I really meant to start this before the end of November and then post it closer to December 1...Good intentions and all that. I should know better because even if you're not really doing anything for the holidays there are many things that come up and cause delays despite it all in November and December both. I've been busy, evidenced by the lack of posts thus far these days. So here I am at 10pm, yawning and trying to do what I'd meant to do two weeks ago.
Karla complimented me on my discipline after reading my first savings post for November. Girls you know it takes discipline to get up day in and day out and do what we all do to save money. There are days, and I mean this sincerely, when all I want to do is to toss every used zippered bag, buy a 24 pack of water bottles and toss the ones I wash and refill for trips away from home, go buy a bunch of freezer meals and just quit! I mean it seriously. But then I recall that this is my retirement remedy, my calling, my battlefield and I say to myself, "Get busy," and I do. Yes, I do dream of a life where pinching pennies isn't a necessity, where I can shop as recreation every now and then instead of saving for necessities, when I can give a gift simply because I'd just love to bless someone with something out of the ordinary. I recall many years ago, telling a friend I wanted to live a more creative life. Well, honey, here it is. I have learned to create something out of nothing, expand what isn't enough, pretty up what is ugly, stretch what is beyond stretched to the max. 359 days out of 365, I love it.
Now I will share with you all that after the above paragraph, I then lost my place and replied to well over half the posts I'd written in October which you all had commented on, sigh. So late night posts are obviously not the best timed things, right?
Reducing food waste came up in this menu planning post and I have to say that I find it a challenge. I love Angela's shared method of emptying out the fridge twice a week and checking for leftovers, etc that need to be used up. My method has been to keep a basket for leftover items but I sometimes forget to check the vegetable bins. I am ashamed to admit that this evening I realized I have a bit of food waste...I found potatoes, slaw, and a partial can of chili. This is the result of not following my own menu plan and not checking my basket to see what I needed to use up. I'll definitely have to be sure to step up in this area once more.
Kathy I'm so happy you enjoyed the old fashioned Chicken, Gravy and Biscuits dish. I think that recipe came from a 1930's cookbook I found in an old trunk in an old dump area. The book was in almost perfect condition. I should look online and see if I can't buy another one of those books. I remember it was a Silver Anniversary edition of a well known Atlanta caterer's book. Gosh to remember that name!
I was asked if I was putting my casseroles in the freezer and leaving them there. Rarely do I do that. Typically I'll pack entrees in tin pie pans but I came across some foil pans at Walmart that are packaged 3 for just over a dollar. Some are like Chinese take out pans, or chicken pot pie pans with lids. They are awfully nice for using if you run out of recycled pie pans and of course, I wash and reuse. What's even nicer? I can pack food in one of those for a friend or family member and never worry that I won't get my casserole dish back!
The shower cleaner I mentioned is easy to make. 1 part vinegar to 1 part dish soap. It is soap and yes, it will make the floor slippery until the shower has been rinsed, but it does rinse off easily enough. It's amazing at cutting soap scum on glass doors as well as shower walls.
I found I was among friends indeed when I related my tale of being in my pajama shirt and John thinking I was dressed and ready for Synagogue, lol. He did give me fair warning in the early days of our relationship that if I really needed to talk to him, to make sure to turn off the television first, otherwise there was no guarantee he'd even hear me despite nodding and saying "Yes." That has not only proven true, it's also true that he seldom recalls full conversations when no television was in play at all. I am not tossing stones at him, however. He knows he'd best have me turn my computer screen away from me or put down a book or I'll not hear him either!
Slow drains were discussed and Sarah was uncertain about rock salt in a septic system. I have a friend who lives in an older part of a neighborhood where every house has it's own septic system and they live in a heavily wooded area. Her plumber told her to flush rock or kosher salt down her drains at least once a month. This will kill any roots that are growing into your drain lines. My brother was here the other day telling us that his septic tank had backed up and when he dug down to find out why, he had a handful of tightly packed hair fine roots that had completely blocked the flow to the tank. I told him of the plumber's hint to use salt and he told me he was going to start doing that, as he too lives in an area with a lot of trees about his house. You can always check with your plumber if you're still not sure, but remember that baking soda is salt as well.
Karla also shared on this subject that while she treats her drains monthly, she is prone to pour a bit of boiling water down her drains weekly. Not a bad idea, especially in the kitchen where no matter how careful we are, some grease is likely to accumulate.
I finished November with a post I called "Open Heart Exam" . Thank you all for sharing with me that you appreciated this post. It was a moving experience for me and a good one to have in a season where we are reminded a Savior came to this world.
Yes, I'm afraid we all do judge. Even when we think we're not judging we're making comparisons and comparisons are judgements. We've weighed ourselves against another and even if we find we're the one lacking we're guilty of judging. As one of you reminded me, God designed each of us with a unique set of skills, we have unique faults and while it may happen we find others share the same, we are all made as we are for a purpose.
I want to thank all of you who read, comment, share, cheer, and comfort me as we go along this journey together. Thank you, thank you!
1 comment:
Interesting idea about the salt. I'll have to ask our plumber about that one for our house. You are certainly right about being judgmental. I try not to be, but yet it's always there, if just on a small scale. Good thing we can ask for God's forgiveness!
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