they got their money?? Not!
And BTW, it’s a great thing to pick up pennies or whatever change you find on the ground especially when your annuities and income are almost $6,000 a month. Whew, that must be tough.
And BTW, Thrifty Mom from Boise is really thrifty because that’s how she survives as a single mom with 2 adopted children. Now that’s real.
Okay, enough ranting. I’m going to go figure out my budget for our fixed income and see where I get too.
Please, do not respond in any nasty way. I won’t post those and it’s not worth it.
PS, I have huge respect for bloggers like The Prudent Homemaker, Thrifty mom in Boise, Where the journey takes me, Living Richly in Retirement,The Occasional Nomads, and lots others. It’s more the privledgedness( I don’t think that’s a word) in regards to frugalness that is my issue.
Friday round-up.
I’m really glad this week is over.
It’s been hot and that’s made it hard to be outside. I’ve been going out to the pool every day at 4pm so at least it’s a cool down to some degree.
My dentist’s appt went really well and they are taking every precaution so I felt safe. The crown was done in around 3 hours, start to finish.
My oncology appt also went fine except he was really late. He apologized as a family he had an appt with was having some issues. Nothing new, just wait till my numbers go up to 500. 😦 I sorta feel like a ticking bomb. I was home by 12:15 so not too bad. Geez, people are driving CRAZY!!!
Tonight we’re ordering pizza out. It’s too hot to turn the oven on. So that will be a nice change.
I’ve done our budget for July and the only BIG expense will be the trees at @ $4,000. Geez, I really hope that’s it for a few years but probably not.
I put a yard sign up BLACK LIVES MATTER. I like it and it just shows some support. I would be out there protesting if I could. I did for VietNam but now I can’t risk getting COVID or bringing it back to others. So, just a small way of showing some support.
There’s a great news story trending about a young barista at Starbucks in Southern California who told a guest they had to wear a mask in the store. She went on a verbal rampage and then took his picture, posted it on Facebook while continuing to shame him. Tons of people came out in support of him and NOT the privileged white woman and then someone started a GO FUND ME tip jar. At last count, it’s up to $32,000. Wow, that is a really heartwarming story. That is some lucky kid.
B is still working on our daughters room windows and they really look nice. These new type windows have a UV tint which is amazing. It definitely cuts down on the sun’s heat coming in. Plus he’s working on getting the ceiling fan up but that is requiring new wire so kinda a pain. But at least there will be some new wiring. When we had the guy do the wiring when we remodeled, he must have been on drugs and the wiring is screwy. Why he didn’t replace all the old wiring is unknown.
I probably won’t be going to the store till next week and haven’t decided where. I might just go to Safeway but I’ll need to write a list and see what I need.
Simple Sunday and the best $15.00 I spent this year.
Hot!
A hot week in Northern California. I guess we will need the coolers all week. Fortunately, we can and do turn them off by 9pm. I got out in the pool on the floatie yesterday and it was nice.
Happy Father’s Day to B.
I made pancakes, scrambled eggs, and some veggie bacon. Plus fresh coffee. It was pleasant to sit out on the patio.
This week is the bedroom zone for those that follow Flylady. I want to declutter the closet some and wash the bed covers. I do the sheets every Sunday but the covers only once every couple of months. The linen sheets from Ikea have held up well( they are a year old) and the cost is very reasonable for linen.
The best $15 I spent this year was for the Lodge crepe/ low side griddle pan.
I bought this at Target so I could make crepes this spring. Now I use it for almost everything I used the other two cast iron pans for. I still use my vintage cast iron that I’ve had for 40 years. When I was given these they were already antique. So I’m guessing they’re @ 80 years old.
It’s not at Target right now but at Amazon
It is a great pan for crepes, pancakes, chicken, tofu, and lots of other things that benefit from a small edge.
Tonight I’m going to make the Impossibe burgers with all the trimmings. Safeway has just started selling the block( looks just like beef). I’ll let you know how it is.
Five on Friday
I think I will just abandon Friday for now as nothing we’re doing is very frugal. But five on Friday does highlight that.
- So we went and did the Costco and Trader Joes trip on Tuesday. We went early and TJ’s was still fairly busy. But we were in and out at a mere $167. Some snacks, tofu, frozen veggies, salad stuff, tea, wine, and who know what else. Costco was busy but again we made it thru pretty easily although by the time we left it was getting packed. I had one woman run in front of me almost knock me over( not really, just imagining) to get to the Clorox wipes. Geez, lady. My son wanted some Knobb Creek whiskey? so that was expensive. But it was a giant bottle. Anyway, we got out of there under $200 with $100 being the whiskey, his Captain Morgan Rum, and B’s Sierra Pale ale. All of which I do not imbibe.
- Our windows finally arrived so we went and got those from Home Depot.
- We were back at Home Depot to get wood for the windows and insulation. There is some dry rot that needs to be fixed. More $$$.
- The weather is heating up to 100 degrees + this week. Not my favorite thing.
- I made three new recipes this week. Organic Turkey meatballs. They came out pretty darn good. Then I made on the BBQ a seasoned Tri-Tip from Costco I had bought back in March. I watched a YOu Tube to see how it was done and I actually followed the directions and it came out great. Then I had bought some fresh Ahi Tuna at Costco. It was pricey but again I watched YouTube and got the timing down as it’s a quick sear. It came out really good and there was enough for all 3 of us meat-eaters to have lunch the next day. So $17. for 2 meals for 3 people. It’s not beans and rice but we eat that a lot of the time anyway.
- My daughter bought a ceiling fan for her room and the wiring is too sold to reuse so B will need to go get the right wiring for that too. This old house was really not built very well and then when we had the wiring redone when we moved in the guy who did it, did the worst job possible. He totally screwed what circuits do what and it’s really a mess but to try and prefix that would just be too expensive. So we’ll do what we can.
California along with many other states is seeing an increase in COVID -19 cases. Honestly, this whole thing with people NOT wearing masks is getting out of hand. If it saves lives and keeps the virus from spreading why would you think it’s political. It’s science, folks. Plain and simple facts of how a virus spreads.
Now we’ve got idiot in chief, planning this rally tomorrow with his idiot, science deniers, all together. Good grief, Charlie Brown.
Cancer Anniversary
I’m pretty sure everyone who has been diagnosed with cancer remembers the day if not the hour they heard the news that they had cancer.
Mine was June 15, 2005.
That spring I had gone to a sports doctor to find out about getting Kyphoplasty for my back which still was bothering me. He ordered an MRI and the rest was history. Although it took almost 3 months to get to that place since I needed to have a bone biopsy where the plasmacytoma was which was T -10.
It took quite a while to get the appointment since it was a neurosurgeon that had to do it. And it was truly horrible. He couldn’t get the needle in so he had to use some sort of hammer to pound it in. Not pleasant although it didn’t hurt it was just very weird. I was not under general anesthesia just sedated. Then after that, it still took 10 days to get the results.
I was standing in the driveway when the phone call came in. I mean at that point I knew I had cancer just not exactly what. After that, I was referred to Sutter Oncology in Sacramento. Within 2 weeks ( actually 4th of July week, I started 17 rounds of radiation. Then after that chemo for 6 months. Then in the spring of 2006, I had my SCT.
So it’s always kinda bittersweet. I’m grateful to modern medicine for giving me a second chance. I’ve lived to see my son and daughter graduate college.
Now I’m facing another relapse. It’s okay, I’m still here and will continue to survive until it’s time.
Catching up
We got the tree quote and it came in at a good price. Plus we’re adding in having the very large oak that hangs over the barn trimmed. That will cost $1,000 but partly that’s because he needs to bring in his boon. I’m good with the cost and it’ll be a relief for the big tree to go. We still have the 2 other leaning Ponderosas and the one that leans toward our neighbors is a concern as the soil there is much softer as it is downhill. But I just cannot deal with that right now. If it gets worse, then we will need to do something.
I had an exhausting trip to Costco but I got almost everything I wanted/needed. Of course, the next day I realized I hadn’t used the coupon that was tucked quite nicely in my wallet and I didn’t see when I went to pay. Oh well, next week maybe. Costco seemed to have most everything except no liquid hand soap or Clorox wipes. I have plenty of regular CLorax that I can mix with water if I need to make up a disinfectant. The hordes were after toilet paper that apparently you have to make a beeline for the minute you enter the store and the meat counters were crammed with people trying to get stuff. I didn’t need any meat at all so I avoided it. I suppose I could have bought something as back up but I think with what I have, we’re good.
B’s biopsy came back great. No blasts, no MRD disease, no sign of MDS so that is really a gift. Hopefully, this GVHD will get resolved with the new drug. But since it is so expensive and they are( well, the hospital aid fund) paying for it, that it will do the job and then he can get off it.
I’m planning on driving down to see my doctor at the cancer center instead of doing a video chat. I just want to touch base with him and get his impression of my light chains going up so much. It’s not a good trend and I really would rather start Velcade than risk fractures or other horrible things. There’s no guarantee about anything but at least it’s the logical thing to do. I really hate the thought of dealing with dex and pretty much losing 2 days a week but at some point that will be the reality. I can tell though, my energy shifting and I’m more tired and less energetic.
I also have my delayed dentist appt at the end of the month to replace a crown. Not looking forward to that.
Such strange weather we’re having. It’s hot then cool, then hot again. Today it’s quite cool and we even have a twinkly fire going just to warm up the house. Weird.
http://magnonsmeanderings.blogspot.com/2020/06/j-k-rowling.html
I was reading this guys post as he’s on someone’s blog list that I read( I read lots of British blogs), but he was commenting on JK Rowlings’ comment about transwomen and I really flipped at what he was saying that he agreed with her that whatever sex you’re born that’s what you are. Really? How narrow-minded. Trans women are women and trans men are men. Period. He also said he had never read Harry Potter or seen the movies and I thought how weird he’s got this appreciation for JK R and hasn’t even read her stuff but when she goes off the rails about trans women he’s all for it. What astonished me is his comments were all agreeing. Well, I commented he needed to learn about transgender people and that it had nothing to do with ” the clothes” they wear. ( He was saying they can dress like a woman but they’re not real women). Anyway, my comment posted, and then, just like that, he took mine down and the other person who also tried to clue him in.
Go check it out.
the week ahead…
This is Rose Campion that has spread all over our hill.
We have a few things lined up for this week.
Tomorrow we are having our septic being pumped. I know very exciting. But really, our septic tank is under the 1200 required by law but is grandfathered in because it was put in a long time ago. Actually, we’re not sure when it was put in since the old man who lived here didn’t get a permit at least that we could find in county records. So about 5 years ago when the septic was overly full and we didn’t know it until the toilet wasn’t flushing down and we knew was wrong. So now we’re on a 2-year schedule. Once he opens and pumps we’ll know if we could’ve gone 3 years. I know, I know, so exciting and TMI.
Then I’m going to brave Costco since I want to use our rebate. I’m not too worried as Costco requires everyone to wear a mask so I’m good with that. I have a big list of things to get( again) but some are still prepper pantry stuff. For instance, I’d like to get a case of chili and some more marinara sauce. Plus I need washcloths and the 24 pack of white hotel washcloths are really the best for the money.
here’s my nifty food vacuum sealer which I LOVE!!!
So cool.
Later in the week, we are going to drive up to Tahoe to go to the cannabis store so B can get some stuff. His plants are coming along but it’s a way off to harvest. Plus the ride will be nice. I’m thinking of bringing some coffee in our mugs and maybe sandwiches. The beach area in Kings Beach is quite lovely but I’m not sure if there will be lots of people or if it’s still closed. So a nice day trip.
The weather is quite nice this week. No really hot days.
We are also going to call the tree guy because the giant tree is now leaning MORE!! At first, I thought I was just imagining it but the top is no longer straight up. This is a huge tree and is aiming straight at the barn. We have the money in our emergency fund but now there is no extra money coming in so whatever we take out won’t get replenished. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. But I think, except for the giant oak near the barn, this would be the last tree for a while unless something else happens. We have 2 other huge Ponderosas that are leaning but they are leaning away from our house. Unfortunately one is leaning towards our neighbor’s house which is kinda scary.
This week is the kitchen zone if you follow Flylady and mine is done already. I just need to mop the floor later.
We are also planning a trip to Home Depot for wood. I’m conflicted about buying from Home Depot since the owner is a huge TRump supporter but the closest Lowes( liberal) is down by Costco. So for our old van a bit risky. ( The van is the only car that can hold wood on the roof and inside when we take the seats out). So, anyway, it’s a conflict for me. We are planning to get some fence posts so we can start the fence behind the barn to block out those neighbors.
That’s about it.
I’m so glad the protests are making such a difference and maybe we will see some real change. It is still so sad it has taken so many black lives though to get to this point.
