Just a little book talk

I don't know about you but even though I am an avid (obsessed?) reader, there are times I just can't read much. It doesn't happen often but I went through such a time this winter. I'm not certain what this malady is a sign of... perhaps melancholy or just a weariness of soul. It is during these seasons that I bury myself in the Psalms, listen to music, or watch either a British flick or an NCIS marathon (strange but I find both relaxing).

Thankfully, that is now behind me and hubby is once again complaining about stacks of books around the house (he keeps what he is reading on a small corner of the living room coffee table but he doesn't read four or five books at a time... poor guy... never developed the talent). If you take a look at my reading list on the sidebar (before I change it), you will see lots of books.

I finally read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaeffer and Annie Barrows. LOVED that book! It could easily become one of my all time favorite novels. It takes place in England just after WWII where the author is corresponding with different people from Guernsey about their experiences during the war. Any book about England and books and lovely people (the Brits... not the Nazis) would interest me but this is an exceptionally well written book. Don't let the letter format hinder you from reading it, you forget these are letters by page three.

Stephanie sent Stand; A Call for the Endurance of the Saints by John Piper and Justin Taylor to her brother as part of his get well package. Since I figured he is not up to reading yet (albeit I didn't ask), it found itself being read my Nurse Mom that very evening. It is a compilation of chapters written by well known Christian authors and pastors about enduring to the end and "finishing well". I have read the chapter by Randy Alcorn and found it... amazing. Great book.

One of the two books I purchased with Amazon credit last month was Food That Says Welcome by Barbara Smith (mother of Michael W. Smith). I've had it on my wish list for awhile and since it was available at a very inexpensive cost, decided to "go for it". I'm glad I did, Mrs. Smith has written a great cookbook about showing hospitality (most of the book is recipes). It turns out she was once a caterer and the recipes are excellent. There are a lot of recipes that can be made ahead and frozen... I like that.

From the library, I checked out Something Warm From the Oven by Elizabeth Goudge and Georgia Cooking From an Oklahoma Kitchen by Trisha Yearwood (and her sister). As mentioned already, it is my choice for Amazon credit this month and I've placed Goudge's cookbook on my list to order used. I've checked it out numerous times... it has lots and lots of good baking recipes.

I also read, no... lived in... all three volumes of The Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyzyn for a couple of weeks. I skimmed Mrs. Whaley's Charleston Kitchen by Emily Whaley and set it aside for a closer look later. It was the other book I bought with Amazon credit last month. I like the writing of her garden book better but this one has lots and lots of recipes. Her philosophy of cooking and entertaining is worth getting the book used, she was quite a colorful Southern lady. :)

As for my quiet time book, I took Holy Habits: A Woman's Guide to Intentional Living off the shelf again. Normally, I'll read a book that inspires me and then send it off to Stephanie. This one never made it to the Post Office. For a little book that cost me $1.50 used from the library, it could very well be one of the best inspirational and quiet time books I've ever read.

It is written by Mimi Wilson and Shelly Cook Volkhardt and I can't say enough good things about it. It is one of those rare Christian books that one from any denomination would enjoy. It is based on the scripture:

"TEACH US TO NUMBER OUR DAYS ARIGHT, THAT WE MAY GAIN A HEART OF WISDOM." PS. 90:12

The large section where the authors write about the "Names of God" was of particular interest to me. I spent one or two mornings on each chapter and I plan to go back and read sections over again. This is a wonderful, well written, full of scripture book.

I've also read one novel sent to me to review and I have another Thomas Nelson book to review, I'll post both of those next week. On my "books to be read" stack there is a library book about the life of Jack Hanna, fortunately I was able to renew it.

As for magazines... the Jan./Feb. issue of Backwoods Home magazine and the latest Victoria... now there is an odd couple. :)

Pantry talk - living the pantry lifestyle continued

My, one should not write and push "Publish Post" when they are in a hurry. I went back later and read yesterday's post. My ideas were all scrambled.

I completely forgot to tell you the point of why spending money on eating out was a priority when we were a two career couple in the 1980's... it was so we could spend more time together as a family. Stephanie was too little to help in the kitchen (when I was tired and cranky after a busy day) and hubby was too busy so... there were many long conversations over coffee and a soft drink at Russ', Point West, Coral Gables, The James Street Inn, "that breakfast place" we enjoyed in Douglas, The Hatch, and The Loaf and Mug in Saugatuck... years and years of good memories when it was just "us three"...

The priorities and the way we spend money has changed over the years. For instance, I still make almost everything from scratch but now that there are only three of us at home and I work within the confines of a chronic illness... I purchase a few favorite premade items like pizza crust (Boboli is good but Wal Mart also sells a less expensive brand that is excellent if you don't need a whole wheat crust); frozen deep dish pie crusts; Old El Paso flour tortillas (sold in the aisle with the salsa, taco seasonings, etc.), and others that do not come to my mind now.

Both the Boboli or Boboli style pizza crusts and the Old El Paso tortillas can be stored in the pantry instead of the freezer and have a good shelf life. (I do make pizza dough in my bread machine most of the time, when I'm feeling up to it.)

Mostly, though, I keep in my pantry the basic items needed for cooking and baking. That's where having a good cookbook collection comes in handy. The way I keep a pantry is very similar to what is shown in The Tightwad Gazette volumes II and III. Amy talked about storing the basics and then having cookbooks to look up new recipes containing both basic ingredients and when they grew or were given something new.

My recipe book collection has changed through the years, I gave away most of my "gourmet" cookbooks (I took gourmet cooking lessons when I was young). I now have a few basic cookbooks and lots with recipes the way I cook. I especially love recipe books that have prose in them and if there are beautiful pictures... well, they will find themselves next to my bed at night or with me under a warm throw on the sofa (and probably end up with cat hair on them).

A favorite book for finding "how to cook" ideas and recipes for veggies is my copy of The Victory Garden Cookbook. I've had my copy for about twenty years (except for when my mother-in-law borrowed it for awhile). It is almost falling apart. This is a category of cookbooks I'll be looking for at the next library sale.

I believe this book is out of print but available used. I highly recommend it for both gardeners looking for a way to use excess veggies and people like me who had a mother who "cooked everything to death" and needed good ideas. Although... I still cook even canned green beans to death and it made me smile to see Trisha Yearwood has a recipe by that name (her cookbook is Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen).

As mentioned before, I also learn a lot through reading magazines. As the person in the family responsible for putting food on the table, I see the research as necessary to my career as wife, Mom, family chef, chief bottle washer, etc. Just last month, I perused Backwoods Home magazine (Jan/Feb edition) at the bookstore and saw that it had two great articles about cooking cheap and from the pantry and since I actually had the money... I bought it.

I took it with me to the hospital on the day of the surgery and had my husband read it, too. We both agreed one article in particular helped a great deal and we've been keeping a pantry for decades. I can often find free cooking magazines on the "free shelf" at the library.

By keeping a basic pantry (those items needed to make most of what I cook), a freezer with meat purchased on sale, and a refrigerator with extra eggs and milk... I can look for a new recipe in many cookbooks and have on hand what is needed. The only difference... how "deep" I can make the pantry.

It's interesting that many of the emergency preparedness articles I've read since Katrina are encouraging three months worth of basic foods, three weeks worth of foods used often, and at least three days of foods that do not need to be cooked. I'll write more later about lessons learned when we lived from the pantry.

There are some items it is easy to have an entire year's worth on the shelf... salt, pepper, cocoa, cinnamon and other spices, vanilla and other extracts, etc. Other items are more expensive or they take up more room but you would be surprised how little it can cost when using basic foods. I used to purchase oatmeal from my former food co-op but a dear friend in the co-op now purchases it for me (she orders twenty-five pounds at a time... or more).

I store it in see through Rubbermaid type containers and it doesn't cost much to keep enough for four or more months. I once bought an entire fifty pound bag and it lasted well over a year (that was when my son-in-law was still working on his PhD and before they became the "New England contingent"... well, he was from New England already... we often shared with them from the pantry).

I've also learned to store what I use and not what cooking experts say is acceptable or not. For instance, I loved watching The Frugal Gourmet but he was always talking about how bad garlic powder and onion powder were. I stopped using them until I came to my senses and realized he was WRONG. I enjoy watching cooking shows (especially those on PBS, which I'll be able to get again when our antennae is put up) but I also have learned to overlook when a cooking teacher is being a little too much of a food snob. If it was fine with Mom, it works with me... well, except pickled pigs feet. I never acquired a taste for them.

It reminds me of when I opened my mother-in-law's frig and there was... gasp... a Pillsbury Pie Crust package on the shelf! She was famous for her pies and her beautiful crusts. She told me she started using Pillsbury crusts because she was too tired to make hers from scratch (she was probably eighty years old when this conversation took place) and much to her amazement... no one noticed the difference. Hehehe... I was set FREE... Hallelujah. Oh, pardon me... I get goose bumps just remembering that moment.

My basic "pantry" is a set of shelves in the garage and I use kitchen cabinets as well as the tall cabinet I keep in the kitchen (inherited from my mother-in-law, coveted by my daughter). I keep extra TP and other paper items in the tiny shower in the tiny bathroom. I learned to do this from Manuela (who must show a picture of that shower-used-as-pantry again and I'll link to it). I found a large, wire basket at Goodwill that (when turned upside down) is perfect for lifting the large packages of TP off the shower floor just in case water would get on the bottom... which has never happened.

The only time we use this shower is when the grandchildren visit and we've been meeting them elsewhere since the New England contingent has graciously gifted us with a vacation. Although this year I... um... encouraged (no, too mild a word)... their anniversary trip to England instead. Who knows when circumstances will align themselves again to make this possible and after years of blessing us... being able to go on their dream vacation would be a great reward. However, I digress...

I purchase meat for the freezer when it is on sale. Ironically, it is my most expensive grocery store that has the best meat sales. I've found if you pay careful notice, you'll see a pattern about grocery store sales. I can buy most cuts of meat 40% to 50% off and save even more if I go early in the day and they have cut the price even more because it has reached its' sale date.

By purchasing for the pantry (and on sale most of the time), then I am prepared for those times when there is no income. I have often gone weeks and weeks with no cash on hand except that saved back to purchase eggs and milk. As I've written before, it is insurance you can eat whether you suffer a job loss or there is a disruption in the trucking industry (even Wal Mart is often out of something I need because they operate on Just In Time... meaning the factory or in this case grocery store stocks only for that day).

Next time I write about the pantry (Monday?), I'll share how I decide where to shop. As for when... whenever we have been given a financial gift, receive a tax check (like we are expecting now), and when hubby works at the bookstore at the beginning and end of semesters. Unfortunately, I've had to stop working and I'll miss the people and the check!

Saturday I want to share a little about books I'm reading.

(I haven't had a chance to look at back comments and answer them since I'm "borrowing" my son's computer but I will quickly answer the one comment from yesterday... we can no longer claim Christopher as a dependent even though he is a student because he is nineteen and makes more than the minimum amount allowed for us to be able to claim him.

He is quite pleased to be able to claim himself now, hehehe. :)

He is recovering... two steps forward and one step back. )

Pantry talk - living the pantry lifestyle

I only have a few minutes before another household member gets this computer. So... today's post will be short and sweet... continued (hopefully) tomorrow.

Living without an income for over a year (twice) and now living with a monthly check that doesn't cover food changed the way I look at spending for everything. That's why I'm calling this living the "pantry lifestyle". As money comes in, I have places for it to go as well as setting some aside for those items I can't place in the pantry... milk, fresh eggs, greens, etc.

For instance, my husband received an additional week of bonus for his work at the bookstore in January. That was a nice (and needed) surprise. It coincided with the same week when one grocery store had my favorite brand of canned tomatoes at buy one get one free and Kroger had my favorite frozen veggies on their 10 for $10.00 sale. I bought $20.00 worth of canned tomatoes and $30.00 worth of frozen veggies along with basic groceries. I don't pay full price (ever) for that brand of canned tomatoes. I rarely pay full price for frozen veggies.

I'll write more tomorrow about how I grocery shop for the pantry but today I wanted to spend a little more time sharing how we spend for other items. I've talked a lot about the Priority List already. When my husband did our taxes this year, we were thrilled to see we're getting a fairly good amount back (only because we qualified for a credit and even though we can no longer take Christopher as an exemption).

Hubby asked me what I needed most from the refund and I told him to stock up the freezer a little more and to (finally) buy new sandals. They have been going down on the priority list too long. Because of the diabetes, my doctor does not like me to wear sandals but I get away with them by wearing only SAS sandals (the only brand of shoes I can wear, except for good quality walking/running shoes).

SAS shoes are expensive. I've found one pair of their "granny" type at Goodwill but never sandals. Mine I now own are probably 120 yrs. old in shoe years so they're not doing my feet much good. They have gone to the top of my priority list and except for hopefully finding a $10.00 off coupon... they are full price.

I have learned the value of some items, those that are worth full price when I can't find them off the financial grid. For example, I have checked Trisha Yearwood's new cookbook out of the library three times. I now know it is full of good recipes similar and the same to how I cook. I'm going to use my Amazon credit to purchase it next time the credit comes in (it is too new to be deeply discounted at used stores).

So, why use my credit for a cookbook? That's part of the pantry way of thinking. What value do I put on an item? Stop to think about it... how much money is finding a favorite recipe to add to your collection? If I found just one new recipe (and I already know there are many since I've taken it out of the library), then $20.00 over the course of the years I use the recipe is a bargain.

I have done the same thing with a couple cooking magazine each Holiday Season. Those magazines that feature all baking, or all casseroles, or all "best of"... sometimes costing as much as $9.00 but once again... how much is a new family favorite worth over its' lifetime.

Now, don't get me wrong, this kind of expenditure is very rare. I check out cookbooks from the library if I need a new idea and head for that section at library sales where they are available for one or two dollars. However, when I find one that is full of good recipes then I consider it part of my research library for my career as the family's chef.

I thought it interesting that Amy (Tightwad Gazette) uses her pantry and cookbooks the same way I do (more about that tomorrow).

Back when Stephanie was little, I took two classes in flower arranging at a florist shop in Holland (Michigan). They were a little pricey at the time but I've used what I learned in those classes for over twenty years now. Talk about value! I wish I'd taken a cake decorating class back then, too. I know Laine (Laine's Letters) has shared about how many times she has used the skills learned in her cake decorating class.

(Which reminds me, a few of you asked for copies of the latest Laine's Letter and I didn't get back to you before the computer crash. I thought I had kept it in the Gmail archives but I couldn't find it and I had been looking if I'd kept it elsewhere. It obviously is not on this machine... I'll look again when my computer is back.)

I know there are all different ways to look at the value of our time and money. In the 1980's, when we were a two career couple, we had more money than time so we ate out a great deal... especially on the weekends with breakfast out and Sunday brunch after church. We have great memories of those times. In that case, money eating out was well spent. :)

I know this must be rather "hit and miss" but I hope it describes a little about how I make expenditures. It's not all that different than when most of society was agricultural and received most of their payment when their crops came in each year... one had to plan carefully... purchase what was needed (along with Godly desires) the most when available... and then know there may be months at a time when the only income was from selling eggs to the store in town. (Hmmm... have I been reading the Little House books too much?)

Okay, I warned you these posts would be "off the top of my head" prose. Now, I must hand over the computer to the next in line. :)

Pantry talk - learning to think off the financial grid

Thank you for your prayers, comments, and e-mails. Christopher is beginning to worry about how many classes he has missed. That is a good sign. We are definitely imperfect people making an attempt to live out the life of Christ as best we know how in a dysfunctional world. I am constantly asking God's forgiveness when I snap back at my husband or get annoyed with my son (he is still a teenager!).

I laugh (just on the inside) when I hear someone comment on a family and call it "dysfunctional". I want to pat them on the shoulder and tell them, "Honey, every family is dysfunctional". God placed the first couple in a perfect world and they still messed up. :)

I want to begin writing more about what God has taught me... prose form... about living a "pantry lifestyle". Losing a job (and/or your spouse losing a job) can be one of the worst times of your life... or the best. In our case, living without an income for a year the first time is what taught me there is "a whole other" retail world out there.

Even if we weren't living on Disability, I would enjoy the lifestyle I've come to know. It would just be easier to plan at times. :)

I've used a name for it before... forced simplicity. I should also add... forced adventure. For it is in the hunt for what is needed (and a few desires) at the very smallest of prices that led me to another world which I truly did not know existed.

Also, I have developed a sense of expectation. It is not "will" God answer prayer but "how" will He answer prayer... and when. He is never late but sometimes he seems to be whistling Dixie.

Having a new baby to clothe had a lot to do with trying out that new fangled way of shopping in the late 1970s called a garage sale (does that mean someone is selling their garage?). My main focus back then was to find all things baby, then toddler, and then preschooler for pennies on the dollar.

Garage sales became a fun warm weather activity, even when we had a fairly significant income. Back then frugal shopping was more sport than necessity. However, lessons learned during those years were very helpful later. As with everything in life, the more you do it (as in garage sales at that time), the more skill you obtain.

I learned to grocery shop to get the most nutrition for the least amount of money for a very selfish reason... when we were no longer a two career couple, I received a certain amount of money for food and eating out... if I wanted to eat out a couple of times during the week then grocery shopping had to be on a budget. Those skills have proved invaluable.

Even when I worked full time in a corporation, I knew how to shop for clothes at department stores to save at least 50%. My mother taught me the best time to shop for clothes, at the end of each season. I wear a larger jacket size then skirt so I'd clean up at the end of season suit sales where "orphan" suit jackets and skirts were sold separately. :)

However, I now know I was still totally oblivious to living off the financial grid. Very few of us at the time felt the need. I've been told a few times by Social Workers that the middle class are totally unaware how to live when they have little or no income. The poor know how to survive already and the rich have no need to survive with nothing (although that may no longer be true with very wealthy people losing everything these past six months or so).

In the weeks to come, I plan to share more of what we've learned by doing and by research. Along with a few book reviews and family updates. Just by chatting... few lists (I have plenty of posts already with lists and links to other sites with lists) but plenty of "off the top of my head" prose.

My own sense of the times we are in... things may begin to look a little better for awhile but I see no way our country can permanently stay financially stable. Everything we can learn now (whether already affected or not) to learn "living off the financial grid" will give practice to a new way of thinking.

Always remember, God is in control. If you have already been affected by this economy and it was not your fault... let it go and lean on Him. If some of your financial earthquake has been your own fault... let it go, ask His forgiveness, lean on Him... and learn new skills. Do not blame yourself from this moment on. The enemy of our souls whispers to you that you can't ask for God's help because of past mistakes. Ask me how I know?

If it wasn't your fault at all, let it go and do not let bitterness take root. Take every thought captive and pull up those weeds as soon as you hear your own whispers of blame towards other people and corporations. Let it go...

Once you develop the good habit of throwing out the continuous thoughts of guilt, bitterness (or fear of what is coming for people not affected)... then you are ready for God to take you on an exciting... albeit sometimes uncomfortable... adventure.

I ask for continued grace when I have typos and grammar errors. My eyes are a little crossed by this computer screen. :)

Another post surgery update

Yawn... I am so sleepy. Christopher had a frightening allergy/asthma attack in the middle of the night with chest pains and trouble breathing. I gave him an antihistamine and his dad helped him from his bedroom back to the sofa. I turned the TV on to a channel that plays The Worship Network in the middle of the night... the medicine and the music helped a great deal and he soon fell sound asleep with no pain or trouble breathing.

I stayed up with him about 1 1/2 hours and went back to bed... sleepy but wide awake! That is always a frightening experience. We're not sure what brought it on but he did have red Jell-O for the first time in at least a year.

Thankfully, I was able to drive him to the college late morning and help him into the building where the college president and other college administrators would take Christopher and two other college students to the important lunch. I had to laugh... on the way to the college he asked for a refresher course in "what silverware to use when".

He said his speech went very well but he was in a lot of pain by the time I picked him up from the hotel where the luncheon was held. He didn't want to take a pain pill before going as it can make him want to throw up... not something one wants to do in front of important community members. If his surgeon had not said he could do this, I wouldn't have let him off the sofa. :)

He showed me the achievement certificate they gave him... oh, that is who gave him this award? Wow. They only reward people they see as future community leaders. I would be impressed even if I wasn't his Mom (I impress easily where my children, son-in-law, and grandchildren are concerned).

I want to write more at another time about how the community college has been a wonderful experience for us, first as homeschoolers and now as a basis for college credits at a fraction of university costs. As I reminded Christopher on the way home, he is able to stand out at the college. At the university, he is one smart kid among 40,000+ really, really smart kids.

Next I plan to (finally) start the promised week of Pantry Talk posts. I wasn't sure how to go about them, having written a lot about the pantry, until I read The Tightwad Gazette III that Manuela sent me (thank you!). It inspired my ponder. :)

I'll post either tonight or in the morning. When one is swiping another's computer... one finds it hard to plan when larceny is the easiest.

PS: To Peej (aka: Peggy Jo)... we'll come for a visit when Western Michigan doesn't have 500 feet of snow on the ground. I expect a good ground melt by July?

Sunday Afternoon Tea

Or, should I say... Monday tea... without a picture? We had a good night at last with my son sleeping through the night and complaining when I turned on the kitchen light this morning to push the button on the coffee pot (he is sleeping on the sofa in the family room). That is more like what I'm used to. :)

It has not been easy on top of my own challenges but I also am so happy to be able to serve the Lord by serving my children. As I wrote my brother-in-law, it was good to have my tall young man need his Mommy again when he was in pain (not good that he was in pain, though). God gives us grace to go through whatever we need at the time.

So, what was I pondering on Friday? The word "bittersweet" kept coming back to me. I love the bittersweet we find in autumn, I'll need to do some research as to how it got its name. On Friday, I was thinking how the older I get, the more I understand the word... bittersweet.

It wasn't until Christopher was in recovery and we walked to my mom's favorite neighborhood restaurant that I thought of the family history in that hospital and neighborhood. I was born in that same hospital... as was Stephanie... as was my first grandchild. My father, mother, two siblings, and my first child passed away in the same building. Many memories...

My mother lived in this neighborhood after I was married. It was in a house only blocks away that Stephanie would visit Mamaw as a child. The neighborhood restaurant where we walked for lunch was her favorite place to go for a catfish dinner with my stepfather. We'd never been there before but as we enjoyed our lunch I could see why Mamaw loved it.

At the large, round table in the middle of the room was a group of men... some dressed as contractors, one in farmer's garb, and another in a three piece suit... from the conversation one could tell these were men who had been friends since their youth. Good plain food... good people... friendly faces.

On the way home I walked by the pond near the hospital and watched the ducks (they had to be cold!). My mother took me as a child to feed ducks at this same pond just as I took Stephanie when she would visit Mamaw. We moved back to the area when Christopher was a preschooler and Stephanie was in high school. Christopher and I spent many a morning bringing our nature study drawing books to the pond as part of our homeschooling studies and now he is in college.

Bittersweet... moments that were bitter at times and the memories become sweet. Memories of Mom and Dad, memories of the day I went into premature labor, very fond memories of young children and family picnics at nearby picnic tables... sweet events with a touch of bitterness at the thought of many who are no longer with us... hope that fills us to be together again someday. The memories flooding back to me were unanticipated and took me a bit by surprise... as if someone had taken my breath away for a moment.

We went back to this hospital to find Christopher out of Recovery and into Post Op. I held his hand as he looked around with that dazed look of one coming out of anesthetic. We had a couple challenges that afternoon. One particularly sweet moment was watching his evening nurse praying for him outside his door. (As a "thank you", I left my copy of the Elizabeth George book about the Proverbs 31 woman with her... after convincing her I'd already read it three times!) :)

Now I'm helping Christopher as he is walking from one side of the house to the other every hour. His surgeon has given his blessing to Christopher's meeting with the college president tomorrow to give a speech at an important community function. He could use more prayers to get through this as he is determined to be there.

I will return soon...

Quick update

I was hoping to post a Sunday Afternoon Tea today but I'm still in Dr. Mom mode.

Christopher's surgery went very well but he had a couple recovery challenges the day of the surgery. Since he is uninsured, they let him go home late Friday night after his complications were cleared up.

He is doing very well now. He's still in post surgery pain but he's finally able to get up and walk around with someone to lean on.

I was up with him every two hours the first night (I told Stephanie it was like having a new baby at home again!) and last night I was up three times.

Can we say sleep deprivation?

However, we are now in the process of healing nicely and I should get some sleep tonight. :)

Taking advantage of a left behind computer

Christopher left his laptop at home again. He has two classes today (Thursday), will meet with some friends after his last class, and then come home to a favorite dinner in early evening. No, he's not expecting this to be his last Supper but he knows he'll be recovering for awhile.

Believe it or not (and if you knew him, you would believe it), he is going to have me drive him to the college on Tuesday to attend a community event with the President of the college. I told him he'll be walking very slowly. :)

I noticed Stephanie finally updated her blog, hehehe. Actually, she has been extremely busy for weeks and a lot of her online time has been spent researching an anniversary vacation. I encouraged her to budget time and money for a much longed for trip with her hubby. Especially since they have saved the money already.

I have such fond memories of our last family "vacation" when we dipped into our savings in 1999... drove into Chicago for a three day trip and stayed at a hotel in the suburbs to save money... taking the commuter train into the City. Loved it! We knew it was important since Steph would be graduating from college and working full time as an Interior Designer starting that summer. We didn't know a wedding would be within the year. :)

We enjoyed even the inevitable stressful times. We accidentally got on the wrong commuter train and imagine our surprise as it zipped past our stop! We met some lovely people, including a woman who used her commuting time to make quilts by hand. We saw a few unplanned sites and ended up getting on the last train back toward Chicago that stopped where we needed. I told Stephanie at the time that I knew I'd laugh about it later... and I have... a lot... even though I was cold and tired and longed for my hotel room at the time.

Our car is parked at the mechanic's shop. We'll see how much it cost to fix the problem. Same with the computer. I must admit that not having computer access certainly made for more time catching up on housework, especially since much of my time recently has been spent in waiting rooms of doctors and the hospital.

I put my itty bitty mp3 player in a small zipped bag and found it to be a wonderful companion, especially in the large waiting rooms where there are too many distractions to my reading. Since we plan to be at the hospital for hours tomorrow, I've promised hubby he can use it.

Speaking of whom... he gave me a Valentine's Day gift (we normally don't give each other gifts except he lets me pick out flowers at the grocery store). A couple years ago, my favorite hammer turned up missing after the guys had a work day helping a church member fix up his house. We're thinking it had to accidentally be put in the toolbox belonging to one of his relatives who lives in another state.

I missed "my" hammer, it had been with me since we were first married. The closest to it we had found was way too expensive (a Craftsman!). Now, we purchased plenty of Craftsman tools for hubby's birthday and Christmas through the years for the same reason I believe in the best kitchen equipment one can afford... he used them all the time. (Especially for his gifts in the first fifteen to twenty years of marriage but I only use a hammer for little projects.)

So, imagine my surprise when he handed me a perfectly sized hammer... a Stanley that cost less than $6.00. I thought that so sweet, one of those gifts only someone who knows you well would give you for Valentine's Day. Even if he did say he knew I needed one because there are still blank spaces on our walls... a thinly veiled reference to my English Country decorating style.

I must now re-enter the frozen tundra of my garage to put a load of towels into the dryer. At least now when the weather turns Arctic, I know we are on the downhill slope toward Spring. I won the robin contest this year (a family contest that involves seeing the first robin on the season that we've had since I can remember). My husband almost didn't believe me that I saw a robin on the snow as I drove down the road to our house. That poor bird had to be freezing her giblets... literally. :)

I may get a chance to write tomorrow after the surgery. Otherwise... on Saturday. Thank you for the "welcome back" comments. Sorry for any spelling and grammar errors, I'm not used to this computer screen... good enough excuse for now. I haven't even had a chance to check e-mails since the computer crashed and there were already some that were patiently waiting for a reply. Soon... hopefully soon.

Peeking in from a borrowed computer

Hi, all! I really miss being able to communicate with you, especially after I found my ponder.

In case you couldn't tell by my absence, the virus did do damage to my hard drive. I run a virus scan twice a day but this particular worm virus was very dangerous and worked quickly. I don't have a clue how I got it. My son reminds me even "safe" websites can harbor unknown viruses. So... my computer is still in the shop as they see if it can be fixed.

My dream computer is a Mac laptop... no viruses there.

Added to that... my car broke down today. It lost all electricity. It was towed in as Christopher left classes to rescue me. If it costs too much to fix it, it will be on the way to the junk yard. You know how some cars are like members of the family? We bought this car used (paid cash for it) in 1995! It's been a great car and has lasted far beyond expectation. We have no idea how many miles it has traveled as the odometer stopped working at 199,900+.

The more challenging my week, the earlier I get up for a daily quiet time... more strength is needed for the journey. Sometimes the news alone can bring on fear but I'm so glad I know God is in control.

Christopher's surgery is scheduled for Friday. He is more than ready to get this over with. Thankfully, all his professors are working with him. He is on the Dean's List with a very high GPA so they know he usually works much harder he has been able to these past few weeks. We're praying for a safe surgery and quick recovery.

I forgot to add on my last post that most Amazon used bookstores are safe. I always order from those listed that have been around for a long time and have a high percentage of successful sales, even if it means paying a couple more dollars. I've ordered used from Amazon for years and I've always been pleased. I would never order from a newly listed book seller with the warning given at the Thoene's website.

Christopher has promised I can use his computer when he is home recovering. Then I'll be able to answer more comments and e-mails and (finally) write more recession ponderings and pantry posts. I've been doing research in books and magazines, the old fashioned way. Hopefully I'll hear that my computer can be fixed, too.

See you soon!

Warning of deep discount books

Before shutting off my computer and seeing if it still works, I wanted to let you know about the following warning from Brock and Bodie Thoene.

Be careful of deep discounted Christian books! Go HERE for further information.

Just in case...

I run a virus scanner twice a day since both my husband and I are on the Net a lot.

This last scan has picked up a very bad worm virus that looks like it has affected the hard drive.

Normal attempts at correcting are not working. It is beyond me why there are people in the world who desire to take out other people's computers.

If you don't hear from me, you'll know we had to take the computer to the computer hospital.

We'll see what happens when I try to turn the computer back on.

Sunday Afternoon Tea

Well, I have almost completely recovered my pondering. There is a little still missing... my head is rather fuzzy. It is, however, amazing what a sunny 50 degree day will do to one's sense of well being.

Having lost my pondering, I wasn't certain what to chat about during "tea" today until my husband made a statement yesterday morning. He said he wished he had my ability to read quickly as well as deeply... responding to the many financial e-newsletters I receive. (I personally value the gift even more when perusing cooking and decorating blogs.)

I had just recently been reading about God giving us gifts as well as not being jealous of the gifts He gives others. I have always been able to read quickly and with comprehension, write fairly well, discern people, and have strong administrative skills.

These were all put to use in the work force and as a homeschooling Mom... and now as a blogger. I should mention being able to type over 90 wpm helps a lot, too.

On the other hand, my husband's gifts are his analytical mind, the ability to cut through miles of paperwork, his ability to communicate with people on the phone, how he can fix many things that are broken or learn how to, and the fact he is practically fearless (all of which helped him in wartime)... and he wants my gifts?

So often we fail to appreciate our own gifts, especially if they are "behind the scenes". That's why I think we'll see plenty of grandmas and grandpas with jewels in their crowns come Eternity due to all the praying for and support given their family and friends.

I have known people through the years with a variety of gifts... those who can sing (I can't), the musically inclined who write lyrics that inspire and make me think, certain friends like Sally Clarkson (and her daughter and hubby) who write great books, and friends whose gardens I find... amazing.

I admire Ravi Zacharias and Francis Schaeffer, mothers of large families (God gave me two kids twelve years apart for a reason), people who can "do math", and nurses who calmed my fears in intensive care.

I love to hear fabulous preaching... like Chuck Swindoll and Charles Stanley, read great literature, lose myself in the words of Tolkien and Lewis, find inspiration from John Piper or Elizabeth George, watch the old Julia Child shows and marvel at how easy she makes French cooking look, and wonder what kind of a mind designs mp3 players.

Being a pastry chef wannabe, I find delight in beautifully decorated cakes and designer cookies as well as how Jacques Pepin can take the same ingredients I have in my refrigerator and come up with a five-star meal. Genius...

The point is that God has given all of us gifts. We may not realize just what it is that makes us special... but each one of us is gifted in our own way.

Each one of us brings something to the party and together... we are complete.

I think I've lost my ponder

I'm running some errands today while the weather is "warm" (the upper 40's feel downright balmy).

Starting Monday, I'll continue writing about some of our unemployment experiences (as in... how we survived and were still able to keep our credit good enough to buy this house) and begin some more deepening the pantry posts.

I'll also answer questions in comments and update you about Christopher's upcoming surgery (we'll know more after an MRI on Tuesday).

As for today... the Proverbs 31 call is upon me... bringing my food in from afar. I also must finish reading a library book which will soon become due and a book to review. I know, it's a hard task but somebody must do it. :)

If you are a praying type, do pray for me that I find my ponder. I think I overworked it last week. Perhaps a good cup of coffee will bring it back.

Recession Ponderings - Safe Harbour

I woke up long before the alarm was to ring this morning. After realizing I wasn't going back to sleep, I took advantage of the early morning hours to start the coffee and turn on the TV for one of my favorite ways to relax. Two Christian networks play videos by worship.net* and CreationScapes.tv in the wee hours of the morning.

I sat in the Lazy Boy, sipped coffee, and found body... mind... and spirit relaxing in the hour before I had to wake Christopher up for his commute to his 8:00 class.

Watching the beautiful scenery and listening to praise music reminded me of other times I have found comfort in these videos and I thought about the concept of having a Safe Harbour to run to when going through the storms of life.

Just as storms come and go in nature, so we find ourselves in real life storms... some so mild we hardly notice the dark clouds... others leave us feeling as if we were in the midst of the whirlwind, hanging on for dear life. I've found the necessity of providing a Safe Harbour at times, those places I can go to find peace for my soul in the midst of hurricane force winds.

Of course, the storm continues to rage and the circumstances have yet to change. But a Safe Harbour provides peace in the midst of the storm... at times enough to help regain needed strength and encourage us with faith to continue.

What are some of my Safe Harbours... past and now?

• Reading the Psalms
• Talking to God in the morning
• Talking to God when I can't sleep
• Watching the antics of furry friends
• Getting lost in a book
• Baking in a warm and cozy kitchen
• Inspirational music
• Beautiful artwork
• Watching a re-run of an old TV show
• British flicks on DVD
• Gardens in Spring
• Forests in Autumn
• Sunrises and sunsets
• Hiking trails when Christopher was little
• Walking the shores of Lake Michigan
• Picnics at the park when both kids were home
• Breakfast at the Cracker Barrel
• Getting away alone for coffee
• Tea time at home
• Memories of fun family times

Well, I'm sure you "get the picture". While nothing can sooth my soul like getting into the Word... there are Safe Harbours where I run when the storms are raging.

Yours may be different than mine. While working with flour, sugar, and butter can help me temporarily forget my burdens... it can be a burden to another. My husband finds rest for his soul watching Chicago Sports... go figure.

When you are budgeting for tomorrow... make room for that which will be a place of Safe Harbour in the storm.

*For some reason, www.worship.net was unavailable online. I hope this is only temporary as you can watch their beautiful programs at their website.

Picture: Dragon Tulips poster; allposters.com

No cost decorating

Yesterday I was able to perform some "no cost decorating" in my family room. I'd been looking at some online pictures of a beautiful country cottage when I found myself admiring their French doors.

Then I started thinking about the French doors in my family room and wondered.... hmmm, what would happen if I removed those drapes I really didn't like?

I pulled one of my dining room chairs into the family room and (perhaps showing a lack of common sense) stood on the chair and removed the drapes from the decorative brass rod that held them. Wow. Amazing. Gorgeous.

I knew there was beautiful woodwork behind the drapes but it was just like the picture. It entirely changed the look of that room... and without paying a dime.

I love serendipity decorating moments.

Picture: Susan Wheeler; Home From the Market

Recession Ponderings - Confessions of a recovering Yuppie

I awoke this morning to find we had no water. Having someone come in and check the well pump is on the Priority List... fixing the Buick caused it and a few other items to drop in their priority. It has now gone to the top of the list.

Thankfully, my husband had people he could call for advice and we did a few things we had done in the past when it didn't start. About an hour later the water suddenly started up again and we're still not sure what the problem was or how it was "fixed". However, it was good to have people in place we could go to for plumbing advice.

As I've said before, hubby and I are recovering Yuppies. My original goal may have been moving to North Carolina and living off the land but once I entered the corporate world (where my husband already worked), I fell for the Yuppie world hook, line, and the proverbial sinker. It took years of financial trials to bring us back to reality. We were educated to be consumers and pay other people to do things like fix well pumps.

Suddenly the skills we gained through the years were not those that would help us when our financial world fell apart. We were better off than some people since hubby worked building houses and refinishing furniture while he was in college. However, we didn't have a lot of basic skills necessary for survival in economic downturns... and the skills are completely different than finding the best plumber to do the job.

We each entered this learning process according to our personality. Hubby has annoyed more repairmen through the years by getting in their face and seeing how they did their job (when someone had to be called). Most were nice about it, though... the guy who put in a new thermostat and checked our furnace in October was a natural born teacher who took the time to show my husband to do both. He even went slow enough for my husband to write down everything he was doing while checking (and fixing a little gas leak) in the furnace. Hubby now has many files and 3-ring binders full of information.

As for me... being a book person and all... I have spent many years now developing a reference library all about emergency preparedness, cooking, decorating, canning, gardening, living off the land (even though we don't, the books still have great info), and homeschooling. We both are always needing to learn something new to be able to live life with little money.

Just this afternoon I spent an hour choosing new inexpensive recipes to try from my More With Less cookbook and perusing (for the hundredth time it seems) one of Emilie Barne's budget decorating books.

When we were in the middle of our homeschooling years, I would head directly to the kid's nonfiction books at library sales... then to history and biography... making my way eventually to cooking and gardening. In the past few years, the cooking, decorating, and gardening section has been my first stop.

I also use the Amazon credit I receive for such books (this month I had two months worth built up so I bought a book about gardening, another a recipe book about showing hospitality, as well as my granddaughter's birthday book... all from used book dealers).

We are both at different stages of learning. He's better at building things and house repairs than he is at plumbing. I don't let him near the electrical wires, even if his dad was an electrician (some skills are not inherited). I am good at cooking and decorating but a newcomer at gardening.

The other important aspect of living in difficult times... we need each other. Neither of us have many family members left and none who could help in an emergency. However, through a network of people we know at our church and in our old neighborhood, we have people who are usually available to help and to teach. Perhaps not immediately but in the long run.

We grew up expecting a world like The Jetson's... it turns out what we need is more like Little House on the Prairie or The Walton's.

Comments on comments

I know I've missed answering some questions from past posts. I'll go through them and look again soon.

As for recent comments:

The picture of the pantry is from last year.

Some items on the shelf may not seem frugal but each family is so different in their needs (no one commented on this but I'm adding it). My husband purchases Amy's organic soups on the Senior Citizen discount day at the health food store each week and at Wal Mart. He will open one for lunch or dinner when I'm not feeling well. Because of his environmental allergies, he has to be very careful of what he eats.

I will probably be repeating a lot of what I've written before but next week I want to concentrate on deepening the pantry (along with two or three book reviews).

Other items on the Priority List have included household and car maintenance. The only time my hubby and I disagreed was when he wanted to use bookstore income to have the deck professionally treated and I wanted to use the money to further stock the pantry. The previous owner had warned us that was the one thing he didn't get to and it was past due when he sold the house (two years earlier).

As I prayed, I felt the Lord remind me that hubby does have a Master's Degree in Wood Technology (and Furniture Engineering) so I'd better listen to him. We usually try to do everything ourselves but he felt the hit he would take from chemicals would not be wise. So I agreed and the deck was transformed... not to mention safe in a very wet spring and summer and icy winter. We have a five year guarantee, too. I had to admit I was wrong but only in that case. :)

Speaking of which, I never mind anyone correcting me (as in the FDR quote). Sometimes the brain spark plugs aren't, um... sparking... correctly. (No comments from the general area of New England.)

The comments that have caused me to become so upset I nearly gave up blogging were people who questioned my integrity, my character, and my honesty. They either did not read carefully or they were "hit and miss" trolls who feel they have to leave ugly comments... and why they do this to me and to others is beyond me.

I receive snarky comments like "I'm bragging about my thrift store finds" but they don't cause me to get upset.

However, telling me I am not a good Christian because I go to food pantries and I'm taking food from people who need it more is coming against me personally. Obviously that person had never read my blog more than five minutes since I'm very honest about living on S.S. Disability, not to mention having lost one-third of our Social Security when Christopher graduated from high school.

My husband has worked temporary, seasonal work at the bookstore for about four years. Although sometimes he can get a little confused, it is not enough that he can't work at the bookstore. However, there are parts of the year which can leave him bedridden due to the environmental allergies. Usually starting in May and continuing through November.

That brings me to... the many comments and e-mails I receive thanking me for being so honest. That's why I am here and that is entirely what keeps me going. That is my "ministry". A friend used to tease me (but only slightly teasing ) that she felt God has allowed us tribulations so we can teach others to live in great Tribulation. Sigh... I'd just as soon have been chosen for another purpose but He is in charge. :)

We applied for and just received the $40.00 "coupon" to purchase a converter box to use on the old TV.

We do have an Aldi's in the larger town close to us. If I can't find what I need on sale nearby, it is my backup option (especially for things like milk). The next time I'm near Aldi's, I plan to stop for cans of green beans since I missed the big end-of-season sale at my regular store last Fall. We are fortunate to live in an area that has a lot of places like thrift stores, Goodwill (three within easy driving distances), a Habitat For Humanity store, etc. We have two libraries near us which have excellent book sales a few times a year.

This should answer recent questions. I hope to be back soon with another post and to answer a few e-mails. I'm in competition with hubby over computer time now. He works our budget on Excel spread sheets. What can I say... once an engineer, always an engineer.

Recession Ponderings - Priorities & Pantries

Pantry pic from last year

It is cold here. Really cold. Yesterday I awoke to a -11 windchill and today it has warmed to a morning windchill of -7. It reminds me of a line Rhoda said on the old Mary Tyler Moore show... living in cold weather keeps us preserved well (paraphrased, of course)... and the rodent tells us we have six more weeks of winter. Oh, sorry, I mean that cute little guy in Pennsylvania.

Today's ponderings are quite general in nature, covering a little about priorities and a smattering about why I believe keeping a pantry is important. I plan to write more about pantries next week.

If you haven't read the comments from this week, there have been great suggestions and feedback. First, thank you for the reminder that it is FDR and not Churchill who said "The only thing to fear is fear itself". I should have remembered that from the two years we spent studying WWII for homeschooling. :)

Suze asked if I'd share again what kind of pots and pans I bought from my Priority List. I'll answer that and then talk again about why I use a Priority List. I bought the largest Cuisinart skillet and saute pan (with lid... it works on the skillet, too). My saucepan is an All Clad which was half price. That put it down to the non sale price of other "good" cookware. All three have worked extremely well!

The post where I explain why I bought these products is here. In it, I explain those times when I have purchased very good products and even paid (gulp) full price. I also share the brand of pots and pans my daughter uses.

We all have those things we purchase where we are willing to pay full price if necessary. I have a great wardrobe but about 90% of it was purchased used. However, when Christopher needed a new suit we headed to Macy's during a big sale and bought it brand new for half price (or rather, his sister and brother-in-law bought it as a graduation gift). Sometimes used works... sometimes it doesn't. We shop used first, though.

We have long kept a Priority List (my husband keeps it with his files) so we don't forget what is most important when we spend our money. For the past five years or so, we use it when we either receive a financial gift or when we work at the book store seasonally. If during the course of day-to-day living, one of us realizes there is a significant need... it gets written down on the list. (Of course, purchasing food for the pantry and freezer is a priority with extra income.)

I also have a written down list of items I'm looking for at Goodwill, garage sales, etc. but the main Priority List is for those needs we will probably have to purchase at stores. If we find find an item from the Priority List used... we are very thankful (like the "nearly new" shoes my husband recently found at Goodwill).

Since I cook almost everything "from scratch", quality cookware was a priority for the money I earned during that Book Rush. In that case, I had to replace cookware that had overstayed its' welcome and I was concerned about all the nonstick surface that was chipping away.

I don't replace everything. I'm still using my Le'Creuset dutch oven I bought twenty-four years ago. It could use a replacement because the inside is chipped quite a bit and the cast iron shows. However, it does not pose a health threat as my beat up Teflon coated cookware did. I love that dutch oven. I can't imagine my kitchen without one.

I have other cookware that came from garage sales and Goodwill, those mix and match sizes that are not necessary but helpful (one big pot is Revere Ware, a small omelet pan is Emeril, two stock pots, etc.). I have a 9" iron skillet that I bought at a garage sale, used primarily when I make cornbread. I have another Le'Creuset skillet (9" or 10") that was my mother-in-law's. It's a workhorse of a skillet and perfect for making a "scrambled breakfast". I have a Calphalon stir fry pan that was a Christmas present so long ago I can't remember what year... it is perfect for... um... stir frying.

I have lots and lots of baking pans, both for general use and speciality pans for Holidays and such. I'd say 90% of them come from Goodwill and garage sales.

Other items on the Priority List have been a car repair (one that didn't stop us from driving but needed to be done), the deep freeze I use constantly, a new antennae since the old one died in a storm (it is in the garage waiting for the roof to be less slippery), the flowers I planted last Spring, clothing needs not found at Goodwill, etc. The money used to send Christopher to the Community College his Senior year of high school was on the Priority List.

We have to budget differently then we did when there was a regular income. Since we are on a fixed income, we pay everything that must be paid at the beginning of the month. Even those things (like the mortgage) that don't get taken out until later are put in the checkbook as if they have been paid. This month we had about $30.00 left for food and gas.

The income my husband made from the seasonal work at the bookstore these past four weeks went mostly to paying for the car repairs. However, he has another week's pay coming on Friday. With it he will get an oil change for the old car and give the remaining to me to purchase food for the pantry. I'll explain more about that next week.

Hopefully that helps a little for people who have asked about the Priority List? It's really part of the budget process.

As for why I believe a pantry is so important... I actually believe it is essential these days. If nothing else, keeping "one extra" of necessary food and products keep us from having to run out to the grocery store at the last minute.

I call stocking up "deepening the pantry" because when I stock up, that is what I am doing... I am "deepening" it. Basically, I am purchasing extra of what I would keep in the pantry regardless of "bad times or good times". I've written about it before but I'll write more next week.

I hope this answers a few questions. It seems like I am rambling. :)

Recession Ponderings - rethinking money

As I have said before, so much of what I can now "teach" was learned the hard way. Here are some lessons learned...

What is my actual income?
Let's say you make $40,000 a year. If someone were to ask you your income, you would probably say $40,00. That's where some of us get into trouble. When we spend money, we are thinking $40,000. Wrong... your actual income is not your gross but your net income after taxes, Social Security, insurance, etc. is taken out.

Do the math, figure out what your net income is, and keep that amount in your mind when you are making your budget or spending money. You'll be surprised at how it changes your outlook.

How much does this cost me a year?
This is a question I ask Christopher once in awhile. Spending $1.00 a day on bottled water may not seem like a lot (unless you are over 50 and paying for water is still weird). However, multiply that by five to seven days times fifty-two weeks... are you sure you are that thirsty? It is far better to purchase water by the case and take it from home. Better yet is to make a one time purchase of a thermos or other container and fill it up with water from home.

I think that is why Starbucks is in trouble, people who used to purchase their coffee on the way to work each morning are no longer able to spend that kind of money on a daily basis.

I do the same math when thrift shopping. If an object is something I don't really need and I have to think about where to put it... I don't make the purchase no matter how cheap it is. I've started doing the math... $3.00 for a thrift store purchase multiplied by fifty-two weeks in a year? It's amazing how losing one-third of your income makes you rethink Goodwill and garage sales. :)

My Money or My Life
Remember the famous book where the authors have you "do the math", figuring out how many hours it will take you to pay for a purchase with your net income. It woke a lot of people up, not only to be more careful with purchases but to the fact they can live a much better lifestyle as a result of spending less.

Is the joy of driving a $50,000 car around town worth how much extra you have to work to pay for it as opposed to... say... paying $12,000 for a really good used car? Is eating out three or four times a week, going to the mall a few times a month, season tickets to the Bears games, etc. worth having the wife work outside the home if she would rather be home with the kids?

Well, as far as the Bears tickets go... don't ask my husband.

Can I Find a Cheaper Way to Get the Same Result?
This is where the rubber meets the road in decorating our homes, cooking meals, making celebrations for friends and family, etc. It is also where some of my blog friends (like Manuela) have genius ideas that I steal... I mean copy.

Here's an example, I was browsing the gift shop at the hospital yesterday (where we are trying to get help so Christopher can have his surgery) and saw the cutest "sign" which spelled out FAMILY. It was made of individual letters that were hinged together. It was also quite expensive. Next to it was a far cheaper metal sign that also spelled out FAMILY. Just as cute for far less money but still more than I can afford.

If I decide I really want something like this in my home, I'll make a trip to Michael's or Hobby Lobby for ideas. It will also go on my thrift store and garage sale radar. I have learned to ask myself this question many times over the years... what is it I like about an object, can I make the same thing at home, would something similar give me the same "feeling" or "look", etc.

I do this same thing when looking at a picture of a lovely home, an amazing garden, a beautifully set table, etc. What is it about this scene that causes me to love it and how can I recreate this at home without spending money (or at a small cost)?

It's the same with eating out... I LOVE to eat out. But do I need to eat an entire meal? Can I get the same experience by just going out for dessert and coffee? There are times when, of course, we need an entire meal but if it is experience we are after... coffee and pie may be all we need.

At the End of My Life, What Do I Want My Checkbook to Show?
I have friends whose house is... not beautiful. That's all I'll say. Even though they make very, very good money. Unlike me, having a warm and cozy and lovely dwelling place is not a priority.

However, their family has taken exotic and amazing vacations all over the world. I don't know of any other family (among my friends) that has had the travel experiences they have had. Except for their children's education, most of their "extra" income went to these vacations.

Their kids are now out of the home and they have wonderful memories. It's not the way I would have spent my money (I'm a terrible traveler, I get sick on cars and planes and trains and whatever else moves.) But it worked for them.

Frugal Luxuries
Somewhat along those lines of thinking... one has to have a few luxuries here and there. The expense of those luxuries will be different based upon your income, if you are saving for a special purchase, etc... but even if you are on a limited income like us, you must have a luxury here and there are bitterness will be your companion.

An example... $4.00 a day for my morning cup of coffee is far more than I would pay (even if we were not on Disability). However, $4.00 for a Starbucks once a month is possible. A Pumpkin Spice Latte is an experience when it is slowly slipped, with eyes closed, breathing in the aroma. It is a cheap vacation. Spending $5.00 each day at Panera is far beyond my ability right now but investing $5.00 once or twice a month to "get away from it all" with a book, a notebook, and a pen is priceless.

I pay just a little more for my Seventh Generation dish soap (I can no longer afford Mrs. Meyers but I can still purchase Seventh Generation at Target!) and purchasing a very good quality liquid hand soap for my kitchen sink is a frugal luxury, since I spend so much time doing dishes and washing my hands while cooking.

The concept of frugal luxuries could (and has) filled an entire post before...

So, there you have it, lessons learned... many times the hard way. I hope they give you something to ponder today.

Recession Ponderings -- Living off the financial grid

I've been pondering how to explain the way I've had to learn to live and shop over the years. It came to me yesterday after reading a few favorite "simple living" blogs about living off the electrical grid. Eureka! That's it...

living off the financial grid

...that's how to explain it.

Years ago I read a book about a guy who left his high paying job (he had a PhD) and moved to the country. His standard of living improved so much that (at the time) he had not returned to a "normal" lifestyle.

He and his family all developed do-it-yourself skills and tried to do everything they could by growing food, bartering, buying used, etc. Now, this choice was made because in the 1970s and early 1980s, inflation and increasing payroll taxes combined to take huge chunks of the average person's take home pay before they could spend it on necessities.

There was a lot to learn from his family, even for those of us who continued to live and work in "town". I wish I'd kept the book, it had become outdated by the 1990s... or so I thought.

However, I knew of just the person who could give me good ideas. I pulled the first Tightwad Gazette off the shelf (I have volumes 1 and 2... someday I need to get the 3-in-1 volume). I propped the pillows up on my bed and read until my eyes started closing more than they stayed open. If there is anyone who can tell us how to live off the financial grid, it is Amy Dacyczyn. I'd forgotten how much gold there is to mine in those books, not only her ideas but tried and true suggestions from readers.

Another great book is Frugal Luxuries by Tracey McBride. I love this book, it is one of my"comfort books" I pull off the shelf when I need frugal inspiration. Tracey's main blog link is on my sidebar. Unlike Amy's book, it offers more advice about surrounding oneself with elegance and beauty on a very tight budget. They compliment each other with lots and lots of good advice.

I have progressively lived off the financial grid and I wish I'd done more sooner. Would you believe I hadn't stepped into a Goodwill store until we moved back from Detroit? It was a combination of Stephanie telling me her good buys (before moving to New England) and the Goodwill store opening a new location close to my grocery store that hooked me. I had images of the thrift stores my mother took me to as a child... dark and musty smelling. Was I ever wrong!

However, like many of you I share the title of "garage sale queen". Garage sales started during the horrible financial conditions of the late 1970s. I remember how odd they seemed at the time but they were the way young Mom's were able to buy and sell off the financial grid.

Both of my children were trained in the art of garage sale shopping (or tag sales as they are called in New England). When Christopher was little, he received a small allowance during garage sale season, which he used to make purchases at garage sales... great training.

I had a comment left at one time, telling me I "bragged about my thrift store finds". You betcha! I won't deny that even though it was obviously meant as a cutting remark. I brag because I want to share with others about living off the financial grid. Once you learn just how well you can dress and decorate your home and "live well" on pennies... you can't go back.

I don't have the money to shop at Goodwill very often these days so I'm there only a few times a month now, with my mental list of needs and desires. In the past month, my husband and I each found a sweater (his Ralph Lauren still had the tags on it, mine was Talbots), a very nice pair of shoes he desperately needed, and a Wilton Christmas cookie baking pan in its' original box.

A couple months ago I had been at Goodwill for awhile and decided to make "one more trip" down the aisles. There... tucked away on a bottom shelf... was a brand new... never been used... roasting pan that I very much needed but it was $7.95, which is rather high. I picked it up, looked for the brand name... and immediately recognized it as a gold standard brand and put it in my cart. When I arrived home, I looked up the price on line and it was $149.95... yes, as in hundred.

I'm continuing to learn about living off the financial grid. My section of Bloglines I titled "Simple Living" continues to grow each week as I subscribe to wonderful blogs about gardening, canning, purchasing food cheap, etc. That is where I'm getting an education, along with gardening and canning books.

I've belonged to food co-ops off and on but growing my own has been limited to an herb garden and a few tomato plants here and there. Living off the financial grid may become more of a necessity as time goes on for some... an immediate need for others.

It can also be a lifestyle that brings great financial rewards... and fun.


FURTHER READING
The Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn
Frugal Luxuries by Tracey McBride

Happy Birthday Miss E.!

Seven years ago today I became a Grammie.

I love going to tea rooms with you. :)

Sunday Afternoon Tea

For God has not given us the spirit of fear,
but of power, and of love,
and of a sound mind.
2nd Timothy 1:6-8

Last night was one of those rare nights where I tossed and turned, never getting into a deep sleep until I gave up at 4:00 and took a Benadryl to clear up sinus congestion. The real culprit was the pain in my right shoulder and arm... somehow I had brought about stress to the injured area.

There is an old saying that crosses my mind during times likes this. "Never doubt in the night what God has promised in the day." I find I can remain calm and full of faith most days but in the midst of darkness, when sleep fails to come, fear creeps in.

That's what happened last night, an overwhelming since of dread and apprehension came upon me. It is also when I pull out 2nd Timothy 1:6-8, for I know those feelings are never from God so they must be from the enemy of my soul, taking advantage of circumstances and inner fears.

There is a reason Churchill's famous words live on... "We have nothing to fear but fear itself". Simple words with deep meaning. For he knew a nation that allows fear to dominate their thoughts will make unwise decisions when facing overwhelming circumstances like... war, food shortages, and an uncertain future... all of which England experienced.

Our own local newspaper has been filled with large type headlines about plant closings and jobs lost, perhaps forever. There are many reports of suicides and mental breakdowns, some as heartbreaking as the father who shot his wife and children before taking his own life. His reasoning? He had lost his job and could no longer provide for them... so, life is not worthwhile when one can no longer keep up their standard of living?

This past week I walked down the gravel lane to pick up my mail and I noticed the quiet... the thick layer of snow silenced even the birds. There is a great beauty to winter, it allows us to see farther than we can when the days are warm and the flowers are blooming. The sky is never so blue and so clear in my part of the world as it is on a cold, sunny day following a snowfall.

It is that way when a Christian walks through trials and adversity... I've been there and I know it is true. I have never experienced the presence of God as I have when He was all I had left... no income, no saving account, no job offers in the near future, no... hope. When the cupboard is bare, the bills arrive each month, the mortgage is already past due, and I can make no plans for I have no idea what tomorrow holds... that is when I have experienced miracles that took my breath away.

Sometimes we're in the midst of the storm and all we can do is hold on while the winds are raging all around us. We anchor ourselves to the Rock as never before, remembering mental altars of those times He came through and rescued us before. The Bible calls it... faith, patience, experience, and hope.

This is when He becomes either real to us or we realize our faith is nothing but a shadow of the real thing. For it is only faith that can overcome fear, real faith and very, very real fear. The words that met me during the night... the words that helped me to smile even in the fear... God is in control.

Drop your anchor deep, hold on for dear life, He will make His presence known in the cold and storm and as the wind blows. Life will become an adventure instead of the end of the world, it is all on how you choose to look at it.