This week hasn't been as much of a frugal success as I would like. I wish I could say I'd saved a lot. But, over time, every little bit adds up to a lot of money.
1) We have a "Time of Use" meter for electricity. We get charged more for using electricity during peak periods of use, and charged less for using electricity during non-peak times. Since it's summer time, our electricity rates go way up during the business day, and way down at night and on the weekends. Since we finally turned the a/c on this week, this is what I've done to help keep the cost down:
* I keep the a/c turned way down at night (72). During the day, we have the thermostat set at 80*. I keep the ceiling fans on during the day, and keep the sheers closed. On the southwest side of the house, I close the heavy curtains once the sun hits that side of the house. We live in an all brick house, and the masonry does keep the inside of the house at a pretty consistent temperature.
* I run a load of wash before I go to bed at night. In the morning, I take the wash outside and hang it to dry. We also run a lot of laundry on the weekends, when the rates are lower.
* Our dishwasher has a time delay. When I fill it at night, I set it to start washing after 11 p.m.
* I've switched any baking to the toaster oven. Heavy duty baking is done at night, once the outdoor temperature starts to go down. The bread maker, microwave, and grill are also getting a decent workout as using them keeps the house cooler.
2) Matt works at a camp over an hour away from here. His weekends are Monday evening to Weds. morning. I arranged a carpool with another family so that each of us is only driving up and back once a week. Good for the environment, good for our wallet.
3) We made our own pizza crust for dinner last night. We made the dough in the bread maker, and cooked it on the grill. Not quite brick oven pizza, but gas grill pizza is still good!
4) Cooked dinner from scratch every night this week. No pre-prepared or convenience foods went into making dinner!
5) I used the leftover strawberries that didn't get made into jelly in strawberry muffins and strawberry smoothies, and strawberry popsicles.
6) I took our leftovers from dinner and froze them into meals for the oldest child, who is working on campus this summer, and is living off campus. Our leftovers are not going to waste by being thrown into the trash, and he does not have to pay for groceries on his very limited earnings.
7) I found a chain grocery store that does not accept credit cards. Cash or Debit only. (You also have to pay a 25 cent deposit for a cart!) Their prices are significantly lower than the other grocery stores. Let me tell you, when you know you only have $60 in your purse for groceries, you find a way to stay inside of your limit!
8) This one might seem a little silly: 4 years ago, when we bought our then 16 year old his first cell phone, I went ahead and bought the insurance plan that the cell phone company offered. His cell phone died two weeks ago. It had a nice, white spot in the middle of the screen. We took it back to the carrier last week and guess what? New cell phone, covered by the insurance. It's not a smart phone. But, it's the closest model to the previous cell phone that the company makes. It is a really nice phone. And yes, I bought the insurance for this phone, too. (Estimated savings on the cost of the new phone: $150 for the new phone - $25 insurance = $125 savings.)
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Friday, June 28, 2013
T-Shirt Quilt, part 1
I've been working on a t-shirt quilt for Matt. He's taking it to college with him in the fall. I have been collecting t-shirts for 4 years, volunteering at events, and *sigh* paying for t-shirts to make into a quilt for him to take to college. I began working on it last week when he reported to camp. These are the steps involved in getting the shirts cut into squares.
I measured every t-shirt that I had for the collection. There are several variations on t-shirt quilts, from those that are just blocks, to those that cut out big and small pieces of t-shirts, and somehow manage to make it into one gorgeous quilt.
I looked at the t-shirts and decided that I wanted to cut them all into similar size blocks, and that I was going to alternate the blocks with a solid color fabric. After measuring the designs on the fronts and backs of all of the shirts, I decided that I would cut the squares to be 14". With a 1/4" seam allowance on all sides, the final size of the squares will be 13 1/2".
So, after taking a deep breath, I began cutting the t-shirts.
Here, I am cutting one of the shirts. There is no side seam on any of these shirts, so I am attempting to go pretty much straight up the side of the shirt, with the goal of ending my cut at the seam on the underarm of the sleeve.
Don't know how I did it, but I did! Here, you can see that the scissors are on track to hit the bottom of the sleeve, right at the underarm seam. I then cut around the sleeve, so that the sleeve separates from the shirt, and cut across the top, through the crew neck to liberate the two halves.
Just the front of the shirt. The sleeves are gone. I went ahead and left the ribbing for the crew neck on the shirts because I'll cut them off when I measure out and cut the square down.
The shoulder seam. I cut right next to the seam, across to the crew neck.
I measured every t-shirt that I had for the collection. There are several variations on t-shirt quilts, from those that are just blocks, to those that cut out big and small pieces of t-shirts, and somehow manage to make it into one gorgeous quilt.
I looked at the t-shirts and decided that I wanted to cut them all into similar size blocks, and that I was going to alternate the blocks with a solid color fabric. After measuring the designs on the fronts and backs of all of the shirts, I decided that I would cut the squares to be 14". With a 1/4" seam allowance on all sides, the final size of the squares will be 13 1/2".
So, after taking a deep breath, I began cutting the t-shirts.
Here, I am cutting one of the shirts. There is no side seam on any of these shirts, so I am attempting to go pretty much straight up the side of the shirt, with the goal of ending my cut at the seam on the underarm of the sleeve.
Just the front of the shirt. The sleeves are gone. I went ahead and left the ribbing for the crew neck on the shirts because I'll cut them off when I measure out and cut the square down.
The shoulder seam. I cut right next to the seam, across to the crew neck.
Measuring across the back. Unfortunately, when I cut these shirts, I only had a tape measure with me, and not my cutting mat or rotary cutter! I did my best to make certain that the squares were as close to 14" as possible.
Before I iron on the interface on the back, I will double check the measurements on the square to make sure that it measures out correctly.
NEXT UP:
Cutting the fabric squares, ironing the interfacing.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Two Random Moments in Time
ONE
Middle Child works at a residential summer camp. I went up to pick him and one of our neighbor kids up this week and bring them home for their "weekend". My daughter went with us.
The boys were exhausted when we picked them up. We were about half an hour into the drive home when Tommy pulled a summer sausage out of his back pack, opened it up, and split it with Matt.
Tommy then proceeded to lean forward in his seat, and offer some sausage to Becca, waving it under her nose.
"Mmm... Becca. Do you want some? It's summer sausage. It's great."
"She's a vegetarian" said Matt from the back seat.
"I know!" laughed Tommy.
Becca proceeded to hit him with her purse...
TWO
We were at a robotics tournament in April. I was sitting in the lounge with the television along with another mother, Esther, waiting for the rest of the team to get back. A hockey game was on the television.
I wasn't paying attention to much of anything, and Esther had her head down on the table. We were both exhausted.
All of a sudden, Esther picked her head up off of the table, looked at the television with a bewildered look on her face and then said "Oh, he said broke his STICK. That makes a whole lot more sense!"
(True story, I swear!)
Middle Child works at a residential summer camp. I went up to pick him and one of our neighbor kids up this week and bring them home for their "weekend". My daughter went with us.
The boys were exhausted when we picked them up. We were about half an hour into the drive home when Tommy pulled a summer sausage out of his back pack, opened it up, and split it with Matt.
Tommy then proceeded to lean forward in his seat, and offer some sausage to Becca, waving it under her nose.
"Mmm... Becca. Do you want some? It's summer sausage. It's great."
"She's a vegetarian" said Matt from the back seat.
"I know!" laughed Tommy.
Becca proceeded to hit him with her purse...
TWO
We were at a robotics tournament in April. I was sitting in the lounge with the television along with another mother, Esther, waiting for the rest of the team to get back. A hockey game was on the television.
I wasn't paying attention to much of anything, and Esther had her head down on the table. We were both exhausted.
All of a sudden, Esther picked her head up off of the table, looked at the television with a bewildered look on her face and then said "Oh, he said broke his STICK. That makes a whole lot more sense!"
(True story, I swear!)
Monday, June 24, 2013
Life on the Streets
I was in the city last week with a group of my daughter's friends. We were taking a load of stuff that they had collected to one of those houses for children where people stay when they live out of town, and they need a place close to the hospital to stay.
As we were getting off of the highway, we turned onto a side street and got to watch a little more action than we had wanted to see.
*WHAM!*
Just across the street from us, we got to watch the police take down a suspect and handcuff him. And then, we got to see another guy down the street handcuffed.
Each of the perps was sitting on the ground, about a block apart, handcuffed while four policemen stood over each one. Two more policemen were going through the bushes behind them with their nightsticks, looking at the ground for something.
As we were heading in with our boxes of stuff, two of the officers came over and helped us open doors and carry stuff into the building. They were very polite, and thanked the girls for bringing things in and apologized for the scene across the street.
What a welcome to the city!
But you know, the last time I went into the city with a group of kids, (in April), we were walking along a city street and got to watch a guy get handcuffed by the cops. Unfortunately, they had him spread eagle over the back of my Honda. We stood and watched while they read him his rights, searched him, and handcuffed him.
Finally, one of the cops turns to me and says "Why don't you guys move along here?"
"We're trying to," I replied, "But you guys and this dude seem to be all over my car, and are kind of in the way of my moving anywhere."
The policemen quickly apologized, and asked us politely if we minded waiting a few more minutes while they hauled the guy off. They also asked me to make certain that there was no damage to my car.
Again, a great "Howdy-Do" from the city!
I love the city. I really do. I love the cultural opportunities, and I love most of the people who live and work there.
Most of all, I enjoy the juxtaposition of images every time I end up dealing with the police department.
There, right in front of me, something is going down. There are lots of officers, always a little bit of swearing from the person getting arrested. It is downright nitty gritty.
But then, in the midst of it all, you see these wonderful officers who are dealing with a very ugly situation and yet they take the time to be polite, friendly, and helpful.
Since I've had a run in of some kind with the police involving someone being arrested the last three times I've been in the city, I'm wondering if I should call the police department ahead of time and say "I'm heading into such and such a street today at 9 am. Something should be going down there at just about that time. You might want to make sure you have a couple of extra officers on duty there, just in case."
As we were getting off of the highway, we turned onto a side street and got to watch a little more action than we had wanted to see.
*WHAM!*
Just across the street from us, we got to watch the police take down a suspect and handcuff him. And then, we got to see another guy down the street handcuffed.
Each of the perps was sitting on the ground, about a block apart, handcuffed while four policemen stood over each one. Two more policemen were going through the bushes behind them with their nightsticks, looking at the ground for something.
As we were heading in with our boxes of stuff, two of the officers came over and helped us open doors and carry stuff into the building. They were very polite, and thanked the girls for bringing things in and apologized for the scene across the street.
What a welcome to the city!
But you know, the last time I went into the city with a group of kids, (in April), we were walking along a city street and got to watch a guy get handcuffed by the cops. Unfortunately, they had him spread eagle over the back of my Honda. We stood and watched while they read him his rights, searched him, and handcuffed him.
Finally, one of the cops turns to me and says "Why don't you guys move along here?"
"We're trying to," I replied, "But you guys and this dude seem to be all over my car, and are kind of in the way of my moving anywhere."
The policemen quickly apologized, and asked us politely if we minded waiting a few more minutes while they hauled the guy off. They also asked me to make certain that there was no damage to my car.
Again, a great "Howdy-Do" from the city!
I love the city. I really do. I love the cultural opportunities, and I love most of the people who live and work there.
Most of all, I enjoy the juxtaposition of images every time I end up dealing with the police department.
There, right in front of me, something is going down. There are lots of officers, always a little bit of swearing from the person getting arrested. It is downright nitty gritty.
But then, in the midst of it all, you see these wonderful officers who are dealing with a very ugly situation and yet they take the time to be polite, friendly, and helpful.
Since I've had a run in of some kind with the police involving someone being arrested the last three times I've been in the city, I'm wondering if I should call the police department ahead of time and say "I'm heading into such and such a street today at 9 am. Something should be going down there at just about that time. You might want to make sure you have a couple of extra officers on duty there, just in case."
Saturday, June 22, 2013
My Frugal Accomplishments
One of my favorite blogs is entitled "The Prudent Homemaker". You can find them here: http://theprudenthomemakerblog.blogspot.com/
Brandi, who writes the blog is a constant source of inspiration. Her family lost their income source for almost a year. She writes about the struggles of maintaining a home, family, and home schooling on a very limited budget. She does on a daily basis what I wish I could do over the course of a month.
One of my favorite features of her Blog is entitled "My Frugal Accomplishments". In it, she lists the things she does to keep her family running, and having fun on a budget.
So, I am stealing her idea. While I am not nearly in her class, I do need a way to hold myself accountable for our family expenses. With two children now in college, and food and energy costs going through the roof, I am looking for ways to cut back on our expenses.
It does help that our oldest child is on a full scholarship to college. We "only" pay for books. I say "only" because have you seen the cost of college textbooks lately? Last semester, we paid $600 for his textbooks.
The middle child has a partial scholarship. It's not as nice as a full scholarship, but it will relieve some of our financial burden. However, we still need to find a way to cover his tuition. He's paying a portion this fall. (10%) and we're paying the rest. I really don't want to put this on credit card, so anything I can do to find money will help.
So, here is what I managed to do this week to cut back on our expenses:
1) I made two loaves of bread from scratch. (I sent one to with our oldest child, who is living off and working off campus this summer.)
2) I line dried two loads of laundry this week. The clothes dry in a jiffy, and I love the smell of sun baked clothes!
3) I made 4 pints of strawberry jelly with strawberries we grow in our yard.
4) We checked out the second season of Dr. Who from the library.
5) I made 6 quarts of turkey broth, and 24 turkey bullion muffins and froze them all.
It's a start. I'm going to have to try a little harder next week.
I guess we can say you guys are holding me accountable for what I do!
Brandi, who writes the blog is a constant source of inspiration. Her family lost their income source for almost a year. She writes about the struggles of maintaining a home, family, and home schooling on a very limited budget. She does on a daily basis what I wish I could do over the course of a month.
One of my favorite features of her Blog is entitled "My Frugal Accomplishments". In it, she lists the things she does to keep her family running, and having fun on a budget.
So, I am stealing her idea. While I am not nearly in her class, I do need a way to hold myself accountable for our family expenses. With two children now in college, and food and energy costs going through the roof, I am looking for ways to cut back on our expenses.
It does help that our oldest child is on a full scholarship to college. We "only" pay for books. I say "only" because have you seen the cost of college textbooks lately? Last semester, we paid $600 for his textbooks.
The middle child has a partial scholarship. It's not as nice as a full scholarship, but it will relieve some of our financial burden. However, we still need to find a way to cover his tuition. He's paying a portion this fall. (10%) and we're paying the rest. I really don't want to put this on credit card, so anything I can do to find money will help.
So, here is what I managed to do this week to cut back on our expenses:
1) I made two loaves of bread from scratch. (I sent one to with our oldest child, who is living off and working off campus this summer.)
2) I line dried two loads of laundry this week. The clothes dry in a jiffy, and I love the smell of sun baked clothes!
3) I made 4 pints of strawberry jelly with strawberries we grow in our yard.
4) We checked out the second season of Dr. Who from the library.
5) I made 6 quarts of turkey broth, and 24 turkey bullion muffins and froze them all.
It's a start. I'm going to have to try a little harder next week.
I guess we can say you guys are holding me accountable for what I do!
Friday, June 21, 2013
"Instantly Slims You"
With the arrival of hot weather here on the East Coast this week, I pulled out my old, comfy shorts. After a good, hard look at said shorts, I decided that I needed to buy a couple of new pairs that aren't so ragged and paint covered.
I went to the local department store and found shorts of the required length. Now, these are not just any shorts! The bright green label on the front of the shorts scream "INSTANTLY SLIMS YOU". I figure I can use all the help I can get. I attempt to work out on a regular basis (You know, like once a week. I don't want to be excessive about that exercise thing.) So, I figure I can use all the help I can get. I pick up a pair and look more closely at the labels. "Tummy Control" and "Slims Your Figure" are listed on this tag. Sounds like a winning combination to me. The shorts are on sale, so I buy two pairs.
I brought the shorts home and went back to my room to try them on. I was followed by the two cats, who are always intrigued by the large plastic bags that they can jump onto and roll around in. As the cats waited patiently for their new toy, I explained to them that these shorts were going to solve all of my problems. They would suck my tummy in for me, and take a couple of inches off my profile, and I'd look even better than I already do.
I pulled on the first pair of shorts, buttoned them up and turned around to see the cats staring at me. I swear, that if those cats could laugh, they would have been rolling around on the floor, holding their stomachs and pounding the ground with their paws. As it was, I swear I could see Luna, the female, shaking her head in pity.
The shorts did feel a little odd. I could tell my stomach was sucked in, but there was definitely more going on. I slowly walked over to the full-length mirror, dreading what I was going to see.
You've heard the phrase "muffin top"? Muffin top doesn't even begin to cover what I saw. Have you ever gotten a really loaded ice cream cone? You know how it's all stiff on the cone part, and then where the ice cream part starts, there's a ton of ice cream just pushing out all over the top of the cone in every which direction? That was me. Ice Cream Top.
Yes, the shorts are slimming. They take an amazing two inches off of my stomach. The question I should have asked myself at the time is; "What happens to all of that fat that's no longer on my stomach"? It's being pushed up above the waist line on my pants, that's what's happening. I look like I have a 2 keg beer belly pouring over my belt. The pants are stretch pants, but I honestly feel like I'm stretching them to the very last inch of their stretchiness. If I stretch them out any more, they are going to explode off of me. Try explaining that while handing out food at the middle school picnic.
The funny thing is, I bought a regular, non-slimming pair of capris from this same manufacturer in this same size last month. They still fit me just fine.
Nursing my bruised ego, I pulled the shorts off and took a closer look at the interior construction. There is a control panel across the front of these shorts. It looks as if I can take the control panel out with some patience and a good seam ripper. Hopefully, once the control panel is removed, then all of my flab and fat can distribute itself where it normally sits around my tummy. It's a little easier to hide that tummy when it's evenly distributed.
While I'd really, really like to whittle a couple more inches off my tummy, I think I'd be better doing it the old fashioned way with diet and exercise. Or maybe a pair of Spanx. Yeah, maybe Spanx AND my slimming shorts...
I went to the local department store and found shorts of the required length. Now, these are not just any shorts! The bright green label on the front of the shorts scream "INSTANTLY SLIMS YOU". I figure I can use all the help I can get. I attempt to work out on a regular basis (You know, like once a week. I don't want to be excessive about that exercise thing.) So, I figure I can use all the help I can get. I pick up a pair and look more closely at the labels. "Tummy Control" and "Slims Your Figure" are listed on this tag. Sounds like a winning combination to me. The shorts are on sale, so I buy two pairs.
I brought the shorts home and went back to my room to try them on. I was followed by the two cats, who are always intrigued by the large plastic bags that they can jump onto and roll around in. As the cats waited patiently for their new toy, I explained to them that these shorts were going to solve all of my problems. They would suck my tummy in for me, and take a couple of inches off my profile, and I'd look even better than I already do.
I pulled on the first pair of shorts, buttoned them up and turned around to see the cats staring at me. I swear, that if those cats could laugh, they would have been rolling around on the floor, holding their stomachs and pounding the ground with their paws. As it was, I swear I could see Luna, the female, shaking her head in pity.
The shorts did feel a little odd. I could tell my stomach was sucked in, but there was definitely more going on. I slowly walked over to the full-length mirror, dreading what I was going to see.
You've heard the phrase "muffin top"? Muffin top doesn't even begin to cover what I saw. Have you ever gotten a really loaded ice cream cone? You know how it's all stiff on the cone part, and then where the ice cream part starts, there's a ton of ice cream just pushing out all over the top of the cone in every which direction? That was me. Ice Cream Top.
Yes, the shorts are slimming. They take an amazing two inches off of my stomach. The question I should have asked myself at the time is; "What happens to all of that fat that's no longer on my stomach"? It's being pushed up above the waist line on my pants, that's what's happening. I look like I have a 2 keg beer belly pouring over my belt. The pants are stretch pants, but I honestly feel like I'm stretching them to the very last inch of their stretchiness. If I stretch them out any more, they are going to explode off of me. Try explaining that while handing out food at the middle school picnic.
The funny thing is, I bought a regular, non-slimming pair of capris from this same manufacturer in this same size last month. They still fit me just fine.
Nursing my bruised ego, I pulled the shorts off and took a closer look at the interior construction. There is a control panel across the front of these shorts. It looks as if I can take the control panel out with some patience and a good seam ripper. Hopefully, once the control panel is removed, then all of my flab and fat can distribute itself where it normally sits around my tummy. It's a little easier to hide that tummy when it's evenly distributed.
While I'd really, really like to whittle a couple more inches off my tummy, I think I'd be better doing it the old fashioned way with diet and exercise. Or maybe a pair of Spanx. Yeah, maybe Spanx AND my slimming shorts...
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Choose Your Poison
"So, which will it be?" my doctor asked.
My mind whirled as I thought through the options.
I've had an upper respiratory infection for over a month now. The first round of antibiotics didn't help, and I was back in my doctor's office to see if there was anything else we could do about it. My throat was still sore, and both of my ears are still infected, and sound is muffled.
Actually, the muffled sounds aren't always a bad thing. Screaming babies at the grocery store don't bother me right now... I can barely hear them. Loud public events don't bother me, as I can barely hear what is going on around me.
On the other hand, I can barely hear my kids when they talk to me. They have to stand on the side that is hearing well. Today, that is the right side. I can't hear someone when they say hello to me across the grocery store, either. That's kind of bad.
So, I was sitting in the doctor's office, looking for some relief. I've been off of the last round of antibiotics for 3 days, and things aren't any better. I woke up with a serious ear-ache, I can barely swallow, and my head feels like it's going to explode.
After a thorough listen to my chest, and a lot of time checking out my lymph nodes in my throat, she decided to give it another go with antibiotics. We are going up a class of drugs, too. Stronger drugs. Oh boy.
"So, we have two options at this level. They both have some significant side effects. The first one will give you diarrhea, the second will make you nauseous and sick to your stomach. Which one do you want to deal with?"
Jeesh. What a choice. Either way, I'm going to need to be close to a bathroom for the next two weeks. Youngest child is going to a camp in Baltimore next week, and oldest child works at a camp north of Baltimore, and will need to be picked up for his "weekend" - Monday night until Wednesday morning. Both of those trips are an hour one way, and public facilities are not always easy to find.
Finally, I choose diarrhea. Yogurt will help keep my digestive balance a little more on track, and will replace the good bacteria I am losing from the antibiotics.
I tell her my choice, and she gives me a list of OTC drugs that will help keep the unwanted side effects at bay if things get really bad.
And then, she delivers the killer line:
"I want you to stay away from the germ factories and give your body a chance to heal. No swimming pool. No gym. No school. Try to stay away from church, and try not to shake anyone's hand for the next two weeks. Even at the library and grocery stores, make sure you wipe down the handles on your cart, and wipe down the mylar covers on the books when you get home."
I stare at her. School has been out for a week, but I'm supposed to stay away from the pool? Wipe down the books from the library?
She stares hard at me. "I mean it. I want you to slow down for the next two weeks. Enjoy your summer. Spend time out in the yard, weed the garden, pick strawberries, watch the sunset. Just let your immune system work this out without you adding any extra stress to your system from new germs for 2 weeks."
And so, here I am. At home. Last night, we watched the sunset. This morning, I've already done a load of laundry, and I'm getting ready to tackle a quilt I've had sitting around for a while that I've been intending to "get to" for months now. I put a boatload of books on reserve at the library that my husband picked up last night, and he wiped the covers down with disinfectant before he brought them into the house.
Even better - the husband is going grocery shopping tonight! Hmmm... this whole "grounded" thing might not be as bad as I thought!
My mind whirled as I thought through the options.
I've had an upper respiratory infection for over a month now. The first round of antibiotics didn't help, and I was back in my doctor's office to see if there was anything else we could do about it. My throat was still sore, and both of my ears are still infected, and sound is muffled.
Actually, the muffled sounds aren't always a bad thing. Screaming babies at the grocery store don't bother me right now... I can barely hear them. Loud public events don't bother me, as I can barely hear what is going on around me.
On the other hand, I can barely hear my kids when they talk to me. They have to stand on the side that is hearing well. Today, that is the right side. I can't hear someone when they say hello to me across the grocery store, either. That's kind of bad.
So, I was sitting in the doctor's office, looking for some relief. I've been off of the last round of antibiotics for 3 days, and things aren't any better. I woke up with a serious ear-ache, I can barely swallow, and my head feels like it's going to explode.
After a thorough listen to my chest, and a lot of time checking out my lymph nodes in my throat, she decided to give it another go with antibiotics. We are going up a class of drugs, too. Stronger drugs. Oh boy.
"So, we have two options at this level. They both have some significant side effects. The first one will give you diarrhea, the second will make you nauseous and sick to your stomach. Which one do you want to deal with?"
Jeesh. What a choice. Either way, I'm going to need to be close to a bathroom for the next two weeks. Youngest child is going to a camp in Baltimore next week, and oldest child works at a camp north of Baltimore, and will need to be picked up for his "weekend" - Monday night until Wednesday morning. Both of those trips are an hour one way, and public facilities are not always easy to find.
Finally, I choose diarrhea. Yogurt will help keep my digestive balance a little more on track, and will replace the good bacteria I am losing from the antibiotics.
I tell her my choice, and she gives me a list of OTC drugs that will help keep the unwanted side effects at bay if things get really bad.
And then, she delivers the killer line:
"I want you to stay away from the germ factories and give your body a chance to heal. No swimming pool. No gym. No school. Try to stay away from church, and try not to shake anyone's hand for the next two weeks. Even at the library and grocery stores, make sure you wipe down the handles on your cart, and wipe down the mylar covers on the books when you get home."
I stare at her. School has been out for a week, but I'm supposed to stay away from the pool? Wipe down the books from the library?
She stares hard at me. "I mean it. I want you to slow down for the next two weeks. Enjoy your summer. Spend time out in the yard, weed the garden, pick strawberries, watch the sunset. Just let your immune system work this out without you adding any extra stress to your system from new germs for 2 weeks."
And so, here I am. At home. Last night, we watched the sunset. This morning, I've already done a load of laundry, and I'm getting ready to tackle a quilt I've had sitting around for a while that I've been intending to "get to" for months now. I put a boatload of books on reserve at the library that my husband picked up last night, and he wiped the covers down with disinfectant before he brought them into the house.
Even better - the husband is going grocery shopping tonight! Hmmm... this whole "grounded" thing might not be as bad as I thought!
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