Tag Archives: books

Frugal Friday

Posted in books, budgeting, budgets, California, cancer, frugalism, Uncategorized by

All the big Fall annual bills are accounted for. I put Allstate on payments and also the California Fair Plan. The AAA rider is still not paid, and I think I saw it was on auto, so I need to double-check that. I paid the property tax with cash from my envelopes so that was very positive. It’s not due technically till December but I figured i’d get it done.

Update: It does look like it’s autopay for October. I actually haven’t gotten the bill, so I’ll check the mail today. So I feel pretty good about having handled all this by myself, even though I don’t like doing it.

I also paid the motorcycle insurance for the year. They took Barclay off as the rider, so the insurance really is just on the bike if something happened to it.( I guess, they weren’t very clear about it.)

After accounting for all the monthly bills, there’s not a whole lot left, but I’ll manage. I’m planning on doing one more Costco shop because I couldn’t find the smoke alarms on sale last time. I spent $100 last time, so I still have a grocery $ budget. I’ll probably do that next week after I see Dr. L in Sacramento.

We had a horrendous amount of rain yesterday. It was like a hose turned on full. My daughter has been working on fixing the gutters so the water was coming down right in front of the door. Not good!! That should get fixed this weekend, and I think today is the last rainy day for a bit.

Today, I’m undecided if I’m going to the pool or not. I’m not crazy about driving in the rain. Plus, my sleep disturbances were elevated last night, and my blood oxygen was lower than normal. I generally don’t feel much different either way, but I have been tracking it since I got my Apple Watch last December. I just had a 10-day period of not elevated which is so weird because nothing is different. I’m glad it was like that but I still can’t figure out a common denominator. I haven’t heard yet from the sleep people for an appt so who knows when that will happen. If I’m inspired I will call them.:)

My son picked up 5 books at his favorite thrift store for me for my birthday, so I have a nice stack of books to read. That’s nice since I don’t feel pressured to go to the library. I started the Nelson DeMille, The Cuba Affair, and so far, I like his writing. I don’t know if I’ve read his stuff. I’ll check out some other titles.

Next week I have my doctor appointment and also Velcade. The doctor’s appointment is on Wednesday, and I do plan on asking about a plan of action should my numbers go up. Knowing his style, he’ll probably say, let’s wait and see, which is probably ok since we won’t really know anything for a few weeks. Fingers crossed it doesn’t but I do need to be ready probably more emotionally than anything. Hopefully I’m just overreacting but still cancer is always there in some way.

Simple Sunday

Posted in books, budgeting, budgets, California, camping, cancer, decluttering, Lake tahoe, library, Uncategorized, Walking by

It’s been so hot again. Today is the hottest at 99. The coolers go off and on all day. I always turn them off by 7:30, even if it’s still hot out. We have two more days of heat, and then it drops back into the 80s.

I’ve had fun reading this book,

It’s quite funny, although if you’re offended by the word fuck, then this isn’t for you. It’s quite motivating. I bought it as a Kindle book.

My walk was nice this morning. Only one person was showing up as I was leaving. My legs still don’t seem to be recovering as well as I’d like, and my app for iHealth still shows my walking steadiness as low. I’m guessing my right knee is still causing some lagging in my gait. Of course, that’s just a guess.

I picked up my holds at the library, and one was chair yoga and pilates. So far, I like it and may buy my own copy. I have it for 3 weeks, so I can give it a bit more time to see if it’s worth it.

The week ahead is Dr. appt in Sacramento, and Velcade in Roseville. That pretty much covers the week since Friday, I’ll take my Dex. My daughter starts back at her college job this week, too. We talked about maybe doing a day trip to Tahoe. Just the West Shore, as it is closer to Tahoe City. I’ll have to see how motivated I am to do that.

I still haven’t canceled one of the Tahoe trips in September. I guess I’m procrastinating. I’ll do it soon. We had booked 2 reservations that overlapped, so one will have to go, and even the one that’s left is questionable. I’m still not sure how we could pull it off without Rubi, and that is not an option. I suppose my son’s huge tent is an option, but not really a great one. I’d have to buy an air mattress and some other things, and I’m not sure I want to do that. I guess I’m waiting for some inspiration to show up. Kidding:)

My daughter has finished painting the studio, and it looks really nice. A pale green with a cream trim. We gave away the Ikea cabinet yesterday on Facebook Marketplace. Fortunately, the guy coming was nice and prompt. He had a van, so my daughter and he were able to slide it in. It was a brand-new hybrid Pacifica. Wow, it was quite nice. I checked the price and they run around 55K.

Well, off to do some stuff as I’m not heading out to the gym this morning.

Frugal Friday

Posted in books, budgeting, budgets, California, home stuff, swimming, Uncategorized by

Overall, except for the coast trip, it was a low-budget week. This week is an in-between; August’s bills are coming out, so it’s just basics.

After the gym, I went to Winco and spent $ 55. I bought wine as well, but that doesn’t go on my grocery bill.

The weather is turning hot again, so no eating on the patio, and dinners have been lighter. I made a brown rice salad with chickpeas, red onion, and cucumbers with some feta. I’ll have that for lunch today as well. I made some tofu in the air fryer, so I can use some of that for dinner tonight.

I’m planning on swimming today, and then I won’t go down to Roseville till next week. I need gas, so I’ll do that at Costco. I’m still waiting for my LLS to get finalized, and then I can submit my insurance premium. I’m very grateful for LLS’s support for patients.

Nothing new with books. I finished Fever Beach by Carl Hiasson. Funny and provocative to say the least. I don’t have any holds, so I need to go to the catalog and place some on hold.

Friday Things

Posted in budgets, California, cancer, Death, frugalism, husband, peritoneal mesothelomia, Uncategorized by

I’m still processing things from Barclay’s death. It’s very weird, honestly, to be the person left to keep on going. I take some comfort in that he lived a good life and got to be 74, almost 75. Look at those poor kids in the Texas flood who didn’t get past 10. Very sad. The last year has been so hard watching his decline, and the last 3 months were pretty awful. He really didn’t have a chance with peritoneal mesothelioma. It’s just one of those cancers that you don’t get over and go into remission. I got the letter already from SS, which I’m happy about, so I don’t have to go into the office. I’m losing over $1000 a month, so quite a hit. I’m sure there will be ways to figure it out. I cancelled his UHC, so that and his Medicare covers almost $500. Insurance is outrageous. The rest, I don’t know. I do plan on selling the Triumph in a few months, so that will, if it sells, generate a few dollars. The totally weird thing was when I called Allstate to take him off as a driver, she said our insurance WILL GO UP ANOTHER $125. WYF??? After talking to our local agent, she got it to go up only $65, so half. The issue is his good driver discount being taken off. JFC, really? Oh well, done is done.

I’ve gotten through most of my list of things to do. There’s still the bank where I need to take him off our account, but I’ll get to it eventually.

As I said, very weird to deal with this stuff. We all miss him so much.

My daughter ordered this from Shutterfly. We hung it out on the upper patio where he spent the last 4 months of his life sitting when the weather was nice.

Frugal wise, I haven’t been spending too much. I did order a new Speedo from Amazon on Prime since I need a new one. I go through a swimsuit about once a year, with the chlorine from the pool. It was 30% off, so it was a good deal. I also bought some black frames for some watercolor pictures my daughter has done, and some that B did too.

I signed my daughter up as a user on my Costco card, so she went in after work and did some shopping. I appreciate the effort. Mostly it was flavored waters, olive oil, coffee, and some wild cod. She’s very susceptible to histamine attacks, so she’s been on a low-histamine diet, hence the fish purchase. The total came to a little over $100.

Our weather is very hot, and the coolers are running most of the day. If I close everything up, I can usually wait till 11 am, and I always turn them off by 8pm, even if it’s still hot out.

I started going to LLS every morning to apply for my grant, but so far, there’s no luck with funding. I’m hoping the wait isn’t too long, as I depend on that money for my insurance.

My son is using B’s truck since his car( older Subaru) is leaking oil. So he got off work early yesterday and took a load to the dump. There are still 2 more to go with metal stuff, and then the old wood from the chicken coop. It was hot yesterday, so I appreciate him doing it and getting it done. I’m pretty sure we’ll keep the truck, but unsure about Rubi. I just don’t know if I can emotionally handle going out in the RV without him. I guess I’ll just have to wait and see when the time comes, and we can plan something. My daughter has volunteered to be the driver, which she can totally handle; it’s more me dealing with it. Plus, Rubi is really designed for a couple, not 2 people. It’s one bed, and the couch does fold down, but it is very uncomfortable to sleep on. So another decision down the road.

Well, that wraps up what’s going on here.

How’s things in your world?? Summer plans?

Simple Sunday

Posted in books, camping, meal planning, swimming by

I am enjoying my new iMac. It’s so pretty and nice to work on. It was such a thoughtful thing my daughter did.

Yesterday, we ventured out to the pet bookstore. I picked up some old Hillerman, in which I always enjoy being immersed in the Southwest. After having lived in Tucson for 5 years and then a small stint in Santa Fe, the southwest does get into your being. I wouldn’t ever move there again, too many people, too much congestion, too many people using water that isn’t really there, etc, but we did love it when we were there. The smell of orange blossoms lining the neighborhoods is a favorite memory. Plus, riding our bikes all over town. Back then, you could still drive through campus, but that changed a number of years ago.

I also picked up a Japanese lifestyle book called Wa. I looked through it yesterday, and there are a few interesting ideas.

After the bookstore, we went and had some tacos.

I’m trying to stick to my routines as much as possible, but some days I just sit and do nothing. Today, I need to write my list for the week and figure out what I’m doing and when. I pick up Barclay’s ashes this week, so that day will be hard. I’ll probably just go down and straight back home.

I know I want to swim at least once. During my last swim, I felt much better, so I think I can catch up soon to where I was. Additionally, I want to go to the Maheny gym and the library.

Meal planning has gone out the window for now, and my daughter and I just figure out dinner daily. I do have lots of freezer stuff, so I am working with that. We did have a small BBQ on the 4th of some steak bits. That was yummy. We had a Cobb salad on the side. Mostly, I’m looking in the fridge, staring blankly, and then figuring out some game plan. Also, my daughter has been cooking meals up, which has been nice.

My son is coming up today to do some more dump run stuff. I hope he can get rid of all the metal stuff. ( old pool frames, carport frames, etc.) There’s still a load of old wood that needs to go too. In the past, B would just have a burn pile in the winter for the wood, but none of us want to do that. So to the dump it goes.

I gave away a few dozen canning jars for free the other day too. I’m not planning on doing a lot of canning so I figured someone could use them. They went very quickly and I will do another box soon.

Other than that, just hanging in there.

What wonderful things are you guys up to? I hope making the best of it.

Simple Sunday

Posted in books, California, cancer, knee injury, swimming by

Actually, it’s a very, very sad Sunday as our resident fox got Ms Chicken right in our yard. We ate dinner inside because it was so hot. We usually put Ms Chicken away at 7, but with it being so light out still, she’s not ready. So last night, it was 7:30, and my daughter went out, and there was a fox and a dead chicken. I was devastated, to say the least. I am so sad. Speaking of animals, the sweet little black and white cat hasn’t been around for a week. It was a male and was in search of girls, but he never stayed away this long, so we figure something got him too. More likely a coyote.

Today is not so hot out, and that will be a bit of a relief. My son is coming up to get his camping gear for a work trip next week. He might get some weed eating done, too. I think next year we will have to hire out the weed eating because it’s a lot. My daughter has kept up on most of it around the house, but there’s still a lot out by the barn and down the property into the wooded area.

Our town is hosting its annual Pioneer Day today, so I didn’t go walk because the park will be busy with people sitting up. The Lions club does a big food booth, plus there’s all the stuff for the kids, like bouncy houses. We took our kids every year when we moved here, and it was always a fun day.

Today, I plan on doing a few extra things. Yesterday I cleaned the laundry room and wiped down the shelves. I still need to wash the windows, so I’ll put that on my list. Then yesterday, I also decluttered some canning jars from the garden shed. I plan on getting back out there this morning and doing another box. Since I don’t plan on making jams anymore, most of my 1/2 pint jars can go. I’ll keep a dozen or so, but that’s it. Also, it just needs a good cleaning and rearranging out there, too.

I haven’t been to the Auburn gym( I always went on Sunday morning) since I hurt my knee. I think I’ll plan on going next week and then decide whether to keep that membership. It’s free with our health insurance, but UHC still pays for the gym, and if we’re not using it, I think it’s probably a waste. I was there regularly on Sundays, so if I start that again, I’ll keep it. This week, though, I’ll go in and cancel B’s as that’s not happening. I’m not sure I can do it, but I’ll try, and if needed, he can call them.

The week ahead looks nice, not so hot. I’m planning on going to the pool once. I’m not sure what day, though. My plan is to swim 15 minutes, and that’s it. I want to start slow so I don’t hurt my knee. My very inexpensive massage table showed up, and it’s perfect. I did the floor exercises on it, and it’s just right. Firm and low to the ground( 24 inches). I have 4 exercises I’m doing on it, and I think I’ll Google what other Pilates-type exercises I can do to strengthen my core.

What’s happening in your world? Hope it’s good stuff.

These are the books I read this week, except the Isabel Allende, which I’ll start today. Most were meh, not great.

Friday Things

Posted in books, budgeting, budgets, California, frugalism by

This has been a good week, money-wise. Nothing out of the ordinary, which is always nice.

I went to Costco after dropping B off at infusion. That ended up less than $100 for food and $40 for non food. After that was Winco and that was $15 for salad stuff and $15 non food.

I think planning my Costco and Winco trips is making a difference in our food budget. I haven’t shopped at Safeway in months. If I can avoid our Holiday Market, that’s good too. We are very fortunate to have a store in our town, but it’s quite pricey, so I only go down to it( we live on a hill) when I really need something.

Yesterday, I went to the gym and did upper-body weights. Then I dropped my books off at the library and picked up a few cookbooks on the new shelf and one book. Then there was a free gardening display outside, so I walked around and picked up some flyers on native plants. From there, I came straight home.

Today is a home day unless I go into town with my daughter. She wants to go to Home Depot for a few things, so I may tag along. Other than that, just the same ole same ole.

What do you budget for food? I guess we come most often around $600 for the 3 of us. I’d still like to get it around $500, though.

These are the Rancho Gordo beans I made. Yum!

This is an old crate I had, and since I haven’t been able to find a place for our towels, this was suggested in this book:

It’s a pretty book with some good ideas.

Simple Sunday

Posted in Blood test, bread, California, cancer, cooking, simplicity by

Another cloudy, rainy day yesterday, and it looks like that again for today. We can always use the rain, so I can’t complain really. I think we’re back in the sun by evening, and then it looks nice the rest of the week.

I drove B for his transusion yesterday. This is probably the one thing that is frustrating me. Well, one of many things, but it is a big question mark why it is his hemoglobin is dropping. I suppose the simple answer is that the cancer is affecting his blood levels, but I’m not a doctor. He has his next immuno on Tuesday, so hopefully that will start to improve the hemoglobin. A very good thing, though, is he’s had a bit of an appetite and has eaten pretty well the last few days. I hope that’s a sign he’s doing better.

Today is a home day. Normally, I’d be at the Auburn gym, but I want to hold off till I get an official diagnosis on my knee. I had the MRI, so I should know by Monday or Tuesday. It didn’t take long, partly because there was no contrast involved. The one oncology nurse, Vicki, who usually does my shot, said that using a stationary bike is one of the best ways to build knee muscles. She had a torn meniscus a few years back due to a skiing accident, so she really went full on rehab and now is a committed bicyclist and goes out every morning at 4:30 am. Now that’s dedication. i will start on the bike once I know what’s up.

I’m making sourdough bread this morning. I thought I’d try something different, so I’m trying cheddar and olives. We’ll see how it comes out.

Friday night, I was able to use that frozen pizza that was languishing in the freezer, so one more thing gone.

Last night I made the Greek lemon chicken soup, Avogolimeno. It’s a simple recipe, but so delicious. I made B tomato soup and he ate it all!!!

I think tonight, I’ll do rice and the TJ’s Kung Pao chicken that I’d like to use up.

I made reservations for the 5 of us to go to brunch at one of our favorite places, High Hand Nursery and Cafe. It’s very popular and reservations are hard to get, but I got a brunch on the Sunday before my daughter’s birthday. I’m sure it’ll be pricey, but since we rarely eat out, I’m ok with it.

I finished the book “Enough’ about the Everest climber. It was an interesting read, but I would have liked more about what the camps are like. How many people climb in a day? Things like that. But a good read.

Then I’m working my way through the Harry Potter books for the 3rd time. I just finished #2. They are fun to read. It’s too bad JK Rowling has become such a jerk and anti LGBTQ+. Weird.

Tomorrow I have my labs, and I might go into Target( which I’ve been avoiding) to check out some PJs. I’ve been looking for just some cotton ones, and most, like from LLB, etc, are too expensive. I saw some online at Target for $20, so I want ot check them out.

This week, Flylady is the LR. So I’ll do a few extra things. I dusted all the Easton Press Books already, so I may just need to wash the inside windows.

How do you do house chores? All at once or break it up like Flylady?

Frugal Friday

Posted in books, budgeting, budgets, California by

This has been mostly a frugal week. All the bills are paid for the month except Verizon, which comes out at the very end of the month, and that goes on next month’s budget.

I did hit up WinCo for a few things. I needed baker’s yeast and didn’t want to get the giant one at Costco. I also picked up curry powder, which I was out of. And then just some misc. like milk and aluminum foil. It totaled at right above $100. So not too bad.

Today is a home day since I’m on Dex. I plan on doing a few house chores and figuring out what pizza I’m having tonight.

I got my holds at the library on Tuesday and just finished reading Anne Tyler’s Three Days in June. I loved it. You have to like character-type books, as this focuses on a woman in her sixties and her daughter’s upcoming wedding. It’s a great read.

Then I started ‘Enough’ about a woman’s journey as a mountain guide and her journey to Mt Everest. It’s quite compelling. If you like personal life stories, you’ll like this.

I bought an early birthday present for my daughter off Amazon:(. A BBQ set by Cuisenart . That’s one thing she asked for. I would like to get her a preloved LV wallet, but haven’t quite found the right one on eBay. Her birthday isn’t till the end of May, so I have a little time. I can’t believe she’ll be 40. I remember it like yesterday.

Where we are now.

Posted in books, California, cancer, husband, peritoneal mesothelomia by

After the shock of Stanford canceling, we’ve moved on to the next phase. Barclay had to cancel all the hotel reservations, and both of my kids had to rearrange the time they had taken off. They did so, and it wasn’t a huge problem as they both have flexibility at their jobs. My anger was at Stanford for waiting to let us know. Dr. Lee had seen his CT scan weeks ago. That’s what upset me the most. Anyway, I’m over it now. ( mostly!!)

After we got that news, the next day he had a video visit with his UCD, and she set up the immunotherapy appointments. Barclay had the first one yesterday. Side effects can be nausea, thyroid problems, and skin issues, but it shouldn’t take down his hemoglobin to the point where he needs transfusions. ( At least I hope so). He will be going every 2 weeks for this. We can only hope it gives him some reprieve and he gets a little more time. He is still not eating very much, and of course, that’s a problem.

On top of all that, I had my right knee go out on me, so I’m wearing a brace and will need to get an MRI to see what it is. The doctor didn’t think it was any kind of fracture so until I get the MRI, ice, and ibuprofen. The only thing I can come up with is 4 days before I did an extended swim, and maybe I overworked my knee. Still, it may be an age factor too, with knees wearing out:(

We’ve had beautiful 70-degree weather, and everything is in full leaf and bloom, including the wisteria. Today, I plan on being home and hobbling around to take care of the house chores. My daughter has been doing the bulk of it for us. My son is going to stop by and do some chores as well. I’m grateful they can help.

I’ve read a few books from the library and including the new B. C Beaton’s ‘Death of a Smuggler’. It was fun to read Hamish Macbeth again. Also, we’re finishing ‘Dark Winds’ based on Hillerman’s Leaphorn and Chee characters. It is excellent. We finished ‘ Reacher’ and I wasn’t too impressed. The actor is a good Reacher, but the adaptation of the story just doesn’t quite fit.

Well, that’s about it. Life goes on. The sun will rise, and today is a new day.