This has been a fantastic week to pick up some steals. The produce is popping at the local farms, and I've been able to pick up bushels of tomatoes for less than $10. Several hours in the crock pot later, and I have some fantastic spaghetti sauce canned up, and I've canned some stewed tomatoes to use this winter in soups and stews.
With the arrival of winter squash, I've been stocking up on my favorites. Delicata, Acorn, Butternut, and Spaghetti Squash are all available in great quantities. Stored properly, they will keep for months. I've been picking up two or three squashes every time I hit up the farmer's market.
The Swiss Chard has been looking beautiful at the farm down the street from us. I stopped by their farm store on the way home from work today and picked up a bunch - a huge bunch- for $2.
If you have a freezer, or know how to can, now is the time to go pick up the best of the season's bounty to see you through the winter!
As you know, I have a troop of Girl Scouts who are in their last year of Girl Scouts. I have been working on putting albums together for the girls of pictures that we have taken over the 12 years that the girls have been in Scouting. This week, I got myself motivated to get back to work on these albums. I've finished one album out of five. The others are over half finished. I am planning on having them all finished by the end of October.
Resolutions
1) 365 Grateful.
I have a gratitude journal. I write in it weekly. I list 5-10 things I am thankful for.
While this is not daily, it does keep me grounded, and it reminds me of the many good things I have in my life in the midst of all the crazy things that surround me. I've started keeping the notes that people at work have been passing to me in here, too.
As of last month, I'd lost 20 pounds since January. As of the last weigh in on the scale, I've lost 2 more pounds, for a total of 22 pounds. Not too shabby!
3) Run
I believe my motto has become "Only if something is chasing me." I am still walking. We've got some pretty awesome hills around here. I have two or three standard routes that I walk. I'm now able to walk all of them without getting winded or wiped out. I'm thinking it might be time to make those routes a little bit longer.
4) Get Out of Debt
Still working on this. I don't think we'll be completely out of debt by the end of the year, but we are getting closer. As of now, we are paying with cash every time we fill the Civic. We are charging the gas for the van. However, I am only driving the van to and from work. As a result, I am only filling the tank in the van every other week.
5) Finish Cleaning Out the Basement
I've got a good half of the family room cleaned out. I'm now sorting out donations. Some goes to Goodwill, Some to the rummage sale at the church, and some will be donated to the library.
6) Finish Oldest Child's Quilt
I've started piecing it.
7) Spend More Time With My Family
With the death of my son's friend, I've had a lot of unexpected time with my kids, and with my "extended" kids - you know, the friends that are as much my kids as my own. They were home the weekend after Patrick died, and they were home last weekend for the Memorial Service. A horrible reason for a get together, but I treasured that time even more, considering the reason that we were all together so unexpectedly. As I said before, life is just so damn fragile.
8) Finish the Book I Keep Saying I'm Going to Write!
Well, the research is finished. I need to finish the writing... goal is to have this done, soon.
9) Finish the Hallway Bathroom
Last month, we had to use the money we had set aside to repair the bathroom to fix the van. So, we have started saving for this all over again. I'm not certain that this will happen in 2014.
Done and done. Singing in the church choir, weekly. Love practice and love singing. Both husband and I are singing in the choir. It's where we met, so it's a little nostalgic to be doing it again.
No comments:
Post a Comment