Friday, July 30, 2010

My donation box runeth over


This is the stuff I am taking to church on Sunday. Yes our pantry loves the health and beauty items. Somewhere in the spare room I have a package of Poise pads that I am giving them - freebie from Kroger.

The remaining goodies in the box.


As I stuffed more stuff in the box I realized its just to small for my stash. I've removed what I could but I have the makings for 4 Samaritan's Purse Christmas shoe boxes taking up a good amount of the room.

Guess I'll find another box.

No post tomorrow my Baby Bears are having a House Party and I'm spending the day with them.
Thank you and blessings.

Thursday, July 29, 2010

KMart & Rite Aid shopping






You know I was thinking maybe I should take the shopping cart with me but oh no I didn’t think I would need it. I give up that bad boy is going with me from now one.

Kmart
13x9 cake pan (I don’t have one mine was larger)
pair of womens dress shoes
12 pk washcloths
3 prs of men’s lounge pants

After leaving the store I found out that the pants that were on mark down were marked down from the sticker price!!! I paid between $2.50 and $4.50 for them. 2 pairs are for Greg to replace some of his well worn ones and I am saving 1 pair for part of Sam’s Christmas gift. And if I had a ride I would be going back to get rest that were on the rack!!!

Rite Aid
20 oz Mug’s diet root beer
2 packs of M&JM’s
2 Reach toothbrushes (used BOGO coupon, SCRebate and got 2 $1 up rewards) = $1 profit
Act 2 microwave popcorn $1 – 40 coupon
Soft Soap 7.5 oz $1 – 50 cent coupon
Listerine (Did you know that those bottles gain 10 pounds for every step you take with them?) $5.49 - $2 upreward
Ace sports wrap $3.99 - $4 in-ad coupon = free
2 – 3 packs Rite Aid brand scotch tape $3.49 each – BOGO store sale - $3.00 SCRebate = 6 rolls for 49 cents. (Christmas is coming up)
Legg’s Nylons (ugh full price but the only ones that fit me nicely) $4.49
Cortizone ointment (another full price ugh but Greg prefers this kind) $5.49
2 jump ropes $1.00 each (supposed to be 25% off and I will call about them and for Christmas shoeboxes)

and used a $5 off $25 total coupon
oop $30.20
-$7.00 in uprewards
-$11 in single check rebates
final out of pocket will be $12.20

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Its a good thing

that I like to take cool baths (or swims in my porcelain pool as I call it) when its hot. Our water heater broke 3 days ago - eerrrrrr that is another angry subject.

Heating water for dishes is easy (and so is ordering out or carry out) but I gave up trying for hot water to wash my hair or myself.

So Greg (have I mentioned that I love him and his frugalness?) arranged for it to get fixed for $20 tomorrow.

So I will be getting out of the house and going shopping while they are repairing the tank.

Blessings and enjoy your hot shower/bath.

Monday, July 26, 2010

Spent the day at a local park

The sign of the park
See the white rock in front of the bridge? Thats the sacred meeting place for the local Indians.
See the birds in the middle of the river? They are standing on a sand bar.


Just a sign telling about a rock that is in the middle of the river.


The view of the river from the back door of the shelter house.

another back door view but that is a kayaker - there were 4 in the river.

The front of the shelter house.

The group of people we had. They were teasing me about taking pictures. They kept teasing Did you take the picture? Did you take the picture? I ignored them and when i walked away I heard my Dad - "I guess that means yes." Everyone got a good laugh.

Yesterday my Dad, stepmom and I had a picnic to attend. It was held at one of my favorite parks. Its an old park (started in 1930) and is along a slow and lazy part of the Maumee River.

The shelter house that we rented was built by the WPA program during and just after the Great Depression. Here is a link to a site telling about the program. And I musst say that these buildings were built so well that many of them are in regular use (at our zoo) to this day.

The view from the back of the shelter house is beautiful. What I just realized yesterday is that this river flows many miles from start until it reaches Lake Erie. The part right here by the park is so shallow that you can see the rocks at the bottom of the river. But just a mere 5 miles downriver the river is deep enough for lake freighters to come into our ports!!

I hope you enjoy this view of one of my favorite parks.

Blessings

Friday, July 23, 2010

Storm last night






AH it was beautiful thunder, lightening and tornado warnings and all. Yeah you all know I was the crazy one outside AFTER the sirens went off. Don't worry I checked and the possible junk was south of me and not coming my way. Although I am probably safer outside than inside my mobile home!!!

I'm hoping the pictures turn out for you. One is the downspout - I love to watch the water pour out and then down the little stone alley we made for it.

Another of how the water runs down the road to the drain kind of like a mini river.

More storms coming tonight - I'll be safe I promise.

Blessings

Thursday, July 22, 2010

The house is alive with the sound of . . . .




Popping!!!We had 7 tomatoes fresh from the garden and 2 jalapeno peppers so I decided to can them all. I did have one jar causality and it contents. After a quick phone call to the one person I knew would be home and able to help with my questions I also found a new way to can!!!

I love my Aunt Peg.

So the preserving for 2010 has started!!!

Blessings and thank you for reading :)

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Welcome to the jungle - garden update






http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1tj2zJ2Wvg

Friends I swear our garden just sprouted up overnight!!! Seriously look at what is outside our backdoor.

15 tomato plants all with tomatoes of various sizes and ripeness. But Greg did warn me to get the jars ready. So far we have 5 on the kitchen table ready for eating so I figure that I could can 3 of them.

See the cucumber plant?? Its been staked up 5 times and has given up 2 cucumbers so far. Every green pepper plant has at least 1 pepper and I see one that I am about ready to take off.

The crowder peas and the collard greens are doing nicely.

And the watermelon or cantaloupe is trying very hard to take over the garden. I did see a pretty yellow flower on it today so hopefully we will have some nice fruit soon.

The garlic is about ready for harvest. We have followed the guides and stopped watering it. Now it sits for 2 weeks to dry and then we can harvest it.

We have been very blessed with a fruitful garden this year.

Blessings, Laura

Monday, July 19, 2010

The reason I have been MIA for the past 2 weeks


I went back to school for a certificate as a Nursing Assistant. Now I am waiting for my State competency test date and a successful end to my job search.

I hope that I can serve as an example of never letting your age stop you from going to school to learn new things.

Blessings, Laura